Rants and Weekly Raves #148 (RAWR)

kakashi: I'm on the Danube!
SakiVI: Yay!  Have fun.  I bet it's so pretty!  FYI, everyone, with one thing and another, I'm still not able to recap IFD these days.  I'm thinking to just wait until all episodes are subbed and then to do it. Of course, if my schedule opens up, I'll continue to recap what's subbed so far.
And why can't I get things I want? I want Love Lost in Time subs, but despite William Chan's immense popularity, no subs. And no one seems to want to subtitle River God, an upcoming Republican era supernatural police drama with Zhang Mingen looking super-pretty. Sad.
JoAnne:  I wonder if you can float on a tube down the Danube?  Have fun, Kakashi and family!  We will hold down the drama front while you are away.
Trotwood: Have a great time traveling an relaxing.  You deserve it Kakashi. Was this a record finale week or what? 
See that boat?  Wave to our sensei



KOREA

Fight My Way (Finale) 





Loved this from start to finish, even though I am sad we didn't get to see the actual wedding.  I enjoyed watching everyone so much, and I loved Ae Ra and Dong Man find the courage to go for it in both career and love. Joo Man and Seol Hee provided lots of fodder for conversation, always a good sign in my book - a drama that gives you a situation that jump starts debate is always a plus for me, and it also seemed pretty true to life.  I loved how they resolved the landlady and the stalker lines.  They were not at all what was expected, another big plus.  Even Hye Ra became more sympathetic as we learned more about her, and it didn't strike me as a stretch at all for Ae Ra to have reached out to her in the way that she did. Ae Ra is as much a care taker as Seol Hee is.  I'd recommend this to anyone.  Except maybe Kakashi.  She likes things darker and more complicated

I'm with you. This isn't a Kakashi-like show, but I agree with everything you said. My fear of it going all makjang did not pan out, which concerned me. I ended up understanding everyone, and Hye Ra's arc did make sense. It's always been Ae Ra for Dong Man, and she was aware of that from the beginning, which make her one of the only 2nd leads for which I actually understand the hatred for the heroine. Dong Man did date her and think he loved her when really he's always loved Ae Ra. I also completely enjoyed Joo Man's begging. Didn't Seol Hee look like a boss driving that car. I also liked the way his mom apologized and understood why she broke up with her son.

Lookout (Finale)


A complicated show with a bittersweet ending.  Jang Do Han will live on in my memory as a particularly memorable anti-hero, and someone I grew to love in all his complicated fury at an unfair world.  Amongst a host of really solid performances, Kim Young Kwang was the star and he more than held his own with more experienced actors.  I sincerely hope he gets bigger and better roles as a result of his work here.  My one complaint:  I would have liked to see the end result for that monstrous Si Wan. 

I loved this show up until the final 15 minutes where it just faded after setting up a follow-up/second season arc. Not as bad as Mystery Queen, but still. This show really had my heart pounding with nerves for a whole lot of it, even when my logical mind fought it, so that makes it top notch in my book. Kim Young Kwang was excellent. I also hope this gives people more ideas what to do with Lee Si Young. I always like her, but I always think she doesn't get very good roles or good shows. I hope casting directors remember her performance when/if she decides to come back post baby.

Bride of the Water God

Ridiculously endearing show. It helps that I have soft spots for both Nam Joo Hyuk and Shin Se Kyung anyway, but I'm falling big time for their characters - neither of whom are particularly likable people, and yet both of whom I just want to hug.  Don't particularly care for or about Moo Ra, and didn't even recognize a blonde Gong Myung.  Im Ju Hwan is an enjoyable puzzle and I love, love, love Habaek's adorable minion.


Duel 

If the Baeksang Awards have a category for Villain Most in Need of a Hug, I'd be hard-pressed to find anyone more deserving than Sung Hoon.  I love that this show is throwing curves at us constantly. 


 Secret Forest 

For the LIFE of me, who is the big bad in this show?  Beside Chang Joon's wife, I mean? Everyone seems to have things to hide and people they're willing to throw under a bus.  Other than Shi Mok and Det. Han, of course.  If we get surprised about either of them I will be heartbroken. I was pleasantly surprised this week that the one team chief there in the prosecutor's office, the silver haired guy - he's kind of a jerk but he seems like he might actually be honest AND outraged about the crap that goes on, and rather than be hostile to Shi Mok he seems to be encouraging him behind the scenes.


Suspicious Partner (Finale) 

WOO-KIE!  WOO-KIE!  WOO-KIE!  Thanks for being in an enjoyable show before you leave us.  I liked how they wrapped this up after that draggy middle - I didn't expect the twist for Hyun Soo, and I was happy that poor Ji, who only ever loved one woman and kept falling in love with her over and over again, finally got to a point where he could act on that without guilt.  And of course I love that Ji Wook and Bong Hee are together forever! I think Nam Ji Hyun is really well-suited as a partner for Wookie.  They're both cute AND sexy, both can do action believably, they have chemistry for days...whaddya say?  Reunion in two years?  Huh? Huh? Huh?
This was a super cute show. Yup. They had chemistry in spades. And of course I was hoping for Eun Hyuk's happiness from the beginning. I was surprised at the Hyun Soo twist, but the mystery was secondary throughout, which made the show a bit of a drag for  me. I kept getting sucked back in merely for the cute, which I think did a disservice to the fact that all the characters were interesting people.

Seven Day Queen 

Oh my God, it's so much worse than I expected.  If I even think about this week's episodes I start to get all teary. Are they really going to defy history and give us an ending that lets our poor kids be happy together, far from the palace?  Will that give our poor king some peace, or drive him crazy with imagining them together?  He's been heartbroken since Yeok was just a tiny boy, and now with Chae Kyung...it's just too much. If a person could die from emotional pain, then poor Yoon would be the one.  He's done horrible things, I know.  Both brothers have, now.  But Yoon is a monster, of sorts. Just because I understand why doesn't make that less important...but I don't want him to be hurt anymore, either.  On a side note - I love how they've really brought into focus the conflicting view points between those who've supported the king, and those who support Yeok.  Both sides have good and bad and neither are entirely wrong.  I appreciate the nuance they're giving us.

I'm just a king, dreaming of my brother's wife

Ruler: Master of the Mask (Finale) 

Farewell, Chung Woon my love. Farewell, Geon the Silent but Adorable. Thank you for your sacrifice, Lee Seon.  I hated you for a long time, but rest well now.  And Hwa Goon, thank you also.  You were quite a woman.  Now go make babies, King and Queen, you adorable kids you!
Remember this when someone tells you he's a good actor
Ahhh, but he did make me hate him.  I'm so conflicted!

Father is Strange 

Ohhhh shit. Joong Hee is heartbroken, but he's also furious and he's got a bit of a sadistic streak.  His fake dad was going to tell the other kids (on his birthday!) and then turn himself in at the police station, but Joong Hee says nope, that's his action to take, and they can just sit and stew while he figures out what he wants to do. It'd be bad enough that they were in that limbo, but he also moves back into the house and likes to send out little zingers to make them feel like crap, too.  I don't know why they can't explain to him what their heart was in letting him move in and become part of the family, but whatever. It's a K-Drama.  Meanwhile, poor Mi Young has suddenly realized that these weird feelings about her oppa are love, and she's distraught.  She runs from him at every turn, and he can't help but notice - but he thinks she hates him for some reason.  It all comes to a head one drunken night when they meet up in the road, he calls her on her shit, and she blurts out that she likes him-likes him.  I mean it's the same word I guess, but the hiccup sells it. Mi Young loves her oppa.  Other shit happens, mostly good, to other people.  We don't care.  It's all Mi Young and Oppa now. Cannot wait for next week!

Bad Thief, Good Thief 

Ep 5:  The nasty Chaebol family has rigged it so that there has to be a fencing rematch.  The fix is in, and it's not so that Dol Mok will win, let me tell you.  An upset Dol Mok goes to visit Mom's grave. The Perfect Tree makes a A Perfect Grave Site, of course.  Min Jae was JUST there, as evidenced by multiple tofu wrappers scattered about like sad, empty condoms.  Of course Dol Mokkie notices and puts two and two together.  He races down the mountain to stop his hyung, but the bus gets there a few seconds faster than our hero and carries off his brother, leaving behind only beancurd-scented diesel fumes.
Ep 6: Turns out grown Dol Mok is just as smart and sweet as Little Dol Mok, but he's got a temper. Nasty chaebol family is up to their tricksy tricks, screwing with DM and Pops, all to get Nasty Grandson into the Olympics eventually, rather than Dol Mokkie.  DM even forfeits a fight to save Pops and soothe the Nasty Daughter, but then she goes and gets him expelled and blacklisted anyway because she just can't stop scratching that bitch itch.  Dol Mok and his buddy (the leader of the HS gang from Strong Woman Do Bong Soon) decide to expose the treachery and backhanded dealing that got Dol Mok expelled, and Dol Mok gets caught breaking into the high school.  Can a brother reunion be coming soon?  Yes? Min Jae (Joon Hae now) has troubles of his own - should he allow himself to be included in a special group of prosecutors sponsored by Nasty Grandpa?  And will So Joo's dad help Dol Mok as she demands, to repay his misdeeds from years ago? What about Hwa Yeong?  She's sending some mixed signals...Stay tuned!
Voiceover:  Do they...know about my tofu?
My silky, silky tofu?

The Best Hit 

I don't like Woo Seung anymore.  I was thinking why, and it's her bad attitude every time she's told to do something at work.  She pulls this constipated face and it annoys me.  That's how work is, having to do things people tell you to do!  Even if you own your own business, you have to deal with your customers.  Anyway, I find her attitude bad.  And, I've zero interest in the main romance line.

Everyone else in this is a lot of fun, though Young Jae needs a smackdown.

I do like Woo Seung but I also wonder why they bother making a point of her chafing under the menial labor specific to interns.  They're not going to do anything with it, I don't think.  Well, maybe she'll join World in the end, but still - this isn't a drama about how employees are treated at Young Jae's company.

I'm glad all the good Jaes are together in one place now.  I like MJ more and more as time goes by and he has a cute puppy face.  I'm glad Drill is with them, too.  I cannot tell you how pleased I've been by Dong Hyun Bae's performance, and he also is not hard to look at AT.ALL.  With Min Jae already there, and the trot girls too, we only need to get that other girl over into the right camp, the one who likes Min Jae.  Please let him focus on her, so we can have Da Bong with Woo Seung.

Teacher Oh Soon Nam

Finally, Soon Nam got a makeover!  I don't know why she didn't just keep her hair nicely in the first place.  It's not like Confucius said Thou Shalt Wear A FishTail Braid And Corkscrew Bangs. (I know, I've made this joke on Twitter.) The funniest is that everyone is so shocked to see her cleaned up, she is getting the message she looked bad.
And I have lots of pictures of Cheekos, who is the most important person on this show as far as I'm concerned.  Where he's lying down, his birth mum, Mad, pushed him over.  She doesn't know he's her son.  Since she's not immediately taken with his cheekos and double chin and intense glare and little ears, I can only conclude she's not long for the Madhouse.  



Thank goodness that horrible hair is gone, but I just don't buy that she did her own makeover and where in heavens name did she get all those designer clothes?  And I'm not just talking work clothes; even her "I'm hanging at home to study corporate take down clothes" are fashionable--even the shoes.  Did she always have these clothes in her closet? There had been a moment that I thought they might try to get her back with Elf Ears, but they are taking him down the route of no return. They are setting up Mad's mom as the redeemable person--although there is every indication that she may die before this show is over. I hope Soo Nam finds out who she is really related to before that. I can't wait until Mad finds this out, but that will be probably at least 40 eps from now.
I think Dumul, her knight in shining armour and Sejong's daddy, bought the clothes for her since she could never afford them on her own. And I think they showed her doing her makeup like she was putting on war paint, actually.  Someone else would have to do the hair (whose idea was that horrible hair? Do ahjummas in Korea actually perm their long hair and put it into a fishtail braid and corkscrew bangs?).

NOT-KOREA

Chao YOU Doin'?

I was worried I would have to find a pic and not live up to Kakashi's work, but she planned ahead.
What exactly do you think he's remembering there?  I know what I think he's doing.

Rush to the Dead Summer 

The kids have made it to winter break and the girls head off home - both boys show up unexpectedly!  Both boys like the same girl!  The other girl likes one of the boys!  

Fear the Walking Dead (Mid-Season Finale) 

Well shit. What happens now that Dad Otto is gone?  Troy's still crazy as a rabid dog, and the Indians still need water.  I wonder when this comes back...not soon enough for me.

Adviser's Alliance

We've begun!
And now I've started to enjoy it.