Rants and Weekly Raves #149 (RAWR)
kakashi: Still on the Danube!
JoAnne: Tori is here again!
Trotwood: I bet you are excited, Jo. I'm trying to readjust to being back in the states after my sojourn to South Korea. All I can say is at least I'm not hot anymore. That's it. Sigh. But once again, it looks like Jo is watching everything while everything seemed to end for me last week except SF.
I actually haven't seen much of her yet, just a few hours over a couple days, and I leave tomorrow for a business trip. She'll still be here when I get back, though.
SakiVI: I am working so hard these days. I really need my Cheekos.
Good lord, Big. You are too much. Now, make me a steak and let's...ummm...take a nap. This continues to be a charmer for me, despite some weaknesses.
MUCH better than I expected. We've got a good bromance already, a hateful evil backed up by an interesting evil and a hot henchman, a tense family life in the palace, a feisty heroine and a butt-load of comic side characters to bring relief, all the classic ingredients. Yoona is not flat, Si Wan is awesome, Jong Hyun's poker face serves the character very well. I particularly enjoyed the two guards who hang back and follow the prince everywhere, ready to jump in whenever needed but otherwise, out of sight. I also very much liked all the things Won does to help So Ha - the random passersby who offer her water, the innkeeper who piles her plate high with mandu - all orchestrated by the crown prince. This will be good, I think, but Wang Won's character description is 'cruel and ambitious, hidden by charm'..so I expect to feel sad later. He's not cruel or ambitious now - in fact, he takes all the talk about him being dangerous to Goryeo very much to heart and wants to know how to fix that. I expect to invest my heart on this one.
Oh, I like it. I like it a lot. I like the kids (especially Grumpy very very especially Grumpy) and I like the adults, and the story is fun - normal struggles at that age, plus a secret hero among them? Totally on board, especially because we don't appear to have a romantic rivalry between the two male students. One of them already has a girlfriend, and so far seems to genuinely like her.
I'm not interested, but I've a feeling I'll be watching anyway since dad is visiting, and will need a weekend show.
I like the angle with the secret 'hero of the students' who expresses their frustration with the adults. It seems that while one person is 'running the show' there are a number of students who play a part in these pranks, but none of them know who any of the others are, and no one knows who the leader is.
I breezed through the first episodes - I like all the actors and the characters they're playing and am intrigued by the premise. What happened to Hae Sung? I mean, clearly he died. They had his body and cremated it. But now he's back and for him, it's the next day? After twelve years? And he's not the only one. Ahn Gil Kang must be getting ready to put someone through college or something because he's in this drama , too, and he's the same as Hae Sung. We don't know anything about him other than that. As for Ahn Gil Kang, though, at this point we should only be noteworthy that he ISN'T in a drama; we should just assume he has a role in everything. The synopsis makes me laugh: two high school friends age at different rates. True, but not exactly the story, Synopsis Writer.
Choi Min Soo is hilarious as the shameless Count Suad something of fictional Bodantia (between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait). He and his assistant really needed to do some research before buy that slimy son-in-law an expensive car and depositing $10 million dollars for son-in-law to manage.
Oh, I saw many people really angry about this one, as being anti-Muslim or (I guess) Muslim-cliché or whatever.
To be honest, I saw it as Gulf Arab State cliche, not Muslim cliche.
I watched 1 episode. The brief part of the drama where he was in 'Bodantia' didn't seem any worse to me than the negative portrayals of the US such as in Heirs, but I'm not Muslim so perhaps I missed something. Nope, you didn't. In any event, it seems that the outcry is such that MBC won't make it available outside Korea and has pulled back any official videos. We got to see people praying in a mosque in Korea, and it was all done rather sweetly. This outcry is stupid. I have no intention of watching more anyway, since it was completely uninteresting and the only likable character was Jasper's. Bye-bye.
Really? I loved it! I hope I still get subs. I'm annoyed at people who are taking a nice thing away from me.
This was a particularly good week. Mi Young accidentally confessed, and Joong Hee realizes that she's planning to leave home and her job. He can't let that happen, so he tells her the truth: they aren't siblings. His explanation, though brief, is also kind to her father - and we do see him softening a bit, but he's not there yet. He finally punched that rat bastard director in the face, though, can't wait to see the fall out from that next week. And Mi Young has received a genuine, tear -filled, abjectly embarrassed and horrified apology from Yoo Joo. It was very satisfying. Other people do stuff too, but let's face it...even with Cheol Soo's abundant puppy charm, we are here for Joong Hee and Mi Young.
I showed up this weekend because I heard Moony was in it. But I seriously like Joong He and Mi Young.
They are LOVE. You should just keep watching, there's 10-ish episodes left. Everything you need to know you can pick up really fast just from watching, now that you know what the secret was.
JoAnne: Tori is here again!
Trotwood: I bet you are excited, Jo. I'm trying to readjust to being back in the states after my sojourn to South Korea. All I can say is at least I'm not hot anymore. That's it. Sigh. But once again, it looks like Jo is watching everything while everything seemed to end for me last week except SF.
I actually haven't seen much of her yet, just a few hours over a couple days, and I leave tomorrow for a business trip. She'll still be here when I get back, though.
SakiVI: I am working so hard these days. I really need my Cheekos.
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| C'mere, let Noona pinch those cheeks! |
KOREA
Bride of the Water God
Good lord, Big. You are too much. Now, make me a steak and let's...ummm...take a nap. This continues to be a charmer for me, despite some weaknesses.
The King Loves (new)
MUCH better than I expected. We've got a good bromance already, a hateful evil backed up by an interesting evil and a hot henchman, a tense family life in the palace, a feisty heroine and a butt-load of comic side characters to bring relief, all the classic ingredients. Yoona is not flat, Si Wan is awesome, Jong Hyun's poker face serves the character very well. I particularly enjoyed the two guards who hang back and follow the prince everywhere, ready to jump in whenever needed but otherwise, out of sight. I also very much liked all the things Won does to help So Ha - the random passersby who offer her water, the innkeeper who piles her plate high with mandu - all orchestrated by the crown prince. This will be good, I think, but Wang Won's character description is 'cruel and ambitious, hidden by charm'..so I expect to feel sad later. He's not cruel or ambitious now - in fact, he takes all the talk about him being dangerous to Goryeo very much to heart and wants to know how to fix that. I expect to invest my heart on this one.
School 2017 (new)
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| I love you, Grumpy |
I'm not interested, but I've a feeling I'll be watching anyway since dad is visiting, and will need a weekend show.
I like the angle with the secret 'hero of the students' who expresses their frustration with the adults. It seems that while one person is 'running the show' there are a number of students who play a part in these pranks, but none of them know who any of the others are, and no one knows who the leader is.
Duel
Wow, Sung Hoon just let all the crazy out. I feel so bad for him, really. Poor little lab rat - I totally get where he's coming from and why he can't trust anyone. But we were so close to fixing everything! Dr. Han has to live. She has to.
Secret Forest
I'm not going to be able to watch this until tonight, Jo.
Don't worry, I haven't seen it yet either.
Don't worry, I haven't seen it yet either.
Seven Day Queen
Oh, there is no coming back for this king now. He's basically killing people for looking at him funny, murdering eunuchs in the halls of the palace, using villagers for target practice. He'll do anything he can now to keep Yeok coming for him, because it's the only way he can go after Yeok - and that is all he lives for at this point. Either he will die or his brother will die, there is no other outcome possible in his mind. The conflict is so tragic and so unnecessary, I just sit frozen watching them. Seo No's sacrifice was really well done, I thought. Chansung delivered a likeable, principled, loyal man; one who was observant of those around him and generous in his dealings with his friends. I cried to watch him die, tonight.
Reunited Worlds (new)
I breezed through the first episodes - I like all the actors and the characters they're playing and am intrigued by the premise. What happened to Hae Sung? I mean, clearly he died. They had his body and cremated it. But now he's back and for him, it's the next day? After twelve years? And he's not the only one. Ahn Gil Kang must be getting ready to put someone through college or something because he's in this drama , too, and he's the same as Hae Sung. We don't know anything about him other than that. As for Ahn Gil Kang, though, at this point we should only be noteworthy that he ISN'T in a drama; we should just assume he has a role in everything. The synopsis makes me laugh: two high school friends age at different rates. True, but not exactly the story, Synopsis Writer.
Man Who Dies to Live (new)
Oh, I saw many people really angry about this one, as being anti-Muslim or (I guess) Muslim-cliché or whatever.
To be honest, I saw it as Gulf Arab State cliche, not Muslim cliche.
I watched 1 episode. The brief part of the drama where he was in 'Bodantia' didn't seem any worse to me than the negative portrayals of the US such as in Heirs, but I'm not Muslim so perhaps I missed something. Nope, you didn't. In any event, it seems that the outcry is such that MBC won't make it available outside Korea and has pulled back any official videos. We got to see people praying in a mosque in Korea, and it was all done rather sweetly. This outcry is stupid. I have no intention of watching more anyway, since it was completely uninteresting and the only likable character was Jasper's. Bye-bye.
Really? I loved it! I hope I still get subs. I'm annoyed at people who are taking a nice thing away from me.
Father is Strange
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| Let's give thanks to the manager who went on vacation at the exact right time |
This was a particularly good week. Mi Young accidentally confessed, and Joong Hee realizes that she's planning to leave home and her job. He can't let that happen, so he tells her the truth: they aren't siblings. His explanation, though brief, is also kind to her father - and we do see him softening a bit, but he's not there yet. He finally punched that rat bastard director in the face, though, can't wait to see the fall out from that next week. And Mi Young has received a genuine, tear -filled, abjectly embarrassed and horrified apology from Yoo Joo. It was very satisfying. Other people do stuff too, but let's face it...even with Cheol Soo's abundant puppy charm, we are here for Joong Hee and Mi Young.
I showed up this weekend because I heard Moony was in it. But I seriously like Joong He and Mi Young.
They are LOVE. You should just keep watching, there's 10-ish episodes left. Everything you need to know you can pick up really fast just from watching, now that you know what the secret was.
Bad Thief, Good Thief
I didn't get to see any of this this week. Poor Dol Mok is still waiting for the police to find him in the principal's office, in my head. The suspense must be terrible!
The Best Hit (finale)
I was scared for a minute when he woke up in that hospital and thought it was a dream...Okay, the time travel bits were wonky. There's no explanation for how it worked out that there's more than one Hyun Jae, and we're left to assume splintered universes or some such, there's no answer to why he can do this, none of it. Honestly I don't really care because the story that mattered to me was in the present. I loved the wrap up for the sweetest make-shift family in recent memory, even if I was sad that Chairman Soondae didn't make an appearance. It was okay because Lee Deok Hwa pulled out all the stops in his final big scene in an earlier episode, making us all cry. MJ wasn't really there at the end either, or the Trot girls, but that didn't seem so glaring to me. I had the folks I cared most about: Min Jae, Drill, Mal Sook, Bo Hee, Kwang Jae, Woo Seung, and of course Hyun Jae, and I was satisfied with how we left them More than satisfied. PS. I liked 1994 Hyun Jae and his rather Kim Jae Wookish mannerisms. Wouldn't it be interesting to see Yoon Si Yoon to play a dark role?
Teacher Oh Soon Nam
And the saga goes on! Mad is Mad, Elf is Evil, and Cheekos is oojawoojabooja adorable.
I'm only posting Cheekos this time. Looggadat glare!
I am so enjoying this show for all its crazy. Mad is definitely mad, and I think they are going to use this to try to redeem her at the end, which surprisingly i will probably be okay with at this point, and I'm usually NOT okay with redeeming people. However, she is providing me so much pleasure watching her suffer again and again for all the evil she has wrought that I'm feeling a bit benevolent. Elf Ears is starting to see that he might need to become partners with some people he doesn't like to really address the true evil in the room--FIL.
You know who has lost my sympathy? The Chairman. She brought in an adopted child but was cold to the child and had that child so on edge her entire life that she grew up Mad. Horrible woman. And bizarrely, I'm kind of liking the FIL right now, don't ask why.
I actually like him, too, although I know I'm supposed to hate him. He's the one horrified by what is happening to Bok Hee. He's the one trying to save Mad's you know what. I'm sure he is the reason why Chairman lost her children, but I can hate him enough then.
NOT-KOREA
Chao Down
Rush to the Dead Summer
Didn't see this either, because my finger insisted on clicking on a different show (below.) So it's still mid-year break, and the boys have just shown up to visit the girls.
The Eternal Love
Oh goodness, I think I found me another OTP to spazz over. There's this prince, see? The 8th prince. His dad the emperor wants him to marry this girl, the second daughter of some lord, but she's from a concubine. Only, she and the 1st prince were initially in love, and when she gets the news, she tries to kill herself. Something happened, and now somehow in that girl's body there are two souls - hers and another belonging to a girl from modern times. They aren't aware of each other, and seem to switch when the girl passes out (which happens rather a lot) or when she wakes up, too. The prince is pretty as can be, wicked smart, and seems to possess some special martial arts skills that he doesn't want known widely. The girl from that time is pretty typical; actually, so is the modern girl - but that is NOT typical for the time she's in. The prince is intrigued, but he believes that the girl is being used to spy on him, too, so he's going to be suspicious and cold for a while. Despite looking fairly fragile and being too pretty for words, he's got a pretty stern personality and a wicked sense of humor. I whizzed through 3 30-minute episodes without even realizing it. PS: China, maybe don't do so many close ups when your hero has clogged pores and needs to touch up his eyebrows.
The Mist
Dad, Elliot, Mia, and Brian are now at the hospital, where Dad finds his brother dying. Elliot has really disturbing sex in the bathroom with a student he knows. Mia and Brian had been getting closer and having some interest in each other, but she's disappointed when she accidentally discovers the real Brian and learns that 'Brian' is really a guy named Jonah, mysteriously involved with the military base nearby. She steals the car keys and disappears with the car so now Dad is going to have a really hard time getting to the mall to find his wife and daughter. We get more backstory on the marriage. Mom was a promiscuous teen who dated in Dad's brother's crowd, and her marriage to Dad (and change to the course of her life) eventually splits the brothers apart. Turns out brother is the reason for all the nasty things people say about her...and Dad isn't the real father, although we don't know who is.
Lost Love in Times (new)
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| William says for us to try to keep the fangirling down |
Are these the same princes as Scarlet Heart? Once again there's a 4th brother who the other brothers don't like/are jealous of. Of course it's our lovely William Chan, too. Update: Going to have to wait a while, only the 1st half of the first episode is subbed.
DF has a trailer for it. I'll wait until then.
That is excellent news. So will I.
DF has a trailer for it. I'll wait until then.
That is excellent news. So will I.
Crisis (Japan)
So this drama is sorta new. It ended on June 13, but I watched all the episodes last week while trying to recover from my SF angst. I started because of Oguri Shun, but I stayed and became an obsession fangirl while Panda laughed for this man:
Hidetoshi Nishijima. Oh my. He makes every small little smile worth savoring. This show is about a team of secret servants made up of people excellent at what they do but who messed up a bit in the past--you know by maybe hacking into the national bank or quitting after assassinating people for the government. Very tense drama but with such an excellent team, funny bits, and a scary big bad. Ending lends itself to a 2nd season, and I'd watch it. Has some excellent fight scenes. Both Oguri Shub and Hidetoshi Nishijima trained for a year with the writer who not only has won a literature prize but also apparently is a master at the martial art Kali Silat.