Rants and Weekly Raves #164 (RAWR)

Trotwood: I feel like I need to reboot and start afresh. I made the mistake of starting too many shows during a time that I know is always very busy in the fall and when I really need light-hearted fare or dark shows where I'm really not that invested in characters (like Korean dailies or lakorns). I think there will be a lot of dropping and maybe just reading recaps of things. For example, I reread Thumping Pike recaps just because they made me feel good. I have only one drama that makes me feel good, and that will be ending this week.😢
SakiVI: I'm glad two shows of mine will end this week. They've been really satisfying all along, and are both 12 episode dramas, which tells me Korean dramas need to cut down their episodes for their shows.
kakashi: Yay! I'm watching something! JoAnne is scratching her head, but I like the drama
JoAnne:  I don't feel like I watched many dramas over the week, but I did a lot of catch up this weekend.  Where is time going?  Am I blacking out or something?  It's weird but a whole evening will go by and I've watched 1 hour.



KOREA

Temperature of Love 

This is one of the shows that I am only going to continue by reading recaps rather than watching. I'm at the point that I only really like Soo Young and I would like Won-Joon, but I have the feeling that he will give in to Hong-Ah,whom I hate. The only person I did like more than her is Jung Sun's mom. And my OTP is making me crazy because I can't believe that Hyung Soo is so clueless that she doesn't get what a strained relationship he has with his mom, and now the show has thrown in an illness to boot. Don't need to watch Jung Sun in any more pain.
See, I never watched this week's episodes.  Last I knew she had the idea to move in together. What does that do?  Enrage the bull?  Why not solve the problem?  Oh wait, right, Jung Sun is also broke.  Okay, it could help with that problem.

20th Century Boy and Girl

No way I'm missing this sunshine in pixel form.  If I remember correctly, by the end of this week's episodes Ji Won has had enough of being afraid and holding back (but not until after Jin-Jin had had it up to HERE with his mixed-messages and let him have it, full blast - love that girl!)  It's not that I don't understand how he was feeling and especially in the face of the burgeoning friendship she's got with his brother, but come ON.  On the other hand...you could make an argument that she might have been sending mixed messages, too.  Anyway, is it all resolved?  I can't wait to find out, because this is the sweetest couple around.  Speaking of, I'm about ready for Mr. Lawyer to do more than smile to himself as he walks away from Young-Sim.  You?

 

Witch's Courtroom 

I'm giving this show another week before I decide whether I'm regulating it to recaps as well.  I actually like this show more than ToL, but once again, the ep after ep of watching interesting people in pain is not something I can stomach much more. I know the show thought that it was prepping us by giving us some wins, but the whole story arc with Cutie Soo's mom's involvement seems like piling on the salt, and what's with the time jump?
No idea what's with the time jump, but I like this show a lot, I like our heroine a lot, and I'm looking forward to her destroying the baddies.
She really messed up, though.  People are dead because of her deliberate actions.

This Life is Our First 

I love these two together, and even with the mistakes they make, I still like them together. I do believe that we are being trolled by the previews because the stalker story made me suspicious of everything. I still like Soo-Ji and Sang-Goo, but I want to shake Ho-rang.
Ho-Rang is caught up in her dream.  She's built her life around that dream.  Give her a minute to wake up.  She and Tiny Pup have managed to speak honestly to each other in the past, I have faith that they will deal with this. Remember, she represents 'traditional' in this particular story.

Meloholic (new) 

A controversial statement from yours truly: Can idols be banned from dramas entirely? That would enhance the chance I'd watch any in the future.
It's not so much that Yunho is doing a bad job, this is just a really weird, poorly done story.  I think the story could be okay and the characters could be likable but it's just so AWKWARD in execution.  I have no desire to continue.
 

Mad Dog 

I am so happy that they are all finally working together, but they still make me so anxious that I'm not sure I'm having fun watching. I like how Ha-Ri sees both the parallels between Kwang Soo and Min Joon as well as the differences, and how the younger man starts to see how he is different from the other members of the group but not in the way that makes him necessarily feel better than them. He is so awkward trying to help her; it's like he is finally seeing other people's pain or through her how others might see him.
I love them all, and I finally am starting to trust the guy that got demoted.  The one I'm on the fence about is Taeyang Insurance's daughter.  How much did she know, really?  How much did she deliberately not know?  What will she do with the information she's discovering?  It's clear that she's not happy about it, but will she do the right thing, or will she protect her father and her company?

While You Were Sleeping 

Yoo Bum gets scummier and scummier and right when you think he can't get scummier he surprises and gets scummier. I hope that Chief Choi tells about the dreams, but I have to say that it still doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me concerning who dreams about what and why. The only thing of which I'm absolutely sure? WOO TAK is LOVE.
I think I saw this this week?  I had to think for a minute. This week was the fire and the discovery that Choi Ahjussi was the comforting cop from back when the dads died?  And that he's dreaming?  I kinda figured someone else had to be dreaming, but I wasn't really expecting it to be him.  I don't get the same swoony feeling from this that some do, but yeah, Woo Tak is a total love.
 

Baumdong Revenge Club 

I am in denial that this show--the only show that brings me joy--is ending this week. It has been a delight throughout. I want to be in this club. I want to be their unnie and make them food and take care of them and have them have my back, too. I hope each of these villains feels some pain.
I hope both married women get divorced. In particular, Jung Hye's husband makes my skin crawl.
Can they all just live happily in one big house with their kids and stepkids and throw rocks at the men when they try to invade? I get such a good feeling from watching this friendship.  It seems everyone does!
 

Go Back Spouses 

Honestly, the biggest thing that sticks out for me here is that even though Hubby is starting to feel jealousy over Wifey and her Awesome Second Lead Sort of Boyfriend, it's kinda-sorta too late in the game.  Not sure I'm gonna buy it, when the time comes.

The Package 

Welp, dad and daughter team finally admitted to being dad and daughter, and dad finally admitted his resentment against the daughter and her selfish, rude ways. She isn't a horrible person, but she has been extremely spoilt, and is very self-centered, and that makes her unbearable at times.  That said, the lovely film she made of her dad to send to dad's fiancee was rather sweet.  
I was right?  They're father and daughter?  Man, I called that in the second week!  Yes!  I guess I need to catch up.  I think I'm...uhhh...on the second week.  Maybe the third week.

Black 

Ah, this show is so good.  It continues to be more complex than your average drama AND it continues to be both exciting/scary with the bad guys, and hilariously funny with Reaper's confusion about humans (and his own increasingly human behavior/decreasing supernatural abilities.  I'll never get tired of watching him rush into a room only to rush out again, confused about why he hasn't appeared some completely other place as intended.)  Song Seung Heon for the WIN, baby.  

I just...I have a hard time picturing him and Go Ara as a romantic couple within the drama, but that does seem to be sort of where they are headed.  Although...this week's twist could put a wrench in that.  Maybe? You know how I kept wondering why Joonie Oppa was also known as Moo Gang?  Well, guess what.  He might not be Moo Gang.  He might be Moo Chun.  But he'd still be Joonie Oppa too...it's just that Moo Gang seems to have been a completely separate person.  Likely a brother, with the generational names.  Could be a cousin. We'll see.  He could be Joonie/Moo Chun, but pretending to be Moo Gang.  Who the hell knows.

Money Flower (new) 

Jang Hyuk. Jang Hyuk. Jang Hyuk.  I know Elf Ears is in this show, but this show is a tour de force for Jang Hyuk.  He is so breathtakingly good even in the very first episode that I just watch him when he is on screen even when he has no lines. I said on twitter that I find him fascinating the way that you'd find a viper fascinating. His character is not a person you are supposed to like, but I find myself wanting him to win and to take down people. He makes me afraid that he will make me not even care about the innocent victim/heroine that will be manipulated as part of this grand scheme just so he can get his revenge. He's sold his soul to become this skilled person. I wonder why. He reminds me a bit of the lead in Pied Piper, but much more venomous and not nearly such an obvious victim--at least not yet.  The show is also beautifully shot--everything in this golden autumnal  golden glow even in dark. Still, I'm not sure I'm going to keep watching even though JH is so good because no one else is nearly as good and the script doesn't seem that novel. I don't know if  his A-level acting is enough to keep me watching when there really isn't anything but pain. I feel like he's going to have to die.
What Trot said. Also, Lee Mi-Sook is fabulous, but when isn't she?
I hear good things. It will be consumed.

The Unit (new)

Some of us are fangirling over Rain.
SO HARD. (The fangirling. Not Rain, I assume.)  But come on, he's so awesome as a mentor.  He's kind but direct and he's so polite and gaaaaaaaaaaaaaah he's beautiful I can't even I just can't.  My Beloved forever.  

That being said, I don't quite get the show.  I figured it was for people who've washed out of Idol World and are looking for a second chance but...most of these people are still under contract with other agencies and involved in groups that are somewhat active, and in some cases, they've only just debuted within a few months. I thought the idea was to make new groups, but maybe that's just for the purposes of the exercise?  It doesn't seem like agencies are releasing folks from their contracts or that Rain's going to sign them on.  It appears these folks will receive training and advice from the 'mentors' that they will then take back to their groups and agencies?  Sounds like a good deal for those agencies, huh? Perhaps it will be more clear when I watch episode 3.  I'm doing this for love, because these episodes are TWO HOURS LONG.

NOT-KOREA

MARKetable

Hunting Ground (new) 

I very much liked the first two episodes. Jo is wondering why :D It's not at all what I expected (I actually didn't know what to expect), but I like the mood and the characters, the topic (careers and how dirty one needs to get for it) and the certain trials coming their way. It gives me Airport-vibes ... that Kdrama from last year, with Lee Sang-yoon. As said last week, we will do "Impression Posts" on this drama, starting very soon. How many episodes will Dramafever sub a week, do we know? Asking for a friend who is a bit recap-wary.
10 episodes a week. Your "friend" has her work cut out for her. Also, do I need to read Norwegian Wood to follow this show? Because I really don't want to read Norwegian Wood.
There's no way I'm keeping up with that schedule.  So far this is certainly watchable but nothing special.  And yes, I remain perplexed about Kakashi, but it IS Hu Ge, so...

Attention, Love! (finale) 

I had no idea this was ending at episode 15.  They WHIZZED through wrapping things up and even gave us a baby at the end, although it wasn't made by any of our young folk in a time jump.  Very watchable, mostly due to the pretty and the relatively low level of manufactured angst.  It was enough that she pined for him, really.  And I will thank the gods forever to have been introduced to Riley Wang because man, Dimples was love.  

Lucifer 

Ha! What a weird episode :D I liked it, though the writers seem increasingly desperate to milk anything out of this. But yay for emotions and yay for "confessions"
I want them together.  I want to know why she's special.  Is it really that she was just a plot device for Father?  I want to know if he's really been forgiven - wings seem to imply it.  What happens then?  Does he have to go back to Heaven?  Where was MAZE this week?

The Exorcist 

Man, John Cho is good at being crazy, and gives real promise of being THOROUGHLY menacing when the demon really gets into his head.

The Walking Dead

Poor kitty.  I like Ezekiel, and I look forward to seeing whether he's completely broken by the loss of his entire force.  I hope not.