Rants and Weekly Raves #276 (RAWR)

Trotwood: I hope other people are watching stuff because I'm traveling, and my travel companions have been on a mission to get our money's worth out of the London Pass. We did eight of the items. I've been falling asleep each evening before I can get through any shows.

kakashi: Not watching stuff. I hope you're having a load of fun!!!! I'm massively preoccupied with very unpleasant things in real life.  
Panda: Hi everyone, I had a death in the family so feeling quite blue. Hope you are all taking care of yourselves.
JoAnne: Much love to you, my sad Panda

KOREA

Chocolate

I caught up on two week's worth and let me tell you, Trot, last week was a week not to miss.  (Although to be honest now I'm not sure for everything what was last week and what was fully revealed this week so I'm not going to break it up any.)

Jun:  Our darling Elf Ears spent a lot of time listening to folks talk to him and happening on folks talking to other people and I was really struck by how (other than pettiness, of which Kang also possesses a solid measure) just and principled Jun is.  His parents built his whole existence around competition - not just against Kang but against everyone.  He tried so hard to please them, and they did not deserve any of that love.  Because of events, he is reaching out to Kang in an awkward but sincere way and I LUFF HIM.  He's back doing pottery and he's making kimchi rice for Kang and he's asking questions like, 'but why do we even have to fight each other, I don't get it'

Jun's parents:  They want to win and they don't care how they get there.  There was a moment in the past where it looked like Jun's dad was just an ineffectual man-boy being led around by his avaricious and cold-hearted wife but nope, he's a full on dick.  And guess what?  Horrible Halmeoni was pregnant when she married Jun's dad's dad and it was NOT his baby and the shock of learning that his precious eldest son was NOT HIS BABY killed him and turns out HH NEVER intended Jun to take over; she pitted them against each other to make Kang feel competitive because Kang was the only one who can 'really' take the leadership role as he's the only one from the actual bloodline.  So basically, I was very on the money with my Grandma Vick reference.

Jun's she-beast of a mother is the one who figured out Horrible Halmeoni's secret and she's using that to blackmail HH into giving management rights to Jun - who overheard this and then watched as his mother stood there and did NOTHING while his grandmother stroked out.  He confronts her and she's like sure, tell your dad, go ahead - it will break his heart.  And Jun loves his dad, he spends his time trying to think through what's the right thing.  (Dad doesn't know the secret yet.) Jun is definitely changing his behavior because at this point, KANG is the only legitimate heir to the throne and Jun doesn't want shit that doesn't belong to Jun.

Kang:  Kang had this really close ahjussi back in Wando, in simpler times, and he gets a call that the man has died so he rushes back to Wando for the funeral.  Cha Young has to drive him because he had, like, half a soju.  Of course they spend time there.  The man had been a fisherman when Kang lived there, and he loved Kang's mother from afar - so when they left to be rich in Seoul he took over the restaurant Mom ran.  Because that's what you do, just walk in and say okay, this is mine now, I bet I can cook for a crowd, how hard can it be?  Also, Kang is standing up to HH about closing the hospice and he tells her that's what his grandpa would have wanted.

Kang has been spending a lot of time thinking about how soft and sweet and kind and pretty and determined and rightous Cha Young is, and while they're there in Wando he figures out that  Cha Young is the little girl from long ago.  He ends up confessing his love and now they're a couple of good, happy kissers.  Oh!  Jun has figured out that the mysterious chocolate lady for Cha Young is aaaactually Kang's mother, but he keeps that to himself for now.  Don't worry, the previews show it coming out next week.

Cha Young: decides she will still be a chef even if she never smells or tastes another thing and begins to cook obsessively to develop confidence in her ability to do so.  Her brother eats it all.

Hospice stories:  Michael dies, but the two moms bond a bit.  It's really nice. Alzheimer's Lady is getting worse, and we learn why Grumpy Gus the director is so adamant that he won't eat her food or be friendly with her:  when she left (after 1 year together) he got married and had a baby, and then his wife died pretty much right away so he sent the baby (Kang's friend, Cha Young's ex-boyfriend) to live in the states with the grandparents for 10 years and wouldn't let him come back no matter how much the poor kid begged because - get this - he was waiting/hoping for AL to come back.  

So now that she's back and his son is dead, he feels so guilty he deprives himself of what he really wants because he feels he doesn't deserve it.  But then Kang's asshole father is a completely terrible man to her, and Grumpy defends her, and then everyone cries and goes to their separate corners so we'll see what happens.  At this point, she's so far gone that she thinks it's back to that year they were married. 

The little girl who wanted Grandpa to attend the wedding of her parents got her wish, eventually, and then Mom died but we didn't have to see it.

Oh and Nagging Nurse at one point had a noona romance going with some guitar playing guy and he's shown up again and wants to know why she dumped him, all those years ago.

Woman of 9.9 Billion Won/9.9. Billion Won Woman

I only got to watch one ep last week, but every ep is a doozy and not just in the way the alliances change but with where that money goes. I’m actually impressed with its staying power. Also, those suitcases. I can’t believe they didn’t get product placement for a luggage company. Those red suitcases are everywhere. I was genuinely sad about the death in ep 11 this week. Seo Yeon needs more “good” guys because the new alliance she makes is the most dangerous one of all. I am now wondering if the plan is her death at the end. It would make sense.

Queen: Love and War/Selection: The War Between Women

Also only saw one episode. I knew they were going to make Do Sang Woo’s illegitimate prince character into a bad guy, but I’m surprised at the layers that they are giving him. He is caught up in the thirst to take over the throne, but his feelings for Eun Bo are genuine and if the world were fair and her sister hadn’t been assassinated, everyone would have been happy because I think he could have been happy with her while the king was happy with Eun Ki. He’s pissed at being manipulated (although to be fair, I don’t think the inspector general even knew that they knew each other. What I don’t understand is why Eun Bo lies and says that she is her sister. Telling the king the truth—I mean just the twin part—actually makes more sense than surviving a gunshot wound to the chest in the Joseon era. Once again, I’m enjoying the battle between the women and am concerned that Eun Bo has lost a friend (I’ll miss you, Ye Shil!), but Eun Bo isn’t a wimp and is starting to see that the inspector general may not be telling her the truth.

CHINA/TAIWAN

Some Day or One Day

no time. Is anyone else watching this? It's really good. Will catch up on this first when I get back. Need to be fully awake to follow.

JAPAN

G-Senjou no Anata Watanashi/You and I on the G-String/ You, Me, and Bach

So many feels in this episode. I love these friends. I also like the way the show reveals how hard it can be to keep doing the things that give us real sustenance when everyone is so busy just getting on with their lives. Yaeko finally gets a job after looking for a year and a half, but this doesn’t mean that she’s happier just more settled. Ironically, she is the only one of the three who can still do lessons, but right when Yuki’s family tells her to go back and Rihito is ready to confess his changed feelings, tragedy strikes Kusumi, and as much as I was screaming “NO!!” I completely understand why Yaeko tells Rihito that he’s the one Kusimi needs now. Still, it hurts.

Follow Saretara Owari

I watched three episodes this week because I was so hyped up after Day6 concert and because I was trying to figure out the washer in my Airbnb. Remember that each episode is only 15 minutes, so there really isn't any reason ALL OF YOU aren't watching this show. 45 minutes of twists and turns with some of the selfish people on the planet who pretend to be friends. Now we have them all turning on the good guy and the one good female character whom he loves is tricked into doubt by the crazy guy whose obsession with her almost got her fired in the beginning of the show. Yikes. None of the people I really want to suffer seem to be suffering at all in this. 

Nee Sensei, Shiranai no?

I fall in love with Riichi more and more with each episode. I just am in love with how much he admires not just loves Hana. She’s got her big break, too, and he is so proud of her even though he is hurt that she doesn’t come and tell him. I love how he understand immediately why she didn’t and clarifies his feelings for her and for our second lead (whom he only sees as a sister). Hana is going to need all this positive reinforcement because, just as I predicted, even though Nanase also admires her, she is still determined that she isn’t giving up on Riichi (picture me rolling my eyes). The thing is that she won’t success in breaking them up, but she could succeed in making Hana so insecure that she backs away no matter how much Riichi gives her. I can’t believe there is only one episode left.

THAILAND

Until We Meet Again

I’m going to have to go back and reread some sections of the novel or maybe the translations weren’t that good and that is all I’m going to say about the kitchen scene except if what happened was what it seemed like to provoke Parm’s response than I’m not sure how the recovery was so quick. And is it just me but am I the only one who is starting to get a little bothered by how everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) is so set on trying to get Dean and Parm to be sleeping together. I mean get your own lives people! I want them to be happy as much as the net person, but all of their friends seem a little too interested in their sex lives in my opinion, and this isn’t going to make Parm any less squeamish.  We finally get the first grandma scene, and she’s lovely, but they spent too much time on it since they don’t give her much to do but cry and tell Dean to not make the same mistake again.