Rants and Weekly Raves #313 (RAWR)

Trotwood: (tentatively waving) I'm back everyone. Finally settled into fall semester routine if COVID and crazy is now routine. Once again, I don't think I'm watching what anyone else is watching. Being in charge of COVID testing, residence halls, public relations, death notifications, and angry parents can take a toll. For a period, the only kdramas I was watching were dailies because I could only stomach bizarre makjang. I don't even know what you guys have been talking about because clicking on RAWR just made me miss you guys too much.

JoAnne:  I missed you so much! But you haven't missed a lot here, really, Kakashi and Panda and I have been seriously lacking in the watching/reporting arena and it's been our faithful few in the comments who've continue to comment on what they've been up to! It's nice to know the community continues to roll along even when we need to step back for a bit.

kakashi: Yes, it's quite embarrassing. I will get back on the recapping boat sometime soon - will finish Flower of Evil! I've had no time, those long episodes are a killer. I did attend a Quidditch friendly this weekend though and my kid's team won. Yaaaay!

Panda: Welcome back Trot! and yes, I am watching zilch, nadan, nothing... It's sad really. Congrats to the Quidditch champions K.

KOREA

Mom Has an Affair

I dropped back to check in on this daily since we are now in the hundreds, which means we only have twenty episodes left. The younger sister is now married to her former business partner but we all knew the mom was going to make her life a living hell. At least her husband is figuring this out, but the biggest surprise for me was the the son of the main character really isn't her son, but the biological son of her rival's husband. Noble idiocy has reared it's ugly head, but this time it's completely understandable. That mess she's leaving needs to be fixed before she gets sucked in again. I mean the chairman's wife is making fun of him while he's on his deathbed. I'd be running away from any connection to this family.

My Wonderful Life

Another daily where the husband leaves his wife for his mistress and they right across the alley! But of course he wants her back when he finds out that she was switched at birth with a really wealthy family. Of course, she is kind and hard working, but she's no weakling. You don't bring up two kids by yourself and stay weak. We are midway and at the point where she is on the rise and her evil "sister" is at the bottom. Love interest is a sweetheart.

Man in a Veil

While My Wonderlife doesn't seem to be taking itself too seriously, this show is all about the dark and serious even while it's just as crazy as any other daily. The hero suffered an accident when young that affected his mental capacity. He's loveable but like a child. He gets manipulated into marrying a pregnant woman because she, of course, wants his money. He's always had a crush on the heroine. I'm watching because Lee Ki Sang is in it, and he's charming now, but I think there is going to be a turn where he turns evil and the hero somehow gets his "intelligence" back and decides to go all in revenge. I'll probably be dropping this show until then.

Mr. Heart

This show focuses on a star university marathon runner who literally has lost his stride. He reluctantly takes on a pace maker, who happens to have had a crush on him since high school. He's loveable, but his struggles with the gangsters from whom he's had to borrow money may not be interested in keeping either of the duo's legs healthy enough for any more running. I did learn that marathoners need to tape up their nipples because they will bleed from chaffing against material for so long. Who knew?

I work with a guy who ran the Boston Marathon a few years ago, and he shared this tidbit.  Titbit?  Anyway. Guess what I think of whenever I see him?

The School Nurse Files 

This show is about as bizarre as they come, but it's only 6 episodes, so if you like sci-fi comedy, check it out. Our nurse has been able to see these "jellies" since she was small--they show people's emotional desires and ties. It wouldn't be surprising that a high school is full of such things; it's the angstiest place around. However, it's also build on a filled in pond where mysterious things happened in the past.

Do You Like Brahms 

I watched all available episodes this weekend.  Easy watch, very understated.  I think they'll end up together but this is one of those shows where even if it doesn't end up in coupledom the way it happens will be like 'oh, this is really the right thing, everyone is good.'

Zombie Detective

I mentioned when they were announcing this show that one of the benefits of watching Gumihot is how freaking gorgeous he is, and if they're going to make him a crusty, gross zombie?  I can see where that would appeal to an actor trying to rise above his looks but sad for us...HOWEVER.

Number one, this show is off-beat funny, and turns out he wakes up a zombie, realizes that zombies are misunderstood, and makes it his mission to blend in with humans and solve the mystery of his death - plus maybe fight a little for zombie rights, who knows.  So we're back to Gumihotness and he brings that particular combination of big masculine guy/bewildered hurt puppy to the role and...yeah, I'm enjoying it!

Flower of Evil (Finale)

Satisfying.  Minor quibbles here and there but excellent work from all the actors and 5 stars for our kick-ass, deeply loving, deeply loved lead couple.  I'm left wanting to know more about nearly everyone - not in a bad way, but in a 'I wish we could get more stories and follow along with their lives for a while longer' way.'

Record of Youth

I've only seen a couple episodes but so far, I like.  I'm always happy with Bogummy and I like this role - he usually plays either sunny puppy or deeply reserved/troubled/questionable and he does both well, but this role gives us a guy who seems like his nature is cheerful, but he's carrying a lot of sadness and on the cusp of having to give up a dream.  I can't remember the actress name right now (sorry will try to look up) but I've seen her a couple  times and like her, also.  Her role is similar so I assume they'll lift each other up.  Korea doesn't really do 'drag each other down' in their romance stories.

CHINA/TAIWAN

Mr. Honesty (Finale)

My favorite thing about finishing the show is how they resolved the most painful conflict--the broken friendship between the male lead and hid friend who began the show as the antagonist. They ended up working together to bring out the truth and get the justice that people deserved. What I will remember is all the horrible collars the heroine wore. 

Is she bringing refugees across the border in that jacket?

Dating in the Kitchen

I was looking for something lovely and light to fill the space that Parallel Love and Mr. Honesty had filled and many people told me this was it. I really love the cooking, the male lead has really good comic timing, and I feel like his secretary/PA could get added to my list of fav PAs. Despite my annoyance at female lead, I think she'll have chemistry with lead, BUT I really dislike almost everyone else. I mean she has friends who are like the Full House relatives. Why do dramas think such friends/relatives are funny? I know people with relatives like this, and they're constantly losing jobs and paying off debts or worse (chased by gangs, apartments turned into meth labs, etc.). I really wanted to like this more than I do. I've only watched three episodes, so I'm willing to hear if people are telling me that it gets better.

Miss Gu Who is Silent

Gu Xingdan is out for revenge. I've only been able to watch one episode, but she manages to ruin a wedding by having the groom fall from scaffolding with a bunch of pictures of him naked with a woman not his fiancé. She then moves across the hall from said fiancé. The fiancé's brother who sounds like a cop who left the force to open a restaurant is determined to find the culprit that ruined his sister's wedding. The opening shows that these two end up at some point together, so I'm curious how these antagonist get through this. The cold opening was interesting as well. 

Falling Into You

You had me at Puff Goa and Jiro Wang! I only watched first episode because the subs are really slow even though it's on Viki. I wasn't expecting much, but I actually liked it. Puff plays a Judo champion who thought she had everything until she saw her boyfriend kissing the competition right before competition. Jiro plays the CEO of a delivery company who makes money off of his motivational speeches. They meet because they fall off a building together. Puff seems to be playing a similar character to the one she payed in Love Myself or You, but this character is far more jaded and bitter about the world.

JAPAN

Kinou Nani Tabeti SP

This was a lovely return to spend time with our favorite cooking couple. Three stories of them and enough to whet our appetite for the promised movie!

Rental Non Mo Shinai Hito/Rent a Person Who Does Nothing

This show is back after filming was delayed because of COVID. The person he helps this week was probably the saddest of the lot, but I'm now at the point that I can't enjoy his job and what he does for people completely because I know that his wife is stressing out about their lack of money, and the fact that he just smiles at her when she says she hasn't been able to get work done because the baby has been fussy all day. We also have our least favorite character trying to expose him because of his own bitterness. How will that play out? We only have two more episodes, so it won't be long to know.

THAILAND

Deja Vu

I figured if I was in the mood for dailies then I should probably go all in crazy and watch a lakorn. I love Esther Supreeleela. She's my favorite Thai actress, and I will pretty much try any show she is in. And guess what? The episodes are only 50 minutes long!! And can we talk about crazy? Can we talk about ballerina rivals in the beginning but rivals that are rivals because their mothers love the same main, who happens to be their father? Is that not enough? What about the uncle who tries to kill his nephew so that he will be able to take over the company when the boy's father (his brother) retires?What about real true love right in the first episode only to tear them apart through death? What about the deal our heroine makes with the some really bitter goddess being to bring the hero back to life but she has to promise that they won't love each other again or he will die again? I'm loving it all. Bring on the crazy! 

Oxygen

Right now this show has tricked people into thinking it's warm and fuzzy fluff, but I know better because I read the novel. It's good that we have the fluff now because the couple is going to have to have this calm healing foundation to address the things that are to come--if they stick to the novel. They've added unnecessary drama though.

PHILIPPINES

Me and the Four Bad Boys

This web drama is based off a popular Filipino story that was initially published on Wattpad and got so popular that it was actually published as a book. It's filmed live but all the background stuff is cartoon. Another way that the Philippines is figuring out how to film shows with the COVID restrictions going on there. It reminds me of something that would have been made by Nickelodeon or something I would have watched right after the Saturday morning cartoons were over.

MOVIE

Enola Holmes 

I watched it because of some chatter on Twitter. I didn't like it. Everyone got on my nerves and I really can't stand those forceful "girls, you can do it!" messages in movies of late. Case in point: Mulan. Seems weird the movie industry is discovering feminism in 2020 and feels completely fake too (as in: they don't care in the least but they think it's gonna sell)