Rants and Weekly Raves #318 (RAWR)
kakashi: Not a single child wanted to collect sweets yesterday. I kind of expected it, but it still makes me sad. My mother is still in the hospital. I move further and further away from wanting to watch any light entertainment. Husband and I watched two NXIVM documentaries though (well, parts of it). I'll write down some thoughts below. Oh: and the Mandalorian is back!
Trotwood: I'm so sorry to hear about your mother, Kakashi. About dramas, I'm the opposite I think in that I can't really watch anything dark and realistic right now with the States going increasingly dark. Watching a Trump supporter caravan trying to run a Biden bus off the road and another murder of a black man whose family had called for help because he was having a mental breakdown hasn't made me feel a lot of faith that things are getting better either. However, I noticed looking through the shows I wrote about that it is the hopeful ones that I' gravitating towards now.
Panda: Prayers for your family K. Wishing you all strength and peace. My tummy is a mess and mass of knots and I can't wait for this to be over. Love y'all and stay safe.
KOREA
My Wonderful Life
This show sometimes seems to forget it's a daily and decides to be a romantic-comedy. Or maybe it's just that our ML, Si Kyung, seems determined to change the script and live in a rom-com with Bok Hee no matter what his crazy mom and the female 2nd lead have to say. He really stepped up the focus on support for Bok Hee this week, rivaling Perfect Boyfriend from Happy Sisters. When he finally was done with everyone blaming Bok Hee for everything, he was really done, determined to tell everyone about their relationship and telling off the whole neighborhood. These are episodes that I will rewatch. I know we've got more angst in store--there are nearly 40 eps left--but this week was a joy to watch.
Kairos
At any other time, this would be EXACTLY the kind of show I would love. There are compelling characters, a slow but than gripping pilot, two characters desperate to save the people they love, whose lives cross paths while living a month apart, and Shin Sun Rok, who I think is a completely underrated actor. But I don't think I will be able to deal with the stress and the anxiety it induces. 
CHINA/TAIWAN
Falling Into You
We are making progress in the relationship between the main couple in this show, and I'm glad that finally Zhi Seng is being honest about his feelings and admiration for Zi Tong. It was making me crazy that he was making her crazy even when he thought he had a reason and then wasn't making sense when he tried to help her. We get more about his traumatic past as well. But, honestly, I'm still much more interested in the side couple of his sister and Zi Tong's brother. It's clear that she meant much more to him in the past than he did to her. She doesn't remember him at all. But they will bond over his cute daughter. Give me more of this, show, and more of this man, Desmond Tan. Haven't een him in anything else.
Love in Time
UGH!! This was clearly a show that should have been 16 episodes rather than 24 even though each ep was only a half hour. They clearly didn't have enough plot, so rehashed an old argument between the couple and went down the road of keeping both 2nd leads be terrible even though they had hinted that one was much smarter (and kinder) than that. We even had to break up the heroines for her friends for a bit to at to the angst. AND they put the nice secretary guy with the evil 2nd lead! WHY? She's going to have to change a lot to be worthy. Even she knows it. 
JAPAN
30sai made Dotei dato Mahoutsukai ni Narerorashii/Cherry Magic! 30 Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard
This show continues to be just a bundle of joy and warmth and supportiveness. But what I like most is that despite the humor and the outlandish scenario, it gives us interesting depth of character. We do get a female character who could have easily been a rival, turn into a supporter, but who could have also easily turned into a fujoshi character that merely ships the main couple for her entertainment. However, the show makes her into an interesting woman who though alone genuinely likes being that way and is dealing with her own societal pressures about pairing up. Adachi is finding out that he has more friends then he thinks, and their courage give him courage.
Kono Koi Atatamemusuka/A Warmed Up Love/Do You Want to Warm Up this Love?
I had a long discussion on twitter prompted by this show about Second Lead Syndrome. There are two male characters in this show that I wouldn't mind winning the female lead over to their side. They each provide things that are helping her broken spirit. However, as much as I like them both, I'm really invested in her story of struggle but also the other story of struggle by the other women in this company. I hope the show can keep it the way it is without throwing any extra love triangle stuff or making one of them evil. In other words, I'm continue to be must more invested in the work team than I am in romance. Besides, there are so many baked goods. Who cares about love when you can make a delicious chocolate cream puff on the cheap?
Marry Me!
This could easily be a show that just plays off the cohabitation trop for laughs, but it doesn't. It really addresses issues of loneliness in ways that I didn't expect. Watching Himari and Shin fall in love is a treat, but the way the show reveals how they begin to fill each other's lonely crevices is really tender. I was also grateful that they add depth to Himari's shy character. Someone who has been a caretaker since middle school isn't going to be completely ignorant of the world, so it was a refreshing relief that the show allowed her to have the center of strength when her new feeling of home was under attack. She's going to need this with Shin's horrible family.
THAILAND
Oxygen
This episode we had a death of a mentor, but it really showed us how people relied on Gui even as a child. He's always had the steady presence, but it's also clear that he never really had anyone to rely on himself. He had guidance even love at the orphanage, but no one was looking out for him and putting him first. Solo is probably the first shoulder he's ever had to cry on, and he does that literally here. They They are so soothing, but I'm not sure I'd continue watching if I hadn't read the novel.
I'm Tee, Me Too
When I talked about this show the last time, I presented it as this sort of odd 70s sitcom. Really the only thing that seemed to be missing was an obvious laugh track. Each of the guys has some phobia that the housemates helps him with during each episode--them all living together and being noisy and making Watee crazy, but he needs them to keep the house. However, ep 7 turned the show into lakorn lite, with T-Rex revealing the truth about his connection to Watee, which results in Watee kicking them all out. Of course, he borrows money from gangsters. It seems silly, but when you think about it where else would an orphaned college student borrow a large sum of money?
PHILIPPINES
Quaranthing (Final?)
This was another painful episode. You know nothing good can happen when people start playing truth or dare/spin bottle combo with only two people. But Rocky is determined to hear Judah out and to force a painful conversation. This was a conversation they needed to have, but it feels rushed. I lnow lots of people are happy with how everything was resolved, but I don't think they had been friends long enough for them to have the kind of conversations the end up having.
Gaya sa Pelikula/Like in the Movies
This episode was sooo good. You It had everything you would want in a reconciliation/confession episode. I can't decide which was more delightful, the way Vlad ran back to the apartment or the joyfulness that Karl had when dancing because he's finally admitted to himself who he really is. Everyone is talking about the kiss, but for me, it was the way that the confessions led to the conversations about how they both have functions in their family that are hard to live up to. I mean how can you literally replace a dead sibling? I loved how close they have become, and I hope they are able to help each other through the ugly that I'm sure is about to come. The OST is excellent. I even put up with Spotify to listen.
WESTERN
The Vow & Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult
How is it possible to fall for the horrendous bullshit sects and cults disseminate? That's a question I ask myself again and again whenever I hear something about one of them. There are two new documentaries out about Keith Raniere's NXIVM cult (he's the guy who got 120 years in prison last week). It's fascinating as well as disgusting - and truly astonishing how intelligent, successful people fell into the trap of this marketing scheme/cult. It's also astonishing how evil someone so outwardly nice and friendly like Allison Mack can be. The sex cult aspects are the most gruesome but not necessarily the most interesting. I guess it's most intriguing how a society who has maneuvered itself into believing that "self improvement" is everything becomes so vulnerable to a predatory scheme that promises joy in life/changing the world for the better.
The Mandalorian
Funny :) "You just can't get good help anymore. I don't even know who to complain to" cracked me up. And then, Timothy Olyphant turned up! Yay! The man who has two "y"s in his name just like me. The rest is the usual: lot's of fanservice for Star Wars fan, little substance. Still: nice to see you guys again!
Gentleman Jack
Watched a bit of this series, it's very well made. Why are there not more lesbian dramas and almost only Boy Love dramas coming out of Asia? That's sad.
