Rants and Weekly Raves (RAWR) #405
Anne: This last week, I reflected on how at the age of (on the greater side of 45), an introverted girl who spent most of her childhood and adulthood doing things by herself and rarely gathered with a bunch of friends, ended up being regarded as the party planner for the department. It is one of those thing that if I look back at where I was versus where I am, I don't think anyone who knew me when I was younger would ever have recognized me as a person who has little to no hesitation of public speaking, who is comfortable in debating with almost anyone, and who has now become the point person in charge of corporate team building activities. But I have to say, this is probably the best part of my job, spending money on FUN events! Maybe I should move into marketing...
But, back to reality, and my weekly submersion into dramaland...or what I like to refer to as the scant patches of drama oasis in an endless desert, that has become the year 2022's drama field. Seriously, did they just air all the good stuff during COVID and decided that since most of the world is more or less open, no one will stay home anyway so let's just hold on to the good stuff until there is another pandemic. Despite the lack of interesting shows to watch, at least I do find something entertaining now and then that can probably keep me fed until 2023.
Be Reborn
Can you believe that the guy on the left was the big villain of the show? I mean WHY did we go this route? This entire thing started going down hill when Zhuang Wen Jie started being an idiot. Remember a few weeks ago I was complaining about the decision making of this young man...why would you continue to believe in someone who tried to KILL you? I would have expected that character to actually grow a bit and started using the brain that was obviously occupied by figuring out how to out smart a cop trying to help him rather then understanding the motivations of people he's never met.
Let me set the stage for you....
Wen Jie, the university student from a family of thieves, was apparently the key to a secret code that was passed down generation to generation. The key pointed to a place where a bunch of artifacts were stashed...does this sound familiar?... like the plot of National Treasure? Understand also that Wen Jie was so obsessed with the belief that his father is still alive, that he pretty much believes what anyone tells him.
Despite the detective, Luo Jian, trying his best to get Wen Jie to trust him, the young man NEVER did. What boggles my mind is that he had no problem trusting some random stranger that rents his old house and who self proclaimed to be a close friend of his dead father. As soon as this character, the watch maker/fixer, Xu Zheng Qing entered the picture, the audience knew what was going on. And I was NOT a bit surprised when the idiot boy, after helping Xu Zheng Qing steal something the man already owned, got his clock cleaned with a baseball bat.
My only thought was...wow...it took them 8 episodes where everything that happened was ALL a setup by Zheng Qing to get Wen Jie to give him the key to help solve the puzzle on this painting that Wen Jie's father stole all those year ago. So I basically watched 26 episodes of a setup by Zheng Qing. And somehow this all ended with this very smart bad guy, getting caught by the cops because their arranged driver didn't show up? That was literally how he was caught. This man who was smart enough to manipulate a whole bunch of criminals to commit a series of crimes and get through the most secure systems, couldn't figure out that the cops knew where they were?! Also understand that we are talking about a bad guy who could "reach" anyone on their computer and know their every move, but couldn't figure out that the cops were coming to arrest them.
And why did he tried to drown Wen Jie, after he was already knocked unconscious with a baseball bat?! It's a LOT of useless actions that betrays the genius criminal mind that was originally set up for this villain.
And then the writers had the NERVE to "hint" that Wen Jie's dad may not have died in the last 10 seconds?! WTF?!
The only reason Wen Jie survived was pure luck. The person who actually did the "solving" was Luo Jian, this detective was the only one with brains in this entire drama. And why did the writers feel that there needed to be a romance subplot for Wen Jie and Zhi Yue? This was probably the laziest romantic plot line of all time. Zhi Yue liked Wen Jie sine they were kids, and sort of just hung around until he realized it. If anyone feels like watching this, I would just watch the detective as Luo Jian cleans up the mess left behind in Wen Jie's wake.
Again My Life
Talk about a mess! With only 2 more episodes, the people that Hee Woo put together in his second life to help take down Cho Tae Seob is not looking great. Jeon Seok Gyu, the prosecutor whom helped Hee Woo in the first life take down corrupt officials, is now the Chief proescutor of the main branch, a position that he got after he met with Cho Tae Seob. And, Lee Min Soo,
the one on the left, also part of Hee Woo's circle, just made a deal with Cho Tae Seob. Min Soo will keep Hee Woo in check and will even "arrest" him if needed, as long as Cho Tae Seob will let him arrest and prosecute the person who falsely accursed Min Soo's dad and drove him into a mental institution. And then there is this odd plan for a leash to be put on Hee Woo...
...She will seduce Hee Woo in order to get Cho Tae Seob's business for her company's helicopter. I don't think I understand this plan...at all.
If it goes to the normal Korean drama plot line...I hope all his friends are playing a role to close the trap around Cho Tae Seob. Two more episodes!
Sh**ting Stars
The light-hearted romantic comedy of the week. I had this on my Viki list for a while, but I just hadn't started it. In an effort to delay my finishing Who Rules the World (the fighting among kingdoms is making my brain spin...I've already gotten lost as who is the prince or princess of what country), I started watching this, and 8 episodes later...I am hooked.
Oh Han Byul is the lead of the public relations' team of her company, who manages a lot of top talent in the entertainment industry. Gong Tae Sung is their company's biggest star. Also her biggest headache. Not particularly due to his "scandals" since he really doesn't have any. It is mostly due to their animosity towards each another. This is partly due to her accidently publishing an article calling him a "eunuch" and him blaming her for his "accidental" volunteer work in Africa for 1 year.
Kang Yoo Sung is Tae Sung's manager who manages the highest paying stars of the company, with a great talent to getting his assets signed onto projects. Park Ho Yeong is in love with Kang Yoo Sung and is struggling to have a talent that will be the company's next big star. Jo Ki Peum is an entertainment reporter who is constantly being yelled at by her boss for not catching the breaking story despite having TWO best friends in the PR department. Do Soo Hyuk is the company's lawyer who has found that he likes Oh Han Byul. Choi Ji Hoon is the company's silly boss.
The show is great because of the characters. Their "craziness" are very well defined. One actor was so into his role that he starved himself and fainted from malnutrition during the ending death scene of his drama. His team made sure that in his next drama he played someone healthy and strong.
A season actor was so dismayed at how Ho Yeong slammed the car door, that he lectured her and made everyone practice closing the door. And she couldn't figure out how to close the door with "humanity".
And Ho Yeong's newest recruit, Shi Deok, who is squeaky clean and never drunk any alcohol, got drunk one night and ended up:
Tidying up random things on his way.
Walked into a playground and thought he went to his room and put his shoes away...
Took off all his clothes...
Completed some exercises...
Used a noodle bowl as his pillow and proceeded to go to sleep...
They had to wake up Han Byul to ask her for help in order to "handle" the situation.
It took about 7 episodes for Tae Sung to realize that he liked her...but his attempts at confessions...
1) He decided to help her "tie" her shoelaces...but usually she didn't wear shoes with laces. After waiting around for what seemed like weeks, she finally showed up with tennis shoes. He sent his assistant to "untie" her shoe laces, and he did this slow, impressive walk towards her and knelt to tie her shoes. Two seconds later, she jumped back and accused him of trying to tie her shoes together. She can't believe that he thought she was dumb enough to fall for it twice.
2) He brought her coffee, and she handed it back thinking he'd put sand in there to mess with her.
3) He stared deeply into her eyes and she put her hand on his shoulder and asked he if wanted to start a fight with her. And knocked him away.
And when he finally told her directly...
After blinking rapid a couple of times, this was the look on her face before she screamed and ran out the door.This show is too cute!
And this is it for this week. Hope everyone finds a good show to take the stress away. I saw the Dr. Qin has a new drama out staring Gala Zhang...whom looks a lot like Gong Jun that I got them confused for like 2 seconds...! I love Gala Zhang in the Insect Detective.