The Problematic of the Unproblematic

trotwood: I’ve decided that I don’t understand the titles for this show's episodes. They continuously seem to be more appropriate for a different episode. I think of this ep as “Rimmbutt Returns” not because Rim hasn’t been in this show before but because the little bit of cute was overshadowed (sometimes completely) by him being a self-righteous ass. He is going to have to work hard though to counteract the power of the giant climbing tree puppy. kakashi: "Rimmbutt Returns to the unity of the love team" or something? Maybe add: "hot and bothered"? JoAnne:  I'll be busy climbing the Tree, so be sure and let me know when the emotional weather clears down there with our beloved Butthead.  

Revelations! Horrible, sad, exciting and dangerous revelations! Also: the Spring Hunt. Dammit, everybody we care for is there and the baddies are planning something big... *bites nails* JoAnne: Prince Yu doesn't get to go to the Spring Hunt because he's still grounded. Sucks to be Yu! Eleanor: LOL very punny. I love it. 

kakashi: LOTS of new stuff this week! Let's see who wins and who loses. JoAnne: We win, no matter what. Cutie Soo, Jang Hyuk, Ma Dong Seok, Seo In Guk, Soo Youngie, Park Shin Hye, and Kim Rae Won? All in one week? No matter which way you turn, you're going to win . Shuk: I'm watching / loving a Korean drama. So it's all a win! And I plan to watch the first four episodes of Squad 38 this week, so there might even be two in my future! 

Mei Changsu is no longer bedridden and that's always a pleasure because he has among the best lines in the whole drama. There is no immediate crisis for our guys, which is a good time for some strategizing. If only those evil creatures all around them wouldn't strategize as well! Shoo! Go away! JoAnne: Look at him being all pretty and strategic.  Eleanor: He mostly just looks annoyed that someone woke him up from his nap. But yes, oh so handsome. 

Trotwood: I’m calling this the bonding episode. Se Ra and Rim bond over their love of volleyball and the trials they both face trying to keep this going. I always like when OTPs are friends first before they start the whole love bit. kakashi: Bonding! I like bonding! JoAnne: You're all just waiting for me to say 'don't you mean bondage?' aren't you.  Well, I won't dance like a little monkey so HA. And what kind of role-play costume is that, anyway? I honestly didn't think of bondage at all, but now I won't be able to unthink it. Thanks .

After going to London for a tourism event, Hu Ge quickly went back to Shanghai for another tourism event and then quickly travelled to Milano for a fashion event (where our friend Miao got to see him!!!!!). That's all in one week. That's insane. Notice how he does fashion shoots at the airport? That's a clever way of using ones time... Here's a selection of his beauty (though mostly with that one weird Armani suit) - some official stuff, some fan-cam stuff. There's tons more on the internetz. Go enjoy.

This is the episode in which Ming Tai faces a death squad and is shot in the heart. Yes, I speak the truth. Ming Tai dies and that's his salvation. It's an episode of pain and healing. And an episode of reckoning. Bittersweet victories are won, but is this the end of the struggle? Oh no. There are six more episodes. Should we just keep going? How can we stop now? I can't carry this rage around for weeks. Eleanor: It will be all over soon *rocks back and forth*

Another really, really tough episode to watch (though so much brilliant acting in it!). Big Sis' emotional break-down in the courtyard of Division 76 is one of my "favorite" scenes in the whole drama. And finally, we're starting to realize what is being played. This plan has about 1000 layers but if I'm not thoroughly mistaken, I think it's moving exactly where Ming Lou et al. want it to move. But damn, the risk!!! Holy shit, Kakashi. Ho-ly shit. Eleanor: I've said this before, but I think that the true star of this show is Jin Dong. He is utterly phenomenal in this show. Of course Liu Min Tao is AMAZING AMAZING in this episode and Hu Ge and Wang Kai...so much amazingness!

kakashi: AND.... I find myself with zero dramas. OMG, you're going to say, how is that possible?! Well, easy. The only drama I was watching was Oh Hae-Young Again , which bored me out of my socks this week with its sugar sweet filler episodes. I'm just not interested in that. Lots of new stuff starting next week though, so I'm not dispairing. JoAnne: I predict that you'll prefer Wanted over the rest. Unless The Good Wife is next week, too? At the moment I have Doctors, Beautiful Mind (Jang Hyuk!), and Wanted on my list to check out. And then of course this week it will be 38 Squad or whatever that's called, with three favs in the lead - Ma Dong Seok, Seo In Guk, and Sooyoungie! Actually, if it's done right that could be the one for both of us, I think.   Pssst, keep it to yourself, but I really cannot stand Lee Jong-Suk. I have a probably irrational aversion against him. I'll try W, I swear! But with every drama I tried with him, I couldn't w...

Trotwood: I know this episode is called “Crisis,” but I think of it as the team history episode. We do not get a definitive answer to Kakashi’s question about why they are all in this house together as high schoolers, but we do get the background about what has happened to this team and the conditions they live under. We also get some more of the history of the bad blood between Jae Woong and Woo Jin. kakashi: Go for the tree! Climb the tree, Se Ra! JoAnne: I like that. I want her to have both. Since I can't have either, you know.