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Team Dramabeans: What we’re watching

So, what are we all watching this week?

What kept you reaching for more (or agonizing when there was no more), and what made you want to throw your remote through the screen? Time to weigh in…

stroopwafel

Twogether: I challenge you not to smile while watching this variety, it’s impossible. Twogether is such a sweet, wholesome show and it’s gifted me with a Korea-Taiwan crossover that I never knew I needed, but now can’t imagine being without. The show features Lee Seung-gi and Taiwanese actor Jasper Liu as they travel together to complete missions and meet fans around Asia. Despite the language barrier, they have a very easy, natural chemistry and a similar klutzy vibe. It turns out language is kind of like math; three parts equals one whole method of communication (some Korean here, some Chinese there, and a heap of English). I really can’t get enough of variety veteran Lee Seung-gi teaching newbie Jasper all of his scheming variety ways. Jasper is still so innocent and honest but he’s learning quickly. I’m only halfway through, but I’m so glad I stumbled on this little slice of sunshine.

 

missvictrix

Currently weecapping: Backstreet Rookie

Unfamiliar Family: I continue to love this drama, and everything about its relationship-driven stories. One of the highlights for me this week was that gorgeous moment between Eun-joo and her husband (via flashback and present-day scenes) where they discuss a friend being someone “who carries your sadness on their back.” Such a beautiful sentiment, and I like how the drama pulled that in to tell us more about their relationship, both past and future.

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay: Thanks to the lovely @mary, I can’t call this drama anything but Psycho Butts (long story), but it’s okay. I only caught the first episode so far, but I lerrrrvvvv what I’m seeing. It’s so dark and yet playful and interesting. And our leads?! Like I said before, they’re so beautiful it makes me want to cry a little. And I’m just going to keep saying that every week, because it’s that true.

 

quirkycase

Currently recapping: My Unfamiliar Family

Backstreet Rookie: I went into this one expecting a train wreck. It was more coherent than I thought it would be, but I can’t say I enjoyed it. Saet-byul feels like a stalker, and it’s all too over-the-top for my taste. The humor is hit and miss (mostly miss) for me. I do have to acknowledge the strong stylistics, though. And Jung Eun-ji’s cameo made me happy. But this one isn’t my style, so I’ll pass.

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay: Wow is this drama beautiful – the colors, the still shots, the lovely way of framing flashbacks to look like old film or photographs. Not to mention Moon-young’s amazing styling. The aesthetics of this drama are no joke. And I’m loving the whole grim fairy tale vibe. I was already a fan, but I freakin’ love Seo Ye-ji here. I seriously hope they keep her character as is and don’t water her down as we go, which is what dramas tend to do with unconventional leads. I’m always nervous when dramas depict mental illness since it rarely goes well, yet I’m always hopeful they’ll get it right. Everything else is working for me so far, so I’d hate for offensive portrayals to ruin things down the line. Fingers crossed they’ll do a good job here.

Mystic Pop-up Bar: There was quite the tone shift in the last episode or two, which felt a bit incongruent. I’d hoped for more from the ending. It felt like we were back where we’d started, and the emotional impact of the final showdown was kind of negated by the last several minutes of the drama. On the whole, this drama was middle-of-the-road for me. Just like with the recent Good Casting, some of it was fun, but I wasn’t super invested.

 

selena

Currently recapping: Will You Have Dinner With Me

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay: WOW. Just… wow. The colors, the cast, the darkness balanced against the lightness of this show — I love it all! The thing that impressed me the most are the transitions from scene to scene. They really put a lot of care and effort into the production and it has really paid off! Also, the actors playing the younger counterparts of Kang-tae and Sang-tae deserve a shoutout. Ughh I’m so in love!

 
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Me 4 weeks ago: I'm going to try to comment on every WWW post from now on!
Me now: ...woops

So, I have a lot of catching up to do, huh?

Hospital Playlist (12/12): Slice-of-life near-perfection. In true HosPlay fashion, the finale made me laugh as much as it made me cry. I know many people complain about the episode lengths, but it honestly got to the point for me with this show where I didn’t notice the time passing. I could stay in this world with these characters forever and it wouldn’t seem too long. That, I think, is the mark of a truly exceptional slice-of-life drama. I have my issues with the way the lovelines in this show were handled, but everything else was perfect to me. I can’t wait for 2021.

Mystic Pop-up Bar (10/12): Love, love, love. I haven't watched the last episodes yet, but this is my favorite drama and my favorite roles from all 3 of our main cast members now. Their dynamic is pitch-perfect, and I loved both the world building and the storytelling in this drama. I'm gonna miss it!

Old School Intern (5/24): Decided to drop this one. It was pretty funny and I enjoyed the cast, but the story and shenanigans were already getting stale for me.

Team Bulldog: Off-duty Investigation (8/12): Another one dropped. I was enjoying this one, but their decision to make a trans character a killer put a bad taste in my mouth and I quickly lost interest in the rest of the story as well.

My Unfamiliar Family (8/16): LOVING this one! Probably my favorite show airing at the moment! All of these family members are so complex, and I love learning about their lives and how they became the people that they are. The characters are just so well-written, and well-acted. Yes, it's melodramatic, but in a way that feels real, and I'm pleasantly surprised by how they've dealt with our gay characters' stories so far. Tae-hyung's story is given the complexity it deserves, and I love seeing how his relationship with Eun-joo is developing. I truly hope these two can be friends by the end of this.

Backstreet Rookie (1/16): Dropped like a hot potato. Anyone who believes this drama isn't racist and offensive is just being willfully ignorant.

It's Okay to Not Be Okay (2/16): Like everyone else, I'm loving this! It's very well-made so far, and while I don't necessarily think it will be a drama that really makes me Feel like my favorites do, I can tell that it will be fun. Seo Ye-ji is killing it as always. Love her!

Forest of Secrets (6/16): Very slowly making my way through (I just don't have much time at the moment!) but still loving every second of it when I do watch it.

I'm also still making my way through both Dal-ja's Spring and Because This Life is Our First with my friend(s) and, of course, having the time of my life. I hope Lee Min-ki stops sending coffee trucks to sets and starts getting his butt back on a drama set! I'm begging!...

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I need at least a drama announcement before the year ends! Save my 2020, Min-ki! I know he just wrapped a film. I know it's only been, like, 6 months since The Lies Within. I'm impatient!

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Forest of Secret is my favorite Kdrama ever. I am always happy to hear it is beloved.

Also great list of dramas. I didn't bother with the ones you dropped because I never started, but I like your thoughts so I'm glad I didn't.

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I wish I had more time to just sit down and binge it!

You not picking up those dramas is probably good judgement. I'm just obsessive about trying to check out at least the first episode of every new drama, because sometimes they surprise me.

Backstreet Rookie did not... Or, if it did, it was only in the bad ways.

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There is supposed to be a sequel to Forest of Secrets, but not sure on schedule.

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Yeah, They already had the cast reading, I'm so excited!!! Soompi reported on it some time ago.

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Yes, I think it was originally supposed to air in July but got pushed back to August?

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On Bae Doonas Instagram account she posted a teeny tiny, highly pixelated teaser of the second season some time ago... so it is ON and I am very excited, too!

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On Bae Doona's instagram not very long ago she talked about wrapping up filming of season 2, it has the original 2 leads which makes me beyond excited as season 1 was just that good!

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All the episodes of Hospital Playlist were so charming! Every character had a key role to essay.

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It was just such a pleasant show to watch! I really miss having it in my weekly rotation.

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Yes! Pleasant is the word that fits so well. I hope season 2 continues the pleasantness :)

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Hospital Playlist is the drama of the year for me. It was so beautiful and chill. And as I described it to many of my friends , its a show of friends who are doctors who are doing jobs which are nothing out of ordinary for them but are actually extraordinary. 😅. It highlights the little things so beautifully. Besides the cases which touches our heart but also their moments where they are just sitting together having their meal and talking together makes me feels so nostalgic and makes me miss my friends . ♥️♥️ And i was a bit worried they will end the series in cliffhanger coz there will be more seasons and they had cliffhangers but they ended it nicely . Looking forward to the next season.

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The moments where they eat and play music together are my favorites. They were all competent doctors just doing their job. There was no blood spurting out and surgeons ignoring the basics of hygiene... and I don't think we saw the defibrillator more than once (if at all). It was so pleasant and reassuring to see a hospital functioning normally. The cherry on the top was that the hospital politics we usually see in dramas got relegated to a mafia game. 😂

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"The cherry on the top was that the hospital politics we usually see in dramas got relegated to a mafia game."

LOL. I loved that so much! You're right, the minimal hospital politics made the show much more palatable than most medical dramas.

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Hospital Playlist also may end up as my drama of the year... literally so well made. I loved Prison Playlist, too :)

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Confession: I have not loved any drama since the pandemic because I've been in a funk of depression and stress. I've enjoyed stuff like Mystic Pop-up Bar but could not get invested like the old days (i.e., four months ago), so all my favorite dramas of the year are pre-pandemic (Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim 2, Crash Landing on You)...until It's Okay to Not Be Okay. I love this so much. It's dark and heavy and needs trigger warnings, and the leads are broken and make me cry ("Your lips are smiling, but your eyes are sad." I felt that.). Moon Kang-tae and Go Moon-young are my favorite OTP of the year for their visuals (stunning) and chemistry (fire) and sexual tension, but I'm wary about their romance because they have such an unhealthy relationship (she, an unhealthy obsession), and love is not a cure for mental illness. Kang-tae speaking banmal back to Moon-young gives me all the feels. This show is beautiful and relatable and exactly what I'm in the mood for. In conclusion, the world is still a mess, but Kim Soo-hyun saved my 2020. Welcome back, Oppa.

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Oh this is going to be the most toxic beloved relationship for me since the drama Secret. but sometimes darkness is a balm to the soul.🤷🏾‍♀️

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Oh, those intensive days with Secret....

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* intense
Or maybe both words are applicable? 😁

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They both work😁

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Agree with thrle trigger warnings. They should definitely add that.

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I was excited to watch some good old fashion wuxia drama in the guise of detective procedural, but Ancient Detective turned out to be one of the most solidly written shows I have watched this year. It starts out as a slow burn, so one would need a little patience for all the pieces to set in place for the plot to propel forward. The story does have a compelling central mystery, but the payoff is all in the ragtag gang which forms around the intelligent hero along his quest.

At first glance the ML seems to be a bit bland (a Wuxia hero who doesn’t Kung Fu! Whaaat?), but again and again through every one of the choices and the action it follows the hero proves to practices the strictest Wuxia code as the most principled, just, and kindest person who deserves the complete devotion and admiration of everyone he meets. I highly recommend to give Ancient Detective a try! Since the story revolves around a central mystery, do try to avoid spoilers. The last few episodes kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last minute of last episode.

At first the ridiculous title Oops, the King is in Love’s made me curious and after 13 episodes Oops has been absolutely delightful. The setup is similar to Moonlight Drawn by Clouds but without the tragic family history and with a more slapsticky tone. All the women characters are smart and driven in their own ways. There is stupid or annoying character, not even the second leads! We even get couple of wonderfully silly sidekicks in the forms of royal guards. Yes, certain suspension of disbelief needs to be exercised as in most crossdressing dramas but all is in good fun. Show, please don’t let me down!

Special shout out to the male lead Zhu Jian who is new to me. Perhaps not the prettiest actor out there, he has a versatile look that makes me believe that this Emperor is a clever schemer who despite limited power is able to maneuver his way capably in court. And oh yes, all of his hidden loving smiles around his favorite eunuch are adorable and his actions increasingly swoonier by the episode. I have also grown to love the heroine who reveals herself to be a thoughtful and pragmatic young woman who strives to shape her own destiny.

Both Ancient Detective and Oops, the King is in Love have 24 episodes of 40 minute each. Ancient Detective is available on Viki and Oops on iQIYI, etc..

The Oops trailer: https://youtu.be/rTZTlycbNnA

Also watching and loving: My Unfamiliar Family, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
On hold: The Love by Hypnotic, Fake Princess
Trying to catch up: Dinner Mate, Oh My Baby
On the list: Looking forward to Steven Zhang’s Chiaki in Symphony’s Romance

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Ancient Detective is on my To Watch list. Your enthusiasm is pushing it up the list 🙂

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It's seriously good. It's one of my fave drama in 2020. The beginning is quite slow, but it's actually nicely paced

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Definitely @harunomasu, I think the slow pace in the beginning is deliberate in building up the suspense. Even though Ancient Detective might not have the luxury for lavish production with its limited budget, the storytelling with beautifully realized 3-dimensional characters made it a wonderful drama.

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Yay @dorotka! I think you will be pleasantly surprised. It feels like forever since we get a real Wuxia drama with the market saturated with Xianxia for the last couple of years. Even though the show is suspenseful, it also offers plenty of funny bromance and comedic moments.

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Ancient Detective is GOLD. I didn't expect anything when I first watch the show but it turned out to be great. I love the nuance of Jian Buzhi's actor gave to his character. His seemingly bland personality actually due to his amnesia, and when he started to open up, he becomes one of my fave drama hero for a long time. Though the reveal about him near the end felt a bit anti-climatic, since we all know who he is already. Don't you think so?

I'm so happy to find another person who like Ancient Detective too!

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@outofthisworld loved AD and I've been meaning to watch it since she raved about it. I did watch 1 episode and got me really hooked but I'm not sure why I didn't continue. I think I just wasnt in the mood for it at the time. But I do still plan to watch this. Eventually 😅

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It does feel like we are swamped with so much content, doesn't it @trinpie? In the past I always abide the 4 episode rule before deciding, but now I find myself sometimes dropping a drama after half an episode! 😅😆😆

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Yes same! I gave most dramas a few episodes but lately I've struggled to even finish 1 ep on some (Parallel Love, My Dear Lady and Beautiful Reborn Flower to name a couple). Either I am getting pickier or I just have so many options I can tell pretty quickly what I do and don't want to watch. But AD is definitely one I plan to watch, I just need to be in the mood for it I think.

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Ancient detective is quite good. It is shot beautifully with it's limited budget and story is quite solid. According to AvenueX there was bit of controversy about it.The scriptwriter was not happy with the director. If director had followed script faithfully it could have been even better. You can check out her video for more information.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItWn75MO5KE

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How frustrating that the writer has to compromise his artistic vision, @sspat. The real life plot twist in the end regarding the director is almost stranger than fiction! Now I am really hoping for a second season, undoubtedly with a new director at the helm. *fingers crossed

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So far Steven Zhang's character in SYMPHONY'S ROMANCE has been fairly bland- but we have not yet really delved into the character's traumatic past yet. In the original Japanese story we are getting smacked with his misery and trauma from the very first few minutes.

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I am almost strangely nostalgic about the toy plan catching fire montage, @oldawyer. 😂I am really hoping that the childhood trauma doesn't get resolved by some hypnosis skills Chinese Nodame learns from a book picked up at the corner store.

But honestly as long as there is no pervy Stressman in this adaptation, I am already considering it a vast improvement.

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@oldawyer @kimbapnoona (Long time no see!)

I watched about 3 minutes of SYMPHONY'S ROMANCE Ep. 1 and was thinking "hey, this reminds me a lot of Nodame Cantabile"... and when I looked it up I realised this is yet another adaptation LOL. I didn't like his conducting technique, just swinging his arms around (nerd comment alert) so I didn't continue. Maybe I should give it an episode at least? I'll look for your comments next week.

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Annyeong @wishfultoki!! It has been too long indeed 😊
You gotta at least make it to minute 4 for Steven's real piano playing! He puts in some time to at least get a few measures of Waldstein right (nerd sign flashing.) If you cannot respect Steven's fake conducting, at least I would say that I have worked with conductors who look no better, or at least not as nice.

Also hearing from other Beanies, this adaptation at least shows students attending other classes like music history so I applaud it for a more wholistic portrayal of a music student's life at the very least. 😆

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Thanks @kimbapnoona! It is true that many conductors don't look like they know what they are doing hehe. *nerd sign flashing wildly*

In the Korean version I think Park Bo-gum did a decent job conducting "Mambo", better than Joo Won lol.

Waldstein Sonata and music history class? Ok, I will give it a few more minutes. I kept rolling in misery when the female lead in the Korean version never practiced and still played impeccably. I don't know if I can watch such a ridiculously snobbish "genius" like that again.

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🤣🤣🤣 I have never seen the Kdrama version, but I got all huffy seeing in the Japanese OG Nodame learned and memorized (if I remember correctly) Debussy's L' Isle Joyeuss and Stravinsky's Petruschka in TWO DAYS for the piano competition. That, @wishfultoki, I refuse to suspend my disbelief!!! 😡 It had crossed my drama bottom line. 😂

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Thank you for pointing this out that this is a remake of Nodame Cantabile (I didn't catch the references in the earlier posts!) - I LOVED the Japanese version, meh for the Korean version. Will check this one out :)

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I actually love his character here. He feels very down to earth, a real human being - a grumpy sunbae who got swept up in the passion and quirkiness of his hoobaes. They took a quirky manga with an over the top Japanese adaptation to make a super relatable youth drama adaptation, I'm impressed! And I loved the crazy Japanese version! I didn't think a slice of life version of Nodame would work this well. Jelly Lin though....needs....to learn acting....

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😂Yes, @dokutokunaneko, a grumpy sunbae who got swept up in the passion and quirkiness of his hoobae and unknowingly becomes her mentor and her maid.

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Omg maid is the right word! I love every of his "I just can't help myself" moments where he starts cleaning despite himself looool

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Thanks for the recs! I'll check both of them out. The FL from King in Love reminds me of Park Shinhye.

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Yes, she does! Although if there is any worry on your mind @horangi, I can attest that the kisses here are lovely nonfrozen.

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Loll very important. Thanks!

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It has been more than a month when I wrote my first enthusiastic post about Tiger and Rose (and perhaps even convinced some Beanies to watch 🙂). Unfortunately my watching time is limited and I could finish the drama only this week, but it was nice to see every week the increasing number of Beanies watching and loving the show (and to feel like a proud Mamma 😊 ).
I personally loved the show till the very end, though I admit it was hard to watch eps 17-19 as I'm not a fan of angst and Noble Idiocy... and I missed the humour - only heroine's sentence “Without wifi and smartphone there is only depression left in this world” saved ME from the deepest despair 😁. Luckily the last 5 episodes were strong again, not only because the humour was back (and what a wonderful Mother-In-Law!), but I also liked all the turns of events, how the heroine got back to her world (Han Shuo was sooo right about the difference of his sacrifice in the original script and now) ...and that they did get back to the Han Actor's comments in episode 1... and generally addressed what a bad and a good script is. I think I would still love spending more time in the modern times and that they would give more time and nuance to the final reveal (and give us some swoony moments 😊). Still, I consider this a very good drama, I expected an easy comedy, but it gave me much more, I especially appreciated the intelligence and the great characters (being it the Queen or the funny sidekicks) ... and I'm now looking for other dramas of the main lead (and his moving eyebrows 😁).

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Rest:
Pop-up Bar - the last two episodes felt a bit dragging/not so engaging with the focus on the Evil Spirit compared to the funny (and yet deep) and engaging 10 episodes before. Still considering the show a surprising gem. Loved nearly all characters and Woljoo, manager Gwi and Kangbae formed such a cute family. And Choi Won Young is 💕

Psycho - love ❤, especially the fantasy element... and even wish for more uncertainty between what's real and what is the imagination... Seo Ye Ji is stunning.

Need to catch up with Baby.

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Our lovely Onion Boy Choi Won Young is having a moment. It's so much fun seeing someone who usually plays bad boys have a turn at a sweet, charming (and very handsome) character. I'm looking forward to his next drama, My Dangerous Wife, airing this fall. He'll be a not-nice dude but there promises to be a lot of character growth.

Check out Choi Won Young on Happy Together (scrub to 4:11) where he talks about meeting his wife, Shim Yi Young. He eyes actually get a little shiny with tears. *my heart!*

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Thanks for thr clip! Awww..he is so sweet. That is what true love looks like.

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With Chinese dramas involving time travel/transmigration you always have to worry about the hero or heroine either ending up alone or with a doppelganger and not the person that you watch them fall in love with over the course of the drama. So I was happy with the ending that they provided us in this drama.

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If you liked the ML actor in Tiger and Rose (Ryan Ding/Ding Yuxi) I highly suggest Reset Life with him (called Future Secrets on iQIYI). It's only 5 episodes but it was a lovely short drama a lot of us Beanies liked. ❤ we needed our Ryan fix after T&R lol

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Thanks, will check it. 🙂 I tried Intense Love... but... it doesn't really reach the Tiger and Rose quality and I'm thinking of dropping it...

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I watched the first ep of Intense Love but it didn't hook me and the FL was a bit obnoxious (she may get better later on but just from first impressions I didn't care for her).

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It’s Okay Not To Be Okay: I might be on the super minority here, but to me this week’s episode is just not that interesting. It’s visually stunning, and both Kim Soo-hyun and Seo Yeji are killing it with their amazing acting, but I’m just not feeling it. I feel like there’s little substance to the story and therefore it makes me unable to connect to both character. And I wish the k-dramaland stop using the “childhood sweethearts destined to be together” tropes. It’s getting old and I’m getting tired of it. When it appears in this drama, I couldn’t stop myself from exclaiming: “Again!?” I really hope that this drama is not going to be another rom-com with a splash of mental illness. I will still follow it since it’s Kim Soo-hyun’s comeback drama project and I just love love him so much to give this one up

My Love, Enlighten Me: I went without any expectation for this drama. I just want to see Eleanor Lee, that’s the only motivation I have for this drama. And to be honest, this drama is full of all the sappy tropes of the rom-com, from mistaken identity, bickering enemies turn into lovers, second male lead who didn’t know the word giving up (even after being told that she DIDN’T love him), critical illness, and many more. But what I enjoy from this drama is to see the growth of the female lead, Liu Nuannuan, from being an ex-idol to a successful career woman. And other things that I enjoy is that this drama use those tropes but not stuck in that tropes for long. The misunderstanding between the two leads are quickly cleared, the break-up that didn’t feel like a break-up, and parents problems that’s resolved in speed of light. And I might be the only one who think this, but I genuinely think that both leads, Han Che and Liu Nuannuan, are together in real life. Their interaction is just so natural it’s killing me. Overall, I would recommend this drama to everyone who like rom-com. Very worth watching

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Love is the cure of each and every mental disorder.
Any kdrama viewer must know this fact, and so much more in 2020.

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I am at mistake. I shouldn't defame Love

Romance is the cure of - aka specifically CN + K romance.

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I've seen "Good Doctor" and love didn't cure autism :p.

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But it did not need to.

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@kiara

WTAF.
Autism IS NOT a "mental disorder"
Autism is developmental.

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Shoot me for mixing up medical terms on a K-drama site :p.

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I plan on binging 4 episodes of It's Okay and making a decision then whether to continue but the childhood connection is a big mark against it. I like both actors and I know the production value is good, but - like you say - there needs to be substance to the story. It's all about the writing. Crossing fingers.

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Yeah. I just feel like the drama is pretty but have no real substance to it. I felt like I only watch two gorgeous people interact in a gorgeous environment. But I still have hope, so yeah. I hope you like eps3-4

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Nothing more annoying then seeing people dismiss everything as a trope, even from the moment it was introduced it was clear that whatever memories they shared during childhood it wasn't that they were sweethearts lol

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I know. But I can make do without the meeting at childhood perspective. Even without that, I think they could work together as a couple. Throwing that for the sake of making it look fated is just the simpler way of handling things, and I expect more

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Eleanor Lee was a revelation in the first few eps - I can't believe she's so young! She's a fantastically mature actress for her age. (I haven't finished the show, though - it got a little tedious, and getting back to it may take me a while).

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I always love Eleanor Lee since her Big Boss days. She's simply fantastic there. And through her, I came to know Leon Zhang so I always have this endearment toward her

For the drama: yes, it's quite tedious. Especially around eps14-19. But I love that they're using all those sappy tropes as a side-story, so it doesn't affect the FL that much

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Lapping up China's We Are All Alone. Fans of WWW, Dalja Spring, or any career women-centric dramas will relate to this drama. The FL's suits and clicking heels remind me of the suits worn by the FL in Misty. And it's Godfrey Gao's last drama. Loving every minute of it.

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I'm watching that too. I love the drama. It's quite realistic. And having Godfrey Gao is a bonus. Too bad such a talented man had left us early

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This is more Hans Christian Andersen original fairy tales then your typical Disney romance fairy tales love cures all.

The Red Shoes, The Little Mermaid and the Ugly Duckling has nothing to do with romantic love cures all. They all face their struggles and pain head on.

The first couple of episodes feels more like it's for the parents. Children born with mental illness are not a curse.

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I don't mind dark theme romance. I welcome it. And if they really do delve deeper into it, then I would be deligthful. But I have to stay cautious, and not expect much. That way, I can be unbiased

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Same and I agree about staying cautious.
I get over my head sometimes and end up disappointed.

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Yeah. I don't want to have super high expectation only to get disappointed. Better stay low. That way, if it turns out to be really good, then I can breathe easier

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substance? i thought complaints would be about the overwhelming amount of it, and not the lack thereof. there's a definitely a lot to work with in the drama, so many layers and nuances - all the lead characters are ambivalent and do not have your usual good guy-bad guy dyanmic. MY is manipulative but you see streaks of her morality that make you root for her, GT seems like the typical hardworking tough nut but in ep 3 you see that's not all to him as is a true nuanced and realistic character, even MY's dad who may be seen as an anatagonist evokes some sympathy in us when we see him basically unable to function properly. the writers are also fantastic at weaving in metaphors, foreshadowing, and allusions into the drama. beyond the characters and the plot, the directing and camera-work is amazing too, i do not think there is a single scene wherein i question its existence - every scene seems so purposeful and meaningful. even though there may be flaws, its easy to overlook them, for the brilliance of the rest of the show makes the flaws seem sometimes even purposeful, if not non-existent. lastly, the show has an essence which i think many others lack - sincerity. there is a noticeable effort to portray mental illness that others might have shyed away from. there is a sincerity to portray all characters as 3D with underlying motivations and desires. and there is a sincerity, last of all, to make us, the audience, enjoy this all (the aesthetics, the unorthodox mediums, the styling). hence i find it hard to understand this ambigious phrase "there is little substance", because, where exactly does that "little" come from?

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JAPAN

Kotaki brothers - 7.5 out if 10 - house husband. good episode

Penshion - 6/10 - those adults jokes. that indian guy and some this short chat show works.

Peanut Butter Sandwich - 6/10

Korea

Divorce Family - 4/10 dropped - gonna check in between episodes scenes in future

Gay Chef - 4/10 - nothing good to say about this cheap show
Dinner bait - 4.5/10 - now even hero-heroine as turned into a bit of annoyance. everyone's a busybody, interfering into others lives. Hero-Heroine are playing yes sir - yes ma'am game.

Backstreet nonsense - 3/10 - still a nonsense. wife that beats husband. Son that wags tail against all women. nonsense violence and much more. violence isn't humour.

MILF - 4/10. Seriously, it reminds you of few hollywood movies and even porn titles where female lead acts suggestive around the young meat. doesn't matter whether characters are around same age.
Writer and director are both into this suggestive play. its blatant.
They in a way are reducing their main leads to mere props for all this ridiculous buffoonery.

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Chinese -

True Colours - 4.5 out of 10 - Watch it fir heroine. rest is trash

Boss assault - 3/10 - forced kiss turn consensual kiss. This reminds me of those Japanese porn movies where initial rape turns into cheating wife category and sold as affair and cheating wife genre.

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Boyfriend that love, Girlfriend that Smiles - 7 out of 10.

Manga to Live Action - positive outcome. Right Outcome

Beautiful movie. i really enjoyed it. I'm craving good love for a while and at last got to see this one.

Edgy high school teens - good
Cliche characters - Just because i like the movie doesn't mean i'm not gonna raise the points.
Cliche Outcome - Outcome is awesome but you can also see it happening from the start.
Cliche - Usually Heroine meets St. Peter, Here Hero meets St. Peter.

Many cut onions but not for me. Many got emotional, I'm not.

Movie is from a twitter panel manga that became a hit.

I'm pretty happy with the outcome, Movie doesn't waste time of audience and actually gives audience some lessons of life in very simple manner.

Must watch movie.

I gave 7 because it has those cliche scenarios. Cliche works when presented well. And here cliche is working.

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Many other Japanese movies are translated now. All are trash. manga to live action - you already have source and yet yo do this trash job at writing the movie.
Kiss Me at the stroke of midnight - shoujo trash 3/10
Other Japanese movies same 3/10 - They don't even deserve mention.
Kanna Hashimoto - annoys me. She is getting so many projects and thankfully she selects are all trash as she herself is trash actress. Still i think good opportunities should go to other better actors. AHHHH - Who is good actor among all these Asian self proclaimed actors?

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I am not sure how Japan manages to make so many totally awful trash movies, but they keep churning them out. Even the non-trash ones are not that good. The last almost good one I can recall is (call me) Mother - and even there the Korean version was much better.

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@windsun33
Its one of those things that look similar but are not the same. Movies (the live action ones) form and inhabit a very different place in Japan to the rest of the world.

1 - In Japan, movies are not their dominant story telling. Movies may be their cross-over medium between groups/audiences - but all that does is overlay it with everyones cultural constraints. Live action movies are just not the primary home of their cultural creativity.

2 - No one else is making movies in Japanese so they have to...its the own language dividend.

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Dinner Mate - I am enjoying this drama immensely. I like that the leads relationship has progressed despite the meddling exes efforts. Utterly charmed by the downlow dating of HK and DH. Looking forward to more of their chemistry 🥰

Its Okay to Not be Okay - its the Show's premier week and there were a lot of info and pretty to take in. Seo Ye Ji is absolutely beautiful here as your antisocial and prickly writer. Kim Soo Hyun is also beautiful to look at but has softer edges that MY is attracted to. I will continue watching to find out what is it about those darn butterflies and red shoes.💃

Bride of the Century - still watching and enjoying the push and pull between our chaebol and candy doppelganger.👫

Reply 1988 - most likely will stop skipping thru my fave scenes and just enjoy the show like it was meant to be. Savor every minute why I love this show in the first place - family, friendship and relationship of the ensemble cast.💥

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Prickly....I see what you did there! 😉😂😂
*slowly pulls the steak knife out of your hand

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😆 can't help it. Her fascination with knives is part of who she is. 😉

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Bride of the Century! This was one of those underrated dramas that I'm so happy to have come across. Yeah it's trope-filled.. but it works! I love the leads and this light drama. Perfect for an easy watch. Haha

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It does work! 😀 plus its Lee Hongki. I will always think of him as adorable Jeremy in You're Beautiful.

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I think we all have one thing common after IOTNBO aired last week, that is we all want to cry a little at the leads' beauty.

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It’s Okay not to be Okay. I’ve already spammed the wall with screenshots and comments, so I’ll just say one word: Wow!!

My unfamiliar family. Show doesn’t give us a break, as the see some advances. EunJoo and TaeHyeong apparently have decided to find out a solution to their marriage / problem together. I really appreciate TH calling EJ to tell her he’s sorry, this could be his first step to healing. ChanHyeok and EunHee still confuse me in so many ways… I’d love them to remain as friends, but I’ll accept any direction their relation is taking. As for mum and dad, I always had the feeling that he had never cheated on her and sort of was confirmed this week. I also never thought Young Sik was dad’s son, and that the stars stickers in the truck were related to him. Now that dad has recovered his memories, we’ll see (or not…).

Will you have dinner with me. I just don’t know how can DoHee resist HaeKyung charm. I would have fallen in his arms the minute after his confession. Wait... a minute? A second! I love these two together, they share a wonderful chemistry.

Oh my baby . I can’t stand JaeYoung, I’m done with him. At this point I’m really worried about DoHa and how her parents can be such emotional illiterate. Someone please let HaRi raise that child so she can receive real love.

Mystic Pop Up Bar. I loved everything about this show, and above all Choi Won Young. I will not recommend enough to anyone who wants to enjoy a funny, emotional and heartfelt drama. It was a long time since I was this moved by a drama with so many different emotions. If you haven’t watched, please do. You won’t regret.

After trying a couple (or more) of finished dramas to binge watch, I decided to gave another chance to Perfume which I had dropped in episode 5, and alsoThe Producers, because I got anxious I didn’t have KSH 24/7 I’m having real fun watching both.

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Your Oh My Baby comment made me laugh, lol.

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Am I a bad person to wish for Doha to be adopted by Hari and YS?

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No, you're not.

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In OH MY BABY I see Jae-young and his ex as two people who need professional help.

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Totally agree with you.

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I just finished Matrimonial Chaos last week and boy, what a drama! I think I'm still under its afterglow even a week later. Apologies in advance because this is going to get long. I just adore this drama so much, and apparently I have a lot to say.

This drama is the weirdest slice of life I've watched. It told a sad story in the most humorous way possible. And most often than not, it ended up make me cried and laughed at the same time. Or sometimes, just felt overwhelmed by feelings that I didn't even know how to articulate.

This drama always made me feel things that just too complicated for words. Heck, sometimes it was even too complicated for my own heart to discern. It's not only a matter of seeing events unfolded from 4 or more different (and equally right) points of view. It's more about how even the characters themselves were not so sure what they were feeling at any given moment. It's an unnerving experience to process things together with the caracters, to not always know things in advance as a viewer. It made each of their emotional experience that much more powerful and genuine. And it made it harder for me to condemn their action or reaction.

It told a story about life so matter of factly, without sugarcoating it. How you can't help but view things because of the past, present, and your longed-for future that shaped you as a person. How most of the times there's no right or wrong, just different views. But dangit, sometimes people desperately wanted the problems in life to come with a neat solution, like a multiple choice exam at school. Sadly, real life is never as easy as that.

It's real. It's convoluted. Just as convoluted as its criss-crossing relationships that couldn't be boxed with neatly put-on label. Watching this drama is a hard-to-describe experience, punctuated by freely come-and-go side characters that made this world felt truly lived in.

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For me, a good drama is only as good as its characters. And this drama gave us very memorable and interesting pair of leads.

There's carefree Hwi-roo who seemed to be cut off from the gruesome reality of living as an adult. But she hid a contemplative nature under her easygoing appearance. Out of the 4 leads, I think she was the one most in tune with her own emotions and the complicatedness of it.

Grouchy and solitary Seok-moo seemed to be the most grounded to reality between the 4 leads. But in fact, he was the one most cut off from his own feelings and thoughts. He was always being contrary and there was this equally strong pull between him wanting to admit what he truly felt and thought, and continuing what he has done for the last 30 something years of his life. While he said he enjoyed his solitariness, I don't think he fully understood whether it was really by choice, or actually something he decided to feel like his own choice. It was hard for him to face that possibility because it would mean he needed to acknowledge the years worth of hurt he tried to hid from.

We also have graceful Yoo-young who hid jagged scars and deep pain over her childhood memories and her current life that she saw as her emulating the nightmares her mom has to go through all her life. She was the one who looked most fragile, but she was also the one most capable of lying to her own self, keeping her poise and pretending nothing ever hurt her.

Lastly, there was childlike Jang-hyun and his incapability to stay true to one woman. I know it's absurd to label people like him as childlike, but there's this kid-like innocence quality in him that's hard to decipher (and Son Seok-goo played him with airy, almost floaty voice that reinforced this particular image). You can see that his love for Yoo-young is genuine. You can see him feeling truly guilty and repentant. But you can also see him easily turn towards the long lines of other women in his life the moment Yoo-young confront him about his cheating. I'm vacillating between him trying to avoid being hurt by the person who truly matters, or him saying to himself that "See, this is who I am: a complete trash," before his failure to change himself haunted him. He always appeared like nothing touched him. He acted like he floated somewhere beyond important human connections and feelings, but the moment he couldn't lie anymore to himself, it hurts. Massively. I still can't believe how much it hurt me the moment that realization hit him.

[At the end of the day, what does it really mean to be a married couple or a family? Maybe it all comes down to understanding that we will always have our differences and trying to be comfortable living with all those differences. After all, marriage itself is probably one of the most wondrous concept of how family was made. It basically makes two complete strangers who only known each other for a certain short amount of time to form one of the closest bond among...

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... to form one of the closest bond among familial ties. Simply thinking about that made me realize that it should be expected that keeping a marriage intact is an ongoing, never-ending process.]

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I share with you two your thoughts about this drama. I didn’t watch it while airing. I wanted to binge watch in less than a week, but so just couldn’t because the story was so intense, so heartfelt, so touching.

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Welcome to the club! I still wish I could walk in to the restaurant and hang out with the women in this drama.

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They are all awesome. And I especially love the unusual living arrangement between Seok-moo's sister and Hwi-roo's sister at the end of the drama.

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I was enjoying this drama, until SM and YY broke up because she found out she was pregnant and he got back with HR. So... HR would always be the second choice? I know that is something very realastic and true-to-life but their acting happy afterwards felt jarring for me. YY's and JH's arc felt much more believable to me. I just didn't like the show after the break-up.

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On Viki you need to do a word search to find the excellent 'Matrimonial Chaos' but they've still got the awful 'Melting Me Softly' on their main page. The world is upside-down.

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They often seem to aim for the youngest viewers.

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Your review of this show makes me want to pick it up. But I'm not sure I'm ready for something intense right now.

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For me it was more reality based than intense. It's an exploration of relationships and family starring Bae Doo Na. What could be better? I'm not kidding when I say I want to crawl inside this drama and hang out there.

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Matrimonial Chaos was such a gem.

I wish more had watched it when it first aired and there would have been recaps.

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Will you have dinner with me?: As soon as Jae Hyuk spoke about the cake I knew he was allergic. He is an insane person. Also does Korea not have something similar to HIPAA, my God finding out someone's medical history is so easy. lol. Now onto my favorite non toxic couple. I LOVE forehead kisses. It brings forth far more intimacy than lip kisses. They are ADORABLE.

My unfamiliar Family: I agree about the sentiment of friends carrying your sadness on their back. It is really sweet. However ooof for Eun Joo, imagine falling in love with someone who in this case will never love you the way you want them too. There are rare instances of gay people falling in love with the opposite sex, but I don't think kdramas are quite there yet. So this is just sad all around. Also Tae Hyeong stills owes Eun Joo all the apologies. I'm waiting sir.

Mystic Pop Up Bar: What a lovely drama. I enjoyed it fully and I loved the ending. It was sweet and pat, as a drama like this needed. I'm happy my little family is together.

Oh My Baby: Jang Na Ra is a MONSTER actress. The last 10 minutes was a masterclass in resignation and utter heartbreak. (Sidebar: Also that book about Mom was weird) When she told him she was fine until she broke down in front of the book, I was crying with her.

It's Okay Not to Be Okay/ Psycho but it is Okay: WOW. That is it, I like to take my time with the show, so haven't watched todays episode yet.

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In my country it is illegal to access medical information without the patient consent, that may imply economic sanctions and even prison. Leaking such information is a felony. So just imagine if we are talking about mental health issues. In fact I was really shocked that Keane shared the information he learned as JH’s doctor with HK. It’s totally illegal, although considering he probably has already lost his medical license.

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It is illegal in most countries, including Korea. But k-dramas have their own rules, which seldom have any relation to reality.

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I LOVE forehead kisses. It brings forth far more intimacy than lip kisses.

I feel the same! Forehead kisses feel like they're more about trust, support and affection than sexual attraction.

I wish more shows had intimacy coordinators to help expand the repertoire the physical expression of love. I'm not just talking about improving those icky fish-eyed kisses. We need better hugs and more hand work. Throw in some earlobe fondling and more neck kisses! (I see what you did there, The King: Eternal Monarch!)

Too many hugs in dramaland look like they're staged for maximum visibility of actor faces rather than intimacy. (Sarcastic pro tip: A hug looks real when actors' are nestled, cheeks are touching.) The way a person strokes their thumb on their lover's hand says a lot about their connection.

Did you see the cute @dinner_couple's IG post of Dinner Mate BTS featuring the OTP working out the hug scene in Hae-kyung's office kitchen?

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I thought the hugs in TKEM were really nice!

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I totally agree about the intimacy coordinator. The hugs in A Piece of your Mind are my favorites. They had a chaste peck in that drama, but the hugs said everything. They were natural and showed how our leads were feeling.

I also agree about most kdrama hugs, they always feel uncomfortable to me, like they are touching porcelain. Hugs are meant to be felt more than any other type of physical touch. I wish they had more hugs in dramas.

I did not see the BTS, but will go watch.

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Only today I was talking to my sister about A piece of your mind and telling her that the hugs in this drama are so warm and the best thing in the show, in opposite of how drama hugs usually feel, totally unnatural.

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How did I miss A Piece of Your Mind? I lurve Chae Soo Bin. *cueing up to watch on upcoming furlough day.*😉

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The hugs in A Piece of You Mind were so wonderful! I kept thinking that they made the relationship much more natural than any kisses would have done....

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Yes, I have seen that BTS and all the others, thourougly and repeatedly... loved it every time. I wish they kept the take where she was standing and he hugged her from a seated position :D

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@tsutsuloo, @kafiyah-bello,

I'm a big fan of forehead smooches, too. The first one I saw was in THE KING'S DAUGHTER, SOO BAEK HYANG, and it was very moving. Nerdy, uptight Seja kisses his beloved spy's forehead while they are imprisoned and on the verge of freezing to death. He begs her to stay awake. Unlike her, he is afraid that help will not arrive in time, and that they will be waking up in the afterlife, "never to be parted again." After confessing that he loves her, he seals it with another kiss. The entire scene plays out over eps. 65-67. Here are a couple of clips -- alas, without subtitles.

TKDSBH ep. 65:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHbATsGAn30

TKDSBH ep. 66:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq2Jtw1ewcQ

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At first I thought the book was weird. But when she flipped to the page of the bride saying "Eomma" I realized, oh right. These are snippets of the moments we call out to our moms. The first word, when we get hurt, when we get married. I also lost it when she came to the last page. When that wee baby crawled and pulled the mom's skirt and said his/her's first word: Eomma.

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For Ha Ri who's spoken that word so many times in her life and now thinking that she may never get to hear that spoken to her did me in. 😭

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@kafiyah-bello,

There are rare instances of gay people falling in love with the opposite sex, but I don't think kdramas are quite there yet.

Actually, this very scenario plays out for Shin Sung-rok's character (a gay food consultant, woo hoo!) in HYENA, tvN's first drama back in 2006. A nunchi-free medical student falls for him in America, he bails out and returns to Korea, only to cross paths with her again. Over time, friendship turns to something more. I found it a very poignant subplot amidst the bawdy romantic escapades of his two thirtyish childhood buddies (Kim Min-jong and Oh Man-seok) and the latter's hyung (Yun Da-hun), a washed-up writer of trashy novels who conducts extensive "research." Rated 19, this male version of SEX AND THE CITY aired at 3AM on Wed.-Thurs. -- talk about off-hours. The OST and background music are terrific. SSR, OMS, and KMJ all sing, but sadly, the pieces are not included in the soundtrack. SSR's ballad is towards the end of ep. 9, and it perfectly sums up his dilemma. He sounds every inch the musical theater actor.

Keep your eyes peeled for the WITH S2 subtitles that explain the slang and wordplay.
https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Hyena

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OH, I didn't know, that is so fascinating. They rarely even do it in American shows, so this is cool.

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@kafiyah-bello,

It's very cool, and nicely done. Even better, SSR's character exists within the context of a gay and lesbian community, complete with a married couple who serve as each other's cover. One of the partners is played by Jung Kyung-soon (Queen Hwangbo in MOON LOVERS: SCARLET HEART RYEO; Lee Man-sik's wife in KKONDAE INTERN). Hong Seok-cheon is in his element running a full-service restaurant consulting firm with whom SSR collaborates. Various friends and lovers work there. We even get to meet their parents, IIRC.

So E-Hyun is terrific as the ditzy med student dubbed "Conch" by friendzoned Kim Min-jong. She calls him "Leech" in turn. They're one of my favorite platonic OTPs in Kdramaland.

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A quick question: Where can I watch "Twogether"? (I live in Europe but not in U.K)

I am fond of both the guys. I have never seen Jasper in anything else except fiction shows so am curious.

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Netflix has it

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Thanks! I found it!

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Me too! Thanks a lot!

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@jillofalltrades,
I enjoyed Jasper's turn in BEFORE WE GET MARRIED.

Thanks for mentioning TWOGETHER. It sounds like a lot of fun. I was surprised to see Prambanan and Yogyakarta as two of their destinations, and will be tuning in. Mr. P and I went to Java and Bali on our honeymoon, and got soaked to the skin when the heavens opened up during a performance of the Ramayana Ballet at Prambanan. The stage ended up looking like Swan Lake. ;-)

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The only show i am following is "Dinner mates". (I am back to reading and writing a lot)

I finished an old Japanese show called "My Boss, My Hero". It had it's own problems but what I could not get over with is the view it takes to education. Education as a mean to "learn new things and discover the pleasure of knowledge". The school nurse is one of my favourite character.

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Hee..
This week I watched
1. It's Okay Not to Be Okay (thoroughly enjoying the drama particularly Seo Yeji's Go Moon Young.)
2. Running Man (this show has been my routine from the start and it's been 10 years already)
3. How Do You Play? by Yoo Jae Suk (SSAK 3 is already so fun)
4. Heart Signal 3 ep 13 ( Reality shows has this feel that dramas cannot have and I can't help but repeat the parts I like).

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Jae Suk's greatest talent is picking the right shows to host. How Do You Play with Hyori and Rain has been a delight.

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where do you watch reality shows with subs? I end up catching clips on YT - I don't see myself watching any long-term, but just curious. Some of the music reality shows have nice finished pieces.

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I watch Running Man and How Do You Play from K***asian with subs because I cannot watch them from viki here.
For Heart Signal 3, Channel A upload whole episodes in their official Youtube channel without subs.

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Viki has quite a few- 'Variety' is literally a genre drop down menu on the website. RUNNING MAN is one of the many variety shows which they carry.

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Yeah because I'm not super interested, I tend to ignore that. I realized Viki has a few.

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The only kdrama I'm live watching is My Unfamiliar Family, which keeps its makjang quotient intact this week. I found the opening of It's Okay To Not Be Okay very disturbing and uncomfortable, and I will wait for recaps and more comments to see where it's all headed.  

I've been investing more time in catching up with the back catalog of k/c/tw dramas that so many of you are already veterans in. I dug deep, and found this Taiwanese coming of age/slice of life (yeah, I seem to like this stuff) gem, In a Good Way. The OTP chemistry was all kinds of off the charts awesome. It's so old-school, they barely touch each other till the 13th episode, and even then, remain fairly saintly about everything. There's a total of two liplocks, and a lot of hand-holding and hugging. But I felt I hadn't seen this kind of chemistry in drama before, even when the leads were not on the screen together. 
It is not a perfect drama, by any means, starting with a badly translated title (the Chinese title "My era of freedom" is so much more appropriate); the story had great material (independence, true character growth), which could have been better presented if the episode run were tighter; very strong second ML/FL, whose storylines were allowed to deteriorate. It also had usual TW-drama problems, and the noble idiocy - laden ending does not seem to have satisfied many people (I was okay with it). I think the drama ending was made with the never-begun-but-long-speculated movie sequel in mind. Overall, this was an imperfect but thoroughly enjoyable drama, with an OTP pairing that is right up there with the best and the brightest.

My other discovery, which I raved about last time, and have now finished, has been My Huckleberry Friends. That drama was perfect in every way, this is how cliched stories should be televised. However, I thought the (usual) time skip at the end was so utterly unnecessary, and it would have been a finer show without it. Ah well.

While exploring other shows in the same genre, I picked up but very quickly dropped With You and Suddenly This Summer. For various reasons, neither worked for me.

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I like the first half of Suddenly This Summer. But the second part is just not good. I watched it until the end for Bai Yu, and he's really great

Why you don't like With You?

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Bai Yu is probably great in his own right, but he didn't seem like a good fit for Suddenly This Summer. I felt that he seemed bored while acting, and believe that he deserves meatier roles generally.

As for With You, I felt a similar disconnect with the casting. Plus I generally dislike it when the shows always make the FL out to be the stupid one, and needs the ML to be the "saviour" of sorts.

Maybe I was also contrasting both shows with My Huckleberry Friends, having watched that immediately before, and enjoyed that so much - in that show, I thought the casting was perfect, age-appropriate, with all the side characters, down to the fourth and fifth leads, getting adequate growth arcs, making it seem like a true ensemble cast. Also, the FL (and her female friends) was capable and intelligent to begin with, and needed no saviour. She made her own decisions, was not clingy, and could have easily held her own even without that time-skip HEA. I loved this about MHF, so With You, in comparison, was a dampener, especially considering it was part of the same "series".

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Poor Bai Yu need better script. If they follow the novel closely, I'm sure Bai Yu's role would be a better one. The novel is terrific

I don't particularly like With You. Because many like With You and also Huckleberry Friends. I'm just kind of surprised that you don't like it

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Oh MFH is far far superior to WY. For once, the Viki ratings were on point!

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@pickleddragon,

Bai Yu and Zhu Yilong were fantastic in the 2018 webdrama GUARDIAN, which I've been rewatching.

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Ah that wasn't on my radar. Thanks for pointing it out!

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@pickleddragon,
You're most welcome -- and I hope you enjoy it. The OST is terrific, the CGI not so much. (The investor's sudden bankruptcy drastically cut funding after pre-production started.)

The OTP's chemistry is through the roof and deftly nuanced. BY and ZYL play their characters as originally written. Their eyes, microexpressions, and subtle body language are the bee's knees, and beat the heck out of many a Kdrama OTP.

You're probably already aware of PRC censorship issues, which necessitated radical changes to the novel's supernatural / metaphysical elements, and turned BL into bromances. AvenueX has a couple of excellent videos that explain the situation, and prompted me to start reading the source material. Once I learned of its existence, I devoured all available chapters (roughly the first 50 out of 106) of RainbowSe7en's English translation of Priest's novel -- but only after I had already marathoned the first 28 of 40 episodes. The story makes a lot more sense in light of the verboten mythic background and the exact original natures of the boss of the Special Investigation Department and the Black Cloak Envoy. By now, the entire novel has been completed by a couple of other translators. It was originally posted on Wattpad, but was taken down. This site gives pointers to where it can be found now:

Translations etc master list and notes from @dtriad at "all living, the bright and the dark" blog on tumblr.com
https://dtriad.tumblr.com/post/179416163366/%E9%95%87%E9%AD%82-translations-etc-masterlist

You can watch GUARDIAN with English subtitles on YouTube on YoYo TV Series Exclusive:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvpAVnYN4lb2Gfz6Feq3KA1r5trkUxMU-

AvenueX’s Guardian Final Review and Book vs Drama Detailed Explanation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfOH0kFvDuQ

Guardian's Extra Special Chapter For the Printed Book
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC9eVmy_gDU

Enjoy. ;-)

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Thanks @pakalanapikake. You're such a wonderful storehouse of information! Your comments and posts are such enjoyable reads, and I always learn something new and interesting from them!

I discovered that Guardian is also available on Viki in my region, where translations might be slightly better, and ad breaks don't come in the way. Will definitely check it out!

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Oh I must also add that my viewing experience of In A Good Way was considerably enhanced by terrific recaps over at koalasplayground - Viki subs don't do the show enough justice (many lines are even missing), and whoever the chief koala is did a fantastic job with breaking down scenes and adding her own comments here and there.

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Koala used to be a Beanie, delurking when we crazy City Hallers came out in force to express our love for what I consider to be the best KES drama. It was 2009 - those were the days!

In A Good Way is my top fav TW dramas together with ISWAK and In Time with You.

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Aaah. It shows! I could see Beanie-style enthusiasm in the writing. City Hall was such an awesome show, and the only KES show I stayed with till the very end! Thank you for spazzing with me over it recently all over again over on my fanwall :D

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Unfortunately, I'm also still waiting for that movie they promised us to complete the storyline of In A Good Way. It was a good drama up until they completely dropped the ball on the ending.

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So true! The show got me curious about the novel. Do you know if there is an English translation accessible?

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I'm not aware of the novel or if any English translation is available but you might check the comments section of the drama's mydramalist page as it might have some comments about the novel.

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Mystic Pop-up Bar (Episode 11-12)
The writing was definitely a lot weaker when it was about the past since it could be summarised as a rich man poor girl story (loosely comparing to the leads’ classes), overbearing parents, power struggles, a boring villain (complete with a victim complex arising from daddy issues) and one big misunderstanding. I also felt that we did get a ‘happy ending’ of sorts with everything tied up way too neatly (which to quote Gwi is truly anticlimactic): what happened to the contract that Gwi signed? But I was mostly satisfied with the emotional journey that the show brought me along (not entirely as Wol Ju’s mother was nowhere to be found: Gwi teased that she was watching!) and remain one very delighted watcher.

Sweet Munchies (Episode 9-10)
Jin Sung’s lie getting exposed because of him shouting at Jin Woo made me roar in laughter because it’s karma for him blocking his brother’s career for his own sanity (then again, I guess we’re supposed to assume homeless senior placed numerous hidden cameras all over the workplace which I cannot fathom how JTBC green-lighted it). I felt like slapping him when he just came clean to Tae Wan: it was a selfish tantrum and a desperate move that Tae Wan did not deserve, not mentioning all the optics where a gay person is finally brave enough to come out but is dealt with sarcastic rebuke.

My Unfamiliar Family (Episode 7-8)
My ‘Ji Woo is possibly gay’ conspiracy theory gets to survive into the second half of the show! His repeated insistence that he has a girlfriend is kind of making me thrilled and scared that his secret might be the next to explode (or maybe it’s just him repressing his feelings for Seo Young and I got trolled). The first half really lived up to its name: Chan Hyuk who isn’t part of the family is the one who knows most about the family’s secrets and plays confidant to all three kids. I feel a little iffy on his romance arc: can’t he just remain friends with everyone? It’s really not the time for a relationship!

It's Okay to Not Be Okay (Episode 1-2)
The directing and acting are great but I’m going to pour cold water on the writing: the leads are connected in the past, they have traumas related to their parents, 2nd female lead has a crush on the male lead while hating the female lead, male lead’s friendship may be at risk due to romance and autistic brother is used to force the leads together. So what I feel overall is the sense that we’re going the route of hijinks at the hospital and mental health is just a thematic choice that the show won’t delve into other than OTP development purposes. Still, I’ll watch for another week before deciding.

Also watching: Will You Have Dinner With Me (Episode 17-20) / Oh My Baby (Episode 13-14) / Backstreet Rookie (Episode 1-3)

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I had the same thought about JiWoo for a moment, but finally I dismissed it, for no other reason than 3 gay characters in the main cast of a Kdrama may be too much for certain viewers, and because I had the vibe from episode 1 that TaeHyeong and HyoSeok were gays, but didn't have that feeling with our maknae.

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I agree, that would be unusual. That said, I really appreciate how the show has handled homosexuality, and the issues around it. It also is very much a heterosexual gaze at homosexuality, and that comes with its shortcomings, but it has remained a mature discussion throughout. I haven't seen this treatment in too many dramas.

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Only in Be Melodramatic and People with Flaws I’ve seen gay characters in which being gay is not the issue, they are openly accepted by everyone (family, friends, coworkers).

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Y! Be Melo did a good job with handling it - making it a non-issue, really. That's what is so badly needed. I haven't watched People With Flaws. What is good about this show's handling of it is that it is at least confronting and trying to engage with what society seems to have identified as "issues" with homosexuality. Unlike Be Melo, which just skipped over all this, and presumed all was hunky dory.

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The treatment of gay people as first and foremost people has been one of the triumphs of this show.

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In Sweet Munchies, I felt that it was Jin Sung's last chance to come clean to Tae wan because if he didn't do it at that very moment, then it would have been an unforgivable betrayal. If he had let Tae Wan come out to the friends believing that he was emulating Jin Sung's courage then it just would have been the worst betrayal ever. The belief that Jin Sung was courageous in coming out and standing up for gay rights was of course, a lie and a betrayal on it's own. But it would have been the absolute worst if Jun Sung remained silent. Tae Wan basing his own courage to come out on Jin Sung, would have been wrong on so many levels. Tae Wan needs to decide for himself how he wants to proceed without any influence of Jin Sung in any way.

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Will You Have Dinner With Me Ramyun in a convenient store... Why the FL became so shy.

Sweet Munchies Tae Wan is a cutie and deserves happiness.

My Unfamiliar Family The best family drama! I need more scenes between Eun-hee and Chan-hyuk, I love their converstions.

Oh My Baby I just wanted to punch Jae-kyung everytime he was talking with his pity tone... I understand Hari' pain but I think Yi-san's one is forgotten.

Backstreet Rookie Beside the cartoonish humor, I like the interactions between the characters. The Pulp Fiction's parody was fun, but JCW shouldn't have this haircut in the futur! KJY looked super pretty.

Team Bulldog: Off-duty Investigation I found the profiler, the pathologist and the barman more fun to watch than the leads.

It's Okay to Not Be Okay A cameo from Kwak Dong Yeon \o/ Otherwise, this drama's ambiance is so unique, I really like it. The leads have an electric chemistry.

Life Senjou no Bokura I really like Shirasu Jin in I Don't Love You Yet, so I'm happy that he has a new lead role. It's a short BL drama but it look nice for now.

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Life Senjou no Bokura the manga is really good. The drama? I struggled. I just think that Shirasu Jin is not what I pictured to be the main lead

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Dinner Mate. I can get why both of them are a bit shy (holding hands in the park) because they've both been in long relationships that failed, and are just feeling this attraction to someone they already trust. Like... OMG, he/she likes me back!!
And let's not forget that only one month ago (more or less) DoHee was thinking his boyfriend would be proposing, but he really proposed to someone else, and in that same moment the man she loved for almost a decade and disappeared without any explanation appears again and says he wants her back, and then the guy she's been enjoying meals and sharing her concerns with is openly flirting with her. I can understand she's a mess.
Even so, if I were here,I would have fallen the moment he crossed that road (even before the confession!!!).

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Oh, I know why but you don't propose ramyuns when it's late in the night to your new boyfriend, it gives expectations :p

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No you don’t 😂😂😂

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I was watching When My Love Blooms and the female lead asked the guy if he wanted ramyun... and the next scene is them eating ramyun at a convenience store. I was so disapointed.

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Even Hari's mother in Oh My Baby knows what it means !

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Shirasu Jin in I Don't Love You Yet was a great ML, as was Adachi Rika as the FL! It still remains the best JP rom-com I have watched so far (tbh, I haven't watched too many, mainly because I find them generally terrible).

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Re Oh My Baby: I was feeling slightly kinder toward Jae-kyung after he called Yi Sang but then he heaped guilt on Yi Sang later at the hospital with his "If it were me, she wouldn't be going through this" and I wanted to punch him some more.

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BACKSTREET ROOKIE is fun- and I like that it is cartoonish. But you are right about the character interaction: The two leads in particular are transcending the cartoon.

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I am also watching and enjoying TEAM BULLDOG which wraps up this weekend with episodes 11/12. I do enjoy the secondary characters a lot and like the characters in the drama I can live without the profiler selling his crap on the side. Lol.
I happen to be watching as a summer rerun Junho's CONFESSION (2019) (5 stars!) and TB's Bar Owner Teddy played by the "other" Kyung-ho, Yoon Kyung-ho also appears in CONFESSION. Let's just say he is terrific but totally different in this.
O/T. Coming Attractions.TEAM BULLDOG is the third drama in OCN's Dramatic Cinema Series (the other two were TRAP and HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE).
Next up sometime in 2020 will be SEARCH with Jang Dong-yoon and Krystal.

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Binge watched strangers from hell in two days and man was it a roller coaster ride. It really lived up to its genre of psychological thriller with its twisted characters and plot line. It was about time I watched a good ocn drama and this one hit all the creep factor perfectly. Oh boy was lee dong wook eerily amazing in his role as the serial killer, gotta hand it to him for taking on this role after his strings of romantic male characters. I won’t be able to shake this drama off for days that’s for sure...

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I just referenced STRANGERS FROM HELL above (aka HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE). I have not seen it and would love to work it in. I loved Siwan in MISAENG. I know he has a new drama in the works: JTBC's RUN ON.

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Been there done that! Haha.

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Had a two week hiatus from dramas and when I got back to it, Mystic Pop Up Bar is what I went to first. I enjoyed this drama quite a bit though I was hesitant because I do have trust issues with fantasy k-dramas (shout out to Arang and the Magistrate for beating the odds). Having said that, the last two episodes had weird pacing and the last episode some funky editing. Overall though, I think it is a solid watch and a bit of an unexpected gem. (Also I love the tea length hanbocs.)

Good Casting: It should have been the three gals learning to be a team without the overarching story of Michael. I'm just done with that kind of storyline but apparently there is talk of season 2 so the local audience didn't agree with me. I fast-forwarded through a lot of the drama and still kept up.

Khondae Intern: I'm still a bit behind but like the bromance quite a bit. Because of the age thing, we really don't see these type of generational relationships that often. I also like that no one is perfect, not even PHJ's character. They are all flawed and messy.

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Is really Good Casting getting a second season? OMG! I can't believe it! I dropped on episode 10 after FF most of the last three episodes so I realized it was a waste of time.

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No, no. Don't worry. I think it is some wishful thinking of fans of the show because it did well in Korea and was left kind of like they could do a second season easily. This is a drama that had so much potential. Oh well.

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Unfamiliar Family: If I had the time, I would watch each episode twice because there is so much to unpack. The performances are outstanding.

Oh My Baby: Episode 14 was heartbreaking. I hope the preview for Episode 15 is misleading and it won’t go down a typical rom-com route for the final two episodes.

Mystic Pop-Up Bar: Feel-good conclusion to a very satisfying drama. This was a drama that knew what story it was telling and did it quite well with a fun sense of humor and lots of heart.

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay: Wow, this drama is visually arresting. The scene transitions are so creative. I like the story so far as well. I’m a sucker for sibling relationships and the relationship between the brothers is heartbreaking as well as heartwarming.

Once Again: I love the scenes with all of the family together, having fun, bickering and enjoying themselves. My favorite KBS weekend dramas tend to have more of these scenes and less of the screaming MIL.

Dark: I’ve been spending this week re-watching Season 1 and 2 in preparation for Season 3. I’m going to spend today binging Season 3, but I might have to take a break for It’s Okay to Not Be Okay.

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Msytic Pop-up Bar: I feel the same way, it was a drama with a good sense of what it was and what it wanted to do. And then all the actors, directing etc. did a good job making that happen :)

I love the brothers in It's ok! Oh Jung Se is doing great job... they both are :)

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I got to the end of Mystic Pop Up Bar and thought, "was that so hard". It shouldn't be so difficult to produce a quality, cohesive, well-paced K-drama.

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My drama slump continues and in my on again off again rhythm I watched absolutely nothing last week, so this week was all about catching up.

I finally watched the finale of The King: Eternal Monarch and I liked Gon looking for his beloved in world after world and their unconventional relationship in the end as well as the alternate fates of all the characters but it was too little too late to save the show. I did like Secret Garden due to body swap hijinks and I expected something similar here as well but so many opportunities were just wasted. I wonder if KES learned from this experience that moments and big name actors and great ideas aren't enough if execution is weak???

I am caught up with Will You Have Dinner With Me? and still love the leads together and still can't stand the second leads. Not much more to say except I get a kick out of Crash Landing references (both visual as well as Dan-i as Do Hee's past life 🤣🤣🤣)

I am still watching Sweet Munchies and caught up with it for next week's finale. Jin Sung really put himself and everyone else in a pickle and I am curious to see how he/the drama will resolve everything. If nothing else the drama introduced me to two actors. I haven't watched Kang Ji Young before and I liked her (or I apparently watched her in Secret Love and I don't remember, lol). Similarly, apparently I have seen Lee Hak Joo in many small roles before but have not *noticed* hm before. Well, I'll be looking out for him now.

Next I am hoping to catch up with Oh My Baby before its finale and only then will I get to my weekender, Once Again. Considering how behind I am in the latter I'll probably only catch up to that by its finale, lol.

Needless to say I haven't started anything new yet.

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HOW TO BUY A FRIEND: It was a fairly typical high school boy meets girl, boy gets blooded by bullies and gangs, then scoobie do solves a complex sex trafficking ring. The acting was pretty basic but the story moved forward because it was only 8 episodes.
SOUL MECHANIC: I lost interest in the story and characters at the half way point. The ending was fairly ridiculous based on the story's own prior story line conflicts. Would not recommend.
MYSTIC POP UP BAR: A gem, but I thought the ending was not as strong as the rest of the series. It did put real context in the evil spirit character's motivation against Woo-joo and the prince. I don't want a fan petition for a second season.
OH MY BABY: Hari's angst level is red lining. The theme that bad things can happen to good people but that alone should not cloud your judgment with anger or resentment. Hari's 99 percent chance of fertility failure should not be a barrier to her future happiness (the lesson from her mother's life). JY got off his stalker horse, but he is still in a hurtful daze.
ONCE AGAIN: It is one of the oldest tropes: the nice guy second lead is going to get burned in the end. The hospital director has done nothing wrong in dating Na Hee, but everyone knows Kyu Jin has deep regrets about the divorce and resentment of her dating the director. It is only a matter of time that they get back together.

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Completely enjoying Symphony's Romance which is a remake of the Japanese drama Nodame Cantabile. So far, I liking it a lot more than either the Korean or Japanese versions as the heroine is not OTT manga-ish and the romance is more two-sided.

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I think the same too! Finally, I find someone who can agree with me. Bless you

I like that they stay true to the spirit of the manga without making it go overboard. Sometimes people forget that Nodame is not crazy, she's just unique and it takes time to understand her

I'm so excited because from the trailer, it feels like the drama will cover the entire manga. So I can't wait for it!

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I liked the original and Korean re-makes of this story. Manga's themselves tend to go overboard because they are an extension/expansion of the comic book. But the people who objected to the character of Nodame should know this: She was based upon a real person (who is now a piano teacher).

You are right that this time the romance seems more two sided. I would also add that our male lead is not as big of a jerk.

In many ways this version is more toned down. We will not get a full blown Franz Strezemann character but the substitute can still be OK.

Because I love the story I am continuing to watch, while accepting that it has been altered substantially from the original. I also like that we may now get the full story.

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I love this version a lot too, and all of the characters except for Xiao Wong/Nodame. And Nodame was my favorite character in the original. Jelly Lin's cutesy act is hard to watch. In the hands of a better actress I could totally see it work with the way it's written here, but currently I can't see what Zhenyan sees in her, but he's happy so I'm happy.

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I am trying to stay away from watching episode 3 of IOTNBO which just dropped on Netflix because it it will my treat to myself after finishing half of this blasted research paper! Squee!!!!!!!

Also suffered through 2 episodes of Sweet Munchies. Just.....no.

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Good luck with the research paper! I am hopeless at holding out 😅

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I decided to go for a page today which I have completed and can now go for episode 3! *gleefully rubbing hands and getting 4 cookies*

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Woohoo!

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Mystic Pop-up Bar- I loved it.. its one of my favourites from this year. They gave the best ending by that I mean the final moment. Aah thinking about them solving people's dreams forever makes me really happy.. and maybe they can all live together like family now just like Kang-bae's dream. I actually felt like crying at the ending, didn't want it to end. I haven't felt this comforted by a drama in awhile even though it was just short of perfect due to that villain arc.

Watched Itaewon Class last week. The show is long over but still a long comment ahead:

First of all, superb performances put up by the entire cast. It started off so well and then just got a little crazy towards the end. The best part was seeing how all the Danbam members were inspired by Sae-ro-yi and how they helped him. I think most shows and movies of this kind don't succeed with showing the character's hard work with time skips, but still would have liked the show to share more of the business aspect. They did show a few things like the differences of the two parties in reviving streets which was interesting. Jang's own meddling in Sae-ro-yi's business felt silly so he wasn't a strong villain at all. Both female leads were so amazing- had a few moments of admiring and getting angry at both of them and I don't think I understand them at all but I still liked them. Yi-seo is so smart! She knew when she was right and wrong... I guess her growth was seen by how she became so close to Hyun-yi (and the others) on her own when earlier she was just being nice for the sake of Sae-ro-yi. I wish we had more of an understanding of Soo-ah's thought process. Did she always have a plan to screw over Jang or did she decide only after she realized she won't have a bigger place in the company and he'll still favour his children and those horrible words by Jang that shes just an employee. She could have worked along with Sae-ro-yi from the beginning and maybe could have started a relationship with him. Still she thought of herself first and built the life that she wanted. Small things did annoy me- that gang boss's actions, I really didn't see SRY had to apologize to Geun-soo to ask Yi-seo out, and I just didn't get Yi-seo's mother. The drama had really interesting characters and made us ponder many things so I liked it. It would have definitely been a little frustrating to watch live though so glad I binge watched it. The finale dragged, struggled to finish it. Overall not a bad drama at all though.

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Also, Itaewon Class's OST is so good!

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Definitely! It was my introduction to Gaho!

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My intro to Gaho was Time. I watched the drama after hearing the OST 🤣. The OST for Time was good~~ he also sang one of my favourite OSTs in TLE~

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I will check out his work on those dramas.
Thanks.

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I too loved the ending to MYSTIC POP UP BAR. There is just one little difficulty waiting for our little family in the future: How are Kang-bae and Yeo-rin going to explain their ageless grandparents to their children?

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I assumed as they are going back to the living realm, they would age and grow old together, not being spiritual beings anymore. After all, they were offered to reincarnate, but decided to go back.

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Going down memory lane here a little bit @edgarpordwed.
I think the character of Soo-ah or Nara if you will was shortchanged a bit in IC. I think Director-nim tried to make it up towards the end with the PBG cameo and with Soo-ah landing nicely on both feet. Only a theory.

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I am almost done with Itaewon Class and am really loving it so far. Really good allround acting, as well as music.

I was interested in the character of Toni as it seems to allude to the definition of belonging, identity and assumptions. There were two or three other themes that I appreciated as well.

However, there was one act by Yi-Seo that I did not like. It was the only real 'dent' in the character.

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Mystic Pop-up Bar: 9.0 By kdrama standards, the ending was... not botched.

It's OK to Be...Different From Other Shows: 8.5 It's often a good sign when a show starts with an animation. Does the Butterfly Effect work if the butterfly has only one wing?

Team Bulldog Off Duty Investigation: 6 Can the rival reported please disappear from the story. Ok with me if she's the next murder victim.

Memorist: 6.0 (Day 8)

Zen koan of the week: What is the sound of one wing flapping?

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sound of one wing flapping = plummeting whistling sound

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Re TEAM BULLDOG. Lol. Thanks @lordcobol. Maybe getting hit by a TOD carrying a supply of the profiler's crap.

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Currently Airing

IT’S OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY: So I ship the two but feel weird doing so because she clearly views him as something to almost conquer or even almost like a plaything. I don’t know how the romance is gonna play out and I think that’s maybe kept me from liking it as much as a lot of people do. (ep. 1-2)

MYSTIC POP-UP BAR: I really like dramas that have a a new story each week. This one was quite interesting and really sad. I’m not all the way in love with it yet, but it’s been easy to watch. We’ll see. (ep. 2)

OH MY BABY: My interest is waning for this drama, which is kind of sad because there was a time when I really liked it. I think I liked watching the characters flirt with each more than watching them actually get together. (ep. 9)

WILL YOU HAVE DINNER WITH ME: Not enjoying this all that much. It feels a little low budget and nothing about the characters is really grabbing me. Practically everyone’s raving about this, but it’s just not doing anything for me at all. Might drop it. (ep. 1-3)

Non-Korean Dramas

LIFE~LOVE ON THE LINE: It was okay. The use of light in this is pretty. Reminds me of the fall season. Not too sure about how J-dramas are produced. This is the first non-anime Japanese thing I’ve watched. Are they pre-produced or filmed weekly while the drama is airing? (ep. 1)

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I’m feeling that a bit too with OMB - it’s gone from waiting impatiently for the subs to I’ll watch it when I’ve got time.

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I keep saying "I'll catch up before the next episode" and it doesn't happen. At this rate, I'll b=probably end up putting it on the back burner until sometime way in the future.

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I get the same feeling from It's Okay-- she clearly wants control in the relationship between them, and while calling him a coward for not facing her in the last episode I could almost see, I didn't agree at all with what she told him this episode. (even the coward one was a stretch for me, it just seems like good common sense to avoid or set clear boundaries with those you know aren't going to treat you the way you deserve to be treated... like she does her dad). Interesting feelings about the way I'm supposed to feel about her, and their romance. But still a fun watch for now!

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Definitely agree with you about the control part.

I'm definitely interested to see how the romance is going to play out. Right now, I can't see it being a very fulfilling relationship. Honestly, the only way I can see this working out (because this a K-drama and they don't really do mental issues well, from what I hear) is if the writers have her 'cured' at the end. Which wouldn't be realistic at all.

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Mystic Bar - It was a very nice surprise. The villain was silly and badly developed, why was he stronger than others? He didn't even have much reason to seek revenge on anyone. What happened with Gwi's deal? The ending should have been a lot better planned. There was no reason to go back to the bar so that KB could have his family but I still liked it for the adorable characters and touching side stories.

IONTBO - Its pretty but I like it mostly for the unusual characters and the potential of weird relationships between them. Don't go the Hundred Million Stars Way show! I don't want love to redeem anyone!

Sweet Munchies - This could have been so much better if the ML was actually gay or if TW was the male lead. If anything good comes out of this show it will be for the SL actor and the possibility of having more gay characters openly interested in anyone if not being in the main romance. The way JS dealt with TW's confession was wrong, he is supposed to be a very empathic person, otherwise he couldn't come up with his comforting advices for others, and he didn't care much, when he finally confessed to be straight he showed shame but no remorse and a touch of sarcasm that he would never have used on a woman. His character is a mess, he acts only as plot device and even his father had to find out his lie on his own, very unrealistic.

Life Senjou no Bokura - What's with this idea of BLs with eps of 25 minutes? Who came up with this kind of craziness? They couldn't at least make it twice a week?

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My explanation for Gwi's deal is simply this: He made the deal so that Wol-joo has elected NOT to be re-incarnated but instead to continue helping people. So the Jade Emperor has simply declared the contract to no longer be in effect. In the law of contract's we would say that the contract was no longer enforceable due to the failure of consideration.

Logically this also means that our little family gets to remain intact- Kang-bae and Yeo-rin's children will get to know their grandparent's and so forth.

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Not sure what happened there- an editing feature would be nice: What I meant to say was that Gwi made the deal so that Wol-joo could be re-incarnated. But Wol-joo has elected NOT to be re-incarnated (even though she could have lived as the next IU) so that meant that Gwi would not really receive what he bargained for.

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Won-hyung, the villain in Mystic Pop Up Bar gained strength by devouring other evil souls. He said as much Ep. 7, when he consumed the Grim Reaper's assistant. Afterwards, he muttered that he still wasn't "strong enough." Strong enough to overcome his father? Gwi? *shrugs* Who knows.

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WH was the weakest part of the show and surprisingly he had a lot of potential but was given a silly storyline. He was good for nothing, went back to where he came from.

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What gave him that ability? How did he escape? He just could do these things.

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OH MY BABY. What can I say? There is a reason why Jang Na-ra is one of my favorite actresses: She always delivers. I loved her reaction to the proposal- it was so real.

ONCE AGAIN continues to be a good weekender. And now I am waiting for the inevitable explosion when Da-hee’s mom and her prospective mother-in-law find out about her and her guy.

MYSTIC POP UP BAR was great to the very end. Was there a tone-shift in the last episodes? Yes, there has to be because this is the climactic struggle of our main characters and the final resolution of their own situation. This drama definitely has a special place in my heart and sets a standard for great storytelling that I hope other dramas will try to match. I doubt that any will ever exceed it.

MY UNFAMILIAR FAMILY continues to mesmerize me. Just when you think you have a handle on this story the writers surprise you again. Fabulous writing combined with great acting. This is what we look for in a K-drama.

I had really been looking forward to SYMPHONY’S ROMANCE, the mainland Chinese re-make of NODAME CANTABILE, which was re-made in Korea as NAE-IL’S CANTABILE. The hand of the censors can be seen in that we will not be treated to a Franz Strezemann character but instead a watered down Chinese version of him (Franz was delightful in the Korean version- imagine someone speaking Korean while sounding like Arnold Schwarzenegger). Part of the genius in the earlier versions was that the soundtrack was almost entirely composed of classical music- in this Chinese version most of the background music has not been, at least so far. But there have also been some very nice scenes. At this point I am reserving judgment and will watch some more.

BACKSTREET ROKIE is light and fun. There is one annoying character: The male lead’s Rastafarian friend, who was carried over from the Manwha and probably could have been eliminated from the drama adaptation with no harm to the story- as far as I can see he was retained solely to remain faithful to that Manwha. Quirkycase is right that our FL could be seen as a stalker- but I am going to see her as someone who really knows who she wants and will cheer her on with her seduction. What should also be seen is that the ML’s present girlfriend used her company position to pursue her subordinate- and so we see workplace harassment issues here as well- said girlfriend is really just using him and is not serious about him at all. Is it over the top? Absolutely- and it is supposed to be because this is a manwha brought to life.

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@oldawyer I completely agree with you about Mystic Pop-Up Bar; it was an unexpected gem. The show and its characters will stay with me for a long while.

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Mystic Pop-Up Bar: Completed the show this week; just finished episode 6. I was pleasantly surprised at how the show was able to be so entertaining and funny but also manage to land some strong emotional beats through the “story of the week” format. As each character’s past is slowly revealed, I feel myself becoming more drawn in by the lively, yet mysterious atmosphere the show has created.

Hospital Playlist: Had a fantastic time watching episodes 7 through 12 this week! Some interesting and poignant developments occurred, in regards to both the main cast and the supporting characters. The depiction of gradually blossoming romance was delightful, but the strong display of friendship and camaraderie between the five professors was even more pleasant to watch. The incorporation of small, everyday stories depicting a variety of patients’ experiences at the hospital felt natural and added to the story. An easy and heart-warming show to watch; it may very well end up becoming one of my favorite dramas of the year.

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Whoops, typo alert! I just started Mystic Pop Up Bar this week haha

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Finished Mystic Pop-Up Bar. The show was quite solid throughout. The only complaint I have about it is the villain is one-dimensional. He just seems as plot device to make events happen. I don’t even understand his grudge in first life. His reason for rebellion was – his father did not paid attention to him?
I am behind this week’s episodes of Oh My Baby.
I am on verge of dropping You are my destiny . The show itself is okay but it is not different from its previous remakes. I am having remake fatigue about this show.

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I agree with remake fatigue for You Are My Destiny. I'm going to skip episodes 7-24 because I don't want to watch the FL crying and blaming herself all the time. Bring on the self confident badass FL!

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Ha! I thought I would be of this opinion about YAMD, but surprisingly I am enjoying it. And this version of the FL is not the same weepy one of others and shows her inner strength before the turn of events.

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Truth! I loved every grudge they resolved, but the final showdown could have been a bit more compelling. Great, great show, though!

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@stroopwafel I also am watching Twogether.

Have you seen Jasper Liu's drama Triad Princess? It's a good one- funny, cute and the heroine kicks butt! Literally.

However, on this show I found Lee Seung-gi a bit flat.

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I have watched TRIAD PRINCESS- my only complaint is that Netflix decided to make this show have two seasons.

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I know they do this so people keep coming back to Netflix but...can’t they just make good one season dramas so people keep coming back for the good one season dramas?

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Exactly my point.

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Totally can relate. I'm one of those who keeps checking for season 2😕

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I have not watched any Korean drama in past weeks. Well actually is it possible I have not watched any Korean drama since The Crash Landing on You ended? That cannot be true. But I keep reading recaps on Dramabeans so I have some recent Korean dramas I like despite not having watched them... Nevertheless, I am rewatching older British and U.S. classics like Eureka; Fringe; Primeval; Charmed; and Death in Paradise (it is not an older classic per se as it is an ongoing show but I have only series 1-6 and never watched its later series). Still, I hope I will miss Korean dramas soon enough and start watching again.

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Fringe—oh, how I loved that show!!! Check out Astrid Farnswoth's fandom page (scroll down a bit) for a list of all the names Walter called Astrid. I think "Asprin" is my favorite. 😆

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Thanks for the link! I remember 3 names and Astrid is one of them :-)

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I loved Fringe upto the last season. I just could not watch the last season though.
It's been years since I watched it maybe it's time for a rewatch 😁

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It used to be the same for me but surprisingly this time I enjoyed even the last season

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Just tried Back street Rookie and am equal parts disappointed and offended. Don't get the humour and the awful " Reggae Boy" whatever character is just racist .

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It's okay to not be okay: I love this show, it's so intense and has such a great opportunity to take the dark route. Gang-Tae stated in the second episode that there is no cure for Moo-Young's condition and I really hope they stick to that and leave her the awesome but slightly intimidating person she is. I do not like childhood connections per se but in this case it's a moot point since it's part of the narrative. I also believe there are a lot of details surrounding that scene the audience's not privy to yet and am looking forward to this.
The King: I didn't like the ending. It was all sugar, spice and everything super nice and deleted. If Young would have died it would somehow have made it better in terms of repercussions of playing with mystical objects. But on the whole, I liked episodes 11-15, but the whole show could have been so much better executed.
Hospital playlist, When the weather is nice, My fellow Citizens and Extraordinary you have taken a backseat due to Not okay, but the summer has only begun. I will follow up on @stroopwafel advice on Twogether, I love Seungi-gi and Jasper.❤️

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I never imagined I'd be watching two medical dramas... and yet... I completed:

HOSPITAL PLAYLIST: The show did a great job in leaving a few threads open to continue Season 2, but with enough closure that I'm not left hanging. I loved the friends. I loved the music. I respect them so much for learning how to play the instruments. I even watched their band concert and am now convinced that Jo Jung-suk played himself in the drama. If I ever go to Seoul I'll make it a point to take the subway to Wangsimi Station.

LIVE UP TO YOUR NAME: I'm going through a Kim Nam-gil Oppa phase ok? Um yes, acupuncture is the way to my heart. I liked how our OTP showed that modern and Joseon medicine can be complementary. The show did time-travel well, in that magical way that doesn't require complicated scientific *cough THE KING* theorising. I don't know how a handsome man who can also fall flat on his face and act like a silly goofball is so attractive, but Kim Nam-gil does it so well. And now I'm just fangirling again. I even dreamed I met him and yelled "OPPAAAA!" and he smiled back.
*closes the door on self while still reciting the oppa subway stations*

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They all play their instruments in the drama. Jo Jung Suk was the one who already had the most experience as musician. He played guitard in his other drama like The King 2 Hearts or Lee Soon Shin is the Best.

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I know! I loved JJS's voice in THE KING 2 HEARTS so I know he can sing. Yoo Yeon-seok learning how to play the drums (and sing at the same time) impressed me, and he seemed to genuinely enjoy it.

During the concert one of the viewers commented that Jung Kyung-ho should relax his wrist while playing the guitar. I don't think it was a fair comment because they are not professional musicians, but he took it well. JJS laughed it off: "Playing with a stiff wrist is Kyung-ho's thing".

Oh yes, we should also acknowledge the people behind the making of the band scenes. They filmed it knowing exactly how the music works and when each instrument should be highlighted. *slow clap*

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Jo Jung Suk and Yoo Yeon-seok are leading men in musicals. They both played the lead role in Hedwig before.
Jeon Mi-do is transitioning from theater and musical. I hope she'll do more dramas.

IIRC Jo Jung Suk wrote that song that he sang to Park Bo-young's character in "Ghostess."
He is Amazing <3.

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And his voice in What's up when he sang With You. The song was really beautiful.

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Yes :).

Can you imagine what his kid is going to be like with 2 musically gifted parents?
Big fan of the couple.

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@kiara he/she will have the best lullabies !

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The BTS for Live Up To Your Name was addictive. Kim Nam-gil took obvious pleasure from making Kim Ah-joong laugh. He's got amazing range, from dead-eyed serial killer to lovable dork. I know I probably say this every time but the "acupuncture kiss" is still one of the best on-screen kisses ever. One of the things that makes it so good is the extra time spent watching them after the actual kiss. It kills me how he bites his lip at the very end. Blushing just thinking about it.

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Sorry, forgot to close my italic tag. Didn't mean to stress the whole last bit.

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@tsutsuloo I read the recaps after every episode. The comments section was fun. One day all comments were about Heo Im's beard. Another time they were all about the acupuncture kiss. XD

I will go and watch the BTS, thank you! He didn't only make her smile... I kept grinning like a fool, especially when he did the chipmunk laugh.

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One more link—a compilation of KimKim's cute BTS moments. *bites pillow* They're so freaking cute.

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I feel like I’m behind on all my viewing (I had visitors this week) but it might also be because I added three new shows into the mix 😅

It’s Ok To Not Be Ok - I wasn’t going to watch this, it didn’t sound interesting from the synopsis...but then the beanie wall was spammed and it looked beautiful so I did, and I think I’m sold. I don’t mind a childhood connection when the show is upfront about it (eg Weightlifting Fairy), it’s when it’s the surprise twist in the second half that I want to throw things (eg Her Private Life)

Twogether - I’ve been hanging out for this to start because it’s LSG 😄 it’s a nice, fun watch. I enjoy the language barrier thing, and also the (pre Covid) travel.

Reply 1994 - I’ve only seen 97 (which was ok) but I have heard a lot about the shipping wars on this so I thought I’d try it (I have managed to avoid spoilers). So far I like this better than 97 although the start was sloooow. Am up to episode 8 and only in the last episode its started feeling there might be more than one guy in contention.

Mystic Pop Uo Bar -it’s over! I enjoyed it so much. I’m glad it ended the way it did, I was worried they’d go for bittersweet. Kang bae is going to have to explain to Yeo rib that he’s not in the CUA though.

Oh My Baby - I’m behind! And I’m a bit nervous that it’s going to be a hard watch based on what I’ve heard.

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I could only watch one thing this week.
Mystic Pop-Up Bar: Eps 9-10: These episodes made me cry. Only 2 eps left and I wish we could have more. The reveals in this drama were predictable and yet didn't take away from the story. I always as say that for me characters are more important than plot. And this drama had done it so well.

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i had the exact same feelings! Enjoy the last two episodes, because they're worth it.

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I'm surprised none of the staff mentioned 'Oh My Baby' which is giving us some of Jang Nara's most subtle and nuanced acting to date. It seems every scene where one might expect K-drama-style histrionics Ms. Jang instead gives us subtle microexpressions.

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Just finished Mystic Bar, it was a nice little fantasy drama. It gave me some vibes of Goblin (the main character doesn’t know that the most important people are next to her) but was an interesting, touching story on its own.
I will certainly continue watching It’s Ok to Not Be Ok because I finally figured out ( I’m slow, hehe) which genre it belongs to: the combination of romantic farce (like Russian director’’s Sergei Solovyov (1987) Assa), Fellini’s surrealism, and Korean ghost stories. I get the “lunatics are running the asylum” allegory, we have plenty of that in America and everywhere else now.
I suggest to watch my all time favorite, Soviet times movie Assa (1987) if you can find it with subs. It’s OK drama reminds me of it a lot.
https://www.rbth.com/arts/movies/2016/04/11/assa-the-story-behind-the-film-that-brought-down-the-soviet-union_583733

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Here’s the link to movie Assa (1987) with English subs, if some wants to watch.
https://youtu.be/VOeDP6eUgD0

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i started watching romance of tiger and rose becuz of some other beanies recommendations and i'm so glad i did 😂 this guy is so whipped for her, the way he looks at her, all those swoonworthy scenes. my heart cant take it LOL

but besides that, the story is so funny!! and i love the reverse gender story!!!

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So glad you did! The funniest thing is his love started in his head, by his own confidence and delusion lol I miss them so much!!

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What I'm watching (or re-watching)

Mystic Pop-Up Bar: Finished this gem of a drama, loved every inch of it. It lagged a bit in the last two episodes, but for the most part was pure fun in a VERY well developed mystical world (important, for me)

Defendent: Jisung, why do you have so many different ways to cry? And why do I love watching them all?? I think this is one of the few dramas where we truly watch our hero let go of his sanity, his ability to be himself for brief moments throughout the show, and Ji-sung does a phenomenal job portraying the deep grief, anger and resolve our main prosecutor hero has.

It's Ok not to be Ok: ... ... this show is gorgeous. And incredibly well acted. And has a captivating storyline, well developed, too. But however deep a look we're taking at mental illness, I'm actually a bit concerned they're making some of the things our heroine has done actually ok... which they aren't, not at all. And while it's good to understand her and her disorder and what she's going through, I do hope the show comes around to showing us that while some of the things she stands for are good (like facing your trauma, growing from your pain, etc.) that some of her tactics (threatening violence, kidnapping, real intention to do at least one of those things) are never actually ok.

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I didn't know I loved watching Ji Sung cry so much until Defendant. I really liked that drama and especially Ji Sung's performance.

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I need to revisit, Defendant, I loved it the first time around. I think it is Ji Sung's best effort.

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I loved DEFENDANT (5 stars!). One of my favorites of 2017.

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It's okay not be okay: While not wanting to sound redundant, I just have to say that I love this! Premiere week was just WOW! The characters are well written and interesting. Am just excited abt how it will unfold, though I know it will heartbreaking at some point.

King eternal monarch: finally watched episode 16 and... ok, I guess. The whole drama was just bizarre to me. I don't understand the intent, and that's frustrating. I decided to just leave it as is instead of trying to understand. Things just did not add up until the end, and the "romance" btw the lead did not help in trying to balance or make up for the big gaps in the storyline.

Dinner mate: Awww those two are so so so cute! I can't say that enough, the exes are just not necessary and interesting as a conflict to this story. The writer should have thought of somethg else. At this point, I am just watching for the two main leads!

Unfamiliar family: I have a hard time understanding Eun Joo and her character frustrates me a bit. I feel bad for Dad, and I knew Mom must had wronged him too! It was hard to believe that such a sweet 22-yr old Hang Shik could have just all of sudden changed for no reason. Very sure he doesn't have a second family either.

Kingmaker: you were right @pakalanapikake I gave the second episode a try and I enjoy it! I still have a hard time recognizing the characters so makes it a bit hard to follow the politics but that'a typical of sageuks in the beginning. I will continue to watch this. I just love sageuks in general.

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@lexyk,

I'm so glad that you're enjoying KING MAKER: THE CHANGE OF DESTINY. As for keeping track of characters, I open up a tab with AsianWiki for their mugshots, which are grouped by affiliation, except for the Additional Cast -- which often strikes me as arbitrary. Alas, their dramatis personae for this show is rather skimpy, but covers the bases on the most significant characters. What trips me up with the royals and yangban are their multiplicity of names and titles. Birth names, princely and kingly names, pen names, professional titles... plus official appointees can be addressed by their rank (e.g., "junior second rank"), although I don't know if that's being done in this show.

This is a nice, solid production. I love the music.

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YOU ARE MY DESTINY-I thought I was crazy to give this story another chance since the original Taiwanese version had me wanting to pull my hair out by the end, but I was in the mood for angst with the male lead needing to prove he deserves our girl. So far I am impressed. The actress who plays Jaixin has created a version with an inner strength within her "sticky note girl" nature. The actor who plays Xiyi has been excellent at showing the conflict of a good man (still with room to grow, of course) being in a very hard place while falling in love with his "fake" wife. They have wonderful, comfortable chemistry together. But my favorite character has got to be the grandma--everyone needs someone like her in your corner. Thankfully, the drama has updated the silliest, most unbelievable parts and (so far) every character (even Anna) is sympathetic.
The breaking point is if Xiyi proves that he deserves Jaixin--this is where the original failed in my eyes--after his choices that lead to heartbreak. I haven't gotten here yet, so the jury is still in deliberation.
As of now, however, I would definitely recommend this remake.
MYSTIC POP-UP BAR--this drama is hand-crafted to my drama needs right now. I could not ask for anything better. And the best part has been enjoying it with other Beanies here. Thank you, everyone!
KING OF MASKED SINGER--this has become my family's way to relax.

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It’s ok not to be ok - isn’t the female lead borderline stalking/sexually harassing the male lead? She has not endeared herself to me. But I will continue with it.
Backstreet Rookie - after 2 episodes, this is a Drop.
Sweet Munchies - this is problematic but I will stick it out.
Dinner Mate - Love!
My Mister - I’m at episode 5. Why has it taken me so long?? This drama is a Gem!

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Shoutout to its ok not to be ok. You are current crack. It’s always nice to find a drama that gets you from episode 1!
Absolutely love the female lead, she’s so crazy but ironically probably the most normal between the others. I don’t know much about the actress before, but she’s good here. Reminds me of JJh ESP the raspy voice and I love her interpretation of the character. Kudos.
Kim Soo Hyun is so smexy hot, I love how he is always different in his dramas. And he definitely knows how to pick them! The chemistry is off the books!

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I might be crazy, but I think that So Yea Ji and Soo Ae look a lot alike.

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Managed to (slowly) finish Love O2O, and overall, I didn't much like it. The two leads were not that interesting, the FL was distractingly anorexic, the ML was perfect and she liked him for no reason that I could discern. But, the secondary leads at least could act, and that hint of more than just bromance wasn't misleading, according to the novel, lol. At least there was that.

So then I tried to start on Go Go Squid and I just couldn't (despite Hu Yi Tian being there all quiet to entice me), so I put it away after ep. 1. Also tried The Eternal Love (not "Eternal Love") and that double-role actress is SO annoying in her "modern" persona that I also just... can't right now.

In the end, I randomly (well, there's Wang Yibo there, so maybe not so randomly) started Gank Your Heart (had to google what "gank" means, lol, I'm not a gamer). After a few slow episodes and some really confusing language, it started to grow on me. I think it might end up being a decent show. And it reinforces my impression that WY can actually, really-really, act, even when he has more lines to say and is allowed to smile.

Backstreet Rookie is on the back burner for now, and haven't started IONTBO yet, might not for a while. It's became too hot to think around here, and my insomnia came back, which is not optimal for drama-watching moods.

In sadder news, the fact that Woo Do Hwan has to enlist on July 6th is really depressing, I was hoping for at least one more drama from him before he left for two years. It's interesting he's going to enlist as an active duty soldier, whereas Park Bo Gum (going on August 31st) will be a cultural representative in the army, of a sort. Can they choose what they get to do while in the army, or is it assigned / negotiated with their agents?

Waiting for The Good Detective and Flower of Evil to start, they're my hopes for actual on-time kdrama watching this summer. And if the stars align, maybe The Wolf and Oath of Love get to air sometime this year. Keeping fingers crossed.

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Mystic Pop Up Bar despite liking the drama it felt like a filler drama over all. The costumes were pretty and the CGI was excellent (coughArthdalcough) but somehow I never connected to the characters or cared about the mystery which wasn't even mysterious. The villains felt like a last minute plot device and nothing felt urgent. Overall a feel good drama without any substance but plenty of cute if that's what you're looking for.

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It's Okay to Not Be Okay - What an a great drama with an intriguing plot. I instantly fot hooked from the very opening of this drama. It is not less than a magical fairytale drama. The metaphorical direction and writing adds up so well.
I love Ko Moon yeong. She is such a badass character. She must have been so broken inside due to some childhood events, so that must have made her to be so anti-social. I love how fearless she is. Seo Ye Ji not only has a unique voice, she uses her voice so well. Her voice have so much expressions ranging from soft to cold.

Moon Kangtae needs a hug too. Boy has been working all of his life for his autistic brother. He is tired and wants to have some peace and fun. Ko Moonyeong is the best person who could help him.

I love their chemistry. When i first saw the pics, i didnt realise they would have such a sizzling chemistry. I was so wrong. The scenes between them is so good. A good script, direction and acting all combined bring such chemistry between the leads.

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I'm almost at the end of watching, Love Affairs in the Afternoon, for the second time. I could watch it over and over on an endless loop. It hits home with me in so many ways, and I love the OST. Here's wishing everyone in the world happiness when their hard times are over.

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@kdnomore Kwan,
I thoroughly enjoyed live-watching LOVE AFFAIRS IN THE AFTERNOON. The music floated my boat, too. ;-)

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I really cried yesterday at the end of the last episode. This drama is so touching for me, even though this is the second time I've watched it. A lot of people commented on their aversion to dramas about adultery, but I think that the circumstances have to be taken into account. I can't fault people starved of warmth and love from soaking those two things up when they find them.

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@kdnomore Kwan,

I agree that there is often more than meets the eye when it comes to human relationships. Even so, it would have been better to divorce before getting involved with a third party because of the moral and legal ramifications. On the other hand, certain spouses would never have agreed to it anyway.

I was appalled by how some of the characters behaved, in particular Lee Sang-yeob's horribly hypocritical and sickly possessive wife. BTW, I think this was one if his best performances. I liked the ending, and know that Teacher and Saranghae's Mom will end up with each other.

LOVE AFFAIRS IN THE AFTERNOON was not recapped. I really needed recaps to fully grasp what was going on at times. Even so, it was a thought-provoking drama that was well written, with solid acting by an excellent cast.

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However, as you say if a non-loving spouse won't agree to a divorce like the husband and wife in this drama, a fleeting bit of joy can pass a person by.
The affairs that Soo A was having, or Je Hyuk had in, World of the Married, were immoral--they were just one-night-stands to satisfy lust. I feel there are different types of affairs with different degrees of immorality--some not being immoral at all.

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Late comment but yes IA! What a marvelous show. If V.I.P and World of the Married ran, its because Love Affairs in the Afternoon walked. The two main leads had such a beautiful relationship with each other. When will LSY ever get such a great role like this again?

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