I think it will be nice if casting directors let potential viewers know well in advance that an actor's appearance in a drama is a special cameo appearance. The bait and switch doesn't sit well and I personally feel slighted. After waiting 5½ episodes for Lee Chung-ah to appear only for her arc to most likely end 2 episodes later and most possibly as a backstory. If You Look Upon Me announced Park Jin-joo as a special cameo right from her casting announcement so I went in knowing when her character will end. It's one thing to introduce an actor as a cameo appearance in the premiere episode, it's another thing to announce an actors casting alongside the other main casts long before the premiere episode aired.

I know I'll keep on watching. However, it was Lee Chung-ah being casted that motivated me to watch One Dollar Lawyer, and then the fact that I so much enjoyed the premiere episode recap. No offense to the rest of the wonderful cast I got to see in the drama whom I like already from their previous projects. But I still feel shortchanged.
I know it was the perfect time to introduce her character and yes, the impact sunk deep. Just... give a warning beforehand next time.

That aside, Birthcare Center is one of those dramas which even though you know what you're expecting thanks to the recaps, it still feels new and fresh. I sort of had felt the same after finally watching Go Back Couple, My Unfamiliar Family and BTLIMF a year or two after reading the recaps.

Every good song needs a “hook” like a catchy chorus or riff t catch the public’s attention. Likewise, k-dramas often use a unique premise or star power to promote a show. TvN/Netflix November series BEHIND EVERY STAR (formerly known as CALL MY AGENT) is ramping up promotion not by focusing in on the leads, but on the list of guest stars playing themselves: Jo Yeo Jeong, Jin Seon Kyu, Lee Hee Joon, Kim Soo Mi, Seo Hyo Rim and Kim Su Hyun. I did not watch the original French comedy, but this adaptation is being helmed by Baek Seung-ryong of Pegasus Market fame so he does know how to do comedy, as well as the “hook” of guest actors playing “themselves.” It is on my watch list.

The announcement of December 10th as the start date of ALCHEMY OF SOULS 2 really did not peak my interest. One, it is a long way away. Two, there is a vague recollection of all the tangled story lines to the point I will have to re-read the recaps to get back up to speed. Third, I don’t see a surge of viewer anticipation for the second part. This may be one of those shows where you get through 2/3 of it and feel obligated to stay around to the end.

Stable weather - Little boy getting some momentum.

I remember when called that why people not taking doses in 2021
and here i'm who hasn't taken any at all.

I always called sis - why buy new phone each year and this year alone i'm the one bought 2 new laptops and then gave them away and now looking for the 3rd one.

Things really cost you much if you are too much into antics. costly affairs.

had no bed for a year - so thinking about buying a new one.

The only thing left for me to do is spending few days or even weeks without any home.

Almost the low experiences are done - time for some high level experiences -
milk bath - surely one, chocolate bath - for sure.
exotic organic food - yeah.
glacier mineral water - oh yeah

Just pause to consider for a moment the contrast between Queen Elizabeth's long reign and blink-and-you'll-miss-her P.M. Liz Truss.

I'm reading this webtoon called "Maybe Meant to Be" and I think it's ready for a drama adaptation. I can even imagine the leads: Nana and Choi Jin Hyuk!

The main characters are hilarious, and instead of annoying second leads we have a secondary couple!

They also used three of our favorite tropes:
Cohabitation
Contractual relationship
Friends to lovers

I want this to happen so bad.
No one will be able to get this idea out of my head. I'm screwed. 🥺

Anyway, have a nice day/night beanies. 😊 Hope you had a great week!

I have a new kdrama category...

Best offscreen ToD goes to May I Help You.

I'm posting a link to an episode of John Oliver's Last Week Tonight. He hosts a show that makes political/social commentary on HBO. This episode came out a few months ago and I kept meaning to post a link on Dramabeans. It is all about the Subway Franchise business and in particular the product placement. There is a great segment about Subway product place in Korean dramas. Had me laughing and thought viewers might like it here (if you haven't already seen/known about it). Beware, it is made for adults with some cursing and adult themed jokes. If the link doesn't work, you can find it on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDdYFhzVCDM

I recently saw that One Dollar Lawyer is doing really well ratings wise and it made me chuckle because going by the reaction on here, one would not think it was as great as others seem to think haha
Kinda reminds me of the reaction to Big Mouth.

I will admit, there have been a couple of times when I nodded off during One Dollar Lawyer but then I still end up watching the whole episode later. Those opening credits always get me haha

I have several homesteading channels on YouTube that I follow. Two years ago I came across a channel called Diary from the Japanese Countryside - a young couple bought an old traditional farm house and property and began renovating it. The renovations are still ongoing because they're doing pretty much everything themselves. I love watching their progress and the videos are very well done.

Recently I found one called Korean Countryside Life. This one is mostly gardening and such.

Hoping Liziqi will be able to come back at some point.

I have rewatched Train recently.

Watched Adamas.

Started (and dropped) Duel.

And have now started Your Honour!

This is starting to mess with my mind! 😂😂

After The Red Sleeve and My Liberation Notes, nothing can get my attention. I tried. It is not like there isnt a new (or old) drama to watch.

Golden Spoon, started nice but then went down to the same cliches over and over again. It take itself too serious for what it is.
Then there was the One dollar lawyer, pass. Under the Queens Umbrella, pass. Cheer up, pass. Love in contract, pass. Not even The Law Cafe managed to catch my attention.

If a drama can hold my attention for more than 15 minutes, I will watch the whole thing (exception for Why Her, that I stopped and dont plan to come back). But if I watch 10 minutes, pause, then another 10 minutes another day, it is not worth my time.

Happy weekend Beanies and keep Beaning On!

Our garden is a mess of tiles, grass and mud as a team of gardeners started taking everything apart this week. Construction should take a few weeks and then we are letting it all rest until spring arrives again with a brand-new garden at our disposal!🏡The anticipation is needed to hang in there right now, because waking up at dawn whenever they start drilling is not something that brings excitement. At least the weekends are filled with fun activities worth getting out of bed for. The question is whether the alarm will be able to do its job!😴

My unofficial compilation of
UPCOMING SAGEUK and HISTORICAL DRAMAS:

1. MBC’s THE FORBIDDEN MARRIAGE (Kim Young-dae, Park Ju-hyun) 12 eps. F/S (Dec. 9– ).
2. tvN’s ALCHEMY OF SOULS: LIGHT AND SHADOW (Lee Jae-wook, Go Yoon-jung) 10 eps. S/S (Dec. 10–Jan. 8, 2023).
3. SBS’s FLOWER SCHOLARS’ LOVE STORY (Shin Ye-eun, Ryeoun) 16 eps. F/S (Jan. 13-Mar. 4, 2023).
4. Netflix’s SONG OF THE BANDITS (Kim Nam-gil, Seohyun) (2023?).
5. tvN’s POONG, THE JOSEON PSYCHIATRIST: SEASON 2 (Kim Min-jae, Kim Hyang-gi) (Jan. 2023?).
6.tvN’s ARTHDAL CHRONICLES: SEASON 2. (Lee Joon-gi, Shin Se-kyung) (2023?).
7. MBC’s JOSEON LAWYER (Woo Do-hwan, Bona) (2023?).
8. MBC’s LOVERS (Namgoong Min, Ahn Eun-jin) (2023?).
9. Netflix’s K PROJECT (Park Seo-joon, Han So-hee) 16 eps. (2023?)
10. HAESI’S SHINRU (Kim Seon-ho) (2023?)

I have been lax recently keeping track of upcoming sageuks and historical dramas so please feel free to amend, correct or add to the above. All episode counts and dates come from MyDramaList.

It’s Friday and I was just beginning 20th Century Girl when I had to stop. Will resume watching tomorrow.

The series 'Love In Contract' really does feel like the original story was of a high-end call girl who wants to retire, but the story's been 'cleaned up' to be innocent for Korean broadcast TV. If Japanese TV had picked up this story I doubt the heroine would have a career of engaging in chaste fake marriages.

Who else is watching “Under The Queen’s Umbrella”? Episodes 3&4 this week, I’m two thirds of the way into episode 3 and there are a lot of dirty players. Evil some them! And the Head of Evilness has to be the Queen Dowager - a hatchet faced old biddy with an axe to grind.
…She would happily throw her grandsons (the legitimate ones) under a bus.
The costumes are lavish, the hair pieces things of beauty all woven into malice, mayhem and murder. Palace intrigue on several levels. Our Queen should have seen to it that all evidence of her lad’s feminine side was removed and destroyed for all their sakes, not just his. Apart from the plump court lady, Our Queen has no true friends or confidante.