What a heartwarming, funny, adorable finale for a heartwarming, funny, adorable series. You know what I love about this show? It’s just simple, steadfast, and best of all, it’s earnest. No fancy tricks, not even many surprises. But I walk away from it feeling like every character was worth meeting, and that love – real, everyday kind of love – is worth the risk.

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Read the rest of Can’t Lose: Episode 18 (Final) (2,371 words)

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Post tags: Can't Lose, Choi Ji-woo, Eom Ki-joon, featured, Ha Suk-jin, Kim Jung-tae, Yoon Sang-hyun

As we head into the finale, ends are tied, realizations are come upon, and decisions made. It’s funny to think of how many times this couple has circled around each other, almost reuniting but the pulled back by some badly timed reminder that they’re just not ready for it yet. Normally these forces keeping a couple apart are just narrative devices pacing us for the eventual realization of love, but in this drama they’re relevant to these characters’ development, proving why they’re just not there yet. It may be a bit roundabout, but it gives me more faith that once they finally get it right again, it’ll really stick.

SONG OF THE DAY

Can’t Lose OST – “돌아와줘요” (Please Come Back) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Can’t Lose: Episode 17 (3,488 words)

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Post tags: Can't Lose, Choi Ji-woo, Eom Ki-joon, featured, Ha Suk-jin, Kim Jung-tae, Yoon Sang-hyun

What’s better than romance? Why, bromance of course. In the best episode yet, we get the height of both funny and sad, all in one go. The rivalry heats up, an unexpected friendship emerges, and it comes time for Eun-jae to face some harsh consequences for the choices she’s made. There’s only one word for this episode: DAEBAK.

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Read the rest of Can’t Lose: Episode 16 (3,608 words)

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Post tags: Can't Lose, Choi Ji-woo, Eom Ki-joon, featured, Ha Suk-jin, Kim Jung-tae, Yoon Sang-hyun

The love triangle is set and the men’s jealousies start to assert themselves, although it’s kind of a lopsided fight, with Hot (Hyung-woo) facing off versus Cold (Seok-hoon). Maybe this is where the we should be welcoming the extension, since it’ll give us more time to delve into Eom Ki-joon’s character instead of trotting him out as a token late-game obstacle. And I’m all for delving into Eom Ki-joon.

SONG OF THE DAY

Standing Egg – “Little Star” [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Can’t Lose: Episode 15 (2,785 words)

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Post tags: Can't Lose, Choi Ji-woo, Eom Ki-joon, featured, Ha Suk-jin, Kim Jung-tae, Yoon Sang-hyun

Eom. Ki. Joon. Need I say more? I dunno what happens in this episode, because Eom Ki-joon stops by, and I lose all sense of reason. What? What’s that you say? Eom Ki-joon isn’t the star of this drama? It’s just a cameo? Lalalalala. I can’t hear you!

 
EPISODE 14 RECAP

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Read the rest of Can’t Lose: Episode 14 (3,008 words)

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Post tags: Can't Lose, Choi Ji-woo, Eom Ki-joon, featured, Ha Suk-jin, Kim Jung-tae, Yoon Sang-hyun

Aw, what a cute episode. With our couple now able to admit to themselves how they really feel, we’re one step closer to them admitting it to each other. It’s pretty adorable watching them act like teenagers with a crush, using a third party as an excuse to keep talking to each other — they’re just one step up from shuttling messages back and forth with boxes and checkmarks indicating DO YOU LIKE ME? YES OR NO — which makes for some cute moments, as well as more pointed comments about how this divorced couple sure isn’t acting divorced.

SONG OF THE DAY

Milk Tea – “Couple Ring” [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Can’t Lose: Episode 13 (2,818 words)

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Post tags: Can't Lose, Choi Ji-woo, featured, Ha Suk-jin, Kim Jung-tae, Yoon Sang-hyun

So the dust has settled on the behind-the-scenes battle and it looks like the production team and the actors have met halfway on the extension deal. MBC drama Can’t Lose originally announced a four-episode extension, only to have it refuted by lead actors Yoon Sang-hyun and Choi Ji-woo, who only signed on for sixteen. Citing exhaustion (which is sadly the norm in kdramaland), they argued against the extension.

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Read the rest of Can’t Lose bargains its way to extension (238 words)

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Post tags: Can't Lose, Choi Ji-woo, Yoon Sang-hyun

This show finally made me cry, but not in an angstfest, like a normal drama’s twelfth episode might. I appreciate that about this show – it takes its time with characters and moments, until you feel with them. I like that the emotional pull isn’t about some crazy plot machination, but about the bond between people – teacher and student, husband and wife, mother and child, friends, and brothers.

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Read the rest of Can’t Lose: Episode 12 (2,785 words)

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Post tags: Can't Lose, Choi Ji-woo, featured, Ha Suk-jin, Kim Jung-tae, Yoon Sang-hyun

I actually think that this drama would probably manage a possible extension as well as a drama could manage an extension at this stage in the game, because this isn’t a show where the episodes follow a careful, tightly mapped out plot. It’s always been about the characters falling into conflict and misunderstanding, and working their way free of those issues (or not, as the case may be) in a slice-of-life way, so with an extension we’d just get more of that.

That said, I don’t want an extension. This is a cute, sweet drama, but I don’t want to lose that for the sake of four more unnecessary episodes. It’s too bad that the last-minute extension seems to be becoming the broadcasters’ method of choice in giving follow-up dramas extra time to prepare, because it’s the easiest option. But it’s like intentionally killing the bird in the hand just for a chance to get at the one in the bush, which may or may not end up dying anyway. I got that metaphor right, didn’t I?

SONG OF THE DAY

Acoustic Collabo – “사진” (Photo) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Can’t Lose: Episode 11 (2,995 words)

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Post tags: Can't Lose, Choi Ji-woo, featured, Ha Suk-jin, Kim Jung-tae, Yoon Sang-hyun

Apparently this show has taken the warring off the screen and into real life. MBC announced its decision to extend Wednesday-Thursday drama Can’t Lose starring Choi Ji-woo and Yoon Sang-hyun for another two weeks, which was surprising because it’s been pulling single-digit ratings for most of its run, up against current ratings king The Princess’s Man. It’s not a flashy show, but it has loads of adorable chemistry and heart, and a fantastic stable of side characters played by some of my favorite supporting actors.

But THEN, stars Choi Ji-woo and Yoon Sang-hyun announced that they had never given the okay to the production team, and are now taking a stance against the extension. Well I don’t see how you’re going to squeeze four more episodes from a show without your leads onboard, so what’s with the drama, Drama?

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Read the rest of Can’t Lose can’t agree on extension (223 words)

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Post tags: Can't Lose, Choi Ji-woo, Yoon Sang-hyun