Beautiful Love, Wonderful Life: No matter what the show throws at me, I can't feel empathy for the eldest sister. Her mother-in-law is horrible and has no right to treat people like she does, but the eldest sister doesn't show real sadness for her husband in coma state. He cheated on her, yes, but their married life wasn't a happy one. I simply think every one of them is awful in their own way.

Catch The Ghost: Sometimes I think dramas really want to impress with their premiere and they go overboard. The over-the-top scenes, especially with the pink scooter, went for too long and Moon Geun Young's character is too reckless and doesn't think enough before taking action, even if she's a rookie. The Subway mystery and her sister's disappearance (well, death) could be interesting. The subway association she talks about could help resolving this mystery. Previous inspectors even started questioning themselves. For now, I like Kim Sun Ho's character the best. He's grumpy but his heart is at the right place. Wearing his father's clothes for his mom was sweet. I actually pity him for having such a tiring partner and going through his misadventures after the Grasshopper case. I wonder if the Grasshopper knows the Subway Ghost.

Extraordinary You: Is Ju Da becoming aware or has she been for a long time? I don't think her smirk means she's evil because someone could think "Take that!" in this kind of situation without having bad intentions. Seeing how disappointing she was when Do Hwa ignored her, I think she likes him more than Nam Joo (as a friend or more). Haru's disappearance and "lost memory" felt a bit too convenient at this point of the story. Kind of like stopping Dan Oh's and other characters progression in changing their fate. We get to see more of Kyung in the shadow and his doubts about his life until now are great! How much of it is true? He was also weirdly nice on stage, if I was a reader I would think he's up to something.

GTO (1998): I found out about Jdramas (and overall dramas) thanks to the anime and manga GTO. I loved Eikichi Onizuka so much that I was anxious a real life version of him so I watched Gokusen instead. I'm mentally prepared now and watched four episodes in 380p (good quality for that time lol). Verdict: I like it a lot. I fell for Onizuka all over again and the readjustments to make the story more appropriate on screen are great! Some camera work isn't obviously that great, especially for some close-up and fight scenes, but it doesn't stop me from enjoying the story. The cast is doing good and I don't feel like it's a manga adaptation. Onizuka is awesome 😍 I didn't know a 16-year-old Oguri Shun was in too. It's weird to see him that young haha

Leverage: The team is working this time to get the hacker's money back. It's ironic to see a swindler being swindled lol Tae Soo has a hard time after his son's death and I like how we still see the grieving process. The women seem to have a blast playing their characters. The crazy actress could be my favourite one and her acting lessons paid off. Did they add a puppy to make Kim Kwon's character adorable? Because it may work on me. The antagonist around the end of episode 4 made me laugh since he reminded me so much of a cartoon villain with his altered voice and invisible face lol I would have liked a less cartoonish villain tbh.

My Country: on ep 7. I'm only waiting for Nam Jeon finally die. If the king finds out he planned to kill him, he sure will be murdered. Sun Ho can use that to his advantage I think. If someone else tells the king, he could end up dead (which won't happen yet).

Ore no Hanashi wa Nagai (If Talking Paid): I thought the daughter was bullied in school so I'm relieved it was "only" a heartbreak. Mitsuru and her have my favourite relationship so far. He's a an uncle she can confidently open up to. Her mother really can't understand her. Speaking of her, I think the morning coffee ritual Mitsuru and her mother had isn't a problem. I see it as a way for them to bond, not an activity that prevents Mitsuru from getting a job.

Secret Boutique: I can't understand what Jung Hyuk truly wants. It seems like he has his own agenda but I can't figure out what it is. Or I'm just thinking too much. I liked how Hyun Ji kind of made both Sun Woo and Jenny spend a relaxing time together. Those smiles should appear more on screen (you hear me Sun Woo?). Ye Nam met her father and it could be interesting to see her go against her mother. She isn't that good at playing mind games but maybe joining hands with Jenny could be a great teamwork. Or she will be stubborn and act like she's a legitimate child.

Tale of Nokdu: Now that we know Yool Mu's real identity, I hope he won't just be a one dimensional bloodthirsty prince. It seems like he genuinely likes Dong Joo but jealousy could make him harm her. His rival for the throne is his love rival too, so that will make things worse. I think Nok Du is the king's son but I can't understand why he would kill him. Is the king so scared of losing his throne that he wants to make sure nobody - of legit right - takes his place before he decides himself? Unless we get revealed that the older brother is actually the king's son, I don't see how Nok Du and Dong Joo can have a happy ending. I don't know if it's because the actor playing the older brother often had character dying or with a tragic life, but I think he could get killed.

JAPAN

IF TALKING PAID - 8.5 out of 10. This show has won my heart. Uncle-Niece pair. Bro-sis pair. Mother-son vs. Mother-daughter act. Brother-in-Laws pair. Simple yet awesome. Highly satisfied so far.

Motokare Mania 7/10- Its cliche but then its not. Concept of the show is good but execution tells you its merely a fiction. @atz
I'm enjoying this. Actress

Nippon - 4/10 This overly dramatic humour show is a good disappointment. Still Kaku Kento is trying.
Junichi 4/10 - same old story. a guy multiple women and some overt changes in their life. meh . dropped

Edgy Daughter Holy Mother 7/10 - Boring a bit slow but still easy to watch edgy teen. Mom-Daughter fight starts.

Scams 7/10 - 9 episodes . 22min episodes. Highly entertaining. Add to watch. Real life scams turned into fiction.

Kingdom - 7/10 - - Great manga - Superhit disappointing movie. Kento really needs to attend acting school or atleast any theatre ready to accept him. Yoshizawa Ryo did well. Story is rushed and lacks depth. Story looks at part quite disjoint. Actions scenes are good but look more effort from director than actual action taking place.

Masami Nagasawa look - beautiful and cool but has not much screentime and is there to prop up both heros. Even Masami's action scenes are shoot nd cut from angle where no viewer can feel satisfied.

We finally finished King's Avatar this week and we both (my son and me) enjoyed it a lot till the very end (the last episodes were quite thrilling!). True, there were some overdramatic parts here and there that we were not keen on... but the characters and the general spirit of camaraderie and team work completely won us over. Plus the humour 😁 ... we laughed a lot. There was also a nice balance between respect and making fun of each other among the pro-players. And yes, there was no romance... but... as a seasoned kdrama watcher I found my ships anyway and secretly supported them 😊.

I also tried to finish Let Me Hear Your Song... but... I...just...could..not. What a pity of characters (and actors) who started with a spark (and music!)... and then fizzled out into a boring fest...

Nokdu - who would say that the best love triangle will be between Nokdu, Yul Moo and... Aeng Du 😂😂 She is sooo swoony over "her" Joseon Chef 😁😁
(But then ep 6 continued and ended... and I'm not sure I like what happened... and what was revealed...).

Extraordinary is still my extraordinary crack... so good and so unpredictable... and completely sucking me in. Also... I found the BTSs 😍😍😍

So I recently finished My Ahjussi...

I was extremely skeptical that I would enjoy the show. I knew that it was a critically acclaimed show and received lots of love here on Dramabeans and Reddit but that doesn't mean that I would love it. I dropped Misaeng after 2 episodes because it was so boring, despite many others loving it. Nearly every kdrama I have watched has romance in it, with many of those being comedy too. The dark and depressing tone of My Ahjussi just didn't appeal to me and the premise of a 21 year old girl bonding with a 40 year old man over their problems seemed boring and stupid.

I eventually caved it to all the comments telling me to watch it. Besides, I'm a massive IU fan and loved her in Hotel Del Luna so I thought it would be good to see more of her in a show.

So I started ep 1 and the contrast between this and Hotel Del Luna was so jarring it was almost hard to watch. From beautiful, dazzling, funny and cute IU to poor peasant, sullen and never smiling IU, it was literally worlds apart. But I was intrigued nevertheless, so I decided to keep watching.

Soon one ep became two and before long I was binge watching this show like crazy. I was waiting for show to drop off and lose its quality but it never did, in fact it got better as the story progressed.

I'm so glad to have been so immensely wrong about this show. It is an absolute masterpiece. I take back everything I said before and eat humble pie 😂😂

The acting was superb by everyone. If I hadn't just seen Hotel Del Luna, I would have been even more surprised by IU's performance because it is significantly better than all her previous performances. A genius casting choice by director Kim Won-seok.

A good thing to note about the acting is that sometimes less is more. Lee Sun Kyun was told to not be very expressive with Dong Hoon, which he found to be frustrating but it worked out so well in the end. IU's blank canvas face perfectly conveyed Ji-an's apathy and indifference towards life and others.

This show is full of symbolism and meaning, in fact it's so easy to miss it. I could rewatch the entire show again and would pick up things I didn't notice on my first watch. Thanks to the fansite givemeslippers for shedding light on the symbolism and meaning of important scenes.

Another thing that makes this show so smart is that its deliberately ambiguous. Did Dong Hoon divorce with Yoon Hee? Did Dong Hoon ever have romantic feelings for Ji-an? Will these two get together? Based on the cues the show has presented us, you could argue for or against both sides easily, which is brilliant.

I found the blossoming relationshio between Dong Hoon and Ji-an to be so engrossing, despite previously thinking that it would be boring. Ji-an falling for him makes so much sense because he is the first person in her life (apart from grandma) to show her what it means to be human and to love.

My Ahjusshi reminds us what is really important in life - our relationships with other people. And the core message of the show; be nice to others and be a decent person, is so simple yet so beautiful.

10/10 show would highly recommend 🥰Watching this has been one of the greatest decisions I have made this year.

VAGABOND
Your logic says no, but your heart tells the opposite. This drama is just fun!
Also, I get the second couple vibe from the North Korea defector and pretty assassin. Looking forward to see them kisseu or do whatever to confirm my suspicion.

THE TALE OF NOKDU
I didn't expect Yeol-mo would become a villain. I already had a crush on the actor 😢He really has this classic look, handsome face with dark complexion, that really fit in to sageuk. I hope he will get more sageuks in the future, preferably the serious ones like Three With Deep Roots.

EXTRAORDINARY-YOU
God knows why I keep watching this drama (Oh please, of course it's Lee Jae-wook!). I can't stand love triangle, but I can handle this one because I'm mostly annoyed by the female lead. So I don't care whether she will end up with Haru or Baek Kyung. In fact, she can have Haru, I will keep Baek Kyung for myself.

Tale of Nokdu I was pretty surprised by the 180° turn of some characters, it was a little bit too sudden for me.

Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency Usually I like second couple but in this case really not, I really don't like the second female lead.

Catch the Ghost It was funny but I would like they tune down the humor a little bit.

When the Camellia Blooms Too many dramas, I'll catch up later.

Extraordinary You My favourite!!! But I missed spunky Danoh.

Secret Boutique Jenny and Sun Woo really needed a Lee Hyun in their life! I love her character! She looks stunning in new style.

Beautiful Love, Wonderful Life I really want/need Chung Ah to fight her sister, Sul Ah. Sul Ah is awful with her...

My Country: The New Age Stop hurting them! Please 😥
It was cute to see Seolhyun saying her ears were so red furing the kissing scene, they had to take a break :D

The Lies Within For a wife who is worried about her husband, she doesn't really help the Police...

Catch the Ghost: The first episode, especially, was a bit all over the place and it has a zany kind of humor, but it also has a lot of heart. I already care about the characters so that's good.

Extraordinary You: I thought this week's episodes dragged due to the Haru plot. Joo Da’s smirk was my favorite part of both episodes.

When the Camellia Blooms: Hyang Mi had such a sad life and sad final day.

My Country: Jang Hyuk. Fans myself! I’m glad he's finally interacting with all three leads. I can't take Hwi and Hee Jae's scenes seriously.

Pegasus Market: Oh, the smiles at the end of Episode 5. I loved the villain making his way through the security system lol.

Vagabond logic out of the window but it's a whole lot of fun!!! My brain says what on earth is happening but I keep coming for more~ as of ep 11, I'm glad bullet chicken ahjumma is still in the drama and KTW is shining bright as ever. Ahahahaha 🌻

Also watching: Tale of Nokdu

Pegasus Market (Episode 5)
Okay, you got me with the cliffhanger. Although it feels like Bok Dong or Suk Goo are the ones who had hidden the real contracts away, I’m suspecting it’s actually Mi Ran: she’s definitely swapped sides to Bok Dong (it is mildly funny how I can’t tell which side Suk Goo is on) and she certainly would have anticipated some trouble with the new spy. The show never fails to dial up the comedy with the villains getting some moments as well: super ironic how the subordinate went through all that military-style training when Young Goo himself ended up doing all the hard work to steal the contracts.

Extraordinary You
I do have a mini bone to pick with how the show has portrayed characters becoming self-aware, for instance, how was Baek Kyung able to just find the comic book so easily? What triggered Joo Da to become self-aware? At this stage, it’s also questionable as to how far Baek Kyung’s brother and Sae Mi are also aware. It’s a little bit iffy as well considering that Dan Oh’s initial self-awareness that started off the story has gone relatively unexplained so far. I do think this will be probed in the second half of the story, but I can’t stop worrying that the story might end up spiralling out of control.

Melting Me Softly
The motivation behind that sudden kiss doesn’t sound super ridiculous on paper, but the execution of it was just super ridiculous with the leads nicely getting lost in the woods together. While I can get behind Mi Ran’s desire to kiss anyone before anything untimely happens, I have a harder time understanding Dong Chan’s falling in love. We’re being told he feels responsibility for her and suddenly he’s off the deep end like any drama lead. Otherwise, the rest of the show will just remain terrible and I’ve made a conscious decision to just zone out and just accept the absurdity of all the villainy.

When the Camellia Blooms: The latest 2 episodes were the best so far! So much has happened in them! I feel really bad for Hyang-mi. They used to be school friends too! Looks like the show will stay dark for awhile but totally enjoyed the short funny scenes like the baseball match! I somehow cant understand Yong-shik's mothers issue with them and find her unreasonable.
Lucky Romance: It was drama-crack for me and I enjoyed it overall. I was being really understanding and sympathetic of Bo-nui up until she ran away after that horribly unimaginative car of doom hit Su-ho. After that she lived with her sister, met Gary several times and took up a teaching job but only stayed away from Su-ho. What the? Didnt she think she would be unlucky for them too? Her logic made no sense. And not so much as an apology to him in the end. I was really happy Su-ho confronted the astrologist and caused him to stop his business, but some shaming and disproving would have been fun there too. The last few episodes just brought the show down. Going through the recaps to see others views on the show, and I see people share the same opinions. Also I feel it isn't her but her boss who is a bad luck charm.
Fight for My Way: Rewatched it and appreciated it more than the first time. Choi Ae-ra is such an amazing character!

For the second time in my Beanie life I am able to comment here! :D
Last year 30 but 17 had the honors. I am currently obsessed with Extraordinary You, caught up to episode 7. I have fangirled enough on my fanwall, so I'll stop here. Hopefully I can watch and comment more often in the future! ;)

This week was full of mother-daughter drama watches, so I’m just going to tell you my mom’s (hilarious in my opinion) reactions~

When the Camellia Blossoms : she giggles whenever Yong Sik is on the screen, a first for any character in a show. I think Kang Ha Neul has cracked her to become her first bias, which is ironic considering he is my little sister’s long term acting bias ~ I guess we are genetically wired to like him 🧐 Also YS continued gossip sessions with the neighborhood ahjummas keep us in stitches, the Ahjummas vibe, from their makeup to the practical/tacky clothes, to their vicious words are all in sync with my mom’s aunts that I grew up with. The fact that my mom was raised in a small town by a single mother, even if it was in the US, likely makes the whole story of DB more relevant to her as well.

Extraordinary You: a few minutes before Kyung started questioning his memories, their reality, etc., my mom did. Her theory was that they are real people who had been trapped in an unreal world by an evil madman aka the author. Sadly, for the facts of their existence, I don’t think that’s the case.

Tale of Nokdu : lots of talk about Joseon clothing and the likelihood that they reuse costumes for different historical dramas just as the BBC does for their period dramas (there’s a certain yellow dress that has done the rounds in Jane Austen movies). We were shocked by the fiery ending, and I was also shocked by my mom’s laughing “I guess we will have a setting change then.” Heartless mom... (she also asked if Dong Joo was likely to die from being choked, I assured her of the main character status protecting her)

Vagabond: highly considering dropping, especially now that...

New Country: I started this with my mom, during Nokdu she was lamenting watching quality historical dramas so I told her we could try the newest serious one on Netflix. She gasped during the first scenes, “look at that lighting, look at that detail! It’s like they are using new technology compared to watch we just watched!! (Nokdu & EY).” Needless to say, we are three episodes in and properly hooked.

I think that’s all I’m watching?

Oh! I binge watched all of Fight My Way again, and gosh, I just love that drama. I’ve ranted too much already about it so that’s all I’m going to say here ~

Extraordinary You - can't wait for the next episodes, the plot is unpredictable, but so far chugging along nicely. Dan Oh is a little overdone, but I still like her. It is amazing how Haru blossoms from boring extra to a swoony lead. Nam Ju and Eo Ju is spot on with their lead characters, along with Do Hwa as the reluctant second lead.

Tale of Nokdu That twist! I appreciated that the drama wanted to do something differently in that sort of fusion youth sageuk genre, but I wasn't in the mood for it. It felt sort of "gotcha!! TWIST!" to me.

Extraordinary You So in love with this series. It's not just the writing, but the cast, directing, lighting, and music and how they come together to form this entrancing but mysterious world. I think it also really knows how to introduce all the various twists. Dan-Oh and Haroo pull on my heartstrings like no other couple.

Rookie Historian Gu Hae-ryung I compare it to a warm cup of tea on a winter's day. It isn't something that makes me want to binge, but I enjoy watching it a lot. I just finish the part where the king is bullying our heroine, and in the end, it revealed a less scary side to him, which was a nice surprise.

Be Melodramatic Another drama that I'm slowly watching. I actually accidentally started the first episode again by accident and then kept watching it instead of tuning in to the next episode on queue. Great rewatchability!

Catch the Ghost: 8.2 Kim Sun-ho's comedic approach was fine in Strongest Deliveryman, but awkward fit for a serial killer show. There was one new character in day 2 who hasn't added anything to the story so far -- if they don't have something good planned (besides killing time and being sentimental) it could drag the show down a lot. The rest was good. Liked the pink scooter.

Vagabond: 7

Running Investigators: 5.7

My Country: 7.5 Palace politics are better than Nokdu (so far, although Nokdu is picking up). Action less absurd than Vagabond.

Melting Me Softly: 5.0 Has it's moments with the fish-out-of-water encounters with data caps, smartphones, etc., but still doesn't quite work.

Leverage: 6.4 Day 3 was mostly boring setup. 4 was better.

Tale of Nokdu: 7.0

Extraordinary You: 5.5 Fun concept has faded into boredom. Haru's cycle this week seemed like filler.

When the Camellia Blooms: 6.0 "Family" squabbles. People experiencing & talking about hardships. It's sad when the countdown to a murder is the fun part.

Extraordinary You Episode 8 - Although my interest in the show sort of dipped in episode 7, I’m back to liking it in episode 8! Amnesia remains the trope I dislike the most and although the manhwa has the same amnesia plot as well, I cannot ever warm up to it. And I did miss my over the top, hyper, extra girl Dan Oh; she turned into a leaky faucet, so that added to my lack of interest in ep 7. But something about Haru in ep 8 - he had that kind of longing for someone he didn’t understand - that got me and my heart shred into pieces 💔 That library scene was melancholic yet beautifully captured. It hurt me that he was in that kind of state. Their story from another lifetime has caught my interest too. And Joo Da! Girl, she was the great twist this week. I hope we’re back in full swing next week with less angst, no more amnesia trope, more fluff, more spunky Dan Oh, and more unveiling of stories in Secret and Flower!

I saw this posted on fanwall, I think Melome posted this(?) and I cannot stop watching it. The OST is so good, it perfectly matches the scenes they used.

🎵 To me, you are my first love everyday....🎵

https://youtu.be/Fpz7Ft5Rymg

Arsenal Military Academy Episode 39 - I’m very close to the ending. I might finish it this weekend and I’ll be very sad when that happens. This is slow burn, but I fell for these characters. It’s hard to write in words how much I love them. My manchild boy, Gu Yanzhen, is so reliable when push comes to shove. He’s ready to jump in with no hesitation, uses his influential name to help a friend in a heartbeat. I love that he appears immature on the outside but brainy when need be. I particularly loved that group attack they carried out against some influential people. He played a big part in planning and execution, and I... just couldn’t be prouder of him. He definitely doesn’t joke around when life is at stake. When they found out that their Sergeant put them out in the battlefield as scapegoat, he justified with his team that it’s better they were used or else Sergeant would have found somebody else! Like! 💁‍♀️ He’d rather take the fall than have someone else experience it! 😭 How can I stop myself from loving him more?

Xiang Xiang, although romance is not a priority for her which makes me love her more, but I legit had tears in my eyes when she said to her best girlfriend that she is falling for Gu Yanzhen 😭😭 His efforts certainly did not go unnoticed. He was always there wearing his heart on his sleeve and Xiang Xiang could see this very well. Yanzhen, it’s been a tough road for you, but stay positive, she’s getting there! Jiayou! 👊

"Catch the Ghost" - I enjoyed the first two episodes because despite the fact that the zany humour can be too much at times it also has plenty of heart and the emotional moments land. I wish the female lead would have a bit more consideration of how her actions can affect her colleagues,but her intentions are good so I think the two leads will balance eachother well.
"Strongest Deliveryman" - just finished it, and it turned out to be a lovely drama. It helped a lot that the side characters were well fleshed out and it was easy to root for the friendships and camaraderie. Kim Sun-ho was the breakout for me with his portrayal of Oh Jin Gyu, I think he was better here than in Catch the Ghost so far (not that he is bad in Catch the Ghost) but really I liked just about everyone in this show.
"When the Camellia Blooms" - I'm about to watch episode 12. Only complaint is that I think they should handle better the matter with Pil-gu's dad and his role in his life.

@stroopwafel, I agree that WHEN THE CAMELLIA BLOOMS was figurative open-heart surgery minus the anesthesia this week. I had long suspected the situation between Dong-baek and Hyang-mi. As bad as Dong-baek had it, at least she got off to a solid start with her mother. As for Hyang-mi, talk about a cautionary tale. And in his own way, Lord No was also deprived. Emotional deprivation afflicts nearly everyone in this drama.

‘Home is the place where, when you have to go there,
They have to take you in.’

-- Robert Frost, "The Death of the Hired Man"

For me, that about sums up Dong-baek and the Camellia, and maybe even Ongsan as well. Meanwhile, Go Du-shim is killing me with her perfectly-nuanced portrayal of Yong-shik's mom.

I haven't seen this week's installment of PEGASUS MARKET yet, but it continues to give me a pause that refreshes. Its hapless main villain is currently appearing as the ruthless chief baddie in FLOWER CREW: JOSEON MARRIAGE AGENCY. Speaking of background revelations, we got a surprising one in FLOWER CREW. I'm enjoying the show, even as I cannot quite figure out what's in store for any of the characters I give a fig about.

MY COUNTRY continues to enthrall, especially now that Jang Hyuk is getting more screen time. Friday's episode included a spell-binding face-off between him and Ahn Nae-sang that had me jumping up and down. Sun-ho's back story came into focus last week -- with the added treat that Kim Kang-hoon, currently playing Kim Ji-suk's Mini-Me son in CAMELLIA, knocked it out of the park as Woo Do-hwan's younger self. Speaking of Sun-ho, I cannot get a handle on his game plan. I'm about to rewatch ep. 5 in preparation for @lollypip's dandy recap and the ensuing discussion.

THE GREAT SHOW wrapped up in a good way, which I commented on in last week's final review by @saya. Song Seung-heon fired on all six in this engaging tale of underdogs and a family of choice that bears more than a passing resemblance to the one that has formed in CAMELLIA.