CRICKET -

West Indies - Won the match. A guy in his 1st match - 4th inning - won his team the match

This is year of touring teams - winning matches against home teams which is pretty difficult to do so.

England Vs. India - England won the st test match - yup touring team. Another good one.

2021 England has to play 17 test matches. ohh. World Cup test Championship final slot still trending between

England Vs. India Vs. Australia Vs. New Zealand. ho ho ho

2nd test 1st day was quite interesting one too. 2021 schedule is tough one but full of fun too.

-completed-

SOUL Movie - (watched:complete/ratings:7/10) I must confess that I’m no fan of Jazz music, but this movie was such a beautiful piece. Jazz was only the sub-theme, the main theme was actually “Life”. The movie teaches us about living the moment. In other words, loving every tiny little thing that happens in our life, because even the small things like “fall leaves”/ “a pizza bite” / etc. makes us happy and grateful. The only thing that I disliked was the take on “dreams”, because the movie totally discarded the main character’s dream to be a jazz musician. I think this was poorly done. They should have shown us that having dreams is also part of life, and should be our driving force to continue living. How can we accomplish our goals in life without having dreams first?

100 DAYS MY PRINCE - (watched:complete/ratings:7/10) Despite some heart-wrenching scenes, it was a warm and friendly drama overall. I simply loved Won-deuk/Lee Yul. D.O. acting was top-notch. However, Nam Ji-hyun’s character left a lot to be desired (I never felt her too invested in romance; she seemed “cold” and indifferent most of the times; I felt their love kind of lacking, at least when compared to other sageuk like The Princess’ Man). I felt that Kim Sun-ho’s character was kind of pointless. He showed great promise at the start (it seemed that he would do great things)…But in the end, it felt like nothing. Anyway, it was a very enjoyable show.

-ongoing-

MR. QUEEN - (watched:ep18/ratings:8/10) Only two episodes left. I loved the scenes between Sobong and the King in ep17 (especially the “tango” scene/they even spoke about spending the night together in order to subside the rumors ahahah what an excuse to sleep together *roar*). In ep 18 we see a turn of events, with the King in danger (dead to some, alive for others) and our Sobong in search for her/his beloved King. Finally, Byung-in realized that someone else is inside Soyong’s body (while I never cared for him, it broke my heart when Sobong hit him with the arrow; the look on his face was very heartbreaking *kudos to his expressive eyes*). With only two episodes left, I wonder how they will wrap the Sobong body swap. Will they simply ignore it without giving it a proper closure? Can’t wait to find out.

LOVESTRUCK IN THE CITY - (watched:ep16/ratings:4/10) After watching 16 episodes: frustrating and boring. One more episode to go and I think it will be the most enjoyable of all (Min-ho!!!).

HIKARU NO GO Chinese - (watched:-/ratings:-) I didn’t watch any ep this week.

This is one week where I didn't watch all that much. With all the shows ending, I had no kdramas to watch on Wed-Fri this week. The horror!

Completed
Secret Royal Inspector - I liked the ending in that it was in tune with what we know about these characters. The scene with Chunsam getting his freedom was also funny and sweet.

Ongoing
Mr. Queen - Decided to pause and watch the prequel + episodes 17 to 20 tomorrow!

Sunbae... - I have started fast-forwarding through every cliched trope (clingy ex? nope! creepy dad? nope!) and that has improved my experience. CEO+Big Sis were even cuter this week.

Lovestruck in the City - Underwhelming end (sort of?) to an underwhelming story. They'd have been better served if they removed all the flashbacks and gave us some more insight into Eun-o.

A Love So Beautiful - Starting to get boring. They spent so much time on their school years that their adult conflicts just don't have enough context.

C-dramas
Still liking A Girl Like Me and Always Have, Always Will.
Dropped Unrequited Love and paused Love Unexpected till it's completed with subs.

Weekend plan - Mr. Queen! Had added Honest Candidate to my list and will now, based on stroopwafel's review, move it up to this weekend.

Next week - Sisyphus and Vincenzo!

Mr. Queen (Episode 17-18) - Mood: C-
After Hwa Jin was redeemed last week, I was hopeful that we would see a similar arc for Byung In: that order to murder the Queen should have given him an epiphany, right? Turns out I was the clown for thinking that Byung In secretly allied with the King! It feels like the writer really wanted to bait me into thinking he was secretly a good guy and then dropped the bomb where he’s cliche evil, except he forgot this just makes the story worse. And there’s also the King: seriously, a noble idiot! Jumping off a cliff with 0 plans? Waiting for plot magic to save him? I don’t even want to discuss the Prince.

Aside: Shin Hye Sun mentioned in an interview (https://www.soompi.com/article/1448487wpp/exclusive-shin-hye-sun-and-kim-jung-hyun-share-message-for-global-mr-queen-fans-pick-other-roles-theyd-play-and-more) about how she would’ve wanted to try out Byung In’s character as she found the role’s diverse sides captivating & charming. I love you so much girl but I also want to blame you for raising my expectations with regards to characterisation! Yes, I’m aware it’s all PR for the drama and all that but why does she tell such a glaring lie when she filmed that choking scene?

L.U.C.A.: The Beginning (Episode 3-4) - Mood: C-
Would the show be brave enough to kill Lee Son and let Yoo Na become the henchman commander? Killing a character each week doesn’t seem to be that unusual with this kind of plot! I still don’t find myself engaged with all the DNA stuff and research ethicality especially when its dramatised as usual with elements of corruption and greed as opposed to a nuanced debate between science and morality. Gu Reum’s bickering with both the police captain and forensic expert is cute to watch though: I’m praying that neither of them are evil! But there’s bound to be a mole hiding among the police.

Sunbae, Don’t Put on That Lipstick (Episode 7-8) - Mood: D
I don’t know how I feel about Hyun Seung’s ex being used as a plot device to push the main romance forward: it is quite weird considering that Song Ah wouldn’t have opened up to him otherwise. As far as the rest of the show goes, I’m only wondering what on earth’s going on with the housewife/chef/doctor though it is like choosing the lesser of two evils: do I dislike the ‘bury your gays’ trope more as opposed to yet another potential affair? Going into the 2nd half, I’m sure the OTP obstacle is the disapproving mom with a terminal illness. Will Jae Woon’s crush survive the melodrama onslaught?

L.U.C.A: The beginning. I’m really liking this one… surprinsingly? It has some similarities with Awaken, even the younger version of the leads is played by the same child actor, but it’s different. Quoting Clopin in The bells of Notre Dame what makes a monster and what makes a man? Is JiOh a monster because he’s not totally human? Or is it GuReum who only sees him as a thing? The only reason she wants him alive is to find an answer to her parents disappearance, and as Dr. Oh (note: I don’t trust him a little bit) told her, she may get lost in the way. And even if I’m concerned how many times all leads are beaten, I don’t consider the violence excessive. And I’m liking very much all those side characters that in other dramas would be one-dimensional to be rather interesting: the minions actually have brains they use, as Yi Soon and YooNa know for sure they’re being used and are not happy about that; police officers analyze facts and not corrupted and don’t overact; Mr.Kim is a very shady character, someone you should really fear, but somehow… I… like him? It’s my first time watching KRW in a drama and I think he’s doing a great job as a man in permanent state of panic and disappointment. I feel exhausted just by watching his whole aching body.

Lovestruck in the city. I had a hope on episode 15 that JaeWon would be free from EunOh, but episode 16 imposed the happy ending on this couple, and even if I didn’t like them together, I think their ending was well written. I’m terribly sorry I was right about KJ wanting Rin-I to be someone else, because he wants a girlfriend he’s not ashamed of. He should be ashamed of himself for being more concerned about what others think that in what the person he supposedly loves thinks, as I said, their paths were diverging and they finally did. Geon was the only character I really liked in the drama, and I think he deserves better friends who want to listen to his story and his pain. I was really mad when they just dismissed him when he told them he had broken up (again, I know) with SunYoung.

II’m also watching Secret Affair and the temperature rises when YAI is on screen, although right now I’m mainly skipping all the makjang regarding the financial scandal; Saimdang trying to get through episodes 4 and 5; When the weather is fine it’s the most enjoyable rewatch, I cry, I laugh, I squee, my heart breaks and rises again on every episode. It warms my heart. I try not to watch more than three episodes a week, because I want it to say with me for some time.

L.U.C.A - Kim Rae Won is playing his character beautifully. I feel his vulnerability, anger, and fear. My only problem with the show is they keep saying he is not human. He is human, just a different species of human. He breathes, thinks, looks, and talks like a human. His DNA hasn't changed enough to do any of those things, it has just been altered. Other than that, I kind of like this drama. They also stopped beating up Lee Da Hae character, so progress.

Mr. QUEEN: I'm so sad it is coming to an end. I haven't liked BI from the beginning, he was always super possessive in a creepy way, so this turn does not surprise me. The preview did a little bit, so we shall see.

Kakenai!?: Kyakuhonka Yoshimaru... - this is good!! The main hero Keisuke is a stay at home dad who occasionally works as a substitute scriptwriter (like 1 episode, and for a totally minor / late night drama) who suddenly gets hired as the main scriptwriter for a prime time drama with popular actors. He has to follow the crazy ideas of the director - producer - assistant producer trio (for example the main hero of the produced drama is at the end a handsome high school teacher who is a hidden chaebol and also a vampire who drinks only B blood 😂) , deadly deadlines included. And it is so much fun! I also like Keisuke's sweet wife (a popular novelist) and how nice their marriage is.💕 Oh, and I realized the main actor, Ikuta Toma, was also in Hana Kimi as Nakatsu, my strongest SLS ever. Update: I roped my teenage boys into watching Hana Kimi and we are having a blast! Oscar forever! 😂

Oh! My Boss! - I checked the first episode and wasn't sure... and then contract relationship happened at the very end and now I HAVE to watch further!!

More than Friends - I finally finished the drama. My watching was on and off... and so was my affection for this drama. Now when I finished it, I think it was not a bad drama and some parts were actually pretty good (and with very interesting dialogues). I liked that both Lee Soo and Kyung Wooyeon grew up and were more mature at the end of the drama (regardless of whether they were together or not). I found interesting the parts when the parents of Lee Soo reminiscent about what went wrong between them in the past... and I rooted for the secondary couple of Youghee and Hyunjae.

Sunbae - my respect for Hyunseung skyrocketed when he decided that unwanted love "is a violence too" (-Run On-) and took No as No (though it was also painful to watch him actively distance himself from Songah). Also... I like Gayoung 💕

Cheorin - how it will end???

Graceful Friends: Saw this on Netflix and it looked kind of interesting. I enjoyed it overall, more the friendship stuff than the mystery. I think my least favorite thing was the obsessive love lasting twenty plus years. As I get older, I find that you just get sick and tired of being sick and tired so I don't buy that aspect of the show. Emotions fade. Otherwise one of the main actors toward the end started....talking...like he had ....to say something.....very........important but....he had looooong pauses. Spit it out dude. This must be an acting thing in Korea because they do it a lot. People don't talk like this and if they do, they would be interrupted about 15 times.

The Rebel Princess: Viki comment that had me laughing: "I don't get it. Does she hate the princess or not?" This is why I like this show so much. Yes, the character actually is fond of the princess but family matters and political concerns mean that fondness only goes so far. It just is the way it is when a wrong move means your entire family line can get kicked to the curb. Usually C-dramas have good or evil and no middle ground. This show more than any other C-drama I've ever seen has well rounded characters. That and the pacing as well as the strong lead couple might put it over Story of MingLan as my favorite C-drama.

I'm looking for something else to watch since Graceful Friends got binged this week so thinking of Lupin on Netflix. We'll see.

Mr. Queen: Episodes 17 and 18 were on the weaker side. The funny moments were overshadowed by the annoying penultimate week tropes. Byung-in is not a compelling villain at all. I’m curious if and/or how they will handle the future Bong-hwan issue in the final two episodes.

Love (Ft. Marriage & Divorce): The 40’s husband and his step mom were so disturbing. She’s a piece of work and he has some kind of water fetish or something. Every episode, he has weird scenes in or near water. Sitting there while she was taking a bubble bath and even testing the water. So gross. Why am I still watching this? The writing, directing, editing and acting are all rather weak. I guess the step mom scenes worked on me because I kind of want to see how far the writer takes it.

L.U.C.A.: The Beginning: The female lead is either not entirely human herself or is going to end up with a TBI. I do like her though and her captain. Learning our hero is part electric eel, jellyfish, sturgeon and fly was rather entertaining.

Lovestruck in the City: Geon trying to share his feelings and Eun-oh and Rin-yi shutting him down annoyed me so much. It was a mistake to spend so much time on flashbacks and so little time on the present relationships. I was actually kind of proud of Eun-oh when she told Jae-won that she needed time to find herself, so of course, they got back together a few days later. Sigh. Rin-yi and Kyung-joon really need to stay broken up. If there is a second season, I want new characters and a better story.

@missvictrix No, I'm not considering running anymore... BUT... when I go for a walk, I do walk a biiiit faster... and I also try to move my hands according to Sunkyum's instructions 😁

I just finished watching episode 23 of the original A Love So Beautiful and it does have a charm that the Korean remake lacks (based on the 7 episodes I watched before dropping). The friendship between the five of them is adorable and made me terribly miss the carefree high school days. Wu Bosong joins the list of second leads that broke my heart. I love Jiang Chen's narration at the end which summarized their story from his POV. Super cute!

Also watching Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo and Lovestruck In The City.

My brother finished the following dramas this week: School 2017, The Uncanny Counter, and It's Okay To Not Be Okay. He's quite the binge-watcher lol.

I recently recommended Misaeng to my friend after he shared some work-related stories. He hasn't started it yet (he says it requires a certain mood and I can't argue) but I did, even if I was halfway through 2 other dramas.......

I've always considered Misaeng to be one of the best kdramas I've seen, objectively, as well as the type of show best consumed only once (like Grave of the Fireflies lol). I'm pleasantly surprised to be completely wrong. It's got a lot more humour than I remembered. I missed so many things the first time. What I once considered depressing and bleak now feels comforting and humbling. The scene when Geurae felt ashamed for thinking he was in any position to teach Mr Park (aka the metaphorically winged employee) something brought to mind my own smugness in the past ha ha...

Anyway I'm in Ep13-14 and Baek-ki finally asked his manager for a drink after a long not-awkward-at-all sauna experience. Thank goodness.

Hmm.. First of all, the cover photo reminds me of something I want to forget at all costs - Alice. T - T

I don't watch many dramas these days. Anyway, I am watching some.

Currently watching:
1. Run On (12/16): I began to like it a little bit more at ep.9. It has become somewhat lighter for me, and I understand the characters more starting from that episode. It was a hard watch at first because I felt sad for the ML and how people treated him.. but my continuing to watch makes me realize that he is indeed appreciated and there are a couple of things, at least, that he can actually learn from the FL. I thank dear @ndlessjoie for her consistent recommendation of this one. Thanks to Baby Kim Seon-ho too for being a cameo in the last ep as this sealed the deal for me - I can't run away from it *begging eyes*

I also begin to really like Dan-ah's sense of fashion. There will be many pieces I might try in the future if my purse allows me to.

Sunbae, Don’t Put on That Lipstick It's a simple drama with normal people. There is no big villain. Their job life is commun, their cowokers are nice people without competition between them. The ML is a nice man with a lovely family and friends, no dark secret or daddy issues to resolve. I like this simplicity with the swoony tropes to make a beautiful romance drama. There is a good balance between their serious conversations, their casual moments and their swoony scenes.

L.U.C.A.: The Beginning I don't like the leads. The ML is not young anymore, he knows he's different but he looks like he never tried to control his powers. The FL is reckless and the fact she know nothing about her father is weird. He's the one who brought the kid in her home. The "he's a monster" in every conversation is boring, didn't they read "Frankenstein"? I'm more interested by the henchman and the red hair girl. I want them to escape together after their revenge!

Mr. Queen I'm not sure that 20 episodes were a good idea. The last 2 were kinda boring.

Lovestruck in the City I knew that they will give us a happy ending for the main couple but I had still hopes. She didn't apologized, did she? The 2 second couple was rushed... I didn't understand why they ended the drama like this for them. Geon was the only normal character in this drama.

Love ft marriage and divorce (6/16): I have no idea what I am watching and where the story is going. Sa hyeon is the worst. It's disgusting when he and his parents were discussing how scary HR is. But I didnt feel she is that scary may be a bit dominating but that doesn't give him the right to cheat. Coming to the doctor I have no idea what to think of him. The stepmother is even gross. Does she really thinks of herself as an epitome of beauty? And that whole scene in washroom where she was reminiscing her step son's words and complimenting his physique, followed by him coming there and playing music and again their dates, walking hand to hand , he telling how he dreamt of her while he was younger... The whole set up felt so gross....May be it's just my thoughts that my mind was nowhere having good thoughts while watching these scenes. Then the final couple. Again cheating is bad. But for some reason I do not feel that much empathy for Si eun. I guess its the whole way she tried to convince him to stay even after knowing he isn't interested. I kind off expected this to happen right when the daughter lectured him in ep 4 and he decided to stay. I agree the children will be affected a lot with the divorce but what good will come if you literally force someone who doesn't wanna stay?. I even felt in the initial episodes that the third husband is gay.
6 episodes into this and there is no clue on who the three random ladies are.

Duolou continent (2/40) : I started this because of the fantasy elements. The fight with spider in the first ep gave me Harry Potter vibes. Reminded me of the scene where harry and ganga go into the forest and get attacked by the spiders. I am intrigued and the episodes are short. I didnt quiet like the FL so far. It would have been good if she tone down her chirpiness a bit.

Royal secret agent (16/16): It was a fun filled ride overall. The plot almost ended in episode 14 but I did enjoy the last two episodes. They even managed to add a lil twist regarding the brother. It was fast paced and I liked how they didnot drag the missions or the romance. I wouldn't say this drama has the best story or top notch acting, but it was entertaining.
And loved the OST.

Mr Queen (17-18): I hope the court lady and maid are safe. What an ending. BI has finally reached the heights of evilness and the character's portrayal is even more bad. And what PDAs !!! And the gruntings and roars 🤣🤣🤣I wonder how SHS and KJH managed to act with straight faces while shooting those sequences. I am curious as well as anxious to see how they are gonna wrap up the story.

A love so beautiful (21/24): Loving it as always.

OLDER

Please don't date him: Finished it. And totally enjoyed it. I loved the FL. I wish for the dramaland to present more female characters like her.

Good Manager (1/20) : Oh my goodness !!! Iam loving it so much. Even when I was just 10 min into the first episode, I rewinded many times. First to see...

Currenting watching no dramas. So I decided to look back to find something from a favorite actress.

CASA AMOR (2015 movie) was a serious, fun surprise. Cho Yeo Jeong and Clara were great in this wacky comedy about a very taboo subject in conservative Korean culture. I did not know CYJ could do comedy so well.

The week felt quite empty. I am now down to only two shows -one I am watching with mild interest and other with borderline hate.
Lovestruck in City : This is show was quite meh from beginning to end. It was Record of Youth-2, good actors uninteresting plot. I did not care for any the characters. I watched this because of its format.
Love (ft marriage and Divorce) : This is one disjointed show. The editing is off. The transition between scenes is random, characters are unlikable and the acting is uneven.
Is it going to be my first hate watch of the year?
She would never know : Nothing new, same old – abusive parents, obnoxious rich people, emotional blackmail. Only things that are keeping me here are three leads, CEO and big noona.

The Magicians: American series. I'd always intended to read the book, so when this popped up on my Netflix I just went ahead an pushed play. I binged 5 seasons in just over 2 weeks, and then was emotionally devastated. It's got flawed and engaging characters, the most creative use of cuss words, the cringy sex scenes end after the 1st season, the friendships and love between the characters is so nuanced. There was a vein of sadness and loss that runs throughout. I had all the feelings and was so glad when one of my co-workers came in and announced she'd watched and NEEDED to talk about it.
My Familiar Wife: I just love Han Ji-min. I hadn't fallen in love with her yet when this originally aired and I was turned off by the man-child antics I saw in promos. I'm about half way through, and really loving watching Ji Sung rediscover his wife and fall for her all over again.
Sweet Home: 8/10 episodes in and it's interesting but I'm not as blown away as I'd expected to be. Perhaps this is a case of too high expectations. My husband has also been underwhelmed. We'll probably finish tonight since the kids are away and we've been having to watch it when they aren't around.
Sunbae, Don't...: It's been a nice filler drama. It's not going to change the world, but I'm enjoying it. Rowan is a revelation. I don't know if it's camera angles or what, but he looks huge. He's tall and broad and definitely not a baby anymore. I'm enjoying his manly look. I don't remember him looking this brawny in Extraordinary You.
Lovestruck: Well, I always hate it when the MC (almost always the FL) needs to "find herself". I'm sorry but no one finds themselves in a vacuum. If you can't be yourself in relationship with other people (a lover or your friends, etc.) than you can't really live. I thought that the friends and even Jae-won did a good job of pointing out that she is herself in all of those forms and she doesn't need to go search for herself because herself is right there in that moment. I would love to see this trope die. Also, happy to see the 2nd lead relationship die. Ugh. Rin-i is annoying and totally dilutional and he's not much better. I'm hoping there is not a 2nd season, because I'd probably watch it and just complain through it again. :)

L.U.C.A: The Beginning: 8.0 Science & backstory from Awaken, powers from Uncanny Counters, and amnesia from about 80,000 kdramas, because no single one can provide enough.

Mr. Queen: 8.5 Over the top and over the cliff, but still better than most shows. I want to see Bong-hwan return to his own time and use the lessons he learned in the past to regain his place. I promise not to flip too many tables even if "it was all a dream".

River Where the Moon Rises: __ Hey! Don't waste time looking for the right silly river. Just rise any place you can.

In preparation for the upcoming Moon So-ri / Jung Jae-young drama No One But A Madman, I’ve been marathoning the writer Jung Do-yoon’s previous show Witch’s Court. It’s far from perfect, and the way the victims of sexual violence are dealt with is sometimes painfully inadequate. And though I love procedurals and the one case per episode format, I felt that the show sacrificed depth for a wider range of cases. I was particularly disappointed that the case underlying the series-long arc (to do with the authorities' use of rape to crush resistance) was not more fully explored. Nevertheless, there were enough believable, complex female characters to convince me that Moon So-ri has made the right choice, and Jung Ryeo-won’s no-holds-barred performance is truly something to behold.

Does anybody know what will substitute "Run on" and "the uncanny counter"?
When will the first episodes air?

LOVESTRUCK IN THE CITY has let me down, though not like SSDDLLS. My hope was that the tale of Eun-oh and Jae-won would end with Eun-oh watching Jae-won ride off into the sunset with another woman but, alas, we get a happy ending instead. Do not get me wrong, their final scene at the end of episode 16 was lovely but where is karma when you need it? At least Rin-yi and Kyung-joon finally had a serious conversation about their differences and broke up. Frankly the fact that Kyung-joon finally spoke truth to her- that her lifestyle was not really sustainable in the long run- was the most encouraging thing about this break-up. Given that Rin-yi has never cared a fig about what Kyung-joon wanted in life this break-up needs to stick. Maybe my hypothetical woman who was going to ride off with Jae-won could pickup Kyung-joon instead. Why not? He is actually a good guy.

I too tried LOVE SCENE NUMBER. It is essentially an anthology series with four stories. Missvictrix has described the first story well. It simply did not hold up dramatically and I will watch no more of this show. I do not blame Kim Bo-ra- this is just bad writing.

My wife continues to watch the Chinese Costume dramas THE WORLD OF FANTASY and REBEL PRINCESS and she continues to keep watching even after the subtitles run out (and then re-watches those episodes after the subtitles appear). She finished THE BLOOMS AT RUYI PAVILION. She is also now watching A GIRL LIKE ME- and really likes the FL (and her fashion sense) but that too is a currently airing show so she is also watching THE BLESSED GIRL when she is out of episodes for the first three.

My wife and I are still enjoying the Chinese rom-com MY LITTLE HAPPINESS. It too is a currently broadcast show so when we reach the end of this week’s episodes we have to wait until the next week. It is the essence of fluffy- and that is good, particularly in these times. Our family has also enjoyed SYMPHONY’S ROMANCE- and now we only have 3 episodes left. We are also enjoying the older LOVE AND DESTINY which was on hold for a while.

As you can see we filled the K-drama drought caused by the Lunar New Year with C-dramas.

We are now facing the finale for MR. QUEEN. What will we watch now? And can Shin Hye-sun ever do better than this? We are going to miss this show just as we miss RUN ON. At least we still have SHE WILL NEVER KNOW (aka SUNBAE, DON’T PUT ON THAT LIPSTICK) which got even better in episodes 7 and 8. Traditionally in a rom-com Episode 8 would have ended in a kiss but Song-ah’s asking Hyun-seung to not move on from her was just so much better- and truer- that it was far more moving. I stood up and cheered.

We just finished our course on the history of India. It was well worth the time. I had so little knowledge of the peoples and cultures of South Asia, yet one fifth of humanity lives there. Now I have at least a few clues. We have now moved on to a course on the cultural history of Japan...

Mr.Queen: I'm impressed by how the drama is still able to deliver on the funny and quirky even as the political and conspiracy stuff has ramped up. I'm glad Hwa-jin pulled herself from the dark side. Unfortunately, we're stuck with more constipated-face Byung-in. He's been so creepy that in retrospect, the kiss he gave So-yong before her death now feels really gross and predatory. Hoping Court Lady Choi is okay. I love the trio of So-bong, Hong-yeon, and Court Lady Choi so much!

Royal Secret Agent: Glad I watched it after the mediocre premiere episodes. Fills a couple niches that make it stand out: 1. the historical investigation drama genre (so few in kdrama land) 2. incredibly light and easy to watch 3.light on romance 4. sageuk with brothers who actually look out for each other and 5. having 3 leads instead of the 2+2 structure. It doesn't have the OST, big names, nice sets, costumes, or the clever, insightful writing. But the drama knows how to deliver on the simple and ended with solid ending, which is a rarity in kdramas. It's like the street food of dramas. Simple, but satisfying.

My Little Happiness: One of the better modern cdrama romances. Just pure fluff and flirting with likable characters. The main couple got this alluring tenderness to their relationship. I love the second pairing too - they're more of the typical opposites-attract couple. Two downsides: 1. the main couple's height difference makes me wince. 2. this is a modern non-fantasy romance, but the male lead is like some fantasy BF out to lure single viewers to abandon the single life. Makes me feel lonely! LOL!

LOVESTRUCK - I feel like there could have been a good drama in there but it dwelt on the wrong bits for too long. I was pleased to see KJ and RI break up, mean as that sounds. They’re not in the same zone at the same time so it was inevitable. Also inevitable - Jaewon and Eun Oh getting back together. I thought it was nicely done though.

Other than that I’m casting around for things to watch.... halfheartedly trying PLEASE DON’T DATE HIM but it hasn’t grabbed me. Also tried the excellently titled NAKED FIREMAN (has fewer naked firemen than the name implies so far) but again hasn’t really hooked me.

Waiting for MOUSE to start (and hoping I’ll be able to watch it somewhere easy!)

Started watching Run On today, and what a joy! Watched the first 5 episodes in a go. It's pretty and breezy and I'm loving all the characters - except Evil Dad, of course, because he's there just to be a hateful chaebol.
Also liking Sunbae/She would never know a lot more than I expected. Episodes 1 and 2 involved some intense eye rolling, but then characters start revealing more about themselves and it's a legit nice drama, at least as far as I got - ep 5. Hope it doesn't go down the old familiar Slope of Angst.
Still stuck on ep 13 of Uncanny Counter, and still liking The Good Detective a lot.
Waiting for Mr Queen to get over the Cliff of No-Doom before I catch up, which means I'm saving eps 16 and 17 for the time being.
Yesterday night watched Daggers Out, such a fun film!

Mr. Queen: my weekly favorite and so sad it ends this week! Byung-In is just...the worst! Pfffffft. Hoping for a nice conclusion, dramagods please!

True beauty: finished it this week, and I thought it wa surprisingly actually good. Moon Ga-Young did a phenomenal job! And I liked the end. I appreciate that she ended up understanding that she being beautiful is both about the inside and the outside.

Run on: I was an overall nice watch, but I don't think I loved it like other beanies did. For me it was okay. I liked the first part much more than the second one (last 6 episodes)

Marriage music divorce lyrics: Episode 3 and I think this is just...bad. Nothing makes sense and I think I am just going to drop it. I feel like I wasted 3 hours of my life!

A love so beautiful: this is just so cute! Fluffy and cute! I watch this while waiting for Mr. Queen.

joseon power couple full stop. the show really defied my expectations esp since it's written and directed by two men which means that their team is more masculine. however, patriarchy has no gender really sos people can surprise us. i think the best thing about mr queen besides the love and dedication in it is exactly how it totally hadn waves gender and sex while focusing on THE JOSEON ERA we cant even do that properly in 2021. the whole show was like a big fuck you to gender i love it. bong hwan's clear comfort as a woman is shocking. anyways, i am not watching anything else cos life is pathetic and i have a lot to do but 0 desire to do so (oh but i do watvh some BLs as well but we dont have eto talk about that) lol

run on seems to be something that i would really enjoy but miss. lowkey i love the sound of that kim bora webdrama but i know itll bug me since that sounds sorta dumb lmao. oh anyone watching that gay lesbian webdrama???? (lmao)

Mr. Queen
C dramas Rebel Princess, Weaving a Tale of Love, The Blessed Girl

Watched most of K film Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds.

I have a question for history buffs and Mr Queen watchers.

Historically, Queen Suwon was the mother of Crown Prince Hyomyeong (played by Park Bo-gum in Moonlight Drawn by Clouds), who married a girl from the Pungyang Jo clan. I think her maiden name was Jo Ha-yeon, but she was later known as Queen Shinjeong. Their son, who was 3 years old when Crown Prince Hyomyeong died at age 20, very possibly due to being poisoned by Queen Sunwon's Kim clan relatives, became KIng Heonjong at age 7 (when Queen Sunwon's husband, King Sunjo died), and Queen Sunwon was regent.

Boy King Heonjong's first queen was from the Andong Kim clan, and when she died at age 15, his second queen was from the Namyang Hong clan. Neither of his wives or any of his concubines were from his mother's Pungyang Jo clan.

King Heonjong, Queen Sunwon's grandson and Queen Shinjeong's son, died without an heir at age 22, and Queen Sunwon again became regent, assisted in finding the next king, who was Cheoljong, adopted him, and served as regent for the first 3 years of his reign.

In Mr. Queen, the characters of Queen Sunwon and her younger brother, Kim Jwa-geun, are actually named Queen Sunwon and Kim Jwa-geun, just like in RL.

In an early episode, Queen Suwon mentions that she approved the poisoning of her grandson, for the advancement of the Kim clan. But in RL, it was actually her son (the Park Bo-gum crown prince) that her clan allegedly poisoned, not her grandson.

In the drama, the character of the younger Dowager Queen has a fictional name of Daebi Jo. In flashbacks, we see that her husband - who appears to be king - was poisoned (like Crown Prince Hyomyeong allegedly was). The character is from the Pungyang Jo clan (like Crown Prince Hyomyeong's wife was). But IIRC, in the drama, she and her husband had no children, which is why Cheoljong became king.

So, in Mr. Queen, have they given the younger dowager queen all the family background of Queen Shinjeong, but rather than making her Queen Sunwon's daughter in law, and mother of King Heonjong, made her Queen Suwon's daughter in law, and married to King Heonjong, and being childless instead of the mother of the king who preceded Cheoljong?

Secret Royal Inspector- It was really enjoyable all the way, I actually feel empty without it. I loved the trio, character consistency, and yayy for the female lead never being left out (although they made up for it with the SFL always needing to be rescued). The cases were interesting, and although I found all the villains very easy to defeat, I liked the simple ways in which they outwit them sometimes- like the usual catch them in a lie, or distract them and run, and all. All the "Here comes the Amhaengosa!" scenes were great! Also the drama did not have some of the irritating tropes like love triangles and forced separation. I really like most of the actors in this drama so glad it turned out well for all of them.

Love Scene Number 23- Ahh Missvictrix's review! Here I was actually going to recommend it to people who have nothing to watch before the new dramas release! :P
I really enjoyed #23! I thought Kim Bo-ra's character was extremely cool- she is on top of her course work, so confident, applies her psychology knowledge in her life, and once threatened she wasted no time in investigating and she was figuring out things so quickly. I would probably envy a character like her in real life. Yeah I was also a bit disappointed that she doesn't really have an inclination towards polyamory and shes just into her childhood friend. I found the 3 guys she dated totally entertaining, and the drama was unlike a KDrama. I'm going to continue, anyway the next story focusses on another age and I've heard good things about it, people have been divided over how 23 turned out.

Now that Mr. Queen is ending, I'll start watching it, can't miss a drama with that premise, even if it doesn't end well. I also want to watch Hospital Playlist which I missed last year. There are many dramas releasing this week but I'm not in the mood to try any of them, don't know why.

Happy Valentine's day !🌺❤️
Hope you aren't as lonely as I am and has someone to spend valentines with.
If you are spending it alone Recommending you to watch: the Chinese Drama ' Forever Love'.
If you are looking for a healthy couple who doesn't have any trust issues . This is the one. But it might make you more lonely 🥺

Currently watching :
Mr Queen - Expected it to be quirky and entertaining but its really good as well. Shin Hye Sin is just amazing. She is nailing her character as a guy who has inhabited a female's body. Still its a 20 episode drama , so feeling like it will start dragging but for now its all good even if things are getting a bit serious , i still laugh at something in each episode.

Hospital playlist completed : enjoyed the series. Jo jung seok was a revelation. Every character was my favourite at each point in the series. Joon wan was so swoony. Yoon yoon soek was very cute playing the drums. I did'nt recognize any of the songs they played except the one in the last episode you to me, me to you which was from the classic. I was so excited to hear it.
Still missing Run On and Im Shiwan.

This week only
Mr. Queen
Already on ep. 8 and wow, I am hooked and very surprised.
Among all the time travel, cross dimensional dramas out there, this one is one of the best for sure, not that I have watched many 🤔
But anyway, I like it very much.
I even find it plausible that the main character turns into a woman because the spirit of that woman is inside of his soul...
It is very interesting and of course, Shin Hye sun's acting is top notch.

Completed two kdramas this week, Flower of Evil and Mr Queen. Both with polarising final episodes.

Flower of Evil: This was a rollercoaster ride. Lee Joonki and Moon Chaewon did a wonderful job and made the characters of Do Hyunsoo and Cha Jiwon come alive. Once you get sucked into this drama you had to watch the next episode. Personally, I was not bothered by the Iast episode. I believe it is one of the best kdramas I have watched. I am waiting for next project by LJK and MCW.

Mr Queen: Opinions about Mr Queen's ending has been quite polarising. TBH I kinda guessed the ending when they announced the special episodes. If they were gonna show that both Soyong and Bonghwan were in the body they could have given more hints or scenes where Soyong is actively present. This feels as if they wanted to have their cake and eat it. They left the soul swap purposefully vague so that they could end it the way they wanted but at the same time let the audience make their own interpretation. Shin Hyesun has been a revelation, I wil be catching up on her previous dramas now that the show has ended.