So many dramas this week! Can't remember the last time I started 4 shows in one week and I haven't even gotten around to Dr. Brain and Happiness yet.

COMPLETED
Dali and Gamjatang - Probably one of the sweetest couples of the year but the rest of the show was awful. Hated what they did with Taejin's character. Hated even more the last episode redemption of people who have been uniformly awful for the other 15 episodes. I need someone to make an edited version of this show which only has the OTP and Won-tak's scenes.

ONGOING
Jirisan - With all the drama in the snow I was wondering if I'd gotten the timing of the accident wrong and it was actually 2018 when it happened. But no it was a fakeout. Anyway always like me some Son Seok-koo. And aww she came for the movie! Having seen Ep. 7 too, man I hate that stupid snake catcher lady.

Inspector Koo - Love the direction for this. Even though you can see some of the twists coming, the pacy editing and the switch between perspectives keeps you on your toes. This is the show I don't FF at all and that's saying something. Santa is still the best!

Chimera - I just can't shake the feeling of "seen it before" with this show. At this point only the ways in which the murders are carried out are interesting.

The King's Affection - Finally began to really feel the romance this week. I liked Ji-woon's eventual calm acceptance and confession as well as the way Dam-yi dealt with it. And thank god there is more depth to the king - Lee Pil-mo does complex vey well and things are about to really get complicated next week going by the preview.

STARTED
Secret Royal Inspector & Joy - I like what they are going for comically but it isn't actually funny yet. Plus having seen the other Royal Inspector sageuk this year, this is treading on a lot of the same beats right down to the servant impersonation (Lee Yi Kyung did it better!) and the illegal mine.

Melancholia - Good Will Hunting meets Korea's class politics. Really liked the way the maths parts were incorporated. But shows like this one make me so mad with the unfairness of it all that I can't bear to watch. Let's see how long I last.

The Red Sleeve Cuff - Why did it have to start with ghosts. Freaked me out 😖 This feels like an old school sageuk but with the right dose of humour. Lee Deok-hwa was so good.

Now We Are Breaking Up - It's mediocre with a very typical view of how the fashion world works but it is just the right amount of mindless to deliver me from the seriousness of all the other shows. Also some surprising chemistry there 👀.

C-DRAMAS
No time…

The King’s Affection: This drama looks like it is going to have a rather depressing ending. We are now half way through and I have no idea where they are going to go with this. I wonder if there will be a time jump. Hmmmm. The wedding should be interesting, I do actually think they will go through with it. However, based on the preview some things seem about to happen.

Secret Royal Inspector: This show is so cute, lol. I was stress right alongside Joy. I needed her to get this divorce. So I was very happy when it happened. Taecyon is in his wheelhouse so this drama looks to be a dun ride.

Dali and the Cocky Prince: What a fabulous ending. The time-jump. The fake me out. It was all so cute. In the end I did like this drama, the middle part was silly, but the beginning and end made the drama for me. I think it would have been more interesting if they had properly made it new money v. old money, but in the end it was fine. I loved that they weren’t first loves and the separation was more her needing slight personal space than actually breaking up. I didn’t appreciate that she kept devaluing herself when people said she was better than him. She should have said we are equal. I also didn’t appreciate the scene of Woo Tak and Moo Hak eating her nasty pancakes, I found it really infantilizing. She is a grown woman, tell she can’t cook and then show her how. It makes sense that someone who often forgets to eat can’t cook.

Reflection of You: This drama is exhausting. Everyone is pretty terrible. However, I draw the line at kidnapping. I think kidnapping is one of the worse crimes on earth. Your family doesn’t know what happened to you, whether you are dead or alive. It is awful. Hae Won lost me in this part, it is just evil. Nothing Hui Ju did is as bad as that. That being said Go Hyung Jung is a really fantastic actress, she does fragile and brittle really well.

The Red Sleeve Cuff: When I say I haven’t enjoyed a first episode like this in a good long while. It was utterly delightful. The child actors were not only adorable but truly excellent actors. Also Deok Im is a delightful character. How awesome is she. She had those cute big ears and such a cute little liar. I just really appreciated her. Grown up Deok Im looks to be awesome too. I can’t wait to see them all grown up. As for little Y-San, baby boy can emote. Well cast and well done.

Now we are Breaking Up: I actually really liked this too. I appreciate that she doesn’t get flustered around him. She isn’t some shy young thing. This is a mature woman in her prime who knows what she wants and isn’t with the s*&ts. It was nice to see. We shall see how long it lasts, but I love that she is in no way intimidated by him. JKY is playing a similar character to what he usually plays, but it works here. I like him as a cocky photographer. This could be fun.

Inspector Koo: I hope there are no fatalities, I like our insurance crew. I hope they don’t kill off GW’s boyfriend, he doesn’t...

Secret Royal Inspector and Joy. I had so much fun watching. The drama is taking itself for what it is, and that’s the best way to be great. Not asking more of it than to laugh and have fun. Besides, you all know this but I have to say it: I love Taec!!!!!!!!

Reflection of you. The more I watch the less I like any character. Still on episode 9 of this very much exhausting drama. But giving credit where is due, I really like the writing and directing even. I only wish I could understand what the hell is happening.

Would you want a cup of coffee?. What can I say? Episode 3 had a Lee Kuy Hyung cameo. I’m in love.

Red Sleeve. Watched episode 1 and liked it a lot. I learned from a friend that the childhood connection doesn’t appear in the book, although Deokim does meet the King and is sent the book. Can’t wait to watch episode 2 and see Seyoung and Junho together. I love them both so much!

Jirisan. If someone can explain me why episode 6 happened I will be grateful. I suppose they had to fill in a number of episodes and that’s why we had it. Directing continues to be horrible. Even Son Seok Koa was totally lost on it. How can any PD can make this man look like he doesn’t know what he’s doing? Well, there is one.

On the verge of insanity. On episode 6 of this amazing drama. How come I heard so little about it. Absolutely in love.

Mad Dog (2017). Fun, fun, fun.

Planning to catch up with Doctor Brain and give a try to Melancholia (although I will drop the minute there’s a hint of a love story between a teacher and the student) and Now we are breaking up.

So many new shows this week and I didn't have time to check any 😭 (except the first 10min of Taec - I liked the comedy, but found the divorce plight boring).

What I mainly watched was the Taiwanese drama Rainless Love (thanks to recommendations of @tsutsuloo and @wapzy). It tonally feels like a mixture of Doom at Your Service and Mystic Pop-up Bar, but it's completely unique, and with Taiwanese mythology behind. And so far I love it. It can be funny and poignant... and the Rain God is dangerously smexy ☺

Dali - I guess I expected more from the finale. I would prefer more focus on Dali and Muhak living together and getting the gallery thrive (where is Muhak's takeover of the cafeteria??!!) than on a cliché stab and a stretched fake separation. (Also that suggestion that Taejin was genuine with his love for Dali and at the same time was behind the gallery fall and basically killed her father... that didn't feel plausible at all). At least there was a copy of an important file 😁 ...and I also liked that Wontak stayed true oppa till the end (no love triangle!). Despite my current temporary disappointment (and waste of Kwon Yul as a cliché villain), this was a show I looked forward every week. It made me laugh and giddy (even with its sometimes over the top humour) and Park Gyu Yeong was a revelation as Dali ♥️

Inspector Koo: I absolutely love it. It’s smart and fun and weird in the best way. I love Kyung’s love for theatre and the shots that are set up to look like scenes from a play, like Kyung-soo’s imagination scenes. The OST is great. Protect Santa.

Happiness: Surprisingly, out of all the recent premieres, this is the drama I enjoyed the most. The leads are so likeable. While it may not offer anything new to the zombie genre, I think it did a good job setting up the world. I like that the apartment storyline addresses classism. The one issue I had is that the pills that cause people to turn were developed due to COVID. Did you really have to go there, show?

Now, We are Breaking Up: The first episode was trying way too hard. Lots of cringey dialogue. Not feeling the chemistry between SHK and JYK: Wooden meets wooden. Jang Ki-yong’s hair was weird. All of the crowd scenes had me thinking about COVID and took me out of the storyline.

The King’s Affection: I like the longing much more than the cutesy stuff. The Prince pushing for a royal marriage kind of ruined this week for me though. She’s choosing to risk an innocent person’s life because of her feelings for Ji-woon. She should spend her time trying to figure out how to fake her death.

Secret Royal Inspector and Joy: Something about how this is directed makes it feel old and kind of low budget. The acting is not that great. Taecyeon’s ears look even bigger under the gat. I was ready to drop it after about 10 minutes but somehow I watched two full episodes.

Reflection of You: I started this for Go Hyun-jung, but it’s Shin Hyun-bin who is commanding my attention. I don’t like or root for Hae-won, but I find her compelling. It’s a shame someone with such promise chose such a destructive path. I wish she could snap out of it and find happiness, but they’ve dropped too many anvils about her dying.

Dr. Brain: He synced his brain to a dead cat. This show is bonkers.

Also planning on trying The Red Sleeve Cuff and Melancholia when I get the time. Why do dramas have to start all at once?

CRICKET - T20 World cup - yes we have one in 2022 too and then we have 2023 world cup too and then we have one in 2025 too . money

KIWIs - oh yeah yeah yeah. Everyone was like naah England will go through. I was calm like neesham and said this will go till last over and New Zealand won it even before that.

England - its Ashes - and that's all matters - exept the racism issues of the club.

Australia - 1st time ever in a in finals of a t20 world cup. Little bit of heart is also with them. I was calm and said wade can hit big sixes and then as usual of the whole tournament in the 18th and 19th over all games have been won by making big sixes. Warner is carrying the attack now.

2015 - New Zealand Vs. Australia - ODI world cup - and australia won.

This time New Zealand has the chance to give Australia the same taste.

New Zealand - 2019 ODI world cup final -

World Test championship - 2021
and now world t20 world cup final - wow

Kiwis just want to win all ICC trophies. ALL world tournaments.

I'm with Kiwis for 2023 - ODI world cup

Dali & Gamjatang: My favorite rom/com in a long time and a lovely couple. Didn't fall into a lot of the trope traps and had a comedic element all the way through. Also, some of the best uses of flash backs I've seen in a k-drama. I could nitpick, but I'm gonna take the win.

The King's Affection: I am stalling at episode 10. Will wait and see if I jump back in. Pacing is a bit off and the thought of 20 episodes....yeah, I don't know.

The Red Sleeve: One episode in and the characters are set so here we go...

The Secret Inspector: So far it's fun and hope it keeps the comedic aspect front and center.

Now, We are Broken Up: Did a good job setting up the story so, you know, only so much you can get from one episode.

Kindness: Liked the first episode and was bored in the second. Don't know if I'm in the mood. Will be watching for other insights as the drama airs but I'm putting it on hold.

I'm watching more historicals but haven't had much luck making it through one with Lovers being a drop for me recently and The King's Affection maybe falling off my list. I like the genre so hope to see some of these through.

An unexpected cyclone gave me one week leave from work and I finally got to live watch all the dramas I wanted after so long.

LONG POST AHEAD !!!!

Happiness (2): Lee kyung hyung is doing too many cameos. I knew he was going to turn into one when that wound started changing its colour. This genre is not exactly my fav and I was planning to watch it only for PHS but I did surprisingly enjoyed the first 2 episodes. The pace is good and flashbacks are well added so far. Wondering how our FL is immune to infection.

Jirisan (4-5): The show could have been so much better with such a talented bunch of artists. What a wasted opportunity. Every week I expect something that might make go "wow" only to get disappointed. And that snake poacher's wife is so annoying. Since viki released the episodes one week behind the original broadcast, I am a week behind and waiting for ep 6 to get subbed completely.

Chimera (2-4): Its getting interesting. I dont think the docotr is the actual culprit. Just like in the previews I guess he also wants to find the culprit. May be he is related to someone from the incident 35 years back. Both the docotr and eugene seems to have so many mysteries in their sleeve.

Inspector Koo (3-4): Four episodes in and two of the main characters are already drowning !!! In a way mostly K and Koo share lot of similarities. And I side with Je Hui when she said that Koo doesn't care much ( at least not initially) about anything other than solving puzzles. I am trying to remember where I have seen K's security partner before. He was the evil ghost in Uncanny Counter !!!! He definitely have chemistry with psycho girls 😂
Santa seems simple at a glance but I get the feeling that there is more about him than what have been shown so far. Cant wait to learn more about him. I like how the side characters are more mysterious than the leads. Like Santa, Je Hui, and even the security guy seems to have more backstory than they are showing us now. This is what I like most about the show. It shows and holds things and let the viewers know that , it is holding up the secrets. I am conflicted on which side I am. I always wanted serial killers to get caught but here no matter how annoying she is, K only killed people who deserve it ( atleast till now).

Let me be your knight (1): I wonder if LJY is getting typecasted with role of idol singer. I enjoyed his previous dramas " Imitation " and "Please don't date him". This is kind of similar to imitation with one episode per week and only 12 episodes. With all the crime themed and heavy themed dramas, I really need a drama with uncomplicated plot. I liked the first episode and will most probably stick on to it.

Melancholia (1-2): Yet another dig at how broken the education system is. LDH acting is so on point. There is a scene where the teacher says to seung yoo that she wants him to be free followed by a contrasting scene of his father asking him to fill the house's cabinets...

The King's Affection This drama is so interesting. I just have no idea what will be next... I juste want them to be happy together! The direction is really beautiful, every scene is like a painting.

Idol: The Coup How much crap the FL will accept by her bandmates ?

Secret Royal Inspector and Joy It didn't hold my interest but there is Kim Hye-Yoon, so I will continue for her.

Dal-li and Gamjatang There were some good moments, but mostly it was bad... The story made no sense in a rom-com and almost every character were meh... I think a good rom-com needs a good ensemble of characters.

Melancholia The first episode looked like a mix between Sky Castle and Will Hunting. I hope it will become more like Will Hunting...

The Red Sleeve Cuff I'm curious to see them as adult.

Now We Are Breaking Up JYK looked pretty hot, SHK looked like the same as her roles in her past dramas... Their first encounter didn't even look sexy... what a shame.

Inspector Koo I'm behind. Not very commited in the story.

Happiness The first 2 episodes were interesting. I think it's a good thing there are only 12 episodes.

Let Me Be Your Knight What a weird story.

Melancholia: I like Im Soojung’s character and her love for numbers, and like missvictrix I got the slight Dead Poets Society vibe too. It was nice to see her get excited that someone solved her math problem perfectly.

Reflection Of You: Well it’s likely that Haewon won’t make it out of this alive and that saddens me. The artistic choices in the drama are still so detailed and beautiful. Everyone delivers, maybe except for Woojae, but at least his hair makes him pretty.

Inspector Koo: I love everything!

The King's Affection: Continues to be wholesome fluff, with sufficient angst to keep the plot from feeling overtly like a cheap costume web-drama from China. Rowoon continues to impress me with his overgrown puppy-energy in all his 6 feet 4inches of tanned glory, while PEB continues to kill it as the CP; she's SO believable as a dude (to me, mainly cuz she looks like probably 3 VERY famous idols/actors from neighboring countries!) That said, I'm curious how the CP is planning to arrange for a fake pregnancy, and a fake royal heir, post-wedding. I love how I get my daily dose of BL as well as GL from just this ONE story! xD xD

Yumi's Cells: The novelty of the cells wore off by the end. I cannot believe the pair blamed their break-up on a secondary reason & ignored the elephant in the room. We clearly know even Bobby isn't Yumi's endgame. I wonder if her eventual boyfriend is a magical unicorn, because she seems like the kind whose final destination in any relationship would be a break-up, cuz she'd rather just end things than attempt to fix. -_- Looking forward to Boyrfriend-3's casting news!

Cup of Coffee: Last week I mentioned how Japanese this little show is. And this week the fan-subs were late. They're really drilling in the experience! xD

Someday or One Day: Derailed ALL my Nov k-drama plans, as I am planning to binge this fully before diverting my attention elsewhere. I was sad to finish 2021 without that ONE god-tier drama that completely destroyed me. Luckily, after SD1D, that's not the case anymore... what a GEM of show! The weird thing is, the more resistant I am to the idea of something, or someone... the harder I end up falling for them! Absolutely the case here (as neither the actor for the ML convinced me, nor the synopsis). But 6 eps in, I'm sitting and bawling every time he appears on screen. I'm 100% planning to chase the casting news for the k-drama remake, and keeping my fingers crossed they don't butcher it.
The beauty of this story is that it seems to be inspired by storytelling techniques from Japan, Korea, China, everywhere .... and then it has plot points similar to Hollywood classics from Nolan, the Time Traveler's Wife or Netflix's Dark and deals with the theme of loss, grieving, acceptance, akin to stories like Ps. I Love You. Wow, sounds like an overkill, but trust me, the result is mind-blowing. Kinda like a Studio Ghibli Masterpiece . :')

SQUID GAME (Ep. 4-9): The series was very well done. Lee Jung Jae did a fine job being the point character in the games. But it was Jung Ho Yeon who was the breakout star of the series (in her first drama role). Most of the plot twists were not that surprising. Hwang Dong Hyuk’s use of relatable children’s games was very impactful to the plot and well done. However, I found the ending time jump fell flat. I have read other people did not like the ending. The writer-director defended his ending as what he wanted to do, and I cannot fault him for his conviction. I would have rather had the last part deal with the winner’s guilt and/or the ramifications of the “missing” players to their families and society. Overall, it was still one of the top k-dramas of the year. And I don't like the idea of another season.

NOW WE ARE BREAKING UP (Ep 1): An insight into the highly competitive fashion industry is a nice setting. The two leads are 40 something independent, single and career oriented. They have chosen work over private relationships. As the beginning starts to unfold, it almost becomes a cat and mouse game of boy chasing girl but not in an over-the-top way. The biggest plot dud is the most obvious: if ML was such a famous fashion photographer, would not the FL know him?

Shows that I have been dancing in and out of randomly, with no complete investment:
DALI: The FL character has gone from strong to timid on the personality spectrum too much to be believable. The chabeol love triangle is a worn trope that does not fit well here. It would have been nice if the show was actually about the art world instead of a basic rom-com rich man saves failing woman story.
YOUNG LADY AND GENTLEMAN: I can root for Lee Se-Hee as FL because she auditioned for a secondary role but surprisingly got cast as the lead against 500 to 1 odds. Even for a family weekender, the traffic jam of birth secrets and intersecting family trees is like an infant drawing lines on a coloring book page.

Just checked out my rewatch list from this year and am freaking out because
a) that’s a lot of screen time and
b) what am I going to watch now??

So far:
- Her Private Life
- Oh My Ghostess
- Romance is a Bonus Book
- Still 17
- Weightlifting Fairy
- Into the Ring
- Reach for Sincerity

(Not including dramas which aired this year)…

One the Woman: 7.0 Totally, excessively typical ending marred by histrionics & overacting by baddies on their way down.

Inspector Koo: 8.5 Lee Young-Ae is nailing it. The baddie usually isn't quite as much fun to watch, but still ok.

Jirisan: 7.9 How much did the Yakult people not pay to avoid the negative PPL about poisonous yogurt drinks?
Lots of people seem disappointed in the show -- how soon till they start calling it "Jeerisan"?

Idol: The Coup: 4.0 I lasted a bit over 10 minutes. If I want to earn a Bean by watching a boring idol show I'll try to finish Antifan. But I can't give it the normal 10-minute score of 1.0 because it wasn't offensively bad -- I only dropped it out of apathy and desire to check out other new shows. Speaking of which...

Happiness: 8.2 Off to a good start, so I don't get to call it "Happimess" or "Crappiness". Yet.
FWIW, buying mystery miracle pills from some sleezy guy at the gym = Evolution In Action.

Secret Royal Inspector & Joy: 8.0 :)

King's Affection: 6.5 Too much filler. But what kind of rabbit can they pull out from under their propeller-hats to arrange their happy-ever-aftering?

Work Later, Drink Now: 7.1

Chimera: 7.5

Let Me Be Your Knight: 4.0 10 minutes here too. See above re boring idol shows. So...

So I Married an Anti-Fan: 3.0 (day 15)

Dal-li and Gamjatang: 7.5 Argh! The hair. THE HAIR!! (Yes, I liked the old way -- it suited her personality).

Bite Sisters: 8.0 Super-short episodes leave me wanting more.

Red Sleeve Cuff: 7.8 Good when the kids were on screen, then tropey with the grown-ups. I mean, slide/roll down a steep slope literally into the arms of the guy... Seriously? Some sort of metaphor for the plot falling off a cliff?

Jirisan: about to watch episode 7 - let’s see how that goes.

Melancholia: just finished episode 1 and looking forward to the next to see how the set-up fully is. I’m a bit of a nerd so I like the math aspect of it.

Secret Royal Inspector Joy: I felt like the comedy was trying too hard in episode 1, but I find it a bit funnier in episode 2. Taec’s deep voice! *swoon*

The Uncanny Counter: just finished and I totally get why everyone else liked it! I’m glad I was able to overcome the graphic parts (I’m a wimp) and I did shriek a bit in some surprise scenes but I enjoyed it so much I binged the whole show.

Beyond Evil: downloaded for offline bingeing!

Happiness: I was very pleasantly surprised by the first two episodes. I knew going in it sounded a lot like the plot of the movie Alive and I kind of expected to be like oh another zombie-ish themed drama with government cover up/containment made all the more disturbing by being set after Coronavirus. Didn't think it would be as entertaining as it is and I really enjoyed the first two episodes. The pacing seemed right and the potential relationship between the two leads is intriguing. Besties getting married to secure a decent apartment? I dig it.

Da-li and The Cocky Prince: it's been a while since I watched a romantic comedy all the way through. That was mainly due to the cute relationship between the leads, most especially because Da-li was far more mature in her approach than the FL usually is and I liked watching the "prince" get flustered over his feelings but doggedly pursue her anyway. The drama was fueled by very typical tropes especially the murder-mystery that anybody could see coming from a mile away. I tended to just tune out machinations and the jealous possessive snobby ex. I liked to being surprised by the second female lead. Overall, worth the watch for the main couple.

Based on some of the other reviews here, it looks like I'll be starting The Red Sleeve Cuff next.

Dali and Gamjatang: Not a perfect show, but the central couple was delightful and I liked the way it acknowledged the messiness of family and relationships, while sidestepping fated childhood connections and noble idiots.

I Am Not a Robot: I've never been a huge Chae Soo Bin or Yoo Seung Ho fan, but they were a joy to watch in this, landing both their comic and serious moments and creating a genuine sense of connection. I can't say I was wild about the overall premise though, especially the idea the women, robot or human, should dedicate their lives to helping oblivious men access their feelings.

Bring It On Ghost💪👻(8/16): I am enjoying the ghost of the episode set-up and I will certainly remember episode 8 with the old and abandoned mental hospital. This setting was the epitome of creepiness, so of course I was as anxious as our ghosthunters to find and exorcise the creepy ghosts that still wandered inside. In the end the only creepy and disgusting thing was the treatment of the patients who just wanted to be acknowledged as human beings.😢Another sad thing is the unrequited love In-rang has for his Angel. I actually feel SLS even though I know it is played for laughs. I was very displeased when Bong-Pal lied that Angel hated the heels!😤

Sadly enough, that is all for this week. My friend managed to free me from real life’s clutches for a few Bring it on Ghost episodes, but I was not able to watch anything by myself. I hope next week will be better, because I cannot wait to finish the last quarter of Dal-ri & Gamjatang and Secret Royal Inspector Joy looks funny!🙏

Red Sleeve Cuff was, from all of 1 episode, exactly what I was looking for. Since Bossam, none of the other "sageuks" have really done it for me. Also kudos to the child actors - it's probably selection bias but I feel like it's been a while since I've really found the younger-version of the leads really charismatic on their own. (a throwback to the immensely talented 90's-born generation, many whom are now rightfully leads). And that scene near the end with lee deok hwa (can he ever do wrong? Already establishing his own iconic yeongjo with nary a shadow of previous portrayals in sight) and young yi san was a total highlight.
I just hope the writer keeps it up!

Dali: I wanted to spend more time with the characters and how they were living now than on the fake out. While some of the charm dissipated and some of the humor became too forced towards the end I still like the show overall. It's just it was so charming and bright at the beginning that I'm a little sad it lost its way.

Secret Love: Once I got past ep 4 I could see how this is known as one of those dramas people get addicted to. I felt bad that Hwang Jung Eum had to cry so much, but I thought both leads did well. Especially I liked how Ji Sung played his like a destructive toddler. I do wish that the step mom's role and the second lead female role had been expanded more and, especially not so cliche for Lee Da Hee's role. And though I'm not neccesarily into corporate espionage stories, I'd have liked to have seen the Chairman and his right hand guy be a little more formidable. There was all this talk about how smart the ahjussi was and cut throat the chairman, but they seemed be teetering on the brink of losing everything quite easily.
Anyway if anyone ever picks this up you just have to let go and go for the ride and know that a very unapologetic toxic relationship is the drive of the show.

Review Notebook of My Embarrassing Days: a 2018 drama special. I like Jun So Min and picked it up mostly for that and the length. The romance was sweet, though too fast so it could fit into the hour length. But the leads were charming together and nice to see that being divorced in this drama wasn't that big of a deal. If true, I didn't realize how strict security around the writing of test questions can be, though it makes sense.

I think I'm going to finally try Dinner Mate. Also the J drama on Viki called You, Me, and Bach. The C drama You are My Glory and then one of the new K dramas. There are so many released right now it's hard to decide. I'm leaning towards Inspector Koo or Happiness. I'm not big on scary, but just feel like something a little darker.

Now the problem is not how to catch so many good shows, is how to catch all those shows legally, in North American, especially.

Platforms to offer these K-dramas has become so diverse, I don't know if I can count everyone in. Now Netflix is starting to take over Rakuten Viki to be a K-drama powerhouse oversea*, then Chinese company iQiyi (they have helped produced My Roommate Is a Gumiho and Jirisan already, it is another issue if they are good shows or not). Now we have Apple TV+ (Dr. Brain), and next month we will have Disney+ (Snowdrop). This may have also driven so many good, and big budget shows to the horizon.

Some platforms are having problems, too. Viki is famous for their detail and descriptive substitles, but time they need to generate those subtitles are too slow (Take Secret Royal Inspector and Joy, I watched it on Thursday, and Episode 2 still has only 92% of it subtitled, and the last 5 minutes has no subtitle at all). Disney+, on the other hand, seems don't plan to let their North American audience to watch Snowdrop. As I am writing this piece, Snowdrop has only been planned to release in some countries, and North America seems to be not one of them.

These results we the audience cannot avoid watching some of the shows illegally (in my case, Secret Royal Inspector is one of them, at least the last 5 minutes, due to subtitle issue), and we can't solve the problem only by learning Korean (which I am, and I don't think everybody does). The limitation of accessing the shows is still pretty terrible, and this hurts everyone who gets involved in this business, and I guess every stakeholder needs to think about it.

*Kocowa is another interesting being, I don't know how to describe it ... It has shows only from KBS, SBS and MBC, which I have not much interest in, but surely not everyone is me. On the other hand, some of those shows which are better (The King's Affection, for example) is on Netflix, too.

We loved DALI AND GAMJATANG and will miss both Dali and Moo-hak. This was not a great show but could have been. Unfortunately the over-emphasis on a set of grand villians doing a political corruption corporate greed evil family members story got in the way of creating a great comedy. I blame laziness on the part of the writer. Although at least the show avoided a Noble/Idiotic Separation (while taking a moment to tease us that there had been one). Villians may be an element of the story but they should not be the emphasis- the villainous plot should not overshadow the comedic plot. The strength and heart of this story lay in the way it showed to very strong but very different people coming together, not in the overcoming evil story. This show was good but not great, and it could have been great. But we still enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone even with its flaws.

My wife binge watched the Chinese Costume drama PRINCESS SILVER. She was absolutely mesmerized and described it as the best show ever (her exact words). She has seen a lot of shows- including a lot of Chinese Costume dramas- so I think that I am safe in recommending it.

Meanwhile I got back to the Chinese Costume rom-com HONEY, DON’T RUN AWAY. It has a hilarious start but does turn a little more serious as it goes on.

My wife and my son (leaving soon for his new job) both love JIRISAN. She is also excited about the premier of RED SLEEVE CUFF and is enjoying THE KING’S AFFECTION.

We have also begun watching SECRET ROYAL INSPECTOR AND JOY. So far it is good.

I have started the T-drama RAINLESS LOVE IN A GODLESS LAND and I am impressed. From time to time Taiwan produces a real gem. This appears to be one of those times.

I am enjoying I have seen the next episode of WOULD YOU LIKE A CUP OF COFFEE? It is a K-drama J-drama. It is hard to describe it in any other way. I continue to look forward to new episodes of the J-dramas SUPER RICH and YOU, ME AND BACH as well as CAN’T RUN AWAY FROM LOVE.

I am looking forward to LET ME BE YOUR KNIGHT and am about to start IDOL: THE COUP as well.

Unless I hear good things about it I will probably give NOW WE ARE BREAKING UP a pass. There is only just so much time.

I continue looking forward to each new episode of the weekend family drama YOUNG LADY AND GENTLEMAN.

Public Service Announcement: For those who have Netflix but not Viki I am happy to be able to tell you that Netflix now carries the greatest of all Taiwanese rom-com dramas: DRUNKEN TO LOVE YOU. Please note that Netflix decided to shorten the title to just LOVE YOU.

Completed:

D&G: I talked about this in its own thread, but this was a very pleasant watch for me. I see DaebakGrits' point about the preponderance of serial killer or murder subplots in rom-coms, but in D&G's case, I thought the director/editor did a good job of seamlessly transitioning from one plot and tone to the other. I'm not sure the couple would have been as uniformly appealing had the drama focused solely on their interactions and personality conflicts to generate plot, and in the end, the thing I want most in a rom-com is to enjoy watching the leads fall in love. And I absolutely did with this one.

NEVERTHELESS: In the end, this one was neither the toxic mess nor edgy exploration of young adult love through clumsy metaphors that I expected. It left me with the distinct impression that no one involved ever reached consensus on what they wanted this drama to be about. And although it's supposed to mirror the unpredictability, messiness, and randomness of real life, it's still a drama and therefore, should have a coherent storyline and resolution.

Currently Watching:

SQUID GAME: I know I'm late to the party on this one, but I had no real interest in watching this drama. Then my 17-year old son--who has neither seen nor expressed even remote interest in ever watching a kdrama--said he'd heard Squid Game was good. So we started a nightly family watch and are now on ep. 8. It's tremendously violent and dark, of course, but it's more addictive and moving than I was expecting. We all enjoy it, and I particularly like pointing out how the show does or does not follow typical kdrama conventions, including the consideration of the age-old question that my son voiced last night: "Why do all the native English speakers suck at acting?"

HAPPINESS: This one was another one whose promo materials I barely paid any attention to and despite my complete indifference to zombie or apocalyptic dramas, I'm enjoying it. It's fast-paced, features yet another strong and multi-faceted FL, and the subtle romantic subplot makes the overall story appealing. Looking forward to watching this week's episodes soon.

KING'S AFFECTION: This one isn't quite as riveting as I was hoping, but I truly have no idea where it's going or how are leads could ever survive this situation let only end up together. So I keep watching. The visuals are also stunning, and as others have said, I'm so glad to have been spared watching the ML try to prove his ardent heterosexuality while denying his feelings for someone he believes to be a man. Ji-woon just went with what his heart was telling him and that's much more emotionally satisfying to watch. PEB continues to impress, and Rowoon is doing just fine, imo.

I'm not completing addicted to this one yet, but I'm definitely happy to see where it goes for now.

Looking forward to starting "Melancholia" and "Red Sleeve Cuff" later this week.

Jirisan - despite its flaws still enjoyable. Perhaps its because the writer can still hold my attention that the drama's lack of awareness around hiking safety feels lazy. Lets see if I get a bingo with the latest episode.

My Sweet Dear - I liked that it wasn't drawn out. Main complaint being the writing could have been better. The resolution for the conflict was between anti-climatic, confusing, and somewhat felt unresolved. Its always sad that simple communication between characters could have resolves so many of the things before they got the the point that the owner had to make up a tasting competition just to part ways with the head chef. Maybe backstory would have give it more depth? But that also deviates it from the fact its not really supposed to be that deep.

Idol: The Coup - having a bit of hangover with Hani from You Raise Me Up but ITC is a lot better than I was expecting. It also feels like its giving what I felt was missing from Let Me Be Your Knight. But the two are also bad to compare because LMBYK is trying to be a comedy (sorry I found it more cringe-worthy than funny) while ITC set up is more focused on the friendship and falling out with idols that haven't made it.
The comparison to Imitation is also hard to get away from. It feels like the Cotton Candy members fit better with the narrative. The thing I could never get away from with Imitation was Maha was supposed to be a great dancer which unfortunately Jung Ji-so was not.

Let Me Be Your Knight - a bit hard to get into for me. I feel like this is banking on liking the ML and while I like the actor... the ML isn't likable yet.

Inspector Koo - this has shaped up really nicely.

Love At Night - I'm so happy she dumped him!

Bite Me - I'm not anywhere near the end and it feels like they already resolved the main conflict. -.-'

Bad Buddy - not sure why the sister didn't share that their neighbour saved her life with their parents. The setup is fun.

And then there is more... just haven't found time to watch them yet.

As always, @daebakgrits comments are cracking me up (and I agree so much!) Dal Li was so tiresome for me by the end, I realize I found EVERYONE except our main couple and Won Tak super annoying. It started out so well but I wouldn’t recommend watching it. What coulda been?

Been sampling here and there, but the only dramas that I really feel like keeping watching are Happiness and Rainless Love.
Still watching King's Affection, but will probably replace it for Red Sleeve Cuff. Will probably also stick to only one of the two airing idol dramas, but still haven't decided. Finally, I'm planning to watch ep 16 of Dali, but, yeah, it's sweet and all but I'm not terribly invested...
November 19 it's Yoo Ahin's comeback in Hellbound, yay!

Finished with the first two episodes of The Red Sleeve and I really like what I've seen so far. It's very much a traditional sageuk and I admire the attention to detail from the set dressing to the correct forms of address. It's lovely to look at. Everything just feels authentic. The first episode was clearly a setup episode but I thought it was well done and I'm very intrigued by the threads that are being woven. The scene with King Yeongjo and Yi San felt almost Shakespearean. Loved it. The second episode had a lot more lighthearted moments as things got rolling with the main leads. The opening had me chuckling and from there it was tiki taka all the way between them. Very charming. We got some initial insights into the lead characters' personalities and there's much Plot on the horizon. From the preview, it looks like the baddies will be introduced next week so things will get even more interesting.

Happiness (Episode 1-2) - Mood: B+
Colour me shocked: this show completely blew it out of the water with its premiere! Maybe it’s because Search and Dark Hole were awfully terrible in comparison that I didn’t have high expectations? But a setup that’s both short and succinct? Worldbuilding that accounts for COVID with some slight yet not excessive dramatisation? Contract marriage and cohabitation that gracefully toes the line between sincerity and pragmatism? Social stratification system within the apartment that’s realistic? The only cloud that’s hanging over the narrative is the drug conspiracy possibility.

Idol: The Coup (Episode 1-2) - Mood: B
For a show that I started because of Kwak Si Yang (his previous lead role was terrible to say the least?), I’m so worried that his character could once again be an annoying antagonist. The show’s been quite careful so far painting a company where the elites aren’t jerks (I gratefully welcome that) and it would be such a pity to throw that nuance away for any tropes. The acting is quite unstable and I’m not sure if there’s enough time to develop all 10(!) idols, but the plot has great potential looking forward. Writer wrote both Misaeng and Bride of Habaek: what to expect?!

Finished:
- One The Woman (Episode 15-16) - Mood progression: C- / C- / C- / C / C- / D+ / D / D, The most watchable moment in the finale was unfortunately the closing music video.
- Dal-li and Gamjatang (Episode 15-16) - Mood progression: C- / D+ / D+ / D+ / D+ / D / D+ / D, I cringed hard when Moo Hak got stabbed and cringed harder when I realised that Won Tak went arcless the entire show.

Also watched:
- Reflection of You (Episode 9-10) - Mood: C, I’m starting to fast-forward not just the rich family parts as more new shows start to premiere, even though it’s presenting an interesting insight into the destructiveness of revenge.
- Secret Royal Inspector and Joy (Episode 1-2) - Mood: C-, The villainy and hence its influence on the development of the story buries much if any of the plot’s potential despite flashes of brilliance and nuance in the leads.
- Inspector Koo (Episode 3-4) - Mood: C-, I’m sorry but this cat-and-mouse game does nothing for me: I want details like Santa’s motivations instead!
- The King's Affection (Episode 9-10) - Mood: D+, This confession-separation cliche is too predictable.
- Let Me Be Your Knight (Episode 1) - Mood: D+, The setup is dated but we’ll see how the cohabitation goes?
- Melancholia (Episode 1-2) - Mood: D, I’m ride or die for Lee Do Hyun but god this show’s so terrible.
- Chimera (Episode 3-4) - Mood: D, Yet more conglomerate conspiracy cover-up nonsense?

Now We Are Breaking Up - SHK & JKY are beautiful to look at. Didn’t feel any 🔥 between them, not even when they were kissing. The second leads might have an interesting storyline.
Red Sleeve - the child actors are amazing! Loved the conversation between the King and child Court Lady. Juhno has always been adorable but in Royal Robes . . . 😍

I'm in the minority I guess, but I enjoyed the 1st 2 episodes of Now We are Breaking Up. Pretty to look at (actors and scenes of beautiful people wearing beautiful clothes), and I'm becoming interested in FL's backstory with ML's brother. I know there are other older Kdramas that explore this type of story, but I've never watched them, so I'm interested in how a woman comes to love the brother of someone she loved in the past. I hope it continues to pique my interest just enough to make me look forward to tuning in.

I also just completed Hi Bye Mama. Overall I really enjoyed this drama. I wish that they had started off showing more of how ML loved his second wife because she deserved more of a setup before the heartache of the 1st wife's return. And I could have done without the overfilled ghost cast. The story of a mother who gets to come back to hold her daughter because of her own mother's prayers to see her once more was emotionally satisfying.

MY LOVELY SAM SOON (A+) Shoot, now I’m completely spoiled and may never be able to enjoy another drama. This oldie was incredibly well written and acted. It was also realistic in a way most modern Kdramas are not, down to the acne on Hyun Bin’s forehead. I liked that the main plot and characters were developed in every scene instead of endless subplot chatter that fills up too many current dramas.