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Team Dramabeans: What we’re watching

So, what are we all watching this week?

What kept you reaching for more (or agonizing when there was no more), and what made you want to throw your remote through the screen? Time to weigh in…

 

missvictrix

Currently covering: Forecasting Love and Weather

Twenty Five Twenty One: What a lovely show this is — it’s so well put together that when I watch it I kind of disappear into the story, and when the week’s episodes are over, I just sit back and shake my head in a how-did-they-do-that kind of way. Never in a million years would I have thought about a drama about fencing, or one that could make me care about fencing, or one that could make the world and mechanics and lessons around fencing so relatable, and so poetic. Maybe that’s the magic this drama has — it’s simple and sweet, but it has a poetry in all of its moments, whether it’s that water fountain scene, the loach catching, or that beautiful ending scene in the gym between our leads.

 

mistyisles

Currently covering: Twenty Five Twenty One

Grid: Definitely more invested now after the second episode! While last week I mostly felt impatient for the main story to start, this week I felt more curious to actually learn about these people and what has happened to them in the years since the grid was constructed. However, I still don’t feel super connected to any of them — like I can’t quite get inside their heads, if that makes sense. But I’m still very intrigued by it all, so we’ll see how the rest of it plays out.

 

DaebakGrits

Currently covering: Business Proposal

Twenty Five Twenty One: Another great week for this new drama. I absolutely adore our leading lady, and I’m torn between wanting more of her high school years and eagerly anticipating the future time-skip so we can see what becomes of our characters when they reunite when they are slightly older. Also, the note she left on Yi-jin when he passed out drunk was absolutely hilarious. But is Yi-jin not Min-chae’s father? Ahhhh! I both love and hate that they are making this a mystery.

Forecasting Love and Weather: I’m a bit surprised with how fast our leading couple got together. I was expecting a cool-down period following their one-night stand so the story could build in the typical romance genre fashion. Not sure how I feel about this twist, though. On the one hand, it’s progressive, but on the other this is a textbook rebound relationship. It feels like our leads are bonding over the fact their exes are now married more than any real connection between the two of them. Through the Darkness is (finally) back this week, so I’m not sure I will be making time for this one.

 
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COMPLETED
Moonshine - The classic problem of having 'too much story'. Merchant Shim being the long lost son was a genuine surprise but we got that revelation so late that we didn't care. Finale and where everyone ended up was mostly fine.

Ghost Doctor - I wish most of the last two episodes were the moments when Young-min was teaching Seung-tak. Still it wasn't a bad finale and the MLs were good. I can see myself rewatching clips of the bickering bros down the line.

ONGOING
Rookie Cops - I wish there was more focus on the other rookies. The search for the scammer by the comical trio was probably the highlight for me.

Thirty-nine - I think I'm a bad person. I do not feel anything for any of these characters not even the terminally ill one. Maybe it's because we spent most of the two episodes on Mi-jo dealing with the news rather than on Chan-young - hopefully we get that next week?

Grid - I am really liking this show but (and I foresee myself saying this often) one episode a week is not enough 😣.

Forecasting Love and Weather - I was so irritated with the way the FL was treated in the beginning of Ep. 3 that I nearly dropped it but I managed to stick it out up to Ep. 4 and the show marginally improved. Mostly because of PMY. I'll continue with some very generous fast-forwarding.

Twenty-five Twenty-one - This drama is my happy place right now 🥰

Through the Darkness - It's back 🥳! Will watch both episodes together today.

Tracer - The back half of this is also out but the subs are …what they are…so will wait for the good people making better subs.

C-DRAMAS
Watching The Autumn Ballad and Royal Feast right now.

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hiii! enjoyed reading your mini-recaps. just wanted to let you know that there's a great tracer sub team on twitter than has ep 1-6 up on their page! the drama is wonderfully thrilling, i think you'll thoroughly enjoy it

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Thanks! And yeah that's what I meant by the "good people making better subs". I'll wait for more episodes to be subbed by them before I watch. I have already watched the 6 so far, bless them!

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LIFE IS BUT A DREAM: Apple has commissioned famous Korean director Park Chan-wook to create a short film as part of its "Shot on iPhone" campaign. Park, perhaps best known for the action thriller flick OLDBOY, used an iPhone 13 Pro to shoot a 20-minute fantasy martial arts movie which Apple released on YouTube.
 
The film starts off with horror-like elements after an undertaker digging up a grave to steal a coffin but awakens the ghost of a swordsman. Later, the ghost of a maiden hero who died after saving the undertaker's village returns to demand a proper burial coffin. After that, it becomes a blend of action, romance, dark comedy, dancing and pansori, a Korean genre of musical storytelling. Pretty interesting story and it is hard to tell it was made on a smartphone. Worth watching. It may also pave the way for a condensed movie genre since kids today have only a TikTok attention span.

ALL OF US ARE DEAD (Ep. 7- 12 ) I binged to finish the series. It was good but the ending was basically a clip show without final answers. It fell flat in my estimation. I do not like the concept of a second season to clean up a first one. Kdramas are supposed to have a beginning, middle and END. I think if the show went with linear episodes, it would have been a better finish.

World building quibbles: the pseudo science explanation for the zombie virus was not clear. The writer gave us an equation A + B + C = X but the math question is “solve for Y.” It was shown the zombies are dead (no heartbeat) but the virus hides in cell RNA then controls body movements when activated (by the brain, which seems to control “hambie” state for a while if person had strong emotions prior to being zombified). But muscle movement is controlled by nerves and brain signals. Mad pharma dad stated that white blood cells tried to fight the virus but lost. We still do not have a direct answer of why the zombies function, why they hunger for human blood and why some die and others do not.

I think the young actors did a good job in their roles. The message that the surviving teens should not trust adults is a little heavy handed. There was plenty of repetitive gore and differences in the sad, pathetic, heroic, noble idiocy and painful deaths. I will not watch the second season.

THIRTY, NINE (Ep 3-4) After debatable story telling direction in Episodes 1 and 2, the next two were somber. Again, Episode 3 was more of a focus on Mijo, who was becoming unlikeable. She claims her two friends are her family, but we know she has a loving and protective older sister and great, loving supportive parents. In fact, all the parents on the show are great. We have not seen any Mijo panic attacks but only her hot temper anger then non-confrontational sadness. Chanyoung now knows her prognosis - - but she continues to be the cool friend. Joo-hee’s relationship is the only natural one we can root for to come to term. She plays the timid mouse quite well. Episode 4 appears to be...

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Episode 4 appears to be the foundational set-up for the roller coaster ride to come. It sets up Mijo cannot saving her best friend but saving Seon-U’s sister, So-won.

Jin-Seok’s back story makes even less sense now. He should have divorced his wife six years ago! Why did he leave Chanyoung hanging out to dry?

I think part of the problem with the first third of the show is the pace, editing and direction. It was a pre-produced show but filmed episodes out of order. In January, the crew rushed to complete the filming two weeks early (and were shooting parts of Ep 7 and 10 near the end). The one nightstand had SYJ literally backed into a wall for a 20 second kissing scene. In the BTS, that the actual bed scene with SYJ was cut from the episode . . . though fully dressed, apparently the actors were too shy and awkward. The main OTP relationship does seem awkward and forced and SYJ seems distracted by that story line. Seon-U is written as the perfect man but I really do not see the seamless pairing with Mijo. Some critics think the show is too centered on Mijo and her reaction to events in her life instead of Chanyoung’s condition.

Still, the best moments continue to be the three girlfriends hanging out together as real friends.

Variety:
HOUSE ON WHEELS 3: I enjoy when actors around a campfire talk about the craft and experiences. Jung Hae In said he was most grateful for SITR. He should because it rocketed his career. He has been working non-stop since that drama. He said the most memorable scene was the bicycle in the square.

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You've torn 39 apart. This was supposed to be an ensemble cast but we know who has much more screentime.
Joohee's character is the one I hope had more space to develop cause it sure has lots of potential in it.

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I'm feeling less and less inclined to go back to 39...

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CRICKET - The exciting and beautiful test match between Kiwis and bangladesh.

T20 - here a weak or not so strong team can compete against a strong team and still losses most of the time. In T20, a weak team has more chances to beat the other team. Strong team being off-colour that,wrong team selection, bad performance of few key players, not adjusted to weather as well as playing area conditions. Pitch and several other factors. 1 woah performance from 1 or 2 players of weak team. Here you can escape mistakes but time and opportunities are too few. Skills and talents gap isn't as much because of the nature of T20 - still a big gap between both. T20 allows upsets.

ODI - Even more difficult for a weak team to win against big name strong team. It allows more time to see and escape from the mistakes already done. Allows more time to gain control. ODI does have few upsets but they are "too few".

TEST - different from T20 and ODI. completely - 5 days of a match demands high level of physical and mental fitness.Especially mental. International matches so countries tour each other. Home team has huge advantages. Even a weak team becomes highly competitive. audience, spectators, media, weather, climate, season, pitch and few other factors are on home team's side. Visiting team has to adjust to everything and then face the home team.
Australa and England the strong teams have lost matches in bangladesh.
Bangladesh being the visitors won in New Zealanda against the strong team of Kiwis that have won the 1st test Championship. It's big. Yup. This is one rare upset of Test CRICKET.

Test cricket favours strong teams to see and clean their mistakes. 5 days is enough time to do that.

This win of bangladesh is beautiful. From competitive to winning the match is beautiful.

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JAPAN -

Oi Handsome - 7 out of the 10 - penguin guy. father handsome. meetings and all the food. the cameo character that makes the impression is ex-bureaucrat.

Fight Song - 6/10 - Kaya being cute. Shotaro getting main role but his character needed more. Hanae is an awesome heroine.
Side characters are same cliche. piano plays too much and is too loud. Show's budget isn't much. Story is ok - characters interaction is good. Music is alright. Its cliche light drama with some very good dialogues.

Patissier and Young Lady - 6/10 - manga to drama to cinema.
modern trend of cute buildup of relationship.

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Kiyohara Kaya is working so hard in that drama. You can feel the smallness of the budget everywhere, but in particular how each shot is stretched way beyond its natural pace. I also wish Mamiya Shotaro had more but even with all the shortcomings, their is something nice about their performance together.

Mystery to LIunakare is full of interesting performances and even though the show treads familiar J-Drama path, it is well done. This is showing signs it will travel strongly to the end as every time it answers your question it does so by asking more questions. Who ever is doing the casting is on point as the episode guests are so well chosen for the storylines they are playing. Ito Sairi again seams to be far more at home when her character is less bubbly. I hope she gets more screen time as the story comes to a conclusion as I so like what she is bringing to the role.

A couple of great pairings recently. I so wish Arimura Kasumi and Ishibashi Shizuka would be cast in some crazy heist movie.

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As i always - real life is way more fun and entertaining compared to fiction. have some popcorn and enjoying playing a role of this n that expert to analyst. real time role play. no boring or cliche stuff as with time information change and alters. fun.

Space - way too much happened while i was busy for 1 n half month. Need more budget all across the world.

Korea -

Solar storm to cliche - 6/10 That's space for you. And right now a human made system is circling sun and sending important data. Without that futile idea of time girl this show is doing better.

Bedroom Temperature - 3/10 - this show in 1st 4 episodes did scenes that you see in Japanese porn. quality. father returning home and trying to fit in the family is what you look for.

late 30's teenagers - 4/10

rote learning doctor - 4/10 - korean drama set in hospital can't ever be good.

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CHINA - chinese fluff garbage ignore and then the real show pops up

Modern Marriage - 6.5/10 - Actor does this kind of roles more. i like his choice of work. story looks simple but the social tone actually make it worth watch.

Reset - 4/10 - This is how you create acceptance among people. In open posts i always talked about it. good production above average acting but main item is cameras everywhere. Good way to earn party praise.

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I'm still surprised that Forecasting is the show that I'm looking forward to the most. And I like that among all those weather predictions the show self is quite unpredictable 😀

25-21 - this really is a show in the vein of Reply series... and I love it. Also... I cut my fringe (bangs) in Heedo style... and now I'm expecting a boost of energy 😄

Business Proposal l caved in and glimpsed at the original webtoon naively thinking that I would read just a biiiiiit of it... and now I'm 40 episodes further 😅... It's very funny (and very romantic 🥰 )... and I'm trying to stop myself from reading more.

TF4 - I thought it was loosing its spark when I started episode 9, but then it started building up... and up... and up... and I actually literally cried towards the end of the episode. This adaptation is really good at grabbing my heart and making me feel for everyone (nearly. Though even the Ice Queen has sometimes a point).

39 - didn't watch... because when I was planning to watch Ukraine happened 😢 💔

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I reread the webtoon and I see that I matured a lot😂 It's almost like a ready-made script for a typical kdrama romance. We will see how they will deal with it but what I saw from photos, they didn't put the crazy pink wig on Se Jeong's hair so she is pretty recognisable. Anyway time for some fluff although there are much important things than watching TV.

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😂 yes, it is a very k-romantic webtoon. I'm also curious how they will translate it into the drama. (I'm really looking forward to grandpa 😁)

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I am eagerly waiting for Netflix to post the first episodes of BUSINESS PROPOSAL. Where can I find the webtoon?

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@dorotka, @kerouregan, would also like to know where I can find the webtoon. Also, are English translations available?

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Good point- I forgot to ask if it was available in English translation.

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I just Googled the manhwa 😁 (adblock may be necessary). It was in English.

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because I read your post, I also 'naively' think that it'll be a tiny - minute-scale glance... not to beat you up, but now I'm on ep 70s. I have to stahp myself because there are other things to do (go secretary Cha full mode on)

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Twenty Five Twenty One: This drama is so good! I really like how the scenes are shot, like the green light scene and the scenes in the rain. Hee-do is quickly climbing up my list of favorite heroines. I loved the scene with the gang all together and am eagerly anticipating more.

Thirty Nine: The writing is pretty mediocre but the performances are good enough to keep me watching. It bugged me that Mi-jo knew Chan-young’s diagnosis before Chan-young and for the better part of two episodes, made it all about herself. Joo-hee continued to be an afterthought, but the actress was so cringe worthy acting drunk, I was almost okay with that. I continue to be distracted by Yeon Woo-jin’s hair and spent a lot of time this week contemplating Jin-seok’s short suit jackets. Chan-young and Jin-seok had the best scene of the week.

Forecasting Love and Weather: I like the weather forecasting enough to continue watching for now but the OTP leaves me cold. I just do not buy that Ha-kyung would start dating another coworker, her direct subordinate at that, just a couple months after her life blew up and became fodder for the gossip mill. Rebound sex, sure, but dating? They sacrificed proper build up for surprise twists.

Juvenile Justice: Episodes 1-4: Wow, South Korea’s juvenile court system is different with judges basically acting as judges, prosecutors and probation officers. They addressed the Juvenile Act straight out of the gate and are delving into other social issues. I like Kim Hye-soo but don’t always like how she is delivering her lines.

Ghost Doctor: This was a fun, heartwarming drama with a wonderful bromance. I thought the final two episodes were some of the strongest of the series. Young-min and Seung-tak really were a rom-com pair. I thought the coma ghosts had touching endings. Rain and Kim Bum should do more comedies. They both have good comedic timing though Rain really excels in the quiet scenes.

Young Lady and Gentleman: This drama really lost the plot. The writer spent the whole middle section on amnesia and now with only 10 episodes left, Dan Dan is supposed to forgive her dad and Anna Kim for the unforgivable all while dealing with more relationship drama as crazy Se-ra pretends to be pregnant with Young-guk’s child. How Se-ra and Gun are supposed to be viable after all of this, I do not know. Soo-chul’s cheating just gets swept under the rug, I guess. This drama had potential but Dan Dan’s scenes with the kids were the only good parts. I hope the next weekend drama is better.

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I agree that in YOUNG LADY the writer has thrown away any rational relationship between Sa-ra and Gun. This also strikes me as a wrong turn, but I am sticking with the show anyway. But I do not recall any cheating by Soo-cheol. Anger yes but cheating no.

I am curious to see if Dan Dan can actually forgive her birth mother or not. It is easier to understand her forgiving her father if it happens- but she has every right to be mad at him at this point.

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Back when Anna Kim had cancer for five seconds, it was implied that he cheated. Anna Kim asked him to spend the night with her and then the next day, his wife mentioned that he didn't come home the night while he looked guilty.

I'm sure Dan Dan will forgive them both, but I think they are both gross.

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Thirty, Nine - To be perfectly honest, the only interesting storyline is Chan Young's. Everyone else is kind of bland except for when the trio get together. I would also dearly love it if TV shows stopped romanticizing alcoholism. It isn't cute or kind of embarrassing, it is pathetic and sad. They are trying to make Jin Seok sympathetic and it isn't working for me. His wife might suck but he chose to marry and stay with her. He is trash for his emotional cheating and Chan Young isn't much better in that department. That being said Chemo is the devil's cure and I fully understand not wanting that before you die.

Rookie Cops: This drama continues to be cute. Our lead couple is adorable and I like how they are showing them. I appreciate the kisses in places you will get caught and the casual touches. It is really sweet and shows they are a couple.

Grid: Okay, the second episode upped the ante and it became more interesting. We are learning more about our characters, what they do, and why they function. We are also getting more questions. I am really enjoying this drama.

Juvenile Justice: This was not what I expected. It is interesting how the stories are structured and I don't know if I love it or hate it. Lee Sung Min is yelling again, because that is what he does best. They have oddly infantilized Kim Moo Yul's character and I'm not sure why. Kim Hye Soo's Judge Sim is a tsundere character, but I don't know that I am a superfan of her characterization. That being said I'm enjoying the drama I would say, mostly because it is different and unexpected.

Tracer: New subs out today, so looking forward to this revenge plot. I am curious about the importance of Hye Young's unseen "fiance." His parents are garbage, but why haven't we seen him yet.

Through the darkness: Excited for that sexy haircut and t-shirt. Lol. Welcome back KNG.

Twenty Five Twenty One: My gushy feeling for the week. I love this drama so much.😍

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👉🏼 “I would also dearly love it if tv shows stopped romanticizing alcoholism.” Agreed! That scene where the friend got staggeringly drunk was not funny in the least. It was a turn off. And she’s 39, not in college!

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Totally agree @smulawyer, Lonestar Girl. The amount of alcohol consumed in kdramas is often ‘staggering”.
This subject might be a subject for a Dramabeans Extra.

One memory. KBS’s RADIO ROMANCE (2018) (Viki US). Fwir initially there were comments about the age difference between FL Kim So-hyun (18 at the time) and ML Yoon Do-joon (29 at the time). My recall is that after the initial episodes the ‘shocked’ comments weren’t so much about the age gap but for many seeing for the first time KSH (known as the ‘Nation’s Little Sister’) knocking back soju bombs and getting drunk.
I enjoyed RR and am a fan of both KSH and YDJ.

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Actually, alchohol in K-drama could even become a Theme of the Month. Is this really a part of Korean culture? Is it continuing in fact or is the K-drama glorification of it more fiction than fact?

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I was walking to the bus station and I saw 3 students drinking (in the street) in front of our college. It was 12PM. I live in that kind of country so I find kdramas really realistic. The only thing that I find weird is leaving drunk people ALONE in the middle of the night. I've never been drunk but I've seen my friends and when they're drunk they're in another world. I wouldn't leave them alone on the street, not even for one sec.

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Yeah, I agree with @enriquequierecagar there's a lot of drinking generally around the world. I guess Kdramas rarely look at how dangerous being drunk can be... And it's usually played off as funny rather than annoying. Most of the people I know are annoying when drunk, not cute.

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@enriquequierecagar and @jance, I agree there is a lot of drinking around the world, that is why I was specific about tv shows. The shows in the states glamorize it too and so do some of the shows that I have seen from Europe. I want it to stop being glamorized everywhere, it is unhealthy, and we don't talk enough about the negative benefits of alcohol. It is so apart of most cultures that it isn't treated as dangerous as it should be. So it is super realistic, but really sad.

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Interesting data here

https://www.abbeycarefoundation.com/alcohol/alcoholism-by-country-statistics/

For alcoholism rates, Russia is 1, South Korea is 4.

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@hebang my country is in the top 10. I'm not surprised.

@kafiyah-bello You're totally right. Alcoholism isn't cool or funny or anything like that, but for these societies alcoholism isn't even a thing. They've normalized their drunks so much they won't call it a problem, they won't call it alcoholism. First they need to acknowledge it's a problem so we can start seeing the blurry beer bottles beside the blurry packet of cigarettes in kdramas, or people going to the doctor or something.

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Grid (Episode 2) - Mood: B-
It’s obvious the writing is deft with multiple instances of “show not tell” exemplified but the setup is still ongoing after 2 weeks as motivations remain cloudy. It does seem like the department head and her subordinates have differing goals.

Thirty-Nine (Episode 3-4) - Mood: D+
You’re telling me that Chan Young heard about her illness from Mi Jo and not the doctor? What on earth has happened to patient confidentiality? Even if Mi Jo’s uncontactable, her parents exist? And Mi Jo tells it to Seon U before Joo Hee? I don’t like the makjang style birth secret but it did give us some great acting so there’s that. The ending however is no.

Twenty Five Twenty One (Episode 3-4) - Mood: C
Injeolmi: it’s good that it isn’t Yi Jin cause that would’ve been one too many coincidences for me to accept, but it being Yu Rim does feel like a bandaid solution to the enmity between the fencers (because we all know they’re going to be so close in the future). I’m ambivalent on Ji Woong’s infatuation: the puppy love does feel undeveloped and his scenes are almost entirely about his smooth moves, which ironically signals a lack in personality. The writer is definitely teasing all the viewers about the future, but will they be brave enough to follow through with the bittersweetness and deny a OTP?

Forecasting Love and Weather (Episode 3-4) - Mood: D-
I think it’s awkward that I’m having trouble differentiating Song Kang from his Nevertheless character: it was certainly very confusing trying to figure out how flirty Si Woo’s supposed to be. And then the visibility twist: I’m a bit disappointed that Ha Kyung let her feelings dictate her choices though I guess her mother’s equally bad at that too.

Rookie Cops (Episode 9-10) - Mood: D-
Hello, why wasn’t a police report made the moment the sting operation failed? Besides that, why are trainees behaving like actual detectives? That was also a really random love line for Han Na: writer has got 0 ideas for her character arc?

Ghost Doctor (Episode 15-16) - Mood progression: C- / C / C / C- / C- / D+ / D / D
Deus ex machina smh. If only they cut the romance and villain nonsense and did a coma ghost procedural instead with Tess as a mentor? What a show it could’ve been! But yeah, the writer even forgot about the motorcyclist so fat chance.

Moonshine (Episode 15-16) - Mood progression: D / D+ / D / D- / D- / D / D / D
I was almost impressed that they squeezed a whole backstory for the villain including a birth secret and all in the finale but frankly it’s just an overused grandeur delusions trope which Choi Won Young can act while in slumberland.

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Juvenile Justice - The show has an interesting premise and the acting is solid, but I’m too sensitive when it comes to bad things happening to animals, children or the elderly. After watching Ep 1, I made the decision my heart is not up for this.
Thirty, Nine - I was really looking forward to this show, but something about it is not clicking for me. I don’t hate it, but it feels flat.
Forecasting Love and Weather - I like learning about weather phenomenons. The cheating exes are keeping it interesting. The two leads are growing on me. Slowly.
Twenty Five, Twenty One - This is the show I can’t wait for each weekend. Just like that promo ad, this show makes you feel like your eating popsicles with your best bud on a summer day, even when in reality it’s sleeting outside.

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Although my practice has never directly involved this area, I brushed up against it often enough in the past for me to have absolutely no interest in JUVENILE JUSTICE. Too close to home.

I have no heart for stories about the abuse of spouses, children the elderly and animals. This stuff is not fiction to me- it is all too disgustingly real. There is no way for me to enjoy such a show.

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Is Kill Heal and I haven't done my best yet available with subs anywhere?

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Kill Heel's premiere was moved to March 9. I don't think there are any subs available for I Haven't Done My Best Yet.

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Thirty-Nine Cha-Young is the most interesting character with her illness and her love story. It's sad the focus is on Mi-Jo. The last friend is kinda boring. I really found stupid the lotery ticket thing.

Through the Darkness So glad it's back!

Twenty Five Twenty One I really like this drama : the ambiance, the characters, the production. Kim Tae-Ri is a great actress, she made her character so lovely and lively.

Forecasting Love and Weather If I like romance dramas, it's for the part where the characters get closer, start to know each other, for the bickering, etc. But they completely skipped this part and now, I need to think they're a plausible couple? It doesn't work for me.

Grid I like it but we are still in the dark with the story.

Juvenile Justice The judges are kinda cliché with the realistic one and the idealistic one...

Rookie Cops Why did they make the FL so incompetent as a cop? After the issue in Korea with the police woman, they could think it wasn't a good idea that the FL can't fight, drive and makes lousy plans... Kim Tak in black shirt was a good idea! I like this character, he deserves better than Ari.

F4 Thailand How can we have a sad break-up when they don't even date officially.

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I 100% agree about the lottery ticket, that was really dumb, the sentiment was sweet, but the reality was stupid.

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Cha-Young needs a miracle not a little bit of luck. And the lucky moment was when the her numbers were selected, not when she gets the money. She could pay for a trip in Europe because it's what CY wanted instead.

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Twenty-five Twenty-one: Count me in as one of the many 'I love this show' folks. It has made me nostalgic for some of the concrete things of this time...not the financial uncertainty, but the music, the ability to actually have a conversation as opposed to texting!

Thirty-nine: I'm confused about what is happening. I mean I *know* what is happening but where are the character arcs going? Joo-hee seems to look confused. We know the characters are all paired off with someone but occasionally it feels like everyone is sort of secondary Mi-jo. Understandable, but it would be nice to have some substance to the character. And boy does the make-up make the women look pore-less! Where can I get that foundation??

Forecasting...: I'm learning more about weather forecasting and Korea's landscape, than I ever thought would be accessible to me.

Juvenile Justice: One episode down. I'm intrigued.

Her Private Life: Park Min-yong is the closest thing to effervescence in this show!

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Dal Ja's Spring (Year: 2007) Even though the drama is 15 years old, it is still relatable and has aged well like an old wine. The show had covered almost all grounds in portraying the desires and sufferings of the females in different stages of their lives through the characters of an unmarried woman, a mother, a wife, a daughter, a boss, a divorced woman and a widow. I love this show even more for emphasizing on women's career and not sidelining it in favour of romance that somewhere in the middle, I thought the male leads were reduced to supporting characters with storylines revolving around the women in their lives. The last two episodes were totally unnecessary, but I still loved the dialogues throughout the end.

I lived all these years alone and I know to live well alone, but I don't know how to live as two.

This has got to be the best breakup line ever. Of course, they could have solved the misunderstanding by talking it out, but relationships don't work that way, especially ones with increasing pressure of marriage and insecurities coming in with age that is tied to social security and birthing kids.
My Verdict Recommended

New Heart (Year: 2007) Now, I know why Ji Sung and Kim Min Jung had sparkling chemistry in The Devil Judge Also, this show made me wonder if Kdrams just recycle shows every year with different actors because the storyline is similar to Dr.Romantic 2. The operations were more comical than serious because they had blood spurting everywhere and senior surgeons messing up operations due to their misguided faith and superfluous ego.
My Verdict Not recommended because most likely you would have watched the same plot elsewhere, maybe at the same time in 2007 (which are White Tower and Surgeon Bong Dal Hee).

Ghost Doctor (Year: 2022) Thanks to the good bromance between Rain and Kim Bum, the show started out great and ended on a good note, though the middle had UEE being fleshed for her money's worth by having her cry.
My Verdict Recommended for a watch when you are in middle of dark crime dramas and depressing melodramas.

Forecasting Love and Weather Ep 1-4 This has got to be one of those dramas that stays true to its context by actually showing us the process of forecasting weather and its importance. The real lead here is the weather because of how it is used to describe the unpredictable nature of human characters and their relationships. Park Young Min's chemistry is the something else because she made me like Song Kang😂😂

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Twenty-Five, Twenty-One: 8.1 Should I be glad he didn't give her a piggy-back ride like every other kdrama ever, or pissed that they did such a silly walk?
Question: Since you're not supposed to give your significant other shoes in Korea because they'll use them to run away, what about giving slippers? Just run away slowly and carefully? Is that why he's (apparently) not the father?

Ghost Doctor: 6.5 Ending was predictably sentimental and by-the-numbers. Somewhat ghostly numbers, but still.

Moonshine: 4.5

Tracer: 6.5 (for days 3 / 5)

Rookie Cops: 6.5

Grid: 7.9

Juvenile Justice: 7.5

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The Red Sleeve: Surprised but thrilled that this show refused to give in to the fantasy that genuinely consenting relationships are possible between a king and a slave. It recognizes that claiming someone as "yours" when that is literally as well as metaphorically true is not a romantic gesture, and that no matter how much mutual affection may exist between two people true happiness is only possible when both partners have agency. I also appreciated that the show avoided easy villains - it recognizes that the problems are systemic, not individual and that bad systems lead to bad outcomes no matter how good the intentions of the participants may be.

Also, does anyone know if there's a way to watch Grid legally in the US? I mean, I know Disney is the evil empire, but are they really going to produce Asian shows and then make it impossible to watch them?

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You can try a VPN. That might do the trick.

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Is Sisney going to produce Asian shows and then make it impossible to watch them? Of course, they really are the Evil Empire.

So, will I never watch? Must I get a subscription to Disney+? My plan is to wait- subscribe for a single month and binge watch and then unsubscribe. Just what I am doing with Peacock. No standing subscriptions for either. When will I do this? when there is enough to make it worth it. It will not be illegal watching, but I suspect that they will net lose money on me, relatively speaking.

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Ha. You and me both, @oldawyer! When Soundtrack #1 drops all of its eps, watch me stay up all night to make the most of my short-lived Disney+ subscription!

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We have a Disney+ subscription but apparently Grid and other Asian shows that they're producing are (at least initially) only available outside the US.

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Seriously? This is stupid even by Disney standards. So, before subscribing I will have to double check first. They are certainly not making things easy for us.

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Yeah, I was quite annoyed when I started searching for Grid and realized it wasn't there.

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The Red Sleeve (2021)
Thoroughly enjoyed this from start to finish, the entire ensemble was fantastic. This might be the performance that washes away the stink of "idol-actor" from Jun-ho, his talent is legitimate and his consistency has finally paid off. Lee Se-young was fantastic too and in some ways her performance was a lot harder to pull off than his, her comedic timing was on point, her dramatic moments were compelling and she even managed to pull off some silly and physical slapstick moments with finesse.
Overall a great and bittersweet story about two people who were victims of circumstance and simply had to make do with the hand that life dealt them.

The Crowned Clown (2019)
A solid and entertaining political thriller that hits more than it misses. Yeo Jin-goo was great as the titular clown but this entire drama belongs to Kim Sang-kyung an excellent performance that sticks with you well after the drama ends.

Bad Guys (2014) [Rewatch]
It somehow manages to be even better watching it the second time round, the spinoffs and sequels are nowhere near as good as the original.

Next up on my watch list:
Mr. Sunshine
Gakistal
Chicago Typewriter [rewatch]
Voice [Seasons 2 - 4]
The Legend of Condor Heroes [2017]

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After THE CROWNED CLOWN(2019) (Viki US) aired I commented that episodes 7 and 8 had to be the best work of Yeo Jin-goo’s career. Just outstanding. Well, taken as a whole I think he exceeded himself in BEYOND EVIL (2021) (Viki US). A beautiful performance.

I agree with you Kim San-kyung was so good in TCC and let’s not fail to mention the wonderful Jang Gwang who for me set the standard for eunuchs as Eunuch Jo.
I was really disappointed with KSK’s portrayal in RACKET BOYS. I kept wondering, what happened to the actor I loved in TCC?

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While I've found his work a bit hit or miss over the years, I agree that Kim Sang Kyung played the most compelling character in Crowned Clown - I always love it when shows are willing to create morally ambiguous characters caught between conflicting loyalties and obligations.

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Thirty-Nine (Ep 3&4) - So far so good specifically Ep 4 where viewers are being brought to a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Kudos to SYJ, JMD & KJH for their top notched performance here. This show emphasizes more about human emotions than anything else. I supposed those who have experienced these kind of situations will truly understand what it means :)

Through the Darkness (Ep 7) - Finally all the painstaking clashes within the factions are coming together and bearing fruit in their investigations. Not 1 but 2 serial killers are on the loose and I can't wait to see what's going to happen in Ep 8.....

Grid (Ep 2) - Everything seems so secretive and suspicious still :P It's kind of hard watching only 1 ep per week cos I'm still not sure what to make of all the characters here. Is Ghost coming from the past or future? What's with her monitoring certain individuals in the current timeline? What's with the sweet tooth? Sigh....

Juvenile Justice (Ep 1 to 10) - I'm so glad it's not that slow of a slow burn (that's what was tagged) series. Initially I thought KHS's character is all bad ass and all out to clamped down hard on those juvie offenders but that's not really the case. It explores on how the judicial system deals with young offenders i.e is the punishment handed to them really gives an impact to them to change their ways. Are maximum punishments the only effective way? The backstory of Judge Sim will reveal why she becomes what she is and why she is adamant to make sure these juvies are severely dealt with. I like Kim Hye-soo but I felt that her dead pan expression throughout the show a bit funny....I mean do all judges looked like that? :P I was wondering if it's normal for all these judges or lawyers in SK to actually do site visits on their own in any hours of the day? They seem more heroic than the police :P

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Just finished "The One and Only" and it reinforces my belief that Kdramas have trouble with endings. First, Mi Do did not have to die. After letting Se Yeon die, the show made its point. There was no reason to have the other friend die. Second, In Sook losing her memory was a really bad choice. After IN and WC spend the whole show falling in love and surviving the murder plots, to have her loose her memory is just cruel. I don't always need happy endings, but they deserved one. With that in mind can anyone explain the ending to me?

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I thought she ultimately re-gained her memory, but I was also puzzled by the final scene. If she did remember--and she certainly seemed to recognize him when she saw him across the bridge--wouldn't they have run into each other's arms? To just stand there and have her say "no" and yet stare at him with profound meaning was bizarre. I loved this show but there was no reason to end it on such a strange note.

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Love the writing and directing for TWENTY FIVE TWENTY ONE, there are so many touching and original scenes, as the note on drunk Yi-jin and the green fencing lights. Not so happy about the angst element with the hint that there is no happy end for the leads, it makes it more difficult to root for the romance.

I also like THIRTY-NINE, but not quite as much. Is it only in Korean drama land that doctors do not seem to be bound by patient confidentiality (not just in this drama) or is this ok in real life Korea, too? Mi-jo's parents are adorable, they must be the nicest parents I have seen in any drama. Jin-seok is a mess, he is stringing along a platonic mistress, sticks to a wife for whom he has no respect all for a son who is not his own child. Who invents such a unbelievable character? I am a bit tired of pancreatic cancer plot and the deep sadness that comes along with it. I know too many real people who went through it and do not like it as a drama plot.

THROUGH THE DARKNESS is back, hurray, but still have to fast forward the killing scenes. Do detectives still not know that criminals always escape when they ask for a toilet break?

Only watched half of ep 1 of JUVENILE JUSTICE. Good so far.

Done with ROOKIE COPS.

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Omigoodness, the professional in me was screaming "HIPAAAAAAAA" at Mi Jo (*and* whoever Mi Jo's doctor friend is)! All. Those. Ethicolegal. Lines. Crossed. So not okay!

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Lol, my thoughts exactly! I was like, are there no HIPAA laws in Korea? Btw, thanks to your comment, I am now aware that the correct acronym is HIPAA, not HIPPA.

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THIRTY, NINE: Appreciate your perspective on the context, @welh. It could explain why the show is the way it is.

I know many may disagree (and please know I envy those of you who do -- if you're enjoying the show, I'm so glad you are! -- because I had such high hopes for two of my favorite actresses ) but I've been underwhelmed by the interactions between the three leads...which y'know, forms the entire premise of the show, so, a bit of deal-breaker!

We've all seen k-dramas rock friendship time and again, cf. the Reply series, Hospital Playlist, Dear My Friends, ad infinitum. It's what they do best. So I'm puzzled by the lack of chemistry/awkward acting amongst the lead trio, especially because I know those three can act. It's almost as if the director told them to slow their scenes down (rather than, say, letting them flow with any ad-libs) and those microsecond pauses between their lines kills my immersion in their experience.

Instead of forgetting I'm watching actors act (as I am with Twenty Five Twenty-One, aaaa!), I am reminded that I am indeed watching something artificial. And the whole point of a show is to feel as if it is real. Gah, I am so sad about what could have been!

TWENTY-FIVE TWENTY-ONE: I ADORE this show, and am absolutely living for the weekends these days. Said everything that had to be said elsewhere so will stop taking up space...for now. I'll probably be gushing under the latest recap after I watch this weekend's eps!

A PIECE OF YOUR MIND: I started it thanks to Beanie recs and the high DB rating, but I'm struggling. Love the tone, the acting, but where is it going?! I'm midway through episode 5. Someone help me out here...

A BUSINESS PROPOSAL: I know. It hasn't aired. But I'm here to let everyone know I'm counting the days. Don't let me down, Show!

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I’m holding out for Business Proposal too! Fingers crossed it’s good!

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Me too

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A Piece of Your Mind is about mourning. So the story is kinda slow and sad but always hopeful.

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I watched A PIECE OF YOUR MIND (2020) (Viki US) during the Olympics hiatus and loved it. Thanks again @wishfultoki for the recommendation.
It is my first Jung Hae-in romantic drama. Of the four Chae Soo-bin dramas I have seen (FOX BRIDE STAR, INAR and SD the other three) her Seo-woo in APOYM is my favorite character.

Sorry for the diversion and to try to answer your question. In a way what you have seen so far is what you will continue to get.
However, because there was a 4 episode cut announced after the airing of episode 6 (because of poor ratings) the plot lines will pick up speed for a satisfactory (for me anyways) ending.

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Thanks @marcusnyc20, I'll persevere, then. I loved the slow pace of When The Weather Is Fine and Little Forest, so I think what I'm struggling with is the in medias res device @missvictrix refers to -- I still have no idea what is happening!

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Do hang in there. You will be rewarded. The first two episodes were probably the strangest opening episodes of a drama that I can recall.

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I second that -- keep watching!-- it's so great

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OK, you all have convinced me
to keep going!

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You shouldn't try to understand how works the device, it's really not the subject. Just accept the idea that it's possible. The device is very important for the story with the point of reaction. People thinks to know what was the point reaction and why it was important for them, but as the story progresses you realize there is way more behind it.

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Wohoo! (I'm glad I haven't failed you yet with my recommendations @marcusnyc20 - do watch SPECIAL LABOUR INSPECTOR JO during your next hiatus) :D

Anyway, back to APOYM. I also thought the ending was satisfactory. I didn't even feel the episode cut, and some characters that irritated me at first really grew on me (i.e.: the plant-loving lady).

@graceofbeing I love LITTLE FOREST! You could check out the Open Thread recaps of APOYM for help. Just make sure you click on the correct episode to avoid spoilers. https://www.dramabeans.com/tag/a-piece-of-your-mind/

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@wishfultoki, INSPECTOR JO is still on my to watch list. I want to see KKN finally get some love lol.

Final APOYM thought. If ever there was a drama to put to death the fallacy about there being anything ‘noble in Noble Idiocy it is this drama.
Everyone knew better than Ha-won (Jung Hae-in) what he should know about the circumstances surrounding his mother’s death in Norway.

Also, will you taking your annual sabbatical soon?

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Hi @marcusnyc20, yes, I'm taking my annual sabbatical for Lent again... I'm not watching anything so it'll be "easier" than usual. I'll miss the first half of OUR BLUES (which I wanted to watch mainly because it's set in Jeju).
I'll be back for Jang Hyuk's drama though. I wouldn't want to miss that.

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@wishfultoki, you shouldn’t be missing half of the tvN S/S OUR BLUES just maybe 4 episodes. According to MDL it will be on Netflix (great!) and episode 1 of 20! will air on April 9th. I am looking forward to it also.

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My Husband Got A Family (finale): 😭 why did it end?
Lovee this show.

What am I going to watch now? Not all family dramas are this simple (but thoughtful) and cute and have so many likeable characters. And I can't watch a regular drama... :(

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FORECASTING LOVE & WEATHER is our favorite show. Episodes 3 and 4 started to pull our love square into full focus. Daebackgrits is right that this is a classic rebound relationship, but it is not one that is centered on their respective exes- if anything the second leads are a major nuisance to them. What makes this different from the usual rebound relationship is that both people are on the rebound, and both are high quality individuals who are better off after being dumped by their exes. In other words, in this case the rebound is not the heart of the relationship but rather the means by which it could logically form so rapidly. That they now have to get to know each other and, in addition, face real challenges to their situation are what will form the heart of their story.

Occasionally I will watch a J-drama. This week I was charmed by RINKO-SAN WANTS TO TRY. It was nice and light- and R rated for good reason. Now I am watching IN TIME WITH YOU (JP), the Japanese re-make of the classic T-drama. The Korean re-make was quite forgettable- and it appears that there has also been a Thai version as well. I have just started so it is too soon to tell if this version is worthy of the original or not.

We are finally back to 2 episodes per week for YOUNG LADY AND GENTLEMAN. I love the Winter Olympics but I am glad to have our shows back. This week focused on the travails of our OTP, with our secondary romances largely side-lined. It was a rough ride, but our Young Lady and Gentleman are finally back together, to the great relief of the children. But one more dark cloud is looming on the horizon in the form of the scheming Jo Sara- again. There are some characters in a weekender that you come to hate- and Chief Jo is one of them. It looks like this romance will be challenged one more time.

This week my wife took a break from her beloved Chinese Costume dramas to watch something lighter: the classic YOU’RE BEAUIFUL. This was actually a re-watch as we had actually first watched this show about three years ago. If you have not seen it before you will certainly enjoy it. She then followed this with IDOL: THE COUPE- and loved that too.

MissVictrix, fencing is a fabulous sport. I took it up in college and frankly wish I had continued with it afterwards but- law school. Fencing requires strength, endurance, highly developed muscle skills, focus and brains. Imagine playing chess, volleyball and running two miles simultaneously- that is fencing. It is a pity that more people do not know about this sport because it is a great one. I plan on starting TWENTY FIVE TWENTY ONE soon.

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@oldawyer I'm also liking Forecasting Love and Weather for the reasons you mention, but also because so far its avoided the standard theme of an older woman agonizing about her relationship with a younger man JUST because he's younger--although there still is time for that, I'm afraid.
I'm impressed again by your sports proclivities. I was a competitive athlete as well--swimming and running--but nothing that required such manual dexterity, and also I was just good enough to make and practice with the team, not quite good enough to participate in the big meets.
My career as a mediocre athlete was highlighted this week when my wife and I finished Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo, a very sweet, feel good romance that I thoroughly enjoyed. I felt an unexpected affinity for the character played by Nam Joo-Hyuk. (When I mentioned this to my wife, she laughed, a little too hard, in my opinion. Hey--so I'm not now and never was as good looking--I'm the same height as he is!)
Anyway, there was something about the eager way his character courted Bok-Joo, a superior athlete, that reminded me of the way I felt decades ago when I was after my wife, a superior athlete (although not, like Bok-Joo was in the show, a national champion). I had prove I was worthy of consideration by always being there at times of need and occasionally dropping my jokey persona. The first task was a lot easier than the second, though, and I've been irritating her ever since with awfully strained witticisms that only I find amusing!

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I was never a star athlete either- generally somewhere in the middle of the pack as it were. I competed to do my best and for the joy of it. Few people will be champions yet everyone who participates in sports gains a great deal from it.

When my son was entering middle school we had a talk about this. I told him that he had three choices: He could play on the field, he could play in the band or he could sit in the stands. I told him that he was free to choose any of those but I hoped he would choose one of the first two because this choice would make a real difference in the person he would become. He chose to be an athlete: A runner in fall and spring - but his main sport was competitive swimming in the winter as a part of a High School team that won the State Championship three of his four high school years. The character he developed from sports served to carry him through a world class Engineering program 2,000 miles away from home.

"Mens Sana in Corpore Sana" is still a good approach to schooling two thousand years or more years since those words were first spoken.

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We followed exactly this approach with our two children, and have been blessed with their caring personalities, their maturity, and their career success (up to now--they are both in their later twenties, and I fear for the world they will have to inhabit during the rest of their adult years.) I credit their current situation almost entirely to their education, which prominently includes valuable sports experiences, and not very much to the influence of the parents, although so far we have avoided the classic K-drama older parent stereotype of being obsessed with their marriage prospects!

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In Time With You (JP) is a lovely watch, just recently finished watching it! I would suggest you follow the youtube subs, though not ideal... but better than the ones available on other questionable sites. A lot of nuance in wordings and intentions are lost in translation (completely obliterated) from my limited but basic knowledge of the language! :'( The mis-translation of the title itself is one of my biggest problems....
I am aware of the other versions, and I picked the j-version to watch.. suffice to say, it's a very worth re-telling of a classic! :D

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Thanks! I've been aware of the various versions of this story, but haven't seen any of them, so I appreciate the recommendation for the J-version and will check it out.

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Thank you. Where I am I am actually able to watch it on Viki. As far as how well it is translated - I have not even attempted to learn Japanese (which is a really difficult language) so I just take the subs on faith as it were.

The English title of original T-drama and the Thai version is also given as IN TIME WITH YOU. It may be that a decision was made to simply substitute that title even though the Japanese title is different.

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The Viki translation of the title isn't really the problem, since they go by the name of the original Tw drama (i.e. 'In Time With You' ). It's just how the Japanese title literally translates to 'I'm still able to be not in love with you' instead of 'i don't love you yet' but the latter is what almost all English websites report it as. The title, in fact, is a phrase that is repeated by our ML Ren, as a lie/ reassurance he tells himself multiple times over the course of the show. And each time it's butchered in the subs. Even on YT. T_T I cringe every time they take leeway with the subs, because that reduces all the emotions, the rawness & the heartbreak that's there in the native tongue....

That said, I have checked out the viki subs, but I truly believe it would be amazing if you watch the 15th episode on YT (in HD print) instead of the viki, because..... w/o spoiling too much, there is a certain piece of music, that is more authentically translated on YT (the viki version is just wrong, lol!) and the words of that song happen to be a crucial turning point in the plot!
Here is the link! :D https://youtu.be/rFs8KA4_gDM

Ps. I also happened to check out Rinko-san.... after Love & Leashes, it was just what I needed & I loved it! <3

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Currently traveling in Europe where war has exploded. Ukraine is number one topic of conversation in the streets, tube, cafes, and offices. All we are watching this week is news. Kdramas will be paused temporarily because the mood isn't there.

Kdramas I caught up on before this week:

2521 To my surprise, I am really liking NJH here. I was very skeptical about his pairing with KTR given their gap in acting skills but he is anchoring the show for me. KTR's acting as NHD is trying too hard. All I see when NHD is on screen is KTR trying to act like an 18-year old and it's taking me out of the viewing experience.

39 Dropping this show. The subject matter has TONS of potential with all the stuff you can explore about this time period in life, but instead the writer is delivering a draggy, unbalanced story with uncessary focus on romances, singular emphasis on SYJ's character, and a forced cancer plot.

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Stay safe and be careful.

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Work has been rough these days, but I’m somehow still keeping up with dramas…for now.

F4 Thailand: Kavin and MJ are a hilarious, I need more scenes of just the two of them screwing around. And speaking of Kavin, Kaning and him are so cute together. I always had a soft spot for this couple even in the previous adaptations I disliked, so it’s no surprise to me that I love them here too. Give them more screentime, don’t be shy! That “breakup” (does it count when they’ve only officially dated for like three days?) scene was genuinely sad. I felt terrible for Thyme, but I understood where Gorya was coming from. While we the audience know that this is a cinderella story, she doesn’t, so I get why she thinks it won’t work out. Also, they should tone down on the product placement.

Grid: I enjoyed the first episode, but the second episode really got the ball rolling. I like the characters, the setting, and the tone. Now if only we got more than an episode per week…

Thirty-Nine: I’m frustrated with how Mi-jo-centric this show is. The debacle with how to break the diagnosis to Chan-young was ridiculous; Mi-jo shouldn’t have known in the first place! What the hell is wrong with that doctor? Why do dramaland doctors always forget about patient confidentiality? This should’ve been about Chan-young, not how awful Mi-jo felt. But I fear Son Ye-jin’s a-list status is getting in the way of telling the story as it should be: an ensemble with equal attention and consideration to all three women. Also, glad to see Jin-seok is finally not the worst. It’s super convenient for the drama to make his wife shady, but whatever allows Lee Mu-saeng to be likeable, I’ll take. He’s still a garbage husband and a cheating scumbag (no matter his wife’s conduct), but at least he cares about his son. I wish the show would care more about Joo-hee than just make her an alcoholic.

Through the Darkness: IT’S BACK!!! I missed the show so freaking much. It was only three long weeks, but it felt like three years. Let’s see if I can actually appreciate the drama for it’s nuanced depiction of crime and detective work again, or will my brain malfunction because Kim Nam-gil is sexy. I only ask the real questions here.

Tracer: I still have to get to episode 5, but my overall opinion of the show remains the same. It’s intelligently written and paced quickly and masterfully. The characters are all interesting and surprisingly easy to keep track of despite the huge cast. I do wonder where (and who??) Hye-young’s fiancé is. Now in the real world, he’d just be some guy and that’s fine, that’s how it usually is with a colleague’s family anyway. But I seriously doubt that can happen in a drama.

Twenty Five Twenty One: I love it! The drama feels fresh and original in the best way possible. I love Hee-do and her passion for fencing. And I’m surprised by how much I love “Back” Yi-jin too (oh the tragedy of netflix subs). I’ve been critical of...

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Ugh I hate cut-offs, but I guess it’s my fault for being so damn wordy.

Twenty Five Twenty One: I love it! The drama feels fresh and original in the best way possible. I love Hee-do and her passion for fencing. And I’m surprised by how much I love “Back” Yi-jin too (oh the tragedy of netflix subs). I’ve been critical of Nam Joo-hyuk at times, but he’s really shaping up to be a solid actor with his recent projects and role choices. My only actual complaint here is that older Hee-do should’ve been portrayed by Kim Tae-ri as well. She really shouldn’t have looked so different as to need a completely new actress. Plus, it just breaks the immersion of the drama.
……..

I finished Ghost Doctor. Nothing to rave about, but it was funny and sweet. Definitely liked how they acknowledged it was a romcom between Young-min and Seung-tak. As for dramas I’m looking forward to, A Business Proposal is definitely at the top of my list. It’s going to be so trash, but I need some premium trash to keep me going. I might also check out Special Labour Inspector Jo due to glowing reviews from fellow beanies. Unfortunately, I’m not in the mood for Juvenile Justice. It would’ve been tough for me to watch even during normal times, but I absolutely cannot make myself watch it now.

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JUVENILE JUSTICE may be one of the best shows of this year- and I still won't watch it. I too am not in the mood- and never will be. This is not an expression of disapproval- I do not disapprove. It is just a fact.

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I completely understand. I’ve already had someone try to convince me by saying Kim Hye-soo’s performance was award worthy, and I still replied with a firm no. It could be the best performance of her career, I’m still not watching.

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I'm also watching F4 Thailand from time to time. It might have been in response to your recommendation, so thanks for that! I could see how, improperly handled (as in, maybe, I hate to say it, given its romance "classic" status, the Korean Boys over Flowers) the story might actually be somewhat repellent. This one is actually pretty thoughtful, especially in the breakup, about the gulf between the two worlds the leads inhabit and, I have to say, if we were being realistic about it, the show would end there!

Although I'm looking forward to the romantic happy ending, one thing that's going to stick with me is the grim picture of youth cruelty, which continued even into the last episode I watched (I think its 10?). That's why unlike you, I'm going to have to watch Juvenile Justice, steeling myself for some sad stories that might resonate in real life, because if anyone can straighten this situation with young people out (in fantasy land), its Kim Hye-Soo!

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The realism of the violence is definitely one of the reasons this adaptation works so well in comparison to the previous ones. Not to say that the others didn’t depict violence, it certainly did and a lot of it was horrifying, but nothing felt as dire or claustrophobic as it did in F4 Thailand. Some of the versions literally included sexual assault as part of the violence (why is this a teen romance??), yet it still felt…childish. In fact, much of the world of F4 Thailand feels realistic outside the heightened fantasy of Thyme and Gorya’s romance, and I think that’s a major part of why this adaptation appeals to me while previous ones failed.

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Through the Darkness is back! Huzzah!

Completed
Moonshine: 5.5/10 for the series. It was…fine. An enjoyable enough watch, but nothing really wowed me throughout. The twists weren’t twisty enough to fool anyone, and the main characters were all fairly stock standard. Nothing offensively good or bad but I’m putting on the slightly above average side of things due to decent performances with a solid cast.

Currently Watching

Rookie Cops: Oof, another mostly average show. Our FL is what I’m here for, and she can lift up even the worst of shows in my experience. Still watching, so it’s doing something right. Random side note…I think the OP song might be the worst one I’ve heard in recent memory. It’s not catchy, and I actively skip it faster than all others.

Juvenile Justice: Watched the first episode. Alright so far. Was not expecting all the episodes to drop at once, but it’s got a good cast so I’ll give it at least a couple more. Definitely seems like it’s going to fit right in with Netflix’s darker shows, based on the first episode alone.

Twenty-Five, Twenty-One: My favourite by a country mile, and it’s only really close because Through the Darkness is also solid. I’m chomping at the bit for every episode, and all our characters are flawed and charming and fun. Watch if you’re not (especially if you’re into the genre, and even if you’re not).

Tracer: Argh, I made the mistake of catching up on a bunch of episodes because of the sub team providing better subs. Now I’m anxiously awaiting more and can’t pain watch through the bad english subs aside from this group.

Through the Darkness: Watching right before I post this, but I’m just going to reiterate how happy I am it’s back!

Dropped:
Thirty-nine: Bland, predictable, and just not what I’m looking to watch. Got through 3 episodes, and that was it for me.

Grid: I actually think this one is solid, but the one episode a week, with the bad cliffhangers is just NOT doing it for me. I’ll wait for a binge, and by then I’ll at least have some idea how it turns out due to other beanies.

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Finally finished Ghost doctors. What a wonderful drama. I had great time with the drama. The comedy was great.

Currently watching :
The Gentleman and the Young Lady : I am already tired of the drama. No more plot. The only parts I enjoy was DanDan with the kids. Now that the reveal is out, what next? Because there is no more plot.

Twenty One Twenty Five: I always look forward to this drama. Such a comfort and entertaining drama. I am loving Na HeeDo.

Royal Feast: The subtitle is wrong so I am not enjoying it as I should.

Dropped Forecasting Love and Weather but I am ready to pick it up.

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25-21 ep5 - perfection! This time I agree with Miss Victrix wholeheartedly! The Kdrama is poetry in motion. I’m enjoying current time period too much though I’m still curious what will transcribe in the “25-21” main event.

Through the Darkness eps 7 and 8 - ep7 was one of the strongest episodes for me while episode 8 one of the weakest. I’m still a fan, maybe just time to turn up action a notch. Kim Nam Gil is quietly compelling.

Forecasting - I dislike the OTP too much. On a professional level, their love affair smacks of conflict of interest; on romantic level - I just don’t find the hookup in any shape nor form romantic; and on superficial level, I’m getting tired of Song Kang’s face that looks the same as his recent dramas. PMY’s family, the cheating ex’s, the science of forecasting are still interesting but I have to literally avert my eyes whenever they try to feed us the romance

39 - Son Ye Jin’s character is the only one interesting to watch so unlike others who criticise the amount of screen time, that’s the only reason I’m still hanging on. For Mido, I dislike everything - as in everything - about her storyline. She claims she’s not committing adultery but we heard her ask the guy to be divorced. Ok. Maybe I put her on a pedestal due to HP character but her character is a turn-off to me. And I wanted this to be like Sex & the City, instead it’s all about the terminal disease. 39 is supposed to be sophisticated , instead the plotlines are very old fashioned. But thank God for Son Ye Jin, otherwise it will be a total train wreck.

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Happy return to Through the Darkness.

Semantic Error - they changed the language course to French, which hilarious, though I kinda wish they kept the same skit theme. And he stopped wearing red :3

Royal Feast - bit sad the focus is shifting from food to Sun/Zhu Zhanji
I wonder if they're going to show Emperor Xuande's reign was actually quite short.

The Autumn Ballad - I don't really understand the whole scheme with the pearl

F4 Thailand - feel bad for Glakao, he just wanted a fun going away party.

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I finished my re-watch of Solomon's Perjury and I love when I enjoy a drama more the second time around. This one is definitely underrated. I barely hear anyone talking about it anymore which is a shame. It's a great one! Bae Joonyoung was my favourite character.

Twenty-Five Twenty-One is still amazing. I absolutely love Heedo and Yijin. Their friendship is so beautiful and they are also just fantastic characters on their own. I wish I had Heedo's fighting spirit. I'm so jealous of people that have dreams and the courage to pursue them. I can't get enough of the drama and I can't wait to see where the story goes once we reach the twenty-five twenty-one.

I am still following Tracerand enjoying it. Dongjoo is an interesting character and Im Shiwan is wonderful as per usual. I also love Go Ahsung and they have chemistry together.

Outside of Dramaland: I started re-watching the third season of Dawson's Creek.
Pacey and Joey still have my heart and Dawson is still the absolute worst.

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Solomon's Perjury was really good. In the same style, I liked How to Buy a Friend. It was shorter but about students struggling too.

Pacey and Joey were the best part of this show.

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Just leaving this here for the record because Lent is upon us and I'll be giving up kdramas again (not that I'm watching any but anyway).

MOONSHINE Ep. 16/16. Completed my first drama of 2022. The ending tied up everything nicely. Maybe it was because of the Olympic hiatus and the fact that I binged the last 4 episodes, but I enjoyed those 4 episodes more than the rest of the drama. I'd love to see Yoo Seung-ho in a serious sageuk next time.

THE ONE AND ONLY (C-drama). Ep. 19/24. Continuing on my slow watch. Bai Lu's silent crying kills me. This drama has the most monstrous Queen Dowager I've ever seen, but props to the show for portraying even a lustful power-hungry queen with finesse. American shows and Netflix would have thrown in R-rated scenes but this Cdrama has class.

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Toki, first off, yes about Yoo Seung-ho. Second we will see you after April 17th.
Do I recall correctly that you broke radio silence last year during your 2021 sabbatical because of the JOSEON EXORCIST (March 22, 23, 2021) debacle? Poor Jang Dong-Joon has not been seen on the small screen since.

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Yes, I remember breaking my radio silence lol. Hopefully I won't have to this year.

As for Jang Dong-yoon, hang in there! He accepted a lead role in a fantasy romance drama with Nana: https://asianwiki.com/My_Man_is_Cupid. It's supposed to air sometime this year.

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Two days after the posting of "What Watch" which is what I call this based upon the famous scene in Casablanca. I think I've experienced Kdrama overload.
Because we were all in a drought I lined up some classics to watch. Straight up sage with Tree With Deep Roots and I'm struggling with the intricate plot. Then Gakistal for modern perspective. How can a ML get tortured/whipped and still look so hot?
Started the day with Through the Darkness which made me go out on an hour long hike just to deal with it all. Balanced that with Business Proposal which allowed me to laugh and chill out.
A few eps of Youn's Kitchen 2 really served to ground me in human interaction and great food. Now I want to visit Tenerife.
Decided to save Juvenile Justice for tomorrow 'cause I'm well and truly overloaded.
Dang, I love me some Kdrama.

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