It’s been a weird week in dramaland for me. The semester is really ramping up so I’ve been busy, which usually makes my drama time even more precious, but it seems to be doing the opposite lately. I’m feeling kinda meh on most things.

Twinkling Watermelon: I’ll be honest, Show bugged me this week. Eun-gyeol bugged me with his CODA angst and the lovelines bugged me with their loveline angst. At this point, I am just REALLY hoping this show doesn’t do the ableist thing of reversing Yi-chan’s loss of hearing. That’s all I want, and I really can’t tell which way the show will go with it. I also want Eun-gyeol to grow up. I’m still mostly enjoying myself, but I am very worried as to where this show is headed.

A Good Day to Be a Dog: Still cute, although not much else. I love the conversations between the leads, but Cha Eun-woo certainly leaves a lot to be desired as usual. The airing schedule is also not doing the show any favors. I do enjoy it when I watch, though!

Castaway Diva: To no one’s surprise, it’s such a delight and already is my favorite currently airing show! The kids really stole the show the first week, and I was once again reminded of my undying love for Lee Re! This girl just SPARKLES. She was the perfect choice to play a young Park Eun-bin. I am sure Bo-geol is Ki-ho, and I really hope show doesn’t drag all of this business out too long because I do not want Start-Up 2.0. I actually really enjoyed that show, and it was the terrible fan wars that ruined the fan experience of it for me. Please, please don’t let that happen again, writer! The loveline is secondary to me, though, because I can already tell that the beating heart of this show is Mok-ha and Ran-joo and I can’t wait to see their relationship develop.

Perfect Marriage Revenge: Perfect melo revenge silliness and I am all over it. Sung Hoon still can’t act to save his life, but I am surprisingly smitten with our female lead, so it’s all good. Plus, the bad acting is part of the experience in shows like this. You can immediately tell the director did a season of Love ft. Marriage & Divorce, and about half the cast from that show is in this too, but this one is MUCH more exciting so far. Fingers crossed it keeps it up. Who knew I would grow to enjoy melo trash?

The Matchmakers: Yaaaaaawn. I watched this for the Into the Ring PD and was disappointed by… everything else. Our leads are definitely not Nana or Park Sung-hoon, which makes it hard for me to care about a run-of-the-mill fusion sageuk plot. I also don’t find any of it funny. Oh well.

Moon in the Day: The first episode is so WTF hilariously terrible that I thought I was so on-board, but then episode 2 was just… terrible. For whatever reason I had a lot less fun. I also find Kim Young-dae to be a charisma black hole. He drains all the life out of a scene for me.

Here is hoping that Castaway Diva continues to be good! I am definitely going to check out Daily Dose of Sunshine this weekend if I have time and I am very excited for it!

Have a great weekend, Beanies!!

Happy Weekend, Beanies! I'm back to 10 live dramas just in time for snuggle-under-the-blankets season 😅.

ONGOING
My Dearest Part 2 - My disinterest has been growing for a while. Maybe them being back in Joseon will help. I'm worried about news of an extension…

Strong Girl Nam-soon - If it wasn't for the drugs thing (okay and the murderous tendencies), I'd totally be rooting for the villain to be the OTP for our FL. Nice to see Byun Woo-seok finally having things to do (and actual dialogue not just smirks!).

Twinkling Watermelon - I need more Chung-ah. More Yi-chan and Chung-ah together too. How cute was it that he was carrying around a sign language book for her 🥰? I'm not convinced the future has changed.

A Good Day to Be a Dog - It's still sweet but why are we wasting time on recap + flashbacks to scenes that just happened 🤦‍♀️. And now we wait another two weeks 😔.

STARTED
Castaway Diva - Liked the first episode but I was surprised how quickly we left behind the 'castaway' part. Not a fan of the 'who is Ki-ho' thing at all. The episodes were also a tad too long.

Perfect Marriage Revenge - Been a while since I so actively awaited a genuinely not-good show.

The Matchmakers - Reminds me a lot of The Forbidden Marriage with similar plot point, humour, and anachronistic language. Let's hope it doesn't turn too serious with the poisoned princess + stabbed woman investigations.

Moon in the Day - This is another low-rent, not-actually-good drama. They're trying for dramatic angst but I just laughed when she slashed his throat and it was blurred out 🤣. Still I find the leads watchable so I'll continue..

C-DRAMAS
Completed Romance on the Farm. Not nearly enough romance but I'm glad they stuck to the story of the common people till the end. Bit annoying that they didn't really show Shen Yi in the modern world.

Rising With the Wind - Been waiting for this for a while and it's exactly as engaging as I hoped. Gong Jun and Zhong Chuxi are cute together.

Only for Love - I didn't like the original novel much but Bai Lu is elevating the rather typical story.

Debating whether to start Love is Panacea or spare myself the pain.

Current/recent:
The Kidnapping Day: The drama of the year so far for me - great performances, clever script with a few loose ends (like life). I took the epilogue as a nod to how we can never know “the whole story” - stories never end, they continue off camera, and we can’t see more than a little piece of the whole, so a glimpse of one previously unseen element changes the entire picture.
My Dearest part 2: This show is going to kill me, because the endless plot and character treadmill is going to bore me to death. Bring on the tragic Crown Prince. At least there are real stakes in what happens to him.
Twinkling Watermelon: Just caught up, so I’ve missed all the chat in the recaps - does anyone else find Seol In-ah’s character as obnoxious as I do? The rest of the kids are fine, but I’m barely engaged enough to keep going.
A Good Day to Be a Dog: Eh, it was there this week. I don’t miss it when it isn’t. The rich-witch teacher’s colorful fashion disasters are a highlight.
The Matchmakers: I’m not sure about this yet. The headgear is especially distracting; Rowoon’s character needs to be repeatedly poked in the backside with an umbrella; the very existence of the remarriage conundrum is dispiriting. But it is awfully pretty (from the eyebrows down) and Jo Yi-hyun is a delight.
Castaway Diva: Strong start. PEB ❤️. I’m already tired of comparisons to Start-up, though.
Moon in the Day: I … wha … what? WHAT did I just see?
Perfect Marriage Revenge: Holy cats, this show is the walking, talking definition of “so bad it’s good.” The actors who can’t act are perfectly balanced by the ones who wildly overact. Their wardrobes are uniformly awful, matching the grade-D production values. The dialogue is absurd, the plot is all over the place, and there’s a ToD with next-level targeting abilities in the very first episode (come back!). This is a gem of self-aware cheesy dreadfulness. 11/10.

I can only manage one mock-worthy bad drama at a time, so I’m going to need to drop at least two of the above.

Older shows:
W - Two Worlds: Better on every rewatch.

Daily Dose of Sunshine (Series review)
Given historical portrayals of mental disorders in k-dramas, I was very apprehensive going into this drama: would it fail just as a particular attorney did recently in delivering a good story, or would it rise to the challenge? I am very pleased to report that the latter happened and not just barely at that but wonderfully: there was a ton of character development and the plot developed in a pleasantly surprising direction especially in the 2nd half. I will say though that the romance wasn’t required: ironically, I think Go Yun was easily the weakest leading character in the narrative because of it? That’s not a slight though: the other leads (and unfortunately, some of the supporting characters) simply had better narrative arcs, while the romance was simply not this writer’s strong suit (the side couple arc was also pretty generic and thematically irrelevant to the whole narrative). I enjoyed the performances from the entire cast: it’s just such a pity Yoo In Soo had such a mini cameo?

Castaway Diva (Episode 1-2) - Mood: C+
Not the Ki Ho guessing game! And then there’s also Ki Ho’s father who’s going to be an absolute downer later on in the plot after he reveals himself to Mok Ha. It does feel like Ran Joo and the whole singing thing is a side arc against the tragedy of abusive parents: not a fan of that despite the wonderful performances of the child actors. Park Eun Bin is glorious!

Twinkling Watermelon (Episode 11-12) - Mood: C
Lacklustre reveals aside (they took the most obvious route with the first love and the helper), the writer’s clearly dragging it out with the time travellers not recognising each other or the angst between Yi Chan and Cheong Ah. As for the elephant in the room with the time travel and all that, all we get is more cryptic cliffhangers. This is where I guess I give up on the story.

Perfect Marriage Revenge (Episode 1-2) - Mood: C
I’m glad I picked this one out of all the explicitly makjang shows: it’s delivering in the fun department and then some. But as with most revenge plots, there is almost no meaningful characterisation and that might be to the show’s detriment later on, especially when the revenge starts becoming repetitive. Then again, the show’s aware that it’s just mindless entertainment.

A Good Day to Be a Dog (Episode 4) - Mood: C-
Oh, now the kiss must be done under consciousness? Are we going to find out that it requires true love down the road? One would think that with such horrible scheduling it would be foolish to waste time, but of course, the 2ML is given cryptic lines and we’re having nonsensical school bullying arcs again next week. Well, at least Yul’s still snatching all the good dialogue.

The Matchmakers: In terms of acting Rowoon is outclassed, everyone is outacting him. Although, I will note another beanie said he was enunciating well in the Saeguk speak, so kudos for him for doing well in that. In addition, I do understand his character is meant to be uptight, so hopefully as the drama moves along, he loosens up not only as a character, but as an actor. I am loving Cho Yi Hyun here though, although apparently her enunciation isn’t as great, her acting at least for me is better. Soon Deok is a delight. I like that she loved her first husband and that she has a kid, what a twist. So I am looking forward to this.

Twinkling Watermelon: We have 4 episodes left and I really hope they shift focus away from Yi Chan. Sons have good relations with their mothers too. Except for the few glimpses showing Eun Gyeol and Chung Ah together, everything they do is off camera. Give her some love. As for the Eun Gyeol and Eun Yu romance, I think they are cute. It would work better if Eun Gyeol thought further than his emotions, but he is a teenager so I get it. Plus, it is a drama, a reveal at that last moment is all the DRAMA.

Moon in the Day: I didn’t think it was that bad. I even laughed a couple of times. So will probably continue to watch.

The Killing Vote: Didn’t see or get an episode.

Strong Girl Nam Soon: Dropped

My Dearest: I look forward to their reunion

Perfect Marriage Revenge: The drama I am most looking forward to. I really hope it continues it’s trashy greatness.

Castaway Diva: Well hopefully we don’t have to “guess” for long who Jin Ho is. SIGH. I will say though PEB generally picks dramas that focus on her character a great deal, which I love. So maybe this is less a romance and more a journey of self-discovery with a dash of romance.

Daily Dose of Sunshine: They had me at the beginning. A healing drama, YES. I am halfway through and so close to dropping. A bit of a Spoiler: She said no, not once, not twice, not three times, but 5 times. No means No. The idea that persistence will get you there is the WORST, why? In addition that love triangle that didn’t need to be. I hope if I don’t finish the drama, she chooses herself. Either make him the best friend or make him her love, especially if the mental illness you are giving him his anxiety and a panic disorder. She seems to calm his anxiety, why would you take that away, just leave him her best friend.

Live Watches
The Killing Vote: *sigh* You’re killin me, Smalls. Should I just wait for both remaining episodes to come out? This show was/is so interesting, but I guess I really should have just waited and binged the whole thing. Whoever is scheduling just doesn’t care about it at all. (Nah, I’ll watch it. I’m just bitter.)

The Matchmakers: I wasn’t sure what to make of ep 1 but loved all the pretty, and then our story solidified more in ep 2 and I’m definitely on board for now. The sisters seem like a lot of fun but wow is it terrifying to think that they are less desirable because they are in their early 20s. I think if Rowoon stretched out his legs they would drag on the ground when he’s riding that donkey.

A Good Day to be a Dog: Cuuuuute. That’s all. Was there supposed to be more?

Castaway Diva: I’m hooked. Trying to let go of expectations and just go with whatever this turns out to be. If the quality stays as high as the first two episodes I’m not sure I even mind what that is.

Tale of the Nine-tailed 1938: I’m waaaaaay more invested in Rang than most other characters this season. And that’s not to say that their stories aren’t interesting, but Rang is the one consistently breaking my heart, making me laugh, making me hold my breath, and then doing it all over again. The way he genuinely laughed in triumph when the baby liked him the best? I died.

Older Dramas
Revenant: *spoilery* I suspected that Mun-chun was going to die (I mean, he’s not on the poster) because something had to bring Hong-sae onto Team Ghostbusters, but it was still chilling and awful. I’m really loving the internal war San-young is having with this spirit - sometimes it’s so clear which one she is, and other times the lines get so blurred that I’m doubting as much as Hae-sang. Excited to finish it this weekend!

A GOOD DAY TO BE A DOG (Ep. 4) The curse is not that simple. Hae-na is learning that it is harder to lift than the fear of confessing your feelings to your crush. We also learn from Yu-Na’s dating history that this happens with every new beau . . . and sometimes takes bribery to get a dog kiss. I do find Yu-Na and Woo-Taek are the perfect support team as they try to plan counter-measures to help Hae-Na. I also liked Dog Ma (pun intended) is the librarian of knowledge but both daughters are afraid of her bite. I still do not like the foreboding past life story arc as it is unnecessary and recently has a beaten to death k-drama trope.

CASTAWAY DIVA (Ep 1-2) I was expecting a Tom Hanks “Castaway” story but we suddenly saw an unexplained Disney theme park Tiki set with brand new umbrella rain water collection available at the gift shop. The teen actors were very good. PEB is chipper and cute but her actions trying to mirror Still 17 have to change. I don’t like the idea that one of the brothers is Ki-Ho. In my mind, it would be better if Ki Ho joined the Coast Guard to lessen his guilt that he could not save Mok-ha and that they would meet after she got famous.

Still lurking around LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE, a slow grind which turned into a PPL fest.

Am I really watching all these live shows at once?

My Dearest: Complain all you want. I’ve plugged my ears. I love Gil-Chae, and I’ll follow her to the end, even an extra episode or two. 😜The Matchmakers: Is that Don Quixote on his trusty steed? Nooo, it’s Rowoon on his wee ass donkey! PS It’s the ladies that are the bomb. PPS The 2nd episode is much better.
Moon in the Day: What happened to my epic love-revenge story? Well, if you’re not going to be good, please don’t be merely bad, but so bad you’re good.
Castaway: Promise us sunshine and songs, and ambush us with child abuse, eh? Good thing it was so well done, and the child actors brilliant.
Perfect Marriage Revenge: Will this be the first makjang I’ll complete and more crucially, not want to wash out my eyes after? We shall see.
A Good Day to Be A Dog: Oh, they’ve done this adorable show dirty with the airing schedule.
Twinkling Watermelon: Can a show be full of heart and a belly full of laughs? Yes it can.
Live Your Own Life: Something had to give, and it was the weekender. It’s on hold. Sorry Go Joo-won. I know your star is eclipsing, but such is the fate of 2MLs.

OK, I didn’t have to put LYOL on hold, but Daily Dose of Sunshine came out. My friend who binged, loved it. But looks like not all Beanies agree? Anyway, I wish the hangout had episode tabs so we could discuss as we watched each episode.

KIDNAPPING DAY (Ep. 16)
A good finale for a good show, I’m intrigued about the potential for a season two but ultimately this story’s focus was always about Ro-hee and Myeong-jun. I love that even in jail Myeong-jun can see through Ro-hee’s tough girl exterior, and tells her truthfully that while she may be a genius she lacks social skills. I love how Ro-hee takes his advice seriously and enrols in school just like a normal young adolescent. While the ending is somewhat bittersweet, I have no doubt they’ll eventually reunite and become a happy family

CASTAWAY DIVA (Ep. 1-2)
I’m just glad to have Park Eun-bin back on my screen! Yes I’m rolling my eyes at the amnesia plot, and would’ve liked to see our FL navigate living on a deserted island for at least an episode or two (I mean WORK LATER, DRINK NOW S2 managed to do this), but I’ll take what I can get and I’m just gonna ride the wave ~
I’ve also enjoyed all the Park Hye-ryun dramas I’ve seen, so I have no doubt I’ll enjoy this one

PERFECT MARRIAGE REVENGE (Ep. 1-2)
Beanies enthusiasm made me watch this and I have no regrets. I don’t think I’ve had this much fun since TALE OF THE NINE TAILED 1938. It’s so extra and deliciously makjang that I no choice but to keep watching. The title tho, best title of the year in my opinion, an accurate indicator of the drama’s over-the-top silliness! I’m definitely hooked!

A GOOD DAY TO BE A DOG (Ep. 4)
I’m actually glad this is being preempted. There were a lot of premieres this week and it’s been hard keeping track of the all the new and currently airing dramas. I still like the show, it’s lighthearted and makes me smile but I’m not obsessed. One episode every fortnight is low commitment which works fine for me.

DAILY DOSE OF SUNSHINE (Ep. 1-2)
Finally a Netflix original drama I like! The first two episodes piqued my interest, the acting is phenomenal and can’t wait to continue (once I find the time 😅)

SALON DE NABI (Ep. 1-2)
This is a hard drama to find! In the midst of my AGE OF YOUTH withdrawal I looked everywhere for this show, knowing it’s Park Yeon-sun’s newest work I had to get my hands on it! Well I finally did, and yup Park Yeon-sun can do no wrong, she does slice of life so well. The everyday lives of hairdressers and their customers, it’s a neat concept and has got the comedy and heart that Park Yeon-sun is known for.

Also watching MY DEAREST

Live Your Own Life
I prefer amusingly flirting & adorably drunk Taeho to broken & beaten Taeho, thus I liked the last weekend more than the previous one. Also, Aspiring Actress may be terrible at acting, but she is great at serving it to Lawyer Oppa, he needs to hear all that.

Kidnapping Day
Daebak. A thriller which made me stay and care from the beginning till the end. An interesting villain (no, not you, Jaden), a smart cop and an endearing main duo - Rohee and Myungjoon will forever be in my heart (I'm still grinning remembering their interactions). And I want a spinoff, about Sangyoon solving crimes and visiting Myungjoon and discussing the cases with Rohee... and the members of his squad coming for dinner, one by one, maybe trying to help Heeae with homework (and messing up), Rohee bossing them around, Myungjoon trying to cook... and Sangyoon falling asleep in the middle of this chaos, finally, peacefully...

Perfect Marriage Revenge
Even though I read part of the webtoon, it was still delicious to see the turning point - the ripping of the wedding dress. 🙂 I'm here to see all the plans of the manipulative villains to crash spectacularly 🙂 (And I want to see more of Seo Deoguk's Funny Family. )

Moon in the Day
Unexpected watch, I was just in the mood for some Kim Youngdae and pressed play 😄. I didn't pay much attention to the promos as I originally didn't plan to watch this, but I did remember the word Webtoon and that's maybe why I enjoyed the episodes more than others (dispite everything spelling TRAGIC ENDING!). I may be here sailing alone, but I'm having fun, with Resurrected National Boy and all the other ridiculousness included, I mean who has a path in the living room, with STONES? 😄

Daily Dose of Sunshine, 1ep only
If Attorney Woo grabbed me immediately and made me care, this show did the opposite, the (rectal) humour and kdrama psychology and patient treatment didn't click with me at all (and I was rolling my eyes at the duck analogy 🙄). I finished the episode because of the actors, but I don't have much desire to continue.

Dog Day
This I wish was my daily dose of sunshine, or at least the promised weekly one. Because sunshine it is (and I'm ignoring the tiger shadows clouds on the horizon).

Perfect Marriage Revenge: Addictive makjang on a caffeine IV. Tropes upon tropes and it all combines to make the best "bad" drama imaginable.

The Dog Show: Cuteness abounds with the adorable OTP and their supportive family members. What's not cute? Another hiatus. Grrrr. Hae-na would translate that as: "I'm going to rip this schedule to pieces."

The Matchmakers: Enjoyed the introduction to our savvy FL who has her work cut out in dealing with the book-smart (only) ML. I also appreciate that she's not the only independent-minded female character in the show. "Matchmakers" seems to be leaning into the "fusion" part of "fusion sageuk" for now, but I fear it'll eventually turn dark, as they almost all do.

Moon in the Day: Wasn't expecting things to take such a ghostly turn, which sets it apart from other shows I'm watching. The story seems a bit -- OK, a lot -- messy, but there's still plenty of pretty to look at, as well as some unique interior design choices.

Live Your Own Life Eventually: Finally we're seeing a connection between Hyo-shim and Tae-ho, though it comes at the expense of Tae-min, who apparently has never caught a break in his entire life (other than being born rich). More Aspiring Actress and less Ruby, please, until she gets an attitude adjustment. I'm also waiting for the moment Hyo-shim's mom realizes she can't use her daughter as an ATM/emotional punching bag anymore.

Strong Woman Nam Soon: Still love the OTP, but I'm not feeling too invested in the drug investigation. Perhaps the show is setting up the trio of strong women for a collective fall in which they'll realize the limitations of their physical power. In an ideal world, we'd dive deeper into the interesting social issues raised in earlier episodes, but I'm not holding my breath.

Inexplicable Destiny: A lot of shows can be called romances, but this is a love story. And yes, the title says it’s “destiny,” but the OTP have chosen time and again to stay, to protect, to care for, to put the other’s well-being first. I hope they get a peaceful life together sometime before the last 30 seconds of the show.

We Go Fast on Trust: Caught my attention with its unusual FL -- she's a brilliant, emotionally closed-off engineering genius. ML is the warm-hearted race car driver with a chaebol background (because of course). I’m sure the technical talk and race scenes are ridiculous to a true racing aficionado, but it’s not affecting my enjoyment.

My Dearest ep 15-16
Things I liked in this episode:
* All the historical tidbits regarding the political fallout of the death of the Khan
* Jong Jong is back and saved by her beloved GuJam.
* I liked the emotional scenes - Jong Jong and Gil Chae's reunion, farmers singing, Gil Chae and Jong Jong's reunion with their family and friends back in Hanyang.
* Gil Chae divorcing Won Moo
* Gak Hwas showing her vulnerability

Strong Girl Nam Soon ep 7-8 Nam Soon and Hee Shik is the reason I am still watching this.
Also I know that Nam Soon's heart is set on Hee Shik, but I am interested to see at what lengths Shi On will do to steal her away. He is smart and already figured out that she was born with her strength. He will soon figure out that Nam Soon is working with the police if he already knows Hee Shik's real identity.

Live Your Own Life ep 10-11 There is big progress in our OTP's relationship. Tae Ho made an effort to be nicer to Hyo Shim this week. He had a personality change that makes him more appealing. He did give an explanation why he was a jerk. Plus he apologized to her which was unexpected and appreciated.

Twinkling Watermelon ep 11-12 there were lot of realizations for our main four. I like that Yi Chan was most affected by our missing Chung Ah than anything else. Our poor Chung Ah is devastated when Se Kyeong said she will choose Yi Chan. Lots hugs for our dear Chung Ah! I want to see our girl smile again. I can't wait for Yi Chan to woo her and for her to find out that SK did not choose anyone.

Perfect Marriage Revenge ep1-2 I wasn't expecting to like this at all. Makjang is not really my genre but i liked the dynamics od our lead couple on episode 2. If they will continue to be partners in exacting revenge on her, ex-fiance, adoptive mother and sister, I am here to watch it. Do Guk seems to already like Yi Joo even before their official meeting in episode 2. This is one mystery I am eager to know.

Castaway Diva ep 1-2 this show is unexpectedly full of heart and warmth. I had to start and stop on ep1 a couple of times but when I just went for it, I ended up really liking MokHa and KiHo. Also I was excited for her when she finally got to met her idol, RanJoo. I am not sure if I can keep up with so many weekend dramas. I will figure it out.

The Matchmakers ep1-2 I really found the ML insufferable with his uptight and condescending attitude. He needs to be taken down a few pegs since he is not better than anyone even if he is the King's son-in-law. That is why I liked that the King reprimanded him because what he said was true. He will not survive in the real world with an attitude like his. As for our FL, she is interesting and I like her a lot. I like that she is intelligent, capable and strong. Another complaint, the leads height difference is too big and made some actions done when the two of them are onscreen awkward. Like when she caught him in her arms, irl she would not have the strength to pull that through. Also the ML would fall flat on his back.

Moon In the Day I gave this the two episode test and its not working for me. The story is interesting but the execution of the story is all over the place. Its trying to be a lot of things at once - melo, saguek, supernatural thriller and romcom. The storytelling is also weak. I was hoping to like the Silla part of the story but the costumes, acting and sets are mediocre. Also I like both actors but they don't have the magnetic chemistry that this type of story needs.

Daily Dose of Sunshine ep 1-4 I watched it because its Park Bo Young and Yeon Woo Jin. It has an episodic approach on different patients they have at the psychiatric ward and covered the various mental health issues they suffer from. I got hooked on episode 1 because I was interested on their take on bipolar disorder. Also I really like the characters and overall vibe of the show.

What I am watching:

_ Twinkling Watermelon (12/16). Great episodes this week.

_ My Dearest (16/20). A strange writing direction (comedy?) in Episode 15 and a good Episode 16.

_ The Kidnapping Day (2/12). I enjoyed the second episode more than the first. I hope the rest of the show keeps this pace.

_ Perfect Marriage Revenge (2/12). So BAD, but so funny. Two online friends and me are having some good laughs thanks to this drama.

_ Call it love (1/16). Beautiful first episode. The pink filter is a little annoying but I guess I will get used to it.

Western shows:

_ Only murders in the building. Season 2. It was so funny. This is what I ask of Western shows (which lately bore me a lot) : good actings, smart humor, good scripts.

On hold:

_ I started (again) True Beauty. Many months ago I watched the first two episodes and didn't like them, so I put the show on hold. This week I have watched episodes from 3 to 7. I don't know why but I don't care enough about the characters. But I'll finish this drama someday.

The Matchmakers First, this show is a feast for the eyes. I love how colorful and lively is it. I love Rowoon in this role, he's so funny and his character has so much growing to do, it will be fun to watch. He did well to balance between the sageuk speech and the comedy. Choi Ji-Hyun is a little bit young for a widower role and her speech is pretty modern, but I really like her character. The surname for the viewers is Mandarin duck, like the ones on the poster :p

Twinkling Watermelon There is no much to say... My complain always is the same, the 2 present characters have nothing to do in the past and there are not enough Chung-Ah's scenes >_<

Moon in the Day It was pretty awful on different points : acting, storytelling, props, etc. KYD doesn't have the charisma to carry this kind of role. I was thinking that his character looks a lot like the Goblin, a general in Goryeo betrayed by his King. The Goblin did so well to established the past story. In this one, we got only flashbacks with which we can do nothing.

A Good Day to Be a Dog It's cute but the story is not complicated enough they need to make a 5 min recap before the episode...

Strong Girl Nam-soon I dropped it.

My Dearest I wonder how the scenes we saw in the first episode, the prisoner or the beach scene, will be adressed in the futur episodes. They want to extend to drama and I don't think it's a good idea...

Perfect Marriage Revenge It's not a good drama but it's entertaining, at least, the second episode. I will watch the 3-4 and see if it become terrible or still fun.

Castaway Diva I need to know that Ki-Hoon is happy somewhere, it's all. In the promotion pictures, Moon Woo-Jin was showed with longer hair and in a city.

Daily Dose of Sunshine It was a warm and nice drama with a lot of heavy moments. The casting was great.

Castaway Diva: 10.0 !!! I may have rewatched the island parts a few times. I nominate Drone for Best Cameo.
Day 1: Lee Re nailed it.
Day 2: Park Eun-bin is no slouch either.
So now I want to retitle this show "Good Casting".

Strong Girl Nam-soon: 5.5

My Dearest, pt 2: 6.0

Perfect Marriage Revenge: 3.1 Dropped at 31 min.

Matchmakers: 8.0 And seven years later they need divorce lawyers?

Doona!: 7.0 (ep 9, finally)

Good Day to Be a Dog: 6.5 Guess the midnight curse doesn't need to worry about adjusting for Daylight Saving Time because S. K. doesn't have DST? Show's gimmick has gone stale, so my mind wanders in directions like that.

Killing Vote: __ 404 Not Found

Moon in the Day: 7.9 The ML's actress girlfriend is also in Matchmakers as the oldest of the 3 "old maid" sisters. I'll bet things work out better for her there. Pyo Ye-jin is in a race with Jo Boa for the 2023 prize for Most (Macro)Expressive Face / Face Not Paralyzed by Botox.

Daily Dose of Sunshine: 6.0 (ep 1) As opposed to all the other kdramas with so much drinking we'd title them "Daily Dose of Moonshine".

Woah, busy week!

Live watching CASTAWAY DIVA, but not tooooo gripped yet (GAH! Why? Dunno…. Maybe. The focus of the last episodes was too much on the male characters. Did not like the younger brother at all.) Have not watched episode 3 yet, and hope this will lure me in this weekend.

THE MATCHMAKERS is pretty hilarious and pretty pretty. Really enjoy this one and hope it stays silly, endearing and beautiful to behold.

MOON IN THE DAY is a surprise watch for me. I think it’s fun! Cannot take it too seriously, but find it really entertaining! (Though I admit I went to make dinner while the opening war scene played out, and returned when the screaming stopped. I did not need that level of violence.)

Enjoying YUMI‘S CELLS tremendously!!! It’s such a hilarious and sweet show. Super relatable, too. I binged straight through season 1 and am now at season 2 already. Who knew!

Finished binging A PIECE OF YOUR MIND, which was a really nourishing melo. Also liked the OST a lot, and having a look into the recording studio daily life. The found family in the boarding home was my favorite part of the show, all characters endearingly sweet.

Perfect Marriage Revenge - It was just it. I like how they made Yi-joo's transition to evilive as steady yet shaky, firm and resolved but scarred nonetheless. Inasmuch as she is giving bad guys a hard time, we see moments where she slips into that bad place she's trying to crawl from. I look forward to how she continues to grow stronger in this regard.
I don't know what to say about Yi-joo's. father though. Is he not taking sides or is he being sly. I know his wife is a clear cut from the villains cloth but for him, I really don't know what to make of him.
That kiss at the end of episode 2...👌🏽.
One quip...A motion to change Sung Hoon's wardrobe.
A going for the shots ML, Do Guk has my heart with the way he handled meeting his inlaws the first time.

My Dearest - Honestly...I'm tired of bored of this. It unnecessarily stretching material with fillers that I am not sure should be in the drama or not. There are only a few moments that had me at attention and nodding in agreement. I hope there'll be improvement. And please, take Won-mo off my screen.
One of the parts that My Dearest excelled last week besides Gil-chae divorcing her husband and slapping the shit out of that man was she steeling herself against Ryang-eum's narrative that Gil-chae was a curse to Jang-hyun. I was looking forward to Gil-chae's reply like one waiting on an answer. I especially liked the fact that while she did own the fact and agreed with Ryang-eum that she was a curse to Jang-hyun, she put him in his place by reminding him that she gets to decide what sort of curse she is, and she is going to stay by Jang-hyun's side unless Jang-hyun says otherwise (not like our Gil-chae won't resist Jang-hyun's attempts to have her return to Joseon). I was just brimming with joy as she gave her reply to him.
Ryang-eum should also stay far away from my screen. That makes two of them.

Live Up To Your Name Ep 1-3 - I can't really say I'm excited about this, but it's keeping me interested. But, I did enjoy the mystery boyfriend thingy. It was so much fun learning you have a boo as you're awaking from a coma and you have to wait for almost a day before you see the said boo. I hope I get to enjoy the politicking between who becomes chairman between oriental medicine CMD and the hospital CMD.
So they were transported back to joseon time...it's going to be a lot of fun having Dr. Choe work Ga-im's shoes.
Dr. Choe's father though...he seems to know more than the rest of the casts.

I'm enjoying a rewatch of Hundred Days My Prince. Kim Jae-young had my heart here as Moo-yeon. Jo Han-chul is a lesser willed king here unlike his complete opposite in The Matchmakers as I noticed in the recaps. However, his love for his son is so strong. It was a due already but the few moments where he was being a proper father to Yi Yeon were a delight.

I still felt sad for the crown princess Kim So-hye. If only this was set in the Goryeo or Gogoryeo era, or even based in Shilla, she would have married the Grand Prince in a levirate marriage of some sort. Perhaps I'm overstretching, but at least she wouldn't be left in that state of being alone for as long as she draws breathe.
Her brother too, Kim Soo-ji, played to perfection by Heo Jung-min. He was a delight. A free soul who was caught in the crossfires of his father's villainy. While i found it fitting that he was sacked out of civil service, i didn't like how he was an outcast+outlier in Song-ju village. The guy freaking did nothing to be deserving of such treatment/regard. All he wished was to be a part of the gang but here he is settling for crumbs like a child scared to play. To anyone who's willing to hear me, I dare say that Song-ju are missing a lot by not being inclusive with Soo-ji. I know this cause I enjoyed his character beyond my hearts content.

To be followed up... Live Your Own Life, Escape of the Seven. To be picked up...Evilive. The last recap convinced me that this will be good.

WATCHING:-

*The Matchmakers* (2/16) - Rowoon is killing it as the sexually-frustrated pompous ass 🤣 I love that the FL is such a capable and confident woman. The first two episodes were really engaging and I hope the show can maintain this merry vibe till the end, though I'm prepared to be disappointed since this is a segeuk.

*Perfect Marriage Revenge* (2/12) - Wonky writing, bad acting. Absolutely ridiculous makjang. I'm loving it! 😛

*(Thailand) I Feel You Linger In The Air* (11/12) - My favorite on-air show at present. This drama is wrecking me in the best way possible. I'm not ready for this sweetest love story to end this week 🥹

*Strong Girl Nam Soon* (8/16) - I'm watching only for the hot villain at this point 😐

*Live Your Own Life* (11/50) - How long can you watch all the characters be perpetually miserable? It's time the good things start happening 😤

*(Thailand) My Dear Gangster Oppa* (1/8) - Meen and Ping are back with a new BL, and their chemistry is as strong as ever 🥰 The first episode was super cute! As an introvert myself, I love that both our MLs are introverts.

DROPPED:-

*A Good Day To Be A Dog* - Liked the first couple of episodes, but ever since the romance began I have been feeling disconnected. There's no chemistry between the leads. The dog moments are too few and far between. Dropped at 4 episodes.

*Moon In The Day* - The premise is interesting but the execution isn't. Plus the lead actors don't have the acting chops or the charisma to carry off their roles. Dropped after 2 episodes.

Finished:
While You Were Sleeping:
Really interesting mystery thriller with some romance. The basic premise ended up being underutilized, but it was still very effective at setting up and revealing character motivations. My favorite parts? Good-hearted Investigator Choi, the ML and FL's dorky romance, Jung Hae-in's smile, the sweetest ending, and watching the Prosecutor team discuss and debate cases together - they were an ethical and well-functioning team!

Watching:
Perfect Marriage Revenge: I didn't think my next live watch would be a makjang, but here we are! I think for those who are curious, it's important to note that it's not a "bad" drama, it just has different rules and conventions than most dramas, because it's part of the makjang genre. As long as it doesn't do anything to earn an NC-17 rating (*I was shocked to see this rating for Penthouse!!* 😱), I'll keep enjoying it. Just don't expect it to play by the same rules as the dramas that are trying to win a Daesang, and you'll have fun!!

C-dramas:
Since I've been sick, I've been looking for fluffy things to watch, so I watched the 16-episode Be My Cat. It was fluffy and silly (mostly, until there was angst), and had a happy ending. Y'all, the ML plays a character who's a cat prince from the Meow Star. That's what kind of drama this is. The ML is VERY tall and handsome (*very*), and his introductory scene when he attacks a group of bandits while making incoherent cat noises was hilarious. The FL is played by the adorable Tian Xi Wei.

Other Stuff:
I'm watching S2 of Loki and it is SO GOOD. Currently the only Marvel thing I like, and that's partially because it's like one of the better seasons of Doctor Who. The visual style is distinctive and centers the actors in the scenes' vanishing point with lighting and architecture - very interesting. Tom Hiddleston is excellent, and his odd-couple dynamic with Owen Wilson just works. Very fun.

I'm juggling the following dramas right now:

1. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo (still watching) - So far, so cute. Also a great coming-of-age story.

2. Hot Stove League (Still watching) - Namgoong Min. Hehe.

3. Sell Your Haunted House (Still watching) - Jang Na-Ra is excellent and I usually like supernatural dramas but for some reason this is a take-it-or-leave-it for me, something that I can watch here and there without feeling the urge to binge.

4. True Beauty (Still watching) - Taking a short break from this one because I've reached the episode where ML gets really possessive and tries to control who FL can or cannot be friends with. Just NO. It was doing so well until it hit this narrative speed bump that has me wincing...

5. My Roommate Is A Gumiho (Finished) - Nice and fluffy viewing though the ending was a bit of a deux ex machina

Live watches:

Twinkling Watermelon
Great set of episodes I hope that we continue to have solid writing even if it is frustrating watching the teens struggling to manage their parents when they themselves know their own attempts to actively rebell against their adult parents. I wonder if they will be more understanding about their stage of life and the joy it holds. Hwaiting show please stay strong now we are on the home stretch.

A good day to be a dog
Another great episode. This along with Twinkling watermelon brings joy into the week and remind me why I was drawn to K-dramas in the first place. Shame that we have another two week gap, but hopefully it will be the last break.

Castaway diva
Looking forward to enjoying this weekends episodes after a solid start. It looks like lots of emphasis on female bonding and healing. I just hope that once Mokha is in the limelight that abusing dad does not turn up and start causing trouble to see if she has any links with his son.

The Matchmakers
This is very silly and light hearted and I hope it stays that way.

Binge watch corner - aka filling the empty mid week slots

The Youth memories - Chinese
Set in Beijing during the 70’s follows a group of young people on the brink of choosing their careers and dealing with the effects of the societal changes.

Mr Bride - Japanese
Untidy woman meets tidy male they decide to challenge the stereotypes of what cohabitation and gender roles mean by sticking to roles but swapping the gender😬 Not really sure where this will end up as currently the female lead sees it as house mates and is enjoying all the benefits of being looked after while the male lead has a one sided crush and is trying to be noticed as more than a housekeeping service.

Completed

Daily Dose of Sunshine
A rare attempt to raise awareness of the lived experience of living with a mental illness and working within the mental health field. Trigger warnings; it goes into the lead up and aftermath of self inflicted death. Many aspects of the legal and practical elements were not shown but it did cover some important aspects whilst giving us characters we can relate to.

Our blues - I dipped into the show for the teen pregnancy story and stayed for the twins’ story, and mostly avoided the elements that were heavy. I liked the sports day ending and flashbacks to the people we had met along the way.

Trillion game - Japanese
Two men apply for a job at a top company they bump into each other after the interview and reminisce on their previous meet up when they were teenagers. The rest of the drama is about their many adventures. This drama has elements that I had seen before but I can’t remember where, its probably a mix of dramas. It’s based on a webtoon which I think is ongoing so there may be another season at some point.

Webtoon corner
Second Lead Syndrome.
Secret Playlist

Book corner
Mambo in Chinatown - Jean Kwok
A story about a young Chinese girl coming of age and leaving the comfort of Chinatown to find her true calling. Themes covered relationships,death of a parent, identity, traditional values regarding treatment of medically unexplained illnesses, parentified first generation Chinese children navigating the systems because their parents lacked confidence and vocab to engage with teachers, medics etc. the long term impact of being uninsured when serious illness strikes.

Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin
The narrator of the audiobook is great and the story is told from the perspective of five female characters. The first character’s commentary reminded me of the speech pattern of the Jewish American dad in The Marvellous Mrs Maisel. Covers the impact of a sex scandal between a middle aged married politician and a young female intern. It’s funny and well observed, themes include feminism, marriage, culture, status, the media and politics.

Because this is my first life I was utterly enchanted by this drama - until episode 13. The charming, quirky lovestory turned into female narcissism going rampant, hurting everyone in the process except the stupid, reckless narcissist herself.

Perfect Marriage Revenge This is getting really interesting, so I will keep watching.

Good Day to be a Dog Aww, can I have a little dog like that, please? It is so cute, but it is so annoying that we only get one episode a week (especially with so many of the "cutie-pie-shots" slowing down storytelling).

Moon in the Day I am a bit on the fence about this one. I like the main leads, but there is not much chemistry between them. Technically, they are both "dead people walking" (FL died in the water, ML at the hospital), so I am wondering where this will end.

Castaway Diva Wow, what a start! I love this drama already and hope it stays that way. Also, I am really impressed with Park Eun Bin's singing. (Yes, it was her own voice in the singing scene.)

The Matchmakers Another drama, I am a bit on the fence about. I have seen too much Rowoon/Tsundere-dramas as of late, so this is a bit tiring. I like all of the other characters, though, and the costumes/production design (so cheerful!). I will keep watching for the time being.

I may be due for a K-drama intervention over the holidays 😂 Why did they stack Q3-4 with so many great shows?! (And it's not over yet!)

Currently Watching

Twinkling Watermelon I know we all love the Yi-Chan/Cheong-Ah storyline and want more scenes with them, but have we talked about the terrific chemistry between these two actors? It's not just the story. They are magic together onscreen. This series is still going strong imo.

The Matchmakers So I have to admit that it took a rewatch of the first two eps for me to fully appreciate this new series. The direction and cinematography are somewhat unusual and will throw you for a loop if you're expecting same same fusion sageuk. Coupled with a large cast, a complex story that’s hard to follow at first, and plenty of subtle, dry humor … it's really a lot to process in one viewing. Despite the relatively lightweight story, this is not a lazy watch if you want to catch all the little details that are woven throughout. Rowoon's expressions are really dead-on funny. The frown he makes when the king is giving him a hard time at the inn is priceless. The whole cast is doing a great job. It's funny without being slapstick. I'm impressed and looking forward to more!

Moon in the Day Ugh, the first two episodes left me cold. I was looking forward to this one but the story is not jelling and there's zero chemistry between the leads, both of whom I generally like. The low quality production is not helping. I didn't even like the first OST by O.WHEN (and that at least should have been good). Sigh. This may get dropped.

My Dearest 2 Not sure how I feel about an additional episode. As much as I've loved this, I'm ready for it to be over. Last weekends eps were great though.

Strong Girl Namsoon Episodes 7 and 8 were loads of fun after a dip into boring territory in the previous two eps. I'm not playing heavy critic on this one. I love our OTP and also enjoy watching our seemingly smitten villain whose motives are still unclear, even if his appeal is not lol.

Castaway Diva So I said this was going on the back burner but I watched the first two eps anyway and was both surprised (by the dark back story) and charmed (by the "hidden vocals" scene). The mystery is decent as well and I'm really looking forward to seeing how it plays out as there are multiple ways it could go. They didn't show much of Mok-Ha's time on the island though. Wondering if we'll see more in flashbacks.

Perfect Marriage Revenge What the what is going on? I can't believe I'm watching AND enjoying this. But really, I'm living for the comment section on DB #thatisall

Daily Dose of Sunshine Wow, this series is something different. Two episodes in and I'm loving it. They manage to walk the fine line on realism in a clever, artistic way. I'm also loving the characters and intrigued that [SPOILER] the 3 leads are all dealing with some mental health issues themselves.

Happy weekend watching everyone!

Doona: stopped watching after they got together. It was just ok. This story has been told before and in a much better way. It just wasn’t compelling and Suzy is overhyped. I keep wondering where this could have gone with a different lead actress.

Perfect Marriage Revenge: I am loving this show so much and waiting for episodes to come out is painful. It totally satisfies the hopeless romantic in me…handsome, sexy leading man who is completely taken with the FL and a FL that while she needs some help has some backbone.

A Good Day to be a Dog: this has been a very pleasant and enjoyable surprise. It is beyond hilarious and the dog scenes are so well done. This made my week better…watch it y’all!

Moon in the Day: I enjoyed the 1st 2 episodes and looking forward to seeing more.

I am watching quite a few shows that I find DELIGHTFUL these days, so yay me!

Continuing
Live your Own Life
Liking the leads so much, hope Tae Min doesnt become the cartoon villain

Unpredictabe Family
Its chugging along, not sure how many episodes it is, but I am in

A good day to be a dog
These guys are testing my patience with an episode every 2 weeks

Hello, I am at your service(Chinese)
Havivng a hard time forcing myself to watch this, so this is on hold right now

Starting
Perfect Marriage Revenge
I wasnt expecting much from this, I was simply planning to ogle Sung Hoon a bit but man, this one hooked me. I even found the webtoon and reading up on it, hee hee.

Castaway Diva
It was hard to watch episode 1, but I powered through, thanks to beanies for helping me get past it, but loving it now. The leads are both favorites, so yay!