And Round 2 of Haechi vs. Item goes to Haechi again.
*Sigh* Item is really going to have to step it up next week if it wants to avoid being dropped. There’s just too many other shows out there to watch right now to bother giving a mediocre one more than a 2-week chance. I keep feeling like the show is trying to take some aspects from Red Moon, Blue Sun, but RMBS was a mystery crime thriller that hooked you from episode one because we really didn’t know the antagonist until the end. The same approach doesn’t work with Item when we, the viewers, keep having access to the antagonists’ POV. I feel like Item’s only hope is to go full out supernatural action-thriller, like the opening sequence in episode 1, and tone the law/investigation talk way way down.
On the other hand, I’m loving Haechi right now. I think having an ensemble main cast that’s not all in the palace and making the show not about just putting an underdog on the throne, but reforming Joseon as a whole is really working to its advantage. Our leads have already started building a rapport with each other and working together, despite not being a team yet, and switching between each of them really helps to break up the political talk. I wish they could have gotten the music director from The Crowned Clown though. It’s amazing how much a couple instrumental tracks can really transform and heighten a show.
So far in the battle of the Mon-Tues dramas, Round 1 goes to Haechi! I haven’t seen Radiant yet and TCC is on pause, but for Haechi vs. Item at least Haechi had the stronger first episode to me.
Welp, first 3 eps of Kingdom done. Waiting till next week to finish. It’s fortunately not as scary and gory as I thought it would be, but then again I think it helped that I was watching with a stoic friend that came up with snarky comments with me while watching the scary parts. We were both chomping on popcorn and discussing the mental faculties of people during the zombie scenes by the 3rd episode lol
I tend to keep my Kpop life separate from Kdrama, but I love this man too much to not promote him so I’m just going to drop this here. This is more indie than pop, but I thought some people here might be interested in it. And since it’s easy to mistake this guy as something other than a chocolate covered marshmallow, I’m leaving a link to a good little intro vid to him in the comments. This is a really great reminder that often times behind the seemingly brightest of smiles there is the darkest of pains.
*Hikikomori is a Japanese coined term for an extreme recluse that never leaves their room/home in order to avoid face-to-face interactions with people. It’s a social phenomenon that’s been growing in large part due to the increasing convenience of delivery services in Japan and is particularly prevalent among young people suffering with mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
I’m glad you liked it! I feel like Yongguk is one of the more unique artists in the K-pop world since his music content tends to be very deep/introspective and his musicality is very heavily influenced by jazz and rock artists instead of the typical hip-hop/pop. If you liked this one you should definitely give his other solo work a listen. Also, you may want to check out albums from B.A.P. like Matrix, Noir, and Carnival since they were all mostly written and composed by him as well and have some more variety in genre.
He’s def one of my favorite people. I’m excited to see all the new stuff coming out of him and the other b.a.p. members that they’d been keeping under lock and key while contracted with TS.
I’m hoping the rest are planning to leave one by one once their contracts are up then rejoin under a different company or do their own thing in a healthier environment at least. Zelo already left. Not sure when the others’ contracts end but I think it is all within this year.
Freedom Day is actually this upcoming Sunday! We’re like 99.9% sure no one is re-signing and have been counting down the week until they’re all released from their contract with TS. We’ll have to wait and see what their next step is going to be. Yongguk’s actually listed as Creative Director for Consent Media now so it’s possible they might re-locate there, but it’s also a possibility that they’re each going to do their own thing. I know Zelo’s got some kind of deal going on with his upcoming solo album and Yongguk has said he would like to do work with other art forms, like photography and video direction, instead of only writing music for the other members. I’m positive there will be more B.A.P. music in the future, but it’s going to be interesting to see what kind of future they choose for themselves since I get the feeling a lot of them intend to exit the K-Pop realm.
Yaaaay!
I hope if anything they will do at least one last comeback as one. Even if it’s just a YouTube video release and that’s it.
But, I’ll be happy to see them pursue their own dreams, too. They definitely deserve it with all the struggles they’ve gone through and yet managed to turn out thoughtful and awesome music for us.
Ooohhh, the last OST for Red Moon, Blue Sun is by Kim Min Seung/Vincent Blue. No wonder I instantly liked it. It\’s a shame they don\’t release OST artist names before shows start airing since I’m pretty sure I’d devotedly tune into anything this guy sings for. Also, I wish he’d pick one name. It drives me crazy that I have to search multiple names on Spotify to find all his music.
The Crowned Clown: First, I was so happily surprised to hear Jeolla-do satoori in this as well! Perhaps this will be the year countryside accents trend in dramaland! On a more serious note, I wasn’t sure if I’d be in the mood for sageuk politics right now, but I actually really enjoyed the first two episodes of this. I’m a sucker for a good becoming a king story since it reminds me of king2hearts. I’m not so sure about the romance in this though. I can see the appeal in both kings which slightly concerns me. I don’t remember much from the original movie, but I’m pretty sure the original king was not so outright insane and he didn’t appear much in the movie. I’m hoping the show doesn’t put so much emphasis on creating a love triangle with him that it ruins the show for me. Also, if I get so much as a week behind on this show I’m likely going to have to drop it. Nearly 90 minute episodes are just too much.
Liver or Die: Not so sure on this one yet, but it’s likely going to be a drop for me. It kind of gives me a mix of My Ahjussi vibes (if Dong Hoon acted happy-go-lucky about his depressing life) and Charlie Brown. I’ve never been able to get the Charlie Brown kind of humor where one person’s continuous misfortunes are a source of comedy so, just like with Charlie Brown, this show just kind of makes me sad instead of inciting any laughter. I’ll try giving it another week to see if it delivers any strong heart-warming family moments, but as of right now I’m with the wife all the way- leave the house of crazies!
So I was watching the old promo videos and press conference for Red Moon, Blue Sun and I’m still trying to wrap my head around how it’s possible for Kim Sun-ah to look like such a regal queen while amongst her co-actors and yet be 100% okay with them hitting her in fits of laughter. Like at one point Gyu Ri was shaking Sun-Ah so hard she accidentally pulled her jacket off, which Sun-Ah hilariously didn’t notice for a good few seconds cause she was too immersed in smacking the heck out of Yi Kyung’s back, and then when she did notice she just turned it into another comedic moment and didn’t so much as bat her eye otherwise.
What’s even more shocking is that I thought for sure Gyu Ri would have snapped to attention and start begging for forgiveness since she just ripped off her revered sunbae’s clothes, but the whole lot of them couldn’t have cared less about the mishap. They just laughed even harder and Yi Kyung very casually got up to help put the jacket back on all whilst continuing to laugh his head off. The rest of the main cast are all 10-15 years younger and still basically rookies in the acting world so Sun-Ah must have worked hard to make herself approachable and comfortable to be around. You’d expect them all to be politely restrained around her, but they actually have great friendly chemistry and you can tell whenever Sun-Ah talks about them that she really loves this project and her cast.
It’s so sad and infuriating that despite how great this ensemble works together the press conference for the show had a very distinct “The Sun-Ah And A Couple Extras Show” vibe. 90% of the questions asked were for her and the director and I think even Hak Yeon may have gotten more questions than Yi Kyung, which isn’t saying much since none of the actors besides Sun-Ah were asked more than 3 questions (poor Gyu Ri got only 1…). I get that she’s the bigger star so they’d want to hear from her more, but it’s annoying that they kept pelting her with questions about ratings, her past works, and comparing her cast with the competition of Hye Kyo/Bo Gum and Na Ra/Jin Hyuk and pretty much the only question they could think to ask her co-actors was a standard “how did you prepare for this role?”
It’s even sadder the lengths Sun-Ah had to go through to get attention on the other cast members. She made headbands for the cast to wear that she blatantly said were meant to be bait for the reporters to take more pictures and give them good press. She also kept telling Yi Kyung to put his hand on her shoulder for poses, did heart poses with him, and would cuddle up to him to get the photographers to go wild since they otherwise paid little attention to him. Then the real heart-breaker was how Yi Kyung’s closing remark was basically saying that he’s regretful that he’s already 30 but has zero star power to contribute and that he’ll do his best to just not detract from the show.
I was always a shipper of Ji Heon and Woo Kyung, although I would be okay if they just became good friends, but now I really wish the writer would give them a passionate noona romance love-line, not in the least because I’m 200% convinced they’d have no problem pulling it off. I’ve got a suspicion that underdog Lee Yi Kyung whose looks don’t make the cut for ideal male leads romancing the great Kim Sam Soon would be good fodder for buzz and consequently ratings. Too bad having a police officer engage in a hot romance with one of his murder suspects would turn this into a very different show though lol. It’s just hard to believe that Yi Kyung, an acting major, has been in the industry for 7 years now, been part of 30+ projects, isn’t in anyway considered a bad actor, and yet pretty much the only way he’s been able to get recognition from the general public is by making people laugh.
So what’s the deal, MBC? If Yook Sung Jae could get a New Star Award for starring alongside Moon Geun Young in Achiara’s Secret even though it was practically his first lead role and the ratings weren’t great, why on earth can’t Yi Kyung get some kind of award for Red Moon, Blue Sun? It’s not like anyone expected the ratings to be great for it anyway since dark thrillers about child abuse are just generally not the kind of drama a lot of people want to wind down to right before going to bed, and everyone knows that ratings are not always an indicator of quality. The year-end awards were the perfect opportunity to get his name out there as a serious drama lead, but I feel like MBC shafted both Yi Kyung and the rest of the drama team by only giving an award to Kim Sun-Ah…
Okay, now that the tears have dried and I’ve had some time to think I’ve got to let out some thoughts about the episode that I can’t wait for the recaps to get caught up to post. Those that aren’t watching/aren’t caught up with Red Moon, Blue Sun please don’t mind the following comments.
1. Ji Heon: Next week is definitely going to flesh out JH’s backstory since he clearly made a mistake here. It was obvious that EH had a death wish and he knew JH’s soft spot for WK would lead him to shoot, even though WK (and likely SY and JH deep down) knew that EH liked and respected her too much to kill her. JE let his feelings for WK get the best of him though so he panicked and shot.
Based on JH’s reaction around children and his ex-girlfriend questioning whether he’s ever really loved someone, I suspect his trauma may have been that he accidentally either killed or let a child get killed before while he was working because he let his emotions cloud his judgement. Hence, why he’s somewhat fearful around children and acts very emotionless and matter-of-fact when he works.
2. Eun Ho: I’m still holding out hope that he’s not dead yet. The EMT people got there fast and I doubt JH aimed for his vitals so it’s possible he could have been saved. Plus, we’ve got 3 whole episodes left to fill so I’m getting the feeling that maybe the writer is intending to tackle the question of “can a murderer be redeemed?” which would bring us back full circle with Ji Hye’s story that set the stage for this whole series.
Also, EH’s “death” reminded me of the autopsy guy’s words in the beginning of the series that a person’s method of suicide reflects who they are as a person. Yong Tae killed himself in a messy and painful way because he was disgusted with himself for becoming a murderer, but EH chose to die by being killed by someone he trusted and loved like family. Just an episode before, when JH and EH resolved their misunderstanding about Boy A, JH made a point to give him advice as a hyung and not simply someone who’s been living longer than him, which is likely the first time EH had ever been treated like a real brother to someone. Then mere days later EH tells JH that he must catch the real culprit before all but turning himself in by providing the evidence that would incriminate him.
The one thing that abused children want the most and that EH had lost hope believing actually existed is love. I thought it was aptly symbolic that EH orchestrated his death so that his final moments would be where his mother abandoned him with his makeshift family crying out of genuine love for him despite knowing the extent of his terrible crimes. I think it was a really powerful image that after suffering the ultimate disappointment/shame by having the woman that is in some ways his replacement mother telling him point-blank he was a murderer, his last image was clearly seeing that she was nonetheless devastated about him being shot. Even at his worst, she still put the innocent and hurt child inside him first, as if he was her own son.
3. Woo Kyung: She continues to be a mess of questions. I had a theory earlier that possibly the girl was Se Kyung and that adult Se Kyung is actually not WK’s sister. It solves the questions of why her parents went through such great lengths to get rid of traces of her childhood, why her father fed her stories of a fake childhood, as well as why WK doesn’t really remember much about her “sister.” However, if that’s how it is, then who is adult SK and why is she posing to be WK’s sister when she’s not? And if SK was the abused child why does WK have the symptoms? Also, how does step-mom and adult SK’s hatred of her fit into this? I hope when the truth is revealed next week it doesn’t turn out to be too makjangy….
Nooooo, say it isn\’t so 😭😭😭 Well done, show. I\’m crying the worst I\’ve cried the entire show all whilst experiencing a moral dilemma. I feel like I\’m the one going to need therapy after all this…
The start of the New Year has brought my first drop of the year, but fortunately also a new drama obsession.
I sadly have to say good-bye to My Strange Hero since I feel practically zero emotion for the romance in this, and even the melo-revenge plot with KDY is also just starting to bore now. All I really want is more scenes with rebelling against the system to help the school kids, but it just keeps giving more and more flashbacks… Also, although I applaud the screenwriters for resolving the misunderstanding much earlier than I thought they would, they kind of failed to redeem Soo Jeong for me. I just can’t feel bad for her when she was told by multiple people, multiple times, over the course of nearly a decade what she needed to do to relieve her conscious and she willingly chose to ignore that advice each time. I get that apologizing isn’t easy, but did really she have to delude herself into thinking she was the bigger victim to avoid doing so? Anyway, there’s no point spoiling everyone else’s enjoyment of it by complaining every week, so I’ll just follow the recaps and enjoy the numerous adorable Bok Soo gifs of it to come on the fanwall.
In my quest to fill up my empty drama watching schedule I decided to check out an episode of Red Moon, Blue Sun…and ended up starting the new year off bingeing all the available episodes haha I don’t know if this can be considered a good start to the year or not since on one hand this show gives me the heebie-jeebies so bad at times I worry about having nightmares, but then on the other hand I just can’t stop watching it. It sucks you in and doesn’t let up for even 1 minute. I’m kind of blown away by how good this is and how we’re almost at finale week and the mysteries are still as elusively mysterious as when we started. Beanies, check this one out! If you can’t watch it then at least read the recaps so you can play Sherlock with us about the ending!
My Strange Hero: Smart people ask questions, and Son Soo-jeong is supposed to be smart. But she judged Bok-su and believed Se-ho’s lies even though Bok-su was nothing but good and loyal to her, and did not bother to ask him about the rooftop incident. Badly written character. I’m only watching the show for YSH and her adorable relationship with his mother and his old teacher.
I second the RMBS rec! My current fave. Glad the show is gaining more fans.
And the last of my dramas from the year: My Year of Dramas in Review Part 3/3:
You Who Forgot Poetry: Although redemption for Jang Dong Yoon in Just Dance has scabbed over the wound left by this show, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able finish watching this one, even if I fast forward through all the Minho scenes. This was such a major disappointment for me since I adored this show and its concept, especially its lead Bo Young, but now I will be avoiding this group of writers in the future. There are many acceptable ways to handle an unfavorable reaction to your lead couple, writing out the lead is not one of them…
Switch: A nice solid overall average show. There’s not much I can think of in particular to criticize or praise. It made for a nice, although often predictable, show to watch while exercising, but lacked that addictive quality needed to be considered a top show. I did really enjoy the snarky pairing of Han Ye Ri and Jang Geun Suk though.
Miracle That We Met: *Sigh* Another show with tons of great potential that ended up being a disappointment. It started off really strong but I ditched halfway when it became clear the plot was heading into morally dubious and excessively angsty territory.
Just Dance: The final drama needed in my Top 3 list this year <3 Although this drama isn’t without its flaws, mainly that it needed to be an extra week long and the editing made it hard to follow along at times, but there were tons of great things about it to make up for it. I thought Shi Eun was very realistic and relatable (C’mon, you all can’t tell me you haven’t fantasized yourself as the grand hero saving the day for all the comparatively subpar people surrounding you in your own dramatic version of reality at least once in your life lol) and Seung Chan is definitely on my list of all-time favorite male characters now. I love how this was supposed to be a school drama but kept its focus on relationships and personal growth rather than just school issues. In fact, I think Shi Eun and her mother’s storyline was one of the strongest points in the show. In general, this was a great little slice-of-life type drama that gave a sneak-peak into the ordinary lives of our entire cast and the baggage each of them carry and let us join them in their struggle of taking another big step forward in the long winding journey of life.
Top Star Yoo Baek: It took me until Ma Dol’s appearance in episode 3 to really get into this show but now I’m happily hooked. It’s a shame about the lack of subs since I think this is a fun and classic type rom-com that a lot of Beanies would enjoy. Honestly though, I’d watch it anyway just for that hard-core country bumpkin Jeolla-do dialect and all the fond memories it gives me. It’s so hard to come across any Satoori Korean media that’s not Gyeong-sang-do dialect that I’m savoring this show even if Kkang Soon’s accent is a tad bit unnatural sounding.
Overall, I think this may have been one of the better years for dramaland and am optimistic for 2019. I missed out on a lot of gems this year though so my resolution for next year is to try to give everything at least a first impression try.
Mother: A more than decently well-made drama, I only wish the source material wasn’t so dramatic and fictitious. I love the messages this show tried to give about motherhood and what it means to be a mother in general, but I feel like it could have gone even further with it if the characters weren’t so cleanly differentiated as good and evil. I haven’t watched Red Moon, Blue Sun yet, but, judging from the comments I’ve seen about it, I think it might be a closer fit for what I wanted Mother to be like. It’s still a good drama though and I think Lee Hye Young’s character alone is more than enough reason to give it a watch anyway. I dare say she may have even stolen the whole show!
Mystery Queen 2: Show, you had 1 mission (well, technically 2, but I really only cared about 1 lol) and you failed on both accounts! I’m glad I just skimmed through this one since the disappointment about all the potential for this series that was blown with this sequel is staggering. I don’t mind that the mysteries in the sequel weren’t as intriguing as the first one since I imagine it couldn’t have been easy to write so many of them in the short time-frame given to come up with the screen-play, but it’s a downright shame that we will probably never get the closure this series needed because the writer held out for a trilogy when it is highly unlikely a third season will ever be green-lit, especially when they barely got approval for the second one.
The Great Seducer: Not even Woo Do Hwan’s smexy voice could save this show. Glad I dropped it early on and keeping my fingers crossed that My Country is a gem.
My Ahjussi: Since there’s no lack of people waxing poetic about this show, I’ll keep this to 1 point. I originally passed up on this show because 90% of the cast is middle-aged or older and based on past experience (A Gentleman’s Dignity) I figured it wouldn’t be my cup of tea. It’s a testament to how good the writing and characterizations are in this show that you can connect and empathize with all the main characters and not just the ones closest to your age or personal situation. This is really quite a masterpiece of a show that does a good job of painting a picture of the struggles of being happy. It also has the best OST of the year in my opinion. I feel bad for the people that missed out on it while it was airing though since it’s not very binge-friendly.
I completely agree with your comment about My Ahjussi being hard to binge-watch. I live-watched the show and I think that contributed to my love of the drama. The show peels back layer by layer as the weeks go on. You’re left wondering what decisions each character will make and the emotionally poignant moments sit with you after that week’s episodes. Watching My Ahjussi led to a lot of introspection and contemplating the moral dilemmas witnessed on screen. Being thrown all of these ideas, manipulations, and emotions would have been very overwhelming. Without the days between episodes to sit and reflect, I don’t think you can truly live in their world.
Exactly. I was fortunate that I was only two weeks behind when I started My Ahjussi, but now when I look at all these year-end reviews about shows like Prison Playbook that I originally passed up because I wasn’t in the mood I feel like I won’t be able to watch them. Even if I only watch 1 episode a day, I feel like I’m more likely to drop them from being overwhelmed instead of appreciating how good they are.
Since it’s the end of the year, I figured I’d join the Beanie fun this time by doing summary reviews of my dramas this past year instead of a bean count. Part 1/3
I’m Not A Robot: I feel like I have a much deeper appreciation for this show now that My Strange Hero is out. It wasn’t a big favorite of mine when I watched it, but it’s definitely a solid rom-com (well, at least the start was). I wish the plot and angst weren’t so draggy in the second half, but I may need to re-watch clips/skim through it again if I’m only going to get a cute puppy Yoo Seung Ho in a rom-com once a year and this year’s is already a bust for me… Also, I’m low-key waiting for Seung Ho and Soo Bin to follow the Song-Song couple’s footsteps and go from reel to real one day…
Just Between Lovers: One of my all-time top favorite shows. I love this show to bits, so much so that it’s my goal to one day splurge the $200+ needed for the DVD box set. It’s not necessarily the easiest watch since it’s often slow at times and is pretty angsty from start to finish, but I felt the depressing content was always handled in an insightful way so that it didn’t feel excessive or painstaking to get through. Plus, the social commentary in this show was top notch, both in its portrayal of Korean society and its characters. For example, a female lead with an 18 wheeler CDL license, disabled supporting characters that are respectfully portrayed as strong and admirable, breaking the stereotype that men and women can’t be platonic friends, a female host bar owner who doesn’t sacrifice her dignity etc… All in all, it’s the first time in a near decade that I’ve increased my list of re-watch shows from 1 to 2 out of the near 100 I’ve watched. Definitely recommend people give it at least a fighting chance.
Hwayugi: Ahh, this show. I think I’m going to stick with only My Girlfriend is a Gumiho when it comes to the Hong Sisters’ works from now on since they’ve burned me too many times now. I kind of regret spending probably 40+ hours helping with the subbing of this show instead of JBL, but at least the fun supporting characters and the Seung Gi/Seung Won bromance left me some fond memories for the 16 episodes I stuck with it. Seung Gi, thank goodness you’re hosting variety now since I’ve got a bad feeling it’s going to be a long while before I get another drama starring you that I like
I’d hesitate to call it re-watch “worthy” since I’m sure many will be underwhelmed by it… It’s my first K-drama, My Girlfriend is a Gumiho. I watched it once by myself, a second time right afterwards when I introduced it to my friends, a third time during my year-long K-drama slump, and a fourth time after Hwayugi failed me. I know it’s not the best drama ever, but it holds a special place in my heart and never fails to put a smile on my face. I usually never re-watch anything — I don’t even re-read books — so I have to have a strong connection to something to re-watch it.
Ahh, Just Dance\’s finale gave me some major School 2013 feels. It’s such a shame this show couldn’t get weekly recaps since I could easily write a novel dissecting each episode. There are so many great things to discuss about it! Thank you Dramaland, despite making me cry my way through the holiday season I thoroughly enjoyed this little gem you gave us!
“I could easily write a novel dissecting each episode.”
– Some beanies, including me, have been doing that each week on the first episode recap. Still, I agree this show deserves so much more attention. If I could, I would discuss every wonderful little thing about it! I’m definitely not ready to say goodbye to these characters yet.
Yeah, I know about the discussions on the first recap but I tend to avoid those since I can’t condense the 1,000+ words I want to say about an episode into something that would fit into a comment and not give someone a headache trying to read. That’s why recaps are nice because someone else already sets the stage for all the possible topics discuss and then the comments just build off of that foundation. It’d be great if DB allowed like guest recaps or something one day since it’s becoming quite common now that small/underrated dramas without weekly recaps are generating large and verbose followings for them.
Haha, I definitely understand that. I also like how recaps cover everything, so I don’t feel the need to discuss every detail.
I’ve been holding back on the really long comments until this past week for this very reason. But I decided to post them more for myself because I haven’t been this passionate about a show in such a long time. I figure beanies who take the time to read my nonsense are just as much in love with the show as I am!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, Junho\’s going to be starring in a movie as a male gisaeng? Why, oh, why couldn\’t this be a drama? I can\’t wait two years for it to be released on DVD 😭 Also, 👍 for all the gender reversal themes trending in K-dramaland lately. I hope it continues to grow!
From wikipedia:
“The gisaeng — often referred to as kisaeng — were highly-trained artist women in ancient Korea who entertained men with music, conversation and poetry in much the same way as Japanese geisha. ”
Alright, now that I’ve seen the first two weeks of My Strange Hero, I’ve got a good idea of what this show is trying to do and I’m not a total fan. It feels like this show basically took the premise of taking down school corruption from Angry Mom, added in a melo love-line, and then threw in some slapstick-esque comedy to make sure the show isn’t all dark and serious.
On the positive side, I like the Angry Mom similarities and that’s basically what’s keeping me from dropping the show. I can also live with the over-the-top comedy, even though I think it’s not really fitting in that well; it feels someone’s going “Wait! We labeled this as a rom-com so it needs to have comedy!” and throwing in random funny scenes just for the sake of being funny, even though it breaks the tonal flow of the show. What I can’t get over though is the melo love-line.
Soo Jeong’s character is quite frankly terrible. Not because she’s a coward that continually makes bad decision after bad decision, but because the basis of those bad decisions is her continued choice of making assumptions without ever once bothering to ask about the other side of the story. I can get behind a story of a jaded by the hardships of life bad teacher learning how to be the ideal teacher, but I can’t understand how any decent person would screw a person over multiple times without ever bothering to try to understand them first. It makes all her good moments fall flat and she feels like a character with no relatability because of it. I’d like this show so much better if they made the focus Bok Soo’s revenge against Se Ho and instead just had Soo Jeong be the random teacher that hates her life but gets dragged in the middle and ends ups falling for the protagonist as he turns her into an inspiring teacher.
All in all, if the misunderstanding that’s forming the basis of the show so far is going to be dragged out for 10 episodes, I’m probably not going to stick with this long. But since it’s not a wholly terrible show and I have nothing else to watch after Just Dance ends, I’ll keep it as a casual watch for now.
Also, as a pet peeve, I can’t believe 1. A 27 year old guy never bothered to take the GED test after being expelled and 2. A person can fall off a 3-4 story building rooftop and survive without at the very least needing a wheelchair for the rest of their life. But I guess every drama needs at least a couple logic flaws.
What were your favorite shows this year? No, I’m not trying to defend Strange Hero, it’s just that your kind of criticism seems like the things I’d say ehehehe.
Sadly, I only have 3 favorites this year, but I also only watched 6-7 shows in total this year. It often takes me a long while after watching a show I really loved to get in the mood to watch something different. Anyway, my top 3 this year were Just Between Lovers, My Ahjussi, and Just Dance. I actually originally passed up My Ahjussi since I don’t tend to gravitate towards heavy or dark shows, but I loved the OST so much that I ended up starting it and getting hooked.
The other shows I watched in case you’re interested:
I’m Not A Robot: Liked but didn’t love. Would have been better as a 10 episode series.
Hwayugi: Please give me the hours I spent on this back…
Mother: Liked but not enough for it to be an all time fav cause it’s too fictitious
Switch: Not great, but not bad. An easy, breezy, low-key watch
*You Who Forgot Poetry: This was supposed to be on my favorites list until the writer completely ditched her main lead (yes, I’m pretty sure Minho was actually supposed to be the lead in this) and turned it into The-Drama-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named for me.
*Miracle That We Met: I actually really liked this one at the start but then it lost it’s luster about half-way through.
I hope you enjoy it! It may not be on the same level as the others, but it’s hitting all the right spots for me being a fun, relatable, and addictive watch.
Re: You Who Forgot Poetry.
I’m pretty sure that’s not just you either. I read somewhere he was supposed to be the lead but because of fans they went the other way. I can’t remember where I read that though… :/
It was probably from the same article where the director mentioned he apologized to Jang Dong Yoon cause he felt so terrible about the character he ended up having to act out. Even without that though, I could still list at least a dozen reasons supporting why I believe he was originally the main character. It’s one thing for her to switch who gets the girl, but the biggest wrong she did was setting up Minho’s character for this great big character arc (he had tons to delve into with the family issues on top of his history with Bo Young that we never got to see his side of the story) and then basically writing him out of the story once she switched the leads and completely ditching all the character development he was supposed to have in favor of making him simply play a needless obstacle to the Ye-Line romance. And the kicker is that I’m pretty sure I read somewhere, perhaps it was from the press conference, that this was supposed to be a character drama and not big on romance. Yet, lo-and-behold, the romance definitely ended up taking center stage, most likely because once she ditched Minho’s storyline she didn’t have enough backstory about Dr. Ye to fill up the show without adding a bunch of romance fluff. Gah, it boils my blood just thinking about it lol
Hobakky
February 13, 2019 at 4:58 AM
And Round 2 of Haechi vs. Item goes to Haechi again.
*Sigh* Item is really going to have to step it up next week if it wants to avoid being dropped. There’s just too many other shows out there to watch right now to bother giving a mediocre one more than a 2-week chance. I keep feeling like the show is trying to take some aspects from Red Moon, Blue Sun, but RMBS was a mystery crime thriller that hooked you from episode one because we really didn’t know the antagonist until the end. The same approach doesn’t work with Item when we, the viewers, keep having access to the antagonists’ POV. I feel like Item’s only hope is to go full out supernatural action-thriller, like the opening sequence in episode 1, and tone the law/investigation talk way way down.
On the other hand, I’m loving Haechi right now. I think having an ensemble main cast that’s not all in the palace and making the show not about just putting an underdog on the throne, but reforming Joseon as a whole is really working to its advantage. Our leads have already started building a rapport with each other and working together, despite not being a team yet, and switching between each of them really helps to break up the political talk. I wish they could have gotten the music director from The Crowned Clown though. It’s amazing how much a couple instrumental tracks can really transform and heighten a show.
Hobakky
February 12, 2019 at 10:08 AM
So far in the battle of the Mon-Tues dramas, Round 1 goes to Haechi! I haven’t seen Radiant yet and TCC is on pause, but for Haechi vs. Item at least Haechi had the stronger first episode to me.
Hobakky
February 10, 2019 at 8:23 PM
Question for people that watched Clean with passion for now! Is Geumja (the maid) from Italy or did she ever live in Italy?
Hobakky
February 2, 2019 at 9:38 AM
Oh man, I’m 1,500 words into my analysis of Red Moon, Blue Sun and I’ve only said half of what I want to say…😅
LT is Irresistibly Indifferent, Dame Judi
February 2, 2019 at 12:16 PM
Keep going and tag us when you finish.
oppafangirl
February 2, 2019 at 1:25 PM
Yes, don’t forget to tag! Fighting!!
*Hands you a cup of coffee*
Hobakky
January 26, 2019 at 6:47 PM
Welp, first 3 eps of Kingdom done. Waiting till next week to finish. It’s fortunately not as scary and gory as I thought it would be, but then again I think it helped that I was watching with a stoic friend that came up with snarky comments with me while watching the scary parts. We were both chomping on popcorn and discussing the mental faculties of people during the zombie scenes by the 3rd episode lol
Hobakky
January 20, 2019 at 1:43 PM
I tend to keep my Kpop life separate from Kdrama, but I love this man too much to not promote him so I’m just going to drop this here. This is more indie than pop, but I thought some people here might be interested in it. And since it’s easy to mistake this guy as something other than a chocolate covered marshmallow, I’m leaving a link to a good little intro vid to him in the comments. This is a really great reminder that often times behind the seemingly brightest of smiles there is the darkest of pains.
*Hikikomori is a Japanese coined term for an extreme recluse that never leaves their room/home in order to avoid face-to-face interactions with people. It’s a social phenomenon that’s been growing in large part due to the increasing convenience of delivery services in Japan and is particularly prevalent among young people suffering with mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
Hobakky
January 20, 2019 at 1:44 PM
Despite his dark music, he’s really a fluffy marshmallow deep-down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjAcwRj_qlU&t=131s
Sa
January 20, 2019 at 9:22 PM
this was really good! thanks for the rec!
Hobakky
January 22, 2019 at 5:30 PM
I’m glad you liked it! I feel like Yongguk is one of the more unique artists in the K-pop world since his music content tends to be very deep/introspective and his musicality is very heavily influenced by jazz and rock artists instead of the typical hip-hop/pop. If you liked this one you should definitely give his other solo work a listen. Also, you may want to check out albums from B.A.P. like Matrix, Noir, and Carnival since they were all mostly written and composed by him as well and have some more variety in genre.
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
January 20, 2019 at 9:43 PM
Oooh yass. New Youngguk content. I love Yamakazi.
Jig
January 20, 2019 at 9:46 PM
Aw I love Bang Yongguk. Glad to see him doing stuff after leaving BAP.
Hobakky
January 22, 2019 at 5:34 PM
He’s def one of my favorite people. I’m excited to see all the new stuff coming out of him and the other b.a.p. members that they’d been keeping under lock and key while contracted with TS.
Jig
January 22, 2019 at 5:54 PM
I’m hoping the rest are planning to leave one by one once their contracts are up then rejoin under a different company or do their own thing in a healthier environment at least. Zelo already left. Not sure when the others’ contracts end but I think it is all within this year.
Hobakky
January 22, 2019 at 6:28 PM
Freedom Day is actually this upcoming Sunday! We’re like 99.9% sure no one is re-signing and have been counting down the week until they’re all released from their contract with TS. We’ll have to wait and see what their next step is going to be. Yongguk’s actually listed as Creative Director for Consent Media now so it’s possible they might re-locate there, but it’s also a possibility that they’re each going to do their own thing. I know Zelo’s got some kind of deal going on with his upcoming solo album and Yongguk has said he would like to do work with other art forms, like photography and video direction, instead of only writing music for the other members. I’m positive there will be more B.A.P. music in the future, but it’s going to be interesting to see what kind of future they choose for themselves since I get the feeling a lot of them intend to exit the K-Pop realm.
Jig
January 22, 2019 at 6:57 PM
Yaaaay!
I hope if anything they will do at least one last comeback as one. Even if it’s just a YouTube video release and that’s it.
But, I’ll be happy to see them pursue their own dreams, too. They definitely deserve it with all the struggles they’ve gone through and yet managed to turn out thoughtful and awesome music for us.
Hobakky
January 17, 2019 at 8:33 PM
Ooohhh, the last OST for Red Moon, Blue Sun is by Kim Min Seung/Vincent Blue. No wonder I instantly liked it. It\’s a shame they don\’t release OST artist names before shows start airing since I’m pretty sure I’d devotedly tune into anything this guy sings for. Also, I wish he’d pick one name. It drives me crazy that I have to search multiple names on Spotify to find all his music.
nightmoon
January 17, 2019 at 8:39 PM
That’s good to know. Really liked his song he did for My Mister.
Hobakky
January 18, 2019 at 4:56 AM
His new one, Smile Again, is very similar sounding to the one from My Mister 🙂
Hobakky
January 16, 2019 at 6:27 AM
The temptation is so so strong, but I\’ll keep my lips sealed until tomorrow. #nospoilersfrommetoday
Hobakky
January 13, 2019 at 6:40 PM
First impressions time!
The Crowned Clown: First, I was so happily surprised to hear Jeolla-do satoori in this as well! Perhaps this will be the year countryside accents trend in dramaland! On a more serious note, I wasn’t sure if I’d be in the mood for sageuk politics right now, but I actually really enjoyed the first two episodes of this. I’m a sucker for a good becoming a king story since it reminds me of king2hearts. I’m not so sure about the romance in this though. I can see the appeal in both kings which slightly concerns me. I don’t remember much from the original movie, but I’m pretty sure the original king was not so outright insane and he didn’t appear much in the movie. I’m hoping the show doesn’t put so much emphasis on creating a love triangle with him that it ruins the show for me. Also, if I get so much as a week behind on this show I’m likely going to have to drop it. Nearly 90 minute episodes are just too much.
Liver or Die: Not so sure on this one yet, but it’s likely going to be a drop for me. It kind of gives me a mix of My Ahjussi vibes (if Dong Hoon acted happy-go-lucky about his depressing life) and Charlie Brown. I’ve never been able to get the Charlie Brown kind of humor where one person’s continuous misfortunes are a source of comedy so, just like with Charlie Brown, this show just kind of makes me sad instead of inciting any laughter. I’ll try giving it another week to see if it delivers any strong heart-warming family moments, but as of right now I’m with the wife all the way- leave the house of crazies!
Hobakky
January 6, 2019 at 1:28 PM
Red Moon, Blue Sun mini rant part 1/2:
So I was watching the old promo videos and press conference for Red Moon, Blue Sun and I’m still trying to wrap my head around how it’s possible for Kim Sun-ah to look like such a regal queen while amongst her co-actors and yet be 100% okay with them hitting her in fits of laughter. Like at one point Gyu Ri was shaking Sun-Ah so hard she accidentally pulled her jacket off, which Sun-Ah hilariously didn’t notice for a good few seconds cause she was too immersed in smacking the heck out of Yi Kyung’s back, and then when she did notice she just turned it into another comedic moment and didn’t so much as bat her eye otherwise.
What’s even more shocking is that I thought for sure Gyu Ri would have snapped to attention and start begging for forgiveness since she just ripped off her revered sunbae’s clothes, but the whole lot of them couldn’t have cared less about the mishap. They just laughed even harder and Yi Kyung very casually got up to help put the jacket back on all whilst continuing to laugh his head off. The rest of the main cast are all 10-15 years younger and still basically rookies in the acting world so Sun-Ah must have worked hard to make herself approachable and comfortable to be around. You’d expect them all to be politely restrained around her, but they actually have great friendly chemistry and you can tell whenever Sun-Ah talks about them that she really loves this project and her cast.
It’s so sad and infuriating that despite how great this ensemble works together the press conference for the show had a very distinct “The Sun-Ah And A Couple Extras Show” vibe. 90% of the questions asked were for her and the director and I think even Hak Yeon may have gotten more questions than Yi Kyung, which isn’t saying much since none of the actors besides Sun-Ah were asked more than 3 questions (poor Gyu Ri got only 1…). I get that she’s the bigger star so they’d want to hear from her more, but it’s annoying that they kept pelting her with questions about ratings, her past works, and comparing her cast with the competition of Hye Kyo/Bo Gum and Na Ra/Jin Hyuk and pretty much the only question they could think to ask her co-actors was a standard “how did you prepare for this role?”
Hobakky
January 6, 2019 at 1:28 PM
Red Moon, Blue Sun mini rant Part 2/2:
It’s even sadder the lengths Sun-Ah had to go through to get attention on the other cast members. She made headbands for the cast to wear that she blatantly said were meant to be bait for the reporters to take more pictures and give them good press. She also kept telling Yi Kyung to put his hand on her shoulder for poses, did heart poses with him, and would cuddle up to him to get the photographers to go wild since they otherwise paid little attention to him. Then the real heart-breaker was how Yi Kyung’s closing remark was basically saying that he’s regretful that he’s already 30 but has zero star power to contribute and that he’ll do his best to just not detract from the show.
I was always a shipper of Ji Heon and Woo Kyung, although I would be okay if they just became good friends, but now I really wish the writer would give them a passionate noona romance love-line, not in the least because I’m 200% convinced they’d have no problem pulling it off. I’ve got a suspicion that underdog Lee Yi Kyung whose looks don’t make the cut for ideal male leads romancing the great Kim Sam Soon would be good fodder for buzz and consequently ratings. Too bad having a police officer engage in a hot romance with one of his murder suspects would turn this into a very different show though lol. It’s just hard to believe that Yi Kyung, an acting major, has been in the industry for 7 years now, been part of 30+ projects, isn’t in anyway considered a bad actor, and yet pretty much the only way he’s been able to get recognition from the general public is by making people laugh.
So what’s the deal, MBC? If Yook Sung Jae could get a New Star Award for starring alongside Moon Geun Young in Achiara’s Secret even though it was practically his first lead role and the ratings weren’t great, why on earth can’t Yi Kyung get some kind of award for Red Moon, Blue Sun? It’s not like anyone expected the ratings to be great for it anyway since dark thrillers about child abuse are just generally not the kind of drama a lot of people want to wind down to right before going to bed, and everyone knows that ratings are not always an indicator of quality. The year-end awards were the perfect opportunity to get his name out there as a serious drama lead, but I feel like MBC shafted both Yi Kyung and the rest of the drama team by only giving an award to Kim Sun-Ah…
Hobakky
January 3, 2019 at 4:43 PM
Okay, now that the tears have dried and I’ve had some time to think I’ve got to let out some thoughts about the episode that I can’t wait for the recaps to get caught up to post. Those that aren’t watching/aren’t caught up with Red Moon, Blue Sun please don’t mind the following comments.
Hobakky
January 3, 2019 at 4:45 PM
1. Ji Heon: Next week is definitely going to flesh out JH’s backstory since he clearly made a mistake here. It was obvious that EH had a death wish and he knew JH’s soft spot for WK would lead him to shoot, even though WK (and likely SY and JH deep down) knew that EH liked and respected her too much to kill her. JE let his feelings for WK get the best of him though so he panicked and shot.
Based on JH’s reaction around children and his ex-girlfriend questioning whether he’s ever really loved someone, I suspect his trauma may have been that he accidentally either killed or let a child get killed before while he was working because he let his emotions cloud his judgement. Hence, why he’s somewhat fearful around children and acts very emotionless and matter-of-fact when he works.
Hobakky
January 3, 2019 at 4:46 PM
2. Eun Ho: I’m still holding out hope that he’s not dead yet. The EMT people got there fast and I doubt JH aimed for his vitals so it’s possible he could have been saved. Plus, we’ve got 3 whole episodes left to fill so I’m getting the feeling that maybe the writer is intending to tackle the question of “can a murderer be redeemed?” which would bring us back full circle with Ji Hye’s story that set the stage for this whole series.
Also, EH’s “death” reminded me of the autopsy guy’s words in the beginning of the series that a person’s method of suicide reflects who they are as a person. Yong Tae killed himself in a messy and painful way because he was disgusted with himself for becoming a murderer, but EH chose to die by being killed by someone he trusted and loved like family. Just an episode before, when JH and EH resolved their misunderstanding about Boy A, JH made a point to give him advice as a hyung and not simply someone who’s been living longer than him, which is likely the first time EH had ever been treated like a real brother to someone. Then mere days later EH tells JH that he must catch the real culprit before all but turning himself in by providing the evidence that would incriminate him.
The one thing that abused children want the most and that EH had lost hope believing actually existed is love. I thought it was aptly symbolic that EH orchestrated his death so that his final moments would be where his mother abandoned him with his makeshift family crying out of genuine love for him despite knowing the extent of his terrible crimes. I think it was a really powerful image that after suffering the ultimate disappointment/shame by having the woman that is in some ways his replacement mother telling him point-blank he was a murderer, his last image was clearly seeing that she was nonetheless devastated about him being shot. Even at his worst, she still put the innocent and hurt child inside him first, as if he was her own son.
Hobakky
January 3, 2019 at 4:47 PM
3. Woo Kyung: She continues to be a mess of questions. I had a theory earlier that possibly the girl was Se Kyung and that adult Se Kyung is actually not WK’s sister. It solves the questions of why her parents went through such great lengths to get rid of traces of her childhood, why her father fed her stories of a fake childhood, as well as why WK doesn’t really remember much about her “sister.” However, if that’s how it is, then who is adult SK and why is she posing to be WK’s sister when she’s not? And if SK was the abused child why does WK have the symptoms? Also, how does step-mom and adult SK’s hatred of her fit into this? I hope when the truth is revealed next week it doesn’t turn out to be too makjangy….
Hobakky
January 3, 2019 at 12:49 PM
Nooooo, say it isn\’t so 😭😭😭 Well done, show. I\’m crying the worst I\’ve cried the entire show all whilst experiencing a moral dilemma. I feel like I\’m the one going to need therapy after all this…
Hobakky
January 2, 2019 at 6:40 AM
The start of the New Year has brought my first drop of the year, but fortunately also a new drama obsession.
I sadly have to say good-bye to My Strange Hero since I feel practically zero emotion for the romance in this, and even the melo-revenge plot with KDY is also just starting to bore now. All I really want is more scenes with rebelling against the system to help the school kids, but it just keeps giving more and more flashbacks… Also, although I applaud the screenwriters for resolving the misunderstanding much earlier than I thought they would, they kind of failed to redeem Soo Jeong for me. I just can’t feel bad for her when she was told by multiple people, multiple times, over the course of nearly a decade what she needed to do to relieve her conscious and she willingly chose to ignore that advice each time. I get that apologizing isn’t easy, but did really she have to delude herself into thinking she was the bigger victim to avoid doing so? Anyway, there’s no point spoiling everyone else’s enjoyment of it by complaining every week, so I’ll just follow the recaps and enjoy the numerous adorable Bok Soo gifs of it to come on the fanwall.
In my quest to fill up my empty drama watching schedule I decided to check out an episode of Red Moon, Blue Sun…and ended up starting the new year off bingeing all the available episodes haha I don’t know if this can be considered a good start to the year or not since on one hand this show gives me the heebie-jeebies so bad at times I worry about having nightmares, but then on the other hand I just can’t stop watching it. It sucks you in and doesn’t let up for even 1 minute. I’m kind of blown away by how good this is and how we’re almost at finale week and the mysteries are still as elusively mysterious as when we started. Beanies, check this one out! If you can’t watch it then at least read the recaps so you can play Sherlock with us about the ending!
Giegie
January 2, 2019 at 10:02 AM
My Strange Hero: Smart people ask questions, and Son Soo-jeong is supposed to be smart. But she judged Bok-su and believed Se-ho’s lies even though Bok-su was nothing but good and loyal to her, and did not bother to ask him about the rooftop incident. Badly written character. I’m only watching the show for YSH and her adorable relationship with his mother and his old teacher.
I second the RMBS rec! My current fave. Glad the show is gaining more fans.
Hobakky
December 31, 2018 at 11:22 AM
And the last of my dramas from the year: My Year of Dramas in Review Part 3/3:
You Who Forgot Poetry: Although redemption for Jang Dong Yoon in Just Dance has scabbed over the wound left by this show, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able finish watching this one, even if I fast forward through all the Minho scenes. This was such a major disappointment for me since I adored this show and its concept, especially its lead Bo Young, but now I will be avoiding this group of writers in the future. There are many acceptable ways to handle an unfavorable reaction to your lead couple, writing out the lead is not one of them…
Switch: A nice solid overall average show. There’s not much I can think of in particular to criticize or praise. It made for a nice, although often predictable, show to watch while exercising, but lacked that addictive quality needed to be considered a top show. I did really enjoy the snarky pairing of Han Ye Ri and Jang Geun Suk though.
Miracle That We Met: *Sigh* Another show with tons of great potential that ended up being a disappointment. It started off really strong but I ditched halfway when it became clear the plot was heading into morally dubious and excessively angsty territory.
Just Dance: The final drama needed in my Top 3 list this year <3 Although this drama isn’t without its flaws, mainly that it needed to be an extra week long and the editing made it hard to follow along at times, but there were tons of great things about it to make up for it. I thought Shi Eun was very realistic and relatable (C’mon, you all can’t tell me you haven’t fantasized yourself as the grand hero saving the day for all the comparatively subpar people surrounding you in your own dramatic version of reality at least once in your life lol) and Seung Chan is definitely on my list of all-time favorite male characters now. I love how this was supposed to be a school drama but kept its focus on relationships and personal growth rather than just school issues. In fact, I think Shi Eun and her mother’s storyline was one of the strongest points in the show. In general, this was a great little slice-of-life type drama that gave a sneak-peak into the ordinary lives of our entire cast and the baggage each of them carry and let us join them in their struggle of taking another big step forward in the long winding journey of life.
Top Star Yoo Baek: It took me until Ma Dol’s appearance in episode 3 to really get into this show but now I’m happily hooked. It’s a shame about the lack of subs since I think this is a fun and classic type rom-com that a lot of Beanies would enjoy. Honestly though, I’d watch it anyway just for that hard-core country bumpkin Jeolla-do dialect and all the fond memories it gives me. It’s so hard to come across any Satoori Korean media that’s not Gyeong-sang-do dialect that I’m savoring this show even if Kkang Soon’s accent is a tad bit unnatural sounding.
Overall, I think this may have been one of the better years for dramaland and am optimistic for 2019. I missed out on a lot of gems this year though so my resolution for next year is to try to give everything at least a first impression try.
Hobakky
December 31, 2018 at 9:20 AM
My Year of Dramas in Review Part 2/3:
Mother: A more than decently well-made drama, I only wish the source material wasn’t so dramatic and fictitious. I love the messages this show tried to give about motherhood and what it means to be a mother in general, but I feel like it could have gone even further with it if the characters weren’t so cleanly differentiated as good and evil. I haven’t watched Red Moon, Blue Sun yet, but, judging from the comments I’ve seen about it, I think it might be a closer fit for what I wanted Mother to be like. It’s still a good drama though and I think Lee Hye Young’s character alone is more than enough reason to give it a watch anyway. I dare say she may have even stolen the whole show!
Mystery Queen 2: Show, you had 1 mission (well, technically 2, but I really only cared about 1 lol) and you failed on both accounts! I’m glad I just skimmed through this one since the disappointment about all the potential for this series that was blown with this sequel is staggering. I don’t mind that the mysteries in the sequel weren’t as intriguing as the first one since I imagine it couldn’t have been easy to write so many of them in the short time-frame given to come up with the screen-play, but it’s a downright shame that we will probably never get the closure this series needed because the writer held out for a trilogy when it is highly unlikely a third season will ever be green-lit, especially when they barely got approval for the second one.
The Great Seducer: Not even Woo Do Hwan’s smexy voice could save this show. Glad I dropped it early on and keeping my fingers crossed that My Country is a gem.
My Ahjussi: Since there’s no lack of people waxing poetic about this show, I’ll keep this to 1 point. I originally passed up on this show because 90% of the cast is middle-aged or older and based on past experience (A Gentleman’s Dignity) I figured it wouldn’t be my cup of tea. It’s a testament to how good the writing and characterizations are in this show that you can connect and empathize with all the main characters and not just the ones closest to your age or personal situation. This is really quite a masterpiece of a show that does a good job of painting a picture of the struggles of being happy. It also has the best OST of the year in my opinion. I feel bad for the people that missed out on it while it was airing though since it’s not very binge-friendly.
CharmingKey
December 31, 2018 at 12:12 PM
I completely agree with your comment about My Ahjussi being hard to binge-watch. I live-watched the show and I think that contributed to my love of the drama. The show peels back layer by layer as the weeks go on. You’re left wondering what decisions each character will make and the emotionally poignant moments sit with you after that week’s episodes. Watching My Ahjussi led to a lot of introspection and contemplating the moral dilemmas witnessed on screen. Being thrown all of these ideas, manipulations, and emotions would have been very overwhelming. Without the days between episodes to sit and reflect, I don’t think you can truly live in their world.
Hobakky
December 31, 2018 at 12:26 PM
Exactly. I was fortunate that I was only two weeks behind when I started My Ahjussi, but now when I look at all these year-end reviews about shows like Prison Playbook that I originally passed up because I wasn’t in the mood I feel like I won’t be able to watch them. Even if I only watch 1 episode a day, I feel like I’m more likely to drop them from being overwhelmed instead of appreciating how good they are.
Hobakky
December 31, 2018 at 7:06 AM
Since it’s the end of the year, I figured I’d join the Beanie fun this time by doing summary reviews of my dramas this past year instead of a bean count. Part 1/3
I’m Not A Robot: I feel like I have a much deeper appreciation for this show now that My Strange Hero is out. It wasn’t a big favorite of mine when I watched it, but it’s definitely a solid rom-com (well, at least the start was). I wish the plot and angst weren’t so draggy in the second half, but I may need to re-watch clips/skim through it again if I’m only going to get a cute puppy Yoo Seung Ho in a rom-com once a year and this year’s is already a bust for me… Also, I’m low-key waiting for Seung Ho and Soo Bin to follow the Song-Song couple’s footsteps and go from reel to real one day…
Just Between Lovers: One of my all-time top favorite shows. I love this show to bits, so much so that it’s my goal to one day splurge the $200+ needed for the DVD box set. It’s not necessarily the easiest watch since it’s often slow at times and is pretty angsty from start to finish, but I felt the depressing content was always handled in an insightful way so that it didn’t feel excessive or painstaking to get through. Plus, the social commentary in this show was top notch, both in its portrayal of Korean society and its characters. For example, a female lead with an 18 wheeler CDL license, disabled supporting characters that are respectfully portrayed as strong and admirable, breaking the stereotype that men and women can’t be platonic friends, a female host bar owner who doesn’t sacrifice her dignity etc… All in all, it’s the first time in a near decade that I’ve increased my list of re-watch shows from 1 to 2 out of the near 100 I’ve watched. Definitely recommend people give it at least a fighting chance.
Hwayugi: Ahh, this show. I think I’m going to stick with only My Girlfriend is a Gumiho when it comes to the Hong Sisters’ works from now on since they’ve burned me too many times now. I kind of regret spending probably 40+ hours helping with the subbing of this show instead of JBL, but at least the fun supporting characters and the Seung Gi/Seung Won bromance left me some fond memories for the 16 episodes I stuck with it. Seung Gi, thank goodness you’re hosting variety now since I’ve got a bad feeling it’s going to be a long while before I get another drama starring you that I like
mugyuljoie is preciousss
December 31, 2018 at 10:26 AM
What’s your other rewatch worthy drama?
Hobakky
December 31, 2018 at 11:05 AM
I’d hesitate to call it re-watch “worthy” since I’m sure many will be underwhelmed by it… It’s my first K-drama, My Girlfriend is a Gumiho. I watched it once by myself, a second time right afterwards when I introduced it to my friends, a third time during my year-long K-drama slump, and a fourth time after Hwayugi failed me. I know it’s not the best drama ever, but it holds a special place in my heart and never fails to put a smile on my face. I usually never re-watch anything — I don’t even re-read books — so I have to have a strong connection to something to re-watch it.
mugyuljoie is preciousss
December 31, 2018 at 11:18 AM
I have one of those too.
Hobakky
December 25, 2018 at 7:20 PM
Ahh, Just Dance\’s finale gave me some major School 2013 feels. It’s such a shame this show couldn’t get weekly recaps since I could easily write a novel dissecting each episode. There are so many great things to discuss about it! Thank you Dramaland, despite making me cry my way through the holiday season I thoroughly enjoyed this little gem you gave us!
Chandler
December 26, 2018 at 12:33 AM
“I could easily write a novel dissecting each episode.”
– Some beanies, including me, have been doing that each week on the first episode recap. Still, I agree this show deserves so much more attention. If I could, I would discuss every wonderful little thing about it! I’m definitely not ready to say goodbye to these characters yet.
Hobakky
December 26, 2018 at 7:41 AM
Yeah, I know about the discussions on the first recap but I tend to avoid those since I can’t condense the 1,000+ words I want to say about an episode into something that would fit into a comment and not give someone a headache trying to read. That’s why recaps are nice because someone else already sets the stage for all the possible topics discuss and then the comments just build off of that foundation. It’d be great if DB allowed like guest recaps or something one day since it’s becoming quite common now that small/underrated dramas without weekly recaps are generating large and verbose followings for them.
Chandler
December 26, 2018 at 10:48 AM
Haha, I definitely understand that. I also like how recaps cover everything, so I don’t feel the need to discuss every detail.
I’ve been holding back on the really long comments until this past week for this very reason. But I decided to post them more for myself because I haven’t been this passionate about a show in such a long time. I figure beanies who take the time to read my nonsense are just as much in love with the show as I am!
Hobakky
December 21, 2018 at 7:48 PM
Whoa, whoa, whoa, Junho\’s going to be starring in a movie as a male gisaeng? Why, oh, why couldn\’t this be a drama? I can\’t wait two years for it to be released on DVD 😭 Also, 👍 for all the gender reversal themes trending in K-dramaland lately. I hope it continues to grow!
Mel
December 21, 2018 at 8:05 PM
whats a gisaeng?
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
December 21, 2018 at 8:28 PM
From wikipedia:
“The gisaeng — often referred to as kisaeng — were highly-trained artist women in ancient Korea who entertained men with music, conversation and poetry in much the same way as Japanese geisha. ”
Mel
December 21, 2018 at 9:28 PM
oh wow! Junho, this sounds interesting! @sicarius Thank you <3
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
December 22, 2018 at 12:26 AM
No worries
Hobakky
December 20, 2018 at 8:43 PM
Alright, now that I’ve seen the first two weeks of My Strange Hero, I’ve got a good idea of what this show is trying to do and I’m not a total fan. It feels like this show basically took the premise of taking down school corruption from Angry Mom, added in a melo love-line, and then threw in some slapstick-esque comedy to make sure the show isn’t all dark and serious.
On the positive side, I like the Angry Mom similarities and that’s basically what’s keeping me from dropping the show. I can also live with the over-the-top comedy, even though I think it’s not really fitting in that well; it feels someone’s going “Wait! We labeled this as a rom-com so it needs to have comedy!” and throwing in random funny scenes just for the sake of being funny, even though it breaks the tonal flow of the show. What I can’t get over though is the melo love-line.
Soo Jeong’s character is quite frankly terrible. Not because she’s a coward that continually makes bad decision after bad decision, but because the basis of those bad decisions is her continued choice of making assumptions without ever once bothering to ask about the other side of the story. I can get behind a story of a jaded by the hardships of life bad teacher learning how to be the ideal teacher, but I can’t understand how any decent person would screw a person over multiple times without ever bothering to try to understand them first. It makes all her good moments fall flat and she feels like a character with no relatability because of it. I’d like this show so much better if they made the focus Bok Soo’s revenge against Se Ho and instead just had Soo Jeong be the random teacher that hates her life but gets dragged in the middle and ends ups falling for the protagonist as he turns her into an inspiring teacher.
All in all, if the misunderstanding that’s forming the basis of the show so far is going to be dragged out for 10 episodes, I’m probably not going to stick with this long. But since it’s not a wholly terrible show and I have nothing else to watch after Just Dance ends, I’ll keep it as a casual watch for now.
Hobakky
December 20, 2018 at 8:46 PM
Also, as a pet peeve, I can’t believe 1. A 27 year old guy never bothered to take the GED test after being expelled and 2. A person can fall off a 3-4 story building rooftop and survive without at the very least needing a wheelchair for the rest of their life. But I guess every drama needs at least a couple logic flaws.
Lixie
December 21, 2018 at 4:08 AM
What were your favorite shows this year? No, I’m not trying to defend Strange Hero, it’s just that your kind of criticism seems like the things I’d say ehehehe.
Hobakky
December 21, 2018 at 7:13 AM
Sadly, I only have 3 favorites this year, but I also only watched 6-7 shows in total this year. It often takes me a long while after watching a show I really loved to get in the mood to watch something different. Anyway, my top 3 this year were Just Between Lovers, My Ahjussi, and Just Dance. I actually originally passed up My Ahjussi since I don’t tend to gravitate towards heavy or dark shows, but I loved the OST so much that I ended up starting it and getting hooked.
The other shows I watched in case you’re interested:
I’m Not A Robot: Liked but didn’t love. Would have been better as a 10 episode series.
Hwayugi: Please give me the hours I spent on this back…
Mother: Liked but not enough for it to be an all time fav cause it’s too fictitious
Switch: Not great, but not bad. An easy, breezy, low-key watch
*You Who Forgot Poetry: This was supposed to be on my favorites list until the writer completely ditched her main lead (yes, I’m pretty sure Minho was actually supposed to be the lead in this) and turned it into The-Drama-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named for me.
*Miracle That We Met: I actually really liked this one at the start but then it lost it’s luster about half-way through.
Lixie
December 21, 2018 at 7:17 AM
Thanks! 🙂 From these favorites I enjoyed the main story in My Ahjussi, and will give a chance to the dancing show because many seem to like it!
Hobakky
December 22, 2018 at 5:26 PM
I hope you enjoy it! It may not be on the same level as the others, but it’s hitting all the right spots for me being a fun, relatable, and addictive watch.
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
December 21, 2018 at 8:30 PM
Re: You Who Forgot Poetry.
I’m pretty sure that’s not just you either. I read somewhere he was supposed to be the lead but because of fans they went the other way. I can’t remember where I read that though… :/
Hobakky
December 22, 2018 at 10:24 AM
It was probably from the same article where the director mentioned he apologized to Jang Dong Yoon cause he felt so terrible about the character he ended up having to act out. Even without that though, I could still list at least a dozen reasons supporting why I believe he was originally the main character. It’s one thing for her to switch who gets the girl, but the biggest wrong she did was setting up Minho’s character for this great big character arc (he had tons to delve into with the family issues on top of his history with Bo Young that we never got to see his side of the story) and then basically writing him out of the story once she switched the leads and completely ditching all the character development he was supposed to have in favor of making him simply play a needless obstacle to the Ye-Line romance. And the kicker is that I’m pretty sure I read somewhere, perhaps it was from the press conference, that this was supposed to be a character drama and not big on romance. Yet, lo-and-behold, the romance definitely ended up taking center stage, most likely because once she ditched Minho’s storyline she didn’t have enough backstory about Dr. Ye to fill up the show without adding a bunch of romance fluff. Gah, it boils my blood just thinking about it lol
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
December 22, 2018 at 11:20 AM
👏👏👏👏👏 all of this hahaha.
And then romance was boring *eyeroll*.