Oh wow I didn’t realise realise that some of those landscapes had been enhanced with CG when I was watching!! Same with the tents at the base camp too.
What a beautiful video though (and song 😭), major props to all the crew working on this show to make it the masterpiece it is.
I love the symbolism behind the yellow bird. It’s spring a new beginning, life-giving energy, warmth, vitality, growth, happiness, optimism, freedom, and liberation.
A drama that starts like that gives me hope, or false hope LOL
Yes, also because they filmed 4 seasons in 6 months! I watched behind the scenes where the actors are shown dressed for winter but it’s actually summer. For example, while filming at Ganghwa Island, it was so hot that Ahn Eun-jin was wearing a cooling vest under her costume. 😱
Leaving this here for later, since we have a month to process MY DEAREST. I know there is a connection between pansori and the drama but my brain is too numb to process it right now. Will our characters become the subject of a song?
5. Chunhyang Rides a Swing. Mongryong has a crush.
A beautiful girl comes out from among the white and red flowers.
She looks like the moon and the stars.
She comes out with another girl, as if they would ride a swing together.
They arrive in a green grove.
They fasten a long colorful rope on a divine peach branch that is hanging down.
Chunhyang raises her beautiful hands and grabs two ropes,
She moves up swiftly and stamps on the swing.
With the first stamp, she moves up front.
With the second stamp, she moves back.
Her legs touch the peach blossoms in bloom on the high branches.
Red petals fall down like snow due to the spring wind.
It looks as if a red blossom danced, with apricot blossoms covering her entire body.
If she went up, she might meet the goddess of the moon.
If she went down, she might meet Xiwangmu(西王母) of the pond.
She wears silky clothes, but her decorations remain unclear.
She appears to be both human and divine.
She looks like an ancient girl who played the flute on a pavilion and rode a phoenix.
She looks like a goddess who came down by riding a cloud from heaven.
She appears to be both close and distant.
It looks as if a swallow kicked a flower which falls down on a dancing place.
Mongryong feels disturbed.
Jeong Eungmin Version Chunhyangga(Seong Uhyang), page 25
I loved the pansori version with Cho Seung-woo. As soon as Gil-chae stepped up on the swing, I thought of Chunhyang. The obvious difference and similarity is around the theme of faithfulness. Chunhyang is faithful to the point of death, in an old fashioned way. Gil-chae seems, on the surface, to be more pragmatic, but who is she faithful to? There was more truth in what Yeon-joon said about her sense of responsibility than Jang-hyun gave him credit for. But she’s different from Chunhyang because she says in the letter to YJ that she doesn’t trust him enough to go with him, something that was not an issue for Chunhyang. Is Gil-chae as faithful as Chunhyang? Was she ever as much in love to YJ?
Thank you, now we are starting to get somewhere. I think it would be productive to analyse this story as part of the world of Korean folktales and traditional music. Chunhyang was mentioned in Ep. 1 or 2! I might have to rewatch the drama and compile all the references. We have a month so why not? Lol.
Thinking about Chunhyang and My Dearest further, at first, Gil-chae seems like an anti-Chunhyang. She has the reputation for being a fox. She strings along the young men. She attempts to manipulate situations so she can get another woman’s man. Also, her social status appears to be superior to Jang-hyun, who appears to be a trader who lives by his wits and is not a scholar, and unlike Chunhyang who is the daughter of a prostitute(?). So she has a degree of entitlement.
But with the war she finds depths within herself to look after her found family. In no way is she a passive victim, but sge becomes a respected resourceful woman with authority.
Her idea of love is still romantic and based on a dream lover. She marries the man she thinks has saved her. Her ability to gauge sincerity seems undeveloped because she constantly misconstrues JH’s intentions (or does she?)
His idea of her is off too. He likes her for being brazen, but she isn’t. She’s quite conventional in her aspirations for love and marriage. She wants a hero. At the same time, she’s grounded and real and pragmatic about surviving day to day.
So in all of those things, she’s unlike the whole hearted love and enduring faithfulness Chunhyang has for the young man she has already made love to.
And that’s also a difference. Chunhyang had already given herself to Lee Mong-ryong, and Gil-chae has not capitulated at all, except for a kiss.
So I’m wondering if the drama is deliberately flipping the story of Chunhyang to offer us another version of faithfulness based on agency and responsibility. Or is it just going to give us two people with lots of regret?
Totally agree. I was about to call her an “anti-Chunhyang” but wanted to think that through before saying something so scandalous, considering it’s such a beloved story. She is very faithful, to her dreams and her family. It breaks my heart that Gil Chae called him her husband again, showing she was ready to accept him as part of her family, and he laughed it off. She wanted to get married but Jang Hyun kept talking about her “bad reputation”. He really does not know her at all. And she does not know him.
Maybe Chunhyang is a story that was passed down while Gil Chae’s was silenced for not conforming perfectly to Confucian ideas.
As for giving us two people with lots of regret *sigh*. They say only those who have deep resentment can sing pansori.
Is that resentment called Han? I like the idea of her being a silenced or forgotten voice because she didn’t conform to the ideals. I’m looking forward to see what references you find in the early episodes.
#MyDearestEp.5
I’m dying to discuss this meeting with Crown Prince Sohyeon. Will wait patiently for recaps.
Note to writer: please keep the prince away from inkstones.
Haha yes since I’m ahead of the majority of the world, EPs usually drop around about my 1-2pm the day after their “airing” day. So if I’m free I have all of that day to chose when to watch. I just usually chose the evenings.n
ARTHDAL 2??? 😂😂😂
Will the PD allow some light on set?
Will Magic Horse reunite with Carrot Boy?
And will we find out why Yangcha wears a mask (cuz he’s not a time traveler to 2020 is he?)
New PD = lighting? Magical Horse too smart to return? Carrot Boy too smart to return? I do like the time traveling idea, but because I like it, it won’t come true.
It will have to continue without me, unless I see hundreds of positive reviews, and even then, I’d fast forward most of it.
I could watch it if Yangcha and Tanya are the end game. Otherwise, Carrot Boy being caught by every tribe in Korea and the politics in the city were boring.
Check this out @bbstl@marcusnyc20
I know beanies are upset that dramas will be postponed due to the Winter Olympics, but I’m excited to see performances like this one:
Thanks for the tips. I don’t follow figure skating but do enjoy it. I will keep an eye out for Cha Jung-hwan who is only 20! On the other hand I do remember watching Yuzuru Hanyu. Was it the Sochi Olympics? I was surprised see see that he is now 27!
Yeah, Yuzuru Hanyu won in 2014 and 2018. He is going for this 3rd Olympic medal this year. There are a few skaters who can challenge him. It will be dramatic.
I watched a lot of figure skating at the Sochi Olympics. It was my morning routine living in NYC (EST). What ever the time difference it seems to me around 10 am or so my time the evening program in Sochi would begin and NBC had as commentators Johnny Weir, Tara Lipinski and Terry Gannon. It was great fun.
I watched it twice and the second time made me realize even more of a talent he is. He made a mistake, but he came back and perform brilliantly with so much heart and poise. I’m so impressed. Thank you for sharing, Toki!
Exactly, he recovered from the mistake and went on to skate a superb program. The second part made me tear up because he really interpreted the music. I’m so glad you liked it. 😊
I don’t know much about music apart from that it sounds good and watching him perform made me emotional. It is a work of art. Perhaps because he and his coach really interpreted the music, that must be why his movements look so delicate and not “dry”. It was sublime. I think I love watching him skate even more than Queen Kim Yuna.
I think now I’ve become his fan. His skating is just so so good. They were all wonderful. He tends to fall sometimes, but his figure skating is so delicate. It is a truly masterpiece.
Yay! 😍
A lot of skaters focus on jumps nowadays because that’s how they get the most points, so I’m always impressed when they can manage the jumps and produce a work of art. You will probably enjoy watching Yuzuru Hanyu as well.
I saw one of Hanyu’s ice skating videos recommended to me on YT, so I clicked and watched him perform. I didn’t connect with his movements as much I stopped the video pretty fast and came back to search for more of Cha Junhwan’s videos. 🥰
Is this KWK in Hello? It’s me!? I think o remember that line! Lol! Oh, since I’m here. What are some good Joseon and Goryeo primers for beginning sageuk kdrama watchers ?
Well remembered! Yes, that’s him in Ep. 1 of “Hello, it’s me”
Well, my sageuk gateway was JUMONG (2006) but at the time I had no idea 81 episodes was considered long. 😀 Time-travel dramas are a good way to ease beginners into sageuks because both viewers and characters are fish out of drama. Recommendations: for Joseon (Splish Splash Love, Queen in Hyun’s Man, Live Up To Your Name; Goryeo (Faith, Scarlet Heart, with caution).
MR. SUNSHINE brought a lot of “Western” people to kdramas so it’s worth a try. But it’s pretty serious. If they want something classic, I’d go for JEWEL IN THE PALACE or CHUNO.
Fun options could be SUNGKYUNKWAN SCANDAL and THE TALE OF NOKDU. Even my father watched Nokdu. I still have to watch it myself.
I’m sure sageuk beanies have more recommendations!
I should clarify, where would one find accurate historical information about Goryeo and Joseon time periods (online and easy to access and read) after they’ve fallen into the rabbit hole of sageuks? I have a whole FB group of of doctors who are watching Red Sleeve who want more historical background. One is watching Goblin and Gong Yoo’s mane made her curious why they stopped wearing their hair down. 😂
I stopped watching LOVERS OF THE RED SKY after Ep. 6 I’m afraid (I’m just too busy and it isn’t particularly thrilling? Apologies for going AWOL at the sageuk club).
The only drama I’m watching is THE STORY OF MING LAN. I love love the opening instrumental track, and at episode 20 things finally got interesting.
Hi! I stopped Cha*3 at ep 6 and haven’t found any reason to make me want to go back yet. I am watching Darli at the moment and I’m enjoying this one a lot! 🤩
Have you watched the Tree with Deep Roots? What do you think about it compared to SFD?
Hi Toki! You have taken on the 73 episodes of MING LAN. Enjoy the journey.
I never started RED SKY and I am passing on THE KING’S AFFECTION. I hope you will be checking out the two other upcoming sageuks: RED SLEEVE CUFF and INSPECTOR JOY. I plan on watching both. I think I can handle one (maybe) ‘heavy’ and one ‘light’ sageuk at the same time. 2 heavies I don’t think so. Along with the two upcoming sageuks I plan on watching JIRISAN (all 3 on Viki US) and Park Hyung-sik’s return to kdrama land: HAPPINESS (availability permitting). So my viewing card will be filling up.
Recently my viewing: HOMETOWN (not CHA CHA CHA) dropped after 6 episodes, finished cdrama historical mystery CHONG MING WEI (2018), current with THE VEIL and D&G. I decided to work in the gritty cops/crime/mystery cdrama DOUBLE TAP (2021) which recently became available on Viki and it has really grabbed my attention. So that’s what’s going on.
I’m a huge fan! Ming Lan is one of the best period C-dramas made in the recent years. I’ve watched it non-skipped 3 times already and will probably rewatch it again whenever I have time. Such a solid plot with many endearing characters, I also pick up many valuable life lessons along the way. Thumbs up!
Hi @wishfultoki,
I hope you are doing well. I’m checking new dramas out, but I can’t seem to stick with anything besides a couple of JBTC shows that I’m watching in turtle speed.
I gave RED SKY 8 episodes, but now and then, I’d speed watch some episodes for the pretty. I don’t know why I even bother.
Thanks to the veteran actors, the KING’S AFFECTION pilot episode was engaging and a bit darker than I expected. I hope they’ll keep this show grounded. I can’t survive on fluff alone.LOL
I guess we are going to wait a long time for Jeong Hyun-min for a well-written sageuk.
I love MING LAN, and I hope you are going to enjoy the rest of it. Things will get more interesting after episode 20, but I did appreciate the time spent on Ming Lan’s earlier years and her family. I felt like I got to know her more.
It’s mid-September! Time to assess my bean count, which is looking puny again. Compared to my 2019 and 2020 watchlist, I’m watching mostly historical/costume dramas. I’ve also watched more Cdramas this year than in the past.
Kdramas
1. Secret Royal Inspector (KBS2)
2. River Where the Moon Rises (KBS2)
3. Vincenzo (TvN)
4. Bossam: Stealing Fate (MBN)
5. Imitation (KBS2)
Cdramas
1. The Long Ballad
2. The Rebel Princess
Older dramas
1. Kim Su Ro (2010)
2. A Piece of Your Mind (2020)
3. Falling for Innocence (2015)
4. The Romance of Tiger and Rose (2020)
5. Hannari Girori no Yoriko-san (2018).
Jdrama. 4 episodes. I think you’d like it @kudoran
Toki, as of now we only have BOSSAM in common. I know the origin of your image but perhaps in an ‘alternate’ BOSSAM universe Ba-woo and Dae-yeob could have been real friends.
(Both Jung Il-woo and Shin Hyun-Soo, particularly SHS, looked great in hanbok.)
thanks for the reco’ and the tag Toki 🙂
(might have missed your post otherwise, ’cause I haven’t checked the fanwall in ages 🙁 )
I’ve started A piece of your mind and finished When the weather is fine which was fine 🙂 .
I watched Falling for innocence a few years ago, it has some good laughs moments in it ^^ .
So, I think LOVERS OF THE RED SKY is improving … or I have learned to enjoy the obvious changes to historical names and places (I keep cracking up at “Gwanyang” instead of “Hanyang”).
Oh my @wishfultoki! Is that my boy Chan (30B17)? Chan what has life done to you?
Here is my situation. I just returned from two weeks of traveling with no kdramas watched and a few DB comments made after checking in now and then. I have a guest for the rest of this week. I currently have 2 dramas on my viewing plate: HP2 and POL U (preferred to PU) which I will catch up on.
Just before departing I discovered that LOVERS OF THE RED SKY would not be a traditional sageuk.
I am on the fence but leaning against trying to get caught up. I planned to pass on KBS’s AFFECTION.
At this stage of the game I think I may just wait for MBC’s THE RED SLEEVE CUFF (Junho, Lee Se-young) premiering on Nov. 5.
Toki, I will read your RED SKY reviews and make a decision.
I wouldn’t bother with RED SKY unless you like fantasy. I’m watching for Kim Yoo-jung. I’m also passing on AFFECTION so will join you on Nov. 5th for RED SLEEVE CUFF.
I had HP2 on my list but I saw spoilers on the fan wall and am no longer interested 😢 I will watch the band scenes on YouTube.
MDL has tvN’s TALE OF THE SECRET ROYAL INSPECTOR AND JO YI (Taecyon, Kim Hye-yoon) airing episode one on Nov. 1 so that would be a M/T sageuk comedic drama.
MDL has RED SLEEVE CUFF airing episode one on Nov. 5 so that would be a F/S sageuk drama.
I will probably juggle both of those dramas and as they wrap up KBS’s WHEN FLOWERS BLOOM, I THINK OF THE MOON (Yoo Seung-ho, Lee Hye-ri) according to MDL will air episode one on Dec. 20, 2021 running 16 episodes M/T until Feb. 15, 2022.
So there is more sageuk action running from the beginning of November well into February, 2022.
Real life keeps me busy nowadays, but that also means I have less time to reconsider my first impressions. So, here’s my honest review of LOVERS OF THE RED SKY Episode 2.
“His transformation into a CGI demon creature gave me nightmares, though on second watch it seems like he just had a bad hair day.” got me laughing. Watching it, I thought wow, that’s a cray mane of glory 🤣
Anyways, totally agree with your assessment: so far, so sageuk
But everything and everyone is extra pretty, and the gods are keeping it entertaining, so I’m having fun. Personally, I’m hoping for more Demonic Haram and less Evil Prince brooding in the bathtub
Demon Haram jumping over the trees did look a bit silly🤣 The vibe of this reminds me of Arang and the Magistrate, I kind of dig this kind of Fairytale camp
I’m not writing full recaps, just a quick overview followed by my thoughts. I was wary of writing reviews rather than recaps because others will have different opinions – and I hate it when a reviewer ruins a show for me with too much criticism. Hopefully, I won’t do that, though it is what DB trained me for these last few years. 😁
I don’t know if I can handle a lot of demonic characters so I’m hoping the drama focuses more on painting. Evil Prince brooding is boooring, even though Kwak Si Yang looks handsome.
I think I saw this, years ago, before I was aware of how much Korean drama was out there. From memory, it was lovely. I need to see it again though. I guess I’ll have to go to that other site to do so. I’ve been taking a Chinese drama detour and saw about 2/3 of Rebel Princess, The Imperial Coroner, YinYang Master, and now Lost in 1949. Except for TEC, every minute of which was enjoyable, they have just been fillers while I’ve been waiting for a better historical kdrama. The payoff has been that I’ve discovered Zhou Yiwei and Chen Kun 😍😍😍😍😍
@jorobertson Great minds think alike! I also took a Chinese detour while waiting for new sageuks. Did you finish Rebel Princess? It kind of drags in the middle but Episodes 60-68 were good. I actually gasped at a plot twist even though I knew it was coming 😂 Xiao Qi is amazing. 🤩
@hebang I have not seen Painter of the Wind yet. I am waiting for it to be a available on my regular Viki Pass. 😅
Reviews are good. Recaps involve so much work, so don’t… Speaking for myself, I can cope with an other opinion. I don’t have to agree, and it won’t spoil the pleasure of watching, and then we can discuss. 😁
I didn’t finish Rebel Princess. I must go back then for the plot twist, but instead I watched as much Zhou Yiwei as I could in other dramas (loved Great Shaolin). Xiao Qi is the quintessential actor. I wish I could understand Chinese because the “I, the Actor” performances with Zhou Yiwei ‘s performances and Xiao Qi as a judge looks very interesting. I also loved King’s War and The Three Kingdoms, which I watched some time ago. They both made me want to know about the history. They are very talky, strategic, intellectually agile, and rely on good subs. I’m sure I missed a heap because of those limitations. I can’t get enough of history told through drama.
Oh, you could watch Ep. 49-50, and Ep. 60-68, where stuff finally happens. Xiao Qi is even more amazing in the final episodes if you can believe that! You can skip the kidnapped Awu parts.
Will do. Currently on episode 27 of 40+ of Lost in 1949. Chen Kun. I love this period too. From between the wars until the beginning of the Republic. Lots of propaganda but it’s even interesting to see that spin.
Thanks, Toki. I posted a comment, but I’m not sure if it worked. Very good of you to do this in your “spare” time. I’ll keep watching because it’s pretty, but I’ll be on the watch for a more historical sageuk. I’d like to see something more like Six Flying Dragons and Tree with Deep Roots.
Well, RED SKY is a full-fledged fantasy drama! That was unexpected. I just have to remember that this isn’t Joseon and things will be ok. Maybe. @sicarius might enjoy this, maybe.
It’s okay Toki, they remind you it isn’t historic Joseon at the start of every episode 😉
It was even more fantasy than I was expecting which was a nice surprise, I mean, I am starting it because it’s fantasy, but I wasn’t expecting to see a fully rendered cgi demon lmao.
I am pretty sure it already has holes in its mythology but we’ll see if I can ignore them or not, because DAMMIT I want more fantasy sageuks!
That being said… I was already re-directing and sound-editing the rain-ceremony scene… they should’ve had the creepy chanting* over both it and the prince releasing the demon/ burning the painting, and then just ramped up the intensity of the chanting.
I also couldn’t stop thinking about Lee Soo Hyuk as the lead, sorry Ahn Hyo Seop! 😂😂😂
I don’t think this is being recapped so I am thankful for somewhere to discuss this anyway!
(*will this be released in the OST do you think? or will I just get it stuck in my head like the creepy chanting in 9Tails, never to be relieved of its haunting kekeke)
what i found funny is the last scene in carriage..
When the “body” sees the “eyes”.. and it starts acting up vis a vis..
ML and FL falling on each other with those romantic charged skinships
I mean i don’t think i would feel any romantic/charged passionate emotions when i see my own eyes .. lol
**************
poor ML – 1 half of brain must be like this woman is turning me on, and 2nd half be like.. “Those are my eyes.. my eyes.. my eyes..g ive me back my eyes”
I was really surprised that it was more fantasy than saguek and that’s one of the main reasons I liked it so much. Made me realise how I hadn’t watched a fantasy heavy drama in ages. I’m excited for this drama
I had my fingers crossed that it was going to be a fantasy sageuk. I had been disappointed that the male lead wasn’t a vampire after I saw the red eyes.
We still have something in common I see… I have no tolerance for creepy either. Demons are not my cup of tea so I’ll give this one a few more episodes.
Hugs
Did you watch Imitation ???
I did yesterday ,live streamed from KBS 2 but my internet connection sucked so I missed some parts
But I still loved it and went from dead to alive to dead multiple times.
Can’t wait to watch it today with subs
I’m starting to wonder if it’s a calculated attack by home-service union or something since it’s all about boilers, repairs, electrics, drains or the likes of it. And someone just posted with #beatthebots and some dodgy looking link so i don’t know if that’s a bot or a beanie. Are bots able to engage in mind games too?
Hello bong-soo @marcusnyc20! I was swamped with work and am not watching any current dramas, so I went MIA. I will check out RED SKY and post something on my blog, but I don’t know if I will be able to recap the whole thing.
I had to drop TWELVE NIGHTS at Ep. 6. I was starting to get high blood pressure 😂
Hi Toki! Great hearing from you. Don’t pressure yourself with RED SKY recaps. I am sure the BOSSAM recaps were time consuming. Whatever you post on your blog I am sure will be interesting.
Maybe down the line you can return to TWELVE NIGHTS. I made a quick search to see if Shin Hyun-Soo has anything in the works and I came up with this: https://mydramalist.com/700087-after-school-war-activities
Looks like this drama is based on a manwha from 2012/13.
Hi @kiara. I definitely will be joining but it may be on a delayed basis. On Monday I started a two week trip so I am not sure if I will be able to watch the early episodes of RED SKY until I return home.
@marcusnyc20@ndlessjoie
Episode 5 of TWELVE NIGHTS got me very stressed. How can they leave it to fate to meet in 1 year? And why is she back with that Eric jerk? 😫
The story itself has very interesting things going for it if we don’t focus on the romance. But I got so stressed that I was grumpy all day… maybe I have to wait a few days to try Ep. 6.
Also, this drama has several foreign characters. Unfortunately they are horrible actors and the way they speak is super rude. What kind of professor would say “Shame on you” to a grown up college student? The latest example of bad acting is this Thomas guy who slips into German or English when he needs to, and who tried to flirt with the female lead and looked her all over as she walked away. Disgusting. 🤮
@wishfultoki, So in TN you have left 2010 and now we are at 2015, right. The drama used hair style as one way to show the change of time. Hyun-oh (SHS) showed up with a ‘do’ in the style of YSY in PSYCHOPATH DIARY. Naturally in 2018 you will get another look. Yoo-kyung’s (Han Seung-yeon) hairstyle will change also from pony tail to long hair. I forgot her 2015 look. I showed go take a peak.
I preferred his 2010 hair, and hers too. I don’t like her 2015 look. I don’t buy that someone who was confortable in jeans and sneakers in 2010 walks around in high heels and a tight pencil skirt in 2015.
Anyway, did you notice that the guy in the picture (the airport immigration officer) is Won-yeop? Unless my eyes deceive me… I’m pretty sure it’s him! Ep. 5 around the 4-minute mark.
Toki, great ‘Won-yeop’ catch. In HanCinema actor Choo Hyun-kyu is listed as the airport immigration officer. It also lists him as Won-yeop in BOSSAM. In AsianWiki he is listed under Chu Yeon Gu with no TN reference. I was cross eyed trying to nail this guy down in the major english casting sites. (He real needs a better agent 😉). I believe in MDL another actor is listed as the immigration officer. I was totally confused.
Lol I hope actor Choo Hyun-kyu moves quickly on to a more appealing character so he is not typecast in my mind as the lowlife he played in BOSSAM. Like father, like son only Won-yeop was a lot stupider than his old man.
Yay, I’m not crazy! I could not find the actor listed under TWELVE NIGHTS, but it’s such a minor appearance that it’s very likely Asian wiki missed it.
If this were a reincarnation story it’s exactly what I’d hope for: Won-yeop doomed to an airport officer box, and Dae-yeop becoming a free-spirited dancer. I think this was the nicest brotherly conversation Won-yeop and Dae-yeop ever had.
Well, I was Going to include them. H3athr Sun did such a good job on her Bossam ballad, that I had to see who she was and found the song, Super Single Magician, which is super fun! I included it on the playlist and thinking of include her Bossam OST too.
WishfulToki
September 8, 2023 at 10:34 PM
I loved the use of CG to enhance the landscapes and seasons. ❤️
Not a fan of the CGI bird and baby but we can’t have everything 😆
#MyDearest
lapislazulii
September 8, 2023 at 11:25 PM
Oh wow I didn’t realise realise that some of those landscapes had been enhanced with CG when I was watching!! Same with the tents at the base camp too.
What a beautiful video though (and song 😭), major props to all the crew working on this show to make it the masterpiece it is.
lapislazulii
September 8, 2023 at 11:25 PM
*didn’t even realise
Elinor Lies
September 9, 2023 at 12:20 AM
Wow! Thanks! This is so cool. And the song is wonderful and this video reinforces how perfect it is for the show.
Also not a fan of the bird, though, and I’m still pretending I never saw that baby – or that it was Gil-chae’s hallucination.
kiara
September 9, 2023 at 8:14 AM
I love the symbolism behind the yellow bird. It’s spring a new beginning, life-giving energy, warmth, vitality, growth, happiness, optimism, freedom, and liberation.
A drama that starts like that gives me hope, or false hope LOL
korfan
September 9, 2023 at 11:54 PM
This is so interesting! It’s so neat how they are able to enhance scenes in a drama.
WishfulToki
September 10, 2023 at 7:24 PM
Yes, also because they filmed 4 seasons in 6 months! I watched behind the scenes where the actors are shown dressed for winter but it’s actually summer. For example, while filming at Ganghwa Island, it was so hot that Ahn Eun-jin was wearing a cooling vest under her costume. 😱
WishfulToki
September 3, 2023 at 8:53 PM
Leaving this here for later, since we have a month to process MY DEAREST. I know there is a connection between pansori and the drama but my brain is too numb to process it right now. Will our characters become the subject of a song?
5. Chunhyang Rides a Swing. Mongryong has a crush.
A beautiful girl comes out from among the white and red flowers.
She looks like the moon and the stars.
She comes out with another girl, as if they would ride a swing together.
They arrive in a green grove.
They fasten a long colorful rope on a divine peach branch that is hanging down.
Chunhyang raises her beautiful hands and grabs two ropes,
She moves up swiftly and stamps on the swing.
With the first stamp, she moves up front.
With the second stamp, she moves back.
Her legs touch the peach blossoms in bloom on the high branches.
Red petals fall down like snow due to the spring wind.
It looks as if a red blossom danced, with apricot blossoms covering her entire body.
If she went up, she might meet the goddess of the moon.
If she went down, she might meet Xiwangmu(西王母) of the pond.
She wears silky clothes, but her decorations remain unclear.
She appears to be both human and divine.
She looks like an ancient girl who played the flute on a pavilion and rode a phoenix.
She looks like a goddess who came down by riding a cloud from heaven.
She appears to be both close and distant.
It looks as if a swallow kicked a flower which falls down on a dancing place.
Mongryong feels disturbed.
Jeong Eungmin Version Chunhyangga(Seong Uhyang), page 25
dramalover4ever
September 4, 2023 at 2:57 AM
I loved the pansori version with Cho Seung-woo. As soon as Gil-chae stepped up on the swing, I thought of Chunhyang. The obvious difference and similarity is around the theme of faithfulness. Chunhyang is faithful to the point of death, in an old fashioned way. Gil-chae seems, on the surface, to be more pragmatic, but who is she faithful to? There was more truth in what Yeon-joon said about her sense of responsibility than Jang-hyun gave him credit for. But she’s different from Chunhyang because she says in the letter to YJ that she doesn’t trust him enough to go with him, something that was not an issue for Chunhyang. Is Gil-chae as faithful as Chunhyang? Was she ever as much in love to YJ?
WishfulToki
September 4, 2023 at 6:36 AM
Thank you, now we are starting to get somewhere. I think it would be productive to analyse this story as part of the world of Korean folktales and traditional music. Chunhyang was mentioned in Ep. 1 or 2! I might have to rewatch the drama and compile all the references. We have a month so why not? Lol.
dramalover4ever
September 4, 2023 at 10:18 AM
Comment was deleted
dramalover4ever
September 4, 2023 at 6:18 PM
Thinking about Chunhyang and My Dearest further, at first, Gil-chae seems like an anti-Chunhyang. She has the reputation for being a fox. She strings along the young men. She attempts to manipulate situations so she can get another woman’s man. Also, her social status appears to be superior to Jang-hyun, who appears to be a trader who lives by his wits and is not a scholar, and unlike Chunhyang who is the daughter of a prostitute(?). So she has a degree of entitlement.
But with the war she finds depths within herself to look after her found family. In no way is she a passive victim, but sge becomes a respected resourceful woman with authority.
Her idea of love is still romantic and based on a dream lover. She marries the man she thinks has saved her. Her ability to gauge sincerity seems undeveloped because she constantly misconstrues JH’s intentions (or does she?)
His idea of her is off too. He likes her for being brazen, but she isn’t. She’s quite conventional in her aspirations for love and marriage. She wants a hero. At the same time, she’s grounded and real and pragmatic about surviving day to day.
So in all of those things, she’s unlike the whole hearted love and enduring faithfulness Chunhyang has for the young man she has already made love to.
And that’s also a difference. Chunhyang had already given herself to Lee Mong-ryong, and Gil-chae has not capitulated at all, except for a kiss.
So I’m wondering if the drama is deliberately flipping the story of Chunhyang to offer us another version of faithfulness based on agency and responsibility. Or is it just going to give us two people with lots of regret?
(Drums fingers thoughtfully)
WishfulToki
September 4, 2023 at 7:31 PM
Totally agree. I was about to call her an “anti-Chunhyang” but wanted to think that through before saying something so scandalous, considering it’s such a beloved story. She is very faithful, to her dreams and her family. It breaks my heart that Gil Chae called him her husband again, showing she was ready to accept him as part of her family, and he laughed it off. She wanted to get married but Jang Hyun kept talking about her “bad reputation”. He really does not know her at all. And she does not know him.
Maybe Chunhyang is a story that was passed down while Gil Chae’s was silenced for not conforming perfectly to Confucian ideas.
As for giving us two people with lots of regret *sigh*. They say only those who have deep resentment can sing pansori.
dramalover4ever
September 4, 2023 at 11:03 PM
Is that resentment called Han? I like the idea of her being a silenced or forgotten voice because she didn’t conform to the ideals. I’m looking forward to see what references you find in the early episodes.
WishfulToki
September 1, 2023 at 11:11 PM
Pour me a glass of soju or something strong.
#MyDearestEp9
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
September 2, 2023 at 3:46 AM
Me three, please.
kiara
September 2, 2023 at 4:30 AM
Cheers
korfan
September 3, 2023 at 1:26 AM
Completely understandable.
WishfulToki
August 24, 2023 at 1:56 PM
I also need this Manchu (or Mongolian?) lullaby in the official OST
#MyDearest
kiara
August 24, 2023 at 3:37 PM
It’s like David playing his harp for King Saul.
Ally
August 24, 2023 at 8:15 PM
His voice is unique and soothing!
IsaGC
August 25, 2023 at 2:29 AM
I love his voice too.
Is Kim Yoon Woo (Ryang Eum) who sings?
WishfulToki
August 29, 2023 at 6:26 AM
You know, I usually pride myself on being able to tell when actors are singing for real or no, but in this case I can’t tell!
Snow Flower
August 25, 2023 at 5:53 AM
NGM’s s voice speaking Manchu!!!
And the song!!!
Snow Flower
August 25, 2023 at 9:47 AM
The song uses a pentatonic scale: D, E, G, A, B (and another D an octave higher).
Ally
August 29, 2023 at 8:30 AM
Oooh. Have you gotten any inspiration to write any songs from this yet?
WishfulToki
August 23, 2023 at 6:42 PM
I need this in the official OST
#MyDearest
kiara
August 23, 2023 at 11:47 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iay4SRfA-40&ab_channel=Pinkk
IsaGC
August 24, 2023 at 12:09 AM
Beautiful. Thank you!!
WishfulToki
August 24, 2023 at 1:52 PM
Thank you. The ballad version with piano is beautiful, but the version with traditional Korean instruments is more soulful I think.
kiara
August 24, 2023 at 3:34 PM
Yes, I prefer that one too.
WishfulToki
August 18, 2023 at 8:45 PM
#MyDearestEp.5
I’m dying to discuss this meeting with Crown Prince Sohyeon. Will wait patiently for recaps.
Note to writer: please keep the prince away from inkstones.
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
August 18, 2023 at 9:21 PM
*meanwhile me painfully waiting for this evening to watch 5 instead of just bingeing it in the morning* *it’s only 4pm…* *The wait continues*
kiara
August 18, 2023 at 10:20 PM
We are pulling another 4 am party, eh? I need to do the timeline tomorrow after eps 6 is out. 🙏 for Viki’s sub to be done earlier.
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
August 18, 2023 at 10:34 PM
Lmao no! My usual drama watch time is between 8 and 10, after dinner, but before I start my nighttime routine. 😅
kiara
August 18, 2023 at 10:40 PM
Comment was deleted
Snow Flower
August 19, 2023 at 9:59 AM
The new episodes are available at midnight in my area, so I should consider myself lucky…
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
August 19, 2023 at 2:22 PM
Haha yes since I’m ahead of the majority of the world, EPs usually drop around about my 1-2pm the day after their “airing” day. So if I’m free I have all of that day to chose when to watch. I just usually chose the evenings.n
kiara
August 18, 2023 at 10:27 PM
Inkstone – We all know where Writernim is going with this 😭.
john
August 21, 2023 at 5:04 AM
Crown Prince Sohyeon
Are there any other sageuks or films that cover his story ? It sounds vaguely familiar .
WishfulToki
August 18, 2023 at 8:40 PM
“Why are you going? You said you don’t care about the king.”
“I don’t want to see you crying.”
“Ha! So you’re saying you don’t want to see me?”
Me: 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
#MyDearest Ep. 5
WishfulToki
February 22, 2022 at 7:54 PM
ARTHDAL 2??? 😂😂😂
Will the PD allow some light on set?
Will Magic Horse reunite with Carrot Boy?
And will we find out why Yangcha wears a mask (cuz he’s not a time traveler to 2020 is he?)
Ally
February 22, 2022 at 8:41 PM
Hi! I’m looking forward to the reactions — I can just hear the heads exploding!
mugyuljoie is preciousss
February 22, 2022 at 8:54 PM
New PD = lighting? Magical Horse too smart to return? Carrot Boy too smart to return? I do like the time traveling idea, but because I like it, it won’t come true.
It will have to continue without me, unless I see hundreds of positive reviews, and even then, I’d fast forward most of it.
WishfulToki
February 28, 2022 at 10:40 AM
Same. I’m steering clear of this.
bbstl 🧹
February 22, 2022 at 9:24 PM
Nonono, no one would be crazy enough to throw more money at . . . 😵💫
mugyuljoie is preciousss
February 22, 2022 at 11:53 PM
How many episodes/seasons until the power trio decide to work together?
Kurama
February 23, 2022 at 12:23 AM
I could watch it if Yangcha and Tanya are the end game. Otherwise, Carrot Boy being caught by every tribe in Korea and the politics in the city were boring.
korfan
February 23, 2022 at 6:32 PM
All valid questions!
WishfulToki
January 24, 2022 at 6:28 PM
Check this out @bbstl @marcusnyc20
I know beanies are upset that dramas will be postponed due to the Winter Olympics, but I’m excited to see performances like this one:
bong-soo
January 24, 2022 at 9:15 PM
I think I am out of luck in running the video @wishfultoki. Message tells me it is not available.
WishfulToki
January 25, 2022 at 6:43 AM
Oh bother. Well, if you look up videos of Cha Jungwhan (Korean) or Yuzuru Hanyu (Japan) you’ll see what I mean.
bong-soo
January 25, 2022 at 7:56 AM
Thanks for the tips. I don’t follow figure skating but do enjoy it. I will keep an eye out for Cha Jung-hwan who is only 20! On the other hand I do remember watching Yuzuru Hanyu. Was it the Sochi Olympics? I was surprised see see that he is now 27!
WishfulToki
January 25, 2022 at 10:05 AM
Yeah, Yuzuru Hanyu won in 2014 and 2018. He is going for this 3rd Olympic medal this year. There are a few skaters who can challenge him. It will be dramatic.
bong-soo
January 25, 2022 at 10:33 AM
I watched a lot of figure skating at the Sochi Olympics. It was my morning routine living in NYC (EST). What ever the time difference it seems to me around 10 am or so my time the evening program in Sochi would begin and NBC had as commentators Johnny Weir, Tara Lipinski and Terry Gannon. It was great fun.
mmmmm
January 25, 2022 at 9:12 AM
Marvelous! Magnificent! I was tearing up watching his performance. My heart dropped when I saw him falling when he was doing the first spin.
mmmmm
January 25, 2022 at 9:19 AM
I watched it twice and the second time made me realize even more of a talent he is. He made a mistake, but he came back and perform brilliantly with so much heart and poise. I’m so impressed. Thank you for sharing, Toki!
WishfulToki
January 25, 2022 at 10:05 AM
Exactly, he recovered from the mistake and went on to skate a superb program. The second part made me tear up because he really interpreted the music. I’m so glad you liked it. 😊
mmmmm
January 25, 2022 at 11:24 AM
I don’t know much about music apart from that it sounds good and watching him perform made me emotional. It is a work of art. Perhaps because he and his coach really interpreted the music, that must be why his movements look so delicate and not “dry”. It was sublime. I think I love watching him skate even more than Queen Kim Yuna.
mmmmm
January 25, 2022 at 10:01 AM
I think now I’ve become his fan. His skating is just so so good. They were all wonderful. He tends to fall sometimes, but his figure skating is so delicate. It is a truly masterpiece.
WishfulToki
January 25, 2022 at 10:26 AM
Yay! 😍
A lot of skaters focus on jumps nowadays because that’s how they get the most points, so I’m always impressed when they can manage the jumps and produce a work of art. You will probably enjoy watching Yuzuru Hanyu as well.
mmmmm
January 25, 2022 at 11:26 AM
I saw one of Hanyu’s ice skating videos recommended to me on YT, so I clicked and watched him perform. I didn’t connect with his movements as much I stopped the video pretty fast and came back to search for more of Cha Junhwan’s videos. 🥰
bbstl 🧹
January 25, 2022 at 7:19 PM
Thank you, toki! I am all in for 🇰🇷
WishfulToki
January 6, 2022 at 6:32 PM
That would make a great kdrama 😉
Ally
January 6, 2022 at 6:53 PM
Is this KWK in Hello? It’s me!? I think o remember that line! Lol! Oh, since I’m here. What are some good Joseon and Goryeo primers for beginning sageuk kdrama watchers ?
WishfulToki
January 6, 2022 at 8:06 PM
Well remembered! Yes, that’s him in Ep. 1 of “Hello, it’s me”
Well, my sageuk gateway was JUMONG (2006) but at the time I had no idea 81 episodes was considered long. 😀 Time-travel dramas are a good way to ease beginners into sageuks because both viewers and characters are fish out of drama. Recommendations: for Joseon (Splish Splash Love, Queen in Hyun’s Man, Live Up To Your Name; Goryeo (Faith, Scarlet Heart, with caution).
MR. SUNSHINE brought a lot of “Western” people to kdramas so it’s worth a try. But it’s pretty serious. If they want something classic, I’d go for JEWEL IN THE PALACE or CHUNO.
Fun options could be SUNGKYUNKWAN SCANDAL and THE TALE OF NOKDU. Even my father watched Nokdu. I still have to watch it myself.
I’m sure sageuk beanies have more recommendations!
Ally
January 7, 2022 at 4:58 AM
I should clarify, where would one find accurate historical information about Goryeo and Joseon time periods (online and easy to access and read) after they’ve fallen into the rabbit hole of sageuks? I have a whole FB group of of doctors who are watching Red Sleeve who want more historical background. One is watching Goblin and Gong Yoo’s mane made her curious why they stopped wearing their hair down. 😂
WishfulToki
January 8, 2022 at 8:42 AM
Oh, I misunderstood the question! This is a great place to start: https://thetalkingcupboard.com/
Ally
January 8, 2022 at 6:01 PM
That’s the one I recommended as well. Glad it’s what you like too.
WishfulToki
January 6, 2022 at 8:14 PM
Also for Goryeo: THE KING LOVES. It was my kid sister’s first drama.
parkchuna dreams of all the Oppas
January 6, 2022 at 11:34 PM
Aww i love him and the dad in this.. so funny and perfect love-pretend-hate r/ship.
kiara
January 7, 2022 at 4:34 PM
Good to see you Toki <3.
WishfulToki
October 15, 2021 at 3:13 PM
I stopped watching LOVERS OF THE RED SKY after Ep. 6 I’m afraid (I’m just too busy and it isn’t particularly thrilling? Apologies for going AWOL at the sageuk club).
The only drama I’m watching is THE STORY OF MING LAN. I love love the opening instrumental track, and at episode 20 things finally got interesting.
cc: @kiara @marcusnyc20nyc20 @ndlessjoie @mmmmm
WishfulToki
October 15, 2021 at 3:16 PM
Ack, that should be @marcusnyc20
Anyway, I hope all of you are well and watching some good dramas!
mugyuljoie is preciousss
October 15, 2021 at 8:03 PM
I’m waiting for Junho’s sageuk and watching Hometown Cha Cha Cha (just okay) and Dali and Cocky Prince.
PYC
October 15, 2021 at 11:16 PM
I watched Ming Lan on and off (not interested in the first lover arc)….until the divorce news of ZLY of FXF, it broke the magic right away.
Hope this didn’t spoil your watch.
mmmmm
October 16, 2021 at 5:04 AM
Hi! I stopped Cha*3 at ep 6 and haven’t found any reason to make me want to go back yet. I am watching Darli at the moment and I’m enjoying this one a lot! 🤩
Have you watched the Tree with Deep Roots? What do you think about it compared to SFD?
bong-soo
October 16, 2021 at 7:33 AM
Hi Toki! You have taken on the 73 episodes of MING LAN. Enjoy the journey.
I never started RED SKY and I am passing on THE KING’S AFFECTION. I hope you will be checking out the two other upcoming sageuks: RED SLEEVE CUFF and INSPECTOR JOY. I plan on watching both. I think I can handle one (maybe) ‘heavy’ and one ‘light’ sageuk at the same time. 2 heavies I don’t think so. Along with the two upcoming sageuks I plan on watching JIRISAN (all 3 on Viki US) and Park Hyung-sik’s return to kdrama land: HAPPINESS (availability permitting). So my viewing card will be filling up.
Recently my viewing: HOMETOWN (not CHA CHA CHA) dropped after 6 episodes, finished cdrama historical mystery CHONG MING WEI (2018), current with THE VEIL and D&G. I decided to work in the gritty cops/crime/mystery cdrama DOUBLE TAP (2021) which recently became available on Viki and it has really grabbed my attention. So that’s what’s going on.
purplefall
October 16, 2021 at 6:14 PM
I’m a huge fan! Ming Lan is one of the best period C-dramas made in the recent years. I’ve watched it non-skipped 3 times already and will probably rewatch it again whenever I have time. Such a solid plot with many endearing characters, I also pick up many valuable life lessons along the way. Thumbs up!
Kudo Ran
October 17, 2021 at 11:31 AM
I love that show <3 !!!!!!! enjoy the ride Toki 🙂
kiara
October 18, 2021 at 10:44 AM
Hi @wishfultoki,
I hope you are doing well. I’m checking new dramas out, but I can’t seem to stick with anything besides a couple of JBTC shows that I’m watching in turtle speed.
I gave RED SKY 8 episodes, but now and then, I’d speed watch some episodes for the pretty. I don’t know why I even bother.
Thanks to the veteran actors, the KING’S AFFECTION pilot episode was engaging and a bit darker than I expected. I hope they’ll keep this show grounded. I can’t survive on fluff alone.LOL
I guess we are going to wait a long time for Jeong Hyun-min for a well-written sageuk.
I love MING LAN, and I hope you are going to enjoy the rest of it. Things will get more interesting after episode 20, but I did appreciate the time spent on Ming Lan’s earlier years and her family. I felt like I got to know her more.
WishfulToki
September 18, 2021 at 7:14 AM
It’s mid-September! Time to assess my bean count, which is looking puny again. Compared to my 2019 and 2020 watchlist, I’m watching mostly historical/costume dramas. I’ve also watched more Cdramas this year than in the past.
Kdramas
1. Secret Royal Inspector (KBS2)
2. River Where the Moon Rises (KBS2)
3. Vincenzo (TvN)
4. Bossam: Stealing Fate (MBN)
5. Imitation (KBS2)
Cdramas
1. The Long Ballad
2. The Rebel Princess
Older dramas
1. Kim Su Ro (2010)
2. A Piece of Your Mind (2020)
3. Falling for Innocence (2015)
4. The Romance of Tiger and Rose (2020)
5. Hannari Girori no Yoriko-san (2018).
Jdrama. 4 episodes. I think you’d like it @kudoran
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
September 18, 2021 at 7:58 PM
Oh Toki, what did you think of A Piece of Your Mind?
bong-soo
September 18, 2021 at 8:20 PM
Toki, as of now we only have BOSSAM in common. I know the origin of your image but perhaps in an ‘alternate’ BOSSAM universe Ba-woo and Dae-yeob could have been real friends.
(Both Jung Il-woo and Shin Hyun-Soo, particularly SHS, looked great in hanbok.)
Kudo Ran
September 19, 2021 at 5:03 AM
thanks for the reco’ and the tag Toki 🙂
(might have missed your post otherwise, ’cause I haven’t checked the fanwall in ages 🙁 )
I’ve started A piece of your mind and finished When the weather is fine which was fine 🙂 .
I watched Falling for innocence a few years ago, it has some good laughs moments in it ^^ .
WishfulToki
September 17, 2021 at 5:15 PM
So, I think LOVERS OF THE RED SKY is improving … or I have learned to enjoy the obvious changes to historical names and places (I keep cracking up at “Gwanyang” instead of “Hanyang”).
I still have lots of questions but I enjoyed Ep. 4 so much that I wrote a recap. Oops. https://sageukclub.wordpress.com/2021/09/17/lovers-of-the-red-sky-episode-4-review/
Kurama
September 18, 2021 at 1:19 AM
I was wondering the author of the original novel wrote the story with real historic figures or created her own dynasty too?
WishfulToki
September 18, 2021 at 4:25 AM
I think she used real historic figures. In the early news articles and promos that talked about the drama adaptation, the princes were Anpyeong (Yangmyeong) and Suyang (Juhyang).
https://www.dramabeans.com/2016/12/sbs-to-adapt-moonsun-sungkyunkwan-authors-newest-novel/
Kurama
September 18, 2021 at 6:20 AM
Oh ok, thank you 🙂
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
September 18, 2021 at 8:06 PM
Ahhh! I missed a Butterfly Activation scene!
WishfulToki
September 14, 2021 at 8:01 AM
Review of Ep 3: in which I enlisted my sister to watch with me and tried to figure out some of the mythology.
#LoversOfTheRedSky
https://sageukclub.wordpress.com/2021/09/13/lovers-of-the-red-sky-episode-3-review/
WishfulToki
September 14, 2021 at 8:02 AM
Accurate portrayal of me trying to keep up with all the sageuks @sicarius
bong-soo
September 14, 2021 at 1:39 PM
Oh my @wishfultoki! Is that my boy Chan (30B17)? Chan what has life done to you?
Here is my situation. I just returned from two weeks of traveling with no kdramas watched and a few DB comments made after checking in now and then. I have a guest for the rest of this week. I currently have 2 dramas on my viewing plate: HP2 and POL U (preferred to PU) which I will catch up on.
Just before departing I discovered that LOVERS OF THE RED SKY would not be a traditional sageuk.
I am on the fence but leaning against trying to get caught up. I planned to pass on KBS’s AFFECTION.
At this stage of the game I think I may just wait for MBC’s THE RED SLEEVE CUFF (Junho, Lee Se-young) premiering on Nov. 5.
Toki, I will read your RED SKY reviews and make a decision.
WishfulToki
September 14, 2021 at 7:09 PM
Lockdown did this to Chan 😂
I wouldn’t bother with RED SKY unless you like fantasy. I’m watching for Kim Yoo-jung. I’m also passing on AFFECTION so will join you on Nov. 5th for RED SLEEVE CUFF.
I had HP2 on my list but I saw spoilers on the fan wall and am no longer interested 😢 I will watch the band scenes on YouTube.
bong-soo
September 14, 2021 at 7:50 PM
Comment was deleted
bong-soo
September 14, 2021 at 7:53 PM
MDL has tvN’s TALE OF THE SECRET ROYAL INSPECTOR AND JO YI (Taecyon, Kim Hye-yoon) airing episode one on Nov. 1 so that would be a M/T sageuk comedic drama.
MDL has RED SLEEVE CUFF airing episode one on Nov. 5 so that would be a F/S sageuk drama.
I will probably juggle both of those dramas and as they wrap up KBS’s WHEN FLOWERS BLOOM, I THINK OF THE MOON (Yoo Seung-ho, Lee Hye-ri) according to MDL will air episode one on Dec. 20, 2021 running 16 episodes M/T until Feb. 15, 2022.
So there is more sageuk action running from the beginning of November well into February, 2022.
WishfulToki
September 14, 2021 at 8:15 PM
Jeonha, kill me now! 🤣
Out of those 3, I’ll try RED CUFF SLEEVE. Not sure about the other two, though I love Yoo Seung-ho.
bong-soo
September 15, 2021 at 8:14 PM
I am also a YSH fan although I have only seen him in two dramas: the sageuk RULER: MASTER OF THE MASK, and INAR.
dramalover4ever
September 15, 2021 at 1:47 PM
Thanks Toki. Such a pity that dbs isn’t recapping. I wish I’d been around in the earlier days of javabeans.
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
September 15, 2021 at 10:51 PM
Just posted my summary and breakdown of the lore on my wall. Sorry if you got like 10 tags whilst I was trying to figure out formatting : )
WishfulToki
September 16, 2021 at 6:48 AM
Wowo, thank you Sic! It looks great! I’ll watch Episodes 5-6 and then comment in more detail.
WishfulToki
September 9, 2021 at 8:18 PM
Real life keeps me busy nowadays, but that also means I have less time to reconsider my first impressions. So, here’s my honest review of LOVERS OF THE RED SKY Episode 2.
https://sageukclub.wordpress.com/2021/09/09/lovers-of-the-red-sky-episode-2-review/
mugyuljoie is preciousss
September 9, 2021 at 8:44 PM
I think I’m going to wait for a true sageuk. Two are coming up soon.
WishfulToki
September 9, 2021 at 8:45 PM
The Junho one and …?
mugyuljoie is preciousss
September 9, 2021 at 9:15 PM
Affection with Park Eun Bin as a crown prince.
mugyuljoie is preciousss
September 9, 2021 at 9:16 PM
So an almost true sageuk vibe?
WishfulToki
September 10, 2021 at 6:30 AM
Uh-huh… let me know what you think. I don’t have it on my list.
Kurama
September 9, 2021 at 11:50 PM
Taecyeon one?
Affection being not a historic one.
mugyuljoie is preciousss
September 9, 2021 at 11:59 PM
Probably not.
WishfulToki
September 10, 2021 at 6:30 AM
2PM sageuks LOL 😂
Kurama
September 10, 2021 at 7:16 AM
To be honest, for both dramas I will test them for the actresses :p
Fly Colours
September 9, 2021 at 8:59 PM
Omo, Toki, I didn’t know you were recapping this, so great! Our little Bossam fanclub was the highlight of my drama year so far🥳
Fly Colours
September 9, 2021 at 9:09 PM
“His transformation into a CGI demon creature gave me nightmares, though on second watch it seems like he just had a bad hair day.” got me laughing. Watching it, I thought wow, that’s a cray mane of glory 🤣
Anyways, totally agree with your assessment: so far, so sageuk
But everything and everyone is extra pretty, and the gods are keeping it entertaining, so I’m having fun. Personally, I’m hoping for more Demonic Haram and less Evil Prince brooding in the bathtub
Mani-chan
September 10, 2021 at 8:31 AM
That demon transformation was so bad I couldn’t even.
Fly Colours
September 10, 2021 at 1:47 PM
Demon Haram jumping over the trees did look a bit silly🤣 The vibe of this reminds me of Arang and the Magistrate, I kind of dig this kind of Fairytale camp
Possum
September 12, 2021 at 3:28 AM
So far I’m in, fairytale camp and all! (I thought demonic Ha Ram looked like Edward Scissorhands😉)
Fly Colours
September 12, 2021 at 5:39 AM
Now that you say it, he does have an air… I guess it’s the crazy hair/extreme paleness combo 😂
WishfulToki
September 10, 2021 at 6:37 AM
I’m not writing full recaps, just a quick overview followed by my thoughts. I was wary of writing reviews rather than recaps because others will have different opinions – and I hate it when a reviewer ruins a show for me with too much criticism. Hopefully, I won’t do that, though it is what DB trained me for these last few years. 😁
I don’t know if I can handle a lot of demonic characters so I’m hoping the drama focuses more on painting. Evil Prince brooding is boooring, even though Kwak Si Yang looks handsome.
FlyingTool
September 10, 2021 at 12:30 PM
Have you seen Painter of the Wind?
dramalover4ever
September 10, 2021 at 4:01 PM
I think I saw this, years ago, before I was aware of how much Korean drama was out there. From memory, it was lovely. I need to see it again though. I guess I’ll have to go to that other site to do so. I’ve been taking a Chinese drama detour and saw about 2/3 of Rebel Princess, The Imperial Coroner, YinYang Master, and now Lost in 1949. Except for TEC, every minute of which was enjoyable, they have just been fillers while I’ve been waiting for a better historical kdrama. The payoff has been that I’ve discovered Zhou Yiwei and Chen Kun 😍😍😍😍😍
WishfulToki
September 10, 2021 at 8:07 PM
@jorobertson Great minds think alike! I also took a Chinese detour while waiting for new sageuks. Did you finish Rebel Princess? It kind of drags in the middle but Episodes 60-68 were good. I actually gasped at a plot twist even though I knew it was coming 😂 Xiao Qi is amazing. 🤩
@hebang I have not seen Painter of the Wind yet. I am waiting for it to be a available on my regular Viki Pass. 😅
dramalover4ever
September 10, 2021 at 3:52 PM
Reviews are good. Recaps involve so much work, so don’t… Speaking for myself, I can cope with an other opinion. I don’t have to agree, and it won’t spoil the pleasure of watching, and then we can discuss. 😁
dramalover4ever
September 10, 2021 at 9:08 PM
I didn’t finish Rebel Princess. I must go back then for the plot twist, but instead I watched as much Zhou Yiwei as I could in other dramas (loved Great Shaolin). Xiao Qi is the quintessential actor. I wish I could understand Chinese because the “I, the Actor” performances with Zhou Yiwei ‘s performances and Xiao Qi as a judge looks very interesting. I also loved King’s War and The Three Kingdoms, which I watched some time ago. They both made me want to know about the history. They are very talky, strategic, intellectually agile, and rely on good subs. I’m sure I missed a heap because of those limitations. I can’t get enough of history told through drama.
WishfulToki
September 14, 2021 at 7:54 AM
Oh, you could watch Ep. 49-50, and Ep. 60-68, where stuff finally happens. Xiao Qi is even more amazing in the final episodes if you can believe that! You can skip the kidnapped Awu parts.
dramalover4ever
September 14, 2021 at 2:31 PM
Will do. Currently on episode 27 of 40+ of Lost in 1949. Chen Kun. I love this period too. From between the wars until the beginning of the Republic. Lots of propaganda but it’s even interesting to see that spin.
dramalover4ever
September 10, 2021 at 2:50 AM
Thanks, Toki. I posted a comment, but I’m not sure if it worked. Very good of you to do this in your “spare” time. I’ll keep watching because it’s pretty, but I’ll be on the watch for a more historical sageuk. I’d like to see something more like Six Flying Dragons and Tree with Deep Roots.
WishfulToki
September 10, 2021 at 6:38 AM
Sigh. You summed this up nicely. We were really spoiled with Bossam.
WishfulToki
September 2, 2021 at 7:49 PM
Well, RED SKY is a full-fledged fantasy drama! That was unexpected. I just have to remember that this isn’t Joseon and things will be ok. Maybe. @sicarius might enjoy this, maybe.
For what it’s worth, I wrote an Episode 1 review..https://sageukclub.wordpress.com/2021/09/01/lovers-of-the-red-sky-episode-1-review/
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
September 2, 2021 at 8:21 PM
It’s okay Toki, they remind you it isn’t historic Joseon at the start of every episode 😉
It was even more fantasy than I was expecting which was a nice surprise, I mean, I am starting it because it’s fantasy, but I wasn’t expecting to see a fully rendered cgi demon lmao.
I am pretty sure it already has holes in its mythology but we’ll see if I can ignore them or not, because DAMMIT I want more fantasy sageuks!
That being said… I was already re-directing and sound-editing the rain-ceremony scene… they should’ve had the creepy chanting* over both it and the prince releasing the demon/ burning the painting, and then just ramped up the intensity of the chanting.
I also couldn’t stop thinking about Lee Soo Hyuk as the lead, sorry Ahn Hyo Seop! 😂😂😂
I don’t think this is being recapped so I am thankful for somewhere to discuss this anyway!
(*will this be released in the OST do you think? or will I just get it stuck in my head like the creepy chanting in 9Tails, never to be relieved of its haunting kekeke)
alasecond
September 2, 2021 at 8:41 PM
what i found funny is the last scene in carriage..
When the “body” sees the “eyes”.. and it starts acting up vis a vis..
ML and FL falling on each other with those romantic charged skinships
I mean i don’t think i would feel any romantic/charged passionate emotions when i see my own eyes .. lol
**************
poor ML – 1 half of brain must be like this woman is turning me on, and 2nd half be like.. “Those are my eyes.. my eyes.. my eyes..g ive me back my eyes”
WishfulToki
September 4, 2021 at 2:15 PM
I’m trying to write an Ep. 2 review but I keep thinking of demon Ha Ram growling “my eyesss!!! 😂
Kurama
September 2, 2021 at 11:36 PM
I really liked the fantasy part! The introduction was pretty 🙂
Mani-chan
September 3, 2021 at 1:20 AM
I was really surprised that it was more fantasy than saguek and that’s one of the main reasons I liked it so much. Made me realise how I hadn’t watched a fantasy heavy drama in ages. I’m excited for this drama
Possum
September 5, 2021 at 3:33 AM
I had my fingers crossed that it was going to be a fantasy sageuk. I had been disappointed that the male lead wasn’t a vampire after I saw the red eyes.
mmmmm
September 3, 2021 at 10:44 AM
OMO! You’re back! I must tell @ndlessjoie
mugyuljoie is preciousss
September 3, 2021 at 5:51 PM
Yay! I’ve missed @wishfultoki.
mugyuljoie is preciousss
September 3, 2021 at 5:51 PM
I’ll have to see if I can fit it in. I’m not ready to watch anything even remotely creepy for another week or two though.
mmmmm
September 3, 2021 at 11:00 PM
Have you watched something scary lately?
mugyuljoie is preciousss
September 3, 2021 at 11:19 PM
No but I have no tolerance for it right now.
WishfulToki
September 4, 2021 at 9:24 AM
We still have something in common I see… I have no tolerance for creepy either. Demons are not my cup of tea so I’ll give this one a few more episodes.
Ally
September 3, 2021 at 9:47 PM
Yes! My favorite genre is fantasy and I was LOVING everything!
Eazal
September 4, 2021 at 7:43 AM
I am loving everything about it!!!
WishfulToki
July 16, 2021 at 8:34 PM
I sent an email to DB asking them to address the bot issue.
I can’t take it anymore so will be staying away from the fanwall for the time being.
mmmmm
July 16, 2021 at 10:03 PM
*hugs Toki*
The bots are really driving people crazy.
Waadmay
July 17, 2021 at 3:44 AM
Hugs
Did you watch Imitation ???
I did yesterday ,live streamed from KBS 2 but my internet connection sucked so I missed some parts
But I still loved it and went from dead to alive to dead multiple times.
Can’t wait to watch it today with subs
parkchuna dreams of all the Oppas
July 17, 2021 at 4:35 AM
I’m starting to wonder if it’s a calculated attack by home-service union or something since it’s all about boilers, repairs, electrics, drains or the likes of it. And someone just posted with #beatthebots and some dodgy looking link so i don’t know if that’s a bot or a beanie. Are bots able to engage in mind games too?
Ally
July 17, 2021 at 7:02 AM
@chillpill is a real person and it made me laugh!
parkchuna dreams of all the Oppas
July 17, 2021 at 8:27 AM
Ally thank god your tag didnt work, i feel bad for doubting a person! I guess it’s safe to check out the link then.
Zora
July 17, 2021 at 12:14 PM
I thought she/he was a bot too!
mmmmm
July 17, 2021 at 7:54 PM
She’s a new Beanie with quite an interesting approach to dealing with the bots Zora! 🤣
bbstl 🧹
July 17, 2021 at 7:25 AM
Thanks for making me laugh so hard with that gif 🤣
mugyuljoie is preciousss
July 17, 2021 at 7:39 PM
It broke my heart. Again. 💔 Stabby OTP™
mugyuljoie is preciousss
July 17, 2021 at 10:44 AM
It’s really bad. Perhaps we all need to @ the owner?
Find me his tag… He needs to pay someone more to take care of this. The more widely read DB is, the more often this will probably happen.
egads aka Dame Maggie
July 17, 2021 at 6:32 PM
Sigh
I miss mary
mugyuljoie is preciousss
July 17, 2021 at 7:39 PM
I said the same thing. I almost regret begging her to keep my favorite bot.
mmmmm
July 17, 2021 at 7:48 PM
What?!?!?!?!?
mugyuljoie is preciousss
July 17, 2021 at 8:02 PM
I had a thing for the name Damian Knitter.
mugyuljoie is preciousss
July 17, 2021 at 8:03 PM
And she didn’t keep him…
mmmmm
July 17, 2021 at 8:12 PM
Aww *pats head*
mmmmm
July 17, 2021 at 8:04 PM
🤣🤣🤣
bbstl 🧹
July 18, 2021 at 7:04 AM
I miss mary too ❤️😢❤️
bong-soo
August 23, 2021 at 8:22 AM
@wishfultoki,
Hi Toki, how have you been? Did you finish TWELVE NIGHTS?
Will you be back for RED SKY?
Both you and @kiara have been missed.
WishfulToki
August 27, 2021 at 8:20 AM
Hello bong-soo @marcusnyc20! I was swamped with work and am not watching any current dramas, so I went MIA. I will check out RED SKY and post something on my blog, but I don’t know if I will be able to recap the whole thing.
I had to drop TWELVE NIGHTS at Ep. 6. I was starting to get high blood pressure 😂
bong-soo
August 27, 2021 at 1:53 PM
Hi Toki! Great hearing from you. Don’t pressure yourself with RED SKY recaps. I am sure the BOSSAM recaps were time consuming. Whatever you post on your blog I am sure will be interesting.
Maybe down the line you can return to TWELVE NIGHTS. I made a quick search to see if Shin Hyun-Soo has anything in the works and I came up with this:
https://mydramalist.com/700087-after-school-war-activities
Looks like this drama is based on a manwha from 2012/13.
Also there was this article about the upcoming ‘traditional epic sageuk’ on KBS: TAEJONG YI BANG WON:
https://www.soompi.com/article/1485694wpp/joo-sang-wook-kim-young-chul-park-jin-hee-and-ye-ji-won-to-star-in-traditional-historical-drama
WishfulToki
September 1, 2021 at 2:42 PM
Yes, I read about that too. I’m all for traditional epic sageuks!
kiara
September 1, 2021 at 4:49 PM
@marcusnyc20 bong-soo.
I’m definitely watching RED SKY and hanging out at Toki’s blog for her reviews.
Are you joining us?
bong-soo
September 1, 2021 at 8:16 PM
Hi @kiara. I definitely will be joining but it may be on a delayed basis. On Monday I started a two week trip so I am not sure if I will be able to watch the early episodes of RED SKY until I return home.
kiara
September 2, 2021 at 5:08 AM
Have a wonderful and safe trip!
WishfulToki
July 13, 2021 at 9:34 PM
IMITATION EP. 9. Thoughts:
1) Hyuk finally spoke to Ria! And about music.
2) La Ri Ma is actually very cool. She’s more interesting than the childish female lead.
cc @waadmay
Waadmay
July 14, 2021 at 1:24 AM
La Rima is the coolest person ever.
Reyok is most adorkable and Ria is the spunkiest
Won’t please join discord so we can rant nonstop 😅
WishfulToki
July 12, 2021 at 9:46 PM
@marcusnyc20 @ndlessjoie
Episode 5 of TWELVE NIGHTS got me very stressed. How can they leave it to fate to meet in 1 year? And why is she back with that Eric jerk? 😫
But guess who showed up.
mugyuljoie is preciousss
July 12, 2021 at 10:42 PM
Indie art film, not K-drama romance.
mugyuljoie is preciousss
July 12, 2021 at 11:05 PM
You still have 7 episodes to alternate who deserves your anger.
WishfulToki
July 13, 2021 at 10:17 AM
You like to see me suffer, don’t you?
mugyuljoie is preciousss
July 13, 2021 at 5:10 PM
😆 Maybe? It really disappointed me as a K-Drama romance but it shines if you don’t think of it that way.
WishfulToki
July 13, 2021 at 7:52 PM
The story itself has very interesting things going for it if we don’t focus on the romance. But I got so stressed that I was grumpy all day… maybe I have to wait a few days to try Ep. 6.
Also, this drama has several foreign characters. Unfortunately they are horrible actors and the way they speak is super rude. What kind of professor would say “Shame on you” to a grown up college student? The latest example of bad acting is this Thomas guy who slips into German or English when he needs to, and who tried to flirt with the female lead and looked her all over as she walked away. Disgusting. 🤮
mugyuljoie is preciousss
July 13, 2021 at 9:12 PM
But we LOVE the photographer, right?
WishfulToki
July 13, 2021 at 9:26 PM
If you mean the lady who owns the quaint little studio, I like her. I haven’t seen enough of her to decide if I love her.
bong-soo
July 13, 2021 at 5:41 AM
@wishfultoki, So in TN you have left 2010 and now we are at 2015, right. The drama used hair style as one way to show the change of time. Hyun-oh (SHS) showed up with a ‘do’ in the style of YSY in PSYCHOPATH DIARY. Naturally in 2018 you will get another look. Yoo-kyung’s (Han Seung-yeon) hairstyle will change also from pony tail to long hair. I forgot her 2015 look. I showed go take a peak.
bong-soo
July 13, 2021 at 5:50 AM
TN preceded PD by two years so maybe YSY ‘stole’ that ‘do’ from SHS. Who knows. Either way not one of my favorites looks for the guys.
WishfulToki
July 13, 2021 at 10:24 AM
I preferred his 2010 hair, and hers too. I don’t like her 2015 look. I don’t buy that someone who was confortable in jeans and sneakers in 2010 walks around in high heels and a tight pencil skirt in 2015.
Anyway, did you notice that the guy in the picture (the airport immigration officer) is Won-yeop? Unless my eyes deceive me… I’m pretty sure it’s him! Ep. 5 around the 4-minute mark.
bong-soo
July 13, 2021 at 3:35 PM
Toki, great ‘Won-yeop’ catch. In HanCinema actor Choo Hyun-kyu is listed as the airport immigration officer. It also lists him as Won-yeop in BOSSAM. In AsianWiki he is listed under Chu Yeon Gu with no TN reference. I was cross eyed trying to nail this guy down in the major english casting sites. (He real needs a better agent 😉). I believe in MDL another actor is listed as the immigration officer. I was totally confused.
Lol I hope actor Choo Hyun-kyu moves quickly on to a more appealing character so he is not typecast in my mind as the lowlife he played in BOSSAM. Like father, like son only Won-yeop was a lot stupider than his old man.
WishfulToki
July 13, 2021 at 7:55 PM
Yay, I’m not crazy! I could not find the actor listed under TWELVE NIGHTS, but it’s such a minor appearance that it’s very likely Asian wiki missed it.
If this were a reincarnation story it’s exactly what I’d hope for: Won-yeop doomed to an airport officer box, and Dae-yeop becoming a free-spirited dancer. I think this was the nicest brotherly conversation Won-yeop and Dae-yeop ever had.
WishfulToki
July 10, 2021 at 12:47 PM
I might as well just share the link to the complete BOSSAM playlist.
I have listened to OST 9 too many times. ❤😭
(This is not for the beanie party, just to clarify LOL)
Ally
July 10, 2021 at 3:12 PM
Well, I was Going to include them. H3athr Sun did such a good job on her Bossam ballad, that I had to see who she was and found the song, Super Single Magician, which is super fun! I included it on the playlist and thinking of include her Bossam OST too.
WishfulToki
July 11, 2021 at 9:47 PM
Oh, sure, feel free to include them! 😃