To be honest, I don’t know how many of these new dramas I will have time to watch since I’m still on my business trip. I’m currently watching “May I Help You?” — which deals with the heavy topic of death. I find however that the kdrama is the soul-cleansing that I need after “Little Women.” I’ll try to write my “First Impressions” of it hopefully tonight.
Anyway, here’s what I have on my plate this month. Noticeably missing is the Song JoongKi drama. I’m skipping that one for obvious reason.
1. Call My Agent!
We had a drama on the lives of people behind a webtoon production and now we have a drama on the stressful lives of people in the entertainment management field.
The original series is French. When I youtube’d a trailer for the kdrama, I saw that remakes were done by Bollywood and Filipino-wood (?). It would have been funny to compare the humor in all four versions.
Cast:
Lee Seo Jin: “Marriage Contract,” “Three Meals a Day” series, and “Grandpas over Flowers.”
Kwak Sun Young: she’s the younger sister of IkJun in “Hospital Playlist”
Episodes: 12
Start Date: Monday, Nov 7
Airs on Mondays and Tuesdays
Where to Watch it: Netflix
Network: tvN
2. Weak Hero
A smart high school student goes up against his tormentors. Based on a webtoon. This season is part 1. A second season is coming.
Cast: The cast is an interesting bunch.
The main actor is Park JiHoon. He’s an actor-idol. He has annoying fangirls that made such a hoopla of his casting in “Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency” (2019) when he was only the third male lead (cough, glamourized extra).
Let’s see now if he can carry this show on his own. Joining him are:
Choi Hyun Wook – never heard of him
Hong Kyung – one of the artists in “Lovers of the Red Sky”
And… drumroll, please…
Shin Seung Ho – the Crown Prince in “Alchemy of Souls”
Now, you know the real reason I’m watching this show. I hope he isn’t playing a bully.
Episodes: 8
Start Date: Fri, Nov 18
Airs on Fridays
Where to Watch it:
Network: wwave
3. Summer Strike (or “I Don’t Feel like Doing Anything”)
Hmmm…I’m confused about this drama.
If I read the synopsis from soompi, it appears as if this is an idyllic drama series like my recent favorite “Once Upon a Small Town.”
“Summer Strike” is an upcoming Genie TV original drama based on a popular webtoon. The romance story is about people who decide to quit their current lifestyles in the busy city and move to a small town to do nothing, where they’re ultimately able to find themselves. The story centers around Lee Yeo Reum (AOA’s Seolhyun), a 28-year-old woman who is voluntarily living the life of unemployment to go live in the small town of Angok, and Ahn Dae Bum (Im Siwan), a shy and reserved man who works as a librarian in Angok.
The new stills show Ahn Dae Bum in the simple daily life he has made for himself in a small seaside village, working in the library with a soft and passive expression. He has an air of innocence and serenity about him that would undoubtedly fool anyone into thinking that he has found peace in his life. However, underneath Ahn Dae Bum’s shy and timid exterior are his own stories and secrets, leaving viewers to guess what exactly brought him to this unknown corner of the earth.
Source: soompi
However, on mydramalist, there’s a THRILLER tag for this drama. Huh?
Small seaside village + cute Siwan + shy librarian role = thriller??? Is Siwan playing an ax murderer?
Cast:
Siwan: “Misaeng”
Kim Seol Hyun: “The Killer’s Shopping List”
Episodes: 12
Start Date: ??
Airs on Fridays and Saturdays
Where to Watch it: Viki
Network: ENA
4. Unlock the Boss
The concept of this drama intrigues me. It reminds me of “Memories of the Alhambra.” But instead of being trapped in a videogame, the CEO of a cellphone company finds himself trapped inside his smartphone after he was killed.
Fortunately, a young man discovers his cellphone, and the CEO offers to pay him if he finds the CEO’s killer. At the CEO’s behest, this young man steps in as the temporary CEO of the company and begins his investigation.
This is based on a webtoon. I’m sure the screenwriters will polish the plot to make it TV audience.
Cast:
Chae Jong Hyeop, the young guy in “Sisyphus”
Park Sung Woong, an ahhussi actor, lol
Seo Eun Soo: never heard
Episodes: 12
Start Date: Wed, Nov 30
Airs on Wednesdays and Thursdays
Where to Watch it: Viki?? I hope Netflix picks it up, though.
Network: ENA
source: tapcomics.com
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
What’s on your list? What are you watching? Anything interesting?
Thank you, @packmule3. I was wondering about the Im Siwan one, but then read that his character has a secret. He does psychos very well, rather too well.
The Weak Hero seems to be fighting Shin Seung Ho’s character in the trailer, so he may well be a bully.
Darn and double darn.
I would like a bit of holiday cheer about November time. I’ve had to turn to books recently. (Gasp)
I’m still in the fall mood, @Fern. I want a happy-sappy romcom with the color palette of autumn leaves.🍁🍁🍁 “
“Goblin” is a good autumn 🍂 kdrama.
Lol. I pressed send too quickly.
The Siwan kdrama doesn’t look like a typical romcom. I’m with you. I’m worried that he’s going to play another psycho.
I restarted watching “Love in Contract” but I’m not feeling JiHo. 😂 I’ve a mental block when the hero/heroine is in the legal profession. Familiarity breeds contempt, as they say.
@packmule3,Some random comments…Netflix is picking up some older dramas like Flower of Evil and I’m slowly rewatching them. So I think we’ll be seeing some that we can’t always get on other streamers.
I just watched the Juvenile Justice drama with my favorite Kim Hye Soo.I know your antipathy for legal Dramas but this did not disappoint and I’d recommend it for those who liked this genre.. I used to have professional responsibilities for Family Court here where I dealt with cases of Juvenile Delinquency, Persons In Need of Supervision, Custody and Neglect. Etc. I was curious to see the differences in approach by the Korean system. In my professional life I was privileged to attend various training programs that exposed me to the British and Canadian systems, so I found this drama to be enlightening in terms of cultural differences.
In addition there are excellent support players in actors Lee Ding-min and Lee Jung-eun. I also liked Kim Mu-yeol in the role of her judge colleague. I didn’t know him but found that he is another musical theater veteran.
If you like Once Upon A Small Town, but are not into BL Dramas, I would say watch excerpts of the BL drama, You Make me Dance to see our MLs debut.Fast forward and only watch his dance sequences. He is so graceful and I must say, gorgeous with his permed hair. I am glad he isn’t being type cast in BL roles. I loved him in Once Upon A Small Town.
And Kim Hye Soo does not disappoint in Under The Queen’s Umbrella. Her adversary in this drama is The Queen’s Dowager played by our halmoeni in Start Up/Rosa in Hospital Playlist,Kim
Hae-sook . These two are powerhouses. I love their scenes together. I never pictured them in a sageuk. This drama is also visually stunning-gorgeous sets and costumes. Of course, it has palace intrigue in hyperdrive.
I love Park Sung Woong and Im Siwan(still making my way through Misaeng)
Again, @pm3, you offer lots of temptation. For me, this is good because they offer a great source of respite that I use when my husband is sleeping or watching sports while he undergoes treatment. I can stop a drama, return to my place later and rewind while never being steps away from my husband. Thank you so much @pm3 for all of your insight, recommendations and this forum for great discussions and the kind hearts of your contributors. If I haven’t said it before, BoD is truly a life saver.
@packmule3, for happy sappy, I’m thinking about ‘The Fabulous’ with Chae Soo Bin and Choi Minho (recently we saw him briefly as Woongi’s gay friend in Yumi’s cells). I haven’t seen the FL before, but she has been in many dramas and films. It is about the world of high fashion. I enjoy Minho’s personality on talk shows, so I’ll probably watch the 1st episode for that reason. -Not hard to look at, either.
For November, I want to check out these Korean dramas:
Behind Every Star/Call My Agent!- watched the original French version with my mom and we both thought it was so funny! I’m interested to see how the Korean version is. Hopefully, it will be funny as well.
Reborn Rich- I see Song Joon Ki, I must watch.
Summer Strike- Seems like it might be Once Upon A Small Town 2.0, so I want to watch. That “thriller” tag has me worried, though.
Hearing some good things about Japan drama “Silent” at Viki, so will check that one out.
Viki just added older classic K Drama “Time Between Dog and Wolf” which I haven’t seen, so I want to check that one out, too.
Depending on reviews, I might check out these dramas:
May I help You?
The Fabulous
@Table122000, won’t be watching the Song Joong-ki drama, I don’t like the FL who just turned me off in HPL and SJK is not a ML who does anything for me. One day I’ll watch Descendants of the Son, mainly because of all the hype and the second leads.
The Fabulous and Call My Agent are singing to me. I still have lots of Dramas to complete so I’m in no rush.
Our news was full of coverage from Seoul. My heart goes out to the people involved and to their families and friends.
@Fern – seconding that!
@Fern, Most of the people who died in Seoul were young people who were there for a good time.It is so tragic. I am a person who hates crowds. These kids were packed into an alley.Prayers to their families.
I guess now the authorities will develop crowd control protocols.i know they do this for New Years Eve in Times Square, New York City . It makes a lot of sense. In my youth I attended tucker tape parades for winning teams and the Thanksgiving Day parade. Certain streets were shut down, there were street crossing barriers and lots of law enforcement present.But that’s all hindsight.I just hope that more is done to prevent this sort of occurrence.
I suppose it was one of those events that blew up out of proportion for a lot of reasons. I don’t think anyone was expecting such an enormous crowd. South Korea is usually well organised, but I think the authorities were caught unawares.
Right, @OAL.
I was browsing through Netflix a couple of nights ago, and I saw:
Dali and the Cocky Prince
Shooting Stars
Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency
Flowers of Evil
Still 17
Where Stars Land 🙄
Jirisan
Young Lady and Gentleman
Missing
Cleaning Up
While You Were Sleeping
What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim 😂
These were Viki shows!
@OAL, @pkml3…. looking at that list from Netflix, hmmm… I do not feel inclined to watch (or rewatch) that selection of shows. 🤨 🧐 😑 Which is good. I can keeping JOMO-ing. 😎 😁
Those are old shows, @GB. Many of them I passed up the first time around. I’m surprised that they’re on Netflix.
Netflix is expanding their selection probably bec they see that there’s a market for kdramas here in the US though still a majority of Americans (at least white Americans) have never heard of Lee Minho and company. Buying the rights to these “old” kdramas is cheaper than producing one of their Netflix Originals with unknown market reception.
@pkml3, that explains the unexceptional range of shows chosen. They could at least have gone for some oldies but goodies, or ‘classics’ but perhaps those are not as inexpensive. 😬 😆
@packmule3, It is all a matter of economics. Last year Netflix had a bumpy ride, losing a large share of subscribers.Streaming services have increased competition. It is easier to pay for what has already proven successful elsewhere and extend them to new geographical regions. Perhaps with Apple’s success with Pachinko, more people will know of Lee Minho. Park Seo Jeon is now going to be part of the Marvel Universe. And Squid Game is still leading the way in American costume choices for Halloween. And Lee Jung jae won last year’s prime time Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a drama series. Also apparently Disney(with BTS) and Hulu are adding Korean content. I read about per episode cost and K Dramas are way cheaper to produce than American series. They don’t have production constraints like health and safety regulations that we have in the States. When I watch BTS clips I can’t help but feel for the actors and crew who walk around with portable fans and heaters in extreme weather conditions and who work an exhirbitant number of hours for our entertainment. I don’t see a lot of prima donnas in K dramas.Even the highest paid actors don’t charge the high per episode costs that more minor actors do here. I also think that they don’t have craft service or meal- that’s why gift coffee trucks are such a big deal. So yeah, it’s great economics on the part of Netflix to buy what seems to be at a discount.I’ll watch some of those series and will rate them to add to their algorithms in the hope that we’ll get more content. It is good to rate these Dramas to add to their lists. I was happily surprised when Extraordinary Attorney Woo made it to the American Top Ten for several weeks. I generally don’t care to watch the true crime series that proliferate. Do I really need more Jeffrey Dahmer?(rhetorical).Here’s hoping for more K,J,c,Asian content on these streamers. And maybe better working conditions for the casts and crews.
SiWan as a librarian? Yes please. I am signing on for his drama. Don’t care if he’s psycho or not. 😂. I couldn’t watch Strangers From Hell so I figure I will risk this one 😂. He does play “chilling” well. That beautiful angelic face of his makes it even more so.
I am also going to try this one
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revenge_of_Others
I liked the second ML in that Zombie horror flick “All of Us Are Dead” and he’s in this one. If it gets too dark I may bail.
@Packmule3, horrible news coming out of Seoul today about a stampede of Halloween revelers in a narrow Itaewon alley causing 150 people to die, and 140 to be injured. My heart breaks for those hurt, and the family and friends of those who have lost loved ones.
@Welmaris – scroll up – we have had a brief discussion of this.
Hi all,
I checked out the start of Curtain Call – it starts off at a very difficult and harrowing time in Korean history, 1950, and because of the current news coverage of what happened on Saturday in Seoul, I found it hard to watch anything Korean, historic and evoking suffering.
But I will definitely come back to this. I adore both leads.
@Pm3, I have not heard any of the dramas that you have listed, have I been living under the rock??? Weak Hero Class 1 caught my eye among those you listed. It’s coming out on Nov 17 though I’m not sure on which platform.
There seems to be another 8 episode season after this called Weak Hero 2 as some people are saying based on the Webtoon, it may not be just one season.
Ahhh…Choi Hyun Wook he’s the guy JiWoong who liked Yurim, they are the 2nd lead couple in 2521. He was also in Racket Boys.
I’m finishing an obscure but easy watch Cdrama “Moonlight” about editors and their authors. Just a simple not too dramatic romcom. Stars FL from FD because I needed something light and modern and romcomy.
And because I’m happy from watching happy shows, I’m able to take the heavier drama Under the Queen’s Umbrella, which I have come to love. I adore Kim Hye Soo’s character as the Queen and how she handled the many tricky situations she is in, she is what you call a super mom as we see all her pain, love, effort, struggles, joy.
Netflix seems to be doing well, and is making profits especially after they recently released their financial report, probably from the added 2.4mil subscribers after their password crackdown.
@Grace, I am a Kim Hye Soo fan and can agree with you that she doesn’t disappoint in Under the Queen”s Umbrella. I am so used to her in contemporary media,that seeing her in a sageuk is a real treat. She carries those elaborate costumes and hair well and her acting is just at another dimension. I just finished watching her in Juvenile Justice and thought that her new drama represented a quick turn around seeing her go in another direction.
I also just watched the first episode of Curtain Call which is quite promising. The first part took place during the Korean War. It went from times if privation to very glittering riches. And we have kang Ha Beul and Ha Ji Wan. The production values are great. It looks like they invested some money in this. And Is have to say that Kang Ha Neul is maturing well and Ha Ji Wan looks elegant.
@OAL – thank you. That’s really encouraging.
I will watch the episode through.
KHN is simply gorgeous and I always enjoy HJW.
I wasn’t wild about ‘Chocolate’ … not sure the role suited her totally… but aside from that she always gives such great value.
One of my all time favourites is ‘Secret Garden’ – don’t know how many time I have watched it.
In November, I’m finishing Love in Contract and Love is for Suckers.
I have started Under the Queen’s Umbrella. Finally–a Netflix-made historical with good actors (in other words, not Rowoon, etc.). It’s been bracing so far, but it may be too much for me to handle. I’m not expecting a happy ending for all.
I am surprised there is going to be another version of Call My Agent since Shooting Stars, when it came out, was said to be the Korean version of CMA (according to the Forbes article about it). I’m also wondering how this is going to work in Korea since the fun of the French version of CMA was that the stars were willing to lampoon themselves in their cameos. It seems to me that K-stars have a lot more social strictures placed on them. The French public has embraced actors who have had out-of-wedlock kids, etc.–so them behaving badly on a TV show would be par for the course. I can’t imagine Korean stars looking bad on a TV show. I hope there will at least be cameos of actors playing themselves.
Of the shows discussed above, Curtain Call seems the most compelling for me.
Otherwise, I’m looking forward to the final season of The Crown.
@BethB, Your choices pretty much mirror mine. With the sad news out of Itaewon, I think Love Is For Suckers has postponed new episodes to coincide with the period of mourning. I keep reading about this horrible tragedy and can ‘t help but feel that it was preventable but that doesn’t help the loved ones of the victims. I hope they never know of this again.
Annyeong 🍁
Wow, yes, it’s already November. countdown to Christmas LOL.
@Pm3, yes, Goblin is a good autumn show. one of the shows i don’t mind rewatching.
Regarding “not feeling JiHO” – i’m with you. i just don’t know. darn it.
I’m interested in Unlock the Boss and Summer Strike.
Right now, still watching Love in Contract, Love is for suckers, Bad prosecutor. Finished Love Between Fairy and Devil – i cried when our OTP was at the Bridge and MS was confessing everything. oh my. the ending was quite abrupt. darn. more Kisses please haha. speaking of Netflix, didn’t realize i started watching the show there and then resumed via Viki. haha
🙏🏻 for and mourning with the bereaved from the Itaewon tragedy. and i wanted to visit the area after watching “Itaewon class” – if ever.
HI Everyone!
I’m a bit of JOMOing right now. I’ve been occupied with kiddos and lots and lots and lots of baseball for my oldest. It’s not even official season lol
I’ll probably come back and see what everyone is watching. In the meantime, I’m trying to finish Love in Contract and Mr. Bad very slowly though and that’s ok.
Nov. 2nd is all souls day in Latin America. Praying for the families who have lost someone at Itaewon. I made my little altar to remember my family members (too many to count at this point). Blessing to all =)
Blessings to you too, Carolina. I hope we find another great show to watch together and the time to do it in. ☺️
For people interested in the drama “The Fabulous,” it looks like it may be delayed:
https://koalasplayground.com/2022/11/02/netflix-k-drama-the-fabulous-may-be-delayed-indefinitely-as-the-drama-contains-scenes-from-a-halloween-street-celebration-that-cannot-be-cut-due-to-the-narrative/
https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/tv/netflix-the-fabulous-kdrama-series-minho-release-date-premiere-3340169
@Table122000, I think, given the enormity of this tragedy that Netflix made the right decision. Dramas have been recast, reconfigured and/or dropped for lesser reasons. What we do know is that Korean people are very sensitive to historuc inaccuracies even in fictional content and that dramas that speak of past tragedies like the collapse of buildings strike a very sensitive chord. No matter how one looks a5 it, it is much too soon to show this.
It would be an awful scene to see. But I feel bad for those involved in the drama, too. Collateral damage.
@Fern, We’ll said.
This cdrama sounds interesting. “Love in Time”. Has anyone watched it?
Hi @GB,
There seems to be another ‘Love in Time’ that I watched a while back but this new drama that has just finished airing would interest me too.
Hi all,
I am curious… Does anyone have random tech problems with Viki? I have been watching ‘Love in Contract’ with no problems and suddenly can’t play Episode 14. Sometimes I can’t play a whole show even though it is technically available in the UK. Sometimes just one episode doesn’t work. I am currently watching Ep 14 of Love in Contract on my smartphone and it works.
I have tried the team at VIKI and they give you various checks to make but this doesn’t make sense of the random quality of these problems.
NO worries if you haven’t encountered this! I don’t want to spam this conversation with a tech issue. This is just in case anyone else is encountering this same thing.
@Kate, Could it be the streaming device you are using or your internet connection? I sometimes have connectivity issues that affect my streaming connections. I use a Roku device and a firetruck on different televisions. Our internet provider also sometimes is the problem. I keep my Viki password near when problems have arisen. I hope this helps your troubleshooting.
Thank you @OAL! I will follow up. Certainly my smartphone is fine for the problem shows and episodes… so yes, must be at this end.
I am watching Love In Time 2022. It is an easy watch. This drama is a remake of Taiwan drama Meet Me At 1006. I saw the Taiwan original when it came out. They have made some changes for this 2022 Chinese version, so I thought I would check out this version. I’m enjoying it so far. The way they handle the time travel aspect is unique.
Yes, it is too bad about “The Fabulous.” Hopefully, Netflix can release it at a later date. One article mentioned perhaps Netflix would broadcast it to certain regions only later on. But for sure they made the right call- too soon to air something like this after such a terrible tragedy.
@GB and @Table122000,
I have also just started Love in Time 2022 and am enjoying it. It is good quality, well made and paced and the ‘meet cute’ is unusual!
Lots of intrigue and good performances too.
ps I love the realism in the way our hero responds to the time travel situation!
and … anyone else getting a slight flavour of ‘Reset’ even though it isn’t the same story at all? I am in Episode 3 and beginning to anticipate certain things being the case.
@Kate and @Table122000
It’ll be great if we compare notes about Love in Time. I’ll have to wait until after the 13th of Nov before I start, though. Yes, @Table, AvenueX’s comment on the time travel sounded interesting, that’s why I wanted to watch this one.
The premise also sounded like “The Lakehouse”, which I liked very much.
I hope to catch with you next week!! 🙂
@GB – yes… ‘The Lakehouse’ – what a good comparison!
Is anyone else who is watching Love in Contract getting frustrated with the storyline in the latest episodes? The romance between the leads, always low key, seems to be taking a back seat to the Madame Yoo and chaebol heir story arcs
In my opinion, the Madame Yoo character can never be rehabilitated into someone sympathetic, no matter how forgiving others may be, because of the unnatural choices she made and emotional cruelty she inflicted on Jamie. She may have been by the young girl’s side while raising her, but she intentionally withheld love and misrepresented her relationship; there’s no excuse, in my mind, that justifies such behavior, so the screenwriting might as well give up trying to convince me.
As for other shows I’m watching, I seem to be leaning into Cdramas lately. I’m still chipping away at Meteor Garden, saving it for when I’m on planes. I’ll be watching more on my next flight in a week. And based on a recommendation, I started Forever and Ever; I think it engaging and refreshing. The relationship between the leads is built on kindness and respect. I’m glad the plot isn’t depending on petty disagreements to build tension. Despite being happy to watch this show, I’ve set it aside to pick up One and Only, which is the show that precedes Forever and Ever. You don’t have to watch OaO to understand FaE, but I was curious what the characters looked like in the earlier era, thought I’d just take a peek, and ended up hooked.
Hello @pkml3 and each of you posting. Thank you in advance for allowing me to join the conversations here. I found you while looking for comments about Forever and Ever, finished it today, and appreciate what I read in that thread. May go back and comment… not sure I can handle OaO melo right now. I think I recognize some names here.
In reply to ‘What for November?’ I am finishing Love in Contract like @kate and also had some tech issues with viki on my android tablet: I ended up uninstalling and reinstalling the viki app. (Also had sync blips on ep13 of FaE – I think @OAL is also right – my device needed to be updated.)
I started Curtain Call – has anyone here seen South of the Border (Cha Seung Won)?
Re: SJK (I will be looking at Reborn Rich) I was shocked while watching Descendents of the Sun that this boyish looking slight frame person could carry off being a manly man in that drama and so I went on to appreciate him in Nice Guy aka Innocent Man and the movie Penny Pinchers, very funny. Space Sweepers not so much.
I have (obviously) also branched into Chinese dramas, mainland and Taiwan. I have only seen a few Hong Kong productions, they are always edgier. Recently enjoyed Love Like the Galaxy (except the end) and Love Between the Fairy and Devil. I am way too old to be a fan of wuxia and xianxia but I am a curious person. I am also looking forward to the possibility of a Joy of Life 2. The Rational Life is on Netflix and I enjoyed it. The way China is clamping down, hard to say what will happen with entertainment there – like in FaE, chaste kisses and sex for procreation only – serious conservatism.
Re Netflix: mixed feelings – shortened dramas with open endings that make me think they are trying to parlay kdramas into American style continuous series. Hospital Playlist frustrated me with the 2 series and still an open end. Also mixed feelings about anglicized subtitles – I like the viki cultural references that make me look up new things to learn or sometimes explain in context. Netflix glosses them over. That said, I am thinking of re-watching Flower of Evil.
As for Itaewon – words fail.
@Dazy, I also had problems with the subtitles of Episode 13 of Forever and Ever. I don’t think the issue is with the streaming service, but with Viki’s subtitle segmentation on that episode. I found that episode (and others) available on YouTube without the oddly paced subtitles.
Kalimera Ladies!
It’s been a while since I was online on B.O.D. and I do hope you are all okay!
I tried to finish some shows I had on pause. I managed to finish: “Soundtrack #1” that was added on Disney+, “Cafe Minamdang”, “May it Please the Court” which was pretty good as well.
I still have to catch up with “Little Women” and “Love Between Devil and Fairy” and my latest addition is “Love is for Suckers” that I was watching for Lee DaHee but Choi SiWon surprised me with his character instead!
I am only up to date with : “May I help you?” and the only thing that had caught my eye is “He is psychometric”, that I am enjoying very much.
I watched the first episode of: “Curtain Call” but I was not in the mood for something heavy at the moment.
I have also heard that “Under the Queen’s Umbrella is pretty good as well.
I might watch “The First Responders” https://asianwiki.com/The_First_Responders.
I have on my radar “Reborn Rich” and “Somebody”. I am not pretty sure though, that I will watch them.
As for “Call my Agent” / “Behind Every Star” I might give it a try. I saw that Daniel Henney is doing a cameo and I am intrigued!
@Dazy – welcome! Interested to read your thoughts and plans.
I am an SJK fan also… loved him in DoTS and, of course, Vincenzo. I couldn’t get into Space Sweepers either – it left me cold. But I am hoping that Reborn Rich is of high quality and addictive viewing!
Thank you for what you mentioned re Viki. Always useful to know what is happening for other people.
Hi all,
I am enjoying ‘Weaving a tale of love’… I just started watching simply to see Timmy Xu in action.
It has mixed reviews.
It is a pretty-looking and quite fast-paced story-wise. I am enjoying it despite all the critiques of the way the FL’s role is written/acted depending on how you look at things. She is a bit jejeune but that is the fate of many a Chinese FL and I gather from the reviews that the FL
does some growing up as the story progresses . There is enough intrigue and interest in the various story lines to keep me watching very happily.
I am not sure what I make of Timmy Xu’s ML… because we don’t get his inner thoughts at this stage he has to rely on facial ‘swagger’ to signal intent and new realizations. His approach to this reminds me of old style Hollywood acting and the days of the Lone Ranger.
There is also an attractive Crown Prince who conveys his intelligence and ability more naturally than Timmy’s ML. I am also interested in a very wise an beautiful concubine who is showing up as a key player in the developing plot.
As I mentioned before in this thread, I started watching the Chinese drama Forever and Ever, but being curious about the preceding story, watched the first episode of One and Only and got hooked. What I’ve since been doing since getting to the halfway point in both shows is alternating three episodes of one, then three of the other. It’s been interesting to see the stories unfold side by side. And I hope that finishing with three episodes of FaE will take the sting out of the sad ending of OaO.
I have to laugh at a trope seen frequently in OaO. Want to look militarily strong and efficient? March a line of soldiers. Want to look particularly mighty? March two lines in sync, crossing in opposite directions.
@Kate, I started Curtain Call. I love the actors in the ensemble, but I don’t know if I can stick with the pace and the overly sentimental music. Like Love in Contract, it’s again a show about impersonations — which we can be sure will always backfire in some way. In this case the impersonation seems to be of someone who is a violent criminal. It’s asking for trouble.
@Fern, Impersonating someone is a fine old trope.The real grandchild appears to be a hardened criminal while the fake is harmless but in need of cash. I know that DNA testing would solve the problem but anyway you slice it, grandmother would be surely disappointed. There is usually a redemption arc in these. I am curious to see this all play out. So far I am in enjoying Ha Ji Won (a favorite) and our family retainer who found the fake grandchild, the wonderful Kang HaNeul(another favorite). So life actually becomes performance art&perhaps a commentary on the way people actually live. Interesting premise.
@Old America Lady, I agree that the actors are fine. For me, I have a limit with music telling me how to feel, with plot holes and predictable outcomes. I will give this a pass for now but may come back to it for the actors.
Hi @Fern and @OAL,
I love the leads too.
I am a bit influenced by a mixed review of this show which resonated with me and as a result have lost momentum
… Ha Ji Won excellent in her role. The wonderful Kang Ha Neul in a role which is trickier to inhabit/’put flesh on the bones of’ and pull off convincingly if we are heading to romance with our FL.
The reviewer compared the dour mood of CC unfavourably with the lighter comedic touch of CLOY! I am recognising some of the actors from CLOY in this show. Comedy enables plot devices to do their thing sometimes better than a more serious dramatic framework.
Perhaps @OAL will keep us posted!
@Packmule3 – I just posted and it disappeared. I’ll wait and see if the post shows up or if you see it. Thank you!
@Kate,
Was your post addressed to @Fern and @OAL?
You used a different name so the site thought you were a newcomer, and blocked you.
Let me see what I can do from my end. 🙂
Here you go, @Kate. I edited your log-in name so your “other” name will be kept private. 🙂
Thank you @Packmule – yes you are correct! Apologies. If you can’t make it work, I’ll re-write.
Many thanks @Packmule3 – our posts crossed in the mail!
I am probably going to start SiWan’s drama about Doing Nothing
And I have my eye on these 2 which I assume are premiering in Dec.
https://www.soompi.com/article/1553214wpp/watch-cha-eun-woo-lee-da-hee-and-kim-nam-gils-new-drama-island-drops-action-packed-1st-teaser
https://www.soompi.com/article/1553397wpp/yoo-yeon-seok-moon-ga-young-and-more-sync-up-with-their-characters-at-1st-script-reading-for-upcoming-jtbc-romance-drama
The latter I am going to try to watch to let YYS redeem himself in an attempt to wipe HP2 out of my mind. 😂
The former I am kinda digging CEW in the action genre in the trailer…and I like Kim NamGil (one of the rare Korean men who can pull off a moustache). 😂
Hey @nrllee!
I am going to watch “Island” as well! It will be on Amazon Prime! And it is going to have a second season as well… 😀
Kim Nam Gil is one of my favorites as well! Especially after “Through The Darkness”.
@nrllee and @Cleopatra, I like Kim Nam Gil and Lee Da Hee(am really liking her in Love is for Suckers-her performance is nuanced and I am now a fan.). I don’t know about Cha Eun Woo-is he just a pretty face or will this show growth as an actor. Given that he plays a priest, I am assuming(danger there) that he won’t be a romantic lead so maybe we can see a different side of him. The good part is that we have two other actors who are strong leads.
I am happy it will be on Amazon Prime. I just looked through their offerings(they have an awful menu system). I see that they also have Anna(another intriguing drama) and The Lol ady Princess so I’ll be going there. I am very disappointed with Disney+. The have more Korean programming but don’t make these available in the USA. I am not a Marvel Universe person, although Wanda vision was clever and I’ll watch some Star Wars but they have to do better with their Asian programming here. They seem to forget that there is a healthy demand(besides BTS) in the diverse country that is the USA. Case in point-Jung HaIn did a travel show prepandemuc where he came to New York and his fans were here (college students and people on the street).So Disney+ is missing out on lots of viewers.And their algorithms should pick that up I would have lived to see Big Mouth. Oh well!
O good! I will have some company with Island then @Cleopatra @OAL 🙂
@nrllee, when I read your comment in my emails, for a split second I thought you meant (Shallow) Island. 😉😆
Okay, @nrllee. Do you want me to open an “Island” thread for you and @cleopatra?
Kalimera Ladies and Happy Pepero day!
My dear @OAL,
It is good to see you comment. I do hope your husband and you are okay!
Yes, Amazon Prime has added some show, like “May I help You?”, “Anna” and will add “Island”.
About Disney+, they are opening some shows for us as well. “Big Mouth” is added for us. Also, they have added “May it please the Court” that it was pretty good. There are some shows that they are adding occasionally, like the teen one with Lomon.
I do hope they will realize that for your case as well!
@nrllee,
Of course we are going to watch “Island”. It’s been a while, since we were discussing something together, right?
Hello there @Packmule3! I do hope you are okay! 😊
Thank you @Welmaris for the recommendations for the One and Only and its sequel.
I have just started and think they will be up my street. I do have some reservations about Bai Lu… just in terms of the very ‘modern’, slightly ‘hard boiled’ feel she gives off. She was great in ‘Arsenal Academy’ and ‘The Legends’ because those series played to her boyish/modern day young woman strengths. I like her a lot in contemporary rom coms – ‘Love is Sweet’ and so on.
I have seen her too in other shows where she seems to me to lack the sensitivity and range to pull off her role.
But looking forward to watching both series.
Today is 11-11: Pepero Day in South Korea; in other places, today is Pocky Day. Whichever chocolate-covered stick cookie you prefer, I hope you have a sweet day with your loved ones!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepero_Day
@packmule3 Island doesn’t air till December (I think) so it won’t be necessary till then. @Cleopatra and I will let you know if the hype is worth discussion on BoD after a few eps 😂. I hope it’s not too weird because from the synopsis it sounds like there’s some otherworldliness about it.
@Fern Err…Shallow island? Three words – CHA EUN WOO. 😂
@nrllee, but Cha Eun Woo as a priest. 😮 Back in parochial school days, when certain boys went to the seminary prep high school or certain young priests came to train in our parish, we used to say, “What a waste!” 😆
@Fern. You know that I’m not RpCatholic, but when I was in college I went to Newman Club with my Freshman Sister. I liked the first masses for the music but I liked the Latin masses for the mystery.(That’s why I prefer my prayers in Hebrew). But I agree with the what a waste comment-so many young, good looking priests. And later on, we had The Thorn Burds to read.
@Welmaris, Yum! I want Pepero.It looks delicious. I love Pocky-thwy sell it at Costco. I know that in K and C Dramas in they use these to produce kisses with part of the couple eating the picky what is being held in the partner’soth do own t of the lips,where by kisses ensue
I guess it’s part of a by tasty romance.
Ah, @OAL, the Thorn Birds was so popular, both as a book and as a TV show.
I remember those Pepero kisses used to be a big deal in variety shows. There’s always a contest involving multiple couples to see who would get the smallest Pepero. The strategy was the girl would stay stationary with the Pepero between her lips, while the guy would nibble away at the stick until their lips touch.
I found the titillation of the game show hosts (mostly ahjussis) weird. Like, what were they doing? Were they middle school kids? 😒
I guess Covid put an end to this sort of game.
Haha. I don’t recall the actress in Thornbirds but I do remember Richard Chamberlain.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has an aide-de-camp who made many women swoon. Me included. Google Georg Ganswein. He’s an archbishop.
I might have bought a calendar featuring “Gorgeous Georg” as he was called. 😜 It was for charity.
@packmule3, Gorgeous Georg. What a waste. 😁 He absolutely looks like a movie star.
When I was about 7, I was going to be a nun because of the drawing of the young monk on the Christian Brothers recruitment pamphlet in the lobby of our church. In my imagination I dreamt we could do good deeds and have adventures together. I suppose my enjoyment of romantic and unrealistic k-dramas had early seeds. 😜
@Packmule3…might have, eh? From a quick online search for images, it looks like Gorgeous Georg has aged well.
As a youngster, I had a crush on Richard Chamberlain from his Dr. Kildare days. I was so young, my previous TV crush had been Mighty Mouse.
I’m almost done with my experiment watching the related Chines dramas “One and Only” and “Forever and Ever” in tandem. I have two episodes of each left, and will finish them tonight. Knowing their story continues helps me brace myself for the sad ending of OaO. And seeing the stories unfold together has helped me make connections I probably wouldn’t figure out otherwise. I’m not trying to pinpoint who, other than the main leads, carries from one story to the next, because I’m thinking more of character types than specific individuals. Plots have similarities, and hints from the past are seen in the present, but I don’t see the modern couple being pigeonholed by their previous incarnations. I did have a funny thought last night, though: After watching a battle scene in Episode 22, then having Episode 28 of FaE end with some news about, and a look at, the lead couple’s pet crabs, it dawned on me they were drawn to these creatures because old Chinese battle armor vaguely looks like a crustacean exoskeleton. But I won’t go so far as to say that a couple in the past ended up reincarnating as crabs! I’ll just believe that the nurturing of the crabs in present day comes from a similar place in the heart as the Master’s taking in orphans and giving them a home.
@welmaris,
“Might have” — I’m not at liberty to say anything more. 😂😂
You brave soul! I’m skipping “One and Only” because “Forever and Ever” is how I want to remember the happy couple.
😂 Your comparison between the pet crab and the hero’s armor could be true!
Me? I just thought that the male lead lost his killer instincts when he couldn’t even stomach the thought of eating crabs 🦀 because of his pets. IIRC, the heroine noted that crabs were a delicacy in their region, and crabs were expected to be served at their wedding. 😂😂
@Kate, I started May I Help You on your recommendation. I am going to stick with it. Having experienced death and abandonment as a young child, I find this drama cathartic. So far I have been reduced to tears by the story of the cab driver and his missing son.The parallels are so good in this story- having the real son and the substitute with the connection to the FL is both heart breaking and elating.And the use of Our priest in the confession scenes is sort of like the agreed choruses. Lots to look forward to. Thanks to everyone who recommended this one.
@packmule3
I was really interested in the story of the Siwan drama and read 80+ episodes of the webtoon. He’s not a psycho (is this a spoiler?) but there is another guy who sprays paints death threats on the FL’s rented place. So I guess that’s where the thriller tag comes from?
I landed in Seoul the day after the Itaewon tragedy happened. There was mourning all over the TV stations and banners put up for condolences. It’s very sad, but by the time I left, I stayed for 11 days, it feels like people have moved on…..even though the banners are still there.
Hope it never happens again.
My Korean friend commented that they were lucky only that number of people died, it could have been much worse.
Still I think the saddest part was that the police were notified earlier, and still the tragedy was not prevented…..
@GB
Yes I have watched Love in Time! It’s a remake of a Taiwanese drama, and I ended up watching that too! I actually like the Taiwanese version better. Both shows are on iqiyi.
(I watched these to get me out of the LBFD pit)
For the Chinese version Love in Time, I skipped a lot near the end, I think the couple from the Taiwanese version is more compatible.
Hope you like the show!
😂😂😂 @packmule3 you made me look at Gorgeous Georg. He made the cover of Vanity Fair (Italian)? 😮. Well CEW has big shoes to fill. 😂. Although my favourite priest was Kim JaeWook (in The Guest). That man just drips sexy vibes in every role he plays. I remember watching him in Who Are You? He acted as a ghost (opposite Ok Taecyeon) and get this, he had no lines because he couldn’t speak. And still he stole the show. 😂😂😂.
@TY thank you for letting us know SiWan is not a serial killer. 👍. Now I can relax and watch it in peace. 😂
I am sorry to hear that you were on the ground when the tragedy unfolded. It was horrific to read about it on the news and to watch some of the footage. Especially sad because so many of them were so young. 😢
Yes, thanks from me, too. We know Si Wan would be a good psycho, but I wasn’t up for that.
I never watched Itaewon Class, but I saw clips from it on the Youth MT show and one scene takes place on Halloween in the crowds. It’s very easy to see how things could escalate.
Hi everyone! 😊
I am up to date with ‘New Life Begins’. I am trying it because of Reset’s Bai Jin Ting. There are 4 episodes released in Viki. So far so good. Easy watch and some funny parts. Started off rather light hearted and they showcase some yummy dishes which I love to watch! Waiting for the OTP to fall in love. There are 40 episodes so hopefully not too long a wait.
@nrllee, yes! I remember The Guest as being one of the few kdramas that had a pretty accurate portrayal of exorcism by the priest. Yes, KJW made a commendable priest. 🙂
Hi ladies!!! 😁😁😁 I hope you are all doing fine and healthy in this rainy season. I had a really bad flu for the past weeks, I think influenza related. Now ok 😁 Can’t wait for my holiday next month!
For november, I am watching Under the Queen’s Umbrella, One Dollar Lawyer and May It Please the Court. I did pick up back and finished One The Woman in one sitting, phew! Is island premiering this month? I might check it out. My mind as of now is more excited for December, truth be told.🤭🤭🤭 I really wanna smack JTBC for such stingy and bias update on the Dec drama. Urgh! They made us fans worked so hard to get a glimpse at the multiple 3 seconds teasers. Not even an official release of the clips at their sns platforms 😒 Bad JTBC.
Anyway, I never did pick up that Love Contract drama again after Ep. 2. Suffice to say, it is in my drop list. The clips that I saw, really… ML is not charming at all😂😂😂 the blank looks just ruined it for me. 🤣
Annyeong,
@miracle23, glad you’re feeling better. you made me laugh with your “the blank looks just ruined it for me” regarding JiHo’s character in Love in Contract. he tried. anyhoo.
i just finished watching “soundtrack #1” in Disney+ and i didn’t liked that it was dubbed. i really wanted to hear PHS’s voice. waaaaaah. i’m glad that it was only 4 episodes. the dubbing was good. made me focus on the acting but there was subtitles as well and it didn’t mesh with the dubbed lingo. weird. i didn’t know how to take off the subtitles. or don’t know if there is a non dubbed version. anyone?
@HK_Lady,
Kalimera. Yes, you need to look where in Disney+ is the menu about the subtitles and you can change also the language. I changed it myself when I started watching “May it please the court”! Because it was in English!
Hope that helped!
Regarding my rewatch of F&E; the first thing that strikes me is the way the Chen seems like a child. The blurb in Wikipedia describes him as elegant, but to me looks like a teenager despite his clothing. (That haircut!) He is verbally very awkward despite the fact that he is extremely courteous and knows how to ACT correctly: the car door, the notes in the guidebook, not interrupting the FL at work. He doesn’t have a mobile phone and doesn’t read his personal emails often. He seems insulated from the modern world, but we see later that this isn’t the case.
The saddest thing in the first several episodes to me was his long-awaited meeting with his uncles, who clearly didn’t value his opinion on investing domestically at all. They wouldn’t meet his eyes and punted to his uncle, who I suppose was acting in his place, regent-like. They abandoned him so quickly.
His sister is sympathetic, and his younger brother adores him and is willing to expose that the family has been spying on him by presenting Chen a file on Shi Yi. (I wonder how they could have known since the first meeting at the security gate!?) The only person who really has his back is his lawyer friend Mei Xing, who @nrllee nicknamed the pony-tailed hunk.
I think the main take-away from the first episode was Shi-Yi’s attendance at the interview of the rustic couple who have donated all of their savings to a fund for education in their hometown.
The wife says that they have never argued about this; she has always supported whatever her husband does and always listens to him. The husband laughs and says, ‘what are you talking about? You are the boss’. To me it seems less of an issue about who is dominant in their marriage but that they know and trust each other so well that they can act without causing discord between themselves. The audio goes silent at that point, as though Shi-Yi is watching them but no longer listening because she feels so deeply about that exchange. She praises the couple later: Most people “only see the beautiful facial features but not good bone structure. The wife is very special. She’s able to see through the superficial and appreciate the good qualities of her husband.” Chen happens to overhear her and joins her group at that point. I think Shi Yi’s statement was the foundation of their relationship going into the future. It seems that they might not have met again if they had relied on the email relationship.
Oh, sorry, that last was in response to @Kate who asked for some of my thoughts on F&E on another thread.
@Kate, responding you here from the other thread.
I am at the “explaining background stage” in One and Only. Only progressed a little more in ep 4. Would be interesting to see how this will build into an epic love story. Good to hear Forever and Ever is more positive. I suspect I will need that after One and Only!
I used to read Jin Yong’s novels and I think Legends of Condor might have been my first. Is there another remake coming?
Please do share your thoughts if you decide to start on “New Life Begins”! 🙂 I saw the kiss scene last night! Would be good to discuss here too if there are other BODers watching it. Hehe
I enjoyed the episodes 7 -8 . It feels good to see the female ruler of Dan state stood up for silly rules. The show always give me yummy food scenes that lifts my mood.
@GB, @Grace, is “New Life Begins” on your radar? 🙂 This is the show that got me interested again post LBF&D. Having said that, looks like a lot of shows have been released.
“The First Responders” seems interesting, but not sure if I will get to it.
“Lighter and Princess” and “She and Her Prefect Husband” are on my watchlist too.
@Cleo
Thanks for responding to my question. I tried all the options in Disney+ that would help me change the language. but didn’t see it. I have to take another looksie. i mean it has to be there haha.
one time, me and my bestie were watching a show and it defaulted to Korean language. we didn’t know how to get out of it. IDK how eventually we got it cleared. have to take a better look.
i wouldn’t mind watching this show again in korean haha. 💗
My dear @Viva, thanks for tagging me!! If you’re interested in those shows, I don’t mind checking them out to find if we can have another mutually enjoyable show to gush over.
New Life Begins sounds like a relatively stress-free watch.
First Responders has a Season 1 added to it’s title, therefore I guess it’s going to be spread across to another Season, although I expect that each rescue should be a separate story in each episode or so. Still if it stretches over Seasons, there will probably be a growth arc that continues.
Lighter and Princess – My husband was watching this but didn’t give me any review. It sounds like a nice contemporary romance.
She and Her Prefect Husband – From the real ages of the main couple this is a noona romance, although not couched as such in the synopsis. It sounds interesting too.
I see that on BoD, many like Forever and Ever. I’ve watched it based on the recommendations here and kept silent, because I found it too bland and slow and without a proper plot. Still it was relatively stress-free and probably makes up for One and Only.
Among the 4 shows you’ve mentioned, I will try New Life Begins and see how I feel. If it can reduce the strong attachment to LBFD, it will be something to behold!
Will let you know soon!
Loved reading the comments. Thank you ladies for sharing. ☺️
I don’t have any current kdrama except for Love is for Suckers. ☺️
I said I’m JOMO-ing but I rewatched Hari and Archaeopteryx. 🥰 I just felt like watching the dramas that I really liked.
I’m not sure what to watch next but Zhao Lusi’s drama Hidden Love finished filming so I will patiently wait for it.
Here’s a preview. No subs yet. Credit to owner.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ck8MpBQDTEn/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=
@Fern and @GB
@Fern – very interesting observations re Forever and Ever.
ML does look like a teenager … along with the haircut, the shirts tucked into high waisted jeans with pumps give his particular body type a slightly juvenile appearance, especially when compared with his dashing lawyer friend who looks more like the hero type ( a reincarnation of baddy rival for Shi Yi’s love in One and Only?).
He is wonderfully awkward and the actor conveys that so very well. How much of that awkwardness is due to upbringing? It is the opposite of One and Only. He finds his emotional ‘voice’ due to Shi Yi in the modern day story.
@GB – I am enjoying Forever and Ever a lot but my enjoyment is against the backdrop of One and Only. Yes.
As ever, some of the rich links between past story and present story are diminished due to Chinese censorship of anything smacking of reincarnation or time travel. The rules here are unclear to me but they do impact things.
@Viva,
Hi. I am going to dip my toes into ‘New Life Begins’ tonight and will report back.
Re ‘Legends of the Condor’ – I don’t know of a remake. I need to watch the shows from 2008 onwards – have never done it and I feel now I know how significant Jin Yong is that I should.
@Kate, @Table122000, @TY
Between Love in Time and New Life Begins, I’m being sucked in more by Love in Time. I’ve watched 4 episodes of each already and LIT was able to hook me in the first episode while I was still iffy about NLB show after 2 episodes.
New Life Begins seems like a decent show, but more likely to take an age to get to where the couple are more couple-y. I was hoping that the girl would have some great talent that would help the guy and that he’d discover it soon. So far she’s only shown an aptitude for eating and decorating a plate with leftovers LOL.
I’m also keeping my options open to watch the new show with Dylan Wang in it. I think I’ll run out of time immediately that happens!!!
Anyway, for now, I’ll stick with Love in Time and see if anyone is discussing it or NLB. 🙂
@GB,
I THINK I watched Love in Time – at least one or two episodes – but have no memory of the plot… how bizarre. I’ll re-watch an episode tonight to jog my memory.
I am also keen to watch NLB because of liking BJT as an actor and a cutie.
I have remembered it. It was really good! Funny and emotionally satisfying. Happy to comment because I have seen it all the way through.
Brain drain here!
@Kate, yes, it’s one of those shows where the plot moves along at a good pace and makes sense. At least the couple are sort of together earlier than not.
I agree with the comment that the way the time merge/warp thing works is fresh and fun to watch.
@GB – yes they got some great comedy moments out of the time merge didn’t they?
I personally related to over stuffed cupboards and when his tidy flat merged with her untidy cupboards and he was trying to save the life of his wine glasses as they teetered on the brink, squeezed out by her packets of crisps etc etc
It was a wonderful way to force two people to get to know one another.
I loved how they went from absolute terror and incomprehension to getting the time merge to work for them and their goals (emerging). This reminded me so much of ‘Reset’.
@Viva and @GB,
I love New Life Begins! Laughed out loud at the steamed egg and pumpkin meal sequence – the dishes she served up!!
Delightfully promising!
In NLB – the female lead has something of the comedic talent of the young Goldie Hawn methinks!
@Kate, that’s high praise, because young Goldie Hawn won an Academy Award for her role in Cactus Flower, her first major movie part.
I started New Life Begins and am enjoying it. I think it is a nice change for a show set in historic times be more comedy than drama. I hope the tone doesn’t darken as the show progresses.
@Kate, I was also highly amused by the FL’s plating skills in NLB. In real life it seems that the more expensive a restaurant is, the less food you get for your money. Yes, taste and innovation come at a cost, but I sometimes think morsels with artistic flourishes of sauce cost more just because they’re pretentious.
@Welmaris – so glad it appeals to you too and that you enjoyed that scene!
My praise may be too high…smile… but let’s say there is a hint of GH in her performance! She certainly has the wide-eyed look, energy and ability to produce wonderful ‘pout-frowns’ for want of a better expression! I can’t find any pics of GH pulling those faces.
@GB not to worry! Hopefully we will watch the same drama soon! LBF&D is hard to match.
@Kate @Welmaris. Glad that you re starting on NLB. 🙂 Where are you now? I am currently on ep 9. Yes same @Welmaris, I hope it won’t turn dark.
*spoilers depending on where you are, as it is relevant to the 3rd Lord and the 5th Lord
3rd Lord – I felt it is about people using filters heavily in social media and “brush up” their appearances. Then build up the reputation of good looking. When you see the real person, disappointment hits!
5th lord. I do enjoy the Dan state visit and see 5th lord got told off by the ruler of Dan’s state. I like that state. Standing up to silly rules. The royal families rather suffer by marrying off one of their own, then picking their people
*spoilers based on previews – will it turn dark?
It looks like Yin Zheng (Bai Jing Ting) is forced to marry princess Yuan Ying from another country!!!!! Then to save it, some other clips show that it the princess and Zheng made a deal. They agreed that this is just business and she wanted to leave him eventually. In the meantime, she will help to train Li Wei on various skills that are required to be a Lord’s wife. I hope that will happen! It will be very disappointing to see Wei not to be his only wife after all the build up.
@Viva – I am now half way through episode 8 but watched some late last night when I was drifting off…so I plan to go back and re-watch from episode 4 to savour it more!
@HK_Lady,
You are welcome! I do hope you found it!
Hi Friends,
Can’t believe November is almost over and (American) Thanksgiving will here in a few days! Even though our family is Canadian we always celebrate American Thanksgiving. I hope people will think about peace, reconciliation and friendship this Thanksgiving, just like how the Wampanoag people helped the Pilgrims that first bitter and harsh winter in 1620 when half of the Pilgrims passed away.
In October I finished If You Wish Upon Me and really enjoyed it. It’s a heartwarming, and at times sad drama about hospice volunteers fulfilling the last wishes of patients. There’s a romance that’s sweetly done as well. I highly recommend it!
This month I’m watching Love Is For Suckers and since I thought it’d be a nice and fluffy rom-com, and while it’s a little heavier than I had anticipated, I’m drawn in by the storyline and charming and handsome Choi Siwon.
Next month I want to watch Recipe to Farewell starring Han Suk-kyu (Dr. Romantic lead actor), which is about a man who cooks for his dying wife. I know it’s going to be sad but I love food dramas.
Happy Thanksgiving from warm and sunny Taiwan! We are still wearing short sleeves! 🙂
@Hatlady, I love Canada. I have been as far west as Alberta, have been to Montreal a lot and love Toronto. I want to go to British Columbia and To Vancouver. I love that all of these ” Hollywood ” stars are Canadian like Jim Carey, Sandra OH, William Shatner, Ryan GOsling,etc. Are Canadian. AndcMargaret Atwood. And poutineva b d maplrpe abruptly and Tim Hoton ‘s. And ice hickey and curling.
I am watching Love IS For Suckers. I like how it skewers dating shows andfat shaming, among tye romance. Choi Suwon and Lee DaHee are an interesting couple andvthese actors make the characters’ relationship believable. Han Suk kyu will be back as Dr. Romanic next year with most of the season 2 cast returning. So back to Doldam hospital Yay…
Notes from Ep1 of Summer Strike (SiWan’s drama)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AyUtOzQkXXC8X8kbnWeKPoTqtqH2TYf4RG2Apupkglo/
I like it so far. It’s not mind blowing. Rather predictable. So it needs charming lead characters to hold my interest. Has Hometown ChaChaCha vibes. But I am hoping that SiWan will give me more than “good boy (or is it bad boy now?)” Kim SeonHo. I like the FL so far. So that’s a plus. She had most of the scenes in Ep1.
Wait. Will open a thread for you, @nrllee.
@nrllee, @packmule3, thank you. I watched the first episode and it has potential. I was worried about the actress, but I had her mixed up with another who has a similar name.
nb: it’s called “Summer Strike” on Viki but called “I Just Don’t Want To Do Anything” on some other sites.
Hi all,
Two dramas I am just starting:
1. She and Her Perfect Husband with Yang Mi and Xu Kai
Both of our love-shy leads need to create the appearance of being married and this leads to the usual shananigans!
I was disappointed with the first two episodes where the writing and story telling fell flat despite Yang Mi’s spectacular wardrobe.
Was going to write this off but watched Episode Three and things started to warm up story wise and with our characters too + some sparky dialogue and witty commentary on relationships and how to negotiate them!
Genre-wise – it looks like a Rom Com/Drama but is calling itself a romantic drama. It has elements of both and as a non-Chinese speaker, I may not always see the way the scenes are shifting in and out of ‘mood’.
I will keep going. I am enjoying the fashion too…
I wonder whether those who speak Mandarin Chinese will appreciate the story more from the outset. My reaction may be down to subbing missing the quality of the dialogue.
2. Reborn Rich
This is an expensive, well-made show – fantasy, drama -with a compelling story line and a great cast.
Even if you are not an SJK fan there are super performances from other leads including the young actor who plays our protagonist as a boy. The senior Chaebol figure is getting plaudits for his charismatic performance too.
One of the interesting things is the retrospectives on Korean and recent cultural history… when investing in ‘Titanic’ seemed to be a big risk and when the Beastie Boys broke up!
For fans of Love like the Galaxy – this epic show by the same writer is now back on Viki – The Story of Minglan. You may all have seen it already… but I am such a fan I wanted to draw people’s attention to this super show.
https://www.viki.com/tv/35895c-the-story-of-ming-lan
In this article about reasons to check out LLTG – this reviewer wrote:
‘ I also am a huge fan of Guan Xin Ze Luan, who wrote the novel The Story of Ming Lan. Like Ming Lan, Love Like the Galaxy has a wonderful slow narrative based on family relationships. The pacing and story arcs just work for me and make me happy.’
https://dramaswithasideofkimchi.com/2022/07/29/4-reasons-to-check-out-love-like-the-galaxy/
Annyeong 🍂
Happy thanksgiving everyone ~ wherever you are – let’s remain grateful 💗
@OAL i love Dr Romantic series. i am looking forward to Season 3 then.
@Cleo, unfortunately, no luck in changing the language in DIsney + yet. i’m still hoping the mystery will be solved.
I also started watching Curtain Call, Summer STrike, May I help you and Reborn Rich. So far i like them all.
for oldies – i am in the middle of “You are my glory” – and i liked @PM3’s first impression and it made me appreciate Ep 1 and 2 more. Because i had a hard time starting this show LOL. but now, i am so gleefully entertained by their love relationship and kisses. omg. somehow, YangYang is so different here. i like his character – his Best BFsweet moves. i am thoroughly enjoying this show now. even though i feel like it’s social network oriented – like they’re always on their phone – either texting or playing. so different from Kdramas i am watching where they’re hardly on their phones haha.
*praying for our world*
Thanks for the alert @Kate. The length of the series gives me pause. I also checked out the reviews: one positive, one not so much. I feel that if it could be remade shorter I might give it a watch. 😉
@GrowingBeautifully and @Kate, when I want to sample a drama, I’ll sometimes use the skip episodes and fast forward method to see if I like it. I start with the first episode and hope there are trailers for the second one to see if I’m interested.I like streaming because I can switch back and forth to see full episodes or watch particular scenes. I also go to Wikipedia for descriptions, casts and background. For those who don’t have time to spare these methods and reviews help to determine whether to start a drama when BOD participants haven’t commented. As I have become more familiar with BOD and now participate, I find that this blog is my go to place for new drama recommendations. BOD has definitely affected the way I watch dramas and has introduced me to writers and directors to follow as well as actors. I’ve also soured on a few(e.g., SHB on HPL-I now have a hard time watching her output thanks to her miserable, unsympathetic performance in that role). I hope some of these techniques help you determine how to spend your leisure time, that for many of you is limited.
@GB and @AOL,
Happy Thanksgiving!
Great points. I may have to go back and re-review… It’s probably one to watch on wintry nights when you have time on your hands! I don’t know – I watched it a few years back- how it would show up if you were looking for a promising show. It might fail the test.
From memory…I think the joy of this series is its slow burn narrative where the reveal about what the heart of the story is emerges over episodes. The viewer is watching from ‘further back’, vantage point into the story, than usual. You don’t see into our key characters’ thinking other than as revealed in their actions and silences. An intriguing opacity. Some subtle performances to go with this style too.
It is beautiful, rich visually with great detail. Great costumes.
Here is a review entitled ‘An Objectively Perfect Chinese Drama’ – lot’s more detail than I can provide. As usual, it makes me want to go back and re-watch – although it is too long for a re-watch!
https://www.costumedstories.com/the-story-of-minglan-review/
Kalimera Everyone!
Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends who celebrate it!
Let us be grateful for one another…!
Here is the Official Teaser for Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_0gjgW_iFo
Enjoy!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! One can always celebrate being thankful even if we’re far from the US.
@Cleo thanks for the teaser, although I’m not watching that show.
@Kate thanks for the link to the review of The Story of Minglan. Pity that since the show aired the leads of the show who began as a real-life married couple, got divorced. The show was aired in the beginning of their marriage, and so viewers would have watched some of the real chemistry of a real couple in love, in this show. 😆
@OAL I trust all’s well with you and your husband this Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for family in every state of health!
Yes, this site gives great ideas and advice on what to watch. Besides trying out the recommendations here, I also do something weird when I’m just trying out a series. I sometimes jump in at episode 4 and see if it grabs me. If it does, then I go back to watch Episode 1.
I’m also starting to bother more about the directors and writers in determining if a show should be tried. On the whole though, I go for the plot or the interesting premise, especially if there’s a mystery to solve. Strangely, the actors are not the first draw for me, although I admit that I do try some shows because of who’s starring in it. That, however, has led to more misses than hits when it comes to liking a show!
@GB… it is a pity!
You have reminded me …I think she was being pursued by baddy (flute playing) fairy, he of Love of Fairy and Devil (who looks quite similar to the guy she ended up with) but went for her co-star instead.
Interesting that we saw real-life chemistry being played out on screen because the leads were already together.
@Viva, @Kate, @Grace, @Welmaris and whoever else may be watching.
I’ve finally reached Episode 9 of New Life Begins and it’s getting better. I won’t be able to watch that many episodes, but I’d like to see the progress of our couple until the end. 🙂
@GB,
Great. I am enjoying it too – in a light way. I went from being delighted to being pleasantly entertained. But I think that’s because there’s so much competition for our attention at the moment.
@GB, Another drama to add to my ever expa n ding list. BOD must have an alias- the Temptations !
@OAL @Kate
Yes, this is blog is Drama Temptation Alley, alright! LOL.
Continuing with NLB … I was thinking that for a light and comedic show, New Life Begins has pretty sombre sounding OSTs. I’m listening to one now and feeling ‘melancholy’. I expected the starting OST and others to be more bright and fun, but I guess there is an undercurrent of something more serious besides the fun parts.
I like that this period drama tries to include commentary on women’s ‘rights’ although it’s doubtful that this may be historically correct.
Here are 2 of the OSTs…. very pleasant to relax to but not all that joyful?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC-Sz2cs4tU
Yes, @GB, it sounds wistful and lyrical rather than light and frothy.
As an aside…I always find BJT brings something poignant and tender with his performances whatever the genre.
Re these more serious themes – we have the women being abused by the Second Lord, the bullying within the senior family.
But agreed you wouldn’t necessarily marry it up with this show.
Updates from two I started recently…
1.Reborn Rich
Remains engrossing!
So interesting in terms of Korean history too.
The plot keeps you on your toes.
Central performances riveting. Park Ji-Huyn (Yumi’s Cells ‘friend’ of Woong) is in a role that so suits her. She has shorter, styled hair too, is sassy, and looks great rather than the rather bedraggled, studenty appearance of her character in Yumi.
2. She and her perfect Husband
Ignore the secondary plot of irritating friend and her irritating, unfaithful husband and stick the main leads and their family and work interactions.
This is a good show, a comedy of manners with some social critique.
Great dialogue and Yang Mi so suits her verbally feisty but equally, behind the scenes, vulnerable character.
I am in danger of overstatement but there are occasional moments of dialogue when Yang Mi challenges the overbearing mum of the ML, for instance or when our two leads negotiate their terms of relationship, which remind me of Oscar Wilde! But just a hint…just a hint of OW.
Xu Kai – plays it a bit flat in Episodes 1 and 2 but after that is in one of his best roles yet. Yang Mi is bringing it out of him. He is acting rather than showing up for yet another Rom Com role.
You will enjoy!
Purely to show you all Yang Mi exuding glamour in a stunning deep red dress….
@Kate, She and Her Perfect Husband sounds promising. I watched the trailer. Xu Kai looks more a ‘normal’ here than I’ve seen him before, without diminishing his good looks. I don’t think I’ve watched enough C-dramas to know the actress, but they look lovely together.
@Fern
Agreed – more ‘normal’ is right – the acting is more natural/ understated than his usual style imo.
[Now, his character IS a bit eccentric, and I was concerned he would be a ‘one note’ character … But he begins to emerge as a more rounded man/person as the show continues. The first 2 or so episodes are not so good in my opinion so viewer beware.]
@Kate, yes, I like Bai Jing Ting, the actor. He has the look of someone who could be sickly or weak, but it turns out that he’s wiry and quite an athlete. In the show he even did martial arts (it looked like him or a stunt double). I agree that he brings something affecting in his character portrayals. He convinces us that there’s so much more to the character than meets the eye.
I’m enjoying NLBs slowly, and am up to Episode 19 now. I like the family togetherness and the problems our lead solves, with Li Wei’s help. Regarding the women’s rights, I’m surprised that instead of being a topic vaguely touched on, it is a big theme. Show continues to more and more strongly champion the rights of women to be respected, to be independent, to challenge the existing order. It’s refreshing.
Since I’m here, I thought I’d mention this here and in the next couple of times we chat about ‘What We are Watching’. We’re coming to the end of our Rewatch Party for Liar Game Season 1, and are already prepping for the next Rewatch Party, but this time for The Memories of the Alhambra.
I’m just putting this here (and will repeat this invitation) to alert all who drop by and to find out if you’d like to join us on Saturdays in January for this next Rewatch Party. As usual, all are welcome, so please let us know!
@GB – so glad you are finding NLB refreshing! It is different from the run of the mill. That encourages me in my watching.
While I am here – I have been dipping my toe into lots of new dramas and late to the table, I have discovered the 2016 time slip comedy ‘Splish, Splash Love’…
If you haven’t seen it – it is hilarious! I have been laughing so much at the first episode. It seems to be a viewer favourite K-drama of this genre.
@Kate, yes, I’ve watched Splish Splash Love and enjoyed it. One of those shows that I felt was a show for young people, however it was well done. I recall that the schoolbag had a number of good things in it that aided the FL. 🙂
@GB – yes to all of this! I’ve only dipped my toe in for one episode.
It reminds me a bit of ‘Love in the Moonlight’ – and, now that I think of it… that bag is Dr Who Tardis-like.
And Paul Ahn is in an early supporting role too… I wondered who the actor was…
Perhaps a hidden diamond like Zhousheng Chen in F&F?
@Fern – yes. A hidden diamond with surprising moves!
@GB,I am interested in dropping by. I watched it when I started watching Hyun Bin. I also went to Grenada when I was in my twenties (there is something about South Koreans and Spain). I had lots of questions so a BOD rewatch would help. I just hope I’ll be able to make the times given our family challenges (looks like my husband will have surgery in January). I”ve been meaning to join a rewatch since I joined BOD.
I also have to say that I’m tempted by all the C Drama discussions but my watch lists are so long that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get through everything especially with all the tempting new offerings out there.But I can’t be a FOMO.
REWATCH PARTY OPEN INVITATION: MEMORIES OF THE ALHAMBRA (January 2023)
My dear @OAL, yes please do drop by at our parties. Come whenever you can. You don’t have to stay the whole time we’re online but come by and say ‘Hi!’ so we know you’ve come.
I know the timing of the parties can be challenging wherever we all may be, and then there are the Daylight Savings times that suddenly kick in, to confuse matters too. We hope to settle on a start time like 13.30 UTC, give or take an hour, depending on who is joining us.
On a different note: I’m keeping you and your husband in my thoughts and prayers as you continue to navigate the paths of medical treatment together, and especially with regard to his surgery in January. Remember to keep taking care of yourself and you can come here to have some stress relief with friends any time. 🙂
@Grieing Beautifully, BOD and all the wonderful contributors and you and our fearless leader, @packmule3, you are all part of my respite care. I enjoy reading about your takes on what we watch but am also happy to read about the good things in your lives and am reminded that all or most of us do not go through life unscathed. Thank you all for being a bright spot.
@Kate, ref: She and Her Perfect Husband. I’ve just watched 3 episodes. The in-law scene had me in stitches. I get your reference to Oscar Wilde. That look of his when she said, I love work and can support us both; he can be a househusband. 😊 She was so quick to grasp the workings of the familial relationship, down to the wants and needs of both parent and child.
I was a bit taken aback by her invention that they had a child; a boy, ill, getting treatment overseas. She’s spinning one tale for the workplace and another for the parents. Could get complicated…
@Fern – great! I loved that scene too… formidable opponents eh?
More cracking scenes to come!
ps me too on the invented child… why? Needless complication and risk of being found out!
Yes, especially since she has been in the industry or in a university setting continually, and wouldn’t a pregnancy have been obvious?
Good point!
For those who are watching New Life Begins-
I just saw this trailer for a new Bai Jing Ting drama! He has action scenes in this role 😀
https://youtu.be/o0SrtzzEAfY
Can we have a thread for New Life Begins? I’m watching it too 😄
@Fern, about “hidden pregnancy” of female lead in She and Her Perfect Husband: after she and her previous employer parted ways (we don’t know where she worked, for how long, in what capacity, or why she became jobless), we see her interviewing at law firm after law firm with no success because of their bias against single women. So there was a time period when she wasn’t regularly seen in a work environment. And at first, the lie that she was married and had a sickly child living abroad was only maintained in her current job setting. Her family and best friend were not aware of the lie because she kept her work and private life separate.
@Welmaris, thank you for that information. It sounds as though she is safe enough. I wonder if that is reflective of the law field in China. I didn’t see it in other Chinese law dramas.