Hey! Where did May go? I’ll be traveling in June and part of July so my posts will be sporadic. Have a great summer, y’all!
Here’s what on my travel list.
1. King The Land
Starring Lee JunHo (we all know who he is) and YoonAh (“Big Mouth” and “The King in Love”)
Dear Lee JunHo,
This is a romcom, and not your usual tearjerker. Please don’t ruin the vibes with another angsty performance. Thanks.
Synopsis from soompi:
“King the Land” will tell the story of the unlikely romance between Gu Won (2PM’s Lee Junho), a chaebol heir who can’t stand fake smiles, and the constantly smiling Cheon Sa Rang (Girls’ Generation’s YoonA), who becomes known as the “queen of smiles” while working her way up at the King Hotel.
Source: soompi
Frankly, the plot sounds thin: anti-smile guy vs smiling girl. But let’s see if this will be as funny as last year’s hit, “Business Proposal” which starred Ahn HyoSeop and Kim SeJeong.
Episodes: 16
Start Date: Sat, Jun 17
Airs on Saturdays and Sundays
Where to Watch it: Netflix (hurray!!)
Network: tvN
2. See You in My 19th Life
Interesting! This romcom will compete for weekend ratings with Lee JunHo and YoonAh’s romcom, “King The Land.” But this matters not one whit to me since ratings don’t influence my viewing choice. May the best script, actors, and subbers win!
This is based on a webtoon. If you want to check the webtoon out, here’s the link: webtoons.com/see-you-in-my-19th-life
Starring Shin Hye Sun (“Mr. Queen”) and Ahn Bo Hyun (“Yumi’s Cells”)
Synopsis from soompi:
Based on the popular webtoon of the same name, “See You in My 19th Life” is a romance drama about a woman named Ban Ji Eum (Shin Hye Sun), who has been repeatedly reincarnated for nearly a thousand years and remembers all of her past lives. After her 18th life is tragically cut short, Ban Ji Eum decides that in her 19th life, she will set out to find a man named Moon Seo Ha (Ahn Bo Hyun) that she met in her 18th life.
Source: soompi
Episodes: 12
Start Date: Sat, Jun 17
Airs on Saturdays and Sundays
Where to Watch it: Netflix
Network: tvN
3. Numbers
Starring Kim Myung Soo (“Angel’s Last Mission: Love”) and Choi Jin Hyuk (“Mr Queen”)
Synopsis from soompi:
“Numbers” follows the story of Jang Ho Woo (Kim Myung Soo), the first and only high school graduate accountant to join Taeil Accounting Firm, which is among the Big 4 accounting firms in Korea, as he faces absurdities at the accounting firm and fights for justice.
Source: soompi
Episodes: 12
Start Date: Fri, Jun 23
Airs on Fridays and Saturdays
Where to Watch it: Viki?
Network: MBC
4. Heartbeat
Starring Ok Taekyeon. Last time, he and his bandmate, Lee JunHo duked it out onscreen, Taekyeon lost. Sigh. He was in that mishmash of a romcom+social commentary+brotherhood+farce+whatever called, “Secret Royal Inspector and Joy,” while Lee JunHo was in “Red Sleeves.” I’m hoping Taekyeon’s choice of script won’t disappoint me again.
Synopsis from soompi:
“Heartbeat” is a new fantasy romance drama starring 2PM’s Taecyeon as Seon Woo Hyul, who is half-human and half-vampire. Although he desperately wants to become human, he misses his chance because of one fateful day out of 100 years. He eventually winds up moving in together with Joo In Hae (Won Ji An), a cold-blooded woman who lacks humanity despite being fully human.
Source: soompi
Episodes: 16
Start Date: Mon, Jun 26
Airs on Mondays and Tuesdays
Where to Watch it: Anywhere but Disney. I hope Viki picks it up.
Network: KBS2
What about Cdramas?
This is how I feel about cdramas…
lol.
Cdramas, 😂😂😂 Me too!
Thanks @pkml3.
Recommendations for June (I don’t mind watching or re-watching!)
jdorama: ‘Silent’ (2022). The ‘Liar Game 2’ rewatch continues most consistently.
kdramas: ‘One Day Off’. I’ll complete ‘My Perfect Stranger’.
cdrama: Oh No! Here Comes Trouble (Taiwan)
I’m still looking for another rom-com besides King the Land.
Thank you @Packmule3 – yes agreed re ‘King the Land’… a very slight premise for a show.
Let’s hope the Junho magic is enough to make this enjoyable.
Encouragingly one of the producers was involved in ‘The Red Sleeve’…
And Junho reportedly said in an interview: “making a familiar story become new/ fresh, is the charm of King the Land”
I don’t want to see him in something disappointing… I remember the very flat feeling when Ji Chang Wook did that show that fell flat ‘Melting me softly’.
Annyeong ⛅
Thank you for this @pm3. always good to know what June has in store for us Drama viewers 😄
how you feel about Cdramas – that’s funny. and that’s why i don’t watch them that much haha. but whatever cdramas i’ve seen, i have loved 💗
i actually am interested in all 4 you mentioned above, @Pm3. except right now, i only have VIKI. i may get Netflix – maybe. ugh! we shall see.
right now, i am watching THE REAL HAS COME. it’s not a short kdrama. but oh well. the OTP are falling in love so, it’s getting interesting – before the baby arrives.
still gripped by MY PERFECT STRANGER. i feel the OTP is getting close as well. hmmm. i feel like it’s just falling into place. no big hints of strong love emotions yet. just a little feel. haha. which is ok for me right now. i’m really interested to see how her new family relationships will be when they return to present time – esp her love life?? hihi. they even talked about meeting up at a restaurant 🤞
i just finished Song Seung-heun’s WHEN A MAN FALLS IN LOVE. I really thought it was gonna be a sad ending (the angst of love triangle+), but i was surprised at the outcome/ending; the love of poetry (poems they wrote in the blackboard) and of books.
I started EAST OF EDEN with SSH again. idk yet (first episodes are back story).
happy June everyone! 🌷 we have 3 weeks til summer starts. it’s gloomy here in San Fernando Valley, CA. brrrr
See you in my 19th life: I enjoyed the comic so am looking forward to this.
I haven’t watched anything for the last two months so will finish off Good Bad Mother, Dr Romantic 3 first 🙂
Hope June treats everyone well.
Safe travels, @PM3
Haha @packmule3 That note to Junho cracked me up😝 Hope he got the memo.
Lee Junho dramas are a staple for me, so I will be watching ‘King the Land’.
I may give ‘See You in My 19th Life’ too, if I can find the time.
Hi @packmule3, your choices are spot on. I love these choices and am looking forward to June viewing. My May has been enjoyable with The Good Bad Mother, Dr. Cha and Deborah(Bo-ra). I l8ke these women-centric dramas with characters having their own agency. Even the dumped Deborah is a best selling author with her own broadcast. I also am a sucker for learning about new worklife. Pig farming is quite complex and requires physical prowess as well as well as mental competency. And it’s kind of nice to see a buffoon of a Male protagonist in Dr. Cha’s despicable husband.Looking forward to June.y
Thank you, @packmule3. I like your choices.
Numbers — writers have set many thrillers in different office occupations. Do they google occupations and then spin a wheel or throw dice? Accounting is a new one for me. 🤪 Still, the MLs may make it worthwhile. I’ll watch the first episode.
I want to clarify, ‘King The Land’ is not in tvN, but it’s in JTBC.
speaking of JTBC, I think this year has been favorable to them once again, with ‘Doctor Cha’ being trending and getting high viewership ratings. I do have high hopes for King The Land to do the same, since i assumed that it’s the network’s flagship drama for this year.
@GMP, I think they spin the wheel too. Look at the Good Bad Mother
In one drama we have pig farmers, prosecutors, politicians and the owner of a nail salon.i know we’ve had funeral directors(Hyeri), publishers, relationship gurus, coffee house owners, radio stars(in Deborah). They have to change things up a lot and when they do we see how much research goes into these. Recently we learned a lot about the after school academy business and ban chan purveyors in one drama. There are lots of dramas with fried chicken restaurants, lawyers, cops and medical staff. And speaking of accountants, wasn’t there a drama about the S. Korean tax service. So what we can be assured of is that these dramas will give us lots of details about work in S. Korea. I keep thinking that if all else fails in the USA, not that it will, I could teach English-lol(a tried and true job for foreigners).
@Fern,
True. “Numbers” got my attention because it was about accounting. lol. Plus, I want to give this actor a chance. He’s compelling enough but I didn’t like the projects he chose. Maybe this one will do the trick.
For June, I am checking out:
King the Land- I like ML actor, and looking forward to summer rom com. Please be good, show!
See You In My 19th Life- for my girl, Shin Hye Sun
Depending on reviews and viewer feedback, I might check out Delightfully Deceitful.
I like a good scam/caper show like Leverage, White Collar, Squad 38. Not sure if this drama really fits that type. It is on VIU.
My must watch show for June is F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers. This drama is coming to Viki in June and I can’t wait to rewatch. It was one of my favorite dramas for 2022, and is underrated in my opinion. If you haven’t already seen it, I recommend to watch.
CDramas- Oh, my @pm3! LOL! I keep hoping the C Dramas will get their act together. Is it too much to ask for a quality script with a satisfying ending?
Keeping A Date With The Future on the backburner since it has a cute dog at the least.
Contract marriage rom com Perfect & Casual is now at Viki so I will be checking it out now that this drama has decent quality subs.
Currently watching GIANT (2010), a melo, family saga, and social commentary all rolled into one. I will appreciate recommendations for similar dramas.
New dramas I plan to check in June 2023;
King The Land
See You In My 19th Life
@GB,
Just did a quick test watch of the first episode ‘Silent’. Would love to watch with you.
It’s very nicely shot. I like the way it plays with sound and silence too – some great moments already.
The ML is somewhat attractive, too, which can’t hurt.
SILENT (2022) (Japan)
@Kate, that’ll be lovely! Yes, the breaks into silence are deliberate. It’s another lovely thoughtful show, gently paced, with very likable characters. I guess at first I might have been a bit fed up with some behaviour, but later on, that became somewhat understandable.
@pkml3, May we please have an open thread for this show?
@GB and @Kate – I watched Silent when it first came out. I really enjoyed it. I think I would enjoy it more with all the episodes out. I look forward to reading your take on it. There were a couple of weak episodes toward the end that made me lose interest while waiting for the next episode come out, but I’m glad I stuck it out. I liked the two lead actors. The FL is really engaging – I watched another of her dramas because I liked her in Silent. The character I liked best was Nana (if I have her name correct – the SFL). I thought she was the most interesting and three dimensional character. The screenwriter is a nurse and this was her first screenplay.
I just started Beauty of Resilience because I was desperate for something uncomplicated and engaging to watch. I really don’t like Xianxia and don’t have patience for figuring out multiple realms and world building AND I really am enjoying this. I don’t know if it will keep me interested until the end but I have enjoyed what I have seen so far. It’s a bit of a Xianxia Cinderella story.
King the Land and One Day Off are on my watch list. @Table 12200 – I’ll look for the Thai version of Boys Over Flowers – thanks for the heads up. I watched a couple of episodes of Date With The Future – it is so very bad that it is almost good. The firefighter/reporter version of You Are My Hero. Every possible cliche has been stuffed into this bloated mess – but it is still entertaining in a bad way.
@BoodTwin and other Silent viewers. I’ll join you because it’s a J Drama and I’m interested in seeing the cultural differences from K and C dramas
I trust BODers to illuminate the discussion. I have watched a few J Dramas and find them different emotionally. So I’m game even though my heart is still on Korea.
@GoodTwin: Thanks for the feedback on “A Date With The Future.” Much appreciated. I watched some of the first episode and definitely noticed the tropes, and the cringe. Best part seems to be the cute dog. I’m not sure if I’ll return to it later.
Instead, I got immersed in a different new C Drama that is currently airing on Viki: “Please Be My Family.”
It is a rom com with a little mystery. Single mom meets a CEO single dad, and they enter into a marriage of convenience for various reasons. The plot isn’t new, but I like the lead actors and there are 2 adorable children and a sweet grandfather as well. The episodes are 30 minutes long and the pacing has been fast so far, which is great.
For anyone who enjoyed “The Love You Give Me” or likes stories with cute children, check “Please Be My Family” at Viki.
Yes, F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers is definitely worth checking out. I will be very interested to read your thoughts on the drama. I felt the production team did a really good job on this drama.
Hi @Table, thanks for info on ‘Please Be My Family’. I’ve put it on my hope-to-watch list. It has the premise that I like ie marriage and then falling in love, and with children plus seniors. The actors look pretty young to me to be parents, but I’ll go along with it. 🙂
@GrowingBeautifully: You’re welcome. I hope you enjoy “Please Be My Family.” I’m liking it so far. Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite tropes, too. I like that whole genre of “fake to Real Romance”: contract relationship, fake engagement, arranged marriage, etc. I’ll be interested to know your thoughts on this drama.
@Table, righty-ho … I’ll come by to post here if and when I get around to watching ‘Please Be My Family’. 🫡 🤔 😉 ☺️
Hi @Table and @GB,
‘Perfect and Casual’ (on Viki) is another contract marriage rom com – feather light – this time with a lovely Grandpa. Miles Wei stars in a role very similar to his role in ‘Unforgettable Love’ but better written. This time he is a maths professor and the FL starts off as one of his students – although her skills lie in a more art-design direction I think (why is she studying maths and statistics?) but the story rapidly moves on from that starting point. I am enjoying it.
Thanks @Kate! Another one to add to the list!
@Table, I took a peek at Please Be My Family and got hooked LOL. Such a light and quick watch. The production quality and the subs I see are not all that great, but it does not matter because of the easily understandable tropes. I’m going into Episode 7 already!
One thing I will say for the pace of the couple-dom… it was unexpectedly fast. The children are delightful. Grandpa provides a great push factor and supporter. I guess there’s still the mystery of who Xuan Xuan really is and the unspoken reason for the marriage. 🙂
@Kate: Thanks for your feedback on “Perfect & Casual.” Much appreciated. I have it on my watchlist. So glad it is now at Viki with decent subs. As I said before, contract relationship is my catnip, but the awful subs at Mango were so bad I couldn’t watch. Thank goodness Viki picked it up! Fun Fact: The drawings are done by FL actress herself. She is a talented artist/cartoonist in addition to th. e acting.
@GB: Yes, the same thing happened to me, LOL! I thought to myself, “I’ll just check out the first episode and see if it’s worth adding to my watchlist for later.” Next thing I know, I’ve binged all the available episodes! LoL!
Yes, the drama is fast-paced. But I like that it doesn’t drag. Hopefully, it will continue to be a nice, quick watch in the second half of the drama. (I’m at Ep 18)
Yes, I like the mystery element surrounding the children. There have been a lot of theories posted. The show has slowly given out a few more clues/info, but there are still questions to be answered. ML motivations for the marriage adding an extra layer.
Yes, the children and Grandpa are so sweet! I like that the show has a nice mix of humor included. When everyone is at the dinner table in Ep. 2 and they go around the table to reveal everyone’s inner thoughts, including the kids’- LOL! And Grandpa decorating the newlyweds’ bedroom in Ep. 6- hillarious!
@Table – aha! That’s really interesting about her the FL actress’s cartoon skills. I am now watching the use they are making of this in the plot with that awareness.
In May with travel, attending a film festival, and going to other cultural events (a Shakespeare play, a concert, and a ballet), I didn’t have as much time as usual to binge dramas. I did finally finish the Cdramas Echo and The Love You Give Me, and the Jdorama Hyakuman Kai leba Yokatta (Why Didn’t I Tell You a Million Times?). I’m still limping through Till the End of the Moon. I’ve gotten partway through The Secret Romantic Guest House and The Good Bad Mother, they’re still in my watchlists, but I can’t seem to work up the enthusiasm to get back to them. With so many other good dramas being released, I think I’ll leave them on the back burner and try something new. Maybe I’ll use them to fill empty hours here and there, if I have any. I’ve got an annual college alumnae gathering coming up in mid-June, and I’m committed to not only attending the four-day event, but teaching a couple of workshops.
Based on what I’ve seen in this thread, the shows that most interest me are:
–King The Land
–Please Be My Family
…and maybe:
–See You in My 19th Life
–Perfect and Casual
I wish I could join the Dr. Romantic 3 watch, but I don’t have Disney+. As for the Jdorama Silent, I watched it when it first came out, and think I may have written some commentary about it in one of our “What Are We Watching in…” threads, which tend to be catch-alls for dramas that don’t have their own threads. @Packmule, all the What Are We Watching threads get pushed down, down, down so far below newer threads it’s like they disappear. There isn’t a link for them in the Categories index. Maybe a WAWW category can be made with past month-by-month threads gathered in it…but doing that might take more administrative time and effort than you’ve got to give.
Kalimera @Packmule3 et al!
I do hope you are all okay. 🙂
At the moment I am only watching “Tale of the Nine Tailed:1938”.
I have paused “Joseon Attorney: A Morality” because my schedule was full and hopefully I will manage to watch it at some point and finish it.
The only June show I want to watch is “King The Land” for JunHo.
I might take a peak at “BloodHound: with Woo DoHwan that will come out tomorrow (?) on Netflix.
The show that had captured my heart this past weekend is the CDrama:
“Here We Meet Again” with Jasmine Yu and Vin Zhang. It makes me happy. <3
Is anyone watching it at the moment?
P.S. Now I am going to read your comments.
Apologies if someone already mentioned this. Is Perfect & Casual the same as Please Be My Family?
Hi @Fern
There are 3 different Chinese dramas mentioned.
Please Be My Family (2023) is currently airing/being subbed
https://mydramalist.com/726969-please-be-my-family
Perfect and Casual (2020) / Mr Perfect and Miss Almost
https://mydramalist.com/54889-mr-perfect-and-miss-almost
Here We Meet Again (2023) is the one with Vin Zhang and Janice Wu
https://mydramalist.com/78337-san-fen-ye
🙂
Hi @Cleo, I forgot that ‘Tale of the Nine-Tailed (1938)’ has aired. I guess I’ll try and watch Episodes 9 and 10 tonight. I hope Rang and the Mermaid’s romance makes some progress. I believe from a preview that it does. 😉
@Cleo,
Hello! I started ‘Here we meet again’ and didn’t get into it – despite the gorgeous Vin Zhang and a spirited performance by Janice Wu. If you are enjoying it – I will take a fresh look. I didn’t find the narrative very clear and put that down to the quality of writing or the quality of subs … but if it is speaking to you … I will put it back on the list.
Unnie,
This past weekend’s episodes were action packed and kinda sad. You need to watch them to understand what I am saying! I will be waiting for you!
OOhh… I will resume in that case and report back! I am just at the point where I can watch it again. Good timing.
Thank you @Cleo
Hey @Kate!
It is nice talking with you!
Regarding “Here We Meet Again”, I like the story and how it flows. I started it with no expectations at all and I am enjoying it. I am currently in Episode 16 and this hasn’t happened for a long time. The only chinese drama that did that for me was “You are my Glory” back in 2021.
XYS aka Vin Zhang and XY aka Janice Wu are pretty good in their roles. There is this aspect in Vin Zhang’s acting that reminds me of Yang Yang’s in YAMG. He is steady, devoted and a good person at heart.
Janice Wu is more whimsical than Dilbara, but there are times, her character XY needs a scolding. She is so energetic, hard working and loyal. She protects her people at all costs and I like that because she is not the stereotype super rich spoiled brat.
After Episodes 13-14, we get to see the important flashbacks incorporating in the story, in order to understand what actually happened in the past. My heart breaks for them, because both our main leads didn’t have a normal childhood. Their stories are parallel, but different at the same time.
You can give it a try again. I don’t know if they have changed the subs on Viki, but now I am watching it, they are good. 🙂
Hello back @Cleo!
Praise indeed – especially if you don’t tend to complete Chinese dramas! It is very popular on Viki. I was wondering about that and why it was.
I watched as soon as it came out – as soon as the subs were up. I definitely had a sense of watching it through blurred spectacles – if you know what I mean. I may go back to the beginning as a refresher.
I agree re VZ’s acting. He trained apparently at the Shanghai Theatre Academy. I remember thinking how gorgeous he was in a different type of role (a very attractive demon prince!) in Eternal Love: 10 Miles of Peach Blossoms which I didn’t manage to complete. I kept wishing he was the ML.
I will give it a fresh try – I don’t want to miss a good story if I’ve judged it too quickly.
I’ll come back to you on this. Thank you for your recommendation!
ps It is number one in the Chinese web drama ratings this week according to Marcus of ‘Marcus Here’.
Hey again @Kate,
Since we haven’t talked a lot, I will like to explain further this part. It is not that I don’t watch and finish chinese dramas. Most of the times, I watch a show -in general regardless where it is from- If something catches my eyes or If I like the plot.
Most of the times, I follow my mood and hunch. I have stopped kdramas even though they were marked as excellent and I have finished them later on. These days I don’t have much time to watch anything, so I have become a picker.
I have to check VZ’s filmography. I have read that he studied Theather and it definitely shows. There is meekless in his face and the way he portrays emotions.
XYS is definitely a boyfriend material! I will be waiting for your comments!
I do hope you will enjoy this, as much I as I do!
P.S. I have read in MDL that the audience was waiting for the Episode 21-24 to be released today!
@Cleo,
Aha – understood! Thank you for more on your approach to selecting and watching shows.
I like your approach and being a picker.
Personally, I need to watch fewer shows more slowly. If I like a show I gallop through and then I don’t savour the journey as much. I am making myself watch ‘Silent’ more slowly for that reason. It will also help me get to bed earlier on weekday nights!
OOhhh.. good … glad that XYS is showing up as boyfriend material.
Yes, I will get back to you on this. Enjoyed chatting with you this morning!
ps @Cleo,
I re-watched half of the first episode in my lunchbreak (I am working at home today).
Laughing out loud at the taxi scene… our FL in acute embarrassment and her Yoda- like voice, the ML sitting there only the slightest flicker of an expression but has he guessed as soon as her name is revealed??
Back to work…
Hi @Fern:
As @GrowingBeautifully said, “Please Be My Family” and “Perfect and Casual” are 2 different dramas. They are both rom coms that use the “marriage of convenience” trope. Be sure to watch the dramas on Viki if you can because Viki has the better quality subtitles. The quality of the subs elsewhere is not good and can be confusing. Here are the links to the Show Pages on Viki:
Please Be My Family (2023): https://www.viki.com/tv/39846c-please-be-my-family
Perfect & Casual (2020): https://www.viki.com/tv/38917c-perfect-and-casual
Kalimera @Kate,
I am trying to enjoy what I am seeing. So I am taking my time, while watching a show.
I am glad you enjoyed their taxi shenanigans… 🤣 Btw, last night I really enjoyed Episode 20 – I can’t say more about the murder…🤐😂
Any Leo Wu (Wu Lei) fans here? I found this compilation of his work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lzuyx8Eo9Q
I’m pleased to find out that this young man has even gone into producing short clips/ads/films for magazines, etc. Of course he stars in them LOL. Here’s a less than 3-minute film shot in Sri Lanka, I believe: “If I’m not Wu Lei.”
@Cleo.
Getting into the swing now with ‘Here we meet again’. Glad I followed your recommendation and gave the show a chance again.
Now, I went back to the beginning and enjoyed bits like the early taxi encounter etc but still didn’t like the way the story moved along and scenes were connected/the writing in the early episodes. Getting much better now I am further in.
Here is a comment from a reviewer on Viki which may explain the issue with the early episodes:
‘There is one serious note that I should add, for many of us a few of the early episodes seemed a bit confusing, not sure if it is translation issue or some scenes were cut, but it def is hard to follow. Thankfully the script improves. There has been a recent crack down in China regarding content, not just c-drama’s but overall, with comedy and books..so it is likely that the censors didn’t approve. Hence the confusion..but if you manage to stay with it….I think you will love it.’
I’ll report back when I am further along still.
Hi all,
Less irksome Er Xi
I was curious about the role played by Mao Xiaotong in ‘The Ingenious One’. This is a new highly praised Wuxia with the lead male played by the actor from ‘Dreams of Splendour’.
MX played the super annoying bff of Wei Wei in Love 020: Er Xi.
The difference between that supporting role and MX as the FL in ‘The Ingenious One’ is striking.
If you have time and are curious do watch her from in Episode 1 from around 9′ 20” in a 10 minute sequence!
https://www.viki.com/videos/1231229v
ps. I haven’t watched this beyond the first episode so am not personally recommending this drama at this stage.
I may watch later and review properly.
I’m having a bit of a scan across Viki for an hour or so and dipped into ‘F4 Thailand: Boys over Flowers’ – a 2023 update.
The opening sequence has a dystopian feel in the way that earlier versions didn’t. The behaviour of F4 is related to the meta world of netizens and anonymous bullying. F4 are simply allowing people actively to express the pent up frustration that we see demonstrated on the internet. Looking at the first bullying encounter in the school stadium with F4 presiding Emperor-like over a ‘gladiatorial’ event. I felt I was watching something with deliberate shades of the ‘Hunger Games’ and ‘Lord of the Flies’ and ‘Gossip Girl’.
I’ll come back to this to see how the plot is developed.
If anyone is watching it – do let me know.
Correction – F4 Thailand is a 2021 production.
The comedy and comic romance elements are coming in thick and fast now… I ended up watching until Ep 3 tonight. This is good fun.
There is a lot of ironic self-awareness …. the FL’s family discuss ‘the accidental fall on top of someone and kiss them accidentally’ trope as they watch a Thai soap opera…it’s a little too close to home for a couple of our characters!
As has lately been my habit, I’ve spread myself thin watching several dramas, switching back and forth when feeling over- or underwhelmed by the progress of shows. I dove into Please Be My Family because I wanted something light to offset Till the End of the Moon and The Good Bad Mother. I’m all caught up with current episodes of PBMF, so yesterday went back to Till the End of the Moon. I had set aside TTEOTM because I got tired of seeing fake blood spewing out of mouths every few minutes; the break gave me a bit more patience.
TTEOTM had confused and frustrated me a bit with its story-in-story development. Now that I’ve watched through Episode 34 (of 40), and the storylines are being wound together, I think this unusual story building is ingenious. As the threads of the plot tighten, my excitement as a viewer increases. It’s good that this drama is not losing steam. And when it comes to costume and set design, TTEOTM has never lagged.
I’m also impressed that TTEOTM, within the xianxia genre, leads viewers to think about what constitutes love, what happens to a person when it is absent, how relationships become twisted, and more. I would describe TTEOTM as an epic love story, despite the leads having a love-hate relationship. Their connection is epic because it profoundly changes both of them. I must wait until I finish Episode 40 to learn whether they end up drawn together, or blasted apart, by the emotions they hold deepest in their hearts.
Still watching Till the End of the Moon, and I can’t help myself…that male acolyte of the Devil Lord…looks and sounds different, but some of his mannerisms make me think of Riff Raff from Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Hey @Kate,
I am glad you are enjoying it!
I am waiting for the new episodes to load! We shall see how the story ends!
@Cleo – hi!
I’ve finished episode 20 which I really enjoyed!! You’ll know why.
Enjoying getting more back story on our leads. They have indeed had a tough journey,
You are very right about our ML as perfect boyfriend material. The actor is already gorgeous so becomes doubly so in this role – once we see beneath the restrained exterior.
On a critical note – some of inevitable propaganda sequences about Chinese technology are striking in their boldness. I do feel for the acting community in that context!
Kalimera Everyone!
I was not supposed to watch this show, but the trailer is interesting and It makes me take a look…
See You in My 19th Life 👇
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yUYh-Rbysk
P.S. @Kate I am so glad you are enjoying HWMA! Let us focus on the romance…. *grins*
@Cleo – absolutely…good advice. I won’t let it spoil things – it comes with the territory along with the product placement!
@Kate, when I watch C Dramas from the Mainland I am aware that the government goes over the content with a fine tooth comb. I think the content from Taiwan is far freer. Also I have read where actors who have somehow offended the Mainland government get disappeared. I think it happened to Fei Bing Bing. I think that the propaganda can sometimes be glaring.
@Cleopatra, So happy to read you again. I am definitely going to watch See You On My Nineteenth Life and King The Land. I am a big Shin Hye-dun fan and I like Ahn Bo Hyun and anything with Junho. I was on YouTube and got a chance to see what Netflix will be showing and I think we’re in for a plethora of riches. So many dramas, so little time.
I am happy to be back to reading and responding to BOD. My husband is recovering from life saving surgery and my new job is fattening him up. It’s a job I’ll gladly take. It is wonderful to be back as a participant.
@OAL – thank you – I’ll follow up on Fei Bing Bing. I’ve also been following the progress of a young actor who was cancelled due to unwise tourist photos when in Japan.
I don’t know about you, but I find myself watching with dual vision when I follow a C-drama. It’s a radical inversion of the drama culture in the UK, for instance, which is, mostly, spoof/socially critical/cynical/ deconstructive in approach!
I have enjoyed a number of Taiwanese shows – some are among my favourites.
Hey my dear @OAL!
I read those great news about your husband and I am happy!
Good to know you are okay and back with us!
It is okay. Real Life can be demanding at times, so we try to do our best.
Most likely I will watch both shows, but we shall see.
I do hope we will talk again! Take care of yourself as well!
@OAL – congrats on the lovely news re your husband! I didn’t see your post until @Cleo responded.
I hope the fattening up goes well!
@Cleo – may or may not be of interest… but re ‘Here we meet again’ – one of the regular pieces of incidental music is – and they must be aware of this – very very close to ‘Always’ one of the tracks on the ‘Descendants of the Sun’ OST
https://youtu.be/kdr254E5faA
See HWMA Ep 21 5′ 20”
DOTS was recommended to me by a Chinese girl I met at a conference…HUGE over there. I wonder how this type of thing goes down in that community unless it is the same composer??
ps it’s the introductory bars that are the same = and then the remainder of the song feels like a variation on the theme that is ‘Always.’
@OAL, welcome back! It’s always good to read you.
I’m so glad to hear that your husband is now in the ‘fattening up’ phase LOL. What a happier job you have now. May our prayers continue to go with you both and may you both enjoy good health!
Like you, I’ll probably try ‘Nineteenth Life’ and definitely ‘King the Land’. See you!
@Growing Beautifully, thank you for the Lu Wei short film. It was beautiful.
@Fern, I’m glad you liked it. 🙂
@GB – have started to respond to your commentary re ‘Silent’ but my posts are getting timed out.
Experimenting with leaving you a message here.
@OAL, let me join the chorus of those celebrating your husband’s continued recovery. You’ve both traveled a long, difficult road, sometimes together and sometimes apart, so it is great to read that you get to dote on him.
Hello @Kate, you’ll be pleased to know that I’ve received all your messages sent to the ‘Silent’ thread. 🙂
@GB – I would have been happy if you had had just one message! I will now know what to do when I get the time out message! Oh dear – LOL!
Kalimera @Kate,
I haven’t watched Descendants of the Sun yet, but I have read about it on MDL, I think? Thank you for the info!
@Cleo – DOTS it is one of my top faves! I have seen it at least 4 times.
Worth checking out as a fun watch. Great sound track. Fast paced, very enjoyable central romance with the SHK and SJK. Lots of swagger and chemistry and adventure too.
@Kate,
Do you that it was partly filmed in Greece?
No I didn’t @Cleo.
I’d be interested to know the locations.
Here @Kate:
https://zantekeys.com/2018/05/16/9-filming-locations-of-descendants-of-the-sun-every-fan-should-visit/
@Cleo – ahh…thank you!
Makes me want to go on a DOTS pilgrimage there… I’ll bet people do. Especially the secluded beach with the boat on it.
@OAL: So glad to hear the good news about your husband!
I am really enjoying “Please Be My Family” and eagerly waiting for subs on the latest episodes. Oh, my! Ep 26 was heartbreaking. How can I wait for (hopefully) happy ending? These cliffhangers are killing me!
I started my rewatch of “F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers.” It has been great to finally be able to see this drama again. I really appreciate the little references that the production has added. For example, the flower shop that Gorya works at is named “Meteor Garden” in Thai. And the TV drama that the family watches is called “Flower Over Boy” (LOL). The 2nd ML is an artist rather than a violinist in this version, and it is a genius change! It works so much better in the story and adds more. I also love that the character is NOT autistic in this version. He is just an introvert.
@Kate: The way the producers have updated the storyline to include social media is fantastic. The bullying storyline is very well done in this version. Serious exploration of bullying- I liked how the issue of bullying was handled in the first episode, calling it out for the destructive issue that it is and not being afraid to say that people who do nothing and just watch are wrong. When Gorya said that Ren was wrong to just stand by as the bullying continued and not try to talk to the rest of F4 to stop it….slow clap! I think it’s the first time I’ve seen an acknowledgement by the FL that All the members of F4 contribute to the bullying, not just ML.
The use of symbolism is well done in this drama. The use of the Stadium for the bullying, giving off the Ancient Rome gladiator “violence as entertainment” parallels- wow! The old, crumbling stadium where the bullying happens–genius!
The Iconic Kick Scene-WoW! First off, it was so satisfying! Not over the top or exaggerated. Next the fact that Gorya kicked him with the dirty shoe that Thyme just destroyed, oh the symbolism! Expressions of both actors for that scene were on point-kudos to both Bright and Tu!
The cinematography-love the look for the first episode. Everything has a muted feel-grey sky, muted colors, reflecting the emotional turmoil of the characters and adds to the realism.
There is a lot going on in this drama. I recommend that you watch “F4 Obsessed” podcast. The discussions of the symbolism in the drama are really interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLl48U7CPgd7u0NU5v7b1k5oyplbrmvMbX
I really appreciate the care that the production has taken with the story and the adaptation of the source material. Here is an English subbed interview with the Director:
@Table – this is great!
I knew someone had mentioned the Thai F4 somewhere. It was you.
I went on a binge watch so I finished it yesterday.
Your point re Ren is very well made. I also note that he lets go of the FL once rather than the repeat story line in the other versions.
They cut a lot of the stodge from the story.
So agree re the shared responsibility for bullying being called out.
Loved the realism in Tu’s desire to avoid conflict and the expression of being conflicted on her face as she willed herself to defend her ‘friend’ in that first encounter with F4.
I still find it hard to see how the loveable friends could stand by and be involved in this mass hysteria! It’s worse and more extreme in this show.
They are never really brought to task despite Tu’s verbal challenge.
They just settle into a new stage in the plot.
But how would you transition evenly from baddies to goodies?
I liked how the red card is an echo of the evil Mother’s use of red card in her dystopian business world.
Making her even more of a baddy does mitigate Thyme’s behaviour to an extent.
I enjoyed the iconic kick scene… I personally wanted it a bit more exaggerated… but this wasn’t that type of show. I enjoyed Shen Yue in full flight and Dylan Wang’s face meeting the full force of her sneaker! That was the first ever C-drama I saw and I watched the K-drama version next.
But I did love that the shoe worn by Tu was covered in dirt.
I also liked the look of puppy-like amazement on Thyme’s face!
More anon…. I will watch your link interview too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4O6ujTY1hM
Meteor Garden Iconic kick scene
@Table122000 – Wow! Your comments are so on point and demonstrate there is a lot more to this than meets the eye. I have to say this is a super bingeable watch. The ML really carries this drama. I love his malapropisms.
@Welmaris,
I created a “What Are We Watching” category in the index so it’s easier for you all to retrieve the monthly threads. Thanks for the suggestion. 🙂
pm3
@Cleopatra, I have thought of watching Descendants of the Sun. It is considered a classic. Before I watch King The Land, I finished The Good Bad Mother(lived it-am now a Ra Mi Ran fan-sge was so good). But I also happened upon Agency and I”m hooked on it. Lee Bo Young is so good. This is one of those corporate intrigue shows where the protagonists are enemies and the competition is fierce. Our heroine is. From a poor background and has risen to the top of her game The men around her are horrendous and the production company uses a Go game as symbolism.I am curious to see if she triumphs or gives up. But Lee Bo Young is fascinating to watch
She used silence well.
On another note I am so happy to be back and reading everyone and accepting the good wishes of @Kate, @,Growing Beautifully@ Cleopatra and @ Welmaris. What a wonderful group of people! We are strangers who @packmule3 brought together for the love of K Dramas but have become a wonderful supportive group from around the world
I think that can be counted as a miracle. Thank you all. ❤️🌄🌻
Long-distance Hugs @OAL!! 😆 😄 🤗
@ Kate, I went to IMDB and @Cleopatra, a location for Descendants of the Sun was indeed Greece. I like knowing that our K Drama producers go to other countries for location shoots. There is something fun about happening on a film shoot. We get a lot of these in New York. I hope some K Drama comes here because it would be a big thrill. But I think New York would be too expensive. But one can only hope.
@OldAmericanLady: I’m very glad to hear the good news about your husband!
@Kate: Yes, I really love the Ren character in this version. I think he’s my favorite iteration of them all. I also appreciated that he didn’t try to use the FL to make himself feel better after things didn’t work out in France. And having him be an artist is so great.
Character of Gorya- Agree, I LOVE this girl! The character is so relatable. She wants to do the right thing but struggles with herself as we all do. She’s not clueless or stupid or spacey. FL actress Tu is doing a great job so far!
Thyme’s Mother- just had to give a shoutout for this character-truly a scary woman! I think the toughest take that I’ve seen so far. Her line” I don’t care what kind of games you play for fun at school but you have to control it”… chills. Talk about stone cold! I agree with you using the “red card” parallel between Mother and Son- we see where Thyme gets his idea, what type of homelife he has, it was genius!
@Good Twin: There is definitely so much symbolism and social commentary going on in this series. And it is a very engaging drama. I like the male lead character of Thyme here as well. I also love that they kept ML habit of making malapropisms that is from the source material. I like how they explain the reason for his malapropisms is because he has spent his childhood traveling and speaking more in English than Thai, so he is not as familiar with the Thai slang, I really appreciate that he’s smart and not played as stupid or silly. ML actor Bright is doing a great job so far!
I encourage everyone to check out the “F4 Obsessed” Discussions on YT. They are really interesting. Here is link for Ep. 1 discussion:
Thank you @Table!
Am prepping for a meeting this evening so will have to watch F4Obsessed on Friday!
I get the actors ‘pop’ names mixed up with their characters’ names… thanks for the subtle corrective.
More anon!
@Table122000, I think that it is great fun to watch other versions of these dramas from other countries. The stories pack a lot of the same thrills. We see some cultural differences and we get to see New settings and most of all, a whole new gro7p of talented actors. I liked the versions of Destined To Love You. The only problem that I see is LOL-so many dramas, so little time. In the scheme of things, what a great problem to have.
And again, to so many wonderful. BOD posters, I am so grateful for all of your kind wishes. So heartening!
@Kate: No worries, dear. I use the actors’ names and characters’ names interchangeably myself. I understood where you were coming from. I hope that you enjoy the F 4 Obsessed Episode Discussions. I’ll be interested to read your thoughts about it.
@Old American Lady: Yes, it is interesting to watch other versions of the dramas, and see changes each country makes. Each version of Boys Over Flowers has their own positives and negatives. I have watched almost all of the different versions: Original Manga, Anime, Taiwan, Japan 2005, South Korea, China 2018, and Thailand. There is something about the story that doesn’t get old to me. For Destined to Love You I have seen: Taiwan Original, South Korea, China, and Thailand. I have not watched the Japan version.
@OAL I too send good wishes to you and your husband on this welcome news of his recovery and wish you both good health.
@Table122000 – I feel like I could really get sucked in to the Boys Over Flowers universe. Now I think I’m going to try to watch Meteor Garden again which I gave up on after a few episodes. I even looked up that necklace in F4 because it certainly looked like a product placement and yes you can own your very own meteor necklace 😭. As I go on to earn my PHD in Boys over Flowers. (I already have one Doctorate from watching the Road Home a tad too intently), I am curious why the only versions are Asian. Perhaps Gossip Girl was a little Boys Over Flowers(ish). Maybe the class issues would play out better in England than here (here being the US). Perhaps there has been a version that I am just not aware of. I’ve been thinking about how I would adapt it as an American or western story. What themes might stay and what would go? Where would it be based – NY, DC, London, Zurich etc?
@Table12200 – there is so much to compare and contrast with all the versions out there. I think the Thai version feels the most modern and sophisticated probably because it is the most recent. There is so much to unpack. It feels a little like watching various versions of Jane Austen adaption – I like that Emma vs that Mr. knightly and that version’s music and that other version’s costumes.
@Good Twin: Yes, there is just something about this storyline that doesn’t get old (at least for me). Which Meteor Garden are you rewatching? Meteor Garden 2001 (Taiwan) or Meteor Garden 2018 (China)? They each have their own charms and flaws. Lucky for us, now is a good time for the BOF fans because most of the versions are easily available for a rewatch. Viki has Japan, South Korea, and Thailand. Netflix has Chjna. I keep hoping that Viki will get Taiwan version in the future. Yes, you can buy the Meteor Garden 2018 necklace at Amazon, and the F4 Thailand necklace is still available for purchase through some Thai e-commerce websites. There was a lot of F4 merchandise for sale by GMMTV when the show first aired. Most of it is gone now. You could even buy the F4 Plush dolls that they show in I think it was Ep.2? (LOL!) Those dolls were cute though.
You bring up an interesting question: why are there no Western adaptations of BOF? Obviously, a large part of the reason is the storyline. The original source manga premiered 31 years ago. There are a lot of problematic elements and also dated elements in the source material that would need to be changed for a Western remake. And you are correct, the class differences element doesn’t really translate well in an American context, either. I agree Britain would probably be a better fit as a setting since class is a more prevalent issue there with a deeper history.
Second is a production company would need to have a lot of investment $$ upfront since the story takes place in the world of the super-rich. In Asia, BOF has a built in audience from the manga, which was a smash hit. That isn’t the case in the West, where manga is still not mainstream. Yes, it’s much better known genre, but its still not really that big as compared to other genres of literature. So it would be more difficult to get $$ since a BOF adaptation would be more risky since most people have never heard of it in the West.
There’s a lot of over the top elements in BOF, since it’s based on a manga. The only place I see it possibly working for a US audience would be as a Broadway musical. That format allows for the over the top elements.
Interestingly, though, there has been an attempt at an American version. It was called “Boys Over Friends” and it was on YouTube. It was awful! The script, the acting, was very cringe! The production values were terrible- they had no money for anything, including a decent sound system, cameras, sets, you name it. It was canceled after 6 episodes and no one missed it. We found out later the real drama was behind the scenes. MDL has a good article about it:
https://mydramalist.com/article/the-failure-of-boys-before-friends-011014547
Even though I know that BOF would be difficult to translate for a Western audience, I do sometimes like to dream about what a Western version might be like. I’ll be interested to hear what your thoughts are.
I’m thinking it would best translate as a Broadway musical for America.
I could also see it possibly working if set in England, possibly in England of 1992, when the source manga was first published? I don’t know.
My dear @OAL,
Kalimera! It is good to read you too! Sending HUGS and positive vibes!
@Table12000, what an interesting idea to translate this into British society! As an American transplant to Britain, I will agree that the idea of class (including accent, style, family name) is resistant to change.
Setting it in a co-ed boarding school that offers sport or academic scholarships would work. A school I worked for offered a full scholarship for one local child each year to its Upper School (sixth form). The age group would coincide well; entering at the age of 16+ or 17 and finishing in 2 years. Haha, I’m sure the local high schools disliked having their prime pupils poached like that and I heard that the newcomers didn’t always enjoy their stay.
Good Twin: Yes, since there are so many different versions of the BOF story, you can have great discussions about the pluses and minuses of the different versions. Each version has its own charms, and each version has its good points and bad points. It’s fun to see how each version handles the iconic scenes, and what changes they make to give it that local flavor and keep the story fresh. I agree the Thai version feels the most modern. For me, the most glamorous version was South Korea. I loved the over the top costumes and the sets. They even showed Gu Jun Pyo wearing the fur collared jacket which was straight from the manga. South Korea also has the best 2nd couple romance, IMO. For me, the Thai version has the best looking cast. the visuals are no joke for this drama! The entire cast, male and female, are very pretty. I like how they handled the bullying issue in F4Thailand, and including the social media aspects to update the story. I loved the MJ character in F4! It was so nice to see Every member of F4 have a character arc. Usually that 4th member character gets left behind, storywise.
@Fern: I like your idea to set a Western version of BOF in the British boarding school with Gorya character as local child there on scholarship as a day student. It has possibilities.
Haha, I won’t ask for a commission or even credit. Well, maybe a little teeny tiny mention when the credits roll. 😉 I just elaborated on your idea.
@Cleo – I caught up and finished ‘Here we meet again’.
What did you think of the way they ended it? I liked the ending and the way things were resolved. There was a satisfying amount of romance and resolution with quirky comedy too and a lot of great kiss scenes.
How did you feel about the way the story dealt with the ML’s little brother’s move to his parents? They covered it in one episode and you could see the pain it caused the ML. Was it left behind too quickly in the narrative though? I am not sure.
I wasn’t sure about the penultimate falling out over the Donghe finance crisis and whether XYS would help out our FL or finally fulfil his dream. I wasn’t quite sure what to think about his selflessness at that point … but he, clearly, could do no other. This was painful for the FL who didn’t want to hold him back.
What a conflict of interest for two people who loved one another!
But I did like the insight it gave us into our ML’s life and his motivations.
I also liked the way everyone pulled together to help our FL – even the unpleasant bratty girl at the company who had been the FL’s gossipy enemy. She had clearly changed!
Thinking of the historic context, I was intrigued at the point where the story moved to 2020 and we saw mask wearing. Some scenes like the navigation academy and the satellite launch were depicted with everyone wearing masks. People were also wearing masks in shops. Other scenes like family and smaller work team scenes people weren’t wearing masks. Interesting the way a C-drama depicts the impact of the pandemic.
I liked the proposal scene! That was a good opportunity to propose slightly differently from the way the FL anticipated! Took her wonderfully and happily by surprise.
Thanks for recommending this @Cleo.
I referenced Jane Austin’s Emma because I personally have the most opinions about the various adaptation not because the stories are similar. But that got me thinking of BOF being a Cinderella tale which led me to Pride and Prejudice. BOF is a retelling of this story with the Mr. Darcy character needing a lot more softening and the Lizzie character being in a different class.
@Table – watching a few episodes of the Chinese Meteor Garden reminds me why I dropped it! At 50 episodes there is just not enough to make me continue watching despite the likeable main leads
That article on MDL about the failed western adaptation was too funny!!
@Table and @Good Twin and @Fern,
I also find the BOF story compelling. @Table I haven’t seen as many versions as you… have seen the Taiwanese version, 2017 – C-version, K-version and this Thai version.
The thing that hooked me in the 2017 C-drama and kept me going in the K-drama was the FL’s iconic kick. It wouldn’t have worked if our FL had simply been the long-suffering victim. But she bucks the trend, fights back, and transforms herself from victim into the heroine of the story. in so doing, she breaks ‘the spell’ on the ML.
The rules of the game change.
She has shades of Cinderella and there are shades too of Beauty and the Beast and no doubt other stories too. Certainly the woman who by showing up as she is has the power to change the ‘bad boy’ – is special enough to cause a man to change… is a frequently told story.
Her bff also goes on a similar but different journey. Both friends confront the men with uncomfortable truths, remain true to themselves and conquer the hearts of their princes.
Especially in the case of our FL, she is rewarded with absolute devotion of the ML.
This must tap into deep aspirations …
@Kate – thank for the ear worm “Tale as old as time. True as it can be. Then somebody bends Unexpectedly. ” 😂
@Good Twin: I understand where you are coming from with the long length of Chinese dramas. yes, 50 episodes is a lot. I agree Meteor Garden 2018 can drag at times. Your observation that BOF story has element of the “Pride and Prejudice” dynamic is interesting. Yes, I can see it now that you say that.
@Kate: Yes, the storyline of BOF has many mythic and fairytale/folktale overtones that speak to things deep in the human psyche. It’s probably one of the reasons this story can still engage viewers. I like your observations. F4 Obsessed Episode Discussions touched on some of the same themes you bring up.
The Iconic kick: Yes, you nailed it! Makino/Gorya character fights back. She takes control. She is no longer the victim. She has agency. There is something just so satisfying about that scene. My favorite is the South Korea version. Gu Jun Pyo has been just so nasty and when Jan Di gives him that roundhouse kick- so satisfying! And then afterward, his expression! A boy who has been kicked in the head by love, LOL.
You must check out the Japan version of this story, too. It is at Viki. It is also well done over 2 series and a film. I really like that in the Japan version we can see the whole progression of the main leads’ relationship, including them as an engaged couple, their wedding, and then at the very end Makino is pregnant.
Yes, every version has their charms. F4 Thailand really makes good use of the mythic/folklore elements and symbolism. The colors, the flowers, the costumes: it all has meaning.
On a different note, “Please Be My Family” ended today. What a super cute rom com!
The 2 children were just so adorable! Definitely recommend this drama to anyone who is looking for a light, breezy watch. Make sure to watch at Viki for the best subs.
@Table – I must go back and re-watch the K version of that scene.
I think the K-version for me is the classic. In real life it is more believable that the Thai version heroine would have captured the heart of the sought after Thyme. She wasn’t a caricature and was very smart and pulled together. The K-drama actress over-did the youthful clumsiness in the way she played her role, compensating for playing younger than she was. But if I had to choose one version I think the K version is still my desert island pick! I missed one or two of the storylines in the more streamlined Thai version and I think Lee Min Ho was unbeatable as the ML.
I will check out the J version and I will also watch F4 Obsessed you kindly sent the link to…later today. I’m having a day off which will be great.
@Good Twin – hadn’t made the connection! Good point – LOL.
@Kate: Yes, the K version of BOF is classic. It was one of my first K Dramas, so it will always have a special place for me. The K version is the only one to be Over-the -top and campy. The emphasis is on the comedy. So this extends to the characters as well. The other versions are more serious, I think, with some comedy elements. Yes, Lee Min Ho is great as ML there.
The Thai version is more serious and so are the leads characters. They aren’t portrayed as stupid or spacey, unlike in South Korean version. In K version ML and FL are often act stupid and/or silly in order to emphasize the comedy and the “manga” feel.
There is definitely a lighter and more fun vibe in the South Korean version.
Kalimera @Kate!
I haven’t managed to finish the show! My schedule is full during the weekdays!
I will answer to you when I have finished it!
I am glad you enjoyed it! 😃
@Table, @GoodTwin and @Fern,
Further reflections on F4 … this time gorgeousness…
I vote the Taiwanese version tops for ‘visuals’!
Especially the gorgeous Vic Chou (2nd ML). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygeOkxw3YNg
Perhaps it is my seventies era influences!
Sadly, the audio quality/sound engineering not great.
Here is the OST : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXEc5OHEFZ4
With the memorable opening track – just for us obsessives!
@Table,
Enjoying the F4 Obsessed discussion… Just jotting down some of the interesting things they say.
I like the detail with which they discuss the Thai version.
They are making a lot of Beauty and Beast references… Black Rose and Red Rose nick names… symbolism… I didn’t see this at all. How interesting.
Great reflections on Ren in the Thai version and the role he plays in resisting the system.
Crucial role of Mum in relation to Thyme- Star Wars comparison – Roselyn Palpatine! Clever.
Symbolism of the shoes. The words of G’s Dad: ‘These shoes will take you to a good place which will be hidden until you find it’ Oooh…
The conversation between Thyme and G ‘Trash needs to be disposed of…’ So cruel in the light of the significance of the new shoes and what they represent of her and her family. Her retrieval of the shoe… The F4 guys looking on in wonder…
Oohhh ‘Footprint of Meteor’… hadn’t noticed the title of this first episode.
First touch – convergence of the meteors…oooh…. After the kick: Thyme: ‘10% angry and 90% smitten’…
Vergence! Will G and T, equal and opposite characters, diverge or converge? Decisions that they make at each point of encounter … I love this observation.
I love the way they are underlining and highlighting the meteor concept. The interrupting force of the meteor… she doesn’t see herself as a meteor but has left a crater on him!
The salt of the earth – light of the world… Her role with him and then what he does for her!
Very cool.
@Kate @Good Twin @Fern:
My vote for best visuals is F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers.
Everyone in that drama, male and female, young and old, is gorgeous!
Plus, for me, it’s the only version where I don’t have a clear favorite on the visuals of the F4. They are all equally beautiful. So I have to give my vote to Thailand.
Favorite OST: My vote goes to F4 Thailand for favorite main there song. I can listen to it all the time and not get sick of it. (Unlike South Korea and China: If I hear “Almost Paradise” or “Like a River” once more, I’m going to go crazy. Same goes for “Say Something”)
Taiwan is nice, though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z2P481fJwk
Best Script: For me, the best writing goes to Thailand. There were many amazing, well written scenes and dialogs.
Second place goes to Japan.
@Kate:
Yes, the F4 Obsessed Episode discussions really added a lot to my enjoyment of the show.
I loved how they used the shoes in Ep.1
In later episodes, I found the commentary on the symbolism in the costumes very interesting.
How Thyme is always wearing animal prints to represent the “beast” or “animal” side. He wears a necklace that looks like a dog collar, but it changes to a thin gold chain after meeting Gorya, showing how his humanity is coming out. She is taming the beast.
They have a lot of interesting ideas and insights.
Dear @Table122000, @Kate and @Good Twin,
I personally don’t have a visual preference among the versions I have seen except that for me, the actors in the Thai version really look as though they could all be in a pre-university education stage, particularly the FL. Usually in a school drama, there is at least one character who looks older. My younger daughter is about that age and they don’t look older than she does, even if they are. Having said that, I know that the ages vary among all of the actors in all of the versions and I believe that Dylan Wang was only 19 when his version of Meteor Garden was being filmed and he looked the right age to me.
Dear @Fern, @Table and @Good Twin,
On reflection, the F4 Obsessed commentary while reflecting on the relationship between the Thai version and other versions of the BoF world… did not engage with its relationship with other well-known dramas for young people.
Getting back to my original comparison with ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Gossip Girl’ , the F4 Obsessed team talked about the social network context being a novel creation in F4 Thailand. But that topic and context has been well explored already in ‘Gossip Girl’ – the power of anonymous gossip to support a system of privilege ruled by the Queen Bees of the upper crust school. Our FW Thailand director must have been referencing that other hugely influential show with its account of privilege, mean girls, and poor students trying to buck the system.
So there are mythical references and then the more contemporary cultural references in this show.
I was reminded of ‘The Hunger Games’ with its use of the stadium for the Hunger Games and the despotic ruler determining the fate of tributes from less powerful districts. Our tributes in F4 Thailand are the non-powerful student who fail to cooperate with the system. Katniss Everdene is our Goraya … her decision to volunteer as tribute to protect her sister and then her decision to stand against the game and change the rules from within it is a good parallel with the account in F4 Thailand.
@Kate – you are spot on with the Hunger Games reference. Did you notice the scene stealing from Notting Hill at the family dinner? Who had the saddest tale received the last bit of pork. (Iin Notting Hill I think it was a brownie)
I listened to the beginning of the podcast. And I agree with them that the opening narrative by Thyme is really beautiful and well done. Bright is very good in the role of Thyme. He completely sells it.
@Good Twin… Another popular reference … the other side of the celebrity coin! I didn’t make the link at the time. Well spotted.
It looks like we need to keep eyes peeled for these wider cultural references throughout the show.
Ditto… I re-watched the beginning of the show because of what they said in the podcast. It is a lovely start to the show and unusual for this type of series.
Howdy!
I’ll be watching King The Land and Hidden Love (Rosie’s new drama). I’m excited for Rosie’s new drama. 🥰
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtkZQihOAZJ/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
This will be my June watch list. ☺️
@agdr03, Hidden Love looks pretty cute. Thanks for the link.
@Fern, I hope it’s a nice drama. ☺️🤞🏻
I did watched Gen Z too and I didn’t mind it. ☺️
@agdr03 and all- I plan to watch ‘King the Land’ and ‘The Hidden Love’ too.
In the meantime, I have dipped my toes into a new c-drama set in the 1970s – ‘The Youth Memories’. https://www.viki.com/tv/39861c-the-youth-memories
It stars Xiao Zhan and Li Qin. It is getting good reviews and people are enjoying the sub-plots rather than fast forwarding through them.
I also want to re-watch the Thai F4 series – at a slower pace – because of all the interesting discussions we have been having on this thread.
And… I started ‘Please be my Family’ too last night.
I will need to settle down and stick to two shows at a time. It’s great to have lots of choice
@Kate:
Your Gossip Girl and Hunger Games parallels with F4 Thailand are very interesting. I hadn’t thought about it, but I see it now that you say it. This show really has so much going on. I also learned in the F4 Obsessed podcast that the scriptwriters and Assistant Director for the show were all women, so the female gaze is well represented in this version.
My goodness, you have a full drama-watching schedule. I hope you enjoy “Please be My Family.” I really liked it-a nice light, breezy watch.
@Good Twin: I didn’t catch that “Notting Hill” reference. Very interesting.
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! The trailer looks so good! 🥰🥰🥰 I’m soooooo excited!!! CTO!!!
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ctnmo-dNwfh/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
@agdro3 – where is ‘Hidden Love’ being broadcast please?
Looks great.
Hi @Kate! I believe it will be in Youku. I hope that’s correct.
Here’s the YouTube trailer. 🥰
https://youtu.be/OR-gJLmcjmM
Lovely – very promising @agdr03!
Thank you.
I’ll try to watch King The Land tonight. 😊
@agdr03 – let us know what you think!
Will do @Kate! 😉
Waaaaaa. Another trailer. 🥰
https://youtu.be/n5-kDTo6pjg
It looks fabulous, @agdr03!
Right @Fern? ☺️ It’s just a light drama and I can feel the fluffy and sweetness already. Just what I need especially this cold cold winter. 😂
Here a bts that I found. Those strawberries must have been so sour. 😂
https://youtu.be/T_klDD_lbQI
On another note I am enjoying ‘Please be my Family’ – struggling slightly though following the scene in the games room when the ML was suddenly very cold and distancing with the FL. He had been warm and gentle and now, out of the blue, a darker side was revealed. Even if he has another motive for marrying her – it seemed out of character.
So, I am finding it difficult to get a reading on him as we proceed with the story.
She is transparent – he seems to come and go in and out of focus.
Her lovely family has welcomed him (I am in the marriage ceremony episode at the moment) and he still has a plan relating to the little girl. After his drunken confession that the FL has made things less empty for him – is he shifting in his stance or is he still privately carrying out a plan for the sake of his own family?
ps. the scene in the games room *when she was trying to learn to play pool*.
And finally — the marriage ceremony is one of the best I have seen in a light fluffy contract marriage drama! Quite moving.
Hi @Kate, I sort of stopped watching ‘Please Be My Family’ but hang in there to know why the game of pool dampens ML’s mood. 🙂
@GB – thank you — I will!
Yes, it was a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde moment for the ML. I have let that show lapse atm, but I may take it up later.
@Fern – Jekyll and Hyde – exactly! Reminded me of those old black and white movies with a sudden unanticipated twist.
@Kate:
I’m glad that you are enjoying “please Be My Family.” The scene in the billiard room is a little jarring, but it doesn’t come out of nowhere as there have been brief moments in the previous episodes where ML makes references to making sure he is acting sincere, telling FL what she wants to hear so that she will agree to the marriage, etc. We see him reading books about how to act, and I think there is a scene with his friend where the friend calls him out on his actions and says something like”I know you’re putting on an act. Why?”
I feel in the billiard room scene, ML is upset to find her there in the space with his bad memories, so the facade slips and he is cool towards her, actually more abrupt than even normal because of the past trauma. He had been looking for ways to discuss the relationship more calmly about how they don’t need to act like lovers anymore, but then when she went into that billiard room space, he lost composure. He regrets his behavior very quickly afterward. Well, that is how I took it. But I will agree, it was a jarring scene even if ML aloof attitude didn’t exactly come from nowhere.
I felt bad for FL.
Anyway, there are sweet scenes later in the drama that make up for it. And the 2 children are so cute to watch as well.
@Table – so nicely clarified. Thank you. This may be down to my having raced through this show and not watched as closely as the show deserves.
That feels better!
@Kate, the billiard room scene is unsettling for viewers so we can experience what the FL feels. It is a shock to her. Part of the reason is they’ve agreed to ignore each other’s past and not ask questions. But they both learn that past and present can’t be so neatly divided. One thing this show does is allow its main characters to make mistakes, learn from them, while the other partner forgives. Both sides have a lot of growth.
Please Be My Family does throw in a lot of twists, so things incomprehensible at first become understandable later. I think in the middle of the show viewers feel frustration before seeing that there’s a reason things are happening. Perhaps the scriptwriters didn’t do a good enough job of foreshadowing.
@Kate, if you like marriage scenes, Till the End of the Moon has a multitude of them–same couple each time–which aren’t necessarily happy events, but the various costumes and trappings are amazing.
@Welmaris – I am really struck with some of the unexpected aspects of this show. It came home to me with the FL’s Dad and their history together, his letter to her etc There was a lot more to that than the usual caricature grumpy Dad.
What you say about people making mistakes and being forgiven really resonates.
Yes the billiard room was unsettling … in the flow of what I thought I was watching.
I don’t think I paid sufficient attention to the dialogue and as you say the script writers may not have signalled sufficiently … at least not helping us as viewers distinguish the weight of different things that were said by our central characters – specifically the male lead.
In some shows like this the ML says x but is actually feeling y and acts in accordance with y.
I thought our ML fell into that category.
In fact he seems to say one thing, act in another way and then explain that he was only acting when it seems like he was being genuine! If you get my drift.
Glad you liked “Till the End of the Moon,” @Welmaris. I plan on continuing with it.
@Packmule3, there were times I gave myself a break from Till the End of the Moon, but ultimately am glad I stuck with it Till the End of the Show. If nothing else, watching for the costumes and set designs was rewarding, for me. So much detail! So beautiful! But the parts of the story that confused or frustrated me weren’t for naught: all threads are woven together deftly in the final episodes. I even figured out the meaning of the title from one line that some viewers might consider a throwaway.
@Welmaris, your review of TTEOTM is encouraging. I may decide to try that Show now that it is completed. 🙂
@Kate, This is on my watch list so it is now being moved up thanks to you. Am currently watching King The Land and 19th life. We are getting a lot of engaging dramas now
@OAL – great! It is an enjoyable watch. Light and fluffy with unexpected nuance. Two of the guys are reading ‘Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus’ in the episode I’m on at the moment. LoL.
@Welmaris – I got stuck when the ML and FL travelled into the second new dimension on their journey.
I was freshly inspired by @Packmule3’s reviews.
But I need to get my momentum back for this show.
Thank you for the encouragement to get back into it.
Annyeong 🌸
I finally finished all 56 episodes of “East of Eden”… omg. SSH’s character took the bullet for his non-bloodline brother in the end – leaving his pregnant wife that he just married 🙁 ugh.
now i’m enjoying the short kdrama “Kiss Sixth Sense” – yes i’m behind on this, just found it in Hulu 💗
@HK_Lady – I really loved Kiss Sixth Sense! It and Forbidden Marriage were probably my favorite dramas from the last year. (And Love to Hate You which was just plain fun.) Curious what you think – I too watched it after it had already aired. I really loved the scene at the end of Episode 6 – between the music, the dialogue and the montage – it is really well done!
Dear @GB, I started “Silent” (2022) as you recommended. Hell of an excellent first Episode!!! 😀
@FGB Heheheh! Heavens! Yes!!
Please tell me the proper Post to share thoughts 😀
@FGB We have one open thread for ‘Silent’.
https://bitchesoverdramas.com/category/silent/
Come join in the commenting. I have yet to complete my thoughts on ‘Nana’ and some other stuff. I’ll be back later and will definitely be reading you. 🙂
PD: I did the calculation at the beginning of Episode 2. d=0.0021m*(2^42). Transforming the answer to km it happens that a paper fold 42 times which has 0.0021 m of thickness like a letter size paper will rise to a height of over 24 times the distance from the Earth to the Moon.
@FGB Oh great! I didn’t understand that. What is the first premise of the folding of paper? That a certain thickness will equate the distance between earth and the moon?
My son tells me that paper cannot be folded beyond 7 times LOL.
I am very excited for this one!!!! *grins*
“Moving” is coming out this August on Disney Plus!
@Cleopatra, I subscribe to Disney+ in the USA but never get much of Korean content. I am reluctant to use a VPN for fear that I’ll lose the service. It is very disappointing. I am going to write a protest to Disney because Americans are losing our. If any BOD knows how to legally get Korean content on Disney, please advise.
@OAL,
Weren’t you the one who told me that Disney+ was pulling out of producing kdramas after their disappointing venture?
They delay showing them here in North America. By the time they release them the interest has already waned bec their customers already watched them in other sites. 🤪 I don’t know what the Executive(s) was thinking when he devised that strategy, but he is definitely not a kdrama viewer.
Yes, I think it’s all for the better Disney+ is out.
@packmule3, I don’t remember making that comment. I subscribe to Viki, Apple, Netflix and Amazon Prime. I hope that I get some of the programs currently available on Korean Disney show up on the streamers I get. Although it is not truly a K Drama when it comes to producers, I thoroughly enjoyed the first; installment of expectations Pachinko on Apple+. I read the novel and my expectations were met. I also have seen dramas show up on multiple streamers. The fun of that is to compare subtitle translation that indeed sometimes change the meaning.
I am with you regarding A Business Proposal. I have watched it numerous times and find something new each time I watch. The second couple provides lots of enjoyment and the romantic removal of eyeglasses has nothing to do with the beautification of the second female lead. And the Samantha and Rachel line is a hoot.
I actually watch King The Land to look at Jun-ho. I loved him in The Red Sleeve, Rain or Shine and The Wok of Love. So if this is a miss, that’s fine.
I am hooked on Shin Hye-sun’s drama, See You In My Nineteenth Life. This is a different kind of reincarnation show in that the FL remembers all her lives. I hope this is handled well. I’ll use King The Land as fluff.
Hi @pkml3, if you see this, please bring the thread for Liar Game 2 Episode 7 up to the top of the Recent Posts list.
Much thanks!
🥛 🍪 🫖 🍩 🍺 🥜 🍵 🍙 🍷 🍝
Am re-watching Love to Hate You. What a refreshing, funny show! Great meet cutes – boomerang anyone? I am enjoying all the action film sequences. The lawyers practising their dance moves. The great way the central romance evolves. The hair! The ML’s intelligence. The FL’s versatility. Too many things to recount.
Great sound track too…reminds me a little of the Yumi series.
@Kate, oh I really liked Love to Hate You that from start to finish. Liked the 2nd ML/manager, too. He rather draws the eye.
@Fern, yes he certainly does!
It is great from start to finish and just 10 episodes – so jam packed with good stuff rather than being dragged out.
I finished Giant and now I am watching Unlock My Boss while waiting for new episodes of See You In My 19th Life. Unlock My Boss is such a pleasant surprise! It has humor, mystery, and heart. The ML looks just as good as Junho in a three piece suit (if not better!)
Anyone else watching the C-drama (slice of life, romance, modern historic, melo) ‘The Youth Memories’ set in 1970s Beijing and starring Xiao Zhan and Li Qin?
It makes me think of Dr Zhivago with Xiao Kahn in the Omar Shariff role – even though the country and historic period is different and the story itself very different! It might be the music or the fur hats or the skating or the expressions of Communism that are evoking Dr Zhivago for me.
It is a huge word-of-mouth hit in China apparently. Has good reviews on Viki (9.7).
I did read, however, a negative review of the way the story developes by a regular viewer of C-dramas. This put me off. But now I have resumed.
It is fascinating to see how the Chinese depict the 1970s… fascinating!
Very interesting to follow the lives of young people trying to make their way in that world with what was and was not available to them.
Xiao Kahn is great as the ML as are a number of the other young actors.
I’ll see how it goes – am on Episode 5.
https://www.viki.com/tv/39861c-the-youth-memories
Annyeong 🌸
@Good Twin regarding “Kiss Sixth Sense” – i loved it when our OTP finally started dating and they developed secret codes so they can meet up in difference hideaways while working overtime. hilarious! i didn’t like it when they lost their superpowers and they started bickering too much and breaking up too many times. i mean, reality bites. but come on. anyhoo, i’m happy for the other 2 couples in the show ending up together and moving on with their sweet life.
now, i’m watching “Dr Romantic 3” and “big mouth” in Hulu. yay.
Yes. Totally Agreed @HK_Lady. It was super (and needlessly) noisy in the end. I could have done without that and the murder plot. But I am quibbling because it was original, sexy, well acted and entertaining. I really liked seeing how the future not taken actually unfolded differently than she thought. Is Dr. Romantic 3 now on Hulu? I’ve been waiting for it to show up somewhere that is not Disney+.
Howdy! 👋🏻
@Fern and I have been watching Hidden Love and it’s official, I am OBSESSED with it. 🥰 I’ve said it a million times? 😂 I just love Zhao Lusi.
It’s announced on the press conference today that it’s been picked up by Netflix for 190 countries. ☺️
I only usually like a couple of songs in cdramas but this drama has a really good one. Rosie sang two songs too. ☺️
https://youtu.be/sljE9-lAe8Y
A tidbit of information, the screenwriter for Hidden Love is the same for LoveO2O. ☺️ No wonder I thought Duan Jiaxu reminded me of Xiao Nai in how he treats the Sang Zhi.
Here’s a clip after finding out that Sang Zhi’s crush/the boy that she likes was him all along. He realised his got feelings for her too. But she doesn’t know that he knows now.
https://twitter.com/risti_ic/status/1673295256153133057?s=46&t=BT0tHWWRRX1rx64As5f8XQ
Yes, the writer is clever. Good scene!
@agro03 and @Fern,
I want to see this. It’s on Youkou isn’t it? I don’t know how to access but will try! If not I’ll watch on Netflix!
@Kate 👋🏻 ☺️
Yes, it’s on Youkuo. There’s episodes on YouTube already too but I think only up to episode 4.
I’m watching on other streaming services. ☺️
Here’s a nice song from the drama, I think you might enjoy. ☺️
https://youtu.be/IrcxCMWSkZU
@agdr03,
I really like this song… my type of sound! Thank you.
I’m off to watch on Youtube this evening and will catch up with you two.
Excited, I hadn’t twigged it had started.
Anyone watching Destined on iQiyi? Bai JingTing from in You Are My Hero and Reset stars in it. I’m drawn by the beautiful winter scene and plum blossoms, and the so so so grand and lavish wedding.
I’m gonna have to check out Hidden Love. I love Zhao Lusi though her previous shows has not caught my eye much after Who Rules The World.
Hi @Fern, @Kate, @agdr03, @grace… reading you, I decided to try ‘Hidden Love’. Oh dear, what a handful that girl is! LOL. It’s cute though, so I’ll keep watching for a while yet.
Not sure if I can manage ‘Love to Hate You’. I’m up to my ears in shows already.
I tried ‘Mr Bad’. The beginning was great, but I’m not so sure about the middle section. There were moments of great hilarity and I saw AvenueX’s review that said it actually explained the time travel thing, so I am intrigued.
@Kate, I stopped The Youth Memories (although I like Xiao Zhan) as it didn’t grab me after a couple of episodes. Will consider it for later.
😁 😅 😬 😇 😄
I have been watching Hidden Love too. Honestly I think I would enjoyed it more as a binge since the first seven or so episodes she is still a child. I’m really enjoying it now that she is in college and their mutual crushes are being revealed. Both of the actors are really good. She especially. She is completely credible as a teenager and little sister. Taecyon’s (sp) vampire drama is on Prime so I am going to check that out. King the Land is just so-so IMO and 19th Life hasn’t drawn me in. Honestly my favorite thing I have watched recently has been F4. Dr. Romantic is out on Hulu (thank you @HK_Lady) so I will see if this third season grabs me. I saw that First Responders is also on Hulu so may check that out too.
@GB – re ‘The Youth Memories’ – it does take a while to get going.
But do watch ‘Love to Hate You’ if you get a chance… it is such fun, so good and so well-paced. Do do doooooo! Far better than some of the current offerings… honest!
@Kate, thanks for the recommendation. I’ll have to find some time or give up the other shows LOL. 🤔 🤩 🤪 😉 😄
ps @Fern and I liked it a lot from start to finish. That said, it really warms up after the first episode which serves as the usual scene setter.
And there are two gorgeous men… one with great hair and one with great sweaters!!
@GrowingBeautifully, I enjoyed Love to Hate You. I hadn’t been aware of Yoo Teo and now I’m a fan. It is not a huge commitment because it is ten episodes. A suggestion is to view this drama when you have aull in your drama list. It is well worth it.
@OAL @Kate, thanks for the encouragement. I took a peek at Episode 1 of ‘Love to Hate You’. I vaguely recall that I did try it before but didn’t get past the halfway point of the first ep. However this time I did complete it. Irreverently hilarious.
I might try to slot in and ep here and there. 🤗 😘
@OAL – yes!
@GB… great! ‘Irreverently hilarious’ is a perfect description!
ps @OAL – I am also a fan now of Yoo Teo! He really grows in you in this show.
https://img.wegreenkw.com/sites/3/2023/01/Yoo-Teo-360×493.webp
A call to arms!
An interesting thing about Teo Yoo is that he’s tri-lingual. Having grown up in Germany and attended schools conducted in English, he’s fluent in German, English, and Korean. In interviews for his role in the movie Past Lives, he’s said he’s had a hard time breaking into acting in South Korea, where he’s considered an outsider.
To play his character in Past Lives, who’s supposed to struggle with proficiency in English, he had to work with a dialogue coach to get his pidgin English to sound convincing, otherwise his English would have been too polished.
@Welmaris —ooh that is interesting indeed re TY! Thank you.
@Welmaris that is really interesting. I was wondering why all his acting credits seemed to start in 2020 and he received a best new actor award at 40ish.
@agdr03,
Have you noticed the reappearance of ‘Military Mom’ in ‘Hidden Love’?
@Kate, yes the Mom from LLTG is the same as the Mom of Sang Zhi. It’s Zeng Li. They’re very close since filming LLTG. ☺️
Here’s another ost from HL and it’s almost sounding like a kdrama ost right? ☺️
https://youtu.be/Ays2i9p6vL8
@GB 👋🏻
The siblings are a riot and Rosie said that they pretty much didn’t rehearse they’re scenes together. See if you get up to Sang Yan tutoring Sang Zhi. 😂
@Kate, Yoo Teo is currently starring in the new highly regarded film, Past Lives. It is 8n theatrical release and is u0 for several awards. The movie is also partially set in New York. I understand that Yoo Teo is also fluent in German and English. It also doesn’t hurt that he is a fine actor and easy on the eyes.
Hi @Welmaris, I hadn’t gotten to read your comment on Yoo Teo’s language proficiency and wrote a short comment about it. Your post is quite detailed and gives a favorable picture of our actor. I also know tha5 he is marri3d to an artist and photographer Nikki Lee who has degrees from New York’s Fashion Institute of technology and NYU. I believe this couple has some great conversations. They also have lived in New York City. As a New Yorker I can tell you that we’ll known actors 5ake public transportation like the subway. I have seen quite a few in my travels and have actually sat next to some.Subw a y etiquette tells one not to bother these people apart from quit,y saying that you’re a fan. There is definitely something thrilling about this. I know thar Gong Hyo-jin now has ties to New York because of her jarring to Kevin Oh.
On another topic, another Korean actor, Moon Ga-young also is a German speaker because she and her family lived there. I love reading about our Korean actor polyglots.
@OAL, @Welmaris,
Great background on YT!
I will follow up this film recommendation – Past Lives – see if I can find it somewhere to watch when it gets more widely distributed.
Thank you.
@agdr03 – that’s nice to hear about their relationship!
Yes, agreed re the feel of the song. Thank you for sharing.
Welcome @Kate. ☺️
Here’s preview for episode 15. I just really love it now. 🥰
Girlfriend @Phoenix, hurry up. 🤣
https://youtu.be/4CSmPquYvkc
@agdr03 – I’m on episode 2… looking forward to catching you all up.
I do think our main leads look very good together btw. Their vibes match.
@agdr03…Oh my goodness… the scene in the supermarket where the guys look for feminine hygiene products. Too cute. The Chinese do seem to be more open about this type of thing culturally than we are in the UK for sure. I’ve noticed a lot of references to women having stomach ache etc and men being protective of them after accidents.
I haven’t started on Hidden Love and won’t have time to till next week. but I have already read many comments on the issue of FL being a 14 girl liking a older guy, “inducing crime” because ML was flirtatious and she was totally infatuated with him. Did they portray it in a way that’s different from other dramas with such a situation? For those who watched it, what’s your take?
Btw, I also read that Bai Jing Ting is in a r/s with his co-star, SongYi, in “Destined” which explains why they haven’t done much promotional videos for this drama. :O :O :O
@grace – I’m sure @agdr03 and @Fern will have more to say.
It seems that the 14 year old with the older guy is more of him being like a handsome older brother who stands in when her brother isn’t around and she is an impish little girl.
He gets more flirtatious when he meets her again and she is 17. When I say flirtatious – we are talking lightly flirtatious admixed with older brother behaviour.
I’m only on Ep 3 btw so my comments are very much early impressions.
Oh the horrors of being forced to compete in the high jump at school sports day when you have no talent for it – in front of your crush! I can relate.
@Kate, I’m so glad we didn’t have a sports day like that. My daughters’ schools did. One daughter absolutely hated it and eventually was allowed to skip it, but the younger daughter was a sprinter, so she loved it.
@grace, I think people don’t get it and are trying to make reactions solely because there is supposed to be an age difference between the two. The ML was kind to her when her brother was annoying. Later, the ML was her tutor and he teased her a bit, but he never crossed the line and she was careful not to be obvious about her one-sided crush on him, so he wasn’t uncomfortable either. He is unfailingly protective and polite with her as of episode 11, where I am now. As we all know, age differences diminish as the years go on and that seems to be what is happening in this drama. The ML has very good emotional maturity, but he really has no more dating experience than the FL does, despite their age difference, because of his constant work schedule.
I hope this helps.
Heartbeat
Heheheh… Hi Everyone, I happened along to see what was new in drama-land and found that Heartbeat has aired its first 2 episodes. Yes, good-looking Taecyon is in action in a ridiculous vampire romp. If you’re in the mood for a silly, cheesy, nice-vampire fairy tale, this might make a filler show for in between other airing shows. It gave me a very watered down mini Goblin vibe.
The FL, Joo In Hae is not accurately described in the synopsis. I don’t consider her cold-blooded or lacking in empathy. She’s driven by circumstances and lack of information to end up house-sharing with Taec’s character. The more serious bits of the first episode are to do with her circumstances, while the ridiculous parts are Taec’s arc.
Now that both of them end up in the same place, it’s going to be noisy, LOL. Best part… the twist at the end LOLOL.
I don’t know if I’ll actually watch this show. Perhaps this kind of light humour suits Taec best. At least he remains easy on the eye! 😜
@GB – I dropped it after the flying scene in the first 5 minutes. I couldn’t believe how bad it was – but then I read that the show is very tongue in cheek so maybe it was intentionally bad like the old Japanese Giant Robot movie or Superman. I read that the second episode was quite funny so I intend to give it more another chance. Your comments are a good nudge. Taecyon is no Junho in the acting department but he is very easy on the eyes. These two band mates always seems to have dramas out at the same time.
@Good Twin, I imagine it is no accident that band mates are in dramas released at the same time. Since the activities of the band as a whole need to be suspended while a member is away at a drama shoot, the others might as well find ways to stay busy.
Last night I finished Day Off. What an interesting, different show…artfully done! Rather than being a character arc of the female lead, it was an unveiling, each episode digging deeper into what led her to become the person she is now.
@Growing Beautifully, It’s fun to have our 2 PM band mates in current dramas. Jun-ho is a proven serious drama actor while Taec has a flair for the comic and makes for an excellent villain-see Vincenzo where he showed both sides of that coin. I have been watching JunJlho’s Vlog on YouTube and have enjoyed seeing rehearsal footage of Jun-ho and Yoona preparing for a performance of Senorita for an awards show. They were so professional and in tune. It was beautiful to see. I think that their intense training for idol groups came through. They also seem to have gotten away unscathed because that training is notoriously harsh and leaves so many former trainees with physical and mental illness, with some succumbing to suicide. While I am hooked on K Dramas I am mindful of the horrors of the Korean entertainment industry
The vlog that I watched included examples of Jun-ho ‘s schedule. he got few if any breaks and in some respects got little sleep. It seems like the Christmas season is particularly grueling. Working conditions on dramas are not good with very long hours working in all kinds of weather with intense schedules, night shoots and early morning calls following the night shoots. The actors are subject to weight loss and body building rules that are an extension of the sacrifice they make to be actors.Agencues also exploit their talent(see Lee Seung Gi headlines of late) and this is by no means unusual. I also find that so many performers do not form dating relationships and seem to marry late if at all. This may be realed to the culture because given the work culture, Soth Koreas has one of the world’s lowest fertility rates. And we get a glimpse of this in the entertainment industry. We definitely know for certain that our actors are giving excellent performances while they are sleep deprived and exhausted.
I put KTL on hold after the third episode because it was merging with SYIMNL in my memory (for example, I started looking for gladiolas in the KTL hotel—but of course they weren’t there). I will pick it up again after SYIMNL ends (it’s only 12 episodes), but I imagine I will be FF-big through some of the slow and repetitive scenes.
That meant that, for the first time in months, I was only watching one drama. Then I found out about Durians Affair. It sounded totally wacky, and it is. A lot of the same actors as Love ft Marriage and Divorce. In the summer I like watching at least one drama equivalent of a beach novel. If I stick with it I’ll say more about it later.
I also started Numbers—so far, half an episode in, it looks promising…
@grace, @Fern and @agdr03,
Following on from @Fern’s comments re the age gap (5 years) between the ML and FL. I am noticing a number of places where he gives her a brotherly lecture about not having a relationship before she is an adult. The show sets this up rather effectively when she feigns heart break following an on-line flirtation – all of this entirely made-up by our imaginative young FL as a cover for her real interest which is the ML.
ML is also incredibly thick about her crush because she is still ‘kiddo’ to him. This is the same when she is a 17 year old (does ZL play 17 a little younger than 17 year olds are today?? Might this be to avoid the problems that having a more mature 17 year old would create for the show) and even when she arrives at the local university.
Although it is slightly implausible to me that such a stunningly handsome young man would be unaware of her crush… nevertheless the show is going to lengths to make it clear that her affection is being received within an older brother mindest – at least in the earlier stages of their relationship.
While on the topic of this show – it is very poignant in places. It’s not just cute and fluffy. We get glimpses into the background and the grown-up struggles of our ML for instance. As @Fern put it, there’s a lot of stuff we don’t know about our ML and his background and family life. We see him mostly through the eyes of the FL. His reality is revealed in glimpses. I was struck when the FL met him when she was now at University … he looked tired and drawn and less glowy.
I’m on Episode 7 but looked ahead to 9.
I wanted to say that he is the more emotionally intelligent of the three: FL, FL’s brother and himself. He guides both the FL and her brother into a more workable and appreciative sibling relationship. He shows the brother how a sister should be treated and tells the FL that her brother doesn’t really dislike her.
All those of us who’ve been watching Zhao Lusi shows and are watching Hidden Love now, what do you think of her voice as Sang Zhi. Is that her real voice, ie is she putting on a little girl voice or is she dubbed? I watch her other shows that that’s not how she sounds. Is HL trying to play up the difference in age by making her sound younger than ‘normal’?
Yes @GB – interesting I made a similar comment about how young ZL is playing her 17 year old character. I remember being more mature at 17. May be for cuteness may be to avoid issues.
@GoodTwin – just saw your comment, scrolling back up – so looking forward to when they can connect as adults!
Hi @Fern, @Kate, @GB and @Grace
I am up to episode 15. I like how Duan Jiaxu made it very clear what he wants to become in Sang Zhi’s life. 🙂
Firstly, I really felt that DJ just treated her as his friend’s younger sister. Like @Fern said he never crossed any line and even gave SZ advices on her school subjects, to not have any relationship in high school, how to nicely turn down a suitor and always reminding her that her parents always wants what’s best for her. They formed a bond.
DJ was very busy too in between jobs and university so I can’t blame him for not noticing about SZ’s crush on him. LOL!
I do feel that SZ should have been more mature at 17, I mean her hair alone is mostly on a pony tail. hehehe But it can be said too that she really was smitten with DJ. I was laughing when she made up her online dating bf, all because she assumed that DJ saw her drawing book which was her drawings of them together. But she learned from it all. She pursued her dream and got into university. Sigh. I have had my share of crushes. LOL!
I was crying with her when SY picked her up from the airport. She was wearing that bear binnie/scarf and that symbolised that she is still young. I like that detail though. I liked that after putting her crush away, she didn’t have any contact with DJ for 2 years? Totally ignored him. 🙂
I should know Lusi’s voice by now so I can say that the 17 year old SZ is definitely not her voice. But it’s her voice once she got to university.
I love her dorm bffs! 🙂
@agdr03, @Fern, @GB, @Grace and @Good Twin
@agdr03 -it was so clever of her to distract with the fictitious flirtation.
DJ gave her a heartfelt lecture. She looked downcast. Then concluded; ‘I couldn’t resist.’ At that moment, she had something of the Georgette Heyer ingenue/spirited heroine about her!
Crushes … me too! This show evokes the feelings very well.
His, @agr03. Thanks for the information about her voice. It’s something I maybe wouldn’t have noticed, unless she had a very, very distinctive voice.
I may re-watch some of the episodes on Netflix to see if the subs are different. I’m starting episode 14 now.
Is it just me or is Lusi getting prettier with each show? She looks the same but more sophisticated somehow than in the earlier dramas I watched her in.
@Kate, @agdr03, @GB, @Grace and @Good Twin,
The thought that went through my head was “How much pocket money does this child have to purchase a flight plus transport to the airport?”
Yes, to the Georgette Heyer allusion, @Kate. Also when her brother explained to their parents that she had pride and wouldn’t return to her ‘online boyfriend’ if he rejected her, which was the story. But the family unwittingly keeps throwing them together, right?
@Fern, you noticed it too? Lusi is getting prettier and prettier in the drama. I especially like her hair when it’s down but the buns look good on her too. 🥰 But I find her really pretty in real life too. ☺️
The voice of Lusi’s character in Who Rules The World is not hers. Definitely different. I should mention that I didn’t watch her other drama called A Female Student Arrives at Imperial College because I didn’t like the look of the ML with her. 😂
I think SZ’s parents must give her a lot of allowance to book her flight. The bad thing was she stole her ID card. 😬
I’ve been rewatching episode 14-15 already. 🙈🥰
It comes out on Netflix tomorrow but I’m not sure how many episodes it will be. Enjoy! ☺️
@Kate, yes! I thought that lecture from DJ was good.
Oh the crushes, that trying not to look too much was my fave habit then. 😂
Oooh!! I started on Hidden Love of episode 1 and I thought the young SZ was around 11years old or younger! She really looked so young and not 14 at all. Went to check her actual age and discovered she’s 12!
She did justify that she is short and will grow taller. Loved her acting though.
I’m chuckling at the scene in episode 16 when the coworker tells ML to “look into my eyes” and then gives him a huge exaggerated eye roll 🙄! I may have to borrow that line. And the roommate who is meddling telling the other roommmate not to meddle.
As for the FL seeming terrible young at 17 – agreed! But the cutesy thing seems endemic in Chinese dramas – the FLs well into her 20s seems to have stuffed animals, pink bedrooms, cartoons stickers, animal ears headband etc.
Dear @GB, finally ended Episode 5 of “Silent (2022)” and commented on it at the proper post.
Hi all ‘Hidden Love’ watchers!
LIGHT SPOILER ALERT
I made it to Episode 14 – stayed up later than I should.
This is a delightful show.
I am really liking the developments —
especially the conversation where the ML is doing a Columbo on the unsuspecting FL at his friend’s wedding!
The happy smirk on his face when his clever interrogation gets him the information he wants!
We can all be thankful to his thoughtful, high EQ college friend for tipping him off about what the FL may have been doing when she was talking about the mystery man who was nice to everyone…
@agdr03 – I think you said that ‘Hidden Love’ was written by the same writer as ‘Love 020’. I can’t find your post.
The dorm friendships certainly remind me of the Love 020 set up.
As you also pointed out (I think!) there are resonances with the DJ protective care of the FL and that of SN in Love 020. Agreed! DJ is incredibly kind – behind the scenes too – to his best friend’s younger sister. Even before he starts to have a romantic interest in her.
I love love episode 14 @Kate! 😉
That smile where DJ got her again! 😂
The epilogue was cute too! DJ bring it on! 🥰
Here’s a clip of an episode preview where SZ was being helped by her dorm bffs. 😂
https://twitter.com/outrolusi/status/1674357747784224768?s=46&t=BT0tHWWRRX1rx64As5f8XQ
@Kate, yes, it was me that said DJ is similar to XN in that he is kind and does things for her without being too obvious.
The screenwriter for Hidden Love and LoveO2O is the same person. ☺️
@agdr03 – thank you for confirming that re the screenwriter!
It is heart-warming to see the way he cares about her… and values her as a special person in his life.
I need to get into that Twitter page via another route – but will take a look – thank you.
I plan to re-watch Episode 14 tonight – so good!! I’m not sure I caught the epilogue… I’ll double check when I re-watch.
Please make sure to watch every epilogue @Kate. Episode 14 epilogue is 🥰🥰🥰
Yes, I’m actually mostly in Twitter now because there’s lots of HL goodies there. ☺️
@agdr03 – thank you for the epiologue tip! Looking forward to my evening re-watch treat now.
Interesting re Twitter – I was on Twitter and then my account got hacked so I came off (years ago).
Oh that’s not nice @Kate.
Enjoy the rewatch. I’ll be rewatching too. 😍
I’m mostly on Twitter now because of HL. I don’t even post on my account though. 🙁
Here’s another treat. 🥰
I feel this CP will be my favourite this year. ☺️
https://twitter.com/olayin97/status/1674449354592235521?s=46&t=BT0tHWWRRX1rx64As5f8XQ
@agdr03 – I got my episodes mixed up!
The episode that I was talking about, with the clever interrogation by the ML of the unsuspecting FL at the wedding, was episode 13.
I haven’t watched much of 14 yet.
I’ll look forward to that tonight!
I may watch early episodes on Netflix too to see if the subs are better or worse.
@Kate, episode 14 is another good one. 🥰
CZY is so great in doing facial expressions, even the tilting of his head adds up to the emotion his trying to convey.
I haven’t checked Netflix yet but they said there’s 4 episodes already.
Enjoy the rewatch. ☺️
Great!
Agreed. CZY is excellent in this role and emotes wonderfully. Very different from the attractive ‘in an aloof way’ YY character in Love 020.
I’m excited to have this on Netflix.
Love O2O was the series that started the BoD tradition of kiss analysis. Will we have reason to continue the tradition with HL? Let’s hope so!
@Welmaris – yes indeed! I hope so too.
On an unrelated note… high level product placement –
DJ gifts SJ for her 18th with Guerlain products – including the grapefruit-y scent Aqua Allegoria which she spritzes into the air in her bedroom.
What a lovely gift – incidentally – and such a shame she only discovers about his sweet generosity (while still struggling financially – I think)a year later.
Yes indeed @Welmaris!
Just noticed too, on an unrelated note – expensive product placement – DJ’s 18th birthday gift to SZ, Guerlain products, including Aqua Allegoria. She spritzes that lovely fresh grapefruit-y scent into the air in her bedroom.
(This may end up being a double post)