November will be a daunting month for those with an extreme fear of missing out, better known as FOMO.
I counted no less than five dramas with engaging storylines to premiere this month. I’ll have to be very picky about which dramas to add to my pile since I still have “Strong Woman Namsoon,” “A Good Day to Be a Dog,” “Hidden Love” (lololol), and “Trillion Game” (a dorama) to finish.
Remember to practice the joy of missing out (or JOMO) when things get overwhelming. It’s okay to hit the pause button on the kdramas and enjoy real life with your family and friends.
1. Moon in the Day
I thought this would come in October, but it was postponed till November 1.
It’s another reincarnation kdrama. As @Phoenix declared, 2023 is the year of reincarnation trope.
To me, every time the Silla Dynasty is mentioned – coupled with transmigration of souls – the plot will be complicated, melodramatic, and tragic. I remember Lee Min Ho “Faith” and IU’s “Hotel del Luna.” But let’s see how this screenwriter dumbs this kdrama down.
Long explanation from soompi:
Based on a hit webtoon, “Moon in the Day” tells a chilling and heartbreaking love story that spans 1,500 years. Moving back and forth between the past and present, the drama will follow a man for whom time has stopped and a woman who “flows like a river.”
Kim Young Dae will take on the dual roles of Han Jun Oh, a well-known top star in Korea, and Do Ha, an elite noble of the Silla Dynasty. After experiencing a car crash, Han Jun Oh’s body is possessed by Do Ha’s soul who has a completely different personality from Jun Oh.
Pyo Ye Jin will also play the dual roles of Kang Young Hwa, a firefighter-turned-bodyguard, and Ha Ni Ta, the sole survivor of a noble family from Daegaya (a city-state) in the Silla Dynasty. Kang Young Hwa’s life completely changes after saving top star Han Jun Oh from a car crash on the day they were filming a public service advertisement together.
Source: soompi
Cast: Kim YoungDae (“The Forbidden Marriage”) and Pyo YeJin (she was the maid in “Our Blooming Youth”)
Episodes: 14 (what’s up with these unusual number of episodes in new dramas?)
Start Date: Wed, Oct 25
Airs on Wednesdays and Thursdays
Where to Watch it: Viki
Network: ENA?
2. Daily Dose of Sunshine
I’m excited about this one because it stars Park BoYoung (“Doom at Your Service” and “Strong Girl Do Bongsoon”) and it seems to be an uplifting drama. Just what I need nowadays.
Synopsis from soompi:
Based on a webtoon and the real-life experiences of a psychiatric nurse, “Daily Dose of Sunshine” tells the story of nurse Da Eun as she meets people with wounded hearts at the psychiatric ward.
Park Bo Young will play the role of Jung Da Eun, who cares deeply about her patients and experiences personal and professional growth after being transferred from internal medicine to the mental health department.
As it is uncommon for a third-year nurse to leave the ward she’s been working in and transfer to a different ward, everyone is curious about why Da Eun transferred to the psychiatric ward.
Source: soompi
Cast: Park BoYoung, Yeon Woo Jin (“Introverted Boss”), Jang Dong Yoon (“The Tale of Nokdu”)
Episodes: 12
Start Date: Friday, Nov 3
Airs on Friday (hmmm. Will all the episodes drop on Friday, Nov 3??)
Where to Watch it: Netflix
Network: Netflix
By the way, do you know that her ex-costar in “Doom at Your Service,” Seo InGuk is coming out with “Death’s Game” in December? I’m looking forward to that one, too. From what I gather, a dispirited and suicidal Seo InGuk is punished by Death to migrate his soul into other people’s bodies. He experiences dying through their eyes and he goes through the cycle of death repeatedly. Obviously, the goal of the Death Angel is that he’ll eventually find meaning and hope to live.
3. A Bloody Lucky Day
Yoo YeonSeok as a serial killer? Why not?
Synopsis from mydramalist:
Ordinary taxi driver Oh Taek accepts a fare to Mokpo as the passenger offers to pay a high price. Soon, Oh Teak realizes the man in his back seat is a serial killer and a drive of horror begins.
Cast: Yoo Yeonseok (“The Interest of Love”), Lee Sung Min (“Misaeng”)
Episodes: 10
Start Date: Mon, Nov 20
Airs on Mondays and Tuesdays
Where to Watch it: ??? Anywhere but Disney, please!!
Network: tvN
4. My Demon
I’m a sucker for contractual marriage so I’m in. Plus, I like their visuals.
The synopsis from soompi:
“My Demon” is a fantasy rom-com about the demon-like chaebol heiress Do Do Hee (Kim Yoo Jung) and the demon Jung Gu Won (Song Kang), who loses his powers one day, as they enter a contractual marriage. Kim Yoo Jung will be playing Do Do Hee, the heiress to Mirae Group who doesn’t trust anyone and falls in love with a demon. Song Kang will transform into the absolutely perfect and devastatingly charming demon Jung Gu Won, who lived his life of eternity making dangerous yet sweet deals with humans whose current lives are like hell by holding their souls as collateral.
Source: soompi
Cast: Kim Yoo Jung (“Lovers of the Red Sky”) and Song Kang (“Navillera”)
Episodes: 16
Start Date: Fri, Nov 24
Airs on Fridays and Saturdays
Where to Watch it: Neflix
Network: Netflix
I hope this isn’t going to be like that flashy dud, “King the Land.”
5. Once Upon a Boyhood
Siwan as a high school student?? What’s next for him? A middle schooler? Is he doing this to avoid kissing his female costar?
Synopsis from soompi:
Im Siwan will take on the role of Jang Byung Tae, a small and weak boy living in Onyang of South Chungcheong Province. Jang Byung Tae, who is at the bottom of the school’s social ladder, transfers to the neighboring Buyeo Agricultural High School. There, he faces an unexpected incident that becomes a turning point in his life.
Source: soompi
Apparently, he becomes the “most powerful kid overnight” and I suspect it’s because he encounters the bullies at his new school and accidentally, knocks them all out.
Cast: Siwan (“Summer Strike”)
Episodes: 10
Start Date: Fri, Nov 24
Airs on Fridays
Where to Watch it: ??
Network: Coupang TV
source: Asianwiki
6. The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract
Time-travel + contract marriage + tsundere chaebol guy = Tropy-iest kdrama of 2023 ever!
But I’m checking it out because of Bae InHyuk. The last time I saw him, he was wearing a cheerleading costume ala-Mickey Mouse in “Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” I need something to erase that image from my mind.
Here’s the long write-up from mydramalist:
In the 19th century, on the night of her wedding day, Park Yeon Woo’s husband dies after revealing that he has suffered from a heart condition for a long time. She is devastated but before she can even mourn her husband she gets kidnapped by a man and is thrown into a well. The moment she opens her eyes she sees her husband before her. Transcending time, space and death, she is now in present-day Seoul, South Korea, and the man who saves her from the swimming pool is Kang Tae Ha, who looks a lot like her dead husband from the 19th century.
Kang Tae Ha is the successor of SH Seoul Corporation. He does not like opening himself up to others due to his heart disease and the trauma that he endured in his childhood. He prioritises logic over emotions and is uninterested in having a romantic relationship, but his ill grandfather tells him that he wishes to see his wedding before he dies. In the hopes of making his grandfather’s wish come true, Kang Tae Ha asks Park Yeon Woo to enter into a contract marriage with him.
Phew! This can’t be any worse than “King the Land,” right? Right???
Cast: Lee SiYoung (“The Red Sleeve”) and Bae InHyuk (the male lead in that disastrous cheerleading show, “Cheer Up”)
Episodes: 12
Start Date: Fri, Nov 24
Airs on Fridays and Saturdays
Where to Watch it: Viki???
Network: MBC
source: mydramalist
I used to like reincarnation dramas till this year – too much of a good thing and the novelty is lost (for me at least) 😛
So I am going to skip ‘Moon in a Day’ and ‘Park’s Marriage Contract’. I would rather go with ‘My Demon’ because it seems somewhat like ‘Doom At Your Service’ minus the angst, and plus a chaebol heiress instead of the usual male one. I just started ‘A Good Day to be a Dog’, so I can just watch one more serialized drama in real time.
I am also going to watch ‘Castaway Diva’ on Netflix (even though I don’t generally gravitate towards non-romance focused dramas), because it is about music and I found Park Eun Bin’s acting in EAW as fascinating as the whales.
@packmule3
Regarding ‘Daily Dose of Sunshine’ episode release schedule, it might be like ‘Celebrity’ or ‘Doona’ where Netflix released all 9-10 episodes together.
Currently watching:
My dearest part 2– enjoying the emotional roller coaster
Twinkling watermelon- wondering how they’ll wrap it up
The killing vote- reminds me of Happiness in its commentary on society. I don’t agree but fascinating to watch human nature in it’s ugliness and good triumph occasionally
Castaway diva- I think the title is more about a diva in her prime who was castaway by the public instead of a girl who was castaway on a deserted island.
A good day to be a dog- it’s fine
Plan to watch/try:
Everything you listed
The matchmakers
We go fast on trust —16 episode cdrama
Vigilante
Currently watching:
My Dearest
Twinkling Watermelon
Castaway Diva
Interested in:
Goryeo-Khitan War
Will wait for word of mouth:
Moon In The Day
Park’s Marriage Contract
@Pm3: Castaway Diva, writer Park Hyu Rin. 😉
I’ll probably don’t have time to watch dramas from this list, but this one, YES!!
Else, my favorite on-air drama is ofc 7-escape. Writer Kimm Soon Ok.
The K Dramas I want to check out in November are:
My Demon: Contract marriage and my girl kim Yoo Jung? I am So There!
The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract: Contract marriage and Bae In Hyuk? Definitely on my watch list.
Perfect Marriage Revenge: Contract marriage and Sung Hoon? Yes, Please!
K Dramas I will wait and see what the reviews say and viewer feedback:
The Matchmakers
Moon In the Day: Not that interested in the lead actors and getting rather tired of the reincarnation/past lives plotline, so this one goes on the backburner as I’ll be watching PMC instead.
Daily Dose of Sunshine: Not really into medical/hospital slice of life dramas, although I do like Park Bo Young. If the drama gets really good buzz, I may check it out.
C Dramas I want to check out in November:
C Drama “The Furthest Distance” It’s on Viki and WeTV. The trailer looks cute. Romance drama about an interior designer and a doctor. He hired her to help him with his house, and then 6 years later they meet again.
Will continue watching “Good Day To Be A Dog” and “Strong Woman Nam Soon”
Did anyone watch Doona? ☺️ Suzy embodies the idol par to a T. She is smoking (literally) gorgeous. But other than that, it kinda felt flat, even the ending. Oh, almost forgot, with lots of kisses (6). Hahaha, I’m doing kiss patrol.
Hello everyone, how are you doing?
Wow after a long time I take a hiatus from watching drama.. there are so much that I need to keep up with 🙃
This month’s list will be:
1. Daily Dose of Sunshine: I miss Park Bo Young so much. A glimpse of her in Nam Soon just made me realize, that I like her more than I think I do.
2. Castaway Diva: Park Eun Bin’s project is a no brainer watch for me. But the stronger reason for me to watch this is I want to see more of Cha Jong Hyeop. His smile intrigued me. I think he has a potential to be BIG. So I’m waiting patiently..
3. A Bloody Lucky Day: after HP2, I admit that I have a trauma to watch YYS in a romantic drama. Hahaha. So I didn’t watch his previous project, The Interest of Love.. I really hope I could watch him again here, because I miss him. I read that he studied videos of real-life psychopaths for this project. I can’t wait to see his performance.
4. Vigilante: Because I want to see Nam Joo Hyuk shines in his own light. I think that so far his amazing acting have been somehow hide in a shadow of other actors/actresses in the same projects.. I hope that he will stand under the spotlight here.
🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻
Hi, So I did it and watched ep 1-2 of Castaway Diva.
Quick comment: WOW!!! Straight to the heart. ❤️
It wakes up my drama-enthousiasm. It was deeply moving quite fast.
Long comment: @Packmule3, please open a thread!
– we’ll be more than one on this drama here. And everything is reunited so it will be probably a big hit. Rating, comments, drama team. it’s again director Oh Choong Hwan:
https://mydramalist.com/people/15974-oh-choong-hwan
– On episode 1, I want to decypher the how and why this writer create so much emotion. I know there is no recipe for this, but it’s still possible to note the plot-points. I need to find key of this magic. It’s mostly first half of ep1.
@Phoenix I am also getting tired of reincarnation / transmigration dramas, One of my My favorite genres.. Like you I find they are losing their novelty. That is one reason why I was disappointed in a good day to be a dog to see that there was some kind of historical back story- I still continue to watch it and enjoy it.
I may need to look for novelty in another genre. Or japanese or chinese shows. Or watch shows that I have been meaning to watch forever like hospital playlist.
That said I won’t be able to resist starting some of these shows. Being selective probably won’t be easy at least at the beginning of the show.
Woe is me -such a first world problem.
@moonstar 512. I avoid shows where a favorite actor becomes a bad Person. I can never see them the same again.With Yys It is different because I absolutely loved him in his yakuza role in mister sunshine And have not seen him in hospital playlist Yes. I do tend to avoid medical dramas. But I am planning to watch hospital playlist one day and may take a look at the one about the nurse who goes to the psychiatric Ward. I find that the medical inaccuracies in medical dramas drive me around the bend.
@WE and @pkml3, based on the Writer and Director and @WE’s enthusiasm, I tried the first 2 episodes of Castaway Diva. Not bad. The music is good, with songs for the diva to sing. There are interesting relationships and a mystery. I guess we won’t get to know the answer to the mystery for the first 6 episodes.
I’m wondering if the singing voice belongs to Park Eunn
Bin or if there’s a ghost singer about.
🍪🥛🌮🥙🧋🥪🍔🧁☕🍧🍵🍡🧋
@pkml3, please open a thread for Castaway Diva. Thanks!
🍪🥛🌮🥙🧋🥪🍔🧁☕🍧🍵🍡🧋
@WEnchanteur – re CD – I found myself crying during the concert in Episode 2.
It is moving.
Lovely performances by junior cast members too eh?
@GB, yeahh… aah, I feel like my enthousiasm could drag mountains. Epic feeling.
I was hit hard by the drama. 😀
I found some key to mysteries, or at least I think I know who is the male lead.
I’ve read on a forum, actress Eun Bin really sings that!
@Kate, last scene of episode 2 is a tear stealer!!
Mok Ha: I was thinking it was the same actress. They look close, but nope, it’s a young 17yo actress called Lee Re.
Scene breakdown of episode 1 first half.
(I’ll copy it on the thread when ready)
It’s too long to post in a comment, so I put that in a file:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19BGWUnuAijBVyOHIY33DLmys4TtV7RFj/view?usp=sharing
Or Packmule3 can use it freely. Modify or post.
I didn’t put a lot of dialogues in this. It’s more the intention of scenes, order, how the emotion is build up. Trying to find the writer magic. So I can think about that in my own screenplay. 😉
@GB, SPOILER, MYSTERY ABOUT TO BE BROKEN:
——–
———
———-
What if I say… Ran Joo is the mother of… a father who’s wife quitted in the past and it could be… Mok Ha OR Ki Ho. Theory building on the fact it’s said Ran Joo come from the same village. 😉
@WE – yes I had the same questions about the younger actress! Very well chosen for the role.
I made few modifications on the previous doc, forgetting to say something important I was thinking even before to write it. AARRRRAGGGGHHH!!! New link here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dNEvluNHyVvCI35KixH3n8zcKg3QC8f9A79Llv1m-Co/edit?usp=sharing
Hi @WE, I clicked on your link and asked for access to the Google page. I’m still not getting any auto generated emails. I hope I can get yours! 🙃🤨😐😬
I have also watched the first 2 episodes of castaway diva And I am in for the ride. So far I am finding this story Intriguing and Unique.
Spoilrr
Spoiler
Spouler
In the scene where the two women are seeing it is As though they are one. Perhaps they are mother and daughter. I was thinking it’s a bit too much of a coincidence that the young boy she knew as a student would be the one to discover her on the island after fifteen years. Then I remembered the title of the episode was coincidence or fate so perhaps he is the same boy from her middle school.
@GB, to be sure, I changed the access right. I tested it with a proxy and it works now. Also, you asked access in google-doc, so I gave you a special right as commentator.
@MM, Yep. Chances are high that Ran Joo is Mok Ha mother.
– Ep1, it’s said Yoon Ran Joo comes from the same village on this island. Sounded like a quick expo line for foreshadowing we were supposed to forget?
– Could be Ki Ho’s one, but unlikely because Ki Ho and his father don’t have the accent of the isle, and it’s said Ki Ho is new in the classroom.
– Maybe: It’s why Mok Ha’s father destroy her guitar and posters of Ran Joo. He knows Ran Joo is his ex-wife and hate seeing his daughter admire her, even she doesn’t know it’s her mother.
Really, thinking about a drama, look at every detail kill the surprise. T T
@WE, replied to you on MDL!! 😁🧐🤓😎 Will comment later. Gotta run.
Ack. I think I’m about to hit new drama overload. I really can’t live watch more than two dramas at a time unless the time periods/settings are so different that I can easily keep them apart. And I definitely can’t watch two time/body swap dramas at once. So Moon in the Day and Park’s Marriage Contract cancel each other out for me right now. If reviews are really good for either or both I’ll try starting them later.
While I have found It’s Good to be a Dog charming, its release schedule is frustrating. One episode this week and the next in 14 DAYS?! So I’m going to put it on the back burner and not watch it again until all/most of the episodes are available. (Even then it’s not something I will watch with a lot of serious intent–it’s just something fun I could watch while folding laundry, etc.).
I started Castaway Diva and liked it, mostly because it reminded me a lot of the things I liked about Start Up (they have the same writer). I wasn’t a fan of the FL in The King’s Affection because I didn’t think she showed a lot of range, but I found her more charming in Attorney Woo. She has kept some of the mannerisms of Attorney Woo (the awkward slant of her head seems to be channeling AW–though here it’s to show she’s an awkward adolescent in an adult body). But I was impressed by her singing–she has pipes! So I’ll probably stick with that one in real time.
I started The Matchmakers this week and found myself laughing quite a bit so I’ll probably also stick with that one as a live watch. (It helps that it’s a different time period than Castaway). I’m not a huge Rowoon fan (wasn’t impressed with him in TKA either) but here he’s doing the indignant/repressed man pretty well.
Vigilante and Lucky Day are no-gos for me. I can’t stomach a lot of violence (though there was some violence in The Kidnapping Day, which I bore because I liked the plot/relationship so much).
Doona was a snooze for me so I dropped it after one episode. Maybe it got better? But Bae Suzy’ character was so annoying I couldn’t take her anymore.
Daily Dose of Sunshine would be the only other new show I might try to add into my live watching.
Still haven’t delved into Twinkling Watermelon or My Dearest. (I’ve been reading more these days and not watching as much TV…). Once cold weather is here to stay and I’m in more for the evening I’ll probably start one or both.
I would like to find a somewhat trashy/over-the-top drama I could watch while doing chores–something like Love Ft Marriage and Divorce. Any recommendations?
In non-kdrama watching, I’ve been watching Lessons in Chemistry on Apple TV. I like it because it reminds me of the movie, Hidden Figures. (Life in the 1950s sucked for women!)
@BethB. I have your trashy overthetop drama!
The escape of the seven.
But better: writing is top quality, it’s not a garbage-can makjang.
But crazy? Oh yes!
Kim Soon Ok, writer of The Penthouse, The Last Empress, Temptation of wife…
… and about ~700 hours of screentime in her career.
I can say episode one expo is better than Penthouse. More clear, more easy to assimilate. Without so much info dump in dialogues. In the other hand Penthouse set-up a better starting scene and goals in the cliffhanger.
HOWEVER: 7-escape have a plot-twist near the end of the episode 1. The kind of MIND-FuuuU-kkk plot-twist so impossible, so unrealistic but you’ll still love that!!
Now about 7-escape episode 2. Gosh… How is there in the world a better episode 2. Let’s say, W two world is at least a quite respectable rival.
@BethB – check out Perfect Marriage Revenge – it may do the trick for you!
I am enjoying it in the way I think you might.
https://www.viki.com/videos/1241817v
@BethB: For trashy drama with OTT, I recommend Perfect Marriage Revenge at Viki. It even has some of the same actors from Love Marriage Ft. Divorce.
I will also recommend Chinese Mini Drama “Miss Mystery” available at Youku YouTube Channel. It’s another female revenge drama and also OTT. It’s just 4.5 hours long, so good to have while doing chores.
@Kate @BethB. I have watched the 2 episodes Of perfect marriage revenge And I think it will be a guilty pleasure. I had not really intended To watch it because I do not generally like revenge dramas but I do like.Sung Hoon. It is fun to hate the bad people and hope The heroine will get her sweet revenge. I find it more difficult to watch revenge dramas When it is one Lover against the other but that can work out too.
SPOILER
SPOILER
It will be interesting to see if the couple in this Have a good relationship or not. At least she has not hidden from him that she is after revenge. He asked her!.
Hi @Janey! I watched Doona and I thought it did have great kisses. 🥰 I didn’t mind the story too but the smoking was a bit too much for me. That’s just me. 😁
Thanks for the November kdrama lists. 🙇🏻♀️
I will watch My Demon and Daily Dose of Sunshine. I think this is it for my November.
I actually finished Love Is Sweet too. I enjoyed it but it could have been better at 30 episodes. Great kisses in it too.
For cdramas, there’s Only For Love starring Dylan Wang and Bailu starting today. I will definitely check it out. Girlfriend @Phoenix and I are on to it.
Here’s the trailer. CTO.
https://youtu.be/CSVaawmj100?si=qAOCWwL8HBMIt2cU
@packmule3and everybody, like the parenthetical comment about Disney. Am so over it. They funnel Korean content to Hulu(a streamer I don’t get because I have so many and it’s not worth it). There are just so many hours to watch and I’ll not have FOMO. I also noticed that over time many dramas end up on multiple streamers if they are not exclusive to one. I also like the tactic used by streaming customers to only pay for a streaming service when a given program airs. There are enough riches to go around and many older programs yet to view. But as far as K content goes, Disney falls down on the job. I think if you love the Marvel Universe
, that’s where you go. So, when The Marvel’s gets viewed on Disney, I’ll watch it to see how Park Seo Joon does in English.
Hello BODers. Happy Fall!
Just starting the cdrama Only For Love – hmmm the opening half hour is not promising especially for Dylan Wang’s character but I’m going to give it a minute. I like Bai Lu so am hopeful. I have been rewatching her in Forever and Ever which, between the beauty and the dork romance and the gorgeous Chinese setting, never gets old for me.
As for k dramas – there are so many. So far Kim Young Dae’s and Rowoon’s are on my list. I watched the first two episodes of Castaway Diva. Whoever commented on FL using some of Attorney Woo mannerisms – yes agree 💯. I find the reporter brother super annoying – but does anyone else think the actor could be Song Kang’s sibling? His character seems so much like Song Kang’s character in that not very good weather drama.
Speaking of Song Kang I may also check out My Demon.
I did watch Doona with the fast forward button. I think I missed the part that showed that the characters are actually together in the end just publicly apart. Apparently you have to watch who is telling the story and what they’re wearing to pick up on this very subtle fact. It was nice to see the ML back after his military service and Suzy is always a commanding presence although her character was really tiresome especially in the beginng.
@Good Twin – thank you for the tip re Doona. I also did a very very very rapid watch of this show because of not feeling any desire to go deep with the characters… I just wanted to know how the story played out in the end.
I really like the ML in other shows… not sure this was the ideal pairing with Suzy … her character was brittle and irritating and his characterization of the ML seemed [ from the episodes I watched in full – to be a bit limited in its range/formulaic.
Not sure it suited him. But I can’t speak from a detailed viewing.
I still remember crying my eyes out watching the same actors performance in My Country the New Age because his acting style was off-set by the huge historic themes.
I remember feeling similarly about Park Bo Gum in Encounter… the wrong vehicle for him. PBG resorted his usual moves and winning facial expressions and they didn’t quite translate into the role.
I think at times that the ML and FL didn’t seem to be in the same drama. Suzy’s was an edgier drama – tortured artiste etc. The ML, Yang Se-Jong’s performance seemed to be more reflective of the mood of wholesome romance/romantic comedy.
But I am sharing an impression here.
I have been watching the 2005 Japanese version of Boys over Flowers.
I know we had a discussion a few months back because of the Thai version.
The Japanese version boats really good central performances by both the FL and the ML.
The FL is a more appealing character to me than the K-drama version. Amongst other things, the J-drama FL discovers a desire to go to law school and works hard to achieve her goals. In that sense, she is very different from the later portrayal of the FL in the K-drama version. She is very sharp rather than self-consciously bumbling in the way the Korean actress portrayed the heroine.
The J-drama version is also more realistic about the ML’s anger issues and cruelty – he doesn’t morph as quickly into a grown up version of himself.
I think the K-drama version may still be the best. It is longer and has time to round out and develop the secondary character roles. F4 show up as distinctive characters in the K-drama version. The second ML in the J version – doesn’t have as many clear characteristics and lacks the mystique of other versions. The other two F4 members don’t get much of a narrative ark either in the J-drama.
It’s worth a watch of you enjoy re-makes of Boys over Flowers! I certainly do.
@Kate I have been looking for the taiwanese version of boys over flowers To watch in good quality. I have followed the careers of at least two of the four male leads and would really like to see them in the show where they got together as the f four band.
I have only watched snippets of the korean version, but it is on my to watch list just to see the actors when they were so young And to see some of the tropes in their original. I did find it a little hard to take though. I think I might have watched the first one or two episodes. Lee Minho Was my first kdrama star crush but since then, I have grown very tired of him for a number of different reasons.
There may be one or two other chinese versions as well. Have you watched either of them?
I did find the Taiwanese version on youtube but it was very poor quality.
@Monmor – you have to put up with the poor sound on the Taiwanese one. Sadly.
The guys – for me at least – lead and second lead – are the most gorgeous F4 characters in the whole universe of F4. Especially the second lead.
Barbie Hsu is considered to be the quintessential FL.
I have seen it and just had to deal with the audio. They don’t seem to separate ambient noise from the recording of conversations between characters. So you get disturbed by traffic noise etc etc
Others watching Perfect Marriage Revenge…
It’s very watchable. I watched it as a filler but am looking forward to episode 4 tomorrow. It has that slight ‘Dynasty vibe’ but lots of humour some good twists and turns and passionate romance bubbling under the surface of what is ostensibly a business deal contract relationship between the FL and ML.
It’s based on a web novel and webtoon. I read earlier that the ML, played very well by Sung Hoon, is meant to embody the ideal man. Sung Hoon is perfect for this role. He delivers with credibility and has sufficient swagger and sincerity to pull it off.
Does anyone else detect that Sung Hoon has a slight lisp? Or am I mishearing? I’ve never noticed it before.
The ML is also a man of mystery. Some of that mystery is foreshadowed in his encounter with the FL at the art exhibition at the start of the show. He seems to be aware of things that she isn’t about the situation she is trapped within.
The FL is doing a great job too. She’s believable in the role and manages to exude vulnerability and determination and to take the audience with her. I haven’t seen the actress, Jung Yoo Min in anything else.
Great kiss scene in episode 2… I have re-watched – critically of course – a few times.
Perfect marriage revenge is my Guilty pleasure right now.
I think the sung hoon Character does have feelings for her. I wonder if he might have liked her in the other time line as well.
I can’t believe sung hoon is forty years old. I am hoping I will like his character in this show because he does not have very many strongly successful dramas where he is the main lead. I have preferred him as a side character in Oh my venus, Faith, 5 enough And others.
I read something about the kiss being in the style of a webtoon or a manhwa. The kiss was a surprise considering they’re negotiating a business marriage contract.
I will listen for the lisp.
@Monmor… the faux, practice confession (Episode 3) was clearly the real thing – I think we are meant to be in the secret here -and suggested he had loved her long before this contractual possibility.
His immediate and delighted albeit surprised response to her abrupt proposal, in Episode 1. also suggested a man pre-disposed to act on her behalf.
I like that there is this unknown romantic backstory – that we are not simply watching a revenge story but the unfolding of a love story.
Oh yes and in the previous time-line – I agree with you. His concerned conversation with the FL when he found her crying/upset after all the shenanigans at the art gallery suggested he was aware of her – at the very least. She seemed to be surprised at the way he approached her didn’t she? I’m not sure she knew him at that point. That suggested interest from him that was hidden from her.
Just noticed in the VIki background to this show that the title of the novel on which it is based is the much warmer “The Essence of a Perfect Marriage”.
It sounds like the revenge plot is the vehicle for grand romance rather than the real focus. I like that.
https://www.viki.com/tv/40179c-perfect-marriage-revenge
I watched ep1 of Only for Love. I’m waiting for the story to pick up.
I’m watching for Dylan and Bai Lu. Let’s see how it goes! I wonder if the story going to focus on the FL more or equally on both. I recalled Dylan was casted before the success of Love between Fairy and Devil so I wonder if his character arc may be less prominent than the FL’s character.
I bought into the confession until he negated it. I am looking forward to today’s episode. My preferred revenge scenarios are when people are working together. To support each other, it’s to take revenge, which is well deserved on others. I find it painful to watch a good person going down the evil rabbit hole
I am watching more dramas Than I ever have before at the same time. I think I am beginning to
settle into my schedule.
Castaway diva The third episode was more set up and after all the speculating I guess I was hoping for more Intrigue. We do get an idea who the bad guys will be. And I am still thinking the same way about kiho. The development of the relationship between the two women was very nice. Also I was not at all expecting.
What happened at the beginning of the show not to give out any spoilers? Perhaps we will continue to get short scenes of her life Marooned on the island. It will be interesting to see how they interweave the the Theme of the castaway diva which applies to both women. Oops, this should probably be in a different thread. But I don’t know how to copy and paste or if it is even possible.
@KATE Perfect marriage revenge. I am enjoying this as I posted above. I prefer the book’s title The essence of a perfect marriage. Helps me feel more optimistic that this show will not go off the edge.
Dearest I wish they would just put all the episodes out there. But I will have to exercise patience.
Moon in the day has not hooked me yet.
For fun I am really enjoying good day to be a dog and mister bride. @KATE About Mr. Bride, I am halfway through. And it seems to be moving more into romance. Which I hope will be as satisfying as the first half.
Matchmakers which I think I might enjoy more when all the episodes are out.
Maiden holmes For what looks like will be a light watch.
Doom at your service I will get back to this one eventually.
I am waiting to have a look at demon And daily dose of sunshine. A very appropriate title for today after our clocks turned back And I am out here on the patio in the sunshine and cold!.
I also like the sound of the kidnapping day. And of course, the main lead is a former idol.
The only thing I am missing from this list is a recent relatively easy to watch c drama.
An embarrassment of riches!
I forgot to mention song of the bandits, twinkling watermelon As shows on my to watch list.
I also started watching good thieves with ji hyun woo.
@Kate. Spoiler spoiler
Spoiler
I have a lot of thoughts about this episode. I hope the two of them clue in very quickly about how others are sabotaging their relationship. I don’t want the plot to get bogged down in misunderstandings.
What is this about baking cakes to impress in-laws?Chiffon cake In Mr. Bride was a very poor choice of the first cake to bake. I think there was supposed to be whole bunch of symbolism in the burned brownies? Why did the mother in law tell her she is clued out. Is it because she could rehabilitate the cake with disguise? And then he is starving and all he gets is that hard burned brownie?
I think there is some chance. The mother-in-law might end up on her side. But I am really not sure.
Also what is the grandfather hinting about? Is she perhaps Actually Related to the family?
And what was that all about at the end of the episode? We see that he has some kind of phobia of water and that there was some event in his childhood related to his brother. Why did his brother set it up the way he did? Did he think a sideways Allusion to his brother being A violent person a better way of Sabotaging their relationship Than being explicit about it?
I did not think he would pick up that key but if he had. I think that would have been the end of the show for me.
On the positive side, I like the way. She seems to preempt her mother by gifting the fake painting To her future in laws.
@Monmor,
SPOILER Perfect Marriage Revenge
SPOILER Perfect Marriage Revenge
I’ve just seen Episode 4.
I enjoyed the scene where ML struggled to crunch through the brownie – it sounded like he was trying to crack a slab of hard candy. This show doesn’t take itself too seriously.
You can tell too that M-in-law to be is quietly amused by the FL and nothing like the FL’s horrendous step-mum.
Glad ML’s family see through clumsy attempts by step-mum to sabotage and downgrade her adopted daughter, the FL. That ability to discern isn’t always present in dramas like this – refreshing! ML’s family leap straight in to defend the FL from any negative implications about being adopted and of unknown origin. They are more of an open-minded, reasonable wealthy family than some wealthy families we encounter in K-dramaland.
I am also very curious about what the grandfather was hinting at. I have come to the theory as you for now. She has been done a great injustice at some point in her life and has clearly got a very interesting background – and it sounds like that background may well have been a wealthy one.
Will stew on that this week.
I am also puzzled about the dodgy brother’s motivation for setting up the water related event. That is a bit of a blur for me – will re-watch. More will emerge to assuage our curiosity.
I really want the FL to see beyond her closed perspective and realise just how caring and supportive the ML is being. But of course she is re-doing her life, having died, and is still somewhat traumatised and unlikely to want fully to trust a man again. The ML’s current vulnerability will, I hope, be the way to her heart.
Hi All, I now have my triumvirate of C Drama actors; Dylan Wang, Joseph Chang and Wallace Huo. This is all very disconcerting because the joy for these actors and Asian dramas in general with Taiwan being the next country after South Korea to hold a strong place in my heart/brain) makes choosing what to watch all the more difficult. I also go to YouTube where my algorithms are seemingly set and find even more temptation, ergo-now watching Cute Programmer(very entertaining with very attractive leads). So I’m a goner-forever sucked into the Asian drama vortex. 😂
Oh my Perfect Marriage Revenge is good fun!
I’ll take a look at Perfect Mariage Revenge.
I saw it’s the same writers than “Feel good to die”.
@WEnchanteur – if you do, it will be great to get your perspectives on the show!
@Kate, it looks like you are already many to watch it. Maybe you could ask Pm3 a thread? Else you will put all your comments here.
@WE – thank you! I am not sure people will want a big discussion – because they are watching for guilty pleasure.
If people do want a more lengthy discussion. Do say so and we can ask @Packmule3 for a thread.
If not, I don’t want to waste a thread.
I agree we don’t want to submerge this thread with comments.
@WE – would you have time to join in a thread occasionally if we had one?
@Kate. Or maybe comment on MDL?
I’ve no idea if I’ll watch that, I need to see ep1 already.
@WE – no pressure. Hope you enjoy. I’ll wait and see if there is interest! Have a great day.
Of course I would be interested.
I am also happy to keep it as a guilty pleasure And post shorter comments so as not to overwhelm this thread.
@Monmor – big smile! Let’s wait and see, in that case, if we get any more take up.
Just came across a Japanese show That is starting soon that is based on a song. It is called tokyo woman. There is not much information on the m d l listing. There is a song called woman from tokyo by deep purple. The show is 4 episodes. There are a number of Japanese shows with the tag Adapted from a song I have discovered. I have watched first love.
Which was adapted from a song I believe.
Not like I need anything else to watch right now.
I thought DB Would be better than mdl For following people’s thoughts on dramas that are not Followed Here. I think the conversation is more thoughtful than mdl but too many people neglect To warn about spoilers.
As an aside,I particularly hate when I google a show and one of the first google entries is a spoiler.
Perfect Mariage Revenge: to avoir doing mess here, I posted this comment on MDL:
https://mydramalist.com/profile/7647047/reviews/315013
You can answer in the comments of the review zone. 😉
Thank you @WE – will take a look and get back to you!
Annyeong 🍂
Thank you for this thread @PM3. Awesome pawsome as always.
My list: A good day to be a dog, My Dearest 2, Only for Love, Matchmakers, Moon in the day. sooo many, all of a sudden haha.
Oldies: Remember (for Yoo Seung ho). After watching “I am not a robot” – i had to check out his other works. I also finished “moonshine.” I remember trying to watch this when it first came out last year, but somehow, did not stick to it.
I have so many theories about PMR! It’s so trashy and fun! @WE agree that the sets look cheap especially since these are supposed to be ultra wealthy people. This would be a really fun binge watch but I’ve been sucked in and will have to patiently wait.
Sparta spoiler spoiler
About perfect marriage revenge. Is it possible to parody a mak jang? I think this show is really poking fun at itself . About the complaint of poor set. I think the poor set may be on purpose. A poor set is a common complaint of those weekender shows. He describes her room as minimalist and some other term. He is in home design and then creates a pretty room for her in his house.
Also I have been wondering if the money they save on this sets might be going to all those great veteran actors?
I am now thinking of this show as spot the trope and how they develop it. We already have the track of doom transmigration Over the top evil Mother
and a jealous sister who at times I thought was going to be possessed.
We have a candy heroine who has a chance to become an A sort of woman. And a typical male lead. Who I think will not be so typical in the end.
After his so called fake confession, She asked him why he did not become an actor instead of a businessman. He responds that he is better at being a businessman. And maybe he is referring to himself in real life. There certainly are actors who have disappeared from dramas whose main career has then become business.
I lost this the first time so I am not going to be finicky about editing my dictation.
Spoiler spoiler spoiler
Secret marriage revengeI sure hope they do not get serious about the. Sibling trope. We already have the grandmother from one side and the grandfather from the other side in the scene Suggesting some prior connection. Which might just have been business related But does seem to have something to do with the family’s being connected. That was such a funny scene.
@Monmor – great points! I am not sure about the cheap looking set as a parody…but certainly this show doesn’t take itself seriously does it? And yes to being able to afford the cast!
Lots of fairy tale allusions… our ML even talks about rescuing the princess… and she has awoken from sleep induced by nasty Cruella de Ville ( so described by the more aware family of the ML) the step-fright of a parent!
@WE made some comments about all this too.
The self-aware writing includes the rhetorical question from the FL to her family ‘ Are we in a soap opera?’.
It is an unexpectedly delicious show.
@kate Oh I had forgotten about her asking about being in a soap opera.
I am almost confident everything will work out well in the end for the main characters because the makjong tropes will likely be subverted.(to use WE’s term)
I wonder if there will be a redo, at the end, of the art gallery party. That is my imagined ending. Perhaps she will have her first show heavily pregnant with her gorgeous husband at her side. And/or her mother and sister will be arrested for art forgery sales.
Yes, that would be a great re-do ending. I hope they do something like that @Monmor.
Sadly we only have 12 episodes to enjoy. Sob.
Hi, I completed 4 eps of PMR.
Now, I’m hooked in a good drama I missed from 2016: Dr Romantic. 😉
@WEnchanteur – I loved Dr Romantic 2016 and the sequel. Super show!
Will read you re PMR.
Hello Chingu!
I just realized that I haven’t written in the November thread. o.O
I am currently watching:
– Twinkling Watermelon that is a great show so far. Next week we have the last two episodes and I am still eager to see how they conclude this story!
– The C-Drama “Under the Skin” that is great! Tan Jian Ci is amazing in this one! And he has a very good synergy with Jin Shi Jia.
From November shows: I have started:
– Moon On a Day. So far is very interesting and I want to know more.
– The Matchmakers I have watched the first episode only, but I will catch up.
I have read that “Daily Dose of Sunshine” is a MUST watch, because it portrays with a beautiful way the mental issues that is a big no no in S.Korea.
The other two shows that I have in mind are:
– My Demon – THE OTP’s visuals are very tempting!
– The Story of Park’s Marriage Program —> I will watch this for LEE SE YOUNG!
That’s all for now! *grins*
Hi Friends,
It’s nice to be “back.” I missed this community so wanted to pop by and see how everyone is doing.
@OldAmericanLady, is your husband doing okay now?
I took a break from K-dramas, and decided to start watching them again recently. I plan to take another break until something I really want to watch comes along. I’m even going to cancel my Viki subscription since I haven’t watched anything from Viki in a long time.
1. Strong Woman Namsoon
I started watching Strong Woman Namsoon but dropped it after episode 6. There were too many side stories, I didn’t feel like the characters grew, and just didn’t enjoy it anymore. My favorite part was Park Boyong and Park Hangshik’s cameo.
2. Daily Dose of Sunshine
I watched Daily Dose of Sunshine in three days and wow, was it powerful! Park Boyoung never fails to deliver. I needed to fast forward some scenes (the ones they try to show you what people who are going through “episodes” feel like) since they were too much for me, but it has left me reflecting about my mental and emotional health and the health of those around me. This drama tries to break down many stereotypes people have about mental health and it’s gently and thoughtfully done. It’s a masterpiece, although at times I felt it was preachy.
Have a wonderful month friends!
From warm and sunny (30 Celcius now) Taipei,
Hatlady
@Hatlady, thanks for asking. My husband is making good progress. Things are looking up.
As for dramas, I have so many dramas from the past to watch like classics-Mr. sunshine, Goblin, etc. that I’ll be busy for a long time. I also like so many performers that I can live on their output. I like Shin Hye Sun, Park mlSo Dam, Gong Yoo, Lee Dong Wook, that super star couples-Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin and Ji Dung and Lee Bo Young and so many more that I’ll be busy for a long time. I am also enjoying new drama, Castaway Diva for a number of reasons including liking the survival trope, the behind the scenes in show business, our star Park Eun Bin+loved Extraordinary Attorney Woo) and just the vibe. I have a plethora of riches so I’m a happy camper. I spent a lot of time in my life watching American and British shows. In my twenties I was a sucker for French films, especially by Truffault. I went through a Woody Allen phase and through the great Nira Ephron rom coms(Meg Ryan is now having a comeback).I went through Upstairs Downstairs, Downton Abbey and the gritty Wire. I live Game of Thrones and I watched about five seasons of outlander. I went to a minor league baseball game where George R.R. Martin was the guest star and they had an iron throne made of baseball bats.one thrill is that Martin is a New Jersey boy hailing from Bayonne.He once commented that he imagined Wrdteris by looking across the Kill Ban Kull at Staten Island.vHe also was responsible for one of my favorite old series, Beauty and the Beast. I also enjoyed lots of Star Trek. I went to conventions and have Gene Roddenberry’s autograph.So I’m an old fan girl with very eclectic taste including the live of sitcoms like Seinfeld and Cyrb Your Enthusiasm and Veep. I actually read too and have a huge Kindle library as well as public library cards(if I bought more physical books I would be running out of space and I am now looking to donate my collection(except for my son’s children’s books that I hope to give to grandchildren one day. And I never met a Jane Austen that I didn’t like.
I just started ‘Wonderland of Love’…
https://www.viki.com/tv/39670c-wonderland-of-love
2 episodes in and it seems to be a good C-drama of this ilk. Adventure, romance, military plotting, poison arrows and needles flying across the screen…
It stars Xu Kai and Jing Tian.
The role is – it seems from the first 2 episodes- in Xu Kai’s sweet spot – the type of energy he exhibited in ‘Legends’ and ‘Arsenal Military Academy’. A bit like Lee Min Ho – he seems to show up most convincingly when there is energy, passion, urgency coupled with playfulness.
You’ll have seen Jing Tian recently in ‘The Legend of zhuohua. She is a consistent actress.
Great martial arts action – including lots of exciting encounters between FL and ML.
Military Mom is in it, too, btw, for those of who who enjoyed her in Love like the Galaxy and as the mum in ‘Hidden Love’ and in so many other shows.
@kate I just noticed this drama and added it to my to watch list this Morning. It will be a while until I get to it. Because I started a fifty episode weekender called good thieves bad thieves And i’m in the thick of it.
@Monmor – thick as thieves! Love it! Lol
Currently watching:
Parallel World (cdrama and not your usual time travel parallel world)
A Good Day to Be A Dog (it is coming out soooo slowly I manage to catch up)
Strong Girl Namsoon (up to date since I get to watch with family on weekends)
Castaway Diva (Loving this though! The vibe of the child actress and Park Eun Bin is soooo similar)
Doona (When the drop all at one go, I find it hard to keep enough interest to finish it all)
The Matchmakers (I’m enjoying this quite a bit!)
Interested to watch:
1. Wonderland of Love (Cdrama…cos of XuKai, reviews are good so far)
2. Story of Kunning Palace (Cdrama…this drama was a surprise drop last week. I quite like Zhang Ling He from LBFAD and FL is Bailu)
3. Vigilante (I am curious because of Nam Joo Hyuk…being rather shallow here…)
4. Once upon a Boyhood
5. My Demon
6. Only for Love
7. Twinkling Watermelon
Rewatching:
My Journey To You
This is crazy a bit too much and @pm3 is right about being FOMO. I find it hard to catch up with the Cdramas because they drop the episodes all at a go and feel like I want to finish it quickly but I can’t.
@Kate, tell me how Wonderland of Love is going!
I am thinking I may need to leave some shows for a later watch. Unless I am enthralled I am not keeping up with some shows and am losing the threads of the narrative. Even the light hearted ones right now like “A good day to be a dog” and” matchmakers” require attentive watching to get the most out of them.
For now
Castaway Diva
Moon in the Day
Dearest
QIHM rewatch
Perfect Marriage Revenge
When Dearest is over I will re-assess.
AGDTBAD is coming out so slowly anyway.
Good thieves for Ji Hyun Woo. 50 episodes! This is my binge watch. I need at least one of them.
I did not watch Matchmakers closely enough and will probably want to rewatch the first few episodes.
I have already needed to rewatch Castaway Diva and Moon in the Day.
And I have not even gotten to “Twinkling Watermelon” or “Song of the Bandits”.
What will I do when more good dramas start? And there is a Japanese show and a couple of Chinese ones that I have started and left for now.
I am used to watching only one show at a time because I just started watching airing shows.
@Grace,
Wonderland of Love is worth watching. There is a lot of this genre of C-drama about – but this is a good one.
Apparently, it’s the same director as ‘Legends’ and ‘The Untamed’ – excellent direction – action scenes very engaging. I have no complaints too with the script.
And then you have Xu Kai being on his high energy best game (his performances can be a bit lacklustre with the wrong script and direction) and performing alongside Jing Tian – their on-screen relationship is sparky and works well.
You get lightness – sparky conversation – and then you get shade with genuine human tragedy. The characters have layers and depth to them.
Good quality and I imagine you will enjoy it @Grace. Certainly worth a few episodes.
I am only on Episode 4 at the moment but will watch this show.
Hello Friends, I have had several issues here so I am having a hard time dealing with the frustration of my beloved yet old PC having issues with viewing sites.
Dear @GB, wrote you on “Sono Onna, Jilba” two good Posts yet they don’t show. Dear @PM3, hopefully you can retrieve them!
To stay on topic, could download “Sunny: Our Hearts beat together” (Japanese retelling of the Korean original – 2h runtime movie – 2018). Can recommend. A group of six lady friends get separated and strive to reunite before the former leader of the “gang” passes away from Cancer. Laughed a lot, made me sad a lot, made me reflect even more.
I keep remembering packmule’s comments about November being daunting for those with FOMO. It’s not like any of these shows will disappear and perhaps I will prefer to watch them in binge fashion Anyway. I am more afraid I will forget or lose track Of the shows I really want to watch. I have been trying to get my partner to help me with a spreadsheet. But so far there has not been much enthusiasm. This harkens back to our brief discussion of digital hoarding.
I think this website will be the best place for me. To keep track or at least be able to refer back.
Enough about me. More about the shows I am watching, still about me.
I am still watching perfect marriage revenge and really enjoying it. I am taking someone’s advice from earlier and watching the weekend shows as a unit and not separately. TOday I have cast away diva and dearest to look forward to. I finished my fifty episode Ji Hyun Woo drama. GOOD THIEVES. Not something I am likely to rewatch but I did enjoy it. He was totally believable as A character different from his character in QIHM.
@Monmor, you can use MyDramaList to help you keep track of shows you Plan to Watch, are Currently Watching, Completed,… etc, etc. Have you tried it? Better than a spreadsheet!!
https://mydramalist.com
Just get your login registered and you can create your watchlist.
@GB I do use m d l but My lists are overwhelming. And I would like to be able to divide them by genre.
A good reminder though to make use of it for the what I am watching list. That list became what I really want to watch since my plan to watch list got so long.
I have started using it for script writers and sometimes directors.
Essentially I need to stay on top of it. If I have all the shows i’m watching in my to watch list then I can just click on it and find out when it is going to air. Yes, that would mean I have to keep less in my head.
I am in the process of retiring and when that is fully done if I ever get there, I will have more time to devote to all of this.
How are you doing, GB?
@MM Thanks for asking. I’m sort of buried under with work stuff, volunteer stuff, and someone in hospital. I’ve decided I love the Joy of Missing Out (JOMO-ing) and will watch as and when I feel like it, and come around to BOD also when the brain and time permits. Dramas and commenting are great ways to relax but they can also suck up a lot of time.
You are already able to devote a huge amount of time (based on the number of shows you are watching concurrently) therefore I wonder if you’ll triple your viewing plan/schedule when you do retire!!! LOL. How many hours a week are you able to assign to drama watching and commenting?
~ I think I am watching enough already. I would like to spend more time refining my interest in korean music and learning The language. I am very curious as to what it will be like to learn korean formally when I have listened so much. Of course I do have some vocabulary but not necessarily a lot. And some idea of the complexity of the different levels of formality and verb conjugations. I am also very curious about how japanese chinese and korean Languages relate.
I also want to learn to be selective about what I watch and thoroughly enjoy and analyze the dramas rather than being overwhelmed by too many.
@GB
You are juggling a lot of balls in the air. Take care. Yes the joy of missing out rather than the fear of missing out. Now I get the acronyms!
@MM, a wise decision! Yes, perhaps now you’re just plunging in to try many kinds of dramas so that you know in what way you wish to be selective. Seeing your list of dramas overwhelms me!!! 😝
I’m hopeless in picking up languages to speak, although I can catch the meaning after watching enough. All the best in your language learning! 🙂
Moon in the day
A good day to be a dog
The matchmakers day
Castaday Wyva
Strong day namsoon
.
.
.
🤪.
.🤪
🤪.
.🤪
🤪
…..🤪…🤪…🤪…🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪
Thank you
For listening to my
Concerns about FOMO. Pacmule called it at the beginning of the month!
LOL @WE sounds like you’re having a Day-breakdown!!! Too many Day-ramas on weekdays. 🤪☀️
🤪⛅ 🤪🌦️
..🤪⛈️ 🤪☔
🤪☁️ 🤪🌥️
..🤪🌈🤪
@GB, yeah. It’s day breaking-point, when you start to laugh for almost nothing. 😀
It’s silly to post that, but when the funny idea harp on you, hey!
I appreciate your rainy episode. It’s based storytelling. 😉
I dropped some dramas but too much efforts to say why: Vincenzo, Behind your touch, Another miss Oh. I concentrate on “Deserving the name” with zero sources of disapointment into it.
On air dramas: Castaway diva, Perfect mariage revenge.
On hold until on-air ends: Strong girl namsoon, Seven escape.
Twinkling Watermelon: so good!
@Snow Flower
Regarding Twinking Watermelon I agree with you! I will write more on the Open Thread.
I’ve been out of touch here, but have been busily watching dramas. So far in November I have finished:
Love Is Sweet. This Cdrama is of middling quality, but I finished it since I needed fluff. Bai Lu is not at the top of her game in this one, relying too much on pulling a face. I got tired of seeing her character grimace in frustration, annoyance, disapproval, disappointment, etc.
Daily Dose of Sunshine. I gave this Kdrama a 9.5 rating on MDL. The production values of this show blew me away. How they made visual what the characters were feeling was very creative and immersive. (If you’ve seen the show, you know what I just did there.😉) Both male leads displayed great physical comedy. In an early episode Song Yu Chan, played by Jang Dong Yoon, bangs into a pane glass window because he’s wearing a motorcycle helmet and has trouble judging his periphery. In an episode toward the end Dr. Dong, played by Yeon Woo Jin, tries to run away from Nurse Jung (Park Bo Young) to hide his black eye, and as he quickly turns he does a face plant into a pillar. Both these characters bumbled endearingly without being vacuous. Park Bo Young plays a character with a lot of emotional range, and makes Jung Da Eun believable in all her stages. I think this will be an iconic performance in Park Bo Young’s career.
Twinkling Watermelon. I gave this Kdrama a full 10 points on MDL: script, directing, acting, production, soundtrack were all top notch. Although I loved many of the actors in these roles, my favorite was long-haired, guitar-playing, jeans-wearing Chun Ho Jin in a support role as Grandpa Viva. He commands attention even when he’s just standing and we only see him in a sliver of the frame.
I’m currently watching:
A Good Day to be a Dog. I’m enjoying this Kdrama, but am a little frustrated with the script because I don’t believe the FL would risk having time run out on reversing her curse, dooming her to a shorter life spent entirely in dog form, without trying to openly discuss the situation with the only person who can truly help her.
Perfect Marriage Revenge. I didn’t think, based on the title, that I’d like this Kdrama. The several recommendations on this thread got me curious, I tried the first episode, and was hooked. Although it is soapy on purpose, it is good quality. The script has surprised me a number of times, which is a good thing. Tropes are plentiful, and some are subverted. The leads are refreshingly open with each other about their thoughts and motivations. (Or are they?) Sung Hoon, playing the 3rd generation chaebol male lead, seems to have improved his acting since I watched him in My Secret Romance and Woori the Virgin. His emotional portrayal is more nuanced. And his kissing skills seem to me to have improved as well. In My Secret Romance he kissed so aggressively I thought he was trying to eat the FL’s face. His technique back then would’ve better suited a zombie show.
Strong Girl Namsoon. I started this Kdrama with great enjoyment, but the pleasure flagged. As others have pointed out, a lot of screen time is given to side characters and stories. Still, I’ll probably download episodes 9-14 to keep me entertained on an upcoming long plane journey.
Only for Love. This Cdrama’s script is incomprehensible to me in many places, and I don’t think it’s a problem with subtitles. The FL’s leap from pursuing the ML professionally to pursuing him romantically is a jumbled mess. I put this on hold, but may download some episodes as backup on the plane rides, in case I can’t bear to stick with Strong Girl Namsoon.
Maybe I’ll download Episodes 1-8 of Castaway Diva for some of the hours I’ll be stuck in an airplane seat. The music should sound good coming through my Bose headphones.
@Welmaris – Only for Love – is not very good (actually it is actively bad in parts) so this information will not make it any better but it explains some of FL actions – in the book she makes a play for the CEO because she believes CEO’s niece stole her boyfriend. She makes a play for him for revenge (yes – agree doesn’t make sense). They changed this plot point or made it unclear that this was her original motivation because FL is a one dimensional character and complex motives would be too much for this drama. In the book and I assume soon to be revealed in this drama, the niece who stole the boyfriend is actually the niece of the CEO’s driver. The fake “niece” has been lying to the bad boyfriend all along about her wealth and status. The true niece is the intern. I haven’t kept track as to why the true niece is hiding the fact that the CEO is her uncle. I stopped watching. This drama makes me appreciate Fake It Til You Make It all the more. Fake It demonstrates that a modern Chinese workplace/relationship drama can be smart with intelligent dialogue. I don’t understand the appeal of these childlike FLs and the uncommunicative man/child CEO. It is a weird genre. Rant over!
@Welmaris,
“Strong Girl Namsoon” is my must-watch show on the weekends. I’ll have to write my reviews but I’m behind with the other dramas.
@GT I was thinking of taking a look at that show. will pass now and try a different chinese drama
@Welmaris, Hi! Daily dose of sunshine, Twirking watermelon….
You just gave me two more imperative shows to watch. T T
Is there a rainy season for kdramas? I am wondering if there will be a time of year when I will be able to watch some of the shows I have set aside right now, A time of year when I will not be inundated with new wonderful dramas? I also need time to watch the dramas I always meant to watch but never did, like Jang Hyuk’s 2 raved about sageuks. My upcoming retirement will help but I will still need to move around some.🙃
@Monmor, I wonder about that too. I have not noticed a particular pattern of drama releases, but I do feel overwhelmed right now, after months of drama drought. As for Jang Hyuk sageuks, they are always in season and worthy of rewatching.
I just hope Viki thinks the same way.
I hope viki thinks the same way.
I am hoping this is a phase on the way to being a more mature asian drama watcher. JOMO Is not easy. I imagine there will be a drought again.
I am wondering if more experienced watchers are noticing more quality productions as kdrama is exploding around the world and on different streaming sites.
@Monmor, I have been watching kdramas for over 10 years. I noticed that the dramas are getting shorter. For many older dramas, 20-30 episodes was the norm. Now it seems that 16 episodes is typical, but we see many dramas with 12 episodes or even fewer. The production value had increased a lot. The cinematography, special effects, editing, and music have really been outstanding in the last couple of years. I am not happy with splitting dramas into seasons, or producing multiple seasons when there is no need. Also, editing and shortening dramas is something that Netflix has done, and the results are not very satisfying.
Overall, I am happy with higher production values and the exploration of topics rarely seen in older dramas. On the other hand, some of the older dramas have aged well and still have certain charm that some of the newer dramas lack.
@Snow Flower I am a more recent viewer of dramas but mix my viewing with new and older content
I also am now watching dramas originating in Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan, Thailand and other Asian countries. I have also watched the BL genre and find that the stories are like those appealing to the heterosexual population. There is so much content out there and so much new content, that it’s dizzying. Thank you BOD for helping me to narrow my search and to find more meaning in these dramas.
@SF @OAL I also enjoy content from different asian countries and from different time periods and genres. Dizzying is a good way to describe it.
I Have particularly enjoyed group watches for how enriching they are.
As much as I enjoy watching a current drama and discussing it with others, I also enjoy A good binge watch and need to balance the two.
One thing these conversations have reinforced for me is to not waste time watching something mediocre. Finding the best done dramas and the ones that are personally meaningful Is key.
I have also learned to not base my decision for watching a show on the title because it is difficult to know if the translation is is apt. I also used to be turned off by bizarre promises but sometimes those shows are the best.
Talking about a bizarre premise. I was on the floor laughing after reading the synopsis of the movie about the fake shaman who is suddenly confronted by a real possession.
@monmor, When I first watched these dramas I thought I needed to watch all the way through. What I learned here is that it is fine to drop a dramas Sometimes these dramas get repetitious and begin to feel stale. I now know that it is fine to drop a drama to make room for older or newly released dramas.
I find sometimes the stories are the same especially with some of the chinese shows so one only needs to watch one of that particular story. I dropped maiden holmes even though it was enjoyable and started watching “under the power”. With current shows right now that I am interested in I think I will choose ones where I am familiar with the actor and actress and leave the others to see how they are received.
And another point. I only need to watch one show about rescue teams and earthquakes. I think I may have watched 2 or 3 by now but will not need anymore. Unless there is something you need about it
@Monmor, I think a good thing about streaming services is that when dramas leave one service, they can be found at a later date on another. These streamers all need content so there’s lots of recycling. I also find that there are so many riches that we’ll always have something to watch. That is what I learned over time.
@OAL I need to learn to savour a drama and not rush through it to find out what happens. That’s where a good group re watch helps.
Part of savoring a drama is remembering particular scenes. When I was hanging up my jackets just now I remembered the scene where 2 men meet and they both have
Shoulder bumps on their clothes because the same person did their laundry. I can’t remember the show right now. But it was something I very recently watched.
You Ladies are going to make me watch Twinkling Watermelon which I have avoided because I thought it might be too young for my taste, but not until I finish Park’s Marriage Contract. LOVE IT! Can’t wait for more episodes to drop.
🌸👘🎎🌸
@packmule3, for my last watch of the month, I watched the live action film (about 1 hour 53 minutes) of the Japanese romance/fantasy anime series “My Happy Marriage”. The title of the movie version is “As Long as We Both Shall Live.” I could only find the whole thing on WatchAsian. The leads are fabulous and among the others you will recognise the actor Watanabe Keisuke, who played the young male nurse who was afraid of blood in ‘An Incurable Case of Love.’ The FL is Mio Imada and the ML is Ren Meguro (you will get it after watching him for a few minutes). If anyone wants something movingly romantic and short, this could become a favourite.
@Fern, a short J-movie that’s movingly romantic sounds like my cup of tea!!! I’ll look around for “My Happy Marriage”. Meguro Ren, I’ve watched on ‘Silent’ and know how well he does those brooding, conflicted emotions.
Thank you for drawing our attention to this film! 🙂
The sets were beautiful as well. We see the Saimori family house, which has an enormous and relatively garish Western style addition to their old, traditional house. It is furnished in a Western style as well; dining tables and oriental-type rugs. They are spoiled and greedy. This is a contrast with the Kudo family house to which the FL is sent for an arranged and probably hellish marriage. The Kudo house is an older traditional style and very beautiful. Gosh, the cold kitchen in the early morning, in which the actress’s breath could be seen – we’re having a cold snap right now and I could almost relate to that.
I also enjoyed the 12 episode anime version of “My Happy Marriage” which is at Netflix.
@Table122000, yes, the anime version was good as well, so I was drawn to the film. I think the film had to make changes to fit the time frame. I’m glad it worked as well as it did. @Growing Beautifully mentioned seeing Meguro Ren in another drama, Silent. I’ll have to check it out. Really, there wasn’t loads of dialogue in the film version – it was the unsaid or briefly spoken words that made it special.