Happy New Year!
Given the kdramas on my “To Binge-Watch” and “To Finish” list on this thread, I feel guilty about starting on new dramas this month. I must either practice more self-discipline or devise a more efficient system to cull the good shows from the bad. For starters, I’ll look for drama with a unique plot (or at least, a fresh retelling of an old story), relatable characters, thematic depth, and compelling first 15 minutes. If I’m not hooked by the first episode, I’m sorry I’m out.
“When the Phone Rings” ends this week. Maybe one of these shows will replace it on my Active Watch list.
1. Love Scout
This seems like a reversal of “What’s Up With Secretary Kim?” The female lead is the CEO and she totally relies on her Man-Friday to smooth over her daily problems in and out of the office.
Starring Han JiMin (the female lead in that mystery-comedy “Behind Your Touch” and Lee JoonHyuk (ugh, I never like this guy since he played the smarmy ahjussi in “A Poem a Day” )
Episodes: 12
Start Date: Friday, Jan 3
Airs on Friday and Saturday
Where to Watch it: Viki AND Netflix??? We have a choice??
Network: SBS
While I like the actress, I’m still traumatized by the part this actor played in the love triangle in “A Poem a Day” (2018). lol.
2. When the Stars Gossip
I’ll have to jump on the Lee MinHo bandwagon although I admit that the premise of the show raised my eyebrows because it was extremely unconventional and random. A female astronaut and a space tourist meet and develop feelings for each other while in space?! I’m looking forward to the show enlightening me about the intricacies of safe sex while wearing a spacesuit.
Starring Lee MinHo and Gong HyoJin (“When the Camillia Blooms”)
Episodes: 16
Start Date: Saturday, Jan 4
Airs on Saturday and Sunday
Where to Watch it: Netflix
Network: tvN
3. Motel California
Childhood friends. A lover’s reunion 12 years later. Hometown setting. This sounds like last year’s “Welcome to Samdalri.” But I’ll give it two episodes to earn my time and attention because it’s Na InWoo.
Starring Lee SeYoung (“The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract”) and Na InWoo (“Marry My Husband”)
Episodes: 12
Start Date: Friday, Jan 10
Airs on Friday and Saturday
Where to Watch it: To be determined
Network: MBC
4. Study Group
The synopsis is here:
Don’t you find it weird that a 29-year-old actor is playing a high schooler?
Starring Hwang MinHyun (“My Lovely Liar”)
Episodes: 10
Start Date: Thursday, Jan 23
Airs on Thursdays only
Where to Watch it: To be announced. I hope it isn’t kokowa or Disney+
Network: Tving
That’s it for me. I don’t have any cdrama on my radar at the moment.
What are you all watching this month?
Thanks, @packmule3. I’m laughing about the safe sex in a space suit. It could get very messy with 0 gravity.
I thought Na In Woo was in the military still, but I looked it up and he was granted an exemption for an undisclosed reason. How nice for us. ☺️ I like both him and Lee Se Young, so I’ll probably check that drama out.
Happy new year! I am currently watching When the Phone Rings, Iron Family, and Who is She. The only January drama that looks interesting to me is Motel California. The idea of safe sex in a space suit made laugh, but unless I see super glowing reviews and positive word of mouth, I will not watch the drama.
Off subject, but I want to wish a lovely last night of Hanukkah to @OAL, and to all others on this blog that celebrate the holiday. I hope all eight days and nights were delightful.
I’m only sure of one on this list and it’s Lee Minho. Other than that I haven’t decided yet.
I still have to finish Love Your Enemy and Blossom.
@grace I’m stalling my Blossom watch because I don’t want it to end even though the ending was perfect. 😍
Like you, @Packmule3, I have several unfinished dramas. Do I finish them, or finally consign them to my dropped list? I also have plans to watch several recently released dramas, but don’t know if I’ll act on the intentions. I may spend part of January on Shallow Island, nestled in an N-Dulj-Ent-Girl recliner, hiding behind designer Cynic shades, and sipping Mindless Mimosas while leering at Singles Inferno Season 3.
I’ve watched the first 2 episodes of Love Scout. It’s a pretty solid start and looks to be properly written and directed.
Lee Joon Hyuk was good in Stranger and in 365: Repeat the Year. Han Ji Min is comfortable to watch.
We’re on the cusp of the CEO really accepting and relying on her Secretary. It’s taken 2 episodes and not quite there yet! I’ll stick around to see how her trauma and lonely life changes and whether his daughter can accept her.
@GB I have also watched the first 2 episodes Of love scout. And am very invested and hope the drama will pan out well.
@GB I do prefer the title my perfect secretary but if we think of the word scout to mean boy scout then he is kind of like a boy scout😁
I just finished Love Song in Winter which was a good watch-about a cop and a doctor and their relationship which is intertwined with a murder mystery.
Started Love Scout which looks like it will be good-Fingers crossed.
I am really enjoying the cdrama You are My Lover/Friend- so far a mutually reciprocal relationship. We need more of those.
Still a few episodes to go in “blossom”. I have very much enjoyed it but lost some sense of the plot along the way- Not a particularly difficult plot to follow but I was not familiar with the actors so had some difficulty keeping track of people. Also I had enough Scenes about poisoned male leads in last year’s c dramas. Also I found that there were a number of similarities in this drama to the drama “story of Minglan” which I just watched very recently. I do plan to finish.
Happy New Year everyone!
I am currently enjoying ‘Love Scout’ and glad it is getting the full BoD treatment here. Well deserved – this show is refreshing and funny and touching.
I have also watched 3 episodes of c-drama ‘Flourished Peony’ (on Viki) and am finding it very strong. Time flies when I am watching the show which speaks of good pacing and editing. It reunites the leads of Go Go Squid – Yang Zi and Li Xiang. Hoorah. Yang Zi brings her customary sparkle to the role and Li Xiang brings his strength of personality, dry wit and humanity to a complex family situation.
The show is set in the Tang Dynasty. I am no expert but it is visually rich in colour and detail and feels authentic. It feels at the moment like a show which will reward commitment. Certainly good for people missing their dose of ‘Blossom’ – Yang Zi is another clever, quick witted heroine. It is not as dark-toned as Blossom – plays out in a different vein – but has similar themes – especially that of the young noble woman’s fight for happiness and justice.
I am also enjoying the very light J-Drama ‘ Aoshima-kun is a Bully’! A Noona office romance with – what promises to be – a dose of woman finding her womanly confidence again. Episodes are short and only dropping once a week – so it may be worth waiting until they are all out.
Also recommended is ‘Married – a well-drawn C-drama about a controlling husband and a woman who fights back. I like the show because it is more nuanced in its story telling and judgements than shows like this can be. The cast is great. The story flows and keeps your attention.
Oh dear… I have been watching a lot. I also enjoyed ‘A Love Song in Winter’ (Tencent). It has been top of the web viewing pops in China. If you like Johnny Huang this is a good example of what he does well – understated male lead in action. He is supported by a strong cast. The mystery aspect of the story is well woven into the romance and vice versa. If you guess what is going on, that takes some of the steam out of the plot but there is still some tension in the air about how everything will unravel.
Further (corrective) comment on ‘Flourished Peonies’.
Yang Zi is a wealthy merchant’s daughter married into a noble family. She is not from the nobility and despite her wealth, this perceived class-divide plays out in a number of significant ways.
@Kate
I plan to start the flourished peony soon. Why do all the dramas right now?Seem to be in the tang dynasty or did I just not realize it before?
For my light watch Right Now.I am watching the Chinese drama.”You are my lover friend” Not only is he green flag , they are a green flag couple!
Thanks for the recommendation @Monmor! I think you’ll enjoy Flourished Peony too! Looking forward – when you get there – to hearing what you think.
@Kate, I wasn’t thinking about Flourished Peony until you pointed out the male lead is Li Xian. I liked him in both Meet Yourself and Will Love in Spring. For him, I’ll give it a try.
Last night I finally finished Blossom, and recently wrapped up Love Game in Eastern Fantasy. I thought I’d give myself a break from Cdramas, but no…
@Welmaris – great! I am on Ep 6 at the moment and still going strong with no fast forwarding. Loving Yang Zi in this role.
Motel California starts today, supposedly on Viki.
Na In Woo!
Lee Se young sp? Now this is a height difference!
https://dramabeans.com/2025/01/premiere-watch-motel-california/
@MM, thanks for the reminder that there’s also Motel California. Too many shows to check out! And oh yes, what a great height difference. Since we’re still watching Kairos, it feels surreal to see Lee Se Young with long hair and in another show at the same time. I may take a peek if I have some time. 🙂
It feels like I may be headed for drama overload after a dirth of dramas that compelled me. I hope I can keep to my New Year’s drama resolutions!
@MM, what are your drama resolutions?
I still will only watch until a show annoys me. And even if something is panned, I’ll watch it for my own reasons.
My resolutions are mostly about being selective in what I watch and listening to my instincts when I think a drama is not good or I am not enjoying it and dropping it quickly.
Right now I feel that I have too many I am interested in. I have to remind myself they will still be there when I am ready to watch and it is good to have that list when currently airing dramas I am interested in dry up.
🛅‼️🛅‼️🛅‼️🛅‼️🛅‼️🛅‼️🛅‼️🛅‼️🛅‼️🛅‼️🛅
I hope I’ve gotten your attention, @Packmule3, because dayam…The Trunk has certainly gotten mine. I didn’t watch it when it first came out because I feared it was dark. I’m glad I finally gave it a try, because I now feel it is one of the best-crafted Kdramas I’ve ever seen. But it isn’t an easy watch. Rather than fast-forwarding, I find I am rewinding to catch nuances, and plan to rewatch the whole show as soon as I’m done. It is cerebral. I believe it is designed to be confusing, at first. Timelines are mixed. Reality and nightmare are mingled. The story is a web, threads lacing between characters. I’ve been tempted to create a board like those seen in procedurals, with photos of persons of interest, and red yarn linking them. For now, I’m fighting the impulse to overthink, and letting the experience the show creators designed wash over me (with frequent replays).
The actors cast are inhabiting their characters in excellent fashion: main, support, and cameo. Gong Yoo is playing someone who describes himself as a train wreck; as the show progresses, it is gratifying to see his awareness grow and his resolve strengthen. I have two episodes yet to watch, so I hope the show doesn’t finish with a crash and burn of the ML. I think it speaks well of the script that by episode 6 of 8, I don’t yet know what to anticipate for the ending.
I will finish the show tomorrow, unless life intervenes. In my part of Southern California, the wind advisory and red flag warning (re: fire danger) continue until 6pm PST January 15. My neighborhood is not affected by the Eaton or Palisades fires, but I have two friends who have lost their homes in Altadena. When these strong, dry winds blow, I sleep with one eye open, waiting to jump if an alert comes from my Watch Duty phone app.
If you’ve never seen Prison Playbook, watch it now before it disappears from Netflix on January 31. I highly recommend it. Screenplay, direction, acting, and cinematography are all top quality.
@Welmaris
Prison Playbook
Watched TWICE – BRILLIANT!!
Cant agree more with you on all those fronts ;-p
In the meantime .. It’s FP (Flourished Peony) that’s hitting ALL those parameters OUT OF THE BALL PARK ;-D
I have not seen that level of LIGHTING in cinematography in a period piece or set design … in a while ..
@Welmaris
WOW…
Et tu!!
I am ditto vibes with you on TRUNK
more to write once I am back slurping upon today’s 2 drops of inebriating FP nectar
Just a quick query ..
@packmule3
I wrote 2 comments addressed to @Welmaris
Both disappeared .. after the “moderation” italics came on ..
So how does one get to know if it’s been canceled or will be back later ..
Was curious to know how this works .. and how does one even get to know the comment wasn’t acceptable.
I wrote in some 6 hours ago ..
Thanks ..
p.s. The reason I return here is because I find mature commenters here with much humour wit and insights which are missing in many mass-viewer sites; which I enjoy being on too but this has a different flavour and intelligence.
However what has always puzzled me is the disappearance of comments (has happened more than dozens of times in the last 4 (?) years that I got to know of this website ); after the ‘moderation’ note .. and not knowing whether it was ‘unacceptable’ / unread / lost in cyberspace ..
Especially after one writes more than 100 words .. LOL .. Like seriously lol
This many land up in the same blackhole too ..
Haven’t had a kdrama binge for a while. Brewing Love was great though I lost interest towards the end.
I watched Creation of Gods (on Netflix) because Li Yunrui from Blossom was on it (for a tiny short while). It’s a trilogy that is 6 yrs in the making. The young actors/actresses go through a rigorous training for 6 months…and I also ended up watching a variety series on their training experience.
So only 1st movie is out…it’s a nice quick 2.5hr show I could commit. Very exciting 2.5hr but I got so confused on who is who honestly, as always.
Hope to try Love Scout and Study Group. Currently the only kdrama I’m watching is season 4 of Singles Inferno. Took me a while to figure out who is who…at some point some of them look so similar!
Most cdramas I’m interested in aren’t out yet so I’m busy watching variety shows instead. Hello Saturday and Keep Running because of Li Yunrui 🫢 Have been on shallow island because of him…and Meng Zhiyi. I can’t help CP-ing (ship) them so much. But this phase will pass i know.
Meanwhile Happy Lunar New Year everyone! Holidays mean that i may have more time to start some new dramas.
I’m hoping all who observe the holiday had a fabulous start to their Lunar New Year celebrations. My husband was busy with a work colleague last night, so tonight we went out for a dinner that included three types of dumplings, all delicious.
@Packmule3, I recall your saying you weren’t interested in watching sweaty men grapple in the Kdrama Like Flowers in Sand, but I’m glad I finished that show and learned a thing or two about ssireum before watching Season 4 Episode 8 of Single’s Inferno. From my recliner on Shallow Island, I could watch muscular male contestants compete with a more discerning eye.
@bosuji, I am rewatching The Trunk and enjoying it twice as much the second time. I was anxious and confused the first time through, but during the rewatch I can recognize how masterfully the show dropped hints and heightened tension.
WOW!
So nice to see that the comments appeared ..
Am back after a month to see if it did and what else is happening here
Who watched Flourished Peony finally?
@Welmaris
Did you watch FP?
@pacmule3
Won’t you open a Flourished Peony thread
Am SO SO rooting for it
Watched TALE OF ROSE
Anyone else??
Also superlative .. with caveats of course .. BUT still SUPERLATIVE .. VERY off the beaten path CDrama
It’s SEXY SEDUCTIVE DIFFICULT .. just the way some of us LOVE it
Uh Oh
Not even TRUNK??
SO much I missing here that I want to come back and talk about and share ..
SUCH rich pickings n these dramas for discussion and unpacking
oops sorry .. did find TTOR here LOL
Will go and check it out
Lemme add one more Drama that I went back to rewatch
UNEXPECTED FALLING
since seeing the first love Arc in TTOR I had to see this once again .
He is such a good actor .. and he is paired in both with two stellar actresses with VERY COMPLEX ROLES .. and THANK GOD .. NO VOICE OF GOD / INNER VOICE annoying as hell as though we cant do out own interpretations .. JUST SHOW US some damn good directing – scripting – acting ..
~ Moonlight Mystique
~ Kill Me Heal Me
~ Love of Nirvana
~ The Story of Pearl Girl
Above .. BRILLIANT START .. began to fizzle out for me .. and then pshaw!!
Below Sterling Stuff great for pickings
~ The Double
~ Story of Kunning Palace
~ A Journey to Love
~ Unexpected Falling
~ Faking Till You Make It
~ What If
~ Rising WIth The Wind
I don’t see any of these in the Index ..
Not much into Wuxia – Xianxia – Period CDrama?
But the last three are Modern CDramas
@Welmaris
So happy to hear you are rewatching TRUNK.
It’s worth it.
I will too at some point of time.
I am rewatching UNEXPECTED FALLING
The procedural red threading will max out – trust me.
It’s a different feel from TRUNK certainly but as absorbing…
My rewatch is mainly to fill in the gaps of “what happened there”?
And Ofcourse deciphering when the moods feelings are changing and what is going on in their minds just from their actions and what they speak out -not through (Dummies Guide) voice over of inner thoughts of Characters
If you haven’t I would highly recommend to you.
Are you by chance on MDL?