It’s the Year of the Horse, and it’s not just any horse, it’s the Fire Horse! I read that the last time we had this combination of animal and element, it was 60 years ago, in 1966. And as the fire horse is associated with strength, endurance, speed, decisiveness, and success, this year is auspicious […]
To My Beloved Thief: Ep 13 Confession Time
If there’s one theme that runs through this episode, it’s the confession. The characters are confessing one after the other. 1. First, there’s EunJo’s love confession to the sleeping Yi Yeol. I already discussed this at length in the previous post but I’ll copy the confession itself. EJ: Do you know what I was thinking […]
To My Beloved Thief: Ep 13 On Memorable Dialogues
It is said that there’s more to a script than just dialogue. It must possess a unique concept, topical theme, compelling plot, relatable characters, worthy opponents, high stakes, a twist or two, and great ending. With that being said, a script will still flounder into mediocrity without a memorable dialogue. Hence, I patiently transcribe the […]
Belated Happy Valentine’s Day!
There’s this song that I’ve been waiting to share with you all. I guess Valentine’s Day is good enough. This is a breakup song called “Good Goodbye” by Hwasa. She’s from a girl group called Mamamoo but this is her solo released back in October of last year. These are the lyrics from genius.com. Good […]
To My Beloved Thief: Ep 12 On Lopsided Romance
Before writing on Episode 13, I’m answering @birdie007’s comment here. She posted: I, too, feel like he loves her more than she loves him. I think the reason I like this heroine so much is for the same reason I liked the heroine in The Red Sleeve—their practicality. However, I like this hero more. It […]
Remember: War of the Son: Ep 14 Rewatch on Sat Feb 14
The thread is open. The dates: Episode 14 – 14 February 2026 Episode 15 – 21 February 2026 Episode 16 – 28 February 2026 Episode 17 – 7 March 2026 Episode 18 – 14 March 2026 Break – 21 March 2026 Episode 19 – 28 March 2026 Episode 20 – 4 April 2026 The time: […]
To My Beloved Thief: Ep 12 The Warrior Ethos
Remember my long discourse on arrows for Ep 9? The arrow functioned like bookends for the episode, visible at both the opening and ending scenes to frame the plot narrative? I said that, while for JaeYi, his optional “second arrow” continued to hurt him, our heroine EunJo was able to calm her urge for retaliation […]
How Dare You: Open Thread
The thread is open. With the recent spate of cdrama and kdramas with transmigration as an overarching plot narrative, it’s easy to suspect that screenwriters have taken a leaf out of somebody’s book. But I get that there’s a trend cycle (remember when viewers were into vampires because of that “Twilight” book?) and writers, directors, […]
To My Beloved Thief: Ep 11 Quick Takes
I got several things correct. 1. Back in my notes for Episode 7 & 8 when the Buddhist nun was introduced, I said that she was likely a concubine of the deceased king. She wasn’t the Dowager Queen (because the Dowager Queen was Yi Yeol’s mom) nor the deposed queen as some people were speculating. […]
To My Beloved Thief: Ep 10 Loose Ends
This is a hodgepodge of things I should remember. 1. The different ranks of Princes At the bottom of the hierarchy is the prince or wangja. Any son of the king (or wang) is a wangja. But if the prince’s mother is a concubine, then he’s a gun or wangjagun. Now, if the prince’s mother […]
Remember: War of the Son: Ep 13 Rewatch on Sat Feb 7
The thread is open. The dates: Episode 13 – 7 February 2026 Episode 14 – 14 February 2026 Episode 15 – 21 February 2026 Episode 16 – 28 February 2026 Episode 17 – 7 March 2026 Episode 18 – 14 March 2026 Break – 21 March 2026 Episode 19 – 28 March 2026 Episode 20 […]
To My Beloved Thief: Ep 9 The Parable of the Two Arrows
If a prop can get an award to highlight its contribution in an episode, then I nominate the arrow for stellar performance. I’m sure it didn’t escape our notice that the arrow was the focal point in both the opening and ending scenes of the episode. But what if I tell you that there were […]
To My Beloved Thief: Ep 9 The Lantern Trope
Like the body swap trope, the lantern trope is a narrative device common in kdramas (but I don’t see anyone complaining about it. Hmph!). After the main characters deliberate on the wishes to handwrite on the paper lanterns, they light the candles and release the lanterns to float in the water or up into the […]
What Are We Watching in February 2026?
It’s a big month ahead with all the major events like: Super Bowl on Feb 8 (I have my New England Patriots gear ready though the team’s a long shot to win), Valentine’s Day on Feb 14 (I lost the pounds gained during the holidays to fit into this black dress), Lunar New Year on […]