Tag: greasy melo

Dramaland Forecast: August 2018

odilettanteLeave a comment

Previously: Jan – Feb – Mar – Apr – May – June – July

Completed:

  • Greasy Melo/Wok of Love – it was cute and had lots of delicious food and the chemistry between the main trio was Off The Charts, but it was disappointed to see an odd, quirky, bizarre little drama suddenly become a rambling mess of a rom-com. I still enjoyed the drama and it genuinely brought me a lot of joy while I was watching it, but if it weren’t for the insane charisma between Jang Hyuk, Jung Ryeo Won, and Junho, I’m not sure if I would have enjoyed it as much as I did.
  • To.Jenny – SO adorable! I loved the indie music vibe (will I ever get “Tiramisu Cake” out of my head before I die?), the sassy little sister, the socially anxious adorkable loser who is able to finally screw up the confidence to show the world who he truly he is, and, of course, Kim Sung Chul, my new noona pet (who I could listen to sing forever and ever and what no I didn’t get lost in a youtube blackhole for hours while tracking down every video of his musical performances, how dare you insinuate such a thing?!?).

Currently Watching:

  • Life on Mars – sorta, kinda. I’m halfway through, so I’ve got a backlog that I plan to binge, but it’s the kind of show that requires my full attention and I just haven’t had the time for that yet.
  • Your House Helper – I love it so muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch!
  • Let’s Eat 3 – this is actually a pleasant surprise! I was planning to watch it anyway because I can’t resist Goo Dae Young and his passionate love of food, but I kinda hated Season 2 and therefore had low expectations for this except to be mildly entertained by my favorite foodie chatterbox. But I love it! It has those Let’s Eat elements that I love (fooooood!) but it also feels like a casual take on a Reply 2004, which is definitely welcome. It’s hilarious and poignant and much better than I could have ever anticipated.
  • Meteor Garden – I don’t normally list non-Korean shows here because, well, I just don’t watch as many of them as I used to. But I’ve been willingly sucked into this cracktastic trainwreck and I’ve never been happier. This one has the potential to become my favorite Hanadan version (shhhhh, don’t tell Oguri Shun!). The only catch is there are six(!) new episodes a week so I’m struggling to find the time to watch All The Things since I always end up binging this show instead.

Dropping/Skipping:

  • Life – I knooooooooow. But I was one of the few who merely liked Secret Forest, and honestly I’ve got too many other dramas on my plate to add in another that would actually require me to, y’know, pay attention to it. (Plus the PTSD from D-Day makes me instinctively balk at medical dramas about idealistic doctors going against potentially corrupt hospital directors).
  • Handsome Guy and Jung-eum – I actually would have finished this if I hadn’t been trying to watch a gazillion other shows all at once. I enjoyed it for what it was, and even though I keep thinking one day I’ll go back and finish it, the reality is that the show is predictable enough that I don’t feel I’m missing anything by stopping ten episodes from the end.
  • Mr. Sunshine – I watched the first episode and half of the second, and I was surprised that I liked it more than I thought I would (although I did get an itchy fast-forward finger with the battle scenes, like I did with Goblin). I haven’t actively dropped it but I’m not actively watching it, either. If that makes sense. Honestly, the saving grace for this drama is that it’s on Netflix (which isn’t a phrase I’d ever thought I’d say) because then it’s super easy to access it whenever I want, perfect for those lazy “eh I need something to watch but don’t want to put any effort into it” days.

Upcoming dramas of interest:

  • Lovely Horribly – I’m so annoyed, because this stars Song Ji Hyo and has an interesting premise, but it also stars Park Shi Hoo, so, y’know.
  • Today’s Detective – Daniel Choooooiiiiiiiiiiii! Who is a detective! That solves crimes with his fearless assistant Park Eun Bin! And there are ghosts! Hells yeah, sign me up!
  • Voice 2 – I genuinely enjoyed the first one. It was a chilling thriller with a charismatic cast and it made for an enjoyable (albeit horrifying) watching experience. But… I’m not sure how I feel about a sequel. I do believe that this kind of set-up easily allows for a procedural storyline, and I did regret that some of the minor characters were severely underused in the first season, but can any Big Bad Villain compare to Handsome Oppa and his kettlebells? I’ll probably check it out but I won’t cry if I miss it or decide it’s not worth my time.
  • Familiar Wife – it sounds like the kind of standard tvN drama that has a lot of potential and which people will probably love, but there isn’t anything about it that particularly draws me in. I won’t be surprised if it’s a hit, though.

As always, any drama not listed means I have nothing new to add since the last mention and/or it’s not something I care about enough to add to the list.

Dramaland Forecast: July 2018

odilettanteLeave a comment

Previously: Jan – Feb – Mar – Apr – May – June

Completed:

  • None

Currently Watching:

  • Greasy Melo
  • Handsome Guy and Jung Eum
  • Life on Mars

Dropping/Skipping:

  • Are You Human Too? – this was only vaguely on the potential “watch” list so I have no regrets that it hasn’t been squeezed into my schedule.
  • Why Secretary Kim – I didn’t think I’d be drawn to it, and I was right.

Upcoming dramas of interest:

  • Your House Helper – I feel like this one could have some potential, since I really liked this writer’s previous work (Strongest Deliveryman) and this could be comfortably within that genre. Ha Suk Jin always seems to play the same kind of gruff uptight guy that will probably work well for this role, but I’m hoping for something different from him.
  • Risky Romance – I love Lee Si Young but there’s nothing else about this that especially seems compelling.
  • Thirty But Seventeen – some instinctive side-eye about the concept of an adult having a childlike mentality due to tragedy, but I feel like if this is handled in the appropriate manner, it could be really good. Even so, there’s such a huge margin of error that I’m not sure if I can trust a sticom writer to appropriately deal with it.
  • Time – I generally like time travel shenanigans but I also know this writer skews more melo than my attention span can appreciate. I’m vaguely interested, but realistically I will probably not watch it.
  • Life – I feel like the odd duck who only liked Secret Forest and didn’t feel the need to give it my entire soul, so I’m only moderately interested in this one (especially since it’s a power struggle at a hospital, which I feel like I’ve seen a zillion times before). At least the directors have done some of my favorite shows so if nothing else it’ll be visually pleasing. But I swear if another amazing woman gets unnecessarily fridged, this writer and I are through.
  • Dear Judge – not in the cult, but I like mistaken identity/twin hijinks, so this could have some potential. The production team is a little iffy and I haven’t figured out if this is skewing more dramatic or comedic. Plus it’s a legal drama. But like I said, it has potential, and I’m happy to keep my eye on it and see if it’s worth squeezing into the schedule.
  • My ID is Gangnam Beauty – I don’t know anything about the webtoon, so I have no idea if this will be a sweet slice-of-life “don’t judge a person by their looks” or if it’ll be a comedy or what, but I’m not feeling drawn to it despite it airing on the usually trustworthy JTBC.
  • Mr. Sunshine – nooooooooo, I don’t want to watch another KES drama ever again! But those pics of Byun Yo Han in period clothing got me shook so I don’t know what I’m going to do. *cries*
  • Let’s Eat 3 – I will probably watch this and hate myself because I can’t resist Goo Dae Young’s chatterbox charm and the promise of food porn. It’d at least better have more appetizing meals than season 2. And if they try to cram in yet another romance for Dae Young, well, I’m just going to continue to create an elaborate plot about Soo Kyung noona having the most amazing life ever and avoiding the headache of falling in love with an insurance salesman foodie playboy. Soo Kyung noona doesn’t need anything except amazing food! And Barasshi! So there!

As always, any drama not listed means I have nothing new to add since the last mention and/or it’s not something I care about enough to add to the list.

Dramaland Forecast: June 2018

odilettanteLeave a comment

Previously: Jan – Feb – Mar – Apr – May

Completed:

  • None.

Currently Watching:

  • Greasy Melo – it’s so dumb and weird and wacky and wonderful. I love it almost as much as I adore my one true love, Jung Ryeo Won.
  • Handsome Guy and Jung Eum – I was genuinely surprised how much I enjoyed the first week of this. I doubt I’ll see it through to the end (just based on my general track record with romcoms), but for right now it’s fun and entertaining, which is apparently all I’m looking for.

Dropping/Skipping:

  • About Time – this was one of the few May premieres that interested me but when I checked out a teaser to get a feel for it, some sort of Whisper PTSD kicked in and I realized that I just can’t handle another round of Lee Sang Yoon’s eyebrow acting.
  • Sketch – I tried a couple of times to watch the first ep, but this is the kind of show that wants me to actually pay attention instead of using it as background noise. I’m apparently not in a frame of mind to watch a more serious drama, so this will go on hold for now until I’m in a more conducive brain-space. Sorry, Rain – I still love you!

Upcoming dramas of interest:

  • Life on Mars – I feel like I’ve been waiting for this drama for YEARS already. GIVE IT TO ME NOW!!!!!!
  • Are You Human Too? – my vague interest is superseded by the realization that I just can’t tolerate Seo Kang Joon for extended periods of time. This’ll undoubtedly end up on the drop list, because if I can’t make room for shows I really want to watch, there’s no way I’ll squeeze in an iffy one where I’m curious about the script and like most of the cast, but the main lead turns me off.
  • Why Secretary Kim – this is such a great cast but after watching the teasers, ehhhhh, I’m not feeling it. I’m sure it’ll be cute and fun, but it’s just not grabbing me. I may check it out, but realistically it’s more likely I’ll end up passing on it.

I’m kinda relieved that there are so few June premieres, because this month is going to be super busy for me so I’ll barely have time to keep up with Greasy Melo (and any effort to add a new drama will be a Herculean struggle, but dammit I’m gonna find a way to squeeze a little time-traveling Jung Kyung Ho and an over-the-top Park Sung Woong into my jam-packed schedule!).

As always, any drama not listed means I have nothing new to add since the last mention and/or it’s not something I care about enough to add to the list.

Greasy Melo: Episodes 1-4

odilettanteLeave a comment

ngl, I’m here for the food porn and my one true love Jung Ryeo Won, with a dash of “wtf is Lee Mi Sook doing playing two bizarrely different characters.”

Greasy Melo: Episodes 1-4

Dramaland Forecast: May 2018

odilettanteLeave a comment

Previously: Jan – Feb – Mar – Apr

Completed:

  • None

Currently Watching:

  • April was an odd month for me, thanks to an unpremeditated hiatus from dramas. I’m not sure what to put here because I really should go back and finish the shows that I listed as “currently watching” on last month’s forecast, but I also have a tendency to keep moving on and never looking back at the scattered, unfinished dramas in my wake. So… who knows?

Dropping/Skipping:

  • Despite what I said above, I’m not quite ready to admit defeat on the dramas I was watching (Should We Kiss First? and Live), so for now I’m not adding them to this list.
  • I do intend to give Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food a fair chance but the licensing hullaballoo sorta sucked the anticipation out of me. I also have to be in the right mood for a cute romance, and currently I’m not in that mood.
  • I downloaded the first two episodes of The Miracle That We Met and then never watched them, so I guess this drama is technically skipped just because when I do get back into a drama-watching rhythm, it’ll be for the two I put on hold (or for a brand spankin’ new one).

Upcoming dramas of interest:

  • Greasy Melo/Wok of Love – I’m still gung-ho about this drama because it has all the elements that I love (cast! writer! plot! FOOD!), and if anything it’ll be the one to draw me back from my mini-hiatus.
  • Lawless Lawyer – I think I’m one of the few people who aren’t automatically compelled to watch everything Lee Joon Ki is in. I’m also pretty iffy on legal shows. This writer’s drama debut was Remember, which I liked well enough, but I don’t know if I want to be put through the legal wringer any time soon.
  • Investigation Couple – This is a pretty solid cast and I enjoy mysteries, but the writers are unknown and the basic plot (a warm-hearted prosecutor and a forensic scientist with a bad personality solve crimes) sounds so cookie-cutter cliche. For one wild and delirious moment, I though the forensic scientist would be Jung Yumi and the prosecutor would be Jung Jae Young, which I thought would be fun in a Bones kind of way. But no, of course the “warm-hearted prosecutor” is the woman and the “gruff forensic scientist” is the man. This could be good – there are too many unknowns to make a firm decision – but I think I’m already too disappointed by the predictable casting to give it a chance.
  • Come and Hug Me – I don’t know if it’s a season of terrible plot synopsis but honestly there’s nothing appealing about a melodrama about a detective and a popular actress who are somehow connected due to a murder case from their past. I’m all for giving rookie writers a chance, but these vague plots are doing nobody any justice. The cast are a bunch of actors I don’t know (other than Jin Ki Joo) because I haven’t watched anything else they’ve been in, and I don’t know that I will get to know them because unless everyone in Dramaland keeps telling me this is the best thing ever, I’ll likely end up skipping it.
  • Why Secretary Kim – I don’t know anything about the novel or webtoon (also based on the novel), but the brief synopsis sounds like the classic asshole chaebol and spunky Candy set-up. Not that it’s a bad thing necessarily (it’s a classic for a reason), but I don’t know what the hook is. I do really like Park Seo Joon and Lee Tae Hwan, though, so it could be worth it just for the eye-candy.
  • Handsome Guy and Jung Eum – I’m not completely cranky about the ridiculous and vague plot synopses this month, because I totally want to give this one a chance. My cynical heart wants to be warmed by the idea of two people who’ve given up on love/don’t care about love, but who have “theories” about love, putting those theories to the test and falling in love, anyway. I just hope Hwang Jung Eum isn’t too shrieky.
  • About Time – “A woman has the special ability to see the lifespan clocks of other people and meets a man who can stop her time, and he falls in love with her.” Now this is a synopsis, people! I’m already intrigued, not the least because there’s some sci-fi/fantasy element going on. Plus I need to know if the reason she can tell that he stops her clock is because he’ll somehow end up being the death of her (probably not, this is Dramaland after all, but hey it means I’m already hooked). Also Lee Sang Yoon owes me a good drama after making me sit through the entirety of Whisper and his endless eyebrows acting.
  • Miss Hammurabi – About the only thing that will get me to watch this is a wave of nostalgia where I pretend that Reply 1994′s Na Jung and her father are cosplaying as judges (because what else am I going to think of when you have Go Ara and Sung Dong Il in the same drama together?). As much as I declare myself an Inspirit, I just don’t feel that L can carry a drama as a lead (he’s fine as supporting cast, don’t @ me). This director is also seriously hit-or-miss with me. He can do some things really well, and other things absolutely terribly, and often both extremes can be found in the same drama.

As always, any drama not listed means I have nothing new to add since the last mention and/or it’s not something I care about enough to add to the list.

Dramaland Forecast: April 2018

odilettanteLeave a comment

Previously: Jan – Feb – Mar

Completed:

  • Misty – I know there was a lot of grumbling about the ending but I genuinely loved this drama, warts and all. But it will probably go down in my memory as me falling in love with Hye-ran’s outfits and all the messages that Mary and I sent each other. It’s so easy for me to watch shows in my teeny, selfish bubble that I forgot that experiencing it others can be fun, too.

Currently Watching:

  • Should We Kiss First – I am a week behind and I’m assuming there’s gonna be new ways to add tragedy to the story, yet somehow I never feel truly weighed down by the melodrama. There’s enough comedy to keep me interested, and I think I just genuinely love the novelty of an older couple falling in love and learning to live together. (And I adore some of the minor characters, like the match-making couple. <3)
  • Live – I’ve only made it up to episode 3 because there’s a bleakness to this show that I find exhausting, but in the good way. Like it’s a little too real, when apparently what I want right now is some escapism. I do really enjoy the “slice-of-life” story and the cast of familiars from Noh Hee Kyung’s other dramas. It’s just not one I can binge, apparently.
  • Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food – Okay, technically this is more of a “plan to watch” once Netflix drops the subs. At least, I assume Netflix has it, because it’s *crickets* everywhere else. We’ll find out in a few days, I suppose. (And yes, unfortunately that’ll be non-US Netflix, but I, ah, have my ways…)

Dropping/Skipping:

  • My Husband Oh Jak Doo – I think I gave this four episodes before dropping it. I was enjoying it as a kind of background noise since the plot was super-predictable so I didn’t have to give it my full attention. Until I realized I was no longer giving it any attention, so why even bother. I still enjoyed what I saw, though.
  • My Ahjussi – I adore this director but until someone convinces me that this isn’t about a 40-something man finding himself thanks to a woman half his age, I just can’t bring myself to give it a chance.
  • A Poem a Day – I love slice-of-life shows and this cast is pretty great, but I just find it impossible to get into medical dramas.

Upcoming dramas of interest:

  • The Miracle That We Met – This writer is so polarizingly hit-or-miss with me (I adored Woman of Dignity and I hated Strong Woman Do Bong Soon) that I don’t know what to expect from this, but the cast is great, even if the director is iffy. So I’m split on whether I’ll devote time to this drama. I won’t be rushing to check it out (because I’m already behind on shows I like), but I’ll probably check it out, at least for an episode or two.
  • Suits – I’ve watched the first 1.5 seasons of the original, which I vaguely enjoyed (enough to get me to start watching another season, which is saying a lot). So I’m also vaguely interested in checking it out, but it’s not high on my list.
  • Mistress – I haven’t watched the original version but I’m all about strong, interesting women, so this definitely has my interest.
  • Greasy Melo – I love this writer and this cast, so this is probably my most anticipated April premiere. Plus I’m hoping for lots of delicious food porn!

As always, any drama not listed means I have nothing new to add since the last mention and/or it’s not something I care about enough to add to the list.