Tag: hwarang

Previously: Jan – Feb – Mar – Apr

Completed:

• Come Back Ahjussi – loved it!
• Pied Piper – the show held such promise, and I really enjoyed it when it was more of a procedural and actually focused on the negotiation team when they were, y’know, negotiating. But then the big ol’ conspiracy thing happened and the ending was just… yeah… okay, I see their whole philosophical morality play going on, but dammit I just want to see a negotiation team negotiating things. I don’t need them bound up in some intricate revenge scheme. Then again, this production team disappointed me in their big underlying conspiracy with Liar Game and how they wrapped that up (manga/jdrama fan 4lyfe!), so maybe it’s just to be expected from this crew. Starting off with a bang and then getting too caught up in their own cleverness. Still, it was worth it for my ahjussi crush, Shin Ha Kyun.

Currently watching:

• Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul Ho – I seem to collect episodes and binge-watch four at a time, but it’s not because I don’t enjoy it – I very much love this show (the cast is incredible and everyone seems to be fully enjoying their roles). But my schedule has been in flux lately so it’s been hard to watch while airing, especially since I was attempting to watch three Mon/Tues shows at once.
• Monster – this the show I make a point to watch as soon as I can each Mon/Tues (er, or try to, if my schedule allows). I’m still not totally sure where it’s going, and sometimes there’s a tonal shift that throws me off (plus after being spoiled with gorgeous cinematic filming for so many dramas lately, it takes me a bit to get used to that static “weekend drama” style of shooting). But it’s definitely entertaining, I’ll give them that, and I love the cast. I still sort of tune out when it comes to the money revenge stuff, but I think there’s a strong chance I’ll actually finish all 50 episodes.
• Vampire Detective – I’m still laughing at how long it’s taking Lee Joon’s character to figure out he’s a vampire, but I like mystery procedurals and find this a stylishly-filmed drama that’s fun to watch. I love Lee Se Young’s character so much, especially when she’s paired with Oh Jung Se’s character because their brother-sister bickering dynamic is utterly delightful. These three are my fave type of little adopted family! I just feel like suddenly it’ll be ep 12 and Lee Joon will go, “Oh crap, I’m a vampire! Well, that explains a lot…”
• Entertainer – I didn’t realize until a couple days ago that I never finished episode 2 when I first watched it, and that’s primarily because the plot is predictable and the script is kinda bland. I mean, I thought I had finished it because I could anticipate where it was going (and I’ve since then watched it, so I’m no longer as far behind). I wasn’t expecting anything great, since this writer is known for adaptations (the other drama she’s adapted was Bel Ami, which had promise but was a boring dud in the end, or nearly end, because I dropped it halfway through with no regrets). What’s surprising me most is the directing also feels incredibly flat since I’ve generally had good luck with this director before. I’m also concerned about the cast – I love Minhyuk and I really like Hyeri, but I’m not sure if I’m buying their characters. I find it hard to believe that Minhyuk is supposed to be younger than Hyeri, and while I enjoyed her acting in Seonam Girls High School Investigators (the only thing I’ve seen her in – yes, I’m the odd-ball who still has never watched Reply 1988), I feel like she’s not connecting with her character here. I blame that on the writing and the directing – and the casting. Minhyuk is one of my rare biases but I feel like the show would have better served to go with a younger idol (if they had to go with an idol), and one who’s a vocalist, too. Maybe I’m just thinking of all the baby-faced rookies who could have had a break-out moment (yes, I know, here I am arguing to give idols a chance, but so many idols study acting these days with the intent of using their idol status as a step-up into becoming an actor that it’s inevitable that there will be idols in dramas – plus if it’s a drama about singing/performing, I think I’d be more inclined to assume an idol might be the better fit), or maybe it would work better if their roles switched because I could buy Minhyuk as the protective older “brother” and Hyeri as the rebellious teenage wannabe rocker (that would make for an awkward romance, though, with Ji Sung, although suddenly it makes me wish this was Shut Up Flower Girl Band). Anyway, I’m still hesitant about this show, although I’m normally a sucker for underdog musical dramas (see my love for SUFBB, What’s Up?, Monstar, Persevere Gu Hae Ra). There’s a strong chance I’ll drop it, especially if I have such reservations after only watching the first couple of episodes. I’ll at least give it until episode 4, since that’s when most dramas need the chance to settle in. But I’m just not sure if what takes me out of the drama will be able to fixed without some serious attention to the script, editing, and acting choices. Annnnnd I’ve just written more about this show than I’ve actually thought about it while watching.

Skipping/Dropping:

• Once again, I have not dropped a drama that I planned to watch. It’s a Dramaland miracle.
• Another Oh Hae Young – this was one I was going to instinctively skip, but then I thought I was going to have to recap it so I was starting to look for the silver lining, then it turns out I’m not recapping it, so now I get to skip it (again). On the silver lining side, Eric is generally a worthwhile bet and the third teaser gave me a little hope about how the “other” Oh Hae Young would prove she’s more than just “dirt.” The concept still doesn’t appeal to me, although it’s from an unknown writer so anything’s possible. Still, I’ll pass.
• Mirror of the Witch – not something I’ll watch live, but maybe down the road when I have time to kill. I’m curious how they’ll mix what is traditionally the father of Korean medicine with the supernatural side of things. While I’ve not read Dongui Bogam (please, like I’m going to read a medical textbook no matter what era or region it’s from), I have heard there are some delightfully unusual old-timey remedies and even instructions on how to make yourself invisible, how to stop hearing ghosts, and how to make a monkey speak, so a fantasy-fusion sageuk seems ideal to explore the more bizarre folk remedies by making them supernatural.

I’m going to finish this show one day, I swear:

• Six Flying Dragons – Still on ep 26. Don’tjudgeme.

Upcoming dramas of interest:

• Arbitrarily Fond – a new new airdate: July 6th! The last pre-produced drama I watched was D-Day, so I’m eager to rinse that bitter taste out of my mouth as I bask in the glory that is ImJoo² (uh, Woozy who?).
• Dear My Friends – the teasers are exactly what I’m hoping for in this drama. All that talent in one place! Not just the amazing older generation with their miles-long credentials and familiar faces to anyone who’s watched a drama or two or twenty, but also my beloved Go Hyun Jung will be carrying the lead for the young(er) generation (plus I’m confident my ahjussi crush on Shin Umma Sung Woo will only continue to grow). Normally Noh Hee Kyung’s dramas don’t really resonate with me, but I have high hopes for this one. 
• The Good Wife – YES OH YES I AM SO READY IS IT JULY YET IS IT IS IT IS IT. So far everything seems like perfection, with the one little hiccup that is Nana. I like her personally, but I have no clue what her acting skills are like, and it does seem like she’ll be taking on the Kalinda role, which… sigh. I’m just going to assume they’re going to do a drastic change to that role where the only thing in common is the character is the firm’s investigator, because it’s the only way I can prevent potential minor bitterness.
• Lucky Romance – I was totally going to skip this one because nothing about it appealed to me… until they cast Lee Soo Hyuk. I know; I’m such a fangirl loser. I’ve seen (nearly) all his dramas (still have yet to watch Shark or his latest stint as a vampire) and find he’s generally good at picking roles, so maybe I’ll give it a chance despite my limited patience for Hwang Jung Eum’s shrieks.
• Hwarang – y’all have seen the pics, right? Right? Here, lemme refresh your memory: 

(From nothing but these pics, I already know I’m going to fall hard for Park Hyungshik’s and Jo Yoon Woo’s characters.)

Other tidbits:

• Unni Slam Dunk – I’ve been keeping up with this new variety show which premiered last month (and apparently is technically called Unni’s Slam Dunk but whatevs, it’s not like anyone’s in either tag), and I’m really enjoying it. Not just because of Cute PD (who is still as cute as ever), but also because it’s refreshing watching a variety show that only has women as their cast (since most variety shows only have men or just a token woman). The cast is great just in general, not even considering their genders – there’s a nice mix of ages, talents, and personalities, plus everyone seems to have great chemistry. It’s not as familiarly frenetic as other popular variety shows, but I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes and find it promising that it’s already been booked for a full season.
• 1N2D – Yoon Shi Yoon has been officially declared the newest member! The guys have become so comfortable with each other (and the PDs) that I can only imagine Yoon Shi Yoon’s boy scout earnestness will throw them off-kilter (at least until he learns how to be equally conniving – hunger will do that to a person!). I’ll still miss Kim Joo Hyuk, but this will make for an interesting dynamic – plus the teams can be split evenly again. A little OB v YB, maybe? But would Yoon Shi Yoon fall into the LTE or 3G gang. Hmmmm.
• Dias Police: Ihou Keisatsu – if you’ve been following me for any length of time, you’ll know that I enjoy jdramas but don’t watch them very often. However, I can’t pass up watching the latest drama with my beloved Matsuda Shota (see my love for the non-kdrama Liar Game as mentioned above). The only bummer is that I haven’t been able to find subs anywhere, so I’ve been watching it raw. I’ll watch dramas raw, but this is a new experience for jdramas. I think I’m following it decently enough, especially since so much of the dialogue is in other languages. But if anyone finds out where fans might be subbing this show, please let me know! (And lemme just say Shota’s British accent when he speaks English makes me very happy.)

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.