Since we have so many new people in kDramaLand, I thought a round of "What are You Watching?" might be interesting.
*** Currently Watching ***
Watchparties: - When the Stars Gossip (airing) some of the most unusual scenes I've ever seen in kDramas - loving it so far - The Imperial Coroner (#cDrama) very funny & interesting - Love Scout (airing) very lovely, but slow on the plot??
- Check in Hanyang (airing) funny, then slumpy, then oh wow - they didn't! - Empress Ki : excellent in so many ways, but also tortuous (very slow watch for me) - Where Stars Land: good, interesting about the airport, doesn't know how magnets work, lots of staring into eyes.
How is everyone starting the new year - drama-wise?
*** Watch Parties *** - The Imperial Coroner: great #cdrama funny & interesting. - When the Stars Gossip: (airing) just watched the 1st episode - so funny & strange
*** Airing *** - When the Phone Rings: 1 eps to go - lots of mystery has been fun
- Love Scout: Just watched the 1st eps. - very engaging
- Check in Hanyang: binged 1st 4 eps. - pretty funny (running a Joseon resort like "King the Land" sort of thing)
*** Others *** - Empress Ki: slow going because I just know it's not going to end like I want it to.
- Eulachacha Waikiki 2: stupid humor, but on a Kim Seon Ho quest - good when there's too much tension elsewhere
- Where Stars Land: on my Chae Soo Bin (When the Phone Rings) quest - interesting to see the workings of the airport.
In 1990, I was about the same age as your son Kevin, and he and I were on the same wavelength—that is to say, I judged the hell out of your parenting. Poor Kevin. The youngest of an indeterminate number of kids, with an antagonistic older brother, a creepy uncle, nasty cousins picking on him in his own home… and a mother who couldn’t give him the time of day."
I see it as a continuation of the "contrast" theme. Many of the scene changes show you the opposites - fancy food/instant food, lonely people/people surrounded by loved ones, busy/bored, successful/failure & the story also shows peoples' lives being contrasts too - poor dad/rich dad, loved dad/lonely dad, accomplished yet lonely mom/loved yet unfulfilled mom.
Her brother was sick as a child and given special treatment because of it. She's always been jealous of this. Then she was sick & no one knew, so not only did she not get special treatment, but judgements about her taking time off work were harsh.
Throughout the series, the contrasts come up and hit the characters with realizations about their lives.
I was surprised by the cancer at first too, but it works as part of emphasizing the contrasts.
A rich chaebol son with a poor office worker who is older & has had responsibility for her brother since leaving her parents behind as a high schooler. This has made her pragmatic. When she finds out her young boyfriend is the 2nd son of the company owner, she knows the relationship is unrealistic. When mom offers money to break up, she takes it.
Good acting, good OST, nothing extraordinary in set design, cinematography, or costuming. There were a few gems of wisdom in the writing, most was lackluster & predictable. The brothers were great together & the 2nd couple was very cute - they stole the show. Good fluff, with some occasional unexpected depth, but then a little disappointment because those hints of something more never came to fruition.
#kDrama Unlock My Boss (2022 - Netflix, 12 1:00 eps)
A surprising delight! The title & synopsis do not do it justice. The CEO of a tech company is missing, but his soul finds its way into his phone, which an out-of-work actor finds. The CEO/phone convinces him to be the acting CEO & to help him find out what happened.
The CEO has a little girl & the maid, the butler, the secretary, the new CEO, & the bodyguard develop such amazing relationships with the child & each other. Just a bit of romance, sweet found-family relationships, & bromance raise this drama from a regular mystery thriller to an experience looking at what responsibility means & what we would do for family, society, & our morals. It also brings up questions about AI & its uses.
The leads were great, but a shout-out to Kim Sung Oh. This is the first darker role I've seen him in & he was so perfect.
#kDrama Sweet Home - Season 1 (2020 - Netflix, 10 0:52 eps)
Another great action (with gore) horror series. It focuses on 1 apartment's inhabitants as some people become monsters. We see psychological struggles (child abuse, bullying, suicide) in the characters. The monsters, though mostly unique, seem to have a theme & can be funny in a dark way. The acting is superb & the cast worked well together.
At 1st we are introduced to many characters & deal with flashbacks, which can be confusing. Surprisingly, in 10 eps, we see a lot of char. dev. & feel something for these characters. With this star-studded cast, you never know who will survive the entire series, so dangerous situations are scary & intense. Questions about being human, compassion & empathy are brought up.
It's been a while since we asked that all important question:
What are you watching??
Me? I'm watching: with Watch Parties: - Korean Odyssey: my favorite zombie ever & why I went looking for more Lee Seung Gi - My Sweet Mobster: too adorable
- Bring It On, Ghost: just 1 eps, but fun! - Dr. Romantic Season 3: great continuation - Sweet Home: ack! horror! So intense! (luckily watching with @EllenInEdmonton or I might not be able to sleep) - My Dearest (it's kind of been on hold - I know I'm in the minority, but it just seems to be dragging... Someone give me some motivation to continue.)
I was thinking that since I can't get interested in "My Dearest," I might start "Missing Crown Prince" so that I have an historical in my rotation?
A rich jaebol playing detective as a 2nd job meets up with a woman with super-vision to solve crimes & we get a drama that doesn't take itself seriously at all - it's comic-like in some ways. Many tropes are exaggerated. The 4 leads work well together and make for great comedy.
The disguises they come up with are fun. The writing is witty, although, some scenes are far-fetched. We have romance, comedy, & mystery. It's a fun watch with a decent story. Some loose ends, but overall a nice break from more serious dramas.
Unusual in that it depicts the Japanese occupation in 1945 & the war crimes. Many actors turned down the roles because the topic is too sensitive.
When you hate horror, but you find yourself rooting for the creature, you know the writing & acting are fabulous. The costumes are wonderful, the sets, the props, all superbly executed. It is a stellar production.
An unwilling hero finds himself "drafted". Enlisting the help of professional detectives, they set off to find out what exactly is happening. It's a great mystery thriller with action, family & community, & romance.
The questions of what would you do under torture, what do you turn a blind eye to, how much risk are you willing to take, will haunt you as you see what the characters are up against.