Korean dramas & movies |OT1| Attack of the dimples

matmanx1 · Dec 15, 2018

Encounter is definitely not breaking much in the way of new ground (the female chaebol and male middle class role reversal is the notable exception) but I'm ok with that because everything it's doing is extremely high quality. Acting = top tier. Talent = fantastic. Music = great so far. Wardrobe and locales = everyone wants to dress and look like Park Bo Gum and Song Hye Kyo and visit Cuba.

Basically, everytime there's a new episode my eyeballs are glued to the screen for an hour and I find myself either grinning like an idiot or scowling at the screen depending on what's going on. In terms of addictiveness its up there with What's Wrong with Secretary Kim which I consider 2018's guilty pleasure. Everyone else can be as negative as they want to be but in the meantime I am having a blast.

Dragoon · Dec 15, 2018

Saw episode 14 of The Smile Has Left Your Eyes..

fuck.. Fuck! FUCKKKK!!! I will be doing something on a lighter note such as read Anne Franke's diary. Just need something brighter to cheer me up.

Wow. We all thought, but it is so fucked up. This is giving major vibes of an extremely fucked up and super famous Korean movie, but I don't want to allude and spoil that movie for people who haven't seen that but have seen TSHLYE.. Now, I still think there is a chance that she is the daughter of the couple that was murdered by Papa Kim Moo... But if they really go ahead and just flat out make them biological siblings without cop-outs

matmanx1 said:
Encounter is definitely not breaking much in the way of new ground (the female chaebol and male middle class role reversal is the notable exception) but I'm ok with that because everything it's doing is extremely high quality. Acting = top tier. Talent = fantastic. Music = great so far. Wardrobe and locales = everyone wants to dress and look like Park Bo Gum and Song Hye Kyo and visit Cuba.

Basically, everytime there's a new episode my eyeballs are glued to the screen for an hour and I find myself either grinning like an idiot or scowling at the screen depending on what's going on. In terms of addictiveness its up there with What's Wrong with Secretary Kim which I consider 2018's guilty pleasure. Everyone else can be as negative as they want to be but in the meantime I am having a blast.

I have no guilty pleasure watching Secretary Kim, will be looking to watch a show exactly like that once Smile Has Left Your Eyes is done this weekend.

Kyoufu · Dec 15, 2018

Dragoon said:
Saw episode 14 of The Smile Has Left Your Eyes..

fuck.. Fuck! FUCKKKK!!! I will be doing something on a lighter note such as read Anne Franke's diary. Just need something brighter to cheer me up.

Wow. We all thought, but it is so fucked up. This is giving major vibes of an extremely fucked up and super famous Korean movie, but I don't want to allude and spoil that movie for people who haven't seen that but have seen TSHLYE.. Now, I still think there is a chance that she is the daughter of the couple that was murdered by Papa Kim Moo... But if they really go ahead and just flat out make them biological siblings without cop-outs

I have no guilty pleasure watching Secretary Kim, will be looking to watch a show exactly like that once Smile Has Left Your Eyes is done this weekend.

You've still got two episodes to go.

IT AIN'T OVER BABY

Dragoon · Dec 17, 2018

Kyoufu said:
You've still got two episodes to go.

IT AIN'T OVER BABY

Wow.. so I finished The Smile Has Left Your Eyes. Hmmm.. well, it is the best kdrama of 2018 looking at 2018 ones I've seen. It's different than many where you have some perfect human beings that are not particularly realistic. Every single character in this is somewhat morally gray to very dark, and almost everyone does a shitty thing. There's one exception, but that person you just got to feel for. Yikes!

That ending is some damn good writing. I don't really know what to say, as I need to let it sink in a bit more.

I still remain with the POV that the first 6 episodes of Lawless Lawyer is the best set of episodes in a series this year and really any kdrama I've seen. Very tight writing, and the pace is fantastic. You get half the story in the first 6 episodes unfortunately, which leaves the other 12 episodes feeling a bit dragged out which is typical for every kdrama I watch.

The best scene I've seen this year is from Lawyer show where Jae-Ji is interrogating the cop in prison. Whooo, that music and acting.

matmanx1 · Dec 17, 2018

Dragoon said:
Saw episode 14 of The Smile Has Left Your Eyes..

fuck.. Fuck! FUCKKKK!!! I will be doing something on a lighter note such as read Anne Franke's diary. Just need something brighter to cheer me up.

Wow. We all thought, but it is so fucked up. This is giving major vibes of an extremely fucked up and super famous Korean movie, but I don't want to allude and spoil that movie for people who haven't seen that but have seen TSHLYE.. Now, I still think there is a chance that she is the daughter of the couple that was murdered by Papa Kim Moo... But if they really go ahead and just flat out make them biological siblings without cop-outs

I have no guilty pleasure watching Secretary Kim, will be looking to watch a show exactly like that once Smile Has Left Your Eyes is done this weekend.

No shade on Secretary Kim, I think it's a wonderful show. Have you watched My ID is Gangnam Beauty? Also based on a webtoon (like Secretary Kim) and I liked it very much. It's not better than Secretary Kim but it does scratch some of the same itch.

Dragoon · Dec 17, 2018

matmanx1 said:
No shade on Secretary Kim, I think it's a wonderful show. Have you watched My ID is Gangnam Beauty? Also based on a webtoon (like Secretary Kim) and I liked it very much. It's not better than Secretary Kim but it does scratch some of the same itch.

Yeah, it's a great show!

doagrl · Dec 17, 2018

I'm mostly caught up from last week and finalizing my list of annual Christmas Binge shows that I will start on Friday when my vacation begins. I have 11 days to finish off all the shows that I put on hiatus earlier in the year and pick up a few that I didn't want to weekly watch when they first came out.

Encounter is still so very good. I am officially in love with the character of Soo Hyun and I'm warming more and more to Jin Hyuk though I still say that Park Bo Gum is just playing an idealized version of himself. It feels like we've hit the point of no return for the couple with the dating now out in the open (& publically confirmed !). Now, I expect the ex-MIL to really start to threaten Soo Hyun and her father (who decided to show that he has a backbone in episode 6). I'm also interested in seeing how the ex-husband, Woo Seok, reacts now that the relationship is out. He's been such a sympathetic figure so far but his brief interactions with Jin Hyuk makes me think that jealousy will get the best of him soon.

Children of Nobody is still my #1 show that I am watching right now. I am becoming more and more suspicious of Woo Kyung which probably means that she is completely innocent since this show is great at keeping me guessing. I think that there is something suspicious about every single person we've met so far and we are still being introduced to weirdo, potential murder suspects (what is it with rich Korean mothers locking their children into ~~torture~~ study rooms). The one thing that is fairly certain at this point is that Woo Kyung definitely had a trauma, probably severe abuse, as a child and that her mother is lying to her about how much she knows. I feel like I know where we are going with that revelation but like I said before I'm probably wrong. This show has joined Encounter as a multiview for me, I'm rewatching every episode at least twice just trying to pick up on any clues that I may have missed in the first viewing. This is the best thriller/mystery show of the year for me.

Clean with Passion and Mama Fairy my cuteness shows are driving me bonkers with the crazy relationships. I have second lead syndrome big time with Mama Fairy which has turned into a celestial love triangle of crazy. While Clean is still at the denying their attraction stage of the game which is both frustrating and funny, but mostly frustrating. I like Mama Fairy more, mostly due to the strange fantasy elements of the show, but Clean is a great late week pick me up after I've watched/rewatched all my heavy shows for the week.

My Strange Hero and Just Dance are my two high school shows that I picked up last week. The first hour of Hero was a great setup for the show but the Tuesday episodes kind of lost me. I don't buy the premise for why this 27 y.o. man is back in high school or why he apparently has a fated love with the leading lady, who is extremely unappealing. Yoo Seung Ho is always decent but he's definitely not an actor that I will watch a middling show for so I'll check out this week's episodes and if they don't catch me I'll drop it. On the other hand, Just Dance is just the kind of show I've been looking for and it kind of came out of nowhere. The setup is very different with a selfish, bratty high school girl living in a "small town" who dreams of going to school in Seoul no matter what her mother or teachers say. She's sassy, a bit devious, a terrible daughter and the leader of a group of friends who really have no business being friends (yet) all with problems of their own. I usually shy away from school dramas because I'm so far removed from high school that I have issues relating to them but the entire setup of the dying company town and dead-end lives has caught me big time.

Memories of the Alhambra and Sky Castle were skipped this week because I fell into an epic sageuk. I was looking for one to put on my list for Christmas and realized that I'd never actually gotten around to watching Six Flying Dragons. I started and stopped it a few times in 2015 & 2016, but the 50 episode length mixed with my old work schedule made it a no go. So I put it off until Saturday then went on a massive 18 episode binge. It's ridiculously good, written by the same writer as Tree With Deep Roots and is just too hard to stop once you get started. But it's not an easy show to watch, it is seriously heavy and throws a ton of history and politics at you with very little explanation of what is going on from scene to scene. I gave up trying to get all of my understanding from the show and did a deep dive on Wikipedia. Some of the characters and their exploits I knew about from watching other sageuks but to get a full understanding I needed more background. The amazing part of this drama is how the writers were able to meld real historical figures in with fictional characters and situations and it came out so believable. I spent hours trying to find info on the "greatest swordsman/best eye shadow wearer, Gil Tae Mi" only to learn that he didn't actually exist. I don't know how many historical fans there are here but if you ever think you want to give one a try SFD would be a good place to start.

Yams · Dec 17, 2018

What's a good fun show revolving around food?

doagrl · Dec 17, 2018

Yams said:
What's a good fun show revolving around food?

Have you tried Let's Eat?

Yams · Dec 17, 2018

doagrl said:
Have you tried Let's Eat?

Me and my GF just started it a few days ago

matmanx1 · Dec 17, 2018

Yams said:
What's a good fun show revolving around food?

Have you seen Oh My Ghost (also called Oh My Ghostess)? The food isn't the star of the show (it's a supernatural romance/comedy/mystery/thriller - wow I just realized how this show has a little bit of everything!) but it does have a seriously big foodie vibe as the male lead is a chef and owns a restaurant. There's lots of delicious looking food close-ups and most of the action takes place in the kitchen and food prep areas. Oh and it helps that it's a seriously good show in its own right.

Kyoufu · Dec 17, 2018

Yams said:
What's a good fun show revolving around food?

Temperature of Love is decent.

timeforsana · Dec 18, 2018

Kyoufu said:
You've still got two episodes to go.

IT AIN'T OVER BABY

So no spoilers. But I've just started watching this show and does Moo-young (Seo In-guk) remain as unlikeable for the rest of the show as he has been for the first 3 episodes?

Kyoufu · Dec 18, 2018

₩olf said:
So no spoilers. But I've just started watching this show and does Moo-young (Seo In-guk) remain as unlikeable for the rest of the show as he has been for the first 3 episodes?

He's not your perfect korean drama male lead so you will have to put up with his flaws, but he really develops throughout the story. Tons and tons of character development. He's really interesting to follow and in the end I think you will grow to like him like I did. I went from thinking he's unlikeable to actually cheering for him. It's one hell of a story tbh.

You're in for quite a ride though, because he does and says some terrible things along the way.

I've been searching for more dramas with his kind of character, and I'm not finding many :(

matmanx1 · Dec 18, 2018

Kyoufu said:
He's not your perfect korean drama male lead so you will have to put up with his flaws, but he really develops throughout the story. Tons and tons of character development. He's really interesting to follow and in the end I think you will grow to like him like I did. I went from thinking he's unlikeable to actually cheering for him. It's one hell of a story tbh.

You're in for quite a ride though, because he does and says some terrible things along the way.

I've been searching for more dramas with his kind of character, and I'm not finding many :(

Well, The Smile Has Left Your Eyes is a Japanese show and, while I don't want to stereotype, Japanese shows tend to feel "darker" (and I'm not even sure that's the right word) than Korean shows and seem to focus on darker subjects more readily. And I know that's a very broad generalization but it's just a feeling I have from watching years and years of Japanese shows before becoming a Kdrama fan.

Have you watched "Spring Has Come"? It's a short (6 episodes if I remember right) drama starring Kai from EXO and is a Japanese show that got some attention earlier in the year. I remember it getting a lot of hate because it is downright melancholy and does not have a "perfect" ending but it is a pretty great watch if you haven't seen it and Kai's character is far from perfect (although no Moo-young either).

Kyoufu · Dec 18, 2018

matmanx1 said:
Well, The Smile Has Left Your Eyes is a Japanese show and, while I don't want to stereotype, Japanese shows tend to feel "darker" (and I'm not even sure that's the right word) than Korean shows and seem to focus on darker subjects more readily. And I know that's a very broad generalization but it's just a feeling I have from watching years and years of Japanese shows before becoming a Kdrama fan.

Have you watched "Spring Has Come"? It's a short (6 episodes if I remember right) drama starring Kai from EXO and is a Japanese show that got some attention earlier in the year. I remember it getting a lot of hate because it is downright melancholy and does not have a "perfect" ending but it is a pretty great watch if you haven't seen it and Kai's character is far from perfect (although no Moo-young either).

I don't watch any J-dramas unfortunately, but I will try and check out your suggestion if I can find a good J-drama source. I hope Korea remakes more of these darker stories lol.

Dragoon · Dec 18, 2018

₩olf said:
So no spoilers. But I've just started watching this show and does Moo-young (Seo In-guk) remain as unlikeable for the rest of the show as he has been for the first 3 episodes?

I personally loved that about him, because it feels like I've been watching like 2 different type of male leads for the last several shows. That's kind of his appeal. He's definitely not a good person and in terms of his actions/likeability, that will fluctuate throughout the entire show. To me, he's not the nicest person, but he's vastly more interesting than other male leads. Up to what you're into.

matmanx1 said:
Well, The Smile Has Left Your Eyes is a Japanese show and, while I don't want to stereotype, Japanese shows tend to feel "darker" (and I'm not even sure that's the right word) than Korean shows and seem to focus on darker subjects more readily. And I know that's a very broad generalization but it's just a feeling I have from watching years and years of Japanese shows before becoming a Kdrama fan.

Have you watched "Spring Has Come"? It's a short (6 episodes if I remember right) drama starring Kai from EXO and is a Japanese show that got some attention earlier in the year. I remember it getting a lot of hate because it is downright melancholy and does not have a "perfect" ending but it is a pretty great watch if you haven't seen it and Kai's character is far from perfect (although no Moo-young either).

Interesting... Maybe I should start watching Japanese shows then.

I started watching a much lighter show, but I forgot the name lol.. A girl gets dumped 1 day before her wedding, and the male lead had an unfortunate circumstance happen to him 2 years prior. He creates music for movies, while she's a manager for restaurants. It has supernatural elements because of the guy. The girl is hilarious and far and away the best character.

"I cancelled my wedding.. because.. I love men so much."

I was laughing out loud for 20 seconds straight, it was even more amazing because everyone at the dinner was dying laughing as well. Fucking hell lol.. one of the funniest things this year.. She's a champ. Not sure what to think of the guy though because of his scumbag actions, regardless of misunderstandings. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I'm enjoying it though, and I wanted just something lighter after A Smile Has Left Your Eyes.

doagrl said:
I'm mostly caught up from last week and finalizing my list of annual Christmas Binge shows that I will start on Friday when my vacation begins. I have 11 days to finish off all the shows that I put on hiatus earlier in the year and pick up a few that I didn't want to weekly watch when they first came out.

Encounter is still so very good. I am officially in love with the character of Soo Hyun and I'm warming more and more to Jin Hyuk though I still say that Park Bo Gum is just playing an idealized version of himself. It feels like we've hit the point of no return for the couple with the dating now out in the open (& publically confirmed !). Now, I expect the ex-MIL to really start to threaten Soo Hyun and her father (who decided to show that he has a backbone in episode 6). I'm also interested in seeing how the ex-husband, Woo Seok, reacts now that the relationship is out. He's been such a sympathetic figure so far but his brief interactions with Jin Hyuk makes me think that jealousy will get the best of him soon.

Children of Nobody is still my #1 show that I am watching right now. I am becoming more and more suspicious of Woo Kyung which probably means that she is completely innocent since this show is great at keeping me guessing. I think that there is something suspicious about every single person we've met so far and we are still being introduced to weirdo, potential murder suspects (what is it with rich Korean mothers locking their children into ~~torture~~ study rooms). The one thing that is fairly certain at this point is that Woo Kyung definitely had a trauma, probably severe abuse, as a child and that her mother is lying to her about how much she knows. I feel like I know where we are going with that revelation but like I said before I'm probably wrong. This show has joined Encounter as a multiview for me, I'm rewatching every episode at least twice just trying to pick up on any clues that I may have missed in the first viewing. This is the best thriller/mystery show of the year for me.

Clean with Passion and Mama Fairy my cuteness shows are driving me bonkers with the crazy relationships. I have second lead syndrome big time with Mama Fairy which has turned into a celestial love triangle of crazy. While Clean is still at the denying their attraction stage of the game which is both frustrating and funny, but mostly frustrating. I like Mama Fairy more, mostly due to the strange fantasy elements of the show, but Clean is a great late week pick me up after I've watched/rewatched all my heavy shows for the week.

My Strange Hero and Just Dance are my two high school shows that I picked up last week. The first hour of Hero was a great setup for the show but the Tuesday episodes kind of lost me. I don't buy the premise for why this 27 y.o. man is back in high school or why he apparently has a fated love with the leading lady, who is extremely unappealing. Yoo Seung Ho is always decent but he's definitely not an actor that I will watch a middling show for so I'll check out this week's episodes and if they don't catch me I'll drop it. On the other hand, Just Dance is just the kind of show I've been looking for and it kind of came out of nowhere. The setup is very different with a selfish, bratty high school girl living in a "small town" who dreams of going to school in Seoul no matter what her mother or teachers say. She's sassy, a bit devious, a terrible daughter and the leader of a group of friends who really have no business being friends (yet) all with problems of their own. I usually shy away from school dramas because I'm so far removed from high school that I have issues relating to them but the entire setup of the dying company town and dead-end lives has caught me big time.

Memories of the Alhambra and Sky Castle were skipped this week because I fell into an epic sageuk. I was looking for one to put on my list for Christmas and realized that I'd never actually gotten around to watching Six Flying Dragons. I started and stopped it a few times in 2015 & 2016, but the 50 episode length mixed with my old work schedule made it a no go. So I put it off until Saturday then went on a massive 18 episode binge. It's ridiculously good, written by the same writer as Tree With Deep Roots and is just too hard to stop once you get started. But it's not an easy show to watch, it is seriously heavy and throws a ton of history and politics at you with very little explanation of what is going on from scene to scene. I gave up trying to get all of my understanding from the show and did a deep dive on Wikipedia. Some of the characters and their exploits I knew about from watching other sageuks but to get a full understanding I needed more background. The amazing part of this drama is how the writers were able to meld real historical figures in with fictional characters and situations and it came out so believable. I spent hours trying to find info on the "greatest swordsman/best eye shadow wearer, Gil Tae Mi" only to learn that he didn't actually exist. I don't know how many historical fans there are here but if you ever think you want to give one a try SFD would be a good place to start.

Was considering starting Strange Hero in Jan, but keep me updated if this isn't good. Maybe I'll skip it and try JD as you say it's good. From that description, I like that the main is different from you see.

I still cannot get A Smile Has Left Your Eyes from head, especially after the ending. It's something else man.. Someone commented on the Japanese version and said (don't know if it's true)

they're brother and sister in that show, there was no cop out. But they also die there.

That must have made the last episodes of the J-version even crazier.

timeforsana · Dec 18, 2018

Kyoufu said:
He's not your perfect korean drama male lead so you will have to put up with his flaws, but he really develops throughout the story. Tons and tons of character development. He's really interesting to follow and in the end I think you will grow to like him like I did. I went from thinking he's unlikeable to actually cheering for him. It's one hell of a story tbh.

You're in for quite a ride though, because he does and says some terrible things along the way.

I've been searching for more dramas with his kind of character, and I'm not finding many :(

Dragoon said:
I personally loved that about him, because it feels like I've been watching like 2 different type of male leads for the last several shows. That's kind of his appeal. He's definitely not a good person and in terms of his actions/likeability, that will fluctuate throughout the entire show. To me, he's not the nicest person, but he's vastly more interesting than other male leads. Up to what you're into.

Him not being perfect doesn't bother me. He's just extremely unlikeable so far in a 'I really hope someone gives you a smack round the head' type of way.

Kyoufu · Dec 18, 2018

₩olf said:
Him not being perfect doesn't bother me. He's just extremely unlikeable so far in a 'I really hope someone gives you a smack round the head' type of way.

Yeah, definitely keep watching. A lot of shit happens. A lot of character development.

matmanx1 · Dec 18, 2018

doagrl said:
I'm mostly caught up from last week and finalizing my list of annual Christmas Binge shows that I will start on Friday when my vacation begins. I have 11 days to finish off all the shows that I put on hiatus earlier in the year and pick up a few that I didn't want to weekly watch when they first came out.

Encounter is still so very good. I am officially in love with the character of Soo Hyun and I'm warming more and more to Jin Hyuk though I still say that Park Bo Gum is just playing an idealized version of himself. It feels like we've hit the point of no return for the couple with the dating now out in the open (& publically confirmed !). Now, I expect the ex-MIL to really start to threaten Soo Hyun and her father (who decided to show that he has a backbone in episode 6). I'm also interested in seeing how the ex-husband, Woo Seok, reacts now that the relationship is out. He's been such a sympathetic figure so far but his brief interactions with Jin Hyuk makes me think that jealousy will get the best of him soon.

Children of Nobody is still my #1 show that I am watching right now. I am becoming more and more suspicious of Woo Kyung which probably means that she is completely innocent since this show is great at keeping me guessing. I think that there is something suspicious about every single person we've met so far and we are still being introduced to weirdo, potential murder suspects (what is it with rich Korean mothers locking their children into ~~torture~~ study rooms). The one thing that is fairly certain at this point is that Woo Kyung definitely had a trauma, probably severe abuse, as a child and that her mother is lying to her about how much she knows. I feel like I know where we are going with that revelation but like I said before I'm probably wrong. This show has joined Encounter as a multiview for me, I'm rewatching every episode at least twice just trying to pick up on any clues that I may have missed in the first viewing. This is the best thriller/mystery show of the year for me.

Clean with Passion and Mama Fairy my cuteness shows are driving me bonkers with the crazy relationships. I have second lead syndrome big time with Mama Fairy which has turned into a celestial love triangle of crazy. While Clean is still at the denying their attraction stage of the game which is both frustrating and funny, but mostly frustrating. I like Mama Fairy more, mostly due to the strange fantasy elements of the show, but Clean is a great late week pick me up after I've watched/rewatched all my heavy shows for the week.

My Strange Hero and Just Dance are my two high school shows that I picked up last week. The first hour of Hero was a great setup for the show but the Tuesday episodes kind of lost me. I don't buy the premise for why this 27 y.o. man is back in high school or why he apparently has a fated love with the leading lady, who is extremely unappealing. Yoo Seung Ho is always decent but he's definitely not an actor that I will watch a middling show for so I'll check out this week's episodes and if they don't catch me I'll drop it. On the other hand, Just Dance is just the kind of show I've been looking for and it kind of came out of nowhere. The setup is very different with a selfish, bratty high school girl living in a "small town" who dreams of going to school in Seoul no matter what her mother or teachers say. She's sassy, a bit devious, a terrible daughter and the leader of a group of friends who really have no business being friends (yet) all with problems of their own. I usually shy away from school dramas because I'm so far removed from high school that I have issues relating to them but the entire setup of the dying company town and dead-end lives has caught me big time.

Memories of the Alhambra and Sky Castle were skipped this week because I fell into an epic sageuk. I was looking for one to put on my list for Christmas and realized that I'd never actually gotten around to watching Six Flying Dragons. I started and stopped it a few times in 2015 & 2016, but the 50 episode length mixed with my old work schedule made it a no go. So I put it off until Saturday then went on a massive 18 episode binge. It's ridiculously good, written by the same writer as Tree With Deep Roots and is just too hard to stop once you get started. But it's not an easy show to watch, it is seriously heavy and throws a ton of history and politics at you with very little explanation of what is going on from scene to scene. I gave up trying to get all of my understanding from the show and did a deep dive on Wikipedia. Some of the characters and their exploits I knew about from watching other sageuks but to get a full understanding I needed more background. The amazing part of this drama is how the writers were able to meld real historical figures in with fictional characters and situations and it came out so believable. I spent hours trying to find info on the "greatest swordsman/best eye shadow wearer, Gil Tae Mi" only to learn that he didn't actually exist. I don't know how many historical fans there are here but if you ever think you want to give one a try SFD would be a good place to start.

I always enjoy your write-ups so thanks for doing them. I've decreased my TV time over the last week or so as I've picked Destiny 2 back up and suddenly have an interest in gaming again. I'm still keeping up with Encounter (enjoying it immensely so far), have gotten up to episode 15 on Children of Nobody (the "whodunnit" aspect of this show has gotten me hooked) and am also current on Clean With Passion for Now (I like this so much better than I thought I would).

My wife and I are re-watching Healer (well, I am re-watching, she's seeing it for the first time and really likes it) and also Terrius Behind Me. Terrius seems like a show that should have gotten more buzz but it was right in the middle when DramaFever closed down and I think it suffered because of it. So Ji Sub is always great to watch and Jung In Sun is as cute and spunky as ever and together they are funny and charming. It's a secret agent show but it's also a bit of a mystery and a comedy at the same time with just enough serious stuff to provide flavor. I don't know how it ends but we're in the last third of the show and so far I really like it.

DarkFlame92 · Dec 18, 2018

Is the Chaser worth watching?

less · Dec 18, 2018

DarkFlame92 said:
Is the Chaser worth watching?

It isn't for everyone I'd imagine but it is one of the better Korean films out there. Give it a watch!

Dragoon · Dec 21, 2018

So the show I've been watching is called Another Oh Hae-Young. Need something lighter and I got it. This might be the most bat-fucking-shit crazy cast I've ever seen in the drama LOL. Park is the only character that's somber and actually has very little emotion, and almost every other character is nuts, starting with one of my favorite characters in all of k-drama.. Oh Hae-Young, the main character and the absolute star of the show. She's insanely funny and her personality is amazing. She's a bit looney, says what's on her mind and is forward.

The story itself is as the title suggests, there was another girl with the same name when she grew up. They went to the same school, and the other one was basically the superior version of her in every single aspect. The entire class adored her and called the main girl regular Oh Hae-Young while the other girl was known as Pretty Oh-Hae Young. There are some events early into the show on top of these issues that really hurt her confidence and self-esteem, and I don't blame her. The whole cast is nuts like I said, but they're so amazing. From her parents, to the brother, best friend and sister of Park who along with his brother's GF make the 4-set of absolute looney toones crazy. Yikes.

Again, Oh Hae is so charismatic and funny.. The "I wanna smash at the motel" segment had me laughing out loud for 2 minutes. It's amazing.

matmanx1 · Dec 21, 2018

Dragoon said:
So the show I've been watching is called Another Oh Hae-Young. Need something lighter and I got it. This might be the most bat-fucking-shit crazy cast I've ever seen in the drama LOL. Park is the only character that's somber and actually has very little emotion, and almost every other character is nuts, starting with one of my favorite characters in all of k-drama.. Oh Hae-Young, the main character and the absolute star of the show. She's insanely funny and her personality is amazing. She's a bit looney, says what's on her mind and is forward.

The story itself is as the title suggests, there was another girl with the same name when she grew up. They went to the same school, and the other one was basically the superior version of her in every single aspect. The entire class adored her and called the main girl regular Oh Hae-Young while the other girl was known as Pretty Oh-Hae Young. There are some events early into the show on top of these issues that really hurt her confidence and self-esteem, and I don't blame her. The whole cast is nuts like I said, but they're so amazing. From her parents, to the brother, best friend and sister of Park who along with his brother's GF make the 4-set of absolute looney toones crazy. Yikes.

Again, Oh Hae is so charismatic and funny.. The "I wanna smash at the motel" segment had me laughing out loud for 2 minutes. It's amazing.

Sounds like something I need to watch. I'm pretty sure I had it on my que before DramaFever died but I'm not sure if I have added it back on another service or not. Thanks for the recommendation!

Kyoufu · Dec 21, 2018

Yup, Another Oh Hae Young is pretty good. Seo Hyun Jin always delivers as the female lead. I recommend Temperature of Love if you want to watch more of her.

timeforsana · Dec 21, 2018

I have just finished Episode 9 of The Smile Has Left Your Eyes. I do not see what Jin-kang sees in Moo-young at all and if what I've heard about the JP version persists in this version then she deserves whatever fate comes her way. That is all.

matmanx1 · Dec 21, 2018

₩olf said:
I have just finished Episode 9 of The Smile Has Left Your Eyes. I do not see what Jin-kang sees in Moo-young at all and if what I've heard about the JP version persists in this version then she deserves whatever fate comes her way. That is all.

Even with his personality "quirks" his looks and attitude are total lady killer. But that's actually secondary to something else which would be spoiler material as to why she's so drawn to him.

Kyoufu · Dec 21, 2018

₩olf said:
I have just finished Episode 9 of The Smile Has Left Your Eyes. I do not see what Jin-kang sees in Moo-young at all and if what I've heard about the JP version persists in this version then she deserves whatever fate comes her way. That is all.

Keep watching. You'll learn a lot about him and what she sees in him.

Dragoon · Dec 21, 2018

He's a smug asshole, that's his character. But I find him super interesting and enjoyable to watch.

I also don't think she's an angel, albeit the best of a bad (or rather complex) bunch

Gets together with him despite his brother saying that he would have gotten her best friend killed just to "get back" at the dude. And doesn't take too much time after as well.

To me, that's the highlight of the show. There's no amazing perfect human being, or someone who acts like an asshole but turns into an unrealistic perfect human in the last 5 episodes of the show despite doing x bad thing to feel bad about before the series starts or in the first 2 episodes. These guys fuck up and act in ways that makes you wince, and it also ends in an interesting manner.

matmanx1 · Dec 21, 2018

So Episode 8 of Encounter was sooooo soooo good. It was the perfect end of the year episode too since their wont be another until after the start of the new year. It was sweet, romantic, funny and sad all rolled into one. And Manager Nam is my new hero. He is the fairy Godmother/father that every couple needs and his mask at the party had me in stitches.

Dragoon · Dec 24, 2018

Anyone watching Misaeng? It's on Netflix, all about the office life. Just started watching it as I finish Another Oh Hae-Young. I'm on episode 5 of Misaeng and just read on youtube that there's no romance on this.. Is this true? Lead guy/girl don't get together, is this true? I sound like a 5 year old child because most of the time I prefer them not focus that much on romance, and yet in this one I'm being salty about not being any of it in the show.

Ahhh.. everything else is amazing, but it's really disappointing to hear this show doesn't have it based on that 'one youtube comment'. I feel that's literally the only thing missing.

Manager Oh is tha goat.
"Sorry. Really" or "Sorry. 'dickhead'." Holy phuck is he the MVP. So funny.

EDIT: I mean comon, the two leads perfectly compliment each other SMH

Dragoon · Dec 24, 2018

Regarding Misaeng ..

Are Koreans really treated that much like shit at the workplace, or is the story being over-dramatic? When the guy from the Resource team blew the papers cutting Young-Ji, I was fuming. What an absolute piece of shit. It also seems like working in an office is politics of taking credit for other peoples' work. When the director took their work and just fucking handed it to someone else, my anger was on another level. I'm moving into a more corporate world literally next week, I hope I don't have to deal with that bullshit. Right now our team is small enough that people can't really take credit since my work is mine. Yikes.

Manager Oh is seriously amazing, but I hope Geu-Rae grows even more of a backbone later in the future even though he's developing nicely so far. Oh just has the best material to work with and is the best actor on the show. I love when he kicks people down and says men shouldn't have weak feet like that. That level of pettiness is delicious because it's always on those that deserve it. Ending episode OST also needs to be on spotify, but Kdrama's slacking on that end...

less · Dec 25, 2018

Just finished watching Encounter Ep. 1. Cute and relaxing show so far and the two leads so far seem pretty good. Also, it looks gorgeous. Someone please tell me that they didn't blow all their budget with episode 1's shooting in a different country.

matmanx1 · Dec 26, 2018

less said:
Just finished watching Encounter Ep. 1. Cute and relaxing show so far and the two leads so far seem pretty good. Also, it looks gorgeous. Someone please tell me that they didn't blow all their budget with episode 1's shooting in a different country.

Definitely did not. The show moves back to Korea but the production values, music and acting stay at a high level up through what has been released so far (8 episodes).

less · Dec 26, 2018

matmanx1 said:
Definitely did not. The show moves back to Korea but the production values, music and acting stay at a high level up through what has been released so far (8 episodes).

That's good to hear.

Finished episode 2. The show continues to be a delight with some both leads being stellar so far. None of the usual drama and bullshit that plagues romance shows. Also, drunk MC is a riot. <3

But that bit at the end. Whew. I'm hoping for the show to handle that revelation well.

Dragoon · Dec 27, 2018

Misaeng is one of the best kdramas ever made. I didn't know a story about the general trading man in a big company could be so interesting. Unfortunately it doesn't have any romance although they allude to it a few times which annoys me, it has so many other things. The characters are fucking amazing. It's hilarious, and I wish this show had a 2nd season. It really makes sense and deserves it IMO. I seriously love so many of these characters. I also have to give some incredible props to 3 of the 4 newbies as they're called, because I wouldn't be able to stand for the bullshit they had to deal with throughout the story. They have guts and incredible perseverance. Young-Ji had it worst, but her ability to push forward is something to behold. I really, really, really am happy her team eventually warmed up to her. Loved the development Becky had throughout the series. "I have never been more ashamed of my qualifications..." Ouuu.. And of course, the charming pervert lol.. it's clear Geu-rae and Seuk-Yool are best friends, brothers to the end. You know that he took it the hardest. How can you not love him? That email was all heart. <3 I loved as soon as he found what Manager Oh was doing.. 2 seconds later.. "What can I do? Just tell me." I found it weird he didn't share the photos though, that part kinda didn't make sense but I can let it go lol.

I loved how the main character was so much more confident right at the end, it shows beautiful development. I love.. . . . LOVE TEAM 3! These guys work amazingly well together, they're brains and all heart! That hug at the finale got me in all kinds of ways. It's really a huge shame there's no season 2. It begs for it. Do 12 instead of 20 I don't care, just give me more.

Also this end of the episode is so dope, I have it on repeat.

I had 1 issue with it, but I don't know if it's a Korean culture or done for the story

How the fuck did Geu-rae not get the full time job? If someone did that in the West, he would 100% get it no questions asked. It treaded the suspense of disbelief so many times smh... I don't know much about their culture so I held back, but it is insane not to give him the job.

This is one of my favorite tv shows of all time.

matmanx1 · Dec 27, 2018

I got bored last night and am pretty caught up with most of my shows so I gave Memories of Alhambra another chance. I had already watched the first two episodes and was impressed with the locale and cinematography but wasn't sure if I was interested enough in the story that the show was trying to tell. Well, the end of episode 3 contains a pretty big event that actually makes me want to continue watching to see what happens.

It still isn't the show I was expecting when I heard Hyun-Bin and Park Shin Hye were going to be starring together in a show set in Spain but I think I will give it a chance with a more open mind.

matmanx1 · Dec 31, 2018

Been a few days between postings but I hope everyone had a good Holiday period. Interesting article on Soompi about the best 5 K-dramas of the 2nd half of 2018. https://www.soompi.com/article/1279327wpp/5-k-dramas-2018-shouldnt-miss

Interestingly they picked two that are still on-going (Encounter and Clean with Passion) and two that I haven't actually watched at all (Just Between Lovers and About TIme) as well as The Smile Has Left Your Eyes. Anyone have any comments on About Time or Just Between Lovers? Did I make a mistake by skipping these two earlier in the year? Might be time to add them back to the list.

jordran · Dec 31, 2018

matmanx1 said:
Been a few days between postings but I hope everyone had a good Holiday period. Interesting article on Soompi about the best 5 K-dramas of the 2nd half of 2018. https://www.soompi.com/article/1279327wpp/5-k-dramas-2018-shouldnt-miss

Interestingly they picked two that are still on-going (Encounter and Clean with Passion) and two that I haven't actually watched at all (Just Between Lovers and About TIme) as well as The Smile Has Left Your Eyes. Anyone have any comments on About Time or Just Between Lovers? Did I make a mistake by skipping these two earlier in the year? Might be time to add them back to the list.

Not got time to write a long post but Just Between Lovers is my fav drama this year and one of my all time favs most likely! Worth your time to try at the very least.

Kyoufu · Dec 31, 2018

matmanx1 said:
Been a few days between postings but I hope everyone had a good Holiday period. Interesting article on Soompi about the best 5 K-dramas of the 2nd half of 2018. https://www.soompi.com/article/1279327wpp/5-k-dramas-2018-shouldnt-miss

Interestingly they picked two that are still on-going (Encounter and Clean with Passion) and two that I haven't actually watched at all (Just Between Lovers and About TIme) as well as The Smile Has Left Your Eyes. Anyone have any comments on About Time or Just Between Lovers? Did I make a mistake by skipping these two earlier in the year? Might be time to add them back to the list.

I need to watch more of Just Between Lovers. Seems like there's a promising story in there but it starts a bit slow.

matmanx1 · Jan 1, 2019

jordran said:
Not got time to write a long post but Just Between Lovers is my fav drama this year and one of my all time favs most likely! Worth your time to try at the very least.

Excellent. I will make sure I watch it!

And in other news Memories of the Alhambra has officially hooked me as of episode 6. We've finally gotten some actual character development for our leads and I am genuinely invested in both of them as individuals. The situation they find themselves in is unique, to say the least (especially for Hyun Bin's character) and I genuinely have no idea what the writers are going to do. But I cant wait to see what happens next!

Legend of Aims · Jan 1, 2019

Hey all,
Wife got me into romantic dramas. Watching while you were sleeping at the moment. I was looking for something to watch next but looks like Healer is good from what you guys talk about it.

Also any series similar to scarlet heart ryo? Still my favorite.

matmanx1 · Jan 2, 2019

Legend of Aims said:
Hey all,
Wife got me into romantic dramas. Watching while you were sleeping at the moment. I was looking for something to watch next but looks like Healer is good from what you guys talk about it.

Also any series similar to scarlet heart ryo? Still my favorite.

My favorite romantic series (in no particular order)

1) Healer - not actually a romance but the romance element is strong and extremely well done
2) What's Wrong with Secretary Kim
3) 1% of Something
4) Strong Woman Do Bong Soo (the leads are ridiculously cute together once the romance gets going although this is not strictly a romance either)
5) My Love from Another Star
6) Fight My Way
7) To.Jenny (short 2 episodes of an hour each but its fantastic)
8) Secret Garden
9) I am Not a Robot

And a few others with a well executed romantic element that are still worth a watch
1) Oh My Ghost
2) Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Ju
3) Oh My Venus
4) My Girlfriend is a Nine Tailed Fox
5) Master's Sun
6) Moonlight Drawn by Clouds (historical drama / romance)

Dreamboum · Jan 3, 2019

How is "Something in the Rain" ? I kinda want to watch it because Son Ye-jin is in it and she's a great actress

matmanx1 · Jan 3, 2019

Dreamboum said:
How is "Something in the Rain" ? I kinda want to watch it because Son Ye-jin is in it and she's a great actress

I gave up on it once the Mother went crazy. Both leads are awesome and their chemistry on screen is scarily good but watching the mom was stressing me out. Silly I know but it's one of those things that makes me irrationally angry.

matmanx1 · Jan 3, 2019

Encounter episode 9. My heartuuuuu! What a beautiful, sweet, wonderful show they are putting on. Looks like we're going back to Cuba for episode 10. Can't wait!

BioDigital Jazzman · Jan 3, 2019

I started watching that Priest show and had to drop it once

the doctor lady got caught again and the cop got killed

.

Too much stupidity in that show

Also I need to hit up the J drama thread to talk about "Will this love be a checkmate". I also await the eventual Korean remake of it

matmanx1 · Jan 4, 2019

Encounter episode 10. How does this drama keep topping itself with episodes that are this beautiful, sweet and amazing? Stunning locales, gorgeous soundtrack and two of the most beautiful people on God's green earth. The way Park Bo Gum and Song Hye Kyo look at each other and the emotional complexity and depth that they are able to display while acting together is seriously impressive. I can not stop gushing about this show.

doagrl · Jan 5, 2019

BioDigital Jazzman said:
I started watching that Priest show and had to drop it once

the doctor lady got caught again and the cop got killed

.

Too much stupidity in that show

Also I need to hit up the J drama thread to talk about "Will this love be a checkmate". I also await the eventual Korean remake of it

If you haven't watched it yet the far superior priestly exorcism drama is The Guest which aired a couple of months ago. It's crazy scary and gory but has a great plot and the acting is top notch nothing like Priest from what I understand.

Kyoufu · Jan 5, 2019

Dreamboum said:
How is "Something in the Rain" ? I kinda want to watch it because Son Ye-jin is in it and she's a great actress

Very good. One of the best dramas of 2018 imo. Son Ye Jin never lets me down.