Happy New Year drama watchers! I had an incredible drama binging vacation at the end of the year and then paid for it with three extremely long work days to catch up.
Watched
Six Flying Dragons was just amazing from beginning to end. It never once dragged, which is an accomplishment considering the amount of political shenanigans crammed into every episode. And while it had tons of palace intrigue, murderous plots and grandiose speeches from real historical figures it also had some of the best action scenes I've ever watched in a sageuk. I absolutely loved it and I'm already planning on watching it again later this summer and following it up with the more somber Tree With Deep Roots. If I'm feeling really ambitious, I will start off with Queen Seondeok and go all the way to Tree With Deep Roots for a full 136ish hours of historical goodness.
Mr. Sunshine was my followup to Six Flying Dragons, as it seemed appropriate to watch the end of Joseon right after looking at the founding of Joseon. This was such a beautiful drama to watch, it just looked like a movie on the screen, a really big-budget movie. This was easily one of the best casts ever assembled for a drama and they just sold me on a time period that I know little about, to the point where I was super invested in a drama that I started watching with very lukewarm interest. Of course as soon as I fall in love with these characters, well no spoilers, but it was a brutal end with a huge amount crying. I'm glad I watched Mr. Sunshine for the characters, especially the amazing badass women (Kudo Hina!!!), but after it was over I really needed a pick me up.
Matrimonial Chaos was very good and I regretted that I didn't weekly watch this one. Bae Doona picks really good drama projects.
Mama Fairy ended well and I enjoyed it for the generally fluffy show that it was even though it dragged a bit in the middle.
Love Alert ended and that is the best I can say about that one.
Just Dance was good but as a short series it left me a bit unfulfilled. I wanted to get to know these characters and really have the plot expanded and explained better which is always my complaint with short drama specials.
Still Watching
Children of Nobody is fantastic but so sad. The reveal of the murderer was in some ways expected once Woo Kyung was ruled out but was also super heartbreaking. To know that a child was severely abused and then to see that abuse carry over into adulthood makes it hard not to sympathize with the maniacal killer but at the same time knowing that he needs to be stopped. It was a very sad last few episodes and buckets of tears flowed this week. I can't believe that we only have three hours left in this show, I'm really going to miss it when it's over. I had no expectations at all for Children of Nobody when I started watching and yet it has leaped over My Ajusshi to become my #1 drama of 2018.
Encounter was my go to show over my break whenever I needed a brain cleanse from all the darkness that I was watching. I've rewatched most of the episodes at least three times because it's such a beautiful drama and every episode gets better and better. I didn't think anything could top episode 8's party scene and then they returned to Cuba! This is another one that I will be sad to see go in a few weeks but it has more than lived up to my expectations.
On Hold
Sky Castle & Clean With Passion for Now were causing me issues because I was spoiling myself every week before I could watch the shows on VIU. This is unfortunately the downside to jTBC shows since DramaFever ended. I will probably watch the rest of both dramas once they end and I have some free time.
Dropped
Memories of the Alhambra & My Strange Hero both turned out not to be for me. I've read that both have turned a corner and are better now than when they premiered so I may go back to them later, but with the new shows about to drop this week I don't have time to revisit either right now.
Watched
Six Flying Dragons was just amazing from beginning to end. It never once dragged, which is an accomplishment considering the amount of political shenanigans crammed into every episode. And while it had tons of palace intrigue, murderous plots and grandiose speeches from real historical figures it also had some of the best action scenes I've ever watched in a sageuk. I absolutely loved it and I'm already planning on watching it again later this summer and following it up with the more somber Tree With Deep Roots. If I'm feeling really ambitious, I will start off with Queen Seondeok and go all the way to Tree With Deep Roots for a full 136ish hours of historical goodness.
Mr. Sunshine was my followup to Six Flying Dragons, as it seemed appropriate to watch the end of Joseon right after looking at the founding of Joseon. This was such a beautiful drama to watch, it just looked like a movie on the screen, a really big-budget movie. This was easily one of the best casts ever assembled for a drama and they just sold me on a time period that I know little about, to the point where I was super invested in a drama that I started watching with very lukewarm interest. Of course as soon as I fall in love with these characters, well no spoilers, but it was a brutal end with a huge amount crying. I'm glad I watched Mr. Sunshine for the characters, especially the amazing badass women (Kudo Hina!!!), but after it was over I really needed a pick me up.
Matrimonial Chaos was very good and I regretted that I didn't weekly watch this one. Bae Doona picks really good drama projects.
Mama Fairy ended well and I enjoyed it for the generally fluffy show that it was even though it dragged a bit in the middle.
Love Alert ended and that is the best I can say about that one.
Just Dance was good but as a short series it left me a bit unfulfilled. I wanted to get to know these characters and really have the plot expanded and explained better which is always my complaint with short drama specials.
Still Watching
Children of Nobody is fantastic but so sad. The reveal of the murderer was in some ways expected once Woo Kyung was ruled out but was also super heartbreaking. To know that a child was severely abused and then to see that abuse carry over into adulthood makes it hard not to sympathize with the maniacal killer but at the same time knowing that he needs to be stopped. It was a very sad last few episodes and buckets of tears flowed this week. I can't believe that we only have three hours left in this show, I'm really going to miss it when it's over. I had no expectations at all for Children of Nobody when I started watching and yet it has leaped over My Ajusshi to become my #1 drama of 2018.
Encounter was my go to show over my break whenever I needed a brain cleanse from all the darkness that I was watching. I've rewatched most of the episodes at least three times because it's such a beautiful drama and every episode gets better and better. I didn't think anything could top episode 8's party scene and then they returned to Cuba! This is another one that I will be sad to see go in a few weeks but it has more than lived up to my expectations.
On Hold
Sky Castle & Clean With Passion for Now were causing me issues because I was spoiling myself every week before I could watch the shows on VIU. This is unfortunately the downside to jTBC shows since DramaFever ended. I will probably watch the rest of both dramas once they end and I have some free time.
Dropped
Memories of the Alhambra & My Strange Hero both turned out not to be for me. I've read that both have turned a corner and are better now than when they premiered so I may go back to them later, but with the new shows about to drop this week I don't have time to revisit either right now.