Korean dramas & movies |OT1| Attack of the dimples

brandonbrb · Apr 23, 2019

I have some questions about the dramas "Reply XXXX", i see a lot of people talking about Reply 1988 but...i need to see the Reply 1994 or Reply 1997 before? i dont know the correct order or if any of that dramas have little details between them.

Maybe im gonna try My Love From The Star, i need to see first all the good dramas of 2010-16 before i'll get my hands in all the recomendations that i saw in this thread.

Peru · Apr 23, 2019

brandonbrb said:
Maybe im gonna try My Love From The Star

This is the quintessential maximalist fantasy love drama. Much better than Secret Garden.

matmanx1 · Apr 23, 2019

brandonbrb said:
I have some questions about the dramas "Reply XXXX", i see a lot of people talking about Reply 1988 but...i need to see the Reply 1994 or Reply 1997 before? i dont know the correct order or if any of that dramas have little details between them.

Maybe im gonna try My Love From The Star, i need to see first all the good dramas of 2010-16 before i'll get my hands in all the recomendations that i saw in this thread.

The Reply series uses pretty much the same format but the stories, as far as I know, do not actually have anything to with one another. I watched 1997 and even though it has some cute parts I found it to be pretty annoying overall.

My Love from the Star is a good one but I don't necessarily agree that it is much better than Secret Garden. Both shows do some good things and both have some problem areas. Either way I would recommend you watch it.

less · May 5, 2019

Kill It ended.

All I can say is, FUCK IT. Absolutely the kind of ending that I hate the most.

matmanx1 · May 5, 2019

Stuff I've been watching:
My First Love on Netflix. It has a different flavor from most K-Drama rom-com's but the more I watched it the more I liked it. The only silly thing is that they have only released 8 of the 16 episodes so far as "Season 1" and they haven't announced when the next group will be released. It's a bit weird since episode 8 ends on a big reveal/ climax scene but otherwise I really, really like it.

Her Private Life - Also good so far although I don't care for the way the last episode ended. Minor gripe but even though the acting and chemistry is really good the actual scenario of the two characters coming together is a bit played out and tired.

My Fellow Citizens: It's keeping my interest. I am genuinely curious to see what happens next and I really like the cast.

brandonbrb · May 6, 2019

I have finish "my Love From the Star", not bad in general but i think the last 5-10 episodes are really slow, they missed a good oportunity to finish when all the "bad guy" part was discover in the first half of the drama, mixing the "bad guy" with "happy couple" stories all the time not work and there are some points of the ending too heavy in the "love forever" plot, all the superpower idea was bad implemented in the last 10 episodes.

I think Jun ji hyun is the real star of the drama, her carisma and all the strong/weakness of the character help a lot to join all of the others non-carismatic characters in the scene, sorry for Kim Soo Hyun.

A little disappointed about the secondaries in the drama, all the stories are flat and didnt develop at all.

Yoo in-na, the best year for her, in Goblin look like the surgery or the age are more visible, maybe the lips or the nose but i didnt like that.

VS

scarlet · May 6, 2019

Done with Kill it, now I'm watching Priest.

Any drama recommendations?

matmanx1 · May 6, 2019

scarlet said:
Done with Kill it, now I'm watching Priest.

Any drama recommendations?

What's your preferred genre?

scarlet · May 6, 2019

matmanx1 said:
What's your preferred genre?

Prefer romcom, but I haven't found the one that I liked lately, so I'm just watching drama, and inconveniently it all has sad endings :(

matmanx1 · May 6, 2019

scarlet said:
Prefer romcom, but I haven't found the one that I liked lately, so I'm just watching drama, and inconveniently it all has sad endings :(

Check out My First Love on Netflix then, if you haven't already. It's a bummer that we only have 8 of the 16 episodes available but what's there I enjoyed very much. It has a little bit of a different vibe than most Romcom K-Drama's that I have watched (it's lighter and "sunnier" ) but I like that about it.

And I don't know what your past watch history is but a few of my favorites from that genre would be:
1) What's Wrong with Secretary Kim
2) Clean with Passion for Now
3) Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
4) Oh My Ghost and Strong Girl Do Bong Soo (same actress)
5) Touch Your Heart
6) Encounter (less comedy, more drama)
7) To.Jenny (short but awesome)
8) Splash, Splash Love (short but also good)
9) I am not a Robot
10) Fight my Way

matmanx1 · May 8, 2019

Episodes 19 and 20 of My Fellow Citizens are fan-freakin-tastic. Really, really funny show that also knows how to do sweet moments. The beginning of the series was wonderful, it slowed a little after that but these last couple of episodes have brought it back in a big way. I am seriously enjoying this one.

DPT120 · May 8, 2019

Finished My Mister and it was not what I expected. Enjoyed the bromance between the three brothers and IU was great in this series. The show stayed pretty grounded, which was nice. I'm also glad they didn't force a romance between IU and the main lead, considering the age gap. I kept expecting the main lead to get screwed over, but thankfully it didn't go there.

matmanx1 · May 8, 2019

DPT120 said:
Finished My Mister and it was not what I expected. Enjoyed the bromance between the three brothers and IU was great in this series. The show stayed pretty grounded, which was nice. I'm also glad they didn't force a romance between IU and the main lead, considering the age gap. I kept expecting the main lead to get screwed over, but thankfully it didn't go there.

I've heard that this one is good and it won a couple of awards at the recent award ceremonies. I've got it on my list to watch eventually. Too many good shows, too little time!

Peru · May 8, 2019

My Mister is the bomb! Not the usual hyperdramatic k-drama though

brandonbrb · May 14, 2019

Finished My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, was an interesting kdrama with a silly touch but with some good moments, the chemistry between the couple is the best part of the kdrama, that slight and soft love was fun to watch although some twist in the ending was strained a lot, maybe instead of 16 cap could be finish in 10-12 with less spin in the script.

There are some questionable things like the "Noona" or the veterinary actions in some moments of the plot, but in general achieve the goal of a simple and easy kdrama to watch, the only real problem for me was some weird moments with the secondary couple(the director and the aunt) or the none-development of the rest of the characters in the drama.

I liked the Lee Seung Gi role more than the last one i saw in "You are all Surrounded", in this k-drama has this aura of foolishness all the time, fitting well with the character, but ofc the queen of the kdrama is Shin Min ah, a great choice, all the small details about the innocent and simple character are incredible fun.

I love that kind of beauty in the feminine side of the kdrama, she is a good natural looking girl without make-up or expensive dressing, the smile of the girl is pure gold.

matmanx1 · May 20, 2019

brandonbrb said:
Finished My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, was an interesting kdrama with a silly touch but with some good moments, the chemistry between the couple is the best part of the kdrama, that slight and soft love was fun to watch although some twist in the ending was strained a lot, maybe instead of 16 cap could be finish in 10-12 with less spin in the script.

There are some questionable things like the "Noona" or the veterinary actions in some moments of the plot, but in general achieve the goal of a simple and easy kdrama to watch, the only real problem for me was some weird moments with the secondary couple(the director and the aunt) or the none-development of the rest of the characters in the drama.

I liked the Lee Seung Gi role more than the last one i saw in "You are all Surrounded", in this k-drama has this aura of foolishness all the time, fitting well with the character, but ofc the queen of the kdrama is Shin Min ah, a great choice, all the small details about the innocent and simple character are incredible fun.

I love that kind of beauty in the feminine side of the kdrama, she is a good natural looking girl without make-up or expensive dressing, the smile of the girl is pure gold.

Yep, great drama. Probably my favorite of the "Hong Sisters" dramas, actually. Lee Seung Gi is a personal favorite as is Shin Min-Ah. If you haven't seen Oh My Venus (also starring Shin Min-Ah) then definitely check it out as it is my favorite of hers and is an extremely good drama.

On an unrelated note for any fans of "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes" there is a completely unexpected cameo during the first episode of Netflix's new K-Drama "Abyss". As a complete fanboy I actually yelped when I saw it.

matmanx1 · May 28, 2019

Ok, folks. What are we watching lately? I've been continuing on with "Her Private Life" and am interested to see how they conclude things.

I noticed "Angel's Last Mission: Love" started up and I have to say I really enjoyed the first 4 episodes. L's acting is a bit cheesy and over the top but so far it's working as a counterpoint to Shin Hye-Sun's dark and stormy portrayal of a bitter former ballerina. I've been a low-key fan of both of these actors since I saw some of their previous work (Ms Hammurabi, 30 but 17) and am looking forward to see how they progress here.

On a whim I also tried out an older drama from 2014 called "Birth of the Beauty" and I am actually really enjoying it. It has a bit of a daytime soap feel to it but it's lighthearted and funny enough to offset the melodrama. Only 8 episodes in (out of 21, so it's nice and long!) but it has the feel of a great binge watch.

shadowkat · May 30, 2019

I've been watching Her Private Life, which I'm really enjoying. Last episodes are this week and I'll be sad when it's over.

I started One Spring Night (Netflix) and it good so far. I'm also waiting for Abyss to come out. It's not out until June in my region.

I'm probably going to start Healer once I'm done with Her Private Life, since I find it weird to watch the same actress in different dramas at the same time.

matmanx1 · May 30, 2019

shadowkat said:
I started One Spring Night (Netflix) and it good so far. I'm also waiting for Abyss to come out. It's not out until June in my region.

Where are you located? We have Abyss in America but not One Spring Night which doesn't show up until sometime in July for some weird reason.

shadowkat · May 30, 2019

matmanx1 said:
Where are you located? We have Abyss in America but not One Spring Night which doesn't show up until sometime in July for some weird reason.

I'm in Canada. According to this: https://media.netflix.com/en/press-releases/netflix-to-launch-korean-fantasy-drama-abyss-1-1, I get all the episodes June 26.

Looks like you'll get One Spring Night in July, like you mentioned: https://media.netflix.com/en/press-...rue-to-life-korean-romance-one-spring-night-1.

Really weird how the releases are totally different.

timeforsana · May 31, 2019

Bong Joon-ho's new film Parasite won the Palme d'Or at Cannes.

matmanx1 · May 31, 2019

shadowkat said:
I'm in Canada. According to this: https://media.netflix.com/en/press-releases/netflix-to-launch-korean-fantasy-drama-abyss-1-1, I get all the episodes June 26.

Looks like you'll get One Spring Night in July, like you mentioned: https://media.netflix.com/en/press-...rue-to-life-korean-romance-one-spring-night-1.

Really weird how the releases are totally different.

Yeah, it is. And I would much rather watch One Spring Night than Abyss (same writer and director as Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food) even though Abyss looks good. I'm pretty sure I can use a VPN to change my region to Canada in which case the Canadian catalog would be available. I need to check it out.

flyover · Jun 4, 2019

So I just binged What's Wrong with Secretary Kim. It was a low-stress, cringey farce. And I fucking loved every minute of it.

It's tricky to avoid undercutting yourself when you mix self-aware parody and earnest emulation of that which you are parodying. Secretary Kim totally worked for me, though--kind of like Scream did for horror movies.

It helps that 1) the world and how characters act/grow in it felt consistent. It wasn't the real world, by any means*. But it was always the Secretary Kim world. And 2) The leads killed it. Park Min Young was asked to do so much, and she nailed everything, switching on a dime as the script demanded it, scene to scene, minute to minute, and even second to second.

Finally, even though it was a low-stress watch with no villains and (mostly) quickly-resolved conflicts, the stakes still seemed enormous for the characters. The show had me rooting for all of them. Well, except maybe the brother. Didn't really care about him, one way or the other. His character was probably the weakest part of the show for me, even if he was essential as a plot device.

* - It cracked me up that the characters all seem to blink out of existence when not on camera. Like they have no lives going on when they're not onscreen. And even conversations would stop in their tracks until characters were shown again. Someone would say something like, "Let's go to lunch. I need to ask you a question." Cut to lunch, where the simple question (requiring a one sentence answer, or even a yes or no) is asked. Cut to walking around town an hour or two after lunch, where the question is finally answered.

matmanx1 · Jun 4, 2019

flyover said:
So I just binged What's Wrong with Secretary Kim. It was a low-stress, cringey farce. And I fucking loved every minute of it.

It's tricky to avoid undercutting yourself when you mix self-aware parody and earnest emulation of that which you are parodying. Secretary Kim totally worked for me, though--kind of like Scream did for horror movies.

It helps that 1) the world and how characters act/grow in it felt consistent. It wasn't the real world, by any means*. But it was always the Secretary Kim world. And 2) The leads killed it. Park Min Young was asked to do so much, and she nailed everything, switching on a dime as the script demanded it, scene to scene, minute to minute, and even second to second.

Finally, even though it was a low-stress watch with no villains and (mostly) quickly-resolved conflicts, the stakes still seemed enormous for the characters. The show had me rooting for all of them. Well, except maybe the brother. Didn't really care about him, one way or the other. His character was probably the weakest part of the show for me, even if he was essential as a plot device.

* - It cracked me up that the characters all seem to blink out of existence when not on camera. Like they have no lives going on when they're not onscreen. And even conversations would stop in their tracks until characters were shown again. Someone would say something like, "Let's go to lunch. I need to ask you a question." Cut to lunch, where the simple question (requiring a one sentence answer, or even a yes or no) is asked. Cut to walking around town an hour or two after lunch, where the question is finally answered.

I agree with all of this. It's one of my favorite all time shows even though on a intellectual level I know it probably shouldn't be. I watched it last year when it came out and, as I have been getting my wife slowly into K-Dramas, I watched it again a couple of weeks ago with her. She loved it and I loved it just as much the second time around as I did the first viewing. Is it K-Drama's most exquisite junk food? Yes, it just might be!

flyover · Jun 4, 2019

matmanx1 said:
I agree with all of this. It's one of my favorite all time shows even though on a intellectual level I know it probably shouldn't be. I watched it last year when it came out and, as I have been getting my wife slowly into K-Dramas, I watched it again a couple of weeks ago with her. She loved it and I loved it just as much the second time around as I did the first viewing. Is it K-Drama's most exquisite junk food? Yes, it just might be!

I'm glad it held up to a rewatch, because I know I'll be doing that at some point. And my wife loved it, too.

Before Secretary Kim, I was out of the kdrama game for a couple years. Is there any consensus on some fun/funny ones from the past couple years? Was considering Strong Girl Bong-Soon, if only because I liked Park Bo Young so much in Oh My Ghost (like Secretary Kim, another show where Kang Ki Young steals a bunch of scenes). I also see mentions of the Waikiki shows, though I know nothing about them.

Dreamboum · Jun 5, 2019

watched the first episode of Abyss and it wasn't what I expected. It's also a bit weirdly structured.

also there's this woman being reincarnated and her physical appearance should reflect her soul except that her new face is "supposed" to be plain and they act out like she is average looking but this is absolutely bullshit

timeforsana · Jun 5, 2019

If you told me Arthdal was made in the 90s I'd believe you.

Dreamboum · Jun 6, 2019

Can't follow through with Abyss, it isn't interesting enough for me unfortunately. Both characters are pricks

Any news for Stranger season 2?

matmanx1 · Jun 6, 2019

flyover said:
I'm glad it held up to a rewatch, because I know I'll be doing that at some point. And my wife loved it, too.

Before Secretary Kim, I was out of the kdrama game for a couple years. Is there any consensus on some fun/funny ones from the past couple years? Was considering Strong Girl Bong-Soon, if only because I liked Park Bo Young so much in Oh My Ghost (like Secretary Kim, another show where Kang Ki Young steals a bunch of scenes). I also see mentions of the Waikiki shows, though I know nothing about them.

Strong Girl Bong Soon is up there for me, not quite Secretary Kim levels but still really good nonetheless. My wife liked it a lot also. Of the ones I have re-watched with her our favorites have been Healer, Secretary Kim, Oh My Venus and we are currently watching 30 but 17 (Also called Still 17) and she seems to like it a lot also.

Secretary Kim is based on a web comic and has that feel to it with the way scenes are played out. Another one with a similar vibe and background (although very different topic) is My ID is Gangnam Beauty. I really enjoyed it but it skews younger because it's based around college kids. Still a really good show though.

matmanx1 · Jun 6, 2019

Angel's Last Mission: Love really has its hooks into me right now. Something about the combination of the story, the music and the way the actors are playing it out is extremely compelling. Also, I've never thought Shin Hye-Sun was gorgeous but I may have to retract that statement after seeing her role in this.

DPT120 · Jun 6, 2019

Watched several shows recently:

Liar and His Lover - The main character looks way too much like Park Bo-Gum, and it bothered me the entire time. It's not a very good show. I didn't like how the show tried to force a romance between a high school girl and 20+ year old guys. I also thought the plot went nowhere. I was expecting something climactic, like the girl hitting it big, or something with the main lead, but nothing happened. I also hated every character in this show.

Coffee Prince - watched it because so many people consider it a classic. Honestly, I didn't like it. To me, the romance didn't feel special at all, since the main lead would eventually find out his lover was a girl. Made it less impactful and interesting imo. They should have kept him bisexual, or at least questioning his sexuality, but I'm not surprised the show didn't go that route since it was made in 2007. I really enjoyed the performance by the main lead though. My first exposure to him was in Goblin, and I loved him in that show.

flyover · Jun 6, 2019

matmanx1 said:
Secretary Kim is based on a web comic and has that feel to it with the way scenes are played out. Another one with a similar vibe and background (although very different topic) is My ID is Gangnam Beauty. I really enjoyed it but it skews younger because it's based around college kids. Still a really good show though.

I like Im Soo-hyang from her variety work on Village Survival, so we may have to do that one next. Thanks!

matmanx1 · Jun 6, 2019

DPT120 said:
Watched several shows recently:

Liar and His Lover - The main character looks way too much like Park Bo-Gum, and it bothered me the entire time. It's not a very good show. I didn't like how the show tried to force a romance between a high school girl and 20+ year old guys. I also thought the plot went nowhere. I was expecting something climactic, like the girl hitting it big, or something with the main lead, but nothing happened. I also hated every character in this show.

Coffee Prince - watched it because so many people consider it a classic. Honestly, I didn't like it. To me, the romance didn't feel special at all, since the main lead would eventually find out his lover was a girl. Made it less impactful and interesting imo. They should have kept him bisexual, or at least questioning his sexuality, but I'm not surprised the show didn't go that route since it was made in 2007. I really enjoyed the performance by the main lead though. My first exposure to him was in Goblin, and I loved him in that show.

Liar and His Lover is only redeemable to me because of Joy from Red Velvet, being the ReveLuv that I am. Otherwise I agree with you and it is a pretty mediocre show overall. Similar to Tempted from last year which also wasn't a very good show but I nonetheless watched pretty much just because of Joy.

Coffee Prince has some redeeming qualities including the lead. He was good then and he's gotten even better as time has gone on. It's an older show and feels like it but still has some quality acting. I remember mostly enjoying it but I think it was one of the early K-Drama's I watched so I'm not sure how I would feel about it if I went back and watched it again.

matmanx1 · Jun 17, 2019

K-Drama thread update time!

Still working on Angel's Last Mission: Love and loving every minuted of it. It seems to be designed and written to evoke strong emotions from the audience and, for me, it's working. It's halfway through now and it seems like their might be a breakthrough in terms of story and background soon so that will be interesting to watch.

I went on vacation last week and had a little extra time to watch so I started both the Beauty Inside and Search:WWW. Beauty Inside is so far better than I thought it would be (up to episode 5) but the real surprise is Search:WWW. The first 2 episodes of Search are fantastic with some terrific and strong female leads that had me glued to the screen from pretty much the first few minutes. The camera angles and shot composition are also interesting and unique and if the show continues to be this high quality then it will be a bonafide sleeper hit. Seriously, give Search:WWW a try if you are looking for something fresh and interesting and more than a little bit out of the ordinary.

less · Jun 25, 2019

matmanx1 said:
Seriously, give Search:WWW a try if you are looking for something fresh and interesting and more than a little bit out of the ordinary.

Nothing else has grabbed my attention so I might as well give it a shot.

matmanx1 · Jul 1, 2019

Search:WWW update - I really like this show! Some of the best female characters I have had the pleasure of watching in a KDrama and the girl power is off the charts. Cinematography and sound track continue to be high points as well with lots of interesting framing and angles. Sometimes the use of out of focus areas of the screen can be distracting but it's almost always used to highlight someone's eyes and expression. The story is very relevant and fresh being centered on search engine keyword and ranking manipulation going on behind the scenes and what is and isn't ethical.

less · Jul 14, 2019

matmanx1 said:
Search:WWW update - I really like this show! Some of the best female characters I have had the pleasure of watching in a KDrama and the girl power is off the charts. Cinematography and sound track continue to be high points as well with lots of interesting framing and angles. Sometimes the use of out of focus areas of the screen can be distracting but it's almost always used to highlight someone's eyes and expression. The story is very relevant and fresh being centered on search engine keyword and ranking manipulation going on behind the scenes and what is and isn't ethical.

Halfway through episode 1 and I can't help but really agree with this. The female leads are all pretty awesome and so is the music!

matmanx1 · Jul 14, 2019

less said:
Halfway through episode 1 and I can't help but really agree with this. The female leads are all pretty awesome and so is the music!

Definitely keep watching. It's become one of my favorites. The characters are awesome and the music and writing are all excellent.

less · Jul 14, 2019

matmanx1 said:
Definitely keep watching. It's become one of my favorites. The characters are awesome and the music and writing are all excellent.

Yeah, this is one show I am watching to the end. Loved the beginning of episode 2 when the male lead tricks the female lead into revealing just how much she remembers of their one night stand. Almost as amusing as the commenters on Viki pissed at them having sex in episode 1.

shadowkat · Jul 14, 2019

Weirdly, I like everything about search: www except the male lead. I literally cannot stand any of his scenes. I can't even explain why.

I finished One Spring Night and really enjoyed it. I tried the first couple of episodes of Abyss and that show seems like a mess. Probably not going to stick with it.

Hotel Del Luna looks fantastic. Just waiting for Viki to put it up.

less · Jul 14, 2019

shadowkat said:
Weirdly, I like everything about search: www except the male lead. I literally cannot stand any of his scenes. I can't even explain why.

The romance regarding him is by far the weakest part of the show so far.

The difference in tone between his scenes and the rest of the show is pretty clear and they don't really gel well with the show.

papermoon · Jul 15, 2019

Binge-watched One Spring Night this weekend. I loved it. I drank a large iced coffee around the time I usually sleep Sunday nights, so I could stay up an extra two hours to finish, and now I can't sleep, and tomorrow/today? Monday is going to be terrible, but it was 100 percent worth it.

I'm so glad I waited for the U.S. Netflix release so that I could watch it all at once. Because the pace is leisurely - maybe even slow - and it's a drama of mostly small gestures, I probably would've gotten slightly impatient or frustrated if I were watching it week to week.

The same writer/director/almost half the cast also made Something in the Rain/Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food, which shares some themes and motifs with One Spring Night. There are also some similar aesthetic and style choices. But there're enough significant differences that it didn't feel anything like a retread to me. And if you disliked Something in the Rain or were frustrated with its flaws, I still encourage you to check out One Spring Night. The plot and pacing is leagues superior. I found it so much for satisfying.

It's been some months since I've watched all the eps of a Korean drama. I started a few, but couldn't finish: actually barely started them. This is the first I watched enthusiastically and straight through in a while.

shadowkat · Jul 15, 2019

less said:
The romance regarding him is by far the weakest part of the show so far.

The difference in tone between his scenes and the rest of the show is pretty clear and they don't really gel well with the show.

I'm a sucker for romance and in theory I should love this plot but his character just does not work for me at all. I actually skip all his scenes, even the ones that don't involve Ta Mi. I very rarely do this but that's how much I dislike it.

I just finished the first episode of Hotel Del Luna and loved it. I'm not sold on the male lead yet but IU was great as Man Wol. I really want to know more about her past, and what she did to wind up running the hotel. And also, how her staff wound up working for her. Seems like the hotel is a somewhat transitional place for ghosts so I want to know more about the hotel itself.

pronk · Jul 19, 2019

Oh wow I had no idea there was a kdrama thread here.

I guess I'm a bit late but Sky Castle is so damn good.

Also not technically a drama but I'm mashing refresh on Camping club on Viki

matmanx1 · Jul 22, 2019

shadowkat said:
Hotel Del Luna looks fantastic

Watched the first two episodes with my wife Friday night. We both loved them. I want to go back and re-watch because I liked it so much. Hong sisters dramas can be hit or miss and they have yet to write and ending that I am 100% satisfied with but I do like their sense of style and the way they weave fantasy into the mundane. IU is slaying it in the first two episodes.

papermoon said:
Binge-watched One Spring Night this weekend. I loved it. I drank a large iced coffee around the time I usually sleep Sunday nights, so I could stay up an extra two hours to finish, and now I can't sleep, and tomorrow/today? Monday is going to be terrible, but it was 100 percent worth it.

I'm so glad I waited for the U.S. Netflix release so that I could watch it all at once. Because the pace is leisurely - maybe even slow - and it's a drama of mostly small gestures, I probably would've gotten slightly impatient or frustrated if I were watching it week to week.

The same writer/director/almost half the cast also made Something in the Rain/Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food, which shares some themes and motifs with One Spring Night. There are also some similar aesthetic and style choices. But there're enough significant differences that it didn't feel anything like a retread to me. And if you disliked Something in the Rain or were frustrated with its flaws, I still encourage you to check out One Spring Night. The plot and pacing is leagues superior. I found it so much for satisfying.

It's been some months since I've watched all the eps of a Korean drama. I started a few, but couldn't finish: actually barely started them. This is the first I watched enthusiastically and straight through in a while.

Had this one on my list for a while but I actually lost interest once I found out it was written by the same person who did Pretty Noona. Never have I despised a latter half of a series that I once loved as much as that one. The mom just killed it for me and it got to the point where her scenes were causing me physical stress. I know, I'm weird. Still, I will probably give One Spring Night a look just because I like the cast.

shadowkat · Jul 22, 2019

matmanx1 said:
Had this one on my list for a while but I actually lost interest once I found out it was written by the same person who did Pretty Noona. Never have I despised a latter half of a series that I once loved as much as that one. The mom just killed it for me and it got to the point where her scenes were causing me physical stress. I know, I'm weird. Still, I will probably give One Spring Night a look just because I like the cast.

I only got a few episodes into Pretty Noona before I lost interest but I do remember the mom being awful. For what it's worth, the mom is good in this show. It's the dad who's awful. And one of the other characters is pretty bad.

papermoon · Jul 31, 2019

matmanx1 said:
Watched the first two episodes with my wife Friday night. We both loved them. I want to go back and re-watch because I liked it so much. Hong sisters dramas can be hit or miss and they have yet to write and ending that I am 100% satisfied with but I do like their sense of style and the way they weave fantasy into the mundane. IU is slaying it in the first two episodes.

Had this one on my list for a while but I actually lost interest once I found out it was written by the same person who did Pretty Noona. Never have I despised a latter half of a series that I once loved as much as that one. The mom just killed it for me and it got to the point where her scenes were causing me physical stress. I know, I'm weird. Still, I will probably give One Spring Night a look just because I like the cast.

Sorry for such a late reply. One Spring Night is leagues better than Pretty Noona. Is One Spring Night flawless? No, but the writer pulls it off this time. I had some quibbles with the show, but overall, the plot works. Sometimes, the plot even sings (not literally; not a musical). The motivations of the antagonist characters (whether they're straight-up evil or misguided) seemed more feasible/grounded in reality this time around - as opposed to just being random extreme obstacles of screeching rage. Bad people exist. Patriarchy exists. Societal prejudices exist. People sell out their family and themselves for petty and weak reasons. Anyway, I hope you checked/ will check it out. More people should enjoy this.

shadowkat said:
I only got a few episodes into Pretty Noona before I lost interest but I do remember the mom being awful. For what it's worth, the mom is good in this show. It's the dad who's awful. And one of the other characters is pretty bad.

The actress who plays the mom really shines in One Spring Night. Re: the dad. A lot of the exasperation and annoyance I felt about him got some cathartic release during that

old man fight. Something about that one dad unfurling his bandage to swing with an injured arm: it was all absurdly funny.

matmanx1 · Jul 31, 2019

papermoon said:
Sorry for such a late reply. One Spring Night is leagues better than Pretty Noona. Is One Spring Night flawless? No, but the writer pulls it off this time. I had some quibbles with the show, but overall, the plot works. Sometimes, the plot even sings (not literally; not a musical). The motivations of the antagonist characters (whether they're straight-up evil or misguided) seemed more feasible/grounded in reality this time around - as opposed to just being random extreme obstacles of screeching rage. Bad people exist. Patriarchy exists. Societal prejudices exist. People sell out their family and themselves for petty and weak reasons. Anyway, I hope you checked/ will check it out. More people should enjoy this.

The actress who plays the mom really shines in One Spring Night. Re: the dad. A lot of the exasperation and annoyance I felt about him got some cathartic release during that

old man fight. Something about that one dad unfurling his bandage to swing with an injured arm: it was all absurdly funny.

Thanks, I appreciate your insight and recommendation. I'm just about finished with Search:WWW (last episode) so will probably pick it up once I finish this one. Also watching Hotel Del Luna which so far is worth it for the sets and IU's wardrobe alone.

papermoon · Jul 31, 2019

matmanx1 said:
Thanks, I appreciate your insight and recommendation. I'm just about finished with Search:WWW (last episode) so will probably pick it up once I finish this one. Also watching Hotel Del Luna which so far is worth it for the sets and IU's wardrobe alone.

I'm watching Hotel Del Luna too. Up to episode 4. Super impressed with IU's work here.

matmanx1 · Aug 1, 2019

Just finished Search:WWW. It's so good! And let me say there's a very specific reason for the title that isn't made known until almost the very end of the last episode and it rocks. The characters and storylines are all tied up nicely and, unlike so many other dramas, I don't feel the ending was rushed or compromised just to get it to fit into 16 episodes. Great stuff and highly recommended.