Tuesday, March 29, 2016

200. Creating Destiny 인연 만들기 (2009) Korean

Eugene, Ki Tae Young, Kim Jung-Nan, Byeon Woo Min

Drama Rating: 4/10     Neck Score: B

Ugh, this show was so long and boring.  I only watched it because I wanted to see the drama where Eugene and Ki Tae Young fell in love.  This was spurred by Ki Tae Young playing that hot doctor in To the Beautiful You.  I loved the main couple in this.  The problem is that they only had 33% of the screen time... at the most.  I'm inclined to think that they didn't even get that at times.  The other third went to the older sister and her poo butt baby daddy.  I was most dissatisfied with that whole story.  Gyuhan!!!!!  He was the only character in this whole show who was smart and yet he was the only one who was unhappy at the end.  Talk about lame.  This show had the chance to talk about so many things that are issues, such as single moms and adoption, and it fell so short of its potential.  Disappointing.  I would get so bored having to sit through the poo butt drama, and then the other 33% which was just the busy body parents and grandparents messing everyone's lives up with their dramatic crap.  It also had all the tropes that could possibly happen (except, thank goodness, amnesia), forced relationships, evil bitcas who don't even have a chance, first loves (who are also bitcas) showing up right as things start to get good, birth secrets, cancer, evil chaebol parents, heart attack change of hearts... you name it, this show had it.  I loved the main couple, the cappuccino couple, and even bitca/baby poo butt (aka the 2nd leads) couple.  But I got so annoyed at everyone else.  Too much everyone else.  Too much slow moving crap.  Too much screen time on not my favorite couples.  Boo.  Well, at least I can say that I finished it.  Also, I ship that real life couple in real life, because they are great.  The end.

Sunday, March 13, 2016

191. Madame Antoine 마담 앙트완 (2016) Korean

Han Ye Seul, Sung Joon, Jinwoon, Lee Joo Hyung, Hwang Seung Eon

Drama Rating: 6/10     Neck Score: A+

DERP FACE!!!!!!! I think the number one reason I loved this show was because of all the wonderful and ridiculous faces that Sung Joon made.  The main plot was weird.  I liked how different it was, but it also needed a little more to it so that it wouldn't fall into the draggy trap... which it did.  But, it was still super enjoyable because we had a great cast of characters, and they were all characters.  Characters with unique and quirky personalities that made them lovable, even when they were being as frustrating as heck.  Which was a lot.  It also made us laugh because she was the ENFP to his INTJ, which just might be the exact Myers-Briggs personality types of some of us (nonchalantly clears throat).  I did have to turn my research brain off because of all the ethical issues in this show, confidentiality being the least of these issues, but once I just got passed that, I was able to enjoy the show a lot.  It's a K-drama, we're not expecting it to be realistic, okay?  I loved the back and forth between Hye Rim and Soo Hyun, since they both were super smart in their own way and played each other so hard.  Unfortunately that dragged on for a little too long, which was a little frustrating, but I still think that it was able to wrap up all the loose ends and give us a good solid ending.  I think I speak for us all (I watched this show with Curdy and Lizabreff of course) when I say that Ji Ho (Lee Joo Hyung) was just the cutest.  What an adorable, dorky, little clueless nerd.  When he went around with the sheep style towel on his head.  Dying of cuteness.  And his little walk and sissy run.  He did such a good job with that.  I loved Hye Rim's clothes!  Also Dr. Bae's clothes!  The girls in this show had a 95% approval rating when it came to their style.  The men had a 75% because too many bad turtlenecks/weird sweaters.  I seriously need to do a Madame Antoine Fashion Show post.

190. One More Happy Ending 한번 더 해피엔딩 (2016) Korean

Jung Kyung Ho, Jang Na Ra, Yoo In Na, Kwon Yul, Yoo Da In, Seo In Young

Drama Rating: 6/10     Neck Score: A+

There were a lot of things in this show that were really fun.  And a lot that just left us shrugging.  I'll be honest, it wasn't the best writing wise.  It was kind of all over the place and weird.  I think the thing that really held it together despite the bad writing was how great the actors they got were.  They all did a solid job, even if I didn't like them.  I also have to say that I hated that annoying Creepy Doll Face (the 2nd male lead, Kwon Yul).  I don't get why everyone kept saying he was so handsome.  I guess he's not ugly, but he does kind of look like a creepy doll, with a weird pointy nose.  He even looks like a creepy doll standing in the poster too.  He just had weird lack of emotions and was basically the worst boyfriend ever.  Which made it really lame when they kept drawing out the inevitable break up and giving him way too much screen time in general, which meant that all the other couples got less screen time, which was sad, because I was super invested in all their stories.  I think my favorite couple was the player couple.  I wish they had gotten more screen time.  Also, the cancer couple was so adorable and I wished they had kissed.  But to be honest the best of the best was Sexy Man, aka Jung Kyung Ho.  He was like the perfect cheesy man.  So flippin' adorable.  His kid was awesome too.  As always, I loved Jang Na Ra, but since the worst writing was centered around her character, that was a bit frustrating, but she did a great job of it anyway.  And shout out too Yoo In Ah who played the most relatable older single girl ever.  Every scene was just perfect.  I know a lot of people complained about the ending (like Lizabreff's mom) but it really could have been worse.  It's greatest sin was that it was draggy about less important things and didn't give us quite enough of the cute that we wanted from all the couples.  That was probably the sin of the entire show.  It wasted too much time on lame crap and not enough time on the cute and the funny, which is what made the show good... when it had it.

Friday, March 11, 2016

189. My Daughter, Geum Sa Wol 내 딸 금사월 (2015) Korean

Baek Jin Hee, Yoon Hyun Min, Park Se Young, Do Sang Woo, Jeon In Hwa, Son Chang Min

Drama Rating: 6/10     Neck Score: A

This show is long, overly dramatic, and ridiculous, and I loved it.  I guess sometimes you just have to watch 50 episodes of cray cray.  I was so entertaining to see all the craziness.  I especially loved telling Lizabreff about all the crazy things that were happening, because she couldn't even handle hearing them.  She'd look at confused and weirded out, wondering how there could be that much ridiculousness in one show.  I mean there were 51 episodes, but there was enough crazy for at least five shows shoved into this one.  The bad peeps are just so bad.  They kind of boggle my mind at how entitled they think they are.  They can't fathom someone getting revenge on them for the nasty things they have done in the past.  They are outright offended at their getting their just desserts, and then they act as if the law couldn't possibly apply to them.  In fact they are the perfect bad peeps to make you super happy and excited to see their demise.  You just can't wait to see them get what they deserve.  But then it's also about stopping the cycle of revenge.  But whatever.  I watched it for Fish Bangs, and I don't regret it at all.  In fact, I loved every second he was on screen.  Sadly, the crap had to happen to make him act dumb for a while, but he was one of the most likable chaebol leads I've seen in a while.  I also just laughed as I saw Son Chang Min act out the villain.  Even he couldn't take his character seriously.  I loved all of the senseless growling he did, because his character was that crazy.  Well, it looked like he was enjoying himself, even if he is a better actor than that role was written.  The worst part was probably how easily the bad peeps were able to bounce back every time.  It's like no one took anything against them seriously.  They were all like cockroaches.  Indestructible to a ridiculous point.  But then, so was Hong Do.  Baked Potato must have almost died like five times in the course of the show.  That's the kind of ridiculousness that was going on.  We even wrote a song about it.  But if you want something overly dramatic and entertainingly so, this is definitely that.  I loved watching it.  It was just pure dramatic entertainment.

188. Moorim School 무림학교 (2016) Korean

Lee Hyun Woo, Lee Hong Bin, Seo Yi Ji, Jung Yoo Jin

Drama Rating: 2/10     Neck Score: A+

I think the thing I said most while watching this show was: "What is this drivel?"  This show was nothing but a bunch of pretentious crap.  It was basically a CW show.  It tries so hard to be cool and instead it just looks ridiculous.  I felt so bad for those actors who were actually good.  I wondered how they felt being in such a crappy show.  You know who I'm talking about.  Lee Beom Soo and Shin Hyun Joon.  Why would they ever accept a role in such a lame show?  I even felt sorry for some of the kids who I know can do better if they have a better script and direction.  Like Lee Hyun Woo or Jung Yoo Jin.  Well, actually Jung Yoo Jin was the only kid I actually cared about.  Because of that I wanted her and Hong Bin to be happy together.  I think in terms of actual character growth and development, Hong Bin's character was the most interesting... and frustrating.  Everyone else was kind of boring.  Well, the entire script and plot was just lame crap anyway, so that's not saying much.  And with Hong Bin's acting abilities still being baby, there was plenty of ridiculousness.  Also, I don't even know what to say about how bad the martial arts were.  If they were going to do a show about a martial arts school, could they have please just hired martial artists to do those parts, if not the whole show?  Everything made me cringe and laugh because it was so bad.  Especially the teachers.  Most of them just came off as pretentious losers.  Boy this show was lame and boring.  I couldn't even pretend to care.  The only time I enjoyed watching it was as I was mocking it profusely.  Then at least I had something to laugh about.  But then the ending was so cheesy that it made me want to barf even as I laughed.  So it was boring, boring, barf cheesy!

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Jung Hwan Syndrome: Why I'm Done With Love Triangles

I've never actually liked love triangles.  Why would I like that level of uncertainty in a show that I came to see a romance in?  Love triangles aren't romance, they are lame.  I suppose I tolerated them as a necessary evil in all K-dramas, but there are different types of love triangles.


The kind that is most tolerable for me is the one where even though there is a second male lead, you know that he never really had a chance and that he really isn't an issue, but is a bit annoying or makes the male lead actually act instead of being a scaredy cat bum or whatever.  The type I hate the most is the one who for some reason gets way too much screen time and makes the love story plot weak and disconnected.  I'm all about a reasonable build and flow that makes sense and allows me to build the right kind of feels instead of last minute forcing them down my throat.  Does this make it a little formulaic?  Maybe, but at least I am seeing the romance I want blossoming.

Monday, March 7, 2016

More K-Dreamland Adventures with Marlubs and Lizabreff: Hello 2016 Dreams!

So far 2016 has been good to us in the K-dream department.  So many good dreams featuring our favorite K-pop and K-drama stars.  Apparently there is nothing more validating and helpful than a superstar K-pop group telling us we are awesome and amazing, or having a K-superstar saving us from gangsters.


Hurray for the best kinds of dreams.

Friday, March 4, 2016

Wake Up! Geum Sa Wol's Impromptu Jam Session

Now that Geum Sa Wol is over (even though I'm still waiting for the last episodes to get freakin subbed- come on Viki!) this is the perfect time to unearth an amazing creation that happened as I was watching the first 5 min of episode 20 of My Daughter, Geum Sa Wol.


Lizabreff's dongsaeng was over, playing on my guitar while waiting to get picked up from our house, and she came downstairs right as I started watching episode 20.  She's totally into K-dramas too, so I ended up having to pause and explain to her what was going on.  This turned into magic.

185. Cheese In The Trap 치즈 인 더 트랩 (2016) Korean

Park Hae Jin, Kim Go Eun, Seo Kang Joon, Lee Sung Kyung

Drama Rating: 4/10     Neck Score: A++

Problem #1: I started this show 100% for Park Hae Jin.  Problem #2: The PD is an idiot or something and cut all of Hae Jin Oppa's scenes out.  Problem #3: that gave Freaky Eyes (Seo Kang Joon) too much screen time.  I actually thought he was pretty likable in this show, but why are we wasting so much time on the 2nd male lead?  It makes no sense, the PD must be crazy.  Problem #4: After episode 6 this show stopped making sense and being likable at all.  It was like stuck in a loop of not progressing and being overly dramatic that made me very sad.  I started getting less and less interested in the drama as it went, and every preview made me want to watch the next episode even less.  I finally found the webtoon in English, hoping it would make me like the show again, but it made me hate the show more, because the webtoon actually made sense and was infinitely better than the show.  It made me angry that the show kept getting farther and farther from the webtoon, shafting my leading man and making no sense ever.  So upsetting.  What makes this more upsetting is that the show gripped me in the first episode.  I was already excited for Park Hae Jin, but the show itself was interesting and different, and then it went to the same old lame stuff while also being ridiculous.  I mean, who cuts the male lead out of the show?  That makes no sense.  The character was complex enough without it being further misinterpreted without enough screen time.  The editing also made the once interesting female lead character of Seol into the typical boring, confused, pushover girl for most of the second half too.  She still had good moments, but they were just moments.  Problem #5: that was the most lame-a ending in the history of once good shows.  Well, it was right up there anyway.  Literally this show is Fall In Love With Me bad, only it is worse because it fell from a higher spot.  It definitely had a similar fall for me enough to make me feel FILWM syndrome only this usually did live up to the predicted lameness.  It wasn't quite so bad as FILWM, until the last 2 episodes which were just lame.  So it wasn't as epic, but it was probably just as disappointing because of how much ruined potential there was.  So, I basically forced myself to finish it, only paying attention to the parts with Park Hae Jin, which were way too few and far between.  Sadly, this show had such good potential, as the original material (aka the webtoon and the actors' capabilities) was so good to begin with.  But in the end, it was just disappointing.  Disappointed!

186. Bromance 愛上哥們 (2015) Taiwanese

Baron Chen, Megan Lai, Bii, Li Shao Xiang, Yuan Chen, Mandy Tao

Drama Rating: 6/10     Neck Score: A+

This was not a great drama.  It wasn't even that good.  What it was was super sexy.  I mean there is super hot Baron Chen constantly making sexy eyes at Megan Lai, like from episode 1, when he is supposed to think that she was a man.  He was still pretty visibly hitting on her, which is weird, but since she wasn't a man it was like "instinctive"...?  I guess.  Well, as weird as it was it made it very, very addictive.  The chemistry between that couple was great.  Also, there was good interactions with the side characters for the most part.  Also, can I say something about Baron Chen's hair.  It's super amazing.  I like want to touch it.  Sadly, Bii's story line was pretty boring.  They didn't even kiss, which was lame because she tried to hint to him that he needed to, but he didn't still.  I wonder if it just got cut out or if they needed to keep them the "innocent" couple since the main couple was clearly gender bending and on the sexy passionate side.  That little baby doll girl was pretty annoying too.  She was just all over the place and pretty lamely written.  Oh well.  There was the lovely Bii soundtrack, which makes up for that, because Bii has an angel voice.  He even like live voiced it once and it was amazing then too.  I'm still pulling for Sean Lee (Li Shao Xiang) as a male lead.  Let's see, he went from 3rd couple dude in Love Family to 2nd couple chef dude in Love Myself or You, now he is 2nd male lead in this... can he be a male lead in 2016, please?  #SeanLeeForMaleLead2016!  He is in a show but it looks like he's the 2nd lead/2nd couple from the poster.  Anyway, ahem.  The plot was dumb.  They threw a bunch of gangster crap, cancer crap, awkward love triangle, pretty much everything, but none of it so intensely that the show was actually about it.  It was basically about them falling in love, which is good, but that meant that it was a little all over the place because everything got resolved so quickly, including the part where she lied to him about her gender... so it's not a good show, but it's addicting as candy, and about as fluffy as candy... so super enjoyable to watch.  Plus, Baron Chen's hair.  Woop.  Lizabreff was always commenting on his "bedroom eyes" which are magically sexy/sensual and adoring at the same time, which makes all of us swoon along with our lovely tomboy.  I love how she stays strong the whole time too, being super aggressive in the relationship too.  Anyway, it's enjoyable and that's about all I can give it, but hey, that's enough.