So, what are we all watching this week?
What kept you reaching for more (or agonizing when there was no more), and what made you want to throw your remote through the screen? Time to weigh in…
javabeans
Serendipity’s Embrace: I feel like I pretty much know what this story is and where it’s going, but despite that element of familiarity (one could say predictability), I’m drawn in for two reasons: the execution and the tropes. On the execution side, while I wouldn’t say it’s doing anything clever or new, the characters are endearing, the friendships are feel-good, and the dialogue zips along with funny banter and bickering. On the trope side, this just happens to be one of my catnip storylines: Guy falls first, girl is oblivious, and flashbacks provide a gradually intensifying reveal of the depth of his attachment. Plus, I do happen to love when the guy hides his soft underbelly with a gruffness that outwardly seems cold but is really just awkward. Admittedly Chae Jong-hyeop could be doing more to draw us in, because the acting is just okay although the setup is great, but I’m trying very hard to let that be enough. To offset that, Kim So-hyun’s happy-go-lucky and occasionally dumb character comes off mostly sweet — it’s giving School 2017 and I am not complaining. I’m very much enjoying the present-day, real-time friends-to-romance awakening and hoping the show can keep it up.
missvictrix
Red Swan: Two main feelings here. 1: Justice for Yong-kook, who quickly became my favorite character once they started treating him like an actual character instead of a cardboard cutout. 2: What the heck with dramas that bank on high-intensity attraction/romance/love that cannot be, and then drop it like a scalding dry ass potato when they don’t need it for the plot anymore. Shame on you, Show.
mary
Miss Night and Day: This show never dragged for me so I can’t complain about filler episodes. It’s just strange that the hero doesn’t know about her secret at this point. But then, it surprised me with the villain reveal and with its choice for the second couple pairing. (@Daebakgrits and I totally thought the bestie would be paired up with the idol.) Maybe this show will surprise me once more and not lift “the curse.” Then we’ll get to see Choi Jin-hyuk accepting and romancing both Miss Night and Miss Day. Heh. (We’ll know this weekend when the last two episodes arrive!)
Wonderland: Wonderland (the tech in the movie) is a service that creates an AI version of your deceased loved ones which you can then contact via video calls–like a permanently long distance relationship. You can probably see the problems this tech poses, but Wonderland (the movie) took a different approach. Instead of going for Small Guy Fights Big Evil Tech, it went more slice-of-life by following the stories of its users: a poor grandma who spent on too many upgrades for her AI-grandson, a comatose man who miraculously wakes up (and couldn’t compare to his AI version), an AI-mom who starts questioning why she couldn’t visit her daughter, etc. All throughout the movie, I was torn between “This is a bad idea” and “But look, they’re so happy!” I like that they didn’t give you a clear answer. My biggest complaint is the ending felt abrupt. I’ve been invested in everyone’s stories at this point that I wanted to see a bit more of how they (humans and AI) will live with their decisions. I guess it’s better when something ends leaving you wanting more instead of less of it?