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…
missvictrix
Currently covering: Forecasting Love and Weather
Twenty Five Twenty One: I’m enjoying this drama so much that it’s almost hard to watch… it’s just so well-written, and delivers scenes that are simple and yet can take your breath away. So much heart and emotion are packed into the simplest of things. I’m going to say this every week, but this is K-drama magic at its finest.
Business Proposal: Speaking of K-drama magic, Business Proposal’s premiere offered just that too — albeit a different flavor of magic. It was instant love right from the get-go. Something about this drama is just pulling together everything I love about dramaland: a story that’s having a blast, shamelessly flinging its tropes around, and showing off its sense of humor in every scene. Also, it doesn’t care what you think and it’s going to be just as weird as it wants, and for that I love it. But I also love it because I love it. I am all in for the archaeopteryx caw, the I-just-walked-out-of-a-manhwa acting from Ahn Hyo-seop, drama-loving Grandpa in his epic bathrobe, and every bit of humor and wit this drama pulls out of a hat. And the highlight, of course, is Kim Se-jung who just lights up the screen with her amazing energy. She’s fantastic here.
Thirty-Nine: High quality and great, but too sad; I can’t go on.
tccolb
Business Proposal: I love it! It’s not doing anything terribly new, but I’m a sucker for these kinds of set-ups and I’m lapping every second up. It is nice that we don’t have any outright villains (at least so far) and it’s fun to see Grandpa Lee Deok-hwa watching dramas and bemoaning that not all chaebols are stuck-up. I wish we got to see more of Kim Se-jung scaring off Seol In-ah’s suitors, but I’m really enjoying both their friendship as well as whatever relationship it is that Ahn Hyo-seop and Kim Min-kyu have. But Grandpa is definitely my favorite so far.
Forecasting Love and Weather: Finally got a chance to watch some of this is and while it’s not fun to see Yoon Park playing a jerk, I was actually really impressed with some of the fight scenes between him and Park Min-young. It just felt so painfully real, his bottled feelings bursting through and her trying to stay strong while fighting back tears. It was a lovely bit of acting. I like that the breakdown of their relationship has layers and provides some insight into Yoon’s character, though it doesn’t excuse him of his past or present behavior.
DaebakGrits
Currently covering: Business Proposal
Twenty Five Twenty One: This drama is my happy place, and after binging Juvenile Justice I really, really needed a warm and fuzzy K-drama. I have a soft spot for the sports genre, especially underdog stories, so the scenes of Hee-do at the competition were a treat for me. I’m not sure I can call Hee-do a true underdog, but I do like seeing all of her hard work and perseverance paying off. I’m rooting for her to win gold, but is it too soon for her to topple the reigning champ? Also, her three-day romance with the boy on the men’s fencing team had me rolling in laughter. And the fact that she put up with all that aegyo just so she could experience heartbreak? Dead.
While You Were Sleeping: My friend and I are steadily making our way through this one. We just wrapped up the roomba “murder.” Friend is happily enjoying this one, but I find myself multitasking lately. Not sure if it’s because this story arc is a little boring or if it’s just a sign that I’ve been a little busier than usual lately.
solstices
Currently covering: Through the Darkness, Grid
Business Proposal: Ha-min is so cute! The King’s Affection!) I’ll admit I started this purely because of the cast, since I’m not usually a fan of rom-coms. But the first two episodes sucked me in, and I’m really enjoying it. The little manhwa illustrations are so cute, and I love the zany vibe of the show — every time I think I can’t laugh any more, it just gets even funnier. The archaeopteryx! Samantha and Rachel! The flying slipper! The crispy tonkatsu slap! I love the way the show executes its tropes with tongue-in-cheek humor. Is it Monday yet?
Juvenile Justice: I’m glad the drama settled down into something more contemplative after the shocking first case. (Side note: I’m super impressed by Lee Yeon, the actress who played Baek Sung-woo!) All the cases tugged at my heartstrings in one way or another; many of these young teenagers, whether victims or offenders, were a product of a system that failed them. Kim Hye-soo was amazing as always, with her masterful portrayal of Eun-seok’s outward stoicism and inner pain. Also, watching Kim Mu-yeol in both this and Grid in the same week was truly an experience, LOL. This man has range!
Our Beloved Summer: I started watching this with my boyfriend, and I’m liking it so far. It has a really calming atmosphere to it, and the characters are grounded and realistic. I’m looking forward to seeing more of their interactions, and finding out what happened in the past. Also, I didn’t know Lee Joon-hyuk was in this — it was such a nice surprise when he showed up! Gotta love our favorite weasel, heh.