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
Little Women: Now, this was a proper thriller. It’s been a while since I’ve watched a drama that felt so seamless and maintained its moody tone and consistent pacing so solidly; this felt more like a long movie than weekly episodic storytelling. The story took a while to grab me and the characters also took some time to warm up to (I appreciate flaws and layers, but I didn’t really like anyone until we were deep into things), but I was immediately hooked by the sophisticated execution — all artful misdirection and sinuous tension. Where did the money come from? How can she find a way to keep it? How will they get out of this alive? Who’s really dead, and who’s the killer? Who’s the villain and who’s just a pawn? I had a lot of theories that kept shifting with every plot development, and the drama kept the scales tipping back and forth in an exciting way. I loved that we didn’t know whether Wie Ha-jun was good or bad the whole way through, whether he was actually falling for Kim Go-eun or whether it was all an act, whether he was ultimately going to betray her or save her. I honestly would have enjoyed it either way. And while the youngest sister was the most frustrating to me for being ungrateful and distant (although No. 2 gave her a run for the money for being stubborn and willful — and then No. 1 for being naive and foolish), I appreciated the character work of why they’d become that way and how they grew — independently, but together — and the way things came together in the end. Yes, the plot did go a little off the rails in the final stretch, but I’m not too bothered because it felt more like it overshot its hand rather than flailed about for a resolution — too much of a good thing is better than too little.
missvictrix
Connection: I caught up so fast and now I’m sorry because this show is so good, and so bingable. I couldn’t seem to get into another romance so quickly after Lovely Runner (Sun-jae-ah!), so this desperate, twisty thriller is everything I need right now. The pacing continues to be great, giving us lots and pushing things forward, but never being careless or loose with the plot. Ji Sung is (of course) amazing here, but the overall cast is just spot-on all around (well, I might like to replace Jeon Mi-do but I won’t go there right now).
DaebakGrits
Currently covering: My Sweet Mobster
Miss Night and Day: I knew I was going to love this drama as soon as the opening credits rolled and saw all the Sailor Moon references. Sailor Moon was my first anime and a major stepping stone in my path to discovering K-dramas, so seeing the two smooshed together made me happy. And, even better, the first two episodes of Miss Night and Day didn’t disappoint! It ticks off a lot of my guilty pleasures: quirky leading lady, stoic but kind hearted male lead, hidden identities, swoony damsel-in-distress moments, and a hint of suspense (a la serial killer). I can’t wait for our leading lady to start falling for our leading man while living out her best ajumma life. Let the hijinks begin!