[Currently Watching] My Roommate is a Gumiho

With all the hype that surrounding this drama even before it’s aired, it didn’t disappoint.

It’s definitely a must-watch on many people’s Wed-Thur nights.

The drama is definitely built on a tried and tested premise, this is not the first fantasy drama centres around Gumiho (the mystical fox) and it won’t be the last. The drama carries with it a relatively young casts; I wouldn’t dare say they are unknown. They are quite popular in their own right but they are definitely not the heavy weights of Gong Yoo or Kim Go Eun or Lee Min Ho but enough to leave a dent in the hearts of the many swooonies!

The funniest part of the drama for me is episode 2 when Lee Dam first ingested the red marble. She was cautioned to stay away from all the men born in the year of Tiger which includes the rich and popular sunbae, Gye Sun Woo. The length that Lee Dam went to avoid any physical contact with Gye Sun Woo is so hilarious that Gye Sun Woo himself couldn’t believe it. Lee Dam likely is the first girl that go to extreme lengths to avoid touching him. He is rich and popular and he was worshipped and all the girls at school seem to go googoogaga over him, except Lee Dam. This quirkiness definitely piqued the interest of Gye Sun Woo. It seems to also have the reverse effects of whatever that Shin Woo Yeo wanted or hoped for. How cunning! Clever play there!

Fast forward, the most draggy part of the drama would be episodes 3-4 and 5-6, the storyline didn’t seem to have moved much after 4 episodes. Things didn’t pick up! They are still at the stage where Lee Dam believed with all her heart that Shin Woo Yeo did not have any clue how to extract the red marble from her. And that he is still looking for a way.

I understand that the storyline has to stay with Shin Woo Yeo’s developing feelings for Lee Dam. He just couldn’t placed that emotions that he is feeling. Is that love? Is that simply him being caring since they are living together as human? He is caught in the web of lies that he had concocted himself and seemed to have no way out of this.

In that process, Lee Dam is increasingly confused by Shin Woo Yeo’s hot and cold and hot again emotions/treatment towards. If this is not drama, I would say girl! This is emotional abuse! Run for the hill, man!

Fast forward to episode 6, finally the plot thickens and the story moves along.

After much thought, Shin Woo Yeo decided to come clean with Lee Dam that he was lying all along and that he knew the way to get the marble from her. But, he was stalling for time so that he could keep her close. This is also where all of us are supposed to go all awww and weak in the knees. He has also battered the evil spirit who tried to trick Lee Dam into surrendering the marble.

Jang Ki Yong is quite skilled at depicting the different facial expressions in that split second…the innocent old man who had lived 999 years; the psycho and the dark eerie character. He is so good at the dark characters that I sometimes wonder if he is just playing himself *shivers*

The battle scene is definitely my favourite!

Indeed Jang Ki Yong is made for action!

In episode 7, the scene opens with Lee Dam back at her house and in her bed. Everything seems to be normal and it feels like life before Shin Woo Yeo came into her life and caused havoc that couldn’t quite be explained in words. But, as she made her way to school, she had a melt down from the reminders of Shin Woo Yeo. She like her mother, had strong energy that Shin Woo Yeo’s magic didn’t seem to stick. Her memories weren’t erased!

She remembers everything vividly but she had to live life as if nothing happens!

Shin Woo Yeo couldn’t quite live with the fact that life without Lee Dam will not be the same ever in his 999 years on earth, decided to pull a stunt which I am assuming he is using his magic to get a position as a Professor of History.

The look of Lee Dam’s face when Shin Woo Yeo sashayed into the class. It’s priceless.

The confusion on her face when Shin Woo Yeo came to her rescue with an umbrella. The knowing that cannot be acknowledged is indeed painful to bear.

This scene somehow reminds me of Goblin!

I am looking forward to more triangle between Shin Woo Yeo and Gye Sun Woo in the upcoming episodes.

[OST of the Month] All Day + Breaking Down

There are two OSTs that I really like this month.

So, I have decided to feature both here.

#1: All Day by Cha Ji Yeon

Taxi Driver is such a fun watch, fast paced and clever plot. Action comedy is really my thing and I could sit here whole day watching Lee Je Hoon here. He is not one actor that I really like to death. His dramas are usually melo and sappy so I have been staying clear from the dramas he acted in. But Taxi Driver is different and he should definitely try more action genre.

#2: Breaking Down by Ailee

2 episodes in so far, I can’t really say I like this drama or not. But, it’s definitely an interesting plot so far. It’s been awhile since we see Seo In Guk so it’s a welcome. Park Bo Young returns as cute and pretty as ever! She seems to be younger each time she appears on screen. Really love her style in this drama!

2020 – life in a vacuum

2020 came and went.

Waking up to the first day of 2021 feels surreal; nothing has changed but everything is not ever the same anymore. The sense of living in a vacuum. So much has happened in the last 365 days but at the same time, we are stuck in time; time barely moves. So much hope for 2020 but it didn’t deliver in the way we expected instead we were thrown into a place where we were forced to embrace things that were initially an idea.

I woke up one day to the news that we are going into a lockdown like the rest of the world. Only difference is that we called it a fancier name “Circuit Breaker”. Soon, you see people running to stock up on toilet rolls, food and whatever else one thinks one needs during this period of CB. Since then I have been wondering why toilet rolls? Is it a commodity that could be bartered for freedom? Did I miss something here? Did I not receive a memo on this? What’s more interesting though, this is an epidemic across the globe well.. maybe except North Korea.

2020 has been a year where we forced to be in a place of contemplation; to reevaluate what’s the most pertinent thing in our short life.

While lockdown was in full swing, the korean drama god is in full swing too, doing its thing to dish out all the best dramas to keep our sanity in check. A benevolence it knew its people need. A place we can go to to escape our stinking reality. Korean dramas saved my life. While working in isolation is not the easiest thing for most people, having korean drama playing in the background as a white noise and distraction have helped me feel the sense of community. When I usually have colleagues to banter with or simply just tuning in to their mindless chatters, at times took me away from the intense task at hand. When this menial luxury could not be afforded anymore, korean drama came in to fill the voids.

2020 dramas that had in many ways entertained me while the world is going to goatshit:

#1 Crash Landing on You (CLOY)

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#2 It’s Okay to Not be Okay

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#3 Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol

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#4 Mr Queen

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#5 True Beauty

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Since I am kind and also feeling benevolent on the first day of 2021, here’s a bonus for you!

You are welcome!

#6 Hyena

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#7 The King Eternal Monarch

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#8 Stranger 2

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#9 Flower of Evil

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#10 The Good Detective

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[Oppa of the Month] Lee Min Ho

I get it!

I finally get it!

I finally get what the hype is all about.

I finally get what Lee Min Ho is all about.

I confess I was never a fan of Lee Min Ho. I hardly watched any of his dramas except maybe The Heirs, even then, it’s because of Kim Woo Bin. I have dedicated lots of Kim Woo Bin airtime hear. But, after watching the Legend of the Blue Sea, I finally got it. I understood why Lee Min Ho is so so love by so many of you.

He is such a grounded person, hardly any airs about him despite being the mega celebrity he is. He is such a boy next door and funny one at that. I began to fall in love, and I began my journey of sleuthing in the deep abyss of this black hole called the internet. I could only find all the good things about him…well, after so many years people are still curious about his nose.

Lee Min Ho oppa,

This is the beginning of this love story with you and definitely won’t be the last.

Let’s take some time to just admire how beautiful this man is.

Just looking at this simple picture makes me so happy. Not the usual celebrity shit. He’s just a dude and wants his fun. #respect

Just take sometime to just admire how long his legs. Pictures are all from @actorleeminho

After scouring endless youtube videos and all the behind the scenes of his dramas, I came to realise he builds such good rapport with his co-lead and the whole acting thing feels so natural and easy. I love him more.

One of my favourite youtube videos of him would be his interview on Guerilla Date. I wonder how he pulls himself together after being closed in by so many fans. But, he not only handled himself well, he feels like your neighbourhood oppa that you have known for years. The sense of warm and goof that he exudes.

Oppa,

You truly deserve the success!

Hats off to you.

Have fun gais!

Will come back for you oppa!

[Currently watching] Dynamite Kiss

I look forward to this drama since they announced the line up.

Since it started, I am not sure how I feel about this drama.

I love Jang Ki Yong in Kill It with Nana. It was such a memorable drama that I could still vividly recalling the plot after watching it for so many years. However, since then, Jang Ki Yong was also handed the very stoic scripts where he always plays someone very expressionless. In the last drama before he went to the army, he was playing the 1000 year old gumiho. Throughout the drama, he was basically just a stoic old person in a young person body. Hardly any expression on his face. It is as if he was incapable of joy.

This time around, I was hoping he plays someone more expressive, showing the other side of him. His repertoire, ability to play more versatile roles.

It has been two years since he was away for army. But nothing seems to have changed.

He seems to once again landed in himself in a very dry role. Once again, he is playing someone who is rich, has endless financial resources, felt in love with but did not start the relationship on an honest and equal footing. I was rather confused by all the efforts he put in in Episodes 1 and 2. What happened to the contract he was dying to sign hence taking the long route to even stage a fake girl to earn the contract.

Once Go Da Rim ran off when they almost had an intimate moment in the hotel. She received a call that her mother collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. She ran off when ji Hyeok was taking a shower, for him to come out and finds out that she had taken flight.

And, once again, they met after months of Ji Hyeok searching for her. Only for her to land under his nose as a staff who pretends to have a baby and of course a husband. None of which is true. She had pay the debt left behind by her sister before she runaway.

I really like Anh Eun Jin’s acting. She is really so pretty and her acting is always so natural and light. It feels like she really embodies the characters she plays. She practically carries the drama.

It’s only been 4 episodes, I just hope that the stories develop beyond what it is now. I am sensing a love triangle starting.

I can’t prove but we just have to wait.

[Drama of the Week] As You Stood By

Completed the “As You Stood By” k drama on Netflix.

It’s really infuriating how the Noh family treated Hui Su, knowing complicit in their son’s abusive behaviours, covering up for him and in the process perpetuating the abuse even further. Jeong Suk, Hui Su’s mother in law is a walking hypocrite giving so much speech and seminars regarding empowering women who were abused but yet she turned a blind eye on what’s happening under her nose.

Secrecy is so rooted in domestic violence cases. Victims often times would find excuses for their injuries and often times would accord that to their own clumsiness for falling, for not being careful.

I can’t say I didn’t see it coming for what happened to Noh Jin Pyo. A man that seemingly had it all but was never satisfied by the lot in his life. Taking it out on Hui Su, seeing her not as an equal partner in their marriage but more like an animal that he trapped and watched. She is basically his amusement. Something that he can control.

Eun Su having witnessed and experienced the violent and volatile relationships between her parents could immediately picked up the signs that her best friend Hui Su is being abused. Hui Su would cancel on their plans and would refuse meet ups especially when she was with new wounds or injuries.

Eun Su’s acquaintance with Mr Jin started in serendipitous way. While it is still odd how he walked away with the expensive Piaget watch without any consequences and Eun Su became his go to watch service person. In her many house calls to Mr Jin’s warehouse, she bumped in Jang Kang who has the splitting image of Noh Jin Pyo.

A plan began hatching. Eun Su and Hui Su started plotting ways to kill Jin Pyo and used Jang Kang as a substitute and for him to return to his hometown in Shanghai, China. A deal was made. Jang Kang left the country as Noh Jin Pyo and promised not to return to Korea. While Eun Su and Hui Su were waiting for the right time to report Jin Pyo’s disappearance, they disposed off his body by burying him in the mountain.

The plot seems to be going their way. The plan seems to be going swimmingly. They thought they got away with it and could finally put this behind them.

But, one day, Jang Kang appeared at Hui Su’s apartment demanding 3b won. Once again, their peaceful was shortlived and they had to find ways to cover their tracks and put an end to this madness and to Jang Kang.

Jang Kang who returned to Shanghai a meek person but returned a gangster. Someone who is motivated by money and little empathy and humanity mattered to him.

Jin Pyo’s sister, Jin Young subsequently learned that Jin Pyo could have died and Jang Kang was instrumental in the process. In a runaway attempt, Jang Kang ran into Jin Young and asked to be given a lift without realising that she was his sister and also a police. Jin Young was eyeing a political career and she must make sure everything goes her way. She has to be seen unblemished and untainted especially she is so so so close to her appointment day.

Jin Young who eventually found out everything had used this knowledge to blackmail Hui Su. Knowing that her brother, Jin Pyo is no angel and learned that he has embezzled the company money, she had to cover it up. She could not afford to have these secrets out. She needs things to be clean and neat so that her political career was untouched.

In the scene where Jang Kang brought Jin Young to the mountain, the very spot that Jin Pyo who have been buried. They found the spot but were thrown offguard by the decoy that Eun Su and Hui Su set up. I have to say that is crazy thinking. In the same scene, Jin Young also mentioned that he would take his brother’s place and the next thing we saw was her taking a shovel to Jang Kang’s head. I had assumed he died.

Karma really has a way to come back at you.

He turned up at Jeong Suk’s house and Jeong Suk killed him when she realised that he’s not her son. In their attempt to cover this up, Jin Young and Jeong Suk tried to dispose the body of Jang Kang, putting him in the trunk of their car, speeding through the street and ran into a high impact accident. The trunk opened from impact and the body was unveiled. In the middle of the street! The very persons who supposed to uphold the law and empower women. Their secrets were spilled on the streets of Seoul that very night.

Eun Su and Hui Su eventually served time for their part in the murder.

I am amazed at how well each character depicts the role given to them and how realistic domestic violence is being depicted. It is also sad to say that this is not just a drama but this is precisely the very nuance that victims of domestic violence have to go through. After each episode of violence, there will be honeymoon stage where the perpetrator will woo you with sweet nothings and gifts. All the necklaces that she has gotten from him. How he depicted himself to be a loving husband by going to the same counter to get the necklace just to create witness about his character. It’s all tactical but none of it is true.

While we don’t want to condone killing or violence in any form, it is sometimes the only way out of these victims. Sometimes, they have to resort to fawning or appeasement, a characteristic that don’t seem to make sense. Often times, they are misunderstood for asking for it and allowing it because they were perceived not to fight against it. Fawning or appeasement is a way of protecting self in the hope that the violence would stop.

Jin Pyo’s death could be the only way out for Hui Su to start over.

Hui Su had tried to flee but, he had held her mother at knife point. Forcing her to return to him. It’s always about winning and getting the upperhand.

I am glad this drama showcases the hell that victims of domestic violence go to.

[Drama of the Week] A Hundred Memories

Drama was set in the 80s.

The romantic air in the 80s. The air of innocence, purity and simplicity.

When I first chanced upon this drama, I didn’t think i would like it. The first few episodes that were supposed to set the tone and context for the drama felt draggy and slow. But knowing that Kim Dami was in the case, I knew I had to persist. And, I am glad I did because this drama grew on me and before I knew it, it’s time to say goodbye to this epic piece.

Koh Young Rye and Seo Jong Hee, two bus conductors that met at work and became fast friends. They were joined at the hip, finishing each other’s sentences, sometimes, they don’t even need to speak to know what each other is thinking and the mischief there were up to. Both always dreamed of a better life, life beyond making money to survive and to be stucked at being bus conductors for life.

In the process, they met Han Jae Pil who was at that time, a high schooler, also going through things in life although he seeming had everything. A father who owns the departmental store, a chauffeur who would drive him everywhere. However, a part of him always blamed his father for abandoning his mother and caused his mother to die. He harboured resentment for his father, so deep and truth about his father’s love for his mother only came much later when he was stricken with stroke.

Han Jae Pil and Ma Sang Chul became enamoured with these beautiful bus conductors. Koh Young Rye being Ma Sang Chul’s first love and trying to get to know her. At this point, Han Jae Pil was the wingman. However, both Young Rye and Jong Hee carried a torch for Han Jae Pil.

Jong Hee was more explicit in making her intention known to Han Jae Pil; this clear signal helped Jae Pil to make his move as well. Long story short, both Jong Hee and Jae Pil started dating and abruptly their romance came to a halt after Jong Hee found out about Young Rye’s feelings for Jae Pil.

Young Rye was accused by No Sang Sik (the bus company manager) for things that she didn’t do. In one of the tussles, Jong Hee came upon them and had stabbed him with a fountain pen to stop his aggression. This left him with a permanent disability to the right side of his arm. Jong Hee had no choice but to flee in order not to be captured. The table was turned when Young Rye found out about Sang Sik’s corrupted practice and had siphoned money from the company coffers. She had used that to her advantage and had bought silence for Jong Hee.

Jong Hee left for Seoul and started working as a chambermaid and surreptitiously became entwined with Mi Sook who became her adopted mother. Jong Hee grew up orphaned always craved for a maternal love. She had assumed by having a mother and money, her life would be complete just like how fairy tales usually end. But, it’s unfortunately not the case for her. Mi Sook was the nursing the loss of her daughter had used Jong Hee as her replacement, treating Jong Hee with exacting standards and expectations. Mi Sook was eager for Jong Hee to cut all ties with her past, grooming her with poise and elegance so that she could take over her business.

Nothing much is known about Jong Hee other than her complicated upbringing. Her brother was serving time in prison. He looks for her when he was out of prison at the hope of profiteering from her good fortune.

Once cannot fight fate and destiny when it’s dealt by the hand of the universe. No one can defy its arrangement.

Fast forward, Jong Hee found Young Rye when she turned at Juri’s Hair Salon. And, they quickly rekindled their friendship as if no time had passed. But, at this point, they are both young adults who knew what they wanted. Something has changed. One thing though that remained the same was Young Rye and Jong Hee’s love for Jae Pil. With many years of Jong Hee’s absence, Young Rye and Jae Pil grew close but they never officially dated. Being a kind Young Rye, she would extend her help whenever Jae Pil needed it and likewise, Jae Pil would do the same.

With Jong Hee back to assert her boundaries again, this time, she was clear that she wishes to claim her throne. I am glad that Young Rye did not give in like she would in the past. She decided to be honest with her feelings and would also lay her stake.

Mi Sook subsequently instrumentally got Young Rye fired from her job at Juri. She left and went to another salon to work. The new director, Michelle quickly saw her potential and convinced her to participate in Miss Korea. It was a big thing to be Miss Korea at that time, it opens many doors to opportunities. Young Rye was motivated by the scholarships that she would receive and she could put herself through school. Once her intentions were made clear, Jong Hee convinced Mi Sook to let her participate as well. At this point, I am starting to be annoyed by Jong Hee. I get that her past is difficult. But, not everything has to be a competition. When she first broke up with Jae Pil, I had applauded her for being a girl’s girl. But, now, I am not so sure.

Maybe she feels confident that she could always win Jae Pil’s heart again. She is convinced that Jae Pil still loves her and would come back to her at the drop of the hat. Her return has definitely some confusion to Jae Pil. While he seems clear he likes Young Rye but he has never confess his feelings for her.

His feelings became crystal clear when he realised that she has always been with him through the difficult times and it has to be the time when she was sent to a seminar. That brief separation I guess magnified his feelings for her.

While the plot was developing so beautifully, the ending felt like a rush job and it felt hurried.

Both Jong Hee and Young Rye were at the Miss Korea contest when Sang Sik came to exact his revenge at Jong Hee. Young Rye who saw Sang Sik charging at her friend, had stepped in to stop Sang Sik only to be stepped and ended up comatose.

And then the scene fast forward to 1 year later where Ma Sang Chul married Jung Bun.

And, Jae Pil presented Young Rye with a necklace in lieu of ring and promised to married her and presented her with ring when she is done with school.

THE END

[Drama of the week] Tastefully Yours

This is one drama that I don’t mind having 50 episodes of. It’s such a cute chemistry between Kang Haneul and Go Minsi. It’s a pairing that I didn’t know I need and I forgot just how dashing Kang Haneul can be. Needless to say, Go Minsi is just so pretty, soft and elegant even when she tries to be brusque or loud.

This drama has a very simple premise; one surrounding a conglomerate and food. Go Minsi, unbeknownst to the people around her is a famous chef from a famous French restaurant, Le Murir in Sapporo. She had to leave the restaurant after taking one for Jeon Min. She then started a small restaurant in a small town in Korea. From the outside, it looks like a restaurant that would be eaten up by the ever competitive food scene. Kang Haneul’s character, Han Beom Woo was tasked to buy over the recipes of this restaurant and put it out of business. In order for him to do that, he has to hike his way there.

Eating the very food that he came to eat, and ate the food simple homecooked food that reminds him of his mother, he started to be emotional and teary. Soon, he started hanging around her, become of its employees with the single aim of stealing the recipe and off he goes. But the more time he spent here with Choon Seung and Myung Sook, he came to realise about camaraderie and the importance of team work. He saw himself changing….slowly….but surely.

He no longer wants to steal the recipe or putting this restaurant out of business. He wanted this restaurant to thrive and to succeed. He doesn’t even care about his inheritance and taking over the conglomerate that his mother pitted against him and his brother.

It’s heartwarming to see him change. To see Yeon Joo change. To see Yeon Joo coming out of herself and embrace her power again.

This drama was going so well just keeping to this simple plot. But, the writer thinks it’s a good idea to give us 2 episode of Yeon Joo’s history with Jeon Min and how he is still a person undeserving of saving. The entire 2 episode could have been done in one or maybe half an episode. I get that it is important for us to know the context of why Yeon Joo decided to leave Le Murir and set up her own roots. And not disclose what actually happened until Chef Tatsuo was sick and dying. Then it all links back to how Jeon Min is trying to sell Le Murir out to the very company that Beom Woo’s family owns and tries to get Yeon Joo back to his side.

The sun shines on this dreary plot only when the jealous Beom Woo flew to Sapporo to be the third wheel. We saw his childishness in all its glory. How he sulk when he thinks that Yeon Joo is not giving him attention. Acting silly and childish to get Yeon Joo’s attention and affection. And, of course we love men that can do miracles without talking about it. How he manages to get a jar of dwangjjang and seeing Yeon Joo lit up so brightly is enough. I am praying that Kang Haneul is as sweet as his onscreen character.

I do think this drama is fun to watch. But, 10 episodes are really quite short. This is the kind drama that makes one feel hopeful and lightheartedly reminds me of the possibility ahead of us in spite of a little set back.

The side characters also complemented the lead characters well. The chemistry between them is really off the chart. It’s so cute to see Choon Seung mellowed and started becoming one of them. Where he started as a tug, he becomes a marshmallow when he’s with Myung Sook.

I hope to see more of Kang Haneul in romcom. It’s nice to see his cute side once in a while.

[Drama of the Week] Nine Puzzles

“Are you the killer?” “Did you kill your uncle?”

These have been questions that Yoon Ena has to answer since walking into his death uncle’s body 10 years ago. Hanseem, the officer that had been investigating this crime as a cold case had always believed that Ena was the killer. However, Ena claimed that he could not remember any of the events that happened predating the death of her uncle.

She set out to be a profiler in order to understand herself and in seeking the answers if she had killed her uncle. She believed she had. In some moment of doubts, it always crept up to her that she might have but at the same time, she felt that something was still missing.

The real killer is somewhere out there; toying with her curiosity and vulnerability. Sending her a piece of puzzle after each murder had happened.

All these crimes committed 10 years later had links to her uncle’s death. She helped the police investigates these new cases while trying to resolve the mystery of her uncle’s death.

As the plot thickens, the real killer was harder to catch. At one point, it was Yang Jung Ho because he seems to fit all the criteria of the would-be killer. He, in some ways had some connections to the crime and killer. He was detained and remained protective of the actual killer, although at this point we are closer to the killer but still nowhere close. His arrest only gave us a confession that came too easily that makes it suspicious.

However, his arrest also reveals that he was at the orphanage where he was still involved in supporting some of the children. He still had some emotional connection to that place and may have also “parented” the killer in some way. The puzzles seem to be organizing itself.

At this point, I thought it’s getting increasingly clear that Hwang In Chan was the killer. He just seems to fit all the criteria of a killer and more so that he is a psychiatrist who has the ability to manipulate the facts and psychologically factors; this very fact actually made him the perfect candidate.

But, no!

A plot twist that knocks that wind out of me was when he was actually instrumental in drawing and painting the puzzles. He was commissioned to do so by Seung Joo. And, he didn’t think much about it or to think it odd. This is indeed odd to me.

Seung Joo has been Ena’s treating doctor for 10 years, all these while working with her not for her to be better, for to ensure that she does not recover her memories hence, keeping her identity as a killer underwrap.

Nam Nari was the person who actually helped put the final nail in the coffin for Seung Joo. Growing up in the same hometown as Seung Joo, going to the same school as her and vividly remember her disdain for theme park after being abandoned there by her mother. Nam Nari is also the one who saw the red car that beat the red light and ended up death. Couldn’t live with herself for not doing what her role as police called for that time, had her sleepless night due to guilt. This is when Nari was reacquainted to Seung Joo again.

Nam Nari’s role is not as significant and it feels like a filler character for this drama. While this drama has tonnes of people acting on it, I really mean a tonne. But, it could have been pulled right through with just a few key ones.

The final plot where Seung Joo burned herself and chose to be on the merry go round and in a theme park really set a very strong message about her conclusion. She has achieved what she sets out to do. Taking revenge! Ensuring that all that are deserving being dealt their karma, taking matters into her own hands plotting it for 10 years for the full picture to be completed.

Grooming is not ok…..

it’s been awhile since I update here.

It used to spend hours watching endless korean dramas so that I can come here and input my thoughts. While I still do watch korean dramas, but it’s to a lesser intensity. Plus, the emotional bond tying me to the watching of drama is not as strong as previously.

I enjoy some very good genres especially the korean noirs, historical, justice system, law etc…well…you get the drift.

But today, I felt that I had to come back today to say something and mostly expressed my shock at the ongoing scandal involving Kim Soo Hyun. I am not jumping on the rumours bandwagon or here to say shit about him. I have watched some of his dramas that I really liked. And at times, I would go back to Queen of Tears (QOT) just to relive how beautiful that drama was and how equally beautiful the OSTs were. But, since the scandal broke and with more evidence coming out, I am not sure if I could ever rewatch QOT ever. Although I really liked Kim Ji Won and all the supporting casts of the show.

What bugs me the most was the fact that he was grooming a child to a certain level of reliance and date her, presumably making her special and so blindly in love with him, used her and then chucked her side like a piece of used tissue. Anyone with some ounce of empathy would or humanity would know this is such a wrong thing to do. However, our dear Mr Kim here apparently did not get the notice on such things and at 38 years old, had failed to develop that part of cognitive ability.

Well….one could argued that he was from a broken family and all the adverse childhood experiences must have done him in. To contribute his deeds to his past traumatic experiences seem to give trauma a bad name and real traumatic victims shame. But, in my experience managing sexual abuse cases of this nature, these groomers are the worst not only because they lack remorse and sense of right from wrong, they are also pathological liars and are also shamelessly blatant in their deeds with the assumptions that they could always get away with it. And, in his case, he could have if Kim Sae Ron did not choose to die on his birthday, leaving behind heaps of evidence to take him down.

Another disturbing thing that I have observed from the different social media platforms is that the fact that people are blaming her and his fans are still supporting him. He may not have a sense of right from wrong, but you?

It is sad to witness that she being a victim had to die in order for justice to be done and her good name be restored. She was taken advantage of from young and up to the day she died. She was vilified while he got away just by simply ignoring and denying. The double standard is so apparent and jarring that it looks so bad on a country that are supposed to be progressive. In the worst of time, people still think there is nothing wrong with him dating her when she was already an adult. Groomers groomed their victims from young for exploitation and manipulation of this kind.

I do not buy into whatever his agency as put out as gospel truth because we all know it is not true. Only he knows the real truth and the universe may be able to give him a pass if he comes forward and repent. But, looking at how things are unfolding, he is unlikely to be.

I am quite sure he will not be the last man who has such pedophilloic tendency in the korean entertainment industry. I hope it serves as a reminder to the rest of them to keep their hands and pants to themselves. Something is really so inherently wrong with our society if we allowed such man got a way without any consequences more so because he was rich and powerful and influential.

This is not how we want our next generation of children to grow up in.

[Drama of the Week] Good Job & Jung Il Woo

Good Job replaces EAW and nothing compares to the awesomeness of EAW.

EAW has made my Wed-Thurs so fun. Now I am constantly feeling the sense of loss while waiting for the second season of EAW.

Not sure, if Good Job is watched by many to be honest. I decided to pick it up because of Jung Il Woo. I have loved this man since 49 days and The Moon Embraces The Sun. He plays the characters so well that I couldn’t imagine someone else playing it. Oh let’s not forget him as Cha Chi Soo in Flower Boy Ramen Shop. That was so fun to watch also.

Jung Il Woo played rich chaebol and spoilt brat one too many times, and he got stuck in that stereotype. It feels like these things are a curse unto his career. In the last few years since The Cinderella and the Four Knights, High End Crush etc, he did not seem to play any good and memorable roles.

In Good Job, Jung Il Woo once again plays the rich chairman who sets out to catch his mother’s killer. He has organised his whole life around this and has a sidekick in the lawyer, Eum Moon Suk plays, Yang Jin Mo. These two I wouldn’t say they are not funny when together, but they just lack the camaderie and chaos that Eum Moon Suk shares with Song Sak, played by Anh Chang Hwan.

Yuri is a girl with super vision, she was recruited to form the trio vigilante.

This drama seems to be lacking in plot and the storyline can be draggy and confusing. There are also too many characters and at times it feels like it’s jumping through the different scene, as if the editors is on fast forward.

Jung Il Woo was supposed to carry this drama, but I don’t feel his charisma shining through this one. Maybe he needs to pick a better project? Maybe he needs a new manager?

The 5 currently watching dramas

K dramaland is churning out the dramas faster that I could ever catch up.

I am definitely not complaining now I have a reason to cozy up to my couch every night and waiting for the dramas to start. It buffers alot of separation anxiety I have waiting for the new episodes of dramas that I am faithfully watching to start.

This is of course on top of Extraordinary Attorney Woo!

Since there are so many that I couldn’t even remember the days they should be playing, I am just going to compile 5 here. These are ranked according to my fancy.

#1 Alchemy of Souls (5/5)

To be honest, I didn’t think I would like it. I tried watching it when it first premiered as everyone was raving about it. I didn’t get pass the first 10mins. The earlier scenes were so draggy while I know that the context of how Naksu came to be is important, but it’s just not doing it for me. It didn’t captivate and it’s dull.

The second time I tried at least a month ago when the series was already running for at least 10 episodes, I couldn’t put up it down. It was so good. It finally moved on and Naksu is now in Muk Deok who is so clever, quick witted and funny.

The trio of the mage also cracked me up to no end. And who would have thought we could get a bonus in the form of the Crown Prince. He was really so hilarious especially when he has proudly bestowed the nickname Dirty Muk Deok on her and in quick succession fell in love with her.

There are so many funny scenes that are my favourite but I think the scene where Muk Deok is trying to pass the examination to enter Songrim was the most memorable. The whole band of brothers including the Crown Prince actually tried to solve the questions for her. Instead of bad blood rivalry, they actually work together to get Muk Deok in. This was definitely a breath of fresh air from the usual cutthroat kill you scenes of rivalry.

While everyone is raving about the mage, I actually think that the Crown Prince actually carries the drama.

#2 Cafe Minamdang

This is a clever spin from the usual police/detective drama.

Nam Han Jun was a detective and he was framed and had to serve prison sentence for a crime that he did not do. After he was released from prison, he set up a cafe and became a shaman. He set out to use the cafe as a decoy for him to catch the killer of his best friend, Han Jae Jeong who turns out to be Detective Han’s brother.

Both of them are on the same mission but with different operandi.

Nam Han Jun is always a few steps ahead of Detective Han putting him in the her line of obsruction.

Nam Han Jun has a team of very capable people working with him. He has a hacker of a sister and steel-headed right hand man. These trios were a riot when they are together and they are definitely fun to watch.

The plot is escalating and after much fighting and finger pointing, Detective Han had inched her way into the Cafe Minamdang’s operation. And Nam Han Jun had no choice but to allow it otherwise, he had to be serving time in the lock up for obstructing justice through illegal means.

I don’t particularly enjoy these two leads together but they can be fun to watch.

The drama has so many shaddy characters that I am not even certain if Prosecutor Cha is a puppy in love with Detective Han or if it’s just his way of getting into their good books so that he knows what is going on. Could he actually be the mastermind behind the killing they were all looking for?

And, on a side note, I want to just leave it here that Kwak Si Yang played his role so well here. I didn’t expect ever to see him playing such a silly and fun character. I have always associated him with a more serious and stern persona. He likely would play a detective, spy or agent or even a psychokiller role well. But, this definitely is a bonus.

#3 Big Mouth

This is a drama that I am confused about but I don’t exactly know why I am confused.

Park Chang Do is a man who never has any luck. Lady luck abandoned him whenever he needs her the most and it has been like that through the course of his life. However, one day he thought he sniffed up some thing big and it would set the family to a good life. He thought finally Lady Luck shining upon him.

Only to find that actually he was set up and now he is serving time in prison for things that he did not do. However, what’s bizarre is that, he unintentionally racked up a reputation for himself. He was mistaken for Big Mouse, a profilic and mysterious killer that nobody has seen but heard so much about.

His luck in prison seems to have shifted. Even he couldn’t believe the shifting luck that happened when he was in prison.

He now becomes someone feared and revered at the same time.

I can’t wait to see how this plot twists and turns as they go along.

It’s been only 2 episodes, I don’t really have any opinion about this drama, but also has no qualms of ditching it if it’s unbearable to watch.

#4 Adamas

Ji Sung is back with a new drama.

I love Ji Sung oppa and I always always will push aside whatever I am watching at the moment just to watch him in drama.

Ji Sung plays a dual role essentially himself but he has an identical twin in this drama. One a writer, one a prosecutor. He sets out to steal the adamas, the weapon.

Ha Woo Shin, a mystery writer decided to accept the offer to be a ghost writer to write Chairman Kwon’s memoir. This was only a means to an end. What he really wanted was to gain access to the house that was so fortified with super security. He wanted not only to see the house and to understand the intricacies behind it but also to steal the adamas.

His twin brother, Prosecutor Song on the other hand, is chasing the tail of truth to find out who actually killed their stepfather? Was it their birth father?

Are they on the same mission or each chasing a different mission altogether?

This is only a tip of the iceberg and there is many more layers to peal.

On a side note, it is also good to see Seo Ji Hye back on screen again.

#5 Today’s webtoon

I am excited to see Kim Sejong on the small screen again after the successful A Business Proposal early in the year.

She plays this optimistic and athletic worker who aspires to have her own webtoon. She was a judo national champion and has little experience in life other than judo. Most of her life revolves around judo.

When she asked by her senior to stand in for a worker who didn’t turn up as a security at a webtoon event, she chanced upon Seok Ji Hyung, the webtoon company manager and other webtoon comic authors she admires.

This is a feel good and comedic drama. Of course in every feel good drama you just need to have a ninny that had everything in life figured out. He wouldn’t do anything more or less. He keeps to the line he supposed to tow.

While his specs are so much better than On Ma Eum, his spirit definitely is not.

I love Kim Sejong and she has a way of making you like her without trying. But, this drama is a drama that I am unsure I will watch until the end. It just seems too fluffy and lacks the it factor that draws you in and compels you to finish it.

[Drama of the Week] Extraordinary Attorney Woo

I love love love this drama.

It’s lighthearted yet leaving you with a warm and a fuzzy feeling like a good old blanket on a super cold day.

I started this drama by chance, didn’t expect much out of it. But, I was definitely drawn to the premise of the storyline. It’s a clever story line and I am heartened to see that the Korean writers are exploring territories that were previously unacceptable or a taboo.

Attorney Woo Young Woo is a person on the spectrum of autism. Despite that, he was loved by her father and her best friend. The friendship between the two is the cutest thing. The dab that they do is definitely the cleverest invention ever in korean drama.

This drama has a very easygoing plot not overly court room drama and leaves you sleeping in no time. I love courtroom drama and I will make sure to watch most of it if I could.

As the plot thickens, Attorney Woo unwittingly made Lee Jun Ho all blushy and fluttery. After seeing her in a bride’s gown, he just couldn’t take his eyes of her and I like that he was first drawn to her personality. While she is on the spectrum, she could be very concrete and insistent in telling whoever’s willing to listen about whale, he finds her simplicity endearing. No drama no game.

Park Eun Bin really did not disappoint in her portrayal of a person on the spectrum of ASD. She definitely carry the character very well to a point of endearment and cuteness overload. This also shows that the commitment and dedication put in place to study the behaviour and mannerism of a person with ASD.

I truly hope that people on this spectrum finds hope through this drama. Knowing that you too can achieve something in your life. That this is not about your disability but about what society can do to provide you the chance to showcase your talent.

It is not easy for people with ASD to live in a society that do not understand them and their needs. Often times, they are seen and labelled weird and peculiar. None actually took the time to speak to them and understand their struggles living in a society that is not made for them.

I have encountered my fair share of people on the spectrum. Most times I realised there are so much more I can glean from them.

So, Attorney Woo hwaiting!

[Drama of the Week] Doctor Lawyer

So Ji Sub is back after his last project, My Secret Terrius in 2018.

He also got married and has been living under the radar. Even before this, he seems to be an elusive superstar, he doesn’t use social media and he doesn’t put his life in the limelight at all. This only makes him more endearing to the fans.

I have been a long time So Ji Sub fan since watching the Phantom in 2012 where he acted as a hacker. The drama was so good, the pace so so so good and action filled. It’s never boring. I have to say that So Ji Sub seems to have a good eyes for projects. Prior to The Master Sun, most of his roles are action, or melodrama. I didn’t know he is capable of being cute until I see The Master Sun. That was one of my favourite dramas of all time.

Now, he is back with Doctor Lawyer.

This is a story of a doctor who were an ace in the hospital that he was working at until he wasn’t. He was also the ghost surgeon to Goo Hyun Sung, the son of the hospital Chairman, Go Jin Ki. Han Yi Han outlasts his usefulness and was framed for killing a patient and he thrown into jail. He was also arm twisted into admitting that he had a malpractice. That’s how he lost his license as a doctor. He faded away from the medical scene but was never living quietly. During this dark period, he got himself a lawyer degree, set up a practice and even represented people who have had medical malpractices perpetuated on them by the very hospital that he was expelled from.

Him returning ever so boldly caused so much ruckus and unhappiness.

In the background he was setting up a investigation into what exactly happened to him 5 years ago. He is intent on pursuing justice that was obviously miscarried.

Jayden Lee, another talented doctor from the US who Go Jin Ki intends to use as his beloved son’s new ghost. Somehow, Jayden seems to have known what went on 5 years ago and his appearance while still remain shrouded in mystery, increasingly added flavour to this drama. I can’t wait to find out why Jayden Lee is here and what is he planning. Is he also pursing the same thing as Han Yi Han? Did he know something too?