stroppyse

16 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

This weekend. Yay!!!... but I think I might stay away from weekender for the time being  It's been so tiring these last two dramas.

The next drama is Hyo Shim's Independent Life aka Live Your Own Life, and I created a thread for it, but I'm not entirely sure that I'll watch it since it will start with yet another dysfunctional family. We'll see. Uee is the FL, and she has a mixed record for me in terms of her project choices.

16 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

@stroppyse where are you now with the episode? I am wondering if you remember the scene when SJ was talking on the phone with her lawyer... I think I watched that episode raw, and didn't quite catch what she said to the lawyer. I want to know more about what her marital status is. Husband dead, leaving inheritance for her? Or divorced? 

Too lazy and difficult to rewatch to find that episode. Not important though if you don't remember, since I believe it will be revealed again later. 

 

I don't remember that scene, so I don't think I've reached that episode yet. Once I watch it, I'll comment on it. Was it recently, or from awhile ago?

Teaser #1

Teaser #2

Cast

Main

Uee as Lee Hyo Shim, the third child and only daughter in her family

Ha Joon as Kang Tae Ho

Go Joo Won as Kang Tae Min, heir to Taesan Group

Lee Hyo Shim's Family

Yoon Mi Ra as Lee Seon Soon, HS' mother

Nam Sung Jin as Lee Hyo Seong, HS' oldest brother

Lim Ji Eun as Yang Hee Joo, Hyo Seong's wife

Seo Seol Hwan as Lee Hyo Jun, HS's second brother

Kim Do Yeon as Lee Hyo Do, HS's younger brother

Kang Tae Ho's Family

Jung Young Sook as Choi Myung Hee

Lee Hwi Hyang as Jang Sook Hyang

Noh Young Guk as Kang Jin Beom, current chairman of Taesan Group

Lee Kwang Ki as Yeo Jin Su, executive director of Taesan Group

Kim Bi Joo as Kang Tae Hee, precious daughter of Taesan Group

Live Your Own Life

aka Hyo Shim's Independent Life

효심이네 각자도생

Airing Saturdays and Sundays

Starting September 16, 2023

Director: Kim Hyung Il

Writer: Jo Jung Seon

Broadcast: KBS2

Synopsis:

Hyo Shim is the third child in her family and the only daughter with 2 older brothers and 1 younger brother. She ends up working as a top fitness trainer to support her mother and their family after their father walks out on them. However, she is tired of thanklessly working to support everyone, and wants to live her own life for a change.

On 9/3/2023 at 7:02 PM, ktcjdrama said:

What I don't understand also is that if he looooongs so much for a family (re. his claim that Haneul is the only blood family he has), why can't he just find a girl to love and create his own family. He can have as many kids as he wants, even form a soccer team with his children. It's not like he can no longer have kids... You know what I mean? This is why I cannot appreciate how his character is written. Why the sudden obsession of Haneul? Of course most of the viewers have agreed that it's more of not wanting to lose against TK, but again, why TK? I really don't understand why a supposedly smart person like JH would think that by barking at each and everyone he meets, he can get love....

I can understand his motivations somewhat, but it's still poorly written.

I think that KJH was already sore at being rejected by SJ because she wanted to marry TK. And, then he finds out that his ex YD who he had discarded actually went to TK as well. His pride just couldn't handle that, not to mention the daughter that he really didn't even know he had.

I can understand him wanting to be in his daughter's life and he seems to think that if he has HN, that YD will also come with her.

Of course, this is all delusional, not to mention that he's not thinking like a father and asking what the best thing would be for his daughter.

Anyway, when does this drama end????? I think I'm ready for the next weekender, whichever that may be.

21 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

Probably just wailing and screaming again but will do nothing to help KS. She is too blinded by her second daughter. As a mother, I will grill SH for what happened to her where has she been why she hasn’t contacted the family even once if she is alive and well. I have mourned for her and was devastated with her death, I want to know why she puts me through all those.

True. Her return from being "dead" was way too easy. I would have thought that her family would want more answers of where she had been and why she had cut them off for so long.

21 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

I really miss KS smiles. Even with all the difficulties he faced in the beginning, he still manage to smile, but this SJ thing has totally suck dry every single bit of joy left in him. All we see now is him sighing and heaving.  

Even though I understand that KS feels a lot of pressure right now, with his dead wife being back alive and wanting them to be a cozy family unit and all, which is exactly what his daughter and his wife's family all want. The only one who doesn't want KS to get back with his wife is his father, and that is because the father is unabashedly greedy for MR's family's money.

MR and KS will be together in the end, but it's just one hurdle after another. I think my issue with this couple is that they were so slow to get together in the first place, so we haven't had that many episodes with them being able to enjoy being a couple. I'm happy that they are still holding fast as a couple, but they need some more sweet alone time together where they can just enjoy each other.

@mademoiselle, I finally looked up LLTG and there are over 50 episodes in it!

Also, I just realized that I had watched a couple of episodes of Who Rules the World which starred YY and ZL, but didn't finish it. Which did you like better between LLTG and WRTW?

I don't understand that whole YD-KJH relationship actually. He's clearly selfish and I can't imagine that he wouldn't be that way when he and YD were dating, even without cheating on her. Then again, I guess there are plenty of destructive couples, both in dramas and in real life.

16 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

I have come too far to drop this drama, so I will watch till the end... The arc of KJH fighting for Haneul is just too draggy now. I hate seeing this character on screen yet he took up so much screen time lately. He is not written well. I cannot squeeze out a tiny drop of pity for him at all with his constant threats and vileness towards everyone. With such hatred and detest towards everyone, I am surprised he hasn’t killed anyone yet. A hopeless petulant man-child.
 

I so agree with everything that you've written!

These last few episodes haven't been a lot of fun actually. I'm tired of KJH just yelling at everything, and I'm tired of YD begging with everyone.

12 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

Oh yeah, how's Fly Me Towards You? Is it good?

I ended up enjoying FMTY quite a bit. The female lead in that drama feels a bit like a newbie. She's clearly supposed to be a cheerful, smiling character, but occasionally, her smiling feels a bit forced. Still, it was fun, with a good, consistent story line.

It's from the same writer as Hidden Love, and so it takes a story of youthful love which is enduring and makes it engaging and not frustrating. I totally recommend it.

On 8/27/2023 at 2:26 AM, ktcjdrama said:

Being the saint he is, KS probably did want to love her at one time, because she was of great support to him when his grandmother passed away. But she didn’t stay long enough to enjoy his love. 

Which is why I detest her more, compared to Soo Ji and Ho Rang combined. 

Wow, JD's birth mother has some nerve! I'm happy at least her younger sister is calling her out on it, versus the mother-in-law who just wants all her chicks together again, even if it means sacrificing KS' happiness.

I am curious as to how the MIL is going to react when she finds out the extent of KS' sacrifices for her daughter, for JD, and even for herself after her daughter decided that she was going to run away and disappear to take care of herself only.

I do understand JD's longing to be with her birth mother, and part of me thinks that perhaps she should stay with her birth mother and grandmother, and let KS go create a new, loving family with MR. It's really time for him to be part of a family who values him and places him first. I think that JD and her grandmother do love KS, but that he's always been a bit taken for granted and an afterthought with little importance placed on his happiness.

On 8/26/2023 at 11:53 PM, mademoiselle said:

Yang Yang as Yu Tu was love. He was very pretty in King of Avatar too. Did you watch that one? But I didn't like the dramas after YAMG, unfortunately.

So funny that you should mention King of Avatar. I had started it a number of times, but dropped it each time because I felt there was a lack of story versus avatars fighting in online dungeons. YY is very pretty in it, however, so I just recently watched a few more episodes. YY plays TWINS in KoA! Both of them are very pretty.

On 8/26/2023 at 11:53 PM, mademoiselle said:

Do give LLTG a try. It's really good too. You might actually fall for Wu Lei next and forget Chen Zhe Yuan (I really hoped not).

Okay, will let you know after I've given LLTG a try. Doubt I'll forget CZY!

On 8/29/2023 at 2:02 AM, mademoiselle said:

So Mun was totally powerless against the demon for the Nth time. Getting tired seeing him like this to be honest.

I've been taking it that SM keeps restraining himself against Ma Joo Seok because of his affection for MJS and his belief that MJS is fighting the demon inside him. Thus, the other Counters accusing SM of deliberately letting MJS go rather than taking care of him when he had the chance. However, this plot line, if true, feels weird to me since SM understands that he's letting a demon go to do damage on other people regardless of whether he's in conflict with MJS' inner self.

And, yes, I'm also tired of SM either not being as powerful as the drama had built him up to be, or deciding that personal affection outweighs other people's lives.

On 8/29/2023 at 2:02 AM, mademoiselle said:

Hwang Pil Gwang willingly died in the hands of Ma Joo Seok only to take over the demon internally. Not even sure if that's supposedly possible, but let's roll with it since we only have 2 more episodes left.

Yeah, about that. The only thing I can say is that it's not the first time this season when the plot line didn't make any sense whatsoever. I realize that this is a fantasy drama so that they can do whatever they want, but a little internal consistency in the world they created and/or better explanations of why all the exceptions would go a long way to making

this a more enjoyable watch.

48 minutes ago, mademoiselle said:

He is stuck in his own mind, more accurately his heart (마음). How do you translate 마음 to English, @stroppyse?

마음 is frequently translated as heart, but it really means the inner self. That's why depending on the context, it is frequently used as part of a translation about knowing your heart or making up your mind, even though there are other words which mean heart and mind.

51 minutes ago, mademoiselle said:

Good news is Gelly has been exorcised by Hana!

Oh good. I think of Gelly as being more annoying than frightening or entertaining anyway. Funny that it's Hwang who kills her. If Hwang kills her, though, does Hana come along immediately after in order to exorcise her?

53 minutes ago, mademoiselle said:

Next preview and pre-release showed Ma Joo Seok becomes stronger with the power of Yung. ARGHHHH. Also it seems Hwang and Ma Joo Seok will face off one another too.

So, is Ma Joo Seok becoming a force for good instead of the evil demon who possessed him? I guess there are only 12 episodes, so perhaps they are entering the end game next episode.

Maybe I'll binge the back episodes tomorrow and try to catch up for the final episodes next week.

5 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

YY - did you complete You Are My Glory? This was another happy drama (adult version) 😆

Yes, I finally finished YAMG. I thought the start was slow, but I ended up really liking it. Though, to be honest, I probably stuck with it because of YY.

Thanks for the other recs. I might wait for Chen Zhe Yuan's next drama instead, though I might give LLTG a try. I'm not huge into Chinese costume dramas, however, so don't know how much of it I'll actually watch.

9 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

I'll report back tomorrow on episode 9. Fingers crossed...

Please do so! Based on what you report, I'll either catch up or continue to give it a rest until it's close to ending before I pick it up again.

@mademoiselle, I was completely surprised by how much I really like this drama. I'm not a huge youth drama fan, even more so when I have to read subtitles. I've only powered through some of the youth kdramas because I can listen to it on background while I'm multi-tasking other things.

So, this drama had my complete attention while I was watching. JiaXu is a totally adorable character, but it's really the OTP together who made this drama so special. Actually, JiaXu may supplant my affection for YY's Xiao Nai as male youth lead... Oh, but YY can still force me to at least give any drama that he's in a try, even if I don't necessarily finish them. Not sure that Chen Zheyuan is quite at that level for me yet.

However, I am eager to give both Chen Zheyuan and Zhao Lusi another try. Any dramas that you would recommend with either of them in it?

6 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

Except that it’s not just JD that she wants. She wants KS too. The truth will for sure be revealed to JD and she will have to make a choice. And I agree, KS will never let go of JD. That’s why manipulative SJ is making use of this. She lied to JD saying that MR is the one pushing for KS to divorce with SJ. 

What??? She got pregnant by another man, and her friend KS was nice enough to take responsibility for the child and then raised the child while she went off to do whatever the heck she wanted. And, now, she's back wanting both JD and KS? As far as I know, KS is a bachelor living as a widower and single father. I'm not even sure that KS and JD's mother were ever really married, though JD went on KS' registry for sure. I'm also not sure that KS ever really loved JD's mother, all that searching for her was probably for JD's sake whom he truly does love.

Such a weird, selfish character to bring back into KS' and JD's lives. Guess they are running out of story to tell as they hit their final episodes.

18 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

I have finished Hidden Love, and it has become a bit of a crack drama at the moment. I'd often go back & rewatch random episodes or scenes. It's a happy drama for me, loved the couple and obviously wish there is a Duan Jia Xu that looks like Chen Zhe Yuan in real life. 😆

I totally know what you mean! I may have gone back and watched a few bits as well.

18 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

I'm at awe how the PD or producers don't question the illogical bits of S2, or this is actually true based on the webtoon...?

I feel you. I'm so sad that I'm not as engaged in this season as I was in Season 1, since I've rewatched Season 1 a few times now, and now the whole series have fallen off the crack list.

58 minutes ago, ktcjdrama said:

I thought I hated Ho Rang and Soo Ji, but these two combined were no where as detestable as Lee Sun Ju. This woman is so shameless and selfish. I feel really bad for Jan Di having to have and know such a mother. It would’ve been better if Jan Di has never ever known her. 

Poor JD. My mother thought that now JD's birth mother has shown up, she'll reclaim JD and say that KS isn't JD's birth father anyway. I guess that the truth does have to come out, but I can't imagine that KS will let go of JD. What was the birth mother's motivation in showing up now?

Haven't had a chance to watch this drama lately. Though, I think that JD's mother has turned up alive, is that right?

Hmm, I'm not sure how much I like the story line of KJH being the grandson of the grandmother.

Also, I'm curious why YD didn't put HN on her own registry at her birth. I think if she had, then KJH wouldn't be able to put HN on his registry without some legal action at least?

On 8/20/2023 at 11:01 PM, mademoiselle said:

Maybe I should just go back to my happy drama – Hidden Love.

Yes, if you haven't finished Hidden Love yet, you totally should! I liked HL so much that I even watched When I Fly Towards You because it was by the same writer, after a little encouragement from @Tofu.

As for this drama, I agree with your disbelief. This season seems so much more disjointed than the first season in terms of the plot. It feels as if they weren't expecting to do a season 2, but then was faced with having to do it, but couldn't get the same writers, so brought in new writers who didn't bother to watch season 1?

I'm not familiar with the webcomic, so not sure if the source material for season 2 was also so confusing.

I think I'll pick it back up after a few more episodes have passed. I still like these characters enough that I want to see what happens to them, but kind of impatient with the inconsistencies to watch it in real time.

Quiz Results

@ktcjdrama 122 pts  - Drama Master!

@mademoiselle 105 pts  - Drama Overlord

@abs-oluteM 76 pts - Drama Disciple

@SilverMoonTea 61 pts - Drama Lover

@Phikyl 60 pts - Drama Scholar

@Chocolate 53 pts - Drama Enthusiast

@Tofu 35 pts - Drama Too Busy To Finish Quizzes

Thanks to everyone who did the quiz!

Quiz Answers

Here are the answers to the quiz. I put them in a spoiler in case anyone is still playing before they want to check the answers.

I have not finished scoring the answers yet, but will do so, and post everyone's scores later today. Hope you enjoyed the quiz, even if it was so random! Thanks to everyone who played!