stroppyse

18 hours ago, Phikyl said:

Edit to add: I think the majority of my issues stem from the fact that NJH was such a new actor at the time and didn't really fill the role of male lead in a way that could give me interest in his character; it felt very cardboard cutout. 

 

I loved him in Cheese in the Trap and also Weightlifting Fairy; I just think he needed a bit more experience to do the role of Yi An justice. 

I definitely agree he was too newbie to take the male lead role. He was painful to watch in that drama.

I also agree that he's improved a lot since then, but his projects are not the most attractive for me, plus his performances are still hit and miss. Guess we'll see how he does after he gets back from mandatory service.

1 hour ago, JenL said:

You're Beautiful - I did not watch this Kdrama oddly enough. I thought the main guy was super toxic but everyone around me (who was watching the show) loved him. But then by chance I saw a clip of Jung Yong Hwa as the second lead and thought he was both more attractive and super kind to the FL that I was devastated that FL would never notice him. It didn't make me watch the drama, but it did make me watch Heartstrings (another drama where they paired the FL and SL from You're Beautiful) and it did start my on-again-off-again addiction to JYH and CNBlue. It is also probably the origin story as to why I get SLS.

I never understood the attraction of the OTP in this drama. I'm with you on liking the second lead better than the ML here. He was nice, helpful, supportive, and respectful. All characteristics that the ML was not. Even in the end, when the OTP were in love, the ML was still a jerk, it was just that he was a jerk who decided he loved the FL and couldn't live without her. Whatever.

This drama also caused me to watch 'Heartstrings' for the lead pairing as well. Unfortunately, the drama itself was not done well. I kept wondering if they had run out of budget or something. I also had problems with the direction. JYH was continuously underacting while Park Shin Hye was overacting a storm, and since she was the better actor of the two and had to carry so much of the drama, it didn't really work for me. Also, the SML for this drama was problematic since he was a big time producer turned faculty. Talk about an imbalance of power. I just remember the story was a mess, though there were definitely elements that I liked about it.

1 hour ago, JenL said:

Extraordinary You - I know I'm the one who is always anti-toxic-male-characters...so why did I fall for this super toxic second lead???  Aside from the fact that he was Lee Jae Wook who is very talented at playing nuanced characters , I think the love triangle got me in this one because it was about more than just the characters being stereotypes. They were complicated becaue they were controlled by a god-like comic book writer who made them who they were. So the second lead was toxic because the writer forced him to be that way. And it was painful to see that he graudally became a better person when he developed a consciousness and actually liked the FL, but realised if he wanted her to be happy he had to let her go despite his own feelings  Also he had been made to treat her so badly in the past by the writer that there wasn't really a way he could make up for his behaviours even though they were mostly out of his control

 

So well said!

So, @JenL, you wouldn't recommend watching 'Before We Get Married'?

8 hours ago, ssteph said:

Yeo Rim/Gu Yong Ha & Geul Oh/Moon Jae Shin (Sungkyunkwan Scandal)

Yes! This was an ultimate bromance. I loved how Yeo Rim's one true love is really Geol Oh despite YR's reputation for being a ladies man, while GO is always seemingly pushing YR away despite putting up with YR, and in a way that he doesn't allow others to get close to him.

5 hours ago, abs-oluteM said:

But what is the psychology behind love triangles that writers see the need to constantly have one in a drama? IRL, it is not even normal to have a two guys like you at the same time. 

I think that what is not normal about a lot of these love triangles is how aggressively the third member may pursue the object of his/her desires despite it being obvious that he/she is not liked back.

I tend to have sympathy for the second leads who are graceful in being rejected, and yet continue to be supportive of the lead even after rejection, e.g. Chilbong in 'Reply 1994' or Yook Sung Jae's character in 'Who Are You: School 2015'. However, there are tons of second leads who are obsessive even after rejection, and who go all out to try to break the leads up. Ugh. I tend to think of those obsessive second leads as poor plot devices to try to keep more angst in the leads' relationship, usually along with the rejection by one or both families.

Dong Eun and Hyun Ah managed to convince 6 of their friends to go on the reunion trip to paradise halfway around the world. They were happy that they were able to have such a large crowd. Dong Eun decided that she would start contacting travel agencies about a group booking while Hyun Ah would start sorting logistics for everyone to figure out the dates of travel.

Dong Eun found a travel agency that had good online reviews where she met Park Joo Ho, a friendly travel agent who was very cute, but seemed a little odd.

@mademoiselle, it's actually some of both. I used to use the DS, and still do for shows that I can't get any other way in my region. In general, though, I think that I should support copyright, even if it possibly benefits broadcasters more than the artists or the producers. Otherwise, they get nothing. It's just that now there are sooo many subscriptions, and I really can't manage them all, especially if I'm going to watch 1 show on that channel anyway.

The ad blockers are not always the most effective either, and I would prefer not to get a potential virus since those are always playing catch up as well.

5 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

Not in others' presence, but he was murmuring to himself in his room that KS is a thief trying to steal into the family through MR.

That chairman is a bit nuts! He should be grateful for KS' help and devotion. Blech.

5 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

Mainly the pacing. No secret was dragged out unnecessarily. But I really hated the dragging of TK's mother being public enemy #1 arc and to have it resolved in like 5 minutes. 

 

Tbh, I like TK's character - he's been consistent, but I think YD is written very weakly, thus I don't really have a liking to her, even now. Sometimes she is that strong person but sometimes she appears so weak. Just in this latest episode, when TK's father was asking the two of them to tell him everything openly about KJH and JSJ, she "graciously" replied that it's all in the past... I was like screaming inside "Hello!! You're fighting for custody issue for your precious daughter! Every little thing matters. Every past dirt is needed to make KJH unsuitable in getting custody. Don't you know your FIL is trying to help??! It's not time to be a saint, to be so forgiving" 

Good points.

Though to be fair to YD, I don't think she understood why TK's father was asking them for the info. She didn't realize that the father wanted to go after KJH and Secretary Jang. I guess that was cleared up for them, however, since it seems that they did tell the father everything after all.

19 minutes ago, 40somethingahjumma said:

But the weirdest thing that ever happened to me in all my years of watching K dramas were the ship wars in Hospital Playlist. I still don't entirely know what happened there. It's as if a group of people made up their own version of the drama and forced everyone by sheer persistence to see something that wasn't there. It is a fascinating phenomenon sociologically but to be in the middle of a ship war over a love triangle that didn't even exist was an entirely foreign experience. 

Totally with you on this one. I didn't understand the shipping wars for this drama. I thought that they made all the lines pretty clear from the get go, unlike the Reply series.

And, good points on the rest of your post as well!

6 hours ago, mademoiselle said:

@stroppyse @Tofu Will you guys check this out? I think 7 episodes in, I liked it more than Uncanny now...

Waaaahhh! It looks good, but it's on Disney+ which I don't have a subscription to...   I guess I had better look into this.

The question is @mademoiselle, is this drama good enough to go to the dark side to watch if I can't afford the subscription feeds????

2 hours ago, Tofu said:

Tagging @mademoiselle because she's going to be so excited that @stroppyse watched this drama. 

I know. It's become kind of rare for me to watch anything other than kdramas, but this one kept popping up in my Netflix suggestion queue, and it looked kind of sweet when I needed something sweet. And I really liked it.

@mademoiselle and @Tofu, I find Jeok Bong just annoying, and I'm already really tired of him. The comedy is falling a bit flat, especially because both the comedy and the story seem to be a bit stuck in repeat, and they have to violate their own rules of power and behaviour as @mademoiselle pointed out so well. Rather than the steadily building of tension, it doesn't feel as if there is a lot on the line.

As for Ma Joo Seok, I think we get it. Like So Mun, MJS is an exception, except as a conduit for evil rather than a conduit for good. However, the turning of MJS to the dark side is no longer scary or creepy. It's actually also just annoying. 

I realize that I'm probably doing too much fast forwarding which doesn't help to become vested in the story, but right now, I'm ff-ing Jeok Bong, the evil chick scenes, and Gollum as well. 

I'm not going to drop it as yet since I have a lot of fondness for the team and the world that they've built, but I really wish the story would get better and that JB stops being a total farce.

I finally watched this drama, and binged all through it. Loved SZ and DJX as a couple. Such a sweet story of first loves which turns out to be everlasting love.

I guess First Frost is SY's story then? It would be really nice if the same trio of actors could recreate their roles then, even if SZ and DJX become secondary characters in the new drama.

I'm still lagging this drama by a week because I'm watching on broadcast tv, and it's a week lagged in my area. However, I have to chime in that I really, really dislike KS' father. He's such a leech!

On 8/12/2023 at 8:33 AM, ktcjdrama said:

Then Chairman... saying that KS is a thief? Gosh these people!!! 
 

What???? The chairman accused KS of being a thief?

As for the MIL, does she really expect KS to stay single and in her household for the rest of his life? I get it that she doesn't know the full story of how KS stepped up as JD's father despite still being a bachelor and not JD's bio dad. Her daughter was rather selfish in disappearing the way she did and leaving KS to manage it all.

5 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

I’ve been wondering if you’re still watching 😄 but I have to say this weekend drama is quite different from the usual ones, though they do have some of the mandatory tropes. 

How do you think it's different?

I was thinking that it was a bit more makjang than the weekend dramas have been recently.

I'm not sure how I like the KJH being Grandmother's long lost grandson trope. The nun comes across as a scammer, but who knows where it will go.

I'm glad to see the YD and TK finally accepted and acknowledged by both of their families. I guess still to be resolved are:

- HN's custody

- KJH and sister being the long lost grandchildren of the grandmother

- SJ's twisted ambition and relationship with her father

Regardless of how SJ's family's circumstances changed due to TK's family, it feels odd for SJ to be so determined to become a member of that family, and now want to destroy that family since she finally understands that she won't become a part of it. To be honest, this story line feels tired and stupid.

It was fun to watch both KJH and SJ being ejected from the building by security guards.

1 hour ago, abs-oluteM said:

In the latter, they did do PHJ's character dirty. His scenes were non-existent. Though I didn't fall for SKJ's character then, it was also in this show that I started noticing him and Lee Sung Kyung. And have been their fan ever since. 

I agree. To be honest, CITT was such a mess that I really didn't enjoy watching the second half of it all. And all those moody shots fo SKJ being moody. It really turned me off his character, and I never became a fan of his. I did really appreciate Lee Sung Kyung, however, and have been enjoying her dramas when I do watch them, though her selection process is sometimes suspect.

1 hour ago, abs-oluteM said:

@ktcjdrama  I will never forget the crazy shipping war on TKL. The first time we had to lock a thread ! 

The shipping wars made me decide not to watch this drama!

1 hour ago, abs-oluteM said:

 A Poem of Day.

Oooh, I had forgotten about the love triangle in this drama. I was Dr. Ye all the way. While I felt for the SML, he was quite immature, though the actor was so good. Too bad about Joseon Exorcist. Anyway, APAD was a lovely drama.

@ktcjdrama and @abs-oluteM, I think you may both be overthinking the Feng Tang/Xiao Nai question!

Also, while it is true that they are both handsome, I think most leading men are played by handsome men?

@ktcjdrama, impressive! However, your answer for #3 is a bit off. It's true that Kim Jae Wook's character in 'The Guest' is named Choi Yoon, however, his cameo in 'God's Quiz: Reboot' is as a manifestation of the AI Joo Won. The question asks for the character in the cameo to be the same character as in the drama, both played by the same actor.

57 minutes ago, SilverMoonTea said:

I'm afraid I will ruined this show 

Not possible! Tell us what the friends do next!

1 hour ago, SilverMoonTea said:

Reply 1988 (tbh idk who's the ML, I felt RJY is) 

LOL. I guess I always thought that Choi Taek was the male lead of Reply 1988 so assumed that he would get the girl. I think the DS and JH did have chemistry, especially given that the actors dated in RL, however, I would have been disappointed if CT and DS weren't together at the end. Especially because the older CT that we see being interviewed never seemed like JH to me.

1 hour ago, SilverMoonTea said:

SML rule :

My Roommate is A Gumiho, Go Back (it's weird because he's ML in Gumiho but I didn't like him there), Extraordinary You ( I admitted the SML is toxic, but the scene where he appear to announce she's the only woman for him is giving a very strong impression, and love the BGM song too)

Ooh, good ones! I agree with you that I liked Jang Ki Yong a lot in Go Back Couple, but I didn't finish My Roommate is a Gumiho even. And, Extraordinary You started my obsession with Lee Jae Wook.

Random Drama Quiz

Yes, it's quiz time!  We haven't had one in awhile, but thought it would be fun to do one as part of our 3rd Anniversary Celebrations. There is no overarching theme this time. And, you don't have to comb through the forums. It's a straight up quiz, answer as many as you can. There are 9 questions in total, though a number of them do have bonus points. For numbers 4 and 8, you have to tell me in your answers that you named them without looking them up in order to get the extra points.

Each question is worth 10 points regardless of how many parts there are. Extra points are indicated in the questions. Answer key will be released on August 22 and points will be awarded then as well.

Please put your answers in spoilers! If your answers aren't in spoilers, your whole post will be removed!

1. Name a drama where the characters Jan Di and Jun Pyo are a couple (or potentially a couple). Additional 20 points for naming a 2nd drama.

2. What do Feng Teng and Xiao Nai have in common?

3. Name the actor who played the character Choi Yoon, and the drama that he was in. Additional 20 points for naming the drama where the character cameo-ed (played by the same actor as in the drama).

4. Name 3 zombie dramas released in the past 3 years. Additional 10 pts if you were able to do it without looking them up.

5. What was Yoon Sae Bom and Jung Yi Hyun’s “wedding” picture?

6. What types of games do spades, clubs, diamonds, and hearts represent in the parallel world? Name the drama that depicts this world.

7. Name a romance which started as a one sided crush during school years, only for the OTP to later become a married couple. Additional 20 pts if you can name a kdrama, cdrama, and j-dorama with this theme.

8. Name 3 time slip dramas released in the past 3 years. Additional 10 pts if you were able to do it without looking them up.

9. Who are the triumvirate of Mountain God of Baekdudagan, Western Mountain God, and Northern Mountain God, and which drama are they together in?

Watching the clips of Suga's final D-Day Encore concerts, and wishing so hard that I could have been there. Oh well.

I wonder where V was? V's parents attended the first day of the concert, but didn't see V anywhere? There were a couple of "sightings", but they were mistaking Taeyang for V.

Otherwise, it was fantastic to see j-hope and Jin show up for the final day, especially with RM on stage with Suga, and the Hyung Line were all together again!

And, then the inevitable. Suga is going for his enlistment service. I know that there was a lot of talk about whether Suga would be a public service worker instead of active military, but I think we'll have to wait word of that once he reports to his basic training camp.

Can't wait until 2025! Borahae!

@mademoiselle, I don't remember season 1 being as scary as season 2. I totally know what you mean about Gollum, even though I didn't think of it until you mentioned it!

I feel as if I'm lacking appreciation of Sam Shik on this thread?

10 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

Me too... narratively, it makes more sense. There were scenes in earlier episodes where after the mention of Strawberry, the scene then cut to YD's mother. The new female character introduced could also be a crazy lover/wife of JH, hopefully who will bring his credibility way down as a father to win the custody....? 

JH already had a crazy lover in Secretary Jang, the same one who keeps wanting to break up YD and TK, thinking that she could still become TK's wife somehow. Another crazy ex would be even m ore nuts!

Speaking of SJ, how mean and delusional is she? It was good that she finally got that neither TK's grandmother or his mother thought of her as a suitable DIL at all. The whole family including the prospective groom are against her being a suitable partner, so she is the only one who still thinks she has a shot. Heck, she didn't have a shot when the grandmother and the mother were supporting her since the groom didn't want her, but she still persists. I actually dislike how stupid they've made her for the sake of having her be a villain in this story.

12 hours ago, ktcjdrama said:

Anyway, the show is bringing in a new female character, who could be his mother. Seems like another gold-digger, whom I hope is not the missing “Strawberry” 😱 Maybe this person will play a role in JH relinquishing his parental right. The writer seems to have a way to redeem someone very easily, eg.what happened with In Ok... Too fast too simple? But kinda believable too 🤷🏻‍♀️

I'm still hoping that YD's mother is "Strawberry".