liddi

Congratulations to Revenant for being nominated for Best Drama and Best Screenplay (Kim Eun Hee) in the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards! Am rooting for them to win! There is outcry that Kim Taeri was snubbed in the Best Actress category. I have not watched any of the dramas the other nominees are in, so I cannot comment, save to say that she gave a stellar, award-worthy performance here, and is well deserving of any accolades given.

At long last, this drama is finally available to international audiences on Netflix! While I don't believe it managed to upstage the original, it admirably held its own to the end, incorporating local elements that makes it relatable to its domestic audience. Seems like a rewatch is in order. Now to find the time...

Congratulations to Kim Tae Ri for winning Daesang at 2023 SBS Drama Awards for her role in Revenant! An accolade that is very well deserved! Winners Of The 2023 SBS Drama Awards TV/FILM Dec 30, 2023 by S. Nam SBS has celebrated the top dramas and actors of 2023! On December 29, the 2023 SBS Drama Awards took place to honor the network’s dramas from the past year. This year’s Daesang (Grand Prize) went to two winners—Lee Je Hoon for his performance in “Taxi Driver 2” and Kim Tae Ri for her performance in “Revenant.” Check out the full list of winners: Daesang (Grand Prize): Lee Je Hoon (“Taxi Driver 2”), Kim Tae Ri (“Revenant”) : cr. Soompi

Q12. Who was your favourite character? Lost You Forever S1's Xiang Liu, hands down. He frustrates me, I am convinced he got dropped on all 9 heads as a baby serpent because of the noble idiocy (with a capital "I") with which he makes his choices, but I loved him way back in the novel, and I love him still in the very capable hands of TJC. And now I am preparing for even more pain as far as he is concerned in S2.

Acks - late again. Q10. What is a trope that should be banned? Just one? So hard pressed to choose! Apart from the usual suspects of scheming side characters trying to tear apart the OTP and amnesiac lead characters strung around by previously mentioned scheming side characters, another trope I am really tired of is the leads having some far-flung link back in their childhood, so that we can chalk their love up to fate, written in the stars since the beginning of time, or at least since their birth. Q11. Who was the best villain? Hmm... I won't quite describe it as "best". Although the diabolical, vengeful yet pitiful Hyang-I from Revenant is an obvious choice, I think for the terrible things she wrought across generations, the worst is still Na Byung-hee, who sacrificed her husband and her own son and grandson just to satisfy her insatiable lust for wealth and power. She may have been human, but she was anything but.

Oh I've missed two questions! 8. A drama you wished you didn't watch Hmm... I haven't watched anything that made me want to poke my eyes out yet. I didn't love LMLMV as much as I expected, but I do plan to revisit it when the scenes I am waiting for do show up, so that doesn't count. So I guess my inability to answer probably is a good thing..... 9. A doomed romance that you were shipping anyway This is a tricky question... because the drama with the couple I love most has not finished airing yet. Setting them aside, I guess I have no viable answers for this question either. The bane of watching only a handful of dramas this year. Gah.

Q7 - What drama has the best family / squad? It's the time for all the "Journey"s to shine! A Journey to Love - the squad from Six Path Hall are hilarious, loyal to the hilt, extremely innovative, the best wingmen ever. My Journey to You - apart from Gong Shang Jue and Gong Yuan Zhi, the Gong men certainly did not start off with much of a united front, but the familial ties that were revealed and the loyalty and fealty that was earned over the course of the drama is definitely the highlight for me. Hononary mention: Revenant - I am not sure if the trio can be considered a squad, but the moving bond and trust that grew from three lonely souls is worth the price of admission alone.

Q6 - Who is the best Appa and/or Omma? Oh dear... this is literally slim pickings from the crop of 2023 dramas I watched, when most parents/grandparents/parent figures are either downright evil (looking at you, Na Byunghee aka Yeom Haesang's grandmother in Revenant!), nasty (Xue Yuan aka Xie Wei's father in Story of Kunning Palace) or just plain useless (that would be Gu Sanyeong's mother, who needed to be mothered rather than mother her daughter, again from Revenant). If I really had to pick someone, I guess Jiang Xuening's father from Story of Kunning Palace is a viable candidate. He is supportive, tries to bridge the gulf between his wife and daughter, and comforts her as much as he can. I love too how he is protective and proud of her, even when others despise her as a country bumpkin. The other parent who gave her all to protect her son is Yeom Haesang's mother, even though she was against insurmountable odds, and would lose her life in the process. Such a sad list.......

@IpohBanana Yes, I know people who love it and those who are not as enamoured about LMLMV. I love TJC - he is pretty much an all-rounder which is such a rare occurrence in the industry these days, and his work ethic truly impresses me, but I just can't get into this particular drama. It may possibly be due to the fact that I have very little patience for cavity-inducing dramas and perpetually starstruck female leads with male leads who are too unrealistically good in everything, which invariably ends up with me rolling my eyes to the back of my head. I will revisit the drama again at some later stage, when his Gu Yun-esque persona makes his appearance, and we'll see if I manage to overcome my knee jerk aversion to such dramas then. Fingers crossed.

Q5 - What drama did not meet expectations? Um..... I'm not so sure whether this has to do with meeting expectations, or the drama genre itself. It feels unfair since the drama has not finished airing yet, but I really wanted to love Love Me Love My Voice because it has Tan Jianci, voice acting and cooking, plus there is a segment where the characters are in historical garb, but I did not even manage to continue past Ep1. While the drama itself has beautiful soundtracks, overly saccharine sweet dramas were never my cup of tea, and it seems not even Tan Jianci and his gorgeous voice could overcome my aversion for this genre. For the moment, I have not felt the inclination to watch, so am just waiting for the historical segment to be broadcast before I jump in again, and hopefully be able to stay on after that.

Q4 - Favourite relationship in a drama? Lost You Forever S1 - Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao. Love their every interaction, both in the drama and in the novel, though it is fraught with pain, and promises to be even more heartbreaking in S2. My Journey to You - Gong Shang Jue and Gong Yuan Zhi are the epitome of sibling love that I hope to see among my own children, and brought me to tears more than once. Revenant - the dynamics between Gu Sanyeong, Yeom Haesang and Lee Hongsae is arguably the best thing in the drama. I love how their distrust evolved into a bond where there is utmost trust, going to all lengths for each other. And the budding relationship between Sanyeong and Hongsae is so precious, especially as she slowly prepares herself for an impending life of darkness.

Q3 - A drama I wish I'd watched sooner? Hmm... nothing from this year comes to mind. 2022 Cdrama Under the Skin is probably it for me. I caught snippets of it when it was airing back in 2022, but only properly sat down to watch it this year, and wish I had done so when the thread was still active. Although the last case felt a bit of a let down, I still loved the overall drama so much that I rewatched it again soon after I finished it the first time. Am so thrilled that S2 is confirmed, and will start filming in Apr 2024, sans all the previously rumoured changes that would have ruined the drama for me. cr. Dramawiki

Q2 - A drama I watched and enjoyed without any recommendations? Does this also preclude any drama I already determined I would watch due to the scriptwriter or original author? If so, it would be every drama I mentioned for Q1 except Revenant and Lost You Forever S1 ....

Thank you for the shoutout @Tofu! Drama that brought me joy? That's a tough one. My viewing fare was abysmally low this year, and most of it broke my heart rather than gave me laughter, but I am just going to answer based on dramas that I truly enjoyed, even if there is little joy in the actual content itself. Anyway: Revenant KEH is back in perfect form, and of course, had to just broadcast the drama on yet another platform, which meant signing up on Disney+ Hotstar for it! Breathtaking tapestry of characters, lore and mystery backed by excellent ensemble performances, mesmerising cinematography, on-point soundtrack and excellent direction. I love too that there is no irrelevant character, but each and every one of them provides an integral piece to the puzzle. And the epilogue... I still can't think of the epilogue without tearing up. Lost You Forever S1 The drama which I am still unable to move on from. The novel and the drama broke my heart, but there is no closure for me yet because S2 has not aired, though I already have pretty much a good idea what will unfold assuming the leaked script remains unchanged. Excellent performances all round with amazing soundtrack that remains on repeat on my playlist, though as a novel fan first, I am not particularly happy with how certain scenes are adapted, nuances omitted or changed. Nevertheless, the drama opened my eyes to the cast, and I know I will be following most of their works going forward. My Journey to You I am a little on the fence with this one. I truly enjoyed the mystery and the measured, deliberate way details are revealed, but was extremely put off by the last few episodes which dragged on unnecessarily with ludicrous results. It is also ironic that while there are two couples vying for my attention, ultimately I am truly invested only in the sibling bond between the two brothers. Story of Kunning Palace I was not expecting to enjoy this one, since I am not a fan of Bai Lu and was not impressed with Zhang Linghe's performance in My Journey to You. Nonetheless, it truly was an enjoyable viewing fare that kept me glued to the seat for the most part, and Zhang Linghe delivered his breakout performance here as Xie Wei. A Journey to Love It is actually too early to talk about this drama, but I really enjoyed what I have seen so far. Great ensemble performances, particularly from Liu Shishi who is truly awesome here. The storyline is tight, with a good balance of comic relief and tension, though I am already anticipating angst from a well-loved character based on previews. Fingers crossed it remains strong to the end.

@IpohBanana Thank you very much for your kind words. With grown children myself, I am definitely not young. In some ways yes, it is good to have a life partner that complements your personality. However, for me, in the long run, two people who are similar in terms of core values, interests, life views have a better chance of making a relationship work than those who are not. As time goes by and the first flushes of romance have worn thin, the differences either grate even more, or get smoothed out, which means that at least one person has to compromise or change. Just my point of view. In any case, I don't think any of the three men loved her any less. And based on the novel, neither Xiao Yao nor Jing would have survived and been able to be together in the end if not for Xiang Liu's selfless love and sacrifices. So Tan Jianci described it best when he said ultimately Xiang Liu 相互成全 - he fulfilled her wishes to have the ability to protect herself, have lifelong companionship (by saving Jing and ensuring he could return to her) and a place to go to (the vast ocean and the countless unnamed islands outside of Cang Xuan's jurisdiction); and he too fulfilled his own destiny - loyal to his foster father and his comrades to the end, ensuring they will be interred in the homeland they longed for but could not return to in life. The winged fox demon Sir Bi described Xiang Liu's heart to be clear and incorruptible, not swayed by enchantment, power, wealth or glory. As such, it is doubly hard for those who love Xiang Liu, knowing the fate life had in store for him. Both Yang Zi and Zhang Wanyi alluded to changes in S2. Based on the leaked script (no idea if it is the finalised version though), there are substantial changes in S2, which I balk at since it takes away from the underpinning narrative of the novel. Some of the changes are as follows: In any case, I really hope this script is not the finalised version, and that they found a way to iron out glaring inconsistencies and massive plotholes. Fingers crossed.