liddi

Thanks for the shoutout @abs-oluteM. To be honest, I really did not watch a lot of dramas in 2020, so can only base on what little I've seen. Since real life is truly calling with a vengeance, very quickly... 1. Who was an actor/actress you discovered this year that blew you away? Kim Bum, whom I sat up and took notice in Tale of the Nine-Tailed. His nuanced portrayal made Yi Rang far more than just a one-dimensional misguided, hurting character and I ached for him long after the drama was over. 2. Who was the most memorable character you watched this year? Jang Pan Seok from Missing:The Other Side. His is the one character I consistently hurt and rooted desperately for throughout the entire 12 episodes of the drama, willing him to find happiness or closure, yet my heart was still shattered when his long, long journey came to an end. A well-written character which Heo Jun Ho's masterful performance brought to life and seared my heart. 3. What drama did not meet your expectations? Forest of Secrets 2. That's probably unfair because I still have yet to complete it, but I'm basing it on the fact that when other dramas beckoned, it took a backseat and never quite held enough allure for me to revisit. Perhaps I'll give it another go this year. 4. Was there a drama that did not have a big following but you thoroughly enjoyed it? Missing:The Other Side and 平凡的荣耀 Ordinary Glory. Missing:The Other Side seemed to barely register among viewers until much later in its broadcast, but I knew I would watch once I learnt of the premise and Heo Jun Ho's casting. I loved it from the get-go and the drama consistently delivered all the way to the end. Bravo. Ordinary Glory is an excellent adaptation of Misaeng, produced in 2018 but only broadcasted in 2020. It is similar yet different to the source material, well-customised to the local culture and boasted excellent ensemble performances. Perhaps the lack of English subs might have contributed to its lacklustre following among international viewers, but I truly love it, far more than I did the 2016 J-adaptation Hope. 5. Was 2020 a good year in drama land? I don't think I am qualified to answer this since I watched so little. What little I did complete, I mostly enjoyed if not truly loved. I must applaud the actors and production team who are still working tirelessly in extreme circumstances (and hopefully a safe environment) with a pandemic looming over all of us. For that alone, I believe their dedication deserves respect.

Power Change Gratitude Family

Had to watch the last two episodes twice. Bawled through the closing scenes of Ep15, and Ep16, especially the scenes of the brothers. Rang riddled with guilt, watching Yeon's video, then his ultimate sacrifice followed by the video he left, still snarky up to that final, broken "Hyung"... the rewatch still evoked the same waterworks from me, proof just how much Rang and Yeon's relationship has defined this drama for me, far more than the romance ever did. So much so that the first time I watched, I actually resented the lovey-dovey scenes that followed Yeon's return, bitter that they were happy when Rang as we know him, was irrevocably lost. Though I had already prepared myself that there was no way Rang would be allowed to get away without any consequences for all the evil he had done over the past 600 years despite the sporadic good he did, his loss still gutted me unbearably. Kudos to Kim Bum who brought Rang's multi-faceted character to life, making me first dread, then involuntarily care for him. Though I wish they were far longer, I am grateful that we have the spinoff episodes which gave us vignettes of Rang and his rag-tag family... much needed for me who miss them. It was a good thing that I watched a 2nd time, which allowed me to appreciate the scenes that followed Yeon's sacrifice and partially set aside my resentment for the romance angle. Jo BoA nailed Ji A's desperation as she continues to haunt Taluipa's doors... and what have me aching for her is the way she covers her ears in a vain effort to ward off her sinking hopelessness. Perfectly delivered. I love too the banter that takes place between Rang and Ji A, when they try to outdo each other in proving Yeon loves them more. Little little scenes like these move me, seeing those left behind making steps to move on from their loss. Yeon's return, with the placing of the azalea on Rang's plaque as a prelude, and later, sitting beside it, missing the brother he lost, broke my heart. Thus knowing Rang is reincarnated into a far more loving family than the one he had originally is a balm of sorts, which allows Yeon to move on... a final kindness on the part of the powers that be for the two brothers who had gone through so much. The plot in itself delivers in some ways, while faltering in others. The twists that lead to the final showdown are well-executed - keeping me in suspense, knowing that it cannot be that easy. Terry Imoogi proved himself to be a formidable opponent who anticipated Yeon and Taluipa's moves, even if he is foiled at last by Yeon's sacrifice and ingenuity. What annoys me though is the ease with which The Governor is attacked and robbed of the magical mirror, which feels quite incongruous for a mountain spirit of such power. Not to mention Imoogi having Yuri standing guard at that final showdown, knowing that she would be easily disarmed by Rang or anyone Yeon brings along with him. While Yeon and Ji A's reunion is sweet, his monologue about being human is totally undone by that ridiculous reveal in the end, which totally negates everything that it has built up to, with no purpose except to deliver one last twist that make no sense at all. Why? Are they so afraid of allowing Yeon to be truly human, which was supposed what he had ever wanted? That being said, I am glad I followed this drama, which gave me one of the best sibling chemistry I've seen, and made me a new fan of Kim Bum. And can I just mention the instrumental soundtrack - lush, evocative, gorgeous - elevating scenes which fail to deliver while perfectly complementing well-done scenes. A heartfelt thank you to composers Hong Dae Sung, Park Seo Hee, So Soo Jung and Hwang Mi Rae who have gifted us with such an unforgettable score, which is now constantly on repeat on my playlist. Am hard pressed to choose among them, but some of my favourite pieces include Yi Yeon and Yi Rang, the poignant Dad's Precious Gift, the epic Awaken, the surprisingly evocative The Island, the ominous The Brothers... the list goes on... all of which evoke familiar scenes in my mind. Brilliant.

Congratulations @-StrongTower-! Well done! And thank you so much to @mademoiselle and @Jane for organising this game! BTW, noticed you highlighted the wrong lie for me - it should be #3 "Steer clear of adaptations - nothing is ever as good as the original!", not #1. Regardless, thank you for a great time!

Real life has been demanding attention these days but hopefully I am still in time. Anyway, submitting my wild guesses (practically stabs in the dark as far as lie detection is concerned!)

@abs-oluteM Thank you for the shoutout. I had been following Kairos avidly but was not able to continue after Ep4 due to real life demanding my attention. So very quickly so that I don't spoil anything for myself, am on board, and will drop by once I am caught up. Hope to join in soon!

100 days? Time has certainly flown! The amazing staff whom I have had the pleasure of interacting with in varying degrees over the past years, are the real reason that I, very much a creature of habit, was initially drawn to join a new forum. The community is smaller (it's early days yet!), navigation is familiar in some ways, unfamiliar in others (Trophies? Medals? Eh?) While I am not very active thus far (real life and certain viewing fare that almost no one else is watching, take responsibility!), the threads I do participate in have been nothing but warm and welcoming, and it is always a joy to visit. If I have one thing I miss, it would be smaller face emojis (I'm old school!), but that's about it! To cap it off, Happy 100th Day, JangHaven, and wishing you many many more 100 days to come! Keep up the good work!

@abs-oluteM Yes! Jo Ha Min was the character I rooted for the most throughout the whole drama, which makes me rail at the ending all the more. There is a lot of similarity between him and Rang in that sense, and I truly hope the scriptwriter does not make the same mistake she did in Children of a Lesser God. OST Part 6 is out!

@stroppyse Oh, the scriptwriter also wrote Children of a Lesser God? Now that you mention it, I am afraid she is going to go down that same route with Rang. Much as I love him, please don't! So yes. I fervently second your hope that this drama will give us a strong finish, even if it has to take a hard route.

@stroppyse We will get through the two weeks somehow, as long as the payoff is worth it in every aspect. Please let the script hold up to the end - that is the glue that binds everything together!

@stroppyse I agree. Much as I love Rang and Yu Ri, the fact remains they have killed, very possibly indiscriminately. Hence, to allow them to get off without reaping the consequences of their actions would be in total conflict with all the rules the drama has set in place. Even Yeon said that should he kill a person, he would be dragged to the Underworld to pay penance for his actions. As such, why would Rang be allowed to avoid paying some form of penance? I just hope he survives the dangers of the here and now, to be able to pay for his actions, and finally be able to live a redeemed life with Yeon. As for the spin-off, we have hope if it is a sequel, unless the narrative is how they met and the years they are together prior to meeting Yeon again. Can't wait for it to air! It is certainly a clever play on the actor's stage name, even if I was annoyed that his introduction to the world is as a bright eyed, bushy-tailed intern! However, at last LTR has done well to project the menace of Imoogi (the induced mass suicides were chilling to watch) in these two episodes, for which I am finally able to forgive and forget the orange lipstick travesty of before. I wonder too what powers Ji A's Imoogi have apart from possessing body after body, and what kind of havoc she would wreak on the world? I do agree that it would be almost too much to have even the boy being someone more than what he seems. It just raised a red flag when he seems to have discernment beyond the norm. Whatever it is, let's hope it will be well explained, and not simply introducing yet another mythical character of the week just for the sake of it. I don't remember seeing how Terry's servant was used as a living person in the attempt to defeat him. I am hard pressed to think that Yeon would have risked killing him, however much he is tempted to. Why do we have to wait two weeks to find out? Argh!

At last the drama manages to pull the rug from under my feet with the cliffhanger revelation, which was already being hinted at during Ji A's colleagues' research into the lore of the Imoogi (and I should have guessed when Jo Bo A mentioned it in the photo with the cast together). Well done, script! It had felt a little premature that Yeon and crew would be able to trap Imoogi so easily with 4 more episodes to go, but I didn't expect it to go down this route. My question is how the Imoogi within Ji A had managed to remain dormant, if indeed it can only be asleep and not be killed, especially since she was only reincarnated now after 600 years. Terry (I'm glad for this name for once!) once told the human servant that Ji A is his bride. However, seeing the Imoogi that wreaked havoc in the past was dormant within Ji A all along, how does that work? Was Terry lying to his servant, or is the Imoogi within Ji A female? Come to think of it, Taluipa's son killed himself after she killed his possessed wife. Could those two have transformed into Imoogi, biding their time to return into the world once more? Am I overthinking it? Gah! Taluipa is definitely keeping her cards close to her chest with perhaps good reason, but her frustrating refusal to tell Yeon anything has brought about this latest disaster, one she might have been able to avert had she been more upfront. I can't wait to see how the confrontation between her and Yeon plays out. The preview seems to hint that she modified the list of the dead. Did she add Ji A to the list before her time to curb the Imoogi with her? Why are there no episodes next week? Love the flashbacks of Rang and Yu Ri during the early days of their encounter, which juxtaposes poetically against the moment she attacks him using the very same moves that he taught her. While I love the special bond between them, the moment Yu Ri gets into the car with her bloodied hands is a stark reminder of their vicious, brutal pasts, too easily forgotten because the script does so well in making us care and empathise with them. That being said, I still hope Rang survives, though unless the preview is misleading, Yu Ri will not, and her essence will tragically be what finally saves Rang from death. We still do not know what devious subliminal suggestions Terry has planted into Shin Ju and the Snail Bride. Can I say though that Shin Ju gives Superman a run for his money, being able to arrive right at the top of the building within split seconds of spotting them all the way below. And before I forget, the little boy appears to have great perception of the true identities of Yeon and Rang. Is he really just the reincarnation of Rang's puppy, or is he someone far more? I cannot help but feel that Ji A's family reunion is anti-climatic. After waiting so long for it to happen, it just feels flat despite all the cute lines and meeting with the potential son-in-law. Are they real? Or are they yet another trojan horse planted to bring Ji A one step closer? We'll see, hopefully week after next?

2 snakes and 4 foxes? Awww! But wait! Are the foxes lulled into a false sense of security here? cr. muchadoboutlove twitter

@mademoiselle Just sent to you. Hope it meets the brief!

More BTS of Rang. It's hilarious how both LDW and Kim Bum end up bending their respective weapons out of shape while being attacked by zombies in the Forest of the Starved!

The highlight of this week's episodes has to be Ep9. At last the long-awaited reconciliation and healing between the two brothers, which has me moved to tears and grinning from ear to ear at the same time. LDW and KB totally nailed the scenes they are in, and I am so so glad that they finally sorted out the misunderstandings that had festered between them all this while. Of course, all this would be way too easy, but now we know Rang is dying, and beholden to the caretaker to bring Yeon to Imoogi with seemingly no way out of the deal except death. Still, the cryptic words Taluipa's husband said seems to indicate a loophole, and I hope that whatever violent confrontation we see in the preview is Rang's ploy to fulfil his debt while keeping Yeon safe. Fingers crossed. Good to see Ji A continuing to be resourceful while trapped within the idyllic dream-like state, finally reunited with the parents she waited so long for. The parting moment with her parents had me tearing up with them, and I hope that somehow, one day they will be reunited for real. Nonetheless, things do not look promising with the caretaker showing her items from her parents, indicating that they are somehow trapped by Imoogi, if not already killed. I cannot help but wish that these are just lies on their part, and the fireflies that were a part of Ji A's childhood would somehow a manifestation of her parents after all. Can I just say how much I love Shin Ju, and the lengths he would go to, did go to for Yeon. Poor fellow, fated to ferry the dead to the Underworld, not realising he would still suffer seasickness after he is dead. Glad for him that his Russian fox finds him irresistible too now! Far more than the romance, the bromances in this drama just keeps me coming back for more and I hope that it won't break our hearts in the end. After all the unnecessary separation when Ji A saw her past life, it is just as conveniently swept aside by her conclusion that something extreme must have happened to have forced Yeon to turn his hand on A Eum. Still annoyed that the angst and noble idiocy happened in the first place, but good that we've moved on, though now with the choice of her parents vs Yeon, are we due for yet another bout of eye-rolling angst again? Now to my main peeve. Terry the Intern. Really? Really? The almighty Imoogi decides to make his entrance in the world as a wide-eyed, Ivy League intern just to get near to Ji A, whose mind he couldn't read? Utterly, utterly incongruous and this could very well top the orange lipstick in ridiculousness as far as this character is concerned. I still am nowhere convinced by Imoogi nor the threat he presents, and cannot help but think that he is utterly miscast, and the character poorly written thus far. Please improve. How soon to Wednesday again?

The instrumental soundtrack is out! Just listening to certain pieces, especially Flower Rain makes my heart ache all over again... truly miss this universe and its characters...

OST 4 is released, which also includes some of the gorgeous instrumental soundtracks! The animation opening theme: The poignant track when Yeon and A Eum parts for good:

@OsmanthusTea I know! The lipstick just totally shattered any hopes I had that he would terrify me. If anything, all that took place on the island (and with the ghostly children) frightened me far more than actual Imoogi sightings, which seems to defeat its purpose. Heck, even Taluipa has far more formidable presence than the snake. Still, I hope that in upcoming episodes, we will see Imoogi exude the terrifying presence that should come with such a powerful, evil being, and that this is not a miscast. Right now the lore seems a little patchy... with random creatures/details thrown in every now and again, that I am left with more questions and confusion than ever. Fingers crossed the script will tie them all together cohesively in the end.

Finally caught up with last week's episodes (thanks for the shoutout @abs-oluteM). More and more of the past is being revealed, most of which makes me ache so much while confused at others. Hands down, the fractured relationship between Rang and Yeon in the backstory and the current timeline is the one I root for most, more than the romance. Rang finding the reincarnation of his puppy again in the precocious little boy was such a boon, his gruff exterior being slowly chipped away by the chirpy boy, appalled that emotions he disdained and thought were dead in him are still very much alive. Seeing Rang's tortured childhood whose own mother tried to kill him even in the womb and hoped that the villagers would do what she could not is heartbreaking, which makes his time with Yeon on the mountains so much more precious and poignant. There is no doubt he still loves his older brother desperately despite his bitterness towards what he deems as abandonment and betrayal, and I hurt with him so much when Yeon told him brutally that he should not have saved him in the Forest of the Starved to begin with. Despite all the evil that Rang has done, I cannot bring myself to hate him, rather I keep hoping upon hope that the two brothers will be reconciled, though I don't think Rang would be able to absolve himself from the consequences of all that he has set in motion. Hence, that last scene when he was sure Yeon would not come for him, only to see him charging to his rescue was so cathartic, and I begin to see hope that that reconciliation will happen, perhaps sooner than I expected. I do not know yet why Yeon chose to save Rang over Ji A. It is a gamble he took which makes me wonder if he believes Imoogi would not truly allow Ji A to come to harm, especially if a part of him is still in her even now. Does he know that the Imoogi considers her his bride? What does that truly mean? Questions questions. Based on what little has been seen, the mark of the Imoogi on A Eum and consequently Ji A is explained, an act of love to save her possessed royal father who had given his own body to save her from her fate as a sacrifice to the Imoogi years prior. We know that she made a deal with the Imoogi, allowing him to possess her so that she could lure him away from the palace to the mountains where she hoped Yeon would be able to destroy it, though that plan somehow backfired and she ended up dying after all. Her childhood hypnosis session reinforces the theory that Imoogi has been lying dormant within her all this time, suppressed by the protection of the fox bead. Still, I presume she must have displayed unusual behaviour, for her mother to have resorted to hypnosis to try and identify her past life. I too wonder why her parents visited the island while she was still in the womb. She was not yet born, so that could not have been any sign of a past life in the child yet, hence why did they go there? Did Imoogi also send dreams to her mother? Yet I thought he had not been able to detect her all this while due to the fox bead? Then again, his human servant had already approached the Moon Bear just prior to her parents' car crash, which means they already know where she was. Unless the fox bead merely stopped Imoogi from totally possessing her. Which brings me to another question. If A Eum was meant to be sacrificed to Imoogi originally, why did he not stop with the possession, but instead still used her to find Yeon, and in doing so, destroyed the bride that he had waited to claim? I like how we are introduced to more and more of Korean folklore. The confrontation between Snail Bride proprietress and the woman who peddled one's greatest fears seem to indicate that the death of her husband as per the folklore, is being attributed to this woman's machinations. Wonder if Team Leader Choi would end up being the reincarnation of the snail bride's husband after all? Would that be too convenient? We also learn that Taluipa's son committed suicide years ago, a point which does not seem to be just randomly introduced. Was his death caused by Imoogi as well, or is it just to drive home the fact that those who commit suicide have no hope of reincarnation? In which case, is that an ominous portent for Yeon or Ji A? We know that Yeon hopes to be reborn as a human in his next life, which makes me think that perhaps this is a foreshadowing of his unfulfilled dream. Am rather disappointed in the reveal of the adult Imoogi after his transformation. Perhaps it is all the hype of this ancient evil leading up to that moment, but his presence fails to evoke the necessary menace and dread that I have come to expect. Still, it is a mere few scenes so far, so hopefully this impression would improve as the story unfolds. Looking forward to this week's episodes!

I'll bite though it will be a boring read! Not even sure what to say!

@stroppyse I would really be concerned for said human who undid his 1000 year efforts due to poor discernment! However. as you mentioned, imoogi in Korean mythology are serpent-like, thus differentiating them from the Chinese 螭 chī, which is a hornless dragon with feet. As such, hopefully the petulant lizard backstory will not be used here. @abs-oluteM If the child is possessed by the Imoogi, it would mean that there is a human child to begin with. However, the island comprised only of older folk and no newborns, so I can't see how that would work out. Not to mention his unnatural growth and intelligence. I am not quite convinced that A Eum was the daughter of the Imoogi... more likely a piece of its soul (ya ya... Harry Potter'ish) lodged itself in A Eum when she died, its way of ensuring its resurrection in the future, when her blood finally awakens it and restores its power? We've heard repeatedly that Ji A is special, and this could be the reason. As for the child's compassion towards the bird... it could also be that he was the one who compelled the bird to throw itself against the wall of the house, then restored it back to life to assert his power over life and death. Dunno. Just throwing wild guesses here. Apart from the much anticipated Lee Kyu Hyung cameo, can I just say that my favourite takeaway from Ep6 is what we already know anyway, but reinforced yet again - that Yeon is the most precious to Rang. The drama is just pulling out all the stops to make us root more and more for these two estranged siblings.

@abs-oluteM Thank you for sharing! Real life is getting demanding again so can't really participate as much as I would have liked. Very interesting theories about Ji A and Imoogi, and potentially the human servant as the real mastermind. In Chinese mythology, 螭 refers to a hornless dragon, one of the nine sons of the dragon. Most likely Korea has its equivalent. However, I must say it feels a little anti-climatic if Imoogi turns out to be a petty lizard who threw a 600 year old tantrum because after its meditation efforts, it still failed to become a dragon but ended up on its belly instead!

Ep5 brings back all the reasons I fell in love with this drama in the first place after last week, and I cannot be more thrilled. The expected budding romance between the couple in present day is interspaced with painful themes of child abuse, animal abuse and the trauma it leaves. As more of Rang's backstory is shown, we cannot help but empathise with him all the more, and understand why he went down that dark dark path. The child abuse arc, while lightly touched, hits a raw nerve and reminds us once again how those who are trusted to care for one's children, may very well be the wolves in sheep's clothing who prey upon them instead. The animal abuse angle was really disturbing to watch, and seeing the perpetrators made to pay by Rang and Yu Ri was incredibly cathartic. While now embarking on the requisite sweet moments between Yeon and Ji A, I love that it retains the charm that drew me to them in the first place. Ji A remains feisty - accepting (surprisingly easily) that she is A Eum's reincarnation, yet refusing to live as an echo of her past life in Yeon's eyes. The flashbacks to their past are beautifully executed, and the revealing of who she was in the past as well as inklings of the role Imoogi played in that timeline gives us an idea why the fateful showdown came about. However, the scene that moves me the most is the appearance of the two fireflies in Ji A's life in the past, and now, courtesy of Yeon. For a moment, I thought that those were the incarnation of her parents, somehow missing from the Living Realm and the Afterlife. Currently, there is nothing to support that fact, but I cannot help but wonder (and hope) if it would be revealed to be thus after all, and that the parents she has been looking for all this time, were by her side all this while through her darkest moments. Meanwhile the present identity of Imoogi's human servant comes to light, and his proximity to Ji A is ominous. There is no doubt he knows who Ji A is, and I cannot help but wonder if he knew all along who she was, way before Yeon figured it out. If he did, how? We also get a first glimpse of the child that Imoogi now has become within such a short time, which leads me to believe that we will probably see him as a full grown adult before long. On an unrelated note, I am inordinately pleased to see familiar faces from dramas that I love here - villains Mgr Wang and conman Hwang Doo Chul from Missing:The Other Side here as the uncle and father of the ghost sisters; as well as young crown prince Yi Chang from Kingdom as the child Imoogi. Not to mention Lee Kyu Hyung will cameo tonight! Yes! In short, this week has gotten off to a great start for this viewer, and I can't wait to continue. Ep6 come quickly!

I find it creepier than Ep3.