Rants and Weekly Raves #114 (RAWR)

JoAnne: Lots and lots of new stuff this week!
kakashi: I'm so glad I'm not watching it. I'm so damn busy. The time before Christmas could be so nice but it never is.

Korea

The Man In Our House

Bye, Kim Ji-hoon. Oh well, I'm glad you're no longer on this sinking (rating) ship and get your own little (? not sure how many episodes, maybe many, many, many) KBS show, which, on top of everything, will be educational. You don't know how happy I am. 
It's sad, but timing is very often the difference between a show doing alright and a show tanking. This isn't great TV, certainly, but it's got a sweet little love story at its heart and right now that's just what the doctor ordered. The story around it - gambling fathers who abandon families, unnamed orphans, loan sharks, conniving cheaters - that's usually the stuff of melodrama but here it's given a lighter touch. I think that will make the inevitable clash doubly weird, but I can go with it because Na Ri and Nan Gil are refreshing.

1% of Something

Well, we knew we were going to reach this point in the story, where Teach decides she's had enough of being seen next to ugly couture. So she dumps Jae-in for his cousin, who is quick to point out that beige isn't ALWAYS boring, and is willing to let her pick the tie...
The color is one thing but add the headache inducing patterns to it and I'm surprised she made it that long. Must be deeep and twu wuv. 
Trotwood: Shuk is just in denial that ep 14 happened. I am in denial that it happened, and I haven't even watched it yet. I will focus on ep 13 and will watch ALL of the rest of the show (it's only 16 eps, correct?) all together while trying to digest the huge amount of pie I plan to eat on Thanksgiving day, which we'll be celebrating on Thursday in the States. I do want to remark that I'm glad that our teacher had another confrontation with evil Joo Hui, who still doesn't seem to get it. I don't like that she's forgiven her (but I'm not a forgiving person), but I'm glad she said she wouldn't forget. I also love that our lawyer friend warns her that they have recordings and that Jae-in will never forget. Her only function in this show was to bring Jae-in and Teacher together, but they didn't need her help.
These poor babies were so SAD this week. I do like that this is another drama that holds back on its melo tendencies and spends most of its time on happier things. I can easily deal with an episode of sad since I am quite certain happy is almost back.

Legend of the Blue Sea (new)

I keep forgetting about this. Maybe I'll try it on the weekend. 
Okay, I first wrote something quite mean here - it contained a hint about acting lessons and a rant about lazy, effect-grabbing script writing - , but I deleted it. I am watching this with my kid and she is hugely entertained by Jun Ji-hyun's antics (and I am too), so let's just say this it is often really funny and obviously exactly right for 7.5 year old girls.  
I liked the second episode a lot. I don't know if I would watch this all the way through, but it's charming for now.
Jun Ji Hyun is a charmer for sure, and quite funny: the beautiful comedienne is role I generally enjoy. Lee Min Ho is much the same to me, though generally not as good as she is at conveying more subtle emotion, certainly. Still, he has nice chemistry with her, and I also like his go-to character in adult roles: charming, good heart, but wrong side of the law. Since they both gravitate toward these stock roles, I find it odd that she receives praise and he does not, but only in passing - I don't actually care all that much. He's no wolf for me and never will be. Still: this show has beautiful scenery, what I think might become an engaging love story, and humor to spare with its literal fish out of water premise. I happily anticipate next week's episodes.

Weight Lifting Fairy (new)

The whole thing put me off from the beginning so nope, not interested.
I'm interested, but only reading recaps. I like the main girl, but not interested in the weight lifter gymnast rivalry but more interested in a regular sports story laced with college love hijinks. In waiting and seeing mode.
I didn't pay much attention to the teasers so I don't know how the story is supposed to be, but so far I'm engaged - like Trot, I don't care too much about the rivalry (unless they DO something with it, like show why women shouldn't pit themselves against each other simply because of looks/ stereotypes) - but I do like stories about young people figuring themselves out. I was excited about the actors that I knew about - Thighs, Big, and Lee Si Kyung - but there are easily a half dozen or more in addition to them that I'm always very happy to see, too. I like our heroine - she's forthright and kind, works hard, is loved by her friends and family, but certainly is no Candy. And our hero, too, is a nice (but snarky) guy - and of course, has some kind of complex. Is it tied to his absent mother or to something else? I guess we'll find out.

Oh My Geum Bi (new) 

I started watching. The little girl is too cute. I don't know how long this will last for me, though.
She is adorable, isn't she?  I'm giving this a shot but I expect tears.  My roster right now is very heavy on the NOT-heavy, because I'm recovering from my wolf, so this will be my one teary drama.  I'm hopeful that it holds off until I'm ready to deal, though.

Entourage

This tanked.
I just can't imagine how they thought it would go over well in Korea. It's tame in comparison to the original but still, SO not Korean TV material. Perhaps they assumed in a world that voted for Brexit and Trump, the ahjummas were ready for this.  Guess not.

Father, I'll Take Care of You (new)

This doesn't appear to be available at any of the places I watch things. Shame, I was looking forward to the Giant Puppy.
It's on Viki.
There's a page for it, but no episodes. They do not have the license.

Not Korea

When a Snail Falls in Love

This is the best thing I'm watching right now. Love these guys from Daylight Entertainment. It's the care they take with everything. Script, acting, directing, sound, cinematography. I'm guessing they all rate high on the OCD scale, but that's exactly what is needed for good TV, it seems.
And of course there is this. We love the Husband!
This is excellent TV, it's true.  I love how they actually DEVELOP the story and let relationships unfold.
But it's more than just that. I've grown to really like this team and how they are working together. I'd like to work with them and not just because they are a good looking bunch,but because of the care and respect they have for each other and the graciousness they exhibit towards each other's skills and weaknesses. This is a place where people can grow. they should be doing professional development training for others.
It's an interesting development in the neighborhood of the 'buddy-cop' genre - because it's NOT that other than in brief moments, but spends a lot of time on the 'brotherhood (and now sisterhood) aspect of the work, something that develops naturally when you put your lives in each other's hands.

The Princess Weiyoung (new)

I enjoyed Episode 1 - it moves quickly and there's lots of people to keep track of, plus humor and pretty costumes. It's no NIF, but I'll take it. So far.  
I love this show! I think it might be my new drama love. Right now, my favorite character is the adopted Second Young Master.  
Cutie
He's adorable and so sweet and all his blustering is just boojawoowoja cute. And, as usual, Tiffany Tang is charming. 
But..... 54 episodes! O______o 
This is THE reason I'm not starting.
It gets worse: there are 11 episodes each week, 2 each weekday, and 1 on Saturday. I don't think I'll have time for any other shows.
Are you dead yet? 
Not yet. And, when Dramafever was late on Friday with subs, the hypnotic trance was broken, and I now think I could skip episodes occasionally.
I've still only seen a couple.  When they go all crazy with the episodes like that I make zero attempt to keep up.  I can just manage Snail's pace.  Ha.

Lucifer

No, this wasn't good this week. I don't even remember what the episode was about. Something about a knife?
Yes, the knife that feeds on your anger and makes you want to kill people. Ooh, like Deicide. In an interesting development, Dan was the only non-celestial being who held the knife and was able to overcome his murderous rage. Not so douchy after all, I guess. I DID like this episode, although I think it heralds the end of our brief time thinking Lucy's mother might actually have been misunderstood all along. She is very other, in a way that Lucy and Amenadiel, somehow, aren't. Also, yay for the Doc being back on her game with Lucy and Maze both!

Unmei Ni, Nita Koi

Well, Belinda and MissieNelly and all virtually held each other throughout the last ep. Our beloved Yuri/Saito who we've decided is really a modern-day Samson with that powerful hair of his was a pull to the very end. The director seriously loved his hair, constantly backlighting and having the sun waft through it and making people think about rolling around in it. (okay, maybe just me).
I still have 3 episodes to go.  I never was feeling it quite the way you guys were.
 
He wasn't what he said he was, but it ended up not mattering in the ways he feared, the son and MIL were a love until the end, but the crazy people were lakorn crazy in this. Our OTP made up for a lot. They are the only reason why I'm not still angry about how easily the crazy people get off in this drama. Pfft. But that hair. It's like a drug.
Oh I forgot!  I DO want to know what his secret was, though I never much cared about the OTP.

Westworld 

Well, so there's Bernard. Oh, and the hosts, some of them, have a glitch that means they CAN be violent toward guests. Hmmm. What exactly is Sir Anthony up to?
I am now three episodes behind.

A New Cinderella (Pakistani drama)

What, seriously, this is here? Guess it's a hit!
Well, I've only seen one episode so far and the mean girls made me really anxious, but I figured with 3 of us checking it out, it should have a spot. Right? So far I'd say film quality is poor but humor is decent and I actually love the twist to the back story.  
Good point. Also, I noticed Shuk has joined the Rescue Cinderella Squad on Viki.
Strictly to correct some of the Engrish and syntax issues. It's not completely subbed, so if they request additional segmenting, I won't say no to that either. I've watched to episode 7, and it has an interesting twist to the usual story. Prince Charming is still an insipid prat, though with great eyeliner,. 
A Pakistani drama! I really like that viki is going for more diversity.