So...what do I do when I'm feeling a bit down? I visit with the boys and play some otome. Because...you know. Sometimes you need a little love. I figured since it was December that I would do the Mystic Messenger DLC. I was originally going to try and get 707's ending as I hadn't managed to do his previously (obviously, I'd first completed Zen's...then I'd done Jumin's and had also managed to get Yoosung...hahaha, actually, it's always easy to get Yoosung, that puppy...). Poor Seven is particularly depressed over the holidays, so he's a bit tougher to hook.
But then I wound up ultimately with Zen. Sigh. It's because I can't be mean to him.
BUT! Then I had some texts from Unknown (i.e. Ray / Saeran) and I figured I'd answer him this time and I managed to unlock one of the Secret Endings.
It was interesting...the MC has some nice chats/calls with Zen and then goes to the event. Weirdly, after she arrives and then Jumin gets there and there are options for her to fawn all over him. But then Zen arrives too and she briefly fawns all over him too. But then the lights go all weird and there's a crazy fireworks show that 707 hacked into the event to do. Everybody's all Ooooohhh cool. Then the show is over and it's Yoosung (not Zenny...sigh) saying goodbye to you as he's putting you into Driver Kim's car (as arranged by Jumin, to get you home safe).
You get back to the apartment, but guess who is waiting there for you and being all creepy as hell with his weird giggling, very disturbing laugh and villain monolouging. Then all the members are in a chat room waiting for you to appear when Seven pops in to say something is weird and the security camera has been hacked. They all freak out. Unknown pops in to say he's gonna "take care of the princess now" and fade to black and a new CG of Unknown dressing MC up like a doll in a very creepy fashion.
So...interesting. Definitely what I'd all a Bad End rather than a Secret End, though it looks like from the otome obsessed website that there are 3 different ways it can be presented (one of which you don't even make it to the event in).
Though now I feel a little robbed of my good end with Zen. Haha. But maybe I'll give it another run through this month and try and get 707 again but concentrate this time. It's not too bad as it's only a two day commitment. I can manage two nights of interrupted sleep...
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Monday, December 09, 2019
I haz too much sad
I make fun...but yes...I haz a sad. A lot going on. My mother is dying. Yes, she's been dying for years now, but it seems like it is heading into the final stretch. Even though things are a bit tight and crazy right now, I bought the plane ticket and went to visit her over Thanksgiving. It wasn't good. I spent most of it helping my sisters clean out years worth of expired food and making sure she was taking her medicine properly.
To be honest, it's probably not the heart disease or the kidney failure that's going to kill her. It's going to be going into a diabetic coma because she doesn't manage her insulin or medication properly (and her man-friend, who is mostly deaf and can hardly see, isn't good at it either and can't seem to comprehend how insulin works) or accidentally overdosing on something. Or just not eating.
She was better while my youngest sister and I were there...mostly because we both dealt with gestational diabetes when we were pregnant. And we're a bit more pragmatic than my very emotional older sister who isn't dealing well with any of this at all. It's hard. It's hard on all of us. I don't like that I'm so far away but there's nothing I can do about it.
And the home situation is still very up in the air. Husband is extremely stressed over his business. He's taken this one project on that takes him 2 hours away for Monday through Thursday and he's thinking it may even turn into something permanent. Which is both a good thing and a bad thing. He kept saying he never wanted to work for someone else again but I think running his own business has been more stressful than he anticipated, especially since he hasn't found a way to successfully bring in other people (not even me -- he asks me if I have time to help, I say yes, but then he never actually delegates anything when I ask what I can do). He's a one man band and falling apart at the seams. So I think he's seriously considering whether or not he would take this thing on as a full time position.
Stability would be good BUT it's another 2 hours away from London. I already feel too far away from everything and we're only 25 minutes away now. The thought of moving to essentially the middle of nowhere somewhere in Coventry is not remotely appealing. But I don't think he can go on like he is. He'll crack. We'll all crack. So I don't know. I am trying to be supportive but I don't really know what to do or think. All of my friends are here. All the stuff is here.
And little dude keeps getting in trouble. Recently, it was discovering some past charges on the Nintendo over the summer where, in all likelihood, his friends randomly purchased a bunch of games while on his Switch. Hundreds of dollars worth of games that have never been opened or played and are now past the three month period where they could have been returned. I was able to get about £150 back, but that was it. All that money wasted and gone after the stolen laptop + him managing to break the old laptop we gave him for school to replace the stolen one...just...AGH. And this morning I find he's misplaced his bank card AGAIN. He's already been grounded with no gaming allowed during the week at all. I don't know what else to do. And he's been acting depressed too and I don't want to push him too hard BUT this can't keep up.
It all just feels like too much. I need something good to happen. I thought at the beginning of the year that his, just maybe, was going to be a good year. But this last half has all been one disaster after another. No car. Savings nearly gone through. Mother dying. Things stolen, wasted, gone. Still waiting to hear back from my editor (though, I guess, at least it's on them and not me). And I've gained all that weight back since I haven't been able to go to the gym. There's one I could walk to on the other side of town but I don't really want to add any monthly charges right now. I'm looking for ways to reduce...haha, costs. I also want to reduce me. But that's secondary, I guess.
I just...I don't know. I need something good. I need a hug. I need some help. All I want to do is curl up in bed and sleep. But there's laundry to do and dishes from last night to wash and dinner to buy and things to clean up.
To be honest, it's probably not the heart disease or the kidney failure that's going to kill her. It's going to be going into a diabetic coma because she doesn't manage her insulin or medication properly (and her man-friend, who is mostly deaf and can hardly see, isn't good at it either and can't seem to comprehend how insulin works) or accidentally overdosing on something. Or just not eating.
She was better while my youngest sister and I were there...mostly because we both dealt with gestational diabetes when we were pregnant. And we're a bit more pragmatic than my very emotional older sister who isn't dealing well with any of this at all. It's hard. It's hard on all of us. I don't like that I'm so far away but there's nothing I can do about it.
And the home situation is still very up in the air. Husband is extremely stressed over his business. He's taken this one project on that takes him 2 hours away for Monday through Thursday and he's thinking it may even turn into something permanent. Which is both a good thing and a bad thing. He kept saying he never wanted to work for someone else again but I think running his own business has been more stressful than he anticipated, especially since he hasn't found a way to successfully bring in other people (not even me -- he asks me if I have time to help, I say yes, but then he never actually delegates anything when I ask what I can do). He's a one man band and falling apart at the seams. So I think he's seriously considering whether or not he would take this thing on as a full time position.
Stability would be good BUT it's another 2 hours away from London. I already feel too far away from everything and we're only 25 minutes away now. The thought of moving to essentially the middle of nowhere somewhere in Coventry is not remotely appealing. But I don't think he can go on like he is. He'll crack. We'll all crack. So I don't know. I am trying to be supportive but I don't really know what to do or think. All of my friends are here. All the stuff is here.
And little dude keeps getting in trouble. Recently, it was discovering some past charges on the Nintendo over the summer where, in all likelihood, his friends randomly purchased a bunch of games while on his Switch. Hundreds of dollars worth of games that have never been opened or played and are now past the three month period where they could have been returned. I was able to get about £150 back, but that was it. All that money wasted and gone after the stolen laptop + him managing to break the old laptop we gave him for school to replace the stolen one...just...AGH. And this morning I find he's misplaced his bank card AGAIN. He's already been grounded with no gaming allowed during the week at all. I don't know what else to do. And he's been acting depressed too and I don't want to push him too hard BUT this can't keep up.
It all just feels like too much. I need something good to happen. I thought at the beginning of the year that his, just maybe, was going to be a good year. But this last half has all been one disaster after another. No car. Savings nearly gone through. Mother dying. Things stolen, wasted, gone. Still waiting to hear back from my editor (though, I guess, at least it's on them and not me). And I've gained all that weight back since I haven't been able to go to the gym. There's one I could walk to on the other side of town but I don't really want to add any monthly charges right now. I'm looking for ways to reduce...haha, costs. I also want to reduce me. But that's secondary, I guess.
I just...I don't know. I need something good. I need a hug. I need some help. All I want to do is curl up in bed and sleep. But there's laundry to do and dishes from last night to wash and dinner to buy and things to clean up.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Page Turner
I've got just two episodes left of The World Owes Me a First Love (and am, honestly, a bit disappointed with the predictability of the last half of that drama) and decided I needed something short I could finish quickly. I also didn't want to continue on with the When the Camellia Blooms or start The Tale of Nokdu because I don't want to get into the waiting for subs dance. I probably should just finish up Revenge Note, but I've got so many episodes of that to go...
So. Yeah. I started something new.
It's short -- only three episodes of an hour each. And it's been on my list for awhile but only recently came up where I can watch it in my region. And...it has Ji Soo. It's Page Turner. And probably a sadder, more angsty thing than I would normally pick right now, but, hey, it's got a young, energetic Ji Soo with a purple streak in his hair. I've been meaning to see him in something else since Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (and his brief cameo in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Ju).
Yoo-Seul's (Kim So-Hyun) mother has been pushing her to be a pianist since she was young and discovered that her daughter was a prodigy who could play after no lessons (she previously wanted to be on herself, but couldn't because of financial concerns, and is a piano teacher). Yoo-Seul is top at her performing arts school, followed in second by Seo Jin Mok (Shin Jae-Ha), who coincidentally was the one who kicked off Yoo-Seul's mother discovering (after he was a brat to her and wanted to fire her from being his teacher) her daughter's talent. They are enemies at school and Yoo-Seul secretly hates him because she hates being pushed by her mother and doesn't even really like piano...well, who would? When it's all her mother seems to care about.
The mother is played by Ye Ji-Won, who played a character I loved (Jennifer) in Thirty but Seventeen and it's so weird to see her play a character now that I really, really just want to smack. As a mother, she completely offends me. Not only is she using her daughter as a surrogate for herself, she tries to make her cheat and step on other people. Just, ugh.
There's also Ji-Soo, playing Cha-Sik, a top athlete. He's got a promising future with potential scholarships and all kinds of things with pole vaulting, etc. but a chance accident finds him with a diagnosis that means he needs to give up sport. He's an upbeat, goofy guy and this throws him for a loop. He doesn't know who he is without sport.
Anyway, after a particularly contentious meeting, Jin Mok prays for something bad to happen to Yoo-Seul...and it does. She gets in a car wreck (her mother was driving and not paying enough attention because she was too busy talking about her future plans for her daughter and drove out into an intersection). As a consequence, she loses her sight. Jin Mok finds out (I think he's literally still at the church or wherever when he gets the call about the accident) and is full of guilt.
He goes to the hospital to visit her, bringing rather useless flowers (though, to be fair, at the time he didn't know she'd completely lost her sight). Meanwhile, Ji-Soo has run into Yoo-Seul, who asks him for directions to the roof. Once there, she plans to jump. It's not her lack of eyesight...in fact, she was almost glad. It's that her mother has told her (in front of a horrified doctor) that now she'll just have to play and practice the piano that much harder.
Jin Mok has it out with her and gets his world turned a bit upside down when he hears that she doesn't even like piano and can't stand the thought of it any more and doesn't want to live with her mother pushing her any longer. She jumps...but Ji Soo is there to catch her. He didn't actually take her to the roof, but to the parking garage, because he suspected something. Having overheard her dramatic speech, he tells her it's partly her own fault (he can't fault a mother for anything, seeing as he's got serious hero worship going on with his mom and would do anything for her) because she never told her mother she didn't want to play and pretended to like it and always went along. Which is somewhat true, but not the whole truth, as dear old mom is pretty horrible. Pageant mom.
But he's having his own crisis as well and breaks down later on his mom. What should he do with his life? What does he have to live for without sports? She takes an old picture that she claims is her with his dad out of an album and shows it to him, along with some info about who she says that is -- a famous pianist and very intelligent man. She convinces him he's got way more than just sports. He decides he wants to play piano and follow in his dad's footsteps so he can maybe someday meet him. I suspect that man really isn't his dad, but who knows. Basically, she wanted to give him something to aspire to...I don't know that she even imagined he would take it to literally mean piano.
And that's the first episode. Durrrr. I'm going to try and not write up that much about the remaining two hours. Anyway, adore Ji-Soo so far. Such a nice job, both in his bouncy up mode and in the breakdown crying mode. The actors playing the other two leads are good as well and glad to see Yoo-Seul finally standing up to her mom at the end of episode 1. Not sure yet about Jin Mok beyond the fact that at least he feels guilt. We'll see. She was horrible to him, but he was pretty horrible as well (including when he was a kid).
Edit: finished it. It ended a bit too open for me, though also on an emotional high note, so I suppose I shouldn't really complain. But I do feel like they could have had 5 more minutes to just give a bit of closure to the relationship between the three leads -- it was almost more about the mothers in the last little wrap up than the kids. Anyway, all three of them did a great job and hit the mark with their characters. I did enjoy it and I'm glad I watched it. Could have easily enjoyed watching it as a longer drama because they were great together. Not sure if I'd watch it again or not. Maybe, after awhile. But definitely a worthwhile watch.
Edit (again): After some further reflection, one very simple addition would have (mostly) fixed the ending for me (though, to be fair, I really want more closure than this)...at one point, they show a picture of Yoo-Seul holding her trophy for the duet competition and she's smiling for the first time in any of her award pictures (so, yay, she actually is enjoying playing piano). But it's still a solo pic of her. If they'd just made that a photo of the three of them, that would have given a roundness to the ending that it didn't have. They wouldn't even have had to make it romantic (though Cha-Sik's character definitely had a bit of a crush on her). Just a friendly thing would have been fine. But the story really needed SOMETHING with the three of them to finish with.
So. Yeah. I started something new.
It's short -- only three episodes of an hour each. And it's been on my list for awhile but only recently came up where I can watch it in my region. And...it has Ji Soo. It's Page Turner. And probably a sadder, more angsty thing than I would normally pick right now, but, hey, it's got a young, energetic Ji Soo with a purple streak in his hair. I've been meaning to see him in something else since Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (and his brief cameo in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Ju).
The mother is played by Ye Ji-Won, who played a character I loved (Jennifer) in Thirty but Seventeen and it's so weird to see her play a character now that I really, really just want to smack. As a mother, she completely offends me. Not only is she using her daughter as a surrogate for herself, she tries to make her cheat and step on other people. Just, ugh.
There's also Ji-Soo, playing Cha-Sik, a top athlete. He's got a promising future with potential scholarships and all kinds of things with pole vaulting, etc. but a chance accident finds him with a diagnosis that means he needs to give up sport. He's an upbeat, goofy guy and this throws him for a loop. He doesn't know who he is without sport.
Anyway, after a particularly contentious meeting, Jin Mok prays for something bad to happen to Yoo-Seul...and it does. She gets in a car wreck (her mother was driving and not paying enough attention because she was too busy talking about her future plans for her daughter and drove out into an intersection). As a consequence, she loses her sight. Jin Mok finds out (I think he's literally still at the church or wherever when he gets the call about the accident) and is full of guilt.
He goes to the hospital to visit her, bringing rather useless flowers (though, to be fair, at the time he didn't know she'd completely lost her sight). Meanwhile, Ji-Soo has run into Yoo-Seul, who asks him for directions to the roof. Once there, she plans to jump. It's not her lack of eyesight...in fact, she was almost glad. It's that her mother has told her (in front of a horrified doctor) that now she'll just have to play and practice the piano that much harder.
Jin Mok has it out with her and gets his world turned a bit upside down when he hears that she doesn't even like piano and can't stand the thought of it any more and doesn't want to live with her mother pushing her any longer. She jumps...but Ji Soo is there to catch her. He didn't actually take her to the roof, but to the parking garage, because he suspected something. Having overheard her dramatic speech, he tells her it's partly her own fault (he can't fault a mother for anything, seeing as he's got serious hero worship going on with his mom and would do anything for her) because she never told her mother she didn't want to play and pretended to like it and always went along. Which is somewhat true, but not the whole truth, as dear old mom is pretty horrible. Pageant mom.
But he's having his own crisis as well and breaks down later on his mom. What should he do with his life? What does he have to live for without sports? She takes an old picture that she claims is her with his dad out of an album and shows it to him, along with some info about who she says that is -- a famous pianist and very intelligent man. She convinces him he's got way more than just sports. He decides he wants to play piano and follow in his dad's footsteps so he can maybe someday meet him. I suspect that man really isn't his dad, but who knows. Basically, she wanted to give him something to aspire to...I don't know that she even imagined he would take it to literally mean piano.
And that's the first episode. Durrrr. I'm going to try and not write up that much about the remaining two hours. Anyway, adore Ji-Soo so far. Such a nice job, both in his bouncy up mode and in the breakdown crying mode. The actors playing the other two leads are good as well and glad to see Yoo-Seul finally standing up to her mom at the end of episode 1. Not sure yet about Jin Mok beyond the fact that at least he feels guilt. We'll see. She was horrible to him, but he was pretty horrible as well (including when he was a kid).
Edit: finished it. It ended a bit too open for me, though also on an emotional high note, so I suppose I shouldn't really complain. But I do feel like they could have had 5 more minutes to just give a bit of closure to the relationship between the three leads -- it was almost more about the mothers in the last little wrap up than the kids. Anyway, all three of them did a great job and hit the mark with their characters. I did enjoy it and I'm glad I watched it. Could have easily enjoyed watching it as a longer drama because they were great together. Not sure if I'd watch it again or not. Maybe, after awhile. But definitely a worthwhile watch.
Edit (again): After some further reflection, one very simple addition would have (mostly) fixed the ending for me (though, to be fair, I really want more closure than this)...at one point, they show a picture of Yoo-Seul holding her trophy for the duet competition and she's smiling for the first time in any of her award pictures (so, yay, she actually is enjoying playing piano). But it's still a solo pic of her. If they'd just made that a photo of the three of them, that would have given a roundness to the ending that it didn't have. They wouldn't even have had to make it romantic (though Cha-Sik's character definitely had a bit of a crush on her). Just a friendly thing would have been fine. But the story really needed SOMETHING with the three of them to finish with.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
When the Camellia Blooms
So...since I finished Accidentally in Love (finally!), I was going to pick back up with either of the two I'm watching on Viki (The World Owes Me a First Love or Revenge Note) BUT the stupid website was down again. Or, half down. At any rate, not working. The only thing I was in progress on with Netflix was Let's Eat and I just really wasn't feeling it today so...yeah...I started something new.
And it's another in progress one. Sigh. I really shouldn't do that. I have been wanting to try it, though. It's When the Camellia Blooms starring Kong Hyo-Jin (or Gong...she was the lead in both The Master's Sun and It's Okay, That's Love, both of which I mostly liked) as Dongbaek. She's slightly quirky, which is probably what I like about her. Her characters (that I've seen) are always slightly off in interesting ways.
I knew going in that she was a single mother who doesn't get a lot of respect (South Korea's got some issues definitely as far as that goes; just look at the real world news) but is doing her best. And that a cop falls immediately in love with her when he sees her and he's kinda goofy.
Which is true. The cop is played by Kang Ha-Neul as Hwang Yong-Sik and he is indeed immediately smitten by her as soon as he sees her. He's a bit of a Don Quixote type; tilting at windmills, with an over-developed sense of justice (which is why he's a cop) but an innocent air.
BUT I also knew going in that there was some type of serial murder thing going on in the background. Hence why he's a cop. BUT I didn't know that they were going to tease that it's Dongbaek that's the (or a) victim -- they show a flash forward into the future where a corpse wearing her bracelet is pulled from some swampy land and Yong-Sik being terribly upset. So I'm a little confused because the rest of the show does NOT feel like it's a tragedy, so it's hard to imagine that they're actually going to kill the main female lead. Honestly, I kinda hate flash forwards. Just tell me the story and allow it to carry everything instead of teasing some big thing that you then have to build towards. So, eh. I dunno. If I had to guess after the first episode who the dead body is, I'd say it's Dongbaek's employee Hyang-mi, who they've already outed as a kleptomaniac who only steals small things (like lighters...but a bracelet is also small)...why make such a big point of that small character detail unless it was actually important?
There's also a guy in the city played by Kim Ji-Suk (I saw him in the few episodes I watched of 20th Century Boy and Girl) who is a "nice guy" (maybe) married to some absolute wretched skinny starlet-type Instagram influencer beyotch but they don't even live together, though they have a baby (that the wife won't even touch). I imagine he is the dad to Dongbaek's kiddo (who is 7? But seems older...more like 9 maybe...but she's been in Ongsan for 6 years and he was a wee baby when they moved there) as why else introduce him?
Other than that, there's an assortment of people who live in Ongsan (like Kim Sun-Young who always plays someone bizarre and kinda funny mostly, so another reason I don't see how this will play as a tragedy) who aren't always kind to Dongbaek, even though she's lived there now for 6 years. One is her sleazy landlord (Mr. No) who has political aspirations and is always flirting with her, even though she won't give him the time of day OR any free peanuts...but his wife, a lawyer, suspects that she is the "other woman" because he's always calling her and hanging out at her bar (to be fair, I imagine the wife is correct in that there's bound to be another woman with that horrid man, but it's not Dongbaek).
So...I'd say I liked it so far other than the flash forward thing. Yong-Sik is obviously going to be adorable and one of those unconditionally in love types.
But...I also just looked up how many episodes this sucker will have and F-me...it's gonna have 40. Or maybe 32? or 18? Crap. They are 60 minutes each. And only 10 are out so far. And there's some confusion over whether it's gonna be one of those things Netflix breaks into two seasons or what. One thing shows Netflix having just 18 episodes, with the last scheduled to air mid-November. Maybe the South Korean thing is 32 episodes of 30 minutes each? But then 18 isn't half of 32. So totally confused.
WHY DID I DO THIS?? Maybe I won't watch any more for a while. I would have started the Tale of Nok-du if darn Viki had been working.
Edit: Okay, it's February now and the show has finished and I slightly spoilered myself by seeing a clip that obviously shows them together at the end of the show (but happy I did), so I'm picking this one back up again. I've about to start episode 4 now and I have to say I really love this one so far. I just adore Yong-Sik. I need a Yong-Sik. I can see that there's gonna be a lot of angst coming up, but I am so here for Yong-Sik. Kong Hyo-Jin is also still good, but she generally always is.
Edit: Okey dokey! It's just now March and I finally finished this one. I watched it while doing my exercise time (and a bit on the train). It wound up at 20 episodes. It did drag a bit...and was slow-paced in general. Honestly, the story probably could have been told in a movie length bite. That said, I did enjoy it. As I suspected after the first episode, Hyang-mi was indeed the latest murder victim. Actually, pretty much everything I thought would happen after the first episode...yeah, it happened. So I suppose you could say it was predictable. There weren't any surprises at all. Everyone was pretty much who I thought they would be, character-wise. The fact that it worked is all down to the cast, especially Kang Ha-Neul as Yong-Sik. For me, he's the one that carried it and made it worth watching. He's just a joy. I hadn't seen him in anything before, but I'll be on the lookout for him now.
Kong Hyo-Jin, in contrast, was a little bit of a disappointment compared to other things I've seen her in, but it wasn't her fault. The character Dongbaek had moments, but she also spent a great deal of time being a dishrag. It would be one step forward and then two steps back. She's a very good-hearted character but also frustrating and weepy. So it wasn't my favourite part she's ever played.
Was it worth watching? Yes. I can't say it was super satisfying, in retrospect, but it also may have been a timing thing...a big part of the latter half was the storyline about the mother dying of kidney failure. That ended happy, but it's also coincidentally right now where in my life mom is going into hospice and we're basically on death watch. So it was a bit hard to get through those bits. Timing. Did that colour my viewing? I imagine it did. But I did overall like it a lot. I need a Yong-Sik. He's pretty much one of the nicest K-drama dudes I have ever had the pleasure to watch.
I knew going in that she was a single mother who doesn't get a lot of respect (South Korea's got some issues definitely as far as that goes; just look at the real world news) but is doing her best. And that a cop falls immediately in love with her when he sees her and he's kinda goofy.
Which is true. The cop is played by Kang Ha-Neul as Hwang Yong-Sik and he is indeed immediately smitten by her as soon as he sees her. He's a bit of a Don Quixote type; tilting at windmills, with an over-developed sense of justice (which is why he's a cop) but an innocent air.
BUT I also knew going in that there was some type of serial murder thing going on in the background. Hence why he's a cop. BUT I didn't know that they were going to tease that it's Dongbaek that's the (or a) victim -- they show a flash forward into the future where a corpse wearing her bracelet is pulled from some swampy land and Yong-Sik being terribly upset. So I'm a little confused because the rest of the show does NOT feel like it's a tragedy, so it's hard to imagine that they're actually going to kill the main female lead. Honestly, I kinda hate flash forwards. Just tell me the story and allow it to carry everything instead of teasing some big thing that you then have to build towards. So, eh. I dunno. If I had to guess after the first episode who the dead body is, I'd say it's Dongbaek's employee Hyang-mi, who they've already outed as a kleptomaniac who only steals small things (like lighters...but a bracelet is also small)...why make such a big point of that small character detail unless it was actually important?
There's also a guy in the city played by Kim Ji-Suk (I saw him in the few episodes I watched of 20th Century Boy and Girl) who is a "nice guy" (maybe) married to some absolute wretched skinny starlet-type Instagram influencer beyotch but they don't even live together, though they have a baby (that the wife won't even touch). I imagine he is the dad to Dongbaek's kiddo (who is 7? But seems older...more like 9 maybe...but she's been in Ongsan for 6 years and he was a wee baby when they moved there) as why else introduce him?
Other than that, there's an assortment of people who live in Ongsan (like Kim Sun-Young who always plays someone bizarre and kinda funny mostly, so another reason I don't see how this will play as a tragedy) who aren't always kind to Dongbaek, even though she's lived there now for 6 years. One is her sleazy landlord (Mr. No) who has political aspirations and is always flirting with her, even though she won't give him the time of day OR any free peanuts...but his wife, a lawyer, suspects that she is the "other woman" because he's always calling her and hanging out at her bar (to be fair, I imagine the wife is correct in that there's bound to be another woman with that horrid man, but it's not Dongbaek).
So...I'd say I liked it so far other than the flash forward thing. Yong-Sik is obviously going to be adorable and one of those unconditionally in love types.
But...I also just looked up how many episodes this sucker will have and F-me...it's gonna have 40. Or maybe 32? or 18? Crap. They are 60 minutes each. And only 10 are out so far. And there's some confusion over whether it's gonna be one of those things Netflix breaks into two seasons or what. One thing shows Netflix having just 18 episodes, with the last scheduled to air mid-November. Maybe the South Korean thing is 32 episodes of 30 minutes each? But then 18 isn't half of 32. So totally confused.
WHY DID I DO THIS?? Maybe I won't watch any more for a while. I would have started the Tale of Nok-du if darn Viki had been working.
Edit: Okay, it's February now and the show has finished and I slightly spoilered myself by seeing a clip that obviously shows them together at the end of the show (but happy I did), so I'm picking this one back up again. I've about to start episode 4 now and I have to say I really love this one so far. I just adore Yong-Sik. I need a Yong-Sik. I can see that there's gonna be a lot of angst coming up, but I am so here for Yong-Sik. Kong Hyo-Jin is also still good, but she generally always is.
Edit: Okey dokey! It's just now March and I finally finished this one. I watched it while doing my exercise time (and a bit on the train). It wound up at 20 episodes. It did drag a bit...and was slow-paced in general. Honestly, the story probably could have been told in a movie length bite. That said, I did enjoy it. As I suspected after the first episode, Hyang-mi was indeed the latest murder victim. Actually, pretty much everything I thought would happen after the first episode...yeah, it happened. So I suppose you could say it was predictable. There weren't any surprises at all. Everyone was pretty much who I thought they would be, character-wise. The fact that it worked is all down to the cast, especially Kang Ha-Neul as Yong-Sik. For me, he's the one that carried it and made it worth watching. He's just a joy. I hadn't seen him in anything before, but I'll be on the lookout for him now.
Kong Hyo-Jin, in contrast, was a little bit of a disappointment compared to other things I've seen her in, but it wasn't her fault. The character Dongbaek had moments, but she also spent a great deal of time being a dishrag. It would be one step forward and then two steps back. She's a very good-hearted character but also frustrating and weepy. So it wasn't my favourite part she's ever played.
Was it worth watching? Yes. I can't say it was super satisfying, in retrospect, but it also may have been a timing thing...a big part of the latter half was the storyline about the mother dying of kidney failure. That ended happy, but it's also coincidentally right now where in my life mom is going into hospice and we're basically on death watch. So it was a bit hard to get through those bits. Timing. Did that colour my viewing? I imagine it did. But I did overall like it a lot. I need a Yong-Sik. He's pretty much one of the nicest K-drama dudes I have ever had the pleasure to watch.
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Tenterhooks
I'm on edge a bit this week. My book is out at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Will it sell to some foreign markets? I could really use some good news. The drama with the car is dragging on still. Things are just...well, you know. Stressful. I am cautiously hopeful but at the same time, very worried.
Can't concentrate. Just waiting.
And trying to finish off at least one of the shows that I'm watching. I whittled it down to an "actively watching" list of only 4, but there's another 10 (okay, probably 11) that's on the slowly watching list and I don't wanna count how many I want to start.
Out of the 4, I've put the Chinese drama The World Owes Me a First Love on hold because I caught up to the subbed episodes and I want to build up at least 4 or 5 of them before I pick it up again. Maybe I'll even wait until they are all out. As of today, 22 episodes are released out of what I think will be 24 and they've been translated up to episode 18. I'm up to episode 15. It's the one that I'm probably most enjoying at the minute, though it's about to enter the angsty bit of the over-arching story line...meh.
Yeah, I just need low angst and happy right now, you know? This is why I'm so tempted to start the Tale of Nokdu, which looks adorable. But I really ought to finish something else first.
I was also really liking Revenge Note with Cha Eun Woo and Park Solomon. Up to the latter half of that as well, but it also had hit the oh no everything is falling apart stage so I'm working myself up to it. It's an odd show; at once both lighthearted and very dark.
Then there's Let's Eat and it's okay and I will finish it, but I don't love the female lead character (the character, not the actress; as far as I can tell, the actress is talented enough) and it's not exciting me. So I'm finding myself watching an episode here and there but not necessarily looking forward to it? But not hating it enough to drop it? And all the food looks good...
Which leaves me with the one I'm trying to finish that I started back in August...Accidentally in Love. The episodes are short (about 25 minutes if you cut off the intro and the outro). It's also the least angsty (though it too is entering the angstiest, frustrating bit of the story where "circumstances conspire against our leads bum bum bah bum"). The acting isn't amazing and it has the most laughable special effects I've seen in anything made in the last 20 years, but it is mostly silly and cheerful. So that's where I am. I'm on 22 out of 30. Gah. It feels like there's still so much to go!
I want some good news. I want something good to happen. I've done all I can to make something good happen, and now I wait and I stew and I sweat and just generally feel like pinhead. I feel like I should work but I'm still waiting on last changes from my editor but I am also just so AAAGGGHHH that I feel like my brain is going to explode and I also just want to sleep.
Can't concentrate. Just waiting.
And trying to finish off at least one of the shows that I'm watching. I whittled it down to an "actively watching" list of only 4, but there's another 10 (okay, probably 11) that's on the slowly watching list and I don't wanna count how many I want to start.
Out of the 4, I've put the Chinese drama The World Owes Me a First Love on hold because I caught up to the subbed episodes and I want to build up at least 4 or 5 of them before I pick it up again. Maybe I'll even wait until they are all out. As of today, 22 episodes are released out of what I think will be 24 and they've been translated up to episode 18. I'm up to episode 15. It's the one that I'm probably most enjoying at the minute, though it's about to enter the angsty bit of the over-arching story line...meh.
Yeah, I just need low angst and happy right now, you know? This is why I'm so tempted to start the Tale of Nokdu, which looks adorable. But I really ought to finish something else first.
I was also really liking Revenge Note with Cha Eun Woo and Park Solomon. Up to the latter half of that as well, but it also had hit the oh no everything is falling apart stage so I'm working myself up to it. It's an odd show; at once both lighthearted and very dark.
Then there's Let's Eat and it's okay and I will finish it, but I don't love the female lead character (the character, not the actress; as far as I can tell, the actress is talented enough) and it's not exciting me. So I'm finding myself watching an episode here and there but not necessarily looking forward to it? But not hating it enough to drop it? And all the food looks good...
Which leaves me with the one I'm trying to finish that I started back in August...Accidentally in Love. The episodes are short (about 25 minutes if you cut off the intro and the outro). It's also the least angsty (though it too is entering the angstiest, frustrating bit of the story where "circumstances conspire against our leads bum bum bah bum"). The acting isn't amazing and it has the most laughable special effects I've seen in anything made in the last 20 years, but it is mostly silly and cheerful. So that's where I am. I'm on 22 out of 30. Gah. It feels like there's still so much to go!
I want some good news. I want something good to happen. I've done all I can to make something good happen, and now I wait and I stew and I sweat and just generally feel like pinhead. I feel like I should work but I'm still waiting on last changes from my editor but I am also just so AAAGGGHHH that I feel like my brain is going to explode and I also just want to sleep.
Friday, October 11, 2019
But is it really?
I saw a clip of a Korean movie called What a Man Wants a couple of days ago and...eh...let me start with what it was. Two guys playing pool. Brothers? Brothers-in-law? A sexy woman joins them, one knows her from somewhere. The other is taciturn. There's nary another woman in the whole pool hall. She saunters in, oozing sex, working the room without even really trying.
She's playing pool with them. She's good. The one is obviously flirting with her. The other seems to be actively trying not to be affected. She's taking shots with her butt all stuck out as far as possible. All the dudes in the pool hall are watching. A waiter walks by and accidentally drops his tray; her butt gets soaked.
And then...
And then...
...she takes off her thong underwear RIGHT THERE and then she...she...TIES UP HER HAIR IN A PONYTAIL WITH HER UNDERWEAR. The underwear that she JUST TOOK OFF. And goes back to playing pool. The taciturn dude finally puts his jacket over her.
I just...I...I got nothin'.
I thought, when she stood up, that maybe she was going to take off her skirt and play the rest of the round in a slip or something. Or even in her underwear and stockings. I dunno. Would be kinda crazy, but hey. Or maybe she'd attempt to towel off.
But.
Why or how is this any kind of an appropriate response? How is this sexy? How is this anything but gross? Am I missing something? Am I just...not a man?
Anyway, I looked up the movie because I was both curious and disgusted and it's apparently about the two dudes; the one cheats on his wife all the time and then she dies and he's torn up to figure out she also cheated on him and tries to prove to his wife's lover that she loved him more (wtf?) and the other dude (the taciturn one) is his sister's husband, who winds up cheating with the pool playing lady or something. But they "all love each other anyway" or some such nonsense. Definitely not my kind of movie and I'm not watching it. But it's still stuck in my mind because I can't get over that one clip. It's such a WTF moment. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND.
She's playing pool with them. She's good. The one is obviously flirting with her. The other seems to be actively trying not to be affected. She's taking shots with her butt all stuck out as far as possible. All the dudes in the pool hall are watching. A waiter walks by and accidentally drops his tray; her butt gets soaked.
And then...
And then...
...she takes off her thong underwear RIGHT THERE and then she...she...TIES UP HER HAIR IN A PONYTAIL WITH HER UNDERWEAR. The underwear that she JUST TOOK OFF. And goes back to playing pool. The taciturn dude finally puts his jacket over her.
I just...I...I got nothin'.
I thought, when she stood up, that maybe she was going to take off her skirt and play the rest of the round in a slip or something. Or even in her underwear and stockings. I dunno. Would be kinda crazy, but hey. Or maybe she'd attempt to towel off.
But.
Why or how is this any kind of an appropriate response? How is this sexy? How is this anything but gross? Am I missing something? Am I just...not a man?
Anyway, I looked up the movie because I was both curious and disgusted and it's apparently about the two dudes; the one cheats on his wife all the time and then she dies and he's torn up to figure out she also cheated on him and tries to prove to his wife's lover that she loved him more (wtf?) and the other dude (the taciturn one) is his sister's husband, who winds up cheating with the pool playing lady or something. But they "all love each other anyway" or some such nonsense. Definitely not my kind of movie and I'm not watching it. But it's still stuck in my mind because I can't get over that one clip. It's such a WTF moment. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND.
Moorim School
Little dude and I finished The King's Avatar and so are looking for our next together watch. I talked him into trying Moorim School, as it looked like a decent match for him. Teenage-ish magical fantasy action-y adventure set at a school with kick butt scenes and at least one feisty heroine. Some humour as well.
I wouldn't say he was in love with the first episode, though he did like it. Mostly he thought it was kind of stereotypical and, well, he's right. There weren't any surprises.
There's the K-pop Idol (with blonde hair) being blackballed by his manager because he's made enough money off of him and he's difficult and the poor dude is struggling with some kind of uncontrolled magical power + hearing loss caused by it and feeling very alone.
Then there's the rich dude with the controlling father who's been kicked out of every school he's ever gone too...his father kidnaps him to try and force him to go to Moorim school and he tries running away and is ultimately saved from drowning by plucky, non-nonsense "could sell ice to an eskimo" long dark haired pig-tail girl from a humble background...and falls for her immediately, calling her Little Mermaid. Once he finds out she goes to Moorim school, he's all in.
And there's the other girl, who (I think) is the daughter of the headmaster, who has some kind of magical ability of his own...and she's a big fan of the Kpop dude, even saving his life when some lighting rig almost falls on him at his concert.
Hmmmm...I think we can see who's going to wind up with who based on who saved who? Could be wrong, but maybe.
Anyway, it's kinda cheesy but fairly interesting. I think he would have liked it more if the end bit with the preview of the next episode hadn't basically given the entire episode away. Might have to try him on some other shows as well and see which one sticks, but I'll watch this one either way, I imagine. I like the plucky girl in particular.
There's the K-pop Idol (with blonde hair) being blackballed by his manager because he's made enough money off of him and he's difficult and the poor dude is struggling with some kind of uncontrolled magical power + hearing loss caused by it and feeling very alone.
Then there's the rich dude with the controlling father who's been kicked out of every school he's ever gone too...his father kidnaps him to try and force him to go to Moorim school and he tries running away and is ultimately saved from drowning by plucky, non-nonsense "could sell ice to an eskimo" long dark haired pig-tail girl from a humble background...and falls for her immediately, calling her Little Mermaid. Once he finds out she goes to Moorim school, he's all in.
And there's the other girl, who (I think) is the daughter of the headmaster, who has some kind of magical ability of his own...and she's a big fan of the Kpop dude, even saving his life when some lighting rig almost falls on him at his concert.
Hmmmm...I think we can see who's going to wind up with who based on who saved who? Could be wrong, but maybe.
Anyway, it's kinda cheesy but fairly interesting. I think he would have liked it more if the end bit with the preview of the next episode hadn't basically given the entire episode away. Might have to try him on some other shows as well and see which one sticks, but I'll watch this one either way, I imagine. I like the plucky girl in particular.
Monday, October 07, 2019
When knowing doesn't help
I'm not doing great right now. I know I'm too stressed. My stomach is upset all the time. Signs of another ulcer. I can't sleep well. But I'm completely exhausted. Got up at 6:45 to get little dude ready for school. Was so desperate tired that I went back to bed around 8. Didn't wake up until 11:30 (which was a longer block of time than what I'd slept solid the night before). It's past 3 PM now and I'm once again so tired that I just want to curl up in a ball and sleep.
But knowing that I'm too stressed and what it's doing to me doesn't really help. I can't do much of anything about it. Things are what they are at the moment. I'm worried about money. I'm worried about a lot of things. I was worried before all the crap with the car and little dude's stolen laptop. That just all made it worse.
I feel teary off and on. Maybe it would help if I had my next round of edits to work on so I could focus on something. I dunno.
Something's gotta give, right?
But knowing that I'm too stressed and what it's doing to me doesn't really help. I can't do much of anything about it. Things are what they are at the moment. I'm worried about money. I'm worried about a lot of things. I was worried before all the crap with the car and little dude's stolen laptop. That just all made it worse.
I feel teary off and on. Maybe it would help if I had my next round of edits to work on so I could focus on something. I dunno.
Something's gotta give, right?
Saturday, October 05, 2019
The World Owes Me a First Love aka Lucky's First Love
So...I wasn't feeling like any of the dramas I'm currently watching (Accidentally in Love and Revenge Note being too...well, young and Let's Eat not being romance-y enough and the others on my "currently watching" (i.e. haven't yet given up on) list being a bit too angst-y) so I...of course...started a new drama.
I'd been hearing lots of buzz about how adorable The World Owes Me a First Love aka Lucky's First Love was. And also that it was very low angst and cute. Which I could use right now. Did I mention that the insurance has declared the car a total loss? Which means we'll be paying at least £3000 and possibly more AND have to buy a new car? So. Yes. I need some VERY LOW ANGST right now. Seriously. I know I'm stressing. I can feel it. My blood pressure has been wonky. My stomach has been iffy. I think I'm getting an ulcer again. So. Yes. Let's get back to the drama. The fictional drama, that is.
It is, indeed, pretty adorable so far. I'm just one episode in. Xing Yun (played by Bai Lu with hair that I feel must be a wig because it is so strangely unmoving, but is adorable nonetheless) is a hard-working and (so far) capable employee...in fact, the first employee (? there must be a story there) of TIG, a game company owned by Xia Ke (played by Xing Zhao Lin). I'm going to ignore all of the fluff blurb on Viki because it makes it sound like she's a new employee and "hijinks ensue" but that was disproved in literally the first two minutes of the show. Anyway, he can seem taciturn but as soon as no one is looking at him (especially Xing Yun...who's name means "lucky"), he gets some adorably goofy smiles on his face. He obviously finds her indispensable. It might be the whole "lucky" thing but it's obviously more.
He goads her into having a date with someone (the new game they are developing that she wants to work on is an otome, it seems) and is immediately jealous when it seems like it might have been a success. So jealous, in fact, that he even dreams about her leaving the company and having children. Oh, yeah, we all know where this is going.
I'm sure there will be antics. He's an ultra-eligible bachelor that everyone's after. Rich, good-looking, smart, etc. She's sweet but also seems to stick up for herself (thank god) and seems to have an ok head on her shoulders (other than a marked lack of dating experience). Xia Ke has a brother (really a brother?) and a sister that I think are going to play a big factor too.
At any rate, so far it looks like a keeper. Seems sweet. Funny. It's a Chinese one too, and I am trying to broaden my Korean-watching horizons, so that's good. I hope it stays as light and fluffy as it feels.
Edit: Watched the second one last night after little dude went to bed. Still funny but now so confused! So the lady I thought was his sister is maybe his ex-wife? And they have a kid together (unseen as yet) BUT the guy that Lucky is dating was together with the ex-wife and they still have feelings for each other? That seems a crazy coincidence...er, um...yeah.
Some cringeworthy scenes as Lucky goes on her second date with the dude (Chu? Eh, whatever, I know it started with a C) and his parents are there and the mom is WAY pushy for marriage. Poor girl. So she ducks out of there with a work excuse but then almost winds up kidnapped. It's all crazy. Anyway, still enjoying it. Just confused.
Edit after episode 3: Thought I might post briefly after each episode. Still confused. Is the kid his son? Can't tell. Everyone's always Uncle or Auntie so no idea of the actual relationships. But he doesn't treat Xia Ke like his dad at all. And the ex, if she is his ex, doesn't really treat him like an ex either. It's very weird. And he doesn't treat her like his ex either. So no clue what's going on. Lucky is kind of a strange character. Is she smart or dumb? It's kinda hard to tell. She's definitely awkward and doesn't think before she speaks. Methinks she's going to regret pretty much all of the things she's blurting out later on. Not sure what I think of the Chu Nan guy, though it seems he'll wind up making up one of the couples with the (maybe) ex of Xia Ke. Can't tell yet what kind of a person he is. Is he nice? Shady? Got a star-crossed love thing going on? Is he the dad? I dunno.
Edit, after episode 4: Okay, she is the big sister. Which is what I thought originally. Dunno if the kid is his or not, as the kid calls him "Uncle" but that may just be because he's illegitimate and he doesn't know who his dad is? Dunno. Anyway, still enjoying it, though Lucky really needs to grow a bit of a brain. Mostly I'm liking Xia Ke's reactions to everything.
One kinda weird thing that SO doesn't jive with my own (non-mainland) Chinese upbringing -- boy, everyone is pushing her to sleep with Chu Nan, including her mom (and his) after they'd literally had ONE date (that was cut short). It's kinda weird. I mean, I guess it's pushed her for the funny aspect of it, but it's weird. My family is so the opposite of this.
Edit, after episode 9: Yeah, I didn't bother updating after each episode. Wasn't feeling very good today and so I have vegged out. The weather is also utter crap, which doesn't really help. My brain feels like mush and I have a headache. One of those not-quite-a-migraine things. Anyway.
Lucky finally got the news that Chu Nan wasn't into her -- and, boy, his reason (which this part she doesn't know or else she'd really have to kill him...) was because he wanted to marry her and then divorce her so that he would also be a divorced person...which was the reason that his mom objected to him marrying big sister of Xia Ke. And one good thing that big sis has done is slap the heck out of him when she heard what he was up to. Good for her. Somehow, I imagine she'll wind up with him by the end of the show BUT he deserves ALL the slaps.
And to complicate that, her first husband is back. Seems he disappeared on her some years back (presumably while she was pregnant, as he didn't seem to know until recently that he had a son) after a car accident that he thought would leave him disabled (and maybe I mis-read it as this part went by fast and I was too lazy to go back and check--but Xia Ke was involved in the accident somehow?) So far, his excuse seems to be "I didn't want to burden you." So, yeah, he doesn't deserve anything from her. I suspect there's more to it than that.
Lucky was mad at Xia Ke for all of a hot minute about his role in keeping the truth from her. Honestly, a bit bothered that he really didn't apologise or try to excuse his behaviour at all. Anyway, at the point in the story where he's finally thinking whoa, maybe I like her...do I like her? I dunno...what should I do? to which I'm, like, duh, dude, you've liked her since the beginning you big idiot. And since the path to love in a drama can never be a straight line, He (the one who I thought might be a brother but turns out is probably just a university friend? He Yu) has popped back into the picture and is chasing after Lucky. Not sure why. She's definitely not his normal type, which, I suppose might be why. Though, really, we know the real reason is that something's gotta force Mr. CEO to figure out his feelings (and her, too, I suppose, since she's dumb as a post when it comes to love and reading signals). Also newly popped up is another old friend from university -- this one a girl -- who has a crush on Xia Ke but will undoubtably wind up with He.
Is that everything? I think that's mostly everything. I'm still enjoying it but there's a lot that doesn't make logical sense. But that's okay. That's not what this type of thing is for.
Edit, after episode 13: Ah, Xing Zhao Lin is doing such a good job as Xia Ke. He's finally admitted to himself and to his big sister (liking her more now, though still doubtful that Chu Nan actually deserves to be with her...and yes, there was more to ex-husband...he was having an affair way back when that she didn't know about but Xia Ke and his grandmother conspired to get him out of the picture with money (which he was more than willing to take) and now she finally knows and is with Chu Nan...mostly I feel sorry for the little kid who nearly got kidnapped/ransomed...I knew that was coming but ah, well.) that he likes Lucky. But He Yu is pushing hard, even though Lucky's really not feeling him as anything more than a friend she bickers with. But, of course, Xia Ke thinks there might be something there and goodness knows he's not a character to actually, you know, talk to people.
But, at any rate, great scene where she's drunk and angry at him and he's all at once confused and reluctant and desperate and needy, and like a drowned man, and they kiss. He did such a great job at the scene and really showed the longing. Now I'll have to look out for that actor in other stuff. Bai Lu, the actress, is decent too, but mostly her job is to be adorably clueless and there's no weight to her.
This is a very stereotypical drama in SO many ways, but it's fun even in it's predictable-ness.
Edit, after episode 14: Aw, man! This is why I don't usually watch stuff that's not fully released yet. Episode 15 is out, but it isn't fully subbed yet. Episodes 17 and 18 will be released today, and probably won't be subbed for a few more days. ARGH. Just when you think, okay, finally Lucky has told He Yu she really, really doesn't want to date him and Xia Ke is finally, finally about to say something to her...now they introduce a whole new subplot where they're accusing her of selling company secrets. I mean, I knew this was bound to happen because she met some guy at a conference that was trying to get info out of her (but she didn't give him any) but I was kinda hoping it wouldn't because that was so long ago and I just want to get to the part where they have some requited love already! Also didn't realise how many episodes it was going to be. I thought it was going to be 16, so I figured I was really close to the end and the payoff. But no...
Crap. Just looked it up on MyDramaList and it looks like there will be 24 episodes. Frickin frack.
Edit, after episode 22: I saved up until a bunch was translated and now I've just got two episodes to go (one of which is subbed, the other will probably be done tomorrow) and I'll wait and watch them both together.
Anyway...I have to say I liked the first half a bit better than this latter half where it's gone all typical storyline -- Noble Martyr (Lucky leaves the company because she thinks that's the only way to get the investment to go through & does so by pretending to date He Yu), He Yu misleading her and trying to make a relationship when she's clearly not interested, Late introduction of bitchy manipulative past girlfriend + now the manipulative and conveniently ill/dying grandma who believes lies of past girlfriend + wants Xia Ke to take over the family company + probably more Noble Martyr stuff to come. Makjang Chaebol stuff...except the Chinese version, whatever that would be called.
I mean, I like the main characters. But it has devolved into same-old-same-old. The few pluses are the other best girl friend that had the unrequited crush on Xia Ke being the one to force the stalemate and that Lucky at least USUALLY stands up for herself.
But.
Sigh.
I wanted more than the typical out of this one because so many of the other elements were so good. It's not that it's bad and it's on par with a lot of other shows I've watched -- seriously, these are the storylines that FREAKING ALWAYS TURN UP. But I did want it to turn some new corners and instead it took a 180 into bog standard.
The best bits are with the two leads together. More of that, please.
Edit: Okay, I finished it and contrary to all the clues, the last two episodes were remarkably Noble Idiot free. Thank goodness. Actually even a few satisfying bits, where the evil Ex was trying so very, very hard to screw things up and get Lucky to come unglued, but instead she rose to the occasion (in a not-bitchy way). And Xia Ke never went down the O woe, I must give up all that I love to take on the family business (instead, older sis was the new chairwoman). So while there was some angst, it was all managed in far better a fashion than I had any expectation of. So even though they introduced all the old tired storylines, they actually at least handled them in a fresher way.
So I'm happy with that. Lucky even pushed him to accept her as a full partner rather than as a behind-the-scenes-someone-I-must-protect person, which was also refreshing. They even gave us a double wedding at the end and a cutesy ending scene. So, thank you, Chinese writer person, whoever you are. I thought you had failed me, but you prevailed.
I'd been hearing lots of buzz about how adorable The World Owes Me a First Love aka Lucky's First Love was. And also that it was very low angst and cute. Which I could use right now. Did I mention that the insurance has declared the car a total loss? Which means we'll be paying at least £3000 and possibly more AND have to buy a new car? So. Yes. I need some VERY LOW ANGST right now. Seriously. I know I'm stressing. I can feel it. My blood pressure has been wonky. My stomach has been iffy. I think I'm getting an ulcer again. So. Yes. Let's get back to the drama. The fictional drama, that is.
He goads her into having a date with someone (the new game they are developing that she wants to work on is an otome, it seems) and is immediately jealous when it seems like it might have been a success. So jealous, in fact, that he even dreams about her leaving the company and having children. Oh, yeah, we all know where this is going.
I'm sure there will be antics. He's an ultra-eligible bachelor that everyone's after. Rich, good-looking, smart, etc. She's sweet but also seems to stick up for herself (thank god) and seems to have an ok head on her shoulders (other than a marked lack of dating experience). Xia Ke has a brother (really a brother?) and a sister that I think are going to play a big factor too.
At any rate, so far it looks like a keeper. Seems sweet. Funny. It's a Chinese one too, and I am trying to broaden my Korean-watching horizons, so that's good. I hope it stays as light and fluffy as it feels.
Edit: Watched the second one last night after little dude went to bed. Still funny but now so confused! So the lady I thought was his sister is maybe his ex-wife? And they have a kid together (unseen as yet) BUT the guy that Lucky is dating was together with the ex-wife and they still have feelings for each other? That seems a crazy coincidence...er, um...yeah.
Some cringeworthy scenes as Lucky goes on her second date with the dude (Chu? Eh, whatever, I know it started with a C) and his parents are there and the mom is WAY pushy for marriage. Poor girl. So she ducks out of there with a work excuse but then almost winds up kidnapped. It's all crazy. Anyway, still enjoying it. Just confused.
Edit after episode 3: Thought I might post briefly after each episode. Still confused. Is the kid his son? Can't tell. Everyone's always Uncle or Auntie so no idea of the actual relationships. But he doesn't treat Xia Ke like his dad at all. And the ex, if she is his ex, doesn't really treat him like an ex either. It's very weird. And he doesn't treat her like his ex either. So no clue what's going on. Lucky is kind of a strange character. Is she smart or dumb? It's kinda hard to tell. She's definitely awkward and doesn't think before she speaks. Methinks she's going to regret pretty much all of the things she's blurting out later on. Not sure what I think of the Chu Nan guy, though it seems he'll wind up making up one of the couples with the (maybe) ex of Xia Ke. Can't tell yet what kind of a person he is. Is he nice? Shady? Got a star-crossed love thing going on? Is he the dad? I dunno.
Edit, after episode 4: Okay, she is the big sister. Which is what I thought originally. Dunno if the kid is his or not, as the kid calls him "Uncle" but that may just be because he's illegitimate and he doesn't know who his dad is? Dunno. Anyway, still enjoying it, though Lucky really needs to grow a bit of a brain. Mostly I'm liking Xia Ke's reactions to everything.
One kinda weird thing that SO doesn't jive with my own (non-mainland) Chinese upbringing -- boy, everyone is pushing her to sleep with Chu Nan, including her mom (and his) after they'd literally had ONE date (that was cut short). It's kinda weird. I mean, I guess it's pushed her for the funny aspect of it, but it's weird. My family is so the opposite of this.
Edit, after episode 9: Yeah, I didn't bother updating after each episode. Wasn't feeling very good today and so I have vegged out. The weather is also utter crap, which doesn't really help. My brain feels like mush and I have a headache. One of those not-quite-a-migraine things. Anyway.
Lucky finally got the news that Chu Nan wasn't into her -- and, boy, his reason (which this part she doesn't know or else she'd really have to kill him...) was because he wanted to marry her and then divorce her so that he would also be a divorced person...which was the reason that his mom objected to him marrying big sister of Xia Ke. And one good thing that big sis has done is slap the heck out of him when she heard what he was up to. Good for her. Somehow, I imagine she'll wind up with him by the end of the show BUT he deserves ALL the slaps.
And to complicate that, her first husband is back. Seems he disappeared on her some years back (presumably while she was pregnant, as he didn't seem to know until recently that he had a son) after a car accident that he thought would leave him disabled (and maybe I mis-read it as this part went by fast and I was too lazy to go back and check--but Xia Ke was involved in the accident somehow?) So far, his excuse seems to be "I didn't want to burden you." So, yeah, he doesn't deserve anything from her. I suspect there's more to it than that.
Lucky was mad at Xia Ke for all of a hot minute about his role in keeping the truth from her. Honestly, a bit bothered that he really didn't apologise or try to excuse his behaviour at all. Anyway, at the point in the story where he's finally thinking whoa, maybe I like her...do I like her? I dunno...what should I do? to which I'm, like, duh, dude, you've liked her since the beginning you big idiot. And since the path to love in a drama can never be a straight line, He (the one who I thought might be a brother but turns out is probably just a university friend? He Yu) has popped back into the picture and is chasing after Lucky. Not sure why. She's definitely not his normal type, which, I suppose might be why. Though, really, we know the real reason is that something's gotta force Mr. CEO to figure out his feelings (and her, too, I suppose, since she's dumb as a post when it comes to love and reading signals). Also newly popped up is another old friend from university -- this one a girl -- who has a crush on Xia Ke but will undoubtably wind up with He.
Is that everything? I think that's mostly everything. I'm still enjoying it but there's a lot that doesn't make logical sense. But that's okay. That's not what this type of thing is for.
Edit, after episode 13: Ah, Xing Zhao Lin is doing such a good job as Xia Ke. He's finally admitted to himself and to his big sister (liking her more now, though still doubtful that Chu Nan actually deserves to be with her...and yes, there was more to ex-husband...he was having an affair way back when that she didn't know about but Xia Ke and his grandmother conspired to get him out of the picture with money (which he was more than willing to take) and now she finally knows and is with Chu Nan...mostly I feel sorry for the little kid who nearly got kidnapped/ransomed...I knew that was coming but ah, well.) that he likes Lucky. But He Yu is pushing hard, even though Lucky's really not feeling him as anything more than a friend she bickers with. But, of course, Xia Ke thinks there might be something there and goodness knows he's not a character to actually, you know, talk to people.
But, at any rate, great scene where she's drunk and angry at him and he's all at once confused and reluctant and desperate and needy, and like a drowned man, and they kiss. He did such a great job at the scene and really showed the longing. Now I'll have to look out for that actor in other stuff. Bai Lu, the actress, is decent too, but mostly her job is to be adorably clueless and there's no weight to her.
This is a very stereotypical drama in SO many ways, but it's fun even in it's predictable-ness.
Edit, after episode 14: Aw, man! This is why I don't usually watch stuff that's not fully released yet. Episode 15 is out, but it isn't fully subbed yet. Episodes 17 and 18 will be released today, and probably won't be subbed for a few more days. ARGH. Just when you think, okay, finally Lucky has told He Yu she really, really doesn't want to date him and Xia Ke is finally, finally about to say something to her...now they introduce a whole new subplot where they're accusing her of selling company secrets. I mean, I knew this was bound to happen because she met some guy at a conference that was trying to get info out of her (but she didn't give him any) but I was kinda hoping it wouldn't because that was so long ago and I just want to get to the part where they have some requited love already! Also didn't realise how many episodes it was going to be. I thought it was going to be 16, so I figured I was really close to the end and the payoff. But no...
Crap. Just looked it up on MyDramaList and it looks like there will be 24 episodes. Frickin frack.
Edit, after episode 22: I saved up until a bunch was translated and now I've just got two episodes to go (one of which is subbed, the other will probably be done tomorrow) and I'll wait and watch them both together.
Anyway...I have to say I liked the first half a bit better than this latter half where it's gone all typical storyline -- Noble Martyr (Lucky leaves the company because she thinks that's the only way to get the investment to go through & does so by pretending to date He Yu), He Yu misleading her and trying to make a relationship when she's clearly not interested, Late introduction of bitchy manipulative past girlfriend + now the manipulative and conveniently ill/dying grandma who believes lies of past girlfriend + wants Xia Ke to take over the family company + probably more Noble Martyr stuff to come. Makjang Chaebol stuff...except the Chinese version, whatever that would be called.
I mean, I like the main characters. But it has devolved into same-old-same-old. The few pluses are the other best girl friend that had the unrequited crush on Xia Ke being the one to force the stalemate and that Lucky at least USUALLY stands up for herself.
But.
Sigh.
I wanted more than the typical out of this one because so many of the other elements were so good. It's not that it's bad and it's on par with a lot of other shows I've watched -- seriously, these are the storylines that FREAKING ALWAYS TURN UP. But I did want it to turn some new corners and instead it took a 180 into bog standard.
The best bits are with the two leads together. More of that, please.
Edit: Okay, I finished it and contrary to all the clues, the last two episodes were remarkably Noble Idiot free. Thank goodness. Actually even a few satisfying bits, where the evil Ex was trying so very, very hard to screw things up and get Lucky to come unglued, but instead she rose to the occasion (in a not-bitchy way). And Xia Ke never went down the O woe, I must give up all that I love to take on the family business (instead, older sis was the new chairwoman). So while there was some angst, it was all managed in far better a fashion than I had any expectation of. So even though they introduced all the old tired storylines, they actually at least handled them in a fresher way.
So I'm happy with that. Lucky even pushed him to accept her as a full partner rather than as a behind-the-scenes-someone-I-must-protect person, which was also refreshing. They even gave us a double wedding at the end and a cutesy ending scene. So, thank you, Chinese writer person, whoever you are. I thought you had failed me, but you prevailed.
Wednesday, October 02, 2019
Another Story...
So...given all the stresses of life lately, I had done a play through of Mystic Messenger with...drumroll please...Zen. Because, you know. Zen. Also, I'd had a save game I could go back to around Day 5. But after I finished it, I was kind of missing it. I'd unlocked Another Story eons ago when I'd had the hourglasses so I thought, eh, what the heck, I'll give it a go. No walkthrough. Just let it go.
I wound up on V's route, even though he's never been my favourite -- I've always wanted to smack him for his martyrdom leanings. But Ray was just so...creeptastic. The MC also has to REALLY be an idiot. Oh, hello random stranger! You want me to drop everything and play test a game for you? And I have to put on a blindfold and go with you to who knows where? And stay for who knows how long? Your random madman giggles don't freak me out at all! Of course I'll go with you to certain doom!
I mean, really.
I honestly can only roll with it because I love the guys so much and they make me happy.
Anyway. V. I'm on Day 8 now, so nearing the end. I'm not going to go over the whole route or do any write up or anything because a) I'm still not a huge fan of V and cannot at all fathom his motivations or how there's any realistic way that they all end up this way and b) I've got no time for that. So, just some general impressions:
Edit: Okay. I finished it. Pretty much walkthrough free, other than I looked up two answers because I honestly think the translations failed because neither made sense. I did get the Good & Normal ends (by saving right before the party and not accepting all the guests the first time to get normal). And I do have a few more thoughts.
So...in general, I'm not in love with Another Story. Will I go back and do Ray's side sometime? Eh, maybe. But I'll have to leave it sit for a while because I get the feeling that one is going to be even more crazypants craptastic than V's story. It was more enjoyable to do the Casual Story and Deep Story. Maybe it's because there's SO much more of Rika? I dunno.
I suppose I will work through the After Ending, but maybe I'll give it a few days. Just thinking about it exhausts me.
I wound up on V's route, even though he's never been my favourite -- I've always wanted to smack him for his martyrdom leanings. But Ray was just so...creeptastic. The MC also has to REALLY be an idiot. Oh, hello random stranger! You want me to drop everything and play test a game for you? And I have to put on a blindfold and go with you to who knows where? And stay for who knows how long? Your random madman giggles don't freak me out at all! Of course I'll go with you to certain doom!
I mean, really.
I honestly can only roll with it because I love the guys so much and they make me happy.
Anyway. V. I'm on Day 8 now, so nearing the end. I'm not going to go over the whole route or do any write up or anything because a) I'm still not a huge fan of V and cannot at all fathom his motivations or how there's any realistic way that they all end up this way and b) I've got no time for that. So, just some general impressions:
- Rika is absolutely batshit crazy. I mean, I knew that. But, whew. She's a total psychopath. Sociopath? Maybe both. It kinda makes me worry for the writers at Cheritz.
- V is the epitome of Noble Idiot. Seriously. He should be in the dictionary for it. At least he has good hair.
- It's annoying that nearly all of his CGs also feature Rika. For heaven's sake, Cheritz, give me a picture of just V.
- While I can theoretically feel sympathy for Ray, he's so creepy and off that I would probably have to do a walkthrough to successfully make it through his route. Heck, to even get on his route! Though maybe not...I think you'd basically have to pick all the options that would be stupid and self destructive.
- I do not at all understand why Rika has fans. I want to burn her with fire. In a 2D sort of way. I'd never do that to a real person. But she's so beyond reality.
- Zen is still best boy, though Jumin was well behaved as well.
- I think it will be a while before I can play Yoosung again after this because, as annoying as he was in his own route about Rika, he's absolutely a whining insufferable mess in V's route. I seriously want to hit him. And this is Yoosung we're talking about. The cutie pie shooting star. And I kinda want to kill him or just hand him over to Rika already so I don't have to listen to him whine about her anymore. Just go, boy, and get thee to a nunnery. Or cult. Whatever.
Anyway, if I have any final thoughts after I finish, I'll add to this. I honestly have no idea whether or not I'll get a good ending or not on this one. I may die a horrible death. Or all of them might get converted. I dunno. Though, honestly, is a good ending even possible with this storyline? I don't really see how.
Edit: Okay. I finished it. Pretty much walkthrough free, other than I looked up two answers because I honestly think the translations failed because neither made sense. I did get the Good & Normal ends (by saving right before the party and not accepting all the guests the first time to get normal). And I do have a few more thoughts.
- Did Cheritz mix up the good & normal ends? In the Good end, V goes off and disappears for 2 years (though he does get his eye surgery first, the idiot) and then reappears like the manic pixie dream boy he is at a party and is, like, hey, girl, you ready to love me now? I almost came to see you, like, a billion times, but I didn't. But I thought about you a lot. So, those ten days we chatted two years ago...you love me, right? Like, WTF? In the normal end, he asks you to immediately move in with him and, while he's a bit tentative and angsty (as per usual), you're together. So...yeah. And half of the Good end is some weird dream-like sequence with his mom? Ah, well, at least the art was nice. But I really kinda wanted the MC to be, like, DUDE.
- And...Ray blows himself up, apparently, in either of these endings. On the plus side, 707 never realises that he's his brother, so at least he's not devastated. Sucks to be Ray. He never deserved that. He's total fruit loops, but it's not his fault he was tortured and drugged by Rika for years.
- In the normal end, Rika has also apparently blown herself up. Yeah, sorry not sorry. In the Good end, she blows up the apartment but shows up at the party and tries to give drugged up wine to any guests that show and Yoosung stops her and gets her some treatment, though you don't know how that goes. I suppose the only benefit of that end is that at least Yoosung got some closure? I dunno. Personally, I'd rather she burned with fire in every ending. Like, every single one.
- But the biggest thing with V's story in general...okay, yeah, I get that he was trying to protect his friends from Rika the Psychopath...BUT the dude KNEW she'd started a cult with however many Believers AND he KNEW about Saeran/Ray from the start. He knew about the abuse and drugs. But...he just let it all happen so he could protect the RFA? Shouldn't he be prosecuted too? I mean, COME ON. You were trying to protect your friends but you also knew about all these other people being hurt. It just kinda kills any sympathy I have for him at all. He's an idiot. A wanker. A wanker and an idiot. But he's pretty, I'll give him that.
- Zen should be given a medal for taking one for the team and babysitting Yoosung through this whole route.
So...in general, I'm not in love with Another Story. Will I go back and do Ray's side sometime? Eh, maybe. But I'll have to leave it sit for a while because I get the feeling that one is going to be even more crazypants craptastic than V's story. It was more enjoyable to do the Casual Story and Deep Story. Maybe it's because there's SO much more of Rika? I dunno.
I suppose I will work through the After Ending, but maybe I'll give it a few days. Just thinking about it exhausts me.
Quicksand
Last week was a hard week. Perhaps one of the worst weeks I've ever had. I won't say the very worst...I mean, there's the week my dad died, for instance. But this was a bad week, partly because of timing. I'm already on edge a bit with the hubby's new business venture and feeling like there's no fallback. No safety net anymore. I'm not sleeping well. Generally kinda stressed. Have gained all the weight back (also due to too many guests and not enough time to go to the gym, but whatever, it's excuses). Feel gross. Tired all the time. Fearful. Blood pressure a bit wonky. And mom isn't doing well...though it's hard to tell exactly how bad she is when mostly what I get are 11 PM texts from my sisters alternating between "she's ok" to "you better visit soon" but mom herself won't tell me anything. Anyway. This week.
It started when little dude got sick and had to stay home. That's always bad. I had an appointment for a massage already made and needed to go out to get stuff for dinner, so I thought I'd quickly run out while he slept some more (I did tell him before I left, of course). On the way there, just a mile and a half from the house, I hit some flooding. There were cars in front of me, and cars behind and people on-coming, so I didn't really have anywhere to go. I got over as far as I could but...got hit with a wave from oncoming traffic and the car just...died. Dead. Wouldn't start again. And I'm stranded in the flooding with a sick kid back at home. I was stuck there for nearly 2 hours while making phone calls trying to get a tow truck. The police closed the road (I wasn't the only one stuck, apparently). Couldn't get little dude on the phone, so I finally walked home and left the car. Little dude, luckily, had slept through it all. Finally got a tow truck hours later to come and had it towed to the service centre. That was the day gone. A very expensive, stressful day. And we've got a £3K deductible, more or less, so no matter what, we're going to be paying a big chunk. It's already been a week and still no car while we deal with the insurance and hope that it won't take a full engine rebuild.
Was finally recovering from that on Friday when I get a call from the school and I first had that heart-pounding moment of oh no little dude but it turns out it was because he took his backpack with him to their breaktime at the park and left it behind and someone stole it. With his new laptop in it. The £900 laptop. And his new bank card. Keys. School books. Everything. Tracking all that mess and whoever took it used his bank card almost immediately after. Luckily we don't keep much on it. So filed a police report, etc. And little dude was devastated. It was his first experience with something like this. I think, probably, his first time realising how shit people can be.
It all just feels like quicksand, burying me.
BUT.
In good news, my editor finally sent me the draft of the cover image and the character designs from the illustrator and they are AWESOME. Honestly, it was my one good thing in a week of absolute shit. Thankful for that timing or it would have been unrelenting.
And...that's all I'm gonna say about all the crap for now. Trying not to dwell on it.
It started when little dude got sick and had to stay home. That's always bad. I had an appointment for a massage already made and needed to go out to get stuff for dinner, so I thought I'd quickly run out while he slept some more (I did tell him before I left, of course). On the way there, just a mile and a half from the house, I hit some flooding. There were cars in front of me, and cars behind and people on-coming, so I didn't really have anywhere to go. I got over as far as I could but...got hit with a wave from oncoming traffic and the car just...died. Dead. Wouldn't start again. And I'm stranded in the flooding with a sick kid back at home. I was stuck there for nearly 2 hours while making phone calls trying to get a tow truck. The police closed the road (I wasn't the only one stuck, apparently). Couldn't get little dude on the phone, so I finally walked home and left the car. Little dude, luckily, had slept through it all. Finally got a tow truck hours later to come and had it towed to the service centre. That was the day gone. A very expensive, stressful day. And we've got a £3K deductible, more or less, so no matter what, we're going to be paying a big chunk. It's already been a week and still no car while we deal with the insurance and hope that it won't take a full engine rebuild.
Was finally recovering from that on Friday when I get a call from the school and I first had that heart-pounding moment of oh no little dude but it turns out it was because he took his backpack with him to their breaktime at the park and left it behind and someone stole it. With his new laptop in it. The £900 laptop. And his new bank card. Keys. School books. Everything. Tracking all that mess and whoever took it used his bank card almost immediately after. Luckily we don't keep much on it. So filed a police report, etc. And little dude was devastated. It was his first experience with something like this. I think, probably, his first time realising how shit people can be.
It all just feels like quicksand, burying me.
BUT.
In good news, my editor finally sent me the draft of the cover image and the character designs from the illustrator and they are AWESOME. Honestly, it was my one good thing in a week of absolute shit. Thankful for that timing or it would have been unrelenting.
And...that's all I'm gonna say about all the crap for now. Trying not to dwell on it.
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
The King's Avatar
So, we finally found a drama that little dude and I can watch together. It's another Chinese one (is it just me, or do they seem to make more dramas that feature computer-y game-y stuff than other countries??) called The King's Avatar. It helped that he'd actually seen some of the manga before on Manga Rock.
So...it's about a professional gamer named Ye Qiu (played by Yang Yang) who was the captain of a team called Excellent Era. The game is called Glory. Through various circumstances, he is ousted and replaced with a young hotshot (who so far hasn't actually figured all that much in the story, other than being a complete wanker to Su Mucheng).
Since he officially resigned, he has to take a year off. He immediately and coincidentally falls into working as a Network Manager at an internet cafe literally across the street from where he was before. So...literally in the shadow of his former home/office. How can he do this when he was SO famous before and even the Internet Cafe owner is a huge fan of his? Because he always wore a mask before and never participated in fan gatherings.
But being "unofficial" doesn't mean he can't still play...which he does, on the newly added tenth server. He's soon breaking records and making enemies. Some people soon figure out who he is...others have no clue.
There are a number...a PLETHORA, if you will...of other important characters so far (we're up to the 9th episode out of...gulp...40):
Su Mucheng, who was on the Excellent Era team with him and also seems to be the sister of his deceased best friend from when he was younger. She would've followed him when he quit, but he told her to stay. She soon winds up playing with him again whenever she can. Possible romantic connection, but also maybe just the whole childhood friends thing. No idea how or when her brother died.
The Internet Cafe owner Chen Guo, who has some baggage of her own about her dead father (who had started the cafe and also instilled his love of Glory in her). She's a huge fan of Ye Qiu but so far she still hasn't figured out who he is and is constantly haranguing him (granted, he's slowly getting better at his job...he had no clue to start with). Totally waiting for when she finally figures out who he is.
Her best friend Little Tang, who makes her study (I'm not totally sure what for or why), and who soon makes up one of the first members of Ye's new team. She's very very persistent and dedicated and one of those never crack a smile characters.
Bao Zi, who sports the ridiculous in-game name of Steamed Bun, and is the goofy sidekick who winds up playing with Ye by sheer joy and geekery. He might be my favourite character. He'd like to be a professional player, but he works in some kind of stock room. He hasn't yet learned who Ye is either, but somehow I don't think he'll treat him any differently once he does.
Huang Shaotian, a professional player on another team (er, I forget which one...the blue one?) who is a friend of Ye's and periodically comes in to fight/play with him on the 10th server. He's the mouth of the South type and would rival Stephen Chow with his patter.
Yifan, who was on Tiny Herb's (I know, I know, the names are ridiculous) professional team but was always ranked last and got kicked back to training camp. He winds up playing with Ye and does actually know who he is because the guild leader figured out VERY quickly that it was Ye kicking everyone's butt from his playing style. He had no confidence and is slowly blossoming under Ye's tutelage.
And...you know what, that's enough. If I go anymore, I'll be starting to create whole team rosters.
Anyway, there are a few things going on driving the plot -- Ye is trying to find rare materials to build a weapon that his now dead friend created (the Myriad Manifestation Umbrella...and no, I'm not kidding, that's actually what it is called) back when they were teens. How that happened, I dunno, but that's what he's doing. This has lead him to complete missions/set records and all the guilds are competing for him because he's got mad skills.
And there's this asshole dude that he'd fired from the team that's trying to make his life miserable.
And machinations by guild leaders to try and utilise his mad skillz.
The game sequences are really well done, which I think is what attracts little dude. But there's a fair amount of humour (I put most of that on the lead actor, who's doing a great job) to balance things out. Some stuff makes no sense -- like why the guy is basically broke after being a professional gamer for 10 years (he should have been making some buck the whole time, no?) and exactly how the guilds / farm teams are connected with the professional teams.
But, at any rate, it's a pretty good show. Maybe that's the key to my enjoyment level of Chinese dramas...just need to find the ones that are predominately NOT romance and have other story drivers. I've had next to no luck on ones that include romance.
And great to find something to watch with little dude. :-)
Edit: We're now more than half way through and even the hubster has watched some of the episodes (sucked in enough to put it on pause when he has to take a break, so he is paying attention...though he says it's "the most Asian thing ever" ... to which I say, haha, have I got some shows for you...). Still holding our interest and it's been introducing even more characters as Ye is now putting his new team together. It's a fun show. Not groundbreaking but just the right amount of humour and low-key drama. Entertaining but not overly angsty.
Edit: We finished it and really enjoyed it. I can't say that any part of it was surprising, but overall it was just an enjoyable underdog story with a good blend of everything except romance (of which it had basically zip, zero, zilch). Would love to find another thing like this to watch with little dude because it was perfect for us to watch together.
So...it's about a professional gamer named Ye Qiu (played by Yang Yang) who was the captain of a team called Excellent Era. The game is called Glory. Through various circumstances, he is ousted and replaced with a young hotshot (who so far hasn't actually figured all that much in the story, other than being a complete wanker to Su Mucheng).
Since he officially resigned, he has to take a year off. He immediately and coincidentally falls into working as a Network Manager at an internet cafe literally across the street from where he was before. So...literally in the shadow of his former home/office. How can he do this when he was SO famous before and even the Internet Cafe owner is a huge fan of his? Because he always wore a mask before and never participated in fan gatherings.
But being "unofficial" doesn't mean he can't still play...which he does, on the newly added tenth server. He's soon breaking records and making enemies. Some people soon figure out who he is...others have no clue.
There are a number...a PLETHORA, if you will...of other important characters so far (we're up to the 9th episode out of...gulp...40):
Su Mucheng, who was on the Excellent Era team with him and also seems to be the sister of his deceased best friend from when he was younger. She would've followed him when he quit, but he told her to stay. She soon winds up playing with him again whenever she can. Possible romantic connection, but also maybe just the whole childhood friends thing. No idea how or when her brother died.
The Internet Cafe owner Chen Guo, who has some baggage of her own about her dead father (who had started the cafe and also instilled his love of Glory in her). She's a huge fan of Ye Qiu but so far she still hasn't figured out who he is and is constantly haranguing him (granted, he's slowly getting better at his job...he had no clue to start with). Totally waiting for when she finally figures out who he is.
Her best friend Little Tang, who makes her study (I'm not totally sure what for or why), and who soon makes up one of the first members of Ye's new team. She's very very persistent and dedicated and one of those never crack a smile characters.
Bao Zi, who sports the ridiculous in-game name of Steamed Bun, and is the goofy sidekick who winds up playing with Ye by sheer joy and geekery. He might be my favourite character. He'd like to be a professional player, but he works in some kind of stock room. He hasn't yet learned who Ye is either, but somehow I don't think he'll treat him any differently once he does.
Huang Shaotian, a professional player on another team (er, I forget which one...the blue one?) who is a friend of Ye's and periodically comes in to fight/play with him on the 10th server. He's the mouth of the South type and would rival Stephen Chow with his patter.
Yifan, who was on Tiny Herb's (I know, I know, the names are ridiculous) professional team but was always ranked last and got kicked back to training camp. He winds up playing with Ye and does actually know who he is because the guild leader figured out VERY quickly that it was Ye kicking everyone's butt from his playing style. He had no confidence and is slowly blossoming under Ye's tutelage.
And...you know what, that's enough. If I go anymore, I'll be starting to create whole team rosters.
Anyway, there are a few things going on driving the plot -- Ye is trying to find rare materials to build a weapon that his now dead friend created (the Myriad Manifestation Umbrella...and no, I'm not kidding, that's actually what it is called) back when they were teens. How that happened, I dunno, but that's what he's doing. This has lead him to complete missions/set records and all the guilds are competing for him because he's got mad skills.
And there's this asshole dude that he'd fired from the team that's trying to make his life miserable.
And machinations by guild leaders to try and utilise his mad skillz.
The game sequences are really well done, which I think is what attracts little dude. But there's a fair amount of humour (I put most of that on the lead actor, who's doing a great job) to balance things out. Some stuff makes no sense -- like why the guy is basically broke after being a professional gamer for 10 years (he should have been making some buck the whole time, no?) and exactly how the guilds / farm teams are connected with the professional teams.
But, at any rate, it's a pretty good show. Maybe that's the key to my enjoyment level of Chinese dramas...just need to find the ones that are predominately NOT romance and have other story drivers. I've had next to no luck on ones that include romance.
And great to find something to watch with little dude. :-)
Edit: We're now more than half way through and even the hubster has watched some of the episodes (sucked in enough to put it on pause when he has to take a break, so he is paying attention...though he says it's "the most Asian thing ever" ... to which I say, haha, have I got some shows for you...). Still holding our interest and it's been introducing even more characters as Ye is now putting his new team together. It's a fun show. Not groundbreaking but just the right amount of humour and low-key drama. Entertaining but not overly angsty.
Edit: We finished it and really enjoyed it. I can't say that any part of it was surprising, but overall it was just an enjoyable underdog story with a good blend of everything except romance (of which it had basically zip, zero, zilch). Would love to find another thing like this to watch with little dude because it was perfect for us to watch together.
Monday, September 23, 2019
Let's Eat
Anyway, Let's Eat is one that I noticed has a number of seasons (though interestingly, it looks like one of the male leads is the only one that continues on?) and, at least in Season 1, a female lead in her 30's that's been divorced. Lee Soo-Kyung (played by an actress of the same name) is 33 and fairly fulfilled in life (she works as a manager in a law office) except that she loves food and is often bummed when she can't eat out at a place that only serves large portions...or because it's a bit taboo to be there on your own as a single woman). She's a bit tightly wound sometimes but fairly well-meaning. Mostly, I'd say she doesn't suffer fools gladly.
A 20 something former heiress (her dad is currently under indictment and she's still spending money like she has it--she's very sweetly naive...the kind of girl you'd hate if she wasn't so gosh darn nice) moves in next door. And there's Koo Dae-Young (Yoon Doo-Joon--the actor that continues on in seasons 2 and 3) living on her other side. She finds him annoying and suspicious as he's kind of overly solicitous (and he seems to take a lot of phone calls with a lot of women where he's very obviously lying to them "Oh, sorry, I have to go, babe, I'm about to get on an airplane to Jeju...").
Anyway, I don't feel like recapping the entire thing...let's just say that weirdly there's some kind of bad dude/possible murderer going around in her neighbourhood and the show is very obviously trying to tease that it is Dae-Young (but in such an obvious way that you know it isn't, especially since he's the one that continues on with the series). But the food stuff is good and interesting -- Dae-Young is a foodie and (apparently, though not confirmed yet) runs a food blog that Soo-Kyung really likes. And I like that it's showing the challenges of being a divorced 30-something woman.
There's also the lead lawyer that Soo-Kyung works with (he's the fourth in the picture) who has a bit of an awkward crush on her though she definitely isn't seeing it as yet. Looking forward to when they actually get to creating their foodie club (as teased by the descriptions). I'm just finished with episode 2 so far. Will write more when I'm farther along.
Hmmmm...basically, I feel like this one is more fulfilling the promise that The Cravings had, which is probably why I gave that one up already.
Edit: Oh!! Just saw where I knew Yoon Doo-Joon from! He played the male lead in Splash Splash Love! No wonder I don't want to believe any bad things about him. ha!
And I forgot to mention my one meh about the show -- it's also got Jang Won-Young (who always seems to play a pervert or some kind of idiot or slimeball or something...and always has horrible nasty character quirks like sticking his hand down his trousers or through his hair and then smelling them) as a co-worker and husband of Soo-Kyung's best friend. What is it with the smelling the fingers thing? It's so gross.
Update 7 October 2020: Wah! Didn't realise it had been so long ago since I started this one. I finally started watching it again recently, partly because I felt like I needed to clear off some of the in-progress shows. It's been a weird, weird time, but more about that in another post.
So. I have two more episodes left in this season. To do a VERY quick summation, Soo-Kyung distrusted Dae-Young for a good portion of the show (to the point of reporting him to the police at one point), but then thawed, then figured out he was the Foodie blogger, then started falling for him. Meanwhile, the younger lady has liked him all along and Soo-Kyung knows this (and assumed he liked her too--I mean, why not, she's young, pretty, sweet & he's always so nice to everyone that it's hard to tell what he really feels anyway; consummate salesman) and so has been holding herself back (also, I think, because she's a divorcee and older than him by a few years). Then lawyer dude, after being mostly a raving ass to her for the last ten years while also crushing on her, finally figures out he loves her and does a 180 and asks her out. Which naturally she finds rather confusing. And we're at the point where Dae-Young has actually kinda sorta figured out that he is liking her too (after he thinks she's been kidnapped, when, in fact, she was helping the police catch the guy carrying out the random assaults -- which, hey, show, kudos to you for not making it a damsel in distress thing and giving her some agency). At the end of the 14th episode, Dae-Young kisses her, surprising them both a bit, and it is witnessed by Jin-yi (the younger lady).
There's more, but that's kinda the important bits.
I'm actually a bit confused now because I know that Dae-Young is the only one that goes on to Season 2, when he moves to another city. Because that means the show is probably pushing for Soo-Kyung to wind up with lawyer dude or...? And, while lawyer guy is being sweet now and is a big man-baby and is trying and has liked her for over 10 years...there's literally no reason for her to wind up with him. They don't have anything in common. She's got no feelings for him beyond, oh, hey, my boss that's mostly been a dick for the last ten years but has suddenly confessed to me and oh man oh man this is awkward. She and Dae-Young actually make a reasonably good couple. They both love food. They argue, yeah, but at this point, it's affectionately. They get on. They have stuff in common. They talk like people together. There's no imbalance of power. There's no 10 years of weirdness to get over.
So, eh, what the hell, show? You've actually set them up with a good relationship arc and...what? I guess I'll have to wait and see what they do, but I'm finding this very confusing.
That said, the food bits of the show are always worthwhile. A bit drawn out (sometimes uncomfortably so), but it always makes you hungry.
Edit: I finished it and it ended nicely (though a bit rushed) but...they wind up together. So I dunno what that means for the season 2, since the female lead isn't in it. Sigh.
The Cravings
Okay, so I like shows that have something to do with food. Apparently. Why? I dunno. I like food. And I saw The Cravings on Netflix and the episodes were really short -- 9 or 10 minutes). So I thought I'd give it a shot. Bonus that it had an "older" (i.e. still younger than me but at least not an early 20s girl) woman as the lead. Also, it had 2 seasons so I figured it ought to be okay.I actually watched it maybe last week? I can't remember. So...meh. I watched just the first episode but there wasn't really anything in particular attractive about it. It felt longer than the 9 minutes it was. The lead is rather depressing -- she's recently broken up with her long-term boyfriend. Her job seems kinda dead end. The promised food looked okay but wasn't quite enough to grab my interest.
It does get good reviews, so maybe I'll try again later. There's too many other things I'm in progress with though, so I dunno.
Friday, September 13, 2019
My Contracted Husband, Mr. Oh
Back to the gym today and I just didn't feel up to the teen-ish ridiculousness of Accidentally in Love today, so I thought I'd try the first episode of something else that I'd downloaded that sounded like it would be more mature & romantic & possibly relatable. My Contracted Husband, Mr. Oh.
So...yeah...the blurb says: "Han Seung-Joo (Uee) is a single woman in her mid 30's and she works as a PD at a broadcasting station. She does well at her job, but she is not nearly as good when it comes to housework. Han Seung-Joo has a hard time dealing with social prejudices about single women. To get the position of a "married woman," Han Seung-Joo marries Oh Jak-Doo (Kim Kang-Woo) who lives in the mountain. Their marriage is not based on love, but their relationship develops romantically."
Sounds reasonable, yeah? Bit of a cohabitation hijinks thing, maybe some fish out of water stuff, probably light and fluffy...right?
Why don't I know better by now? And who are these people that write the blurbs on AsianWiki and Netflix and Wikipedia? WHO ARE THEY? I kinda want to smack them. THEY LIE. THEY LIE LIKE A RUG.
Because, while there might be some fluffiness in this one, it also seems like it will be chockfull of makjang craziness. Han Seung-Joo is, indeed, a single woman in her 30's and very focused on her career. She's also supporting a deadbeat mother and brother (haven't even met him yet, but based on the horrible mother alone, he's bound to be awful) who take advantage of her every step of the way. And everyone -- friends, strangers, you name it, is constantly after her to get married. Yes, she does suck at housework. She's a workaholic. She's manipulative (in getting people to do things or appear on her shows). But at least she does have a couple of girlfriends who do things with her...when their husbands let them.
And...apparently, someone wants to kill her. And actually does kill someone in her house...on her bed... (a temporary renter), likely because they think it's her. So much for light and fluffy.
And Oh Jak-Doo is actually Oh Hyuk, who Seung-Joo was trying to find because he's the grandson of a famous gayageum (a traditional music instrument) maker who disappeared sometime back to go live in the mountains. A mountain that, strangely enough, Seung-Joo now owns due to the death of her one decent relative (her aunt...who specifically left it to her and not her older brother or mother because they are rotten people).
And Oh Jak-Doo coincidentally saves her at the end of episode 1 from a random attacker (probably the same guy that tried to run her off the road and/or killed the woman in her house) and she swoons. At least she had an excuse. The bad dude had been choking her mere moments before.
So...oh, man, I dunno. On the one hand, I rather liked the slightly strange Oh Jak-Doo from the get go. Not sure I'm much impressed with Seung-Joo. Definitely not in the mood for makjang horrible mother antics. Was not at all expecting Death! Murder! Drama!!
And it's long. Episodes are over an hour and there are 24 of them. I checked out some reviews and everyone is pretty much, like, around the midway point you want to gouge your eyes out. But you can't really trust reviews. Half of them said "oh, the chemistry between the leads made it all worth it" and the other half say "I didn't like them together at all." But most did seem to think it had way too much over the top drama.
I haven't seen any of the lead actors in anything before. They all seemed pretty good. But this will probably go on my "watching" list for a while and maybe I'll just do an episode now and again. We'll see. You can't trust those blurb summary writers. At all.
So...yeah...the blurb says: "Han Seung-Joo (Uee) is a single woman in her mid 30's and she works as a PD at a broadcasting station. She does well at her job, but she is not nearly as good when it comes to housework. Han Seung-Joo has a hard time dealing with social prejudices about single women. To get the position of a "married woman," Han Seung-Joo marries Oh Jak-Doo (Kim Kang-Woo) who lives in the mountain. Their marriage is not based on love, but their relationship develops romantically."
Sounds reasonable, yeah? Bit of a cohabitation hijinks thing, maybe some fish out of water stuff, probably light and fluffy...right?
Why don't I know better by now? And who are these people that write the blurbs on AsianWiki and Netflix and Wikipedia? WHO ARE THEY? I kinda want to smack them. THEY LIE. THEY LIE LIKE A RUG.
Because, while there might be some fluffiness in this one, it also seems like it will be chockfull of makjang craziness. Han Seung-Joo is, indeed, a single woman in her 30's and very focused on her career. She's also supporting a deadbeat mother and brother (haven't even met him yet, but based on the horrible mother alone, he's bound to be awful) who take advantage of her every step of the way. And everyone -- friends, strangers, you name it, is constantly after her to get married. Yes, she does suck at housework. She's a workaholic. She's manipulative (in getting people to do things or appear on her shows). But at least she does have a couple of girlfriends who do things with her...when their husbands let them.
And...apparently, someone wants to kill her. And actually does kill someone in her house...on her bed... (a temporary renter), likely because they think it's her. So much for light and fluffy.
And Oh Jak-Doo is actually Oh Hyuk, who Seung-Joo was trying to find because he's the grandson of a famous gayageum (a traditional music instrument) maker who disappeared sometime back to go live in the mountains. A mountain that, strangely enough, Seung-Joo now owns due to the death of her one decent relative (her aunt...who specifically left it to her and not her older brother or mother because they are rotten people).
And Oh Jak-Doo coincidentally saves her at the end of episode 1 from a random attacker (probably the same guy that tried to run her off the road and/or killed the woman in her house) and she swoons. At least she had an excuse. The bad dude had been choking her mere moments before.
So...oh, man, I dunno. On the one hand, I rather liked the slightly strange Oh Jak-Doo from the get go. Not sure I'm much impressed with Seung-Joo. Definitely not in the mood for makjang horrible mother antics. Was not at all expecting Death! Murder! Drama!!
And it's long. Episodes are over an hour and there are 24 of them. I checked out some reviews and everyone is pretty much, like, around the midway point you want to gouge your eyes out. But you can't really trust reviews. Half of them said "oh, the chemistry between the leads made it all worth it" and the other half say "I didn't like them together at all." But most did seem to think it had way too much over the top drama.
I haven't seen any of the lead actors in anything before. They all seemed pretty good. But this will probably go on my "watching" list for a while and maybe I'll just do an episode now and again. We'll see. You can't trust those blurb summary writers. At all.
Wednesday, September 04, 2019
I Hear You
So...I still had some time at the gym and I didn't have another Accidentally in Love downloaded (and the wifi was dodgy), so I started another Chinese drama that I had already downloaded an episode of. It's called I Hear You. The short blurb I'd seen somewhere said it was a romance between two very different people; him, a serious violinist and her, an aspiring voice actress...and they meet on some reality TV show. Just found a longer blurb on and it says:
Hmmm. Well. That all sounds lovely, right? And the episodes are just around 30 minutes, which is good. Eh, I dunno. I stopped when I ran out of time and I've still got maybe 8 minutes to go in the episode but so far he seems like a pretty big asshole (is that what passes for mysterious?) and she's kinda stupid, with a permanently pouty face. And they appear to totally hate each other...her, mostly because she interviewed for a voice acting spot he was a judge on and she overheard the person who got it talking about how it was guaranteed because she was the daughter of some bigwig and so she (FL) was pissed that it was all a waste of time and blames it (rightly or not) on him. No idea what's up with him. But they still wind up pretending to be a couple on this reality dating show even though they don't know each other because she wants money to go to Japan. So, yeah, bit morally ambiguous. It wasn't what I was expecting. And the acting hasn't impressed me particularly.
I dunno why, but the girls with the permanent pouts really do annoy me. It's not her fault that's her face, I suppose. And I'm sure some people love that look. Just not me. And the dude seemed wooden. I'll probably finish the episode but not sure if I'll go beyond that. We'll see. I haven't had huge success with Chinese language dramas anyway. Maybe that's part of it.
Edit: Okay. I finished the first episode. Felt I needed to do at least that. And...just...meh. Don't particularly care for the actors (or, at least, their respective portrayals in this particular show). Didn't enjoy the premise. Saw no chemistry or hints thereof. Found the FL to be particularly off-putting. Found the ML to be playing it way too stiff in a ridiculous way. So I looked up some reviews and...sounds like it goes on in that fashion and that the chemistry between them never really improves (mostly on her part; apparently he's lovely and adorable once he loosens up) AND the killer...the end has the whole Noble Idiot thing going on with a separation for no reason, etc. etc. So this one is going on to my "not planning to finish list" right away.
Bei Er Duo, a girl from an ordinary family, dreams about studying in Japan to be a professional voice actress. However, her mother wants her to marry rich whilst she is young, leading to continuous blind dates which irritate Bei Er Duo. In her desperation to raise funds for studying overseas as well as helping her best friend Tang Li out of a crisis, Bei Er Duo joins a couple reality program, encountering top violin maker Ye Shu Wei.
Ye Shu Wei is from a family of artists and has a low-key, mysterious, and genius character in both the composing and violin industry. He was forced to join the reality program having lost a bet to his nephew Yu Sheng. In fact, the actual reason that attracted Ye Shu Wei to participate in the show is not his bet with Yu Sheng. Instead, he seeks to identify the person who correctly answered his audition question. Because the reality show is faced with the crisis of integrity, Bei Er Duo and Ye Shu Wei start a lively and funny cohabitation life, and spontaneously fell into the fate of a wonderful romance together.
Hmmm. Well. That all sounds lovely, right? And the episodes are just around 30 minutes, which is good. Eh, I dunno. I stopped when I ran out of time and I've still got maybe 8 minutes to go in the episode but so far he seems like a pretty big asshole (is that what passes for mysterious?) and she's kinda stupid, with a permanently pouty face. And they appear to totally hate each other...her, mostly because she interviewed for a voice acting spot he was a judge on and she overheard the person who got it talking about how it was guaranteed because she was the daughter of some bigwig and so she (FL) was pissed that it was all a waste of time and blames it (rightly or not) on him. No idea what's up with him. But they still wind up pretending to be a couple on this reality dating show even though they don't know each other because she wants money to go to Japan. So, yeah, bit morally ambiguous. It wasn't what I was expecting. And the acting hasn't impressed me particularly.
I dunno why, but the girls with the permanent pouts really do annoy me. It's not her fault that's her face, I suppose. And I'm sure some people love that look. Just not me. And the dude seemed wooden. I'll probably finish the episode but not sure if I'll go beyond that. We'll see. I haven't had huge success with Chinese language dramas anyway. Maybe that's part of it.
Edit: Okay. I finished the first episode. Felt I needed to do at least that. And...just...meh. Don't particularly care for the actors (or, at least, their respective portrayals in this particular show). Didn't enjoy the premise. Saw no chemistry or hints thereof. Found the FL to be particularly off-putting. Found the ML to be playing it way too stiff in a ridiculous way. So I looked up some reviews and...sounds like it goes on in that fashion and that the chemistry between them never really improves (mostly on her part; apparently he's lovely and adorable once he loosens up) AND the killer...the end has the whole Noble Idiot thing going on with a separation for no reason, etc. etc. So this one is going on to my "not planning to finish list" right away.
Hey Ana, Let's Eat
Had found another super short episode drama (12-16 minutes each, only 5 episodes) and watched it on the way to and from Paris. It was on Amazon Prime, which seems to have a very random collection of short dramas (like the one with Cha Eun Woo).
The blurb:
An adorable love story of Park Ji-yong, a good-looking home shopping host, and Sohn Ana, a secluded girl who never leaves home and whose only joy of life is home shopping.
Starring: Nam Gyu-ri (the girl, was in a trio singing group, been in a few things, though none that I've seen before), Im Seul-ong (the dude; he's an Idol from 2AM and has only been in a handful of things...weirdly, this one isn't even listed on the AsianWiki)
So...at first I was, like, hey they're doing a fair amount of character build up without any face time between the main characters. How're they going to wrap this up so quickly? And then basically it was BOOM we barely know each other and have only actually had one conversation where one of them wasn't blind drunk but oh, how I care about you, let's be together from now on.
So...yeah. I mean, it's kinda cute. They are both interestingly damaged characters. She was left at the altar by her fiancé (for another dude) and has basically been in seclusion and not leaving the house for two years with a reaction where she can't eat with other people without getting sick. Obviously a mental reaction to the, er, trauma. He used to be fat and severely insecure and changed himself with the encouragement of another TV host (after he was accidentally cast as a host instead of a background person) after mis-reading her kindness as interest. Since he figured out she was never into him, he's just been kinda...existing.
He winds up having to recruit her because she's become a power blogger. She won't talk to him. He shows up and sort of accidentally shares his life story. She finally leaves the house to go meet with him, but he's out drinking for the first time in years and doesn't answer. But she runs into him anyway...after he's seriously drunk. She gets him home. He kisses her. Makes some sad drunken confessions. Next day, wakes up and is confused as to who she even is. But cooks her breakfast which she is magically able to eat (because he's confessed his weaknesses to her?). And yeah, now she's working as a host with him and they're in lurve.
This would have worked better longer, definitely. Or even just a few more short episodes where they get to actually know each other once they finally meet. As it is, it was kind of weird. 0 to 60 in no time. But the actors were cute and at least they were adorable together.
Would I watch it again? No. It was a good diversion for the train ride, but story-wise it doesn't hold up as-is. Am I glad I watched it? Eh, it was okay. I wouldn't say it changed my life in any way but it was okay for what it was.
The blurb:
An adorable love story of Park Ji-yong, a good-looking home shopping host, and Sohn Ana, a secluded girl who never leaves home and whose only joy of life is home shopping.
Starring: Nam Gyu-ri (the girl, was in a trio singing group, been in a few things, though none that I've seen before), Im Seul-ong (the dude; he's an Idol from 2AM and has only been in a handful of things...weirdly, this one isn't even listed on the AsianWiki)
So...at first I was, like, hey they're doing a fair amount of character build up without any face time between the main characters. How're they going to wrap this up so quickly? And then basically it was BOOM we barely know each other and have only actually had one conversation where one of them wasn't blind drunk but oh, how I care about you, let's be together from now on.
So...yeah. I mean, it's kinda cute. They are both interestingly damaged characters. She was left at the altar by her fiancé (for another dude) and has basically been in seclusion and not leaving the house for two years with a reaction where she can't eat with other people without getting sick. Obviously a mental reaction to the, er, trauma. He used to be fat and severely insecure and changed himself with the encouragement of another TV host (after he was accidentally cast as a host instead of a background person) after mis-reading her kindness as interest. Since he figured out she was never into him, he's just been kinda...existing.
He winds up having to recruit her because she's become a power blogger. She won't talk to him. He shows up and sort of accidentally shares his life story. She finally leaves the house to go meet with him, but he's out drinking for the first time in years and doesn't answer. But she runs into him anyway...after he's seriously drunk. She gets him home. He kisses her. Makes some sad drunken confessions. Next day, wakes up and is confused as to who she even is. But cooks her breakfast which she is magically able to eat (because he's confessed his weaknesses to her?). And yeah, now she's working as a host with him and they're in lurve.
This would have worked better longer, definitely. Or even just a few more short episodes where they get to actually know each other once they finally meet. As it is, it was kind of weird. 0 to 60 in no time. But the actors were cute and at least they were adorable together.
Would I watch it again? No. It was a good diversion for the train ride, but story-wise it doesn't hold up as-is. Am I glad I watched it? Eh, it was okay. I wouldn't say it changed my life in any way but it was okay for what it was.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Revenge Note aka Sweet Revenge
I finished two of the supplementary things for the book and sent them off to my editor (having sent off the revised manuscript late last week), so I thought I'd reward myself with a show. Since watching Cha Eun Woo just makes me happy (and I don't at all mean that in a cougar-y kind of way...I'm old enough to be his mom for heaven's sake; he's a puppy but he's a freaking adorable puppy and he's just a joy), I thought I'd go with another drama that features him. Weirdly enough, it's another one where he plays himself, though he's not the love interest this time around. Just a good friend.
It's called Sweet Revenge or Revenge Note, depending on where you find it and the show must have done reasonably well as there's another season of it (but I think it's with different characters). And, happily, the episodes are just a bit over half an hour, so doable if you don't have a huge amount of time. If I'd realised that before, I might have bumped it up my list.
Anyway, this is the story of Ho Goo Hee (played by Kim Hyang-gi), the girl with the braids. She's a 17 year old high school freshman (someday I need to look up exactly what years Korean high school is exactly) and she's super sweet...but a bit of a pushover. Her boyfriend from middle school went off to a different school and obviously (not to her) took advantage of her by accepting presents but not reciprocating, etc. etc. and was just not that into her. Anyway, once she gets to this new school, she meets Ji-Hoon (played by Park Solomon) who's a bit aloof but has already bailed her out twice since knowing her (in embarrassing ways) and also witnesses the inevitable but heart-wrenching scene of when she gets dumped by her jerky boyfriend.
She does make one new friend in Jung Deok-Hee (played by Kim Hwan-Hee) who is a super fan of Cha Eun Woo (I learned today that his real name is Lee Dong Min. I wonder why they gave him a stage name? Is there another famous Lee Dong Min or something? A quick search doesn't make it appear that's the case. So...colour me clueless.). Remember him? The reason why I started this show? Yes, he frequents the chicken restaurant that Goo Hee's family owns and is a friend of her brother and is like an oppa to her (more so than her real brother who is...well...very brother-y). Eun Woo is one of the only bright spots in Goo-Hee's life.
There's also a girl at her school that knew her and took advantage of her in middle school (taking her homework, asking her to take on her school duties, etc.) and is up the same old tricks now. Here's where Goo-Hee has some growing up to do. She needs to, as they say, grow a pair. We'll just say it's ovaries. But, yeah. She's a total pushover and while she's sweet, some of this is her fault for never standing up for herself.
Anyway, by the end of the first episode, Goo-Hee is at a low point after being dumped and has received an invitation to join "Revenge Note" on her phone. That's where I am so far.
Will write more later but I'd have to say that I'm enjoying the actors and finding that it seems to have a good balance between sad bits and comedic bits, which helps with the pace. It looks well done and I have a good feeling about it in general. It's got a 9.4 rating on Viki, which is pretty decent. Definitely a high school drama, but, hey, I'm never growing up, so what the hey.
Edit: About to start episode 4 and I gotta say that this one is all around better than I thought it would be. I mean, I had hopes, but it's even better so far as story, plot, characters... very brief update...Goo-Hee keeps running into horrible people. Ji-Hoon keeps saving her (along with his guy friend/flunky). Goo-Hee has just used the Revenge Note app on someone who may not have actually deserved it, but I think (in the next episode) she'll be taking matters into her own hands. Eun-woo is about to have trouble. It's all moving along and characters are developing.
Edit: Finished episode 6. Park Solomon is just adorable in this. My only complaint about the show is that I really want Gui-Hee/Goo-Hee to start developing more of a spine instead of relying on the mysterious app. But, seriously, Ji-Hun/Ji-Hoon is just great.
Edit: I'm up to episode 11. Well, I'm still liking the show overall but Goo-Hee is still in need of a backbone or at least some faith in herself and/or Ji-Hoon. And I should probably stop watching the preview of the next show they put at the end of the episodes because they always feel more angsty/horrible than it winds up being. I get that you gotta have conflict, but now it kinda feels a bit drawn out and re-hashed...oh, this girl is after Ji-Hoon...and now this one---and now this one wants revenge because he turned her down...O woe...I almost like the story bits where they're dealing with someone else's problems more. But overall, it's still good and I do like all the lead characters. Wouldn't mind more of Eun-woo though...
Final Edit 29 April 2020: Finally finished it. All this time I'd thought I had two episodes left (it's been MONTHS since I watched this) but there was actually only one left and the last thing on Viki was some recap/rehash thing. So I really should have finished it AGES ago. But anyway.
So, the girl who wanted revenge on Ji-Hoon goes totally over the top (as does her evil beyotch mom) but Goo-Hee's phone gets ruined (by the evil girl) and she can't use Revenge Note when she needs it most (Ji-Hoon is being threatened with jail and his family's business in trouble). But they wind up prevailing because they are nice people and the much beset upon driver of the evil girl's family can't take any more of their evil machinations and helps them out. More or less. And Goo-Hee's brother fixes her phone, but she decides to delete the app because she doesn't want to rely on it anymore.
To sum up, am I glad I watched it? Yes. It was good. Better than I thought it would be. Not everything was all wrapped up, but overall it was nice. Acting was good, even on the young actors. Kim Hyang-gi I've also seen in a movie (where she played a girl with autism) and she's great. Park Solomon...I really enjoyed him in this too. I wonder why he hasn't really been in much? I can't find anything he's been in recently. Shame. Hopefully he gets more roles. Eun-woo...my only complaint is that they didn't tie off his story at all and I could have used more of him. :-)
Would I watch it again? Probably not. While I enjoyed it, I'm old. And I'm not a big fan of bullying storylines (even though the good guys "win"). Will I go on to watch Revenge Note 2? Eh, I dunno. I've seen a bunch of clips of that one and it looks like it is on par with this one with lots more bitchy, manipulative girls. The leads in it also look cute BUT I can only watch so much of that. I think I'd have been way more into it if I was a teenager but I am SO not. Even if I do write books for kids.
It's called Sweet Revenge or Revenge Note, depending on where you find it and the show must have done reasonably well as there's another season of it (but I think it's with different characters). And, happily, the episodes are just a bit over half an hour, so doable if you don't have a huge amount of time. If I'd realised that before, I might have bumped it up my list.
Anyway, this is the story of Ho Goo Hee (played by Kim Hyang-gi), the girl with the braids. She's a 17 year old high school freshman (someday I need to look up exactly what years Korean high school is exactly) and she's super sweet...but a bit of a pushover. Her boyfriend from middle school went off to a different school and obviously (not to her) took advantage of her by accepting presents but not reciprocating, etc. etc. and was just not that into her. Anyway, once she gets to this new school, she meets Ji-Hoon (played by Park Solomon) who's a bit aloof but has already bailed her out twice since knowing her (in embarrassing ways) and also witnesses the inevitable but heart-wrenching scene of when she gets dumped by her jerky boyfriend.
She does make one new friend in Jung Deok-Hee (played by Kim Hwan-Hee) who is a super fan of Cha Eun Woo (I learned today that his real name is Lee Dong Min. I wonder why they gave him a stage name? Is there another famous Lee Dong Min or something? A quick search doesn't make it appear that's the case. So...colour me clueless.). Remember him? The reason why I started this show? Yes, he frequents the chicken restaurant that Goo Hee's family owns and is a friend of her brother and is like an oppa to her (more so than her real brother who is...well...very brother-y). Eun Woo is one of the only bright spots in Goo-Hee's life.
There's also a girl at her school that knew her and took advantage of her in middle school (taking her homework, asking her to take on her school duties, etc.) and is up the same old tricks now. Here's where Goo-Hee has some growing up to do. She needs to, as they say, grow a pair. We'll just say it's ovaries. But, yeah. She's a total pushover and while she's sweet, some of this is her fault for never standing up for herself.
Anyway, by the end of the first episode, Goo-Hee is at a low point after being dumped and has received an invitation to join "Revenge Note" on her phone. That's where I am so far.
Will write more later but I'd have to say that I'm enjoying the actors and finding that it seems to have a good balance between sad bits and comedic bits, which helps with the pace. It looks well done and I have a good feeling about it in general. It's got a 9.4 rating on Viki, which is pretty decent. Definitely a high school drama, but, hey, I'm never growing up, so what the hey.
Edit: About to start episode 4 and I gotta say that this one is all around better than I thought it would be. I mean, I had hopes, but it's even better so far as story, plot, characters... very brief update...Goo-Hee keeps running into horrible people. Ji-Hoon keeps saving her (along with his guy friend/flunky). Goo-Hee has just used the Revenge Note app on someone who may not have actually deserved it, but I think (in the next episode) she'll be taking matters into her own hands. Eun-woo is about to have trouble. It's all moving along and characters are developing.
Edit: Finished episode 6. Park Solomon is just adorable in this. My only complaint about the show is that I really want Gui-Hee/Goo-Hee to start developing more of a spine instead of relying on the mysterious app. But, seriously, Ji-Hun/Ji-Hoon is just great.
Edit: I'm up to episode 11. Well, I'm still liking the show overall but Goo-Hee is still in need of a backbone or at least some faith in herself and/or Ji-Hoon. And I should probably stop watching the preview of the next show they put at the end of the episodes because they always feel more angsty/horrible than it winds up being. I get that you gotta have conflict, but now it kinda feels a bit drawn out and re-hashed...oh, this girl is after Ji-Hoon...and now this one---and now this one wants revenge because he turned her down...O woe...I almost like the story bits where they're dealing with someone else's problems more. But overall, it's still good and I do like all the lead characters. Wouldn't mind more of Eun-woo though...
Final Edit 29 April 2020: Finally finished it. All this time I'd thought I had two episodes left (it's been MONTHS since I watched this) but there was actually only one left and the last thing on Viki was some recap/rehash thing. So I really should have finished it AGES ago. But anyway.
So, the girl who wanted revenge on Ji-Hoon goes totally over the top (as does her evil beyotch mom) but Goo-Hee's phone gets ruined (by the evil girl) and she can't use Revenge Note when she needs it most (Ji-Hoon is being threatened with jail and his family's business in trouble). But they wind up prevailing because they are nice people and the much beset upon driver of the evil girl's family can't take any more of their evil machinations and helps them out. More or less. And Goo-Hee's brother fixes her phone, but she decides to delete the app because she doesn't want to rely on it anymore.
To sum up, am I glad I watched it? Yes. It was good. Better than I thought it would be. Not everything was all wrapped up, but overall it was nice. Acting was good, even on the young actors. Kim Hyang-gi I've also seen in a movie (where she played a girl with autism) and she's great. Park Solomon...I really enjoyed him in this too. I wonder why he hasn't really been in much? I can't find anything he's been in recently. Shame. Hopefully he gets more roles. Eun-woo...my only complaint is that they didn't tie off his story at all and I could have used more of him. :-)
Would I watch it again? Probably not. While I enjoyed it, I'm old. And I'm not a big fan of bullying storylines (even though the good guys "win"). Will I go on to watch Revenge Note 2? Eh, I dunno. I've seen a bunch of clips of that one and it looks like it is on par with this one with lots more bitchy, manipulative girls. The leads in it also look cute BUT I can only watch so much of that. I think I'd have been way more into it if I was a teenager but I am SO not. Even if I do write books for kids.
My Romantic Some Recipe
Joo Da-Young plays a college age-ish girl who works at a cafe. She's never dated, having attended an all girls school growing up + having loads of brothers. She's got a crush on a handsome guy who comes to the cafe a lot...but the other girl working there also has a crush on him and is more successful at flirting than Da-Young's character.
One rather drunk night, in a fit of depression after yet another unsuccessful attempt at getting herself noticed, she carts away a life-size cut out of Cha Eun Woo (i.e. Kpop Idol boy from Astro, which he is indeed). She cries a magical tear on it. Why? Who knows. Let's just call it magical realism and roll with it.
The next morning, she wakes up to find him cooking breakfast, though seemingly a bit confused as to why he's there. She at first thinks he's an intruder but soon realises only she can see him. And, since it's Cha Eun Woo, she doesn't dwell on it much and takes it at face value. To be fair, I would too. Why not? When he discovers that she's got a crush on a dude, he vows to help her win him over. It seems to be working, but then their first "date" is disastrous when it turns out the cute dude also invited the other girl along as well and seems more into her. But, meanwhile, Eun Woo has been growing more attached to her...
Just when it seems like things are going well for them (er, other than the whole, no one else can see him thing??), her landlady thinks the now-empty cutout is rubbish and snaps it in half and throws it out. Eun Woo disappears. She's devastated but has to move on because what else is she gonna do? But at least she's got self confidence now and when cute dude tries to switch to her after sort of dumping the other girl, she's, like, no thanks. And shares a moment with the other girl and you can see they're becoming friends. And also starts taking better care of herself via post-it note written prompts from Eun Woo -- she's keeping her house clean and making actual meals instead of living off of instant ramyun.
While walking to work about two months later, she comes across Astro being mobbed by a bunch of teenage girls. She stops to watch, captivated for a moment with Eun Woo, who turns to look at her. But then he turns away and she thinks, oh, yeah, why would he know me? And turns to walk away. But then the ever-present Kdrama wrist grab and Eun Woo's there asking her if she knows him. So, it turns out that, for his part, she's the girl he was dreaming about two months before every night and giggling over getting his first kiss. They share a long look and BOOM that's it, fade to black.
So, it was ridiculously adorable and cute. Left you wanting WAY more but that's the way of these super short web dramas. Sure, there's plot holes and nothing is explained, but I didn't care because it was like a sweet cupcake of a drama. Like, you could get a cavity from watching this. And for what it was, it was well done with a decent amount of character development. I wish they'd drawn out the reveal at the end a little more with at least a hug or something, but I'll take it. It was a nice diversion. Totally adorkable. How many times have I said adorable in this write up? I don't even care.
Dream Daddy
I'd seen Dream Daddy recommended as a good otome a number of times, but hadn't tried it as I thought it was only available via Steam and I've been mostly playing mobile apps recently. Why? I dunno. Maybe because little dude has kind of taken over the laptop I bought for Steam games...but also probably because it was over £10 and I wasn't sure if it was worth it. It's also a game where you play a dude romancing other dudes and that's not normally something I'm looking for in particular. Anyway, long preamble short, it came up the other day in the app store and it was a free download (with, basically, three "credits" so you could go on three "dates") and I thought, what the hey. I'll give it a shot.
So, in a nutshell, you play a dad of a teenage daughter in her last year of high school. Your spouse (which can be either a dude or a lady) died some time ago (unclear how long ago). You and your daughter Amanda are moving to a new neighbourhood where you meet a plethora of other dads. First good point -- you can completely customise how your character looks, which was fun.
Second good point -- the dialogue between all the characters is charming and fun. I especially enjoyed the interactions between the dad and daughter. It was also nice that the story wasn't entirely about the romance stuff; your daughter is also having some problems and part of the story is dealing with that. That said, I'm not sure if the choices you make in those sections have any impact on the romanceable love interests...which leads me to my first bad point.
There's no way to check your relative progress with any of the love interests while you're playing. No gauge. Some of the choices don't seem to make a difference and nothing happens. No visual cues. Some make black clouds appear (presumably, bad choices) and some make hearts (guessing that's good) and some an explosion of hearts and...pills? (is that really good or...what?)
Oh, and if you want to unlock ALL the content, it's $14.99...but if you actually go to the app store, it wants to charge £14.99 which is currently like $18. I hate it when apps do that. You really get screwed by the exchange rate. Which is a reason I don't buy games when they do that...especially since I could get the full game on Steam for £10.99. Annoying.
So, I mentioned previously that you get three "free" dates to play with when you download the mobile app. I figured I'd spend them all on one guy as it looks like you get three possible dates with each one. That way I could presumably check out one complete route, right? See if it would be worth buying on Steam.
Let's talk about the dudes then...
There are seven romanceable love interests and this is where I admit that it gets a little weird for me. I'll go in order, starting from the left of the picture above.
Second good point -- the dialogue between all the characters is charming and fun. I especially enjoyed the interactions between the dad and daughter. It was also nice that the story wasn't entirely about the romance stuff; your daughter is also having some problems and part of the story is dealing with that. That said, I'm not sure if the choices you make in those sections have any impact on the romanceable love interests...which leads me to my first bad point.
There's no way to check your relative progress with any of the love interests while you're playing. No gauge. Some of the choices don't seem to make a difference and nothing happens. No visual cues. Some make black clouds appear (presumably, bad choices) and some make hearts (guessing that's good) and some an explosion of hearts and...pills? (is that really good or...what?)
Oh, and if you want to unlock ALL the content, it's $14.99...but if you actually go to the app store, it wants to charge £14.99 which is currently like $18. I hate it when apps do that. You really get screwed by the exchange rate. Which is a reason I don't buy games when they do that...especially since I could get the full game on Steam for £10.99. Annoying.
So, I mentioned previously that you get three "free" dates to play with when you download the mobile app. I figured I'd spend them all on one guy as it looks like you get three possible dates with each one. That way I could presumably check out one complete route, right? See if it would be worth buying on Steam.
Let's talk about the dudes then...
There are seven romanceable love interests and this is where I admit that it gets a little weird for me. I'll go in order, starting from the left of the picture above.
- Robert - he's, uh, the bad boy? He doesn't talk much, and when he does, you're not sure if he's joking or what. He likes to drink. If you meet him out at the bar first, he invites you home and I, naively, thought he was inviting you home to maybe hang out (yo, welcome to the cul-de-sac) but then he's sticking his tongue down your throat as soon as you get in the door and I was, like, EEK and got the hell out of there. I actually started over because I didn't think the character would've gone there (at least the "dad" I had in my head). I'll admit this one kind of skeeves me out. Didn't do enough of his stuff that I know what his deal with his kid(s) was.
- Damien - a Victorian loving goth dad with a teenage emo son. He collects dead butterflies and looks like a wannabe vampire. He's actually pretty nice and friendly, though a bit out there. Checking out a guide, it says he's transgender, but that wasn't obvious at all from the bit I played. He was my second choice as a possible to romance. He was kind of sweet.
- Craig - a former college buddy / roommate of yours who is divorced from his wife and has three kids, one of which is a baby. He's very into working out, which surprises you as he was a total wasteoid at uni. He's the bro. It seems a weird romanceable choice, given that he doesn't at all give off a bi-vibe and you knew him and his girlfriend/wife and the divorce couldn't have been that long ago when he's got a baby that can't even walk yet. So I stayed away from him. Maybe it'd work if there was something in the dialogue/inner thought monologue where you think about how you always had a crush on him or that one night when you both got too drunk in uni...
- Joseph - a still married (to a woman, Mary, who is a hardcore drunk slutty woman who sleeps around and ignores her kids to the point of abuse) youth minister (?!) with four kids (all of whom have names starting with the letter "C" and two of which are really creepy twins). He's the blonde preppie looking dad. I didn't want to touch any of that with a ten foot pole. I mean, he's still married and his "Dadbook" profile is all about how much he loves his wife. And he wears a sweater thrown over his shoulders. He invites you to attend church with him. So. Ick. Uck. Yuck.
- Hugo - one of your daughter's teachers. He's a literary paragon who likes big words. Has a snot of a tweenager son. Looks very dapper. Has an ex-husband. If I'd been feeling him, he probably would have been a decent choice because he already presents as gay. Am I making sense? Do I try to inner roleplay this stuff too much? Probably. Anyway, this guy didn't skeeve me out or anything, but he had a bit of a "I'm smarter than everyone" thing going on, so I skipped him. Though, apparently, from the guide...he's also into wrestling? So...hmmm.
- Mat - a widower (wife dead) who owns the local coffee shop and has a middle school aged daughter and is adorkably awkward when talking to people (like the MC). Also plays music and makes bad puns. Liked everything about him, though, again, was a bit weirded out that he had a wife before. But he was the one I picked because I liked the conversations with him the best in the intro scenes.
- Brian - a kind of weirdly aggressive "I'm the best" chubby bear of a dad with an overachieving 10 year old daughter. Both constantly try to one-up you. Didn't find any of that attractive at all, so I didn't go there.
So. I played without looking at any walkthroughs or anything (only looked at a guide while writing this up so I could see their names). Did all three dates with Mat. Got a B on the first one, an A on the second, and a B on the third -- again, as I mentioned above, without many visual cues so wasn't sure what was going on. They kissed at the end of the third date. But then in the aftermath, you get turned down and friendzoned. So it obviously wasn't enough. And I missed what looks like a chunk of one date because I didn't want to do drugs with the character. So, yeah. I'm too straightlaced.
Oh. Haven't mentioned the annoying mini games. There are apparently a number of them. You come across two in Mat's route. One where you have to work your way through a crowd (which wasn't very easily controllable, so I failed and thus didn't get to finish that part of the date) and another where you have to sort of play ska piano. I gather that they are supposed to be cute, but I just found them to be random and annoying.
So...I guess I see why people recommend this one. The art is great (though Robert, like, kinda scares me). The dialogue is witty and fun. The storyline is pretty engaging and well written, even if some of it doesn't make total sense. Great to see something with good representation -- a lot of diversity in the characters from every which direction -- race, sexual orientation, etc. The only category I guess you could say gets dinged are women since the only one in the story is a total beyotch, though at least the dead wives were all nice...
But I don't think I'll be ultimately buying it because a) the mechanics are a bit lacking as far as figuring out where you stand, b) the minigames annoyed me, c) over half of the LIs I can't imagine romancing given who the characters are supposed to be (that's just me; I obviously take this shit way too seriously) and d) given all of the above, I wouldn't spend the £18 on it. £5 maybe, as I wouldn't have minded trying to successfully finish Mat's route or taken a stab at Damien and possibly Hugo. Some of this is obviously "just me" stuff so it's one I wouldn't feel bad recommending to people.
I'm glad I tried it, though.
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