Hot Stove League

I have, rather weirdly, been watching Hot Stove League, a baseball Kdrama, rather than any of the more romantic-y ones I was in the middle of. 

I mean, I like Namkoong Min, one of the main characters , but it's not like I'm a big baseball fan. At all. The only reason to go to a baseball game is to eat hot dogs and sit in the sun. And I usually watch these things as a form of escapism, I suppose...if there's romance in my life, this is where I get it. But, here I am, on episode 11 out of 16.

Anyway, the story. The Dreams is in dead last place and has been. They bring in Baek Seung-Soo (Namkoong Min) as the new general manager, even though he's never run anything baseball before. That's actually kind of his specialty -- he's also reformed a wrestling team and a handball one (if I remember right). Though each of those teams were disbanded after he turned them around. That'll be important later...

He gets a lot of push back at first from both staff and players, but as he makes some drastic decisions and behind-the-scenes deals, they start coming around. However...that actually pisses off the guy that hired him. Kwon Kyung-Min (played by Oh Jung-Se -- I know him as the sort-of sleazeball in When the Camellia Blooms and also Extreme Job) is a man with a chip on his shoulder and feelings of inadequacy. I actually don't want to go into all the chaebol big corporate drama, but suffice it to say that his goal is to get the team disbanded. Seung-Soo is too insubordinate for a man who craves respect (earned or not). While you feel his pain, you just don't like him...

I'm also not going to go into all of the different and varied issues he faces, but I will mention some staff -- notably the Operations Manager first... Lee Se-Young, played by Park Eun-Bin, who I COMPLETELY did not recognise as the lead from Extraordinary Attorney Woo because the characters are SO different. Honestly, it was a face palm moment for me. I haven't seen her in anything else yet, but, man, she does a good job of inhabiting her characters. And, I guess, a radical haircut really changes how someone looks. Anyway, she's good in this too.

And...there's Han Jae-Hee played by Joe Byeong-Gyu...the main guy from the Uncanny Counter. Who is also so radically different here! The second season of that is on my watch list. He's a puppy here...well, he's kind of a puppy there too, but in a different way. 

Tons of other actors as well; it's a big ensemble cast and I've seen a lot of them in different things, generally as supporting characters. Hot Stove League is a good show, even if it is about baseball, haha. It's holding my interest and is well done even if literally NONE of it is a normal storyline that I look for. Also, could Seung-Soo have a more tragic backstory? FFS, the poor man. I do hope he finds some happiness by the end. Will update when I have finished it, but I have to say that I've been pleasantly surprised by this one. I'm not even sure why I started it.

Edit: Er, so I finished this ages ago. So long now that I can't actually remember my overall feeling for it in some ways. I did enjoy it. I don't feel like the ending was totally satisfying (as he leaves because he is forced out) but there was triumph. It was definitely not my normal type of watch and some bits dragged a wee bit (possibly because I am very not sporty). But, anyway, I liked it. I wouldn't watch it again, but it was good. 

Horimiya (and Horimiya: The Missing Pieces)

Er, so, little/big dude and I actually watched this together ages ago, but they've released some new random episodes, so it brought it to mind again. Horimiya is a sort of slice of life rom-com and it does what it does really well.

Actually, as I'm sitting here typing this up, I'm thinking we really ought to just collect the books, especially since the manga is complete and totally finished. 

But, let's talk about it. Kyouko Hori (the girl) is popular and outgoing at school while Izumi Miyamura, a dark haired boy who always wears long sleeves, has a gloomy reputation. But, outside of school, Hori can be a bit of a hothead and likes to be comfy, while Miyamura is actually tattooed and pierced and a bit of a bad-ass (sort of). He hides himself with long hair and keeping to himself after bad experiences in middle school. (Who hurt you, Miyamura? We'll kill them.)

When Hori's little brother gets a nosebleed one day and an after-school looking Miyamura is the one who helps him back home, they figure out each other's secret real personalities. They gradually grow closer, often spurred on by Hori's little brother and the rest of her family, who immediately take to Miyamura. 

There are some great side characters and stories too and the gradual emergence of Miyamura and acceptance of him at school is a lovely side plot. 

We really loved the first season and we're working our way through the "Missing Pieces" now. It's a bit of an odd one -- it's not a second season, but is instead glimpses back into the bits of story that didn't adapt the first time around. Not sure if any other show has done that before, but this is the first time I've seen it. It's nice, though a bit discombobulating...I think I need to go back and re-watch the whole thing to see where all the missing pieces fit in.

So, am I glad I watched it? Definitely. It's a really well done rom-com and you really get to know and care for the characters. Great story arcs, nice resolution, just an all around feel-good show. 

 

The Girl I Like Forgot her Glasses

This is a rather different anime in some ways and a very normal one in others. The Girl I Like Forgot her Glasses is a young romance and very sweet.

Kaede Komura has a serious crush on Ai Mie, who sits next to him. He relishes the days that she forgets her glasses (she is, literally, just about blinder than a bat) because then he gets to help her. At the same time, he's in a constant flutter because she gets too close trying to see his face. 

They're in the equivalent of middle school, so maybe 12ish? It's similar in some ways to Komi as it is another set up with a classmate helping out another classmate (interesting in that it always seems to be the boy helping the girl), but more innocent as they are younger. When another girl in class thinks they are kissing as Mie gets so close to him all the time, Komura practically turns inside out denying it. There's also no dodgy weird echhi friends like in Komi (that one blonde girl in Komi who's always trying to look up her skirt I could seriously do without). 

At any rate, it seems pretty obvious to the rest of the class (and even to the most popular guy, who everyone kinda expects Mie to be interested in) that the pair are made for each other and like each other. Have I said wholesome already? It's seriously wholesome. Komura has the classic hang up that he thinks he's not good enough. Mie is both clueless and not. 

It's very, very sweet. The "different" aspect is that the animation is of a very different style. They use odd angles and sort of hyper-realistic hair (man, she's got a lot of hair) and it's both intriguing and a bit off-putting at the same time. I've never seen another anime like it. 

When I started it, I didn't realise it wasn't fully released, so here I am awaiting episodes. Will update when I have finished it. I've heard the manga is equally wholesome and sweet...though, to be honest, I doubt if I'll pick it up because I think the anime is likely sufficient to scratch the itch for this particular story.

Edit: I did finish it and it was very sweet, though also not a huge resolution at the end. But, hey, they're middle schoolers.

My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lvl999

Little dude and I (I really need to start calling him big dude, he's so much taller than me now) finished My Love Story with Yamada-Kun at Lvl999 and both really enjoyed it. 

Yamada has got a real Tanaka-kun vibe going in more ways than one. Anyway, Akane is a 20 year old university student and she was just unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend, who has been cheating on her with someone he met playing an MMO. She'd started playing the game with him too, and even joined a guild and all kinds of things. 

Yamada happens to be in that guild, though when they first meet, it takes bit for that to click. He's actually a pro gamer (not in that MMO game they play, but a different one...he plays the other game to relax) and is in his final year of high school. He's ridiculously handsome but also very awkward and sincere and has never had a girlfriend.

Rounding out the cast are Eita, who plays Rurihime in game. He's a handsome glasses wearing guy who's 19 and a good friend of Yamada's. In the game, he's got an adorable kawaii avatar based on his little sister Runa, who is also in the guild. Eita immediately takes to Akane, but it takes somewhat spoiled Runa a while longer to warm up. And there's Mr. Kumota (I might be spelling that wrong as I didn't go look) who owns some kind of farm and is ridiculously well connected and just the sweetest old guy. An old guy, incidentally, who's probably supposed to be not much older than me. Sigh. Lastly, there's Momo, Akane's friend. They're polar opposites but great friends. And Tsubaki (I think I spelled that right), a school friend of Yamada's who has had a crush on him for a while BUT is also the only girl at school that treats him like a person rather than a choice piece of meat.

Anyway, as expected, Akane and Yamada slowly grow closer. Both, for their own separate reasons, seem to feel they aren't good enough for the other one. Not that this is a particularly angsty anime. It's sweet. Yamada is one of those stoic, never-change-expression guys (who I always love) so it was nice to see him coming out of his shell. Which Tsubaki notices...she does confess to him, but she went into it fully knowing he'd already found someone he likes because she's been watching him for a long time.

So, really enjoyed it. Liked the art. Liked the characters. Would definitely re-watch. I'd say I maybe wanted a little more out of the last episode after they finally get together. Maybe I'll see about the books? I think it is still ongoing. But, all in all, a nice watch. Definitely glad I watched it.

Obey Me (Anime)

So....AGES ago I played Obey Me, a devilish otome game. I was playing it back in 2020 but I think I played it for maybe, er, 9 months or so? Maybe more. Maybe less. I definitely played it enough that I created all the bad boys in the Sims (which was funny, as I got a warning that I couldn't upload it to the shared thing, which I never do anyway, because of the character's names...Satan. Beelzebub. etc.) 

I'm not sure why or exactly when I stopped playing. I imagine it was because of the grindiness of it. I liked all the brothers, though I had my favourites: Beel, Satan, Lucifer and a bit Mammon mostly, if I remember right. I like the voice actor and art for Belphegor (Belphie) but his storyline (if I am remember right) made him not my fav. Asmo was a bit too over the top. Levi'd be okay if he'd just chill.

The story was also fairly interesting, if a little predictable, but it took so long to work through the stages that I just gave up at some point. 

I've actually just opened the app up to write this. Though it's not about the app. I apparently made it to Lesson (Chapter) 20 and there are now...80. Yikes. And...I just tried a couple of missions and yeah...it's annoying to do the little dance numbers in between the story bits and I have completely forgotten how you're supposed to set up and level the cards and form dance teams or whatever. 

Anyway, I had added the Obey Me anime to my Crunchyroll list ages and ages ago. Based on the reviews, it must have come out in early 2022. I never did try one though but I randomly did last night and they're only 5 minute episodes so I watched a few. They're actually totally unrelated random shorts and not like a playthrough or anything to do with the MC. And they're stupid adorable. They reminded me of what I liked about the game -- it doesn't take itself seriously. Most otome kinda does. But Obey Me is absolutely ridiculous, the voice acting is great, and the art is lovely too. But mostly...it's silly.

I don't think it will actually make me pick up the game again as it's too time consuming on top of the other ones that I play, but I might dip into it every now and then. They do make me smile, this ridiculous demon boys.

A Galaxy Next Door

This is a sweet though slightly surprising anime. I had just seen some people mentioning it as a good one, comparable with a few others that I like. I had no idea going in that it was called A Galaxy Next Door because she's some kind of star child alien lady with a stinger tail.

So, yes, that was a little bit of a surprise. She leaves her special island where she's a princess after her grandmother's dying wish was that she get to do what she wants and experience some life despite her mother's objections. 

And it seems her grandmother was a closet otaku, as the old lady had a large collection of manga, including a series written by the erstwhile love interest, Ichirou Kuga. And, okay, he's an awesome standout dude. He's a struggling manga artist who took over the raising of his younger siblings after his dad dies unexpectedly and the mother is off gallivanting around. He's a sweetheart and is not looking for romance -- he's just trying to meet deadlines. 

But Shiori Goshiki (our lovely alien) is also an aspiring artist and she coincidentally winds up as his new assistant. Other than that she definitely admires him and he thinks she's pretty, he's definitely not thinking of anything else. But then, after a long all nighter, he sees what he thinks is a sharp pen sticking out of her back and she's about to roll over on it and stab herself...so he grabs it. But it's not a pen, it's her TAIL and now that he's stung, he's bound to her in some weird kind of betrothal. 

It's not a nice thing, honestly. If he's too far away from her, he gets feverish and sick. If he does something that startles or angers her, he can suddenly be inflicted with pain or want to pass out. But, through these challenges, they come to have feelings for each other. She's clueless about a lot of the real world, but she's a decent sort. 

So there's a whole plot about her mom not being happy about this, once she finally comes to see what's going on. By that time, they are actually dating, but Kuga would like to be free of the forced tie. So there's a bunch of family angst and then, when they do finally undergo a ceremony to withdraw it, both of them are having fears -- if the bond is broken, will they still love each other? 

Spoiler -- they do. The bad thing is that the end of the season is basically there and the mom has given her a year to gallivant and then she's supposed to go home. It's the kind of show where you imagine it will work out happy. I would definitely watch a second season if there is one, but it didn't quite grab me enough that I want to add it to the stack of manga that we're already collecting. So, good, but not heart shaking? Though I gotta give it to Kuga, he's definitely a Best Boy.

The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting

Oh man, I'm so behind. I didn't realise there were so many I hadn't written up. Little Dude and I finished The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting back in June. 

We both quite liked it. Basically, the glasses guy is Kirishima and was always known as Sakuragi's Demon (Sakuragi being the crime family he's a part of and Yaeka's dad). He gets assigned to watch over the boss' 7 year old daughter. 

Hijinks happen, there's a lot of found family type of stuff...and a fair bit of beatings. There's also some sadness; the reason she even needs a constant babysitter is because her mom is in the hospital in a coma after a bad accident and has been there a long time. And Kirishima has his own baggage from his past. 

There's a lot left unanswered at the end of the anime (does Yaeka's mom ever wake up? why does the one creepy dude so have it in for Kirishima?), so I do hope there's another season. 

Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie

We actually watched this one, little dude and I, back in the first part of August: Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie and finished it pretty quickly. 

It's a really sweet romantic comedy anime where the male lead Izumi is basically the unluckiest guy in the world. If he can lose it, he will. If it can fall on him, it will. But, as the anime starts, he's already counting his lucky stars because he's dating Shikimori, probably the cutest girl in school. Dude can't look at her without stars in his eyes.

But Shikimori isn't *just* cute. She's constantly saving his butt and going from brave to relentless to everything in between. 

And...okay, honestly, we both really enjoyed this one and the relationships between the characters but it's also not a show where actually a lot happens. It's just really sweet and adorable fluff. As I'm writing this, I'm trying to come up with major plot points...I mean, stuff happens, but that's not really the point? 

Anyway, it's charming. It's fun to see one where the girl is the saviour. We have no idea why Iuzumi is so unlucky, but Shikimori has his back. Was it worth watching? Yes. Might even watch it again. Also love the bromance and the weird deadpan tiny blonde friend. 

I'm the Villainess, so I'm Taming the Final Boss

I am a sucker for otome-related anime, so I tried out I'm the Villainess, so I'm Taming the Final Boss. The MC is, in so many ways, the complete opposite of Bakarina. 

Like Bakarina, Aileen is reborn into the world of an otome game she had played (and I feel like I'm already forgetting the first episode, but I think we got a hint that she might have died from cancer or another illness in the real world?). Her memories come flooding back to her when her intended fiance Cedric dumps her at a ball for Lilia and she realises that Lilia is the MC of the game and she's destined to die sort of accidentally when Cedric's brother, the Demon Lord Claude (which is about as unlikely a name for a demon lord as one could imagine), turns into his full demon form and wreaks havoc as some kind of demon-dragon and she's squashed.

Well, we can't have that. 

Aileen decides the best way to avoid that is to go tame that final boss -- the Demon Lord -- so she promptly marches right into his territory and asks him...no, tells him...they should get married. He's understandably a bit taken aback and confused. But also intrigued. 

I'm not going to rehash the whole plot because, honestly, there are three separate massive story arcs in this 12 episode season and each one of them could have filled out a normal season. When I got to the end of episode 4 and they were engaged and it seemed like their enemies were vanquished, I literally turned it off and went WTF where do they go from here? It's fast, yo. 

That's actually one of the fun things about this one. It subverts some things and the pacing is so radically different from the normal thing. The demon lord is actually a bit of a cinnamon bun. She's smart and crafty, but also (once she too falls for him) totally putty. There's sort of a harem collection thing going on, but not totally as a couple of them, while they do become loyal to Aileen, also have their own love interests. There's even a bit of a redemption arc for Cedric. 

Anyway, quite enjoyed it. More than I thought I would, as I, ahem, actually watch quite a bit of otome-related anime and was thinking it might be too similar to some other things. It was and it wasn't. Aileen has more in common with Raeliana...even in a 4th wall kind of way. Apparently, the Demon Lord and the Duke share the same voice actor Yūichirō Umehara (who was also the best friend in School Babysitters, which was a bit whoa). So, I guess if I have a type, it's Umehara. Oh! And I think he voiced Shingen in Ikemen Sengoku (though Shingen wasn't my fav, but he did have a great voice). So funny. And...I just looked and he's also apparently Tsukasa from Romantic Killer. Damn, dude. All the best boys.

So, anyway, am I glad I watched it? Yes. Would I watch it again? Hmm, maybe. There was a lot going on though not actually a lot of really awesome moments (that sounds weird, but I mean those bits where you're just all Awwwww and want to see them again). I guess I mean there was so much PLOT being thrown all over the place that you don't get the doki doki as much? Hm. I'm not making sense. The animation also was a bit all over the place -- really nice and then also really awful in some places. Like, distressingly bad every now and again, though the majority of it fell into the decent category and sometimes it was lovely. It makes you wonder WTH is going on in the animation studios.

But, I would definitely watch a second season. I did start collecting the Raeliana books and I was wondering if I'd collect these...but I actually really detested Lilia and not sure I want to read her too? Anyway, definitely worth the watch.

#Alive

The dudes are still away in Florida, so I thought I'd watch a movie last night instead of the anime-fest I've been on (still have a few of those to write up). So I watched one I've had on my list a while...#Alive which is a zombie movie. Yeah, I know, it wasn't a romance, which is what I usually watch when the guys are gone as they won't watch them with me.

It's a very small cast (I mean, other than the hordes of zombies) with really only 4 characters who speak (one of which is a neighbour that dies immediately). Most of it is carried on the back of Joon-Woo (played by Yoo Ah-In), who spends pretty much half of the movie on his own. He wakes up late one day and it seems like a normal day. His parents and sister are out and left him some cash to get groceries, but he instead logs on to do some gaming. It never says how old he is, but I'd guess early 20s? Anyway, suddenly things go batshit outside and on the TV -- there's an outbreak of something and people are going cannibalistic and violent.

He's trapped, and with very little food. The electricity and everything is on at first and he spends his time watching TV and looking out his window. He's able to receive some last text messages from his family, who are trapped in dad's office (I think). He sends off a last message into the ether with a picture of himself and his address, hoping for rescue.

At this point, I'm thinking, dude, you should really fill your bathtub with water and everything else you've got that's a container because, you know, hurricanes. But he doesn't. And, inevitably, things get turned off and there's no more water and not really any food and he's apologising to his dad for going into his whiskey collection. When he's about to kill himself, he's saved when a girl across the way Yoo-Bin (played by Park Shin-Hye playing every character I've ever seen her play -- resourceful, a bit snarky) uses a laser pointer to get his attention. She's been watching through binoculars.

They are able to use a drone to attach a rope between their flats and exchange some food, and, after he breaks into the (very dead) next door neighbour's place, talk over some walki talkies. She's not entirely sure he's not an idiot. He's duly impressed by her ability with an axe. And, when things get really desperate, they come together to try and get to the 8th floor which she had been spying on and seemed zombie-free. 

There they run into the only other actor who has much of anything to say -- a seemingly friendly man played by Jeon Bae-Su, who I've seen in so many things as a character actor that I'm not going to list them (but include a stint as Attorney Woo's dad). He invites them in, gives them food and water...and I had SUCH a bad feeling. Yep. His wife, who he has tied up in another room, is a zombie. And he wants them so he can feed her. They just manage to escape (honestly, not sure how, you're kinda just supposed to believe that Park Shin-Hye's character somehow managed to fend off zombie-wife with her hands tied). But the gun shots have attracted more zombies and they don't know what to do. She asks him to kill her. He can't quite do it, but has almost worked himself up to it...when they hear helicopters. 

They make a last ditch effort to get to the roof and just when they are about to be overwhelmed, the helicopter arrives and gets them. Seems his S.O.S. worked after all. 

Boy, was I glad it wasn't a Mist like ending where he kills her and then gets rescued. Anyway, what this movie does well is the hyper focus on the claustrophobic entrapment the characters feel, especially the loneliness and isolation of the whole first half when the camera is concentrated on him. He's just an average guy and it's a palpable feeling of despair. When he connects with the girl, it's just such a relief and he's got something to live for. Not in a romantic sense -- they're just trying to survive. But she gives him hope. 

I liked it. I mean, I'm not much for zombie / horror films, honestly, but this one does it well and by concentrating on the stories of just these 3 characters, it is much more effective than being one of those Save the World! epic movies. It's quiet and desperate and it works.

Isekai Ojisan - Uncle from Another World

Welp, this is a weird one. Weird, mostly, in a good way, though there's also a bit too much gratuitous ecchi randomness for me personally. It's an isekai...sort of. In a way. Also, not. In a way. From the opening, you think it's gonna be a standard isekai as you see a young dude almost hit by a truck. But he doesn't get hit by one. Instead, he's the nephew about to visit his uncle in the hospital, who has just woken up after being in a coma for 17 years. It was Uncle that was transported to an alternate world...and now he's back...and somehow managed to keep the magic skills he learned while he was away.

But Uncle's story isn't a happy one -- he was labeled an "orc" because he was "so ugly" -- though, to be fair to him, he really doesn't look any worse than a lot of the other characters we see in the flashbacks. But, he was also completely oblivious to social customs and niceties and misreads everyone he meets (he was a dedicated gamer who never got out much before). 

As nephew and his newly re-discovered childhood friend learn more and more about Uncle's life in the otherworld, they are constantly scratching their heads at how WRONG he was about everything and everyone. Mostly. There's Elf and Mabel and the "destined hero" who all wind up kinda having a thing for Uncle because he unwittingly knows how to compliment them, accidentally sort of marries them, and, by his actions, actually show that mostly he's a stand up guy. He's very OP, like characters usually wind up in isekai's, but he's so very very clueless about people and what people are thinking that it's like a subversion of standard isekai shows. 

In that sense, it is very enjoyable, though it's also quite...cringe inducing sometimes? So I'm a little torn on it. It took me quite a while to finish too; you have to be in the mood for the hijinks and weirdness of it.

I am also kinda pissed because I accidentally got a spoiler for it when I was looking up something and I think Elf dies when she helps send him back to his own world. So, now, if they ever do a second season, I'm not sure if I'm gonna watch it. Because, as Elf was super tsundere, he never realised that they actually, like, had a relationship. So I was kind of hoping that somehow they'd have a reunion. But, I guess it's not that kind of show. Though, also, it also didn't seem like the kind of show where someone major would die either. And Elf was just as OP as he was. So, eh, I dunno.

Am I glad I watched it? Yes, I suppose so. Would I watch it again? No. I mean, there are some really funny bits but I can live without re-watching all the cringey bits. But, it was interesting and it did some different things that you don't usually get to see, so, yeah, it was worthwhile.

My Happy Marriage

Not like I needed something else to start (I, er, have a lot of different ones going), but I started My Happy Marriage, which was a lot more supernatural than I expected it to be. But really good.

It looks to be based on some Japanese light novels. It's definitely a classic Cinderella story in a lot of ways, but with some twists. I actually thought it was already complete...but it's still ongoing on Netflix.

Miyo is the Cinderella in question, complete with an evil stepmother and truly terrible stepsister and a dad that's nearly as bad (though he stops short of the actual violence they use). There's in only one bright spot in Miyo's life -- her friend Koji. Though she hopes to be promised to him in marriage, it instead turns out that her father sets up an engagement between Koji and evil sister and sends Miyo off to be the fiance of Kudo, who is supposed to be a cold man (but very accomplished magic user) who has been going through one engagement after another, either kicking out the girls or they leave on their own. 

But he is, in fact, a decent guy who just has no patience for arrogant or stupid women. He soon starts to appreciate poor Miyo, who is the most timid rabbit of a woman ever due to all the abuse she has suffered. But, even so, her heart is just...pure. I mean, it's a little ridiculous, honestly. Anyway, as their relationship slowly progresses, things take a turn. 

Apparently, Miyo's mother came from an almost mythical magical family, the Usuba. And, this poor girl, who has been unwanted and abused since she was a child, is suddenly a pawn in a lot of different people's games. Including Koji's dad, who now apparently wants to get her married into the family to him (or his brother?) because, even though she doesn't seem to have magic (but you KNOW she will), her kids might be very powerful. So he tricks Kaya, the evil sister, into wanting to swap fiances. Which is easy enough to do once Kaya sees a) her older sister looking happy and b) how handsome and powerful Kudo is.

This is the thing I don't understand though...Miyo would have been ecstatic to marry Koji before and Koji clearly would have been just as happy...so why did he get Koji engaged to Kaya? 

Anyway, crazy shit happens and Kaya/Evil Stepmum kidnap Miyo and torture her basically to try and get her to give up the engagement. Koji, who IS a good guy, gets Kudo to help him stop them. The family house gets burned down. Miyo is reunited with Kudo. But there are hints that there are further forces at work in trying to get Miyo.

So...I am really liking it. Loving the relationship between Kudo and Miyo and Yuree (sp?) the housekeeper/long time servant. But totally not understanding why everyone suddenly wants her when she's literally been this abused servant girl for the last 16-18 years (guessing she was between 2 and 4 when her mom died). Why did they send her off to get married to Kudo in the first place? It just doesn't make a lot of sense.

Though with a name like "My Happy Marriage" you know it'll work out. Maybe there's a bunch of stuff in the light novels about her history that's left out of the anime. Either way, I am enjoying the show. I'll add to this once I've finished it.

Edit: Ok, finally finished it a blazing 8ish months later. I'd stopped to let the episodes release and then got busy with life. So finished the last 4 this week. It ended well, though it left a lot open (why was the Mikado trying to keep them separate / kill them exactly? Who was the androgynous higher up who seemed to know what was going on?) I imagine there's a lot more in the books than what wound up in the show. But, at any rate, it was good. Strangely, some of the art in the last two episodes in particular wasn't as good. Bad perspective, a bit choppy, the too-large head on a tiny body thing. I wonder what happened? Were they in a rush? A pity, as the art and character design in this one was so nice.

Anyway. It was good. I enjoyed it. Glad I watched it. 

Skip and Loafer

Ah, little dude and I have found another shared one that we really like that we'll have to start collecting the manga for. Not that we need to add any more series...ah, well. 

So, Skip and Loafer is another sort of slice of life one and I suppose you can call it a romance anime, but there's actually been very, very little of that really in the first season. There are hints, but it's more about the friendships and the whole circle is fairly well developed. 

Mitsumi moves to Tokyo for high school. She's from Ishikawa (which I found really interesting because I follow VisitIshikawa on Instagram and it's on my list of places to go) from a very small seaside town. She's very rural and inexperienced, but she's book smart and has big plans -- she wants to become a politician and go to a big uni in Tokyo and work on the depopulation problem that is all too evident in many areas of rural Japan. So, big dreams. 

But she's pretty unprepared for big city life, even though she's so confident. She gets lost on her first day of school and runs into Sōsuke Shima who is a lot more chill and directionless (though there are reasons for that). Bemused, he helps her and sort of immediately adopts her under his wing, even though he's that super popular, every girl fawns over him, every boy wants to be him kind of guy. 

He has some dark secrets though -- he was a child actor and even once involved (with a model friend) in a sort of scandal (though you get the sense it wasn't really his fault) and his family has definite issues. I don't think they ever go out and say it, but it seems like his parents got divorced and his mom has a new toddler with her new husband. He obviously feels distant from them (and his brother). 

It's actually really lovely the way all the characters interact together, including the girl friends that Mitsumi makes. As I mentioned before, there's essentially no progress on an actual romantic relationship between the two main leads, but the ground work is there. What it does, it does well, though it's not (again, I feel like I've been saying this a lot lately) groundbreaking or particularly innovative. The animation/style is also just "okay" -- Shima-kun looks like literally every other blonde handsome boy in about 30 other animes/manga. Mitsumi has more character and is definitely showing her rural roots. 

The humour level is good and it's those little moments that elevate. One of my favourite came towards the end:

During the school festival, Shima's model "friend" that blames him for a previous scandal when they were young (they were caught at a party where there was drinking, though it doesn't seem like they were; they were just there) that dried up her work for awhile, has come to rain on his parade. Mitsumi senses it and goes into this weird protective stance to distract her, telling her to make sure to hurry to find a seat. It's comic because Shima had just read a book to his little half-brother about anteaters and what they do when threatened, and here's Mitsumi doing exactly that pose. And he sees it and recognises it and has this little moment of joy. 

So, anyway, we're going to start collecting the books on this one and we're waiting for Season 2. Definitely glad we watched it and looking forward to discover the books as you get the feeling that there must be more there. There was a lot of secondary character development even so, but somehow you feel there's even more in the books. And these are all definitely characters you want to cheer on.

The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten

I had downloaded this one to watch on our flight over to Cyprus, not expecting too much. The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten is a very sweet, slice of life type romance anime.

Amane (the boy) lives on his own, having moved away from his hometown to go to a different high school after having some bad sort-of bullying experiences. Next door to him, also living alone, is Mahiru, who is the most popular girl at school. Or, at least, that's the face she shows there -- she's smart and beautiful but she does tend to keep people at arm's length, not trusting them. 

She's living on her own (though you only discover this later) because her parents are, well, absolutely awful and never wanted a kid. A housekeeper had brought her up and taught her how to cook, etc. When she realises that Amane doesn't treat her like a princess and that he's sort of barely surviving living on his own (his place is a pigsty and he eats packet food), they start up a friendship of sorts. 

She helps him with cooking and cleaning (and teaches him some basic life skills). He gives her honest friendship. He also thinks there is no way that a girl like her would ever go for him. At school, they don't really even talk. 

So, of course, they slowly develop feelings for each other, but it's Mahiru who has to convince him that he's good enough (harking back to the bullying from before). He actually does clean up really well -- once, when they are out and he's actually brushed his hair and is wearing something other than a shapeless hoody, other girls do notice...which Mahiru takes immediate notice of. By the end, she forces the issue by basically outing her feelings in front of the whole school and he pledges to be braver and to improve himself so that he doesn't feel like he is so far below her level.

He's not an idiot either (scoring in the top of the class, though she always scores first) -- and the two boys who manage to befriend him can see that he's a decent guy too. I thought their different "tragic backstories" were handled fairly well and the characters were well-rounded enough. It's not a groundbreaking anime by any measure, but it is a very pleasant one and a nice feel-good watch. Amane is a little frustrating because, by about half way through, Mahiru is sending some pretty clear signals that he has to work to ignore. But, they are both very lovely characters. 

The animation was slightly dodgy; it's reasonably well done, but there are perspective issues where often the heads are drawn too large or the angle of arms is awkward. It's not enough to make you not want to watch, but it is noticeable. Besides that, it's a bit...bland in style? Not sure how the manga is though, so maybe it's better. The still shot above looks very well drawn, but the animation isn't nearly so clean. And they spend probably 50% of the show sitting on a couch next to each other.

Am I glad I watched it? Yeah, I enjoyed it. I don't know that it would be a re-watch kind of one, but there was reasonable closure by the end and the overall story is good and the characters are definitely the kind you root for.

Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion

So, I had sort of been resisting this one for a while. I'd seen some clips of it and they looked decent, but I'd also seen some commentary that made me think meh. Like, it sounded like one of the cheesy web novels with really, really bad plotting and no characterisation and too much fan service. But, I'm glad I finally tried Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion. 

It started, apparently, as a South Koren web novel by Milcha. Then it was serialised on Kakao, then a webtoon adaptation illustrated by Whale (?). And now it has become an anime produced in Japan. This may be why the heroine's name seems to change -- in some things it says Eunha Park...though, properly, that'd be Park Eunha, which would be Korean...and in others she's referred to as Rinko Hanasaki (which sounds Japanese to me). Though, in the anime, I honestly don't know that they use her "original" name because, like so many anime these days, this is also an isekai. 

In this one, a girl is mysteriously pushed off a building right after finding out she finally got accepted to university. She can't recall why or who or what the conversation just preceding the event was. But, she wakes up in a novel that she had read as a sort of "inciting event" side character called Raeliana McMillan. She knows she's destined to die at the hands of her skeevy fiance, which then drives the rest of the romance novel -- a friend, Beatrice, returns to investigate and falls in love with the Duke. 

So she starts off by trying to get out of the engagement, but nothing she says or does work. In a last ditch Hail Mary, she's at a ball and she approaches the "cold, calculating Duke" with the unlikely name Noah Volstaire Wynknight (actually, all the names are equally unlikely, to be fair). She wants to make a deal with him because she knows political secrets from her reading of the novel that she thinks she can bargain with. He takes the bait (it's hard to say why; it might just be that he was intrigued) and they enter into a fake engagement so she can call off hers. 

So. Okay. There are easily some comparisons to be made here with Bakarina (i.e. My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom) which is arguably one of my favs in recent years. Same foreknowledge of events but where Bakarina is really quite clueless and simply survives because she's so lovable that EVERYONE in the WORLD probably would be in her harem if they could, Raeliana is more proactive, practical, and sometimes ruthless. That said, there's still some humour in this one, but it's definitely nowhere near as goofy as Bakarina. 

So, of course, there are hijinks and the two (the Duke and Raeliana) grow closer, though the Duke's right hand guard also definitely feels very protective of her and even an ancient priest (who starts off in the body of a child, weirdly, because reasons) invites her to call him grandpa because he wants her to be his disciple when he figures out how clever she is (she also came into the world understanding every language, written and spoken). And I get the feeling there will be more. 

It's easy to see that the Duke has duly moved from being intrigued and annoyed to fascinated and, by the end of the season one, pretty much enthralled, though he's also trying not to admit it. With the fiance finally gone and no real reason to continue the fake engagement, he's holding onto it awfully tight. There were also hints that Beatrice (the blonde) is more than likely behind all of the current plots to kill her off and, who knows, maybe was the original shove off the building. 

While there's a lot that's predictable about this one and there's certainly nothing groundbreaking, it's enjoyable. I like it. I quite like, in particular, that she's very spunky and feisty and she isn't at all stupid. I mean, I love Bakarina. But she is NOT the sharpest tool in the shed. Heck, she's barely in the shed. 

So, I hope there is a season two. There are books out now too, which I might order, though I think only 4 volumes are in English right now (Yen Press, who generally do a good job and produce a nice product). The whole thing is on Tappytoon translated, but I'm not really a fan or reading online so...eh, we'll see. To unlock the whole thing would be maybe $50 and I'd kinda rather have the physical books, even though it'll mean waiting (a lot) longer as they just started publishing them in English in 2022 (in comparison, the original Korean novel came out in 2016). 

I do gather from posts that she does wind up with the Duke, though I honestly wouldn't mind at all if it were the bodyguard. He barely speaks, but he's sweet and, even though he's very deadly, you want to protect him. The Duke is more formidable, but it will be interesting if/when it gets to the point where he melts. He's a bit in the "he doth protest too much" stage though there are definite cracks in the facade. 

So, yes, glad I watched it. I'll even likely watch it again (how many times have I seen Bakarina now? Little dude and I both love her). And, if they do another season, I'll definitely watch it.

Edit: I've bought the first two books now, which are in a slightly different style than the anime. Looking forward to seeing if there are any other differences too.

My Clueless First Friend

I was feeling the mood swings from menopause today so I took a mental health break. I mean, I did do SOME work, but I also watched an adorable little anime called My Clueless First Friend. 

The characters are in 5th grade, so are somewhere around 10-11 in age. Akane Nishimura has been bullied and called the Shinigami for years and has resigned herself to being alone (yes, yes, I know, it's a similar storyline to LOADS of other anime and there's nothing particular groundbreaking here, BUT this particular one is CHARMING). A new transfer student comes in -- Taiyō Takada and instead of being repelled, he is absolutely FASCINATED and wants nothing more than to be friends with someone so powerful as a Grim Reaper who can curse people. 

He's played as a bit clueless but sometimes you feel it has to be a put on to some extent because, from then on, whenever someone bullies her, he finds some way to twist what they've said into a compliment. He's, honestly, too pure for this world and possibly the Best Boy ever. 

They are, as Takada reminds people when they tease him about "going on dates," just kids. But it's the beginning of what one hopes will either be a forever love story or a beautiful friendship. Though there's definitely some doki-doki towards the ending as they are both struggling with starting to feel grown up feelings. 

There's some great character development in so many areas. Akane slowly comes out of her shell and starts to reach out and stand up for herself. A former bully slowly amends her ways, even though she's jealous of Akane because she'd like Takada's attention. Takada himself, though he's always over the top, also proves himself so very thoughtful in so many ways. The other two best friends in the group and especially Takada's big sister, are all excellent wingmen. And Akane's dad is also Best Dad. It's got some subtle humour (and some "hit you over the head jokes") and is, really, just a joy to watch if you're feeling down, all the bullying notwithstanding. Akane, honestly, is so resigned to it that you know it's been going on for a long, long time.

So, yes, I'm totally glad I watched it. I really hope there's another season, otherwise I'll have to see if I can find the manga. It's not, by any means, a heart-pounding anime but it is SO charming and it hits you right in the feels in so many moments, both large and small. I totally teared up with Akane texted her dad to show him that her friends were eating the extra marinated eggs he'd packed in her school lunch for the first time. I know, that sounds simple and small, but it was really sweet and just excellently handled from a storytelling approach. After Takada comes into her life, he doesn't just change her dreary existence, but he also changes the world for people around her.

It was also refreshing in that they are definitely KIDS and there wasn't anything even remotely suggested that was skeevy in any way. They were believable as kids and behaved like their age.

Tomo-chan is a Girl!

Little dude and I watched another light anime called Tomo-chan is a Girl and we both enjoyed it. 

Two childhood friends run into weirdness when puberty and feelings hit. Tomo is a tomboy and, indeed, her best friend didn't even realise she was a girl for a long time when they were young. It's cute, low angst, and the side characters are generally funny. 

It's not a deep show by any means and there are others that probably do this particular bit better, but we definitely enjoyed it. I don't think it would be a re-watch candidate (which I am also realising because, as I type this up, I don't particularly feel like re-hashing any of it and I also can't think of any particular stand out bits -- except maybe for the weird deadpan blonde girl who I originally thought I would hate but actually loved because she's just. so. darn. weird.). 

It has all the standard bits -- a visit to the beach with bikinis, misplaced jealousy, misunderstandings, etc. 

Am I glad I watched it? Yes, we had fun watching it together. And, hey, that's enough.

Edit: Interesting aside, little dude wanted to start collecting this one in manga form, which I was surprised at. So he has the first volume now (it's a 4 panel). I liked it, though I didn't personally like it enough to grab the books too, so the fact that he did I find very interesting. Glad he liked it! It really is charming and silly.

Romance Killer

I felt like I needed something short and the first couple of episodes had auto-downloaded, so I tried the Romantic Killer anime and managed to power through the whole thing in, like, two days. It's based on a manga of the same name by Wataru Momose.

Anzu has three needs in her life: games, chocolate, and her cat Momohiki. Her joy at getting the latest game in the mail takes a sudden turn when the graphics and gameplay seem unbelievably cheesy...and then Riri, a weird little wizard thing appears. Riri explains that she's been chosen as the very first test subject -- Anzu must find love. Anzu wants nothing to do with the idea, but she'd already clicked past the terms & conditions and now she's stuck. And Riri has confiscated her three loves -- all her games are gone, she can't get near chocolate, and her parents have suddenly moved to the US for a job and taken the cat with them, leaving her on her own. 

She soon runs (literally) into the first ikemen -- Tsukasa Kazuki -- when she opens a door, knocking his phone out of his hand and breaking it. He says not to worry about it (in a nice twist, we learn why later) and she bounces, glad that she's avoided an otome-ish trigger event. But Riri keeps interfering and Tsukasa winds up living in Anzu's house with her. Unlike her first impression, Anzu learns that he's actually a decent guy and she warms to him as she figures out he has no interest in dating. And he begins to open up to her precisely because she is so actively avoiding any romantic entanglements with him and treats him like she'd treat any friend. In fact, growing up, she mostly had guy friends that she played games with. 

So Riri introduces a new ikemen to complicate things -- Junta, who says he was her childhood friend. But Anzu has no recollection of ever having some handsome guy friend in elementary school and assumes that the poor guy's memory has been manipulated by Riri. I suspected not, and was proved correct many episodes later -- he was, in fact, a good friend of hers back then...but he was a chubby gamer boy that she played a cat game with. He moved away and began playing baseball because he'd once heard Anzu said her type was sporty guys and she liked baseball. So, years, later, he's now sporty handsome dude and also super sweet and with a bit of a complex. He's had a crush on her for years and, through Riri's machinations, he too winds up moving in with her. I do have to say that Anzu's realisation that he really is a childhood friend was perfect. 

To round out the ikemen, there's also Hijiri, a literal prince with an attitude. Anzu immediately rejects anything to do with him, which, once again, provokes his interest. To be fair, he grows as he actually takes a job and listens to what she's saying about him. And there's not really any romantic interest from him--he's just so confused about why she's not interested in him. He started off really annoying, but as his character grew (as testified by his bodyguard, who was a joy as a deadpan character), he turned out okay and actually not totally selfish.

Lastly, there's Riri, who first appears in human form as a girl pretending to be Anzu's cousin, but then later pops in as a male. There might be some hints of the weird little wizard caring too much about Anzu; definitely more than they are supposed to, but there's no hint at the end (to me) that Anzu feels anything but a brotherly/sisterly annoyance. She saves him/her at the end when he's supposed to be sent down to dungeon detail for screwing up and caring too much.

There's also Anzu's close friend Saki, who is whatever you'd call the female version of an ikeman. They have a nice relationship, which was great. 

While there's no full resolution at the end and it's definitely left open for a second season (which is interesting, because the manga is apparently finished and ended the same way), it feels to me like Tsukasa is the one. He does grow to love Anzu because of her nature and loyalty. He's got a lot of trauma going on due to an older female stalker and Anzu is instrumental in helping him through that. She makes him able to smile again, something he hadn't been able to do in a while. 

I really did love their character arcs together and how they were woven together. While this show definitely tries to poke fun at and subvert the normal tropes, it's also really about ALL kinds of love, whether it's friendship or whatever, and loyalty. So there's a lovely found family aspect of it too. But, for me, I definitely ship Anzu and Tsukasa, though Junta is also a cinnamon bun lovely fellow. I do hope there is a second season.

Takane & Hana (manga version)

Ha. Okay, so I finally...and I do mean FINALLY finished the Takane & Hana manga series. I started reading it when it first came out and then did a post about it when I tried the live action version back in 2020 (which I didn't wind up watching any more of--Takane was just so wrong.) So...it's been a long time. We finished collecting the books awhile ago but I had to sit and watch kiddo as he took his makeup exams, so I had some reading time and figured it was a good time to finish it up. I went back to volume 9 and then barrelled my way through volume 18 + the extra episode booklet the last volume came with.

Okay. I feel like I have to reiterate again that I'd really not be in favour of this relationship in real life. A 26 year old should not date a 16 year old. Okay, they didn't technically date until it was 27/17, but that's honestly not really any better. And, yes, if it was a 20 year old a 30 year old, that wouldn't be ideal BUT it would be a lot less skeevy. I really really wish she'd written it as Hana at 17 to start and Takane at 25. It'd still be wrong but not AS WRONG. Anyway.

All that said, the author does manage to make it work, possibly partly because Takane has a lot of moments where he is very, very conscious of why this SHOULD NOT BE A GOOD THING. And, as over the top and insane as he is, he does also do his very best to not take advantage. 

But, yeah, in real life, just, NO.

But this isn't real life. It's manga. And the series is very fun. Hana is such a strong character and Takane, for all his posturing, has a good heart. So it all works. 

The last half dealt with a few bit things -- Takane's mom coming back into the picture, for one. She was unexpectedly not as chaebol crazy as one would think. And some "enemies" became, if not exactly friends, at least people that would not actively move against our lovely couple. I did love when they had their New Year's trip to visit Hana's grandparents -- who had been warned ahead of time -- and grandpa wanted to kill Takane...but then they wound up bonding over mochi making. 

The last few volumes were actually very remarkably angst free. There were threats from an aunt, but the grandpa chairman was no threat. When they finally go to tell him, he readily confesses that he knew already. And, seriously, I expected that. He'd have to be blind not to be able to tell that Hana wasn't her sister. She's obviously a high schooler, even when she's all makeup and wig. And he's no idiot. Manipulative, sure, but not an idiot.

But, there were a lot of nice moments once they did officially "get together" and weirdly wound up married before Takane had even had a chance to propose. I'm not going to recap all of it. I'll just say that yes, I'm glad I read this one. I will probably read it again in the future some time. I enjoyed it. The art was good. The side characters were also interesting and fairly well developed (though it's definitely the "Takane and Hana" show). And kudos to the author for taking something inherently skeevy and making it work and getting you to root for them.

The Ice Guy and his Cool Female Colleague

Little dude and I watched the anime The Ice Guy and his Cool Female Colleague recently and it was good fun. He says it was "pretty good" and I thought it was a good joint watch as it's very sweet--sweeter than I expected. 

So, based on the title, I'd thought it was going to be one of those shows with a possibly tsundere male lead (or perhaps on both sides). But, it turns out the "Ice Guy" refers to the fact that he's actually the descendant of a Snow Woman. Ha. 

He's literally about the warmest backwoods cinnamon bun you can imagine -- he literally freezes up when he's nervous, he blizzards when he's happy, and out pop adorable little snowmen when he's full of joy. It's very squee-able. 

And his cool female colleague is really more of a deadpan lady, not at all mean or distant. She's just never been good at expressing her emotions. 

We watched the whole season and I do hope there's more. It's just a very sweet, innocent show. Not a lot happens but it's cotton candy fluff. I don't think there's much angst at all; they both like each other though, I think, he's more cognisant of it. He knows he likes her. She's more the type of oh, I enjoy being around him but kind of clueless.

The side characters are cute as well, including a guy that's descended from a phoenix and a lady from a kitsune. The little sister even avoids that horribly annoying trope of loving her big brother too much. It's the kind of show you want to watch when you don't want to stress or think too much and just need something happy and cute. 

 

Oh! My Assistant

I had a short amount of time the other night (and day, in between making battle maps) so I didn't want to get into a regular length episode. I thought I'd try something I saw a clip of: Oh! My Assistant. It's a BL Korean Drama and the episodes are only around 15 minutes long, so very bite sized, and there are only 8 of them.

Welp. It was a little underwhelming, though I'd had high-ish hopes after the first episode, which was ridiculous but charming. Basically, Seon Ho (Song Seung Hyun) is a writer/artist of a webtoon. For reasons they don't really go into in the show (but probably do in the webtoon this is based on), he makes 19+ webtoons. Because a guy's gotta eat, I suppose. He's been doing that for two years and now he needs an assistant. Also in the last two years or maybe more, he hasn't dated or even had the urge too. All the libido has been sucked right out of him. 

Anyway, he winds up hiring Mu Young (Ko Chan Bin) as his assistant. He has an immediate reaction to his handsome assistant, which surprises him. And Mu Young seems to be trying to be all stoic and straight-faced but you soon see he's already got a crush on Seon Ho (which, turns out, he's had since secondary school days). Complicating things (as always) is Mu Young's longtime friend, who has a fiance, but seems to have suddenly realised that maybe he wants more than friendship.

The first episode was fun in a hijinks sort of way and seemed to be headed in a good direction. There's Seon Ho's confusion about whether or not he's attracted to Mu Young and his awkward puppy-ness. But...over the next few episodes, it basically devolves into the standard ridiculous misunderstanding that literally makes no sense. Mu Young gets it into his head that Seon Ho is dating his editor (played by Seo Min Seo, and one of the bright spots in the show as she was consistently over the top and hilarious) and doesn't want to come in between them EVEN AFTER SEON HO CONFESSES HE LIKES HIM and also after the editor overhears something and is making finger hearts at Mu Young. Like, seriously, how does that not give him a clue? When the supposed girlfriend is all "tee-hee, let me leave you two alone so you have some you time." It makes no sense at all. I mean, he bases his assumption on the barest of facts (she left a makeup bag behind once, for instance). 

That said, I did enjoy the scenes between them when they weren't obsessing over the misunderstanding. When Ko Chan loosened up and smiled, it felt genuine. But most of it he had to play like an unblinking block of wood. I don't think it's particularly the actor's fault. I think it was the writing and direction. Though, seriously, for a 2022 show this one sure does harken back to the days of limp fish kissing.

I did also like that Seon Ho's character was so open minded (as was his editor). He'd never liked a guy before but even in the small flashbacks we got of him, it's obvious that he didn't have an preconceptions against it. He truly is just a "this is the right person for me" kind of guy and once he figures out he's legitimately attracted and likes Mu Young, he's all in. He's a total puppy. 

So, am I glad I watched it? Eh, it was okay. Given the episode length, it really wasn't enough time to develop much, though I do think they could have gone a number of different ways and actually had a reasonable thing keeping them apart rather than a very ridiculous misunderstanding. Would I watch it again? Nah. There's apparently also a movie version but it sounds like it's just all the episodes edited together. 

A little mental health break

I am sick again. It is May and I think I have been sick more than not sick this past six months. The last time, I didn't have a voice for about a month. I don't know if it's a Coventry thing -- too many trees? Pollen? Something else? But I am tired, oh so very, very, very tired of being sick. 

I am honestly, also just generally kind of stressed out. Whether I should be or not is a different question. While I am enjoying the work on the D&D project, I also wish I hadn't taken it on because I really have no idea how to run all the business side of things and the writing part is hard enough. There are a lot of things that are beyond my control but it's come so far that I don't feel like I can quit it or waste the money I've already put into it. And I haven't heard from my agent in over a year--I think he's dropped out and moved to Latin America or something. I have no idea. I hadn't pushed it as I wasn't working on anything I would be sending him anyway, but...still. Have no idea how the last book is doing as I haven't received a statement in over a year. I just emailed my editor and asked for them. 

And I feel weepy. I think it is hormonal, possibly. Maybe menopausal. I don't know. I have a general feeling of dread. Like I just want to have a good cry. But it won't help. 

There's other stuff, some big, some small. But I imagine it's all worse because I just feel awful and tired and I don't sleep well. 

So there's no particular point to this post. Just throwing out a BLAH to the universe. I need to find a really happy show to watch or a good new book or something.

Love is for Suckers

I started Love is for Suckers when it first came out, er, some time ago and it was high on my list because it stars Choi Si Won. I've wanted to see him be the male lead in something ever since She was Pretty because that show left you with some serious Second Lead Syndrome. Also Super Junior is high on my listening list. Anyway, I got distracted by various things and only came back to it this week because I felt like I needed something funnier and lighter to alternate with Tomorrow. Though, eh, I'm not totally sure now that it's gonna be the lighthearted thing I was looking for. Let's start over...

Goo Yeo-Reum (Lee Da-Hee, from The Beauty Inside) works as a PD for TV shows and is pretty unlucky in love. She and Park Jae-Hoon (Choi Si-Won) have been friends for a long time but never connected in that way, mostly due to timing. They have, however, always been each other's rock. When she and her fiancé broke it off, he helped her pick up the pieces. When he had some type of tragedy strike at work (he was a neurosurgeon), she was the one who pulled him out of depression. 

Well, in the beginning of the show, her professional and personal life are both off the rails a bit. The show she is producing isn't successful enough and the star of it, who she has gone on a few dates with, is basically stringing her along for fun. He's a...well, he's a total douche. Yeo-Reum and Jae-Hoon have a teasing kind of friendship and he doesn't take her relationship issue seriously at first -- when she asks him to please show up and pretend he's her date, he does...but as some weird country hick type of thing, embarrassing her even more. Then he actually overhears the asshole, he gets it and returns to try and save the day.

But, eh, all that hijinks is in the beginning. By episode 5-ish (or maybe 6, I'm on one or the other now), things have gone all crazy. The fiancé comes back and immediately asks her to marry him. Even though they haven't seen each other in a long time and even though the best friend pushes Jae-Hoon to step up (because it's obvious there are some feelings there), it looks like Yeo-Reum is gonna go for it. I mean, I feel her. She's tired. She just wants to belong with someone and dude is the only one offering. But she learns a bombshell literally ten minutes before the rush wedding -- the dude has a pregnant sidechick/one night stand. And he knew about it for days and didn't tell her.

She calls off the wedding. And, to be fair, I don't think she totally loved him anymore anyway. She loved the idea of it. But then things are off at work too -- she'd been reassigned as second PD on a reality dating show called Kingdom of Love and one of the contestants that they're about to start filming gets arrested with literally 3 hours before filming starts. The lead PD Kang Chae-Ri basically blackmails her into asking Jae-Hoon to take the spot. And he does. Because he's finally decided to put himself out there.

But, dude, it's literally the day after she calls off her wedding. I mean, I commend him for stepping up BUT she's got a lot going on in her head. Guilt. Worry. Feelings of Inadequacy. Crap work situation. All the things. And while I think even she knows that she's got some feelings for him, it's not the best timing. Girl needs to breathe.

Anyway, also complicating things is that another contestant on the show had been Jae-Hoon's blind date recently (he ultimately turned her down but thought of her as nice) and though she's sort of suggested herself as "just choose me on the show, I know you don't mean it" you know that she's still after him. And she's more conniving then she looks. 

So. There's also whatever sad drama coming that caused Jae-Hoon to quit being a neurosurgeon and be a plastic surgeon instead. I'm guessing he killed someone by accident or inaction. And I worry that his mom is going to be a total bitch -- she hasn't seemed like it so far BUT she's played by the actress Moon Hee-Kyung and she often plans the steamroller chaebol bitch mom. So I totally suspect her even though she hasn't done anything bad yet. 

And, probably my least fav part of this is going to be the whole false construct of the Kingdom of Love filming. I really hate reality tv. 

But. Choi Si-Won. 

Will update after I watch some more, though I do wish it had been as fluffy as all the show posters/ads made it look like it would be. And it's him -- with that grin you think, ah, it can't be too bad.

Tomorrow

Now that I'm done with Summer Strike, I thought I'd go for something totally different. So I started Tomorrow, which has Rowoon and Grim Reapers (sort of). And...I wound up being so busy that it's now days later and I'm actually finished with episode 5. So. Let's get this written up before I'm finished with it. I generally like to have a beginning and then an end wrap up.

Right-o. So, Rowoon plays Choi Jun-Woong, a young dude who's having trouble getting a job. More or less by accident, he has a run in with a team of grim reapers when he's trying to save a guy who wants to jump off a bridge. They aren't normal grim reapers though; they are the Risk Management Team and are supposed to save potential suicide victims. At any rate, he accidentally winds up going off the bridge with the guy and winds up in a coma. 

He's given a choice by the Jade Emperor (played by the inimitable Kim Hae-Sook, which I have seen in many things...but recently-ish in Start Up) to either stay in a coma for 3 YEARS or work for just 6 months for the Jumadeung (Korean version of...I dunno...afterlife?...actually, just asked ChatGPT and it says: In Korean folklore, Jumadeung is a bridge that connects the world of the living to the afterlife. It is believed that when a person dies, their spirit must cross the Jumadeung in order to reach the afterlife. The bridge is said to be guarded by a deity who judges the souls of the deceased and decides whether they are worthy of crossing the bridge or not.).

So of course he takes that deal. In a fair few ways, this reminds me of The Uncanny Counter, except they are trying to save people from taking their own lives rather than hunting down evil.

The rest of the RM team are Kim Hee-Seon playing Koo Ryeon and Yun Ji-On playing Lim Ryung-Gu. I've seen clips of her before (mostly from Angry Mom), though I've not really watched anything she's played a major part in. Same for him -- he's just had some bit parts in things I've watched. They aren't necessarily excited to have Jun-Woong on board. 

He's...well, he's sort of the classic Rowoon character. At least, of the things I've seen him in. He's pretty affable, a bit awkward, kind of a puppy and he always means well. 

The other divisions of the Jumadeung seem to have a serious chip on their shoulder for the RM Team, including Mr. Grim up there in the picture -- he's the head of the team that "escorts" the dead on. So, the classic grim reaper shtick. And Koo Ryeon used to work for him. Lee Soo-Hyuk playing Lim Ryung-Gu. He looks really familiar to me, but the only thing that stood out on the list that I've seen is Hello, Me! and he was a small part in that. Anyway, he plays forbidding well.

The show seems fairly episodic, built around the people they are trying to help, though they split it so that it takes more than one episode to solve any given case. At first, I thought it was going to be more comic than not BUT there's definitely some grim bits. Honestly, if you didn't have someone like Rowoon with the smile and goofiness, the show would be too heavy. Especially when one of their cases is his best friend, who is partly suicidal because Jun-Woong is in a coma.

Anyway, I am enjoying it thus far. There's lots of hints of future tension and I somehow think all the characters are going to be more tied together than it would originally appear; the Jade Emperor has things up her sleeve. However, at the same time, I have to admit that I'm kind of wanting to watch something light to alternate with. Not sure if I will or not. The last thing that I picked that I thought was going to be light and fluffy was Summer Strike and that had w-a-y more angst than I thought it would.

I do also want to give a shout out to Kim Chil-Doo -- born in 1955, he's a worker in the Jumadeung and by heavens, he's got a great face. And, looking at his list of credits, he didn't even start acting until 2020! I don't think he's actually said a single word so far in the show but I frickin' love him. Looks like he started as a rookie model in 2018 after a hard knock life of selling fruit and running a failing restaurant. More power to him. 

Nevertheless

Soooooooo...even though I actually quite liked the acting in this one and the production quality was good and the actors are oh-so-pretty (in the one episode I watched), I am, nevertheless (ha, ha) adding the Korean Drama Nevertheless to my not gonna finish list immediately.

You first meet Yoo Na-Bi (played by Han So-Hee) when she is on her way to her then-boyfriend's art exhibit where she is stunned to find a sculpture of herself -- and titled with her name -- in a very intimate and erotic pose. For the world to see. But, amazingly, that isn't even the final straw that makes her break up with him. She has to discover him cheating first. He's an older authority-ish figure (an established artist, while she's still a student) who is a gaslighting textbook jerk. 

Then we learn that she meets Park Jae-Eon (played by Song Kang, who I watched a bit of in Navillera, though I haven't finished it...have to say that he is multi-talented and apparently has a penchant for butterflies) that very night that she broke up with the asshole. They share an immediate connection but...he seriously gives off a...well, not exactly a player vibe but he's super touchy and charming but in that way that makes you feel like he knows it? She nopes out after hearing him on the phone with what sounds like might be a girlfriend but can't stop thinking about him.

I'm kinda, like, girl, you need to be on your own for a while.

At any rate, he winds up attending her school and they reconnect. And, seriously, he's devastatingly handsome and charming and he seems to be pursuing her but...that feeling of ick is still there. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be feeling that or not, but I definitely was. 

So I was debating watching another one because, though the pace was a bit slow, everything else was good. But I couldn't shake that unsettled feeling of not right. I wanted to tell her to run. So I just did a quick search and apparently, the webtoon it is based on has them NOT ending up with each other though the drama does. And, yes, apparently the drama is all about him being indifferent to romance but falling for her, yadda yadda. The webtoon sounds much darker and abusive and has some kind of love triangle.

Yeah, my gut was right. I am sure they did a lovely job acting in this one. I was really liking the side characters too. But it's just not a story I want to watch. I'm old. I have a low threshold for stupidity, even stupid things that people do in the name of love.

But, I did learn that Na-Bi is butterfly.

Summer Strike

So, I was very excited to watch Summer Strike as it has Im Si-Wan (or is it Yim Si-Wan? Seems to be listed both ways) who I liked so much in Run On (even though I was meh on the underwhelming ending of the show) that I actually followed him on Instagram. In this one he plays An Dae-Beom. Huh. Just noticed it said he was born in 1988 on the AsianWiki page, which makes him 34-35. He's older than I thought he was, though that just makes me like him more. There's a sort of gentle quirkiness about him that I really enjoy watching. I've only seen him in the two things now and he's got that vibe in both, though it looks like he's also played in a historical drama as a king, so who knows, maybe he's only that way in these two. 

But let me start over, as I'm digressing already. This is mostly the story of Lee Yeo-Reum (played by Seol Hyun). She's 28 (and is so in real life; Im Si-Wan is also supposed to be that age but seriously, either one of them could play anywhere from 20 to 35) and has been basically treading water through life and letting people (including her boyfriend) walk all over her. When the aforementioned boyfriend unceremoniously dumps her after 6 years together, her mother dies, and she finally walks out of her job (where the skeevy boss had been trying to alternately sleep with her or belittle her), she packs up a single bag and sells the rest of her things. Then she leaves Seoul and winds up in the small beachside town of Angok. She falls in love with the library, which is where Dae-Beom works and she meets him.

She has to make her money last as she doesn't plan on working for the next year, so she looks around for a place to stay that's cheap. She winds up renting an old billiards place that has been empty for 20 years. It's also the place where an 8 year old Dae-Beom had discovered his murdered older sister and then, after his father was arrested for her murder (partly on his testimony that he saw his dad leaving just before), his mother's dead body after she committed suicide. So, baggage, yo. He's understandably a bit wary and finds it hard to communicate with people but winds up bonding with Yeo-Reum fairly quickly, perhaps seeing in her a bit of a kindred spirit.

This is, honestly, a show about broken people healing themselves. Though, from the original description and the posters and someone's review calling it a "healing show." I had honestly thought there would be a LOT LESS MURDER and heartache.

There's the normal angst -- Dae-Beom's best friend (who is a girl) has acted like an older sister to him all these years but now that Yeo-Reum is in the picture, she's suddenly wanting more. Meanwhile, a guy in town has liked her for years and yadda yadda yadda. 

And some bullying / poverty type drama where the initially juvenile delinquent teenager Kim Bom turns out to be living a life of quiet tragedy -- alcoholic father that actually winds up stabbing her while in a drunken rage, causing a huge hospital bill, not to mention the bullying at school. The bright spot in her life that she has a hard time accepting is Heo Jae-Hoon, a rich kid recently returned from the States and basically living on his own as his parents are still over there. He has some bullying issues too, but Bom can't see the things they have in common because she spends so much time concentrating on their differences -- and pushing him away and/or not confiding in him, though he's, well, totally a cinnamon bun to her. 

I found the bit where they're all trying to talk Bom into NOT turning her father in for stabbing her and call it an accident instead hard to watch. I understand that the grandmother would not want to see her son go to jail BUT FFS he stabbed your granddaughter and had generally been an AWFUL dad, stealing money and all kinds of things. And then, he appears to have a breakthrough and goes into rehab...but then, by the end, he's back to his old tricks. Which, I have to hand it to the show here...usually if someone has a redemption arc, no matter how unlikely, they stick to it. It was actually more realistic that he failed again. But still a depressing turn.

Anyway, I really enjoyed all the bits about how these broken puzzle piece people fit together and became a whole tapestry (wow, way to mix a metaphor there). For a show that I'd thought was going to be more like Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, it was instead very raw and emotional, but with moments of sweetness. 

I'm not going to go into all the murder-y bits or who dies or all the over the top drama parts. It was reasonably well done and somewhat unexpected as far as the resolution, BUT it wasn't what I was watching for. 

Was also slightly disappointed in the romance aspect -- though, yes, I get that the show didn't wind up being about that...call it false advertising -- they literally only get as far as...holding hands (surprised pikachu face)...in the very last couple of minutes of the show. I'd hoped for a little more, maybe because they were both nearing 30 and it is okay if life is "sufficient" and slow but...still...

To sum it up, I enjoyed watching Summer Strike. It does give you ALL THE FEELS...just not the feels I was expecting. I don't think I'd watch it again as there was a lot more sad in it than I will usually re-watch. Life is hard enough. The cast was excellent and did a great job, including the ones that start off quite horrible and then, as you get to know them, you slowly see why/how and there is actual measurable change. I do hate it in a show when characters wind up in the exact same place they started. Though, maybe that's why I would have appreciated a bit more progress in the romance department when it's so obvious that they heal something in each other.

Also definitely enjoyed Im Si-Wan in this too. You feel like you could have a nice chat with him over coffee and come away feeling better. I always like the actors that feel slightly awkward and a bit off kilter.

Edit: Ha! Just realised he's also in the same band as Park Hyung-Sik! I suppose I'll have to check out their music now. And apparently he can also play spooky bad guys, as he's in the new film Emergency Declaration which has a heckuva cast.