E1. I've heard so much positive buzz around this show, that you can safely consider this as me entertaining my FOMO, even though I've just backed away from a show where a lead character is predicted to die. I mean, isn't this kind of similar? Technically?
However, I rationalize that while Oh! Master marketed itself as a rom-com and then unleashed the fantasy out of left field, this show i...
2021-05-23 00:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostHi my dear friends,
I wanted to let you know that I've decided to drop Oh! Master, after 9 episodes. The Dropped post will be up on the blog in about 12 hours (8am my time), and the show that I've chosen to replace Oh! Master here on Patreon, is Doom At Your Service.
The episode notes for E1 of Doom At Your Service will also be up tomorrow in about 12 hours (8am my ...
2021-05-22 12:23:50 +0000 UTC View PostE7. Ooh, our story is taking an epic turn that I hadn't seen coming, for some reason. Given that I've watched many dramas where characters are given destined lovelines that involve childhood connections and maybe even a fate that spans millennia, I'm really quite surprised that I somehow didn't sense this show was going to go that route. I guess that's credit to Show, for playing its cards well...
2021-05-20 06:05:28 +0000 UTC View PostE6. To be honest, I found my interest waning slightly this episode; that is, until Show does a quick turn into the idea of Ho Yoon and Che Kyung living in the same apartment. Ha. With one fell swoop, I'm fully invested again. I am a sucker for feelings growing from cohabitation-induced forced proximity, whether it's a contract marriage situation, or, as in this case, a writer in need of an assi...
2021-05-15 06:16:07 +0000 UTC View PostE2. Augh. Well, it looks like Show is all poised to steal my heart - if it hasn't already stolen it already, with this episode.
Mainly, I think I'm smitten with Lee Do Hyun.. although, what else is new? He is as melty in this as in 18 Again, even though he's a completely different character here.
Not to say that I'm not enjoying Go Min Si in this; she's doing an excellent job, and I...
2021-05-14 06:23:46 +0000 UTC View PostE5. Things are moving along pretty fast, but because this is a short-format show with no room for filler, the development of our story feels warranted and suitably-timed, instead of rushed. I like that.
It's an interesting perspective, that just like every writer has their own "color," so do the gods of destiny, and that accounts for the wide variety of human beings on the earth.
I ...
2021-05-10 06:01:02 +0000 UTC View PostE1. I don't know what I was expecting from this show, but I certainly wasn't expecting Show first episode to primarily vibe chaotic, but yet manage to end on an almost whimsical note. I'm.. intrigued.
I also hadn't been expecting to start our narrative in the present, since this show's been promoted as a retro sort of story. That springboard, where skeletal remains are discovered, which a...
2021-05-09 00:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostE4. Show manages to pack quite a bit of enjoyment into each of its compact episodes. I literally look forward to watching episodes of this show with anticipation, and that's saying a lot, for a little show like this.
I like how Show casually builds on its internal mythology, by casually sprinkling bits of information here and there. I feel like I'm piecing together a mythology that's alre...
2021-05-05 06:20:54 +0000 UTC View PostE3. This little show is proving to be so enjoyable and fun, that I feel like referring to it as a web drama is a bit of an injustice, now. Now I'm starting to be concerned about whether Show will be able to maintain this level of satisfaction, all the way to the end.
There are few macro ideas in force, which I think play against each other in potentially interesting ways. First, the idea ...
2021-04-30 06:40:33 +0000 UTC View PostE2. I am so pleased with how well I'm enjoying this show, so far. This doesn't feel like the average web drama - well, at least, not the ones that I've watched anyway. Most web dramas that I've seen tend to be pretty skimpy and tropey, and the acting tends to lean green. This one feels quite cheeky and original, and so far, the acting feels reasonably solid, like it's at least several notches a...
2021-04-25 06:04:47 +0000 UTC View PostE1. Given that this show is technically a web drama, since it's released by online streaming platform TVing, I'm pleasantly surprised at how promising this one feels, right away.
First of all, the production values immediately come across as very high, with the special effects of our god walking in what looks to be the supernatural dimension. A few scenes also stood out to me for being ex...
2021-04-20 00:30:34 +0000 UTC View PostE1. This is a case of my following drama buzz that's leading me far out of my wheelhouse. I was absolutely not planning to check out Beyond Evil, because I'm not much into crime stories or serial murders, and I'm also not much into stories about possible psychopaths (which I infer this might be, from its Korean title "Monster"). BUT. Everyone's had such good things to say, that I kinda feel lik...
2021-04-19 23:58:49 +0000 UTC View PostE2. I feel like Show is still finding its feet somewhat, in terms of landing on a tone and vibe that will take us through the rest of our story, but we are still clearly in set-up mode, so I'm willing to withhold judgment until I feel like we're done with the initial set-up phase.
So far, I feel like Show is leaning into funny more than I would like, in the sense that I haven't yet found ...
2021-04-18 04:19:00 +0000 UTC View PostE2. Uff. You guys, I don't know if I could love Deok Chul any more than I do now, but I tell ya, Deok Chul has me by the heart, fully and unequivocally.
I just love how earnest and sincere Deok Chul is about wanting to learn ballet. Even though Chae Rok is completely prickly almost to the point of being hostile, Deok Chul never allows it to get him down. It's almost as if he can't hear Ch...
2021-04-17 07:34:12 +0000 UTC View PostE1. After hearing some mixed reactions to this one, including the fact that our male lead is quite unlikable, at least in this initial stretch, I honestly wasn't sure if I would like this first episode enough to want to keep watching.
I admit that I did find Bi Soo quite rough and unlikable from the get-go, but by the end of the episode, I do think that Show's given me enough in terms of ...
2021-04-13 00:03:00 +0000 UTC View PostE1. Ooh. I like this one a lot, and right away.
I mean, I'd heard that Show might take a while to grow on me, particularly because the initial episodes can be rather melancholic, but.. I'm pleasantly surprised that this doesn't deter my fast-growing affection for this show, like, at all. There is melancholy, true, and there is a sense of heartache pulsing through our narrative, b...
2021-04-12 00:10:04 +0000 UTC View PostE2. It occurs to me that this role is perfect for Song Joong Ki, right in this moment, in his career. He's young enough to still capitalize on his baby face, thus making Vinny appear innocent and cherubic when necessary, but he's also old enough to have naturally acquired a gravitas and world-weariness that is also very befitting of the role. It feels like this role is written for him, so far.<...
2021-03-12 05:52:54 +0000 UTC View PostE1. Honestly, I wasn't really intending to check out this show, but since the show's premiere, I've heard enough positive things that I became intrigued. FOMO, y'know?
The thing is, I'd heard that this show feels like Chief Kim and The Fiery Priest came together and had a baby, and since I've never felt inclined to watch either of those dramas, I didn't think I'd like this one either. Als...
2021-03-06 23:54:22 +0000 UTC View PostHi everyone,
This is a quick heads-up post, to keep you guys updated while I get things sorted.
As many of you would be aware, the controversy around Ji Soo's bullying past has had big implications on the production on River Where The Moon Rises.
I'm working on a blog post to, 1, share my thoughts on the scandal, and also, 2, announce a swopping out of River Where The Moon Ris...
2021-03-06 02:18:43 +0000 UTC View PostE2. This show is turning out to be quite the rollercoaster, in a really good way. This hour flew by, and even though my head is still swimming with questions, I'm having a good time.
So far, I'm really enjoying the fragments of information that we glean about our characters, as we see snippets of them in the various timelines. We don't have a full picture yet, but I feel like I'm starting...
2021-02-28 06:12:46 +0000 UTC View PostE2. Compared to our pilot episode, this episode feels more down-to-earth, in the sense that we see things in a more close-up, personal sort of fashion. Last episode was all about a macro view of things, and getting a sense of how everything and everyone is connected. This episode, it feels like we're getting to know our key characters a bit more, and I find that I'm much more comfortable in thi...
2021-02-25 07:09:34 +0000 UTC View PostHi everyone,
You may have already seen my announcement on the blog, that I've made a key change to the payment settings on my Patreon page (due to abuse of the previous settings), so now new patrons are charged upfront when they sign up to support the blog here on Patreon. (Blog post is 2021-02-23 13:11:36 +0000 UTC View Post
E1. Woah. At the end of this episode, I still don't know what's going on, really, but I am properly intrigued, and quite hooked. Tell me moar, Show!
I went into this relatively blind, as in, I didn't really know what to expect except what I'd gathered from the trailers; that Park Shin Hye's character is some kind of time-traveling badass warrior, and she meets Jo Seung Woo's character, wh...
2021-02-23 00:17:30 +0000 UTC View PostE1. Wow. That was quite an opening episode. So much to digest, and so many characters; it all made my head spin, to be honest. However - and this is important - I don't think it hampers the watch too much, even if you relax a little bit with keeping track of the details and who's who. I think you'd still get a good sense of the story, and be able to find your bearings reasonably well, even if t...
2021-02-20 00:39:14 +0000 UTC View PostE1. I'd originally planned on giving this one a pass, because of several reasons.
First, I'm not a huge fan of either of the leads. Won Jin Ah's pretty alright in my books - I liked her well enough in Just Between Lovers - but I'm just not about to watch something purely because she's in it. At the same time, I'd been underwhelmed by Ro Woon in Extraordinary You. I'd found him quite bland...
2021-02-04 01:24:20 +0000 UTC View PostE2. Well. I feel like the quirk's settling quite nicely for me, and that definitely bodes well for my watch, since it doesn't look like Show will move away from the quirk, as a general rule. It also looks like Show might be moving in a different direction than I'd originally expected (maybe this is what happens when you don't pay much attention to a show's synopsis), and while this probably mea...
2021-02-01 04:33:24 +0000 UTC View PostE1. Immediately, within Show's first few seconds, I'm struck by how beautiful this show looks, with its bold Spring palette that pops with a breezy, sunny sort of life. I like that a lot. I feel like this fabulously happy color palette applies more to the outdoor, daytime scenes, rather than the whole show, but it's still very nice to have.
I'm not sure about upcoming episodes, b...
2021-01-27 04:04:39 +0000 UTC View PostE2. I feel more engaged, more intrigued, and more entertained this episode, which all bode well for my relationship with this show, going forward.
I feel like I'm getting the hang of this drama world, sort of. It does require some suspension of disbelief, that the people around So Yong are that tolerant of her crazy antics; I feel like in a more serious sageuk world, she would've already ...
2021-01-13 06:10:23 +0000 UTC View PostHappy New Year, my dear friends! ❤️
It's been on my mind, to improve the Patreon experience for all of you, and in line with that, I've just updated the Tier benefits.
I will put up an announcement on the blog shortly, but I just wanted to give you all a heads-up. Essentially, going forward, ALL TIERS will receive my episode notes for the 1st episode 2021-01-10 06:19:10 +0000 UTC View Post
E1. My main concern going into this one, is how k-humor often doesn't jive with me. Given this story's premise, Show going heavy on the humor is a given. The question was, would I find it funny?
So far, one episode in, I feel like this show could grow on me yet. I'm not rolling on the floor crying with laughter, but importantly, I'm not curling my toes in cringe, and I even found myself c...
2021-01-08 00:02:17 +0000 UTC View Post