#2019 Sageuk

[junkobato]

✨Park Min Young appreciation post✨

The one and only rom-com queen, our Park Min Young is in the industry for a while. Here are some iconic works she acted in:

Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010) one of the best sageuk, loved it

City Hunter (2011)

Healer (2014-15) ahhh this drama... a masterpiece in my opinion

What's wrong with secretary kim ? (2018) they were perfect for each other

Her private life (2019) for all the fangirls out there!

When the weather is nice (2020) best drama to watch in cold days

Forecasting love and weather (2022)

Love in contract (2022) so in love with this drama atm!

Her roles in romantic comedies are probably the most popular ones, but I actually like way more her characters in Healer and When the weather is nice, they are so different from the others and very memorable to me.

Which drama did you enjoy the most? :) let me know!

[urheartsamess]

hey i’m really curious and looking for recommendations so can i ask what are ur favorite korean dramas? 🙏🏻🥺

hiii sorry it took me a moment to answer but *deep breath* sure hehe! gonna give u my top 5 and try to not scare u away by diving into deep analyses on why i love those so much! i tried to keep it simple!

my all time favourite is beyond evil it’s a thriller romance drama where a hot young man (juwon) is being coaxed towards the brink and almost ruins his life for a 40yo man (dongsik) who suffered more than jesus himself and the two of them occasionally solve crimes! im making a joke out of it but their dynamic is very meaningful and profound! it’s bitter it’s sweet it’s full of tension and compassion and understanding and Love is at the core of it all. it shows u that despite the misery despite the cruelty despite the sins and despite the violence choosing love but also life is the bravest thing u can do. it will change the trajectory of ur life! also acting legends yeo jingoo and shin hakyun deliver thrilling performances in it which will make u unable to look away! this show means the world to me!

then nr 2 comes my mister! it’s a drama to watch for healing and hard times! it’s a quiet and delicate love story between a man (donghoon) and a woman (jian) who make the other one want to Live again. it teaches u that u don’t need a reason to be kind in ur life that a simple act of kindness could mean so much to someone. their love is shown through actions through listening through subtle glances. it’s very poetic it also deals with universal themes like brotherhood friendship loneliness altruism depression vulnerability and perseverance. it fundamentally changed me as a person when i watched it the first time and it also solidified the immense love and admiration i have for iu.

nr 3 the red sleeve! the best sageuk ever made it’s abt a court lady (deokim) who values her freedom and making her own choices above all else and the future king of joseon (san) whose duty always comes first and the two fall intensely in love. it’s harrowing bc wanting them together u know u’re inevitably pushing deokim towards her downfall to sacrifice what she values most which is her free will so the drama tackles the power play btwn them bc san is often a fool and their respective love language is the opposite of what the other needs hence it’s just so good so tragic so heartbreaking! lee junho even won a baeksang last year for this role hes just so graceful and mesmerising in it and genuinely too good at acting! also deokim (played by lee seyoung) is one of my all time favourite female characters she will stick with me forever!

nr 4 strangers from hell it’s a horror romance drama where a tall hot dentist (moonjo) (played by our one and only god lee dongwook) gaslights and gatekeeps a broke aspiring writer with violent tendencies (jongwoo) into joining him so they can become gay cannibals together barely a day after jongwoo moved into their very shady residence full of psychos! closet made of glass for moonjo since he even makes jongwoo a wedding ring (a musty human teeth bracelet)! it’s insanely good i havent moved on since 2019! deliciously gory and creepy it’s aesthetically flawless on that part as well!

nr 5 is the guest! a little bit too underrated if u ask me which is a shame because it does so much for the horror genre! im grateful that the show introduced me to the ot3 of all time: a girlboss detective an overly kindhearted taxi driver and a hot priest (kim jaewook!!! screams!!!). the characters slowly bound with each other through their shared trauma and dedicate their whole life to defeat an ancient and powerful demon. so the power of their friendship is kinda everything and is the heart of the show. also the men are a little….. u know……. like episode 16 has one of the most beautiful scenes i’ve ever seen that is forever engraved in my memory! i hate them! i love this show so much just. so much!!!!!

[michyeosseo]

tag 9 people you want to get to know better

thanks to @somewhatavidreader i enjoyed reading your list ^^

ship

three ships

jin hwayoung & choi changje - by now, you've probably seen evidence of ~my hwachang fixation~ teehee just no use resisting the epitome of sunshine: she's •᷅ࡇ•᷄ while he's o̴̶̷̥᷅ ̫ o̴̶̷̥᷅ and later down the line, a dash of 'reversal'. their solid marriage thoroughly catered to me. oh, and finally made me understood the girlboss/malewife concept ha ha ha

chen ran & xu jie - trying to get into the semi-sequel and the attempt furthered the sensation of missing partner goodness so much? peak characters-who-aren't-canonically-gay-but-whose-behavior-just-makes-no-sense-unless-you-read-them-as-gay energy. do not be surprised if i circle back and complete a fanedit idea from last year in time for valentines

yoon nanyoung & park chakyeong & yuriko - yet to see the korean adaptation of 风声, my most anticipated new chungmuro work thanks to that one early review that puts the experience succintly: "레즈의 사랑은 애국심보다 강하다." insane how honey lee romancing both esom and park sodam somehow flopped the box office

first ship

han baekyoung & park myeongyi - had a hard think about this one... the names are probably not familiar because these are the full names of lady han and jang geum's mom. yes, from jewel in the palace. deep dive hours here hehe remember when sageuks have this long running thread that pays off beyond death?

last

last song

leebada’s siren. been sampling her latest album, heaven, though there was also a phase where i was very into her song fox (the ocean, 2019).

last movie

black panther: wakanda forever or as i call it in my ltrbxd, bereavement. a shame i was too preoccupied when it was in the cinemas last year. angela bassett mothered so hard (thought the same even during the first film).

currently

currently reading

halfway through the left-handed woman by peter handke. actress kim shinrok made an homage which prompted me to grab a copy immediately.

currently watching

strictly speaking, only dirty linen fits this bill since i log it faithfully on tvtime app since it started. that said, ntflx does provide ease in streaming crash course in romance for jdy as nam haengseon-sshi week in, week out (behind compared to everyone else).

our blooming youth started airing and i made three sets out of the pilot alone so i'll give that at least another week to gauge whether the piqued curiosity fizzles.......

currently craving

butter cookies ♡

tagging @drivingsideways @rain-hat @elderflowergin @rosyfingered-moon @fromthedepthsandbeyond @stillaskew @dramateaque @iexbie @anyawatchestv

[unnursvanablog]

now I checked out of the first season of Arthdal Chronicles around the middle mainly due to it's flimsy and clunky setup and fantasy worldbuilding and very slow character development. It was doing my head it, it was confusing but mostly it was just quite boring and stiff to sit through. It felt like the usual brilliant writers that gave us Six Flying Dragons (best kdrama ever) and Deep Rooted Tree and Queen Seonduk (which I struggled through for a long time because of the unfunny side characters and the utterly charmless male lead that was Uhm Tae-woong) were trying to do too much at once and failing in introducing characters and their motives, the political side of things and the worldbuilding. So none of it was done to justice.

Now, usually that would mean that one would not pick up the second season of Arthdal Chronicles once it airs… but I am nothing but a simple girl who has been waiting for too long for Lee Junki to get back to sageuks where he truly shines (he does do some good thrillers tho, can't forget Flower of Evil). And I do have hopes that with the clunky worldbuilding and all of that vague fantasy stuff has been left in season 1 and we can actually enjoy some good writing, characters and political maneuvering and intrigue in season 2.

Or at the very least get to see Lee Junki look good in historical clothing and swinging a sword around and doing cool stunts.

It is a bit hard to comment on this show due to the nature of the subs that I found… which were decent enough, but it sort of felt like it had been google translated from korean to english and then very roughly read through. And not everything was subbed yet, so I am going to wait a day more before I head on into ep 2.

Episode one had some clunky re-introduction going on. I remember roughly which characters were witch, even if I only watched like half of season 1 in 2019… but I also read so recaps to know what's going on and catch up on things.

The vague fantasy worldbuilding is still there, but it's much more in the background this time around because, like I had hoped, some of it had just been left behind in season 1. They expect everyone to sort of get it by now. And I do think the character motivations are very clear and solid this time around, since the characters don't have to wait for the setup of the story to have finished and all of that to have something to do.

I don't find myself being terribly invested in anything happening as of now, but that's okay. Not every story can manage that right away. And I got plenty of Lee Junki swinging a sword and stuff. He flew up in the air and kicked people and I enjoyed it. But I sort of was mending two socks while some of the other stuff in the episode were happening… so it's probably going to be one of those shows. Ether it hooks me at some point where it get's my full attention, it entertains me enough for me to watch it without all of my braincells turned on, or I drop it… like I did with season 1… about half way through.

I don't see this show being a high priority for me, but I don't see it boring me to death or anything… yet.

[redsamuraiii]

Japanese Drama “Unnatural” is getting a K Drama Remake

The 2018 series which stars Satomi Ishihara as a forensic doctor for a Special Investigation Lab established by the Ministry of Health who investigate the cases of deaths involving unnatural circumstances, is getting a Korean remake.

It is not the first time that Korea had remake a Japanese Drama. Below are two great J dramas that I have watched which was remake into K dramas many years later.

1) J Drama : Rich Man, Poor Woman (2012)

Pic by vanheb.wordpress.com

1) K Drama Remake : Rich Man (2018)

Pic by theseoulinme.com/rich-man/

2) J Drama : Legal High (2012)

Pic by asianwiki.com

2) K Drama Remake : Legal High (2019)

Pic by www.hellokpop.com

Apparently, there are several remakes such as this list of J dramas which I have not watched yet.

The thing about J Dramas is that they’re pretty underrated with a lot of original interesting stories and characters but they are not as popular as K Dramas.

The problem with J Dramas is that they are created for its domestic market, targeting Japanese audience, so they are hard to find on mainstream platforms.

K Dramas on the other hand are created for the global audience and as such they can be found easily on international streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney.

For example, there is not a single historical Japanese Taiga drama on Netflix while there are plenty of historical Korean Sageuk dramas on Netflix.

[xiaolanhua]

reminding me how the tale of nokdu was the last sageuk i've watched that i truty liked and it was in 2019...

[mykoreandramareviews]

Honorable Mentions: Jewel in the Crown (2010): 60 episodes Jewel in the Palace (2003); 54 episodes Ju Mong, Prince of Legend (2006); 81 episodes Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth (2016); 20 episodes Lovers of the Red Sky (2021); 17 episodes The Tale of Nokdu (2019); 32 episodes

25 Historical Period Korean Dramas to Add to Your Watchlist | by Treathyl Fox aka cmoneyspinner | My Sageuk Addiction | May, 2024 | Medium

[ibelongtotheclassics]

Top Picks Sageuk Dramas / Personal Favorities 🇰🇷🏯

• Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010)

• Moon Embracing The Sun (2012)

• Arang And The Magistrate (2012)

• The Scholar Who Walks The Night (2015)

• Splash Splash Love (2010)

• The Tale of Nokdu (2019)

• Kingdom (2019 - 2020)

[fever-fish]

in august 2019, i started recording every movie / tv series or season i watched to completion.

faves in bold

2020 year in review

tonari no kaibutsu-kun

marriage story

the king (the one with rpatts)

dolemite is my name

the gift / atiye s1

sex education s2

psychopath diary

american factory

miss americana

hot stove league

kingdom s2 (zombie sageuk)

emma. (period movie with the queen’s gambit actress)

i am not okay with this s1

history 2: boundary crossing

the breadwinner

hyena (kdrama)

hi bye, mama!

the half of it

the letter for the king s1

we the animals

black dog (kdrama)

never have i ever s1

tharntype

the romance of tiger and rose

queer eye s5

unorthodox

girl from nowhere s1

the old guard

a secret love

he’s coming to me

dakara watashi wa oshimashita

hospital playlist s1

a piece of your mind

the untamed

365: repeat the year

the trader

disclosure (documentary)

money game (kdrama)

mystic pop-up bar

someday or one day

kazoku no katachi

imperial dreams

american murder: the family next door

schitt’s creek s6

enola holmes

13th

josei-teki seikatsu

blackpink: light up the sky

the white helmets

the duchess s1

extracurricular

the queen’s gambit

athlete a

gaya sa pelikula

i told sunset about you

over the moon

flower of evil

joy of life (cdrama)

the burial of kojo

into the ring (kdrama)

saka no tochuu no ie

.

2021 year in review

farewell my concubine

the good place s3

cherry magic (jdrama)

nigehaji special

i am not your negro

feel good s1

his (jmovie)

life senjou no bokura

watashitachi wa doukashiteiru

nagi no oitoma

pornographer

shanai marriage honey

run on

long vacation

sf8: joan’s galaxy

to my star s1

find me in your memory

hikaru no go (cdrama)

a tale of a thousand stars

goodbye my princess

waiting for “superman”

uchi no musume wa, kareshi ga dekinai!!

word of honor

stranger / secret forest s2

the imperial coroner

bo burnham: inside

love and redemption

the square (documentary)

big eden

alice in borderland

the green knight (First movie In Theaters since Covid)

ashes of love

watashi wo kuitomete

doom at your service

hunter x hunter s1, s2, s3, s4

shang-chi and the legend of the ten rings

young royals s1

you are my glory

squid game s1

kimi no me ga toikaketeiru

kikazaru koi niwa riyuu ga atte

journey to the shore

one and only (cdrama)

what we do in the shadows s2

eternals (marvel.....)

single all the way

the witcher s2

spider-man: no way home

scarlet heart (cdrama)

utsukushii kare

[meeedeee]

Lonely Weather (VID)

Fandoms: 킹덤 | Kingdom (TV 2019)

Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Lee Chang (Kingdom)

Queen Consort Cho (Kingdom)

Cho Hak Ju

Seo Bi (Kingdom)

Yeong Shin (Kingdom)

Mu Yeong (Kingdom)

Zombies

child harm

Blood

Light Horror Imagery

Implied/Referenced Torture

Video

Fanvids

Embedded Video

Sageuks with zombies

Lee Chang has a bad day/life

Angst

There is a storm that is ascending now.

The people are starving, the dead are rising, the kingdom is rotting from the inside out and only Crown Prince Lee Chang can save what is left of his beloved Joseon.

(Feed generated with FetchRSS) source https://archiveofourown.org/works/40990002

[justsageukthings]

[bodashiri]

2019 Korean Box Office

2019 Korean Box Office Top 20 (admissions)

August 4, 2019 Updated  

Extreme Job 극한직업 (CJ E&M / Korea) 16,264,806

Avengers: Endgame 어벤져스: 엔드게임 (Marvel Disney / US) 13,933,961

Aladdin 알라딘 (Disney / US)   12,155,752

Parasite 기생충 (CJ E&M / Korea) 10,062,763

Spider-Man : Far From Home 스파이더맨 : 파 프롬 홈  (Marvel Sony / US) 7,987,639

Captain Marvel 캡틴 마블 (Marvel Disney / US) 5,801,070

The Lion King 라이온 킹 (Disney / US)   4,413,468

Money 돈 (Showbox / Korea) 3,389,035

Toy Story 4 토이 스토리 4 (Pixar Disney / US) 3,386,360

The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil 악인전 (Acemaker / Korea)  3,364,360

MAL·MO·E: The Secret Mission 말모이 (Rotte / Korea) 2,812,444

Innocent Witness 증인 (Lotte / Korea) 2,534,075

SAVHA : The Sixth Finger 사바하 (CJ E&M / Korea) 2,398,519

Alita : Battle Angel 알리타: 배틀 엔젤 (Fox / US) 1,952,063

The Dude in Me 내안의 그놈 (Merry Christmas / Korea) 1,901,759

Hit-and-Run Squad 뺑반 (Showbox / Korea) 1,826,714

Ralph Breaks the Internet 주먹왕 랄프 2: 인터넷 속으로 (Disney / US) 1,754,375

Miss & Mrs. Cops 걸캅스 (CJ E&M / Korea) 1,628,963

How to Train Your Dragon 3 드래곤 길들이기 3 (Universal / US) 1,506,965

Inseparable Bros 나의 특별한 형제  (NEXT / Korea) 1,475,805

2019 Korean Sageuk/Fantasy Genre movie (Admissions)  

August 4, 2019 Updated

MAL·MO·E: The Secret Mission 말모이 (Lotte) / 2,812,444

SAVHA : The Sixth Finger 사바하 (CJ E&M) / 2,398,519

The Dude in Me 내안의 그놈 (Merry Christmas) / 1,901,759

A Resistance 항거 : 유관순 이야기 (Lotte) / 1,157,707

Uhm Bok-dong 자전차왕 엄복동 (Celltrion) / 172,212

All Time Korean Box Office Top 30 (Admissions)

August 4, 2019 Updated

Roaring Currents 명량 (2014) CJ / 17,615,437

Extreme Job 극한직업 (2019) CJ / 16,264,806

Along with the Gods : The Two Worlds 신과 함께 : 죄와 벌 (2017) Lotte / 14,411,502

Ode to My Father 국제시장 (2014) CJ  / 14,263,203

Avengers: Endgame 어벤져스: 엔드게임 (2019) Disney / 13,933,961

Veteran 베테랑 (2015)  CJ  / 13,414,200

Avatar 아바타 (2009) Fox / 13,338,863

The Host 괴물 (2006) Show Box / 13,019,740

The Thieves 도둑들 (2012) Show Box / 12,983,976

Miracle in Cell No.7  7번방의 선물 (2013) NEW / 12,811,435

Assassination 암살 (2015) Show Box / 12,706,819

Masquerade 광해, 왕이 된 남자 (2012) CJ  / 12,323,745

King and the Clown 왕의 남자 (2005) Cinema Service / 12,302,831

Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days 신과 함께2 : 인과 연 (2018) Lotte / 12,276,115

A Taxi Driver 택시운전사 (2017)  Show Box / 12,189,325

Aladdin 알라딘 (2019) Disney /   12,155,752

TaeGukGi: Brotherhood Of War 태극기 휘날리며 (2004) Show Box / 11,746,135

Train to Busan 부산행 (2016) NEW / 11,567,341

The Attorney 변호인 (2013) NEW / 11,374,892

Haeundae 해운대 (2009) CJ / 11,324,791

Avengers : Infinity War 어벤져스: 인피니티 워 (2018) Disney / 11,212,710

Avengers : Age of Ultron 어벤져스: 에이지 오브 울트론 (2015) Disney / 10,494,840

Interstellar 인터스텔라 (2014) Warner Bros. / 10,309,432

Frozen 겨울왕국 (2014) Disney / 10,296,101

Parasite 기생충 (2019) CJ / 10,062,763

Bohemian Rhapsody 보헤미안 랩소디 (2018) Fox / 9,948,386

A Violent Prosecutor 검사외전 (2016) Showbox / 9,707,581

Snowpiercer 설국열차 (2013) CJ / 9,351,214

The Face Reader 관상 (2013) CJ / 9,135,806

Iron Man 3 아이언맨3 (2013) Marvel Disney / 9,001,679

All Time Foreign Movie Top 30 (Admissions)

August 4, 2019 Updated

Avengers: Endgame 어벤져스: 엔드게임 (2019) Disney / 13,933,961

Avatar 아바타 (2009) Fox / 13,338,863

Aladdin 알라딘 (2019) Disney /   12,155,752

Avengers : Infinity War 어벤져스: 인피니티 워 (2018) Marvel Disney / 11,212,710

Avengers : Age of Ultron 어벤져스: 에이지 오브 울트론 (2015) Marvel Disney / 10,494,840

Interstellar 인터스텔라 (2014) Warner Bros. / 10,309,432

Frozen 겨울왕국 (2014) Disney / 10,296,101

Bohemian Rhapsody 보헤미안 랩소디 (2018) Fox / 9,948,386

Iron Man 3 아이언맨3 (2013) Marvel Disney / 9,001,679

Captain America : Civil War 캡틴 아메리카 : 시빌워 (2016) Marvel Disney / 8,678,117

Spider-Man : Far From Home 스파이더맨 : 파 프롬 홈  (Marvel Sony / US)   7,987,639

Transformers: Dark Of The Moon 트랜스포머 3 (2011) Paramount/ 7,785,189

Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol 미션 임파서블 :고스트 프로토콜 (2011) Paramount / 7,508,976

Transformers 트랜스포머 (2007) Paramount / 7,402,732

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen 트랜스포머: 패자의 역습 (2009) Paramount / 7,393,443

Spider-Man: Homecoming 스파이더맨: 홈 커밍 (2017) Marvel Sony / 7,258,678

Avengers 어벤져스 (2012) Marvel Disney / 7,075,607

Mission: Impossible : Fallout 미션 임파서블: 폴아웃 (2018) Paramount / 6,584,915

The Dark Knight Rises 다크 나이트 라이즈 (2012) Warner Bros / 6,399,303

Kingsman: The Secret Service 킹스맨 : 시크릿 에이전트 (2015) Fox / 6,129,681

Mission: Impossible : Rogue Nation 미션 임파서블: 로그네이션 (2015) Paramount / 6,126,488

Les Miserables 레미제라블 (2012) Universal / 5,920,977

Inception 인셉션 (2010) Warner Bros. / 5,835,017

Captain Marvel 캡틴 마블 (2019) Marvel Disney / 5,801,070

Jurassic World : Fallen Kingdom 쥬라기 월드: 폴른 킹덤 (2018) Universal / 5,661,128

Jurassic World 쥬라기 월드 (2015) Universal / 5,546,823

Ant-Man and the Wasp 앤트맨과 와스프 (2018) Marvel Disney / 5,448,134

Doctor Strange 닥터 스트레인지 (2016) Marvel Disney / 5,447,269

Black Panther 블랙 팬서 (2018) Marvel Disney / 5,399,327

2012 (2009) Sony / 5,397,597

Transformers : Age of Extinction 트랜스포머: 사라진 시대 (2014) Paramount / 5,295,836

[dimmaindramaland]

I just finished to watch The Crowned Clown.

I will try to not write a novel about this drama and my feelings...

It was simply beautiful because of the story and it also was awesome and thrilling thanks to the actors.

About the ending:

By my opinion the end was made too long, although it still made my cry.

I have a tend to like sad, tragic and melancolic things - so I feel that I got a big dose of these with the last episode. There was a moment when I thought that I will not like what happened with Ha Seon finally - but I like the finale.

I really-really adore the acting of Jang Young Nam! With this role she become my most favourite actress.

I can't share screenshots in better quality this time, sorry for that!

[ohitssoclumsy]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jung II-woo Delights (@jungilwoo.delights) on Feb 10, 2019 at 8:09pm PST

i’m looking foward to these two, too! and the cast, look at them!

Jung Moon-Sung is quiet in demand and establishing himself. the first time i saw him was in Beautiful Mind . i think he is also rep. by the same agency as Jo Seung-woo (a new one and i think he’s partner since he’s manager was the one who founded after left the one he was for 15 years). anyway, he’s talent.

[littletoska]

ya'll need to stop sleeping on the crowned clown like i don't know if it's bc it's a sageuk and it's scaring people away bc of this fact but we gotta have a come to jesus meeting and take a leap of faith and fcking walk on water bc this drama deserves more attention.

I PINKY PROMISE YOU GUYS--KDRAMA STYLE, IT'S WORTH IT

[mousieta]

2021: Drama Rankings - In Progress Shows

Stranger 2 (2/16)

Year: 2020 Country: Korea Platform: Netflix Look, I know this one is going to be good. I just know it. The whole cast of season one has returned and I cannot *wait* to see Lee Joon Hyuk be an absolute cockroach of a terrible human being. Bae Doo Na and Jo Seung Woo are also amazing and season one was so, so good, riveting and gripping.  I watched the first two episodes and know we are going to be in for the same in this one. However, I just haven’t been in the right mood to immerse myself in it just yet. So I’m waiting for the right time, hopefully sometime next year.

Hospital Playlist 2 (5/12)

Year: 2021 Country: Korea Platform: Netflix This show is just as good as season one. Really there is nothing I can say wrong about it as the writing acting and directing are all top notch. That said, I’ve been making my way through it slowly as, for some reason, I just don’t feel compelled to hit ‘next episode’. Each episode is fantastic and, perhaps due to it’s slice of life nature, leaves me feeling satisfied in a way that holds me over until another day when I feel like cuddling up and coming back to these friends I love. Perhaps its also a bit of not wanting it to ever really end. My one, patently ridiculous gripe, is I’m just not on board with the pairing of Ahn Jung Won and Jang Gyeo Wool. The actors are decent enough but there is so little actual chemistry between them, and little narrative oomf to their relationship. It’s placidly pretty in an innocuous way that leaves it uncompelling. They’re together… I guess… cuz the script tells me so, which is one of my biggest relationship pet peeves. But, I’m not watching it for the romance so it’s fine, I guess. (honestly would have LOVED if they’d made him gay, tbh; story wise it would have resonated so much better)

Bad Buddy (9/12)

Year: 2021 Country: Thailand Platform: YouTube Someone needs to set up a drama production office where they just issue P’aof blanket checks to do Whatever He Wants. Honestly, he has not let me down yet. He tells queer stories with such care and love but also practiced skill. There is absolutely no need for this show to be as good as it is, yet it has truly elevated itself. Much credit for this to the skill of the lead actors and a script with gives them depth and nuance to bite into. The pacing is so solid, with each episode moving forward briskly but giving enough time and weight to important moments. Shoutout has to be given to the absolutely amazing product placement. We saw it in AToTS but P’aof really just using every mandated moment to be as Extra as possible with our OTP, and I love that for us very much.

Strangers from Hell (5/10)

Year: 2019 Country: Korea Platform: Netflix This is so good. My only excuse for not having finished it is that I am a big, big baby that cannot handle scary creepy things. Honestly, by rights I shouldn’t even be watching it as it is very much not the type of thing I’m into. And yet, here I am, because Lee Dong Wook is so compelling and creepy and wonderful. I love the dynamic between his and Im Si Won’s character. Unfortunately, being able to only watch at 3pm on a Very Sunny and Not At All Scary Sunday Afternoon with a house full of noise means I can only get through episodes sparingly.

The Red Sleeve (15/17)

Year: 2021 Country: Korea Platform: Viki I’m very much enjoying this. I started it because I felt the need for a nice, epic feeling Sageuk in my life. There’s just something sweeping and compelling about a historical drama done right, and this one is doing so much right. I love that our male lead is so forthright and upfront about his feelings but the issues keeping our leads apart are very real, with no easy solution. I’m a bit nervous about the one episode extension as those are often double edged swords but I go into finale week hopeful, excited for the end and sad to see it go.

Boys over Flowers - Thailand (1/16)

Year: 2021 Country: Thailand Platform:  YouTube Look, there’s not more to be said about this franchise that hasn’t already been said. Either you love it or you hate it, and I love it. Yes, the leads are a mess, yes there is a layer of toxicity over so much of their dynamic. But at its core, this is a story of our male lead finding his humanity and decency and a badass female lead who kicks his ass on the regular. So far it is delivering on every level in a satisfying way, and I already know that Bright’s descent into one sided love is going to destroy me so… I will just be here gobbling popcorn every week watching the train-wreck unfold.