#dramaland thoughts

[momentsatmydesk]

Sunday wisdom from ‘The Makanai’. 🌼🌞

[xiaoshengnu]

𝕸𝖞 𝕵𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖓𝖊𝖞 𝖙𝖔 𝖄𝖔𝖚 (2023)

overview : episode no - 24 | genre - wuxia

yun weishan has only ever known darkness. brought up and honed from a young age to become a spy under the mysterious sect wufeng, she longs for freedom. the drama begins as she is sent on a mission into the gong family, the enemy sect of wufeng. if she succeeds, freedom she gets. surrounded by schemes and treachery with possible death looming on both sides, yun weishan must navigate the dangerous waters of the gong family and her own turbulent emotions towards her target, gong ziyu.

l⃣e⃣ t⃣’ s⃣    b⃣e⃣g⃣i⃣n⃣

YALL THIS DRAMA. THIS DRAMA. this drama was simultaneously the worst and best thing I have experienced in a long time. however, if I could only use one word to describe this drama, it would 100% be stunning. the drama is absolutely stunning. from the music to the costuming to the makeup to the actors- this drama's visuals is quite frankly something never seen before in chinese dramaland- its so dark and brooding and so cool. the plot on the other hand...? let's get into it.

o⃣u⃣t⃣     o⃣ f⃣     t⃣ e⃣ n⃣

𝖕𝖑𝖔𝖙 - 3/10

𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 - 7/10

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘 - 7/10

𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖉𝖚𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 - 10/10

𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕖 - 6.7

o⃣u⃣t⃣    o⃣ f⃣    f⃣ i⃣v⃣ e⃣

𝖍𝖎𝖉𝖉𝖊𝖓 𝖌𝖊𝖒 𝖛𝖆𝖑𝖚𝖊 - 💎💎💎💎💎

[ honestly, this drama is pretty unique I have to give it that much. in every way. the characters? the premise? and the style? I think the visuals alone grants it it's five gem value. ] 

𝖗𝖊𝖜𝖆𝖙𝖈𝖍 𝖛𝖆𝖑𝖚𝖊 - ✨✨✨

[ despite the plot that is quite literally held up by like two stitches, I would probably rewatch it for the characters, but probably not think too deeply about the drama's construction as a whole because honestly- it would frustrate me to no end. ]

‘keep reading’ for detailed review

 𝖕𝖑𝖔𝖙 - 3

okay- hear me out y'all. I know people absolutely LOVE this drama and I am one of them, but I have to admit the logic in this plot sucks ass. like it really sucks ass. recently i heard a youtuber describe the characters as people who thought they were zhen huan but in reality were just a bunch of xia dongchuns and it really made me laugh- and guys... unfortunately, its true. some of the methods that the characters use to scheme and idk "verbally spar" honestly were just so- sigh. so ridiculous.

generally speaking, I felt that the drama didn't really have a "thread" or a central purpose, which I think is mainly a result of the build up to the ending. it failed to answer so many questions and instead made it worse by creating even more. overall, the plot kind of just felt like wading through a gigantic mud marsh with pointless confrontations and plot points popping up everywhere. the scriptwriters gave the drama a super complex framing that they just weren't able to do justice. two powerful sects and two people from completely opposing sides. one is an assassin-spy that initially (?) yearns for freedom and one is the leader of the sect that she is trying to destroy. add to that all the scheming that goes on the gong family. and a lot of childhood trauma. that's a shit-tonne of emotion and plotting to deal with which you can't realistically develop to a good quality within just 24 episodes.

I also got the vibe that the scriptwriters were scared to pin point any of their characters down for the sake of mystery, which honestly instead of making the drama better, really just made it worse. so many characters' motives were constantly doing 180s and big revelations were thrown in without any evidence of it being interlaced with the rest of the drama (I'm looking at you Big Plot Twist At End of Drama). like, the general concept was amazing, show-stopping, fantastic, never seen before, but then came the execution and it all just sort of fell apart.though I did enjoy the plot and watched the show until the end, ultimately I felt that there was honestly just too many frustrating flaws to justify it getting anything higher than 3. I loved the drama all the same though, the concept, the music and cinematography was just insane.

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘 - 7

ugh all the characters in this show where literally sO COOOLLL. they all had such distinctive characters, styles and personalities, it was amazing. honestly, literally never seen before. their tragic backstories were so so heartbreaking. while plot wasn't fantastic, the drama was pretty good at establishing and handling the characters and their emotional attachments to each other. its kinda funny to me that for a drama which marketed romance as it's main thing, the non-romantic relationships were so much better written. I loved yun weishan and yun que's relationship to their master han yasi and the relationship between xue chongzi and xue gongzi. and omg, gong ziyu's relationship to lady wuji? brought me to tears.

speaking of the romance department; I found it really hard to invest in the ships. while I approved of all the pairings and thought a romantic dynamic between them would be very interesting, it did feel like the storytelling was yet again lacking. I couldn't be sure wether I could really invest and ship the romance between shangguang qian and gong shangjue bcs both their motives were so unclear, and neither of their feelings towards one another were never really explored properly? and while I definitely understood yun weishan's attraction to gong ziyu, I didn't really get why gong ziyu loved her and risked so much for her which made some of his actions seem really silly and hard to stand by. overall, for the romance, i think I liked what it had the potential to be than what we actually got.

𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖉𝖚𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 - 10

Y'ALLL. time to talk about my absolute FAVOURITE part of this drama. THE PRODUCTION. the colouring, the lighting, the sets, the cinematography?? the makeup? the music? the costume design?? THE COSTUME DESIGN?? its quite obvious that a huge amount of the budget for this drama has simply been poured into the design, like I've seriously never seen a drama shot like this ever before and it was absolutely insane (though they definitely had to cut down on the cast and extras, the whole drama has this weird kind of empty feeling for a manor that is so rich and famous and so tightly guarded, like yun weishan didn't even get a personal handmaiden) I remember seeing the trailers for this show and literally screaming- the drama itself did not disappoint. I would even go as far to say that I would watch this drama completely just for the aesthetics.

𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 - 7

in my personal opinion, no complaints about the acting, it was pretty great. although it's pretty dramatic at times and everyone speaks at the volume of a whisper, at no point in the drama did I get taken out of the show by the acting. esther yu really slayed in her new assassin role which was so fun to watch especially since most of her roles thus far have been rather cutesy and light- and her marital arts scenes ate- in fact all the martial arts scenes ate in my opinion. I think even the side characters did fairly well, it was all very nice. no complaints.

.

.

𝖇𝖔𝖓𝖚𝖘!!

favourite character(s) : 

yue gongzi ( who doesn't love an angsty angsty man? he's literally the definition of that teary wet cat meme and I love that for him ) 

xue chongzi (yet another angsty man- you can see a pattern forming lmao- his arc at the end was literally so heartbreaking. one of my favourite characters from this show fr. )

.

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖗𝖊𝖜 (source mydramalist)

lead actors : esther yu, zhang linghe, lu yuxiao, cheng lei

director : guo jingming, luo luo

screenwriter : guo jingming

[itsanidiom]

15 DAY BL CHALLENGE - DAY 3

Side Dish(es) That Should Have Been The Main Course

This one is hard for me because I have a few!

First thought is Jack/Zhao Zi, but I love the main couple in History 3: Trapped too. HOWEVER, I definitely watched a video that cuts together just Jack/Zhao Zi's plot multiple times...was gonna link it, but I can't find it anymore. ( ;A; ) Anyway, I just love how smoll and innocent Zhao Zi is and Jack is just like "I've only had Zhao Zi for a day and a half..."

Staying in Taiwan bl dramaland, my second thought is Li Chen and Mu Ren from History 4: Closer to you. I will admit...this story had two main couples, so Li Chen and Mu Ren might not count as a side dish. HOWEVER, I would straight up CUT the other couple completely or alter their backstory beyond recognition. The younger brother character creeps me the fuck out and makes the show nearly unwatchable to me. Li Chen and Mu Ren redeem it because I fucking love their love and their figuring out their relationship together...but it's so hard to watch the other couple's plot play out. I skip when I rewatch ngl.

My final, and probably most valid thought, is Nuer and Syn from Cutie Pie. Like...I know we got to see this actor couple again Middle Man's, but I found their personalities absolutely grating in that show (especially poor Yim's character my GOD). I would love to see a series explore Syn's monkhood vs the obvious sexual tension with Tutor more. We got a little bit in the second season...BUT I WANT MORE.

UPDATE: HOW DID I FORGET ABOUT THEM?!?!

[moononmyfloor]

Dashing Youth Ep 36-40 Commentary

Ep 1-10, Ep 11-16, Ep 17-21, Ep 22-25, Ep 26-32, Ep 33-35

Ep 36

This ep had nothing much of interest for me, all this talk of "bringing Ye Dingzhi back to the rightful path" is boring af like you never asked him what is it exactly that he wants, not before, not now

The part where Dongjun cultivates at the edge where mortal world meets the start of heavens was very cool, if a story wants to convince me that he rebuilt his lost cultivation in a year, this place is as good as it gets for the purpose.

Evil sister being permanently imprisoned and left to rot than being granted an immediate death is super satisfying

This part was pretty sweet, the way he closed his eyes and put his stubbly chin in her palms

Ep 37

When I watched He Yu's Dashing Youth interviews etc, I thought he sounded unusually straightforward and frank for an idol actor. And then I looked at his profile and realised that dude is an Architecture graduate and went to Vancouver for further studies and then returned to China to participate in acting workshops. Well THAT explains a lot of things. For example, how he carries himself with such gravitas and confidence despite being a new actor, he basically stole the show from HMH from the very ep 1 imo and that did not happen just because he looks good, because everyone looks amazeballs in this show anyway.

Not to mention "hurt young dad trying his best" is not a role you often see among Chinese idol dramaland main characters, and even rarer for a newbie actor to take on such a role. Like he came in and served. End of the story.

FINALLY. The two most grounded characters of the show meet up! Funny how at first I shipped them with Dongjun and as time went on the less interesting let alone shippy Dongjun felt and now I can't help but imagine, what if these two met earlier, instead?

And gods, this is exactly what I love about Changfeng. Despite being the sweetest baby of the show, he's incredibly realistic and doesn't care for the popular beliefs let alone factions. He'd rather have a face-to-face with the problem at hand and form his opinion.

"Hey buddy, wanna spar?" Just like that. Unafraid and non-judgemental, because he has not formed any yet, because he doesn't have a reason to. And he instantly won over Dingzhi who rarely trusts anyone. Too bad they met only now.

Aww, I feel like this is a nudge to their other-selves in I Am Nobody, right?

"I've stopped saying corny things and have turned mature because any sentence could be your last in the battlefield, and ends up getting carved on your tombstone."

-insert gremlin laugh-

Yeah Mengsha, that's exactly what will be on your grave. "HAHAHAHAHA"

PFft I love him.

Yeah she found that man and then he died. Huhu.

The rest of the ep is about the so called righteous party trying to beat the hot young dad with their sheer incompetence and that wasn't interesting enough to comment on.

Ep 38

Putting the disturbed souls to rest in the name of his daughter, that's Sikong Changfeng. It sounds kinda morbid on paper, but in truth only the most purest, benevolent person in the world would be able to do that. I was reminded of The Untamed for a second there.

Daring the monarchy from atop the palace gate, as the most peerless person in jianghu atm. I think both Master Li and Master Rain Demon would be proud of you.

Yknow, for Dingzhi who suffered from wishy washy treatment from most people all his life (yes, that includes you too Dongjun), a clear yes/no answer to this question would've been a mercy.

Ep 39

This was unexpectedly hilarious lol

Little girl u are pissing me off. You weren't born when the definitions of right and wrong were created in the world.

"What is wrong is wrong" bruh shut up, you are embarrassing your dad and not in the serotonin-inducing way he always embarrassed himself.

And I called Dongjun blindly idealistic.

Speaking of whom, Dongjun and Yue Yao actually kinda redeemed themselves for me again in this ep, by proving that even at this point, the "righteousness" he cares for is for his Yun ge to get the happiness he deserves.

Would've been better if you actively stepped up earlier than this to safeguard the happiness that he and Wenjun had found by a margin, tho. You had years of opportunity and now it's too late.

For softhearted lackeys, Wuxin's gay uncles are pretty alright regarding being grounded characters. They don't have lots of choices to work with, but at least they aren't led around by nose with all the pointless politics and try their best to follow their hearts.

Ep 40

Yeah yeah, blame the woman in the end. The sad thing is that he's a historian, and it's not a surprise that this came out of his mouth.

Rocket science

Same as with Hanyi, I was mad at Ye Xiaofan too like kid what point exactly are you trying to prove to your ge by appearing like this at this moment, but then he redeemed himself and I'm very happy about that. Give him treats.

Ok I'm crying. Wenjun's conviction and determination in the final act makes me forgive her again. Honestly, I wouldn't have disliked her even a little bit if not for that lazy stupidity the show made her commit in ep 33 anyway.

But alas, it's too late. My baby 😭

Good to hear Yue Yao's sister died, even glad that screentime wasn't spared to see it happen because I really don't give a fuck.

Finally, Dongjun meets his ge's child. Lil Wuxin cowering away from him at first served him right.

It's so sad how Wuxin lost his parents and adoptive uncles all together within such a brief period of time. I remember disliking the uncles when they took Wuxin away in BoY, but now I understand them even though it was AGAIN at the expense of Wuxin's rights to be with the people he wants to at that moment. It's sad that whatever person Wuxin would grow emotionally attached to, he has to part from them because of others' arrangements.

Woah, you two have been canoodling around in your fairy carriage for the whole world to see for years and you haven't been married yet? Scandalous, Dongjun 😂

Final Verdict

Despite the lazy and unconvincing middle eps, the final stretch is near perfect, the characters I've grown to have beef with (Dongjun, Wenjun) redeemed themselves, Yue Yao grew a little bit more of personality, the amazing main characters remained amazing (Dingzhi, Changfeng) and so did the amazing side characters (Lei Mengsha, Master Li, Luo Qingyang, Jade deity). Well, I suppose they've written themselves to a corner with Prince Langya, he feels definitely less glorious of a person than he was treated in BoY, after seeing Dashing Youth. So I'm ok with not seeing his character wrap-up here.

I started with giving this a 8.5/10 and ended with a 7.5/10, but overall I really enjoyed the themes of how different generations of people answer times of suppression, and balance morality, friendship and family, and what exactly is the end goal of a martial artist. The people were extremely pleasant to look at, the fight CGIs were epic visual feasts, and I did enjoy myself a lot considering how I rarely watch idol Wuxia/Xianxia/Xuanhuan.

[xiaolanhua]

ok, so here are my thoughts about Till the End of the Moon:

First of all, i really enjoyed watching the drama, there were some things that i didn't like but it doesn't determine if is a good drama or not, just my personal preference.

Visuals:

Among all the xianxias i've watched, they really brought one of the best visuals and cgi. The photography and cinematography were also on point. One of the best things about the drama!

Characters:

I'm so glad i got to meet Tantai Jin, he is a complex and intriguing character played VERY WELL by Luo Yunxi, he definitely was the star of the show. The man really gave us the most unhinged, sad, pretty and mad human (or devil) being while using the most thin and neat eyeline and he's so iconic for that (he and dongfang qingcang would be besties, i feel it!)

Li Susu/Ye Xiwu are kind the kind of character that you love or hate or both, and honestly, i'm going with both. Really felt mixed emotions about her but i understand her character and why she behaved like that, Bai Lu once again did a great job <3

Also, shoutout to my favorite secondary characters Pian Ran (my beloved fox, i miss you so much), Qing yu (a cutie), Bai Yu (a puppy who loves his master so much) and my bad b*tch Si Ying (r.i.p baby you were mean but slayed).

The couples:

The main couple were not a "healthy" one and i acknowledge that but Bai Lu and Yunxi's chemistry is off chart, i'm glad we had another drama with them giving us all kinds of feels because they are really great with that. Also, if you want to watch them being one of the most funny and healthy couples of dramaland, i highly recommend Love is Sweet, it has "corporate" plot but they make it worth it.

Pian Ran and Qing Yu deserve the title of "second couple", they were fun, cute and had great chemistry (the writers did they dirty 🤬)

On the other hand, unfortunately, this drama has one of the worst "second lead" characters/couple (bingchan/mo nv and xiao lin/ji wu). I didn't like them for a bit and could erase them in any timeline/plot, very weak and with nonexistent chemistry :(

Costumes:

You can really tell that they spend efforts with the costumes and i appreciate it so much because the dresses and accessories (specially Ye Xiwu's head pieces) were stunning!! The team responsible for the costumes deserve a raise.

Plot/ending/editing:

Yes, it's a xianxia, and yes, i knew what kind of drama i was getting into and i'm not a "sad ending" hater or whatever, but i feel like the mass cutting and re-editing for the drama to be broadcasted really downgraded the overall quality of the drama.

Who directed also made a mistake choosing to release too much scenes that weren't really needed and then fast forward scenes that were important to the plot, you guys know what i'm talking about? yep, the dream arc/bo're life.

The dream arc indeed was important, specially for character development and to understand about the ancient gods and the battle against the former devil god, but how they prolonged when it could be done without taking almost 9 episodes is really frustrating.

There's a tiny detail that really bothered me while i was watching that how they used the same location/wardrobe for multiple scenes. Like, they put the actors on a place and made them record different kind of scenes that were put on the drama and you CAN tell they did that because the editing didn't help. I don't know if they did that to cut expenses but is just a thing that throws me off.

Now, about the last episode: i was meh... the ending was more bitter then sad. And, yes, i'm totally angry because Tantai Jin did not deserve the ending he got 😭🤬 like, would it kill to explain better if he was gone for good ??? because that last scene was confusing

OST:

I admit that i only heard the OST when i was watching, it was great but not memorable :(

-

well, i think this is the larger post i've made about a drama and i'm sorry if something sounds confusing or is written poorly, english is not my first language (i know, is such a latino thing to say sorry about having a "bad" english 😬)

rating: overall: 8.2/10 acting: 9.5/10 visuals 9.5/10 plot: 8/10 editing: 6/10

[lightofraye]

you people live in dramaland.

do you seriously think Jensen's life is some kind of soap opera? full of intrigue and lies and plot twists, all for you to watch?

i thought you were his fan, but how can that be true, if you think so low of him. you see him as some pathetic worm who's incapable of standing for himself or even his own children.

you seriously think he's trapped or something!

but he's not a poor woman with 6 children who was forced to marry at the age of sixteen on a third world ultra sexist country.

nope, Jensen is a white, straight, rich and famous dude living in America, he literally have all the options, our world and society was literally crafted to the convenience of men like him.

he's just fine, living happily on his 9md mansion, with his beloved family, getting paid for playing golf, and literaly having no bigger problem than maybe expending a little bit too much on a gift for his wife.

Ah... and here we go. Sigh.

Normally, I would actually agree with the statement that a straight, white, Christian, man in America could get away with murder. (History proves that far too often.) But... in America, and many other places, we do not believe a man can be a victim. Why is that? Ask yourself that carefully.

Because we perpetuate the idea that a man is strong. A man cannot be a victim. Hell, in Wedding Crashers, a woman on man r*pe scene was played as a fucking joke. It's often pushed that a man cannot be victimized and those that are are frequently bullied, made fun of, and not believed.

I would like to emphasize that line one more time: frequently bullied, made fun of, and not believed. You think the police don't believe female victims? Imagine how they are with a male victim!

I advocate for the safety and freedom of all genders, not just women! In my time at the domestic violence shelter, I actually met two male victims!

It happens.

So yes. I am a fan of his. I am. I give voice of my support to him in his career and his personal life. I also do not withhold criticism of his poor decisions.

I do believe he is trapped. There may be more going on in the background than we're aware of. I could go on and reply to more of your points, but I don't think there's a need.

I'm observant. May I suggest you recheck your thought patterns and take a closer look to how they interact?

[theinfinitedivides]

this is so random but i would love to hear your opinion on mydramalist as a fellow asian drama lover. because it’s obviously well known as a reliable wiki of sorts in dramaland but i beg to differ. (the only plus i feel being the summary and cast list for info)

i mean, i’ve not seen a single comsec w more than two brain cells as a whole? there’s always complaints about female leads rooted from misogyny, they are never happy about story progression, and i just find so many of them kinda dumb sorry lol. like zero media literacy to be found, insufferable arguments, etc. the star ratings are rly just given to popular dramas w high profile actors too.

and i personally find it disheartening that so many ppl end up referring to mdl when considering dramas because so many gems are then lost and not given appreciation.

anon. anon anon anon if you know the way i sat straight the f*ck up when i saw the notification and then read through this ask bc yes. yes to everything here that is exactly it. almost three fourths of what i've watched this year was either 1. not received well by the general MDL crowd (Moon in the Day. where is the taste brethren to not like MITD and not even for reasons that actually make sense), 2. received well but had a good chunk of people bitching in the comment section, or 3. received well but had the main point of the show (and its relevant characterization) go over their heads. (The Worst of Evil aka TWOE comment section, i am f*cking looking at you. i can count on one hand the number of people who understood what that show was supposed to be about) the one fourth that managed to escape was bc the toxicity did not reach the comment section and everyone was pretty f*cking civil. alas if only it could be like that all of the time

case in point for the ratings example, since we've already briefly tackled the lack of media literacy—j-dramas on MDL are notoriously rated much, much lower than either k- or c-dramas. half of the time that's bc there are less users watching (and rating) them therefore the average is lower but the other half it's bc people simply do not understand good media when they see it. don't get me wrong there's some freaky ass sh*t in the j-drama world that i would not touch with a Grinch level pole but to see MDLers out here talking about how slow j-dramas are and that nothing's happening. have you considered that you are either watching the wrong genre or you shouldn't be watching j-dramas in the first place bc their entire setup and general narrative framing arcs are not your style. have you even thought about that for six seconds or are you too busy expecting it to read like a typical tropey rom-com k-drama with your trending oppas. (no hate on my tropey rom-coms with [most of] said oppas, i need them when i don't want to think i just want to see sh*t on my screen and scream about hot people and the Hand Umbrellas in the Rain and the Back Hold when the male lead catches the female lead before she falls and you have the fifteen second focus on their faces just looking at each other)

and the misogyny. oh God do not get me started on the dichotomy that was the Cult, as we affectionatly called ourselves, on the feeds while THEE sageuk of the year My Dearest was airing (beloved show [that i still need to finish. JangChae i'm sorry ily life hates me like the mf it is 😭], beloved commentary on the feeds. they saw the vision on the feeds) vs the sh*tshow that was the landmine field of the comment section (the takes i saw on Gil Chae, Eun Ae AND Ryang Eum respectively.......... the misogyny wasn't enough we had to add the homophobia into the mix. buy one get one free deal fr fr). you mad man. that sh*t was insane there was a point i banned myself from scrolling farther than the cast section until the show finished airing. i kid you not on average they didn't have even half a braincell. maybe a quarter of a quarter of one. f*cked up just say you are not decent people and go

this is not to say that all of MDL is like this. i have gotten tuned into absolute masterpieces of content (and have tuned others, amen) bc of a comment comparing a show i'm watching to another one or a review being posted in the feeds about a film with less than 500 people interested. i have reconsidered my choice to not watch something after having spirited discussions in private messages discussing the pros and cons of the premise and whether they managed to get it done without f*cking sh*t up. i still contribute semi-regularly by adding relatively unknown actors and crew members to the database so they can get the credit due them. if you know where to look, you can get some good sh*t out of that place. problem is most users who are new to both the site and East/Southeast Asian cinema as a whole don't know where to look, and the cycle continues, and the ratings continue to be skewed/bloated and no one pays attention to the plot, if there even is any to pay attention to.

tl;dr: begging people to not let MDL be the be all end all for their drama recs a la 'well MDL doesn't like it so i won't watch it'. babe we have said MDLers complaining about how the ratings on Viki are too high but in my entire time watching dramas i've found that in the past two to three years the Viki ratings are making more sense than the MDL ones. sit with that for a sec. when you're done branch out and see the world (literally and cinematically), i promise you will be a better person for it

[lurkingshan]

Welp! Unfortunately they did not reveal the amnesia plot to be a joke. Shin is apparently suffering from a love-interest-only form of amnesia that only exists in dramaland, and I have no earthly idea why the writers of this show thought speed running an amnesia plot was the best way to get to Minato’s much needed character development. This plot feels so wildly out of place in this story that has always been grounded in mundane reality. I am baffled by this story choice.

[meowdred]

hi i wanted to ask bc i’m always curious about other peoples orkneys takes: if mordred is the second youngest, who’s the youngest? (& if you want to share any other opinions you have on the orkneys, order of siblings or otherwise, go ahead :) but no pressure)

HIIII!!!! thank you so much for your question !!!! i'm sorry this is going to be super super long i have a lot of thoughts about the orkneys (guy who named himself after biblical cain and loves complex sibling dynamics)

of course gareth is the youngest, but generally it goes like this for me

gawain - eldest obviously. there's this line from alliterative morte that i'm really fond of that sums how i think of him really well

"like a berserker he fights in a frenzy for fierceness and heart; fights and cuts down all who stand before him and never did fortune so favor the brave"

++++++ eldest brother syndrome. eldest daughter syndrome, even. i think with having morgause as his mother + the death of lot he was put in the place of taking care of his younger siblings and tried his best to be the role model for them... i was always really fond of a teenage gawain taking care of an infant gareth while leading agravaine and gaheris as children to bed. he's super repressed and has a lot of angst... but i think one of his key traits is his devotion to his family (which of course includes arthur as well... who i think he found a paternal figure in, in the lack of emotional connection from morgause and lot's physical absence)

i think mordred came into the family later on but by then he'd be an adolescent and gawain would be fully integrated into the kotr which fuels his outsider syndrome tbh and the struggle w/ his family. i do think gawain really tried his best to reach out to him though because that's still his baby brother.... and it's one of the reasons why i like the idea of mordred killing gawain instead as opposed to lancelot haha i think it makes the betrayal 100x more agonzing and heartwrenching. plus the fact that they're family hits different for me. but anyways.....

agravaine - second eldest and has bad middle child syndrome, but i also read the wicked day by mary stewart when i was younger and it shaped my view of the orkneys a lot so i'm also fond of the idea of him being twins with gaheris... either goes though. i think agravaine is the second saddest in the orkneys apart from mordred, but for different reasons i think... there's a lot of bitterness in his heart. largely due to growing up with gawain's shadow over him i imagine

gaheris - either twins with agravaine or the ultimate middle child. surprisingly i don't have a lot of opinions on him ? i think. in my ditched retelling (different from lideri and closer to medieval arthuriana) he used to be really close with agravaine but they grew distant as they grew older. i liked making him an artist for some reason i think it's cute + i had the idea that he actually didn't die, he was the remaining orkney after the battle at camlann so he had to rule over orkney something he wasn't prepared for in the slightest

gareth is the youngest. i love making him the baby of the orkneys. i think gawain spoils him to death, i borrowed this from mary stewart again but i also like to think that he wasn't spoiled by not just gawain but also by morgause because of his likeness to her, though i don't think he's similar to her at all personality wise esp when he grows up. he has the image of a young awkward teenager to me haha and he struggles in his place amongst the orkneys. he also has a similar issue with gaheris wherein he feels at odds with his siblings esp their conflict bc the orkneys is dramaland. i don't know if you ever read the brothers karamazov but gareth for me is similar to alyosha where he acts as the glue for the orkneys, which is why when he dies gawain loses his shit

there's also clarissant... who i think is along the same ages as gareth and mordred. though i haven't thought much yet for her bc i only started thinking of her recently i like the idea of her being a lady knight though

and well.. there's mordred.... don't ask me i have a lot of opinions on that guy.

[kdramaxoxo]

i think the thing that's not working for king the land is the plot not really plotting?? like much hasn't happened in terms of an actual development in arc but the love story has started - which i think is not very common in other dramas. usually by the time our leads properly fall for each other, and admit their feelings (especially when it's opposites attract or a soft enemies to lovers) we have more of an idea about where the plot is headed? i don't know if this makes sense or if I'm just missing something as an international viewer relying on subtitles but i think the progression in the love line actually highlights that much else isn't really happening in the show.

both sarang and gu won feel like passive characters outside of their romance plots because they don't have any clear obstacles, and they don't even seem to have any goals - not really. sarang is clearly quite complacent and unambitious (which is realistic and i quite like that tbh! not everyone needs or wants to be a girlboss) people are mean to her but no one's really being a hindrance to her work or life. yes gu won is looking for his mom but that frequently takes a back seat to him pining over sarang and he's clearly not interested in the company politics.

so honestly yeah - i think that's where the gap comes with king the land. it could work better if they focused a bit more on the other leads' problems in their lives - like that glimpse into da-eul's family life was really intriguing and well done, and so was that scene with pyeong-hwa and the slimy pilot. the show really just needs to hit that balance and I'm pretty sure that would be enough to make it genuinely good instead of just nice, y'know?

so sorry for the dissertation! feel free to ignore please i just needed to put down my thoughts haha.

hope you're having a great day and taking care! love your blog and i love dropping by everytime i open tumblr to learn your takes on the most recent dramaland shenanigans and look at pretty gifs 💕💕

* Posts this ask and backs away :P *

I also have thoughts about King The Land, but I am desperately trying to catch up to The Kiss because there is NO way I'm missing that! I like to finish dramas before I make official statements about them but listen...I might not get to the end of this one if I'm honest.

I will say this: King The Land is not a BAD drama imo, but is it GOOD?? Then again the leads are stunning and the ladies friendship is amazing so there's that! I also want to add that I don't need a fluff fest rom com to be like perfect at all - it's just lacking a lot of depth and feels a little uneven so far.

I think that's all I'll say until I'm caught up to episode 8 ;-)

[momentsatmydesk]

~ I want to hug Japanese dramas because they enliven my heart like flowers in spring. ~ 🌸

.

Some more beautiful wisdom from ‘Kitchen for Singles’ 🌸

[scrumptiousstuffs]

Boss and Babe

Three episodes in….and I’m enjoying Boss and the Babe more than I thought I would.

Cher is refreshingly honest and straightforward with a touch of naïveté. He can be annoying at times but I can see why his friends (and now Gun!) adores him.

Cher has clearly enchant Gun, who is weary, lonely and in need of someone to shake his orderly world.

Do I find their work relationship a tad bit unprofessional? Yes.

Do I care? Not really 😅 - it’s dramaland and I want to see Cher breaking Gun’s wall bit by bit (and I cannot wait to see Gun spoiling Cher - cause let’s be honest, he seems to be the type of partner who will do so for a loved one!)

Also - Cher’s group of gamers’ friends consisting of stylish Jack, loved up Thi/Three and Zo and big brother,Tubtab is always a hoot! I adore their interactions

It’s an easy and breezy drama to watch, and I quite enjoy it 🫣

19/03/2023

[for-dramas-sake]

My Favorite SHORT Dramas

My latest obsession in dramaland are mini dramas. They can go from 15 minutes to even 1 minute long per episode! 0_0 Here are my favorites!

The Only Girl You Haven’t Seen [MY FAVORITE SHORT DRAMA!]

An assassin is killed by her master and wakes up in the body a newly married bride to an idiot prince. But he’s not as dumb as he seems. These two go through multiple trials including war, disease and scheming princes not to mention their own secrets that threaten their marriage. 

Both of them are cuties and their love is adorable and simple. But then they are both bad asses in their own right and kick a lot of ass in this show. I love not only them and their love, but their growth into their identities. They prove that power couples are still possible!

Maid’s Revenge [BEST CHEMISTRY!]

After the murder of her entire family, a girl becomes the maid of the man who killed them. She plots her revenge against him not knowing the full truth of what really happened or who is really responsible for her family’s deaths. 

The main guy was perfect for this role: broody, commanding, sexy as hell and pining for the female lead. As for her, I like this actress after watching her in other cuter dramas so seeing her in this more serious drama made me appreciate her acting even more. There’s a lot of angst in this drama. You can drink with a straw. And the story’s not bad either. 

Dangerous Love [WISH THERE WAS MORE!]

A little scaredy cat marries a scary duke who supposedly killed all of his previous wives! She is terrified of him, but he isn’t as scary as she thinks he is. 

Another marriage life drama: this one with more comedy than The Only Girl. The girl has all these misunderstandings about her husband, and it doesn’t help that he doesn’t try all that hard to refute them. His way of winning her over is a bit different. The drama is silly but overall a great watch. 

Love for Two Lives [CUTEST DRAMA!]

A modern girl suddenly finds that she is living next door to a king from an ancient country! He makes his queen to avoid marrying someone else. She comes in and modernizes the palace to the king’s enjoyment, but not everyone likes her or her “tricks”.

A refreshing story! What do you get when you mix old school palace royals with new technology? This story. It’s hilarious and you love all the characters. The two leads have natural chemistry and I so want a 2nd season!

The Little Wife of the General [STORIES ABOUT GENERALS ARE MY WEAKNESS]

A modern gal gets into an accident and becomes a general’s bride! The overbearing general doesn’t want her as his bride but with her fantastic cooking skills and her bright personality she slowly wins him over. There’s another gal who wants the general for herself and proves to be the thorn in everyone’s side about it.

I liked this drama pure for the story and the WHEN! This is a slow burn romance so relax, put up your feet and wait for the general to come around. There is plenty to like otherwise: the comedy, the foodie prince who is always eating and plot that keeps that story rolling.

Bossy Husband Who Loved Me [Season 1] [MOST CREATIVE!]

A novelist is pulled into her own story and in order to get out she has to progress the story along, BUT the main character in the novel, who is also her husband, can read her mind and thus foils all of her plans. She has to deal with the aftermath and has no idea he can hear her thoughts.

This drama wins just for creative writing. Any story with someone falling into a story, a game, another world, etc. I am interested to see what craziness happiness. For this drama, that someone is the novelist herself, but she can’t succeed with her husband ruining everything she does. This is just season 1 so their story isn’t done yet. Let’s bring on season 2 and all that comes with it!

[silviakundera]

Moonlight Chicken Liveblogging Ep 6-7

Ep 6

Wow my otp talking like mature adults again. All Wen had to do was show up emotionally wounded & homeless. And now he's sleeping on Jim's floor. Seize the day, babygirl!

The cat treat product placements are the best in dramaland because they mean we get adorable cat moments. Never been excited for any product placement before (besides the infamous sex bread, of course).

We're back to THE YEARNING. Babygirl has figured out that Jim will let him curl towards him and rest his head against his shoulder. This is becoming his go-to move. They clearly both savor the closeness. This is emotional edging!! Jim, you freak!!!!#

Then we get flashbacks that show Jim confronting his cheating partner with his, er, cheating. But then he dies in an accident so they can't ever resolve things.

Wen getting flirty as he 'helps' steady Jim om his waist. The way that Jim rebuffs him BUT so gently holds onto Wen's hand for a moment and strokes it. It's the sweetest lowkey soothing gesture. I'm gonna hyperventilate.

"Can I sleep on your lap?"

The way that Jim always tries to go with it when Wen wants his attention, as if to make up for the 1 big yes he can't handle yet. ❤

Definitely just friends. The most friends. 100% platonic behavior. (a common colleague)

YAS! Wen continues his campaign by joining Jim for temple and convinces him to meet the girl his ex was involved in. That's right, let's shake that baggage and see what falls out!

"We just fell in love with a selfish man."

How great was it that they avoided making that woman also involved with his ex a scheming bitch caricature? It's been some years and she's just left with these memories too but she's put it all to rest. Jim and the audience can't really know if she's telling the truth that this man loved both of them, even if he was with her first and Jim unknowingly the interloper. Was the love Jim thought he experienced a lie? It's impossible to ever know; the dead keep their secrets. But she treated him like an equal in the conversation, with respect. She's frank about the fact that they were involved first and she told the boyfriend to break with Jim (fair!) but she even assures Jim that she's not sure he would have. There's the sense that she's moved on enough to be able to examine the past clinically - but then, she'd be seen as having the 'right' to ask questions of family & friends and the confidence that she had a right to know his whereabouts & the company he kept. She wasn't in the dark and so could face her demons head-on while Jim took 4 years and Wen's support to gear up the courage to approach for answers (knowing the reaction could potentially be very ugly).

And she's now happily married to a better guy. Good 4 her. Screenwriter could have played this another way with misogynist undertones but avoided that pitfall.

📢 we have graduated to hand holding! 📢 Wen continues to be THE best boyfriend-in-waiting and they enjoy beach time and a weight off Jim's shoulders because he finally has a true confidante.

Yes now all of my cdrama experience is showing but, like, this whole concept of The One Who Truly Knows You In This Life... That's what this otp has become. What they're allowing to happen.

Just underlines what I was thinking when Wen's ex gets in a drunk accident and needs caretaking. Jim sets everything aside, brings him to the hospital and totally understands that Wen will step in to help his ex. No explanations required.

Ep 7

Wen being a good ex partner, sheparding Alan to appointments. Learning to be kind to each other again. Love this for them. This whole plotline is so well done.

[asdfghjk I got so emotional about this that I texted one of my fav exes that we need to catch up & we're brunching this weekend]

Babygirl is irrepressible. He's totally making a beach date happen by force of will. He reaches out again & again but we can see the changes happening.

It's a sharp contrast to the next scene with Gaipa and that reminds the audience that Jim will clearly and decisively shut down a suitor. He's not passive or a such people pleaser that he can't make it clear when it's not gonna happen. The situation with Wen is entirely different - there's an understanding that Jim isn't ready to go there (yet) but the feelings are very obviously mutual and there's easy skinship that's not platonic.

aaaand the situation with the nephew comes to head!

Jim (freaking tf out) : oh great I made u poor AND gay

Sexually liberated teen Li Ming, to his uncle having war flashbacks of homophobic extended family, closeted gay childhood, and first gay love who betrayed him & died still in the closet to his family: what's the big deal?

😭😂😭

Leng the hapless straight boy employee has really grown on me. The dude is simple but he's actually THE greenest of flags boyfriend in the whole cast. Gonna marry his pregnant gf who he clearly adores and just do his best. Friend of the local disaster gays. The most chill.

seriously Jim, you know Wen is THE ONE WHO KNOWS YOU and helps you work out everything you're overthinking and widens your perspective. He's out here helping untangle your internalized homophobia and the shadow of your sister's continued discomfort with your sexuality. You need this man!!!!!!! Damn it Jim!!!!!!!

Wen: what are we? ☺ let's define our relationship? ☺ you know, I might give up on you... 😏

Jim: (gives a cheek kiss) (does not, in fact, want to be given up on)

Wen: (system crash & restart)

ok but I NOTICED that once last episode and now this episode Wen playfully threatens to give up on him, seeking a good faith gesture, and both times Jim gives in. He agrees to eat out of Wen's hand in ep 6 and now 💋

awwww Gaipa's mom passes away at only 49. And that's sometimes how life goes. Good showcase of the neighborhood community they built over the last few years, because he's not dealing with this grief alone.

Oh man, another flashback to the funeral of Jim's first love and the reality that so many queer people in previous generations had to go thru - when your partner passes away and you have no rights to common property that wasn't in your name. I LOVE that's the root of Jim's financial strain that we've been witnessing -- that he lost everything that was in Beam's name, and this is part of why his reaction to his nephew's sexuality was anxiety. This drama is so much about 3 queer generations. I just really appreciate that.

Jim looking out for Wen's ex Alan as he struggles with crutches and Wen is there at the funeral for someone he doesn't really know, working on his laptop inside. Holding hands as Jim stops fighting the inevitable and lets the diner (and its ghosts) go. Just supporting each other and being THE most functional boyfriends without being boyfriends* (*technicality).

The family stuff between Jim, nephew Li Ming, and the sister/mom is compelling. The most interested I've been in the kid's storyline.

[namjhyun]

DRAMA REVIEW | In My Ashtanga Class (2022 KBS Drama Special)

Do you know Ashtanga is a hit with me. It delivers everything you want from a young adult story: it's funny, sexy and has some really well done classic rom-com moments.

Nara, our leading lady, is best described as a complainer. She's at a point of her life where things seem to have stuck: her personal and work life are not good, she compares herself to others and and even judges them.

I really appreciate a drama special centering around a young woman, in her thirties, still trying to figure out things. After quitting a well paid job and following her passion, Nara is not even close to have an answers about life and has to deal with her own insecurities, which are mostly what's holding her back, and that feels true to life. Nara goes through a journey of accepting life as it is and learning to change what she doesn't like about it. Letting go of her expectations might be the hardest part, especially when society has programmed you to be a certain way and have certain things, at certain age.

To say she's at a low point emotionally it's an understatement. That's when she experiences an adorable meet-cute with Tae-joon, the son of the wealthy family from whom Nara rents the studio where she teaches yoga.

Tae-joon likes Nara immediately, thinking of her as the perfect combination of cute and cool. He is polite, nerdy, eager to help and respectful. His attraction to Nara is based on the fact he likes how she holds herself trough life... he might be one of the greenest flags I have seen in Dramaland.

He also deals with his own insecurities about his economic status, being self-conscious about people seeing him as a spoiled rich guy having grown up with a family that it's rather snobby and not a fan of his views on life. For example, his mother berates him for collecting items to donate for the needy and insist for him to start wearing luxury brands instead of buying clothes at the smaller shops at the neighbourhood. It's clear people have misjudged him before because of his money.

The story might be full of tropes but is in the performances where this story shines. Both leads deliver their lines with such an easy chemistry, dry humor and comedic timing that's impossible not to smile at every interaction they share. The story is so well written that it feels well rounded and the world lived in, the characters full of colour.

I absolutely recommend this sweet and fun rom-com that might give you some food for thought.

[convenientalias]

I have so many thoughts on To Sir, With Love (the 2022 Thai drama, not the movie with Sidney Poitier lols) but I don't even know how I would begin talking about it. I think it's a really touching depiction of someone struggling with being closeted. Of course, this in the context of lakorn tropiness, melodrama, murders, etc. But what's really striking to me is how much Tian wants to be open about his sexuality and how much everyone around him opposes him. Especially the people who love him! Tian's mother literally murders people and threatens to kill herself if he doesn't keep quiet about his sexuality. His brother, who's actually supportive of him in general, still thinks he should keep the secret no matter what, even to the point that when Tian tries to come out to him--multiple times--he tells Tian not to say anything. He frames it as "you don't have to say anything", as in Tian shouldn't feel pressured or guilty about the melodrama going on around his ~mysterious secret~, but it comes down to refusing to share in the secret with Tian. Leaving Tian very isolated and very stressed.

Then there's the hilarious fact that Tian's brother actually guessed he was gay after seeing him in contrived romantic situations with this dude that weren't even that romantic? Like outside of dramaland it's not romantic for someone to cut your sleeve bc it's snagged on a wall. Or there was that time that Tian's love interest kissed him to keep him quiet and Tian's brother saw BUT IT WAS DURING AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, with the love interest BEING THE ASSASSIN, trying to keep him quiet SO HE WOULDN'T BE CAUGHT TRYING TO KILL HIM. Tian's brother is like "hm. gay things." and it's like, yes, you're aware that you're in a drama so these are gay things, but in real life this would mean literally nothing but you're right, these are in fact signs of a courtship bc this is dramaland. what can you do.