#fantasy sageuk

[egle0702]

The Boy Who Lived (the Night)

✨ Complete (6 chapters + glossary) ✨ Joseon Wizarding World AU ✨ Taehyung-centred ✨ BTS, 2PM ✨ Rating: G ✨ Word count: 33k

Cover art by Clover

A muggle boy visits a shaman for spirit guidance, but the shaman's friends crash their session, and now they have a problem to solve.

[LINK]

[sunlighthroughthe-ashes]

What are your fav dramas? I enjoyed reading some of your posts about Love Next Door. :)

hi there, anon! thank you for reaching out — i'm so happy to hear that you liked my posts! :)

honestly; i been enamored with k-dramas since 2016. i have seen many: some sweet, some sad, some bitter — yet none of them have left a mark on me the way lovely runner has. LR has my entire heart and is largely responsible for the healing i've been able to hold along with my grief.

that said, these are a few other dramas that i have greatly enjoyed watching: while you were sleeping, w:two worlds, suspicious partner, bride of habaek, cheese in the trap, to the beautiful you, descendants of the sun, crash landing on you, our beloved summer, fight for my way, hwayugi: a korean odyssey, my love from another star, healer, it's okay not to be okay, twenty-five / twenty-one (despite the gutwrenching ending!), doom at your service, rookie cops, and love in the moonlight.

[texaxwib]

Creating Real Worlds in Fantasy and Fiction

For the new year 2024, I am still immersing myself in the wonderful world of Korean dramas. I especially enjoy the sageuk or historical period dramas, whether they are based on historical records, historical fiction, or historical fantasy. My all-time favorite historical Korean drama based on the real history of ancient Korea is “Six Flying Dragons“. But Korea-Khitan War is worth an honorable…

[dangermousie]

This poster for Fantasy Sonata is making me INSANE! Clawing at the walls, screaming, wanting it!!!!

Also @aysekira sent me this poster for Flower That Blooms at Night:

Between these two, Sejak and Goryeo Khitan War, we are gonna have four sageuks airing in January!

[sexlovelitpodcast]

Sex Love Lit girlies! I watched Crash Landing On You (my first k-drama) and now I have a conundrum: A) I want to watch more k-dramas, and B) No k-drama can seem to measure up to CLOY 😭 Could you put together a playlist of entry-level k-dramas for new fans that capture the CLOY magic? Bonus points if they’re on Netflix

@sliceoflifegirl thanks for the ask!

(Corinne here) First of all, welcome to KDrama land! Crash Landing on You was my second ever KDrama, and the one that really got me hooked. I’m gonna be honest, it’s a hard one to top when you’re mid emotional hangover! That said, I love this ask and recommending KDramas to people, so I’m more than happy to recommend some. My strategy here, rather than recommend something that exactly mimics CLoY (because imo, there’s nothing exactly like it), is to recommend dramas that I think are some of the best of their genre—with some aspect that might help scratch that CLOY itch ;) So, without further ado, here is your KDrama Starter Pack: 

Goblin aka Guardian: The Lonely and Great God—This fantasy romance is a classic for a reason. The set-up: 900+ year old goblin Kim Shin is on a quest to find the goblin bride to pull the sword out of his chest and finally let him die. The catch: when he finds goblin bride Eun-tak and starts to fall in love with her, he wonders if there might be something to this whole “life” thing after all. Also featured: a glum Grim Reaper, with whom Kim Shin has a top tier bromance, who has a doomed romance of his own. Goblin gave me one of the biggest emotional hangovers post-CLOY in my early KDrama days. One caveat: Kim Shin meets Eun Tak when she’s in high school, so if huge age gaps in fantasy romances give you the ick, maybe give this one a pass (in which case the fantasy romances I recommend checking out instead are Alchemy of Souls and Doom at Your Service, both on Netflix atm). (On Viki)

Mr. Sunshine—My pick for one of the best historical (aka sageuk) KDramas out there. Set in early 1900’s Joseon, just before/in the early days of Japanese occupation, this drama follows the lives of five equally compelling characters as they navigate the political turmoil of the time. At the center are Lady Ae-sin, an aristocratic lady with a tendency for dressing up as a man and sneaking around at night on missions for the rebels, and Eugene Choi, an American Marine now stationed in Joseon who escaped enslavement there as a child and has mixed feelings about the land of his birth. This one resonates with the forbidden/doomed love of people from different classes and cultures from CLOY. (On Netflix)

Reply 1988—This slice of live drama set in Seoul in 1988 follows five families who live in the same neighborhood, and especially five of their high school aged children as they grow up during a particularly vibrant time in South Korea’s recent history. Like the other installments in the Reply series, the series uses two of the main characters in the present day (or present to when it was released, anyway) looking back—which means that viewers know the Deok-sun ends up married to one of her four besties, but which one?? Still, while the love triangle mystery is fun, at its heart, this story is about community. It’ll scratch the CLoY itch for the North Korean market lady shenanigans, and a few others as well (especially if you like intense yearning in your dramas). (On Netflix)

Business Proposal—If you’d like romance of a completely different genre than CLOY, look no further than Business Proposal! In this KDrama, Shin Ha-ri goes on a blind date in place of her friend as a favor only find out that the date is with her boss. This tightly plotted romantic comedy plays with more rom com tropes than you can shake a stick at, but never sits with one so long that it gets old. The B couple is also fire, and helps move things along whenever the A couple gets into a rut. This drama also features some chaebol (rich business family) shenanigans a la CLOY.  (On Netflix)

Extraordinary Attorney Woo–If you’re in the mood for a workplace comedy/drama, look no further than Extraordinary Attorney Woo. Featuring the incandescent Park Eun Bin as rookie attorney Woo Young Woo, this legal drama features about a case per episode as Attorney Woo finds her way in the world alongside a delightful main cast of characters. (On Netflix)

Little Women—My choice for the makjang to include on this list (a genre in which extreme storylines are treated very seriously), this drama focuses on the three Oh sisters as the oldest finds that her friend who died under mysterious circumstances has left her 70 billion that a powerful political family will stop at nothing to get their hands on. Will the story always make complete sense? No. But will the stellar performances, fast-paced, genre-mixing drama, and wild cliffhangers keep you on the edge of your seat as you binge the whole thing? Absolutely. (On Netflix)

Extraordinary You—Youth dramas may or may not be your thing, but if you have the patience for the shenanigans of high schools, Extraordinary You is my top pick. In this fantasy romance, Eun Dan-Oh discovers that she is actually a character in a comic–and she’s not even the main one! While still high school appropriate, Eun Dan-oh’s literally doomed-by-the-narrative and impossible circumstances romance with Haru, another side character, is another one from my early KDrama days to stick with me just as much as Yoon Se-ri and Ri Jeong-hyeokk’s. (On Viki)

Search: WWW—Ayanni’s particular contribution to this list, this modern romantic drama focuses on intersecting lives of three women working in the fast-paced tech industry at the top two competing web portal companies. Just as interesting as each woman’s various romantic entanglement are their entanglements with each other as they put their careers ahead of just about everything else. Ayanni says she especially appreciates this one because it focuses specifically on three women (also in this genre are Be Melodramatic and Because this is My First Life). 

Happy watching--and do let us know if you pick any of these up!

[starcrossed591]

KDrama Year in Review 2023

While I watched more KDramas this year than CDramas, none of them consumed my heart and soul quite like this year's crop of CDramas did (CDrama review post here). And I dropped KDramas more readily than I have in years past, in part because there were so many more things to watch than I had time for (also I had to finish my dissertation and graduate, etc etc). Still, there were definitely some that I really, really enjoyed, so here's this year's KDrama round up:

16. My Lovely Liar: Started strong, got boring real quick. Dropped for homophobic murder plot. Still, glad to see that Hwang Min Hyn can actually act (although full disclosure, I did still enjoy him in Alchemy of Souls, wooden as that performance may be). Hoping Kim So Hyun can catch a break and get a role in a drama more worthy of her in the near future.

15. Crash Course in Romance: Excellent performances and chemistry by the ML and FL. Romance between two middle aged people instead of youths is also a treat. Dropped around ep 12 because of the unnecessary, homophobic murder plot. Pass.

14. A Good Day to Be a Dog: Surprisingly stronger than the goofy premise suggests, largely on the basis of Park Gyu-Young's performance as the FL who turns into a dog upon being kissed. Pacing problems in the third act around the origins of the whole dog curse thing. Can't say I recommend unless you're really in the mood for some shenanigans, but largely inoffensive if a little silly. (Also it turns out Cha Eun Woo *really* leveled up his kiss game for this one!)

13. Love to Hate You: Perfectly serviceable rom com. Nothing too special, but a nice weekend binge if you're in the mood for that. Also a good way to see Kim Ji-Hoon's v handsome face and that *hair* without having to deal with everything involved with his rather murderous run in Flower of Evil.

12. Joseon Attorney: A Morality: Perfectly serviceable law procedural/Joseon historical. If you don't like either of those genres your mileage may vary, but I had missed having Bona on my screen, so it worked well enough for me.

11. Welcome to Samdal-ri: I seem to like this one more than literally everyone else I know, and I fully admit that my enjoyment of this drama is more vibes-based than plot-based. I guess I have a soft spot for Shin Hye Sun yelling at people at Ji Chang Wook going a bit unhinged over a woman who ran away from him (see also: Lovestruck in the City).

10. My Demon: Very much enjoying Song Kang as a cranky demon falling in love with a human. Very tropey in the best way, and feels like a return to form for the supernatural romance genre. Remains to be seen if they'll land the ending as of this writing, but enjoying as it goes.

9. Doctor Cha: A contribution to the slate of divorce comedies I watched this year (see also: Strangers Again (KDrama) and Let's Get Divorced (JDrama)), a surprisingly touching story about growing older when you've devoted your life to someone who has not done the same for you.

8. Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow (Part 2): While Ko Joon-Yung never quite managed to replace Jung So-Min as the FL for me, I definitely still enjoyed the closer to this fun fantasy series. Special shout out to Shin Seung-Ho as Prince Go Won and his pet turtle

7. Strangers Again: I didn't see a ton about this one on tumblr as it was airing, but I found this rom com? melodrama? divorce procedural? makjang? story about relationships and why they end unexpectedly profound. I tuned in expecting mindless makjang hot mess, and instead got a thoughtful meditation on divorce. Left me feeling unexpectedly melancholy at the end, but glad I watched it.

6. The Secret Romantic Guesthouse: Very fun sageuk! Probably won't knock your socks off, but it does what it does very well. Bonus points for a B couple as compelling as the A couple. I've also been a big Kang Hoon fan since Little Women, and there are a couple of other actors in here that I'm always glad to see working.

5. Perfect Marriage Revenge: Tour de force makjang. Came out of nowhere and blew me away. Hits all the right beats, and unexpectedly fun (and was a nice break from the heaviness of My Dearest for me). This was a good year for jaded and slightly unhinged transmigrated FL's back for their #revenge (see also: Story of Kunning Palace in CDrama land), and I was here for it. Also features one of the spiciest make-out scenes of the year, 10/10 recommend

4. See You in My 19th Life: Absolutely loved this haunting, melancholy, and sometimes unexpectedly goofy reincarnation drama. I loved the webtoon and had high expectations, and this drama largely met them! The continuing relationship between sisters Ji-Eum (Shin Hye Sun) and Cho-Won (Ha Yoon Kyung) was a special highlight for me, and while Shin Hye Sun is already a never-miss for me, I'm especially looking forward to whatever Ha Yoon Kyung does next. I prefer the ending of the Webtoon to the KDrama, but I'm still delighted this drama exists and am glad I watched it.

3. The Interest of Love: Look, I loved this drama. Even though it seemed on the surface like nothing but *mess* in the interpersonal lives of these characters working at a bank on the border between a rich and poor neighborhood in Seoul, it nonetheless had some of the most searing class commentary of the year for me. I also love an FL who will (spoiler) pack up her things and disappear at the drop of a hat, even if no one else will understand her decision to do so, because she just cannot deal anymore (see also: the FL in Lovestruck in the City, whom I also love but everyone else hated). This drama kept me gleefully coming back every week in a year where not a lot of others did.

2. Call It Love: A revenge slice of life melodrama that I found unexpectedly touching in its deep melancholy. Loved not only the main couple, but the relationship between the siblings and their pharmacist bestie. A lovely character study. (Also I somehow ended up watching this at the same time as Till the End of the Moon and Li Susu as Ye Xiwu's hidden identity/revenge plot, which was unexpectedly stressful! Had a very "it's the same picture" moment despite two dramas in two genres that could not be further apart.) If you missed this one (and since it aired on Disney+, you might have--Disney+'s effects on the KDrama streaming ecosystem will be the death of me), it's worth seeking out!

1. My Dearest (Parts 1 and 2): Kind of feels like everyone has said everything there is to say about sageuk of truly epic proportions, but it blew me away as well. Epic romance? Check. Twisty political machinations? Check. Heartwarming friendships between women? Check. Strong ensemble cast? And my top FL of the year, Lady Gil-Chae, played to perfection by Ahn Eun-Jin. I've adored her since Hospital Playlist, and am delighted that she's getting the attention and the roles she deserves. Namkoong Min also a top contender for ML of the year as Lee Jang-Hyun. Part 2 dragged for me a bit in places after a nearly perfect Part 1, but such a great drama overall.

Favorite Drama of the Year: My Dearest. See above.

Favorite Female Character: I mean, it's gotta be Gil Chae from My Dearest, right? She starts out as such a spiteful, spoiled noblewoman, and then turns out to have a core of pure steel. Turns out all her conniving and strategizing, which went towards causing mischief in the village, really just needed a proper outlet. While I would never want to be in the circumstances in which she found herself, if I did, she's exactly who I would want on my side.

Favorite Male Character: Everything's coming up My Dearest this year, because this one is Lee Jang-Hyun in My Dearest as well. Checks the box for my competence kink, and has a knack for showing up just when Gil-Chae needs him, even at great personal cost. Also a smart-ass, which I probably like a bit too much in a man.

Favorite Secondary Female Character: Cho-Won from See You in My 19th Life. Her relationship with her reincarnated older sister was almost more compelling to me than the main romance sometimes, and really helped develop how the ties that bind us are not just romantic ones. Also she was just super cute

Favorite Secondary Male Character: Could have picked anyone from Team Himbo in Alchemy of Souls, but gonna have to give this one to Go Won, himbo prince of my heart

Favorite Ship: Again, it's gotta be Gil-Chae and Lee Jang-Hyun in My Dearest. Sometimes, there are drama couples that nearly cause me pain when they are apart, and these two quickly became one of them. Though their relationships is hardly functional for much of it, through all that push and pull, they ultimately learn how to show up for each other. Also, their *chemistry* is insane!

Favorite Secondary Ship: I loved Hye-Seong and Sung Joon, the B couple in Call it Love. Seeing the SFL grow more comfortable with herself after a truly shitty ending to her previous relationship was a nice respite from the hidden identity stress of the A couple in this one. I'm also a sucker for a good romance where you start to see someone you've long taken for granted differently. (Close Runner Up: Cho Won and Do-Yun in See You in My 19th Life)

Favorite Platonic Relationship: Gil-Chae, Eun-Ae, and their maids, Jong Jong and Bong Doo, in My Dearest. I loved loved loved the relationship between these women in this drama, and part of the reason the second half of the drama suffered a bit for me is because of how far it moved away from this core relationship. They were ride or die for each other more than the majority of the men in their lives, and I loved that for them.

Trope that Needs to Die: While I find murder plots in rom coms tedious at the best of times, homophobic murder plots are really not it. Quit it, y'all. It's not cute.

Dramas I Missed: Moon in the Day, The Story of Park's Marriage Contract, and Tell Me That You Love Me (grrr Disney+ on this one) are on the list for next year. I'm probably missing others.

Non-2023 Drama Spotlight: Finally went back and watched Do You Like Brahms? for a hit of Park Eun-Bin. A lovely, if also melancholy, slice of life romance that's just as much about what to do when a (career related) dream that you've worked really, really hard for just isn't going to come through as it is about the main romance. Also made me fall in love with Kim Min-Jae and his lovely deep voice, enough so that I also then went back and finally watched Dali and the Cocky Prince, which was also a treat. Recommend both.

Most Looking Forward To: I continue to yearn for a Yumi's Cells 3, and who's to say if that one will ever come through, but I'm putting it out into the universe anyway. More realistically, I'm looking forward to the surprisingly stacked line-up of sageuks coming up, including Captivating the King and Love Song for Illusion.

[lurkingshan]

This might be an assumption I'm making, but would you say that romance is one of your favourite genres? Are there any other genres that you enjoy? (Yes, I am angling for recommendations even though my to watch list has over 200 shows and movies)

I would in fact say that romance is my favorite genre, I'm something of a romance fiend and have been since I was a wee child. There's a reason I love kdrama and bl so much, and that's because they cater to my tastes so perfectly. I've already shared some of my favorite romance recs here, though I always have more if you need them.

In terms of non-romance dramas, I have plenty of recs for those, as well! Even though romance is my fav I watch a lot of other stuff, too. I recently did a list of friendship focused dramas here. And of course, a lot of dramas include romance storylines even if the main story is not a romance; that is very common in Asian media (and why we love it).

A few other genres that I love, and the dramas I count among my favs in each category:

Action/thriller dramas: Happiness (pandemic zombies and two badass besties who know how to use a bat), Healer (classic kdrama that I need to rewatch again), Reset (cdrama time loop thriller and it is so good), The Crowned Clown (the what if we replaced the king with a fake trope treated with utter seriousness), The Glory (the ultimate revenge drama, cw for extreme depictions of school bullying).

Family dramas: I especially love dramas about families that span years and allow you to see how a family changes over time. Some of my favs include 10 Years Ticket (cw for depictions of family abuse), 18 Again (actually a very sweet one about a dad who ends up back in his teenage body and bonds with his teen children while repairing his marriage), Go Ahead (MY BELOVED I will find a way to include it in every rec post), Go Back Couple (a couple on the verge of divorce goes back in time and gets a do-over), Reply 1988 (best installment of the Reply series with a strong focus on five different families who live on the same block). And of course a recent entry here is Moving (but you know that one already).

Mystery/crime dramas: Beyond Evil (everyone in bl fandom has already heard of this but it is not actually bl fam, it is an excellent crime drama with two magnetic leads though), Extracurricular (poor high school students getting up to some bad shit in order to survive), Manner of Death (a classic mystery with a romance subplot), Signal (A+ long form mystery with a time travel twist), The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (crime drama hingeing on a tragic romance).

Supernatural/fantasy dramas: Alchemy of Souls (supernatural sageuk with magic and body soul swapping and lots of fun), Goblin (do I even need to tell you about this one?), Kingdom (sageuk zombies), Mystic Pop-Up Bar (found family mystical dream healing), Oh No! Here Comes Trouble (also a crime drama but the supernatural part is crucial), The Uncanny Counter (found family grim reapers).

Workplace dramas: Misaeng (THE GOAT), My Mister (set in a workplace but not primarily about work because it's way more about trauma), Pinnochio (kind of crosses genres but I'm putting it here because the leads are reporters and their work is important to the plot), Search: WWW (three women in tech trying not to let the bastards keep them down).

[handkinkbis]

Show review: Destined with You.

So.... I might be in the minority, but as much as I enjoy Rowoon on screen I didn't start watching the show for him.

I was hoping for a witch/shaman Hongjo kdrama to finish near the eve of Halloween as the show seemed to be promising (very logically it seemed to be heading that way!). And she did cast some spells to my pleasure, but to my massive displeasure her witch arc was entirely forgotten about in favor of... not even sure what that kidnapping sequence was all about. Somehow most of Hongjo's agency as a character vanished into the ether as well during the past few episodes. Her character growth consisted of building the confidence to stand up to Nayeon, but her stubborn self reliance fueled by a lifetime of loneliness and trauma (her mother! Her father!!!!) stayed and was left unaddressed. And not to be dramatic, but I might die mad about it.

So past lifes were real, the curses and spells were real, Aengcho was really a shaman and the Gardener for whatever reason (also unexplored) wanted to marry Hongjo in the next life. But Hongjo in current day went from a strong, feisty character who was ready to spell cast her way in and out of trouble into... someone to intentionally get herself kidnapped??

It's like this show was written in the 2000s to early 2010s AND it hated women. I had high hopes for Ms. Ma, Shinyu's mother and Eunwol, but they were done DIRTY by this show. Hongjo's storyline was forgotten. Aengcho got relatively less attention compared to Mujin/Rowoon. It's like the main character changed somewhere and it became Shinyu/Mujin. Shinyu and Jaekyung had their cool lawyer moments (good stuff) and Hongjo got... Nayeon arrested? Nayeon, who was another villain without a proper depth or motivation other than being a 2010s kdrama era Mean Girl. Again, Hongjo and Aengcho were done so dirty. Even Shinyu's poor abused mother went back to her abusive husband AND she got pregnant. That was just tragic!

And kindly don't try to tell me that my reasons to dislike this show are wrong - I've every right to review and hate how badly this show butchered the stories of the female characters in this show even if Rowoon was hot in a bunch of scenes like that's going to compensate for it. I am not a Rowoon stan. 🤷‍♀️ I like him just fine, but it's been frustrating to watch as a non-stan since some stans seem to take any critique of the show as a slight towards Rowoon himself. But he has nothing to do with the writing, so put down your pitchforks, ok.

They should've stuck with the office romcom or made the show into a sageuk and dropped the false advertising of the show as a magic/fantasy drama. The sageuk era episodes SLAPPED. They were tense, beautifully shot and interesting, Aengcho had her moment! I LOVED her in her faceoff with the King, she was powerful and terrifying in that. And as soon as I fell in love with her, Mujin killed Aengcho (in a very meta symbolic way) and that was that. The show itself killed Aengcho and Hongjo.

This show was written to give Rowoon his cool and sexy moments. This was the Rowoon fan service show. Which is fine, but LEAD with that info then. I did enjoy Hongjo and Shinyu together and there were a couple of fun or emotionally compelling episodes, but I didn't finish with positive feelings about the show unfortunately because of the finale.

The writing of the show was exceptionally uneven and erratic. It seemed like from a different decade, but not this one. The relationship between Hongjo and Shinyu was mostly wholesome, but not always the healthiest for several reasons. Shinyu didn't always treat Hongjo well (and vice versa) and he made some decisions for Hongjo in true 2010s kdrama patriarch style.

Hongjo&Shinyu get 7/10 for being adorable and lovable. Loved their relationship development very much. I'm glad they didn't rush to have kids or to marry. The proposal at the beach while addressing Hongjo's dad was endearing.

Plot gets a 3/10 rating. There was potential... and it slipped through the writer's fingers. Loose threads were left untied. Side plots were abandoned or seemingly forgotten about.

Would I rewatch again? Maybe once I stop fuming about how Hongjo was treated by the show, but just for the Shinhong scenes. But it'll take some wound licking and fixit fic writing.

Please universe, give Boah better scripts. She's a wonderful actress and she deserves a role that's cool and that lets her showcase her talent. Many viewers seemed to lose their patience with her, even though the writing of the show was the true issue.

[elderflowergin]

"What about GC who was taken by an intruder?"

" I should give her a hug, it must've been so hard."

Writer-nim gave us the best ever love confession ever, it's not even because JH said, because Eun-ae could have said this and it's impact would have been just as devastating and beautiful. Beautiful kind GilChae, finally getting a hug. I love her. ♥️♥️♥️

Dear Anon,

What a beautifully-constructed conversation and confession. She tries to explain why she divorced Capt Gu, can’t get the words out (I fully believe she believes the reason she gave Capt Gu and that it is a truth, if not THE reason she divorced him) and then he says the most unadorned words - I love you whether you’re rich or poor or however you are, and I love you when you didn’t love me and I love you when you do (in effect, I choose to see your actions for the love they represent even if your words push me away). I loved Namgoong Min’s facial expressions here, e.g. the grief when he says “cheeky”, because that’s a quality she has lost over the traumatic months (years?).

And then there’s Gil-chae, the best and bravest, bravest most of all for unburdening herself ever so briefly of the secret she’s been holding onto. I think it’s so sad she couldn’t bring herself to tell anyone, even Eun-ae, but I can see why. She’s been their protector, the person holding it all together for them, and I think she understands that Eun-ae and her family may not be able to bear it. I think that in that moment, when he not only expressed his love, but acknowledged and grieved the past versions of her and depth of his understanding for everyone she has had to be, she trusted and believed he could carry it. It was enormously courageous of her, but he rose to the moment and met it.

For me personally this scene is a success because there is nothing new in it except for Gil-chae’s secret. All of the information was established by previous episodes. We know she’s changed, she’s not her same self anymore (and she’s been through war and retained her core personality, so we know something is badly wrong) and we’ve seen her flinch at the slave market when he touched her skirt. We’re aware that he doesn’t share the common Joseon notions of purity and does not believe it’s a woman’s fault when she gets assaulted (something she doesn’t know, which makes her confession even braver than it otherwise would have been). The conversation brought together so many disparate threads very elegantly.

I think from the fusion sageuk perspective, what’s wonderful about it is the fantasy fulfilment. We’re maybe six hundred years past this point in history and yet so many people still have poor experiences when they try to tell partners, friends and family about assault and abuse. This all-encompassing empathy, the physical gesture of an embrace and the promise to hold her that night (the precise opposite, btw, of the promises he made the night before they almost ran away together) - these are all things we in the 21c wish we could hear, and yet many women I know will not tell the men in their lives about the things they’ve endured. Maybe because they’re protecting themselves, maybe because they once rang bells that could not be unrung, and have learnt that burying the trauma is preferable to the alternative. I think writernim succeeded splendidly in that “embrace” that you described a few asks ago.

Thanks for stopping by, dear Anon, and letting me witter on!

[rughydrangea]

I’m rewatching bits and pieces of Queen Seondeok and I don’t really have anything to say, but what a great reminder that Kim Yushin is my forever man and Kim Deokman is the queen of my heart. I’ve been wondering if I should do a full-scale rewatch (but how can I when there are so many old sageuks on my to-watch list?) just to fully revel in their glory, in the glory of my girl who gave up everything to take and hold her throne and the man who served her unwaveringly. Deokman is THE character for me, a woman who crashes the power structure of a country to take control of it, who leads with strength and compassion and love but completely empties herself out in the process. And Yushin, my man who does the most romantic thing any man could do: he gives up on loving Deokman to serve her, even though he had been ready to run away with her and build a life together. But when he understood that her only goal was the throne, he too threw away love in order to help her achieve it. Like... what more could I ever want?

I suspect that on a rewatch I would have new appreciation for Mishil (who I kind of couldn’t stand, mainly because she was Deokman’s antagonist, but also because when I first watched QSD eight years ago I was less familiar with GJH’s work and didn’t appreciate everything she was doing in her performance) and her very weird blended family situation. But I’m not sure I would like Bidam any better. Yes, my hottest take about this show isn’t that I prefer Deokman to Mishil (by, like, infinity), it’s that I really don’t like Bidam! Like, KNG rules, and Bidam is really fun at first, but the angstier he gets the more boring he becomes to me, and by the time you get to him courting Deokman in the most passionless way possible (I love KNG, I ADORE LYW, but they have like negative chemistry), when for him wanting Deokman is the same thing as wanting to take her throne and her country from her.... No thank you! It’s not romantic, it’s not compelling! And do I really want to live through it again? Like, I’ve watched a few of those scenes, and as much as I love Deokman telling Bidam that he’ll never get her the way that he wants, it’s still kind of annoying to have her endgame love interest be a guy who views her as a rival. 

Maybe I’ll do a grand rewatch one day. I just wish there were more sageuks about queens regnant! I get that history kind of gets in the way there, but still! Maybe the next time we get a fantasy drama à la Alchemy of Souls, the fantasy country can be governed by a queen regnant? As a treat?

[sqewed0722]

Love Song For Illusion

Let me digress a bit from my current crack drama “Captivating The King” and talk a bit about the other drama I’m also watching.

I started watching this shortly before CTK. There are similarities between the two dramas, specifically the plot device of a woman hiding her identity and pretending to be a man to avenge her family. The object of her revenge is of course the male protagonist. In this case, he’s just a step lower than Lee In as he’s the crown prince. Per formula for such sageuks, the female protagonist’s family was wronged by the male protagonist’s family so she undergoes a radical change from her former genteel manners to become his formidable adversary.

However, the major difference between CTK and LSFI is that the latter has an element of fantasy and magic. The crown prince is possessed by a dark spirit. This spirit and the prince’s own personality switch every time they fall asleep. Both of them fall in love with the female lead while she is unaware that there are two different personas residing in the same body.

LSFI is lighter and more inclined towards a younger audience (at least that’s how I see it). It has more elements of comedy and the romance is sweet but doesn’t have the smoldering intensity of the one in CTK (but of course!).

I sort of put it on hold as CTK seems to be the kind of drama that has to be watched alone, without any distractions. I’ll come back to LSFI after CTK is done, or when I’m over my post-CTK phase. 😜

[goblinmixtape]

Hi! I’ve been loving your game recs! Do you have any recommendations for games that take place in a historical setting without any magic? I really like historical fiction, but I can never find games that take place in a period setting, but don’t have any fantasy elements.

Thanks!

I unfortunately don't know many of them, but I did a video on Red Carnations on a Black Grave, which is all about the Paris Commune. It's meant for one-shots though rather than a full campaign.

You also might be able to find some using the "historical" tag on itchio!

Here's some I found under that tag that might be good for you at first glance:

Basic Kanabo - Tokugawa-Era Japan

Sageuk! - Roleplay in Joseon - 18th century Korea

Cowboys With Big Hearts - Spaghetti Western (can't tell from the description whether it might have magic, though)

Malandros - Imperial Brazil (the page does say something about "magic charms", though I'm guessing it's a small part of the setting that could be cut out)

What Price Glory - Verdun, France in December 1916 (this one looks like a one-shot)

[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.

[trashquisitor-shirozora]

🦋 Which character is your favorite to write?

🦈 Which character is the toughest to write?

📗 Do you want to write something outside of fanfiction? If so, what about?

!!!

🦋 Which character is your favorite to write?

I'm gonna spice it up by adding in a handful of other fandoms I've written for.

Star Trek AOS: Bones McCoy Black Panther: M'Baku Dragon Age: Dorian Pavus Tron: Sam Flynn Supernatural: Dean Winchester

🦈 Which character is the toughest to write?

I think I have more trouble writing.... well, Spock and characters like him, though I read great meta over the years about him that makes me think I could do a better job if I really wanted to. I say this while having written several things where he is one of the POVs. That sure was a mental exercise, but I think I'm the better for it.

📗 Do you want to write something outside of fanfiction? If so, what about?

I would love to write scathing commentary about the state of Thoroughbred horse racing in the US... maybe.

In reality, I want to write fantasy novels but like... with a diaspora flavor, I guess? I really don't know how that'll look and I'll probably end up offending everyone from here to eternity but I love western high fantasy and sageuks, Korean historical dramas, and would fucking love to blend them into some unholy concoction of nonsense.

Play ask games, win ask prizes!

[dangermousie]

Dramas for the first half of 2023

Now that we are six months into 2023, time to do one of these posts. I am gonna include both Korean and Chinese dramas, because why not and any drama I even checked out is on it.

DRAMAS WATCHED

29. Romance of Twin Flower  (China) - make it cease existing! My favorite het web novel got murdered and then had its grave spat on.

28. Dominator of Martial Gods  (China) - if MST3K still existed, this drama would be prime material for it.

27. Wanru’s Journey  (China) - acting. Try it!

26. Royal Rumors  (China) - they tried acting. But forgot to try having a functional screenplay on top.

25. The Last Princess  (China) - acting is nonexistent and the story is trash but it never aspired to be what it wasn’t and was kinda cute.

24. Oasis  (Korea) - great acting in a story with a screenplay that goes round and round fruitlessly like a hamster in a cage.

23. The Trust  (China) - the OTP in this one swaps bodies but it would have been better for everyone if whoever made this and an actual competent writer swapped theirs.

22. Snow Eagle Lord  (China) - yet another drama in which Xu Kai does his best to keep acting opposite a wooden costar and through a terrible screenplay. There is something seriously wrong with that man’s career choices.

21. Heartbeat  (Korea) - the good: it’s harmless. The bad: it’s harmless.

20. Back from the Brink  (China) - ummm the people are pretty? And if I were 10 I’d be all about this show but as is...

19. Joseon Attorney  (Korea) - slightly less fun than reading a legal treatise.

18. The Starry Love  (China) - the definition of a xianxia playing it safe and pastel; I did love the secondary couple a lot but it was not enough to save that snoozefest of a drama.

17. Chong Zi  (China) - badly acted and a screenplay that somehow manages to be both repetitive and disjointed. But I am a sucker for the shizunfucker trope so here we are.

16. Island  (Korea) - a mess but Kim Nam Gil is hot with a sword.

15. Circle of Love  (China) - rationally, a hot mess. But so entertaining and addicting and fall of make outs of epicness!

14. Lady Durian  (Korea) - makjang from the Queen of Makjang and with that scrumptious cast! This is gonna be GOOD!

13. The Forbidden Marriage  (Korea) - sweet and oddly charming despite nobody in it bothering to act much.

12. Pledge of Allegiance  (China) - the way they had to edit it likely due to censorship made it less than it what could have been but still more than most dramas this year.

11. Choice Husband (China) - delicious cliches and tropes and angst in the rain!

10. Hidden Love  (China) - to make ME of all people to care about a fluffy modern is a bona fide miracle but the two mains are chemistry machines who portray longing so well.

9. Gone with the Rain  (China) - wildly uneven but our heroine and the sexy general she eventually chooses are pure gold!

8. The Secret Romantic Guest House (Korea) - how to do youth sageuk right. Everything about this just works!

7. Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow  (Korea) - it has flaws but is so gorgeous and full of longing and grief and everything good!

6. Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938  (Korea) - a sequel/prequel that is almost as good as the original, how often does that happen?

5. See You In My 19th Life  (Korea) - wacky and grieving, delicate and odd, this is everything I ever want in a kdrama.

4. Call It Love  (Korea) - a truly exquisite story of trauma and loneliness and healing and love.

3. Till the End of the Moon  (China) - gloriously messy in every way this is just MORE. The ending is enraging and there are issues but when it hits, it hits so hard the rest of it does not matter - the dark characters, the dysfunctional love story, the battles, the insane visuals, the EVERYTHING of it. This is what fantasy should be like.

2. Chang Feng Du/Destined  (China) - came out of nowhere to own my heart via its story of growing up and finding love and slow organic relationship building and keeping your soul in a world of horrors.

1. The Ingenuous One  (China) - the best one, so I am gonna talk about it below.

FAVORITE DRAMA

The Ingenuous One - so impossibly solid, from acting to visuals to screenplay to EVERYTHING! Adult characters with adult issues and choices, both moral dilemmas and battles equally compelling. The love stories, the friendships, the shades of grey. This is utterly and completely adult.

WORST DRAMA

Romance of the Twin Flower - if I could make one drama cease to exist, this would be it.

FAVORITE MALE CHARACTER

Tantai Jin, Till The End of the Moon - the best character this year hands down - by turns (and timelines) unhinged monster, a contained saint, a victim of abuse trying to attain being viewed as human, a schemer, a ruler, grief personified, curiosity and monstrosity and nobility all mingled.

Runner up: Jang Uk, Alchemy of Souls - sunshine boy gone dark and grieving, but still with that same core of steel.

FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTER

Shim Woo Joo, Call It Love - she’s damaged and impulsive and relationship-phobic and revenge driven and glorious!

Runner Up:  Shu Ya Nan (The Ingenuous One) - allowed to be tough and dark and with her own agenda and not a member of a good sect and just so cool.

NEEDS TO BE MURDERED

Han Dong Jin’s Mom, Call It Love - that woman was horrifying and the source of so much of his trauma; a real realistic monster petty in all ways except for the damage she inflicted.

FAVORITE SHIP

Gu Jiusi/Liu Yuru, Chang Feng Du - wholesome and helping each other grow and talking it out but also there is blood feeding and midnight rescues and everything. They are good but not in the least boring.

Runner Up: Woo Joo/Dong Jin, Call It Love - two wounded souls finding such slow but such amazing healing with each other.

FAVORITE SECONDARY OTP

Su Ming Yu/Ke Menglan, The Ingenuous One - there’s actually been a lot of good secondary OTPs this year (General x Fox in TTEOTM, Investigator x Princess, TIO, Rang/Mermaid, TOTNT1938) but these two owned my heart - gentleman merchant x gambling hostess ftw.

NOTP

Romance of Twin Flower - they took my favorite het novel OTP, smart and coldblooded and forces of nature and turned them into THAT?

SHIRTLESSNESS AWARD

Xiao Hong Ye, Circle of Love - guy was a terrible abuser but those pecs were the real sin!

CRAZIEST FUNFEST

Circle of Love - screenplay written by rabid monkeys and populated by a bunch of psychos but such ridiculous, irresistible fun!

FAVORITE SCENE

Tantai Jin confronting Li Susu in jail, Till the End of the Moon - the energy, the intensity, the darkness the EVERYTHING.

BIGGEST CRUSH

Li Gong Quan, The Ingenuous One - yeah whatever, I realize he’s a minor character but I loved him so much! The whole having to bring down your benefactor who’s gone evil tho you are in love with his daughter should have been a whole other drama!

BEST SCENE STEALER CHARACTER

Chen Wende, Gone with the Rain - most of this drama is not that exciting but whenever his King of Trolls hot general shows up, I sit up and pay attention. I am 35 eps deep because of him.

NEEDS A SEQUEL

The Ingenuous One - I am dying to see what happens to royal investigator and supposedly dead princess, how our OTP will travel the world, the merchant and his lady, Ten Taels and his orphans and his girl and just everything. I loved these people so!

NEEDS A DIRECTOR’S CUT

Till the End of the Moon - it was clear they cut a BUNCH in the last third to fit the ridiculous new “40 eps or bust” rule and it would flow so much more smoothly if it was allowed to breathe.

NEEDS SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

Romance of Twin Flower - it should have been shredded into nonexistence sorry not sorry.

TOO MANY SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

Pledge of Allegiance - this drama was good but had gaping lacunae where too many scissors were taken to it for censorship reasons; I am surprised even what’s left was allowed to air tbh but still...

TROPE THAT NEEDS TO DIE

Shrill = cute - I see it every year, I hate it every year.

FAVORITE TROPE WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF

Hot Men Whump - come one, TTEOTM alone would fill the quota but we also had CFD, Call It Love, See You in my 19th life etc etc.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Back from the Brink - it’s based on a novel by an author whose other novels (Zhao Yao, Blue Whispers, Mulberry Song) I adore and the novelist was the screenwriter so I was so excited. But it was a juvenile, flat mess that de-powered the heroine and taught me that yeah, sometimes the writer should not adopt their work.

BIGGEST GOOD SURPRISE

Chang Feng Du - I loved the novel but the trailers were a fluffy bland disaster and I checked it out with zero expectations. However, this is a glorious adaptation, a lesson in how to transport a massive novel on screen into slim 40 eps and to account for changes in medium and stricter censorship restrictions for dramas versus books while keeping the essential vibe of the original.

BEST NON-2023 DRAMA I’VE WATCHED IN 2023

The Imperial Doctress (China) - the pining the pining by the Hot Emperor! This is like all my web novel dreams come true!

MOST ANTICIPATED

A Journey to Love/Prisoner of Beauty/My Journey to You/Kunning Palace - maybe one of them will air before the world ends.

[accidentallyadramablog]

Dropped Dramas in 2022

I saw @rain-hat's drop list and was inspire to make my own. I dropped a lot this year because I've been trying more drama genres outside my comfort zone and finding that...they are still outside my comfort zone. Urban fantasy kdramas and fantasy sageuks are where I thrive.

Since most of these were dropped due to my dislike, I will not be tagging this so that I keep my criticism out of the tags. List under the cut with progress in parentheses.

A Business Proposal (8/12) I normally don't like CEO romances because I'm not a fan of those types of power dynamics and gave it a shot after I saw gifsets of the "removing glasses" kiss. I found it enjoyable until the hiking scene for the 2nd couple because I love hiking and I personally would have left her on the mountain. I can't stand immature characters.

Between Us (2/12) I watched UMWA and it's a favorite of mine but I was really taken aback seeing Dean & Pharm in so many scenes when I've seen their story already. I started fast-forwarding the drama and by the end of episode 2, I no longer cared. I am watching Waan & Tul play out in gifsets though. I will probably binge this on fast-forward once it's done.

Blue Birthday (3/16) Too slow for me

Check out the Series (2/12) I loved the special Episode 0 but the full treatment was a mess and I didn't find anyone likeable.

Cherry Blossom After Winter (5/8) Too young for me and a lot of places it was cringey for me to watch. Sometimes highschool/college dramas are just too immature for me. I'm over 40.

Cutie Pie (5/12) Miscommunication as a plot driver is not for me when it's not written well, and they had that with both main couples. I'm also not a fan of this power dynamic. They had chemistry, I'll give them that. The actors for the 3rd/side couple have a drama coming out next year and that's on my to-watch list.

Enchante (7/10) Honestly, I was working a lot when this came out and I was behind most of the people watching and talking about it. By the time the ending rolled around, it seemed like a messy end, so I figure I ended on a high note by not finishing it. I enjoyed the hijinks up to that point.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo (6/16) - I loved it! Except I was behind all of tumblr and basically was able to watch it all via gifsets and short clips without having to slog through the legal cases and mother drama. I only dropped it because I basically saw everything on social media and didn't see the need to watch the full episode when I got home from work. 10/10 recommended!!

First Love Again (3/6) I was bored. I also did not like the age gap or perhaps it was the boss/employee relationship.

Falling Into Your Smile (22/31) I just could not stand the way they wrote the leads' characters. There was a ton of sexual harassment of the FL on the part of the ML in their workplace and in the public and the writers tried to play it off as flirting. I would have filed a lawsuit. Jeez. Also, the director never let the FL emote. I know she can act as I've seen her in other projects. They even had her fall down the stairs at one point and her face never changed expression. This is a failure of the writers and directors.

In Your Heart (7/8) I stopped watching an episode before the sexual assault based on recommendations from reviewers on MDL.

KinnPorsche (8/14) As mentioned above, I'm not a fan of boss/employee relationships and I was tired of Kinn never having to apologize.

Love Mechanics (2/10) I would have loved to finish it but I don't have WeTV and was too lazy to look for it on a grey site and then forgot about it when it was released for non-subscribers. The chemistry and War's acting made my sternum ache. A++ acting on his part. I will finish this one day. (I did watch the original short version.)

My Bossy Wife (7/12) I was in it for a webdrama with a crime solving noblewoman but there was some serious homophobic plotlines and they hated GNC women too much.

My Tooth Your Love (6/12) Cute but I was creeped out by the doctor-patient relationship. I was getting sucked in and then would get hit with how unprofessional it was.

Once Upon a Small Town (8/12) Cute but I was bored. Everyone was pretty.

Our Blues (2/20) I started watching for Shim Dal Gi and her cute HS romance before I realized it was an ensemble drama. I dropped because of Lee Byung Hun. Why would the drama gods pair Shin Min Ah with him? She deserves a better acting partner.

Plus & Minus (4/12) I was behind a couple of weeks and spoiled myself on the messy break-up and reconciliation. I dropped before I could watch that.

Senpai, Danjite Koidewa! (5/8) Not my style. I could not stand Kaneda's character being so completely in panic mode at all times. I tried, I really did, to stick it out to see if he ever got over it, but he didn't by ep 5.

Sh**ting Stars (11/16) Loved the main couple but the 2nd couple ruined it for me. Yoo Sung with Ho Yeong was icky for me because of the working relationship and the age gap. I was rooting for Seunghyub (I should confess to being a fan of N.Flying) and I thought they were more suitable with their ages and their personalities. Dropping was not the fault of Lee Sung Kyung or Kim Young Dae who were great. I love their style of comedy.

Star and Sky: Sky in Your Heart (3/8) I found Mek's character Khuafah unlikeable. Too bad, I liked Star in Your Mind (the first part of the series with JoongDunk).

The Eclipse (10/12) Perfect drama. Great chemistry. Loved this. I just hated the teachers and the school and noped out of that even though I ended up missing out on the couples getting together. There's always a supercut I can watch later. I will watch anything with Neo Trai in it. I hope he gets like a million lead roles down the line.

Vice Versa (6/12) Honestly? I'm just not a fan of Jimmy's acting (in this or in Bad Buddy) OR the way his character NEVER REVEALED HIS NAME UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. Eff that. Talay deserved better. I do like Sea and his acting. I want to see more and I hope he doesn't become co-branded with Jimmy. As mentioned above, I will watch anything with Neo Trai in it. I got excited when his character said Phuwadol was his type. I'd love to see a dude pursue a Tom in a Thai drama. Also, I was desperate for screen time for Jeab Lalana who I've loved since Club Friday.

You're My Sky (7/12) Good and it gave authentically queer vibes. The track stars were stressing me out though. Cheating story lines are not for me and I dropped it. The jock/nerd duo were more my style but they had less screen time. I also was completely bored by all the basketball so I tuned out the main couple.