Happy Friday! Did everyone vote last week? Are you registered? You have your crew together for next year? Other than that, is everyone staying busy? We have been pretty busy over here and had to drop two shows from the lineup. Plus, I missed last weeks weekly review, which is a bummer, but it’s okay, I’ll just add it to today’s! The good news is that it appears that a lot of the November broadcasts have been pushed to December which will give us a moment to catch up on eh-vah-ree-thang!
Below is our weekly review of the dramas that we are watching which is inspired from The Kthree’s Weekly watchlist and is a way to stay up to date on the dramas we’re liking, loving, and leaving. We watch lots of stories over here, mostly Korean dramas, but we also dip into western shows, so we will cover both. Let’s get into it!
Caution: Spoilers are rampant, tread cautiously!
KOREAN DRAMAS
The Tale of Nokdu (episodes 10-13 or 19-26)
THE ABSOLUTE BEST! I love this drama. It is not disappointing me in the slightest. If anything, it is only getting better! The happy go lucky has gone to live somewhere else, but the intrigue and the story has only deepened and grown and swept up all the characters in it to the point where I just have to know where this story is going to end! Right now it does not look like it will end well for anyone. In fact, our couple has split up again, oh nos! Will they ever get to go to that beach? Let them go to that beach!
Watch on: Viki
VIP (episode 3)
Love this drama so much! I am here for this whodunit mistress story blended into the company struggles and wins with the richest clienteles in Korea. In episode 3 we might have been clued in to who the mistress might be!
Watch on: On Demand Korea
Catch The Ghost (episodes 5 and 6)
We dropped this show due to our workday getting busier, but it is a good show. I love the main couple and their interactions with each other, pure comic gold that is moving into love! My only gripe is that the cases are leveling up in darkness which is the only thing that made it hard to watch. But I did enjoy the levity with the actual police officers interaction with each other.
Watch on: On Demand Korea
Extraordinary You (episodes 11-14 or 21-28)
I would say Extraordinary You has lost the magic of the opening episodes and has moved into boring toil and trouble land. I will probably finish watching it to see what will happen, but it is definitely not a love anymore and is barely holding on to a like.
Watch on: On Demand Korea
When Camellia Blooms (episodes 15 – 18 or 31-36)
I go back and forth between dropping this show and loving it. If it wasn’t for all the repetitive guilt trips and sob stories then it would be an absolute LOVE. But then they spend an episode talking about past pain and I roll my eyes. But then they come back with a completely original and fun scene and I am back in love again.
I really think all the issues that Fight for My Way had in part 3 with the show completely changing tones to a sob fest is what this entire drama has an issue with. But with the amazing ratings that it is getting (closing in on 20%!) I don’t think the writer will change her style at all. Such a pity because she is an amazingly talented writer who I want to follow! But are the 20 minutes of magic worth sitting through 40 minutes of drudgery?
Watch on: Netflix
Vagabond (episodes 13 and 14)
Why is this show not airing this week at all!!!! I don’t know what is going on, because this drama was a drop around episode 5 or so, but now it is one of my favorite watches of the week. It is so fun and so random and so all over the place with the story, that I just love it. Now when will you come back on the air!
Watch on: Netflix
My Country: The New Age (episodes 9 and 10)
We had to drop this show after episode 10 due to our schedule getting busier. But it is not a knock on this drama, I would say check it out if you like historicals. My main complaint is that it is almost too dramatic for it’s own good and has some continuity issues, and off-screen major plot developments, that took me out of the show from time to time as I tried to figure out what was going on.
Watch on: Netflix
Melting Me Softly (episodes 11 and 14)
Though fun at times, I just don’t understand how this drama could have been made. There is no story here at all. It’s like the writer thinks about what will happen on the day of the shoot and scratches some scenes together to make it work. But it is still a fun show; it is a lot funner to watch this one than Flower Crew which was such a pain to sit through until the end.
Watch on: Viki
KOREAN MOVIES
Tune in For Love
Like a lot of Korean movies, this one has a very slow build. So it is a good thing that we watched Tune in for Love on our live watch with The Kthree because our live watch comment fests are super fun and have me rolling. If I was watching by myself, I would have probably been interested in what was going on, but I might have started searching the internet about twenty minutes in. The build is so super slow, molasses in winter, slow. It is definitely not a romantic-comedy either, it is more situated in the romantic-drama category with backstory pain creeping into the plot for one character in particular. Though there are definite adorable moments that I don’t want to spoil. Adorable enough to watch if you love Jung Hae-in alone!
I would not purchase this movie to stream, but if you have Netflix then you may as well give it a try. My overall rating is 2.5/5 stars. If possible, I’ll try an add a review as well!
Watch on: Netflix
U.S TV SHOWS
Fleabag (season 1, episodes 3 and 4)
I think I like this show. It is poignant, tastefully raunchy, and English humour hilarious which I think I am in the mood for at the moment. There are truly touching moments in it coupled with situational comedy that hits me just right. But only just right for my heartfelt watches. If you want a straight comedy, then this is not the show. I mean, there was a moment where Fleabag (our main character) goes to a silent meditative women’s retreat that has a screaming profanities men’s retreat right next to it (yes, lawd). And yet, this provided an incredibly touching moment between a man who yells whore all day who (in a very well shot scene on a grassy hill) tells our main character that all he wants is to wash the dishes, put them in the cupboard, and watch his wife drink from them. IT IS SUCH A MOVING MOMENT. I loved it. So, I think I will finish season one of this show. If it ends well, I’ll start season 2!
Watch on: Amazon Prime
The Mandalorian (episode 1)
Love it. We got Disney+ because – well…how can you not? – and the Mandalorian is one of their new shows to get people to sign up, so we watched episode one today. It is great. I love the space western feel of it. I love how they have a throw back to a super famous character in it (but seen in a way that you have never seen them before), and I love the Mandalorian bounty hunter.
The first episode is not something strikingly good, but it was good and the special effects are lovely. It was also intriguing and fun. So we’ll see how the rest of the series progresses. I feel like, if you Love Star Wars and eat up everything about it then you will like this series. If you are a fan of Star Wars but not a super fan, then you might like it. If you are meh about Star Wars then you might not like it.
Watch on: Disney Plus
And those are my thoughts on this weeks watches! I would say that The Tale of Nokdu hopped up on a pedestal as my favorite show. VIP is next on the list as a love that will hopefully remain there. Have a great weekend!
RELATED
- Weekly Review: VIP premiere, Parasite, Extraordinary You, and more
- Weekly Review: Catch The Ghost premiere, Extraordinary You loveliness, The Tale of Nokdu, and more
- Weekly Review: Strangers From Hell Finale, Extraordinary You, Vagabond, The Tale of Nokdu, and more
- Weekly Review: The Tale of Nokdu, Extraordinary You, Vagabond, and more
- Weekly Review: Melting Me Softly premiere, The Tale of Nokdu premiere, My Country, and more
- Weekly Review: Arthdal Chronicles, Flower Crew Agency, When the Camellia Blooms, and more
- Weekly Review: Arthdal Chronicles Finale, Vagabond Premiere, When the Camellia Blooms, and more
I like your thought, insights, and reviews! Thank you for sharing!
Author
🥰🥰🥰
Watch Season 2 of Fleabag. You won’t regret it. From your comments about the heart touching scenes of Camellia that you love, I honestly would recommend season 2.
Author
You are absolutely right! I have started it and I love it already! Just finished episode 1, starting episode 2!
Ahh!! There’s so much I want to say but I won’t because I don’t want to spoil it for you. All I will say is that I’m sure you will love it! 🙂 Happy Viewing!
Author
I had to come back and says that I just watched the end of episode 4 right after “that” scene at the church. OMG.
*holds her tongue* Ah you’re killing me…. I just can’t say it though, because I don’t want to ruin it for you. Just keep watching!!! Not that you need any encouragement. hehe
Author
I FINISHED IT AND IT WAS GLORIOUS AND THE BEST THING EVER!!!!!!! Oh, my gosh, I might have to write a review on here about both seasons, I love it that much. I just watcher Joker as well and absolutely enjoyed that movie to my core. Two amazing stories back to back make me feel like life is full and wonderful. I cannot believe how amazing Fleabag was and how AH-MAZING season 2 was! It was even better than season 1! Where can I go gush about this show?!
I know what you are feeling.
I was waiting for you to finish so I can talk too. Yes, please write about it here so that others might learn of this gem of a drama.
I didn’t want to ruin for you – didn’t even want to say ‘prepare for the roller coaster of emotions’ or ‘the bittersweet/uplifting ending.’ Like I want people to go into this show ‘raw’ and untainted by expectations.
I hate that it made me so sad but I love it all the more. How is that possible?
It’s up there with another all-time favourite ouroboros. I hate to admit it because I’m such a coward and run towards ‘easy’ dramas with happy endings. They haunt me, and those hurt feelings stay with me to this day but man did they manage to break my heart yet heal it at the same time. How is that even possible!!! Perhaps not ruin it completely – hurt it enough to force it to repair itself and in that movement I learned how strong I really was. ??? Who knows, all I know is that I’m not the same person anymore AND though I still run away from challenging dramas/fiction, these ones that fooled me into loving them before they tore my heart out, these dramas are the ones that I remember with a deep love.
It’s what you needed but hate to admit it. It’s medicine without the sugar coating. It’s life, right?
Author
Oh, my gosh, ev-er-y-thing that you said. I feel like we are the same person in our likes for shows (happy go lucky) and our feels for this show (Fleabag).
Love this show so much, I need to convince more people to watch it, so I might put up a series review! So sad that the drama will not continue with a season 3, but honestly, the stopping point was so perfect that I am more than okay with it.
I did hear that the shows creator, writer, and star signed on to do several more shows with Amazon Prime, so I plan on checking them all out! also, her sister did the soundtrack for the show! How wonderful is that!
Yes, please to the series review. I’m actually trying to get more men to watch the show. I just need them to see dramas written by women that depict us in that vulnerable but strong way that we can be. I often wonder about my pull towards Kdramas (Asian dramas) and it’s not a surprise that a bigger percentage are written by women as compared to and contrasted against western shows. But I don’t know if it’s just that.
Yes, the creator is amazing but I couldn’t get into her other show – Killing Eve. It’s good but not fleabag. I feel like that was just such a wonderful mix of story, acting and energy that just made everything so sublime. But yes, definitely she’s on my radar now.
It’s like what you said about the writer of Camellia and I too feel like Fleabag is just all the brilliance without any filler stuff. Perhaps that’s what Camellia could have been – I mean the writer is totally capable of it – if perhaps her hands weren’t tied to fill so much airtime. Still like you said, you can tolerate the meh because the good parts fill you with so much awe.
Regardless it’s lovely and encouraging to see women being given chance to fill the world with their voices and talent – including yourself. Looking forward to your series review. 🙂
LOL, I just remembered that the writer for Camellia is male… just ignore everything I said. I obliviously don’t know what I’m talking about. Let’s just say, it’s lovely to see talented people put a different perspective on things. Kudos to you all – regardless of gender or identity because perhaps it’s nothing to do with that after all. Just the magical and beautiful myriads of life.
Author
I think the writer is female! It is the same writer as Fight for My Way so I think it is a woman!
Bah! nevermind then. hehe
Regardless, please write a series review. Like you said, more people need to know about this wonderful drama!!!
Author
I’m writing it! I was thinking about this drama all day yesterday!
Hehe, good. I look forward to reading it.
I love these dramas – the ones that take a hold of you. You just can’t help but love them back – like some cliche kdrama wrist grab – as if they’re asking ‘where are you going? don’t you know your heart already belongs to me?’ hehe.
Can’t wait to read your thoughts.