And here we come to the last WWW of the year. Keep your eyes out for a post about our Top Drama Faves of 2016!
KOREAN:
~ Hwarang: the Beginning
Empress: Psh, yes? I have been a loooong-term fan of the Hwarang, and was thrilled that a drama was going to be made. So far, it doesn't like it's going to be the Six-Flying-Dragons-version that I wanted, but I'm still definately going to see exactly what kind of version it is, and hopefully it'll still be great.
Ambassador: I've been looking forward to this since it was announced. I'm keen to know more about the Hwarang. This looks like it's going to take it to the level of cute idol drama set in history, and I was hoping for a more serious drama but it's really too early to tell one way or the other and I'm still greatly interested. Especially with such names as Park Seo Joon, Park Hyung Sik, and SHINEE's Minho.
Unni: Um....YES!!!
~ Goblin
Empress: NAW, NOT INTERESTED, NOT MY THING, NOT A FAN OF THE WRITER, PLOT'S TOO WEIRD...and then I kept seeing adorable pictues and watched the first two episodes, and... Korea has some fascinating legends, and so far this is a good blend of fantasy going cute instead of creepy. XD
Ambassador: I wasn't going to for a few different reasons: 1- it's not my kind of drama, 2- It's written by Kim Eun Sook and even though she did a good job with DOTS, she had a fantastic co-writer on that one and I still haven't wiped the bad K.E.S. taste from my mouth after Heirs. But a close friend suggested I should so I'm going to at least try it. Also, I'm keen to see Lee El again, after her stellar performances in White Christmas and Liar Game.
Unni: O.O *backs away slowly* Okay if anyone does ghost and goblin stories well, it’s Asia, they are really a thing here but no thank you. Ratings and ravings here are off the charts and I am like...no thanks....
Empress: See, that's what I said...but Korean goblins do not appear to be like Western-World goblins...so I'll see if it goes the wrong direction or not. XD
~ Solomon's Perjury
Empress: YES. I am half-way through the Japanese movie series, which got interesting as soon as the student started setting up the trial, and very much looking forward to a Korean version. You can't repeat White Christmas, but if this is anything similar, I will like it.
Ambassador: Sounds a bit like WC? I'm definitely watching it for sheer curiosity's sake. The female lead was a child actress in a few other dramas I've seen and she was good. I'm interested to see how she transitions to older roles.
Unni: I don’t want stories about dead bodies right now...no thank you.
~ Seven First Kisses
Fairy/angel grants the wish of a girl who helped her out. The girl wants a boyfriend, the angel gifts her seven amazing men to choose from. Promo webdrama for Lotte Duty Free.
Empress: *grins* a) this method of advertising just...wow...why doesn't everyone do that? b) THIS IS HILARIOUS c) DUH I'm watching it and will spend the entire time cracking up.
Ambassador: Hmm. Let's just take a look at the lineup of leads for it:
EXO's Kai
2PM's Taecyeon
PARK HAE JIN
LEE JONG SUK
LEE MIN HO
JI CHANG WOOK
LEE JOON GI
It's every fangirl's fantasy come true (makes me wonder who the brains are behind it) and I'm absolutely watching no matter how cheesy it gets.
Unni: I have a feeling I’ll end up screaming my way through this one...screams of laughter, embarrassment hiding, fangirling...whatever. My pillow will probably be stuffed in my face for half of this.
CHINESE:
~ Candle in the Tomb
Empress: O.o specialization in tomb configuration??? I did not know that was a thing. I'm kind of intrigued - if it's a psychological thriller, I'll go for it...if it's more spooky/supernatural...no thanks.
Ambassador: Archaeology, danger and friendship in a cdrama. Sounds like something I'd like.
Unni: This one just creeps me out!!!!
~ Bu Liang Ren Season 2
Empress: Getting a sword is a very common theme, is it not? XD If there are literal kids in it, I'm kind of intrigued, but probably not intrigued enough to watch it any time soon.
Ambassador: Typical wuxia fare but I'm interested, some far future date.
Unni: Skipping, interesting but skipping.
TAIWANESE:
~ Miss in Kiss
Another installment in the Playful Kiss/It Started With A Kiss
franchise. Being touted as a remake of the original It Started With a
Kiss TW drama.
Empress: I just rewatched Playful Kiss. XD I can't deal with another version right now. (Even though I actually liked it a lot more the second time through. Weirdly.)
Ambassador: Maybe? After I watch the Japanese original and the Korean remake and the Taiwanese original.
Unni: I have hated every version of this story! I CAN’T DO IT!!!! But I am going to try again because I am living in Taiwan and see how it goes.
~ The King of Romance
Empress: I'm curious if it's supposed to be that she's actually Jade Girl or if she just thinks she is? It sounds like a twist on the usual love triangle...I'm up for fantasy but when we get angels-reincarnated-as-humans I'm a little skeptical. XD
Ambassador: I don't usually go for star-crossed lovers rom-coms but this one with the time and history undertones looks pretty intriguing. Lego Li is a pretty popular actor with several tw-entertainment bloggers I follow, but I've not yet watched one of his dramas.
Unni: *bangs head into wall* We’ll see....
Which of these year-end dramas will you be watching?
Monday, December 19, 2016
Friday, December 16, 2016
WWW ~ November 2016
November's ridiculously late WWW... but at least it's still 2016? I don't know about all of you, but I'm pretty ready for this year to be over.
KOREAN:
~ Oh My Geum Bi
Empress: While I have seen some good reviews of the drama so far...I'm really not feeling like watching a drama about a child dying...
Ambassador: Not really, no. It sounds like a good story but not for my life right now.
Unni: I’ve heard a lot of really good things about this drama and the fact that it has small children in it has me tempted to try it.
~ Night Light
Empress: Not right now, but something about it tells me I'll check it out at some point. (I am curious. If it's about 3 unlikeable people, I won't watch it. But...XD Time Between Dog and Wolf could have sounded similarly stark and unlikable, but I adore that drama.)
Ambassador: YES, BECAUSE JIN GOO IN A LEAD ROLE. Also Uee, whose acting I like. The writer wrote Time Between Dog and Wolf, Empress, which also intrigues me.
Unni: Not my kind of drama really, so I am going to be skipping.
~ Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
Empress: I was thinking no, partially on principle alone - that the drama was departing so sharply from its inspiration of Jang Mi Ran - but I have heard some very good things about it and if it continues to be good, I just might end up watching it. XD
Ambassador: I wasn't originally going to but I've been seeing clips on IG that are totally cute. Also, Nam Joo Hyuk is one of the best young actors around right now.
Unni: Okay the name caught my name so I sat down and watched episode one and laughed my head off. Episode two had me laughing and fangirling and screaming at people either in sympathy or stupidity. I am hooked on this one.
~ Father I'll Take Care of You
Empress: ....I can't say I'm intrigued...
Ambassador: Not my cup of tea.
Unni: This one sounds a little miserable.
~ Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim
Empress: I am still trying to finish Doctors...so was going to say flat out NO...but I have seen some almost realistic pieces on Tumblr...it might go to the bottom of my list. XD
Ambassador: Probably not, not even for Seo Hyun Jin or Jin Kyung. Too busy with other things. It's getting really good ratings but I just have way too much on my plate.
Unni: I’ve seen random clips that make me sort of curious about this one, but this isn’t my typical drama. We’ll see if I play with this one or pass.
~ Legend of the Blue Sea
Empress: I haven't seen Lee Min Ho in anything truly watchable for quite a while. I want this to be good so badly. And so far I'm liking it. XD
Ambassador: HOW IS THIS EVEN A QUESTION??? IT'S LEE MIN HO. IN A MERMAID DRAMA. WITH A DUAL HISTORICAL/MODERN STORYLINE. Yes, I'm watching. Plus, it's the director of City Hunter and writer of My Love From Another Star.
Unni: I’ve started watching this one and have decided that I need to see more. I randomly love stories about mermaids...and it’s good to see LMH in something that I might enjoy once again.
~ Entourage
Empress: Naw...I was uninterested in the American version, and so far I've heard nothing inspiring whatsoever about this one...
Ambassador: I haven't seen the American drama of which this is a remake and I don't plan to see this either.
Unni: Interesting, it doesn’t sounds like something I am interested in committing to.
CHINESE:
~ Legend of Ace
Empress: I like that it's a story about the steward, and how he helps someone else achieve greatness...I don't know that I'd want to watch 40 episodes about it..
Ambassador: I'm mildly interested in this one. 'Power behind the throne' storylines can be pretty intriguing when done right.
Unni: Interesting, I won’t end up watching it though.
~ Simple Man
Empress: Somehow making a deal with a devil doesn't sound like accidental circumstances...I'm not in the mood for comic book devil-deal-making.
Ambassador: Sounds pretty standard comic book fare. Marvel is the only comic book drama I've been interested in lately, so I probably won't try this.
Unni: Not my typical interest so I’ll be skipping.
~ The Princess Wei Young
Empress: It's so loooooong...it looks kind of gorgeous, though...I'm a bit on the fence. XD
Ambassador: YES. I've been keeping an eye on it for a while. Vanness Wu and Tiffany Tang and a great plot, if somewhat standard. It's been generating a lot of buzz online so I'm planning to see it.
Unni: This actually sounds interesting. I might have to give this a try.
~ Best Lover
Empress: Innnnnnteresting blending...I may have seen too many fake-relationship dramas at the moment, because I'm not finding myself terribly drawn to this one.
Ambassador: It appears to be a Chinese/Korean crossover drama? Korean stars, but a Chinese drama. Zhou Mi is the main lead and if I watch it it would be for him but even that isn't likely unless I bizarrely find myself sick.
Unni: I am curious about this one simply because it has Zhou Mi in it and he’s been posting stills on his Instagram. But then again I have a hard time committing to any Chinese dramas sooooooooooooo.
~ Weapon Soul
Empress: LOL. Poor family and friends. I'm rolling my eyes too hard already to put it on my list. XD
Ambassador: Wuxia, yessss. This one sounds so cliche, boy-fantasy-come-true but I'm going to try it at some point just for the fun of it.
Unni: Okay, interesting, but no thank you.
~ Shuttle Love Millennium
Empress: .....how does Queen In Hyun's Man fit in there anywhere...also I might be a little too much a fan of QIHM, because I can't seen anybody doing that story better. The other sounds more interesting, only because HA somebody would have to grow up in a hurry and it could be very amusing.
Ambassador: The storyline sounds hilarious. I plan to check it out. Also, Puff Guo was adorable as Heechul's onscreen wife in We Got Married Global edition or whatever it was called.
Unni: This sounds interesting, I might have to find out more...we’ll see.
~ Fox in the Screen
Empress: Okay, it's shorter...and sounds kind of awesome. From the trailer it might be too black-magic-fantasy for me, but if not, I'll watch it.
Ambassador: This storyline + comedy + fantasy. YES PLEASE.
Unni: This sounds HILARIOUS!
TAIWANESE:
~ Behind Your Smile
Empress: "His goodwill is anything but benign." I'm somewhat curious...though my list might just be too long...
Ambassador: The way the synopsis presents the storyline feels a bit lame but this drama could be interesting. I'll wait and see what online buzz has to say about it.
Unni: As my Taiwanese friends (who mostly all watch Korean dramas) say—Some of Taiwan's stories are just weird!
~ V-Focus
Empress: Okay, that sounds kind of awesome.
Ambassador: Bodyguards + enemies + Swiss Family Robinson = ABSOLUTELY.
Unni: I might have to try this one out. It sounds like it could be fun.
~ 700 Sui Lu Cheng
Empress: It sounds super sweet, but not what I want to watch.
Ambassador: Sounds like an adorable storyline but not my cup of tea.
Unni: AWW!!!! but no thank you.
CANTONESE:
~ My Lover From the Planet Meow
Empress: ....................I feel like these just keep getting weirder and weirder????? and while if this was a book I'd grab it and flip through it, I'm not sure I want to commit to an entire drama of it...I might watch for clips or something, just to see what on earth it's like. XD
Ambassador: I'm dying because it seems the latest installment in the You Who Came From Another Star franchise + the Space Kitties book anthology series. I'll watch this out of sheer curiosity.
Unni: I AM LAUGHING...but no thank you, very kindly.
~ Dead Wrong
Empress: Almost, but not quite. There's a few others I'd be more interested in watching with similar themes.
Ambassador: Shades of the Count of Monte Cristo but not enough to draw me into adding this to my overcrowded list.
Unni: This just sounds too crazy to try and wrap my head around and I don’t need to throw in a language I am not learning.
~ Two Steps From Heaven
Empress: Night Light I think will be my drama on this theme...probably enough, and with slightly better morals, I'm thinking.
Ambassador: Nooooot interested, even for Edwin Siu.
Unni: Lovely, but no thank you.
~ No Reserve
Empress: "The hero of Canton, the man they call Jayne..." Wait, what? Ah. If the Ambassador likes it, I will check it out. XD
Ambassador: The storyline is quite interesting, plus Myolie and Edwin. I'm adding it to my list.
Unni: Interesting I like the idea of it, but once again. Thank you, but no.
Which of these have you been watching?
KOREAN:
~ Oh My Geum Bi
Empress: While I have seen some good reviews of the drama so far...I'm really not feeling like watching a drama about a child dying...
Ambassador: Not really, no. It sounds like a good story but not for my life right now.
Unni: I’ve heard a lot of really good things about this drama and the fact that it has small children in it has me tempted to try it.
~ Night Light
Empress: Not right now, but something about it tells me I'll check it out at some point. (I am curious. If it's about 3 unlikeable people, I won't watch it. But...XD Time Between Dog and Wolf could have sounded similarly stark and unlikable, but I adore that drama.)
Ambassador: YES, BECAUSE JIN GOO IN A LEAD ROLE. Also Uee, whose acting I like. The writer wrote Time Between Dog and Wolf, Empress, which also intrigues me.
Unni: Not my kind of drama really, so I am going to be skipping.
~ Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
Empress: I was thinking no, partially on principle alone - that the drama was departing so sharply from its inspiration of Jang Mi Ran - but I have heard some very good things about it and if it continues to be good, I just might end up watching it. XD
Ambassador: I wasn't originally going to but I've been seeing clips on IG that are totally cute. Also, Nam Joo Hyuk is one of the best young actors around right now.
Unni: Okay the name caught my name so I sat down and watched episode one and laughed my head off. Episode two had me laughing and fangirling and screaming at people either in sympathy or stupidity. I am hooked on this one.
~ Father I'll Take Care of You
Empress: ....I can't say I'm intrigued...
Ambassador: Not my cup of tea.
Unni: This one sounds a little miserable.
~ Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim
Empress: I am still trying to finish Doctors...so was going to say flat out NO...but I have seen some almost realistic pieces on Tumblr...it might go to the bottom of my list. XD
Ambassador: Probably not, not even for Seo Hyun Jin or Jin Kyung. Too busy with other things. It's getting really good ratings but I just have way too much on my plate.
Unni: I’ve seen random clips that make me sort of curious about this one, but this isn’t my typical drama. We’ll see if I play with this one or pass.
~ Legend of the Blue Sea
Empress: I haven't seen Lee Min Ho in anything truly watchable for quite a while. I want this to be good so badly. And so far I'm liking it. XD
Ambassador: HOW IS THIS EVEN A QUESTION??? IT'S LEE MIN HO. IN A MERMAID DRAMA. WITH A DUAL HISTORICAL/MODERN STORYLINE. Yes, I'm watching. Plus, it's the director of City Hunter and writer of My Love From Another Star.
Unni: I’ve started watching this one and have decided that I need to see more. I randomly love stories about mermaids...and it’s good to see LMH in something that I might enjoy once again.
~ Entourage
Empress: Naw...I was uninterested in the American version, and so far I've heard nothing inspiring whatsoever about this one...
Ambassador: I haven't seen the American drama of which this is a remake and I don't plan to see this either.
Unni: Interesting, it doesn’t sounds like something I am interested in committing to.
CHINESE:
~ Legend of Ace
Empress: I like that it's a story about the steward, and how he helps someone else achieve greatness...I don't know that I'd want to watch 40 episodes about it..
Ambassador: I'm mildly interested in this one. 'Power behind the throne' storylines can be pretty intriguing when done right.
Unni: Interesting, I won’t end up watching it though.
~ Simple Man
Empress: Somehow making a deal with a devil doesn't sound like accidental circumstances...I'm not in the mood for comic book devil-deal-making.
Ambassador: Sounds pretty standard comic book fare. Marvel is the only comic book drama I've been interested in lately, so I probably won't try this.
Unni: Not my typical interest so I’ll be skipping.
~ The Princess Wei Young
Empress: It's so loooooong...it looks kind of gorgeous, though...I'm a bit on the fence. XD
Ambassador: YES. I've been keeping an eye on it for a while. Vanness Wu and Tiffany Tang and a great plot, if somewhat standard. It's been generating a lot of buzz online so I'm planning to see it.
Unni: This actually sounds interesting. I might have to give this a try.
~ Best Lover
Empress: Innnnnnteresting blending...I may have seen too many fake-relationship dramas at the moment, because I'm not finding myself terribly drawn to this one.
Ambassador: It appears to be a Chinese/Korean crossover drama? Korean stars, but a Chinese drama. Zhou Mi is the main lead and if I watch it it would be for him but even that isn't likely unless I bizarrely find myself sick.
Unni: I am curious about this one simply because it has Zhou Mi in it and he’s been posting stills on his Instagram. But then again I have a hard time committing to any Chinese dramas sooooooooooooo.
~ Weapon Soul
Empress: LOL. Poor family and friends. I'm rolling my eyes too hard already to put it on my list. XD
Ambassador: Wuxia, yessss. This one sounds so cliche, boy-fantasy-come-true but I'm going to try it at some point just for the fun of it.
Unni: Okay, interesting, but no thank you.
~ Shuttle Love Millennium
Empress: .....how does Queen In Hyun's Man fit in there anywhere...also I might be a little too much a fan of QIHM, because I can't seen anybody doing that story better. The other sounds more interesting, only because HA somebody would have to grow up in a hurry and it could be very amusing.
Ambassador: The storyline sounds hilarious. I plan to check it out. Also, Puff Guo was adorable as Heechul's onscreen wife in We Got Married Global edition or whatever it was called.
Unni: This sounds interesting, I might have to find out more...we’ll see.
~ Fox in the Screen
Empress: Okay, it's shorter...and sounds kind of awesome. From the trailer it might be too black-magic-fantasy for me, but if not, I'll watch it.
Ambassador: This storyline + comedy + fantasy. YES PLEASE.
Unni: This sounds HILARIOUS!
TAIWANESE:
~ Behind Your Smile
Empress: "His goodwill is anything but benign." I'm somewhat curious...though my list might just be too long...
Ambassador: The way the synopsis presents the storyline feels a bit lame but this drama could be interesting. I'll wait and see what online buzz has to say about it.
Unni: As my Taiwanese friends (who mostly all watch Korean dramas) say—Some of Taiwan's stories are just weird!
~ V-Focus
Empress: Okay, that sounds kind of awesome.
Ambassador: Bodyguards + enemies + Swiss Family Robinson = ABSOLUTELY.
Unni: I might have to try this one out. It sounds like it could be fun.
~ 700 Sui Lu Cheng
Empress: It sounds super sweet, but not what I want to watch.
Ambassador: Sounds like an adorable storyline but not my cup of tea.
Unni: AWW!!!! but no thank you.
CANTONESE:
~ My Lover From the Planet Meow
Empress: ....................I feel like these just keep getting weirder and weirder????? and while if this was a book I'd grab it and flip through it, I'm not sure I want to commit to an entire drama of it...I might watch for clips or something, just to see what on earth it's like. XD
Ambassador: I'm dying because it seems the latest installment in the You Who Came From Another Star franchise + the Space Kitties book anthology series. I'll watch this out of sheer curiosity.
Unni: I AM LAUGHING...but no thank you, very kindly.
~ Dead Wrong
Empress: Almost, but not quite. There's a few others I'd be more interested in watching with similar themes.
Ambassador: Shades of the Count of Monte Cristo but not enough to draw me into adding this to my overcrowded list.
Unni: This just sounds too crazy to try and wrap my head around and I don’t need to throw in a language I am not learning.
~ Two Steps From Heaven
Empress: Night Light I think will be my drama on this theme...probably enough, and with slightly better morals, I'm thinking.
Ambassador: Nooooot interested, even for Edwin Siu.
Unni: Lovely, but no thank you.
~ No Reserve
Empress: "The hero of Canton, the man they call Jayne..." Wait, what? Ah. If the Ambassador likes it, I will check it out. XD
Ambassador: The storyline is quite interesting, plus Myolie and Edwin. I'm adding it to my list.
Unni: Interesting I like the idea of it, but once again. Thank you, but no.
Which of these have you been watching?
Friday, December 9, 2016
WWW ~ Autumn 2016: Japanese
All of the WWW posts for the autumn/winter of 2016 are shockingly late - 2016 has been a wild year for us, and we apologize for the lateness.
Our dearest Unni is still extremely busy in Taiwan, but will add her comments when she can.
~ Beppin-san
Empress: 'must achieve the goal no matter what' and she wants to do embroidery and sewing? *reads rest of the summary* Okay, it sounds somewhat interesting...historically speaking...considering it's the Japanese side of WWII...but I'm not currently curious enough to watch it.
Ambassador: It sounds pretty interesting and also like it would be a great drama to watch for research, but I don't have time for it on any other grounds.
Unni: --
~ Hippocratic Oath
Empress: Medical dramas + me don't usually work, but I haven't tried a Japanese one...and if it's only 5 epidsodes, I might go for it. :)
Ambassador: Title + Keiko Kitagawa + plot is a powerful draw for this, and it's supposed to be only 5 episodes... I'll probably make time for it at some point.
Unni: --
~ Pretty Proofreader
Empress: .............I really hope there's more to it than that...but given what's there, it would have to be something seriously fascinating to make me watch it.
Ambassador: Obviously there is some crucial part of this plot that has been left out of the synopsis, because there's barely anything to arouse interest here. It has a few interesting actors but no.
Unni: --
~ Yuusha Yoshihiko to Michibikareshi Shichinin
Empress: ehhhh...being revived to re-save the world sound tremendously depressing, and mixing Buddha with Desutaku doesn't interest me.
Ambassador: I haven't tried any Japanese fantasy dramas yet (aside from anime) but this sounds... odd and... not interesting enough to tempt me.
Unni: --
~ Aibou: Season 15
Empress: More interesting than the previous ones...I think if I was looking for a another drama to watch, I might jump on this one. But...I'm kind of the opposite of looking for another drama to watch right now.
Ambassador: It sounds pretty interesting but not quite the right combination to tempt me to pile yet another drama onto my already overloaded list. (Wait. CAN you have an overloaded list? If you can, mine is.)
Unni: --
~ Career
Empress: I like the idea. And I feel like Japan is pretty good at this genre. But again...my list...so long...
Ambassador: This sounds FUN with humor and some good opinion turnarounds coming up. I enjoy underdog stories, so I'm adding this one to my list.
Unni: --
~ Chef: Mitsuboshi no Kyushoku
Empress: The kid angle intrigues me - the idea of a restaurant chef making food that children will actually eat sounds kind of fun. Mostly this reminds me that I need to get back to watching Master-God of Noodles... XD
Ambassador: Naaaaaah, not really into cooking dramas.
Unni: --
~ Doctor-X: Season 4
Empress: Okay, this sounds like a total nightmare...either it's completely fake, in which case bo-ring and I don't care, or it's real, in which case HORRORS, that kind of patient-care nightmare makes me sick. No.
Ambassador: I like power play dramas but in a medical melo setting..... no, don't think so.
Unni: --
~ Medical Team: Lady Da Vinci no Shindan
Empress: ...I commend her quitting neurosurgery when she's hallucinating...and in general it sounds better than the last drama...but not better enough to make me watch it.
Ambassador: This one however is intriguing because there is just enough mystery involved. I don't have time for it though.
Unni: --
~ Rental Kyuseishu
Empress: I'm intrigued. Rent-a-Hero? I think I will at least stick it somewhere on my list.
Ambassador: This sounds HILARIOUS and I'm adding it to my list.
Unni: --
~ The Last Cop
[Remake of German TV series "Der letzte Bulle" which first aired in 2010.]
Empress: Japanese remake of a German show...this could be intriguing. I don't know how many cop shows I can have on my list at one time...It's a maybe. XD
Ambassador: It looks like it will be comedy and could totally be tons of fun, but it'll go on the 'check out' list.
Unni: --
~ Suna no Tou
Empress: This sounds weird...and possibly treading the horror-line...but also just intriguing enough that it makes me super curious. I want to check it out.
Ambassador: Oooooh a psycho thriller. Japan does psycho thrillers really well so I'm intrigued enough to try it.
Unni: --
~ Toge
Empress: http://mydramalist.com/20124-toge-shoushimin-kuranaga-haruyuki-no-gyakushu The poster definitely captures the feel of the summary, and there is the possibility it could be hilarious...but I don't think I'm interested enough to check it out right now. If I hear good things about it, I would try it. XD
Ambassador: I'M DYING and I need to see it.
Unni: --
~ We Married as a Job
Empress: These situations are always so ridiculous...it's really hard to make marriage a thing people have to do...and I'm not really in the mood for another version of this. XD
Ambassador: Yet another 'marriage of convenience' drama. Nope.
Unni: --
~ Cain to Abel
Empress: The title intrigues me - the drama's poster makes me think they got Cain and Abel and Adam and Eve a little bit mixed up...but the trailer also intrigues me and I am putting it on my list.
Ambassador: The title immediately snagged my attention, and the synopsis makes it sound like it will be brother against brother, which I usually love to watch. Also, the main actor is a favorite of a friend, who watched him in the movie Grasshopper and she says he's quite good, so I'm definitely watching this.
Unni: --
~ Cold Case
[Remake of U.S. television series "Cold Case".]
Empress: Remake intrigues me because what about the story was good enough to be remade...but again with the number of cop dramas I have on my list. Maybe later...XD
Ambassador: COLOR ME INTRIGUED.
Unni: --
~ IQ 246
Empress: Okay...this is a different enough spin that I am seriously intrigued. Japanese Sherlock Holmes...I'm at least going to try it. XD
Ambassador: O.O Sounds FASCINATING. It's going on my list.
Unni: --
~ The Sniffer
[Remake of Ukrainian TV series "The Sniffer".]
Empress: ........Then again some remakes are just strange. Why would you make a show like this in the first place, let alone remake it? Though maybe if I could conceptualize exactly HOW being able to smell really well could possbly help you solve crimes, I'd be more interested. The Girl Who Sees Smells at least had enough of a fantasy spin that I could go along with it...XD
Ambassador: A) Japan seems to have a thing for 'Sherlockian dramas'- where crimes are solved by someone with unusual abilities
b) they also have a thing for remakes
All things considered, I'm interested.
Unni: --
~ Haikei, Minpaku-sama
Empress: *tries not to yawn* My list is too long...XD
Ambassador: Naaaaah, mind numbing family melodrama. If I want that, all I have to do is look around me IRL. Meisa Kuroki makes it tempting, but I just don't have time or interest enough.
Unni: --
~ Kuroi 10-nin no Onna
Empress: *howls* There's a solution, I guess....XD Like...they have more than an inkling of each other's existence and all plot together to murder him, or do they all get fed up with him at the same time and individually try to murder him, or...I...am not sure what to think of this. Why can't they leave him? If there was a character who was likable, I would watch it...but if it's about 10 adulterers and a nasty wife, I can't really see enjoying it.
Ambassador: Absolutely watching this. It's very much my kind of drama. So much.
Empress: *grins* It really is. Please tell me if there is someone I would like in it who would make me want to watch it. XD
Ambassador: Watch me excitedly email you after the second episode and drag you into watching it with me.
Unni: --
~ Ishikawa Goemon
Empress: I feel like I should watch some of the other similar ones I have on my list before this one, but...it can't hurt to put it the end, right? XD
Ambassador: Oooooh, another Goemon drama! Count me in.
Unni: --
~ Unmei ni, Nita Koi
Empress: Eh...naw.
Ambassador: Mmmm, no. Not enough time, not enough interest, not enough etc etc.
Unni: --
~ Chuushingura no Koi
Empress: I am intrigued. It's not too long, and it looks really interesting. XD
Ambassador: YES, for THE PLOT and DAITO SHUNSUKE. I wasn't terribly impressed with Emi Takei in the RK movies, but here's hoping she'll be good.
Unni: --
~ Suisho no Kodou
Empress: This is a better synopsis of some of the others...I'm intrigued...but still. Too many dramas about policemen/detectives/etc.
Ambassador: I don't knooow. It could be interesting but it doesn't sound particularly gripping. Probably not.
Unni: --
~ Sennyuu Sousa Idol Deka Dance
Empress: And here we see the effect of all those detective dramas... -__- Though okay, this is the kind of twist on it that intrigues me. Detective that wants to be a detective because of entertainment gets stuck in entertainment industry undercover? I think I'm at least going to put it on my list. XD
Ambassador: Probably yes, mainly for DAITO SHUNSUKE.
Unni: --
Which of these Japanese dramas are YOU interested in watching?
Our dearest Unni is still extremely busy in Taiwan, but will add her comments when she can.
~ Beppin-san
Empress: 'must achieve the goal no matter what' and she wants to do embroidery and sewing? *reads rest of the summary* Okay, it sounds somewhat interesting...historically speaking...considering it's the Japanese side of WWII...but I'm not currently curious enough to watch it.
Ambassador: It sounds pretty interesting and also like it would be a great drama to watch for research, but I don't have time for it on any other grounds.
Unni: --
~ Hippocratic Oath
Empress: Medical dramas + me don't usually work, but I haven't tried a Japanese one...and if it's only 5 epidsodes, I might go for it. :)
Ambassador: Title + Keiko Kitagawa + plot is a powerful draw for this, and it's supposed to be only 5 episodes... I'll probably make time for it at some point.
Unni: --
~ Pretty Proofreader
Empress: .............I really hope there's more to it than that...but given what's there, it would have to be something seriously fascinating to make me watch it.
Ambassador: Obviously there is some crucial part of this plot that has been left out of the synopsis, because there's barely anything to arouse interest here. It has a few interesting actors but no.
Unni: --
~ Yuusha Yoshihiko to Michibikareshi Shichinin
Empress: ehhhh...being revived to re-save the world sound tremendously depressing, and mixing Buddha with Desutaku doesn't interest me.
Ambassador: I haven't tried any Japanese fantasy dramas yet (aside from anime) but this sounds... odd and... not interesting enough to tempt me.
Unni: --
~ Aibou: Season 15
Empress: More interesting than the previous ones...I think if I was looking for a another drama to watch, I might jump on this one. But...I'm kind of the opposite of looking for another drama to watch right now.
Ambassador: It sounds pretty interesting but not quite the right combination to tempt me to pile yet another drama onto my already overloaded list. (Wait. CAN you have an overloaded list? If you can, mine is.)
Unni: --
~ Career
Empress: I like the idea. And I feel like Japan is pretty good at this genre. But again...my list...so long...
Ambassador: This sounds FUN with humor and some good opinion turnarounds coming up. I enjoy underdog stories, so I'm adding this one to my list.
Unni: --
~ Chef: Mitsuboshi no Kyushoku
Empress: The kid angle intrigues me - the idea of a restaurant chef making food that children will actually eat sounds kind of fun. Mostly this reminds me that I need to get back to watching Master-God of Noodles... XD
Ambassador: Naaaaaah, not really into cooking dramas.
Unni: --
~ Doctor-X: Season 4
Empress: Okay, this sounds like a total nightmare...either it's completely fake, in which case bo-ring and I don't care, or it's real, in which case HORRORS, that kind of patient-care nightmare makes me sick. No.
Ambassador: I like power play dramas but in a medical melo setting..... no, don't think so.
Unni: --
~ Medical Team: Lady Da Vinci no Shindan
Empress: ...I commend her quitting neurosurgery when she's hallucinating...and in general it sounds better than the last drama...but not better enough to make me watch it.
Ambassador: This one however is intriguing because there is just enough mystery involved. I don't have time for it though.
Unni: --
~ Rental Kyuseishu
Empress: I'm intrigued. Rent-a-Hero? I think I will at least stick it somewhere on my list.
Ambassador: This sounds HILARIOUS and I'm adding it to my list.
Unni: --
~ The Last Cop
[Remake of German TV series "Der letzte Bulle" which first aired in 2010.]
Empress: Japanese remake of a German show...this could be intriguing. I don't know how many cop shows I can have on my list at one time...It's a maybe. XD
Ambassador: It looks like it will be comedy and could totally be tons of fun, but it'll go on the 'check out' list.
Unni: --
~ Suna no Tou
Empress: This sounds weird...and possibly treading the horror-line...but also just intriguing enough that it makes me super curious. I want to check it out.
Ambassador: Oooooh a psycho thriller. Japan does psycho thrillers really well so I'm intrigued enough to try it.
Unni: --
~ Toge
Empress: http://mydramalist.com/20124-toge-shoushimin-kuranaga-haruyuki-no-gyakushu The poster definitely captures the feel of the summary, and there is the possibility it could be hilarious...but I don't think I'm interested enough to check it out right now. If I hear good things about it, I would try it. XD
Ambassador: I'M DYING and I need to see it.
Unni: --
~ We Married as a Job
Empress: These situations are always so ridiculous...it's really hard to make marriage a thing people have to do...and I'm not really in the mood for another version of this. XD
Ambassador: Yet another 'marriage of convenience' drama. Nope.
Unni: --
~ Cain to Abel
Empress: The title intrigues me - the drama's poster makes me think they got Cain and Abel and Adam and Eve a little bit mixed up...but the trailer also intrigues me and I am putting it on my list.
Ambassador: The title immediately snagged my attention, and the synopsis makes it sound like it will be brother against brother, which I usually love to watch. Also, the main actor is a favorite of a friend, who watched him in the movie Grasshopper and she says he's quite good, so I'm definitely watching this.
Unni: --
~ Cold Case
[Remake of U.S. television series "Cold Case".]
Empress: Remake intrigues me because what about the story was good enough to be remade...but again with the number of cop dramas I have on my list. Maybe later...XD
Ambassador: COLOR ME INTRIGUED.
Unni: --
~ IQ 246
Empress: Okay...this is a different enough spin that I am seriously intrigued. Japanese Sherlock Holmes...I'm at least going to try it. XD
Ambassador: O.O Sounds FASCINATING. It's going on my list.
Unni: --
~ The Sniffer
[Remake of Ukrainian TV series "The Sniffer".]
Empress: ........Then again some remakes are just strange. Why would you make a show like this in the first place, let alone remake it? Though maybe if I could conceptualize exactly HOW being able to smell really well could possbly help you solve crimes, I'd be more interested. The Girl Who Sees Smells at least had enough of a fantasy spin that I could go along with it...XD
Ambassador: A) Japan seems to have a thing for 'Sherlockian dramas'- where crimes are solved by someone with unusual abilities
b) they also have a thing for remakes
All things considered, I'm interested.
Unni: --
~ Haikei, Minpaku-sama
Empress: *tries not to yawn* My list is too long...XD
Ambassador: Naaaaah, mind numbing family melodrama. If I want that, all I have to do is look around me IRL. Meisa Kuroki makes it tempting, but I just don't have time or interest enough.
Unni: --
~ Kuroi 10-nin no Onna
Empress: *howls* There's a solution, I guess....XD Like...they have more than an inkling of each other's existence and all plot together to murder him, or do they all get fed up with him at the same time and individually try to murder him, or...I...am not sure what to think of this. Why can't they leave him? If there was a character who was likable, I would watch it...but if it's about 10 adulterers and a nasty wife, I can't really see enjoying it.
Ambassador: Absolutely watching this. It's very much my kind of drama. So much.
Empress: *grins* It really is. Please tell me if there is someone I would like in it who would make me want to watch it. XD
Ambassador: Watch me excitedly email you after the second episode and drag you into watching it with me.
Unni: --
~ Ishikawa Goemon
Empress: I feel like I should watch some of the other similar ones I have on my list before this one, but...it can't hurt to put it the end, right? XD
Ambassador: Oooooh, another Goemon drama! Count me in.
Unni: --
~ Unmei ni, Nita Koi
Empress: Eh...naw.
Ambassador: Mmmm, no. Not enough time, not enough interest, not enough etc etc.
Unni: --
~ Chuushingura no Koi
Empress: I am intrigued. It's not too long, and it looks really interesting. XD
Ambassador: YES, for THE PLOT and DAITO SHUNSUKE. I wasn't terribly impressed with Emi Takei in the RK movies, but here's hoping she'll be good.
Unni: --
~ Suisho no Kodou
Empress: This is a better synopsis of some of the others...I'm intrigued...but still. Too many dramas about policemen/detectives/etc.
Ambassador: I don't knooow. It could be interesting but it doesn't sound particularly gripping. Probably not.
Unni: --
~ Sennyuu Sousa Idol Deka Dance
Empress: And here we see the effect of all those detective dramas... -__- Though okay, this is the kind of twist on it that intrigues me. Detective that wants to be a detective because of entertainment gets stuck in entertainment industry undercover? I think I'm at least going to put it on my list. XD
Ambassador: Probably yes, mainly for DAITO SHUNSUKE.
Unni: --
Which of these Japanese dramas are YOU interested in watching?
Monday, October 17, 2016
WWW ~ October 2016: Korean and Mandarin Edition
We're quite laaaate with this month's edition again. Blame life. :D
The Unni will add her comments when she has time. Teaching in Taiwan keeps her very busy.
KOREAN:
First of all, a September drama that I missed because I couldn't find an airdate at the time of my last WWW:
~ Woman with a Suitcase
Empress: Something about it intrigues me, but I don't really have time to start it right now. I will probably put it on my list and hope to get to it someday.
Ambassador: I want to check this out at some point because it's an interesting plot but mostly for Joo Jin Mo (the fantastic Wang Yoo from Empress Ki) and Lee Joon (great actor in a variety of roles), and a little for Jin Kyung and Jeon Hye Bin.
Unni: --
~ My Wife's Having an Affair This Week
Empress: Somehow I've ended up seeing a lot about it online, and the idea of a perfect wife with a loser husband who a) doesn't know how to talk to her, b) believes she is going to have an affair, and c) doesn't know how to stop her just...(the fact that she actually isn't having an affair in the beginning, he is just sure that she will does intrigue me a little bit. XD Not enough to watch a whole drama about it.)
Ambassador: Errr, NO. Sounds like just the kind of romcom melodrama I cannot abide.
Unni: --
~ 1% of Anything
Empress: I've heard interesting things about the first drama version of this (http://wiki.d-addicts.com/One_Percent_of_Anything) and the fact that they've made 2 dramas off this novel interests me. (It'd be kind of fun to see the difference in interpretation from 2003 to 2016.) I don't know when I'll have TIME to look into either of them, but...
Ambassador: Noooooo. Obviously there's something about the drama that should be more interesting than this synopsis makes it out to sound but aish, not going to spend time on it.
Unni: --
~ The Man Living In Our House
Empress: I was definitely interested when YSH was considering...with the current actors I'm still interested (the storyline just intrigues me XD), though I wish different people were playing different parts, ha. (C'mon, couldn't Lee Soo Hyuk have been lead this time? XD)
Ambassador: YESSS because two of the Model Avengers in a drama again: Kim Young Kwang and Lee Soo Hyuk. LSH as second lead is usually great. Also Kim Ji Hoon in a tertiary or minor role. When the casting news for this one came out, I thought 'Guess I'll be watching Monday/Tuesday KBS dramas for the rest of the year.'
Unni: --
CHINESE:
~ Princess of Lan Ling
(Sequel to Prince of Lan Ling)
Empress: I have to watch Ice Fantasy first... :)
Ambassador: Sounds fun. I'll put it on my list to check out after I see Lan Ling Wang (FENG SHAOFENG FTW) but not before then.
Unni: --
~ Dr. Qin Medical Examiner
Empress: 'raw and often times gruesome details' turns me off....medical examiner and police detective would be interesting, but if they're going to spend the whole time cutting into dead bodies...no thanks. I don't know what China lets air on that front...
Ambassador: Mmm, depending on how high the 'gore' and 'gruesome' components are, this could be fascinating... so I'll put it on the 'keep an eye on' list. Yes, I have lists for everything. Don't judge.
Unni: --
~ The Battle at the Dawn
Empress: Somewhat intrigued...there's so much Chinese history I don't know...but MY LIST IS SO LONG. Maybe I'll wait to hear how good it is and then decide... :D
Ambassador: Sooo, early imperialist era?? Either way, THIS sounds FASCINATING and Liu Shishi. Yep. Watching. Though not as it airs- I have enough of those on my plate right now. *cough*
Unni: --
~ Memory Lost
Empress: XD I always like relationships across the divide...depending on how it turns out...I kind of want to watch this one. Yup. I miiiight stick it on my list. XD
Ambassador: Color me quite intrigued- especially with a police force called 'black shield'. I'm adding it to my list. Sounds like a kdrama to be honest. Something like I Miss You... or am I thinking of the wrong name? Empress, what say you?
Empress: Haha, the only similar thing is really a girl gets kidnapped and her boyfriend joins the police as a result - but it was the first thing that came to my mind as I read the description here. :D
Unni: --
~ When a Snail Falls in Love
Empress: Detective and criminal profiler...best partners in the force...Angel's Killer... The title cracks me up (When a Snail Falls in Love????), but I'm still kind of interested. XD
Ambassador: I'm guessing 'Angel's Killer' is supposed to be a serial killer... this could be interesting. I'll check it out.
Unni: --
~ Bu Liang Ren
Empress: Eh...I feel like I've read similar descriptions so many times...nah....
Ambassador: Mmmm, probably not. Wuxia is hit and miss for me and this one sounds average enough to miss.
Unni: --
TAIWANESE:
~ Oba
Empress: O.o I think this would depend entirely on the execution...so it depends on how it turns out whether I'll add it or not. XD
Ambassador: This sounds like a Taiwanese version of 'Miss Billy' (same author as 'Pollyanna'- it's a hilarious book)... in which case, I'm definitely watching. Sounds like this is right up your alley, Unni.
Unni: --
What October dramas will YOU be watching?
The Unni will add her comments when she has time. Teaching in Taiwan keeps her very busy.
KOREAN:
First of all, a September drama that I missed because I couldn't find an airdate at the time of my last WWW:
~ Woman with a Suitcase
Empress: Something about it intrigues me, but I don't really have time to start it right now. I will probably put it on my list and hope to get to it someday.
Ambassador: I want to check this out at some point because it's an interesting plot but mostly for Joo Jin Mo (the fantastic Wang Yoo from Empress Ki) and Lee Joon (great actor in a variety of roles), and a little for Jin Kyung and Jeon Hye Bin.
Unni: --
~ My Wife's Having an Affair This Week
Empress: Somehow I've ended up seeing a lot about it online, and the idea of a perfect wife with a loser husband who a) doesn't know how to talk to her, b) believes she is going to have an affair, and c) doesn't know how to stop her just...(the fact that she actually isn't having an affair in the beginning, he is just sure that she will does intrigue me a little bit. XD Not enough to watch a whole drama about it.)
Ambassador: Errr, NO. Sounds like just the kind of romcom melodrama I cannot abide.
Unni: --
~ 1% of Anything
Empress: I've heard interesting things about the first drama version of this (http://wiki.d-addicts.com/One_Percent_of_Anything) and the fact that they've made 2 dramas off this novel interests me. (It'd be kind of fun to see the difference in interpretation from 2003 to 2016.) I don't know when I'll have TIME to look into either of them, but...
Ambassador: Noooooo. Obviously there's something about the drama that should be more interesting than this synopsis makes it out to sound but aish, not going to spend time on it.
Unni: --
~ The Man Living In Our House
Empress: I was definitely interested when YSH was considering...with the current actors I'm still interested (the storyline just intrigues me XD), though I wish different people were playing different parts, ha. (C'mon, couldn't Lee Soo Hyuk have been lead this time? XD)
Ambassador: YESSS because two of the Model Avengers in a drama again: Kim Young Kwang and Lee Soo Hyuk. LSH as second lead is usually great. Also Kim Ji Hoon in a tertiary or minor role. When the casting news for this one came out, I thought 'Guess I'll be watching Monday/Tuesday KBS dramas for the rest of the year.'
Unni: --
CHINESE:
~ Princess of Lan Ling
(Sequel to Prince of Lan Ling)
Empress: I have to watch Ice Fantasy first... :)
Ambassador: Sounds fun. I'll put it on my list to check out after I see Lan Ling Wang (FENG SHAOFENG FTW) but not before then.
Unni: --
~ Dr. Qin Medical Examiner
Empress: 'raw and often times gruesome details' turns me off....medical examiner and police detective would be interesting, but if they're going to spend the whole time cutting into dead bodies...no thanks. I don't know what China lets air on that front...
Ambassador: Mmm, depending on how high the 'gore' and 'gruesome' components are, this could be fascinating... so I'll put it on the 'keep an eye on' list. Yes, I have lists for everything. Don't judge.
Unni: --
~ The Battle at the Dawn
Empress: Somewhat intrigued...there's so much Chinese history I don't know...but MY LIST IS SO LONG. Maybe I'll wait to hear how good it is and then decide... :D
Ambassador: Sooo, early imperialist era?? Either way, THIS sounds FASCINATING and Liu Shishi. Yep. Watching. Though not as it airs- I have enough of those on my plate right now. *cough*
Unni: --
~ Memory Lost
Empress: XD I always like relationships across the divide...depending on how it turns out...I kind of want to watch this one. Yup. I miiiight stick it on my list. XD
Ambassador: Color me quite intrigued- especially with a police force called 'black shield'. I'm adding it to my list. Sounds like a kdrama to be honest. Something like I Miss You... or am I thinking of the wrong name? Empress, what say you?
Empress: Haha, the only similar thing is really a girl gets kidnapped and her boyfriend joins the police as a result - but it was the first thing that came to my mind as I read the description here. :D
Unni: --
~ When a Snail Falls in Love
Empress: Detective and criminal profiler...best partners in the force...Angel's Killer... The title cracks me up (When a Snail Falls in Love????), but I'm still kind of interested. XD
Ambassador: I'm guessing 'Angel's Killer' is supposed to be a serial killer... this could be interesting. I'll check it out.
Unni: --
~ Bu Liang Ren
Empress: Eh...I feel like I've read similar descriptions so many times...nah....
Ambassador: Mmmm, probably not. Wuxia is hit and miss for me and this one sounds average enough to miss.
Unni: --
TAIWANESE:
~ Oba
Empress: O.o I think this would depend entirely on the execution...so it depends on how it turns out whether I'll add it or not. XD
Ambassador: This sounds like a Taiwanese version of 'Miss Billy' (same author as 'Pollyanna'- it's a hilarious book)... in which case, I'm definitely watching. Sounds like this is right up your alley, Unni.
Unni: --
What October dramas will YOU be watching?
Thursday, September 15, 2016
WWW ~ September 2016
2016 has been a great year for dramas so far and September continues that by bringing us a new Ji Chang Wook role.
Korean:
~ Drinking Solo
Empress: If anybody could make drinking alcohol alone interesting, it'd be Korea, but good grief. I can think of a lot of things that would require a lot less work to make interesting.
Ambassador: Naaaah, sounds boring.
Unni: Honestly, not really interested.
~ Fantastic
Empress: It doesn't grab my attention, and there's a lot of other dramas that are doing that, so...
Ambassador: Could be interesting, and Ji Soo is in it but I doubt I'll make time for it. Way too many other things on my plate.
Unni: I am not sure if I am ready to sign up for this, It sounds interesting but, death and love isn’t really something I am interested in watching right now.
~ Shopping King Louie
Empress: The fact that Seo In Guk is in it tempts me. (He was unbelievably charming in Task Force 38, which I still need to review.) Other than that, though, there's not much about this to interest me. Then again, once C4K and MDBC have completely converted me into a lover of rom-coms, who knows what I'll watch. XD
Ambassador: Normally I'd not touch this one but I miiiiight consider it because Seo In Guk is hilarious.
Unni: This sounds really cute! I just might end up going for this one.
~ On the Way to the Airport
Empress: Melodrama no, relationship exploration and attempting to answer that question yes...Liar Game reunion with those two leads YES. I want to see how they interact when not geniuses battling on a game show...XD
Ambassador: Despite the bizarre sounding title I'm absolutely watching this because the two male leads are the male leads from Liar Game, my top favorite kdrama ever, and the premise is intriguing.
Unni: I’ll probably wait to see screen shots of this before I invest...but it’s on the maybe list.
~ The K2
Empress: It's all in how it's done, but adventure dramas are usually my thing, and Ji Chang Wook means I'm definitely watching it.
Ambassador: Since the casting news first broke for this, I've eagerly been following its progress. It's Ji Chang Wook, one of my top ten favorite actors ever. There is no question about it, I will most definitely be watching it. I'm actually going to watch it with my mom and sister as it airs. Previously, my mother and I watched Healer together as it aired. This will be my sister's first time watching a JCW currently airing drama.
Unni: You can sign me up! This one just sounds really good! And the fact that JCW is in it...certainly doesn’t hurt at all.
China:
~ Love is More Than a Word
Empress: ...if I wanted to watch a magistrate I'd watch Arang and the Magistrate. XD
Ambassador: Either the synopsis writer needs a lot of help or this drama would bore me to tears.
Unni: *bangs head into wall* No...please...stop.
~ Love 020
Empress: ......Adapted from a novel tends to make me more interested, and guild wars and gaming experts sound somewhat intriguing, but...wow. This synopsis is SO DRAMATIC!!! I just can't take it seriously. I'm really not seeing it in my future. XD
Ambassador: I'm laughing so hard at this synopsis. It sounds cheesy and corny. I'm tempted to check it out because Yang Yang and Zheng Shuang are both great actors who's work I enjoy but I doubt I'll ever make time for it. EDIT: this drama is proving so popular that I'm now curious enough to try it.
Unni: This sounds cute! But with the amount of dramas on my plate and to be honest my major interest is in Korean and Taiwanese, Chinese dramas tend to hurt my ears I have no idea why...just do.
~ My Little Princess
Empress: *grits teeth* Okay, if just a summary puts me on edge, I wouldn't make it through a full drama.
Ambassador: Noooope. Too many misunderstandings and typical rom com craziness to make me watch it.
Unni: UFDA!!! I think I got dizzy from just reading that one!
Hong Kong:
~ Brother's Keeper II
Empress: If it ended with a question other than "How will they handle it?"...I'm just not really biting.
Ambassador: I like Edwin Siu but the plot for this one isn't enough to make me watch it.
Unni: Interesting, but I have dramas I’d rather watch or rewatch, so I’ll skip!
Which September dramas are on your TBW list?
Korean:
~ Drinking Solo
Empress: If anybody could make drinking alcohol alone interesting, it'd be Korea, but good grief. I can think of a lot of things that would require a lot less work to make interesting.
Ambassador: Naaaah, sounds boring.
Unni: Honestly, not really interested.
~ Fantastic
Empress: It doesn't grab my attention, and there's a lot of other dramas that are doing that, so...
Ambassador: Could be interesting, and Ji Soo is in it but I doubt I'll make time for it. Way too many other things on my plate.
Unni: I am not sure if I am ready to sign up for this, It sounds interesting but, death and love isn’t really something I am interested in watching right now.
~ Shopping King Louie
Empress: The fact that Seo In Guk is in it tempts me. (He was unbelievably charming in Task Force 38, which I still need to review.) Other than that, though, there's not much about this to interest me. Then again, once C4K and MDBC have completely converted me into a lover of rom-coms, who knows what I'll watch. XD
Ambassador: Normally I'd not touch this one but I miiiiight consider it because Seo In Guk is hilarious.
Unni: This sounds really cute! I just might end up going for this one.
~ On the Way to the Airport
Empress: Melodrama no, relationship exploration and attempting to answer that question yes...Liar Game reunion with those two leads YES. I want to see how they interact when not geniuses battling on a game show...XD
Ambassador: Despite the bizarre sounding title I'm absolutely watching this because the two male leads are the male leads from Liar Game, my top favorite kdrama ever, and the premise is intriguing.
Unni: I’ll probably wait to see screen shots of this before I invest...but it’s on the maybe list.
~ The K2
Empress: It's all in how it's done, but adventure dramas are usually my thing, and Ji Chang Wook means I'm definitely watching it.
Ambassador: Since the casting news first broke for this, I've eagerly been following its progress. It's Ji Chang Wook, one of my top ten favorite actors ever. There is no question about it, I will most definitely be watching it. I'm actually going to watch it with my mom and sister as it airs. Previously, my mother and I watched Healer together as it aired. This will be my sister's first time watching a JCW currently airing drama.
Unni: You can sign me up! This one just sounds really good! And the fact that JCW is in it...certainly doesn’t hurt at all.
China:
~ Love is More Than a Word
Empress: ...if I wanted to watch a magistrate I'd watch Arang and the Magistrate. XD
Ambassador: Either the synopsis writer needs a lot of help or this drama would bore me to tears.
Unni: *bangs head into wall* No...please...stop.
~ Love 020
Empress: ......Adapted from a novel tends to make me more interested, and guild wars and gaming experts sound somewhat intriguing, but...wow. This synopsis is SO DRAMATIC!!! I just can't take it seriously. I'm really not seeing it in my future. XD
Ambassador: I'm laughing so hard at this synopsis. It sounds cheesy and corny. I'm tempted to check it out because Yang Yang and Zheng Shuang are both great actors who's work I enjoy but I doubt I'll ever make time for it. EDIT: this drama is proving so popular that I'm now curious enough to try it.
Unni: This sounds cute! But with the amount of dramas on my plate and to be honest my major interest is in Korean and Taiwanese, Chinese dramas tend to hurt my ears I have no idea why...just do.
~ My Little Princess
Empress: *grits teeth* Okay, if just a summary puts me on edge, I wouldn't make it through a full drama.
Ambassador: Noooope. Too many misunderstandings and typical rom com craziness to make me watch it.
Unni: UFDA!!! I think I got dizzy from just reading that one!
Hong Kong:
~ Brother's Keeper II
Empress: If it ended with a question other than "How will they handle it?"...I'm just not really biting.
Ambassador: I like Edwin Siu but the plot for this one isn't enough to make me watch it.
Unni: Interesting, but I have dramas I’d rather watch or rewatch, so I’ll skip!
Which September dramas are on your TBW list?
Monday, August 29, 2016
The Moon Peeps Over the Horizon... FINALLY
Ambassador:
I promised a post listing specifically what I'm most excited about in the now airing drama Moon Lovers.
Moon Lovers AKA Scarlet Heart: Ryeo is the Korean remake of the hugely popular Chinese drama Scarlet Heart, adapted from Tong Hua's novel of the same name. Although I haven't technically watched Scarlet Heart all the way through (lots of clips, MVs, read multiple people's recaps of the whole thing, and read the partial fan translation of the novel) it's my favorite Chinese drama- currently tied with Ice Fantasy. It's a gorgeous piece of storytelling and filmmaking. I had been aware sometime early last year or before that that Korea had bought remake rights for the drama but no move was being made on it yet.
So I was over the moon (yes, pun intended) when the project was greenlit for production and casting and filming and then airing this year. Eagerly I followed every single bit of casting news, from the stars who would personify the beloved characters in a different light (LEE JOONGI AND KANG HA NEUL? WERE THE CASTING DIRECTORS READING MY MIND?), to the secondary characters. I sent the Empress and Unni and other friends emails and messages full of news. I stalked news sites. I pounced on every behind-the-scenes picture from the script reading to the wrap party. Every poster. The day the first trailer came out (the long one that was shown to Chinese audiences) was a red letter day for me and my fellow dramaphiles. Every trailer since then I've seen multiple times. Same with the interviews. The press conference. And finally, several hours ago, the first two episodes of this glorious drama aired and I am waiting eagerly for them to be subbed.
So why specifically am I so excited about this drama?
~ The original story is well written and the plot and pacing are excellent.
~ I love harem dramas.
~ I adore reverse harem dramas- they're one of my favorites. To quote the Empress: 'IT'S LIKE...A DOZEN PUPPIES IN LOVE WITH HER...AND TWO TIGERS FIGHTING OVER HER.'
~ Palace dramas are also a huge favorite of mine.
~ I love history and this is about a lesser known time in Korean history. As a someone who is frequently frustrated by the lack of English Language materials on Korean history, this will be gold.
~ Lee Joonki playing the Fourth Prince- it is going to be amazing.
~ Kang Ha Neul playing the Eighth Prince - he's one of my favorite Korean actors and I love that his range of roles is expanding.
~ Hong Jong Hyun playing the scheming Third Prince - HJH can do dark and sinister but still intriguing /very well/. In an interview, cast members described his character as 'someone who doesn't seem real' 'super evil' and 'someone who should be locked up' due to how bad the character is... and I'm eagerly looking forward to it.
~ HAREM POLITICS - queens and empresses and wives head to head. Yesss PLEASE.
~ Nam Joo Hyuk and Ji Soo's bromance
~ Baekhyun playing the rascal prince - and ohhhhh what a hilarious rascal.
~ Yoon Sun Woo's ninth prince - who he described in an interview as 'cunning' and someone else in the same interview described as 'greedy'
~ Z. Hera's warrior noblewoman
~ Seohyun's last princess of one of the Three Kingdoms turned gisaeng
~ Jo Min Ki as Taejo - from what I've been able to learn of Taejo, he was a very smart and cunning manager of people and politics. I'm eager to see this portrayal of him.
~ The aura of the drama from the trailers is exactly my top favorite kind of aura. 100%.
My only quibble? As it stands right now, we're only supposed to get 20 episodes. People. That is not enough. We need at least 24 and 30 would be better.
Empress:
To this most excellent of summaries I have little to add...I have been intrigued by Scarlet Heart ever since I first saw pictures of the drama on tumblr (and was first amazed by the everlasting number of princes apparently involved), but despite later hearing about the Ambassador's interest, it ended up becoming one of many Chinese dramas in my drama queue. A Korean remake definitely piqued my interest, however, and once I saw who was being cast, I knew I was going to watch it. The piece by piece release of information, posters, stills, and trailers served only to absolutely fascinate me. I mean...come on:
- based on a novel (I'm always biased for dramas based on previously written stories...it comes from being a voracious reader.)
- actors involved (Lee Jun Ki dramas tend to go on my immediate to-watch list until I find reason to remove them, and Kang Ha Neul dramas are getting close to that place. Those two alone would make me watch this, let alone the rest of the cast involved.)
- quality of filmography/direction evident in what has been released so far
- sheer number of relationships going to be explored in this drama
I am preemptively in love with the entire drama and fully prepared for my heart to be drama-destroyed, though a part of me insists on hoping that the remake involves some form of happy ending for at least a few more characters than the Chinese version. XD
Our beloved Unni is actually in Asia at the moment, once more teaching English in Taiwan. Should she find time soon to add her thoughts about this drama, this post will be updated.
Are you planning to watch Moon Lovers? Why or why not?
I promised a post listing specifically what I'm most excited about in the now airing drama Moon Lovers.
Moon Lovers AKA Scarlet Heart: Ryeo is the Korean remake of the hugely popular Chinese drama Scarlet Heart, adapted from Tong Hua's novel of the same name. Although I haven't technically watched Scarlet Heart all the way through (lots of clips, MVs, read multiple people's recaps of the whole thing, and read the partial fan translation of the novel) it's my favorite Chinese drama- currently tied with Ice Fantasy. It's a gorgeous piece of storytelling and filmmaking. I had been aware sometime early last year or before that that Korea had bought remake rights for the drama but no move was being made on it yet.
So I was over the moon (yes, pun intended) when the project was greenlit for production and casting and filming and then airing this year. Eagerly I followed every single bit of casting news, from the stars who would personify the beloved characters in a different light (LEE JOONGI AND KANG HA NEUL? WERE THE CASTING DIRECTORS READING MY MIND?), to the secondary characters. I sent the Empress and Unni and other friends emails and messages full of news. I stalked news sites. I pounced on every behind-the-scenes picture from the script reading to the wrap party. Every poster. The day the first trailer came out (the long one that was shown to Chinese audiences) was a red letter day for me and my fellow dramaphiles. Every trailer since then I've seen multiple times. Same with the interviews. The press conference. And finally, several hours ago, the first two episodes of this glorious drama aired and I am waiting eagerly for them to be subbed.
So why specifically am I so excited about this drama?
~ The original story is well written and the plot and pacing are excellent.
~ I love harem dramas.
~ I adore reverse harem dramas- they're one of my favorites. To quote the Empress: 'IT'S LIKE...A DOZEN PUPPIES IN LOVE WITH HER...AND TWO TIGERS FIGHTING OVER HER.'
~ Palace dramas are also a huge favorite of mine.
~ I love history and this is about a lesser known time in Korean history. As a someone who is frequently frustrated by the lack of English Language materials on Korean history, this will be gold.
~ Lee Joonki playing the Fourth Prince- it is going to be amazing.
~ Kang Ha Neul playing the Eighth Prince - he's one of my favorite Korean actors and I love that his range of roles is expanding.
~ Hong Jong Hyun playing the scheming Third Prince - HJH can do dark and sinister but still intriguing /very well/. In an interview, cast members described his character as 'someone who doesn't seem real' 'super evil' and 'someone who should be locked up' due to how bad the character is... and I'm eagerly looking forward to it.
~ HAREM POLITICS - queens and empresses and wives head to head. Yesss PLEASE.
~ Nam Joo Hyuk and Ji Soo's bromance
~ Baekhyun playing the rascal prince - and ohhhhh what a hilarious rascal.
~ Yoon Sun Woo's ninth prince - who he described in an interview as 'cunning' and someone else in the same interview described as 'greedy'
~ Z. Hera's warrior noblewoman
~ Seohyun's last princess of one of the Three Kingdoms turned gisaeng
~ Jo Min Ki as Taejo - from what I've been able to learn of Taejo, he was a very smart and cunning manager of people and politics. I'm eager to see this portrayal of him.
~ The aura of the drama from the trailers is exactly my top favorite kind of aura. 100%.
My only quibble? As it stands right now, we're only supposed to get 20 episodes. People. That is not enough. We need at least 24 and 30 would be better.
Empress:
To this most excellent of summaries I have little to add...I have been intrigued by Scarlet Heart ever since I first saw pictures of the drama on tumblr (and was first amazed by the everlasting number of princes apparently involved), but despite later hearing about the Ambassador's interest, it ended up becoming one of many Chinese dramas in my drama queue. A Korean remake definitely piqued my interest, however, and once I saw who was being cast, I knew I was going to watch it. The piece by piece release of information, posters, stills, and trailers served only to absolutely fascinate me. I mean...come on:
- based on a novel (I'm always biased for dramas based on previously written stories...it comes from being a voracious reader.)
- actors involved (Lee Jun Ki dramas tend to go on my immediate to-watch list until I find reason to remove them, and Kang Ha Neul dramas are getting close to that place. Those two alone would make me watch this, let alone the rest of the cast involved.)
- quality of filmography/direction evident in what has been released so far
- sheer number of relationships going to be explored in this drama
I am preemptively in love with the entire drama and fully prepared for my heart to be drama-destroyed, though a part of me insists on hoping that the remake involves some form of happy ending for at least a few more characters than the Chinese version. XD
Our beloved Unni is actually in Asia at the moment, once more teaching English in Taiwan. Should she find time soon to add her thoughts about this drama, this post will be updated.
Are you planning to watch Moon Lovers? Why or why not?
Thursday, August 18, 2016
WWW ~ August 2016
This is verrry late due to a crazy month, but I couldn't let August go by without one, since there are at least two dramas airing this month that I've been looking forward to for a long time.
Korean:
~ Moonlight Drawn By Clouds
Empress: Oh, yes. Park Bo Gum in a saeguk with Kim Yoo Jung. This has been on my list for a while. XD
Ambassador: The plot sounds HILARIOUS and with Park Bo Gum and Kim Yoo Jung- stars yes I'm watching it.
Unni: I am here. This is EXACTLY the kind of DRAMA I LOVE...and it has Park Bo Gum...um...that is probably all you needed to say................but this sounds like the kind of recipe that makes for a very very very happy late night drama watching me.
~ Laurel Tree Tailors
Empress: LOL It sounds amusing, but not amusing enough.
Ambassador: Not really interested, no. Way too many episodes to even want to try it, not with the dramas I'm currently watching and the ones I'll be starting over the next few weeks, I have no spare time at all.
Unni: Interesting, but not enough to use up my fangirling time, unless it’s like...really good or something.
~ Blow Breeze
Empress: There has to be more of a reason...like saeguk reason...or okay, Ojakyo Brothers Joo Won kind of reason...to watch something that long.
Ambassador: Not likely. Interesting plot but just way too long. There's no way I can't do 40+ episodes right now... even if I wanted to.
Unni: If it wasn’t 40 episodes....I would probably sign myself up for this one
~ Jealousy Incarnate
Empress: LOL naww, thanks. I'm good without watching that...
Ambassador: NO. 24 eps of rom-com with this plot makes me want to find the nearest brick wall to bang my head into. I like Go Kyung Pyo's acting, but he's not enough to make me even take a second look at this.
Unni: *giggles* OH MY GOODNESS!!! This sounds HILARIOUS! Almost funny enough to hook me, but I’d probably spend most of my time wanting to bash their heads in for being idiots, so for the sake of my blood pressure, and idiot barometer, I’ll say no.
~ Our Gab Soon
Empress: Um...an exercise in writing relationships? Yeesh. Not remotely interested...
Ambassador: Well... it sounds like it might have a lot of interesting relationship dynamics? I know many fans are looking forward to the reunion of the 'skinship couple' Song Jae Rim and Kim So Eun from We Got Married, and I agree that would be amusing to watch, but not with 50 episodes of a weekend drama. No can do. *ruthlessly leaves it off 'try' list, too*
Empress: Same.
Unni: Umm..................................................uh........how many ways can I say NO? Just....just no.
~ Cinderella and the Four Knights
Empress: Unrealistic plot line, but...Cousins and a bodyguard and a Cinderella retelling? I'm already hooked. (ANd I've wanted to watch a drama with Jung Il Woo for a long time and just not gotten to it.)
Ambassador: DEFINITELY. It sounds like Boys Over Flowers 2.0- without the epic immediate bromance of the F4 but also without the wide-eyed naivety of Jan Di (hopefully). Furthermore, at least two interesting pieces of trivia tie it to BOF: not only is Jung Il Woo a very good friend of Lee Min Ho's, but Ahn Jae Hyun is married to Ku Hye Sun. I'm definitely watching it.
Unni: *raises hand vigorously* I wanna watch it!!!! *settles down with popcorn* Okay! *prepares to sail away on many ships*
~ Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo
Empress: Ha. HA. NEED YOU EVEN ASK. THIS HAS BEEN ON MY LIST SO LONG...I'VE BEEN INTRIGUED BY THE CHINESE STORY EVEN BEFORE THE AMBASSADOR STARTED TALKING ABOUT IT, AND THEN WHEN I SAW THE KOREAN LINE-UP...YES, I'M WATCHING..
Ambassador: No, I'm not watching this. WHY WOULD I WATCH THIS? I haven't been eagerly pouncing on every fresh scrap of information since they announced that the production had been greenlit (and been wishing for it to be made since before that- when the idea was first thrown around). YES, I'M ABSOLUTELY WATCHING IT. I've been anticipating it so much that I'm going to write a separate post on it, so look for that later this week or next week.
Unni: o.O wow....I know the Ambassador has been talking about this for sometime...but the storyline WOW. I’ll watch it because it sounds really cool in Korean.
Chinese:
~ Weiwei's Beautiful Smile
Empress: Heh, why is this a drama...XD All in the execution, I'm sure, but...eh.
Ambassador: Nah, not even going to think about it, though Zheng Shuang can be fun to watch.
Unni: Interesting plot thought, but no.
~ Hot Girl
Empress: LOL Hot Girl??? Titles these days...It sounds like it could be interesting. Though my list I think is too long at the moment.
Ambassador: This though, does sound great, and with Dilireba Dilmurat, yes, I'm adding it to my list.
Unni: *dies* oh my goodness...this is just about half tempting...but I’ll never end up watching it, so I am going to pass.
~ Men With Sword
Empress: Okay, I was hooked until that last line. Probably a no. I prefer some realism with my epic (Six Flying Dragons...).
Ambassador: Wuxia is hit and miss for me, but the plot is interesting for me to add 3/4 the way down on my insanely long TBW list.
Unni: Okay....that last line was really creepy... *slowly backs away from the drama* it SOUNDED interesting....sounded.
~ My Little Princess
Empress: Reminds me of Boys Over Flowers without the bromance. Which was honestly the only thing I liked about that drama. (The love triangle. Though I realized it was more a matter of liking one character worse and then switching back and forth throughout the drama...)
Ambassador: Not enough time, not enough interest, not enough anything to make me add it to a list.
Unni: CUTE! but no...
~ Mr. Bodyguard
[Sequel to School Beauty's Personal Bodyguard.]
Empress: Haha. Sounds like the girl needs to go to the bodyguard school in the other drama above and learn to protect herself...It's a sequel and I'm definitely not interested enough to watch either of 'em.
Ambassador: Well, it sounds mildly interesting but I likely won't get around to trying it unless I wind up sick in bed for six months and I have no plans of that happening, so no.
Empress: Yeah, please don't do that. The dramas probably won't be worth it.
Unni: *giggles* Well, honestly, I’d like to be a fly on the wall in some K or C or even J-drama school because it would be hilarious...but no.
~ Noble Aspirations
[Also known as Legend of Chusen]
Empress: That leaves me wanting to say, "And?" Is it a revenge drama or a romance...Having never seen a Chinese drama, I'm not sure how they follow/deviate from genre lines...XD I doubt I'm putting it on my list...maybe someday...XD
Ambassador: There has been a lot of buzz around this one for months and I'm curious enough to add it to my list.
Unni: Ouch! This drama just seems like it’s asking for heartbreak, I only have one, so I am keeping it for other things.
Hong Kong:
~ A Fist Within Four Walls
Empress: I am intrigued. It makes me think of a Western, set on the opposite side of the world in a totally different culture. Also, after Time Between Dog and Wolf, I have a soft spot for characters finding out they're being mentored by/trusting/loving somebody on the opposite side....That said, I don't know how Hong Kong does dramas, and with restraint this could be fascinating...without it could be super violent and sleazy and entirely uninteresting. I might wait to see what reviews say about it, if I can find them.
Ambassador: It sounds really interesting. Normally Hong Kong dramas don't hold my attention but this one sounds like it would. *adds it to list*
Unni: OUCH! I like the premises, it sounds intriguing! I’ll have to wait and look into it, or ask these two what they think once they watch it.
Which of these dramas will YOU be watching?
Korean:
~ Moonlight Drawn By Clouds
Empress: Oh, yes. Park Bo Gum in a saeguk with Kim Yoo Jung. This has been on my list for a while. XD
Ambassador: The plot sounds HILARIOUS and with Park Bo Gum and Kim Yoo Jung- stars yes I'm watching it.
Unni: I am here. This is EXACTLY the kind of DRAMA I LOVE...and it has Park Bo Gum...um...that is probably all you needed to say................but this sounds like the kind of recipe that makes for a very very very happy late night drama watching me.
~ Laurel Tree Tailors
Empress: LOL It sounds amusing, but not amusing enough.
Ambassador: Not really interested, no. Way too many episodes to even want to try it, not with the dramas I'm currently watching and the ones I'll be starting over the next few weeks, I have no spare time at all.
Unni: Interesting, but not enough to use up my fangirling time, unless it’s like...really good or something.
~ Blow Breeze
Empress: There has to be more of a reason...like saeguk reason...or okay, Ojakyo Brothers Joo Won kind of reason...to watch something that long.
Ambassador: Not likely. Interesting plot but just way too long. There's no way I can't do 40+ episodes right now... even if I wanted to.
Unni: If it wasn’t 40 episodes....I would probably sign myself up for this one
~ Jealousy Incarnate
Empress: LOL naww, thanks. I'm good without watching that...
Ambassador: NO. 24 eps of rom-com with this plot makes me want to find the nearest brick wall to bang my head into. I like Go Kyung Pyo's acting, but he's not enough to make me even take a second look at this.
Unni: *giggles* OH MY GOODNESS!!! This sounds HILARIOUS! Almost funny enough to hook me, but I’d probably spend most of my time wanting to bash their heads in for being idiots, so for the sake of my blood pressure, and idiot barometer, I’ll say no.
~ Our Gab Soon
Empress: Um...an exercise in writing relationships? Yeesh. Not remotely interested...
Ambassador: Well... it sounds like it might have a lot of interesting relationship dynamics? I know many fans are looking forward to the reunion of the 'skinship couple' Song Jae Rim and Kim So Eun from We Got Married, and I agree that would be amusing to watch, but not with 50 episodes of a weekend drama. No can do. *ruthlessly leaves it off 'try' list, too*
Empress: Same.
Unni: Umm..................................................uh........how many ways can I say NO? Just....just no.
~ Cinderella and the Four Knights
Empress: Unrealistic plot line, but...Cousins and a bodyguard and a Cinderella retelling? I'm already hooked. (ANd I've wanted to watch a drama with Jung Il Woo for a long time and just not gotten to it.)
Ambassador: DEFINITELY. It sounds like Boys Over Flowers 2.0- without the epic immediate bromance of the F4 but also without the wide-eyed naivety of Jan Di (hopefully). Furthermore, at least two interesting pieces of trivia tie it to BOF: not only is Jung Il Woo a very good friend of Lee Min Ho's, but Ahn Jae Hyun is married to Ku Hye Sun. I'm definitely watching it.
Unni: *raises hand vigorously* I wanna watch it!!!! *settles down with popcorn* Okay! *prepares to sail away on many ships*
~ Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo
Empress: Ha. HA. NEED YOU EVEN ASK. THIS HAS BEEN ON MY LIST SO LONG...I'VE BEEN INTRIGUED BY THE CHINESE STORY EVEN BEFORE THE AMBASSADOR STARTED TALKING ABOUT IT, AND THEN WHEN I SAW THE KOREAN LINE-UP...YES, I'M WATCHING..
Ambassador: No, I'm not watching this. WHY WOULD I WATCH THIS? I haven't been eagerly pouncing on every fresh scrap of information since they announced that the production had been greenlit (and been wishing for it to be made since before that- when the idea was first thrown around). YES, I'M ABSOLUTELY WATCHING IT. I've been anticipating it so much that I'm going to write a separate post on it, so look for that later this week or next week.
Unni: o.O wow....I know the Ambassador has been talking about this for sometime...but the storyline WOW. I’ll watch it because it sounds really cool in Korean.
Chinese:
~ Weiwei's Beautiful Smile
Empress: Heh, why is this a drama...XD All in the execution, I'm sure, but...eh.
Ambassador: Nah, not even going to think about it, though Zheng Shuang can be fun to watch.
Unni: Interesting plot thought, but no.
~ Hot Girl
Empress: LOL Hot Girl??? Titles these days...It sounds like it could be interesting. Though my list I think is too long at the moment.
Ambassador: This though, does sound great, and with Dilireba Dilmurat, yes, I'm adding it to my list.
Unni: *dies* oh my goodness...this is just about half tempting...but I’ll never end up watching it, so I am going to pass.
~ Men With Sword
Empress: Okay, I was hooked until that last line. Probably a no. I prefer some realism with my epic (Six Flying Dragons...).
Ambassador: Wuxia is hit and miss for me, but the plot is interesting for me to add 3/4 the way down on my insanely long TBW list.
Unni: Okay....that last line was really creepy... *slowly backs away from the drama* it SOUNDED interesting....sounded.
~ My Little Princess
Empress: Reminds me of Boys Over Flowers without the bromance. Which was honestly the only thing I liked about that drama. (The love triangle. Though I realized it was more a matter of liking one character worse and then switching back and forth throughout the drama...)
Ambassador: Not enough time, not enough interest, not enough anything to make me add it to a list.
Unni: CUTE! but no...
~ Mr. Bodyguard
[Sequel to School Beauty's Personal Bodyguard.]
Empress: Haha. Sounds like the girl needs to go to the bodyguard school in the other drama above and learn to protect herself...It's a sequel and I'm definitely not interested enough to watch either of 'em.
Ambassador: Well, it sounds mildly interesting but I likely won't get around to trying it unless I wind up sick in bed for six months and I have no plans of that happening, so no.
Empress: Yeah, please don't do that. The dramas probably won't be worth it.
Unni: *giggles* Well, honestly, I’d like to be a fly on the wall in some K or C or even J-drama school because it would be hilarious...but no.
~ Noble Aspirations
[Also known as Legend of Chusen]
Empress: That leaves me wanting to say, "And?" Is it a revenge drama or a romance...Having never seen a Chinese drama, I'm not sure how they follow/deviate from genre lines...XD I doubt I'm putting it on my list...maybe someday...XD
Ambassador: There has been a lot of buzz around this one for months and I'm curious enough to add it to my list.
Unni: Ouch! This drama just seems like it’s asking for heartbreak, I only have one, so I am keeping it for other things.
Hong Kong:
~ A Fist Within Four Walls
Empress: I am intrigued. It makes me think of a Western, set on the opposite side of the world in a totally different culture. Also, after Time Between Dog and Wolf, I have a soft spot for characters finding out they're being mentored by/trusting/loving somebody on the opposite side....That said, I don't know how Hong Kong does dramas, and with restraint this could be fascinating...without it could be super violent and sleazy and entirely uninteresting. I might wait to see what reviews say about it, if I can find them.
Ambassador: It sounds really interesting. Normally Hong Kong dramas don't hold my attention but this one sounds like it would. *adds it to list*
Unni: OUCH! I like the premises, it sounds intriguing! I’ll have to wait and look into it, or ask these two what they think once they watch it.
Which of these dramas will YOU be watching?
Thursday, July 28, 2016
WWW ~ July 2016 Part Two: Japan
Welcome back for the very belated Part Two of July's WWW! Today we give our reactions to Japan's summer drama list.
Empress: graaaaaaavy train Japan is having a drama fit. Do they have enough tv stations to air all these????
Ambassador: To me, Japan is an odd mix of 'HOW BORING, who is going to find that interesting' and 'whooooa YES PLEASE'.
~ Inheritance Lawyer Shinichi Kakizaki
Empress: If there was an actor or actress involved who interested me....yes. As is...*shrugs*
Ambassador: It sounds pretty interesting... but not interesting enough to tempt my ridiculously loaded list.
Unni: Is it bad that I am bored just reading this?
~ Death Cash
Empress: Death Note is higher on my list, and this title feels like a knock off....though it's intriguing in a creepy sort of way.
Ambassador: I've heard this is another drama that's likely to be more horror than suspense- which means NO. But if reviews prove interesting and un-horror like, then yes, I'll check it out, because it sounds fascinating.
Unni: o.O What a terrible gift.... *runs away and hides under rock*
~ A Girl and Three Sweethearts
Empress: .......and all 3 of them are in love with her? That's a little weird...
Ambassador: Reverse harem is one of the few plot lines that will entice me to watch rom com so yes, I'm definitely checking this one out.
Unni: *giggles* it does sound interesting...I might...though it would be my first Japanese drama if I did.
~ The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Empress: "Hypnotizes those around him and lives as a high school student."??? Okay, so I'm curious. But honestly, I feel like if you had a drug that enabled time leaps, the /last/ thing you'd want to do would be to loose it. Like c'mon, dude. It's hard to live that down. Going on my list....XD
Ambassador: YES. I love time travel and even the rom com elements aren't enough to scare me off.
Unni: Oh! This one has my interest on several levels.
~ Hajimemashite, Aishite Imasu
Empress: ....semi-disturbing....
Ambassador: It could be cute but the synopsis isn't enough to hold my interest.
Unni: This sounds like heart break waiting to happen.
~ Juken No Cinderella
Empress: "Recently, he drinks a lot and his life falls apart." Don't drink, kids. Not terribly intrigued...
Ambassador: This could be a really good drama. *adds it to middle portion of list*
Unni: Hmmm interesting, but I have so many interesting dramas.
~ Kami no Shita wo Motsu Otoko
Empress: ....I could write summaries more interesting than this...
Ambassador: Nah, not my type.
Unni: This sounds disastrous.
~ Keiji 7 Nin
Empress: okay, that sounds kind of intriguing (Future Crime Prediction Centre???) but my drama list is too long...
Ambassador: I saw somewhere that this one might go more to the horror side, in which case I'm out, but otherwise it interest me enough to check it out.
Unni: Not my type of drama I guess.
~ On
Empress: Also kind of intriguing...hmmm...
Ambassador: Hmm, crime drama with a psychological twist AND Kaname Jun. Sign me up!
Unni: This almost sounds like Castle....
~ Seisei Suruhodo, Aishiteru
Empress: Noooooope. Nope.
Ambassador: .... no. I like complicated relationship dramas but not like this.
Unni: PLAYING WITH FIRE!!!! Nope.
~ Your Home is My Business
Empress: Okay, that's kind of an interesting angle. Like all the crime shows where people always catch the criminal...only selling real estate. I'm a little intrigued. XD
Ambassador: Keiko Kitagawa will probably kill in this role and the plot sounds intriguing but it'll will go at the bottom of my list because of that bane of drama watching existence: TIME.
Unni: This sounds amusing, if I had the time I’d put this onto a list.
~ Aogeba Toutoshi
Empress: Not in the mood at the moment. Even though I like K-dramas centered on music, and haven't tried a J-drama like that yet...
Ambassador: This sounds cute and poignant and being based on two nonfiction novels certainly raises my interest level as well as the presence of Mikako Tabe. I'll probably check it out.
Unni: Cute idea, and it’s great just...time...
~ Hope
[Japanese remake of the Korean Misaeng.]
Empress: I was gonna say That sounds like Misaeng. And no...because I kind of loved Misaeng, and if I wanted to watch it again, I'd watch it again. Maybe after that I'd watch the Japanese version. XD (Okay, okay, I'm probably putting it on my list.)
Ambassador: I started the Korean drama version of this but it's on hiatus for me. I'd like to see this at some point, after I finish the Korean version.
Unni: Aw... poor kid...but idiots annoy me. Depends on how this one all goes down...too much idiot not a good thing.
~ Eigyo Bucho Kira Natsuki
Empress: I like all these dramas about 40-year-olds, because I'll be sure to have something to watch when I'm that old that won't make me feel ancient. But I think I'll save them until then. XD
Ambassador: Nooo. I wish her the best but this does not interest me one iota.
Unni: Ugh, rubbish.
~ Kibogaoka no Hitobito
Empress: Marriage Contract was enough of a painful story to last me for a while...
Ambassador: This could be really sweet, poignant and deep. I'd like to check it out but I'll probably wait for reviews and see how the general public liked it.
Unni: Interesting, but....I have so many others I want to watch...
~ Koe Koi
Empress: LOL Super dramatic and quirky. Probably not. It kind of sounds like the ones I 'accidentally' start watching, and end up liking, though.
Ambassador: ...NO. With mangas turned into dramas, I usually have one of two reactions: 'that's brilliant' or 'that sounds mind numbing' and this synopsis induced the latter reaction in me so it won't be going on my list.
Unni: What???? Just WHAT? No thank you.
~ Lost ID
Empress: That would depend completely on its execution, but I am somewhat intrigued.
Ambassador: MOST DEFINITELY YES. Tatsuya Fujiwara facing off against Tetsuji Tamayama- I have to watch this.
Unni: This sounds really interesting, and if I get into Japanese dramas I’d probably watch this.
~ Onnatachi no Tokusou Saizensen
Empress: So many police dramas! Wow. This one sounds kind of fun...though police dramas are not my favorite and I'm already watching Police Unit 38. And there's a lot of police in Wanted. So I might be police-d out at the moment.
Ambassador: This is unique and sounds like it would be a ton of fun. I'll be watching it.
Unni: This sounds cute! Sadly time, unless I start watching dramas as a full time job.
~ Gu Ra Me
Empress: Eh..........
Ambassador: This one sounds pretty interesting, actually. Especially if they mix any politics with the cooking. *sneaks it onto the bottom of the list*
Unni: Cooking always interests me, however, I usually EAT my way through food dramas, so I should stay away from this one....maybe?
~ Yassan
Empress: This actually sounds slightly more interesting to me than the last one, but...probably not interesting enough... :)
Ambassador: It would probably have lots of culturally interesting details but I have not the time for it. My list rises in waves around me. No.
Unni: Why so many dramas! Nope.
~ Furenaba Ochin
Empress: O.o ......no thanks...that kinda serves the husband right, but...
Ambassador: ....NO. Though serves the husband right.
Empress: *laughing at both of our reactions to this* XD
Ambassador: *HOWLS* I hadn't read your reactions yet when I wrote mine... ohmygosh us.
Unni: ....UGH UGH UGH.... *pushes away*
~ Suizokukan Girl
Empress: :| I don't feel like it this month...
Ambassador: So happy for her but nooo.
Unni: THIS SOUNDS SO CUTE!!!!!!! What a fun job change...but I don’t think so...
Empress: graaaaaaavy train Japan is having a drama fit. Do they have enough tv stations to air all these????
Ambassador: To me, Japan is an odd mix of 'HOW BORING, who is going to find that interesting' and 'whooooa YES PLEASE'.
~ Inheritance Lawyer Shinichi Kakizaki
Empress: If there was an actor or actress involved who interested me....yes. As is...*shrugs*
Ambassador: It sounds pretty interesting... but not interesting enough to tempt my ridiculously loaded list.
Unni: Is it bad that I am bored just reading this?
~ Death Cash
Empress: Death Note is higher on my list, and this title feels like a knock off....though it's intriguing in a creepy sort of way.
Ambassador: I've heard this is another drama that's likely to be more horror than suspense- which means NO. But if reviews prove interesting and un-horror like, then yes, I'll check it out, because it sounds fascinating.
Unni: o.O What a terrible gift.... *runs away and hides under rock*
~ A Girl and Three Sweethearts
Empress: .......and all 3 of them are in love with her? That's a little weird...
Ambassador: Reverse harem is one of the few plot lines that will entice me to watch rom com so yes, I'm definitely checking this one out.
Unni: *giggles* it does sound interesting...I might...though it would be my first Japanese drama if I did.
~ The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Empress: "Hypnotizes those around him and lives as a high school student."??? Okay, so I'm curious. But honestly, I feel like if you had a drug that enabled time leaps, the /last/ thing you'd want to do would be to loose it. Like c'mon, dude. It's hard to live that down. Going on my list....XD
Ambassador: YES. I love time travel and even the rom com elements aren't enough to scare me off.
Unni: Oh! This one has my interest on several levels.
~ Hajimemashite, Aishite Imasu
Empress: ....semi-disturbing....
Ambassador: It could be cute but the synopsis isn't enough to hold my interest.
Unni: This sounds like heart break waiting to happen.
~ Juken No Cinderella
Empress: "Recently, he drinks a lot and his life falls apart." Don't drink, kids. Not terribly intrigued...
Ambassador: This could be a really good drama. *adds it to middle portion of list*
Unni: Hmmm interesting, but I have so many interesting dramas.
~ Kami no Shita wo Motsu Otoko
Empress: ....I could write summaries more interesting than this...
Ambassador: Nah, not my type.
Unni: This sounds disastrous.
~ Keiji 7 Nin
Empress: okay, that sounds kind of intriguing (Future Crime Prediction Centre???) but my drama list is too long...
Ambassador: I saw somewhere that this one might go more to the horror side, in which case I'm out, but otherwise it interest me enough to check it out.
Unni: Not my type of drama I guess.
~ On
Empress: Also kind of intriguing...hmmm...
Ambassador: Hmm, crime drama with a psychological twist AND Kaname Jun. Sign me up!
Unni: This almost sounds like Castle....
~ Seisei Suruhodo, Aishiteru
Empress: Noooooope. Nope.
Ambassador: .... no. I like complicated relationship dramas but not like this.
Unni: PLAYING WITH FIRE!!!! Nope.
~ Your Home is My Business
Empress: Okay, that's kind of an interesting angle. Like all the crime shows where people always catch the criminal...only selling real estate. I'm a little intrigued. XD
Ambassador: Keiko Kitagawa will probably kill in this role and the plot sounds intriguing but it'll will go at the bottom of my list because of that bane of drama watching existence: TIME.
Unni: This sounds amusing, if I had the time I’d put this onto a list.
~ Aogeba Toutoshi
Empress: Not in the mood at the moment. Even though I like K-dramas centered on music, and haven't tried a J-drama like that yet...
Ambassador: This sounds cute and poignant and being based on two nonfiction novels certainly raises my interest level as well as the presence of Mikako Tabe. I'll probably check it out.
Unni: Cute idea, and it’s great just...time...
~ Hope
[Japanese remake of the Korean Misaeng.]
Empress: I was gonna say That sounds like Misaeng. And no...because I kind of loved Misaeng, and if I wanted to watch it again, I'd watch it again. Maybe after that I'd watch the Japanese version. XD (Okay, okay, I'm probably putting it on my list.)
Ambassador: I started the Korean drama version of this but it's on hiatus for me. I'd like to see this at some point, after I finish the Korean version.
Unni: Aw... poor kid...but idiots annoy me. Depends on how this one all goes down...too much idiot not a good thing.
~ Eigyo Bucho Kira Natsuki
Empress: I like all these dramas about 40-year-olds, because I'll be sure to have something to watch when I'm that old that won't make me feel ancient. But I think I'll save them until then. XD
Ambassador: Nooo. I wish her the best but this does not interest me one iota.
Unni: Ugh, rubbish.
~ Kibogaoka no Hitobito
Empress: Marriage Contract was enough of a painful story to last me for a while...
Ambassador: This could be really sweet, poignant and deep. I'd like to check it out but I'll probably wait for reviews and see how the general public liked it.
Unni: Interesting, but....I have so many others I want to watch...
~ Koe Koi
Empress: LOL Super dramatic and quirky. Probably not. It kind of sounds like the ones I 'accidentally' start watching, and end up liking, though.
Ambassador: ...NO. With mangas turned into dramas, I usually have one of two reactions: 'that's brilliant' or 'that sounds mind numbing' and this synopsis induced the latter reaction in me so it won't be going on my list.
Unni: What???? Just WHAT? No thank you.
~ Lost ID
Empress: That would depend completely on its execution, but I am somewhat intrigued.
Ambassador: MOST DEFINITELY YES. Tatsuya Fujiwara facing off against Tetsuji Tamayama- I have to watch this.
Unni: This sounds really interesting, and if I get into Japanese dramas I’d probably watch this.
~ Onnatachi no Tokusou Saizensen
Empress: So many police dramas! Wow. This one sounds kind of fun...though police dramas are not my favorite and I'm already watching Police Unit 38. And there's a lot of police in Wanted. So I might be police-d out at the moment.
Ambassador: This is unique and sounds like it would be a ton of fun. I'll be watching it.
Unni: This sounds cute! Sadly time, unless I start watching dramas as a full time job.
~ Gu Ra Me
Empress: Eh..........
Ambassador: This one sounds pretty interesting, actually. Especially if they mix any politics with the cooking. *sneaks it onto the bottom of the list*
Unni: Cooking always interests me, however, I usually EAT my way through food dramas, so I should stay away from this one....maybe?
~ Yassan
Empress: This actually sounds slightly more interesting to me than the last one, but...probably not interesting enough... :)
Ambassador: It would probably have lots of culturally interesting details but I have not the time for it. My list rises in waves around me. No.
Unni: Why so many dramas! Nope.
~ Furenaba Ochin
Empress: O.o ......no thanks...that kinda serves the husband right, but...
Ambassador: ....NO. Though serves the husband right.
Empress: *laughing at both of our reactions to this* XD
Ambassador: *HOWLS* I hadn't read your reactions yet when I wrote mine... ohmygosh us.
Unni: ....UGH UGH UGH.... *pushes away*
~ Suizokukan Girl
Empress: :| I don't feel like it this month...
Ambassador: So happy for her but nooo.
Unni: THIS SOUNDS SO CUTE!!!!!!! What a fun job change...but I don’t think so...
Monday, July 18, 2016
WWW ~ July 2016 Edition Part One: SK, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong
Put your feet up and settle in for the first part of our monthly dose of 'I NEED THAT DRAMA BUT I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR IT, WHY ARE THERE SO MANY DRAMAS', 'booooring', 'could be interesting', 'no time for lame' and 'I'M STAYING THE BLAZES AWAY FROM THAT ONE'.
Korean Dramas:
~ Uncontrollably Fond
Empress: The title just...that's odd, man. Kim Woo-Bin and Suzy do make me curious...it might depend on what kind of reviews it gets.
Ambassador: Sounds kind of boring based on the synopsis but there has been a LOT of buzz around it AND it's KWB, so I'll probably watch it at some point.
Unni: I am not sure how I feel about this one. I don’t like the sound of the premises...but I am curious about it...so I probably won’t unless I am really bored and it has great reviews.
Ambassador: 'I can't control how fond I am of you' IS kind of an odd vibe to give people right off. Keep the pepper spray handy, dude or lady- whichever one of you isn't feeling the fondness... unless you both are. o.O
~ W
Empress: Yeahhhhh, so shifting realities, comic book perfect hero, and Lee Jong-Suk - this is actually enough to make me overcome my anti-medical drama stance. {Okay, so DOTS might have had something to do with that.} But I'm definitely starting this one.
Ambassador: {*cheers for DOTS*} YES, because it's Lee Jong Suk and an interesting premise.
Unni: This arouses my curiosity. I might have to investigate.
~ Second to Last Love
Empress: mehhhhhhhhhhhhhh....I can watch this when I'm 40 and still single.
Ambassador: *snickers* When you're 40 and still single, you'll be too busy catching up on your backlog of dramas to have time for this even then. Ji Jin Hee makes watching this quite tempting for me but I really don't have the time and the premise isn't interesting enough to me... but that is subject to change if it garners good reviews.
Unni: *giggles* Puts this on the waiting list for about another fifteen years away.
~ The Good Wife
Empress: It being a remake of an American show makes me wary...having never seen that particular show even more wary...again, will depend on reviews.
Ambassador: Not likely. Because it's a Korean remake, it will hopefully be more to my taste than the American version sounds like it would be, but even for Yoo Ji Tae it's not interest enough to put on my list.
Unni: UGH!!!! *throws stones* okay...I might barely be interested simply because I’ve watched a little of the good wife until it went SOUTH...but now that has gone to South Korea....it might be more interesting.
~ Let’s Fight Ghost
Empress: *snerk* if I was into ghost stories this might be one I'd pick, but no. Have you seen my list? It rises in high waves just beyond mine.
Ambassador: It sounds interesting but not enough to induce me to make room on my overcrowded list, even though Kim Sang-Ho will be a hoot.
Unni: O.o Okay the title is amusing the premises is too....but I am not into ghost stories so paaaaassssss.
~ Age of Youth
Empress: I'm not biting. {Though what on earth kind of description is 'timid with unique taste in men'? Yi-Na's description is basically 'DUH'....and I am clearly Jin-Myung.}
Ambassador: I.. don't... know, but timid with unique taste in men sounds like a recipe for big trouble. It sounds like something that would put me to sleep. I'll save my time for something else.
Unni: *shoves plate away* I don’t want a taste of this one.
~ After the Show Ends
Empress: Kinda curious just because of the format. I do not watch variety shows...this is a weird blend that does have me curious....maybe????
Ambassador: Yes, at some point, because I'm curious how they'll do this and how good the writing/storytelling will be.
Unni: Interesting....but I don’t have the time.
China:
Ambassador: China's got some great dramas coming up, INCLUDING THE ONE I'VE BEEN WAITING MONTHS AND MONTHS FOR AND WAS ONE OF MY TOP THREE ANTICIPATED DRAMAS OF 2016- ALONGSIDE MOON LOVERS AND DOTS.... ICE FANTASY.
Empress: SO MANY DRAMAS.
~ The Mystic Nine
Empress: The 9 grave robbing families in the 1940s???? Probably not, though it sounds...kind of Indiana Jones...
Ambassador: Yes, definitely. Besides the plot, Lay and William Chan are in it, and I'm looking forward to both.
Unni: Interesting but not my type of drama.
~ So Young
Empress: Good for her. I don't know that I want to watch her make poor ones, though. {Clearly I have already grown into a woman who can make better choices.}
Ambassador: No. Sounds very boring and I have far too little time for boring.
Empress: Yeahhhh, exactly.
Ambassador: Make it interesting or stay away. :D
Unni: *giggles* well, this sounds like a disaster.
~ Novoland: The Castle in the Sky
Empress: That sounds complicated...possibly more intriguing as a book than as a drama...hmm...
Ambassador: This sounds mildly interesting but not enough to make me add it to my list.
Unni: o.O okay, interesting but not my cup of tea
~ Ice Fantasy
Empress: XD Hmm, I wonder...
Ambassador: THERE IS NO QUESTION ABOUT THIS DRAMA BEING AT THE TOP OF MY LIST. I have the airdate bookmarked. I've followed it from the very beginning- through casting news and filming news and post production and trailers. It's one of my most anticipated dramas of 2016 and I. CANNOT. WAIT.
Unni: I’ll probably tag along for the ride.
~ Tornado Girl
Empress: I like the title. XD It probably won't go on my list though. My list might animate and strangle me.
Ambassador: Yes, but pretty much solely for Ji Chang Wook because he's a great actor and I think he'll do great in a modern wuxia like this.
Unni: I don’t have the time, but it seems interesting.
Empress: Having been reminded yesterday of how much I tend to enjoy JCW's dramas, this one might actually end up on my list. Though I read it's a sequel...I probably won't watch the first one.
Ambassador: The nice thing about most Chinese dramas is that even when they are sequels, you can usually watch them on their own just fine and not have to watch the preceding drama.
~ Remembering Lichuan
Empress: Okay, I like the Chinese-Swedish combination...it sounds like a melodrama, though, and I'm not really in the mood for that.
Ambassador: The plot sounds boring to me (I just don't watch rom-coms or romance dramas period) though I'm curious to see Godfrey in a Chinese drama. Still, I'll wait and keep my eye out for him in a historical, because he's not nearly enough to make me want to watch this, nor is Joan Chen in a secondary or minor role.
Unni: Interesting, I am not biting...
~ Rookie Agent Rouge
Empress: I actually want to learn more about this time period...history totally counts as a valid reason to put a drama on a list, right?
Ambassador: YES. This plot sounds GREAT and it's right up my alley as far as genre.
Unni: Okay, this sounds interesting, but I am not sure if I have the time to dedicate to it.
~ Stay with Me
Empress: I've seen similar stories and enjoyed them...but not enough to watch another version.
Ambassador: I think this drama would give me a headache. Romance dramas are great but I'm more than happy to leave them to the Unni. :D
Unni: Interesting, another twist on amnesia, it’s interesting but I still have so many others I’d rather watch
~ Edge of Happiness
Empress: I like that last line...but...
Ambassador: William Chan and Ma Tianyu are actually enough of a killer combo to make me watch this. I suspect their dynamic is going to be terrific, and this is going on my list, though it'll be a while before I get to it.
Unni: Sounds cute! But I have too much to watch...unless I am looking for something sweet and slow.
~ Beauty's Private Kitchen
Ambassador: [This was filmed in 2013, and is apparently only airing now. China and their drama airdates. *shrug*]
Empress: [Seriously...] Okay, that intrigues me. Kind of a lot. *adds to list when list isn't looking*
Ambassador: YES. Plot + Ma Tianyu + Zheng Shuang. The element of having her be a chef is unique and should be fun.
Unni: China????? You have issues but this sound really interesting, this is just interesting enough to put on the watch list.
~ Demon Girl
Empress: Not into demon stories...I see where this one could be intriguing, but...
Ambassador: I don't really like demon stories- it's hard to find one I like or agree with- and while this one has interesting elements, I don't think I'll be adding it to my overflowing list.
Unni: *slowly backs away* okay I am not touching this one.
~ Perfect Wedding
Empress: romaaaaaaance....*shrug*
Ambassador: ...no. I watched a Bollywood movie with elements of this plot, that was hilarious, but in a cdrama rom com, it's just not enough to interest me.
Unni: *giggles* CUTE! But no...we all know they are going to end up together already.
~ Decoded
Empress: okay, kinda intrigued...[WHY IS IT SO LONG??? I LIKE HOW IT LOOKS.]
Ambassador: This one, on the other hand, sounds FASCINATING and is assuredly going on my list.
Unni: Math...I WANT TO RUN AWAY FROM MATH!!! NO MATH!!! KILL MATH!!!! NO MATH....I guess I am not watching this drama.
~ Sparrow
Empress: Points for being made of a novel, points for secret agent, points for Revolutionary Shanghai...SO MANY POINTS TAKEN AWAY FOR LENGTH. Still enough points to add...even though I might not get to it for 40 years...
Ambassador: I love spy dramas, I love rebel/revolution dramas, I love war dramas. All of that, plus the plot of this one means it's going on my list.
Unni: Cool but skipping...
~ The Fox Fairy Court
Empress: This is very different fox fairy than I've learned of from Korean stories... :)
Ambassador: It sounds very interesting, but I really don't have time for it right now. I'll add it to my list for a future date though- that mythical future day when I'm caught up on dramas. Hah.
Unni: This sounds hilarious! But fantasy and China are two things I’ve been scared into staying away from...
~ Angel Wings
Empress: I like the title, though it doesn't quite make sense...
Ambassador: ...no. Doesn't interest me in the slightest.
Unni: Interesting, but I am not going to dedicate time.
Taiwan:
~ Prince of Wolf
Empress: O.o I am super curious about a Taiwanese Jungle Boy...
Ambassador: YES. This one sounds terrific and I'm looking forward to how they handle the wolf element.
Unni: Yeah! Okay....going to Taiwan this one might make life interesting but I am not entirely sold.
~ Go Ho’s Starry Night
Empress: XD Bully for him. Me too, which probably means I shouldn't add too many dramas to my list.
Ambassador: *eye roll* More romance. No. Not for me.
Unni: *giggles* Well GO FOR IT...but I won’t watch it.
~ KO One Re-member
Empress: Not likely to watch a 4th installment without having watched the first 3. :)
Ambassador: This one does sound fun. School dramas are enjoyable when done right, so I'll give this one a shot.
Unni: *cracks up over Little Apple* *breaks into song* Okay, now that I am fully amused, nope I won’t be watching this one
Hong Kong:
~ Between Love and desire
Empress: Somewhat interested how Hong Kong will make a story like this turn out, but...nah.
Ambassador: Maggie Shiu is not enough to induce me to add this to my list.
Unni: UGH MORE TONES THAN I CAN HANDLE...nope thank you but no.
Stay tuned for Part two: Japan's Summer Dramas!
Korean Dramas:
~ Uncontrollably Fond
Empress: The title just...that's odd, man. Kim Woo-Bin and Suzy do make me curious...it might depend on what kind of reviews it gets.
Ambassador: Sounds kind of boring based on the synopsis but there has been a LOT of buzz around it AND it's KWB, so I'll probably watch it at some point.
Unni: I am not sure how I feel about this one. I don’t like the sound of the premises...but I am curious about it...so I probably won’t unless I am really bored and it has great reviews.
Ambassador: 'I can't control how fond I am of you' IS kind of an odd vibe to give people right off. Keep the pepper spray handy, dude or lady- whichever one of you isn't feeling the fondness... unless you both are. o.O
~ W
Empress: Yeahhhhh, so shifting realities, comic book perfect hero, and Lee Jong-Suk - this is actually enough to make me overcome my anti-medical drama stance. {Okay, so DOTS might have had something to do with that.} But I'm definitely starting this one.
Ambassador: {*cheers for DOTS*} YES, because it's Lee Jong Suk and an interesting premise.
Unni: This arouses my curiosity. I might have to investigate.
~ Second to Last Love
Empress: mehhhhhhhhhhhhhh....I can watch this when I'm 40 and still single.
Ambassador: *snickers* When you're 40 and still single, you'll be too busy catching up on your backlog of dramas to have time for this even then. Ji Jin Hee makes watching this quite tempting for me but I really don't have the time and the premise isn't interesting enough to me... but that is subject to change if it garners good reviews.
Unni: *giggles* Puts this on the waiting list for about another fifteen years away.
~ The Good Wife
Empress: It being a remake of an American show makes me wary...having never seen that particular show even more wary...again, will depend on reviews.
Ambassador: Not likely. Because it's a Korean remake, it will hopefully be more to my taste than the American version sounds like it would be, but even for Yoo Ji Tae it's not interest enough to put on my list.
Unni: UGH!!!! *throws stones* okay...I might barely be interested simply because I’ve watched a little of the good wife until it went SOUTH...but now that has gone to South Korea....it might be more interesting.
~ Let’s Fight Ghost
Empress: *snerk* if I was into ghost stories this might be one I'd pick, but no. Have you seen my list? It rises in high waves just beyond mine.
Ambassador: It sounds interesting but not enough to induce me to make room on my overcrowded list, even though Kim Sang-Ho will be a hoot.
Unni: O.o Okay the title is amusing the premises is too....but I am not into ghost stories so paaaaassssss.
~ Age of Youth
Empress: I'm not biting. {Though what on earth kind of description is 'timid with unique taste in men'? Yi-Na's description is basically 'DUH'....and I am clearly Jin-Myung.}
Ambassador: I.. don't... know, but timid with unique taste in men sounds like a recipe for big trouble. It sounds like something that would put me to sleep. I'll save my time for something else.
Unni: *shoves plate away* I don’t want a taste of this one.
~ After the Show Ends
Empress: Kinda curious just because of the format. I do not watch variety shows...this is a weird blend that does have me curious....maybe????
Ambassador: Yes, at some point, because I'm curious how they'll do this and how good the writing/storytelling will be.
Unni: Interesting....but I don’t have the time.
China:
Ambassador: China's got some great dramas coming up, INCLUDING THE ONE I'VE BEEN WAITING MONTHS AND MONTHS FOR AND WAS ONE OF MY TOP THREE ANTICIPATED DRAMAS OF 2016- ALONGSIDE MOON LOVERS AND DOTS.... ICE FANTASY.
Empress: SO MANY DRAMAS.
~ The Mystic Nine
Empress: The 9 grave robbing families in the 1940s???? Probably not, though it sounds...kind of Indiana Jones...
Ambassador: Yes, definitely. Besides the plot, Lay and William Chan are in it, and I'm looking forward to both.
Unni: Interesting but not my type of drama.
~ So Young
Empress: Good for her. I don't know that I want to watch her make poor ones, though. {Clearly I have already grown into a woman who can make better choices.}
Ambassador: No. Sounds very boring and I have far too little time for boring.
Empress: Yeahhhh, exactly.
Ambassador: Make it interesting or stay away. :D
Unni: *giggles* well, this sounds like a disaster.
~ Novoland: The Castle in the Sky
Empress: That sounds complicated...possibly more intriguing as a book than as a drama...hmm...
Ambassador: This sounds mildly interesting but not enough to make me add it to my list.
Unni: o.O okay, interesting but not my cup of tea
~ Ice Fantasy
Empress: XD Hmm, I wonder...
Ambassador: THERE IS NO QUESTION ABOUT THIS DRAMA BEING AT THE TOP OF MY LIST. I have the airdate bookmarked. I've followed it from the very beginning- through casting news and filming news and post production and trailers. It's one of my most anticipated dramas of 2016 and I. CANNOT. WAIT.
Unni: I’ll probably tag along for the ride.
~ Tornado Girl
Empress: I like the title. XD It probably won't go on my list though. My list might animate and strangle me.
Ambassador: Yes, but pretty much solely for Ji Chang Wook because he's a great actor and I think he'll do great in a modern wuxia like this.
Unni: I don’t have the time, but it seems interesting.
Empress: Having been reminded yesterday of how much I tend to enjoy JCW's dramas, this one might actually end up on my list. Though I read it's a sequel...I probably won't watch the first one.
Ambassador: The nice thing about most Chinese dramas is that even when they are sequels, you can usually watch them on their own just fine and not have to watch the preceding drama.
~ Remembering Lichuan
Empress: Okay, I like the Chinese-Swedish combination...it sounds like a melodrama, though, and I'm not really in the mood for that.
Ambassador: The plot sounds boring to me (I just don't watch rom-coms or romance dramas period) though I'm curious to see Godfrey in a Chinese drama. Still, I'll wait and keep my eye out for him in a historical, because he's not nearly enough to make me want to watch this, nor is Joan Chen in a secondary or minor role.
Unni: Interesting, I am not biting...
~ Rookie Agent Rouge
Empress: I actually want to learn more about this time period...history totally counts as a valid reason to put a drama on a list, right?
Ambassador: YES. This plot sounds GREAT and it's right up my alley as far as genre.
Unni: Okay, this sounds interesting, but I am not sure if I have the time to dedicate to it.
~ Stay with Me
Empress: I've seen similar stories and enjoyed them...but not enough to watch another version.
Ambassador: I think this drama would give me a headache. Romance dramas are great but I'm more than happy to leave them to the Unni. :D
Unni: Interesting, another twist on amnesia, it’s interesting but I still have so many others I’d rather watch
~ Edge of Happiness
Empress: I like that last line...but...
Ambassador: William Chan and Ma Tianyu are actually enough of a killer combo to make me watch this. I suspect their dynamic is going to be terrific, and this is going on my list, though it'll be a while before I get to it.
Unni: Sounds cute! But I have too much to watch...unless I am looking for something sweet and slow.
~ Beauty's Private Kitchen
Ambassador: [This was filmed in 2013, and is apparently only airing now. China and their drama airdates. *shrug*]
Empress: [Seriously...] Okay, that intrigues me. Kind of a lot. *adds to list when list isn't looking*
Ambassador: YES. Plot + Ma Tianyu + Zheng Shuang. The element of having her be a chef is unique and should be fun.
Unni: China????? You have issues but this sound really interesting, this is just interesting enough to put on the watch list.
~ Demon Girl
Empress: Not into demon stories...I see where this one could be intriguing, but...
Ambassador: I don't really like demon stories- it's hard to find one I like or agree with- and while this one has interesting elements, I don't think I'll be adding it to my overflowing list.
Unni: *slowly backs away* okay I am not touching this one.
~ Perfect Wedding
Empress: romaaaaaaance....*shrug*
Ambassador: ...no. I watched a Bollywood movie with elements of this plot, that was hilarious, but in a cdrama rom com, it's just not enough to interest me.
Unni: *giggles* CUTE! But no...we all know they are going to end up together already.
~ Decoded
Empress: okay, kinda intrigued...[WHY IS IT SO LONG??? I LIKE HOW IT LOOKS.]
Ambassador: This one, on the other hand, sounds FASCINATING and is assuredly going on my list.
Unni: Math...I WANT TO RUN AWAY FROM MATH!!! NO MATH!!! KILL MATH!!!! NO MATH....I guess I am not watching this drama.
~ Sparrow
Empress: Points for being made of a novel, points for secret agent, points for Revolutionary Shanghai...SO MANY POINTS TAKEN AWAY FOR LENGTH. Still enough points to add...even though I might not get to it for 40 years...
Ambassador: I love spy dramas, I love rebel/revolution dramas, I love war dramas. All of that, plus the plot of this one means it's going on my list.
Unni: Cool but skipping...
~ The Fox Fairy Court
Empress: This is very different fox fairy than I've learned of from Korean stories... :)
Ambassador: It sounds very interesting, but I really don't have time for it right now. I'll add it to my list for a future date though- that mythical future day when I'm caught up on dramas. Hah.
Unni: This sounds hilarious! But fantasy and China are two things I’ve been scared into staying away from...
~ Angel Wings
Empress: I like the title, though it doesn't quite make sense...
Ambassador: ...no. Doesn't interest me in the slightest.
Unni: Interesting, but I am not going to dedicate time.
Taiwan:
~ Prince of Wolf
Empress: O.o I am super curious about a Taiwanese Jungle Boy...
Ambassador: YES. This one sounds terrific and I'm looking forward to how they handle the wolf element.
Unni: Yeah! Okay....going to Taiwan this one might make life interesting but I am not entirely sold.
~ Go Ho’s Starry Night
Empress: XD Bully for him. Me too, which probably means I shouldn't add too many dramas to my list.
Ambassador: *eye roll* More romance. No. Not for me.
Unni: *giggles* Well GO FOR IT...but I won’t watch it.
~ KO One Re-member
Empress: Not likely to watch a 4th installment without having watched the first 3. :)
Ambassador: This one does sound fun. School dramas are enjoyable when done right, so I'll give this one a shot.
Unni: *cracks up over Little Apple* *breaks into song* Okay, now that I am fully amused, nope I won’t be watching this one
Hong Kong:
~ Between Love and desire
Empress: Somewhat interested how Hong Kong will make a story like this turn out, but...nah.
Ambassador: Maggie Shiu is not enough to induce me to add this to my list.
Unni: UGH MORE TONES THAN I CAN HANDLE...nope thank you but no.
Stay tuned for Part two: Japan's Summer Dramas!
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