On a Roll

I managed to watch a lot of drama episodes recently. I'm not sure what that says about my time management or my priorities, but when things are tumultuous as they have been for me these past couple weeks, you need an escape.

While You Were Sleeping

I kind of begrudgingly started watching this because I knew it would be really popular just because it stars Suzy and Lee Jong Suk. I thought it would be vastly overrated like Descendants of the Sun. I didn't think I would like it but I really do. Hong Joo and Jae Chan are just so undeniably charming and I absolutely love them together. I also really loved Kim So Hyun's cameo on the show. I love her, she's great in everything she does, and I wish she could have had a more continuous role. And yay for Tae Hee oppa from Goblin (actor Jung Hae In) for finally getting a meatier role in a drama. So basically I just love the entire cast. I'm intrigued that Woo Tak and Jae Chan can see the future through their dreams in addition to Hong Joo, but have only begun experiencing this after they've met Hong Joo. So there must be something on her part psychologically/supernaturally that chose them to share this with her. I feel like this will be the drama of the season. I just hope the they don't screw up the story progression and the reasoning behind the premonitions.

Lingerie Girls Generation

I'm going to miss this little gem! I didn't realize it was only 8 episodes long. I really think it didn't get as much attention as it should have. There were so many great things going on. I loved Jung Hee's character development. She started off envious of Hae Joo, for being courageous, smart, and the object of Son Jin's affection. Jung Hee learned that she is smart, she just needed to be given the opportunity to study. She ended up getting 7th place out of 60+ students, which is pretty impressive. She also became courageous in her own right. She stood up to her teacher, something only Hae Joo was able to do. And in the last episode, she risked punishment to say goodbye to Hae Joo on the speaker. She also became the object of Son Jin's affection (which felt so insincere, to be honest). But she once again displayed her courage by turning Son Jin down and admitting her own affection for Dong Moon. I guess it's true, love makes you brave.

The tables really turned with Jung Hee and Hae Joo and it created such a fascinating dynamic between the two. Hae Joo turned out to be such a tragic character. All she wanted was a good friend, but Son Jin, like every boy in Daegu, had to be a horndog and lust after her. It wasn't her fault, but Jung Hee refused to trust her after that. Then, her father happens to be a communist and have serious health concerns. Agin, none of this is her fault, but she ends up suffering all the consequences. She finds one person, Young Choon, who stands by her and he basically gets her expelled. And by the way, how weird is it that being in a relationship with a rumored troublemaker was provided enough ground to get a child expelled?? Hae Joo never did anything illegal or to harm anyone, and yet she was punished at every point. She reminds me of Tess from Tess of the D'urbevilles. She has no opportunity to control her fate, and Jung Hee has every opportunity to do so.

I'm just happy that Jung Hee finally opened up to Dong Moon and that he never gave up on her. She definitely doesn't deserve him, but they belong together. 💞

Age of Youth 2

All of these girls are going to need therapy FOR YEARS. It's just one trauma after another. And yet, I can't help but be jealous of their friendship and living situation (also love their apartment!). It makes me nostalgic for my senior year of college when I lived with a bunch of close friends, and lived a minute walk away from all of my other friends. Anyways, the second season has finished now (😪) but the last episode hasn't been subbed yet, so I've only got that left to watch. I did spoil myself a little and found out there wasn't any real romantic progress between Ji Won and Sung Min, which is a tragedy unless a third season can be confirmed. Everyone knows they're going to end up together, we just want to see visual proof! I do love how Ji Won's psyche was explored this season and how it was so neatly tied to Eun's arrival via Hyo Jin's letter. I never would have expected that her desperation for a relationship in season one could turn into such a rabbit hole of pedophilia and sexual abuse. This show goes places that other dramas are too afraid of and in such an artful way. I'm almost scared to watch the last episode because then I'll be hanging on to the possibility of "will there be more or is this it."

Bad Thief, Good Thief

I've watched episode 31 or 32 in these past couple of weeks, I can't remember. I love a good scooby gang, so I'm happy that the suck up prosecutor is on the team now. It makes me sad that Dol Mok still isn't honest with So Joo about it identity as J. He really could have hurt her. I guess he's just afraid of disappointing her, but he's lied for so long that the damage would be permanent.

Temperature of Love

I started watching this last week and then I went temporarily blind in the middle of the third episode (long story) so I was a bit hesitant to continue watching, but I eventually did. I'm not sure if I like Hyun Soo and Jung Sun as a couple. When she's with him, she turns into such an ahjumma. Her mannerisms, her jokes, and even her facial expressions seem so old. She'll say something and he'll start laughing and I don't understand why because it's not funny. I like her rapport with CEO cheekbones (who I had NO idea was the Japanese guy from Coffee Prince!!) much better. I don't know, maybe it's because he's more similar to her in age, but I just feel like their conversations flow more naturally. In general, Hyun Soo's personality and speech irritate me, but I do like that she actually sounds like a writer. She speaks and thinks in a way the writer would. Maybe it's because the writer of the drama instilled much of her own personality into Hyun Soo's character. Lastly, I wish Hong Ah would be more honest with Hyun Soo and treat her like an actual friend. Maybe then she wouldn't resent Hyun Soo so much.

Because This Is My First Life

LMAO I can't believe she just kissed him and then ran onto the bus. It's weird because I've imagined doing things like that from time to time so when it was happening I thought she must be imagining it to. But then the story kept going, and I was just sitting there in shock. And then he asked her to marry him by the end of the first episode. I am so ready for this! I also love how Ji Ho's friends seem so genuine and real. They have their own lives that don't revolve around Ji Ho. Though I do wish that they would have given Bo Mi another name. When actors keep their names in dramas, it makes it seem lower quality. I can already tell this drama will have low ratings for its entire run, even though it's fantastic. Ji Ho fighting!