It's the Final Countdown

                                  

I am SO CLOSE to finishing a project I've been working on for years. I'm also really close to being done with school for hopefully the rest of my life. My workload is getting lighter, the sun is getting brighter, and I think I can finally see the end. And that means more drama watching time!
                     

Ruler

As of this post, I've watched up to episode 35. I feel like Hwa Gun could have been a very compelling lead as opposed to Ga Eun. Of course, I would have wanted Kim So Hyun to play Hwa Gun instead of Yoon So Hee. And I cannot stand the peasant Lee Sun. Ga Eun has insulted him and clearly has no interest in him romantically. Why would he want someone who now severely dislikes him to be by his side? Why does he want to keep her as a hostage? It makes no sense to me. None of the relationships in this drama make sense to me. And I thought Dae Mok would become psychologically damaged after killing his granddaughter and start having hallucinations. Not even his lackeys stand by him anymore. So I don't really like the direction his character is going in.

                               

Live

I understand why Sang Soo is frustrated in his relationship with Jeong Oh. He doesn't see himself as particularly attractive and has never had much to offer women. But Jeong Oh is also a cop and understands his life. Maybe she would be the one woman to understand him? But Jeong Oh and Myeong Ho clearly like each other. The way that Sang Soo latches on and obsesses about making her change her mind is getting obnoxious. Doesn't he have anything else to talk about? He should look at Hye Ri instead. Speaking of Hye Ri, wow I felt so bad for her mentor, Sam Bo. The video of his attack got passed around the precinct behind his back like a viral hit. I can't even imagine how embarrassed he was in that situation. I really hope he's able to take legal action on all the people involved.

                               

Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food

Another reason the age gap in this show doesn't bother me is that Jin Ah and Joon Hee seem like the happiest people on the planet when they're alone together. Instead of making me a bitter single lady, watching them fills me with joy. How could anyone not support a couple like that? And I think they're better people when they're together. Jin Ah's life can be quite insufferable, but she has freedom to be herself when she's with Joon Hee. She's starting to stand up for herself in ways she never would have before. She's not putting up with her sexually degrading co-workers anymore. Joon Hee, on the other, is maturing and turning into a solid man for Jin Ah. He still has a lot of growing up to do, but he's getting closer because of Jin Ah. I think the next step is for Jin Ah to assert herself as an adult to her parents. I understand that it's appropriate for her to live with her parents because she's not yet married and they live in Seoul, however she's almost 40. She should not have to beg on her knees to her father for coming home late. And her mother needs to stop being so obsessed with expressing her opinion about being with someone from a good family. Lastly, I'm really glad that they've introduced some new songs to the OST because the limited song selection was bugging me in the first few episodes. Normally it wouldn't bother me, but this OST is very distinct and wasn't always used appropriately in scenes.
                                 

The Great Seducer

Wow. Tae Hee and Si Hyun broke up, and then they got back together (kind of), and then they broke up, and then they got back together, and now they're broken up again, whew! It's gotten to the point where I have to remind myself of their relationship status every time I start a new episode. I will say that I can finally understand how the characters truly feel now. I can pick up on sincerity in a way I couldn't before. It's clear how Soo Ji feels about Si Hyun and Se Joo. It's clear how Se Joo feels about Soo Ji. I could see that Si Hyun genuinely wants to be Tae Hee now. He's clearly very happy when they're together and he's shown his true self to her. I really appreciate seeing that. And I think now that we've gotten to that point, I can be happy with the show's progression and its approaching end.

One thing I also appreciate about this show is how it looks as the dynamic between parents and their children. It seems that the parents in this drama value their interests more than their children's. I can understand that they may think that younger people can be flighty and unrealistic. But in this case, it really seems like the parents don't have their children' best interests in mind at all. And that's not the way it should be. Parents should always make their decisions with their children in mind. It's their responsibility. Without it, we see the younger characters do not trust their parents or any of their decisions.

                               

Waikiki

Aww I'm so sad this drama is no longer a part of my life. I really looked forward to watching it every week. I still think Yoon Ah could be a lot nice to Dong Gu. I know she's sometimes nervous around him, and in the case of the marriage proposal she was trying to do the right thing for him. But he looked so downcast when she rejected him and it's not because she rejected him (he understood once she explained it to him), but how she rejected him. She just responded "no" a bunch of times with a cold face. It breaks my heart because he loves her so much, he would do anything for her. As for the other couples, I'm happy that Seo Jin and Joon Ki are reunited but I don't think they really solved their problem with his fame. I have no doubt that they would be in the same situation the next time he takes a project that makes him famous. I would have liked for a little bit more of Doo Sik and Soo Ah's relationship to be shown, but I'm just happy that they found a way to fit it in at all.

I absolutely loved the very end of this drama, it was perfect! Dong Gu, Joon Ki, and Doo Sik finally got to make their film, even if the budget is smaller than ideal. And the entire gang was involved, of course. So happy!

Can I just say though that Lee Yi Kyung's role in this drama seemed eerily reflect his life? I've seen him in minor roles in countless dramas for a while now. His role in Waikiki has skyrocketed his fame, just like his character, Joon Ki. It's gotten to the point where he can make cameos in other dramas. And it was revealed that he had been secretly dating his co-star, Jung In sun. It's just like how Joon Ki was secretly Seo Jin during "Newsroom." It's so similar, it's almost creepy! Yi Kyung must have felt a very strong connection to Wakiki while filming.