tv_talk | Speak Up Saturday

Eternal Butler: Looked into this one because it's BL involving a butler robot. (Hey, I happen to like BL, butlers, and robots!) Plus, Kevin Chang in suit and glasses is exactly my type. The little I saw of the acting in the first episode was pretty cringe but it seemed to get better later on. Not sure I will ever *not* skip through this one, but for now, it has my attention.

HPI: Haut Potentiel Intellectuel: Thanks again for the ARD Mediathek tip,

tinny! I watched three episodes this week (could be more if I ever figure out how to permanently add subtitles to videos), and I really enjoy Morgane as a protagonist. It certainly helps that Audrey Fleurot is gorgeous. I'm curious about how things will develop in the future but since two shows already have my heart at the moment, I am incapable of loving it as much as it probably deserves. (Those two shows are the next ones in this list!)

Love Scout: The romance scenes are absolutely swoon-worthy and I almost wish the entire drama would consist of the FL/ML storyline: Two attractive, competent, mature adults who cannot help falling for each other. She is the clumsy but highly competitive CEO of a headhunting company. He is the perfect fantasy of a single-father secretary who can smoothly manage his busy work and family life. It's chef's kiss. No notes. I am normally not super fond of TV children but the ML's daughter is very cute and her bonding scenes with the FL are such fun. I also like the 2ML and 2FL as well as their budding relationship.

What I like less: The overarching business storyline (it's watchable, but I prefer the cozy, relaxed vibe of the interpersonal scenes) and the hints of a traumatic past. Maybe the latter will be well-written but I am anxious that it will be used to sabotage a perfectly satisfying and well-developed romance arc when there are only four more episodes left.

If you require swooning, click me! (Gifs)

One Spring Night: I only started this show for Love Scout's female lead (Han Ji Min) and because it centers around a similar premise (a woman falling for a single dad). This show is more complicated, nuanced, and angsty than Love Scout. For one, our female lead doesn't start as a single woman. At least half of the show deals with her just breaking it off with her current partner since he is too prideful to accept that it is over between them (and that he has "lost" to a "flawed" person like the ML -- the "flaw" being ML's son).

I like the realism, the nuanced characterization, and the fleshed-out secondary characters. There's a good chance I will never watch another Jung Hae In drama simply because I find him utterly delectable in this one. I also really love the soundtrack. My favorite song says it beautifully: "I am tired of hiding how I feel. Every sign I see is telling me it's real." I would write a primer for this show but I feel I'd constantly have to repeat: "Please don't be frustrated, this makes a lot of sense if you factor in South Korean society!"

Edited 2025-01-25 20:50 (UTC)

Ooh, you're making me want to give One Spring Night another try. Note to self! Also, ha I didn't realise Love Scout was Han Ji Min. I enjoyed her so much in Capital Scandal...

Tbf, I really became aware of HJM in Love Scout even though I already enjoyed her in The Light in Your Eyes (then again, the true female star in that is Kim Hye Ja).

YMMV re: One Spring Night, but I just enjoy it as a breath of fresh air after so many flashy, dramatic K-romances. People work ordinary jobs and talk about things (even if conflicts take time to be resolved), and no endless, dramatic rich guy tantrums. Plus, I really, really like the ML here. Didn't get the Jung Hae In appeal before (even while watching Love Next Door where I found him cute) but this totally hits the spot for me!

Haha, I gave up on The Light in Your Eyes about six or eight episodes in. I can't remember if I actually watched the reveal or just learned about it afterwards, but it made me really mad. I was there for time travel, dammit! ;-p

but I just enjoy it as a breath of fresh air after so many flashy, dramatic K-romances.

*nodnod* That makes sense!

Didn't get the Jung Hae In appeal before (even while watching Love Next Door where I found him cute) but this totally hits the spot for me!

*nodnodnod* Love Next Door wasn't my favourite flavour of Jung Hae In, though he was fine in it. Have you seen Something in the Rain or While You Were Sleeping? The former made me lose my mind for weeks (though I wasn't super happy with the back quarter), and the latter is one of my favourite dramas of all time (JHI plays the second male lead, and he stole my heart).

I can't remember if I actually watched the reveal or just learned about it afterwards, but it made me really mad. I was there for time travel, dammit! ;-p

I don't think I had any particular feelings about the reveal. Just thought it was moving in combination with the recontextualization of Hye Ja's relationship with her father. However, I can understand the upset!

Have you seen Something in the Rain or While You Were Sleeping? The former made me lose my mind for weeks (though I wasn't super happy with the back quarter), and the latter is one of my favourite dramas of all time (JHI plays the second male lead, and he stole my heart).

Honestly, I have been reluctantly eyeing Something in the Rain for the past few days but the reviews make certain secondary characters sound horrendous. Is the OTP worth it?

Haven't seen While You Were Sleeping. Fantasy dramas are always a bit of a gamble. Even if I like the beginning, I rarely like the conclusion. I also feel a little ambivalent about Lee Jong Suk. While he's been fine in everything I've seen, I find him almost distractingly pretty in most stuff. His role in W (the only drama of his I've managed to finish) was therefore perfect for me simply because his character felt like a Gary Stu incarnate.

I feel like every second show featuring old people is about Alzheimer's, and I'm pretty DNW about it. (I stopped watching Navillera because of the memory loss.) So yeah.

Honestly, I have been reluctantly eyeing Something in the Rain for the past few days but the reviews make certain secondary characters sound horrendous. Is the OTP worth it?

The OTP is so good!!! (I actually stayed up too late last night rewatching some scenes.) The thing is, the show itself is a weird mash-up, with grinding workplace drama (like Misaeng or My Mister) as the setting, and a complicated romance kind of pasted into the middle of it. And the two parts don't really work super well together, and the unpleasantness of the workplace part never really gets resolved: the show is more about escape than reform. But it's ABSOLUTELY SO WORTH IT for the first 12 episodes, and it's a lot less cartoony than your average drama romance. More like the vibe of an indie film. I was watching it week by week as it came out, and I was obsessed.

Haven't seen While You Were Sleeping. Fantasy dramas are always a bit of a gamble. Even if I like the beginning, I rarely like the conclusion. I also feel a little ambivalent about Lee Jong Suk.

Absolutely fair on all counts! The highlight of WYWS for me is the threesome vibes (though the second lead remains the second lead, he doesn't get paired off with anyone else, and all three very clearly care about each other a lot). The fantasy part is more of a plot mechanic thing, and I like how it's handled, but obviously that's a personal preference.

Haha, I totally hear you about Lee Jong Suk. He's way too pretty, and I don't feel like he has a huge amount of range? I've seen a few of his dramas, but he's definitely not a draw for me. In WYWS, he plays new prosecutor who's a bit out of his depth and tends more dorky than cool, and that worked for me, but again, YMMV. :-)

Edited 2025-01-26 22:39 (UTC)

I have similar feelings re: Alzheimer's and Navillera. :/

The OTP is so good!!! (I actually stayed up too late last night rewatching some scenes.) The thing is, the show itself is a weird mash-up, with grinding workplace drama (like Misaeng or My Mister) as the setting, and a complicated romance kind of pasted into the middle of it.

I sometimes thought I'd loved My Mister to have a central romance. (No, I don't care about age gaps. Much.) I already watched the first couple of minutes but I don't think I can fully commit until either Love Scout has finished or I've completed One Spring Morning. JHI has such a cute smile. That's the way right into my heart.

The highlight of WYWS for me is the threesome vibes (though the second lead remains the second lead, he doesn't get paired off with anyone else, and all three very clearly care about each other a lot).

Sounds good! I might give it one or two episodes. I guess I'm still a little traumatized from I Can Hear Your Voice, also a legal-fantasy drama starring LJS. ;) But "threesome" and "dorky LJS" make me curious.

I really liked the emotional ambiguity of My Mister, and spent quite a lot of it chanting under my breath "don't get together! don't get together!" though I can enjoy post-canon ship fic.

but I don't think I can fully commit until either Love Scout has finished or I've completed One Spring Morning. JHI has such a cute smile.

Haha, entirely fair!

I guess I'm still a little traumatized from I Can Hear Your Voice, also a legal-fantasy drama starring LJS. ;)

LOL, man, that was so bad but so watchable! I guilty-pleasure re-watched it a year or two back, and yeah, still really bad. Have you seen Secret Garden? LJS as a sulky young gay indie musician. That was pretty great.

I really liked the emotional ambiguity of My Mister, and spent quite a lot of it chanting under my breath "don't get together! don't get together!"

I mean, I'm not greedy. It was a warm, loving relationship with amazing chemistry between the leads, and that was enough for me. But would I've watched a romance with them? Yes! Simply because these were two talented, attractive actors. (That said, I remember the Jang Hyuk/Park So Dam pairing in Beautiful Mind feeling a little weird, even though that was probably the least of this show's problems. It was a similar IRL age difference but with fewer interpersonal complications, afair.)

though I can enjoy post-canon ship fic.

Did you see anything worth reccing?

Have you seen Secret Garden?

Never finished it! It's one of the reasons why I never got into Hyun Bin (or why I watched way too many dramas starring Yoon Sang Hyun, expecting him to be the ML when he was only 2ML).

I haven't seen Beautiful Mind. Would you rec it?

And I haven't read much My Mister fic, but I saw this in Yuletide and liked it.

I found Hyun Bin's character in Secret Garden incredibly annoying and objectionable, but equally, I adored Ha Ji-Won. I fell for her in the first episode, because this:

pic

And I hung in there for the bodyswap, because bodyswap. But yeah, I totally get what you mean.

Overall, I wouldn't rec it. I liked the workplace comedy elements and the OTP, but I remember the story (including the ML's medical issues) being more than just a little messy. That wasn't helped when they cut the drama down from 16 to 14 episodes.

Thanks for the rec!

I loved that HJW's character was a stunt woman, but I felt she was way too good for the annoying ML. M/F bodyswap always holds lots of potential but either it works for me or it doesn't. In this case, it mostly didn't simply because I disliked HB's character too much.

I'm totally happy to wait until you're done with your Han Ji Min dramas to continue HPI. :D Or watch it slowly - the romance there takes a while to develop anyway. ;)

(Also of course the stupid Mediathek actually did throw out the first three seasons this morning and didn't renew them. They might come back, who knows... but for now, they're not there.)

Plus, of course Love Scout sounds awesome! I'm also never a fan of children, but if someone who also thinks so recs it anyway, it makes me curious. And I love shows with strong female characters (her being the CEO, I think that qualifies). It goes on my (already very long) list!

I'm totally happy to wait until you're done with your Han Ji Min dramas to continue HPI. :D Or watch it slowly - the romance there takes a while to develop anyway. ;)
The next Jung Hae In drama is already around the corner! :P I will probably watch HIP slowly because I'm currently incapable of binging anything darker than your typical slice-of-life fare. (...unless I happen to develop the biggest crush on somebody.)

I've got all the episodes downloaded! But the Mediathek was convenient to watch online during my commute.

I like the kid because she's a bit of a smartass, much like the FL. The FL is definitely a strong woman. She's shouldered a lot in her past. I think the ML helps her to let go of some of her burdens because he takes care of her in ways she's incapable of caring for herself.

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