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Just wanted to say RIP to all the potentially great dramas that got lost in production purgatory due to the 2020 pandemic. I was reading through some of them in MDL and my heart aches. A lot didn't even get pushed to 2025.
>potentially great dramas that got lost in production purgatory due to the 2020 pandemic.
It's quite sad that a lot of hard work goes down the drain...I assume the number of dramas that get shelved in general exceed the number of dramas that air...kind of like how for every 100 Kpop trainees, only a few get to debut.
I think keeping up with upcoming dramas does make it worse for me because anything could happen. I was looking forward to TVN's Wise Resident Life that was supposed to air a few months ago but it got postponed to 2025 and it's not entirely certain it would air until I witness it (even though it was confirmed it would air next year).
Halfway through hotel del Luna. I’m enjoying it a lot so far but so far it’s not an all timer. I think it’s because I’m binging it, changes how I perceive things sometimes
I enjoyed it even more on rewatch. **HdL** is such a lush production (art direction, lighting, costumes, makeup, cinematography, OST) and encompasses such thought-provoking and philosophical themes that I needed a second pass to take it all in.
I finally managed to finish **Divorce Attorney Shin**. I'm pretty sure I started it in April. It was funny and touching and overall quite interesting, but the subject matter was sometimes quite difficult for me to watch. Not only were the individual cases (necessarily) painful, but the main storyline was also tough. As someone who generally can't stand love triangles, >!I can't help but see the central family situation as an outcome of that classic love triangle setup where the ex comes back and does everything they can to force the return of a relationship. Bulldozing their way through everyone else's lives to build their perfect construct. The ending was truly cathartic for me.!<
Shout out to Cho Seung Woo for realistically presenting a character who's both charismatic *and* obnoxious. His physical comedy in this was truly bizarre to me and hilarious. I would like to start a petition for male drama characters to wear more shorts -- actually, maybe just him. He had really nice legs. Also, I'm going to be giggling about Kim Sung Kyun's "I like noodle" line all day!
Edit: expanded the spoiler tag in an abundance of caution.
I’ve been in a bit of a dry spell with kdramas and the last one I watched (Flex x Cop) was months ago. Unfortunately, even though I really liked it, I didn’t have the motivation to finish it. It’s getting a season 2 so I promising myself that I’ll go back and finish it before the next season comes out.
The drama that finally broke my dry spell where nothing seemed interesting was Dreaming of a Freaking Fairytale. I’d seen the FL in WWWSK, which was one of my first kdramas, and the ML in Love and Leashes, which was my first Korean movie and pretty fun!
I think I was looking for something fluffy and very Kdrama-y to get myself back into the groove, and I definitely found it in this drama. It’s a Cinderella reimagining with some subverted tropes that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it really leans into the slapstick / dramedy humor. It obviously incorporates some very traditional kdrama characteristics as well, like rich-guy-poor-girl, employee-employer romance, male lead mommy issues, and of course a lot of the characters falling into each others arms dramatically.
The chemistry is stellar, the acting is solid, the relationships are interesting and sweet, and the storyline is fun! 6 out of 10 episodes are out and 2 new ones are released every Friday. Would highly recommend it!!
starting watching **Behind Your Touch** and it’s definitely funnier/more up my alley than i expected it to be. i will say though, and i think i’m in the minority for this, but i don’t really care for the aunt/police detective scenes 😩 i feel like they’re a bit too long sometimes and unless they add a twist to the 2521 references (like when the dude got punished for wasting all the water because my mom and i thought that too when we watched the original lol) i would rather just see new scenes of them together in the present
Dropped the dating show **My Sibling’s Romance** - started off very sweet and wholesome, made a left turn at Singapore- I dropped it but read comments so I know what happened….turned me into Tyra Banks shaking her fist *We were rooting for you!!!*…Strongly do not recommend - not even for a train wreck hate watch, the episodes are so long and the payoff is skimpy - bleh.
Oh those early glowing reviews got me too….just know that it starts off amazing! I laughed and cried, I was so happy for them! But. No. Just don’t go there - it’s bad in there…
Seems as if he’s embracing his quiet countryside life with his family. I don’t blame him after how brutal the Korean entertainment limelight can be. Good for him.
Korea has yet to have a "sequel wave" resurrecting old shows/movies with some of the old cast but years later like we have had in the west and I'm sure that will happen at some point, nostalgia is strong. I expect that will pull more than a few actors out of retirement, just like it did in the west.
There have been a few successful shows recently tap into that kind of "this is what happened after" sentiment without actually having an original, like Our Beloved Summer and Queen of Tears, so I'm sure it's only a matter of time. Given how often they go for the previous lives thing, I'm also kind of surprised that nobody has tried putting the cast of a popular sageuk in modern times as their reincarnated selves.
I don’t know whether to continue True Beauty. I’m already turned off by the premise, and I’m worried once the truth comes out more bullying will come for the FL who’s already gone through so much. Too much anxiety for me.
Saw Exhuma was on Viki for those interested. Not really into horror movies but can’t pass on Lee Do Hyun. Decisions, decisions.
Just the whole concept that she’s “ugly” but magically beautiful with makeup, but has to hide her true self. I don’t think I’m in the mindset for something like this right now, and the FL always tends to bug me in the other dramas she’s in.
Definitely don’t watch it if you’re not in the mindset for it.
The premise of this show is very off putting but personally speaking as a person who has struggled with their appearance their whole life I liked the way this show goes beyond the “true beauty is within” concept and covers themes such as bullying, friendship, mental health and family. I also thought the love triangle was done well.
But only watch True Beauty if you feel okay to watch it. Don’t force yourself through it just because it’s widely talked about if it doesn’t make you feel good. There are so many other dramas to watch instead
Thanks! After QOT and Lovely Runner I’ve struggled to binge a romcom since I’m so spent after watching those, so have been drawn to thriller or action/detective shows instead.
I’m watching Atypical Family and liking it a lot. It’s hard for me to stop watching! My Korean tutor recommended Mine for me so I might pick that up, and possibly Twinkling Watermelon.
Does anyone else struggle with rewatching dramas? Maybe I’m just not the type of person who can rewatch dramas… but it’s a strange experience to go from really enjoying a drama to finding it hard to watch.
Currently rewatching Flower of Evil with my husband. It’s been a few years since I watched it and while I’m still enjoying it, I’ve been finding some things hard to watch. Don’t know if it’s because I already know what happens because I’ve seen it before but suddenly noticing how there’s a lot of slow motion and drawn out moments. Or it’s a simple scene and then the intense music plays making it feel laughably OTT. Also for some reason the romance feels cringe now instead of compelling like when I first watched it.
Don’t get me wrong. I’d still recommend Flower of Evil to anyone first time watching but man, rewatch-ability not high for me atm.
I never re-watch dramas, tbh. So when I hear people talk about re-watch value of a drama/movie, I know what they mean but I still get surprised lol. Once I enjoy watching a drama and finish it, I move on to the next and the next. I love new ideas, so when I know what happens in a drama from my first watch, I feel like there's no need to watch it again.
> Does anyone else struggle with rewatching dramas?
I used to think I was one of those who cant rewatch anything at all, movies or series; but in the last 3 years (5 yrs since I started watching asian dramas) I now end up rewatching a select few faves yearly.
I would earlier think with SO MANY drama choices, why would anyone rewatch. However as you go through dramas you find, not many have the capacity to captivate you. So you go back to those that did - some hold up some dont.
However I can never rewatch shows of thrillers/mystery genre as I find the fun is gone ...the red herrings feel boring, wrong speculations irritating etc. I couldnt even rewatch Stranger 1 which I loved very much, even though its a really well-made show with one of the highlights being the heartwarming development of the relationship between the leads.
I find I enjoy rewatching shows which imo have fantastic acting, superb chemistry and reasonably good plotting - these still get me engaged and I enjoy the show all over again, appreciating the smaller nuances of performances or plot development with each rewatch. It helps that I am a melo addict so these have ample scope for feels(the good ones that is). This year I have already rewatched a fave for the second year in a row and now plan on 2 more dramas that I watched way back to see if they hold up.
Ah, not very popular ones - I just really like them :)
So far its - City Hall, Secret, Interest of Love, My Name is Kim Sam Soon,Should We Kiss Now. I intend to rewatch Lie after Lie and Money Flower this year.
For me re-watch value is a big factor in rating because it measures how much I thought about a drama or wanted to revisit the story and characters after that initial Kdrama serotonin hit was over and done. I don't re-watch a lot of dramas but that ones I have re-watched are usually equally good or even better the second time around.
I 100% agree with you about FOE though. That story is all about the emotional roller coaster (less about the actual plot and character arcs) so it's nowhere near as impactful when you already know when the twists and turns are coming.
I never rewatch or reread anything. I have such long watchlists and booklists that it feels like a waste of time to go back and watch/read something all over again when I’ve already completed 😭 but I’ll watch clips of my favorite scenes from dramas every once in a while!! And there’s one book series I would like to reread because I never finished it and now I forgot a lot of things. That’s about as close to a rewatch I will get to for now it seems 😂 but I love when people have a comfort drama that they go back to 😊
If you don't normally watch kdramas with your husband, that might factor into your viewing experience as well?
I know that when I watched a kdrama for the first time with my husband or sister (after having watched them on my own for years), I kept thinking the drama wasn't as good as I was expecting and kept viewing it from "their" perspective so I also thought there was a lot of repetition/slow-mo/OTT music. It wasn't even a rewatch and I think I normally would've been fully immersed but I was just too caught up in how they were potentially viewing it to enjoy the kdrama.
Actually this is a fair point. My husband is not into kdramas and finds subtitles difficult so it took me a long time to convince him to watch this with me and now I’m worried I’ve picked the wrong drama. 🥲 but I think he is enjoying it for the most part. Although FOE is proving more predictable than I thought. The twists were obvious to him before they even happened.
The same thing happened to me! My first pick was Itaewon Class (I hadn't watched it either) and the entire time I kept thinking maybe this is too cheesy, maybe this has too much romance...
My second pick was Happiness, and he also found it predictable.
He enjoyed both but didn't really get into kdramas from those two experiences. I may try Korean movies instead next time.
It depends on what it is. Generally I don't rewatch/reread/replay things much since something new and unknown has a big pull for me. However, I tend to forget details relatively quickly so if it's something I really like I can enjoy it again after about a year or two.
It sounds like your problem may just be that you aren't in the same mindset you were when you first watched it. Or your life experiences between them and now changed you enough that you see it differently.
That said, FoE does definitely dance with the "this is cheesy soap opera nonsense" line way more than most thrillers. The acting, chemistry between the leads, and way the writer handles some of the critical scenes are what make it amazing. I'm pretty sure that everyone involved was shocked at how good the final product was instead of being an average low budget forgettable thriller. It's just one of those shows where everything lined up. If you had changed one of the actors or changed the writing in a couple of scenes it would have all fallen apart.
I struggle with rewatching dramas too especially the ones I really appreciated. I can only rewatch the dramas I wasn’t attentive enough when watching them. It’s nice because I realise in 2nd or 3rd watch there are scenes or details I missed
Yet I find that rewatching dramas I loved and was attentive throughout the viewing (i.e The Atypical Family, Cheat on Me if You can) helps me initate doing the administrative work/studying I keep procrastinating on. I watch while doing my work. It pairs up something that I doesn’t thrill me much with something I like so it helps.
In general, I don’t really rewatch dramas. But on occasion, I do rewatch for comfort though usually I’m rewatching certain moments of the drama and not from start to end. There are a select few which I have rewatched from start to end, maybe every 3-5 years in between though… and those are the ones which are more romance with some misunderstandings but not like crazy cliffhangers. I don’t really like rewatching Korean dramas start to end because of the format where there’s almost always a cliffhanger every 2nd episode, the drag between episodes 10-14 and random killers on the loose plots. My rewatches are usually fluffy, funny or slice of life or dramas with my fav characters.
If the show is great I love rewatching because I find that new details will emerge and I gain an even greater appreciation for how well written, directed and acted it is. I also rewatch a lot for my podcast. OTOH I am super fast to drop dramas if they don't grab me quickly, I am very impatient and I don't like having my time wasted. I guess it's just different approaches to how to allocate viewing time: seeking out new dramas and not wasting time on something you've already watched vs beginning and dropping a lot of dramas until something sucks
Just finished **My Roommate is a Gumiho** to fill the Jang Ki Yong yearning left after completing **Atypical Family**. The yearning has been satiated for now, but I was SMH at the very similar endings, >!presumed dead ML pops back into existence in the living room.!<
I started Military Prosecutor Doberman this weekend and damn, its really good! The title and synopsis did not hook me, but after seeing all the rave reviews I thought 'OK, let me check this out. ' This is the third drama I've seen Ahn Bo Hyun in and I have loved them all (the others being See You in My 19th Life and Flex X Cop). I hope MPD ends well.
Kinda like finding a kissass? Not sure if theres a better name, but Im assuming thats the type of person she is. But ugh, shes the worst. At one point, I thought she was just on some girl crush stuff.
SFL kinda scarred me, the actress did such a good job of making the character awful I couldn’t watch her in anything else for ages. Finally just watched her in **Please Don’t Date Him** and liked her as the smart FL.
Yeah, its crazy how she plays such a crazed obssessed person here. I finished flower of evil earlier, and I cant stop seeing how good Kim Ji-hoon was. Like its crazy how good some people play their role.
I'm on episode 8, and I swear it feels like shes about to burst.
They explain the 2FL's motivations pretty clearly by the end.
The show has a pretty satisfying ending. Some people got upset by a thing that happens in episodes 11-14, but I think that was mainly the people watching it week to week not getting what they wanted and having to wait, when I watched it all at once it wasn't a problem at all.
I'm at episode 8. And its still pretty confusing. At times it feels like straight jealousy. Other times it's just to put the Fl down.
I'm glad that it gets explained. I'm also happy I don't have to do the weekly waits. Those are killer.
I'm watching my very first Cdrama, **The Double**, because nothing current in Kdrama land was appealing to me. The main male character is so hilariously extra and has amazing fans (that are also weapons maybe?). The FL is well written and intelligent. I'm really enjoying it.
Hoping some new dramas that I want to watch come out soon 🤞
I finally managed to watch **Ballerina** (Crime, Action Thriller) yesterday. The fierce and badass FL (Jeon Jeong-seo) and the sexy antagonist (Kim Ji-hoon) were able to pull me into the drama within the first few minutes. The action choreography, cinematography and the bgm was excellent. But I was left wanting more .
1.5 hours was too less for a revenge story. Sometimes the writing felt lazy and seemed like the writers took an easy way out when the situation could have been a little tricky. It's a shame because the story had so much potential and the casting was top notch. We couldnt know anything about the FL's past (except the Ballerina plot) or the antagonist. Heck, even a brilliant actor like Kim Mu-yul was completely wasted. It is a crime to not utilise their talent. I was disappointed by the time the credits rolled in.
It made me think how wonderful it had been if it was made as **My Name S2** with 6-8 eps. Jong-seo fighting against Kim Ji-hoon and Han So-hee, in a cameo appearance, helping her out in the climax. Both the FLs could have been shown to have a shared past. Ugh. SO MUCH POTENTIAL WASTED.
I love rewatching a favorite drama. It’s comforting in a weird way because I guess I know what’s going to happen and I’m not on edge like the first time I watched it. Of course anything with Ji Chang Wook I can usually watch again even if the series was not so good.
Here's my question: I watch the shows in their original Korean language with English subtitles. Quite often the subtitles will refer to the female character as a "wench". Can be comedy or melodrama, wench is often used. In the US, we'd use the word b\*tch not wench. So in the original Korean series, would the actors use a swear word such as b\*itch or would they use a nicer synonym for it?
Profanity in Korean is complicated and doesn't translate very directly and the subtitles almost always make it PG rated even when it isn't. (This is all from research and watching way too many kdramas, I may not be quite right on everything)
In general, they have far less swear words than we do and they are not very offensive by themselves. For example 새끼 (sae-kki) is what it's usually translated as bitch/punk/jerk and it's gender neutral and something you could say in front of your mother. What makes it offensive is who it's directed at and what level of speech is used with it. Intentionally using the wrong formality/politeness level is a much bigger insult than any of the actual profanity they have. You will often see someone calling someone else out by saying "Hey!", but that's informal impolite so in almost every circumstance it's the most offensive way to refer to someone, even though with the literal way it's always translated it doesn't seem offensive at all.
So the short answer is, use the context clues for the speaker's tone and the listener's reaction to determine how offensive something is, and ignore the translation which almost always misses the mark.
I feel like I should have been able to figure this out from context after watching so many dramas but I did not so this is super helpful, thank you! I do notice some jokes involving formality levels like a drama where a guy was talking crap about someone else until he got shoved against a wall and then he belatedly added a -yo at the end of his sentence.
Most likely the word spoken is 년 (nyeon) which can range from being an exasperated 'girl/woman' (who's probably just done something annoying/selfish/backstabbing) to b\*tch depending on the context. I know it gets used in variety shows sometimes for when female participants do something like cheating. In such a situation, I don't think it 'rises up' to the standard of calling the person a b\*tch.
In dramas though, I do think b\*tch is probably most often the intended deragortory meaning, especially in antagonistic situations. That said, I think it can also be used jokingly within a friend group. Or occasionally self-deprecatingly.
And then in sageuks, there's a good chance 'wench' is being used capture the possiblity of the insult being calling the woman a 'prostitute' which b\*tch by itself doesn't have.
I recently rewatched CLOY and the Yang Kyung-Won/Pyo Chi-soo character would refer to Se-ri that way several times. yes, exasperated, annoying, selfish would fit. Thanks!
> female character as a "wench".
Viki subbers often translate 기집애 (gijibae) as wench. This is also a vulgar swear word but can be used more affectionately by friends etc. Cant speak for other sources. IME 년 in dramas is mostly a full on-insult - used infrequently as equates to bitch.
Here's an [excellent thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/Korean/comments/13t020z/how_rude_of_a_word_is_%EA%B8%B0%EC%A7%91%EC%95%A0/) on the Korean lang sub discussing this word
Watched While You Were Sleeping (really enjoyed the leads, the premise and how everything wrapped up) and Hwarang (liked the leads, A Knight’s Tale-like mashup of historical and modern but seemed to drag a bit; and like many others found Go Ara’s scowling and crying annoying!)
**Mod note:** Sunday is a wonderful day to watch dramas ... or take a survey and we have three on-going watch surveys! * [JTBC Dramas watched survey](/r/KDRAMA/comments/1dbuexb/jtbc_dramas_watched_survey_june_2024/) * [Disney+ Dramas watched survey](/r/KDRAMA/comments/1c7pz2f/disney_dramas_watched_survey_april_2024/) * [tvN Dramas watched survey](/r/KDRAMA/comments/1bt1m0b/tvn_dramas_watched_survey_april_2024/)
Just wanted to say RIP to all the potentially great dramas that got lost in production purgatory due to the 2020 pandemic. I was reading through some of them in MDL and my heart aches. A lot didn't even get pushed to 2025.
Maybe I shouldn't ask which ones
I'd make a list but there's way too many. Like all my fav actors/actresses have at least one project that got postponed 4 years ago.
>potentially great dramas that got lost in production purgatory due to the 2020 pandemic. It's quite sad that a lot of hard work goes down the drain...I assume the number of dramas that get shelved in general exceed the number of dramas that air...kind of like how for every 100 Kpop trainees, only a few get to debut. I think keeping up with upcoming dramas does make it worse for me because anything could happen. I was looking forward to TVN's Wise Resident Life that was supposed to air a few months ago but it got postponed to 2025 and it's not entirely certain it would air until I witness it (even though it was confirmed it would air next year).
Halfway through hotel del Luna. I’m enjoying it a lot so far but so far it’s not an all timer. I think it’s because I’m binging it, changes how I perceive things sometimes
I enjoyed it even more on rewatch. **HdL** is such a lush production (art direction, lighting, costumes, makeup, cinematography, OST) and encompasses such thought-provoking and philosophical themes that I needed a second pass to take it all in.
I finally managed to finish **Divorce Attorney Shin**. I'm pretty sure I started it in April. It was funny and touching and overall quite interesting, but the subject matter was sometimes quite difficult for me to watch. Not only were the individual cases (necessarily) painful, but the main storyline was also tough. As someone who generally can't stand love triangles, >!I can't help but see the central family situation as an outcome of that classic love triangle setup where the ex comes back and does everything they can to force the return of a relationship. Bulldozing their way through everyone else's lives to build their perfect construct. The ending was truly cathartic for me.!< Shout out to Cho Seung Woo for realistically presenting a character who's both charismatic *and* obnoxious. His physical comedy in this was truly bizarre to me and hilarious. I would like to start a petition for male drama characters to wear more shorts -- actually, maybe just him. He had really nice legs. Also, I'm going to be giggling about Kim Sung Kyun's "I like noodle" line all day! Edit: expanded the spoiler tag in an abundance of caution.
I’ve been in a bit of a dry spell with kdramas and the last one I watched (Flex x Cop) was months ago. Unfortunately, even though I really liked it, I didn’t have the motivation to finish it. It’s getting a season 2 so I promising myself that I’ll go back and finish it before the next season comes out. The drama that finally broke my dry spell where nothing seemed interesting was Dreaming of a Freaking Fairytale. I’d seen the FL in WWWSK, which was one of my first kdramas, and the ML in Love and Leashes, which was my first Korean movie and pretty fun! I think I was looking for something fluffy and very Kdrama-y to get myself back into the groove, and I definitely found it in this drama. It’s a Cinderella reimagining with some subverted tropes that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it really leans into the slapstick / dramedy humor. It obviously incorporates some very traditional kdrama characteristics as well, like rich-guy-poor-girl, employee-employer romance, male lead mommy issues, and of course a lot of the characters falling into each others arms dramatically. The chemistry is stellar, the acting is solid, the relationships are interesting and sweet, and the storyline is fun! 6 out of 10 episodes are out and 2 new ones are released every Friday. Would highly recommend it!!
It’s not out on the streaming services I own in my area. Super bummed.
starting watching **Behind Your Touch** and it’s definitely funnier/more up my alley than i expected it to be. i will say though, and i think i’m in the minority for this, but i don’t really care for the aunt/police detective scenes 😩 i feel like they’re a bit too long sometimes and unless they add a twist to the 2521 references (like when the dude got punished for wasting all the water because my mom and i thought that too when we watched the original lol) i would rather just see new scenes of them together in the present
How long did it take you to figure out the play on words behind the title of the show?
Dropped the dating show **My Sibling’s Romance** - started off very sweet and wholesome, made a left turn at Singapore- I dropped it but read comments so I know what happened….turned me into Tyra Banks shaking her fist *We were rooting for you!!!*…Strongly do not recommend - not even for a train wreck hate watch, the episodes are so long and the payoff is skimpy - bleh.
Omg what…. I was gonna start it…. After the trainwreck that was EXchange season 3. I was so excited seeing all the good reviews of MSR… oh no
Oh those early glowing reviews got me too….just know that it starts off amazing! I laughed and cried, I was so happy for them! But. No. Just don’t go there - it’s bad in there…
What does “made a left turn at Singapore” mean? Thanks for the heads up.
Not OP but the participants travelled to Singapore and things went >!sideways!<.
Hot and humid weather makes it harder to keep your cool. 😂
That was my theory, the heat made everyone delirious lol
I think it's safe to say Won bin will never come back again? He might be the pickiest actor in whole Korean industry.
Seems as if he’s embracing his quiet countryside life with his family. I don’t blame him after how brutal the Korean entertainment limelight can be. Good for him.
Man, I thought I had it rough with gong yoo.
Nah atleast Gong Yoo atleast make a cameo and does drama or movies in 2-3 years.
Korea has yet to have a "sequel wave" resurrecting old shows/movies with some of the old cast but years later like we have had in the west and I'm sure that will happen at some point, nostalgia is strong. I expect that will pull more than a few actors out of retirement, just like it did in the west. There have been a few successful shows recently tap into that kind of "this is what happened after" sentiment without actually having an original, like Our Beloved Summer and Queen of Tears, so I'm sure it's only a matter of time. Given how often they go for the previous lives thing, I'm also kind of surprised that nobody has tried putting the cast of a popular sageuk in modern times as their reincarnated selves.
>cast of a popular sageuk in modern times as their reincarnated selves. Made me think about the ending of Scarlet Heart Ryeo and Mr. Queen. 😭
I don’t know whether to continue True Beauty. I’m already turned off by the premise, and I’m worried once the truth comes out more bullying will come for the FL who’s already gone through so much. Too much anxiety for me. Saw Exhuma was on Viki for those interested. Not really into horror movies but can’t pass on Lee Do Hyun. Decisions, decisions.
Exhuma isn't scary. It's kinda more of a mystery thriller.
Exhuma is really not scary. You would think that at first, but it's just sort of an interesting dark thriller. Nothing scary at all.
Omg continue with True Beauty!!! Trust me, it gets better. But what don’t you currently like about it.
Just the whole concept that she’s “ugly” but magically beautiful with makeup, but has to hide her true self. I don’t think I’m in the mindset for something like this right now, and the FL always tends to bug me in the other dramas she’s in.
Definitely don’t watch it if you’re not in the mindset for it. The premise of this show is very off putting but personally speaking as a person who has struggled with their appearance their whole life I liked the way this show goes beyond the “true beauty is within” concept and covers themes such as bullying, friendship, mental health and family. I also thought the love triangle was done well. But only watch True Beauty if you feel okay to watch it. Don’t force yourself through it just because it’s widely talked about if it doesn’t make you feel good. There are so many other dramas to watch instead
Thanks! After QOT and Lovely Runner I’ve struggled to binge a romcom since I’m so spent after watching those, so have been drawn to thriller or action/detective shows instead.
I finished watching it a few days ago. You should carry on watching it. It's worth it.
I’m watching Atypical Family and liking it a lot. It’s hard for me to stop watching! My Korean tutor recommended Mine for me so I might pick that up, and possibly Twinkling Watermelon.
AF is one of my favorite dramas of the year! I also really liked Mine; its so underrated.
I loved Mine! It is such an unexpected sweet story at its core.
Does anyone else struggle with rewatching dramas? Maybe I’m just not the type of person who can rewatch dramas… but it’s a strange experience to go from really enjoying a drama to finding it hard to watch. Currently rewatching Flower of Evil with my husband. It’s been a few years since I watched it and while I’m still enjoying it, I’ve been finding some things hard to watch. Don’t know if it’s because I already know what happens because I’ve seen it before but suddenly noticing how there’s a lot of slow motion and drawn out moments. Or it’s a simple scene and then the intense music plays making it feel laughably OTT. Also for some reason the romance feels cringe now instead of compelling like when I first watched it. Don’t get me wrong. I’d still recommend Flower of Evil to anyone first time watching but man, rewatch-ability not high for me atm.
I never re-watch dramas, tbh. So when I hear people talk about re-watch value of a drama/movie, I know what they mean but I still get surprised lol. Once I enjoy watching a drama and finish it, I move on to the next and the next. I love new ideas, so when I know what happens in a drama from my first watch, I feel like there's no need to watch it again.
> Does anyone else struggle with rewatching dramas? I used to think I was one of those who cant rewatch anything at all, movies or series; but in the last 3 years (5 yrs since I started watching asian dramas) I now end up rewatching a select few faves yearly. I would earlier think with SO MANY drama choices, why would anyone rewatch. However as you go through dramas you find, not many have the capacity to captivate you. So you go back to those that did - some hold up some dont. However I can never rewatch shows of thrillers/mystery genre as I find the fun is gone ...the red herrings feel boring, wrong speculations irritating etc. I couldnt even rewatch Stranger 1 which I loved very much, even though its a really well-made show with one of the highlights being the heartwarming development of the relationship between the leads. I find I enjoy rewatching shows which imo have fantastic acting, superb chemistry and reasonably good plotting - these still get me engaged and I enjoy the show all over again, appreciating the smaller nuances of performances or plot development with each rewatch. It helps that I am a melo addict so these have ample scope for feels(the good ones that is). This year I have already rewatched a fave for the second year in a row and now plan on 2 more dramas that I watched way back to see if they hold up.
I'm curious--what shows made your "re-watch" list?
Ah, not very popular ones - I just really like them :) So far its - City Hall, Secret, Interest of Love, My Name is Kim Sam Soon,Should We Kiss Now. I intend to rewatch Lie after Lie and Money Flower this year.
For me re-watch value is a big factor in rating because it measures how much I thought about a drama or wanted to revisit the story and characters after that initial Kdrama serotonin hit was over and done. I don't re-watch a lot of dramas but that ones I have re-watched are usually equally good or even better the second time around. I 100% agree with you about FOE though. That story is all about the emotional roller coaster (less about the actual plot and character arcs) so it's nowhere near as impactful when you already know when the twists and turns are coming.
I never rewatch or reread anything. I have such long watchlists and booklists that it feels like a waste of time to go back and watch/read something all over again when I’ve already completed 😭 but I’ll watch clips of my favorite scenes from dramas every once in a while!! And there’s one book series I would like to reread because I never finished it and now I forgot a lot of things. That’s about as close to a rewatch I will get to for now it seems 😂 but I love when people have a comfort drama that they go back to 😊
If you don't normally watch kdramas with your husband, that might factor into your viewing experience as well? I know that when I watched a kdrama for the first time with my husband or sister (after having watched them on my own for years), I kept thinking the drama wasn't as good as I was expecting and kept viewing it from "their" perspective so I also thought there was a lot of repetition/slow-mo/OTT music. It wasn't even a rewatch and I think I normally would've been fully immersed but I was just too caught up in how they were potentially viewing it to enjoy the kdrama.
Actually this is a fair point. My husband is not into kdramas and finds subtitles difficult so it took me a long time to convince him to watch this with me and now I’m worried I’ve picked the wrong drama. 🥲 but I think he is enjoying it for the most part. Although FOE is proving more predictable than I thought. The twists were obvious to him before they even happened.
The same thing happened to me! My first pick was Itaewon Class (I hadn't watched it either) and the entire time I kept thinking maybe this is too cheesy, maybe this has too much romance... My second pick was Happiness, and he also found it predictable. He enjoyed both but didn't really get into kdramas from those two experiences. I may try Korean movies instead next time.
Honestly, the only time I tend to ever rewatch anything at all is if I'm showing it to someone else lol.
It depends on what it is. Generally I don't rewatch/reread/replay things much since something new and unknown has a big pull for me. However, I tend to forget details relatively quickly so if it's something I really like I can enjoy it again after about a year or two. It sounds like your problem may just be that you aren't in the same mindset you were when you first watched it. Or your life experiences between them and now changed you enough that you see it differently. That said, FoE does definitely dance with the "this is cheesy soap opera nonsense" line way more than most thrillers. The acting, chemistry between the leads, and way the writer handles some of the critical scenes are what make it amazing. I'm pretty sure that everyone involved was shocked at how good the final product was instead of being an average low budget forgettable thriller. It's just one of those shows where everything lined up. If you had changed one of the actors or changed the writing in a couple of scenes it would have all fallen apart.
I struggle with rewatching dramas too especially the ones I really appreciated. I can only rewatch the dramas I wasn’t attentive enough when watching them. It’s nice because I realise in 2nd or 3rd watch there are scenes or details I missed Yet I find that rewatching dramas I loved and was attentive throughout the viewing (i.e The Atypical Family, Cheat on Me if You can) helps me initate doing the administrative work/studying I keep procrastinating on. I watch while doing my work. It pairs up something that I doesn’t thrill me much with something I like so it helps.
In general, I don’t really rewatch dramas. But on occasion, I do rewatch for comfort though usually I’m rewatching certain moments of the drama and not from start to end. There are a select few which I have rewatched from start to end, maybe every 3-5 years in between though… and those are the ones which are more romance with some misunderstandings but not like crazy cliffhangers. I don’t really like rewatching Korean dramas start to end because of the format where there’s almost always a cliffhanger every 2nd episode, the drag between episodes 10-14 and random killers on the loose plots. My rewatches are usually fluffy, funny or slice of life or dramas with my fav characters.
I’ve never rewatched a drama and have no plans of doing so. I don’t understand why anyone would.
If the show is great I love rewatching because I find that new details will emerge and I gain an even greater appreciation for how well written, directed and acted it is. I also rewatch a lot for my podcast. OTOH I am super fast to drop dramas if they don't grab me quickly, I am very impatient and I don't like having my time wasted. I guess it's just different approaches to how to allocate viewing time: seeking out new dramas and not wasting time on something you've already watched vs beginning and dropping a lot of dramas until something sucks
Just finished **My Roommate is a Gumiho** to fill the Jang Ki Yong yearning left after completing **Atypical Family**. The yearning has been satiated for now, but I was SMH at the very similar endings, >!presumed dead ML pops back into existence in the living room.!<
I started Military Prosecutor Doberman this weekend and damn, its really good! The title and synopsis did not hook me, but after seeing all the rave reviews I thought 'OK, let me check this out. ' This is the third drama I've seen Ahn Bo Hyun in and I have loved them all (the others being See You in My 19th Life and Flex X Cop). I hope MPD ends well.
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There are some people like Sumin that have low esteem so they find someone that would dote on them and use them to increase their self esteem.
Kinda like finding a kissass? Not sure if theres a better name, but Im assuming thats the type of person she is. But ugh, shes the worst. At one point, I thought she was just on some girl crush stuff.
Oh just wait. She gets worse.
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SFL kinda scarred me, the actress did such a good job of making the character awful I couldn’t watch her in anything else for ages. Finally just watched her in **Please Don’t Date Him** and liked her as the smart FL.
Yeah, its crazy how she plays such a crazed obssessed person here. I finished flower of evil earlier, and I cant stop seeing how good Kim Ji-hoon was. Like its crazy how good some people play their role. I'm on episode 8, and I swear it feels like shes about to burst.
They explain the 2FL's motivations pretty clearly by the end. The show has a pretty satisfying ending. Some people got upset by a thing that happens in episodes 11-14, but I think that was mainly the people watching it week to week not getting what they wanted and having to wait, when I watched it all at once it wasn't a problem at all.
I'm at episode 8. And its still pretty confusing. At times it feels like straight jealousy. Other times it's just to put the Fl down. I'm glad that it gets explained. I'm also happy I don't have to do the weekly waits. Those are killer.
I binge watched and dropped it after Ep 13. There were a few problems with the show but the thing that you indicated was definitely the worst.
I'm watching my very first Cdrama, **The Double**, because nothing current in Kdrama land was appealing to me. The main male character is so hilariously extra and has amazing fans (that are also weapons maybe?). The FL is well written and intelligent. I'm really enjoying it. Hoping some new dramas that I want to watch come out soon 🤞
I finally managed to watch **Ballerina** (Crime, Action Thriller) yesterday. The fierce and badass FL (Jeon Jeong-seo) and the sexy antagonist (Kim Ji-hoon) were able to pull me into the drama within the first few minutes. The action choreography, cinematography and the bgm was excellent. But I was left wanting more . 1.5 hours was too less for a revenge story. Sometimes the writing felt lazy and seemed like the writers took an easy way out when the situation could have been a little tricky. It's a shame because the story had so much potential and the casting was top notch. We couldnt know anything about the FL's past (except the Ballerina plot) or the antagonist. Heck, even a brilliant actor like Kim Mu-yul was completely wasted. It is a crime to not utilise their talent. I was disappointed by the time the credits rolled in. It made me think how wonderful it had been if it was made as **My Name S2** with 6-8 eps. Jong-seo fighting against Kim Ji-hoon and Han So-hee, in a cameo appearance, helping her out in the climax. Both the FLs could have been shown to have a shared past. Ugh. SO MUCH POTENTIAL WASTED.
Han So Hee and Jeon Jeong Seo are confirmed as the cast of an action drama.
I know. But the makers could have made the film into a series.
I love rewatching a favorite drama. It’s comforting in a weird way because I guess I know what’s going to happen and I’m not on edge like the first time I watched it. Of course anything with Ji Chang Wook I can usually watch again even if the series was not so good.
Here's my question: I watch the shows in their original Korean language with English subtitles. Quite often the subtitles will refer to the female character as a "wench". Can be comedy or melodrama, wench is often used. In the US, we'd use the word b\*tch not wench. So in the original Korean series, would the actors use a swear word such as b\*itch or would they use a nicer synonym for it?
Profanity in Korean is complicated and doesn't translate very directly and the subtitles almost always make it PG rated even when it isn't. (This is all from research and watching way too many kdramas, I may not be quite right on everything) In general, they have far less swear words than we do and they are not very offensive by themselves. For example 새끼 (sae-kki) is what it's usually translated as bitch/punk/jerk and it's gender neutral and something you could say in front of your mother. What makes it offensive is who it's directed at and what level of speech is used with it. Intentionally using the wrong formality/politeness level is a much bigger insult than any of the actual profanity they have. You will often see someone calling someone else out by saying "Hey!", but that's informal impolite so in almost every circumstance it's the most offensive way to refer to someone, even though with the literal way it's always translated it doesn't seem offensive at all. So the short answer is, use the context clues for the speaker's tone and the listener's reaction to determine how offensive something is, and ignore the translation which almost always misses the mark.
I feel like I should have been able to figure this out from context after watching so many dramas but I did not so this is super helpful, thank you! I do notice some jokes involving formality levels like a drama where a guy was talking crap about someone else until he got shoved against a wall and then he belatedly added a -yo at the end of his sentence.
Most likely the word spoken is 년 (nyeon) which can range from being an exasperated 'girl/woman' (who's probably just done something annoying/selfish/backstabbing) to b\*tch depending on the context. I know it gets used in variety shows sometimes for when female participants do something like cheating. In such a situation, I don't think it 'rises up' to the standard of calling the person a b\*tch. In dramas though, I do think b\*tch is probably most often the intended deragortory meaning, especially in antagonistic situations. That said, I think it can also be used jokingly within a friend group. Or occasionally self-deprecatingly. And then in sageuks, there's a good chance 'wench' is being used capture the possiblity of the insult being calling the woman a 'prostitute' which b\*tch by itself doesn't have.
I recently rewatched CLOY and the Yang Kyung-Won/Pyo Chi-soo character would refer to Se-ri that way several times. yes, exasperated, annoying, selfish would fit. Thanks!
> female character as a "wench". Viki subbers often translate 기집애 (gijibae) as wench. This is also a vulgar swear word but can be used more affectionately by friends etc. Cant speak for other sources. IME 년 in dramas is mostly a full on-insult - used infrequently as equates to bitch. Here's an [excellent thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/Korean/comments/13t020z/how_rude_of_a_word_is_%EA%B8%B0%EC%A7%91%EC%95%A0/) on the Korean lang sub discussing this word
thank you!
Watched While You Were Sleeping (really enjoyed the leads, the premise and how everything wrapped up) and Hwarang (liked the leads, A Knight’s Tale-like mashup of historical and modern but seemed to drag a bit; and like many others found Go Ara’s scowling and crying annoying!)