K-drama wrap-up 2015

The premiere k-drama blog, dramabeans, has been doings its yearly wrap-ups and it confirmed something for me - it was a bit of a slow year for good k-dramas, especially in the rom-com and lighthearted categories. Most of the top shows seemed to be procedural or dramatic (not my thing) and the rom-coms that did get recapped or reviews mostly did not fare that well. Too many duds! This was actually reassuring. I was thinking it was just me being unispired to watch and got worried. Was I "over" k-dramas or something? And yes, my limited show watching time is currently being used up by a spanish show but still, I can't leave behind my k-dramas. I guess just need something good to watch :-) But splish splash love is short and has lots of good reviews so I'm trying that out.

But here are the few shows I'm see since July and my ratings. It's a short list because it doesn't count the shows I started but didn't finish or just wasn't willing to even try (at least not yet, I do think I'll gamble with Answer Me, 1988, but I want to make sure people are happy with the end first. I don't think I can take another AM 1994 incident)

Oh My Ghostess - 4 stars

This is one of those shows that is really not all at well depicted by the tag line description. A ghost trying to lose her virginity may be technically true at the beginning of the show but you could say the same thing about describing You're Beautiful by saying its about a cross dressing nun in a boy band. Well, yes, but no, not really at all.

But weird storyline idea aside, this is cute. I wish it had developed the non-possessed version of our heroine more or at least given more time to her and Chef's resolution as the ending felt like a bit of a cop-out. But that's really me being a bit knit picky. The chemistry is great as is the cast. I adore Jo Jung-suk, as always, and he's perfect as our hard exteriored marshmellow of a chef. Park Bo-young does a great job selling both of her characters. Kim Seul-gie is hilarious as always (she's a big part of why I am trying Splish Splash Love).  It's sweet and fun and the mystery keeps the show going without adding too much angst.

Sassy Go Go - 4.25 stars

Another show that doesn't seem to match its descriptions. This was misleading as it presented itself as a highschool drama pitting the cheerleaders against the dance team and seemed very Bring It On-esq in the marketing. But it was a whole lot meatier than that. I don't mean it was cw melodramatic. Every so often it thought about it but always seemed to pull back before it hit crazy territory (although that's a bit sad because I really wish some of those situations were ridiculously overdone but given Korea's school climate, I don't think they are). It was just less shallow that I expected with its sweet friendships and struggles of growing up and making decisions. Go show go!

Warm and Cozy - 2 stars

This makes me sad. Great actor. Lovely location. The Hong Sisters writing. What could go wrong? Well, nothing. But in that case this is a problem because there was no story. Nothing happened in this show! Nothing! Where was the conflict? Where was the plot? Where was the quintessential Hong Sisters wackiness? Not here.

Splish Splash Love - 3.75 stars

Super cute! This was a drama special (just two episodes, about an hour each) so it didn't have the depth that a normal drama does but that meant the plot kept moving. Parts of it did remind me of an after school special (of the pbs not lifetime variety) and then I noticed that it was sponsored by an educational department or something which made more sense. But the history and math parts just made it more fun. And this is tons of fun and laughs. Great if you are looking for a short drama to watch over the holiday break.

A K-drama update

I'm way way behind in rating my k-dramas so these "reviews" are probably going to be pretty short and sweet and I'm just hoping I remember everything I watched.

Marriage Not Dating - 4 stars

This show is a wonderful example of how you don't need a crazy innovating plot to have a good rom-com (although if your the Hong Sisters I say go for it!). Well developed characters and solid writing and bam - 4 stars!

Secret Hotel - 3

This was a weird mish-mash of murder mystery and rom-com. Had the potential to be cute but spun its wheels in the plot department and didn't end up doing either very well.

Pinocchio - 3.5

I enjoyed this at the time but now that it's been a few months, I don't think I remember a whole lot about it. Despite my love of both main actors, it was just kinda there. I do remember that I liked the main couple and loved the scenes with the family. But the show was mostly about their work. Not bad but not amazing.

What's with this family - 3.75

This is a family drama. Which means its long and slow. I won't take any stars off for that because when you watch a family drama you know what you are getting yourself into. You just have to feel free to fast forward the story lines you don't like which in this case was the in-laws. I did wish my favorite story line, which appeared to be the main one at the beginning, got a bit more screen time. I also have to say that had I known what this would be about, I wouldn't have watched it. Just so you all know, it's about a father who finds out he is dying of cancer and how he choose to live his last few months with his family....so not my personal favorite topics for a relaxing hour of tv watching. But once I found out that part, I was already pretty far in so I stuck with it and I'm glad I did. I enjoyed it and its realistic but sweet ending. For me the best part was that it was realistic. It's not that once dad has cancer, everything else in life becomes roses and hearts and love in comparison. The family still struggled with all the different relationships and family dynamics (I loved the youngest brother's girlfriend and the other brother's new wife struggling to get along) and emotions. But they also realized what mattered. The dad's goal was to use his time to impart his last few life lessons and teach them to enjoy life and it took 50 hours of screen time but he somehow managed to do it.

Healer - 5 stars

Healer, you complete me. No seriously, this is drama crack. When you start watching dramas live, you have to take your chances. Sometimes shows let you down and other times you remember why you love dramas so much. I have a lot to say but I'll try to refrain myself from just gushing for paragraphs on end.

I didn't start watching it at the very start because I don't think it was well marketed. An errand boy action show? But I'm so glad I listened to the hype and picked it up a weeks later. It was nice to be able to binge watch it. It's very similar in style to City Hunter, which I also loved, but with a slightly less complicated plot and more time spent on the relationships. Not just the OTP, although its a great OTP, but the main character and how he re-enters the world. Lots of tension but not a lot of angst with just the right amount of humor thrown in - at the right moment too.

I love all other characters two - the dad, adjussi, ahjumma who is every k-drama every (seriously, what kinda of role has that lady not played!), the clueless co-worker. The second male lead and how he fit into the story is something I wish more k-dramas did. 2nd male leads don't just have to follow the female lead around looking mopey! Even the bad guys were great in an awesomely scary but not ridiculous way.

But back to the OTP. They were pretty awesome. Park Min-Young was great. It actually took my into the 2nd or 3rd episode to realize she was the same female lead from City Hunter. I didn't think she was bad in that although I know others thought she was kinda flat there. This show just gave her a lot more to work with I think and she delivered. I think the whole k-drama world is sad that Ji-Chang Wook has not done more stuff because he was amazing in this and nobody really wants to watching Bachelor's Vegetable Story just to be able to see more of his acting. I loved their relationship and how it developed. I'm guessing if you could check viki/drama fever stats you'd see that the beginning of episode was watching at lesat 3-4 times as much as the rest of the show. But being a k-drama, that means its a cut-away - which implies there is something to cut away from. Other than that its pretty clean and still action packed but less violent than City Hunter which I did like (mostly just the 1st and last episode of City Hunter). And I didn't have an issue with the City Hunter ending because I have an imagination but this one was more satisfying. I could have seen another hour of just show cuteness but that's because its pretty much perfection. I even liked the slighty corny soundtrack and if Craig calls me, I get to listen to it a bit more. Okay, I think I got the Healer addiction out of my system.

Hyde, Jeykl, Me - 2.5 stars

Only my love of Hyun Bin kept me watching this to the end. Luckily, he played two characters so we saw him a lot. Unluckily, the female lead was awful and the writer didn't seem to know what the point of the show was. And what a waste of Sung Joon's talent.

Superdaddy Yeol - 2.5

 No. Just no. I don't even know what this show was trying to do. It had its cute moments, but then they would be followed by the main character being a horrible human being. To her own young daughter. All because she loved her so much? And why is it cute to show a woman being violent towards a man? Hint: It's not. If you complain about the amount of wrist grabs in the k-drama field, you should be just as appealed by this.

Girl Who Sees Smells/Sensory Couple - 4

Despite the name, this show is not nearly as weird as one might think. It's another cop procedural/rom-com. This show did the rom-com part really well. The main couple is adorable and I loved the way their relationship developed. So sweet and realistic. And the seeing smells and sensory part, which could easily have gone all weird sparkly vampire, was actually really well done. In fact, I almost wish there was more of it. The cop part, not so much. It was just a little ridiculous how inept this crime fighting team was, especially when they had been put on the case of a high profile serial killer. That said, I was totally in it for the rom-com so I was able to overlook the logical flaws and enjoy the cuteness. All the cuteness!

Spring K-Drama Overload Part II

I hope that the title of this post, especially the Spring part, shows that I really don't watch 60 hours of k-dramas a week. But here is what I've been watching in the somewhat recent past.

Creating Destiny/Seeking Love - 3

I think this most have been a family drama or maybe it's just a family drama wannabe? It's longer, has lots more characters and extended family and well, it just has a family drama feel. Like most family dramas, it can be a tad ridiculous with its plot whiplash - "You have to marry her! 10 seconds later "I forbid you to marry her!" and I must say I fast forwarded a lot of the sister side plot once I could see it wasn't going where I wanted it to, but was taking a really long time to not go there as well as almost all of the random other girl's plot with her little sister crush. But I do love seeing the Korean adult child/parent relationships and the main couple is really cute. Especially when you find out they got married in real life. Watch it with your finger on the forward buttton, you will easily be able to figure out the plot but can still appreciate the sweetness.

Coffee House - 3.25

Cute. I really like Kang Ji-Won and it certainly nice to see him in something that isn't good but I'm watching for him anyway. He's really good at playing quirky and he really plays quirky here, my goodness. But that is what is nice about this drama, neither he nor the two female leads are terrible typical. Some parts of the plot were very interesting and different and others were way to standard (mostly the second lead male - although that might also be because Jung Woong-In will always and forever be a creepy serial killer in my mind so no matter how good his acting or the plot is, I just won't find him a reasonable love interest. That's not really the shows fault though). The beginning and end were the best, the middle dragged a bit and lost the funny which really is what this show did best. But a nice funny romantic comedy.

A Witch's Romance - 4

I wasn't originally interested in this one. The title just didn't strike me and I don't remember seeing many previews to catch my interest. And maybe the Noona romance turned me off which makes no sense because if you look at my reviews, I obviously have no issues with Noona romance storylines. And this one was pretty good. Because the main characters (and the actors) had some great chemistry and really worked well together. and for those of you with more, completely legitimate, issues, everyone is legal in this one so no worries.

It wasn't perfect, the middle dragged a bit when Mr. polar bear came back even though we all knew that wasn't going to work out and it was just a matter of time before she realized she who she was supposed to be with. There were also some weird editing issues. I'm not generally that particular about those sorts of things, but this was obvious. So if you watch it, yes, episode #5 is the episode after #4. you might not think that if you watched 4 and then started 5 but it is true. I know I wasn't the only one confused. I mean, the whole comment section was confused as well.

But the main characters were great together and separately. I loved our main female lead because she really wasn't a "witch" at all. She wasn't that stock successful but cold business woman that you might expect. Yes, she was successful but also this caring daughter to the world's cutest drama mom and a good friend in an still honest and real way. You didn't just see a scene or two to tell you that these were her important relationships and that was it, you really saw those relationships in the show which I appreciate in a rom-com. I like the romance to be developed but not at the expense of every other relationship in the show. And our male lead was just adorable. I really loved his bromance with his best friend "spinach." My guess is that character wasn't originally that prevelent in the show but the actor just brought him to life so they kept adding more scenes with him. Really, all the side characters were just spot on. They were well developed and the casting was perfect.

In terms of the main couple's development. I liked that they didn't focus on the age alone because that often involves the main conflict being how the parents are upset then close to the end the parents randomly change their mind with no logic so we can have a happily ever after and that always bothers me. With having all these awesome characters, they could have probably explored more without being tedious. Because even though it had flaws, tedious wasn't one of them. You could just tell the whole cast was having fun making this and that made it fun to watch. It was just adorable and fun and a great way to relax with a bowl of ice cream.

You're All Surrounded - 3.5

Finally I can see the appeal of Lee Seung-Gi. It only took three dramas! No, really. My Girlfriend is a Gumiho was okay but I didn't love it the way others did and I had major issues with The King 2 Hearts. I think I just don't like Lee Seung-Gi in that party boy that needs to grow up role. Maybe he's too good? But this, the hurt damaged hard shelled boy who's stuck in the past, that I can get behind. He was adorable! And I really this mix of fun action cop drama with our rookies figuring out how to be cops of the non-bumbling variety and our little quartet of newbie cops had great chemistry and of course, Cha-Seung Woo as Pan-Seok was a great reluctant mentor which I'm sure surprises no one. He's just amazing, from his expressions and deep emotions shown by one blink but also with the humor. He pretty much nails it every time. But I loved them all.

But going back to humor, why did that go away? It was so funny to start out then the cop story of the week took over and then our main mystery was the focus on the humor seemed to be dropped. I'm sure that had its benefits because the writers clearly had trouble at times keeping the balance - uhm, I'm glad Pan-Seok and his ex-wife were able to work on their relationship but considering the seriousness of what happened to them plus the whole divorce thing, his ex seemed a bit too flippant about things. Was that just me?

But while the whole group had great chemistry and the two side cops had a good bromance going on, I did feel like our main couple didn't really have great chemistry. That's not really anyone's fault but was a bit sad. They made it work because their relationship was a romance that wasn't all about romance but more about their friendship and respect and partnership. I do wish it was developed a bit more. I also loved Pan-Seok and Dae-Gu's relationship and how it begrudgingly evolved. And Chief Kang was probable the most interested female side characters in a k-drama ever. She was so perfect because she was so realistic and heartbreaking.

Basically, I wish this show had better writing. The acting was great but that was mostly in the acting. The villians were really flat and way over the top. The mood was kinda floppy. And there were a few plot points left dangling at the end.  All that said, I really really enjoyed it because of the acting and the relationships and character development. It was heartwarming and sweet and fun and overall enjoyable. I just wish we had seen more of that, but this show is really much more enjoyable than I'm making it out to be, I guess I'm just disappointed because it could have been so much more.

Movies!

I finally branch into Korean movies. They aren't as great as dramas because they are movie length, but these couple have been cute. It's been a while since I watched them so you are getting my several months later really short recap. Also, keep in mind that while that korean movies are not nearly as clean as dramas tend to be. These aren't horrible or I wouldn't be recommending them, but it is something you might want to be aware of.

Finding Mr. Destiny - Super cute. I was confused about one actor playing two characters without the main female ever commenting on how they look similar. I guess it's just a "superman is wearing glasses" thing.

My Girlfriend is an Agent - This was fun but kinda weird. Again - Kang Ji-Won being quirky. I didn't really care about the spy plot line but the rom-com part was enjoyable. I think the Korean title for this is the same as Level 7 Civil Servant but I'm not sure if that drama was based on this movie or not. I haven't seen it (and based on reviews, don't plan to :-)

The Righteous Thief - I needed a bit more Lee Beum Soo after the let down that was The Prime Minister and I. I think this movie does the best of the three listed here at retaining some of what I love about dramas, especially the family interactions and relationships. I loved both his family and hers (especially "dad" from the answer me series. I've got a soft spot for him after watching him and his real life kid on Appa Odiga/Dad, Where are we going?). And unlike the last one, I actually did kinda care about the Hong Gil-Dong (Robin Hood) plot. The bad guys were a tad ridiculous and I know in a drama I would have been annoyed with them taking up screen time but a movie short enough that it worked. It's silly but enjoyable.

K- Drama for Beginners

If you talk enough about something, the people you know are bound to either 1) get curious enough to want to try or 2) think you are crazy and never want to become like you. If #1 is how you are feeling about k-dramas, I'm here to help. First up -

Where to watch?

Netflix and Hulu have some and that's a pretty easy way to watch when you are first starting out because chances are you're familiar with those sites. The selection is limited so eventually you will want to branch out. I watch mostly at Viki.com and Dramafever.com. Both are legitimate sites. I'm not a premier member at either so I do watch commercials but they are easy to navigate and I don't have to worry about getting a virus or violating my conscious. Viki is normally faster with getting new episodes subbed and up; I can often watch a Thursday evening show by Thursday evening US time so they are my prefered site for shows I'm watching "live" but for older shows that I am marathoning, either works and sometimes a show is only on one so check them both out.

How?

I like to watch then read a recap. Dramabeans is my favorite recap site, they have a fairly large set of recaps so most of the shows I will link to have recaps available, we have fairly similar tastes when it comes to shows and they do a wonderful job at explaining some of the cultural things and meta jokes I might otherwise miss. K-dramas typically have 16 one hour-ish episodes. I'd suggest starting with an already completed show but if you are anything like me, it won't be long before your watching them streaming. There is a great k-drama fandom and its fun to tag along with that as you all wait for -the next episode.

What?

Here are some dramas that I think would be good starters. They aren't necessarily my absolute favorites but ones that I think capture the essence or really good parts of why I love k-dramas (heartwarming family relationships, cute romances, clean humor, etc) while skipping much of the bad (mega-angst, poor endings, live shooting issues)

Anything Else I Need to Know?

Humor is a bit different so even in a squeaky clean romantic comedy, you might find some bathroom humor. Not crude humor, just stuff that you would only expect a 12 year old boy to laugh at. You'll get used to it.

The first episodes can be boring. K-dramas are typically played two episodes a week on back to back days so the first episode tends to be all about the set-up. Sometimes you can get away with just reading a recap and skipping the first episode completely but if you don't, really try to stick with a show through the first two episodes before you decide its not your thing. I've almost missed my favorite shows because I didn't keep going after the first but by the end of the second, I was totally obsessed.

And speaking of obsessions, don't say I didn't warn you.

You're Beautiful and Best Love

The Hong Sisters are still one of my favorite writing teams so almost anything of theirs would be good (key is ALMOST - please don't watch BIG) but You're Beautiful and Greatest Love are my two favorites.

You're Beautiful is about a young almost-nun who is suddenly left to impersonate her twin brother in a boy band. It sounds bizarre and you might have to put aside your common sense for a while but is so funny and sweet. And "I will promise you" that you'll be singing along with a couple songs by the end. But YB is probably one of the slowest first episodes so promise me you'll stick with it to the second episode or just read the recap of the first episode.

You're Beautiful is available on Netflix, Hulu, Viki and Dramafever

 Greatest Love/Best Love is similar in style but with a slightly more grown-up story line and focuses on a has-been of the k-pop world and a current action star. There is a lot of "one has got all the goodness, the other the appearance of it" aspects which make it a tad deeper than YB but just as funny. It also has a heart stopping song. Darn it - now I want to go watch these two again!

Notes: Both of these have lots of meta! The recaps help make sense of it but even if you don't get half the jokes, I think you'll still find them quite amusing.

Greatest Love is available on Hulu, Viki and Dramafever

City Hunter

I hesitated to put this one the list because it isn't my normal type of K-drama and I'm not sure I would say it is typical of k-dramas - but its one of my all time favorites and is a great one to start with especially if you are having to convince a boyfriend/husband to watch with you but he is reluctant. Based on a manga, it has a batman/alias type feel. Our young hero (played by Lee Min-ho who I just adore) has been raised to revenge the death of his father and we follow his journey as he faces question of right and wrong and discovers that everything he knows might be a lie. And he meets a girl. And fights people with spoons. It's awesome. I really like this type of action but in the US, these types of movies are normally R rated for s*x and language so this was a perfect way for me to fill my action quote without those things. That said, the first episode is much darker in tone than the rest of the show tends to be. Unlike other dramas, it is really important to understand the backstory so I wouldn't suggest skipping it, but realize it won't all be that dark and depressing. There is cuteness coming, I promise!

City Hunter is available on Netflix, Hulu, Viki and Dramafever

Full House

This might be considered a surprising pick since I didn't rate it very high but it was my first and I loved it at the time. I also know more than one other person who first got hooked on k-dramas because they watched it. It's slightly older so the clothes are a bit dated and the story line is a bit ridiculous - how on earth do your friends sell your house and why aren't you suing them? Because that is what happens. A girl loses her home then she and the new owner manage to strike a deal to co-habitat. Of course, they despise each other at the beginning. And of course, they don't by the end :-) You know what's going to happen and gets a bit repetitive in the end. Okay, I realize I'm not really selling this one very well but its a lot better NOT on paper. It's just so sweet and fun.

Full House is available on Hulu and Dramafever

If you try one out, let me know what you think? And for you seasoned k-drama watchers, how did I do with my recommendations? What would you suggests as a first drama?

Spring K-drama overload Part I

Whew, these posts make it seem like I've done nothing but watch tv the last few months but in reality, I haven't watched a drama in quite a while. I just finished most of these right as Lent started or a few weeks into it so I didn't get a chance to post about them. So here's part I. 

Two Outs in the Ninth Inning/Bottom of the 9th with 2 outs/9 end 2 outs - 3.75

This is an older drama but it is such a cute story of two best friends discovering that maybe they should be more due to some cohabitation hijinks. I really love those forced living situations/co-habitation dramas and this one has a much more realistic set-up than some others I might mention (cough  Full House cough). It almost feels like two different dramas though. The first part is funnier and deals more with the female lead's growth. I wasn't a fan of her noona romance to start but it helped that I knew it wouldn't last and I did love seeing the main leads friendship when it truly is a friendship. The second part isn't as funny and I certainly missed the humor of the initial episodes but I liked the plot more as it dealt with the two leads, their relationship with each other as well as their other friends. Overall, quite enjoyable.

The Prime Minister and I/The Prime Minister is Dating - 3 (Averaging the 5 stars for the first part, 1 for the second)

Oh show. You hurt me. I didn't think I would like you. Mostly because the PR was bad. First you were about a prime minister and the nanny that brought the family together as he found love (Sound of Music anyone). Then, before the show started, it all switched and suddenly it was a contract marriage with a reporter. That isn't bad but it seems a bit weird to have such a large change. Add in the fact that there was a sizable age difference between the main leads (even for me!) and the star was a Girl's generation idol and I think it is pretty understandable that I went in cautiously.

Then you were so adorable! The first 75% of this show is amazingly cute. The main leads totally had chemistry and I loved the emphasis on family and how the leads communicated even when they were fighting. I'm a sucker for contract relationships and this one was done for all the right reasons. Yoona was actually great in this role, very believable and I understood why everyone loved her. And for being kinda old, Lee Bum Soo was pretty awesome as "Korea's youngest prime minister." I especially loved all the kids and the fact that they were actually a part of the story and not tagged on leaving you wondering if they were ever fed (cough, cough, Reply 1994, cough cough). Even the second female lead was a decent human being and I love it when that happens. I was tad disappointed in the second male lead role but that's more because I really like Yoon Shi-yoon but he will always be "Enrique" to me. Overall, I was convinced you were going to be in my top 5. But then..

Show, you did me wrong! Why? Why? You not only jumped the shark, then that shark started eating all the small children? The final ending itself was okay-ish but a handshake, really? And more than that, you dropped all the good stuff for the yucky filler and completely lost the heart and abandoned your theme. Badly done, PMIS,  badly done.

TLDR - Watch and love the first 75-80%, then stop. Or don't, but don't blame me when you finding yourself breaking out in hives.

Playful Kiss - 3.5

This was a very popular show a couple of years ago but all I ever heard was the criticism which didn't really incline me to watch it. But eventually I did and it is pretty cute despite it major flaws. The main plot is that an high school girl falls in love with a smart but not very kind boy and basically follows him around until he gives in and marries her. And yes, the plot is the major weak point. There isn't much of one and what is there, sounds so sad. But it honestly is really cute. I'm not sure what else I can say other than that. Oh wait, this one has co-habitation too, complete with encouraging parents. And there are couples (matching) flannel pajamas and really, can you get more adorable newlywed flannel pajamas. I think not.

Let's Eat - 4.5

I think this is my favorite show of the year. It seemed like a bit of a sleeper but I hope that is just my perception because it deserves better. I don't know anyone who recapped it and I didn't even start watching it until it was half way over. But I caught up quickly. It's just so darn cute! but it's not totally fluffy either.

The main show doesn't have too much of a plot, it's more of a slice of life drama about single/apartment dwelling life, loneliness, family/friends and food. Lots and lots of food. It's practically the "Farmer Boy" of the k-drama world. I'm pretty sure my kimchi consumption went up at about 10x when I started watching this show. Luckily the kids like kimchi too.

There is a bit of a criminal mystery but that is really an odd odd side plot. I didn't mind it since they kept it mostly to cliffhanger endings and as a way to have our other characters interact. And the characters are a lot of fun.

Soo-Kyung is one of my favorite types of female leads. She is your average woman but with a little bit of quirkiness. In this case, she's a tad suspicious and really loves her food.

Dae-Young is a refreshingly different male lead too. He's not cold and aloof - or rich and living under his parent's thumb. Who knew k-dramas could actually have a normal guy in a first male lead role - crazy talk! He may not be quite what you think he is at the beginning of the show, but he's genuinely "the best best man!" (insert thumbs up here). And I know Korean idols tend to get a lot of flack for their inability to act (mostly deservedly so) but Yoon Doo-Joon did an awesome job in this role. I still laugh at his intense food talk moments. Between him and Monstar's Yong Joon Hyung, I think I'm turning into a B2ST Fangirl.

Jin-Yi is another awesome female. On paper, she's a bit ridiculous. She's recently been dropped into the real world but everything is so new and excited (my first bill! I've always dreamed of paying a bill!) that you'd think you'd hate her, but she's also genuine and sweet so you love her. Actually all the characters are a bit odd on paper, but you end up liking - and laughing - at them all, even the dog. Maybe especially Barassi the dog. I really liked his scenes. (Side note: Jang Won-Young plays the best friend's husband/office manager. Everytime I see him in a show I think he's the korean Jeremy Piven. Anyone else?) 

Super cute, super funny! The best!

My Love from the Star/My Love from Another Star/You Who Came from the Stars - 4.25


The was immensely popular. Some people say it deserved it, some say it was overrated. I agree. There are a lot of reasons why it shouldn't have been super popular - 400 year old alien and a super star actress? Plus it was long, the murder mystery was ridiculous and the sci-part of the show was a bit lacking in development. BUT - the good stuff was really good.  Jun Ju-hyun is so funny. I guess she's more of a movie star and I don't really watch Korean movies so I hadn't heard of her but I know why people love her. She's hilarious and her character is over the top but still manages to be relatable - in a huge vain super star kinda way. I'm actually laughing outloud just remembering the scene with her running and using her leg to try and block that cameo by Suzy. And Kim Soo-hyun as Do Min-Joon was great too - the perfect adorable "grumpy cat" alien who didn't want to fall in love. Heck, he didn't even want to get involved. And it certainly didn't hurt that there was plenty of skinship.

As for the ending, the show never pretending to really care about the sci-fi aspect. The alien part was a mere vehicle for the two main characters to be conflicted about. So I'm not torn up about the lack of answers or duex ex machina stuff. I'm just happy everyone ended up right where they should be. I'm just assuming the whole spit issue was resolved with some good old fashion immunity building through exposure even though that wasn't really explained either. But overall, I laughed, I cried. It moved me, Bob.

Overdue K-drama reviewish things

I'm so behind in my semi-reviews of k-dramas so I'll try and make these brief. But brevity isn't really my thing so...

Mi-Rae's Choice/Marry Him If You Dare - 1.5 stars

Should be called "watch if you dare" but don't dare. This was awful. It started all cute for the first half and I liked the characters and was waiting patiently for the story to be revealed but then BLECH, the writer seemed to throw up everything and anything she could think of to boost ratings or appeal to fans  or something and we lost the plot, we lost theme, we lost the essence of two of the four characters and 50% wouldn't be so bad if the other two characters had any scenes but they didn't. The second male lead got all the moments with the female but she kept making moony eyes at the first lead who seemed more like a cameo by then. And if you are going to have a time travel show about choices, you have to have the character make them - both in the show and at the end. You can have any rules you want, just stick to them! I mean, I watch Dr. Who, I'm okay with timey wimey stuff but it was like the writer didn't even think about the corner she was "box"ing herself into.

I think I'm more disappointed in this drama for the actors. Yoon Eun-hye is such a great actress and I want to see her in a good drama! And Jung Yong-Hwa has really improved his acting. I think that ultimately was a bad thing in this show since we saw more of him and his character ended up morphing into a typical clingy second lead. I'd say a clingy second lead that couldn't take a hint except Mi-Rae kept leading him on. And I don't even want to think about the ending because I've already imagined my own - which is probably more like the original was supposed to be. Because who wants a romantic comedy with no romance, no comedy and no happy ending?! Stay far far away.

The King of Hearts - 3.5 stars

I guess I'm on a negative streak because everyone seemed to adore this except me. It took my three watches to finally finish the first episode and I did like the beginning 1/2 a lot but the rest just kinda fell flat.

It's set in an alternative world where South Korea is a monarchy. He's from the royal family in South Korea. She's from the military of North Korea. They are thrown together at a joint military training event and the story takes off from there. I thought that was quite creative and I did enjoy watching the South/North teams interaction. I also enjoyed watching Lee Seung-gi's as Lee Jae-Ha grown from a man-child to a man worthy of the royal title which is saying something because I really don't like Lee Seung-gi that much. I know he's like the Ryan Gosling of Korean but he's really not my favorite.

And I loved Ha Ji-Won as Kim Hang-ah. She had a very similar character in Secret Garden but she does that tough girl with the sweet inside so very well. And that was perfect for this role because we see how she really is at her strongest as a supporter of Jae-Ha's. I do love watching a strong women in a positive role that doesn't become male bashing.

And I absolutely loved the secondary love story. Jo Jong-suk is totally adorkable in the best way. I really hope he lands some more good roles. There were a lot of other secondary character's with a lot of heart too. So with the great characters and acting, why why not a higher score? The plot was so bad in the later part of the show. The villian was cartoonishly evil and things just didn't make sense so I really had to force myself to watch the last few episodes. And spoiler: killing off my favorite character FOR NO APPARENT REASON is not the best way to endear me to you, show.

Master's Sun - 4.5 Stars

Love this! I "wrote" so much about this in my head while I was watching it but it's been so long. Maybe I should just rewatch it! I could do that, it's so adorable. I know the Hong Sisters aren't perfect but they do what they do best so well that you don't care about the flaws. And what the Hong Sisters do well is witty and quirky semi-outlandish comedies that have that touch of sweetness and heart. You would never think you could find yourself relating to would be nun turned cross-dressing boy band impersonator or a washed-out pop star turned reality show star and yet, somehow you do. It's true, their secondary characters aren't always fully fleshed out (although they are getting much better at that and this might be the best yet!), and their endings sometimes don't quite live up to the wonderfulness that is the earlier episodes but they are beloved for a reason

This particular Hong Sister's drama is about a ghost seeing insomniac and her savior, the stingy mall chaebol Joong-won. It turns out that whenever she touches him, the ghosts disappear. And since he has his own mystery to solve, they make a deal to help each other out.

I was originally kinda meh about the ghost story part because that really isn't my thing (aka - I'm a big scaredy cat) but I had to watch it anyway because - hello! Hong Sisters! It didn't disappoint. Gong-shil is a great female character - she's so needy but not in the typical k-drama fashion. And Joong-won is needy in his own way too so they are a great match. Plus, the chemistry between Gong Hyo-jin and So Ji-sub is amazing. The set-up for the skinship is perfect because it matches the story while being funny at the right times and still poignant when it needs to be. Well done on that end Hong Sisters. But the chemistry didn't have to carry the show because the character arcs are great too, you really experience how the two leads grow and change together. 

And as I said, the secondary leads ended up being pretty good here too and not just plot devices or k-drama cliches. Some of the other small characters were fabulous - secretary Kim! By the end I had forgotten was a horrible person he played in City Hunter and completely adored him which says a lot. Of course, no hong sister's show would be complete without an older couple being in love or having a baby so that's there and odd as ever but not as awkward as it could be and at least somewhat connected to the rest of the show.  

The big mystery from Joong-won's past ended up being a tad anti-climactic mostly because by the time the reveal came, we didn't really care about anyone but the main couple. And the ending did get dragged out with that additional episode being throw in there. You could clearly see how the entire episode could be skipped and you wouldn't even notice it BUT that is the fault of the station forcing them into it and I think they handled it well given that and I actually liked some of the confusion it cleared up - or maybe I just loved this show so much I didn't mind a bit of filler. I'm going to stop here because the more I write, the more good stuff I remember and I don't want this to be a mile long. 

Heirs/Inheritors/He who wishes to to Wear the Crown, Endure Its Weight - The Heirs - 3 Stars

I think I'm probably being quite generous with those three starts but I came in with very low expectations. Basically, I hoped it would be bad enough that making fun of it would be enjoyable - you know, like Boys Over Flowers. And this is totally Boys Over Flowers part II. You've got a school full of super rich chaebols and one poor girl tossed in, disapproving parents, and bullying. So I was really routing for amusingly bad.

But I was surprisingly happy to find the first few episodes quite enjoyable as are Park Shin-hye and Lee Min-ho. Okay, especially Lee Min-Ho. I would say I would watch anything that he is in but I didn't make it through Faith so I guess even I have my limits. But this one is totally watchable - as long as you don't analyze it. Don't try. Just sit back and enjoy the pretty. And this show is all about the pretty Except the wardrobe choices, which are atroscious. As is the soundtrack. And the Engrish. And the American actors and stereotypes. But still - the pretty!

But overall, I still think it's fun and cute. The two moms are surprisingly funny as are Krystal and Kang Min-huk (lookie there, another CNBlue boy doing well in the dramas!) as the comic relief couple. Woo Bin acts the heck out of the second lead character, so much that you couldn't hate him even though you knew you should. The plot is weak and even know I couldn't really say much more than rich boy loves poor girl but that's bad - until the writer decides it isn't and they get to live happily ever after.

I know there were a lot of critics but I think PSH and LMH did really well with what they were given. LMH can stare broodingly like no one else and PSH is as good at crying as she is bad at kissing. Yes, people got tired because they seemed to do so very much of the brooding and the crying in this show but that is the writer's fault. It's a real shame because when we were shown the cheeky Kim Tan and the sassy Eun-Sang, it was awesome. I just wish there was more of that. And sure there isn't really a plot but - did I mention the pretty?

Reply 1994 - Some between a 2 and a 4

Who would have thought that a show this heartwarming could be so divisive? I watched Reply 1997 after it aired so I missed the fan craze part but this one was even crazier! Netizens around the world disagreed vehemently over whether Na-jung should end up with and in the world of K-drama, that's kind of unheard of. It's normally pretty obvious who the leads are.

I will be upfront and say that I shipped the wrong couple from the very beginning to the very end. I 'll talk about spoilery things below the warning but I will say that if you are thinking of watching this, I'd actually recommend being spoiled. It will take the pressure off and allow you to enjoy it more - because uff, the pressure.

I'm so torn about the rating for this and if I had been for the other guy, I might have given this a slightly higher rating (than my original 4) but I also think I rated it too high. But even with my heart being broken many times along the way, I'm glad I stuck with this. Because it really isn't about the big husband mystery. It's about the "family" that makes up the boarding house and how they grow and chance and rely on each other. The warm and fuzzy slice of life reply series is a perfect example of why I watch k-dramas. You sadly just don't get that in American tv these days. From the awesome parents - again (they were the same actors as in the reply 1997 drama and while they technically played different people, they were basically the same - even down to mom's making massive amounts of food.) to the great secondary cast, this show was all about relationships and feeling like you are a part of something intimate and safe, even in a big city. It's also hilarious. I had to stop watching it during naptimes because 1) I kept waking Jonah up and 2) naptime watching means no sound so no soundtrack or goat noises.

It isn't perfect. For some reason the Reply series seems to have trouble with pacing. With each episode being 1.5hr in length, there were definitely some scenes which could have been shortened considerable. I mean, this series was 30+ hours! Also, while some little things were important and tied in nicely to the whole story, other things seemed oddly misplaced - like Na-jung's love of basketball that was so intense for the first episode and then only mentioned 1-2 other times. And how Sook-sook is perhaps the easiest baby ever because we never saw him between the ages of 1 and 6. I would have loved to at least seen him at the breakfast table once or twice - was he never fed?

 And of course, there is the mystery. I thought it was a bit silly in Reply 1997 because it wasn't much of a mystery but I prefer that to this time where it was unnecessarily divisive and misleading. I'm writing this 15 minutes after finishing the last episode because I don't want to let other opinions influence me first. And this review is actually much more positive than I thought it would be after the first 17-18 episodes. Because I do think the story, and especially the development of a few characters, in order to preserve the mystery which is a shame. But they pulled it back in the last episode and I'm happy with the end.

1994 or 1997? I liked them both. If you had asked me during the first 10 episodes I would have said 1994 hands down. After that, it's a toss-up. If you are watching for the overall show, 1994, if you are in it for the main couple - 1997. Not that you have to pick, you can watch them both - or don't.

The next day - Guys, I'm so torn. After letting it sit and reading a few things that reminded me of earlier points (*in spoilers), I'm just so heartbroken. Really. It's crazy. And it kinda makes me hate the writers because it was all done in the name of the mystery. But now I'm saying 2, because I don't think I can recommend it, even though I loved it, except when I hated it. Ahhh!

Spoilers:

Right after watching: While some people who were trying to remain neutralish mentioned that they would be happy as long as Na-jung was, I disagreed. I actually didn't care very much about Na-jung. She was probably my least favorite character. And I don't mean I disliked her, I just liked everyone else so much. Especially Chilbong. To me, I just wanted Chilbong to be happy. And if he wanted Na-jung, I wanted him to have her. But I didn't actually care if they ended up together so I loved how he was brought "back" into the group. From the time he made that first phone call, my heart was screaming out, "get this guy a family!" so during that last episode with the emails, I cried a bit. I did. So touching. And then when they were all together and he called out "hyung" - killed me. I do wish they had they had laid out a bit more of his story and not just throw him that weird slipper girl moment at the end but that would have messed with the mystery so I know why they didn't, I just disagree with that choice.

Later on:
After more thinking, I'm pretty sure I liked the ending because I wanted to like it so badly. And yes, they did seem to bring CB back into the fold but still. Does that make up for the 7-8 years of being on the outskirts. I don't think so!  And the fact that the poor boy's "best friends" don't remember his birthday and then when he mentions them on tv, they don't even call him but instead get all excited about their moment of fame. Blech. Character assassination by writer.

*Yes, some of the earlier moments were deliberately set up to show us that CB was the right guy for NJ. Like Trash's and CB's differing decisions on the first New Year's Night. And then the second New Year's Night. I know she liked Trash the whole time and the one sideness is a normal part of many a k-drama but in a typical k-drama, you normally get to experience why the two main characters are a good fit and eventually like each other so that even if the second lead is a good guy and likes the girl, you realize that the main pairing is better. But in this drama, we see NJ liking Trash but are shown how CB is better for her than Trash, only to be told that oh, no, Trash is. The writers tried to solve the issue by making NJ/Trash's issue (as only revealed in episode 20) be that he couldn't stop being an Oppa and rely on her. But that wasn't an issue we was through the 30 hours we spent, it was just thrown out at the last minute so they could fix it with a text. Yes, a text! Because obviously the guy who takes a bus for hours to spend time with you is not as good of a match for you as the guy who is willing to send you a text to tell you he's got a cold. Event the proposal, however swoonworthy some people may have thought it was, if you listen, he basically says that he is worried they will break up because he's such a bad boyfriend so let's get married. Anyway, this has become an incoherant rant but it did let me vent a bit. I feel better. But in my head, episode 10 happens around episode 4. They break up shortly after and New Years's happens. At that point, she starts to view CB differently and eventually realizes that she loves him. Then NJ and Trash have a conversation at the cafe and talk about how they are still family. Everyone gets along and CB get's the girl! Doesn't that sound nice? I think so.

So I can't say I don't recommend this because it was good, but watch at your own risk. Seriously. Unless you want to end up like me, a incoherent mess because of some stupid television show.

K-drama is back!

It's been a while so you might be thinking I haven't been watching too many dramas lately. Well, you'd be wrong. I've just been watching several "live" instead of marathoning them one at a time which makes it harder to write about them. But several just finished up so I had to share.

Lie to me - 2 stars

Don't. Just don't. I watched this because I kept hearing about it in certain contexts and wanted to know what the fuss was about. I hesitate to say more because I don't want you to get sucked into this mess but if you are curious it has to do with "cola" and "karaoke" and if you are really curious, just watch those scenes on youtube and skip the rest of this mess. I actually liked the main female lead, partly because Yoon Eun-hye is very talented and partly because she was an interesting character - in the beginning at least. But they never really developed the other characters - or the plot. And I really liked the younger brother but all of a sudden, the basically dropped his character. My guess is that Eun-hye had too much chemistry with him :-) So, as I said, just don't.

Dating Agency Cyrano  - 3.5

Fluffy and Fun. It's not deep, it's not emotionally moving and compared to the other "Oh Boy" series (SUFBB, FBND, etc) it's was a bit of a let down but it's still super cute and fun to watch. Gong Min Young joins a troop of (emotionally stilted?) guys as part of a undercover dating agency that works to set up crushes. The show does a good job balancing the shorter term cases with the long plot arc and ties them in together is not overly obvious and obnoxious manner.  And the story has a number of mystery and question but does a good job of slowly tying everything together instead of trying to keep all their cards hidden then dump all the answers on you in the last episode.

But I watch it mostly for the characters, both the main team and the cameos are pretty great. The boys, the sidekick goons which crack me up, and Master (is he or is he not evil?) I liked the main leads although as a couple they aren't my favorite OTP ever, but I gave in to them by the end.

The show takes a little detour at the second to last episode which leaves you wondering what show the writers thought they were writing for but at least they kept that kidnapping relative to the plot unlike some other show I might mention (MSOAL - I'm looking at you!) and they quickly get back on track for what else but a cute ending. If you're looking for a fun and breezy summer drama to fill your free time, this one's a good bet.

Monstar - 4

I wasn't sure what to expect from this one as it was the first from Mnet and in my experience, music networks are not know for quality original programming. But then again, MTV isn't korean and Mnet is and it's connected to tvN so perhaps I should have expected more.

Monstar is the story of K-pop idol Seol-Chan's (played by Beast idol Jun-hyung) stint in high school. It starts as a PR move to salvage his image but ends up being a chance for him to grow, fall in love and befriend a small gang of "surprisingly" talented musicians. Of course, it's not surprising at all but either way, the music is great. And with a few exceptions, the music is woven into the story surprisingly well. Even if the rest was awful, it might still be worth watching.

Luckily though, that is not the case because beyond the soundtrack, this story has a lot of heart. It's this sort of dreamy land high school in which idols and students can suddenly form a underdog band and battle the snots one sense but on the other hand, the problems are very teen, in a good way - crushes and first loves, parenting issues, bullying, more crushes and first loves. I loved watching the teens figure out their emotions when it is soooo obvious to us. The first 7-8 episodes were awesome. I felt for all the Color Bar Members and really enjoyed watching them grow as people and as a band.

And seeing as how we are dealing with a k-pop idol, his first love and their friends, there was bound to be cutesness but so much cuteness! Almost too much. It's like a kitten ate cotton candy and threw up this show. There is one scene with Seol-Chan and Se-Yi, our main female character, in which they walk up and down stairs over and over again. You wouldn't think that would be especially entertaining but it was probably one of the sweetest and funniest moments of the show. You might be thinking that there must be more to it than that, like I'm leaving so important detail out and I'm really not. It's just that much adorableness that it can't help but explode  So it's cute and funny and full of feels but...

That said, it wasn't perfect. Now this show is more about the heart than the plot, I just wish the writers had figured that out earlier instead of teasing us. They started out with a lot of sub plots and I liked that because it really drew us into the whole story and all the side characters but then it just stopped and became all about the OTP. And I liked the OTP so I liked those parts too but they kept that going until the last episode and then couldn't put it all together in time. The ending was pretty open. I'm okay with a fairly open ending considering that this is highschool. It's not like I was expecting anyone to get married or anything but there were a few storylines that I really wish had at least some semblance of a resolution one in particular Still, that didn't dampen my enthusiasm for the show too much in the end because it was more about the feels than the plot.

Spoiler points

• Sun-woo? What happened to him? He was the biggest disappointment. I never shipped him with either of our girls but still, he was at least decent in the beginning so I'm sad with how he ended things with well, everyone! I could try and look at his last line as redeeming himself with Nana but I almost want better for her
• Nana. She probably did get the best ending just because she's awesome and now has two devoted fan boys. Just don't end up with one of them or you'll start another fight 
• Those boys, probably my favorite side relationship. I really do love a good bromance.
• Aunt and her teacher friend. Not a big storyline but I would have liked a kiss. Just sayin'
• What was with that pillow?
• What was with the snails? I mean, I guess I understand what they were going for, trying to tie some scene together, moving slow, etc but really, snails? That's the best you can come up with? They are all oozy and buggy and snailish.
• Seol-Chan and his mom. Heartbreak. I still don't really get how Sun-woo was involved, did I misunderstand or did they just not tell the full story. Not sure. Three names, poor guy. That said, I really loved the scene where she keeps interrupting them. So funny. And it's true, she should have been listening. Good mom! (At least right then, still not enough to redeem that other stuff but at least your trying)

I Hear Your Voice - 5 

I didn't start watching it because the premise, two lawyers and a high school mind reader solving crimes, seemed a bit odd. And I, like everyone else I'm sure, was confused as to who was the male lead (the high schooler or the other detective) and how they would handle that if this was a romantic comedy. But I joined mid-way because of all the talk and I'm so glad I did. This show was awesome - and everything! A rom-com, heartbreaking law show and intense revenge thriller rolled into one. Normally when someone says that about a k-drama they mean the writer couldn't decide what type of show they want to do and gives the viewers whiplash but in this case, it is a compliment of the highest order.

The cutesty parts were super adorable but then BAM and you heart would be racing and you'd be yelling at your screen "Don't do it!" or "Ahhh, don't die!" I'll warn you, it gets intense. I was really really glad it showed on Wednesday/Thursdays because those were Craig's days off and I don't think I could have watched in alone in my house at night. He might have wished that at times though, I think there were at least two parts where I actually put the computer down and walked away for a minute.

I loved all 4 main characters and how they all developed over the course of the show.

Hye Sung is an awesome lead. The lawyer that you love in the beginning because you think you know who she is. Of course, just like Park So Ha, you don't know the whole story but you stick with her despite her flaws, root for as she grows, and are so proud of in the end. One of my all time favorite k-drama leads.

Park So Ha is just adorable that you worry about not just because you know his sad story but because while you don't really know how he feels (well, unless you are a mind reading orphan whose one goal is to protect the women who saved your life), you still feel what he feels. And his puppiness kills me whether it is slightly cocky 19 year old with a noona crush puppy face or the completely lost please help me puppy face.

Lawyer Oska Cha could easily lead you into a case of Second Male Lead syndrome but he's also more than just the really good guy. He's got a great heart but that isn't always for the best when you are a defense lawyer so he definitely has some flaws too. You love him and want to hate him and then you love him all over again.

And Seo Do-Yeon seemed like she would be another standard despicable female lead but she completely surprised me. In one episode, I may have actually shed tears for her. Tears for a second lead! And not in a "my goodness, why has someone not run this person over with a bus yet" way. I hope this actress gets a first lead role soon because I would love to see more of her.

So the four main leads are awesome in terms of both writing and acting but it's really the combination that takes this show to a next level. The relationships keep changing which is great. All too often you get stuck with characters rehashing the same stuff just different situations but that is not the case her. The writing is so good. The extension from 16-18 episdodes hurt it slightly in terms of pacing (all of a sudden our super bad guy resorts to sending mail?) but it is a testament to how great the show is because those filler moments were still gold. I loved all these guys so I didn't mind things getting stretched out a bit if it meant I got more cute stuff amidst the heart attack moments.

Final verdict - You must watch this show! Just not alone.

Answer Me, 1997 - 4.5

It's not quite a 5, but it's pretty darn close. High school nostalgia at it's best. I loved it even though I know I couldn't even appreciate it in all it's glory because I didn't grow up in the 90s in Korea. Of course, I did spend my 16th and 17th years in Korea, just 5 years later, but I don't think that has much to do with it.
 In the same way you don't have to have lived in the 60s to appreciate The Wonder Years (or the 80s if you're a fan of Freaks and Geeks), you can still appreciate this show because in so many ways, the teen years are universal. But I did appreciate a few of the meta jokes and quite a bit of the 90s paraphalia (and the one and only boy band concert I ever attended was in Seoul and I think it might have been at the concert venue seen in one of the last episodes. Fun!)

This drama shows the lives of 6 friends starting in 1997 and moving to current times (with a few big jumps). It starts when they are 18, which seemed a bit old for me until I remembered that is korean age so that really means 16/17 for us Americans. And I would say Shi-Won's obsession with k-pop band H.O.T. stuck around a little longer than is plausible, but I also know fully grown women who attended the NKOTB tour so that throws that theory out the window.

And unlike many other teen shows, this one was very relateable.  The family drama, fighting and love. The many relationship, daughter and father, brothers, friends, crushes and first loves. It has so much heart and so few drama tropes (although it did have one big one and while I wasn't a fan, it was done well for being what it was).

One of the drama cliches they managed to avoid was the side characters - no psychotic, clingy second female leads, the parents were decent people who loved their daughter, and the other friends actually had plot points and developed characters as well. I loved them all. (Hmm, does this sound familar. Why is this such an issue. Great dramas have 4+ drama characters. Crappy dramas have 2 good characters and a bunch of stock ones. It's not that hard people!)

Shi-Won is a great female lead. Fun and loveable and spunky but it's Yoon Yoon-Jae, played by Seo In-guk, arg. Your heart breaks for him. He's an great character because he isn't that annoying, haughty know it all guy that so often k-dramas rely on for first lead material - but he isn't perfect either. You want so much for him at different points but he can't help being who he is. And I get to see more of him because he's in Master's Sun, the new Hong Sister's drama starting up soon! Yah!

Other highlights:

The haircuts. The first - classic korean parenting! The second - true best friend love. The third set - that's what high school and "discovering yourself" is all about, right?

The continuity and attention to detail - the broken arm story coming back illustrates this perfectly but the way they tie things in and make a complete story. It's just awesome!

The reunion mystery. I didn't even mind it continuing to the last episode. If they had actually kept us in suspense, it would have gotten old but as I was completely sure who our mystery fellow would be, I didn't mind going along for the ride.

So with all this gushing, why not a 5? The last two episodes mostly. They just didn't fit the pacing of the others. I didn't really mind because by that point, I loved everyone so much I didn't want to see them go, but narratively speaking, they probably should have kept them shorter. I also wish they had kept is in the 90s for another episode or two although maybe if they had I would have felt the ending was cut off. It's not that the 2000s were bad, it just that the 90s were better so they suffered in comparison.

The timing of all the episodes was off, although that might be an issue of episode division online because of the odd 2 episodes a night format. This is more FYI than a score effecting negative but it was disconcerting to watch a 45 minute episode followed by a 20 minute episode and sometimes it seemed like they cut off mid-episode. Not really an issue if you marathon it so just keep going and it will make sense. I had this problem on both dramafever and Viki.

The only other issue I had was the one storyline. I would have liked a second character much better without it. I'm trying to be vague so as not to spoil things but now I'm realizing that could apply to two different guys but I'm mostly talking about Han Chan. If not for "Russian Unnis" I would have loved him. The bus scene(s)- so sweet! On a related note, it's another tvN drama (as all the best usual are) so standard cable caveats apply although they are fairly minor (PG13?)

*Sidenote #1 - Blogger's spellcheck really wants to me change marathoning to marinating but no, that is not the word I want. I wrote marathoning and I meant marathoning, thank you very much

Sidenote #2 - Yes, I did say that I didn't like watching show simulcast as much but their happened to be a cluster of really good dramas on and once you start one, it's easy to just add another and now I really do like watching them that way. Of course, its more risky and there are still lots of older shows I want to go back and watch but I think I've found room for both in my life. Well, maybe not room, but who needs to do laundry anyway - I kid, I kid - dusting is the first chore to get dropped :-)
 

K-drama past and present

I haven't done a k-drama post in a while, mostly because between Craig being home in the evenings and Jonah not sleeping as well at night (required me to actually nap at naptime to survive) I haven't been watching too many. But Jonahs has slept marvelously the last two nights and Craig has been gone, so I do hope that's about to change as I'm in the middle of a couple and it would be nice to be able to keep up with them. But first, the few I did finish.

Secret Investigation Record/Joseon X-Files - 4 stars


I think there are two types of k-dramas. The ones that k-drama lovers love that are often full of tropes like evil mothers, super sweet second male leads, purposeless second female leads and lots of Korean culture tidbits. The second type are the shows that are just good tv and happen to be Korean. City Hunter is an example of the second, and since Craig enjoyed it he might agree, and I think Joseon X-Files falls into this category as well. If you liked X-Files, you would probable enjoy this.  It's very similar in style and theme but the acting is better and with only 12 short episodes, it's a bit more purposeful. It even has it's own cigarette pipe smoking man. It's also a bit intense so if you are anything like me, you probably shouldn't watch it on a stormy night when you and your babies are home alone, at least not if you are hoping to sleep that night. But its great for nice sunny nap times.

 It stars Kim Ji Hoon who is now in my top 5 Korean actors list. His characters in the three shows I've seen him in (Stars Falling From the Sky and Flower Boy Next Door being the other two) are pretty different but in each case, he totally becomes the character. And I was watching this at the same time as FBND so I think that's pretty impressive.

My one quibble is how loose the ending was. It fit the show and I don't suppose they could have done it any other way, I just prefer my endings tied up nice and tight, with a bow on top.

Best Love/Greatest Love - 5 stars

A Hong Sister's classic. After I watched, and loved, You're Beautiful I tried several other Hong Sister's dramas. They were good but none of them had quite the same magic as YB - until this one. I actually started this twice and stopped because I just wasn't into it yet I recognized that if I waited until I was in the right mood, I would love it. And when I was ready, I did! Quality wise, it's probably better than YB although that one will always have a special place in my heart. The writing is great and has the same zippy and quirky but still warm and fuzzy humor that YB did. I loved the main characters and I even thought the second female lead was a great character which is rare for me (of course, it doesn't hurt that that she was played by Yoo In-na who I happen to love)

 The Headmistress over at The Common Room has done a great job of describing it so I won't totally reinvent the wheel here other than to say that I agree with her and I really loved the ending. If JXF was too loose, this one made up for it. Slight spoiler: Give me a ending with a cute korean baby and I'm happy girl!

The same female lead has been cast in the next Hong Sisters drama and while the premise sounds odd and I'm trying not to get my hopes up since Big was such a disaster I didn't even try to watch it, I don't think I can skip it because when they are good, they are good.

In progress: You're the best, Lee Soon Shin


This one isn't over but I'm talking about it anyway because it's a family drama. Family dramas are much longer (50+ episodes) which is the main reason I've never attempted one before but this one was getting such good reviews and has Yoo In-na who I mentioned above so I took a chance.

The description on dramafever is really not at all what the story is about so I'll briefly describe it. Lee Soon Shin is the youngest of three daughters, she's sweet but just not up to the standards of success the rest of the family holds - she's not as pretty, not as smart, not as successful. But she's determined to try and due to some unusual circumstances, she meets Shin Joon Ho, a talent agency president who isn't quite as cool and collected as he first appears to be. His hidden awkwardness is really his charm - he's adorable. But since it's a family drama, it's not really just about Soon Shin, nor is the heart of the show, and it has lots, going to be found in the plot. It's all about the families and the relationships.

And as you can see from the promo poster above, this show has a lot of characters (and only a couple are really really annoying which is pretty unusual for a k-drama!). Lots of characters means a lot of fun interactions. K-dramas often have relationship charts and I haven't seen one for this show but I hope I can find one later on (when all the relationships have been revealed) because I'm pretty sure it is gonna get crazy.

All of the fellows that are or will obviously be attached to the three sisters in the future are adorable and are the funniest part of the show. I'm really loving how a family drama means 3x the romantic comedy fun in this case. I'm also really loving the odd male sidekicks such as the waiter guy and Joon-Ho's assistant. I don't like Joon Ho's sister, his dad or the chicken lady but they aren't in it much.

Oddly enough, one of my favorite characters is the middle sister. And I promise I'm not saying that because she's played by Yoo In-na. I just find her character to be the most intriguing. I say that's odd because at the beginning, you peg her as the sister you always want to slap and even wonder how they are going to turn her character around so that you don't hate her by the end. But within a few episodes, you start to see her in a different light. Slight spoiler: She knows her sister is adopted (while her sister doesn't) but no matter how mad she gets at her, never even thinks about spilling the secret. There are several other cases where you find out that other motivations for her behavior. She doesn't always present herself in the best light, but I think her heart is in the right place - even if it is slightly damaged.

I was expecting the longer length would annoy me and I was worried about doing another show simulcast but I knew I wouldn't be able to commit to a long show unless I started with it but because it is a family drama, it has a much slower pace and I'm finding I can enjoy it at my leisure. And while there are definitely some makjang elements, mainly the birth secrets, but so far it's fun easy watching. There are only 18 episodes out so far so if you want to join in, it wouldn't be hard. I think I'm in the one for the long haul.

In progress: Appa, Eodiga? (Dad, Where Are We Going?)

Not a drama. It's my first korean reality show and it's ridiculously adorable. I'm having a hard time finding time for it since I can't watch it on the kindle very easily and I tend to spend laptop time trying to escape from the quicksand that is my email inbox but I can't give it up either. It's 5 celebrity dads taking one of their children of about 7-10 years old on overnight trips. Super super cute and a nice dose of korea "reality" (although to be honest, it seems pretty real in a fake "plot" but real reaction ways. You just can never anticipate how a kid will react to something). If you think you might be interested, go here and she'll convince you. I watch it here.

K-drama: Cute, Cuter, Cutest!

I feel like I use the word cute too much in my reviews. But I can't really help it, there isn't a synonym that works as well as cute does in these situations. And Koreans really like cute. Heck, they have their own special kinda of cute - aegyo. And for the record, I'm not an aegyo hater but I do agree with eat your kimchi (which is much funnier if you've already seen You're Beautiful) - it's cute when it's somewhat natural (enrique!), annoying when it's not.

Secret Garden - 3.75

My first body swapping drama. And yes, apparently there is a sub-set of these. This one is a neurotic and arrogant company president with a love of sequined track suits switches places with a poor more feminine than you would expect stunt double. Hilarity ensues. And it is really really funny at times.

I loved Hyun Bin's character Kim Joo Won and his acting, in all his many, boy/girl/young/old roles in this drama. And I loved how his character really developed over the show. It took him a while but the man-child he started out as, with all his little mermaid/bubble crap, was completely gone when he drove into the rain. Although Hyun-Bin is also the male lead in My Name is Kim Sam-Soon but it took my two full episodes to believe it, he looks so different! He's so much skinnier in this one and I never would have look at him in MNIKSS and said he needed to lose weight. He's adorable in both but I want to find him a real life pattissier to fatten him back up.

I liked  Ha Ji-Win as Gil-Ra Im too, but I didn't feel like the writers gave her as much to work with and at some point wished we knew more about how she was supposed to be feeling. I don't think I was the only viewer to feel like they were a bit in the dark and it meant some scenes ended up feeling kinda icky when I don't think they were intended to be seen that way (evidence of this: "kiss" scene was sketchier to me because I was less aware of her feelings than the "bed" scene even though writing those down would make you think the opposite - but if you haven't seen it note that the "bed" scene is not quite what you might imagine it to be.)

I wish the plot surrounding the swap, the who/what/how part, was a bit more fleshed out but I did enjoy the wide variety of results. The humor, including the bathroom humor parts -  you can't put a k-drama with a male/female body switch and not expect that to come into play but it was funny and not overly done for my american tastes.  The skinship - but that's my body I'm touching :) and even the serious and touching (but I swear I didn't cry even when, well, I can't spoil it, but if you know, you know.)

It had some really good scenes and I enjoyed the story but it almost felt like they couldn't decide where to take it. It started out with a lot of slapstick comedy, then decided it wanted to be a tearjerker then back to crazy comedy.

I did however really like the ending (as in last two episodes).

SPOILER ALERT I'm partial to a long complete ending, none of this vague smiles roll credits stuff (my one beef with city hunter was the final scene - that's all I get?! I want marriage. I want babies. And seriously, how cute would those babies have been? That's okay, I can imagine them :-). But we get babies here! But I didn't just like having a full fleshed out ending, I liked this specific ending. None of character's change personalities to clean up loose ends but we still have a happy (enough) ending. Crazy mom is still crazy mom. But the two leads are adults too and I love how they let them be adults but while still being respectful to her crazy self. 

Flower Boy Next Door - 3.75

As third installment of tvN's "Oh Boy!" Flower boy series, I was really looking forward to this series and for the most part, it did well. I find Park Shin Hye to be adorable. Her character is a reclusive and frugal copy editor who secretly stalks her neighbor -  very different from the other roles I've seen her in, but she just makes it seem like a role she was meant to plan. She doesn't even talk much the first 6-8 episodes but conveys her emotions seamlessly.

I'd never seen Yoon Shi Yoon before but fell in love with him too - in one cliffhanger scene, I actually yelled "my puppy" outloud and Craig gave me the weirdest look but seriously, he's a puppy in this show. Bouncy and talkative and you can tell he just wants to be loved, for pete's sake, somebody love him! Oh wait, somebody does :-)

Kim Ji-Hoon is always a favorite and does not disappoint as Jin-Rak, the other boy next door, who secretly loves his neighbor Rapunzel. Plus all the great side characters -  Jin-Rak's dongsaeng, the security guard and ahjumma, the crazy editor (especially the crazy editor!) basically, this show is like unicorns and kitties and panda hats and all that is adorable and cute in the world, smooshed together into one little corner of korea (with the exception of crazy ex-friend and weird stalker fans)

If it ended at episode 12 I would have given it 4.5 stars but alas, it started dragging a bit after that. A few slow episodes is quite common for a k-drama but if it has to drag, I prefer it to do so in the middle and then recover but I do think this one ended well so that's a plus. I think it also hurt it that I was watching QIM  at the same time and it definitely suffered in comparison but still, FBND is sweet and quirky and fun and even touching at moments and I am not even a teensy bit sorry I watched it.

On a side note, this was the first drama I watched simulcast. I'd seen people saying they were waiting until a show was almost over so they could marathon and that seemed really odd to me but now I understand. It's really a different experience than marathoning, even though a few of the dramas I've seen, I've "marathoned" at a slow pace. There are upside and downsides but I think I like marathoning better. While watching it "live" means that I am forced to slow down and therefore have more time to think about what's happening, it also takes you out of the world of the show a bit. But the biggest downside is that I don't know if I'm wasting my time or not. I tend to be pretty picky about what I watch. I want several good reviews from sources I trust before I commit to spending 16+ hours of my life watching something and I obviously can't do that if we are all watching it together. The exception to that is if I'm watching because of a specific actor/actress as was the case here - although even Lee Min Ho couldn't save Faith for me (I bailed at episode 4). So I might try watching live again if another drama comes up staring one of my favorites but for the most part, I'll be sticking with shows that have ended.

Queen In-Hyun's man - 5 stars

I go back and forth about some of the ratings I've given, 3.5 or 4? It was better than that one I ranked 3.5 but not quite as good as that other one I gave a 4.5 to so...but fives are easy. I can go back later and figure out what I loved about it but I know it's a five when I feel like it's ruined all other dramas for me. That's what happened here, I finished this and had no desire to watch another k-drama because I just knew nothing would be as good as this one. And apparently I'm not the only one to feel that way about a specific drama since someone made this:

Source: doctorwho.tumblr.com via MacKenzie on Pinterest

 Why even try, I can't top it?! Of course, seeing as how I've said that 4 times now, I'm probably wrong, I will find another drama that's this good - someday.

But on to the actual drama stuff. QIM is sageuk (historical) fusion drama about Kim Boong-do, a Joseon ere chronicler for the king and Choi Hee-Jin a modern day actress. Seeing as how they interect, there is obviously some time travel involved.

I had never seen a sageuk, fusion or otherwise, and I originally shied away from this despite rave reviews but I'm so glad I gave it. It's so good, y'all. It melts my heart. It's so pretty to look at but it's not a drama that is all slick and no substance. It has some very funny parts and lots of sweet interactions between the main characters, the female lead and her friend, the male lead and his little posse and while the second male lead doesn't stand a chance, he adds to the story without being annoying. You'll laugh and cry - sometimes at the same time (episode 15? 16!?). And the plot didn't have a dull moment. There were two spots where they could have stopped and easily coasted to the end with filler and fluff and I would have been fine with that but things only got more tense from there even up to the very end, I wasn't sure my heart could take it at times and I mean that in a good way. Also, it's another tvN show (yep, same as the flower boy series) and cable = lots of good kisses and cutesy skinship!

But the best thing is the two main characters. Now I love me some I-hate-you until I-love-you couples as much as the next guy gal but its very refreshing to watch a show about two genuinely nice people who meet, are kind to each other, start to like each other and then fall in love. Yes, that does really happen sometimes! Of course, being separated by 300 years is enough of a struggle you don't really need to bring in jerkwadiness into the picture. I know some drama fans aren't the same, but I am a sucker for the "take responsability" line and how that is woven into the story really works because of their respective backgrounds. So basically, this show is about the falling in love and that is such a treat.

And how much cuter is it knowing that they really did fall in love. After the lead actor, Ji Hyun Woo, publically announced he loved his co-star, she responded with "We decided that he will stop being In-Hyun's Man and instead, start being Yoo In-na's Man." I can just imagine then eating ice cream and making little hand hearts - aegyo! 

VAGUEISH SPOILER ALERT:

The ending. It seems you either loved it or you hated it (not necessarily what happened in the end but how it played out). I think people reacted so strongly because the show was sooo good that you couldn't help but be very emotionally invested. I do get why people were upset but I think it worked perfectly. What happened to the talisman had to happen to have a clean ending but I think after that the only option was to have something else replace it and either it would be obvious and there would be no tension or it wouldn't be and you would be surprised. Of course, that surprise still needed to fit within the narrative of the show but I thought it did tie (sorry, really bad pun!) in very nicely - we saw the phone as a link/communication between them multiple times, I think the tie part was necessary to break all the former "wrongs of time/fate/history" that had occurred because of the talisman (the arrows didn't count because he didn't think it would happen, he had a plan then!) and to allow her to form the memories she needed to make that connection, and so that now instead of it being Yoon-Wol's wish, it was Hee Jin's. In the end, it was not fate but rather their choices and their memories and their love, that made what happened - happen.  And I'm so very glad it did.

Seoul Food

I love Korean Food. I actually love most asian food....and most other ethnic food. Okay, let's be real - I just love food. But asian food is probably the type of food I must often have a craving for yet, whenever I try to indulge in takeout, it never tastes as good as it does in my mind...shocking I know! Maybe I should get my baby brother to deliver some - oh, wait, he only delivers to College Station (but if you live there, as I know several of you dear readers do, you should totally order from Joy Luck Chinese - ask for Ben! Wouldn't that freak him out?!)

I'm lucky in that my mom was not only a really good cook, but willing to be adventurous and I learned from her and was too. Then I became a wife and somewhere along the way, cooking became a chore, something I had to do every day, and now with kids, multiple times a day. So I got into a rut repeating my same 20 or so easy healthy recipes. There is nothing wrong with easy health meals but it was also boring and exacerbated the chore part of cooking. Which is sad - I love to cook!

But when I started watching korean dramas, suddenly I wanted to make those foods again. It's very hard to see someone eating one of your favorite foods - one that you haven't had in years - without suddenly really really needing to make it! And I've been making a lot lately. Luckily Craig and Lucy have been pretty good sports. I always have eggs and bread on hand. If it all fails miserable we can always have breakfast for dinner. Nobody will starve. Google, pin and watch youtube videos. Be brave.

I tend to stick to recipes that use pretty familiar ingredients. I am willing to try one or two new things but I hate buying six new spices for a dish only to find out we didn't like it and I'll probably won't ever use. Luckily, there are quite a few really good Korean recipes that use the same base spices/sauces so if you have soy sauce, sesame oil and fresh ginger, you can make a lot of things. Now that I'm getting better, I'd like to start adding some other ingredients into my comfort zone, but baby steps.

But on that note, please start with good ingredients. If a recipe is relying on soy sauce and ginger for almost all of it's flavor and you use soy sauce from the mega bottle of costco and try to subsitute dried ginger for fresh, don't be surprised if it tastes bad. Find a traditional fermented soy sauce - it's much healthier and tastes better and it doesn't have to be expensive. I'd love to be able to use Ohsawa but I can't spend $33 on soy sauce but I like San-J Black Label (which is technically a Tamari soy sauce but don't worry about that, it works) for under $3 from Vitacost. I got mine from a store though and if you look at the label, it's pretty easy to tell the difference. Non traditional types use chemicals to hydrolyze the soy then try to add "flavor" with corn syrup and caramel. Yuck! Aged = good, Corn Syrup = bad.

I've been making a lot but here are a few of the best, or what we call "keepers."

Bulgolgi 

Probably Korean's most famous dish. Served with rice and roast veggies it makes a quick and easy dinner. You could also serve it as a ssam (wrap - see bo ssam below).  I'd say you can't mess it up but I once ate what was called Bulgolgi at a Korean restaurant in Logan, Utah but it was made with ground beef and was just weird. So technically, it is possible to mess this up, but follow my recipe and you won't. Alas, this is not the recipe my mother got from our Ajumma but it's what I have to use since I don't know where to find that and it is pretty darn close.

Flank steak or bulgogi meat - Bulgogi needs a thin cut of meat. If you are lucky enough to have commissary access, you should be able to find bulgogi meat. I didn't try to make this for a while because I didn't know where to find the meat but when I got a half a beef, I realized I could just partially thaw a steak and cut it very thin, against the grain, and proceed from there. I normally use a flank steak but I think a sirloin would be good (probably better!)

Marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 bunch of green onions (a lot of recipes call for white onions, minced or pureed but I like
6 cloves garlic, minced or run through a microplane grater (maybe a little less if you aren't a big garlic fan but I wouldn't go less than 4)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 T sugar (I use sucanat)

Note: I didn't include any korean pear (juice or puree) which is pretty traditional and acts as a meat tenderizer. Other recipes say to add kiwi or even coke for the same purpose.  The particular cow that currently resides in our freezer is pretty tender so I don't feel the need to but you can if you're worried about your meat - except don't add coke, way to ruin a perfectly healthy dish! Also, not a lot of bulgogi recipes I see have cayenne but I like it and it is not to spicy for Lucy diluted in the marinade. If you want to leave it out, add a bit of black pepper to compensate.

Combine marinade ingredients and add beef. You can marinade for as little as 30 minutes but I like to make it the night before or that morning, mainly because 30 minutes before we want to eat is the worst possible time for me to be in the kitchen with two cranky kids. But if you don't have cranky kids at 4:30, go for it! To cook, you want a dry hot heat. Technically speaking, bulgogi is a bbq/fire meat so grilling is the traditional way to cook it, I use my cast iron griddle, bumpy side up. Pan frying could work as long as it is hot enough to cook quickly (~5min/side or less), you just don't want it simmering in it's juice in the pan.

Hoddeok/Hodduk

Afraid your family may be a little resistant to your meal? Plan on Hoddeok for dessert. It's fried dough with cinammon sugar inside - what's not to love?! But it's also really simple to make. I've heard of using the basic dough/process but a cheese and meat filling to make a fun lunch or light diner and I want to try that next.

This is my favorite vendor food from Korea and the very first thing I tried on the streets of Seoul,  just the smell of this brings back memories. Which is funny because at the time I was making them, I'm pretty sure I would have said I wouldn't have wanted to keep them - the teen years, aren't they grand. I still remember the first time I ever ate it -  I was pretty sure I was going to get food poisoning and die. But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. The only problem with this recipe is that it doesn't include that single pea or piece of corn that you make a conscious effort not to wonder why it is in there because none of the possibilities bode well for sanitation reasons (I wasn't being overly dramatic with my fears of food poisoning) but the heat from the fryer probably killed most of the germs. Making it at home is not nearly as much fun but definitely cleaner and just as tasty.

Japchae/Chopchae 

A noodle stir fry dish packed with veggies. Yum! It's considered a party food supposedly because it's a little more involved to cook but that really makes no sense to me - it's so easy! And I even do it the hard way and cook everything separately like the recipe I linked to above does. I do normally add zucchini too (cook the same way as the rest of the veggies) and use whatever fresh mushrooms we have on hand instead of dried or fancy ones. (I don't like mushrooms but Lucy loves them so she always asks for mine anyway :-)

 This is one of the dishes that does have what you would probably consider a "weird" ingredient. Dangmyeon which also has a million other names. I like the name glass noodles because they are clear, like glass, when you cook them. They are also referred to as sweet potato noodles because they are made of starch which can be from sweet potatoes but every time I've bought them they are made from mung beans and the package says bean threads....confusing much?! But if you look at the picture in the link and write down all the possible names and go to an asian grocery store, you should be able to find them easily enough. And it's really tasty so don't let the noodles stop you.

Bo Ssam 

This recipe is all over the internet thanks to this NY Times article but I like how succinctly this post puts it. I made this for my birthday dinner but I cooked it in the crockpot then finished it in the oven. Really really yummy. I only made the ginger-scallion sauce since I didn't want to bother with finding the ingredients for the other two and it worked out fine. I served it with lettuce, rice and kimchi. It's a keeper which is good since my dad split his half a pig with me and I really had no recipes in my repertoire for pork other than bacon and sadly, my half a pig wasn't all bacon.

Shrimp and Soba 

This isn't technically a korean dish but we love it so I had to include it. I have an advanced copy of healthnutfoodie's cookbook (her friend was one my mother's therapists and got it for us) and it's become one of my favorite cookbooks. And definitely my most used one. I make at least one recipe from this book every week and I've made about half of the recipes in it so far and only one was a dud and . She has a lot of different types of foods and her recipes have given me a lot of confidence in trying new flavors and spices.

Next up: I want to try finding a good bibimbab recipe and maybe a yaki mandu, add some banchan to my repetoire and keep looking for a rice cake recipe we actually like (first one was not a success). Now that I've found out I love Trader Joes kimchi, I don't think I'll worry about trying to make that myself. I get a lot of recipes online but I'm thinking of trying momofuku's cookbook. It's supposed to be more about technique than strict recipes so I think I could benefit a lot from it. My mouth is already watering!