Team Dramabeans: What we’re watching

by DB Staff

How was everyone’s week in dramaland? Did any shows get particularly exciting this week? I like to read what Beanies are saying in the What We’re Watching threads to know if a show I dropped suddenly got better and I’m missing out, or if I got out just in time to save myself some aggravation. It would just bug me if I never knew! FOMO is real, people. –girlfriday

girlfriday

Currently recapping: Seven Day Queen

Bride of the Water God 2017: This show is so silly, but I was laughing out loud through the first two episodes, so I think they struck a good tone and made the right choice to go the comedic route. I don’t know that I would buy the straight, serious version of Nam Joo-hyuk as a mythical god anytime this century, but he’s pretty hilarious as a pompous, powerless, penniless god in human form. I’m not super invested on an emotional level, but the jokes are working for me, which makes it an enjoyable watch.

Suspicious Partner: Just… need… to get… through… the noble… idiocy… portion… of our regularly… scheduled… broadcast…

Fight My Way: I liked the families as they were, with everyone having a gruff, adorable parent or two to fight with, so I don’t think this show needed to add birth secrets. I suppose they could pull out some emotional reunions and make it worthwhile, but in the final week I’d rather focus on the foursome doing some soul-searching and growing up. And Joo-man needs to do some more groveling.

Duel: This drama became ten times more exciting when they had one clone impersonate the other. Whyyyyy didn’t we do this sooner? It was so suspenseful and nerve-wracking, thinking he’d slip up and blow his cover with every lie he had to tell. It finally felt like they were making good use of the double-clone storyline in the way that I wanted. Plus, I really got a kick out of it when he just casually unlocked his clone’s house using a retinal scan. That was just funny.

The Best Hit: Yoon Shi-yoon is being so swoony that even though I have no idea how they could possibly write a satisfying ending to everyone’s stories and make things make sense, I find myself not caring because I want him to get the girl. But I half expect that no one will get anyone and nothing will get resolved, and the show will just end… That won’t happen, right? Right?

HeadsNo2

Woman of Dignity: I’m fully convinced that this drama can’t be a satire at all, and that the promos were a lie. But I’m also kind of worried that it’s supposed to be some sort of super intellectual satire, the kind where people will say, “Oh, you just didn’t get it.” It’s working okay as its own drama I guess, but man, it’s just not much fun to watch.

Forest of Secrets: I feel like Forest is the rare white elk of dramaland that ends up being more cinematic than the blockbuster dramas who shell out nothing but dolla dolla bills. Make no mistake, this show has money, but it uses it so effectively. The crowd shots are amazing, the directing so assured, the editing a pure science. Also, I have seen no Subway yet, which means that there’s still good in this world.

My Sassy Girl: Welp, I guess they’re together now. What I don’t understand, aside from most everything, is why they insist on keeping Lee Jung-shin away from any of the main action. He’s acting out his own side drama where nothing interesting ever happens, which is almost enough to rival the main drama, where nothing interesting ever happens (except for the arrival of Prince Dalhan). What I think upsets me most is that we had the perfect second lead, and that perfect second lead is meant to show us why the heroine still chooses the first lead. But in this case, the first lead sent the second away, and I’m not at all convinced that Gyun Woo was the better choice. Worse yet, I don’t buy him as the better choice. Why not utilize Joon-young as a potential romantic rival? Why are we hinging all our bets on an ineffectual villain and his ineffectual, severely dated harpy of a second lead female daughter? Oy, this show.

Ruler—Master of the Mask: It’s funny how we all started this drama thinking Yoon So-hee was going to be the worst thing about it. She’s by no means the best, and her deliveries oftentimes need work (a lot of it), but I can’t help but wish that they’d gotten rid of the second lead idea entirely and had Kim So-hyun play Hwa-goon’s role instead. That way, she would have gotten a meaningful and interactive part of the storyline, rather than being relegated to the damsel in distress that always needs saving.

tineybeanie

Fight My Way: Dear dramalord, thank you. Finally, Joo-man is realizing what an amazing girlfriend he had in Seol-hee, and that his attraction to the intern was largely based on his initial fluttering feelings for a younger Seol-hee. I wish he would get it through his thick skull that he hasn’t completely lost her yet, and try to fight for her again. But of course, these things take time, and I like that he’s going through some emotional hardship. Yay for drama karma kicking in, and delivering satisfying retribution! On the other hand, I’ve almost lost all interest in the main couple because there doesn’t seem to be an interesting conflict in their respective character growths. I guess things will change now that Dong-man has (maybe temporarily) lost his hearing, but this week was largely a stagnant period for them, I think.

murasakimi

Currently recapping: My Sassy Girl

Forest of Secrets: I’m not thrilled about the recurring usage of eavesdropping to transmit important information between characters, but since everyone is a suspect, I suppose it’ll have to do. This is a show where you are watching everything closely and always monitoring for suspicious behavior and clues, but remain unsure about what exactly is transpiring just beneath the surface. It’s a good feeling because there is a sense that we are diligently working toward some explosive reveals. What I like most is that even if I do guess a twist beforehand, I never feel like it was done simply for the sake of surprising me. Instead, it feels like a carefully placed stone on this massive baduk board.

The Best Hit: When I am watching this show I enjoy it, but I need things to pick up the pace. I’m really surprised at how much focus the lovelines are getting, especially since the show is stronger as a comedy. At this point, I am ready for a Partridge Family-style band and some kind of musical showdown with Star Punch. Come on drama gods, make it happen.

Fight My Way: I still love this show, but I’m not dying to know what happens next anymore. I actually like the inverse relationship between the two couples, so I don’t think my cooling interest has to do with the increased attention on Seol-hee and Joo-man. I think it might be due to that fact that Dong-man and Ae-ra’s paths to success seemed a bit formulaic and fairytale-like for my taste. I understand that they both have great talent, and that’s why their dreams are immediately feasible despite their lackluster resumes, and I love the message that sometimes you just need to be brave enough to try, but simplifying the process of success against the odds is less satisfying. I don’t have the same problem with Joo-man and Seol-hee since their dreams were always so tied up with each other, but I sometimes worry that if they do get back together in the end, does that mean Ae-ra and Dong-man don’t make it?

 
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