Team Dramabeans: What we're watching » Dramabeans Korean drama recaps

207 August 19, 2017July 5, 2021

Team Dramabeans: What we’re watching

by DB Staff

How was everyone’s week in drama-watching? I told myself this week that if I stopped rewatching my favorite parts of School 2017, I would have enough time to watch a whole other show. But then I would be depriving myself of the one thing I really want to watch, so where’s the fun in that, right? Six hours of YouTube clips later… –girlfriday

javabeans

Father Is Strange: Daaaaaad! I totally understand why he wants to be punished for his ancient wrong and how getting off easy is actually worse for his guilty conscience, but man it was so hard to watch him just sit there and not fight for his defense. But I realized that Unni is my moral compass (and the show’s moral compass), because I looked to her reactions and thought that if she could find it in herself to respect her father’s wishes, I could deal with it, too. I actually find myself feeling disappointed that we only have two weeks left, because after 48 episodes I still want so much more happiness and resolution to happen and I don’t know if four more episodes is enough for it all!

Rescue Me: Agh, these characters! They’re so well-drawn and well-motivated, and it’s so riveting to watch this trainwreck happen to Sang-mi in slow motion while also being really hard to take sometimes. I was SO MAD at Taec for not saving the day when he could, and I totally get why things had to happen that way and why it’s a necessary backdrop for the current-day cult setup, but I was just so mad at him for not being a hero and then sorry for being mad at a simple-minded 17-year-old kid, and then grudgingly impressed with the show for making me care so much. I don’t know if I can take this show with all its intensity for twelve more episodes, but I also can’t look away.

Reunited Worlds: Why is everyone so readily accepting of the fact that Hae-sung died twelve years ago, and yet completely unaffected at being confronted by him now, in the present, in the flesh? This has been bugging me all series long but it wasn’t as bad when it was more like a secret held by a few close friends—but now he’s revealing himself to everyone, including his killer, and they’re all, “Oh, you’re back, huh.” I’m pretty sure if someone I saw buried came back into my life, I’d be feeling more along the lines of terror, confusion, and chaos rather than “Yay, you’re back from the dead! Let’s go to the movies!” Or “Yeah, I killed you, so what?”

Criminal Minds: This show is really disjointed, and not in a good way (is there a good way?). When they dedicate a full episode to one case, I like it—the cases feel rather crude and simple, and the show feels a little like it wants to be cleverer than it can pull off, but the hour flies by because I want to see how things go down. However, when an episode covers multiple different cases or running threads, it feels totally scattered and my attention lapses.

Bride of the Water God 2017: This show does seem to be going in circles, doesn’t it? Or maybe more like walking a treadmill—there’s technically movement happening, but at the end of the day you haven’t actually gone anywhere.

girlfriday

School 2017: I was so moved that in the midst of getting pushed around by a jackass, Eun-ho cared more about protecting Tae-woon than herself. She’s one badass ball of sunshine. I’m ecstatic that other boys are noticing her too, because you know how much I love jealous shenanigans—Tae-woon going all CSI on his male classmates’ handwriting samples had me in stitches. What I love most about the way that Kim Jung-hyun is playing Tae-woon is that he’s an intimidating threat to everyone else, but around Eun-ho he’s jumpy and nervous and an awkward, flaily boy who’s terrified that she might get mad at him for something. It’s just. Too. Cute.

Live Up to Your Name: Funny! The fish-out-of-water hijinks were as amusing as advertised, and Kim Nam-gil is perfect casting. I thought his reactions to time-travel were pretty believable, and though I think the whole Eastern vs. Western medicine conflict needn’t be such a diametrically opposed war, so far there’s enough amusement in his character’s discovery of newfangled gadgets and misuse of words like “boyfriend.”

Bride of the Water God 2017: I finally caught up on this show, but I think that was pointless, given how little has happened. I’m thinking I could’ve just skipped ahead to the final two episodes to see how it ends.

Rescue Me: My heart sank when Dad finally snapped too, leaving Sang-mi essentially all alone in the world. I didn’t expect the time-skip, but now the stage has been set for regret and a chance to right wrongs, not to mention for the cult to have amassed more influence and power over the town. And a chance to mend broken bromances, right? RIGHT? If Taec and Woo Do-hwan can’t be besties again, there is no more good left in this world!

Falsify: Go team! Yoo Joon-sang’s character seemed kind of superfluous at the start of the show, given that Namgoong Min already covers the reporter side of the good guy team. But this week he proved his worth when he masterminded that awesome front-page snafu by the country’s biggest newspaper. Now I see why we needed an inside man. Also, nicely done.

Reunited Worlds: Erm, I’m disappointed. This show promised me healing, but the plot is so lame that any healing I would’ve experienced is marred by that annoying voice inside my head going, But… you’re dead and you have limited time to be here! Stop buying knife sets for your chef job and start doing things for the people you’re leaving behind!

Manhole: Tell me if Jaejoong ever stops whining, then maybe I’ll pick it up later at that episode. No wait, tell me if he stops whining AND gets a job. Why do I feel like that’s never going to happen?

tineybeanie

Currently recapping: Falsify

The King Loves: Ooh. I’m intermittently watching this. It finally got good this week, primarily because I have bad Second Lead Syndrome, and Hong Jong-hyun/Rin is surging from behind. Gogogo—I’m rooting for you! Otherwise, acting is still mainly meh, but the costumes when they’re in the palace are beautiful. I can’t take my eyes off the hanbok. And at one point, I even started researching if embroidered masks like that were available to buy because they’re so elegant and mysterious!

tipsymocha

School 2017: Kyaa, Kim Jung-hyun is killing me here. He was always more of a lite version of the typical teenage rebel, but his transformation into a rom-com lead is still totally swoony, not only for the way he’s constantly trailing our heroine like some duckling, but also because it feels like he’s evolving as a person in front of our eyes, all due to his crush on Eun-ho. This was a pretty great week for character development in general, and I really like where we are with Bora and Dae-hwi’s redemption arcs, who both delivered some pretty satisfying blows to resident prick Kim Hee-chan. On my wishlist now is a friendship between the ex-besties on the mend, and more cute shenanigans between Eun-ho and Tae-woon, who can keep on flouting boundaries as far as I’m concerned.

Rescue Me: I am simultaneously so creeped out by this show, but so invested in the characters (well, maybe just Dong-chul) that I can’t help but keep tuning in. It’s almost hard to watch at this point, ‘cause all the good guys are so beaten down, and Sang-mi especially is having to deal with a boatload of problems she has little power to change, not least fending off the disgusting Disciple Jo. It’s a miracle she’s gotten this far without being assaulted. Speaking of which, I was pretty surprised at the time jump, but I’m also eager to see how much Dong-chul’s changed in the interim. I just want him back on the streets on his motorbike, being the knight-in-shining-leather-jacket. Is that too much to ask?

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1 gadis

August 19, 2017 at 3:01 AM

The only drama I watch these days is School 2017. And this week eps is extra fun, swoony, and heartwarming. Seeing Bo-ra and Dae-hwi stood up to those trying to control them and regained their courage to fight for justice was so satisfying.

I also started watching Three Meals a Day S3, and found myself keep swooning over Mr. Grumpy Seo-jinnie.

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ravennightstar

August 19, 2017 at 3:21 AM

School 2017 just keeps getting swoonier and swoonier! ❤
And finally glad to see Dae hwi and Bora stand up for themselves! ?

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metamita

August 19, 2017 at 4:50 AM

Comment was deleted

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metamita

August 19, 2017 at 4:54 AM

Are you from Indonesia Gadis? Your name is like our language

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gadis

August 19, 2017 at 5:22 AM

Hi, fellow Indonesian! ?
Turns out, there are many Indonesain beanies. Nice to meet you. ?

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sangmaharani

August 19, 2017 at 5:34 AM

there is me, too! ?
hope we can hold Beanies meet-up one day.

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saiahepi

August 19, 2017 at 5:38 AM

count me in ?

Sixtyone

August 19, 2017 at 7:43 AM

Aaaand hats off for mango...
*Deep bow

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Onyx

August 19, 2017 at 9:59 AM

This is my watchlist:
1. Deserving of the Name - coz Kim Nam Gil is Jjang!
2. Manhole - a whining, desperate and super frenetic JaeJong is life!
3. School 2017 - it is that good.
4. Strongest Delivery Man - it is good and have to support Go Kyung Pyo in his first lead role.
5. Father is Strange - just two more episodes but we have to vote this as Favorite Family Drama for 2017
6. Reunited Worlds - I think I stopped at ep 8 or 9, I got bored, the leads are both pretty but age diff, people and he is a ghost! Pls cast Yoo Jin Woo with girls his age next time.
Dropped - Bride of the Water God - I lasted til ep 4, I thought it would get better, but this was the most boring drama ever!
Dropped - Criminal Minds (Sorry, Lee Jun Ki) / Duel

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Adam

August 20, 2017 at 6:07 AM

I watched the whole hot mess that was Scholar that Walks the Night for Lee Jun Ki, but I cannot watch Criminal Minds anymore. I suppose that while Lee Soo-Hyuk helped me watching the one - well beanies have eyes and eyes need candy from time to time - plus at the acting department the whole cast was better than expected, in the other case the whole cast is not as strong as I expected somehow to cover the lackluster writing. (I especially hate when the main actors are used as vessels to deliver some ”theoretical knowledge”. It feels like they added patches to a dress they try to sell as haute-couture. I feel like screaming to them ”Guys, you should know that both of you. Are you students recapping for an exam or something?”). Another thing that really bothers me is that I thought that Moon Chae-Won is a good actress. I think that she really doesn't like her part or something is wrong there. She is the biggest disappointment of them all.
Anyway, I learnt my lesson - Korean remakes of American shows are a big no-no for me. (I wonder how they did such a great job with The Good Wife.) Well, I have a feeling that it won't be long until I will have to say bye to Korean dramas altogether, because I do not live in America to have access to dramafire and the new one and finding streaming sites that work for me becomes more and more a struggle. (*insert crying my shirt off emoji here*)

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persianrose

August 19, 2017 at 12:40 PM

I actually lost my full intrest to follow School 2017 right this week! I think this week episodes lacked both depth and emotional growth. I wonder how all other Beanies liked it so much... well different taste...

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hades

August 19, 2017 at 2:56 PM

I agree with you that dramas are to each their own. I was really struggling with School 2017 up until ep 6. This weeks episodes were deliciously good imo. I'm actually surprised that you feel that this show lacked dept and emotional growth. This week we had Tae-woon being a puppy for Eun-ho, Bo-ra standing up for herself, Eun-ho being an all around bad ass (academics aside), Tae-woon being an all around bad ass, Dae-hwi getting back his soul a bit, and Teacher Shim taking a stand for himself and his students. There was so much to love.

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2 mango

August 19, 2017 at 3:11 AM

Mars : I already watched the Japanese remake and now I'm on ep 5 od the Taiwanese adaptation.

Father is Strange : Errr at least we had cute moments with RY-CS and MY-JH to balance makjang.

Woman of Dignity : I can't wait to watch the finale episodes !

Manhole : This week was definitely better than the last. Seeing Pil changing his life every week is great. I understand why Jaejoong wanted to do this.

Rescue Me : It's such a chilling watch with the cult.

Falsify : I like the plot and the characters but I'm not as invested as I thought.

The King Loves : Aaargh my ship ! My bromance ! My beautiful trio ! I don't know what to think >_<

Reunited Worlds : We have more informations about the murder and I think Hae Sung's brother was undoubtedly involved.

Strongest Deliveryman : I don't know why but I'm more invested in the chaebols. It's interesting to see them live as commoners and their bickering is entertaining. Or that's what I thought before seeing the second lead becoming evil.

School 2017 : Bo Na made me so proud and Bit Na can just go see her mummy ! I hope Dae Hwi and Nam Joo will at least be friendly again. Hee Chan is scary and crazy. I don't know what will happen to him but I hope he's going to pay for his bad actions.

Bride of the Water God : Im Joo Hwan as Hu Ye is the best thing in this show.

Live Up To Your Name : I love Kim Nam Gil <3 His fish-out-of-water antics are fun and I'm invested in his character.

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