#beautifully shot ep and good cast | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sarah-yyy · 19 days

Note

what is war of faith about? is it worth a watch apart from just wang yibo(being gay?)? and where should i watch it?

you were all expecting me to do this so okay let's see how many others i can drag down this shenlai (i think this is the ship name we've settled on?? i have seen many 沈来之笔 tags on ao3 so i'm assuming that's what the chinese fandom has settled on) hole.

what: republican era communist spy drama (finance bros edition) // completed // 38 eps, roughly 40 mins each where: iqiyi (standard disclaimer that i don’t watch with subs so i don’t speak to the quality of eng subs) why: *chanting* yibo yibo yibo yibo yib- wang yang?? xiansheng???? i'll preface by saying i don't watch many republican era shows - it's really just not my thing, like even zhu yilong couldn't make me watch one and that's saying a lot, but i did finish and quite enjoy this one!! extremely strong cast on this show, and the story moved fast enough and had enough action in it that it kept my attention.

meet my boy wei ruolai:

ruolai is from a v humble family, worked hard to put himself through night school but is having trouble stepping foot into the finance world because he has no money, no connections, no diploma (the school is holding off on issuing him one because he's from a communist-stronghold province 😪). he's working several jobs to make ends meet in shanghai when he decides to interview for a job at the central bank.

he aces his entrance test! ofc he does! ruolai is a bit of a whiz with numbers, and is very very very determined to get the job - the place could be on goddamn fire for all he cares, he'll finish his goddamn test and get this goddamn job even if it kills him.

his performance gains him the attention of shen tunan:

xiansheng!! 😍💖💕

chief of the central bank, The Guy™ of the finance and banking industry in shanghai. extremely attractive in a suit. 100% dilf certified.

xiansheng takes a shine on ruolai, but ends up not being able to hire ruolai despite his excellence because, again, ruolai is from a communist-stronghold province, and they don't want to take any chances with him possibly having communist ties.

does that set ruolai back?? no. my boy sneaks into a party that shen tunan is holding at his mansion, and convinces shen tunan to hire him by essentially picking apart shen tunan's ~secret strategies~ that he's uncovered just by following the finance news and making smart deductions 🥺💚

shen tunan caves and personally hires ruolai as his PA, and begins mentoring him and teaching him the ways of the banking industry.

the show is mostly about ruolai's growth in the central bank and the shift of his political beliefs, centred around the kmt and communist party's conflict in that era. the premise of the show is fairly simple - most republican era dramas move in the same direction. this one was well-written, had a solid cast, and beautifully shot.

the development of stn and wrl's relationship in this show was good! it's v shippable, if that's something that is important to you. ngl, i did stay through till the end because these two were so interesting.

we have proud teacher shen tunan who is so so proud of his boy and takes ruolai suit-shopping and tells him how special he is :

starry-eyed disciple wei ruolai who would literally do anything for shen tunan:

he really does mean it when he says that. he gets tortured and thrown in goddamn jail for shen tunan, and he just bears it all and doesn't let himself react in any manner that could harm shen tunan.

i started this strictly for yibo, and had no expectations that i would enjoy it, but guys...........wang yang is 🥵🔥 in this as shen tunan, and this ship just.......sails itself. what else was i supposed to do except go three hundred different levels of ahhhhhhhhh over them.

ANYWAY. strong rec. like at least 8.5/10. even if you're just in it for yibo (who is EXCELLENT in this, the whump scenes are incredible), or if you just want to ship shenlai, the payoff is strong in this.

#tv rec #war of faith #shenlai

160 notes · View notes

bronx-bomber87 · 1 year

Text

I see a lot of negativity out there with this last ep. I think we’ve gotten so spoiled by having them every week this season with something. Even before they got together we always got something to add to the slow burn. This was the first week we didn’t get them in a scene together. Was I bummed? I would be lying if I said I wasn’t. But I also have to remember this isn’t just their show. They’re the best part hands down. They are the heart and the reason the ratings have shot through the roof. Don’t get me wrong there. But the ep was still good. I still enjoy the show as a whole. I think that gets lost in the sheer giddiness and excitement we all have from them being together finally. I’m guilty of that. We have a wonderful ensemble cast. That I truly enjoy. It’s a blessing some shows don’t get.

I still think they’ve been written well. We’ve gotten a lot of really really good content and growth between them. Just in this season alone. Look at Lucy being a BAMF running her own section of their op. Aaron following her lead no question. Her owning everything she was doing. Metro Tim is sitting just fine with me too BTW. That sexy swagger along with his confident leadership, that just exudes out of him when he’s on duty. I’m here for it. No we didn’t get a scene together this week. But looks like next week is going to remedy that pretty quickly. We did get to see them both in their element separately. I do enjoy watching that. I still get a kick out of how damn much Lucy has grown as a person. Watching her run her side of it with so much strong assurance. I’m in awe and so proud. Also that look she gave Aaron when he hit that bottle and that blew the op. Oof. If looks could kill. Tim would be so proud. These are still wins in my book.

So no we didn’t get a moment or scene this ep. But to me that is no reason to panic or be upset honestly. This ep didn’t center around them but they both played their parts beautifully. I still enjoyed watching them both do their thing and do it well. Enjoy the ride everyone. We’re still on it. It is still Chenford season even if we didn’t get something this week. I’m just jazzed they’re together and there is something to look forward to each ep. Its a damn gift all in itself. That being said I can’t wait till next week to see what we get for this valentines ep. ❤️

#chenford #its chenford season yall #enjoying every minute #take a deep breath #remember they’re together #and that in itself is amazing #Tim x Lucy #tim bradford x lucy chen #the rookie #the rookie 5x15 #Lucy chen #eric winter #melissa o'neil #Tim Bradford

74 notes · View notes

samuraiko · 2 months

Text

Just saw the first two eps of the new SHOGUN series -- wow.

John and I have each read James Clavell's novel SEVERAL times, plus watched the original Richard Chamberlain/Toshiro Mifune miniseries all the way through at least twice. (I got him the DVD set as a birthday gift way back when we first got engaged... and then just a couple years ago, I nabbed him the entire 3-CD score by Maurice Jarre.)

The new series on FX/Hulu is EXCELLENT so far. Beautifully shot, phenomenally cast, and I see what Hiroyuki Sanada and the rest of the producers and the cast are talking about when they say that this version is much closer to the novel's tendency to tell the story largely from the viewpoint of the Japanese, whereas the miniseries was skewed more toward the POV of Blackthorne.

The time just seemed to FLY by -- it's so good. I can't wait to see the rest of it.

#shogun fx

11 notes · View notes

tm-trx · 3 months

Text

currents.04[2024]

selections from my week in media [21-27 january 2024]

[dropping]

Last Twilight - I watched the first episode when it aired last year and decided to wait to binge the whole thing. It ended this week and from what I've read so far, it's most likely not going to be worth the time I could devote to something else on my list.

[listening]

"Good Girls" / Elle King

"Love Wins All" / IU

"Lovers or Enemies" / CIX

"Wife" / G-IDLE

[loving]

Yeowoon's little pout about killed me dead. I'd love to know if that was an actor choice or the director's. - Love For Love's Sake, ep 4

[reading]

Glitterland by Alexis Hall - m/m contemporary romance - Excellent book but heavy themes.

Turn Left by kianspo - MDZS canon divergence AU - Lan Wangji grows up away from the Lan sect

[watching]

For Him - Domestic bliss for Nail and Him now that everything is out in the open and Nail is secure in Him's feelings. They were so sweet with Honey. And we finally got some Dream/Chaochum scenes! I wish they were the second pairing instead of the detestable Chao. I've rarely been so annoyed by a character that I mute their scenes but here we are. Phai, great sex isn't worth the annoyance. Move on and find a new FWB.

Love For Love's Sake - I'm so glad I started this one. It's a darling little show, beautifully shot. Episodes 1 and 2 set up the game mechanics and introduced a well-rounded cast of interesting characters that I immediately fell in love with. Episodes 3 and 4 gave us the most adorable baby flirt in Yeowoon. The actor is so good: his face changes entirely when he's looking at Myungha now that he's caught feelings.

Pit Babe - Last week was all about the tears, this week was an assortment of character stuff. Alan and Jeff got together finally (the magnetic charm bracelets!) and Pete's storyline has been developed a lot further than I expected when he first appeared, but it's very good. I hope this show results in fic of both pairings because Pete's interactions with both Way and Kenta are just that good. There is so much story in both relationships to explore.

The Sign - Phaya and Tharn, being soft boyfriends in bed for 10 straight minutes is an excellent way to start off an episode.

The Story of Park's Marriage Contract {finished: 5 stars} - The h/c was strong with this one. Loved it. The love story was great and I appreciated that they spent time on the final resolution, instead of making her return a quick fix. It was sad, but it was done well I think. I loved all the characters so much and will be adding it to the list of shows I'd like to rewatch.

previous Currents posts

#pit babe the series #the sign the series #love for love's sake #the story of parks marriage contract #for him the series #last twilight #gidle #ql drama #mdzs #fic rec #thai drama #cix #kdrama #iu #elle king #tmtrx watches dramas #tmtrx currents

8 notes · View notes

tytangfei · 4 months

Text

Jina’s dramas awards 2023

It’s here! I feel like I say this every time, but truly, this year, I had less time to devote to dramas. Also, there were few dramas that held my full attention from beginning to end, so this year's list will be pretty short! (Check out my favs from 2020 , 2021, and from 2022.)

As usual, these are mostly Chinese historical/period romance dramas. I do have a category for modern dramas but I didn't watch any this year, so I'll be taking it off for this year. :)

Best Overall Drama

Lost You Forever (Season 1): A brilliant first episode played by talented kid actors who just drew you to this solemn, aching world of xiao yao and others. Technically, the drama isn't over, but my goodness, the characters are so good. The actors are chef's kiss.

Most Delightful/Fun Drama

The Starry Love: Knowing xianxia and wuxia genres, I expected this drama to have more angst, but I was laughing more than I was crying. A strong ensemble cast too that made everything more fun. I love this drama so much.

Most Impactful Drama

Lost You Forever: I still mull over certain scenes, cry over the characters' back stories and motivations and what gives them grief. I am still patiently waiting for season 2.

Drama with the Best Soundtrack

Circle of Love: Bangers after bangers. I still play it after all these months. The drama is such a wild intense ride, it was super entertaining.

Best Costume/Design/Set Drama

My Journey to You: Everything felt so elevated and elegant and sharp and mysterious and dangerous. Love it.

Best Short Drama

Butterflied Lover: This director never misses. Adore the two couples, even though the plot slowed down a little bit about 2/3 of the way. Beautifully shot, interesting storyline, happy ending. Nothing else I could ask for from a short drama.

Most Unexpected Drama (aka the Dark Horse) / Drama(s) I'm Enjoying Right Now But Have Not Finished

Mysterious Lotus Casebook, A Journey to Love, and The Last Immortal. For all three, I was surprised I enjoyed them so much. For MLC and AJTL, I know there are some major characters deaths, so I have yet the heart to finish it but I know that I've enjoyed a huge portion of it and I know their endings will not ruin that.

The Last Immortal is still airing and could have a disastrous end since they have to cut a lot to fit the 40-ep max limit, but I am surprised that I really like the characters. Unlike their prequel An Ancient Love Poetry where I did not care for the male lead's God self, for this drama, I care much about gu jin/yuan qi and a yin. I hope this drama ends on a good note.

------------------------------------------------

That’s all for me! Did we share any favs? Which drama would you in what category? Feel free to let me know. :) Thanks, all! Here's to new and beloved dramas in 2024!

#lost you forever #circle of love #my journey to you #butterflied lover #mysterious lotus casebook #a journey to love #the last immortal #chinese dramas #jina dramas awards 2023 #jina dramas awards list #jina watches cdramas

17 notes · View notes

queenie-the-writer · 2 years

Text

heartstopper: a rant

don’t get me wrong i f*cking love heartstopper but i found some things problematic, specifically in the show and i need an outlet so here we are (don’t come @ me or i’ll come @ you *respectfully*)

ok. so. i read the heartstopper books 1-4 in two days and binged the show the second day. therefore, i got a pretty direct comparison between the two and found that a lot of the things that were handled beautifully in the books weren’t done so well in the show.

keep in mind, ofc i wasn’t expecting the books and the show to be perfectly the same bc ik that’s simply not possible. no hate to anyone who loves the show, don’t get me wrong i did too!!! i just feel like it’s important to point these things out bc some of them are just not ok.

1. SHOW NICK VS BOOK NICK

I. LITERALLY. LOVE. NICK.

i relate so much to his character and he is such a sweetheart. but to me, show nick came no where near as good as book nick. let me explain.

let’s start with book nick. he was always so nice and respectful to everyone, and wasn’t afraid to stand up for what is right. we can see some of these same qualities in show nick, although book nick didn’t care as much abt being seen with charlie.

there’s this one scene that i always come back to when making a comparison between these two versions of him. remember the scene in volume 2 when they’re at a rugby practice and charlie gets passed the ball(?) and then tackled? some of the dialogue is “sorry, charlie” and “i forgot you were so light” as charlie is dazed on the ground. next thing you know, nick is shoving past everyone and yelling “CHARLIE!”, then proceeds to help charlie up and away like they’re the only two people there. he also stays and helps tend to his injury.

this all happens a little bit differently in the show. ep 4, rugby against the buff team which quickly turns into rugby against the buff team in the pouring rain. also in front of a bunch of kids from school, including charlie’s friends. at one point, the dude with the ball(?) is running for the end zone(?) (sports lingo amirite) and charlie’s there and ofc now’s the perfect time to decide to tackle him but instead charlie basically gets punched and falls down. everything just kinda like stops and nick is just standing there like ten feet away from charlie on the ground for a solid five minutes as everyone starts leaving and what does he do? absolutely nothing. nick just watches as ppl help charlie up and away and i think you see my point right?

then show nick has the audacity to say he’ll go out with a girl he doesn’t even like in front of a crowd of kids from school. like, no no no sir.

anyways. book nick >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> show nick

2. CHARLIE IS HISPANIC, RIGHT?

i guess not in the show bc he’s kinda super white. not that joe locke didn’t do a terrific job with the role, but just a missed mark by the casting since i feel like that’s an important part of the diversity and rep of the series.

3. TARA AND DARCY’S PLOTLINE

imo, a big part of nick’s character development is because of these ladies and their experience with coming out, which was lost in the show since they were also still figuring it out. it also felt kind of unnecessary to change it so much in the show, but oh well.

omg but the shot of them dancing at the party with the lights >>>>>

4. ELLE OUTING CHARLIE AND NICK

this is my biggest point and the one i found the MOST problematic in this whole thing.

when someone decides to trust you with their sexuality and / or the privacy of their relationship, one of the most important rules to follow is DONT TELL ANYONE. it’s not your responsibility to tell others. everyone’s journey is different and it’s up to them how and when they want to tell specific ppl, even if they’re also a part of your life. ITS NOT YOUR JOB. it’s a huge crossing of boundaries and grossly disrespectful.

this wasn’t an issue in the books, which makes me wonder why on earth they did what they did in the show.

i believe it’s in the third book that charlie decides to finally tell tao about his and nick’s relationship. though tao is the last one to know, it was still charlie who initiated the conversation bc he was finally ready to trust tao again.

in the show, nick and charlie tell elle when they’re out on a triple date with tara and darcy while tao is away from the table. so now tao is the only one who doesn’t know and when he shares his suspicions with elle about nick and charlie, SHE DOESNT DO ANYTHING. doesn’t deny anything, doesn’t even try to switch the subject. she doesn’t do anything to protect nick and charlie’s privacy and that’s what gets me so worked up.

again, don’t get me wrong—i loved the experience of reading and watching heartstopper. i just thought bringing the things i noticed to light was important bc some of the things represented in the show are just not okay. imo, the books are 110% better than the show and i highly recommend reading and also watching the show. it’s a great easy queer read with lots of amazing rep!!!

#heartstopper #netflix #just ranting #lgbtq #lgbt books #show vs book #readers on tumblr #writers on tumblr

5 notes · View notes

biomic · 2 years

Note

how are we feeling about zenkaiger overall?

unfortunately kind of a mixed bag for me :/

i just think me and this show were on different wavelengths. there were certain ideas and concepts that i got attached to early on that the show just wasn't interested in exploring. the show primarily wanted to be a comedy, and i think it was successful in that, but for me that wasn't the thing that had me so engaged when it first began

i loved the idea of robots as rangers, but they're the least developed out of the main cast. i was so into the tojitendo as this oppressive regime, and it really felt like the show had some things to say about these systems of power early on, but in the end they're komura's most generic group of bad guys. i was excited to see how the anniversary aspect would evolve over time, but it's really only there for gags and quick references. i never expected the show to be gokaiger 2, full of cameos and tribute episodes, but the fact that our heroes have such a loose connection to the history of super sentai feels like a bit of a missed opportunity to me. when they give that speech near the end about every hero that came before them, it rings just a bit hollow because 90% of the anniversary elements are just cutaways to secchan yodeling and going "damn remember gingaman? nuts!"

i don't think zenkaiger should've been less goofy, but by the second half of the show i really wanted more variety out of the stories being told. it's like... you know those sentai episodes that are just so bonkers you still remember them years later? lupat's dancing ep, jetman's tomato nonsense, pretty much any sentai sports episode. those stand out bc they're not what those shows do every week. zenkai feels like it's trying to do that every single episode, and it just stopped being as funny to me after awhile. after dozens of episodes of nonstop Zenkai Brain, the gang going to war with each other over which type of noodles are best doesn't feel as wacky as it does played out, at least to me anyway

there ARE other seasons that do that sort of nonstop bonkers storytelling, like abaranger, toqger, go-onger, etc. but those at least have enough moving parts in their ongoing plots or proper focus episodes divided among the cast that they don't feel stale. zenkai just goes too hard on nonstop gags without giving me much else to latch onto. stacey's arc is obviously great and kaito's search for his parents was beautifully done in a lot of ways, but why couldn't some of that time be devoted to fleshing out vroom, magine, or gaon beyond their most basic character traits?

i dunno, this sounds super negative but i had a good time with it overall. i really do think komura's a fantastic writer (i mean, she wrote my second favorite toku ever with lupat), im just endlessly frustrated by how she structures and paces her shows. i was really hoping a change in producer and a fresh look for the series would be a shot in the arm for her to take the franchise in a bold new direction but... it looks like that'll be donbrothers' job. at its best, zenkaiger had me crying/cheering/jumping out of my seat bc it succeeded in making me care so much about its world and characters, but at its weakest, it just felt like it was spinning its wheels until the finale bc komura loves waiting until the very last second to wrap anything up. so it ends up as kind of a middle of the road season for me, but i know i'll look back on it fondly more than anything else

#anonymous #asks #kendrix morgan died for our sins #super sentai for ts #zenkaiger spoilers//

12 notes · View notes

dangermousie · 3 years

Text

2020 End of Year Post - cdrama edition

This is only going to cover cdramas that aired in 2020; if I had to make a post about all the cdramas I watched this year, I would still be doing it in three months...

Overall it’s been a fairly decent cdrama year (certainly better than the very lacklustre kdrama year.) It’s no miracle that 2019 was (so many excellent dramas!) but overall pretty solid.

DRAMAS WATCHED

(In order of liking from least to most as opposed to pure quality; I am including if I’ve seen enough to make up my mind; yes I realize that’s inaccurate, but that’s my list)

44 The Legend of Jing Yan - the worst cdrama I have seen this year, and possibly the worst drama of 2020, period. The hero and heroine were both uncharismatic, incapable of acting and saddled with such shrilly moronic characters, the only suspense was how they haven’t both perished long since from forgetting to breathe. Nor was anyone in the rest of the cast much better; the screenplay was written by a lower mammal and the cinematography was the best a third-rate wedding cinematographer could offer. Stay the HELL away from this one.

43 Unicorn Girl - the only unicorn about this bland yet irritating piece of pap was the fact that I was supposed to believe the leads are hockey players.

42 Autumn Cicada - I like spy stories, Allen Ren, and Republican Era settings. I can tune out Communist propaganda with the best of them. Yet, the propaganda ate the story to such a degree that there was nothing left; pre magic change Pinocchio was less wooden then this narrative.

41 You Complete Me - no you do not.

40 Skate into Love - the only positive thing I can say about this is that at least it’s better than Unicorn Girl, if for no other reason that only one of them is supposed to be a hockey player.

39 Irreplaceable Love - how do you make a story about fake siblings with a mad mother falling for each other boring? I don’t know, ask the makers of this.

38 Eternal Love Rain - I hate to rain on their parade, but these two actors cannot act, have about as much chemistry as a piece of bread, and are trapped in a story perfect for entertaining the mental abilities of the leads of Jin Yan.

37 For Married Doctoress - ummmm, you could do worse I guess. It only made me break out in mild hives. The sadistic ending did make me laugh though.

36 Dance of the Sky Empire - why you get Xu Kai and waste him in this insipid mess of a story is beyond me.

35 Love Designer - it’s inoffensive except to my sense of entertainment. There is nothing wrong with it but oh God is it bland.

34 Love a Lifetime - It felt like a lifetime watching this, but I didn’t love it. The story is incoherent, the actors have no chemistry and it’s all an epic waste of time.

33 Love is Sweet - so sweet it gave me diabetes. I like Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu, but there is literally no plot. I don’t need to sink into a plotless morass to watch pretty people engage in PG-rated make-outs. I am an adult with access to stronger stuff if I am thus inclined, though to be fair they could get x-rated and I still wouldn’t be able to sit through so many episodes of plotlessness for that.

32 Fake Princess - I love Zhao Yi Qin, but the guy needs to pick better projects. The female lead in this one has the voice and personality that can strip paint but the story is also doing nobody any favors.

31 The Changan Youth - I lost my brain checking this out. I had to go and read a dense treatise on medieval coinage or Mayan farming to try to recover it.

30 My Dear Destiny - kinda cheesy fun. It honestly shouldn’t be as low except it really feels like community theater.

29 Handsome Siblings - why is the Nic Tse version so good and this one so bad? True mystery for the ages. Chen Zhe Yuan is the sole reason this isn’t lower, because that kid tries SO HARD to make this drama bearable and almost succeeds. I can’t wait to see him in Sha Po Lang which actually will give him something to do.

28 In a Class of Her Own - see my comment on The Changan Youth. But at least Song Weilong is gorgeous to look at.

27 General’s Lady - inoffensive, pretty and so utterly pointless.

26 The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion - those two leading actors are a no go to me but at least they considerately acted with each other instead of ruining two dramas for me. It’s very pretty though.

25 Jiu Liu Overlord - it’s a mess and I bailed, but I placed it this high merely due to the fact that Lai Yi finally gets a leading role and he’s sexy as fuck and I am shallow. Whoever styled Bai Lu should never work again except at a circus, however.

24 Cross Fire - not my genre and Luhan will always look too much like my cousin for comfort, but it’s a surprisingly gripping and dark drama. I liked it!

23 God of Lost Fantasy - if you want to watch a mediocre wuxia/xianxia, this is not a bad choice. Probably better than Legend of Fei actually, because at least it doesn’t have an A-list cast to waste and gives us Sheng Yilun himbo and shirtless.

22 Renascence - the insane cuts (it went from 70 eps to 36!!!) made a fairly cheesy story into a total mess. But I had a good time until I finally bailed mainly because of the male lead (Chen Zhe Yuan yet again carrying a not-good 2020 drama on his shoulders; the guy should be nicknamed Atlas) and the insane but in a fun way story. The female lead (both the character and the actress) were not up to par but oh well.

21 Legend of Fei - only this high because objectively there is nothing I disliked it. But there is nothing I liked either. The most uninspired drama on the list. If you could eat cardboard, this is what it would taste like.

20 Ever Night 2 - compared to EN1, it’s a waste of film. On its own merits, it’s not very good (the cast replacements are uniformly inferior and Dylan Wang is so wrong for Ning Que I cannot even put it into words; the script is useless.) But it had some parts I loved so very VERY much (all the shippy stuff was perfection) so I don’t feel too bitter.

19 Castle in the Sky 2 - a lovely if not too complex fairy tale. It is inferior to its prequel because it doesn’t have Zhang Ruo Yun who elevated it, but it’s still a solid bit of fun.

18 The Great Ruler - it’s very high fantasy, very pretty, and surprisingly involving.

17 (tie) Legend of Two Sisters in the Chaos - the secondary couple steals the show but the rest is not too bad if not too involving.

17 Legend of Awakening - a solid bit of fun with a seriously BDSM streak (theme this year apparently - but come on, the lead’s powers only activate when he’s in extreme pain!) It’s a bit generic and the costuming is done by a blind person, not to mention the OTP is a NOTP, but the rest of relationships (romantic and platonic) are wonderful (I live for the found siblings story in this one) and I like most of the characters.

16 Consummation - a rare modern cdrama I liked; a sweet coming of age story (and love story) even if wrapped in a pretty weird virtual reality concept.

15 Oops the King is in Love - this is how you do a low budget, sweet, silly piece of fluff. Our heroine pretends to be a eunuch and crosses paths with a powerless young king and they are adorable, even more so than the drama.

14 Song of Glory - pretty solid, though draggy and I didn’t love the toothpaste filter. But A+ cast, excellent leading couple chemistry, Li Qin being a BAMF and a leading man (Qin Hao) who is actually an adult.

13 And the Winner is love - objectively kind of a mess (and the heroine has the brainpower of a gnat), but the OTP chemistry is excellent and Luo Yunxi fighting and flirting with a fan as finally a leading man is worth the price of admission.

12 Miss S - snazzy and snappy and stylish and whatever else starts with S.

11 Eternal Love of Dream - I don’t know if it would work for you as well if you weren’t a hardcore shipper for this OTP in Three Lives but I was and this was such a darling, wonderful, shippy delight; plus I love this type of high fantasy.

10 (tie) Maiden Holmes - solid and sweet and a wonderful OTP. Proves that functional doesn’t have to mean boring. If you watch one cross-dressing drama this year make it this one.

10 Qin Dynasty Epic - srs bsns history epic. I am not far into it but it’s so good and smart and visually stunning (if you love battles, this one is for you.)

9 Love Lasts Two Minds - I adored this so much more than I should objectively have, but it’s so beautiful (and no I am not just referring to Alan Yu’s face) and the OTP has wonderful chemistry and the story is solid, and the whole trope of her memory being wiped but falling for him all over again while he’s constantly and utterly devoted is a fave; plus he’s in pain and semi-dyng for most of it so sluuuurp (happy ending, don’t worry)

8 To Love - yes, a modern drama is this high! But it involves intensity, tragedy, genuine adults and sexiness that is Lin Gengxin. And there is an actual plot and darkness OMG!

7 Legend of Xiao Chuo - so beautiful, so fun, so full of gorgeousness of Shawn Dou. Plus, Liao is a rare setting for a cdrama and there are a lot of characters and stories I liked a LOT. Less ship content than I wanted but more than I expected.

6 The Romance of Tiger and Rose - so so delightful. I was literally laughing out loud. I have no idea if it will work as well if one isn’t a seasoned watcher of period cdrama/reader of web novels, with bonus for watching/reading Goodbye My Princess, but it was a complete delight for me (and yes, I shipped for real, as well. Best of both worlds.)

5 Twisted Fate of Love - Jin Han gets a leading period drama role! And he’s enjoying it to the hilt, excellent as a smart, twisty bastard who is also charming and so madly in love with heroine. Sun Yi is beautiful and tough and her chemistry with JH is on fire, the story never drags, and it’s so twisty and fun and just awesome.

4 Love In Between - the most underrated drama on this list. It has no big names or big budget, but it’s wuxia that’s clever, driven, tragic, hopeful and so beautifully shot. Three separate (amazing) OTPs, a leading man who is so not typical (a doctor who cannot fight and who never acquires this ability) and who is intense and smart and damaged, a heroine who puts her quest ahead of her emotions, an unhealthy degree of involvement by yours truly. This is a drama Fei should have been.

3 Love and Redemption - such a lovely, addictive, utterly romantic fairy tale. I was obsessed with it for a reason. All the tropes you love and some you didn’t know you did, a star-crossed OTP to the nth power (and a secondary OTP I hardcore love), a twisty yet coherent plot, some insane chemistry and so much whump and hurt/comfort they must have bought blood packets in bulk.

2 Go Ahead - yes, I can’t believe it either. A contemporary slice of life cdrama made it this high on my list. But the way it feels so real, the found family perfection, the characters I love and loathe, the perfect cherry of a wonderful OTP that hits my narrative kinks on top, and just a perfect storm of loveliness all around with this one.

1 The Wolf - is that any surprise to anyone who’s checked out this tumblr for the last couple of months? Tragic, intense and gorgeous; so romantic and angsty and passionate it made me lose my mind (though some of it was gone the moment the camera panned to Darren Wang) - all my favorite tropes and then some; this is a drama that may not be perfect but it is 100% and then beyond perfect for ME.

FAVORITE DRAMA

The Wolf - I have seen objectively better cdramas; even this year. But it has been literal years since I have been this hardcore obsessed, this utterly pleased, this emotionally catered to and devastated at once. A beautiful dark fairy tale that manages to own me despite the storytelling gaps due to censorship, it took me for one of the biggest emotional roller coaster rides of my drama watching career. Visually gorgeous, poetic, intense, and so romantic it took my breath away, this is not just my favorite cdrama of 2020, it’s my favorite drama this year period, and the one cdrama this year to make it into my permanent Top 10 cdramas list.

WORST DRAMA

Legend of Jin Yan - see my write up for it for why as I refuse to waste more time on this stupid mess.

FAVORITE MALE CHARACTER

Wolfie, The Wolf - he is such a haunted, tormented, complex, dark mess; loving and violent, severely damaged and with a hidden yearning softness, longing and aloof. And the amount of charisma and sheer masculine sex appeal Darren Wang brings to the role is insane and not something I see much of in a cdrama. Plus, that character arc with its rapid fall and slow painful redemption is A++++

Runner Up: Sifeng, Love and Redemption - has a male lead ever loved more utterly and selflessly, suffered more thoroughly and beautifully, and managed to have such chemistry with both his leading lady and his leading man (that his leading lady temporarily turned into) at once? The answer is no.

Almost made the cut - Feng Xi, Twisted Fate of Love, Han Shuo, The Romance of Tiger and Rose, Qing Ci, Love in Between.

FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTER

Xiao Qian, The Romance of Tiger and Rose - so funny, so much the reason this drama was such a delight. I adore her beyond words.

NEEDS TO BE MURDERED

Murder Daddy, The Wolf - I am sad the censors robbed us of seeing him die on screen. He was fully human but nonetheless managed to be the worst monster in a drama full of literal ones.

Ling Xiao’s Mom, Go Ahead - I hate her so much I don’t want to look up her name. She abused the kid, the disappeared and came back to abuse him some more. I mean she literally gave her child mental health issues. She is the WORST.

FAVORITE SHIP

Xing’er x Wolfie, The Wolf - are you kidding me? Who else could it ever be for me? They destroyed each other and saved each other, sworn enemies and childhood lovers, soulmates and epic messes, they couldn’t live with or without each other. The longing, the passion, the intensity, the angst, the epicness. LIKE THERE ARE NO WORDS!!!!

FAVORITE SECONDARY OTP

Si Yuan, Shen Manqing, Love in Between - I loved them as much and often more than the main OTP. So much angst and passion and a happy ending! She is a seeming sect darling (except the sect is horrible and also sexist so her only worth is as a marriage candidate) and he’s an information broker who is actually one of the members of a destroyed sect that’s blamed for the massacre of her family. That chemistry and yearning is insane. The scene where she touches his face when he’s unconscious was in serious running for my favorite scene of 2020.

NOTP

Legend of Awakening - I have never seen a couple that didn’t just have no chemistry but exhibited actual revulsion towards each other before watching Chen Feiyu and Cheng Xiao try to act as lovers in this one. It was almost entertaining to be honest.

FAVORITE SCENE

It’s a tie and both are from The Wolf. One is a sequence where Wolfie marches to the walls alone, seeking death at Xing’er’s hands and the whole sequence with the battle and rescue follows. The other is the intercut between Xing’er going to her wedding and Wolfie going to his execution, and the auto-da-fe being intercut with her wedding.

BIGGEST CRUSH

Wolfie, The Wolf - Ummm have you seen this tumblr lately, it’s basically a drool shrine to the man.

BEST SCENE STEALER CHARACTER

Yelü Yansage, The Legend of Xiao Chuo - I have loved this actor since The Myth and he continued to competently steal every scene he was in.

NEEDS A SEQUEL

To Love - come out of the coma, dammit!!!!!!!

NEEDS A DIRECTOR’S CUT

The Wolf - duh. It started out as 59 eps and got cut to 49. I reaiize some stuff is never gonna get put in due to censorship, but some of the stuff that got cut got for time reasons because they were deluded and hoping to get a TV broadcast so ep count had to be under 50. I mean I doubt the censors would care if they kept scenes of Wolfie building her a swing or whatever. I really really want a director’s cut the way Goodbye My Princess did even if like with GMP it’s only three extra eps. Hell, I will take extra three minutes, as long as those three minutes are Darren Wang shirtless or with a sword. Ahem.

NEEDS SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

The Song of Glory - it’s a fairly solid drama but honestly it didn’t need to be as long as it was and kind of got draggy and I got lost interest. (I could have gotten snarky and said all the dramas I didn’t like needed scissors taken to them in their entirety but decided to play nice.)

TOO MANY SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

There are a number of dramas I could complain about with regard to this (hi there, darling The Wolf!) but this award goes to Renascence - poor Renascence was never going to be a masterpiece, but it had the potential to be a bit of good cheesy fun until it had its run time cut by more than half and became an incoherent piece of insanity.

TROPE THAT NEEDS TO DIE

Dumb shrill innocent heroine who can’t tie her shoes - see basically all the cdramas I didn’t like this year.

FAVORITE TROPE WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF

Male lead torture - I mean it’s always open season on that in cdramas, but between Love and Redemption, The Wolf, Love Lasts Two Minds, Love in Between and so on, it was a banner year!

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Legend of Fei - what a waste of that cast; what a waste of our finite time on this Earth. What a waste of my intelligence to hope for something better and stick with it for a dozen eps. I have had stale wonderbread that had more personality than this drama.There is absolutely nothing that stands out about this drama in any way, from half-dimensional characters, to actors who are sleepwalking, to a plot that moves at the speed of an arthritic snail, to uninspired cinematography and direction, to lack of any chemistry between anyone in the cast. If paint-by-numbers was done by a group of particularly linear robots, it might come across the same way as this drama.

BIGGEST GOOD SURPRISE

The Wolf - honestly, I did not expect it to come out AT ALL EVER let alone to become my favorite drama of 2020. I was not familiar with the leading man (hahah), I liked Li Qin but wasn’t yet obsessed with her, and Xiao Zhan was excellent in The Untamed but I was hardly going to follow him from drama to drama (and I don’t do SLS any way.) And the trailer was enjoyable but unlike seemingly everyone, I didn’t think it was going to be some epic masterpiece. And then it came out and while it wasn’t objectively an epic masterpiece, it pulled out all the favorite tropes, shippy and narrative kinks from the deepest darkest recesses of my id. And I fell harder than I have in years.

2020 DRAMAS I HAVEN’T SEEN THAT I MOST WANT TO WATCH

None. Covid Year gave me PLENTY of time

BEST NON-2020 DRAMA I’VE WATCHED IN 2020

Novoland Eagle Flag and Joy of Life - they are in my Top 10 dramas from anywhere now. They are quite different except being smart and giving me protagonists to obsess over.

ETA: Also The Untamed because @idlewilds3 pointed out I actually watched it in 2020 even though I didn’t think so because this hellyear has lasted about three decades.

MOST ANTICIPATED IN 2021

I am gonna limit it to dozen and leaving out ones that aren’t necesarily supposed to air next year (Joy of Life 2, Love in Flames of War, Novoland Princess from Plateau.)

Monarch Industry, Novoland Pearl Eclipse, Silk Washing Stream, Dream of Changan, Sword Snow Stride, Wu Xing Shi Jia, Ancient Love Poetry, Immortality, The Long Ballad, Mirror Twin Cities, The Imperial Age, Fall In Love

223 notes · View notes

spnyouresostupid · 2 years

Text

Season 2 Final Rankings

Here is our final Season 2 Ranking, as decided by Sarah and I through my arbitrary points system! We’re starting at the bottom and moving to the top. This was a long time coming so lets get to it!

Ranking 13-22 (the just okay the the god awful)

#22 - Heart

My score: 5

Sarah’s score: 5

Total points: 32

God we hated this episode, I think the only one we hated more was Route 666 from last season. The continuity within the episode was off, the dialog was terrible, the characters (including the boys) were flat, and the werewolf creature design? Lazy, Lazy, Lazy. The werewolves not only looked like sh*t, but they don’t even really look like werewolves! Just like...wtf was this? Why did we have to watch this?

#21 - No Exit

My score: 5

Sarah’s score: 6

Total points: 33

Not a great day for feminism indeed. It’s like they didn’t know what to do with Jo so they just fell back onto tired old troupes. I can’t wait until she gets some actual, you know, character.

#20 - The Usual Suspects

My score: 5

Sarah’s score: 6

Total points: 36

Dull, predictable and honestly only tangentially supernatural. This plot could easily fit into an episode of CIS with very few tweaks. Ugh, this really was the tone for the season wasn’t it? Also why was this what they came up with for guest star Linda Blair who is most well known for The Exorcist? You’d think that would inspire something more fantastical than this.

#19 - Houses of the Holy

My score: 6

Sarah’s score: 6

Total points: 41

We get talk of angels, but not anything close to the actual angels that end up on the show in later seasons. And, boy oh boy, were the themes way too on the nose. Boring and unnecessary.

#18 - Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things

My score: 5

Sarah’s score: 6

Total points: 44

The title for this ep is abysmal and it doesn’t get better from there. There’s some emotional ideas here that could work, but they just weren’t executed properly. Yet another underwhelming episode.

#17 - Roadkill

My score: 5

Sarah’s score: 6

Total points: 47

This was perfectly serviceable, but ultimately not as good as some of our favorite one-off episodes, and has no ties to the season arc. Tricia Helfer is amazing as always but this is another instance of Supernatural not knowing what to do with their special guest stars. A trend that will get down right embarrassing in later seasons.

#16 - Born Under a Bad Sign

My score: 8

Sarah’s score: 7

Total points: 57

We were both hyped to watch this, but we were both let down. There’s some interesting things, some good acting, but also some on the nose dialog and one of the cringiest, most uncomfortable scenes we’ve seen in Supernatural to date.

#15 - Everybody Loves a Clown

My score: 7

Sarah’s score: 7

Total points: 58

Text book definition of the whole is not as good as the sum of it’s parts. The monster’s interesting, but not executed as well as it could have been. The B plot (A plot?) is interesting as Sam and Dean come to terms with their dad’s death. Jensen knocks it out of the part as always, it just isn’t as cohesive as it should be.

#14 - All Hell Breaks Loose Part 1

My score: 7

Sarah’s score: 7

Total points: 59

The set up for the finale was just okay. Sarah and I are really starting to realize we don’t like Sam-centric episodes...Dean girls to the end! The best thing about this episode was the surprise ending and the brilliant performances of the entire Supporting Cast. (Also why was this part 1 and part 2? It still gets to me, that it’s not technically a two parter its just named like it is.)

#13 - Playthings

My score: 7

Sarah’s score: 7

Total points: 60

A good one-off, old school spooky horror for the win. I also need to give a shout out the cinematography for giving us a Shining homage in this haunted bed and breakfast, where Dean gets to take the place of his beloved Jack Nicolson. Overall a beautifully shot episode.

#season 2 #final rank #checking the rearview #supernatural #listen to our podcast #dean winchester #heart #playthings #all hell breaks loose part 1 #everybody loves a clown #born under a bad sign #roadkill #Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things #Houses of the Holy #no exit #The Usual Suspects

3 notes · View notes

goyurim · 2 years

Note

hiii 💗💗💗 first of all, thank you sooo much for making that gifset for me 🥺😭💙 it's such an amazing gifset, the colours and the sharpness are so beautiful, thank you so much!!! and pleaseee, you chose the first gif so well!!! the whole set makes me so happy!!!

and thank you for sharing my tags and adding more -- your analysis of the scene is perfect and i agree with every point!!! the whole scene is written and executed so beautifully, i'm so proud of the show makers and the cast! i hope they have more scenes this heartrending (in a good way) in the future eps!

i hope you have a wonderful day/night!!!

heelloo lilly!! thank YOU so much for enjoying my gifset and sharing your wonderful thoughts with me and sending in this lovely message!!! 🥺😘🥰

this whole show is the product of when everything comes together seamlessly, it’s like everyone, from the directors to the actors, really Understood The Assignment and were able to fully realise the writer’s intentions like the story on it’s own is inspiring enough already but the way the cast has managed to portray the emotions? the imagery? the detail in every shot? they elevate it to a whole new level and i am simply amazed by how well this drama is made

based on the ending of of ep 8 i believe we have a lot of deliciously heartbreaking scenes coming our way! a lot more conflict before the resolution and i for one have never been so distressed over a cliffhanger in a non-thriller drama before!! i need more eps NOW

#*aespa voice* GIMME GIMME NOW GIMME GIMME NOW TZU TZU TZU TZU *grabby hands*#twenty five twenty one #kestrel-of-herran #hope youre having a great day/night yourself!!#im actually just going to bed thank you for this sweet msg it'll gimme sweet dreams 🤗💖#💌

5 notes · View notes

katierosefun · 3 years

Text

well, here we are! june basically flew by and it was a little rough, but we’re back with some long recs on cool things i’ve read/listened to/watched, and i’m about to force everyone to sit down and listen to my sleepover-esque ted talk in which i give unwarranted and unasked for rec lists. so here we go!

kdrama:

while you were sleeping

okay, so i tried to watch this kdrama when it came out in like...2017, i think? but for some reason, i wasn’t able to get past the first episode. i don’t really know why? because it’s so beautifully shot, and i super love the premise, which is basically this girl and this guy are somehow able to see things that are going to happen in the future...but only in their dreams. this whole kdrama really handled the plot super well--each episode honestly felt like a movie in itself, and the filming was just stunning, and i think this has to be one of the most visual kdramas i’ve ever seen. each character is also super interesting and complex on their own, and i really loved seeing such a strong cast of characters interact with each other in this world.

i think the only slight downside of this kdrama was that i couldn’t really get invested in the romance? i’m not quite sure why--i found both lead actors’ performances wonderful, and don’t get me wrong, i did think they were cute together as the drama went on, but i still couldn’t find myself buying into the romance until maybe relatively late in the drama (like...ep 11 or so? ep 16 was honestly when i realized that awww, wait, they’re actually super cute). but then again, i feel like the writers weren’t really prioritizing the romance either--i think they really wanted us to think about the beauty of dreams and redemption and how everyone can touch another person’s life in some significant way, so i can’t really be mad about it!

but anyways, overall i really enjoyed this kdrama and watched it all a lot faster than i thought i would! SOLID music, beautiful cinematography, good acting, mostly good writing, and some really memorable characters! def. a must-watch if you love suspense, aesthetics, and some wonderful characters.

the ghost detective

i’m someone who doesn’t like horror or scary things at all, but i was so intrigued by the plot and whatever material i saw on tumblr, and...of course, choi daniel, lee joo young, lee ji ah, and park eun bin. honestly, this is just a really wonderful and really underrated cast, and they really all brought out their a-game for this 32-episode supernatural / thriller / horror drama. basically, this kdrama follows the story of a young woman who’s trying to figure out who murdered her younger sister...and of course, there’s something supernatural going on.

honestly, this kdrama was such a ride. i loved the crime-solving aspect of it, and i was really in love with the interactions between all the characters, esp. that of eun bin and daniel’s characters. (guys...they’re so ride and die for each other. there’s also so much yearning. so much yearning in this kdrama, it just about killed me--)

the villain was absolutely, appropriately, elegantly creepy, and like...scary beyond belief. basically, the villain (lee ji ah’s character) feeds her victims these harmful thoughts and ultimately get them to kill themselves. it’s sad and haunting, especially when you see that the victims tell their victims “don’t listen to the bad things. try only to listen to the good things”. and...yeah. themes of how to handle all of these bad feelings inside of you really came through in this kdrama, and there were a lot of themes of suicide and the kind of rage and sadness that comes with that. (also! if you’re a fan of lots of angsty/whumpy situations....this kdrama definitely does not hold back with all of your fave whump/angst tropes! literally! every! episode! i! had! to! lie! down! because! too! powerful!)

school 2013

(aww, look at this precious cast…as though they didn’t all make me ugly cry at least five times—)

yeah, yeah, yeah, i’ve talked about this kdrama ad nauseum, and i know i watched it last month, but as i was studying for the lsat, i really, really, really needed some comfort. most notably comfort re: studying life, academics, how difficult it is to study but also be uncertain of your dreams…and if you are certain of your dreams, how that sometimes requires studying but that just makes life all the more overwhelming…can you tell i’ve been thinking about this a lot

i’m not going to ramble more about this kdrama considering i already have done so multiple times, but i enjoyed this rewatch and honestly,,,my love for this show has just grown even more. there’s a good reason why people consider this a comfort kdrama, because. i consider myself deeply comforted. also, i’ve been listening to the ost for the whole month. it’s become a problem. but sometimes. sometimes you need to listen to songs that feel like someone’s patting you on the head and telling you don’t give up, set down your burdens, don’t think you’re alone and dream whatever you want to dream, go wherever you want to go. i’ll stop talking now, but god. when i say that i think everyone who has ever felt incredibly tired by work or school and just wished for someone to give them a big hug either then or now...god. this is just one of those kdramas that i think honestly touched so many people’s lives, and i’m very grateful for the cast and crew and writers for ever bringing this story to life. :’) (god, okay, now i’ll stop talking before i make myself cry i’m fine this is fine)

your honor

so, i watched this kdrama thinking that it would be light and funny given that yoon shi yoon is the main male lead, but boy was i wrong--don’t be fooled by these happy little faces, this kdrama is heavy. this kdrama is about a young man (with a criminal record) who winds up impersonating his twin brother, who happens to be a judge. we also have a trainee who, after seeing the legal system fail her older sister, is on the rise to dispense justice through the courts the best she can.

honestly, the first few episodes were rough, mostly because of the content. big trigger warning for rape, violence, and sexual harassment at work. this kdrama really didn’t hold back when it came to addressing how the very people who use the law can also be the very same people who manipulate and abuse it. because of that, i found this kdrama incredibly powerful. that said, it certainly had its lighthearted moments too.

overall though, i liked this kdrama. the main characters were incredibly complex and genuinely the type to make me believe that for all the injustices in the world, there are still and always will be people fighting for the right thing. as someone who wants to enter the legal field, this kdrama was just uplifting. i was so blown away by the absolute rawness of the main two leads, esp. yoon shi yoon, who i’ve only ever seen in super lighthearted kdramas. so this was a really interesting change of pace, and i genuinely enjoyed watching this!

waiting for love

so this kdrama is just two episodes, and what’s better is that it’s available on youtube! it’s about two college students--a young woman who’s been hurt by falling in love with jerks now just wants to date, not really fall in love...and a young man who’s excellent at giving dating advice except he’s afraid that he’s never going to actually fall in love, so he just dates a girl for the sake of dating.

now, i kinda thought that this show was going to be kinda lighthearted, a little shallow--but it was weirdly...comforting? idk, i found myself liking it a lot more than i thought it would be. this is far from the perfect kdrama, and i kinda wished that we got more than 2 episodes because i think some of the plot points could have been better expanded, but...there were genuinely a lot of scenes that made me think a bit more about what it actually means to be in a loving relationship--like how it’s not enough to just put on a happy smile and eat meals together, but like...you know. there has to be trust and actual liking and also, yeah, maybe a bit of frustration in order to actually know whether a relationship is real or not. and given that the characters were all discussing the pressure on getting married and romance esp. when you’re in your twenties...idk. makes you think about are you dating someone for the sake of appearances? or do you genuinely...like them?

there was also quite a few tropes that i personally adore in this kdrama, which helped balance out the stuff i found more tiring. there was a lot of the “right person, wrong time” stuff going on (you really want the two main leads to get together after a certain point, and you just keep holding your breath whenever they walk past each other and beg please please please let it be this time...), and also that good old “two strangers fall in love with each other purely over writing to each other” (god. first the half of it, then me & au, then greenhouse podcast...something about this trope huh). that said, there were def. some parts that made me “:////” because some of the characters were kind of frustrating, but i’m gonna chalk that up to good writing since i think i was mostly mad about how i knew people like some of the characters lol. overall, i think this might be at least semi-enjoyable--it’s probably not something i’ll watch again, but it def. made me mull over what it means to actually be in a loving relationship, esp. if you’re in your twenties and everyone around you seems to be in happy romantic relationships/getting engaged and whatnot.

movie:

columbus

i’m a firm believer that there are some movies that are meant to cheer you up, some movies meant to make you cry, and then there’s some movies that are just meant to...sit with you. and this movie is definitely one of them. this story follows casey, a high school graduate, and jin, the son of a famous architect. the two of them are both so incredibly exhausted with their lives (casey with her constant worry about her mother, who’s a recovering drug addict; jin with his surface-level lack of concern for his comatose father). in their small town of columbus, indiana, the two of them bond over architecture and just. being quietly there for each other.

this movie’s been compared a few times to lost in translation in the sense that there’s this not quite romance between the two leads, who have a bit of an age gap (john cho and haley lu richardson have about 20 between them!). to be honest, i didn’t really get the sense that there was supposed to be a romance. if anything, it just felt like...two really lonely people finding each other. definitely not a simple friendship--definitely not a familial kind of relationship, definitely intimate.

idk. i think this movie might not be for everyone--i definitely agree with a lot of past reviewers that this movie is on the slower side. there’s some stuff here about complicated relationships with parents, a lot of cool architecture, really beautiful shots...and overall, it’s just...quiet. it’s lovely, and i can’t really stop thinking about it. it’s subtle, bittersweet, and oddly compelling. might not be the kind of thing you’d want to watch in the middle of the day, but if you’re a little sad and in the mood for something not to necessarily lift your spirits but...at least acknowledge them and sit with you, then...this is the movie to watch. idk. i felt kind of crummy the day i watched this movie, and i felt as though someone just sat next to me on a park bench until the sun went down. (mayhaps specific but hush, i’m writing this right after finishing this movie, so i’m...feeling a certain way.)

wish dragon

i watched this movie right after watching columbus because a) decided i was in the mood for something lighter, and b) i learned that john cho?? voiced?? the dragon?? (caroline your crush on john cho’s jumping out this month...)

but anyways! i loved this movie a lot. it was so satisfying? like, just narratively speaking? and the animation was wonderful and also weirdly smooth and satisfying, and there were a lot of funny and touching moments. this movie’s about this young man named din who stumbles upon a magical teapot that holds the wish dragon long--long has to grant din three wishes, and yes, i know, very aladdin, but that said, this movie has so many original twists that it feels weird to call it an aladdin retelling. it really did feel like a movie completely on its own, which i applaud the writer and director for!

i don’t want to spoil too much of this movie, but something i really enjoyed was that din’s main wish is just to see his old childhood friend again. idk, i think we all have that one friend from when we were really little that we miss--and this movie really dug into that, as well as themes about parents wanting to do the best they can to provide for their kids, and!!! and long the dragon gets his own storyline and amazing character development too!!! i was honestly just amazed at how this movie fleshed out the characters so well and had so many wonderful themes that just made me tear up. guys. this movie’s great. highly recommend for its wonderful characters and the power of friendship. just a grand old time in general. :’))

searching

yeah...yeah, i wasn’t kidding about my crush on john cho this month. yes, i watched three of his movies within 24 hours. this movie is about david kim who’s looking for his missing 16 year old daughter, margot. this film is honestly noteworthy for many reasons, one of them being that the entire movie is told through like...a laptop screen, as in we kind of follow david’s frantic search through facetime, facebook, tumblr...which i honestly didn’t think i’d be into, but whoo boy, i was wrong. it just added to the whole addictive quality of this movie, as it usually does when it comes to anything from the thriller genre.

but besides this just being a straight up addictive thriller with absolutely mouth-dropping twists (but like...good twists, and smart twists, good god--), this movie was just...touching? there’s so many themes related to what grief does to a family (because we learn within the first 10 minutes that the mom died due to cancer), and there’s just...something really fragile about relationships between surviving family members. i was absolutely blown away by john cho’s performance as a tentative and grieving widower whose world just absolutely falls apart in his search for his daughter. this movie was just so...real because of that. like, yes, this movie has all of the suspense that you would expect this kind of movie to have, but there was also just...so many beautiful themes about grief and how far parents would go for their kids and godddd yeah no i started sobbing when the movie ended. god.

also, my bias towards john cho aside, i...really loved his character. david kim is absolutely believable, and like? he’s not just the guy putting the pieces together--he’s also the guy who misses his wife and also the guy who wishes that he was there for his daughter. he’s also the guy who pauses and re-writes all his text messages because he’s trying to be a good dad. i feel like with a lot of these suspense / missing person movies, it’s really easy to have characters who are just the stoic alpha male types--and david kim definitely had his badass moments in this movie, but like...something i just loved was seeing the vulnerability that comes with...having a missing child. being a parent. god. this movie messed me up but in a good way. i can honestly say that this movie is now probably going to be one of my fave movies of all time. highly recommend, am literally obsessed with it.

book:

the seven husbands of evelyn hugo by taylor jenkins reid

ohohoho………where to begin with this book. this was one of those books where i was like “huh i kinda don’t understand why people are so obsessed with this book”, but then i hit like...page 20 or 30 and was like “oh god i Literally Cannot Put This Book Down Oh No” and wound up finishing it in like three days (mind you, i only read at like...midnight these days. i don’t understand why either).

i finished this book at like 2 am and promptly burst into tears because this was just one of those books. it follows the story of evelyn hugo, a famous hollywood actress from the 60s or so and onwards. known for her intense beauty and her seven husbands, she’s now giving an exclusive interview to the young reporter monique grant, where she’s about to tell all about her life. this book had me dropping my mouth multiple times, and i think tjr can spin one hell of a story, with so many good twists and turns and intensely memorable characters. by the end of the book, i was actually mad that evelyn hugo wasn’t a real person, because i, too, fell a little in love with her and thought, i want to actually watch her movies. i want to learn even more about this remarkable woman.

but alas! she’s not real, so i don’t get to see her accept an oscar or look up all the tabloids about her and her seven husbands or her speculated (and very, very, very real) relationship with celia st. john. basically...i just loved this book. the last line made me smile and laugh and cry a little bit (actually...cry a lot), and y’know...i’ll admit it’s not totally perfect, but i’m glad this book exists, and i’m glad that even though tjr isn’t bi herself, was very adamant in this book about bisexuality being real. just. like. god. once again. mad that evelyn hugo isn’t real. it’s fine, she’s real in my heart.

#caroline talks #caroline recs

14 notes · View notes

thisbluespirit · 3 years

Text

James Maxwell TV/Film List

More of a guide than a recs list, because old tv/film depends so much on availability. It’s also hard as there’s nothing surviving that’s really like SotT for him (his voice is always slightly different, too & rarely the grand one from SotT) - I found it hard to find where to start back in the day, so I hope this makes it easier. However, I have starred my favourites (rated for JM content only).

I’ve divided things into categories and @jurijurijurious (or anyone) can make up their own mind as to what to go for. (Also @jurijurijurious I have NO idea what old telly you’ve already seen, so forgive me if I’m telling you things you already know.)

Where to find it: Luckily in the UK, it’s not too bad! Network Distributing are the DVD supplier to keep an eye on (they do great online sales), you can find secondhand things cheap on Amazon Marketplace & eBay, and several Freeview channels show old TV & film, especially Talking Pictures. I’ll note if things are on YT or Daily Motion, but they come and go all the time, so it’s always worth searching.

***

Film serials (ITC mainly)

British TV made on film in the US mode with transatlantic cash, so generally pretty light, episodic (continuity is almost unheard of) etc. Some turn up on ITV3 & 4 on a regular basis (colour eps).

*** Dangerman “A Date With Doris” (ITC 1964) James Maxwell is a British spy friend of Drake’s (Patrick MacGoohan) called Peter who gets framed for murder. Drake goes to Fake Cuba to rescue him by which time JM is dying from an infected wound and faints off every available surface, including the roof. It’s great. On YT. (The boxset is v pricey if you just want 2 eps.)

“Fair Exchange” (ITC 1964) JM is a German spy friend of Drake’s called Pieter who helps him out on a case. Not as gloriously hurt/comfort-y as the other, but it does have some excellent undercover dusting. (Why Patrick MacGoohan has JM clones all called variations on Peter dotted around the globeis a mystery.) On YT.

The Saint “The Inescapable Word” (ITC 1965) This is pretty terrible, but entertaining and James Maxwell plays the world’s most hopeless former-cop-turned-security guard. With bonus collapsing. On YT.

“The Art Collectors” (1967). JM is the villain of the week. It does include a v funny bit, though, where the Saint (Roger Moore) goes for JM’s fake hair (and who can blame him? How often I have felt the same!) This one’s in colour so should pop up on ITV3 or 4.

The Champions “The Silent Enemy” (ITC 1968). Surprisingly good JM content as the villain of the week who drugs sailors and steals their clothes before realising that maybe he should have worked out if he could operate a sub before he stole it.

The Protectors “The Bridge” (ITC 1974, 30 mins.) Not worth seeking out on its own, but ITV4 seems fond of it and James Maxwell gets to do some angsting and wears purple, so it’s worth snagging if you can, but too slight otherwise.

*** Thriller “Good Salary, Prospects, Free Coffin” (ITC 1975; 1hr 10mins, I think). James Maxwell moves in with Julian Glover and runs an overcomplicated murdery spy ring where they bicker a lot in between killing girls by advertisement and burying them in the back garden. What could possibly go wrong?? Anyway, it’s solid gold cheese, has bonus Julian Glover and a lot of natty knitwear. What more does an old telly fan want? (tw: Keith Barron being inexplicably the very meanest Thriller boyfriend.) On YT but tends to get taken down fast.

***

Films

Design for Loving (1962; comedy). Can be rented from the BFI online for £3.50. Isn’t that great or that bad (or that funny either), but does have JM as a dim layabout beatnik, which is atypical.

***The Traitors (1962). This is a low-key little 1hr long spy B-movie, but it’s also thoughtful and ambiguous with a nice 60s soundtrack and location work (it’s a bit New Wave-ish) and the central duo of JM and Patrick Allen are sweet and it all winds up with James Maxwell going in the swimming pool. One of the things where JM is actually American. (Talking Pictures show this occasionally & it is out on DVD as an extra on The Wind of Change.) The quality of the surviving film is not great, though.

***Girl on Approval (1962). A Rachel Roberts kitchen sink drama about a couple fostering a difficult teenager. It’s dated, but it’s also really interesting for a 1950s/60s slice of life (and very female-centric) & probably the only time on this list JM played an ordinary person.

***Otley (1969). Comedy that’s generally dated surprisingly well & is good fun, starring Tom Courtenay +cameos from what seems like the whole of British TV. JM is an incompetent red herring & there are more cardies and glasses as well as a random barometer.

Old Vic/Royal Exchange group productions

(Surviving works made by the group that JM was involved in from drama school to his death, made by Michael Elliott or Casper Wrede. I like them a lot mostly, but they are all slow and weird and earnest & not everybody’s cup of tea.)

Brand (BBC 1959). The BBC recording of the 59 Company’s (the name they were then using) landmark production, starring Patrick MacGoohan. This was a big deal in British theatre & launched the careers of everybody involved. It’s very relentless and weird but interesting & I’m glad they decided it was important enough to save. First fake beard alert of this post. It won’t be the last. On YT & there is a DVD, which is sometimes affordable and sometimes £500, depending on the time of day.

***Private Potter (1962). The original TV play is lost and this film has an extraneous storyline, but otherwise has most of the TV cast & gives a pretty good idea of why as a claustrophobic talky TV piece it made such an impact. Tom Courtenay is Private Potter, a soldier who claims to have had a vision of God during a mission & James Maxwell his CO who needs to decide what to do about this strange excuse for disobeying orders. Tw: fake eyebrows (!) and moustaches. Only available on YT.

[???]One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch (1970). Again, no DVD release (no idea why), but it is on YT. I haven’t seen this yet, but it’s another Casper Wrede effort starring Tom Courtenay and apparently JM is especially good in it. (I’m just not good at watching long things on YT and keep hoping for a DVD or TV showing.)

Ransom (1974). A more commercial effort starring Sean Connery & Ian McShane; it gets slated as not being a good action movie, but is clearly meant to be more thinky and political with the edge of a thriller. JM’s part isn’t large but Casper Wrede shoots his friend beautifully, & it’s a pretty decent film with nice cinematography, shot in Norway, as was One Day. I liked it.

[I think this post might be the longest in the world, whoops. Sorry!]

Cardboard TV (the best bit, obv)

One-off plays etc./mini-series

Out of the Unknown “The Dead Planet” Adaptation of an Asimov short story; this is very good for JM, but hard to get hold of unless you want the boxset. I think someone has some of the eps on Daily Motion. (His other OotU ep is sadly burninated.)

The Portrait of a Lady (BBC 1968). Adaptation of the novel; JM is Gilbert Osmond, so it is great for JM in quantity and his performance, but depends how you feel about him being skeevy in truly appalling facial hair. Do the bow ties and hand-holding make up for it? but he’s in 5 whole episodes, and Suzanne Neve, faced with Richard Chamberlain, Edward Fox, and Ed Bishop as suitors, chooses instead to marry the worst possible James Maxwell. Relatable. XD

***Dracula (ITV 1968, part of Mystery & Imagination). JM is Dr Seward, fainty snowflake of vampire hunters, who falls over, sobs and can’t cope for most of the 1 hr 20 mins. More facial hair, but not as offensive as last time. Suzanne Neve is back again, although now JM is nice, she’s married Corin Redgrave, who’s more into Denholm Elliott. Anyway, I love this so much because it turned out that I love Dracula as well as shaky old TV with people I like in getting to fight vampires and all be shippy. Good news - TP keep showing M&I, the DVD is out, and there are two versions of it up on YT.

The Prison (Armchair Cinema 1974). This is the one with Lincoln in it, but it’s not that great & JM isn’t in it that much, so depends how curious you are for the modern AU! (But my Euston films allergy is worse than my ITC allergy, and I watched this when very unwell, so I may have been unfair.)

Crown Court “Fitton vs. Pusey” (1973) - part of the Crown Court series, set in a town full of clones who all keep returning to court. JM is on trial for his behaviour in (the Korean war? I forget?) although he ought to be on trial for his terrible moustache. It’s not that great, but it is nice JM content. He probably did it, but for reasons, and he wibbles & panics whenever his wife leaves the courtroom. Also on YT.

*** Raffles “The Amateur Cracksman” (ITV 1975) - He is Inspector Mckenzie in the Raffles pilot & is a lot of fun. At one point when there was a Raffles fandom someone in it claimed he was too gay for Raffles, which I’m still laughing about, because Raffles. Anyway, watch out if you try to get the DVD because it is NOT included in S1, whatever lies Amazon tells. It is up somewhere online, though, I think.

Bognor “Unbecoming Habits” (1981). Some down marks for possibly the worst 80s theme & incidiental music ever, but fun & has been shown on Talking Pictures lately. JM is an Abbot running a honey-making friary that is actually a hotbed of spies, murder, gay sex and squash playing. This is the point at which he chooses to strip off on screen for the first time, because strong squash-playing abbots do that kind of thing apparently.

Guest of the week in ongoing series/serials

Since even series with a lot of continuity tended to write episodes as self-contained plays (like SotT), these are usually accessible on their own.

Manhunt “Death Wish” (1970). This is one of the most serialised shows here, but this episode is still fairly contained. WWII drama about three Resistance agents on the run across France. JM is... a Nazi agent & former academic trying to break an old friend (one of the series’ three leads, Peter Barkworth) with kindness, possibly?? (Manhunt is very angry and psychological & dark and obv. comes with major WWII warnings (& more if you want to try the whole thing), but it’s also v good.) Up on YT, I think.

Doomwatch “The Iron Doctor” (BBC S2 1971). “Doomwatch” is the nickname of a gov’t dept led by Dr Spencer Quist that investigates new scientific projects for abuse/corruption/things that might cause fish to make men infertile etc. etc. JM is a surgeon who comes to their attention because he’s a bit too in love with his computer for the comfort of one of his more junior colleagues. (I think it’s perfectly comprehensible & a nice guest turn, but it is hard to get hold of outside of the series DVD. Which, being a cult TV person, I loved a lot anyway, but YMMV!)

***Hadleigh “The Caper” (S3 1973). Hadleigh is a very middle of the road show, but watchable enough (lead is Gerald Harper, who’s always entertaining) and this is pretty self-contained as it centres around an old con-man friend (JM) of Hadleigh’s manservant causing trouble by pretending to be Gerald Harper, for reasons. JM seems to be having a ball.

Justice 2 episodes, S3 1974. He guests twice as an opposing barrister & gets to be part of some nice showdown court scenes. Again, a middle of the road drama, but stars Margaret Lockwood, who was still just as awesome in the 1970s as she was in the 1930s & 40s. On YT.

Father Brown “The Curse of the Golden Cross” (1974). JM is an American archaeologist getting death threats; stars Kenneth More as Father Brown. Just a note, though, that 1970s TV adaptations tended to be really really faithful and this is one of the stories where Chesterton comes out with an anti-semitic moment... (JM was unconscious for that bit and, frankly, I envied him.) But otherwise lots of angsting in yet another fake moustache about someone trying to kill him.

The Hanged Man “The Bridge Maker” (1975). Confession time, I have v little idea what this one was about apart from Ray Smith being an unlikely Eastern European dictator, as this whole series went over my head and was not really my thing. (Ask @mariocki they’re cleverer than me and liked it & can probably explain the plot!) I don’t know if it’s available anywhere off the DVD but on a JM scale it was v good/different as he was a coldly villainous head of security & it wouldn’t be too bad to watch alone, but there was an overarching plot going on somewhere.

Doctor Who “Underworld” (1978). This is famously one of the worst serials in the whole of classic Who, but largely because of behind-the-scenes circumstances, not the guest cast. There is some nice stuff, though, esp in Ep1 (JM is a near-immortal alien who’d like to lay down and die but still the Quest is the Quest as they say... a lot) & it’s bound to pop up on YT or Daily Motion. The DVD has extras that include v v brief bits of JM speaking in his actual real accent (which he otherwise does in NONE of these) & making jokes in character. Honestly, though, this is the only DW where the behind-the-scenes doc is genuinely the most exciting bit as they desperately invented whole new technologies & methods of working to bring us this serial, and then everybody wished they hadn’t.

*** Enemy at the Door “Treason” (LWT 1978). This is a weird episode but I love it lots - from a (v v good) series about the occupation of the Channel Islands. (So obv warnings for WWII & Nazis.) JM is a visiting German Generalmajor, but he’s come for a very unusual reason - to ask for help from his brother-in-law, a blackballed British army officer (Joss Ackland). It’s all weird and low key and JM is doomed and nevertheless probably my favourite thing of his that isn’t SotT.

* The Racing Game 2 eps (1979). Adaptation of Dick Francis’s first Sid Halley novel Odds Against (ep1) + 5 original stories for the series. This is an interesting one - JM plays Sid’s father-in-law & they have a lovely relationship that’s central to the book BUT Dick Francis loved this adaptation and Mike Gwilym who played Sid and was inspired to write a sequel Whip Hand, which he tied in with TV canon - and adopted at least three of the cast, including JM. Which means that all the Sid & Charles fanfic is also JM fic by default and it’s quite impressive. (There’s not much but it’s GOOD.) On YT.

Bergerac “Treasure Hunt” (1981). Not a major role, but pretty nice & it’s one a Christmas ep of the detective show (also set on the Channel Islands) that involved Liza Goddard’s cat burglar, which was always the best bit of Bergerac.

His guest spots in Rumpole of the Bailey (1991) “Rumpole a la Carte” and Dr Finlay (1994) are both really just cameos, but both series come round on Freeview; the Rumpole one is funny and the Dr Finlay one his last screen appearance before his death the following year.

Not worth getting just for JM: Subway in the Sky; Bill Brand and Oppenheimer.

These films only have cameos but some quite fun ones and they come around on terrestrial TV: The Damned (1962), The Evil of Frankenstein (1964) & (more briefly) Far From the Madding Crowd (1967). (I think his cameo in Connecting Doors must be at least recognisable as someone spotted him in it just based off my gifs, but it’s not come my way yet.) I’ve never been able to get hold of any of his radio performances, not even the 1990s one.

ETA: I forgot The Power Game! This is the one surviving series where he occurs as a semi-regular (at least until halfway through S1 when he went off to the BBC to be in the now-burninated Hunchback of Notre Dame). This isn’t standalone, but it’s a good series and it is on YT. See how you go with crackly old TV before you brave it but it’s the snarkiest thing ever made about people making concrete and stabbing each other in the back. JM is a civil servant who tries to run the National Export Board and is plagued by Patrick Wymark and Clifford Evans as warring businessmen.

***

[... Well, now I just feel scary. 0_o In my defence, I have been stuck home bored & ill for years, and often unable to watch modern TV while trying to cheer myself up with James Maxwell, so I didn’t watch all of this at once. It just... happened eventually after SotT. /waves hand

But if anyone feels the need to unfriend my quietly at this point, I understand. /o\]

#james maxwell #masterlist #rec list #well sort of #1950s #1960s #1970s #1980s #there are some things i haven't seen #and some things i know to be extant but unreleased #everything else is burninated or status unknown

8 notes · View notes

drunklander · 4 years

Link

In the show’s first season, the male lead, Jamie, was raped. In the second season, Claire was forced to have sex with Louis XIV in order to help her husband, and their [adoptive son] and another female character were both raped in season 2 [and their nephew raped in season 3]. Later, Jamie was coerced to have sex with another woman, and in just the last season, their daughter was raped. That is astounding, and while there is always someone talking about the “brutality” of it, the series has long been allowed to get away with it because the show attempts to make it seem as though having a character assaulted at least once a season makes for more accurate historical drama.

Since the season one scene where Jamie spanked Claire as “punishment” for putting people in danger, the show has leaned into this idea that this was normalized because of the time period it takes place in.

As EP/showrunner Matthew B. Roberts put it, “When a modern audience views Outlander through a modern lens, then yes, you can have problems with it. But if you actually place yourself in the period… and we’re not saying that rape was okay in that period either… but how the characters view it is how we’re showing it. We’re not showing it how we view it, and that makes a difference.”

This is a lazy excuse.

It is an excuse because this book series started in the early ’90s. It is not a historical document. The central conceit of the series is that a woman can time travel through stones! Women—cis, trans, femme presenting enby people—already know they live with the threat of sexual assault.

Domestic violence is a reality that is under-reported and under-remedied, and that’s in 2020. How is it informative of a time period to have Jamie beat his wife under peer pressure under his friends and then promise he’ll never do it again. How is it either (a) accurate or (b) a good trait? Do you know what he could have done instead of beat Claire? Pretend to do it, and then they could just talk about it.

But you know … I guess having a kind, thoughtful husband in ye olden days is too ~unrealistic.~

I feel like, when it comes to discussing Outlander, I am often beating a dead horse. Despite the multiple problematic things about the show, it has remained a darling in many feminist circles because it does have admittedly interesting things to say about gender … if it’s about Claire and people Clarie views as worth her time. The sex scenes between Claire and Jamie and well shot and loving, but that seems to make people unable to address the fact that Outlander, the books and the show, have used rape as a plot device since the beginning, and it’s exhausting.

I want to make clear that I totally expect there to be survivors who see themselves in Outlander, and I’m not trying to shame people who love Outlander. It just seems ridiculous to me that we have called out Game of Thrones for doing this, but Outlander is doing the same thing for similar “historically accurate brutality” reasons.

Something can speak to your experience and touch you, but I think it’s still important to discuss how this happens. I remember during New York Comic Con 2018, when someone brought up rape and politics, and its depictions on the show, and the audience reacted horribly. A woman behind me screamed, “The show is not political! That’s not what it’s about!”

It was really telling.

There are too many good, thoughtful historical romances for Outlander to act as if it is being held to this narrative simply because it’s “historically accurate.” We know that rape is common, but we are still very critical of the overuse of rape in fiction because it often comes more from a place of moralistic melodrama and shorthand stakes than actually about the psychological realities of that event.

Outlander is brilliantly acted, beautifully designed, and has an interesting cast of characters. I don’t deny it any of that. However, it has leaned into rape so often, and for the weakest of reasons. It’s gross, and we wouldn’t allow it on any other show—so why do we keep letting it go?

#*#outlander starz #outlander press #outlander 5x12 #rape in outlander

47 notes · View notes

shiroitenshi · 4 years

Text

Hospital Playlist | KDrama Recommendation

I never thought a drama such as THIS exist. A show filled with amazing casts, loveable characters, great story telling, beautifully shot, minimal drama and wonderful OSTs. It’s TOO GOOD to be true. As of now, with only 2 episodes away from the finale, Hospital Playlist has made it to the TOP of my all time favourite korean drama list - I’m just keeping my fingers crossed at this point for the ending, but I’m certain the writers are not gonna disappoint with its current pacing.

Hospital Playlist centers around the lives of 5 best friends who are doctors of different specialties but works in the same hospital. The drama showcases the struggles they have, interactions with various patients, residents and interns in their respective departments, inner-working of a hospital and the relationships these five have between each other and the people outside of the hospital.

Each episode can be a bit overwhelming with information. I remember watching the first episode and having trouble keeping track of character names as they were thrown out to the audience. Despite being a medical drama with lots of medical jargons used, the show is great in somehow explaining it to the audience clearly and concisely - without coming off as boring.

What I love the most about this show is the characters. The 5 main casts are so mature - and so while they rarely have drastic “character development”, it is refreshing to see the reveal of their personalities/characters through subtle expressions or actions (because they are already “developed”). Meanwhile, we see most of character growth from the supporting characters while using the 5 main casts as mentors for that development! And because of the maturity of these characters, a lot of their interactions and pacing of the show is pretty straightforward and fast (no beating around the bush nor dramatic zooms for 5 mins).

The slice-of-life aspect seems to be similar to “Live” because of the realism portrayal of when one works as a doctor/resident/intern in a Korean hospital. But, compared to Live, Hospital Playlist has a lighter tone with a lot of hilarious (yet not exaggerated) moments, cute romantic moments without it being too cringy to the point of unrealistic. But more importantly, It is still balanced with serious and touching moments that I can certainly say all episodes have either made me cry or teary-eyed at the very least. The bantering between the casts are also so real and fluid that I can see myself interacting that way with my own friends.

All episodes are also accompanied by wonderful OSTs that are played and sung by the main casts - and they are amazing at it. It’s nice to see music as an outlet for such a stressful job as well as showing how they basically have a life outside of what they do - because doctors are also human :)

Honestly, I can gush on and on about this drama because there are just so many great things about it. But if there is any takeaway from this post, just go watch it. Please. The drama hasn’t even ended yet and here I am - contemplating whether I should rewatch all the 10 episodes, so yeah it’s that good. (I thought this is way better than Crash Landing and Itaewon Class.. lol)

Edit: finished season 1 and i still stand by my initial opinions. It truly did not disappoint. I usually hate dramas with multiple seasons because of how they usually force another arc to open right at the very last second. But in this case, the ending was quite fitting. It's a good end to a season. None of the open arcs are forced, because those questions were just unable to be answered in the given time (12 eps) without it being too rushed / fast paced. With the writers and producers track record, I'm sure that we will be greeted with an even more wonderful and hilarious season 2 :) can't wait!!

#korean drama #kdrama recommendations #hospital playlist #슬기로운 의사생활 #wise doctor life #yoo yeon seok #jung kyung ho #kim dae myung #jeon mi do #mido and parasol #daddy long legs #friendship goals #because guys and girls CAN stay friends #except for ik jun and song hwa (hopefully)#if anyone has the gif for that last pic pls send them my way thx

34 notes · View notes