Some C-dramas finish filming and sit in the vault gathering dust for various reasons. It sucks and can’t find a broadcast network, there’s no money left to finish post-production, the drama can’t clear SARFT approval for whatever reason, anything goes in what feels like the Wild West of television programming in China. The typical wait is between 6 months to … Continue reading →
You know what, Vanness Wu‘s first single “Different Man” off his new album is really really awesome. It’s not awesome because he’s shirtless in half of the video, or because I am secretly a purveyor of dance music despite writing about dramas. It’s awesome because it sounds fantastic and comes from the heart. Good music can’t get better than this. … Continue reading →
How does one even begin to critique King Flower? I definitely need to wait until it ends with episode 21, but really it’ll either be a hot mess with a satisfying ending or a hot mess with the worst ending in dramaland. Either way – hot mess that I can’t stop watching. Is that good or bad? Plenty of quality … Continue reading →
I really went back-and-forth all of last week trying to decide what to do with Jang Ok Jung, Live in Love. Continuing watching and recapping? Just watching and no recapping? Or stopping altogether. Normally when a drama tonally and narrative collapses so thoroughly and takes with it everything great I loved, the easy decision is to bid farewell. Save some … Continue reading →
It was the best of episodes, it was the worst of episodes. King Flower might be the stupidest drama ever to merit borrowing the iconic line from A Tale of Two Cities, because really, this drama has all been a tale of two writing extremes. On one end there is Terry, amazingly nuanced and brilliantly acted Terry, and on the … Continue reading →
I’m seriously waiting for the third shoe to drop with Lee Bum Soo. He’s one of the most capable and hard working leading men in the Korean acting world, easily disappearing into any role without a trace and making it memorable and scene-stealing. He’s taller onscreen than his height because of his presence and charisma. So it’s with disbelief and … Continue reading →
Looks like a bunch of new TW-dramas are starting in the next few weeks, though my gut tells me most will likely be atrocious with maybe one watchable surprise. The bigger serendipity is that all three remaining Fahrenheit boys will be on television at the same time, with two going head-to-head for ratings. Jiro Wang is currently headlining the Taiwan … Continue reading →
So last week all the employees of SETTV had a collective hernia when everyone received a memo titled “Work place romances are hereby prohibited.” It went on to detail why and how to behave at work and so on and so forth. I’m sure lunch that day was a gossip fueled rant, probably about how their boss must’ve gotten rebuffed … Continue reading →
At what point do I just throw in the flag and declare defeat? Tell SETTV that their devious and totally effective plan to put me in a mental salad spinner worked. I am now completely dazed and confused, and when I see new goodies for King Flower I’m left cooing like a puppy getting my belly rubbed even if I … Continue reading →
Looks like a jam packed schedule isn’t going to stop Kim Soo Hyun and Suzy from sneaking time out to do some glamping. Oh wait, whaddya mean this was a promotional event for some strangely named sportswear company? Sigh, here I thought my Dream High perfect OTP found an urban retreat for a date. Suzy and Kim Soo Hyun have … Continue reading →
I try not to be someone who says I’m going to do something and not follow up. It was with a heavy heart I had to concede defeat in translating all of Yun Zhong Ge (Song in the Clouds), its three thick volumes made for an epic read but created an overwhelming translation project. A few months ago I said … Continue reading →
Wow, who let the awesome dogs out over at PTS? While GTV and SETTV duke it out for frothy idol-fare and CTS and CTV barely hang in there airing crap filler dramas, PTS has long been the home for the good stuff that doesn’t always catch my eye. The last time a PTS drama won my everlasting love was Black … Continue reading →
In all my years of drama watching I’m having a hard time remembering feeling this level of anxiety as a drama heads towards the finale. Normally I’m worried one or both of my OTP will die, which is understandably traumatic, but King Flower is rewriting the script for how to mind-fuck its viewers and potentially give everyone a collective aneurysm. … Continue reading →