Another year, another year end review. For me the year end review contextualizes the dramas watched on three levels – its own merits, how it stacks up against its compatriots, and how the year measures up against previous years. If I wanted to add an additional intangible factor, then it would be how happy or frustrating it was for me to watch each of this year’s basket of drama offerings. If I wanted to be lazy, everything can be reduced to either “was it any good?” and “did I like it?”, but that doesn’t actually capture the nuance in explaining why I hold my opinion about certain dramas. There wasn’t a single drama that matched my previous drama watching years’ sheer level of obsession, but I chalk that up to a more mature palate rather than any decrease in quality. If I had to make a sweeping generalization then 2012 is indeed a trail mix where I picked out the delicious raisins and chocolate chips and left the cashews and peanuts for someone else to enjoy. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Arang and the Magistrate
I was wondering if I should do this post next month but I know I’ll get too busy with year end work crunch plus the holiday prep not to mention this year I’m traveling again back to Asia the last … Continue reading
You win some, you lose some, and that saying applies much too aptly to dramas. A drama starring a favorite actor is no guarantee it’ll be good, and I’m way too busy in life to waste time with stuff that … Continue reading
This might be my last recap for Arang and the Magistrate, depending on how next week’s episodes go and whether Nice Guy completely owns me from the get go. I hate dropping recapping projects, but sometimes it has to be … Continue reading
Let me start off by revealing that Episode 7 of Arang and the Magistrate has an extended scene set in a cave. The last time I watched a sageuk drama with a scene set in a cave, it was the … Continue reading
Arang and the Magistrate is really a pleasure to watch from a fresh creative standpoint. It’s not groundbreaking but really transports the viewer into a world that doesn’t feel like a stale retread of many folk tales and ghost stories … Continue reading
For whatever reason, episode 5 of Arang and the Magistrate dropped a pretty significant amount in ratings (over 2%), and I’m not sure if this fantasy-detective sageuk is simply not the viewer’s cup of tea after they realize the tone … Continue reading
Oh holy moly, my heart might not be cut out for this. Episode 5 of Arang and the Magistrate went from a sedate and rather boring first half to hells-on-wheels crazy “I can’t believe I’m seeing this” second half. This … Continue reading
Arang and the Magistrate is adorable and crazily ambitious. It pulled a huge game changer in episode 4 that reset the OTP and raised the stakes to astronomical levels for all the main characters involved, even the omnipotent ones. This … Continue reading
Another solid episode of Arang and the Magistrate, confirming for me its stellar start was no fluke and the drama has got its act together. The story is moving along so fast, yet time is spent developing Arang and Eun … Continue reading
Do you feel your heart thumping? That is an indication that one is alive. My heart thumps, pumps, and freaking goes berserk when I watch Arang and the Magistrate. This drama is perfectly amazing, so funny and thrilling that I … Continue reading
How should I describe Arang and the Magistrate after one episode? Give it a better name? It can be called Run, Arang, Run! with how much Arang has been running in one episode alone. Or maybe The Ghost and I? … Continue reading
Perfection, thy name is Arang and the Magistrate – also known as “When Lee Jun Ki met Shin Mina and fireworks exploded.” If the long trailer for Faith was like a 7/10 in terms of generating excitement (for the story, … Continue reading