mysecretsoul

Whenever he pretended to be drunk, his Fourth Lord was just too cute (despite the terrible things he said, haha). The fact that he's still just as super virtuous? UGH, this show needs a disclaimer.

I'm gonna go ahead and watch the next two, then up my pace to three installments a day. All that worries me now is whether the addiction will grow again. XD

Thank you for your kind words. Writing is something I have no confidence in, but it gladdens me whenever someone enjoys or finds use from my reviews. The issues I had with Tonbi paled in comparison to the things I enjoyed about it. It just happens that I lean toward analyzing structure, so some things tend to pop out more for me. I love that you compared the feeling it gave to Studio Ghibli; that's exactly how I felt too, especially with Yasu-chan. He was a very Ghibli-like father, from the singing and boisterous good-heartedness to the depth of feeling he exuded.

We agree on the characters in Sword and Flower; in my review of it, I mentioned feeling that parts seemed very Shakespearean. That stands true for the pawn king as well. It's great hearing your informed perspective, since so many seemed to watch purely for No Min Woo.

While I was watching the third episode, I was tempted to suggest that. Nothing has been boring at all so far, and it's so fast paced. And William Feng is just...perfect, haha. Did not expect addiction, but here it is. @_@

I completely agree with your review on Two Weeks. Something about that drama just did not work for me, despite Lee Jun Ki being quite the talent.

Ah, it makes me happy to hear William Feng is good in other works too. I may have to keep an eye on him if Prince of Lan Ling continues going well.

No problem! I always enjoy chatting with new people, especially if they have interesting perspectives. Korean dramas are relatively new to me, as I spent most of my time prior with Japanese. But, I can already see a formulaic approach rising behind many of the shows. Your insight is one I agree with for the most part.

Interestingly, I completed Queen Seon Duk just before Sword and Flower. The shift in viewpoint was somewhat fascinating, especially because they occurred around the same time. Sword and Flower felt wholly unique to other sageuks to me, adopting an interesting cinematic style I've only seen in major Chinese film. And the actors, just wow. So many talents in one place.

I was wondering what your take on the younger king was? He was a character that interested me, especially after reading up on the history. Though of course, a little less than the general, haha.

Oh, trust me. If something is touching, I'm right there with the tears. You can just imagine me perpetually attached to a box of tissues, haha.

I replayed so many scenes during Hanzawa, too. Even some of the less intense ones, like the high five in the storage room or Hana sequences. This is definitely one to rewatch -- and it was super easy the first time.

I have several dramas in mind, though I plan to finish Lucky Seven first. Sakai Masato's dramas keep calling to me, so perhaps Legal High and whichever currently airing Korean show snags my interest first. How about you? Any planned?

I rather enjoyed your words on Knife and Flower. It always makes me happy to see someone else has enjoyed it.

Thanks so much for the offer! That'll be great. Right now, I'm trying to balance what I watch this season so outside opinions are a must.

I've started Prince of Lan Ling, which I noticed you've been working at! It has such a nice feel to it, and William Feng is growing on me in a big way.

I know, right? Can't wait to see more of him and the character. But if it's like this with some chemistry (and a smile), I need to prepare myself. Drama surprises like this are just great. XD

Japan really does seem to grasp realism well. Their human dramas are probably the best in Asia. Not many seem to like these shows around here though, unfortunately. Should I see or hear about something which may interest you in the genre, I'll be sure to tell you about it~

The horse! The sash! I'm in serious trouble if Lan Ling keeps being such a great guy; being ensnared by yet another OTP will not do, haha. William Feng looks great with Ariel, too.. Both the feel and pacing for this episode were wonderful, too. Those revelations + the sword slinging in the last few minutes? Ah, this is exceeding my expectations~

As for Tonbi, it was actually very gentle. It had emotional weight, but stayed firmly slice of life. Do you like that kind of drama? From what I've seen of Japanese shows this year, it's one of the better ones for 2013.

Ah, it had a strong start that didn't keep up? That's always disappointing. Actually, until recently I had no idea Hong Kong produced dramas. While I am familiar with their film, most of my encounters have been selected from their excellent action repertoire. And starring Donnie Yen more often than not. Are there any films or performers from that region you'd recommend?

That might be best with Kimura-san; it seems like he's starting to rest on his popularity a little. If you enjoyed Golden Empire, you might consider The Grand Tribe as a candidate for invasion, haha. There are similarities, but it also contains one of his best performances to date.

Ah, I was just about to start the episode. Something intervened just as I was settling down to see it earlier. But hearing how exciting it is really gets me pumped for it. I'll get back to you with my possible flailing momentarily, haha.

I cried SO much, haha. Something about Tonbi really clicked with me on a thematic level. During earlier discussions with you, I recall chatting about "the right time" to watch a drama. This might be one that requires certain life experience as well. Had I seen Tonbi five or six years ago, it may not have touched me as much.

Wasn't the Tokyo arc fabulous? That scene was incredible, especially as it marked one of the first times Sakai-san *really* shouted during the drama. You could see just how serious the situation was. The final confrontation with Owada had me floored with intensity as well. Between the tears and everything, just, wow.

I have to agree by the way! Both shows feel like classics, sustainable long beyond this year. As for a sequel for Hanzawa Naoki, I wouldn't be surprised. That ending felt like a perfect set up for one, at the very least. Here's to hoping they do it.

That makes sense, actually. Despite being somewhat fresh on Korean dramas, I can honestly say there does appear to be a set formula for most things. It's understandable they can become a bit tiring. Japanese dramas (even historicals) feel more unique, as they rarely revisit the same stories from the same angle.

Have you enjoyed the dramas from Hong Kong you've sampled? I've never had the opportunity to attempt any.

Priceless is pretty standard Kimura-san fare. Ultimately Naohito Fujiki steals the show, but it does have an interesting angle on homelessness. Ah, and the child actors are fabulous as well.

All right, first episode down! I wasn't sure whether you'd prefer to carry out discussions via the thread, messages, or this wall, so I'll just put my thoughts here for now. Please update me should you prefer a different method~

I liked this installment well enough, though the introductory felt rather awkward and expository. Whenever the battle sequences began, my interest piqued. The armor styles and war choreography feel rather quality. It was a little surprising to see George Hu in the role of An De! I've never seen him outside romcoms, so suddenly seeing him fighting in that white armor was something else, haha.

How about that first meeting for the OTP? Way to preview the goods, Ariel (well...sort of. He doesn't appear female at all <.<). This part especially seemed very wuxia, right down to the falling petals.

Very cute article. Personally, I almost always trundle through these steps after any drama -- unless I really disliked it.

A recent example that set me spinning off into drama grief, as you put it, would be Golden Empire. It was such an intoxicating ride.

Usually longer shows can be fun tucked between many shorter ones, I've found. Though my schedule doesn't often allow for them. But Empress Ki mostly interests me because of the trajectory the story might take (due to the people and circumstances surrounding the titular empress). Also, whenever Joo Jin Mo gets a decent role, he tends perform beautifully. The other male lead, Ji Chang Wook, also saw a lot of improvement during Five Fingers, so the cast feels exciting.

Admittedly, I still get somewhat scared when looking at huge episode numbers. It hasn't happened yet, but it would be awful to get halfway through a long series and realize you're bored. Most of my experience has been with Japanese shows, so I'm a little new to this, haha.

I'm hoping Kimura-san's will be at least better than the similar Zettai Kareshi. It would be nice to see more detailed promotion as well, but....

I've been having similar issues with both Korean and Japanese dramas. At the last minute Viki and MBC both started subbing Medical Top Team, so luckily at least one is available to me. With the crazy boom Sakai-san is experiencing, you can expect to enjoy swift subtitles there. I'm thinking of holding off with the first season until partway through 2 as it airs, so as to go uninterrupted.

Right now I'm waiting for Empress Ki more than anything, and a few Japanese titles (including Dokushin Kizoku, since Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, and the newest Kimura Takuya vehicle. I don't know how I keep being dragged back to SMAP, but it happens).

I might need to add it to my ptw after all then; I do love historicals. Let me know if it continues to go well!

I noticed you started watching Medical Top Team too. I'm completely in love with it right now, haha.