mysecretsoul

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.

Ah, thank you for the kind words. I'm sure I will; your taste in dramas seems solid~

By the way, I just realized I've had my first encounter with Kwon Sang Woo. You may or may not have a taste for medical dramas, but his performance in Top Medical Team is rather good thus far. I honestly liked him on sight, so it might be even better for a fan of his.

Haha! I do place dramas on hold occasionally. While I typically have the intention of returning to them, it may just not be the "right time" to finish, as it were. I have some trouble watching Taiwanese dramas that are not airing though, so perhaps the week to week balances it all out <.<

Are you planning on picking any shows up from the new season, by the way? I figure you'll do the second installment of Legal High, haha. That's one I still need to catch up on.

Can I just say I really love your Lee Jin Wook avatar? It's so cute, yet very appealing, haha.

Ah, wonderful! Good work on the thread; I'll check it out as well. I had actually never seen this trailer before -- only the music video. Interesting find.

Ah, no problem. I understand and also saw your notice; hope exams/anime/etc. went well!

The last three Taiwanese dramas I've watched made me feel that way. My personal rule is to never skip scenes, but my fingers sometimes burn for the forward button, haha.

I did finish Maou. Between it and the Korean version, Maou has aged better and is tighter, better-paced. We're in agreement about Ohno Satoshi; actually, his depth and action as Naruse surprised me. The way he balanced the faces of "devil" and "angel" was phenomenal, whereas Joo Ji Hoon decided to portray the character very...statically, if that makes sense. The only thing I can really qualify as "better," would be Uhm Tae Woong as the detective, and the deeper development of his friends. I would recommend it, but...it's probably better before seeing Maou, unfortunately.

The groundwork seems to have been laid for romance. Both lead men have sparks with Jung Ryeo Won's character; a secondary set of characters appears to have already formed a love triangle. Whether these will develop strongly is another thing.

If there isn't already a thread, it's probably fine! One episode a day works fine for me, too; I often have at least that much time in the evenings.

That sounds perfect! How should undertake this? Perhaps settle on episode pace + a date to talk about what we've seen? My experience in this area is somewhat limited, haha.

Ah, that's unfortunate. Hopefully either an equivalent or the service itself will become available someday. I never liked how many of the legal venues for drama watching are inaccessible for some viewers.

I believe the song is called Tanjobi ni Mashiro na Yuri wo (Pure White Lillies on Our Birthday). From what I can glean from the lyrics with my underutilized Japanese, it talks about nostalgia, missing your parents and hometown. So of course every time they get to the parts where Akira-san is thinking of his father I'm like ;-;!

Thank you for recommending this drama to me by the way. I may have skipped it otherwise!

While I gladly recommend Golden Empire, it was somewhat strange to watch both dramas back to back. Drawing comparisons between the two, despite their difference in tone and theme, is inevitable. I do agree that you should try it for yourself; while the views of others can be helpful, tastes run wide.

I am going to follow Medical Top Team, yes. The first episode impressed me, so the prospect of further episodes is exciting. My viewing will probably be slower, since I wait for Hulu in this case; because the cinematography is great, I really want high quality video, haha.

By the way, I finally started Tonbi! It really is quite wonderful so far, though every time they play that Fukuyama Masaharu song at the end of the episodes... I sob a little. X,D

Admittedly, this is my first encounter with Kwon Sang Woo. But I must say he made me like the character almost on sight. He plays doctor well enough, and appears to have early chemistry with his cast mates. My worries actually rest with the younger set...but things seem fine for now.

Oh, I know right? They have such a storied past, you could look just about anywhere and find an excellent tale to tell. What's more, the films are particularly beautiful -- they have a real way with cinematography.

That sounds like a lot of fun, actually! I don't often have the opportunity to watch along with someone else. When would you like to start Prince of Lan Ling? Nearly everything I'm interested in watching at the moment is airing or a quick watch, so I'm up for whenever~

I appear to be interested in a lot of 50+ episode dramas this season. Why must they all have such nice casts? And Lee Jae Yoon was recently announced for The Golden Rainbow as well. After Cruel City, I'm pretty excited to see him again. Thank you greatly for the information!

Ah, there are a lot of versions right? That happens a lot with classic stories; I've had a similar issue when choosing dramas/movies about any of Warring States periods. You would think that Condor Heroes would have a translation, but really very few Asian books are available in English. It's a shame.

I adore those too! I think it's why I gravitate so much toward historicals and wuxia. How are you finding Ariel Lin, by the way? I ask, because she also stars in Prince of Lan Ling -- another drama which you may find interest in. I'm waiting to watch it myself, but it has a really gorgeous trailer, haha.

Definitely! I also really like the interactions with his two friends, kendo scenes especially. It made me laugh how disinterested Hanzawa and Kondo initially were about being friendly with Tomari. And then we see after the time skip in the first episode how close they'd all become, haha.

I'd actually completed Golden Empire just before Hanzawa and loved it. They share a similar feel, though without the triumphant glow the Naoki character generates -- the characters there are all very, very flawed people. Fascinating, though.