mysecretsoul

Oh, sure! Uhm Tae Woong has the most expressive eyes, so perhaps you'll enjoy his performances. I'm still making my way through his body of work, but I've heard good things about The Equator Man and Resurrection. As to what I've actually seen, it's all been very solid. Queen Seon Duk may be too long to suggest, but Tae Woong totally won my heart there as Kim Yu Shin. He's also the very solid male lead in Knife and Flower.

I'm happy to see you've survived CYHMH! Your feelings on it seem to mirror those I experienced while trudging through Feast of The Gods. It was one of the most difficult watches of my dramatic career, as it was probably the most insanely ridiculous melodrama I've ever seen.

I hope you continue to enjoy Golden Empire! It was on my mind a lot as I completed Hanzawa Naoki, which I can't help but compare to it -- despite major differences between the two.

For those still waiting eagerly, subtitles for the final episode have been completed. :)

Ah, so glad someone added a recommendation between this and the recent Korean adaptation. I was going crazy trying to remember what the Japanese title was, haha.

Ah, I think my reply didn't come through somehow. So sorry for the wait!

Romantic comedies have a time and place for me, but I typically avoid them if I can help it. There are about a handful I've had a great time with, though. As to fluffy dramas, I think the more heartwarming, family oriented ones suit me best.

Oh, thank you for the well wishes! It's very kind.

I kept with Two Weeks only because I never drop dramas. At least Ryu Soo Young helps to keep my attention, haha. In regards to Hanzawa Naoki, both halves are good; the second half is just brilliant.

The upcoming one I'm most excited for is probably Empress Ki. Historicals are nearly always time well spent, and I love the cast.

Ah, thank you for the tip. It's kind of you to look out for me. If I end up watching both versions before you get around to it, I'll let you know whether that assumption is the case. :)

I just love Hanzawa Naoki. There's something refreshing about a Japanese worker not taking the flak of his superiors. Whenever Sakai Masato gets that look in his eye and promises double payback, it's just awesome.

Hanzawa Naoki is really amazing, especially the second half. I'm quite confident in calling it the J-drama of the year.

Two Weeks is trying my patience, but I've come too far to stop now. There has to be a syndrome for this kind of drama persistence, haha. Oh well. One day I'll learn how to drop things~

I'm very excited for Top Medical Team and Empress Ki as well! All they had to do was reveal the casts and I was in.

Ah, thank you for the friend request. It's very kind.

I had heard that about the adaptations as well, though I must admit fascination with the Korean casting. Eguchi Yosuke is a personal favorite in any case, so it's hard to imagine even Lee Sun Gyun in his shoes, haha. Ah, and you're watching Hanzawa Naoki! How is that treating you? I was finally able to catch up to the second half recently.

Your review on Shiroi Kyoto was rather good. Though I wouldn't say people don't "dare" to watch the drama; it was rather popular in its time. Because I haven't seen the series in a while, your words made me want to re-watch it, so thank you. Have you seen the Korean adaptation with Kim Myung Min? It may be interesting to compare the two.

There are definitely varying opinions on Cruel City. For my part, I enjoyed every moment. What you've heard about it probably does have merit though; my tastes run a little dark, admittedly.

I keep meaning to watch Old Boy and, for that matter, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. These are films I hear wonderful things about and I do love the leads from both. For some reason, the right "mood" hasn't struck. Perhaps I need to go on a long run of fluffy dramas and delve right in afterward? XD

Oh, absolutely. I looked at my own PTW recently, feeling a little shocked at how much has built up. That is so refreshing to hear about The Chaser; almost every villain I've run into recently seems to have the nuance of a horse fly, haha.

We have the same thought, then. There are a half dozen historicals I want to watch, but I keep backing off due to episode count. You'd think that after continuously having good experiences with them, the fear of time investment would lessen. Jumong sounds incredible as a total classic, definitely. I've also heard a lot about The Immortal Yi Soon Shin, but the prospect of over 100 episodes....eep.

Quite well, thank you for asking. Because it concluded recently, I've picked up Hanzawa Naoki. I'm also watching Good Doctor, as well as Two Weeks and Love Around.

Anything upcoming you're excited about? I'm really hoping someone subs Top Medical Team, myself.

That's wonderful! I really respect people who reach for wider genres. :) Asian dramas offer so much in terms of diversity, it would be a shame not to sample everything at least once.

Recent drama Cruel City and film The Scent fit right into the "classic" definition of noir. I believe you've seen it, but apparently Old Boy counts as well. Many crime/revenge films flirt with the genre, though these often end as gritty action without the required style.

For my part, though I never drop shows...Who Are You sorely tempted me.

I must admit Kim Jae Wook impresses. Bits and pieces of the plot do please, though mostly in the middle episodes. Unfortunately, the beginning and end stretches never caught me in any meaningful way. The procedural section remains bad.

You did mention enjoying the leads. That will boost your enjoyment should you give this drama another go.

Oh, you're lucky. Despite being selective myself, I try to hold on and complete every show. As you might imagine, when I make a mistake I suffer for a long time. XD

Hm. I would probably describe myself as more into dramas. Unless I really want to see a movie, I tend to use them between shows for a palate cleanser. Recently I saw that Rurouni Kenshin adaptation, since I loved the anime long ago.

For me, I try to balance the kind of shows I watch. So if I watch something noir, the next might be a light-hearted romance. A historical might lead into a medical drama, etc. Though I must admit I do understand that feeling of becoming overwhelmed. There are seriously too many interesting things out there, and not enough time.

At the moment I'm only watching dramas I already follow week to week. Because Hanzawa Naoki recently completed (and was apparently a ratings powerhouse), that may be in the cards. My next few adventures will likely include that, Aishiteiru to Itte Kure, and a bunch of Uhm Tae Woong dramas mixed in because I have likely developed a problem, haha.

Oh, gosh. And it's around 30 episodes long right? I'll keep you in my thoughts. There's nothing worse than being a persistent viewer saddled with an irritating series.

Go Soo is great right? He only improves, if you can believe it. There's so much to analyze in Golden Empire too; you could just drown in the dialogue. By the way, if you experience what I did with the Min Jae character, let me know. I found him totally mesmerizing despite myself.

Thank you so much for reading my review! Son Hyun Joo pretty much has a guaranteed viewer in me. I can't believe how richly he performs, from his expressions to the nuanced way he delivers lines. Though I haven't seen The Chaser yet, it will be a must in the future.

Ah, I noticed we have Queen Seon Duk in common. Do you often watch historicals?

Ah, hello! How have you been? Any dramas captivating you at present? It seems like I have so many to catch up on, haha.

Ah, I'll have to add it to my ever-expanding list of things to watch. Everyone I talk to on here has such great taste. I end up wanting to see everything, haha.

I've found that I most enjoy romances after a long period of serious or "darker" shows, if that makes sense. For example, I picked up Dating Agency: Cyrano just after Five Fingers; I think that the timing really bolstered the experience. Do you ever find that there's a "right time" to see a drama?

The closest thing that comes to mind when I think of sweeping romances would be Knife and Flower. That's a little inaccurate even so, but seemed to have a lot of impact on me. Though, while looking at my list, I just realized how few drama romances I pursue. It's comparable to reminiscing on my life and finding all I've done is plan the odd coup d'état and take over businesses, haha~

Ah, so that's why the cover has the red string of fate between them! Are there second leads getting in the way? It seems like Lee Jin Wook would play a part like that, but one can never be sure. I hope you do continue enjoying it though! There's nothing like finding a drama that speaks to you.