mysecretsoul

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.

Oh wow, I haven't heard of Alone in Love before. :o The cast looks pretty great, too. What kind of feeling does it give? Does it have humor or is it one of those sweeping romances?

What a pretty cast. His voice may ultimately change my opinion, but "Domyouji" is particularly handsome.

My only question is whether this story can work without Asian quirkiness and charm. Western entertainment lacks a certain something in this department but.... I'm willing to withhold judgement. Bring on the boys (before flowers, naturally).

I'm so excited that you're enjoying it! Go Soo has some excellent scenes, and they only get better. As to Padam, Padam, that's one that I have yet to start, but it looks right up my alley.

Haha, I'm glad you enjoyed that review. It felt necessary to write something elegant, since Golden Empire is, so... XD

Lee Bum Soo has a lot of talent and a unique look, from what I've heard. That, and somehow he always ends up in shows I'm interested in, haha.

That sounds like something I'd definitely like then, haha. So few of the dramas I like have been popular recently....

No problem! He is, with my mother providing the other half. Unfortunately, we don't keep in good contact with either side of the family (aside from grandparents and some cousins on my part).

That is such a relief to hear, you have no idea. While Joo Won appears to be a lovely kid from what I've seen of 2 Days & 1 Night, his acting never hits the right notes for me. Typically that means it never will, as it's rare for me to ever "warm up to" an actor.