sindrandi_

Well, episode 7 was simply chef's kiss. Now it's not only Minoru who's getting me emotional. It's literally everyone. And dad learned to read the room.

"I want you to tell me everything, and I'll listen really well." Such a beautiful line. Consider how rare it is for people to adhere to the last part. It's so fitting, that it's coming from Minoru too. He is exactly the kind of person, who'd offer to "listen really well" and honor it. I love how they used animation for Yukata's story.

Another thing, I've only started to notice, is how they focus on Minorus face, when he's not really part of the "action". They did it at the end of this episode too, when Yukata and Tane was talking. But instead of directing the camera on them, it was completely focused on Minoru and him silently watching them.

I'm currently rewatching When the Weather is Fine, and Minoru reminds me of Eun Seob in terms of, how he silently watches the people around him, and how much empathy and wistfulness is expressed in his gaze. I'm such a sucker for these kinds of characters.

I'm only 3 episodes in, but I'm already dreaming about a season 2. This is absolutely lovely. Oh man, how I ADORE these food themed Japanese productions.

This one gets A LOT done in only 30 minutes.

OK, that ending was 200% softness. The friendship between Seung Jun and Ho Yeon was the highlight from beginning to end. Anyone would be lucky to have a friend like Ho Yeon. The rest is already fading away, but that was some impressive singing by Seong Tae.

Ah, I usually make a note to check out the webtoon/manga/manwha if I see in the comment sections, that people either praise the original work a lot, or it looks like, I'll get a more fleshed out story from reading it.

This introduced a little bit of angst surprisingly real quick, but not in a bad way. I enjoyed quite a lot, that Han Joon isn't just fawning over his longtime crush accepting everything he says and does. He's strong and independent (because he has to be) and ready to call Yoo Jae out on his bs. Love to see it.

Man, is Park Tae In even real? His features are so chiseled, he looks like he could be someone's muse.

I'm kinda already nervous about the short running time, because they've introduced some heavy themes connected to both of these guys' backgrounds. But overall a good start.

Devastating. Too many scenes broke me, so it's nearly impossible to hightlight any, but overall I won't soon forget the father-daughter relationship portrayal.

Aww, that was a nice 1½ minute in episode 7! After we'd seen, Seung Jun had worked on himself and his healing, and he was sitting looking over the water with his friend Ho Yeon (who'd been there by his side in a non-dramatic way all along). For that 1½ minute I was fully able to convince myself, Seung Jun had left Jae Hyun in the past, would see Ho Yeon for more than a friend and accept the confesstion, he'd finally spit out. "Huh, look at this show taking a turn, we rarely/never see in these BL's".

Ah, it was pure bliss until Seung Jun ruined the moment.

I didn't even know this was an "idol show" until I read this comment section and clicked on each of the cast members. Yes, I hold an all season card to the nosebleed section.

Most of this cast (besides Park Tae In) being rookie actors could be a hit or a miss as with any show. The guys in Our Dating Sim and Eighth Sense were rookies too, and they were solid all around. I also think the outcome depends a lot on the director and screen writer (who btw did Color Rush 1+2, but I'll try to not let that destroy all my hope just yet) and where they want to take the show in terms of tone/vibe etc.

While the synopsis isn't the most alluring, I'll still go in with an open mind. Our Dating Sim was on paper a similar "been there, seen this" show, but they took their few basic ingredients and whipped up a freaking great watch.

Let's see how this one goes.

Oh yes, let's definitely blame Our Dining Table. 😊
I did the research, and sadly it looks like there's only one other "food" related show with him in it.

Thank you so much for subbing this. 🙌😊

So this is another drama, I'm currently watching, where Iijima Hiroki is cooking food and serving it with a side of empathy, his warm smile and comforting eyes. Is this a thing? Now, I have to check out what else this guy has been in.

This is cute, simple and comfy. And again the food looks freaking amazing. 🥰❤️

Welcome! I hope you'll enjoy it. It's a very uncomplicated and comfy watch. And it also has the found family theme, which is one of my favourite "drama tags". Japan just handles these kinds of shows extremely well.

Oh, and thanks for reminding me of "Midnight Diner". I really should get started on those soon. And "Nine-Tailed", "Star Struck" and and and....😊😁

Sam Sik brought both the funniest and most heartwrenching scenes in episode 6. That dry matter of fact comment from his dad "oh, it WAS a thief" was hilarious! And his scenes with Kang Ho were so hard to watch. I'm more interested in seeing his possible growth and healing the relationship with Kang Ho, than I am in watching any rekindling of an old romance between ML/FL.

Are we still supposed to hate the mom, though? Because I got over my aversion in the first couple of episodes. Yes, she's not the cuddly kind of mom, and some of her actions/reactions still looks harsh (especially given Kang Ho's current mental state), but I think, the show is doing pretty good in showing us, why she became the kind of mother she is, and why she reacts the way she does. It's obvious she loves her son dearly. Plus with that flashback/dream it looks like, we'll get even more insight in terms of her past/childhood to further flesh out her character. Current Kang Ho is adorable, but she's running a farm, taking care of her disabled son and dealing with that extra as hell trot singer. Alone. Just imagine the emotional and physical demands, she's dealing with 24/7.

I feared from the beginning, the revenge/corporate storyline would be a problem, and here we are. I find it draggy and dull, and show can't seem to pick a lane - clowny bad guys or not clowny bad guys. Both doesn't work for me.

I demand more scenes with Shin Seung Ho and his EPIC voice!

The story in "Lying" is hardly groundbreaking, and this short is so stripped down and simple in every way, it kind of gives the impression of watching a stage play. From beginning to end the spotlight is fixated on the actors and their performance. How fitting then ( if the MDL bio on the actor playing Ji Hyun is correct), that it states, he's a theater actor. I was expecting to see at lot of previous/upcoming work of his listed here, and I'm disappointed to only find two, as I'd love to watch more of his acting.

The story revolves around Ji Hyun, so he's naturally given most of the screen time. There are entire scenes shot in Ji Hyuns apartment with no music, little to no dialogue and not much going on, other than watching him processing and trying to handle his growing feelings for his friend. Even his minimalist home decor helps direct all focus to his face and movements. Had his acting been subpar in the least, this short would fall apart, but he is solid, and I feel bad for the other ML, who tries, but is completely upstaged.

There is one scene in particular, that stood out, where Ji Hyun's feelings of frustration, confusion and sadness is coming to a head. Again with nothing else around him to distract the viewer's attention and no dialogue, the actor is left to convey Ji Hyun's inner turmoil entirely through facial expressions, eye acting and body language. And he nails it! The way he expresses the transition to crying in this scene is flawless. The micro expressions are so on point and natural, I'm almost convinced, he did actually cry.

Lastly, while I was looking for an OTT to stream this short (and failing), I ended up on the Vimeo page for MATCHBOX and realized, how cheap it actually is to buy or rent these shorts. It's literally at the price level: "do you want that Starbucks latte or do you want to support an independent movie production company".

I recommend this short, if you enjoy emotional acting and endings with a little bit of wiggle room.

Available here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/lying

It's a thing apparently! 😃 I don't even watch regular food (reality) shows, but in these dramas, I'm enjoying watching the cooking process immensely. Guess, I just like my gastronomy with a slice of healing. I think, I have one "Let's Eat" on my TWL, but if there's food porn and cooking front and center, I'll watch them all.

For Japanese shows, I cannot recommend "Rokuhodo Yotsuiro Biyori" enough. Healing, relaxing cinematography, episodic nice stories and a bunch of handsome dudes cooking, serving and eating food (and cakes!). I swear, the food porn in this show is art, and this cast must've had the best time going to work and stuffing their faces. Highly recommend you check it out, if you haven't been there already.

I started watching it and thought the one guy's eyes made him look so much like Kim Jung Hyun, I had to pause and check. And it's really him. I had no idea.

Sad, thoughtful, but ultimately hopeful. A lot is achieved in only 15 minutes. People react to and deal with loss differently. This was conveyed quite well.

This was simultaneously completely unexpected and precisely what I'd imagined. To outperform a seasoned actor like Park Sung Woong is no small feat, but Oh Seung Hoon does just that and then some. He's downright alluring from beginning to end, and it's fascinating to watch him draw Jae Ha in, while he himself gets drawn in as well. They're helpless against the pull and so is their audience. I was too. Well done!

The movie's weakness is the running time. It's simply too short to effectively build an understanding of the way relationships and events develop and escalate. Instead we go from zero to a thousand in what feels like seconds. Even factoring in the insight we gain in terms of both of ML's modus operandi off and on stage, not letting the characters and the viewer breathe a little becomes an unfortunate disadvantage.

The constant shifts in the power balance between the ML's and the blurring of lines between acting and reality is simply outstanding and increasingly unsettling to watch. Especially at the end when we get to see the opening night of the play. It's not pleasant, but you can't look away either. I'll definitely keep an eye out for Oh Seung Hoon from now on. This is his movie.

Not even two minutes into the first episode, and I'm crying. This will be a tough 16 episode long ride, but if can get through Move to Heaven four times, I should be able to get through this too. And if I can get through this one, I may be able to revisit and finish The One And Only. Fighting!

I mean. This sentence alone from the synopsis: "The drama will follow the journey of a man who has no other choice but to be a wanderer because no one has ever told him to stay." Sold! SOLD! And then that potential cast?! All in.