ZaneAraki

My, so you already watched The Joker~ I'm envious!
No problem. Wishing you a speedy recovery from that good mess of a movie!

i found no dull moments so far in My Country, but yeah the story is pretty heavy, and there's already bloods splattered on the first two episodes. if you think it looks intriguing, maybe it's worth trying!. you can always go to tale of nokdu to cleanse off the heaviness lol.
agreed, the episodic ghost stories really elevate the story in their drama. i have some problems with master's sun, and the episodic parts were what helped me finish it.

even worse, i feel her chemistry with all the guys lol

OMG yes we need more jang hyuk!! btw, i really agree with you on this 'The way it is filmed here really engages the viewer'
This is usually the main reason why I was bored with sageuk. Here the shoot feel like a character of its own...

yeah! that would probably do. maybe after i finish My Country and Rookie Historian, I'll retry this show again. fingers crossed this would be a fun ride though. male crossdresser and a tomboy girl with a spunky personality is a combo on their own xD
i'm not really into hong sister's drama, but hotel del luna does looks interesting. especially the wardrobes 0.0

you really tempt me, but it's even hard for me to get into sageuk on the first place, so when the first ep doesn't buy me, i'd drop it immediately. x)

yup! punchy is the word i would use to describe it too :D

if they keep the quality like this for the rest of the episodes, this could be the first ever pure historical sageuk i manage to finish. i never finish any sageuk, usually stuck on the second ep before dropping, unless its blended with other genre like fantasy.
but this one is really off to a great start. i think what makes the show compelling is due to the actors' intensity in their acting, and also the characters' dynamic with each other is believable and they have great chemistry (not exclusive to romantic chemistry, but also family/villain/friendship chemistry).

i think you should at least expect that to happen x) so when it does, you'd be less disappointed.

I dropped this one for a different reason. I couldn't feel the leads chemistry so when they played out the cliche lead guy ruins lead girl's plan which off to a sour start of their relationship, it felt off-mark for me.
if you see her in Let's Fight Ghost, her acting is different there.. I think it's just the way she portrayed serious and determined character. also compare her in Goblin or ruler: master of the mask. i believe the gurl can act, but her character can be a hit or miss sometimes.

high school dramas are often out of my radar, especially the ones I actually watched when I was the characters' age. the last one i watched was Shut up flower boy band and that was years ago xD
it's crazy how fun this show is! the first ep is captivating, but the second even better. i love the music since it uses dubstep/electro that matched the fast pace scenes, and other times, dreamy music, giving a fairytale book feeling. for the characters, they did use the cliche tropes, but the way they're presented are entertaining, and the addition of the conscious female lead aka extra really made it all work.

yup!!

nah, i don't think the crying will completely stop, it's part of her character.
i also struggle with her character and the way ghj emotes her, but i kinda warm up to her after the writer gives more exposure to her backstory, especially using her as the central figure directly involved with the Joker. also the appearance of the women, you know who i'm talking about if you watch the latest ep, it makes the drama more interesting so even if she were to made unbelievable choices, i'd at least tune it for the story. (ep 5-12)
now i'm seeing the crying as one of her quirks :) it's not like she keeps on crying. the point of her character is, even as she cried when frustrated, she also tried her best to stand on her ground, which for me, is pretty satisfying to see.

i can't get into this one, no ji chang wook can even save me from dropping it. her last drama, strong woman also has that charming park hyung shik and i still drop it regardless. i guess i don't really get the writer's sense of humor.

maybe part of her felt betrayed? she thought he was dating a lawyer, and maybe she had already pent up expectation that his son is marrying a society-defined of successful women. still, i had no idea whether she would be against or opposed to this after she has calmed down. we'll have to see about that.

I suspect Chief Byun as the Joker, he gives me strong vibes...

I hafta say I'm sold on this show after episode 5-8. At first, I was turned off with Kang Ha Neul and Gong Hyo Jin's portrayal of their characters, also with the storyline and dynamic of the characters. In ep 5 onwards though, they added more interesting facets/details of Dong Bae and the murder storyline. I came to appreciate more of Yong Shik's dorkiness. For me, the highlight of the 8th episode is Dong Bae and Yong Shik's conversation near the end. I get to see the vulnerable side of her, and her utmost concerns, and Yong Shik's consolation for her really got me.

I also love how their interaction happen after Dong Bae and Jong Ryul's encounter, we can compare how Dong Bae reacts among the two guys. Jong Ryul, like other people in the town 'suffocates' her, because she felt the needs to appear strong in front of him and the townspeople, regardless of her feelings. But with Yong Shik, she's more sardonic and blunt than how she is with others.

I also dislike her timidness at first, but ep 5-8 kinda lay out why she could possibly change into that side in the matter of years. I often heard that Gong Hyo Jin always pick unique and reflective roles despite her 'gongvely' trademark in her dramas, and I can finally see it with this one as well, after IOTL. It's unique in terms of a single mother, an orphan, with a famous ex-lover, and how she has trouble feeling 'enough' and confident of her life, because of the lack of respect and encouragement she received from everyone, her ex included. How she's finally about to get entangled with someone who can give her all that is just moving and bittersweet to see.

I always find it hard to relate to Lee Yo Won's character in her dramas. She always built this 'wall' with her expression that makes her character felt amusingly cold. It's either her portrayal or the character in general, I'm not sure, but this drama, even when moving at a snail's pace is pretty interesting to see. The music is 9/10 alone. My fave character Bae Hong Tae. He's a badass without even trying.

Of course not! I find Eun Jung's arc the most bittersweet too, and I can't help but feel for her and her dead husband on their last scene (the coffee shop) where both said their farewell.

Hm, I think I like most about this drama is how humane, thoughtful, sensitive, and respectful it is in regards to the character's interaction/relationship with each other.
This is just what I remembered:

1) Jin Joo, Hwan Dong, and Bum Soo
Normally in a kdrama, we would probably see a lot of agonizes from either three of them. But here, their negative emotions felt subdued and understated as the show goes, but somehow I can relate to the three of them. Not to mention that they are all respectful of each other, and the way Jin Joo resolve her relationship with Hwan Dong (the restaurant scene) is just very moving and sweet.

2) Eun Jung, Hong Dae, and Sang Soo
Eun Jung is critical and stoic, but when she met Hong Dae, she looked more cheerful and 'having fun'. Most of the drama shows her struggling with her grief, and even when Sang Soo is introduced as a potential love interest, it doesn't completely wash off Hong Dae away. Even when Sang Soo and Eun Jung starts to interact more, it still felt like Eun Jung wants to take it 'really slowly'. I mean, in some dramas, I thought, when a former relationship ends, the story would shift abruptly to the new ones, but here, it works more like real life. The past is still on-going in the person's mind, while new one is trying to embrace her. I love that the shift is very subtle and slow in her growing proximity with Sang Soo. Her conversation with Hong Dae in the end also kinda implied that Hong Dae would always be her 'true love', as she asked to meet up with him again when she dies.

3) Han Joo, Ji Hoon, and Ha Yoon
I love how the writer take a different route to their relationship. Everyone believe Han Joo and Ji Hoon is endgame, but turns out they become best of the friends and co-workers. What I love most about them is that Han Joo never took advantage of Ji Hoon's unstable relationship with Ha Yoon. Instead, during their chat, she tends to give him insights, and always supportive of both of them. I especially remembered that scene where Han Joo asked Ji Hoon to just embrace Ha Yoon, both her bad and good sides. To me, the show just explored the fragility and core of a relationship- How far you can embrace/love a person despite of your either lost/decreasing feeling? It's so beautiful, and it's rare for kdrama or just drama/movie in general to explore/discuss this in a straightforward way.

I don't know how to feel about Ji Hoon and Ha Yoon, but somehow I felt, even if they're to get back together, it's not impossible at all. There's no guarantee of happy ending, but like Jin Joo who learns from her 7 year relationship with Hwan Dong, perhaps Ji Hoon and Ha Yoon could also be more perceptive of their mistakes, and they could made up for it whether as friends, or lovers.

I remember some of the dramas I watched have the brokenhearted character embark on a new relationship, but here... it must be so hard to let go of a person that used to be on the side of the bed with you? And when you finally trying to change the way you see of her, she suddenly wants to let go. It's definitely selfish of her, but then we are seeing the possibility of them starting anew. I applaud this show for also showing the 'toxic' side of relationship, and the possibility of either mending it in a romantic/friendship kind of sense.

Love the diversities!
And well, the other relationships are more or less comical, except for Hyo Bong and Moon Soo. I can't really say anything about them because it's less explored, but as a whole, the show is a giant threads of insights into the human interaction and perhaps each episode can be made into essay. x)

Well, it could lead to that way. 'A fresh start'