Finally out of exam hell. First impressions for select dramas this season, plus what I’m considering and what I’ve completed.
Current
Misty / My innocent self did NOT know Misty was rated 19. I hardly even knew what it was about, just that the premise sounded interesting and it was on DF. My first reaction after about 15-20 minutes was “is this guy … kissing up her leg… is he… ABOUT TO DO WHAT I THINK HE’S GONNA DO? yooooooooooo 2018 is wild” Of course it was just implied (and a flashback sequence), but we know. WE KNOW. 👀
Misty is just fraught with tension at ALL times. It is incredible. Go Hye-ran is a terrifying, beautiful goddess. She did not come to play and that anchor seat is HER throne. And Tae-wook (her husband)’s resentment is just a lot to take in. (My heart breaks whenever Ji Jin-hee makes those angsty faces, alright? Haha.) He resents her but he’s also incredibly devoted to her, which, quite frankly, makes him look like a punk. She told you that she wanted you (your family, your prestigious background) as her business card! She told you that she didn’t love you. And yet… you married her. Her ambition (which is both fearsome and inspiring) is just something he could not take. I love Hye-ran with all my heart, but if this were any other drama and the roles were reversed I’d be like, “sis, love yourself and LEAVE!”
This is not a clean “romance” by any means, but the romantic in me hopes that she can come to love him as much as he loves her. Definitely the highlight of the season so far. — Episode 5
anone / I’m actually not sure what to make of anone. I watched the first episode and it feels like there’s a lot of things/messages to receive all at once. Don’t trust your “friends” in the face of massive amounts of cash; it’s sucks to die alone, so let’s go together; sometimes old memories are not to be trusted; don’t take money that you find at the beach — it’s probably fake! I really felt for Harika (nee Hazure) when it turned out that her grandmother wasn’t as kind as she remembered her being… far from it actually. The first episode had less of a hook than Sakamoto Yuji’s other works, but I’ll continue watching if only because I want to understand it properly. — Episode 1
Unnatural / This already had a few factors working against it, mainly that it’s a medical drama and it features Arata… however, I can’t turn down a Nogi Akiko drama, especially after Juhan Shuttai and NigeHaji. Unlike the other two, this one is a purely original work and so far, so good. It’s your run-of-the-mill investigative medical-murder mystery, but better? I don’t find it overly contrived or boring. It is however, somewhat darker than expected — Mikoto’s backstory and the end of episode 5 really surprised me. I think it can only get better from here. — Episode 5
Denei Shoujo – Video Girl AI 2018 / I remember liking the manga back in middle school. I love the directing of this adaptation, the love triangle (if you can even call it that) is just so perfectly high school, and I like Sho’s characterization so far. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Amano Ai. It could be that Nishino Nanase isn’t that great of an actress (she’s an idol actress, and pretty green at that) or that the role is much harder to pull off … I honestly think she would have been better suited for any other character that isn’t Ai. I think I may end up tabling this until it finishes airing. — Episode 1
Final Cut / WHAT was with that struggle parkour intro??? LMAO. Anyway, it’s been so long since I’ve seen Kame in a drama (Suppli?) and he looks good! Fujiki Naohito looks incredible (that hair hnggghhhh), but continues to hurt me by playing another morally corrupt character!!!!! What do I have to do to get him to play a good guy for once? Revenge dramas are a tried and tested formula for at least moderate success, so I think I’ll like this one the more I get into it. — Episode 1
Considering
99.9% (Season 2) / I’m skipping over season one altogether because I don’t need to put myself through watching Eikura Nana for however many episodes. I’m very happy about the addition of Fumino Kimura and about the fact that it’s doing well in the ratings!
BG / I really liked the down-to-earth nature of I’m Home, so I was disappointed to see that Kimutaku was going back to these super genius elite (A LIFE) or action type (BG) roles. I’m not saying that he should play his age, but it’s just so boring at this point for him to play these ALWAYS exceptional/super cool characters. So boring! But I digress. I hope I can sit through it without experiencing major amounts of secondhand embarrassment.
Should We Kiss First / PERFECT MATURE MOODY MELO. You can watch the teaser here. I’m expecting a good slowburn.
Mystery Queen 2 / This won’t be airing for a while I don’t think, but I am so excited to have Wanseung and Seol-ok back in my life! This is also a great opportunity to watch the excellent first season if you haven’t already…
Mother / This is a remake of the Sakamoto Yuji classic! I will get around to watching it, but I can only deal with so many k-dramas at a time! It’s also very heavy subject matter and I’m not ready to cry every episode lmao
Complete
Ito-kun A to E / This was the first drama I finished this year, woo hoo! I felt a bit dissatisfied with it, especially after finding out that this was just a glorified teaser for the upcoming film. I know a lot of dramas have done that, but at least they felt more complete. There was an arc. If the movie ever gets subbed I’ll probably watch it though.
Prison Playbook / HOW DID I END UP CRYING EVERY EPISODE? This show brought the lolz and the heart. So much heart.