astromantic

毎日grind, 毎日rhymes

Tag: j-dramas

  • Summer ’18, Part 2

    Summer ’18, Part 2

    RE: my viewing habits—

    Despite feeling pleased with the quality of dramas I saw last year, I was pretty discouraged when I saw that my yearly drama count went from 34 to only 19. I haven’t been watching much lately, so I thought maybe I was becoming picky or there just wasn’t much to watch.

    Looking at what I finished, I know that isn’t the case. 2017 had a lot of good dramas I missed! And looking back at my yearly roundup posts, I realized something very important… I’ve always watched dramas less dramas during school. The only time I really ramped up my viewing habits was when I was on a school break, like now.

    For k-dramas I do generally prefer to watch live/normally because the series/episodes are way too long for me to ever want to watch otherwise. Seriously, when’s the last time I ever watched an OLDER k-drama? There’s a reason why I still haven’t finished Misty! J-dramas are short, sweet, and easy to finish within a day or two. So I actually think it’s better for me to wait until an extended break for me to watch whatever I want rather than feeling overwhelmed and ultimately discouraged when I end up dropping everything and watching nothing, lol.

    [white_box] Spoiler free reviews on Kangoku no Ohime-sama, Totsuzen desu ga, Ashita Kekkon Shimasu, Okusama wa, Toriatsukai Chuui, Okaasan, Musume wo Yamete Ii desu ka? after the jump. [/white_box]

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  • the catch up

    the catch up

    After finishing my round up post yesterday, I checked my handy dandy spreadsheet of dramas and realized that not only have I finished a measly THREE dramas this year (it is July), I also have a lot that I have left unfinished.

    Like, a lot.

    • Totsuzen desu ga, Ashita Kekkon Shimasu (3/10)
    • Okaasan, Musume wo Yamete Ii desu ka? (04/08)
    • Okusama wa, Toriatsukai Chuui (04/10)
    • Samurai Gourmet (10/12)
    • Hito wa Mita Me ga 100% (03/12)
    • Anone (02??/10)
    • Kangoku no Ohimesama (01/10)
    • Misty (06/16)

    Mess.

    Although I’m pretty invested in Life on Mars at the moment and nothing will stop me from starting Jo Seung-woo and Lee Dong-wook’s newest drama, I want to finish these by next month. I think that’s pretty doable… see you in the next summer roundup then, ahahah.

  • Revisiting Ratings

    Although MyDramaList is the service of choice for a lot of people who like to track the dramas they watch, I prefer to keep things local and track it on an Excel spreadsheet. It’s pretty simple, and I have things organized by name and country. On occasion, when I feel very strongly about a drama (immediately afterwards), I’ll add a rating out of three stars. They’re usually classified as follows:

    * = recommended with reservation
    ** = recommended
    *** = strongly recommended

    And I do add half ratings. As I was looking through this spreadsheet though, I was a little baffled by some of the one- and two-star ratings I’d given to certain dramas. Why did I give Mystery Queen, a drama that brought me SO much happiness, 1½ stars and Surplus Princess three whole stars given THAT ending? Some of them I can understand: Liar Game (2014) got two stars while the original got only one, simply because the remake actually ended up being better, but my entire rating process is in need of some serious review. For anyone curious about the dramas I rated as recommended w/reservation…

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  • Winter ’18

    Winter ’18

    Finally out of exam hell. First impressions for select dramas this season, plus what I’m considering and what I’ve completed. (more…)

  • unpopular opinions

    unpopular opinions

    I don’t actually LOVE romance dramas! The more likely story is that I’m super picky, not a fan of the frustration they inevitably cause me, and would rather avoid them altogether. Even when I think I enjoy one at the time, I end up looking back on it like, “man, that was wack.” LOL. I’ve been burned too many times!

    Usually when someone recommends a drama to me (or others), I cry a little on the inside when I come to find out it’s a romcom or heavy on the romance. I can’t help but think that there’s so much more to watch! I remember a time when I was just dipping my toes into k-dramas, and one of the best recommendations I received was to watch Vampire Prosecutor. It had exactly what I could enjoy in a drama; a compelling mystery, a great cast, and no romance. The supernatural element was a unique touch, too. That means no crazy interloping in-laws or rivals, noble idiocy, or other inane gestures that are supposed to be “sweet”. Being a jerk? Wrist grabs? Controlling or pushy behavior? Keep it!

    Even when a drama is popular for supposedly doing things the right way (Because This Life Is Our First is one that immediately comes to mind), I’m just sort of like… meh. Let me tuck into a drama about cults instead. Lately I’ve also realized that I prefer my romance to be the icing on the cake rather than the whole entree. Mystery Queen had a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it hint of a romance, two leads with great chemistry, and I ate that shit up haha. I love when dramas flirt around with the idea of a relationship without pushing it, because why ruin a good thing? (The Best Hit, I’m looking at you.)

    So, in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, here are some rare favorites of mine (’cause I’m not that heartless!) (more…)

  • Fall ’17, Part 2

    Fall ’17, Part 2

    You can see part 1 here. Like a bum, I accidentally titled the post “fall”, when it should have been “autumn” to match all the other times I’ve done it! 😒 Oh well.

    [white_box] Contains light spoilers (very, very light) for Wise Prison Life, also very text heavy because I am lazy. Pictured image is from Keiji Yugami, episode… something. [/white_box]

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  • spooky selection 🎃👻🌙

    spooky selection 🎃👻🌙

    How you know I’ve been busy: this post has been in my drafts, unfinished, since the end of October! But I don’t want to wait another year for Halloween to roll around, so I’m posting it now. 15 days before Christmas. Hahah.

    While thrillers and supernatural elements are a dime a dozen in dramas, I don’t think I’ve actually watched anything that is straight up horror. I could be wrong and such a drama might exist… if that’s the case, please let me know! Until then, here are some dramas that can make you just a little bit uneasy (lol). (more…)

  • Fall ’17, Part 1

    Fall ’17, Part 1

    ⬆️⬆️⬆️ AKA me after the first few weeks of school. Not really watching too much this season.

    Hito wa Mitame ga 100 Percent / HitoPa is a ticket to the chuckle bus. The drama has a habit staying on a comedic beat for a liiiiiittle too long, but it’s whatever. What I don’t understand is that they’re telling me NO ONE will even glance at Kiritani Mirei… are you kidding me? She’s cute. Mizukawa Asami is gorgeous. And the only thing tragic about Blouson Chiemi is her eyebrows. Suspension of belief is 100% required, but it’s still lighthearted and fun. — Episode 3

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  • summer selection

    summer selection

    Summer has arrived, it’s hot AF, and it is officially appropriate to crack open a cold one with the boys!!! If you don’t have any cold ones (or boys to share any with), don’t worry — these summer dramas should bring just as much joy.

    1. Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo (2013) — for summer hijinks… ah, youth!
    2. Slow Dance (2005) — for a good summer slow burn.
    3. Oh My Ghostess (2015) — for a thrilling summer romance. You know what they say about watching scary things in the summer…
    4. Moteki (2010) — for a 🔥 sizzling 🔥 summer fling!
    5. Beach Boys (1997) — THE summer drama. If there’s anything you watch on this list, make it Beach Boys. And tbh, is there anything more pure than Takenouchi Yutaka and Takashi Sorimachi living their best lives at a seaside minshuku? NOPE.
    6. Ruri no Shima (2005) — for something sweet and sentimental. Also takes place on an island in Okinawa!
    7. It’s Okay, It’s Love (2014) — for summertime sadness and suffering. Just in case you wanted to replicate the feeling you get after realizing you spent all that time during the summer and didn’t really accomplish much. And to think you started off so hopeful! LOL… 😒
  • Spring ’17

    Spring ’17

    (Yes spring, because summer doesn’t actually start until June 20th!)

    Like last year, I’ve been obsessed with a certain game that’s left little room in my heart for dramas. H O W E V E R, Mystery Queen (or Queen of Mystery) is the only drama that managed to hold my interest and actually reaffirmed my belief in big network dramas. I loved coming back after a day of work/school and tucking into this drama. Mystery Queen isn’t necessarily one of those dramas where you turn your brain off, but it has that excellent combination of factors (hilarious, crazy good chemistry between leads, fun supporting characters, good mysteries, cute factor) that make it a comforting watch. (more…)