RL is busy and my return to physical internship has been met with new developments. It's early days yet and there's still time for things to change but for now I'm busy with not-spring cleaning and destressing with music.
Lauren Paley is a new find. Her Stairwell music playlist is in heavy rotation. This one's my favorite.
The other day I found out that I may be going back to physical internship, meaning I have to actually be in the hospital, as early as February 1st. It's not yet final as we're still waiting for the official memo from the Commission on Higher Education, but my hospital wants us ready to go as soon as we get that memo.
I spent a good part of that day with a lump in the pit of stomach and went to bed anxiety-ridden. The next day wasn't much better, so I distracted myself with chores and cooking. Between studying, cooking, chores, virtual internship activities, and trying to keep my anxiety at bay, it's been a slow week TV-wise. Last week's "up next" list is laughably optimistic in hindsight.
Mr. Queen (South Korea) | E14
Plot advancement huzzah! King Cheoljong has successfully maneuvered himself into a position of power. He is no longer a weak puppet at other people's mercy. For how long is anyone's guess at this point and we see that his newfound power is already being challenged. This time, the one caught in the crosshairs is a 5-year-old girl. Damnitall. Kid's pure love for the Queen, and the Queen's doting affection for Kid had me ugly crying.
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| T____T |
Identity crisis aside, I am loving the developments between SoBong and Cheoljong. They already crossed each other's physical boundaries, now they just need to be on the same page emotionally. And they need more hanky-panky! This time with both of them sober participants. They deserve the stress release and we deserve more than that short and deeply unsatisfying fade out we got. XD
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| More moving than that bed scene amiright? <3<3<3 |
True Beauty (South Korea) | E12
I'm glad the boys are slowly mending their friendship. That was long overdue. Both of them don't have many bosom friends -- ones they can rely on for the heavy stuff -- so I'm glad they have each other. But what I feared about the girl friendships came true. Hell hath no fury like Kang Soo-jin scorned. She basically ignited a bomb on her friendships and Joo-kyung's reputation. This week's episodes (13 and 14) will be rough and I don't have the mental fortitude to suffer through that right now. Real life is distressing enough. I think I'll just wait for all remaining episodes to come out and see how it goes.
The Uncanny Counter (South Korea) | E16 Finale
After episode 11, the show started to lose steam and I started to lose interest. Episodes 12 and 13 went by and didn't make much of an impact. There were big stakes in the plot, but it wasn't connecting. This continued until the very meh finale.
I'm glad the good guys won in the end, but Mayor just wasn't compelling nor interesting enough as a bad guy. I would've immensely preferred the previous murderer host to be the final Big Bad, since he was a fleshed out and much more nuanced character. And IMO this 16-episode show would've been served better by a 12-episode length. I remember watching episode 6 and being so surprised to find it was only episode 6. It felt more like it was already at the half-way point of a tightly plotted show. I feared the show was going to lose steam or didn't have any more story to tell. Not for 16 episodes anyway. I was right.
I hear there's going to be season 2? I hope they have an explanation for So Mun's souped up counter powers. One of my dissatisfactions was the Deus Ex Machina-like power-ups he keeps getting. He's like Super Saiyan on speed. He keeps leveling up within a short period of time and no one knows why.
Overall though, this was a really good show and I'm glad I watched it. My favorite thing about it is the deep, unconditional affection of the various kinds of families - So Mun and his besties, So Mun and his grandparents, and the Counter Team. Onwards to Season 2!
Fate: The Winx Saga | E01
Tried watching it while having dinner. I couldn't even get past a third of the first episode. It's too cringy.
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| My face as I watched the cringe-fest going on in Winx. |
Run On (South Korea) | E14
Surprise, surprise! Asshole Abeoji is even scummier than I thought. Seo Dan-ah's "elder" brother isn't just an idiot, he's also a dicknuts waste of space. The only reason he's in the running to inherit controlling interest in their family business is good old-fashioned patriarchy and having the luck to be born legitimate. What an ass. I hit FF over both of them.
I'm just glad both OTP romances and individual friendships are progressing nicely. We're even getting a double date scene in the next episode. That said there isn't really much story left to mine. The final two episodes are more than enough time to tie up loose ends.
CLAP CLAP CLAP. I've got to hand it to King Cheoljong. I didn't think he'd have the balls to stage his own assassination attempt just to take down his enemies. Everyone underestimated him and he used that in his favor. Very well done.
And then he swaggered into that meeting hall and showed everyone who's Boss. I LOVE IT. This is the most compelling and interesting he's ever been for me. I really, really like seeing him finally BE King and vent dragon rage on his treasonous subjects.
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| This was extra delicious. The look on Grand Queen Dowager's face -- priceless! |
LOLOLOL I can't wait for Episode 14 and all the hilarity this is going to cause. Identity crisis hijinks here we come! xo
TV Roundup is a new series* I'm starting where I talk about the shows and movies I watched during the past week. There will be venting, snarking, gushing, lusting, and the occasionally insightful opinion. I considered doing a post per show but sometimes I don't have much to say so I figured it's better to just round em up in a single post.
*Being optimistic here. I don't know how long I can actually keep this up. I'll either get swept up with my studies and/or RL stuff, or I just get bored with rounding up the week.
Run On (South Korea) | E12
Let's first talk about what I love: The OTP. Whenever I watch them interact, I get the warm fuzzies. Like that feeling you get drinking hot soup on a cold day. It warms you and comforts you and makes you feel good inside. I especially love how well Ki Seon-gyeom and Oh Mi-joo communicate. It's such a rarity in kdramaland. They talk about their feelings, clarify expectations and misunderstandings, and they listen to the other! Their conflicts are organic and center around the couple as individuals learning to navigate a new relationship and the complications that arise because of their identity and place in society. And I enjoy how lovey-dovey they are without being cringey about it. They're happy being in love and it shows.
The contact lens PPL was my favorite scene in episode 12. They wrote that in very well. I can't blame Mi-joo for not wanting her man's handsome face obstructed by pesky glasses. XD
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| Neither do I, Mi-joo. Neither do I. |
What I dislike, nay, HATE: Ki Seon-gyeom's asshole father who has more ambition than moral fiber and human decency, as is the case with most kdrama politicians. I usually just fast forward his scenes, but this week he finally gets dressed down by his son. AND I AM HERE FOR IT. The more of an asshole he is to his daughter and his son's girlfriend, the more his son fights back.
Ki Seon-gyeom hit the nail on the head when he said that he is his dad's weakness and that he doesn't know yet what he's capable of. Don't poke a sleeping tiger, Asshole Abuji! I probably need to come up with a catchier nickname for the Asshole, but is he even worth the brain cells?
Mr. Queen (South Korea) | E12
Still hilarious, but with significantly upped stakes and drama in the last two episodes. In the next episode preview, it looks like the King sheds all pretenses and openly fights with the Andong Kim clan. How will this affect his relationship with the Queen? He knows s/he's just trying to survive like he is, but s/he's caught in the middle regardless of which side s/he picks.
I don't really care all that much about the politics but I do wonder how they'll resolve a problem like Queen SoBong. Where on Earth is So-young? Is she dead-dead, forever gone? Does this mean Bong-hwan is stuck in the past in a female body? And if so, do these recent developments mean s/he's discarding his macho hetero self and accepting the feelings s/he's obviously developing for the King.
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| Special shout out to Orabeoni and his sad, sad eyes. He's still pining and drowning his sorrows in alcohol. Is it sadistic that I like him best when he's in pain? |
The Uncanny Counter (South Korea) | E11
Hooboy. I dreaded it but I knew it was coming. There was no way none of the good guys would die. It's too delicious a plot point, and it does advance the plot. Rest In Power, detective lady. I'm sorry you didn't get the romantic reunion you deserved with your lunkhead ex-amnesiac fiance. You deserved to be happy.
Zoey's Playlist (USA) | S2E2
Yay Team Max! He was so sweet and I honestly think at this point in the story, he is what Zoey needs. He gets her. Even when he doesn't, he supports her.
However, it's too early to count Team Simon out. With her dad's death so fresh, Zoey has the option of turning to Simon -- a person who understands losing a father and taking it hard. Plus Simon's got it going on and Zoey can get it any time she so desires.
True Beauty (South Korea) | E10
I put off watching this week's episodes (11 and 12) because I fear my cool goddess Soo-jin is going to pull a Darth Vader on us. Ugh. This story has enough conflicts to mine without breaking female friendships because of a boy! Double ugh.
Cherry Magic (Japan) | E9
I saw a possible breakup in the previews and chickened out. I decided to wait for all the episodes to be out and subbed, and then I'll binge watch this cotton candy fluffy goodness for maximum sugar high.
Shanai Marriage Honey (Japan) | E4
Another very fluffy watch. The subber was busy with year-end real life hoohah, so the subs for episode 5 got postponed. That was weeks ago. I think it's fully subbed now. I may pick this back up at any time.
Sen Çal Kapımı / You Knock On My Door (Turkey) | E11
When I last watched (episode 11), the shit had just hit the fan. She called it quits on the whole ruse. The subs had caught up to the live airing schedule so I thought it was a good time to stop and wait for subs to pile up. Then I got busy with other shows and decided to just wait for the finale (episode 20). What I did not expect was SCK becoming such a local and international hit that the show has been extended. It's now on episode 28. Eda and Serkan are getting married! For real this time! I don't know where the story is going anymore. I have 17 two-hour episodes to catch up on.
Another win for the Youtube algorithm! I've been listening to them all week ever since I stumbled on their videos. Basically fingerstyle guitar covers have taken over my Youtube lately.
Renee and Andrew Foy
These teens are mega talented. I love the cool tone of Renee's voice. It's so chill and pleasant to listen to. And I think her holding the tiniest guitar ever is beyond adorable. Andrew's fingerstyle guitar arrangements are excellent. This song in particular is my current earworm.
Paul Iballa
Fellow Pinoy! Idol! His videos are a whole MOOD. Just sit back and relax as the video plays.
The Warlord of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
