The TV Roundup #1: The Inaugural Post

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.

Currently Watching

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

Neither do I, Mi-joo. Neither do I.

I am more ambivalent towards the second couple. I like them individually -- Seo Dan-ah more than Lee Young-hwa. She is delightfully oddball and 4D, and he's fine when interacting with others. I just don't necessarily like them together. Their "romantic" interactions are somewhat off. I want to like them just as much as the other couple, but I'm not there yet. It doesn't help that I don't buy even for a second that Kang Tae-oh is a college student. I'm not buying the noona-haksaeng part of the romance. He's older than her and it shows. Okay I just googled Kang Tae-oh's age and I was wrong. He's 26 to Soo-young's 30. Wow. I thought he was in his early 30's. My point still stands though. He doesn't look like a university "kid."

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.

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.

Up Next

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.