Eleison

Not really; more slice of life than healing, I'd say. There's some hurt and pain from the past that is talked about, discussed and worked through to some extent, but it's not a huge focus. Maybe a bit more in these later episodes since a bunch of friends from childhood reunite who were separated by some unfortunate circumstances that their parents were caught up in.

As well as the seaweed fight and the vinegar deluge dropped on the one-who-shall-not-be-named. 😆

Haha, yes! He grew on me the last few episodes. I loved how he followed Seok Hui around like an attached puppy eating popcorn (?) and everyone seeing him with Seok Hui was like, "Hmmm... hanging out with Seok Hui? He's better than that..." 😅

It's possible! Everyone does look super pristine.

There's a lot to wrap up in one episode; considering the pace that's been set so far, it might be a tight squeeze...

Haha, Hyun Wook isn't completely useless! He knows all the tea about everyone in town. 😂 Even better than Du Sik. He hasn't missed a thing; I guess sometimes it pays to be "unemployed."

Good to know; and what's the difference again, between xianxia and wuxia? Is the music usually as good as in LLTG (Is that called an "S" drama or something, that has more money poured into it, right?)? The score was so lovely in that one. I was devastated when I found out it wasn't on Spotify. 😭

If you could recommend another Cdrama, historical, xianxia, wuxia or otherwise (knowing I like LLTG), which would you recommend? (I've already established I probably won't like The Untamed, despite it's wild popularity because I don't watch BLs and probably would not enjoy the bromance with romantic subtext; I know, I'm starting to sound super picky... 😂). I want to give Cdramas another chance because I loved LLTG, WIFTY, and HL, but I tried a few others and couldn't keep going.

I loved Love Like The Galaxy, but I'm not sure I can do some of the other Cdramas because they're SO fantastical, perfect-looking, and doll-like. Also, the way they "fly" when doing martial arts (like they're sliding across a slick floor, but in the air) just makes those scenes feel silly to me and ruins my immersion. 😅 Are there any others that are a bit more realistic like LLTG that you would recommend?

I'm waiting for another sageuk to catch up to Under The Queen's Umbrella. Have yet to watch one in the last year or so since it came out that comes even remotely close to my love for it!

That's true. And I agree that Sungkyunkwan Scandal is a classic, and it's really the only one that builds the whole story around the cross-dressing; I mean, the climax of the drama is that everyone believes that the ML (including the ML himself) is in love with a man. I was so relieved when he found out. Phew, we had to wait SO long for the reveal. They are still one of my favorite couples, though. :)

Haha, I'm glad! And just know, the first two episodes have a quirky feel to them, but by Episode 3, once I got more information, I was fully invested.

What about The King's Affection? That's pretty recent?

For MLs somewhat close to this one (there aren't many, haha), try When The Camellia Blooms (with Kang Ha Neul) and Hogu's Love (Choi Woo Shik, who's absolutely ADORABLE as Hogu).

I thought of Healer, too, but the "childish," bumbling, slightly dim persona is an alias for the ML, but it's still a fairly significant portion of the drama, so you might enjoy it. 🤷‍♀️

Yes, being young and a teenager is so overrated! 😂 So many more perks to being an adult.

Yes, for sure!

Haha, YES. You only have to watch like two or three rom-coms to figure out it's the ironclad rule that no Kdrama creator ever breaks.

I think almost every girl feels like pre-makover Im Ju Gyeong in middle school/high school, bare face. 😂 She's definitely very relatable in her self-consciousness!

Yes, I also get so stumped by people who ship the leads with second leads and root for them. 🤔 It's not like there's any surprise that they won't--not even won't, they CAN'T--end up together because, well, it's a Kdrama. 😂

Love the gentle, but still very intentional, pace. It suits the setting and characters perfectly. We get long moments with characters gazing, thinking and wandering without talking and the drama gives space for those moments without rushing past them. It also doesn't glamorize life, which I also like. For some reason, it keeps reminding me a bit of Because Of Winn-Dixie and Secondhand Lions. They have a similar gentle pace, heartwarming characters who live "mundane" lives, with simple yet interesting plots that give themselves lots of room to breathe. :)

Like the phrasing of your last sentence. Well-put!