SeanFletcher

Ep 14 - It was like watching a comedy on stage when the Master finally gets home after his confinement at the palace and all hell breaks loose re what the women have been up to and he says “Heaven’s Lord”. I just laughed and laughed because they are all as bad as each other and not too smart either. I can almost visualise the day where the Grandmother and Minglan have decided to leave this very comical household and as they are walking away you see their home collapse in the background with a big cloud of dust - lol

Finally completed. Very much a show of two halves. The first half was very good. The second half seemed to lose its way, although it had some good moments.

Here I am at the end of episode 29 and I can’t believe how much I am really enjoying Gangnam Scandal. Some have commented that this show is a guilty pleasure and others say it is typical of this type of Kdrama and using the same old tropes. I find it has a spring in its step that so many other daily (and shorter) shows lack. It is funny and sensitive without being over the top and I find the actors, in general, vibrant. You can see they are enjoying what they are doing. It is so much better than its current rating of 7.2. It should be well into the 8s.

She is a typical gentle person until her core values are threatened - then she springs into action. Her husband is vile in every sense of the word. The mistress and others aren’t much better. So, revenge makajang, but classy. There are some very funny moments too,

I agree. I find the situations, the resulting conversations along with the display of the culture at this time and the lessons that the young ladies (and other family members) need to learn very interesting. The men come across as a bit dopey at this point, but I’m sure this will change :) I hope down the track that the romantic elements compliment the story and not undermine the good writing we have seen so far. In other words, I am happy for this not to be a main focus.

Finished episode 66 - Manpuku continues to be a quality show. The consistency of the story is amazing - superbly directed, produced, written and acted.

The first two episodes were an enjoyable and thought provoking watch. It’s a good commentary on workplace rules vs commonsense and tries to deal with sensitive matters tactfully.

Finally, the end. It had some good moments, some makjang elements which had to be seen to be believed (some of the finest in kdrama land - lol) and not a bad cast. So as Michelle said earlier - it is a show that you love to hate. The out takes at the end we’re very good, which meant they enjoyed making this show. It ended on New Years Day, so Happy New Year!

Classic :)

Not only is Jung Hee Joo a strong character, Park Shin Hye is turning in an amazing performance. On top of this, her level of commitment to the role is outstanding. Park Shin Hye is a guitarist herself and so she made the effort to practice playing Memories of Alhambra. It is considered a most difficult piece to learn, let alone play on the classical guitar. When I first saw her play it during the show, I thought to myself - yes she is actually performing it! I play the guitar myself (quite baldly) and know that for me to learn one of the most famous pieces of classical guitar music ever will take a lifetime. She is quite simply, one talented person.

Thank you. My initial expectation was very much it would become a show for the romantics in this world. I expected at some point their “romance” would go off like a Roman Candle, but it was not to be.

Some wonderful observations and sentiments. I think it’s already a very special show

Very nicely said :)

So, we have reached the end. Twelve Nights started of as a divine piece of art, then it fell off the canvas or perhaps more appropriately, failed to develop in the dark room. It was almost as if the writer began to try and please a different audience. Finally, the slow vortex righted itself. Some substance returned and we ended up with a picture materialising on the photographic paper with a finale that some will find satisfying and others will not.

The first four episodes were exceptional. Overall, I like the natural feel of this show. Episode 5 is good, but as a transition episode from being kids to young adults, it didn’t quite work for me (although the scene itself re the transition was very good). I found the female characters interesting, but the male characters a bit lacking. Minglan for instance uses the Wisdom of Solomon to great effect in this episode (thus forgetting that she shouldn’t stand out). The men on the otherhand seem a bit foppish and scatter brained, although I appreciate this is how they play the game so they don’t stand out and be seen as a threat :)

If you get the chance, the Japanese have produced a number of Christie adaptations in a series this year. I just watched 4.50 From Paddington. I thought it was superb.

I thought this was a superb adaptation of the original story. Great atmosphere, very good direction, characterisations and acting. The standout character for me was Nakamura Aya as the undercover housekeeper.

At the end of episode 5 I can honestly say this is fast becoming one of my favourite dramas at the moment. Ai Mi Li is such a delightful air head with a life to match that you want her to start making the right choices and begin to succeed

There is one thing The Last Empress is very good at - the hook at the end of each episode. Every time I start to think that’s it for me, the mini cliff hangers have me come back for more. The highlight for me are the scenes between Princess Soo Jin and Chun Woo Bin. LHJ hams it up beautifully :)

Not only is Clean With Passion delightful, it is also very clever. The endings to episodes 9 & 10 which would see a typical path followed in other rom coms were flipped on their heads. How could anyone not enjoy Sun Gyeol saying “did a war go off in here?” or “My friend from Minnesota?” Then there is the heart revealed by steam on the mirror in the bathroom, or him softening towards his mum, or him looking through Oh Sol’s planner with a smile and without anything in there that would cause a devastating reaction - it’s the little things too...