December 2017 Blogging
There is one show I’ll be blogging at the end of December.
HWAYUGI. I’ll be blogging HWAYUGI which airs on TVN and starts December 23.
What drew me to this series? Leading man Lee Seung Gi returned from his military service. Writers – the Hong sisters have penned dramas I loved (e.g. My Girlfriend is a Gumiho) and ones that didn’t impress (e.g. Warm and Cozy). Will the Hong Sisters rise to the top again? Also Cha Seung Won worked with Lee Seung Gi and was a bright spot in You Are All Surrounded.
What’s this show about? Two characters embark on a journey to find light in a dark world.
How will I watch this show? The network is TVN so either DramaFever or Viki should pick it up.
CRIMINAL MINDS. I will finish Criminal Minds. I mean it.
Asian drama fan. I watch and blog dramas on https://kjtamusings.wordpress.com/.
amusings 
Hi KJT. Are you planning to watch Money Flower? Even if you don’t recap it, it’s a very good drama. I think you would enjoy it. I admit I’m sad you didn’t recap it because we had such fun times discussing some even “not so great dramas” It would’ve been awesome to discuss this one but I suppose you must have your reasons. Still, I hope you give it a chance.
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DF, I hang my head in shame that I let a JH drama go unblogged by me. Somehow it slipped past my radar. I will check it out. I see it ends on Jan 27th so I have some binge watching to do to catch up.
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Haha that’s ok! It wasn’t too promoted but it’s getting very good comments now and I personally think is his best performance since Chuno. Yes, we just reached the midpoint. It’s 24 episodes in total.
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I will check it out. Thx for bringing it to my attention.
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I was also surprised that KJT let Money Flower slip through her fingers. I’m annoyed that it is Viki Premium PLUS drama, so even though I have a Viki Premium account you get the lame “FREE for the first 24 Hours”, in which time period you would be lucky to get as much as 5% English captions. The episodes are released for the Premium account after at least 3 weeks, so I’ll probably wait until all episodes are released and binge watch.
I am looking forward to Hwayugi. Looks like Hwayugi will be on Viki, do be prepared for the lame “FREE for the first 24 Hours” or wait three weeks. I have found https://ondramanice.io to be “less” buggy than some others. That’s where I watched “Mad Dog” and watching “Criminal Minds”.
I found the Korean “Criminal Minds” to be almost as hard to watch as the US version. Like Kay, I finishing it for Lee Joon Gi. I’ll be commenting on KJT’s remaining recaps.
I’ll likely watch Two Cops later, so I can binge watch.
I love to hear about what all of you are watching. I just finished watching “White Christmas”from 2011, it was an 8 episode psychological thriller; definitely worth watching.
After watching “Will it Snow for Christmas”, which had some snow but no mention of Christmas, I realized that having Christmas in the title of a Korean drama doesn’t mean that the story has anything to do with Christmas, which was the case for “White Christmas”, other than the story takes place over Christmas break with a big snowstorm isolating a group of messed up high school students in their school along with a serial killer. Starring Kim Young Kwang, Kim Sang Kyung, Hong Jong Hyun and first drama for Esom (Because This is My First Life) Sung Joon, Lee Soo Hyuk, and Kim Woo Bin. Excellent acting and an interesting story that kept you guessing, despite a few slow parts.
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@JT thanks for the tip for ondramanice.io.
White Christmas sounds interesting but it also sounds like those American teen eliminate-one-by-one American slasher movies that I hate.
I had not been able to get on Dramabeans for a few months as they had the same thing going on as the streaming sites with the pop ups that cause my phone to vibrate and freeze claiming I’ve won something if I click wherever. I have to shut my phone completely off just to exit the page. They’ve gotten rid of it only recently but that’s why I have no idea of what shows were out in the last batch of newbies nor what’s coming up on the horizon. Also the Kowcowa-Viki-Drama Fever fiasco.
I will tell you this though – I had paid for Viki’s “Premium” but once their customer service fell off AND the subtitles became soooo slow, I contacted them and demanded my $99 back. They refunded it but there has been no difference in the shows being available to me. I don’t know if that’s an error in their system of not having knocked me back down to “Plus” or what’s going on. I’m so disgusted with them that I really don’t care at this point. I only still use Viki because I like the remote control on my Firestick and because I’ve been so busy lately that the super sloooow subtitles hasn’t affected me yet. Once I get settled (I moved back to Florida at the beginning of December), I won’t be able to tolerate subs that are only complete one day before the next week’s episodes have aired. I’ll abandon Viki if they haven’t gotten themselves together by then.
And I don’t know how Drama Fever is staying in business. Although, they also have a lot of Chinese current so maybe customers who like C-dramas are sustaining them. It seems like they only carry one popular K-drama per season (by “season”, I mean the time periods when we see a batch of new dramas starting).
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Beez, it is not an eliminate them one by one nor is it a slasher (I don’t like that genre). There are a limited number of deaths at the school and those deaths are not actually shown. It was only 8 episodes and intriguing… 👋 🍭 (This is me tempting you)
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Well I am tempted now! 8 eps is perfect! Also I think I read good reviews for White Christmas! Now we need to find it! Ughhhh don’t get me started on those pop ups! They are my nightmare now every saturday, Sometimes I get them even on Soompi. It’s so frustrating!
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I had to down load an adblocker app that acts as a browser just to get on Dramabeans. I don’t know how it would work on streaming sites. I’m having a “duh” moment that ever since I got the app to access Dramabeans, I didn’t think to try using it to stream until just now. 🤔
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Saw it on Viki
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Hmmmmm. You know I don’t shy away from violence on tv so I’m not sure why I don’t like those teen slasher movies. So the on-screen deaths wouldn’t bother me.
I’ll take a look at who’s starring in White Christmas. Based on your recommending and IF there’s some worthy eye candy, I’ll give it a chance.
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So I looked on AsianWiki and it jogged my memory that you did mention these actors as starring. None of them make my bias list but none of them are dull either. With that many well known, usually interesting to watch, actors – I’ll give it a shot.
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I am a bit embarrassed that I missed the boat with Money Flower. 🤦 Life had a way of taking priority over my watching/blogging in the later half of this year. I hope to get back on track in 2018. Thanks for sticking with me and always providing thoughtful and emoji rich commentary. We often agree but when we don’t it forces me to consider another perspective. 👏👏👏
Thanks for the the recommendation for ondramanice. It feels like a mine field out there navigating the site to find the show of interest!
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I knew Money Flower was coming but list track of the start date. I also have sour grapes 🍇😫 that it is Viki Premium Plus, so even though I paid for a Premium Viki Pass, I have to wait 3 weeks to see the episodes … So much for “Premium”.
Anywho, I’m VERY PLEASED Hwayugi is being released immediately. Well, sort of, I noticed that Viki is not releasing episode 2 until 12/30. I hope this means they will have the captions quickly. I will be watching episode 1 again, now that it is at 100%.
ondramanice io is not without issues, but it does seem to have fewer pop-ups. I also noticed they have Hwayugi episode 2 raw already.
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Yes, must of the streaming sites have the show (Bad Guys 2) I want to watch but unfortunately none have subs yet.
It’s an OCN show. You would think Viki or DF would pick up the shows that Kowcowa doesn’t control and try to make up the difference a bit that way. But nooooo…
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Hwayugi is on Viki. Episode 1 is now at 100% captions, Sunday afternoon they said episode 2 would be out 12/30, but I just checked and they will post it on Christmas. Who knows how long it will take to get captions posted … Viki seems to be having problems with captions being posted in a timely manner. Viki’s “First View” on Kowcowa shows is a joke, it is as if they are giving themselves permission to not even try to post captions for 24 Hours.
MeRrY ChRiStMaS 🎄🚼🌟👼
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Viki has gone downhill this year.🤐 Appreciate the info.☺
Merry Christmas!🎅🎅
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A big yes to Hwayugi! My excitement levels are ridiculously high for it, lol. Lee Seung Gi is just the tiniest smidge behind Lee Joon Gi on my favorite actors list, so suffice to say, I really love him 🙂
And you sound like me about Criminal Minds. I am STILL watching and I too WILL finish it. But man, I’m only still around because I have to complete Lee Joon Gi’s drama. And I think he’s the only actor I would ever do that for, especially considering how much I am not enjoying Criminal Minds, lol
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Did you see that Lee Seung Gi said he’d reenlist if the opening ratings for Hwayugi are greater than 10% (Soompi Article Link)? I’m hoping it DOES NOT happen!
Kay, I wanted to let you know I’ve enjoyed our interactions and your blog this year. I know we’ll both complete Criminal Minds! The things we do as Lee Joon Gi fans…
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I’m watching Two Cops because, you know, Jo Jung-seok. I want to watch Bad Guys 2 but with a lot of the shows not being on Viki or DramaFever, and my being off DramaBeans for a while, things have slipped by me. That’s how I missed Black. It’s just such a pain figuring out which streaming site has a show, which one is the least buggy at the moment, and then casting it to my tv which only works half the time. *sigh* So by the time I decide to sit down and watch, the shows are half over.
And of course I’m waiting on Odyssey,too!
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I agree on the streaming service confusion. I remember “the good old days” when DramaFever and Viki covered everything I wanted to watch. I appreciate your unfailing, funny, and insightful comments this year. You are the best Beez! 👍👍👍
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The love is mutual, kjt. What would I do without you and your safe haven blog?
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to the kjtaCrew!
(For the newbies – no, kjt does not have a staff but does all the work by herself. I just call us, her blog followers, the “kjtCrew”.)
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The “crew” make this blog a joy for me.🎁🎄🎅
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I’m ecstatic about this show! I had no idea this show was happening until this post. I can get a little behind on dramas. The Hong Sisters and Lee Seung Gi together again, plus Cha Seung won?! I’m so in!
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I truly hope the Hong sisters pen a hit with this series. They can create magic on the page. And I’m optimistic Lee Seung Gi can translate it on the stage.
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So excited… I was gonna ask if u will be seeing this show… N imagine my joy to see that it’s already in ur list…
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I think this drama is highly anticipated. I’m considering it an early Christmas present. 🎁🎁🎁
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Let me recommend Mystery Queen which aired last summer because…drumroll…it actually got a second season!
The second season starts February 21,2018.
I’m pretty excited because there were a number of reasons why I should not like this show (and yet I did like it):
1) I dislike the actress in the lead role (but I like her in this)
2) The heroine is married so
3) There’s no romance (Yet. Fingers crossed they find a way to get rid of her jerk-faced husband)
Despite no romance, and despite the heroine being treated as a housewife and constantly told to stay at home by everyone, there is so much earned respect, albeit begrudgingly, on the part of her reluctant partner (played by Kwon Sang-woo) that the show just works. And of course there’s the typical Sherlock Holms/Ellery Queen/Encylopedia Brown/Agatha Christy type sleuthing going on too.
I was pretty angry when the show concluded, having left a few things hanging because they wanted a second season. I didn’t believe it would happen but wonder of wonders – and with the same cast!
So I’m hoping kjt & the Crew will find time somehow in their watchlists to squeeze in Mystery Queen so by the time season 2 rolls around, maybe kjt will want to recap it.
Off to do my happy dance.
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You make a case to watch the second season. I like female crime solvers. I just finished listening to the audiobook “A Study in Scarlet Women” by Sherry Thomas that reimagines Sherlock Holmes.
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@kjt I wouldn’t be surprised if the producers got the idea from the book you mentioned. I read somewhere that the Korean untranslated title for the show MQ is a play on Sherlock Holmes’ name.
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Just stopping by to wish KJT and all the wonderful followers of this blog Merry Christmas! May this holiday time come peaceful and leave light inside your hearts. I have not been around, but this blog brought me a lot of joy this year.
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imberresder! You’ve been missed!
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Merry Christmas to All of the KJT Crew!
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😍🎄
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🎁🎄🍭
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Thank you for the kind words and lovely wish. Truly the satisfaction lies in the “crew” of articulate kdrama loving viewers that grace this blog. We will be here whenever you can stop by. Merry Christmas!🎄🎄🎄🎄
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