The Fangirls are back to chat about all the newest dramas starting this last week.  Do we love them?  Hate them?  Also, be sure to let us know what your favorite show is.  You never know, maybe some positive words are all we need to try something new.

One More Happy Ending

KMUSE: I love a good rom-com chic flick.  And sadly, it has felt like forever since we have had a laugh out loud romantic comedy.  It seems that lately we get way to much melo and less romance in our dramas.  I’m giving the side-eye to shows like Bubblegum, She Was Pretty, Let’s Eat 2, etc.  Not that they did not have the chuckle moments, but they were pretty light on the OTP hijinks.  So it was with a very happy heart that I laughed so hard I cried every episode so far.  I was also very surprised at how much chemistry Jang Na Ra and Jung Kyung Ho have.  All in all, I have high hopes for this show.

KdramaJen:  I am loving this show! The sexy cow jammies and gaudy costume jewelry rings had me laughing out loud, but this drama also manages to have heart.  There is a sweetness and feeling of unfulfilled longing that is subtle, but it is almost tangible.  There is chemistry all the way around which makes for some very enjoyable dramatime!  Now, if only this could get subbed just a little faster…

Drama Geek: I was in love for episode 1&2. Just like Kmuse said, the rom-com fair has been light. I was very happy to see zany humor mixed with some great OTP (One True Pairing) chemistry. After episode 3 I’m a little on the fence. The other girls in the group don’t interest me as much and Mi Mo’s character is kind of all over the place. I think I’ll probably just sit back and roll with this one, staying for the laughs.

KdramaJen: I have to jump back in here.  Feeling a little disappointed that my silly hijink-filled rom-com is not living up to my expectations after the first week.  Bring back the laughs and the hijinks and the skylarking!  I demand more cow costumes and hilarity!

Cheese In The Trap

KMUSE:  I find myself in the odd position of being not sure if I like any of the characters in this drama.  Sure, I find them fascinating in a character development type of way, but all my ships are staying firmly in port.  Everyone’s personalities are so broken and I am really worried about the health of Yoo Jung & Seol’s relationship.  I’m just saying that if these two were my friends, daughters, or casual acquaintances I would wear a neon sign that screams “RUN AWAY”

CLKYTTA:  I’m in the same boat as KMUSE.  I’ll keep watching, but it’s kind of a train wreck of stories.  The writers have made Yoo Jung so dark and twisted, and I’m not sure he can pull out of it.  Seol’s character isn’t really vibing with me, she’s every girl, and she’s not every girl.  I find her too submissive and naive, I need her to be more assertive, because if she doesn’t start speaking up and communicating with her words and not her expressions, she’s going to be a doormat forever.

KdramaJen: I can’t figure this one out.  I liked it in the beginning, but now I am really starting to question everything.  Yoo Jung is beautiful to look at, but there is that creepy serial-killer vibe that just keeps me from wanting Seol to end up with him.  Of course, I am totally hypocritical because I didn’t really care that Park Bo Gum’s character really WAS a serial killer in I Remember You.  I think I need more time with Cheese in a Trap. I just hope it goes in a happier direction.

Drama Geek: This one pains me so much. I want to jump on the Cheese Train. I want to understand what the rabid fans love about it. But… at the end of the day I feel like I’m watching what it’s like for a sociopath to date someone. And Seol giving in to his violent tendencies, all because Sunbae did it for her, has caused me to lose respect for her character. It’s like if Park Bo Gum’s character from IRY dated someone right before he started killing people. Okay, so that’s a little extreme. I haven’t completely caught up on this week’s episodes, and I’m not sure I will be able to. I wish I could because I really love Puppy In Ho in this. Oh well, you can’t like everything everyone else likes.

Signal

KMUSE: This drama is totally my peanut butter and jelly out of all the new dramas available.  They somehow made vocal time travel via magical walkie talkie seem plausible and has achieved the success of making bad guys believable, female characters relevant, and this blogger giddy.  It is not often that a drama exceeds its hype but I believe that is what this drama has achieved that distinction.  Now if they can just keep the talent coming for 20 more episodes.  Sadly, that is often the hard part.

KdramaJen: I liked this one a lot more before my daughter left her Elsa and Anna walkie talkies on and they fell between the couch cushions.  Yeah, what’s cool in a Korean drama is decidedly NOT cool when one is home alone and hearing what could only be a communication from a police officer from the past.  I was completely drawn into the story and I 100% agree  with Kmuse, but I might leave the lights on for a while.

Drama Geek: Now this! This one is what I’m all about right now. Maybe it’s because I have 1988 blues, or most of the stuff on just isn’t doing it for me, I don’t know. But the first two episodes of this grabbed me by the throat and they haven’t let go. Most of this cast is new to me, I’ve never seen the three leads in anything. At least that I can remember. So it’s refreshing to watch new faces thrill and delight me. This is also my first attempt at recapping so it should be a fun ride.

Neighborhood Hero

KMUSE: There are times I like this drama and other times I wonder why so many of the scenes are choppily edited.  Why do all the ex-spys go into that specific bar?  Who is actually the bad guys and who are the good guys?  Why is YuRi so awkwardly stiff in her acting attempts?  Some aspects I like are the action sequences are really well done.  If you have seen Runaway Plan B then you can pretty well imagine the style since it sends out the exact same vibe.  Think pretty, flashy, and a bit over long. Also Lee Soo Hyuk is a total hidden gem in his portrayal of a wannabe cop who just doesn’t have what it takes yet to pass the entrance tests.  If I had to be honest, I think he is really outshining Park Shi Hoo so far.  The negatives are the choppy editing of the dialogue and plot line as a whole.  Sure I can understand the gist from the context, but sometimes I don’t want to have to think so hard to understand the character’s motivation.

KdramaJen:  I am in it for Lee Soo Hyuk.  Oh, and that scene where Park Shi Hoo does the sweaty chin-ups shirtless.  I think I might be more shallow than I would ordinarily like to admit.  Don’t judge me.  The execution of the plot is choppy, but you have to weigh that against important considerations like, well, brooding exercise scenes.

Drama Geek: Why Lee Soo Hyuk do you insist on picking projects I can’t watch or finish? That is all. 🙂

TurtleMaknae: I like this one. The acting isn’t too fabulous but the fight scenes are spot on. I’m looking forward to watching more. I hope there are no heirs/heiresses nor any useless screaming girls. Lee Soo Hyuk is adorable and pretty good. I like his face. The revenge plot is kinda over done but I’m hoping the vigilante/secret identity aspect will change it up. I like me some heros.

Moorim School

KMUSE:  BROMANCE & ABS!  Those are the two things that I am watching this drama for.  While not a great drama by any means, it is still a solid show to use as a filler.  The acting is stilted and I still claim that the stupid wolf scenes are dumb as dirt, but when it is all said and done, I will stay for these two guy’s getting all bromantic and stuff.

CLKYTTA:  I’m enjoying this one, it’s fluff for me, because it doesn’t require a lot of thought to watch it.  The bromance and competitiveness is fun and and predictable.  The guys are much better actors than the girls and that’s not saying a whole lot, but, it’s something to distract me as I’m on the treadmill.

KdramaJen:  Right.  So, the acting is kind of like watching the Disney Channel.  It’s fluff, but with chocolate abs and a Vixx soundtrack.  I don’t sub-stalk this one, but it fills the void while waiting for other shows to air.

Drama Geek: I swear I like Kdramas and I’m not usually this negative. I really do think it’s because of AM1988 ending. The same thing happened after Healer. This one started out fun. The acting all around is green. I disagree about the girls’ acting being worse than the boys (I think abs can blind people). They are all a little cringe worthy. Even the more seasoned actor that plays the school’s director, and Lee Hyun Woo aren’t coming off that great. And don’t throw things at me, but Hongbin (no really, Jennie, don’t clobber me) is one of the weakest links. I did enjoy the bromance but I’m really not sure it’s enough to make me completely happy. Add the fact that they’ve cut it from 20 to 16 episodes at a time that probably isn’t going to give the writer time to satisfactorily change the ending (I’m getting Surplus Princess flashbacks) and I’m once again questioning if I’m going to finish watching.

TurtleMaknae: I love School dramas. I just do. Anywho this one is fun. It’s not too serious, although I think it wants to be. The acting is decent, the fights are fun, and bromance FTW. The main characters are all doing well except Wang Chi Ang. There is no character growth….sad day. Hong Bin is doing ok for this being his first role ever though. The side characters though are where it’s at for me. I need to see more of them. Except the lady that helps the girl’s dad. I don’t like her. She is annoying. Shannon though, is adorable and I need more of her. Also the teachers that are an on/off couple are driving me crazy. They need to just stop bickering and act like adults and not petty children. I am also worried about the plot though. The main plot is moving really slow and they had already filmed 8 episodes when the decided to cut the count form 20 to 16, leaving the writers only 8 more to go. Which means we are halfway through the show with very little progress. I guess we’ll see how this plays out. Either way I doubt I’ll rage quit this one.

Madame Antoine

KMUSE:  UGH why does Sung Joon keep taking these roles that I just hate?  Not only does he totally make me loath him within the first 3 minutes of the drama, but I went into Jekyll, Hyde, and I PTSD when he was trying to do that focus/hypnotist thing early on in episode 1.  I will try episode 2 ONLY because Kdrama Jen is one of my kbesties and says I should keep going.  But the second they push my “hate” buttons again I will happily kick this show to the curb.

KMUSE (3 days after I wrote the above statement).  After much badgering from my fellow fangirls I went back to watch this show.  I just skipped episode 1 and started with episode 2.  Found it much much more enjoyable and actually was pretty into it after the 4th episode.  So, in conclusion, push through the first bit if it annoys you because it does get better.

CLKYTTA:   My first impression wasn’t good, but I had a horrible attitude on the day I first watched this.  So about two days later I went back to give it the second chance a lot of people told me I should.  It’s not that bad!  I still am not a fan of Sung Joon playing any kind of a doctor, I know they are going for stoic and private, but it comes off as wooden and uninteresting.  I do see how they are trying to make the ice man thaw so there may be some hope as this drama progresses. Han Ye Seul has never impressed me much, but I love her in this.  She is what has hooked me, she’s sassy and independent and equal parts strong and weak just like a good heroine should be.  I like how they are combining her skills with his skills to help people, I think a good therapist needs to rely on more than just science and medicine.

KdramaJen: I don’t hate it.  Yup.  Ringing endorsement right here.  Sung Joon’s character is cold, calculating, and needs to be taught a lesson.  I am watching because I need to see that happen. I watched both episodes all the way through, and I definitely plan to keep going.  I like that our leading lady is not as much of a con-artist as I first assumed.  There is potential here.  Oh, and Jinwoon (2 a.m) looks super sexy hanging laundry.  I might just watch it to see him flex his muscles.  Don’t judge me.

And this concludes our quick look at all the new shows.  So far so good which is both good and bad since there are still more new releases coming in a couple weeks.  A Fangirl’s job is never done and it is getting to the point where we get little sleep.  Be sure to check back in the future since I am positive we will do this more often now that we are finding our blogging groove.

Til Next Time,

The Fangirls