So many new dramas are starting which can only mean one thing.  The Fangirls are gathering together to share which dramas we loved, which ones we hated, and which shows need another episode before we make a final decision.  Come join us as we chat all things drama!

School 2017

KMUSE: I started this drama, got cranky at the first episode, paused for a week, then tried again.  So glad I did since the 2nd time around, I was much more receptive to the teenage angst and shenaniganisms. This show is a lot of fun and if you are looking for something in the middle of romantic comedy and murder mysteries then this would be it.

Kdrama Jen: They are starting to hit their stride with this one, adding some nice chemistry and touches of bromance.  Now that we are not running around chasing after the mysterious X, I think the real story is taking off.  I especially like the way it is returning to more of a School 2013 vibe with the focus on the trials and tribulations of class struggle and just being a teen in the modern age.  I am loving our Rebel bad boy in this one.

Jennie: My favorite drama right now! I love the plucky lead girl, and her boy choices are both awesome. I feel like they’re making up for the Sung Jae disaster of 2015 and giving us a real bad-boy to love.

Drama Geek: I did the same thing KMUSE did and watched one episode and didn’t feel it then came back to it because so many people were raving about it. I am really loving it now and totally feel like it’s got that School 2013 feel to it but with more romance this time. The angsty bromance is there in full force and a tragic past. The Rebel bad guy is killing it in this role, but I’m also really enjoying cutie Guitar Boy who I hope gets his own love line with the lead girl’s BFF.

The Eternal Love

CLKYTTA: I discovered this one when I read KMUSE and DRAMA GEEK’s recaps.  So far, and I cross my fingers on both hands, this drama is total drama crack for me!  The premise of this one is that the leading lady is in a body for one with two souls trapped inside!  We have the original body owner, who is the meek and loyal daughter of a palace official, and the spare soul, who has been transported in from another dimension and she’s a total modern woman and a real firecracker.  The girls are married to the hunky and smart 8th prince who manages to be both swoon worthy and competent, but only our firecracker is in love with him.  The vanilla soul is in love with his older brother, the 1st prince, who is not at all worthy of her loyalty or devotion. This drama has seriously been a breath of fresh air for me.  It’s got all the drama tropes, but it does them in all the right ways.  I’m on the edge of my seat trying to figure out how the whole issue of two souls in one body will be resolved.

Kdrama Jen: THIS is on my list!  I am not ready to commit to the way some of these Chinese dramas just suck up my life, so I am waiting until I have just a bit more free time! Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms turned me into a zombie.  UPDATE: Sometimes blogging with the fangirls enriches my life in immeasurable ways.  I get to discover many new shows based on my fellow drama aficionados’ recommendations, and then there are times that such recommendations destroy any chance I had at a productive day.  For example, hypothetically, I maybe started watching on my lunch break and then was unable to concentrate at work, so I had to come home. I would like to apologize to the neighbors in advance for my unkempt children marauding through backyards unsupervised.  Blame it on the Fangirls.

KMUSE: I love this drama so much.  Truly a perfect example of a crack drama.

Drama Geek: LOVE!! They are my favorite OTP (One True Pairing) at the moment. Sizzly drama crack.

CLSunbae: This is where my superficial side is going to come out. I originally wasn’t sure I would like this show because I’m not into the leading dude’s face. Maybe it’s the styling and if he was styled in the modern way, he’d be hotter. But props to his acting because despite exactly zero attraction to him as a leading male, I am loving this drama! The chemistry between the leads is on point and the hijinx are super fun. I sped through all available episodes in two days. It’s not deep or life changing, but it’s a great light drama to relax with after a hard day.

Save Me

KMUSE: I love the 4 delinquents and their quest to find some kind of botherhood/identity together.  The whole cult, pedophile cult leader, and leading lady aspect of the show has not grown on me.  But with four charismatic characters and an amazing example of good drama cinematography to recommend it, I will go forward and hope the two story lines mesh in the future.

Drama Geek: I actually find the cult and the leading lady’s story creepy and compelling. This show goes pretty dark in it’s first 2 episodes and I expect it to just keep getting darker. The directing has me on the edge of my seat and questioning my late night watching time. I’m also enjoying the four boys. We have a reunion with Taecyeon and David Lee from Bring it On, Ghost which makes me happy. There is also an added hottie that I’ve never seen before who seems to have some pretty good fighting skills.

CLSunbae: I haven’t started this one yet, but I’m excited to! I want to wait until more episodes are available because when it comes to creepy thrillers — I can’t stand to be left hanging!

Bride of the Water God

Karie the Maknae: This is the only current drama I’m watching (I have SO MUCH catching up to do!). I’m concurrently watching Weightlifting Fairy, so the contrast of Nam Joo Hyuk’s characters has been absolutely fascinating to me. And he plays Habaek so well. On the other hand, I’m pretty sure the plot is moving at a glacier’s pace. I had to discuss it with some of the other Fangirls to make sure I wasn’t crazy, but it does seem to be hitting the same plot points over and over. On the other hand, the mystery of just what happened is compelling enough that I haven’t given up on it yet. The ending will determine whether watching this drama was worth the long, strange journey. Either way, though, I’m loving Joo Hyuk’s god hair.

CLKYTTA: I’m woefully behind on this one.  It sounds like it’s on a loop though so I’m not too sure I’ll put this one back at the top.  I’m not patient enough for slow moving plot lines even if the eye candy is prime.

Kdrama Jen: I like the plot idea.  I think Nam Joo Hyuk is beautiful.  I just feel like I want to fast forward through a bunch of the scenes.  Do we really need to spend this much time watching her tears fall on the pages of a book?  And I kind of thought it would be harder to find the God Stones.  And who is keeping track of how many times the water turns red with blood?  I really enjoy Lim Ju Hwan’s acting, but it is kind of making me cheer for him instead of the Water God.  Still, I keep watching.  I just yell at the screen a lot and say, “Come on!  Stop rolling on the floor (again) and figure it out.

KMUSE: I can’t believe this is the same script writer that gave us Arang and the Magistrate.  The story is so weak and if it wasn’t for Nam Joo Hyuk’s swooniness (and the fact all my co-bloggers are watching) I would have dumped it already.

Jennie: I’m enjoying this drama. Yes, it’s starting slow down plot wise, but I’m purely watching for the fluff and beauty so I’m not disappointed. I think it has a lot of interesting things in it. It might not all come together, but I don’t think it’s the worst thing that’s ever been aired. Many people don’t like Shin Se Kyung’s acting, but she’s my female bias and I love everything’s she’s in. That probably helps.

Drama Geek: I just couldn’t do it. The acting is very stilted on all fronts and I just don’t find Nam Joo Hyuk attractive enough to torture myself. It’s hard because everyone is watching it and seems to really enjoy, but I just can’t.

CLSunbae: I like this drama. I do feel like they were trying to hit the “Goblin” spot and didn’t even get close, but because of the pretty, I forgave them. It is moving really slowly but Nam Joo Hyuk and the other gods make it bearable, even fun. I’m going to have to say that leading lady might be the problem. I’ve now seen her in three dramas (Blade Man, Girl Who Sees Scents and Bride of the Water God) and I almost, almost loved it but the leads just didn’t quite click. I’ve seen all those leading men in other shows and loved them. Maybe she just has terrible luck at picking dramas? But I think it really might be that — despite being absolutely adorable — she doesn’t know how to create that necessary spark with the other half of her OTP.

Father is Strange

Telzeytalks: A family with four grown children all living at home is shocked one day when a young man shows up claiming to be another son. The mother has a run-in with a new landlady and from there everything blows up. There are secrets about a bully from school days, sudden break-ups, a secret girlfriend, and the parents have the biggest secret of all. Soon all their story threads start to tangle. I started by reading recaps and then just had to watch to see the characters for myself. I really like the harmony in this family and how it starts having an effect on other people, even the problem characters and this new brother. Consequences have been staring us in the face all along and now we are going to have to deal with them. It had just better turn out well!

KMUSE: This is such a wonderful drama full of heart.  I appreciate that they do not go all crazy makjang when it comes to the possible sibling romance.  Not that there are not dramas out there that were fun because of the crazy fake incest, but this is by far the classiest and most heartfelt when it comes to this trope.

Jennie: I stayed up until 1 am watching this last night because I’m so engrossed in the story. I’m falling behind on my other dramas, but I really want to get caught up before Kcon! I’m currently on episode 19…haha

Drama Geek: I never thought I’d get into a long weekend drama. I kept hearing buzz so I started the first episode. Five days and 31 episodes later and I was totally in love. The family is at the heart of the drama and I love how it’s populated with amazing women. Big Unni is adorable and strong and totally wacky in her marriage contract with her hubby. Lee Joon is killing it as the tortured son/not son. I just want them to be one big squishy family when it’s all over.

CLSunbae: This is one of my favorites. It’s filling the hole Reply 1988 left for a sweet but crazy family. The heart of this show is the center of what I love about Korean dramas. The characters are all so real, so multi-dimensional and so wonderful. I love each romance line. I tend to fast-forward through the mother’s little brother and his wife stuff because I haven’t latched onto their story line at all. But big unni might be one of my all-time favorite Kdrama heroines and my new life’s mentor.

Manhole (Wonderland’s Feels)

Kdrama Jen: I just started this last night.  I hope the second episode is better because right now I am hoping the manhole sucks this obnoxious boy into a different dimension and never lets him out to wreak havoc on society.

KMUSE: I can’t believe this is what Jae Joong’s big comeback became.  I can’t stand the character and think that this might not be the drama for me.  I am going to give it at least another two episodes in hopes that he somehow finds depth in that time traveling sewer, but if he runs around whining nonstop in ep 4, we will be parting ways.

Drama Geek: I only watched twenty minutes so I can’t really comment on my opinion but there are others that I’ve seen post that love his character and the show so it probably one where you should give it a try and see if you connect with Jae Joong’s character.

Strongest Deliveryman

Kdrama Jen: I like sassy and strong leading ladies.  This actress (Chae Soo Bin) grew on me over time.  I disliked her in Sassy Go Go, she annoyed me in Moonlight Drawn by Clouds, and she won me over with her work in Rebel. I also love Ko Gyung Pyo. His acting always impresses me.  I am only two episodes in, but I am planning to keep watching.

Drama Geek: I love the music in this and Chae Soo Bin is my girl. I’ve actually liked her since Sassy Go Go. She plays sassy so well. The world is populated by a lot of intriguing and entertaining characters and I’m interested in all of their stories. It seems like the show will be about the trials people without means go through and how they overcome them. I always like seeing the weak become strong and succeed in the end.

CLSunbae: I watched ten minutes of this last night, only to find out my son, who I’d put to bed, was hiding in the doorway watching it, too. When I told him to get back in bed, he demanded I turn off the show and watch it with him later. So I have high hopes that this will be one I can watch with him. I love watching dramas with my kiddos. So far we’ve done Defendant, Circle and Ruler: Master of the Mask so this one seems like it’ll be right up his alley.

My Mermaid Man

KMUSE: I know that Drama Geek is enjoying this one….and after seeing the poster I might be convinced to give it a try.  What can I say, I am a tad bit shallow.

Kdrama Jen: Umm…  Sign me up.  I haven’t been watching, but I need to now!  That’s like a whole case of six packs!

Drama Geek: Ha! Swimming shows always have a lot of abs. I’ve only seen the first two episodes but I’m liking it so far. It doesn’t seem like it will be deep but a light and fluffy watch. The girl is super cute and the boy is really sweet. It does have a slight Love O2O feel in that they are really nice to each other from the start with very little tension so it’ll be interesting to see where the complications come from in their relationship.

CLSunbae: KMUSE summed up my feelings perfectly! I’m waiting to start this one when I have a solid couple hours to binge watch because I can already see where it’s going to go for me.

King’s Love

Kdrama Jen: I started this one.  I am a little behind.  It feels like it is just not ringing true for me.  I can’t explain it, but it almost feels like an idol drama disguised as a Sageuk. Now, idol dramas are my guilty pleasure, so that might be why I am still watching.  I am also a Sageuk fan, but this feels like it gussied up the regular historical with all its nasty torture scenes to be more palatable to the general public.   UPDATE:  I just listened to the podcast “Drama Kandy” and it appears I am not alone feeling like this is an attempt to lure in some new fans with this quasi-Sageuk-idol-drama.  Episode 49 of Drama Kandy talks about King’s Love and they describe the same kind of feelings I just talked about.  Weird!  Also, they mention the fangirls from this blog along with one of our previous posts, so it is only proper to give a shout out right back.

KMUSE: After the disappointment of her performance in K2 I can’t force myself to watch Yoonah in another drama.  I am not sure I will ever get past that character failure.

CLSunbae: I’m torn on this one. The leading guy was in one of my top, all time favorite Kdramas (Miseang: Unfinished Life). I LOVE HIM. But Yoonah … I HATE her. She killed the K2 with her boring stone-face. She almost ruined my Wookie for me. If she ruins Im Siwan for me, too, there’s no forgiving that. So I’m waiting until it’s done and other people’s reviews are in.

Reunited Worlds

KMUSE: I started this one and plan to go back.  Sadly, my summer is filled to the brim with things that are not drama.  Never thought I would say this, but I can’t wait for my kids to go back to school.  I need my drama watching time back.

Jennie: I am absolutely loving this one! It’s slow unfolding, but very, very interesting. It’s not intense, but it’s still addicting. All the characters are well rounded and have lots of plot lines to keep me interested. Really beautifully done so far.

CLSunbae: I really want to watch this one but I did not like my Kocowa experience so I’ll have to pass for now. Hopefully, when it’s done airing, it’ll pop up on Viki or DF.

Answer Me 1997

KMUSE: So….. I know this is not a current airing drama, but a bunch of us are rewatching (and our Maknae is watching for the first time) so it has to be mentioned.  I am currently watching this AMAZING drama with a local friend whom I have gotten hooked on Kdrama.  It is my 13th time watching and it is just as good as it was when I watched it the first time.  #SeoInGuk4Ever

Kdrama Jen: I adore this drama.  It is one I have watched many many times and I love it all over again when I get to share it with someone new.  It is not the first drama I would recommend to someone brand new to this world because there are tons of cultural references that are just more enjoyable after someone has a few dramas under their belt.  As soon as I have someone hooked, though, I beg them to watch this with me.  It is just so good and hits all of the right notes for me.  If you have not watched this, then abandon anything currently airing and go watch right now!!

Jennie: Goodness, I get chills just looking at this poster and remembering. So many good moments, and lots of good kisses. Loved this drama!

Karie the Maknae: I accidentally marathoned this one. I got about five episodes in and then I couldn’t stop watching!! I love it so much. I’ll be reviewing it in the next couple of days, after I’ve caught up on my missed sleep.

CLSunbae: This one is a classic and for good reason. Seo In Guk brings the steam like it’s never been brought…en… before. He had my heart all twisty and broken by the end. But no worries, he put it back together..

Thanks for joining us as we chat what we are watching.  If you have any comments about the shows above or suggestions on what shows we should add to our schedule, let us know in the comments.

Til next time,

The Fangirls