Welcome to my Saturday blog post where I give thoughts on dramas I’m watching, whether at the beginning, middle, or end. Whatever I want, because I’m petty that way.
This week I started recapping two new-for-the-blog-re-watches-for-me series.
First off was episodes 1-2 of See Your Love, for if you want to See Love that involves a height difference, income difference, and hearing difference. Also, it’s the most adorable thing ever.
I also recapped episodes 1-2 of The Heart Killers, not because it’s the best show ever but because I was fascinated by everything it was trying to do and I want to see what I missed the first time.
What did I watch this week? I started a thing and I finished a thing. First, let’s look at what I started:
My Dearest Nemesis – 그놈은 흑염룡 – 2025
Currently airing Korean romcom BG, I’ve watched 6 of 12 episodes.
A woman discovers her new boss has a secret life as a pop-culture-enthusiast. She fails to discover that he’s the guy who broke her heart years ago.
Another Korean show that relies on undiagnosed prosopagnosia for the main premise to work. This show is based on a webtoon (currently only available in Korean) and those shows revolve around over-the-top situations to power the plot.
Plus, this is a RomCom, so it also relies on a series of improbable and horrible situations that force our unlikely pair to hate each other so they can later fall in love.
But I like over the top and I like how this show does it
Our male lead is the chaebol heir to a horrible grandma who better not get any redemption. Because of her, he’s desperately hiding what he loves most and putting on the face of the perfect, robotic, future company owner.
He’s good at it, but because RomCom, the female lead finds out his secret from the start. She doesn’t understand why he’s so afraid or why he wants her gone.
While less obviously over the top, she’s also a creature of extremes. She can’t stop herself from tackling and beating to a pulp any challenge that comes her way. As a result, she’s used to doing things on her own but also feels very lonely.
Seeing these two dramatic and extreme characters meet and get closer is fun. They’re cartoonish, but they match each other well. I can imagine them as a power couple driving everyone around them crazy while adoring each other.
Unfortunately, neither realize they fell in love via video game years and years ago. He lied about his age and when they met in real life, she vented her heartbreak at him in a withering speech in public. Neither recovered in the sixteen years that followed.
We’re halfway through, and I’m hoping for deeper emotions
The risk with over-the-top characters is that sometimes relatable human emotions get lost. The show does a great job of not letting them only be cartoons. They don’t just react, they think about what’s going on. As ridiculous as they get, they handle business and each other in very frank, honest, and thoughtful ways. She’s supportive of his interests, and he’s impressed by her fierceness.
There’s already heart and sincerity here.
But I want to see them connect even deeper. Right now, I feel like they’re figuring out they like each other but still don’t fully understand each other.
I’m nervous that what happened when they were both young will take over the second half of the show. If they spend multiple episodes acting betrayed, I’ll be pretty disappointed.
What I want is for them to become each other’s strength.
Our male lead has hidden the things he really loves from the world since he was a child. I want his love for her to become the thing he refuses to hide and empower him to be himself.
Our female lead doesn’t trust anyone to be there for her. I want to see her give him that chance and let a few challenges slip by so she can rest and enjoy herself.
Cross your fingers for me. And them.
I also finished:
ThamePo Heart That Skips a Beat – เธมโป้ Heart That Skips a Beat – 2024
Recently aired Thai music idol BL with 13 episodes.
A broken-hearted documentary maker gets close to a broken-hearted idol group leader and accidentally changes the trajectory of his film and the group.
Do you like idol dramas? Here’s another one!
In basic plot, it’s not so different from the other two I’ve watched, Only Boo and Kabe-Koji-Nekoyashiki-kun Desires to be Recognized (which I also recapped). This is my problem with these shows, they all boil down to the same conflict: Jedi are not allowed to love. I mean Idols. It’s worse ’cause it’s real.
So let’s talk about how this one is different
As I wrote about in more detail in my initial review, here we have an already established idol group that is falling apart. Our not-idol, Po, becomes instrumental in helping the leader, Thame, get the band back together.
And that’s a lot of the focus, and after that, there’s a lot of focus on them making a new song. If you’re interested in music and idol groups, this could do more for you than me.
The problem is we spent so much time with the group that we spent less time with Po. He’s a passive guy anyway, which isn’t the problem because I’m Pro-Passive, but everything he did revolved around the group. He overcame some issues, but I still can’t tell you that much about him.
Kang in Only Boo and Nekoyashiki of Kabe Koji both made it much harder for their Idol Interests. They had issues (BIG issues with Nekoyashiki) standing in between them and love, and working through them allowed me to get to know them. Po went along with things until he didn’t, which was a mistake he learned from quickly.
This leads to my main issue with the show: Thame and Po are perfect for each other
In real life this is fantastic. I wish this for any of my friends.
But this is a show with 13 episodes, something needs to keep them apart. Since this isn’t The Heart Killers there will be no threat of death, just an annoying group member who thinks he knows everything and idols not being allowed to love.
And our leads handle the latter issue by trying to ignore it.
I’m all about characters tackling emotional issues by falling in love, so this is unsatisfying to me. And if the problem is as big as how the idol industry is run, I want to see fiery passion and defiance. I want Not Me but about Idols.
But the show is beautiful, the leads have great chemistry, and there’s some good writing
While the overall plot didn’t do much for me, there were some great scenes with some great writing. They didn’t rely on standard tropes and slow-motion skinship to show the growing relationship but showed more unique, specific ways they connected.
While there are still a lot of offices and homes, the show is well-shot. Our leads look great together and I wanted to see them to be together.
And I liked where the show ultimately got, and its message about love and success. I just didn’t always enjoy the route it took to get there. If you love idols, and beautiful guys with good chemistry, this isn’t a bad show to watch.
I know I should be done with idol-character shows, and I know that the minute another one looks any good I’ll press play.
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