Welcome to my weekly blog post where I give thoughts on dramas I’m watching but not recapping.
This week I recapped episodes 11-12 of The Sign, which brought it to a somewhat baffling end. If you don’t feel like reading the recaps I’ll do a short final review next week.
I also recapped episodes 9-10 of Until We Meet Again, featuring of Dean making a decision in real time. Don’t get me wrong though, it’s a great show and also has a scene with an older actress given more to do than just be grandma.
Onto my shorter reviews! This week I finished:
Perfect Propose – パーフェクトプロポーズ – 2024
Recently aired Japanese BL with 6 episodes.
A salaryman who is overworked and exhausted is rescued by a childhood friend who reminds him they once promised to get married.
Here’s a link to my initial review.
Perfect Propose was just about perfect.
It’s a story about two people going through a rough patch who support and love each other. I can’t really say fall in love because Kai pretty much starts out already in love with Hirokuni, but Hirokuni at least gets to fall in love.
My favorite thing about this show is seeing them support each other when they are so different. It’s an interesting dynamic from the beginning. In some ways Hirokuni seems more stable, he’s older with a steady job and his own place to live. But he’s an overworked disaster whose self-esteem has wilted thanks to a horrible boss.
Kai meanwhile, has been getting by with the help of a father figure who has fallen ill and left Kai adrift. Outside of that though, he seems rock solid and dependable in every other way, on top of being a good cook. Self-esteem is not an issue for Kai. Except that no one is confident 100% of the time and even our strong Kai could use emotional support every now and then.
The 6 episodes follow the manga closely and the actors suit their parts very well. There’s conflict and character growth but nothing frustrating. For me this is a recappable show and I highly recommend it if you like a good, sweet romance.
I also finished:
My Happy Ending – 나의 해피엔드 – 2024
A recently aired Korean suspense-thriller with 16 episodes.
A woman who may or may not be able to trust her own perception of the world discovers she may or may not be able to trust those around her.
Here’s a link to my initial review.
So was it a happy ending?
Eh, kinda. This show is just okay. The first half is a pretty wild ride of evil characters doing over-the-top things and an unreliable main character who may also be evil, or may not.
Somewhere in the second half the drama calmed down, though that doesn’t mean it made more sense. Instead of continuing to go over the top, the plot settled into a more standard ending that tried to say something.
I liked it the most when it was careening so wildly that I had no idea what was going to happen next. When it stopped doing that I stopped enjoying it as much. Unfortunately I think this tonal shift means that most people will be disappointed or turned off by some part of the show. Either the beginning is too much or the end is too little, depending on your tastes.
I’m still a big fan of stories where it’s hard to tell what’s real and what isn’t, who is the bad guy and who isn’t, and where wild and nonsensical things happen. The show gave me enough of that to be happy I gave it a try. I’m not sure who I can recommend it to though, so you’re on your own there.