Welcome to my first attempt at a weekly blog post, where I give short thoughts on things I’m watching but not recapping. Future updates may be shorter as this is the first time I’m mentioning any of these shows.
I’m currently recapping Bad Buddy, Love Between Fairy and Devil, and Silent, so for thoughts on any of those go directly to their pages.
Love in Time – China 2022
A Chinese modern time-twisting romance with 24 episodes total
A lawyer who gets screwed over by his partner finds himself in an apartment that he inhabits with the previous occupant for forty-something-minutes each night, only she’s 4 months in the past.
I really enjoyed this and was impressed with how the time-twisting elements were kept interesting and fun while balanced with the romance. There were a few places where I think one of the two genres suffered from lack of development and the secondary couple’s actions felt plot-driven and unmotivated too often, but this was a satisfying and enjoyable show overall.
Jitenshaya-san no Takahashi-kun (pictured) – Japan 2022
A currently airing Japanese yankee romance and I’m at episode 6 of 10.
This show is super sweet, about a shy office lady and a bicycle-repairing yankee. The show does touch on some hard subjects in a way that feels sincere, with the main focus being these two opposites who like being with each other.
Romantic jdramas are often about the lead-up to a pair being a couple, but this show is focusing more on a couple exploring their new relationship, one of my favorite storylines. The conflict comes from their differences while they still work to be together with enough warm fuzzy moments to keep me eager for next week’s episode.
Koi to Dangan – Japan 2022
A currently airing Japanese yakuza romance and I’m at episode 6 of the 7 that have aired, there will be 10 total.
This is a silly show about a college girl and yakuza boss who fall instantly in love. Everything is cheesy and dramatic and over the top and the way they lean into the theatrics delights me. It’s not realistic, not to be taken seriously, and I’ve seen some comments that those who read the manga are disappointed.
Can You Hear My Heart – Korean 2011
An older South Korean weekender and I’ve watched 26 of 30 episodes.
It’s a weekender, so it’s about family and business and crying and yelling and orphans and secrets. In this case, I was drawn to the male lead, who is a character who loses his hearing early on. My eyes glaze over during the business sections, which is typical of any drama with business aspects. The male lead has an interesting character, with a bright and cheerful facade that hides the darkness he’s lived through and the strength he has. He’s well complimented by the female lead, who is a cheerful silly seeming person but no less strong. There’s a tragic brother character whose confusion and pain are done with nice nuance — for this kind of show anyway.
Summer Strike – Korea 2022
A currently airing South Korean modern romance and I’m caught up to 6 of 12 episodes.
A woman burnt out by the city moves to a quiet little town and encounters all the characters there, including a quiet Librarian with a past. Siwan plays the male lead on this one and it’s amusing that his first scenes in every show I’ve watched have him running. There’s a nice mix of angst and warmth and fun details like the female lead living in a Billiard building. There’s a cute dog and good age-gap female friendships and character growth. That said, the last two episodes put me off with how they framed an assault on one character so we’ll see how I feel next week.
Ai Long Nhai – Thailand 2022
A currently airing Thai BL drama and I’m all caught up to 11 of 12 episodes.
The characters are a guy who struggles to take care of himself and a guy who wants to take care of him. The ‘plot’ is they go places and they talk. The production value is visibly low and there’s almost no conflict.
Either this description appeals to you or it doesn’t and I’m in the first category. The final episode is next week and I hope they don’t make the mistake of thinking people still watching suddenly want some conflict. It’s also notable for having a real LGBTQ+ couple playing one of the leads parents.
Between Us – Thailand 2022
A currently airing Thai BL drama and I’ve caught up to 5 of 12 episodes.
If you’ve seen Until We Meet Again you already know Win and Team, both members of the swim team working through their issues as they start a confusing relationship with each other.
Win and Team were the lighter part of Until We Meet Again but Between Us has a similar dark tone, mixed with occasional comedy as the prior show. I like it though, as the show is about seeing what’s beneath the surface for both guys. I’m enjoying the side characters as well. This show as well as Until We Meet Again could be future recap candidates.
I Will Knock You – Thailand 2022
A currently airing Thai BL drama and I’m caught up to 4 of 12 episodes.
The plot is about a delinquent high schooler and a college tutor who have some strange encounters with one another. This is an unexpected delight for me. The two actors playing the leads have quite and age gap in real life but the younger one is pulling off a cool, confident, strange delinquent with admirable sincerity. The actor playing Thi vacillates between spastic and confident in a way that makes me look forward to his future growth. The setting looks different to me from the modern parts of Bangkok I’m used to seeing in my Thai BL watching so far. The intro credits have me excited for what’s to come as we’re only a third of the way in so far.