#Lee jung-jae imagine

[yandere-wishes]

i would give just about anything for some master sol content (from the acolyte? 🥺) maybe him realizing he has feelings for you and tries to restrain himself from acting in them, but ultimately finds himself too enamored with you 👉🏻👈🏻

I love master Sol sm!! 🥺🥺 he's so perfect ♥️💖

"There is no emotion. There is peace. There is no ignorance. There is knowledge. There is no passion. There is serenity"

He repeats the words like a sermon, devotion in tone, in mind. "No emotion only peace." There's a temporary flash. Some poltergeist daring to intrupt the idyllic room. Sol keeps his eyes closed, praying to the force. Exorcism on his tongue.

He sees the stars, the cosmic waves, and then...

And then your face smiling back at him. Between the debris of an asteroid field.

Sol isn't use to this.

To feelings so potent they threaten to suffocate. He's use to serenity, peace. A clear mind operating on the code he was brought up on. He's taken the clarity of a jedi molded mind for granted. He misses the halcyon.

You haunt him, sinking your teeth into his heart and bleeding him dry. He's thinking of you every moment, trying desprealty to push down the specter that dances across his sight.

Your ghost looms filling the air with a potent presence. Sols fingers reach out. caressing air and emptiness. He longs to feel your smaller hand in his.

"Master sol, are you willing to train padawan (y/n) for the afternoon?". Vernestra Rwoh's voice is pin needles tearing into his frail heart strings sol doesn't know how much restrain he can show when your physically there. Force, help him. He needs to feel you. Worship your body with saccharine feverous kisses. Feel your soft fingers running through his hair.

"Yes, I can..."

[seongwave]

⎙  » vengeance

pairing : hierarchy!cast x kang!oc

synopsis : the revenge was not revenging so kang chae took matters in her own hands.

warning : lowercase intended. not proofread. revenge. mentions of death, killing and pedophilia. curse words. usage of korean words.

a/n : the ending was noooooot it ! so i made my own.

her brothers meant everything to her. even after being adopted by a chaebol and moving to another country, she provided for them, cared for them, and loved them. so who in their right mind would mess with her siblings, especially in-han?

chae was more than devastated when ha delivered the news of their brother being killed and the cover-up by the higher-ups. she was torn apart and would do anything to get revenge.

she started with jae-i. meeting her was accidental, but it felt like fate was on her side. chae discovered she was carrying a child and collected enough proof for future use. she befriended the girl after her miscarriage.

she didn't feel any pity at all. after all, this person was one of the reasons her brother died. an eye for an eye. a life for a life.

but that wasn't enough at all.

although it took chae a long time to fully gain jae-i's trust, it eventually happened. now, they're returning to korea.

"you sure you're ready to face him again?" chae asked with fake concern. "yeah, you know my plans already," jae-i responded, looking out the window.

'about time, now i can finally proceed to my other plans,' chae thought.

"what, you're falling for that girl now?! after everything in-han went through! you're falling for the girl who played a part in destroying our brother's life! ha, he didn't even get to live his life!" chae yelled miserably as tears overflowed her eyes, but outrage took over.

"if you're gonna ensure that girl, then stay the fuck out of my plans"

choi yun-seok. he was exceptionally simple to break. it took chae to just drug him with his own drugs and let a few young lady make out with the fellow. nothing past the line happened but chae sending the photo to his adored sweetheart causing them to break up.

baek chan-min. oh how she loved her adoptive parents connection. his parents were unemployed and his scholarship on the line in just a blink of an eye.

jung jae hyeok. a nauseating human being who seeks for his father's attention. chae drove his father away even more and spread his wrong doings.

lee woojin. a not so victim of pedophilia. it was exceptionally simple to gather prove of his taboo relationship with a teacher.

yoon hera. a cherished daughter. chae is the reason behind her father's bankcrupcy.

kim ri-an. his reaction was the finest after chae send a photo of his and jae-i's dead child. as well as haunting his life with his doings.

and now, the killer. han ji-su. she took time in ruining this person's life. starting with woojin to her career and to her life.

but that didn't end with just that. she released all the recordings, photographs, proofs, and scandals she had collected for a long time. ruining the family of each. destroying the student themselves. ruining the school itself. 

did she get caught? yes. but did they do anything? no, they cannot. all they could do is scream, cry, and be miserable just like her when she lost her brother.

masterlist !

[my-drama-heart2406]

Uk and Yeong are going to have the dirtiest, nastiest, most amazing sex in all kinds of wierd places.

You can't change my mind.

[jahe]

AOS2 Poster Making Behind (P1)

[caughtthedarkness93]

Alright, it's been a bit since the first season finale of The Acolyte, and I think I have my thoughts in some kind of order. Spoilers for the whole first season under the cut.

So.

Let's talk about tragedy.

Because make no mistake, that's what this show's first season was - the tragedy of Sol in particular.

Sol is, I think, an amazing tragic hero. Vernestra is right - he is kind, compassionate. He genuinely does care deeply about pretty much anyone in his care. You look at the way this man's face lights up when he's talking to Osha or Jecki, you can tell how sincere he is in his love and compassion for them, thanks to Lee Jung-Jae's phenomenal performance. However, as all tragic heroes are, Sol is marked by Hamartia - the tragic flaw, the bringer of his downfall. And it's one that seeps into the whole story.

Sol cannot see how even a well-intentioned action can harm others. He cannot acknowledge how his actions caused others pain. He cannot see how even if everything he did was intended to protect Osha, how he still hurt her, how his intentions don't matter in that scenario. He cannot acknowledge that he is the architect of her pain. He loves her - deeply and sincerely, almost like a parent loves a child - indeed he loves a lot of people that way, but Osha is someone he seems to care particularly deeply for. His last words as she is literally squeezing the life out of him are words of forgiveness. "It's ok." But even then, he cannot acknowledge that even with the best of intentions, even with nothing but pure love in his heart, he made a call that hurt Osha. That ruined her life, destroyed her home, and eventually took even the life that she truly wanted away from her.

And that flaw reverberates throughout the story. It is the cause of Mae's rampage that brings everything into motion, and of course leads to the whole finale.

In the end, it leads to death. Literal, of course, for Sol. But also a kind of death of identity for Mae, who has the person her entire life has been built around erased from her mind, and a spiritual death for Osha. Hell, there's a good argument to be made that Osha and Qimir are both capital D Doomed, given we know Darth Plageuis is in play, and we know who his apprentice was.

It wasn't Qimir. It wasn't Osha. Best case scenario, they leave their current path behind. But I doubt it. I think canon dooms them to face down an extremely powerful Sith Lord and, in some form or another, lose. And even the Jedi Order at large - imagine if they'd discovered Qimir earlier, found the Sith presence before it had already seeped into the Republic and started playing politics. The entire Jedi Purge could have been prevented if only Sol hadn't felt the need to justify his actions.

So. Sol is a tragic hero for sure. I'm definitely curious what happens next in this story.

[generalpierrotdameron]

[...] That idea – to present something entirely new within George Lucas’ world, not drawn from the animated series or connected to a previous film – was one of the biggest reasons for audiences to be excited by The Acolyte. It was also, always, going to be a tougher sell. Sure, its array of Jedi characters allowed for plenty of lightsaber-centric marketing – but it didn’t have a Baby Yoda to capture the hearts of Star Wars agnostics; nor did it have a character like Ahsoka with its own built-in audience; even Andor spun off a character (admittedly not one people remembered particularly fondly) from the $1 billion-grossing Rogue One. According to Deadline, it was the viewership for The Acolyte that resulted in it not being renewed – it had the lowest-viewed finale of any Star Wars series so far. Regardless of any opinion on the show itself, is that really a surprise, given the lack of name recognition? Should season finale numbers be the measure of success for any Star Wars project going forward? A series like The Acolyte would, undoubtedly, have picked up more viewers discovering it at their own pace on Disney+. The worry here is that Lucasfilm – or the Disney overlords – may be more hesitant to move ahead with original Star Wars stories down the line. The Acolyte was a risk, extricated from the Skywalker Saga. And it took narrative risks too: its unusual structure delivered two equal-and-opposite flashback episodes at apposite points in the season, each illuminating contrasting viewpoints on its central conundrum; in Lee Jung-jae’s compelling Sol, it gave us a Jedi Master character to put your faith in, only to have you, resignedly, root for his demise in the finale; it dared to take several cast members off the board in an astonishing mid-season brawl. [...] For a franchise caught between being reverent to its own near-50-year history and trying to forge a new future, The Acolyte was hell-bent on accelerating both. Meanwhile, those who did support the show are the ones being let down. Fans are not entitled to art; artists are not beholden to their audiences. And yet, Lucasfilm getting behind The Acolyte was a statement of intent: there was a story that demanded to be told here, and it would introduce Star Wars fans into something fresh and new. Not renewing the show for Season 2 feels like a refusal to commit to that story; a creative backing-down, leaving viewers’ personal attachments to the ongoing narrative unfulfilled. Sure, The Acolyte – like any Star Wars series – is an expensive proposition (reportedly $180 million). But the financial investment isn’t just in creating the show itself; it’s in fostering fans’ trust and attention and imagination for the long road. A cultural force like Star Wars can’t afford to be one that lets its fans down. The disappointment, then, is seismic. Which doesn’t take away from what The Acolyte Season 1 gave us. It presented a refreshing take on a galaxy we’ve long come to know; some of the greatest fight choreography in the franchise; connections to deep Expanded Universe lore; a big-screen representation of (the end of) the High Republic; Trinity from The Matrix using Force-fu. Hopefully, in time, more fans will appreciate what The Acolyte achieved – or, at least, strived for. Opinions on Star Wars rarely remain static; this is the way. But like those decisions made by the Brendok Jedi, the choice to end The Acolyte here is flawed; perhaps fatally so. Here’s hoping it doesn’t send more Star Wars fans to the dark side.

👉 Renew the Acolyte - Sign the petition!

[underthebrightmooninterests]

5 Amazing K-drama’s you might not have seen (kdrama recommendations)

These are all from the past few years and are all relatively recent.

#1: Flower Of Evil

Flower of Evil: 2020, 16 episodes

crime, romance

main leads: Lee Joon Gi & Moon Chae Won

summary: Although Baek Hee Sung is hiding a dark secret surrounding his true identity, he has established a happy family life and a successful career. He is a loving husband and doting father to his young daughter. But his perfect façade begins to crumble when his wife, Cha Ji Won, a homicide detective, begins investigating a string of serial murders from 15 years ago. Ji Won notices changes in Hee Sung’s behavior and begins to wonder if he could possibly be hiding something from her

Why i love it: I’ve been watching K-dramas for years and this drama is probably my favorite that I’ve ever seen. From the acting to the cinematography to the amazing plot twists. A female lead that isn’t annoying and dumb, a plot that isn’t unnecessarily dragged out and side characters as fleshed out and interesting as the main characters. Anyone with an interest in crime or action dramas has to have seen this masterpiece.

#2: Her Private Life

Her Private Life: 2019, 16 episodes

office romance, comedy

main leads: Park Min Young & Kim Jae Wook

summary:  A dedicated professional, Sung Deok Mi lives for her work as an art gallery curator. Devoting herself to her work, she is exceptional in every way, save one. Beneath that cool, professional facade, Deok Mi carries a dark secret. A secret she desperately wants to keep from the world. A secret that has driven lovers away. A secret that rules every moment of her personal life... 

Sung Deok Mi is the ultimate Cha Shi An fangirl. The devoted manager of a Shi An fansite, Deok Mi eats, breathes, and sleeps for Shi An. He is her sun, her moon. Her entire universe revolves around him. This is the secret Deok Mi must hide from the world. And hide it she does. At least until Ryan Gold, the art gallery’s new director, saunters into her life. A once famous painter, the former artist turned director considers himself an indifferent being, unconcerned with the lives of others. But when he uncovers Deok Mi’s secret, everything changes.

Why i love it: I HATE love triangles with a burning passion and haven’t seen popular dramas like ‘Love Alarm’ or ‘True Beauty’ purely because I feel like the love triangle is going to drive me insane. But ‘Her private life’ did the impossible and not only managed to make me still love the show despite the love triangle. But they also showed me how, if done right, a love triangle can be really fun! I genuinely like all the characters in this and I love how mature they go about the dynamics between the characters. And seeing a plot where the female lead is a fangirl and it’s not portrayed in a way that I feel like is offensive, makes the little fangirl inside of me really happy. All around this is a cute drama with just the right amount of angst. Every fangirl deserves a partner like Ryan Gold.

#3: Ghost doctor

Ghost doctor: 2022, 16 episodes

medical, fantasy, comedy

main leads: Jung Ji Hoon (Rain) & Kim Bum

summary: Cha Young Min is a genius doctor, with excelling skills at surgery, but he is arrogant and selfish. One day, he gets involved in an accident and due to this, his spirit possesses another doctor's body, Seung Tak. These two doctors are complete opposites, with opposite personalities and medical abilities. 

Young Min is arrogant and cold-blooded, only cares about his career and doesn't care about any of his patient's personal stories. Seung Tak is the luckiest and richest resident doctor whose grandfather is the founder of Myung-shin hospital and whose mother is the chairman of the hospital. Never wanting to be a good doctor, he becomes possessed by a ghost doctor.

Why I love it: I’ve always liked both Rain and Kim Bum as actors and I closely followed all their projects. So you can imagine my excitement when I discovered they were going to do a drama together. I mostly just love the concept of this drama. It pulls off the buddy comedy and fantasy elements perfectly. And even the emotional heartfelt moments and plot twists hit home the way they should. At the core of this story is the bromance between Rain and Kim Bum and I think the drama does a good job at making sure that the love-plotline doesn’t steal the attention away from it. All around, it’s a cute and funny drama that I have rewatched a few times and enjoyed every time.

#4: Under the Queen’s Umbrella

Under the Queen’s Umbrella: 2022, 16 episodes

historical, comedy, political

main lead: Im Hwa Ryung

summary: Within the palace exist troublemaking princes who cause nothing but headaches for the royal family and are about to be turned into proper crown princes. Their mother, Im Hwa Ryeong, is the wife of a great king. But instead of having an aura of elegance and grace, she is a prickly, sensitive, and hot-tempered queen. Once more serene, she changed since people kept pushing her buttons. She is a queen who sometimes abandons her pride and is even known to swear! Every day of her life is full of trials, but she withstands them all, for the sake of her children.

Why I love it: This is one of those dramas that I find difficult to describe. I intially scrolled past this on Netflix every time because the summary just didn’t appeal to me even though I love historical dramas. But then I saw someone on twitter talk about how underrated the show was and I decided to check it out. OMG, I can’t tell you happy I am that this person tweeted about it. The relationship between the queen and all her son’s and the way she steps up for them is just so *chef’s kiss*. Acting, cinematography, plot, this drama isn’t missing anything in my book.

#5: Weak Hero class 1

Weak Hero Class 1: 2022, 8 episodes

Action, school

main lead: Park Ji Hoon & Choi Hyun Wook & Hong Kyung

summary: Yeon Shi Eun is a model student who ranks at the top of his high school. Physically, Yeon Shi Eun appears weak, but by using his wits and psychology, he fights against the violence that takes place inside and outside of his school.

Why I love it: I’m not a very emotional person and don’t cry easily at things. But when I tell you that this drama BROKE ME. Omg, my sister and I were in shock for like three days after watching it. This drama is based on a webtoon and the show was so memorable that for the first time in my life I started reading a webtoon. This show centers around the friendship of the three main leads and how they deal with bullies, gangs and abuse. It’s been months since I first saw it and it’s still often on my mind. Definitelly recommended but maybe not to the faint of heart lol.

[iuteamstarcandy]

[TRANS] Last Fantasy Album and Song Introductions

ALBUM INTRODUCTION

IU, who filled the whole world with ��Good Day’ last year, is finally coming back with a new album for her fans. IU's new album [Last Fantasy] is a full-length album that she has released 2 years after her 1st album [Growing Up] and this album was produced by Cho Young-chul, who created the ‘IU Syndrome’ last year. Producer Cho Young-chul focused on approaching and expressing IU's musicality in more diverse ways through this album.

The meaning behind the title of the new album, [Last Fantasy], is that the album depicts all the thoughts, imaginations, and fantasies of IU as she looks upon the beginning of her 20s, in this moment at the end of her teenage years and the album contains various sides of IU that music fans want from her through her songs. This 2nd full-length album, which contains a total of 13 songs, attracts much attention with the participation of the best musicians and composers in Korea. Musicians who need no further explanation, including Kim Kwang-jin, Yoon Sang, Jung Jae-hyung, Lee Juck, Kim Hyung-seok, Jung Suk-won, Kim Hyun-chul, Yoon Jong-shin, Lee Min-soo, Corinne Bailey Rae, G. Gorilla, and Ra.D, all participated in IU's full-length album.

As this is IU’s first full-length album in a long time, she put in all her efforts and sincerity from many different angles, to make the album more perfect. In addition to putting her own self-composed song on the album, IU participated in writing the lyrics for a number of songs, showing a more mature side to her musical sensibility and carefully considered what the right tone would be for each song, as she did her best to improve the completion of the album.

First of all, the first track, ‘Secret’, is the work of composer Jung Suk-won, showing intense charm as a song that opens the door to IU’s second full-length album. Featuring an arrangement that emphasizes a clear story development and contrast, the song begins with IU's clear tone and a lyrical melody, then develops gradually with vocals that become more powerful and the grand sound of rock opera. Standing at the center of the song, IU showed powerful vocals that led all the music with her. The second track, ‘Sleeping Prince’, is the work of Yoon Sang, a composer who brought out IU's deep emotions with ‘Only I Didn't Know’. This song, which was brought to life again with an innocent charm that only IU can show, allows the listener to experience clear and bright emotions as if one were watching a fairytale. Just like how composer Yoon Sang felt that it was fortunate that IU sang this song when she was a teenager, IU's cute vocals and the warm arrangement meet to produce this high-quality song.

The third track, ‘Holding a Star in My Heart’ is a song by Kim Kwang-jin that conveys a deep sound that cannot be described with words. IU's vocals that sound like she is calmly reciting the song, together with the slow-flowing melodies, give a comforting feeling and Kim Kwang-jin's voice at the end of the song is touching to hear. The song, infused deeply with composer Kim Kwang-jin’s unique emotions, appeals to different generations. The fourth track, ‘YOU&I’, the title track of this second full-length album, is a collaboration between composer Lee Min-soo and lyricist Kim Eana, who created ‘Good Day’, and conveys IU's diverse emotions and upgraded musicality. ‘YOU&I’ is a song that once again showcases the charm of IU's vocals, with a mysterious and strange concept of a teenage girl who travels through time into the future. With a composition that crosses minor and major chords, a musical arrangement that stands out with its colorful and fantasy-like feeling of real sound using instruments rarely found in pop songs such as harp and horn, the song also allows you to experience IU's diverse vocal expression ability.

The fifth track, ‘Wallpaper Pattern’ is the work of composer Yoon Jong-shin, which shows IU's subtle emotions. It is a song that combines lyrical melodies with IU's warm tone and IU's interpretation of the song stands out as she perfectly interprets poetic lyrics that express ordinary emotions experienced in our daily lives. In particular, composer Jung Suk-won participated in the arrangement, giving it a more detailed sound. IU's song of encouragement for all the uncles in the world! The sixth track is ‘Uncle’ with composer Lee Juck. This song was completed with a discussion between IU and Lee Juck and IU's ‘aegyo’ (cute) tone captures the hearts of uncles along with the bouncy melody of the song. Lee Juck's rap made by IU's forced(?) request and IU's shout-out to her uncles are highlights to pay attention to in the song.

‘Wisdom Tooth’ is the work of composer G.Gorilla, who is loved by fans for his unique emotions, and is a song about the heart of a girl who suffered the heartache of her first love. As it is her first love, IU participated in writing the lyrics, to express more strongly the heartache from the perspective of a teenager in a pure and fun way and IU actually wrote the lyrics of the song after talking to her mother, expressing her honest feelings. ‘Everything's Alright’, the eighth track with a fast tempo and exciting feeling, is the work of composer Kim Hyun-chul. The song, which depicts the cold atmosphere of fighting with a lover, brings out that atmosphere by combining the warm sound of the actual performance and the harmony of IU and composer Kim Hyun-chul, who also featured in the song, and has a charm to it that leaves a lasting impression.

The ninth track, ‘Last Fantasy’, is the work of composer Kim Hyung-suk, and sounds even larger in scale than you would imagine a movie soundtrack to sound like. This song, which contains the grandeur of the 50-member orchestra, is a grand song that lasts more than six minutes and overwhelms its listeners. It is an impressive song that expresses IU's present state at the end of her teenage years with lyrics that ask someone to hold her hand so that she doesn’t fall into her dream when she opens the door to reality. The tenth track, ‘Teacher’ is by composer Ra.D, which IU also participated in writing the lyrics for. It is a song customized for IU from the start and a lot of time was invested in writing the lyrics to include all kinds of thoughts and concerns that 19-year-old IU had. The calm acoustic sound and emotional vocals of IU and Ra.D are combined to complete the charming song.

The eleventh track, ‘The Abandoned’, is a self-composed song written by IU. ‘The Abandoned’, which gives the feeling of a deep darkness, is a song that IU has worked on for a long time, and goes contrary to the bright side of herself that she has shown so far. This self-composed song by IU brings out her deep inner emotions that we never imagined her to have, instilling another kind of expectation from her fans with regard to her potential. The twelfth track, ‘4AM’, is a song by British singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae, with lyrics written by IU and the song was completed with a collaborative effort between the two. The lyrics draw attention with their depiction of the unstable emotions at 4 a.m. and IU's deep vocals that she has not shown before allows the song leave an impression on the listener. IU sang this song by Corinne Bailey Rae, a musician she has said she loves the most since her debut, and that makes the song mean a lot to IU.

The finale of the full-length album, ‘L'amant’, is a song that allows the listener to experience the musical emotions of composer Jung Jaehyung as they are, through his work. IU’s mournful and thick vocals that flow through the sorrowful jazz melody add to the flair of the song. This song, which was fully completed with IU’s song interpretation ability, is a song that allows us to imagine the future of IU who shows that she can pull off a variety of genres. IU's second full-length album can be said to be a record that will remind the digital music generation of the ‘value of the album’ just by the team of participating musicians and the high quality of the songs. Let us all listen to the ‘charm of music’ that IU, who is highly anticipated by fans for her musical ability that combines musicality and popular appeal, will present through this album.

Translated by IUteamstarcandy

Source: Melon

[theadusa]

Everything I watch in Jan 2024

I was going to post my annual everything I watched in 2023 post but I feel like I missed my opportunity, so here is my everything I watched in January 2024... (Be Warned there are some spoilers, I do try to mark them throughout the review)

My Lovely Boxer (2023, Kim Min-joo)

Main leads: Lee Sang-yeob, Kim So-hye, Park Ji-hwan, Kim Hyung-mook, Kim Jin-woo, Ha Seung-ri, Chae Won-bin

Country: S. Korea

Run: August 21 to Oct 2, 2023 (KBS2, Monday and Tuesday @21:45 (KST))

Episodes: 12, 70 min

Thoughts: Lee Kwon-sook (Kim So-hye) is a boxer who is forcibly thrown back into the world boxing that she has retired from by a sports agent Kim Tae-young (Lee Sang-yeob). I really liked how they balanced the characters. Lee Kwon-sook is a cheerful girl who is constantly haunted by her past. And she is allowed agency to do what she can do, despite the efforts of others. And the relationship between Lee Kwon-sook and Kim Tae-young, though slightly toxic, works in an odd way. I did have problems with how they reconnected her with her father.I personally wouldn’t have forgiven him. However, I loved the relationship with Han Ah-reum, and just how that story ends. I thought it was done very well. Overall I have really enjoyed this drama. Rating: 

Unlock My Boss (2022-2023, Kim Hyung-min)

Main leads: Chae Jong-hyeop, Seo Eun-soo, Park Sung-woong

Country: S. Korea

Run: Dec 7, 2022 to Jan 12, 2023 (ENA, Wednesday and Thursday @21:00 (KST))

Episodes: 12, 60 min

Thoughts: Oh wow, this is more enjoyable than I imagined. Chase Jong-hyeop as Park In-seong is so fun. He is adorable, down to earth but capable. Jun Se-yeon (Seo Eun-soo) was amazing and I loved her complexities as a character. And the trio of Kim Seon-joo (Park Sung-woong), Park In-seong, and Jun Se-yeon, was so fun and I loved the little family they formed. I literally cried so much during this show for no reason. Like the zoom into the phone literally made me sob each time for no reason. Rating: Who knew electronics can have that much range?

Night Has Come (2023, Kang Min-Ji)

Main leads: Lee Jae-In, Kim Woo-Seok, Choi Ye-Bin, Cha Woo-Min, Ahn Ji-Ho, Jung So-Ri

Country: S. Korea

Run: Dec 4,, 2023 ( U+mobiletv)

Episodes: 12, 35 to 40 min

Thoughts: This started off really good. A class gets thrust into a mafia game to the death. You along with the characters are wondering who is the mafia among the students and who is forcing this game. It is really interesting, but the episodes follow the same pattern. The end you find everything out, and it's kind of stupied. They had a classmate who committed sucide due to a badly edited image of herself on a skimply clad woman’s body. Which is yeah bad. Then her parents take revenge on the whole class. They are placed in this mafia simulator to repeat the game over and over again. It ends with Lee Yoon-seo able to remember everything, but still trapped in the simulator. Like where their parents are. People must be concerned right. Rating: Sisphyus boulder, I guess…

The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract (2023-2024, Go Nam-jeong)

Main leads: Lee Se-young, Bae In-hyuk, Joo Hyun-young, Yoo Seon-ho, Jo Bok-rae

Country: S. Korea

Run: Nov 24, 2023 to Jan 6, 2024 (MBC TV Friday and Saturday @21:50 (KST))

Episodes: 12, 70 min

Thoughts: This was a cute drama. It starts off with a cute romance between a progressive woman in Joseon and a sick scholar. However, it quickly becomes a tragedy and she is sent to the year 2023 with her hand maid Sa-wol (Joo Hyun-young). It quickly becomes a fish out of water for Park Yeon-woo (Lee Se-young), but luckly she meets the recacrante of her late husband Kang Tae-ha (Bae In-hyuk) and they make a deal. It is a cute drama and I loved the cast of characters. Yeon-woo is easy to root for. Sa-wol is adorable, and adapts quickly. Kang Tae-ha is prickly but has a heart of gold. It's dramatic and fun. It's nothing special, but oh is it so good. My favorite part is Yeon-woo and Sa-wol’s relationship. Literally there is a scene with those two that reflects a romantic scene in Perfect Marriage Revenage (2023) which I can’t stop thinking about. Overall I just really enjoyed my time. Rating: butterflies everytime I think about you…

Joseon Attorney: A Morality (2023,Choi Jin-young)

Main leads: Woo Do-hwan, Bona, Cha Hak-yeon

Country: S. Korea

Run: March 31 to May 5, 2023 (MBC TV Friday and Saturday @21:50 (KST))

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts:  This was a lot like Taxi Driver. In the way you have an episodic feel with a charismatic male lead seeking revenge and helping people. I had a lot of fun with this show, and I don’t use the comparison lightly either. I really had fun with it. The romance was okay, but I liked the different stories, and the main revenge plot was easy to follow along with. Woo Do-hwan is a great actor and meant to be a leading man. It's definitely  not my favorite and there are a few things that needed changing but it was fun overall! Rating: Who do you call?... Joseon Attorney!!!

KBS Drama Special 14 (2023, Choi Ja-won, Yun Tae-woo, Cho Il-yeon, Choi Yi-kyung, Wi Jae-hwa, Kwon Oh-joo,Park Eun-seo, Jo Soo-yeong, Kim Ik-hyun)

Main leads: Lee Jae-won, Choi Seong-won, and Kim Kang-hyeon,  Kim Won-hae, Min Ji-ah, Ahn Se-bin and Park Ji-ah, Lee Min-jae, Kim Hyun-soo, and Kang Na-eon,  Moon Woo-jin, Park Seo-kyung, Park Ha-sun, Kim Joo-heon, Kim Do-hoon, Chae Won-bin, Kim Dong-hwi, Jo A-ram, Shim Yi-young, Joo Seok-tae,  Ren, Park Sang-nam, Hong Seung-hee, Hahm Eun-jung,  Kim Kang-min, Yoon San-ha, Baek Sung-hyun

Country: S. Korea

Run: OCT 14 to Dec 16, 2023 (KBS, Saturday 21:50 to 22:50 (KST))

Episodes: 10, 60 to 80 min

Thoughts: This is a yearly anthogolgy series that follows various characters in various time periods with various goals. I thought a lot of them were really cool and interesting. “Love Attack” was by far one of my favorites, but I also really liked “The True Love of Madam” which was shocking for me.  It was also hard to find any subs for “Overlap, Knife, Knife” so I had to rely on visual cues and the small amount of Korean I know. But I thought this was a fun anthrologie series, and the stories are fun and fresh. Rating: I love getting short and quick stories like this, its the reason I love short films so much.

A Good Day to Be a Dog (2023-2024, Baek In-ah)

Main leads: Park Gyu-young, Cha Eun-woo, Lee Hyun-woo

Country: S. Korea

Run: Oct 11, 2023 to Jan 10, 2024 (MBC, Wednesday 21:00 (KST))

Episodes: 14, 70 min

Thoughts: Apparently it is very different from the webtoon ( which I have never read), but I found it entertaining. It is cute and lighthearted. I always like when its past lives, I think it adds a fun element to romances. Though I do think the schedule of the show hindered my enjoyment, because it would be so long between episodes. They also lost me at the end, I can not lie. Rating/Spoiler: Also I would be so angery if I found out my family curse passed down for generations was over a misunderstanding. I would want an apology, reparations, and revenge. On another note, I would also be so pissed if I killed myself to save my servant's baby; then my boyfriend finished off the dying father, then cursed the child and its offspring. I would be pissed, like my scarfice was for not. Go off mountain spirit I guess…

My 20th Twenty (2023, N/A)

Main leads: Choi Yu Ju , Jung Su Bin

Country: S. Korea

Run: April 21 to may 27, 2023 (Wavve, Friday and Saturday)

Episodes: 12, 15 min

Thoughts: This show was good for what it was. It has the vibe of a college student film with a mix of those youtube series made by middle schoolers back in 2009. And I mean that with the highest praise. The sound mixing was off, they had limited cast (background actors is what you are looking for), no interesting lighting (but very well light- i.e the student film vibes), and the actors new to the scene. I loved every motherfucking moment. It was so cheesy, the script was bad, and nothing made sense. But I knew that it was made with passion. Rating: It would be horrifying being 20 forever

Taxi Driver Season 2 (2023, Oh Sang-ho)

Main leads: Lee Je-hoon, Kim Eui-sung, Pyo Ye-jin, Jang Hyuk-jin, Bae Yoo-ram, Shin Jae-ha

Country: S. Korea

Run: Feb 17 to April 15, 2023 (SBS, TV Friday and Saturday @22:00 (KST))

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: Back in action the second season is so much fun and entertaining. I actually like it better than the first. And I said this once and I’ll say it again Lee Je-hoon is made to be an action star. He’s as great as Kim Do-gi. I also liked that Ahn Go-eun (Pyo Ye-jin)  had a larger role this season. I also just love the friendship in the Rainbow Taxi service. Just so fun. Rating: imagine being taken down by a taxi service…

Taxi Driver Special (2023, SBS)

Main leads:  Lee Je-hoon, Kim Eui-sung, Pyo Ye-jin, Jang Hyuk-jin, Bae Yoo-ram, Shin Jae-ha

Country: S. Korea

Run: Feb 16 to March 4, 2023 ( KBS)

Episodes: 2, 60 -120 min

Thoughts: This was fun seeing the cast reflect on the episodes and their characters. Its also cool just seeing a reply of everything that happened. You could tell how much Lee Je-hoon loves playing Kim Do-gi. Rating: I am excited for the 3rd season…

Brain Works (2023, Park Kyung-seon)

Main leads: Jung Yong-hwa, Cha Tae-hyun, Kwak Sun-young, Ye Ji-won

Country: S. Korea

Run: Jan 2 to Fe 28, 2023 (KBS2 Monday and Tuesday @21:50 (KST))

Episodes: 16, 75 min

Thoughts:This show is weird. I think most cop shows are weird but this one especially. I did like the bromance in this, between Shin Ha-ru (Jung Yong-hwa) and Geum Myung-se (Ch Tae-hyun). I did think neuroscience was weird and defies logic. The only good thing about it was when they didn’t completely vilify Pyschopaths, because it tends to be more complicated than the mainstream likes to show. It still left a lot to be desired but it was there. Also when he lowkey kidnapped and torture that kid, oh my god, like he was a little punk and deserved to go to trail but my god. Rating: This is lowkey giving Minority Report tbh…

My Cuteness is about to expire!? (2022,  Tanabe Shigenori)

Main leads: Yamada Ryosuke, Yoshine Kyoko 

Country: Japan 

Run: April 16 to June 11, 2022 (TV Asahi, Saturday 23:30)

Episodes: 9, 23 to 47 min

Thoughts: Maruya is your typical male narcissist who works in sales. He uses his cuteness to stake by in life, to make up for his average skills. One day he is visited by his future self, whom he deems ugly, tells him that his cuteness is going to expire. He decides, after relizing his crush, the only way to prevent this is to date Sanada, a robotic newbie to the sales team. It is cute and Maruya and Sanada are fun as a couple, plus if you have the time you could watch this in a day. Rating: I’m Ichinose calling every single person every 10 seconds sobbing…

My Dearest Pt 1 (2023, Hwang Jin-young)

Main leads: Namkoong Min, Ahn Eun-jin, Lee Hak-joo, Lee Da-in, Kim Yoon-woo, Lee Chung-ah

Country: S. Korea

Run: August 4 to Sept 2, 2023 (MBC TV, Friday and Saturday 21:50 (KST))

Episodes: 10, 60 to 90 min

Thoughts:  I was not expecting to like this more than I did. The angst in every episode is so insane. Episode 10 was actually unbearable. I also want to take a moment and appreciate Yoo Gil-chae (Ahn Eun-jin), she is such a complicated  character. She would do anything for her friends, she is willing to do the things that no other women (noble) are willing to do even during times of war. She will stab the man assualting her friend and cover it up. She would cut the amicable cord, she would stab the mother’s hand. She isn’t pure of heart, she neveer claimed to be. I love her so much. And her relationship with Lee Jang-hyun. The ending of episode 10. I was sobbing. Rating: I am trying to hype myself up to watch the next 11 episodes, people had to wait inbetween…

The Escape of the Seven (2023, Kim Soon-ok)

Main leads: Um Ki-joon, Hwang Jung-eum, Lee Joon, Lee Yu-bi, Shin Eun-kyung, Yoon Jong-hoon, Jo Yoon-hee, Jo Jae-yoon

Country: S. Korea

Run: Sept 15 to Nov 17, 2023 (SBS TV Friday and Saturday 22:00 (KST))

Episodes: 17, 70 to 80 min

Thoughts: This was an insane ride. Literally no one in this likeable except for a few, like I didn’t think Min Do-hyuk (Lee Joon) was as bad as the others but oh lordy. It is so melodramatic, which took me off graud for some reason. Going into it I thought it was going to be a serious thriller, but oh boy was I wrong. It was Makjang. Which is fine, and also coming back in style apparently. I’m sat for season 2, but not with much hope. Rating: I actually don’t know the timeline of any of these events, does it expand years months, idk…

My Demon (2023-2024, Choi Ah-il)

Main leads: Kim Yoo-jung, Song Kang, Lee Sang-yi, Kim Hae-sook

Country: S. Korea

Run: Nov 24, 2023 to Jan 20, 2024 (SBS TV,  Friday and Saturday @22:00 (KST))

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: I was excited for this drama. I really liked Doom at Your Service which promised to have a similar vibe. Which it did to an extent. I actually hate Song Kang in romances and only really like him in nonromance shows. However I think he did really well as Jeong Gu-won. I liked the overall Romance in the show. But I did think the revenge plot got uninteresting and confusing after a while. I do like the ending, I was pretty satisfied with where everyone ended up, which has been a long time since I’ve been this satisfied. 

Welcome to Samdal-ri (2023-2024, Kwon Hye-joo)

Main leads: Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hye-sun

Country: S. Korea

Run: Dec 2, 2023 ti Jan 21, 2024 (JTBC, Saturday and Sunday 22:30 (KST))

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: This was cute and was far above my expectations. I am always uneasy with Ji Chang Wook, I can’t forgive him for the Melting My Heart drama a few years back, but I would do anything for Shin Hye-sun. So I gave this drama a go, and I liked it. I loved the vibes, and I didn’t mind that revenge wasn’t the main plot. It's like the one line “my enemies will take themselves out before you get a chance to swing.” It was heartwarming and I’m glad that Cho Sam-dal was able to find peace in her hometown. I loved the feel of community. I loved all the Friendships. It was very lovely. And I’m happy at the ending. I will also give my entire heart to Cho Hae-dal and Cha Ha-yul. I loved their mother-daughter relationship. I wanted more screen time for both. Rating: I’m glad there is a little piece of heaven…

 Game of Witches ( 2022-2023, Lee Do-Hyun)

Main leads: Jang Seo-Hee, Kim Kyu-Seon, Lee Hyun-Seok, Oh Chang-Suk. Han Ji-Wan, Ban Hyo-Jung

Country: S. Korea

Run: Oct 11, 2022 to April 14, 2023 (MBC, Monday to Friday 19:15 (KST))

Episodes: 119, 25 to 28 min

Thoughts: *Major Spoilers+ Rant ahead.* This show makes me unneccsarly angery. It is a daily drama and a Makjang to boot, so literally put any and all expectations in the gutter. Everything is nonsensical, and drawn out to reach the 119 mark. Storylines get dropped or move way too fast. It has a strange family tree and for a moment every single person was supposbly related. They have so much evidence agsaint the scheming Kang Ji-ho (Oh Chang-suk) and Joo Se-young (Han Ji-wan) but it goes nowhere. Speaking of Kang Ji-ho, he was just straight up dispicable. I would say more than Se-ypung of Ma Hyun-Deok (Ban Hyo-Jung). He was a terrible partner and father from the start. He literally tossed his entire family out the door for Se-young and eventual power. He only paid attention to his daughter Kang Han-Byeol (Kwon Dan-A) when she was able to benefit him. He was at best neglectful and at worst abusive towards her. Han-byeol was the true victim. Hye-soo (Kim Kyu-Seon) actually had a motive in the beginning. She was just pathetic and weak but once she returned they weirdly sidelined her. Also I don’t know why Kang Ji-ho never got prosecuted for trying to kill Hye-soo. Like I find that to be one of his more egregious crimes. Like that is the mother of your child. You gave your child so much trauma, for what? Power? Like when they tried to redeem him at the end I was just fed up. You can’t make hime out to be the big bad guy for 118 episodes, and then have him do one good thing. He is a bad father, and when Han Byeol grows up she will resent him. Rating: Fuck this show, like actually.

 My Dearest Part 2(2023, Hwang Jin-young)

Main leads: Namkoong Min, Ahn Eun-jin, Lee Hak-joo, Lee Da-in, Kim Yoon-woo, Lee Chung-ah

Country: S. Korea

Run: Oct 13 to Nov 18, 2023 (MBC TV, Friday and Saturday 21:50 (KST))

Episodes: 11, 60 to 90 min

Thoughts: More devastating than the first part. Gil-chae is probably my favorite character I have watched. Her journey in this part is absolutely devastating but she survives. I enjoyed the refutement from blame, that people who experienced the worst horrors known are somehow blamed. Gil Chae pushes back on this sentiment herself. This entire time I just wanted Jang-hyun and Gil Chea together. Which took the entire part for them to finally be happy. I do think the ending was kind of wobbly, and they only really needed 10  episodes not the 11. But who am I to say? Anyways I enjoyed the show overall. Rating: My Dear Husband… 

Kokdu: Season of Diety (2023, Kang Yi-heon, Heo Jun-woo)

Main leads: Kim Jung-hyun, Im Soo-hyang, Kim Da-som, Ahn Woo-yeon, Kim In-kwon, Cha Chung-hwa

Country: S. Korea

Run: Jan 27 to March 24, 2023 (MBC TV Fridays and Saturdays @21:50 (KST))

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: You must be wondering why did you watch this? It only has bad reviews- which is a lie, it is actually a polarizing show. And I can understand. If you go into this show with the lowest expectations imaginable and it might be fun. The scenery is pretty and they make decent use of it. Main Romance is actually not good, I felt no chemistry between Kim Jung-Hyun and Im Soo-hyang. I did like the romance between Tae Jeong-won (Kim Da-som) and Han Cheol (Ahn Woo-yeon) other than that The show overall fell flat. I did like the scenery and the setting. I thought it was fun. Also episode 16 was the most enjoyable episode, which is good for an ending. Rating: I would skip…

I am currently watching:

Marry My Husband

Doctor Slump

Because of Love

Do You Like Brahms?

The Real Has Come!

If you have any kdrama recommendations, please let me know!

[fayrachazia]

✨️ The Glory Part 2 ✨️ “The Glory Part 2” has unveiled new character posters and a teaser ! The newly released posters for Part 2 feature Moon Dong Eun with each of eight characters who are deeply intertwined with her. Among the characters in solidarity with Moon Dong Eun are Joo Yeo Jeong, Kang Hyeon Nam (Yeom Hye Ran), and Ha Do Yeong (Jung Sung Il). In each of the three posters, Moon Dong Eun stands on the right side and faces them either with a warm gaze or a gentle smile. The texts on the top-center of the posters that read, “She is my salvation,” “Happy I started to dream,” and “I don’t like saying that I don’t know something, but I don’t know yet,” seem to describe the thoughts of Joo Yeo Jeong, Kang Hyun Nam, and Ha Do Young, respectively, regarding Moon Dong Eun. On the other hand, Moon Dong Eun’s attitude and gazes toward the perpetrators group consisting of Park Yeon Jin (Lim Ji Yeon), Jeon Jae Joon (Park Sung Hoon), Lee Sa Ra (Kim Hieora), Choi Hye Jeong (Cha Joo Young), and Son Myeong Oh (Kim Geon Woo) are completely different. Moon Dong Eun looks down at them from above with her hands clutched to different body parts of each character. The texts aligned in the mid-center of the posters that read, “Your soul, which laughed in joy throughout all of it,” “Those leering eyes,” “The hand that mocked and broke others,” “The lips that laughed at others’ misfortune,” and “The feet that were eager to inflict pain on others,” seem to describe Moon Dong Eun’s feelings of resentment, anger, and revenge toward the perpetrators who made her life miserable and made her spend all her life scheming her revenge. #theglory #theglory2 #theglorypart2 #더글로리파트2 #songhyekyo #송혜교 #leedohyun #이도현 #limjiyeon #임지연 #yumhyeran #염혜란 #parksunghoon #박성훈 #jungsungil #정성일#kimhieora #김히어라 #chajooyoung #차주영 #kimgunwoo #김건우 #characterposters #drama #kdrama #koreandrama #dramakorea #fayrafeed (di My Imagination) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoetoNyvbnt/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[usagirotten]

Parasyte: The Grey Trailer Unveiled: Netflix’s Latest Korean Series

Director Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan, Hellbound) has a new feature coming out on Netflix based on the popular manga, Parasyte by Hitoshi Iwaaki. The feature, titled Parasyte: The Grey, expands the universe that Iwaaki created, where parasites invade human brains and take over their bodies. The premise sounds similar to The Thing, except in The Grey, these parasites turn their hosts’ heads into tentacle flower things from time to time. The upcoming Netflix film also centers on a woman named Su-in who joins with a parasite named Heidi(!) and becomes a mutant hybrid, with the parasite and her having conversations inside her head (similar, perhaps, to Eddie and Venom). It was that potential for symbiosis that intrigued Sang-ho. “To me, Parasyte is about coexistence, so I wanted Parasyte: The Grey to echo this theme,” the director said in a statement. “I questioned whether people could peacefully coexist with other organisms or mutants unlike themselves.” Su-in and Heidi are the exception to the rule in the film, with the parasites eager to take over humanity and humanity fighting back via an organization called The Grey. The premise has the original manga creator’s blessing. “I felt that the creators of Parasyte: The Grey greatly respected the original work,” Iwaaki said in the same statement. “At the same time, I could see unique creative branches and ideas throughout the series and enjoyed it as both the original author and as a true ‘audience member.’ Each episode’s plot development is dynamic with a quick tempo that makes it very entertaining.” Parasyte: The Grey starts streaming on Netflix on April 5, 2024. 

Expanding the universe of the original best-selling manga, “Parasyte,” by Hitoshi Iwaaki, the series tells a new story packed with action, philosophy and a dash of existential dread. Parasyte: The Grey is based on the original comic “Parasyte” by Hitoshi Iwaaki, which sold an accumulated record of over 25 million copies in over 30 regions and countries with its ingenious imaginative storyline of a parasite permeating through a human brain and controlling its body, and philosophical message.

Title: Parasyte: The Grey Original Work: Kiseiju (Parasyte) by Hitoshi Iwaaki published by KODANSHA Director: Yeon Sang-ho Screenwriter: Yeon Sang-ho, Ryu Yong-jae Cast: Jeon So-nee, Koo Kyo-hwan, Lee Jung-hyun, Kwon Hae-ho, Kim In-kwon, and others. Production: Climax Studio, WOW POINT Distribution: Netflix Read the full article

[drivingsideways]

For AO3 Wrapped: can you please answer all? 💋

Right. So by popular demand (hahahahaha)

ao3 wrapped [writers edition]

1. How many words have you written this year?

121,711 words were published on AO3, and I have another 10k sitting in drafts, so...quite a lot? 2022 brings up my total word count on AO3 since 2017 when I first started posting on AO3 to 853,262..which..blows my mind, honestly.

Putting the rest under the cut!

2. How many works did you publish this year?

6 works, in total. This is the year when I used AO3 to “archive” rather than “publish”, which I will talk about in another year end post, maybe. But as a quick round up:

For Twenty Five, Twenty One : Rival which gives Na Heedo and Ko Yurim the romance they and we deserved, and Hakuna Matata which is a light romp in which two besties take twenty years to do what their moms had planned for them all along. 

The bulk of my work   was for an entirely made up fandom :  The Chung Jung One Soy Sauce ad ft Lee Jung Jae & Jung Woo sung  aka the Terms of Surrender series (3 works and counting), which I’ll probably continue into the next year.

I tried to FIX Lee Jung Jae’s directorial debut “Hunt”, which features his bestie/soulmate/jagiya Jung Woo Sung in Juche, which is the first of a planned two-part series. 

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

I answered this as Rival, yesterday, but I think Juche also is pretty good. 

4. What work of yours has the most hits?

Rival

As a side note, AO3 doesn’t allow me to track hits on older works in the current year, but the 2020 fic I wrote for TKEM still gets a lot of hits, perhaps from re-reads, and there are even people clicking on my older Black Sails and The Rise of Phoenixes fic, which I am grateful for. 

5. What work of yours got more feedback than you expected?

I have very very few readers this year compare to last few- which was as expected. But! Terms of Surrender got a comment from someone who’d subscribed to my work and just jumped into a completely niche fic and it melted my heart a bit!  I still get comments on older fic that I didn’t expect anyone to be reading- just yesterday, my notifications were filled by someone working their way through my fic for Serenade of Peaceful Joy, and that was completely unexpected because (a) it was a terrible show and (b) it was a flop and (c) the fandom is dead and buried, and should stay that way. 

6. Favorite title you used

“Instructions for Dancing”

7. If you use song lyrics, which artist’s songs did you pull from the most?

I was trying to recall if I’ve used song titles more than once -”Instructions for Dancing” this year is from  “The Book of Love” by The Magnetic Fields- and I think I’ve only done it once before, using a David Gray song lyric -Tell the Stars Above (You’re the One I Love)- for the concluding part of the Stars’ verse in TKEM. 

8. Pairing you wrote the most for this year?

I’ve answered this before, but just to elaborate for the ones wondering why I had to make up a fandom to write in - Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sung  (aka the Cheongdam Couple) are actors, producers, directors and have been the best of friends for 20 plus years. I just find their entire deal so damn charming and lovely- imagine being able to have that in such a brutally unforgiving industry. However, their combined filmography is largely what I put in the column of “TRAGICALLY UNWATCHABLE” and I feel I’m just inventing the stories that I wish they’d make and star in. They’ve only acted in two movies together- 1998′s City of the Rising Sun, which is a really good, fun film and 2022′s Hunt, directed by Lee Jung-jae, which was mediocre on the whole, though with some undeniably good elements. I just want the ahjussis to make the movies in which they are as soft with each other onscreen as they are irl, and failing that I’m going to have to write the fic. It is what it is. * shrug hands emoji *

9. Favorite pairing you wrote for this year?

I’ve written almost 100k words (including WIPs) for the characters Jang Do-chul and Kang Hong-gi; the protagonists in a fictional universe being collaboratively created by me and my babygirls (real) @rain-hat  and @elderflowergin

10. What work was the quickest to write?

I think I wrote both Hakuna Matata and Instructions for Dancing in a day. (They’re quite short!)

11. What work took you the longest to write?

I took about three months to write  the Terms of Surrender series, that was a total of ~ 75 k words .

12. How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year?

I’ve answered this before- not too many- 3. Two are continuations of Terms of Surrender and The Exiles series, and one is a different fictional universe for the Cheongdam couple. But my head is teeming with ideas for stuff, time will tell if any of it will actually make it to a document. :D

13. What’s your longest work of the year?

Longest single work: Terms of Surrender. 

14. What’s your shortest work of the year?

Shortest single work: Instructions for Dancing.

15. What WIP are you taking into next year with you?

I don’t publish WIPs for good reason- I’m never sure whether I will finish them, so there’s nothing on AO3 that’s in progress as such. But as I mentioned above, there are a couple of WIPs in google docs that I hope to plug away at. 

16. What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag?

Oh, this turns out to be a little hard to figure out, but I guess it would be the most boring- “Romance” ;)

17. Your favorite character to write this year?

I really, really enjoyed writing both Jang Do-chul and Kang Hong-gi, as well as the assorted characters I’ve put into  Terms ‘verse, but shout out to Ko Yurim (Rival) and Park Pyung ho (Hunt). 

18. The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

I didn’t much- one of the reasons is that the characters I spent most time on were sort of entirely original creations (with very little reference to any particular established canon), and that was freeing. 

19. What’s one pairing you want to explore next year?

I’ve been spending some time thinking about another pairing that exists nowhere but in my head and a discord chat- based off a tumblr post that I can’t find now- but basically it would be Tang Wei and Kim Hye soo starring in a Hallmark Christmas movie- with some twists. 

20. Which work of yours have you reread the most?

I go back to 2020′s Destiny’s Child for a comfort read, but from this year, I think it’s been Moon River, and I re-read Juche sometimes to get me to think some more about the sequel. 

21. How many kudos in total did you get this year?

257

22. Which work has the most comments?

Rival

23. Did you do any collaborative works this year?

I feel that @rain-hat and @elderflowergin are my co creators for the Terms of Surrender ‘verse and also Juche, though I wrote the stories. They wouldn’t exist without my babygirls, my cheerleaders and fic conspirators. (Sorry y’all, I’m just very EMO about them) 

24. Did you write any gifts this year?

Yes! Terms ‘verse and Hakuna Matata for Gin and Rain.

25. Did you receive any gifts this year?

Yes! Gin wrote The Process of Discovery for Rain and meeee. (Niche pairing, best writer, you GUYSSSS) 

And in creative works that were not really gifts for me but felt like it: 

@revolutionaryjo did amazing, beautiful podfic for not one, but three of my fics: 2 parts of The stars are filming us for no one and Aphrodite Comes Calling , all three for TKEM fandom

@rhea314 did a stunning podfic of Tell Me the Truth About Love  and it made me cry and fall in love with my own fic again. 

26. What’s your most common category?

M/M

27. What do you listen to while writing?

I’ve taken to making playlists for thinking about fic- thematic playlists- usually because something in the lyrics pings me as appropriate for the characters. I find music distracting when I’m actually writing. 

28. Favorite work you wrote this year?

I can’t choose between my fic this year, I wrote them all at different points in the year and love certain elements in all of them.  I love Rival because it’s funny and cute and achy; and I love Terms ‘verse because it’s a love letter to my two years of kdrama/ movie watching and also because it made my babygirls laugh and cry and I think Juche turned out to be crisp and delicious, even if tonally very different from everything else I wrote this year...sowwie! I can’t choose between them!

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

Again, hard for me to choose and I’m sure my answer will change next week! 

Single line, from Rival: “ Here’s how it works: When Heedo’s around, nothing is out of reach, not even happiness. “

Passage, from Juche:

“Last stop,” calls the driver from front. “Ahjussis, you getting out or what?”

The others had already disappeared, Pyung-ho catches a last glimpse of blue as the ahjumma got down.

“We’re taking the bus back, ahjussi,” Kim Jeong-do calls back.

The driver stares at them both, and then shrugs.

“Fifteen minute break,” he says, “You can sit here or get out.”

“Do you want to-”

“No.”

“We’re fine here, ahjussi, thanks.”

The driver grunts, and gets off, leaving the door open.

A cold draught of air fills the bus.

Kim Jeong-do opens the window, asking, “Smoke?”

“Those can kill you,” Pyung-ho says, “You know that right?”

“Not fast enough,” says Jeong-do, and Pyung-ho can’t help the chortle that escapes him.

Jeong-do smiles too, eyes crinkling at the corners.

It makes him look handsome.

30. Biggest surprise while writing this year?

To have been able to write at all, in the midst of a bad mental health year has been a surprise and a blessing. And this isn’t a new feature- it happens all the time- but I’m somehow also always shocked by how stories take a life of their own and go where they will, just dragging you along. It’s the best thing, really. 

[dramashii]

Finally had the time to sit with my feelings for the first episode of the second season of Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow. I was really excited for this especially considering how the first season finished. Truthfully, although only 4 months have passed since the last episode aired, I sort of forgot already a lot of things especially about the magic system: tansu, chisu etc. 

Anyways, I watched the first episode last night and I’m kind of apprehensive as to how this is going to go. One of my major criticism of the first season was how nothing much plot-heavy things happened. There were so many filler episodes which could have been resolved if the characters just sat and talked. I wished they explored more of the magical aspects of the show: more fight scenes with swords basically. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the first season but I just expected more.

This is why I’m not sure how this second season is going to go. I know it’s still premature to judge the whole show in general since only a single episode has been out. But I feel like we’re just going in circles. Considering how this is going to be only 10 eps, I’m expecting this is going to be jam-packed. But it sorts of opened the same way as the previous season but with the roles reversed. Rather than the female lead (Mu Deok in the previous season) making use of Jang Uk so she can get her powers back, this season it’s going to be Jang Uk who’s going to be taking advantage of the female lead (Naksu). I still don’t understand how the change of the female lead’s face is going to be important here (1 ep down, 9 to go). I also hope they don’t dragged the love triangle so much.

I also have to say that I like this darker version of Jang Uk. I like Lee Jae Wook’s comedic timing in the first season, but in my opinion,  he suits better darker characters. When he’s brooding, he looks 10x better. So, I think this is my favorite change of the show so far. 

Also, Go Yoon Jung is so pretty. Her character is bright here although the circumstances of her life has been quite difficult for the last 3 years. I miss her bad ass self though, the one that got me whipped in the first episode of the first season. I want to see strong Naksu and strong Jang Uk fight. That would be really interesting. It seems so far that Naksu in this season does not have her strong powers. Curious to see how the writers are going to convince the audience about this pairing. When it was announce that Jung So Min wasn’t going to be in the second season, I was unsure as to how this is going to go. I hope there will be a clear explanation in the end as to why she had to change faces. 

I’m really curious as to how the aftermath of the event 3 years ago played out. It feels like a lot has changed, not only for the main leads but also for the side characters. Jin Mu is still in the palace though?? I don’t get this part. How is this man walking free? I hope he dies in the end. 

Also, considering how Naksu is still remembered by so many people, I think it wouldn’t take long for people of Daeho to figure out that the “eldest” Jin daughter and the assassin Naksu, look the same. I’m surprised though that Jang Uk hasn’t been able to identify the similarities. I know he has amnesia but like  He doesn’t have amnesia, but wouldn’t he be at least curious of the woman who put a sword to his chest?

I hope the second season will answer all the questions that weren’t answered in the first one. Something tells me this isn’t going to have a happy ending. Not because it was written by the Hong sisters who are notorious for their sad endings for their fantasy dramas but because the situations of the leads are so dire. It's hard to imagine a happy ever after.

[halfassaultedbrain]

I needed to put it out there for a while now—

I started alchemy of souls s1 in December. I have been postponing since June waiting for all the episodes to drop after watching the trailer and clips on insta and YouTube and evidently avoiding any spoilers till I got the news that there would a s2 so more delay.

Well, anyway from the reels I saw in passing and forgot about weeks later, a distant part of my mind seemed to conjure a plot. That Aos is a show about mages and Lee Jae Wook's character is this great sorcerer, the leader of some institution and Jung So min have come to train under him but he legit torments her or what not(yes I know how it sounds, at this point I was only in for the fantasy aspect)(I swear I forgot the content of the trailer, never even read the synopsis).

Then I happened to stumble across this gif of S2 boat scene where Jang uk comes to take his bride Jin Bu yeon/cho yeong and istg I could not place that both the actress were different, I would legit shut my eyes and scroll over like "no spoiler". Though, afterwards I was under the impression that perhaps Jang uk marries Mu deok but unfortunately has to send her away for some reason(like the ending was they get married but nah, they die) and in S2 she returns to him in a boat all decked up and he's there to receive her but oh love was I wrong. Because the story I got had been incredible and I just love love love it (while being tremendously frustrated along the way) .

(Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined in S2 that Jang uk would take Cho/Jby yeong as his wife)

Well that's the tea.

[comradeeatspants]

Karl Jacobs. Must wield the most insane power imaginable in the entertainment industry. THEY GOT LEE JUNG-JAE ???? ON BANTER ?????? THE MOST MID PODCAST IMAGINABLE ????? THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ACTING OR FILM ?????

[generalpierrotdameron]

The Acolyte cast speaks out on being the most diverse Star Wars project ever

"When it comes to the world of fantasy and sci-fi in general, it hasn't felt like a safe space always for people of color," Stenberg says. "And it's been a world that I've always deeply loved and been invested in. So to be in any way, shape, or form a part of the wave that is ushering in inclusion and safety for Black nerds, it's my dream come true."

That diversity and inclusion was something that the rest of the cast couldn't help but observe. Turner-Smith tells EW it was "definitely something I noticed and was really excited about, and was one of the reasons that I chose to step into the world," while Keen notes that the actors were well aware of the variety of perspectives at play. "That was definitely a conversation we've had on set," Keen says. "It's really refreshing to walk onto a set as diverse as this one in every sense. We've all come from different corners of the world and it's really great to get so many different people from different backgrounds to create this thing together."

Barnett is excited for audiences to see what he and so many others have not seen before on screen. "I don't think I could have ever imagined myself as a Jedi," Barnett says. "Because I was not reflected for so many times throughout these films in the past. So to see such a diverse group now, I think it's going be a really impactful. It's gonna be [a] cool moment for me for sure, I can tell you that."

Many in the cast point to Lee Jung-jae — whom they call JJ — and how impressive he has been not only learning his Jedi master character, but also learning the English language at the same time. And for Manny Jacinto, Jung-jae's role represents a true breakthrough for the franchise. "If I'm being candid, this is the first time you're getting to see an Asian Jedi," Jacinto says. "It's a pretty big responsibility. Getting to see him inspire a new generation of Asian kids to like take up the lightsaber — it's pretty incredible."

Turner-Smith has noticed something else incredible about The Acolyte that makes it stand out from the pack of Star Wars offerings. "I also really loved that that our show was much more woman-centered than what I have previously seen in the Star Wars world," she told the Dagobah Dispatch. "Just from the fact that our incredible showrunner Leslye is a genius woman, and the female producers and having Amandla be the person who's leading our cast — it was a very cool way into this universe, and a way that I feel that people have never necessarily seen before, other than they're going see Rosario in an amazing woman-centered show as well."

For Turner-Smith, shows like Ashoka— which also has a female-heavy cast — and The Acolyte represent a new breed of Star Wars offerings. "I feel like we are part of a wave of more inclusive and beautifully represented Star Wars shows. So that felt really cool. And I felt the importance of that, especially in some of the stuff that I got to where everyone really was excited about what they were seeing and what that would maybe mean for different fans — fans that don't necessarily look like what you normally think the traditional Star Wars fan looks like. Because if there's anything that I learned from this show, it's that the Star Wars fan is varied."