#like. i'm refreshing this playlist weekly

[energyuntapped]

This weeks worship was wonderful and I'm so happy I decided to do it! I put together a playlist I was happy with and will have my deities add to it as they like. If anyone is interested in the playlist let me know and I will post it. I also got my alter refreshed which was really nice. It felt like it breathed more life into my apartment. I have been listening to the book Protection and Reversal Magick by Jason Miller. I'm about 75% of the way through this book and I'll be honest I'm not sure I find it super applicable for my practice. I like quite a few of the ideas but some of it seems over the top. That being said I very much gravitate to everyday witchcraft that fits in with my life and very very rarely do anything resembling ceremonial magic. Not today but hopefully this coming week I'll be cleansing and resetting my wards. I am also today listening to a podcast and going to put down the weekly astrology. I love astrology and this podscast has been an amazing resource. Plus we have to prep for the full moon! Ill have the day off and want to start planning now so I'm not rushed.

[thefirstknife]

Kind of really wish they'd separate out the vanguard ops Playlist into 2 different ones that both count equally for the pinnacle and earning rep. One for "regular" strikes and one for seasonal Battlegrounds activities. The Vanguard Ops Playlist is going to be completely unplayable for me once they mix Heist in. It's not that they're "bad" it's just the seasonal grind is so over the top that by the time the season ends even when I really enjoy a seasonal activity I'm sick to death of it if I actually try to get a fair chunk of the grinding done... I really wish they'd give you some options around that since I don't see them changing their gameplay model from "Grinding Content: The Game". (I'd probably hate the PsiOps ones way less if I were actually able to take a break from them instead of, even after the season, getting dumped into them 2/3 of the time when I do a Playlist run for bounties, rep, or weeklies...) it's just very tiring...

Yeah, I'm also not a huge fan of these activities being mixed up with strikes. I don't think it's really possible to separate them because nobody would run a battlegrounds-only playlist so there wouldn't be enough population for it, but they need more activities in strikes without making 3 new strikes per season so.

I would personally prefer strikes only and if they made some new strikes. I don't need 3 new ones every season tbh, I'd be fine with a few new ones per year and old ones getting some refreshes like they're now planing to do with Lake of Shadows and Arms Dealer, as well as later with some other ones.

I really love strikes and would love some stuff to be added to them that's specifically made to be strikes. I would love if they returned some cosmetic stuff for strikes as well. There used to be different strike-specific emblems you could collect and hope for while playing them, for example. Weapon ornaments would be cool as well, even armour. Also more alternating dialogues! I'd rather fewer strikes but with more reasons to play them, instead of 50 of them and nothing much to gain.

Personally, I like heists from this season, they're much more engaging to me than the battlegrounds from Chosen, but even then, they're not made as strikes.

With new changes coming to the strike playlist making it more challenging but without any benefits in rewards... It feels really weird. Add in battlegrounds that people don't really like and I bet there will be a lot of players not very entertained by the playlist.

I'm definitely looking forward to new Lightfall strikes tho! So there's that!

[goddesspharo]

Tagged by @antiquitea.

3 ships: This changes like...all the time. Wave something shiny and pretty and vaguely antagonistic at me and I'm pretty much yours.

I rewatched Top Gun Maverick over the weekend and even though the point of The Hard Deck intro was to establish that they all knew each other carnally, I'm feeling very into Hangman/Phoenix at the moment because who doesn't love a pairing with two extremely attractive people being shitheads to each other while secretly wanting to bone?

I feel a flare up of "why didn't Grace and Daniel make out in Ready Or Not?" at least once a month so that's still a thing, I guess. Adam Brody deserves better than being a second tier character in those dumb Shazam movies.

I miss seeing Kyle Valenti's face every week for two minutes an episode on Roswell, New Mexico so I am still extremely bitter that my garbage CW show got cancelled (except that I genuinely believe the first season was stellar and not just because every music cue was from the 90s) and after four seasons of wanting someone to love Kyle Valenti back, we fiiiiiiiinally got Kyle and Isobel getting together in the last episode after a season of secret and not so secret pining only so they could have...one minute of screen time together in which they...didn't even kiss? THANKS FOR DEPRIVING ME OF ALL THE NICE THINGS. Am I ever going to stop being bitter over not getting to see them date or make out or do all the things that Lily Cowles probably put up on her vision board? NO, I WILL NOT. Get them booked and busy!!!!

1st ever ship: I can't think that far back! I'm sure there were many before this but off the top of my head, my first thought after "I'm too ancient to remember this" was that Tommy and Kimberly in Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers ruled. Remember the proverbial water cooler discussions in elementary school when they introduced the green ranger? SPECTACULAR. Ah, back in the days when we thought some dude using a flute to summon a robot dragon was the height of being a bad ass. (Side note: the Power Rangers movie with Dacre Montgomery and Naomi Scott doesn't get enough credit for being a really good time. They teased a sequel that will never happen because not enough people recognize a good reboot!!!)

last song: Last week, I was inexplicably listening to A LOT of Dave Matthews Band live performances. I guess the inexplicable bit is that last week Spotify's Discover Weekly decided to randomly put a Stevie Nicks cover of "Crash Into Me" on my playlist, which sent me into a DMB spiral - I know this is deeply uncool because anyone who was alive in the 90s heard that song at least once a day for YEARS on the radio so we are all hardwired to roll our eyes at them, but this spiral led me to this (in which the late great LeRoi Moore's sax solo is the closest I will ever come to understanding Damien Chazelle's obsession with jazz) and, even more spectacularly, this, which is worth even listening to in the background. But actually none of that is what I've been listening to more recently. I was on call the other night and the only thing that got me through 48 hours on 4 hours of sleep was Tina Turner, particularly "Nutbush City Limits."

currently reading: Patricia Highsmith's Strangers On A Train.

last movie: I watched Breathe (2014; dir. Mélanie Laurent) last night and it was SO GOOD! Highly recommend! It was also refreshing to watch a movie that wasn't two hours long. Bring back 90-100 minute movies!

currently consuming: I'm drinking black tea with milk.

currently watching: About to watch the pilot of Mayfair Witches even though Alexandra Daddario has the acting range of a beautiful block of wood, but I'm in the intersection of AMC's venn diagram of "bitches who miss Interview With The Vampire" and "bitches who miss Jack Huston's face."

currently craving: Lychees, but they're out of season :(

Tagging whoever wants to do it!

[thegirlwiththelilactattoo]

no. 2, or some of my favorite things of 2022

Uh oh, did I say I was gonna blog weekly and now it's been 4 months? My bad!

In the time since I last posted I: started writing my diss/was told to stop writing my diss to do data analysis, completed fieldwork, added another member to my committee, and got accepted to two conferences. This is sweeping over a lot of things that sucked a lot and I'll need to talk about in therapy for the next 5 or so years, but that's grad school, babes. All in all it's been an incredibly stressful semester. I am really looking forward to having a restful break in December focusing on writing a chapter in December!

I also decided to turn this into a catch all blog for My Thoughts outside of academic things! And since it's the end of the year, I'm doing a lil favorite things of 2022.

Various Academic Things

Data analysis: I looked at other qualitative data softwares and chose to use ATLAS.ti for my dissertation. I am a...let's just say neurodivergent person and ATLAS.ti was the most aesthetically pleasing and intuitive software for me. It has a ton of features and data analysis capabilities, most of which I've barely used, but the ones I've tried have been useful.

Writing: I'm basic. I use Scrivener. It confuses me. I don't know if I recommend it.

Scheduling: I highly recommend Calendly. I should have used it from the jump to schedule dissertation interviews instead of going back and forth over email with my interlocutors. Now that I'm done with interviews, I use Calendly for students to schedule office hours appts. I like the Zoom and calendar integration, so once the link is sent, it's very hands off on my end.

Coworking: Re: the whole neurodivergence thing, coworking has been a real boon for me. My friend and I have a standing cowork session on Friday and it's been a great time for us to catch up and suffer through school stuff together. We keep each other accountable during our lil pomodoros and I miraculously get work done.

Going to the Writing Center??? I recently started going to my school's writing center for feedback on my applications and it's been so helpful.

Music

Beyoncé Gisele Knowles has run my life this year. "Renaissance" is the best album of 2022. I've also been running up "Currents" by Tame Impala for the entirety of this year and I don't see that changing in 2023.

Honorable Mentions: "Running Away" by VANO3000, "Them Changes" by Thundercat, "Eastside" by DAISY (RIP to such a good band)

Playlists I've Been Loving: roslyn rainy day kinda vibe, sad girl starter pack

Shows/Movies

Depression has sort of ruined my ability to consume visual media. And for the better part of the last decade, I have enjoyed and perhaps made it "a personality" to watch bad movies. I noticed this year that I became afraid (in a sense) to let myself watch movies that were good. It's a weird thing. My goal for next year is to get comfortable watching things that are good. I want to watch movies that make me feel something instead of solely engaging with a film because it's awful. That just doesn't speak to me anymore as a fulfilling way of being in the world.

At any rate, the most impactful movie I saw this year was Everything Everywhere All At Once. I saw this movie four times in the theatre and each time I got something new from it. It made me cry and laugh and feel like I could try to hope in a life that often feels meaningless.

Honorable Mentions: Bram Stokers Dracula dir. Francis Ford Coppola, The Batman dir. Matt Reeves, The Menu dir. Mark Mylod

Recipes

I have been LOVING this Kale Walnut Salad from frommybowl. It's super easy to make, refreshing, and is perfect to take advantage of really good apples.

Honorable Mentions: I've gotten rave reviews on this pumpkin bread.

Beauty/Aesthetics

This past year, I have finally mastered the wash and go. I used to be a twists girlie, but wash and gos last longer and look better on my hair. I think my hair is also the healthiest it's ever been. It's hard to pick a single product that I've loved the most for my hair, but the duo supreme is: Uncle Funky's Daughter Curly Magic and Innersense I Create Hold for a perfect wash and go every time.

Honorable Mentions: Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Crush Cheirosa 71 Perfume Mist, elf Brow Lift, ILIA The Necessary Eyeshadow Palette in Warm Nude

I think that's everything???? Sadly, I have read nary a book for leisure, but that's something for future me to ruminate on. I hope this was moderately interesting and I will try!!! to not take 4 months to post another thing :)

[wishheroes]

Weekly K-pop Round-Up (20240515-20240522) pt.1

hello everyone! today i will be reviewing kpop (etc) releases from week 3 of may which is may 15th until may 22nd. it's my first review post so i hope you can enjoy it! now let's get into the reviews.

Baby Step - We;Na

this song was so much fun! i went in with zero expectations since i have never listened to we;na before, but i really enjoyed the instrumental on this. its a fun upbeat song perfect for the summer. there's nothing extraordinary about it per se, but it's still great.

Algorhythm - ITZY

with itzy korean releases, it's usually a hit or miss with me. but their japanese releases have never disappointed me! again, this was a great japanese song from them. i think it might be one of my favourite releases from them in general. i enjoy the melody a lot, it's nice to the ear and easy to listen to while still being enjoyable and fun. i loved the little change up part near the end, it was the cherry on top!

Accendio - IVE

honestly no words. this is an amazing song. truth, i prefer heya over accendio by a lot. heya was just perfect. but this song is amazing as well. i especially loved the music video as well as the dreamy vibe the song has. the whole concept of both the song and the music video is super cool to me.

Sirius Part 2 - The Wind

correct me if im wrong, but this is a continuation of sirius, right? you can definitely hear sirius in this song and i absolutely love it! sirius was my favourite the wind song so i absolutely loved sirius part 2 as well. the wind in general have such amazing songs, they're so refreshing and they never fail to make me smile. i am so happy they're bringing back this sound in kpop! i really hope they make it big in the future.

200 - MARK

mark lee the legend you are.. im a huge rock fan so this is right up my alley. i can't tell if i prefer this or golden hour, but the song is GOOD. as in, REALLY GOOD. honestly i can't describe this song in words, it's an amazing song and it's definitely a release you shouldn't miss out on.

Orange Juice - Ryu Sujeong (ft. YEIN)

seems like this release doesn't have a music video or anything of those sorts so spotify link it is! when the song started i didn't expect to like it. i thought it would be another one of those really bland songs. while i wasn't completely wrong, this song has those 2014-2017 vibes that i miss a lot. i could totally imagine myself listening to this in the summer. it feels really nostalgic and the chorus is just really great. i think this song deserves your attention and at least a few streams!

BLACK OUT - 257

it's actually my first time giving this group a listen and also my first time finding out about their existence. it seems this is their debut? the song itself is just, well, okay. there's nothing special about it. you have your typical trending pinkpantheress type of beat as the instrumental and that's kind of it. i like their vocals, but i'm not completely sure if i like their vocals paired together. either way, i don't hate this song, but i don't see myself listening to this on a daily basis. congratulations on your debut!

crazy stupid love - Sorn, Hongseok, WILD

i don't think i'll ever enjoy any sorn song at this point. this is a no for me. sure, it's cute! but it's quite boring to me. i honestly can't even write a good review of this song because it's just boring to me. there's nothing else i can say. probably won't listen to this song ever again.

My Everything - Park JeUp

the moment the instrumental started playing i was sold. then he started singing and i was even more sold. his voice is lovely! i love myself a good ballad, and this one was very good. the song is very pretty. i will definitely add this to my ballad playlist.

PAIN - Hyunwoo

when the song started playing i had to double check if this came out in 2024. the 2nd gen vibes i get from this are crazy! i'm actually not sure what i think of this song. i love the sound, i love the 2nd/early 3rd gen vibe, but something is missing. i'm also not sure if i like his voice or not. either way, this is a solid song! it's a bit on the lower quality side but i still enjoyed it.

Ride The Vibe - NEXZ

WOW!! i'm actually so pleasantly surprised!!! i had zero expectations for this especially since, again, jyp releases are very hit or miss for me. or maybe not necessarily releases but jyp groups and their music. but this song is really great. i also expected a completely different sound from what we got. i like it so much that i suddenly want to stan this group which i had zero interest in just 5 minutes ago. i love the instrumental and their vocals so much. the song reminds me of these songs that i used to listen to on youtube back in like 2017? from a channel called galaxy. they always had anime thumbnails on them and i swear half of those songs sounded exactly like this!! i absolutely love this song and i will definitely be adding this into my playlists and looking into this group.

Cheese - SUHO, WENDY

one thing about me is i love cheese. so it only makes sense for me to enjoy this song. cheese out of the way, can we talk about how insanely good suho looks in this music video? such a serve. moving on to the actual song now, at first listen i was a bit lost as to if i like it or not. second listen, i like it. a lot. i especially like that guitar part near the end of the song i think it made the song complete. i vibe with this A LOT. the melody is nice, fun, and catchy. the vocals are of course top tier as expected from suho and wendy. i have nothing negative to say about this release. i think the concept, music video, and song are all fantastic. i do think sm's obsession with ai should stop though.

Tasty - B.I

it definitely sounds b.i! i like the beat and i do like the vibes but to me the song is just a bit too empty. however i do know that many rap songs are made with a simple beat so i will not criticise the instrumental too much. i do enjoy his rapping in this. personally though, i don't think this song is for me. i'm usually into rap songs that are more upbeat with a more interesting instrumental.

part two of the post here

[katierosefun]

space shanty anon back again (i know, will I ever shut up!) but, as I was listening through shanties today, I found one that struck me as very ObiWan centric (specifically after the war, don't picture him singing it quietly to tiny Luke on the way to tattooine bc then you'll become a crying mess like me) it's called "Here's a Health to the Company", don't picture him thinking about satine and anakin and all the people he's sung this with and now lost as he braves through each verse for luke

aww, anon, i love your sea shanty recs and your takes, because!!! i appreciate them, and they make me happy!! 

and oh gee, yeah okay so i’m listening to here’s a health to the company right now, and this is the kind of shanty that i can very easily picture being sung very, very quietly, so that image of obi-wan humming/singing it quietly makes me want to cry too :’(( 

also....braving through each verse for luke: 

come lift up your voices, all grief to refrain / for we may or might never all meet here again

ha. this line with obi-wan “all my friends are dead” kenobi....ha. 

and if ever i should meet you by land or by sea / i will always remember your kindness to me

oh no. oh dear. oh no....no i don’t like this because you ever think about how obi-wan must have thought about how like...there are so many people that he never got to say a real goodbye to/might have left things on a bad note with (ha. hahahahaa) and still. is trying to think about at least the good memories ha hahahaaa

but also.....you know, now i’m listening to this version of the song, and now i feel oddly sad because it’s a little livelier, so now i have this funny little idea of luke somehow remembering bits and snatches of a song that he must have heard as a kid.......like, as the galaxy celebrates the fall of the empire, this song actually picks up, and luke gets excited because wait, he knows this song, he remembers this song, and this is where he gets leia and han to join, and it’s just. things come full circle this way. 

(as the voices of the living reach the stars, obi-wan smiles.) 

**edit: also, i feel like it’s worth noting that it is because of this ask that my current writing vibes playlist now has a bunch of sea shanties--

[thatslikely]

Seasons- G.W. Headcannons

dating George Weasley through the seasons

Warnings: mentions of food, but it's all fluff

Word Count: 1.4k

A/N: just thought it would be fun! Let me know if you want this for any other characters!

George Taglist: @hufflepuff5972

if you want to be added to the taglist, reply to this post, send me an ask, or dm me!

I recommend listening to this playlist while reading for the best experience!

----

Winter

On the first snowfall of the season, you two definitely built an adorable little snowman, complete with coal eyes (you probably stole Ron's scarf for his neck). You told George about the muggle story Frosty the Snowman, and he tried to find a spell to recreate Frosty.

The next day, you two gradually started amassing a large snowman army. Inevitably, in the middle of construction, George betrayed you with an icy snowball to your back.

Naturally, this incited a five day-long snowball war that increasingly got more and more intense. George was surprisingly good at building sturdy snow forts, so you never really stood a chance against his defences. He could have probably constructed a 7 foot tall barricade in a matter of minutes!

Even if you two are locked in battle, he'll always take time to admire the way the white snowflakes rest in your hair so beautifully, as well as the fiery determination behind your eyes.

Fiesty battles aside, George always made sure that you were warm and cozy after a long day in the cold, making homemade hot cocoa using Molly's famous recipe.

One day, long after the ‘Snow Skirmish’, you convince him to go ice skating with you; he absolutely fell in love with it. For a while, he had to hold onto your arms for balance, which led to a lot of falls considering he's a giant compared to you.

Eventually he got the hang of it and you taught him how to play muggle hockey, which he picked up quite quickly. He eventually got all the Weasleys hooked, and they held weekly tournaments. You were always George's favorite cheerleader.

If he ever became a little too cocky, he'd fall face-first onto the hard ice, which always brought a small smile to your face. He always laughed with you, too.

On snowless days, however, you two went on 'expeditions', which entailed peaceful walks through the woods, hand-knitted gloves intertwined.

You'd always keep your eyes peeled for birds or foxes, and occasionally he swore he saw a yeti. You were surprised he never got Fred to dress up in a yeti suit, at least not yet.

Spring

One word: picnics.

You spent the majority of springtime down at the Burrow, enjoying the pleasant spring weather. There were huge multicolored flower fields surrounding George's childhood home, making it even more fitting for the season.

Some days, he'd take you down to the creek past the Burrow, and the two of you would stand ankle-deep in the cool, flowing water. Sometimes, if he was feeling a bit mischievious, he’d splash you with some of the refreshing water, you quickly returning the favor.

Occasionally, he'd try to catch a little leaping frog, holding it carefully in his big palms. He was enchanted by the tiny creature, and without fail, he always begged you to let him keep it.

"But Terrance needs a home! We can make him a terrarium and everything! Please?"

Some days, he'd take you up to the Tree, which laid on a soft, grassy hill in the middle of a luscious yellow flower field. A single tire swing hung from its burly and ancient branches.

Often times, he'd sit at the base of the trunk, either dozing off or humming a song from his youth. If you chose to sit with him, however, he'd braid your hair perfectly and pick some colorful flowers to accent it.

"My little Angel, you look so pretty with flowers in your hair."

You'd always pick some petals for his ginger mop, too.

"Now we're matching, Georgie. Daffodils compliment your hair beautifully."

He loved to push you in the tire swing. He was far too big to fit in it now, to your dismay, but he was perfectly satisfied pushing you back and forth in it. It almost reminded him of rocking a baby cradle.

On rainy days, he'd fetch old rain boots from the attic. He'd always wear Bill's old pair, you wearing his'. The area around the small creek was all muddy, and you can't tell me he wouldn't make mud pies. Even if he's way too old for them.

"Darling, would you care for a pie?"

"And what does it taste like, exactly?"

"It's my signature flavor, mud!"

Summer

I firmly believe George is a good cook. He just is (see my chef!George fic for elabroation).

One sweltering day, you and him went out to the gardens and pick ripe, ruby-red strawberries to chop up and make into homemade strawberry ice cream.

His ice cream would surpass Fortescue's by a lot. Like it's scary. From then on, he made it every Saturday morning, even on chilly winter days.

Sometimes he'd turn adventurous and try some new flavors, which were normally pretty good, until he got a little too creative and made caramel watermelon ice cream. From then on, he stuck with the classics.

In the evenings, a small bonfire was lit and all the Weasleys spent the night drinking and dancing. Bill held a guitar concert, George and Arthur grilled up some hot dogs (which were juicy and delcious), Fred set off some fireworks, and Ginny held fiercely competitive broom races.

When everyone went inside, exhausted, you and George stayed outside, listening to the crickets chirping and admiring the clear, country sky. He pointed out his favorite constellations to you, reenacting the myths behind them with you as his co-actor (you can't tell me we wouldn't let you fake-stab him and he'd fall to the grass super dramatically).

Beach days: a must have.

George would definitely wear red/maroon swim trunks, and there would always be a white stripe of sunscreen on his freckled nose, even after he furiously rubbed it in.

He'd always love the bathing suit you sported, whether it was a gingham bikini or a gorgeous silver one piece. He loved you so much, you never felt self conscious around him.

He'd take you to a secret, tucked-away beach, and you two would spend the day building elaborate sand castles, burying you deep in the sand, and searching for pretty sea shells and sand dollars.

“Where do you think you’re going, Mister? You can’t just leave me buried under the san like this!”

“Someone’ll find you eventually. I just want all the icecream for myself, what can I say? Oh fine, I’ll dig you up, darling.”

Autumn

Autumn at the Burrow was like nothing else. There was always a seemingly endless supply of pumpkin juice and apple juice on tap, and traditions were ampted up to the max.

Pumpkin carving was taken very seriously, and you and George were no exceptions. You and him were never artsy per se, but you always tried your hardest together to crave an intricately designed pumpkin. It always turned out pretty decent, to your surprise.

George and Fred would constantly wear scary masks and hide around he Burrow, or plant fake spiders in the cupboards in hopes of scaring Ron. It always worked.

Since the weather was so nice and chilly, he'd always go around the woods with you collecting a pile of some good sticks for a tree fort. He always carried the branches, and you collected the prettiest orange leaves you could find, for a collage or scrapbook.

All fall, he worked on building a small, secluded tree fort, which was definitely worth it in the end. You two stayed up late into the night, telling ghost stories, kissing, or inviting the whole Weasley clan for a good old fashioned game of Truth or Dare.

As for Halloween, you guys already know he goes overboard. He decorated every inch of every wall with black and orange streamers, fake cobwebs, and little baby pumpkins. It was always really sweet; he'd always wear a proud grin after the whole house was adorned to his liking.

For costumes, I'm 99% sure that you two would always do pun-y couple costumes think him dressing up as a cereal box and you as a killer, or him as a ghost and you a pepper).

You two would also 100% go to a costume store, and buy as much cheap hair gel as you could, all so you two could make each spiky Mohawks (you'd never admit it to George, but he pulled them off).

One time, he let you take him to a muggle farm for the day. You decided it would be fun to do a corn maze. The both of you got lost for three hours. From then on, he just stuck with hay rides.

Spending time with George was always fun, year-round.

[vivalavi-daa]

Fav 2020 K-Dramas

1. Hospital Playlist

If there's anything I felt happy about in 2020, it's the fact that I've found my next ultimate fav kdramas. More than another, this kdrama feels like a home I could return to every time. Yes, hospital playlist is a slice of life drama that portrays the lives of people in hospital, but there's something about it that is so captivating to watch. I love how it realistically portrays the adults' daily lives & has no major villain of the story that heats things up whatsoever. Instead, I find it easy to emphatize with every character here, even with a patient who appears less than 5 minutes because this kdrama taught us that every life is worth it. And the friendship of the professors... it really has the power to bring joy & warmth to me.

(I also made a post about hospital playlist's characters study on my side blog. Here, if you’re interested).

2. Flower of Evil

Stories that revolve around someone who isn't capable of having emotions aren't nothing new in kdrama land. But this one, especially, is a gem. This one kept me on the edge of my seat because of how nerve wracking some of the scenes are. The suspenseful dramas, the mysteries, the romance...they're all so engaging to watch. I wasn't sure what to expect from the lead character and therefore it's exciting to see what was going to happen & to see how the characters would develop. And to be noted, I swear the cast who played the villain here gives off really scary vibes. He deserves an award for that alone

3. Mr. Queen

I'm not usually a big fan of Saeguk drama and yet here I am putting one on my fav kdrama list. I watched it merely to ease my boredom but then I surprised myself of how much I enjoyed this kdrama. The opening video was appealing & I love how entertaining Mr. Queen was. It became my weekly dose of serotonin (though it gets angsty at times). I thought the story's gonna be weird since it's about a man trapped in a woman's body in joseon era but heck, it was worth it; hilarious, and delicious (yeah, the cooking part) to watch. I've always known Shin Hye Sun is great at acting, but she truly nailed it in this one I swear.

4. 365: Repeat the Year

This drama is gold! It has a promising premise, and the rest of the story went better than I expected. It just never let me down. I thought it's merely about a time travel story, but turns out it's more than that. I never knew what to expect & every time I thought I figured something out, they always have a way to throw a surprise every week. This drama deserves more recognition imo.

5. When the Weather is Fine

This drama is a pleasant to eyes and heart. Watching it is like having a warm tea during winter days. I wasn't truly engaged with the first eps, but I slowly began to see how beautiful & heartwarming this drama is. Yes, the story pace is a bit slow, but I realized that it's important to make us understand each character deeply, what they suffer from, and how the characters slowly develop. It shows us that the journey toward emotional healing may take time, but it's worth it. Choosing to heal itself is a big step & deserves an appreciation. Another thing I highly praise from this drama is how it implicitly reminds us that if we do suffer emotionally, don't be afraid to ask for help, or to let someone help you.

6. Tale of the Nine Tailed

From the first moment I knew who would cast in this drama and what the drama is about, it's obvious that I'd love it. And I was right. The first eps had already got me hooked. The stories were amazing & funny at times. It has unique lovable characters that complete the drama. In addition, I love the mystical fantasy vibes and how they wrapped up urban legends in modern settings. Not to mention how adorable Kim Bum's character here. He & Lee Dong Wook's bromance is to die for.

7. Do You Like Brahms?

I watched it by chance, and then I fell in love the instant I watched the first eps. The drama is just beautifully done. It has soothing music & ambience and mainly revolves around good people. It's appealing how they portrayed the different perspectives between the lead couple--one who doesn't have talent but works hard to achieve her dream, and one who has talent but wishes he didn't have it. Though the lead couple has different dreams, I can't help but rooting for them... as I've never seen a relationship so awkward yet so real and so adorable before them.

8. Record of Youth

Honestly, it took a bit long for me to be completely enamored of the stories and feel what the characters feel. But as the stories developed, I began to cherish what this drama tried to show us: of how important it is to have good communication & to support each other in our family, of how everyone has different timings in life, and that everyone could have second chance in life. It's also refreshing to see the main couple here & how they interact; we could learn a lot from their communication & relationship. Overall, record of youth is one light & comforting kdrama that's perfect to watch while we need a short escape or need something to cheer us up.

9. Start Up

Honestly, I have a conflicted feelings towards this kdrama. It started off as great but...I have a hard time making sense of some of the stories afterward. And not to mention how we used to ship-debating every week it was a bit draining 😅. But to exclude it from my last year fav kdrama list seems wrong anyhow because I did love this drama. Idk, it gives off this positive energy that I needed to go through a crazy year. It somehow encouraged me to move forward & fight for my dream no matter what. The story's also quiet creative and relatable in nowadays world, while also educating us about the world of business.

10. Find Me in Your Memory

I started watching without any expectations and turns out it's really good. It's not hard to love this drama since it has likeable characters with interesting background (a guy who can't forget everything & a woman who forgets some of her important moments). The lead couple's interactions were interesting to watch. They have the kind of romance that grows slowly & when it finally reachs its peak, it burns. I loved every minute of it.

K-drama recommendations: 5/?