#love is blind netflix review

[orphancookie69]

Around The World: Love Is Blind!

There is a new season of Love Is Blind on Netflix right now! It is crazy how long its been out, but also, its done some traveling! Where have you traveled to in watching it? 

Do you believe Love Is Blind? The grand social experiment that is love of the modern day, brought to you on TV. Is it a show you would go on? 

Love is Blind (US)

4 seasons, currently, as of 2023. The most seasons, the start of it all. The continuation. I love that its still going, even though there are a lot of losses in any round of the experiment. 

Love Is Blind (Brazil)

2 seasons, started in 2021. I normally really like anything set in Brazil but this is probably my least favorite location. Not sure why. 

Love Is Blind (Japan)

1 season, started in 2022. The setting the engaged couples meet at for the first time is probably my favorite out of all of the ones I have seen so far. Solid season, two couples I believe make it. 

Love Is Blind (Sweden)

Next location to come out, most likely in 2023 or 2024. I am totally looking forward to some european delights! 

Do I believe Love Is Blind? Sort of. I worry, that if you track the “success rate” of the couples that come out of it, you typically end up with one or two that make it long after filming is done. Some seasons even see divorces happen around the one year anniversary post filming. Is there a place for love that blinds someone in this world? Inquiring minds want to know. 

[afabstract]

Love Is Blind: Japan Review - Unexpected Romances

In Love Is Blind: Japan, the quest for love takes an unconventional turn as participants date and get engaged without ever meeting face-to-face. See how this unique dating experiment plays out in Japan's culture.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram) A friend of mine met her fiancé for the first time in person only on the day of their engagement because he was living abroad and their marriage was arranged by their parents. And this happened in 2017. So, the concept of Netflix’s dating reality show Love Is Blind won’t seem too “out of the box” for Indians, as the show format follows a group of men and women…

[blckgrlmov13s]

TODAYS THE DAYYYYYYY

The Power Ranger 30th anniversary special came out to today so before it becomes 4/20(and i get incredibly blasted), I will share my thoughts and gush over Power Rangers! I’m also going to sit and watch the LIB reunion and give my thoughts on that as well👀👀

[rae-not-rey]

In honor of Voltron being taken off Netflix, here is my review of each of the seasons as I rewatched it for the first time in eight years, as well as my ranking of all of them.

Season one: Kind of boring, a little childish, but I can see where it was setting up future plot arcs (Galra Keith, Shiro trauma).

Season two: Getting more interesting, diving into Keith and Shiro especially. Episodes are just generally more fun than the first season. Characters are taking shape. Bonding moment! LOTOR???????

Season three: This season is much shorter than one and two. I believe this is the beginning of the end, unfortunately. Not as exciting as season two was, but still interesting to watch. Lots of lore, especially on the original paladins. Didn't conclude in a big fight, so it was a little underwhelming.

Season four: I will NEVER get over the scene where Pidge finds Matt's grave. They definitely got way more creative with the animation style this season. The ice show!! The end was slightly disappointing. I'm upset by the lack of Keith, and how short this season was. But overall a decent and fun watch, even if it was in one sitting.

Season five: Started pretty slow, but picks up quick! Krolia is here! I feel like season four and five were meant to be one season, considering how short both of them are. The character and plot arcs also make more sense as one season.

Season six: So far, Keith is gone and Lance is straight. Not pleased. The D&D episode is fun though. SHIRO AND KEITH FIGHT??? Overall, this season turned out pretty... okay. Not awful, but definitely not the best.

Season seven: Starts off with Keith and Shiro, very nice. Romelle makes a point about how fast the plot is moving along and I agree. Oh my God I totally forgot about Adam.

Ranking (favorite to least):

Season two

Season five

Season four

Season six

Season one

Season three

Final thoughts

I never got to rewatch season eight, because I started my rewatch too late. And honestly, I'm not too upset about that. From what I remember, season eight sucked. I hated the ending, it felt rushed, everyone felt out of character.

I was a Voltron fan from the time it aired in 2016 until it ended in 2018 and let me tell you, those two years felt like a lifetime. I'm glad I watched the show. I'm glad I was a fan. It was a huge comfort to me in those two years and the years since. I just can't believe it started airing when I was in middle school, and now I'm almost done with college. It truly is the end of an era.

I'll miss VLD, but it's a different feeling because I never actually rewatched the show. I would say that I was blinded by nostalgia, but honestly, most of the show still held up! Do I think it was rushed and the second half of the show was aimless and drama in the fandom influenced how the end of the show ran? Absolutely. But I still think overall it was a decent show. At the very least, I'm still in love with the characters and the universe, even eight years later.

So long, VLD. You were the best recurring nightmare I could have ever wished for. Perhaps I'll see you on the seven seas someday.

[noonecaresaboutmyreview]

The Double - Cdrama Review

Hi everyone! I am back again with another historical chinese drama review! I first saw The Double on Netflix with only 12 episodes released. After binge watching all 12 episodes in 1 day, I was hooked and immediately re-subscribe to Youku for the full 40 episodes. Personally, no regrets there.

My all time favourite drama will always be Love Like the Galaxy and The Double have come close to being second. There are a lot of similarities between the two dramas that I am not mad about.

The Double is about Xue Fang Fei (Wu Jin Yan) who was betrayed by her husband Shen Yu Rong (Liang Yong Qi). He, along with the eldest princess, Princess Wanning, plotted to annihilate the Xue family (her father and younger brother). She was saved by the daughter of the Secretariat Director, Jiang Li would was sent away in the mountains due to a false accusation. There original Jiang Li died and Xue Fang Fei took over her identity for her own revenge and to avenge original Jiang Li's death. She meets Duke Su (Wang Xing Yue) who took her as his pawn to fight against the corruption in the imperial court and defeat a potential rebellion that was bound to happen.

This review is going to be a long one, with spoilers.

Story: I love that there was no boring episodes. Each episode moved quickly and the revenge plot remained the main plot. I have a habit of fast-forwarding scenes especially for cdramas but I barely did it here. Each episode kept me at the edge of my seat. I love how each scheme, both from the good and bad side of the drama is cleverly plotted. No lazy plots here.

The romance in this one is slow-burn but not boring. Each interacting Xue Fang Fei had with Duke Su was intense. I am impress by how we could see their chemistry without them even physically touching or using romantic words. The drama is also good at showing us stories about the villains. They all have back stories and reasons to why they turn out that way. Of course, it didn't evoke sympathy when they finally got their retribution but it is good to know that no one was born evil.

Characters:

My favourite character in this drama is Xue Fang Fei. She was a good wife to her husband until he decides to murder her. When she came back with a vengeance, she did not hesitate to scheme and take opportunities. She is not too proud to ask help from Duke Su as she knows that she alone is not influential enough to carry out her plan. Every action she makes serves a purpose, but she always make sure that she doesn't hurt the innocent.

Wu Jin Yan was the perfect Xue Fang Fei. It was my first time watching her and she impressed me. Her eyes showed a lot of anger and pain yet her demeanour is always calm. She is eloquent and has a sharp tongue. I love that she is not so blinded by her revenge that she becomes reckless.

Oh Duke Su, Duke Su. He reminds me so much of Ling Bu Yi from Love Like the Galaxy. He is a loyal servant of the Emperor whom he's friends with since childhood. He is ruthless and always alone with his two trusted guards. He always carry this ice cold stern expression. Nothing seems to amuse him other than his own play that he orchestrate with his own pawns.

Wang Xing Yue as Duke Su is the perfect casting. I watched him in Story of Kunning Place and wasn't too wow-ed by him there. But here, his acting is so mature and strong; I am surprised by how young he really is. And thank you to whomever who thought his character needed eyeliner cause it make him look more vicious and charming.

Their relationship and how it developed was everything. They didn't even kiss till the last episode but I could feel the love and trust they had for each other. Their conversation turns from a push and pull to full on flirting. They never hide their attraction and worry for each other. Duke Su never tried to "baby" Xue Fang Fei in the name of protection. He trust that she is capable enough. When there are scenes of jealousy, Duke Su was never aggressive nor blame Xue Fang Fei. He was her safe place where she knows she could go to. Duke Su was a whole green forest.

Just simple gestures like this was enough to make my own heart flutter. Ah the chemistry.

Xue Fang Fei + Duke Su love story is very much on par with Cheng Shao Shang + Ling Bu Yi to me.

Special mentions to Princess Wanning and Shen Yu Rong. Their scenes together make me so uncomfortable, like I am watching a man cheating on his dead wife.

Princess Wanning as a character was complex. She was a hostage princess before she was rescued. When she was a hostage, she was tortured and beaten to the point where she cannot bear children anymore. When she is finally free, she feels the need to overpower everyone. She will get rid of anyone that gets in her way. She would make the perfect evil princess, except, she fell in love.

Out of all the villains in this drama, the one I hate the most and have zero sympathy for is Shen Yu Rong. He was a poor scholar who wanted to work for the imperial court. He had to work really hard to get to his position and he always blamed his poor background for the disadvantage he faces. When Princess Wanning took a liking towards him and ordered his family to kill his wife, he did it with the excuse that he is powerless to go against the royal family. When Xue Fang Fei came back as Jiang Li, he kept his head down and went with it because he doesn't want to face the guilt of killing his own wife.

To me, where he lost it all was when he got angry that Xue Fang Fei likes Duke Su. He started to plan and scheme and kill, with the excuse to protect Xue Fang Fei. He truly lost his way and had a terrible case of victim mentally.

But I got to praise Liang Yong Qi. He acted very well as Shen Yu Rong. It was very hard to tell how he truly feels. It was hard to tell if he truly cares about Xue Fang Fei, if he did like Princess Wanning or he was just became a terrible person. Shen Yu Rong always had this dead eyes with no emotions, it was creepy. Amazing.

Overall, this drama was surprisingly impressive. The costumes, make-up and accessories were all so charming. The scenes are shot beautifully. With a good script, plot and good acting, The Double is a good drama to watch.

Rating: 4.9/5

-- Fary

[allthecanadianpolitics]

As if a monthly subscription to Spotify or Netflix to watch the new season of Love is Blind wasn't enough, clinics in Ontario are now charging fees to see a nurse practitioner for health services. The Ontario Ministry of Health said it would review a clinic in Ottawa that plans to charge $400 to see a nurse practitioner. The clinic plans to operate out of the South Keys Health Centre in Ottawa. "It's outrageous," Dr. Doris Grinspun, chief executive officer for the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO), told blogTO. "They are using nurse practitioners. That is their excuse, that they can't cover the cost of nurse practitioners."

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

[novareviews]

She-Ra & The Princesses of Power

She-ra is a Netflix exclusive cartoon that aired from 2018-2020 following the adventures of Adora and her 7ft tall alter ego She-ra as she and her newfound friends in the rebellion fight to save their planet from the evil Horde, a faction Adora herself was part of until very recently. Along they way they make new alliances, learn the meaning of friendship and all that jazz you know about from kids shows

Where’d I first learn of it:

Well I can’t remember totally where I first heard of it but I remember when it was a big thing, I just never actually went into it on my own until recently because of Netflix’s decision to remove all their dreamworks coproductions from their service

As for why it finally caught my eye, I suppose it would have to be because I knew vaguely about Catra’s plot and I wanted to see it in action

Spoiler-free review

Watching this show did reveal some surprises to me I didn’t expect, like Adora being raised by the horde from the beginning or how much I genuinely loved basically all the characters except for Shadow weaver who I wanted to constantly lose the entire time I saw her. The art and comedy was ok, the world building was great, the character dynamics were fun to watch and overall it was an enjoyable ride that I only wish I went on sooner, I highly recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy stories with a sci-fi style and an interest in redemption arcs.

With that said I do have spoiler related thoughts so if you wanna go in blind this is where you hop off, take care and I’ll see you on my next post

Spoiler-Based thoughts

Alright so I don’t know this shows production timetable and while I enjoyed season 5 there were definitely parts that I felt were kinda rushed, specifically Glimmer and Catra’s redemption. This season for them, to me, was in them coming to terms with and apologizing for the actions they did across the whole show or in glimmer’s case season 4 and honestly I’m not too happy that glimmer only got about 1 episode with the Best Friend squad that involved actual guilt being shared for her actions, but it’s also not something I wanted dragged over the rest of the show, I just thought it resolved too quick is all. Catra on the other hand, I would have liked to see more interaction between her, Entrapta and Scorpia but I suppose the show really did only need to show Catra and adora making up.

[deng-yi-deng]

Cdrama: what I watched 2024

This year I got suuuuper picky and also pretty much stopped watching cdramas. Will this be my last wrap-up post ever? Tune in next year! Normally I keep a running draft review going that I can just post at the end of the year, but this year I forgot - which really signals my waning interest in cdramas generally - so my reviews are kinda vague.

No shade to folks who loved the big popular romance dramas but I completely gave them a pass. As a result, I had a great drama year - nothing under a 4/5 for this viewer!

Best drama this year: Heroes 天行健 (2024). Y'all slept on this one. Watch it now!! Even better than JoL2. Yes, you heard me. Shoutout to @lyxurious for reccing it to me. She has the best taste 💜

Mostly spoiler-free reviews of what I watched in the order I saw them under the cut

Follow Your Heart 颜心讥 4/5 (iQiyi)

(score includes extra credit for LYX bias)

Easy-watching, low-stakes, funny, and sweet. If I'm honest, one of the better plotted dramas that Luo Yunxi has been in. You know him as the beautiful crier, but his rom-com is not to be trifled with. Luo Yunxi is great as Jiang Xin Bai, the face-blind detective, but I was so happy to see Song Yi (Yan Nan Xing) in something where she wasn't playing a helpless girl or demure lady. It's the most enjoyable role I've seen her do apart from RuoRuo in JoL. Her comedy chops are also very solid, and she and Xixi were very cute together. The plot does falter a bit in the last 3/4 and slows down as they focus on the other couples, but then picks up and ends happily. Some great comedy characters - Jiang Xin Bai's mom is hilariously over the top - and fabulous performances by guest actors who play "Yan Nan Xing" when she shape-shifts. Also some good fight scenes! This is one I'd re-watch to de-stress.

Judge Dee's Mystery 大唐狄公案- (4)?/5 (Youku, Netflix)

Overall good, with movie-quality visuals, but I was disappointed by the last two mysteries which were simple and lacked oomf - I think the drama was split into two parts due to the new <40 rule, which would explain the fall off in momentum. As such I'm going to reserve a rating until the second half drops. Some of the individual mysteries - especially the one with Zhang Ruoyun - were fabulous. Acting was great from all the leads - don't believe anyone who tells you Ma Rong was annoying, she was not. The gender swap the writers did for that character totally worked for me. And I absolutely bought Zhou Yiwei as Di Renjie (though tbf I've only seen the Detective Dee movies).

Looking foward to s.2 (or part 2 however you want to count it)

Joy of Life 2 庆余年 4.5/5 (iQiyi)

Lots more people have reviewed or commented on this so I will be brief - I enjoyed the focus on politics and the machinations of the emperor, so this season really worked for me. I also thought Wu Xingjian did a great job as Yan Bing Yun, taking over from XZ. I loved the interactions between Fan Xian and Wang Qinian, adorable. There was one scene where the emperor and Fan Jian were talking/ploting/negotiating and the dialog and acting were so aaagh. so clever. I was kicking my feet and squealing. It is nice when a drama does not assume its audience is stupid. And of course we can't forget the 'power point' Fan Xian and Fan Si Zhe give about treasury bonds. Worst part: Uncle Wu doesn't show up until nearly the end ;_; looking forward to LOTS of Uncle Wu in s.3

Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 2 To the West 唐朝诡事录·西行 4.5/5 (iQiyi)

Better than season 1 in production quality but particularly in terms of the mysteries themselves. Where s.1 gave us Scooby-gang like "the demon is just a guy in a mask" solutions, the mysteries here have a bit more to them, and plenty of cultural interest as they journey farther into the west, ending up in Dunhuang! Lu Lingfeng and Su Wuming still have unbeatable chemistry, but I feel like LLF got the spotlight a bit more this season. I love them both, but hope my man Wuming doesn't get the short end of the stick again. Let's please not forget who the disciple of Di Renjie and all-around genius is?

S.3 they should head back to Chang'An and maybe??? get back to the original mystery of who is the worst royal in the capital!

Heroes 天行健 5/5 (Tencent, YouTube)

Some of the best and most entertaining storytelling in a cdrama that I've watched. The setting at the very end of the Qing, with the turbulence and uncertainty works perfectly to explore the question of who really is a hero, and for whom. And the fights! There are so many!! sometimes more than one per episode!!!! The characters are well written and well-acted. This drama cements Qin Junjie as one of my favorite actors now (having previously only seen him in Fox Volant). Also one of the few guys who can rock the queue and still be handsome. We follow three groups of characters as they try to find the pieces to a puzzle that will lead them to a treasure. One group is the old guard (royalty, the establishment), one the outsiders of the jianghu, and the third are the rebels - the new China. The stories and character relationships are woven together really well, and the pacing of each episode pushes you forward to the next, always wondering what will happen. I seriously did not think they could keep each episode as interesting as the last but they did - with twists that were surprising, but logical in hindsight. Each 'hero' is trying to find their place in the world and do what they think is best for their people - by following the rules, by breaking them, and by making new rules. It's as much a competition between philosophies as it is between individual groups or individual people. This drama is intelligent, but first of all it's entertaining. It understands exactly what it is and what it's trying to do and is very self-aware. Please please pay special attention to the opening credits because they change...(also kudos to the composer who so ably channeled Enrico Morricone when necessary.)

I Am Nobody 异人��下 4.5/5 (Youku, YouTube)

Though this came out in 2023 I didn't manage to watch it until the end of the summer (2024) and I'm glad I did. Pure fun. Hilarious, great concept and characters, well done all around. It gave me major KO One flashbacks - mostly because of the style of humor and the focus on 'teenagers' - but was completely it's own thing. Great characters with sweet and sometimes heartbreaking backstories. Bao Bao you deserve all the hugs forever 😭.

Highly recommended if you enjoy fun comic book style fights, clever storytelling, and slightly sophomoric humor with lots of heart.

Dramas I dropped:

Not as many this year, since I didn't even try any of the big popular idol dramas. Eternal Brotherhood lost me around the 2/3 mark but I can't explain why! It had a great plot, and I love Yang Xuwen, but maybe I just got distracted? When the second half comes out I'll probably try it again.

Kill Me, Love Me had a spectacularly plot-packed first couple episodes and then they put on the brakes. That kind of uneven pacing, and focus on secondary characters led me to drop around ep 9. Which was sad because I like all the actors and the plot seemed good, but I lost interest.

[sherrachan]

My Honest Review of the Netflix ATLA Live-Action

I've seen a lot of negativity around Netflix's new ATLA live action, so as someone who has been both a fan of the animated series since it first aired, but also found a lot to love in the live action despite its flaws, I wanted to write a few (hahaha) words showcasing a non-indignant review from that perspective. I've decided to highlight three categories: what I thought it got right, what I'm neutral or biased about, and what it did not do well. And just to be VERY clear, I absolutely support anyone's right to like or dislike whatever they please for whatever their reasons are. However, if you are going around harassing, threatening, or body-shaming CHILD actors, who are in fact actual people and not fictional, please do everyone in the world a favor and remove yourself from the internet. There is literally no show on Earth bad enough to justify that kind of behavior.

For anyone not interested in reading the full review, my overall rating: 6.9/10

Let's start with what went right...

Zuko

I. Love. Dallas. Liu. This is not to remotely downplay the fact that I also love Dante Basco. From what I've gleaned from interviews, it seems they had even collaborated on his performance via Zoom calls, which I wish I could have been a fly on the wall for. I've noticed a lot of blind reactors to the animated series initially find Zuko annoying and one-dimensional for most of the first season. Though this is not entirely in line with my own opinion, I can't deny that his extra depth in season 2 came a bit out of left field even to me back when I watched the series as it aired between 2005-2007. Dante himself has said he was not given any foresight into his character and thought he was playing a straight villain at first, so he accordingly acted a straight villain. Thus, contrary to some other naysaying I've seen, I don't think it was a bad decision at all to showcase Zuko's more vulnerable side sooner. Speaking of that vulnerable side, Dallas I believe has an amazing career ahead of him. In spite of some clunky writing, he manages to both sell most of his lines in an intense way I completely buy, and also he just has this amazing ability to telegraph whole paragraphs with tiny fractional changes to his facial expression even when he's not speaking any dialogue. That my friends, is called good acting. I felt his scream of rage at Zhao during episode 8 through my entire body. He has a way of capturing both Zuko's petulant teenage angst and the still-a-child energy of being stupid and needing a guiding hand from his uncle. His and Iroh's chemistry and bond was probably the single biggest highlight of the series for me. Perhaps only rivaled by the extra bit of interaction between him and Aang in episode 6, which quite literally had me sobbing and smiling at the same time, and between him and Ozai where he was banished, which just had me sobbing. I cannot emphasize enough just how well his anguish is translated on his face without a single spoken word.

Dallas is also a skilled martial artist who did most of his own stunts, and visually, it is a treat to watch him perform in that aspect as well. The Aang/Zuko spar in episode 3 had some big Jackie Chan energy and I was smiling ear to ear the entire fight.

Iroh

This I know will be a less popular opinion, but Paul Sun-Hyung Lee I think brought a very nuanced performance to Iroh. While nothing can ever replace Mako's place on the most beloved character performance pedestal, I think it would be disrespectful to attempt to only replicate that performance and would come off as a caricature. Dallas and Paul had not met in person until the day they began shooting, so it takes an episode or two for them to shine as a duo, but shine they do very early on. The same clunky writing that plagues everyone's performances here and there finds no exception with Iroh, but I disagree with opinions I've seen of him being stiff and/or fake.

I feel his stiffness is being intentionally leaned into in a way that's supposed to highlight the idea that maybe Iroh is using his jovial nature to mask his pain over losing his son and worry for Zuko. It makes sense in the darker context of the live action, as we see even more clearly that he could very well have been as much of a butcher as that one Earth Kingdom soldier said he was. There's a scene in episode 4 of him while captured by the Earth Kingdom soldiers where this soldier singles him out over personal vendetta for killing his brother during his siege. While holding a massive rock over his head in rage over Iroh's seemingly uncaring attitude towards his atrocities, it is my interpretation of that pointed stare-down between the two that Iroh was trying to play the part of the villain that guy so desperately wanted to see in him. You could see Iroh's actual pain break through on his face immediately after everyone's back was turned. Thus begins the first of a series of flashbacks that ruin absolutely everyone's tear ducts, where Paul showcases just how sincere his Iroh can be. The added scenes between him and Zuko and Ozai peppered throughout I think make this series worth a watch by themselves. In my head, I've already adopted them into canon. As for where our truly laid back Uncle Iroh is to be found, though his narration in episode 6 about the "mask being who you truly are" was directed toward Zuko, I tend to think that will eventually pay off as true for himself, too.

Ozai/Azula/Zhao

Speaking of Mr. Fire Lord and family, Ozai has become a lot more interesting as a character to me when he's given a shred of humanity. Though we don't yet have the full picture of his motivations, you see that tiny grimace of regret as he burns Zuko's face after their Agni Kai, and I am intrigued. Again, this is not to downplay Mark Hamil's incredible performance in animated, but from a writing perspective, I've always found Ozai rather a cartoon cutout (pun intended) of an evily evil man who just wants to rule the world. Watching the cogs spin behind the scenes at the palace this early on has really added some extra layers for me. Azula benefits from this as well, as you see Ozai pitting the siblings against each other to see who will emerge the "better" heir. Zuko's motivation may subconsciously be geared more toward regaining that shred of humanity from his father moreso than his approval, in spite of what he says to himself and the viewers. But Azula is most definitely going for that approval, and I think beautifully sets up her eventual downfall into paranoia and gives them an even more tangible dichotomy in my opinion.

Ken Leung plays Zhao as a slimy little bastard in this version and clearly loved doing so. Though I was initially sort of raising an eyebrow at it, I've since decided that I am 120% in. Watching him claw his way to the top with Azula's help and piss all over anyone in his way has been extremely entertaining. I'm not even going to pretend Jason Issacs wouldn't ham it up that much, because we all know he would. In all seriousness, I think he strikes an impressive tightrope walk of being over-the-top without being too over-the-top, though I'm sure that is partially a matter of taste. I'd love to capture even half of his energy and doll it out to some of the rest of the cast, to be honest.

Omashu, Bumi, and Colliding Plots

Though I am well aware the way multiple animated show episodes' plots were smushed together was done to save limited runtime, I actually think this was very well executed in Omashu. Everyone still retained core aspects to their characters and they played nicely off each other to make one bigger plot that spanned 2 episodes. It comes down to a trade-off in either making the world feel bigger by having more side quests, or making Omashu feel more important. Though I am still undecided on if that trade-off was worth it, I can't deny that for what was done here, it played out very well. Not as well in the episode 5/6 attempt, but as episode 6 is my overall favorite episode starting at the Blue Spirit stuff, I'll leave the rest in the neutral category. Bumi's characterization specifically I know is controversial here. What I will say is that I've seen an equal number of blind reactors to the animated show who are utterly put off by his attitude as there are those that completely loved him, and literally nothing in the middle, so at least it's consistent in that regard. Personally, I find his more jaded (pun intended again) attitude suited for the tone the live action series is going for. That is to say, I think he works in the context of this version of the story, and neither would fit in if swapped. Fighting the same war and being responsible for all the lives affected by it for 100 years would damage anyone's mental health. While I personally think by the end of episode 4 that they are setting him up to tee towards a more positive outlook reminiscent of his original counterpart, I still find his attitude in the live action justifiable. I never personally found Bumi all that compelling in the animated series when he was first introduced, though I grew to love him as the story progressed and they gave him just a bit more serious dialogue. I will get into my reasoning on that later, in a more general sense.

I loved the incorporation of elements from the other media. I was incredibly shocked when The Mother of Faces name was dropped, and then again when I recognized facets from Korra, other comics, and the novels. I also loved the early focus on some of the other Avatars besides Roku, though I do tend to think Roku himself got a bit shafted, at least as it stands now. While it remains to be seen if he eventually gets the attention he deserves, seeing more of Kiyoshi and Kuruk really added to the depth of the lore for me. One of the biggest arguments I see against the live action is that it doesn't add anything to the story, to which I can only disagree. There would be no point to watching purely a 1:1 remake, and I feel that all of what I'm remarking on in this positives category is proof that I did take away many new things, some of which I treasure dearly now.

Koizilla and Yue

One of my biggest peeves with blind reactors to the animated series is them, more often that not, not grasping the significance of Aang merging with the Ocean Spirit, if they even recognize that is what happens in the first place. You'd be surprised just how many are unclear to this fact and just think it's Aang being a badass, or even that he's the one who drags Zhao under the water, in spite of the fact that you can see La set Aang down before doing this. It happens so often, I can't write it off simply as all these different people being unobservant. Whether you want to blame the writers, or Nick's censorship, or the runtime, or whatever else, it just isn't conveyed clearly enough in the animation. Though with little to back up my theories, I was always under the impression that this merge was involuntary on Aang's part, and he was not in control, which is partly why he was so terrified of the Avatar State going into season 2. Going by the live action's take, I have to walk that back a tiny bit in the sense that it is explained Aang offered himself up, but I admit to feeling vindicated with the rest.

I think the live action did better justice to this merge overall. I know I will get dragged for that, but between the added emotional weight, the screentime and (clearly most of their) budget for Koizilla, and giving Yue more of a personality, I'm happy we clearly understand what's going on and her sacrifice. Granted, her dialogue is perhaps overly exposition-y, and yet I cannot complain because evidently there was not enough exposition in the animated series to drive it home the way it did here. In a personal anecdote, my husband who watched the animated series with me but remembers nothing of it because that's just how he is, liked this final battle the best out of any episode for most of these reasons.

Speaking of Yue, Amber Midthunder did an amazing job with what she was given. No, her writing (once again my main complaint) was not the best. Her wig was wigging. I still didn't quite buy her and Sokka's attraction. But through sheer force of the actress' charisma, Yue as a standalone character transformed into someone I actually gave a shit about, which is not something I can claim of either of her previous portrayals. I like that she had more agency for herself, I like that Han wasn't just an unlovable moron there to make her sad, I liked her being a Waterbender and using all that power to make ice cream (I sure would,) I liked her dying with a tearful smile on her face. So sue me.

Onto the neutral...

Sokka

NOTE: I won't be mentioning Ian's controversy surrounding his heritage here, simply because nothing has been proven one way or another and I'd rather just not get into it with only speculation to go on.

Sokka overall I think does the heavy lifting for the Gaang in this version. As mentioned several times by now, everyone suffers here and there from questionable scripting, but as with Yue, Ian Ousley's natural personality shines through plenty enough to sell it. I KNOW people love Jack De Sena and his humor and comedy delivery, heck, I love these in Jack De Sena too. I don't think it would work nearly as well in this version of the world without being total and utter tonal whiplash. Ian brings a grounded quality to Sokka while maintaining a biting sarcasm that I think still earns his place. Additionally, I found myself getting emotional at a number of his scenes, and can personally really relate to his anxieties about not being able to shoulder all his responsibility. Hence why this goes into the neutral category, I can't deny some personal bias here because of that connection.

When talking about episode 2 specifically, and the removal of his overt sexism, I have to be biased again. For the same reasons as I mentioned in Bumi's bit that are coming up, I never found this aspect to be anything other than cringey. From a storytelling standpoint, after episode 4 of the animated series, it ceases to even really be an overt thing anymore, bringing it instead to the level where it is in the live action, so I don't even think it's really that significant of a change. As to what I mean by where it is in the live action, Sokka's arc still tackles internalized misogyny, I think. Toxic masculinity can harm the bearer of it just as much as it can harm those externally affected by it. For anyone wanting to argue me on this point, I have been a firsthand witness to both my husband and multiple male-identifying friends who have been irrevocably harmed by it, so I really don't want to downplay the fact that this is still a significant character flaw. How well it was executed by the writers is definitely debatable, but as with Bumi, there's merit in the concept. There's a running theme of Sokka learning he doesn't have to be a strong warrior to still protect those he loves, and letting go of the shadow left by his father when Sokka was put in such a demanding leadership position at such a young age. It was a big loss not putting him in full Kiyoshi gear though, I will give you that.

Aang and the Overall Story

I'm torn on Aang, because though I miss a lot of his playfulness in the live action, it is also true that I often felt, especially in season 1 of the animated show, that it never seemed like all the horrific things that happened to his people affected him as much as it should have. Again, this is all up to debate on how much Nick interfered with the creative process of the animated series, or the writing, or the runtime, etc. But, in general, it just never felt like emotional scenes were lingered on quite long enough to really let them sink in a lot of the time. This is not to say it always felt that way, but after multiple rewatches over my life, I find myself more and more unsatisfied when it does feel like that. I know showing the genocide of the Air Nomads is a hot button topic, but it at least can be said that it set what to expect for the tone of the live action. I personally felt nothing but horror and sadness while watching that scene, and I think that is the intended response by the creators. Though I think the pendulum was swung a bit too far on Aang's characterization, I did appreciate him feeling more gravity towards his circumstances. I also do understand them going for "coming to terms with the present" as his arc for this season, even if I think they dragged it out a bit too long for my liking. As a side note, it should be mentioned that Gordon Cormier is also a talented martial artist who did most of his own stunts as well. Watching some of the behind-the-scenes footage of him was a real delight. And this is where I have to own up to the disclaimer I've been alluding to...I was 19 when ATLA first started airing in 2005, and thus was quite a bit beyond the target demographic at the time, so I recognize this show was not written for people my age. Regardless of its universal appeal and overall amazing execution, there are always going to be some things about the animated series I find childish or stupid that I cannot gloss over with nostalgia the same way people who were younger can. I am certainly guilty of doing so for things that were relevant during my more formative years (hello, Sailor Moon.)

Conversely, you also could say that I am more open to criticizing the parts of the animated series I don't think hold up so well, as few in number as those things are. I will say for anyone who wasn't around at the time, you are very lucky to not have been exposed to the constant fights and protest campaigns with Nickelodeon to even continue/finish the series, the annoying ways they kept sabotaging the syndication, the toxic forum threads fighting over the stupidest little nitpicks, or the equally toxic ship wars (okay, maybe still those.) You'd honestly be very surprised how nostalgic all the negativity over the live action has been, because it's practically a mirror image to the negativity over animated at the time, only now with the extra punch-shyness of having the Movie That Shall Not Be Named casting a shadow over everything.

All that being said, at last we are now on to the negative...

The Writing/Pacing

While I still hold that there are gems to be had in the live action series, this is where the show starts deducting the big points from my score. There is no doubt by most that there exists a significant writing problem on this adaptation. Most especially when it comes to dialogue, which often is clunky, exposition-heavy, rushed, or very canned-sounding. I honestly cannot place the blame on the actors themselves, as I think it is more apt to lay this at the feet of the showrunners. I'm sure there's a lengthy list of excuses, many valid, as to what happened exactly: Child acting labor laws, COVID separation, Netflix's overlords, budget, timing, etc. The fact remains that there were definitely some scenes I cringed my way through, Katara's interactions and fight with Pakku spring to mind most readily. ...Katara in general, to be honest, who got did pretty dirty in her characterization. When I see interviews with Kiawentiio where she's simply being herself, I see the energy I was looking for, so I don't think she was miscast at all. Everything has a heavier tone in the live action, so I understand where they're coming from with her starting out subdued and somewhat repressed. I appreciated the fact that they were very forthright about what happened to her mom in ways the animated show couldn't be. All that being said though, I just cannot justify why they didn't start breaking Katara out of her shell sooner or why they kept so many badly-read takes (not just with her, to be fair.) They can absolutely still keep the tone grounded while still allowing her inner fire to come through, and perhaps we will see that yet to come. I'm hesitant to blame the youngest among the cast for any perceived lack of acting skill because A) I'd sooner blame the writers and B) Yo, they're kids, and kid actors need time to develop skill.

In the matter of time, I think the series would have benefitted enormously from just a bit more of it. Ideally, like 2 more episodes to round out the main cast. I'd even take 5-10 minutes here and there per episode. One of the biggest flaws aside from the dialogue I see is a lack of interaction between our current main trio, which is where the heart of the Gaang lies. I know they CAN do it, the Fire Nation crew certainly was elevated by all the little touches here and there. I don't know why the main cast couldn't get the same treatment. This one also goes in the pile of "hope for the future," because if we do get a continuation (and I do actually hope for this,) one would expect a lot of these issues to be ironed out and for the cast to have even more experience and chemistry together to work with.

Additionally, there are a number of places where even my permanently blank-slate husband could tell things had been condensed to a point of feeling rushed. As I mentioned, though 6 is overall my favorite episode beyond this, there is no denying that Roku and the Fire Temple scene in general got shafted by pacing. It is sort of ironic that in animated I often felt that emotional scenes were rushed, but in the live action I just as frequently find myself wishing some of the slower moments of levity got their due as well. There is middle ground to be had somewhere, and once again I find myself hoping that this is another major area where we see improvement.

The negatives seem like a short section compared to the positives, but that's only because I have a harder time dissecting the parts that I can't even actively remember even after 2 rewatches. Nothing really made me actively angry at the live action enough to ramble on about at length, there were just a significant enough amount of forgettable or flawed parts of it that it hurt my overall impression. And really, calling a scene forgettable is maybe worse than calling it stupid or bad, because you can at least have a good time making fun of those.

Conclusion

One thing I hope people take away from this, if they bother to read this novel of a review at all, is that nothing will ever replace my love of the animated series. It's not going anywhere, and nothing can tear it down from its pedestal as proved quite decisively by Shyamalan. If I'd give animated a 9.5/10, then comparatively a 6.9/10 for the live action seems like a big downgrade, but I don't necessarily believe things have to be perfect to be worthwhile. I mean, I grew up on fantasy movies from the 80s and 90s, so I am a master at suspending expectations, trust me. It's an above-average score, simply because the things I took away from it and loved outweighed the things I didn't love. It made me ugly cry about 5-6 times, and I think that counts for something. My husband tells me he gives it a 9/10 and that he quite enjoyed himself. It is often difficult for me to get him interested in any media, because he has the attention span of a cabbage, so for him to actively ask when we were watching more was rather impressive. For these reasons, I pointedly reject the idea that the live action has no heart whatsoever, and I have reasonable hope that we will both get another season and that it will do better. EDIT: Turns out they greenlit seasons 2 and 3 the day after I wrote this. Woo!

Since he's a big WWE of the 90s fan, after the last episode, we had a fantasy casting roll for The Boulder, and that was the most we'd laughed together in months. It's a nice note to end on, don't you think?

[ghostbustermelanieking]

funny fact about me getting into the x files that i don't think i've ever shared on here!! i was binging on netflix of course, and really only hung around on the wikipedia page for the first couple seasons, so i got through them relatively unspoiled. then in the middle of season 3, i decided to write my first review of the show on this stupid little WordPress blog i had back then (we don't have to talk about that), and when i posted it and tagged it on tumblr, i decided to go into the x files tag to see if anyone even still talked about this old show from the 90s... and holy shit, the tag was full of stuff, and i was SO hooked on this show, and SO desperately waiting for mulder and scully to get together, that i couldn't resist the new content!! i scrolled for hours and promptly spoiled... MOST... of the show for myself. i was in disbelief that the shoe never explicitly really gets mulder and scully together the way i was expecting

at the time, finishing my viewing of the show was kind of a drag once i got through like season 6 or 7, because i had spoiled every major emotional moment in the show for myself (i was like watching clips ahead on youtube like a horrible fan!), and i was so excited to get new episodes, to the point where things couldn't be spoiled bc i was watching stuff live. and then someone leaked the details of the shows finale on reddit

now, i think maybe me getting spoiled was a blessing in disguise. the first time, because i think it would've been a bummer to binge the whole show and discover i would only ever get crumbs (plus going into stuff like scully giving up william blind). the second because it gave me time to prepare for the finale and get to acceptance

but it's still so funny to me

and as much as i love the show from all angles, i don't think anything has ever felt as special as my blind binge of those first two seasons at age 14

[dramatothethirdpower]

Dramas I finished in 2023 (In Ranked Order from 1-5 stars)

5 Star reviews at the bottom

Bump up business ★★☆☆☆

Boss and a Babe  ★★☆☆☆

Professional single  ★★☆☆☆

See You in my 19th Life ★★☆☆☆

Crash Course in Romance  ★★★☆☆

Forecasting Love and Weather  ★★★☆☆

Glory Part 2 ★★★☆☆

Jun and Jun  ★★★☆☆

Kill Boksoon (movie) ★★★☆☆

Kingdom S1 finished ★★★☆☆

Maid’s Revenge  ★★★☆☆

Meet you in my 19th life  ★★★☆☆

My Lovely Liar ★★★☆☆

Only Friends  ★★★☆☆

Zom 100 (movie)  ★★★☆☆

Shoulder to Cry On ★★★☆☆

Strong Girl Nam Soon ★★★☆☆

Boy For Rent ★★★★☆

Castaway Diva  ★★★★☆

Exclusive Fairy Tale  ★★★★☆

First Love Again ★★★★☆

I cannot reach you (Japan) Netflix ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Jack O Frost ★★★★☆

La Pluie ★★★★☆

Midnight Silence (Movie)  ★★★★☆

Minato’s Laundromat ★★★★☆

Moonlight Chicken  ★★★★☆

Our Dining Table  ★★★★☆

Our Secrets  ★★★★☆

Unintentional Love Story  ★★★★☆

Unlocked (movie)  ★★★★☆

Why you? Y Me? ★★★★☆

20th Century Girl  ★★★★★ - I watched this one blind so I'm going to ahead and warn you, it's very, very, very sad! Sobbing hysterically on your couch, sad. Can't watch anything else until the feelings go away, sad.

Alchemy of Souls Part 2 ★★★★★ - I was worried with this one when they "recast" it that I wasn't going to like it, but it was gripping all the way through. I highly recommend the whole thing!

Glory  ★★★★★ - This one should be coming with all kinds of trigger warnings. It's a revenge drama about a girl who was brutally mutilated via school violence. If you, like me, love a good FAFO story give this a go. If you're even mildly squeamish, maybe don't.

Go Ahead ★★★★★ Go Ahead is... an acquired taste. It's found family, and it's coming of age, and it's love triangle and it's breathtaking beautiful. It examines different family dynamics and what it means to choose your family and what it means when your family doesn't choose you. All of that said... it is also a little bit about dating your step brother, and I know, okay, I KNOW, but if you just trust me on this, it's only a tiny bit weird and then it's not, and you're rooting for these maybe a little bit incestuous but not really, idiots.

Be My Favorite  ★★★★★ This thai BL is not your typical coming of age, falling in love, enemies to lovers, story. Instead we have time travel, and the butterfly effect of the consequences of our actions. Gotta be honest, I'm a total ho for sci-fi tropes and this was done well enough that it rocketed into a favorites of 2023 spot before it was half finished.

Hidden Love  ★★★★★ Come cancel me, Tumblr, I'm ready because one of my absolute favorite tropes is the *dun dun dun* age gap! In this drama a young girl falls hard for her older brother's best friend, and you get to watch as their relationship changes and grows as they mature. There is no hanky panky or even interest in our female lead before she comes of age but if you're a puri-teen steer clear, you won't have a fun time. My favorite part of this drama was actually the relationship between siblings, which felt much more authentic than many portrayals I've come across.

My Beautiful Man S2 ★★★★★ The second installment in this series delivers! There's angst, there's humor, there's *eyebrow waggles*. I'm a tiny bit obsessed with Hira and I can't wait for more!

My Personal Weatherman ★★★★★ Miscommunication, or as I call it, idiot plot, is the best. I know some people hate a storyline that could be resolved with less than 5 minutes of open communication between the romantic leads, but not me. Let these idiots stew in their misconceptions, let them leap tall buildings in a single misguided assumption. GIVE IT TO ME. Anyway, if you don't like that, don't watch this, but if you do, it's crack.

My School President  ★★★★★ GeminiFourth stole my heart in this cute coming of age story. It hit all the right notes, with the added bonus of Fourth! I will say normally I hate when they shoehorn music into Thai dramas (so that the stars can go on tour?) but it fit well with the plot and the soundtrack is amazing. They can be my only exception.

That's my dramas of the year wrapped! You can find all the drama's I've watched (that I remember) here:

[letamreviews]

Top of 2022

With 19 films watched and 2 favorited from 2022, I composed a list of my top. To coincide with 2019′s pure happenstance, the list is ‘almost’ an exact third (7) of the total films watched. Anything seen after the end of February, 2023, isn’t included (with 1 exception).

Honorable Mentions: Infernal Affairs remastered trilogy (2002 - 2003), Skinamarink, Vesper, TÁR Exception: Aranock’s Queer Relativity Why’s this so late? Yes, it is late.

Blind Rating is how worthwhile the film is watching “blind” (or knowing nothing). The scale is 1 (worth it) to 5 (you must). ‘Eh is essentially a 0.5.

1. Queer Relativity | Aranock (Canada)

Saw on YouTube in early March twice and listened to atleast once. i don’t even know (i guess: i fucking love it). Y’all, this movie fucked me up. Had to pause it so many times during first viewing this shit took me back so much. fuck Also, i fucking hate it. Blind Rating: 0.5/5 | film | Teaser | Description:

Hope you all enjoy my film on queer temporalities, language, and journey of discovering self

2. RRR (India)

Saw on Netflix in Hindi with English subtitles and again in theatre in Telugu with English subs. i fucking love it. Best (official) movie of the year. Don’t waste my time. Blind Rating: 1/5 Thoughts

3. Please Baby Please (USA)

Saw at Sie FilmCenter. i really like it (? tier). Holy fucking shit, this movie. lul Definitely put some people in the mood. Thoughts Quickie

4. Avatar: The Way of Water (USA)

Saw at Hawkins Theatres in 3D HFR and again at AMC Theatres in Real 3D. i really like it (mid tier?). Thoughts 1 & 2 Quickie

5. Everything Everywhere All at Once (USA)

Saw in theatre. i really like it (mid tier?). Y’all, I saw this in a theatre with 2-3 other dudes and we all bawled during the same scene. Shit was great. Thoughts Blind Rating: 0.5/5

6. Three Thousand Years of Longing (Australia & USA)

Saw at Hawkins Theatres. i really like it (high tier). Did not expect to enjoy it so much. Glad I went (and disregarded certain reviews). Thoughts

7. Nope (USA)

Saw at Harkins Theatres and again in VR (don’t ask). i really like it (mid tier?). Really enjoyed the entirety of it, especially as a story of two siblings. While I do see this as the director changing the horror genre (again? 🤔), I’m now wondering how much of it already exists in widely unknown indie films. 😐 (shout-out to LambHoot’s “The Resident Evil they keep Remaking...” video) Thoughts 1 & 2 Blind Rating: 1/5

[g12xxx]

Love is blind live reunion review:

Netflix needs to take a BIG L and they deserve to get dragged all over social media.

• love Brett and Tiffany, they look so happy. They needed more screen time in this reunion and they only got asked one or two questions.

• Kwame and Chelsea are still together. Umm I did like that kwame apologised to Chelsea and her family. I’m glad that they bought up the pool scene but they should of bought up kwame and Micah’s conversation at Chelsea’s birthday. At least he took accountability

• The best part of this reunion were Zack and Bliss calling irina out. Zack to Irina “ if we’re real, you went on this show to get famous” ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️ he told the truth. I love that Bliss and zack always defend each other and that they took the high road by forgiving irina.

• When Irina was starting to ‘cry’ and the audience was laughing 😭🤣☠️☠️. Her and Micah should have called Andrew.

• Irina’s apology was something. Like pick a struggle Irina. I’m not even surprised that she started using mental health as an excuse of treating people horribly. I will give credit where it’s due to Vanessa for calling her out as well. I will also give irina credit for showing up at the reunion. The fact that she even dm’d bliss to say she dodged a bullet, seriously she has no shame.

• loved Bliss’s response to irina. She just classy and her face when irina was saying how she loved bliss and Zack relationship lol

• The energy that Vanessa had for Paul and marshall should have gone Micah and Jackie. She had so much grace for them then the men

•The only person that called micah out was Zack and to be quiet honest the mvp of this reunion because Nick and Vanessa are horrible hosts.

• Vanessa was so annoying. She asked Paul what he meant about the nurturing comment. He explains himself and I understood on what he was saying but she kept going at him repeatedly just SHUT UP!! Vanessa’s bias was showing

• I’m glad that Zack came to Paul’s defence. Zack was about say what micah had said in the car regarding Paul and Vanessa cuts him off ,REALLY!!! 😒

• The fact that Micah’s friends especially Shelby wasn’t even called out is a joke.

• Jackie and Josh 🤡.Jackie was on social media talking about how she has all this receipts and that she will bring them at the reunion. Well she didn’t even show up. Vanessa was not asking the questions that need to be answered at all. Just playing bestie’s with Jackie. Marshall facial expression killed me 😂

• Jackie’s excuse regarding the ring girl please, it’s all bullshit. How sad must you be to still keep the ring a year later. When Josh was talking I didn’t care.

•When Vanessa said to Marshall if he had considered Jackie’ s feelings I’m like REALLY!! what about his feelings they weren’t considered as well. There was no follow up regarding text messages and Jackie being homophobic but Marshall apologised regarding him saying that Jackie had a strong jawline. Vanessa didn’t care she already chose a side.

• Vanessa asking the cast when they are going to have a baby was unnecessary, awkward and mind your business.They only been married for a year. Then she was talking about her ovaries, please just SHUT UP nobody cares.

• I don’t who the idiot was that thought that showing Bartiste in this reunion was good idea because it wasn’t. Lauren and Cameron would of been better option.

• I liked the clips of 3 married couples hanging around together. It was lovely to see. Zack singing to Bliss 😂😂😂 Bliss loves it, they are so in love.

Cut truth or drink from 3 married couples (YouTube) was more entertaining than the reunion and that says a lot.

Nick and Vanessa cannot host another reunion, they are terrible. Love is blind Brazil have a better hosts and reunions. Lots of questions not asked and they should of let the audience ask questions. Micah and Jackie should have been held accountable for their behaviour, not given them a free pass. It’s funny that Zack was the only one that called out Micah but not the hosts of this show 🤦🏽‍♀️.

[literaticat]

If a book sells a ton of copies but receives very poor reviews, would the publisher care? Or because it sold a lot and they made lots of money the reader reception doesn't matter?

There are plenty of mega-bestselling books that received very poor critical reviews in the press. And no, I don't think the publishers give one fig, they are too busy gathering their money! (I mean I'm sure they'd LOVE it if their books all got starred reviews and glowing accolades and awards and whatever -- but a book being considered "good" by five snobs in NYC and London doesn't keep the lights on.)

Just as we see with so-called "trashy" movies and TV shows -- there are some things that are legitimately not good, like from a craft standpoint or whatever -- but are extremely appealing to regular consumers. They scratch an itch -- and in THAT sense, they are very very good.

For example: LOVE IS BLIND on Netflix is not GOOD by any critical metric. It's an embarrassing, witless, ridiculous "experiment" cast with a bunch of fools, all of whom need therapeutic intervention. Is it going to get a glowing review in the NYT or on NPR? Absolutely not. Did I watch every minute of it AND the reunion? Bien sûr, avec plaisir. Same same with our ocean-going friends on Bravo's BELOW DECK or the bling-filled shenanigans of REAL HOUSEWIVES -- these programs are not trying to be critical darlings, they are trying to be appealing and hooky for a mass audience who like gossip and scandal.

Now the thing there is, VIEWERS love these programs, regardless of what critics or pundits say. 50 SHADES OF GRAY is not going to win a Pulitzer Prize -- but out of tens of thousands of reader reviews, it's clear that the majority of READERS really like it. (And yes, thousands HATED it, too, or just thought it was Meh -- but TENS of thousands of readers loved it for what it was, enough so that the haters don't matter, and the point is, love it or hate it, everyone READ it.)

So -- to answer your question (finally lol) -- I think it depends. If critics pan a book but readers are passionate about it (whether for good or ill) and it sells a lot of copies -- the publisher is happy. If critics pan a book or ignore a book, and readers pan it or ignore it, and it doesn't sell a lot of copies, the publisher is not happy.

[coreancitizen]

2022 Year in Review: My Korean drama recommendations

2022 went by so quickly, and I think that's partly because almost every week I had new episodes of shows to look forward to. I'm a bit of a contradiction: I don't have the patience to wait for a new show to be completed so I could binge it, but I (maybe not-so) patiently wait for episodes every week, haha. TBH, I find I'm more invested in a show and its characters when I watch a drama weekly. And there were so many characters worth the investment in 2022: Woo Young Woo, Queen Im Hwa Ryeong, the Oh sisters, Kim Yumi, Jin Do Jun and Jang Uk, to name a few.

I just want to make clear that, as in previous years, this is by no means a list of the best Korean dramas of 2022. These are merely my favorites among the ones I watched that premiered in 2022 (or ended in 2022).

You can find my previous roundups here:

2021: Year in Review 2020: Year in Review

YUMI'S CELLS 2

New season means new love for Kim Yumi (Kim Go Eun) as she begins a romance with co-worker Yoo Babi following her breakup with video game designer Goo Woong. TBH, I wasn't quite sure how I'd feel about the new pairing — I have a soft spot for Ahn Bo Hyun — but Jinyoung charmed me even before the series started. He and Go Eun have a sweet and natural chemistry that made me root for Yumi and Babi, even knowing how the relationship ended in the webtoon. Another thing I love about the series is its portrayal of Yumi's pursuit of her dream to be a writer — from the frustrations of earlier rejections to keeping it positive while faced with criticisms and the satisfaction of another job (book) well done. That shot of her jumping on the bed toward the end of the series was cathartic and the perfect cap to Yumi's growth. (Viki)

LITTLE WOMEN

This is NOT Louisa May Alcott's famous novel though it does share some themes and puts sisters at the forefront of the story. The Oh sisters — In Joo, In Kyung and In Hye — just want to live a life not steeped in poverty. So when 2 billion won falls on In Joo's lap, their problems are over, right? Nope. A multitude of troubles arrive as the sisters get entangled with a rich, powerful and corrupt family with a lot of unscrupulous allies. This series got me on the edge of my seat from the very first episode and the thrills and tension never let up until the end. I absolutely love how messy and chaotic the sisters and their relationships with each other are. They love but they also fight, annoy and block each other, LOL! Now please cast Kim Go Eun and Wi Ha Joon in an action comedy series or film and give them the ending on the sunny beaches of Greece that their characters deserve. (Netflix)

BULGASAL: IMMORTAL SOULS

This is the first drama that caught my attention last year, a fantasy with monsters, past lives, immortal love and families. It's the story of how the lives of a man (Lee Jin Wook) who was turned into an immortal monster 600 years ago and a woman (Kwon Na Ra) who has been dying and reincarnating for centuries have been intertwined. The world building is quite interesting and the central mystery keeps you guessing until the very end. Keep an eye out for familiar faces as people from the past emerge in the present. (Netflix)

A BUSINESS PROPOSAL

This romcom is adorable with a capital A. Shin Ha Ri (Kim Se Jeong) shows up to a blind date pretending to be her best friend and does her best to turn off a potential match by behaving outrageously. It's a schtick she and her chaebol best friend had cooked up a long time ago to discourage suitors. Unfortunately, the blind date turns out to be Kang Tae Moo (Ahn Hyo Seop), the young president of the food company where she works. And even more unfortunately, he's interested and now wants to marry her! Hilarious chaos ensues, abetted by the couple's adorable best friends (the second couple), her zany family and his kdrama-loving grandfather. You'll never look at an archaeopteryx (bird-like dinosaur) the same way again. (Netflix)

TOMORROW

This is a lovely, heartbreaking, oftentimes cathartic drama about people desperate enough to consider taking their own lives and the team of resolute grim reapers who work very hard to prevent their deaths. Comatose Choi Jun Woong (Rowoon) is the newbie in the Risk/Crisis Management Team led by Koo Ryeon (Kim Hee Sun). Lim Ryung Gyu rounds up the team. Head of the Soul Collection Team Park Joong Gil, despite being a fellow grim reaper, is a thorn on the team's side — he has a special animosity for Ryeon that may have something to do with the past. Fortunately, the team has a stalwart supporter in the Jade Emperor (Kim Hae Sook). (Netflix)

MILITARY PROSECUTOR DOBERMAN

Legal action drama with a touch of comedy is probably the best way to describe this series and it's the perfect leading man vehicle for Ahn Bo Hyun. Do Bae Man passes the bar with basically just a GED and so finds himself unable to find a spot in a decent law firm until he gets an "offer he can't refuse" from corrupt lawyer Yong Moon Go: Serve in the military for five years as a prosecutor and then join his prestigious firm after. The plan is going swimmingly until he crosses paths with another military prosecutor, Cha Woo In (Jo Bo Ah), who is targeting some members of the military brass for revenge after her beloved father's suspicious death. After long-buried secrets begin to emerge, Do Bae Man finds himself reevaluating what it is he really wants to do with his life. (Viki)

EXTRAORDINARY ATTORNEY WOO

Woo to the Young to the Woo! The series follows Woo Young Woo, a young lawyer on the autism spectrum. She's got a brilliant legal mind, able to see different angles of a case but struggles with day-to-day interactions. Fortunately, she has the people looking out for her, like her dad, her boss/mentor, her law school friend and, of course, the handsome support team member who might just have more than friendship in mind. Park Eun Bin is brilliant as Woo Young Woo, she truly gets you invested in her challenges and triumphs. The legal maneuverings are fairly interesting, especially when they involve a rival law firm and somebody from WYW's past. (Netflix)

ALCHEMY OF SOULS

In the land of Daeho, an assassin trapped in a blind woman's weak body encounters a young lord from a powerful family who needs help to unlock his powers. Interesting lead and supporting characters, solid world-building, fantastic sword and sorcery action? I was sold from the very beginning. At the end of the second ep, I was absolutely in love with the feisty Mudeok and her rather bratty young master/pupil Jang Uk who just wants his gate of energy opened so he can do what everybody can — cast spells and use a sword. There's a twist at the end of the 20-episode first season, and I guess your enjoyment of the second season would largely depend on how much you accept the change. But in both seasons, the crown prince remains quite the scene stealer and he's possibly my most favorite character of all. (Netflix)

UNDER THE QUEEN'S UMBRELLA

A truly female-driven drama — from the queen and the queen dowager down to the concubines and, yes, even the court ladies. The series begins with Queen Hwa Ryeong's biggest problem being the four grand princes' rather relaxed approach to their education, lagging behind the other sons of the king via his numerous scheming concubines. But tragedy strikes and the queen and her sons suddenly find themselves fighting to make sure they don't lose not just their positions but their very lives. Kim Hye Soo makes it so easy to root for the embattled queen who wields her position and her eyebrows skillfully to thwart ministers, concubines and her mother-in-law, the queen dowager. I also love that her sons, the four grand princes, are unlike other royal brothers in sageuks — they are close, affectionate and loyal, leaving the dirty tricks to their half-brothers. This series probably has the most satisfying ending among the ones I watched last year. (Netflix)

REBORN RICH

Yoon Hyun Woo is a hard-working, loyal, no-questions-asked employee of the powerful Jin Family, which controls the Soonyang Group. One day, on an overseas errand to retrieve some secret money, he is betrayed by someone in the family and murdered — but promptly finds himself "waking up" in the body of the youngest grandson of the Jins, back in 1987. How, you ask? I finished the series but that part is still unclear. What's clear is how charismatic and believable Song Joong Ki is as the twentysomething investment whiz Do Jun. And what an amazing actor Lee Sung Min, as Soonyang chairman and patriarch Jin Yang Cheol is. The push-pull in their relationship is what made the series work for 15 episodes. Not that the supporting cast members are slackers. This is one of the best ensembles I've ever seen, the actors really working to make these characters ones you'd love to hate. Some of the business stuff might put off viewers but I found the whole thing fascinating and easily understood. I cheered when Do Jun/Hyun Woo used his knowledge of the future as well as his relatives' greed to take pieces of Soonyang. I'm recommending this series but with a caveat: I found the ending a bit of a mess and rather unsatisfactory. BUT the previous 15 episodes are fantastic and definitely worth a watch. (Viki)

Bonus recommendations

I recently started dipping my toes into Chinese dramas, even though I'm still intimidated by the episode count. "Love Between Fairy and Devil" is sweet and hilarious and has fantastic special effects. (Netflix and Viki)

But my heart truly belongs to Li Wei and the sixth young prince of Xin State as they figure out family, politics and love as their "New Life Begins." (Viki)

Last but certainly not the least, "Pachinko," which even though it stars some of the biggest names in Korean entertainment is not considered K-Drama by its creators. Based on Min Jin Lee's critically acclaimed novel, the series — Youn Yuh Jung, Lee Min Ho and Kim Min Ha are key parts of the ensemble — follows the trial and tribulations of a Korean family over four generations. The story begins in Korea, moves to Japan and eventually spreads to the United States. The story is rich and emotional, the direction precise and the acting superb. It has been recognized in a lot of year-end lists and recently won the Critics Choice Award for best foreign language series. (Apple TV +)

[littleblondesoprano]

@piratebay: oh i feel that about editing. both getting sick of the project and knowing it needs something but not knowing what!! i struggled with that on a painting today actually lmao. you're not alone on forks scraping plates, either. & GOD do i have a story to share about mothers & their children at stores. OMFG you're a winner shut UP. have funnn!!! i bet that's exciting! have you been before? & i have never watched this show but i have a secret regarding that as well.... i used to catch episodes of 90 day fiancé & below deck when i could :') we can exchange some juicy secrets thru dms or texts or smth later lmfaooo

RIGHT?! It's so bad. And the only balm, at least for me, is taking some time away (or taking a shower, ngl, that seems to unstick my brain somehow) and it's like!! No!! I wanna fix it now!! Oh gosh. Ahhh!!! What are you painting?? I'd love to see it!! Absolutely, I must know of the mothers and their children story!! I had a bad one today at Aldi, so it was particularly on the noggin. LMAOOO, it just fit so perfectly!! I couldn't pass up the chance for an Ozzy song moment. I haven't been to the Carolina Fear Fest before! I found it this year! It's only been going for 5 years, so it's fairly new, but I'm excited! They're gonna have the Jeepers Creepers Truck and Christine, and the giant Green Goblin head, and I think David Arquette is gonna be there? I know Heather Langancamp is gonna be there!

OH?? How is 90 day fiancé?? I've never seen it before, but I used to love Say Yes to the Dress, so I saw commercials for it all the time. I am 100% down for exchanging secrets like that!! Woooo! Lol. OH! That reminds me, I started watching Still Watching Netflix just for Trixie and Katya commenting on movies and tv shows and it is so freaking funny. It's best when they review reality shows, omg. Here's the one they did for Love is Blind season 6, it's so good.