Say That You Love Me: Episodes 1-4 Thoughts

Only 4 episodes in and I've decided to drop this, but wanted to pop a review in case anyone else was exploring this drama. STYLM is essentially China's attempt at Playful Kiss, and true to their track record on remakes, it's dull, dubbed, and terribly acted. No wonder it came out and broadcasted with hardly a blip in the drama-watching community.

When a Man Loves: Episode 12 Quick Rant

This is the kind of episode that makes you want to give up dramas entirely. When it leaves you feeling frustrated, unfulfilled, and all sorts of angry instead of happy and giddy. When the only reason to tune in is out of misplaced hope that the angst and issues will be resolved and the bad guys penalized. I'm so upset after watching this that even the thought of watching another drama makes me shirk away. I freaking hate Jae Hee, Mi Do, Mi Do's dad, Baek Seung Joo, even Chang Hee. Why the hell can't people just communicate for once instead of all this subtlety and back-stabbing?

At this point, I just want Tae San to find someone else and move on with his life. Mi Do and Jae Hee freaking deserve each other, these ungrateful bigots. Their kiss and make-out scenes over the past couple episodes made me sick, and it's only somewhat a relief that at least they were interrupted.

Good news is at least Tae San finally has clued in on this. I want him to break up with her now and never see her again, then I want her and Jae Hee to fall into a vat of acid together. Geez, even Mr. Purple hair is less aggravating at this point. It's literally at the point where I never want to see either of the actors ever again. The guy who plays Jae Hee will always be this petulant dipshit while Shin Se Kyung is now forever an indecisive bitch.

Gu Family Book: Episodes 1-7 Rant

I really wanted to like this drama. For one, I'm a huge Inuyasha fan and this is about as close to a near rip-off as you can get. Second, I have a soft spot for Suzy and Seung-Gi even though I haven't liked either of their past buzzed-about dramas. And lastly, I loved the opening two episodes (actually more like 1.5 episodes) because of the charming ambiance, the lovely soundtrack, and the very pretty parents. But of course you can't force drama love, and the blandly-told yet over-dramatic story and poor production values slowly killed my interest until I was literally stewing in frustration by episode 7 (where I clicked off).

When a Man Loves: Halfway Review

I've been regularly following WAML out of residual affection for its earlier episodes and curiosity on the relationship developments. Unfortunately, it's hit the midway bump, where things start dragging and characters start feeling stale. Song Seung Heon's Tae San was the key attraction for me and I'm not liking where they're taking his character. He's starting to feel desperate rather than sweet, and it doesn't help that I'm completely apathetic to our heroine.

Basara: Manga Review

I haven't done any manga reviews here yet, and wanted to kick off with one of my old favorites, Basara. This is by the same author, Yumi Tamura, of 7 Seeds (review coming!), which if you haven't read yet you NEED to start. Unlike 7 Seeds though, Basara is complete, meaning you won't have the anxious waiting period between chapters. While I prefer 7 Seeds, I still think this is one of the top mangas I've ever read, especially if you're looking for an intelligent, incredibly competent female lead and a story with heart-thumpingly great stakes.