"Just Between Lovers" Episode 9 recap

So Kang-doo and Moon-soo appears to have broken up, or are at least fighting in such a way that they seem headed for a break-up. The actual reason for the fight is not important. This was just one of those dumb petty fights that couples get into because they have an emotionally charged moment and separate on bad terms. Then, unwilling to imply in even the vaguest way that they might have been wrong, they stubbornly refuse to make up.
The ongoing fight is difficult to watch, but not for any direct reason. Rather, the scarier part is that we can see Kang-doo and Moon-soo both thinking, well, would a break-up really be so bad? I got along without this person before, surely I can do it again. They see the placidity of their current situation and confuse that for what their life is like in general. In reality we can remember what Kang-doo and Moon-soo were doing before they met each other. It was nothing all that fun.
But the other characters don't realize that. And for the most part they don't especially care either. Note how the only characters who have seen much of Kang-doo and Moon-soo together are Moon-soo's best friend Wan-jin and Kang-doo's best friend Sang-man (played by Kim Kang-hyun). Both of these characters are themselves quite isolated in the overall cast, though, having no friends we see besides the leads.
So it's not their imminently sensible judgment that Kang-doo and Moon-soo turn to. Instead, they think in the broader perspective. They think of other characters who "know" the most because they have the most life experience. Kang-doo and Moon-soo are ultimately driven apart because they keep trying to think of their relationship in too logical a manner. Even minor attempts at reconciliation are ultimately simply too minor to come off as the sincere emotional plea that's necessary right now.
I was actually quite relieved when melodramatic backstory was used to force one of our normally soft-spoken leads into drastic action. The whole episode was just one giant painful mistake being made in slow motion. It's all too easy to look at Kang-doo and Moon-soo being stubborn, and seeing that reflected in our own life experiences. Even on the boat we can see it reflected on their faces, the sudden realization that everything Kang-doo and Moon-soo had thought was important, just wasn't, and why did they spend so much effort lying to themselves about that?
Review by William Schwartz
"Just Lovers" is directed by  Kim Jin-won-I, written by  Yoo Bo-ra, and features Junho, Won Jin-ah, Lee Ki-woo, and Kang Han-na

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"Black Knight" episode 7 recap

On the latest episode of the KBS 2TV drama "Black Knight", Sharon (Seo Ji-hye) took on the form Jeong Hae-ra (Shin Se-kyung).
Sharon glanced down at Hae-ra and wondered what she should do first in her new body. So she called Moon Soo-ho (Kim Rae-won) and said, "I think I'm drunk. I'm dizzy".
Soo-ho hurried to pick her up, not suspecting Sharon's deceit.
Pretending not to be able to walk properly, she curled into his arms and said, "It's so warm. I'm sad".

Source : www.asiatoday.co.kr/v...
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"I'm Not a Robot" Episodes 13-14 recap

I had forgotten, until Min-gyoo decided to research the subject, that AZ3 "learns" how to mimic human behavior by watching movies, as well as the nerdy scientist team. This is an obviously ridiculous design feature to the point that it breaks the willing suspension of disbelief. And I'm not referring to myself. Min-gyoo is the one who starts to feel increasing doubt about the entire AZ3 project. That Baek-gyoon's team has decided to let their guard down now all of all times does not help matters.
It's at times like this I can't help but be reminded that AZ3 is not a terribly practical piece of technology. Baek-gyoon balks at the idea of her being used for companionship purposes, and he also expresses objections here to her being used as a robot maid. So what, then, is the purpose of AZ3 even supposed to be? AZ3 is a project that could only possibly be useful to someone in Min-gyoo's extremely specific situation, but Baek-gyoon needs investors, not a single high profile sale.
Beyond the practical concerns, there's not very many ethical reasons to root for Baek-gyoon's team to succeed either, since they've been representing AZ3's abilities to Min-gyoo fraudulently. "I'm Not a Robot"accidentally calls attention to this by giving Baek-gyoo and his bespectacled co-worker Pie (played by Park Se-wan) a romantic subplot. That storyline could potentially end with Baek-gyoo and Pie becoming happy, whereas the fraud storyline increasingly just seems likely to make Min-gyoo miserable.
As for Min-gyoo's explicit stated goal of kissing and marrying Ri-el, "I'm Not a Robot" has finally hit the point where Ri-el shows up in imaginary scenes more than she does in person, rendering her character increasingly abstract. The imaginary scenes aren't even that funny. The second one features AZ3 a robot should explicitly not be physically capable of doing. A few real scenes later a depressed Min-gyoo even calls attention to that fact.
"I'm Not a Robot" is running afoul of its own inherently absurd nature. If the drama were embracing the more surreal aspects of its fairy tale premise, this would not be a problem. But the production team is making the unfortunate decision to instead focus on standard romantic drama, which only calls attention to how fundamentally unsolvable the drama's main conflicts really are. I just hope we start seeing more of the actual villains soon, if only to give the protagonists better goals to strive for.
Review by William Schwartz
"I'm Not a Robot" is directed by Jeong Dae-yoon, written by Kim Seon-mi-I and Lee Suk-joon-I, and features Yoo Seung-ho, Chae Soo-bin, Uhm Ki-joon, and Park Se-wan.

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"Two Cops" episodes 19 - 20 recap

On the latest episode of the MBC drama "Two Cops" Song Ji-an (Hyeri) started suspecting in earnest that Cha Dong-tak (Jo Jung-suk) had a secret.
Dong-tak was released from prison prison and met with Ji-an. He kissed her and they confirmed their feelings for each other. He also said, "I am sorry I didn't tell you beforehand, but I hope my destiny doesn't make you suffer".
Later, Dong-tak was speaking with spirit Gong Soo-chang (Kim Seon-ho-I) about Lee Doo-sik's (Lee Jae-won-I's) death and Song Ji-an caught him. To her, it seemed like Dong-tak was talking to himself. But then she remembered his strange behavior; the way he fought well sometimes and not at others. His strange way of referring to himself and sometimes naming himself as Gong Soo-chang.
Ji-an asked Dong-tak who he was speaking to, which Dong-tak couldn't answer. Soo-chang froze as Ji-an cornered Dong-tak and asked who he was.

Source : www.osen.co.kr/articl...
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"Doubtful Victory" episodes 19 - 20 recap

On the latest episode of the SBS drama "Doubtful Victory", Jin Jin-yeong (Jung Hye-sung) and Kim Jong-sam (Yoon Kyun-sang) started investigating the Jinsung Group chairman Jin Jung-gil's murder again.
Park Soo-chil ordered Kang Cheol-gi (Jang Hyun-sung) be captured, but he walked into the police station on his own. He told them that he was on the roof of the Jinsung Group ten years ago and had seen the chairman die. The chairman was supposed to give him something, but Cheol-gi had arrived too late and failed to save him.
Then, Jin-yeong discovered that the videos on Jin Jeong-gil's Black Box were missing and it turned out that Yoo Gwang-mi (Yoon Bok-in) had them. In them stood a woman beside the chairman. Jong-sam said, "That's Madam Hong, the woman I said I killed that day".
Kim Yoon-soo (Choi Dae-hoon) offered Gook Soo-ran (Yoon Yoo-seon) a deal to betray Lee Gwang-ho by showing her Baek Kyeong's driver (Kim Dong-won), the key to the incident.
Yoon-soo told Jin Jin-yeong if to put a tail on the driver who would most certianly lead them to Gwang-ho. However, the driver was killed as soon as he was released and Jin-yeong was stabbed.
Right before the driver came out, he met Jang Pil-seong (Choi Won-young). He was the detective on site for the chairman's death. Jang Pil-seong smiled and said, "You recognize me".

Source : www.osen.co.kr/articl...
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"Rude Miss Young-ae Season 16" episode 8 recap

On the latest episode of the tvN drama "Rude Miss Young-ae Season 16", parents-to-be Yeong-ae (Kim Hyun-sook) and Seung-joon (Lee Seung-joon) prepared for their future with a child.
They stopped at a baby store and looked at all the things they needed for their baby. Yeong-ae couldn't take her eyes off the baby crib. However, she shuddered at the price that was over 400,000 won ($1 USD = ₩1075.27 KRW).
Gyu-han (Lee Kyu-han) offered the couple 600,000 won/month as rent for the next three months in an attempt to not be kicked out.
Seung-joon refused, but Yeong-ae thought to herself, "600,000 won is not a bad deal. With that I can buy the baby crib right away".
She agreed to this deal and Gyu-han paid her. She turned around and bought her baby crib.

Source : news.hankyung.com/art...
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"A Korean Odyssey" Episode 2 recap

The plot thickens and by that I mean the new ways in which every character here tries to backstab one another. This is the only story to speak of at the moment and while the romance is apparently getting started, we still do not know what role Seon-mi's existence as Sam Jang will play. "A Korean Odyssey"(also known as "Hwayugi) is fun in a cheesy way, but we need more story and it has to come soon.

To get the romance out of the way, the only reason why I know it is happening is the genre, the writers and the fact that the series plays romantic music when something the creators consider romantic happens. Like when a deity contemplates how he is going to eat the heroine. No, not the fun kind of eating, but the actual, violently-murder-and-consume-your-flesh kind. The nonchalant way in which the heroine and story handle that information is quite off-putting.

On the other hand, the reasons behind at least Seon-mi's (Oh Yeon-seo) nonchalance are laid out nicely. After losing her only family, waiting for the ever so magical Dramaland fate to bring her a protector has been her only hope for reprieve. I do enjoy it immensely that we have a heroine who does not want protection only because she is afraid and tired, but because she knows her own worth and understands the unfair burden she has been handed.

Oh-gong (Lee Seung-gi) is less refreshing in that he is the typical arrogant male lead whose lips say one thing, heart does another and divine libido a third. He is going down the known path of what-is-this-thing-called-feelings, where his originally twisted purpose will turn into romantic implications. I do feel his character has potential in redeeming himself to the Heavens by being the loving deity they seem to wish he would be, so I hope the romance will support, rather than dull that arc.

The rest of the world is still quite a mystery. We know Hwi-cheol (Cha Seung-won) is a demon trying to be nice in order to end his punishment, but he has not actively served much of a purpose yet, aside from trying to one-up Oh-gong. The next two episodes will surely introduce the main story, but I wish the world building in the first two had been stronger. Instead, we have the romance we already know is coming trying to convince us of its existence.

As for the broadcasting problems and terrible accident that has happened, all I can say is that dramas need pre-production and better working conditions. Scream it from the top of mountains, even. I do not really take production issues into account when reviewing a work, but the inevitable reduction of the special effects and a soon exhausted cast and crew are worrying thoughts, so I hope that everyone can stay healthy and deliver the best they can under these circumstances.

"A Korean Odyssey" is directed by Park Hong-gyoon, written by Hong Jeong-eun and Hong Mi-ranand features Lee Seung-gi, Cha Seung-won, Oh Yeon-seo, Lee Hong-ki and Jang Gwang

Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'