swamp ophelia

I have been absent from DW while I'm living in the post-Christmas pre-New Year liminal space of my parents' house, but I will be back soon to catch up with y'all.

In the meantime, I'm going to use the last day of 2022 to beg you to watch old media!

In a post from a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned the Korean drama Healer and how I was certain that certain friends of mine would enjoy it. Actually, I'm pretty sure that all of you will enjoy it, so let me sell you.

A decades-old incident involving a group of five friends who ran an illegal pro-democracy broadcasting station during the Fifth Republic in South Korea brings together three different people—an illegal "night courier" with the codename "Healer" (Ji Chang-wook) who possesses top-notch fighting skills, a reporter from a second-rate tabloid news website (Park Min-young), and a famous journalist at a major broadcast station (Yoo Ji-tae).[9][10][11] While trying to uncover the truth from that 1992 incident and a series of present day murders, they grow into honest reporters who try to blur the lines of conflict between truth and reality, even if that means fighting media honchos.

It's one of those double-timeline stories, but thankfully both of the timelines are so engaging. In 1992, we've got a group of idealistic young people running a PRO-DEMOCRACY MOBILE PIRATE RADIO PROGRAM. (I would commit murder for a show that delves more deeply into this, but I don't think it's ever going to happen.)

In 2014, we're following a group of INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH AT ALL COSTS!

In typical kdrama fashion, these two timelines are way, way more intertwined than anyone knows at the beginning. Secrets will be revealed! Identities will be shattered and put back together again! And truth in journalism will prevail!

I like to say that if City Hunter is Korean-Batman-without-superpowers, then Healer is absolutely Korean-Superman-without-superpowers.

Young-shin is one of the Lois Lane-est Lois Lanes to ever Lois Lane--intrepid young reporter just brimming over with integrity! Raised by gay dads who are a defense lawyer and an ex-con! With a smile that can outshine the sun! And mental health stuff she's learning to deal with! She's absolutely fearless and weird and adorable and I love her so much!

Jung-hoo has a double life--a bumbling, socially awkward aspiring journalist by day, a total badass "night courier" bringing you the competence porn by night. Basically, he's a freelance spy-for-hire who just wants to save up enough money to buy his own island and get away from people...until he meets Young-shin and all of his priorities are upended.

Young-shin is mentored by Munho, a star reporter with ~secrets~. Jung-hoo also has a team helping him in his courier business made up of Min-ja (played by Kim Mi-kyung, one of my absolute fave character actors), an middle-aged lady hacker!!! Who likes to call Jung-hoo oppa*! And Dae-young, a teenage girl who's kind of his apprentice who likes to call him hyung*!

(There are some other characters I won't get into, including another middle aged woman who I adore with all my heart and would happily die on a battlefield for.)

Young-shin and Jung-hoo's worlds collide and they have one of my favorite TV romances. They are so wonderful and adorable and they work so well together and Young-shin makes Jung-hu a better person just by existing and inspiring him with her integrity.

They discover corruption all around them and drag it into the light! Jung-hoo learns to care about people and devotes himself to Young-shin's mission to make the world better! They discover that the past has unbelievable repercussions for them in the present! The truth is uncovered! The corrupt are destroyed! Through the power of journalism and hacking and Jung-hoo's ability to kick ass!

Listen, I just love this show so much. It's easily one of my top 5 kdramas and I would love for more of y'all to discover it.

The last episode is kiiiind of anticlimactic but everything else about it is so wonderful. It's 20 episodes of an hour each, so it is a commitment, but not a crazy intense one. And listen--if some of y'all want to watch it, I am VERY open to rewatching in community!

It is also hard to hunt down at the moment. But you can stream it here or, if you'd rather download it, tell me in the comments, and I will send you a link to a Google drive folder for you to download.


*"Oppa" is what you call your big brother (or a big brother-like figure in your life or, sometimes, if you're wanting to be flirty--this word does a lot of heavy-lifting) if you are a girl. "Hyung" is what you call your big brother (ditto) if you are a guy. Gender!

Y'all, I got the most delightful Chocolate Box fic!

Title: along the self-same line
Fandom: The Goblin Emperor
Pairing: Csethiro Ceredin/Maia Drazhar
Summary: As their first wedding anniversary approaches, Maia sets himself to a unique gift for his Empress. But he doesn't realize she has something equally unusual waiting for him.


It feels just like a scene from the book in characterization, worldbuilding detail, and style!

Two dramas to rec to you, both of them ensemble shows with amazing young casts!

School 2013

So I did love this drama. It’s not perfect and I have some complaints about it (see below), but it’s one of the best depictions of community and how it actually works that I’ve seen onscreen. It’s honest about our responsibilities to each other and how they are and aren’t affected by our feelings for each other. It’s honest about the limits of those responsibilities and how no matter how hard you may try to help someone, people are ultimately responsible for their own decisions and you can’t place their burdens entirely on your own shoulders. And it’s honest about how sometimes we reach out and help each other and it’s so beautiful because it makes the world better—but sometimes we do the same thing and it doesn’t change anything because the world is still harsh and unforgiving—but the reaching out is still beautiful. It’s always beautiful. Hope isn’t futile and while we can’t always save each other, we can make a difference in each others’ lives.

It’s also really honest about how messed up education systems are (Korea’s is messed up in different ways than, say, the US’s, but they’re both messed up) and how teachers are in a bind and how students all have different motives for how they behave in the classroom. And there’s room in the world for hardasses who lay down the law in an attempt to protect the community and also for people who are endlessly encouraging and patient and generous and forgiving.

So I think it’s a really solid show. It’s certainly nothing lovely to look at cinematography-wise, but honestly maybe that feels more realistic? My one major complaint is that I think in the second half it got too bogged down in the boys’ stories and didn’t pay enough attention to the ladies. I LOVE the Nam Soon/Heung Soo friendship/enmity plotline so much and I also really like the Jung Ho storyline, especially how they handled the ending. But the ladies were SO EXCELLENT and I just feel like their storylines got sidelined so the boys could have more screentime and it hurts my heart. I especially wanted more Ha Kyung/Kang Joo ladytime bonding and to see In Jae interact more with the young women she could have mentored. That didn’t really happen, and I’m disappointed by that. The female characters were FANTASTIC, they just didn’t get enough attention. The lack of romance was okay, though. Though I totally think Se Chan and In Jae are going to get married and be adorable and have lovely babies at some point.

A word on the ending: I thought it was a realistic but hopeful ending. Jung Ho still has problems, problems that can’t be solved easily (the “what about next month? And next year?” speech he gave Se Chan was PERFECT), and for all the teachers’ laboring to help him, they couldn’t get him on the road most kids are on. But that’s okay, because not everybody has to go down that road, and school might not be the place for him. More importantly, they showed him enough kindness and compassion and that he mattered enough that I do believe him when he says he’s going to try to live his life—whatever life that is—as a decent person. I think he can do it. I may have wanted him and his bffs to move in with Nam Soon and Heung Soo because I kind of want a Go Nam Soon Home for Wayward Boys now, but ah well. They’ll still be bros.

This drama didn’t end with a big fluffy group hug—there are still people in the classroom who don’t like each other, people who are still selfish and weren’t particularly changed by what In Jae (and Se Chan) tried to do for them. But they weren’t untouched by what they experienced—it’s still going to be a part of them, just maybe not in the way they expected.

In Jae and Se Chan are going to be back, together, helping another classroom full of kids to figure things out. And it’s going to take a while to do that figuring, because as Nam Soon and Heung Soo learned, you can’t just fix all your problems immediately. You need time to think really hard on where you’re headed and what you’re going to do. This show gave us closure, but it didn’t solve all the problems the kids’ have and it definitely didn’t tell us for sure where they’re headed. We just know that now that they had that year with their teachers, they’re on a steadier path than they were before. And that’s beautiful. THE LACK OF EPILOGUE WAS THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS ENDING LBR.

And In Jae still waiting for him at the end? I don’t think he’s going to walk in at the last minute. That’s not going to happen. But the waiting is beautiful, because it shows her heart. The waiting is important itself and it isn’t a waste. And Se Chan understands that now. And that’s amazing.


Summary: Seungri High School ranks as one of the worst of the 178 high schools in Seoul based on academic scores. Seungri High School is now busy preparing presentations for its new students. Class 2 is at the bottom of grade 2 at Seungri High. Nam-Soon is elected class president for grade 2, thanks to the support of Jung-Ho, who is a member of the school gang.
Se-Chan is the top Korean language teacher at a famous institute in Gangnam. In order to improve the student's scores at Seungri High School, the school hires Se-Chan. - asianwiki
Starring: Lee Jong Suk, Jung Na Ra, Choi Daniel, Park Se Young, Hyo Young, Kim Woo Bin, Kwak Jung Wook
Watch it if you like: stories about high school, stories about community, examinations of idealism versus cynicism, enemies learning to appreciate each other, honest but sympathetic characterizations of teenagers, explorations of different ways of approaching education, honest depictions of friendships where people hurt each other but forgive and become even better friends later, realism, stories about the ways we help and hurt each other just by being in proximity to each other, lots of twists and turns in the plot that never really go into the realm of melodrama, hopeful but not tidy endings.
Why you might not like it: If you really want a female-driven show, this isn’t the one for you. What ladies there are are EXCELLENT, but they don’t get nearly as much of a focus as the guys. Also if you have no desire to revisit the hell that can be high school, might want to steer clear of this one. It’s full of hope, though, so that may help to know.


White Christmas

Those of you who follow me on tumblr might know that I did a marathon watch of White Christmas over the holidays and fell all over myself with love for it. It’s shot to VERY close to the top of my favorite-dramas list; the top five or so are really impossible to rate in order because I love them all so much. But at any rate, it’s completely excellent and unique and I very much recommend it.

Let’s start with the synposis, because it does a better job of explaining than I would:

Susin High School, nicknamed "Prison High," is an elite school attended by the top 1% of students in the country. Their stellar marks are the result of constant pressure and a strict punishment system, to the point where students avoid from any activities outside of studying. It is in this atmosphere that seven students and a teacher remain at school for the winter break, joined by Kim Yo Han, a psychiatrist who was forced to take shelter with them after he was involved in a car accident nearby. At a time when everyone else is celebrating Christmas Eve, the students realize that the anonymous letters they each received were not the result of a harmless prank; there was a murderer in their midst. A question lies unspoken: Are monsters created, or are humans born monsters?

This is a drama full of plot twists and surprise reveals and characterization porn. It’s basically about what happens when you lock nine people up in this giant school building that’s half labyrinth, half jail of glass and then put them in danger. Someone’s writing threatening letters. Someone is a killer. No one knows who, and since they’re trapped, they only have themselves to rely on. Who’s going to trust who? Who’s going to turn on who? Who’s going to snap under the pressure and strike out at anyone?

There’s a touch of Lord of the Flies in this—there are moments when you feel like any sense of humanity’s going to break down and it’s going to turn into a bloody free-for-all (and there is blood spilt in this one). You’re not sure as a viewer who to trust or even who to like, half the time. There’s questions of guilt and responsibility, the nature of humanity, trust and retribution, misunderstandings and lack of communication weaving through the whole thing. Everyone has layers, everyone has secrets, everyone has scars. And everyone will surprise you at some point. That’s what people do.

This drama’s got a really great cast of young actors, almost all of whom are models, but they’re all competent (and most of them are incredibly striking, too. Plus, you’ll recognize a lot of them from lots of other shows—quite a few of them have gone on to have really fantastic careers. Yay this cast!). The setting, in this labyrinth-like school of glass and staircases all by itself in the mountains, is perfect for the plot. The writing doesn’t lag and the focus is always on the characters and their interactions. It’s basically a thriller meets character porn. You won’t like everyone, but by the end you’ll feel like you know them. And what’s mindblowing about the way this drama is made is that so much attention goes into every single detail. Almost every single thing onscreen is important. There’s SO MUCH richness and texture—so many motifs and symbolism. I’m sure I could watch this a dozen times and not pick up on everything. You really get the feeling that the creators were absolutely committed to every detail. How often do you feel like that with a show?

That said, I do have some quibbles with the final episode. Up until then, I think it’s perfectly written, but the last episode isn’t quite so perfect. It’s still a satisfying ending and certainly not enough to ruin the whole ride—this is still going to be one of my all-time favorite dramas. But there are a few things to touch on.

First of all, are we really expected to believe this killer’s been running around the hospital the whole time they’ve been back? SERIOUSLY? I can’t handle that. There are quite a few plot holes related to that whole thing that are just DUMB. I LOVE the kids killing him on the roof—that was perfect and the only way it could have ended. But how they ended up on that roof? Was pretty stupid imo. Like I said, it doesn’t ruin the show for me, but I’m not pleased by it.

I also wish we could have seen the other kids’ parents. I feel like a few of the character examinations were just dropped at the end and I don’t like that. There was more to learn about some of them, and I missed out on that.

I do think Angel killing himself was the right decision writing-wise, though I still don’t understand 100% what was going on with him and the lady and his mom and the other little boy. Confusing stuff. And it hurt so much that he died, but it worked as far as the story goes.

Summary: Susin High School, nicknamed "Prison High," is an elite school attended by the top 1% of students in the country. Their stellar marks are the result of constant pressure and a strict punishment system, to the point where students avoid from any activities outside of studying. It is in this atmosphere that seven students and a teacher remain at school for the winter break, joined by Kim Yo Han, a psychiatrist who was forced to take shelter with them after he was involved in a car accident nearby. At a time when everyone else is celebrating Christmas Eve, the students realize that the anonymous letters they each received were not the result of a harmless prank; there was a murderer in their midst. A question lies unspoken: Are monsters created, or are humans born monsters? - asianwiki
Starring: Kim Sang Kyung, Baek Sung Hyun, Kim Young Kwang, Lee Soo Hyuk, Kwak Jung Wook, Hong Jong Hyun, Esom, Kim Hyun Joong/Kim Woo Bin, Sung Joon, Jung Suk Won, Lee El
Watch it if you like: psychological thrillers, suspense, complicated plots, characterization porn, small groups of people who don’t know/like each other forced to interact and get to know each other, symbolism, plot twists, Sung Joon’s everything, examinations of the nature of humanity and of evil, tight writing, perfect soundtrack choices, Kim Woo Bin’s beautiful devil face, attention to detail in every shot.
Why you might not like it: If you don’t like stories that go dark, this is not the story for you. And there aren’t enough ladies, which is one of the few weak points of the show. But the few ladies are fascinating, so.

Hey, y’all. I’m generally okay, but still feeling too overwhelmed to actually wade through my flist, so again I entreat you: link me to things! I can click on links when I can’t scroll through things. Ah, the joys of mental illness.

Anyway! I started watching Gaksital and I Do, I Do, and I like both of them lots in very different ways. Gaksital is great in a Robin Hood/Scarlet Pimpernel/City Hunter sort of way (and I never get tired of those stories), but with an added twist of having our protagonist be a bad guy at first. His moral journey is going to be SO MUCH FUN. I’ve only seen the first three episodes, so I need to catch up on the fourth before the next one gets subbed.

IDID is just light, breezy fun with Kim Sun Ah being flawlessly beautiful and Lee Jang Woo being too adorable for words, and I don’t hate the second leads for once! I do hate how much emphasis there is on the competition between the two main female characters: do we really need another bitch-off? Can’t they be friends? And I’m wary of the show going the route of “taking the competent career woman down a peg;” I really hope it subverts that at least a little. But other than that it’s hella cute and as long as it doesn’t get too annoying I’ll stick with it for a while.

I’ll probably be checking out Big despite my wariness of the Hong sisters. But I can’t resist Gong Yoo and that precious kid who looks like Sungyeol and Myungsoo’s love child and also I’ve heard good things about it. So.

Ranking King is finally decent! Especially since this latest episode was the “Dongwoo is the most delightful person on the planet” show. Because Dongwoo is the most delightful person on the planet, and I want to squish him. And also do naughty things to him, because he is also HOT. I’m also rejoicing that everyone else recognizes that Sungyeol is the smartest kid in that band because he is. And Myungsoo coming in last was hilarious. Actually, the whole episode was fun, which was such a relief after the last two that just weren’t. I’ll try to keep the rest of my Infinite feelings to tumblr. Except for fic, which is totally forthcoming (Lauren writing slash, did you ever think you'd see the day?).

As for Western TV, I realized that I never finished the last few episodes of this season of Cougar Town, so I need to get on that stat. I watched the pilot of Revenge and enjoyed it well enough (I won't lie: I'm checking out this show because tumblr has made me love Nolan), so I'll probably be working my way through it slowly. And I intend to start Teen Wolf shortly because everyone on my tumblr dash is obsessed with it and while I am typically impervious to peer pressure, somehow I am completely susceptible to it when it comes to TV.

And now for what I’m really here for: a new rec!

Queen In-Hyun's Man




Summary: Kim Boong Do is a scholar who had supported the reinstatement of Queen In Hyun when Jang heebin's schemes resulted in her being deposed and replaced as King Sukjong's queen consort. He travels 300 years into the future of modern Seoul and meets Choi Hee Jin, a no-name actress who is expecting a career renaissance through her role as Queen In Hyun in a TV drama - dramawiki
Can be watched on: dramacrazy, kimchidramas
Starring: Ji Hyun Woo, Yoo In Na, Kim Jin Woo, Ga Deuk Hi
Watch it if you like: time-travel, adorable people in love, smart heroes, smart writing, excellent pacing, romances that are sweet without being saccharine, plot twists that will actually make your jaw drop, barriers to romance that are actually barriers and not just idiot plots, culture clash, costume dramas, political intrigue (but not too much political intrigue), competence in your leads, characters who totally deserve to be happy, good people doing the right thing because it’s the right thing.
Why you might not like it: If you hate romance and love and adorableness. No but really: this is a straight-up romance with time-travelling goodness, and though it is swoony and adorable and lovely, it isn’t cheesy at all


Y’all, this is one of the most satisfying romances I have ever seen, and the leads are definitely one of my all-time OTPs. And Boong Do might just be my ideal man. I cannot gush over it enough. It’s a straight-up romance without having to be a guilty pleasure at all, because the writing is smart and the characters are smart and good people, and you just want them to be happy and together and everything in it feels earned. There’s no insulting of intelligence the way there so often is in romances. There’s angst enough for conflict but the angst is driven by both the plot and characters in ways that make total sense. It doesn’t lag in the last third like so many shows do. And just when you think the plot twists are behind you, a new one shows up! All in all, I love every single thing about this drama, and if it weren’t for Shut Up Flower Boy Band, I can’t imagine another drama getting anywhere close to this one on the top of my Best of the Year list. WATCH IT.

Hey, y’all. I’m generally okay, but still feeling too overwhelmed to actually wade through my flist, so again I entreat you: link me to things! I can click on links when I can’t scroll through things. Ah, the joys of mental illness.

Anyway! I started watching Gaksital and I Do, I Do, and I like both of them lots in very different ways. Gaksital is great in a Robin Hood/Scarlet Pimpernel/City Hunter sort of way (and I never get tired of those stories), but with an added twist of having our protagonist be a bad guy at first. His moral journey is going to be SO MUCH FUN. I’ve only seen the first three episodes, so I need to catch up on the fourth before the next one gets subbed.

IDID is just light, breezy fun with Kim Sun Ah being flawlessly beautiful and Lee Jang Woo being too adorable for words, and I don’t hate the second leads for once! I do hate how much emphasis there is on the competition between the two main female characters: do we really need another bitch-off? Can’t they be friends? And I’m wary of the show going the route of “taking the competent career woman down a peg;” I really hope it subverts that at least a little. But other than that it’s hella cute and as long as it doesn’t get too annoying I’ll stick with it for a while.

I’ll probably be checking out Big despite my wariness of the Hong sisters. But I can’t resist Gong Yoo and that precious kid who looks like Sungyeol and Myungsoo’s love child and also I’ve heard good things about it. So.

Ranking King is finally decent! Especially since this latest episode was the “Dongwoo is the most delightful person on the planet” show. Because Dongwoo is the most delightful person on the planet, and I want to squish him. And also do naughty things to him, because he is also HOT. I’m also rejoicing that everyone else recognizes that Sungyeol is the smartest kid in that band because he is. And Myungsoo coming in last was hilarious. Actually, the whole episode was fun, which was such a relief after the last two that just weren’t. I’ll try to keep the rest of my Infinite feelings to tumblr. Except for fic, which is totally forthcoming (Lauren writing slash, did you ever think you'd see the day?).

As for Western TV, I realized that I never finished the last few episodes of this season of Cougar Town, so I need to get on that stat. I watched the pilot of Revenge and enjoyed it well enough (I won't lie: I'm checking out this show because tumblr has made me love Nolan), so I'll probably be working my way through it slowly. And I intend to start Teen Wolf shortly because everyone on my tumblr dash is obsessed with it and while I am typically impervious to peer pressure, somehow I am completely susceptible to it when it comes to TV.

And now for what I’m really here for: a new rec!

Queen In-Hyun's Man




Summary: Kim Boong Do is a scholar who had supported the reinstatement of Queen In Hyun when Jang heebin's schemes resulted in her being deposed and replaced as King Sukjong's queen consort. He travels 300 years into the future of modern Seoul and meets Choi Hee Jin, a no-name actress who is expecting a career renaissance through her role as Queen In Hyun in a TV drama - dramawiki
Can be watched on: dramacrazy, kimchidramas
Starring: Ji Hyun Woo, Yoo In Na, Kim Jin Woo, Ga Deuk Hi
Watch it if you like: time-travel, adorable people in love, smart heroes, smart writing, excellent pacing, romances that are sweet without being saccharine, plot twists that will actually make your jaw drop, barriers to romance that are actually barriers and not just idiot plots, culture clash, costume dramas, political intrigue (but not too much political intrigue), competence in your leads, characters who totally deserve to be happy, good people doing the right thing because it’s the right thing.
Why you might not like it: If you hate romance and love and adorableness. No but really: this is a straight-up romance with time-travelling goodness, and though it is swoony and adorable and lovely, it isn’t cheesy at all


Y’all, this is one of the most satisfying romances I have ever seen, and the leads are definitely one of my all-time OTPs. And Boong Do might just be my ideal man. I cannot gush over it enough. It’s a straight-up romance without having to be a guilty pleasure at all, because the writing is smart and the characters are smart and good people, and you just want them to be happy and together and everything in it feels earned. There’s no insulting of intelligence the way there so often is in romances. There’s angst enough for conflict but the angst is driven by both the plot and characters in ways that make total sense. It doesn’t lag in the last third like so many shows do. And just when you think the plot twists are behind you, a new one shows up! All in all, I love every single thing about this drama, and if it weren’t for Shut Up Flower Boy Band, I can’t imagine another drama getting anywhere close to this one on the top of my Best of the Year list. WATCH IT.

A note about my life: Just a quick word—I feel a new wave of depression coming on. It may not turn out to be anything, but it may also be quite big. When that happens, I have an extremely hard time wading through my flist without feeling overwhelmed. So if there’s anything you post that you think I might especially like to see or that you’d really like me to check out, feel free to drop a link and I’ll get to it when I can (seriously, I always say that, but few people take me up on it, and I suspect it’s because they think I don’t mean it, but I DO!). I hate missing things, but sometimes I just can’t deal with my flist. (On a related note: I need to give myself permission to miss things on tumblr. I have this tendency to go back and back until I’m all caught up, and with the size of my dashboard, that is just ridiculous. I don’t know why I feel like I CAN’T MISS ANYTHING, but I do, and it kind of sucks.)

ANYWAY. This post is what I’ll be adding to my Kdrama recs post. Because Love Rain was wonderful, y’all!


Love Rain





Summary: "Love Rain" depicts a 1970's pure love and a love from the present day at the same time. It shows how the children of a previous ill-fated couple, who met in the 1970s, managed to meet and fall in love. Seo In Ha and Kim Yoon Hee, an art student and a shy beauty, met and fell in love with each other during college in the 1970s but unfortunately their love was fated to never be. Now in the present 21st century Korea, Seo In Ha's son, Seo Joon (a liberal photographer) meets and falls in with the daughter of Kim Yoon Hee, Jung Ha Na, a cheerful and energetic girl who's personality is different from her mother's. Will their love for each other keep them together or will they have to face the same fate as their parents? - dramawiki
Can be watched on: dramafever, viki.com.
Starring: Jang Geun Suk, Im Yoonah, Jung Jin Young, Lee Mi Sook.
Watch it if you like: drop-dead gorgeous cinematography (this is easily one of the most beautiful dramas ever), Yoona’s adorable face, a great soundtrack (especially in the 70’s era), complicated familial relationships, relationships where the couple is really good for each other, beautiful angst, adorable young love, dramas where the images are more important than the dialogue, being blown away at how Jang Geun Suk and Yoonah manage to create two completely distinctive characters each in the same drama, satisfying romances, a celebration of the seasons.
Why you might not like it: This is a straight-up romance. It’s classified as a melodrama, but I feel like after the first four episodes, it really isn’t, as the show gets much lighter (with just enough angst to have some actual plot) from there. If you aren’t in the mood for love, skip this one.
An important note: This is really two dramas in one. The first four episodes, focusing on young Yoon Hee and In Ha falling in love at college in the 1970s is insanely beautiful and quiet and lovely, though some people might find it slow (I didn’t). It’s also very much a romantic melodrama. But starting in episode 5, we leap forward to the present day, and the show is much lighter, the ship much more vivid, and the mood is very different. If the first four episodes aren’t really working for you, you can skip forward to the 5th without missing too much, imo. Definitely give the second generation a try if the first doesn’t work for you.

( spoilery thoughts behind the cut )

All in all, I loved it and found it very satisfying. It’s my third favorite drama of the year so far, after Shut Up! Flower Boy Band and Queen In-hyun’s Man. That may change when I get a chance to watch Bridal Mask, though, who knows.

Somebody made the TV Tropes page for Inspector Spacetime and then somebody else wrote badfic (LOOK AT THAT TITLE I MIGHT DIE OF LOVE) and have I mentioned that fandom is my boyfriend and I love it more than I love British television? HOW CAN FANDOM BE SO AWESOME?


Also, y'all should check out this:



Not a ton of fic yet, but what's there is quality.

Can everyone please be writing me ALL the post-S8 Buffy/Spike fic now? Because I just read this flawless piece and it reminded me that post-S8 Buffy/Spike fic is currently MY FAVORITE THING IN THE WORLD and also "Embers" just ended and I'm going into withdrawals.

I mean seasonal_spuffy is just around the corner and signups are now, and I would not at all be adverse to all of you writing me post-S8 Buffy/Spike. Just so you know.

So y'all should all go read this Ben/Leslie fic now. But be prepared for it to take over your life before you finish and for you to feel ALL THE FEELINGS it is possible to feel. Yes, I teared up multiple times while reading it. GO READ IT NOW PLEASE.