Author: kfangurl

Quick Announcement: Copy & paste no longer allowed on this site

| kfangurl

Hi everyone,

This is just a quick announcement to let you all know that I’ve just installed a plugin on the site, to prevent theft of my content.

The trigger for this, is that over the last couple of days, 3 of my posts have been stolen and republished on another website which clearly just steals from other sites, because I saw a Dramabeans recap also posted there.

I am having trouble locating the host of this thieving website, and so, I can’t serve a DMCA notice. I’m not TOO upset about that, because with the plugin that I’ve just installed, they can’t steal any more of my posts, and neither can anyone else.

Unfortunately, this also means that you guys won’t be able to right-click, highlight, copy or paste on the blog, sorry about that. 🙁

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Flash Review: Lesson In Love [Taiwan]

| kfangurl

This.. was a weird one, for me.

I guess this really is a case of “your mileage may vary,” because a quick scan of viewer reactions on MyDramaList tells me that lots of people really, really enjoyed this one, and think it’s truly one of the best things, ever.

The thing is, I found this weirdly watchable, which is how I ended up finishing it, and yet, coming away from the finish line, I still don’t think it’s a very good drama. 😅

I’ll elaborate on that in a bit – hopefully in a way that actually makes sense, because right now, my thoughts are all over the place, kinda like how I feel this drama is all over the place. 😁

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Review: Meet Yourself [China]

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

A gentle slice-of-life story, with an earthy-yet-squeeworthy OTP at the center, and beautiful yet rustic views of gorgeous Yunnan? So much Yes, for me, personally. 🥰

Watching this show is like going on a long vacation with these characters, where we get to be a silent member of the community, sitting in on their conversations, while lounging on their couches, like we’re part of this found family.

Sure, there are bound to be arcs that you like less (I personally wasn’t that interested in Mr. Ma’s arc), but there’s almost definitely something for everyone, among Show’s various arcs.

Plus, Show’s overall vibe is so warm and cozy, that it feels relatively easy to roll over any bumps in the watch experience.

As a bonus, Show shines a pretty educational spotlight on the topic of rural displacement, while putting faces to the phenomenon, and telling that story with heart. I liked that.

You do need to be in the right mood for this, so yes, you may not want to watch this right now. But when you do find yourself in that right mood, this is quite blissful indeed. 🥰
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Early Access: Call It Love Episodes 1 & 2

| kfangurl

Hi everyone!

Today, I thought I’d share my episode 1 & 2 notes on Call It Love, because I’m liking it a lot, and I was wondering if you’d like to join me? 🤗

These are my episode 1 & 2 notes, exactly as they appear on Patreon, ie, without screenshots (I’m saving those for the actual review).

I hope you all enjoy, and I hope you’ll consider joining us over on Patreon, for the rest of the discussions! ❤️

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This Month On Patreon: April 2023

| kfangurl

We are in full swing into 2023, for reals – It’s now April!! (And to think that I’ve only just recently posted my 2022 Year-in-Review! 😅 It’s here, though, if you missed it.)

Because it’s the 1st of April, it’s time for another This Month on Patreon post!

But this time, I also have a quick announcement, which you’ll see just above the section where I talk about which reviews will post this month.

So this month, the overview of this post is a little more like:

1. Why I’m on Patreon, and why I hope you’ll consider supporting me on Patreon;

2. My April-specific personal update;

3. Which Patreon-related reviews are due this month;

4. What shows I’m considering for coverage on Patreon, to replace shows that have completed their cycles, and

5. What you can expect, as a patron.

I hope you guys find this helpful &/or informative, and I hope you’ll consider supporting me on Patreon! ❤️

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Year In Review: 2022

| kfangurl

I know, I know. This Year-In-Review is suuper late; I’ve always typically published my year-end post before 31 December each year, and now, it’s already the middle of March! 😅

If you’ve been around the blog, though, you’d know that this was because we’ve been having year-end posts from folks on Patreon, so that we can have a more wholistic look at Dramaland’s offerings, comparatively speaking.

What I mean is, I’m just one person, so there’s a limit to the number of shows I can check out in a year, even if I did nothing but watch dramas all year long.

With the community chiming in, we get to see a bigger range of dramas mentioned – and if certain shows get mentioned a lot as being really good (or really disappointing), then the rest of us know to pay extra attention. 😉

I hope that after 14 (!!) guest year-end wrap posts (they’re all listed here!), you’ve still got room in your heart for one more. 😅

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Open Thread: Winter Sonata Episode 20 [Final]

| kfangurl

Welcome to the Open Thread, everyone! Thanks for joining us for this fated commemorative group watch of Winter Sonata! This really is the final one. 🥲

What a ride this has been. Huge, HUGE thanks to Trent, for being our MVP, week after week, and allowing us to see this show through his eyes!

SOME IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS, before we begin:

1. There is NO SPOILER ZONE this week, since we are at the finale.

2. This is a heads-up, that after this show, we’ll be taking a break from group watches for a while, because I very much need some breathing space, and this is one way to get some. 😅

I’ll make an announcement, when I feel ready to take on another group watch – which will come, I promise!

Without further ado, here are Trent’s reactions to episode 20; have fun in the Open Thread, everyone! ❤️

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Open Thread: Winter Sonata Episode 19

| kfangurl

Welcome to the Open Thread, everyone! Thanks for joining us for this fated commemorative group watch of Winter Sonata!

I know you guys thought this would be the final one – but surprise! It’s not. 😅 Details below, in the announcements section.

SOME IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS, before we begin:

1. Trent’s had quite an upheaval to his schedule this week, and long story short, he had to travel at the last minute, in order to cover someone else’s work, because that someone else had gotten into a car accident.

I’m amazed that he was even able to cover episode 19, honestly.

Trent’s working on the notes for episode 20, but will need a couple of days at the very least, since he’s juggling not only his own schedule, but someone else’s as well. We’ll release it when it’s ready; thank you for your patience!

In the meantime, can I just say, THANK YOU TRENT, YOU ARE A ROCK STAR! ⭐️❤️

2. There is NO SPOILER ZONE this week, since we are on the cusp of the finale – please hold your spoilery episode 20 thoughts for the episode 20 notes, when they come out!

3. This is a heads-up, that after this show, we’ll be taking a break from group watches for a while, because I very much need some breathing space, and this is one way to get some. 😅

I’ll make an announcement, when I feel ready to take on another group watch – which will come, I promise!

Without further ado, here are Trent’s reactions to episode 19; have fun in the Open Thread, everyone! ❤️

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Flash Review: Fan Letter, Please

| kfangurl

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve managed to review a short drama thing, but when I saw this one announced a while ago, I knew that I wanted to squeeze this into my schedule, somehow.

And so, when serendipity had it that I finished The Glory Part 1 (review here!) with 2 weeks to spare before Part 2 dropped, I knew I’d found my window.

And, I’m happy to say that it was well worth making time for this little show, because I would’ve been quite sorry to have missed it, for focusing too hard on all the other buzzier, full-length dramas that are always competing for my attention. 😅

Come see if this one would work for you too?

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Review: Crash Course In Romance

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

When Show is at its best, it’s warm, funny and cozy-slurpy in the best way. Mature leads with fantastic acting chops and great chemistry? A shiny-pretty rom-com world? Easy-breezy music to score it all? Check, check and check.

On the downside, Show attempts to fit in a side of murder, AND a keen spotlight on the potential hazards of a highly competitive academic system, and after a while, Show’s focus gets muddied with these extras.

The downsides aren’t enough to be a deal-breaker for me personally, but I do think that your mileage may vary.

Overall, I found this warm, fuzzy and worthwhile, despite Show’s narrative detours into less warm, less fuzzy things.

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