She Would Never Know

Dear kfangurl: What are your guilty pleasure dramas?

| kfangurl

Shahz writes:

Hey KFG. Hope you are well. An idea for “ask KFG” post was one around what your guilty pleasures are? And opening that same question up to the KFG community. In particular those that you couldn’t explain to a non K drama lover.

So for me three immediately come to mind. The first being “Secret Garden”. Body shifting, toxic couple. Female lead sometimes one note, an annoying mother but even though I watched this ten years after it was shown I still fell for all the iconic lines.

The second ” “You are Beautiful”. Cross dressing nun joins a pop band pretending to be her male twin. The chemistry between the OTP never sizzles but it is oh so sweet and actually what develops is a nurturing relationship despite the communication problems. And Jang Keun-suk is so mesmerising beautiful that you can’t take your eyes off him.

The third is” Don’t dare to dream”. Questionable OTP and questionable decisions and at one point the female lead dates both the ML and the second lead at the same but the sparkling chemistry between the leads makes this a great binge watch.

And an honourable mention for Masters Sun. FL sees ghosts and ML acts as a barrier to those ghosts but uses this power to manipulate the FL into furthering his interests but again the sizzling chemistry between the leads makes the show so bingeable”

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Dear kfangurl: What are some underrated gems that need more love?

| kfangurl

MC writes:

Another idea for a Dear Fangurl post – would you want to do a list of shows that you love but are often passed over or neglected / underrated?

Cos every year there are so many new shiny shows but there are so many good ones that pass under the radar because of low ratings or are older etc.

This could be a love note or shoutout to them.

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Announcement: Scripting Your Destiny episode notes!

| kfangurl

So you might remember that I mentioned in my April This Month on Patreon post, that I was considering Scripting Your Destiny as a replacement show for She Would Never Know, for coverage on Patreon on the Early Access Tier (US$5).

Well, as it turns out, I had to make a quick change of plans because even though I really liked what I saw when I checked out the Scripting Your Destiny, I hadn’t realized that each episode was only about 20-ish minutes long, making it more of a short format drama thing, rather than a full-fledged drama. Oops. 😅 As you might have seen from my announcement on my She Would Never Know review, I’ve picked Beyond Evil for coverage on the Early Access Tier instead.

At the same time, my enjoyment of the initial episodes of Scripting Your Destiny did give me a fun little idea, which I hope you guys will like. 😃

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Review: She Would Never Know

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

You might need a tiny bit of patience with this one in its early episodes, but Show turns into such a thoughtful, sweet, sensitive love story, that it’s completely worth it. Our story leans restrained and slice-of-life in execution, so some viewers might find it too small of a story, but I love it.

Our central love story is teased out with a detailed, sensitive and tender touch, and the resulting feels are organically swoony and so satisfying.

Our leads are great together, and Ro Woon is especially wholesome and endearing as a young man smitten with his sunbae.

As a bonus, our supporting characters and their relationships also get a similarly thoughtful treatment, making for a very enjoyable watch overall.

Show remains consistent all the way through, and even manages an ending that feels earned and satisfying. Highly recommend. ❤️

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Dear kfangurl: Can you talk about slice-of-life dramas and why we like them?

| kfangurl

Yin writes:

First of all, I am an avid fan of your blog and am so grateful for your detailed, thoughtful reviews of various Korean dramas. You probably don’t remember me, but I loved The Third Charm and posted once on your blog using the handle “erstwing” about how much your review of the show resonated with me.

I have a question about genre that I was wondering if you might address/discuss on your blog one day. What do you make of the label “slice-of-life?” What are some “slice-of-life” Korean dramas and what makes them so?

Based on the shows you have reviewed, I feel like you enjoyed this category of dramas, and thought you might have some wisdom to share. If you do enjoy “slice-of-life” dramas, what are some reasons?

The label is used a lot in Kdrama discourse, but unlike other more established genres like the melodrama and the rom com, “slice-of-life” seems to be much hazier as a concept.

I even did some research into American analogues and/or antecedents, but haven’t been able to find anything meaningful.

Full disclosure: I am a college professor and my current research project investigates the slice-of-life genre in Korean dramas. I’m teaching in the US but I am actually from Singapore, so your blog is literally close to home for me. 🙂

Thanks again for all your insights and for the time you’ve generously given to cultivating this Kdrama fan community. 🙂

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Review: Run On

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Widely loved and well-regarded, Show boasts a cast of quirky characters, who learn from one another, how to grow as individuals and how to better live life, in the course of their relationships with one another.

To be brutally honest, despite my best efforts, Show’s brand of quirk never did sit easily with me, and I also never felt like I was naturally able to “get” these characters fully.

However, on the upside, the pockets of healthy relationship dynamics, and the regular nuggets of wholesome wisdom that are sprinkled through our story, definitely sweeten the watch experience. On top of that, Show does offer some solid food for thought as well.

Not my personal favorite, but it could well be yours. Definitely a case of your mileage may vary.

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This Month On Patreon: April 2021

| kfangurl

Hi everyone! This is a new feature that I’ve decided to start, thanks to feedback from Mahima, who shared with me that she hadn’t realized that I have a Patreon page, until I’d mentioned it in my recent post on the Ji Soo bullying controversy.

This made me realize that the various, more unobtrusive ways that I let you guys know about my Patreon page (via the sidebar, blurbs at the end of relevant reviews, and my Watching page) aren’t actually enough to create sufficient awareness, particularly for those of you who don’t visit all that often, or those of you who don’t happen to spend a lot of time exploring the blog.

That inspired me to start a monthly post on:

1. what’s happening on Patreon in a given month,

2. exactly when you can expect to see various Patreon-related reviews in the month,

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

4. 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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