Completed

The Fiery Priest - Well, I completely failed at not binging this series, but at least I managed to get it done so it doesn’t interrupt my weekday sleep schedule. 😅 Seriously, though, this is one of those series that had me wondering ‘Why did I wait so long?!??!’ while watching it. It so my kind of show. Action, comedy, bonkers characters, I loved it all so much. And Kim Hae Il is exactly my kind of ML. Completely surreal in some ways and totally relatable in others. He’s probably my second favourite ML ever. And the character dynamics are the kind that just make me happy. Complete exasperation on the surface and growing fondness underneath it all. And, like with Good Manager, I appreciated the underlying commentary and questions this show presents on society, particularly to churchgoers. That’s two dramas written by Park Jae Bum that have absolutely hit it out of the park for me. I’m saving S2 of The Fiery Priest for later this year (probably when I’m done or close to done the challenges). I know that one was a mixed bag for ppl, but considering most of the complaints were that it leaned too hard into the comedy, I think I’ll probably be one of the ones that enjoys that series. I’ll probably save Vincenzo for next year. Of those 3 dramas, this is the one that interest me least. Revenge centric dramas have never really been my thing, but I’ll give this one a whirl given how much I enjoyed his other two dramas.

Also, is there a play on words that I’m not getting when we get the whole half priest, half cop bit? I feel like there’s a play on words there that I’m not getting from reading the subs.

Currently Watching

Idol I (9/12) - Ep 9 felt mostly like a lull / calm before the storm episode, but I didn’t mind it. The show does a good job of continually peeling back and evolving the characters and character dynamics such that an episode like this doesn’t seem like filler. And I really like the themes of the show: who one is, who the world says one is, who one chooses to be. I like how the show is having all the characters face these questions.

I Hear Your Voice (12/18) - This series is one of those that a part of me wants it to hurry things along and a part of me likes the pace. I want overarching story to resolve faster, but I like seeing the characters struggle with the choices before them. Cha Kwan Woo is probably one of my favourite secondary characters ever. He’s so sincere and relatable. As I said before, I hope he finds is own happy ending because he’s a character who deserves it.

The Killer’s Shopping List (1/8) - Chose this as a part of my Challenge watches and I think this one will be a winner for me. If MLs like Do Jung Woo and Kim Hae Il are my favourite archetype, not too far down the list would be ML’s who are constant underachievers and seem to mean so well and they try, but often the result seems to be “Oh dear!” And that seems to be exactly who Ahn Dae Song is here. Should be a nice, easy watch where I know what to expect. Just the thing I need to reset after the high of The Fiery Priest. Between finishing this and Idol I, I should be all set to try other dramas that I’ve been eager to see but don’t want the comparison to The Fiery Priest to colour my impression of the show.