On Hospital Playlist: The Endgame

The writer and director combo are back with Hospital Playlist, and once again wreak havoc.

This is going to be a very long road, with a season two and perhaps season three. I don’t dread that it’s going to drag — but please don’t turn into “How I Met Your Mother” — as the five friends are a joy to watch.

 

But, fine. Let me put this in writing and see if I still get the writer Lee Woo-Jeong right.

I think the endgame is going to be Jeong-Won (Yoo Yeon-Seok) and Song-Hwa (Jeon Mi-Do).

It’s just a hunch — I am sure others can dig deeper on the meta and what-not. Perhaps it’s because of the fact that “the third son” is revealed in the manner befitting the previous “husband hunt” games of the Reply series. This is Reply 1999.

Anyway, let’s just not start another shipping war, shall we?

Or is it on already?

*sigh*

Afterthoughts on Forest of Secrets, and Its Biggest Mystery…

This is courtesy of dearest pal Al whose claim that Forest of Secrets (비밀의 숲/Secret Forest, or Stranger on Netflix) is on par or even better than Signal nudged one to succumb to temptation. Now that one has finished it (twice!), one should get these thoughts out of one’s system before one starts swinging axe to kill bug #29. Coherence be d@#n3d!

There is a scene in episode 14 that reminds one of a shot in Pacific Rim’s closing credits sequence. In a rather wierd way, it makes a handy shorthand for a summary of one’s impression of this drama. Forest of Secrets among kdramas is like Mr Del Torro’s Pacific Rim among Mr Bay’s Transformers films. And one agrees with the following sentiments: (0). Well-written and well-executed story; (1). Jo Seung-Woo and Bae Doo-Na take it to another level; (2). Those smiles! (3). More adventures of Hwang Shi-Mok and Han Yeo-Jin, please —they definitely can pilot a Jaeger together. Because this is one of those rare cases in which one actually digs the (non existent) romance in a non-romantic crime mystery thriller drama, indicated by the lack of need for palate cleanser afterwards (it’s Mitchellian rants and outbursts these days). In short, Forest of Secrets is a Kdrama done right.

Going Rogue #2: Hwarang, Penultimate Week’s Afterthought

One doesn’t usually bother writing about kdramas one finds less than satisfactory. So this must be a lunacy, possibly with a capital L, on one’s part. This drama must have caused one’s wiring to short-circuit. Otherwise, how should one explain the following baffling experience…

At the end of episode 18, Sam Maek Jong walks into the Royal Court, interrupting whatever debate the court is rolling, and introducing himself as the King. Yet, one’s brain played a different game: “7 things Sam Maek Jong might be thinking whilst strutting…”

One came up with these initial possibilities…

(First) Impression on Naeil’s Cantabile

 

Since I have seen up to week four’s episode 7, I am not sure this qualifies as a “first impression”.

Why oh why should it change the Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto no.2 to Grieg’s Piano Concerto? It only reminded me of the famous Morecambe and Wise’s Christmas comedy sketch.

Anticipating Beethoven Virus

The synopsis sounds like any other K-dramas, just in different set-up. It’s because Beethoven Virus has director Lee Jae Gyu of Damo fame on the helmet, and Kim Myung Min (White Tower) as the lead. Moreover, I read that this is inspired (loosely) by Nodame Cantabile.

 

Kim Myung Min plays a conductor in Beethoven Virus