☕️ LEE DONG WOOK & "A Shop For Killers" Totally Delivers!

☕️ Happy Monday

It’s time for another KDrama Coffee Break! ☕️

My apologies for how late this is in landing in your inbox today! I was out adulting all day yesterday networking at a Union event - as much as I WANT to spend my days chatting and writing about Kdramas…it doesn’t pay well 😆 

This week we’re seeing only 2 Premiers and 1 Finale - thank god. I’m still behind on the content dump from last week.

And I’m back in Astrology School so I’m dusting off ye ole AstroCorner and chatting about Aquarius this week ♒️ I’ll probably start looking at actor charts as projects of theirs premiere - so stay tuned for a look at SON SUKKU very soon. He’s an Aquarian & has a February Premiere!

Don’t forget to vote in the poll to let us know where you stand on
“Flex X Cop” vs. “Doctor Slump” 💪

Twice a week, on Fridays & Mondays we land in your inbox with news & casting highlights, trailers from around the internet plus our kdrama weekly & monthly calendars and thoughts.

Whether you’re one of our Ko-fi Crew, YouTube friend, or a brand new arrival we are thrilled to have you as part of our kdrama community!

WEEKLY LINEUP
What Are We Watching?

Things look to be slowing down before we head into February.

• One note from last week’s calendar: “LTNS” will be 2 episodes for 3 weeks. It did not drop all at once on Viki - if anyone is watching.

• Obviously, this week I am most excited for the return of AHN BO HYUN in “Flex X Cop”. “See You In My 19th Life” was a huge disappointment and it will be nice to see him in a more action-oriented role. Though I think Woong from “Yumi’s Cells” will always be my favorite 🐸 

• We also have the return & reunion of PARK SHIN HYE & PARK HYUNG SIK in “Doctor Slump” and the finale of “Like Flowers In The Sand”

PREMIERES

⭐️ 01.26 FLEX X COP
⭐️ 01.27 DOCTOR SLUMP

FINALES

✅ 01.25 LIKE FLOWERS IN THE SAND

PREMIERE POLL
FLEX X COP vs DOCTOR SLUMP

JENN’S WATCHLIST
Two Highlights. The Rest ‘Meh’

▶︎ Marry My Husband
Still a highlight on my watchlist! Great reveal at the end of last week. PARK MIN YOUNG & NA IN WOO are giving me perfect RomCom. Excited to see where it all goes - I mean we aren’t even to the halfway mark yet! They are burning through story but I don’t feel rushed and I’m becoming more invested in these 2 time travelers every week.

▶︎ Love Song For Illusion
I jumped back after all the excitement it got on the LIVE last time. And I admit I like it more the more I watch it - but as you all know, I am a fickle bitch and I feel like I could drop it pretty easily if I get too overwhelmed, with life or my watchlist.

★ A Shop For Killers
LOVED IT. LEE DONG WOOK is so good in this role. Can’t wait to peel all the layers off of this mysterious character and his dark web color-coded killers Amazon store. I’m already deeply invested in this Uncle / Niece duo. KIM HYE JOON is always a delight and although I will forever be suspicious of PARK JI BIN after “Blind” they are a fun team to watch navigate the bonkers world of assassins they didn’t know existed until this moment. Speaking of assassins, looking forward to learning more about the horde of them descending on that house at the end of episode 2. Is anyone there to protect Code Green?

★ LTNS
Sad to say that it didn’t work for me. Even with ESOM & AHN JAE HONG leading it…it wasn’t sexy AT. ALL. It was almost too much in-your-face sex for no real reason. I may give it another few episodes to see if it finds its footing, I don’t want to waste this fantastic casting!

▶︎ Knight Flower
All the pieces are there for this to be a really great watch…but something is disjointed and I can’t quite figure out what it is. The cast is fantastic. LEE HANNEE, KIM MI KYUNG, LEE JONG WON, LEE KI WOO, PARK SE HYUN…you get the picture! And I love the interactions between our main couple, 2nd couple, brothers and ‘sisters’ but alas, I barely remember I’m watching it every week. 🤷‍♀️ 

✔︎ Welcome To Samdalri
We made it. The Finale was this past Sunday and I have to admit it was satisfying! It didn’t make up for the rest of the drama that didn’t work for me but the last 2 episodes I watched all the way through (with very minimal FF») My overall thoughts:

• I loved the fact that both Yong Pil & Sam Dal ended up pursuing and supporting each other’s dreams.

• KIM MI KYUNG and her band of Haenyeo’s on their buggies will never not be entertaining.

• I can’t believe they dragged that ridiculous Sang Do storyline allllllllll the way to the last episode. Good Lord. Give the man something ELSE to do! KANG YOUNG SEOK is a great actor and can do far more than pine for 16 episodes.

• The other sisters shined & I wish we had more of their stories - especially the oldest, Cho Jin Dal. I loved the story with the ex and wanted more of them.

• At the end of the day, SHIN HAE SUN & JI CHANG WOOK’s chemistry kept this one afloat for me. I believed they had been in love for 30+ years.

★ The Bequeathed
★ Captivating The King
I didn’t get to either of these Premieres because…Life. But they are definitely in the cue for this week so I’ll have thoughts on them on Sunday’s LIVE!

NEWS BITES
tvN Rolls Out An Exciting 2024 Lineup

📣 Break out your calendars! tvN has posted their drama release schedule. “Graduation” is the one I’m most excited about but this entire lineup is SOLID.

📣 YOO TEO, for his role in “Past Lives”, is the first Korean Male to receive a BAFTA Nomination. Congratulations!

📣 CJ ENM Celebrates their 2024 Visionary Awards. Awarding top talent SONG HYE KYO, KANG FULL, RYU SEUNG RYONG, UHM JUNG HWA and more!

ASTRO CORNER
Welcome to Aquarius Season!

Time to let your inner protester grab their sign & hit the streets!
 
Aquarius Season is here! Not just the Sun, but Pluto has officially moved into Aquarius, after being in Capricorn for the last 15 years, so it really IS the time of the Original ♒️ 

Aquarius is a fixed air sign. Once they have an idea it will take mountains to move them. Forward-thinking and engaging, this is where they often get that ‘Rebel’ label. And with that fixed energy they are COMMITTED to their causes.

Aquarians are all about the collective & social justice. They are very self-contained and don’t necessarily need people. Ruled by Saturn, this group understands restraint and discipline. But those born under this sign are also often visionaries, thought-provoking & fun!

Here are some of our favorite Aquarians in Kdramaland!

01.21 Jung Ryeo Won
01.25 Lee Junho & Huang Jung Eum
01.26 Jin Ki Joo
01.30 Esom & Kang Hanna
02.01 Ye Ji Won
02.03 Jung Sung Il & Pyo Ye Jin
02.07 Son Sukku & Lee Joon
02.09 Choi Jin Hyuk
02.10 Choi Sooyoung
02.11 Go Ara & Jeon Do Yeon
02.12 Park Bo Young & Cho Seung Woo
02.13 Park Ki Woong
02.14 Sung Hoon
02.16 Kim Soo Hyun
02.18 Kang Sora, Park Shin Hye & Park Sung Hoon

Looking at this list I have a few thoughts:

• Can.Not.Wait for “Graduation”. JUNG RYEO WON’s Aquarius ♒️ opposite WI HA JOON’s Leo ♌️ one of my favorite combos 🔥 

• KANG HANNA & LEE JOON both being Aquarians…no wonder “Bloody Heart” is on my all-time list ❤️‍🔥 

• I clearly have a thing for Aquarian KDrama Men ♒️ 
  Three of my ‘I’ll pretty much watch anything they’re in' are on this list (2 born on the same day 😈)

  • SON SUKKU

  • LEE JOON

  • PARK SUNG HOON

I’m back ‘in astrology school’ so I’ll be adding more Astro Corner as I go!

K3
Sunday’s LIVE KDrama Coffee Break Replay

LOVE our KDrama Coffee Breaks ☕️🤩

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Sunday!

• Over 10 kdramas on our watchlist

• Open Forum

• Marisa’s Ahjumma Travel Tips 🧳 

➕ We have Time Codes ▶︎
so you can jump right to your favorites and avoid spoilers!

🗓️ Mark your calendars we’re back again THIS Sunday!