Our Universe: (5-6) I DO NOT like SML. Go away, sir. This drama is very uneven, but when it works, it works, and it works best when Bae In-hyuk is caring for Woo-joo (and the FL) in his new family of three. Controversial take: scary dad was telegraphed in ep 1 so it’s no surprise, but I’m actually fine with his reappearance, because it should shift more focus back to the leads and Woo-joo. But mostly, I want unlimited episodes of Bae In-hyuk bonding with bebe.
Undercover Miss Hong: (through 5) Quite a lot of fun, even if it doesn’t have the emotional weight or wit (yet?) that would elevate this to a “love” for me. This is a great ensemble, and my favorite characters are the side ones: cute nepo-baby Albert, sweet Nora whose hair holds secrets (?), cute engineer nerd (😍), and long-suffering boss (LOL THE PAPER CRANES LOL HIS STRESS EATING).
Have started slow rewatches of The Matchmakers (my #1) and Pegasus Market. They’re very different dramas, but both are gentle, if that makes sense. I associate some dramas with the feelings of different seasons, and these both feel like spring.
Finished
The Art of Sarah: I had a great time watching Mr. Handsome Detective and his eager puppy sidekick unravel the mystery of Sarah Kim. SHS makes a great enigma; her intense energy and screen presence is really suited to these kinds of roles (moreso than to romcoms, in my opinion). She’s SO GOOD in this. The way Sara consumes and discards people like disposable fast fashion is chilling but fascinating. I adore Lee Jun-hyuk, and I enjoyed watching as he carefully followed the thread of the mystery. His calmness was the perfect foil for the machinations of Sarah, with SHS at her mercurial best. The setup seemed pretty straightforward for this kind of con story, but the narrative kept getting complicated by the addition of new threads with each passing episode. I shall say no more, as other things I would like to say about their performances would get too spoilery. As for the ending, I wanted a bit more totality, but overall I enjoyed the watch and getting to see LJH and SHS be their great selves.