Weekly Highlight: It’s all about the boys But seriously, this week, I finished 2 BLs, which is a feat. It helps that these BLs are short but still… quite amazing that I finished them and still manage to watch others like No Tail To Tell, The Art of Sarah, High Potential Season 2. I’d give this spot to The Art of Sarah. I literally started it today and I’m already at Episode 3. I’m a slow watcher but I’m going pretty fast here.
The Midnight Mood
The Soundtrack: Let’s go with YOARI’s Can’t Be from No Tail To Tell. Very mystical sounding that fits the theme of the show
The Midnight Snack: I’ve not been snacking this week. Been drinking Milo though.
Sugar, spice and everything nice is under wraps. Click here to read the full review!
Season/Episodes Covered: Season 1, Episodes 1-6
Quick Spark: Kano was holding a technical position when he is unexpectedly transferred to the Sales Department. There, he meets Ogami, who is seemingly strict and cold towards him. Kano was having a panic attack when he passes by a shrine and makes a wish. A wish that got him into a parallel world where Ogami is not the strict, cold man he knew.
The Hook: This is the few BLs that I know of that actually depicts the height difference that most BL readers know in the mangas. Ogami is H.U.G.E. Man literally towers over Kano. But aside from that, I like how both of these characters are complex. And the director or writer fitting the complexities of these characters and touching on parallel worlds in six episodes is a feat. You can easily butcher it but they didn’t. While I wish it is longer, and there is room for it to be longer, the length of the drama is short enough for me to finish this in one day. Fine by me. Girl needs to watch other shows too. What I also like about the show is how what you think is ideal may not actually be a good one. In a way, the grass is not always greener on the other side. And it takes one to go to that so-called “greener side” to know that it is not what you need or want.
Character Chemistry: Aside from looking good together and the height difference, I like how the two of them feed off each other. I don’t mean THAT way. Although that is also there and that scene was a little spicy. The way Ogami tried to help Kano in his own way and Kano did not realize that until he went into the parallel world. Kano learning that he was also the one driving people away rather than attracting them and changing his attitude and behaviour.
Pacing Check: It is just 6 episodes. Easy to finish in one day.
Final Sleepy Rating: 🦋 Heart-Flutter (the height difference, guys 🔥)
Status: Completed
Notable Mention: The guy acting as Ogami is so cute and he looks like one Korean actor that I can’t remember for the life of me. But if you think the same, let me know.
It’s so wholesome I’m kicking my feet in the air! Click here to read the full review!
Season/Episodes Covered: Season 1, Episodes 1-12
Quick Spark: Due to an illness, an introverted boy, Kohei, is slowly losing his sense of hearing. Then comes an extremely loud, carefree boy, Taichi, who quite literally lands in front of him. His voice is the only voice that he’s able to hear clearly.
The Hook: To be honest, the first half made me think it was bromance. It looked like a sweet, coming-of-age story of growing up and friendship. An extroverted guy who befriended that introverted boy in school who was treated differently because of his disabilities. Cute friendship. Yeah, right. Not in the second half of the show. Especially not when Kohei showed very obviously how smitten he was with Taichi. And Taichi was flushed everytime he thought of Kohei or when he felt jealousy when girls started talking to him. What got me to stay and continue watching is just how wholesome their whole story was.
Character Chemistry: The way Kohei spoke of Taichi and his face just lit up like he found his sun. If my man isn’t like that, I don’t want it. And let’s talk about how Taichi would stand up for Kohei. And how Kohei could only hear Taichi’s voice. He was so scared of losing his hearing because he was scared of not being able to hear Taichi’s voice again. I love that scene so much.
Pacing Check: The BL shows I’ve watched so far is more of less 10 episodes. But this one has 12 and it’s not enough. I need a Season 2.
Final Sleepy Rating: 🦋 Heart-Flutter (you will be kicking your feet in the air and giggling into your pillow)
Status: Completed
Notable Mention: Well, not really. Remember how I mentioned it looked like a bromance in the first half? Apparently, the producer called it bromance when the source material is BL genre.
The Week In Review: This week went better than the weeks before. I wasn’t feeling well – physically and mentally – so I slowed down and watched something comforting instead. Yes, that’d be Chef & My Fridge but there’s also my fave group’s YouTube contents. This week, though, I was back in full force.
The Highlights (What I Actually Watched)
No Tail To Tell (Ep 3-8): ☕ – Quick thought: In Korea, this show is not doing well but I find it interesting actually.
I Hear The Sunspot (Ep 7-8): 🦋 – Quick thought: I can see why some people find it to be more bromantic than BL. It can be seen as a typical coming-of-age, friendship drama. So far.
Our Universe (Ep 1-2): 🦋 – Quick thought: The baby is so cute. Every episode so far gives me baby fever. Woo Joo is so adorable. This baby is the main plot. Well, he is.
Chef & My Fridge (Ep 49-53): ☁️ – Q️uick thought: Erm… I hope Netflix gets the license to air the rest of the episodes. It’ll be weird if Ep 53 is the last one.
The Midnight Mood
The Snack: When I was watching all these shows, I was eating actual meals most of the time – either lunch or dinner. But I’ve been eating a few waffles quite lately. So, waffles it is 😂
The Vibe: Since I’ve been pretty much binge-watching No Tail To Tell till the last episode that Netflix has at the moment, I would say Can’t Be by YOARI, which is one of their soundtracks. It’s very mystical. It fits the theme of the show.
Looking Ahead
I might try to finish I Hear The Sunspot. I’ve also been seeing Honour on my TikTok fyp so I might give that one a go as well.
The Premise: Kim Jae Won is a quiet guy who spends his days minding his own business. That’s until he met the mysterious girl in school, Han Seo Yoon, due to a dare. They slowly fall in love but she has anterograde amnesia, which makes it difficult for her to form new memories.
The Highlights: Ah, the scenery is so beautiful throughout this movie. I’m in awe. I thought it was set in Busan but a quick Google search showed that it’s set in Yeosu. It is such a beautiful place and it helps with the whole setting of the movie – heartbreakingly beautiful. This is a Korean remake of a Japanese movie. However, I didn’t watch the Japanese original so nothing for me to compare. In terms of acting, can I just say that Choo Young Woo is doing wonders? I’ve seen him in multiple roles and he nailed them all really well, including this one. As for Shin Shi A, I’ve not seen her before. A quick search and she’s quite new actually. She did well for herself here as Han Seo Yoon. There is only a one-year gap between the two so there’s no awkwardness in terms of the chemistry. I’m not going to spoil anything but all I could say is that I sobbed. Truly sobbing. Tears running down like turning on the water tap. Eyes red, snots and all.
The Low Points: I wish the twist is not so abrupt. I know it’s trying to depict somewhat Seo Yoon’s amnesia. But as a viewer, I was confused. Maybe the move was deliberate – feeling a little bit like the female lead. The story did go back and told us what happened so it helped, which is when the sobbing starts for me.
Final Sleepy Rating: 🥀 (I was broken after this that I had to watch Chef & My Fridge to have a laugh)
Best Watched With: A box of Kleenex. Maybe a tub of ice cream. Suggested flavour: Salted caramel. When the tears fall into the ice cream, it wouldn’t taste any different – still salty.
Weekly Highlight: Chef & My Fridge For this week, I couldn’t stop watching this show. It is getting more and more hilarious and the chemistry between the chefs are so good. They look like a family to me and I just hope that it continues. And Netflix can get the licensing to continue with the show. I put a “?” because it was supposed to be till Episode 60. But it is showing till Episode 53 now.
The Midnight Mood
The Soundtrack: I’m going to go with a song that’s playing on my random Spotify playlist – Fools by Troye Sivan.
The Midnight Snack: My bottle of water. It feels so healthy but I’m just very thirsty while writing this post.
The Sleep Thief: I would say Chef & My Fridge. I was watching 3-4 episodes straight at one point.
Drop/Keep/Add
Keeping: Still No Tail To Tell. I’m pacing myself as it’s still ongoing.
Dropping: Nothing to drop this week. Yay!
Adding: Our Universe – This show might give the viewers baby fever. The baby is so cute!
Quick Spark: A successful lawyer was a secret fangirl of a popular idol boy group. But when her bias became a murder suspect, she had to tread the line between being his greatest supporter and defending him against the court of law.
The Hook: It started really well. As a fangirl myself, I feel that Maeng Se Na is relatable. At work, we are professionals in our industries. Once we remove our professional suits, we are fangirls, cheering for our fave group, streaming their songs, voting for them, splurging our money on their merchandises, their photos all up in our rooms. When our bias was embroiled in some dating “scandals”, our hearts will try to deny that it’s true. We put our biases on a pedestal but we forgot that they are also humans. This is something that the show touched on with Do Ra Ik. He’s doing what he loves, which is music. But doing so, he had to sacrifice his freedom and privacy. Due to his fame, the public also easily brought him down after he was being put as a prime suspect for a murder. That aspect of the show is something that I like. Not so much the love story. I would love for the show to touch on the similarities between Do Ra Ik’s case and Se Na’s own dad’s case. They did touch on it but we didn’t get to see her trying to clear her dad’s name at the end, which is a shame. Some people might find the real suspect for the murder case to be a twist. It wasn’t for me. I was able to guess it. But still, I give it a ☕ rating.
Character Chemistry: Some people might not like this but I find Se Na having more chemistry with Chung Jae and Byung Gyun than with Ra Ik. For Chung Jae, probably due to him knowing her before she became a successful lawyer. Seeing her grow to be who she is and got inspired by her. Also, seeing her fangirling side and still not leaving her side, supporting her all the way. That is a green flag, honestly. For Byung Gyun, I might be a bit biased – I like myself an enemy-to-lovers trope. It would have been interesting. To me, I just can’t get past the fact that she is a fangirl. Sure, a fangirl doesn’t know everything about her idol but how that plays out in a relationship – it can get weird. If she’s just a fan of the music without being too involved in the fandom, sure, I guess it might be more believable.
Pacing Check: It is actually quite good. It has its comedic moments and then the writer would pull it back and it got serious/deep/mysterious. It makes the viewers keep watching, clicking that next button. I don’t really like the ending though it ties it off real smoothly with no loose ends, except Se Na’s dad’s case. But it is otherwise a show that is perfect for binge-watching.
Final Sleepy Rating: ☕ Wide Awake (Binge-able)
Status: Completed
Notable mention: The main actress is Sooyoung who is an idol herself from Girls’ Generation. So, I wonder if the stalking part is something that she’s familiar with being from a famous girl group herself.
Weekly Highlight: Sunrise on the Reaping I’ve finally finished reading this book. I took it really slow with this one. As The Hunger Games fan, I knew the ending so I wasn’t sure if I want to find out what led to that. But now I’m satisfied that I’ve finished the series. Not sure if Suzanne Collins is going to write any more in The Hunger Games universe. With what is going on in the world, maybe she doesn’t have to.
The Midnight Mood
The Soundtrack: Too Little Too Late by Jojo. It’s everywhere on my TikTok, people!
The Midnight Snack: I was drinking Hot Oat Milk Brown Sugar Bubble earlier. Yes, it’s unhealthy but look, I chose oat milk so that should be better, right?
The Sleep Thief: Idol I – I am so close to the end!
Drop/Keep/Add
Keeping: No Tail To Tell – So far, it looks good. I’ve heard of some people not liking it but so far, it looks okay to me.
Dropping: I’ve dropped Can This Love Be Translated?. You can read the reason why here.
Adding:The Name of the Game is a Kidnapping by Keigo Higashino. It’s my next read. I love Keigo Higashino so I don’t think I’ll be disappointed with this one.
The Premise: It’s the second prequel to The Hunger Games series. This time, we are following Haymitch Abernathy, the victor of the Quarter Quell, where the number of tributes were twice the usual. We knew he won, but at what price?
The “Sleepy Scale” Verdict: ☕ (Wide Awake)
Why it fits: This could have been ⚡(Electric) but I did slow down in the middle. I didn’t know the backstory but I knew the outcome. So, that could be the reason why I put it aside for weeks. But when I picked it up again, I did not want to put it down. I had to pace myself though. Since I’m also watching TV Series.
The Pace: If you have read The Hunger Games series, the pace is similar here. The moment we get into The Arena, it’s just fast-paced from that scene onwards. Prior to that, Suzanne Collins was building up the story – family in The Seam, relationships, friendships, etc. Something you may be familiar with in The Hunger Games with Katniss.
✨ What Kept Me Awake:
The Covey: If you read (or watch) The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, you know the story of Coriolanus Snow and Lucy Gray, the victor of the 10th Hunger Games. Lucy Gray was of the Covey family so we knew of them already. This book has more story of the Covey but now, years had passed since then and things changed a lot for them after Lucy Gray’s disappearance.
Haymitch Abernathy: We knew of him as that drunkard mentor, whom got lucky that Katniss (and Peeta) were both strong-willed and hard-headed. But what made him that way? He was a compelling character even in The Hunger Games series so having a book just for him made complete sense.
The Rebel: I’m revealing a bit here but if you think that the rebel started from Katniss, you can remove that thought with this book. The fire had been kindling, the districts had been in unrest. It just took a girl on fire to build that.
🌙 The “Deep Dive” (Spoilers!)
Inside The Arena: What we knew of the Quarter Quell was from the POV of Katniss and Peeta when they were watching it. There was more than meets the eye. The number of things we didn’t know, such as Haymitch being part of The Rebel. They had a plan to blow it all up. And how Plutarch, Beetee, Mags and Wiress were all there from the start.
The Ending: I was trying not to cry while finishing the book in a cafe. I can understand why Haymitch was the way he was. I would have broke too. He wasn’t able to live with himself for decades and decades. He wanted to off himself every single day. Until Katniss gave that hope that what he promised his loved one would eventually come true. And that’s when he was able to live with himself. Now that I finished it, I can see why Haymitch understood Peeta and what Peeta went through. It was similar.
The Week In Review: I didn’t watch much shows this week as I tried to finish Can This Love Be Translated? Well, it didn’t go so well.
The Highlights (What I Actually Watched)
Can This Love Be Translated? (Ep 3-8): 📉 – Quick thought: Dropped. I dropped it. You can find the reason why here.
Idol I (Ep 4-5): ☕ – Quick thought: Relatable to Maeng Se Na. Well, I’m no attorney but she is sure very relatable to me.
Our Dining Table (Ep 1-10.5): 🦋 – Quick thought: I was watching one episode each night. But after Ep 2, I watched all the way through. It’s such a comfy, healing show. I will review it later.
The Midnight Mood
The Snack: Does Milo, a chocolate malt drink, count? Lol
The Vibe: I don’t know why Beauty and a Beat by Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj is in my head right now but oh well…
Looking Ahead
After dropping Can This Love Be Translated?, I can focus on finishing Idol I. After which, let’s see which one I will start next or get distracted by something else completely.
This Siti Never Sleeps At Night 