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Dramabeans Podcast #23

And now we are mostly current on our podcasting schedule! Note that we recorded it last week, so some of our observations about what just happened in a particular show are now a bit farther back in our memories (just in case you’re wondering why we say something was a recent twist when the show has since moved on from it). Phew! Who knew that rambling on about dramas could be so tiring?

 
Podcast #23

Running time: 1:14:39

In which we:

  • start off with High School King of Savvy, the meaning of its title, its highs and lows, its quirky humor, and its angst;
  • argue over the merits (and flaws) of Trot Lovers, its silliness versus heart, and its trot song highlights (9:30);
  • discuss the double-identity device of Joseon Gunman, briefly compare it with the revenge plot of Golden Cross, talk about what we want more from the show, and Lee Jun-ki’s action prowess (16:07);
  • move to Fated To Love You, when we marvel at Jang Hyuk’s manic energy (31:42);
  • touch upon weekend dramas Feel-Good Day and Wonderful Season and their lack of makjang, and how makjang can have its place (41:50);
  • talk about how we’re enjoying Marriage Not Dating, its zippy comedy, and the performances of Han Groo and Yeon Woo-jin (46:06);
  • go over High School: Love On and how much we hate its airing schedule (1:01:02);
  • and wrap up with Temptation (1:08:06).

Names mentioned: Lee Hana, Seo In-gook, Jung Eun-ji, Ji Hyun-woo, Pil-nyeo, Tae-song, Lee Jun-ki, Nam Sang-mi, Kim Kang-woo, Hye-won, Jang Hyuk, Jang Nara, Lee Sang-woo, Park Se-young, Yeon Woo-jin, Kim Hae-sook, Han Groo, Jang-mi, Jin-woon, Park Bo-young, Kim So-hyun, Dong-hoon, Hyun-hee, Kim Sae-ron, Choi Ji-woo, Kwon Sang-woo, Park Ha-sun, Lee Jung-jin

[ Download podcast | Mirror ]

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Songs Used in Podcast (In order of use)

“Love Lane” by Mamamoo from the Marriage Not Dating OST
“미소를 띄우며 나를 보낸 그 모습처럼” (Like sending you away with a smile) by Kim Na-young and Lee Eun-ha from the Trot Lovers OST
“달픈” by Bubble Sisters from the Joseon Gunman OST
“연애는 이제 그만” by Ben from the Marriage Not Dating OST
“살다가보면” by Jung-in from the High School King of Savvy OST

 
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I love the Jang Hyuk love. Er, ish. I just love that there's a whole lot of Jang Hyuk love. He's just so ridiculously awesome!!!

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Jang Hyuk is my new crack.
And yeah, the premise might be dated but that's because they are doing a remake and that's how the original version went.

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More Jang Hyuk love here! Dang, I rewatched Chuno over the weekend, just to see more of him. 2 days of Jang Hyuk is certainly not enough. I want him 24/7.

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I know how you feel! I watched Iris 2 over the weekend! Love Jang Hyuk!

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While waiting for this week's Fated To Love You episodes, I tuned into Thank You - an older kdrama that was recommended last week with Jang Hyuk and Kong Hyo Jin. More Jang Hyuk love going down ~

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Funny you've never seen the Taiwanese version of Fated to Love you, because the doormat problem was why I couldn't connect with it. I didn't want another "so nice she's a sucker" drama, and I'm glad that's not what's going on. And everything I've seen Jang Hyuk in he's been a little nutsy. It's pretty awesome.

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YES YES YES about "Savvy". I wanted it to be more than a romance, so boo, writer. When the romance kicked itself up, I stopped watching and only followed recaps, urgh. It just lost its magic. Yunno, I totally feel validated with your guys' thoughts about it. Ha.

I feel the same as girlfriday about "Trot" vs. "Savvy". I mean, I do NOT like the "Savvy" couple, but the "Trot" couple is so meh for me, I couldn't follow it.

Maybe Seo In-gook and Jung Eun-ji should just do another drama together and we could all like it the same. Ha.

Feel the same about that falling in love with both Clark Kent and Superman dealio! That's what I wanted in "Gaksital". Ha. But ick... just thought about Jin Se-yeon. Anyways, love Lee Jun-ki in "Gunman". He totally rocks the action scenes. So great that he's a legitimate black belt so he CAN film those scenes. Hmm, which reminds me of that awful stunt double job of Shin Hyun-joo in "Gaksital". Worst Editing Ever. Choices, production...

What you guys said about the setup of "Fated" was why I did NOT like the Taiwanese drama. Eck. Nor this one. Meh.

I actually thought the setup of "Marriage Not Dating" was really contrived with the whole "she's so in love with and setting up a hotel room for her douchey boyfriend who wants to dump her then the friend of said douchey boyfriend barges in and soon falls in love with her", but as I kept watching, it got better and better. I enjoy it for the most part. I like Yeon Woo-jin, but Han Groo is okay. She isn't really wowing me, but she's good.

Ugh. BOO about "High School's" airing. One a week SUCKS. I'm actually enjoying it, but seriously? My GOSH. Who's gonna stick around? And yes, it would've been nice had they written the story and casted for older high schoolers. Siiigh. Please don't give up on your story, writer.

Gotta give props to the dramas currently airing. I haven't given this much time to dramas since ever. Too impatient and quick to eyeroll. Ha. Not a bad batch at all. And thanks for the podcast!!

*wow, end novel*

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hahaha.. now i know what spoilerphobes feel each time someone let it out. LOL..

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I feel many people got problems with savvy being into romance which I don't get (apart from the age and the ethics thing) because I marathoned it 10 episodes straight and even if I felt even though romance came as central conflict( which was making me quite uncomfortable with kisses and him hiding) and slowed down the show, yet I loved it. And enjoyed it with all my heart.

And all our discomfort about ethics and age, is intentional. I have a feeling the writer wants us to feel that way.

After 13th episode, I think am beyond the discomfort, even if am not feeling those sparks or kisses, am still on board till end and am okay with whatever this show wants to be !

Maybe its all due to seo in guk and Lee ha na

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Aw, I really really like that Han Groo and Yeon Woo-jin are getting props for their roles in Marriage Not Dating because I am just loving them and that show. I mean, I totally agree with you guys that it's not like I'm surprised or anything because I totally expected them to be awesome, but I just love that they finally get to be the stars of their own show and that they're being so wonderful at it :)

I also loved the Lee Jun-ki and Jang Hyuk rants. That bit about Lee Jun-ki wanting to act in all the dramas he missed out on while in the army is part of the reason why he's one of my favorite actors. I just love how much he loves what he's doing and it really does make watching him so much more enjoyable.

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Marriage Not Dating is the first tvN romcom I've enjoyed in quite a while. I feel like it's more like the older tvN romcoms that I used to love the channel so much for :D

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I love Marriage Not Dating! If only I wasn't so confused about the other characters, it would've been much better. Yeo Reum totally creeps me out though with him smiling every 3 seconds. Plus, I don't trust him. The main leads keep me watching. Holy sheesh! Han Groo is a 92er? I thought she's the same age as Yeon Woo Jin at most. Whoa. Just whoa.

Hi!School Love On was quite good but yeah, the format just sucks. It was also pre-empted for ep 3 last Friday and I'm starting to forget about it.

I have high hopes for Joseon Gunman. Too bad not a lot of people watch it. Nam Sang Mi is playing Soo In really well with what little role she's given. Honestly, I'm more interested on Choi Won Shin and Hye Won right now to care about her. Except that, I don't have any complains. Lee Junki is amazing as always and the shots are soooooo beautiful!

Fated to Love You is my crack right now though. Jang Hyuk totally owns it! And I love even the other characters. I say Hamo Hamo~ so many times a day. Argh.

Thanks for the podcast! I was listening to it while making dinner with my mom and she's like what the hell are you listening to? HAHAHA.

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So shocked and sad GF and JB don't love HS King of Saavy! I'm usually on the same page as them :(

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Yeah, that was a shame. It always sucks when one's favorite show gets torpedoed like that especially by people who's opinion you respect. I kinda knew what was coming after hearing the first few begrudging compliments. It's like they were trying to soften the blow before dumping the whole "the underage romance ruined it for me" scenario. Ouch! Oh well, I think it's still the best rom-com out right now.

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Agree. For me, the romances this season have been pitifully cliched. Except for Savvy and Yoona's Street. I also like Marriage Not Dating's wit but the cruelty of the mother really is hard for me to deal with. Persistent, relentless cruelty in rom-coms are way harder to endure than one or two episodes of angst.

True, Savvy has typical rom-com tropes, but the organic plotting and the characterizations just gets a viewer really invested. If one likes rom-com, then one expects some angst to intrude on the funny. And if the show's teasers implied a love story, then there is no misrepresentation.

Trot, for me, is like a paint by numbers picture with broad strokes of plotting that aren't blended perfectly or smoothly together. And murder, attempted murder....is way more angsty/makjang.

The way i see it: either the writers of Savvy are savvy about what they're doing or they aren't. Their story walks on the edge. It's aware of the oddness of its characters and about how complicated life is. It's aware of rules. So we can't really assume the writers are going to not deal with the situation in a satisfying way. So why judge a story before its finished because its challenging us? Right now, am liking the whole celibacy, restraint, legality, desire versus the laws of society thing.

I just think if a writer gets slammed for writing honestly about a situation, then one ends up with cynical lazy hacks who only write "safe" kitchen-sink stories like Trot. Conservative, safe, unengaging.

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You summed up exactly what I feel about savvy !
I like this show. Just like it in a way where I want to know more. Where I want to see what all these characters are doing all the time !

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But isn't it great that people have differing opinions about things?

It would be soooooooooooo boring and silly if everybody agreed with each other on everything.

For instance:

I LOVED, LOVED, Dr. Stranger. I thought it was a very nice drama, moved me quite a bit, was fun to watch, was not crazy or weird or disjointed or incongruous, at least not the way that people said that it was.

I am probably the only one in dramabeans who feels that way. I laid out my thoughts in various posts, but nobody else appears to agree with me.

But that's okay. What's important is that I watched it, that I had fun with it, and now I am having fun trying to badger my friends to watch it too.

:)

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Just curious...

You've mentioned a couple of times that you recently had the chance to carve out time to watch The Master's Sun, You From Another Star, and Doctor Stranger.

I've wanted to ask you if Two Weeks was next on your list to marathon? If not, which of the more recently completed drama(s) have peaked your interest?

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I marathoned two others so far, and am losing sleep to watch more:

Others Finished -

1. Witch's Romance. I didn't like her at first, then she grew on me, but more than that, the main guy was pretty awesome and I wanted him to be happy more than I cared about her being happy. But since her being happy made him happy, so I was happy that she was happy because then he was happy. Seriously, it was nothing special except that it had a lot of heart and so I really enjoyed watching it. I don't need to be wow'ed from a technical perspective. It doesn't have to be a masterpiece, it just has to be enjoyable. And it was. Very.

2. Cunning Woman Who Is Single Again. That's the literal translation. I guess most people call it Cunning Single Woman. Regardless, it was REALLY, REALLY good for about 9-10 episodes. I mean, so good that I didn't care how little sleep I got. I probably watched the first 3 or 4 episodes one night, then the next night I just watched episodes 4-10 without blinking. That good. Then it lost steam around episode 10, and then it sort of ended in a nice enough way that made you happy. In terms of the first 9 episodes or so, it was about as good as any that I've seen.

Currently watching (other than FTLY):

1. Joseon Gunman - around episode 5 or 6 I think. I like it but it requires a bit of effort to stay with it.

2. Marriage Not Dating - I am stuck around 50% through the first episode. I dislike the guy with the yellow hair. A lot.

3. It's Okay It's Love - stuck around the 10% mark of the first episode. This is strange because I really like GHJ.

4. Triangle - couldn't make it to the end of the first episode, but I might try again. But none of the brothers are particularly compelling to me.

5. New Leaf - watched the first 2 episodes. Is good. Or maybe more accurate to say, it's not bad.

6. Hotel King - watched about 18 episodes (generally just every other episode (the even episodes)), just to keep track of what was going on), until I finished it. I just wanted everybody in the whole show to die, and at the end, that wasn't the case, so I was a little disappointed.

7. Trot Lovers - watched about 2-3 episodes. I am finding it hard to get into this because I'm not really in love with any of the characters, but I am trying.

8. You are All Surrounded - watched 50% of episode 1 but I just flipped it off. I really like LSG so I might try again.

Oldies That I am Rewatching -

1. Arang and the Magistrate. Really good, I am on episode 4-ish.

2. The Snow Queen. Episode 5, sigh, love. Binnie and SYR.

3. My Girl. This is obviously an attempt to see why I started Hotel King.

4. Coffee Prince and Goong. Because of YEH.

5. Dalja Spring. Just finished it again. Love the OST.

So my plate is full, I am running on fumes most days, but hey, I'm back in k-dramaland! yay!

:)

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Thanks for replying. :)

I mentioned Two Weeks because it was a drama full of so many moments that tugged at the heart.

I've read your take on Doctor Stranger and I am fascinated about what your thoughts would be on the main characters of Two Weeks, their individual arcs, the father/daughter relationship, the suspense, and the writer's theme (or message).

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Okay, two weeks it is!

I will check it out tonight perhaps, after FTLY!

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LOL..

re Dr Stranger, you reminded me of my bestfriend of 30+ years. She was curious after watching some random episode, asked for my opinion if it's worth watching from the beginning (i told her NO! NO! NO! - in honesty i only skimmed the first 2 eps and dropped it as expected cos i'm allergic to almost everyone esp LJS) yet she did anyway. and now she's practically screaming at me to give the drama another chance every opportunity she got. im not listening tho, too much on my plate atm anyway but glad to know she's not alone in her crusade :-)

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Dr. Stranger is good. It has heart, and I like the characters.

That's good enough for me.

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yay another podcast! Reading recaps is nice and all but I really love hearing your thoughts spoken aloud. I actually like the broadcast schedule for High School Love On but I can totally see how only one episode a week is painfully slow. I think dramas benefit more from elapsed time than comedies do where pacing is less important.

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Btw, did you notice you laughed a LOT MORE during the Fated to Love you convo? Loooool.
The power of Jang Hyuk!!!!

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LOVE your podcasts! always entertaining and interesting to hear both your takes on the currently running dramas. YES, we are no longer in a "drama drought" - so many to watch (for now, fingers crossed that we can keep watching), so much fun!

BUT... during this and the last podcast - the sound discrepancy between your recorded voices is disruptive, because i have to literally "lean in" to hear your comments, javabeans, as opposed to girlfriday's clear voice...

can something be done to equalize your voice volumes? many thanks, and sorry to 'complain'... i always look forward to these podcasts!

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podcast! It's been a while since ive listened to one. I havent done so yet but i'm excited to hear your opinion on HSKOS. I'm loving the show, thanks to Ingukkie but you know how biases work, they can make you turn a blind eye. I admit the noona romance can be a bit silly but i'm enjoying the show. Which makes me sad reading this as Eun Ji's Trot Lovers may not be as good as In Guk's Savvy (please dont judge me as I havent seen Trot yet). I loved them together (shoutout to AM 1997's fans) but I hate them (being) apart.

I'll definitely listen tomorrow but for now, I'd say thank you very kamsa ladies!

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Your podcasts are always a treat. :)

@girlfriday I totally thought about you when I read about Son Heung Min today.

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Trot Lovers: Poor Eun-ji. What could have been a light hearted look at the music industry has turned into dreck. Hack half assed "writers" reach into their "magic bag of K drama tropes" and pull out a piece of crap. Plus, Zero chemistry with the male lead. Better luck next time Eun-ji.

Gunman: Too bad it's not the Hye-Won story. Zzz

FTLY: The two Jangs are a delight.

HSKOS: Lee Hana is funny as the the dork. Seo In-guk is a joy to watch, much better than the alien looking guy.

Yoo-Na's Street: This show was actually written by someone who can think out of the typical K Drama Trope Box.

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So true about Yoona. I got all caught up after major marathoning. I hear it's doing well in the ratings, but i do wonder about the more puritanical types who might have a problem dealing with a heroine who is a theif. Some Kdrama folks can deal with theives and lowlifes if the story doesn't feel true or if the thug is surrounded by and soaked in tropes. Yoona's Street and High School King are the two most honest heartfelt and brave shows going on right now.

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Carole ~

YS is a refreshing drama, I'm 10 episodes into it and I've yet to be disappointed.

The cast is wonderful, you'd be hard pressed to find a better ensemble. The characters are actually believable too.

One of my favorites is Jo Hee-Bong as the ne'er-do-well brother in law Kye-Pal . Who hasn't known someone as frustrating as that in real life ?

What Yoo-na's dad did as a farewell message to her was very moving.

Lee Hee-Joon is a joy as Chang-Man. A bit of a male Candy , but I like how he's slowly changing the folks around him.

Once I catch up, it's going to be rough to have to wait for the next episode

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Carole,
What is "brave" in High School King of Savvy for you? Pushing a defenseless female character into relatshionships from ALL sides? It breaks my heart, how the writer (maybe by accident, maybe the actress observed how people with certain syndrome act in real live and she overacts the part on her own, I don't know) made Soo Young character look like someone with a combination of mental/social problems then throws her to the wolves to be abused. Yes! Did you notice how Min Seok talks down to her, treats her like a child, tries to control her? Just like the other guy, Jin Woo, does. Does it make it better and more platonic (really, platonic 18 year old athletes in relatshionships with older women?) because the actor is cute? I worked with girls that are diagnosed with symptoms the actress displays. You can't help it, but pray to God that they won't be bullied and taken advantage of by strangers and by lovers alike. That's why I stated previously that Kdrama writers sometimes are more dangerous than amoral Hollywood. Hollywood industry's moral mask has been off for 30 years and no one cares what their message is any longer. Not the same with Dramaland which has been attracting millions of international audience, or refugees as I call them, only for the last 10 years or so. We give a pass to the many wrong (and, no, I don't mean age difference in love) messages due to the difference in culture and language. Not only we, adults, give a pass to the outdated, sick fantasies (not many of the conflicts are real life problems, thankfully) because of the handsome great actors and well executed shows; but it's not us who are targeted, the bulk of the Kdrama audiences are young females. And what are thy learning, exactly? Forgive me for looking for something uplifting and valible to learn from shows we are just supposed to enjoy mindlessly just because it tickles our emotions. My bad.

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Thank you for saying what I've been thinking lately. I started watching Kdrama and loved how much lighter is was than Hollywood, but am really starting to get irked by the acceptable male character in Kdramas. Wishing for a bit more uplift myself...

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*fist pump*

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FTLY hasen't really clicked for me. I don't await anxiously for it like i do MND's episodes the next week. I actually like the Taiwanese version better. It just seems they are rushing this one along since it is half the episodes from it counter part...but I will more than likely finish it since I can't find anything else to watch those days...
As far as Han Groo and Yeon Woo Yin...I love them!! now that is one drama I can't wait to see its next episode each week.

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Sigh, I have FTLYIB OST on infinite repeat while I wait for the next week's episodes...

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I'm obsessed with Fated to love you! The Jangs!!!! I guess I'm so into it that I'm even "understanding" the characters behavior, as dated as the premise might be. I do think their marriage was a choice, under pressure, if that makes any sense? but ultimately a choice, and I think the series does make that point or maybe, will make that point. Geun's reasons for marrying Mi Young were many but one important one, is that he doesn't want to follow in his father's footsteps, who was some sort of womanizer who had a mistress and an illegitimate son (I'm not 100% the circumstances, but it is suggested in the series). He has a heightened, if maybe old fashioned, sense of duty. Add to this the fact that he has budding feelings for Mi Young, a disappointment in Se Ra that he did not confront, all of this at a subconscious level (my theory) but I have the feeling the series will address those themes at some point. It has been doing a good job at being more in depth than what it suggests on the surface. Mi Young's doubts about Geon's feelings at the end of ep 8 after his grand romantic or generous gesture says the series is smarter than it seems.

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Yes, that ending after the fireworks brought me firmly back to earth. lool

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lol. your blog! what a treat. kamsamida!

i've always been a sucker for over-the-top male characters done well. watched greatest love and master's sun for the men alone. but jang hyuk is by far the best. i'm so smitten by his character. while one side to him is garish and clownish (that laugh still makes me flinch every time. unlike jb and gf, i feel for their parenting teacher and the horror it was to her), there's that other tender, humane side, which seems to spill forth in spite of himself.

there were instances in the former two where i felt like i didn't understand the motive behind why the characters behaved the way they did. and i thought, well, maybe it's a korean thing and it's just a cultural gap. but then comes jang hyuk's gun and it's so clear to me why he does everything he does. because his reasons are so simple, straightforward, universal. i empathise with everything he does or feels instantly. what an adorable father-to-be. can't you tell already he'll make the best daddy in the world?

can't. get. enough. of. him. *gags in an overdose of hyuk love and dies*

also, where can i find me a man like that?

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"i’ve always been a sucker for over-the-top male characters done well. watched greatest love and master’s sun for the men alone. but jang hyuk is by far the best. i’m so smitten by his character."

That's me too!! I still love Dokko Jin though. He will always be no1.

Jang Hyuk is however giving him close competition. I LOVE LOVE Lee Gun, crazy laugh and all. Its all in the tender look in his eyes when noone is watching.
I am smitten i admit

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@16.2:

Hahaha. Totally with you on the Jang Hyuk love. The flamboyance, the exaggerated mannerisms, and the core of butter within. I even love the wannabe-evil cackle and the badass theme music. Cracks me up every time. Never thought I would so completely adore a man whose hair looks like THAT. Well, to be honest, the sight of those abs in that shampoo-commercial in the first episode sort of cancelled that out....:D

And I totally agree with the point on how these almost-OTT heroes walk away with all the limelight in these shows where the female lead has to be toned down and understated, to maintain the balance of the fictional universe somehow. Gun's flamboyance reminds me of Hyun-bin's Kim Joo-won and his sparkly tracksuits, and how it became almost a character trait. The physical resemblance between the two actors doesn't help.

Haven't watched Greatest Love, but The Master's Sun never really got me on-board somehow. FTLY, however, different story. I am in love with both the leads, and that's really rare.

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You HAVE to watch The Greatest Love. Cha Seung Won's character Dokko Jin is so like Lee Gun in FTLY. They even have the same possessed laughter. lol. And then you have the lovely Gong Hyo JIin who balances him out.

P.S. How LUCKY is Gong Hyo Jin btw? She's locked lips with Gong Yoo, So Ji-Sub, Cha Seung Won, now Jo In sun AND she's DATING LEE JIN WOOK?!!!!!!! Some people were just born under a lucky star :)

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haha. all leading ladies get to lock lips with our favourite male stars. what to do? i don't think i'd want to twist my panty into knots over that.

@boxed-in regarding the female leads. yes, they are in the background, assisting the male mania gently. but fated to love you triumphs yet again. gong hyo-jin (and i love her to bits) does not produce the same kind of stability and quiet charisma that jang nara does in FTLY. like people have said again and again in earlier comments, she's kind and forgiving and puts others needs before her own. but she is not a doormat. there's something so pure and sincere in her character. it's not like she does these things for others because she's afraid or insecure of being rejected. it's just who she is, and she wouldn't behave any other way. ooof. the number of times she's said thank you to lee gun. every time she feels it she says it. would have been really annoying if it was anybody else doing so, but in her all this adds up to her biggest strength. they're sincerity towards each other is so refreshing and moving. love love love everything about the show. i'm obsessed.

i thought master's sun was a terrible show. honestly, i didn't understand the whole point behind it. but so ji sub. so ji sub. i could (and would love) to do a phd on his portrayal. is such a thing possible? everything. EVERYTHING he did was captivating. i didn't even care about the story or whether it made any sense after a while.

come to think of it, jang hyuk and hyun bin do look alike. and yeah, his character in secret garden is another case of OTT male mania that is great fun to watch. as far as the entire package is concerned though, nothing beats fated. it's got too much heart.

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@jhu:

Agree, completely. I suffered through SeGa only for the Kim Joo-won love towards the end, but in FTLY I cannot decide who I like more- Gun, or Mi-young. Both are such winning characters, and the budding love story seems more magical every week. *touch wood*

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Aw, well I love High School King of Savvy. I really love that show LOL

Thanks for the podcast! Fun as always.

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Interesting thoughts JB and GF on LG's "choice" to get married.

From a guy's perspective - let's say that it happened to me (not that I have any thoughts or pretensions or fantasies), with the same scenarios and circumstances - then what choices would I have made and what would have happened?

1. It is telling and important that LG's parents are deceased (I think both?). If it were my parents who were there, then they would have just beat the crap out of me (even though it was NOT my fault) and then paid off KMY to go away - if KMY refused the money, then they would have put the money in a trust for the baby. I think Korean parents (at least with the Korean parents that I am familiar with), the effort would have been there to protect their child (LG) and their child's future. They would have felt that their child's future should be weighed down with KMY, KMY's family or the child. LG's grandmother (it seems) has her sights set on having the next-gen magically appear, and cares not for LG and LG's desires/future.

2. Faced with the decision of whether to marry - I don't think I would know what to do. For me, I would feel burdened and feel it unfair to create a child for whom two parents exist but are not together. Do I not have responsibility for a life that I helped create? In that sense, how perilous is it to start relationships if there are no thoughts to continue! So I think, regardless of how unfair it is for me, I would have no choice but to own up my new responsibility and get married.

What LG did with the divorce contract is a compromise, I think, but I wonder whether being neither hot nor cold is the worst choice of all.

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Kind of sad that I'm not into Joseon Gunman like I wanted to. I agree with most of your assessment of the show in it's current state. I still watch it for Lee Jun-ki whenever I have time but there is just not enough fire to keep me clued to it like his last 2 projects. Maybe the writers are saving all the goodies for the last half of the show.
GF said everything I wanted to see in the heroine. What the hell happen with her involvement with the scholars and all that?

Out of the 4 main leads Han Joo Wan's character is the only one that is not fictional. I feel like that they could've given him more based on history instead of being So-in's puppy for most of the time. Maybe they'll get there but I'm a bit impatient right now.

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I've been watching FTLY and MND and enjoy both shows, FTLY more so because, well, romaaaaance....:D. But I think it's interesting how both these dramas take the basic premise of a fake-contract marriage/relationship and present it in entirely different ways, and how differently I react to both.

1) What JB and GF said about the 'dated-ness' of FTLY's basic premise has been something I've thought about- how the show chooses to make the lead-pair virtually blameless by going to great lengths to make them both victims here, rather than being more upfront about the whole one-night stand thing. While this would certainly have made the show more...realistic, I guess, I do think it would have taken away from the emotional affect of the characters and the essential conflicts they are facing in the story, especially Gun. I mean, his immensely loyal love for Se-Ra IS the major cause of conflict in the show, and I for one would have found it much more difficult to sympathise with him had he CHOSEN to sleep with Mi-young. And since he's a victim here as well, his choice to take responsibility for the baby does add a few gold points to his character.

2) On the other hand, I feel that this very same 'choice' to be in a fake relationship in MND is the weak point in the show. There are limits to which I can empathise with a guy who wants to left alone in a house and will go to any lengths to do it. And Jang-Mi, as adorable as she is, I am still somewhat at a loss as to why she's enduring so much at all. What had started as a mutually beneficial partnership has become too one-sided now, and I am beginning to feel the disconnect. I like this show, and I hope they will restore the balance in the coming episodes, because otherwise the initially spunky heroine just ends up becoming yet another self-sacrificial goat, and I've had quite enough of THAT, thank you very much.

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For HKoS, what's the age of consent/adulthood in Korea?

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Saw all these marriage not dating praises everywhere and decided to give it a shot !

Marathoned all those episodes straight and I cant get enough of these characters !
Its like am rediscovering why I started following and loving kdramas in first place !

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I watch Trot Lovers on and off but it's just to fill up Time between Marriage Not Dating episodes! I love all the characters so much! Even Hoon Dong! Is it weird that I look Hoon Dong because he's such a wimp but he finally grew a brain in the last few episodes though Hyun Hee is still a bit boring in my opinion.

Yeon Woo Jin is remarkable in this role and he's really improved since I last saw him in Ojakgyo Brothers and Arang. He's totally my new Kdrama crush!! *sigh*

Yeo Reum is probably the kind of guy I would fall for in real life because he cooks and comforts you when you need it but the heart wants what the heart wants. I don't blame Jang Mi one bit if she gets together with Gi Tae.

Han Groo is a new actress for me and I find her energy absolutely refreshing. I will definitely look forward to her in other dramas after this!

Sun Hwa has proved that she's not so much a bimbo like her character in Invincible Youth let us to believe with her confident acting as Se Ah. Though her mind works in strange ways, I hope she will see sense and support the OTP someday!

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Nobody mentioned Temptation in the comments. No one is watching it?

I find it an immensely interesting show, and Not just becos of CJW and KSW. It's like a Rorschach test with some women for and as many against the wife. Should make for heated discussion.

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WHY IS THERE NO RECAP FOR HIGH SCHOOL LOVE ON ㅠㅠ HELP MEEEEE hehehe but I do appreciate everyone's time and effort in recapping everything (:

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