Beans of Wisdom: Sad pearls and charming tricksters

by DB Staff

This week in Beans of Wisdom…

yoadrian writes in “The Lonely Shining Goblin: Episode 1” comment #2.1.1

When the Mom said she had to wear a scarf on the way to the hospital…cry.

When the aunt threw a rice bowl at her..ugly cry

When the wicked aunt’s family didn’t even give her the umbrella…ugly cry

nchoe replies:

same here…

but when I saw her phone is Samsung Galaxy 7 edge… I stopped crying…

Moment continues in “Beans of wisdom: Travel plans and sad trucks” comment #2.2:

It’s so she can summon her goblin when it catches fire ?

Ditto points out this trivia in comment #1.1.3 of “The Lonely Shining Goblin: Episode 2”:

And still speaking of Deok-hwa, anyone notice that Yoo Deok-hwa = 유덕화=劉德華= Andy Lau? For those who don’t know who he is, he is a well known Hong Kong actor/singer. The Korean media refer to him as Yoo Deok-hwa.

di adds:

In the Vlive presscon (or could be the drama-talk Vlive), KES said she chose that name because she was a fan. She chose Euntak because it sounded fresh and young. She chose Kim Shin as the character she cherished and had meaning from another movie.

EZ writes a wish for Eun-tak’s character in #16:

I can see how KGE has actually put in the effort to make an 18 yr old character come across ( i think most actresses would have gone with their cutsey bubbly act while retaining the voice of their real 25 yr old self , demeanour etc).. so that way i honestly appreciate her effort…

The pouting of lips, the change in voice and tone…

The challenge is… most of us here are already in 20s or 30s or 40s.. so probably at some level we have forgotten how teenagers can be like that (maybe you were the more serious kind but not all are.. there biggest problems are relationship problems ? ) .. Its early stages of youth.. and as I sadly recall all our teachers telling us back then.. the age you will miss.. as you grow up..

So, here’s to hoping that the drama is across a timeline and our heroine will grow to one day really marry the goblin and fall in love heads over heels not because he can take her on a world tour but because .. he is who he is..

Di:

KGE reminds me of schoolgirls who are fans of idols I see on shows. she acts the same as those girls. excited.
I forget how energetic, almost manic, girls can be at that age sometimes.

namore:

Ah… real-life fangirls on korean tv. lmao. Now that u mentioned it, I’m seeing it. I guess in some sense, she might be fangirling over Goblin. I mean, he’s the first person ever – not even her mother understood – with whom she can be herself, and talk about weird things and all. Well, asides from ghosts, grim reaper, and Samshin grandmother. But that’s different. He’s “alive,” not out to kill her, and looks decent but doesn’t treat her as a weird girl and cares about her, even a little.

While Yumi starts an interesting conversation about charm vs morals in our favorite drama characters. In #34.4, she writes:

I think KGE is doing a fine job as EunTak. Perhaps the folks that are having issues with her don’t like the character. That’s a matter of taste.

For instance, I understand the purpose of the character Duk Hwa. Yet right now I can’t stand him. I find that rapscallion character irritating and the actor does not have enough charm to make me forgive the character’s lack of ethics. I realize that my worldview limits my ability to find that character funny or charming.

Mark:

I didn’t see DH do anything unforgivable. He’s a bit of a self-serving troublemaker but I don’t think his ethics are that bad. ? He hasn’t treated anyone that badly or acted like an asshole. Maybe bcuz I’ve been americanized, so I like that he’s treating adults like equals. He’s not completely shallow either. Someone pointed out in one of the comments on how he defended his grandfather when he saw him being deferential. And he looked genuinely concerned when he first saw his “uncle” being depressed on the bed. I like him but that might be because I can relate with his priorities. Trust me, at 25, men mostly think of girls. ?

Yumi replies:

I might not have been clear about my issues with DH.

I have no problems with his lack of deference. I’m not one who believes in a rigid of age hierarchy. I believe in respect for respect and in avoiding people who shows no respect for other’s humanity. Actually I like the child version of him, impudence and all. What I don’t like is his dishonesty and seeming lack of moral center.

I understand the character is meant to be a rapscallion; charming and mischievous. But for me the the actor’s charm does not make the character’s lack of ethics acceptable.

I assume that DH was exhibiting signs of being irresponsible and that his why his credit cards were stopped.

The fact that he rented the mansion for a 20 years without owning it or having permission to do so does not seem charming to me.

FanyL:

I don’t have an opinion either way on DH but Yumi is bringing in an interesting point on ethics. if we’re talking questionable ethics: aren’t the goblin’s ethics and actions much more questionable than DH’s transgressions? namely DH lying about one thing so far (just the house matter) vs. goblin killing. not mentioning the fact that he killed thousands as a human, as a goblin, he judges and kills people too. his purpose in life is also selfish (finding a bride), and plays super hero only when it conveniences him, on occasion at his whim, rather than on principle when he sees suffering. he’s no longer in medieval times either but still goes along with having a serving family, along with formal protocol to accompany the service, when he can do everything himself.

this is purely out of academic curiosity that I’m asking btw, because obviously, my personal feelings for goblin and GY trumps all those things mentioned. I obviously like GY by default so I would choose him over that actor who plays DH any day. I just wonder if it’s in us to forgive actions as long as the feeling and thought or character is “right.” the reason I’m bringing this up is because there has been just an election in the US, and I’m seeing a bit of a parallel.

Yumi:

It is an interesting question about overlooking bad behavior because you like the person who is behaving badly. This is frequently an issue for me when one of the leads say the equivalent of “leave me alone” and the other half of the OTP refuses to give up. It is easy as an audience member to let it go because we know that he/she loves the person he/she is rejecting. Unfortunately mentally unbalanced stalkers are just as convinced that the object of their obsession are in love with them and wants to be with them. So I’m often torn between enjoying the romantic persistence and being annoyed that the character’s right to choose isn’t being honored.

Back to Goblin. Although we try to find universal ethics, ethics tend to be a community construct. What is ethical in one time or geographic area is unacceptable in another.

I don’t remember the Goblin killing in the common era, and his killings in the historical period, as far as I can discern, happen during times of war. The killing after the war of the political minister seems like an extension of that war. The murder at sea of the passengers seems like the way things were handled in a time of might makes right. But we don’t know that all the passengers were corrupt and several innocent souls might with blameless lives might have been killed. The drama dampens our connection with the passengers by rendering them as a undifferentiated mob.

I don’t think have a “selfish” desire in life is necessarily a bad thing. It becomes a bad thing if you are willing to destroy others in pursuit of your goal.

The Goblin’s supernatural status is something thrust upon him. The extent of his supernatural powers are unknown to me. It makes perfect sense that he stays out of the daily ins and outs of human existence. If there is an overarching god guiding human existence, Goblin does not know the plan for all, so it is best he stays out of it. Really not every good person should be saved. Death gives value to life.

I didn’t see/remember the part where Goblin judges and kills people in contemporary times. He lets people die because he doesn’t want to become involved with human life. However there seem to be a few human being whose entreaty he cannot resist, i.e. Eun Tak and her mother.

I don’t think he interferes when it is convenient for him. In fact I think interfering is a great inconvenience. He does it only when he can’t do otherwise.

I don’t think having servants is unethical, so long as you pay them properly and treat them with human dignity. Goblin’s existence requires servant. I’m surprised he doesn’t have a set of servants in Canada. The servants provides continuity, as he must constantly change identity, leave a region for 20 years so he can re-emerge as a new adult he must have someone to help. It’s fine if it isn’t forced.

DH/his family seems well paid. It seems that as part of the camouflage the family live like cheobals. All in all that…

Mary (err… not DB minion mary):

Sowie, butting in your conversation. I think I understand what Fanyl meant about servants. It grates a bit my modern sensibilities. Why does the family has to bow down to the Goblin? Even if he was their benefactor, I was a bit taken aback when the grandfather almost bowed just to apologize for his grandson’s impoliteness. Why maintain the archaic speech addressed to the lords with him? Why continue to serve him drinks when he can levitate or burn candles when he can do it? It goes even further than being a simple employee. Intellectually, I get that he’s a god but it’s slightly hard to swallow.

As for war times, I’m very very very torn about the ethics of it all. On one hand, I’m extremely thankful for the sacrifice of the military men in service of their country. They are displaying a level of bravery I cannot even fathom. On the other, war is bad, for all, no matter how you put it. Soldiers have to kill in order to defend their families and country from being invaded and abused by a foreign power. If they don’t kill, their compatriots will be killed. On the other hand, they are killing the family breadwinner, brothers, husbands, sons, bloodline of other people, whose only goal is exactly the same as them, to defend their family and country. The only difference between them is the different clan they are in. Could such an act as killing someone be defended? It’s self-defense, but much more complex because the fact that soldiers are the brawn of the politicians’ brain. They are not acting of their own 100% will by nature. They have orders. The tragic part of it all, is all wars end with politicians shaking hands. The only people who are left in tatters are the families of those soldiers and civilians who died. From both sides. Can the morality of such a thing truly be justified? And can participants of something like this be at peace morally, ever? Of course, I’m speaking from my high horse because the only thing I know about wars are my parents and grandparents’ stories. I’ve never been in a war. Winners might end up writing history and becoming heroes, and losers becoming the villains, but what about the forgotten families of “winners.” What becomes of them who have lost everything, family broken? What about the losers villains and their families? Death of a few is tragedy, death of millions statistics seems so tragic to me. I’ve pondered on this question for years, and I still don’t have an answer. Is killing, without trial at that, morally acceptable? Even to yourself? At what point is self-defense as a nation justifiable? And if you’re part of that nation, do you lose your sense of morality as a person? And yet, letting yourself be killed is not a solution either. All in all, I don’t want to ever have to choose between taking the life of another’s precious someone.

Click here to read the rest of the thread about moral dilemmas when watching possibly immoral characters.

Bee shares our pain in comment #34 of “2016 Beanie Awards: Vote for your favorite dramas of the year”:

The immense relief when you go to the next question and read you can select up to 3!

Cozybooks:

Seriously. That’s perhaps the only thing that saved me hours of debate on these!

Aiza:

LOL glad im not the only one who took the poll super seriously. I dont think ive ever debated this much over multiple choice questions in my exams.

Dee Em:

I am not kidding when I say that I wrote down all the options and used practical judgement and an effective elimination method to reach a conclusion about which 3 options to submit. This is a big deal indeed.

While PakalanaPikake takes matters into her own hands in comment #101:

This is my first year voting because I live-watched a bunch of shows for a change, and am currently juggling 4, which is seriously bogging down my RAM — and annihilating my sleep. ?

After careful consideration, I’ve decided to bestow my own awards, based solely upon the completed and still-running dramas I’ve watched in 2016:

1. Most Difficult-to-Kill Good Guy (Sageuk Division):
Prince #4 Wang-So of Goryeo – MLSHR
Runners-up: Taoist Yo-Gwang of Joseon – MOTW
Kim Byung-Yeon of Joseon – MDBC

2. Best New Sageuk Warrior:
Gong Yoo as Kim Shin – GOBLIN

3. Rube Goldberg Prize (Goryeo Division):
Royal Astronomer & Prognosticator Choi Ji-Mong – MLSHR

4. Least-Convincing Avon Lady:
(tie) Heo Jun & Dong-Rae – MOTW

5. Lily Munster Memorial Tresses Award:
Bewitching Herbalist Seo-Ri – MOTW

6. Best Eunuch Bromance (Ensemble):
Eunuchs Jang, Ma Jong-Ja, Do-Gi, Sung-Yeol, and Hong Ra-On – MDBC

7. Dr. Benjamin Spock Parental Unit Tough Love Award:
Mr. Oh Kyung-Soo & Mrs. Hwang Duk-Yi (“Plain” Oh Hae Young’s folks) – OHYA

8. Least-Effective Monarch (Joseon Division):
(3-way tie) King Soonjo – MDBC
King Sunjo & King Myungjong – MOTW

9. Good Help Is Hard To Find Award (Goryeo Division):
Damiwon Bath Attendant Chae-Ryung de’ Medici – MOTW

10. Best Guyliner & Freudian Accessorizing with Mom:
#3 Prince Wang-Yo of Goryeo – MLSHR

More in the thread!
 

In “This Week, My Wife Will Have an Affair: Episode 11” comment #2.1, Alex writes:

Sometimes we need to be left alone to process what has happened and a broken heart and trust needs time to heal and time isn’t something we can force to go quickly and these things needs to take on their pace. Plus it’s better to admit to the pain than to deny it.

Ideally, the couple can try to work together. Realistically, they need their space. And seeing each other will only poke wounds thus making the healing process slower and worse. They need time and sometimes things work out and sometimes they don’t. But we can’t always go back to how things were, we can only can move forward and the only way to move forward is taking the right steps, in this case; having the divorce.

May be by taking these steps the couple will reconcile and end up together. May be they don’t. Either way, life moves on and you either get on it and accept the reality is or deny it and still stay stucked forever.

Be that as it may, a made up story is still a story. Some are good and some are bad. But it’s the lessons we learned from this stories that helped make life more fun..

indian_monsoon writes for Soo-yeon in #14:

I find it very interesting that people are dissatisfied with Soo Yeon. I think part of the reason is that we are spoilt in dramaland. We are given clear villains and clear victims. Even in dramas where the main leads cheat, their spouses are clearly inattentive, clearly villainous, clearly mean. But in this case, Hyun Woo and Soo yeon are essentially good people.

I don’t think Soo-Yeon didn’t atone, and frankly I don’t think she could have done anything to appease anybody in the forum who wanted her to grow. She made a mistake, she realized it and she was regretful for it. Her character was not a growth character. Her actions allow other people to grow and that’s ok. That’s how people are in real life.

This show was never about Soo Yeon. This show was for all the Hyun Woo’s out there who think their life is dandy. This show is for everyone to look at their life and examine how they are treating other people in their life. And perhaps, that empathy is what we need to take away from this show.

Samdam replies:

Excited as this is my first post. In a way I feel like i’m a part of the show jeje.

So many characters had growth in this series. HY had to see his life wasnt perfect, JY had to finally admit he was divorced and once again learning to trust. Ara that she could not continue being blind to her husbands trysts. Even the couple that were considering divorce that commented on the board grew. The only exception ill say is Yoon ki as I feel like he never cared.

I think a lot of the issue people have with SY is that they wanted her to grow, and that possibly they don’t feel like she really felt guilt. A lot of what we see we take as selfishness but i ask that you take a second look at her.

When she confessed to her mother in law I saw it as she couldn’t stand for her husband taking all the blame for something he did not do. Consistently through the story (Unless it was a translation error.) she refers to him as honey. So I felt like she really did love her husband but the act of her affair hurt her deeply as well. She hurt the person who cared for her the most. When she reflected about their time together when HY made the promise of always looking at the stars together, to when JY told her to look at her husbands posts as toycrane. She saw that he wasn’t being himself and that what he wanted to do and say were being clouded. Her husband who was indecisive was being controlled by his emotions in a way impulsive. So her constantly saying sorry was her truly being sorry. My biggest belief of this is her saying I know when her husband realized he could not hold her the same without reminder. She herself wanted to be held but could not take away the thought of how she allowed herself to be someone else’s and thus was also scarred in a way.

That’s my take on the issue though, but I would have liked to see her do more. Possibly show her in pain from her betrayal or from the lack of being able to be with her husband anymore.

heroonthebeach continues the topic in “This Week, My Wife Will Have an Affair: Episode 12 (Final)” comment #5:

I’d like to share my own experience watching the finale of this show. I had to watch the show twice in order to fully appreciate what it was doing, in terms of Hyun Woo and Soo Yeon’s relationship.

Upon first viewing, I felt the finale to be very lacking, especially since it seems like Hyun Woo was doing all the work once again and the only one experiencing growth. I felt disappointed we didn’t see Soo Yeon growing and in the end, when Hyun Woo walked across the zebra crossing to Soo Yeon, it felt symbolic of him always taking that step while Soo Yeon not putting in effort to make the marriage work.

However, I decided to rewatch it so to see if I could understand Soo Yeon’s journey better and I realised that Soo Yeon’s journey was more subtle. Unlike Hyun Woo’s journey which is more obvious because it’s mainly about him as a husband, Soo Yeon’s journey is more multi-faceted, we see her journey as a mum, a career woman and also as a wife. One thing I noticed upon rewatching the finale was how often we see her smile and how energetic she looks, compared to all the past 11 episodes. We get hints that she’s connecting more to people and not just keeping to herself, chatting with her neighbours and even meeting with friends. Even at work, her relationship with her subordinates seems to be more at ease. In the final scene when she says to Joon-Soo that she’ll be waiting at home with cheese corn, there’s a sense that she’s found a balance between work and family, instead of rushing around.

As for her marriage with Hyun Woo, we know they’ve been meeting more frequently for meals, showing that there’s been a reestablishing of the connection between them. She’s been opening herself up and allowing herself to be vulnerable to him, especially when she called him after finding out she wasn’t promoted. This was certainly an improvement from the previous situation before the affair when she kept everything to herself.

Soo Yeon sharing her story on the forum is also a marked step ahead for someone who’s so private and always keeps to herself.

While Soo Yeon’s journey of growth isn’t at the foreground of the show, we can’t deny that she has grown and certainly, all her growth points towards something hopeful for their relationship. Them going through the divorce was necessary, I felt, because it really brought them together, as ironic as it sounds, and they learnt how to work together to make a better life for Joon Soo.

Logan5 writes in #8:

I liked that the purpose of the neighbor was a troll by the writer. No, she wasn’t a new love line … but she served a purpose … one that I felt was badly needed … and that was to bring home to SY exactly what she had done. Up till this point, she felt guilt, she had profound regret. But what was missing was any real growth … because there was really nothing there to push her growth. And I think this was that moment … seeing her ex-husband with another woman and seeing another person’s banchan in his fridge brought home the pain and sense of betrayal home. I’m quite sure leading up to this moment, she harbored secret feelings of possible reconciliations, but this moment made her realize that she didn’t actually deserve any sort of reconciliation … how could she? What she felt that night was not even 1/10 of what she did to her husband, and yet the pain was acute and biting … now she knows viscerally what she had subjected him to … and it was a wake up call …now there’s not only guilt and regret, but empathy too … and it’s that empathy that promotes growth … and that’s what makes her decide to finally let him go.

As for the final scene … I honestly do not think that this was the day after her seeing him with the neighbor … I think what we’re seeing is several days … maybe even several weeks later … simply because it’s obvious to me the reaction from the son isn’t one of surprise in seeing his dad … and I don’t think there was surprise in her face either in seeing him there … just a comfortable happiness … and certainly their casual embrace isn’t something one would expect after having had the conversation from the previous scene … no, I think that he did see her the day after and I do believe that from then to “now” there was plenty of progress made in moving forward … especially now that she finally understood that despite the amount of hurt she inflicted, that his love for her was big enough that she’s willing to fight along with him for a love that she knows she doesn’t deserve … but he does, the fact that she’s happy too is just cream.

And in #15, gala reacts to the recap’s final comments:

I beg to differ regarding SY as the weak link in the storyline. I honestly don’t think we, the viewers, are meant to fully “get” SooYeon. the story is mostly from HW’s point-of-view. and maybe I’m compensating for the writer for not fully fleshing out SY’s character, but I feel that it was intended to be that way — that we don’t get a complete sense of why she did it, and why she’s acting this way. maybe the viewers are really not meant to understand the “cheater” and the actions pre- or post-cheating… SY’s not the heroine, but she ain’t the villain either. She’s there to put a spotlight on Hyun Woo. that’s how I see it, if that makes sense.

Mia:

Yeah, I agree. I think some aspects of this show ie. Soo yeon were made vague(?) for a reason.

I think it may be not to put a face(?) on cheaters. To make it easier for audiences to imagine their own face (of a cheater) in order to relate to Hyun woo.

Romama:

I agree as well that it does seem to be intentional to leave Soo Yeon a bit vague. Also, it’s my theory that the show intended for us viewers to be reflective of Toycrane’s fanclub. We’re all involved in his story because Hyun Woo is the one sharing his story and his thoughts online (and through the show). If you notice the way that narration is used – Hyun Woo narrated since the beginning of the show and we were always privy to his thoughts. Whereas the other characters didn’t get to narrate (we had to gues what they’re feeling based on their dialogue and expressions) – the only other narration came from Soo Yeon and it was during the moment she was in the act of posting her story online. This might be how we ended up with both Soo Yeon and Bo Young becoming so opaque when the time came for them to be making big decisions because we weren’t sure what went on in their heads (very realistic approach).

I thought that was a very significant clue as to the intention behind the whole show (which chocolatte mentioned – a guy being cheated on and the social media aspect).

That said, I also agree that it would’ve been nice to see more of Soo Yeon’s growth as well. But that would’ve made it into a different show and this is already perfect enough for me. Favourite drama of the year! This the first show that made me refresh Dramabeans recaps repeatedly – just to read everyone’s discussion on this forum.

Katherine in #17:

Being in a relationship is making the conscious decision that you’re choosing that person to love everyday, we’ve been sold this illusion that once you’re in a happy relationship or marriage then everything else gets miraculously solved and we don’t need to put in any effort, it’s from here that we begin to take our loved ones for granted and things fall a part. Which was the clear case with Hyunwoo & Sooyeon that’s why by the time we end this episode and drama I’m happy to see that there has been changes (whether big or small) being made on both their parts, these changes indicate a more positive outcome whether they give their relationship another chance down the line or keep it platonic.

And mexmax in #27:

On the topic of “Was divorce really necessary if they’re just getting back together anyway?”

I think the divorce works very well in a narrative sense because humans are creatures of symbolism. People constantly surround themselves with rituals, memoirs, and objects that transform the emotional or abstract into tangible objects. Wedding rings are a great example; they’re a physical reminder of the commitment two spouses have made to each other. And along the same lines, a marriage ceremony helps us visualize the love and promises that already exist between two people. Just as marriage sends a powerful message, as does divorce. SY and HW needed something to represent a clean break, perhaps even a way of “atoning” for the mistakes in their past marriage. Why? Because emotions are messy, and using something with clear lines can helps us define where we stand and clarify our thoughts to others. This almost reminds me of when people write their worries on a few rocks, then drop said rocks into the middle of the ocean. Doing so can help one get rid of those worries.

In other words, divorce functions as SY and HW’s rocks that they’re throwing out into the water. Yeah they could’ve chosen some thing else to serve the same purpose, but it’s like divorce was the only force or action strong enough symbolically to represent their new life.

So in a narrative sense, the divorce works great. In real life, I don’t think getting a divorce is that easy or clear cut. With all the stress and money involved, SY and HW might have used a different grand gesture instead. Like getting rocks and throwing them in a lake.

Just_Alee asks in “Drunken hijinks and piggyback rides in youth drama Hwarang” comment #3:

Why do korean seems so obssesed with candy heroine with multiple part-time jobs???

Rose replies:

Because a lot of Koreans live quite a rough and difficult life, so it is understable that a portion of them Will like fairytales-like story that will reward heavily a-hard working-high deserving-woman, because it is how it should be in reality. The undeserving should be punished and The deserving should be rewarded but when you come from a poor background, you have no connections, no matter how much you are willing and working, you will not succeed in gaining the social reward you would expect although Korean society like most of societies nowadays is based on a hurtful myth: meritocracy. It creates a lot of pent-up frustration and sense of injustice. But it is not just a Korean thing, basically whenever the discrepancy is too big between your reality and what you could have expected or the social gap a

… Is just .a bottomless pit, some people will just love a good ” the good guys win and the bad guys lose story”, so it is not surprising that most of the time the bad guys are just pure evil and have no layers of depth about them. Really because who cares about the “poor rich” ? That is why a lot of korean-candy-type-stories sell extremely well in other countries that just have nothing to do on a cultural basis with South Korea, like arabic countries or some latinos coutries, and that you will find in countries where life is so very hard, produced the same type of candy stories. As ridiculous as it looks like, by rooting for their Candy, by seeing her vanquish her devil ennemies, it is a bit of them who win too, a bit of hope for the tomorrow that will inhabit them, may be it could happen to them too, because Candy does exist, she has multiple faces, multiple stories, multiple colors, live in multiple countries. All of this people are Candy, and Candy is hope.

A certain guest appearance had beanies talking this week. In “Legend of the Blue Sea: Episode 7” comment #14, Sam_1 writes:

Is it too much to ask if he would just have another scene with Jun Ji Hyun as mermaids underwater?
That would be 10000x more hilarious!

Newbie:

Someone out there had the same idea.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CzIYZWjUQAAubPV.jpg:large

Crazyredhairmireu writes in “Legend of the Blue Sea: Episode 8” comment #14:

JJS made the more effective cameo ever, the best I’ve seen since Lee Min Ki in SUFBB (where is he btw? I miss him on the small screen!). But man how could anyone not want a mermaid/merman for themselves? They’re faithful to their loves to the point of death and don’t lie unless they have to. On a practical note they can also erase all your cringe-y memories that leave you mortified and blanket kicking at night and cry tears of pearls when watching dramas keeping you reasonably rich. Imagine making money for watching dramas and being moved! How is this not ideal???

Chandler:

Not to mention, this particular merman was JJS!!! I swear, I tried, but I can’t even begin to understand Jung Yumi here. How exactly could she leave such a ‘catch’ (lol)?!

And earthna shares an anecdote in #30:

RIP, Mr. Merman. You’re the best.

My mom was crying near the end of this episode so I teased her with a plastic bag.

I should start carrying one. You never know, they might become pearls…. I wish!

This week is a painful but sweet one for Bok-ju (though she doesn’t know it yet) and beanies are showering the show with hearts. In “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-ju: Episode 7” comment #14, genki-escapist writes:

I love, love, LOVE this childhood-friends-slow-burn romance we have going on with Joonhyung and Bokju. And with this episode, now I can see why the drama gave us a false romantic lead in Jaeyi rather than jump straight to Joonhyung as Bokju’s love interest–it was all the better to appreciate what Joonhyung and Bokju have. It’s that genuine connection that allows them to be comfortable with each other and show their true selves and eventually fall in love with no pretentions. First loves aren’t always as they’re cracked up to be. The real magic happens when you love someone who really knows you and it turns out they love you just the way you are. And I’m so excited for Joonhyung and Bokju because that’s what’s in store for them! Bokju has had the stuckup gymnasts look down on her, and men insult her for not being pretty (though how they can say that when she’s Lee Sungkyung is beyond me), and her family feels sorry for her that she can’t be a normal girl–but hey, none of that matters to Joonhyung! He likes her just like that!

And in “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-ju: Episode 8,” Miranda notes in comment #8:

I loved the whole “you’ve got a high nose bridge, I can’t even wear glasses” conversation. So many kdramas jump right into romantic love, and while it’s completely clear to us how JH feels, that sort of idle conversation is exactly what gets people on the same page in the real world – just stupid things you say to each other until you realize that that person is the only person you want to tell everything, even the stupid things.

es adds:

This. Definitely one of my favourite moments in the episode. I loved that the writer didn’t pull an “oh my god he’s touching me i’m so flustered” moment – despite their proximity, they were super comfortable with each other, and their inane conversation just felt so natural and organic.

Tess in comment #20:

Can we also just address how awesome it is that we have a hero who is getting therapy and following through with his treatments and basically addressing mental health seriously? I love how earnestly JH listens to the doctor.

vera:

I agree that it’s awesome how Joon Hyun is seeing therapist and he’s not particularly ashamed by it or sees it as something terrible. And I’m glad it didn’t take multiple personality disorder or something worse for him to to start seeing therapist.

He’s just really nice, sane lead, who’s mostly in tune with his emotions.

I really wish for Bok Joo to start showing interest in him, not as a love interest, but as a person. Their friendship seems slightly one sided, she’s still not trying to understand him.

lindl:

I agree, it’s great that mental-health treatment is taken seriously in this drama. Am just a bit concerned that the therapist seems to do too much talking and not enough listening. I’m a conflict-resolution practitioner and a health professional. In both fields, we are trained to guide clients in finding their way to their own (re)solutions and not imposing answers on them ourselves. Besides, this actor will never convince me that he’s not a power-hungry politician out to murder unutterably handsome manga characters!

He does look familiar…

holleyjane writes this beautiful analysis of Joon-hyung’s character in comment #1:

I was struck by how feverishly JH was practicing asking Bok Ju for forgiveness in the beginning of the episode. He felt desperate to have her forgiveness, even though it’s not his fault his crazy ex-girlfriend outed Bok Ju’s weight diary. When she started to complain to him, he had this look of dread on his face that seemed pretty strong in that situation. Then, when she was like, whatever, he was almost brought to tears of relief. So I thought that was interesting, but then, later, when he’s apologizing about standing Bok Ju up at the movie theater, I was again struck by his desperate attempts at forgiveness.
I feel like JH had a really interesting arc in this episode. He did two things “wrong” (though, really, it’s not his fault his ex is a crazy pscho) to Bok Ju, and both times he was really, really scared. Not that she would beat him up (he even told her she could hit him), but because I think he was scared she would leave him. Abandon him. Cut him out of her life. Like he had done something so irredeemable that their relationship was over.
His mom left him at a critical time in his development. Their only contact was through yearly postcards and gifts. She cut him out of her life, and most kids would internalize that. Many kids would think that it must be their fault somehow. Many kids would wonder what they had done wrong to cause their mom to leave them. And then when he found out his aunt had been behind it for most of the time, it must have unconsciously reinforced to him that he wasn’t worth having in her life. His major relationship with Si Ho ended the same way; she cut him out of her life when it suited her, despite the fact it was a critical time in his life. It was all on one day and then all over the next. I think he has a very real fear that women in his life might leave. Cut him off and just abandon him. I think that’s why partly why he’s afraid to confront his aunt-mom about the lies; unconsciously—and probably incorrectly—I think he’s afraid that if he says the wrong thing, she will cut him out of their life and leave him too.
So it makes sense that every time he says something potentially hurtful (not teasing, but actually causing pain) to Bok Ju, he gets this face that says how much he regrets it. It’s almost like he tenses up in that moment, waiting for the outburst that will send her away from him. And every time it doesn’t happen, he grows closer to her. He is slowly learning to trust her and himself as a part of her life. When they left the movie theater after he stood her up, and she was rightfully mad, he said something like, “At least let me buy you some food,” and it seemed clear that he wanted to keep her close, to keep her from running away from him. So when she was all like, duh, that’s the least you can do, I think he was surprised and delighted that she wasn’t leaving him.

So even though he makes mistakes, Bok Ju isn’t punishing him by abandoning him or cutting him out of her life.
I think that having trust with Bok Ju, combined with counseling and talking to his aunt-mom, is going to be the catalyst for him to work through his anxiety at the starting point. Aren’t his swimming problems kind of like his women issues: if he makes a mistake, he’ll get left behind?

Michykdrama weighs in on this week’s issue in “Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim: Episode 9” comment #1.2:

People have this idea that medical technology is the answer to everything, when in reality it isn’t. A machine can’t tell you what is wrong with the patient if the doctor can’t pick up what to look for. The art of medicine is being lost in favour for scans, blood tests and fancy investigations. And the cost of healthcare is going through the roof as well because of this.

While I agree with you that it’s portrayed a bit extremely in the drama, honestly to me, Dolham is everything that a good hospital should be, with its patients at the center of everything, with its staff doing the best they can with whatever they have, and not using a lack of resources be an excuse to not provide good medical care.

starswillshine writes in #9:

The showdown between Teacher Kim and President Do was well down because I could perfectly see where they were coming from and where the dilemma was, realistically. Instead of portraying a money sucking villain’s point of view, President Do gave us a perspective from a hospital owner’s point of view – a hospital has to survive in order to cure patients, which is true to think about it. Without a ‘profitable’ hospital (wholly privately owned), there will not be enough money to invest in the most advanced medical equipment for patients, which may limit the survival of the patients. If there is no hospital, there will only be doctors, but doctors cannot do much if they function on their own. Where is the necessary infrastructure? Hence, President Do made a lot of sense.

Then, we had Teacher Kim’s ‘romantic’ point of view, which is doctors curing patients comes first, before anything else. Teacher Kim wasn’t wrong too. If there is a hospital with everything necessary to be a top notch hospital but without doctors who want to cure patients wholeheartedly, then what’s the use of having a hospital?

In my opinion, President Do’s perspective is only valid if all hospitals are wholly privately operated. I’m not sure about other countries but my country does provide subsidies to hospitals to lessen the financial load and generally do not allow big hospitals to close down just because they are running on a deficit, for the hospitals to focus on curing patients. Therefore, Teacher Kim’s perspective does make more sense in real life.

Michykdrama replies:

Yes this brings up the question of whether a hospital should be run as a profit driven company in the first place.

Money can’t be ignored because the staff need to be paid and no one lives on sunshine alone, but is it right for the driving force to be dollars and sense?

Doctors certainly have to be cost conscious, but do they also have to be cost-driven? It may seem similar but actually it’s not.

I been told I’m cynical but have a idealistic naive heart beneath it all so maybe I’m just dreaming, but I honestly believe that profit driven healthcare is not the way to go. But you are right, I guess that is why private and government/public hospitals exist, with the latter making sure that no one goes without basic healthcare, regardless of financial status.

In “tvN remakes popular Japanese manga The Liar and His Lover,” Yue shares her perspective in approaching age gap in kdramas. In #14, she writes:

I’m not sure whether I’m excited or not with this development. Honestly, I’ve only read about a few pages of the Manga and had always planned to go back to it, but never quite get there — I shall put the blame on Korean Dramas and their ability to distract me… Anyway, I don’t particularly hate the idea of tvN reworking the Manga for Korean audience, but from what I read, the biggest concern had always been the female lead age.

While I don’t pretend not to be shocked to know the character was only 16 year old girl dating a 25 year old man when I first watched the movie, I wasn’t completely thrown by it either. It’s one of those information where people can easily Google if they’re at the very least curious as to why it was okay in Japan while in their country it’s pretty much a no-no. The age of consent to marriage in my country is 18 – our beliefs had always been that if you are old enough to join the army, you’re old enough to give consent to marry. I didn’t know there was a different age of consent, but, I Googled it because a) I don’t assume every country have the same law; obviously, we have difference in culture as well and b) it was curious as to why there was no uproar about the whole Manga/movie unless around non-Japanese.

I’m sure that tvN would take Korean culture into account when and if they are to remake it for their 2017 slot. The female lead would most probably be around 20 if they adhere to the age of consent. Plus, considering how fast-paced Korean Entertainment Industry, if the band are properly marketed, they probably would only take three years to global stardom. Assuming that they follow the band was signed in HS, the male lead could be around 23-25 years old, at most, 27.

It’s not wrong to find things unappealing, however we must remember that every country have their own laws, rules and cultures. Their acceptance would be different than yours. Plus, it is normal for the producers, studios, etc. to stay closely to their own culture than they would be to yours. It’s what they know – the rule when it come to writing had always been ‘write what you know’ and I’d like to see what tvN will do with the source material as well as how it would be translated into Korean culture. And its entertainment industry, of course.

bloop reacts to “Blockbuster zombie thriller Train to Busan to get Hollywood remake.” In comment #3, she writes:

Who asked for this

Minah replies:

hollywood asked this, they can buy the rights…

bloop:

can they un-ask

Myka:

can they un-hollywood

NomNom:

Can they un-remake

redfox:

can they un-stupid

cherkell:

un-possible.

Thanks for always making us laugh and think, beanies!

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