Beans of Wisdom: K-drama preparedness plan

by DB Staff

This week in Beans of Wisdom…

Marissa comments about our hero’s very depressing intro in “Whisper: Episode 1” #28:

Alternative titles for this show: Dong-Joon’s completely awful, no good, terrible work week.

Dude could not catch a break seriously. lol.
I mean it is so good so far, I love it, but I was just like can we please get Dong-Joon a tub of ice-cream, a warm blanket, lose his phone, and start over as a small town lawyer ready to take on the town’s chicken thief?

C warns us about the coming storm of dramas in “Nam Ji-hyun in final negotiations to star in Beware This Woman” comment #36:

Embrace yourself for May madness:

Mon-Tue
KBS: Third Rate My Way (Park Seo Joon, Kim Ji Won)
SBS: My Sassy Girl (Joo Won, Oh Yeon Seo)
MBC: Lookout (Lee Si-young, Kim Young-kwang)
TVN: Circle (Yeo Jin-goo, Kim Kang-woo)
OCN: My Secret Romance (Sung Hoon, Song Ji-eun)

Wed-Thu
KBS: Seven Day Queen (Yeon Woo Jin, Park Min Young)
SBS: Suspicious Romance (Ji Chang Wook, Nam Ji Hyun)
MBC: Ruler: Master of the Mask (Yoo Seung Ho, Kim So Hyun)

Fri-Sun
TVN: Chicago Typewriter (Yoo Ah-in, Im Soo-jung)
JTBC: Man To Man (Park Hae-jin, Park Sung-woong)
OCN: Dual (Jung Jae-Young, Kim Jung-Eun)

Dramabeans gonna go crazzzzzzzzzyyyyyyyyy

Gaeina Lee shares some preparation tips:

– Write down the schedule above on the planner, computer and phone calendar + To Do List
– Turning alarm as per the list above
– Added refreshing DB every minutes the next day after airing on the alarm
– Writing weekly shopping list:
1. Eye packs
2. Coffee
3. Eye packs
4. Coffee
5. Eye packs
6. Coffee
(back to #1- 6)
– Kiss goodbye to social life

Oh, and:
– Share calendar to hubz with big “Privacy Needed” sign

^^

Pipette praises “Chief Kim: Episode 18” for showing us how to choose the right path. She writes in comment #3:

My heart can finally rest easy, now that I now Yul is no longer traversing a dark and dangerous path. I would not have been surprised had he turned out to be fully bad, but with all the hints the show gave us of his humanity or conscience, it would have been a little painful to digest.

His scene with Sung Ryong was touching. We the audience know that Sung Ryong made a choice to be consciously good. But Yul does not know that and at times like these, it always helps to have someone lead the way and show you that you can change. I love that Sung Ryong shared his experience with Yul and lets him know that it is not too late, and that it will be alright. He needed to hear that and who better to hear it from, the very person who experience the same thing!

[…]

I love that along with Sung Ryong and Yul, Myung Seok too has had a chance to grow and change paths, so to speak. It’s definitely a good lesson about how our futures are not set in stone. You can make a choice, any time to turn back and go down a different road.

And bugs_bunny in #22:

HK & Yul finally had their baseball meet-up!!! she mentioned this in the earlier epi, can’t remember which one, but it was sweet of her to ‘lose’ just coz Yul loves to win. her advice was very meaningful due to the fact that it really applies to real life. that’s one of the best advice i’ve gotten when i started working, pick your own battles coz you can’t win every single time. but if you win the most important ones without compromising your ideals, then it would be more meaningful.

hence, that’s why i luv this drama!!! it’s not preachy with the way the characters discovered a way to be ‘good,’ as SR mentioned he just slipped in the ice, he really didn’t intend to be mr. righteous. and to remember that there will be good people to show you the way, from HK/Dir Chu to SR. SR mentoring myung-seok & now rescuing Yul… loyalty wins also!!! SR started off with kwang-sook, now he has the whole BO team on his side, even ga-eun & the prosecutor.

What are low-rated shows good for? hades.red writes in “Drama viewership ratings for the week of Mar. 20-26, 2017” comment #11.1:

Even though many of our favourites get low ratings, I appreciate that they even see the light of day to begin with. We need that diversity. What’s more, I appreciate that in some cases the cast and crew stand firm behind their work when they don’t get amazing ratings–WFKBJ. I think that speaks to the subjective fact that these shows aren’t bad, just not everyone’s cup of tea. In my case, I’ve watched sooo much TV in my life that I now appreciate shows that I can relate to or are different enough from the many I’ve seen before so as to keep my attention.

While in comment #16, Yui has a convincing reason for accepting our differences in taste:

And please, dont judge or blame viewers’ taste just bcuz they are different from yours… Preference dear. Accept it. If everyone has the same taste, then we will love the same person. Imagine how messy it can be. Lol. So, lets respect each other’s preference. Cheers.

L defends last week’s non-kiss in comment #12 of “Strong Woman Do Bong-soon: Episode 9”:

As much as I love k dramas, I’ve always had to grit my teeth during the myriad kissing scenes where the women shut their eyes and brace themselves as if any smidgen of romance or sensuality is a terrifying notion. I’ve always viewed it as part and parcel of the tendency of k dramas to infantilize women and deny them any sexual agency whatsoever. And it gets even worse when we consider the fact that k drama heroes are always encouraged to take the woman’s reluctance (i.e. fear) as a sign of womanly virtue. Blech.

That being the case, I was pleasantly surprised by the way the scene turned out. When they were staring so intently at each other, I was squeeling like an idiot, but as soon as Bong Soon closed her eyes and clenched her fists, it killed the moment, for the above reasons. But here’s the thing, Min Hyuk’s reaction was so refreshingly normal, and gender atypical from a drama standpoint. For most drama heroes, consent, or even participation on the woman’s part, is optional (which disgusts me to no end). But Min Hyuk, like a normal person, doesn’t want to kiss a cringing person who looks less than enthusiastic at the idea of kissing him. He wants to kiss, and be kissed by, a girl who actually desires him. It takes two to tango, folks. He looked kind of sad and wistful, and definitly dissapointed when it didn’t happen, but he reacted the right way. Any emotionally healthy person would be turned off (and feel slightly hurt) if their crush had to “brace” themselves to kiss them. And I’m so glad this drama acknowledges that a woman should not have to kiss someone when she isn’t ready or comfortable, and that a man should not only respect her wishes, but should respect himself enough not to take what isn’t freely given, not to mention, fully reciprocated.

Anyway, the show could completely ruin it by including some gender normative (by k drama standards) forced kiss between these two. But I sincerely hope not, cause this was definitely a step in the right direction, and really deepened my appreciation for Min Hyuk’s character.

Haru adds:

Min Hyuk has took that one step closer to her, in that scene by the river and repeatedly throughout this episode by (unintentionally) revealing other layers to himself, thereby making him more approachable and more humanized. But Bong Soon has to be the one to take that final step forward, even in a relatively simple act such as the one to kiss first. Because that is very integral to Bong Soon’s character development. She has grown from the girl who lived her life passively and always trying to hide her powers, to a young woman who has now embraced her powers, wants to use it for good, and is willing to undergo training to hone those skills. Min Hyuk understands this struggle of hers and knows that she needs to be the initiator in these important milestones in her life. Rather than being acted upon (him kissing her first, reacting to baddies), he wants her to be the one in complete control of her powers, of her body, and how she wants to act.

[…]

When our strong woman Do Bong Soon kiss, it has to be because every fiber in her body wants it. Her hands have to move and curl around the other’s neck/head and be 100% involved in the kiss.

SWDBS, you’re still a drama filled with problematic issues, but at least on the romance side of our OTP, you’re doing great, so please don’t let me down. You better uphold the bar you’ve set so far or I’ll curse you to eternity!

While Wildfly asks about the OTP’s future in comment #4.5.1 of “Strong Woman Do Bong-soon: Episode 10”:

I have my doubs about their relationship.
do they have a lot in common? MH is a nerd, sharp and practical enough to build a successful MMORPG company and she- cant even spell ‘interstellar’. Can they even go together to a sci-fi film and discuss it afterwards? Would she understand what’s he saying? Does she know the difference between CRPG and MMORPG? Quenya vs Sindarin? hard sci-fi and cyberpunk? Blizzard vs Bioware? SW vs ST?
If the sexual attraction fades a bit wont he be bored with her?

Lezah replies:

I guess things like the future and the fading of sexual attraction are beyond the view of us audience, haha! In my opinion, you don’t necessarily need to have a ton of things in common to be in a good, stable relationship. I think what’s most important is that he understands her needs and tries to get her to be a better version of herself. Obviously they may never be on the same page intellectually, but I think it’s good that he doesn’t look down on her and he even encourages her. And at the same time, I wouldn’t discredit BS. She brings a certain… optimism and openness to their relationship. MH has always been a loner and a weird geek, I assume. As BS mentioned before, he tends to withdraw into himself whenever he’s upset. I think it’s good that she knows, and she tries to draw him out of it. She’s teaching how to be more open about his negative emotions and to try to depend on others (aka her) sometimes.

In that sense, I think they do make a good pair. I wouldn’t be able to say much about how they don’t fit intellectually, but the fact that they care for each other and sort of complement each other’s flaws seems to be a pretty good match for me.

TrinPie talks about a better way of supporting one’s partner in #39:

I am in love with Min Hyuk. PHS is killing it in this role and I don’t think I would have stuck around if he wasn’t in it. I love how much he respects DBS and accepts her for who she is. He doesn’t tell her to be someone different, but he also doesn’t coddle her. Like her strength, he loves her strength and is amazed by it, but he also isn’t afraid or he doesn’t feel less manly because of it. But he also knows she is like a loose cannon with her strength, so instead of coddling her he trains her and hones her. She wants to join the Planning and Development team but she clearly doesn’t have the skills to do so. So instead of coddling her and putting her straight on the team he is going to train her and help her build her skills. This is what I see a true relationship should be. Respect, caring, the desire to help, but without just being a yes man. If I want to go out and run a marathon I would never be able to do it. My partner just saying ‘yes you can do it’ wont necessarily make it happen. But if my partner says ‘Yes you can do it, but you need some training and I’m willing to help you train’ then my dream will be much easier to achieve. This is what Min Hyuk is doing for DBS. He is helping her develop and grow because he respects her enough to not just pat her head and send her off.

In “Old friends reunite 80 years in the future in Chicago Typewriter,” mellina shares this cool observation in comment #7:

In the first Poster , there’s a pic of the trio dressed in the 30s and in the individual posters, YAI and ISJ dressed in modern attires while GKP still has the 30s way if dressing. Hmmmm…But it could mean nothing. maybe I’m reading too much to it.

Bonita:

Ghostwriter, literally (?)

Sooyi:

I agree with your observation of the outfit of GKP’s ghostwriter character. His suit looks old-fashioned and so does his hairstyle – the 1930s incarnation had the same hairstyle. So maybe GKP’s present day writer is not a reincarnation??

apple points out dramaland cops’ incompetence in comment #12 of “Tunnel: Episode 1”:

The doctor asked the cop if the moles on the victims were important. The doctor. MD. Medical degree. Chief Kim will be smug.

I suppose if dramaland cops and doctors (and lawyers and CEOs and office workers) were competent at their jobs, there wouldn’t be 16 episodes of coincidences, missed connections and the bad guy always being 10 steps ahead.

But Vivien presents an excuse (for this show, at least):

Not sure about Korean society back in 80s, but as another East Asian, I remember my mom would talk about how people were nicer and crime rates were lower back in her days and even during my grandpa’s time. So, yeah, I agree that it’s not a reach people at that time might be reluctant to think of someone being evil enough to commit several murders. We might be used to reading and hearing about serial killers now, and some decades ago, it’s still a very shocking and possibly unimaginable thing to believe. There’s one line in ep one that pointed out this sentiment…something like ‘how can anyone be capable of such crime in our small town?’

wandergirl writes in comment #3 of “Tomorrow With You: Episode 16 (Final)”:

I also love the poem in the end, as I feel like it captures what it means to be in a relationship with someone. We all go into it with our past, present and future selves, and as the drama has shown us, there’s nothing we can do but love and live in the present, to trust the process, so to speak. It’s an investment of your whole being.

While Runita talks about keeping relationships alive in #6:

When you are in long term relationship, there are times you simply stop trying or take your partner for granted. We can see through the morning argument between So Joon and Ma Rin. But what I loved from the ending is when ocassionally So Joon rechieved mail from past Ma Rin, he remembers the tough time they need to pass to be together. Therefore he makes the effort to apologize first, and ai love it. Although I have mixed feelings about So Joon still go the future, I thought by the end of the drama it will teach us to appreciate the present (more than pretty bew things from the future) hahaha

ar:

I was irked by the bickering scene at first and thought the drama was wasting the last few precious moments of the drama, but when he got that email, I was relieved and totally got it that it is easy to fall into old rhythms and to take your partner for granted, and that because you love that person and that person loves you, you should make an effort.

holleyjane describes the dangers of trying to please everyone in “Perfect Wife: Episode 10” comment #19:

As crazy as Eun Hee is, Jung Hee almost scares me more. To describe his as a people pleaser is not adequate. He’s almost to a pathological degree a people pleaser. He’s dangerous because he says what he thinks the other person wants to hear, and he believes it. He may be lying, but he honestly believes it in the moment, which makes him scary. So, when Jae Bok needed to believe his affair was over, he assured her it was–and he believed it. In that moment, he wasn’t lying. He honest-to-God believed he would put aside Na Mi for his family. But then, when faced with sad Na Mi, he promised her he would leave his family for her. And in that moment, he honest-to-God believed it.

It’s like he has no center or core to himself. Whoever is strongest, he will follow. And he believes it. And then the people in his life believe. They really do believe him. So Jae Bok really did trust him, that he would forget Na Mi. And Na Mi really did believe that he would choose her over his family. Even though I think it’s unconscious, that level of manipulation on Jung Hee’s part is the scary thing. All the women in his life are looking at him to step up and be the man he says he want to be. But at the slightest sign of conflict, he gives up all his bravado. He can’t be trusted AT ALL, for ANYTHING because he is not a person–he is a reaction to those around him.

deltadragon23 shares her anticipation for “Rocky start to ajumma-ace detective partnership in Mystery Queen.” In comment #3, she writes:

I’m excited. Too often, the entertainment industry only focuses on the trials and tribulations of the younger generations (partially because younger actors and especially younger actresses haven’t been touched by “aging” yet); I’m excited for a drama that centers on a person who belongs to the middle-aged group.

We often forget that life is still full of adventures for people in their 40s and 50s and even when they’re seniors. It’s one of the reasons I loved Dear My Friends so much.

I’m optimistic for this drama. I’ll be even more blown away if there are ZERO love lines. But…I won’t expect that and will just consider it a cherry-on-top if it does.

Arawn writes in comment #14 of “Radiant Office: Episode 6”:

I really dislike this talk of how Ki-taek “deserves” someone better than Ji-na and how Ji-na so most definitely does not deserve him. I for one do not think no one deserves anyone because that’s not how relationships work but even that set aside I still have a problem with this idea that Ki-taek is so, so much better than Ji-na in every respect.

Now, I do think that Ki-taek is better as a person – he is good whereas Ji-na isn’t. However, that does not translate as being a good boyfriend. Ki-taek is very, very submissive and frankly, I would not want to date a man like him. It’s pretty clear Ji-na has been able to boss him around as much as she wants, which of course tell a lot about her, but also a lot about Ki-taek. Ki-taek does not respect himself so it’s not really wonder how Ji-na does not either.

Also, I do not think Ji-na necessarily regrets breaking up with Ki-taek. I mean, she might, but she could also just be grieving. It’s not like people who initiate the break up are always immediately okay with it and do not feel sad and depressed because of it. I think Ji-na cared deeply for Ki-taek and there are still some lingering feelings left and she’s dealing with that.

But who knows. This is kdrama. Maybe she does regret and they’ll end up together after all…

While in #25, sash talks about a particular scene with our hero and heroine:

It was such a powerful moment when Woo Jin asked her “Did you try to kill yourself because of me?” Because a part of me feels that he was harsh with her all this time because he saw himself in her. In their similar family situations and backgrounds.

When, during her first interview, he says that she has nothing but grades, I think he’s saying it because he knows what kind of struggle she’s facing/going to face.

But what makes them different is that Ho Won chose to blame life for screwing her over with her supposed disease, which honestly sometimes looks like a self-pity party. I can understand feeling like that the first few episodes or so but Ho Won has to understand that in a job, no one knows whatever genuine circumstances you had behind your mistake. They only know your mistake.

Woo Jin knows from experience that there is a way out of that hell that Ho Won is convinced she’s stuck in. His personality is the reason why he keeps changing companies but he knows that there is a way to get into better positions, and it probably frustrates him to see Ho Won not take that chance and display self improvement.

This episode gave Ho Won the dose of reality she needed, that not even the highest ranking people have equally prosperous backgrounds. I hope she stays true to her promise to work hard and shows everyone just how badass she can be.

Annie truong writes in defense of “fluff” shows in comment #45 of “The Liar and His Lover: Episode 4”:

I do watch this with a smile on my face, like a proud mother watching my child’s school play. Yes, this drama is not a masterpiece or a blockbuster. Nor does it pretend to be. It is unpretentious fluff, but it’s fun to watch.

Fluff can be just as enjoyable if done right as “deep” and ambitiously complex dramas can feel dreary if done wrong.

I might enjoy an Oscar winner, or a movie with a ginormous budget, but it doesn’t prevent me from finding some charm in simple inexpensive rom-coms, or even, as some referenced to it, high school musical or other disney movies. In fact, I have rewatched Princess Diaries more time than I can count, and many more times than I have rewatched another movie I like but is too heavy for me to rewatch over and over again. Point is, there is nothing wrong with liking fluff. I wished people could respect that.

Meanwhile, lillian’s comment in #4.1.1.1 makes us want to draw a diagram:

Other dramas are like, wow, Second Lead Syndrome, how to handle it???

Then we have TLAHL, who is like… Puhleassse. You thought SLS was bad, how about Third lead syndrome with Jinwoo. I mean whoops. Fourth Lead Syndrom after all, because third lead syndrome is actually Chanyoung.

Mir:

So… I’m no geometry genius, but does that make it a love Pentagon? or Hexagon with Gyu-sun? LMAO

Erica:

Well, I’ve seen some people ship her with Shi-hyun as well, so that makes it a love septagon?

There’s more, as DE points out:

Girls, you’re forgetting the other side. There is still Yoona in the other love triangle, and if we include Jinhyuk, that makes it a love square.

Mingli:

So.. I counted and that makes it 9 people in the love thingy. O___O

After googling, that makes it a “Love Nonagon” I can’t. Too funny.

JY:

that moment when I learn more geometry in dramabeans than i ever did in math class

Who says drama-watching doesn’t have benefits?

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