Open Thread #728
by DB Staff
Happy Friday everyone!
Here is your Open Thread, which is here for you to chat about anything you want, whether it be drama-related or not. Nothing’s off-topic here! Spoilers may be rife, so proceed accordingly.
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1 welh
October 1, 2021 at 6:11 AM
It was announced this week that "Tales of the Nine Tails" will have a second and third season. FL Jo Bo Ah is not a part of the reboot. Season 2 is expected to be set in the Joseon era.
The American/Netflix concept of multiple seasons for shows is a bad trend for k-dramas. The Korean format of one season with one story with a beginning, conflict middle and story end really makes the writer complete their vision in one series.
"Tales of the Nine Tails" really was not that great of a series to be "rewarded" with more seasons. I don't recall a fan base clamoring for more episodes after the story limped to the finish. The only one I have seen is the international fan base wanting a CLOY 2 but there is a different fantasy in play. But steamers like Netflix like multiple seasons because they believe there is a starting fan base for them. But true fans of the original story have found stretching the concept too far (i.e. Penthouse) is not a good thing.
I really don't like the trend for multiple season k-dramas.
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Chubbysocks
October 1, 2021 at 7:09 AM
Tbh I have not finished even the first episode of it
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cat-cric-kat
October 1, 2021 at 7:17 AM
Season can be continuation of a story or a concept-them.
Rich is a concept-theme and you see those copy-paste characters in almost every asian drama.
Plot and scenarios can be different with different angles and You can + or - characters as well as personality traits.
its a industry not someone's barbie doll kitty party so they go for what's best for them and i would have gone with the same. Business is business no personal feelings allowed to interfere with judgement.
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beffels
October 1, 2021 at 3:56 PM
I don’t like multiple seasons when it’s an ongoing story that they just throw things at until people get sick of it, but obviously it’s a winning formula for many US shows. Using the same concept again but only tangentially related (but still calling it season 2) seems a reasonable way of getting sequels without making too many people hate it but maybe it’s the worst of both worlds 😅
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am1993
October 1, 2021 at 7:20 AM
I didn't watch Nine Tails but based from the mixed reviews I had seen when it was airing, I was surprised to see this news. Is anyone looking forward to not one but two more seasons? Did I miss a good drama?
I'm not a big fan of multiple seasons either. It is one of the reasons I tend to gravitate more towards Asian dramas. They are the best of both worlds: longer than a movie but shorter than the American/Canadian tv shows.
That said, I am not completely against multiple seasons because I did love Stranger 1 + 2, Kingdom 1+2, and Hospital Playlist 1+2. Sometimes the writer succeeds in expending the world/story well. There are also a handful of American/Canadian shows that I enjoy following year after year (Stranger Things, Never Have I Ever, Love Victor, Heartland (although I have yet to watch season 14 because I wasn't ready for that pain)).
I do hope that multiple seasons format will remain the exception and won't become the norm in Korea.
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Shari
October 1, 2021 at 11:56 AM
Netflix is a bad trend for k-drama. I've said it before and I'll say it again. The reason I liked k-drama was because it was clean, wholesome storytelling, without political agenda or occultic overtones like so much of Western entertainment now. Netflix was bleeding subscribers before the pandemic because of its vile, dark content, and would have continued to do so if people hadn't been stuck at home for months. Now Netflix is trying to make k-drama over in its image. The dramas have to some extent lost their unique Korean feel, and while there are still a few I enjoy, the number of occult/dystopian/violent-themed kdramas has grown exponentially.
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am1993
October 1, 2021 at 12:32 PM
I find it funny that Netflix is being blamed for this "bad trend of violent kdramas" when Korean cinema is renown for its brutal revenge action and horror movies. Most Korean movies (especially action and horror) are, in my opinion, far more violent and disturbing than what you find in Hollywood.
Occult/dystopia/violence are not new to kdramas. OCN have some gritty crime dramas and I remember a hyper violent action drama called Girl K back in the day. The only reason they have not been common is because tv networks have much stricter rules for their content (since tv is accessible to all ages). Netflix does not have to navigate these censorships. Now, the type of content that was once limited to Korean movies are allowed on the small screen.
I am personally all for giving creators more liberty over their content, even if I don't agree with the idea the gorier the better. However, I do hope that Rom-Coms and Romance are still going to be popular genres. I am not too worried because TV Networks will keep producing dramas and webdramas for all ages.
The more genres the better in my opinion.
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Lixie
October 2, 2021 at 9:40 AM
Yes, to all of that! A little more study about korean cultures would easily make people understand it's not only about family dramas and romcoms and to say those don't have political agendas is quite silly.
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antonio83
October 1, 2021 at 1:05 PM
You're right. Hollywood (like media and academia in US) is increasingly the home of depravity, postmodernism, politically correct, censorship and nihilism. Since I discovered Kdrama I only watch oriental shows (amazingly Chinese shows are clean, healthy and educational for young people too).
I really hope Korea don't sell his soul to US
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amruta1009
October 2, 2021 at 7:14 AM
And yet there is American stuff that has been inspired by asian media and art. Even Korean movies. Kdramas don't need any outside influences trust me lmao
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knewbie
October 1, 2021 at 9:47 PM
I really don't think Netflix is the cause of K-drama becoming darker. Way before Netflix, there was OCN and jTBC, cable channels that allowed Korean drama makers to escape the restraints of terrestrial TV and go more in the direction of Korean cinema. Anyway, there is still loads of the "wholesome" stuff that you love so much on MBC, KBS and SBS. At the moment we've got Hometown Cha Cha Cha and Dal-ri and Gamjatang. Recently on MBC, On the Verge of Insanity was absolutely devoid of violence, dystopian elements or the occult. Ditto for Human Disqualification, I think. Lovers of the Red Sky apparently has what you'd call 'occultic overtones', but it looks like good clean fantasy fun to me, like Lord of the Rings or fairy tales or something. Even Move to Heaven on Netflix is pretty "wholesome". As for politics, it's a rare Korean drama that actually has a strong political message, but 1995's legendary and extremely popular Sandglass is the one that comes to mind. And in 1995 Netflix wasn't even a twinkle in anyone's eyes.
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Emperor Titus
October 1, 2021 at 5:14 PM
Talking about multi-season K-Drama is a good thing. However, first of all, I don't think Netflix can single-handedly change the culture of K-drama to do multi-seasonal (The Voice series is one of those examples). Not all dramas suitable to be multi-seasonal, Korean dramas, especially, but some do good to be more than one season (Kingdom is one of those, and Arthdal Chronicle is good to be more than a season, too), most of them have a huge world to build (the above 2 examples are good ones, remember, especially, Kim Young-hyun, the screenwriter who wrote Arthdal, tend to develop very long dramas), or they are developed in a "weekly case" structure (Hospital Playlist can be a good one on this, if the Season 2 not focus on the love lives of main characters). But generally speaking, K-dramas are not suitable to be multi-seasonal.
Instead of calling American dramas multi-seasonal to be "bad" I would rather say they are lazy, because developing a storyline with tonnes of characters takes time, and production companies want to save time and money. Similarly, some American dramas are good to be multi-seasonal (Game of Throne, an obvious example), but not all are good to do that. I like some dramas which have just one season, and some others are more than one--as long as they are suitable to do more than one season, so why not?
Finally, this is a message to @antonio83: "Chinese shows are clean, healthy and educational for young people"? Do you know all the Chinese show producers are in fact officials hired by government as well Government do have censorship policy against shows (movies, TV dramas, etc)? You must be kidding: they may be "healthy and educational", but in terms of fitting the Communist Government's agenda only. Don't be naïve, my friend: American show may not be that good, but no one beat Chinese Communist censorship!
(In case you ask: I actually have several colleagues who used to work in Mainland Chinese TV stations, that's why I know)
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antonio83
October 2, 2021 at 3:29 AM
I know very well that everything is approved by the Communist censorship. I hate communism as much as Reagan did.
I'm just saying that educationally they are superior to the depravity and immorality that permeates everything that has come out of Hollywood in recent years.
You can delude yourself that the American one is not censorship or dictatorship if you want, but personally after the 2020 elections I begin to believe that the American level of corruption is equal to that of China.
If we talk about education and entertainment, I make my children grow up watching kdrama and cdrama, not RuPaul and Elliot Page.
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mindy
October 2, 2021 at 3:42 AM
Holy crap.
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Yuyuu, The Drama Queen
October 2, 2021 at 4:56 AM
I really would like you to expand on this thought, Mindy. 😂
mindy
October 2, 2021 at 9:36 AM
@yuyuu I didn't know where to begin
egads aka Dame Maggie
October 2, 2021 at 4:31 AM
Creating only media that is a government approved sanitized and scrubbed to only depict some "idealized" version of things is part and parcel with the makings of dystopia. Erasing the grittier side of life, the struggles and foibles of real experiences, from art do not make for more educational entertainment. Quite the opposite, really. There is space for multiple genres. There is a place for the idealized depictions. There is room for horror, crime, and suspense fiction and more. What should be removed from our screens is the fear mongering of disinformation campaigns, racist and misogynistic tropes, and all forms of anti-queerness.
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knewbie
October 2, 2021 at 7:13 AM
Absolutely. And I'm also quite disturbed by people regarding the media of, say, Korea as a kind of prelapsarian sanctuary for disgusted westerners, without considering the possibility that Koreans themselves might want and need something quite different on their own screens.
amruta1009
October 2, 2021 at 7:11 AM
Never heard of how Korean movies are huh? I see
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am1993
October 2, 2021 at 7:50 AM
Ouf.
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ladynightshade wants to be gazed at by namgoong min
October 2, 2021 at 11:08 AM
What the hell is this?
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ladynightshade wants to be gazed at by namgoong min
October 2, 2021 at 11:33 AM
I’m so goddamn tired of people saying that Korean media is somehow this sanitized paradise, fundamentally opposed to the “depraved” and “immoral” west. This reeks with racist noble savage undertones in the disguise of admiration. Korean media has every right to be gritty, violent and complicated - and it often is. Dramas are not and never were a monolith. This is not some evil, western Netflix agenda, but simply creators utilizing their creative freedom free from censorship and age restrictions. Korean media (and other Asian media) does not exist to cater to racist western ideals of purity and wholesomeness. Leave YOUR weird agendas of racism and transphobia out of it.
And, if you truly respected Asian media as much you claim to, you wouldn’t call it “oriental”.
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egads aka Dame Maggie
October 2, 2021 at 2:14 PM
well said
antonio83
October 2, 2021 at 2:19 PM
Funny that you accuse me of racism and transphobia for loving kdrama and cdrama!
Also, English is not my language so if I don't use the words you like the most, I'm very sorry.
Enjoy US Show (olso cartoon) with pedophilia, misandry and nihilism if you are happy! I'm happy with Kdrama and Cdrama because of morality, cleanliness, respect for tradition and the family.
thimble
October 2, 2021 at 2:32 PM
OMG, Westerners take cover! The Korean cultural appropriation police are after us! And who uses the term "Oriental" anymore?
Emperor Titus
October 2, 2021 at 7:26 PM
Don't be overact, @antonio83. First of all, I did't said you are racist, I've just said you are naïve. Furthermore, judging by people leaving comment here, they don't say you're "racism and transphobia", so if you can, please don't put words in others' mouth.
I try to be kind to say this, and no pointing finger to anyone: there are evidences and analysis in tonnes of research that Communist Chinese government intentionally distorting concepts in terms of mixing perception of two actually different things, like equating "Chinese" with citizens of "People's Republic of China", calling "serving Communist Party" with "serving the general public". This is why I always think it is bizarre people can called the flu in 1918 as "Spanish Flu", but cannot call the disease in 2019 as "Wuhan-ARS", it's just place where the disease origins. This is just "political correctness" to the extreme (There's a skin disease called "Hongkong Foot", but as a person born in Hongkong, I don't feel offended, not even a bit).
Honestly I don't know if US shows are "depravity, postmodernism, politically correct, censorship and nihilism". I honest have not much interested in American show (other then South Korean, my recent favourite is Norwegian dramas, by the way, although due to language barrier and availability, I didn't watched much), maybe @antonio83 can give us some insight, especially on censorship, which I'm interested the most--or you just talk for the sake of just showing your distaste of US dramas?
Personally, as a Chinese (or to be more exact, a Hongkong-born Canadian), I prefer Taiwan dramas (Seqalu: Formosa 1867 is one of my recent favourite, although the storytelling is somewhat messy, according to some critics, but I do love them trying). I like to study propaganda in terms of understand how their propaganda is being spread out in those drama, but I totally can't enjoy them (During the Cultural Revolution, there are only 8 pieces of stage production is called "canon", for example; there are some secondary canon, though). Due to cultural reasons, some topics in K-dramas are still taboo (LGBTQ+, for example), but I am glad some K-dramas are trying to break the taboo. As Songhwa told Seok-min (Hospital Playlist S2E11): "You are not a perfect tense, but a continuous tense." I guess this is why I like K-dramas.
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antonio83
October 3, 2021 at 12:26 AM
In fact, it was not you who accused me of those things, if you read above it was another user. Unlike the left crusaders, I don't put unspoken words in mouth of others.
Regarding your interest in censorship, I can assure you that all ideas that do not align with mainstream thinking in the US are in fact banned from universities, media and Hollywood. The amount of evidence to support what I say is so huge that I would need more space and this is not the right place.
Regarding the depravity and immorality that I speak of, I repeat to you that you can watch any American show and you will find tons of them. Hatred of men is another disgusting element that is ruining relations between men and women in the West. Even something as light as WWW Secretary Kim doing a US remake would provoke revolutions and accusations of racism, homophobia, machismo and so on. And I'm talking about a truly enjoyable, beautiful and light work.
Children's books and cartoons are also propaganda tools and promote nonsense such as sex change at age 4 or invitation to anal sex for children.
LT is Irresistibly Indifferent, Dame Judi
October 3, 2021 at 2:25 AM
@antonio83 This is an Open Thread on an open website. There's no censorship here and this is a thread for any topic, by definition.
However, freedom of speech goes both ways. Which means I have that freedom as well. And I'm exercising that right to let you know that this community prides itself on being a safe space. A safe space for people of all ages, all nationalities, sexes, genders and sexualities.
I hope it can remain a safe space and that means that any hatred towards people who want to come here and discuss dramas will not be tolerated, especially when that hatred is directed at aspects of a person they can not change or control.
IMHO, your latest post borders on hate speech and while you're not targeting individual Beanies they may very well feel targeted. That's not the kind of community we've fostered here.
@db-staff
Emperor Titus
October 3, 2021 at 7:26 AM
I have no more comment on some beanies opinions of "censorship in US show", only this: I thank @leetennant is speaking out, and I am totally agreeing with him.
Unlike some people simply "talking censorship", working in a news department of a Cantonese-speaking TV station in Canada, I do have first-hand experience about censorship, like, some funny "audience" send in "complaint" into the station saying some news as "fake", then the station over-exaggeratedly treating the "complaint", and bend you to submissions--When someone is talking about censorship, I am living through it. But who cares? This is just my daily life ...
miss h
October 2, 2021 at 8:37 AM
I'm not crazy about multiple season k-dramas, but I don't blame Netflix. It was already starting to become a trend before Netflix came on the scene with Voice, Let's Eat, Partners of Justice, Age of Youth, Mystery Queen, Neighborhood Lawyer, etc and continued with Penthouse, Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim and others. It's not happening because Netflix made it a trend, it's happening because ratings and revenue have sharply decreased over the years, and networks want more of anything that made them some money.
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2 cat-cric-kat
October 1, 2021 at 6:48 AM
Storm is coming - more rains. oh no. oh yes.
I'm surprised to see these kid clouds being so active past 5 weeks. September clear blue skies are now inundated clouds that can't stay at one place for long. Little bit of daily drizzle.
Just few weeks back i had talked about natural shower - this weather pattern which has created new records - a weather where mild temperature feels more in the presence of low humidity.
No strong winds but you expect thunderstorms. Once more i have to say - haven't seen any floods or be at the receiving end of such natural occurrence. This region is like best place to be in wishy-washy climate.
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cat-cric-kat
October 1, 2021 at 6:58 AM
Elections this season - As said in in 2020 - the only political leader i show some respect. And a government of coalitions where 3rd and 4th front and even smaller parties with different ideology is given some national space. Main contenders still remain the top 2 parties and everyone else acting as allies. The better of system where you don't usurp power and control neither over party nor over the country's executive. Even in 2021 i talked about 3rd and 4th alternatives the most. This is why i prefer German socio- politcal system over others much more.
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cat-cric-kat
October 1, 2021 at 7:13 AM
I was super busy handling what i was into - The game was crazy and pretty reckless and i was the one who had everything to lose. You can't be absolutely right here. Be flxible enough to change your direction with the change around you. I can't do that. Adamant and stubborn i stood my ground.
Things happened. more brain work - more adjustments - more position sizing - and yes i turned the tide -
From big -ve to moderate +ve
I'm a realist and shouldn't act optimistic but does as such and the other side comes back violently -
from moderate +ve to -ve uppish moderate -ve and this comes at a time when the crucial resource of time is not on my side so yep i lost the game.
Most frustrating factor in all of this is - wasted so many resources, did so much, went through so much and outcome outcome is empty hands - In this unfair human world - you often hear foolish quotes of facemasks - that hard work pay.
Naaah - For most it almost always is -ve factor, not the other way around.
Such a foolish approach. Everyone has seen enough in life to have some understanding of human world and how it operates.
As for others - I shared my views and they worked again and this time around i was feeling really foolish for not getting into those acts which i was confident of, and which were quite profitable. Sometimes, yes, sometimes you shouldn't challenge the other stronger side and be consistent with slowly building up your strengths. More secure not fun and i don't like it.
Fun is where you fly your plane in sever weather and have no parachute. Foolish, not brave. showing confidence in your skills and hardware and certainly arrogant.
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3 Kurama
October 1, 2021 at 7:07 AM
I wish you a nice October 1st \o/
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beffels
October 1, 2021 at 3:57 PM
How is it October already? 😭😅
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Kurama
October 1, 2021 at 11:01 PM
I know, time flies pretty fast :p
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owl 🦉 🫰
October 1, 2021 at 4:41 PM
Happy October, Kurama! 🍁
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Kurama
October 1, 2021 at 11:01 PM
Thank You! 🥰
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4 Chubbysocks
October 1, 2021 at 7:07 AM
An exhausting week, which made it even nicer that I can relax and watch Dali and Prince, Kim Min Jae after Beyond Evil became my crush, damn, he is so good, can give us happy face and sad face, so young and already is so successful, I am amazed
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Jingbee
October 1, 2021 at 7:22 AM
Kim Min Jae though is not in Beyond Evil. That one is Yeo Jin-goo.. but dont worry they do look alike so people do mistake them for each other. YJG is good at heavy dramas like BE and the The Crowned Clown while KMJ is better at romantic, swoony roles like this one and Brahms.
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panshel
October 1, 2021 at 8:15 AM
I'm in the minority, but I could never see Kim Min-jae and Yeo Jin-gu looking alike. It's like how people think Park Bo-gum and Lee Hyun-woo look alike, but I don't see it.
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mugyuljoie is preciousss
October 2, 2021 at 4:21 AM
KMJ and YJG both have deep voices but that's where the similarity ends for me.
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Diana Hansen
October 1, 2021 at 9:17 AM
his voice definitely does NOT hurt! i love his deep swoony voice---
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bong-soo
October 1, 2021 at 10:39 AM
On the subject of voices, I think Kim Min-jae and Namgoong Min both have great, distinctive voices.
In D&G KMJ (since he plays a ‘loud’ character) is showing a range for his voice but already we have seen that after he belts out something he turns away with the littlest of smiles.
I have always thought NGM’s voice added to his acting persona.
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bong-soo
October 1, 2021 at 10:44 AM
Also I am a big fan of Yeo Jin-goo since his performance in THE CROWNED CLOWN and I think he surpassed himself with his performance in BEYOND EVIL, one of my favorite dramas of 2021 and he is still only 24 years old.
Diana Hansen
October 3, 2021 at 9:01 AM
i love both their voices along with "the voice" Lee Sun Gyun
Chubbysocks
October 2, 2021 at 5:12 AM
Lmao, really? Ok, I feel so stupid,used to differentiate them before, I guess my break from dramas was too long
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merry
October 3, 2021 at 12:55 AM
I also confuse the two KMJ and YJG. Nice to know I'm not the only one. The other pair I also confuse is Yoo Yon Seok and Go Kung Pyo. And I'm sure Yoon Shi Yoon I also confuse with another I can't recall now.
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am1993
October 1, 2021 at 7:23 AM
Kim Minjae was in Beyond Evil? Maybe you are confusing him with Yeo Jingoo? They do have a similar look.
I just finished Beyond Evil, it was a great crime drama with great acting and writing.
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Chubbysocks
October 2, 2021 at 5:15 AM
Beyond evil was excellent, I liked it more than Mouse, agree that it was the best drama of 2021
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5 Jezz
October 1, 2021 at 7:44 AM
So sad that all of the Reply franchise series are no more on Netflix as of now (October 1). Also K-dramas that left Netflix as of October 1, 2021: Bad Guys, Chheese in the Trap, Chicago Typewriter, The Liar and His Lover, Oh My Ghost and Tunnel. All K-dramas had all expired Netflix dates. So, now, IDK if Viki, Iqiyi and/or Viu will remove/leaving old/older/oldest Kdramas with an expiration dates in the future like Netflix did. If Iqiyi, Viki or Viu will remove/leave old Kdramas, then Kdrama fans might disappoint to getting a "hard-to-find" Kdramas.
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PYC
October 1, 2021 at 7:54 AM
Oh no…… Rewatching Reply 1988 has long been on my agenda. Where do I watch it now?
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welh
October 1, 2021 at 8:03 AM
It has to do with show licensing. I believe Netflix licenses non-produced shows for one year.
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am1993
October 1, 2021 at 8:30 AM
I wish Netflix would write in the show’s description when the expiration date is...would it be nice?
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thimble
October 1, 2021 at 8:45 AM
Oh no! This is sad....I hope Netflix will replace them with some other good older Kdramas..
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mmmmm
October 1, 2021 at 8:59 AM
Omo you’re right! I still haven’t finished watching Reply 1988 and I now won’t be able to watch it. How sad.
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owl 🦉 🫰
October 1, 2021 at 10:34 AM
I simultaneously commented that Viki just added a lot of shows, I’m surprised at how many there are now. Reply is definitely on Viki .
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6 RK123
October 1, 2021 at 8:31 AM
Hello everyone! Hope you’re all well.
How is it already October?!
I guess Squid Game is now an international phenomenon. Interesting that Netflix is maybe able to do some things that can’t be done by the broadcast and cable channels. I don’t think everything about Netflix being involved in Korean content production is great, but I think it’s a net positive.
One big negative is that the quality of Netflix’s subs is really poor (and I say that as someone who doesn’t understand Korean. Imagine what it’s like for those who do!) It makes for a subpar experience for those of us who don’t speak Korean (or at least not yet). Sigh.
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panshel
October 1, 2021 at 8:49 AM
Does everyone watch subtitles in English or English [CC] closed captions? They're both bad, but the translations are different, so sometimes I'd watch the episodes twice.
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RK123
October 1, 2021 at 6:25 PM
I like the sound of the Korean, so I prefer subs to dubbed with CC.
But in Squid Game in particular, a number of people have noted the CC for the English dub is actually worse (in terms of meaning) than the subs.
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panshel
October 2, 2021 at 10:10 AM
Every time a character speaks English, I have to switch to closed captions because I can't understand them, and Netflix doesn't bother subbing spoken English.
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beffels
October 5, 2021 at 8:41 PM
I think this is my biggest problem with Netflix, more than translating things that aren’t swearing into swearing, more than splitting things unnecessarily into multiple seasons. I need the English to have subtitles too, I can’t switch my brain back that fast 😅
mmmmm
October 1, 2021 at 8:54 AM
I have heard from some beanies that their subtitles are not that good; but because I can’t speak Korean, so I didn’t know about this. Now seeing that you also commented about this, I hope that they improve the quality of their subs soon. I think it might be because the episodes of each show are available pretty fast. If I’m now mistaken, each episode is on Netflix only one or two hours after the show is aired.
I learnt that there is this Squid Game phenomenon when a friend of mine who isn’t into Kdramas or Kmovies phoned me and started talking about this show. He thought I would have definitely watched it since I was into Kdramas but I didn’t (the show isn’t my preferred genre).
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neener ~ Inside the Magic Shop ~
October 1, 2021 at 9:24 AM
Uhm, I don't think the subbers at Netflix gets a copy of the drama the moment it airs on SK, that's definitely not enough time to sub long episodes. That's why t/n is such a great function that fansubbers often use that Netflix does not have, it helps the viewers understand the context more. However, if subbers do receive it the moment it airs on SK, that's just cruel.
Though I don't know how it is behind the scenes and I do sometimes disagree with the subbers on Netflix, it is still nice to support my dramas legally (as someone who can easily access the dark side xD)
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RK123
October 1, 2021 at 6:31 PM
I don't know this for a fact, but first, apparently there's only a single subber for each episode of a drama on Netflix, and that person has to work pretty quickly, so I imagine it's a difficult gig. Second, and I only say this because I've seen it with other non-English content on Netflix, but I think that platform favors a general understanding over true meaning, so the translations are quite loose sometimes. They also insert cultural concepts into the subs that are easier for English speakers to understand, but that sometimes gets the specific cultural context in Korea wrong.
Squid Game is a Netflix production though, so the subs could have been better, because the sub writers would have had access long before the content premiered on Netflix, right?
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ceci
October 1, 2021 at 2:18 PM
I don't speak Korean, but I'm learning and I am very curious about idioms, structure of the sentence and such. So sometimes, if I suspect that subs are far removed from the original, I switch on Korean subtitles and use Google lens app on my phone to translate. It's fun.
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RK123
October 1, 2021 at 6:27 PM
I've been doing this too, but more to figure out how to spell certain common words in Korean, or when I watch a particular drama for the second time and just want to know the true meaning of the words in a particular scene.
Like many drama watchers, I'm also trying to teach myself Korean, lol.
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ceci
October 2, 2021 at 10:46 AM
"Like many drama watchers, I'm also trying to teach myself Korean, lol."
I think I know how you feel. I watched one Korean drama almost by accident, and fell hard for anything and everything Korean.
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welh
October 3, 2021 at 6:30 AM
For the past three years, I have been trying to learn Korean. The difficulty lies that it is a contextual language and its pronunciation is difficult. At first, I thought it was odd that Korean shows had Korean subtitles but now I know why.
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beffels
October 5, 2021 at 8:43 PM
I should try harder - I just mess around on Duolingo 😅 it’s great for learning how to use Duolingo but not so good for actual language learning 😂
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7 eightredapples
October 1, 2021 at 8:43 AM
Hi guys. Not drama related but can you suggest to me some good magazine interview/s from any actor or actress? I’ve been reading random interviews lately just to pass time. Can be from your favorite actor/actress.
(i.e. yoo ah in, seo kang jun, i.u. & seo yeji are some good interviews I’ve read)
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8 thimble
October 1, 2021 at 8:58 AM
Still catching up to the rest of you. Saw my first Lee Min-ho drama - "Legend of the Blue Sea." Okay, now I see what the fuss is all about; LMH is a very intense romantic lead. So I went on to watch Heirs (AKA "The Inheritors" on Netflix), where he is an even more intense romantic lead/stalker. I'm at episode 15, still waiting for this drama to emerge from the primordial swamp it's been in. And this from the same writer as the earlier "Secret Garden," which was smart, funny, original. I'm not sure I can make it to the finish line with this one.
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mmmmm
October 1, 2021 at 9:02 AM
You have my respect at “Saw my first LMH drama - Legend of the Blue Sea”. I think it didn’t last an episode in that one.
LMH is pretty cute in The King: the Eternal Monarch. Though many will disagree, I think the show is lovely and definitely aesthetically pleasing.
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am1993
October 1, 2021 at 9:26 AM
Lee Minho plays the most problematic romantic leads but somehow makes them fun. His characters in The Heirs and Boys Over Flowers are both terrible spoiled brats but oh did I find Lee Minho hilarious. He just goes for it.
That "This is Sparta" kick he did to Kim Woobin in The Heirs lives rent free in my head alongside his "AISHHH" screams in BOF. So over the top!
The Heirs, for me, was a "It's bad but hilarious" drama. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy parts of it. Wouldn't watch it again though.
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bbstl 🧹
October 1, 2021 at 11:34 AM
Ooof, Heirs. Can’t believe I watched that whole thing 🤦🏼♀️
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telzey
October 1, 2021 at 2:11 PM
I agree. A lot of us watched Heirs for Kim Woo Bin. Haha.
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RK123
October 1, 2021 at 6:33 PM
I think Boys Over Flowers is still the only LMH thing I've watched, and that felt like it was enough for me, lol. That's days of my life I wish I could have back.
I'm also not a fan of Kim Eun-sook's writing, so I've never been tempted to try "Legend of the Blue Sea" although I did sort of enjoy "Secret Garden," and I loved "City Hall."
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Ally
October 3, 2021 at 5:37 AM
You need @javabeans’ and @girlfriday’s ratings and reviews to help you navigate—they wrote the bible of kdramas (and started this site). I’ve steered clear of both LOtbs and Heirs (and really anything LMH) in no small part thanks to them. I’m not a fan of his acting or just overall visual content, and so I’ve found other actors and dramas more worth my time—Gong Yoo (I’ve watched his entire cinematography except a couple movies and Big —don’t watch Big), Yoo Yeon Seok, Yang Se Jong, Jang Hyuk, Jung Il Woo, Kang Ha Neul, Park Bo Gum, are all actors with acting styles and visuals that I really gravitate towards. There are actresses too that I prefer. Anyway, here’s the link: https://www.dramabeans.com/ratings/ Happy watching!
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beffels
October 5, 2021 at 8:47 PM
You won’t be alone if you don’t make it to the end of Heirs 😅 I think I embraced the power of fast forward from quite early on.
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9 Mani-chan
October 1, 2021 at 10:05 AM
The highlight of my week is Dali and Gamjatang, with Kim Min Jae being such a cutie. I love his character and I love Dali. I really hope this drama manages to stay consistent through its run. Also on a side note, I have joined extra classes for a competitive exam and I'm getting really tired with college in the morning and classes in the evening. Any tips on how to manage time or strategies to not fall asleep are welcome.
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Ally
October 3, 2021 at 5:43 AM
Caffeine is my friend. I drink about 3 cups of coffee a day. Schedule every hour of your day on a calendar—you’d be surprised how much extra time you find when you do this. Pre-make meals (or have someone cook for you like I do-lol) and that way you’ll always have something to eat quickly if you don’t have time to eat—eating is important. Take breaks when you’re tired-stand up, stretch, watch a short video (but don’t get sucked into your phone), do something different for 5 minutes, then come back to watch you were doing. Sometimes you have to just sleep, even if it’s 5-15 minutes.
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Mani-chan
October 3, 2021 at 6:01 AM
Thank you Ally!
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10 Fly Colours
October 1, 2021 at 10:22 AM
So, Squid Game became a hit where I live. My kids are super smug that they've been watching Korean dramas before everybody else, and were like"everybody at school has watched it"... And me "I seriously doubt it", and they were like " We watched it too!" which made me rewind to the Sunday afternoon I was watching the last couple of Squid Game episodes on my laptop while they were playing with their Nintendo Switch by my side. In my defense, I did skip the weird sponsors scenes because they were yuck - but, yeah, gore and violent stuff agogo. It turns out that my relapsed parenting skills made my kids fleetingly cool at school 😶
Anyways, I'm happy that k-content is becoming mainstream in Europe!
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beffels
October 1, 2021 at 4:05 PM
I’m in a giant gigantic family oriented Facebook group which is mostly UK people and someone asked the other day if Squid Game was appropriate for their 13 year to watch. It blew up into a huge thread, but what was interesting to me was the number of people who were like “my 5 year old watched it and wasn’t fazed at all but they watch R18 stuff all the time” like it was a badge of honour, and also the number of people who were “yeah it’s a bit violent but HORRORS there’s a sex scene!!!! Hide your children from this filth!”
I haven’t seen it, but it seemed to me that both of these groups of people were missing the point 😅
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dramalover4ever
October 1, 2021 at 5:16 PM
Astonishing isn't it. Poor little things live on such a diet for entertainment. I'm watching squid game and reading this thread at the same time (which might be saying something). Ep. 1 reminiscent of so many rl historical massacres. Shades of the death camps. If children are watching stuff like this, they need an adult to talk to about it, as they go. I'm guessing that doesn't happen much. 🤔
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beffels
October 1, 2021 at 5:27 PM
I think even basic kids tv is better if watched with an adult so can discuss things (I do not practise what I preach here by any means - the Wiggles allow me to make dinner unimpeded) so when you get to things with more advanced themes, definitely.
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dramalover4ever
October 1, 2021 at 5:58 PM
Speaking as one who used Play School as a baby sitter and lost a grip on what they watched by the 4th child, who watched Chucky unimpeded.
Fly Colours
October 2, 2021 at 12:32 AM
For the record, my kids are now 10 and 12 and I find TSG wildly inappropriate for those ages,
accompanied or not. 13 year olds will probably watch it, whether you let them or not. My eldest told me TSG exploded on Tiktok, with loads of memes, and that some kids in her class are obsessed with the Cop and the NKorean, are watching it multiple times... Oh, well. If a 13 year old is going to obsess about something (and 13 year olds tend to obsess - this just made me remember my first great obsession with Coppola's Dracula, watched it 4 times - at the cinema) it might as well be a comment on class and how capitalism pits the have-nots against each other... Just saying
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dramalover4ever
October 2, 2021 at 2:03 AM
Dracula - an obsession that has stood the test of time
*it might as well be a comment on class and how capitalism pits the have-nots against each other* totally agree and therefore useful for talking to kids about, if they want to.
BTW My youngest son's obsession with Child's Play (and Chucky) was much more difficult to put a meaningful spin on, unless it turned into a discussion about feeling like you wanted to axe your parents (just joking)
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Fly Colours
October 2, 2021 at 2:55 AM
Chucky! As a third child - and a 10 year age gap with my siblings on top of that- , I watched all sorts of stuff, so I totally get it 😂
Anyway, imo real life is a lot more traumatizing than pop culture
Yay, 🧛 fellow fan! I still rewatch it happily whenever I stumble upon it
beffels
October 2, 2021 at 3:45 AM
Full disclosure - I am a giant wimp when it comes to horrors and I have never seen Child’s Play because I will never sleep again. 😅 I couldn’t sleep at all the night after watching The Sixth Sense which is notably not a horror movie and merely contains ghosts 😂
@flyingcolours real life more traumatic- sad, but true.
beffels
October 2, 2021 at 3:38 AM
Yes kids will definitely watch what they want to watch at 13 (and earlier, I did!). I wasn’t really meaning anything in relation to watching Squid Game (and definitely not to your family specifically!)- It was more the explosion of people who were one-upping each other on how their very young child watches gruesome horror movies and doesn’t flinch which to me is kind of a odd thing to be proud of.
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dramalover4ever
October 2, 2021 at 4:52 AM
I agree, that's odd one-upmanship. I never watched it myself. I'm easily spooked. 😨 A healthy dose of Roald Dahl and some Grimms' Fairy Tales are the way to go imo. It does so happen that younger children happen upon "unsuitable " content because that's what the older ones are watching. But the best story I've heard is of a preschool child learning to read off kdrama subtitles because his older siblings stopped telling him what was happening.
Ally
October 3, 2021 at 5:26 AM
My Korean friend’s 13 year old saw it with her dad. She and my daughter (also 13) are friends and she asked if I had seen it yet. She really liked it, apparently. My kids are conflict- adverse, so don’t really watch a lot of violent conflict anyway. Any suspense really gets on their nerves, actually. So my kids would definitely be a no-go.
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Alluvial_Fan
October 3, 2021 at 8:09 AM
Discovered something amazing about what 10 & 11 year olds like to watch. Over the 15 years I taught that age they responded to a old black and white US series The Andy Griffith Show. These were very diverse groups of kids from countries around the world and those from families with generations of local residency. I used the episodes to teach short story structure but the kids became emotionally invested in all the characters. The stories are parables with deep philosophy embedded in the theme - rather like many K-dramas. One class, notorious for bad behavior, begged to watch an episode every Friday as a reward for social skills improvement. They called it "Anti-anxiety Andy". The kid with the purple mohawk bragged that he watched every episode of all the seasons over winter break. Parents need to understand that it isn't so much the content that matters, it's the respectful discussion that children crave.
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dramalover4ever
October 3, 2021 at 2:06 PM
Andy Griffith lol. I agree about the desire for respectful discussion. What a great teaching strategy.
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11 TurtuallySarcastic
October 1, 2021 at 10:58 AM
Happy weekend Beanies and keep Beaning On!
My first almost tearing up in therapy happened yesterday. I have to cross a lot of fear lines to reach my goals, so I brought them up to discuss how far I was allowed to go without a risk of overdoing it. My therapist had some very thought provoking things to say that I will try to remember and paraphrase here:
“That is entirely up to you. I will grant you permission whenever you need to hear it from me, but you do not need (to ask for) it. You can do whatever you want. You are ill and trying to heal yourself. You are not faking this or leeching off the system. Do not let your monsters make you feel smaller than you are. Do not let them make you feel ashamed or guilty about your existence and your illness. You are a human being, my equal, and I can only tell you to continue going forward the way you already are.“
Just wanted to share this with anyone who needed to read this.❤️
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bbstl 🧹
October 1, 2021 at 11:36 AM
Thank you, Turtie, that is great advice and I need it 👍🏼
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TurtuallySarcastic
October 2, 2021 at 4:37 AM
You are very welcome!❤️
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mmmmm
October 1, 2021 at 10:25 PM
Absolutely brilliant, thank you for being the messenger, Turtie.
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TurtuallySarcastic
October 2, 2021 at 4:38 AM
A very important reminder, it is!❤️
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12 Ally
October 1, 2021 at 2:03 PM
Hi beanies! @turtuallysarcastic reminds us to heal and love forward, and only because of this will I share a song that I sang after @carlybisek taught us some singing techniques on our Discord singing beanie group. I finally “let go” of some things this past month, Sang a stereotypical song to symbolize it, but also “let go” of a lot of my voice, not afraid to sound terrible or screeching. It’s very freeing. Thank you, o’lakes! And we still are taking members! I know some of you sing (@earthna, @greenfields)! https://www.smule.com/sing-recording/2654356309_4155320043
And I’m watching EVERYTHING now.
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TurtuallySarcastic
October 2, 2021 at 3:58 AM
Gosh Ally, you are making a Beanie blush!😊 Thatk you for the supportive words and BRAVA on your cover!👏 Lend me your schedule talents, I am behind on everything that I am watching!😂
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Ally
October 2, 2021 at 5:32 AM
I don’t know, some weeks I need less sleep. 😂
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TurtuallySarcastic
October 2, 2021 at 2:48 PM
Ah, the neverending starcrossed lovers story of sleep and K-dramas!😆
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OLakes
October 2, 2021 at 9:59 AM
You sound amazing, Ally!💕 I hear your heart in your voice; thank you for sharing your talent. And thank you for starting this wonderful group, which helped me to start singing again. You're one in a million.
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Ally
October 2, 2021 at 1:26 PM
Thank you! I owe it all to you too!
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13 kippeum (ft. liberation and bath robots)
October 1, 2021 at 4:14 PM
Happy weekend Beanies!
Still on my Hosplay hangover so I’m a bit out of the loop lately. I can’t stop listening to Running in the Sky.
We successfully shipped a new product at work yesterday. Dinner was on the company. I bought two pizzas, gave one to the guards in our building, and was later surprised to find that my mum also brought pizza home lol. So I guess we’ll also have pizza for breakfast today. Nom nom.
I also got my first dose last Sunday!
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Ally
October 2, 2021 at 5:34 AM
Joy! I need you to sing! (Defying gravity 😉) And congrats on your first dose!
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kippeum (ft. liberation and bath robots)
October 4, 2021 at 9:30 PM
Thank you Ally!
I did join Defying Gravity last week, but my fingers have a mind of their own and exited the recording before saving. 🙃I should try again soon!
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egads aka Dame Maggie
October 2, 2021 at 7:03 AM
Congrats on your first dose! And pizza for breakfast is good.
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Zora
October 2, 2021 at 8:54 AM
Yay! Congrats on your first dose 👏
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14 Mike
October 2, 2021 at 11:04 AM
I had frequented this site loyally for years. Now the site is crashing my computer. And not just my computer, by tablet as well. I think you have problems with your ads format.
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15 bong-soo
October 4, 2021 at 6:51 AM
Upcoming drama availability update:
1. tvN’s JIRISAN. It is now on Viki US’s “Coming Soon” list.
16 eps. S/S. Episode one airs 23 Oct.
2. OCN’s CHIMERA/CHIMAIRA. It is now on Viki US’s “Coming Soon” list.
16 eps. S/S. Episode one airs 30 Oct.
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