Beanie level: Loan shark with a heart of gold

2023 ROUNDUP

17- Oldie (non 2023) you loved the most.

Probably My Holo Love.
Most of the older shows I watched for the first time this year had fantastic acting and directing, but I didn’t love them as a whole. My favorites this year are mostly from 2023.



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    I really enjoyed My Holo Love when I watched it… I thought it had a pretty soothing pace, and the characters had a cathartic journey.

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    There was something definitely magical about Holo. Proof … my mother loved him too. 😂

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    @vienibenmio look someone is trying to “steal” your Holo!! Shall I help you defend him or shall we all gather around for another rewatch of My Holo Love. 🥳🤣

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      Sharing is caring! Also my Holo wouldn’t look like Yoon Hyun Min you know…

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      Lol, actually I’m in love with Nan-do over Holo 😂

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        That first kiss with Nan-do …. oooh! I don’t remember I ever screamed that hard. 🤣

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        Actually, me too!

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        Maybe I’ll love Nan-do in a second watch, but in my first watch I never warmed up to him because I only loved Holo.

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          Nando is very “2010 kdrama male lead”. Gruff and evasive and naggy and “I’ll-die-if-she-finds-out-I-like-her”. I liked him because I knew the template very well. The show was also very simple and didn’t try to add much to the template. I can clearly see why newer drama fans wouldn’t like him as much.

          I couldn’t love Holo because that type of perfect AI makes me very uncomfortable. It’s a me problem with AI, not that Nando as a character was better than Holo as a character.

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            Very well expressed. 👏

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            See, Nan-do is imo better than the stereotypical thundered male lead because the whole premise of the story is that he thinks he’s unlovable. He programmed Holo as who he wants to be because he believes he can’t be that person, that he’s fundamentally broken. Then throughout the course of the story he learns that isn’t true, that being a human means you have flaws but are still deserving of love, even over AI that are “perfect ” That is the theme of MHL

            I also love his reactions. O fully admit that I probably wouldn’t love him as much if he weren’t played so well by Yoon Hyun-min. Dude really emotes even when he’s supposed to be cold and withdrawn, I really felt for him and just wanted him to be happy!

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            Ugh, stupid phone. *tsundere male lead

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            @vienibenmio very aptly analyzed and explained. 👏
            It is not that Nan-do didn’t have / understand soft emotions after all he’s the one who programed Holo. Your point about “deserving” to be loved is also spot on. YHM really aced it here.

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    Excellent choice! One of my top two all time favorites

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All the recent colourful posts about wok and ladle, and the talk about Junho\’s hands, led me to a fast rewatch of Wok of Love, and I just can\’t miss this opportunity to share some intentional and unintentional meta jokes with the Beanies.

No.1: In ep 11 (half hour, full hour episode 6) Junho and Jang Hyuk decide to arm wrestle. Jang Hyuk first grabs Junho\’s right hand which makes him wince from pain because it is badly hurt, then Junho asks to do it with left hands.

Meta fact: Junho is left-handed. Once after he lost to Taec in arm wrestling, he asked to do it with left hands to make it even, and he ended up breaking Taec\’s arm. (Or Teac\’s massive arm muscle did it, that case is still up for dispute.)

No.2 : Jang Hyuk holds his fingers downwards whenever he wants to show number 2 (and sometimes 3). It is the exact gesture Junho uses when greeting as a member of 2PM band. (Did I intentionally put this one after no.2? Yes, yes, of course I did, why do you ask?)

No.3 : There is a scene in ep 16 (8) where Junho is making a dish and Jung Ryu Won is filming him to rewatch and learn. Later Junho watches the video and complains that she has only filmed his hands and there is no shot of his face to show respect for the person who is doing it.

Unintentional? meta fact: In a variety show after finishing The Red Sleeve, Junho says that he had learned archery for another movie before, and had practiced a lot for TRS, but as the arrow was going to be lighted with fire and would be too hot the staff were unwilling to let him do it himself.

They were supposed to take a separate shot of his face, and have a body double do the actual shooting. But Junho persuaded them to let him do it himself and asked for the scene to be made full bodied and in one shot so that it would be obvious that he is doing it himself.

Then he added: In Wok of Love I cut, prepared, and cooked soooo much food, but the camera mostly shows either my hands or my face. It disappointed me that some people might not believe that I did it all myself.

It made me laugh so much when I heard this, remembering what he said in the show. Also, somebody should have told him that we don\’t need to see his face to recognize his hands!

No.4 : Another unintentional meta fact, as Chief Kim aired one year before WoL.

Seo Yul has 2 instances with shrimp (which is pronounced like JRW\’s name Sae Woo, and therefore a constant source of puns in WoL).
One, where he throws shrimp snacks at Chief Kim, and another one where he chooses \”sae woo\” from the snack rack in a shop.

P.s. the gif is behind the scenes of course.

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    Thank you for the interesting read <3

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    wow your analysis game is next level!

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      Thank you, though to be fair, I watched WoL when it aired and have rewatched it many many times since. I fell down the YouTube rabbit hole of 2PM behind the scenes and in variety shows in more recent years when I nearly knew the drama by heart. So it was much easier to pick up these points than the reverse, like watching the show once and remembering the points from various variety and interviews.

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        That rabbit hole I know it too well 😅😅😅😅

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    👏 I just love these meta references. Thank you so much for your hard work. Surely even die-hard Junho fans may be hard pressed to come up with all these instances and weave them together so coherently. 😳 Awesome. 🙌

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2023 ROUNDUP

15- Special Kimchi slap edition: worst parent.

The father (and his father) in The Kidnapping Day. 🙄

The father in At a Distance. 😑

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2023 ROUNDUP

14- Best bromance / womance.

The 3 girl friends in King the Land.

The 2 girl friends in Shooting Stars.

Cha Tae Hyun and Jung Yong Hwa in Brain Works. (“Don’t tell me your only friend is a rat??”)

Park Ji Hoon and Bae In Hyuk in At A Distance.












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    I watched “At a distance…” in 2022, that’s why I have not chosen that bromance this year. I loved them ☺️

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      I disliked PJH’s relentless pushiness, moodiness, and forcing others to get out of their comfort zone، in his love life, but in his bromance, it was the only thing that could get through BIH’s impenetrable armour, and I loved when he broke down and finally accepted help, and kindness.

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    I am so very tempted to only comment: „YO, CHICKEN! CHICKEEEEN!!!“ 🎤😂🤣😂
    Love the three KTL ladies! 👏🫰

    (And Gibeum & Hanbyeol!)

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2023 ROUNDUP

13- Show how you learned from your mistakes: let’s talk about drops.

Vincenzo
The Good Detective
Tell Me What You Saw
The Dark Hole
Are You Human Too
My Perfect Stranger
Love All Play

I also sadly dropped Heartbeat around ep 11.

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To the girl who aced 2 roles this year, you look gorgeous in suits.

I know Kim Min Jung\’s wardrobe was quite dazzling, but for me Ahn Eun Jin shone like KMJ never could. I loved her character and her style, and her story arc so much.

It makes my heart sing that she has come such a long way and is appreciated so much now.

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2023 ROUNDUP

12- Best suit wearer.

Junho for ever!

Nobody wears suits better than Junho!

I can go on forever!!

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    New lesson for today: There is a limit to the links you can post 😏
    I had to delete a lot of Junho in a suit links for DB to finally accept it. 😒

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      That thing he does with his hand in your last photo….
      Reminds me of how he flicks away his spectacles in the Make It video…

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        You’re right 😄

        He does that thing nearly every episode in Chief Kim 😂

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        I couldn’t resist making that GIF ☺️

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          Heeheehee

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            Oh yes.
            And he does an even more nonchalant spectacle toss in one of their live performances of this song. (It’s kind of the male version of the buttoned up secretary taking off her glasses and unpinning her hair…)

            One Youtube commenter (so I cannot vouch for accuracy) said apparently Junho was initially uncomfortable with all the tossing of spectacles because he “didn’t like wasting props”… but then later got right into it…

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      Please post remaining links in comments to this post. After all there can never be too much Junho …. I confess to you …🎵

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        Making these posts is quite a feat for me, but you know that they say a teacher has right of bid over you!
        So here’s a few more, teacher. Hope this post brightens your day.

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    Okay, now I’m convinced.

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    I gotta say the KTL suits were a step (or dare I say size?) up from the Chief King ones. 😆 Best combination imo was the all black ensemble with matching shirt. *chef‘s kiss* 👏😂👏

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    I’m going to go with someone else for this year, but there’s no question that Junho is the all-time king when it comes to suit wearing. 😀

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    I never finished KTL, but no one like him.

    Who else could make me fly to Japan twice in a year to see him live???

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      I am still in awe (and jealousy!) of what you accomplished this year! Bravo!

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      👁️

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      Eaz, do you think there are too many of JH in suits in this post???

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        Is that a challenge?

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          🤣😝😜

          I know I will always in the minority when it comes to JH. So many of his fans here.

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            That is very ok. I’m in the minority when it comes to so many actors and shows on DB that I am actually surprised when I find people agree with me!

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        🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

        Says the person who wished me a happy bd with her babe’s gif.

        NEVER ENOUGH!!!!!!

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          Just for you then, Eazal:

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            His hands are the most beautiful among K-actors.

            These are for Eazal but I sat contemplating them nonetheless ☺️

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            @claire2009 You did the only right thing!

            His hands are beautiful and very expressive, and they akways remind me of Jung Ryu Won telling him I dislike men who have prettier hands than me, what do you need pretty hands for???

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            @midnight I remember laughing when Sae-woo said that 😅 That statement is so relatable 😁

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            My babe has the prettiest hands, and the prettiest eyes!!

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            *deep sigh*

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          Teasing you is one of my most favorite things to do in my life. 💝

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    You make a compelling argument.

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    Thank you for the JH feast <3. I dropped KTL but I still love Junho nonetheless.

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    Many thanks to you! 🙂

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    I think what has not yet been adequately addressed is not only the WEARING of the suits, but the actual moving around in the suits. Ya know? In other words, we need more gifs 😉

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      I know 😏 It is especially eye-pleasing.

      Have you checked the YouTube video on my fanwall, just before the 2023 Roundup? Just saying…

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2023 ROUNDUP

11- Nam Da Reum prize: best child actor.

Jun Yoo Na in The Kidnapping Day.
Yeah, I think this one is unanimous.



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@seeker

Or this:















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2023 ROUNDUP

10- Your 2023 crush.

I assume this means new crushes discovered this year?

Bae In Hyuk
Chae Jong Hyup
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2023 ROUNDUP

7- The drama Beanies convinced you to watch and you can’t be grateful enough.

Race
Unlock My Boss
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    Et us rock that “busy office people” look.

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      * Let us …
      And no cool look can be complete without dark glasses worn inside.

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      Yes 😄 I noticed both pics look busy (and chic) office life.

      Also I love short hair on kdrama heroines. Most of the times it is quite noticeable that they are wearing extensions. I don’t know, is it a preference with writers and directors that main female leads have longer hair? I should ask @welh640

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2023 ROUNDUP

6- The character that deserves a kimchi slap.

There are too many side characters that fit the category. So I will only go for the main characters.
Song Jae Hyo in The Perfect Deal. I wanted to slap him in every single scene. And the way Yoo Seung Ho looked at him completely cornered broke my heart.

Also reading @wonhwa ‘s entry, I have to thank them for nominating Jayden and perfectly expressing my feelings.



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2023 ROUNDUP

5- OTP you didn’t think you would adore.

Race. I had an irrational aversion to Hong Jong Hyun because of one villain role he did a long time ago. I really really didn’t expect to like him, his character, and his love story this much.



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    Funny how that happens. But then, I guess it just means he was particularly good in that role?! I really liked him in Stock Struck this year.

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      This is what I have been suspecting since watching Race!

      It was a relatively small villain role in Wild Romance in 2012, I HATED him with a passion, tried one show after that which I immediately dropped because I couldn’t bear to see his face, and didn’t watch any other of his shows until Race this year.

      It must have been quite an impression to last a decade, right??

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        We were both cured by Race and it was a solid slice-of-life drama too.

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          Ha! You too?

          Oh right, Race was also one of few slice of life dramas thst I liked a lot.

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            If I’m not mistaken, I think we talked about our aversion in one of the recap post.

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            @skirt OH! I had completely forgotten that I watched Race because of you!! Oh my god, I’m very sorry for being such an ungrateful scatterbrain! And you remembered me 🙈 I feel so bad now.

            THANK YOU for pushing me to watch it!

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            Oh dear, it is nothing to apologise for😅. I don’t specifically remember you but I remember sharing an aversion towards Hong Jong-hyun because of Wild Romance with a beanie. It is a very specific scenario that it stays with me.

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2023 ROUNDUP

4- The drama you loved and Beanies hated / The drama you hated and Beanies loved.
Hate is a strong word for both these categories of course. Just not loved.

Love King the Land
Love Brain Works

Call It Love was painfully boring.
The Kidnapping Day got too trigger happy.

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    Love your “loved” dramas.

    Call it Love is a “mood”. Not for everyone and even those who love it – not an anytime watch.
    Kidnapping Day was a refreshing take but yes got too dark and the end. **Chills**

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2023 ROUNDUP

3- Side character that stole the drama.

Lawyer Do and Ki Peum.
Bae In Hyuk in both Gumiho and At a Distance.
Kang Han Na and Kim Do Wan in Gumiho.












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    Kang Han Na and Kim Do Wan were my favorite part of Gumiho!!! I wished the whole drama had been about them and their adorable relationship!!!

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    I absolutely adore Lawyer Do and Ki Peum. Of course, his brother too. Best cameo ever!

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    👏🫰👏 Lawyer Do & Gibeum!!! My favorite couple. (And yes, it was nice that they ended up together after some very relaxed & natural courting 🥳 Glad the love triangle wasn’t a thing for too long.)

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      I loved their honesty. They were both very honest with other people too, but together it was so refreshing to watch.

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        Haha, yes, it definitely felt more like the „grown up relationship“ compared to the OTP, who faced a lot more tropes on the way. (Of course, OTP was super fun to watch, too! Was rooting for both couples. Surprisingly not so much for both managers/the third pairing… 🤔)

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    Always so nice to have an OTP which is not the leads.

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2023 ROUNDUP

2- Male lead you will never forget (for better or worse).

Jung Yong Hwa in Brain Works.
Junho in King.
I have a terrible memory, it is very rare that I remember a lot of one character’s dialogues after only the first watch. These two both had lots of memorable scenes and words for me. I have since rewatched both shows.
Taec looks fascinating too but I haven’t watched enough to make a statement.






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2023 ROUNDUP

1- Female lead you will never forget (for better or worse).

Kwak Sun Young in Brain Works. She was such an unusual character and I loved the astute way her two characters were explored, and how Cha Tae Hyun liked her no matter which character she was in.



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2023 ROUNDUP

Shows I have watched and finished in 2023:

Brain Works (2023)
Call It Love (2023)
Race (2023)
King the Land (2023)
Unlock My Boss (2023)
Payback (2023)
Tale of the 9 Tailed Fox 1938 (2023)
The Kidnapping Day (2023)
The Perfect Deal (2023)

Flower of evil (2020)
Shooting stars (2022)
Psychopath Diaries (2020)
Blind (2022)
The Best Hit (2017)
May it Please the Court (2022)
My Holo Love (2020)
My Roommate is a Gumiho (2021)
At a Distance the Spring is Green (2021)
Kiss Goblin (2020)
Memory (2016)
Meloholic (2017)

Still watching:

When the Weather is Fine (2020)
Heartbeat (2023)

Dropped

Vincenzo
The Good Detective
Tell Me What You Saw
The Dark Hole
Are You Human Too
My Perfect Stranger
Love All Play

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It’s rainy season 😎

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I haven\’t experienced even one gateway timeout these past two days!! YAY!!

The pages are rather slow but no disconnection, thankfully!

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