Beanie level: Errand boy

Currently watching ‘Tell Me That You Love Me.’ It is so tender and beautiful!

I watch less k-dramas nowadays, because as I mentioned last time I logged on here (a year ago LOL):

I’m more interested in the things that fall out of the usual categories we’re always served up, though I still enjoy those sometimes when well-done. I wish there were more quiet, subtle, tender and weird shows.

TMTYLM is one of those rare shows that we get like once a year or so. Quiet, poetic and tender, in the tradition of My Liberation Notes (2022), Human Disqualification (2021), When The Weather Is Fine (2020), etc. These kinds of shows really quieten and capture my heart forever!

I hope you are all well and taken care of beanies, wherever you are.

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    Welcome back from a relatively new beanie.

    Based on the shows that you loved, in addition to Tell me that you love me the one kdrama this year with the subtle quiet poetic tender vibe is

    Call it Love

    Lots of dramas come and go and most are forgotten in a few days. Some live rent free in our consciousness forever.

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      I didn’t have time to watch it while it was airing, might have to go back to it! I did like the mood. Thank you for reminding me!

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    Like this one quite a lot, too!

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Currently watching SUMMER STRIKE and RECIPE FOR FAREWELL, both of which I’m really enjoying, especially the latter, and both of which have really beautiful literal titles!

Work’s been brutal (😢) and I’m hoping to have more time to talk about them over winter break!

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    I hope that your work life gets better! The holidays are always hard were I work, but they seem to be a little harder this year. But, we got this! Fighting!

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Beloved Beanies, it’s been a while!
Haven’t been here as much this year, because honestly: I’ve gotten a bit disenchanted with k-dramas (but also I don’t think this has been a good drama year).

I’ve grown tired of the repetitiveness of Dramaland and its tropes. I’m more interested in the things that fall out of the usual categories we’re always served up, though I still enjoy those sometimes when well-done. I wish there were more quiet, subtle, tender and weird shows.

Which means I’ve only watched SIX dramas this year and I regret watching two of those out of boredom, they were quite terrible imo (Sh**ting Stars, Alchemy of Souls). The other shows I watched and enjoyed: Pachinko, My Liberation Notes, Little Women, Glitch.

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    Like can we get more shows like My Liberation Notes, The School Nurse Files (2020), Forest of Secrets (2017, 2020) and Mother (2018)?

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    Though my favorite Kdramas are different from yours, I totally agree that Kdramas these days seem to lose much of its charm. I blame them trying to become mainstream shows that people around the world watch and the fame Parasite and Squid Game got. I feel like there are so many dark dramas these days. I don’t think being a great drama and being dark are the same thing.

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    Yuyuu! Always lovely to see you!!

    It’s been a meh drama year for me too! I did just watch quite a lovely j-drama called Why I Dress Up for Love, though. I think I’ll be hacking away at my to-watch list for a while until another current drama catches my interest!

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      Good to hear from you, Mindy!
      Currently not watching anything but looking forward to Summer Strike this Monday. I really hope it delivers!

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        Yes, I’m looking forward to that too! Mostly because of the original title, I Don’t Feel Like Doing Anything lol.

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    I totally get you. I have finished some more (I think 16), but I also find them too repetitive, and while we all know that second halves are always worse than first halves, I have said so many times this year: there is no material for 16 episodes… I totally get you.

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      There’s a lot of 12 episodes Netflix dramas and I’ve actually started to think that that’s the perfec number of episodes unless it’s excellent from start to finish, which it rarely is!

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    Welcome back Yuyuu! Been a long time indeed.
    I haven’t watched any of the above except MLD/N which I really loved.

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Can’t believe I actually finished Sh(i)tting Stars despite the blatant racism in the beginning and, well, the fact that the plot was atrocious regardless. I DID enjoy the KYD eyecandy tho, and his ridiculously long legs. This totally should’ve been a gay drama with him and Lee Jung-shin (I liked his acting!) as our otp!!!

Up next is probably Alchemy of Souls which I was really excited for until I discovered the Hong Sisters are on it. I love a good fantasy show, but the HS’s plotting just… never does it for me. I love our main cast though, so I’ll check it out. Migh even watch all 20 (!) Ep since it seems I still have a tolerance for shitty shows.

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Me every week while watching My Liberation Notes:
💖💖💖


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    Boy, are you ever a big cutie! 😉

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    His stare is so intense in the first GIF I didn’t realize it was a GIF until he finally blinked. And yes, did I log into dramabeans just to like this post? Why yes, yes I did.

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Just caught up w/ last week\’s ep of PACHINKO before the finale tomorrow.
Honestly, LMH has impressed me w/ his performance! Nvr knew he could pull off all he\’s shown us here.

What a moving and gorgeous and insightful watch this has been. I wish it was longer!

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    Ooooh, I might have to watch it once the season is complete!

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    Good to know. I was worried about this one because I loved the novel to bits and pieces and basically forced all my friends and family to read it.

    Honestly, when I heard what role he was playing I was relieved because LMH has the right look and can do just the right amount of smarminess to pull it off. If he had been playing any other of the men, I would have been very scared.

    I shall binge this when mr egads is out of town in a couple weeks and won’t interrupt or ask questions. Some things deserve undivided attention.

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      i’ll be interested to know your reaction to season 1… i hope with fingers crossed that the other “planned” 3 seasons get produced and aired…

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        I wish they had just committed and filmed the whole thing through in one go

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          me too!!! but it’s hard to talk about the production because of the chapter shuffle… and the whole missing MIDDLE of the book (chronologically and introduction of all the characters)…

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            Adaptations are super difficult especially for works that people love. The most recent adaption from novel to series that absolutely worked on exceptionally well is Station Eleven. The writers and director made super smart narrative choices that veered a lot from the novel, but in a way that made the point of the book resonate on the screen. They also took full advantage of a cast and crew that was suddenly thrust into a real global pandemic experience while filming a pandemic apocalypse story.

            I think this is why I’ve hesitated to watch Pachinko because Station Eleven was so good and I want that for Pachinko too.

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Finally watched the premiere week episodes of MY LIBERATION NOTES and oh my word, it’s so lovely!
Dark but hilarious! I also love the fact that it’s a family drama! Still can’t believe we have Seon Seokgu, Kim Jiwon, Lee Minki and Lee El in one show!

Everyone is amazing but KJW’s performance is absolutely exhilirating here!!! And SSG has said like two sentences in two hours, but goddamn. His silence says a lot. The nonverbal aspects of both these characters are the most captivating things about them and what I find to be the most insightful and also heartbreaking.

Now that I’ve used up all my exclamation points for the week, I’ll leave you all w/ this LMK screencap for no particular reason other than that I thought it was adorable, and ofc bc @mindy will like it.

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    KJW and SSK are definitely creating the most impact here so far but this may be my most favorite LMK drama. He’s doing the ordinary guy so well here. And did I say I love LE’s big sister already.

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After a lot of browsing, I\’ve decided that the dramas I\’ll be watching are:
– Pachinko (my current fav)
– Soundtrack 1 (despite it being a bit juvenile & forced for me, but it\’s cute too)
– and the upcoming My Liberation Notes

In other circumstances, I\’d have watched Thirty-Nine, but I\’m not in the mood.

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* knock knock* Is this thing on?
I\’m alive!
I\’ve been away from DB and dramaland for so long! 😭

… mostly bc nothing has really been doing IT for me in terms of dramas & I think my attitude towards dramas has changed, my tastes becoming even more specific (more on tha later). And my attention span has gone to hell lol.

Last year I tried many shows but only completed three. RUN ON, DOOM AT YOUR SERVICE & LOST/ HUMAN DISQUALIFICATION.

This new batch of dramas is getting me excited again. I hope I\’ll find something worthwhile! Like after eons, PACHINKO is finally here! I\’ll start with that.

Also, I have a crap ton of notifications & I\’ll be going through them slowly. I hope you\’ve all been well, beanfriends!

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    And WAIT WAIT!!

    A new Lee Minki drama? With Lee El AND Seon Seokgu AND Kim Jiwon???? Please be good. 😭😭

    Soundtrack #1 looks hella cute and Killer Heel has me intrigued, no idea wtf it’s about, but that cast of divas… damn!

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    Yuyuuuuu! It’s nice to see you!

    Did you try any of the current crop of dramas? I’m loving Twenty Five Twenty One and Business Proposal ! I’m also watching Forecasting Love and Weather and Thirty-Nine but I’m not enjoying them as much. I was in quite a slump at the end of last year but 2022 is really looking up for me drama-wise!

    Reviews for Pachinko have been good, so fingers crossed it’s really enjoyable! I probably won’t check it out yet, though. I’m already swimming in dramas!

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      Hello, Mindy! It’s good to be back!! >.<
      I'm not watching anything right now, but I plan to go through as much of the currently airing stuff to see what sticks, so thank you for the recommendations!

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        Fingers crossed something sticks! I don’t know what I’ll do with my life when those two shows end in a week 😭

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    Whaaaaat???!?! Look who is back! Where’s your posse? I haven’t seen them either. 😂 glad you’re back watching dramas!

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    Welcome back! I hope you will find lots of things to like again!

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    Hi! Welcome back! Good to see you! 🙂

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Yoo Ah In is the King of Wigs.

All in favor say aye.

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Hellbound promo giving major Black Mirror vibes.

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So many dramas, so little time!

Can we talk about the pseudo-incestuous chaos that is Now We Are Breaking Up?
You’re in love with your dead brother’s once girlfriend/ your dead lover’s brother??
God have mercy. 😭

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I’m not one to fall for sageuks, but they look so good together!! 😭
And I already like the color palette and general look of it.
Will have to check it out!

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While I still let my thoughts on the finale of LOST marinate, I have to say: the SCORE WAS FUCKING AMAZING. I\’m so excited to have all 3h (!!!) of it now available to me!

Overall, this show was so gorgeous in many ways!

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The finale didn\’t give what it was supposed to give.

It\’s like the ending could\’ve been perfect but they CHOSE not to??

I get they wanted to slow-burn us until the end, but that\’s not what happened imo. 1h15min for what?

Might say more on why it didn\’t work for me, later.

#Lost.

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    Can you please tag me? I’d love to read from you.

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      I will! 😊

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        Me too.
        Like Karmen I did like the ending.
        It was not a perfect drama but I liked it.

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          What didn’t you like, Eazal? I’m asking out of honest curiosity.

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            Some of the side stories did not make full sense: WooNam and Soon Kyung and Just and Min Jung, for instance. I liked Just character because he and Kang Tae have been friends forever and almost everyone has that friend that’s been your friend forever but you don’t really have anything to do with. But his love story with Ming Jung? Not believable, is it even love? And her sister and his whatever he is? Why are they even in the drama?
            The Akira manager, the workmates, lots of things that weren’t totally explained…
            But this doesn’t mean I didn’t like the drama, because I did.
            It’s just that certain parts were not developed enough, at least to me.
            I loved Bu Jung (although she should have looked for professional help, and it would be a nice change seeing how he did that in the drama), Kang Tae (his smiles were gold) and even Jung Soo (PBE is redeemed in my eyes after how little I liked him in Oh my baby).

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            @eazal I reply here because I can’t under your post.

            Woo-nam and Soon-kyung are the biggest mystery for me. Maybe I missed something, or something was missed with the subs, or they simply wanted to show another kind of unhappiness. I really don’t know.

            About DY and MJ, as I have written to another beanie, both seemed to “want”, rather than to “feel”, so their outcome is the most unpredictable to me. Unpredictable because the relationship could go really wrong, could end, or could be of great comfort for both and lead to love.
            The thing that can give a little hope is the fact that MJ left JS’s junior, who already had a job and could be seen as reliable, and then started things with DY.
            She suddenly seemed so young and willing to start afresh, that I couldn’t help but forgive her everything and hope the best for her.

            I liked the Akira manager’s arc, even if it is sad. He is similar to AR, both trapped themselves in a lifestyle so much time ago than they can’t free themselves anymore. They could be of great comfort for each other, but they’re stuck. He suffers because at last he is feeling something, but can live nothing, she suffers because she is disilluded and is not able to believe love exists.

            Characters not looking for professional help are a thorn in my side. But rewatching the pilot, they showed BJ taking a photo of a poster about help against depression, and I want to believe she searched for help at some point.

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THAT KISS WAS FUCKING PERFECT.

Re: Lost.

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They better not be killing Bujeong\’s father.
Uri abeoji. 😭😭😭

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My post-LOST survival plan is to finally watch Hospital Playlist 2!

I watched ep.1 yesterday & it was so good & made me so happy. 😭
I\’m actually glad I didn\’t live-watch it. This is just the perfect season for it!

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    Are you still loving Lost, yuyuu? I’ve but hearing mixed opinions on it!

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      I personally am.
      IMO, it’s almost excellent. I kind of wonder why they didn’t bother polishing up the blunt parts. But the good far outweigh the mediocre parts of it.
      I’m interested in seeing how they’re going to wrap everything up this weekend.

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The anticipation on their faces. 😭🖤

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Me at the end of ep. 14

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