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Open Thread #814

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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I got two interesting articles this week:
(1) The Light in Your Eyes/Dazzling will be adapt into theatrical production. It's unknown whether it's play or it's musical. For me, it's a musical that should be adapt from Kdrama.
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/05/23/entertainment/musicPerformance/SLL-Dazzling-JTBC/20230523150603454.html
(2) Song Joong-ki was now a Louis Vuitton brand ambassador.
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2023/05/24/entertainment/movies/Song-Joongki-Cannes-Hopeless/20230524155401015.html

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TvN's upcoming reality show, "290 Million: Wedding War,” scheduled to go on air July 2, will invite 10 engaged couples who are soon to get married. The couples’ different stories and backgrounds will compete against other couples in a series of missions for the ultimate prize, 290 million won ($218,752 US). Producers say while working together to win the prize money for their wedding, the couples will see their relationship tested, thereby showing if they are truly ready for marriage. WHAT? A game show for your relationship? Reality shows bring out the worst in people; who wants to watch couples fight?

The production team stated that the prize money is set at 290 million won as it is the average spend for a wedding currently. WHAT? That is a misstatement because it includes post-marital costs like housing, furnishings, etc. In 2022, South Korean newlyweds spent an average of 9.71 million South Korean won on the most expensive thing, the wedding venue. About 180,000,000 KRW goes to new marital housing (if needed since now older couples are the biggest marriage group).
"While the marriage rate is continuously getting lower every year, the number one reason for not getting married is not having the budget for the wedding, according to the report by Statistics Korea," the network told the Korean Times. WHAT? We have discussed in this forum the reasons so many people (especially women) in Korea and elsewhere do not feel obligated or required to get married at the expense of their career. Wedding expense was never on the list of deal breakers.

The PD said “With the show, I intend to show different sides of humans and forms of love through the couples who willingly came (on the show) to get married amid a time when everyone is against marriage. I'm confident that you will be able to experience earnestness and emotions regardless of your standpoint on marriage." WHAT? It is an overstatement to say everyone is against marriage--- people now realize they have choices in how to live their life. Some have chosen to be independent and single. Others want to start families. How is a reality/game show billing itself as some sort of “public service” change personal decisions of single Koreans? It cannot.

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LOL I love your absolute roast on this terrible upcoming reality show! Your telling the FACTS while the PD is just talking nonsense!

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The average cost of a wedding may very well be that. Averages can be so misleading. Even a handful of really high numbers will skew the average super high, and companies associated with weddings love to report the average cost because it makes couples think that everyone else is spending a ton of money on their wedding when in reality that isn't the case. It's technically accurate, but it's being intentionally misleading to get you to overspend. Ugh. A median cost would probably be a much more honest measure.

Not defending this show, which sounds like a terrible idea for lots of reasons, and it sounds like that number is super inflated for other reasons, but as soon as I hear about "the average cost" of something, I'm immediately on guard.

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They should cast Deborah for the reality show 😗

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Down with the global wedding-industrial complex!

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https://twitter.com/juwonreports/status/1661933782902140931

Came across this as well to promote dating, I suppose. I wonder if dating is a problem in Korea though, committing to marriage and kids seems like the main issue. Regardless to say, this sounds quite ridiculous so I hope it's just a joke.

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heat - can it be heat wave - ohh - humidity less than 20% is what makes it better - dry heat you can handle even 45.

rain came - good rain - 10-15 change you can expect - anything more than that isn't normal - rain can make it normal but without rain temp shouldn't go down much - 39 to 29 is fine

storm - summer storm - hardly 70-80 km per hour - electricity was up in few hours - trees damage but still not much impact on day to day life

2021 - storm was impactful

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Heat - yeah - game gone.

i'm still in cold season clothes - room temp hit 35+
no fan, no cooler, no air conditioner no water every hour.
heat affects body n brain - sweating - dehydration 1st stage very much in the game - you easily get annoyed,frustrated n fast anger outburst as heat clouds the brain

beautiful atmosphere to see - actions n decisions of people.

calam - smile - don't make a foolish action giving into the moment

game - i got angry - lost 280 - money is no value here - you giving in is of immense worth

Embarrassing - yeah it is - remain cool, calm n collected - you win the game

i have much to learn

you can't enjoy popcorn n smile if you can't even handle this.

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we hv zelo boy vs. the guy imran
neta boy to erdogan - both r still very well within d game

zelo boy might look like a jackpot - reputation to character to appeal to impact - thanks to machismo puti but propganda also made him big - game is game - he is a media manager after all.

i said before - few times - this is how imran score more points over zelo boy.
turning people against d powerhouse is one of the biggest homerun anyone scored in this world - the only comparison can be XI taking full control over bureau n winning 3rd term with absolute power.
Military always hv power - army usually is more powerful compare to navy n airforce - army can and do turn n churn economy as well as society if needed.

Pak - this is why imran being brazen n showing middle finger in a region where one bullet is enough n turning all things upside down is big big big achievement. both sides aren't good for people - but who cares - blood will be spilled - a lot of blood - Army has lost huge goodwill n reputation - they have to get back their power at any cost -

peace and growth both demand human blood - let's see.

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Recent kdrama romantic comedies, or as I prefer, romances with happy endings, have had trouble IMHO ending truly happily. Most have rushed to a conclusion and maybe end with a kiss or hug, but no really strong sense of emotional resolution or lasting happiness. I challenge anyone to list more than a few happy ending kdrama romances within the last 3-4 years that have ended with a truly satisfying happy ending.

Of course endings have always been an issue for 12-16 episode shows, regardless of the format. It is just very hard to wrap up multiple themes and character lines, and even revenge and mystery/suspense shows, with presumably a built in ending, sometimes find it difficult to do effectively.

Also, endemic to the romance format. the process of achieving love is a lot more interesting than the love itself; and happiness is lot more boring and harder to write effectively than anguish or trauma. So even though a happy ending is the clear end of a rom-com, to dwell for more than 5 minutes on the now happy couple is something writers/directors tend to avoid.

Third, writers are always looking for clever ways to employ familiar tropes, and I’m sure a traditional happy romantic ending, showing the couple now married/cohabiting and really happy together, is regarded as too unoriginal. Still, when I think of it, there are only a handful or romantic comedies that I’ve seen over the last 10 years that actually end with a happy ending time skip, showing the couple two years later still clearly in love and enjoying life together.

And that brings up the final reason, again IMHO: kdrama writers today find it difficult to imagine a happy heterosexual romance or marriage, because a majority of Korean women in real life are discontented and marriage is regarded as so challenging that its game show material (both documented by @welh640 above.) This year, outside of the romance genre, here have been 2 divorce lawyer shows; and there have been 3 or more shows in which the husband is a total jerk and there should be a divorce; and then 2 shows where the husband is actually evil.

Now, as a long-time husband, I’m a bit defensive about the evil husband trope. But, beyond my sensitivity, I would just argue that happy ending romances should have a fantasy element to them, promoting the illusion that true romantic happiness is achievable. Also, while it is true in real life that roughly 40% of marriages/long term relationships end in divorce, that leaves over half that don’t. Shouldn’t rom-coms, which by design portray the happy resolution of romance, do more than spend 5 minutes showing a couple together, portraying what is in fact a real life possibility for lasting happiness in love?

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I most definitely agree with feeling defensive about the evil husband trope that is running high. I still feel the burn as if it was yesterday from a particular one that I thought would set a pedestal for kdrama husbands to come.

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I agree with pretty much all of this. Drama writers are so keen to jump forward in time at the end, so it's puzzling to me that we never get a time-jump when I actually want one - to see our characters in the happy, united life they worked so hard for. My favorite romcoms are those where the OTP gets together in a reasonable number of episodes, and stays together despite difficulties. We get to see them actually in their relationship, and that it's not always easy to overcome obstacles, but it ends up being worth it in the end, and it's worth it to do it together.

I do think that it's probably harder to write those, and that a separation is a cheap way to build suspense, but I'm not always watching a romcom for suspense, you know? I always wish romcoms would resolve almost everything at the beginning of the last episode, or at least with plenty of time to spare so that we can see our OTP being happy and well, and wrap up any other little lingering threads, but I don't need them to drag a major conflict out until the last 10 minutes.

It's so sad that so many Korean women (and other women) are so discontented in their marriages. But that seems like all the more reason to depict people in awesome relationships, at least by the end of the drama. It seems all the more reason to show couples working through problems together and making compromises and doing the work that is life and their marriage. In Bora!, the ever-awful Chicken King says at one point during their breakup, "Trying isn't love!", but I think he's so completely wrong about that, and I wish dramas in general would push back on the idea that it should always be easy to love someone and to share a life with them, and if it isn't you just quit.

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"Trying isn't love" definitely didn't sit well at all. I especially liked how Yu-jeong debunked that sentence with her husband when he brought up something similar. Trying is love. Our love for each other in a relationship should move us to work at making it work, work at making it grow, work at making it a strong bond. You don't just quit at the first sight of conflict or the first turmoil. Not to quit on first instinct, but to fight. Love isn't easy.
And while it's possible that it's not everytime the butterflies will be in the stomach, we should be open to finding that happiness all over again and confident that we will be able to.

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I still can't figure out why trying isn't love. It should be the other way, because we love the other person, it makes things worth to try. If we don't love, we can just walk away, right? The writer has twisted sense of reality.

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The writer did debunk that twice. As mentioned above, with Yeoung Joo scene and also one scene when Bora realized his ex was such a loser as she saw the engaged couple and compared the behaviour of the groom vs the ex. So the writer was actually agreeing that trying is love.

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I agree. I think that was one of the points. And while I applaud them for "showing not telling", I think they could have made it a little more explicit by having Bora say something about it in her book. It would have been nice if that theme was a little more central, since that (trying, listening, understanding the other person's perspective) was the solution to most of the issues each couple had.

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Thanks for this thoughtful post! I’ll admit that I’ve been having similar thoughts about endings. In many respects, the conclusion for Because This Life Is Our First is one of the most impactful for me, less because of its commentary on Korean marriage (which may be super-important to other folks), but rather precisely because it proactively points to the ongoing negotiation that is a long-term relationship.

That said, I do think that it would be nice if the dramas in the category you’re referencing, @hacja, could more heavily trade in the delightful fantasy that “everything will work out OK in the end” more often, though…I don’t always want to reflect on how hard it is to stay with someone for decades ;).

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I really loved the very ending of BTLIOF, but tbh I was also really thrown off by how the characters got there. I do wish that we had more endings like that though, that show a couple working through complicated things and living in a way that totally reflects their personalities.

I don't always want a realistic depiction either! Give me sunshine and rainbows please, but give them to me after we've seen our OTP work through an issue without breaking up, so that I actually believe they're going to be happy together ;)

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Forgot to say: a similar ending (to BTLIOF) is what I wish for Ta-mi and Morgan at the end of Search WWW. Their central (only?) conflict was that he wanted to get married and she didn't, so a non-traditional marriage where they repeatedly checked in with each other to make sure they were both still happy would have been a much more convincing happy ending for them than "we're getting back together but nothing has changed so we'll probably break up again in a minute".

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OMG don’t get me started on the ending of Search WWW. I see red on that one. I bet we are 100% on the same page. I wanted a different conclusion so very badly for that drama—one where adult behavior reigned and child-like behavior was overcome through personal growth.

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Remembered the other day that I would have also loved to see the BTLIOF wedding contract ending—or at least the same conversation—at the end of Love to Hate You (or was it Hate to Love You? :)).

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So I really liked Because This is Our First Life, but I found the ending really depressing, and a perfect example of what I was talking about. The female lead character grew in a really thoughtfully portrayed way. But the male character did not. In fact he was unable to express his love when she left. Why she got together with him at the very end, I have no idea. The working out the difficult things that @jls943 rightfully says would have been really satisfying did NOT occur.

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Well, we might all have received different levels of satisfaction from the drama itself, it is true. The focus I had in mind, though, was the mechanism of the ongoing marriage contract as a model for what it takes to maintain a relationship over time.

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I'll grant you that. I would have found it truly happy, though, if they had arrived at the contract without the break up and time skip; so it was just there in the last few minutes.

But I'm not criticizing the show overall. Jung So-min was great in it, portraying a very engaging character. I'm just saying I didn't find the ending satisfyingly happy.

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I agree. I liked it up until the last couple of episodes, and then I liked the very ending. I thought it was such a good and interesting compromise. But the last few eps were so much less satisfying than the whole rest of the drama had been.

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The more that I think about it, the more I realize that the most satisfying romance ending (as in, portraying them into the future) came from From Now On, Showtime, which was quite angsty throughout even if it did have comedy.

It's interesting that the Moonlighting Curse is real even in other cultures. At least Kdramas have a set end point so we are less likely to have endless breakups and reunions.

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I agree, the very end from Now On Showtime was happy, but that pretty much came out of nowhere for me. A similar romance/ghost fantasy, although it at times was pretty bad, was Delivery Man. It was so weak that I was going to drop it right before the last episodes, but I read a review by @jls943 that convinced me to finish it, and I have to say, that I'm glad I did, because it was a satisfying happy ending, probably the only romance show this year where I found the ending truly happy. But was it worth watching the previous episodes of that show for the ending? In retrospect, no!

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Yeah, that's true. I also found Delivery Man quite disappointing.

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I have a soft spot for the ending of "Thirty But Seventeen." It didn't rush the happy-ever-afters for the cast of characters. Everyone had a chance for personal growth. No unnecessary separation, and there was open communication about the FL's choice to go overseas or not. The time skips in the final episode didn't feel forced. Instead of being used to mysteriously advance the plot in unseen ways, they simply showed us how the characters had progressed further on arcs that had already been well-established. We got the reward of seeing them continue to blossom -- professionally and personally.

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Perhaps writers find it easier to write scenes in the infatuation stage because it gives actors more range. It is hard to get behind a teflon couple in this stage deflecting any troubles, issues or serious discussion of their future. The blueprint of a fated encounter, awkward initial romantic tension, sudden shift to family objections, the faux break up, then sugary sweet ending is probably what writers think viewers expect. But I agree there is so much fertile ground in the middle part of a relationship that is never really explored (like actual conversations on how each sees their future, their future together, and expectations of having a committed relationship.)

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This would be a great show in my opinion. But it would require some really sharp writing.

The thing is, those of us in happy marriages/relationships know that its not boring at all. There are financial challenges, career decisions, of course classic Kdrama theme in-law troubles, discussions about children and then if you have them, difficulties in raising them, not to mention a daily and petty disagreements and misunderstandings that then have to be resolved in some way or another.

But because these are seemingly mundane issues that all those in a relationship or a marriage have, viewer interest would be low. I know this; all I'm asking for is just 10-15 more minutes successfully dealing with a few relationship issues at the end in order strengthen the fantasy that love can always solve these issues. So I'm not looking for realism, just happiness!

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Challenge accepted.

Some of romances I have loved 2019-2022

Ghost Doctor
At a Distance the Spring is Green
Shooting Stars
Gaus Electronics
You Are My Spring
Secret Royal Inspector and Joyi
Hospital Playlist
Hyena
Tale of the Nine-tailed Fox
My Holo Love
My Fellow Citizens
Welcome 2 Life
Special Labour Inspector Jo
My Strange Hero
Romance is a Bonus Book

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I've only seen half of these, so I'll recognize your challenge. Yes, that is noble of me!

Still, of the ones I've seen, Hospital Playlist, Hyena, and Special Labor Inspector Jo, all of which were shows I liked, don't really center the romance, in my opinion. In fact in Hyena, which I really liked, the FL is clearly not smitten with the male lead, as he is with her, so even though they were holding hands at the end, its not clear to me that they were going to be in any sort of long term relationship. Again I want to stress that this DID NOT lesson my appreciation of these shows overall, which were very well done.

Romance is a Bonus Book is another show I really liked--I loved the literary quality of it. But the FL's reticence throughout the drama, and the strangely passionless kiss at the end, plus the wild card of the mystery daughter who might or might not return from school from which she scarcely ever contacted her Mom at all, suggested to me that that their romantic relationship was not long for the world. In terms of the romance, this show was especially one where I would have appreciated a fast forward time skip at the end, showing that things were still going well.

I agree with you about Shooting Stars and Gaus Electronics. (Although in my ideal romantic ending for Shooting Stars, I would have loved a celebrity wedding, with the FL's office having to deal with the PR flack coming from this event--it could have been really funny and also very fulfilling.

Anyway, I'll still hold firmly to my point about all the shows so far this year, where the ending of the romances have been generally unsatisfying. But thanks for giving me new older shows to watch!

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Sticking strictly to your criterion of showing a couple being convincingly happy some time after the climactic 'finally together' moment, but NOT the last 3-4 years: both Do You Like Brahms? and Fated to Love You show the lead couples still together, happy, and continuing to deal with the changes in their lives (kids, jobs) after a time skip. Of course, you'd have to deal with many episodes of angst to reach that point in both shows; I thought each was only marginally worth that effort. 1% of Something makes an extended visit to the OTP's happy future, and Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo also shows a time-skip and continuing relationship. I can't think of any more recent shows that pulled off a really satisfying ending as you define it.

I enjoyed Sh**ting Stars but it did miss a golden opportunity for celebrity wedding madness, and don't get me started on RIABB's central 'romance.' Lee Jong-suk had more chemistry with his wardrobe than he did with Lee Na-young.

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I completely agree with you on all these shows. 1% of something had many flaws, but the ending, when the CEO husband realized his wife could actually be an asset to the company (DUH!) was a good realization and salvaged the show. As far as Romance is a Bonus Book, I really did like it, (but didn't find the ending satisfyingly happy.) However, those coats of Lee Jong-suk were worthy of a long term relationship (or, alternatively, required a long term relationship to ignore how ugly they were!)

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Understandable.

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Welcome to life has one of the best families in kdramaland. So adorable.

PS. Let's not forget about Flower of Evil. If that isn't real love, Idk what is.

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You are right about Flower of Evil. That was an excellent show.

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Oh right I forgot FoE! Thanks for the reminder.

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Tbh, I don't like dramas about divorce/evil husbands at all. I don't like to watch the characters be miserable. Sometimes they even add kids and make everything even more depressing. And that's not my cup of tea.

If I want to see the case of a horrible husband/dad I can just read the news. That would be less stressful tbh. I'm not the type of person that watches kdramas to see 16 episodes of an abusive jerk trying to get away with everything. Even if by the end the woman wins, and she gets custody of the child. I still would feel like crap because of the whole process and I would feel so bad that a kid had to experience all that. I'll just feel angry and sad the whole time.

I prefer shows like Once Again, Cunning Single Lady or Matrimonial Chaos. I like that we were able to see growth. Those are shows that make me a little more tolerant, understanding. Shows that give hope and help you develop new perspectives.

Something I would actually like to see are shows about remarried people or just divorced people dating again. But happy version of course, something like Five Children, not My Liberation Notes. We need a little bit of hope in this world.

Shouldn’t rom-coms, which by design portray the happy resolution of romance, do more than spend 5 minutes showing a couple together, portraying what is in fact a real life possibility for lasting happiness in love 👏👏
I completely agree.

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Oh Arrrr, I waited too long to respond. Read the first few and then went outside to do the never-ending yard work chores. Funny enough, playing in the dirt allows me to process all you all's points and add my own.
Hate to say, on a K-drama site, once again a C-drama has nailed this dynamic better than anywhere else with You Are My Glory. The OTP are from the same hometown and knew each other in mid/high school. That's not the story.
After they establish a relationship. they must navigate the HUGE mutually challenging aspects of each other's careers. Not only long distance but one career that is incredibly bling (famous/popular actress) and the other seriously sciencey/politically big (astronautical engineer).
What I loved was how they respected and admired each other's profession.
They worked through career team and family dynamics (flip sides of the same coin). They helped and supported each other. They also had a great perspective about how much their respective worlds consisted of overblown hype.
I think perhaps K-dramas are a good 10 years out from this kind of mature, nuanced relationship depiction.
Meanwhile, for everyone concerned about toxic/evil hubbies, tune in to You Are My Glory.

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Second this recommendation. I wanted to recommend this too along with Meet Yourself, which also had a very mature and loving relationship that included navigating careers and living in different cities.

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@jossie4cheryl I have followed your advice profitably many times, and I really deeply respect you as a woman scientist and intelligent DB commentator. But on this one I am in deep disagreement. After the initial romance, which I admit I liked, this show is just pure propaganda for the authoritarian Chinese government. It really bothered me as someone with a few acquaintances whose relatives have suffered under that regime. Here is an article that reflects how I feel about this one--although I'm afraid I'm even harsher in my judgement!

https://www.dramasoverflowers.net/post/the-distance-between-chinese-dramas-and-the-chinese-communist-party-is-short

But please understand I'm not arguing my moral compunctions are superior to yours or anyone else's--I also know these are t.v. shows that can subtly work to undermine the regime as well as support it. Just not Your are My Glory.

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Thanks for the link, I'll dive in momentarily. I agree that large chunks of YAMG was political propaganda and my dabbling in C-dramas usually requires large grains of salt. I find it fascinating that their modern dramas have such strong money making themes. Dare I say quasi-capitalist? The current crackdown and arrest of a comedian over a joke is a chilling reminder of the reality of life in China.

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I’m with you on this one. I have been less than satisfied with the Kdrama Rom Com’s on offer for 2021/22 & 2023. I have really enjoyed some Cdramas.Here are some of my favourites:
1. Sweet and Cold - still watching & loving it so far
2. The love you give me - haven’t quite finished was waiting for all episodes to drop
3. Nothing but you
4. Perfect and Casual
5. Forever Love
6. Hi Venus
7. Once we get married
8. The day of becoming you
9. My Fated Boy - loved this drama on my rewatch list
10. Love Scenery
11. Fairy Doctor

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Thanks for the list, I'll be checking many out (some I've seen).

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Agreed! That show also had the most incredibly beautiful wedding scene ever!!!! In fact I've watched You are My Glory twice - and will probably watch it again!

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Couldn't agree more. I find it disheartening, the amount of drama that showcases this theme (Dr. Cha and Penthouse to name a few.)
And one more, revenge topic is being recycled way too many times that we start to think, "is this world that unreedemable?"
What about promoting and selling good ways of life? Or does this thing not buzz worthy?

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nothing much to share just that if Hong Joo is in ice hell she must be at the library bc it is freezing here. and I dont know how to dress, bc outside is warm but im here in the basement and I have to wear a coat

also our parliament is a useless bunch of brats getting paid for a tantrum. im really mad that tax payers are supporting people who are fighting instead of doing their job.

anarchy is a better option at this point.

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I super excited when I started City Hunter this week because I have seen it get mentioned by some beanies as good drama and by others as one of Lee Min Ho and Park Min Young's best acting work, but I was bored and disappointed, to say the least. After 3 episodes, I dropped it and came here to read JB & GF 's recap. I know they have a soft spot for LMH, but I was surprised to see they liked the drama and I, on the other hand was relieved to have not wasted time on it. Maybe this is one of those dramas that was enjoyable in that time period, but now feels like a drama with a generic plot.

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I feel like City Hunter improves over the course of its run. Yes it's still generic but there are a few surprises along the way. I watched it many years back, early in my kdrama life, and there were quite a few cliffhangers where I was genuinely like "oh I did not expect that". Though maybe I wouldn't say that if I saw it now 🤔.

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I think the only reason thst it improves is because of LJH and the way he has chemistry with all his co-stars but I might be biased 😁

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I actually don't remember much about LJH's role in the show except for how it ended 😬. TBH I prefer him in roles where he's not quite so perfect like in City Hall or Stranger. It just feels like such a surprise against his handsome, good-boy looks 😅.

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It's true, maybe it was for that time period. At that time most kdramas had the rich boy, poor girl template and City Hunter was so different. Kdramas have evolved so much these past 10 years. City Hunter remains to be one of my Top 10 dramas considering how it impacted me.

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City Hunter's only saving grace in my baby Lee Joon Hyuk. Other than that it is just a teenager thriller. I got extremely bored with it back when it aired too, but I confess that I have ff'ed and watched LJH's scenes hundreds of times.

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Are there kdramas that's fresh and new? I've actually never really thought about it but you saying "maybe during its day, it was enjoyable but now it's generic" made me think about that. To me, I think kdramas often *always* have the same tropes and endgames so it's hard to find something not "generic". I'm actually kinda surprised when it's said on here that shows were different or a breath of fresh air, for example A Business Proposal. I am NOT knocking it and it was really successful so clearly there is/was something there and I honestly didn't mind it. I watched the whole thing but I don't think I ever saw it as a new take on anything. Hmmm, I remember liking the friendship dynamics. Like when the secretary/best friend dead panned that even if he was guy, the lead wasn't his type haha. Oh, maybe that is something different! The casual way sexuality is portrayed like the rachel/samantha bit. I think I hadn't seen stuff like that which is part of the reason I remember it. I was told the show, at first, was like a parody or satire of romcom dramas which was at least part of the appeal. That totally went over my head apparently.
Did I go on a tangent? Haha

I don't know if there are any fresh new takes on shows but I'm just glad when I can find something that gives something that I'm looking for. That's surprisingly hard to find.

Anywho, I mention that show often because it's one of the most popular ones I know.

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I hated City Hunter, although I watched it to the end because I kept thinking it had to get better (spoiler - it did not). I thought both Lee Min Ho and Park Min Young were terribly miscast, and the writing was, to put it mildly, a mess. I can't imagine it's aged well in the decade since I watched it.

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Happy weekend Beanies and keep Beaning On!
Last Open Thread of May already, time flies by so fast!😲 I am in the middle of packing for my weekend sleepover at my friend’s place. My friend received free movie tickets from her employer and we decided on The Little Mermaid. Normally I would just wait and stream online after a couple of months, but free movie tickets mean watching a movie in a movie theater for free. Not letting that opportunity pass me by!😄Monday is a national holiday, so I am staying until then. Tuesday and Wednesday are still May, but since I will probably be too exhausted to do much, I moved up D-day to today. All is going well, except…I do not know which clothes to wear or pack!😅

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I want free movie tickets too. 🥺 lol
I hope you have a nice time! ^^

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I thought The Little Mermaid was great, so your best wishes worked out, thank you!^^ As for free tickets...we had to pay a tiny fee for "the effort of turning the vouchers into valid movie tickets"...on the self-service computer.😑 Still a lot cheaper than regular movie tickets, though.

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I'm glad you had a good time, that's what matters. 😊

PS. Wow, not even free stuff are actually free these days. LOL so annoying.

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I have such an obsessive/compulsive brain and sometimes it leads me to being sick with anxiety because I can't stop thinking about something and then I can't stop looking up information relating to it. Just today, I've been nauseous all day (so far) due to feeling anxiety of things that aren't even related to me! Literally has no effect on my life and yet I've legit been sick.

I wish I could turn off my brain.
I also wish I could know the future because I wonder if that would help my anxieties but alas, I can do neither.

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Hope I'm not overstepping here, ignore if I am... but It can be helpful to try to resist urges to look up stuff and seek reassurance, because unfortunately that just reinforces the anxiety. Instead, sitting with the anxiety and reminding yourself that the emotion itself doesn't mean anything is actually wrong.

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I'm trying to stop myself but it's surprising hard.
What do you mean seek reassurances?

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Seeking reassurance is finding ways to get rid of the anxiety that avoid riding it out like an itch. Who knew if you don’t scratch an itch it reaches a peak then declines.

An example is if you have anxiety travelling on a bus getting off the bus will get rid of the anxiety… until the next time you have to get on a bus. Staying on the bus and riding out the anxiety whilst on the bus will show that YOU can manage your anxiety riding on a bus. Self help anxiety management strategies are in apps and online and they explain how anxiety works, what happens when you overthink and ways you can regain control over unhelpful thought.
Good luck with working on this the process is not easy but once over the other side it will feel so much better.

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Break the thought pattern especially by getting up and walking or going outside, even for a few minutes. Call someone and talk about a different topic. Watch a humorous YT video or something about nature. Do jumping jacks. Don’t watch or read the news! These all work in stopping the thoughts and refocusing your mind on something else.

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Asking people or trying to obtain information that might help you feel better about whatever you're worried about. So, like, if you're worried that your headache means you have a brain tumor, Googling to find all of the information that says you don't or asking family so they tell you it's not cancer. It just makes it more likely you're going to do that sort of thing in the future and doesn't actually address the root of the anxiety. We call them safety behaviors--they don't actually change the situation or make you safer, but they make you feel better.

Yeah, I know it's hard. Even if you can take baby steps to slowly minimize it over time, that will still be helpful.

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Anxiety major sucks. I hope you feel better soon, Britney.
Send you hugs.

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I have no answers since I also have anxiety. And I rarely look at the news these days. I don’t think it’s weird to feel for something that’s not directly connected to you, we are all human and have emotions. I recently watched the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever film and the motif of grief and loss really hit home.

Maybe we are all collectively grieving, things have been really extraordinarily hard these past few years. But LIFE and LIVING is hard. It always has been, there is joy definitely but feeling emotions are human. Maybe some of us feel those emotions stronger than others.

I’ll end with my favourite quote:

Let everything happen to you
Beauty and terror
Just keep going
No feeling is final

by Rainer Maria Rilke

This quote really helps me with panic attacks but also when I have painful flares. Cause no feeling is final…

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I read an article about Doctor Cha that said even though people are enjoying the male lead's acting performance, they are not rooting for his character and want him to pay for his crimes. I've been wondering how Koreans are reacting to the show (other than the high ratings) and found that interesting.

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In recent months I've been seeing K-drama characters quoting Elon Musk. I've heard 3 dramas do it, perhaps four. Its frankly odd. I don't know if its being done ironically, lampooning the sorts of pretentious fools who would quote Elon Musk, or naively, not comprehending what a dangerous tyrant Musk has devolved into. I do wish they'd stop doing it.

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Well, having the “Chicken King” praising him surely was a dig 😜

But I do hear you saying you don’t even wish to hear the name…

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I’m one of those people who thoroughly enjoyed Bo-ra! Deborah. But when they mentioned Donald Trump I was taken aback. Why quote him???
That advice is pretty much on every business book available. We live under capitalism, the more capital one has the better they can negotiate, get better deals etc. This is not a new concept and faking till you make it has been written in every self help book ever…
Anyway that definitely put a sour taste in my mouth, especially when we see the asshole’s book in Sang-jin’s office *sigh*

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I mean Bo-ra... also included a line on Auschwitz that had to be removed by Amazon Prime in many regions. There were some very questionable quotes by the writer throughout.

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HOLY MOLY
Wow I have no words…

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I just binged it this week, so I’m in region where Amazon removed it. I didn’t see the scene and now I kinda wanna barf

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Every single time he is mentioned INSTANTLY kills my interest in whatever I'm watching.

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Speaking of the dude at the top of this post, am I the only one who’s relieved Sohn Seok-gu turned down a role in a possible Hong Sisters drama? That just seems like such a bad fit, regardless of the concept.

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I actually thought something similar. I don't know the actor that well, he just vaguely looks familiar to me, but when I saw his picture, it was just hard/weird to imagine him in their shows. I could definitely be wrong and of course actors are allowed to try different things but when I saw the other project he was considering, it seemed like "yeah, this seems fitting"

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I just got done watching My Liberation Notes and he was awesome in that. I first noticed him in Be Melodramatic as the quirky CF director. And now he's my new fascination. He had a bit part in DP and am currently watching The Roundup.

I dropped Alchemy of Souls and Hotel de Luna. Fantasy is not my favorite genre. And I only finished Master's Sun because Gong Hyo-jin had great comedic timing, spooky and funny simultaneously. So I hope SSG stays with slice of life kind of stories.

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You are not alone. I trust his choice of projects. Not for popularity, but for growth and joy of acting.

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I ask this because y'all might know better than me. Do Korean actors/actresses typically take part in Filipino projects? I know they've acted in Chinese or Japanese projects but I've never heard of anything in the Philippines.

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There are a few Korean actors who acted in Philippine-produced projects. They are not that popular though, maybe that’s why you never heard of it. I remember 1 drama, but I don’t recall the name of the Korean actor. I’ll have to google it and get back to you. Haha…

I’m from the Philippines, by the way. That’s why I know about this.

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My Korean Jagiya (2017 drama)
Love From Home (2021 drama)

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I started and binged Stealer this week, so a bit late but have officially hopped on that bandwagon. It was a great tongue-in-cheek narrative, clever at points, light-hearted, and really funny at times. The cast was just fantastic! I was especially amused to see Jeon Jin Oh play as equally a tongue-in-cheek character here as he did in The Undateables. It seemed a great rendition in the spirit of similar narrative themes from American movies like National Treasure and the Goonies (though from a much more intellectual angle than the former and a far more developed context than the latter). I could pass on the BDSM-like suit, the need for which I still just don't understand. Aside from that, I'm waiting to catch up on sleep before writing a review, although the excellent Weecaps far exceeded what I can do in terms of detailed plot explication.

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ah the suit. I felt it was just like a fantasy-made true or obsession, that it Must Be, and it was irresistable. and not because it made him cool! More like he is a nerd and like the cosplayers take pride in their costumes. There was a lot of unashamed nerdiness. No it was not necessary. but if you can have something, then there is no reason not to.

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On Tuesday we leave for Korea on a month long adventure. Yeah! My son is marrying a beautiful Korean woman who lives and works in NYC, that he met 3 years ago. Her family is in Incheon, and our family is headed there for a wedding and sight seeing trip. The wedding is a great excuse to get to experience the culture, food, people and sights. I have a couple of kpop concerts lined up, and my future daughter and her father are planning wonderful day trips for us. I think I have talked my husband into going to Gangeung to see Goblin jetty, and BTS bus stop. The month is filling up with exciting things to see and do.

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Wow, that is wonderful! Have fun!

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Best wishes! Hope you and your family have a great time!

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Hope you have a wonderful trip and huge congratulations to the happy couple!😊 Please share your adventures with us when you return (or even during, if you have time!).

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Congratulations on your son finding a wonderful partner for life. I pray that you all have a wonderful time celebrating this special time in their relationship.

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awesome! You will love your time there for sure!

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I have been reading a lot of translated Korean and Japanese novels over the last few weeks so Audible has been dropping in some ‘we think you will enjoy’ suggestions, one was called Tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. It is set in the US in the world of game creators. All the main characters are children/grandchild from Jewish, Korean and Japanese backgrounds and issues related to their cultural histories are central to the plot. I am still mid story but enjoying it a lot despite not being into games as my hand eye coordination is shockingly bad.

A beanie recommended another book by the author which wasn't on Audible so I watched the film on Amazon Prime instead; The storied life of A. J. Fikry. It was a Hallmark kind of film (yay) in terms of the sex scenes are not shown but casual sex and a married man constantly chasing women was shown being slimy. I was interested in the contrast between it and the K drama version playing in my head where the pretty scenery would have been spotlighted. I did notice a common factor; the cute kid.

Hospital playlist has the cutest kid in all dramaland Ikjoon’s son Woojoo. The girl actress who is currently staring in The Good bad mother and was in Unlock my boss, is coming in a strong second. She was even in Hospital Playlist 2 as one of the patients in the last episode. Is anyone else thinking pregnancy, babies, and cute children with character, like the little boy in Be Melodramatic are fast becoming the new Subway PPL, in that it’s no longer subtle hints but in your face marketing. ‘Have some kids already,’ being the main message😐

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Just finished Black Knight and I must say I watched it for Woo Bin. I enjoyed the drama but find it left my mind soon as it was over BUT, I thought the actors did a decent job with what they had. Can I just say that Woo Bin is so very beyond handsome? I am so glad to see him up and running again after his death scare with cancer. The one who played Sa-Wol was quite good and I always love Esom. At 6 episodes it was watchable and I hope to see Woo-Bin again soon.

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I am sure I’m not the only Beanie who wonders why certain actors succeed when they are rather average and others remain on the sidelines. This thought bugged me again as I was watching “To my star” and “To my star 2”. I’ve written about how much I loved these 2 dramas previously. Son Woohyun is exceptional as Kang Soejoon in a role which is much more interesting, nuanced, charming and moving than many of the other KDs I have seen.
These are classified as BL genre which focuses on relationships between boys as well as between adult men (no GL genre that I’ve come across and that is its own story of invisibility). These stories occupy a strange world where no one mentions the word LGBTIQ, or that they can be seen as transgressive by a conservative society which has tried to erase the existence of such individuals in RL, friends are supportive of the same sex attractions, there is largely no violence or discrimination directed at these characters and they are mostly not tormented about having same sex attractions. As it is a KD sub-genre, there is no actual sex but it is implied and lovers do live together at times. I have read a little about the JDrama equivalent genre which seemed to be written and directed by women including queer women.
In both the J&KD genres, these stories are treated as unremarkable and quite matter of factly. The characters - often but not always - are not part of a queer community and their queer identity is not remarked upon or engaged with. In some ways, they can have non-queer characters replacing them and the story would still flow. But, obviously this is not the entire story as the sub-text is as important as the text and the context. The fact these KD BLs are being produced in increasing numbers is intriguing in many ways given how conservative SK’s hegemonic cultural and legal contexts have been and still are to a large degree. It is also allowing for more opportunities for outstanding actors such Son Woohyun to shine. He and his co-star, Kim Kangmin have such potent chemistry which I have rarely seen in other KDs. Son Woohyun is truly the star in this as it is difficult not to be charmed by his portrayal of KSJ. It is also unique among BL that it depicts KIm Kangmin’s character as being confused because he has fallen in love with a guy and whike this is not the only issue complicating their relationship, it is acknowledged as such in nit so veiled term.

I feel a bit evangelical about these 2 series and want to recommend them to those of you who appreciate wonderful acting as well as recognise the universality of human rights and believe in the protection of such rights.

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