This week Netflix released the film documentary which contained the Sulli interview just prior to her death in 2019. She admitted that being a k-pop idol was horrible and her life as a celebrity was a struggle. The pull-quotes on being a star/celebrity are gripping:

"I always felt trapped somewhere in the word 'pretty' since I was young. Whenever people called me 'pretty', I always wondered why they said that to me, what they were thinking when they said it."
She reminisced, "I felt like I always had to act pretty, and in reality, if I wasn't demure or didn't appear pretty, I would get into trouble. I think that's when my rebellious spirit started."

When asked about what she wanted to do when she was twenty, Sulli mentioned, "There were two things: The first was to receive psychiatric counseling. The second was dating." She added, "It was my first decision on my own. I don't regret it and I was happy. I didn't listen much to what my mother said and did what I wanted."
"People don't really think of celebrities as humans. When I started as a celebrity, the most common thing I heard was 'You are a product, and you have to exist as the best and highest quality product for people. Even if people didn't say I was a product, everyone treated me like one. I had to move according to their tastes, and I was afraid of my product value falling. I didn't know how to assert myself, whether I could share my thoughts, and speaking up about my struggles wouldn't change anything."

Sulli then shared, "There was no one around me who would say 'Choose for yourself', 'Decide for yourself', 'What do you think?', 'How have you been?' It was just about doing things without thought. It felt like I was going to die from the struggle. I just kept blaming myself. The only time I could control was when I inflicted pain on myself," she confessed.

When the interviewer asked if she ever thought it wasn't her fault, Sulli replied, "I couldn't think that way. When I first spoke up and said 'I'm struggling', it felt like everything collapsed," and she tearfully expressed her sorrow.

Comments: The entertainment industry demanding the perfect human image and reputation in such an inhumane way is appalling; she was not the first nor the last to go through this. She could never have a moment of being normal, like dating, because that would tarnish the “product” and image. She could not get any support to cope with the trolls, the hate comments, the anti-fans, the stress and anxiety to be pretty and perfect. K-pop is not a career but a game of survival.

One of the funniest bits in this weeks episodes of Perfect Marriage Revenge were the Shaman consultation scenes.

The actress who played the Shaman swung for the fences and was completely overacting!!

I'm not sure if it was intentional or not but it was hilarious

Festival season or is it on - fmcg not doing good as much as i know. Yearly friday event sales and december sales will provide better view.

I'm now going for 1 jan 2024 - for change - this needs fighting.

handling cold season isn't easy so need to get ready to - this time it is becoming one big challenge.

Let's see how cold season goes.

In addition to the many, many weekend-airing dramas I have to watch (26 hours until Castaway Diva!) I am going to be watching the filmed musical stage adaptation of The Prince of Egypt, which was just released on BroadwayHD. I've been waiting for this one for a while, since it was announced a long time ago so I am quite excited!

I just read 2 news about two new pairings in kdrama that I never know I needed. 1. Lee Joon Hyuk and Han Ji Min, 2. Choi Woo Shik and Park Bo Young (even better in new show written by the writer of my beloved summer). 2024 seems very promising.

I also just watch movie Twenty. It’s a little bit a culture shock in the beginning because the jokes just so raunchy I couldn’t believe when I read the sub. I was like, did they really said that? In that situation?. But after 15 minutes I get used to it and enjoying it as it is. It’s funny I cracked a laugh a lot of times. Surprisingly, though the script was vulgar there was no scene that is erotic. I’m reminded about time when people used to be able to crack a joke like that without getting cancelled. Good times it were when people were stronger and not so easily getting hurt and offended by words. Anyway, don’t try to find moral lesson from this movie, don’t take any lesson actually. If that happen in real life this boys especially KWB’ character probably would be in jail.

It's Friday evening here and my brain is mush. So here are this week's ramblings:

1. I accidentally got a friend of a friend hit by the Namgoong Min Accident Truck (TM). Didn't mean for it to happen - was chatting with my friend about MY DEAREST and grousing that I can't get it where I am yet and she said: "I'm gonna watch it with my friend and as a precaution, I am sending her Namgoong Min's Instagram account to have a look to brace herself."

But did my friend's friend have a look before she sat down with my friend to watch MY DEAREST?

Reader, she did not.

Accordingly to my friend, she exclaimed "OMG!" at the beach kiss and well... another one for the Namgoong Min Accidental Ward.

2. Languages - I have been learning French on Duolingo in an attempt to make it my fourth language. It has been going okay BUT...

... hilariously, because I'm catching up with so many K-Dramas, I'm picking up Korean informally and much faster than French (it's also easier to pronounce than French)*

*Which I guess can be credited to me having Chinese as one of my languages. I'm having fun picking out words that mean the same thing and sound almost the same as certain words in Cantonese or Hokkien.

3. Work has been like Hydra-like - so many deadlines, so many fires to put out, so many (human) cats to herd.

4. I'm going to watch THE MARVELS with friends tomorrow and are excited at the prospect of watching and supporting female superheroes and Park Seo-Joon (even if he has what amounts to a cameo).

5. I love baking but why am I stuck on repeat with making Banana Bread? I could bake sourdough bread, I could make brownies, I could do some pies but no - have been doing variation after variation of Banana Bread - Banana Cranberry Bread, Banana Walnut Bread, Banana Raisin and Walnut Bread, Banana Coconut Bread, Banana Carrot Bread, Banana and Chocolate Chip Bread...

My friends and family members don't seem to get tired of Banana Bread though...

Well now, that's something you can't "unsee." Project Wolf Hunting. No amount of sweet King Louis will ever wash away the bad taste of Seo In Guk as disgusting killer. I really wish I hadn't watched the movie. Then Seo In Guk could have reigned King of all my favorite SK actors. Now he's tumbled down into the abyss of forgettable. And no, just because he was convincing as a killer doesn't mean he was a great actor as killer. There is a whole line of other disgusting characters that could have filled that role just as easily.

Out every night chasing northern lights very tired in the day

how come everyone sees them and I dont? but they take a car to somewhere out of town i dont have a car
I just run.
surprised myself - I thought I ran slow and a short distance turns out i ran 8,6km in 34 minutes. it didnt feel like that, I was like, im going so slow. misperception.

the matter with SM Ent selling Shinee movie to Russia... it really bothered me. But today on live we got a hint that the members didnt agree to it. but they cannot stop it. just the problem is, because of the sanctions in EU anyone doing business with Russia will get restricted.
I mean if they are not all hypocrites.
why it is bad: tickets are taxed and taxes go straight to the war machine.

I will wait and see. I was so upset that I regretted everything. I felt deceived. But it seems like not everything is quite so.
I hope they can leave SM. bad company...

there is a piano playing upstairs.
my relatives have already sent me 6 calendars. never turned a single leaf on those things. I have one on my wall stuck in 2014. I could have a freak display of calendars all showing different time.
no time for dramas bc im taking part in this project repairing jeans and I got 12 pairs to fix... artistically... but cannot do fast bc fingers hurt. its tough material

anyway looking forward to Seo In Guk and really wishing for a Park Bogum cameo but the guy is stuck in commercials. they kidnapped him...

Happy weekend Beanies and keep Beaning On!

The problem of lurking full time on Dramabeans is that you feel present, even though you aren’t entirely. Case in point: My last Open Thread was at the end of September.🫢

Veteran Beanies might remember my weekly (un)employment misfortune posts in the past on the Open Thread, a sort of coping diary if you will. About a decade later things seem to finally be looking up. I handed in a request at work to get another job in another department with the necessary work adjustments. If all goes well, I can start over sometime in the first half of 2024. Gone are the endless rejections and job firings, now it is the employer who must figure things out on my behalf while I rest some more in sick leave and get everything ready. It took me two and a half years to take this step, so I am very proud of myself!💪

My free time is no longer limitless, so I hope the getting ready part also includes Dramabeans, K-dramas and other entertainment!🙏

Hello Beanies! It's been a while!

I have been trying to get into a twice a day skin care routine with all the steps- cleansing, toning, serum, eye cream, moisturizing, sunscreen to achieve clear skin... I hear it takes a good few months time to show results.. hoping I stick to it for a long time.

I am watching Vincenzo and aside from it being super fun, I noticed how clear Song Joong-ki's skin is!! Better than any other actor on the show! My skin could never!! I looked up his skincare routine and apparently he does regular masks and routines with the products he endorses. He washes his face with milk and eats apples daily!! He has also written a skin care guide book for men.

Anyway I keep pausing my drama to read up on some or the other skin product or skin care activity.

This has been a banner week for upcoming series announcements. The lead pairings are fantastic!

Lee Sung Kyung and Lee Dong Wook
Han Ji Min and Lee Joon Hyuk
Ji Chang Wook and D.O.

And the kicker today, omg:
Park Bo Young and Choi Woo Shik

Wow, what a year ahead!

Open Thread #664 had the exact same header picture!! Wae ...!!

I just finished "I picked up a celebrity on the street". 10 eps! No dragging along! Sung "Swoon" Hun! Adorable show.

It's 100 degrees F where I live and I am m e l t i n g
I do NOT like hot weather! Especially Christmas in summer, that's just WRONG.

Hi, beanies de mi corazón. 💚 I hope you had a nice week!

Beanies, how has it been your relationship with kdramaland this year? After reading this year's round up list I noticed not that many shows came to my mind. I'm not even sure I've watched 20 shows this year.

I left behind my fear of dropping shows this year, so I have many dramas I dropped even without finishing the first episode.

Thanks to Ryeoun I had a lot of fun with two shows (The Secret Romantic Guesthouse, Twinkling Watermelon), he's probably my favorite actor this year for giving me something fun to watch.

And I know I'm betraying my real favorite actor, Kang Ki Young, because I didn't even try to watch The Uncanny Counter 2.

I also betrayed my favorite actress, Moon Chae Won, because I haven't finished Payback. I was enjoying that show more than most people, but I lost the timing to watch the finale and now it's on hold. 🥺 Same with My Perfect Stranger. 😔 I really hope I finish them soon.

I think this year I enjoyed more the shows with actors that aren't that famous or that weren't on my radar. I feel like the shows that no one was looking forward to became my faves.
I find funny that even tho I'm a hardcore romcom fan, my favorite shows this year were about parent-child relationships, kidnapping, superpowers, the trolley dilemma and a flower boys guesthouse. LMAO

The beginning of the year was kinda meh, but I'm having fun rn. Maybe I'll get more beans that I expected this year.

Anyway, enjoy your weekend beanies! Viva la vida 🍉!

This is a topic I've probably mentioned before (but honestly it's just always relevant). I just saw a video about the an actress who was blacklisted from the korean acting world because she had an affair with a director and he subsequently left his family to start over with her. She lost her career and even mentioning her can cause backlash; he still makes indie movies & teaches about filmmaking and the only projects she can work in (from what I understand) is his films. It's been 8 or 9 years since the relationship was announced.

This once again made me think of (a) what is the line of professional & personal life? (b) this is why it sucks to know about people's private business (c) oh the sexism/misogyny at play that she's the homewrecker at fault who deserved to lose everything while the guy who left and cheated (and had a history of cheated) can still go on working. (d) can people ever come back from such scandals? Like when the majority of the country seems to hate you?