News bites: March 19, 2024
by tccolb
Kang Tae-oh, Lee Sun-bin
- Accompanying the happy news of Kang Tae-oh (Extraordinary Attorney Woo)’s army discharge today, reports have him starring in tvN’s new wacky rom-com Potato Research Center (translated title). As a newly appointed manager, he’ll meet the potato-obsessed researcher Lee Sun-bin (Boyhood), who is working on a secret potato project. Production is being led by PD Kang Il-soo and writer Kim Ho-soo, who collaborated previously on Rookie Historian Gu Hae-ryun. [Star News]
- Speaking of tvN, Noh Sang-hyun (Soundtrack #2) is considering an offer to become estranged brothers with Kim Woo-bin (Our Blues) in All Shall Come True. With Suzy (Doona) playing the female lead, there’s a chance Noh might be in a second pairing with Ahn Eun-jin (My Dearest) (hurrah!), as writer Kim Eun-sook (The Glory) often does in her stories. Aiming to release later this year, the fantasy rom-com has PD Lee Byung-heon (Chicken Nugget) at the helm. [News1]
- In the meantime, the funeral march continues on SBS’s promos for 7 Escape – Resurrection, where Eom Ki-joon (Little Women) stands off against our doomed (?) ensemble cast in the newest poster for the makjang’s second season. Co-starring Hwang Jung-eum (Men Are Men), Lee Joon (Red Heart), and Lee Yubi (Yumi’s Cells 2) et al., the new season’s chaos begins on March 29 next week. [SBS]
- Coupang Play’s Hide released footage from the drama’s first script reading, led by Lee Bo-young (Agency), Lee Moo-saeng (Maestra – Strings of Truth), Lee Chung-ah (My Dearest), and Lee Min-jae (Oh! Young-shim). Come March 23, our heroine embarks on a journey to unravel the truth behind her husband’s disappearance in the mystery-suspense. [Sports Seoul]
- KBS’s Beauty and Mr. Romantic is also coming this weekend and the latest batch of stills feature the family drama’s main pair, played by Im Soo-hyang (Kokdu: Season of Deity) and Ji Hyun-woo (Young Lady and Gentleman). In a story about growth and love, the weekender will hopefully be delivering the cozy feels when it begins on March 23. [Sports Donga (1), (2)]
- I don’t know how the promos for tvN’s timeslip romance Lovely Runner can still be so cute, but what else can be said when a pocket-sized Kim Hye-yoon (Snowdrop) tries to hug a towering Byun Woo-seok (Strong Girl Nam-soon) in the newest stills. Although it’s sadly still weeks away, our fangirl heroine’s mission to save her idol will be taking off in the Monday-Tuesday slot on April 8. [Newsen]
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Tags: Ahn Eun-jin, Byun Woo-seok, Eom Ki-joon, Im Soo-hyang, Ji Hyun-woo, Kang Tae-oh, Kim Hye-yoon, Kim Woo-bin, Lee Joon, Lee Sun-bin, Lee Yubi, news bites, Noh Sang-hyun, Suzy
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1 9TailedVixen (formerly 9TailedFox)
March 19, 2024 at 11:27 PM
First we have a drama about chicken nuggets and now one about a secret potato project? K-Drama sure is going down the Path of Wackiness!
LOVELY RUNNER is looking good. Hopefully it doesn't have any Serial Killer plot shoehorned in...
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Annie
March 20, 2024 at 6:22 AM
Chicken nuggets and mashed potatoes, yummy!
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spazmo
March 20, 2024 at 12:13 PM
french fries!
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JillofAllTrades
March 21, 2024 at 11:57 AM
Ah serial killers! How I loved those stories before they started adding romantic comedy to it. :-D
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OldLawyer
March 21, 2024 at 12:09 PM
Potatoe research is actually very serious stuff. Worldwide there are many potato research institutes. Potatoes are an extremely important crop because they yield three times as many calories as grain crops. The Potatoe Blight which caused the famine which killed a million Irish people in the mid 1840s was defeated through the development of Seed Potatoes- one of the first major examples of success in agricultural research in history. Far from being wacky the continuation of research into one of mankind's most important food sources makes immense sense.
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Kodra aka Qanon something
March 25, 2024 at 11:45 AM
I agree, they even have a journal dedicated solely to potatoe research.
But I hope that the ML secret one will deal with the cons of gm potatoes that we have been eating and not a be a paid piece for the pros of it.
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2 Bunny S.
March 20, 2024 at 12:05 AM
#1 Happy Kang Tae-oh is back again but worried about this weird plot.
#2 This is some exciting news to begin the day. Hopefully, it will be as good as it sounds.
#3 Too much makjang than I can endure.
#4 It has the same vibe as Maestra and I am totally looking forward to it.
#5 No thank you. I have learned my lesson from the real has come that weekenders aren't my thing. Reading Live Up Your Life highlights was good, but this is it.
#6 I have my worries since True Beauty, a previous work for this writer, was too tropey but I genuinely hope it is good.
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3 sonai
March 20, 2024 at 12:21 AM
Now I want a Secret Potato Project.
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Healer’s
March 20, 2024 at 1:32 AM
All I can think of about potatoes is "What excellent boiled potatoes" 🤣
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sonai
March 20, 2024 at 1:34 AM
And that’s an excellent starting point! 🤣🥳🥔
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DancingEmma
March 20, 2024 at 1:48 AM
Ahh. Surely, you can think of delicious potato latkes, great fries, buttery mashed ones, potato gratin just for starters?😊
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Midnight
March 20, 2024 at 2:09 AM
Or Cha Seung Won in Best Love!
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HopefulRomantic 🦋 Tigermoth 🦆❤️🦆
March 20, 2024 at 11:35 AM
YESSSS the love potato!!!
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vienibenmio
March 20, 2024 at 6:12 AM
It's been many years since I had such an exemplary vegetable!
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welh
March 20, 2024 at 5:57 AM
What is a secret potato project? Creating a hybrid that grows with butter and sour cream already inside it?
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vienibenmio
March 20, 2024 at 6:19 AM
Maybe it'll be like that Darkwing Duck episode where the villain tries to grow a potato girlfriend (although to be fair, the potato part was an accident)
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StacyA
March 20, 2024 at 7:38 AM
Makes me think of the Leverage episode where a girl had developed a potato that was enhanced with lots of vitamins and minerals, and the evil food giant corporation stole it from her.
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Ahjummaaa
March 20, 2024 at 1:09 PM
a keto potato that makes you drops pounds the more you eat. or a high protein potato (inspired by real life news about rice with lab grown meat?!)
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4 Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
March 20, 2024 at 1:28 AM
Are we finally moving out of the era of Lovely and Queen titled dramas to a batch of food related dramas? Chicken nugget, Blood free and Potato research centre, seem to be bringing in a new wave for 2024.
Potato research centre, All shall come true, Lovely runner are currently on the watch list.
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Annie
March 20, 2024 at 6:24 AM
I think there should be an Introverted Salad, too.
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Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
March 20, 2024 at 6:35 AM
😆 Love it.
We could add Mr Plankton as it is referring to sea food!
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bbstl 🧹
March 20, 2024 at 8:06 AM
I did think of My Lovely Queen Cabbage.
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Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
March 20, 2024 at 9:09 AM
🤣 That is brilliant!
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bbstl 🧹
March 20, 2024 at 9:18 AM
Or, Potato/Rice Cake/Soju, etc 😆
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hacja
March 20, 2024 at 9:33 AM
My Man is Mr. Potato Head
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Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
March 20, 2024 at 9:43 AM
🤣🤣
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bbstl 🧹
March 20, 2024 at 11:20 AM
I will watch that! 🥔🥔🥔
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5 Kurama
March 20, 2024 at 1:38 AM
1) I hope Kang Tae-oh will get a better role than in Extraordinary Attorney Woo, his character was nice but not developped at all, he didn't get a proper arc. Joo Jong-hyuk's arc was more interesting.
2) I wish Noh Sang-hyun will take a first lead role but Kim Eun-sook writes interesting second roles with their own arc.
6) It looks so cute!!! If there is one actress good at being cute it's Kim Hye-Yoon, she's a natural!
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6 panshel
March 20, 2024 at 5:02 AM
1- First we had Potato Boy Chae Jong-hyeop (Nevertheless) and now we have Potato Girl Lee Sun-bin.
2- Noh Sang-hyun with Kim Woo-bin? Yes!
Noh Sang-hyun with Ahn Eun-jin? YASS!
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7 Mandy
March 20, 2024 at 5:06 AM
For a moment, I thought the first photo (of Kang Tae-oh) was Lee Seung-gi and got really excited lol. It’s been a while since we’ve seen him.
A bit confused as to why Escape of the Seven got a second season. I get that this is the Penthouse writer-PD combo, but considering how poor the ratings were on top of not being buzzy enough, what warranted a continuation? I’m thinking it may have already been discussed but I slept on the fact that it’s even happening until now :/
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8 Kafiyah Bello
March 20, 2024 at 5:42 AM
1. This sounds cute and who doesn't like Potatoes
4. Still deciding on this one
6. Tempered excitement.
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9 vienibenmio
March 20, 2024 at 6:12 AM
It stars Kang Tae-oh and it's about potatoes? Sign me the heck up
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10 bong-soo
March 20, 2024 at 6:34 AM
No. 6. tvN’s LOVELY RUNNER. This drama is now on my radar. I enjoyed both leads in their 2021 sageuks: Kim Hye-yoon in the ‘lovely’ tvN’s SECRET ROYAL INSPECTOR & JOY (Viki US) and Byeon Woo-seok in KBS’s MOONSHINE (Viki US).
A big availability plus is that LR is on Viki US’s “Coming Soon” list.
Over at MyDramaLand it says for LOVELY RUNNER that it is also known as: “Runaway with Sunjae on Piggyback”. Looking at that pick up there of our twosome on the bridge I eagerly await the scene where the 5’ 3’’ Kim Hye-soon gives 6’ 2” Byeon Woo-seok a piggyback ride.
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Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
March 20, 2024 at 9:46 AM
🤣🤣 That’s an image I need to see!
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DancingEmma
March 21, 2024 at 12:57 AM
That’s why English is such a fun and complex language to interpret and comprehend!
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11 pickleddragon
March 20, 2024 at 7:01 AM
I swear I thought Hide and Nothing Uncovered were the same drama. I was so confused when I read this update haha.
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12 pickleddragon
March 20, 2024 at 7:06 AM
Also who is this FL who will play oppposite Kang Tae Oh? I've seen nothing with her in it before.
To be honest, I'm a little bummed KTO's next drama is a romcom, because - controversial opinion - I think romcoms rarely give lead actors enough meat to play with. And KTO is too fine of an actor to be given a light role any longer. (E.g., he was thoroughly wasted as ML in Attorney Woo, but he was absolutely terrific as a side character in Tale of Nokdu).
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zindigo
March 20, 2024 at 7:21 AM
My guess is the role choice has more to do with visibility than an opportunity to display acting chops.
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Minnie🫘👩🏻🚀Pioneer and Teacher 👩🏻🏫🌱🏹
March 20, 2024 at 10:47 AM
Even though he was a glorified side kick at EAW, he held his own and became a star overnight. He has now the kind of stardom many leading men don't even after years of successful hits. Sometimes less is more. Though I do think SK is not doing too well with subjects that are unconvetional, or even straight up rom coms. I wish he had gone for a melo with a happy ending instead.
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DancingEmma
March 20, 2024 at 7:44 PM
I would like to see him as a complex but not psychopathic villain. He was quite good in The tale of Nokdu until he went berserk.
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pickleddragon
March 20, 2024 at 9:40 PM
Oh I'd love to see this. Villains are always so much more interesting. Nokdu was fun because of him. To be fair, it was mostly a fun show (except when it decided it didnt want to be).
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DancingEmma
March 20, 2024 at 11:11 PM
JDY as Nokdu was adorable and so much fun in the first half too!
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pickleddragon
March 21, 2024 at 1:34 AM
Oh absolutely agree!
Nokdu was an early kdrama for me, so it has a special place in my heart! The whole main cast is great - JDY, KSH, KTO. But it kind of lost its own plot somewhere along the way.
It is not the best drama I have watched at all, but it is certainly one of the handful of sageuks (all of which are 'fusion', I realise) that I managed to complete.
Kurama
March 21, 2024 at 1:25 AM
I didn't like the writing of his character. He was super nice during the first part and sociopath during the second part. There was no subtility
in these phases or evolution... It was weird.
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pickleddragon
March 21, 2024 at 1:37 AM
I actually thought that turn around was a lot of fun, because it gave him room to show range. And he did the switch quite well, IMO. I agree that the show was not well written, esp the second half, so overall it bombed, even though I remember the drama itself fondly (as it was one of my earliest kdramas). I checked my MDL rating for it - I gave it a low 7.0, against the average 8.3 pfft. I clearly didn't like how it landed finally.
DancingEmma
March 21, 2024 at 1:38 AM
No, there wasn’t but KTO showed a bit of an acting range which was good to see.
Kurama
March 21, 2024 at 1:49 AM
@pickleddragon and @dncingemma I agree as an actor, the villain side had to be more interesting to play for him. But there wasn't a real reason to switch so abruptly, so I think it should have been better if he could show early some glimpses of his future villain side. It's why as an actor, I found him a little bit lacking. But he wasn't helped by the writing and I don't know if it's how he was directed by the PD...
Minnie🫘👩🏻🚀Pioneer and Teacher 👩🏻🏫🌱🏹
March 21, 2024 at 5:31 AM
Nokdu was one of my very first watch after EAW, and I watched for KTO and, fresh from my image of him as the sweetheart, I remember I hated that he was half bufoon and half villain in the show, haha! He has the range but I don't think anyone has used him well so far. Considering he has been in the industry for a decade, and with his kind of looks and acting range, I was so surprised he had such paltry body of work. Sometimes SK casting makes no sense to me.
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pickleddragon
March 21, 2024 at 6:33 AM
'SK casting decisions': epitomised by the Mystery of the Missing KDY Lead Role.
(Gaus and the baby weekender count not)
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DancingEmma
March 21, 2024 at 9:25 AM
I fear it might be because KDY isn’t tall by the industry standards and regarded as stunningly beautiful, he misses out on many lead roles. He has acting chops, charm, and range (can be so soulful) so it is a real pity.
Minnie🫘👩🏻🚀Pioneer and Teacher 👩🏻🏫🌱🏹
March 21, 2024 at 11:17 AM
He is not good looking by their standards? Like, what! Wow. I mean JJS, NKM and SJK are also short and have been quite successful. And KTO is still very young, so hpefully it will change.
DancingEmma
March 21, 2024 at 1:54 PM
If you had understood my comment, you would have realised that I wasn’t expressing my view. I was merely speculating.
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13 zindigo
March 20, 2024 at 7:36 AM
1 - Potato research in a rural setting. I'll take it! Sounds offbeat and fun. Kang Tae Oh has such an impish grin, I can see him getting up to all sorts of silliness in this environment. I'm not familiar with the lead actress.
2 - Can Noh Sang Hyun handle a role paired with the astonishing Ahn Eun Jin? Not sure, but I'm definitely watching this one. The unusual casting overall and the seemingly unique premise are the big draw.
6 - I'm already digging the whitewashed filter on all of these teaser stills and videos. I have big hopes for this drama that I pray are not dashed! 😬
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HopefulRomantic 🦋 Tigermoth 🦆❤️🦆
March 20, 2024 at 11:41 AM
Drama twin, these are the dramas I'm excited for, too!! 😄👍 Lee Sun-bin is a really funny actress - she starred opposite Kim Young-kwang in one of my favorite K-movies, Mission Possible - you should give it a try if you can find it!
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zindigo
March 20, 2024 at 12:06 PM
It's on Viki! I'll check it out 👍 I hope we can live watch the 3 upcoming videos together 😀
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zindigo
March 20, 2024 at 12:07 PM
I mean dramas, lol.
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HopefulRomantic 🦋 Tigermoth 🦆❤️🦆
March 21, 2024 at 4:06 AM
Ooh I hope you like the movie!!! Yes, I'm going to try to live watch these, and I'll look forward to your gifs and posts!! 😄👍
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14 Minnie🫘👩🏻🚀Pioneer and Teacher 👩🏻🏫🌱🏹
March 20, 2024 at 8:36 AM
1. Kang Tae Oh was my first K-drama love, but then I made the mistake of watching his previous work and everything sucked, especially his potrayal. I really hope this one does him and his fans justice.
2. Sounds very promising. This is a formidable creating team and I would watch anything with Ahn Eun Jin.
3. Not my cup of tea
4. The most interesting one.
5. Pass
6. The pairing is wildly off for me. What's up with SK fascination with the pairing of Hulks and Thumblinas?
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Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
March 20, 2024 at 9:48 AM
‘ What's up with SK fascination with the pairing of Hulks and Thumblinas?’ 👈🏾 🤣sounds like an essay question
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Minnie🫘👩🏻🚀Pioneer and Teacher 👩🏻🏫🌱🏹
March 20, 2024 at 10:34 AM
😂😂😂
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vienibenmio
March 20, 2024 at 11:51 AM
It's not just SK, gender size dimorphism is alive and well in all romance. Just look at American current romance novels where the male lead is often described as being as large as a refrigerator and having thighs the size of tree trunks, in comparison to the "tiny" female lead. Ali Hazelwood and Tessa Bailey are common offenders
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Ahjummaaa
March 20, 2024 at 1:05 PM
yup it's very Hollywood and western animation sensibilities
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Mandy
March 20, 2024 at 2:54 PM
And I’m the reader who laps that up. Ali Hazelwood tends to write the same romance in slightly different variations and I’m always back for more. Many of us are like that with dramas too. The dichotomy is cute for the most part.
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15 bunnylita
March 20, 2024 at 8:40 AM
I already love potatoes so bring on the potato drama.
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Elinor is trapped in the timeslip
March 20, 2024 at 9:35 AM
I use potatoes as 'beans' in the Bean Count, so I feel this one is fated for me. Or that it's all my fault. 🤣 Potatoes, yum!
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Ahjummaaa
March 20, 2024 at 1:03 PM
I can eat potatoes every single day...
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Midnight
March 20, 2024 at 1:08 PM
YES! Me too!!
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16 Ahjummaaa
March 20, 2024 at 1:02 PM
potatoes are underrated. boiled potatoes with sour cream and onions, potato salad, Korean potato salad, Russian potato salad, Japanese potato salad, Chinese potato salad, German potato salad, potato pancakes...
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Midnight
March 20, 2024 at 1:10 PM
You are killing me 🤤🤤
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17 Ahjummaaa
March 20, 2024 at 1:11 PM
I feel like secret potato project sounds much more serious than chicken nugget girl...
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18 Britney
March 20, 2024 at 5:23 PM
Is the military conscription no longer ~2 years?
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zindigo
March 20, 2024 at 6:43 PM
18 months
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19 DancingEmma
March 20, 2024 at 8:06 PM
I love and hate “Uncontrollably Fond” in equal measure so have to give “All shall Come True” a try.
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20 JillofAllTrades
March 21, 2024 at 12:05 PM
@aoiffe The potato research center! :-D This was what you were talking about?
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Toodlepip
March 21, 2024 at 2:09 PM
This is the one! 😀
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Toodlepip
March 21, 2024 at 2:12 PM
Why couldn't Kang Tae Oh have been around when I was doing my research with potatoes? I'd have stayed in academia!🤣
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21 OldLawyer
March 21, 2024 at 12:15 PM
I will be watching BEAUTY AND MR. ROMANTIC but skeptically. The same writer gave us YOUNG LADY AND GENTLEMAN (with the same actor as the ML) which was the most recent Weekender to be a ratings hit but also one that had dramatic flaws. I am praying that this weekender will avoid mistakes made in the last two.
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