Beanie level: Rooftop room dweller

So I started watching My First First Love on a whim, and I’ve now finished the first “season”. This is what I was initially wanted to say about it: It’s a cute time-pass! Predictable yet fun, with likeable characters. But it is also a shameless copy of 2015’s Because It’s the First Time.
I joked to myself that someone had watched The First Time, was appalled by the ending, and made their own show just to correct it.
Until I realised that it is LITERALLY what happened. It’s been tweaked in places and jazzed up a little, but this is the same story. A little confused research uncovered that this is considered a reboot, and the writer of The First Time is credited as the series’ creator.
So now I can’t tell if I’m amused or disappointed that I didn’t figure it out sooner.

4
5

    The older, BITFT was a very good show! MDL says MFFL is a sequel not a reboot. Since I thought the ending of the first was excellent I don’t know if I should bother with the sequel.

    2
    1

      The first was definitely subversive – although I didn’t enjoy it back then (you know being a teenager that craved textbook happy endings), I think I would enjoy it now. The hero learning to aveiro that his relationship with the heroine had to change was a good message, so for My First First Love to undo that kind of undermines what made the original interesting!
      Buttt saying that, I like the characters much more here and In having more fun watching it.

      1
      1

        Yes, the whole drama was sweet and charming but the choice of ending was what made it really special. I was far from a teenager then, I kept thinking the FL had no romantic feelings for this guy how would it be possible for her to change her mind so quickly? Besides I was probably already tired of the kdrama rule of always making people love the person they met as children. Since you said the sequel changes that I’ll just pretend it’s not related to the first drama and ignore it.

        2
        0

    Is the ending hanging and we have to wait for a second season? I have it on my watchlist but not sure if i want a cliffhanger end.

    1
    1

      Both “seasons” are out, so the drama is completely finished. Don’t worry, there’s no waiting for us! 😆

      2
      0

“If you think about it… all relationships are amazing, and precious.”

The curtain drops, and the audience sits, awed into silence.

Thank you, My Ahjussi. That’s what I needed to hear. Thank you.
22
5

    I slept on this show for TOO LONG.

    3
    0

    This show is a gem. I am currently re-watching it.

    2
    1

      I knew I could expect something special when I started My Ahjussi, but I didn’t expect for it to resonate so deeply with me and my experiences. It was a great show, I’m so glad I finally got around to it.

      3
      0

    I’m still waiting for sth like this to come again. It’ll be hard to top this and Misaeng.

    1
    1

      I never got into Misaeng, unfortunately, but I would be willing to retry it at some point.

      0
      0

It comes out today! I really need to curb my excitement for this one though – at this point, it’s impossible for the show to be better than the trailer.

12
4

    Thanks for the reminder. (Let’s see if Netflix reminded me.) Go to check. Yes!!! First thing up when I logged on.
    This will be my third reality show and introduction to Jasper Liu. Seriously both these guys are 33 years old. Don’t they look more like 23?

    2
    0

    Oh I love these two and will definitely look for it!!!
    thanks for the reminder!

    2
    0

    I love how they’ve released the whole thing! Will binge this tomorrow since it’s midnight on my side.

    2
    0

    I’m deliberately trying not to binge, but it’s hard! My inner fangirl has been waiting for this for ages lol

    2
    0

1% of Anything (2003), Episode 1: The more I ponder on it, the more I’m frustrated by the set-up of this drama. Magical Chaebol Harabeoji runs into Da-hyun once, and touched by her kindness (or, you know, common decency) at saving a seat for him on the train and helping him with his bag, puts her in his will. She doesn’t even give him her name, but he somehow tracks it down along with her social security number. I’m not missing something, right? Yeah, this is ridiculous. Either Harabeoji has been so beaten down his whole life that giving up a seat is the kindest thing someone has done for him, or he’s a complete stirrer. He’s seen an opportunity to stir the metaphorical pot that is the growing conflict between his grandsons, so he throws this unsuspecting woman in the mix and watches what happens. And it can be fixed so easily! Instead of painting Da-hyun as a Disney Princess with her life-changing everyday kindnesses, how about if she did something truly admirable and brave by maybe saving Harabeoji’s life? She could pull him away from a Truck of Doom or something! Then I would believe his reasoning about how Jae-in needs someone like her. The audience knows that it’s Da-hyun’s forthrightness that he needs, but Harabeoji hasn’t seen this side of her! He just met a slightly nice young lady, there’s no insight into her soul there! Then, she could buy him a drink to settle his nerves, where he learns about her name and profession, allowing him to track her down. I get that Chaebol Harabeoji is just a plot device disguised as a character, but still. Come on.

2
4

    I had the same issue with the 2003 version too. In this regard, I think the remake justified the setup a little better to let Da-hyun save harabeoji life and pay for his hospital fees. I don’t remember why 2003 Da-hyun agreed to date the guy but at least in the remake, he offered her something worthwhile to her in return so the setup feels much better. Even so, I’d have been pissed too if I involuntarily got entangled in another family’s feud.

    2
    1

      The remake did do that, didn’t it? Gosh, I’m starting to see why someone thought a remake had to be made 😂

      1
      1

        Haha I guess someone rewatched the 2003 version after ~10 years and decided that they liked the concept but the old 2000s kdrama setup was too obnoxious so entered the remake 😀

        I watched the 2003 version when it was first aired and I liked it then, but after I watched the remake, I can’t recall why I liked the 2003. I’m so grateful that Kdrama writers have gone through a major overhaul of their ideal couple and given us more likable/relatable characters now.

        1
        0

    It was in 2003, 17 years old ago when suspension of belief is a prerequisite of kdrama watching. We are surely in a better place now – but those oldies have their own magic in their mysterious way back then.

    1
    0

1% of Anything (2003), Episode 1: Errrrrr…












0
1

    He’s my favourite haroboeji back in the old days – always playing crazy And stubborn grandpa.

    1
    0

1% of Anything (2003), Episode 1: This isn’t a comment on the actual episode, I just wanted to say that the subs are bad. It’s like the subber is trying to be as lazy as possible, like they’re writing clues about what the dialogue might be rather than just translating. I don’t think it’s affecting my enjoyment too much though – the sentiment of the lines are still mostly there, and I know enough Korean to get by. Plus, every now and then you get one like this:



2
3

1% of Anything (2003), Prelude: Okay, confession – I’ve only watched 15 minutes of the 2003 version so far because I ended up getting swept up in a rewatch of the 2016 version. And I’ll tell you what, 2003 Da-hyun has a lot to live up to. Wow. I don’t remember Jeon So-min’s Dada being so fantastic, but she’s possibly one of my favourite heroines now.

6
13

    I love this scene! The way DaDa looks at her! Like. Yeah I COULD take her gets me every time!

    2
    0

    Damn this was amazing

    1
    0

    I really loved this show. Even if it’s low-budget (i.e. Jae In’s wardrobe), the writing just wins the score. I loved how they wrote the main leads. DaDa was confident and yet not arrogant, kind and yet not a doormat. And I loved how even though Jae In was somewhat still a tsundere, his actions were well explained and reasonable. Ugh. These two is still one of my favorite OTP in dramaland.

    2
    2

      And I fell in love with both Jeon So Min and Ha Seok Jin because of this show. Still waiting for another great project for them both. And would it be a pipeline dream to wish for a major network drama with them as the OTP again? 😁

      1
      0

      The show clearly relied on the chemistry between these actors and the good writing to shine though, and it did. I’m so glad I watched it again, it’s just short and sweet.

      0
      0

    It’s been long enough for me to forget this scene. Clearly time for a rewatch! Wonderful scene!

    1
    1

      I know, right? I hadn’t seen this since it came out, and that’s long enough to forget basically everything about it.

      0
      0

    1% of Anything (2016) had pretty awesome leads and I loved the OTP! Though i don’t buy the whole “grandpa and i’m a chaebol i’m so busy i don’t have a life” issue, the chemistry of the two was enough to make me stick with them to the end.

    1
    1

      Hahahaha, the chaebol harabeoji was clearly just a plot device and the writers were shameless about it 😂

      “Here’s this important reason why you two must be together!”
      “What? I don’t see the reason?”
      “That’s because it’s invisible! Important, sure, but invisible. Now we’ll hide it in a corner until the drama ends.”

      1
      0

    The 2016 version is an example of how re-make should be done with updated character treatment. I hope Jeon So-min gets better recognition to have more lead roles as 1% and Top Star Yoo Baek show she’s got what it takes to be a credible lead and can carry a show on her own.

    I watched the 2003 version during my early kdrama years and like it a lot – because of Kang Don-won (who no longer does drama anymore unfortunately). The pace is very slow especially by today’s standard and drags a lot.

    KDW is very raw acting-wise back then but has a lot of charisma and good chemistry with Kim Jung-hwa (who has cameoed recently as Yi-sang’s ex in Oh My Baby). Just wonder if some of the current top writers can lure KDW back to drama land as he’s doing so well in his movie career. It’s a pity that the newer generations of drama watchers miss out such a charismatic actor. Heard he was Kim Eun-sook’s target for DoTS or Goblin but without success.

    3
    1

      Something I’ve noticed from watching the 2016 version is that Ha Suk-jin’s performance really feels like an homage to Kang Dong-won’s, he’s channeling him completely! I’m glad I know Kang Dong-won from Vanishing Time, he’s such a talent.

      0
      0

    These could be considered as two different dramas given the more than decade between them (the 2003 ver. doesn’t hold up as well as a drama like Dal-ja’s Spring). The 2016 ver is a much more stripped down version of the 2003 ver. Some aspects of the 2003 ver were cut from the 2016 ver which allowed the latter to be a lot more of a cute/sweet drama than the 2016 ver was. Having said that, some of my favourite moments were cut from the 2016 ver. I will not spoil too much for you other than to say that.

    Where are you watching this by the way. I wanted to watch a few scenes a while back and couldn’t find a good quality version.

    1
    1

      You are right – they share a main story line but could be regarded as two different dramas as the old version have so many subplots on both families. The old version has also devoted more time to the bickering-and-falling-in-love which is delightful.

      1
      0

Romance (2002), Episode 2: Nope, okay, I’m out. I actually quite enjoyed the first episode, but the second proved that this is not the show for me. This ‘romance’ drama is overstuffed with uninteresting plots and boring secondary characters. Who told this writer that the drama needed more conflict? This is about a teacher-student romance! That in itself is plenty of conflict! Why do they also need to be star-crossed lovers from families trying to tear each other apart?? I did not sign up for suicides and corporate scheming and secret children, so I’m done. Sorry Kim Jae-won – I love you, but not enough to sit through this. Next on my list of shows from 2000-2009 to try is the original 1% of Anything (2003). I’m excited to see Gang Dong-won in a drama!
3
9

Romance (2002), Episode 1: I wasn’t sure how this romance was going to work. Wouldn’t a grown woman like Chae-won find a high schooler like Kwan-woo too childish for her? But I’ve figured it out. Chae-won is ridiculously childish. I can’t say I like her, but it sure is interesting to have a protagonist like this.
1
0

Romance (2002), Episode 1: Right off the bat, the show draws parallels between Chae-won and Kwan-woo to tell us they’re kindred spirits despite their age difference. They don’t fit nicely where they’re supposed to -– Kwan-woo’s not a very diligent student, and Chae-won’s not a very passionate teacher. They’re drawn to music. We’re supposed to see them as equals.
1
6

Inexplicably, a bunch of old dramas have just turned up subbed! This includes ones I’ve wanted to watch for ages, like Romance (2002). I recently realised that pretty much every drama I really like came out after 2010, almost everything before that hasn’t aged well in my eyes (bar Shining Inheritance and maybe Choon-hyang). I want to change that, so I’m going to watch as many older dramas as I can, starting with Romance. It’s about two people who become attracted to each other, only to find later that they’re teacher and student. After Can You Hear My Heart, I’m quite the fan of Kim Jae-won so I’m looking forward to this. Wish me luck!
7
4

There are a lot of things I wanted to do for Music March that I didn’t. I wanted, for example, to share some of my favourite fmvs, the ones so beautifully edited that you’re surprised they’re not official. But it’s been a rough month and I decided it just made more sense to post when I really wanted to, not to feel obligated. Thank you to everyone who brightened my month with the songs that speak to you and the songs that don’t. I was torn by what I wanted my last song to be, my closing number. It had to be something that soars – we all need that right now. I’m confident I made the right choice.

#musicmarchfinale

13
4

England just went into lockdown, so now I’m upset and need to listen to something beautiful and loud and angsty.

#musicmarch

7
7

    stay safe!!!!! i know these weasels are gonna try and police communities extra heavy. ugh this thing is a mess.

    1
    1

      Love you, Amara ❤

      0
      1

        love u too!!!!! (｡♥‿♥｡) i hope staying inside isnt driving u nuts

        1
        1

          The joy of having introverted hobbies is that I’m at least slightly prepared 😂

          1
          1

            IKR LOL but i was thinking that it’s only fun if it’s self imposed…we are used to this….but it’s a CHOICE!!!! lmaooo

            2
            0

    London is just now on shelter in place? Hmmmm, interesting.

    2
    0

    Same here in India

    0
    0

I need to join @boughtabride in praising how good Nobody Knows is. Everyone, if you want a thriller that doesn’t sacrifice character for action, watch this. If you want a thriller where the detectives are actually smart and make progress, watch this. If you like unlikely friendships and ambiguous motivations and plots that keep on giving, watch this, because not a second of Nobody Knows is wasted.



10
1

    I am watching this with my mom. It is a fantastic drama.

    1
    0

Thoughts on Episode 1 of Wise Doctor Life:

1
8

    I loved the sentiment that living is a series of events – it’s just getting from A to B, from B to C, from C to D. It was depicted nicely through Song-hwa’s patient. She can look at things from one of two ways. She is either the unluckiest woman in the universe, or despite the obstacles thrown at her, the way she rises from them can make her the luckiest woman in the universe. But then it was reinforced even better by Jeong-wonnie. He’s such a good boy, and he just feels everything. His eternally-patient Hyung put it nicely – just be a doctor for one more year. He could see that the high-highs were worth the low-lows, and that Jeong-won would somehow be able to handle both.

    6
    0

    I know everyone is thrilled by the idea of no romantic relationships amidst this friend-group, but I have a suspicion that it’s not that simple. I know Shin PD thinks of everything beforehand, so that when you go back and watch one of his projects again, all the clues to the big realisations are there. And I’m calling it now that Ik-jun and Song-hwa were either romantically-involved a long time ago, or they will be in the future. That, or her and Joon-wan, who also have an interesting chemistry. It’s all in the looks and the little interactions, there’s something between the three of them and I can feel it.

    4
    1

      Ik-jun is married though!! I don’t want any more guessing games. Huhu.

      If anything, it would be Joonwan and Jeongwon. But then I dont want Yoo Yeonseok to he Chilbonged once more.

      2
      0

    I like how they immediately subverted the hospital politics trope – Jeong-won just gave it all up before it had even started. I doubt it’s the end of that story, since Kim Hae-sook and Kim Gap-soo seem to be important players in the cast, but it was nevertheless nice.

    And finally, this episode was hilarious. Between the helmet, the satoori, and just the familiar banter between friends, I wasn’t bored for a second. It’s always nice to know that you’re not risking disappointment if you’re looking forward to a Shin PD drama. He takes his craft too seriously to let you down.

    4
    1

      Can we have a serious discussion about how the hell Kim Hae sook is playing the mother to *checks notes*

      Sung Dong Il
      Ye Ji won
      Kim Sung kyun
      and Oh Yoon ah.

      The only child that would make sense for her to have is Jeong won.

      0
      1

        I think that’s the joke 😂

        2
        1

          Here is hoping. I thought that as a Catholic family all of them went into the priesthood/nunnery but Jeong won was the joke

          0
          0

    Yes to all your thoughts.

    1
    0

Others already posted my favourite song cover in a drama, Lee Sora’s ‘The Wind is Blowing’ in Monstar, so here’s my second favourite: Jo Jung-seok singing ‘Wrongful Meeting’ at karaoke in Jealousy Incarnate. For anyone who hasn’t seen it, the song is hilariously apt at describing the plot.

#musicmarch

11
2

    There is honestly no better way to recommend Jealousy Incarnate than just show this scene – I think it demonstrates the show’s absurdity pretty well, and even hints at the dark comedy. Just the most glorious angst from Jo Jung-seok, all the time.

    6
    0

    Haha this is so true!

    3
    0

I don’t tend to listen to K-pop – I like music I can attach myself to, that makes me feel something, and I think that tends to be rare in the K-pop universe. The one K-pop group I listen to is BTOB. It’s mostly because the boys at the centre of this group are bonkers and just unapologetically themselves. I can’t be more in awe of that. It’s clear that the Korean entertainment industry is, in most cases, suffocating. Everyone is watching you, all the time, and quick to their keyboards when you inevitably slip up. But these boys don’t seem to notice, they don’t care. Today I want to share their debut song, ‘Insane’, because I will never get it out of my head and I’m eternally grateful.

#musicmarch

14
2

Dramas Made Better by Music (Part 3): Hwayugi

Ah, Hwayugi. I am more angered by this drama every time I think of it. Most of my littler issues were harmless things, plot and fluidity, but it was the female characters and how they were treated that was (and still is) truly rage-inducing. BUT THE MUSIC! Let Me Out pumps me up, When I Saw You makes me nostalgic, If You Were Me gives me chills, and If We Were Destined makes me bawl. It just makes me more angry about all of the things that Hwayugi chose not to be.

#musicmarch

8
3

Everyone, how was your day? If it was bad, I hope this makes it a little better.

#musicmarch

12
0

Hear me out… A cynical romance drama starring Lee David and Kim Seul-gi.

6
4

    Not sold on Lee David. Would you consider Kim Sung Cheol or Kim Kyung Nam?

    1
    1

      My second choice was Lee Joo-seung – I want her with someone new! Someone I know is talented who never gets roles.

      1
      1

        Kim Kyung-nam would look good with her, though, it’s not an obvious choice but it’s a good one.

        5
        0

    I really want a younger Jung Kyung Ho as her co-star.

    2
    0