Beanie level: Chaebol’s poor doppelganger

#2023RoundUp!

20. Favorite kiss

I can’t think of a favorite one, but the latest toe-curling stomach-butterfly-inducing kiss was in *Pale Moon* in ep 2, right at the end. I don’t condone cheating at all, no matter who terrible your spouse/situation is – get a divorce!!! – and this will turn into a full-blown affair – but this scene really gets me in the feels!

https://www.viki.com/videos/1243345v-pale-moon-episode-2 – timestamp 1:04:00 (watch till the end)

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#2023RoundUp!

19. Best used trope / Best subverted trope.

I’m gonna say body switch/time travel especially if they come together, as in *Mr Queen*. I know it’s not a 2023 show but I actually saw only a handful of this year’s shows. I guess it’s not really a body switch, as Choi Jin Hyuk’s character accidentally travels back in time when he bonks his head and goes into a coma, ending up in the body of the queen-to-be, who tried drowing herself to escape the terrifying palace politics. But her soul remains in her own body, albeit, maybe asleep? The show never explains WHY this weird non-switch happens, but I don’t care.

But in a 2023 show I have to say… nuna romance! I’m halfway through *Pale Moon* and the nuna romance makes me all warm inside! Even though she’s married, there’s almost a sugar mommy aspect to it… sigh… their chemistry is delicious.
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HIlarious soundtrack mishap:

*Pale Moon* ep3 at 8:00 is playing the Brazilian national anthem at the fancy gathering!
https://www.viki.com/videos/1243346v-pale-moon-episode-3

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    Huh … didn’t they know / research?

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      LOL I guess not! WEIRD hahahahaha

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        That is hysterical and so wrong. There are often musical references to popular or classical pieces in soundtracks, but an official national anthem? So random.

        Joseon Attorney had a bagpipe playing “Scotland the Brave” at one point. I assume it was the first bagpipe piece they found on YouTube.

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          my brain exploded trying to picture bagpipes in joseon LOL

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          to be fair, our (BR) national anthem is beautiful and pretty epic, so I *understand* why they would want to use it in a fancy schmancy party! but still… WRONG lol

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    You almost have to wonder how they got the go-ahead for that. Interesting!

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      right! how did they even pick it out? it’s not like national anthems just randomly play on the radio.

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2023 wrap-up:
*Park’s Marriage Contract* – live, all caught up
*Sweet Home S2* – finished
*The King Eternal Monarch* – starting ep 11
*Pale Moon* – ep 1

Despite me saying I wouldn’t start a new show so close to the end of the year and until I finished the ones I’m currently watching, I just started *Pale Moon*. Ten episodes only, and Kim Seo Hyung, who I didn’t know but am immediately in love with. Really psyched for this one! I remember reading about it or seeing the gorgeous poster somewhere and then forgot all about it, until I stumbled across it on Viki just now! I can do this! Fighting!
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    5 minutes in and another example of a bad husband. 30 minutes in and I want to give him a roundhouse kick to the face.

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#2023RoundUp!

Day 18. Favourite villain

Honestly, I can\’t say I have one! Booo

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#2023RoundUp!

Day 17. Oldie (non-2023 drama) I loved the most

WELL. Most of the kdramas I’ve seen were older ones. So Imma flip this around: 2023 drama I liked the most. Of the 52 dramas I watched (or at least started to), only 5 are from 2023:

*The Glory* was ok. I guess because of all the hype I expected more. I mean, the revenge was sick! Brilliantly done. But still, it was just ok.
*Sweet Home S2* – finished last night, still processing. I like it but I don’t love it like S1, which I saw 3 times. Meh.
*The good bad mother* – I think pretty much everyone feels the same about this one. Nope.
*Park’s marriage contract* – watching it live, so far so good.
*Black Knight* wins out of these shows. Kim *Swoon* Bin! I love scifi, love dystopias, really enjoyed this one!
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#2023RoundUp!

Day 16. Your guilty pleasure

The 2012 WTF drama called *Big* starring Gong Yoo and 3 female leads that I can\’t stand: Lee Min Jung, Jang Hee Jin and Bae Suzy. So many plot holes! So much nonsense! So much bad acting! The world\’s blandest and stupidest female lead (Lee Min Jung) with zero personality! So many annoying characters! So much running everywhere, in high heels! Important events (like a wedding and people waking up from comas) completely glossed over and not shown on screen! An ending that leaves you confused! Aigoooo!!!

BUT BUT BUT The soundtrack is my favorite, gets me in the feels every time. Gong Yoo acting like a 17 year old is hilarious! A nuna romance! Ahn Suk-Hwan as the hilarious abeoji! Gil Da Ran\’s family\’s dynamics feel real and they really feel like a family, and that\’s the best part of the story. Plus Gong Yoo really wanted to show off his hot bod, he\’s nekkid a bunch of times. I\’m not complaining.😏🤤

I\’ve seen it 3 times and even though it\’s a hot mess, I still love it and I\’m sure I\’ll watch it again!

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    I think the first 4 episodes were really great. The BIGgest mistake was that they didn’t have enough guts to let the young actor to take over towards the end.

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    Now that is it! Perfect choice.

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#2023RoundUp!

Day 15. Special Kimchi Slap Edition: Worst Parent

Hands down, the mother from *Good bad mother*. WTF.
Also the mother/stepmother from *Perfect marriage revenge*.

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    Ah thank you, GBM does deserve that kimchi slap. Twice. With extra gochugaru.

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Powering through *Sweet HomeS2* because I loved season 1 – watched it 3 times LOL – and I want to finish it before the end of the year. This season, though… I’m just starting episode 3 and there’s so much gratuitous violence! I’m very squeamish and have to look away esp when it’s something like bashing someone’s head to a pulp -_- Honestly, I’d rather take my chances with the monsters than have to deal with the soldiers! And how come I don’t see soldiers turning into monsters?╬

Anyhow. I’m obsessed with this woman’s sweater! I want one! I’m also hoping she finds Pom. Poor doggo!
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    I’m on episode 4 and I literally had to check that I didn’t skip an episode because it was a little off. I was scared in some moments in the first couple of episodes that I want to see in the daylight now. I’ll still finish it to see what happens though, lol!

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      same! I have to see this one till the end.
      somewhere between eps 3 and 6 (don’t remember) they skip to 335 days after infection, so almost a year goes by between the first couple eps and the bombing and when they are living underground (?) in the baseball stadium.

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        Yeah that makes sense, I think I missed that while watching. I kind of guessed it, but then I also forgot that the first season was just a couple of days so I was confused. Still confused on how the stadium, where they were going to be sacrificed by stadium, is also a hiding place now
        lol.

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#2023RoundUp!

Day 14. Favorite Bromance/Womance

Bromance
Easy: Goblin & Reaper from *Goblin*. The show should have just been about them: A couple of supernatural entities try to survive in the 21st century. Hilarous!

Every scene they had together cracked me up. Reaper stretching out Goblin’s underwear, their petty telekinesis fights, their constant bickering, and of course, when they team up to save Eun Tak.

Wemance
Woo Young Woo and Su Yeon. Su Yeon was always “casually” watching out for her and helping her, and she isn’t petty when she realizes Young Woo & Jun Ho are a thing. When Young Woo calls her *Spring Sunshine* in the cafeteria I totally ugly cry.

And from the same show (The extraordinary Att Woo Young Woo), Young Woo & Geurami, who are polar opposites but complement each other perfectly. Geurami doesn’t treat Young Woo different, stands up for her, and their special handshake!!! gets me every time.
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    Youngwoo was indeed surrounded by wonderful people! I also appreciated the women’s friendships in Extraordinary Attorney 👏

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#2023RoundUp!

Day 13. Let’s talk about drops. (a day late, oops)

Out of the 50 kdramas I watched (or tried to) this year, some were dropped halfway when things get boring, some I only saw a couple eps and couldn\’t connect.

DROPPED halfway
Again my life (read recaps instead)
Business proposal (don\’t even care)
Tales of the nine tailed (sorry Wookie)
Oh my Venus (omgosh it was so good then flopped)
Doom at your service (halfway thru I had no idea what was happening and didn\’t care)
Café Minamdang (this one was so promising! Seo In Guk was hilarious, too bad the plot sucked)
Perfect marriage revenge (idk, got bored with this one)

DROPPED after a couple eps
Uncontrollably fond – can\’t stand KWB & Suzy\’s toxic relationship, can\’t stand Suzy, saw 2 eps
Strong woman Do Bong Su
See you in my 19th life (snoozefest)

FROZEN, dunno if I can finish
Come and hug me (20 eps!!!! 진짜!)

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    One of the reasons I wait until most dramas are done to start watching is not just binge-watch, but also less drop risk. It’s easy to survive a couple of poor episodes in the middle of a drama when you just need to click NEXT.

    But I completely share your views on Doom at your service and Café Minamdang. Doom was much more painful to watch because it became glaringly obviously that there was just enough plot for barely 8 episodes…. So making it last so long while counting only on the chemistry of the two leads was a big (HUGE) demand for the viewer.

    I dropped Business Proposal almost at the end. I skipped the last 2 or 3 episodes because they felt like space-holder drama to reach the desired number of episodes. I haven’t read the webtoon so I can’t quite comment on how it compares.

    I didn’t drop Do Bong soo, but it was one of those I binge-watched long after its release. I did drop the sequel, Nam-soon and her tiny little brain and huge massive red flag personality (I believe this is the actual title), but carried on following the thin and infuriating plot on social media.

    Did not watch See you in my 19th life precisely because it already looked like a snooze fest. Glad you can confirm it!

    How was Again my life before you dropped it? I haven’t watched it yet.

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      *Again my life* is just politics and I don’t understand a thing. I never knew who was on which side, what each action actually meant. So all I knew was Lee Jun Ki’s character died and went back 18? years and got a re-do. If you like politics and intrigue, you’ll like it. I just read the recap of the last eps and still it meant nothing to me. LOL

      *Business Proposal* was funny bc of the MFL, the second leads were adorable and I loved their chemistry but I. CAN’T. STAND. Ahn Hyo Seop! He’s so bland! He just banks on his “tall & goodlooking & English” card but act if his life depended on it.

      *Doom* was doomed all right. The idea was great, execution flopped. *Café Minamdang* was so funny!!! Seo In Guk fanning himself? Cracked me up! But plot? No chemistry between him and the cop lady, she also can’t act, her face feels frozen, maybe too much botox & fillers.

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Started *Sweet Home S2* and 25 minutes in I\’m bawling my eyes out.
I\’m an easy crier, if I see someone crying, I cry too. And kids yelling \”Eomma\” break my heart, I can\’t even. Did I miss something or did Pom the Doggo get lost? I NEED TO KNOW IF POM IS OK!

I told myself I would not start any new shows until I finished the ones I\’m already watching but since it\’s season 2 of SH, I\’ll allow it.

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All caught up with *The story of Park\’s marriage contract*!

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#2023RoundUp!

12. The best suit wearer
Lee Min Ho in his royal suit in *King: Eternal Monarch*. ‘Nuff said.
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#2023RoundUp!
11. Nam Da Reum prize: best child actor

This one is hard, because they’re so good! AND SO FRICKING ADORABLE I WANT TO BITE THEIR CHEEKS OFF. *clears throat*
Jung Seo Yeon, who played *Baek Eun Ha* in *Flower of Evil*.

Kim Young-Chan, from the 2007 movie *My 11th mother* who made me bawl my eyes out.

Honorable mention to the twins in *The good/bad mother* – they stole the show, especially the girl who had a crush on Lee Do Hyun (who turns out to be her father and she gets mad LOL).
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#2023RoundUp!
10. Your 2023 crush.

There are a handful, on a rotating schedule depending on what show I\’m watching LOL
Lee Jun Ki
Gong Yu
Lee Do hyun
Park Bo Gum
Kim Jung Hyun
Lee Min Ho

With honorable mentions to:
Ahn Bo Hyun
Kim Ji Hun
Kim Wu Bin

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https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2XDBqHpk0s4
Nüshu, the secret language of Chinese women
(Not me getting lowkey interested in Chinese now)

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#2023RoundUp!
9. Non K-drama recommendation

Honestly? I haven\’t seen anything new in the Western front for a couple years except for watching *Friends*, *The Office*, *Star Trek TNG* and *Seinfeld* on repeat.

I recommend *The Office* if you like inappropriate humor and if you do see it, skip season 1, go straight to season 2. Then if you love it go back to s1. You\’ll get it.

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Beanie level alert: Eunuch in drag!

Look ma, I\’m definitely moving up in life!

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Kdrama writernim, please stop using amnesia as a plot point. Stop it. Just STAAHHP. Also, your terrible writing is giving *me* amnesia, I can\’t remember anything from some shows I saw this year. Gomawo!

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    Oh yes!!!! And prosopagnosia because it affects around 2 to 2.5% of the world population and I refuse to believe they are all in Seoul.

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    The Love Triangle is another trope that needs a rest.
    Serial Killers too, they are widespread they need to stay in serial killer /cop dramas, not showing up in RomComs for goodness sakes.

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      Serial killers need love too!

      “Save the world. Hug a serial killer.”

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        Is there a Serial Killer’s Union ? Guaranteed X amount of appearances per drama year.

        Which trope has the highest representation ? Birth Secret ? Love Triangle ? Youth Connection ?

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          youth connection and birth secret really grind my gears LOL
          love triangles are common but boring

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        LOL i bet if serial killers had had hugs growing up they wouldn’t have become serial killers

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          Oh, so we should blame their issues on NOT having had childhood connections? 😆

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            part of it, yes. nature & nurture. in the end, killing is a choice, there’s no excuse for murder or sexual assualt etc.

            *clears throat* i am an expert on serial killers, having seen hundreds of videos and documentaries LOL

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            I mean, it’s hard to make friends if you keep killing them… 😂

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      agreed!

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    Don’t think it will happen, though.

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    King the Land had no amnesia, no serial killer, no prosopagnosia, no love triangles, no birth secret, no childhood connection, not even a noble idiot.

    Just saying 😌

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