Beanie level: Errand boy

After to-ing and fro-ing on whether I wanted to do a rewatch or not before S2 drops this Friday, it’s raining heavily tonight which means a horror show is in order (zombie/horror/gore best watched on a cold and rainy day according to my brain) – so off I go on a Sweet Home binge. It feels like 2020 wasn’t so long ago but then I realised it’s been almost 3 years since season one 💀

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    I watched Sweet Home twice already and can watch it again if time permitting.

    I look forward to Sweet Home 2 but wonder if it will be comparable to the first season which won me over in the heart department with the swordsman couple (Kim Nam-hee and Park Gyu-young) as my fav.

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      Yeah I’m interested to see how this stacks up, I really liked the first season! Plus there’s a third season in the making apparently, so it’ll be interesting to see how the story develops over season two. I’m high-key holding out for Lee Do-hyun to somehow make an appearance (I’m delusional probably I know 😭).

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The BTS of how they did the cake scene in My Demon is hilarious, I don’t know what I was imagining but it wasn’t a cake held up by rope 😂

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    Hehehe… thanks for sharing this! I don’t mean to spoil your enjoyment of the scene, but this bit of logic actually seemed funny to me. The goon had obviously barged in the moment he pushed the waiter aside and made the cake fly. But he apparently waited politely for the leads to have their moment and then Gu-won to sit down, all ready to have the cake before choosing to the spoilsport. 🤔🤣

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      * to be the spoilsport 😝

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      Hahaha no not spoiling anything at all! I didn’t even clock that detail when watching but the timing/scene issue just makes it even more entertaining 😂 I guess I also thought it would be cake CGI when it was landing or something, so seeing a cake being hoisted in the air with rope to land in his hand made me laugh out loud hahaha

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        Haha.. and even after all that work, someone on the set had to hand it over! Okay I’m crazy to go look for this to share and make my point 😅, but the ‘perfect landing’ always takes that much work. This is a BTS from APAD that stuck in my head. The ML has to remove a flower petal from her hair and go for a kiss. See how much work that takes! (From around 2:00 in the video). At one point she puts it on her own head 😂
        https://youtu.be/uJjlYoVbd68?feature=shared

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          this is so so so cute though omg my heart hahahahahah

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            Oh Lee Yu-bi is a cutie in this drama! Do try APAD if you haven’t already. Though romance is one of its lesser appeals, it might entice you with its beautiful poetry and quirky humour.

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Inspired by the fact that I just opened Youtube to find multiple Sweet Home 2 promotional videos right next to multiple My Demon promotional videos. Song Kang cashing in Netflix bank this year 💰



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Low quality memes for the week part 2 #TheMarriageContractShow
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    Did you see that link posted for last week’s MatchMakers? It showed how shallow these pools really are, particularly for someone as tall as Rowoon.

    And I didn’t even make the grandparents trope connection! They should meet. 😀

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      Omg no?! Do you remember who’s fan-wall it was on? Or was it in the recaps!

      I know they exaggerate often but the pool scene in K-dramas (I think in Splash Splash Love the FL fell through a literal puddle of rain to time travel or something) but here was peak comedy because it went from medium sized hotel pool to Mariana trench of all sudden 😂

      And grandparents – I think it’s because I just finished my second rewatch of My Demon so the details were fresh in mind hahaha they should meet though, they even seem to share the same sense of humour and bluntness!

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    If there are no moon and no water, a double tornado is another good way of time travelling 🌪️

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    Super funny!!! 😂😂😂

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    I love how in the pool scene, everyone on Viki was like “that pool ain’t that deep”. 😂

    My theory is that they travelled back to Joseon for a moment. Otherwise I have no idea why it looked like they were drowning in the sea or something when they were in a pool. LOL

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      That’s actually a very solid theory. That or they went into some like pocket dimension briefly!

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Low quality meme-factory is back! #MyDemon
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An aside for K-pop: NCT127 had their comeback not to long ago, and as usual the song is a bop BUT I came across this fan-made remix that’s even better than the original omg. Always in awe of people’s creativity, how do you even think to put these two together? Not only is it a great mashup but it also brought back long forgotten memories of how obsessed I was with the Madagascar movies as a kid.

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So many pretty scenes but this one was stuck in my head for a while ✨ #MyDemon1

View post on imgur.com

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My Demon give the stylists a raise!!



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    Even that black half jacket in the front and one-third in the back he wore in the opening of the 2nd episode? Is that what the cool kids wear these days? Say it ain’t so Lapiz!

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    Are you taking about SK? I have a soft spot for him!!! He is PRETTY!!!

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      Yes Song Kang! I think this might be my favourite character of his yet! I also have a soft spot for him, he’s just been in some dramas with questionable plots but liked him lots in Navillera and Sweet Home, and I reckon this is might be another good one!

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    Hahaha, I read your comment as “gave the stylists a raise!!” and thought, >i>yeah they did 😆 I’m pretty impressed with the clothes!

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12 minutes into My Demon and it\’s SERVING on all levels but gosh especially the visuals of these two and they haven\’t even shared the same screen yet 😅

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    Stream of consciousness while watching My Demon.
    **ah! so pretty, Pretty, PRETTY. There can never be too much pretty in our lives.**

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      Literally! Also the cinematography is so crisp, his clock filled lair place almost blinded me with how sharp the visuals were (also love that hes basically got an inbuilt catwalk in there in the form of that narrow pathway), especially because I’m watching with lights off.

      I’m already hype for ep 2 and I haven’t even gotten close to finishing the first one 😂

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      ** Pretty , Sexy, Cheesy ** ✅

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The Dog Show Ep 7

Aww Yul is such a darling, I had tears in my eyes laughing at his theatrics during the arcade and after 😂 Reminds me of Chan from Still 17!

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    The Dog Show 😆 gotta go watch!

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      Yess!! Although you might be better off waiting to binge bc its schedule is torturiusly slow 🐌 😭

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what a stunning photoshoot 🤩
*checks phone to see if it’s Saturday yet*

https://www.tumblr.com/dramastream/734594513576804352/song-kang-kim-yoo-jung-by-mok-jung-wook-for-elle

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I feel like I never ‘casually’ watch C-dramas, I’m always so fully immersed and then come back onto Dramabeans and it feels like a whole new world, with 923849384 new shows being announced and about to come on air! 24/40 eps into WoL (yeah I went HARD on the binging after only making it to ep 7 last week) and now I have to wait for new eps to air (urgh, patience? who is she?).

I did put The Matchmakers on pause because I couldn’t give it the attention it deserved but mayhap it’s time to pick it up again now that my watch plate has slimmed down again 👀

But anyways, this whole thing reminded of this meme. Not my meme, I just recreated one that I saw in passing on Instagram ages ago, except I can’t find it again nor remember the exact wording – all credit to the creator though, whoever you are!
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    C dramas is pretty much all my wife watches.

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      😂 I’m impressed with her stamina! They’re great, but I find just require a bit of energy sometimes, especially the more high-octane fantasy ones, so I can’t just only watch a run of C-dramas and nothing else without feeling a bit wiped out/like I’ve lived through ten lifetimes!

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    spot on! I just saw that ‘The Bionic Life’ is on Viki.. i like both SWL and Vicky Chen, now I need to make time!!
    you can never plan with C becos they come so randomly!

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      Ooh, I’ll be interested to hear your take on that one! It definitely looks interesting.

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      omg what, this isn’t on my Viki yet but when it is…..

      and literally, the release schedule feels unpredictable sometimes (I think it was My Journey To You that I remember felt like it literally came out of nowhere on iQiyi recently-ish)

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    Lol that’s really funny!! 😂 I know what you mean, though. I find most C-dramas are a slow start for me, but then they reach some kind of tipping point and I bingewatch the rest!! Haha I think I watched the last ten episodes of Joy of Life over the weekend – I couldn’t walk away! I’m realizing my favorite C-dramas are the ones that have a mix of action and romance, so I’m excited for Wonderland of Love!

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      Right!! Same boat as you (as you know hahahaha), love action x romance too, can’t wait to get your thoughts on WoL eventually. Also, glad to hear your enjoying your current watches – how is Ancient Love Poetry going (did you say you’d already finish that or are watching it?)

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        Haha well, I’ve paused on Ancient Love Poetry at episode 12… I thought there would be “more” by now, but really no angst or romance so far… it’s kind of boring ☹️ I started Ancient Detective instead since it’s shorter (24 eps), and I LOVE what I’m seeing so far – action, mystery, and sizzling chemistry, just within the first two eps! I don’t think there’s supposed to be much romance in this, but that’s ok, because I’m really enjoying the wuxia/mystery angle. Hopefully I’ll get further in this one! I’ll report out on Saturday! 😂

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          Fair call, I think I got around to right after they got married and I found I still wasn’t really that invested in the couple/it was a bit of a confusing mess so dropped it too!

          Just searched up Ancient Detective and your review & synopsis makes me want to give it a try – hopefully Viki get a channel manager and it’ll be there soon but will be waiting to see your report on Sat in the meantime!!

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            Ok I’m glad to hear it’s not just me! Ancient Love Poetry just hasn’t been clicking for me 😅 I wonder if Ancient Detective is on YouTube in your region? Granted, I’ve only seen the first two episodes, but I would recommend it so far – hopefully I’m saying the same thing on Sat! 😂 Really excited about your comments and reviews of WoL so far – it sounds just exactly like the kind of C-dramas I enjoy most!!!

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            I know lots of people from Dramabeans who watched “Ancient Detective” loved it and raved about it, but I found it a bit…. Basic?? 😅😅 But I am admittedly a snob when it comes to Cdrama, though lol Because I’m Chinese and it’s what I grew up watching and being spoiled for when I grew older and came to my own and began to watch things on my own, separate from my parents, and coming to discover my own preferences, etc.

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            @bebeswtz Totally understandable!! What would be your top C-drama recommendations? Or favorites?

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            @hopefulromantic
            Some of my favorites (and therefore, rec):

            1. The Untamed (costume)
            2. Lost You Forever, season 1 (costume)
            3. New Life Begins (costume)
            4. Imperial Coroner (costume)
            5. The Longest Promise (costume)
            6. One and Only (costume)
            7. Forever and Ever (modern, same cast as #8, comes from same source novel)
            8. Sunshine by My Side (modern)
            9. The Oath of Love (modern)
            10. Where Dreams Begin a.k.a. The Youth Memories (modern)

            I’ll just list 10 for now, don’t wanna overwhelm 😅

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            Thank you so much @bebeswtz!! This is a great list – I appreciate you sharing your recommendations!! 😊

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    This is so relatable!!

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okay just one more (promise) to go with my last post 🥰

View post on imgur.com

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    Wow crazy shot! Thanks for sharing it!

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      Could only share it thanks to your indirect tutelage with Imgur, master 🙇‍♀️!!

      I’m going to end up taking another leaf out of your book and making a ‘gif geyser’ for this drama at this rate 😅

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    That was so creatively done. WoL loves its swirling fabric and twirling leads.

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      Right!! and I like how crisp and rich the colour contrast is between the blue hues and the red silk 🤩 I’m all here for the twirling leads honestly, I’m so enjoying actually finding it romantic and not over done – more please!!

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*sighs dreamily More WoL love! (this GIF has sound also)

I’m going through this drama at snails pace, one because I’m literally skipping nothing (which is a major first for me in a C-drama) and secondly because I keep rewatching scenes like this one! Every time the OTP have a moment it’s always so dreamy ahhh the slow motion, the wind, the intense gaze, the sparkly-romantic BGM – I’d normally find these sorts of sequences quite cheesy but in a wonderful surprise, it feels so fantasy fairytale beautiful here 😍

View post on imgur.com

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    Ack you’re making it hard to not jump ship from the other C-dramas I’m trying to finish to start this one!! 😂 Looks like I’m going to enjoy it!!! The pretty seems a step above the costume drama average… beautiful!!

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      Hahahah sorry 🙈!! No but defs start this one after you finish the others – one because I think it deserves to be watched in its own time to savor the pretty and nice, but secondly because it’s not finished airing (and I’ve barely made a dent in the 20 eps already out or whatever) so in case it goes lopsided (which I’m hopeful it won’t, touch wood) I’ll have time to warn!

      Also yes it’s quite beautifully shot, reminds me a bit of Butterflied Lover which had some stunning sequences in it too.

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        Ooh the production team for those mini dramas is SO GOOD, even though they’re just short ones, so that’s high praise!! I definitely hope this one ends well – people on MDL seem to think it will, based on comments from the actors? So there’s hope! 😂

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Alright I’m obsessed with Wonderland of Love 🤩

Snarky, smirky leads who go toe to toe with each other AND have great chemistry ✅
Stunning cinematography ✅
Headstrong, sassy & intelligent FL ✅
Cool, charming, cocky ML ✅
Intriguing plot-line that isn’t over saturated with details ✅
Good mix of humour & drama ✅
GREAT FIGHT SCENES ✅

Especially on that last point – I’m no expert but my amateur eyes are liking what they’re seeing. The movements are mesmerising and also do well to establish character and further the chemistry between the characters in a very seamless way.

It’s taken me by surprise even more because I’m usually someone who zones out a bit in C-drama fight sequences and/or skips them all together. Same goes for the overall plot line, I tend to usually just pay attention to grasp the basics and then skim through non OTP scenes but I’ve been watching every single second. I assume that Story of Kunning Palace is taking up air time in terms of discussions and also publicity but hope WoL gets some love too!!

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    *but I’ve been watching every single second in WoL so far

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    I’ve seen just the first episode but agree with you that the fight choreography had something special — maybe both style and the way it was shot — you could actually follow the action. The clip here is really more like a pas de deux!

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      Pas de deux is a wonderful way of describing it – and I couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was till you said it but YES it’s the fact that it’s fast paced but I can actually follow the flow of the action 🤯

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    I miss watching Xu Kai in stuff. He’s been picking up meatier roles in recent years, which I think is a great shift and a great choice for his career— to have more diversity— but I think he shines best in his more cheeky and smart-aleck (even sometimes smart a**) roles, and so I miss those… Or maybe I’m getting things mixed up and see him as cheeky and fun in his rl personality on variety shows is what I actually like, because the dramas I’ve liked him in and which have left a bigger impression on me are actually quite meaty roles as well (“The Legends”, and “Yanxi Palace”)

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      100% with you on that!! I liked Falling Into Your Smile, but it got way better when his character loosened up a little imo and the BTS shots of him being himself/having fun/being cheeky etc. was even better. I tried She and Her Perfect Husband but his character was a bit too stiff for me (and tbh maybe it was also just the overall writing was a bit like ?).

      Loved The Legends though, like had its own flaws but I really liked his character in it and the chemistry he had with Bai Lu. So I was really wanting to see a variation of that Xu Kai in that ‘kind of in the grey area, charming & cunning ‘ vibe within another costume drama – because I guess this is kind of the meeting point of my love of his charms with the meaty world-building plot-line aspect that pulled me into C-dramas in the first place -and I think I’m getting what I wanted here in WoL, here’s to hoping it sticks the landing!!

      If you’re not already watching, I’d say give it ep 1 & 2 shot just for him at least because I think you’d like it!

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        I’ll add it to my list, but no promises that I’ll get to it anytime soon 😅
        My heart is still in knots after finishing “Lost You Forever” and I haven’t been able to move on from it just yet— I’ve already re- watched it (with the FF button handy and ready at the helm) 3 times since initially finishing it 🫣 There’s something in the air about all of the Chinese costume fantasy dramas that aired this summer, I’m telling ya:
        The last drama that I was extremely hooked on and which also took me forever to let go of was Chinese fantasy costume drama, “The Longest Promise”, and both dramas— “Lost You Forever” and “The Longest Promise” were summer dramas.

        I agree about Xu Kai— the element in which he seems most natural is when he’s able to let loose a bit more, and I have a feeling that is why his other drama with Bai Lu, “Arsenal Military Academy” received such great praise, but I didn’t watch it at the time it was released, because I just wasn’t in the mood to watch another drama wherein Xu Kai is dubbed again LOL My own fault, but I think I will be able to go back to it one day. As you say, hopefully this current drama of his ais able to stick the landing, but Chinese costume dramas are usually okay, if not actually good, in this respect, so I wouldn’t be too scared. It’s the endings for contemporary Chinese dramas that are usually very touch-n-go, imho

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          I literally had to restrain myself from starting Lost You Forever because it felt like it’d be Till The End of the Moon 2.0 for me – I’ve finally ‘moved on’ but I also very much haven’t moved on from TTEOTM 😭 As I mentioned to Hopeful below, I think I’m going to wait for S2 of Lost You Forever and then binge all at once.

          I did try watching The Longest Promise and then I saw spoilers about the ending which made me hit the brakes (only because I wasn’t in the mood for angst) so I also need to revisit and finish this one off – but you’re so right about something being in the air during summer and then now – it feels like there was a bit of a break in between and now we’re back with some heavy hitters it feels like. AND YES Arsenal Military Academy – would defs defs recommend you go back and finish it one day. You’ll have to keep me (all of us!) updated in the ‘What Are You Watching’ threads when you do get around to WoL and AMA!!

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            Initially, I had also thought about watching “Lost You Forever” season 1 closer to the airing season 2 so that the wait time wouldn’t have to be so unpredictably long (the latest rumours say Season 2 will air sometime in January, close to the Lunar New Year, which, surprisingly, is a believable rumour, especially of the network and producers are wanting to hit high holiday season which means higher viewership, which is the reason for airing Season 1 in the summer months), but I have no recollection as to why I just chose to bite the bullet and went ahead and watched Season 1. Maybe because I was desperate to get out of my slump after “The Longest Promise” and “Sunshine by My Side”, and LYF was the only thing that had my interest out of the other options at the time. I’m genuinely surprised that I love LYF as much as I do, considering that it’s another heavy and really angsty costume drama right after “The Longest Promise”, and I had thought they my brain and my heart might’ve wanted something a little less heavy—but not necessarily lighthearted, i.e. a romcom— but it happened, and I’m glad that it did ♥️ TTEOTM is actually on the top of my list right now after I pull myself out of this angsty funk from LYF, because I need more Deng Wei in my life even if he’s not the main lead in TTEOTM, and hopefully that will sustain me and get me through the days until Season 2 of LYF airs 🥹🥹🥹

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            The ending to “The Longest Promise”, even if it initially was definitely a “WHAT??????” moment after reading spoilers, when the moment came for me to actually watch it and see the context of why things happen the way they do, it actually makes sense to me, in terms of plot. After watching Chinese costume dramas like “One and Only” (with Bai Lu & Allen Ren Jia Lun), I’m definitely more open to different endings like these ones and don’t mind the change of scenery—instead of always being given the rushed or stock happily ever after— just as long as it makes sense for the characters and the overall plot, and in the case of “The Longest Promise” and “One and Only”, the outlier endings of each of the respective series make sense to me, so I’m not mad at them.

            Haha My gut reaction to coming on Dramabeans and the discussions that go on in the comments sections of the articles, even for the open form-like threads, i.e. “What Are You Watching”, is that the discussions wi always be Kdrama focused, so whenever i post and fangirl on Dramabeans, I only feel like doing it on the Fan Wall, where I feel like it’s truly open, but I guess the threads are also quite an open space, too, and I just need to adjust my thinking

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    Eek!! I love your enthusiasm – this is sounding so good. I’m waiting to start it to see if it’s a tragic or happy ending, though. Lol, as if I wasn’t already watching like five other things, I started Ancient Love Poetry because I’d never seen a Xu Kai drama. I’m enjoying it so far! I partially chose to start that one – and I’m still making my way through Joy of Life – because they both have sequels coming up.

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      Fair call about waiting to see what happens!! That was me with Lost You Forever from the last ‘drama season’ – waiting to see the end of S2 before starting 👀

      And omg Ancient Love Poetry!! I went straight to that after finishing The Legends, except I don’t think I ended up finishing it – I had no idea there was a second part coming out though?! 🤯

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    Yay more love for Wonderland of Love. I’m actually liking it best among the newly released shows. Xu kai is best when he is playful, this is still not Arsenal Military Academy level of playfulness where Xu Kai was the best so far but he is still pretty good here. Story of Kunning is also good but I’m pretty behind on that one.

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      Oh I’m so glad you’re enjoying it too!! I’ve yet to watch Story of Kunning – mainly because I haven’t reactivated my iQiyi subscription yet but I need to so that I can catch up eventually!

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I’m back and slowly catching up on shows (as if there weren’t enough K-dramas on air right now, Viki also just dropped three new C-dramas that I’d been waiting for a while!) – safe to say I think Castaway Diva has all my heart right now, the OST alone is sublime and I’m constantly surprised at how beautifully PEB can sing 😍

Perfect Marriage Revenge also continues to be the perfect counterbalance to the heaviness of Diva and Twinkling Watermelon, this weeks episodes had my eyeballs glued to the screen (and heart fluttering omg).

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So I’ve not been very good at communicating when I’m away sometimes from DB – mostly because it’s due to things that just happen unexpectedly – but I don’t want any fellow online friends to think I’m ignoring them or anything (side bar for the anxiety induced tangent: this is all with the caveat that I don’t think I’m super important or anything like that, nor do I think people in general have to explain if they’re not as active etc, just putting this out there more so because I wanted to!)


ALL of this prefacing just to say: I’m going off on one of those ‘no tech’ camping trips with my family tomorrow till Wed (wish me luck) so I’ll be radio silent over those days here. I’ve also yet to reply in various discussion threads and what not going on in my own previous posts but also other fan-wall posts, but I’ll be getting around to that when I come back so I can reply properly! So if you’ve tagged me in something or we’ve had a conversation going – I’m not ignoring you I promise, I’ve just not had the chance today to sit and do it and will be completely away from my keyboard over the weekend and a bit! A bit sad I’ll miss out on having conversations in recaps for weekend shows and also watching those episodes in general but on the flip side I’ll be coming back to a whole bunch of different episodes waiting for me!

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    Oooh 🏕️🏕️ (I didn’t know there was an emoji, ha!)

    You’ll be gone for almost a week! 😱
    Hope you have a great time. ^^

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      I didn’t know either till today :O And thank youu 😀 Yes basically whole week – right when all the new shows start (or so it feels like), a lot to catch up late next week!!

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    Enjoy your trip!

    (And you’re not alone feeling bad when you don’t respond to comments but then also chastising yourself for thinking you even matter that much. 😅)

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      Thank you!! And glad I’m not alone – the eternal struggle hahaha I basically have a whole argument with myself for these kinds of things 😅

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    You can catch up when you return from your non-tech fam vacay!

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    Have a great time, make lots of happy memories and come back refreshed and energized.
    You’re not alone, we all feel like that. Thank you for taking out the time to explain.
    We will all be waiting for you when you come back.

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    Have a good trip!

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    It’s okay, we’ll wait for your reply when you’re back. You don’t have to feel like you need to apologise or warn us. Some of us are bad at communication, full stop, regardless of whether they have full access to tech or not (I mean myself). We get it. Life happens. On the plus side: you’ll have plenty of recaps to read when you’re back!

    And if you don’t think you’re super important, it’s your loss, because we do think you are. But we promise to be patient and wait until you’re back 🙂

    Best of luck with camping! (I hate it, so I wish you all the luck in the world)

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    Have a good camping trip Lapis!! Sounds fun. Hope the weather is good and you enjoy nature and come back rejuvenated ❤️

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    I hope you have a great trip with your family!!! 😄👍🌳 🏕 That sounds like a cool experience and like you’ll make lots of good family memories. And it is nice to know you’re doing OK, just going off-grid for a little bit! 😊

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I’m home sick today, mostly caught up with live airs and was going to start to re-watch A Piece of Your Mind for my melo fix but switched gears to re-watch Do You Like Brahms instead and gosh what a gem it is. It’s so refreshingly real and understated and awkward, but more than anything I love the journey that Song-ah goes on. In a world that sometimes places a big emphasis on the idea of everyone having a thing or something that’s meant for them, along side the age old formula of passion + hard work = success always, it’s nice to explore the idea that we’re not limited to one dream or one passion in life, and reaching & recognising our limits doesn’t mean failure but just means new pathways and opportunities to try different things.

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    Oh no I’m so sorry to hear you’re sick!! I hope you’re able to rest up and are feeling better soon!! ❤️ It’s comforting to rewatch favorite dramas when you’re under the weather.

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      Thank you Hopeful 💕 It really is, chicken soup for the soul more or less PLUS it’s actually raining and cold here so really is comforting to stay in bed and watch a good drama! I hear you’re sick too potentially? If so – sending lots of good healing energy your way too, hope you get better soon!!

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        Cold and rainy days are the BEST for being cozy indoors!! Yes I’m getting over a bad flu… where I’m at in the US, we just had a switch to very cold weather after unseasonably warm weather, so ’tis the season for illness I guess? 😅 Thank you for the well-wishes!! 😊 I hope you’re feeling back to full strength soon!!

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    That was a beautiful lesson wasn’t it? And I’m glad there was a silver lining to your sick day. But I hope you’re feeling better. You too @hopefulromantic.

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    I hope for you a speedy recovery ♥️♥️
    These 2 dramas are definitely top tier dramas that also bring me comfort and make me feel warm and fuzzy inside, despite Ep. 14 of “…Brahms?” taking a sharp turn and making me eye roll to no end— it was soooooo close to being a perfect Kdrama for me 🥹🥹 APOYM is also dang near perfect

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      Thank youuu 💕 They’re great dramas right! I’m fuzzy on what happens in EP14 so I’ll have to come back here to let you know when I get there, but APOYM – honestly I wish it hadn’t been cut down to 12 episodes from the original 16 🙁 Had they just spaced out & fleshed out a few plot points it would’ve been a full 10/10 imo! Though overall both are fantastic ‘warm and fuzzy’ dramas as you said – if you’ve got any more recs along this line, I’d be grateful for them!!

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    Good plan to isolate and regroup. Hope you have done some immune system boosting with healing food and given the body and soul the rest you were clearly craving.

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      Thought of it much in the same way – change in seasons and everything else that’s going on life-wise, feels like this was my body saying ‘hey we need to sit for a bit!’. So very much taking the time to do it properly with good food and rest 😀

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    And despite this professed message I still didn’t like the end of the drama hahaha

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      I’d love to hear why if you’re up for sharing – not to convince you otherwise or anything because we all like what we like, but out of sheer curiosity!!

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        I basically find the thematic and character resolution inconsistent and unconvincing and therefore unsatisfying.

        And I think they gave the final arc to the wrong people, and they should’ve given SA’s final arc to JY instead:

        She loved violin but wasn’t “good” at it; he hated piano but was a prodigy.
        But in the end she quit and he kept going.
        So in doing so it never actually delivered on the professed message in your post properly.
        And denied true development to its leads, especially to the ML.
        So I think their endings should’ve been flipped.

        I think she should’ve kept going with / returned to violin. Not because it had to lead to some kind of guaranteed “success”, but because it fed her soul; I think she should’ve overcome the corrosive toxicity of her peers and mentors who beat her down and diminished her, and overcome her own self esteem, and kept loving violin and JY, because the love was worth it.

        And in turn he should’ve in your words had the moment of “reaching & recognising our limits doesn’t mean failure but just means new pathways and opportunities to try different things.” regarding piano; I didn’t find the show’s claim that “she taught him to love it it and play from his heart” convincing, because I didn’t see enough of it, and felt that any arguments about Song Ah giving up Violin actually better suited Joon Young and Piano, and would’ve felt more justified for him.

        There are also some decent endings where there are both “endings and limits” and “parting times” of pursued things finishing for that period, and new ones to try, and also them both learning and growing, and maintaining, for SA, her love and practice of music, and for JY, relearning it, that could’ve happened, that would also be more thematically sound than the one we got.

        There was some excellent stuff about loving no matter what, and whatever it is continuing to love in some form- but in execution the story felt inconsistent about its thematic ideas. It didn’t continue or develop earlier ones, and ended on one’s that felt in direct contradiction to these earlier ones.

        I liked it more when watching but in hindsight now I just find it disappointing and off.
        I also found it dragged in the middle and got too angsty for its own good and I loathed all of the supporting characters.

        I have written more about this and discussed this more on the final recap Open Thread.
        I will permalink the comment, but because of the default comment ordering, the replies are out of whack, so I will also link the whole thread in chrono, and then if you scroll down to find comment 41, that’s me and my thread. (You will have to click “Load More” twice, if you do this)

        Comments all: https://www.dramabeans.com/2020/10/do-you-like-brahms-episodes-15-16-open-thread-final/?comments=all#

        Permalink (Erghk): https://www.dramabeans.com/all-comments/?post_id=583005&permalink_id=3735515/#comment-3735515

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        (P.S. Also sorry I haven’t got back to you about 9 Tails yet.)

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    Omooo, I just finished APOYM and can attest it would have been perfect for that nourishing dose of melo, but Brahms surely is more than up to the task, too! 😆🎻 (Good music in both as well! ENJOY!)
    Hope you get better soon!

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      Thank you!! And yes music in both is 👌🏽✨ Did you like APOYM – hope you found it enjoyable! Honestly I think this is going to be a sustained melo mood so I’m probably going to watch APOYM right on the heels of finishing this one hehehe

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        Yes, it was adorable! I mean, sure, the ML is plagued with tragedy, which got a little heavy at the end… 🤔 but it’s Jung Hae-in! And Chae Soo-bin! And I was definitely prepared for all the melo. Especially loved the found family in the boarding house and their beer nights on the kitchen floor, lol
        All the right ingredients for a clarifying cry session. *blows nose emotionally*

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Can’t believe I’m saying this after being hype over Rowoon on every post about his new show, but I’m more invested 30 minutes into Perfect Marriage Revenge than I was 30 mins into The Matchmakers . Though this is like comparing apples to oranges I guess since they’re vastly different genres, and I’m getting a kick out of just how hilariously bad some of the elements of PMR are. Matchmakers isn’t boring or bad per se but it’s not terribly exciting at the moment, hoping ep 2 changes that!

Highkey I’m expecting nothing based on the promo material but I’ve got an inkling that Moon in the Day will take me by surprise with its first ep in a few days. Surely probability or something would suggest when there’s this many shows with sageuk elements (whether it be time slip, fusion or past life) airing within close range of one another, I’m bound to find at least one that I really, really enjoy?!

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    IKR? The Matchmakers was perfectly fine, but bland. It doesn’t have that something, something extra that DWY did in its early episodes. Whereas PMR has that zing, as crazy as it may be. However, it’s early days. PMR could easily slide into makjang hell and MM pick up. I’ll be hedging my bets and watching Moon in the Day as well.

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      Same reason I’m looking forward to Moon in the Day! MM was fine. Too few ducks yet. Definitely going to watch today’s episode, maybe it picks up the pace?

      Cannot do PMR. It would make my toenails roll up, I’m afraid 😖 But I enjoy reading about it on the fan wall! 🤪

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        I hear you. Makjang isn’t for everyone (and I’ve never lasted thru a full series). But if you do ever change your mind, try at least till episode 2 of PMR. It got a whole lot better (or crazier 😅) than 1.

        Otherwise, see you when the Moon is up. 😀

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      The zing! Exactly!!

      But also you’re very right, I remember the last Sung Hoon drama I watched (Woori the Virgin) had me like ‘wow this is makjang but funny’ and then quickly delved into a massive train wreck. So should be prepared for that here too – but I’d love to see MM pick up!

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    So happy to hear you’re engaged in PMR!! I’m assuming you know of the Fan Wall Makjang “Challenge?” It started when we were hoping it was gonna be bad—but now that we’re all really enjoying it, there’s super a lot of fun (I assume you’ve seen, but just wanted to fan the flames).

    In other news, I guess I don’t want to be too MAKJANG myself, but I would like to let you know that, for the time being, I’m not going to be too vocal on Castaway Diva. It’s rubbing me the wrong way for not one but two reasons, and I’ll give it the requisite four episodes—and I’m really disappointed that I can’t yet join in.

    However, PMR!

    Also, I got super “Wes Anderson” vibes from Matchmakers. Sort of weird—kinda liked it. I wish it were even weirder, frankly. The costumes definitely delivered. No ducks yet tho.

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      I didn’t realise there was a challenge!! I did see the posts about it from you and Cecee (I think!) about it, I need to go back and read them again properly then it seems to see how I can join in! Have to thank you and the Beanies for this one though, I did have it on my to watch list but seeing your posts and comments about it bumped it up to ‘watching’ status for sure.

      That’s so interesting the Wes Anderson observation – is it in the characters or cinematography or just a feel? I’ll confess I haven’t seen enough of his movies to recognise similarities in style!

      As for Castaway, I hope something in the next two eps maybe does it for you so you can join in BUT also no pressure right – we like what we like at the end of the day and there’s other shows for us to dissect, GIF on and have discussions about which is a yay 😁

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        @emsel started it on some Fan Wall thread about something else…lost in the mists of time now. The original idea was that it was going to be so bad, we were going to see who could hold out the longest…or there’d be a punishment for dropping or something. But now, everyone BUT @darkcc (Sorry, Cecee for this pain!!!), is really quite liking it–knowing that it will almost certainly go very VERY south soon enough. You know, maybe I’ll pull together a post with all the links so far.

        @emsel (again) to answer you about CD, I am definitely giving it another week before I pass my full judgment, but if I’m still really not liking it, I’ll definitely post why on the weecap.

        As for Wes Anderson, the feeling intensified after episode 2. It’s the humor plus the sound design plus the way the camera frames people. If I were to recommend one of his movies to give you a flavor, it’d be Royal Tenenbaums or Grand Budapest Hotel. You could just skim them and you’ll be able to see what I mean, I bet.

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      Want to read your reasons for not liking CD. Comment it

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    Yay Lapislazulii!! Perfect Marriage Revenge!! It’s so fun. I’ll watch Matchmakers after it’s finished airing… I don’t mind bland, as long as it doesn’t descend into disappointing, frustrating, etc. I’m also holding off on Castaway Diva, pending how some of the themes and things are handled.

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      It’s SO fun!! Glad there’s Beanie ‘hype’ for it because that makes it even more fun too hahahaha

      Good call on Matchmakers, some saguek fusions I do find fare better as binge watches & fair enough on Castaway, the darker themes especially were so unexpected given promos!

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    This is the best drama airing right now 😂😂
    I am hooked.

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      I was so SHOOK by the end of episode 2, pacing is wild as hell and I’m HERE for it 😂

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    “I’m bound to find at least one that I really, really enjoy?! 🙏

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So glad Castaway Diva isn’t one ep per week!

Also Secret Guesthouse Detective Squad if you’re also watching this drama – can’t wait to discuss theories in the recap post when it’s up 👁👁
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    This writer is messing with us, big time, and I am completely willing to be messed with. I came here for Chae Jong-heop and I’ve been ambushed by Cha Hak-yeon. (If the ML side of the show were nothing but a series of ambushes, I would be just fine with that. I’m really here for the FLs.)

    Here’s my wild speculation: Woo-hak and Bo-geol are full brothers, maybe even fraternal twins. Dad abused both of them, and Mom, permanently injuring Mom’s leg and beating Woo-hak so badly he suffered brain damage and memory loss. Mom ran with the badly injured child and later married nice stepdad, all before the opening scenes, while dad held onto Ki-ho. Ki-ho finally managed to escape to her and they changed both boys’ names (and maybe birth dates) to keep hiding from abusive dad, who is still looking for them.

    I got WWWSK vibes, too, as @kurama and @seeker have said, but the memory-addled brother in that show was an autonomous raincloud of self-pity when he wasn’t being a tantrumy jerk. This brother is the biggest green flag EVER. (That better not have jinxed it!)

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      Ooooo your theory is very interesting and sounds promising.

      Honestly, it really bugs me that even when the top two billed actors in the drama are the female leads, people are already getting bent out of shape about the men. 🥲

      I know part of this is the writer’s fault (she set us up to be confused about and focus on this part of the story) but I also find the tunnel vision of kdrama fandom to be exhausting. I really hope the writer doesn’t drag this out for too long.

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        My interest in this drama tanked 50% because of this writing of the plot. I Love a good romance and am one of those people who will go gaga over men, but this arc feels like its killing the main story. This is not the story.
        I do love Elinor’s theory and it would assuage my issues with the faux brothers falling for the same girl set up.

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      NO SAME out of absolutely no where I caught feelings BAD for CHY by the end of episode two. But absolutely echoing your thoughts on being here for the FLs – I was holding my breath when they both met and I’m glad it didn’t go down the route of one of SFL being catty/mean/jealous, and looking at the previews it looks like they’re going to form an idol dream team!

      Your theory with the brothers defs sounds plausible, I’m trying to literally write up a list of what we know so far to make my own theories but I think I’m coming to a conclusion that’s similar if not a variation of yours!!

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