I’m not gonna lie. I don’t understand the conflict in runon. I’m on episode 9 but to be honest, it seems like its the same conflict throughout. I think its miscommunication but is spoken about weirdly

Hi, beanies!! Happy Thanksgiving! Grateful for this vibrant community. Also, I started matrimonial chaos and Chief Kim. For some reason, neither is clicking. I want to stick with one. which one?

I really love Start-Up (the more youthful version of search www). However, I almost don’t believe Suzy. The character is great but I can feel the acting and it’s really frustrating.

I binged watched Age of Youth season 1 and 2 (such a gem). I would like really like to continue this cute young adult sitcom vibe. Any recs pls?

Hyeon-ho had the best character arch in DYLB. He was annoying sometimes but honestly, he was mostly a good egg. A lil clingy but very consistent in his feelings and logic. One tear for uri Hyeon-ho.

WOW I’m annoyed. DYLB is hot garbage and I’m def dropping. I don’t I can handle this much pain when the world actually falling apart. The emotional whiplash is making my head hurt and I hate headaches

Just thinking about how much I miss Han Groo! She was such a powerful actress. It’s been a minute since an actress grabbed my attention just by the amount of energy they brought to the screen.

Prison Playbook was perfect!

I know this show will end me but ikjun and songhwa are endgame. This is my ship and I will go down with it. I’m prepared because reply 1994 and 1988 have taught me so well. #hospitalplaylist.

Ummmm hospital playlist may be the one to rekindle my kdrama love. It’s lit af and every beanie should watch it.

Beginnings of Reflections are always the worst because where does one actually begin?

Firstly, I am so grateful that I am able to be an active spectator of the media I am currently consuming – essenBeginnings of Reflections are always the worst because where does one actually begin?

Firstly, I am so grateful that I am able to be an active spectator of the media I am currently consuming – essentially I have enough space in my brain to dedicate to Be Melodramatic/Melo is My Nature (Be Melo) and Graceful Family that I haven’t in the last few years. Graduation and job hunting will ddo that to you. I am also entirely grateful that Be Melo actually exists in this ever evolving dramaworld especially after reading director Lee Byung Hun’s thoughts about the drama’s lack of success in an interview. https://www.soompi.com/article/1350962wpp/cast-and-crew-of-melo-is-my-nature-share-thoughts-as-drama-crosses-halfway-mark

My personal review and RANT: !!! THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED THE LATEST EPISODES

There is something about Be Melo that really hits home. I think it’s the range of emotions the drama dares to explore every single freaking week. The last two episodes were particularly beautiful because of the portrayal of Eun Jung’s character. The therapy scene was actually heart wrenching especially after witnessing therapy in Kdramas used as a trope or abnormality. See:Coffee Prince, Protect the Boss, Another Oh Hae Young. I was elated to see it was being normalized, and actually deemed necessary for this character struggling with hallucinations. In fact, this entire scene unlocked Eun Jung’s character for me. I finally recognized her as a seasoned repressor, probably even before the death of her boyfriend Hong Dae. And as she sobbed in that therapy session, I almost cried along with her.

Even Jin Joo who has been portrayed as a sparky, witty, fearless and careless (I mean she loses her job by mouthing off to her boss and basically doesn’t care), hesitates to confess her feelings for the similarly ridiculous Beom Soo. But that hesitation is because of fear, the responsibilities of adulting and potentially because of her failed relationship with Hwan Dong. This for the first time the drama made Jin Joo feel real. Han Joo, our resident model career woman and single mom, finally verbalizes desire/want. She actively gives up picking up her cutie son to hang out with Jae Hoon. She essentially shifts from acceptance (creatively handling the bullshit of the patriarchy…oppa! scene ) and passivity (her handling the bullshit of her ex’s parents) to saying I want more, which in this case means romance/dating.
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On a smaller scale, we see Hyo-Bong’s partner and he expresses the reality of his character’s sexuality by vocalizing his strained relationship with his parents. Jae-Hoon curses his ex-girlfriend. So-Min has intimate moments with Min Joon. All the characters essentially shift from the original construction but they don’t necessarily grow. This shift is so subtle and seamless that I honestly did not fully process it until the episode ended. I honestly can only commend the writer/director not because I haven’t experienced a moment like this in dramaworld but rather because its delivery is honestly unmatched.

AND NOW THE GIANT BUT,

I have noticed that although all these emotions are happening on my screen, there is still a strange disconnectedness that forbids me from crying with the characters (not literally). There is a palpable distance that in this show that other slice-of-life T.V shows do not have. And it took me a while to figure it out. It because this show breaks the norms I think are conventional to storytelling.

Firstly, I recognized that there’s no overarching plot which usually gives me some kind of explanation as to why I am in any fictional world. Secondly, I also noticed that characters don’t have any background (except recently So Min and Min Joon) which usually gives me some kind of explanation as to why I should care about that fictional world. The lack of overall plot is somewhat expected in a slice-of-life show. Each day is more important than the beginning and the end. But overarching plotline no matter how freaking thin it is gives me something to look forward to because it involves all the characters and when its resolved has a sense of finality. See: Age of Youth (Mystery plotline), Misaeng (Will Jang-Gu Rae become a permanent employee?), Reply Series (Romance(s) plotline) etc. In Be Melo, I don’t really count any of the storylines as the overarching storyline. I guess the production Jin Joo’s drama could have been but it doesn’t include all the characters. The production of her drama is just a vehicle for an on-screen character study of Jin Joo and Beom Soo. I have no clue why Jin Joo wants to be a writer or really anything that anchors me to this story. Therefore, I really don’t care. For example, in this BTLIOF, Ji-Ho wants to be a writer and makes dramatic efforts to do so only to be rudely interrupted by the patriarchy – her dad as the main authority in her life and then later on disgusting co-worker. As cliche as these situations may be, I genuinely cared about Ji-Ho’s desire to become a writer because I know people who had been through similar situations.

I also realized that I genuinely don’t care about any of the other characters in the show because I don’t know them, though I understand the essence of these characters. This creates a devastating effect. Because I don’t care about Jin Joo, I don’t care about Beom Soo as he becomes the subject of her affections (though its shown the other way). I also don’t really know why Beom Soo is obsessed with this script apart from its different/witty. I don’t know much about Eun-Jung apart from her grieving and in extension, I don’t care about Hyo-Bong because she’s the subject of his concern. I also don’t know anything about Hyo-Bong apart from the fact that he’s gay/queer. This also applies to Han-Joo and Jae-Hoon but less to So-Min and Min-Joon because the show at least throws gave me a morsel of background with that cute high school flashback scene. I was soooo thankful.

The overall effect of the writers decision produces an undesirable nonchalant which I can’t help but pay attention in such an emotional drama. I am unable to root for any of the characters because I am not tethered to them in any sort of way. They are’t black, white, gray or contradictory characters. They just kinda exist in this world. Which if its intentional, then its meta-meaning is soooo bleak. But if its not, then I am curious as to why the director/writer made these decisions. Essentially my heart is warm and cold at the same time. I am enveloped by the drama but not submerged. It’s basically a collection of memories I get to witness as an acquaintance not a friend or family member. This world is full but not bursting. Important but seemingly insignificant. I’m sadly longing for more. I will still watch every single episode. Okay RANT OVER!!

I really miss the dramabeans podcasts. Anyone else??