I am ready – to share the creation I have been working on for a few weeks. https://archiveofourown.org/works/48556441/chapters/122480221
About eight months ago, I met two characters who spoke to me. It could be because their relationship was very similar to how my husband and I were at the beginning of our relationship, and I could see how they would evolve just because of that foundation years down the line, or maybe because the actors made them believable to me.
I had severe withdrawal symptoms once the series ended. I wanted to keep travelling with them. I wanted to know how they developed. I was eager to uncover the transformation from uncertainty (‘maybe’) to astonishment (‘OMG! It’s real!’) and the ensuing chaos of “WTF do I do now?”
The series left hardcore romance fans incredibly disappointed. But for me, it turned into an opportunity. It allowed me to pick up my ‘quill’, as they would say in those days and start walking with them.
I kept them at bay for months to ensure it wasn’t a whim. Yet the more I spent time with them, the more they settled in my mind, got comfortable and freely spoke with me. My ‘quill’ filled many Word docs, and they would say – No, Minnie! That’s not how it was! – and the keyboard assigned them to the trash folder.
Finally, a month ago, I made the plunge. One of the handful of readers recently commented: “It’s like the in-between scenes we so hoped for and missed, or like a sequel, so it almost feels like the show is airing again and I’m waiting for new episodes (chapters) to come out.”
And I knew I was right in letting Jay Yi and Yi Hwan tell their story.
Whether you consider it a fan fiction or a sequel to “Our Blooming Youth”, I hope you enjoy reading it.
I also want to thank @gikata for germinating the idea in the first place; @attiton and @indyfan for always being so encouraging.
(Disclaimer: The scriptwriters clearly defined the characters, and I borrowed them. The rest of the story is original.)
For those who might not want to watch the series but still would like reading, my suggestion is to read through @alathe‘s incredible recaps in DB here: https://www.dramabeans.com/2023/02/our-blooming-youth-episodes-1-2/
Of course, nothing like actually watching the series, because that’s where this was born. It’s on Viki and Amazon Prime (in some countries)
Thank you! Believe it or not, it’s been incredibly rewarding, especialy because it motivated me to write again after a very very long time.
I hope some of our beanies are motivated to read it too 🙂
You’re too generous, I hardly did anything deserving a credit other than running my mouth way too much in OBY threads. But wow, you’ve said your fic is a big one, but it’s HUGE! That’s impressive work, be rightfully proud of it. I’m too sleepy and tired atm to give a more detailed review, but I liked it more and more gradually as the story progressed… Few latest chapters were particularly very good, even tho you made OTP to be suffering idiots again. That must’ve been fun to write, huh? Maybe they need to shovel some more to clear their heads and stop creating additional problems to themselves lol.
P.S. Smarter than he looked King caught me off-guard. Not sure I can swallow that image of him…
P.P.S. Show failed us BIG TIME by not letting Hwan to display his epic jealousy the way you wrote it instead of that stupid guessing game “comedy”.
@gikata: Thank you. Honestly, it would not have even struck me to do this. Why? Because I have never read a fanfic, definitely not written one and have never thought I could write something based on someone else’s imagination.
The way I saw these two:
Both are rebels in a micro sort of a way. They want to push the boundaries but not break them, in fact they revel in living within those boundaries by creating their own comfort zones.
They are both passionate, wise but pig headed.
There is NO WAY both were sitting pretty on their behinds for that whole one year simply waiting for Sung On to move on. Sung On had pretty much moved on by the time battle happened.
I remember you used to call Hwan’s iron clad control on his impulses a ‘fortress’. It was already cracking by the time we went to Gaeseong. It had to fall once he knew where Jay Yi stood.
Hwan had a lot of ‘shoveling’ to do with his court. Logically, if Cho family went down, there had to be others waiting to step in to take over. It’s a snake pit (honestly, walking in Hwan’s shoes has been terrible. The scholar school away from the Palace sounded way more exciting).
Jay Yi is curious, passionate, impulsive and volatile, and has tons of self respect. And she does not stay put. Her palace life is going to be very colourful.
Hwan’s jealousy – well, that man was jealous when he did not even have a claim on Jay Yi, like not even close – the way he went off the handle in the ribbon scene/polo scene/ and of course the infamous ‘who is it’ scenes. Plus, the guy, when pushed, can be exceptionally petty (I loved how the show made him a deeply flawed Prince). They did not have the time to show that growth (we never saw him apologize for the awful things he said to Jay Yi all because he felt left out (she didnt tell him about her injury, plus – Who is the dimwit!!!!) and used it as a weapon to push her away because he had to marry.
Now give him a scenario where he a) gets a claim on this woman b) has a valid reason to be pissed. I loved walking in those shoes and loving the cumuppence Jay Yi is giving him lol!
I also felt in some ways he took her for granted. I think it was Seon-ha who had mentioned – what if she met someone in that one year when he vanished….at that time I had thought she was in too deep to do that, which she was. But Hwan would not know that right? So what would happen if the scale tipped? Between his duty of bringing in a Queen, and wanting to have Jay Yi, not being able to promise her anything because he did not know if he could make it happen, and yet fearful she would move on – it could not have been pretty.
They are still walking. Let’s see.
Oh, she’s be a very wild Queen, Hwan and his court would NEVER be bored ever again with her there))) Wish we’d get some of that in the show too…
If kid prince was indeed King’s own son, I can totally see Hwan ditching throne for a better, freer life with Jaeyi. This reminded me that I would like to see more dramas with scholars as MLs. I can name a few ofc, but that’s still not enough. Then again, most of them irl were probably more like the ones in MY DEAREST than badass smarties like in QUEEN INHYUN’S MAN. But it’s interesting how this character archetype lost all its shiny dust and popularity after being all rage at some point.
Ofc he took her for granted, he’s a spoiled royalty after all! I’m sure it takes a great effort to understand that world doesn’t revolve around you when all your life you’ve been told otherwise. Not to mention the fact that men of his status hardly had any competition or reasons to worry about rejection. Ah, the things we could’ve have had writers didn’t mess up the good ideas they had initially….
Agreed. This guy swung back and forth like a pendulum, alternating between bordering on narcissism and succumbing to anxious self-doubt. (‘He’ is the most perfect man in Joseon, and then dresses up to the hilt to impress, and then switches to constantly seeking validation for smallest of things – did she appreciate the food/did you like the apple/do you like your room). And his ability to take slights and actually work on it is something I found novel in the series. In fact that is what made Yi Hwan’s character so endearing and realistic at the same time because I know people like him and they are truly endearing and often straight shooters. There are areas he is infalliable, has solid EQ, but falters in his personal space and hence the gigantic trust issues that could not have completely vanished, even though he gave the Queen tons of benefit of doubt and kept his faith in Tae Kang (but then he wasn’t in love with them). While he was raised to believe the world revolved around him, and on the outside it looked everything was given to him on a platter, yet in reality he could die proving he was the best and deserved it, it was never enough. To me it was a natural extension of his character arc as far as Jay Yi was concerned.
I would love to know your detailed thoughts, and thank you so so much for reading.
As for Jay Yi and the Palace, ha! That would be totally unchartered territory, but honestly no matter how much the history might differ, I do refuse the believe ALL the Queens were cast in the same mould. Which court historian would EVER write: And then the Queen dressed in man’s clothes and jumped the walls…….
Hwan was really wonderful character that deserved a better story for him. But hey, that’s exactly what fanfics are for! I’m not the biggest fan of the genre – mostly because my standards for written text are sky high – but I can name a few titles that’s been done MILES better by amateur online writers than people who were actually paid to make them happen. Makes you wonder where exactly producers find these talentless folks to ruin their shows with…
Never was 100% convinced that prim and proper Joseon royals/nobles were indeed like they presented themselves to public and history. Real humans just don’t work this way, esp rich and powerful ones, there must’ve been a lot of crazy stories buried for the sake of reputation. More likely A LOT.
I’ll do it, I promise, but I need to reread the whole thing a few more times so it won’t be in the next few days for sure. Week only started and it’s already been crazy – I need to take a family member to hospital, a cat to vet, myself to bank… and all that in bone-frying heat.
@gikata OMG that is EXACTLY what I think. The more powerful they are, the more they hold themselves above rules (“Do you think i will ever have to get lashes “- was a telling moment and I think it was quite deliberate of the writers to put it there). I can only think of the craziness that must have gone beyond those closed walls. Otherwise it’s nothing better than an opulent jail and power would really mean nothing after a while. Especially given how much freedom the courtesans were given, there had to be men who loved spice in their women at home. I am amazed at how much liberty these women had, it’s been possibly my most fascinating find during the research.
You have a cat…awww….I had one a long time ago, she loved to eat cooked fish. The only cat I know who refused raw fish and would not touch it if we offered her any. And she hunted like a tigress. Once she took out seven mouse in one go. Vanquished.
I would love to introduce a cat to the story, but I cannot find anything on Joseon’s pet culture. And I definietly do not want to stumble onto finding any info on their either k-9 or feline eating habits so I havn’t looked deeper.
I hope your family member is doing better.
Oh and I forgot to add, there was actually a Josean King who was so enamoured by his Queen that he never took a concubine (of course the Anals blamed her ‘temper’ and ‘jealousy’ for it). And it made me very happy LOL! I can bet they were very happy with each other. She outlived him and ruled as a regent for some time. I can totally see Hwan and Jay Yi there. Lots of Josean Kings totally smitten by one of the females. Another Josean King, who had 15 concubines, and 10 kids with just one of them and none with at least 5 of them. The story goes he didn’t even know how his Queen or most other concubines looked like, because he never left her chambers.
So I’ve typed the reply for you yesterday, but filter banned it for “inappropriate word”, yet didn’t specify which one so now I’m both annoyed and intrigued)))
Well, many men have different standards from what they expect from their wives and side women, so it all boils down to the individual tastes really. Reminds me of my country’s famous writer who in his magnum opus shamelessly claimed that “woman must have a heart as hot as pepper”. Given the era he lived in, it was pretty bold statement)))
Lives of courtesans and how sometimes they had more perks than regular housewives is a very interesting topic, but nowadays it’s sort of shushed altogether because “problematic content” *rolls eyes* Did you see movie “Dangerous beauty” (1998)? It’s a dramatized bio of Venice’s famous courtesan which hits pretty hard on both pros and cons of her job occupation. Great romantic movie btw, I’ve been wanting to read the novel it’s based on for ages, but I don’t think it was ever translated from Italian(((
Ha, I have 3 cats! The triplets gang as I call them since they take turns to ensure that mommy NEVER catches a break. Don’t think Joseon folks were much into pets tho – and cats must’ve been especially disliked due to their demonic reputation…
Thank you, but unfortunately this is a kind of medical problem that can’t be cured. We’re in process of finding the best possible treatment, but there’s not much progress so far.
@gikata ” ….many men have different standards from what they expect from their wives and side women, so it all boils down to the individual tastes really.”
Bingo. I got intrigued with Kings and their devotion to one woman in an era of plenty where they could have a new woman each day without anyone batting an eyelid during a visit to Portugal. Everyone has probably heard of The Mogul King Shahjahan and his obsession with his wife, Mumtaj Mahal, for whom he built the famous Taj Mahal. It’s a story I grew up with. But the most fascinating love story is one I had never heard of but chanced upon. We visited Alobaca Monastery in Portugal, and I was stunned by the story that went with the Tombs of Dom Pedro and his mistress/wife, Innes. The dude was just not besotted; he was crazy about this woman. She was his wife’s cousin and lady-in-waiting. They fell in love when Innes came with his wife’s entourage. A concentrated effort followed to separate them- warnings by the King, a plot to declare them family in the eyes of the church amounting to incest, she was sent to a convent, etc. Nothing worked. Once his wife died, he married her, left the throne and settled away from home. The opposing factions poured poison into the King’s ears, who had the woman killed, which tipped his son over to insanity. He declared war against his own country and occupied the throne after his father died during the war. He exhumed Innes’ body, propped her onto the Queen’s throne, and had every member of his court kiss her skeletal hand. Then, he proceeded to torture and kill his wife’s murderers inhumanly, which he watched while having breakfast. Interestingly, he became known as King Peter the Just, which signified the dude did everything with cold-blooded planning.
What struck me was that this was not a ‘new’ affair. They had been together for over 20 years, and she bore him four children (one of whom became a very successful king). Now that’s the kind of love story I am a sucker for (though I could do without all the macabre settings and untimely dying).
If Lady Diana had not been such a loved figure, Charles and Camilla’s love story probably would have found rose-tinted wings (sadly, a couple I could never sympathise with).
I hear ya. I have two K-9s. At one time, I had steely control over them and was very strict about their training. Now they happily take over the bed while we try to find space to stretch our legs lol!
I am so sorry about your family member; that’s the worst. Still, I am hoping and praying for the best outcome.
Oh, I remember this story from our OBY discussions! Wild stuff. Are there movies/dramas about them perhaps? If not, there should be, such a perfect cinema material – epic romance, palace intrigue, action, gore, it has everything!
Dogs can be trained at least. Cats train YOU))) As if they have this genetic memory of Ancient Egyptians worshiping their kind and expect no less even nowadays. Stealing the bed isn’t even the worst – one of them likes to sleep on my pillow. While my head is still there. And he weights 12kg…
*sigh* That’s just life.
@gikata I am sure there are movies and dramas, I just never found one, at least in the languages I understand. I hope Netflix or Amazon picks it up some day, it’s quite epic, and spans at least two and half decades so the amount of material probably is huge. It’s true Game of thrones (fatcs surpass fiction has never been more true).
Sleeping on the pillow….LOL! You are right though, they train you. A neighbours’ cat used to go on a walk with her owner and her dogs. The cat would hold her own leash in her mouth. It was so funny to look at.
Minnie I just started reading this and had to come back here to say I LOVE IT already! I really, really love the way you write and the scene already feels so alive and like true to characters. Excited to keep reading – thank you for writing this & sharing it with us here too 😃
Yay! Well done. I’m so excited to read this. I don’t want to read it on my phone in a rush. (Monday mornings are the worst.) So I will share feedback tonight.
From what I understand, the lives of the Royals was almost robotically planned. The Crown Princess had to be from:
a) noble family
b) Have both her parents alive
c) Educated and well versed in the seven duties.
The biggest challenge was that she could not be an orphan. The Crown Prince would have no say in the choosing of his Crown Princess, with no exception. He was allowed to take concubines though, but most Crown Princes were generally married early.
The same rules were supposed to be followed for the King, with heavy involvement from Ministry of Rites. However, from what I have come to learn, prior to Japanese invasion in 1592, the Kings tended to be quite lax as far as their women were concerned, giving them a lot of liberties while chosing their consorts. In fact, the reality was the King could make anyone they fancied as their concubines and raise them to the status of the Queen. Unlike what is shown in the serials, many noble families balked at sending their daughters to the Palace as royal consorts because once the women entered the gate, they were basically trapped in there for life, with little to no chance of meeting her birth parents again. Upto late 1690s, a non noble woman or a concubine could easily ascend to the throne successfully, until King Sukjong placed a ban on a concubine becoming a Queen in 1701.
In short, as a Crown Prince, Yi Hwan had zero chance of getting Jay Yi in, other than as a Concubine who could be relegated to a life of misery by the Crown Princess/Queen (generally, favored concubines were poisoned, punished, chased out, witch crafted on, and worse, had their sons taken away if they happened to be a candidate for Crown Prince, while their other children were illegitimate). This made me realize where Yi Hwan was coming from. However, as the King, he could happily bend rules, and if he had the Court and the scholars in his pocket, no one would actually care other than the powerful Queens, and lucky for him, there were none.
To add, OBY was based on mid 1400s, when the dynasty was still relatively young, and underwent a heavy period of turmoil. Yi Hwan’s character is, in fact, a fusion of traits taken from a select few Crown Princes and Kings of that particular era. It was also a period when scientific discveries were being given a lot of priority by the Royals.
Ah, so he couldn’t defy anyone when he was in an insecure position but would do so later when fully in command. And that’s why he secretly hoped she remained a single teacher?
OK. I will wait to finish before commenting again. Had to refresh the site five times in order to get to the fan post page to load. 😅
Pretty much. Hwan, being Hwan, half measures were not his thing, and he had nothing he could promise Jay Yi in the early days as Crown Prince. With his Kingdom in tatters, his father, who already was a nincompoop, turning into an even more nincompoopish, he still needed to shore up the support of his Court, even though they probably were terrified and in awe of him. Still, these men, along with all those blue-robed scholars, were awfully powerful and deposing a King was relatively easy for them (in fact, the Court actually deposed a very talented King curiously during the same timeline this series is based on and put his Uncle on the throne in a coup. Thankfully, Hwan does not have an evil Uncle waiting in the wings, so we are clear Yay!).
Thank you for writing and sharing this with us <3 Coincidentally I've been thinking of a rewatch of OBY, and now I'll be happily watching and reading your pieces.
Thank you, and I truly hope you find them connected. I never tire of rewatching it (which incidently I had to just to make sure I could keep the consistency of characters and recall some dialouges).
What??? You just stopped there. I wanted to see it the whole way through!
Other thoughts. What a great idea to fill in that blank period. It seemed so abrupt and unfulfilling.
What I liked most was the depth added to the Crown Prince. He was too guarded and opaque and you added a lot of interiority, complexity and fire. A much better character for it.
And I liked adding the more physical elements as well. Gosh I wish the writers had done that in the show. That first and last kiss was not nearly enough.
Oh dear! Lol! Honestly, when I started I thought it would be possiby a few brief paragraphs. I didn’t realize what I was walking into. There is a saying in Urdu by a famous poet Majrooh Sultanpuri:
Main akela hi chala tha janib-e-manzil magar
Log saath aate gaye aur karwaan banta gaya
It literally translates into: I started all by myself towards my goal, but people started joining me and soon it turned into a crowd (or a caravan). Hwan and Jay Yi’s story beame something of the sort.
I never even thought I could write a short story, leave alone a romance novel. The most I have written are keyboard warrior posts and at one time long ago, some fun blog posts. That’s a huge compliment, not sure I deserve, but thank you!
I intend to finish this for sure, so hopefully I can help maintain the interest to tune in.
What lovely lines. My basic Hindi is more or less enough to understand the gist. But not good enough.
Short stories are a great way to start writing. That’s what I’m doing (not at all kdrama related tho). You don’t ever have to write anything more if you don’t want to. Hobbies should remain fun. But it’s an option should you want to. Romance books are the biggest selling categories of books.
Post again when you’re done if you decide to finish this. Or start another piece.
Honestly I never gave writing a thought, but I am enjoying it so much that it’s taken me by surprise (espeically creating these new characters that did not exist in the orginal series, complete with their back stories.)
I will definitely finish this. I do have something in mind after this so possibly….
I’m back here to let you know I’ve been devouring your fanfic chapters like a hungry child ever since I found out about it here!! I’m so glad also it’s now 30 (or more?? 👀 ) chapters now too from the ‘initiall’ 25 😀 I love it so much!!! You write so well!
Watch him as a high schooler in Heirs (he makes stupid and naive look cute and cuddly), and then in High Society as a high schooler where he oozes sex appeal and arrogance.
I don’t want to overstep, @minniegupta1, but if you’re having trouble with the 200 character limit on posts the trick is to compose what you want to say in another notes app, and then paste it into this site’s “compose” window using your mouse or finger (depending on your device)…anything other than the keyboard commands.
Well, right, there’s no WYSIWYG editor, just the regular entry box that will accept a limited number of HTML tags. No buttons, no bells-and-whistles.
So, just to be pedantic let me be overly-descriptive, when go to your own fan wall (from your profile menu)…at the top of the page (but under your banner) will be the entry pane in which you typed your posts before, right?
Well, that’s the same (and correct) place you are to paste in your longer text that you composed elsewhere. Just remember to use your mouse, not the keyboard, when you paste or it’ll get clipped again.
Also, FWIW, you can fully delete posts. It doesn’t just mark them as deleted, they go away.
Oh well, that’s where I ‘discovered’ him lol! Started watching it for Seo Joon and fell hook line and sinker for the young, lost, fearful king. I cannot think of another actor who could make you justify cowardice. I could write peons on how he lifted a terrible drama out of the gutter single-handedly and carried it on his then slim, though very handsome shoulders. I almost did not recognize him in Heirs that I watched after Hwarang (I watched it for Lee Min Ho and wasn’t particularly looking for Hyung Sik). That is when it struck me how brilliant an actor he actually is. And then of course, I went nuts looking for his work lol!Till date I have no idea how he made his exceptionally emotive and expressive eyes go flat and dumb in ‘Heirs’. He has to have a remote control for his eyes that bid his command when he presses a button.
There is this one scene in Heirs that stands out for me just because very subtly brilliant it is. They are sitting in this cafe, and Woo Bin regrestfully muses how he lost so much in this cafe. Park Hyung Sik, while stuffing his face with food, casually asks about what he lost. Woo Bin muses, nostaligically, “Mom, friend’, refering to his Mom and of course, Lee Min Ho.
Park Hyung Sik looks up, competely blank, then does some calculations in his head, and asks with a great interest, layered with the dumbest look you could find on an actor, “You lost your Mom’s friend?”
I laugh just thinking about it. It was not one of those over the top moments that PHS in Heirs is known for, but it’s the one that stands out the most for me.
He repeated his outstanding comic timing in OBY in the shovel scene. His expressions of horror at the thought of doing menial work and eventually failing at it are priceless. And of course, his entire ‘dimwit’ discourse LOL!
Sigh! It’s the only Zombie drama I have watched, and just because of him. However, my first watch was for him, the second time I watched it for its content, it’s a beautifully crafted series. Though I will forever rail against how abrubt the end was, and the fact that they did not give those two an entire episode of recovering and truly getting together.
not many dare to watch it twice. I watched it 8 times… true about the ending, but on the other hand, I think it reflected very accurately how after covid restrictions too, people went back to business as usual and forgot about danger very fast. but I feel like, they were hoping for an extension, and when it didnt happen, and they had perhaps planned out the ending in 2 parts, but they had to squeeze half of what they planned into a quarter of time yknow. I believe the script actually contained a lot more, which was left out.
I love love love Happiness. Your theory definietly makes sense. But that has done such a diservice to his romance talents. After his military service, all of his roles have been that of a man spending his lifetime trying his best to hide his feelings from the love of his life. Like seriously, it’s identical. Happiness, Soundtrack #1 and Our Blooming Youth – all three! And in all three he got all of 30 seconds to actually smoulder a tini-tiny bit. Someone asked me somewhere who smoulders the best, and PHS is the first name that jumped in my mind (the way he looks at Han So Nee in Soundtrack #1 at the table when she is writing and he is listening to music, that hospital scene in Strong woman, the candle scene in Hwarang, the rainy day car scene in High Society – the man was just getting started). However, in Happiness he spends his time just adoring her from afar (what cracklig chemistry they shared). In OBY he does not even get anywhere close to smoulder with all the anti hug hats and Josean mores in abundance everywhere lol! Though his role in OBY continues to be my personal favorite just because of the gamut of emotions that man showcases in the series.
Haha! It was difficult to finish that series. I might be drawing a lot of ire, but Lee Min Ho is awfully over rated. Funny enough, after watching High Society I realized they could have given any of the roles in Heirs to PHS and he would have aced it. On the flip side, it’s difficult to imagine anyone else pulling off Myung Soo the way he did in that start cast though.
lol.. You will find a lot of us agree to your statement about LMH.. But still, he was one of the reasons I got into kdramas (BoF was my first) so I can’t hate him. Also, he is Fams’ one true love.. I love bringing up this link every few years – Even though its a Woo family tree you will see how everyone is connected to LMH. https://www.dramabeans.com/members/13infamyss/activity/1057007/
Heirs was one of my earlier dramas. Its a terrible drama, but it was addictive.. its so bad its good?
I think I will need some time to understand that link lol! I like LMH and will watch something that has him, it’s just that I won’t watch him just because. He is awfully limited in histronics. But then other than PHS there is no one else I would exclusively watch a drama for either. The ML in Hidden love is fab though but so far I don’t think Chinese dramas are cutting it for me as of now.
Started watching K-dramas after years of watching only occasional shows, after my sister convinced me to give a Park Seo Joon’s drama a try. Then, I discovered Park Hyung Sik. Rabbit holed completely.
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Minnie
August 27, 2023 at 8:50 AM
I am ready – to share the creation I have been working on for a few weeks.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/48556441/chapters/122480221
About eight months ago, I met two characters who spoke to me. It could be because their relationship was very similar to how my husband and I were at the beginning of our relationship, and I could see how they would evolve just because of that foundation years down the line, or maybe because the actors made them believable to me.
I had severe withdrawal symptoms once the series ended. I wanted to keep travelling with them. I wanted to know how they developed. I was eager to uncover the transformation from uncertainty (‘maybe’) to astonishment (‘OMG! It’s real!’) and the ensuing chaos of “WTF do I do now?”
The series left hardcore romance fans incredibly disappointed. But for me, it turned into an opportunity. It allowed me to pick up my ‘quill’, as they would say in those days and start walking with them.
I kept them at bay for months to ensure it wasn’t a whim. Yet the more I spent time with them, the more they settled in my mind, got comfortable and freely spoke with me. My ‘quill’ filled many Word docs, and they would say – No, Minnie! That’s not how it was! – and the keyboard assigned them to the trash folder.
Finally, a month ago, I made the plunge. One of the handful of readers recently commented: “It’s like the in-between scenes we so hoped for and missed, or like a sequel, so it almost feels like the show is airing again and I’m waiting for new episodes (chapters) to come out.”
And I knew I was right in letting Jay Yi and Yi Hwan tell their story.
Whether you consider it a fan fiction or a sequel to “Our Blooming Youth”, I hope you enjoy reading it.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/48556441/chapters/122480221
I also want to thank @gikata for germinating the idea in the first place; @attiton and @indyfan for always being so encouraging.
(Disclaimer: The scriptwriters clearly defined the characters, and I borrowed them. The rest of the story is original.)
For those who might not want to watch the series but still would like reading, my suggestion is to read through @alathe‘s incredible recaps in DB here: https://www.dramabeans.com/2023/02/our-blooming-youth-episodes-1-2/
Of course, nothing like actually watching the series, because that’s where this was born. It’s on Viki and Amazon Prime (in some countries)
Seon-ha
August 27, 2023 at 9:06 AM
Congrats on the rewards for all your hard work, Minnie!!!!
Minnie
August 27, 2023 at 9:26 AM
Thank you! Believe it or not, it’s been incredibly rewarding, especialy because it motivated me to write again after a very very long time.
I hope some of our beanies are motivated to read it too 🙂
Reply1988 - Mother Bean (DB Wooga squad)
August 27, 2023 at 9:08 AM
Wow, this is so impressive well done.
Minnie
August 28, 2023 at 6:45 PM
@reply1988 Thank you <3 Sorry, I missed replying to your post earlier. It's been fun.
Gikata
August 27, 2023 at 1:35 PM
You’re too generous, I hardly did anything deserving a credit
other than running my mouth way too much in OBY threads. But wow, you’ve said your fic is a big one, but it’s HUGE! That’s impressive work, be rightfully proud of it. I’m too sleepy and tired atm to give a more detailed review, but I liked it more and more gradually as the story progressed… Few latest chapters were particularly very good, even tho you made OTP to be suffering idiots again. That must’ve been fun to write, huh? Maybe they need to shovel some more to clear their heads and stop creating additional problems to themselves lol.P.S. Smarter than he looked King caught me off-guard. Not sure I can swallow that image of him…
P.P.S. Show failed us BIG TIME by not letting Hwan to display his epic jealousy the way you wrote it instead of that stupid guessing game “comedy”.
Minnie
August 27, 2023 at 4:42 PM
@gikata: Thank you. Honestly, it would not have even struck me to do this. Why? Because I have never read a fanfic, definitely not written one and have never thought I could write something based on someone else’s imagination.
The way I saw these two:
Both are rebels in a micro sort of a way. They want to push the boundaries but not break them, in fact they revel in living within those boundaries by creating their own comfort zones.
They are both passionate, wise but pig headed.
There is NO WAY both were sitting pretty on their behinds for that whole one year simply waiting for Sung On to move on. Sung On had pretty much moved on by the time battle happened.
I remember you used to call Hwan’s iron clad control on his impulses a ‘fortress’. It was already cracking by the time we went to Gaeseong. It had to fall once he knew where Jay Yi stood.
Hwan had a lot of ‘shoveling’ to do with his court. Logically, if Cho family went down, there had to be others waiting to step in to take over. It’s a snake pit (honestly, walking in Hwan’s shoes has been terrible. The scholar school away from the Palace sounded way more exciting).
Jay Yi is curious, passionate, impulsive and volatile, and has tons of self respect. And she does not stay put. Her palace life is going to be very colourful.
Hwan’s jealousy – well, that man was jealous when he did not even have a claim on Jay Yi, like not even close – the way he went off the handle in the ribbon scene/polo scene/ and of course the infamous ‘who is it’ scenes. Plus, the guy, when pushed, can be exceptionally petty (I loved how the show made him a deeply flawed Prince). They did not have the time to show that growth (we never saw him apologize for the awful things he said to Jay Yi all because he felt left out (she didnt tell him about her injury, plus – Who is the dimwit!!!!) and used it as a weapon to push her away because he had to marry.
Now give him a scenario where he a) gets a claim on this woman b) has a valid reason to be pissed. I loved walking in those shoes and loving the cumuppence Jay Yi is giving him lol!
I also felt in some ways he took her for granted. I think it was Seon-ha who had mentioned – what if she met someone in that one year when he vanished….at that time I had thought she was in too deep to do that, which she was. But Hwan would not know that right? So what would happen if the scale tipped? Between his duty of bringing in a Queen, and wanting to have Jay Yi, not being able to promise her anything because he did not know if he could make it happen, and yet fearful she would move on – it could not have been pretty.
They are still walking. Let’s see.
Gikata
August 29, 2023 at 4:43 AM
Oh, she’s be a very wild Queen, Hwan and his court would NEVER be bored ever again with her there))) Wish we’d get some of that in the show too…
If kid prince was indeed King’s own son, I can totally see Hwan ditching throne for a better, freer life with Jaeyi. This reminded me that I would like to see more dramas with scholars as MLs. I can name a few ofc, but that’s still not enough. Then again, most of them irl were probably more like the ones in MY DEAREST than badass smarties like in QUEEN INHYUN’S MAN. But it’s interesting how this character archetype lost all its shiny dust and popularity after being all rage at some point.
Ofc he took her for granted, he’s a spoiled royalty after all! I’m sure it takes a great effort to understand that world doesn’t revolve around you when all your life you’ve been told otherwise. Not to mention the fact that men of his status hardly had any competition or reasons to worry about rejection. Ah, the things we could’ve have had writers didn’t mess up the good ideas they had initially….
Minnie
August 29, 2023 at 6:20 AM
Agreed. This guy swung back and forth like a pendulum, alternating between bordering on narcissism and succumbing to anxious self-doubt. (‘He’ is the most perfect man in Joseon, and then dresses up to the hilt to impress, and then switches to constantly seeking validation for smallest of things – did she appreciate the food/did you like the apple/do you like your room). And his ability to take slights and actually work on it is something I found novel in the series. In fact that is what made Yi Hwan’s character so endearing and realistic at the same time because I know people like him and they are truly endearing and often straight shooters. There are areas he is infalliable, has solid EQ, but falters in his personal space and hence the gigantic trust issues that could not have completely vanished, even though he gave the Queen tons of benefit of doubt and kept his faith in Tae Kang (but then he wasn’t in love with them). While he was raised to believe the world revolved around him, and on the outside it looked everything was given to him on a platter, yet in reality he could die proving he was the best and deserved it, it was never enough. To me it was a natural extension of his character arc as far as Jay Yi was concerned.
I would love to know your detailed thoughts, and thank you so so much for reading.
As for Jay Yi and the Palace, ha! That would be totally unchartered territory, but honestly no matter how much the history might differ, I do refuse the believe ALL the Queens were cast in the same mould. Which court historian would EVER write: And then the Queen dressed in man’s clothes and jumped the walls…….
Gikata
August 29, 2023 at 8:45 AM
Hwan was really wonderful character that deserved a better story for him. But hey, that’s exactly what fanfics are for! I’m not the biggest fan of the genre – mostly because my standards for written text are sky high – but I can name a few titles that’s been done MILES better by amateur online writers than people who were actually paid to make them happen. Makes you wonder where exactly producers find these talentless folks to ruin their shows with…
Never was 100% convinced that prim and proper Joseon royals/nobles were indeed like they presented themselves to public and history. Real humans just don’t work this way, esp rich and powerful ones, there must’ve been a lot of crazy stories buried for the sake of reputation. More likely A LOT.
I’ll do it, I promise, but I need to reread the whole thing a few more times so it won’t be in the next few days for sure. Week only started and it’s already been crazy – I need to take a family member to hospital, a cat to vet, myself to bank… and all that in bone-frying heat.
Minnie
August 29, 2023 at 12:16 PM
@gikata OMG that is EXACTLY what I think. The more powerful they are, the more they hold themselves above rules (“Do you think i will ever have to get lashes “- was a telling moment and I think it was quite deliberate of the writers to put it there). I can only think of the craziness that must have gone beyond those closed walls. Otherwise it’s nothing better than an opulent jail and power would really mean nothing after a while. Especially given how much freedom the courtesans were given, there had to be men who loved spice in their women at home. I am amazed at how much liberty these women had, it’s been possibly my most fascinating find during the research.
You have a cat…awww….I had one a long time ago, she loved to eat cooked fish. The only cat I know who refused raw fish and would not touch it if we offered her any. And she hunted like a tigress. Once she took out seven mouse in one go. Vanquished.
I would love to introduce a cat to the story, but I cannot find anything on Joseon’s pet culture. And I definietly do not want to stumble onto finding any info on their either k-9 or feline eating habits so I havn’t looked deeper.
I hope your family member is doing better.
Minnie
August 29, 2023 at 9:06 PM
Oh and I forgot to add, there was actually a Josean King who was so enamoured by his Queen that he never took a concubine (of course the Anals blamed her ‘temper’ and ‘jealousy’ for it). And it made me very happy LOL! I can bet they were very happy with each other. She outlived him and ruled as a regent for some time. I can totally see Hwan and Jay Yi there. Lots of Josean Kings totally smitten by one of the females. Another Josean King, who had 15 concubines, and 10 kids with just one of them and none with at least 5 of them. The story goes he didn’t even know how his Queen or most other concubines looked like, because he never left her chambers.
Gikata
August 30, 2023 at 6:21 AM
So I’ve typed the reply for you yesterday, but filter banned it for “inappropriate word”, yet didn’t specify which one so now I’m both annoyed and intrigued)))
Well, many men have different standards from what they expect from their wives and side women, so it all boils down to the individual tastes really. Reminds me of my country’s famous writer who in his magnum opus shamelessly claimed that “woman must have a heart as hot as pepper”. Given the era he lived in, it was pretty bold statement)))
Lives of courtesans and how sometimes they had more perks than regular housewives is a very interesting topic, but nowadays it’s sort of shushed altogether because “problematic content” *rolls eyes* Did you see movie “Dangerous beauty” (1998)? It’s a dramatized bio of Venice’s famous courtesan which hits pretty hard on both pros and cons of her job occupation. Great romantic movie btw, I’ve been wanting to read the novel it’s based on for ages, but I don’t think it was ever translated from Italian(((
Ha, I have 3 cats! The triplets gang as I call them since they take turns to ensure that mommy NEVER catches a break. Don’t think Joseon folks were much into pets tho – and cats must’ve been especially disliked due to their demonic reputation…
Thank you, but unfortunately this is a kind of medical problem that can’t be cured. We’re in process of finding the best possible treatment, but there’s not much progress so far.
Minnie
August 30, 2023 at 7:11 AM
@gikata ” ….many men have different standards from what they expect from their wives and side women, so it all boils down to the individual tastes really.”
Bingo. I got intrigued with Kings and their devotion to one woman in an era of plenty where they could have a new woman each day without anyone batting an eyelid during a visit to Portugal. Everyone has probably heard of The Mogul King Shahjahan and his obsession with his wife, Mumtaj Mahal, for whom he built the famous Taj Mahal. It’s a story I grew up with. But the most fascinating love story is one I had never heard of but chanced upon. We visited Alobaca Monastery in Portugal, and I was stunned by the story that went with the Tombs of Dom Pedro and his mistress/wife, Innes. The dude was just not besotted; he was crazy about this woman. She was his wife’s cousin and lady-in-waiting. They fell in love when Innes came with his wife’s entourage. A concentrated effort followed to separate them- warnings by the King, a plot to declare them family in the eyes of the church amounting to incest, she was sent to a convent, etc. Nothing worked. Once his wife died, he married her, left the throne and settled away from home. The opposing factions poured poison into the King’s ears, who had the woman killed, which tipped his son over to insanity. He declared war against his own country and occupied the throne after his father died during the war. He exhumed Innes’ body, propped her onto the Queen’s throne, and had every member of his court kiss her skeletal hand. Then, he proceeded to torture and kill his wife’s murderers inhumanly, which he watched while having breakfast. Interestingly, he became known as King Peter the Just, which signified the dude did everything with cold-blooded planning.
What struck me was that this was not a ‘new’ affair. They had been together for over 20 years, and she bore him four children (one of whom became a very successful king). Now that’s the kind of love story I am a sucker for (though I could do without all the macabre settings and untimely dying).
If Lady Diana had not been such a loved figure, Charles and Camilla’s love story probably would have found rose-tinted wings (sadly, a couple I could never sympathise with).
I hear ya. I have two K-9s. At one time, I had steely control over them and was very strict about their training. Now they happily take over the bed while we try to find space to stretch our legs lol!
I am so sorry about your family member; that’s the worst. Still, I am hoping and praying for the best outcome.
Gikata
August 30, 2023 at 7:37 AM
Oh, I remember this story from our OBY discussions! Wild stuff. Are there movies/dramas about them perhaps? If not, there should be, such a perfect cinema material – epic romance, palace intrigue, action, gore, it has everything!
Dogs can be trained at least. Cats train YOU))) As if they have this genetic memory of Ancient Egyptians worshiping their kind and expect no less even nowadays. Stealing the bed isn’t even the worst – one of them likes to sleep on my pillow. While my head is still there. And he weights 12kg…
*sigh* That’s just life.
Minnie
August 30, 2023 at 8:53 AM
@gikata I am sure there are movies and dramas, I just never found one, at least in the languages I understand. I hope Netflix or Amazon picks it up some day, it’s quite epic, and spans at least two and half decades so the amount of material probably is huge. It’s true Game of thrones (fatcs surpass fiction has never been more true).
Sleeping on the pillow….LOL! You are right though, they train you. A neighbours’ cat used to go on a walk with her owner and her dogs. The cat would hold her own leash in her mouth. It was so funny to look at.
lapislazulii
August 27, 2023 at 5:19 PM
Minnie I just started reading this and had to come back here to say I LOVE IT already! I really, really love the way you write and the scene already feels so alive and like true to characters. Excited to keep reading – thank you for writing this & sharing it with us here too 😃
Minnie
August 28, 2023 at 4:28 AM
Thank you!!!! I am so glad <3
Makes me nervous, and want to do better at the same time.
indyfan
August 27, 2023 at 7:07 PM
Yay! Well done. I’m so excited to read this. I don’t want to read it on my phone in a rush. (Monday mornings are the worst.) So I will share feedback tonight.
indyfan
August 28, 2023 at 4:16 AM
I couldn’t resist and read up to 5 on my phone during break. It reads like a novella! I am so impressed.
Quick Q: Why couldn’t the CP marry her? I forgot bits of the story now.
Minnie
August 28, 2023 at 5:11 AM
From what I understand, the lives of the Royals was almost robotically planned. The Crown Princess had to be from:
a) noble family
b) Have both her parents alive
c) Educated and well versed in the seven duties.
The biggest challenge was that she could not be an orphan. The Crown Prince would have no say in the choosing of his Crown Princess, with no exception. He was allowed to take concubines though, but most Crown Princes were generally married early.
The same rules were supposed to be followed for the King, with heavy involvement from Ministry of Rites. However, from what I have come to learn, prior to Japanese invasion in 1592, the Kings tended to be quite lax as far as their women were concerned, giving them a lot of liberties while chosing their consorts. In fact, the reality was the King could make anyone they fancied as their concubines and raise them to the status of the Queen. Unlike what is shown in the serials, many noble families balked at sending their daughters to the Palace as royal consorts because once the women entered the gate, they were basically trapped in there for life, with little to no chance of meeting her birth parents again. Upto late 1690s, a non noble woman or a concubine could easily ascend to the throne successfully, until King Sukjong placed a ban on a concubine becoming a Queen in 1701.
In short, as a Crown Prince, Yi Hwan had zero chance of getting Jay Yi in, other than as a Concubine who could be relegated to a life of misery by the Crown Princess/Queen (generally, favored concubines were poisoned, punished, chased out, witch crafted on, and worse, had their sons taken away if they happened to be a candidate for Crown Prince, while their other children were illegitimate). This made me realize where Yi Hwan was coming from. However, as the King, he could happily bend rules, and if he had the Court and the scholars in his pocket, no one would actually care other than the powerful Queens, and lucky for him, there were none.
Minnie
August 28, 2023 at 5:24 AM
To add, OBY was based on mid 1400s, when the dynasty was still relatively young, and underwent a heavy period of turmoil. Yi Hwan’s character is, in fact, a fusion of traits taken from a select few Crown Princes and Kings of that particular era. It was also a period when scientific discveries were being given a lot of priority by the Royals.
indyfan
August 28, 2023 at 7:23 AM
Ah, so he couldn’t defy anyone when he was in an insecure position but would do so later when fully in command. And that’s why he secretly hoped she remained a single teacher?
OK. I will wait to finish before commenting again. Had to refresh the site five times in order to get to the fan post page to load. 😅
Minnie
August 28, 2023 at 8:09 AM
Pretty much. Hwan, being Hwan, half measures were not his thing, and he had nothing he could promise Jay Yi in the early days as Crown Prince. With his Kingdom in tatters, his father, who already was a nincompoop, turning into an even more nincompoopish, he still needed to shore up the support of his Court, even though they probably were terrified and in awe of him. Still, these men, along with all those blue-robed scholars, were awfully powerful and deposing a King was relatively easy for them (in fact, the Court actually deposed a very talented King curiously during the same timeline this series is based on and put his Uncle on the throne in a coup. Thankfully, Hwan does not have an evil Uncle waiting in the wings, so we are clear Yay!).
Healer’s
August 27, 2023 at 7:35 PM
Thank you for writing and sharing this with us <3 Coincidentally I've been thinking of a rewatch of OBY, and now I'll be happily watching and reading your pieces.
Minnie
August 28, 2023 at 5:28 AM
Thank you, and I truly hope you find them connected. I never tire of rewatching it (which incidently I had to just to make sure I could keep the consistency of characters and recall some dialouges).
indyfan
August 29, 2023 at 10:32 AM
What??? You just stopped there. I wanted to see it the whole way through!
Other thoughts. What a great idea to fill in that blank period. It seemed so abrupt and unfulfilling.
What I liked most was the depth added to the Crown Prince. He was too guarded and opaque and you added a lot of interiority, complexity and fire. A much better character for it.
And I liked adding the more physical elements as well. Gosh I wish the writers had done that in the show. That first and last kiss was not nearly enough.
Have you thought of writing romance novels?
Minnie
August 29, 2023 at 1:46 PM
Oh dear! Lol! Honestly, when I started I thought it would be possiby a few brief paragraphs. I didn’t realize what I was walking into. There is a saying in Urdu by a famous poet Majrooh Sultanpuri:
Main akela hi chala tha janib-e-manzil magar
Log saath aate gaye aur karwaan banta gaya
It literally translates into: I started all by myself towards my goal, but people started joining me and soon it turned into a crowd (or a caravan). Hwan and Jay Yi’s story beame something of the sort.
I never even thought I could write a short story, leave alone a romance novel. The most I have written are keyboard warrior posts and at one time long ago, some fun blog posts. That’s a huge compliment, not sure I deserve, but thank you!
I intend to finish this for sure, so hopefully I can help maintain the interest to tune in.
indyfan
August 29, 2023 at 6:26 PM
What lovely lines. My basic Hindi is more or less enough to understand the gist. But not good enough.
Short stories are a great way to start writing. That’s what I’m doing (not at all kdrama related tho). You don’t ever have to write anything more if you don’t want to. Hobbies should remain fun. But it’s an option should you want to. Romance books are the biggest selling categories of books.
Post again when you’re done if you decide to finish this. Or start another piece.
Minnie
August 29, 2023 at 7:45 PM
Honestly I never gave writing a thought, but I am enjoying it so much that it’s taken me by surprise (espeically creating these new characters that did not exist in the orginal series, complete with their back stories.)
I will definitely finish this. I do have something in mind after this so possibly….
lapislazulii
September 15, 2023 at 3:47 AM
I’m back here to let you know I’ve been devouring your fanfic chapters like a hungry child ever since I found out about it here!! I’m so glad also it’s now 30 (or more?? 👀 ) chapters now too from the ‘initiall’ 25 😀 I love it so much!!! You write so well!
Minnie
September 15, 2023 at 8:31 AM
OMG thank you!! This is crazy but I am afriad it’s going to go more, though I think not by a lot.
These two are firecrackers and never stop, it’s just not them, so their path to the Palace has been pretty winding.
Minnie
August 16, 2023 at 5:38 AM
Can you blame me for feverishly awaiting these two on my screen?
#Dr Slump #Park Hyung Sik #Yoon Park #Fangirllingmoments
Minnie
June 29, 2023 at 10:30 AM
Watch him as a high schooler in Heirs (he makes stupid and naive look cute and cuddly), and then in High Society as a high schooler where he oozes sex appeal and arrogance.
Seon-ha
June 29, 2023 at 11:20 AM
I don’t want to overstep, @minniegupta1, but if you’re having trouble with the 200 character limit on posts the trick is to compose what you want to say in another notes app, and then paste it into this site’s “compose” window using your mouse or finger (depending on your device)…anything other than the keyboard commands.
You can still add images after you paste.
Minnie
June 29, 2023 at 11:27 AM
Thank you! I am struggling big time. I was trying to find some time to update this, found some time, and got stuck in 200 word limit, so thank you!
Minnie
June 29, 2023 at 12:01 PM
@Seon-ha: Looks like I can’t find it. For some reason I don’t have the WYSIWYG editor for this site.
Seon-ha
June 29, 2023 at 12:09 PM
Well, right, there’s no WYSIWYG editor, just the regular entry box that will accept a limited number of HTML tags. No buttons, no bells-and-whistles.
So, just to be pedantic let me be overly-descriptive, when go to your own fan wall (from your profile menu)…at the top of the page (but under your banner) will be the entry pane in which you typed your posts before, right?
Well, that’s the same (and correct) place you are to paste in your longer text that you composed elsewhere. Just remember to use your mouse, not the keyboard, when you paste or it’ll get clipped again.
Also, FWIW, you can fully delete posts. It doesn’t just mark them as deleted, they go away.
Minnie
June 29, 2023 at 2:02 PM
Ah! Got it. Let me try.
alasecond
June 29, 2023 at 11:34 AM
lol.. go watch him in Hwarang (don’t bother with the drama but just him).. and you will find what pretty handsome sexy is when put together..
All his work post that is mostly good and mature..
Minnie
June 29, 2023 at 11:46 AM
Oh well, that’s where I ‘discovered’ him lol! Started watching it for Seo Joon and fell hook line and sinker for the young, lost, fearful king. I cannot think of another actor who could make you justify cowardice. I could write peons on how he lifted a terrible drama out of the gutter single-handedly and carried it on his then slim, though very handsome shoulders. I almost did not recognize him in Heirs that I watched after Hwarang (I watched it for Lee Min Ho and wasn’t particularly looking for Hyung Sik). That is when it struck me how brilliant an actor he actually is. And then of course, I went nuts looking for his work lol!Till date I have no idea how he made his exceptionally emotive and expressive eyes go flat and dumb in ‘Heirs’. He has to have a remote control for his eyes that bid his command when he presses a button.
alasecond
June 30, 2023 at 3:23 AM
ha ha.. i discovered him there too.. when that show aired.. then belatedly realized he was in heirs
Minnie
June 30, 2023 at 11:59 AM
There is this one scene in Heirs that stands out for me just because very subtly brilliant it is. They are sitting in this cafe, and Woo Bin regrestfully muses how he lost so much in this cafe. Park Hyung Sik, while stuffing his face with food, casually asks about what he lost. Woo Bin muses, nostaligically, “Mom, friend’, refering to his Mom and of course, Lee Min Ho.
Park Hyung Sik looks up, competely blank, then does some calculations in his head, and asks with a great interest, layered with the dumbest look you could find on an actor, “You lost your Mom’s friend?”
I laugh just thinking about it. It was not one of those over the top moments that PHS in Heirs is known for, but it’s the one that stands out the most for me.
He repeated his outstanding comic timing in OBY in the shovel scene. His expressions of horror at the thought of doing menial work and eventually failing at it are priceless. And of course, his entire ‘dimwit’ discourse LOL!
redfox
June 29, 2023 at 1:28 PM
watch Happiness! He acted so passionately there.
Minnie
June 29, 2023 at 2:01 PM
Sigh! It’s the only Zombie drama I have watched, and just because of him. However, my first watch was for him, the second time I watched it for its content, it’s a beautifully crafted series. Though I will forever rail against how abrubt the end was, and the fact that they did not give those two an entire episode of recovering and truly getting together.
redfox
June 29, 2023 at 11:44 PM
not many dare to watch it twice. I watched it 8 times… true about the ending, but on the other hand, I think it reflected very accurately how after covid restrictions too, people went back to business as usual and forgot about danger very fast. but I feel like, they were hoping for an extension, and when it didnt happen, and they had perhaps planned out the ending in 2 parts, but they had to squeeze half of what they planned into a quarter of time yknow. I believe the script actually contained a lot more, which was left out.
Minnie
June 30, 2023 at 5:54 AM
I love love love Happiness. Your theory definietly makes sense. But that has done such a diservice to his romance talents. After his military service, all of his roles have been that of a man spending his lifetime trying his best to hide his feelings from the love of his life. Like seriously, it’s identical. Happiness, Soundtrack #1 and Our Blooming Youth – all three! And in all three he got all of 30 seconds to actually smoulder a tini-tiny bit. Someone asked me somewhere who smoulders the best, and PHS is the first name that jumped in my mind (the way he looks at Han So Nee in Soundtrack #1 at the table when she is writing and he is listening to music, that hospital scene in Strong woman, the candle scene in Hwarang, the rainy day car scene in High Society – the man was just getting started). However, in Happiness he spends his time just adoring her from afar (what cracklig chemistry they shared). In OBY he does not even get anywhere close to smoulder with all the anti hug hats and Josean mores in abundance everywhere lol! Though his role in OBY continues to be my personal favorite just because of the gamut of emotions that man showcases in the series.
Blue (@mayhemf)
June 29, 2023 at 2:21 PM
He and Crystal were the best part of Heirs. I particularly enjoyed his banter with Woo-Bin.
Minnie
June 29, 2023 at 2:37 PM
Haha! It was difficult to finish that series. I might be drawing a lot of ire, but Lee Min Ho is awfully over rated. Funny enough, after watching High Society I realized they could have given any of the roles in Heirs to PHS and he would have aced it. On the flip side, it’s difficult to imagine anyone else pulling off Myung Soo the way he did in that start cast though.
Blue (@mayhemf)
June 29, 2023 at 2:54 PM
lol.. You will find a lot of us agree to your statement about LMH.. But still, he was one of the reasons I got into kdramas (BoF was my first) so I can’t hate him. Also, he is Fams’ one true love.. I love bringing up this link every few years – Even though its a Woo family tree you will see how everyone is connected to LMH.
https://www.dramabeans.com/members/13infamyss/activity/1057007/
Heirs was one of my earlier dramas. Its a terrible drama, but it was addictive.. its so bad its good?
Minnie
June 30, 2023 at 6:08 AM
I think I will need some time to understand that link lol! I like LMH and will watch something that has him, it’s just that I won’t watch him just because. He is awfully limited in histronics. But then other than PHS there is no one else I would exclusively watch a drama for either. The ML in Hidden love is fab though but so far I don’t think Chinese dramas are cutting it for me as of now.
Minnie
June 29, 2023 at 10:27 AM
After years I discovered an actor who juts does not look a million bucks, but takes a part of my heart every time he dons an avatar on screen.
Minnie
June 29, 2023 at 10:25 AM
Started watching K-dramas after years of watching only occasional shows, after my sister convinced me to give a Park Seo Joon’s drama a try. Then, I discovered Park Hyung Sik. Rabbit holed completely.