[Staff Spotlight] Get to know HappilyEverAfter

47 July 1, 2017June 30, 2017

by HappilyEverAfter

Explain your username (and/or avatar).

HappilyEverAfter comes from my name, Abbey Li (try saying the two together really quickly and it’ll sound somewhat similar to “happily”). I also NEED my happily-ever-after endings—one of the major appeals of the predictability of a Korean rom-com for me is that I can relax knowing that things will be fine because the main leads will always end up together.

What is the first drama that you watched (or the first drama that made an impression)?

Boys Over Flowers. Typical, and slightly embarrassing, but it really was ridiculously addicting.

Have you ever lived a moment that you thought belonged in a drama?

Honestly, my daily life is more like a sitcom than a drama. I’m painfully awkward and I do the most cringeworthy things on a daily basis…

What drama genres do you especially like?

Romantic comedies. They help me fill the gap in my empty love life, haha. They also set incredibly unrealistic expectations… What do you mean there’s no guy who’s cute, committed, and a genuinely nice person? Those kinds of guys don’t exist in real life?

What drama genres do you especially dislike?

Anything that’s vaguely scary or horror-related. I try to avoid watching shows that might give me a jump-scare because I tend to shriek pretty loudly, and it’s not a pretty sound.

Is there a drama character you’ve ever strongly identified with, and why?

Hong Seol from Cheese in the Trap — at least in the first few episodes. Her general awkwardness around people, her life as a doormat, and her wariness of this hot guy who kept asking her out, were all too relatable for me. Every time she stood up for herself, I pumped my fist, cheering her on because it just felt like she was me.

What drama character would you want to be?

Hye-sung from I Hear Your Voice. She has her flaws, but they don’t weigh her down and she’s a smart and intelligent woman in her own right. Soo-ha might be the cool one with superpowers, but Hye-sung’s the real superwoman.

Favorite non-Korean movie and/or TV show?

I used to watch a lot of Japanese dramas, and I quite enjoyed the Gokusen series when I watched each episode separately.

Which Hallyu celebrity would you actually want to meet and spend an hour with?

Amber from f(x). She just seems like such a chill person to hang around, and understanding of weirdness… I feel like I would end up freaking out in front of any other big celebrity and he or she would just pity me and think that I’m just a really strange girl.

Your favorite drama has an unholy alliance with your most hated drama and produces a mutant baby drama. Describe the plot.

Oh, it’s already happened. You take Kim Woo-bin and the destroyed bromance from School 2013, you take the bullying and the Candy from Boys Over Flowers (didn’t hate it but I like it the least out of all the dramas I’ve finished), and you basically get Heirs, right?

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Tags: Staff Spotlight

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1 Pickwick12

July 1, 2017 at 12:11 PM

That's a brilliant take on the mutant baby drama question!

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2 Ek Ladhki Thi

July 1, 2017 at 12:25 PM

Boys Over Flowers was the drama that got me addicted too. I watched Moon/Sun just before it but I didn't become truly obsessed until BOF. In Nigeria where sometimes the electricity goes out, imagine trying to watch a 25 episode drama without moving. Sometimes, my sisters and I would lie in the living room and stare at the fan waiting for it to move so we can finish it. I watched that drama like 6 times consecutively.

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hayoungie

July 1, 2017 at 6:06 PM

Whoa you're a Nigerian (high five), same here. Actually I watched BOF well over 11 times (and that's not strange or anything, right?) ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

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Ek Ladhki Thi

July 1, 2017 at 7:12 PM

Lol, it's not. I was mesmerized by the pretty and I died laughing so much because of Geum Jan-di. I would probably cringe to death if I had to watch her now.

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olutommi

July 1, 2017 at 10:53 PM

Yayy! I'm Nigerian too. Nice to meet fellow Nigerian beanies. ??

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Oppyjcw

July 2, 2017 at 9:40 AM

from Nigeria too!!!!!!!

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Klike234

July 2, 2017 at 12:55 PM

Nigeria! Hi there! It's a bit difficult to tell our nationalities (not like that's important) but I think it's cool to find out a free familiar orle are around and living the same things you do don't you think? And it's also nice to knife how far people from various countries are loving kdramas as you are

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Klike234

July 2, 2017 at 12:57 PM

*few familiar people
I should take my editing more seriously before I send my posts lol

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rentenmann

July 2, 2017 at 6:21 PM

I very much understand your pain on this.

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3 🍙 kimbap noona

July 1, 2017 at 1:10 PM

I am impressed but also a little envious that you can relate to Seol’s wariness of Park Hae-jin level hot guys who keep asking you out. What is your secret?

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HappilyEverAfter

July 3, 2017 at 2:45 AM

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4 mary

July 1, 2017 at 2:04 PM

Your nickname is a pun? That's so witty! (And LOL at your mutant baby drama)

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Wag-a-muffin

July 1, 2017 at 5:30 PM

My maiden name (when said quickly) sounds like "blah blah blah." (Literally.) Many times, after being introduced the person would say, "you are blah blah blah?"
I am so envious of your name.

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HappilyEverAfter

July 3, 2017 at 3:09 AM

Aw, now I want to know your name!

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Wag-a-muffin

July 10, 2017 at 7:48 AM

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HappilyEverAfter

July 3, 2017 at 3:09 AM

Haha, thanks mary! It was my Facebook name during the whole college-admissions season in high school, back when all the seniors changed their names to a bunch of weird nicknames so colleges wouldn't be able to find their profiles.

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5 Kudo Ran

July 1, 2017 at 2:24 PM

"Romantic comedies. They help me fill the gap in my empty love life, haha. They also set incredibly unrealistic expectations… What do you mean there’s no guy who’s cute, committed, and a genuinely nice person? Those kinds of guys don’t exist in real life? " well said and unfortunately so true...
@Happilyeverafter your mutant baby drama is nicely done, we all know how it turned out but at least it is full of handsome men. For this one, it would be :
The one who wants to watch hansome men, must bear the pain.

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kayedrama

July 2, 2017 at 3:02 AM

Hahahahaha! School 2013+BOF = Heirs: The one who wants to watch handsome men, must bear the pain. ?

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6 blnmom

July 1, 2017 at 2:54 PM

I hate horror too, I'm mystified by those who find it fun to be terrified. Must be the adrenaline rush, I guess. I have no fun plus I get nightmares for days. (But didn't you recap Mirror of the Witch -- wasn't that scary?)

Joining you in sticking with rom-coms, however unrealistic they may be!

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rentenmann

July 2, 2017 at 6:25 PM

I know! Who pays to be scared at places like the movies, Halloween/haunted houses, etc? I just don't want to part with my money for that effect, ya know? However, MOTW was pretty danged good for most of it's run, so far as I remember. There was just enough there to leave me slightly bothered, but definitely not scared.

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HappilyEverAfter

July 3, 2017 at 3:19 AM

Oh, I loved Mirror of the Witch -- the landscapes and vivid colors were gorgeous! It wasn't exactly horror, though I did jump a few times when that creepy mask showed up on my screen... I feel like it's inevitable to avoid a few scary scenes here and there in any drama that's not 100% rom-com, so I usually end up just half-covering my eyes during the creepy scenes, which you can tell are about to happen when you listen to the music that's playing... It's like the concept of classical conditioning in psychology LOL

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7 SailorJumun

July 1, 2017 at 3:48 PM

100% agree! A happy ending is definitely a must-have. *gives every airing rom-com the side-eye*

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HappilyEverAfter

July 3, 2017 at 3:21 AM

Makes me wonder if there have ever been any Korean dramas billed as rom-coms where the main couple doesn't end up together...

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Ahj ❤ ❥ ♡ ♥ ღ

July 3, 2017 at 8:07 AM

I can sign up BIG(2012) for that. I actually can't move on with the ending of that drama, it's quite confusing right from the start anyway.

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8 elvira

July 1, 2017 at 3:53 PM

Your mutant baby drama has already happened in the form of Heirs.
Hahahahahaa...
This is rarely happen.
Truly a moment that belong to drama (?)

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9 cassie23

July 1, 2017 at 4:42 PM

i hate horror things too,,,

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10 hayoungie

July 1, 2017 at 6:10 PM

Nice getting to know you, HappilyEverAfter. I think we're pretty much the same and as for your mutant baby drama... loved it.

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11 telzey

July 1, 2017 at 6:11 PM

I look for Japanese dramas, which are hard to find - it's not as easy as finding Korean ones. You mentioned Gakusen so I found it and enjoyed the first episode a lot. It's certainly a new slant on a school story. I enjoy reading Dramabeans. Thanks to all of you who work in it!

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frabbycrabsis loves KBS Drama Specials

July 2, 2017 at 10:06 AM

If you're enjoying Gokusen, try not to watch the later seasons. They become really formulaic and don't capture the original magic. Watch 'Misaki Number One!!' instead, which is like Gokusen's sparkly little sister.

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theredsnowflake

July 5, 2017 at 9:28 PM

Agree. I stopped watching after a few episodes of the third season. It's just not the same as the first season. Maybe it's also because I was waiting for the continuation of the story between Yankumi and Shin, which will never happen in the live action:( (now, I miss matsumoto jun)

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12 Anisa

July 1, 2017 at 7:46 PM

Totally agree with you on the love for rom-coms and hatred of horror! :)

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HappilyEverAfter

July 3, 2017 at 3:26 AM

Don't you love-hate it when you go into a drama thinking it's a rom-com because it's so funny, and then it has these moments where it's basically a thriller, and then you just have to stick through all the scary parts because you're already so invested? *cough cough* Lee Jong-seok, why do you do this to me?

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13 imbuk

July 1, 2017 at 11:10 PM

I used to get nightmares if I watched horror movies when I was a kid. Now, I don't get nightmares and I watch them. But only during daylight and keeping the volume low, lol. I am kind of awkward too especially if I am meeting someone for the first time. Nice to get to know you, HappilyEverAfter!

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rentenmann

July 2, 2017 at 6:26 PM

Same here on the awkwardness!

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HappilyEverAfter

July 3, 2017 at 3:28 AM

Awkward people, unite!

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14 Fatcat007 (Kitty 💜)

July 1, 2017 at 11:59 PM

Nic to know you happily ever after.
That's a good mutant drama :-P

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15 Martin J Simwaba

July 2, 2017 at 2:00 AM

Hi, how are you? Wow! Your mutant drama somehow makes sense to me, it's like that's how the writer came up with the story.

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16 korfan

July 2, 2017 at 2:37 AM

So nice to know a little bit more about you! Thank you for sharing.

Loving your answer to the mutant baby drama question!

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17 jliann

July 2, 2017 at 5:49 AM

Your mutant baby drama is perfect. It even has Lee Min Ho from BOF, so Heirs is *actually* the complete package.

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HappilyEverAfter

July 3, 2017 at 3:27 AM

Ah! How could I forget? That was so key!

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18 frabbycrabsis loves KBS Drama Specials

July 2, 2017 at 10:04 AM

Yes! I LOVE Gokusen! You remind me of me on so many levels.

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HappilyEverAfter

July 3, 2017 at 3:28 AM

Long live bromance stories!

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19 Gidget

July 2, 2017 at 10:07 AM

Bahahaha...your mutant drama. You're too funny. Looking forward to reading your next recap.

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20 rentenmann

July 2, 2017 at 6:31 PM

Ah, awkwardness and not knowing what to do on the flirting and dating fronts. I don't miss those days! Once a popular guy tried for three consecutive days waiting outside my classroom to try getting me to talk to him. Since I was a nerdy wall flower, I passed him by all three days, not believing he was interested in me; impossible! It never went further than that.

Gosh, that felt like No Ji-wook should be having an outburst somewhere in there a la Suspicious Partner, lol. Sorry to ramble, CEO Byun style! Nice to meet you, @happilyeverafter!

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HappilyEverAfter

July 3, 2017 at 3:31 AM

Awww... That story sounds like it would've been so cute!

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21 Mish

July 3, 2017 at 10:54 AM

Wow. I relate to every single thing you said. ESPECIALLY the mutant baby drama.

BOF dragged so many victims into the abyss (myself included).

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22 pickledplumtree

July 6, 2017 at 9:41 AM

Hi HappilyEverAfter! I love the backstory behi how you chose your username. It's perfect!

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