Dramabeans Podcast #13: Standby
by javabeans
Hello, folks! This is a podcast we hadn’t planned, exactly, but ended up recording because that just seemed easier, given how far along we’re in Standby at this point, compared to the last time we covered it. It’s a show that I’ve been watching regularly, and while it’s not rocking my world, there are enough appealing cast members, cute relationships, and some laugh-out-loud moments to keep me coming back for more.
So here we go: Standby in 3, 2, 1…
[ Download podcast ]
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(Note: There were a few scenes my fish memory misremembered during the podcast discussion, such as the reason for Suk-jin putting his name in his black book, or the setup of the elevator candy-bar exchange. Ultimately the details don’t change the discussion points, but in case you were wondering why my version was different from yours, it’s just because my memory fails me from time to time. The perils of aging!)
Songs Used in Podcast (In order of use)
LEDApple – “Yeah”
Jewelry – “운명같은 사랑” (Love like fate) from the Standby OST
Lee Gun-woo – “관심 혹은 착각” (Interest, maybe delusion) from the Standby OST
Epitone Project – “Sketch 1” (which you may recognize from parts of the show)
To illustrate some of the scenes we mention in the podcast…
There’s not enough family bonding between the boys, but when they do manage to get together, they’ve settled into a nice, comfortable camaraderie:
Shi-wan and Kyung-pyo’s forbidden friendship, one of the show’s better storylines, which always makes me laugh and aww:
Here’s Jin-haeng playing mother-in-law, getting possessive of his perfect son-figure Shi-wan. This is the classic envelope-offer moment, where he attempts to free the perfect son from the shackles of an “inferior” relationship… prompting Kyung-pyo to try to study to be worthy of his BFF (aww):
The adorable bonding between Suk-jin and Kyung-pyo, who have more in common than you might expect:
The loveline that got dropped (curses!)…
…in favor of the love triangle that was supposed to be interesting but totally wasn’t (double curses!):
The one-sided loveline between So-min and Shi-wan that’s half-interesting:
A randomly funny cameo from Kwang-hee as Suk-jin’s immature, adoring, and jealous (of Shi-wan) brother:
– “Horrible! Terrible! How could you pants me in front of everyone!”
– “It’s your fault for that dumb revenge and almost letting out that I was Ha Su-do! So what if you look awesome in your underwear, how could you?”
– “What about you? Who cares if you look amazing just picking up that picture from the floor?! You’re so perfect I can’t even hate you! I can’t stand it!”
– “You punk, sounding so cute no matter what you say!”
The silly faces of Ryu Jin-haeng:
And the many faces of Ha Suk-jin:
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Tags: featured, Go Kyung-pyo, Ha Suk-jin, Im Shi-wan, Jung So-min, Lee Ki-woo, Ryu Jin, Soo-hyun, Standby
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1 Sponge
August 5, 2012 at 5:15 AM
Oh wow so a podcast recap? Awesome! Combines two of the best things! XD
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2 D
August 5, 2012 at 5:44 AM
thank you fr d podcast..
and one more, i love you LEE KI WOOOO!
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3 Annis
August 5, 2012 at 5:49 AM
Thanks for the podcast and recaps.
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4 Monona
August 5, 2012 at 5:53 AM
Ha i think i might watch this show based on your screencaps alone. Wait, so does that mean So-min doesn't have an actual loveline anymore? Off to listen..
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5 jules
August 5, 2012 at 6:30 AM
THANK YOU! I thought I was the only one who thought of Soo-hyun as a charisma suck, because given the amount of screen-time she gets, I figured that people must really love her for some strange, inexplicable reason (seriously, every time the episode centres around her, I feel free to wander into the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea, or a sandwich, or to just, like, vacuum the house, trim my split ends, examine my cuticles...).
The discontent I feel for the show now makes me kind of sad, considering how much I enjoyed (parts of) it in the beginning, and I really can't see it ending in a satisfactory way (well, satisfactory for me, that is).
Anyway, thanks for the podcast! Hearing your thoughts sort of cheers me up - hey, at least I'm not the only one feeling this way about specific storylines/characters - and reminds me of the good parts of the show. :)
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6 Krys
August 5, 2012 at 6:33 AM
the so-min & ki-woo loveline was my favorite!! :(
thanks for the podcast!! going to listen now :)
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7 ck1Oz
August 5, 2012 at 6:35 AM
Cool bananas. I was surfing around looking for something light before bed. Plus I've been watching Standby and there's been no one to discuss it with.
Thank you... going to sit back and read now with my rice and Korean spicy pork :-)
Added note- just scrolled down. Dammit. You mean to tell me that new love line is permanent? I wanted the Ki Woo and Jung Min love line. I thought the new one was just a side plot before the real love line started. It mean it's NOT!!! Grr...
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Elaine
August 5, 2012 at 6:43 AM
So annoyed that the Somin/Kiwoo loveline got dropped -_-
I was also hoping that the new loveline was just going to be a passing thing, but from the looks of it...
UGH.
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jules
August 5, 2012 at 6:47 AM
Soo-hyun and Ki-woo have kissed, so that's it, really - they're unfortunately going to be the end-game couple, as there are only 40 episodes left and I can't see the writers deviating from the (bad-wrong) path on which they've set the characters. Ugh, so sad. :(
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ck1Oz
August 5, 2012 at 8:35 AM
Noo.... it can't be true :-(
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jules
August 5, 2012 at 10:57 AM
Well, at this stage in the game, the only way I can see for Ki-woo and So-min to be together would be for Soo-hyun to legitimately pick Suk-jin and for Ki-woo to go to So-min as a balm for ego. And I don't want that for So-min; she deserves so much more than to be Ki-woo's poor second choice.
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8 Elaine
August 5, 2012 at 6:42 AM
So annoyed that the Somin/Kiwoo loveline got dropped -_-
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9 Cinderella
August 5, 2012 at 7:04 AM
Wow... I think like every 2 mins I would pause it and say words like "Exactly!" and "Yes! You get me..."
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10 gaeinalee
August 5, 2012 at 7:30 AM
Owww, now I have to watch this... So many good actors in 1 drama, but why sooo many eps??
Hwang Kwang-hee is naturally, always hilarious-over the top-loud person, he is the life of a party, yet earnest.
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11 Ivoire
August 5, 2012 at 7:56 AM
Thank you!
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12 crazedlu
August 5, 2012 at 8:06 AM
pretty miffed about the dropped loveline. grr. the love triangle is sooo boring.
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13 Brittni
August 5, 2012 at 8:38 AM
Siwan is only a year older then So min. He was born in 88 and Jung So Min was born in 89. It is crazy though he Looks so young. I seriously thought he was only like 20 ish not 25. I don't know how I feel about Siwan and So Min ending up together. I really loved the Ki Woo and So Min story line.
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14 Marie
August 5, 2012 at 8:41 AM
I stopped watching once it became clear that Soo Hyun/Ki Woo were endgame. Also miffed that there's no love line for my poor Ryu Jin :-(
BTW, does anyone know how old Ki Woo and Soo Hyun are suppoesd to be in the drama?
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15 girlatsea
August 5, 2012 at 8:48 AM
Not a sitcom fan but I kept meaning to watch Standby. I just never got to it...But now if the So-min loveline is dropped, I don't think I'm going to be nearly as interested.
BUT I started another sitcom last week called I Live in Cheongdam-dong (청담동 살아요) and I LOVE IT. It just wrapped this week and only about 8 episodes are subbed but I highly recommend it~
JB & GF - Thanks for the podcast!
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16 Daisy
August 5, 2012 at 8:56 AM
I hate it when lovelines get dropped! It always happens in sitcoms. In High Kick 1 there's the teacher and Jung Ill Woo, Hick Kick 2 Ji Hoon and Se kyung line ( though I didn't mind since I like him with Jung Eum better), More Charming by the day with Ba Ni and Kyu Han, and All my love with Jo Kwon and Yoo Seung Ah. >.>
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Marie
August 5, 2012 at 9:03 AM
Aww, I was such a Ji Hoon/Se Kyung shipper back in the day. The ending still makes me spasm.
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17 Daisy
August 5, 2012 at 8:58 AM
I hate it when lovelines get dropped! It always happens in sitcoms. In High Kick 1 there's the teacher and Jung Ill Woo, Hick Kick 2 Ji Hoon and Se kyung line ( though I didn't mind since I like him with Jung Eum better), More Charming by the day with Ba Ni and Kyu Han, and All my love with Jo Kwon and Yoo Seung Ah. :(
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18 Daisy
August 5, 2012 at 8:58 AM
I hate it when lovelines get dropped! It always happens in sitcoms.
In High Kick 1 there's the teacher and Jung Ill Woo, Hick Kick 2 Ji Hoon and Se kyung line ( though I didn't mind since I like him with Jung Eum better), More Charming by the day with Ba Ni and Kyu Han, and All my love with Jo Kwon and Yoo Seung Ah. :(
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19 Jacks
August 5, 2012 at 9:01 AM
LEDApple yay!
I dislike how Standby's turning out *sigh*
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20 canxi
August 5, 2012 at 9:26 AM
Ah really? They dropped that love line?? uhghwuuuuh?! That particular couple set up would have been so cute and awesome. If you have an idea, you should stick with it or at least not announce love lines if you think you might change them somewhere down the line. I still wanna watch the show though...whenever it finishes subbing.
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21 ninji
August 5, 2012 at 10:58 AM
Well, I've been patiently waiting for subs for this one, but since I now know that So Min and Ki Woo pairing isn't going to happen I'm not too keen to watch this for a 100 episodes. I guess that's good, now I don't have to curse when there's no subs. Sad though, they would've been perfect. Wah.
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22 annie
August 5, 2012 at 11:07 AM
Thanks for the podcast! I watched about ten episodes and then put it on hold for later - but now I know Somin-Kiwoo won't be happening, I'm not going to watch. Despite my great love of Ha Suk-jin.
Suk-jin has actually been a lead in a cable drama - Once Upon a Time in Saengchori, which was hilarious and cute. And he plays a really funny character, who is perfect on the surface and acts like an arrogant jerk, but is actually hiding a huge and ridiculous weakness. It's a comedy/mystery/romance, and really different and enjoyable, despite one major plot point which requires a suspension of disbelief.
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annie
August 5, 2012 at 11:15 AM
About the bilingual actors being worse in English - I wonder if it's because the English dialogue, which seems written in Korean and translated directly, is so stilted to a native English speaker's ear, and so they end up delivering it in a very unnatural way. Whereas actors who are less fluent in English may not pick up on how weird it sounds, and can simply act the meaning out. If that makes sense.
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ahjummabunny
August 6, 2012 at 7:19 AM
doesn't all art require suspension of disbelief?
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23 Jackie
August 5, 2012 at 11:17 AM
Thanks for the podcast! Been wanting to watch this but I can't find subs for it, anyone know where I can watch it with eng subs? Thank you!
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24 meix2
August 5, 2012 at 4:26 PM
Wow... I didn't realised that there was such a plot change. I was gonna marathon it when it ended especially since I liked the So Min and Ki Woo pairing... I don't think I'll bother now.
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25 Cynthia
August 5, 2012 at 5:34 PM
I really was looking forward to Standby - but two things killed it for sure for me - Jung So Min's role getting slashed and the fact that the subbing is beyond super slow.
:(
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