People are creatures of habit. My daily morning routine includes a game of WORDLE. I don’t have a one starting word strategy. I choose a new word every day to make it more interesting. This morning my first word came up with zero correct letters. A total blank. No letter hints. But I solved the puzzle on the second try. I know the odds are less than one percent to solve the puzzle on the first try. Second try? In the past, I have had some second try wins but I had hints. This is the first time I solved the second try without any hints.

There may be a movie theater pulse in 2024. The South Korean supernatural flick "Exhuma" surpassed 10 million in admissions becoming the first film released in 2024 to reach the milestone. According to the distributor Showbox, the film topped the 10-million mark (10,471,509) in just over a month since day since its release. It gross ticket sales accounts for more than 35 percent of the total Korean yearly box office. Directed by Jang Jae-hyun, "Exhuma" has never ceded the No. 1 spot at the box office since hitting theaters on Feb. 22. This is the first film to sell over 10 million tickets since "12.12: The Day," which hit the milestone on Christmas Eve last year. "Exhuma" is also the 23rd Korean film with over 10 million in admissions in South Korea and the 32nd such film here overall. It is also doing extremely well in other Asian countries. Starring Choi Min-sik and Kim Go-eun, "Exhuma" revolves around two shamans, a feng shui expert and a mortician who join forces to investigate a string of mysterious occurrences affecting a wealthy family based in the United States. They embark on this journey by exhuming the grave of the family's ancestor in a remote Korean village.

Happy Friday, Beanies! Between power outages and splitting headache (weather is extra crazy this spring) I didn't have that much time to prepare long and thoughtful entry, so today we'll keep it uncharacteristically laconic. Yesterday LYN had his first public appearance in a while at China Quality TV Drama Awards (basically a specific channel's home show, despite the grand name) and bagged an award aptly named “Golden Voice”. Looked fine, if visibly tired, but he's getting some rest after that so hopefully things will get better. I miss him streaming((( He sang one of his OSTs for that TV station (BRIGHT EYES IN THE DARK – one of too many 2023 firefighter cdramas) – and wished to get an acting award too next time, love his audacity – and covered BLOSSOMS SHANGHAI's one. Took me an effort to find the performance with a decent audio volume, enjoy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfhmTmEbr9U

Also subbed official version of his OST – I'm lukewarm to this track, but anything is great as long as he sings it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8MjcPQDqwU

While we're still on OST topic – since he's taking a break from streaming atm, there's no point to keep his two newest ones collecting dust, we'll surely get live versions later. Both from ongoing fantasy dramas – first BURNING FLAMES (people seem to enjoy it for “so bad it's good” reasons, not that I dared to check out myself... that song title tho, ouch!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_B6l9rYpec

Second is from THE LEGEND OF SHEN LI, you can hear it in initial episodes already. This song is very interesting – I cannot recall anything similar from his vast discography before. Btw this gig was offered to him by drama's PD while they worked together on TPOB set (when will that air, huh?!), which is super cute:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAzWfMOTRGk

Xianxia theme is rather lucrative in his case, tho maybe not as much as wuxia, but let's wrap up with something a bit different – his advertising song for A CHINESE GHOST STORY game. They actually dressed him the part, I cannot! Could've invest a bit more into outfit ofc – looks like a cheap cosplay more than official promo... oh well, one of these days he'll give us a proper fashionable hot demon role, right? A girl can hope))) Song is genuinely fun in a “welcome to hell” morbid way, which I always dig. Plus there's subs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DzSMkh7Ch0

Not-so-musical bonus – aka my all-time favorite genre of LYN the actor: one where he plays charismatic menaces who stab people. Sooo attractive! Judge me all you want, I have no regrets whatsoever Reminds me that one of these days I need to somehow finish HEROES for delicious bloody craziness he displays there:
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1ui421d7iN/

I've been watching Queen of Tears on 1.25 speed. I tried to watch on 1.5 speed, but that made it to fast to read the subtitles. Does anyone have any insight into why each episode is sooooo long--at around the nearly 90 minutes (give or take). It isn't an intricate/complex story (at the moment, I finished episode 5). I don't remember other kdramas having episodes this long (maybe some were and I just didn't notice). I find I like shows most when the episodes are around 45 minutes long. So, why? Doesn't it cost more to make a longer drama? There must be a reason. The length of the episodes is really dampening my enjoyment.

Just a quick PSA for anyone else who struggled with this.

I could never take screenshots of shows I was watching, which was frustrating! I was feeling insecure about hosting community watch activities and always wished I could use photos to accompany my fanwall posts, but nothing that I tried seemed to work. I read articles telling me to turn of "hardware acceleration" in my internet browser, but I had done that and still just a black screen every time I tried. I couldn't figure out what everyone else was doing that I was missing. So annoying!

Turns out, you pretty much can't do it if you're using Firefox, which has been my go-to for a long time. The minute I tried it in Chrome (after turning off hardware acceleration in the settings) it works like a charm. So now I'll be using Chrome for streaming, and just keeping Firefox for everything else. I wanted to post here in case anyone else was dealing with this!

Yoo Ah In's movie is finally premiering on Netflix. It's coming out April 26.

Personally, I don't see myself watching it because I don't really like those types of movies (dystopic, end of the world, etc). But I hope it does well and everyone can't help but acknowledge the acting in it.

I know that wouldn't change public perception or anything but it would be nice for him to be seen as actor again rather just what he's been reduced to according to the public (criminal, druggie, scum of the earth, etc)

I have a hair appt in the morning tomorrow and I'm salty that it will interfere with my Queen of Tears watching. We also have Easter lunch on Sunday and will try to squeeze the latest ep in before that. My husband is also hooked, and this is reminding me of Crash Landing on You days when we'd both sit down and watch it first thing in the morning as soon as Netflix released it.

Speaking of, I don't think I ever told you guys the story of how I found Crash Landing on You. My husband and I had watched a clip of it (you know how Netflix shows you clips when you hover on an item long enough?) because the North Korea thing interested us. But how I ended up watching it, is that my husband and I got into a major fight and I was just looking for something, ANYTHING to watch. I decided to check it out, despite having had bad luck with Kdramas before (I tried Descendants of the Sun in the past and could not get past the first episode) and, of course I loved it. After my husband and I made up he ended up seeing the second episode and fell in love with it, too. It shocked me because he used to leave the room during the Taiwanese and Chinese dramas I had watched before that. Anyway, sometimes I think about, what if we hadn't fought that day? Would I still have discovered Kdramas? I like to think so, but it kind of haunts me!

In non-Kdrama news, I am working really hard on an upcoming community theatre audition and I've also been reading a lot (for those who don't know, I am a voracious romance reader). I am also SO excited that season 3 Bridgerton promo has finally started.

I'm a relative newbie around here, but I'm also very interested in the internet archaeology of Dramabeans and--frankly--would like to laud our fearless leaders for leaving so much of thee deep history of this site posted to the open internet. I, of course, do not know what has been deleted, but here's something I do know...

@javabeans seems to have started the Open Thread tradition with "Open Thread #1" on October 26, 2007. And she began with the following words:

I’ve seen open threads on other blogs and always wondered what they were. Then I found out and went, “Ohh, why didn’t I think of that before?” Especially considering how I myself derail comments sometimes with completely off-topic comment hijacking.

It's clear from her wording (and our communal understanding of the history of DB) that this was at a moment when Dramabeans was her personal blog (remember them??) than the forum we experience now. She was giving her followers a place to talk about things beyond the subject of the site--all things K-culture--because 2007-Javabeans was an excellent blogger-leader.

Since that time, much has changed both in the world and on this site. The community has, for example, also been given the Fan Wall. This addition happened in the site transformation from personal-blog-to-more-openly-social/community-oriented-website that took place in 2017, a full ten years later.

But the point of Open Thread and, IMO, the Fan Wall has not changed, and that is to give us a place to talk about our full selves, precisely so that we do not hijack the comment threads on the recaps with off-topic conversations. This is, after all, a community committed to K-dramas, yes? And we've been given so many places to talk about whatever we like beyond that, such as this very, weekly feature and also our own, personal Fan Wall.

Ad hominem attacks on other Beanies are not welcome anywhere on the site, and even spoilers (!_ are welcome here on Open Thread and on the Fan Wall (although clear spoiler warnings are always **welcome**!!!). But, surely the recaps are best protected for discussion of the weekly episodes of our beloved dramas.

And @javabeans from 2007? Jon Stewart's baaaaack here in 2024. Ya thought he was cranky then? We hadn't seen nothing yet.

Sometimes when I watch making of/behind the scenes videos, it gives me a new appreciation for a work or makes me see things that I didn't notice.

I just watched The Sword of Aramun and I didn't notice the ways Eunseom's looks were differeniated from Saya's (aside from the obvious such as hair and costuming). I never noticed freckles or that Eunseom is supposed to look a bit more aged.

Sidenote: if anyone wants to talk to me about Sword of Aramun, that would be nice haha

Having seen Sword of Aramun, I'm kinda curious about S1 even though I know it's totally different. I feel like I would end up thinking "what ifs" haha.

What if Song Joong Ki played the aged versions of the characters? Could he do the nuances of the brothers' interactions? Could he do the actions scenes as cool as Lee Joon Gi (since LJG is kinda *the* action actor).

On the other hand, how would have LJG played the younger version of the characters.

I think the actress playing Tanya in S2 does a good job at playing the role because she is supposed to be kinda pragmatic and calm and I think I've seen comments here about the actress not doing much emoting or something in other projects but I think that works for the character here.

Titmouse in Da Bird House
This is my link for anyone who wants to see what's happening in a nest in a garden in Denmark.I can't link to a live feed, but I put up videos of things happened on the same day, and you can see the (Danish) time in the corner.
There are link on my Fan Wall, and in the comments here. I took them out of my text because texts with links in'em takes forever to appear when posted.
We have two bird boxes with a camera since last spring, but only this year a couple* is actually nestling there. They have been busy these last days, happy to find out our lawn is 50% moss = great nesting material. .
Last year, there was a male who chose this box for overnighting. They don't sleep both grown-ups in the nest, when the kids come. So the male finds somewhere nearby to sleep.
There are videos from last year also, with that guy going to slee. "Musvit Put" means titmouse snuggle.

(*) A couple ... or a parent throuple? I hear the titmouse, if they don't find a partner, are happy to help out babysitting or, more accurately, feeding. And I can't tell the difference except "Titmouse" = Musvit in Danish.

Hello Beanies. Hope those who observe the holiday are being treated well by it.

I watched A Shop for Killers and frankly, I wish I could recap it. While my language skills have improved, I am afraid I'd miss some cultural nuances. I really enjoyed it and saw a few things that were subtly placed to foreshadow others and I felt really good!

Considering pausing Queen of Tears so that I can just binge the hurt after the series is done and get it over with.

There's a Japanese series called Eye Love You with a Korean MMC - actor, Chae Jong-hyeop. The language barrier is a factor in the story. I am really enjoying it. Alas, it's ongoing but since it's a lot less painful than Queen of Tears I might watch as the series episodes drop.

Btw, has anyone watched the C-drama Falling Into Your Smile? I need to know if anyone else sees the whole set-in-SouthKorea flashback coded as a K-drama MM romance?

Happy weekend Beanies and keep Beaning On!

Happy Easter to celebrating Beanies!

Humans are contradictory creatures. They say stuff like: “Make sure to use your time well to enjoy yourself, because you start work again in May.” Followed by: “I want you to do X for me quickly, because you start work in May!”😂 As a result I have been on an unexpected hiatus since the beginning of March. I never stop lurking, but it is not the same as actively participating in Beantics!🥺

So, what I have I been up to, aside from meetings and preparations for the new job? Well, there was a lot of time devoted to rearranging my big room into sleep, work and relaxation quarters, and spring cleaning all the closets. It turns out that I need to urgently shop for bigger sized clothing in April.😅 Losing some weight should happen soon, because part of the commute happens on foot. I also took up gentle hatha yoga. With emphasis on gentle, because it is adapted to people with health problems who cannot keep up with standard yoga practice.

I hope I can be more present from now on, both in Beanieland and Dramaland. All those spring show teasers (both K-drama and other) look too good to pass up!🤩

I'm thinking I'd like to become a rooftop tenant. They always have a good view, nice plants and flowers that someone else comes up to water and an interesting landlady with love interest offspring. There's usually a mystery to investigate, some suspicious creeping around in the dead of night, a frisson of danger, and an assortment of eccentric friends to have drunken rooftop parties with. But also plenty of time to be alone, read books, drink coffee and be philosophical while idly listening to the love interest arguing with himself on the stairs about what excuse to use for arriving to see me unannounced. 😄

So Han So Hee & Ryu Jeol Yeol broke up and honestly, I kinda saw it coming when I saw somewhere that she was hurt or mad that he was remaining silent through this whole thing.

Break ups suck in general but it has to be SOOOOO much worse when it's public like this.

But this just once again makes me think of how NO GOOD comes from knowing about celebrities' personal/love/sex lives.

I have meant to mention this for a while but I really like (Soompi’s) Shalini’s writing. She writes so thoughtfully, clearly and is interested in the contemporary social dimensions of many issues which KDs either deal with well, poorly or do a half-arsed job. I wish she would write for DB too and maybe she does under a different handle but if doesn’t, she would be a welcome sight here for me.

I wish Viki had Korean subtitles as I learn from them and it helps me to slowly but surely understand a bit more about the many grammatical patterns and words in Korean. Unsurprisingly, it is easier for me to understand actors when they are using 존댓말 (high and medium formal) than when it is 반말 (informal). In WI, I’ve really struggled as despite how much I like JJS’ acting, her nasal voice and rapid fire speech has done my head in. I hope one day to get to the point when I can easily follow informal speech such as the convos among our 3 protagonists.
Btw, it has been interesting and refreshing that Jihan never had to address Ajeong as “noona” as she is presumably Dohan’s age but they never had that level of familiarity to allow him to call her that. But I assume it wouldn’t have stopped some people from using that term, “noona romance” (which I hate for its baggage and sexist implications) to describe the drama.

Why each time I try to post my comment here it give me a message “spam detected “ 😳 that was going to be my first one ☹️

NOTES FROM 9TAILEDVIXEN'S TRAVELS (EASTER 2024 EDITION):

(A) I am surfacing from the first few days of travelling to say: "I am alive!" (but battling jetlag). It took my almost 24 hours from door-to-door no thanks to a 4.5 hour layover in between.

(B) Attended The Rose's concert in London and it was STUPENDOUS! The band brought their A-Game to the show and I can see them continuing towards world domination!

Woosung Oppa's voice is absolutely SUBLIME! And the other band members sing beautifully as well. And their stagecraft and stage presence are world-class!

(C) K-Drama viewing is currently slow-going as I'm moving from one friend's household to another but hopefully I'll get some respite soon. There's just been a ton of Social Butterfly-ing going on right now as I am not just surrounded by friends but also their little ones and furbabies... and this introverted vixen will need quiet time soon.

I am enjoying my travels though. It's just so soul-nourishing to spend quality time with loved I haven't seen for years and to immerse myself in the Arts by going to art galleries, museums, concerts etc (or as BTS ARMY would shout enthusiastically: "TO GO NAMJOONING!").

(D) THIS WEEK IN KOREAN WOMEN'S NEWS:

1. Embracing diverse families could stem South Korea’s fertility crisis

South Korea's persistent fertility crisis could be alleviated by promoting broader acceptance of diverse family structures. This could include lessening the stigma associated with single parenthood, particularly among women, by reducing the emphasis on traditional family structures. South Korea should also work towards building societal inclusion of same-sex couples and encouraging adoption.

https://eastasiaforum.org/2024/03/29/embracing-diverse-families-could-stem-south-koreas-fertility-crisis/

2. Women’s Rights in North Korea: Reputational Defense or Labor Mobilization?

While North Korea is notorious for one of the world’s worst human rights abuses, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea) often makes political statements and laws that seemingly emphasize women’s rights [...] However, the reality of North Korean women’s lives hardly reflects the ideals of these declarations and laws. North Korean women suffer from a serious lack of basic healthcare, sanitation, and nutrition. Women in political prisons are especially vulnerable to sexual exploitation by prison guards. Moreover, the North Korean regime often forces infanticide on pregnant women if they are repatriated from China or raped by the guards or government officials.

https://www.e-ir.info/2024/03/22/womens-rights-in-north-korea-reputational-defense-or-labor-mobilization/