Beanie level: Errand boy

Hello beloved Beanies! As you probably saw if you read my 2021 Year in Review, that was my last piece for Dramabeans. I just don’t have time to write for this site anymore with a full-time job, community commitments, and two podcasts. But please do keep in touch! You can find me on Twitter @anisakhalifa_, and of course do come hang out with the Dramas Over Flowers crew for many hours of K-drama content. (So many hours, oh my God.) We’ll be recording our annual Year-End Yak soon, so listen and subscribe if you don’t want to miss that!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the friendship, kind words, fangirling and laughter over the years. I met so many incredible people in this community, and if I’d never fallen in love with K-dramas, I wouldn’t have fallen in love with audio production, and ended up getting my almost-dream job working in public radio. 사랑해요~ 💛💛💛

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    Congratulations on you getting your almost-dream job Laica! 🥰 (You used to use the name Laica, right?) I have enjoyed reading your recaps, and it has always been part of my wonderful journey here with you all and Beans! I wish you further success and so much joy and happiness along the way. 🙂

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      Yup, I used to go by Laica! Thank you so much! And thanks for all your insightful and kind comments over the years, they really made recapping such a pleasure 💛

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    Congratulations, Anisa! Although you will be missed around here, I am excited for you and your new job! I’m glad we can still hear your voice in your podcast though!! Good luck in your future endeavors:) Fighting!!

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      Thank you, appreciate the good wishes! Yep, no one can stop my fangirling 😂 Glad you’ll keep in touch via the podcast!!

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    Anisa!!! We’ll miss you so much 😭 But I’m glad you’ll be sticking around dramaland with DOF! From Twitter you seem so busy lately (sorry if this comes across as creepy, I lurk twitter way too much and don’t actually interact with people enough!) I was so worried you wouldn’t have time for DOF anymore! I’m so glad I was wrong! 💖 Good luck to you and a HUGE congratulations on your new job!!!!! 💖

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      Aww mindy! 🥺 😭 I am nowhere near even imagining being done with DOF, even if it’s gotten challenging to make the time for it. Something had to give, though, and Dramabeans and most of my other freelance work is it. But I know the friends I made here and in other places in fandom are still around, and I appreciate y’all so much!! Not creepy at all lol, and thank you for the kind words! 💖 💖

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I’m going to be on NPR in about 30 minutes talking about K-drama! 😱 Listen live or stream later: https://the1a.org/segments/more-than-squid-game-the-international-rise-of-k-dramas/

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Hi friends! It’s still me (Laica) but I’ve decided to change my display name to my real one since so much of the other work I do overlaps with what I write on DB.

Speaking of which, check out my interview on the Fansplaining podcast, in which I introduce K-dramas to the hosts and explain why Coffee Prince was the gateway drama that made me into a lifelong addict. Topics covered include K-dramas’ structural and emotional characteristics, the way these shows’ export and consumption has changed over the past decade, transnational fandom exchanges between Korean/Korean diaspora fans and international fans, and the enduring legacy of Orientalism when non-Asian fans get invested in Asian media.

https://www.fansplaining.com/episodes/147-anisa-khalifa

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    Thanks for this update!

    Coffee Prince is indeed the gateway drama for so many fans around the world. Three dramas turned me an addict. My first was My Name is Kim Sam Soon which is funny and poignant at the same time. Then Coffee Prince came along which was a whirlwind live watch and when I discovered Dramabeans. The third one was Princess Hours that I could watch together with my young daughter. A bit later, I was so enthralled by City Hall that I became an active Beanie to comment. And a 1.5 decades past – I’m still watching but more discriminative in my choice. The kdrama world has at the same time evolved to be now on the world stage with so many top notch ones that we fans are proud of.

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      Goong/Princess Hours is still the only K-drama I’ve actually, literally binged! Was less of a fan of MNIKSS – Sam-soon was incredible but the hero was kinda trash, despite the Hyun Bin of it all. But ahhhhh City Hall was my all-time favorite for years and it’s still on my top ten. So sad that KES took such a trajectory away from that type of story, it’s her best work IMO.

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        Totally agreed about the KES choice. Besides City Hall, I like On Air a lot and think she’s really good in handling mature romances.

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    I already listened and enjoyed it very much. Thank you.

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    <3 <3

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This Jisoo news is so shocking, horrifying and infuriating on its own – and his non-specific apology is very damning given the accusations against him – but it’s even more gross in the context of the characters he’s played in the past. Him being heroic in dramas about school bullying like Angry Mom and Sassy Go Go really takes on a new and unpleasant flavor now.

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    Ikr! I did not expect it to be true. 😖

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    I must be in the minority. I appreciated the apology because it confirmed for me that what’s being said must be true, and there might be even worse they want to hide. I feel so sorry for Kim So Hyun.

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My review of Sisyphus Episode 5, which finally gives us some real connection between its leads, but also clarifies what’s really holding back this show from greatness.

Also, love the unexpected setup of time travelers as unwanted refugees, and the commentary it opens up on narratives about undocumented immigrants. https://dramasoverflowers.net/2021/03/04/sisyphus-the-myth-episode-5-review/

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Here’s my review of Episode 2 of Sisyphus: The Myth, which Dramas Over Flowers will be covering episode-by-episode, unless of course it pulls a Do Do Sol Sol or something. Come chat with us about it! https://dramasoverflowers.net/2021/02/18/sisyphus-the-myth-episode-2-review/

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Come hang out at dramasoverflowers.net! I posted a super long review of Mr. Queen today (THAT ENDING) & @saya her review of Sisyphus Episode 1 – we’ll be covering it same-day as it airs 😁

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This Spoiled Yak is a very special throwback to a drama that @saya, @festerfaster and I watched early in our K-drama journey, and still love to this day: You’re Beautiful. As an extra treat, my mom agreed to come talk to us about her experience watching this show recently. Join us as we relive the iconic love story between Go Mi-nam and Hwang Tae-kyung, and squee about how much we enjoyed it, and how well it holds up over a decade later. Hold tight to your pig-rabbits and dive in with us!

Be warned, there’s a spoiler for Hospital Playlist, which is marked in the time stamps below.

TIME STAMPS:

00:03:06 Ammi’s K-drama journey
00:09:16 The Music
00:12:24 Does it hold up?
00:22:17 The OTP
00:24:45 Hospital Playlist spoiler
00:25:27 Second Lead Shin-woo
00:39:29 Fiction imitates real life?
00:44:46 Separating the art from the artist
00:50:09 Representation matters & we are all flowers
00:54:59 The Hong Sisters
01:04:08 That ending time skip
01:13:28 Favorite Moments
01:23:33 Final Thoughts

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ICYMI: If you’re enjoying Run On as much as we are, watch @festerfaster & I gush about episodes 1-8 below! Also, subscribe to Dramas Over Flowers’ YouTube so you don’t miss future livestreams 🙂

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    I listened to you guys live on Sunday – it was great and so feel-good! You’re absolutely right that this is the drama we need right now. ❤

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      Thanks for listening, and glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

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Here it is, the episode the Dramas Over Flowers crew waits all year for – the Year-End Yak! We bring you the second annual Goguma Awards, full of silly categories like Puppy of the Year and Wardrobe we like to steal, plus our personal top 3 K-dramas of 2020.

This is a particularly special one, because it’s got wonderful voice notes from listeners about their year in dramas too, which we thought would be a nice way to commemorate how much this community of drama lovers has meant to us – always, but especially in this brutal last year.

Find the full show notes, including all the dramas we discussed, here: https://dramasoverflowers.net/2021/01/01/82-year-end-yak-2020-the-2nd-annual-goguma-awards/

TIME STAMPS:

00:15:01 – Introducing the Goguma Awards!
00:20:41 – Best SFF Concept
00:30:30 – Biggest Waste
00:35:15 – Bad Start, Good Ending
00:36:42 – Stupid at the Last Second
00:44:47 – Racist Drama Most Vigorously Defended
00:45:39 – Best Comfort Drama
00:48:42 – Best Partners
00:56:36 – Best OTP That Wasn’t
01:03:20 – Puppy of the Year + Ajusshi of the Year
01:06:04 – Unni of the Year
01:07:16 – ACTUAL Puppy of the Year
01:11:24 – SECRET AWARD!
01:13:39 – Best Episode Endings
01:16:58 – Best Epilogues
01:23:08 – Best Wardrobe & Style
01:30:50 – Best Single OST
01:33:55 – The Ones That Made Us Laugh Until We Cried
01:36:50 – Most Quippy
01:43:03 – Best Watch Outside K-Dramaland
01:51:45 – Anisa’s Top 3
01:56:43 – Paroma’s Top 3
02:05:07 – Saya’s Top 3
02:11:48 – Final Words (and a riddle!)

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    Thanks for sharing. Listening to it right now!!!

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    I enjoyed this episode so much! There were a few things that really resonated with me – the idea of being seen (raised by KFG), a shared love of stories and the desire to discuss them within the community (I think you say this, Laica), as well as the significance of windows and mirrors (explained by Sana). I only discovered K-dramas this year, and in many ways, I’m still trying to make sense of how and why they’ve become such a big part of my life in such a short period of time. I suspect it has to do with those 3 ideas. Thank you so much – I’m very grateful that the K-drama community provides a further and deeper level of windows and mirrors.

    Also, I loved being able to put voices to names! :o)

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      This is beautifully put, @dramadillo! I’m sure @saya and @festerfaster will agree with me when I say that the community around K-drama, and seeing ourselves and understanding others through that community, has been one of the biggest joys of this fandom. So glad to welcome you to it! 🙂

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    Yay!! Thanks for sharing 🙂

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Chingus: join Dramas Over Flowers in our year end festivities! Be part of the Year End Yak, or come to Yak Tea on Christmas! https://dramasoverflowers.net/2020/12/20/join-us-in-the-year-end-yak-yak-te

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In case y\’all missed it, @festerfaster and I are REALLY enjoying Do Do and have been discussing it over at DOF. If you are too, catch our chat on eps 7-12 here: https://dramasoverflowers.net/2020/11/19/do-do-sol-sol-la-la-sol-episodes-7-12-review/

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    Thank you, thank you – as I’ve been checking if your team is still continuing the DDSSLLS review.

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      So glad! We weren’t able to review this weekly, but we’ll definitely finish covering it! 🙂

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Our final review of Forest of Secrets 2. Cry along with @saya, @chickachunga, @leetennant & me that it\’s over. https://dramasoverflowers.net/2020/10/04/stranger-2-episodes-15-16-review/

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    😭😭😭😭

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    Once again, thanks for sharing your thoughts with us – which has been a must-read every week.

    Now, I have no doubt that it’s gonna tough to start another drama😂

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      Thanks for reading! Yeah, the void is very real :'(

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    Thanks so much for sharing this. I’ve enjoyed reading you all these weeks.
    We’re all a bit orphans right now 😭😭😭

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      At least we can cry together, I guess! Thanks for reading along!

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    I read this from start to finish, nodding along while reflecting on my own thoughts and feelings. It was a most satisfying finale, worthy of the legacy that is Forest of Secrets.

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      It really was. Once again, a perfect ending, but totally open to more seasons.

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In this Spoiled Yak, @cloggie and @chickachunga joined me to discuss the delightful, unconventional family drama My Unfamiliar Family. This layered, funny, warm, sometimes too real show is such a gem – we had nothing but praise for it but we still had so much to say! And we all agreed that it really adds to the experience to go in knowing nothing about the story, so if you haven’t yet seen My Unfamiliar Family, definitely watch before you listen to this spoiler-filled yak.

Did you love this show as much as we did?

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    Thanks for this!!

    My Unfamiliar Family is indeed a gem that I went in without any expectation but finished with so much satisfaction. It is top notch from the writing to the acting – one of the very best this year (and we have a few, lucky us)!

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      Agreed! It was such an incredible surprise! The trailer looked good but I had no idea how much I’d end up loving it.

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    This was a good listen. Bringing back the feels ~~~!

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    Thanks for inviting me! This was such fun to do

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    You guys are so well spoken in this and I don’t think I’ll watch this, but you guys made me really feel like I watched it through your words.

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      Oh, and Kim Ji Suk is AWSOME in 20th Century Boy and Girl and is a GREAT kisser.

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      Thanks Ally! I’m glad you at least got to enjoy it secondhand. And I agree, I binged 20CBG a few days ago because editing this episode made me want more of him lol. Super enjoyable, and he was great in it.

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    Wait Who’s anisa? @laica are you anisa?

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Hi all! Here’s Part 1 of a series on Dramas Over Flowers where we discuss why representation matters, and cover depictions of race and LGBTQ+ identity specifically. We’re really excited to release this two-part series, which continues in our tradition of doing special episodes on topical issues, but also provided us with an opportunity to dive deep into things that are always on our mind, but which we don’t necessarily have the time to cover in-depth in our usual format. This topic is unfortunately ongoing, but fortunately always evolving, so of course there’s still much more that can be said, even though we talked ourselves hoarse! But we hope it provides a good starting point for more conversations, with our listeners and in the fandom.

You can find extended show notes here, with links to the articles we reference in the episode, quotes we didn’t have time to read out, and additional points from us that we forgot to mention during the recording. Thank you for sending us your feedback, and let us know what you think, what we missed, and what you wish we’d talked more about.

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Hi friends! Check out this brilliant, comprehensive piece our @saya wrote on the Dramas Over Flowers blog about racial & ethnic stereotypes in K-drama, why they matter, and how they affect our fandom experience.

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Dramas Over Flowers listeners: We want to do both a blog post and a podcast episode on what makes something problematic in a K-drama—and how that affects our experience of a show. Send us your questions, issues you’d like us to highlight, and/or specific shows you’d like us to address. Reply/comment here, send us a DM, email us at [email protected], or record and send a voice memo which we\’ll happily play on the episode. We’ll keep whatever level of anonymity you’d like.

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    The lackluster second halves plus the lackluster endings. Also the forced happily ever after endings even when not needed. The endings issue is applicable to way too many shows, only a few writers know how to end a show well.

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    Give me a while and I’ll probably think of more, but…

    Really problematic:
    Blackface
    Negative stereotypes of ethnic groups / races

    Kinda problematic:
    Wrist grab
    Forced kiss
    Trip kiss (but I’d give them a pass if someone chips a tooth)
    Boss/subordinate romances
    Those really short skirts on high school girls
    Slapping

    Irritating:
    Childhood connections
    Forced happy endings & dull 2nd halves (as @wapz said above)
    Know-it-all male leads with fancy clothes &/or muscle cars (especially if they are speeding)
    Clumsy people dropping things
    People around the corner overhearing things
    People talking to themselves out loud

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    Thanks for your responses @wapzy and @lordcobol!

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Dropping this here for my Asian American fam.

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It may be the first day of 2020, but we’ve got our last hurrah of 2019 still to share: The Year End Yak! We each share our favorite shows of the year, and inaugurate our First Annual Goguma Awards. (Goguma is Dramas Over Flowers’ yak, by the way – his name means Sweet Potato in Korean.) Check it out here.

Also, if you missed our 2010s Retrospectives, read Part 1 where we managed to come to a consensus about the best dramas in basically every category for the last decade (don’t ask how – there was a lot of texting involved), and Part 2 where we each performed the impossible task of choosing our top ten dramas of the 2010s. I refuse to go back and look at it again because I know I’ll change my mind for the fourth time.

Enjoy, and thanks for taking this drama journey with us! @saya, @festerfaster and I could never have gotten this far without y’all’s love, support and friendship. Happy New Year!
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I dragged @saya and @festerfaster into writing this mammoth look back at the 2010s in K-drama with me. We list our collective top ten (or 11, 12) in every genre & highlight defining aspects of the decade in drama, like the cable revolution & rise of more complex heroines.

Check it out! This is Part 1 – Part 2 with our personal Top Tens of the decade coming soon! https://akdramapodcast.wordpress.com/2019/12/27/2010s-retrospective-the-decade-in-drama/

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