Beanie level: Noble idiot

IRON FAMILY: So far, this show has set up the most amount of fleshed out characters who are flawed, and yet have sympathetic motivations. The complexity of the interdependence of people who are seeking some semblance of their own lives and happiness has made this show the most interesting drama in a long time. I hope they can keep this up.

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NGNL: I know there is a spin off coming with the second couple. However, I can’t ship them. As much as Lee Sang Yi makes a character sympathetic and likeable through his soft charm, the malicious and hurtful comments he made when he was working out his mommy issues are serious red flags. The scene that most stuck with me this week was Ja Yeon’s hurt by those comments when going over them at the police station. A person who is willing to say such hurtful things to another human being who did nothing to do him needs a lot of self-reflection and therapy before he would be a good boyfriend. Just because he carried her to the hospital doesn’t make his serious anger issues related to sexuality and relationships go away. What are they doing here?

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    I haven’t watched today’s episode yet but I am with you here. I do not ship them yet. I cannot. I did not like how be behaved with her when she threw the apology letter. It almost seemed like he was upset she didn’t accept his apology. No, she doesn’t owe you forgiveness. You have to earn it. May be she will never forgive you and you have to be ok with it.
    I don’t think he fully realizes the gravity of what he has done. The show hasn’t convinced me that he has.

    6
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    Team Ha-joon! Not only do they match better and she likes him, but he’s the CEO in her web novel that the spin-off is based off of, so I don’t know why Gyu-hyun ends up being the main character.

    3
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MY SWEET MOBSTER: Putting aside the storyline for now, the cinematography in Episode 13 was especially beautiful. The use of colors and lighting was noticeably stunning in a lot of shots.

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https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9mJxzmPncJ/?igsh=c3V0bzJsNG1lZTll

Yang Hyun Min, the actor who plays Jae Soo, doing voices of all the characters in My Sweet Mobster may be the Kahi balm I needed to soothe over the problems I had with the show this week.

6
3

Shogun got the most Emmy nominations with 25 this year, including Best Actress for Anna Sawai and Best Actor Hiroyuki Samara. Well deserved!

9
3

My Sweet Mobster: Besides the sweet romance, the comedy, especially the physical comedy, has been so great. Also, the other characters imitating Ji Hwan—his voice, his run—in Ep. 10 was just a chef’s kiss.

11
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MY SWEET MOBSTER: There may be some noble idiocy going on, but wow, the acting by Um Tae Gu and Han Sun Hwa in Episode 8 was so, so good. So nuanced and yet powerful in showing how first Ji Hwan needed to distance Eun Ha from him, but how painful it was for him, and then how Eun Ha in being so emphathetic and sympathetic came to realize that he needed to distance himself from her and their shared memories. The subtle, but very much felt emotions between the two of them this episode packed a punch. Such mature, heartfelt acting in the midst of what can seem like a cartoony, cutesy show makes this show so impactful.

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    but also, the entire mobster fam was great. especially waiting like puppies on the stairs :-((( really like abandoned puppies. and feeling kicked away.
    I hope the prosecutor told her after all otherwise he is scum.
    Ji Hwan is feeling ashamed but peoples lives change. he is no lesser person for it. the preview calms my heart

    4
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My Sweet Mobster: The casting of Um Tae Goo and Han Sun Hwa is pure genius. Charisma, charm and heart in every scene, especially together. Their acting range from silly to poignant is amazing in how fully committed and spot on it is. It allows me to enjoy the ridiculous (hello, the housegang dressed in animal costumes singing and dancing!) and have the feels and squeals. This show has unexpectedly stolen my heart—no, I give it freely.

10
2

My Sweet Mobster: The voices make this show. Ji Hwan’s deep textured whisper voice and Mini Unni?Eun Ha’s bright yet fully-rounded reassuring voice. When they talk to each other, it’s magic.

9
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    I was just reflecting that between Uhm Tae-gu in Lovely Mobster, Choi Jin-hyuk in Night and Day, and L in Dare to Love Me, there are THREE gorgeous voices I get to listen to weekly! 🥰 I love your description of Ji-hwan’s “deep textured whisper” – it’s soooooo nice 😍👌✨️ Dark, sweet, and nuanced, like dark chocolate. (And I enjoy Eun-ha’s voice too)

    1
    1

Lovely Runner: https://www.koreaboo.com/news/lovely-runner-director-yoon-jongho-criticism-interview-misogyny-kim-hyeyoon/. This makes me so angry that Kim Hye Yoon had to put up with this.

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23

    When a dumb man gets jealous for attention and opens his mouth 😑

    3
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      It is ironic that nobody had told on him, and he did it himself!

      4
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    If the translations of his comments are accurate, that is just shocking.

    2
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    I understand a part of his interview. Kim Hye-Yoon had to play Sol at different stades of her life. She has the perfect energy for the young and bubbly Sol. But 34 years old Sol was older than KHY and I guess the PD wanted a more feminin and collected image. You often see actors/actresses monitoring their performance to see if the angle of their face is the best during a kiss scene or things like that. So I guess, it’s what he was expecting from her.

    The issue is why he needed to be harsh about it? I mean he’s the PD he just could ask politely or explaining to her. She nailed the acting part, so he could have been grateful for that instead to be a jerk.

    2
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    “But Kim Hye Yoon carried the whole show on her back, no? Yoon should’ve paid more attention to directing the male lead’s acting. Also… If we’re going to talk about appearances, it’s not like the male lead is all that breathtaking either.”

    Damn, this knetz went OFF.

    6
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    What the hell?

    2
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    That’s repulsive

    3
    1

    That director is disgusting. I can’t believe he continue to be disrespectful to Kim Hye Yoon when she was the most amazing actor among the cast. I am glad he doesnt know when to shut his mouth and showed the world he is awful.

    4
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      His privilege, ignorance and arrogance are in full display. Women are just pieces of meat and are ornamental at best. This is what misogyny is all about. We never ever hear such comments about men whether it is in SK or elsewhere. These views and comments are reserved for women so that they can be belittled and reminded that men have the upper hand. This creep is deliberately humiliating her publicly as well because he believes he can get away with it. May he be proven wrong.

      1
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    Ew WTF?! Again it might be translation but when he goes from she was a daughter to me but now woman sounds really gross. She’s an actor doing her job not his fucking muse. Ew

    3
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    Gosh here I was all for praising PD and this is what he does. 🤷‍♀️ Why am I surprised anymore.

    2
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    Thanks so much for this.

    “But Kim Hye Yoon carried the whole show on her back, no? Yoon should’ve paid more attention to directing the male lead’s acting. Also… If we’re going to talk about appearances, it’s not like the male lead is all that breathtaking either.”

    This was exactly my reaction. How harsh was he to his male actors? Or all they had to do is to saunter on the sets? KHY shone in everything she did so far in her career, and she looked feminine enough in all of them, while BSW was barely noticeable in anything before this. SMH. Wow!

    2
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    The bold part at the beginning about him being harsh to her… this knetz reaction seems like the typical case of blowing up a non existent issue…

    What the director seems to say is that 19 yr old and 34 yr old have to come out different… 19 yr old girl is a girl, daughter… 34 has to be mature woman.. and FL had to transform to convince the same..

    Seems like he is talking about the process of doing that and he is praising the actress to take the feedback and work on it.

    It is apparent in BTS clips that the ambience was a happy ambience… you can’t give your best if you are unhappy..that too for a project in making for 3 years

    0
    2

      Oh, yep. Just ordinary, common place misogyny. Just the “Knetz” overreacting. Why worry about such a small problem. SMDH.

      1
      1

        What misogyny…

        This is not new when knetz, or netz.. or people online tend to misinterpret things…

        0
        1

          Forget about the “Knetz”. Did you read the PD’s comments? This is my last reply to you but his interview is replete with denigrating and hateful comments about KHY looks and how he regards her. Thinking critically is a useful skill. Try and develop it.

          0
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            You should have read the original comment to see what part i referenced.. no need to act so rude just because i am not buying your narrative

            I have clearly mentioned what i referenced.. i am not sure if you are reading something extra which is forming your opinion .. if so go ahead and share it..

            But, i would appreciate you refraining from name calling .. because the 1 para i see does not convince me of your narrative and given it is a translation there is a reasonable doubt of people blowing it out of proportion ( what i understood , i have already mentioned… and i didn’t see any ill intent but him saying that 19 yr old has to be diff. from 34 yr old)

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      Sol began as a 34 year old fan. She did just fine being both without the director’s misogynistic take on her ‘beauty and femininity’. Did the director forget that Sol was 19 only in very few selected frames (most notably in that cringe video and a few scenes where she ran away from Sunjae) and she did it so effortlessly that we had no issues differentiating both even though she was in same clothes and same make up? The high point was that bus scene where she pretends to be 19 year old but we as audience know she had not travelled back, that she was only pretending.

      In fact, there were many scenes where it was hard to differentiate between the 19 Sun and 34 Sun because he behaved the same in both cases. It was easy to set them apart because they dressed him up only in coats and suits as the older Sunjae, where as they did very little to set Sol apart. I am happy for BWS but KHY definitely didn’t need to doll up or look feminine. I do not know what he was smoking or even directing at this point. It was a weird interview.

      2
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        Comment was deleted

        0
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        :3 .. where are you guys reading it.. i just see 1 para where SJ actor is not even referenced

        0
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    Me too. I have been ropeable since I read his revolting comments. To mistreat and disrespect her publicly and privately while BWS is being feted all over the place is the epitome of misogyny.

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5
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Lovely Runner: Give Byun Woo Seok his due—he deserves it. However, Ep. 9 was Kim Hye Yoon\’s. Her acting was so good: her despair, desperation and love of Sun Jae plus the physical comedy, all A+.

10
5

    His eyes spoke a million words. 😊

    When he “recognized” her,
    When he saw her dance,
    When he asked if she hated him,
    When she sang his song!!

    1
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    She is exceptional and what a breathtaking range. If there is any artistic justice anywhere, she should receive as much if not more praise and many good offers/endorsements than BWS who has been very good in this and a delight.

    2
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    I’ve been wondering why BWS was top-billed, when KHY is the more seasoned actor (is KHY considered the more senior actor?). Or because BWS accepted the role when many didn’t?

    2
    1

      Bingo! This is the essence of gender bias and systemic patriarchal oppression of women. She would most certainty gotten paid less and as we have seen he is appearing on variety shows, fans are turning up yelling “Sunjeaya” passionately and she is being left behind because not onky her new management for whatever reason is not promoting her, the bloody public recognition is absent. Once again, I recognise that actors are not the most downtrodden and exploited in SK. I worry and think about poor people who can’t afford to live anywhere but in basement apartments, those kids without parents or other care givers, single mother who are ostracised and those people who are being excluded for various reasons including racism from the Korean polity but gender bias is also relevant to actors and it should be talked about by the fans until cows come home. On this website that we spend so much time on, BWS has been valorised in a staff post but a dedicated one to KHY didn’t show up. It is profoundly disappointing to me in more ways than one.

      1
      1

        In a few days when I get a little break from work, I am going to write a post dedicated to KHY and would love other kindred Beanies to add their knowledge which I lack to my draft. I will post it on my fan wall.

        1
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Lovely Runner: A brilliant thing about this show is how in the midst of comedy and chaos they put in poignant, emotionally true moments that go straight to the heart. Such great acting by both leads.

16
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    Both leads have been quite good in other roles. But here, together they are 🔥 🔥 🔥 also 😭 and *squee* maximus!!

    0
    0

Lovely Runner: How does this show continue to charm and capture my heart as it moves through different times even though I don\’t really understand how the time travel works? Matters not–shine on.

10
1

    Yeah, honestly I’m confused and therefore already starting to check out of trying to follow time lines.

    2
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Anna Sawai as Mariko in the Crimson Sky episode of Shogun just ate that up and left no crumbs. Such a masterful and moving performance.

3
2

    If she is not winning all the awards this season, the awards are a joke. She has been absolutely fantastic since episode one.

    2
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    She was fantastic! Just a WOW.

    1
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Why are you so charming and funny LOVELY RUNNER? The comedic timing of the two leads is great–the fingers up the nose was so silly yet so well done. Thank you for reviving me out of my Kdrama slump

9
1

    I’m with you, felt the exact same way!! Charming and funny is the perfect description for this week’s episodes!

    3
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Watching the eclipse. Hoping it sticks the landing.

17
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Last one—the ending.
3
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    Hi! I’m sure you’re having a great time there which is great, but can I ask you something? Where did you take pictures of these poems/verses? Are they just there in the park or somewhere else?

    0
    1

      It is in the courtyard of the Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice.

      1
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Full bench poem—full drama plot.
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Currently RecapPing

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