Beanie level: Errand boy

My re-watch of season 2 of “FOREST OF SECRETS / STRANGER ” is proving to be very difficult and plagued by the same problem as when I live-watched it a few years ago: the 1st half just does not captivate me. 😔😑😢

Time to pause that and (finally) turn my attention to the following ANIMES on my started-and-must-finish list:
— VINELAND, season 2
— JUJUTSU KAISEN season 2 (I’ve read the manga up until they lost me with the Culling Game Arc)

Wish me luck!

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    Have fun, hope you finish the animes and enjoy. Maybe there are some things that aren’t worth finishing and instead of making it a chore you can use the time to find something that fits and brings joy.

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      Mother Bean is totally right. I have learned it from the Beans – only watch what you enjoy. Granted there are some parts of an otherwise charmless (for you) drama which are enthralling but don’t make it a chore. The ffwd button is your friend. I hope you find many more dramas and anime which bring you much joy and enjoyment. 😊

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“Moving” completed, and what a ride!
I was going to write a little essay but quickly noticed that the Beanies who live-watched the Show had done an excellent job at capturing the good, bad, ugly and awesome aspects of the Show.

(Have I mentioned how much I love the Beanie community?!? ❤️😍❤️)

⭐7.5/10!

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    We will still like to read your essay. Please do share your thoughts.

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    It really is such a joy to have so many like minded people share the K-drama journey with us isn’t it.

    Glad you loved the show. You can add a non spoiler review on the show page and an essay on the final episode or your wall. It all helps future beanies.

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    It’s a drama well worth an essay. Would love to read yours.

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Seriously, how does the Bus Driver still have a job????!??
(“Moving” ep20)

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    Kang Full, the webtoon and screenplay writer, is a huge Cha Tae Hyun fan. He added that role to the drama specifically for him.

    Storywise, his manager is sympathetic with him and willing to give him a chance despite the initial fiasco.

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      A fiasco is when you’re a bus driver and you make a mistake in your route.
      Not when you go on a dangerous chase across town, wrecking havoc and destruction — with not one but 3 buses, and once with a full load of screaming passengers!

      That’s a one way ticket to a lifetime in jail 😅. I mean, look at how fast the school gym video spread across the Internet. Where were the Netizens while he was wrecking 3 buses and everything in his path?? 🤣

      That said, thanks for sharing this little piece of news. I liked the character a lot but oof! He’s one extremely lucky employee!

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        You are right though. Irl, he would be sacked and charged with endangering the lives of a lot of people. He would not get a second chance and he would def get a lifetime in jail. But this is kdrama..😅

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          I read a comment yesterday that said this was a plot point that truly pushed the boundaries of Suspension of Disbelief, even for the most enthralled K-Drama fans. hahahahaha

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Starting Ep16 of “Moving” and I finally understand why some folks complained about the flashback episodes… Just as I was rejoicing to finally be back in the present with our sweet and angsty highschoolers, the synopsis warned me that it’s intertwined with yet another adult character flashback… That was basically my cue to go to bed (it’s 1:10AM) and I got work tomorrow…

Also, I love the Bungaeman/Bus Driver but how is he still driving the bus and NOT IN JAIL after the deadly stunt driving of the other day to catch his dad’s killer???!?
(Spoilers accepted)

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    I actually liked the parents storyline more than the kids. And yes agree about that bus driver. He would have been out of a job and in jail after that stunt in real life.

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      It’s mixed feelings for me: I enjoyed the Parent Background stories too, but I really find the Highschoolers so endearing that I wanted the flashbacks to end soon.
      I also wish they had compressed some of the storytelling and exposition in the slower Ep1—8 so that the whole Show would fit in a 16-ep format.
      Lastly, a flashback within a flashback creating a whiplash of timelines is not my favourite…

      Otherwise, I’m really enjoying most – if not all – the characters and their stories.

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On the K-Drama menu this week: “Moving” and a rewatch of “Stranger / Forest of Secrets” season 1.

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    Hehe back when Forest of Secrets was live, I had to restart it halfway through because I realized I’d been missing a bunch if super subtle things and that the drama required a different level of brain power than usual. Much fun 🙂

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      yes! that’s exactly what I love about rewatching shows: catching clues that you had previously missed! hahahaha!

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        Right!! I loved Forrst of Secrets even more on my later rewatches because I could not only appreciate the things I’d found but also look for even MORE subtleties I’d missed previously

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I just binge-watched all 16 episodes of “The Glory” and lawdahmussy, what a journey! What a THRILLING experience!
I have had a rather uninspiring 2023 with K-dramas lately, so it was soooo good to feel so enraptured by this show!

I liked Song Hye-Kyo as Dong-Eun a lot. Yes, her facial expressions are far and few, but I’d like to believe this was intentional. Lee Do-Hyun as Yeo-Jeong does not disappoint.
It’s too bad that the Show insisted on
a) pretending that Yeo-Jeong was the same age as Dong-Eun (what’s wrong with just having his character be younger, same as irl?? I cringed every time Do-Eun called him Sunbae)
b) that clinically dry passionless kiss in the last hour (couldn’t they have just kept him pinning? Not that I want him to suffer but… Dong-Eun and Yeo-Jeong just were not OTP for me.)

I liked the ending but I would also have been strangely satisfied with the Show ending tragically with that Rooftop scene. Our Puppy-&-DollFace Creepy Duo is toxic AF but that’s ok too. They never claimed to be good people, so kudos to them.

The High School actresses Jung Ji-So and SShin Ye-Eun were REALLY good! I also enjoyed actress Yum Hye-Ran as Mrs Kang, and the Bully Crew was well casted too.
I developed a crush on Jung Sung-Il as Daddy Mr. Ha Do-Yeong. When he delivered that beatdown to Jae-Jun, I screeeeaaaaamed and rewatched it multiple times! It reminded me of an African proverb: “Ce n’est pas parce que l’escargot n’a pas de dents qu’on le met dans son pantalon. ». This man was classy and steady and stoic and hot and badass and respectful and… yup. Me likes him a lot.
Last but not least: a standing ovation to actress Lim Ji-Hyeon as Ji-Yeon; that was a BRILLIANT performance. The only other show I watched with her in it was her 1st, “High Society”; she (and Park Hyung-Sik) stole every scene there. Bravo!

Thank you, dear Show, for bringing me back to K-Dramas.

(My last post was July 2022… wow…)

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    Ohhh! I’m on episode 11 of my 1st watch and it is addictive so I’m binging my way through as quickly as possible. I put off seeing this due to the violence, but the reviews and ratings are consistently high. I wanted something different after completing 2 rom-coms (Park’s Marriage Contract, The Matchmakers). The show gives me “Parasite” vibes.

    I REALLY like the 50 minute format. I don’t really care for 12 episode shows where each episode is 75-85 minutes long. I thought the color-blindness was a unique feature of the show.

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      ooh! yes! the 50-min format! I was also pleasantly surprised!
      Happy watching, @qingdao !
      Let me know what your final thoughts are, when you’re done!

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        Binged until completion–wow! This isn’t my favorite genre (revenge) but once I plowed through the violence, the writing was tight, well-done and addictive! SPOILERS AHEAD:

        -I was worried that Yeo-Jeong was involved with So-Hee, possibly as the father of her baby. Thankfully, the show did NOT go in that direction! I never felt comfortable that he was 100% there for Dong-Eun, even though his actions proved otherwise.
        -I really liked the arc with Dong-Eun saving her landlady.
        -The monastery stay was unnecessary filler, but it served to “cleanse” and “clarify” the love relationship between leads.
        -I would really have like to have seen Yeo-Jeong get his revenge on 3724 even if it was Jung Moon-Sung (the “gentle” surgeon from Hospital Playlist) actually delivering the final blows, especially since we had to see that awkward moment when Jae-Jun put toxic drops in his eyes, then fall into the cement.
        -In part one, I had trouble distinguishing 3724 from Do-Yeong…they kinda looked alike and those initial scenes were so fast.
        -Back to part one, I thought Jung Ji-So did a great job playing young Dong-Eun. I remembered her from “Curtain Call.” The casting was believable, but she appeared older than the others cast as teens even though the were all about the same age.

        SPOILERS OVER.

        I agree that the age differences were annoying not only with the leads, but with the main characters in general. It seems very common in Kdrama-land to have age differences that appear unlikely withing the context of the show, but are used for star-power, “pretty” couples or other reasons. It seems that the female leads are on average 3-5 years older (6 years “The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract”). Another drama I found the 8-year age difference bothersome was in “Forecasting Love & Weather” with Park Min-Young and Song Kang.

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          congratulations on completing the drama, happy that you liked it too and thank you so much for kindly sharing your views with meeeeee !! 🙂

          I’m a big fan of noona romances. I don’t mind age gaps at all. I am 100% loving the older female lead – younger male lead. What DID bother me is how uncomfortable the Show was with it. SHK’s character calling LDH’s character “Sunbae” is absolutely ridiculous. hahahaha! Why not just acknowledge he’s younger and get over it??

          To each their own, though. Not as much of a fan of the older actors with super young actresses, though, even though it happens more often than either of us take time to notice. Cheers to patriarchy and double standards!

          What show are you watching next?
          I’m adding “My Name” to my watchlist.

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    Welcome back!

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    Welcome back!

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    What a show to bring you back to k-dramas. Welcome back! 🤗 Hope you will find many more dramas that you enjoy this year.

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    Yes, Lim Ji-Hyeon was outstanding. I always expect the best from Song Hye-Kyo, but Ji-Hyeon matched her excellence in scene after scene. LJH’s performance was what I remember the most about watching this show.

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    Welcome back!

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I love the Beanie community and how much fun it is to read comments on fav shows/actors/actresses AND the joy of feeling validated when you rant on a disappointing episode/show.
Happy Tuesday, dears!

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    Definitely one of the best bits of the site and is the ONLY reason I now do weekly drama watching I much prefer binge watching but I can’t miss out on the banter in the recaps section!

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    Just read through your fan wall it’s a happy place to be. It’s such a shame there is no easy way to actually ‘follow’ people on this site and keep up with their walls. I have followed loads as I hope it will become a feature in the future so I will be ahead of the curve.

    Have a great day/hope you had a great day depending on what zone you are in. ☺️

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      You’re indeed way ahead of the game! Nice!
      I do also wish there was a “real” way to follow people and watch their fan wall… hopefully, this happens soon!
      have a fantastic Wednesday, @reply1988 !

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    Same, same! I can’t lurk forever as my tribe is here 🥰🥰🥰

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LOL Gi-Jeong and Chang-Hee are soooo effin’ talkative!!! OMG!!

(started ep6) #MyLiberationNotes

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    I know right?!? I find myself rolling my eyes a bit listening to them talk!

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      me too!!!
      They always go on these full-on lengthy monologues and – yes, what they say is intelligent – but GOSH, would you just be quiet and let the other person speak?? Or even let them answer the million questions you’ve asked in your monologue???
      It’s a little frustrating.
      Which brings me to this point: are these intentionally written out this way? Because it’s a little unnatural for their friends and coworkers to have to quietly sit through these monologues ALL THE TIME.

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Starting “My Liberation Notes” now, for Son Sukku.
Wish me well.
*clicks ep1 on Netflix*

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    I do wish you well, even though we don’t agree on Healer 😆
    I thought the first three eps of MLN had sucked the literal life out of me but now it’s getting better (I’m on 5). I struggled on because of Beanie reccs. If it doesn’t improve a lot it could one day go down as a hate watch for me! 😮

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      It might just not be your type of drama.

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        Yes, having finished 6 I think that may be the case. It’s too depressing and hits too close to home for me.

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Next on my “Maybe I should finish watching this Show but I’ve kind lost interest” list:
• Twenty One Twenty Five: I’m at episode 11, and I’ve read soooooo many complaints about the ending – including a “How I would re-write the end” posts on Dramabeans – that I’m very hesitant about starting ep 12. I mean, I liked the Show a lot up to this point. Is it worth watching the rest and potentially being as upset as the brave & disappointed Beanies before me?
• Business Proposal: I read a spoiler about Grandpa’s behaviour and that turned me off immediately – which is sad because I binge-watched the 1st 8 episodes like I had been starving for just this kind of lighthearted silly romcom content… Should I watch the rest?

HELP!
#BlessTheSpoilers

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    Personally, I’m among the (many?) Beanies who approved of the end of 25-21, so I say do it. For me, it is a real world ending.

    You’ll probably be fine now that you’re prepared for the really poor writing that Grandpa suffers under and you’re not expecting consistency 😠

    Hope that’s not too spoiler-y!

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      SPOIL MEEEEEE!!
      (lol)
      Thanks for sharing your insight!

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      I, too, liked the ending for Twenty Five Twenty One!

      Business Proposal lost a bit of its spark towards the end but it was still a really nice show.

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    For 25-21, the present parts already gave you the end.

    Business Proposal’s last episodes were full of clichés and not the best.

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    I loved the ending of 2521 while I almost hated the last 2 or 3 eps of ABP. ABP deserved so much better last few eps.

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    I actually liked both 2521 and BP til the ending. Could they have been written better? Probably yes, but it’s not the worst thing ever. 2521 esp had a hard time i think becos 1, it broke the std rom-com happy ending and 2, set the bar pretty high for itself when three quarters of the show had excellent writing.
    Conclusion: both are still worth a watch in my book.

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    I feel it is safe to watch 25-21 up until the last two episodes. From then on, the script triggers the “Great Beanie Divide” you have read about.

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    I really liked the ending of 2521. Business Proposal just kind of fizzled out for me.

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Ok, so I finally finished “Vincenzo” and:
• Each episode was WAY TOO LONG and the plot was cartoonishly convoluted with eye-rolling predictable outcomes, in sometimes the most tiresome ways. From beginning to end, I swear it felt like they were just going in circles and circles, like a Tom & Jerry episode between Team Vincenzo and Evil Babel – never really advancing the plot but accumulating more and more dramatic (and predictable) twists and events just for kicks. I really struggled to finish this show, even had to put in on x1.5 speed for most of its run (Thank you, Netflix!!).
• The comedy was ridiculous, in a good way.
• The PPL was HILARIOUSLY intentional and obvious; I applaud them for being so bold and unbothered.
• The Geumga Plaza Family was endearing and I’m happy for all of them.
• Song Joong-Ki was absolutely charming as Vincenzo and the very definition of killer suave. I mean, just his voice… *drools*
• Jeon Yeo-Bin was absolutely brilliant and all the best kind of weird for Hong Cha-Young. I loved her since “Be Melodramatic” and actually started watching this just because of her. #FanGirl
• This is the first time I’ve enjoyed TaecYeon as an actor; what a great performance!
Overall: I’m sad that I didn’t enjoy this as much as most. It took MONTHS to finish it (that’s how much I struggled), and I wish I had loved it. I didn’t. Oh well.

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Goodbye “Happiness”!
(I gave up as soon as Ep3 came to an end)

Hello “Mad for Each Other” and bless 30mim episodes!

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You know what grates my nerves about some female kdrama characters? Lack of accountability. They’ll do the most outrageous / annoying / disrespectful / dangerous thing to someone in their vicinity, and somehow NO ONE will address their problematic behaviour. Instead, they get called brave / badass / cute or a combination of those. They’re somehow never wrong and they NEVER apologize to their male counterparts! Ever!

Case in point:
I finally finished “Yumi’s Cells” and while I found her Cells to be THE BEST THING that happened since sliced bread, Yumi’s problematic behaviour (the lies and how far it goes) never to matter much. The lie about the hotel room and the fight that ensued REALLY annoyed me, and the way the Show tried to make it seem like it was up to Goong to apologize and patch things up… Why? Because he’s a guy?

2nd case:
Sae Bom in “Happiness”. Sure, she’s spunky and outspoken and relaxed and badass… But at what cost to others? I can’t seem to get passed the part about letting a zombie out to roam. Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy? What was the logic (for a national security bad ass woman cop) to let a zombie person out?

I’m not hear to say characters have to be perfect. We as the audience are flawed human beings and I like my characters to be flawed too. But make it make sense…

Rant over. (Reluctantly?) Going back to watching Ep3 of “Happiness”…

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    han hyo jyo character is not brave.. she is just a perpetual rebel with a “i’m more fair than all” attitude..

    but otherwise the zombies and leads together keep the show interesting

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    I think Goong had to apologyze because he told her something mean after she was sorry for the lie. He was sulking instead of dealing with the situation. I liked Yumi so much, the drama and all the characters! I’ve been looking for something like that since it ended.

    I agree about Sae Bom as I said in the post, she is bad ass so the drama pretends all her crazy actions are fine. Sometimes it is no big deal, like threatening to shooting the door on ep 4 but pushing people off a building and opening doors with zombies behind them were not reasonable choices to say the least.

    Someone said one of the problems with modern movies is that women can’t loose any fights in action films. I usually agree, if people think this is feminist they are mistaken, it only sends the strange message that they have the same physical strength and can only oppressed by choice instead of the system.

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      “Women can’t lose any fights in action films.”
      That is a very compelling comment indeed, one that brings up a lot of questions. I’ll need to do some more thinking before responding. Thanks for sharing that.

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Halfway through Ep3 of “Happiness” and I still can’t get into it…😑😔
It makes me all the more sad because I really like Park Hyung Sik but here… Here… Not convinced and feeling remotely interested. I’ll give it until the end of ep4 and then bye bye!
(I don’t like hate-watching)

The same thing happened with “Doom at your service” and Seo In Guk: the plot logic and character actions just did not sit well with me, no matter how much I adjusted my kdrama lenses. And if I can’t attach myself to either the main characters or the plot, what’s left? 😣

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    to me it feels this is han hyo joo’s show.. and park hyung shik is more at periphery.. he is still charming with whatever little he has got (good acting chops).. but ya let’s wait and watch.. he needs to be in a romatic drama for the trps and endorsements explosion

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Yumi’s Cells, ep10: her Cells are truly such great characters! Cringing inside at bad Aegyo? Writer’s Block? New Year’s resolutions fail? A literal Endorphin Concert?! LOVE IT! ❤️🤣

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I rewatched ep4 of Yumi’s Cells so many times!! ❤️❤️🥵❤️

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After 3yrs, I finally found time to re-watch Prison Playbook. What an absolute delight!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
The characters, their stories, their lives! The struggles, the wins and everything in between! This show really captured my heart the 1st time I watched it in 2018, and 3yrs later, I find myself still in love with it.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Don’t let the length of the episodes deter you! This show is a real gem!

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That airport hug!
😭😭😭😭😭😭
💔❤️💔❤️
#Navillera #Finale
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When you hate-watch an episode at 1.25X speed…
(ep8, Doom at Your Service)

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Ep 7 and I\’m only still watching because of my love for the lead actor/actress, and nothing else.

The Writers of Doom At Your Service are trying soooo hard but failing miserably at making this Show a compelling \” complicated mystery-drama about an unlucky love between a dying human and a supernatural being.\”

The \”love me, love me not\” plot has so many holes in it, our poor Park Bo-Young and Seo In-Guk are drowning, just trying to keep their characters as believable as possible. Great actors/actresses are given a very flimsy plot to make miracles with. It\’s sad. Also, I find the deity very very annoying and unconvincing in her supernatural existence. Her aura is more that of a petulant pretentious teenager. The Writers try to make her sound wise beyond her looks, but it falls flat because what she says isn\’t particularly philosophically inspiring or challenging, and aside from making viewers like me wonder why in the hell she\’s at the hospital, she is a rather boring character.

As for the secondary characters!!!!! Lawd, what a waste of these 2 talented men! Urgh! This has got to be THE MOST MEANINGLESS CONFLICT I have witnessed in my over 15 years of watching Kdramas. Like, this is 2021. That is the BEST you could come up with???!? Shame on you, Writers.

*sigh*

At this point, I finally understand what it means to hate-watch a show. I look forward to giving up soon.

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