Beanie level: The Goblin’s underpants

For Someday or One Day fans

I didn’t want to colour the experience for people who are watching A Time Called You and seeing the story unfold for the first time by referring back to the Taiwanese version excessively, so I’m going to add some initial thoughts here. Please feel free to join me, beanies.

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    I got to episode 6 of A Time Called You and will resume the rest later this weekend. I think the Korean version is doing a fine job and this story is probably one that works best during your first watch because of the type of story it is and how the layers are peeled back, but I really missed the Taiwanese version more and more as the episodes went on. It made me appreciate how challenging it must be to play people in different timelines and make them feel distinct, real, and worthy of emotional investment.

    An issue I had with both versions, though, is the way a shy and timid person is portrayed. I’m not sure either version got it quite right – I can’t quite articulate it, but I feel both versions fail to do justice to people with that kind of personality. It made the family dynamics seem more contrived to me somehow, but this may just be me.

    The very obvious elephant in the room for me is the the giant shoes that Greg Hsu left for anyone attempting a remake to fill. I started rewatching the original Taiwanese version again because I just missed the way he plays the ML so much. I’m sure I would have enjoyed Ahn Hyo Seop’s portrayal a lot more had I not seen the original, but the boyish charm and the layers and depth that Greg Hsu brought to the role – I’m not sure they can be replicated or matched.

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      I have only watched two episodes of A time called you so far, but I totally agree with your comment.
      All I can say now is that I’m glad I watched the Taiwanese drama some weeks ago. If I had watched the Korean adaptation first, I probably would have missed that gem (now one of my favorite series ever).

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        I’m glad I saw the TW version too! I think I was used to the slickness of kdramas, and found the difference in production quality quite noticeable at the time, but upon rewatch, I don’t notice that as much and am enjoying it better!

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      Someday or One Day is the rare show where all the pieces – the actors, the script, the directing, the music – just clicked, and I can’t imagine wanting to see it with different actors in a different cultural context. It was the first Taiwanese show I watched, and I really appreciated the specific ways it was different from K-dramas. I’m not sure what the k-drama version has kept or not kept, but I’m good sticking with the original – if something is awesome as it is, it’s fine to leave it alone.

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    I struggled with the time travel song in the Taiwanese version to begin with, but I found that I really missed it now! It was so distinct that it was impossible to mistake, so in retrospect, I think it was the right choice despite my irritation with it at certain points!

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      Shi Shi’s intro song and Wu Bai’s “Last Dance” worked like a Swiss clock to set the mood in the drama.

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        Exactly!! I thought the OST for the TW version was much stickier, and used to better effect.

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      I got sick of it while watching the T version. Now I miss it watching the k version 😢

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    I only got to the 1st ep and somehow the emotional aspect did not land as the much as TW ver did. I think Jeon Yeo-been’s previous characters are stuck in my head that I’m not buying her shy and timid character as well. The present timeline, that I get. As for AHS, after Business Proposal, I saw his limits and it’ll probably be more obvious here or not (which is welcome).

    Also, was the present Li Zi Wei this obsess? Time to finally do a rewatch bcs I miss Greg too!

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      Hi Neener!💗 I had a similar experience with Jeon Yeo Been! And actually had a moment where I was pulled completely out of the story because I felt sad that she had to portray a woman who lost her partner at a young age again!😅

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        Hi dramadillo~! The first scene took me out xD I’ve always liked her acting but unfortunately it did not work with this type of character.

        Oh yea, Melodramatic Me. Any other dramas?

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    Thank you, that’s so thoughtful of you to make this place for those comparisons!

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    Comment was deleted

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      So far, from what I’ve watched, they seem very close to me, but beanies with better memories can hopefully pipe in as well.

      I, too, loved the original for the storytelling, the leads and the emotions evoked and conveyed, and for me, the TW version does it better, even upon rewatch. I think it’s because of the narrative choices and the script (or perhaps the translation as well). Whilst there are some changes that I thought improved the show, I thought most changes, even little ones, didn’t improve things and I wondered why they made those decisions. But I haven’t made it beyond episode 6 yet, and it sounds like the ending might be different(!).

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    I hope you’ve been well. I have meant to say hello for weeks. I can’t find the Taiwanese original but would love to watch it someday. In the interim, I look forward to reading your comments.

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      Welcome back to DB, @dncingemma! You’ve been missed and it’s lovely to see you seamlessly back in the fray in the DWY threads. I’m not watching myself (yet), but it has been just as fun as a bystander.😁

      I think Someday or One Day is no longer available where I first watched it either, which is such a shame. It’s not a perfect show, but it is very special and I hope you’ll get to watch it and see for yourself whether it’s worthy of all the love and hype!

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        @mellowarmadillo: Thanks for your lovely and kind reply. I’ve missed my DB mates too. I haven’t started watching ATCY as yet too as am hoping to have a few eps to binge soon. I’m keen to see the Taiwanese version and I hope I can find it streaming somewhere one day soon. As we know, no show/drama is ever perfect but to become memorable for the right reasons is an achievement in itself.

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💗💗💗NUMBERS!!!💗💗💗

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    Hands down, Numbers is my current favourite out of all the ones airing at the moment. Yes, some of it is over dramatic, and some of it feels like an educational video (which I appreciate since I know nothing about accounting!), but for me, it’s good because there’s been enough storytelling that I care about the leads in a way that feels earned. Even the second baddie in command is well done. And now, now…the game is truly afoot!!

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    Yup! Ep 3 was good and now I’m gonna catch Ep 4. If this continues, it is going to be the show I look forward to on weekends.

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      What did you think of episode 4? I loved it even more than episode 3, and it feels like the setup is now complete.

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Beanie Meet-up!

The Watch and Discuss K-Drama Club will be having our next in-person meet-up in London, England in September! We’re planning a cinema outing to see Past Lives together during the opening weekend (9-10 September – specific date and time will be decided once we know who’s interested). Come one, come all!🥳

To connect, please share your email address in a comment to this post. I’ll let you know as soon as I’ve made a note of it so you can delete it. @reply1988 and I will be in touch!

Look forward to meeting those of you who can make it!💗

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Hi beanies, I’ve enjoyed learning about the different beanie levels so much that I’m now wondering – if you could come up with new/different levels, what would they be?

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    I tried to come up with some myself, but I am not as creative as many of the beanies here. I suppose I wouldn’t mind being a White Envelope of Cold Hard Cash for a little while. I like that people can just push a white envelope across a table and everyone knows what’s inside. 💸

    And perhaps Mane of Glory can make it to the list of levels? They seem to be much beloved here on db.😁

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      Survivor of ToD,
      Amnesiac Chaebol,
      Long-lost secret twin of Chaebol,
      kimchi slapping expert MIL.

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        For some reason, your list made me think of adding Childhood Trauma Cured By Love 😅

        You and @miso2019 are great minds thinking alike!

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          The beanie levels are descriptive of a person. Like Candy, Errand boy, CEO’s overworked Secretary, Noble Idiot, Loanshark with a heart of gold, . etc.
          so it can’t be an event or a general trope. Hope I am making sense 😅

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            Yes, I realised childhood trauma isn’t even a thing, but I figure if Goblin’s underpants are allowed, I can sneak in some childhood trauma.😂

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            Taking advantage of the Goblin’s Underpants Exception for inanimate objects, I’m going to shamelessly plug some of my old fanwall ideas:

            Childhood Trauma Buddy
            Tired Plot Device
            Chaebol Mother’s Younger Second Husband
            PPL Hoverboard

            And in honour of our recent in-person meetup, as well as a character who makes frequent appearances in flashback scenes:

            Imaginary Friend!

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            @elinor, I hope you enjoyed the rest of your visit and had a smooth journey home! It was so, so lovely to have the afternoon with you and other beanies. I will now start counting down until your next visit – I’m giving you no more than 365 days!😁

            I love Childhood Trauma Buddy – I hope this one will involve teaching our kdrama characters that there are other routes to healing, such as therapy!

            I’m not sure why, but I’m a bit worried that Tired Plot Device will be one of those endless beanie levels!😅

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        Survivor of ToD for the win! Haha… That has to be a very high level because hello… it’s not easy to survive from a ToD. 😆

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        I love your list, Blue! 😆 🤣 😂 My fave is the kimchi slapping expert MIL 😆

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      Obvious Better Choice Second Male Lead
      Like obviously Wok of Love (overlapping with heart of gold, obviously), Pasta, and certainly Jealousy Incarnate/Don’t Dare to Dream, where male lead was so mean so many times it was like a blow straight to the abdomen. You could discuss Love in the Moonlight, Moon embracing the Sun, My Love from the Star, (is there a title theme here?), too. Even if, … if the lead is Kim Soo-hyun … what can you do?

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    Kimchi Slap – the level to end all arguments levels 🤭.

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    Apologies!! I feel like I didn’t correctly cite my sources!🙇🏻‍♀️ I should have credited people who inspired this question! @anne18 and @diana-hansen both mentioned beanie levels in the Open Thread (https://www.dramabeans.com/2023/04/open-thread-810) yesterday, and @pohonphee suggested some ideas for new levels already.😁 I’m sorry if I’ve missed anyone else!🙏

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    Sharman who can’t control the ghosts
    Hi,Bye Mama

    Ghost with typing skills
    Chicago typewriter

    Queen of Aegyo
    Be melodramatic, Fight for my way

    Contract wife on steroids
    Love in contract

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    Foolishly obedient DiL
    Wife with detective skills
    Charming red flags
    A girl who collects oppas
    A handsome chaebol with face blindness symptoms
    A barista who serves only iced Americano
    An outspoken translator with a problematic wig (that belongs to another person- Run On)
    Charismatic angel investor with a sharp tongue (BB)

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      Girl who collects Oppas which drama is that?🤣

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      I love Barista who only serves Iced Americano, and I feel the need to defend said barista, whose skills are being stunted because that’s the drink that 99 out of 100 people on kdramas order!

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        Yeah.. and it makes you doubt what in iced Americano that does this magic.

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    Love it! I haven’t seen any of the School series maybe I should check them out.

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    Drama Viewer in a Slump
    Writernim Needs a Good Whack
    PPL-Sourcer Extrodinaire

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      PPL-Sourcer Extraordinaire!!🤣🤣🤣 I love that Sourcer sounds so much like sorcerer, which seems kind of appropriate!

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    Dejected in Love Airforce Aspirant!🤣🤣🤣

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    Yes!! That would open it up to more beanies!😊

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Hello beanies! The Watch and Discuss K-Drama Club will be having our first in-person meet-up in London, England next month! We’re planning to visit the Hallyu Exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum together on the afternoon of Saturday 20th May. Come one, come all!🥳

To connect, please share your email address in a comment to this post. I’ll let you know as soon as I’ve made a note of it so you can delete it. @reply1988 and I will be in touch!😊 Hope we can meet some of you UK and Europe-based beanies!

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    I’m afraid I’m too far to go (I’m in Spain) but I’m glad to know some of you are going to meet and have a good time together 🙂

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      I wish it were easier to hang out with beanies in real life! Maybe one day! Do let us know if you’ll be in London in the future, so we can arrange a meet-up to suit you!😊

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    How exciting! Have fun beanies!

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    Lucky you, it sounds like fun! I’ll be spending a few solo days in London earlier in May but fleeing back to the US just before the coronation (trip planned long before that event was on the horizon). I’m definitely going to take in the Hallyu exhibit while I’m there.

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    Ohmygosh! I’m not in the club bcs I missed the timing but I do want to join the meet-up.

    The first and last beanie meet up I joined was in Singapore last 2019 and it was so much fun!

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      Please come along!😊

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      Sorry I missed this re the Watch and Discuss K Drama Club membership. If you still want to join and the 7 p.m. meet up on 4th Tuesday of the month works for you we will be opening up the doors for new members soon so I can email you with the programme of future watches and the Zoom link for the May WDKD club meet up. Let me know.

      Also how amazing for a Beanie meet up in Singapore how many people were there? Did people travel from across the globe or was it mainly the beanies based in Singapore? That is a place I really want to visit and missed out on a group cruise a couple of years before the pandemic that went there and neighbouring countries. Not bitter….😬

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        Oh I’m actually not from London xD and I’m still not sure if I can really commit in the monthly watch xD

        Another beanie and I were visiting Singapore for a BTS concert and we organised the meet up, there were around 6-8 beanies then iirc. It’s been such a long time but I do remember having fun just talking about dramas and all. I really do hope I can join this time as well.

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          No worries we would love to see you in person or online sometime but totally understand that it can be hard to keep up with older drama watching alongside the live watches. Our core group has people based in Europe, US and Caribbean from diverse cultural backgrounds and across the age range, meeting for an hour. We sometimes finish the drama, we sometimes don’t. We talk about range of issues around it and then we move on to another one the next month. For most of us we don’t have anyone in real life to share our K drama thoughts with so it’s nice to have a live conversation alongside the delayed exchange of some written, often typo laden, thoughts with unknown people behind their avatars😊

          Singapore sounds like a great trip to see BTS live and meet up with other beanies must have been a memorable moment in life.

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    Have fun everyone! 🙂

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    Read this, immediately goes and googles possible combinations to get to London and join, finds flights, right price, impossible hours to get the planes, checks availability days and… no, I can’t… Boooooooooo.

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      Oh no!! I’m so sorry it doesn’t work for you this time!😭 We’ll keep an eye out for other fun meet-up activities and hopefully there will be opportunities again soon! (There’s the London East Asian Film Festival later this year, for example!) Maybe we can have a meet-up in Spain at some point, too!☀️ These will have to do until Beanie Island becomes reality!

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        I know!! The direct flight from my hometown to Heathrow used to be in the afternoons so it wouldn’t mean needing days off, but now it’s Friday morning and on Sunday return is… at 7am from Heathrow!! Just thinking about the time I need to get up to get on time to the airport makes me faint 😅

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    I would have love to join you as another Europe-based beanie, but the plans for this weekend were made long ago as it will be 4 days of game play with my table top games club.
    Next time I hope.

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      Oh please do join us another time!😊 And let us know if you ever have plans to come to London – it would be great to meet you and talk dramas in person!

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Love February

Dear beanies of the past and present, thank you for this lovely community. DB is probably my favourite place on the internet. There really is nowhere else I feel able to participate in online discussions because I’m more of a lurker by nature, and prefer to stay hidden.

My Valentine’s Day wish is that every single one of you has something in your life that makes you feel free, alive, and truly at peace within yourself. I’m sending all of you lots and lots of love!💗

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Love February

What are your dealbreakers in love (for friends, family and romantic partners)? Are they different depending on the relationship?

Would you view the dealbreaking act or actions differently if it stemmed from addiction (which we now understand as an illness rather than a character fault or lack of will)?

Do you give second chances? Third chances?

Have you ever learned to trust someone again once they’ve broken your trust? If so, how did you finally trust them again?

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    Well I’ve lost some trust in my mother, who if you asked me just two years ago I would’ve put my full faith and trust in her no doubt. Sadly she made decisions that also impacted me and my sister and I love her, will never stop loving her but now I’m weary about telling her the full truth. And I’m weary that she’ll keep making bad decisions and I or my sister have to bail her out again. I will probably delete this comment as it is too personal but I’ve moved out last year and it’s looking like I have to break my lease in order to help my family. I have a disability as well so I’ve been dealing with a lot anxiety and guilt lately and keep wondering if I will ever have financial independence from my family.

    That said, I’ve also dealt and continue to deal with addictions but these are from script medications, so unlike alcohol or smoking they are not easily available to me. And no I’ll never go to the black market for these drugs but sadly with so many surgeries I’ve had and continue to have, it was inevitable that I have gotten addicted to these drugs and I have abused them. My sister knows this (as does my family) so she now has full control of these medications when I have surgeries so I won’t abuse them.

    I am also seeing a psychologist (they are really expensive!). I’ve only had two sessions so far but she seems nice.

    I guess since I’m a Desi I can’t say no to my family when they need my help. That’s why I’m so sacred to find a romantic partner, I don’t want to beholden to someone who takes advantage of me. With regards to friends, some have drifted away due to work or marriage. I still have a close group of high-school friends that I stay in contact with regularly, we get on each others nerves from time to time but we’ve know each other for more than 15 years! I have lost a good friend tho, I should have tried to stay in contact and it pains me when I think about her but I do hope she is happy.

    So yes I guess that’s life. I lose trust in people I love, and the people who love me lose trust in me as well. I’m trying to work on myself now. Been dealing with major insomnia, while I’m usually a shy and timid person in real life, with my lack of inhibitions I’ve chatted and made friends with strangers! But on the down side I can be hurtful to those around me and don’t consider their feelings as much.

    I’m not sure if I answered your question. But for me losing trust in long term relationships while hurtful won’t be the end of the relationship for me. I might have to change the way I interact with them but I find it hard to let go. But I also want to add I’m no angel either and my loved ones have probably had to also change the way they interact with me to keep our relationship going

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      Thank you for sharing your thoughts and personal experiences.💗 I admire your perseverance and determination to improve yourself and to see fault not only in others but yourself. I also admire your capacity for forgiveness – I confess that I am a much less forgiving person and have just cut people out because trust is the foundational condition of any relationship for me. I’m wondering whether I need to rethink this approach because I’m not perfect either. Maybe my standards are actually impossible.

      I also wanted to send you some love, good vibes, and a resounding HWAITING! I’ll be cheering you on from over here!!💖💖💖

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Love February

I have a friend who doesn’t understand my love of kdramas. She doesn’t believe that anyone intelligent could possibly enjoy them. (Meanwhile, I often feel I’m not clever or emotionally astute enough to keep up with the discussions on here!) But I no longer try to explain it and I think she accepts it as one of my idiosyncrasies.

I don’t believe it’s actually possible to explain my love for kdramas in a way that would make sense to her. Why does anyone like the colours or the flavours that they like? I could list a number of reasons, some more compelling than others, but reasons are almost the afterthought – the love came first, and the reasons why only followed because somehow, a justification was required.

Kdramas came into my life at a time when I needed comfort and support in a way that could not be provided by anyone or anything else. I needed to live and feel through stories because my real life was too hard. I rewatch some of the first dramas I discovered much like I would snuggle under an old blanket. These shows created an invisible fortress that kept me warm and allowed me to grow strong again when I was chilled and vulnerable. Are these dramas critically acclaimed or objective masterpieces? No, and sometimes, I find myself explaining why I think a particular show is good when, like my love for dramas, the love came first. The reasons? They’re just the words I use to try and explain something almost too intimately personal about myself.

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    Just go with the typical kdrama line

    Why you like this or that person?

    Just because…

    Why do I like kdramas?

    Just because…

    And I think that answer is more than enough 😊

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    Or use another infamous kdrama line

    Why do you like this or that person?

    Because they are pretty!

    Why do I like kdramas?

    Because they are pretty!

    And boi are they P-R-E-E-T-Y!

    Call me shallow or whatnot but calling me UNINTELLIGENT….

    Yeah well I agree on that point

    But maybe to your friend kdramas are lowbrow (some of my friends also don’t get my unabashed love) but to call all kdramas stupid is like saying every drama or series from every country is stupid. And if they don’t like or watch TV at all….fair enough can’t argue with that..it’s like debating with a vegan (and I fully respect and support our wonderful vegans who are doing the lord’s work to stop climate change, just can’t do it myself)

    But I’ll stick with my lowbrow entertainment thanks, and I’ll be there with you enjoying our sweet sweet P-R-E-E-T-Y kdramas

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    I learned to stop justifying my love of dramas (or anything, really) a while ago. But more than that, people should be allowed to love what they love. It has nothing to do with intelligence (though, when people try to make this argument to me about dramas, I point out that there are many intelligent, well written, beautifully made dramas that could give western shows a run for their money).

    I also found drama when I needed comfort and support, and I’m always grateful to that. It doesn’t matter to me why I love them, just that I do. Just like you said, what really determines what makes us love something?

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    You are not alone in having “the look” when talking about dramas. Only when people watch one and actually like it, understand why you are hooked. But I usually get the: the names are strange, I never know who they are talking about, or… it’s not dubbed into Spanish.

    So by now I just smile and nod and don’t try to justify anything. I have a coworker that always recommends me tv shows. I’ve told him many times that right now I only watch dramas, but he keeps on. So whenever he asks me: have you seen this or that, I just tell him: not yet, but it’s on my watch list.

    Same goes with my love for kpop. How can an adult woman love those kids that are all the same. Yes, yes. I nod. I don’t even want to explain why I love my idols and how I’m planning a trip to attend a concert in Korea because 2PM has announced they would have concerts this year.

    I just smile and nod. I am happy, that is all that matters.

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Love February

They say you always have a choice, and that you can always choose love.

But how about anger? How about boiling rage over injustice after injustice? What about crippling despair, and paralysing grief? How about disgust? And ambivalence, and contempt? Or just plain old sadness and fear. Are they never the right choice?

If I have to choose love, then it better be like white light, that actually consists of all the other colours and emotions. Because some days, if love is even there, then it’s surely been split into the infinite shades of all the other emotions, and is just plain invisible to the naked eye.

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Love February

I love cities. I love cityscapes and the bustle that provides anonymity. I love the diversity that big cities attract, and the feeling of being invisible. I love the mixed architecture of centuries old urban centres, and seeing things looking aged and still changing over time.

P.S. I haven’t been able to join Love February fully, but it’s been wonderful to read the daily entires! They’re delightful and thought-provoking and beautiful!

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#2022RoundUp

Favourite womance / bromance

I really loved Rain and Kim Beom’s bromance in Ghost Doctor. I’d say that it had all the elements of a good enemies-to-lovers pairing. It forced together two strangers who did not take to each other due to circumstances that neither were happy with, and we ended up with some hard-earned and sensical character growth for both of them, as well as lots of humour in between. It’s one that I would watch again, actually, and I don’t tend to like dramas based in hospitals.

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    I agree this was a close second for me because what better sacrifice than to allow someone else to use your body for a date with a long lost love! It was such a great relationship the bickering and yet he also saved his life at one point. The age difference and skills and experience meant they were not equals but they needed to rely on each other and through the process they both gained so much.

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      You’ve made the case much better than I did, @reply1988!😊 I think that’s one of the things I love about these fantasy/supernatural premises – they create scenarios that not only reveal more about the characters, but that also give the characters opportunities to have conflict and grow closer in a way that makes sense and feels earned/justified.

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    I loved that show and their friendship.
    I’m not a fan of Kim Beom’s acting but Rain more than made up for it so I was quite happy.

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      I felt Kim Beom struggled with playing two different characters, but as you say, Rain’s performance and their chemistry more than made up for it for me.

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        I just never like his acting in anything. I feel he relies too much on his costars’ strenght.
        But he is cute and warm, so I can always watch him with a forgiving eye 😄

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          There’s something to be said for cuteness and warmth!😊

          I am much more forgiving if it seems like they were trying their best even if a performance leaves something to be desired, but actually, I’m not sure how I sense this, so maybe it is just cuteness and warmth!😁

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#2022RoundUp

ML you will never forget

Kim Nam Gil as Song Ha Young in the drama Through the Darkness. His acting is simply magnetic, and I loved that it was a male character showing such a quiet and reserved strength. His superpower and Achilles heel was how porous he allowed himself to be towards the people he was trying to understand (and profile) and he had to learn how not to be hurt by this level of sensitivity.

Honourable mention goes to Rain as Cha Young Min in Ghost Doctor. I’d never come across Rain before (somehow!), but I found that he had such presence onscreen and I liked the growth his character underwent.

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I just finished The Secret Life of My Secretary and now I want my very own moss balls. As someone who can’t keep a plant alive, is this a bad idea, beanies?🤔 Please vote in the comments below.👇

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    Hmmmm. I don’t recall what they were in the show but I had floral-moss covered balls in a wire basket for a while. As they grew older they dried out and flaked mossy gunk all over the table. I wouldn’t do that again.

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      Ooh! That would annoy me – thanks for the tip! In TSLOMS, Gal Hee replaces the dead impostor fish with moss balls that float when they’re happy (or rather, photosynthesise). Truth be told, I don’t know if there’s enough sun for them in my flat in the winter… BUT they seem low-maintenance (unless I have to pet them like Gal Hee advises in the show. Dr Google says the most I need to do is roll them if they don’t move around enough on their own). I feel like they would survive my black thumb (of death)??

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Hello UK, Ireland and Europe-based beanies who would like to attend a face-to-face in Spring 2023! It would be great to meet the people behind our Beanie tags.🥳

Us beanies seem to be spread across the nations so we need to think of places with good transport links. It may be that, depending on numbers and locations, we’ll have enough to host regionally. We’d like to get an idea of the numbers interested so if you reply to this post, we will know whom to tag for later posts. We will have an email contact so that we can share details like our locations (to work out the best place to meet), and swap emails/phone numbers (to send the zoom link for the drama watch club each month).

Really looking forward to connecting with you!💗

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    👍👋Looking forward to getting to know our local Beanies😊. I am sure there are a few of us on here.

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    I’m currently west-EU based.
    Would love to meet… if Real Life allows.

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      Hi @dorotka! It would be amazing if real life allows us to gather! Could you send @reply1988 an email at [email protected]? She will then pass on your contact info to me so that I can reach out to everyone as a group (I’ll bcc everyone unless people are happy to be sight-copied). We’ll then be able to figure out where we all are, and start discussing dates and locations.😊

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        Ok. I sent the mail.
        Good luck with all that organising!! 🤞❤️

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Love is for Suckers has officially stolen my heart. That conversation between Yeo Reum and her mum…😭😭😭 I’m well and truly out of tears. Someone please come and water me back to life.

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    Kdrama Writer-nims, See, we can have loving kdrama parents 🙂

    I loved that scene. I am loving this show 🥰

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      Exactly! I didn’t know where that part of the storyline was headed, but when her mum said what she did, I knew they had my heart, hook, line and sinker.

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    💦🥀

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    This convo alongside JH and YR’s in the early morning were the best from this episode. This show is actually quite simple but it’s doing everything right for me rn, it’s a perfect fall drama.

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      So true. What an amazing friendship. I hope I can be a friend like that – acknowledge and recognise the other’s pain without losing myself in it, then supporting and helping them stand back up without false positivity or expecting them to be further along in their process of grieving/healing.💗

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    “You hang on by eating.” 💔

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    Same!!!
    Now I understand why YR is so sweet, it’s because her mom is an angel. 🥺

    My favorite scene in the whole show so far.

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    Yesss!!! This drama has been so good and emotional so far, it’s really taken me by surprise. I can’t wait for tomorrow’s episode!!!

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Calling all UK beanies (especially those close to London) – the London East Asia Film Festival (https://www.leaff.org.uk) is coming up. Fancy meeting up to watch something together? @janie, I think you may be in Korea by this time, alas! @reply1988, maybe you can come to London for a film and a meal with me?☺️ I picked out 3 possibilities, but let me know what you fancy once you’ve had a look at the programme yourself:

Coffin Painter | Dir. Da Fei | China | 2021 | 95 mins on Sat, 29 Oct 2022, 20:30 BST
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/leaff2022-odeon-west-end-coffin-painter-screen-2-tickets-426810540817

A Hundred Flowers | Dir. Genki Kawamura | Japan | 2022 | 104 mins on Tue 25 Oct, 20:00 BST
https://www.chiswickcinema.co.uk/films/leaff-a-hundred-flowers/#book

Let the Wind Carry Me | Dir. Chiang Hsiu-Chiung, Kwan Pun Leung | Taiwan | 2009 | 88 mins on Fri 28 Oct, 19:00 BST
https://ticketlab.co.uk/event/id/13573#/

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    This looks great and if it was Spring next year I would be up for it. Currently I am not doing any face to face in the community until next year so we can get through the winter rise in Covid cases. I work with vulnerable clients so want to reduce the risk of catching Covid for the second time where possible.

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      Ah, that makes sense! Hope we can do something together in the spring!😊

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    I wish I was there!

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    Hi
    How did you get on with the interest in these films? It would be good if we could get a database of UK Beanies and then we can do a fan wall post whenever there are events like these so we can organise get togethers and give people time to plan. I think a Spring get together would be great.

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      Sadly, no other beanies have reached out.😔 But let’s definitely aim for a spring get together! Maybe by then, there’ll be more than just 3 of us.😁 I’ll keep an eye out for similar events, as it’d be nice to do something cultural, but honestly, meeting up for a meal would be fun too.

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        Ok let’s go all out on getting the list together so we know who to send the alerts to. The problem with fan posts is they get missed unless you actively look for them especially on a busy day of posting when posts disappear off the top of the feed. Because following doesn’t save your list of people so you can easily find people’s names I have had to start logging the names so I know who the people are I usually chat to so I can tag them in.

        I suggest we use the open thread as it’s on the main page and we do it early in the day as it seems most people post then leave so later comments don’t always get read. I have availability on Fridays so can post on a day when I am free in the afternoon. We have plenty of time.

        If we then direct them to a post they can go to our fan wall and reply then we can at least easily find their tag info to refer back to when we want to mention them to link them to a post.

        Let’s draft the post here and then we can add more details when doing the actual post so it’s not listed as a duplicate post.

        Hi UK based Beanies
        We would like to host an in person meet up in Spring 2023 and a no longer airing drama ‘watch and discuss’ like a book club please see post for more details.

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          Thanks so much, @reply1988! That’s a fantastic plan! Sorry for my short reply! I’ve been travelling, so haven’t had much time to catch up on db. I love the idea of a “watch and discuss”!

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            No worries, hope you had a lovely time travelling.

            I am thinking if we wait for nearer to Janie’s return she should find it easily so I will post on 28th October that’s half term week so people may have more time to see the post. We have lots of time as it’s not until Spring for the meet up so we will probably post a couple of times for the watch and discuss and the meet up before then.

            It would be good to do a monthly Zoom for the watch and discuss. Hopefully we can compile a list of potential dramas across the genre’s people like so we can cater for different tastes.

            We can sort out our contact details to share the Zoom details etc. nearer the time I am thinking we can look to have the first Watch and discuss Nov/December to see how it goes.

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            For the Watch and Discus what’s your best days and times. These are some of the options I can do:
            4th Tuesday of the month 7-8 (This is the only Tuesday I can do)
            I can do most Wednesdays 7-8
            I can do most Sundays 4-5

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            Hi @reply1988! I’m loving your ideas!! For me, the 4th Tuesdays of the month would be best, but the Sundays could work. Look forward to seeing what works for others!

            Thank you for posting on the 28th – it’s a good idea to post then. Should we coordinate a wall post that it links to? I’m also wondering how to share contact info without having to post it on db. I wish there was some kind of direct message feature!

            Unrelatedly, I’m impatiently waiting for the Love is for Suckers weecap/open thread to go live, as I’m looking forward to reading your thoughts!!

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            Yes let’s put together the key parts for the wall post. We have to be brief do bullet points to avoid duplicate comment issues. Or we can communicate offsite in an email so we can compose it in full and then cut and paste it onto the site. Let me know your preference.

            I contacted someone on here and they gave their instagram account details so we communicated via direct messages on there. We will need some way of getting people’s emails to send the zoom link. I am happy to put my therapy email on a reply deep in the post like we did this conversation as it’s buried in the body of the conversation so you would only see it if you were putting in the effort. We may have people outside the UK signing up for watch and discuss if it’s a time that works for their time zone.

            What genres do you like so we can start collecting lists? I would have loved it if I had company while binge watching a few episodes of Twelve nights

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            There were a few dramas that people were desperate to start commenting on this week that they started to post on last weeks’ comments section. I can see it is going to be busy on Love is for suckers and Love in contract’s comments once they drop.

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            Hi

            If we use emails we can compose and revise the posts for the Open thread and fan wall then we can cut and paste on Friday 28th. I am working later today so there may be a delayed response. Once you send an email to me then I will send what I have drafted so far so we can adapt. My email: [email protected]

            I was thinking we could have my post on the open thread with both ideas but send them to two separate fan walls; you host the meet up post and I host the watch and discuss. What do you think?

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            Hi @reply1988! Just wanted to let you know that I’ve sent you an email, in case it goes into your spam folder. I’m happy to host the meet up post on my wall, and will have a look to see if anything is coming up in the spring that might be a fun event to attend in person. Really looking forward to it!😁

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    Hello there, I’m from Germany (North Germany, Hamburg area, to be precise), but my husband and I are in London from time to time for an extended weekend here and there. I’d love to meet some of you and chitchat about kdramas, preferably along with some Korean food? Next spring sounds far enough away to plan but close enough to feel the anticipation rushing through…I could even combine this with a meeting with some of my London-and/or-Sputh-UK-based penpals…🤔😊
    I’m relatively new to dramabeans. Is there a way to communicate directly? I only stumbled upon this by happenstance…

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      Hi @petrolia, this is so exciting! It would be great if you could join our meet up! @reply1988 and I are planning to post more about this (and about a watch and discuss group that will meet over zoom monthly) in the Open Thread and on our walls this Friday, but now I know you’re interested, we’ll tag you on any relevant posts going forward.

      We’re planning to nestle contact info deep within the thread of those posts so that we will have a means of connecting outside of DB without compromising anyone’s privacy. Look forward to some chats and Korean food with you in the near future!!☺️

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        Oh that sounds so good! After I replied I read the rest of the thread 🤪 and found @reply1988‘s post with her email address in it (and wrote an immediate email to her, too). Don’t worry, I’m not a stalker. 😉 I love the idea of that monthly Zoom meetup, too! Husband and I are watching some kdramas together, but others are more just my own taste and there’s nobody around me who shares that passion. 😉 I can’t wait to start!

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          I have replied to the email now so contact has been made as there is no way to do direct messages unless you chat through posts that anyone on the site can access. I know there are a few people in Europe who may be interested in the Zoom chats as the time zone is similar and potentially there may be other countries further afield. I hope we can get a good sized group to chat but not too big that people don’t get to join in. The challenge will be finding dramas that we can handle and that people have not seen or don’t mind rewatching. My pool is pretty narrow which was my reason for coming to K dramas as they had loads of rom coms for me and I have branched out a bit too.

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Beanies, I just finished watching the 2019 Taiwanese drama Someday or One Day and it is excellent. So, SO good. If you haven’t watched it yet, RUN – don’t walk!

I feel bereft now that it’s over, and so few shows consume me and truly take up residence in my consciousness in this way. I’d say that romance is secondary to the overall world and the people who inhabit it because the complexities of relationships aren’t explored beyond what lengths people would go to for love, and to be loved. It’s really a set piece used to challenge our characters. I also don’t believe in fated love, but if you do, you’ll love this show even more. The consequences of time travel are addressed head on, and it is handled intelligently.

Oh, and don’t read spoilers! This was advice from @thefangirlverdict that’s well worth following, even if you’re like me and prefer to know what happens in advance. And once you’re done, you can read @leetennant’s excellent blog post about it!

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I loved the question that came up in the recent Team Dramabeans AMA and the discussion that followed in the comments: Do you have a wishlist of drama pairings that you\’d like to see onscreen? In which genre? (Credit goes to @bugsbunny for the Q!)

It made me wonder – which actor would play you, or the protagonist(s) in the drama you’re writing (have written)? Why?

For me, it would be Jang Na Ra (with Han Ye Ri as a close second choice). I find that both are able to portray a character’s suffering in faceted ways and the drama I have in my head is about loneliness and isolation.

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Calling beanie hive wisdom🔮
I’ve just finished watching episode 19 of Alchemy of Souls, and I’m satisfied with where things stand as an ending to this series (because I know more is to come and I can decide later whether to tune into that part of the story). Yes, there are unanswered questions and loose ends, it’s not ‘complete’ per se, but from what I’ve read so far, episode 20 sounds like a preview for the second series and I’ve been avoiding the previews at the end of each episode ever since I discovered that I find them annoyingly deceptive.

I read spoilers and endings all the time, and often prefer to watch dramas and read books this way (I know, I’m weird and most people don’t understand but it’s because I enjoy the experience more if my brain isn’t stuck in what’s-going-to-happen mode). Knowing this about me, would you say I should stop here and wait until the second series is out before watching ep 20?

The response to the finale has been such that I’d like to avoid feeling like I’ve wasted 19 hours of my life for the next 3-4 months… (some of you may think I have wasted those hours already, knowing how things tend to go with the Hong sisters, but it’s too late for me to turn back the clock and I have actually enjoyed these last 19 hours, so I have no regrets ~yet~…)

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    If you really, truly hate cliffhangers then maybe don’t watch Ep. 20 till the second season is out. But if you’d like a sense of what the second season is about, I’d say just go ahead and watch.

    Obviously Ep. 20 ends with more stories to come (because what would be the point of S2 otherwise?) but there’s a preview at the end that gives you a hint of what’s to come. I am also someone who doesn’t mind previews and spoilers and I was pretty satisfied with what I got.

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      Thank you @miso – it seems pretty unanimous that I should just watch the final ep!😁 I appreciate hearing from those of you who didn’t hate how s1 wrapped up…it gives me confidence that I won’t hate it (or myself for not resisting until s2 is out)!.

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    On the one hand, the last 20 minutes of ep. 20 are, as expected, a chaotic combination of cliffhangers and resolution that will definitely not meet your need to know. On the other, the finale discussion here is going to be a ton of fun and since you’ve already been participating in the comments, you might have to forego that (and we’d miss you!). I guess the decision is which you want/need more?

    I’d lean toward going ahead and watching. I plan to not rewatch until Season 2 starts, so I know I’ll inevitably forget a lot between now and then and other dramas (and books, and people, and Life in general) will come along to dull my currently burning need for MORE ALCHEMY NOW.

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      Also, for me, the annoyances and untied threads of eps. 19-20 didn’t even come close to retroactively spoiling my enjoyment of eps. 1-18, so if you have no regrets now, you’re probably not going to after 1.5 more hours.

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        Thank you @elinor! You are right, I would hate to miss out on the discussion as that has been one of the best parts of watching something live (which I rarely do because of my need-to-know-itis).😅 I’ll put on my big girl pants and dive in this evening…it will probably take me another full day after that to catch up with all the comments!🤣

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    I vote for watch! You liked the past 19, so the last 1.5 hours shud be fine. The first hour is like happy fillers anyway, don’t be fooled by all the pretties (i was 😆)

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      Hahah, thank you @parkchuna, for the word of caution! I will use the first hour of filler to fortify myself before the final 20-30 minutes throw my life into chaos!

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Beanies, do you have a favourite Korean word/phrase that you picked up from watching dramas and wish you could use in your everyday life? Mine is ottoke (어떻게?) ☺️

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    Mine definitely would be chugulle? (Wanna die?) I’d love to use this when my brother annoys me 😇

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      Hahahah!! Good one!

      Do you know this K-pop spoof song? I think you might enjoy it if you like chugulle.😉 It has a bit of rude/potty humour, though. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=beZFLT0Ixag – there’s a scene before the song starts (worth watching!), and the song starts at around 1 min 43 sec. Hope you enjoy and get a good chuckle from it!😂

      The reaction videos of actual Koreans watching it made me laugh even more…🤣

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        Omg dramadillo you just made my day!🤣🤣🤣 That scene before the song is golden. I died when he said we can auto tune ourselves! Now I have stuff to watch *runs to watch all the reaction videos you mentioned* Thanks again!!!

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          You’re so welcome! I’m glad we have a similar sense of humour!!🤪 This reaction vid was my fave…not sure why, but maybe because they seem quite serious whilst they’re watching it: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=R5BKZeJP9TY
          ENJOY!! I got belly aches from laughing when I went down this rabbit hole for the first time. There are also a couple/few behind-the-scenes and making-of videos.

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            Thanks again!!! I laughed so hard when he said they actually know what kpop is😂😂😂 spoof songs and parody videos are one of my favourites when I need a good laugh. I guess I found my new rabbit hole 🤣🤣🤣

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        Omg, I forgot how funny those guys are and how I laughed til I cried when this came out. It really resembles a lot of Kpop videos at the time, they did a great job especially the David Choi ballad part tacked on at the end that has no relation to the rest of the song.

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          So many Koreans who reacted to the music video loved that part because, as you say, they nailed the kpop template. (Also, David Choi sings Dong Saya Dae like he really loves you/me/us.😜)

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        I just clicked on the YouTube link. Great video, very funny.

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    One I use is the all-purpose: aigoo!

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      I love this one, too! It reminds me of the actress Kim Mi Kyung, for some reason…perhaps it’s her voice that I hear saying it in my head!

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        yes! The iconic hacker Jo Min-ja (HEALER) (2014/2015).
        Kim Mi-kyung has been one of my favorites since I entered kdrama world in 2016 with HEALER.

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          That’s my favourite role of hers! 💗hacker ahjumma!💗 I still eat homemade kimbap the way she did, by taking big bites from a tube!🤣

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      My husband and I send each other agioo gifs on messenger.

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    mine mostly used is “aish” when i ruin things or they somehow get messed up unintentionally.
    second…” ottokaji” which i caught from you’re beautiful.

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      “Aish” is such a good sound-word! Very satisfying!😁 Is there a term for this – where the sound of the word seems to express its meaning? Onomatopoeia doesn’t seem quite right to me because it doesn’t so much describe a sound as it is simply an a expressive sound, and the meaning is almost the sound itself.

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        lol.. i never did any research on it before.
        it just went into my subconscious and came out so damn loud during an official get together of our team and everyone looked at me (cause ny aish was sooo loud) and asked me what exactly i said.
        So that’s how i realised this word is something i am using a lot… i hv yet to find its origin and how to write it etc.

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          I love that our dramas just seep into us/our lives without us realising!

          Heheh, sorry, I tend to overthink these things!🤪 (From what I can tell so far, words like this are called interjections…but I’m still figuring it out. 🚨nerd alert!🤓)

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    I’ve caught myself speaking hal-su-iss-eo quite a few times and I guess that is mainly because there is no such phrase in my own language(literal translation doesn’t make sense) while I totally need the courage sometimes. So it’s either this or it’s the english translation “You/I can do it” but I like the way hal su isseo sounds so I whisper that to myself more lol.

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    Neo michyeoss-eo!

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      I don’t know the correct/accurate translation, but when I said it in my head, I got strong “are you crazy?!/what are you doing?!?” vibes. Another good’un!!😊 (ah, ok, apparently 미쳐서 = insanely! Thank you for my new word!)

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        Yes! That! I also like “jipjun!” Imagine my fists clenched with a scrunched up face. “Focus!”

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      Said in Jo Jung Suk’s voice in the locker room…

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        Wow, you brought me right back to that scene in Jealousy Incarnate. Whoosh.

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    When I just can’t believe something stupid I’ve just done: “ah, chin cha???”

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      Ooh I use this one, too! But I can’t seem to pronounce it right (except in my head)!😝

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      What does that translate as? I like that phrase too!

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        It’s simply like, “really?” But I use it more like “Seriously???”

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    I have a new baby so I am all ‘omo omo’ 😁

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      Awww, congrats!!👶🏻🥰💗 I find myself texting omo a lot, which I think people assume is my failure to type omg!🤣

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        I want to say “omo!” all the time but know then I’ll have to explain myself … which just leads to more people saying , “you watch what again?” My very favorite is in Kim Sam Soon when KSS tells her sister that KSS stayed overnight at Sam Shik’s flat and her sister’s eyes bug out in shock while she retorts “Omo yip!!!” I’ve always wondered what that means to Korean speakers.

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        Hahaha!

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    Aigoo~ I used to say omo and aish a lot too but my surroundings changed so I dropped the two and just used aigoo all the time. I tried using aish but my new co-workers thought I was saying “ah sh*t” 😂

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    그럼 (geuleom, which sounds like “keh-rum) is one of my favorites to utter in my head. It means “well then” and is generally used to end a conversation in an not exactly pleasant, friendly way.

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      I like that one too. Like, “I’m done talking now, thanks!”

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        YESSS! (I like how it becomes almost mono-syllabic, even though it’s actually two characters. Feels very apt for conversation-ending.)

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          @mellowarmadillo: In Korean, words can be mono or polysyllabic as a syllable is the linguistic constitutive unit. It doesn’t have characters as it is an alphabet based language.

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            Ah, I see! I think what I meant was ‘syllabic block’ rather than character (this is according to a quick skim of Wikipedia😅 – sorry my knowledge is less than basic!), but I assume multiple syllabic blocks can still be pronounced as a single syllable? Like how ‘thank you’ (감사합니다) consists of 5 syllabic blocks but often sounds like 4 to my ear?

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            @mellowarmadillo: Please don’t be sorry! I have been learning Korean for over a year now so am probably a bit too enthusiastic. I hope I didn’t come across as hectoring.
            Words can have either one or multiple syllables so as you correctly noted, 감사합니다 has 5 syllables but comprises one word. What you mentioned about what it sounds like is really fascinating as the Korean language places a real emphasis on the language flowing rhythmically so the grammar and pronunciation rules facilitate this. So without boring you with the minute rules, the ‘’ㅎ” sound which sounds like ‘h’ in ‘hen’ is often (but not always) not pronounced as it gets elided over or can contribute to the sound of the next consonant. Here, the common pronunciation is ‘kamsamnida’ and not ‘kamsahabnida’. Also, the ‘ㅂ’ sound,‘b’ as in ‘ben’, is altered to an ‘m’ because of a grammatical rule in this instance. Last but not least, a number of Korean letters change their sounds depending on whether they are at the beginning, middle or the end of a syllable block. In 감사합니다, ‘ㄱ’, the first letter has a ‘k’ sound as in ‘kin’ but a bit softer as it is at the beginning but it shifts to a ‘g’ sound as in ‘girl’ when it is in the middle.
            I hope I haven’t bored you but I warned you that I get too enthused about all that I have learnt and am learning!😊

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            Thanks for your mini-Korean lecture here. I like to sing Korean OST’s and so this is helpful when I sing them. I never realized about the k and g sounds changing if they are at the beginning or middle of a word. I’ll have to pay attention to that! Oh, if you are really “enthusiastic,” could you listen to a couple of the songs I’ve done and see if you understand what I’m saying and give pointers? It sounds like a a strange request, but I just copy what I hear and don’t really know if it sounds understandable.

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            @allysalozada: of course! As you can imagine, I have a limited vocab as yet but would love to help out if I can!

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            This is my channel: https://www.smule.com/allykdrama
            Just scroll through and find the Korean OSTs! Thanks!

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            I love learning about this and your explanations are super helpful and enlightening! May I ask how you’ve been learning? Is it a course in-person or online? Or just teaching yourself? I am hoping I can learn Korean properly too (at some point!). So really, you cannot bore me with this stuff!🤓 Maybe we can start a study group at some point…

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            @mellowarmadillo: I have been studying through an online course with a Korean teacher and it has been wonderful even if I have learnt much more grammar, syntactical rules and vocab than having conversational skills which are very basic now. I do hope you can start learning as not only it is a linguistic delight but also it really progressively enhances one’s understanding of the Korean history, politics, culture(s) and arts.

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    I say ‘aigoo’ all the time 😂

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      It seems to be very popular amongst us beanies! We could use it as a way to identify each other in the “wild”, almost like a secret handshake.😁

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    This post has made my day I like Aaish but some of the translators put it as a swear word and as I try not to swear I think it will still count even if no one understands it🫢 It is just the perfect word for expressing frustration…

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      It really is!! It’s so satisfying for expressing frustration when you don’t want people to hear you swearing and/or can’t bang a table!🤣

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        The other one I just remember is Yah instead of Hey or Oi I love it so much its part of one of my passwords and makes mine smile every time i type it in rather than getting frustrated with trying to remember 400 passwords when I just want to turn a computer on and do something productive.

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    “Kenchana” (괜차나).

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