Beanie level: Chaebol’s poor doppelganger

NGNL 12 is not the first time I’ve been disappointed with the last episode of a romcom featuring a fake marriage and a cat. And I’m sure it won’t be the last either

‘Tis better to have 11 eps that were darn near perfect though, than a show that was just alright, I suppose. And while Atypical Family is still my favorite drama of the year overall, this one was definitely my favorite watch. The Beanie love always ups the enjoyment, and (present ep excluded) it was a romcom that delivered on both ❤️

10
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    At least NGNL didn’t disappoint me until ep 12, that other drama I believe it lasted several episodes

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      It’s been a while since I rewatched it, but I think 15-16 were both disappointing to me, along with some other quibbles. Yet it’s still one of my favorites 🙈 I guess no matter how good any show is, it’s best to just go into the finale expecting a mess

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It was so nice to have the stupid (in the best way!) and cute charm of the earlier eps back in full force in My Sweet Mobster 🩷 I laughed and awww’d so much throughout the series. Once again I have to thank the Beanie hype for getting me to check this one out 🥰

12 episodes would have been perfect, but if the only complaint I have about a summer romcom featuring a guy whose name sounds like goyangi 🐈 is that its pacing had it stuck in typical kdrama territory for a while, then that’s a win in my book lol

Speaking of cats, it is a crime that mobdad got a cute intro but the best Kitty Gang member did not
6
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Just caught up with My Sweet Mobster and it is indeed a sweet drama 🩷 I love the endeering found family (🍎-ogies for the pun) so much!

My feelings are mostly positive, but the charm of the earlier episodes has wandered off in the most recent ones. Hopefully to be found again soon though 🐑 More thoughts below

Also, Bulldog is the goodest boy
12
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    I was hesitant to start this one, because 16 episode romcoms especially seem to run out of steam by this point. Even with being so darn goofy, the show was thoughtful and had depth to it. This week’s episodes felt like they were mostly just padding, with the writer just throwing in jokes that didn’t do the characters any favors. Not that everything fell flat (that breakfast scene with a meal prepared by Winnie the Pooh had me rolling) but it was definitely disappointing. Along with how Mi-ho and Il-young’s relationship has been handled

    But! I really have enjoyed everything else so far. I have such a soft spot for found families and the deerling household is my favorite since 30 but 17 🩷 Eun-ha and Mi-ho and her parents are a sweet little family too. Other highlights: Kitty fashion (Im Chul-soo is a scene stealer lol), Uhm Tae-gu’s voice (fk, just Uhm Tae-gu in general), and the theme song (so upbeat!)

    6
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      I like the show too but I haven’t watched this week’s episodes. Just not that interested in them being lovey dovey. Do like a found family. But need something else – just not a serial killer. I’ve done this on quite a few shows just drifted away and never gone back. I’m obviously very fickle. I may get back there.

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        Too much fluff haha, especially when there’s more story they can dive into. And definitely- anything but a serial killer! Who would’ve thought that would be the new trend in romcoms 😂

        Me too! I have so many where I wouldn’t say I dropped them but just aren’t feeling it

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      i thought i was the only one feeling this weeks epi being low on comedic value and i was like may be i should hv binged it n its live watching making it slower..
      i also think these weeks epi were slower for sure… but high on getting smaller back stories out… we found out abt ji hwans childhood as well.. so its changing the gear per me.
      and i second you UTG being the highlight n so his voice ❤️❤️❤️

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        Live watching vs binge watching can be such a different experience! Sometimes binge watching makes me feel like I do after too much socializing 😂 like I need to recharge after spending so much time with the characters. But live watches can amplify any pacing issues a show might have

        Yes and yes 😄

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    Thank you for your drawing.
    I’ll hit like and subscribe for you!! 👍

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    With the expected ebb and flow the story has largely been positive. So for now 🤞

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      Yes! 16 episodes is a lot to fill and so many dramas have something of an off week before the final stretch

      1
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Dreaming of a Freaking Fairy Tale so far

Signed up for the Paramount+ free trial but they lied about the goods. Dropped ’em faster than Melting Me Softly

Found eps 1-6 on the darkish side. The humor in the first 2 eps was mostly hit or miss, but I’m glad I stuck around because it gets so much better after that 😄 It has my heart already…

…but now to venture into the dark, dark side to find episode 7 *gets theme music ready*
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    I left some of my post behind 🙈

    I love how bonkers the leads are. The whole show is bonkers and the cast embraces it and delivers such wonderful nonsense. 2FL is horrible but entertaining, and the 2ML is boring except when he’s fixing buttons. And I love the narrator

    The rom is very good and the com even better. Special mentions to the 9pm news, the chase with Jae Rim and the artist, and Cha Min and the Christian music 😂

    5
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      I’m also on the dark side watching Freaking Fairytale! Just starting episode 3. I love it!!! It’s the best kind of fractured fairytale, and I love how ambitious the FL is, and how unhinged the ML is (but in a FUN way; finally, a sweet psycho role for him 😂). Love your choice of image!! *sings danger music* 🎵

      Just remember to either download all the ad blocker extensions you can find onto your browser, or use an ad blocking browser. I’ve had good luck using the Brave browser (no popups or ads at all so far!), which can be downloaded in Apple and Android.

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        It is definitely a “surprisingly good” drama.

        Hopeful that you for the browser rec.

        Jun as “sweet psycho” is the perfect description. 😊

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          Sure is! Comedies are always tough because the humor can easily fall flat, and if it’s not grounded by some sincerity too then it can get boring. Here it’s all working 😄

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            💯 Exactly that!! Humor by itself is indeed meaningless without sincerity. Also the kind of homor may be very topical or cultural and may not necessarily translate well or appeal universally. Here the lesson of “self-empowerment” of women to do something for themselves resonates for all. This is something I personally have been saying for ages and it really hit me hard and made me scream in sheer joy at finally seeing a work pick up that lesson and run with it. 🫰

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        It is!! It’s such goofy fun, but somewhere under all the silliness the characters are still people you can connect to 😄

        Haha, I’ve never seen Jun in anything before, but this must be a change of pace from his other roles. He’s hilarious and very sweet

        And thank you so much for the tips! The Brave browser works like a charm. With the logo too, it’s like the lion umbrella here 😂

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          In case you are inspired to try our Jun’s filmography you will not be disappointed. Only one small tip – process with caution. ⚠️ He is a bit too good at villain roles so pick and choose what you would be comfortable with.

          Gosh the Brave browser is indeed our Chairman Ko!!

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          You’re welcome!! I’m glad the browser is working for you!!! 😊👍

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    Love the picture💜

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The Atypical Family ✨️ I can see why the reactions were divided, but for me, it was a darn near perfect drama. Thoughts, The Abridged Version:

It really struck a balance between its fantasy elements, and how real the characters felt. Usually there\’s people with a special ability, but everything about the story just feels the same as real life. So it gets frustrating when characters don\’t deal with things in a productive, sensible, or healthy way

Here though, this absolutely felt like a fantasy. I think I only yelled at the screen once, and that was towards the end lol. At the same time, the characters felt so human. I loved most of them, liked a few (dad, sauna uncle, and sauna mom- writing wise only on her part), and just disliked super mom and the dumb fiancée.

Idk if I wanted more or less from the ending, and kiiiinda wish it ended before the epilogue. But overall, this is a new favorite ❤️

12
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    A couple more feels before I finally and pointlessly go to bed at 5am on a work day. I hope I find a pack of Kopiko in the sofa 🙈

    I really loved all the scenes with Dong-hee and Gwi-ju. They had that sibling energy and were very sweet

    The acting was impressive all around, but Park So-yi especially stood out!

    Am soft for this fluffy Jang Ki-yong

    Dong-hee/Grace are totally an OTP. Uncle is just there to blow bubbles on their dates

    The music is canyousayfuckingondb? amazing ❤️❤️

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    I’m glad you enjoyed it! I agree with your review.

    Did you rated it? Let’s see if we can raise that “low” rating 😄 (While the drama was on air, the rating here on DB was 9. But then it dropped).

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      I’m glad you enjoyed it too! It was very different, but so so good 😄 PPL aside, it definitely seems like the team had a lot of creative freedom to tell the story as they wished

      Oh, I did now! The DB ratings are something else haha

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    I have solved all the problems about the ending – it may still require skills to develop, but we all saw they were developing all the time.
    Gwi-ju could come back right away, and Sauna Uncle, apart from blowing bubbles, you know a marriage was a prerequisite for getting that building. So, you know, that kind of marriage, but by agreement, not by scamming each other.
    Though Bok Mum to have said out loud that her daughter could have any kind of love life she wanted, and the building, would have been more beautiful.
    And Sauna Uncle could become a nanny. He would love that, I think. Strong, with a kind heart is a good combination for that job.

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      Forgot to say: Gwiju would come back right away because Dong-hee would be there to get him quickly to the fifth floor, and to get Da-Hae, (fainted, so she wouldn’t rememver) quickly out a window so that Gwi-ju could disappear – either just back, or landing in a less dramatic memory untill the fire in the present was gone out.

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      Sauna Uncle as a nanny is so cute 😂 These are interesting ideas! When Da-hae was talking about tomorrow as she and I-na were escaping the fire, I was totally expecting the show to end there. But when it didn’t, I sort of wished to see more or have a smaller time jump. I think their future kiddo saved Gwi-ju right before the building exploded but it would have been nice to see a little of that moment. I really loved the time travel here

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    Glad you loved it like me. One thing about this show is that you either love it or hate it, no in betweens. In either case, it still makes it as a memorable show, so I consider it a win.

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      Definitely! I really enjoy flawed characters, but this show went all out so I can see why many people weren’t on board. I just love to go along on the journey and come to understand and watch characters like this grow. If they were going for a realistic feel here, everyone would need therapy, an intervention or even prison for some (sauna team) but the fairytale vibe worked so well that I didn’t find it off putting how things played out. I’m glad you loved the show too!

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A ✨️magical golden retriever✨️ because of @hopefulromantic ‘s comment in this week’s WWW 😄 He’ll just be here, waiting on a good script and a network that will pay him in biscuits
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Butt Drama: dropped like it\’s hot 🍑

Hand Drama: 🩷 Jo Bo-ah, 🩷 the cute sofa pillows. It\’s weird, I dig it. But heck the co-workers

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    Butt Drama, Hand Drama 😆 – perfect!

    I ❤️ the pillows and have been trying to get good screenshots of them.

    6
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      OH MY GOSH YES – I was so distracted by how pretty those pillows are!! They look like something from Anthropologie, but not? And lol good for you dropping the Butt Drama @cori!! 😁👍

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        What are these pillows??? Going back to lookie-see…OH! The ones with the embroidered appliqué? The ones that Rowoon is next to? I see why I didn’t see them—hey, wait, were you guys bored or something? 😂

        5
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          Multitasking. 😎

          There have been a lot of ugly sofa pillows in dramas lately, so these stood out all the more – and I appreciate that her apartment décor isn’t a generic copy of every lead character’s apartment ever. Remember that feather print that was everywhere 7-8 years ago? And why are there always dreamcatchers, which I think of as Native American and not Korean at all? Her thing seems to be interesting textiles (and macramé, LOL). The pillows were first visible in a scene without Rowoon so lack of competition probably helped, and from the way they were placed, behind her in the scene where she’s trying to open the coffer, the drama clearly wanted us to notice them.

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          LOL! I’m waaaay in the minority here, but haven’t really felt the Rowoon Swoon 🙈 I do get it though, maybe I just need more episodes 😅

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            I’m not swooning over him yet, but I’m definitely admiring him 😅😂

            3
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            You know, I actually don’t find him directly attractive. He’s quite weird-looking. But I can’t look away, definitely from the aforementioned eyebrows and perfect skin, but also from his disaffection—or bad acting. I don’t know which it is, but don’t care.

            Others call him a big “teddy bear,” and I’m all, nah, man, that’s not fitting. He’s more like a scarecrow, if we’re going inanimate metaphors…a really sharply featured scarecrow??

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        This is so funny, I’m glad I’m not alone in the pillow fanclub 😂 They do!

        And lol, Butt Drama. Even a great cast couldn’t make it work for me 😅

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      Haha me too! This nonchalant pillow PPL has worked it’s magic

      3
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    I’d be interested to know the one-sentence summary of why you dropped BYT, @moomoomoondog. Mine’s this: “The show is trolling us, asking us to find things that aren’t funny, funny.”

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      That sums it up very well 😂 Butt Drama’s violence was too violent, and humor often fell short of humorous. It really doesn’t have the ingredients for a great show, but could have been a dumb(in a good way!), breezy watch

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    The co-workers are literally THE WORST

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      They are! No one needs to be bff’s, but it’s not hard to be a decent person to everyone on the team

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It’s not easy bein’ green 🐸 I’m not so good with words, but OK(cat) with drawing so here is my little contribution to Heartbeat Fest 💚

One of the highlights was the Kermit on the Rocks meme haha! Even though Heartbeat was Grease (with a way better love story) turned into The Outsiders, the fanwall and recap chats were perfect throughout! I’ve not been super active on DB but can’t remember the last time we had this much fun with a show. And Heartbeat was pretty heckin’ fantastic for the first 11 (and beginning of 12) episodes. As big a disappointment the ending was, I would still count it as a favorite up to that point because I think what it did well, along with the good vibes from the DBHottest, make up for that #HeartBurnedbutstillBeats
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I have followed the beans to Heartbeat 🦇 Probably no piece of vampire media will ever top the ending of episode 1 😂 And the laughs keep coming in 2. This is an A positive- ah, A+, drama already!

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    It took me 3 days to get to ep 2. Then I binged it!

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      1st episodes can be tricky 😅 But it’s always a pleasant surprise to continue on and get a show you really enjoy!

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All the world will be yours.

Love is warm, comforting, and sweet. It\’s simple and joyful. It\’s also painful, difficult, contradicting. It\’s to be shared, but it\’s just as much for you.

Another Love, February is almost in the books and it\’s been as enjoyable as ever. Thank you always for sharing this with us Coco! And thank you to all the Beanies for sharing stories, photos, feelings, and of course, love. All the world is ours

cute1
cute2
cute3

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A good book and good company ❤️

Love,
February
22
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    I love that book so much. Time for a re-read!

    2
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      It’s so good 😊 Have you read the sequels? I’ve been meaning to but I definitely have a “buy new books but re-read the old ones” problem haha

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    Awww, that’s my favorite book!

    2
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      Awww one of mine too 😊 It’s always a nice one to re-read

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    The Studio Ghibli movie adaptation of the book is one of my favorite movies. I should really give the book a re-read

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      Both are so good 😊 Adaptations are tricky, but I really love Miyazaki’s take on the story

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        Though I have not seen many (I have them all saved on Netflix, though!! Haha), I absolutely love Miyazaki’s work

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    I have that book but I still haven’t finished it!!!

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      Oh no I misread it! I thought it was Castle in the Sky. I love Howl’s!

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        It’s sort of blurry, but the words “howl’s” and “castle” are the most clear to me lol That’s how I knew it was this one

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        Oh neat, I didn’t know there was a Castle in the Sky book! I’ll have to check that out too

        1
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          I just googled it and in the book version it goes by the name “Castle in the Air”. It was written by the same author as Howl’s so I think this is the source material of Castle in the Sky film by Gibli.

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2521 was such a perfect mix of warm and wistful ❤️ Bravo to the whole team for bringing us this amazing drama. A new favorite for sure



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    Just some thoughts too
    ⭐️ Hee-do/Yu-rim was the true OTP for me. Them being an actual couple would have been icing on the cake, but their relationship as is is one of my favs in all of anything
    ⭐️ I did love Hee-do/Yi-jin too. They were both exactly who they needed at that time in their lives
    ⭐️ I would actually be sitting here for hours talking about everything I loved about this show lol
    ⭐️ The fireman was the best American actor I’ve ever seen in a k-drama

    6
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Maybe it\’s because of my naive optimism, or that I\’ve been in such a long drama slump that I\’ve forgotten the sting of being let down by otherwise amazing dramas faltering during finale week, that I feel comfortable saying this, but 2521 continues to be just plain magical

After the beach episode, I didn\’t think I could be satisfied with the story after they showed us that the main characters aren\’t close at all anymore. But it got me thinking of friendships I\’ve had over the years, and how just because they ended, it wasn\’t on bad terms. Our worlds grow-we grow, and we go down different paths and sometimes drift apart. That doesn\’t cheapen the relationships we had, or make them any less meaningful or important. So as sweet as Hee-do and Yu-rim are, as cute as Hee-do/Yi-Jin are, as warm as all the friendships are, I\’m honestly not disappointed right now in what the present-day story has shown us so far. Ok, I am a little bit (Hee-do/Yu-rim hurts the most), but that\’s a fresh perspective to show, and I\’m excited to see where the drama is going to take us ❤️

also what have I been doing with my life that this is my first time watching anything with Kim Tae-ri in it she is incredible wow

12
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    Agree with all you said. Friends drift apart a lot of times in life and dramas hardly ever talk about that. So I’m glad to have one that explores this aspect of growing up. I would’ve been all invested in how the show is progressing if there was never a doubt of BYJ dying but I guess we can put that on side for now. I’m kind of sure the writer will deliver us a satisfying end and if anything, the present timeline has been preparing us for the heartbreaks all along, the loss of both friendships and first love.

    4
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Love is hot cocoa pancakes on a snowy day ❤ (or any pancakes on any sort of day)

Love,
February
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Oh, but love grows where my puppy dog goes 💜

Love, February



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    It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, but DB always has a place in my heart 😊 Even a particularly good finder 🦡 won’t come across many online communities that are so warm and respectful. To old beanies, I’m glad to see you again. New beanies, I’m glad you’re here. And the beanies who aren’t beanies anymore, I’m glad you were part of the DB family. Cheers ❤

    9
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    Look at that face! 🥰

    2
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    Love the doggo. ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 🐕

    1
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I love the stories (and pretty much everything) in this drama ❤️



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    If I may ask, which drama is this? At first sight, I thought it was it’s okay not to be okay but it doesn’t seem like it now.

    1
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      Hi! Yep, it’s from it’s ok not to be ok. I actually wound up pausing the drama after I fell behind, but was enjoying it 😄

      0
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For MusicMarch
If you ask me for my favorite anything, most often I’d answer you with a list. There’s too many to choose just one. When it comes to music, my favorites generally depend on the season. Spring is all about the sweet and bouncy songs and this one is definitely at the top of that list

9
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Today is 9 months since we said goodbye. I remember thinking back then that I wanted to share a Love, February post about you.

My heart broke that day, but don\’t worry. It\’s healed now, patched up by all the memories of our time together. Growing up more as siblings than a girl and her dog. There\’s still some sadness deep inside, but what my heart wants to say the most is \”Thank you.\” Thank you for picking me as your person and becoming part of my family. For the little adventures and the boring days that were even more special. You were the best first dog I could have ever asked for ❤️

Love you always
Love, February

P.S. Your little sister wants to say thank you too, for the biscuit you hid under the sofa. Like you, she doesn\’t care much for milkbones, but she was so happy when she found it that she paraded around the house wagging her tail. Maybe she knew it was a gift from you 😊

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There\’s still a little bit left of Day 7 so here are 7 little memories from when I was little that always make me smile a lot (not a little)

Watching Murder, She Wrote with you before bedtime. I still get a cozy feeling hearing the theme music

Carrying me on your shoulders and bumping into things just to make me laugh

We never got along well as kids, but you\’d always help me make the most impressive pillow forts

Hiding coins under the cushions for me to find when we came over for breakfast on Sundays

When I tossed my stuffed Cookie Monster into the pool and, instead of yelling at me, you laughed and threw it at Pop

The stories you\’d always tell me, especially about your cat, Marshmallow, and the time she got stuck in the coal bin

I was so young when you got sick and don\’t remember the time we spent together, but my parents always tell me how much you loved me and I hope you know I love you that much too

Love, February

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Friends (I\’m bad at words and keeping in touch sometimes but I promise to work on that so everyone knows how much they are treasured)

Waffles (especially with chocolate chips)

Work (not the job, but my team. even on the most stressful days we\’re always there to lift each other up)

Love, Feburary.

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Currently RecapPing

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