Beanie level: Errand boy

Just something on parental abuse because I’m watching 18 again:

Being under lockdown during covid is just the worse time to realize your abusive parents never grew out of the abuse. I spent so much time as a kid hating and blaming myself for all the abusive shit my parents put me through. When my brother was born, I was 10 and determined to never let him experience the hell I went through alone. He was 5 and I put my body between him and whatever weapon my parents had at hand to beat the crap out of him for whatever small thing he had done. My body black and blue from bruises I had from shielding him, me screaming at my parents that they really shouldn’t have had us as kids if this was what they thought parenting was. The abuses stopped for a while after and as I grew older my hurt turned into venom and I would fight with my parents constantly for everything. My teenage years were a blur of angsty shit that I really rather not revisit.

Long story short, but I got older so did my parents and they mellowed out eventually. I’m in my late 20’s and no one has dared to hit me in years. My parents talk about me now like I was a model child. Lime my trauma, my depression, my suicidal tendencies never happened. We have reconciled in these years. My parents turned from demons from hell to sweet older people who are lonely without their kids. I moved out and talking to them on the phone made me think that they realized how wrong they were and that they learned from their mistakes that its never OK to raise a hand to a child that depends on you for safety and doesn’t really know what they did that was so wrong that they needed to be disciplined like that. I made my peace with them.

But covid bought me back home. If the constant proximity to my parents wasn’t maddening enough, a couple of months ago I heard them on the phone with my uncle. His son was growing up you see and not studying as he should. Mind you he’s all of 13 and this was when our city was literally under lockdown: we had curfew and couldent leave our designated areas and shit. But obviously it was super important to my uncle that my cousin sit with his books from 9am-2pm, then be allowed to play from 2-4pm and then attend his religious study classes and then study some more and do his homework etc till 11pm. A 13 year old kid. And his answer to my cousin not listening to him was to beat the shit out him and threaten to kill him.

If you think this is horrifying that’s nothing compared to what my parents did. They listened to this kid crying saying no one listened to him. And they “advised” him to stop crying, listen to his father unless he wanted to be thrown out of the house. They said my uncle was justified in hitting a child. That my cousin shouldn’t have tried to defend himself or raise a hand to his father because that’s wrong. They advised my uncle to be stricter, thats how they disciplined me and look how well I turned out.

Listening to this bullshit in horrified silence, I realized my parents had learned nothing from me growing up. I excused so much of their shit thinking that they were young that’s how they learned and that they loved me and didnt know it was wrong. I raised my brother to be the very best I could and hes a kind, compassionate boy who hates violence and toxic masculinity. And I thought they had learned.

It’s like all those years of me growing, my trauma and what I learned form it, the years of me reconditioning my body to forget their bullshit teachings and be the woman I am today, all of that just never happened.

I’m too sick to my stomach, too hurt to talk to them anymore beyond a few words here and there.

All this to say that watching 18 again and seeing how they keep justifying parental abuse as filial duty fills me up with so much fucking rage. The kids on the show have Dae Young as the dad friend to take care of them, to protect and to show them that they deserve better. I had no one except myself to teach me those things and those were painful learning experiences. I fucking hate how we have to forgive our parents for the trauma they inflict because they are old and will die and then we might regret it. But why should my forgiveness be something that I’m forced to give out? Why can’t I just live with regrets? I would rather gut myself off from them and be happy in the now than force myself to forgive and forget only to be reminded once again that some people really don’t fucking change for the better

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    Also hate that trope!
    @silvermists, you’ve been through a lot. You’re strong, and goodhearted, and since you were a kid you figured out on your own that some things were just wrong, and had the self-preservation instinct to get away from all that. Well done!
    I never suffered physical abuse, but grew up with a lot of crazy and dysfunction, so I spent a lot of time thinking and talking about this stuff over the years. My conclusion is that parents do what they can, but sometimes what they can is pretty mediocre. If you can find it in your heart to have some sort of relationship with them – the amount and intensity of contact on your own terms -, you’ll probably feel better than if you cut them off. But – and this is very important – you don’t need to forgive them, you can just accept the fact that they messed up.
    Coming to terms with the fact that one of my parents is a jerk, and that my home dynamics was poison to all of us, was liberating to me and allowed to keep on loving them with all their flaws
    Wishing you and your brother the best, and hope your cousin finds some kind of help, or gets away from his home situation as soon as possible, poor kid!

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    My sorry won’t change anything but nobody deserves to be abused in any way or degree. So, I am so sorry, silvermists. I am also so proud that you are able to be the woman you are today. You have worked so hard and done so well. I have nothing else to say so I will just offer you my hugs. *envelopes you into the biggest and warmest hug with soothing circle back-rubs*

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      Thank you love that means a lot. You’re right that at the end of the day we all have to find what gives you the most peace. I thought I had found that but I’m still rediscovering my own limits I guess.

      It really sucks when the place you’re supposed to be your most comfortable at is the place that turns so toxic. I hope you’re doing better too with your home situation. This is one of the only platforms where I feel comfortable being at and sharing things on. Sometimes all you need is the comfort of kdramas and a couple of wonderful beanies to talk to to feel better

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    Honestly family or not I think it is 100% ok to cut out people who have and who continue to harm you if that is something you choose to do.
    Also, you should be very proud of yourself for breaking that cycle of abuse in regards to you and your brother.

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      Thanks @bcampbell1662. Its definitely hard but at the end of the day you shouldn’t have to deal with the toxic people in your life. It puts a lot of mental pressure just to be around them and I do agree its better to cut them off from your life rather than keep them around because social norms dictate that it must be so. At the end of the day you have to put yourself first and do what makes you happy. I just wish more kdramas did that and showed how liberating of an experience that is.

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    I really liked how IOTNBO handled the death of MY’s dad. He wasn’t absolved of his sins and wasn’t forgiven by his daughter. MY did not even go see him in his final days. This for me is very realistic and done just right. I do think also that forgiveness is not something that we are supposed to give automatically just because someone is dying.

    silvermists, You’ve endured so much and have done well for yourself and your brother. I wish you all the best. No one deserves to go through any form of abuse.

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      @doublefault yes!! That was one of my most favourite things about the show! I loved that they didn’t change who Mo Young was as a person but just showed that in a nurturing environment she can be sweet instead of abrasive and gentle instead of hard. She went through a lot of trauma growing up and its only after she cut her parents out of her life that she got to do grow as a person and get out of that damn house! I love that despite how many people at the hospital tried to force the redemption arc on her she did not forgive her father because at the end of the day she put herself first. And he did nothing to deserve her forgiveness no matter.

      Thank you for saying that. No one should have to go through abuse regardless of the circumstances. It angers me that I couldent get my parents out of the cycle but I’m proud of taking me and my brother out of it at least.

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There are so many dramas currently airing and ones that just finished that I would really like to watch. But I’m watching 18 again and that’s already TOO much?? I’m crying my eyes out every episode and I honestly don’t think I have the emotional capacity for more dramas right now. But damn I miss the days when I was binging 4 different dramas every week…

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So then, where can I get my hands on a boxed set of Mo-yeong’s fairy tales complete with those beautiful illustrations??? Please tell me they have those for sale some where???

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Just, why is kim soo hyun like this??? Every time I see him in interviews or bts videos he’s just full on clowning?? Like why is he like this??? 😅😂😂

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Lmao Kim soo hyun needs to do a pure comedy drama next because boy’s comedic timing is fucking genius!! The whole trying to persuade Sang-tae and Mo-yeong to go camping and then getting upset and complaining to the boys and the whole ass petty “pfft if you were gonna go anyways bwaaahhhh” lol!!!! I died!!!! Pouty baby is so fucking hilarious!!!

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I cried throught this ep. I haven’t felt this much with a finale episode in a while. Recently I just haven’t been that invested in dramas. Even if I like the drama in the beginning by the time the finale rolls im already emotionally checked out. But this one was just perfection beginning to end (we are just going to pretend they gave us a logical explanation for how her mom survived). I just feel so full and happy at how all our characters came full circle and had complete story arcs. Ah Sang-tae though. My heart is just
Happy for oppa im so proud of how far he’s come!!!

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    All your words are my thoughts too. After goblin I wasn’t invested into any drama this way. For Goblin it was the fantasy elements and synergy of the four main leads.
    But for IOTNBO it was definitely the healing part that got me invested. So many personal issues and thoughts were addressed in the drama in such acceptable ways that it hooked me and kept me there for 8 friggin weeks.
    One more special thing is that it told the taetae brothers’ story as the center plot and followed it till the last moment. Yes MY’s story was in the main focus too, but hers was intertwined with the moon brothers midway and integrated at the end.
    A beautiful story told by an unparalleled cast. Honestly speaking even this type of script could have been ruined by the wrong cast. I would not say bad cast but with the wrong cast the delivery could have been a complete circus. But with this cast the director and writer was successful creating an artistic and meaningful drama project. I have seen angel eyes, Hyde Jekyll and me, jealousy incarnate, liked the latter only which proves my point of having the right cast. Gosh I’m heading towards a bad drama slump!!😭

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Ah this time next week is going to be such a different vibe. Stoic misunderstood mc who actually feels a lot, murder mystery, kick ass female lead. Wait maybe its not going to be all that different? I’m gonna miss the warmth though.

Maybe I should binge watch Forest of Secrets season 1 again after I’m done with Psycho just to remind myself who’s who…

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    the vibes might be different, but my reactions are probably gonna be the same – lots of screaming (out of excitement) and swooning. 😛

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What the fuck-??? Why would you end it there???????

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Also, Mo-yeong should always lounge on a chair or sofa while the guys sit on the floor below. The madame feels just jumped out and it got me feeling some way not gonna lie!! 🤭😜

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Lmao Mo-yeong and Jesu talking shit about Kang-tae is a MOOD!! Jesu, hun, weren’t you just talking about how Kang-tae is a fox who charms people 5 mins ago??? Lol he wants to go to sarengeti I die!!!

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Sang-tae roasting Kang-tae’s storytelling ability lmao i mean he’s not wrong so 😂 😂😂😂

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Me when this drama ends next week:

You can’t live by yourself anymore. Why? Because you know now what it feels like to be warm at heart & have a full stomach.

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Can Director Oh be my therapist please??? I need his wisdom in my life

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“For Mo-yeong writing fairytales is the only way to communicate with the world. Its the only way she can talk and breathe.” So by retiring she’s effectively shutting herself from the world I can’t! 😭

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The role reversals and parallels in this episode!

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Sang-tae not wanting to move out without Mo-yeong because she’ll be lonely without them ugh my 💔💔 we don’t deserve oppa he’s so sweet!!!

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So so so many callbacks this episode!!!

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Sang-tae saving Kang-tae & Mo-yeong with the book of fairytales thats been her salvation all these years & him finally defating the butterfly & saving his siblings like he promised???

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Sigh. This week\’s episode. I just feel drained I don\’t want to talk about it. Tbe only thing I have to comment on in Mo-yeong\’s funeral outfit. Girl is serving looks its pure perfection

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    I know, right? Plus she’s rocking the vintage old Hollywood hairstyle. She’s like singlehandedly bringing 1920s glamour back.

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      I know!! I love that hairstyle she had especially with the white lace dress! So so so pretty!😍😍

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        That funeral outfit just happens to be from Alexander McQUEEN. The red fairy tale princess-like dress in the preview is from the same brand. Really fancy. They’ve been dressing girlfriend in the more recent episodes in Prada, Chanel, and Miu Miu. I actually miss seeing her in pieces from up-and-coming designers and brands that are not as well-known.

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Kim soo Hyun showing up in his own drama looking like he\’s here for a cameo!! I know Kang-tae was him the whole time but KSH in a suit with his hair up just hits so different?!

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