dang, lots of gay-related themes becoming more prevalent, not just in films and theater now, but tv too!

premiering tomorrow???

did the news that his character's gay just come out now? bc the casting news came out a while ago right?

a lot of people have been speculation that that might have been a reason why NSM was reluctant to enter the drama, since SCU was paired with LSW and she was to be with LSY.

Ah well, I am glad SBS is actual making a drama like this. Homosexuality has to be accepted in korea, since it's one of the harshest thing in Korean society as we know.

Wow... when did this happen??

Sounds interesting indeed.

@otk
Yeah def a trend of gay-themed movies...but I'm quite pleased to see how quickly and well korea is taking to them. I think it means on a superficial level at least, Koreans are getting used to the idea. I think this one incident of when being a small country is good, i can def see korea becoming an overall gay-friendly country within a decade.

@okdubu: Song Chang-Eui playing a gay male was revealed a bit earlier ago.

--

While I respect those who keep conservative views, especially if it's religion-related reasons (Christianity, etc) and I don't blame them for not being able to accept it as I can clearly understand their reasons. But with the growing multitude of homosexuals, it's still good to be a bit open-minded and respect those who are homosexual... at least for the sake of peace and unity.

I suppose dramas are a good way to reach the viewers... they don't have to completely accept it, but it's a good way to at least let them understand the feeling of ones who are homosexual.

So that means Song Chang Eui and Nam Sang Mi are not a pair, she will fall for another gay guy?
ke ke
I don't know what this feeling is...maybe...it's no longer interesting enough!

i'm pretty sure a majority of the viewers (including myself) will be turned off by this. we watch dramas to see the guy get the girl. simple. leave the alternative lifestyles to the movies. its like going into the ratings battle with a handicapp, i am pretty sure this show wont win over many viewers just because of that character alone.

Hey Rickshot, you don't speak for me. If you don't care then don't watch, but don't get sucked into thinking you and your conservative opinions represent everyone else's. Some of us want to see new relationships in our dramas.

@Rickshot the writer of this drama is one of the famous korean writers. most of her fans are housewives in their 30s-60s because she usually writes stories about families and she herself is 60s. so you can say they wont watch this dramas to see a guy gets a girl.

@ 7 Rickshot

I am surely not in your 'majority' but then I don't know whether you are in fact in the minority. Alternative lifestyle or not, it is a reality in the world we live in.

I'm excited for this one :)

You mean an ACTUAL gay character in a drama? Not a guy falling in love with a guy who turns out to be a girl, not a guy pretending to be gay in order to live with a girl? In other words, no girl? FI.NA.LLY.
One can only assume that there will also be a standard K-drama heterosexual couple to root for while also enjoying the "newness" of a gay protagonist.
Also: I'm not familiar with this actor but 1: he is cute and 2: his comments above make me really like him.

Strange, I don't remember hearing about this before. I'm intrigued by it! Just need to cross my fingers that subs will come out quickly.

Korea needs to realise that its not a Draconian Middle Eastern country. So Im glad that drama's have finally begun to acknowledge this fact and finally portray it in a drama. I really hope ot turns out well for them, I for one will be suppourting it.

As for rickshot, you stick to that view and thus Korean drama's have been stuck in a rut for the last 2 years, its time they did something more with drama's, expressed and portrayed unconventional relationships. Otherwise it all becomes a bore.

sorry, but I kinda agree with Rickshot
though I will still watch this as long as the main guy can get his girl

so Lee Sang Woo will be gay here?
too bad, I won't be able to continue daydreaming about him then :(

I'm sooo looking forward to this... I just hope it's not TOO realistic i.e. trajedic in the overall plot.. I got put off Assorted Gem as it was too "real"..
I know I'm weird but I want some fantasmic elements in my dramas... I really hope the two boys and any other couples "live happily ever after"...

@yen_nguyen - Sang Mi is paired with someone completely different.. Lee Sang Yoon (this guy - http://vkimg.viikii.net/dev/cp_intro/20100319/24288.jpg)

Oh snap. You know what they say about good guys: they're either taken or gay :D Anyway I don't think that just because this drama has a gay character people will refuse to watch it. I'd like to think that Korean people are slowly becoming more tolerant of diversity. I mean just because it isn't shown in a Kdrama, doesn't mean it isn't there. Refusing to watch this just because of a gay character is equivalent to sticking your head in the sand and pretending that gay people don't exist.

I agree with Rickshot.

'As I shared strong relationships with friends, I started to understand love for a person that goes beyond gender.'

I think it takes a lot of mind-conditioning to come to that sort of conclusion. I, for one, have yet to come to that point since in in my opinion if human beings were meant to love each other in this way then we would not be male or female respectively. I keep imagining that if Adam and Eve were gay or if the Big Bang didn't create us into beings who can only make children if we have a male and female in a pair.. then none of us would exist really.

But that is just my opinion.

"I keep imagining that if Adam and Eve were gay or if the Big Bang didn’t create us into beings who can only make children if we have a male and female in a pair.. then none of us would exist really."
That argument actually adds nothing to the discussion here, since homosexuality exists just as much as heterosexuality does.And everyone deserves a chance at love.

The days where we only live our lives to reproduce are long gone, which also means that loving somebody else doesn't have to lead to children. Whether or not homosexuality is evolutionary or religiously viable is beyond the point here.

I can understand that a gay couple in a drama does not have much appeal for a lot of people, but personally I can only appreciate it (and since Im Dutch, homosexual characters in tv shows is pretty standard here) and hope it might become more common in Korean/Asian drama. I also think that if the subject here is handled properly, it could end up being a drama with a gay character who's love life people can root for. But that's just my opinion.

I'm going to watch this; it's not a big deal to me whether there is a gay couple or not. As it is a family drama there should be a little of something for everyone. (You can't pick your family) Also, for those who may find watching two men together unsettling... Family dramas have little to nothing in the make-out department.
Sidenote: I like seeing the scenery of the island; it's a nice spring/summery feel.

I am shocked but not surprised that they are coming out with something like this. I don't support homosexuality. It's a sin among thousands of sins out here in this imperfect world. It saddens me that people are actually looking forward to something like this and are supportive of it. By the way the world is going now...people will start being numb to every immoral thing. GOD, please forgive us all. Also, I am banning myself from this website! Take care.

@ Issa "You know what they say about good guys: they’re either taken or gay :D , "...hahaha....seems to apply here too, since my hottie Lee Sang Woo is gay here...:D

Though i don't support homosexuality, but everyone has a right to happiness, don't they?^__^

So.."I hope that Life Is Beautiful will help disperse some of those uncomfortable thoughts about homosexual love. Everyone has a right to happiness, don’t they?"--> like this, ha, ha, ha

And everyone has their own reason to watch drama and pick their favorite one, don't they?

@ 7 Rickshot

I am also not in your "majority" of viewers. There have been movies and I think the next logical step is for dramas. It's not like the WHOLE DRAMA is about the gay couple.

@ 20 GaRa

It's interesting you use "mind-conditioning." I went to private Catholic school for five years and while I was there I was told being gay was wrong and that they would go to hell. The other students went so far as to call them "disgusting" and that they should die. Thankfully a year at public school where I wasn't in a religious bubble-tight community, I was able to meet new people with diverse ideas and just accept people the way they are. You're free to voice your own opinion, but I personally admire this actor for saying that.

WHOA first post on dramabeans and it's about a drama with a gay couple in it. Can't wait for it to come out! =]

@ Kasie: First, there is no such thing as hellfire (I can prove it if you want), so I feel sad you had to go through such an experience of hearing "if you do so-and-so, you're going to go to hell" *shivers*.

Also, it must have been sad hearing Christians show un-Christian characteristics and calling people names and telling them to die (For we are all sinful, and if not for Christ's ransom, we may not have a chance at being resurrected on Earth in the new system).

But you're right: Sometimes we just have to accept how some people are. We can't look down upon them. That doesn't mean that we have to completely accept homos, but every human being deserves some respect. And it takes a lot of courage for a guy to take this role in a conservative country~ ^^

'That argument actually adds nothing to the discussion here, since homosexuality exists just as much as heterosexuality does.And everyone deserves a chance at love.

The days where we only live our lives to reproduce are long gone, which also means that loving somebody else doesn’t have to lead to children. Whether or not homosexuality is evolutionary or religiously viable is beyond the point here. '

@Fauvish - I am aware that homosexuality has been prevelant in almost all societies throughout time, much like adultery and murder. I also am of the opinion that everyone deserves and has the chance to love. So I can agree with you on that much.

However, I feel that anybody - in any time - who lived their lives for the sole purpose of reproduction has sadly wasted their time. Today or yesterday, this sort of attitude is just ridiculous.

Reproduction is important with regard to this topic since in what happens to an individual during intercouse is directly linked to it. If there was any other thing that happens to men or women during that time then I suppose the concept of homosexuality would be viable. No matter how you think about it, the Point of intercourse is To Reproduce. So I don't see how homosexuality fits in this picture. It seems more and more like a malady and the person who feels that way should see a therapist to cure themselves of it. I'm all for accepting people for who they are if they have good reason to be the way they are.

Personally, I am kind of tired of films showing homosexual love as being perfectly normal when it's completely not. Hopefully, this drama could portray it for something other than a flimsy love story without hitting the core of the whole issue: why should we accept it? Answers such as 'it's just love' or 'just accept it because I say so' are weak and don't really answer the question. I think then we could justify adultery, pedophilia and all other mental illnesses with that sort of answer.

and no, I am not a Christian. I'm just trying not to be influenced by anybody and see things for what they are instead of what they're made out to be.

@kasie - strange how that works hey :)

@ 23 - you are strangely amazing for expressing a much frowned upon opinion in such vociferous tones. lol. I didn't think people did that anymore.

Let's hope this character is not going to be some carbon copy of someone else and actually gives us proper insight into the mind of a homosexual. I don't have much hope for that though...

@ 27 Biscuit: I believe you, haha. After that whole experience I've just been taking things in slowly and making my own opinions instead of just blindly accepting what someone tells me is true.

And yeah trust me, I was maybe 14/15 and this boy that I liked said that he'd "kill a gay guy" if he ever saw one. Needless to say, my feelings for him evaporated after that remark. Even though at the time I was against homosexuality, that statement was going waaay to far for me.

It's okay to disagree or be against something as long as you're not a complete douchebag over it. It's your opinion and you can do/say/be what you want but respect others as well.

@ 28 GaRa: Yes, indeed. ;)

Nuh-uh, is that GR bitch fo'real? MOH-DA-RAH-TURRRRR, MOH-DA-RAH-TURRRRR, puhhhhlease, that dude needs to go, NEEDS to go, like now!

@GaRa, what have you been drinking? Dose of righteousness isn't fit for you, sweetie. Homosexuality is never have been wrong. It's just different form of love. If you cannot accept it, then you are pretty much a bigot. You cannot stop other people from loving and falling in love with same gender.

looking forward to this drama

Gara

do heterosexuals have to prove why they are having intercourse as well, or do you just interrogate homosexuals?

ppl need to get a life!

This looks like it will be a cool drama. I am a straight female who believes that no one has the right to tell anyone that they should not love someone of the same gender. Love is love. I am happy to see that Korea is beginning to not be afraid to show these relationships in pop culture.

@ 28

Intercourse isn't merely for reproduction, at least not in the case for humans. Unlike most other animals (aside from bonobo chimps) humans can have sex year round and even when the female is pregnant. Where other animals have to wait for a precise time to be proceptive and receptive, (with intact sexual functions of course) we don't have to. This means something, namely, for humans sex is often pleasurable. (I think this is strengthened by the fact that the clitoris exists probably for no other reason then to give females pleasure). There's a number of theories going around why this is so (for example: to keep the man satisfied so he will take care of the family) So.. if sex is pleasurable and can be seen as a goal rather than just a tool for reproduction, it doesn't only have to function for reproduction.. in that way homosexuality is not wrong, because if sex can be for pleasure only as well, it can be a justifiable reason same-sex couples.

And then this:

"Personally, I am kind of tired of films showing homosexual love as being perfectly normal when it’s completely not. Hopefully, this drama could portray it for something other than a flimsy love story without hitting the core of the whole issue: why should we accept it? Answers such as ‘it’s just love’ or ‘just accept it because I say so’ are weak and don’t really answer the question. I think then we could justify adultery, pedophilia and all other mental illnesses with that sort of answer."

Wow.. putting homosexual love, which for me means two consenting adults(.. or lets include late teens) in the same sentence as murder (killing someone else) and pedophilia (sexual desires for and actions toward children under 13 who are not consenting, and even if they give a form of consent, they're probably not aware of the consequences) baffles me.

We can argue all night what it means to be in love, whether it's biological, psychological, religious or whatever.. you might call it wrong to love someone of your own gender, but you have no negative argument for it except the evolutionary argument and it's not enough to convince me. For something to be wrong, for me it has to mean it has to be harmful to the people involved. Here it doesn't have to be if societies accept it more. Besides, even homosexuals can reproduce and often do (though probably not in the conventional way I suppose).

I know I shouldn't even be arguing about this, cos it's probably a useless battle. Still I'm gonna grit my teeth and continue. Normality is just something that represents the majority of people (it's statistics, to be frank, and we all now how abstract that is). So where does that leave all the people that are in the minority? I guess according to your standards they should not be accepted (this means not just homosexuality, but everything that's not considered "normal"). It makes me think of eugenetics, and frankly that doesn't make me feel good.

But what I want to answer most is your question, why should we accept it? I accept it, and a lot of others do as well. You don't have to accept it, No gay couple (real or fictional) needs your or my approval to exist. It's just sad that so many societies look down on something that causes so many people to hide their true selves and preferences just because their lives would be hell otherwise. Just because so many don't accept it, they might never be able to accept themselves either. What a great way of living that is.. to live like a "normal" person.

Sorry for my rant.

@36 Fauvish

You are effortlessly awesome in every way; I don't think I could have written anything like that so clearly, concisely, and patiently.

I am nothing short of angered at some of the unbelievably small-minded ignorant bigoted discriminatory and painfully inaccurate comments coming from some people, in particular, 28-GaRa. WOW. I am going to copy a bit of what I wrote for a similar post on another forum, as it most assuredly applies here;

"I hope you’re not implying that people choose to be gay, because if you had a choice between having people insult you, attack you, discriminate against you, and in some cases MURDER you, would you CHOOSE that? Of course not; a person has about as much control over being gay as you do over being Korean, or I do over being White, which is NONE.
One of my best-friends is black, and the discrimination he faces on a daily basis is despicable; he always says if he had a choice, it would be to live in a world where NOBODY suffers prejudice and discrimination.

I’m not against religion, but if you are a fundamentalist Christian who believes the Bible literally word-for-word, my response is below, ‘cuz yeah, the Bible says LOTS of things:
Genesis 22:1-18 – Ritual sacrifice as requested by God
Exodus 13:2 – Ritual sacrifice of first-borns as demanded by God
Judges 11:29-42 – Ritual sacrifice of a man’s daughter to appease God
1 Kings 13:1-2 – Ritual sacrifice of pagan priests for God
Judges 21:10-24 – The rape, murder, and pillage of a town in the name of God
Deuteronomy 20:10-14 – God allowing his followers to keep women and livestock for their fancy of any who they conquer
Deuteronomy 22:28-29 – If you rape someone, pay their dad 50pieces of silver and it’s ok.
Deuteronomy 23:23-24 – And if you should be raped, expect to be stoned to death for being a harlot.
2 Samuel 12:11-14 – God takes David’s wives and commands his neighbours to rape them. Oh and kills his baby while he’s at it. Thanks God.
Exodus 21:7-11 – Women as sex slaves and God’s laws governing their re-selling.
Deuteronomy 13:13-19 – If one person in a town should worship another god? Burn the entire place to the ground
Deuteronomy 22:20-21 – Ladies, if you’re not a virgin on your wedding night, the Lord says you must be killed.
Romans 1:24-32 – Lesbians and gay men must die. So sayeth the Lord.

if Christians are willing to ignore the rape and human sacrifice stuff, then yeah, they can let Leviticus slide too."

(BTW, Leviticus specifically applies to only men, there is no mention of lesbians and bisexuals in the Bible anywhere. Just sayin'.)

As a rape survivor, I personally would find ZERO comfort in my Dad receiving 50 pieces of silver (Deuteronomy 22:28-29) in exchange for my being assaulted, or the less cheerier option of being stoned to death (Deuteronomy 23:23-24).

GaRa clearly stated no religious affiliation, so the above is more for those that do, but I am still unclear as to GaRa's position; you are entitled to your opinion of course, but what you are stating as reasons have no validity in reality whatsoever--I hope you read VERY CAREFULLY what Fauvish wrote, as the writing and reasoning is spot-on correct. I wished more people had felt that way in the small town where my incredibly gifted artist and fantastic friend lived, and later died as a result of him taking his own life due to his feeling that he could never live his life honestly in the open. No one should have to live in fear of being who they are.

One last thing, I noticed you brought up Pedophilia, which is a common argument, so I posted a link to a video that can educate/explain why that argument is completely misinformed and doesn't make sense.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV5PbrTySxY

And finally, just for levity's sake, since this discussion is (unfortunately, and still,) a touchy and tough subject--

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx1-USbXVRk

LOVE IS LOVE, THE GENDER DOESN'T MATTER, IT IS WHAT IT IS.

don't even compare homosexuality to rape and pedophilia and categorize it with them. if you do, then you must be a shallow idiot to think it belongs with those immoral acts.

also, i'm looking forward to watching this. in fact, i'm letting the episodes load right now! haters to the left.

My opinion for people whom open their mind to homosexual action and eliminate discrimination is one step ahead for a world to be a better place to everbody.

BUT let say this things happen to OUR SON??. Take him is the only son, we want an heir at that. What would you say then??

@ someone.

I agree about what are you expressing. At one time, I was one who didn't care much about this either. But few months back, my nephew had a relationship with one of his guy friend which really upset his parents, my sister. Being so close, I am the only one she seeks for comfort aside from her quick tempered husband.

There are times when people should support things like this but not so openly like now. Because this thing is becoming more and more open, young generation will have less opportuniy to return to the right path, which in my opinion coupled as a man and woman. Our society should never promote this thing so widely. The kid watches it!

Lucky for my sister, she has another daughter. Their generation will continue.

First of all, people need to be understanding, open-minded, smart (optional), and happy in order to fathom issues about homosexuality. Homosexuals, I suppose, don't need you arrogant homophobes (goes to all who are) to accept them. They just want you to respect them.

@ Rickshot

"i’m pretty sure a majority of the viewers (including myself) will be turned off by this. we watch dramas to see the guy get the girl. simple. leave the alternative lifestyles to the movies. its like going into the ratings battle with a handicapp, i am pretty sure this show wont win over many viewers just because of that character alone."

Do not conclude something that is solely based on what you believe in. And it is ridiculous to say that this drama will not be patronized by the viewers, (please see their ratings: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Life_is_Beautiful/Episode_Ratings ), the drama's ratings are quite high. And if you only anticipate that kind of storyline wherein the guy gets the girl in the last part, well then there's no point in watching any dramas at all, considering your monotonous and boring drama proposition.

@ GaRa

I keep imagining that if Adam and Eve were gay or if the Big Bang didn’t create us into beings who can only make children if we have a male and female in a pair.. then none of us would exist really."

This argument does not make any sense. First of all, you are only speaking in behalf of the Christianity religion who believes in the Bible, NOT the whole world. See, muslims, buddhists, etc. have no belief in either Adam or Eve! And another important thing, what if Adam and Eve did not have sexual intercourse (not because they're gay, they just didn't feel like it or they haven't met in that garden), will you still exist today?

@ Rickshot

"I’m all for accepting people for who they are if they have good reason to be the way they are."

Gays are part of this world which God made. That reason ain't good enough? If it isn't, I suggest you take a rehab.

I am not gay. Neither am I a proud supporter. I just want to defend them against ridiculous misconceptions narrow-minded people make, because I know a lot of people who are gay and many of my friends are. And I definitely understand how they feel. It's not like they really wanted to become what they are, so why the hell hate them?

@ Fauvish - you really said what I was thinking. Just because most societies are heteronormative, doesn't mean its right.

@ someone, dianah

I think its very sad to get angry at, overlook or disrespect someone who is family just because they may choose not to have children and 'continue the bloodline' - whatever the gender. That's treating the person as a tool for your own satisfaction as opposed to their own being with their own choices to make. @dianah - what if the daughter you are talking about decides having children isn't right for her? Is that really enough of a reason to abandon all ties and stop loving her? Despicable

All I have to say is that I feel really offended to have read all of this. I'm a homossexual and really pride to have a normal life.

I'm really sad to know that there are still people who fight against things that they don't understand. I'm crying while typing this... even though probably no one cares. You don't know how hard you HOMOPHOBES make our lifes... why? Am I harming you? No...

I'm a good person and I know that.
Too bad that there are people like YOU HOMOPHOBES who are still narrow minded.

I am glad to see that there is progress in Korea to have this drama with gays. I find nothing wrong with homosexual love. It's a form of love if anything else, and it exists in diverse cultures and races. Personally, what people do behind closed doors are their business and theirs alone, which includes gays. I don't really like having to see people put them down or simply hate them for something they are born with.

Originally I passed by this drama thinking it was going to be another family drama with the whole love triangle thing in it due to the lack of sypnosis in dramawiki. DANG i didn't know it was a gay drama! so excited :D this makes this alot more interesting. I've been hunting for homo dramas cuz i want something new, different and realistic. This is what happens after watching too many mainstream love triangle dramas.

If anyone one likes the genre of gay/lesbian. You might be interested in Last Friendsm its a j-drama. Damn awesome---hard topics. Great actress Juri. Abuse, gay, lesbian, sexual harrasment, very deep drama. Enjoy