Open Thread #435

1 Jon G.

February 19, 2016 at 6:04 AM

This week was about the return of everyone's favourite sociopath. And let's just say: back with a bang: Cheese in the Trap

I am starting to lose my patience though; not with the show -- the show is doing fine, far from perfect, but definitely fine -- but with Us, The Audience. It's really casting pearls before swine. The show has a very clear vision, very distinctly, precisely and transparently drawn characters and a very sober plot structure. When it comes to K-drama, this is as simple as it gets. There is absolutely no reason for anyone to be confused by it. But reading the comments concerning the recent episodes ...

Anywho. I think we all agree that episode 12 was the pivotal point of the series. In one single episode, we get all the flashbacks and all the conflict climaxes the show withheld so far. That's a huge risk I think, one result being the controversial perceptions and discussions. It also did hurt the structure of the episode with all the questionable cuts and overly long and not particularly well embedded flashbacks. Still, it definitely was a remarkable and rememberable 70 minutes of television right there. But: How do we wrap it up from here? With most of the tension gone, will the show plunge into fake love triangles and misunderstanding conflicts now?

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February 19, 2016 at 6:37 AM

Not sure there a lot of swine here. Most folks here recognize a pearl....although it did take me some time to see its lustre. But that's because I hate mind games and our chaebol hero was too much for me to accept at first.

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Jon G.

February 19, 2016 at 8:40 AM

Not sure there a lot of swine here. Most folks here recognize a pearl….although it did take me some time to see its lustre. But that’s because I hate mind games and our chaebol hero was too much for me to accept at first.

The comment section here on DB was still relatively non-frustrating, to be honest, but only relatively. (I'm always too late to them though. Working hours.)

You have a show that tries to balance the challenges of a comic adaption with its meandering plot, its unique characters and its distinct story telling techniques. They do an awesome job -- and the majority of the comments complain about the lack of stock tropes.

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fay17

February 19, 2016 at 8:53 AM

@Jon G. If you don't like the other side and their views..you can just ignore it maybe? Like newton's 3rd law states 'For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.' Lol.So please speak for your ship,I think all these discussions make ways for new explanations/discoveries for Jung's character.Amen.

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Jon G.

February 19, 2016 at 9:14 AM

You are right of course.
I just suck at ignoring things, especially when they are somewhat important to me. "Cheese" is a potential game-changer in the K-drama genre for me; and I hate to see all the flak it gets for trying to do things just a little bit differently.

So please speak for your ship,I think all these discussions make ways for new explanations/discoveries for Jung’s character.Amen.

I'm not entirely sure about what you mean. I generally do not ship in K-dramas (well, I do ship, but only for hilarity); and "Cheese" is not different.
I respect Seol's "decision" to love Jung, of course. It's not like I can stop her from doing so. And I can see where her decision to do so is coming from.

As for an explanation of Jung's character: I said it before and I will say it again: Jung's character is rather simple. I'm not entirely sure why there is so much fuss about him when we already know so much about his personality disorder (that is responsible for most of his more confusing actions/thoughts); and at the same time, we know very little about many of the other characters.

Maybe I should write a short essay about "Yoo Jung's psychopathology: portrait of a sociopath."

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Petra is Cheesed

February 19, 2016 at 2:59 PM

I think a lot of the endless debate comes from ppl's expectations of this and that. What a show SHOULD be, what a lead SHOULD be, what a psychopath (or anyone atypical at all) SHOULD be...
Really? Should it really be that way? Why?

Then there are all the different interpretations. Oy!

A lot of the confusion seems to stem from the way ppl are defining terms as well. Yes, Jung is simple on the face of it but he's complicated if you don't understand his personality and what is meant by a "psychopath". It's not necessarily someone who will go on a killing rampage and is dangerous and (therefore?) SHOULD not be loved.

To many, Pychopath = Monster instead of Pychopath = Still Human.

CITT is different in that it presents ppl as having flaws (instead of glossing them over) and as much as some of us like that, it seems we can't let go of our expectations either. I suppose it brings us out of our comfort zone.

I don't really know. The audience concerns me more than the show or its characters do now. I'm frustrated because now I'm genuinely worried about being judged by a jury of my peers, lol. I've especially enjoyed the circular reasoning.

But I don't want to turn this into Endless Debate Part Infinitum. We have 880 + comments on ep 12 alone. Muahaha.

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alua

February 19, 2016 at 6:39 AM

I never really read the comments for shows like this. I don't even know how people tackle 200-300+ comments.

<<With most of the tension gone, will the show plunge into fake love triangles and misunderstanding conflicts now?

Let's hope not.... I never saw In-ho as a part of a love triangle in the webtoon.

February 19, 2016 at 7:24 AM

This is indeed one huge problem with CitT (the show): It's a K-drama, and people have a right to expect the (ever same) things they are used to expect from it.

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pogo

February 19, 2016 at 9:55 AM

@alua - I couldn't agree more, about the tropes - Cheese in the Trap, from what I read of it, wasn't a slave to the usual kdrama 'this person must like this person and this thing must happen' syndrome.

So it's puzzling to me that it's getting criticism in some quarters for refusing to conform to those, like, why are you even watching a drama based on, of all stories, Cheese in the Trap if you expect it to be like every other kdrama ever? It's like buying a bright red shirt and then complaining that it's not white.

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fay17

February 19, 2016 at 9:00 AM

I guess you still did not take a look at all those 200-300 comments.A lot has been said about jung and baek's relationship,what set them apart,etc,and most of the posts have to do with Jung's personality one way or another.Rather than loveline,I think people discussed Jung,In Ho,and their long lost brotherhood lol.As for Jung and Sul's relationship goes,there has to be some uproar on this topic,and I think it's natural.A lot talked on their real life experience,and it has been an interesting read for me,all in all.I loved reading all the 400 crossed comments happened in the last two episode section lol.
Apart from this,I for one,am not insecure or upset about the way In Ho's character was developed in the webtoon.I also thought maybe wrapping up the drama in 16 episodes was a little too rushed,considering there were four long seasons, ..but yeah,the drama has it's own pace,and as stated on some news,the original writer has given permission to the drama scriptwriter to make the ending as they wish.

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Jon G.

February 19, 2016 at 7:16 AM

I never really read the comments for shows like this. I don’t even know how people tackle 200-300+ comments.

The review of the 12 episode of CitT from three days ago has 880 comments by now. I confess that I have to use additional software to manage the comments ...

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Jon G.

February 19, 2016 at 10:30 AM

yeah, episode 11 felt almost like they were losing the plot (seriously, this drama is supposed to be centred on Seol, not Baek In-ho behaving like every second lead in every kdrama ever, which is even more jarring in a drama like this)

Well, in the comics, In-ho is the second most important PoV character too. And I'm totally fine with the "coverage" of his development here (I'm also fine with the lack of "coverage" of Jung's rather boring daily activity at this point).
What I don't get is why the show wastes so much time on In-ho's crush on Seol. We already know it, it's not leading anywhere. I don't see how these scenes are justifiable.

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pogo

February 19, 2016 at 11:40 AM

yeah, I don't have issues with In-ho being a large and present part of the story (I liked the fleshing-out he got in the ep 12 flashbacks and the scenes he got with his sister), just with the far too much time spent on his crush on Seol.

There wasn't any need for it in the first place, not because he may or may not be doomed by kdrama trope outcomes but because, like I said, it's rather out of step with the story. I was eyerolling through all the heart-thumping and what have you.

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Nads

February 20, 2016 at 4:20 PM

I have the same questions, though they can be applied to both the webtoon and drama. I really don't know how they plan to wrap the story up in a way that'll satisfy the majority of us. I don't like where Seol and Jung are right now in that it still feels like they don't really understand each other. It still feels like Seol makes excuses when Jung does something she doesn't agree with, and like Jung, despite his sincerity, still doesn't truly get why Seol takes issue with some of the things he does.

I'm so obsessed with CITT... It makes me disappointed with all the other rom-com airing along side with so many faults ...one thing I'm sure is that I'll be in k drama slump after CITT ends may be I'll return to j dramas...

For me best part of ep 12 was not jung or inho it was seol saying "to accept we are What we are" she didn't just say jung was not weird lol.. he is but still she loves him for what he truly is... and I love her for that (in my k watch first time my girl crush won over the two boys.. I adore soel..)

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Jon G.

February 19, 2016 at 8:03 AM

For me best part of ep 12 was not jung or inho it was seol saying “to accept we are What we are” she didn’t just say jung was not weird lol.. he is but still she loves him for what he truly is… and I love her for that (in my k watch first time my girl crush won over the two boys.. I adore soel..)

Even with the flashback issue, it certainly was a powerful scene.

I struggle with the portrayal of love in K-drama (especially when the lead couples are concerned). K-dramas always try so very hard to convince the audience with all the sacrificing, thoughtful gifts, secret caressing and stuff (not to mention accidental hugs and kisses), but they very rarely care about the actual characters (instead of only the audience's perception of them).

This scene was one of the very, very few instances where all I could think of was: "Boy, she really loves him."

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Islander north

February 19, 2016 at 8:59 AM

Weird is an extremely subjective word; all it really means is "different from the usual (or different than me!)." Different often can be good...weird implies it is not. Both Jung and Seol are different than the usual ppl, but I don't see that as being a negative. I am enjoying their backstories defining their present characters.

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3 pebble

February 19, 2016 at 6:06 AM

Watching CITT and OMHE back-to-back, the difference in mindset of a 30 something divorcee and that of a 20 year old girl who just encountered her first love is so strikingly apparent. Though Mi-mo could impulsively fell in love at first sight, she couldn’t help but still notice the short-comings of her man, his “I’m not going to give my all in case I get hurt” calculated approach to love and the times when he overlooked her injured finger and blistered legs. I am pretty sure MM will not brush these aside like what Seol did time and again for Yoo-jung. She will eventually turn the tables on Hae-joon when she plucked up the courage to go to Soo-hyuk. A woman with a history of failed relationships knows better than to pick someone who likes her for a self-centred reason like “I like her because she makes me smile”. Someone like SH who loves her enough to genuinely place her interests at heart, jumps to her defence without hesitation, and who is protective of her when the situation requires, whether she insists otherwise, will eventually win her heart.

Though undoubtedly, YJ and Seol will end up together, he doesn’t deserve it simply for the reason that, after inciting the face-off between Seol and ‘copy-cat’, he just leisurely stood aside as an impassive bystander watching her being thrashed (in contrast to SH shielding MM from the egg-throwing wrath). Even the scene of a tear-streaked Seol running into his arms while crying profusely, though got viewers all excited, came about not because he was always there for her like In-ho did, but because he coincidentally happened to miss her that much to drop by. Clearly, YJ is a sulky guy with a plethora of issues, not only does he communicate in the most convoluted and snappish manner, he is spiteful and vengeful.

We've watched enough melodramas to learn that revenge always end up in tragedy. So being magnanimous and to graciously let go of past hurt is a smarter option. :)

In YJ's case, he did not give IH the chance to explain himself, instead YJ's scheming act destroyed IH's dream of becoming a pianist. The scale of the pain he inflicted upon IH is definitely not justifiable, when in fact, IH did not and had no intention of hurting him at all. It was YJ's own insecurity which led him to wrongly believe that he was victimized by the actions of the siblings who were going to snatch everything away from him.

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Khule WY

February 19, 2016 at 8:13 AM

Wait a minute i can't honestly say jung is responsible for what happened to in ho, he just failed to turn up.i feel inho has a fault in it,he was mean to that guy (wannabe pianist)and the guy assumed inho reported him and in his moment of jealousy /rage he intentionally hit inho's hand.once again jung is blamed. If inho wasn't mean to the guy, even if he thought it was him, he wouldn't have targeted his hand.

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Jon G.

February 19, 2016 at 8:16 AM

In YJ’s case, he did not give IH the chance to explain himself, instead YJ’s scheming act destroyed IH’s dream of becoming a pianist. The scale of the pain he inflicted upon IH is definitely not justifiable, when in fact, IH did not and had no intention of hurting him at all.

Are you sure YJ had any intention of hurting IH?
Both ended up with severely hurting the other one.

The difference is that YJ suffers from a personality disorder that makes it very difficult for him to understand that he is (partly?) responsible for the results of the events that are started by his manipulations.

IH is just impulsive, inconsiderate and immature; he was simply clueless about how his bad behaviour would end up (contributing to) destroying the lives of YJ, his sister and himself. And who started to learn a thing or two since then.

It was YJ’s own insecurity which led him to wrongly believe that he was victimized by the actions of the siblings who were going to snatch everything away from him.

"wrongly"? Are you sure? They did in fact help his father to monitor him. And IH really did think of YJ as a strange weirdo, despite the fact that he actually liked YJ.

February 19, 2016 at 2:49 PM

I re-watched the part about IH being beaten up, it was quite evident that YJ purposely led that "mousy guy" to turn up at the drinking place, and then the police arrived. The next thing which happened was that mousy guy accused IH of tipping off the police and he was cornered and beaten up with YJ looking on. It was obvious that YJ did it on purpose and he was the one setting everyone up. This guy is really creepy.

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Islander north

February 19, 2016 at 9:03 AM

That's a trap ppl working in law enforcement can fall into "I know they must be guilty of **something**...

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Petra is Cheesed

February 19, 2016 at 3:05 PM

The divide seems to happen when ppl think having sympathy for Jung means excusing him of culpability.

>Though undoubtedly, YJ and Seol will end up together, he doesn’t deserve it simply for the reason that

She is not a prize he has to deserve. :) Love is not like that. :)

>he just leisurely stood aside as an impassive bystander watching her being thrashed

What if he thought she needed to stand up for herself, he did plenty to push her to do it but he might have thought it would be wrong to deal with the situation himself. Seol is not the kind of girl that needs the stock knight in shiny armor and I quite like her for that, or CITT is that kind of show.

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Jon G.

February 19, 2016 at 7:06 AM

>Though undoubtedly, YJ and Seol will end up together, he doesn’t deserve it simply for the reason that

She is not a prize he has to deserve. Love is not like that.

In OMHE, people are prizes. With price tags. And unique selling points.

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ZENITH

February 19, 2016 at 7:40 AM

With all that logic taunting CITT applying same to OMHE why didn't he grabbed her hand & just ran to car or why the haters were standing so far like security guards were there.. they could have just barged through...swoony kicked logic away lol.. & so we have to expect jung to grab min soo's hair...I think seol did her job pretty well...
At most we could be sad that he was standing with other group...

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ZENITH

February 19, 2016 at 7:44 AM

*@ pebble...

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pebble

February 19, 2016 at 8:05 AM

@Trapped in cheese, YJ did not have to grab Min Soo's hair, as a minimal, when they were starting to physically fight each other, and before Seol was being beaten, he could have stopped them. Just imagine what IH would do if he was present? Get what I mean? Yeah, it is more because YJ was standing with other group which irked me.

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Jon G.

February 19, 2016 at 8:25 AM

@Trapped in cheese, YJ did not have to grab Min Soo’s hair, as a minimal, when they were starting to physically fight each other, and before Seol was being beaten, he could have stopped them. Just imagine what IH would do if he was present? Get what I mean? Yeah, it is more because YJ was standing with other group which irked me.

February 19, 2016 at 7:14 AM

on first one-Yes, but this is the problem, even if girl isn't a prize it is a TV show so audience needs to know that her actions are logical(choosing him) not something she does only for feelings. It is like watching Reply 1988, but with Deok sun running to Jung Hwan even after his failed attempt for confession (not that loveline there was perfect but at least we knew why she chose Taek-for always being there for her)

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nomad

February 19, 2016 at 8:43 AM

If I were to self-project, I would so do what Deok Sun's friends did when her brother was taunted by those street girls. I'd just jump in and fight along with Seol, truth be damned. There's no getting around that what YJ did was definitely weird. I mean even if a man doesn't protect his gf or wife physically, I'd expect him at least to call the security guard to make sure the fight is stopped. I mean I don't know a single person who'd actually set up a condition where he'd know there's a possibility his significant other would have a physical fight. Yup, YJ is definitely strange.

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Jon G.

February 19, 2016 at 12:53 PM

What if he thought she needed to stand up for herself, he did plenty to push her to do it but he might have thought it would be wrong to deal with the situation himself.

Honestly I think his main motivation was not to taint his image, because he actually did stuff to deal with the situation behind the scenes.

What do you mean?

Jung collected material on Min-soo, yes. But he decided to set up a meeting of Seol's brother and Min-soo in front of several people. He also did it when he knows fully well that Seol will very likely figure out who was behind the "coincidental" meeting.

Sure, he follows his typical guideline of keeping his hands clean in front of everyone except the directly involved (here: Min-soo and Seol, maybe her brother). But that's not the reason he sets up the stage.

He wants Seol to be present when Min-soo is cornered, and he already witnessed -- in a set-up by himself earlier (during the group presentation) -- that Seol will very likely go into the attack even in public.

He basically forces her to face her conflicts, and he sidelines himself during the showdown (and takes care of a few secondary risks).

If he simply wanted to get rid of Min-soo, nothing of this would have been necessary. He -- and I think: deliberately and intentionally -- sets the stage for Seol to be the one to do the deed.

That all being said, it's still utterly wrong of him to do so. Yes, he helped Seol to grow a pair (and them some), she solved the issue with Min-soo beautifully in the end and took a big step towards solving the Young-gon problem too.
But that's not how you treat another person (let alone your girlfriend-on-hold). It's inhumane and patronising. Seol is not a pet that needs to be taught a trick.

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Jon G.

February 19, 2016 at 11:40 AM

Watching CITT and OMHE back-to-back, the difference in mindset of a 30 something divorcee and that of a 20 year old girl who just encountered her first love is so strikingly apparent.

Now this is gonna be interesting ...

Though Mi-mo could impulsively fell in love at first sight, she couldn’t help but still notice the short-comings of her man, his “I’m not going to give my all in case I get hurt” calculated approach to love and the times when he overlooked her injured finger and blistered legs. I am pretty sure MM will not brush these aside like what Seol did time and again for Yoo-jung.

So your take on this is that Seol is too young and too naive to realise that Jung is not Mr. Perfect; while Mi-mo is mature and experienced enough to come to realise that her crush is nothing substantial.

That's strange, because to me, Mi-mo is extremely naive despite all her experience -- she's very much like Jung actually: Both lack the ability to learn from experiences.

Seol on the other hand doesn't stick to Jung because he is Mr. Perfect. She is not blinded by a crush that was induced by a single misinterpreted gesture.

She will eventually turn the tables on Hae-joon when she plucked up the courage to go to Soo-hyuk. A woman with a history of failed relationships knows better than to pick someone who likes her for a self-centred reason like “I like her because she makes me smile”. Someone like SH who loves her enough to genuinely place her interests at heart, jumps to her defence without hesitation, and who is protective of her when the situation requires, whether she insists otherwise, will eventually win her heart.

Wow, okay, your definition of love sure is scary.
"Whether she insists otherwise"? Seriously?

Where I come from, this is not only considered extremely sexist, it's also rather patronising and misogynistic to -- as a man -- make decisions instead and overriding the decisions of a woman.

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pebble

February 19, 2016 at 3:20 PM

Hi Jon, thanks for your impressive analysis.

It is not about Seol being immature to judge YJ's personality, she said herself that YJ and her are both strange, and are different from others, that is why they were attracted to one another. This is what Seol wants for herself, so let it be, and she doesn't have any prior experience to draw upon, so it is a "trial and error" kind of learning process for her.

As for Mimo, yes, she is very immature, as such, she could easily fell in love with the wrong type of guy, in other words she doesn't know what she wants. However, her past experience led her to slowly awaken, and made her realise that she is attracted to SH more as she is the "princess damsel in distress" type which needs the protective love of a knight in shiny armour.

I do not have great aptitude for appreciating literary works and what the writers are trying to convey. Where I'm coming from is just as an ordinary lay person who is watching drama mainly for relaxation. So long as the plot is interesting, the leads look pleasing to the eyes, I consider it a good drama. With this said, I tend to be quite shallow in my opinion about what's going on in the drama, just based on personal bias and what makes it entertaining. Therefore, please let's not discuss about what love is, it is too complicated a topic to delve into here. :)

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owl

February 19, 2016 at 4:33 PM

"Both lack the ability to learn from experiences."

They're justifyers of their behavior. I am surprised Seol doesn't see that about Jung.

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owl

February 19, 2016 at 4:42 PM

justifiers, that is

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4 fanwho

February 19, 2016 at 6:07 AM

Happy Friday!
I am glad two most frustraing dramas have ended - Remember(Some good stuff at the end), and Gakju (Master of Trade? WTH).

Remember: At least there were Nam Gyu-man(Nam Goong-min) and Lawyer Park(Park Sung-woong)-reason for high ratings? because plot sucked. The staff in charge of (accessories) setting said "Nam broke a car, golf club, notebooks, glasses, nametag etc, costing over $10,000. He was wilder than I imagined and scary." Nam said "Please don't hate me too much. I was just tring to do good acting. I have a bad back already, and because of Gyu-man's evil act, I feel like blood is not circulating inside." Good job NGM!

Enjoying CITT. How crazy was it that Seo Kang-joon/In-ho fan meeting was cancelled (2/16)- 'The surrounding area of fan site was paralyzed due to the people swarmed to see Seo Kang-joon and he could not even enter the venue'-lol.

Can't wait to watch Youth Over Flowers-Africa. I loved the YOF-Iceland (6% ratings), but can't wait for YOF-Africa. I am sure ratings will hit the roof. There was the production announcement press event? with casts- Ryu Joon-yeol/Jung-hwan, Park Bo-geum/Taek, Go Kyung-pyo/Sun-woo, An Jae-hong/Jung-bong, and 2 PDs. Some of QA are:

About choosing SsangMoonDong 4 brothers, Na PD said "We planned for Iceland and Africa trips early on, but only had the casting decided for Iceland episodes. That was when Reply 88 was airing. I said in case the show does well, we will make the schedule with them before they become too expensive.". And after watching the first episode, he decided to cast them. "I loved their fresh images. I chose them because they felt like younger brothers rather than some celebrities. Actually they were 100% match with their characters in R88...(I thought) It would be fun to compare real personality to the character in the show. And I had no idea they were so similar."

About the show, he said "It was interesting. They split the money and said not to concern about each other's spending. Each bought things he wanted, which was different from previous casts. I marveled at them starting that way. I thought they would rent the cheapest car since allowance was small, but they said car had to be best, and worried more about the outside looks. I thought they were boys of this generation...That kind of behavior didn't look bad because they didn't complain sleeping out 3-4 days knowing they rented an expensive car. They spent on whatever they want, and didn't regret it. I think SMD 4 brothers' fresh and innocent charm will relay a positive energy to the viewers. I thought youngsters nowadays going on a trip would be like this."

All four were busy saying 'Thanks' and talked about how much they enjoyed and were satisfied about the trip. An Jae-hong was in charge of cooking, Ryu Joon-yeol did the driving. Go Kyung-pyo took care of expenses, and setting up tents, and Park Bo-geum? -gave smiling and greetings. Na PD said "If I need to choose...

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fanwho

February 19, 2016 at 6:08 AM

"If I need to choose a luggage boy next season, it will be An Jae-hong." He said he is very useful. "Ryu Joon-yeol has good language skill, but has too strong leadership. He is too proud to be a luggage boy. An Jae-hong does not have that problem. If you tell him to make rice, he will make rice, If you tell him to eat, he will eat. And he ate the biggest amount of rice he made.
Go Kyung-pyo said "This program was big cure to me. I liked even after the show. This trip gave me such a great memory."

Park Bo-gem kept saying "Thank you", and eventually it became their slogan. Go said "Park Bo-geum was too nice, he said Thanks when he eats, when someone drives, when someone brings him water, and whenever. We talked about it a lot so that it became our slogan." And Park said Thanks for making his remarks their slogan, which made everyone laugh.

I found the Iceland trip to be one of the more interesting. Maybe you've got something there, Alua, the fans expected the guys to be celebrities and they were just themselves. Which I loved.

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Kween Ramyeon

February 19, 2016 at 5:33 PM

Thank you for the translations! <3

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Kaylie

February 19, 2016 at 8:00 AM

Omg I can't believe Koreans would think YOF Iceland trip was boring?! It was simultaneously funny, goofy, heart-warming and touching! I love the 4 rocks' interactions because it's so obvious they honestly enjoyed each others' company.

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alua

February 19, 2016 at 8:26 AM

Right? Not boring at all... but maybe some viewers didn't expect the boys to be so down-to-earth and ordinary and had the "celebrity" image they had of them shattered?

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nomad

February 19, 2016 at 8:48 AM

I only read recaps on YOF, and honestly I read the Iceland one each episode without fail, while the one in Thailand (even though I loveeee them), I didn't read all. I really like the Iceland version because of the warmth it exudes.

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Kaylie

February 19, 2016 at 9:43 AM

I watch every episode and laugh and cry with them, then religiously read Dramabean's recap to laugh and cry more. It's that good. I'm not even normally a reality show kind of person. But these guys are just so genuine and down-to-earth.

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redfox

February 19, 2016 at 10:59 AM

most importantly the guys seemed to enjoy their trip and thats what counts

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alua

February 19, 2016 at 11:14 AM

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fanwho

February 20, 2016 at 7:56 AM

you are welcome. There are some mistakes like - "RJY is too proud to be a luggage boy" should've been "RJY has too strong opinion to be a luggage boy".

I watched the first episode of Africa trip too and enjoyed it. Like I expected, it had highest ratings of 12.7% among all flower series.

Funniest part was that Ra Mi-ran lured boys to go on a trip saying she is close to Na PD. And Sin PD(of R88) said "They used to date". Ra "But we split because we have same family name" (Ra and Na -LOL). llllllooooolllll

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5 wapz

February 19, 2016 at 6:09 AM

Need to watch a good rom com or a good addictive show that isnt too painful to watch. Any suggestions?

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Alessar

February 19, 2016 at 6:12 AM

Have you seen Noble, My Love? Best web series I've seen in a while, really cute.

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wapz

February 19, 2016 at 6:25 AM

February 19, 2016 at 12:05 PM

I feel like MND jelled a lot after four or five episodes and everyone got into their pace. I always feel like the first 4-6 episodes of a drama are really suspect because:

1) they're usually the ones that are pre-produced
2) the actors are just figuring out their characters
3) the male lead usually has his arrogant heel factor cranked up because that's just what they do
4) actually in general if there's any character tic that's going on it's usually over-emphasized at first. For instance, Hwang Jung-Eum will tone her screaming down about episode 4 (see: Kill Me Heal Me, She Was Pretty)

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fanwho

February 20, 2016 at 8:05 AM

and I liked Sly and Single Again (Joo Sang-wook!) too. Also I didn't like first episodes of MND or Ex-girlfriend's club, but ended up loving them after all. And there are Twenty again, Oh my ghostness too.

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kuromitsu

February 19, 2016 at 7:16 AM

Try Queen In Hyun's Man.

How about YFAS?

Miss Korea's underrated, too.

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wapz

February 19, 2016 at 7:25 AM

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eunchans

February 19, 2016 at 8:05 AM

Sweet 18 is mega cute fluff and pretty addictive, you might enjoy it :'). There's also all the classics like Coffee Prince, Dal Ja's Spring and What's Up Fox, though you may have already seen all of them. They're all really good imo.

A recent favourite rom-com of mine was Ex Girlfriend Club, which was refreshingly low key and adorable. There's also Flower Boy Next Door, Discovery of Romance (this show had a surprisingly amount of depth to it), and you also might enjoy Witch's Romance, it's silly fun.

jdrama-wise, there's also Zenkai Girl, which is super cute. Dear Sister too!!

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Delurker

February 19, 2016 at 8:11 AM

Currently addicted to Liar Game, to the point that I am in no hurry to return to Cheese in the Trap. So glad I saved it until now :) .

About suggestions below, MND is quite good; Divorce Lawyer is okay, but I would hesitate to actually recommend it.

Other pleasant watches from the recap list: Arang and the Magistrate, Sungkyunkwan Scandal, High School King of Savvy, King of Dramas (though the ending was a bit disappointing), Let's Eat.

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Islander north

February 19, 2016 at 9:10 AM

Had to quit Divorce Lawyers In Love, too annoying and farfetched. However, really enjoyed the C-drama Divorce Lawyers, also a rom-com but good acting and funny.

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juniper

February 19, 2016 at 8:42 AM

My Name is Kim Sam-soon and What's Up, Fox? are funny and romantic and also meaningful without getting too heavy. Attic Cat is also very lighthearted, and it has a sense of spontaneity that modern trendies lack--the director actually gives the relationships some breathing room. Hmmm...Writer Park Yeon-seon usually has a great sense of humor. Alone in Love is definitely not a rom com even if it's much funnier than they usually are--it is pretty heavy. Maybe you could try Ms. Kim's Million Dollar Quest? That one was a bit uneven/underwhelming but its leads are charming (Kim Hyun-joo is lovely as always) and it's genuinely amusing and happy-making for the most part.

As for addictive shows...most of the shows I get addicted to are extremely heavy haha, so I can't help much. Cruel City is dark but I wouldn't say it's painful to watch, and it has to be one of the most addictive Kdramas I've ever seen. History of the Salaryman is also a great option--it does lose steam in the end, but it is a wacky, hilarious, and completely unique show for a good two thirds of its run. It's a ton of fun--I couldn't put it down when I watched it.

You could also try I Live In Cheongdamdong. Viki has translated some of it (not sure if more episodes are coming), and it's hilarious.

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dacia

February 19, 2016 at 12:18 PM

Not Attic Cat. He's an immature user and she's a doormat!

February 19, 2016 at 2:14 PM

How about Sassy Girl Chun-hyang? It's a 2005 classic by the Hong Sisters as well.

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Katie

February 20, 2016 at 4:58 PM

If you don't mind that it's not korean:

-if you like gender bender - tw drama Bromance! Hilarious, gloriously cheesy, truly mindblowing chemistry, intense romance with unseen amounts of kissing and extremely comfortable skinship. You'll find all asian dramas lacking in that regard after this.
for example
https://youtu.be/Iew9pnGdDvM?t=16s
You might need to get through the beginning, some people liked it more after a few episodes

-tw drama Down with Love - incredibly cute, with a really nice first lead, similar to kdrama 2nd leads, except in the very beginning.

some kdrama oldies, some seconded: 9 ends 2 outs (best best-friends turned lovers drama IMO), vineyard man, dating ageny cyrano, anything older by hong sisters except big and hong gil dong, best love is absolutely hilarious, dal ja's spring, sungkyunkwan scandal, history of the salaryman, last scandal of my life, city hall, story of a man. and reply 1997 if you haven't seen it.

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6 redfox

February 19, 2016 at 6:10 AM

hiya

I am busy but

I really want Ji Sung & Bogummy to happen but not with this writer

also, I want Park ki Woong to join them as well but in another drama

behind on Flying Dragons, only watched glimpses

February 20, 2016 at 8:08 AM

ice rain - ok as long as you don't have to drive. Thankfully we have not had one yet (This winter has been pretty warm). Stay warm with hot cocoa~

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7 hibeautiful

February 19, 2016 at 6:12 AM

Happy OT everyone!

Just want to thank DB team for all the hard work in running this site <3 This is the best kdrama blog ever!

February 19, 2016 at 6:18 AM

Still recovering from Nirvana in Fire, all I did in screencaping all the happy smile, jingyan and lin shu is one screen and counted that Fei Liu has 47 punch contact with General Meng in ep 2 fight.

Then based on popular OST IF;Taeyeon I watched
Hong Gil Dong, story of a people hero. I think the show can be great but it choose to be good.
This may contain SPOILER:
I think at the end, gil dong brought harm to himself. He is helping a new king/the prince gain his throne and majestically wants the official and court to be clean. He didn't even consider the king's position. I knew the kings choosing bad choice to stop hong gil dong stealing crew but they are thief, even if for the rich, their action doesn't solve the core problem. The new kings brought up by lie and he has so much burden to be a ruler and the only nice people he can trust is gil dong. No one wants to back down but logically thinking, gil dong should lay low 1st. It's the new reign that suface because of his help. The kings finally had some true heart but he can't stand alone! All people surround him is bad official, corrupt guy but he needs these noble amd so called scholar support. This drama can be 48 instead of 24 to add how gil dong helps the empire.
The narrative is really one side to show how gil dong is a hero, well he is but he don't understand people position in politics. How can the new king replace all the official just because of moral conduct when he has no supporter either.
Then they need a middle man which I hope is the lead lady but she just an innocent character, seriously girl? She is okay but the story could be much better if she is smart.
TL:DR ; the show is too naive but it's really really funny

Did anyone watched cruel palace : war of flower ? Is it good, dp you any show that similar to it??

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August

February 19, 2016 at 8:07 AM

Lady Mi Shil - the character has attained legendary status not to mention name recognition. Which prompted me to find out what all the talk was about. The funny thing is...Queen Moonjung in Mandate of Heaven (aka Fugitive of Joseon) played by Park Ji-Young turned to be way more of a scarier character to me than Ko Hyun Jung as Lady Mi Shil in The Great Queen Seon Deok. I've noticed that sometimes the timing of when you watch something plays heavily upon/impacts your experience when you watch something.

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Sancheezy

February 19, 2016 at 9:25 AM

I watched QSD several time and for me it wasn't the heartless part of Mishil that scare me, it is her confident on choosing her way.. She feels so magnanimous and it's her slight smile that just feel wrong. She looks so elegant and she indeed a hero in former reign, she has pride, achievement and it feel waste to kill her but she wouldn't stop if she's alive.
I think it because she is a capable character that chose wrong path, like seeing a hero lost her way. She has the capability to be a ruler but she killed too many people for selfish reason.
It wasn't her bad deed that stand out but her charisma that captivating,
There antagonist that doesn't deserve to be a ruler but there's certain individual that can lead people but chose the dark path.

As I remember, queen moojong is indeed scary and evil but mishil has leadership capability that earn respect.

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john

February 19, 2016 at 7:40 AM

August ~

February 19, 2016 at 9:04 AM

I haven't watched Cruel Palace but maybe you'll like Shin Don, by the same writer and it's a masterpiece.

re: Cruel Palace--yes, it's amazing. Probably the best feminist critique of Neoconfucian patriarchy ever--definitely the bloodiest and most badass lol. Jung Ha-yeon has a way of taking maligned figures in history and turning them into living, breathing human beings. I voted for team evil half the time. And the performances are amazing--Song Seon-mi and Kim Hyun-joo in particular are unforgettable, but Lee Deok-hwa is perfectly cast as Injo and Jung Sung-mo makes for an amazing Kim Ja-jeom.

I would suggest trying Jung Ha-yeon's other sageuk if you're looking for something similar (caveat: Queen Insoo's subs are currently in progress), although I actually think Flames of Ambition, a modern drama of his, has the most in common with it. It's basically a chaebol sageuk about an ambitious, morally compromised woman attempting to make her husband the next chairman of the company. Yoon Na-young is very different from Yam-jeon at the end of the day, but it's the same kind of power struggle between her and the other women in the family. The acting is even better than in Cruel Palace--Shin Eun-kyung is phenomenal.

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Kiara

February 19, 2016 at 12:53 PM

I didn't think Kim Hyun-joo was a good actress until Cruel Palace. I was one of those who was against her but dang she was so good. I've never so happy to be wrong lol.
Jung Sung-mo is one of my favorite sageuk baddies.

Btw I found Im Kkeokjeong online with subs and I can not wait to watch it after I'm done with some old Goryeo sageuks. I watched a clip of Im and I know that if I start now I will not be able to stop until it ends.

Kaylie

February 19, 2016 at 8:05 AM

Ahhh Jung-hwan's last words made me cry so badly! Punch was such a perfectly written and executed drama with a perfect cast!

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11 gadis

February 19, 2016 at 6:27 AM

Hello beanies..

-Signal: Things seem to be escalating fast. Now that the new chief transferred to Jaehan's post faster due to Sekyu's case, I become even more worried about Jaehan's life. And it seems like Haeyoung's life will be next on the line if he keeps sniffing around Jaehan's missing case. Please be careful..

-CiTT: This drama is the best at humanizing its characters and drawing our sympathy without giving them easy redemption. We know a part of it is the character's own fault but we can still sympathize with them when consequence hit hard (looking at you, Inho). I'll just put all my trust to the team behind this drama that they'll take us to an even better story next week.

-OMHE: At this rate, Haejoon will definitely win 'the most infuriating second lead ever' award. Like, seriously!! He wants to be the number 1 person in Mimo's heart, but he never really cares about her. He doesn't want to get hurt, but all he did was playing that damn mind games. I think he only date her for status, that she is his not Soohyuk's. I hope Mimo open her eyes and see properly what did she missed all this time.

-Joseon Magician: I can't make up my mind about this movie. It's okay (considering that I, who has major sageuk allergy could finish it), but a bit flat(?) I guess. Well, at least Yoo Seungho is super pretty here.

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13 CaroleMcDonnell

February 19, 2016 at 6:32 AM

Hello all!

Am currently judging some short stories in a writing contest. Three categories. Fairy tales, fantasy, ghost stories. I will just say that a bad story is just numbing and a good story perks you up. The fairy tale category stories are a bit annoying because so many writers don't understand fairy tales and set out to be twee, to write adaptations of well-known fairy tales, or to write "not-you-mother's fairytales" and wading through those stories can be very exasperating. Especially because one is supposed to give both good comments and helpful criticism (without insulting the writers). Sometimes the good comments are hard to come by, and sometimes one feels that explaining why a story fails will just go over the heads of some writers, so why even bother? Well 80 more stories to go and I shall be able to breathe happily!

In the meantime, thank God for dramas! My daily escape!

Ah, the feels this week!

Mostly for bad and evil guys.

Nam Gyu Man in Remember: the despair he must've felt

Stalker in CITT: the glutting of embarrassment and shame he went through.

Lee Bang Won in SFD: the upwelling of anger, resentment, hurt and spite

As for the feels with the good guys:

Jin Woo's memory loss was sad but I got more feels from seeing the bad guy's get their comeuppance.

Because I knew I'd be a wreck if I saw it, I avoided the death of Mom in All About Mom.

Signal has more tension than feels but am seriously losing my patience with the bad captain.

I didn't see Glamourous Temptation because I suspect these avengers are pushing their luck. Still don't know how Prime Minister got out of jail. Ah drama, you are shameless at doing anything to pull us viewers in!

Some weeks the bad feels overwhelm the good feels.

Happy weekend, all.

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korfan

February 19, 2016 at 6:59 AM

Carole -

LOL Regarding Glamorous Temptation, while I'm not watching it my mom keeps me in the loop and she mentioned that she can't figure that out either! ..... She also can't figure out how the different characters set a time and place to meet up given that no one is ever shown e-mailing, texting, or calling each other. She's all like, "Wait! When did they agree to do so and so??"

February 19, 2016 at 10:08 AM

What. I need this!! I have a serious problem when it comes to buying cookbooks. I know I don't NEED ten of them to get through college, but I WANT them all. Oh dear goodness heavens! You'll have to tell us how it is next week, if you make things from it between now and then.

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CaroleMcDonnell

February 19, 2016 at 11:08 AM

I generally watch Aeri, Maangchi, or Squishy Monster on youtube to learn how to cook Korean food, but ya know..when the opportunity came to review this I simply HAD to jump to it.

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spazmo

February 19, 2016 at 3:22 PM

carole, i really like The Korean Table cookbook - use it all the time!
; )

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CaroleMcDonnell

February 20, 2016 at 12:15 PM

I hope to grow to love this one as much as you love yours.

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14 Sajen

February 19, 2016 at 6:35 AM

I like to say odd nonsensical things from time to time mostly to myself and my cat. My mom recently heard me tell my cat my recent favorite that he's the cutest cute that ever cuted she told me I wasn't allowed to say things that don't make sense. Apparently sometime between 1985 when I was born and now I was elected the only person on earth not allowed to say nonsense without my knowledge or permission I'd like to resign my post and nominate that rapper who got into an argument with Neil deGrasse Tyson over twitter about the earth being flat to take my place. As such I will fill the next couple sentence with nothing but nonsense.

Pickles eat people, fuzzy headed monkey bear, cats are fish and birds and bears.

Neighborhood Hero- I like it despite myself.

Cheese in the Trap- haven't watched yet

February 19, 2016 at 10:11 PM

Sajen, thanks for the laugh out loud moment. And what you said to your cat made purrfect sense.

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15 korfan

February 19, 2016 at 6:41 AM

Hi Everyone! ....... I hope you are all doing well today.

Battling a little cold, which is a bit annoying because I'm sniffling and sneezing. Oh well, these things happen.

Watched this week:

Six Flying Dragons - Up to episode 32 and uh oh, people are withholding information now. The whole drama continues to be awesome though!

Remember - Half-way through this and oh dear, that chaebol dad! I seriously don't know where the actor playing Gyu-man's dad was worse, here as his dad or in "I Miss You" as Jung-woo's dad (I mean as a father, I'm not referring personally to the veteran actor playing the different fathers).

February 19, 2016 at 8:31 AM

Yeah. The sageuk place in my heart will not be easily-satisfied by any old new replacement.

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korfan

February 19, 2016 at 8:55 AM

*nodding in agreement*

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nomad

February 19, 2016 at 1:04 PM

I've never had a sageuk place in my heart before, but now that SFD has come along, I give in. Gladly.

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16 john

February 19, 2016 at 6:42 AM

Glamorous Temptation: WTH is going on with the subs ? !#$&*

CITT: In-Ha, call me.

Signal: Can't wait to see what happens.

C Drama & Movie :

Imperial Doctress : Ok so far, not as good as I had hoped. Have to wait and see.

Legend of Qin: Need to catch up

Happy Friday everyone.

This week was only about Reply 1997 for me.I enjoyed it very much wondering why I didn't watch at its own time!!

and now that Remember is finished and I'm going to have busy weekend watching it.

Still following Moorim School , not crazy about it but like it enough and plan to start OMHE too.

Have a very enjoyable weekend everyone!

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18 alua

February 19, 2016 at 6:56 AM

The only thing I am watching is Itsuka Kono Koi Omoidashite Kitto Naite Shimau (both raw and subbed because it's so worth it). And love, love, love it. Love how I like every character in this show, because they are all wonderful and all flawed – just thoroughly human with real issues.

Tried Mother Game because a blogger praised it, but it has a premise that has been done multiple times before and I don't think this drama is any better (or worse) than any of the others I saw. So watching only ep 1 and ep 10 was enough – too much of the same.

No subs for Otousan to Yobasete and somehow didn't feel like watching Kazoku no Katachi this week (it's funny but can be tiring).

Bailed half-way through ep. 7 of Madame Antoine . It's just the most non-sensical drama. I mean, Moorim School (which I finally dropped too) isn't any better either, but it's low-budget, has no-name actors, etc. Madame Antoine seems like it was made by and with people who should know better but apparently don't, so it's the worse of the two for me.

Started reading Sakisaka Io's most recent manga, Omoi Omoware Furi Furare and quite like it so far. I think she has a good understanding of the emotional world of teenagers and although her mangas are shoujos, she manages to take the usual shoujo topic (loooove) and makes it into something meaningful without turning her characters 1-dimensional damsels-in-distress/prince-charmings.

What I have been watching a lot this week is YouTube, Ryoya's Peaceful Cuisine cooking channel. Love it, ha.

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wapz

February 19, 2016 at 7:10 AM

@alua, since you watch a lot of j dramas do you think the camera quality in them is lacking compared to k dramas? Haven't watched enough j dramas to say that but the camera quality kind of pushes me away from watching them when I see kdramas in comparison, though the stories and acting of j dramas is better i guess.

February 19, 2016 at 7:38 AM

Yeah, Sung Joon has zero appeal in this drama for me – and the longer I was watching this drama, the more of I-can't-bear-to-watch-him it became. Never thought I would say that after SUFBB!

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owl

February 19, 2016 at 8:36 AM

Hi Alua,

That's my problem, too, Sung Joon's lack of appeal in Madame Antoine. His smirk is annoying. Not only did I love him in SUFBB, I also thought he was adorable as Sweet Potato in INR3. But the character who absolutely drives me nuts is the female mentor psychologist.

I thought of going back and listing who was a subject in the "study" episode by episode (the I'm in-out/I'm of it), but in the end - I just don't care.

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owl

February 19, 2016 at 8:37 AM

I'm in/I'm out of it all

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Sancheezy

February 19, 2016 at 9:37 AM

Sung Joon character is unreasonable and not charming. I think it's only happen to me since I also can't like him in high society and I don't remember much from hyde jekyll and me.

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Excitable

February 19, 2016 at 9:40 AM

Can someone please entertain me about why should i find Sung Joon appealing in my screen?

Anyone?

Seriously though, i'm trying so hard to see what's so charismatic about him which i fail to see repeatedly. I will excuse his acting in HS because goodness, everyone is horrible in that. The thing is, it is not in just one drama. More than one in fact. Maybe his type of acting is just not my type though because he keeps getting lead roles.

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alua

February 19, 2016 at 11:26 AM

@Excitable

February 19, 2016 at 11:18 AM

I know, I saw the 5 year time skip in the preview (understood that much Japanese)!

Looks like Ren changed – as least visually, on the surface. It's an interesting moment to do a time skip too (just when ALL relationships sort of fell apart), but oh, it's BIG time skip, especially considering considering how old each of the characters are. They could have easily all gotten married within that time frame.....

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19 bigmomma12345

February 19, 2016 at 6:58 AM

I've only been watching dramas since last summer but am now addicted! Mostly binge-watched shows but was so intrigued by CITT I decided to give watching it in "real-time" a try. Oh my, what a decision - I now live for my Mondays and Tuesdays!!

I also started watching OMHE too and I love it as well. (And how about the Conan O'Brien cameo? Lol!!) The leads are adorable and the 2nd lead is not, so I can't wait until Mi-Mo finally jumps ship. But I am also enjoying Mi-Mo's friends' stories as well and am looking forward to the happy endings for all!

Two very different shows with very different feels but boy do I need light-hearted OMHE to offset the drama in CITT.

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20 Sera The Ms Temper

February 19, 2016 at 7:00 AM

CITT : From now on, I will just watch it solely because of Jeong Seol ? I don't care about the plot anymore and whatever war created from this drama?

IHAL : still a solid drama for me at the moment ❤

MDGSW : is there any chance for the title to change to My Daughter Oh Wol? Can Sa Wol get more stupid and naive than she is now? ?

that's all for now..looking forward to see come back ahjusshi! ???

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Kudo Ran

gadis

February 19, 2016 at 2:49 PM

You are just like my sister. She already prepare her heart to be crushed by this writer for Lee Jinki and Kim Jiwon's sake. I watch Jinki's sitcom several days ago and he is quite good. But I guess that just the character. So I hope his character suits him well here and we can see his decent acting.

February 19, 2016 at 8:36 PM

This is one of my favorite comments to ever be posted on any site. hahahaha

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22 ktiep

February 19, 2016 at 9:09 AM

Good morning, Beanies. I'm finally home. Daughter was well enough (emotionally) for us to leave for a while. She is being so strong through this whole ordeal. Anyway, the snow is simply GORGEOUS here, but it's not too cold. I love that--you know, when you can be outside in the snow and yet your cold-weather clothing is enough.

Watching:

One More Happy Ending--Did the writer ever give the second lead a chance? Although he is nice looking, the lack of personality would have made me end the relationship after date #1. I mean, they never even went on a fun date. I hate it when a drama assumes we will ship the main character with the second lead and doesn't even try to make the decision between the two couples hard.

Oh, the other thing in this show--the fans throwing things. Is that reality based? I'm pretty sure such people would be arrested in the US. I mean, they were in a garage with CTV, so it wouldn't be too hard to track the people down.

All About My Mom--No more Happy Ending there. I predicted all the babies, but a real twist would have been to have the dad end up with the aunt who he met online. I think Mom would have approved. Plus it would have kept the relationships entirely incestuous...which seems to bethe KDrama thing. I'm glad I watched and worked on it. As family dramas go, I think it was a good one.

Remember--Officially dropped.

We Got Married--This past week was fab for the Ohye couple. They had their wedding, dog included. The dog was almost the best part. The sad news is, Ohye couple are leaving the show as of this week. What will I do for my obsession? Keep tracking these two to see if they really do start dating after the show? Start following the Siso couple? Or whatever new couple comes along? Hmmm, somehow I think it is time to exercise some willpower and give up on WGM. The premise is just plain silly.

February 19, 2016 at 9:13 AM

Oh, I forgot Descendants of the Sun. The buzz around this drama is crazy. And now it's a Viki exclusive, but you have to have VikiPass to view it right away. I wonder if that will backfire on them.

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pogo

February 19, 2016 at 10:02 AM

The buzz around Kim Eun-seok projects is always crazy, but I hope this one is actually at least decent. I agree that teasers aren't always an accurate reflection of what a drama is like, but this seems to have the same problem of weirdly stilted dialogues and overly-dramatic romantic setups.

Song Joong-ki is killing it, though. And I hope Kim Ji-won gets her big break after this, she's too talented to languish.

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john

February 19, 2016 at 10:41 AM

Yay Kim Ji-won. I don't plan on watching DOTS, but I did watch her and So Ji-sub in a web drama , One Sunny Day, the other day.

February 19, 2016 at 9:34 AM

Ouch, wanted to reply to my post >.> not post separately

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26 pogo

February 19, 2016 at 9:43 AM

As someone in the Cheese in the Trap 12 recap thread said - I can't believe this is making me more nervous than Signal, and Signal is supposed to be the thriller/murder-mystery here!

But then, Cheese wouldn't be Cheese if it wasn't making you nervous at least once an episode. And it does well when it remembers that - which is why the excessive focus and In-ho love triangle annoys so many people, because it's like sticking a garden-variety fluffy romcom in the middle of Cheese in the Trap, and one is not the other.

Also, I LOVE Baek In-ha, and have really warmed up to the way Lee Sung-kyung is playing her. She may be OTT, but the role needed an actress who was capable of commanding a screen AND willing to commit to the crazy - and she fits the bill perfectly.

One final note - thank you to everyone who recommended me jdramas last week! I'm 7 episodes into Gomen ne Seishun and I love it, wackiness, raunchy humour and all.

February 19, 2016 at 6:59 PM

@Kiara - this is super rushed, but Mother India is actually a remake of an older film called Aurat by the same director, so if you're looking for something similar that might be it.

Mehboob Khan was also a fairly prolific director, so if it was the directing style you like, maybe try one of his other movies, like Aan or Andaz. The leading lady (Nargis) is also pretty iconic in Hindi cinema, so you'll have plenty to check in her filmography, maybe try Awaara (1951)?

If you're checking for old Bollywood in general, maybe try Do Bigha Zameen. It's a great movie, but I warn you - super depressing!

February 19, 2016 at 10:00 AM

Hello everyone! Happy Friday!

I'm getting my weekly dose of Six Flying Dragons and it's so good as usual. I'm just not sure if it's normal to be rooting so fervently for the villain Lee Bang-won and awaiting the death of the great Jung Do-jeon lol. I'm loving every bit of it and sad to reach the final 10 episodes, but some minor flaws: Nameless' inconsistencies, shall not dwell on that; Bang-ji's lack of character development since he received the title of Top Swordsman. Not sure why the scriptwriters would waste such a promising character on mere fighting scenes and standing behind Jung Do-jeon with a pained expression all the time. Shouldn't he be developing his own thoughts about how the revolution is progressing and having more inner conflicts?

Also, I watched the first episode of Signal but as always, I hesitate to pick up a show with dark and heavy content because it's really emotionally draining. Not to say that I don't enjoy it, because it is a well-written and well-directed drama, but heavy subject matter like thrillers really require lots of energy, unlike lighter rom-coms that don't require that much emotional investment. I guess I will continue with it after SFD ends, when I can focus better on it.

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CaroleMcDonnell

February 19, 2016 at 10:06 AM

I'm thinking the writers might give us a good Bangji-focussed episode soon. Maybe when he leaves the whole revolution thing behind. Right now he has to deal with losing both his mom and his sister if he continues on this path. Very emotionally messy, these revolutions. I also figure the writers have to do a lot of character-juggling and -- with the annoying exception of Nameless-- they're managing well.

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February 19, 2016 at 11:10 AM

Hello!

Hit by a sudden craving (that's what I'm telling everyone an) I drive to the nearest Korean restaurant (20miles away). They're airing YOF - Answer me show on the screen here. And everyone - including the owner of the restaurant - are glued to the TV. No one's eating. No one's ordering. No one's cooking. LOL. I'm famished. But that's who cares when ooru oppas are on TV, right?

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mom2mp

February 19, 2016 at 11:20 AM

sorry *oori oppas*

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Elle

February 19, 2016 at 11:51 AM

This is making me miss my favorite Korean spot. I moved about four years ago, and I was most gutted about leaving behind the two excellent Korean restaurants in the area.

One time my longing for good Korean got really bad so I made a big deal about needing a day off from the family and drove the three hours to my old city to have lunch at my favorite restaurant. Then I spent the day at my fav mall & fav independent bookstore before stopping back by the restaurant for take out dinner and driving home.

Hello all,

I'm lurking about for suggestions on shows to watch and you all gave me a nice pile ^ _^.

I tried Wu Xin:The Monster Killer as suggested the last time I was here and enjoyed that quite a bit. I liked the dynamics between the OTP and also, the villainess (evil paper dolls, wow!) very much. Thank you.

High End Crush was light n fluffy. Didn't annoy or ruffle any feathers which may not sound like a recommendation but it is if you're in the mood for something like that. The male lead was so...unabashedly imperfect I kept laughing. Idk if I was supposed to though, hur.

Started Jeju Island Gatsby w/ my mom but wandered away after a few eps. She liked it a lot though for the scenery.

The Scholar Who Walks...
Not sure why I started watching it but it was cheesy fun (not in the Cheese in Trap way) until it just stopped being fun. Made it partway through.

CITT: Really enjoyed ep 12. The forum not so much...didn't expect the endless conjectures. A lot of ppl seem convinced Jung and Seol will end up together but I am not so sure. I keep thinking someone is going to die for some odd reason. o.O
I'm both dreading the end (what will I obsess about then?) and wishing it'll come sooner (so I can get it over with).

Haven't there been OTP who haven't ended up together? Can anyone think of any offhand?

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Kween Ramyeon

February 20, 2016 at 1:42 AM

Haha...well basic vocal is quite plentiful for what used to be a complete non-speaker. It's fun as it comes into my head the way a character would have said it! Phonetic spellings are dodgy but here we go:

Ahjumma, Ahjussi, Halmoni, harabuji, Abuji, Omma, Noona, Oppa, Dongsaeng, Yimo, Ar-de, seonsaengnim, sam, yimzhong, chimsim, chimsim maru, hajima, kohjima, Gukjung-haji-maseyo, annyeongseyo, anjaseyo, kamsahamnida, gomawo, gomapta, mian, joesongeh, mianhei, mian-ata, chak-kam-man, chamsimanyo, shille, chogi, hoksi, chin-cha, ara, araso, ara-ta, mong-chun, pap-tong, wenyeol, shi-ro, dae, yippon, namja, yo-ja, meotjin, tuktukhan, mashita, pap, mani mogo, chai, ka, kanda, kreso, kreum, bola, wheyo, oudikaseyo, dor, tangsin, saraenghae, chuwahae, chook, saenghi chukha seyo, kwenchana, chukahaeyo, pigu, charaseyo, sagwa, jigum, bappayo, nappun saeki, museum maryo, kae or kaetol (for In-Ho) saram, hengbok, sunbae, hoobae, kolgi, kimimbap, japjae, sujo, bul, ramyum, kimchi, chaghan, jiitu,

I'm sure there's more if I can recall more scenes...

Funnily, I am going back for higher education later in the year, and there's an option for a free language semester, as well as a module on Korean art - and I'm pretty tempted!

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Hanjae

February 20, 2016 at 1:29 AM

Personally, I don't see that much "romanticizing and excusing" of Jung's behavior - the bulk of the comments from the last episode recap that may be seen as "pro-Jung" are only attempting to argue that he shouldn't be completely demonized or over-simplified as psychopath/sociopath = BAD. None of those comments tried to suggest that Jung is some kind of angel whose conscience is clear, merely that there are two sides to the story, which the writer has repeatedly emphasized, and thus we should wait to see how it all plays out.

The problem, I think, is that so many seem to insist on viewing the CITT characters as black or white when the drama and the manhwa have both gone out of their way to show that it's quite the opposite. Jung is not even portrayed as a romantic leading male in the first place - at no point are we meant to view him as someone who's sweet, kind and perfect, nor is Seol under that mistaken impression either. From the get-go, she sees him for who he is. The point, however, is that she *still* likes him regardless of his problems. There's nothing wrong with that, and the same applies for people who do like Jung - they like him because he's an interesting and layered character who has lots of grey areas, not because they're necessarily romanticizing or excusing his behavior.

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Jon G.

February 20, 2016 at 3:57 AM

Signal

I plan to marathon the whole show once it's over.

CitT

My having dated a narcissistic sociopath for 3 years in college [...] I just keep yelling “Walk away, now!” at Seol.

Very much understandable.

But I have to admit the writer has done a very good job of portraying Jung. The script is a refreshing change for Kdrama, and I hope to see more like it.

I absolutely agree. Even when we ignore the obvious risk of such a character as the lead, the way Jung is written and portrayed impresses me a lot; by K-drama standards, it's almost unmitigated and "unapologetic". I really hope the show can keep this up.

It kind of bothers me that I see so many viewers’ comments romanticizing and excusing Jung’s behavior.

Episode 12 did change that to some point, judging by many comments. The show finally made it pretty clear that Jung is not just another bored misunderstood asshole lead waiting for his salvation by a saintly virgin. Jung really is pretty much a sociopath. And for many former Jung-supporters, that's not what they were in for it.

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36 korini

February 20, 2016 at 2:39 AM

Hello, a bit late. What I watch though I'm a bit of a minority as I see (again)
I have a lover - I continue to love it, one of the best dramas of this year for me and doomed as usual ratings-wise.
CITT - I watch it though I fail to see the controversy and the subcontext and all that. Besides the annoying "bad kids" and the recurrence of stalkers (come on, Korean are blowing this whole issue out of proportion in gerenal), I find it a sweet drama about college kids with good acting. Kim Go-Eun is a breath of fresh air in a stuffy plastic kdrama reality and Park Hae-Jin is doing a fine job, quite unexpectedly for me since I've seen him in practically everything he did and he was always "meh".
Another Happy Ending - I'm saving it for future weeks when all "heavy" begin though not a big fan of Jang Nara. I really don't understand why. It's probably her "child-like" voice. I don't know but I'll give it a try.
In a desperate "quest" to find something similar to "Nirvana", I have seen quite many chinese dramas. Only Battle of Changsha seemed to have the effect. Which is normal, since it's by the same production team. But the truth is not even Nirvana In Fire (I mean the book) is like Nirvana In Fire.
Since I'm always optimistic, after I gave up, I found Go Princess Go, a "wtf" but in a good fun way drama which sticks its tongue to censorship with its all gay cast and plot.
And while waiting for the last episodes of Legend of Qin to be subbed, I watch Chronicle of Life. The Chinese write that the book is silly and the drama is silly, but "Me Like Silly".

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37 gummyseok

February 20, 2016 at 2:07 PM

Sooo anyway notice how well the cast of coin locker girl are doing?

Kim Ga Eun - cheese in the trap which is drawing much attention and analysis here on DB

Park Bo Gum, Go kyung Po - reply 1988 and youths over flowers Africa

Kim Hye Soo - killing it in Signal (my current fav), notably this week's eps 9 & 10

Just thought it was funny how coin locker girl made zero sense but its main actors are on my small screen a lot lately.

Honourable mention to Lee Soo Kyung b/c I really enjoyed Hogu's love.

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gummyseok

February 20, 2016 at 2:08 PM

Go Kyung Pyo*

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38 growingbeautifully

February 21, 2016 at 12:08 AM

Hi All,

Happy Weekend!

Gosh, I'm watching Signal Ep 10, like right now, and I just had to stop for a break!!!

***SPOILER***

So sad and horrifying how children can be treated.

So much trauma, so much that could have been stopped or prevented and have made a difference to the future. Perpetrators are victims too sometimes.

Painful to watch... but soooo good, this show!!! Hurts so good? :D

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growingbeautifully

February 21, 2016 at 12:25 AM

Signal Ep 10

***SPOILER***

LOL, I don't know whether to laugh or to cry, I think I'll laugh. Lee Jae Han is so funny and cute with Cha Soo Hyun. Missing persimmons... caught her expression of mild disbelief, or was that patient acceptance!

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samantha1

February 21, 2016 at 12:28 PM

Lol..I love that scene although I might say that I'll feel disappointed If ever she won't see him again even after all that has happened and will still happen. Please let him live so they can have a happy ending.

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by HeadsNo2

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