Beans of Wisdom: Dream sandwiches and kings for sale

by DB Staff

This week in Beans of Wisdom…
 
A certain PPL stole the scene this week in “The K2: Episode 14.” Cindy writes in comment #1:

My lifelong dream has jus been fulfilled: Seeing Subway-PPL in a dream sequence or even better in a near-death experience. This scene is bursting at the seams with creativity and is the ultimate life savior for any drama, even if the rest of the plot goes down the drain. Now I have seen everything there is to see and can rest in peace! Amen

Miranda:

The thematic association of Subway and death continues.

Adam:

How awesome must it be on the brink of death and to have a clear vision of the cheapest date possible with loads and loads of Subway sandwiches?!
And Cindy, I apologise, but I must disagree. I still have to see an afterlife/ time travelling scene with Subway. Unfortunately Hae Soo missed her chance to open a sandwich shop in Goryeo. I have just realised that this may have saved so many princess from their tragic and pointless death.
It leaves me with one question only. After his vivid vision, if he died, would we count Je Ha as dead with a full or an empty stomach?

While Lord Cobol solves a mystery in comment #5:

The USB probably contains the Subway contract.

windsun33:

And probably full of pizza porn.

kanz

And all the Kumargate deal is because of Subway…

Sera The Ms Temper:

I will die laughing if the content of the USB is actually some nude movies. lmao.

Oh no i don’t want to die.. I should prepare my subway beforehand.

Adam:

Sera, I would die laughing only if the nude movies from the USB are shot in a Subway or contain clear images of Subway sandwiches. Regular porn has just lost it’s impact after the threads above.

Hillary

Unlimited amount of BDSM (bacon dominated subway Mac&cheese)

Emanresu writes an honest analysis of Yoo-jin in comment #9.1:

Finally, this leads into discussion of the flip-side of the coin. Yoo-jin’s (deficient) character and lack of suitability for Je-ha. Notice how her “love” for Je-ha is inwardly focused and ultimately a selfish, possessive affection. Despite knowing Anna’s importance to Je-ha, she initially denies Anna entrance to see Je-ha. She is focuses on her feelings, not his. Further, while Je-ha is incapacitated, she is discussing whether his body was “searched” for signs of the memory card. Yoo-jin never truly allows anything to usurp her quest to attain and maintain her power. She covets it. She is singularly preoccupied with it. All else, including all personal relationships and affections are secondary. Yes, she is concerned for Je-ha’s safety, but it is born more of her selfish need to possess Je-ha rather than from a place of true romantic love. She may truly care for him in her own way, but this affection will forever be tainted by her lust for and coveting of power.

I know many watching are very much taken with Yoo-jin’s character. I am too to some extent. Song Yoon-ah’s tremendous performance has played a major role in that appeal. Yes, her character is intelligent. Yes, she is strong. Yes, she is independent. Yes, she is interesting. Yes, she and Je-ha have chemistry. But exhibiting these attributes does not forgive her other flaws. Where Anna is kind, Yoo-jin is cruel. Where Anna is selfless, Yoo-jin is selfish. Where Anna exhibits true love, Yoo-jin exhibits a possessive, destructive type of affection. Argue all you want that Yoo-jin is a fascinating, interesting, strong, brilliant, powerful woman. I’ll agree with you. But that in of itself does not a prudent match make. Neither does it make a character who I feel comfortable championing. She is a villain. A tragic and fascinating one, to be sure, but a villain nonetheless.

Emanresu also writes to a fellow fan in “The K2: Episode 13” comment #15.1:

As someone who is very much enjoying the show and is an admitted Yoona fan, I can understand your frustration.

It is sometimes infuriating when others trash something you enjoy.

That said, you’ll have to accept that you will not always agree with others’ assessment of a given show (or person). And recognize that they are just as entitled to their disapproval of it as you are entitled to your approval.

As, of course, they are all opinions in the end.

The best advice I can give you is to learn to enjoy the disagreement. It gives you opportunity to argue your case and exposes you to (and allows you to consider) points of view you may not have otherwise considered.
Best of luck!

Sera The Ms Temper shares this awesome video which might give K2 fans some whiplash in comment #4 of “Open Thread #473”:

Madam Choi is so cute though. She proved age is just a number

Meow writes in “On the Way to the Airport: Episode 13” comment #8:

I may be the only one but I was glad Hye Won slapped Su Ah. It’s perfectly in line with her character. The slap was warranted and I could sympathise with Hye Won so I think they did a good job with it.

I also didn’t feel super bad for Su Ah either, I kinda think it was needed. This whole time Do woo and Su Ah have definitely been having an affair, and it’s time they face that fact and feel the repercussions.

Yes Hye Won wasn’t the best wife but that doesn’t warrant her being cheated on and she is allowed to be angry and upset at Su Ah. There are no excuses like it’s fate or destiny or we’re with horrible people to justify cheating.

I’m glad the show is showing how they should feel horrible for cheating and deserve some repercussions instead of just glorifying their fate-like meetings because if it didn’t they would be justifying cheating and that’s just not right in my books.

While in comment #11, lunatic26 shares:

I know Do Woo. He is the man who appeared in my life 25 years ago when I was miserable over my cheating husband and was being demeaned and told I was delusional to believe the father of my child was meeting young female employees after work instead of coming home to us. My personal Doo Woo was also an architect in the office next to mine. He was tall and handsome and wore baggy grey sweaters. He was gentle and intelligent, collected fine wine, loved classical music AND set up his house in the countryside north of San Francisco exactly like Doo Woo’s – even down to fine Asian fabric art and pottery. His name also started with D. We escaped together with my two year old daughter when my husband found letters and threatened to hurt us. Nothing had happened yet but it did later…when I got divorced. It was magical. The parallels to this drama have brought me to tears many many times. It is absolutely uncanny. D and I stayed together for 8 years, 4 of which he was wrestling with his own divorce. We became engaged. My daughter loved him. Then he died from bone cancer. I was by his side. So was his ex-wife and I remain friends with her to this day. I still visit “His” tree in Muir Woods, on the coast north of the Golden Gate Bridge. D was my Doo Woo and this drama has brought tears, joy, laughter and absolute love-filled memories back into my life. This is so so so real. Every moment of it is. I am stunned.

Pebble replies:

Hi @lunatic26, thank you for sharing so candidly with us your real life story. Probably due to my age, and what I’ve seen and experienced in life, when compared to when I was younger, I’ve mellowed quite a lot and have come to be more empathetic of decent people who got themselves into sticky situations and who were cornered and forced to make tough choices due to all sorts of imperfection in life. No matter how much the marriage institution is being upheld in modern societies, we shouldn’t make sweeping judgement based on societal values and what the judicial system dictates. Though we still want to believe that the marriage vow is sacred and inviolable, we shouldn’t jump to conclusions and condemn failed marriages and infidelity without knowing the details. Each has its own set of unique circumstances, and as humans, emotions do play a big part too. When those involved are trapped in misery and distress, it is not a matter of right or wrong, but rather what could be done to alleviate the pain and to give hope, regardless of how inappropriate that might be in the eyes of the society.

And in “On the Way to the Airport: Episode 14” comment #13, Pebble describes Jin-suk’s treatment of his wife Su-ah:

JS has been taking SA for granted for too long, the reason why he married her in the first place is because she is a “low maintenance” clumsy and slow-witted wife who could be easily manipulated and treated like a piece of furniture. He needs SA to be functional, like an arm chair, but not requiring him to acknowledge her presence.

Remember in an earlier episode, when MJ raised the possibility of SA having an affair, he scoffed in contempt and said something like, “Choi Soo-Ah? Impossible” and added, “If she dares, I would humiliate and destroy her publicly.” Never in his wildest imagination would he envisage SA straying, but when the name Suh Doh-Woo repeatedly cropped up around him, his premonition ominously warned him that something was amiss. He went into denial and wanted to dismiss it so badly as he just couldn’t believe something as absurd as Choi Su-Ah having an affair could happen. It is at this point that his subconscious kicked in, he instinctively knew that the possibly of him losing SA is quite real, so he started to view her in a different light. This probably explains why he looked at SA with mixed feelings at the orchard and commented about her being weak and fragile.

This is like, you don’t normally care much about the arm chair in your living room which is comfy for snuggling in, but you hardly use it as you are seldom at home. One day, when someone asks you for it, you’ll start to feel some sentimental attachment to it. But do you love it? Obviously not, it is just a possession.

Of course, depending on how possessive the person is, some will gracefully give it away hoping to have it put to good use by someone who cherishes it, while others will act petty and insist on hoarding it even though he hardly uses that arm chair. He rather have it gather dust than generously give it away to others who would make better use of it. In a way, JS is hoarding SA as shown in how he insisted that SA and HE leave Jeju immediately, and then have them scurried away on a plane to Auckland. But if SA puts up a resistance, then he will not hesitate to have her “humiliated and destroyed” rather than to let her go to DW.

inxomnia talks about the two currently airing shows with the adultery theme in comment #17.1:

It’s interesting to watch the two side by side (kind of) because here you see the perspective of the two unfaithful partners falling for each other and somewhat understanding how and why. Over at MWIHAATW (so tiring just to type the abbreviated version!), you’re cast to the other side and see only from the perspective of the person being betrayed. It just goes to show that humans, relationships, marriages are all so complex and multi-faceted that it’s really hard to judge from an outsider’s POV. It’s really made me question where I stand on the whole issue – I think a big part of me screams that if you’re at the stage in your relationship where you have a desire to cheat and are on the path to act on it, you should probably talk to your partner and potentially end things. However, it’s complicated when children are in the mix… Not to mention, there’s the whole “working on your marriage” and fulfilling your commitment rather than looking for the easy way out.

Anyways, I appreciate both these dramas and their explorations of the issues (though admittedly, I am waiting for both to finish before I watch it because personally they’re not the type of dramas I feel the need to watch live to keep the suspense alive).

Small Birdy adds:

Agreed, the different point of view is interesting but unfortunately just as painful. There is no black and white when it comes to human emotions and their relationships. Most definitely end things properly before moving on. Children are the biggest casualty every time but I think just as many choose to stay as much as those who choose to separate for the sake of the children.

I think with the abolishing of adultery as a crime in S.Korea, there may be more such themes cropping up in the future. There is no delicate way to portray this topic but I’m glad to see that at least they are trying something different.

In “1% of Anything: Episode 9” comment #25, Peach writes:

Considering how much I capital H, HATED Jae In at the beginning of this drama, I’m really surprised that these two are now one of my favorite couples of the week (though I do still feel as if the writer just looked at the episode count and suddenly decided that he didn’t need to be mean anymore, rather than actually showing him evolve into a better person. I can’t buy that hanging around Da Hyun made him a better person either when most of their interactions in those episodes were just them expressing how much they loathed one another).

The skinship between these two is amazing. And I don’t mean in a sexy way (though that’s there…) but in the tenderness that it shows. I feel like a lot of dramas forget that when your attracted to someone it’s not just a visceral thing that results solely in making-out or sex. You wanna kiss their cheeks and hold their hand and touch their face (omg, there is sooo much face touching b/w these two, I love it) and just generally be affectionate with one another as well. And I feel like it’s the normalcy in which these gestures are presented that make them so heart-fluttery. Rather than the drama telling us “OMG, THEY’RE HOLDING HANDS. A BACKHUG? HOLY CRAP!”

They’re not presented as the pinnacle of romance, but as something that just happens when you really like someone. I’m not sure if I’m making sense anymore but I was surprised by how struck I was by this when it sounds so simple on paper.

Imbuk reacts to HeadsNo2’s comment in “1% of Anything: Episode 11” comment #7:

Loved the way da hyun dealt with jae in’s ex-fiance, it was super refreshing to watch!
I just want to hit this girl with a rolled-up newspaper.
Ha ha.. Me too, Heads! ?

Quinze:

lol that’s the visual I got too. Less like a mosquito drawing blood more like a fly that keeps circling around your food every two seconds.

Imbuk replies:

Exactly! She is so annoying, but for once I am glad to have a second lead like her because we got to see da hyun dealing with her in a practical, straight forward, no nonsense way.

Sancheezy:

yeah as much as I don’t like her, I like the scene so much
it’s like the scene I’ve been wanting to see from other drama I can’t remember happening out of my guard,

Quinze:

Yup, it’s like the reactions we waiting for every plucky supposedly brave heroine to make and never got. We get to enjoy it now even if it means our second lead wanders around the hotel lobby and DaDa’s BFF’s store all day until she can run into her to remind her how pathetic she supposedly is…<_<

JC

@Quinze “if it means our second elad wanders around the hotel lobby and DaDa’s BFF’s store all day”

This comment made me think of that character in video games who is programmed to hang out at the village pub that you *have* to talk to every time you go in for information on your next mission. She doesn’t tell you any useful information but you can’t complete the mission unless you interact with her.

Chandler writes in comment #1.2.2.1.8 of “Jealousy Incarnate: Episode 22”:

I love how they’ve been using the weather, both for the added hilarity & dramatic symbolism. Like how each lead represents a different aspect of it: Na-ri= Sun, Hwa-shin= Lightening & Jung-won= Rain. You can tell because their respective aliens each have a symbol signifying it. Each of their aliens control a part of the weather so when Nari kissed Jung-won’s cheek in episode 17, it thundered, lol. And when she kissed Hwa-shin’s, it started to rain.

But then they take that symbolism and use it subtly in more serious moments too. When Hwa-shin and Na-ri kissed in episode 14 with the rain outside, it conveyed how their bonds with Jung-won still remained & weighed down on the moment they shared, but also showed how separated they were from those concerns and thoughts in the shelter of that locker room. I love that shot of them through the window, with the rain still beating outside.

While suegarbaby talks about Hwa-shin in #11.1.5.1:

I would just like to add that the show doesn’t make excuses for Hwa Shin, has from the start given us a character that has unlikeable traits – his brusqueness, as you’ve observed, his bluntness, his bordering-on-arrogant self-confidence, his fiery temper, his lack of diplomacy, etc. In typical human fashion of judging by first appearances, I’m sure most of us can attest that Hwa Shin was not a favourite at the start of the show.

But I like how the show has taken pains to slowly show us viewers an insight to Hwa Shin’s motives and character. We can see that some of his actions have selfless and loving motives behind them e.g. his brother’s beef scandal. And he clearly was upset and disturbed about its fallout, even though he knew it was not going to be pretty. His self-exile to Thailand was a way of making atonement, an act of self-flagellation.

He was clearly torn up and in grief at his brother’s passing, and he did try to be a good uncle to Ppal Gang – concerned over her well-being, protective of her, and wanting to stay close by to watch over her.

Even with Na Ri, before they started dating, he was a protective sunbae (him blowing up at Jong Gi in Thailand over letting Na Ri break the news that there was not enough staff budget; him scolding a nameless SBC customer for complaining about Na Ri’s weather report, him defending Na Ri’s position as weather caster when she showed up smelling of alcohol and wearing inappropriate clothes to do the broadcast, etc).

Even with Hye Won, he was professional, made good critiques of her work instead of buttering her up because she had a powerful father, did not try to lead her on even though he knew that she liked him.

Sure, following the breast cancer discovery and from discovering a capacity for love and commitment he never realised he had, Hwa Shin has changed. But he still retains a lot of the characteristics that can be a little unpalatable to us, and I personally like how the drama retains those parts of him, that the drama refuses to completely white-wash Hwa Shin into a completely different character which we no longer recognise but can like.

I think this is quite representative of real life. We will, in the course of our life, meet with people who are like Hwa Shin, whose personality and character traits rub us up the wrong way. But it is good to remember that behind that rough, unlikeable facade, there may be more to the person than meets the eye.

And shares this gem in comment #42:

Some kind soul did a compilation video of Lee Hwa Shin’s dance’s moves on Jealousy Incarnate. It made my day so thought I’d share it here, if you have not already seen it!

Moment writes in comment #2 of “Jeon Ji-hyun becomes human in Legend of the Blue Sea”:

I’m with you, javabeans. Can’t wait for the stills to stop and the show to start already!

On a side note, the plot summary from AsianWiki got me laughing. Looks like they’re waiting to see the show already too :

“The last mermaid on Earth meets a genius swindler.

The mermaid tries to adjust life on land.”

Peach:

Drama summaries are either 5 paragraphs long or 7 words total. There is no in between.

earthna talks about a big connection in “Meet the con man trifecta of Legend of the Blue Sea” comment #1:

ASDFJKLKKJHGDFSFGHGHKJKJHFHD I’m so glad to see Shin standing on his feet and not lying on a hospital bed! \O/

niniko:

soo, was he waiting for Gong Yoo to return?

Coma brothers reunite (…on rival stations)!
 

And in comment #7, MistyIsles writes:

The Kdrama virus is real, and it spreads crazy fast. Now that I’ve been to both Japan and China (but not Korea yet), people get so confused when I tell them I’m into Korean TV and music — and they get even more confused when my reason why starts with “Well, my college roommate had a high school friend who had a college roommate who was Korean…” Now I’ve given it to my sister, who is passing it on to her roommates…

Also, like Rue, it’s given me a much deeper connection with said sister. We’ve always been close, but since I live on the other side of the world, I don’t have a lot of close contact with many people back home. But she and I rarely go more than a day or two without at least exchanging Facebook messages — sometimes for no other purpose than to say, “Have you watched the latest episode of [insert show] yet??” That might make it sound like our relationship is really shallow (if we mostly talk about TV shows and music) but actually it’s not, because the conversations always turn to deeper questions and issues raised by the shows, or why they move us so deeply. The stories we enjoy shape who we are as people, and when you go through that process together with another person, it really does bring you closer together and give you a much better understanding of each other. I can say with absolute confidence that no one in the world knows me better than she does, and part of that is because she knows which stories and characters have spoken most powerfully to me.

Grasya reacts to this week’s “Name That Drama: Traffic disruption, fancy hair chopsticks, and bananas.” In comment #3, she writes:

I’m not really good at remembering the shows I’ve watched, and I’m not even sure if I know any drama from these, the only thing I’m sure of is this is “Name That Drama: Hard Edition”.

blank

OMG, yes! Like a big puzzle of sky picture and all you have is one blue bit, and it’s not even a corner piece!

In comment #20 of “This Week, My Wife Will Have an Affair: Episode 4,” yamayo88 writes:

Like most people have pointed out, the lack of communication between Hyun Woo and Soo Yeon is likely to be the key factor for their failed relationship. It was quite frustrating to see her keeping quiet and holding everything in. I was like ‘why can’t you just tell him how you feel?!’ However, after watching this episode, I realised that I have forgotten about the ‘listener’, who plays an equally important role in a conversation. The first two instances when Soo Yeon tried to talk to him, he just said some harsh words and refused to listen. (His reaction is understandable though, the wound was too fresh and he must be hurting like hell.) The third time when he took tuna mayo advice and tried to have a conversation with his wife, it turned out to be more of a interrogation session. It was apparent that he was not interested in hearing his wife out but more interested in getting her to answer his questions, and in the way he wanted. Like you chocolatte, I wonder if Soo Yeon was this quiet all these while or she became like this because her husband had never been interested to hear her out. Although nothing can ever justify an extramarital affair, it will still be good if we can find out more about her and what drove her to cheat.

I also notice the 3 guys’ hypocrisy regarding extramarital affairs. Yoon Ki is such a jerk but Hyun Woo and Jun Young never seem to have any problem with him cheating his wife and even helped him cover up. It is as if it is ok for guys to cheat on their spouse but not the other way round… duhz…

I really enjoy this drama so far. It is so different from the usual k-drama with cringeworthy dialogues and surreal love stories. The solid acting from all the actors also helped. Lee Sun Gyun is definitely a good actor who can make you empathise with his character and his voice is gold. Song Ji Hyo did great too despite the limited screen time and was convincing as the seeming perfect wife who unfortunately, turned out to be a cheater.

fangirl sy writes in “Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim: Episode 1” comment #6:

Seo Hyun Jin’s characters should never get engaged and just elope immediately instead. Every time (ok just ohya and this time) she gets engaged, tragedy occurs for the fiance.

Also, how can I be SHJ for a day? Hot kisses with LJW, Eric and now, YYS?

And pinkfluff99 in comment #21:

Whoa. Kiss scene from Episode 1. And I used to be elated when they held hand at Episode 10.

PakalanaPikake

Or episode 30 if it was a sageuk. ?

licia writes in “Shopping King Louis: Episode 14” comment #10:

This gem of a show has allowed the audience to enjoy the sweet,innocent, random, silly moments of thevcharacters lives. I am truly reminded to do this more with my loved ones, to be sweet to them, be innocent with them, laugh at the seeming random moments of our lives and be silly with them. All of theses things are tiny cures against the daily grind of life and they accumalte to a collection of heartwarming memories that we all have access to. So that we are reminded cherish those around us.

While Arhazivory shares in #14:

This is the first time I’ve heard my mom say these three statements while watching a drama. As it relates to Louie:
‘Where can we get one?’
‘Can’t we do a kidnapping?’
And: ‘I want to go back to episode 1 and watch it over again when it’s done.’

I agree with her…well, kidnapping may be extreme.

KDramaWatcher2609:

I like to order one cute Louis online too. Where can I get it done ??

waterfairy:

If you are still interested I found the address

Web address:
http://www.shoppingwanglouis.com
Auction Time:
will be announced soon
Starting bid:
1 000 000 $

Don’t forget “The Winner Takes it All” !!!

Many thanks to the beanies who make the beanut gallery a great place for sharing each others thoughts and opinions.

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