Beans of Wisdom: Now with more fishy titles

by DB Staff

This week in Beans of Wisdom…

elvira asks in comment #31 of “Love in the time of immortality in the Goblin”:

Okay, the official English title officially confuses me; he’s a god now?
*thinking of converting now that Gong Yoo is the god.

houstontwin shares an observation in “1% of Anything: Episode 14” comment #13:

I am enjoying this much more than the original series which I recall having lots of boring family conversations while peeling fruit (am I conflating 1% with someother dramas?).

Peppa:

I agree.. That makjang scene of peeling fruits in every family daily dramas. Plus, making kimchi or other side dishes! While it provides a somewhat realistic scene, it becomes so overused.

bbstl:

Yes, Original 1% had tons of fruit peeling family discussions! And their dates were allllways over orange juice! I remember thinking, if they don’t switch drinks these two won’t even have stomach linings by the end of this dating contract.

And psakura compliments the angst in comment #21:

Typically, we’d see the leads break up and not explain to each other why or have them break up because one is “protecting” the other. However, in this drama everything felt beautifully done.

Not only do we see both sides’ reasoning – both of them were done logically as well. I couldn’t stop myself from tearing up at how perfect Jae In’s explanation was. It was logical and beautiful – that yes, he did love her and he wants her happy but instead of stopping there, he fully explained himself. His being a chaebol couldn’t make DaDa happy at all – even with the lawyer suggesting that DaDa would stand by his side through it all. I got the, yes, she would and I know that, but why would I want that for her? When I cannot be by her side throughout her pains with me? It seemed such a beautiful logical sacrifice that I couldn’t help but tear up and think to myself – MANSE. This is how “I love her but…” explanations should be done. Not the crappy “I love her but I’ll hurt her because I’m not good enough” we usually see in so many dramas now.

Mermaid Scribbler:

Once again, ditto x infinity.

It was so well thought out. You can’t defy the logic of “I love you, but being with you will really hurt you in the long run – for reals.”

If he loves Dada, and he does, he can’t do that to her. It’s also great how Dada doesn’t know those reasons, so when he is scrambling and uber busy being the new head of the company (because Dada won’t know that Gramps is still sick because it’s a secret that he is still so ill), it’ll feed into all of her thoughts that her world really was to different for him and that she was too normal and ordinary to be a part of it.

Ack! That is so perfectly played by the writer. It’s like one of those antique tin balance toys. Jae-it’s practical wish to keep her life carefree and simple like it is now and her view that she is so simple and normal that she doesn’t fit into his world are so perfectly placed – like the two of them are just teetering there on opposite sides of the same idea.

Love this writer.

bubbles asks in comment #31:

Is it only me or suddenly JI is looking too hot to handle in this episode??

Be it be the side swept hair or sharp suits, both making him look heavenly . The first suit he wore after taking over the SH group and also the brown suit were swoon worthy…

ET replies:

No. it’s not just you.

I think the show is doing it on purpose, LOL. Gaaaawwdd…it just makes the breakup worse and sadder, right?

bubbles:

I dont know whether to cry in the episode over the breakup or stare at his handsome yet sad face. Just heartbreaking…

Satsuki92 answers:

Do both, that’s the only way to get through this.

drivebyknitting suggests in comment #3 of “Rising film stars Ryu Joon-yeol and Kim Tae-ri up for Little Forest”:

Can we make 2017 The Year that Ryu Joon Yeol is in everything? Because my 2016 has sucked and 12 months of Joon Yeol is the first step to making everything all better.

A suggestion which Am runs away with…

Because I also do not wish for him to die of exhaustion, I say we clone him!

It will be like star wars. All the actors in the industry fighting an army of Ryu Junyeol clones to get a lead role.

Now that is a future I would like to see!

In response to last week’s “Beans of Wisdom: Korean lessons and superstitious doctors,” JC writes in comment #11:

I would also agree that I hope they give the lesson that what your heart is matters more that what your appearance is. But I would also add that I hope they remind viewers that there are different types of beauty. One thing that always strike me is the need to conform to a very specific beauty standard. I see physical beauty as something with a lot more options than what appears to be the standard in Korean culture, or at least kdramas. Perhaps it is because I grew up where there is so much variety that was praised as beautiful, I’m not sure. (My friends and I have had the beauty, culture, etc conversation multiple times.) I would not want to her attitude toward not being the petite gymnast be “I may not be beautiful but at least I have a good heart.” No, I want her to be able to have no inferiority issues and be able to say “I am beautiful and I have a beautiful heart.” Because both are true.

Mint25 writes in “This Week, My Wife Will Have an Affair: Episode 7” comment #5:

To be honest, I find it hard not to feel for Soo-yeon. I don’t want to excuse her actions or say that what she did was acceptable but she honestly does seem absolutely exhausted.

I know that Hyun-woo had his own issues with work and whatnot, but while he repeatedly says that he used to help Soo-yeon with the household chores, we don’t really see much of that. And what little he does is blown out of proportion. Like in an earlier episode where he drops off his son at the bus stop, the women coo over him for being such a good father when he honestly just fulfilled a responsibility that ever parent has. Hyun-woo may have used those praises or similar things to inflate his ego, because “unlike other men” he helped around the house. Soo-yeon had to run to pick up Joon-soo after school, had to cook, had to constantly chat and interact with the other mothers. This may be what is expected because “everyone lives this way” but it doesn’t mean it’s right.

I just think that we’re being a little harsh on Soo-yeon without really knowing the full picture because Hyun-woo clearly has his share of faults, and while that doesn’t mean Soo-yeon’s affair is alright, he isn’t really the ideal husband he painted himself to be. And I’m happy that he’s starting to realize that and is perhaps willing to work on his marriage.

anya replies:

I agree that people are being a tad harsh. I think her desire to end their relationship is not that she wants to end it. She can’t find a way to rebuild since she’s so guilt-ridden. What happens when your life finally overwhelms you to the breaking point of having an affair? Not due to a cheating spouse, but perhaps one who neglected as time wore on? It doesn’t justify her actions yet her reason is understandable (though not necessarily relatable). She would have to forgive herself before making it work again with her husband.

Sera The Ms Temper:

She is a symbol of exhausted woman. It is sad to see her actually while being mad at her.

Man is simple-minded, but woman is more complex. Man won’t be able to understand woman unless woman expressing herself, and also the same the other way around.

Both need to work on their marriage, communicating and understanding are the key point to save their relationship. I personally disagree with her decision to end their marriage without trying to do something.

amarawrrr:

The problem with his statement that “Everyone is exhausted” and “Everyone lives that way” is that he is not part of that “everyone” he is making reference to.

Like you said, he feels that he has earned himself the title of a good husband because he has chipped in and helped out with some of the house chores and child rearing, etc. But what he (and a lot of people) don’t realise is there’s a difference between helping out because it’s part of your responsibility to do so and helping out when it is convenient for you to help out.

Because at the end of the day when it is not convenient for either one of them to carry out their responsibility as parents, Soo Yeon is the one obliged to fetch their child amidst busy schedule, or hold up her work to go back and cook for the family or do the laundry and put their child to bed despite the exhaustion and the pending workload.

And the saddest part of all of this is the fact that she (and scarily many people) believes she doesn’t really have the right to complain because all this is essentially what a Mom/wife is supposed to do anyways. You getting a “good husband” who “helps out” is a privilege you need to thank your lucky stars for getting.

So is it that surprising that she is so obtuse and reluctant to explain herself when she feels like her excuse for her affair is simply invalid?

Lc:

Totally agree with you about hyun woo. He may say that his life and challenges are hard for him, but it’s on a totally different level compared to soo yeon’s. His problems are related to physical and mental fatigue from having to hold a job and helping around the house. But these are also problems for all soo yeon, who on top of that the responsibility of managing their son’s education and emotional well being falls solely on her shoulders. Otherwise why is she the one who has to suck up to the other mothers for her son’s benefit?

The divide is already pronounced when hyun woo in last episode had the gall to tell his wife that her being pushed aroundby the other mothers was due to her wanting to look superior to non working mothers, and that it’s ALL her fault her son is being excluded socially. Come on, this is the sort of thing only an insensitive husband or one who’s deluded about his level of involvement would say. A really involved husband would work out a solution with his wife instead of just pointing fingers at her when he sees a problem.

Sorry if I come across as ranting, because hyun woo’s speech last episode hit a nerve with me because I heard one in a similar vein years ago from my dad to my mum. Lucky for her my mum had a comeback which shut up my dad for good. But soo yeon has yet to learn it, poor thing.

vas140030:

I agree on how Soo Yeon has to do more than Hyun Woo does because that’s how a mother’s “supposed” to behave and agree that that can and does completely exhaust her but I will never understand how she didn’t say anything to him. Her expectation that he’ll just know is pretty ridiculous because how can he just know? It just doesn’t make sense to me that her next choice of action was to cheat instead of telling him what was wrong especially since we saw him ask her if she was upset/angry in the first ep after he couldn’t pick up the kid and she just smiled and said everything was okay. That’s why I can’t really feel sympathetic to her.

AsianDrama16:

Agree with you. Hyunwoo is apparently the sympathetic character, but, in fact, he comes across as arrogant and shallow. As you’ve both said, Sooyeon is actually the victim in a society with a double standard that severely penalizes women for wanting both a career and a family. Her husband, who should be the most supportive, is simply an extension of society’s expectations. When she meets a man who seems to appreciate her, he becomes her sanctuary, and she falls for him. The dramatic irony, which makes this story somewhat interesting, is the fact that Sooyeon, too, doesn’t fully understand her motives and feels guilty. The real culprit in this drama, by extension, is the audience, who are part of a society that has no sympathy for women.

Kasumi writes in comment #22:

This is a great show. The characters portrayed in the drama are very realistic. I find myself comparing the comments for this show and the comments on “on the way to the airport.” I find soo-yeon and su-ah to be similar characters. Both at working moms struggling to balance work and personal lives. Both have insensitive husbands (although su-ah’s husband is in a different category). Both are stoic and have trouble recognizing that they are stretching themselves thin. Both have trouble communicating with their husbands and finally both have an affair with a married man. While in OTTWTTA the show/writer shows su-ah’s perspective and we see her journey, in TWMWWHAA we see the husband’s perspective. This key change seems to make a lot of difference. While most commenters were sympathetic to su-ah’s infidelity most commenters view soo-yeon’s infidelity harshly. Unlike su-ah’s relationship with do-woo, we don’t get to see soo-yeon’s relationship as a “soulmate romance”. We didn’t get to see grand romantic gestures or emotionally wrenching moments (here’s looking at Annie’s death) in how soo-yeon’s affair with sun-woo happened. We got a simple text. I also find the concept of “it might be justifiable to cheat if you spouse is an abuser/cheater” interesting. Su-ah’s infidelity is viewed postively (even encouraged) because her husband is horrible and the man she cheated with had a horrible wife, while soo-yeon’s infidelity is considered terrible because her husband was generally nice to her and sun-woo’s wife is not portrayed as a witch. Sun-woo’s wife makes the statement “it’s a romance if it happens to me but an affair if it happens to others”. While the audience is forced to identify with su-ah by showing her perspective in OTTWTTA, here we are outside and see what is happening to soo-yeon and Hyun-woo from the “it’s happening to others” perspective. This is the genius of the show. It shows us how depending upon different perspectives we can come to different conclusions about the same/similar event. The show even hints at it by showing us how the different online TOYCRANE commenters respond to Hyun-woo’s posts and TUNAMAYO’s posts.
I can understand soo-yeon. She just needed a little bit of moral support. I think she stretched herself too thin not because she wanted to be superwoman but because she genuinely wanted to do everything for her husband and child while being a good employee. Hyun-woo took her for granted a lot. To him she was the “pretty and perfect” wife and you can see he took pride in her being able to juggle everything without asking too much from him. Sometimes you just need someone to see you and not you in relation to them.
I don’t know if they will be able to work out their problems. But I’m interested in seeing how it ends. Also, I really hope that Bo-young and Joon-young end up together ?

Time notes in #23:

I like this show in the sense that this feel so real. Real life, real people, real emotion and real possibility. It frustrating because it hit the nerve that this is life. The cheating case does not have to go all drama, clear and loud. It could be quiet, pathetic and grey.

Each family is unique. We all have our own problem, background, culture and personality. Combine each of us with another person who equally unique, we would have the unique family in all the world.

So I think no standard could be used to clearly judge on any family or person. There is no certain solution and time to solve certain family problem.

We could get frustrated and point finger on how they should do. But in the end, we may just need to sit back and see how the show want us to see the solution of this particular case whether we agree or not.

Dorotka basically sums it up in comment #15:

I’m frustrated with both of them. Basically Hyunwoo never listens ans Sooyeon never talks.

While bodybyzaatar writes in #24:

Can I get just applaud the writers for naming the typhoon “Hera”?

As in, the vengeful wife of the god Zeus who goes out of her way to punish her husband’s lovers? *kisses fingers* Perfection.

Here’s to hoping Ara will go full Hera on Yoon-ki’s ass.

In “This Week, My Wife Will Have an Affair: Episode 8,” candiceraine points out this detail in #27:

I have to say, the “freedom night” with the three stooges cracked me up, but it also made me think. There he was, declaring that he will now live the way he wanted to with no responsibilities or wife to think of. And surprise, he did all the things he’s already been doing. Why? Because he IS already living the way he wanted to.

Made me take a second look at Soo Yeon. Like really observe her. And I agree with @Kasumi here that actually, however frustrating their situation is, Soo Yeon is consistent. She’s an introvert. She’s quiet and enduring. But in my opinion, she’s the one constant that’s been holding the family together for years. But her dam broke and now she’s drowning.

I love how this drama shows how easy it is to give advice or provide solutions to marital problems – just communicate. But it’s not that easy isn’t it? It is never easy. And that’s the reality of life.

Yamayo88:

I fully agree with you.

HW enjoying the freedom of doing what he likes and SY stretching herself thin with work and housework just like before. It’s kind of sad to notice how they have been living “separate lives” together.

I chuckled when HW placed his new ‘throphy’ at the shelf like a happy child. Then another thought came to mind – how much time have he spent at the toy crane machine to collect all these plush toys? Compare this
SY who didn’t even time to read a book.

If only they can balance out the load a little with her asking for his help and him giving her a little more support… but it is easier said than done.

Callie writes in “The pretty and fierce guardians of Silla in first teaser for Hwarang” comment #14:

Scarlet Heart: Ryeo….NOW with even CHEAPER wigs!!!

I kid, I kid…but still.

kanz:

Scarlet Heart: Silla

blnmom:

It’s official. I only like Joseon hair.

Moonlight comments on the casting in “A classroom brawl breaks out in mystery drama Solomon’s Perjury” comment #16:

“Jo Jae-hyun plays a former prosecutor who now works as legal counsel for the school foundation.”

Now we know that in an alternative universe after Punch, Lee Tae Joon was released on parole and now has the right to work, as long he doesn’t stay close to the prosecution office.

paramount has a wish in comment #1.3 of “The Man Living in Our House: Episode 10”:

i agree that it seems like dukbong & yeo joo are end game which i also hate. i feel like if you’re going to give an “evil” character a happy ending, it should be one of personal growth & self-realization instead of “hey she found her rich man & got what she wanted!!”
the only consequences for her actions have been her co-workers being rude to her (& they were already like that before she pursued dong jin).

even if someone gets hit with karma for their bad decisions later, we aren’t always there to see it in real life. i want to see sweet justice via dramas!

While in “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-ju: Episode 3” comment #28, the-basketcase shares:

As someone that used to be a competitive rhythmic gymnast, I can totally understand where Shi-ho is coming from. It’s a pretty expensive sport (leotards, equipment, competitions, outside training).

I feel like the reason she might be hitting a brick wall on her training is because she lost focus on how much she loves this sport, and keeps focusing on just winning in order to show her parents that the money they threw into her training was worth it. You can never truly improve or become great at a sport if you don’t enjoy it (speaking from experience!).

That’s why Bok-joo seems to be on the rise – even though her family is poor, they are honest with each other in terms of being OK with sacrificing some aspects of their lives to help her succeed. Her wonderful dad always makes sure that she does not feel like a burden in those cases. Parental support really makes up a giant part of an athletes emotional well being. Just remember that if you even have a child who does sports!

In “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-ju: Episode 4” comment #13, Imbuk writes:

Also, even though shi ho is self centered, I can’t help but feel bad for her. Her circumstances are not really helping her. And I don’t like her coach, why talk about a student’s financial situation before her peer. Shouldn’t she feel empathetic to her student’s situation and help her become better with the given facilities instead of keep telling her off for not going to russia. Exact opposite of our adorable weightlifting coaches.

Peeps:

It’s because Gymnastics Coach doesn’t have enough sugar to power her heart. The last time she felt full… was maybe when she was 5. So she’s being a hungry grouch. Being hungry is a terrible feeling you know.

On the other hand, our weightlifting coaches happily munch on meat to their heart’s content. Despite him having diabetes. (What’s up with that? Diabetes doesn’t mean you can’t eat meat. Exercise more, coach!)

Lessa rants in comment #5 of “Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim: Episode 5”:

President Do is a whole new level of evil! Like Queen Shouldneverhavechildren! I mean, that he can falsify documents to say that it was Teacher Kim who operated on the patient is just…. just… AAAARGHHH. President Do my butt! He should be President Do-some-time-behind-bars! GRRR.

Michykdrama adds:

Hospital politics not getting you down? That’s the reason I usually get fed up of medical dramas- they play up the politics to crazy psycho levels- like how they could get an entire OR of people to agree to blackmail Teacher Kim. Boggles my mind.

To me it’s President Do-not. Do-not collect 200, go immediately to jail; Do-not have kids; Do-not deserve to live! Lol.

bluemoon writes in “Legend of the Blue Sea: Episode 3” comment #2:

The past life story line makes me so sad.

This drama is so breathtakingly beautiful.

Gidget replies:

My thoughts exactly!

*well, except for the present day love story theme song – if Subway had theme songs, they’d show up like that.*

Purple Owl:

Shhh, don’t give them any ideas.

Lessa reacts to Cha Tae-hyun’s cameo in comment #8 of “Legend of the Blue Sea: Episode 4”:

MY SUSHI GIRL

Which started a wave of punny show titles. Like Sam_1’s reply:

MY CITY MERMAID ?

And An’s:

MY LOVE FROM THE SEA

Lord Cobol:

The Mermaid Living in Our House

Purple Owl:

She who holds the pearls must their weight

Klurker:

You Who Came from The Ocean

My Sassy Con Man

Mackerel Taste

Lord Cobol:

Mermaid and the Magistrate
Mermaid in the Trap
Mermaid Family Book
Modern Mermaid
Oh My Mermaid
The Mermaid’s Man

turagot7:

Plus nine mermaids
Mermaid to hearts
Romantic mermaid Shim
Descendants of the blue sea
Let’s fight mermaid
Swimming solo
Scarlet heart: Joseon Sea lovers

Klurker:

And let’s not forget another contender:

– Boys Over Mermaids

Lily left the valley:

Boys over Fishies

kanz:

The Mermaid Who Embraces The Man
To The Beautiful Mermaid
When A Mermaid Loves
Shim Chung, Live By Love
All About My Mermaid
Oh Mermaid Again
One More Happy Mermaid

siesta:

My Sassy Mermaid
Mermaid Hunter
City Mermaid (or Shitty Mermaid lol)
The Mermaid’s (Con)Man

Girl With A Pearl Tear

What have you done, Lessa???
Psst… you can secretly enjoy the rest of the puns in the original thread here.

Thank you for the weekly laughs and insights, beanies!

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