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Lee Young Jae (played by Bi Rain) was teaching Han Ji Eun (played by Song hye ko) how to ride a bicycle but she kept making mistakes and Young Jae, being extremely impatient, hurled some abuses at her, calling her "a chicken head", "stupid" and "slow" enough to not succeed at first go. Ji Eun breaks into tears at this point and says, "What is so important about knowing how to ride a bike, that you are calling me bird brain and all?" This made me realize how most couples overlook this significant detail all the time. The point that we miss, is that it is the person who is over and above the activity. The activity is just there as an excuse to get more involved, to spend time together doing something which interests both. No matter how competitive one is, love is all about winning together, turning cheerleaders for each other. If one can not shed off this overweening attitude, is he even in love?

Kdrama : Full House

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Anna marks Bae Suzy's most anticipated comeback. From the trailer, I could gather that Suzy's character was going to be intriguing and this is something she hasn't done before. My favourite performance of Suzy till date is in While You were Sleeping, where she plays a fearless journalist with some psychic abilities.

       In "Anna", certain things didn't make sense at all. We were kept in the dark about the purpose of the British couple who appeared at the very beginning. The woman recognised Yumi's potential and even taught her some English and gave her piano lessons, and at the hour of departure, she gave Yumi a piece of advice, that her face should never reflect her inner thoughts and emotions. I expected that woman to return as a saviour but she didn't.

    Yumi's life has been falling apart all this while but no one came to her help and she managed just fine, though her methods were fraudulent.

"When I make up my mind to do something, I do it no matter what. I’ve always been like this." I think the opening dialogue which is repeated in every single episode is a character defining statement for Yumi, that she is extremely resolute and determined. Nothing can sway her from her goal.

    Yumi has always been considered to be academically bright but she kept failing the SATs and couldn't enter into university. But she couldn't disappoint her parents and so she kept lying to them.This created the web of lies which ultimately led Yumi to where she currently is. But it took away more than it gave her. This series keeps reminding me of Parasite, though "Anna" falls short of creating a masterpiece in several aspects.

    When Yumi took up the job of serving an affluent family, she despised the ways of the filthy rich. Ironically, when she rose to a somewhat similar social rank, she realised that even the rich have to keep up appearances and that exhausted her to the core. Things take a turn for the worse when she runs into Lee Hyun joo, who she served as a personal assistant at her former work place. It is absurd that she greets Yumi but doesn't charge her for stealing her jewellery, money, passport and certificates. Was she so rich that she simply didn't care? It can't be, because in a scene, Yumi learns that their family has been reduced to great straits. Also, when she finds that Yumi has appropriated her name and is living her life, she threatens to file a lawsuit against her if she didn't compensate her with a certain amount of money. It takes her an absurdly long time to realise how she she has been duped.

     The show deals with the theme of how sometimes, society ends up creating monsters because the law fails to do justice to all its citizens. This isn't something new, but Suzy's acting is commendable as someone pushed to a corner, utterly helpless. Even when she wants to come clean, the law doesn't back her and she is left with no choice but to take the law into her hands and kill her husband, a vile murderer. Although it claims to feature the protagonist as suffering from 'Ripley Syndrome', it isn't made apparent anywhere.

          When Yumi says, "People…They even lie in their private diaries," it sends chills down our spine because we wonder what values Yumi has ultimately retained and what she has given up.

Kdrama : Anna

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My reaction every time I check Dramacool for new episodes but I find none 🙃

HAN JI HYUN as DO HAE YI CHEER UP (2022)

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Tune in for love is the materialisation of the budding friendship that Tae Hee oppa and Ji Eun Tak shared in Goblin. It doesn't end here, the movie also incorporates the idea of communicating feelings to someone far away through the radio broadcasting station, like in Goblin. Within its runtime of 2 hours and 2 minutes, it manages to achieve the old school feel of love but the part in which it excels is showing how peer pressure and guilt can be stifling and explores flawed friendships. Hyeon u, played by Jung Hae In vows to lead a decent life after coming out of the juvenile detention center. However, his so called friends make sure that life is utterly miserable and he can never come out of that despair. Hyeon u was held responsible for the death of his friend, Jeong Hyeop while playing football on the school terrace. We never get to see clearly whether Hyeon u actually pushes Jeong hyeop over the edge in the flashback scenes, but popular vote goes against him and that marks the end of him ever having a normal life. Once out, he goes to Misu Bakery and applies for the part time job available and meets Kim Mi Su, played by Kim Go Eun, there. Only when things seem to have gained stability in his life, his gang of friends show up and use every opportunity to bring him down. They bring up his shady past, how he couldn't have come out of prison so early, had it not been for his friend, Tae sseong.

     Chance plays a vital role in their romance, as they keep drifting away and cross paths again, as if the two were destined to be. However, Hyeon u's attempts to keep his past a secret, upsets Misu and an emotional breakdown follows when she decides to confront him for the same. She walks out of the relationship and that is where you'd think the story ends but it doesn't. They meet again, this time, they as matured individuals, who have found a strong footing in life, overcome their fears and insecurities and are finally ready to resume where they have left.

I'd give it a solid 4/5

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The hawwt mysterious guy who stole our hearts 💕

Choi Do-il | How to Write a Mysterious Character

There may have been criticism concerning the writing in the 2022 Korean version of Little Women, most of which was justified (honestly, the use of the Vietnam War to the plot wasn’t necessary and caused more issues than it served anything). However, it’s worth discussing one area where the writing did stand out as done exceptionally well. That is the mysterious character Choi Do-il.

Do-il manages to avoid a lot of the pitfalls that can often show up when writing mysterious, shadowy characters. Unlike a lot of his predecessors, Do-il’s mystery isn’t rooted in bad morals or a corruption of values, but instead a lack of communication. He may not always tell the main characters what he’s up to, which naturally causes them to worry, but that mystery isn’t rooted in anything that sours his character.

Unlike other mysterious, sultry characters that use their mystery to hide the abuse they give to other people, Do-il only ever uses violence when he’s protecting somebody else or in a manner of self defense.

Even more than this, we see him go out of his way to distance himself from his father, who has a history of violence and tries to entice Do-il to follow in his footsteps. A more amateur writer might show Do-il wrestling with this or being tempted by it in order to add to the more shadowy tones of the character, but instead Do-il immediately refuses the idea and puts a stop to his father’s nefarious plans.

Do-il also avoids the trap many characters of his nature fall into and that is treating women disrespectfully.

More often than not, a character like his would swagger around expecting all women to fall at his feet. But instead we only see him treat the women around him with the upmost respect. Particularly with In-joo, he goes out of his way to look for ways he can serve her and never expects anything in return. Instead of him trying to seduce her for his own selfish gain or talking down to her like her intelligence is unwanted, he highlights her strengths and weaknesses and uses them as a way to defeat their enemies while also distancing himself from her in order to keep her protected. He also takes the time to listen to any concern she may have, even when time is money and any precious minute costs them millions of won. When he has a piece of critical evidence that might help his family, he chooses to give it to In-kyung because he trusts her work and values her opinion. He never talks down to In-hye or Hyo-rin and respects their positions when most people write them off as ignorant children. Even his disdain of the main antagonist Sang-ah acknowledges her skill as an actress and a manipulator.

While most mysterious characters are often synonymous with being cold or distant, Do-il surprises as being extremely warm-hearted.

His use of physical touch towards In-joo is always contained in the boundaries of respect and comfort, and serves to show how caring and compassionate he really is. When In-joo is crying and looks to him for help, he puts a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. When she is sick on the floor, he rests her head in his lap so he can care for her. When he has something important he wants to tell her, he reaches out to her to station her as his equal while giving that information. Unlike other shadowy figures, his physical touch isn’t rooted in a selfish desire to get something from In-joo or to simply please himself, but instead it’s to offer something without any expectation in return.

Do-il manages to maintain all the charm and lure of a mysterious character, with the quizzical stares and the wonder of what he may be up to in the shadows, but every time the curtain is pulled back and the truth is revealed, his character stands apart by be honorable and good. He truly is the best of both worlds - managing to keep in tact all the fun and mystery that makes so many people fall for the villains, while having all the care, respect, and safety of any favorable hero, and that's what makes him such a good character.

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I know he isn't the most trustworthy fellow out there, but look at his soft gaze towards In joo. I am rooting for them.

I’ve been risking my life, galloping on a horse. And I still believe that my horse can jump over the fence. Call me.

LITTLE WOMEN 작은 아씨들 (2022) Episode 7 & 8

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LO AND BEHOLD THE REAL TOP K-DRAMAS OF 2022

I decided to make a poll on the best kdramas this year and gather the opinions of the sexiest people on the internet; Tumblrinas.

vote for 5 of your top dramas

to prevent spam/bot voting (like on twitter) i have limited the votes to one google account, so you must be logged in to vote

the poll will be open for a week, it closes on 24/09 10:00 am CET and the results will be announced the next day

please reblog to spread the post

have fun!

you can vote here!

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Pinocchio was a gripping ride and proved once again that Lee Jong Suk is made for revenge dramas. Can't deny the fact that the side characters outshined the male and female leads. The redemption arc of Song Cha Ok was sooo satisfying to watch. Ki Jae Myeong was an equally interesting character to decode and showed how people aren't always necessarily black and white. Seo Beom Jo, however, remains my favourite as a modern day retelling of Prince Charming 💕 He has to deal with major upheavals in his life but he only emerges from that turbulence to be an even kinder and understanding version of himself. Dal Po's share of misfortunes was quite overwhelming and only made me sigh but Choi In Ha's crying made me literally want to break my television screen. Interestingly, if you trace the growth of Lee Yu-bi's acting career who plays Yoon yoo rae here, you will find that she keeps taking on similar roles, be it in Innocent Man, Pinocchio or Yumi's cells, and that might feel a bit monotonous.

K drama : Pinocchio

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The relationship between Yu Babi and Kim Yumi is literally the definition of perfection. But something seems a little off to me. I am anticipating some major hurdles in their way, because their relationship has been smooth sailing for quite some time. It's like the calm before the storm. I also feel that there is something missing in their love. The magic, to be precise. Well, I haven't watched the first season, so I can't say if I would have shipped Yumi with Gu Woong better. The only flaw in Babi that I have noticed is that he is over friendly with all women and this can give rise to insecurities in Yumi, as episode 6 hinted at. I still have a feeling that Yumi is only attracted to Babi's kindness and doesn't really love him. Yumi never saw Babi in a romantic light. In fact, Yumi does admit that if Babi hadn't come to her life like a ray of sunshine just two weeks after her break up with Woong, she would never even have thought of him as a potential partner.

Those who have read the webtoon are probably aware that there will be a third man in Yumi's life who will hold her hand forever. So, if the directors and screenwriter don't deviate too much from the original storyline, this season will end with Yumi breaking up with Babi and there will be a third season.

K drama : Yumi's cells season 2

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This scene holds a special place in my heart. Here, Seo eun gi ( played by Moon chae won) has fallen asleep waiting for her boyfriend, Kang ma ru (played by Song joong  ki). Ma ru was supposed to be there by early afternoon but something comes up and the promise of a date skips his mind. By the time he reaches there, it is almost night time. He is surprised and also a little touched by Eun gi's naivete. On slightly touching her face, she wakes up with a smile and not a frown. She doesn't argue or complain as if she had been waiting with the certainty that her lover will come, no matter what. Ma ru grows worried with concern because in her, he can almost see a reflection of his younger self, the one who was foolishly in love with someone who broke his heart as well as his conviction that love can conquer everything, the one who was innocent enough to sacrifice everything for the one he loved. Love took away a lot from Ma ru , reducing him to be a shadow of his former self, while on the other hand, love brought solace and comfort to an affection- starved Eun gi. The sad beauty of this scene lies in the fact that just like Eun gi has been waiting for Ma ru, Ma ru too has been waiting to be proven wrong that his first love wasn't a wrong choice, to be given a proper explanation as to why he had to suffer the way he did for loving unconditionally.

K drama : Innocent Man / Nice Guy