#Drama Korea Age of Youth Season 2
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penguinsnoot · 1 year ago
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East Asian Dramas You Should Watch
1) Put Your Head on My Shoulder {China} (1 season, 24 episodes) [Romance, Comedy, Coming-of-age]
Close to graduating and unsure of her future, Situ Mo ends up living with a genius physics student and finds love along the way. 
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2) A Love So Beautiful {China} (1 season, 23 episodes) [Romance, Comedy, Coming-of-age]
Five friends endure high school life together and become closer at time goes on, with friends and neighbors Xiao Xi and Jiang Chen figuring out their relationship as they grow older. 
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3) My ID is Gangnam Beauty {South Korea} (1 season, 16 episodes) [Romance, Comedy, Coming-of-age, Drama]
Bullied for her looks growing up, Mi-rae decides to get plastic surgery before starting college in the hopes of avoiding ridicule, but instead faces new challenges that wear at her self-esteem. 
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4) My Secret Romance {South Korea} (1 season, 14 episodes) [Romance, Comedy]
Jin-wook and Yoo-mi, two people with drastically different personalities, fall in love amidst a series of misunderstandings and accidents.
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5) Find Yourself {China} (1 season, 41 episodes) [Romance, Comedy]
Fanzing is caught in a love triangle between a young employee and an older executive, leading to tough decisions about love and life. 
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6) Wait, My Youth {China} (1 season, 24 episodes) [Romance, Coming-of-age]
A group of friends experience the ups-and-downs of life together as they face hardships in love and life. 
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7) Moonshine and Valentine {China} (1 season, 25 episodes) [Romance, Comedy, Fantasy, Drama]
An ancient deity helps his soulmate with an ancient curse believe in love.
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8) Alice in Borderland {Japan} (2 seasons, 16 episodes) [Thriller, Drama, Sci-fi]
Arisu finds himself in a desolate Tokyo where he must compete in dangerous games to survive. 
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9) Sweet Home {South Korea} (1 season, 10 episodes) [Drama, Horror]
As humans are turning into dangerous monsters, an apartment complex’s tenants fight to survive together. 
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10) Mr. Heart {South Korea} (1 season, 8 episodes) [Romance]
A pacemaker and marathon runner find themselves falling in love despite a rocky start. 
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tiaradlvin · 8 months ago
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HELLO, MY TWENTIES! 2
Age Of Youth season 2
2017/18+/KOREA DRAMA/14 Episode
RATTING ⭐⭐⭐⭐
DIPERANKAN ;
Han Ye-Ri, Han Seung-Yeon , Park Eun-Bin, Ji-Woo, Choi A-Ra
KREATOR
DIRECTOR : Lee Tae-Gon
WRITER : Park Yeon-Sun
GENRE : Romance, Comedy
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Banyak pemirsa mengaku penasaran dengan para pemeran baru dalam drama itu, Choi Ara dan Ji Woo. Terlepas dari itu, cerita dan konflik yang ditampilkan dalam serial drama Age of Youth memang dianggap sangat relevan dengan para wanita.
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Bercerita tentang lima mahasiswi dengan karakter dan latar belakang yang sangat berbeda satu dengan yang lain. Kelimanya tinggal di sebuah rumah kos bernama Belle Epoque yang terletak tak jauh dari kampusnya.
Yoon jin-myung yang baru kembali dan Kang Yi-na yang harus pergi dari Belle Epoque untuk perjalanan dinasnya di beda Kota. Jung ye-eun yang menjadi trauma karna tragedi dengan mantan pacarnya, lalu Jo eun adalah mahasiswa beda kampus dan teman kos yang baru saja mengisi kamar kosongnya kang Yi-na. Jo eun memiliki motif mencari siapa pemilik surat Kuning yang dia temukan di toko buku. Bagaimana kelanjutan ceritanya? Siapakah pemilik surat kuning itu?
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absolutebl · 2 years ago
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BL Coming in August
Here’s what’s starting this month. Which ones are you excited about? My top picks for me as The Eclipse and About Youth, let’s see how wrong I am. 
THAILAND 
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War of Y
From COPY A BANGKOK (trailer)
20 eps (holy fucktard, 20 episodes of Cheewin’s nonsense), starts Aug 2 on AisPlay premium 
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On Cloud Nine
Country setting, atmospheric LTR flavored BL with themes of self acceptance from MindTrio (trailer).
6 eps, starts Aug 6 on Mind Trio’s YT channel
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21 Days Theory
Friends to lovers, self acceptance, secret crush, high school set from Rookie Thailand (trailer). Looks high angst, messy, cheating, secret crush stars Bever (En of Love: TOSSARA, En of Love: Love Mechanics, The Best Story and Love Mechanics) and Tee Khunakorn (The Cupid Coach).
8 eps, starts Aug 7 on Rookie Thailand’s YT channel (I think) 
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The Eclipse
An enemies to lovers high school set, paladin bab boy pairing from GMMTV. This is right in their wheelhouse and was my most anticipated from GMMTV’s 2022 line up. Tropes include: sinister boarding school, haze the one you love, suspense & horror elements looks great, dark (but in a way Thailand can handle), kind of Blacklist-ish meets Great Men Academy. GMMTV excels at this kind of content. Stars First (The Shipper, Not Me) & Khaotung (Tonhon Chonlatee) side dish pair from FUTS NeoLouis. I actually really like this lead pair and I think they can handle the content. trailer
12 eps, starts Aug 12 on GMMTV’s Youtube channel  
* I’m gonna point out an important thing. I find it notable that Khaotung as the aggressor/bad boy (for a change) in this GMMTV offering has his natural skin tone (aka darker) as opposed to when he’s playing a super uke role (see Tonhon Chonlatee). Now there could be mitigating factors (like the makeup people got better at matching base tones, or they were shooting outside a lot), but still Thailand’s propensity for associating negative/evil/poor/crazy characters with darker skin tones is so painful and so insidious I want everyone to notice this, especially when we see it being carried out on THE SAME actor by THE SAME production team. 
And yes, Korea does this too.
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My Only 12%
Friends to lovers, high school set, high angst, sunshine/sunshine pairing from Studio Wabi Sabi for iQIyI. (trailer) Neighbors and childhood friends, Cake & Seeiw, who have totally opposite personalities slowly growing apart. This one has the chemistry and the script so fingers crossed it’s not sad. Y-novel adaptation (author Afterday - Bad Buddy) starring SantaEarth (7 Project).
Do we trust Studio Wabi Sabi or director New anymore? Even with SantaEarth (especially with SantaEarth). That is the question.
Aug 12, 15 eps on iQIYI
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180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us
Coming to Gaga (trailer). Doesn’t look like BL: “Can a mother be more understanding of her son’s sensuality? Even if she does, will it be easy for her to accept his relationship with a man twice his age?”
? eps, starts Aug 15 on GaGa 
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Love in the Air 
Enemies to Lovers, high school set from Me Mindy (trailer). Mame’s upcoming adaptation of her novels Love Storm and Love Sky, focuses on 2 couples and their individual storylines. 
10 eps, starts Aug 18 on ?
Ghost Host, Ghost House is supposed to be coming too. 
TAIWAN
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Papa & Daddy 2 AKA Papa and Daddy Season 2
Gaga bringing us the second season (trailer). Starring Melvin Sia (Damian) and Chiu Mu Han (new actor as Jerry). Looks messy. 
6 eps, starts Aug 8 (Taiwan's Father's Day) on GaGa 
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About Youth AKA I Secretly Fell in Love with Student Council President
Enemies to lovers, high school set for CHOCO TV to air on Bilibili (no trailer) from the producers of HIStory 2&3, and Tsai Mi Chieh the director of H1: Stay Away From Me; H2: Crossing the Line; H3: MODC; Love Is Science (we like her). Adapted from the novel Secretly by Huang Si Mi about high school boys with different backgrounds, personalities, and values who compete for student president, but have more attraction than animosity. The drama focuses on two storylines: egocentric elite student Ye Guang who fights in the council elections with a quiet guitarist Xu Qi Zhang, and his friend Ray who after a recent breakup up with his boyfriend meets A Jian.
10 eps, starts Aug 29 on Bilibili 
JAPAN
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Takara and Amagi AKA Takara-kun and Amagi-kun AKA Takara-kun to Amagi-kun
Opposites attract, secret love high school popular/geek pairing from MBS (no trailer). Same studio as Mr Unlucky and Senpai, so expect that style. A popular guy and an outcast boy start dating in secret. Stars Jpop Idols Arata Sato (IMPACTors) as Takara and Nao Oriyama (Shonen Ninja) as Amagi. 
8 eps, starts Aug 18 on ? 
Interesting that there isn’t anything from Korea and nothing new for Viki this month. Although give them a chance, they drop suddenly and later sometimes. 
I don’t always know where to find these and remember your territory and accessibility may be different than mine. But drop a comment if you have more info. 
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wibley-wobley-pixie · 7 years ago
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OH MY GOD WILL SOMEONE PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE SUB THE FIRST TWO EPISODES OF AGE OF YOUTH SEASON 2!!
Or you know, send me a link of a site where it's available...... please. I've been waiting for it for so long
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okeydrama · 3 years ago
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every drama i’ve seen so far pt.3
record of youth
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4/5
so beautiful & aesthetically pleasing
very lighthearted, like a slice of life more than a melodrama
Park Bo Gum <3
both male leads are super cute, I liked how they were both just nice
subverts a lot of traditional drama tropes, it didn’t feel as predictable as other dramas
there was a lot of cute scenes between the leads that made the romance very believable
it was easy to watch until the end, I didn’t really lose interest very often
the leads and most of the side characters were very flushed out in their motivations, dreams and purposes
it’s just so cute
I took a star off because of a few unnecessary scenes, plots and twists but they were not that bad
weightlifting fairy Kim Bok-joo
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5/5
wow wow wow
this is one of the most iconic dramas i’ve ever seen
this is a friends to lovers drama which is not something we see often
the leads have so much chemistry and it makes sense that they dated in real life
the female lead is not traditionally feminine and it is so refreshing
the male lead is also not traditionally masculine and it makes him really likeable
the drama itself is hilarious and has many quotable sayings
the characters in this drama also have really flushed out motivations
the found family is iconic
the pacing of this drama was well done
the love triangle was interesting because you don’t necessarily root for her with the second lead but it is realistic portrayal of a teen girl’s coming of age
i just loved all aspects of this drama
true beauty
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5/5
another one of my FAV dramas of all time
i was very hesitant about this drama because of the premise and not absolutely loving the webtoon but i gave it a chance and i absolutely don’t regret it
the pacing, energy, tone and aesthetics of this drama were not only consistent but were SO incredible
i had heavy second lead syndrome the entire time but unlike usual, i still loved the main lead and was fully invested in both leads scenes with the female lead
besides the main leads, the side characters were just as incredible
the secondary romance with the female lead’s sister was so cute!!! i genuinely watch an entire drama of just their romance
the female lead’s brother’s romance was engaging as well
unexpectedly, i cried because of this drama which, trust me, i never do and it was because of the incredible representation of mother daughter relationships
the message of this drama was misrepresented in my opinion and is much better than its portrayal
my only complaints are that the horror comic aspect of this drama should have been played up and that the bullying and addressing of bullying could have been touched on more or at least better
love alarm S2
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2/5
this was very much a waste of my time
i think i’ve outgrown this story honestly because i was not at all invested in this season
basically, i love that she didn’t end up with the first season’s main lead, i think the person she ended up with was more suited to her and will treat her better
i also liked the maturity of this season compared to the last
the last thing liked was the sweetness of the romance
that being said, this is was mind bogglingly boring to me
the side plots and messages were unnecessary and took up too much airtime
the romance was also unnecessarily drawn out
the tone of this season was completely different than the last and it was a negative change in my opinion
the slow pace, drama and characters were not engaging
this was extremely dramatic and whimsical and it didn’t work for me in this story
yeah... just generally not a fav
reply 1988
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5/5
THIS IS IT THIS IS IT THIS IS IT
i have never ever seen anything like this
this is the perfect show, like absolutely perfect
the depictions of familial, platonic and romantic relationships was PERFECT
the nostalgic vibe of this setting was incredible
the settings, wardrobes, objects and events were so well done
never has a show so perfectly invested me in every single character’s story while having so many characters
when i tell you i watched this entire thing in 2 days despite its length, i am not joking
i could not look away or think about anything else for the entirety of watching it and for a week after
there is an element of mystery with who the female lead ands up with and i was personally VERY happy with the result
another drama that i cried watching MULTIPLE times
the representation of different families, romances and personalities was incredible
there were so many scenes that were placed in that were not related to the plot and that was perfect because it was like we were watching their daily lives and interactions and made the watcher love the characters so much more
it is such a sweet, low stakes watch and such a slice of life story
some of my favorite plots: the father daughter relationship, the single-father son relationship, the single-mother son relationship, the protest storyline, the smart-mean-girl nice-good-boy love story, the moments over time create love, the first crush story, the working-mom son relationship, the found family group, the not knowing what the future holds and SO MANY MORE
reply 1997
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5/5
i obviously had to watch another show in the reply series
i also LOVED this one
this was more focused on just the kids in the families rather than the families as a whole
the romances were so cute in this drama, and there were more romantic scenes compared to 1988, which i loved
the stan culture depiction in this drama was so interesting and fun to watch
i can’t express how much i loved that she was a kpop stan like it was so entertaining
this felt like a really good depiction of high school and how high schoolers are
i loved the vide of this drama too, the high school and concert setting were very immersive and comforting
the main lead’s romance was SO cute and i fully developed a crush on the male lead
it really felt like i was in 1997 Korea and it was so nice
the gay character representation!!!!! like this is HUGE for a kdrama and especially one set in 2012
I LOVED the female lead, she was so cool
the characters’ growths were so good and well done just wow
i will say that 1988 was better because of the elevation of the familial bonds and the general plot connections but the romances of this one were a lot more developed simply because there were so many scenes
they tried to do a mystery ‘who does the female lead end up with�� but it was very predictable compared to in 1988
hands down another favorite of mine
love in the moonlight
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3.5/5
this was a hard one to rate
the romance for me is a 5/5 but the rating went down for a lot of reasons
firstly, i’m a huge fan of sageuk and this drama was a perfect one
Park Bo Gum <3
i think the leads ahead a lot of chemistry
i loved the side characters a lot, and especially the female lead’s friendships with them
the settings and aesthetics were A1
the banter was great
the plot was great and believable
the reason i had to lower my rating comes down to few minor issues that compiled so much that it hindered my enjoyment
the first issue i had is that here were SO many third act conflicts like waaaayy too many
the characters got together way too early so you can tell the writers created a bunch of issues to keep them apart and it could have been avoided if they hadn’t done that
the plot started imposing too much on the main storyline towards the end and i didn’t love that
the second lead was good compared to how they’re usually written so it was extremely bothersome that the love triangle wasn’t made believable, not once did i believe the female lead had any romantic feelings toward him
just generally the individual aspects of this drama were very good but when combined it was all over the place and not cohesive
anyway that’s the update, if anyone has any recommendations for me, please let me know. thanks for reading!
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yongiefilms · 4 years ago
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FILM | Together Alone
BASED ON | The NCT secret santa collaboration feature done by bumblebeenct and lucaswithnoshirt studios over @neoculturechristmas�� headquarters 
DEDICATED TO | My own precious secret santa, @sly-merlin​! This one is for you my love. I hope I did you justice for the type of fic you requested and I hope you like it! By the way I apologize for getting your present to you late.
STARRING | Huang Renjun and Female Reader
FEATURING | Lee Donghyuck 
GENRE | Romance, Drama, Angst, Fluff, Business centred, and Holiday centred
RATING | PG-13
WARNINGS | Thematic elements, suggestive references and implications, crude humor, language, mentions of death, a deceased parent, drinking, alcohol, and other adult themes
PLOT | Everyone knew him. The heir to the multimillion dollar company. Next in line to inherit the top pharmaceutical business in all of China and South Korea. For being only 20 years old he was the most accomplished person of his age. Set to become the CEO at age 21 on his birthday, nearly a few months away, there was nothing that could deter him down the road for further success. They say he’s envied by most, yet loved all the same. If only people knew who Huang Renjun really was without his family’s name plastered against the walls of society that gave him fame and fortune. Only one would have the chance to find out the truth of his reality and sometimes when that comes near the end of a year shutting close, not everything can end pleasant like one hoped. OR Happy endings might not exist in this messed up world.
RUNNING TIME | 6.4k
DIRECTOR’S NOTE | Happy Holidays, my loves! This work is in honor of you all and the amazing year you all gave me with your immense love as well as support. I appreciate every single one of you more than you will ever know so I wish happy days among you this season and new year. I love you and please enjoy! Also, shout out to my lovely proofreader, @dvrlingrenjun​, you’re the best.
1, 2, 3 Now Rolling...
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“Fuck them all!” Huang Renjun yells out in frustration, leaning back abruptly in his black cushioned chair, his hands clutching tightly at his dark strands of hair.
The younger boy smirks at him, leaning against the pillar by his office. “Wouldn’t you like that?”
A glare was sent in his direction in retaliation. “Shut up, Donghyuck.”
“Sure, big guy,” he dismisses, the jab made at the older visible with the way his words cut through the air. “Still doesn’t render the fact that you have to go to this event like you always do.”
Renjun groans, his right hand going around his left wrist to play with the gold Cartier bracelet that rested there. A gift given to him when he turned the legal age of eighteen a few years ago. A gift given to him by his father, on behalf of his mother or so it was said. One that was a promise of luxury and achievement if he continued down the path they set out for him. His decision then when he was an adult to decide his fate, but that was only a lie. The bracelet was only a bribe for a materialistic life where he could be well off and if he stepped away then he would be stripped of everything that made him who he was. 
“I know, okay? We do it every year but that still doesn't take away from the fact that I hate it. I hate all of it.”
Perhaps his father was a part of that.
“Well,” Donghyuck drawls, shrugging his shoulders when he lifts his body off the pillar to take long strides in order to reach the other boy. “At least it’s out of town this year so I’m down...I mean free vacation.” He gives a toothy grin, his eyes sparkling of juvenescence and a thrill for adventure, mystery, excitement. At least one of them still had a childlike soul and a more or less normal life while the other was forced to grow up too fast in the spotlight where eyes were scrutinizing his every move before he could even walk.
They called it maturity, but Renjun calls it loss of youth. 
“You’re such a freeloader,” Renjun mutters, his hands stopping from playing with the bracelet to glance up in exasperation.
“Says the boy inheriting an almost billion dollar company without batting an eye,” Donghyuck snorts with an eye roll, picking at his nails that now gained all of his attentiveness.
It was true after all.
Renjun laughs in mockery. “You’re just jealous, so I wouldn’t be talking if I were you.”
Donghyuck sighs loudly for effect. “Cous, I wouldn’t want your life even if I tried. Some horrifying shit.” He shakes his head, obviously disturbed by the notion.
Renjun’s voice becomes small, yet firm. “It isn’t that bad...”
Donghyuck finally stops twiddling with his fingers to give the other the time of day with a look of obvious reluctance. “Uncle is scary, can you blame me?”
“Guess not, that man is my father.”
“Exactly and as much as I would love to continue this conversation,” Donghyuck glances at his crisp navy steel Bulgari watch, seeing the time half past noon. “I got to run, meeting with the boys soon and I just needed to deliver the message before that. Little pit stop if you will.” His hands flair out in a theatrical motion as if he were giving a bow.
“Oh?” Renjun raises an eyebrow, hands reaching out to get started on the stack of papers placed at the edge of his desk by his receptionist before Donghyuck’s surprised arrival. “Say hi to them for me.” He pauses in afterthought, knowing the younger’s antics. “Or not.”
Donghyuck’s boisterous laugh rings. He knew him so well. “Very funny, but oh, wait!” 
The increase in his tone attracts the older’s regard who was beginning to read through the proposal. “Yes?”
“Here,” Donghyuck states, reaching into the back pocket of his chinos to pull out a small black velvet box with gold edging. “An early present of sorts. I assumed you might like it.” He slides the box over on the desk where it is caught in the grasp of delicate hands.
“Proposing are we? You know we are related right?” Renjun smiles snidely, running his fingers over the soft velvet in wonder. It was rare to get a gift from Lee Donghyuck himself and with the right intentions at that. 
“It would be an honor and privilege to marry me, thank you, but no it’s just...open it when I leave. I’m not into that sappy shit as you know. I have a matching one too, but yeah merry early Christmas and New Years.” His easy grin widens as he winks to take backward steps to the exit of the office. Always one for a dramatic flare.
“Matching...we can’t be a couple either, Hyuck,” Renjun says, shaking his head while he puts the box down on his desk in wait.
Donghyuck flips him off and grits out a reply. “Shut up and be grateful for once.”
Turning his head back to his papers, he mutters, “Oh, I am.”
“Anyways, bye you fucker. Don’t drown in work,” Donghyuck lets out once he turns his back.
“Thank you for caring, delivery boy,” Renjun shouts as his cousin finally opens the door to exit after his much longer than anticipated stay.
Donghyuck’s hands still on the silver knob before he can fully push the door. “When don’t I? If you’re gone then that means I would have to inherit the company and as much as I would love the money, the fame, the attention, maybe even the girls...I don’t want that responsibility. You get me?”
Renjun rolls his eyes, spinning the black ballpoint pen between his index and ring finger. “Just say you’re lazy and go.”
“I am going!” Donghyuck exclaims while he turns his head over his shoulder, shooting the boy sitting at the desk that didn’t quite fit him well, another wink. “Bye for real, Junnie!”
The door at last closes and he is gone in a blur of colors.
Renjun mumbles under his breath. “I told you not to call me that.” 
His mother used to call him that and she didn’t have the chance to stay long in this world. Taken too soon is what they say, but maybe she was blessed before everything turned to stone. 
With Donghyuck’s departure, Renjun looks over at the lone box that was gifted to him, perhaps not a gift like the others that held no meaning, for this one was an outlier in the equation. Donghyuck never gave without meaning or gain so it had to be special.
He places his pen down and picks up the box, undoing the clasp that held it close. The box opens to a sight he has gotten used to, yet there was a disparity. In between the cushion of the velvet laid a beautiful silver Chopard ring. The band was simple in design, yet intricate with the signature ice cubes filled with small sparkling diamonds across the entire width. Renjun handles the ring with care once it is taken out of the box to inspect every detail. Not only was the brand engraved in stunning cursive on the inside, but Donghyuck had gotten the ring customized with the word family in the same writing on the opposite side of the inner circle. 
Renjun runs his fingers over the engraving, the words rough under his calloused hands. He hums in thought as he slips the ring on his middle finger, the radiance seeping in from the windows catching the precious metal. “Family...family...I haven’t had one in a long time.”
The truth is he had, has, but he was too blind to see. 
Family is not just those that are immediate, composing of a father and mother or even siblings. Family can also entail the greater extent from cousins to aunts to grandparents. Family can even be those that are not blood related like the friends a person surrounds themselves by. 
Renjun has family. If only he could acknowledge them before they too left him utterly alone. 
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Alone was something Renjun was not for the days to come. 
A week later after his cousin delivered the news about the annual holiday vacation and company sponsored events that his family has been hosting since his late teen years, he was flown in a private plane against his will to a remote town near Busan, far off from the heart of Seoul. He would rather spend the holidays in the city where he grew up like all those past seasons ago, but his father decided there was a need for change, a mirror of one forthcoming in virtually three months. Usually those that made the trip came for the designated three days they were given which still involved work communications with scant room for relaxation depending on the schedules of selected individuals. However, if one was a Huang, which Renjun was the only one left along with his father that were at least part of the business, then departure and stay differed. Intermingled was the Huang winter vacation with that of business affairs, a factor that was born when the tradition started. His father always said to kill two birds with one stone when given the chance and this very situation was one he took hold of to morph into a personal gain. 
Nothing was ever as it seemed with his father, nor himself. One characteristic they shared among a hundred to a thousand polarities.
Albeit this time around, Renjun had fought against his father’s wants, which was not the first instance, but was one that ended in surprising success. Success he tasted on the daily, even if all was bitter with no room for happiness. However, this success was sweet with contentment, ending with an awfully horrid aftertaste. Convincing his father to fly him out along with the others on the 23rd of December instead of the 20th was a victory no less. At least he didn’t have to spend unwanted days in the presence of his old man longer than necessary. 
He arrives in wealth and social standing like he always did for once his black A.Testoni dress shoes hit the white tiled floor of the airport’s general aviation ramp building, everyone within his general vicinity, even those afar, are taking heed to his every need, that as of now are limited. 
A slightly older woman who he deems as his assistant, comes into view, her black Prada heels clicking loudly against the tile as she advances with a clipboard and her trusty cell in her hands to the boy. She cheerful speaks into the empty building, her smile unwavering. “Mr. Huang, I am glad you had a safe flight. I printed your itinerary for the next couple of days that I will hand to you once we are in the limo. Considering it is…” She glances at her Apple Watch Series 6 to check the time. “Two forty three as of now, we can drop off your luggage at the Lodge and get you settled into your room before your three fifteen lunch with Mr. Kim and his wife at the Yongsusan Café. You will be with them for an hour before the rest of the afternoon is yours to spend productively. Then at six o’clock the maids and stylists will come by to get you ready for the business meeting at seven thirty, following with a small dinner party with those same individuals, including their wives and children. Sounds good?”
Renjun does not even have time to reply before his assistant speaks again. 
“Yes, okay! Let’s get going then.” She turns on her heel abruptly, yet with expertise without room for error and begins taking steps away from the plane to the left. “The limo should be this way, follow me while your luggage gets loaded. The drive should not take more than ten minutes.” 
He has no choice but to accompany her as he would not be able to make a run for it, he will be caught within seconds. He tried once and that was only one failure amongst little to none in his book. 
His strides are slow and lousy as if he had all the time in the world to do as he pleased, when he in fact did not, far from it in actuality. Even so before he knows it he reaches the limo and is lurched forward in motion towards his destination for the next few days. The place his dad selected oozes with sumptuous intent, being a gorgeous mid-century modern wooden lodge that nearly looked like a manor upon inspection. As the limo pulls up to the front, Renjun is able to see the beauty up close that he is entranced by even if he seems unfazed. New places and people excite him more than he lets on for his life is dull, lacking fulfillment of an unknown tomorrow. 
The porter, who is situated in patience by the front doors, strides forward to open the door of the limo, permitting Renjun to step out with the authority and grace bestowed upon him. 
When he crosses the threshold into the Lodge he is met with an even better interior that rivaled that on the outside, but he is not allowed to ponder too much on the design before the head manager greets him.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Huang, it is certainly a pleasure for you to stay with us at the Lodge this fine holiday season. I am Gwan Jang-Mi and I will be showing you to your room today along with giving you a small tour of this place in order to familiarize yourself with the setting. If you look here to your left…”
Her speech is drowned out into obscurity as Renjun’s awareness shifts to another woman, one so stunning that he is surprised he did not take notice sooner. When sauntering through the entryway into the resting room that will be cleared out in the next couple of hours, a bar is situated to the left where you stand, arranging countless bottles of liquor to wine on the counter, no doubt for the little party later or for the meeting. Those men were heavy drinkers and needed alcohol to make it through the rest of the evening. Renjun did drink to drown his sorrows, worry, and anxiousness away, but he was not one to throw himself down a spiraling hole of darkness nor chaos that he could not get out of, for those consequences were ones he did not want to reap.
The soft sunlight peaks through the high guarded windows, shining down on your face that enunciates your features. For simply being in a black polo and khaki pants, you made it work and drew all attention to yourself without even knowing the power you held. 
The moment of admiration comes to a close when Renjun is ushered away from the ground floor to make way to his room in the upper levels, leaving you behind.
Yet that would not be the last time.
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Time goes by slowly when there is no purpose, no meaning to the daily workings of one person in the masses of others. Renjun has experience in that regard, time always goes by slowly for him and exhausts him a great deal like a rotary clock that seeks no end. 
He was worn out by the time he got back to the Lodge in the early evening due to the stay with the Kims went longer than necessary and he was called elsewhere upon emergency to discuss future matters. He did not have time for himself like his assistant had plainly made known so there he was, collapsed head first into his silk covers, ten minutes to six. 
Instead of taking a long awaited nap he is ushered up and into more formal wear after a cleanse from the bustle of bodies that barge into his room. 
No privacy. No sense of normality. 
That is the normal. 
The next few hours go by in blur from him sitting in front of a mirror to have his hair styled to sitting in front of burly old men that were associates and inventors of the company in a grad meeting room with locked doors and the finest assortment of liquor that money can buy. 
He is out of the confines in no time, not even bothering to say one final hurrah before he lurches himself out the door and into the now cleared out resting room. One of the servers comes by then dressed in all black attire that was nothing of the typical black and white uniform, edging towards a usual guest. Renjun snatches a glass of sparkling champagne and gulps it down in one go off their silver platter, discreetly of course, for he has to look composed—sober throughout the entire affair. He always could hold his alcohol without a problem and he felt blessed to have that advantage. One thing he is proud of. 
He is whisked away not even moments after by one of the older investors, Mr. Han, to moreover chew over the end of the year budget and his stance on future decisions to be made in the new year. From the corner of his eye while listening to the man talk in a flamboyant manner, he sees his father standing with a glass of white wine happily talking to another investor, a more influential one, the most influential one of them all and his wife along with their daughter who was not even carefully surveying the room in search of someone.
Renjun’s eyes widen in shock, mumbling under his breath, “Shit.”
Mr. Han stops the flow of words out his mouth, his eyebrows rumpling together. He did not hear the swear word the boy uttered, yet he heard something in passing. “Pardon?”
Renjun shakes his head vaguely, bringing his third glass of champagne in the air as a sign of departure. “Ah excuse me, Mr. Han, but it seems I have been beckoned elsewhere.” His eyes shift over to his father who was not making direct eye contact with him, but Mr. Han did not need to know that little detail as he observes Renjun’s line of sight. 
Mr. Han chuckles brightly. “I see, well I must not keep you from your father.”
Renjun smiles. “No, you must not, but we shall continue this conversation later, Mr. Han. I am sure you have much more to say and I will happily discuss further with you.”
Mr. Han waves his hand in the air nonchalantly. “We shall. Now off you go.” 
Renjun nods his head, his lips still quirked up in a smile, this one more genuine than the last, as he makes a beeline towards his father to make everything seem more believable. Though once he no longer feels the eyes of Mr. Han on his retreating back he switches routes, going to the left rather than straight ahead. He circles around the opposite side, catching a stark mop of washed out red hair amongst the crowd in the process—Donghyuck. His cousin is not alone, however, talking rather freely with a girl he could not quite see in his peripheral vision. The grin on Donghyuck’s face is undeniable even with his back turned and the way Renjun hears the tiny giggles you are emitting, all is too familiar, which is the perfect cause for a disruption.
Renjun does not acknowledge his cousin when he arrives at the bar, the younger boy too immersed in conversation so he signals for the other worker that comes becking to his call. 
“A Negroni, on the rocks.”
The girl nods in understanding and turns to prepare the drink while Donghyuck still has not noticed his presence. The younger boy always did focus on what was in front of him rather than on his surroundings, contrary to his cousin that saw the whole picture. Two contrasting people surely with unlike futures ahead of them. 
The frosted glass with the reddish-orange liquid and topped with orange shavings is served to him a minute later, placed in front of him on a matching glass coaster.
He clears his throat loudly in an attempt to catch Donghyuck’s attention. “Thank you.” 
A method that proves effective since the younger boy finally turns his head to the right to see Renjun sitting on the barstool next to him, sipping casually on his high class Negroni. 
His eyes are wide, but he masks his shock with a subtle smirk. “Jun! Well, well, if it isn’t the mini man himself. How long have you been sitting there?” 
Renjun snorts into his glass, shaking his head at the dig Donghyuck made at his height, always one out for blood. “Far too long to have noticed your flirting from across the room, Hyuck.” It is now his turn to smirk, but Donghyuck’s own is still unfaltering.
“I take pride in my skills, glad you gave your time of day to notice.” He elevates his glass up then, filled most likely with a Nicolashka, his favorite holiday drink to date, and takes a sip himself, a move Renjun mimics.
Then your voice interrupts. “Sorry to cut in, but I have to get back to work. You’ve been distracting me for the last ten minutes, mister.” Your stern gaze is directed at Donghyuck from the latter statement. Although once your words are uttered, Renjun focuses his eyes on you, scrutinizing your appearance. The very girl he saw earlier today, the girl Donghyuck so happened to have a chance with before him—you.
Donghyuck laughs, the smirk morphing into a shiteating grin. “I told you, call me Hyuck.”
“Well, Hyuck, I have to get back to work...plus I am sure you want to talk to your friend.” Your gaze flickers to Renjun in that instance and lingers there longer than necessary that has him laughing to himself. 
Donghyuck’s charm only goes so far. 
The younger boy peers at Renjun when you utter out friend, and he smiles small in remorse. “Sadly, but do not let me keep you from your work.”
You turn your back on him, your eyes catching Renjun’s in the process before you look away from the intensity of the dark orbs. “I wasn’t planning on it.” 
You leave the bar area then most likely to put on an apron that Renjun noticed you had not worn throughout the entire duration. Donghyuck simply distracted you before the start of your shift and after, not a good trait to inherit. 
Donghyuck hums, but let’s the remark go as he fully turns to Renjun to start up that conversation. 
He raises an eyebrow. “Must you always keep me from having fun?” 
Renjun shrugs his shoulders, swishing the liquid in his glass. “Not always, but I was saving that girl from misery. You should be thankful that I care enough.” 
Donghyuck taunts. “Oh wow I feel so special.”
Renjun sternly eyes him, his voice lowering. “You should.”
Donghyuck’s lips open to retort a response, but no words are spoken on his end for his eyes look over the older boy’s shoulders and he catches sight of someone none of them truly like or have liked after the incident. He sees her.
“Well fuck, here comes the devil,” is all he makes out and the phrase enough has Renjun turning his own head hastily to see who he was watching. Such is when he sees his ex-girlfriend, Cha Yeona, prowling straight towards their way.
“I’m going to go...so good luck, mate. You’ll need it.” Donghyuck pats Renjun’s shoulder in departure and his gesture of sympathy, leaving him in the wake of a girl he really did not wish to see or converse with. 
Once he leaves the bar in quick speed, you come in at that exact moment, your eyes zoning in on the way Yeona’s dainty hand latches onto Renjun’s forearm in greeting. You turn away from the image, busying yourself with wiping down the glasses. 
“Oh! What a lovely surprise,” Yeona voices, letting her hand maneuver down to place on top of Renjun’s hand in which she gives him a faint squeeze thereof. He flinches from the contact, retracting his hand to slip into the pocket of his Burberry blazer while the other rims his glass. 
He peers at her intently, a potency that has her giggling nervously. His looks could kill whenever he was serious with a blank face and austere hollows of eyes. “Hello, Yeona.”
She sits down gracefully on the stool next to him, crossing her long unblemished legs over each other, her hands placed in her lap. Her smile is bright and makes him want to pull out his hair. She was always two-faced. “Hi Jun Jun! How have you been?”
He lets the pet name go, but does not glance at her again, looking over her head at the white lights strung outside. “Good.”
Silence engulfs them that has her fidgeting out of discomfort. He evidently did not want to talk. She reaches her hand out to touch him once more that has him leaning away. She sighs in defeat, retreating from the gesture. She would have to reach him some other way. “Well...I—”
He cuts her off from continuing, drowning the last contents of his drink before he pushes the glass away towards the server at the end of the counter. He puts a hand up. “Save it. I have no reason to talk to you again. Leave.” 
He arches his eyebrow when he sees she makes no move to leave and he chuckles darkly. “Do I have to tell you again? Or should I have security escort you out?”
She flinches from the tone of his voice and gulps, her throat becoming exceptionally dry. She hurriedly stands up, almost ripping over her heels and departs without a goodbye, not that he wished to get one from her. Her slim body covered in a blood red dress slips into the crowd and Renjun finally releases the breath he was holding. 
He tugs at the strands of his gelled back hair. “Fucking bitch,” he mutters, lifting a finger in the air to signal for another drink that the server speedily moves to make. 
“A little harsh, don’t you think?”
Renjun lifts his eyes to see you gaping at him, an eyebrow uplifted in fascination as you finally were in your uniform, a white cloth draped over your shoulders. Renjun runs his hand through his hair and scoffs from the remark thereafter. He was sure the stylists would be upset to see him dishevel their mighty work, but he could care less.
He shakes his head, the strands of hair rustling. “No, I think not. She deserves it.”
“Wow. Again, harsh.” You laugh mockingly and grab his drink that was slid over by your coworker to clean the glass again. You place the beverage down on the coaster which he takes with pleasure, muttering a small thank you that you can barely hear amidst the classical music playing in the background. Your hands make contact for a split second that has tingles erupting on your end, in a rather cliche response, yet he made no move of the feeling. 
There is quietness again that makes you flustered since you were never one to enjoy the muted scenery, always wanting a sound ringing in your ears. While Renjun enjoyed the still, always wanting a sound that faded in the wind and never made a comeback appearance. 
In a desperate attempt to keep conversation while making yourself busy by fixing up the bottles of alcohol, you propose a question that invades his privacy, whilst he never had privacy to begin with, a factor you were left in the dark about.
“So...um...your girlfriend?” You ask, in regards to Yeona that left some minutes ago. 
Renjun snorts, placing down his glass and interlocks his hand to rest his chin on, a move to focus solely on you. “Right. She’s my ex-girlfriend actually so you’re not entirely wrong.”
You mumble out a quiet, “Oh.” It was not your business to know his affairs after all, yet there was a voice nagging within that made you curious to find out every part of him.
The tranquility hugs the both of you once more, until he questions you out of the blue. 
“You want to get out of here?”
To say you are shocked is an understatement, since you are in fact bamboozled beyond belief. He says the declaration with so much firmness and certainty, it has your heart twisting on the inside.
You lightly laugh to mask the shock and turn around to really look at him, a look that he reciprocates. “I don’t even know you.”
A keen smile is visible on his lips. “Exactly the point. You have nothing to lose.”
You shake your head, leaning against the counter of the bar to stare into his eyes that look so lifeless, yet beautiful. “Maybe, but this is my job. I can’t just bail.” 
He leans his head closer to you, an act that allows you to a whiff of the Christian Dior Ambre Nuit cologne he wears and his minty fresh breath. “Of course you can.” His soothing voice turns teasing as he smirks. “Don’t worry I won’t tell.” 
You scoff to yourself, surprised by his mannerisms of outforwardness. You look around then to see if anyone is watching the two of you, but all eyes are elsewhere and you let out a sigh of relief. Another girl comes into the bar when you glance to the side, most likely to cover the next shift that was not yours quite yet, be that as it may you did have a break coming up. 
Renjun outstretches his hand in patience, his smirk slowly growing, even if it was borderlining a smile that you could see right through. He hums in anticipation and you give in.
“Okay fine, but not for too long,” you say as you rest your hand in his. The cold of your fingers meet his warm ones and you latch on for dear life, afraid to let go. 
He grins at you and squeezes your hand. “No promises.” 
Then he proceeds to drag you out of the bar, tugging you to who knows where. The tingle of a secret keeps you on your toes and you become giddy, laughing along the halls as he steers you left, right, straight, left, right, up...a never ending cycle of adventure.
“Where exactly are you taking me?” You ask after gaining the courage. He is intimidating in some regards, the thought of how he acted towards his ex-girlfriend as visible as day in your mind.
He shrugs, finally slowing down. “Who knows. Could be outside in the cold or near a fireplace in the warm. You will just have to see.”
“That certainly gives me no direction at all.”
He turns his head to look at you and stops suddenly, having you nearly crash into his back before he tugs you to the other side. He chuckles when he sees your horrified face from almost busting your nose. “That was the point, darling.”
You huff in annoyance when he continues walking, the pressure of his fingers around your own feels heavier as time drags on and your heart has no sense of calm, constricting with the name of endearment that slipped past his slim lips.
“Okay, we are here!” He announces and lets go of your hand, the bareness of his heat leaving you shivering. You take a step back from planting your feet firmly on the floor and glance around the room in which he stopped. It was one of the upper level rooms with strict access only to the most wealthy of the associates and investors. His family must be one of those highly regarded, if only you knew how highly regarded his family is, being the ones with the most status, the most affluent lifestyle. However, you would remain clueless.
“Oh, wow. The view up here is amazing.”
Renjun laughs, placing his hands in the front pocket of his slacks as he strolls around the room, glancing at the glowing fire that was left on and the books that were sealed shut. “Trust me, I am well aware. Why do you think I brought you up here?” He gives you an exasperated stare, peering past at the giant window you stood in front of that showcased the whole town, now covered in sleek white snow. It must have snowed while he was conversing with others at the party for when he arrived at the meeting hours ago, the land was void.
The white flakes are still falling outside, delicately covering everything in one uniform color that leaves you in awe and he is left admiring you, how at peace you are. How free you look, an emotion he never held onto in his entire life.
“So besides admiring this view, what are we doing up here?” You ask, your fingertips grazing the cool frosted glass of the window, seeing beyond to the endless landscape and twinkling stars along with lights of the houses nearby.
Renjun answers bluntly. “Admiring the view.”
You can’t stop the titters from escaping you and you roll your eyes, an action he sees through the reflection.
He steps forward, coming up besides your figure to look more clearly at the breathtaking scenery of a winter wonderland. “No, I’m joking...at least partially.” 
You giggle some more, interlocking your hands in front of you. “I didn’t know you had it in you to joke.”
It is now his turn to laugh. “Darling, I have a lot in me that you don’t know.”
You sigh solemnly, taking a step back to turn around, examining the other objects around the room. “Oh, I’m sure.” 
He is an enigma waiting to be unraveled, but you would not be the one to solve his case and that alone is an idea that scares you. 
Before you can get farther away, his hand wraps around your wrist, preventing you from escape. You peer down at his hand then up to his eyes, your eyebrows scrunching together in perplexity.
He does not speak, only drags you into him to where you are now chest to chest, only an inch of distance between your bodies. The closeness between the two of you leaves you breathless and gasping for air. His thumb carrasses your arm and runs down to the palm of your hand, enveloping his fingers around your skin. Your eyes are trailing the movements and you take a sharp intake of breath, curious as to what can happen next. He hooks his other free index finger under your chin to lift your face up so he can see you in distinct luminosity.
You have gazed at his eyes practically all evening, but nothing has prepared you for seeing him up close. He is even more handsome in full definition from the lines on his soft pink lips to his perfectly tousled hair. 
“You’re beautiful,” he mutters, his thumb running along your cupid’s bow. “Absolutely and breathtakingly beautiful.”
You gulp, the words drying up in your throat for what could you say to his compliment?
Then everything happens at once.
His hand moves to wrap around the back of your head and he tugs you closer by the other until you are pressed up against each other. He lightly pushes your head forward and contact is made. 
Lips against lips. Moving and moving against each other, taking all your breath away for the second time within a span of a few seconds. 
He lets go of holding your hand and wraps his arm around your waist, to pull you closer if such is even possible. To make the contact more tender and desirable.
You suppose desire is that which allows the moment to escalate further. From a mere innocent kiss to a fiery passion of craving for more. 
When your lips separate, he does not think twice before grabbing your hand once more and dragging you down the long corridor to arrive at his secluded room around the corner.
He opens the door with haste as you come tumbling in after him, grabbing, pulling, tugging until all that is left is just you and him.
The frantic beats of two hearts. 
The heat of skin pressed against skin. 
Simply two bodies that became one all due to the desire floating around the room and pushing you to the limit. 
You lost yourself in him that night and he in you. 
Lost to the pure ecstasy of pleasure during the season of joy and love.
Yet the season could also be one for giving and taking.
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You wake to a cold bed the next morning.
Gone is the warmth of a boy who made you feel like you were on top of the world, someone special enough to demand notice and have anything that is asked for. 
Gone is the sweet nothings he whispered in your ear, the words of assurance, comfort, and false love that made you feel worth it and simply protected.
Gone is the long lingering touches of his fingers pressing into you and dancing along the lines of your body to explore and learn.
Gone is the feeling of his lips on your skin that was enough to ignite you ablaze and leave you seeing all the colors of the rainbow.
Gone is he—Huang Renjun. 
All that remains of the remembrance from the night is the note he left by the oak bedside table, one that crushed the dream of longing and hope within. One that slapped you with the crude reality of who he truly was, is, in a place that you did not belong to and never would. 
Thanks for last night, but it’s a one time thing. You can see yourself out. Happy holidays.
He signed the note with his initials, H.R. and his family’s embroidered seal. 
Then you realize in that moment, your bare body covered in his silk covers in the large suite he had all to himself, that the holidays are not for everyone. 
You can either be together with someone else or alone by yourself. 
Never the two. 
Always one or the other. 
You had hoped to be together yet alone with him in privacy to make your own memories away from prying eyes, but at the end of the day you were by yourself and he was too.
That is how life works in this sick, twisted world.
Men against men. Women against women. Everyone against everyone.
Alone.
Never together. 
Like he and you.
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kdramakit · 7 years ago
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Omg I'm sooo excited can't wait!
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tabloidtoc · 4 years ago
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Globe, December 7
You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks
Cover: Hillary Clinton health crisis 
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Page 2: Up Front & Personal -- Larsa Pippen in a bikini in Fort Lauderdale, Olivia Culpo wrestles with recycling outside her L.A. office, Shia LaBeouf ditches his face covering for a phone call in an L.A. market 
Page 3: Pete Wentz plays tennis, Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe outside the Dancing with the Stars studio, Sean Penn hits the beach in Hawaii 
Page 4: Barbara Walters was sharp as a tack when she grilled the world’s biggest leaders but ravaging dementia has now tragically turned the 91-year-old into a prisoner in her own bed 
Page 5: Pistol-packing Elvis Presley was so gaga over guns that he’d even take a firearm to bed with him 
* Ringo Starr’s childhood bout with appendicitis at age six caused him to fall into a coma and spend a year in the hospital to recover then five years later he contracted tuberculosis and spent two years in a sanitarium where he discovered drums as part of the hospital band 
Page 6: If it’s true that Gentleman Prefer Blondes Marilyn Monroe was the perfect star for the flick because she dyed her carpet platinum to match the drapes -- beauty guru Kenneth Battelle suggested Marilyn change the color of her pubic hair after a jerk spilled champagne over her sheer dress at a party showing everything because she didn’t wear skivvies so the guru ran to the hotel drugstore and got some dye and told Marilyn to go in the bathroom and bleach 
Page 7: Celine Dion has turned into a frightening bag of bones leaving friends worried she’s headed for a catastrophic health crisis -- now down to a gaunt 96 pounds the star is driving herself to the brink of collapse with a diet and exercise plan to prepare for the relaunch of her hit world tour and she starves herself in her drive for perfection and to maintain the stick-thin look that helped turn her into a fashion icon
* Julianne Hough confesses feeling she didn’t deserve the A-list life she enjoyed while dating Ryan Seacrest where she was on private planes and yachts and living in a very well-off house and her life was pretty different from where she grew up -- she left Ryan in 2013 after three years because she wanted to create that for herself because she felt like she didn’t deserve it 
Page 8: Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson is searching for the Fountain of Youth by working out with Pierce Brosnan’s trainer -- the ex-wife of disgraced Prince Andrew is following a grueling exercise regimen in hopes of joining people who are said to be biologically younger than their true age 
Page 9: Disgraced Prince Andrew has been kicked from the royal family and now Prince Charles plans to boot his sister Princess Anne from his inner circle once he becomes king -- while the princess has carried her share of official engagements Charles plans to shrink the monarchy after his mother Queen Elizabeth passes and the phrase slimmed-down royal family constantly keeps coming up and the royal family will evolve with Charles coming to the throne -- Anne will be on the chopping block mostly because of ambitious Duchess Camilla who is Charles’ wife and who has carried out a ruthless dirty plan to be queen for decades and she wants no one else taking the limelight and that includes Charles’ sister
* Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle dissed his dad Prince Charles with a surprising public snub as the couple failed to publicly wish Charles a happy birthday when he turned 72 -- Queen Elizabeth and Prince William and Duchess Kate all sent birthday wishes to the future king on social media but Harry and Meghan took a pass even though Harry popped up on the British TV show Strictly Come Dancing that night to wish a pal good luck
Page 10: A nuclear-sized catfight has exploded in North Korea where dictator Kim Jong-un’s baby sister and his pop star lover are battling to claw their way to be top gal -- while sister Kim Yo-jong seemed to be running the nation after Kim vanished and was rumored dead he popped back up with old galpal Hyon Song-wol on his arm and his current wife Ri Sol-ju nowhere to be seen 
Page 12: Celebrity Buzz -- Mario Lopez wearing a clear mask (picture), Lauren Simon of The Real Housewives of Cheshire in the U.K. claims to have had sex with an actual ghost, Kaley Cuoco has a theory about shooting those sexy big bangs with ex-boyfriend Johnny Galecki that the pair’s sneaky sitcom boss got a kick putting the real-life former lovers under the covers, Reese Witherspoon lost her beloved dog Pepper to cancer and returned to her ole Southern roots when picking a name for her brand-new puppy: Minnie Pearl, plagued by seemingly endless allegations of being mean and ignoring a toxic workplace Ellen DeGeneres is now plugging a Be Kind subscription box valued at $270
Page 13: Kristen Taekman tops of her gas tank in L.A. (picture), Jeff Goldblum feeding a parking meter in L.A. (picture), Hilary Duff gets primped and primed on the NYC set of Younger (picture) 
Page 14: Reclusive ailing widow Yoko Ono finally loosened the reins and is handing over her $800 million empire to Sean Lennon her only child with Beatles legend John Lennon but John’s eldest son Julian Lennon was left out of the hitmaker’s will but Julian managed to eke out a $25 million settlement okayed by Yoko after he dragged his famous dad’s estate to court, Kelsea Ballerini snapped at a nosy fan for rudely asking if her rounded tummy was a blossoming baby bump
* Fashion Verdict -- Lara Spencer 9/10, Laura Veltz 2/10, Lauren Akins 3/10, Lauren Alaina 4/10 
Page 16: Michael Jackson’s baby mama Debbie Rowe reveals getting pregnant was no thrill because she was artificially impregnated -- Debbie met ex-husband Michael when she was working for his dermatologist and she insists the couple never had sex and a sperm donor fathered the pop star’s two kids she carried in her womb -- son Prince Jackson is rumored to have been fathered by Debbie’s doctor boss Arnold Klein -- British actor Mark Lester claims her could be Paris Jackson’s father -- Debbie is unsure of the paternity of Michael’s youngest son Blanket who now goes by Bigi Jackson
Page 17: Fans gaga for Dr. McDreamy on Grey’s Anatomy got a super thrill on the season 17 premiere when Patrick Dempsey returned to the hit hospital drama after departing the show five years ago -- Dempsey whose character Dr. Derek Shepherd died in a car crash came back in a dream sequence reuniting with star Ellen Pompeo’s Dr. Meredith Grey on a beach -- Dempsey split from the show to spend more time with his family and pursue his auto racing hobby but he’ll return to the show several more times 
Page 19: 10 Things You Don’t Know About Emma Corrin
* Reba McEntire reveals she turned down The Voice gig that went to Blake Shelton and now she regrets it big-time 
* Nip/tuck junkie Dolly Parton says she plans to keep freshening her face by going under the knife and crows she’s gonna look like a cartoon and she’ll look as young as her plastic surgeons will allow her 
Page 20: True Crime 
Page 21: Former soap stud Cody Longo was socked with a domestic abuse charge following a jealous booze-fueled attack on his dancer wife Stephanie Clark -- Cody played Nicholas Alamain on Days of Our Lives from 2011-2012 
Page 23: Meredith Baxter felt booby-trapped by her enormous breasts and confesses she welcomed breast-reduction surgery after getting cancer -- the Family Ties star reveals her former 42-inch bust was the plague of her life
* Weatherman Al Roker has a secret weapon in his stormy battle to recover from prostate cancer surgery which is the love and support of his wife Deborah Roberts who is keeping him happy and positive doting on him day and night plus they talk about everything and make medical decisions together so there’s no fear or anxiety entering their world 
* Jennifer Lopez kicked booty when a federal judge dismissed a $40 million lawsuit brought by a former stripper who claims she inspired the hit movie Hustlers -- Samantha Barbash claims she’s the real-life model for J.Lo’s pole-dancing swindler Ramona Vega and insisted the movie ruined her rep by implying she did drugs around her kids but the judge tossed the case because Barbash’s name or portrait or picture or voice wasn’t used in the film 
Page 24: Cover Story -- Hillary Clinton has tragically packed on nearly 100 pounds since she vanished from the spotlight four years ago and is struggling to breathe and walk and now a medical expert is warning the 73-year-old is facing a health crisis as she tips the scales at 247 pounds -- Hillary has a history of broken bones and shocking collapses 
Page 26: Health Report
Page 30: Country girl Carly Pearce’s divorce from Michael Ray has gone from bad to ugly and he’s now parading his romance with Travis Tritt’s daughter Tyler Reese Tritt -- Carly was all for taking the high road but now she’s taken off the gloves -- they’re bad-mouthing each other far and wide and Carly’s tossed everything that reminds her of Michael 
* Southern Charm belle Madison LeCroy has been flashing a pic of her newest charms which is a set of bigger boobs 
Page 36: Diva Mariah Carey’s demanding ways are driving her boyfriend Bryan Tanaka bonkers and the couple of four years may be headed for Splitsville unless she changes her ways -- Mariah treats Bryan like an assistant instead of a lover and it’s giving him fits and he’s been so patient with Mariah and he loves her but she’s wearing him out with her incessant orders like she has him drawing up her schedule for online greets plus she’s ordering him to do all her holiday shopping for friends and be in charge of everything from decorations to food prep 
* Emma Roberts confesses being pregnant makes her weepy and she’s hit the point where like halfway up the stairs she has to sit down sometimes and maybe tears roll down a couple times a week but despite that Emma says she feels grateful and lucky to be expecting her first child
Page 38: Real Life 
Page 40: Phil Collins’ embarrassing court battle with third ex Orianne Cevey is casting a pall over his daughter Lily Collins’ wedding plans -- Lily is desperate to tie the knot with Charlie MacDowell but the dirty charges flying back may force her to put the happy day on hold and it’s hard for Lily to concentrate on making wedding plans when her father is caught in an ugly public fight -- Orianne is battling over Phil’s $38 million Miami mansion where they lived after reuniting in 2018 
Page 44: Straight Talk -- NXIVM cult is warning to us all 
Page 45: Treasure hunters have launched a frantic search for a $150 million stash of gangster gold hidden by mobster Dutch Schultz in Upstate New York after two sleuths recently discovered coins they believe are linked to the stash -- following a long list of cryptic clues Canadian fortune seekers Steve Zazulyk and Ryan Fazekas uncovered gold coins dated 1903 a few miles from the Prohibition Era beer baron’s hangout in the Catskills town of Phoenicia and their find triggered a race against other prosecutors seeking a two-by-three-foot steel box filled with diamonds and gold coins and $1000 bills and $7 billion in World War I Liberty Bonds and the hoard has an estimated value of $150 million today 
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kpoptimeout · 4 years ago
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My Top 10 K-Dramas of 2020 - What’s Yours?
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2020 has ended after feeling like it was never ending and K-Dramaland has once again brought us so many goodies this year. As per our blog’s tradition [For 2019 faves click here], below are my Top 10 favs of the year (my faves in alphabetical order so it might not be yours so please don’t judge). (For our blog’s 2020 music ratings, click here!)
My only specific criteria is that the show must have had started in 2020 to be considered a 2020 series but like last year, I have allowed one drama starting very late in 2019 to make the list.
Without further ado, check the list below!
Crash Landing On You (tvN/Netflix)
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While it started in December 2019, “Crash Landing On You” is certainly the Rom-Com of the year that swept the world by storm. It was possibly the K-Drama most people knew about and everyone rejoiced when the leads Hyun Bin and Son Yejin admitted to being a couple on 1 January 2021. 
One might say “Crash Landing On You” has generic plot - two people from vastly different worlds meeting through a crazy accident and developing feelings as a result, the choice of using North and South Korea as the two worlds provided unique social commentary and the opportunity for lots of interesting shenanigans. This is not the first series to feature a romance between a North and South Korean lead (see 2012’s “The King 2 Hearts”, which was also stellar), but it is definitely a more light-hearted take which is fun to watch. Additionally, the series is filled with fleshed out and lovable side characters.
While North Korean refugees interviewed by media outlets point out that the typical North Korean captain would not have the looks of Hyun Bin, most of them agree that the production team did their research as the everyday life of typical North Koreans were recreated quite accurately - from the types of furniture and household appliances they use, to the type of K-Dramas they watch in secret.
If you enjoy a good Rom-Com and an interesting premise, this is the K-Drama for you!
Extracurricular (Netflix)
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Being a Netflix only series with no counterpart on Korean television, “Extracurricular” was able to explore the dark side of South Korean youth life which is not discussed on traditional South Korean media platforms. We are thrown into the life of a nerdy high school student played by Kim Dong Hee, who is actually effectively abandoned by his family and making ends meet secretly as an illegal prostitution ring mastermind.
The story unravels as the star student played by So Minhee discovers the schemes of Kim Dong Hee’s character and begins to blackmail him. Not to give too many spoilers, but it will prove difficult to balance his double life and the whole journey is captured superbly by the main cast’s stellar acting.
If you are a fan of dark and realistic teen dramas, this is the series for you!
Hospital Playlist (tvN/Netflix)
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The team behind the “Reply” series and “Prison Playbook” returns with a few familiar faces so we all knew when the trailers dropped that we were in for a treat. As expected, the fabulous acting of the main cast, the wonderful storylines and also medically accurate procedures (according to my doctor friends), combined to make “Hospital Playlist” one of the most endearing dramas of the year.
Set in the fictional Yulje Medical Centre, we follow the lives of 5 doctors who met in college and their respective medical teams. Jo Jung-suk acts as a prankster and fun dad who is also a genius doctor. Yoo Yeon-seok plays a pediatric surgeon who is dead set on becoming a priest. Jung Kyung-ho acts as a cardiologist who seems cold-hearted (pun intended), but of course isn’t really. Kim Dae-myung plays a gynaecologist who is a mummy’s boy and has family drama galore. And finally Jeon Mi-do completes the set as a neurosurgeon who is lowkey the only adult in the friend group and who everyone wants to be when they grow up.
The drama throws us into the day to day runnings in the hospital without too much introductions and it actually made the characters all the more real because it was like we were just casually witnessing their everyday lives. The realisms of the show is furthered by the fact that even side characters like nurses and medical students have meaningful storylines of their own. We honestly cannot wait for Season 2 to air in May 2021!
Itaewon Class (JTBC/Netflix)
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A remake of a popular Webtoon, “Itaewon Class” is a feel-good David and Goliath story where the male lead played by Park Seojun goes on a journey to avenge his father and chooses to do so without bending his morals at any point in time and making many friends along the way.
This series stood out by providing very diverse lead characters including a sociopath, a former convict, a trans woman, an illegitimate son and a Blasian trying to find acceptance in South Korea. All their stories highlight the different social issues and the stigmas many face navigating through life and is touching and relatable in many ways.
If you love a show with a positive social message, this is the show for you!
Sweet Home (Netflix)
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Another webtoon remake by Netflix, “Sweet Home” follows a group of survivors in an apartment complex after all hell breaks loose in South Korea, as people begin to transform into monsters based on their greatest fears and regrets. 
Every character has interesting backstories that are slowly revealed as they try to survive together, while battling monsters that are generated by the team behind many Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbusters. The main cast led by Song Kang, Lee Jin Wook, Lee Siyoung and Lee Dohyun also acted extremely well, with Lee Siyoung grabbing a lot of attention with her ripped superhero physique. Kim Namhee also had a breakout performance as the survivor who favours a Korean sword and hopefully would continue to get more roles following years playing minor characters.
If you enjoy apocalypse thrillers that explore human nature, you would love “Sweet Home”!
The Uncanny Counter (OCN/Netflix)
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Okay, Netflix is really funding all the webtoon adaptions because “The Uncanny Counter” is yet another one. Currently the highest rated OCN drama in the cable channel’s history, this webtoon adaption follows a disabled orphaned teenage boy who gains superpowers and joins a demon-banishing team of other super-powered beings (who own a noodle shop on the side) called the Counters, while the mystery of his parents’ death plays a key role in the story.
This somewhat cliché set-up is done in a fun and enjoyable way and it is great to see the talented Jo Byung Gyu finally cast as a male lead! Kim Sejeong has also further improved in her acting and is a loveable badass in this series. 
If you love a ghost/spirit busting mystery and just the superhero genre in general, you would enjoy “The Uncanny Counter”!
VIP (SBS)
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“VIP” is a drama following a luxury brand’s VIP service team. While it has office drama, intrigue and power plays in almost every episode, it is arguably more of a drama about womanhood than anything else. With 4 female leads, 3 of whom are in their late 30s, the series accurately depicts the concerns women face reaching that age, whether they are married or unmarried, with children or not. 
Jang Nara plays a successful business woman and a co-worker to her husband played by Lee Sang Yoon. Born in a privileged background with a seemingly loving husband, all seems well until she has suspicions of her husband having an affair. This drives her to investigate and through her findings, she instead uncovers more stories of her other female co-workers, like the rumour-tainted but very cool section chief played by Lee Chungah and the stressed and depressed mother of two played by Kwak Sunyoung.
If you want a spicy office drama that also has meaningful discussions about working women in South Korea, VIP is the best drama for that!
The World of the Married (JTBC)
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Overtaking JTBC’s “Sky Castle” to be highest rated cable TV K-Drama of all time, this 2020 production also by JTBC is a remake of BBC series “Doctor Foster” but highly localised to fit the Korean narrative.
Kim Hee-ae plays a successful doctor with a film director husband and a teenage son. Her life seems picture perfect until she discovers her husband’s infidelity. But unlike in “VIP”, where the female lead actually bonds with other women along the way, Kim Hee-ae’s character would quickly learn that she was in fact betrayed by everyone around her - they all knew her husband was cheating and have been pretty supportive of this whole affair.
While highly dramatised, the suspicions of the husband’s infidelity, the discovery, the subsequent divorce and schemes for revenge are all done tastefully and is a reason why it struck a chord with the general public, especially married women watching the show.
If you love mess and chaos and seeing douchebags destroyed, “World of the Married” is the perfect drama for you!
18 Again (JTBC)
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JTBC really has a knack for remakes. This remake of the movie “17 Again” starring Zac Efron is also adapted seamlessly to fit Korean culture and social issues e.g. teen pregnancy, divorce, women’s careers after being a parent and parent-child relations. 
Kim Haneul and Yoon Sanghyun truly acted out the energy of a long-married couple and Lee Dohyun did extremely well in encapsulating Yoon Sanghyun’s mannerism as his de-aged counterpart. This boy is truly on a roll this year (he is also in “Sweet Home”). Also, the younger cast of this show were also very likeable and well flesh-outed and by the end of the series you are rooting for all of them to do well.
If you love a slice of life drama with a little fantastical element, you would love “18 Again”!
365: Repeat the Year (MBC)
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Based on the Japanese novel “Repeat” by Kurumi Inui, “365 Days: Repeat the Year” follows this social experiment where 10 individuals are given the opportunity to travel 1 year back in time. As all 10 individuals try to remedy their mistakes and become better people, the experiment takes a sinister turn as the time-travellers begin to die one after another.
The veteran detective played by Lee Joohyuk and the mystery webtoon artist played by Nam Jihyun team up together with other time travellers to uncover the secrets behind travelling back in time and learn about the past lives of everyone chosen for the project.
If you enjoy a well-thought out time-travelling series that involves some alternate reality battle royale shenanigans, this is the series for you!
Honourable Mentions:
Kingdom (Season 2) (Netflix): The ancient zombie drama is back and still as strong as ever - one of the best zombie series on air right now.
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Start-Up (tvN/Netflix): Loveable rom-com set in the start-up world in South Korea with one of the most hotly debated love triangles in this year’s K-Drama world.
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Hi Bye, Mama! (tvN/Netflix): When a woman reincarnates to meet her husband and child again 5 years after her tragic death, only to find he has since remarried.
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What’s your Top 10 K-Dramas of the Year? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below and may the drama sharing begin (and the road to more excuse for holiday procrastination!)
Also, if you want to check out underrated K-Pop songs of 2020, here are the lists for idol songs and artist songs. 
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isabeladraws · 5 years ago
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Your last asks have made me curious, and I wanted to ask you... What are your main fandoms? Like, in terms of tv shows and books, if you are into them.
guys follow me on @rosyumie​ you’ll get to know everything i’m interested in atm! 
i’m not very active in fandoms i’d say, i watch things and sometimes make threads on twitter on my thoughts and that’s that haha more under the cut! it’s a long list
shows i love: 
reply 1988 - i will die for this show. please watch this. it’s absolutely amazing. everytime i watch this i come out of it with new perspectives on life and family and always cry. i love it so much. must rewatch every year 
parks and recreation - i’m on my 893929394th rewatch of this show. absolute fave
the crown - i love royals. i love claire foy. i love this show 
the marvelous mrs maisel
this is us 
how to get away with murder 
big little lies
titans - omg i miss DICK GRAYSON
outlander
the good place
killing eve
skam france / a bit of the italian remake / a bif of the wtfock remake
game of thrones
goblin 
brooklyn 99
the umbrella academy
élite
the witcher - i need to rewatch this I LOVE this show
his dark materials
sense8
queer eye
i’m not the biggest movie/book fan anymore, especially movies. i much prefer to watch a tv show and get to know characters through a long period of time than have a 2 hour movie and then it’s done. 
but, books i love:
the night circus - favorite book of all time, i need to reread it.
harry potter
shadow and bone - i started this and then never picked up the second book but i really want to! 
the hunger games series
i have read more but i don’t love them now as an adult like i did when i was a teenager. 
movies i love: 
from up on poppy hill - yes i’m a basic bitch this is my favorite ghibli movie. don’t @ me 
tangled
ratatouille
get out - i watched this movie and it has never left my mind since. 
knives out
the shape of water
the hunger games series
the dark knight rises
emma - recent watch, i loved it!
rise of the guardians
the cardcaptor sakura movies - this is very random but i love sakura so much, she’s my absolute favorite ever my baby girl. i loved these movies as a child
harry potter HOWEVER. i feel like i get mad watching them now because it misses so many details and moments between characters that it just pisses me off. also? what HAPPENED in that writing room to make ginny like that? appalling. no offense to bonnie but my girl deserved much better
you know... i’m a k- 🤢 kpop 🤢 fan so i watch a lot of k-shows
my faves are:
NEW JOURNEY TO THE WEST - I LOVE THIS SHOOW SO MUCH EVERYONE PLEASE WATCH IT’S SO FUNNY!!!! i get on another level with this show. it feeds my soul. my crops thrive, my skin glows. it’s amazing. go watch it i am begging. thank me later! 
heart signal - oh my god if you like those trashy romance shows this is for you. filmed super high quality, most likely very scripted but i eat it up! season 3 just started and i’m living! 
love catcher - similar to heart signal but you choose to be in the game for either money or love. the contestants need to figure out if the person they like is either money or love because in the end, if a money pairs up with a love, the money person gets 50,000$. 
handsome tigers - i believe this just recently ended. i loved it so much! i didn’t expect to like watching basketball but it was so much fun. 
knowing bros - i don’t watch this often at all anymore but, if there’s a guest i enjoy, i’ll usually watch it. 
youn’s kitchen 2 - if you like more a chill out, long episodes type of show, this is amazing for that. it’s so relaxing, so fun to watch. it’s about an old korean actress that opens a restaurant in spain with other 3 actors. they serve korean food. it’s very wholesome. i just rewatched it recently, i absolutely love it. the first season i can’t seem to find subbed so :(
kang’s kitchen - it’s made by the same producer that does youn’s kitchen and it brings the cast of new journey to the west to open a pop-up restaurant. opposite of relaxing but it’s so funny. if you need a laugh give this a go cause it’s hillarious! there’s 3 seasons now of this cast, so the order i’d recommend is njttw 1, 2, 3, 4, kangs kitchen 1, njttw 5, 6, 7, kang’s kitchen 2/3 
favorite k-dramas: 
strong woman do bong soon
w: two worlds
reply 1988 (obviously)
goblin
age of youth 1 & 2 - please watch this oh my god. it’s about a group of girls and their lives and it talks about so many “taboo-ish” subjects in korea that you really don’t see in other dramas. so well done. 
hotel del luna
i have watched many many more but these are the ones at the top of my head. the ones that i actually rewatch and still love.
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absolutebl · 4 years ago
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Top 10 BLs Out of Taiwan
(Presented in order of my personal preference.)
We Best Love: No 1 for You & We Best Love: Fighting Mr 2nd (2021 WeTV) - the 1st season is a short run classic university set BL combining the best of Korea & Thailand’s modern takes on genre. The 2nd season moves into the office, and employs Japanese style in terms of setting, obsession, and mature concepts. WBL thus successfully managed to pick up and combine the best features of Korean, Thai, and Japanese BL right now. Couple that to the insane chemistry from the leads, and we have one of the best BLs of all time, cooking to a recipe I doubt anyone else will ever be able to replicate since only Taiwan is this flexible. Full review here.
HIStory 2: Crossing the Line (2018 Viki) - Taiwan’s best example of classic BL with a sports romance foundation using some of the most prototypical and least offensive yaoi tropes. 
Be Love In House: I Do (2021 Viki) - A cute classy office set BL with a few plot raised eyebrows, but no other concerns, plus a general sweet softness that’s pretty rare from Taiwan. Full review here.
See You After Quarantine? (2021 Viki) - Taiwan’s answer to Gameboys is just as charming and adorable and still quintessentially Taiwanese as one might hope. It features a Japanese love interest and the cutest most confused disaster gay. The two have almost no actual screen time together and yet manage some truly amazing chemistry. Honestly how does Taiwan do it? Full review here.
DNA Say Love You (2022 GaGa) - DNA deserves extra marks for an upbeat approach to a queer story arc that other shows have systemically mishandled with sadness (in the guise of realism). There is a twist, which I found predictable, but knowing what would happen didn't spoil this show. The leads are luminous and engaging, and it’s full of queer found family representation and an unexpected amount of domesticity, plus it’s Taiwan, so the kisses are great. The last few eps really are special and life/love affirming - and the ending is big-grin charming. Full review here.
HIStory 2: Right or Wrong (2018 Viki) - another one that picks up and uses a classic yaoi tropes that most other BL producing countries have dropped - teacher/student. I happen to be okay with this power dynamic (and the child abandonment issues) and really like the grumpy/sunshine leads. But this is basically a happy reboot of Japan’s 2007 Boys Love, one of the first ever live action yaoi. 
HIStory 3: Trapped (2019 Viki) - not quite BL, more a mafia set cop versus criminal cat-and-mouse gay romance, where the leads end amorphously but the side couple ends up together, but wonderfully acted, and the SUITS are to die for. Literally.  
About Youth (2022 Gaga) - a truly lovely little coming of age high school BL with a classic YA low drama but high angst story. I didn’t even mind the singing, and that’s saying a lot. Lots of BL tropes but also this is quite queer and very Taiwan with an earnest depth I haven’t seen since My Ride, and an almost real world authenticity. Full review here. 
HIStory: Obsessed (2017 Viki) - very strongly sourced in yaoi, this one features the obsessive stalker love trope and “kill the gay”  but with a twist that allows for an HEA in what I would call almost self-referential poking fun at all those murder gays Japan gave us for so many years. The strongest seme/uke Taiwan has ever give us. 
My Tooth Your Love (2022 Viki) - earnest dentist hottie with sad eyes who worries too much is smitten by an adorable sunshine neurotic bar owner with serious anxiety issues. They fall madly in love while courting each other with food, plushies, and naps. Then, shocker, talk about their feelings and try to actually sort out their problems so they can have an adult relationship. Bonus crumbs = 18 year old poor little rich kid in mad crush with a much older man. Fun premise, killer dialogue, there was a solid lead pair with charming chemistry, soft flirtation, and delightful smiling kisses and stinkingly cute domesticity. Trigger for family abuse.
Honorable mention to the amazing BL side plot in Love is Science? Seriously, watch this!!!! 
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Taiwanese BL in Brief
Taiwan is relatively new to the BL genre. Their first actual BL offering was 2012′s high school set queer coming of age mircofilm Pair of Love, which featured both gay and lesbian couples, ending happily for one pair but not the other. But it wasn’t until the first of the HIStory series entered the fray in 2017 and proved successful that Taiwan really started producing consistently. 
(Prior to all these there was 2006′s YA coming of age Eternal Summer(s) which is not dissimilar to Thailand’s Love of Siam in that it owes more to queer indie than to BL.) 
Like early Chinese BL, Taiwanese BL owes a lot to the Japanese gay cinema and “the dark side of BL” (which I talked about in Japan’s entry in this series). There’s a lot of obsession, death, and even some kidnapping in Taiwanese stuff. It also tends to lean higher heat and use more mature actors (if not in character behavior and emotional maturity). 
It’s grittier than a lot of other BL, for lack of a better word. It’s settings and filming style is grungy, sticky, and raw (although not as much as the Philippines). It’s also overtly queerer. 
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Taiwan is great on their chemistry and workshopping to ensure sex and kissing appears authentic, possibly because they have one of the least homophobic cultures in Asia. 
Speaking of which, unlike other BL producing countries, Taiwan has something to prove. Gay marriage has been legal there since 2019 and they have been spearheading a supportive agenda and pro-queer messaging since 2017, which is GREAT and boy do they deserve to flex those (pretty pretty) muscles. (The platform GagaOOLala with all queer streaming content is based out of Taiwan.) 
Their 2017 BL microfilm Faded is so short and yet uses so many BL tropes in order to get across a strong message of inclusivity, and it was clearly made for Taiwan’s older generation in an effort to tip the marriage equality vote. (Yes, it’s a queer propaganda piece!) 
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That said, Taiwan’s BL is inconsistent in terms of length and HEA. 
With some series running short at only an hour or so total, like Korean BL, while others that go all the way up to 20 episodes or more (see HIStory’s season 3). They seem to have no set pattern, and as they don’t produce that many BLs in a year, no pattern seems to be forthcoming. 
They are a very small film production country in general, and with only one or two houses even intersted in making BL, we just don’t get much from Taiwan. However, what we do get tends to be high quality. They even came out with a quality historical gay drama, Your Name Engraved Herein (not HEA and not really BL so I don’t list it, but it is an excellent movie as a movie). 
Because of their tiny industry Taiwan is king of cameos. You will see the same actors over and over again, and often the same pairs in little nods (especially within the gay universe of, our goddess, Lin Pei Yu.) 
But Taiwan is inconsistent and bifurcated in their approach to BL, producing both light BL new wave (more like Thailand), and dark BL old style (more like Japan). 
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For example, 2021′s HIStory 4: Close to You proved divisive because it showcased both these story styles at once. Each one a classic example of BL’s yaoi roots: 
the side stepbrothers plot which has all the dark obsessive elements that gave us Japan’s favorite early oeuvre of “death and the murder gay” (dark BL)  contrasted to H4′s lighter more comedic... 
friends-to-lovers office fluff piece that feels a lot like Japan’s 2014 Docchi Mo Docchi decided to reboot itself in Mandarin, only as gay as it was always supposed to be (light BL) 
H4 is, in a way, Taiwan’s internal dialogue with its own style of BL and where it wants to go. Whether it is willing to go up against Korea in the arena of shorter run strong concept but ultimately happy new wave BL, as it did with We Best Love, or whether it wants to continue down the shadowy path of amorphous endings which risk a discontented fan base but garner critical acclaim as they did with HIStory 3 and Your Name Engraved Herein. 
You can all guess which path I’m hoping for. (Full H4 review here)
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Taiwan may be my favorite BL production sphere, it’s no accident that I chose them to cast and produce MY ULTIMATE FANTASY CAST AND BL MASTERPIECE. 
Here’s more on Taiwanese BL:
Taiwan’s relationship with BL and how they can more honestly represent gayness than some of the other BL producing countries (as well as mess with the seme/uke dynamic) as a result of local politics and marriage equality. 
Why Taiwan tends to gravitate towards taboo tropes. 
Here’s the Taiwanese BL industry casually flexing Taiwan’s marriage equality muscles.
Taiwan futzes with seme/uke  (and why) 
A Guide to the HIStory Franchise (and here I am Remaking the HIStory Franchise) and the damaging tropes within it 
Top Ten Best Kisses from Taiwanese BL 
This is part of a series on top 10 BLs from each country coupled with a history of BL. I try to keep it up to date but tumblr doesn’t make that easy. 
Japanese BL
Chinese BL
Taiwanese BL
Korean BL
Thai BL
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Where of watch it? Taiwanese BL usually launches and/or ends up on Viki (they are why I have a subscription). With very few exceptions, everything else is on GaGa, with soem of the very old stuff showing up on YouTube. 
ALL BLS OUT OF TAIWAN
That I have watched and rated, by date & then rating out of 10. Top ones highlighted. 
2006 Eternal Summer - 2 2012 Pair of Love - 3 2014 100 Apples - 4 2016 Friend or Lover - 6 2016 He's Out There Somewhere - 1 2017 HIStory: Obsessed - 8 2017 Red Balloon - 7 2017 HIStory: Stay Away From Me - 6 2017 HIStory: My Hero - 6 2017 Faded - 5 2017 We Are Gamily - 5 2017 Dark Blue and Moonlight - 3 2018 HIStory 2: Crossing the Line - 9 2018 HIStory 2: Right or Wrong - 8 2019 The Teacher - dnf 2019 HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count - 2 2019 HIStory 3: Trapped - 7 2019 Departure - 3 2019 Bro and Me Bro & Me - 3 2020 Because of You - 7 2020 Craving You - 5 2020 Our Memory - 3 2020 Your Name Engraved Herein - 2 2021 We Best Love No. 1 For You - 10 2021 We Best Love Fighting Mr. 2nd - 10 2021 Be Loved In House I Do - 9 2021 Love is Science? BL Cut - 9 2021 See You After Quarantine? - 8 2021 HIStory 4: Close to You - 8 2021 Papa & Daddy - 7 2021 My Type - 7 2021 Innocent - 5 2021 Light - 5 2021 Friend or Lover - 5 2021 The Immeasurable - 4 2021 The Immeasurable - 4 2022 Plus & Minus - 8 2022 DNA Says Love You - 8 2022 Papa & Daddy 2 - 6 2022 About Youth - 8 2022 HIStory5: Love In The Future - 7  2022 My Tooth Your Love - 8 2023 Stay By My Side - 8  2023 Kiseki: Dear to Me - ? 2023 You Are Mine - ? 
(This is as of Nov 2023. source)
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awsubsid-blog · 7 years ago
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Download Drama Korea Age of Youth 2 Subtitle Indonesia Sinopsis Drama Korea Age of Youth Season 2 Tepat setelah satu tahun setelah musim 1 dari “Age of Youth” Jin-Myung (Han Ye-Ri) berhasil menemukan pekerjaan setelah dia kembali dari China.
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justgeta · 2 years ago
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My kingdom for the princess 2 level 2.5
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#My kingdom for the princess 2 level 2.5 ps2
#My kingdom for the princess 2 level 2.5 torrent
Returning to the kingdom, he declined the offer of nobility from the king, and in return asked for a modest little home in which he could raise his daughter. He thus decided to raise the child as his own. After coming to, he was on the outskirts of the Demon Realm, with a little girl holding his hand. She asked her old friend to take the child and raise her with the humans, and enjoy a normal life as a human. It was there that he found Isabelle, standing beside a demon youth with a child in his arms. One day during his search, the man came upon an Oasis. He became the only one who still searched for her without fail, hoping to find her again. After ten years of searching, the men around him died and the name of Isabelle became a relic of the past. Desperate to save her, the King ordered an expedition into the Demon Realm to find her, her friend was also in this group. A dear friend of hers who traveled and battled with her was there on the day when she stopped the Demon King's army, but the two separated in that battle and Isabelle disappeared. The war stopped due to her efforts, and the kingdom has been saved. Her name was Isabelle, a skilled swordsman and a powerful magician. It was then that a hero stepped up and descended into the Demon Realms in order to convince the Demon King to stop by any means possible. The Human Kingdom was losing terribly, as the human soldiers couldn't stand up against the ranks of the Demon Army.
#My kingdom for the princess 2 level 2.5 torrent
A torrent of humans poured into the Demon Realm, causing the Demon King to break his silence and retaliated with war. However, the main source of this stone comes from the Realms of the Demons deep within a forest, and yet the people went on to mine regardless of the dangers. This lead to a revolution of enlightenment in magic, and people were trying to make money by harvesting these stones. Using a kind of magical stone, alchemists and magicians were able to make many inventions in the way of magic. The premise is that before the beginning of the game, magic had just been perfected in the Human Kingdom. The time might be later than Princess Maker 2 as the city looks a little closer to those from the Renaissance than those from the Middle Ages. The story takes place in a setting similar to Princess Maker 2, a fictitious location that resembles western Europe. Originally, the daughter in the game was a girl named Karen, who is now in Princess Maker Q.ĭisplay: VRAM 8MB / 640x480 Resolution / 16 Bit The Chinese localization made several changes to the game, one of which is the exclusion of the Best Friend/Girl endings in which your daughter presumably falls in love with one of the three possible friends in the game. Subsequently released as a part of Best Hit Selection by Jinx on March 14th, 2007. PC version released in China, released by Gamebridge Beijing. PS2 version released on December 2nd, 2005 in Korea and distributed by Gainax KO.
#My kingdom for the princess 2 level 2.5 ps2
PS2 version released on September 1st, 2005, distributed by Cyberfront in Japan, and PS2 Collector's Edition released on the same date, distributed by Jinx in Japan. PC version released on July 27th, 2005 by Gainax.
2.10.6 Best Friend Endings (J-PC/PSP only)ĭesigned as a joint venture between Gainax and GeneX, produced solely by GeneX.
Their appearances will play into the show’s exploration of Princess Diana’s death in 1997, William’s early relationship with Kate and other events from the 1990s.Ĭlaire Foy and Olivia Colman previously portrayed Queen Elizabeth across the first four seasons of “The Crown.” Overall, the show has won 21 Primetime Emmys - including Outstanding Drama and acting statues for both Foy and Colman - in its run thus far. Season 6 recently cast two actors to play a young Prince William and an actress to play a young Kate Middleton. New cast members also include Dominic West as Prince Charles, Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana, Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles and Jonny Lee Miller as Prime Minister John Major. Imelda Staunton will step into the lead role this season while Jonathan Pryce will assume the role of Prince Philip. As a result of the show’s decades-long scope, the main cast changes every two seasons. The show tracks Queen Elizabeth across her reign and the various historical events that helped shape up. The Queen’s death comes as “The Crown” Season 5 is set to premiere in November. Queen Elizabeth II, the UK’s Monarch for 70 Years, Dies at 96
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milikuna · 4 years ago
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Drakor Time....
Lagi rajin, makanya mau share lagi drama korea favorit sayaa yang tentunya jadul, wkw
Judulnya Age of Youth 2, tayang di JTBC th 2017. Sebenernya ada season 1 nya, dan ceritanya ada nyambung-nyambungnya gitu sama yang season 1 tapi enggak bakal bingung kok kalau cuma mau nonton yang kedua.
Seperti drakor lain, AoY 2 ini punya 14 episode. Ceritanya tentang 5 orang gadis muda yang ngontrak di sebuah rumah bernama Belle Epoque. Yoon sunbae,udah keterima kerja di sebuah agensi hiburan. Ye Eun, kuliah lagi setelah setaun cuti karena trauma di-abuse sm cowoknya (ada ceritanya di season 1). Song Ji Won, si mesum koplak yang mulai menggali ingatan masa lalu 'sepatu'nya. Eun Jae, putus doong sama pacarnya di season 1 dan belum bisa move oon. Plus anak baru Jo Eun yang misterius.
Ceritanya ringan dan hangat, nggak yang mikir-mikir plot twist gitu. Kisah cinta masing-masing karakter juga porsinya pas, cuma saya kepengen SungMin-JiWon beneran jadiaaan, kenapa dibikin friendzone doaaang...
Lagi-lagi di episode terakhir ada spoiler yang bikin banyak penonton bertanya-tanya ttg season 3, cuma sampai sekarang belum ada kejelasannya.
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shuadi99 · 4 years ago
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Kinda a part 2 to the post above
Age of youth:- it would be unfair on your own self if you dont watch age of youth. The story of 5 girls, living in a hostel/PG and going through different things in life and the ultimate portrayal of female friendships and the female psyche....its a must watch. Its two seasons long and although the second season came back in 2017, we still wait for the third.
Master's Sun :- one of the older k-dramas, it has every cliche you can ever think off.....from a rich boss to memory loss and though you might get irritated towards the end, the show isn't bad. The scary portrayals of ghosts which cease to be scary as the show progresses might even help you get over your ghost fears
The Secret life of my Secretary :- A boss who supposedly has attitude problems (where 🧐?) and gets unnecessarily close to a person who happens to be "only" his secretary, this is the cutest show I have watched after a LONG, LONG time. I was shocked it didn't get good ratings in korea. Like wut? Both the lead and the second lead couple are cute AF and Veronica Park is an icon. This is a show that left me craving for more and for the first time ever made me google more shows of the actors. Also the negative lead has the most irritating voice ever. If you're wondering, that's a good thing, makes you hate him more. 🤭
I'll also suggest a movie this time
Seducing Mr. Perfect- are you sick of not seeing new movies with those cute cliches, go back, watch this Daniel Henney's movie where the male lead speaks english the female speaks korean and together they make the perfect romcom.
Some K-drama suggestions for those wanting to start watching K-dramas
1) strong woman do bong soon -(start with this, it'll suck you right in)
2) my Gf is a gumiho- the cutest show to ever exist. I dont really revisit shows but this one I do
3) my introverted boss:- not lighthearted at all. Deals with a lot of issues but a good watch.
4)my father is strange :- you'll definitely relate to one character and keep watching for her/him if not for the story but honestly thats impossible cause the story is amazing with some amazing character developments. Perks if you are a lawyer or a law student you'll feel really proud.
5) her private life:- the best OST ever!!!!
6) the legend of the blue sea:- it has lee min ho and an amazing storyline with the cutest character of all time Tae Ho
Series not to watch
1) what's wrong with Secretary kim:- im sorry but this is the show that actually made me stop watching k dramas unless father is strange pulled me back in. This is unpopular opinion but it's just a badly written show in my opinion.
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kpopgerapitico · 7 years ago
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EOYR 2017: K-Dramas Part 1
I couldn’t do all the dramas I wanted to talk about (in depth) in one post. So here is the first one.
For this list, these dramas are decent. They are not the cream of the crop, and they all have issues. But for some reason (hint: it’s usually chemistry), at the end of the year looking back, I still love them.
So here, in no particular order. I decided to make a different format than my song stuff, because of course I should. So I borrowing a little bit from Dramabeans, and a little bit from Josei next Door (both of whom (or whoms? since Dramabeans is a bunch of people) do great work).
Strong Woman Do Bong Soon:
In A Sentence: Do Bong Soon is super strong, thus shenanigans ensue (and maybe some romance).
Steer Clear If: You cannot suspend disbelief (cause oh boy) or if you expect this to be your new feminist drama. It is not.
Comments:
There are some extraordinary parts of this drama. Namely Park Hyunsik throughout, though the lead Park Bo Young does some good work too. The romance is squee worthy in a lot of places. And it hits the notes you want from superhero dramas. It is really fun to have a beta male who is so in love with the lead, and doesn’t fear her strength quite as much as get turned on by it. Again, Park Hyunsik kills it, his face in this whole drama is both meme worthy as well as an epiphany for his acting skills. Some of the humor is also really good (the sandbags always get me, as well as the high school gang), and if you like low brow humor, there is quite a bit of that as well. Also, the soundtrack has the superpower girl sound, which is great, is one of the few songs that I remember from a drama well enough to sing it in my head without any prompting.
Then, there is the rest of this show. Boy is it a train wreck. There is a serial killer plot line that could be really good in a different super hero show (maybe Blade Man?), but is absolutely jarring. Jisoo plays a second lead that is never more than half-dimensional character. There is a caricature of a gay man played only for humor. There is some very possibly manipulative behavior from the lead guy to the girl. There is mentioned abuse between the mother and father, which is also played for comedy. There is a whole lot of stuff that makes me very unhappy with this show.
But then I remember how much I was crying while Ahn Min Hyuk refused to leave Do Bong Soon on the roof to die. Or how much it hurt every time Ahn Min Hyuk’s family was mean to him. Or how much I loved how confident Do Bong Soon was, and how much she fell from that, every once in a while.
And it reminds me that for all its faults, this show still managed to make me care. And that this year was quite a feat.
Age of Youth 2:
In A Sentence: The girls are back (for the most part), with more of the hi jinks of college, and life just after.
Steer Clear If: You like dramas that don’t disappoint you at the last possible second. Or you haven’t seen the first season (do it, it’s better).
Comments:
I love a lot about this series as a whole, and this season kept a lot of that up. Even if I had to fight with everyone else for subs. Han Yeri’s plot line still makes me very happy, even as she navigates another incredibly hard job this season. It makes me wonder why she isn’t in more dramas every year with how well she does. Han Seung Yeon’s character got her happy ending and it felt deserved. Kim Min Seok was the treasure we all know and love from Descendants of the Sun, this time cuter and more honest. Lee You Jin was also an epiphany this season, doing better in the role of awkward and uncomfortable in your own body than I think Onew would have. Choi A Ra’s character was one of the more background characters for me in remembering the show, but stands out for how she related to Kim Min Seok.
You may have noticed some names missing. The first, the first year couple from the first season, suffered from a recast and a re-characterization that also made no sense to me. No wonder he broke up with her as she went straight down the line to crazy town (she was literally being a stalker/overly attached ex through half the season).
Then comes my biggest gripe. There is AMAZING chemistry for the whole season (and a lot of last season) between Im Sung Min (Son Seung Won) and Song Ji Won (Park Eun Bin). We have all been waiting for them to get together for 2 WHOLE SEASONS!!!!! And what did the show do? Dangle the relationship in front of us, and leave us with NOTHING at the end. NOTHING!!!!!!!!
In the end, there is a lot to love about this show. I think this season especially gave us incredibly relatable women, and quite a few swoon worthy men as well. It enforced the community around the first season and helped it grow (my favorite part of the community is the subber who does the English subs on the JTBC Drama YouTube channel, they are amazing). And it showed us that everyone has similar problems to us, and deals with them just as poorly as we do.
While You Were Sleeping:
In A Sentence: A girl can’t stop the future deaths she sees in her sleep, but maybe with some help she can.
Steer Clear If: You expect things to always makes sense (cause they don’t) or you expect a procedural to keep you interested in the week to week plot (it really isn’t all that great)
Comments:
While You Were Sleeping is two different shows smashed into one. One of the shows, the rom com starring Suzy and Lee Jong Suk, works always and forever because their chemistry is adorable. The other show, a crime procedural about a girl who can the the future deaths of others? I really really really want it to work, and it is a bummer that it doesn’t really work all that well at all.
The plot is convoluted as all get out. And more importantly, it’s sort of boring in a lot of parts. Or maybe it just isn’t for me. Maybe I just don’t care about the inner workings of law in Korea.
But, if you leave the plot out, and instead look at the directing and the characters, it is a good drama. There is a whole lot of great emotional punches, most if not all of which hit. There is a great plot about brotherly love. There is a great plot about a guy and a girl just being friends, and the guy for the most part doesn’t get bent out of shape about the fact that she doesn’t have feelings for him. And most of the show, he really doesn’t have feelings either.
And there is Suzy and Lee Jong Suk’s characters, whose personalities are both half confidence, half embarrassing misunderstandings. It makes for prime rom-com territory. I especially like all the times they put their respective feet in their mouths. It had me laughing every time.
And the emotional hits do well too, with tears when it was appropriately sad, and laughter when it was funny. What more can you ask for from your entertainment.
Suspicious Partner:
In A Sentence: A lawyer in training becomes a murder suspect, but it’s a rom com.
Steer Clear If: You get annoyed when plot becomes more important than characters.
Comments:
I rewatched most of this show in preparation to write this. And at first, I could not realize why I remember only liking this show. It was so good. It hits all my favorite rom com notes: witty banter, respect between the two leads (both of opinions and often emotions), characters that call each other out (or even themselves in the case of the lead women stalking the lead guy), and everyone else shipping them too.
But then the 3rd act happens. And there is a whole lot of crap. There is noble idiocy. There is characters holding things back from each other. There is Ji Chang Wook being a badass (the only highlight of this section). There are characters suddenly acting differently for no other reason than it makes the plot work. It goes off the rollers.
But the first 30 or so episodes? They are pretty amazing. There is a friendship between a guy and a girl! And there is never a crush or love line between them! And they use that closeness to make the main guy jealous! Hell, he gives her chocolate for that purpose, or maybe just because he is legitimately nice.
Also, the funniest thing I have seen in a drama this year happened in this drama. There is a scene (mild but obvious spoiler) where the main couple reveals themselves to the moms. And the best friend and office guy (he has more personality than that I promise) pretend to be shocked. And I watched it over and over again, giggling every single time.
School 2017:
In A Sentence: It is hard to succeed in a high school ruled by money and grades, but damn it Ra Eun Ho is going to try!!!
Steer Clear If: You aren’t a fan of the school series, or high school dramas in general, because this uses all of the tropes, good and bad.
Comments:
School 2017 is a return to form of the School franchise after the train wreck of 2015 (I didn’t watch 2015 because I waited long enough for it to have bad reviews and thus stop me from watching). And boy does it do the return well. It has the romance you want from a school drama, adorable and cute in every way, as well as the bromance we all loved from School 2013. It has the wonderful discovery of Kim Sejeong in a role that she absolutely destroyed at, and most of the rest of the young cast also doing super well (I liked Kim Jung Hyun a lot and Min Sung Wook was rudely underutilized).
My one and only problem with School 2017 is that it wanted to do just a few too many plots. It meant that they couldn’t go very deep into any of them. I loved most of the plot, but I can’t fully get behind a series that never gets the full depth of everything. I especially didn’t like that the best friend got super shafted in her plot line, especially since she had some cute buildup in the beginning where they could have made some astute commentary about fan culture, and then they threw that away because they didn’t have time for it with the main storyline getting so complex and large. It was a waste of what could have been a cute part of the show.
But, School 2017 is still a good show, with endearing characters. It reminded me of Sassy Go Go in the best way possible. It made me remember high school fondly, which is hard to do, and exactly what I want from this franchise.
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