#jung man bok

[quillinhand]

if I had a nickel for every time I watch a kdrama and become rapidly obsessed with the imaginary relationship of side characters in the drama- who weren't interested canonically, have/had different partners, are not gay(as far as the writers know), have like two scenes together, and ultimately don't care that much about each other/ aren't onscreen much together- I wouldn't have much but it's really really weird that it has happened thrice.

[dilebe06]

My Favorite Male Characters

[iris-sistibly]

Throughout the years, King Cheoljong and Queen Cheorin ruled Joseon together. Peace reigned for many years, the country prospered, their people were happy, and so were the royal couple. The heavens blessed them with five healthy and handsome princes, and they have been happier than ever.

However, a couple of months before their 10th year of marriage, they found out that the queen has conceived once more, and on that very same day when her mother and father got married, the princess came into the world.

Of course, the kingdom rejoiced...

Lady Choi however, had mixed emotions, she dreaded the day that a tiny Kim So-yong would come into this world. The queen was already a handful, then the crown prince came. After that, a series of pregnancies and childbirths which brought the second, third, fourth and fifth princes, all born within the decade.

The queen didn't really expect to fall pregnant again, but Lady Choi did, especially when her majesty swore not to conceive again...a vow she makes every single damn time she gives birth. In all fairness, the queen loves all of her children more than life itself, perhaps she just hated the whole pregnancy process. The older lady couldn't blame her, no mother enjoys the nausea and vomiting, being sensitive to everything, weird food cravings, feeling tired all the time, back pains and so on. Not to mention the endless pre-natal education which she already memorized by now, and of course, labor pains and actual childbirth are always the worst.

The king had been supportive of course, always making sure to provide everything his wife needs, comforting her, being with her at the birthing bed while enduring her loud mouth (Lady Choi lost count on how many times the queen cussed her husband while pushing their child into the world). However, when the princess was finally born they were ecstatic, she inherited her mother's beauty. But Lady Choi swore she heard the king mumble a prayer for her daughter to NOT inherit her mother's...unusual personality, at least not all of it. For the record, each of his sons had gotten some of the queen's traits, but he has a feeling that the princess is going to inherit much more.

The royal couple always say that their children are the most wonderful gifts they've ever received, but for the nannies who look after the royal children, it's a nightmare. The chaos brought about by five young boys in the palace has become a normal thing, so it's no longer surprising for someone who sees or comes across a nanny running after or frantically looking for a royal child. They're at their wits end, and who understands them better than Lady Choi herself? That explains why she and the royal cook have been getting more company at the bamboo forest.

"I'll give her a year, when the princess learns how to walk, the new nanny will be joining us," said Man-bok.

Lady Choi scoffed, "Oh please, the moment the princess starts to crawl it will be hell for the nanny, I'd say it's about seven months," she said with confidence.

Placing a bet for how long a nanny would last until they snap had been the old couple's habit since the birth of the king's heir. So far, Lady Choi had a more precise prediction than the royal cook.

It wasn't long after they heard rustles, like someone was coming. To their surprise it was the new nanny, she looked like she hadn't slept for days and was clearly exhausted. "Oh my are you alright? You seemed so stressed out," the royal cook worriedly asked.

The new nanny looked like she was about to cry, "The princess is driving me insane! She really doesn't like me."

"How can you say that?" it was Lady Choi's turn to ask.

"She's the calmest baby when she's with her parents, but when she's with me she won't stop crying and squirming! And her brothers..."

"Why? What did the princes do?"

"They said their sister despises me," the nanny said miserably.

"Those little rascals," Man-bok muttered under his breath.

"Well...children do prefer to be with their parents than other people, the crown prince was like that when he was a baby," said the first prince's nanny, "Just give it some time, she'll get attached to you. I'm not saying it'll get easier after that, no way. In my case, I've been hearing complaints from some elders saying that the first prince is arrogant. But he's not, he's actually confident and assertive, kind, wise and just, he has all the qualities of a king this country needs."

The other nannies joined the conversation. The second child prefers being outdoors (meaning he escapes from the palace almost all the time which stresses the shit out of his guards and nannies), but his adventurous side has made him brave, bold, and street smart. The third born is a smooth talker, he knows how to get himself out of trouble with words, but he is the most level-headed and a true gentleman. The fourth son is usually quiet and prefers to read or practice calligraphy, but when he talks he is very direct and brutally honest. The fifth son, the youngest prince and a ball of energy can already identify almost all of the ingredients used to prepare their meals and likes to banter with the royal cook, however he is also the sweetest and most loving among the siblings.

They may differ in personalities but if there's one thing the boys have in common, it's their love for the king and queen. They have immense respect for their father and they take good care of their mother even at such a young age. Lady Choi commends how the king and queen are raising their children.

"The royal children aren't who you'd expect them to be, but when you really think of it, they're just...children," said the nanny to the second prince.

"They're not perfect, but seeing them grow into fine young princes, you'll realize that our job isn't so bad after all." said the fifth prince's nanny.

"Come to think of it, it's actually amusing how the queen birthed six charming yet mischievous babies, isn't it royal cook?" asked Lady Choi.

"Oh Lady Choi, we have the king to thank for their charms, and their mischievousness? We all know where they got it from."

They all laughed, the bamboo forest had been a safe space for Lady Choi since coming into the palace. It also brought her and Man-bok together, and now the nannies whom they have formed a close friendship with. At least now Lady Choi and the royal cook know that they aren't the only ones who are losing their minds yet still continue to serve the royal family as best as they could.

"But if it really bothers you dear child, you may let all of your feelings out, it will be our little secret," Lady Choi winked at her.

The new nanny nodded, took a deep breath and yelled as loud as she could. With her newfound friends and the bamboo trees as witnesses, "I can't wait until the princess gets older," Man-bok whispered to Lady Choi, they both snickered as they watched the poor young woman pour out her emotions.

She sure has a lot to rant about, and probably more in the future.

The Bamboo Forest (by: Iris)

*

This fanfic is solely based on the KDrama, Mr. Queen and has nothing to do with the real Cheoljong and Cheorin, as well as Korea's history.

Also, this has been sitting in my drafts for a couple of weeks. I've been imagining what Cheoljong and Cheorin's (from the show) kiddos would be like since I kinda feel sad that I didn't get to see their baby be born but...oh well.

[ruruumin]

my fairy

₊˚ ᗢ jung joon-hyung! scaramouche x kim bok-joo!reader.

⤷ inspired by weightlifting fairy kim bok-joo, 1.6k wc.

it felt like destiny brought the two of you together. that fateful day you slammed into him while he was riding his bike, completely knocking him off balance as you apologized profusely. you bowed in front of him several times until you realized he started to huff under his breath, a roll in his eyes had you quickly reeling your head. you stood up straight, noting that he wasn’t taller than you in comparison. slightly shorter than most boys you’ve seen. what sport did he play? based on that uniform, he looked like he went to the same school as you. 

he angrily cusses you out, asking for you to watch where you’re going. he said: “you must be deaf and blind not to see me on the road.” your friends stared at him in shock as you immediately glared at him in response, calling him out on his attitude before he jumped back onto his bike, speeding off in a hurry. you curse at him, calling him an entitled brat despite knowing well he won’t hear you. 

before you can leave the scene, you notice a fallen handkerchief. with the lace trimming and soft purple color, you think it’d be too girly to be his. and yet you tuck it into your pocket with a sigh. 

the next day was awful. in the morning, you find out that you lost your lucky t-shirt. you’ve always kept it since you were an elementary school kid. it would always give you good luck before your tournaments. and now it’s suddenly missing. you searched in your closet frantically, pulling out every article of clothing you could to no avail. it was gone. 

during lunch, a few ribbon dancers came to your table, snickering about how much you ate that day. you couldn’t help yourself. the morning was stressful enough, and it just so happened that they were serving your favorite meal today. you wanted a little bit of comfort during your time of distress. your friends nudge you with their elbow, stopping you from flicking food onto their expensive, tight jackets. you dislike them. and wouldn’t be surprised if they were the ones who stole your t-shirt. they’ve always been up to something. 

the cherry on top was having to chase down the underwear thief you saw lurking around the girls’ dorm. to your surprise and horror, you saw the rude biker in front of you. with wide eyes, you scream, pointing at him before charging forward with the intent of tackling him. how dare he steal your t-shirt! and possibly some other women's underwear! you never thought of him as a disgusting pervert but the evidence felt so clear. the same build and hoodie was enough to tell you it was the same man. he withdrew a breath as he struggled to climb back the makeshift rope his roommate made. you drag him by his hoodie, eventually ripping it off of him as you called out into the darkness, hoping someone would help you. 

but he wasn’t the thief. you and he stood in front of the administrators in their office. your hands squeezing each other tightly as you nervously try to explain that what you saw earlier was not a dream. you swore this man stole your clothes. why else would he be out so late? the rude, navy-haired man stared you down while you only rolled your eyes, dismissing another rude comment. you demanded that he give you back your t-shirt, not believing his story whatsoever. he shook his head, asking you to give him an apology instead. you swore you felt steam escape from your ears at this. 

this was not the end of the underwear thief as you and your friends were putting away chairs from your school event, you noticed one of the staff member’s shirts lifting, revealing a lacy, red underwear. he smiled eerily at you before grabbing the plastic chair in your hands, trying to intimidate you. however, your friends screamed loud enough for the others to arrive on the scene, taking him away in a blaring police car. you sighed as you held onto your t-shirt, looking down at the fabric as you wondered if you owed that rude biker an apology.

luckily (or possibly unlucky) for you, you learned very quickly that he was part of the swim team. but the man had a royally bad attitude. you found out from a few other people that while he was attractive, he had a nasty personality to boot. you showed up at the school pool, hoping to find him lurking around with the other team members. you wanted to give him an apology for accusing him of stealing your shirt and return his handkerchief. you even went as far as to wash it for him. he calls out to you and you twist your body to face him, a cocky smirk is spread across his face. he slowly walks towards you, a towel hanging over his neck as he stares you down. 

“a short, attractive, dark-haired boy,” he says, “not the most detailed description of me but at least you got the attractive part right. you must be looking for me then.” you sigh under your breath. holding out his handkerchief with a bit of hesitance, telling him you washed it last night. 

he quickly snatches it out of your hand, scowling at you once more as he raises his voice, asking you why you washed it. when he took a step forward, you stepped back, accidentally slipping into the pool. he groans in annoyance, watching you struggle before diving in and shoving you onto the surface. how unromantic. when you brushed off his touch, you left immediately, feeling humiliated as his teammates burned holes into your back. he stared at the back of your figure, seeing you shiver as your athletic jacket dripped with water. he crosses his arms over the edge of the pool, wondering why you seemed familiar. 

three days after this encounter, you were sitting with your friends in the cafeteria when he suddenly interrupted your conversation by sitting next to you. he didn’t say a word and only ate his food, once in a while, he’d glance up at you. your friends raise an eyebrow at his behavior, subtly asking you if you know him. you continued to eat, shoving the rest of the curry in your mouth before opening your yakult. letting out a deep sigh, you notice that he placed his own next to yours. “do you not want yours?” you asked, nervously taking it. 

“people like you always eat the most, so why don’t you have it?” why did you even think he was nice? how rude. you crinkled your eyebrows for a moment. you scoffed. setting down the drink, you packed up your things and took your tray, leaving everyone at the table. 

what is wrong with this guy? he went from despising you to somehow following you around like a lost puppy. he’d make short snappy comments to you. whether it be about another person down the street wearing the most horrific outfit known to man. or about your choice of clothes when you sneak out of the dorms. as much as he’s kind of irritating, you slowly get used to his bratty nature. it felt nice having someone around who didn’t question your feelings. especially when it came to your realization that your team coach had to cut costs because of the lack of funding. you’ve felt a heavy weight on your heart ever since you saw your coach try in her office, trying to keep everything together for your friends.

he started to show up more often at your family’s chicken restaurant. he doesn’t like oily chicken and yet he’s seen ordering the same box meal every time. your father was beginning to think he liked you. what a farfetched idea though. you could never see yourself dating him in a million years! he was a short, sharp-tongue swimmer who didn’t care about anyone but himself. and yet you let this perception of him change you. 

it was late at night, just barely before curfew that the two of you were talking beside a small waterfall. he asked you about your commitment to weightlifting and the sport, giving you his 2 cents about the sport. you raised your eyebrow, surprised to know that he went out of his way to understand your sport. most of the other people there saw it as nothing but an eating challenge between members, and that was because you had to maintain your weight or gain weight. 

you start seeing him more often. maybe a little too much to the point you’ve had to hide underneath the table of the convenience store. the two of you were just going out for some instant ramen. when the two of you saw one of the counselors roaming around, grabbing a coffee from the front, he pulled you under the bar table. you were so close to him. you could feel his breath on the surface of your lips. you stayed in this position until his eyes shifted over to the window, seeing the counselor leave. when he moves up, he hits the back of his head on the table, a soft squeal coming out of him as you instinctively reach out, brushing his hair as he winces. what a cute sound, you tell yourself. he successfully escapes, holding out his hand as you take it, hitting your head on the way out.

truthfully, maybe your heart skipped a beat a little when you both had to run back to the dorms, the adrenaline rush that coursed through your veins made you look at him a little differently. 

[prbni]

Chemistry between actors was amazing, but the storyline tho... in KDrama

Kang Sora as Oh Hara and Jung Seungjo as Goo Eun Beom in Strangers Again: the story ruined everything

Lee Jaewook as Baek Kyung and Kim Hye Yoon as Eun Dan Oh in Extraordinary You:only if Baek Kyung wasn't written as a red flag by the manhwa writer

Jeon Doyeon as Gil Bok Soon and Koo Kyo hwan as Han Hee Seong in Kill Bok Soon: the storyline was good for a crime thriller but unfortunate for them

Moon Sangmin as Lee Jihan and Jeon Jong Seo as Na Ah Jung in Wedding Impossible :they get happy ending but the storyline was messy imo

Lee Jaewook as Han Tae Oh and Choi Hee Jin as Kang Hee Joo in The Impossible Heir : yall know why. Everything in this drama was messed up except the chemistry between these two actors

Ki Do Hoon as Yangcha and Kim Ji Won as Tanya in Arthdal Chronicles: basically Kim Ji Won has chemistry with everyone she acts alongside

Lee Jae In as Lee Yoon Seo and Cha Woo Min as Ko Kyung Jun in Night Has Come: honestly I didn't even consider them before I saw all those edits on YT

Go Youn Jung as Jung Jisoo and Seo In Guk as Kim Seong Hyeop in Death's Game: even the smallest moments between them was enough to establish how beautiful chemistry they had

Lee Dohyun as Go Chang Myung and IU as Jang Man Wol in Hotel Del Luna: one of the best pairings in a KDrama to exist

[he-is-lightning-in-a-bottle]

No wonder this feels so familiar!

I started The Midnight Romance in Hagwon tonight, mostly because of the cast (in particular Jung Ryeo Won, Wi Ha Joon, Kim Jung Young, Kil Hae Yeon, Oh Man Seok, and Yoon Bok In) and the noona romance. I immediately clocked the directorial style, so headed over to MDL to check it out.

And wouldn't you know it, it's from the same director, cinematographer, and composer as One Spring Night and Something In the Rain! The only thing different is the writer, which can actually make a big difference as far as themes and pacing and finales go. This writer for Hagwon has never been the head writer for a drama before, so I don't know what to expect in that regard. (I wouldn't be surprised if they were an Assistant Writer on those other two dramas though, given that this feels very much like a 'let's get the team back together' kind of situation.)

Anyhow, I am beyond stoked and very much looking forward to taking my time to enjoy this since it's been FIVE LONG YEARS since this stellar team made a drama!!

[zalrb]

20. What is the purest ship in the fandom?

More so some of your favorite pure ships in different fandoms.

kdramas to the front

Joon-hyung and Bok-joo, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo

Dong Man and Ae Ra, Fight for my Way

Joon-hee and Jin-ah, Something in the Rain

Jung-rok and Yoon-seo, Touch Your Heart

Jeong-hyeok and Se-ri, Crash Landing On You

Eun-ho and Tae Woon, School 2017

This scene happened

because offscreen the male lead did this

OK moving on ...

Matt and Julie, FNL

Oz and Willow, BTVS

Even and Isak, SKAM

Pacey and Andie, Dawson's Creek

Jake and Amy, Brooklyn Nine Nine

Andy and April, Parks and Rec

Hasil and Sally-Ann, Outsiders

Papi and Angel, Pose

Veronica and Kevin, Shameless

Beth and Randall, This Is Us

Poppy and Douglas, Single Parents

[chhagiya]

Unpopular Opinion time:

(This is my opinion. If you don’t agree with me, I fully understand and I don’t have any problem with that. In the past, I have been harassed because some people disagreed with something that I posted purely as a joke. I respect everyone’s point of view)

Sometimes when people grow up in same sex environment as a child, they tend to be more comfortable with that sex. For example, if someone grew up in girl’s only school, then they tend to be more comfortable around girls rather than guys. When someone grows up in boys only school, they tend to be more comfortable around guys compare to girls. And this is often carried in adulthood.

I think Moon Jo is like that too. He grew up in an environment where there were mostly guys. We don’t know much about his childhood. We just know he grew up in an orphanage where Eom Bok Soon was director. So I’m guessing it was a catholic orphanage ( given Eom Bok Soon appears to be closely related to church). Catholic orphanages( especially in the 90s or so) often used to be very strict and most likely not co-Ed. If that is the case, then he probably didn’t have that much exposure to women or girls other than Eom Bok Soon. She was a mother figure to Moon Jo and she tortured him. So obviously that scarred him. It’s very likely that he didn’t have a loving childhood or maternal love for that matter. And his friends, roommates or classmates would have been all boys. So it’s likely that for these reasons, he is more comfortable around guys compared to women. I don’t think it’s his sexuality. It’s just the way he grew up.

Moon Jo is 100% attracted to Jung Woo, there’s no denying that. But I don’t think he is exclusively or strictly gay. Straight, Gay, Bi… these labels mean a person is in general attracted to opposite and/or same sex. Straight people are in general attracted to opposite sex, Gay people are attracted in general to same sex and Bi people are attracted in general to both sexes. Moon Jo is none of these. Seo Moon Jo is annoyed by most people in general. Jung Woo is an exception. I don’t think he was that attracted to Ki Hyuk. Moon Jo and Ki Hyuk were more like Boss and Boss’s right hand man rather than lovers. Other than Jung Woo, he finds most people to be uninteresting, boring and/or annoying. So in my opinion, none of the usual labels are applicable for him.

I think, Moon Jo’s attraction doesn’t depend on a person’s gender or sex at all. If he is emotionally and psychologically attracted to someone, he will be attracted to that person. If his mind is attracted, his body would follow. In my opinion, if Yoon Jung Woo was a woman with same mindset, same personality, same instincts and same madness, Moon Jo would still be attracted to that person. If Jung Woo was an alien from a different planet, he would still be attracted to him. I believe the terms for that are Demisexual or Sapiosexual ( I often joke he’s Jungwoosexual). I don’t want to label Moon Jo in any way, he’s too complex to put a definition on him. But if I had to define his sexuality to some extent, I would say, in a broad sense, he’s Demisexual or Sapiosexual.

[elderflowergin]

3 K-drama moments (January edition)

1. Kim Hae-sook expressing her rage at a young Japanese officer in full satoori and banmal in Gyeongseong Creature. Until this point she has been a capable right hand to Park Seo-joon, restrained, deadly efficient and completely unshakeable. But long-simmering fears and frustrations are boiling over everywhere in Gyeongseong and elsewhere, resulting in this atypical, shocking conversation with a junior officer who sympathises with them but cannot bridge the colonial gap. Language is so significant in this genre, and it’s so visceral when Kim Hae-sook openly vents to this man in her own language, in her own dialect.

Gyeongseong Creature is a pretty dark take on human experimentation, the last gasp of colonial horrors in a dying empire and the endurance of community. Park Seo-joon (and Han So-hee to a lesser extent) have to be the heroes; nonetheless the story understands that liberation is won not by strong-jawed men who talk pretty, but by community, by ordinary people doing extraordinary things together.

Kdrama has a wealth of supporting actors and it's no different here, with Jo Han-cheol, Kang Mal-geum, the aforementioned Kim Hae-sook, Claudia Kim and lovely, lovely Kim Yoon-woo in an affecting subplot (you might have seen him as Ryang Eum in My Dearest). Hate that Netflix made this one a cliffhanger, but they got me. Now, please give us a grown up romance with Jo Han-cheol in it. Our man's earned it.

2. Jung Jin-young’s vividly joyous sex life with his partner played by Yang Mal-bok in LTNS. The astonishing tenderness of their meeting, their love story and the joy he has brought to her arid, parched life are all so well-done that I had a lump in my throat throughout the episode.

This show took atypical love and affair stories, the sort we tend to mock or criticise - the plain girl sleeping with the married colleague, the fiftysomethings rediscovering their zest for life in each other’s bodies, the married lipstick lesbian who keeps coming back into her ex’s life - and offered so much kindness and love in the writing and the framing of those stories. @drivingsideways remarked that it was so different from anything Kdrama has given us, and that is completely correct.

Esom and Ahn Jae-hong were beyond excellent as a troubled couple that maybe shouldn't have married all those years ago - people who were maybe always a little too different, and then papered over their differences with the routines of matrimony. I suspect this was all too real to appeal to the general audience and I don't think this is going to be nomination-heavy. But it deserves to be.

3. Hwa-rok running from the handsome Officer Jeong in the brilliantly written The Matchmakers. The youngest sister in the famously unmarried trio of Namsan, Hwa-rok is a very relatable babe who really wants to get married! Get a husband! Have SEX! - and manifests this through her popular erotica series. The bond between Hwa-rok and the shy, upright officer whose first introduction to her is all the erotica she writes is one of the most adorable plots on this incredibly cute show.

I have several feelings about The Matchmakers, namely that it is the rare romance I respect despite the minimal chemistry between the leads. The writing was top-notch and the lead acting didn't quite live up to it - this is not a criticism of Cho Yi-hyun or Rowoon, but rather a testament to the sheer wealth of talent in Kdrama and how accustomed we've become to actors elevating material. Rowoon surprisingly grew on me in this, with his physicality and his looks somehow making Gyeongwoonjae indelible despite his iPhone-knowing face. I might do a separate post on this yet, but it was absolutely worth the watch, and all of you were right, especially @haraxvati who bravely advocated for Rowoon's talents.

[fake-married-my-dead-fiance]

Categorizing Parent-related Trauma for male and female leads in Kdramas:

Orphans: Lee Hong-jo (Destined With You) Moon Gang-tae (It's Okay to Not be Okay) Moon Sang-tae (It's Okay to Not be Okay) Ha-ru (Extraordinary You) Naksu/Cho Yeong (Alchemy of Souls) Tak Dong-kyung (Doom at Your Service) Nam Ji-ah* (Tale of the Nine Tailed) Cheon Sa-Rang (King the Land) Jang Man-wol (Hotel del Luna) Yoon Yi-seo (100 Days My Price) Kang Young-hwa (Moon in the Day) Kim Do-ha (Moon in the Day) So Mun (The Uncanny Counter) Do Ha-na (The Uncanny Counter) Kang Tae-moo (Business Proposal) Kang Tae-ha (The Story of Park's Marriage Contract, present version) Lee Heon (The Forbidden Marriage) Do Do-hee (My Demon) Ji Eun-tak (Guardian: The Great and Lonely God) Na Bong-seon (Oh My Ghost) Kang Cheol (W: Two Worlds) Do Da-hae (The Atypical Family) Yeom Hae-sang (Revenant) Jeong Ji-an (A Shop for Killers) Shin Jae-rim (Dreaming of a Freaking Fairytale) Kim Ji-uk**** (No Gain No Love)

Half Orphans with loving remaining parent: Eun Dan-oh (Extraordinary You) Koo Chan-sung (Hotel del Luna) Ye So-ran (The Forbidden Marriage) Nam Ha-neul (Doctor Slump) Yu Ji-hyck (Marry My Husband) Kang Hee-soo (Captivating the King) Choi Yi-jae (Death's Game) Im Sol (Lovely Runner) Ryu Sun-jae (Lovely Runner) Lee Chang (Kingdom) Lee Geum, Prince Yeoning (Haechi) Gu San-yeong (Revenant) Son Hae-yeong (No Gain No Love)

Half Orphan + Remaining Parent is THE WORST: Jang Uk (Alchemy of Souls) Kim Do-ha (My Lovely Liar) Lee Yul (100 Days My Price) Ahn Min-hyuk (Strong Woman Bong-Soon) Seo Mok-ha (Castaway Diva) Gong Tae-seong (Sh**ting Stars) Kang Tae-ha (The Story of Park's Marriage Contract, past version) Yi In (Captivating the King) Kang Ji-won (Marry My Husband) Kang Sun-woo (Oh My Ghost)

Parents (at least one) are THE WORST but Both Are Still Alive: Jang Shin-yu (Destined With You) Han Yi-joo (Perfect Marriage Revenge) Ko Mun-young** (It's Okay to Not be Okay) Mok Sol-hee (My Lovely Liar) Gu Won (King the Land) Crown Prince Lee Hwi/Dam-yi/Yeon-seon (The King's Affection) Do Bong-soon (Strong Woman Bong-Soon) Woo Young-woo (Extraordinary Attorney Woo)*** Jung Ji-woon (The King's Affection) Kang Bo-geol/Lee Ki-ho (Castaway Diva) Yeo Jeong-woo (Doctor Slump) Hong Hae-in (Queen of Tears) On Eun-yoo (Twinkling Watermelon) Oh Yeon-joo (W: Two Worlds) Yoon Ji-ho (Because This Is My First Life) Nam Se-hee (Because This Is My First Life) Bok Gwi-ju (The Atypical Family) Moon Cha-min (Dreaming of a Freaking Fairytale)

Immortal Being that Still Somehow has Parent Issues: Myul Mang/Doom (Doom at your Service) Lee Yeon & Lee Rang (Tale of the Nine Tailed) Jeong Gu-won (My Demon)

Added trauma flavour: Parent was murdered in front of them (**Still counts if they survived the murder Parent tried to murder them Dying from seemingly incurable disease which makes their parents/guardian sad (If your parents are alive, you must pay for it by dying yourself) Adoptive parent/stepparent is THE WORST

Somehow has normal, alive parents: Lee Jun-ho (Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Has no backstory at all. We only meet his older sister and hear nothing about his childhood.) Shin Ha-ri (Business Proposal, her family is refreshingly normal, right down to her brother being sent out to find her when she's drunk) Oh Han-byeol (Sh**ting Stars, Again, we know almost nothing about her family, only that she has twin sisters. But she doesn't appear to have childhood trauma.) Park Yeon-woo (The Story of Park's Marriage Contract, her mom being annoyed at her for something that is a crime doesn't count as bad parenting) Lee Young-joon/Sung-hyun (What's Wrong with Secretary Kim, his trauma comes from a kidnapper, his parents faced a pretty impossible situation and did their best. They clearly love their kids) Baek Hyun-woo (Queen of Tears, nothing wrong with them out of the ordinary and they are in the drama a significant amount.) Ha Eun-gyeol (Twinkling Watermelon, very loving parents and the deafness and their reliance on him is not anyone's fault)

*Counting her as an orphan even though she gets her parents back after 20 years, she spent her childhood orphaned. ***This character is tricky because I understand why her mother wanted nothing to do with her, but her trying to manipulate the dad and also saying he didn't raise her properly made me so angry. ****This character is tricky because he was explicitly raised as an orphan by his grandma, his father didn't sign his birth certificate (Korean equivalent of this), and he's registered as the child of his grandmother, not his actual mom. His grandma is dead by the beginning of the series and he is living alone without family, so I think he counts as an orphan.

Uncatagorized due to lack of clarity on parents: Soundtrack #1, Hospital Playlist, Happiness

[namjhyun]

DRAMA REVIEW | MOVING (2023)

In a time when we are suffering from an over-saturation of content and less than mediocre stories, particularly related to people with superpowers, South Korea has released MOVING and proved there's still hope for the genre.

Like its tittle the story is in constant move, not only pushing forward but going back to different timelines to give us context o our main characters and how the things happening in present time are a direct consequence to the past. Technically, MOVING is perfect. One of the strongest points is definitely the editing and this can be seen in the way the story jumps from one year to another but you never lose track of what's happening nor leaves you confused. There are gaps to fill but with other episodes that will give you answers. The score complements the actions and emotions of the characters to perfection.

The performances are top notch and it's not surprise considering this drama is stacked. If you have been watching korean dramas or films for a while, you will recognize even the most random character or one-episode-cameo it's performed by an award winning actor or actress. These people have a reputation for a reason and they deliver in every scene, with a look, a touch, a smile or a punch that will push you through a wall. For some characters in the drama literally speaking.

Zo In Sung hasn't starred in a drama since Dear My Friends (2016) and I am so glad this is his return to the tv format. In MOVING he delivered a nuance, charming and badass performance that in the hands of another would have fell flat. His character's entire existence it's what pushes most of the story forward: a person used as a weapon to kill but all he ever wanted was to live. The big mystery of the drama it's to find out what was his fate after he got separated from those he loves.

Ryoo Seung Ryong remains one of the most compelling actors of his generation, giving us the incredible story of a good man lost in life until he found his purpose and redemption. His storyline, full of gore and violence, was actually a tender love story about how far a man will go to protect his family. Marvelous.

Han Hyo Joo's character could have easily fallen into the Smurfette principle but no. She's an equal to the men who love her and those that want to kill her, with a very strong motivation to keep herself on the top of the game. This character's loneliness comes through every scene she's in, bottling everything up in order to be strong for her family but you can tell she's waiting for a chance to be free and, most importantly, for her son to be able to live freely.

Ko Yoon Jung, Lee Jeong Ha and Kim Do Hoon are really promising actors, particularly considering they hold their own while performance with so many household names. I think Kim Do Hoon and Kim Sun Kyun probably gave one of the most heartbreaking yet beautiful stories in the drama.

Like I mentioned before every single actor in this drama brought their A+ game face but I would be doing a disservice if I didn't mention Kim Hee Won, Cha Tae Hyun, Ryoo Seung Bum, Park Hee Soon, Yang Dong Geun, Jo Bok Rae, Park Kwang Jae, Kim Joong He and, of course, Kwak Sun Young. She in particular was SPECTACULAR.

None of these characters are one-dimensional, they are not defined by the label society wants to put on them. They are all joined together by the experiences, hardships, love, motivations and ambitions they share. At the end of the day, related or not by blood, they are a family. Even the so-called enemies.

MOVING it's absolutely worthy of the hype that surrounds it through all social media and news outlets putting in the category of one of 2023 best tv shows. I only regret I didn't have the time to watch it sooner so I could have add it to mine.

[survivalistghost]

it's time for

sh**ting stars !

look at them.

i will never understand why it's censored.

welcome back to unwanted reviews <3 today we're talking about shooting stars, a series that is not well known but one of the best ones out there.

we've got our fighter oh han byul and rich hot traumatised gong tae sung, college (?) friends but working enemies transition to (obviously) lovers.

i. well-placed transition between friendship to crush to love to hatred to love again from both the sides, tbh. it was difficult to see han byul feel anything during the first few episodes but loved the way lee sung kyung brought her to life. han byul was treated as a proper working woman, who was not some miracle worker or anything, but her journey of learning and growing was explored well.

ii. all bow down before kim young dae. istg, i completely understood the hype about tae sung in the series. also, kdrama actors look better with their hair pushed back and you can't fucking change my mind. this man was the perfect example of petty but i think he redeemed himself well. his bromance with almost every male character in the show was simply *chef's kiss*

iii. side characters special shoutout they were so cute, everyone ended up together like one happy family. it's like watching your kids grow up and all marry each other. (quote: the office us). special mention to tae sung's manager bec damn that actor was a pain. manager was also pretty dumb in the beginning but he made up by helping tae sung flirt with han byul.

iv. han byul and tae sung were SO cute together. the ending scene was so wholesome and gave me sm closure on the entire series, it made me cry. also, the way she never gave a crap about his celebrity status when he kept DOING COOL THINGS AND MA'AM NEVER PAID ATTENTION i felt so bad for tae sung

v. those two side actors getting married was cute and deserves a special point.

8/10, sung kyung never fails to impress (kim bok joo????) and young dae stole my heart. it was so weird seeing lee jung shin in c4k after this but love him all the same. loved kim yoon hye's diverse roles from vincenzo to this she was absolutely amazing.

go watch shooting stars, honestly.

oh sorry, sh**ting stars. (honestly, is there something im missing? WHY IS IT CENSORED??)

8/10

[salanaii]

Learn Korean with me - Week 4/Day 1

Day 1: Colors, Vocab 1 - 100, Udemy Lesson 6

콧물 = snot

땀 = sweat

목 = neck

마스크 = mask

착용하다 = to wear

황사 = yellow sand

목감기 = sore throat

환자 = patient

근처 = neighborhood / around here

약국 = pharmacy

외국인등록번호 = foreign registration number

잠시만 = moment

불편하다 = to be uncomfortable

열이 나다 = to have a fever

약 = medicine

Key -  열쇠 -  yeol soe

Chicken -  다ᇍ -  dalk

Baby -  아기 -  a gi

Princeton -  프린스턴-  pew rin seu teon

Last name -  성 -  seong

Jihun -  지훈 -  ji hun

Park (name) -  박 -  bak

Seonhwa -  선화 -  seon hwa

Minji -  민지 -  min ji

Kim -  김 -  gim

Garam -  가람 -  ga ram

Seoyeon -  서연 -  seo yeon

Seojun -  서준 -  seo jun

Choi – 최 -  choe

Bed – 침대 -  chim dae

This side – 이편 -  I pyeon

That side – 그편 -  geu pyeon

That side over there -  저편 -  jeo pyeon

This much -  이 만큼 -  I man keum

That much -  그 만큼 -  geu man keum

Be careful/watch out -  조심해요 -  jo sim hae yo

Take your time/ take time to / slowly -  천천히하세요 -  cheon chein hi ha se yo

Focus -  집중하다 -  jib jung ha da

Sir/miss/customer -  손님- son nim

Learn -  배우다 -  bae u da

More/much -  더 -  deo

Fewer/less -  덜 -  deul

Watch/ look / see – 보다 -  bo da

Again -  다시 -  da si

Worry -  걱정하다 -  geog Jeong ha da

Touch (positive) – 만지다 -  man ji da

Touch (negative) – 만지지 -  man ji ji

Too much – 너무 -  neo mu

Much/many – 많이 -  manh l

Cucumber -  오이 -  o i

Fox – 여우 – yeo u

Yo-yo – 요요 -  yo yo

Taste/flavor -  맛 – mas

Entrance – 입구 -  ib gu

Oh – 어 -  eo

Kind/friendly – 친절한 – chin jeol han

Lazy – 게으른- gee u reun

Happy – 행복하다- haeng bok ha da

Sad – 슬퍼- seul peo

Sick – 아픈- a peun

Boring – 지루한- ji ru han

Glad – 기쁜 -  gi ppeun

Tired – 피곤한 – pi gon han

Camera – 카메라 – ka me ra

Building – 건물- geun mul

That (over there) – 저/저것 – jeo/jeo geos

I/self – 저 – jeo

Desk – 책상 – chaeg sang

These – 이 것 -  I geos

That – 그 – geu

Those – 그것 – geu heos

This – 이 -  i

Monitor – 모니터 – mo ni teo

Bathroom – 화장실 -  hwa jang sil

Restaurant – 식당 – sig dang

That way – 그 쪽 – geu jjog

Here/ over here – 여기 – yeo gi

There – 거기 – geo gi

Over there -  저 기 – jeo gi

Tree – 니무 -  na mu

Bag – 가 방 -  ga bang

Sleep – 잠 – jam

Expensive – 비싼 – bi ssan

Slow – 느린 – neu rin

Fast – 빠른 – bba reun

Cold – 추운 – chu un

Cheap – 싼 – ssan

Hot (verb) – 뜨겁게 – tteu geob ge

Hot (adjective) – 뜨거운 – tteu geo un

Tall – 높 – nop

Wide/spacious – 넓은 – neolb eun

Low – 낮은 – naj eun

Small/narrow – 좁은 – jub eun

Cute – 귀여운 – gwi yeo un

Pretty – 예쁜 – ye ppeun

Fat (Duolingo)(Papago) – 뚱뚱 – ttung ttung

Fat (Google) – 찌 빵 – ji bang

Beautiful – 아름다운 – a leum da un

Clean – 깨끗한 – ggae kkeus han

Dirty – 더러운 – deo leo un

[zhoufeis]

kdrama ask meme

based on my cdrama ask meme: send me a number and I’ll reply with a gifset

1: extraordinary you or true beauty 2: goblin or hotel del luna 3: bring it on, ghost! or happiness 4: i’m not a robot or see you in my 19th life 5: doom at your service or tale of the nine-tailed 6: w - two worlds or flower of evil 7: moon lovers or alchemy of souls 8: weightlifting fairy kim bok-joo or strong woman do bong-soon 9: 100 days my prince or the tale of nokdu 10: semantic error or the eighth sense

11: haru or baek kyung 12: jang man-wol or myul mang 13: jang uk or naksu 14: park bong-pal or seon woo-hyul 15: kim hyun-ji or dong dong-ju 16: eun dan-oh or tak dong-kyung 17: ki seon-gyeom or lee young-hwa 18: oh yeon-joo or yoon sae-bom 19: kim min-gyu or kang chul 20: hong cha-young or seo dan-ah

21: haru / eun dan-oh or lee soo-ho / im ju-kyung 22: im ju-kyung / han seo-jun or eun dan-oh / baek kyung 23: kim bok-joo / jung jun-hyung or cha heon / shin sol-yi 24: wang so / hae-soo or jang man-wol / koo chan-sung 25: kang chul / oh yeon-joo or ban ji-eum / moon seo-ha 26: jang uk / naksu or tak dong-kyung / myul mang 27: seo dan-ah / lee young-hwa or ki seon-gyeom / oh mi-joo 28: song geu-rim / ji soo-ho or kang dan-i / cha eun-ho 29: sae-bom / yi-hyun or do hyun-soo / cha ji-won 30: cho ji-a / kim min-gyu or hoo joon / lee geun-young

[idolskpop]

Im Siwan reveals why he joined ‘Squid Game’ Season 2

Im Siwan, the versatile actor and singer who has been impressing fans with his back-to-back blockbuster projects, has recently opened up about his casting story for the mega hit Netflix show ‘Squid Game’. ‘Squid Game’ is a South Korean survival drama series created by Hwang Dong-hyuk for Netflix. It revolves around a secret contest where 456 players, all of whom are in deep financial trouble, risk their lives to play a series of deadly children’s games for the chance to win a ₩ 45.6 billion prize. The series’ title draws from a similarly named Korean children’s game.

(Photo : Dispatch Korea) The first season of ‘Squid Game’ was released worldwide on September 17, 2021 and became Netflix’s most-watched series and the most-watched program in 94 countries, attracting more than 142 million member households and 1.65 billion viewing hours in its first four weeks. It has also received numerous accolades, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for O Yeong-su, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for Lee Jung-jae and HoYeon Jung, respectively; all three were also the first Korean actors to win in those categories. The first series received 14 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including for Outstanding Drama Series, making it the first non-English-language work to be nominated in this category; Lee won the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama series, the first time an Asian actor won the award for a non-English part. A second season was officially announced in June 2022. Filming for the second season began in July 2023.

Im Siwan’s role in ‘Squid Game’ Season 2

Im Siwan is one of the new additions to the cast of ‘Squid Game’ Season 2, along with Park Gyu Young, Kang Ha Neul and more. His role has not been revealed yet, but fans are already speculating that he might play a VIP guest, a masked man, or a new player.

(Photo : Im Siwan's Official Instagram) In an interview with The Korea Herald, Im Siwan candidly revealed why he didn’t hesitate to confirm his appearance in the second season of ‘Squid Game’. - “I have no doubts about the show. It’s a genre that I want to explore and own as an actor.” He also shared that he was drawn to the show by his admiration for Lee Byung Hun, who played the mysterious Front Man in the first season. - “It’s an honor to work with him in a renowned show. He is a senior actor that I look up to.” Im Siwan expressed his excitement and nervousness about joining the global phenomenon that is ‘Squid Game’. - “I’m looking forward to working with the talented cast and crew. I hope I can contribute to the success of the show and meet the expectations of the viewers.”

(Photo : Netflix)

Im Siwan’s other projects

Im Siwan has been busy with his back-to-back projects that showcase his versatility as an actor and singer. He recently starred in the sports thriller film ‘Road to Boston’, which depicts the lives of Korean athletes who participated in the Boston International Marathon in 1947, the first international marathon held since World War II. He played Yun-Bok Suh, a runner who overcame many hardships to achieve his dream. The film was released theatrically on September 27, 2023 coinciding with Korean holiday.

(Photo : Lotte Entertainment) He also starred in two drama series in 2022: ‘Summer Strike’, where he played An Dae Beom, a former baseball player who becomes a coach of a high school team; and ‘Tracer’, where he played Hwang Dong Joo, a former detective who investigates cold cases. In addition, he is set to star in another drama series in 2023: ‘Boys’ Generation’, where he will play Jang Byung Tae, a high school student who forms a band with his friends in the 1980s. Im Siwan is also known as a member of the South Korean boy band ZE:A and its sub-group ZE:A Five. He debuted as a singer in 2010 and has since released several albums and singles with his group. He has also pursued a solo career as a singer and has participated in various OSTs for dramas and films.

(Photo : ENA Channel Instagram)

Netizens’ reactions

Netizens have been showing their support and anticipation for Im Siwan’s role in ‘Squid Game’ Season 2. Here are some of their comments: - “Im Siwan is such a talented actor. He can pull off any role. I can’t wait to see him in Squid Game.” - “I’m so happy for him. He deserves to be in such a popular show. He has worked hard and proven his skills in many projects.” - “He is one of my favorite actors. He always chooses interesting and challenging roles. I’m sure he will surprise us with his performance in Squid Game.” - “I’m curious about his role. Will he be a good guy or a bad guy? Will he survive or die? I hope he will have a lot of screen time and interactions with the other actors.” - “He is so handsome and charming. I hope he will also sing in the show. His voice is amazing.” Subscribe to IDOLS KPOP for exclusive updates and captivating content. Read the full article

[eohachu]

I want to smother jung man bok in 1000 kisses he's so cuteeeeee