#like its fine but the face is hard to emote the way i picture delegates.....

[humanmorph]

Sylvia: I have an idea, if Keith is cool with it, where Cori is just, like, grilling Eclectic about details from the Alise Breka novel about Leap. Like: (as Cori): Is this true? Is he really like this? Is this what happened? Keith (as Eclectic): Uh, yeah, it’s actually toned down from the book.

i think there was some other stuff that happened that episode but i just thought this bit was nice. they're funny : )

[educationtimesblog]

CONTROL YOUR ANGER

Ms. Aanam Verma  | Head of Department | Asst. Professor Biological Sciences  |  CPSM College of Education | Gurugram

HOW TO CONTROL YOUR ANGER  | ANGER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES | TIPS TO OVERCOME ANGER

Most people get upset simply because they don't know what to do when they experience anger in their daily life. Sometimes aggressive behaviour may get their needs met in the short-term, but there are long term consequences. Your words might cause lasting damage to the relationship or even lead to its demise. So here by, I will like to share some simple tips how to tackle the ghost of ANGER.

When calm, express the anger

As soon as your thoughts are clear, express your frustration in an assertive but non-confrontational way. You must state your concern and needs in a direct and clear way, without hurting others or trying to control them.

Physical Activities

Physical activity like yoga, stretching, aerobic exercises reduces stress which is the cause root of your anger. Neck rolls and Shoulder rolls are good examples of nonstrenuous yoga like movements, which controls your body and harness your emotions. If you feel your anger escalating, go for a brisk walk or run, or do some enjoyable physical activities like cycling, hit a few golf ball, playing your favourite  game.

Relaxation Exercises

There are many relaxation exercises but the key is to find the one that works best for you. Breathing exercises and Progressive muscle relaxation are two common strategies for reducing tension. Your breathing becomes shallower and speeds up as you grow angry. Reverse that trend  by taking slow, deep breath from your nose and exhaling out of your mouth for several moments. In Progressive muscle relaxation, try to tense and relax slowly your different muscle groups in your body, one at a time, along with slow deliberate breathe. Eg. Closing tightly & relaxing your fist along with breathe in & out respectively. You can use kids small smiley ball too. Stress balls are also available in the market. Relaxation exercises take practice. At first, you might feel as they are not effective, but with practice, they will.

Warning signs

Be alert & aware of the emerging signs of anger like fast heart beat, red & hot face, clenching of fist, unable to think properly etc., so that you can take control and prevent it to reach the boiling point. 

 Identify Triggers

Take stock of things that trigger your anger like traffic jams, sarcastic comments, messy room, work not at time etc. You must structure your day differently and prevent the triggers to take place. 

Be aware of your feelings

Think critically what real emotions are lurking beneath your anger. Sometimes anger act as a mask to protect you from more painful emotions like embarrassment or disappointment. Acknowledging underlying right emotion can help you to get the root cause of problem. For an example, if someone cancels a plan on which you were so excited, chances are you rush in anger but underlying emotion is disappointment, so you can explain your feelings of disappointment instead of making the scene. Be honest with your feelings, then only you can resolve the issue. Responding in anger just push people away.

 Keep your mouth shut 

When you are provoked, you may speak rubbish, which will worse the situation rather than any positive result. So, in an argument tightly close your lips as they are pasted. This will help you to take time to collect your thoughts and respond in a mature way.

Repeat a mantra

                                                          When your temper flares, repeat a mantra or calming word or phrase, that will help you to calm down and refocus. Repeat that word again and again to yourself when you are upset. ‘Relax’, ‘take it easy’, ‘you will be o.k’ or ‘everything will be fine’ are good examples.

Picture a stop sign

 The universal symbol to stop can help you calm down when you are angry. It’s a quick way to help you visualise the need to halt yourself, your actions and walk away from the moment. You can put any symbol on your back of your hand which will remind you to STOP & control your anger.

Find a creative channel

You can turn your anger into a tangible production. Consider digital creativity, painting, writing poetry or journal when you feel upset. What you can't say,  perhaps you can write. Jot down what you are feeling and how you want to respond. Processing it through the written words can help you calm down and reassess the events, increases understanding and more possible solutions. Emotions are powerful muscles for creative individuals. Use yours to reduce anger.

Practice Imagination

                                                                                                                       Just step into a close room, close your eyes, and imagine yourself in a relaxing scene. Focus on the details of the imaginary scene. Colour of shedding leaves.... movement of water….brightness of the rising sun etc. This practice can give you calmness, peace, serenity and of course strength.

Keep a calm down kit

Make collection of objects which helps to engage all your senses. When you can see, hear, smell and touch the calming things you can change your emotional state. So, prepare a calm down kit which may include scented hand lotion, an image  of serene landscape or any relaxing scene, Audio- Video spiritual passage or quotes, a few pieces of your favourite candy. Just include all those things that you know will help you to remain calm. You can create a Portable calm down kit  that you can take anywhere. For example, calming music  and images, guided meditation or instructions for breathing exercises etc. to be stored in a special folder on your smartphone. Keep your bag loaded with hand lotion, perfumed wipes & candies.

Change the focus

The best way to calm down is to change the focus immediately on something else. It’s better to distract yourself with an activity. Do something that requires your focus and makes more challenging for negative thoughts to creep in. For an Example, organising the wardrobe, deep cleaning the kitchen, weeding the garden, sign a petition, write a note to an official etc. Pour your energy and emotions into something thats healthy and productive which keeps your mind occupied and won’t able to ruminate on the things upsetting you. 

Listen Music

Let the music carry you away from your frustrated feelings. Put on your earbuds, move to the park or drive the car and listen your favourite music, humming & bopping your anger away.

Countdown

Feeling angry, countdown up to 10. If your anger touching the peak, start slow backward count. By the time you count, your heart rate becomes slow, and your anger subsides slowly. 

Sharing with a friend

Instead of whirling in the episodes that made you angry, you must have a long talk with a friend who is trustful, understands you and your all perspectives and also help you to get rid of the problem. 

Write a letter or Email

Write a letter or email expressing all the events, even minute emotions which made you angry. After that, delete it. This will help you to release the suppressed emotions and make you at ease. 

Rehearse your response

Rehearse what & how you are going to say when the same type problem approaches you. This rehearsal period  gives you chance to role play all the  solutions coming to your mind.

Practice empathy

Fit in other persons shoes and see the situation from their angle. When you narrate a story according to their perspective, you may gain a new understanding and can overpower your anger. Think like a scientist, not a lawyer

Feel the anger but avoid action

In anger person loses judgement and problem solving skills which makes him rigid & blunt. Ambrose Bierce rightly said “speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret”. Anger drives us to aggress , confront,  take revenge and retaliate. It’s better to go to bed  angry, before sending angry email  keep it for few days, just walk away when fight arises.

Self reflection

Some person are proud of their anger. Even they achieved nothing, they experience a warm inner glow of self satisfaction .They believe they have accomplished something tough, powerful and righteous. But that's not.  One must see or hear himself in anger once in life. Tennis great  Roger Federer  who was a racket smashing brat in his junior years, was watching himself throwing tantrums on TV that put him off of it throughout the life. 

Take care of yourself 

Factors like alcohol, pain, fatigue, stress, sickness, unmet drives like hunger, thirst, lust, etc. act as a fuel to anger. Reduce these variables as much as possible. Take proper sleep, make routine timetable, take some time off, streamline your week, delegate, relax, and have nutrition rich diet. 

Stick with ”I”statements

Criticizm or blame game will always  increase tension. So, use ‘I’ statements while presenting the problem. Keep in mind to be specific and warm. Example say ‘I don’t feel good when you leave the table without keeping the plate in sink’ instead of saying ‘you never help in housework.

Take short breaks

Give self short breaks during stressful or overloaded days. A few moments of quiet time will help you feel better, focused and prepare you to handle what’s ahead without getting irritated or angry.

Work on solutions

Instead of focusing on what made you mad, work on resolving the issue at hand. Always remind yourself that anger won’t fix anything and might only make it worse.  

Forgiveness

Learn to Forgive. If your anger overpower your positive side, you find yourself dipped in bitter & poisonous fluid. But by forgiving someone who made you upset will make both of you to learn from the situation and strengthen your relationship. If it finds hard to forgive the person who has done wrong to you then imagine to forgive him. This way your anger slip away.

Evaluation of anger

Analyse  whether your anger is a friend or an enemy. If you see your right is being violated, you are suffering an unhealthy situation or emotionally abusive toxic relationship, then your anger can do justice. Here, you can change the situation rather than changing your emotional state. Anger gives you the strenghth & courage to take a stand and make the right  change. Another case, if your anger is enemy, it will destroy your healthy relationships and make you upset. So, evaluate your anger is positive or negative for you.

Humor, the best medicine

Lightening the situation can diffuse the tension. Humor can give you insight that what’s making you angry or having any unrealistic expectations. Avoid sarcastic comments, it only hurt the feelings and also make situation worse. Diffuse your anger by looking for ways to laugh, whether playing with your kids, watching  stand - up, or comedy movie. 

Gratitude

End of the day, always be thankful to life, what positive things it has given you, even under hard situations. Just ignore the negative part and enrich more with gratitude for right things in your life. Anger will get no attention & will try to eliminate automatically from your life.

Know when to seek help

Learning to control anger is a big challenge. Seek help or consult a psychologist if your anger seems out of control, causes you to do more harmful things you regret. 

Aanam Verma

[aggresivelyfriendly]

A Premonition of Love-Chapter 10

Hi Babes! That week long hiatus did me good, I hope the wait was ok for you, lol. Here is the real chapter 10. It’s a special day, and in a moment I’ll share my SOTT memory as @emulateharry tagged me to! thank you so much for the beta, Char! Thank you @bleedinglove4h and @dirtystyles for everything, for a year!

Thank you to everyone still with us, we are nearing the end of our little happy story! Mwah- Enjoy!

Chapter 10-Isshokenmai

“God dammit!" Ada cursed under her breath and hoped Harry didn't hear it.

It's not exactly that the words would indicate he had won. He knew that she had been stressed, all caps, since they came back from Kyushu. He wanted to help her alleviate that stress in his very Harry ways. Solicitous and thoughtful, full of intent, his ways always were. Like he'd relieved her again and again while they were filming on the island location. But that was a different kind of pressure.

She may have been lightly stressed at the Onsen, but production went well, and Harry had her feeling very relaxed. Repeatedly. He'd been trying to recapture her languid openness since they got back to Tokyo.

It had been fleeting, situational and geographical.

She'd made it back to Tokyo and immediately started having trouble with her lighting union.  Then there was a flu going through the catering peeps which was a nightmare. Ada delegated, but as the boss at the top, all of it wound up on her plate a some point, or at least the back of her mind.

It was all slowing them down, and now more that ever she felt like they could have a nouveau classic on their hands. However, the Elvis scene seemed intrinsic to that distinction. Ada had a rewrite to include it all ready to film. But they had to make up the time they'd lost to when Harry was more Babe Ruth than Ted Williams; some great takes, but lots of strikeouts to get to them. Now he was giving her frequent doubles and triples, occasional grand slams, on and off set. It was not enough though, they were still behind. The sickness and the Union issues where making her pissy.

Currently, Harry was in his scene, and he was doing well. He'd loaded the bases for sure, but she needed a triple so they could move on.  When he was pressured he got anxious and she was too anxious to give him the feedback and patience he needed. She was a shitty base coach right now.

The first several scenes had homes smoothly, bits of dialogue laid flat and well. They'd been having trouble for the last hour though.

"Ada, Ms. Scott." Well, Harry hadn't called her that, in public, before. "Can we step off set and chat? I'm having trouble here." He gestured by the trailers and she sighed and got up, followed him to the more secluded area.

"What's up Harry? You're doing fine. Let's get it done." She was impatient and had one foot pointed toward where he stood politely, and one back to the scene they were working on.

"I know I'm doing fine." He gave her a look. "You aren't. You're vibrating, and not like last night from the lelo." She didn't laugh at his vibrator call back. "What's up Ada?" He put his hand on her shoulder, the only comforting touch she would accept, though maybe a step too far, on set.

"Nothing. I'm fine!" She asserted. He was quiet. She sighed. "I'm fine, really, it's alright. We just have so much to finish. And well, I'm sick of bitching about it. The only way out is through. So let's go get it done." She started to go and he caught her hand. "C'mon Harry." She shook him off. He was so sweet, that face, but not discreet. And they needed to be working.

"Smokes!" He dropped her hand and put both of his up. "Sorry! Ada, you're putting everybody on edge. You gotta calm down. Let's take a break. A couple hours. You can go for a run, or eat or....." he grinned at her. That would calm her ass right down.

"Styles?" She had one brow up and if she wasn't so beautiful the look could be called a snarl. "There is absolutely no way we have time for a two hour break. Half the kitchen is sick, which means my crew and cast are next and the union....." she kept talking, her tension about to boil over.

She could feel herself getting emotional. She wasn't a crier, not for sadness usually, but she did when she was really mad or frustrated. Hated when anybody saw, which of course made her more frustrated, and the tears would come out like diamonds from tectonic movements, slowly with great pressure. They had to get this scene and get it right now! She was just about to lash out when she watched Harry's head swivel around like a squirrel on the defense and then his mouth was on her.

God! He tasted...he tasted like mint, because he jawed at gum like he channeled all the insecurity he bottled up into his Wrigley strips. There was a piece of it in his mouth when he opened for her and she slipped her tongue to retrieve it. She forgot herself and her day and her place. He made her feel like that. Made her forget her early mornings, forget she would pay for late nights, was paying for late nights, forget that they were on a tight schedule and under a microscope from the studio. This whole thing was a gamble and she would gladly bet the house on his pony anytime he put some part of him on her, especially if that part was his mouth. He had her in his arms, and she nestled in for just a moment and burrowed her face into his neck and took a giant sniff to fill her nostrils with the smell that had come to linger in her bathroom.

She heard a noise and startled away from her boyfriend. Holy hell? Was Harry her boyfriend? Secret boyfriend? She looked up at him, and his brow was earnest and she almost smoothed it with her thumb before she heard a PA coming for them.  Ada jumped back.

"We can't take a break, Harry." She nodded, assured herself that she was right. She was always right. He bit his lip and gave her something like agreement.

"Tonight - we need to get you relaxed though." He said and smiled at the runner as she walked by. The girl tittered and Ada had to smile. She had no idea. Ada was tittering inside, she just had a hard boiled public face.

"I don't know how to relax. Not until we are done. I want this to be so good, and I've become convinced it's the Elvis scene, you singing, that will single it out. We just..."

"So we do the scene. We will get there Ada, I promise."

"You can't promise that, Crybaby."

"Crybaby?" She saw he didn't know that movie, they'd have to change that. "I can promise that, I will give my best, which you know is very good." He smirked. "And then we will find the time, it's one scene."

"Um, no, we have to have a transition, not a hard cut; a flow into the scene. It kinda makes a whole new ending to the movie, but I think it could be the difference between this being another remake or rom com and being a beautiful homage.  While being a piece that stands on its own, But the producers - I'm not sure who they think they are risking it all on, you or me - but they aren't budging. I don't think they are willing unless it's basically no consequence to them. Though Jocelyn had heart eyes on the Skype call - mmphf."

He pushed his mouth against her again. And she fell into it, again. This time, rather than flavor, all she could feel was the sensation of her lips yielding to his.  When she was about to submit enough to count the surfaces of his tongue, she pulled out of the kiss. Their lips smacked wryly when she broke the suction.

"Are you going to make this a habit, the kissing to shut me up thing?"

She wasn't sure how she felt about it. Well, she loved kissing him, but him kissing her on set?

"Well, you get going and your anxiety just ratchets up. But when I kiss you," he gently ran a finger over her shoulder. "It stops the nerves and these come down." Then he quickly chucked her chin and sighed. "If it's just another movie, we will get praise for that, just not awards. And the feedback from the internet and 'them' will be scathing, but short lived. It will be alright. If we get the scene, amazing. Ada, we can make a good movie, maybe a great one, but only if you chill."

She watched him do that stare thing he did when he was connecting. It worked a charm. He might be a far. Did the Japanese have a version of that? The charm worked on her now, maybe not a month ago, but she took a big inhale and felt her tension leaking out. Not all of it, there was a definite set to her shoulder that she knew was going to stay until they wrapped, probably even through press if she couldn't realize her vision. But, he made it better

Harry felt a little out of his depth. Ada was both the cause of his recent bouts of anxiety and the cure. He assumed she could say something similar about him. Though maybe frustration over anxiety in her case. Whatever was making her wind up like a toy, unable to whirl joyously, was only adjacent to him. He was involved, but he was doing well, and they had made great progress. She was fixated on her new creative vision. Couldn't see the forest for newly developed trees. He could relate - he'd been there.

One day, Jeff Bhasker had to pull him out of the studio. He'd been plowing away at a fun song. Harry had been sure that the album needed a light moment, he was still convinced of that, years after the fact. Trouble was, Harry hadn't had much fun. He was creatively fulfillled and doing what he loved, but he hadn't performed, he hadn't gone out, he hadn't been to a show, and he hadn't fucked in a really long time.

He'd been creating, but not doing anything worth writing about.

Jeff had driven him to a liquor store, grabbed tequila and taken him to a beach. They'd drank and wound up swimming like dolphins. Then the next night Jeff, the original, had sent him on a date with a friend of Cam's Harry had fancied the picture of.

It was fun, and young, light. And it helped him. He wrote something that he loved that captured the possibility and a personality. He didn't see the girl again, but he was thankful, to her and good friends and inspiration. Ada needed that.

He watched her the rest of the day. She called cut a ton, and he watched her drink matcha like it was her job. By 3:30 she ordered herself a coffee.

Uh oh.

He had to give her a new focal point long enough for her main one to come into focus. But, really, much as he'd watched her, and apart from knowing how to take her apart in the bedroom, they were new. He might not know her well enough, yet. What would help her, best and fast.

He thought about Ada, went to his trailer and thought about her like a friend - not someone he was trying to woo. What would make her smile, despite her anxiety, despite herself? He thought about little things she'd mentioned, phone calls he accidentally eavesdropped, her music, and stuff on her walls from when they'd continued sharing personal pictures beyond embarrassing adolescent snapshots.

Ah! He knew, she'd made mention of her tactics a couple times, her relaxation ones. Then, if the platonic ones worked, he'd introduce his own technique.

Well, he'd implied those earlier, so they were guaranteed.  They were tested and approved.

He checked with Jeff, got a vote of confidence, and headed back to the hotel room. They'd consolidated when they came back from Kyushu. They were only using one. His was slightly bigger, he'd l silently been smug. Harry had raised an eyebrow and her pupils touched the crown of her head in response. Her eye rolls were impressive.

He laughed. She laughed at him. He loved her throaty laugh. Her throaty voice. He was pretty sure he loved her. He'd certainly fallen, right into their possibilities. Maybe more.

Harry liked to spoil people. It drove his mom crazy when he did it with money. But she loved gestures, he'd gotten really good at gestures.

Time for a grand slam.

He felt completely ready by the time he expected her. Was bored and chilly an hour later, asleep when he heard the door go at 8:30.

He shook out of his sleep. Was glad he had that ability to sleep and wake on command. It served him as well on tour and filming Dunkirk as right now.

He swished his way over to the door, with the wine that was now very aerated and the room service menu. He had the kitchen on standby with her favorites cued.  She just had to pick and he'd send the message, voila.

"Buenas tardes, Señorita!" Harry said brightly and checked his face in a reflective surface. His painted on mustache was still curled and unsmudged. "Welcome to Casa Surreal!"

"Are those my panties?" Ada interrupted his little speech.

"Well, right now they are mine. But I'm only borrowing them. I'll be sure to launder them before I give them back. Now come on Señorita, come in. We have and evening of entertainment before us!"

"Why are you speaking rudimentary Spanish?" She was smiling at his absurdity at least, he liked that. She reached forward and slipped her fingers beneath the suspenders he'd connected to the brightest thong of hers he could find.

Oh, he liked that.

"What's with the suspenders?" Ada snapped one and it hit his nipple and he was afraid they were gonna skip all his preparations and go straight to the main course or dessert. He was certainly feeling appetized.

"I thought they made the outfit!" He stepped back to show her his pink panties and black suspenders and the Calvin he thought of as his cowboy boots. "Don't you like them?" He liked the way her eyes climbed over him like he was a robust tree.

"Oh, I like them!" She raised an attractive brow after she glanced at his crotch in her inadequate lacy thong. "We both seem to like them! That what the get up is for?"

"No. Though I'm glad we both LIKE my outfit! Let's look at yours." he steered her along to the ensemble he had in the bedroom.

Half an hour later, he'd filled in her eyebrows and sat her at an easel and turned on the tv. Her wine was at her elbow. His was in his hand.

"Here's to creativity!" He saluted and she adjusted her flower crown and gave him a winged smile. He could see the Atlian weight had fallen off her scapula for a time.

"We're painting?" She had been trying to guess his plans for a while.

"Why yes Ms. Kahlo, we are painting!"

"I don't know how to paint. I wish I did. It was like a dream of mine at one point, actually. I feel like you've exposed one of my inadequacies here." He notes her fake laugh. "I started exploring other creative fields when I failed at painting. Those who can't, direct." He could tell she was talking in a happy voice but saying something sad. That was one of his favorite writing tricks. Heartbreak, but make it a bop.

Harry stopped setting up the Netflix to check her face. There were kernels of doubt he'd have to heat up so they popped and he could devour her insecurities with truth later. But not right now. She was still smiling. She was still with him, buying into his lost weekend mentality. Even if they only had a couple hours. He was going to provide a great distraction, and relax her very tightly wound self, so they could get the scene she wanted. He wanted.

They wanted.

"Well, luckily," he dimpled gleefully, then crossed his eyes to make her laugh, it came from so deep in her neck it warmed his belly. Her laugh he'd always call up, no matter their outcome and into their possible forever. "I've got us a teacher."

He hit play on the episode he liked best.

"Oh my god!" We're those tears in her voice? Shit, big misstep. But she didn't looked anguished. "How did you know?"

"Know what?" Harry asked as he swished his way to the table top easel and sat as close as possible to her, in case these weren't tears of joy, while giving room for painting. He was wondering if he could paint her. Probably not. The show taught mountains and woods he thought.

"That I love Bob Ross! That's what I watch when I need to decompress!" She looked like she had found a treasure; he knew he had.

"Didn't." He shook his head. "I just, well, I thought you could laugh at me and we could do that painting and wine thing my mum loves together, but we can't go out, not really, not like, discreetly. So I figured I would make it fun here, and get really comfortable!" He raised his eyebrows to amuse her. Her painted unibrow danced while she chuckled. "And there is no one to teach us. But Jeffrey, a high strung individual if I've ever seen one, introduced me to Bob Ross. I turned up at his house and he was coming off a bad day watching this in his boxers. I took all the piss out of him. But, like, he was right, it's soothing. Thought he could teach us and chill us out."

"Yes, great plan." She kinda flounced. Ada didn't flounce. God he was charmed.

"I also have some edibles, but that was absolutely a last hope, because I'm fairly certain we will go to sleep much earlier than I'd like."

"Oh, yeah, no, no edibles for me, for us." She snapped his suspenders. "I wanna paint and then put these to use!" She made big eyes at him.

"Yeah, like what kind of use?" He leaned in to steal a kiss.

"Nope, not happening Styles." She shook her head and took up a paint brush. "I have some learning to do." She brushed black paint between his brows. A brow to match hers.

Harry felt his heart speed up and he got his brush ready. Caught her chin in his hand. A moment later he sighed,  "Stop smiling! I can't paint your face like that!" He flashed his arms up.

Bob talked in the background, made happy little trees and happier accidents. But Harry and Ada's paint wound up more on each other. Ada complained she didn't learn anything new. Harry told her that was definitely not true from his trussed up position on a chair.

And by the end of the night, Harry's suspenders wound up around Ada's wrists too, bound at her low back with her bent over the couch end.

They both had inch and a half wide marks on their asses by morning too. Suspenders were inspiring.

It would have made Ada's director's chair much more uncomfortable, if she wasn't so damn relaxed!

[thekoreanlass]

Rich Man (리치맨; Richimaen) is a 2018 television series starring Kim Jun Myeon (also EXO’s Suho; EXO Next Door, The Universe’s Star, How Are You Bread), Ha Yeon Soo (Monstar, Potato Star, Legendary Witches), Oh Chang Suk (Princess Aurora, Innocent Defendant) and Kim Ye Won (Suspicious Partner, Revolutionary Love). It is a remake of the 2012 Japanese television series Rich Man, Poor Woman. The drama is airing on MBN and Dramax starting May 9, 2018 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 23:00 (KST) time slot.

First Impression

The rich man and poor girl trope has been a favorite not just in Kdrama-la-la-land, but also in various Asian dramas. Admit it! We see it every day and it has become a drama story staple that you roll your eyes at it just with how cliche the theme is, but then you become drawn to the story you are unable of dropping the drama in the end. Unnecessary but definitely wanted. Craved from time to time.

I am one of those who must have rolled her eyes upon seeing the storyline Rich Man has. Also hesitated with the prospect of getting a remake that is bound to ruin the original and flop like a dying bird flapping its flightless wings until it crashes down in a very ungraceful fashion.

To say the least, I didn’t expect much from the drama.

Giving the lead role to EXO’s Suho (Kim Joonmyeon, but Suho to me since I’m a fan) must have been a deciding factor for me to give the drama a shot, but it also made me hesitate, considering the notion whenever idols act in a drama, plus the implication people give whenever an idol from SM Entertianment is picked to lead a drama. You know, just look at their history in this field and you’ll realize it’s only rare their dramas get out of the gutter in terms of evaluation. That I must admit to, but I’m not saying these idols don’t have potential. In fact they do. It just so happen people who live because of dramas like this have more expectation and only wants the best from actors. Double standard much? Haha.

Nonetheless, as a fan, my faith stays with Suho. I’ve seen him act in The Universe’s Star too and there’s no doubt I’ve seen some talent from him then. Besides, Ha Yeon Soo ( I watched her in Monstar before) looks fresh from the get go and I think she fits her fun roll as Kim Bora.

I am quite interested in how their chemistry will work too that I decided to watch this along with Come and Hug Me even though both are still on going dramas. Usually I am not the type to wait for upcoming episodes since I am a very impatient person, but anything’s fine that piques my interest. So, isn’t that saying something?

The story

Rich Man focuses on the story of two individuals from very different social statuses and their unknown past resurfacing through their uncanny reunion as the prickly boss and the applicant who is in her 31st job interview.

As their worlds meet, Lee Yoo Chan (Kim Joonmyeon) finds interest in Kim Bo Ra (Ha Yeon Soo) who most definitely reminds him so much of a beloved girl from his past. And with her reunion with Yoo Chan, Bo Ra’s life is about to change for good…or should I say the worst?

Anyway, Lee Yoo Chan is a genius programmer who later becomes the CEO of IT company NEXT IN. Despite his outstanding background and handsome looks though, Yoo Chan has Prosopagnosia (in science; is a neurological disorder characterized by the inability to recognize faces).

Kim Bo Ra, on the other hand, is a graduating student from university that has failed all her past 30 interviews. Despite so many setbacks in her job hunting though, Bo Ra is a very positive character that is all sunshine and unicorns and has an excellent memory that is incomparable to any other.

With this sole talent which makes her really remarkable plus hard work, Bo Ra tries her best to get the job but fails to pass her interviews because apparently having an excellent memory alone isn’t that ‘marketable’ and can be easily replicated by other applicants that can do better than her in other aspects.

Downcast by hard competition the working world has and her inability to spend for her family as a consequence of not having a job, she strolls by the park one night and meets Min Tae Joon (Oh Chang Suk). Bo Ra mistakes Tae Joon for a regular worker at Next In, but finds strength from him with the encouragement he shows her.

Bo Ra is back on her feet soon enough as if nothing happened, ready to face another failing battle and then Tae Joon just had to inject the idea of her trying for his company, Next In.

At first, Bo Ra isn’t sure what to think of it, considering the IT Company is more on the innovative side of things–more on computer programming, software development, etc–but she takes sudden inspiration from Lee Yoo Chan’s promotional video of Next In ready to take in new applicants and tries out the application process only to disappoint herself when the prickly CEO unfortunately preys on her and berates her in front of hundreds of applicants.

Bo Ra is distraught by how awful Yoo Chan’s personality is that she blurts out the first thing that comes to mind–Kim Boon Hong’s name–before leaving behind a very stunned and confused Yoo Chan to himself.

She goes back home to another failure, but somehow Yoo Chan is put into a bind with his ‘mini file’ project that he comes to need Bo Ra’s excellent memory to perform the task of flawlessly discussing their material in front of very important government officials that can back up their project for good. Of course, Tae Joon, who has a soft spot for Bo Ra, puts in a good word for her and eventually Bo Ra gets the part-time job of her life with the best pay.

With her skills, she is able to impress the Minister and her delegates with her presentation of the ‘mini file’, but one mistake has Yoo Chan screaming at her face, saying she was fired and that he doesn’t want to see her. A few more screw ups and their next big project is bound to go down the gutter without even seeing the light.

This persistent girl, however, took it as her responsibility and chased the minister every day with all her might to convince her that they should still invest with the ‘mini file’ for its innovative-ness and potential.

Yoo Chan seemed like he isn’t shaken by everything that happened and goes to Geneva to pick up the key to their success. Without anyone knowing, Yoo Chan goes back to Korea and meets the minister. He presents to her what the mini file can do and the minister is indeed touched by Yoo Chan’s thoughtfulness in thinking of her during the short demo. In the end, she agrees to help them pass the proposal for government funding.

In a sudden turn of events, Yoo Chan who is in a better mood, accepts Bo Ra as a regular employee of Next In, but then giving her an ultimatum of a month to come up of something innovative that will help the company profit. Bo Ra is inspired to do her best, but is admittedly not the best person to come up of something ‘out of the box’ that her proposals all get junked every time she shows it to Yoo Chan.

Even so, despite Yoo Chan’s constant rejection of her ideas and prickliness around her, Bo Ra isn’t one to give up on him just because he’s a jerk. And somehow she slowly makes it not just in Yoo Chan’s heart but also Min Tae Joon’s.

However, in the whirlwind of events while hearts flutter in happiness, excitement, curiosity and pain, Min Tae Ra appears in the picture and completes the square. She eventually starts dating Yoo Chan, if not for her persistence and Yoo Chan’s uncaring attitude towards trying out a relationship with her which is absolutely dysfunctional and doomed to not last forever.

Tae Ra tries her way into Yoo Chan’s heart, but no matter how much effort she puts into it, Yoo Chan is always drawn towards Bo Ra even without her trying to win him–in a romantic kind of way. Tae Ra is left with bitter feelings about this because she knows what she is seeing, so she braves herself to her road in winning Yoo Chan’s heart.

However, in episode 8, despite finding out the sad truth from Bo Ra in the most unconventional way–finding out she really knows Kim Boon Hong and that she’s already dead seven years ago–and being anguished by her betrayal, Yoo Chan finds himself driving back his motorcycle to Bo Ra in the middle of the road and tells her how he can only think of her and remember her face alone.

Thoughts on Episode 1-8

The Good

I think I started to watch this drama with mild interest. For a drama with actors that doesn’t have a strong acting background (start up actors) and a cliche plot that should only replicate the original, this is good so far for a remake. I haven’t really seen the original version and don’t have any plan of watching it, but for the a drama that doesn’t give me that much hype (except for the hype that Suho is the starring male lead), I think the story has more depth than people thought.

Yes, the rich man falling for the poor woman is a total cliche we want to shove to the background, but Yoo Chan’s disability to remember faces and Bo Ra’s secrets, Next In and the love square are enough of an addition to interest me.

I believe that Rich Man is much better than any other dramas that has an idol as the lead character in many ways. The fact that it has a good on going story line, which at least makes great sense and consistent connection to its various subplots, and the other fact that the sequence isn’t dizzying and that it’s cute though emotional and that the characters are easy to love (except the jerk version of Lee Yoo Chan) are plus points to value, though admittedly it is sub-par to its other competition in the drama field right now.

Still, there are many things to celebrate about it than not, you know? And I can’t say that it’s trash because it’s far from being one, though I can’t speak the same for other people who have different taste than me.

The So-so but not so bad

Cliche plot — and yes, we’re already there. No need to talk about how generic the plot is, considering the rich man falling for the poor girl is a K-drama staple, the defining factor now is how they are going to make this kind of plot standout, though I haven’t really seen something above average about it as of yet. Just mildly interesting, but definitely hooking.

Min Tae Ra — I definitely don’t despise Kim Yewon, but sometimes her roles can be so infuriating like Min Tae Ra, who knows she’s pretty and capable and rich that she thinks Yoo Chan only deserves to belong to her. She’s not the kind of drama queen that bitches at the female lead, but she definitely stinks of jealousy and insecurities.

What’s worse is the show making her Lee Yoo Chan’s girlfriend when our poor Kim Bo Ra is at the sidelines watching, teary eyed and silently envious. I really can’t stand this kind of plot cliche, but what can we do? Maybe you need to hate someone in every drama, just like this.

The mystery that is Kim Boon Hong — I really don’t mind talking about Kim Boon Hong and how awesome or great she is Yoo Chan can’t forget her. I guess, there’s just always that first love you will forever be hung up on until you find the closure that you’re looking for, but sometimes I don’t like how they give too much emphasis on Kim Boon Hong only to leave us hanging.

Until now, at episode 8, I’m confused who Kim Boon Hong is to Lee Yoo Chan. Maybe the drama wasn’t just able to establish a clear picture of who she really was yet. But putting two and two together it doesn’t take rocket science to know that obviously Kim Boon Hong isn’t his mother (I read that in the original version, it was his mother he had been looking for), but a first love that could have taken the role of a mother, a best friend and a sister to Yoo Chan, just like how it had been described in the drama before the big reveal, which is not really so big since Bora didn’t have the courage to tell Yoo Chan face to face about Boon Hong and had to take the latter route of telling Tae Joon the truth and Tae Joon passing the message to Yoo Chan, who later reads Bo Ra’s email stating the truth.

I was hoping for more impact on this since the story so far largely revolved around Kim Boon Hong in its first half, but the anticipating had gone to waste after what they did. Anyway, at least it’s one secret out.

Cast & Characters

They are not the so-called powerhouse cast you might have looked forward to, but their quite diverse backgrounds and experience in the small screen is to an extent that they can deliver and keep you looking for more despite the inevitable flaws in acting. Still, there’s always room for improvement and we can only hope that Rich Man will get better in its upcoming episodes.

Kim Joonmyeon (also Suho) as Lee Yoo Chan. I know I am not the only one who thinks Suho looks too young to become a CEO, but anything’s possible in K-dramas. Rich Man made it possible for fans (a fantasy come true!) and viewers alike to see Suho in this light.

Gladly, Suho does look the part, although sometimes I feel like his angelic face won’t allow him to look like the prick he should be for his role. His nasty remarks, power play and jerky-ness as Lee Yoo Chan gladly helps convey who he is as the character and not the idol who is part of the band, although it’s still somehow hard to separate him from being that, but I am working on it.

His acting, however, is quite commendable. He makes it believable as he can do, though sometimes I feel like he’s being too rough with his role that it doesn’t feel right in the eyes. Nonetheless, I am glad that I don’t hate Suho for his role. That’s all that matters.

Ha Yeon Soo as Kim Bo Ra. At first, I thought Ha Yeon Soo looked too young for her character (but really her looks is definitely deceiving! She looks so youthful I am surprised she’s already 27), but Bo Ra’s just out from college so I guess her looks played the part with her age in the drama although she looks still quite younger than that, that she can be mistaken for a high schooler.

But then Ha Yeon Soo delivers a strong performance with her bright and persevering character as Bo Ra, who’s definitely good at heart and easily likable for her friendliness. She can truly make friends even with people who dislikes her, and if that ain’t a talent, I don’t know. She’s just so nice you will only find her annoyed at someone and voicing out her unnecessary opinion when drunk.

Ha Yeon Soo is good in her portrayal of Bo Ra that it’s not hard to say she’s one of the few good things that happened to Rich Man. And though sometimes I cringe at the way Bo Ra acts, I feel like she’ll need it to identify herself from the other characters.

Relationships

I’m picking the most remarkable ones since there’s just too many connections made:

Bo Ra and her family – I most definitely love the way Bo Ra interacts with her family. In this modern world, it is nice that she doesn’t forget those people she had left behind and always thought of them so deeply it’s quite touching. Plus, I definitely love the accent whenever they talked. It’s very raw but also funny.

Bo Ra and Mi So – I feel like Mi So is Bo Ra’s counterpart; where Bo Ra is the modest one, more conservative one, not so materialistic one, Mi So is the more practical and realistic and most definitely materialistic in a sense I doubted her when she started dating Do Jin. It’s clear in her eyes that she’s aiming for him because he’s capable, that it’s too late when I realized she really liked him after they broke up and she tried to grab his attention.

Nonetheless, Bo Ra and Mi So together is quite adorable, and sometimes with a pinch of salt thrown, destructive one moment and then the next laughing again. I think that’s the best kind of friendship, wherein you fight a lot, but then make up at the end of the day even without saying, just laughing at the reason why you even fought.

Yoo Chan and Tae Joon – Where Yoo Chan is the infuriating friend who does whatever he wants, Tae Joon is the sponge that absorbs. I’m just happy that Tae Joon can’t stop doting on Yoo Chan no matter how ugly his attitude gets.

Bo Ra and Tae Joon – Despite the age gap, I will probably stan this ship second to Bo Ra and Yoo Chan if Yoo Chan doesn’t exist. Tae Joon just cares so much about Bo Ra that it’s quite admirable and at the same time pitiful, knowing he must know there’s something special going on between his best friend and his crush.

Yoo Chan and Bo Ra – The absolute mix of hot and cold, love and hate. Sometimes I hate Yoo Chan for being rude towards Bo Ra. He’s like a kid who vies for his crush’ attention by bullying her–which is so childish! But then, I definitely feel the chemistry steaming off the two of them. The only thing that must be missing will be a kiss to seal the deal. Now, that I am looking forward to because I don’t know how they are going to do it. Haha.

Since Yoo Chan kissed Tae Ra first, I just can’t picture Yoo Chan and Bo Ra kissing or hugging. I just think it’s weird, but I am still definitely going to watch out for it.

Overall

They say ignorance is a bliss that’s why I am not going to watch the Japanese version to keep my opinion unbiased towards Rich Man. I’m not sure how great the original did, but I am most definitely seeing potential with the Korean remake, considering the level of similarity it has, but also what they did different with it that makes it unique from the former.

I know that Rich Man isn’t the drama that will trend like the Reply series or Goblin, but hey it’s not that bad. Yes, the plot is cliche, the acting is sub-par to others and sometimes cringey, but the overall production–looking at the big picture–is worth investing your time and emotions with, especially when you want something light yet sometimes dramatic.

So, fill in that blank day with a Rich Man drama marathon and let me know what you think of it!

Rating this drama, I’m giving it a 4.1 out of 5 for exceeding my expectations and for the characters having good chemistry.

    First Impression: Rich Man – Episode 1-8 Rich Man (리치맨; Richimaen) is a 2018 television series starring Kim Jun Myeon (also EXO's Suho; …