#yeo ha kyung

[jacksjoke]

[mymilovesfashion]

[2024 year in review ~ Vogue Korea #1]

JAN - Lulu Tenney

FEB - Georgia Palmer

MAR - Doona Bae, Greta Lee, Yuna Kim, CL, Chloe Oh, Hyunji Shin, Sora Choi, Ko Hyun Jung, Kang Sue-Jin, Koo Jeong-A, Kim Da Mi, Kim Min Ha, Hong Jin Kyung, Hyein, Taeyeon, Krystal Jung, Jeon So Mi, Jang Won Young, Lee Ha Nee, Yeo Seo-jeong, Uhm Jung-hwa, An Yu-jin, Park Gyu-young, Park Se Ri

APR - Vittoria Ceretti

[kdram-chjh]

Kdrama: Knight Flower (2024)

🥰😂 #leehanee #knightflower #kdrama

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iG-_ERjeuYM

[bigdsgirl]

oh fuck wait. oh my god. no wonder.

still no sympathy for this man but holy fuck.

[scorbleeo]

Drama Gossip: Love for Love's Sake

Source: Google Images

Twenty-nine-year-old Tae Myung Ha experiences a bewildering twist of fate when suddenly finds himself transported into a fictional online game where he inhabits the body of a ninteen-year-old character. Soon, Tae Myung Ha embarks on a quest within the virtual world to bring happiness to a character named Cha Yeo Woon.

Despite his humble upbringing, Cha Yeo Woon has managed to excel in the national track and field championships, maintaining a remarkable reputation among his peers due to his handsome looks and athletic physique.

Cheon Sang Won hails from an affluent family and becomes emotionally entangled with Tae Myung Ha. His involvement adds complexity to the developing relationship between Tae Myung Ha and Cha Yeo Woon. Ahn Kyung Hoon, introverted and reserved, supports and assists Tae Myung Ha on his mission within the virtual world.

Source: MyDramaList (2024)

I Wanted More

For a drama that almost has nothing much going on, these 8 episodes flowed through very quickly. Despite the lack of drama, it is one of the more binge-able BL dramas out there. Moreover, the twist, that revelation in the last episode, I did not see that coming considering this was such a feel-good BL, I like the surprise the twist gave me.

Of course, although I thought this show flowed smoothly and the ending felt like it came at the right time, I kind of wanted more from this show. Maybe with 'more', the transition from a Yeo Woon that had negative fondness towards Myung Ha to a Yeo Woon who liked Myung Ha would not feel so abrupt. Neither would the rather horrific system errors in the second last episode feel so stifling.

With that said, yes I want more but only because I want more of Myung Ha and Yeo Woon, I like their chemistry. It wasn't too lovey dovey but it was still innocently cute. I wouldn't have minded if we saw more of Sang Won as well, his character development was random but I like a reformed bully, one who's really a golden retriever but only became an asshole due to childhood neglect.

In conclusion, in spite of a little dark tone near the end of the drama, Love for Love's Sake is quite a feel-good show.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5/5)

More Korean BL dramas here: Color Rush | Love Tractor | Semantic Error | The Tasty Florida

[k-drama-thoughts]

The Story of the Park Marriage Contract

Synopsis:

As a newly married woman in 19th-century Korea, Park Yeon Woo’s (Lee Se Young) life should have been a happy one. But when her new husband dies shortly after their wedding, her life goes from bad to worse when she’s kidnapped and thrown down a well. What should have been the end of her story turns out to be just the beginning when her fall into the well lands her in a swimming pool in modern-day Korea. Fished out by Kang Tae Ha (Bae In Hyuk), Yeon Woo soon finds herself presented with a strange request: to join him in a contract marriage. Lost in a strange new world, will Yeon Woo agree to make a dying man’s wish come true?

The Best Things About This Drama:

Familiar formula done well

Likeable characters

Doesn't over do the angst

I'm giving this one 4/5. There is a lot to like about this drama, especially Joo Hyun Young as Sa Wol, Yeon Woo's maid and friend, and Jo Bok Rae as Hong Seong Pyo, Tae He's secretary and friend. The time-slip storyline is a popular one, and they did a brilliant job making this one interesting and unique in a familiar landscape.

There is, of course, a lot of machinations and plotting around the corporate structure to mirror the political struggles we see in Joseon, and the familiar domestic drama among chaebol families was ever present. What I thought was particularly well done is that the true motivations and plots unfolded slowly, and each time it felt more like a puzzle piece fitting into place and not like a shock out of the blue.

The definition of fate and destiny is a recurring theme, as is what sacrifice and selflessness means to each person. They're subtle, but ever present. I appreciated that there was no singular accepted answer to the questions of what determines fate and what is a selfless act of love.

Lee Se Young is a beautiful woman and actress, and I enjoyed her performance as much as I enjoyed her character. The fact that she was allowed to be the more carefree and informal one to Bae In Hyuk's more rigid and formal personality was a nice balance. You got to see him evolve without completely changing his personality.

All in all, it was what I would call a cozy drama. Something that you could watch and enjoy without being completely emotionally wrecked by the end of each episode. I definitely recommend it for a great love story.

[respectthepetty]

*SQUEE!*

The first two episodes of Love for Love's Sake are perfect.

He is perfect.

He's gonna be perfect.

These two are perfect.

And I think there is color coding when they are together.

Cha Yeo Woon wears a white undershirt with his white backpack and white phone, and Tae Myung Ha wears a black undershirt with a dark backpack and has a dark phone (which I think are actually blue!).

I already love ALL of them.

They are perfect, but Ahn Kyung Hun is the most perfect.

LOOK AT HIM!

Perfect.

[twig-tea]

Love For Love's Sake Marketing vs Reality

I cannot get over how misleading the description of this show was compared to its actual execution of the first two episodes. This will be pretty spoiler-free if you are reading to decide whether to give the show a try!

The summary: "Twenty-nine-year-old Tae Myung Ha experiences a bewildering twist of fate when suddenly finds himself transported into a fictional online game where he inhabits the body of a ninteen-year-old character. Soon, Tae Myung Ha embarks on a quest within the virtual world to bring happiness to a character named Cha Yeo Woon. Despite his humble upbringing, Cha Yeo Woon has managed to excel in the national track and field championships, maintaining a remarkable reputation among his peers due to his handsome looks and athletic physique."

What I had taken away from that description that had made me wary: The importance of the age gap; lying to a character to fake affection in order to win a game.

None of the original description is a lie, but the emphasis is all wrong and it excludes some key details that make this show so good.

First: The character MyungHa is tasked to make happy is not just any character; he's the character in a novel MyungHa has just read, and he's the character that he says he identified with most (and who he was rooting for and was annnoyed got a sad storyline and ending). So when he's going up to YeoWoon expressing affection, it's genuine. He really does already know and like this guy. That's a HUGE difference for me, and it changes his mission from a Big Lie into a personal mission. The thing I like most about this show is the heart. The fact that MyungHa genuinely wanting YeoWoon to be happy is (it seems) the triggering event that transports him into the game, not a bewildering twist of fate but a direct response to his articulated wish, is a key part of that heart!

Second: Myung Ha is not out here as a 19-year-old trying to seduce YeoWoon, he wants him to be happy because he sees in YeoWoon similarities to who he was in his teens. The thing that has MyungHa most excited about being 19 again is his grandmother still being alive. The age gap is only a thing in how MyungHa is treating YeoWoon like he's a little kid, which annoys the hell out of YeoWoon because his character is only 1 year older.

Finally: YeoWoon has no friends. It seems true that he's famous on campus and that he has fans (e.g. KyungHoon's sister) but they don't approach him and it doesn't prevent people from hating him. This description makes him sound like a popular guy.

The description on MDL also includes this paragraph: "Cheon Sang Won hails from an affluent family and becomes emotionally entangled with Tae Myung Ha. His involvement adds complexity to the developing relationship between Tae Myung Ha and Cha Yeo Woon. Ahn Kyung Hoon, introverted and reserved, supports and assists Tae Myung Ha on his mission within the virtual world."

We haven't enough of SangWon to draw conclusions yet, but based on the failures of the original description to capture any of the the things I love about the show while highlighting issues that don't (to date) actually exist in the show, I'm going to reserve judgment and assume this is also misleading. It would be pretty antithetical to the very heart of the show that's being set up if Myung Ha, through his actions, caused a different character (SangWon) to become the sad second lead. I'll be really interested to see how this goes and how/if this show will address this issue.

TL;DR: The marketing material: Age gap romance with a Big Lie The actual show: video game isekai granting an earnest protagonist a chance to create a fix-it AU for his favourite sad side character.

Anyway. Glad the show turned out to be so off from the marketing material because this is way better!

[dramadramallama]

Love Supremacy - brain rot part 3 (hopefully that's it, last part, i'm done PHEW)

As stated here, the story within a story structure makes for a cool viewing experience. Different readings for different levels.

Layer 1 - Myung-ha abandons himself Layer 2 - Limbo: an intermediary, temporary, blurry state Layer 3 - The Game, roleplaying yourself (Layer 4 - Us, watching the show haha)

It grants both the audience, and the characters a chance to get a new perspective. 

As Myung-ha sinks into himself, he has to rise back up.

The game framing is interesting, as it makes Myung-ha an active participant in his own fate. He is more likely to act in the safety of a game, with defined, clear goals, and “easy” missions to complete on the side of the main quest. It compartmentalizes the universe in neat little game notifications, and relieves some of the pressure of the hardest part of life. Finding happiness? Pfff, EASY, right?

Myung-ha is given the opportunity to do what all of us have probably wished at one point: re-start, from the latest save point, where it all went wrong. As argued in part one, the characters aren’t just words on paper, or pixels in a game. They have agency, just like Myung-ha.

1. Mirrors/Symmetry

2. Fate, Free Will, and Happiness

▶️3. Game/Reality

Very soon, it appears the lines between the so-called game and so-called reality are getting extremely blurry. 

First, the stakes are incredibly high for a simple game. The penalty is death. 

Myung-ha doesn’t seem fazed by the threat of death, he’s not scared of it. It could be because it's "just a game," but I personally think it's because he's technically already "dead." He ignores the penalty and focuses on his mission(s) at face value. Subconsciously, he works towards changing his own fate, and he gets there!

Debuffs (negative effects) need to be corrected

His efforts are slightly slowed by “debuffs.” These incidents happen due to Yeo-woon’s general dislike for everyone (including himself). They slow the process down enough to teach Myung-ha how to build friendships and relationships. The trick here is that Myung-ha is supposed to learn by proxy, through Yeo-woon’s self-love journey, how to love and be loved, and speak his true feelings.

“Bad” things seem to happen because Yeo-woon isn't quite ready for that unstoppable wave of affection Myung-ha unleashes. At first, the debuffs are incredibly mild and inoffensive (Fondness/Affection level around -10 or -5 = a LEAF falling on his face, a defective streetlight, and spicy tteokbokki lmao) and are easily transformed into something positive, bringing them closer.

But Yeo-woon’s affection is directly related to how honest Myung-ha is with himself and others. For example, he is disappointed to realize the urgency of Myung-ha’s text was fake (="Myung-ha doesn't trust me like I trust him"), and he doesn’t reassure Yeo-woon about the fact that he smells like someone else (lol cat energy). By refusing to open himself up to be cared for, it backfires with direct consequences. 

Myung-ha is allergic to listening to his own advice. All "do as I say, not as I do." When he told Yeo-woon "when someone cares for you, just accept it, why do you have to [question it?]" I almost screamed. We're all mental health experts when it comes to someone other than ourselves lol.

As for most things in life, the answer is balance. His side quests involve, for example, making other friends, who can be reliable and provide help in return. Kyung-hoon helps with a part time job and Sang-won offers to drive him to Yeon-woo.

Also interesting to note, his knee jerk reaction to anyone trying to enter his sphere is to close himself off, keep some distance. The above is in response to someone using casual honorifics (hyung/oppa).

Kyung-hoon, as if expressing Myung-ha's interiority, explains he's ok with long distance dating. Why? Simple: he likes his boyfriend, and wants to enjoy every moment until it ends. This is in direct opposition to what Myung-ha chooses: he places the certainty of pain/suffering above the mere possibility of happiness.

(...relatable tbh)

Myung-ha's inner desires clash with his depressive state constantly, and it gets worse after Yeo-woon’s affection levels dramatically drop from a positive number, back to zero, and then negative again, due to Myung-ha struggling to accept, and balance his own feelings. Too much love for everyone but himself, too scared to need anyone who might end up leaving him. The debuffs get more serious (Grandma gets hospitalized), and he starts fainting. Myung-ha is falling back into old traps, and like vicious circle, by trying to fix the errors incorrectly, in turn, makes the system shut down.

Thankfully, he does come to understand things remain worthy, even though he cannot have them forever.

The mysterious texts from an unknown number

Myung-ha faints several times, like things aren't quite going right. The nonsensical texts keep pouring in.

These read, to me, like close friends/family grieving, like they're in a columbarium (?). Besides the one from his sunbae at the end, they're all unsigned. There's one text saying they have "followed someone wearing the same clothes as [Myung-ha], knowing it couldn't be [him]", and one about a broken vase. Are they all from his sunbae, relaying the things said to him once? Or after his death? At his funeral? As a prayer? Thinking of him?

While the game server experiences extreme instability, memories, “real-life” happenings parasite the safety of the game.

Very personal elements keep permeating the game play; lines go beyond blurry, and disappear entirely.

Elements outside of the game keep popping up. Soon, the edges of the gameplay aren’t so clear-cut anymore, as Myung-ha gets more precise with defining happiness. His own handwriting shows up in the game notifications.

The answers are his own: he filled in the blanks himself. But he constantly tries to apply them to someone else.

It becomes impossible to dissociate the game from Myung-ha’s existence. I’m sure I haven’t caught them all, but there are many instances where Myung-ha's reality bleeds into the game.

Bubbly, water sounds are heard at key moments, and before long, his "memories" with his sunbae also get a underwater backdrop. To say nothing of the water/wave imagery around Myung-ha.

His world is leaking through the seams, the wave is rolling him over, and he’s sinking deeper. Which way will he come up? Water symbolism is always, MUAH, chef's kiss.

He is given ultimate freedom - a symbolic pen, to overwrite the program, and solve the system errors

Myung-ha for better or for worse, whether he likes it or not, is in control, quite literally, of the game, and by extension, of his life. When he starts to understand he's the origin of the errors, he panics, chooses to end it early, and saves Yeo-woon's fate over his.

That same pen has been used to write all the answers to the questions that appear in the game. He chooses Yeo-woon over himself. The game fails, the universe wavers. Beautiful contradiction: he fights to stay. Just like the way he regretted it after walking into the water. His true intentions come bubbling back up to the surface, and he runs to Yeo-woon, away from death and towards life. He doesn't want to disappear.

Time's up

In the previous post, I went more in depth about how he only gives, never takes. He doesn’t reach out to be pulled out of the water, thinking himself to be alone, and his system slowly starts shutting down. 

The scenes end abruptly, we jump from seemingly disconnected locations, faster, while Myung-ha frantically tries to outrun his own errors. I’ve seen some criticism of the pace and editing getting a little hectic in the later episodes, but I think it was purposefully reflecting Myung-ha’s state. 

Yeo-woon, with his newfound agency, defies his own story ending. By changing the game’s core mission to “make Myung-ha happy” he counters Myung-ha's one-sided choice and the balance can be restored.

CONCLUSION // PLEASE LET THIS END

"Despite knowing the journey and where it leads, I embrace it and welcome every moment." (Ted Chiang, Stories of Your Life and Others)

It is unclear whether Myung-ha gets a redo in a new reality, or if he gets to enjoy his own personal heaven after death. The game might be a physical representation of Myung-ha’s mind. It’s as real as any other intangible concept, like love, or happiness. There's definitely something to be said about the aspect ratio changing depending on where he is, but...

But to me, it doesn’t really matter. It's not where he ends up, it's how he got there.

I love that we open with Myung-ha abandoning his life at sea, and close on him returning to the water for a new start.

And I love that Myung-ha loves his own story: on his date with Yeo-woon, he gets emotional over the movie because the Monster Croc is "an alien" (COUGH Myung-ha) who joins the Zombie Gorilla (COUGH Yeon-woo) in his world to "save it"...

[hoppipolla]

"Cha Yeo Woon's life and my lousy life can find happiness too."

I was wrong. Tae Myung Ha’s behaviour didn’t change after learning that him failing his mission, that him failing to make Cha Yeo Woon happy, would cost his life. What does it mean really? What does his mission truly entail? Making sure his presence brings Yeo Woon happiness? And what about when he’s no longer around? How will Yeo Woon feel? What happens to him when he’s no longer there? What does it mean to make Yeo Woon happy if his happiness is as ephemeral as his presence in the same world as him?

Myung Ha is aware that the clock is ticking. Not just because of the time reminder that unexpectedly appears in front of him, he knows he was given a mission in this game in which he knows the main character more than himself.

Although the lines are becoming blurry between the real and the virtual world (him wondering who that “senior” is in ep 4 when he rereads his notes in his notebook hints at this blur) he remains aware of the short time frame he has to make that happiness – that vague idea as his senior describes it – real for Yeo Woon. But you know what? It’s never been about Yeo Woon’s happiness. Not really. As early as episode 1, Myung Ha makes a parallel between his life and Yeo Woon’s, saying that people who have led miserable lives can become happy. Myung Ha refuses to be defined by the life he has led until now. It kills him to know that his senior thinks someone like Yeo Woon is doomed to live a miserable life. That’s why one of the first things he does when his world collides with his is to look for the boundaries Yeo Woo has(n’t?) defined for his happiness: when did he ever feel remotely happy (“Cha Yeo Woon, have you really never felt happy while you run? Never. Really? You can be… dumb sometimes.” (ep 2)), Does he want to eat an ice cream? Does he want new shoes? What are you looking for Cha Yeo Woon? What makes you get up in the morning when the sun rays gently hit your face? How long have you been this lonely? How cold do you feel inside? Why do you feel like you don’t deserve my kindness? Why does your voice break when you talk about yourself? Why do I feel like your eyes hide a pain whose depths I can’t fathom? Why do you hate yourself the most? Why does it bother you when I hang out with Sang Won? You said I didn’t know anything, then tell me, what am I missing?

If happiness was something Myung Ha could give to Yeo Woon, he would give it to him, in an instant. But happiness is not something you can give to someone. It’s something you invite in and let the other decide if he’s willing to let it come in. But how can Myung Ha teach Yeo Woon to welcome happiness when he has never been able to do so himself?

Tae Myung Ha is the kind of person who forgets himself when he cares for someone. Although he knows his penalty is death, although the debuffs affect him physically, he brushes it off easily. Because his senior has given him the power to make his favourite person happy. However, it scares him to have such a power because it means that, ultimately, Yeo Woon’s happiness will rely on his presence by his side. When Kyung Hoon mentions how they’ll be drinking together in their twenties, Myung Ha is startled: what do you mean I’ll be part of your future? I mean, can I? Will I? This realisation shocks him. What do you do when you’re supposed to be the key to a locked door only for the door to change lock as soon as you open it? What is he supposed to do? Isn’t it cruel? Make Yeo Woon happy only to leave him behind? This matter of time frame is exactly why he easily shakes off the idea of dating him in ep 1 because he is convinced he won’t have time for it to happen. A relationship builds itself with time and time is what he doesn’t have, not really anyway.

I like how time is depicted in this drama, how it perfectly encapsulates how incomprehensible its cogs work. Myung Ha has only been around for less than two weeks and yet he’s already had a huge impact on the people around him: he became Kyung Hoon’s friend, Sang Won’s new obsession, Si A’s helper/part-timer, and Yeo Woon’s light. Everything is happening so fast and yet it all makes sense. It doesn’t feel rushed at all because it’s Myung Ha. Because he’s the kind of person you grow attached to quickly. Because once he enters your life, he rents a piece of your heart for an indefinite amount of time. His presence feels warm and his warmth feels so normal that you let it sink in, thinking it’ll forever be there to melt your inner winters.

I can’t wait to see how Yeo Woon will return his warmth, how he’ll make Myung Ha happy without him realising. I know the heartbreak will come but for now, I’m expecting some more sunny spells.

[jacksjoke]

[jannahime]

Metanoia

Synopsis: Shin Na-young a 28 year old marine biologist after finding out her fiancé cheated on her with her cousin Kwak Hee-mi, her heart broke into billions of pieces and she swore that if she had other relationships that she would not fall in love and she would break them before they would break her. She lost all faith in love, and she decides to drown her sadness and anger at a bar where she gets drunk and gets entangled with an important person in the business industry. She has a one night stand with the man and it’s then she realizes that she had a one night stand with her boss who owns the research that she works at. Her boss is automatically fallen in love with her, but she hasn’t so it’s up to him to convince her to give a second chance. 

This is a story I’m writing as a project. I hope you like.

True love, a timeless and universal concept that everyone can relate to. But, love at times can be awful and painful.

I myself was in love once. I thought it was true love. I thought we were simply meant to be.....but I guess I was the only one living in a fool's paradise.

Because after I found both my cousin Kwak Hee-mi and my son to be husband Hyun Seung-hwan together in our house in our bedroom....I was heartbroken.

I called off the engagement and continued to pursue my career in marine science to try and forget about him....but no one ever forgets their first love.

Love is nothing but a joke, a feeling that will only break your heart in the long run. And now....my heart is as cold as ice.

Mercilessly turning men down or breaking up with them first before they ever get a chance to either hurt me or just grow tired of me.

A few months ago:

I had fish to fry once again. I already knew my current boyfriend Song Myung-bak was cheating on me with Hee-mi.

I was always one step ahead whenever I found out he was slipping up a few weeks ago. Today I was out with my ¹Seonbaes in the ocean near the port of Gunsan. Jae-seung and I were swimming around looking for the leatherback sea turtle.

"²YAH! YAH! JAE-SEUNG AH! NA-YOUNG AH!" Yelled Cho Chang-woo with worry as he was concerned for their well being.

"³Hyung! It's okay! Don't panic! They're wearing oxygen tanks, remember?" Spoke Do Won-Sul calmly trying to calm Chang-woo down.

"I know! But it just terrifies me that they've been underwater for so long looking for that damn sea turtle!" Replied Chang-woo with worry.

"Oh come on Hyung! Look at where we are! We're at the ocean! Relaxing with our Hubae who owns a boat! And might I add that it's a yatch! And she's letting us have it for a whole month's vacation! Isn't it exciting?" Replied So Kyung-ho with excitement as he reeled in a fish.

"Yeah Hyung! Come on in! The water is fine!" Spoke Hwan Hae-il and Yeo Jong-soo in a relaxed state as they floated in the water with their doughnut floats.

Chang woo looked at them all with an annoyed look. "We already work in the ocean you idiots! Y'all treat our job like an everyday vacation you lazy brats! Plus I'm not a big fan of the ocean which is why I worry for Jae-seung and Na-young!" Replied Chang-woo firmly.

"Yah! Jae-seung ah! Na-young ah! It's time for dinner!" Yelled Kim Kwang-min at the top of his lungs catching Jae-seung's attention.

Jae-seung hears Kwang-min calling them and he turns to Na-young signaling her that it's time to go in which she nods her head slightly whilst giving him a thumbs up. Jae-seung and Na-young explode out of the water flipping their hair back looking like a beautiful merman and mermaid.

"Come on Na-young ⁴ssi! Kwang-min Hyung made ⁵Gopchang-gui and ⁶Kimchi!" Spoke Jae-seung with a charming smile as he ran his hand through his Carmel brown hair.

Na-young only gives him a small smile. "Sorry Jae-seung....but I can't join you guys for dinner today. There's....something I have to take care of." Replied Na-young placidly as she put on some mini shorts and then she dried her long, flowy, wavy jet black hair with a towel.

Jae-seung and the other's look at her with furrowed brows. They all know exactly why she's leaving. They already knew that her boyfriend was cheating on her and they didn't want her to think about it, which is the reason why they asked her to stay with them. But she refused.

"Na-young ssi.......are you leaving because of him? He's-"

"Jae-seung ah....I know you and everyone else know about Myung-bak cheating on me with Hee-mi. But you must understand that I'm going there to end things with him and I won't have mercy on him. So don't worry about it too much, okay? After all, I do know self defense thanks to Young-jae oppa." She says with a small smile on her face.

"Na-young ssi? Young-jae Hyung is on the phone for you!" Spoke Hae-il casually as he pointed at the boat's phone.

"Seonbae....tell him I'll call him later.....I'll see you guys another time. Have fun on the yacht! Take all the time you need, there's no hurry." She says with a small smile as she gets on her motorcycle and she drives away.

"Na-young!-"

"Enough Jae-seung. She has to finish this on her own. We can't meddle in this affair even if we want to tear Myung-bak apart." Replied Chang-woo firmly with a sigh as he and the others went to go eat.

Jae-seung could only watch Na-young drive away. He clenched his fists tightly as he turned to join the others for dinner.

I knew what I was expecting when I got home. But somehow watching it all unfold right in front of me hurt so much but all I felt was rage towards these two scumbags.

I slammed the door to our bedroom open in which they both jolted in surprise. Myung-bak was under the sheets of the bed towering over Hee-mi who continued to act all innocent.

"Na-young! Baby! I-Thought you were-" but before Myung-bak could finish his sentence I violently slapped him across the face once making sure that it hurt like a bitch and left a big red mark on his face.

"CUT THE BULLSHIT SONG MYUNG-BAK! PACK ALL OF YOUR STUFF! I WANT YOU OUT OF MY HOUSE NOW!" I bellowed with fury as I looked at him with rage.

Myung-bak grabbed at his face as he stared daggers at me for slapping him. "WHY YOU CONNIVING WENCH! HOW DARE YOU-"

"I TOLD YOU THERE WOULD BE DIRE CONSEQUENCES IF YOU EVER CHEATED ME! YOU VIOLATED THE CONTRACT AND FOR THAT YOU MUST PAY SEVERELY!" I continued to bellow with rage. Hee-mi only smiled in amusement as she was enjoying seeing us fight.

Myung-bak still looked at me with rage. And he acted as if he didn't remember our dating contract. "WHAT FUCKING CONTRACT!? I DON'T REMEMBER EVER SIGNING ONE!" feigned Myung-bak acting as if he didn't remember about the contract.

"You really want to play this game? Fine! Here's a copy of the contract that you signed. Look at line 5 of the contract you simpleton." I replied firmly as she threw him the contract.

Myung-bak grabbed the the papers and he reads line 5 out loud. "Line 5. If a so -called boyfriend becomes unfaithful to party one (Shin Na-young) or what they (party one) think is unfaithful, party two (Song Myung-bak) must collect his things and leave. But before party two (Song Myung-bak) can leave he must also return everything thing they took from party one (Shin Na-young) with or without permission, this includes treasured valuables, expensive items, money, etc. party two (Song Myung-bak) will also stop getting assistance from party one (Shin Na-young) and their family on party two's (Song Myung-bak's) company and will be shut down immediately due to party two's (Song Myung-bak's) Malevolent ambitions etc. Therefore, party two (Song Myung-bak) is no longer associated with party one (Shin Na-young) nor party one's (Shin Na-young’s) family. WHAT!? YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!-"

"I JUST FUCKING DID! FOR FIVE PAINSTAKING YEARS YOU'VE TREATED ME LIKE SHIT! YOU HAVE A LOT OF DEBT THAT YOU OWE ME...SINCE YOU HAVE A LOT OF FREE TIME YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO PAY ME BACK BY THE END OF THIS MONTH. IF YOU FAIL TO DO SO, YOU WILL BE HEARING FROM MY LAWYER AND YOU KNOW HOW MERCILESS YOUNG-HO OPPA IS AS A LAWYER ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU MESS WITH ME HIS LITTLE SISTER." I bellowed with fury as I stared at Myung-bak with a cold glare.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! IF IT WASN'T FOR ME! YOU WOULDN'T BE WHERE YOU ARE TODAY! YOU NEVER NOT ONCE PAID ATTE-"

"WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I WAS SICK FROM ANEMIA? WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I WAS STRUGGLING MENTALLY FROM MY DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY WITH ALL THE STRESS I HAD WITH MY OLD JOB? WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU WHEN I WAS DISCRIMINATED AND TREATED UNJUSTLY AT MY OLD JOB!? I WAS THE ONLY ONE TRYING IN THIS ONE-SIDED RELATIONSHIP! I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO REMEMBERED OUR ANNIVERSARIES! I TRIED TO SPICE UP OUR LIFE BUT YOU WERE TOO BUSY PLAYING FIND THE CANNOLI WITH THIS BITCH! WHEN YOU HAD SOMETHING ALWAYS TROUBLING YOU I WAS THERE! YOU MADE ME MISERABLE AND LIKE AN IDIOT I STILL LOVED YOU..... AND NOW LOOK AT WHAT I'M DOING RETURNING YOUR KARMA. DOESN'T FEEL GOOD BEING TREATED THE WAY YOU TREATED ME NOW DOES IT? THAT MUST SUCK FOR YOU. YOU HAVE 12 HOURS TO GET ALL YOUR THINGS AND GO BEFORE A DEMOLISHING COMPANY COMES AND DESTROYS THE HOUSE." I growled with fury as I continued to give him a cold indifferent glare.

"YOU RUINED EVERYTHING! I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!" Growled Myung-bak as he then reached for my neck when suddenly he was thrown back to the wall crashing into it.

I turned around and saw my eldest brother Young-Jae breathing heavily with rage. Young-Jae oppa is an MMA fighter and he punched Myung-bak in the gut so hard that it knocked him out.

"O-OPPA!" I yelled with shock as I saw my eldest brother seething with rage.

"NO ONE LAYS A FUCKING FINGER ON MY BABY SISTER! ESPECIALLY A PATHETIC EXCUSE OF A MAN LIKE YOU! GRAAAAH!" Growled Young-jae as he charged towards Myung-bak grabbing him by his collar and punching him violently in the face.

As Young-jae was about to punch Myung-bak once more. I stepped in and grabbed onto Young-jae's arm trying my best to stop him from delivering the blow.

"OPPA! STOP! HE'S NOT WORTH IT! LET'S GO HOME! PLEASE!" I yelled desperately trying to calm him down.

Young-jae looked back at me as I gave him a pleading look and he sighed heavily in defeat. He drops Myung-bak on his bottom and then he turns to look at Hee-mi who continues to look on with a mocking smile throughout the whole ordeal. This enrages my elder brother even more but I step in with my back turned to him as I give Hee-mi an icy indifferent glare.

"Awe! What is it cousin Na-young? Are you angry because I keep ruining your relationships? It's not my fault they think you're nothing but an ugly potato and a worthless nobody. It's not my fault that I'm so beautiful and most wanted of all." Smirks Hee-mi smugly as she twirls a few strands of hair with her fingers.

"YAH!" Bellowed Young-jae with a wrathful expression.

I held up my hand to stop my older brother from trying to tear Hee-mi apart as I looked back at him with a death stare. Young-jae only sighed and nodded his head. I turned my attention back to Hee-mi.

"Kwak Hee-mi...you only ever brought me pain and I'm sick of it. To say I tolerate you is a vast overstatement. For 8 years you kept tormenting me and I still don't why but I won't let a cheap expired coupon like you try to bring me down again. The only reason I let you get this far is for more of the reason to expose you." I reply firmly as I now grab Hee-mi's hair and I pull her hair down in which Hee-mi begins to panic seeing how freakishly strong I am.

"This is my one and final warning that I'm giving you....back off before you really wreck yourself! And I'll tell you this right now, you keep this up and you're really going to see what I'm made of and I won't have mercy! You're the reason why the gene pool needs a lifeguard." I replied indifferently as I threw Hee-mi back violently to the wall. She looked terrified.

I then turned on my heel and walked away from the house. Young-jae glowered at Hee-mi as he began to smirk smugly. "Mind her words Kwak Hee-mi....She's not the old Na-young you used to know. If she wanted to.....she could have kicked your ass now but unlike you she's a classy woman." Young-jae laughs at Hee-mi in mockery.

Young-jae then turned his attention to Myung-bak. "And you asshole! You better do as my sister says! Return everything that belongs to her and I mean all of it! You got less than 12 hours or I will personally be the one to annihilate you! UNDERSTAND!" Growled Young-jae as he threatened Myung-bak.

Myung-bak only nodded his head frantically as he hurried to get everything ready. Young-jae only laughed and walked away. Hee-mi only glared daggers at him. "Damn you and Na-young! I'll get y'all back! You'll see!" Thought Hee-mi to herself as she slammed her fists on the bed.

___________________________________________

¹(senior colleagues or mentor figures.)

²(a form of saying Hey in Korean.)

³(Means older brother either by blood related or an older male in the group.)

⁴(commonly used honorific amongst people of equal speech level.)

⁵(Gopchang-gui grilled beef small intestines.)

⁶(kimchi Slightly spicy Korean sauerkraut made from fermented vegetables Napa Cabbage, Daikon Radish, and carrots.)

[iuteamstarcandy]

IU’s book recommendations

There are lots of books IU has recommended in recent years. Links have been provided for the ebooks that you can legally read for free online.

Fredrik Backman - A Man Called Ove

L. Frank Baum - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz [Shoes, NOT Red Shoes*]

Lewis Carroll - Alice in Wonderland [Twenty-three]

Lewis Carroll - Through the Looking Glass [Red Queen]

Paulo Coelho - Brida

Osamu Dazai - No Longer Human

Fyodor Dostoyevsky - The Brothers Karamazov

Gong Ji Young - Very Light Feather

Kaori Ekuni - Falling Into the Evening

Hermann Hesse - Demian

Hwang Sun Won - Rain Shower [The Shower]

Hwang Jeong Eun - 파씨의 입문 Introduction to Paschi/Passy

Hwang Jeong Eun - Savage Alice

Im Sol Ah - 최선의 삶 The Best Life

Jonas Jonasson - The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

Byron Katie - Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life

Kim Hye Jin - 딸에 대하여 About my Daughter

Kim Sung Jong - 계엄령의 밤 The Night of Martial Law

Kim Young Ha - 오직 두 사람 Only Two People

Kwon Yeo Seon - 레몬 Lemon

Lee Hye Rin - 열정 같은 소리하고 있네 You Call It Passion

Lee Kyung Hye - One Day I Died

Lee Seok Won - 보통의 존재 Common Being

Milan Kundera - The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Haruki Murakami - Hear the Wind Sing

Guillaume Musso - Will You be There?

Friedrich Nietzsche - Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Ito Ogawa - Have Some Warmth~

Ito Ogawa - The Restaurant of Love Regained

Park Min Gyu - Castella

Park Min Gyu - 죽은 왕녀를 위한 파반느 Pavane for a Dead Princess

Mirjam Pressler - Bitter Chocolate

Françoise Sagan - Do You Like Brahms?

Leo Tolstoy - Ivan the Fool [Glasses]

José Mauro de Vasconcelos - My Sweet Orange Tree [Zeze]

Virginia Woolf - Jacob’s Room

Virginia Woolf - Mrs. Dalloway [Black Out]

(*Note: IU’s The Red Shoes did use the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale as a motif, but IU didn’t write that song, therefor it was not included above)

Sources: IU’s fancafe, news etc.

[undergroundkdrama]

#KDRAMAWOMENSWEEK 2023 | March 8th – 15th  2023

[alternatively: a week and one day to talk about and make things for women you appreciate in celebration of International Women’s Day] Inspired by @evansbrewster that’s no longer on Tumblr.com.

@kdramaladies will be hosting the event as well. I’ll reblog where I can and try to be present. Prompts courtesy of @dramaheroine who has dont 99.9999% of getting this week to happen, prompts and more, thanks so much. Gifs courtesy of @cuddlybitch, @haeyeongs and @orangesyellow. Thank you all so so much. Thank you to everyone that checks in about this when I am sure I’ll be sitting it out. KWW has been happening for eight years, this being the ninth which is nuts.

Please tag your posts #kdramawomensweek and/or @undergroundkdrama so they are easier to find, admire, and reblog.

Day 1: In Her Head

Women with rich inner worlds, full of hidden thoughts, desires and fantasies. Are her thoughts being revealed to the viewers in visually exciting ways? Think dream sequences, a touch of magical realism, voiceovers, a cut to a talking head or perhaps weird little animated cells…

Day 2: “It” Girl

2021 was all about Haves and Haves Not x2000. 2022 was the year of women in the legal profession. Tell us which of the characters fitting this year’s trend you have enjoyed the most and why. What made them better than the rest? Or what else do you think has been a popular theme/genre/topic for 2022 dramas? How did women fit into the equation? Here are a few examples: gangsters, “behind the scenes”, school violence, countryside living etc.

Day 3: The Help

Women holding everything together in the background, women who have to do all the dirty work, who do thankless labour regardless of the setting or time period. Servants, secretaries, domestic staff, cleaners, nurses, nannies, care workers, housewives…Let’s put some time aside to ‘celebrate those who don’t celebrate’ because they are too busy keeping things running.

Day 4: Bad Girls Club

Everyone loves an angst filled, angry revenge drama so lets talk about the women who seek revenge? Women who hold grudges and whose hearts are filled with rage. Women who hurt others (knowingly and unknowingly). Women who seek power over others and/or themselves in cruel ways. A day for celebrating women’s wrongs.

Day 5: Recommend Her!

Choose your fave – give us a Top 10 that you think she’d make e.g. Spotify Wrapped, her 2023 reading list, her watchlist. Personally, I think that Lee Yeo Reum from Summer Strike listens to a playlist like this (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3yrqVOEnwQG4z8czX8qD4k?si=36e45bbaeaad4892) as she walks around the village trying to make sense of who she is and what she wants. Today’s a day for projecting and recommending. Sneak your recs in here.

Day 6: Funny Girl Woman

We know women are funny, here’s your time to show love to the actresses who predominately act in comedies, female characters who you find hilarious and actresses who provide the perfect comedic relief every time they pop up onscreen.

Day 7: Lee Yoon Jung/Noh Hee Kyung OR Surprise!

Two pioneering women behind many of our classic favourite dramas. Think of this as a space for tributes to them, what you love about their dramas, Lee Yoon Jung’s direction, Noh Hee Kyung’s writing, your favourite female characters from their dramas… OR  Your favourite cameos by actresses! Who used their tiny bit of screen time in the best way possible?!

Day 8: Timeslip

What if time travel really existed? What if two female characters from different dramas, from different tv eras could meet? How are they connected? Why should they meet? Think of this as an opportunity for you to travel back in time.

Please also feel free to be inspired by the prompts from previous years (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2020 Part Deux, 2021, 2022).

[junkobato]

Upcoming Kdrama September 2023 🧡

8/9: a time called you with Ahn Hyo Seop, Jeon Yeo Been, Kang Hoon. 12 episodes; fantasy, mystery, romance. Trailer

9/9: arthdal chronicles: the sword of Aramoon with Jang Dong Geun, Lee Joon Gi, Shin Se Kyung. 12 episodes; historical, fantasy, romance. Trailer

13/9: the day of the kidnapping with Yoon Kye Sang, Park Sung Hoon. 12 episodes; thriller, mystery, comedy. Trailer

15/9: the escape of the 7 with Uhm Ki Joon, Hwang Jung Eum, Lee Joon, Lee Yoo Bi. 17 episodes; mystery, thriller. Trailer

22/9: song of bandits with Kim Nam Gil, Seo Hyun, Lee Hyun Wook. 9 episodes; historical, romance, action. Trailer

25/9: twinkling watermelon with Choi Hyun Wook, Ryeoun, Seol In Ah. 16 episodes; fantasy, romance, youth. Trailer

27/9: the worst of evil with Ji Chang Wook, Wi Ha Joon, Im Se Mi. 12 episodes; action, thriller, crime. Trailer

Summer is over 🥲

At least we have new shows to watch!

[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