@Phoenix, you’ve great timing! Today is Lee Minho’s birthday. He was born June 22, 1987. π He’s 33 years old like his character Lee Gon.
This entire article is written by @Phoenix, President of the Xiao Nai Appreciation Club and Chief Executive Officer of the Lee Gon Fan Club. She’s an expert on the qualities that we here at BitchesoverDramas desire in a boyfriend. She’s one of the few permanent residents of Shallow Island at BitchesoverDramas.
All gifs are from tumblr. Please give credit to the individual tumblr accounts when taking them out (if you can, lol). Thank you!
-pm3
credit: tessacarstrs’s tumblr
When I had first decided to inhabit Shallow Island, I had thought I would be very, very shallow – just admiring Lee Min Ho’s height, lips and eyes, because I had never been very impressed by his acting or roles in Legend of the Blue Sea, Heirs, City Hunter or Boys Over Flowers. While he looked handsome in all of them, I would just take in his beauty in a clinical, dispassionate manner – the way one admires a fine painting or statue in a museum, purely in an aesthetic sense. I had never been particularly emotionally moved by any character he had played before.
In my heart and mind, the perfect boyfriend pedestal was occupied by Xiao Nai of Love O2O, whose reasons for occupying that exalted position I had already listed in an earlier post on this very blog. I had never expected anyone to upstage Xiao Nai ever, no matter how many drama leading men and prospective drama boyfriends came afterwards. When and how Lee Gon crept into that place and started to become as good or maybe even better boyfriend material than Xiao Nai, I will never know. I only know that even now, more than one week after the end of TKEM, my admiration for Lee Gon remains unchanged. I have thought about the reasons and re-watched scenes from the drama to be sure that I’m not merely being infatuated by LMH’s perfect profile (which is admittedly super perfect), and have come to the conclusion that my fascination for Lee Gon as a character is here to stay. So I put in some thought as to why this is so – we bitches are not so easily entranced because we dissect every behavior under a microscope to see if it meets our very high boyfriend bar. So how did Lee Gon manage to get under my radar?
credit: itsjeonsjungkooks’ tumblr
1. He stays steadfast in his love for Tae-Eul from beginning to end, and is there for her through thick and thin:
credit: itsjeonsjungkooks’ tumblr
A quality that every true boyfriend must have is steadfastness and dependability, and I was hooked by how unwavering Lee Gon is in his love for Tae-Eul from the very beginning. When in the first few episodes, TE doesn’t believe him and treats him like a nameless crazy person, he does not retaliate even though no one has ever treated him like that in his life. He calmly waits for her to accept the truth, while still trying to stay near her. He leaves his responsibilities as a king back in his world, just to spend some more time with her, telling her that she’s the one he has been searching for all along, his beautiful solution: βAnd youβre standing in front of the root symbol Iβm trapped under.β (Episode 3). Cue his long, intense gazes (**flails**) at TE even when he is silent.
He is always there for her, come what may. When he takes her to his kingdom for the first time, he accepts that she would be stunned and comes back again and again to check on her, in spite of his multiple duties (Episode 5). When he hears that she had tried to contact him 17 times from Seoul, he asks his private jet to head back to Seoul immediately and rushes to her side to pick her up, in spite of knowing that it may get unduly publicized. Add to that how he desperately tries to find her in KOC after she gets kidnapped, leading to that famous scene in Episode 10 where he comes to her rescue on Maximus, slashing at the enemy, just to reach her (**the stuff of dreams and multiple rewinds**).
credit: itsjenniejennie’s tumblr
Later in Episode 14 when he loses track of time, he keeps on trying to go back and leave messages for her, wandering for months in no man’s land just to get back to her. He doesn’t even bother to change clothes or get back to his time in KOC because his one thought is to get back to TE and reassure her (and make sure that she remembers him when they meet again). In the last episode, he opens the doors of every universe for months, trying and trying again to find his Tae-Eul
and never giving up. My heart saddened every time he got disappointed after meeting alternate universe versions of TE and kept asking: Are you my Tae-Eul? Yet he never lost hope. I’m sure he would have gone on and on tirelessly for any number of years searching for her, even when he had no idea which universe she would be in or if she would even remember him. That is how steadfast his love for her is.
2. His unfailingly caring attitude towards Tae-Eul (something that struck me about Xiao Nai too):
credit: holywitchlady’s tumblr
This is linked to his love, but I still want this to be a separate point (because his gestures of love need more adulation π ). It is natural for a king to be arrogant and used to being waited upon hand and foot by his numerous staff. However, Lee Gon never uses his power to command Tae-Eul and even though he has never had a girlfriend before, he is adorable in how he takes care of her throughout, in spite of his numerous responsibilities and escalating crisis created by LL. Note the scenes in Episode 5 where he brings food to TE himself (wheeling a dining cart that shocks everyone) and sits on the ground which he has never done before, when he cooks food so lovingly for her at the palace (that head-butt in Episode 6 **swoon**), taking care of TE while she recovers in the palace after her rescue, that washing rice in naval uniform and cooking for her in Episode 12 (**double swoon**).
credit: itsjeonsjungkooks’ tumblr
The ultimate gesture that got me in the end – those scenes in the hospital in Episode 15 when he leaves everything behind to take care of an injured TE, wheels her around, feeds her and sleeps by her bed at night, knowing that there are more pressing matters in his world that demand his attention. I loved how he sat below her bed putting his head on the bed just to gaze at her **sigh**.
credit: itsjeonsjungkooks’ tumblr
All aspiring boyfriends need to take diligent notes here if they want to worm their way into a bitch’s affections π
credit: holywitchlady’s tumblr
3. He understands her strength, admires and accepts her for who she is, and is proud of her bravery (similar to Xia Nai and how he treats Wei Wei):
In Episode 3, when the thugs attack TE and SJ, he stands aside to let her fight, admiring how awesome she is at fighting. He does not try to interfere or shield her because he believes in her strength, determination and bravery. He only joins in when he is brought into the fight. In Episode 5, when a confused TE wants Yeong’s gun to see if the universe is real, he understands that she, being a flat-earth believer, would want proof. He calmly stands unmoved even when she raises the gun at him, knowing that her sense of fairness would never allow her to shoot him (even if she didn’t love him yet).
In Episode 12, after she had managed to escape her kidnappers and rescue herself again and again in Episode 11, he describes her as βsomeone who becomes a warrior when courage is needed.β He knows that she fought against all adversity till the end, and held her ground, ready to fight till death like a warrior. He looks so proud that he has chosen a brave and just queen who is no damsel in distress, waiting helplessly to be rescued. Such a boyfriend – who never puts his partner down and instead lets her be her own blazing, brave self and doesn’t interfere till she needs help – is a definite keeper in a bitch’s books.
4. In spite of his usually serious demeanor, he is playful towards TE and Old Court Lady, the two women in his life:
credit: holywitchlady’s tumblr
To be honest, any boyfriend who is playful when in love is adorable, more so when he is usually serious and seldom smiles. That is why Lee Gon’s uncharacteristic teasing and playfulness towards his loved ones, especially TE, is super cute. How he teases Old Court Lady in Episode 5 with that mischievous backward dimply grin (**swoon**), those backward glances when he is trying to show off his kingly coolness (or is it hotness) to TE for the first time, how he playfully teases her when she asks him to disrobe to see the wound on his shoulder, and that adorable writing on her hand, indulgently answering her questions on the rabbit on the moon – all these gestures had me sighing and rewindingβ¦while sipping Min Grin Margaritas on Shallow Island.
5. He can kiss to make any bitch lose her head (yes that’s a very valid criteria, especially for Shallow Islanders π ):
If Xiao Nai had the hickey, Lee Gon has the beheading kiss. I’m not going to do a kiss analysis here, or compare and contrast the two best boyfriends, but I’m willing to get them both on Shallow Island to let the other bitches there do a comparison π
credit: itsjenniejennie’s tumblr
There – that was my rather long but heart-felt tribute to Lee Gon, one of the best boyfriend’s ever to grace dramaland. May his hotness endure forever π **tip of the hat to @nrllee for coining that awesome phrase**
#LeeGonForever #GoShallowIslandGo
Oh, @Phoenix, such a great tribute. Well done. LG and TE certainly made a great couple.
Excellent, @Phoenix! Thank you for the time and effort you put into this beautiful keynote address.
We shouldn’t forget that both Xiao Nai and Lee Gon are accepting of, and respectful toward, their future fathers-in-law (and also mother-in-law, in Xiao Nai’s case).
As we don’t get a sense if taste, smell and touch,I imagine Lee Gon never has body odor-even after strenuous exercise and that his breath us never bad-just sweet and minty. I also imagine that you’ll never get beard burn with him. He has such a wonderous head od hair that helps add to his erotic delights. And there is a reluctance to wash his “dirty” laundry because even that smells so good. And I think based on these gifs that he is a caring, tender, considerate love maker. @packmule3 see whwt you have done! Just ship me to shallow island
oops, sorry @Phoenix, you take the credit for all this happiness. Thank you
*standing ovation* Bravo @phoenix! I nodded my head through reading the entire thing. Thank you for this great tribute to our king! (Makes me want to shout “YEAH PYEHA” like ES LOL) @packmule, thanks also for the gifs! Best post to wake up to on a gloomy rainy day. #teamLGforever
@old American lady: I love his hair too. The way his fringe just sweeps to the side and grazes his eyes is just…
Indeed #GoShallowIslandGo. Forevermore. His highness reigns. Forever and ever. Amen.
@Thank you, @packmule3 for posting this and for adding those fabulous gifs ππ What a lucky coincidence that I shared this on Lee Min Ho’s birthday!!!
@Everyone, thank you for reading and liking itπ Please add any other qualities that you found admirable in Lee Gon as a boyfriend.
@Old American Lady and @JT7 Yes, I love LMH’s perfectly windblown hair tooππ I was fascinated by how his hair fringe looked when TE proposed to him for the first time below the hotel – just re-watched that scene π
@Welmaris I agree to the respecting future in-laws criteria for best boyfriends. Thanks for adding thatπ Found LG really cute in how he was trying to introduce himself in the best possible way to his future father-in-law without revealing anything about parallel universe and him being the king there.
@nrllee Yes, His Highness reigns. Forever and ever.πππ
@Old American Lady and all others who want to come over to Shallow Island: You all are most welcome to come and party with us anytime π₯³π₯³
Thank you @Phoenix! I’m giving you 45 degrees bow! I’m almost finish with my King Lee Gon poem, I will share it here soon. I need to write 2 more stanzas. This blog is really something else, I’ve never thought I’ll write poems again, but mine is just the shallow type – something I love doing when get inspired. Our King Lee Gon is awesome! How can anyone not fall for him?
Thank you, @Eureka! Oooh a poem on our Lee Gon!!! Can’t wait for itπππ It’s sure to be awesome π€©π€©
Kudos to you @Phoenix for exemplifying LGβs best traits to a tee! I can count on these posts to tide me through till Lee Min Hoβs next project hehe βΊοΈβΊοΈ
@OldAmericanLady Fun fact: a lot of Koreans have a mutation in the ABCC11 gene which causes them to not produce body odour
@Dreamer Thank youππ Yes, let’s have lots of posts on our LGπ
Wow..wish I was Korean or better still, my bf wasππ
‘How do I Love thee? Let me count thy ways’
That was a sweet and happy post you wrote on Lee Gon the King!
Love it Thanks @Phoenix! Love the visual gifs too (Thank you for inserting them @packmule3 credit to those who did them in tumbler)
This will be my favourite hide out post when I feel down and blue.I will be happy in no time!
@old American lady I agree this is Lee Min Ho’s best hairstyle ever! I just cringe when I see his hairstyle then in Boys over Flowersπ
In TKEM my eyes always follow the beautiful glimmer in his red brown highlights and his hair and how it falls so naturally and then swoon especially at the nape area π π
He was never a favourite actor of mine before but his portrayal of LG has increased my appreciation of him now.
@Eureka looking forward to reading your poem!
@Dreamer what another good find !! I am still learning so much from this site. I didnt know that some Koreans do not have an odour producing gene wow!
@Carolstar Thank youπ LMH was neve favorite actor of mine too but I think he has matured a lot after his military years, which is apparent in his portrayal of Lee Gon. And ge looks far more handsome now than beforeπππ
I’m wishing the menbin my country all went for mandatory military training too if the results are so fruitfulππ
Sorry..my phone has a mind of its ownπ
I meant he looks far more handsome now that he has matured after his military trainingπ
And I wish the men in my country were the same..sigh
@Phoenix !! How are you?? Hope you feel better! Is your fellow Shallow Islander @agdr03 better too??
Can you believe I am one whole day late to this post when I spent all week waiting for it? It’s because unlike Tae Eul, I’m responsible for my own rescue (and meals) 97.5% of the times. My husband is a nice man, but he isn’t Lee Gon. π I want to write at length, will do so as soon as the rescue mission is complete for the day. Hashtag bitches to their own rescue.
Okay βfess up now…who sent his Highness birthday goodies?
https://i.ibb.co/cYt5WY1/5-E479503-F36-B-45-D1-BF31-6-BB2-EFD05-A94.jpg
@Arihsi I’m completely fine now, thanks for askingπ Sorry this post got delayed and you had to wait, but good I inadvertently shared it on LMH’s b’dayπππ You can rescue yourself, just like Tae Eul did! Warrior womanπͺπͺ
@nrllee I only sent flowers but I didn’t appreciate him hiding behind that hoodieπ€π€π€ I spent a lot of time rewinding those videos on Instagram trying to figure out his faceπ§π§π§π§
About the hairstyle, remember we had a conversation few weeks back on the Lee Gon appreciation post about an insta image with some funny things in his hair that were clips? Those clips were the reason behind those wonderfully seperated strands of hair I feel. He can be seen roaming about in the pics with 9 or 10 of those hanging. I can just imagine the pressure on his stylist for getting each strand width right π
But I agree. All that effort has paid off. It’s his best hairstyle so far!
Ah, wonderful @Phoenix. Thanks for bringing his great boyfriend qualities together under 5 neat points. That was an enjoyable read. I’m glad to know that you’re better.
As I read, I remembered… he’s such a tease: About ‘indulgently answering her questions on the rabbit on the moon’ – I was laughing so much at this because he started by saying there are no such things a rabbits on the moon and then deliberately went into telling her factual information on the properties of the moon, much to her chagrin. He knew he was going to bore her to tears but he continued and she had that look of patient endurance. LOL. And it was all a tease so that he could continue holding her hand and writing on it for a long time. π
I was thinking about other evidence of his being a good boyfriend. And these are the points I noted, a few days ago, just from Episode 5, some of which you have also already covered.
LG’s Swoony Thoughtfulness
– He was concerned over TE being overly startled – he told the guards to step back.
– It occurred to him that TE hadn’t eaten – he cooked for her and served her.
– He thought of TE being alone and maybe afraid in a new place, and went to see her, prepared to stay as long as she wanted or to leave when she dismissed him, out of consideration for her.
– Knowing what she likes (in this case, soju) he thoughtfully brings a can of soju with him when he visits her room.
– It’s beneath the King to sit on the floor, but he chose to be companionable over insisting on his rights.
– He gets his most trusted royal guard, JY, to keep a watch on TE to protect her when he couldn’t be with her himself.
– He was interested in what she needed and hearing that she’d been looking for her mother’s parallel, he said she should have asked him, probably intending to investigate for her if she had done so.
– Seeing that she’d looked up on his phone, info on his past girlfriends and PM Koo, he didn’t string her along by pretending to have girlfriends and he immediately allayed her suspicions concerning PL Koo, by informing her that he met the PM every Friday (like the IU song LOL)
– He arranged for her to get out of the palace (to admire him LOL!) and gave her the chance to wander/sight-see on her own, whereas if she’d been in the palace, HCL Noh would have practically kept her room bound and hidden.
LG’s Heartwarming Trust
– He was practically like a proud dad when he let TE aim JY’s gun at himself – He had absolute trust in TE.
– He handed over his mobile phone without demur when she asked for it.
So yes, Lee Gon is another tough act to beat in the Bitches’ Best Boyfriend world. π π₯° π€ͺ
@Arihsi Yes I remember seeing those clips on Instagram pics too.
@GB I loved reading about all those scenes that you have mentioned..and that writing on hand scene was super cuteπ Sigh..how long do we now have to wait to get a drama with another such awesome boyfriend π€π Till then we will just have to keep rewinding and watching His Highnessπ
@Dreamer-thanks for the fun fact. When I’m ridingbon the New York subways at rush hour, I’ll pretend to be on thr subway in Seoul and think about not having to deal with rampant BO. BoD is a treasure trove of knowledge.
@Phoenix I’m glad you are better. The keynote address was a very enjoyable read indeed. @GB also mentions further swoon worthy scenes. I’d like to weigh in with 150 grams of my own thoughts. Hee.
1) About his emoting skills, I’ve mentioned this before but if you see LBS and TKEM together (like I did) you can truly appreciate how much better he’s become. Especially in scenes depicting despair. His tears wouldn’t convince you at all in LBS, whereas in TKEM you’re armed with a tissue box to weep alongside him (the church scene for example π) Same with scenes of anger. He’s far far better. He’s more subtle, less over the top about looks or style and much more amazing.
I was never his “fan” before TKEM either. In fact, I was one of those people who never understood how he can have such large fan following. I mean lots of people are handsome, after all.
2) About Lee Gon being the ideal boyfriend, I like that he is vulnerable with TE and does not put up the act of being high and mighty. He finds rest on her shoulder and feels free to cry, be upset and not have all the answers for her. Their communication wasn’t the best at multiple points but okay. Like lady Noh says, it’s imperative that he feels emotionally safe with his partner – something Ko would never achieve. TE have him this safety in her “YAA, Hey, This, That and Poop” She called him by name and gave him freedom from the continuous burden of being a ruler whenever he was with her. And he took these tiny
opportunities instead of just trudging on and on. He allowed himself to accept the safety she offered.
@Arihsi Totally agree with how good LMH was at emoting in this drama. His face is so expressive even when he cries in the kitchen after Orince Buyeong is killed and when he meets LL on New Year’s Eve. He is restrained yet expressive, and not over the top like he was in LBS.
I like the point you brought up about LG allowing himself to be vulnerable with TE. That’s so true – to everyone else he had to be strongp and responsible but only to TE (and sometimes to Old Court Lady), he showed that he was human too with doubts and anxieties, not just a king.
@agdr03 Are you still unwell? Do take care and get well soonπ
Thanks for that great post, @Phoenix!
While I had some issues with the drama, the character of Lee Gon was one I really came to appreciate. He really is a dream boyfriend, as you so ably point out in your article. I really liked how proud he was of Tae Eul and how supportive he was of her throughout the drama, never condescending.
On another note, Woo Do Hwan announced today he’s leaving for military duty July 6, so TKEM was his farewell project. I’m glad he got the chance to show is acting talent with his dual roles in this drama.
Thanks for the info on Woo Do Hwan, @Table122000. He’s already such a good actor. If he grows in the same way that LMH grew in stature and maturity after his army stint, WDH’s return will be something fantastic to look forward to.
@Table122000 Good to hear from you after a while π Yes let’s not forget to mention how great Woo Do Han was in both the roles in TKEM! They were such distinctly different characters and he played them both so well. Will miss him during his military training.
Girlfriend @Phoenix! ππ»ππ»ππ» Wow! Youβve outdone yourself! Please accept my humble bow ππ»ββοΈ of appreciation because you made Lee Gon The Boyfriend to beat and yeah where do we go from here? Between Him ang Xiao Nai, I canβt even. π€π
Lee Gon is patient, he is kind, he is very giving and he gave it all to have the one and only woman that he loves. If ever he complained it was always just a way for him to tease Tae Eul. π₯° I just love him especially because he had the patience and endurance through it all. βΊοΈ
Thanks for this post and for the shout-out π after my flu, I had to deal with a lot of family stuff. Letβs just say Iβm only breathing now. π Hugs to you girlfriend! π
@Arihsi, how is your little bubba? βΊοΈ Maybe we can just email each other once we do a rewatch of LBS? βΊοΈ Let me know when youβre ok. We can do it anytime and when youβre ready. Please @packmule3, can you forward my email to her please? Much appreciated, thank you. π
@Table122000, Iβll miss Woo Do Hwan and Park Bo Gum when they go for their service. π
WDH was awesome too in TKEM and he really made it extra funny for me. π Iβll definitely miss him. I wish him all the best and Iβll look forward to his comeback. Let the 2 years fly please! π
@Fern, I had a response to you regarding WDH in The Kingβs thread before but I lost it somehow. π Anyway I thought he might do the other drama but he probably thought itβs best to just go and I think heβs right. βΊοΈ
@agdr03 good to hear youβre on the mend. Welcome back. Yes WDH and PBG enlisting. I think theyβve reduced it to 18months or thereabouts now for military service.
Thanks @nrllee! π I actually missed the blog but life has a way of taking it from me? π
Oh not the full 2 years now? Thatβs even better then. I wish I can send my boys. π
@agdr03 So good to hear from you again, girlfriend π Hope you are feeling better..huggssπ€π€
Happy that you liked the postπ
Yes, I’m confused between LG and XN too now – who is betterπ I think I may slightly lean towards LG now because of how just and responsibile he is, and kingly tooπ₯°π₯°
Thanks for my hugs π€ @Phoenix! I needed that! π
I have to agree with you that LG is ahead of XN because he carried the whole kingdom on his shoulders and he never wavered even if he was in the middle of going through 2 worlds. We have to give him that. π
Letβs just not ask ourselves who is more handsome ok? I mean especially when they smile? Oh my heart! π₯°π₯°π₯° Letβs ban that question. π€£
@agdr03 Agreed..bannedπ€π€π€ Not good for the heartπ€ͺ
Also, kisses..I’m not sure who is better..requires deeper analysis I thinkπ€π€π€
Hmm π€ Iβm not sure. I mean XNβs hickey takes time, both him and WW needed to be patient while LGβs beheading kiss as much as it was sensual, they both lost their heads and gave scandalous its meaning. π I canβt blame them though. π
I think thereβs 7 kisses in LoveO2O and 6 in TKEM. So Xiao Nai is ahead. π We should have a kiss thread with gifs for both, would be nice? π
@agdr03 Oh you actually counted the number of kisses!!ππ We should really have a kiss analysis thread with gifsbof our best boyfriens..I’m all for itπ..if @packmule3 will allow us to wallow in our shallowness for a while and research those kissesπ§π§π§π§
Wallow in your shallowness… π€£ππ
@agdr03 how nice to hear from you ! I’m glad you feel better. My Bubba is driving me crazy so I suppose she’s okay. I’m ready to re-visit LBS right at the moment! I’m trying to watch Pycho but it’s okay. However, I don’t think I’ll continue for much longer.
@pm3 to send me your email?? Meaning to the email I put in the box while commenting?? No no… I don’t remember the password to that email !! π© Oh dear ! @pm3 has my other real world ID but that mail was from eons ago. Should I resend her an email with subject line EMAIL for agdr03 ?? π³ I’d absolutely love to discuss !
I have to write to @Phoenix also. She very kindly shared her ID and now I’ve lost in which comment thread. But no matter. I shall find out.
@Arihsi, @Fern, @Phoenix
I believe @pkml3 is extra busy, so if you don’t mind me being the ‘middle person’, you can send your emails to me and I’ll forward your emails to each of you, (if you say it’s OK), so that you can have a nice chat about kisses and whatnot.
Or, you know, you can just write me for fun! (Don’t worry if I don’t reply, I will read you and I write when I can.)
growingbeautifully88@gmail.com
Just let me know if you want your email to be forwarded and to whom. I already have a few of other Bitch’s emails, but I won’t forward them until they tell me to.
Cheers!
GB
Thanks so much @GB! π That would be great. Iβll resend you a new email because I think the one that we corresponded on was my work email. βΊοΈ I thought I had your email on my yahoo one too but I canβt seem to find it. π
I think our Queen B is indeed very busy. I hope youβre well too @packmule3! π€
@GB, if they want it, you can share my email address with @arihsi, @Fern,and @Phoenix.
Hi @Welmaris Okie Dokie! I’m waiting for folks who want to join this ‘side-shallow island-party’ to email me. I’m thinking that if for everyone it’s mutual ie everyone who emails does not mind everyone else from BOD who emails to know their email address, then I’ll just do a group email. Or if individuals would like to start spazzing earlier, I could send off the emails to them separately too. π π It doesn’t matter, either way is fine.
Email Done ! I’m very confused by your last suggestion @GB π€
P. S. It’d be so funny if it’s like one of those lockdown special family zooms π Our last one had 31 members from 7 countries and 3 time zones. It was hilarious. No one could understand anyone else. Typical family thing.
Thanks @Arihsi π
Iβm glad to know your Bubba is ok. Itβs better that sheβs active than not. π Iβve started on Psycho but I havenβt finished episode 1 yet. Itβs definitely interesting and sometimes I get shocked π― but I think Iβll continue. Thereβs something about Kim Soo Hyun thatβs grabbing me and the FL too. I think their a good match for the roles.
Iβll email you so we can start a rewatch on LBS. πβΊοΈ
Girlfriend @Phoenix, when it comes to kisses, we always need to be active and mindful of how many times it happened. π Iβm not sure about my figures there, I could be wrong. π
Hi @Phoenix, hope you see this message. A few Shallow Islanders are camping out in email and waiting for you. Please email me. My email address is above thread.
@agdr03 When it comes to kisses, girlfriend, the more the merrier π Let there be countless of them! π
@GB Sorry was trying to post numberous times from my mobile but it’s not happening for some reason. I’ve sent a message to you. Why are the Shallow Islanders camped over there? They are welcome to visit Shallow Island anytime to drink cocktails and watch endless rewinds of LG in slo-mo slashing through villains in TKEM π
Good point @Phoenix about having a Lot of kisses! πππ» I know itβs definitely important for me in my dramas. π
Weβre not camping in the email as such but itβs just a way for easy access if ever we needed to discuss something, initially a kiss analysis π , like me and @Arihsi, we will email about Legend Of The Sea. βΊοΈ
@ag03 Would love to be a part of LBS discussion too. Count me in π
I’m sharing my elementary level poem on Lee Gon. It somehow helped me in my withdrawal syndrome with TKEM.
KING LEE GON
L- Lee Gon is the King’s name not supposed to be called
Except by the future queen the one and only Jeong Tae Eul
Your love story is untraditional, miraculous and beautiful
In a parallel world, your love survived, how was it possible?
E- Eversince you’re young you wondered about the savior
Who rescued you from being strangled, oh what a horror
You’ve kept two souvenirs, half flute and ID card from the future
Your fate has unfolded, will you be able to endure?
E- Elegant and descent you’re the man in the Kingdom of Corea
The Head Court Lady and the Unbreakable Sword protected you oh Pyeha
As you chase your enemy, allies appeared in the Republic of Korea
In that place you’ve met her – she’s not a Cinderella.
G- Guidance from heaven, she’s finally here, the long wait is over
You almost can’t believe she exists there across the universe
A detective, on your first meeting you’ve just hugged her
She’s more beautiful in person, you said, can’t take your eyes off her.
O- On your way to forever, love blooms despite the danger
The first time she crossed your world, first kissed also happened
Second visit was kind of tragic, saving her at the crossroad was enchanting
Feelings for each other was endearing, the second kiss was “beheading”.
N- No frozen time can separate your love for each other
When that door closed, you’ve opened many doors in the universe
She waited every single day, at last you’ve arrived to be together
Both of you wished to love tirelessly, today, just today and forever.
@Eureka What a lovely poem!!! Great idea to start with each alphabet of Lee Gon’s nameπ€© I love the last few lines..
“Both of you wished to love tirelessly, today, just today ans forever.”
Good job @Eureka! I could re-live the show through your poem. LOL the “beheading” kiss just had to be mentioned no matter what! Thanks for this. π
Noted about LBS, thanks @Phoenix! π
@Eureka! Wow! Thanks for the LG poem. That was nice! ππ»
Queen B! π£
Queen B! π£
How are you going? Still busy? Iβm waiting for your first impression on Psycho, But Itβs Ok. I canβt believe June is almost finished. Christmas is coming soon. π€ͺ
Thanks @Phoenix, @GB and @agdr03!You’re right GB, I had to revise and revise just to make sure the beheading kiss will appear, together with the last line from TKEM. “To love tirelessly, today, just today and forever!” I will always remember our King and Queen!
Round of applause @Eureka! Loved that poem!
@Phoenix Ok this sounds so silly but you all got me curious about the other contender for the best boyfriend award. So I went to check out Loveo2o. All along I had thought it was another kdrama, and got a shock when I realized it was in Chinese LOL! Will continue watching, since at least its a show I can watch without having to struggle with subtitles or missing nuances in language!
@Eureka, your poem is a lovely reminder of joys and sorrows watching this show. I’m glad you created a poem, since poetry was an important part of this drama. A very fitting homage to TK:EM.
Haha @JT7, yes it’s one of the few Chinese dramas I’ve watched, and I only started watching because @packmule3 and @agdr03 recommended it and we were all watching together. I was hooked from the start because of the concept of game personas and then, of course, because of Xiao Nai. If you are watching it, do check out all the posts on Love O2O on this blog. @packmule3 actually made the effort to recap all 30+ episodes!!! Hope you like it tooπ
Thank you @JT7 and @Welmaris! I also wrote a poem for Song Joong Ki after Descendants of the Sun, but I had nothing to share it with at that time. Really happy to discover this blog. Because TKEM has a wide scope of twists and turns, happy and sad memories, lots of emotions can be extracted as we watch it, I guess when someone gets inspired, many compositions are possible. Whether it’s a song, poem, drawing and other forms of arts, viewers can be as creative as they can!
@JT7, youβll enjoy LoveO2O π I surprised myself too because it was my first ever cdrama and right from the start I was hooked because of Xiao Nai and Bei WeiWei. π₯° We had a ball here dissecting and discussing with @packmule3 and @Phoenix.
Because of watching it Iβve since liked watching cdramas too, probably not as much as kdramas but I have a few that I really like. π
Yes, the email is only to discuss very old dramas (with only few viewers) that might seem out of place here. Also some very silly things like kisses ππ
@Eureka your poem is so cute! Round of applause π₯
Thank you @Arihsi, happy to know that! I don’t know how to use the emoji’s that most of you are using here. Shall I get it somewhere or have an special app for that? Sorry, I’m not so tech-savvy but I’m a fast learner like King Lee Gon.
Hi @Eureka, we are copying and pasting the emojis from this place… https://www.emojicopy.com π It’s fun! π
@Eureka I am still having withdrawal pangs from TKEM, as you can see I am still running through the chats! Your poem captured all of TKEM essence. I enjoyed it! Had a wide smile when you wrote she’s not a cinderella!
About the emojis I can use it when I type from my handphone but not from my laptop. I am also not tech savvy and am limited to just using my handphone though i cant figure out how @GB and some others have managed to copy and paste previous paragraphs or comments into their chat!
@GB I would love to be part of the shallow islanders if the girls here don’t mind. Like what @agdr03 said kisses are important! And other light hearted matters that makes the heart go a flutter. I remember that Aloha party or was it the flash poll chat when we all just gush about hunks and kisses and swoony stuff. Would it be workable to keep that chat going for swoony bits of dramas we are watching?
I find the current chat for Pyscho but it’s ok so heavy in content and depth.There’s great analysing going there and i am learning so much again from everyone’s perspective point of view but its not much fun
:(((( As you can see @Eureka I am using my old laptop so i cant put in a much needed emoji here and it doesnt auto correct too so i took a long time to write this out.
Am watching Dear My Friends and lo and behold, there is our favorite Court Lady Noh, Kim Young-ok, w ho is 82 years old. She kicks a by driving a tractor and getting in some pretty good lines. She was great in The King and one of the reasons our King makes the perfect boyfriend. We can see that he loves and respects her. He treats her with kindness even when she was spreading love talismans around. His affection for her is palpable. He definitely is up therr as a great son-in-law, grandson-in-law. And I’m sure the real LMH treated Kim Young-ok the same way.
Thank you @GB and @ Carolstar! Maybe I overlooked some icons on the gadgets I’m using. πππ
@phoenix: Thanks for pointing me to the Love o2o posts! Most definitely will check them out. π
@eureka: I agree, TKEM def has enough depth to inspire art in various forms!
@agdr03: Ooh, do you have other cdramas to recc? I was thinking I should watch more Chinese shows to balance the kdramas. Ironically I got my kids hooked on the CLOY OST and its so funny hearing them singing garbled Korean when they should be practicing their Mandarin instead! π
@GB: Thanks for the link, so useful! π (haha and trying to use it now!)
@carolstar: I am still having withdrawal symptoms too! KES scattered so many breadcrumbs in the show and I’ve been finding new ones.
@JT7 I would love recommend one of my favourite Chinese dramas – The Little Nyonya. It’s a Singaporean drama set in pre-WW2 days in Malaya and spans over 70 years and 3 generations of several Peranakan families.
There’s a China remake currently airing but the portrayal of characters and plot of the original are more emotional, convincing and impactful.
Share any breadcrumbs that you find on TKEM, @JT7! Iβm not done yet with the show. π
Iβm back, @agdr03.
I had to travel to monitor a situation but itβs been resolved. π Of course, crazy people are still crazy but for now, I can rest and take it easy. π€(cross fingers)
Yaayyy..welcome back, @packmule3πππ We missed you!
YAY welcome back @packmule! You have been missed. Glad to know you get a respite for now, have a well deserved rest!
And regarding breadcrumbs, lol are you sure you want me to start? TKEM has transformed from being a rabbit hole into a black hole instead. I’ve chatted with @GB about some of the breadcrumbs, over on the post about GB’s theory on the blue flowers, regarding the 3 Fates, as well as SJ being named after the novelist Kang Shin Jae. My biggest breadcrumb to date (actually it’s more like a giant cookie more than a crumb) is actually KES choice of placing Barefooted Youth as the film featured at the end of the drama. I think she actually references that movie in some parts of TKEM. I am still trying to digest that cookie, I’ll come back to share more when I’m done!
@Dreamer: Thank you so much for the recc!!! I had goosebumps reading your comment, because believe it or not, I missed the show when it aired on local TV years back (I think back then I was very busy with work etc). But thanks to Netflix, I guess I get to watch it now. The female lead was actually in the same band as I was years back!
@Phoenix – thanks for the write up. As a result of reading all the TKEM posts and comments, I’ve spent the past week or so watching Love O2O the series, and the movie (both on Netflix), reading BoD posts, reading the English translated version of the web book, all because I was curious of the story, Xiao Nai, and what a Chinese web book is like. I enjoyed the web book translation; it is so funny. I derived more understanding from the web book version than I did from the tv show (due to Chinese censorship and I tend to skip parts because 30 episodes is just too long). Love O2O story is much simpler than TKEM, and it’s a happy, low-involvement story. XN is perfect and I’m voting that LG is the “ruling” boyfriend!
Yeheyyyy, happy to know that @packmule3 is back! We missed you and looking forward for more of your unearthing skills about TKEM. My ordinary brain cells are satisfied with the show, but I still get curious about the analytic skills of the bitches here so I’m up for the challenge of checking those black hole.
LOL @Eureka… thanks for clarifying for us … yes, so there are what’s called ordinary brain cells and then there are also out-of-the-ordinary-BOD brain cells π LOLOL.
Actually, I feel that everyone has those BOD brain cells. π π§ What the comments here do, is trigger those brain cells to wake up. π€ Then with practise they stay awake longer. π π€£
@Fan of TKEM: So happy you liked Love O2O too π Xiao Nai is truly perfect, but Lee Gon is right up there with him as a stellar best boyfriend!
#TeamLeeGonForever
@Eureka: I agree with @GB! Being on BOD for an extended period of time stimulates our brain cells and makes them extraordinary π Stick around like us and you will reap the benefits π
#HailQueenPackmule3
Yay! Glad to see you’re back @packmule3 π Missed being able to tap into your Queen B brain cells and looking forward to your benevolence with the remainder of the 17 posts π€
@GB I couldn’t agree more. Reading the comments has been a completely different form of education!
@JT7 Do you mean you went to school with Jeanette Aw? π€
Wow @GB and @Phoenix I hope that’s possible!As they say, we are what we eat and what we focus on grows. The pandemic brought me to this learning curve ha ha ha.
Feels like I’m enrolling my masters degree in Kdrama in the Kingdom of Corea coz King Lee Gon will have a lot of Math lectures there. I have two goals – to take a closer look at the lecturer and to get a beautiful solution is secondary. My research will be ” TKEM – Fundamental analysis of the parallel universe focusing on frozen times”.
LOL @Eureka: I want to enroll in that masters course too – only I have no hope of ever getting any studies done, with LMH lecturing us with his perfect height, perfect hair, perfect eyes and perfect smile π
Oh I am on a late train here..
@JT7 I can’t wait to read more about your cookie clue (Barefooted Youth) and other ones you have found! And also Kang Shin Jae being named after the novelist of same name! I must have missed that post what was it about? I felt Shin Jae (that got transplanted to ROK) got the short end of the stick so I really feel for him. His character was steadfast and good to the core always.
@Dreamer and @JT7 If you know The Little Nyonya that means you both are from the little Red Dot too?!?
I didnt watch it when it first aired as I was kinda mad with the way it was spoken because Nyonyas and Babas (ladies and men from peranakan heritage) do not speak mandarin at all! Their way of speech is Malay patois, Chinese dialects for example hokkien and English.
But I realised that it was the mandarin channel that fared well with producing dramas and thus The Little Nyonya was created with mandarin as their speaking language. Pfff. Sorry I had to rant a bit.(Nyonya girl here)
I did hear it was really successful! So I may just try it one day ..
@packmule3 Am so happy to see you say you are not done with TKEM! Welcome back! Am waiting for TaEul’s post π and other nuggets you will be dropping for TKEM!
@Eureka and @ GB LOL π€£π€£ yep I am hoping my less than ordinary B cells can morph one day into BOD B cells like what @Eureka said! By diligently reading up on the posts and long comments!
And @Eureka if King Lee Gon is my lecturer I will defintely be like @Phoenix just ogling at LMH beautiful features π€
I will get full marks for never missing a lecture for sureπ and zeros for everything elseπ€£
@Carolstar No, haha! I’m just above the Little Red Dot π I remember reading that the show generally garnered positive reviews and triggered a rediscovery of the Peranakan culture and it’s since been more embraced and appreciated.
@GB: I so agree about those brain cells!
@Dreamer: Yes, she was my senior in band, but we played different instruments. But I was this shy, blur kid then and probably never spoke more than 8 sentences to her ever!
@Eureka @Phoenix: I think we’ll all be grabbing front row seats for those lectures… however ideally we should flunk the exams. More reasons to ask for one on one remedial classes from the lecturer himself!
@carolstar: Haha yes I am from there! Will ramble about the breadcrumbs soon, and regarding the ones on SJ they were posted in the comments over on the post about @GB’s theory on the blue flowers: https://bitchesoverdramas.com/2020/06/19/the-king-theories-on-ep-10-blue-flowers-gbs-explanation/
I too had a soft spot for SJ. I thought he was the most nuanced character in the show. Poor guy to be named after an novelist who mostly wrote about love triangles!
@JT7 Agree about flunking exams if LMH is the lecturer!π
I have a soft spot to SJ too!
@JT7! Yay I will be waiting for your write up! ππ Meantime will go read the link you gave. Thanks! Am glad to have a SJ fan here with me π my fellow red ‘dotee’ (π did I get it rightπ) with @Phoenix too on board π
@Dreamer you are of the vast lands above us but we are all ‘sama sama’π Yes at least that drama brought attention to the little known Peranakan culture and race!
It’s great to read all those posts about TKEM. It made me fell less alone those last three weeks since the ending. I don’t seem to have the same in other places on the internet.
Is it too much to dream about a season 2? I know korean dramas don’t go down that route, but since the international response was so good maybe it’s not unrealistic to daydream about it… High Hopes…
Am crawling out of my rabbit hole turned blackhole to hand in my homework on breadcrumbs @packmule! (Also, high five to you, @carolstar @phoenix, fellow #letssupportSJ folks!)
I was curious about why KES chose to feature the movie Barefooted Youth. It is a real film shot in 1964, and you can view the full movie on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_Z2mI8ZOCA . The show is about 2 star-crossed lovers. We meet Dusu, a gangster, who saves the life of Johanna, the daughter of an ambassador. They fall in love. Both of them try to cross the class divide that exists between them, and try out each otherβs world. However, this divide proves to be too large to be bridged, and they choose suicide as a way out in the end.
I managed to watch the last 15 minutes of the film, and thought that KES chose to feature this film for 2 reasons:
1. To act as a magnifying glass, and bring our attention to the underlying theme of social identity and the existence of a class divide.
2. To highlight the theme of reel vs. real, and thus point us again to the happy ending where LG and TE get married.
Firstly, about class divide. There are many themes and ideas weaved into the complex plot of TKEM, and social identity is one of them. One of the aspects of social identity is the idea of people belonging to different classes. I realize this thread was running through the show, but it was subtly done (and hence, using a film about class divide helps to bring our attention back to it). KES uses scenes relating to food to nudge us into recognising that this divide exists (just like how Bong Joon-ho used the juxtaposition of Hanu beef atop a dish of cheap instant noodles to highlight this in the movie Parasite).
We are shown that TEβs family has financial constraints. In the supermarket scene where Luna spies on TE and her dad, they have this conversation: β¨TE: Weβll eat pork. Why do you buy chicken?β¨Dad: We can eat this tomorrow. Hey, canβt you just splurge?
(They continue squabbling, and TE then returns the chicken.)β¨β¨If I am not mistaken, meat is considered more of a luxury (in CLOY, Seri demands to have meat in every meal and they seem to treat meat reverently!), and in terms of prices, pork is the cheapest followed by chicken, and beef is one of the most expensive meats (and is usually associated with the rich). This is probably why TE initially made a fuss when she discovered that her dad was serving up all the pork she had bought, in the meal he was having with LG. Also, because Luna was not clued in on the familyβs financial situation, she kept asking TEβs father to buy beef, much to his puzzlement (or perhaps she thought she could afford to buy beef, since she stole some money from LL).
We also see how LGβs cooking for TE changes. As his love for TE grew, each meal that he cooked increased in its level of βclassinessβ. His first dish for her was instant noodles (which was what made me think of Parasite), the next was steak and rice, and the 3rd was a spread fit for a queen (and notably the latter 2 meals both contained beef).
Finally, even LG alludes to this food-class relationship when he chats with SJ at the palace, over a very simple meal of grapes and finger food (I couldnβt really make out what was served) with beer (I wouldnβt even consider this a proper meal to be honest!): β¨SJ: I thought kings had grander meals than this.β¨
LG: It depends on who Iβm eating with. They set the table to suit you.
Both the films Parasite and Barefooted Youth had a rather pessimistic view, concluding that this divide could not be bridged. However, I like that in TKEM, KES chose to go with a more optimistic view. She first sets a disclaimer that having money and power does not necessarily give you happiness, as seen through the lives of Song Jeong Hye and LL. In the case of SJH, she went from being a battered wife clearing up her husbandβs drunken messes, to someone wealthy, well-dressed, and able to afford steaks (in the scene where she dines with SJβs mum). However, we know that even though she now had money to spend, she spent each day trying to plot her death to escape the living hell she was in. LL had lots of money, he had power, but he had no one to love, and no one that loved him. There were times I felt a little sorry for him!
The drama then goes on to prove that this class divide could be bridged. PM Kooβs rise in politics is a nod towards the fact that with hard work and ambition, one can actually move up the ranks in society. We see that the men in the royal family also try to bridge the gap. LL manipulated this divide to help himself gain followers, or victims. However, both Prince BY and LG were shown to try to narrow and bridge this gap. LG βs comment seems to hint at this divide: βItβs more difficult to cross this line, than it is to cross universes.β However, we see how he takes the effort to narrow the gap at every opportunity: he sits on the floor with TE, he tries fried chicken without requiring the food to be tasted, he gets down to the level of Secretary Moβs son when talking to him. (Side note: This is another point in favour for him winning the best boyfriend award! LG was probably the richest guy in both worlds combined, yet he never looked down on TE, and always took the initiative to close the gap. Also, I liked it that though TE realized how important and rich LG was, she never let it faze her. Even when she was presented with 4 racks of clothing, she didnβt feel the need to βdress to impressβ.)
Prince BY also recognised the existence of this class divide, and mentioned it to PM Koo:β¨βYou were born to an ordinary family. People love you for your friendly and honest image. I suppose class disparity can never disappear, nor will it ever disappear in the future.β β¨Although BY had the view that this divide would always exist, he took the effort to narrow it. In Ep. 16, we see how he saves Hyeon Min and his mother, by bridging this gap and relating with her as a parent instead of as a prince:β¨HMβs mum: Why would a member of the royal family bother to talk to people like us?β¨BY: Iβm talking to you as a parent, not as a member of the royal family.
How LG and Prince BY tried to bridge the gap is beautifully encapsulated in 2 similar scenes: BY had helped Hyeon Min to put on the shoe he had kicked off during his struggle with his mother. LG had voluntarily bent over and helped TE to tie her shoelace. These were such simple acts, but spoke volumes.
I think the second reason why KES chose to feature Barefooted Youth was to draw a parallel between the events of this film and TKEM. TKEM actually identifies LG to be the barefooted youth. This happens twice in Episode 1: Firstly, we see the bare feet of the 1994 LG walking towards his father during the night of treason. Then, we see the present day LG running after Luna, in his bare feet, after the rowing competition. JY gives LG what he presumes is his pair of shoes, but LG tells him that they are not his. This is actually a reflection of a scene in the film: A friend is seen pushing Dusuβs covered body on a cart, and only his bare feet are visible (this is where the film gets its name). The friend, as an act of love, takes off his shoes and places them on Dusuβs feet, and continues to trudge along in the snow. Similarly, like how Dusu is offered shoes that are not his to wear, JY also offered LG shoes that were not his.
However, although LG was marked in TKEM as the barefooted youth, it is shown that there is a role reversal. LG, like Johanna, is on the side of the rich. He is not the poor gangster. We get an indication of this in the scene where LG meets JY and SJ in 2020, after his first return to the night of treason:
β¨LG: Did Lee Lim tell you to kill me?β¨
SJ: Will you die for me? Preferably in your world, if you can. β¨
LG: Killing a king would be difficult. Itβll be easier to kill someone without an identity.
β¨SJ: Itβs so that youβll have a lot of mourners at your funeral.
I was initially really puzzled by SJβs cryptic response, until I watched the last 15 minutes of Barefooted Youth and saw this scene: The lonely cart bearing Dusuβs body is shown in the foreground, and is being pulled by his friend. In contrast, the background is filled by a long funeral procession for Johanna. However, Dusuβs friend remarks that his love for Dusu was more sincere than the superficial, fancy procession. Similarly, SJ probably thought that even though LGβs funeral would have been a big one, it would not be one filled with people sincerely mourning the loss of the king.
However, the interesting thing about Barefooted Youth is that while the film ended in tragedy (reel life), the lead couple went on to star in many more films together, and ended up getting married (in real life). Initially, I wondered if KES chose this film as a way of playing Cupid in real life lol! (And going by LMHβs recent IG posts, perhaps, perhaps, just perhaps, this might have been one of her intentions heh!) But crazy thoughts aside, this idea of reel vs. real life could be translated over to TKEM. The earlier timeline when LL was alive could be seen as reel life: these scenes all became memories for LG and TE, and technically did not happen. However, in the present timeline where LL is dead (ie their real life), LG and TE went on adventures every weekend (you could say each was like starring in their own movie!), and we can use this parallel to predict that LG and TE did get married, just like the real life couple behind the film Barefooted Youth.
I think TKEMβs ultimate message might be that love and goodness conquers all. It bridges the gaps between class, space and time, it levels inequalities, and heals wounds. It helps good people to be brave, and to make choices that allow them to right any wrongs, thereby changing their destinies.
OK, I think I am so done with analysing TKEM already! Now I can move on to enjoy PBIO. Looking forward to your TKEM posts @packmule!
Final side point: In Barefooted Youth, the FL sings a song in the scene before their deaths. It goes like this:
Flowers bloomed in my hometown, a long long time ago.
Peaches, apples and apricots⦠and azalea blossoms, too.
Red and violet of the rainbow, flowers paint the town.
I still long to go back to my hometown in the sun.
I couldnβt find the origin of the song, or any additional info about it. But the sentiment of longing, as well as the mention of azaleas, reminds me of all the Kim Sowolβs poetry that weβve encountered within TKEM. β¨β¨
Hi @JT7. I thought your comments were so attentive about the meaning of food in the show.
If I may add we could also include the scene where Lee Gon gets upset when Tae-Eul doesn’t share part of her popsicle with him like she did with Shin-Jae. That also could represent the state of their relationship at that moment.
As for Luna, the scene that made me believe that she did deserve a happy ending was when Tae-eul’s father made her soup.
You can see how shocked she is by this small token of love, and how that makes her upset later on when talking to Tae-Eul
that everything was about her in the end.
Food plays a really important role in the series, as a way of showing one’s feelings for the other person. This is even more real when Song Jeong Hye poisons LL’s food at end before she dies. It reveals the relation you have with the people around you like nothing else.
@JT7-This whole post is why this blog is The Best-a movie within a movie brings so much great information about food, culture, customs-so much. And as someone who gets a kick out of behind the scenes information-loved the information about thevreal movie within a movie. Just wow!
@JT7: What a wonderfully detailed analysis! Every observation made sense and I could totally relate to them. Hats off to your researchπππ That a single shot of a movie poster (which a lot of viewers will consider random) is actually carefully placed there to imply something, can only be gauged from this blog (and your comments). Awesome attention to detail and deductive ability!π
@JT7 Wonderful! Thanks for crawling out of your hole (rabbit or black) and examining that ‘cookie’, and doing that detailed analysis for us. Woah, that reference to Barefooted Youth was both a statement great in its richness and still so obscure!!! I bang my head against the wall over the fact that it’s such a dense (I feel very likely) informative comment on the dynamics in TK:EM, (plus a wish/hope on real life being the happily ever after, although we never see or hear of a wedding in TK:EM), but that so many viewers might/would have missed it.
I’m all for as many people/viewers as possible enjoying the many nuggets. I feel that when they are missed it’s such a BIG waste. Of course when I try to think how I might make it more obvious, I’m stumped. LOL.
Thanks for taking the time to write this long post, and I look forward to more of your analyses.
Wow @JT7! I’m speechless and suddenly got my energy back after reading your post!
Excellent write-up! I couldn’t say more except that I smiled and felt good about you mentioning LMH recent IG post, are you referring to the romantic song on KGE’s b-day? My first time ever to react on twitter and IG about any post, I could’t help myself! I wrote that I don’t know why I thank God for that post.
@Polyanne: Yes you are right! Food, and the act of dining together, does give hints about the status of the relationships. LL described the relationship between SJ and TE to be like the ice-cream they shared (something sweet, but that melts quickly. I took it to mean he saw that the relationship would not have lasted). Also, Chief Park took SJ out to dinner, and he treated him to beef, which showed the lengths that he went to take care of SJ. TE and JY initially seemed to have an uneasy truce between them: even when they met for meals they never really ate together.
@Old American Lady: Yes, I was bowled over just thinking about it! Actually if you think about it, there are 3 levels we could look at it: reel vs real for the actors in Barefooted youth, reel vs real within TKEM (the relationship between TE and LG before and after LL’s death), and finally, if we want to go all meta and look beyond, reel (TKEM’s story) vs real (LMH and KGE in real life) for the actors themselves.
@Phoenix & @GB: Actually I wonder if the Korean viewers might have caught the reference? The film was remade into a drama with the same name, in 1998. Which means those in their 30s and up might have watched the earlier drama, noticed the significance and joined the dots? Also, the locals would definitely have noticed the various allusions to the class divide. Which makes it an even bigger pity that TKEM had such a poor response locally, since that would have been the audience best suited for noticing all the symbolism and meanings within the show! I agree, @GB, that it was such a waste that the Easter eggs were just too well hidden, that most would have just missed it, and the show just becomes a confusing time-travelling tale instead.
Oh yes, I forgot to add one more reference to Barefooted Youth: When Dusu’s friend was pulling the cart, he remarks that he used to resent Johanna, as he saw her as taking Dusu away from him. It’s so similar to the way JY treated TE!
@Eureka: Yes! That post! Everyone was wishing KGE happy birthday on HIS post lol. I am not a shipper, but I find it hard to believe it was just a random post from LMH. Initially I wondered if it was a publicity stunt, but LMH, with his huge following, totally doesn’t need publicity.
Oh my goodness @JT7 that was a whopper cookie you dug out of your rabbit black hole! I did notice the hugh banner showing the title movie and I did register it should mean something when I first saw it but thought it would be just to show the era the honeymooning couple was in. I never imagined Writer KES to have used the movie story to provide some “bones” to TKEM! Bravo ππ that was extremely good sleuthing on your part! ππ
What you wrote ties up the reel and the real very nicely especially that part where you found out that the real actors actually got married in the end! Someone did mention in here that one of the actors said to watch the first and the last episode together I think I am just going to do that. Having read your post I can now relate to it better.
Yes LG with each encounter with TE became more in tune to being a person who can show concern and care for others by coming down to their level. He even said his name to the new PM’s son where before he was like “My Name That Cannot Be Called” π and I still grin spontaneously when I remember the scene where LG said it was a public holiday ‘cos it was the King’s Birthday and TE just starred at him for a split second and just said Bye Lee Gon or something to that effect and that was the time he kneeled to tie her shoe laces too (I think) and he said Bye Ta Eul.
That was for me the crowning moment of their togetherness! They both knew and trusted each other so much that royal titles or lack of titles even would not faze them as they see each other as equals and totally belonging to each other π
Wow even the song of Barefooted youth has the Azaleas! I am so impressed with Writer KES works now. Also having been mostly a reader of this BOD community I have now learnt that when I watch my K dramas I need to put on BOD X Ray glasses because there are clues and and snippets of vital information to be found! And if I can’t seem to gather my cotton head together I can just come here for explanationsπ
SO Thank you @JT7 for the hard work! Most especially @Packmule3 and to all the other contributers who wrote such detailed information that made TKEM a Drama Gem in my eyes now.
More cookie clues @JT7πππ€©π€©
Oh yes about the food upgrades and choices they did show the progression of their relationship! And about LMH post I saw it too but I didn’t realise that song was meaningful. I know the shippers were just going for it but I just thought that it always happens when a good drama couple story ends the shippers would go overboard for a bit and then die out.. @Eureka if its true I would be pretty chuffed ‘cos its REAL LIFE rolling its credits then according to @JT7 π
Fantastic I am going to look up that song’s lyrics so down the rabbit hole I go π
@packmule Mailed you just now regarding barefooted youth!
@carolstar: I’m emerging from a different blackhole today (of election fever, stayed up so late yesterday argh), but I’m back with more bread/cookie crumbs (this drama is the gift that keeps giving)! Your comment on whopper cookies made me think of Burger King, made me hungry lol. So did you find out the meaning of the lyrics of the song in LMH’s post?
Anyway, I read this yesterday: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/south-korea-court-slashes-ex-president-park-jail-term-by-10-12921506
It made me wonder if KES was referencing this when she wrote the character of PM Koo. Many things are similar: both are the first female leaders in that role, both are jailed regarding bribes/money. Presidents serve a 5 year term, just like the PMs in KOC.
This was in the news article: “All four of South Korea’s living presidents have been convicted of criminal offences, although Park’s predecessor Lee Myung-bak was granted bail earlier this year.”
I then wondered if there was any significance in the numbers on the prison uniforms worn by the various characters in the show as a meta nod to this. There were 5 uniforms in the drama: the actress wore a grey uniform, SJ’s father, a blue one, Luna, PM’s husband, and PM Koo, an orange one. The 3 in orange uniforms had the same things printed on one side: 2μ25 (I wonder if this is to state their prison block and row?). Couldn’t find any link wrt their individual numbers. However, I thought it was interesting that all the recent presidents seem start their presidential term on the same day: the 25th of Feb. It’s probably a coincidence, but maybe that might be the reason for the 2μ25?
@JT7, You posed interesting questions regarding the signuficance if uniform colors and numbers in this drama. I spent 31 years working in criminal justice, primarily in the probation field. I got to go to detention centers, hails and prisons. To the lau person, there are differences
Prisons are for long term sentences if over one year in our system. In all systems prisoners are classified, depending on their offenses, their degree be of dangerousness, their criminal history, socio-economic, educational and vocational background,health status(physical and mental),history of substance abuse. Upon classification, a determination is made as to placement (physically in a cell, programmatically in education, jobs,treatment, and once done, uniform colors are used to show where the prisoner belongs, sort of like a sitting tool. In some places colors and some numbers are used as the incentives to show good behavior, where the prisoner gets privileges. There is international precedent for these schemes. Ultimately it helps correction staff to maintain control. I don’t know the Korean system, but suspect there are reasons for the choices. In the States, because there are 50 states and a large number of cities as well as a national-federal system, you can find several distinct incarceration systems in one city with different approaches. There are also privately run, for profit systems subcontracted by government. I would think that so much is national in South Korea that the incarceration system would be more uniform-pardon the pun. Given the way the police and forensic units were presented in both Korea’s, I think the production was trying to mimic real conditions. So the colors and number systems are probably similar to what actually exists. Hope this helps.
Thanks @old American lady! Yes I would assume the colours, and numbers would probably be related to placement and the type of offences committed. I didn’t know that colours and numbers might be used as incentives for good behaviour!