Let’s face it. Many of you come to this blog thinking that it offers an in-depth analysis on kdramas when, in reality, this blog is nothing more than a haven for the eternally romantic – and boy-crazy – fangirls like me. I pretend to be cerebral when deep down inside, I’m just as likely to swoon over grumpy heroes as Deoksun of “Reply 1988” swooned over her Harlequin Romance heroes.
I have no shame in admitting that these two men,
Jerry and
Dr. Tendo
trigger my Pavlovian dog response that I find myself wiping the saliva…errr… goofy grin off of my face. Their grumpy exterior is mouth-watering because it hides the delicious combination of sexiness and dreaminess. That’s why they have lots of fangirls. They’re beefcakes…errr…cheesecakes with legs.
Mine! All mine! Nom nom nom.
But their aura is not the same. The actors may look alike, but the characters they portray are different.
For one, Jerry broods naked in the bathtub while
Tendo only LOOKS brooding. Plus, Tendo’s fond of taking fast showers, not long baths.
lol. He’s posing like he’s in a magazine shoot.
For another, Jerry has a whole lot of emotional baggage that he’s still trying to cope with whereas Tendo already seems settled with his loneliness. He knows that he’s burying himself in his work. That’s why he was at a loss for words when Nanase told him, “I can’t tell you to overcome it, but if you lost someone precious to you. And worked so hard that people call you a devil. And you’re always making a stern face. It must be hard.” He didn’t expect her to understand him.
So who do I prefer? It’s too early to tell because I’ve only seen two episodes of Jerry Yan’s “Count Your Lucky Stars.”
But I would have to be as sensate as a rock not to find this picture of Jerry titillating.
See what I’m doing? I’m splashing Jerry’s pic all over this post for subliminal messaging and virtue-signaling: we should all join a gym club and be buff like Jerry.
When it comes to male physique, Jerry Yan still has IT. I like his shoulders and arms here. I mean here in this pic.
I’m sure any guy with that body would be wearing sleeveless Under Armour shirt and flexing his arms as he jogged down the street.
To me, Dr. Tendo got away with appearing as if he had broad shoulders because he wore loose t-shirts, his doctor’s coat, and oversized coats. He looks like he’s about to sashay down a runway.
But I do like a guy who can wear pink and still look rugged. It tells me that he’s comfortable with his masculinity. And that’s sexy.
Oh look, @agdr03! He has a double bed. It looks smaller than a queen bed.
I don’t get this, too. Why is it in dramas, when a male (or female) character has a double bed, he still sleeps on one side of the bed? Why doesn’t he occupy the whole space and sleep in the middle? Is this a cultural thing?
And @agdr03, here’s Tendo’s bed. It’s a little bigger than Nanase’s bed. I think it’s a small double. It’s for somebody who sleeps alone but needs to sprawl out in bed.
Hers is a single bed, which is also called a twin bed here in the US. It only looks like a double bed because she’s tiny!
But I’m not saying that Dr. Tendo isn’t sexy himself. He’s sexy in a different way. Like here, when he slipped between the sliding doors.
I thought he looked cool as he did it because his movement was fluid and effortless. He could have easily ended up with his nose against the glass door, like Kramer from “Seinfeld.”
Clumsiness isn’t a trait I associate with a skilled lover. Can you imagine Tendo doing that? Part of his allure is that he’s deliberate and measured in his approach.
He was cool, too, when he gave the order, “Set up the IV, run a bloodtest and ECG, stat. Get an echocardiogram, too.”
Self-confidence is very sexy. Whenever Tendo exudes authority in an emergency, it reinforces in my mind that he’s a guy to reckon with. He knows what he’s doing, and he knows that he does it very well. Remember, Nanase was attracted to him in the beginning because he handled the crisis with a level head…plus the fact that he was bathed in the holy sunlight.
In comparison, Jerry seemed ridiculous at times. Right off the bat, his glamour was in tatters when he freaked out in the elevator. What kind of guy screams “I have a fear of heights!” when the elevator is plunging down to earth? Shouldn’t he be shouting “I don’t want to die!!!” instead?’
Tendo also has a fear of heights. I thought it was endearing that his machismo precluded him from admitting his phobia to Nanase. He must have been scared to get on it, but he did anyway because Nanase wanted to ride it. He bore it because she liked it.
When she made a small movement, he ordered her not to move.
Nanase: Don’t tell me you’re afraid of heights?
Tendo: Of course not, stupid.
lol. Calling her “stupid” was a defense mechanism. He was in denial, and being offensive was his automatic reaction to avoiding admitting his anxiety. Nanase thought his denial was cute. He was trying to act tough even when he wasn’t. And that to me is more endearing that Jerry’s panic in the elevator.
It’s hard to find a chink in Tendo’s armor because he doesn’t say much. But it’s easy to spot Jerry’s vulnerable zones and and breach them because he always complains loudly about things that bothered him, and uses exaggerated body motions to express himself. Jerry doesn’t know how to quirk his eyebrows, like Tendo does, for impact.
To me, Jerry erupts while Tendo seethes. And that makes Tendo’s silence appear more terrifying than Jerry’s outbursts. You just don’t know when he’s going to explode.
Then, when Jerry tried to fight, he was knocked down. Ugh! That doesn’t bode well for a hero when he gets thrown around so easily. And what happened to all those wonderful muscles, Jerry??
Meanwhile, Tendo flipped over Nanase’s assailant without breaking a sweat.
But one thing the two characters have in common is their “hidden” feelings for the girl which they try to disguise with their arrogance. In Jerry’s case, it was easier to identify his feelings because Jerry Yan’s character is NOT as nuanced as Sato Tekaru’s.
Take for instance that time when Jerry went through XY’s drawings and was suddenly moved to tears when he saw her drawing.
I find this scene incongruous. How could he be so emotionally fragile that he’d cry at a sketch AND be a kick-ass editor-in-chief who thought nothing of insulting and firing his employees? His aggressive reputation just doesn’t match a beta personality.
But okkkkayyy, I get that the writer wanted to hint at Jerry’s tragic past. But I wish there had been another way to emote his unresolved issues other than covering his mouth with a fist, contorting his face, and forcing tears. It seemed like overacting.
In contrast, observe at the actor Sato Tekaru’s face in Episode 6 when he gave Nanase a chocolate cornet for Valentine’s Day.
His pointed look at her indicated that he didn’t know what to make of her effusive praise when she grinned, “Just being able to share a post-op pastry with you is the best date I could ask for.”
He blinked then exhaled almost imperceptibly. He frowned as she peeked in the wrapper.
To me, he was waiting for her to realize that the pastry was not for post-op, but for Valentine’s Day celebration. And as usual, he was going to downplay the significance, and deny that he got it for her for Valentine’s Day even though he actually did.
She said, “Wait! This is a chocolate corone.” She looked back at him, questioningly. He looked stiff and averted his eyes, not answering her. He swallowed.
So she said blissfully (ignorant, lol), “Thank you” and proceeded to eat. He looked chagrined.
He glanced at her again as she took a bite. “Mmmm. This is delicious,” she said.
He blinked a couple of times. Blinking is a sign of his confusion. He rarely blinked but he was blinking here because he didn’t know how to react to Nanase’s enthusiasm.
Then, frowning, he stared fixedly in front of him. He took a bite of his bread. His knitted brows indicated that he was unhappy.
The reason for his unhappiness was because it was Valentine’s Day. The chocolate cornet he gave Nanase was the featured pastry being sold in the hospital’s bake shop.
He was frustrated because she didn’t realize (or she forgot) that it was Valentine’s Day. In Japan (like in Korea) Valentine’s Day is a day for men, not women. It isn’t celebrated like here in the US where gifts and attention are showered on the girl. Instead, it’s the girl who give chocolates, preferably homemade, to her boyfriend. Tendo had given her the chocolate, believing that it would be a token of his AFFECTION for her, but she took it to mean that he was GRATEFUL for her service during the operation.
lol. Serves him right! He’s the one who insisted that they separate their love life from their professional life. Thus, Tendo actually received a double whammy here. Not only didn’t he receive a chocolate present from Nanase, Nanase also totally forgot about Valentine’s Day — it was their Valentine’s Day, too.
Tendo’s consternation was so well-expressed. And his expression was in character (he was a tsundere, remember?). He didn’t need to display ostentatious mannerism.
In this whole scene, Tendo’s eyes did all the work. If Jerry had broad shoulders and yummy abs, then Tendo had eyebrows were to die for. The competition between these two grumpy men can be summed up into two body parts, lol.
Mr. Abs vs Mr. Eyebrows.
That’s why I’m giving Dr. Tendo, as played Sato Tendaru, the advantage point over Jerry Yan’s Mr Lu. For now, at least.
Let’s wait and see if Jerry can overcome his deficit in the next episodes. He’ll need a good script, a good director, and a good acting coach.
Ooops, I accidentally joined the wrong site, but I’m a grumpy old man that fanboys =P Fanboys can appreciate a good looking man.
Team Tendo but the fact I liked Love Last Forever and I find Count Your Lucky Stars meh for now makes it not really fair :p
In the early episodes, I think that both Jerry and Tendo are grieving; Jerry for his mother and Tendo for Minori. Jerry’s frustration and anguish comes out in proper tantrums, while Tendo goes for icy put-downs. Because Tendo is so withdrawn, as you say, you have to watch his eyes for clues.
With Jerry, I think it’s his mouth. He doesn’t keep it completely shut like Tendo. In the first couple of episodes Jerry looks like he bit his tongue and then ate lemons. Jerry often seems to be on the verge of weeping in eps. 1 and 2, and perhaps just steps from a breakdown, which is why his sudden tears at the sight of a drawing of the dress he designed for his mother doesn’t seem unrealistic to me.
Both men are gruff. Tendo’s basic character is naturally reserved, much like his father, and he doesn’t tolerate fools. Apart from Nanase’s antics later in the series, we don’t see what sort of things make him laugh. Compared to Tendo, I suspect that Jerry’s basic character was possibly more well-rounded, outward-looking and humourous before his mother’s death. He is surprisingly tolerant of the model who wants a contract relationship with him and he has a hobby (gardening). Of the two, I think Jerry would be an easier partner.
Having said all that, Tendo is much more interesting.
I think LLF is a love story with some comic elements and CYLS is a romcom, so I am expecting less depth from the latter. But I enjoy watching Jerry.😈 I hope that CYLS doesn’t become too predictable.
Packmule3, you talked about Tendo’s expressive eyebrows. I’m now watching Mystic Pop-up Bar, and I think Manager Gwi (actor Choi Won Young) has him beat when it comes to acting via eyebrow. But it isn’t an apples to apples comparison since the drama in MPUB is mixed in with humor that runs toward slapstick and absurdist.
Team Tendo yay (tsundere is fascinating)! LLF is the first Dora a I have watched and I’m hooked. Having said that, I appreciate how JY looks hotter than the first time I saw him in meteor garden years ago
I’m still so amused at how you really insists on using Jerry instead of his character name 😂🤣.
I may not be watching both dramas, but I’ll be Team Tendo here 😅. Eyebrows over abs 🤭
Present! 🙋🏻♀️ Sorry I’m late.
I love this! 😍😂 Oh and I am definitely a fangirl! 😈
Hmm, as much as Tendo looked sexy with a towel over his head, Jerry’s bathtub look can’t be discarded. I mean look at those abs and arms! 😍 People better say thanks for that brooding scene. 😂
How come the bed still looks small? It must be an Asian size thing. I still can’t get over Tendo’s bed, it still looks square to me. 😬 I’m not sure too why some people use one side of it when there’s the whole bed to lay down. I’d use the whole bed if it were me.
There’s something different with how Tendo entered LLF and Jerry in CYLS. I feel Tendo definitely won that entry. I think the subbing or the dialogue is to blame for Jerry’s ‘I’m afraid of heights’ in the elevator. 😁 It did made me pause 😆
Oh yeah Tendo is afraid of heights but he didn’t walk away from it. He still rode on those rides in the amusement park and made it special for Nanase. ☺️
Actually if there’s one thing that I didn’t like with Tendo, it’s the ‘idiot / stupid’ that he says. I don’t care if it’s mechanism but it hurts my ears every time. 🤦🏻♀️ I’d rather with Jerry who just keeps commanding to do things without saying those words. I know, he’s a workaholic but he lives by himself so I can understand him being like that.
I think if ever Jerry will be better at being romantic in time, we will see in the coming episodes. Tendo takes the roundabout way of telling something like that chocolate pastry. He could have just said to Nanase ‘it’s Valentines Day today, idiot!‘. Something like that. 😂
Ok after all that, I feel Tendo is just ahead by a little bit. His eyebrows is talkative indeed! 😍 I’ll see how Jerry gets TY. ☺️
I finished Ep 2 of CYLS. I would have liked to see Jerry Yan in a more dignified role but if Drunk Jerry is what’s offered here in this Cdrama then so be it. 💁♀️
I’m watching Flower of Evil. I think I’ll do this. It’s suspenseful but as long as I can look up from my iPad (K-pad really bec it’s reserved for kdramas) and see the ocean waves roll in and roll out, I can calm myself. 😂
I’ve also a stack of smutty chick-lits for beach reading. 😂 What’s your favorite beach read?
Yeah I think he could have chosen a better drama but who knows what decisions he considered when he said yes to this one. I don’t think this is base on a book is it? I’m not sure but I remember that this was filmed recently like just months ago, not like a year. Someone can correct me.
I don’t get to read at a beach because most of the time it’s either I’m in it, I’m cooking or I’m chatting with whoever we’re with. 😁
It would be nice just to read and hear the waves. That is very calming indeed. You enjoy Flower of Evil. I’m still rewatching LLF and CYLS.
You know who I’m missing? Deng Lun. 😀 I want to see him again in a drama.
A lot of doramas end up as tearjerkers. I don’t know why. It’s hard to find happy, uplifting one. But since they’re only 10 episodes long, I don’t mind.
If you’re looking for another dorama, try “Rich Man, Poor Woman.” It was adapted into a kdrama starring an idol-actor. The Japanese actor in the original dorama nailed his role so I couldn’t bear to watch the kdrama. The story is not as charming as LLF but it ends happily.
“Eyebrows over abs”
That’s sounds like a good name for a blog.
Jerry Yan is Jerry Yan. Kinda like how I see George Clooney acting like himself instead of acting like an unknown character. 😀
Thanks for the recommendation but if it’s not charming, I’m not sure if I’m game. I’ll see how I go as LLF is still in the blood. 😆
Oh that was not for me 😂 Sorry 😊
@agdr03, I agree. The name calling to Nanase is not good and it really affects her all the way through the first half of the drama because she comes to believe it. He never apologises, either, just softens the tone. It may be a cultural thing. That aside, he acts like a gentleman and he doesn’t take advantage of Nanase in any way at any time.
Jerry doesn’t call names, but he throws and kicks things. I think he’s more manipulative to get things the way he wants.
Both double beds seem small, but heck, both men are single and for each, just big enough to starfish. Ref sleeping on one side – to be closer to the light, alarm clock or lav? I sometimes do that when traveling alone.
@packmule says that Tendo’s silence is more terrifying than Jerry’s outbursts. Tendo’s rare smiles have more weight as well.
Jerry is more clumsy than Tendo from the first. I got the feeling that it’s part of the director’s way to show us that although he might look like a thug, it’s a veneer. When he shoves Lu Yanzhi, he doesn’t expect that LY might actually have learned how to defend himself. In the drunk scene, Jerry bites XY’s leg and she kicks him. He’s a mess – just barely holding together. We never see Tendo get drunk – his sister says something about he can’t drink whether she means can’t or won’t – he has a beer occasionally. I might back Tendo if he had to fight Jerry. It looked like Tendo used a judo throw on the stalker. (Not an expert, me.)
🤣 @agdr03. You mean my suggestion to LeeDale to watch “Rich Man, Poor Woman”? Just comment away agdr03. I don’t mind. Internet is not like a regular conversation where it’s considered rude to interrupt two people talking. Just jump right in!
@Fern, oh so true about Tendo’s smile. I think there’s only one scene where Jerry smiled and it was before XY’s first fainting from low blood sugar.
I agree that it feels like Jerry is barely holding it in, he’s going to explode soon. 😬
I liked that Tendo respected Nanase and he said with all honesty that he was enduring all those time. 🥰 I like those kind of scenes.
But Queen, I still feel like I was butting in. 😁
Manners is important. 😆
@agdr03, same here about the enduring. Nanase twice said that he looked like a prince, but it goes deeper than looks – it’s manners, consideration and courtly behaviour. 🤴
I couldn’t have it said any better @Fern! Manners, consideration and courtly behaviour. 🙌🏻😍
@packmule3, I have some go-to favourites, but they aren’t necessarily smutty except between the lines. I believe I would even buy a Harlequin/Mills & Boone novel were Jerry on the cover. 🤨
I do find Jerry attractive, more so than Tendo. 🤩 Did you see his nose? I like that there’s a bump on the bridge on his nose. I don’t get to see those in Korean actors lately. They all seem to have straight noses when I think a little bit of oddity and crookedness add distinction and character to a man’s face.
Like this actor I’m watching on Flower of Evil. I know @nrllee thinks he looks like goblin/elf. I agree. There’s something about his face that I do NOT find attractive but it’s a face I’d definitely recognize in a crowd. So I like him for that.
Re. Tendo. There was a scene when the nurses were gossiping about him having ED (erectile dysfunction) when I’m sure the reason for his “inaction” was because he respected her.
Please recommend them. Thanks Fern.
Aye! That bridge on his nose is very attractive, Jerry is a hunk. 😍 I actually like his hair and the colour too. I don’t know but I like him now compared to his MG days? 🤷🏻♀️😁 Maybe it’s just me.
Oh I can’t recall that scene in LLF. I’m really enjoying it much better, the second time around. ☺️
@Fern, Mills &Boons was my life during my teenage years. 😉😃
Ok. Recommend the titles that you liked, too @Agdr03. I’m sure they’re available on Amazon Kindle. Let’s do a book review of romance books. 😂😂 Just please tell me if it’s a M&B or Harlequin.
@packmule03, I think they are different names for the same company. There’s no Harlequin here in the UK.
Those nurses were making a wild assumption. Tendo was chagrined and rightly so. To his credit, he was able to put it right, or would have if not for Ruyuko. (‘I’m not letting you sleep tonight’, as he starts to unbutton her top.)
Some of my favourite non-smutty romances were written in the 50s or early 60s. They would fit in well updated and translated into Kdramas.
By Mary Stewart:
‘Moon Spinners’
‘Nine Coaches Waiting’
‘This Rough Magic’
By Dorothy Dunnett:
The Lymond Chronicles – ‘The Game of Kings’ & all the rest.
I get a laugh from Georgette Heyer romances. Full of grumpy not-so-old men and intrepid heroines.
More recent: Jenny Colgan ‘Amanda’s Wedding’
Louise Harwood, ‘Where Are You, Lucy Blue?’
Have you any good recommendations? Please email me if you prefer.
@pkml3 Since you’ve decided to pick up Flower of Evil, do you still wish to receive spoiler Summaries to warn you about the stress level? I emailed you 1 so far.
@Fern I only recall watching the TV adaptation of Moon Spinners as a young teen and loved it like crazy. Must have watched it over 10 times for the sweet ‘romance’. Thanks for the recs. I like romances that are not smutty.
I like the predictability of Georgette Heyer and all those in similar vein. No horrible surprises, just pleasant relaxation and warm, 🥰 fuzzy excitement for the heroine.
Oh my gosh! Romance novel reviews? 😄 Sounds good! 😁
But I can’t remember the authors of all those Mills & Boons that I read back then as I read it like I drank water everyday 😂
I can only remember the bigger romance novels like Jude Deveraux and Daniel Steel. ☺️
Are you reading any romance book now? What’s on your pile to read anyway? 😊
@GB, I remember there was a film starring Haley Mills. It was perfect for a young teen. I didn’t see it until after I read the book, so I was disappointed by the Disneyfication of it.
The Stewart books were my mother’s. I just couldn’t resist reading anything with printing on it and she didn’t mind as long as I wasn’t reading the book she was reading at the same time.
I don’t have a tablet for books yet. I like keeping books in circulation. There are 6 charity shops within walking distance that sell books. The British Red Cross charity shop ONLY sells used books and dvds, so I pick up much of my reading from there. Otherwise I have to go to the city if I want to browse for something new or specific.
@Fern I do believe you’re right. It was the show with Hayley Mills. Yes, it was Disney’s. I really should make time to read for fun again. It’s been too long. No space for more books, but I guess can scour the library for new stuff or hunt down old books online. I prefer hardcopy books though. Tired of reading screens!!
@agdr03, I suppose that some folk might care about Mills and Boon authors but the cover art was what tempted, IMO. 🤩🤣🤭
Oh points for you @Fern! 😂 But I have to say that I do read the blurbs when choosing my M&B’s 😄
But yeah because I read so many I don’t remember those authors now. I should go to the library and see what’s it like now and borrow one and see if it’s still good. 😄
@agdr03, did you have preferred authors? I read the blurbs, but only after I had clocked the covers. 🤣
I bought (for 50p) the most dreadful bodice-ripper yesterday. Oversexed Florida polo crowd; about 10 minutes between meet and ‘greet’. 🌋😝 Guess what – I can predict the ending. 🤣
As for Tendo vs. Jerry in a rumble, the actor who plays Tendo, Takeru Satoh has a black belt in Shorinji Kempo. I don’t see any references to martial arts training in Jerry’s Wikipedia article. So despite Jerry having more bulk than Tendo, I’d put my money on Tendo because he knows what to do with what he’s got. And the same could apply to other physical exertions, but I’d have to run a comparison test to render judgement, wouldn’t I?
I just noticed now that both Tendo and Jerry have moles on their faces, I think it’s sexy on them. 😁
@Fern, you got it right with the cover attraction first then the blurb in a Ms&Bs. 😂 Please show me by email the cover of the one you bought yesterday. I’m curious. I might drop by to the library and check some out since the library is not far from my place. 😊
@agdr03, okay. What are you like? 🤣
Jerry has a very slight overbite which is a relief after all of the perfect Korean teeth. WDH is a favourite of mine now, but who actually is born with dental sample teeth like his?
@Welmaris, that makes sense since Satoh was in all of those ‘Rurouni Kenshin’ films. Lean and mean. Jerry is more like a cage fighter.
Like this in case @agdr03 is interested🤣:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nate-Cocky-Cage-Fighter-Novel-ebook/dp/B01LXNT8PH
@agdr03, do they have those sorts in your library?! Your tax payer dollars, harrumph, what’s the world coming to, etc. etc. 😜
@Fern, I haven’t been to the local library in a while so I’ll definitely check that there. 😆 I’ll go before I pick up the boys and have a good browse. ☺️ I’m not sure who I’d go for, the martial arts or the cage fight. I’m torn. 🤷🏻♀️😄
@agdr03, have a good browse and a good evening.
Thanks @Fern 😘 Hace a good day!
I’m trying to finish episode 8. 😊
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@Fern! I finally visited our local library. And I couldn’t find any Mills & Boons books 😭 I did a google look and found their called Harlequin Mills & Boons now. I can only find them in eBay.
But I did found a Jude Deveraux book titled The Girl From Summer Hill and this is the introduction at the back. ☺️
Welcome to enchanting Summer Hill, a small town where love takes centre stage…And a performance of Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice is about to make for a very exciting season.
Of course I had to borrow it. ☺️
Oooh @agdr03 Do read and tell us about Summer Hill and if your protagonists get to be Mr Pride and Ms Prejudice or vice versa. LOL! 😁 😆
I will tell you definitely @GB! 😉
Yeah excited if it’s Mr Pride or Ms Prejudice or vice versa!
Thanks! ☺️
@agdr03, it sounds like a promising read. Well done!
I’m re-reading the Moon Spinners, but I bought 3 used books yesterday:
‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold’ – a Japanese bestseller
‘The Piano Man PROJECT’ – ‘finding love isn’t always black and white’, says the blurb. romcom
‘How to Find Love in a Bookshop’ romcom
I’m praying that at least one is well written. Lol.
Morning @Fern ☺️ I am excited too and the font is not too small so it makes it easy reading for me which is a plus.
I like the title of those 3 books that you bought. Let us know here if it’s any good please.
I feel the need to find a Mills & Boons though so I will see where else I can borrow them. Just for old times sake. 😂
If you can’t find any M&B you will have to send me your address and I’ll send you a package of them. Hahaha. No shortage around here.
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