I don’t mind if new kdramas are thin on the ground this month. We had plenty of good ones last month. I’m still trying to catch up with you all on “Marry My Husband.” I’m four episodes behind. All your comments on how satisfying the last episode is makes me watch to skip everything and proceed to Ep 10.
There’s also “Knight Flower.” The actress seems to be carrying this show with her antics. I began “Doctor Slump” this week. Let’s see how far I’ll go with this one. My write-ups on “The Matchmakers” will continue for my personal edification.
1. A Killer Paradox
The gist of the drama, according to soompi:
Choi Woo Shik takes on the role of Lee Tang, an ordinary college student who becomes aware that he has the ability to distinguish evil people after his first accidental murder. Son Suk Ku plays detective Jang Nan Gam, who keeps lingering around Lee Tang with his animal-like intuition and instincts.
Source: https://www.soompi.com
In the same soompi article, this kdrama is described as a “dark comedy thriller.” That’s not the genre I would typically want to watch after a long day at work. But as it’s premiering on a Friday night, maybe I’ll bribe my hubby to watch it with me. Pizza and chicken wings should do the trick.
Starring: An all-male cast! Choi WooShik (“Our Beloved Summer”), Son SeokGyu (“My Liberation Notes”) and Lee HeeJun (never heard of him but he was in “Mouse” with Lee Seunggi)
Episodes: 8
Start Date: Friday, Feb 9
Airs on Friday (will everything drop on Friday??)
Where to Watch it: Netflix
Network: Netflix
2. The Impossible Heir
The short blurb from soompi:
“The Impossible Heir” will tell the story of three characters who desire to climb to the top by trying to take the throne of Korea’s largest conglomerate. Lee Jae Wook will take on the role of the cold-blooded yet dignified Han Tae Oh; Lee Jun Young will portray Kang In Ha, a character that has both good and evil sides; and Hong Su Zu will play Na Hye Won.
source: https://www.soompi.com
Starring: Lee Jae Wook (“Alchemy of Souls”), Lee Jun Young (“May I Help You”) and Hong Su Zu (don’t know her)
Episodes: ??
Start Date: Wed, Feb 28
Airs on Wednesday:
Where to Watch it: Boooooo! It’s on Disney+
Network: Disney+
What are you all watching? How come things are quiet on the Chinese front? No new Cdramas?
Annyeong Queen. 🙇🏻♀️
How are you?
I’m trying to decide which drama I’ll pick up after My Demon. As it is I’m still trying to finish AGDTBAD. 😆
I didn’t know about the LJW one so I might check that out.
There’s a few cdramas that’s out but I haven’t decided if I’m picking up anything from them.
I wonder if you’ll ever finish HL? The never ending love story? 😂
Kumawo! 😃
Thanks pkml3 for the thread! And hello everyone! I didn’t know about the LJW one too and will check it out just because. Still watching The Shop For Killers on Disney+ (sorry I know…) and I may attempt Flex x Cop (also on Disney+…).
Kalimera @Packmule3! I do hope you are okay!
I am currently watching “Marry My Husband” and I have started “Doctor Slump” as you know, but I don’t know If I will continue to watch it, we shall see.
I need to catch up with “Love Song for Illusion” that I have started, but paused due to my program.
As for February, so far I am waiting for the shows you have written on the thread as well!
1. A Killer’s Paradox
I am waiting to see Choi Woo Sik playsing a wannabe killer.
I have also watched the movie “The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion” where he was playing with Kim DaMi and they were brilliant together, but I don’t think the majority of you, you will watch such a movie. It has guns and blood.
2. The Impossible Heir
Everything that has Lee Jae Wook in it I want to watch it!
From the trailer we get to see a very good synergy between Lee Jae Wook and Lee Jun Young! They look so very good together! As for the woman, so far she is a mystery.
Last but not the least, I would like to watch Lee Dong Wook’s “A Shop for Killers”. I have heard that he is pretty good in this role, as he was that good in “Strangers From Hell”.
@packmule3, please don’t skip to Ep. 10 of Marry My Husband. The satisfaction in that episode lies in everything that went before. You need the context to get the pay off. I am hooked on this drama because the character interactions are so strong.
Lee Jae Wook, yay! On Disney, sigh…
I am watching Like Flowers In Sand and Knight Flower. I watched the beginning of Captivating The King, and most likely will continue with it.
My current live watches are Marry My Husband and Doctor Slump. Leo Wu’s new drama, Amidst a Snowstorm of Love, starts Friday and I’ll be watching it live as well.
To pass the time between weekly episodes, I started Castaway Diva but I only made it 4 episodes before I stalled. I really don’t enjoy the parts with the washed-up singer. Not sure if I’ll continue it or not.
I was watching Our Interpreter, but ended up dropping it around ep 31 because the corporate drama took over the story. I was also annoyed to no end by the second couple – no issues with the actor or actress, it’s the way the characters are written. So stupid.
I watched one episode of Sweet Teeth and dropped it as well. At the time I just had no patience for the ridiculous tone and typical overacting of the FL.
I’ve watched 3 eps of The Matchmakers and like it so far. I just have to take this one slow to keep my stress levels down.
Watched and finished Perfect Marriage Revenge last week. I don’t usually watch full-on makjang, but this drama was so crazy and I loved every minute of it!
Finally, I started the 2018 version of Meteor Garden, mainly because I wanted to see what Dylan was like back then 🙂 Sped through the first 11 episodes then stalled, because the story is about to introduce his character’s mother and I have despised her character in every iteration of Hana Yori Dango/Meteor Garden/Boys Over Flowers that I have ever watched.
Thanks @pkml3 and must say I’m disappointed that Lee Jae Wook’s newest will be on Disney+😢Can’t bring myself to subscribe. He is a fav of mine since AOS. I plan to finish Like Flowers in Sand today…I have enjoyed this much more than I expected. The male lead character is delightful in character and behavior and well acted by Jang Dong Yoon. Also learning about
Ssireum , a Korean style of wrestling, was similar to learning all about fencing in Twenty Five Twenty One.
Planning to watch A Killer Paradox and Doctor Slump.
I don’t subscribe to Disney so I miss out on some good programming
I find a year subscription to Viki Rakiyem gives me souch content
I also have Netflix and Amazon Prime. So I can say I getits of variety. There is some overlap and with that I can compare the difference in subtitles
I know that there are other platforms with better content than Disney. I also know that one really has to do the Disney+ and Hulu package to get better content. My conclusion is that I’ll stick with what I have. I do have a basic Disney package with very little K content where I can watch BTS concerts but with listed dramas.
Like Flowers In Sand was such a satisfying watch! Like eating comfort food prepared with love. The ingredients were simple, but with good quality. This is now my go-to feel-good drama.
I’ll be watching Doctor Slump, and will be playing catch up on Like Flowers in the Sand and Samdalri. I may try some films this month. Happy February, everyone.
@agdr03,
Hahaha. I knew you would notice that I didn’t mention HL. Maybe for Valentine’s Day?
You should watch “Marry My Husband.” I hear the male lead there is a dreamboat. 🙂
@swiss_postscripts,
As the only person here on this blog with a Disney+ membership, you could help us all out by updating us on the shows. Lol. Is “The Shop for Killers” any good?
@Cleopatra, there’s another kdrama premiering towards the end of this month. “Wedding Impossible.” It’s a fake marriage romcom made by tvN.
https://youtu.be/6s9sQTLegEs?si=tPN8_cl1BsRXZTtS
I can’t find English trailers so that will have to do for now. 🙂
I don’t have time for this since “Doctor Slump” is on my schedule. But if Dr Slump doesn’t pan out, I may switch over to “Wedding Impossible.”
@OAL,
Okay, I won’t skip.
I’ve penciled in “Marry My Husband” on my watchlist while I’m on the treadmill.
@Snowflower,
I’m not sure if Lee JaeWook is the main or secondary male in this kdrama. It’s not romance, anyway. His other male costar is on a movie showing on Netflix right now, “Badland Hunters.”
Hi! 👋🏻 Of course I’d notice about Hidden Love. 😆
Valentine’s Day is a good day to finish it. 🤞🏻😉
I finally finished AGDTBAD and after watching that and My Demon, I thought maybe I wasted a few hours of my time especially the endings on both dramas. 😁
Anyway in between that I actually finished Welcome To Samdalri and I did enjoy it especially the ending. It was very satisfying EXCEPT for the amount of drinking scenes in it. IIRC, almost every episode had it? I’m like, what’s with it? 🙄
Anyway right now I’m rewatching Yang Yang and Lusi in Who Rules The World. They make me happy. 🥰
I will watch I May Love You. It’s a cdrama staring Mile Wei.
I have access to Disney+ so I can watch The Impossible Heir. It doesn’t look like it has any romance though? 😄
I’ll try to watch Marry My Husband too. You have a new crush in Na In Woo. ☺️
Kalimera and let’s have a great month @Packmule3!
I have watched a trailer of “Wedding Impossible”, but I am not sure yet if I will start it. I am going to give two more weeks to “Doctor Slump” to make me change my mind, just for Park Hyung Sik!
@agdr03,
The truth is and @Packmule3’s knows it as well, I have a crush on Na In Woo… LMAO! 😂🤣
Oops, it’s you @Cleopatra. 😍 Good for you! I think he’s a cool guy, handsome and tall. 😁
Me?
No. I’ve seen him too often on 2D1N. 😂😂 He’s a bit confused about himself. He doesn’t know if he’s a Boomer (or Old Generation) or a Millennial.
Same with this drama. He looks “old” and “young” at the same time.
I prefer actors who don’t confuse me. 🙂
agdr03,
I can admire him from afar. I haven’t watched 2D1N at all, so I don’t really know.
I just liked him the first time he appeared on the screen in Episode 1 of MMH.
And let’s not forget that my primary bias is Gong Yoo… 🥰🤣😂
Yes, it’s YOU, @Cleopatra. You have a crush on Na InWoo.
But @nrllee was the first fan of Na InWoo on this blog. She finished “River Where the Moon Rises” for him. 20 episodes.
I first saw him on “Mr Queen”. Most fangirls didn’t like his character because they INCORRECTLY assumed that he was a villain since he was the second male lead. I liked his character though and sure enough he sacrificed himself (or something) to protect the girl.
I think he’s the type to accept only projects where his character is righteous and upstanding. I may have *misremembered* this, but I believe his parents were originally opposed to his acting career and as a dutiful son (he’s an only child), he didn’t want to do anything to bring shame to his parents.
Na InWoo is a stage name. Real name: Na Jong Chan. He said his Canadian classmates couldn’t pronounce “Jong Chan” correctly so his English name is “John.” 😂
Yeah, @Cleopatra owned up to the crush. 😄
You definitely have a set of standards for your actor crushes. 😉
This reminds me to comment on the other thread about actors that we want to see. Let me do that tomorrow. 😃
Oh it’s your first time watching NIW in Marry My Husband. I’ve watched him in the drama with KSH and I thought he did good there. 😊
Gong Yoo, ok. I’ll never forget that. 🥰
I want him to do a drama with Yoon Eun Hye. I want to see them together again. ☺️
@Packmule3!
Thank you for the info! The truth is that he has the same age with my younger brother / dongsaeng. So, I may like him, but it is from afar. From what you are writing, he seems to be a good guy and that is really great!
So, he is a John Na! I really the name John or Ioannis in the greek form. 😂
@agdr03,
As you know, both me and Gong Yoo share the same birthday. Since everyone is fighting for the actor they like that much I decided to go with Ji Cheol! LOL
And, we both have dimples, isn’t that amazing? 😅😊
His comeback show will be “The Trunk” along with Seo Hyun-Jin, but the last time I saw her she was too thin… O.o
More Here: https://asianwiki.com/The_Trunk
As for John Na, well, I really like that he is a sweetheart in “Marry My Husband”. He is like knight in a shine armor… 😊
P.S. @agdr03,
I have high standards, not only for my favorite actors. Just saying…
@pkml3: I shall endeavour! I’m liking Shop for Killers so far. It’s a “coming of age” drama – we’re all in Jian’s shoes – trying to find out exactly who her uncle was, his ecosystem and his intentions, all the while trying to figure out friend from foe and keeping herself alive. (Jian is the niece protagonist to Jinman her uncle, the antihero: played by Kim Hye Joon and Lee Dong Wook respectively.)
The pacing is quite uneven, jumping to and fro various time periods – but I think it’s deliberately intended to mimic the patchy Jian’s memories of her life. Sometimes the pace simmers, sometimes things all happen at a go. And there’s always a twist somewhere – keeps me at the edge of my seat. It’s also grisly at times with the weapons and fighting going on so I do skip over it when I can’t bear the bloodshed and violence. The cinematography is deft (having also watched Moving and Vigilante on D+ I have also come to expect a certain look and feel to the camera work for D+ dramas).
As I mentioned before LDW is at his most dour and ratty here, so a nice change from his other dramas. Jinman is the discipler and as the story unfolds, it’s clear that he took it upon himself to prepare himself and Jian for a certain eventuality. I’m not so sure LDW is the most convincing in this role but it’s not awful. KHJ on the other hand is a star! She *is* Jian. Out of the supporting cast, Kim Min, who plays a migrant chef doubling up as Jian’s Muay Thai “sabu”(/teacher) is one to watch. I’ve never watched him elsewhere before but he’s charismatic and I enjoy his scenes too much.
Only at ep 5, still more to come so I’ll update when I can 🙂
From Superficial Island to the more serious, to me, Na In-woo is a revelation. The man is up there in looks with the likes of Hyun Bin and Rowoon. He is not just a handsome face. he can act and watching his variety show, he can b3 endearingly y clumsy. So by all means, please watch MarryMy Husband. It is on Amazon Prime, and their new ad policy isn’t 5hat intrusive.Also, Park Min Youjg has a role that has stretched her acting chops(nothing frothy here). The supporting cast has lots to do and there are fantastic vill a ins. the actress who plays Su-min, th see classic definition of a freely, really gets under one’s skin. As this is a revenge drama, I hope her comeuppance is satisfying. There are also elements of fantasy with some time travel and rebirth. And a whole ,ot of foreboding too. 8 must say that Monday and Tuesday don’t come fast enough for me.
@packmule3, good call. It is perfect for treadmill watching because it is quite engaging. I have found that being on a treadmill, no matter the speed, can get downright boring without either music or other media to keep one occupied There are lots of oaye4s to this drama, including a workplace drama that I may not have mentioned before. and, for you, it is not a legal drama or police procedural so you don’t have to mix entertainment with work. I hope yo7 enjoy this.
@Cleopatra, Gong Yoo is so good in so much of his projects
I love him in A Man ana A Woman, where he has some fantastic love scenes with Neon Do-yeon. If you haven’t seen it I highly recommend it. I have rewound these scenes many times. I hope you are familiar with this movie-a real tearjerker.
@Cleopatra,Your love of Gong Yoo shows that you have excellent taste. He has been in so many classics and with Squid Game, he shows that he is not afraid to portray a morally compromised person.He chooses interesting projects that speak to his range from dorky to heroic to romantic to cold. And, if course, he is handsome but not in a pretty way. He is no flower boy. And I loved him in A Man and A Woman with Hein Do-yeon. He took the role to work with her. Their live scenes were electric. And in Coffee Prince, there was an undercurrent with gender bending of LGBTQ+ content. I think this actor shows he can do it all. Yay-Gong Yoo for your versatility.
@packmule3 you got me there 😂. I like Na InWoo. He’s got a good heart. So I want him to do well. I am glad he’s getting more attention being paired with Park MinYoung. I have seen some short clips of him but I can’t get past his persona from 2D1N 😂. Bits where he’s trying to act cool or nonchalant or even angry 😂, I just can’t be totally convinced because I’ve seen how goofy he is in 2D1N.
Btw this popped up in my newsfeed. I am kinda tired of the whole webtoon adapted KDrama which seems to be so prevalent nowadays. So this sounds interesting because it’s an “original”.
Not sure when it will be released but it sounds promising. Writer is the one who penned “When the Camellia Blooms” and PD is the one for My Mister. Starrring IU and BoGummy.
https://www.soompi.com/article/1639853wpp/iu-park-bo-gum-and-more-gear-up-for-upcoming-drama-when-life-gives-you-tangerines
I am trying to finish the sentence…When Life Gives You Tangerines…😂😂😂 (a play on When life gives you lemons…make lemonade?). Doesn’t quite have the same ring to it by saying “make tangerine juice” but the famous “Hallabong” is native to Jeju (and I guess it’s a play on that? Although the Korean title has nothing to do with hallabong?
폭싹 속았수다 – apparently it’s in Jeju dialect and means “you have done well” (or so the article says).
From the synopsis, it sounds like IU is playing the rebellious character and BoGum is the steadfast reserved one (neither seems to be breaking out of their usual character mould 😕). It sounds like IU’s character isn’t satisfied with her “tangerine” (Jeju/country life) lot in life and is in search for something “more”. On Netflix so it’s easy to watch (for me anyway).
@nrllee @OAL @Cleo
About John Na In Woo, I’m the other way around. I’ve only started seeing him in Marry My Husband, so I had to look up 2D1N to catch him at his dorky best. 🤪😂🫣 It’s amazing that it’s the same person! That means that he’s a pretty good actor because I don’t see the ‘real’ NIW in the character of Ji Hyuk. 🤭
Thanks @packmule3 for this fun monthly thread. I enjoy the updates of what everyone is watching.
I’ll continue to watch Dr. Slump at least for now. I really enjoyed your take on the first two episodes. And l enjoyed @WE’s snarky commentary in the open thread along with @Cleopatra and @GB. If the drama fails to entertain, the comments surely will.
Marry My Husband is surprisingly entertaining. I did a little binge to catch up and now look forward to seeing how it will end. I like the actress playing ML’s little sister. I would like to see her in other dramas. I read there is a Princess Hours remake in the works. This actress would be my choice for the FL in that.
I will check out the Chinese drama mentioned by @Stacy – Amidst a Snowstorm. I started and dropped My Boss, Our Interpreter, and I Know I Love You. Too long and silly, too boring and too long.
The Disney+ thing is exasperating. Some of the dramas end up on Hulu at the same time they’re airing like Flex x Cop – (watched the opening scene and dropped it – was not interested in finding out why the ML maybe shot the guy in the first scene) The Shop for Killers is also already on Hulu – haven’t watched but have read good things about. Other Disney dramas won’t air in the US until they complete airing in Korea. I was able to work around this by setting my vpn to Canada and watching that way. My subscription is now expired so no more Disney content until it makes it to Hulu. But the vpn workaround may work for other Disney+ subscribers.
Hi @Good Twin! It’s fun reading you too!! And LOL we will do what we can to put up some fun comments for all to read and be entertained. Some of the best are when we disagree with each other (usually only partially) and argue most politely. See you around! 😉
A certain poster on this blog has persuaded me to watch First Love/Hatsukoi. Now I’m worried that all of the other dramas mentioned will suffer in comparison. Dang her! 😉😊
I have no recollection why I didn’t watch it when others were watching. Normally one would have to twist my rubber arm to watch anything with Takeru Sato in it.
@Fern,
Must have been @GB. 😂
Was he a pilot in that drama?
@GB, I want to hear him speak English. He’s another multilingual K Dramas actor. I get a huge charge out of hearing the English speakers. Same for Gong Hyo-jin.
@pkml3, @Fern, I went back to check and realised just how much I wrote on First Love/Hatsukoi. It was rife with metaphors, imagery, most appropriate OSTs and very appealing actors. It’s truly hard to come by another show quite like it again. Such a simple story and yet so rich.
Besides myself, @Welmaris, @Phoenix and others liked the show as well. Perhaps what they wrote inspired your watch as well? 🙂
Hello, @Growing Beautifully and @packmule3.
It was, in fact, @Welmaris who persuaded me.
I’ve now looked over some of the comments, but not beyond episode 4, which is where I am now. Thank you and all of the other posters for their thoughts about this drama. As you say, it was so rich and well acted that the other dramas I’ve been watching have paled in comparison.
February Korean Dramas I want to check out:
Doctor Slump: Actor Park Hyung Sik in a rom-com? Yes, please!
Queen of Divorce: I like the main lead actors, Kang Ki Young and Lee Ji Ah. I’m excited to see them working together. Drama at Viki.
Wedding Impossible- The plot sounds like it could be the cute rom com I’m looking for. Please be good, show! Coming to Viki.
I might check out these K Dramas depending on audience feedback and reviews:
Branding in Seongsu – It could be a fun rom-com, but body-swap is not one of my favorite tropes, so I will wait on this one. It’s coming to Viki.
Flex X Cop- I like the ML actor, but not sure about the storyline.
February Chinese Dramas I want to check out:
Amidst a Snowstorm of Love- I like ML Leo Wu. Available at WeTV, Tencent Video YT, and Viki. I’m going to watch it at Viki.
Sweet Trap- The trailer looks like it could be a cute rom-com. According to the info, the eps are supposed to be 37 min long, so hopefully it will be fast-paced. Available at WeTV, Tencent Video YT, and Viki. I will wait to watch the Edited Subs version at Viki.
My Boss- I like male lead Chen Xing Xu. I will wait to binge this, so will be watching later in February when all Edited episodes have been released at Viki. So probably toward the end of the month.
I was not able to post during the rewatch this morning of nine. So I am trying to post here to see what happens.
Hi @MM, I can read you here.
weird I wonder what was going on?
Annyeong BOD’s ~
Happy LOVE month everyone.
@Pm3 Kdramas are pretty thin on the ground this month indeed. all we need is just one good show really. am i right?
i am enjoying “Doctor Slump” esp EP 3. so far haha. Can’t wait for Ep 4
There are many Live shows out there … but i’m choosing the JOMO attitude towards the rest haha.
Coz of Zhao Lu Si from “hidden love” and other things (who rules the world etc)… I finished watching “dating in the kitchen” 🙂 then “I hear you” and now i’m in the middle of “please feel at ease, Mr Ling.” I”m liking all three male leads of these shows. She has so many shows.
I watch almost nothing. MMH and ending Vincenzo.
I’m again in re-writing, Ep41, but here I can share a nice experience…
I use pictures in the visual screenplay, only some elements don’t exist.
So I tried an AI image generator. Obviously, there are many things it won’t be able to do, but at least, I could create nice pics of one important character.
Here the result of my experimentation:
https://twitter.com/EnchanteurW/status/1754084845116965194
@WEnchanteur, what an absolutely stunning image! Keep going!
Thanks to all your fab suggestions on BoD, I’m watching, and really enjoying:
1. Knight Flower – great leads and story, can’t wait for the next episode!
2. Death’s Game – gripping and brilliant with fab acting. The cameos are fun too (Lee Jae Wook and Lee Do Hyun!)
3. Marry My Husband
I’m also really enjoying the music and interviews on The Seasons: Lee Hyo-ri’s Red Carpet – she’s a hilariously honest host, very refreshing.
These have all been quality entertainment, what a great start to the year!
On my to-try list:
– The Golden Spoon
– Welcome to Samdalri
– Like flowers in sand
– Dr Slump
@nrllee,
Re. When Life Gives You Tangerines, I’ll certainly take a look if IU and Park BoGummy are on it. No date yet.
According to that soompi article you linked, the setting is 1950s. And the two actors will play the characters in their youth. Two older actors will play the characters in later life. Reminds me of “Reply 1988.”
Agree. The title “When Life Gives You Tangerines” sounds like that proverbial phrase, “When life gives you lemon, make lemonade.” And the two actors are playing their tried-and-true dramatis persona again. It’s beginning to look like actors don’t want to venture out of their comfort zone in 2024, what with Park MinYoung doing this romcom “Marry My Husband,” and Park Shin Hye in “Doctor Slump.” That’s okay with me.
@Stacy – Amidst a Snowstorm – oh my! I’m loving it!
I thought I would expand on what I am loving about Amidst a Snowstorm:
• The Finnish location – although I wish the cinematographer would do a little more with the landscape. (I wouldn’t surprised if they were sponsored by the Finnish public transportation system because how to get from point A to point B is a big part of the dialogue between the shy leads.)
• The snowy setting – it reminds me of Road Home.
• The snooker backdrop – something I know nothing about, so it is interesting.
• The awkward conversation between the leads and the way they use texting to overcome the shyness. (The male lead is not so much shy as not a big talker. He is actually quite direct that he is taken with her).
• Her voice over telling us what she is thinking when he is trying to woo her is cute and funny.
• The romantic tension between the leads – the tropes of leaning in close or the almost kiss really work here. If you told me these two were a couple irl – I’d believe it.
So far I would liken this drama to Meet Yourself or Road Home. Slow and romantic.
Hi @Good Twin, I tried a few episodes of Amidst a Snowstorm of Love too. I liked it for the same reasons as yourself and for the fact that I know it’s one show which I can dip in and out of without feeling overly compelled to keep up with the airing schedule. It’s a slow-burn, no-worries-about-missing anything type of drama that one can jump around in and still know what’s happening.
I knew from listening to AvenueX what to expect and found that she was right. This is by the same Chief Producer as Love Me, Love My Voice, and the same Creator/Webnovelist/Writer as Road Home and Love Me, Love My Voice, Mo Bao Fei Bao, hence it has the same vibe of being a sweet love story, or practically a blow-by-blow depiction of how a couple gets together and how they date.
It’s one of those shows to relax with and which puts a smile on one’s face, but not one to expect any robust plot from. I like it well enough because I like Leo Wu Lei (how intently he stares at her!!!) and Zhao JIn Mai (from Reset). I want to see how well they do without having too much angst and action to work with.
I looked high and low to find the word ‘Finland’ somewhere but it didn’t show up, so I literally translated the words on screen to find out that it was Finnish LOL. I wondered why the name of their location was not widely publicised since show can quietly offer a great promotion for tourism in that country.
I’ll be dropping by to watch it as and when I need a break from something and want to soothe my mind!
I’m up to date with Snowstorm and enjoying it a lot so far. The backdrop of billiards may not be some folks’ cup of tea, but it throws me back to my late teen years. There was a local pool hall that was a popular hangout for teenagers and I spent many a weekend there with my boyfriend at the time 🙂
@GB – Reset! I hadn’t looked up the actress but she seemed familiar – I like her. That description of it being a blow by blow about how a couple falls in love is perfect. I didn’t know it was the same writer as Road Home. So the writer clearly likes snowy landscapes.
LOL @Good Twin, snow and snowy landscapes makes all scenes somewhat romantic even without the falling petals.
I was heartily amused in Ep 4 (I’m watching slooooowly) when Lin killed the conversation and then admitted he was not much of a talker but wanted to chat with Yin Guo LOL. Poor girl didn’t know what to say to a guy he shot himself in the foot Heheheh!
@Good Twin, After you watch this drama, if you haven’t seen it, watch the Korean movieAan and A Woman with Gong Upo and Jeon Do Jeon
It’s a tear jerker but has one of the most erotic scenes in movies that is beautifully realized. Bit is the story of two parents of children with intellectual disabilities who meet when they send their kids to camp. They follow the bus, get caught in a snow storm in Finland where the camp is. And spend the night I’m an inn during a snowstorm. There is a sauna scene. I cried watching thisibir but it was well worth it.
@GoodTwin, @Stacy @GB Unnie,
Kalimera. I have watched the trailer of “Amidst a Snowstorm”. As it seems it is pretty good? I don’t know if I have time to start this, but I might give it a try…
@OAL I have seen that movie and really liked it. Definitely not your typical kdrama – but beautifully acted and heartbreaking. @Cleopatra looking forward to hearing your thoughts if you watch it.
I will let you know @GoodTWin! I enjoyed “Love me, Love my Voice” so very much!
@Fern, Thanks. I did some other tests (another post on twitter). I’ll use AI generation images when I end the rewriting. So I can give few images to episodes lacking them.
For now, I just added few ones on episode 1. But can’t loose much time on this.
Just now, I’m late on MMH. Couldn’t watch it yesterday. And today busy with work.
I watched 15 minutes of Vincenzo. lol! Drama slug.
@Wenchanteur, you can’t be me in the backwards race to be a drama slug. I can barely fit in one episode in a day. But good work on those illustrations. So impressive!
I meant to write beat rather than be. 🙄 The sort of thing that happens when I write rapidly.
Hi @Cleo, ah you liked Love Me, Love My Voice? Then you’ll enjoy the pace and style and beauty of Amidst a Snowstorm of Love (Snowstorm for short!!!) The operating word is pretty… the location, the leads, their friends, the sweet romance that unfolds a petal at a time… all very pretty. 😉😌😂
@Cleo, I second everything @GB just said 😀
Kalimera Unnie!
Yes I really liked “Love Me, Love My Voice”. I have written a comment about Episode 27, but noone answered so, I forgot to write it here! LOL.
FYI, I have started Snowstorm last night and I really like it! I don’t know how long it will take me to be up to date, but it is okay!
So, @Stacy I am enjoying it as well! LOL
Hi @Cleo, good to know you’ve started Snowstorm.
I skip watched another cdrama on YouTube (better subs there) “I Know I Love You”. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sit through all the episodes and finally jumped to the last 4 which had more going in the right direction and faster.
I’m now rooting around for something new (with more plot than Snowstorm) to distract me. 😉
(I’m relieved to be able to access BOD now after several hours of getting error messages.)
I really enjoy reading this thread.
You all have convinced me to take a look at “Admidst a snow storm”. I love beautiful scenes of snow, and I am not getting them here in canada this winter- Just greyness, Fog, And rain.
For some reason that is beyond my understanding, I do not like leo wu. I think I need to give him another chance. I did not finish love like the galaxy and feel like I may be very alone in this. The reviews were all so wonderful and I was disappointed. It may be something as superficial as I don’t like his nose.
I just finished a one And only /forever and ever rewatch. I feel like I could continue watching both These shows In a continuous loop and still discover something new.
I still have matchmakers and twinkling watermelon left from Previously and i’m looking forward to watching both. I was not familiar with the Lead male actor in twinkling watermelon until I recently rewatched “18 Again”. Now I should find the first episode got a little easier to follow.
I am really enjoying MMH. This is my only live watch right now.
I want to watch More Chinese shows.
But so many of them are so long. Goodbye my princess, Story of Minglan, Le Coup de Foudre,Story of Yanzi Palace. If the new show with.
The journey to love male lead we’re showing today I would be watching it immediately. It is called “legend of jewelry”.
I have so many shows I would like to watch On apple That I want to watch and have been discontinuing other subscription. So I can subscribe temporarily to apple.
I have discovered serendipistously That I can access prime video When I thought It was only available in the states. So now I can rewatch sections of MMH. You may well know which Scenes I am referring to.
I have also very much enjoyed the 9 rewatch. And look forward to whatever we will watch next as a group.
I am hoping someone might be able to help me with my posting. I tried composing in a different app Where it is easier to edit but could not paste into this Website.
Also , it is not possible to copy so that I can have it to refer to if my posts are lost. I tried screenshots But This does not work well either.
@MM, I’m amused by your post. There are a few actors that I just don’t really care to watch, without having a clear reason why. I’m glad Leo Wu Lei is not one of them. He was more active and interesting in Nothing But You which was a noona romance.
I also seem to be turning to more Chinese dramas nowadays. Pity so many are so long (and hence have filler episodes) but there are some gems among them.
I will attempt a first watch of Love Like the Galaxy in March to join another discussion that will take place on that show. Now THAT show is a loooong series at 56 episodes (in 2 parts)! I wonder if it has what it takes to hold my attention. 🙂
It was only in the second half of the second part that I lost interest. It began to feel repetitive and drawn out. I think a love of the male lead would have kept me watching.
Who knows, Maybe My attitude towards Leo wu will change after watching admidst a Snowstorm or the other one you Mentioned -the noona romance.
@MM you’re not the only one who didn’t finish LLTG, but in my case it was because I had binged most of the show and became over-saturated, if that makes any sense. Also, I suspected Great Angst was nearing and I went into avoidance mode. And I just never picked it back up. I do plan to finish it one day because I really did enjoy the drama. I love the leads and adored the wing-man Emperor 😀
I see a bit of Leo Wu’s character from LLTG in his character in Snowstorm – mainly, the *intensity* of his interest in the girl. Not complaining at all lol.
I was binging it as well and began to Feel it was becoming too repetitive.
With the interactions between the two leads. And yes it was around the time I knew angst was coming that I stopped. Not so much because it would be sad, but because it still seemed Like their relationship was Stuck and I was tired of that. It was a while ago now so I don’t quite remember.
@Stacy, @MM and anyone who’s watched Zhao Lu Si acting. How do you find her voice? I have heard her speaking in her normal voice which is fine, however in shows like LLTG and even in Hidden Love, she speaks in a ‘little girl voice’ which is higher in pitch. I’m not sure if she was dubbed or she dubbed herself but the ‘little girl voice’ bothers me. It may be one of the factors that makes me drop a show, although I like Lu Si.
I have watched her in a number of shows because she is in so many. I was not purposely seeking her out , but just came to know her from the number of shows I have watched. I have only recently become more aware about dubbing in chinese shows. I will pay more attention. I just read that the female lead was dubbed in forever and ever , but not one and only. Sometimes it is obvious if the lips are not matching what is being said.
I started snowstorm. The directing is right on point in terms of what it’s like to experience cold and snow. The little things like blowing your nose when you go inside and putting up your hood when you exit the subway, The sounds of the tires on snow.
I have been missing the snow and cold here in Canada. Now I can just watch it from the warmth of my t v room.
I also like The subtleties up their interactions when they meet. She is suspicious and he seems a little annoyed. You can see they are interested in each other.
Snowstorm is by the same writer as one and only and forever and ever. The snow Scenes in one and only were lovely.
I like Leo Wu better in this show so far. I have only watched the first episode.
@GB I don’t mind ZLS’s voice near as much as I do Esther Yu’s, but even with Esther I can tolerate it if I want to watch the drama bad enough lol.
I am watching the second episode of snowstorm. And it reminds me of love me love my voice. It is painstaking to listen to them trying to talk to each other.
@monmor I didn’t know this was the same writer of Forever and Ever (one of my favorite cdramas along with You Are My Hero). This writer specializes in writing the most mundane dialogue. I read Road Home and bits of this novel and except for the location it has been adapted faithfully and excruciatingly. The location in the book is NY and Washington DC – and there is lots of concern about crime!! I think these dramas work because all of the actors have been first rate in all these adaptations. I’m still enjoying Amidst a Snowstorm but I do think his intensity is bit much. At some point being stared at intently in public all the time and pawed at anytime they’re alone would be too much. There is a very cute scene when he whisks her away for a vacation before she heads back to China and she says she is “overjoyed” which I thought was a sweet word choice.
In forever and ever, Snowstorm, And love me love my voice, I find my brain going to all the obvious things They could be saying to each other to facilitate conversation.🙂
I post my new experimentations on AI image generation (as it takes the time I could spend to watch dramas now). With one of my characters. She was indeed in W season 1 but I use her more in season 2. Yoon-Hee, and here awesome shots from this mmmh… yeah really pretty big girl. I test MidJourney soft now, it’s poor on prompt understanding, but rendering is amazing. Here my tests, your eyes won’t believe it:
https://twitter.com/EnchanteurW/status/1755332804676608455
The writer of snow storm,, Love me love my voice, And forever And ever Likes to give her men obsessional traits. In the second episode of snow storm, The female lead wonders if he has Obsessive-compulsive disorder and then realizes. He is being careful because he does not want her to slip.
Oh wow I’m not seeing new posts from this blog anymore. I must have messed up my settings (the reason for my delay in responding here).
In February–I’m still enjoying Knight Flower every week. I really look forward to it.
I started watching Marry My Husband because everyone else was watching it. But my Prime subscription is about to end and I’m debating if it’s worth resubscribing to see the final four episodes. I might wait until it’s over before I resubscribe to make sure I catch the ending. It’s not the best drama I’ve ever watched but it’s satisfying and easy to watch. I’m a little fatigued with noble idiocy but assume everything will work out in the end–her father/angel made it so, one would hope.
For reality I’m enjoying the Japanese Netflix show Love Deadline. It’s another polite show where the people date without all the trappings of American dating (i.e., no physical contact except occasional hand holding). Ultimately, the women must declare their interest in a man whenever it’s his turn to leave the show if they like him–a brave step since they’re then also kicked off the adventure/show, no matter the outcome. The one proposal I’ve seen was longer than the one my husband and I shared!
I tried to watch Captivating the King… I attempted it a couple of times but I found it boring. I went past the first episode and then quit in the midst of the second. Maybe it’s the ML. His face a lot of the time seems expressionless. And I’m getting pretty tired of seeing obvious women dressed as men in Joseon garb (though the Knight Flower FL is almost convincing, especially when she wore that fake mustache!).
I’m not sure about Dr. Slump. I’ll check to see what you all are saying about it. I’ve tried the first episode a few times but keep dropping it. I was worried since it seemed to start with a death… I wanted it to be a romance.
@Good Twin and @Monmor, I’ve just reached Ep 9 of Snowstorm and yes, I would feel so pressured by the intensity of his gaze. The drama is nothing else but about the pursuit of the girl with great concentration and intensity, and the strange twists where all and the neighbour’s dog are encouraging the pairing LOL.
One can either find it boring or almost immersive 🤪
@WE, very impressive AI generated image of the actress! Can pass it off as her! Your previous one is evocative of the evil that emanates from the Queen of Darkness.
My husband tinkered a bit with AI ‘people’ images. He said the hardest part was getting the hands to look normal and natural. He’s stopped playing with AI drawing now, but it was funny seeing ‘people’ with more than one head etc. 😱
@GB, I’m unable to do Queen of Darkness character on MidJourney. And reverse, can’t do Yoon-Hee character on Bing Dall-E. I’ll need to tinker more, as I have a clear goal and will need to use these 2 tools fast and right.
About hand problem, what’s great with MidJourney: you can vary a part of picture. So if the picture is wrong about hands, just choose this zone, and replay it until fingers are right.
I agree @Good Twin about the mundane dialogue in Snowstorm and really, I could have thought of more than 20 questions I could have asked to find out more about each other and another 50 to keep a conversation going, but we get these long silent looks and awkwardness LOL and they keep saying ‘You’re not saying anything!’ I wanted to retort, ‘Exactly! Why aren’t you saying anything!’ LOLOL.
Kalimera Unnie,
I am so busy these past two weeks, that what I really want to do is just relax while watching a down to earth show. I have finished Episode 4 last night. So far, I am enjoying this. Maybe because everything is going so slow…
SLOWLY I want to say to myself! 😛
P.S. I don’t know much about snooker and 9-ball billiard, so it is something new for me.
@Cleo, SLOWLY is the exactly it but yet, when you get on to Ep 10, I think the relationship is seen as happening fast ie I believe we are speaking of just a few meetings in less than a month or something like that.
I see the pattern in ‘Love Me Love My Voice’ and ‘Snowstorm’ with this Writer. The guy is always very generous, he’s the provider, he won’t accept much from the girl but will go out of his way to do whatever he can for her. He’s also pretty good at whatever he does ie he does not put a foot wrong (except for being tongue-tied), is well liked and succeeds in most everything he does.
The only difference with this male lead is that he retired too early because he got angry with the ruling at a Snooker competition.
Can we see him back playing professionally by the end of the series? 🙂
Unnie,
If you check in Literature, every Writer has its obsessions that is visiting and revisiting in their work. We can say it is like a theme, a repetition of shorts. Some are talking about Love, other about Loss and etc.
What you are describing to me is the way the chakkanim wants a man to be. So, she is writing down such characters in different settings!
Although, in “Love Me, Love my Voice” our ML doesn’t have OCD tendencies. I read something @Monmor wrote above. The men doesn’t have OCD tendencies. They are just protective of the FL.
Most likely we will see him play professionally again. In the titles we get to see him win a medal.
On ‘Snowstorm’ – oh yes, @Cleo, you’re right, the opening credits are probably showing us the future and not the past. He’ll play again at least in some competition and win.
I was trying to see if the accurate potting of the ball was really done by Leo Wu Lei in an unbroken camera shot or whether the shots were edited so that his shot and the ball were 2 separate scenes spliced together. Can you tell how well the actor (not the character) played?
Unnie,
Well, I go that from LMLMV’s opening trailer!
I don’t know if he is playing, but I guess he studying pool for his shots. If he is the one playing, then he is pretty good.
Spoiler up to episode eight
I was feeling relieved that we might get some conflict in this show With the older cousin and maybe we still will. A twist though when he shows up in finland. Not what I was expecting.
An interesting side note is that the actor playing the older cousin is the actor who played the crown prince in one and only. In and of itself this introduces Conflict. Who can ever forgive him for The role he played in betraying the male lead..?
Snowstorm reminds me of My Journey to You in that there are so many fine men around the FL LOL. Makes me want to take up professional billiards 😀
Somewhere around ep 12-13 we’re shown the FL playing in a tournament. Be prepared for blatant “Chinese players are the best in the world/China always produces top players/etc.” from the (non-Chinese) announcers at the tournament. *rolls eyes*
@Cleo, @Stacy, @Good Twin… I’m changing the description of “Snowstorm” from something that’s going very slowly to one that speeds up quite a lot.
And I’m not complaining.
Better scenery of Finland in the later episodes.
They also have the best rescue workers firefighters in the world And are striving for the best Space program. I only mean this sarcastically In the sense of how it is Presented in the dramas.
@GB I am glad to hear it picks up. I was thinking of starting something else. And just dipping my toes in and out of this show, As you had commented before.
@Monmor, just to manage expectations, I’m speaking of the relationship in ‘Snowstorm’… as to plot, there never was one so there isn’t one in which speed can be improved LOL.
I would like to see her be a more equal partner in this relationship Instead of the pursued.
@MM, well we are in the world of the Writer who has a fantasy of the perfect boyfriend, hence we may not get much in the way of balancing out the relationship. I will add however, that the girl does not entirely just sit back and wait, so she’s not one to be just passive. I guess Writer wants the guy to do most of the heavy lifting, even if the girl would prefer to ‘go Dutch’ as she put it. 😄
I believe the same writer wrote forever. And ever and in that drama she Is the one pursuing him sexually. So this writer has some flexibility in her role delineations.
I have added two more chinese dramas to my to watch list.
“alliance”I remember this being discussed before. I think in What are we watching a few months ago. It is really good and I am really enjoying the themes. It is also at an intensity level that I like.
If I am at a loss again about what to watch, After I finish alliance, I think I will start “story of minglan” even though there are so many episodes.
@Good Twin, I should learn from you the trick of switching the VPN in order to overcome regional restrictions on the streaming of some shows. I’ve just come back from a trip to England, and while abroad I couldn’t continue watching all the content I’d begun while home in the USA. Prime Video shut me out of Marry My Husband. Netflix gave me limited choice on what I could watch, and wouldn’t let me download anything while traveling. When I did have time and internet availabity, I chose to plod along on Viki with the Cdrama My Boss. It’s not a great show, but I found it comfortable to watch when I wanted to scratch my Asian drama itch.
I’m glad for my long plane rides I’d downloaded the entire 2023 Jdorama Trillion Game. I’d previously seen one of the lead actors, Ren Meguro, in Silent, in which I found him intriguing. He plays a very different kind of character in Trillion Game, so I’m appreciating his acting range. In Trillion Game, just when I’m tiring of his overly sunny demeanor, his character, Haru, gives us a glimpse of what’s behind the mask.
Now that I’m home, I’m happily wrapping up:
–Like Flowers in Sand (this gem will go on my rewatch list so I can savor it again)
–Marry My Husband (from my vantage point on Shallow Island, appreciating the acting skills and looks of Na In Woo, but reveling in the villainy of characters Park Min Hwan and Jung Soo Min)
–Dr. Slump (I’ve only watched the first two episodes so far. I’ll see if I stay happy as I continue watching it.)
And having started the rewatch of First Love with @Fern, my heart pulls me back to that beautiful Jdorama. It’s such a treat to revisit that show.
Based on the conversation above, I’ve added Snowstorm to my watchlist. I can’t think of other Cdramas I’ve watched with action taking place in Finland, but I have seen a few Kdramas with Finland tie-ins. There was the strange Finland Papa that I only finished because it was short. And I can’t remember the name of the show now, but there was an angsty Kdrama a few years ago featuring a recording studio, a tortured genius trying to develop an AI voice program, and a supporting female character who dies in Finland when crushed by a falling tree. Part of that show was filmed in Finland, especially scenes of the ML’s youth.
That other Kdrama partly set in Finland (if I remember correctly) was 2020’s A Piece of Your Mind with Jung Hae In. The plot of that one became convoluted, and I think a lot of watchers dropped it. It was supposed to have a 16-episode run, but was chopped to 12.
@welmaris – I was watching Trillion Game too! Actually I saw both Ren Meguro and Mio Imada (she plays the Princess Kiriko) in the J-movie “As Long as We Both Shall Live” (which itself is an adaptation of the anime My Happy Marriage on Netflix). And they were both so lovely in the film (polar opposite of Haru’s and Kiriko’s characters in Trillion Game). The anime (if anyone also watches anime) is also spectacular for a light watch.
I’d recommend the J-movie for another perspective on Meguro’s and Imada’s acting range.
I didn’t even recognize the ML in the My Happy Marriage movie as the same actor in Silent until someone on here pointed it out on another thread!
@swiss_postscripts, that’s right! I did recently see Ren Meguro in the live-action film of My Happy Marriage. I’ve got to remember to add that to my MDL list. And same as you, @Stacy, I had to do a double take before I would believe the same actor was the ML in Silent and My Happy Marriage. That speaks well of his range. In Trillion Game he inhabits a character very different from either of those roles, so kudos to Ren Meguro!
@stacy & @welmaris: thanks for the heads-up on silent, shall earmark it! Kudos indeed to Ren Meguro!
My to-watch list grew quite a bit in the last 2 weeks with a surprising windfall ..
I was collecting potential good watches .. It was like being at a fruit stall choosing apples – pears – papaya .. those which looked good, I am turning them around to feel for ‘ripeness’ and dents or bumps, taking a chance .. bringing them home .. cutting them .. biting into them and hoping I chose well ..
I DID DID dee dee .. when I found a delish just right one .. for the mood (often the mood dictates if a drama clicks or not ;-p
So here’s stuff that I LOVED LOVED :
~ The Splendor of Dreams
~ A Journey to Love
~ Parallel World
What in your face in these shows??
YEAH .. THE KICK ASS women hold their own and call the shots and actively move the story forward on their own steam and agency ..
For the LOVE of The BEAUTY of EQUAL YIN to the YANG .. sometimes Yin is even MORE powerful than the YANG .. without women being made to “suit boot up and lose their own femininity”
~ ONLY FOR LOVE
The wicked and sweet power of old school rom-com which we devour with equal measure of guilty and intellectual pleasure AT ONCE ~ the producers laughing their way to the bank at having winked us into its seductive trap .. while we grin in foolish joy
AND NOW I am TRAPPED and entranced by a RARE gem of a modern workplace politics – business – romance drama that LOOKS so SEXY in terms of camerawork and drool OST !!!
It’s playing in the background as I write this. WAH what actors .. NEVER seen them before .. low low key and NATURAL .. It’s the one of the MOST REAL LIFE acting and love arc I have witnessed in a CDrama ..
~ FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT
I am HAPPY as a kid with a loaded BOX of Candy for the coming days ..
Hope ya’ll will sip on some of them and decide for yourself .. I feel 90% sure that the folks at BOD will fall for their charm.
<3 <3
HERE I LEAVE you with JUST the OST of FITYMI
https://youtu.be/AdC23YmXujo?si=k2h7PPWBXAJ_Ea8c
SNOWSTORM is ON my list too @Welmaris
BTW I did post earlier threads and seen you around 😀
I WILL lap up anything Wu Lei fronts post LLTG and “Upcoming Summer”
And post AJTL I am waiting for Liu Yu Ning doing his thing in
~ The Legend of Jewelry
I still cant wrap my head around how his phenomenal role in AJTL didn’t sit well for so many.
He’s a pop idol and such a diligent hard worker .. persevered against such TROLLING .. to come up like a cut diamond .. he’s still being cut and I feel his best work is yet to come ..
I have his
~ BE YOUR OWN LIGHT
on hold .. for a slow sweet watch .. He’s JUST gotten better and better.
Well it’s more a ‘hers’ story .. many HERS .. reason why it pulled me in. ADULTS in it .. especially unusual because woman has a tween kid from first marriage which fell apart .. and TWO other equally interesting characters .
And update on what I am watching
I am currently watching “save the last dance for me” a 2004 melo with jisung. He is the draw.And watching the early tropes. His co star eugene an idol is an example of idol acting that gave idols a bad name as actors. There is something about the soundtracks of this era that I really enjoy , and this one is good.
I just finished ” Longing for you” with Na Inwoo. The first few episodes particularly were very enjoyable watching him play a very different kind of character than in our current watch.
I finished “alliance” and wished I had watched it when everybody else was watching it. It would have been a great one to discuss.
We are having a sunny cold day here in canada but still no snow. Better than the gray rainy weather we were having but not as warm.
@Bosuji I am also waiting for the legend of jewelry.
re “save the last ance…”
There is something really odd about the camera work or the camera itself. I remember now trying to watch it online and only finding copies where everybody looked twice the width you expected them to be. So I bought the d v d and people are still unusually wide , but not quite as much so. This was the mid two thousands. Anybody know why this would be?
@monmor maybe it’s what they called, in technological term, the aspect ratio. if you’re watching from a computer, you can modify the settings of your preferred video player to alter it.
to anyone who’s subscribed to Netflix, there’s a Japanese romantic drama currently airing, but the male lead is one of K-drama fan favorites, Chae Jong-hyeop. the title is “Eye Love You”.
ah maybe it is something like you suggested and Icam look into that on my tv.
Thank you for the watch suggestion. I will have a look. That reminds me the new chinese show with park minyang is out I think. I don’t know if it is accessible for me. I am wondering if it is only coming out now because of the ban on korean actors in chinese shows a few years ago. That would be better than if they had production problems which which was my initial suspicion.
The Cdrama with PMY is airing in Japan and one other country, can’t recall which one. As far as I know, it’s not available anywhere else.
Adding Eye Love You to my list, thanks for the heads up!
People??? I know it’s not March yet but is Queen of Tears on our list ?
I am extremely good at managing my life (note. Sarcasm) and that’s why manage to fly through only one drama every two or three months. Sometimes not even that. Thus, I’m usually never seen on “what are we watching” threads of BoD.
Also, due to my astute time management skills, I start dramas when other ppl are at ep 10.
But I want to start Queen of Tears from the beginning (wow, just wow) if possible. Hashtag trying to be a better version of myself. Of note @cleo 😛
Hello, Dear @Arihsi! We’ll have to petition at the next “What are we Watching” post.
I’m finding that I’ve had to drop so many dramas because my home life was suffering – and I’m retired with children who ‘should’ be able to take care of themselves. I’m only up to date on Dr Slump and I’m watching the c-drama Snowstorm, which I can watch any time as it’s on Viki.
Oh really! Ok… Thank you dear @Fern… I’ll petition. On what basis I don’t know? The ML ? The fact that FL cries well ?
But before that, you aren’t on the MMH boat @fern ? May I tempt you ?
@Ahihsi, simply no extra time. And I hate being behind the curve of the discussions. I may watch later, as I did with your recommendation before, Healer.
Kim soo Hyun is such a good actor. I remember being taken by him as a relatively unknown actor to me anyway In “dream high.” I loved his rendition of a broad rural accent which I had never heard before. I read a comment recently which may have been on one of these posts about him becoming the lead actor when it was supposed to be the 2 p m guy.
Hey my dear @Arihsi,
Yes. I am going to watch “Queen of Tears” for Kim Soo Hyun, so don’t worry!
I will be with you on that thread!
@Fern ! You have the memory of a supercomputer / elephant in the animal kingdom ! You remember I recommended healer to you ??? What !!!!!
To all the people here, this happened AT LEAST three years back, if not more… Omg !
MMH may not compare to that in the sheer cheeky fun department, I’m afraid @fern. Although it’s a nice ride.
@Arihsi, how could I forget Healer?
You also recommended two Indian movies that I really liked: Khoobsurat and another about a man and woman who meet on a train – can’t remember the name, but loved it. He wants to be left alone and she won’t stop bothering him. Of course they end up in love.
Glad to have you on board @cleo, hee hee.
Btw I just realised something reg. MMH ep 14 ! Over at the thread because this won’t be the right place!
@Monmor, Hi-you have good taste in actors. I also like the 2PM guys-Lee Junho and Ok Taecyon. They are good idol actors. I loved The Red Sleeve and Taec’s villainous role in Vincenzo(he was evil and funny at the same time). And although I can’t count myself as a K Pop fan(I enjoy listening to the music and bopping along-I have to say I look like Elaine in Seinfeld-I could not be viewed as a K Pop fan. However, there is one 2PM song that is an ear worm for me and that is My House. I also think that K Pop. I general, reminds me of the old Motown group choreography and Michael Jackson. When I was young I got to go to Temptations and Four Tops concerts. You couldn’t help but get up and move to the rhythm. That’s what K Pop reminds me of , the sheer infections rhythm that just makes you want to dance. There is so much joy!
@OAL I was a big fan of Motown back in the day. When I discovered kpop I could not believe it was supercharged Motown! My first fav group was Shinhwa and others from that era. There is a book titled “Soul in Seoul”, interestingly written by a black woman, an academic in the States, which has enthralled me with its discussion of kpop over the decades and its relationship to black music in the US.
Yes, the rhythms are infectious. Nothing beats kpop for wanting to dance and not wanting to stop.
#Monmor, Thanks for the book recommendation. I love that there is universality in music. I remember when the Beatles used Ravi Shankar sitar music and how incredible that was. In the States it is interesting that we can find a mixture of Tex Mex and Polish music with polka beats. If you listen to Soul music, you’ll also find some Jewish cantorial notes. I have gone to Orthodox Jewish weddings where men and women are separated at the dinner. Music is played for dancing and you’ll find rock music riffs while listening. I am now seeing/listening to a variety of Asian music where you hear western notes and vice versa for Western music. And it seems, everybody does western classical music. I am thinking that the world just lost Maestro Ozawa, one of the greatest conductors of the classics. We still have Yoyo Ma. There are so many musical riches to enjoy that I’m happy that music is a universal language. 🎹🎷🎺🎸🪕🎻🪘🪗🎤🎧📯🎼🎵🎶
I was excited to discover some chinese covers of elvis presley. Some of the K-Pop groups make use of classical music in their music.Shinhwa’s TOP Incorporates a piece from swan lake.
In a similar vein, the kdrama “lost” has as its main piece of music A song created by a very famous canadian musician leonard cohen. Some of the visual imagery is straight out of the lyrics of the song.
I have wondered in the past why some korean music sounds like abba. I think that is part of the asian connection to scandinavian countries. My impression is that they have used some of the same songwriters and perhaps producers.
So much to learn and enjoy!
I am not a musician nor a student of music. There was a quote in a k drama that applies to me. It was” I am tone deaf but I have a great sense of rhythm.”
@monmor, I think the great thing is that you are enjoying music. We are not all privileged to play instruments or to sing. However we are lucky to appreciate music
Our drama OSTs bring additional pleasure and enhance our appreciation. Music adds so much color to our viewing. I think of scary music, comic music, romantic music(during kisses), theme music, -so many moods enhanced by music.
And getting back to my joy of some idol actors, they add to the rhythm of our dramas because they have to have a sense of timing.
I enjoy listening to the OS t’s because they evoke the feelings of certain scenes.And it is easier to multitask than when watching a show.🙂
For me, it is “I’m your maaaaaan.”
@monmor, my husband sometimes listens to Leonard Cohen in the bathtub. Very loudly. It’s both disconcerting, funny and nostalgic as I had friends who were absolutely huge fans. Cohen was very big in France in the late ’60s early’70s.
He was from Montreal, so it is not a surprise for me to hear he was big in France. I would not have thought it though because of course, his music is in english.
Despite the inappropriateness of the lyrics, Both myself as a child and my daughter were taught His songs in middle school. For me it was Suzanne goes down to the river. For my daughter, it was Hallelujah.
Which many think of as a religious song but it is actually about sex.
Sorry, @packmule3, I know this is off tangent but it’s a fun discussion of musical influences.
In interviews of 2nd and 3rd generation dancers in K-pop, most say that Michael Jackson was their inspiration.
We know how the Rolling Stones and other British groups were influenced by American music. Something I didn’t know until I moved to England is that there’s a strong tradition in the northern part of the country called Northern Soul. It’s not only about Motown. People used to queue for new releases of obscure (to me) American artists. There are still artists composing and performing as well. Here is an explanation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_soul
Yes. Inappropriate for sure. Makes me laugh to think. You are up late or very early!
Trot music , which was popular in korea before k pop came along , was a combination of a japanese traditional style and local korean folk Music. It was banned for a while based on its japanese roots.
Christian missionaries in Korea also significantly influenced the development of their music. The presence of the american army in south korea Also was a big influence On south korean music, as was the return of many South Koreans from abroad.
In the nineteen nineties.
The political and cultural aspects of the development of music are very Interesting to me.
@monmor, I had a French housemate in 1976. She loved to play Leonard Cohen songs on her guitar. I thought it was just her until I went back to France the next year and heard them played by others as well. I think the tune, strong sentiment, imagery and unusual, clever wording appealed universally.
I am up early. My smartwatch is telling me I slept through my korean dramas I watched last night.😃
He was and still is insanely popular in quebec and ontario. He wrote books of poetry as well as his music, A word smith, Indeed.
Now I am really going off tangent. Mien
@Fern WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT
Hallelujah is NOT about thanking God ? No ? WHAT ? I’m scarred for life ! Please tell me there is some misunderstanding!
There was a lot of controversy about this song. The chorus and the sound of the song is inspirational. But I close listen to the lyrics Reveals other meanings.
@monmor, I’ve been to Montreal many times and have been as far west in Canada as Alberta. My husband and I are Canadaphiles. We think that our son was conceived in Toronto. I love poutine. So many great actors are Canadian(loved Star Trek even though Shatner is a bit of a narcissist).First time that I went toontreal was when I was 12. My husband went to the Maritimed so I am a little jealous. But we went to the Calgary Stampede and Eonton Klondike Days. The Canadian Rockies are magnificent. I would also like to go to Vancouver. When I was in college I dated a guy from Manitoba. Didn’t work out but it was fun. And the Canadian Falls in Niagara are magnificent. Canada also has a great national anthem. My husband is an ice hockey fan so when the games are in Canada or they play Canadian teams I love hearing O Canada.
@monmorzi think the movie, correct me if I’m wrong about the title, Swing Kids, is about American influence on Korean music. With unfortunate ears and globalization, we see how each country’s music gets influenced. As I think I might have said before, it is really crazy when you hear rock n roll riffs in Hassidic Jewish music.
My mother loves telling the story of going to high school with william shattner and Christopher Plummer from the sound of music.
@monmor, Wow. In my younger days I went to Star Trek conventions. I got to go to lectures by Gene Roddenberry. I have a Leonard Nimoy Spock magnet on my refrigerator. Now I fan girl K Dramas.
Spock was my very first “idol” crush.
@monmor, I loved Spock. I think Nimoy was burden3d by the role. I think one of the best take offs of the series was one of my favorite movies,,Galaxie Quest. The large, wonderful actor, Alan Rickman, did an absolutely wonderful Spocklike impression, including wha5 was a parody of Nimoy’s disdain for the role. Sigourney Weaver was great in that movie, that starred Tim Allen. The Star Trek franchize begat so many series and popularized a other captain, Picard, Sir 0atr7ck Stewart(I think he now lives in Brooklyn).
I like alan rickman too. He and dumbledoor were the most memorable characters in harry potter the movies. severus snape What a great name!
I think my love for spock sowed the seeds of my k drama Addiction. There were a number of american shows at that ti’m with a call removed mail and a frustrated female.
I will look up galaxie quest And think about whether I want to rewatch truly madly deeply.
Called removed male lead
@monmor, I highly recommend Galaxy Quest. It’s a pitch-perfect parody of Star Trek while still being a good story in its own right. If I list my all-time favorite movies, it’s one of the first I think of. It’s particularly funny to see Sigourney Weaver’s interpretation of her character in Galaxy Quest knowing that she fleshed out the role of kickass Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise. Tony Shalhoub, another excellent actor, is great in his role as the outwardly shy spaceship engineer.
@Welmaris, I’m so happy that you liked Galaxy Quest. That movie is such a pleasure to watch. It flips so many notions of science fiction films in such a delightful way. The alien make up falling off Rickman’s face was so funny. The true believer kids starting with Justin Long was a lovely touch and the real out of space aliens who masked what they actually looked like was also a nice touch. I liked how the movie was full of the small details that so many of us understand as sci fi tropesmade us viewers movie insiders. K Dramas often have the wink wink nod nod of trope flipping. The Greatest Love did that.
I have started good bad mother. Has anyone else watched it? From what I can tell it looks like it should be a good watch.
Oh I forgot i had checked previously and noticed. There were some posts already for this show
@monmor, I watched it awhile back and loved it. It is a family story and it also covers class issues and social issues. There is a live story. The cast is excellent. I think Ra Mi-ran is wonderful in this. She is so real. Lee Do-hyun has a great role that gives him a chance to show his range. And Ahn Eun-bin is lovely as Choi Kang-ho’s childhood friend. It is a lovely story and I think it will touch your heart.
Thank you so much. Now I know this is what I will watch this evening. I really like the male lead from the very first time I saw him in a drama.
@stacy & @welmaris: where did you both watch “Silent”? I tried to find it on Viu, Netflix, Prime… not there 🙁
So I started on Flex x Cop on Disney+. Three episodes in and I don’t mind it. For now, it seems light and breezy, quite laugh-a-minute re ML’s (Ahn Bo Hyun) OTT chaebol antics. It’s a nice change from the stress from The Shop for Killers and Death’s Game which I had watched back to back. There was a cute scene between the FL’s (Park Ji Hyun) mother and the FL- where the mom tried to set her up with a “Soong Joong Ki” lookalike – PJH did act with SJK in Reborn Rich. This is my second drama with PJH (now in FL position), and she plays senior to ABH. It feels very much a buddy cop drama- I don’t smell a smidgen of romance at all.
@arihsi: am looking out for Queen of Tears too! I’ve seen some trailers and Kim Soon Hyun is crying in most of them lol.
@mormor, how far have you gotten with The Good Bad Mother? I enjoyed the show, especially since some excellent character actors are in it. We don’t usually get to see Choi Moo Sung play a villain, so I loved to hate him in this.
@swiss_postscripts, Silent is on Viki.
Tonight I finished a rewatch of the Jdorama First Love. More than ever, I am enchanted by this show. The cinematography is stunning, and the use of color serves the story well. All of the actors, old and young, turn in stellar performances. The soundtrack tugs my heart in all the right ways at all the right times. And because I lingered to the end of the closing credits after the final episode, I was rewarded with an epilogue I hadn’t seen the first time I watched the show. What a lovely gift! @Growing Beautifully, have you seen that final scene?
@Welmaris, about First Love: Hatsukoi … yes, I was so surprised by that epilogue. It really was at the very tippy end of the show and I never expected to have been rewarded by something so sweet. I’m glad you found it. I did mention it to those who read the thread… I was super chuffed to watch our couple being so coupley, and smiling so much.
And yes it was a very lovely show. The metaphors, the colours and vistas and mise en scene, the music that until now I still listen to, and the gorgeous leads. I loved both the young actors and the ‘adults’. And to think that it evolved from a pop song!
I wonder when we’ll get another show that offers in a similar way, so much to the eyes, ears and heart.
🥹 😍 😁
@OAL @Welmaris
I am in episode four. I enjoyed the scenes where the male lead refuses food just the way a child would. Painful but good acting.
There are lots of bits and pieces of plot to be Pulled together keeping me engaged along with the quality of the acting. And learning about pig farming.
Currently watching Knight Flower and Captivating The King. I am also rewatching Healer. I remember liking it back in the day. Now I realize how great it is.
Galaxy Quest gets my vote too!
@welmaris: thank you! will check that out. also, just saw news that trillion game will have a live action film come 2025, with the same cast from the drama!
Off tangent, but wanted to share with everyone a video that I came across on social media – it’s not recent but it warmed my heart! (don’t mind me if you’ve already seen this) you would spot a lot of supporting cast members in our fave Kdramas in this adaptation of “This is Me” from “The Greatest Showman”.
https://youtu.be/enoGbby75UY?si=06JDahiLx4xNlMlK
The link goes to a video about 20 mins, which includes all the BTS; performance itself starts about 13:34. I googled and found out about “Hot Singers” – wondered if anyone caught it?
Annyeong ~
I just finished watching “When the Camellia blooms” – this show made me laugh and cry… aside from the mystery (so sad), the ending made me feel good. reminds me the song i just heard called “miracle” by Riley Clemmons.
I started watching “Love like the Galaxy” – i believe the ML there is the same as the “Amid a snowstorm of love” which i also started coz you guys mentioned it here.
Still watching “Doctor Slump”
Who else is watching “my happy ending”? i hate it but i am hooked LOL i want the FL to have a happy ending. if they killed the husband, does that mean he is not the ML?? is it weird for me to root for her hoobae the 2nd ML?
regarding “Hallelujah” song – Leoanard Cohen took his time writing this song- it had a lot of versions regarding lyrics. i did an UKE cover for the Christmas version of it.
@OAL Thank you for the recommendation of swing kids. It looks like something I would enjoy and stars one of the exo members.
It is DO. Sometimes these
Actors idols have so many different names to us non korean speaking people.
@monmor, I have watched the film Swing Kids. Beware: You could get whiplash from the ending. DO performs very well in it, and he did all his own dancing, if I remember correctly. I believe that I read they hired a tap dance double for DO, but didn’t need to use him while filming. But if you think Swing Kids is a heartwarming story about prisoners turning a bad experience good by putting on a dance show while incarcerated, you only know part of the story. Watching the last few minutes of the film, I felt like the rug was pulled out from under me.
That’s good to know. I will start watching the show with that in mind And decide whether or not to watch it all. At least two will not be twenty or forty hours of my time🙃
AAAAHHHH! I’m late to the Star Trek party!!! Another Trekkie checking it 😀 😀 😀
I grew up watching Star Trek reruns as a kid in the 70’s (dating myself I am). I remember as a young girl thinking that Captain Kirk was so handsome lol. So I guess you could say he was my first celebrity crush? Even so, Spock was my favorite character.
Loved Next Generation even more than the original. Was a teenager by this time and had my first “shipping” experience with Riker and Counselor Troi 🙂
But for some reason I never got that interested in Deep Space Nine or Voyager. I’ve seen about 1 1/2 seasons of DS9, and just lost interest.
I guess I have dated myself. I watched it when it was on television first time around In the sixties.
Don’t worry about dating yourself. Your younger than I am. I watched the series in its original On television in the sixties.
Wrapped up FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT
One of those rare times when a modern CDrama pulls off a slice of life office – work place – romance with grey scale, rounded characters enacted by skilled actors who can do nuanced expressions.
Also the rare drama where flirting, baiting, checking each other out scenarios are fleshed out … where couple chemistry and skinship is not shied away from and filled in more naturally ..
The OTP is full on squee .. and the second FL’s love life trials are FANTASTIC and equally engaging.
@HK_Lady
That is quite a mashup then 😀
LLTG & AaSoL together?! Or do you mean you queued them up?
I’d recommend a small gem of a film of Wu Lei : UPCOMING SUMMER
It’s on Netflix.
He dazzles and shines and breaks your heart .. Just LOVELY. Even the FL holds up so well ..
@monmor, on a black & white TV? With iffy reception from an antenna on the house’s roof? My parents didn’t buy a color TV until I was in college, so I didn’t catch the red shirt trope when I watched Star Trek in my youth.
@monmor, I believe there are a fair number of ajummas/ajusshis, and maybe a few halmeonis active here on BoD. If there are any halabeojis lurking, they need to speak up to make their presence known.
I was thinking earlier when I was posting that it must have been a black and white Television at the time.
@monmor, No color to either. A bit of trivia that you probably know is that prior to Paramount, the original production company for Star Trek was Desilu, to be producers of To Live Lucy.
@AOL I was just looking up some Shows from the 60s
To jog my memory. I watched a lot of television. Mostly I was looking up the ones with cold man warm woman trope. Perry mason, Iron sides, The avengers, The FBI.
@monmor and @stacy, I probably am older than you. But,no matter what your age is, Star Trek was revolutionary. It was one of the first shows with a cast that was diverse. It looked at the universe from a utopian vision with people getting along. It also gave the world visions of future technology with tablets, the transporter, non-invasive medical technology and so much more. the view of the future actually came true in some ways. We look at our cell phones and tablets and cat and pet scans. The wonderful Nichelle Nichols was one of the first African American women to portray beauty AND intelligence in a character. At the time, lots of African American women were portraying maids on TV and in movies. And George Takei was one of the first Asian actors who didn’t play house boys. The old Charlie Chanmiviesxwere problematic because they used white actors to play Chan. I think it wasn’t until Lost that we got our heroic ans s3xy Asian actors- Kim Yun Jin, a product of the New York Public Schoop System(Laguardia High School of the Arts) and Boston University ; and sexy(my description) Daniel Dae Kim. Both were my favorite couple. They had me crying. Yun Min left the states, married a chaebol, played Ms. Ma and is we in t he K version of Money Heist.
I have to say that I started w a t ching Jinny’s Kitchen, season 2. I love that show. They are going to open a 0op up restaurant in Iceland. Right now they are doing team building. There are three W9oga Squad members on the team as w e ll as Lee Seo Jin(the boss and an NYU business graduate_I want to hear him speak English) and one woman Yumi. FOR THE LIFE OF ME i hate when there’s is i n o y one woman. And Yumi does hit get enough screen time. She’s competing with the awooga aquarium. So unfair.
@monmor, I remember the Warner Brothers detective shows like 77 Sunset Trip, Surfside6 and Hawaii 50
They all had a collection of handsome men both det and younger to appeal to women of all ages. Each had one woman who was a secretary with names like Cricket. It took some time before we got Of Charlie’s Angels
@Bosuji – Fake It Until You Make was one of my favorite cdramas from last year. It was so well written with great dialogue between the leads. Their fight while she is eating prosciutto- such a great scene. All of her interactions with the rich older suitor – so good. I liked how when she lets down all the pretense is when she is most intriguing to the men around her. It was really smartly written.
re the globalization of music I was just listening to an SF9(Rowoon’s group) track which has some parts that sound like country and western. I had noticed this previously in some pre kpop korean music as well.
I am fan girling Jisung this week. I am watching “secret love.” It’s very interesting to see him Playing a character so different from his character in the show. I watched last week which was ,”save the last dance for me”.
Occasionally I can’t help but see Yona from “Kill me Heal me”. I think that was her name.
I also very much enjoyed Lee Dohyun in “Good Bad Mother.” Acting was good pretty much all around. The story was good too, but there was something about the editing And pacing that put me off. Although I did watch to the end.
@monmor, I will watch anything with JiSung. I also love his wife, Lee Bo young. I first saw her in When My Love Blooms. She was so good with Yoo Ji-tae. The dual story with their younger selves was so touching. Her politics when she was young and her work contrasted effectively with his chaebol transformation. The story of how they were reaquainted because of their respective children was touching. She also played a talented pianist who earned extra money while playing in a mask
. The side story of his awful relationship with his wife also kept me watching. This was also a tear jerker
And JuSung in Kill Me Heal Me, playing someone with multiple personality disorder associated with childhood trauma was very affecting. I am amazed by the talent of these actors who have great range.
@AOL Yes there are some actors I could watch in anything. I am wondering which Jisung show to watch next. I have not watched “confession”, “Defendant”, Or “protect the boss”.
I also really like His wife. I have been thinking about a rewatch of “my love blooms”.
Completely unrelated
So I look at data for a living. Recently, I was reviewing some height related data post 1890s when data is available. Height is related to income, nutrition, infant mortality etc very closely.
Now, world over, as the nutrition and access to healthcare has improved, height (both male and female) have increased significantly. This is true all over the world, no exceptions. The ratio is jarring in countries like S. Korea which progressed from a middle income country to a developed, wealthy economy.
If you look at average heights of men and women in S. Korea over the past century, the difference is nowhere close to what we see in Kdramas. The average Korean woman is shorter by a only few cm and not 20-25 cm to average Korean man – what is true across the world.
As nutrition improves, women don’t selectively remain short and men turn into giraffes 🦒. That is not evolutionarily favourable. Species don’t work like that.
This makes me wonder if Kdrama industry selectively favours very short women and very, very tall men (racially, not objectively).
I think this is the reason even drama stretchers/hospital beds are comically short for men like In Woo, Rowoon and Lee J Suk because they are way taller than average.
The height difference may look romantic (umm… It pinches me actually) but is not realistic.
Alsoooo
Daughters of tall men are likely to be taller than average. Where are these women? Do we ignore them ?
And on a slightly shall I say, *naughty* note, excessive height difference has the potential to lead to some… Ahm… Technical difficulties, shall I say…. Going forward in a relationship. One isn’t just selectively tall or short from outside, one’s whole body including all organs are structured that way. A height difference like we see in Kdramas of > 20-25 cm only looks cute onscreen. 🙈
I’d like kdramas to be more open to the idea that women need to progress with men for a healthier, happier society. A society with tall men would have tall women in equal and comparable proportion.
@Arihsi,
Shin Hye Sun, Lee Sung Kyung, and Lee Da Her are tall.
I am tall and was often made fun of because of that. I guess tall women are ignored unless they are supermodels…
Ah @snowflower, hello from a fellow tall woman. I love my height. It makes me look less intimidated when I’m in a room full of men trying to get my point across. In fact, I tower over some and absolutely 100% enjoy it. I was teased over other more cruel “beauty points” so the height got missed, alas.
I love my husband almost eye to eye (he’s not short. He’s 5’11”.). Why do I need to look “up” to you to love you and care for you, pray tell ? I’d love you from the same level instead 😁
So far as height “difference” goes, that of lead couple of Queen of Tears is much more plausible. Same with LK/guy who plays EH and PMY/BoA/actress who plays Su min. That type of height difference is realistic in any species.
@Arihsi, good research and good morning. I have long thought that the casting was deliberate. Especially in dramas that feature tall domineering/tsundere men. The women seem infantilised by the height difference. This is true in C-dramas and J-dramas, too. For every tall actress, there are many very short ones.
On the other hand, as a woman of average height in the UK, it’s rather nice to have a tall spouse around to get things off the top shelf for me.
How romantic @Fern ❤️ I have missed out on that opportunity certainly. My entire husband’s side of family, including women are taller than average for the race. My SIL is taller than me 🙈 Her husband even taller. But they are the most gentle people you’ll ever find. They’re all just a bunch of tall, well built softies. In MMH, the male lead says, “I hate using my strength.” – people like that.
I can’t say if it’s romantic, @Arihsi, but very helpful. 😁
My oldest brother is tall- 190.5cm in high school. Also tall are his wife and my niece and nephew. He is gentle/soft like your in-laws. My next brother is tall but not very. His wife is his height at least, possibly a fraction taller. Their kids are VERY tall. I’m the shrimp in the family – genetics rather than nutrition, I think. But I guess I feel comfortable with tall men because of my family situation.
@Arihsi and @Fern,
I was told in the past that I was too tall and no one would marry me because of that. Ha! So untrue!
But I do notice that the up and coming leading men in kdramas tend to be taller. It makes me feel bad for shorter younger actors.
I continue to watch Captivating The King. Its ML Jo Jung Suk does not fall into the tall and handsome idol category, but his performance is mesmerizing.
Hi, I was 5’9″ until I hit old age so I’m now one inch shorter. I have been tall for most of my life and have had interesting(ahem) experiences when I dated shorter men. One was meeting short men with the Napoleon complex. There was too much in the way of domination. Another was when I was a college student. I had a blind date. It was a study date. He picked me up in his car. When we were about to get in, a dog appeared from out of nowhere. The dog jumped in the car and my date told me to pull it out because so was bigger than he was. So much for romance.
As a young woman, post college, I had a friendship with a shorter guy. We had one sensual encounter that was not repeated and we remained friends until we both moved away. We both married and from what I gather, he has become a serious person. My husband is 6’1″. I am happy to be with him. We are an example of friends to lovers(with K drama mad coincidences as his mother and my mother(who died when I was a toddler) were childhood friends and that she also knew my aunt).My husband and I were also an office romances. We were part of a lunch group(we mainly ate at restaurants in Manhattan’s Chinatown-we bonded over chow fun and dim sum).
I am just tuning into this convo. Whenever the female leads look tall I think they must be wearing six inch heels. I have begun to notice that some of them are actually tall. That goes so much against romantic And racial stereotypes. Tall korean men as well go against racial stereotypes.
@arihsi My sister tells a story about how she arrived at the korean airport after doing a Medical mission in the philippines And how she was struck by how big Korean people are Especially compared to philippinos. I am wondering if you know of any data that supports that and If there have been influences other than better health and diets that affect the height of koreans. I tend to be curious about things most people might not even think about. ☺️
On a personal note my husband is Average height and my son is tall. I must have passed on the genes from my tall brothers.
I apologize if my question is too much.
Hi, My husband is 6’1″ and my son is 6’3″
I’m 5’8″(used to be 5’9″ but I lost an inch to old age). When I was in junior high I hated being tall. Most of the boys were still short and I towered over them. I also was fat and flat chested so I was even more mortified. The good thing is that I had great teachers and some classmates who were good friends. I still keep in contact with many ( who are mostly Chinese Americans and who did well. One friend was a librarian, another, a math teacher and we also have doctors and business people. One of our classmates who became a physicist was born in China and another’d family actually emigrated to Cuba before they came to the States. We had to take a foreign language in seventh grade and he aced Spanish(our teacher didn’t know his Cuban connection). The schools i went to were multiethnic. In high school you could study French, Spanish, Hebrew, Russian, Italian and Mandarin Chinese. The Italian teacher’s daughter had a hit song at the time, Midnight at The Oasis. We also had a fairly large group of Greek and Turkish students(no politics, everyone got along).
I count myself lucky to have gone to those schools. And there were Chinese guys who were over six feet tall.
Reading BOD helped me bring back wonderful memories. TY
@monmor, some height is due to genetics as well as to nutrition and healthcare. I would imagine that younger Filipinos these days are taller than their parents or grandparents. For me, I had the same nutrition and healthcare as my brothers but ended up average rather than tall, so genetics must be a factor. I worked with a professor from the Netherlands who was maybe 5’10” but he said that back home he was considered rather short. 182.9 cm/6 feet is average there and the others in the team from the Netherlands were all relatively tall including the women.
Oh not at all @monmor ! I’m so glad you asked ! Actually, Philippines still falls under low to middle income country. I’ll have to look up it’s history in terms of whether it was colonized, if yes for how long, what is the agricultural situation, infant mortality, past wars and any major recurring natural disasters and malnutrition quotient.
Nutritionally, low to middle income countries do very poorly however there is definitely a genetic component. For example, the Japanese tend to be of a lesser average height, however, no one in their right mind would call Japan a nutritionally poor country.
What I have discussed is increase in height of a race as a whole compared to themselves 100 years back. We can’t extend this comparison inter-racially. For example , an average UK height @Fern could very well be taller than an above average height me. But I am taller than my own ancestors 100 years back.
So an average philippino today will be taller than a philippino 100 years back. Same for a Korean.
However, Korea is now a developed economy. Philippines is still developing. Thus, the two countries will definitely differ on their nutritional+ other health indices. And this indirectly will affect how people do on the height chart.
@Arihsi, I imagine the current average height of the Japanese populace will change rapidly as the older generations disappear from the computation. That may take awhile, since Japan has such a high life expectancy. But my experience visiting Japan, especially when I was in areas where young adults congregate, was that people towered over me. My height is on the lower side of average.
I have long wondered about the migration of different groups of people within asia and how that has determined their genetics and hence physical attributes.
Also I wonder about the impact of colonization On genetic pools.
For example , my very limited understanding is that there are some chinese people who are much taller. This makes me wonder which chinese groups moved into korea. I come from a science background And I think I am asking a question that has more to do with politics, anthropology And sociology. Should I go back to school in my retirement? I would need to be absolutely Fascinated to be motivated to do the work. Might be more fun to just continue learning through watching asian dramas.
@monmor, if something piques your interest while watching an Asian drama, it’s okay to hit pause and make a few queries on the internet. Sometimes diving into a rabbit hole can be part of the fun of watching a drama. At least it is for me.
A funny thought I had was that na in woo was very well nourished here in canada. (tongue in cheek) As I find out how many Korean actors And musicians have lived in Canada, I want to walk around in those parts of my city. Who knows who I might bump into! And I might find some good kimchi!
Talking about japanese food, I just bought some wakame seaweed for miso soup. First time making it.
@monmor, your question is good. I’m going to do a little research to f8nd out about the average and median height of S. Korean men and women. i’m sure that people are much smaller in North Korea due to the fact that the government spends its money on munitions and not agriculture. Their elites look well-fed and I guess, getting fed is a reason to be in the military. I don’t know about conscription there but if service is mandatory, it may serve as a respite for N. Korean males.
@Monmor I learned to make miso last year. Fun! It is almost ready to use – I let it ferment in a dark closest for the last 6 months. Super easy except you need koji (rice fermented with a mold culture) which you can get at some Asian markets frozen or find a local source fresh. My next project is to make koji from scratch. I didn’t know that koji is the the basis for sujo, soy sauce and so many other things.
@welmaris I have learned so much from watching asian dramas. I am so happy to live in the era of the internet and be able to look up Whatever I might be curious about. Much easier than doing a physical search Through indexes In the library When I was in University?. I could never keep my information straight.
@Welmaris, I’ve done that too. It’s like taking an enrichmentcourse,but doing it yourself. There is so much good information on the internet and all it takes us finding the good sources. Also, BOD is such a great resource. There are so many people with deep and diverse interests that I’m always learning something new here.it is also a v great place to get new recipes. Yum!
Wow you are way ahead of me. I have just started buying miso paste and using it in some recipes. Finding the seaweed was a challenge. I have recently started making recipes that call for mirin, rIce vinegar, and tamari. I made a teriyaki sauce That was really good but it is different every time I make it. I have yet to look around locally to see if I can find bonito flakes.
@ Good twin You have reassured me that my purchased miso paste will probably last a long time. I had looked it up on the internet and thought that was probably the case. But if you are fermenting it for that long. In a dark closet I can be confident
Well said, @Arihsi.
Btw, 162.4 is average height for women for the UK but the UK these days is a very blended society and includes many races. This height is about 1cm below 5 foot 4 inches which is my height. I don’t know how tall you are, but I imagine you are taller than that!
When I look at the height of some Korean actresses, they are taller than I am unless the figures have been changed.
@monmor, I can still draw from my memory the sound of opening a library index card file drawer.
@welmaris My keenest memory is having many of these large books open on the shelf and scattered paper everywhere. I think I might have become a researcher.
If there was such a thing as the internet and databases at that time.
@fern I am five foot three Which I have believed is average for women of my caucasian background. What has always puzzled me is that clothing is made for people who are five feet six or taller until the more recent petite trend.
My daughter , who is similar in height and build is unable to find clothing to fit her when she shops in japan. Which makes me wonder the average size of japanese woman. Off to the internet and it might have been mentioned above in one of the posts.
Ah, card catalogs, the Dewey Decimal System. Brings back fond memories.I used to purposely get lost in these. I also remember various Sources of abstracts that led to further research articles.
@Arihsi, If I remember correctly The Philippines was colonized by Spain and the United States(after the Spanish American War,)
I believe that during World War II it was occupied by Japan. Major battles took place there includingthr Battle of Bataan, Battle of Leyte and the Battle of Corregidor to name a few. These took place between 1944 and 1945
@monmor, let us know what you find. I just realised that height figures keep changing, so you have to enter the year as well. I read that both USA and Canada is 5’4″ now. UK is still 5’3″.
The average height of japanese woman is five feet two and a half inches. Their average weight, though. Is lower than in North America.
This latest conversation about height has me thinking and researching. I’ve learned that at 5’4.5″ (163.8cm), I’m at the worldwide average for adult women, average for white non-hispanic women in the USA, average for women in Switzerland (my father’s maternal line), and average for Germany (my father’s paternal line). I’ve always thought of myself as being on the short side, since my parents were taller than me, as are my three siblings. I now embrace my averageness, with a nod to my genetic heritage.
As for height considerations when Asian dramas are being cast, it does seem that shorter leading men such as D.O. and Song Joong Ki are the exception, not the rule. As for South Korean actresses considered tall, there are a fair number that measure 5’9″ (175cm) and 5’8″ (172.7cm), but even they’d look short next to the many, many actors measuring 6′ (182.8cm) and over.
Because I’d just finished some dramas, was caught up on others, and am waiting for the start of Queen of Tears, I went searching for another drama to watch. I tried a few minutes of a few Kdramas, Cdramas, and Jdoramas, and nothing stuck until I took a look at a 2020 Amazon Original recommended on Prime Video called Dinner Mate. I’m not familiar with the previous or subsequent work of the ML, Song Seung Heon, or the FL, Seo Ji Hye. But since reading all the comments on this thread about height, I have noticed that there isn’t a distracting discrepancy between the heights of these actors. He’s 5’11” (183cm) and she’s 5’7″ (170cm). They look good in scenes where they’re walking together, in my opinion. Something else I appreciate about these actors in this drama: they’re not youngsters.
@Welmaris – funny you should mention this drama because it is on my list to watch. I just rewatched Kiss Sixth Sense (another drama with more mature leads who actually act like adults) and really liked FL. She is in Dinner Mate so it is on my list. She was also in CLOY but not my favorite character there.
I just binged/skipped watched the Thai drama Ready, Set, Love which is the Bachelor, meets Handmaid’s Tale, meets Hunger Games – lite. Can’t say I recommend it but I didn’t hate it either. The comedy is very broad in the beginning and then it settles into something more interesting.
On height differences: My understanding is that the visual of the big height difference is considered cute in Asian dramas and irl too. In the show Master of My Own, the FL is dating a very tall man and another character comments that she thinks the height difference is very cute. The grumpy ML who likes the FL and is jealous and happens to be much shorter than her boyfriend responds that all the FL will get out of the height difference is a sore neck from looking up.
@Good Twin, I wouldn’t say Dinner Mate is riveting, but I’m enjoying the script. Dialogue is intelligently written. The leads get to act out some humorous scenes to balance out their both living with heartbreak. Seo Ji Hye is good at physical humor: funny little movements, not broad slapstick. And there are actors in supporting and cameo roles that I like, particularly Park Ho San and Kim Won Hae.
Dinner Mate is also streaming on iQIYI, at least in my area.
This doesn’t fit the thread but I have a lot of trouble watching anything with Song Joon ki. I think it has to do with his personal life. I actually think (my opinion) is that he cheated on Song Hye Kyo. This new wife and baby came a tad to quickly. I was never a big fan of his. I liked Vincenzo but that had more to do with the side characters than him. I couldn’t believe he was adopted by Italians. I have Italian relatives. He did not cut it. I was very happy to see Song Hye Kyo’s triumph in The Glory. Her work had gravitas while his was fluffy. I think even Reborn Rich couldn’t come close to the masterpiece that us The Glory.
I will say that I like actors Ji Sung and his wife Lee No Young very much. I’ll watch them in anything.
@Welmarud, Dinner Mate gets consistently good marks from viewers. The ML has been in a lot and the FZl was in CLOY, playing Captain Ru’s North Korean fiance who comes from. A prominent family. I think the ML is in the movie called Obsession l, I think where he is involved in an affair with a married woman.It is on my very long to watchlist
Kalimera!
Today “Wedding Impossible” starts on Viki.
On Wednesday “The Impossible Heir” starts on Disney Plus.
Which one are you going to watch?
@cleo: thank you for reminding me of impossible heir!!! now I know what will take up my march ❤️
Hey @swiss_postscripts!
The thing is that I am reading on MDL that it will be one episode per week… O.o
Still, it is good to know that you will be watching this as well!
@cleo: as you previously alluded – nothing comes between us and watching Lee Jae Wook 😜 I’m still watching Flex x Cop on Disney+ which is two episodes a week so that should tide me over while I wait on Impossible Heir episodes! FXC is not bad – the plot is thickening on our ML as we enter the midway of the season….
@Swiss_postscripts,
I am going to watch the show regardless…
I woke up in his Dispatch news. They don’t let them breath… o.O
@Old American Lady, Son Joong Ki isn’t my very favourite actor either, but please be careful about spreading rumours about his private life. After all the recent K-pop and K-drama tragedies, it’s good to check facts before writing such things. If you have proof, that’s another story.
Son divorced in June 2020. He was still not signed to Vincenzo until July 2021, so he wouldn’t have met his current wife until near that time because she was his Italian coach for the drama.
@Fern, Thanks for the words of caution. I get what you have to say. I will research before I write. I also did my own review of internet accounts of the divorce. It appears that she was more negatively impacted because there were accusations of impropriety on her part with another actor. Her agency had to intervene.
I am happier reading about successful couples like Son Yejin and Hyun Bin and Ji Sung and Lee Bo-young. I also think that your words of caution point out how it is not good to rush to judgement. I hope that I’ll send future comments solely related to the performance of actors without comment on certain aspects of their personal life. Many thanks again.
@Old American Lady, first of all I have to say that I appreciate your posts and point of view. On this topic however, I think I’m a bit sensitive since the news about Lee Sun Kyun’s death in December and Moon Bin earlier in the year. I agree that Song Hye Kyo seemed a victim of rumours as well. Things can and do get blown out of proportion on public forums.
Thank you for your very considered reply. I don’t know if we can keep our opinions out of the BoD threads entirely because we are a discussion group.
@Fern, I had to reconsider my original post about the divorce. As you rightly pointed out zi rushed to judgment without doing the necessary research. Speaking from the top of my head without getting the facts is never helpful. I was very upset when I learned of Lee Sun Kyun’s death. I have enjoyed his performances starting with Coffee Prince, Pasta, My Mister and Parasite. The impact of negative publicity especially in outlets like Dispatch results in so many suicides I. South Korea that I think that paper should be viewed as an accessory to murder(my opinion). The S. Korean culture is very prone to shaming. Shaming’s pact has resulted in suicide
The impact is passed down to the families if victims. It is pure brutality. People’s careers are horribly impacted by these articles but their families are too. It gets passed down
And the gossip is treacherous
One thing is clear to me. While drug use is more than frowned upon and is illegal, there appears to be no real mechanism for meaningful rehabilitation. And certain drugs that are legal in many states in the US like medical marijuana are illegal in S., Korea. And the government seems to prohibit its use even in places outside the country where it is legal. On the other hand, one of S. Korea’s big problems is alcoholism. The drinking culture is institutionalized. The company dinners are fueled by domu and beer. Makjeoli is served up in teapots. So, yes, the culture is hypocritical. I think of the people sleeping off drinks on the streets of Seoul
And what zi don’t know but can imagine is how alcohol fueled domestic violence exists in that country. So many tb dramas and films show the impact of excessive use of alcohol. I am sure these depictions are not done in a vacuum
I will also say that legal marijuana use has been very helpful for people going through chemotherapy. It helps to wuell nausea and creates an atmosphere where patients are able to comfortably eat. Excessive use of alcohol on the other hand caused nausea and vomiting.
I feel women in general are more ruthlessly impacted in any controversy, be it KPOP industry or Hollywood or natural disasters or wars, climate change or preventable blindness or human trafficking.
I started following PMY on Instagram recently as a pure woman to woman solidarity after people threatened to ban her drama. She didn’t do anything illegal. It was some random stuff. I started following NIW, not because I’m interested in what he’s doing in life but rather because people called him ugly (no matter his physical looks. I’m ugly too.)
I feel compelled to stand with the underdog and the needlessly abused – in media or otherwise. Maybe it comes with years of working in advocacy sector.
I see so much evidence of needless and deliberate abuse that after a while, I’m ready to do whatever that makes even a dent of a difference for anyone. Who cares if you’ll never know me ? Do my grant recipients know how many nights I didn’t sleep ? One doesn’t work for that. I’m fed up with humans on most days. Then I feel, ah, one must get up and be different – otherwise, I’m one of them.
This is one of the reasons MDL drove me nuts in 30 seconds straight. I really can’t bring myself to visit the site again.
@OAL we all learn 💝
“We are as forlorn as children lost in the woods.
When you stand in front of me and look at me, what do you know of the griefs that are in me and what do I know of yours.
And if I were to cast myself down before you and weep and tell you, what more would you know about me than you know about Hell when someone tells you it is hot and dreadful?
For that reason alone we human beings ought to stand before one another as reverently, as reflectively, as lovingly, as we would before the entrance to Hell.”
-Franz Kafka, My eternal favourite.
Hi @Arihsi=Yes, we all learn. I, too, have been professionally involved in advocacy. In the early nineties I helped to found a group that advocated for domestic violence and elder abuse victims. At the time the police were not touching dv cases with a ten foot pole. That changed very quickly. I still feel that we are looking at the top of the iceberg because do many victims are scared to report it. They don’t know about having an escape plan and about available services
It is so important to have shelters and safe houses. The public also needs to know the signs of victimhood.tjingd are better than they used to be but we have a long way to go. And in our multicultural society, there are subcultures that use things like corporal punishment and other forms of spanking as regular parts of childhood discipline. That can’t be encouraged. The education pZrt is very necessary. I think schools are a natural place to teach young people the signs and where help can be found. The same can be said for hospitals, namely emergency rooms. I remember a time when ERs were not equipped with rape kits as they are now. Dochanges to help victims are slowly becoming the norm.