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kverything-official · 3 months

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7 Korean Dramas that Faced Netizens’ Backlash

Korean Dramas are not only a purpose of entertainment to us fans but those are a mode of escapism from daily life blues. Most of the time Korean dramas are fun and fulfilling, sometimes, though, they are disappointing, and sometimes they face some kind of complicated and mixed reactions. On rare occasions Korean dramas face huge backlash from the netizens.

In Korean Drama history there are more than one drama to be canceled or cut short due to the unbound backlash that those faced. And today I am going to offer you 7 of those Korean dramas, which were either canceled or cut short due to netizen’s backlash.

So, without wasting any more time, let’s get into the list!

10 Korean Dramas that were cut short or canceled

1. Wolf (2006)

In the 2006 Korean drama Wolf, Eric Mun, a beloved figure in the Korean entertainment scene, was originally cast to portray Bae Dae-chul. The storyline revolved around a romantic rivalry between Bae Dae-chul and Han Ji-soo, played by Han Ji Min, both vying for the affection of Yoon Sung-mo, portrayed by Uhm Tae Woong.

The production of Wolf was progressing smoothly until an unfortunate incident occurred during filming. Both lead actors, Mun and Uhm, suffered injuries when they were accidentally struck by a stunt car. This unforeseen setback forced an immediate halt in production.

Initially, there was optimism that filming would resume once Mun and Uhm recovered from their injuries. However, as time passed, a series of postponements ensued, eventually leading to the regrettable decision to cancel the entire project.

The incident not only impacted the physical well-being of the two actors but also dealt a significant blow to the momentum and continuity of the production. The cancellation left fans disappointed, as they were eagerly anticipating the resolution of the complex love triangle that had been unfolding.

Despite the setback, the legacy of Wolf endures as a testament to the unpredictable challenges that can arise in the world of television production, where even the most carefully planned projects can be derailed by unforeseen circumstances.

2. A Beautiful Mind (2016)

A modern reinterpretation of the timeless Frankenstein narrative, 2016 Korean drama Beautiful Mind centered around Lee Young-oh, impeccably portrayed by Jang Hyuk, a neurosurgeon renowned for his technical prowess but severely lacking in empathy. The plot unfolded within the confines of a hospital, where Lee Young-oh found himself entangled in the perplexing enigma of unexplained deaths.

Originally slated for a 16-episode run, the fantastical Korean drama faced an abrupt truncation, concluding prematurely at the 14th episode mark. The decision to curtail its run was prompted by subpar viewership ratings that failed to meet expectations.

Despite its initial promise, the show grappled with dwindling audience engagement, reflected in its highest Nielsen Korea rating of 4.7% during the third episode. Unfortunately, this peak was short-lived, as subsequent episodes witnessed a gradual decline in viewership, culminating in a modest 2.8% rating for its penultimate showing.

The untimely demise of the series left its narrative threads dangling, and the abbreviated episode count disappointed both fans and critics who had anticipated a more extensive exploration of the intriguing storyline.

In the fickle landscape of television, where audience reception plays a pivotal role, the fate of this modern Frankenstein adaptation serves as a poignant reminder of the unpredictable nature of viewer preferences and the challenging terrain that TV productions navigate.

#kdrama #kdrama review #korean drama #kdramanetwork #jang hyuk #park so dam #park hae jin #jin goo #ha ji won #kim saeron #jung hae in #chae soo bin #jisoo #blackpink jisoo #snowdrop #a piece of your mind #prometheus #a beautiful mind

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survivalistghost · 1 year

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rosenlily-aka-choconut · 19 days

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Chae-won’s ending leaves me with the cliched line - it’s better to hold the hand of the one who loves you rather than the one you love.

And… these two might actually lead me to believing in it. Three scenes… and I ship them more than the lead pair ❤️❤️

She certainly deserved better than Ji-han, and who knows, Mr. Bin Tae-hwan might be her Mr. Right.

I mean, how can I resist a man who looks at me like this 👇

Bring me someone like him, someone who has had a crush on me for a while, and I might actually open myself up for an arranged marriage

Mr. Blind date man aka Bin Tae-hwan, age 34, height 180 cms and weight 70 kgs is WAY MORE suitable for her than the ML I just couldn’t bring myself to like.

#wedding impossible #bin tae-hwan #yoon chae-won #kim bum #kim beom #bae yoon kyung

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fuckyeahkimyoojung · 2 years

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#kim yoo jung #park bo gum #jinyoung #chae soo bin #kwak dong yeon #park seo joon #kwon nara #ahn bo hyun #ryu kyung soo #lee joo young #ji chang wook #choi sung eun #hwang in yeob #ji hye won #kim bo yoon #youth mt #official update #tvingdotcom #220809

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unnieshimkoongkdramas · 1 year

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Three Must Watch Fun KDramas - No Drama KDramas

Did you just finish the first season of The Glory? Or maybe you finally caught up on Reborn Rich. Was Anna and Big Mouth too much heart break? Let me suggest these emotional palate cleansers for you. Sometimes you don’t want the intensity or need to come down from something super emotionally taxing. Here are my suggestions. The Fabulous Lead actors: Chae Soo Bin, Choi Min Ho, Park Hee Jung, Lee…

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korelist · 2 months

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STRONGEST DELIVERY MAN // KDRAMA DİZİ YORUMU

UYARI : Yazılar genel olarak spoiler içerebilir. İçermeyedebilir.

İmdb puanı: 7,3 Benim Puanım: 7

Drama: Strongest Deliveryman (literal title)

Hangul: 최강 배달꾼

Director: Jeon Woo-Sung

Writer: Lee Jung-Woo

Date: 2017

Language: Korean

Country: South Korea

Cast: Ko Kyoung-Pyo, Chae Soo-Bin, Kim Sun-Ho, Go Won-Hee

2017 (10th) Korea Drama Awards - October 2, 2017 Best New Actress (Go Won-Hee)

Choi Gang-Soo(Ko Kyoung-Pyo) nazik, çalışkan ve yardım sever bir motor kuryedir. Travmaları nedeni ile çalıştığı yerlerde 2 ay kalan sonrasında mahalle değiştirerek yeni bir yerde kuryelik yapmaya devam etmektedir. Nedenlerini niçinlerini daha sonra detaylı anlatıyorlar, biz şimdilik travmaları diyelim. Kriteri ise çalıştığı yerin yemeklerinin lezzetli olmasıdır. Kendisinin beğenmediği yemekleri taşımayı reddeder. O da böyle bir delikanlıdır. Oyuncu bence başrol olmak için çok doğru bir tercih olmamasına rağmen rolüne yakışmıştı.

Yeni bir mahallede işe girer ve iş vereni Soon-Ae(Lee Min-Young) korkutucu bir kadındır. Her ne kadar korkucu olsa da aşçı Jang Dong-Soo(Jo Hee-Bong) için tek kadındır. Çok eski bir geçmişe ve derin duygulara sahipdirler. Kuryeleri olan Lee Dan-A( Chae Soo-Bin) ise kızları gibi görünmektedir. Bir nevi mafya gibi ama aile gibi işte. Gang-Soo, Dan-A’nın onayından geçip işe girer. Dan-A ise biraz abartılı bir karakterdi. Sert, ayakları yere basan, mahalleden gitmek için para biriktiren bir kızımızdı. Önüne gelen herkesi dövüyordur.

Oh Jin-Gyu(Kim Sun-Ho) ise çok zengin bir ailenin ikinci oğludur. Hayatı boyunca para ona hazır geldiği ve hiçbir sorumluluk verilmediği için şımarıktır. Arabalara tutkusu vardır, kendi gibi arkadaşları ile yolu trafiğe kapatıp yarışçılık oynamayı sever. Oyuncu başrol olması gerekirken ikinci erkek rolüne kalmış gibiydi. Bir akşam kuryelerden birisi trafik kazası geçirir ve apar topar taksiye bindirip hastaneye götürürler. Ancak yol kapalı olduğu için normalden çok geç hastaneye vardıkları için geç müdahale edilir. Bu da kuryenin komaya girmesine neden olur. Kaza geçiren kuryenin arkadaşlarından biri olan Gang-Soo bu işin peşini bırakmadığı için bütün tilkilerin kuyrukları birbirine dolanır.

Lee Ji-Yoon(Go Won-Hee) ise yine zengin bir ailenin kızıdır. Ailesine baş kaldırıp kendi parasını kazanmak için evden kaçar. Arka planda ise Jin-Gyu’nun annesi ile Ji-Yoon’un annesi ikisini baş-göz ederler. İkisi de birbirini istemezken ikisi de birbirine muhtaç olurlar. Jin-Gyu’nun yolu baş rol kızımız ile kesişirken; Ji-Yoon’un yolu da baş rol erkeğimiz ile kesişir. Kuyrukları doladıkça dolamışlar.

Bir şekilde herkes bir araya gelir. Arka planda ise büyük bir yemek zincirinin mahalleyi ele geçirmesini önleme hikayesi devam ediyordu. Küçük esnafı destekleme, yardım, birlik beraberlik mesajları vardı. Eski Türk filmleri havası almadım değil. İkinci kız ve ikinci erkek başrollere meyletseler de birbirlerine kaldılar. Bence ikisi de başrolden daha eğlenceliydi. Onların hikayesini izlemek daha keyifliydi. Zengin bebeleri olarak ikisi de para kazanmanın ne demek olduğunu gördüler. Gamzeli çocuk Kim Sun-Ho yaşı yaşıma yakın olan bir şeyleri artık aşmış bir oyuncu. Bana sorarsanız başrol olmalıydı. Onu ilk Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha ‘da izlemiştim. Önce başrol izlediğim için olabilir ama başrolü ona daha çok yakıştırdım.

Tek kelime ile çerezlik, eghhh bir diziydi. Bir şeylere takılacak kadar ciddi bir yanı ya da abartılacak kadar önemli bir konusu yoktu. Heyecanlı ya da olaylı bir dizi de değildi. Sakin, yavaş yavaş ilerleyen düz bir diziydi. Biraz kafa boşaltmak için izlenebilecek bir dizi diyebilirim. Konusunu robotik bir şekilde anlatmamdan da anlaşılacağı üzere çok uzun süre akılda kalıcılığı da olmadığını bilmelisiniz.

OST:

Vanta – Cartoon Romance

Raven Melus

BAŞKA NELER VAR ?

FOTOĞRAFLAR

#Strongest Deliveryma #Kdrama #dizi #inceleme #yorum #eleştiri #Ko Kyoung-Pyo #Chae Soo-Bin #Kim Sun-Ho #Go Won-Hee

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passionforfiction · 1 year

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The Fabulous

I frankly don't know where to start., so I'll be blunt: I didn't like this series. I forced myself to finish it and I skipped episodes - and mind you, this was an 8 episode series. It was the combination of poor storyline, character development and representation. The characters come off as frivolous, the gay characters feel like a stereotyped caricature that felt cringy at times. And I just couldn't connect with any of the characters. It annoyed me that Pyo Ji Eun could forgive and give a second chance to Lee Nam Jin who insulted her when they broke up, but she couldn't forgive and give a second chance to her friend and ex-boyfriend because she couldn't see how he expressed his feelings for her. These characters are static, there is no true growth in them. At the end of the series they are the same as they were in the beginning.

The plot felt superficial too. It could have worked if there had been some depth to the conflicts that could truly make the characters do some growing; for example Ye Seon Ho's situation as a model. This could have been explored more. The conflicts are all triggered by the whim of celebrities, rich people or influencers. Shim Do Young is supposed to be the cute boy trying to make it in the fashion industry and he comes off as annoying and shallow.

Thierry's story could have been a nice subplot but they turned that character into the biggest caricature of the set of characters.

It's a pity because the cast has some really good actors in it, but they were not able to bring to life characters that the audience could connect.

I truly don't recommend this one. There are other series about fashion that are much better.

Poster from Kpopmap - https://www.kpopmap.com/fabulous-2022-drama-cast-summary/

#the fabulous #korean drama #minho #Chae Soo-Bin #Lee Sang-Un #Park Hee-Jung #Shin Dong-Mi #Lee Si-Woo #Choi Won-Myeong #Lim Ki-Hong #Byun Jun-Seo #Kim Min-Kyu #Jeon Soo-Kyeong

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huimangi · 4 months

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Go Min Si and Chae Won Bin in SWEET HOME 2 (2023) dir. by Lee Eung Bok

#sweethomeedit #netflixedit #kdramaedit #tvedit #lunilove #kdramadaily #kdramasource #kdramaladies #dailynetflix #userstream #chewieblog #sweet home #go min si #chae won bin #gif*#i need more of them

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wolha · 1 year

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MOON HA-WON & HAN SEO-WOO in A PIECE OF YOUR MIND 반의반 (2020) Ep. 5 - Ep. 8

#a piece of your mind #kdrama #kdramaedit #jung hae in #chae soo bin #dailycolorfulgifs #han seo woo #moon ha won #*#hawonseowooedit #kd;apoym

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99snse · 5 months

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BANNED FCS ⸻ updated, 11/20/23

disclaimer: this list should not be taken as a matter of my own opinion. each individual listed has a source attached for your own education and should be carefully considered in all of your fc choices. if you feel as if any individual has been mistakenly listed here, please feel free to reach out to me privately to discuss the circumstances surrounding their placement. ultimately, i did not create this list as a means of causing negatively, but it is much more important that we hold each other accountable and i hope to provide a running list of fcs that would be inappropriate or otherwise problematic for usage.

BANNED FOR: ABUSE

BANNED FOR: SEXUAL MISCONDUCT

Kim Ji-soo (actor), bullying & alleged sexual misconduct (source)

Jung Joon-young, Burning Sun scandal (source)

Choi Jong-hoon, Burning Sun scandal (source)

Lee Seung-hyun (Seungri), Burning Sun scandal (source)

Lee Jong-hyun (CNBLUE), Burning Sun scandal (source)

Kim Hyung-jun, alleged sexual misconduct (source)

BANNED FOR: APPROPRIATION/RACISM

Wendy Son, perpetuating racial stereotypes (source)

Kwon Ji-yong, blackface to imitate Trayvon Martin (source)

Shin Dong-hee (Shindong), blackface to imitate Oprah (source)

Kim Kang-hoon (Yesung), blackface to imitate Nick Fury (source)

Lee Gi-kwang, blackface/perpetuating racial stereotypes (source)

Kim Jong-dae, blackface to imitate a racial caricature (source)

Yoon Bo-mi, blackface to imitate a racial caricature (source)

Jackson Wang, appropriation & ignorance of black protective hairstyles (source)

BANNED FOR: EXPRESSED DISCRIMINATION

Henry Lau, homophobia & transphobia (source)

Park Jeong-soo (Leeteuk), fatphobia (source)

Shin Dong-hee (Shindong), fatphobia (source)

Choi Si-won, homophobia & transphobia (source & source)

Kim Kang-hoon (Yesung), fatphobia (source)

Amber Liu, instances of expressed racial prejudice in response to police brutality (source)

Jessica Ho, allegations of assault (charges dropped), homophobia, usage of slurs (source & source)

BANNED FOR: GROSS/QUESTIONABLE BEHAVIOR

Kim So-won, "misunderstood" the significance of Nazi symbolism (source)

Wong Kun Hang, weird comments about dreadlocks (source)

Yong Jun-hyung, Burning Sun involvement (never prosecuted)

Roy Kim, Burning Sun involement (never prosecuted)

Eddy Kim, Burning Sun involvement (never prosecuted)

Kim Young-woon (Kangin), present in voyeurism chatroom (source)

Jeong Jin-woon, present in voyeurism chatoom (source)

Lee Chul-woo, present in voyeurism chatroom (source)

Son Chae-young, "misunderstood" the significance of Nazi symbolism & right-wing conspiracy group QAnon (source & source)

BANNED FOR: SUPPORT OF OPPRESSION/GENOCIDE

Liu Yifei, support of police brutality during Hong Kong protests (source)

Donnie Yen, support of Chinese Communist Party (source)

Fan Bingbing, support of Chinese Communist Party (source)

Jackson Wang, support of Chinese Communist Party & its use of forced labor in Xinjiang (source)

BANNED FOR: EXPRESSED DISCOMFORT WITH USAGE

Christian Yu

Park Sun-young (Luna)

Lee Ji-eun (IU)

BANNED FOR: MISC.

Kim Jong-hyun, passed away

Tany (Kim Jin-soo), passed away

Ahn So-jin, passed away

Go Eun-bi (EunB), passed away

Kwon Ri-se, passed away

Kim Dong-yoon, passed away

Seo Min-woo, passed away

Goo Ha-ra, passed away

Choi Jin-ri (Sulli), passed away

Moon Bin, passed away

Lee Ji-han, passed away

Im Na-hee, passed away

Park Soo-ryun, passed away

Jeong Joong-ji, passed away

Yoo Joo-eun, passed away

USE WITH CAUTION.

Jennie Kim, taking part in "The Idol"

Kim Min-gyu, general carelessness for perceived support of korean conservative party amid prior (unresolved) allegations of bullying, sexual misconduct, and misogyny (source & source)

Kim Tae-hyung, ignorance surrounding the cultural relationship between black hair & durags (source)

Lee Jeno, fatphobic comments (source)

Park Jisung, colorist & fatphobic comments (source)

Park Chanyeol, colorist comments (source)

#some of these like fan bingbing are #kind of nuanced and complicated #but if you have questions about any of these #please reach out to me

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cere-mon-ials · 1 year

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2022 in kdramas

*that I finished

I spent my January nursing all that The Red Sleeve broke (my heart), nourishing what it gave me (provocation to write, notes here), cursing what it did for my overall k-drama viewing expectations. I am still mad that Lee Se-young wasn’t recognised for what she did in TRS, a show that belongs to Deok-im and her alone. I had finished Good Manager a day before, a long-winded bromance between Namkoong Min and Lee Jun-ho. I didn’t think much and truth be told, I don’t remember much either. Happiness fell flat after three episodes; stayed for the remaining episodes because of the excellent chemistry between the main characters. I evidently watched Coffee Prince many years too late but I saw every reason why I might have never finished school if I had seen it earlier.

Run On kept me thrilled on occasion, became white noise otherwise. I loved seeing my two joys, running and translation, woven into the show, loved the miracle of found friendships and homes, and a defiant writing philosophy that healthy relationships are worthy of being probed. Despite how unbearable Our Beloved Summer was about Ji-woong’s unrequited love, I could see the good-naturedness of the story writer-nim was trying to tell. I loved watching why the two leads fell apart and what brought them together. I loved that this had something to do with communication but I loved even more, that it just had to do with having grown up and realising you can love something you’re not and that’s one way to experience life. Kairos is the most underappreciated show that tackles time-travel. Great writing with exceptional attention to detail.

February was spent with the duology of the Ahn Pan-seok—Kim Eun—Jung Hae-in universe, the k-drama equivalent of Austenian bliss. Both shows benefit from Kim Eun’s thesis that romance may be intimate but love, in a patriarchy, demands a public that must accept it. Ahn Pan-seok is the finest orchestrator of moments that feel like the time lapse that falling in love is, that thing that people often reduce to soulmatism or violins at first glance. In One Spring Night, it works. In Something in the Rain, it fails because Kim Eun was still finding her voice as a writer who is stumped by what makes for the ‘right’ kind of conflicts in a 16-episode arc. I don’t think that’s the only problem with SITR but it’s the one she solved with marvelous elegance in OSN. In both shows, the main leads are charmingly, refreshingly communicative with each other. But it is in OSN, where Kim Eun figures out that being vulnerable is not the same as talking about vulnerable things, and how to make it count for all relationships that matter. Son Ye-jin and Han Ji-min, I love you both equally.

In March, I began paying an honorarium to the guard of my Jang Hyuk horny jail. Deep-rooted Tree made me cry in at least 14/24 episodes. A Joseon murder mystery wrapped in a drama about accessible language as the beginning to breaking down class barriers and nation-building, with nerdy love for character interiority? I ate that up. Han Seok-kyu is the only reel King Sejong ever. Just like Jang Hyuk is the only reel Bang Won ever. My Country: The New Age is a shallow show with hilarously lofty dialogues and masterful action sequences. In my most generous reading, MCTNA attempted to ask if Bang Won’s modernity could have come at a lesser price; is modernity not equivalent to audacity? Woo Do-hwan is almost as good at portraying audacity as Jang Hyuk.

Having Park Eun-bin and Kim Min-jae play Brahms in a riveting duet is exactly what Do You Like Brahms? set out to do. Introverts are rarely done well on the screen and getting it right with not one, but two leads is an achievement too. If you are a person fuelled by that mystical "passion," the creative arts industry can be a cruel place. Chae Song-ah is, by all accounts, not as talented as the others around her, and this is not a story of stick-with-it-till-you-rise-from-the-ashes. Even the hope that it might be is wonderful writing because Song-ah is far more assertive than anybody gives her credit for, like a baby who holds onto your finger with shocking strength. In classical music especially, there is no such thing: you are good or you are out. Park Joon-young is great and yet, he is begging for an out, because being good is just the beginning. These two and the other characters are deeply in love with music and they want to protect that love. They all find out that in the end that love needs sustenance, not protection.

I binged Fated to Love You in April, in a private experiment to see how much Jang Hyuk brainrot I can take. (Let’s remember this is a summary of the shows I finished.) I came out of it with brainrot for one more Jang. Outrageous show, outrageous star power. Soundtrack No. 1 was a forgettable experience save for the fact that I am now a person who looks up Park Hyung-sik’s MDL page on the reg. I think everybody is right about Twenty-Five Twenty-One: (a) Baek Ye-jin and Na Hee-do were always going to break up (b) It was a terribly-conceived finale. Two other opinions I am going to leave here: (c) Ji Seung-wan, darling of my heart, should have been the lead for the show that writer-nim actually wanted to do. (d) More people would see this, and also may have responded with thoughts beyond ship discourse, if Na Hee-do was played by anyone other than Kim Tae-ri.

I think people were right about criticising Lee Soo-yeon’s Grid too. The science of time-travel took some leniency. I get why the finale would have been unsatisfying, even as a setup for a potential second season. But I offer that the thesis of LSY’s shows is never in how they end, because they are not moral science lessons for the future. Grid’s deeply introspective themes of time-travel and the greater good begins with the the sun, the most reliable force in a human's life, turning against mankind. This immediately takes away a human as ultimate antagonist, when it easily could have been. For LSY, the future is the darkest place with unknowable power and we have the task of paving a path of light towards it. Time-travel is not the science-fiction component with which to imagine our behaviour in an unrecognisable, but possible, place. It’s the fucking fantasy. Even if we got the chance to change the past, we really couldn't. The future is what we have got to change and the present to make the first move. Those dreams of going back, repenting hard enough, flirting with what ifs? Not going to cut it. LSY's meta elegance is in bringing the intensely personal version of this theme in parallel to the big one: divorce. FWIW, she had all these threads tie together by Episode 7. I get why she said Grid is the next iteration of her life's work—an exceptional mind.

Park Min-young could have chemistry with a rock, and thank god, Seo Kang-joon isn’t one. When The Weather Is Fine is the rightest show about life in the countryside. It nails the fine line of a tight-knit community that shows up for you and also, how easily they can be the first source of judgement, as people who know your secrets. Best book club in a k-drama. Very well done pining. Imo is my favourite character and she should publish that novel because “Hey. Who do you think killed my brother-in-law?” is a banger opening line. I first saw Lee Jae-wook in this show.

During the weekends of April and May, there was My Liberation Notes. I watched it like a scheduled therapy session, although I do not think Park Hae-young is aiming for catharsis with her works (despite it seeming like the most common outcome). I didn’t have the word “healing” in my everyday vocabulary so often before k-dramas. It’s a genre of k-drama that is meant to be comforting, to inject slowness into everyday life as an antidote for the ills of modern society. Bullshit. There are multiple wide shots of the Yeom family tending their farms, eating in peace amid the greenery, and they are claustrophobic. It might feel like complaints, and you’re free to think that. But PHY knows, as most people my generation do, finding an escape is actually really easy. That’s not the point. The point is to be less sad about being who you are; to know that who you are is enough to make a living, find love if you want it, make peace with your family. This show is about siblings as the real loves of your lives.

I don’t remember what I was doing in June.

Pachinko is not a k-drama strictly speaking, but let’s do it. I adore Min Jin Lee and I am afraid to admit how emotionally attached I am to the world of Kogonada’s eyes. In MJL's book, the linear structure is meant to make you feel like the history of a family can also be a history of the other themes that consume intellectual space. In the show, there is no such thing as a past, or a history. Nothing is done, nothing is over and under the rug. You see Sun-ja’s and Solomon’s stories at the same time because there's no distance that makes what happened then far enough from what's happening now. For this alone, Pachinko is a superior adaptation. I have a shrine for every woman in this show. Watching Yumi’s Cells 2 has been among the happiest experiences of my TV viewing life. Bloody Heart could have been bloodier. I respected that it reached a conclusion without feeling the need to give a neat answer to its central question of assertive power as driver of both unity and chaos—there’s humility in realising that the answer need not be determined in one generation. Jang Hyuk thirst got me into the show, Kang Hanna’s outstanding face and smarts kept me there. Lee Joon’s Lee Tae nearly made me quit. Park Ji-yeon, muah. I watched the back half of Signal in July. It is no fault of the show that I was zapped out of will to see women being killed. There were two scenes of Kim Hye-soo’s that wrecked me bad, I had to quit watching for couple of days. Thank you to the makers for giving a genre-defining template. (Kairos did do it better.)

Alchemy of Souls was super fun as a weekly watch. Daeho is boring to me as a setting and the plot ventures into territories worthy of critical thought once in a blue moon. But I admire the ambition, and the storytelling does have its moments. Lee Jae-wook is a menace. Inhaled Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung over four days; I enjoyed it. Extraordinary Attorney Woo tried. I also binged Reply 1997. Reply 1988 is always going to be my favourite and I am not going to watch R1994 for a conclusive test of veracity.

Between these shows, their endearing efforts at being fulfilling shows about love of different kinds, I nibbled on episodes of My Mister. I couldn’t watch two episodes together; it was so potent, so unbelievably demanding of my attention in every way imaginable, and I gave it willingly. I wrote about the show here.

October brought the best mystery/thriller show of the year: May It Please The Court. It was written with a clear idea of how much to bite, knew how to chew on it, and that’s why it also landed the best conclusion of the year. The show is astute about forgiveness and justice, and well, forgiveness in justice. I think the show’s success is in how it trusted both its characters and the audience to process what this means to them. Jung Ryeo-won and Lee Kyu-hyung have impeccable married energy from first scene. Lee Sang-hee is the best, the hottest, the finest.

Little Women is the mystery/thriller show with the most potential of the year. It wasn’t until episode 11 that the show lost me but I do think the flaws began revealing themselves a lot earlier. I didn’t appreciate the show’s insistence that the central crime of the show was Sang-ah’s murders and not the patriarchal cult that pretends to be a meritocracy. I thought the Vietnam War references were in conversation for a whole different reason: I viewed it as a nod to the first war where losing means more than winning. That war is the blueprint for the 21st century exertion of control for the right to capital and target audience, rather than mere territory and pride. But this symbolism wasn’t what came through and I understand those who pushed back on how the war's references, along with an exotic flower, rang hollow. LW did get characterisation right, particularly the way poverty alters how intelligence is perceived and valued. It’s ambitious premise—that Louisa May Alcott was wrong in deciding these sisters would taper their poverty with unusual politeness—is radical.

I will rewatch the first 11 episodes of May I Help You in several trying days of my future. Baek Dong-joo and Kim Tae-hee, butlers to the dead and the alive respectively, are companions, friends and lovers, in that order. What's not to love? The acts asked of them are rarely grand but they are delivered with emotional heft. I forgive all the detours taken from episode 12. I tend to find it dull when everybody and everything is connected to each other. In this one's ending, it's quite lovely. I see the vision in saying that we only know Dong-joo’s story because that’s the story we have tuned into. The miracles could be happening to anyone at all. I wish writer-nim wasn’t so Christian throughout—the throwaway line about suicide put me off. Best piggy-backing scenes in a rom-com and also, favourite kiss, I am going to say.

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namjoonswaifu · 2 years

Text

Chapter Five- Royal Residences Part One

warnings: mentions of weight, AFAB character, mentions of female body parts, references to the weight of M/C, loosely based on my own research of the ancient Korean royalty system, bullying, loneliness, anxiety, money problems, mentions of how other people view characters body

message me if you feel I need more warnings

3.4k words

You made your way to the front, the sound of your name, leaving nearly everyone shocked but your best friend, who had the biggest grin on her beautiful face. No one had expected you to get through, not even yourself. A blush blankets your face as you make your way to the line at the front. A moment passes as everyone waits for the ladies who did not get through to leave the smaller courtyard.

"Congratulations ladies" you hear Hoseok speak, breaking the silence, whilst looking over each and every one of you. You don't know if you were just imagining it, but the tall and handsome man had sent an almost imperceptible smile your way, making your eyes go wide. "Now, myself and Jungkook will tell you your residences, and we will also assign you 2 maids and a manservant for you to use at your convenience"

"Let's start with the furthest away from this little courtyard shall we?" Jungkook questioned, though the question was rhetorical.

"Bae Suzy, You are in the Sapphire Apartment. Along with the manservants, you brought along with you, you are also being assigned Shin Won-ho as your manservant and Kim Tae-Yeon and Chou Tzu-yu as your maids. Please proceed to your apartment"

"Next we have the Chariote Apartment, the person who will be staying there is Han Sun-Hwa. You are being assigned Lee Jong-Hyun, Jeon So-Yeon and Kwon Yu-Ri. Please proceed."

The process carried on.

"Ruby Apartment is for Hwang Yeji, You are assigned Kang Dong-Ho, Ahn Sol-Bin and An Yu-Jin. Please proceed.

"Opal Apartment. Kim Seol-Hyun. Woo Ji-Ho, Son Chae-Young, Cho Seung-Hee"

"Carnelian Apartment. Kwon Eun-Bi. Yoo Ki-Hyun, Lee Hae-in and Lee Young-Yoo"

"Amber Apartment. Choi Mi-Young. Doh Kyung-Soo, Bae Woo-He, Baek A-Yeon"

"Azurite Apartment. Kim Si-Jeong. Lee Byung-Hun, Go Woo-Ri and Park Hye-Won"

At this point, everyone had left apart from you. "Miss Seo, as you were an unexpected candidate, your apartment is still getting ready and the maids needed a few more moments, so we were trying to prolong this for as long as possible. You have been assigned Moon Jong-Up, Ahn Hye-Jin who goes by Maria or Hwa-Sa and Jun Hyo-Seong. I hope that they treat you well. To prolong this even longer as we have not received the signal that they are ready, we are going to give you a tour, are you okay with that?" The pair asked.

"Perfectly." You responded. "It would be my honour" You carried on with a smile. "Please, Lead the way". The two young men smiled at you, before moving down the stairs towards you. Suddenly, you felt incredibly nervous, these incredibly attractive young men were looking directly at you, with no signs of distate anywhere on their faces or bodies. The men took a space on either side on your, Hoseok moving his arms to point the way out of the courtyard. "Do you have a flower that you appreciate the most?" Jungkook asked "Good question Kookie" Hoseok said, the nickname making your eyes widen again, almost not expecting the men to be so close that they were using nicknames. "We might have your favourite here in one of the gardens"

"Cherry blossoms, Chief State Councillor and High Councillor. My most appreciated flower of all is Cherry Blossom." The two men share a look between each other. "That is our Gracious King's favourite, so much that he has a garden dedicated to it, coincidentally, the garden is right next to your apartment" A small gasp left your lips, the excitement evident not just on your face but on your whole body as you turned to both of them, your hands clasping together joyfully. "Really!?! Can we go there?" You asked hopefully. Both men smiled at your excited state before telling you that you could, and led the way, right to the entrance of the garden. There was a small bridge to cross before you would actually be in the park, and you ran quickly across it, accidentally forgetting about the two men behind you. You span round quickly, a giant smile on your face, trying to look everywhere at everything.

"I take it that you like the garden," a voice behind you, which you quickly identified as Hoseok, spoke. "Almost more than anything in the world," You said without thinking. Both men let out a laugh, which made you look at them with a questioning gaze. "You have almost the same reaction as the Good King". This very sentence made you stop in your spot, your face dropping, looking almost horrified to be compared to the King. "Omo, I am not worthy of being compared to our gracious King" You spoke, anxiously wringing your hands together. "My apologies Lady Seo, we didn't mean to make you anxious," Jungkook said. You noticed a young woman run up to the two men and yourself. She spoke quietly to the men, before bowing and turning away. The two men turned to you, smiling slightly "Your apartment is ready Lady Seo, let us lead you there" Hoseok said. Nodding, you spoke gently "Please do lead the way". You bow gently, allowing the men to turn around and lead the way out of the garden that you had fallen in love with, and almost didn't want to leave.

It took barely two minutes before you arrived in front of the apartment. "This is the Emerald apartment. Next to you, there is the Queen Dowager's Garden, you are not allowed to enter that space without her explicit permission" Jungkook stated sternly. "And on your other side is Lady Hwang" Hoseok finished. This made you smile, your apartments here, being closer to each other than the houses in your town were. "Lady Hwang Yeji is my best friend," You spoke gently, a small but warm smile on your face at the mention of your best friend. "We have known each other since we were born, my eomma likes to say that I have two sets of parents, both our parents raised both of us..." you paused, your smile turning into a frown "well my eomma and Yeji's parents, my appa..." you spoke again, your frown becoming bigger. "You don't need to tell us, Lady Seo" Hoseok said calmly, laying a gentle hand on your shoulder. You look up, and into the handsome man's eyes, your eyes slightly blurry with tears, making something flash in Hoseok's eyes. "I feel like I almost need to" you spoke "My appa, he used to be a good man, until he fell from grace, he lost a lot of his respect, and therefore money, and the money he did keep, he used to drink. He would blame me for his drinking, he would tell me it was my fault, that he wished it was I who died and not my sister. Before I left, he attacked me for the first time, he dragged me by my hair to the floor and yelled at me. My eomma, she's a wonderful woman, she grabbed him by the ear and dragged him out of the house once she realised he was in my room and harming me. Appa had a bruise on his ear still, when I left for the procession. My bruises still remain intact too, but when I remember what my eomma did, the fire in her eyes, I feel proud to be her descendant" You finally finished your story.

You could see anger clearly on both men's faces. "I know I need not worry about my eomma whilst I'm here, she is as fierce as the summer in the sky in the summer sky." The warm smile lay on your lips, remembering your eomma. "She sounds like a wonderful woman" Jungkook spoke, a smile that could be perceived as genuine if there were someone looking on from the outside in.

"Anyway's my Chief Councillor and High Councillor, I must leave your warm presence and settle myself into my apartments. I hope to see you soon Your Honours. May the sun warm your cheeks, and the food fills your bellies" You speak eloquently, bowing low before the two handsome men, before turning and leaving their presence to enter your apartments.

The apartment that you entered was spacious and homely. In the room stood your friends Chan and Changbin with large grins on their faces, along with your assigned manservant and maids.

"My Lady, Your room is this way, would you like me to help you redress" Hyo-Seong spoke, her hand pointing to an area separate from the room you all stood in. The room was separated from the room you were in by a wall of sliding doors. The entire apartment was decorated in green and brown, the sliding doors were made of oak, and the cloth was painted with the seal of the kingdom in the colours your apartment was named after. It was a beautiful sight to behold, and you knew that if you had any spare time, you would ask your maids to retrieve any painting items they could get a hold of so that you could show this image to your eomma when you got home again. You knew that she would take great delight in your painting, and knowing how an apartment within the royal castle looked and would love the painting even more so, knowing it came from her daughter.

"That would be lovely Miss Jun" you spoke to the woman. She nodded her head as a slight bow, walking to the room you now identified as your bedroom. In the room, there was a large box placed near the window, on top of it was a new hanbok ready for you to wear. "Would you like a bath Lady Seo?" Hyo-Seong asked. You shook your head, a feeling of exhaustion coming over you in a quick wave. "Do you think it would be possible to sleep for a short period Miss Jun?" You asked hopefully. "Unfortunately not, My Lady, there is much to do. As you have reached the second stage, you must prepare for a meeting with Queen Dowager. You will soon also be accepting gifts from the royal family, of which I am unsure, but you must prepare to receive them. We must also start preparing you for your interview, and the luncheon that is happening tomorrow. There is also a Royal Banquet that we must prepare you for. I assume you have attended a banquet before, but a royal banquet is much more different to the ones of the high class" The maid in front of you explained your schedule for the coming potential one to two weeks that you would be residing in a royal apartment.

"Very well, then we must begin," You say a small polite smile on your face. "What's first?" you ask. "First My Lady, we must dress you," she says, returning your attention back to the box that had caught your attention when you first walked into the room. You didn't recognise the hanbok, remembering all the ones that you owned. "I apologise, but this is not my hanbok," you tell your maid "No My Lady, the Queen Dowager sent this. It's the first gift from the royal family." Excitement fills your body, knowing that this was something that the Queen Dowager herself had someone make and be sent. "But only 6-7 were predicted, and I'm not the average size", you questioned slightly, the anxiety that you had felt earlier in the day returning in full force. "The Queen Dowager had this one sent specifically, it was a hanbok she had in her storage, she wore it when she was pregnant with the King. She sent a letter along with it" you were told before being handed the letter

Dear Lady Seo,

The Royal Family apologises for not having anything prepared for you. I did not have a gift prepared for you, however, your crest is a crest that has a long line, and the crest on your hanbok is a phoenix. This was my family crest before I married King Sejong, the King's late father. It was a hanbok I wore when I was pregnant with the King. I hope that it does you well, as it is now yours. Please meet me in my gardens at 3.

Sincerely,

Her Royal Highness, The Queen Dowager Kim Eun-Ji

"What time is it?" You ask loudly, waiting for anyone in the household to respond. "2:30" you hear someone yell, unsure of who it was due to the closed doors between you. You feel your face pale. Turning to your maid you speak again "We must hurry, please call Miss Ahn in, time is not on our side". The maid nods, before running the door and calling in the other woman.

Within 20 minutes, your hair had been brushed and moved into a restyled updo, behind held back with a purple dwikkoji, your under clothes being changed for cleaner ones, and then the gifted hanbok was placed onto your body. It fit almost like a glove like it was made for you. The jeogori was a gorgeous dark purple colour, decorated with golden detailing featuring a phoenix, the goreum was also in an off-gold colour. The chima was a black colour with the same golden detail. Your beoseons were black as well as your shoes which were decorated in the same gold detailing. With a few minutes to spare, your maids applied some basic makeup consisting of plant ash to apply a dark brown colour to your eyebrows, safflower was used to apply a light rouge to your lips and cheeks and cherry blossom petals took right from the very cherry blossom garden you had just been in (it was a perfume that was on the dressing table when you got here, you had just assumed it was a gift everyone received) mixed with water was used to make a delicious spelling perfume.

With exactly 10 minutes left before the Queen Dowager wanted to see you, you left your apartment, your manservant Moon Jong-Up directing you, almost acting as your guard as well as your guide. When you arrived outside the Queen Dowagers garden, which only took moments as you quickly found out was right next to your apartment, Mr Moon stepped aside to let you enter first, before following you slightly behind, allowing you to look like you had found the garden yourself.

It doesn't take long to notice the Queen Dowager, it shocked you slightly when you saw that she was wearing the same colours just the other way around. The lady in front of you turns towards you, hearing your footsteps. She waits at the top of the stairs of the Pavilion she was standing in. Once you reach the bottom of the stairs, you bow as low as possible to the elegant woman before you. "You're early Lady Seo" the woman speaks. "My apologies Your Majesty, I was excited to meet you once again." You speak, not allowing your nerves to take over your anxiety.

“Don’t be, it is a good thing for a woman to have, to have time management perfected, especially for a woman. Especially for a woman who may be the future mother of the kingdom, the future queen.” She says, her very words making you blush.

“You speak of me too highly My Queen,” you say. “I am eternally grateful for your gracious gift. The fabric is the softest thing I have ever had touch my skin. If there is anything I can do to show my thankfulness, please allow me to do it. Would you like some tea, Your Royal Highness?” you ask, noticing the teapot and teacups whilst you were looking around in nervousness.

“You need not worry Lady Seo, this is no longer a test, you do not need to pour my tea for me,” she says, her voice full of authority, before nodding slightly to a man that you almost hadn’t seen when you entered the pavilion. “You intrigue me, Lady Seo, you are so unlike the other candidates, both in looks and mentality. Most of your candidates, when I had asked them why they were doing this, responded with generic answers” she speaks “For his Royal Highness the King’s happiness, to get to know you Your Highness” she carries on, her voice changing to mimic the people she was speaking about, at the sound of her change in voice you let out a giggle, covering your mouth. “But your answer, it was different, you wanted to make your family proud. This was something I wanted when I was a candidate to marry the King's late father” she finishes, the words turning the mood serious once more. A lady, small and almost meek approached the table, taking the teapot and pouring tea into both the cups on the table, before retreating to her spot against the wall of the garden. “You have a beautiful garden My Queen,” you tell her trying to achieve the once jovial mood the pavilion had a matter of minutes ago. “I spent a few brief minutes in the cherry blossom garden, and I truly believe that it was the happiest moment of my life,” you tell her, allowing the smile to fill your face as your mind retrieves the memory you were talking of.

“The King’s favourite spot is also in the cherry blossom garden, he begged his father to plant the trees when he was still King, persuading him by telling him that he would propose to his future queen in that very garden,” the Queen Dowager tells you, allowing you a little into the past of the King, who you were yet to set eyes upon.

Before thinking, you blurt out “Were you scared when you made the application to become the late King Se-Jeong’s wife?” A few moments pass, and just as you go to open your mouth to apologise, the dowager stops you. “I was, in fact, I was terrified, to tell you the truth, I never wanted it, but I needed to do it for the pride of my family. I was lucky that I fell in love with the King eventually, and we had a good, long and happy life,” she answers with a small smile on her face, reminiscing on the memories of her past. “I actually have a few questions for you myself if you don't mind”

“It would be my honour to answer your questions My Queen” you respond, nervousness filling your body even more.

“The king is very… uh… close with his closest men. Would that be a problem with you?” she starts. “Of course not, if our Great King is happy, then I myself shall be happy,” you respond, hoping your answer satisfies her. She nods, with a small hum of approval.

“And concubines? What are your opinions on the concubines?” she continues her questioning.

You pause, this was something you had thought about. “Well My Queen, I have a feeling that if I was ever to become Queen, the other two candidates that would have gotten through, would be my school bullies-” the queen cuts you off after hearing of your bullies “Your bullies are in the palace?” She questions with an eyebrow raised.

“Yes Your Highness, Kim Seol-Hyun and Kwon Eun-Bi, their apartments are Carnelian and Opal if I remember correctly”, the Queen Dowager nods again. “So what would you do if you became Queen and them the concubines?” She asks, her interest even more peaked.

“Part of me would want to through them into the dungeons like they had threatened they would do with me earlier today. Another part of me would want all of the king's concubines gone but the biggest part of me wants the King to be happy, and if the concubines make My Great King happy, then I shall live with the concubines.” The Queen Dowager looks almost shocked. “The Kings happiness, at the end of the day, will always be my source of happiness, whether I get through to the final round, or I don’t. The King, from what I have heard in rumours spread across cities and towns, near and far, is that when the King is happy, the land thrives, and the people are well. My family are part of his people, and as well as making them proud, I desperately want them to be happy… even my father.” you tell her.

“Your father?"

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