#yeon saeng lee

[jang-geums-dream]

Official character introductions for season 2

[skyasma]

Don't see much difference between Kang Yeong Cheon and Park Yeon Jin.

Kang slit his kind surgeon just because he asked his assistant to inform his son his change of plans for their dinner later together. The surgeon jokingly asked his assistant to tell his son not to resort to instant ramyeon now that he is not coming home.

Kang felt 'insulted', and had this urgent need to see this son who was causing his surgeon to be distracted. So he attacked, as this would bring the son to the hospital.

Bitch! Your entitled ass was dead already if not that surgeon. He picked up your case, despite everyone else was unwilling to treat a horrendous serial killer.

Yeon Jin felt 'insulted' because her poor classmate wore a similar dress as hers. First, she asked her classmate to strip in public. Later, she burnt the sweater her classmate was wearing and pushed her from a multistorey building. In her defence, the pushing was an accident.

Bitch! You lit her clothes on fire, you meant to kill her.

[elderflowergin]

blood free v secret forest, a quick and dirty comparison:-

As someone who fell for Kdrama through Stranger, i loved it because it appeared seamless, grounded and weaved several systems and levels of privilege very elegantly. Most of all it seemed morally urgent, even if it was at its core a detective mystery. (Which, to be fair, Blood Free is as well.)

Secret Forest’s first success was that it held nuance for everyone in the middle of the road; LSY afforded so much thoughtful shading to those men. I often think they will never look as beautiful as they do on SF, and that’s only partly because of whoever did the lighting etc, but they’re not Kdrama glossy perfect; they’re real people trying to reckon with themselves and the moral calculus they have agreed to, and their dignity comes from the reckoning. Lee Chang-joon, Kang Won-chul, Lee Yeon-jae, even Seo Dong-jae for that matter, all have that advantage. LSY managed this for Jung Sung-il in the scant few minutes of screen time he had.

The second success was Cho Seung-woo and Bae Doona. If Secret Forest was a universe they were its gravitational field; it was their fierce sense of honour and morality that drives both seasons. And their moral decency is hard-won; it is tested constantly, and it’s burnished at each opportunity, which is why they are respected. It is a dream that people like that can influence or impact those around them, but you don’t question that they do, by the end of each season, and that’s the victory of writing, casting and the charisma of both leads.

That’s why that funeral scene in season 1 is so important (to me); it shows the gravity shifting. The prosecutors rely on their forest of secrets to keep the centre together, but Hwang Si-mok demonstrates how untenable this has become, how the roots must be pulled out so the weeds die; so new healthy things can grow. The chaebols are at the periphery, and they continue to be there because, most audaciously of all, they don’t matter if enough people shift their moral calculus. I think this gravitational pull happens to Lee Chang-joon in season 1 thanks to Hwang Si-mok and it happens to Choi Bit in season 2 thanks to Han Yeo-jin. They are easily some of the most powerful parts of the show.

On the other hand, we have Blood Free. I’m not sure who the moral gravitational field of this show is meant to be. Maybe it’s Yun Ja-yu and/or Woo Chae-woon. Maybe it’s Lee Mu-saeng. Maybe it’s about the ethical dilemma of experimentation and whether that’s a worthwhile price to pay for the scientific advancements in cultured meat and seafood. Perhaps we need more time to really see the middle of the road characters, but four episodes in there’s not much to go on: there’s Lee Mu-saeng, there’s Queen Dowager as a VP, here’s Jeon Seok-ho. There are three chaebols, all of whom seem like one-note characters to me. (Why ask a talented sketch artist to produce cartoons like these? Unless they’re not, but nothing seems to suggest otherwise.)

The most interesting insight from episode 4 was about Yun Jayu - when offered 72 trillion won for her company, she actually considers it because it means she doesn’t have to face investors and can focus on research. She has influence and money but these are means to an end, for her. I wish we could see more of that, and not necessarily through exposition alone.

When she gives deft, cool answers to reporters, did that come naturally to her or did she work at it? Is she the face of the company because she hated it a little less than Lee Mu-saeng did? If so, why? What comparative advantage did they determine she had? When she wears Chanel tweed skirts and smiles her way through presentations, is that a natural extension of her work or is that a mask she wears? Give me process, guys! Give us the backstory, the way the markets work, the environment for cutting-edge bio research in Korea, the reaction of Big Meat, the interplay of new rich and old rich, some indication of her actual influence (which must be considerably more than what we see on the show, although what little we see, while uncomfortable, is frankly not that inconceivable in a world where you’re constantly connected.) I am so interested in her, and yet I feel I am made to watch the story of her reacting to chaebols and to the mystery of corporate sabotage rather than her being the fulcrum of her own universe. And at no point does the mystery seem morally urgent to me, and it’s because 1) why does it matter if all this is is a giant M&A negotiation 2) why should we care if it doesn’t feel real to us? So what if there’s sabotage? Why on earth isn’t this company guarded like fucking Fort Knox? Why is this company ostensibly so influential, so powerful and yet capable of unusually amateurish errors that are the centre of the show so far and not on the periphery of it? Where is the moral quandary that is meant to grab us by the throat?

Is it a question of the writing? Have her interests shifted and did she want to do a show without having to do too much character work? If anyone has earned a vibes-only moment it’s Lee Soo-yeon, and I respect that for her. I hope the direction isn’t stifling the writing, because that means there is an arresting, politically trenchant drama underneath this dry procedural, and that’s upsetting to consider. We still have a ways to go and I think there is potential, but I have to remind myself not to expect something like SF, that maybe you can’t bottle that formula. That it’s the gold standard for a reason. But honestly, Disney, in the words of TikTok star imo_unusual, you’ve made this show like God was dozing off when the angels were working, now RELEASE US (and LSY writernim)

[yoonkyungho]

The Glory - Watched March 2023

What brought me to it: Park Sung-Hoon (also Lee Mu-Saeng, but I didn’t know he was in it until after I was already planning on watching)

What I liked: Super compelling, the easiest I’ve ever jumped on board with a revenge plot. It’s a really dark show, but there are really beautiful moments that come from some of the character relationships. Also thankfully there’s a lot of humor to balance out the darkness. 

What I didn’t like: The violence and awfulness of some of the characters is really extreme, which can at times be hard to watch, and other times feels almost silly in how over the top it can be. But that’s only sometimes, I feel like the show is well-balanced overall. 

The standouts: This is definitely Song Hye-Kyo’s show, but Lim Ji-Yeon was perfect as her foil. Also Jung Ji-So was perfectly sympathetic as young Dong-Eun.

Who I would recommend it to: As long as you can handle some pretty intense scenes of bullying/violence, I think this is gonna have a broad audience.

Overall score: 8/10

[enterenews]

Lee Jae-wook ♥ Go Yoon-jung kiss love confirmation

Lee Jae-wook and Go Yoon-jung saved Hwang Min-hyun and confirmed each other's feelings.

In the 7th episode of tvN's Saturday and Sunday drama, 'The Haunted Marriage 2: Light and Shadow' (written by Hong Jeong-eun, Hong Mi-ran/directed by Park Joon-hwa), which aired on December 31st, Jang-wook (Lee Jae-wook) and Jin Bu-yeon (Go Yoon-jeong) confirmed their love.

Seo-yul (Hwang Min-hyeon) was in danger of death due to bloodworms, and Jang-wook (Lee Jae-wook) was angry with Jin-mu (Cho Jae-yoon). Jinmu wondered how the bloodworm he put into Soi (Seo Hye-won) got into Seo-yul's body, but got down on his knees and asked Jin Ho-gyeong (Park Eun-hye) for help to rectify the situation.

Before Jang-wook gets angry at Jin-mu, he goes to Jin-ho-gyeong and asks for her help, but when Jin-ho-gyeong cuts him off and says that he is not interested in Seo-yul's life or death, she threatens Jin-mu and even moves Jin-ho-gyeong. Jin Ho-gyeong told her how to use the flower bird in her Jin agent to get her bloodworm out, and demanded that her daughter Jin Bu-yeon (Go Yun-jeong) be returned to Jin agent instead. Jang-wook accepted the request.

Jin Bu-yeon touched the fallen Seo-yul and found some memories of her past. Jin Bu-yeon said, "There's no way I could have gone to Seo-yul and her Danhyang-gok," and she was in confusion, but she just kicked him out, saying that Heo Yoon-ok (Hong Seo-hee) was a hindrance, so she couldn't find more of her memories. couldn't

Jang-wook and Crown Prince Go-won (Shin Seung-ho) entered the agent of Jin and searched for flowers and birds, and Jin Bu-yeon held Seo-yul's bloodworm beads in her mouth and accompanied her. On the spot, Jin Bu-yeon and Go Won knew each other's true identities. Jang-wook knew that the tortoise's owner, the nae-gwan, was Go Won.

The three worked together to complete the task, and Jang Wook sent Jin Bu-yeon to Jin Yo-won as promised with Jin Ho-gyeong. Jin Bu-yeon was disappointed that Jang-wook had sent her, and she headed to Sejukwon. A few days later, Seo-yul woke up and learned that Lee Seon-saeng (Lim Cheol-soo) had been looking after Jin Bu-yeon for three years.

[nourhaannehab]

Thirty Nine

A story of three female friends who are 39-years-old.

Cha Mi-Jo (Son Ye-Jin) was born and raised by wealthy parents. She is now 39-years-old and works as a dermatologist at her own clinic in Gangnam, Seoul. Jeong Chan-Young (Jeon Mi-Do) is one of Cha Mi-Jo's close female friends. She works as an acting coach.

Son Ye-Jin

Jeon Mi-Do

Kim Ji-Hyun

Yeon Woo-Jin

Lee Mu-Saeng

Lee Tae-Hwan

[deokmis]

It's all because of us.

[junkobato]

THIRTY NINE -opening

[afza147]

Ep6 Thirty Nine

Another crying episode..I think I going to cry every ep till the end😭😭😭😭

[jang-geums-dream]

Official character introductions for season 1

[passionforfiction]

Thirty-Nine

To me, friendship is one of the purest kind of love there is between people that are not blood related. There is no hidden agenda. It's pure love that keeps friends connected. And I think this is one of the reasons I wanted to watch this series about three best friends.

Boy, what a ride! I cried for 12 episodes straight. I was immersed in this story, so deeply that I could feel their love, the desperation, the joy, the pain and the strength they gave each other. This is a story that celebrates love: parents, siblings, friends and lovers.

I don't want to spoil the story for others. It just ended this Thursday, so I won't say much. But I like it because of how it explores the themes of friendship, parent-child relationships, adoption, men-woman relationships, ext.

This is a series I recommend to all, but get ready for this emotional ride before you embark.

Poster from Asianwiki - https://asianwiki.com/Thirty_Nine_(Korean_Drama)

[i-got-the-feels]

Thirty-nine is doing such a good job of showing all characters as human - grey and flawed and showing life as it is messy and beautiful in between and at times in spite of the mess- like its never a clean period of complete happiness or sadness.

[binging-asian-dramas]

Irish Uppercut. 8

Story: 8

Acting: 10

Chemistry: 10

Comparable to:?

Very cute adorable short comedy/ fantasy friendship type of drama. If you’re also a foodie fan this a winner in that genre department too. Like I said it’s a pretty short drama being 8 episodes with 15 minutes long, but the story flows brilliantly well. To me i would of loved more episodes even. I mean I love fantasy dramas and two Kim Ji Suk is the main lead in this plus it has Kim Mi Kyung. I mean whenever I see her name attached it’s like yeah it’s gonna be good. 😝

[olivierdemangeon]

THE SILENT SEA (2021) ★★★★☆

THE SILENT SEA (2021) ★★★★☆

[asia247]

#MeToo in South Korea: Justice For Jang Ja Yeon Nearly 10 Years In The Making

The prosecution's decision to reopen #JangJaYeon's case nearly 10 years after her death, amidst Korea's #MeToo Movement is symbolic

Trigger Warning: This piece discusses suicide and sexual assault

March 7, 2009, Jang Ja Yeon’s body was found hanging in her home in Bundang district, Seongnam, Gyeonggi province by her sister who she had called earlier in the day to talk of “overwhelming stress.” Jang Ja Yeon’s career was picking up after playing high school mean girl, Sunny aka Park Seon Ja, in the wildly popular drama Boys…

[mysageukinbio]

Some Jang Hee Bin trivia bullet points

Movies Jang Hee Bin (1961) and Femme Fatale, Jang Hee Bin (1968)

Lee Seo Gu was approached to write the 1961 movie because of the success of his radio drama Jang Hee Bin in the same year.

At 21 years old at the time of filming, Kim Ji Mi is tied with Lee Mi Suk as the youngest actor to portray Jang Hee Bin.

Jang Hee Bin (MBC, 1971)

There was a ‘lead actor famine’ for this drama, and so a 300,000-won prize (worth 5,984,227 won today) was offered at first for the lead role, before a vote was called.

Yun Yeo Jeong was voted to become Jang Hee Bin amidst candidates Yun Jeong Hee and Kim Ji Mi, who previously portrayed Jang Hee Bin in 1961.

Though MBC’s 1971 adaptation was wildly popular, lead actress Yun Yeo Jeong received major backlash for her role. She was even removed from CFs for Yunina Shampoo and Oransshi Soda because ‘her image as Jang Hee Bin was not good for the product’.

While filming the 1971 adaptation, MBC reported many threatening calls to end the network, pressure from the audience to bring Queen Inhyeon back to life, and an incident on set where an actor playing the role of Jang Hee Bin’s court lady was given a bowl of hot water instead of room temperature in an attempt to sabotage filming.

Eventually, the drama was rewritten so that Queen Inhyeon was reinstated sooner than expected.

Actress Kim Min Jeong (Queen Inhyeon) was cast for the role in the 1971 adaptation on a stairwell by writer Lee Seo Gu.

This adaptation is the first to portray a dramatic poison scene, a plot point that would become the climax of many more adaptations to come, with various embellishments.

No known footage of this adaptation remains. MBC only began archiving drama broadcasts from the mid-’70s.

At 154 daily episodes, this remains the longest adaptation of Jang Hee Bin by episode count.

A special was aired on January 31st, 1972 - two days after broadcast had concluded.

Women of Legend: Jang Hee Bin (MBC, 1981)

The first season of Women of Legend (MBC, 1981~1982) was actually going to be another adaption of the Hanjungrok, but the production was scrapped and Jang Hee Bin became the first season instead. Series writer Im Chung would later on write two adaptations of the Hanjungrok (Oh, Heaven! for KBS in 1988, and the King’s Pathway for MBC in 1998).

This adaptation became MBC’s highest rated drama during its broadcast.

The late Kim Mu Saeng played the role of Jo Sa Seok both in this version and Jang Hee Bin (SBS, 1995).

During broadcast, Lee Mi Suk, Lee Hye Suk (Queen Inhyeon) and Lee Miji (Queen Ingyeong) were referred to as the Three Beautiful Musketeers (미녀 삼총사).

Director Yu Gil Chon’s brother Yu In Chon was selected to play the role of Sukjong. Yu In Chon is currently South Korea’s Minister of Culture.

In 1986, Lee Mi Suk admitted that mixed reactions were given to her portrayal. She elaborated that older people hated her character, while younger women related to and empathized with the character.

This adaptation broadcasted on Mondays and Tuesdays at first, but was moved to Wednesdays and Thursdays from Episode 37.

Lee Mi Suk’s portrayal of Jang Hee Bin was popular with men at the time, as the way she acted in front of Sukjong was considered to be cute.

This adaptation and SBS’ 1995 remake are loosely based on the Records of Queen Inhyeon, a compilation of memoirs by Lady Lee, one of Queen Inhyeon’s court ladies.

500 Years of Joseon: Queen Inhyeon (MBC, 1988)

Actor Kim Seok Ok played the role of Queen Inhyeon’s stepmother both in 500 Years of Joseon: Queen Inhyeon (MBC, 1988) and Jang Hee Bin (KBS, 2002)

Kim Myeong Hee played the role of Ok Jeong’s shaman here as well as in KBS’ adaptation, for which she is more famous.

Jeon In Hwa and Lee Deok Hwa took up the roles of Jang Ok Jeong and Jang Hee Jae respectively. They would become brother and sister once more in SBS’ 2001 drama Ladies in the Palace.

Jeon In Hwa’s portrayal of Jang Hee Bin was not initially popular until her reentry into the Palace in Episode 27, as her graceful and elegant aura was seen as too in contrast to the conniving characters of MBC’s previous portrayals.

This adaptation is heavily based on the Joseon Annals, as opposed to the Records of Queen Inhyeon.

The poison scene in this adaptation was famous for Sukjong ordering that one of the doors be used to restrain Ok Jeong as she was fed the poison. This portrayal would be repeated in KBS’ 2002 adaptation.

Jang Hee Bin (SBS, 1995)

SBS’ 1995 adaptation uses the same script as MBC’s 1981 adaptation, written by Im Chung.

Im Chung’s son Im Ho took the role of Sukjong. Im Ho is world famous for his role as Jungjong in Dae Jang Geum (MBC, 2003).

Eom Yu Shin played the role of Prince Sungseon’s wife both in the 1995 and 2002 adaptations of Jang Hee Bin. She also played the role of Jang Hee Bin’s mother in MBC’s 1988 adaptation.

The 1995 adaptation was supposed to be broadcast after SBS’ 1994 drama Auld Lang Syne, but was delayed because of trouble finding a lead actor. Sandglass was broadcasted instead.

Jeong Seon Gyeong was only casted after refusals from Lee Young Ae, Kang Su Yeon and Shin Eun Jeong. Lee Young Ae would soon after become the lead actor of KBS’ West Palace.

This adaptation achieved ratings of up to 43%, but began to suffer during the broadcasts of KBS’ West Palace and Jang Nok Su.

Child actor Lee Jeong Hu played Queen Inhyeon in her first three years after entering the Palace. Kim Won Hee replaced her when Queen Inhyeon turned 18. Lee Jeong Hu died of cancer on December 10, 2016, at the age of 30.

The poison scene in Episode 63 is considered to be the closest in historical dramas to an accurate portrayal of what actually happens when someone drinks Joseon’s government arsenic poison.

The scene is also reputed for Jeong Seon Gyeong’s sudden retaliation in kicking the bowl of poison from a court lady’s hands.

Jang Hee Bin (KBS, 2002)

The lead role was first offered to Lee Young Ae, Song Yun Ah, Kang Su Yeon, Chae Shi Ra and Kim Hyeon Ju before Kim Hye Su took up the role.

Even so, audience reactions were not initially positive to her being chosen, saying that she was too glamorous for the role. Public opinion began to change once Ok Jeong gained the rank of Suk Won in Episode 24.

With 16 previous years of acting experience, Kim Hye Su is the most experienced actor to take the role of Jang Hee Bin.

Kim Hye Su’s casting also broke the tradition of casting young rookies for the role of Jang Hee Bin.

The ratings once dropped to as low as 6%, but its final episode garnered a 31.1% rating.

The show’s original writer Kim Seon Young is not only the first woman to write a televised adaptation of Jang Hee Bin, but also the first woman to write an authentic historical drama (정통사극). The format has been dominated by male writers since its import to Korea in 1981 through KBS’ The Grand Order.

A rivalry was brewing between production manager Kim Sang Hun and Outdoor Filming Director Han Cheol Gyeong, which escalated into an assault incident.

The show’s latter half was written by Kang Tae Wan, rumored to be 1st-generation TV writer Shin Bong Seung under a pseudonym. Shin wrote the 500 Years of Joseon adaptation in 1988.

Kim Eul Dong, portraying Court Lady Kwon (Hee Bin’s court lady) is the mother of Song Il Guk, who portrayed Western Faction activist Kim Chun Taek.

The role of Choi Suk Bin was offered to Kim Gyu Ri, Choi Yu Jeong and Hong Eun Hee before being given to Park Ye Jin from April 9th, 2003. The first three potential candidates happened to be filming for movies when the role was offered.

At 100 hour-long episodes, this remains the longest adaptation by runtime.

Dong Yi (MBC, 2010)

Some of the State Tribunal’s clothes were previously worn in Queen Seondeok (MBC, 2009).

Jang Hee Bin’s character was written much differently than in previous dramas. Her character was meant to be more mature, driven to her decisions out of support for her family and faction. However, while the show itself was successful, Lee So Yeon’s portrayal was often referred to as ‘uninteresting’.

Extra Choi Na Gyeong (not to be confused with flautist Jasmine Choi) gained much popularity after the broadcast of Episode 36 on July 28th, 2010, featuring as a Court Inspector during the Head Inspector's arrest. Referred to as the Tibetan Court Lady (티벳 궁녀) due to her perceived resemblance to the Tibetan fox, she would later on feature in a daily drama and a sitcom. Choi Na Gyeong also became the model for a character in mobile game Master Asia, and is an avid arcade game player herself. Her cameo in Dong Yi can be seen below.

Because of how differently Jang Hee Bin was written in comparison to previous adaptations, this adaptation is the first since 1968 to portray Jang Hee Bin as willingly drinking the poison that would lead to her death.

Jang Ok Jeong, Living in Love (SBS, 2013)

Despite Jang Ok Jeong’s portrayal in the drama as a fashion designer, viewers were displeased at the use of high heels and fashion mannequins, both anachronic to Joseon.

At 33 years old at the time of broadcast, Kim Tae Hee is the oldest actor to play the role of Jang Hee Bin.

The show is unfortunately considered a failure for SBS, with an average rating of only 11.3%. This puts the show behind its contemporaries Queen of Office (KBS, 13.2%) and Gu Family Book (MBC, 18.7%).

At 24 episodes, this is the shortest adaptation of Jang Hee Bin.

A historical accuracy dispute arose over the portrayal of Queen Inhyeon’s father Min Yu Jung. This led to the show being derided as a ‘fantasy drama’ by political drama fans.