I'm Jessica and this is ATC presents there, but he Rambles
were a couple of friends review Korean dramas.
I'm here today with a special guest.
It is Nina from Kpop bookshelf. Hey, what's up, hey Hey, how is
it going? It's going well.
We were talking before we started recording and I am so
excited to have you on. I was telling you that I'm a
huge fan of your podcast that I've heard a bunch of episodes
and my favorite one actually it's like the most of divisive
one I guess. Is the 1982 like the feminist
Pros series that you did. It was like a series of like
three back-to-back podcast episodes and it was it like made
me very upset, right? So that book.
Kim ji Young In 1982 was a very controversial book in Korea and
I just found it so interesting. Because by American feminists
rhetoric standards, I don't think it was all that, all that
crazy of a book or like outrageous of a book, but it
really hit a nerve in Korea. It hit a nerve and me too
especially because your podcast is so well-researched.
And so you were bringing in a lot of other stats.
And I was like, oh my God, I was getting mad right?
Yeah, but I love your podcast and I'm so excited to have you
on. I Was actually a little bit
afraid because you're so soft-spoken and your podcast and
I was like that's not my real life, right?
Right, right. We were talking before and I was
like, oh my gosh, he's so like animated, it's great.
So I was worried that you would be very chill when I got on this
call with you but you're not you're amazing.
And again, your solo podcasting is very difficult.
I admire you so much for doing that.
I don't know if I've ever done a solo pod before, but it's hard.
It's hard to keep it. It's hard to talk to yourself
and Like usually recording late at night which accounts for why
I'm a little bit more soft spoken in that podcast because
it's always like 2 a.m. and I live in apartment building.
So I don't want to disturb everybody else, so, but yeah,
yeah, I'm Hispanic. So I feel like I'm always
yelling in the mic and then Rico's like, you got to, you got
to back away from the mic, like he's giving me all these
pointers and I'm like, whatever just like, let's go, I
definitely can get very loud as well.
Yeah, it is so nice to see you and meet you for the first time
in an Effort to just get to know you better.
I know that some people may not have listened to your podcast.
So what is like your kdrama background before we jump into
this review that we're going to do today which is on Navi?
Lera not be Larry. Yeah.
So my kdrama background actually started with J.
Dramas. I used to take Japanese classes
language classes at a Japanese school that was after I visited
Japan. And I first started watching Jay
dramas and I was like these are ridiculous.
I love it. It's like so weird because some
of the first ones I saw were very bizarre story.
And then from, there are my cousins who were very big Kpop
bands. They were like, you got to get
into Kpop. I was like, no, I wasn't like
into it at all yet. And so then Chi from Exo is in a
Japanese Drama. Oh, forget it.
Yeah. And so I was like, holy via.
I saw, I took one look at him and I was like, okay, maybe
maybe I'm a mature guy is beautiful.
Exactly. And I forgot the name of it now.
It's like something about spring.
But anyway, so I watched Chi and I kind of had like a very vague
awareness of Who he was and then my cousins were like, are you
ready now to watch kdramas and get into like Korean stuff?
And so, I watched, you know, everyone's gateway drug to
kdramas Boys Over Flowers. Yeah.
And I was like wow this is very
interesting to put it one way because that since I think such
as I think when you re-watch it or when you think about it
you're like what did I want? Just watch like what a fever
dream. So yeah it's like really weird
but yeah so that's my kdrama history.
Of it. Yeah, I think you have here.
My Odyssey. My mr.
As well. Yeah.
So is that like a drama that you really admire?
I do. I loved the acting in my ah,
just she also knows my mr. And I like kind of now, it's so
funny because Boys, Over Flowers and some of the Jade early J.
Dramas, I watch you're nothing like these kind of more serious
almost like police procedurals or like Mysteries and not that I
Majesty is that but imagine she's like a very quiet.
Very The Motions are kind of on their face that there's not a
lot of a lot of talking because the both main characters are
kind of quiet people and I you and his name is Casey with the
actor who is from parasite. Yes.
I just she and Majesty was so so good.
And he's going like everything. So, I love that.
Yeah. You.
I mean, you would never know this, but we just recorded an
episode for my mr. For season 2 and like it hasn't
been released yet like we're talking now.
The episode. Isn't out yet.
So you would never know but like I like cried during that show
and I cried on the episode as well.
So I'm really hit a nerve for me.
And the show that we're going to talk about.
Now is also one of those shows that like hit a really it hit me
right in the feels and the last episode like completely wrecked
me. So we'll get going on it.
Thank you so much for talking about your kdrama background
feel like everyone is like oh yeah Boys Over Flowers.
Oh God, what a drama. Okay.
So before we get started, we'll do some housekeeping.
If this is your first time listening, go ahead and
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don't get, don't get discouraged when you see always the critic,
that's what ATC stand for. All right?
So we're going to get going on our review of Novel era.
Would you want to do the honors of reading the Asian Wiki
synopsis, I can read. It's kind of long, but if you
want to read it, be my guest. Yes.
I will read it. Okay, my glasses.
Oh, okay. So So the wiki synopsis Asian
Wiki stops is shim. Stock tool has had a lifelong
dream of Performing ballet due to life situations.
He put aside his dream of becoming a ballet dancer and
worked a normal job to support his family.
He is now 70 years old and retired.
Now, shim doc tool makes the decision to pursue his dream,
again. He joins a ballet company to
learn ballet and there he meets each a dog.
Each Hook is a 23 year old man. His mother was a ballet dancer,
but she died from a disease when he was young.
Eat. Eric learned that he has a
talent for ballet. But after pursuing belly, he
barely has contact with his father and he is a hard time
supporting himself financially at this time.
Shin duck Jewel appears in his life.
Yes. So thank you so much for reading
the synopsis novel era aired originally from March to April
20-21. So it's a pretty recent drama.
We are in the year 2022 right now for the future purposes
because it's hard to tell this show is 12 episodes long, not
16. Gene.
And it's directed by Honda quoi and he directed Squad 38.
Among other things, the show is written by hon and Jim in, which
are they are. The writers of the webcomic.
This was originally a webtoon and then the screenwriter is he
on me? And she wrote tunnel from 2017
which is good to know the show Stars.
Pocking One as seemed old dog tool and he is a very well-known
actor. He's been in the business Ever.
He's had. He has nearly 30 credits to his
name for just movies, and that includes the odd family zombie
on sale from 2019, I recently watched that movie for the first
time, it's on Amazon Prime right now, really?
Yes. He's, it's a zombie movie, but
it's a comedy. So definitely give it a watch.
It's funny. And he's also in Miss Granny
from 2014. Also, very funny.
I think that's on Netflix right now, he for TV.
He has nearly 40 credits to His name, including the present is
beautiful from this year, this is coming out this year in April
and then School 2021. He's also in that show song
plays each attic and he is kind of well known now for being an
IT guy, I would say and he was first seen in the liar and his
lover that was like his breakout role in 2017.
And then he went on to do love, alarm seasons one and two on
Netflix. I personally Not recommend.
Love alarm. Only did I?
Yeah I did not like levels are, did you like love wrong?
Did you see have it on my list? Oh okay.
SLI have gotten to it yet. So okay, just saying he's at
that. Yeah no I wouldn't recommend
love alarm. He was in Sweet Home which is
also a Netflix original in 2020 and that one's like a horror
kdrama. Of course he was a nevertheless
in 2021 and he's currently in forecasting.
Love and weather with Park Min Young and the it's coming out.
This year's current Currently airing right now at the time of
recording. I think he's the Netflix guy
now. Oh yeah.
Yeah because he's been in a ton of Netflix shows.
They just keep casting him. Don't they call him?
Like the prince of Netflix or something?
I was everything. Yeah, I saw that, that makes a
lot. Like, I don't know who calls him
that but somewhat I saw it here and there that they call him,
the prince of Netflix, I believe it.
And there's like the sun maybe. Oh, where folks is something
that's something like that. Yeah, he keeps getting cast an
F. Originals and good for him.
I mean good for him. Did you like the show after all
has all this has been said, the housekeeping's out of the way,
we know the cast and everyone behind the scenes.
What did you think of never Lera?
Checking my reading now? Or should I just oh oh you can
give your rating now if you want to out of yet, what would you
give a shout out of five Soldier bottles and like, why?
Why would you give it? Okay.
So I would give it only A A3
which is I think a low-balling a little bit, but that's because I
loved like the potential of the show and I don't think it ever
quite got to a certain point where I could get where I could
give it a file, I could see it being a 5 if that makes any
sense. But some of the things I didn't
like about it was like so many little individual character pot
lines but there was left a lot of like really undeveloped.
They didn't really delve into their motivations or like
establish. Like how do these people?
Why do these people care about each other?
Why should I Care about them and when they did manage to say some
things about the characters I feel like it was really late in
the season, do the show. Yeah so that's why I give it 3
Soju bottles but I feel like they have a remake this or
something which probably never happen or if there's like
another countries like a Japanese or someone remakes that
maybe it would be better. Wow.
Okay. So I didn't expect you to I mean
yeah you kind of said that you were low-balling it but I would
probably give it three and a half to four Soju bottles is Or
if I'm being generous but I think sitting right now, I'd be
a three-and-a-half Soju bottles and basically, I thought that it
could have been shorter. I could have been probably Eight
Episodes versus 12 episodes. So there was like a lot of fat
that could have been trimmed. I kind of agree and kind of
disagree with when you say that some characters could have had
more development because I feel like towards the end of the show
a lot of arc's like were they did were completed High bunch of
things. Yeah.
Which is Nice.
But I think honestly, the central relationship between
song Kong's character and in one's character is so beautiful
that beautiful. It covers a lot of sins.
I actually agree with that. Yeah, it was very sentimental
and like it, that's why I say like they were so much potential
but they end and like you were saying it was a little bit
longer for like what it really had to be.
And some of the characters there was like too much information.
I was like I don't care about these.
Why are we dwelling on? This.
And then there was other characters and relationships.
I was like, where is more of this?
Like where are they coming from? So right.
It was a little bit of a double-edged thing.
Yeah, I would say that the cinematography was absolutely
stunning. That's a major Plus for the
show, I would say that they're the dialogue and the amount of
quotable lines in this was like a lot.
Like you're just overwhelmed by the amount of nuggets out there.
Throwing at you left. And right.
Yes. Honestly, it's or we need to
support her. Guy that yeah, well, we can talk
about that too in the spoilers section, but I ended up falling
mildly in love with the family and I thought that I would be
very in love with the family. Like there's other kdrama
families that you're like, I love this family, I love this
crew, they're so mesmerizing to watch on screen and I feel like
I'm a part of their family watching them for 16 hours or
what-have-you. Makes me feel like I'm in this
drama with them. I'm feeling their emotions.
Ins and to a certain extent I was but I was more on the side
of the actual heart emoji, then I was like anybody else on the
show so when they were all together it wasn't very it was
organic but not necessarily what's the word.
I didn't want to, like returned to them.
Okay, well, I mean, that's what you mean, like, the one to one
relationships with horrible G and like his granddaughter had a
budgie and certain other. Yeah.
Adult children like those are interesting but when the house
was completely full, even though I do feel like I had they had
chemistry is like a store. They had chemistry as a family
on TV family. It wasn't as heartwarming as
just like the wonder why I was ever like even with the mom and
their her kids are like two tokens heart emoji.
Yeah. Yeah I found that poor.
Is of the show hit too close to home for me and they felt like I
was watching. The saddest thing I've ever
watched, yes, I don't want to give anything away in spoilers,
but I've had certain family members go through the same
thing that this main character is gone through and as a
caregiver in a lot of instances, I feel like this family was
going through the stages of grief.
Yes. And they were going on a really
strong heavy. Be emotional Journey that wasn't
quite portrayed as well as it probably could have been.
There were certain scenes where I was like, this is very
accurate. I was like bawling but then
other scenes I was like we could extend this like I don't know.
It just seemed like it was too much and not enough.
At the same time, I definitely can see that because I feel like
they were kind of going with the with this assumption that a lot
of the audience would kind of figure out the you know.
Oh yeah the situation trying to Yeah.
You know and and I don't know that everybody does necessarily
really understand like what exactly exactly that's exactly
what I'm trying to say is that there's a lot of implications
and underlying things like consequences I would say is a
good word for what hot emojis doing and like what what his
diagnosis means right. And I'm not sure that they
really kind of cover the gravity of like what is happening and
Like the family how they're processing it like they're
throwing ideas out like how do we deal with this and I'm like
you don't get it. I will say this is going to
sound harsh or something, but I feel like they spent too much
time on ballet. Okay, no, because I felt like
they were gonna get so defensive, don't know.
Getting the one seen her. Like, I felt like I was just one
scene that they filmed ones and they kept showing it over and
over again, which is Loom the body, double in the, in the
practice room, like, doing like pirouettes, sir.
I don't know the ballet terms, but right, he's doing all this
stuff. Which looked cool.
The first like few times within the cap.
I swear it seem like they're either just doing the exact same
camera and yeah, playing the same footage.
I agree with you, we caught that down a little bit.
We could have dealt more and just like what you were talking
about with the diagnosis or the families like struggle about
like how do we deal with this? How do we handle this?
I agree. Completely knowing that.
Yeah, they kept reusing it felt like they were reusing footage
in. You're right.
The ballet sequences of first, I was like, oh, they're doing this
really well and I was like, they're not doing this well at
all because the cut that was so abrupt.
Right? Like there was either they were
shown Um, the waist up or they were shown way far away like in
Shadow and you can tell that that's obviously not them.
Yeah, it's not out of a g and it's not song kong doing the
ballet. So it's annoying.
It's annoying because it's, it was distracting.
It was like, yeah, I was like, I want to see their faces now.
These talented, lovely dancers. Yes, especially especially in
the finale. I was like, okay, maybe this is
their time to really showcase They can do what these actors
have learned over the course of 12 episodes.
I know that they've probably been training behind the scenes
and actually song spent five to six months, training ballet
before they started filming. So I'm like, okay, they're going
to Showcase these people and we're gets going to be evident
that, it's the actors doing this belly.
Not the case. By the way, I have a fun fact
about song Kong from mnozil researching for this episode.
Yeah. Yeah his father is a door was a
gymnast o fact for you all. I wish I had those yeah relevant
because he mentioned in some interviews just like how he was
worried about trying to do ballet and whether he'd be good
at everything he would look good or like just looked look really
bad or like it'd just be a complete fail and then he talked
it was revealed, I guess that his father was a gymnast in the
past and I don't know, like, what level of gymnic gymnastics
they were, you know, he was doing but song kong was able to
kind of talk about it with his dad.
Like, you know, right. That's good.
Yeah, no, I didn't know that and there's a certain level of
athleticism that comes with just watching song, do ballet, or
attempt to do ballet because I couldn't see if he was really
doing ballet, most of the time, but I think that he pulled it
off pretty well and I just wish that they had given them, the
given them performance, the time that it should have been given
or the way That it should have been filmed.
Should have been different. What's an example of like Oh
Black Swan is a great movie, that has body doubles but you
know, they use CGI and all this stuff to put Natalie Portman's
face onto the ballerinas face. And of course, Natalie Portman
like songs, spend months learning ballet and getting the
forms, right? So that it could be as seamless
as possible. That's a movie that I feel could
have been an inspiration for the way that this was shot.
That not Alaric could have been shot.
I'm going to age myself and Shout out another ballet movie,
which is Center Stage, which came out like in maybe 2002 or
something, but they and it it featured actual ballerinas and
Mallory nose. So it's little bit different in
terms of how to film it. But how to film The Dancing?
I agree because like, there's a way I felt watching Center Stage
that it was so exciting. It was so like you got like, how
Cutthroat is the ballet like fields or like how like intense
everything as Nothing is just like whatever, it's like life or
death, for all the dancers, and for some Kong's character to
talk. You do feel like it's life or
death for him, but he is like these other survival struggles.
Anyway, but in Center Stage, it was just like, wow, this is this
is like good dance versus, this is bad dance.
And this is like amazingly hard versus you ever watch like
Project Runway and used like starch or something like that
and you're like oh that Stitch is wrong or like oh right.
Right. This is like suddenly like an
expert in fashion or whatever or like enough clothing
manufacturing. So Got that sense from like
Center Stage which was kind of a corny movie, but like, I loved
it when I was younger and I was hoping I'd be there.
I would kind of inspire these feelings of me about dance.
I also only be really passionate dance, I want to take ballet
lessons and I didn't feel like that partially because it's
like, recycled footage or whatever was going on.
I don't know what that one. Yeah.
But Tara, I song Gangnam, I'm like, honey bees character James
Hong Kong. Did do I thought a good job of
like, at least giving off ballarino Vibes, right?
However, much dancing, he actually did pain on the
footage. So yeah, I don't think that
maybe the filmmakers, or sorry, those showrunners weren't as
comfortable with showing the actors from the waist down.
And maybe I'm not going to throw this out there.
Is it because they were in Tights?
No, I actually think, Balor from what I know.
And again, a lot of ideas from Center Signature than box, one
is that the footwork and stuff is, has to be so precise.
Yes. From like a ballet, like to be
his level of a ballarino. He would have to be nailing the
footwork and I don't know who they hired to have a bunch of
time to be on a drama as like a body double and do these kinds
of scenes. But I mean, it probably wasn't
like the principal ballarino of whatever Korean, you know, dance
company. So that's my thing.
They just were trying to downplay any kind of technical
critique, they might have gotten from the dance Community.
If that's a thing, I kind of agree, it might be.
So I think that's why the kind of I was thinking more like, oh,
it's a protector like dignity, because they'd be in Tights,
but, yeah, I agree. We that they're not good enough,
get a double but at the same time it was it was like
Flashdance level. Like it's like okay, that's a
man dressed as a woman and I'm like well that's doing slashing.
Watching the seen so many times are scenes of them practicing in
the practice room. So felt monotonous repetitive
recycled. Yes boring and maybe dance with
boring like why? So right I agree.
That's a major complaint of mine.
Did you have any other major complaints that you?
Need to talk about generally before we get into spoilers.
Um, well without giving spoilers, I did think the
characters were so this is just me maybe but the catcher so
confusing. Like I didn't understand why the
Magna a doctor was not. They his youngest son was like
this depressed, former doctor like what was his whole deal and
then I and I we finally got some of that way way later like, what
it was, what his deal was. Yeah.
Or like, you know, I felt like the daughter's husband was seen
as like a kind of a loser because he didn't go to college.
College and I was like, why are we care about this again?
Like I know why? But like, why why does this
family care that much about this or the bully?
There's like a bully, not just boiler anything but the bullies
whole dilemma with. Oh yeah, that was bullshit.
That was bullshit. Like what is this?
Yeah happening like anyway so that's my biggest complaint was
like everything took too long to develop and then some of these
didn't get like as developed as I would have liked to have seen
it so yeah, true true. Okay.
I agree with you completely. And at this point, I think we're
just gonna get Into spoilers. So if you don't care to be
spoiled, keep listening. But if you haven't watched now
Valera, I would suggest you go watch it and then come back and
listen to her spoiler talk. So we're gonna get started on
spoilers right after this, you want to come in.
Okay, so we're on the other side of spoilers for Navi Lera.
And we're going to talk through all of the things that probably
we didn't like, Like so you mentioned the the Magna a
character who is the youngest son of our heart emoji?
And he was like a surgeon and gave up his whole career for
what? Like I got it kind of at the
beginning when he was like kept wearing the, the clogs, the
Crocs, that's what they are. He kept wearing Crocs, and it
was like the middle of winter and he's wearing Crocs and it
was to remind him of the blood that fell.
On the Crocs. During one of his last
surgeries, he lost a patient and he was saying, oh, I already
like said his time of death, but his blood was still falling on
my shoes and I it was warm his blood was still warm.
Yeah, it sounded like he had a botched surgery and that's why
it correct me if I'm wrong. And that's why he quit the field
of medicine entirely which like bro you're going to be a doctor
like that's going to happen. I wish they said, I know I know
first of all I know Oh, you should be Jaded by now because
your you cannot save 100% of your patients.
Unfortunately, unfortunately. And that's very, very sad
reality. And I guess he kind of hit up
against this wall in his mind and heart where he was feeling
hopeless. And I think they should have
said that a little bit better in the dialogue.
Maybe they, he had a personal like not an actual personal
connection to this. The patient he has to wait,
mate, but maybe he saw something in him.
Like oh my gosh, this guys, my age are.
Oh my Just persons a brother and a father or whatever.
This person is living so amazing life.
Or they did gave us nothing about why he cares so much about
this patient. And I was I thought that was
like why is he this depressed? It just didn't make sense.
It didn't make sense that he wanted to do a whole documentary
on the patient and the patient's that he lost which seemed like a
terrible thing to do. Like I'm like are you thinking
this through? You don't think that.
That's there's going to be a bit of a backlash from the family or
the friends from these deceased patients.
Like he didn't, like think if they're, he thought he was gonna
doing a good thing, or maybe just, it was so selfish almost
for him to, like, go poking at this.
Well, because he obviously had unanswered questions, but we
don't know what they were. We had no reason to like yeah,
or like, why? Why are you making a
documentary? Just seems so random and I
thought. Okay, go, go over it in going
National say even wearing the Crocs.
Okay. Yes, yes.
The blood was a warm but like it takes, I don't know.
The whole thing is like if you work for any amount of time and
around a hospital it's like not that deep not to be.
About it, but just like blood gets cold.
After someone dies, you have to go around wearing those Crocs
forever. I don't know.
Like, they try to make it more sentimental than it was.
And I think if you're, if you've ever seen someone who's gone
through medical school and training or if you've been
someone who's gone through out of school training, like this is
not your first death. It's not probably not your first
death at your hate video by your hand almost, you wouldn't get
this worked up unless you're like, oh my gosh, this was my
brother, right? Oh my gosh, this is my best
friend. Yeah, there has to be a certain
level of professionalism and even though Or in a
life-or-death situation and people are depending on you, you
this is your job. You do this day in and day out
and sure it gets to you. But like do you quit your entire
career over it? It didn't seem like there was
enough for him to dislike the job.
Like maybe he didn't. I'm I'm in my mind.
This was I was bored. I was thinking was that he was a
closeted creative and that he wanted to be in a more creative
job and so he chose documentary I was I was He's a filmmaker
like he wants to be in that field versus in the medical
field. So it was never a good fit for
him. Not the case at all.
Like I made up this whole story in my head.
No he was not say cuz that was kind of where or what?
I thought were the I thought I was going to wear like his you
kind of became a doctor to satisfy his parents and deal,
but then he kept going to visit his former doctor colleagues and
friends and he was like honestly at the hospital.
Yes. Ali.
And he was never actually making almost never actually making a
documentary except for like a couple steps.
You made her like Scout a location and he, you know, had
some cameras or whatever, then he finally started doing other
documentary. So I was like, I do not get this
and not to, you know, she many ones, whatever mixed feelings
depression, trauma, whatever you going on, but I wish they would
have shared it with us. Have been like when he, you
know, when he was younger, he wished he did this and he felt
if like a failure. What was it?
That was so bad. Right?
Was he feel like he failed to feel like he left something
down, himself down, it just made no sense.
Real sense. Ultimately, yes, were we agree
on that? We can talk About the son-in-law
character, who was, like trying to be a politician, who's like a
wannabe politician, trying to go for like local government?
And to me, that was kind of a poop storyline because it was
very, it was very unsatisfactory.
The guy didn't win his election, he you seem to be a burden on
his wife, who was very frustrated with him.
Kept saying like, oh I don't know about this and kept like
just looking down upon him and not necessarily because he
didn't have a college education. Asian but because he didn't have
any, he didn't have any realistic goals and he didn't
have a wishy-washy was wishy-washy and just needed a
lot of confidence boosting and then he wasn't good at anything
he did. So like at that point like you
should probably switch to something else.
It seemed like they were in debt all the time.
The mom, the mom character hajis wife kept giving her money like
they were struggling. Yeah.
And also it was interesting because the I felt like towards
the end finally if the husband redeem that sounds horrible,
redeemed himself because he went hard but she's facing his
diagnosis. Everything he was the one who's
like we can take care of him. We can manage this.
If you're my family, I'm your son too.
Yeah and it's sort of like painted the thinks.
I felt like in the beginning they were pinning had a bunny
the grandma to be like someone who was so hung up on maybe
status or like just never wanted to be like struggling with money
again. Yeah.
Want our kids to be super settled successful etcetera.
And he wasn't like helping her daughter to achieve that.
But then he was like, look, I'm family like we're a family and
so it's not always about, I think it's like a reminder of
like it's always about status or position in Life or, you know,
whether or not you're you can make decisions.
It's also just about being reliable family member.
Yeah, I agree with that. That was something that I wish I
would have touched on more, is that there was a weird dichotomy
between the spouses that married into the family and then the
Sons and Daughters of how to Boogie.
And that they seem to be like second class has since within
the family, like they didn't have any say they were voicing
their opinions and like the other siblings are like you
can't say anything, you're not even, you're not even part of
the family which out of line. They should have been slapped
years ago. Like the, you can tell these are
like old married couples have been married for like over a
decade and still like the oil. They both were like, yeah, I'll
take him in. Well, do whatever.
Like will drop everything and I was like, why are you again?
The like lack of like explaining motivations or people's like,
Whatever like yeah, why are you doing this?
They didn't. It's not like we saw, how do I
would be super close to either of those children in law because
it just wasn't within the scope of this drama?
Yeah, probably was something, but we didn't see it.
I think that they showcased the spouses being taken care of by
the hot Emoji, especially with the wife of the oldest son, who
supported how to achieve when he came out and said he wanted to
do badly, she was unconditionally support.
Of him. And they did a flashback of her
as a new mom. And she was struggling, she was
struggling to find her identity as a new mom, she struggled
because she wanted to go back to working full-time and her
husband was like relegating her to the house, and being a
full-time mom. And so she was like, he
supported me during that. I know that you came to the
house and were taking care of your granddaughter.
While I was struggling at talking through my issues with
my mom. On the phone and it seemed like
that was so profound to her. And it left such a mark on her
that she was like, I'll your, you're mine, I'm yours and I'm
gonna support you. I didn't feel like there was
that closeness with the husband, the politician husband, right?
It's social cause he got dragged on so much by G but like
everybody else. Yeah.
But his wife which was stirred daughter had this profound
amazing, emotional moment in the final episode.
Or she cries, and begs her. Dad, not to go into the nursing
home, and let them take care of him.
Let her take care of him. She was going through this whole
infertility crisis throughout her married life and they never
were able to have children. It's a huge emotion emotional
Journey that kind of came to an end during the show where she
said I'm giving up like a can't, I can't kiss.
Wondered like she was giving up. Anyways, on trying to pursue
this building a family, at least your biological Yeah, and when
she found out about hot emojis diagnosis, I almost feel like
maybe they're trying to tell us and it could just be me like,
making this up, but maybe they're trying to us that she
found a purpose, like the purpose or whatever role.
Like, having a child would have filled in her life, or whatever.
Fulfillment, that would have give brought her now.
She was kind of channeling that into taking care of her father.
Exactly. Yeah, she basically said instead
of paying it forward with her own children, she'd pay him back
for all the kindness and care that he showed her growing up
and she cited. This one thing of he always
Picked her up from school. Whenever it rained we just like
I was crying. I was crying.
I was emotional. It was a I personally my
grandfather passed away many years ago, but he also had
Alzheimer's and he died basically bedridden and of
Alzheimer's, like his body, just shut down and the fact that she
cited that he came to get her from school and it was a rate
whenever it rained, he was, is such a subtle thing.
But my grandfather used to pick me up from school every day.
Yeah so it was like oh just like gut-wrenching, it hit me right
in the feels because it was so close to home.
You know, when she was like, please don't do this.
And at this point, I mean, I guess you can kind of, if you
are sticking around and you haven't watched novel, are you
can kind of guess that like the heart emoji has Alzheimer's.
He's in the early speech in the early stages of Alzheimer's.
Which you I knew immediately like when He got lost the first
time. We got lost in the museum.
I was like, so some kind of cognitive decline.
Yes, I was like oh no he's got Alzheimer's or he's got
dementia. Yeah.
The earlier on I kind of was guessing like it was like a
terminal illness. Like yes, sir.
Yes. And then when he like you said,
when you start getting lost or having these like confusion
moment, you're like, oh, it's something like dementia.
I'm gonna take a little minute to talk to you about Alzheimer's
and cry because I looked up at, yes, absolutely tell her.
Yeah, so Korea is as you already probably No population where a
lot of the people are aging just like Japan for example, and it's
the fastest aging country among the organization for economic
cooperation and development also known as oecd countries.
This is something I'm quoting, by the way, from a medical
journal called the annals of geriatric, medicine and
research. So projects with projection,
showing it possibly becoming the country with the highest number
of older people in 2075. So, it's a very big concern in
Korea just like, how to do elder care.
It's also a country, where not a lot of Of children are being
born or so, there's this, this fear of like, in the future
Society, won't be able to sustain or support their elderly
population. And in fact, an article that I
read that interviewed Park in Han the gentleman who played
Hadji he himself said, one out of four people in Korea are
seniors. That's how many seniors there
are now, dramas, films and plays are all works, that reflect on
contemporary Society. I hope that subjects become more
Diversified such as care facilities or nursing homes.
So, I think he means like film the subject On such a place,
maybe they'll take place in, you know, they can't be, uh,
neglected population. So and all timers in general is
just such a devastating diagnosis to get.
And I'm also going to just randomly say this here, that I
thought it was interesting that as soon as chaddock realized
that Hadji had Alzheimer's, he was so devastated and I was
like, I wonder if it's super realistic to think not to rain
on this parade that it's 20, however, your old would like
realize the gravity of this Hmm. I wow.
That's a, that's a good point is that I don't think I this is
hard because I my grandfather got Alzheimer's and I think I
was in my late teens and I didn't think, I mean, I was
like, oh yeah, he's going to forget stuff but like, as soon
as I had to start coming over and changing his diaper, like,
if things could totally change. I was like, oh no, this is like
a real. Debilitating disease, like, in
his case, he really, I mean, it was a decline but it wasn't as
rapid as other family members who also have been diagnosed
with Alzheimer's. So, I for a 23 year, olds
understand the gravity of the situation and think that it's a
terminal illness because it it is a term to me, it is a
terminal illness. Like your might not have died
from Alzheimer's, but you're going to forget how to hold a
spoon. You're going to forget your
family members. You there was a sense of loss
before the death actually occurs arising cause of death in Korea,
when it's getting into the top 10 causes of death.
Yeah. Yeah.
I a lot of people just don't understand like I've talked to
friends and other family members who never had to go through it
directly and like they don't understand it's like oh they
forget stuff for they repeat themselves, like, you know, just
play along with whatever they're saying is like no, you don't
understand so much more devastating.
Yes, it's not just that and I and chaddock it was obvious
didn't have like a ton of family members so did he have personal
experience? You know someone again it's like
another thing of this drama not giving us a ton of information
like back early and work with that but he That this was like
such bad news for hydrology and he felt so bad for her money and
her head was his grand daughter. Who was kind of friends would
like it was just he realized the gravity but is that like
realistic? I don't know.
I agree, I agree that didn't seem realistic to me.
I mean, it seem realistic to me as an audience member because
I'm like, oh God. Yeah.
Like that's say goodbye because it's really, it'll take, I don't
know, say it's going to take its time, but the progression is Is
difficult to Grapple with as a caregiver.
Think it's so unpredictable. So, like exactly.
And he seemed very kind of shook about it.
Like, oh my gosh, how did what she has Alzheimer's?
He was like struggling, like how do I break this news to anyone
else in the family? Or should I break it this news
or like it's his news to give he was going through the struggle?
Which I thought was really well portrayed and Sung.
Kang did a great job acting all that out that dilemma and his
worry and his concern and fear. But I but you know for example
you had this personal experience of knowing someone with
Alzheimer's Someone who's very close to you, and you saw
firsthand like what they go through on a day-to-day basis.
As they continued progress, I don't have chaddock had that
experience or how he exactly knew.
I was just wondering. I was really curious, like, how
does he know it was not like I'm like, oh, he doesn't know.
That's ridiculous. But I was just more like, how
does he know? Like that's really amazing that
he knows that I was curious. He's so attuned to it.
It was, It was kind of bizarre. I almost stopped for a second.
His mom had her something because rules mom died.
Yeah. They never said, they know how
she died either. So And I was like going crazy,
he kept visiting her and talking to her while in the columbarium,
and I'm like, but how did she die?
Like, why did she die? So something the relationship
like? Yeah, that's really should like
with his dad. Who, you know, obviously went to
jail, was she alive? During I think she was.
But anyway, I was like, I needed so much more about his mom and
that like his wife before his dad, went to jail.
Yes. And I wanted so much more from
the dad character as well who they seem to want.
A have they did like a half-baked reconciliation with a
dad and I actually have big is half big because there was a
couple of conversations a couple of couple of words had and then
like what will be just forgive all the years of abuse.
Like we're like there's something in the dad abuse
Channel because well or debuts only as part of the soccer team
by ioc beating kids in the soccer team, like Iowa.
So I'm lost. Yes, it was a bizarre things
happen. Why did he go to prison for
beating? Ting children.
The White Sox. Yeah.
Not uncommon in Korean - to be children but you know from like
it's teachers or like I mean I think it's less common now but I
know like there's other dramas where they show teachers
practicing corporal punishment. Yeah.
So I was like, is this a crime like genuinely?
I was like, it's a crime. Why was it a crime?
Why was this incident? A crime and other incidents.
Did he like, he didn't like murder anyone not to sound
flippant about it but then the bully having this like a whole
giant dead. Hope they'll yeah, total been
done against the family like, of course, that makes sense,
because but then it was like the.
Why? Because he's like, my career is
over and then the grandpa was like, no, it's not over and I
was like, what is going on right now?
Okay, what anyone's doing this drama, the bully.
I couldn't get a read on him for a lot of times.
It was. So one note and you're just
like, oh, he's such a good boy when he was like a little soccer
player. Yeah, fully with bleached hair
and then like just indiscriminately beating up
people. It seems like and then I don't
know, it was It's weird. I didn't like that.
No, no. Okay, I can go.
Go ahead. What are you gonna say, okay?
This is about the best friend, tear ducts best friend.
Who's the goalkeeper in the soccer team and new the bully.
And but yeah, it wasn't really afraid of the bully because he's
like, this is not my deal. This is between like, chugs down
and the bully. I was like what are these
relationships because he seemed close to both of them.
Sort of, unlike many not friends with the bully, but he seemed
like they like how this history. They were team and who each
other. There may be friends.
And then when the dad goes to But that surely was not the
first time he like whooped all these soccer players.
So like I don't really I don't. Yeah, there's so many questions.
Unanswered questions are piling up here.
Here's a question. We can probably answer, though.
Do you think song that's a good actor?
So at first I was like, this guy is not good, okay.
I've never seen a local farm and I haven't watched over the last.
I haven't watched a lot of, but I know he's very popular so kind
of had high expectations in my mind for a minute versus like,
this is not good at acting but then I realized actually it was
pretty good. Acting because the parts where
so chair rock just to like backtrack a little.
Chadwick was essentially abandoned in a way like his
mother died. She did intentionally abandon
him but she's gone and then his dad is like, in jail.
Also not intentional, but he's gone.
And he's like, just so alone and he's the struggles were, he's
like alone in his apartment and it's just like, hitting him in
like, emotional waves, that I'm alone, and no one's there for
me. And I have to survive, somehow,
I had to like, my dad is even care.
Is that how he feels right? He just like pieces out after
his release from prison. And I think I thought those
Quiet Moments where he's just like, I'm going through really
Deep Emotions were so amazing. She doesn't say anything, right?
It's like not. There's no dialogue, right?
Okay, just feeling the feels, so here's the keys.
You think he is a good? Okay, here's my take.
This is a hot take, all right, I don't think some kind is a good
actor. Okay.
I mean I didn't either at first, so I have watched him in the
lion. His lover.
I've watched him in season 1 of Love alarm, I've watched him.
Nevertheless, I don't think he's a good actor.
There's something about looking at song Kong and there's
something about his little beady eyes that I can't get a read on.
I feel like there's nothing there and that scares me that
there. It seems so empty.
He seems so empty, a lot of emotionless.
So I think that's what happened with novel era where I was like
this guy is doesn't remote and then I was like, well as
character sort of like, you know, a trauma response is to be
like in a frozen sort of Date, right?
If that's what you want to call it.
I'm kind of diagnosing him from over here without any
credentials. But if he's like, he's like
traumatized or if he's like going through it essentially and
he just can't like you don't have time to feel his feelings.
It's sort of then did make sense of he's so like Stony and like
emotionless and but then like, yeah, I thought they had my his
moments hopefully that gives them.
I would agree that in this show, he probably did the best that
I've seen him act, especially Like when he was driving a car
at one point, he was like freaking freaking out because he
can't drive very well. I was like, okay, and some
emotion, he's acting the goodbye scene.
He porchetta. Yes.
Yeah, that was good to area more like in general in the bathrooms
of the ballet studio, right? Yeah.
He's panicked and you're like, okay, I feel this, I feel the
urgency, I feel the panic. I think when he said goodbye too
hot to go G and the airport as well, I was like oh God, Sung
Kang you're bringing It was very emotional because he starts
crying too and they hug which is very uncommon and kdramas for 2,
male figures to hug and I was like, oh God.
So I would say that he did the best.
In this one. Still, not Stellar still not a
great actor to me. I think he has a long way to go.
He's got the model look but like not the chops.
The acting chops yet so that's the end of my hot sake.
Um hot of oh geez wife. She goes through quite an arc
actually where she is very close-minded and upset at his
him learning ballet and I just, I was had very little sympathy
for her. I was like, she has no leg to
stand on, and I just didn't. I felt so much anger toward her
towards the first time because the reason she gave a
ridiculous. She's like, do you want to live
here kids? Why are you doing your own
thing? I was like, what he's retired.
Kids are his kids are adults like what?
Supposed to do exactly like, she kept packing food for them and
giving them. I come over, get the soup come
over and get this, whatever she made.
And that's nice, but they didn't need that.
It was like these children. Adult children were had any kind
of me that the hardwood you should have been attending to.
And so, she was just getting mad at him for like no reason.
Yes, ridiculous. Every moment you live should be
for your kids. It's like what?
That's ridiculous. Even for like Asian family.
Yeah, she had a skewed version of like, what her role is at
this point in life, where she was still trying to be the mom
and it's like, no, you're pretty much done.
Done like they're already cooked.
Like the youngest the Monday is 39 years old.
You're done. He said that so many times.
He's like I'm 39 and 39. Yeah, you said it over and over
again. And now I remember it, but when
she guilted him into quitting ballet, I I was seething.
I was seething know when she cut into his leg is ready to throw
something. God, I was throwing had, oh my
God, the worst, the worst ever moment.
Yeah. Like that whole drama.
I felt like was when she Cut again, really cut up his dance
legging. Yes.
He cut up his leotard and then said, age gracefully like that
was the thing. She kept saying like age
gracefully, just go hiking with me.
Like, why do you need to do this?
Just like you're such an embarrassment.
You said, and I did feel like her tail was like the status quo
that she like works so hard to achieve and wanted to maintain
it. All costs for her kids, even
like her kids had to live up to and I feel like in her mind her
husband had to live up to what she had to live up to it.
And I think and I know they struggled in the early days of
their marriage, but then she was so hung up on it.
Still. I was like this.
This is ridiculous. Yeah, you don't you don't give
her an inch in the show as an audience member.
She yeah she kept citing her kids.
She was like they were just too poor to send their kids school
fees when they were younger and the kids grew up, well, despite
all these circumstances. So can't he stop ballet for the
kids now when they're so against it like bullshit, we've already
established a grown-ass kids like let.
How about do you live and Achieve this level of success
like you said, like despite their yes they had hardships.
But now they're all kind of like maybe not as subtle as she would
like or as successful as you like.
But they're they're they're at the point, she brought them up
to be at so I don't know what more she really wants.
Yeah. Why she's to bring hot Emoji
into this. She kind of saw ballet is being
this frivolous thing when they sacrificed so much to raise
their kids. But of mind, I'm like, babe.
It's been 20 years since you were like raising a child.
So this is the time, this is the time for him to he can do ballet
it. It was very frustrating to watch
the family, have family many meetings over the hot Emoji
learning ballet. Like what is that?
Why do we need a family meeting about?
No idea and it occurs like he took put on a tutu, walk down
the street and then like went to ballet class and maybe that's an
issue and their neighborhood of but that would be an issue in
their neighborhood but he just was casually going to Studio
doing his thing and coming home. That's it, like, it's like going
to the gym. Almost, he's not even hurting
anybody like no, no, the Asshole, son the oldest son, I
call them to asshole. Son.
The in the one I really was like, why are we?
I didn't want to. I didn't care about him.
Yeah because he's you can't Brew for him at all.
Like he's terrible. He I think I won't point the why
his wife was going back to work right after 20 years, like she's
going back to work. Finally full-time is what she's
wanted like since the child was born, she's wanted to go back to
work full time and he was offended that she wanted to go
back to work offended that she had an interview for the job.
She was like, he was demanding that she still fulfill her
responsibilities as a mom and a wife.
So I really did not understand this because I feel like they
met as sort of equals or peers or whatever is colleague
something? So why are you so weirded out by
her desires to go back to that status special.
She did fulfill her duties as a mom.
It exactly. You want her to keep packing
Bento boxes for you like I don't understand.
Like it was very weird. It was very weird.
It was so annoying. And then of course, his reaction
to the dad. Doing ballet.
I mean, he thought he kept saying that, are you doing this
to me? Why are you doing this to me?
Like, like I said, bad starting ballet was like to spite him as
a punishment to him, like he's the victim.
I think that was very much a reflection of his mom.
His mom's attitude was like you're ruining our whole family
by you doing this little thing and the oldest son or eldest,
son kind of mirrored that like you're ruining my life, the most
prestigious one here basically this attitude the whole time.
So he's like this is going to affect me.
The most I have the most to lose and I guess it's supposed to
show like his him and his mom being on the same page was over
and I was like, we don't care this much but I think the tide
finally changes when that sun drops in on them and sees the
dad and his leotard and blows a gasket.
Like he completely is out of line and disrespectful the way
he speaks to his father. And finally, the wife, the
Hominy is like, just Hitting him and just like, why are you
talking that way to your father? He's done so much for this
family. You don't understand.
Because he was saying stuff that like he's never, I've never
asked you for a favor ever. You know, I've had to make
sacrifices growing up while you got to live comfortably and
like, no, no, no, it's the other way around.
Get ya out of pocket. Mmm, it's still so
disrespectful. So the Mom finally she sticks up
for heart emoji. And she says, why does your why
does our sons success have to make us feel so small.
Why does your father have to feel sorry when you've grown up
so well, so profound. Yeah.
So it is I love that line and I love that she finally is like,
do belly, like it's fine. Actually, for me, that was a
moment to where she was like because prior to that she had
been like, I do everything for my kids, I sacrificed my whole
life for my kids and then she finally was like, actually there
should be more reciprocal than it may be.
Is like they there could, they were kind of up until that point
ignoring them a little bit. Like they were always bugged by
her and they're like oh Mom CNO. They she wants to pick up soup
again or whatever and they were like very bothered and then she
finally was like, actually you guys need to respect us and
appreciate us. And that was kind of good.
Yeah, I liked that part. Yeah, I have so many lines here.
I cannot go through each one but like I face my problem head-on
because I wanted to be happy. What makes you happiest.
Someone asked me that question today but I couldn't answer it.
I'm going to find out and that's something that's own Kong asks.
The granddaughter because they're like semi friends.
That was an interesting relationship and I don't think
they really gave her our a lot of play as much as they did in
like the Middle episodes where she is shown at work with song
and she's getting treated badly. She's doing badly on the job.
She gets played by her evaluator who wanted her to look translate
her thesis paper into English and then gave her a c on the
evaluation and like, Shut down his chances at Landing, a
permanent position at the company.
It was like all this drama and then like we don't get as much
drama the rest of the show for her.
She had like this really juicy moment and then like yeah done.
Yeah and then she's like, I love working at the radio.
I was like whoa. Like that happened way too
quickly. Yeah, from like she had this
other idea of her life and then she's like I don't want this
radio internship and then she gets it.
She's like just kidding. I love it.
And I was like, what's that happened?
So fast. That was weird to.
Yeah. Because at the end, she sits
down with song and she's like, oh, yeah.
Found it. I found what makes me happy and
he's like what is that? Just like working at the radio
station makes it was up about. Hold on, hold on.
How do we get there? You were being awesome because
she was just like a coffee bringer copies maker.
She wasn't like yeah, anything important not to be me.
That is important. Yeah.
But she wasn't doing meaningful work.
Right. Right.
Fulfilling work.
Yeah, she was just showing up. I do like that they didn't have
any like they seemed like they were going to get like kind of
romantical. Let's talk about this because I
thought I was like, oh, they're gonna get their song on the
granddaughter are going to make it as a couple by the end of the
show or something to that effect.
Yeah, never happened. Never happened.
What the hell? It was both frustrating, but I
was kind of like, actually, this is good because for one thing I
think towards the end, maybe this again, just me, but they
almost had a sibling Dynamic there, like, we share a grandpa.
So now it's like, okay, we don't want them to get together.
Also, To fulfill his dreams. There's no way he could really
be with her because she's like, working in a local radio
station. He's like, I gotta go be a
ballerina and Italy or whatever he was doing those kind of
Impractical. And yeah, he just was so adopted
by The Harem. Only had a body that it seemed
almost incestuous. I would've been almost
incestuous, you know, that was my take on it right again.
I could be reading this in a really weird way but they did
have this really nice camaraderie and understanding
and she's like, you look after my grandpa and I think she does
such appreciation for how he did look.
After her grandma, she recognized that acknowledge that
and she's just like, I'm here for you, bro.
Like, I like that dynamic as a change.
But yes, at some point, I was like, are they gonna kiss?
I think it gets a guy hired all that.
Yeah, I was kind of hoping it's sunk.
I'm gonna blankly look out a window and like they cut to the
granddaughter and so he's obviously thinking of her like,
no, it never happened. It's kind of refreshing, the
kind of a letdown if you're into kdrama.
I agree. Completely it is.
Like okay, I was expecting. It would have been okay with it
but then they didn't do it. I'm like okay.
Yeah. Platonic friendship is okay to
like, it's fine. Yeah, either way, but it was a
bit of a fake. Oh yes, the incompatible this
company. Yeah, they're compatible.
Yeah, I was very emotional during the ballet scene in the
snow and there were three ballet scenes in the snow.
Right. Right where and this one was an
episode a where Hollywood? He loses his memory and he's
like been in standing in the street Frozen for like over 30
minutes and he couldn't remember Chadwick.
So chaddock starts dancing in the, in the walkway there.
Oh my God. Beautiful beautiful.
Any got the park in one, like his portrayal of someone so
freaked out. Cannot doesn't know where he is,
doesn't know who he's talking to.
She doesn't know what's happening.
It's just having this like moment where his Alzheimer's
symptoms are flaring if that's the way I could describe it.
I thought that was such a good portrayal because he looks so
freaked out. And then and then putting that
scene in the writers to me that seated with songkong like
dancing to jog his memory. So genius I thought like yeah
you know, he could have just been like remember we take
ballet together and I'm your teacher.
He did do a little bit of that, but then he's like, okay, I'm
just gonna start dancing because it shows how yeah, this art is.
So moving your heart of a g in particular.
It's more than words, it's more. Then anything else?
Oh my God. Yes, it's transcending.
You know, totally God. Great word.
It was beautiful and I didn't care that that wasn't Sung Kang
dancing in the, the silhouette or whatever.
I was just moved. I was moved when that scene came
up and of course, had a woody does.
Remember him, he liked it, does jog his memory.
So it's I think of it as like movie Magic because In real
life, I do not think that a little dancing.
Boy will jog, an Alzheimer's patients memory.
Never know, you never know. It's a very unpredictable
disease and a funny story my grandmother.
She just recently passed away like a couple of months ago, but
she thank you. She also got dementia and
hurlers way later than my grandfather did.
She was in her late 80s but she got dementia and it was a very
rapid decline for her. But she never forgot that my
friend met her husband on a cruise, like, they would come
and visit, she wouldn't remember who they were and then they'd
start talking like, oh yeah, you guys met on the cruise, right?
So like random. Yeah, the most random thing that
she remembered but the dancing in the snow sequence, in episode
10, also shook me up. That was when Haji starts
dancing in the like lights from the car and it's snowing again.
Oh my gosh, I thought Because the traditional kdrama Trope is
no means romance, right first? No first time you like get
together or whatever is like there's always those things
about snow not that this was first no necessarily.
But in this drama they used to know for these pivotal moments
that are related to ballet which was like in a way his first
love. If you think about it moving you
getting to it? No keep going.
Keep going. But yeah like it's something
that's so meaningful and and his passion and he like kind of
tamped it down for so long. And then every time it snows,
Knows there's like this important dance scene.
I thought that was a nice again. I kind of appreciate some of the
variations away from the regular drama tropes and regular,
expectations of what the drama will be because it's so much
more creative and kind of more meaningful.
I thought. Anyway, yes.
Beautiful interpretation of that because yes, no is usually a
Romancing. But this is a bromance with an
art form. Yeah.
It's really good way to put it.
Yeah, beautiful. I I think that I kind of lost it
and started crying during the family meeting where they're
talking about the nursing home situation and that discussion
that's all of kids have with each other.
And then, that granddaughter was my hero.
The So they're talking about what they're going to do, right?
The oldest son says oh we're going to take him, we're going
to take him in. We're going to take care of him
and that's when the sister says no.
You know, we're going to take him in and her politician
husband stepson. Some steps up and says it
before, she can get the words out and says, no will take him.
I been in these conversations. You know, I've been in these
family meetings. What are we going to do?
Because it's getting worse and you guys can't take care of, you
know, so and so, So, it almost felt like I've been, I've been
in that room and the tension, the emotions.
And the fact they have kind of, to put on a different hat
because you have to think logically.
You cannot think emotionally, like, what are you?
He cannot take care of himself. He can't stay by himself, but I
work full time, right? I cannot be with him 24 hours a
day and he needs 24/7 supervision.
So, something's got to give Yeah, my family's from
Bangladesh and there's like a big stigma about like nursing
homes or let's talk. Like that's like abandoning your
family and you have to be the one to take care of your family.
So the Elder son was like, no, we we are the family in the
sister was like, but realistically we need help.
We have professional nurses or whoever to come.
We either in the home or we have to sent like, you know, it was
like a huge emotional battle but that struggle between logic and
emotions. I thought was really well
portrayed really well. Portrayed, it was a Very well
written. And like you said, I come from a
Hispanic culture. It's the same exact thing in our
culture where the older, you get that the older generation
expects that their children will take care of them in their old
age, no matter what going into a nursing home is like, not an
option. It's taboo.
Like you don't do that. It seems like you're abandoning
your family member throwing them away or something.
Yes. Like just, like, putting them
away in a nursing home and that's That's not the case at
all. I've learned I've had to
unlearn. This actually like as a as a
Hispanic coming from this culture and dealing with it.
Firsthand three different times. Actually, I feel completely
that. It's not the case.
You're not abandoning, your family member, you need help,
they need help, they need specialized help, right?
That is a taking care of them. Yes.
Yes, give them the best care. If unless you're a trained
geriatric nurse you're not going to be able to provide Vide.
That care or Jared? Yes, you got it.
You need to leave something. A diagnosis like this.
It's not just regular aging or what?
Yes. Yes.
Like a different thing entirely, and they're not capable, and
they're not equipped. Especially if you have a
full-time job, especially don't know what you're doing in this
scenario and you do need to consider something like under a
home or a special facility or at least in home care.
Something. Yeah, something I mean my case,
if it went three different ways. So my grandfather, my
grandmother swore that Take care of her husband, she's going to
do it, no matter what, and she took care of him for seven
years. He was bedridden and she took
care of him on his own, on her, own would not recognize her at a
time where recommend, because it really chipped away at her,
spirit chipped away at her energy and feel like an aged her
a lot more, and she needed help all the time.
So, we were going over there. All the time we were moving him,
you had to move them. So he wouldn't get bedsores and
then he got a bed sore and it was devastating and it was all
these things zero. At a time we were I commend
them. My aunt got um, was it called
frontotemporal dementia, which is an early onset dementia, she
was in her 50s and she basically got dementia and the same thing
she became bedridden and she couldn't function, and my
grandmother was like, I'm going to do it all over again.
I'm going to take care of him. We were like no we're not going
to do that again. It went horribly, you need help.
You can't deal with her on your own.
So we hired a help we hired a nurse who would come and like
take care of her during the day and help out and stuff.
Which again I don't think that was enough at all because They
didn't want the nurse to, or have another nurse to spend the
night and have an overnight nurse.
So it was like wild at night that because sundowning is a
real thing. And then my grandmother, which
was most recent, you know, P were I'm older now.
So I was I had more of a say in like what the care was going to
look like and I was like, you guys can't do this.
I was talking to my dad, right? He's the only son left and they
were doing their best. My mom was basically the Option
in, in this story where she was, she married into the family and
she was like, we're going to do it.
We're going to take care of her and she's a sweet sentiment.
Yes, that's just sweet. They, you know, it's hard
because when my family, my mother's parents died young.
And so the, my my father's parents, my grandmother were,
they were like a second parents to her and they, it was like a,
they've known each other for like over 40 years.
So it was very much An emotional decision to make logically to
now, is that we can't do this anymore we have to put her in a
home with memory care which was a whole nother thing, right?
Because there's nursing homes for people that don't have
dementia and then there's Memory Care who's just like a whole
nother thing. But I mean, in this case, seeing
this conversation and not Valera, and seeing how they kind
of like, we're like, oh, he's doing okay right now, like we
can take care of him. I'm like again, this is when I
was like, you don't understand. It's like Progressive, like they
will not be able to maintain this.
Like he will not remember the moment where he forgets them in
the final episode. And it's the day, D-Day, the day
of the performance. And he forgets, everybody
forgets, like, who he is forgets, how to dance?
I was like. Oh no.
And then, I have, I have a little bit of pessimism, like,
in my view because I'm like, well who knows when he'll
return. And like, be able to remember
everything and the families face when they the relief and joy,
when he recognizes them finally, for I found that heartbreaking,
most people would be like, oh yes.
He can do it. He can, he can dance in the, in
the Showcase. And I'm like, oh no girl.
Like because you this is heartbreaking lab because there
is no doubt in my mind that this is going to happen more
frequently. And the times when he remembers
them is going to be less. And Les.
It was so sad. So to me it was it was sad.
It was heartbreaking. It was like, it's weird as a
viewer. And you're just thinking of the
these characters are like I want to see the dance like a crazed,
right? We build up to this but yeah, I
and then it was so heartbreaking.
When he couldn't recognize his wife he couldn't recognize Chau
doc, he didn't remember ballet and then he like the he was sort
of getting it again and they're like all right you gotta like
remember and he's like it's so much pressure.
I feel like that level of stress on someone who's going through
it. This is like, this would kind of
exacerbate their symptoms, almost more.
So I was like, and I was a moment from your, like, this is
realistic. I don't know.
But we're in dromoland. So I'll just like go with it,
right? Yeah.
Speaking of things that are in dromoland, I noticed that song
kong was using chopsticks with his left hand.
And then when he wrote the like spell quote-unquote in the
ballet, shoe for heart emoji, he was using his right hand to the
right and I was like, wait is song I made extras.
He could just like I know some people were like trying to do
some random things with their right hand, so maybe that's all
it was there like it's school, maybe he was because I was
actually born left-handed and my parents read us.
Something in the news about like studies show left-handed
children, blah, blah, whatever, adults grow up to something.
So they're like, oh, you're switching Jeremy into the have
to like train me. So you know, you ain't happy
necessarily ambidextrous but maybe he liked.
What was told at school, you gotta write with your right.
Oh yeah, I've heard of that happening.
I actually the only thing that I do Lefty is Play pool.
I don't know why. And I didn't learn like I wasn't
like, someone's gonna teach me how to play pool is like a
natural like this feels comfortable.
I can control it like this is just and I don't know why if you
if anyone is listening out there and it's like I can do things
with my right hand and I can't do with my left hand vice versa.
Let us know like, how are you? Oddly ambidextrous.
Yeah. Is there anything else that you
would like to say about novel era?
Cuz we're coming up on like the end of the show was wanted to
touch on TED Talks coach the former famous ballarino himself
who had a back injury. Yes, whole deal with his ex-wife
/ new wife, and that was a very strange part.
Like a person to me, I didn't know how to feel about him.
It seemed like Jack was hiding his struggles with.
Like, you know, I'm alone. I'm trying to live on my own.
I have multiple jobs. He wasn't telling him.
And I was like, what about China?
Iraq? Did this ballarino guy, fine.
So, like he said, It. But we didn't like see it or if
we did we didn't like, come through to me that.
This was like amazing dance. Work for like a almost untrained
child, but he like took him under his wing and he's like,
this is my protege. I was like, but why?
And then he like how this whole deal with his ex-wife and I was
like, but why? And then you know he was famous
and then his like career engine mated show like any almost any
of his like struggles with that depression or whatever feelings
you might have had after that he just was like.
Anyway now I have this Ballet company and I was just like,
what are you doing with this guy?
He seemed Fine. But yeah I agree I thought that
they again a half-baked the subplot with this guy and his
background where I didn't quite understand like what was
happening until like the later episodes where he was like I was
in a rut. I got this injury, I tried to
dance through it, and it ended up ending my career and not.
So he had like an identity crisis, an existential crisis
and then song came into the picture.
So I was like, oh, he was dancing until like recently,
then, yeah. Yeah.
All happened so fast. It's like Revelation about
exactly how this all went down was very, very fast in one
episode and I was like, oh there's like no, like builds up
or like it's not about him. I get that the show is not about
him, but it was weird. I also I did appreciate that for
Navi Lera. How there was like this sort of
it was kind of diverse. There's like an elder person
trying to do ballet. There was that Valley company
that had like the wheelchair use.
Yes. Yeah.
That was really cool but I thought it was weird and kind of
fun. Likely that really?
Very little was About men in ballet.
There was no, like, the bully wasn't bullying him about that.
That's like, like, boy him about that.
Maybe like a fire here. They didn't really make that the
girls. It was not weird, no one was
weird. And I feel like in Korea, maybe
people would be more, like, they didn't talk about like the
gender politics of it. Yeah.
We're all about the al-jalil.
Yeah. You too old to do ballet.
Okay fine. But then almost like glossed
over gendered stuff. You are Lately.
Right? Because I think that's more
realistic than probably a lot of the other subplots that they had
going on and what they were bullying.
Like the bully bully was like bullying out in a very complex
way, like, a complex reason for the bully.
And I was like, no, man, simplify simplify, I wonder if
the webtoon kind of delves into this more.
I didn't read. All right, right?
Yeah. No, I didn't either.
I forgot to mention that in the first half, but I agree.
The Bullying could have been a little more traditional, So I
find me, that's why I found it odd, very distracting and the
fact that they kind of divulged the reasons for some of these
things, very late in the game. I was like, when I don't even
care, I like accepted that this bullies weird.
I've accepted that this Coach Guy like, kind of cares.
What charge? What kind of doesn't care about,
you know, and I kind of was just like at peace with these things
and then I'm like, oh this is why I like this is what
happened. I'm like, oh yeah, I forgot.
I care about that for a second ago.
I agree and I think we've been bashing the show a lot more than
I like intended to bash it but This show, genuinely it's worth
watching. I would recommend it to people.
It has a lot of this. I think we mentioned this in the
my mr. Episode.
But like this Korean concept of Jang which is like a kindred
spirit, someone you're not related to by Blood who seems to
have the strange connection with you.
And that is the relationship between songs Chadwick and the
hot Emoji. Like they have this like weird
sort of connection where they understand each other and
they're almost like Two sides of the same coin they're like soul
mates, there's so many, there's so many, it's essentially like
that's the only equivalent of this relationship is just saying
that they're, they're soul mates.
And that's why I like this show is that this one that's why I,
like, my odds are she choose the same thing, right?
Like you just said, it's like, sometimes in dramas, I love
romance. Dramas don't get me wrong but
it's kind of nice to see like there's nothing romantic going
on, but it's very deep and intimate.
Anyway, or I guess in Majesty, there's like some sort of like
mini man. But it was it's more like this
intimacy. That is very much unspoken.
It's not like super outward and they both are feeling at the
same time and I think about that in real life like the energy
vibrations like between them must have been like really so
intense and The Chemistry Between the actors are so good.
Like I was totally buying that. Check was friends with like a
seven-year-old, man. He's right there.
He's. Yeah.
He's buddies. His best friend.
Like the 73-year old. And the an even when.
Huh? Demony like adopts charak
immediately. She's like, okay, you're my And
so now and I was like this is this is so hard, it's precious.
It's precious. This show goes out to all the
dreamers out there who want to pursue something that seems like
a pipe dream that seems unlikely.
That seems like you have no Talent.
You shouldn't be wasting your time.
This one goes out for all of you, all of us like there's so
many quotes in here, like, just trust yourself and keep going
happiness. Could be felt in the little
details. You don't always have to achieve
something Grand, even if you make a mistake.
Don't stop. Just keep going.
It's like Is like a love letter to the struggle, to the Grind,
to trying something new, and it's beautiful.
It's very encouraging. And I like that about the show,
the just like the Grandeur themes of it, where you don't
have to be a young spring chicken to learn ballet, which
is a highly technical athletic performance art and your goal
doesn't have to be like Prima ballerina, right?
Of blah, blah blah like yeah, that is a good goal because it
but now, I'm ready. Gonna make that, you know, get
there. And so just pursue is only for
the sake of pursuing, it is also valuable.
Yeah, I loved that part of the show, I loved that, you know,
don't give up all of these like almost mantras that the show
explores and talks directly to the audience at times.
It feels like in some of the dialogue.
Feels like it's like fourth wall breaking because they're true.
It's like so uplifting and they're speaking directly to you
the audience. Yeah, yeah.
Seems like That. Yeah.
And then of course they put on all these extra clothes with all
of the other subplots and it was too much man.
And I did I just still don't get why it's best friend, like, it
was like the worst best friend ever or like he was the worst
best friend to him, like he was like, what is this relationship?
But but yeah, he had a lot more love than he felt like he had
and I thought that was interesting to show because he
was so alone, but he wasn't. And then the new friends, the
found family aspect of it with a hot about Gee.
But then how do I took him in immediately the his play cousin
his like, you know, his daughter but she's granddaughter.
That also was really touching. I thought, yeah, I thought nah,
Valletta means something in Spanish because to me when I
read I was like, oh, it says kind of side of it's a maybe
it's a Spanish word or something.
No, it's not. It's a Korean word that combines
the word for butterfly with an old literary suffix.
And it roughly translates to like a butterfly.
Yes. A flask.
God sorry. Not this time the Spanish
Korean. Oh yeah.
No drama crossover as Annabella. Yeah it'll happen one day but
not yet. Yeah, no.
This was not it but I love that the word has something to do
with a butterfly and then there was a lot of aspects of the show
where they said a lot of dialogue, where they said, did
you soar? He's going to soar like an eagle
and just representing that sort of potential that is within both
of them both songs character and the hot emoji.
I also like that they talked a lot about like how important is
to practice basic steps. Even if you're a pro even if
you're like the the best ballerina and Korea like you
still have to practice the based you to go back to basics and not
neglect, how important that is or not neglect your body.
Like when the ballerina Coach Guy, ballerina coach guy was
injured but he like dance through it.
Like those are all lessons. So many lessons in this show.
Yes, it's lesson heavy but I like it.
That's what I like preachy way. No, no Ricci!
No, no, just encourage. It's touching, it's touching and
also butterfly. I know you haven't watched
nevertheless but butterfly, nevertheless are directly
related and there's something about a tattoo and there's a
like I don't want to say nothing much but I don't want to spoil
nevertheless but it's very fitting that this novel era also
means like a butterfly for some time.
Netflix. Son of Netflix Hong Kong, son of
Netflix. Okay, I think I've reached the
end of my notes. Did you have anything?
Thinking, oh my God. Oh my God, the sewing gook cameo
in episode. I know I was like, is that
something good? Is that him?
Like I was having a moment?
I was like, am I hallucinating this?
Yeah, that was great. Yes, I freaked out and I'll tell
you something. I didn't think that I was such a
sewing, good fan. But every time like, he walked
into the room and you don't even see his face.
I just saw like silhouette like the his body and I was like is
that sawing? Gook apparently.
I know him by like the shape of his General body.
So I was like, Huh? I always liked impressed with
myself that I was like, oh God, it's something good.
And they hadn't even done any close-ups on him yet, so kudos
to me for being a closet. Songo Super Fan apparently.
Yeah, that was, I was going to also mention that Taemin OST cuz
I love him and I, it was like a such a easy breezy little song.
It wasn't like, it wasn't like Taemin doing all his like
Tammany stuff, but it was like, it was like a sweet song.
And his voice is really soothing in that song.
And so that to me, that was like a its own Cameo, right?
Taemin. So, I can cook just like
stealing the scenes. Yes, thank you for that.
The 10-minute this one goes on. Yes, beautiful, all around.
Is there anything else that you would like to add about Neville?
Er, um, I wanted to add a little bit about the webtoon writers.
What they said is something about doing ballet.
So, the webtoon writer There's who also were part of the drama
creation or production or something they mentioned.
So this is from an article I'm just going to quote it.
It says Park of just parking on the person who played Hadji is
76 years old. Okay, so side note, he's playing
a seven year old but he was 76 and he does not look 76 whenever
that might not look like this on that.
But anyway it says Park is 76 years old and while he may have
found the ballet seems difficult to Han said that he didn't want
to cast a younger actor and you special makeup because he
thought it was important to get across the line.
Lifetime's worth of wisdom through each word and wrinkle of
the actor. He added that he had.
No doubt that part could pull it off and then for his part.
Yeah, so cute. And I also appreciate like
again, reading, bringing more diversity and everything into
kdramas is always important. So been considering like an
elder actors. Postal like aging young actor, I
thought was important and so park in one himself said in
another interview. He just I thought this was
funny. He said it was challenging
enough that I had to wear ballet.
If it's that stuck to my body and park, when you become my
age, it's hard to exercise because your body gets stiffer.
I took on the challenge as if I was ductile and trying something
new. So I thought that was really
cool. Yeah, he also has granddaughters
like laughed at him at the thought of him like doing ballet
but that now they just keep playing it all his about Lacey.
Oh, that's adorable. That's adorable.
Yeah, thanks for sharing that. That's beautiful.
And that, you know what, I was kind of right though, because it
sounds like he was a little bit self-conscious about Out the
tight clothing that he wore. Yeah.
I mean, I know all times in Korea.
A lot of men in leotards, our Tides will put on like shorts
over it anyway. So yeah, I think like culturally
yeah, that might have been a consideration but I did think to
maybe they were because they could have just done my laughs
eat close-ups me didn't really do that as much either as I
thought they might. So maybe like a combination of
like modesty and we're not professionals out here.
Yeah, well if that's all you have for Neville era, I
definitely. Thank you so much for coming on
and providing so much Insight. You did research for this which
is amazing. Not only like watching all this,
all these hours of Television but coming on and being so
prepared. I want to thank you so much.
I hope you had a great time I did.
Okay, yeah, I love your podcast. So, you know, where can we find
you online? For those who don't know, I'm on
Twitter at Kpop bookshelf. And I'm on Instagram.
I think it's Kpop bookshelf, pot, I don't know.
I forgot already like what my yeah, those are there Lil Bit.
On each but I'm on Instagram more than Twitter.
I can tell you that. So yeah, yes.
And you have wonderful book, recommendations, obviously,
because you're your podcast is about reading the book and then
discussing the book and I actually bought one of the books
that you recommended. It was like, yeah, the Korea, a
history book, and a beautiful cover on it.
I think you like, you got the hardback and I got the pipe, got
to pay for back because that was like the only expensive
expensive. But like I was like, so in love
with the cover and I was like, oh yeah.
I want to read about Korean history from like An actual
expert and I think a lot of Kpop and kdrama fans and not to say
this is good or bad, but sometimes we are a little bit
superficial about our knowledge of Korea and were just like
yeah. Ramyun.
And Cho are like you take like weird little like to pop
culture, a things and run with it and I am someone who is
likely what are they eating? What are they doing?
What's the seonbae? Like I have like a thousand
question so I was like I wanted to start the pockets as a way
for me to learn about Korean culture in a more in-depth way
so that gives better context to what I'm consuming from a media
standpoint. So beautiful love to hear it.
I love it. Thank you so much for coming on
the show again. Well, that's been our show.
I'm Jessica and this has been the ATC presents daebak.
He Rambles podcast. Moody fire.