I'm Jessica and this is Teba K Rambles, where a couple of
friends review Korean dramas. And I'm back for a new episode,
a new K drama. And today I'm joined by the
incredible Sarah from K Drama. This slash the cohost of
Afternoon Ask podcast. How are you, Sarah?
Hey, I'm so excited to be here, Jess.
So thank you so much for inviting me.
Yes, I'm absolutely thrilled that you're here.
I think I asked you on this episode like January or February
of this year. We're now towards the end of the
summer and I feel terrible that it's taken this long to get
here, but I'm thrilled that we were both able to watch the show
that we're going to talk about today.
Do you like Brahms, A musical K drama?
And we're going to do a nice deep dive.
I forgot to preface this by saying that I was going to ask
you this question, which was how did you get into K dramas and
see dramas and all the rest. Oh right.
Well and so I my background, for those of you who don't know me,
I'm British Chinese, so my parents are from Hong Kong.
So I technically been watching Asian dramas.
So Hong Kong dramas, like way before any Western dramas or any
other dramas really. Because, you know, so I'm, I'm
sufficiently old, right? We only had one TV in the house
when I was growing up and like after dinner and the programming
for the cartoon stops. Then it like my parents like
this is like our TV time now and so you can sit and watch TV with
us, but it's Hong Kong dramas or you can go to bed.
And I was like, I don't like going to bed.
I'm gonna stay around and watch these Hong Kong dramas.
So. So technically I've been
watching sees Hong Kong dramas trying to Hong Kong Chinese
dramas all my childhood. So since I was young and I was
very lucky. So I'm a child of the 80s and
back then TVB, which is like the main Hong Kong broadcasting
channel, was like in its. Golden era, so people that you
might know so like Tony Lung who played the Mandarin in Shangchi,
the Marvel movie like. It was his heyday, you know,
like he was an opera. So he was my original, my
original opera, like my crush when I was growing up and and
then Andy Lau, who he was in a movie with.
It's like a big star. And so in fact, you probably
know Crouching Tiger and Michelle Yeoh and Jackie Chan,
like this is their era. Like, this is the era that I
grew up. So I think we kind of all
acknowledge that Hong Kong drama is just it's not really where
it's at anymore, but back in the day.
And Leslie Chung he gets like regularly kind of name dropped
and he was hugely properly in career.
I don't I didn't realize until I started watching K drama and I
see references to him and his movies all the time now.
So obviously he was really big in career.
So yeah, so grew up with that and then K dramas.
So again there was like this this.
So in Cantonese I'll say Daichung gum is I think it's a.
A really old, very popular K drama that charted like the
history of a female physician. So my first proper K drama was
during Lockdown. Like it's historical drama, but
it was huge in Asia. And like my parents were
watching it like just kind of binging and binging it.
And I remember dipping in and out of it, but I just wasn't
really like getting it. And and they were binging.
So they were like doing like way into the night.
And I was like, I'm, I got to sleep.
So I. And so, similar to many others
crash lending on you. Was.
My gateway drama. My gateway drama.
And yeah, it was like an experience, right?
So just so I'm a romance reader. I've always been like a lifelong
romance reader. And I was just like, what is
this drama like? They literally put.
Everything in it, you know? Like, they don't, they don't
limit themselves. They don't limit themselves,
right? Like, they're gonna just Chuck
everything at this drama. And like, I got to the end and I
was like, my God, what is this? I've got like the worst
hangover. I was playing the soundtrack
like over and over. And I was like, I think the only
way I can cure myself in this hangover.
It's just to rewatch the whole thing, cuz I've just gotta do
like I've just gotta see them again and do more crying and
like, yeah, and then I feel like I can lay this drama to rest and
and then that's it. Down the rabbit hole I went and
like, I don't think I've watched barely any Western dramas since
Crash landing on you. And that's basically now my mini
journey. My God, I love to hear.
I love to hear people's origin stories and how you grew up in
the heyday of Hong Kong cinema and television and how that's
really just segued into talking about key dramas because the
pandemic made us all rethink life and, you know, changed our
our watch habits tremendously. And I'm so thankful for crash
landing on you, which we have covered on the podcast.
I had my OG cohost Rico watch it and I was like, you don't
understand. This is like the gateway drama
for so many people. I was like trying to like how
make him understand the gravity of like what he's just watched.
And he was like, yeah, like he just did it.
It wasn't necessarily the gateway drama for him.
So and then I have been really sucky at choosing dramas for him
to watch because every time we come on here or he does a show
an episode with me for Tibak, he's like, it was fine.
He's not like riveted by anything.
He's just takes it all in stride and he's like, this was good,
this was bad and pretty even keeled.
And I haven't hit like a sweet spot where he's like that was an
amazing show. The only one that he's pretty
much said that about is Signal. I need to work that.
I still need to work that cuz I'm such a need you fan so.
My God, me too. Yeah, I have that out there.
He's doing like a fan. Me, I'm so I'm about to fly to
Asia for a holiday, for a family holiday, and I've been.
I've been like, just scouring the net to see if anyone is
doing a flipping fan meet while I'm out there.
Yeah. But unfortunately everyone is
going either just before or just after I'm there and I'm like,
oh, they're like in a different city altogether.
So I think he's just been to Manila or like Sewing Gook is
nearly in Manila. Or like, you know, there's just
like. But he was in Singapore earlier,
which is where I'm going to. And I was like, ah, you couldn't
do your fan meet in August when I'm gonna be there.
Like, I so wanted. Like even just, I'm just so
curious, right. So like, what happens on a fan
meet, right. Same I was about.
I mean, like if your dad meets are like an enigma.
Exactly right. If you're not, if you're not an
idol singer and you're not doing like, dance performances, like
what are you? And then do they speak in
Korean? And then people like, do they
does somebody live, translate or like how do you like what do
they do on fan Meets? I agree.
I have so many questions that can be answered.
They're just going to a fan. I know.
Well, thanks again for chatting really quick.
Before we get into this episode on Do you like Brahms?
I'm gonna do a little bit of housekeeping real quick if this
is your first time listening. Wow.
Thank you so much for listening. Please go ahead and subscribe on
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Thank you, ladies, and thank you, all of my patrons.
I'm really glad that we have this little community and that
we're all interacting and I'm going crazy about sea dramas
like head and love on the Patreon feed.
So please join us over there. All right, Sarah, we're going to
start talking about do you like Brahms?
As always, nonspoiler and then spoiler section, and we can get
into it right now. I'll go ahead and start us off
with the MDL synopsis, which reads in defiance of her
family's opposition song, now gets accepted to the music
school of the same university where she originally majored in
business. As she's seven years older than
her classmates, she finds her new academic life daunting and
struggles to find strength. One day she hears June Young
playing Palma Hey, which I think that's how you say it.
It's in German and I looked up the pronunciation and I think I
just butchered it anyways, but. It's the Trauma Ray.
Trauma Ray for the those who don't speak German like me.
Anyway, this song comforts her doing.
Young is a talented pianist who started playing the piano when
he was six. He's been friends with Jung
Kyung and the granddaughter of Kilmu Group CEO for a long time
and is in love with her. When he decides to keep his
distance from Jung Kyung, he meets Sona.
So this show is a pandemic show. It aired from August to October
2020. It is 16 episodes long and it's
directed by Iun Zong. He's also directed In The
Interest of Love, which just came out a few months ago.
It's a 2022-2023 show and that's pretty much it.
This director hasn't done any other directing work.
It is written by Riu Bori and this this screenwriter only has
two writing credits. It's Do You Like Brahms and
Trolley from 2022 and then This stars Pakun Bin as Tesuna and
she is a child actress. She's still acting 30 + T V
credits. You might have seen her recently
in the King's Affection and Extraordinary attorney Wu, which
we have covered on the podcast. And then her costar is Kim Min
Jay, who plays Pak Jungyong. I will hereby call him here
after call him JYP for further remainder of the episode because
that is way easier than saying Pak Jungyong.
Min Jay has had a really good few years, I've said this
before, but the pandemic has done really good things for his
career, just like it's done really good things for other
actors and actresses. He was in Delhi and Cocky Prince
in 2021. Boom, The chosen Psychiatrist,
one, one and two both seasons, and then most recently in
Bloodhounds, which is a Netflix original from just this year,
2023. You might have seen him in other
things like I I always think of him as the King, the young
version of the King in Guardian, The Lonely and Great God.
And then he's also in Tempted, which is a Cruel Intentions
remake, basically. And yeah, you might have seen
him in some other stuff. So that's not, that's not all
he's been in. How do you feel about Pakun Bin
and Kim in J as actors and actresses in the industry, and
where have you seen them before? This is a great question because
actually it's the reason I picked this drama up.
So I saw King's affection, loved Pakun bin in this and in that
drama. And I was really intrigued by
this one. This was my first barring the
goblin kind of mini cameo thing. This was my first came in Jay
kind of drama as well and I was just blown away by how good they
were. And also cuz partner been I've
I've seen her in so I kind of watched part of hot stove leaf
but I hadn't I kind of it's on hold and she was but she's so
different right in that drama she is really.
I don't. Have you seen it?
Just, I haven't seen hot. So yeah.
So it's a sports drama. So that's kind of why I put it
on hold, because I was like, anyway, she plays like such a
dynamic character and she's really, like just really
energetic. And here she's just so
completely different, right? Really quiet, really
introverted. And in King's affection, like, I
feel like she was, you know, really quite alpha, right?
Because she was, basically. Like.
Playing a king, the most of the drama.
And so this role was like a really different side to her.
So I was really like, wow, is this like the same actress, you
know, so, so intrigued. And then Kim and Jay I, I kind
of thought that he was this kind of actor, like this role just
was. So it sat so well with him and
so easily on his shoulders. And then I watched Darlie and
Cocky Prince earlier this year and I was like, oh.
Like he is. Wow, he's an amazing actor,
right? Cuz he's just so completely
different. Like, you know, in that Have you
seen Dolly and Cocky Prince? I haven't seen that one.
I need you need to watch it, Jess.
So, like Dolly and Cocky Prince. Like he's the cocky Prince in
the titular. Like he's the titular Cocky
Prince. And he is just literally the
complete opposite of the character he plays in Brahms.
Like he's the closest we have, I think, to a Himbo.
As a K drama lead like he is, yeah, he is really like
uncultured. He's brash, He's a cocky Prince,
right So. And he's way less intelligent
than the female lead. And he's very pretty, obviously,
and just really shallow and materialistic.
And he totally carries it off. And I was just, Oh my God, he's
just like chalk and cheese. Like what an amazing actor that
he could do both so authentically and make you love
him as well. Like you know you could you can.
So he goes and gets. He's always dressed in light
heads. I know they were not supposed to
be talking about Darling Cocky Princess podcast.
We like he's, he's in like top to toe in like designer gear.
And then we realized that he's actually also a bit tight.
So he doesn't buy his designer gear from a designer shop.
He's a table that buys them from second hand Oh that's fine.
So funny good and but you still love him and that he he just has
that connection with the audience I think and then like
in Brahms it's just completely different right.
He's so reserved. He's so well turned out.
He's so you know stoic and but he again makes you fall for him
and I just think they're really I I just think it's incredibly
hard. I I mean, I I would just say
like the genius of this drama, I think.
Is that it's about two introverts, Yes.
Thank you. And they and they make you like
you draw. You're drawn to them and it's
amazing. And I'm still kind of a little
bit working out what the gene, the genius of how they did it,
right. Because it was, yeah, really
good. We're gonna circle back to that
because I think this is must be a genre or like a subgenre all
on its own with two characters that are introverts and how they
fall in love and how they navigate their relationship and
any misunderstandings that happen in K Drama Land.
Because they're not like the typical leads to me.
And it's been a really long time since I've seen other than
Summer Strike, which is 2/2 introverts falling in love as
well and really sweet sweet romance.
But. The this two introverts, I feel
like it's gone by the wayside, largely.
And it's so nice when you come across one of these stories
where you're like, there's something really frustrating at
times with them, but also very comforting to say.
These two sort of fall into each other and have to put themselves
forward in different ways, and it's difficult to sell a romance
where someone isn't naturally charismatic.
Yeah and and so quite like quiet.
Not quiet in the volume way but just quiet in people you know
and and obviously normally it's it's they'll pair an extravert
with an introvert or grumpy with sunshine or yeah and opposites
and it was just so lovely to see actually.
No, we're going to just find two people that see, you know, their
kind of person in this person and and you know, because they
open up in a way that they don't with others.
And it was really beautiful to watch.
Yeah. So quickly we have our second
couple slash second female lead. So we have Kim Sung Toll who
plays Hansong who is the cellist slash BFF and he will be in
Hellbound 2 later this year. He was the 2nd male lead in our
beloved summer. He was the president that
Vincenzo seduced in Vincenzo in 2021.
I just saw him in Sweet Home because we just reviewed Sweet
Home on the podcast and so he was in that.
Not to spoil anything about his character in that show, he will
definitely be back in Sweet Home too, I'm presumably.
And then he's been in Arthrochronicles, The Wind Blows
and Prison Playbook, as a matter of fact, which I really enjoyed.
Prison Playbook. And that's another episode that
you can scroll back in your podcast if you didn't listen to.
He stars opposite Pak Chi Chi Hyun, who is the second female
lead. She plays John Kyung and she's
most recently been in Reborn Rich, which I still haven't seen
yet, and love all play, which we've also covered on the
podcast. It's a sports show, Sports K
Drama. You me cells.
You might have seen her in you me cells if you saw her in You
me cells and you really hate her because she was really sort of
annoying and mean and conniving a little bit in You me cells.
Yeah, a bunch of stuff that she's been in.
But how did you feel about these two and where have you seen them
before? So Kim Sancho, can I just now
use your your podcast to manifest like a nice romance for
him? Do you not feel the same way?
I'm just like I like I watched him.
I loved him in prison playbook. I think that's my first drama
with him in it and then I watched this and but he's such a
good actor. He's just such a good actor.
Like, really makes he really makes me feel his pain.
Like his pain at not being loved.
Specifically. And then our beloved summer
again the same let's just he's just like constantly yearning
like his face is just like And then finally I got to Vincenzo
and it's like I've got to say it's a little bit homophobic
that kind of whole like section but still like.
He just rocks up and he just absolutely delivers it, right?
So even in Nintendo he's like yearning and I'm just like,
please, could someone please give him a drama where he ends
up happy and not yearning? Like could someone just love him
back? I.
Agree. I think he's way overdue for his
own romance. Yeah, for his own leading role.
Yes, and he can act really well. I I think everything that I've
seen him and I'm like, wow, he's really good.
He's different in any in everything, and it might be just
that he's choosing projects that are varied and characters that
are different, even though they don't end up.
With the with the, you know person at the end.
But I agree, I think he's he's overdue to to get his own show.
Hopefully it'll happen soon for him.
And let's manifest that together Will will collectively yearn for
that and request that of the industry.
And then Poxy Hyun, Have you seen her before?
No. This is my first drama of hers,
actually, and I think she has a very difficult character.
Oh my. God, yes.
So I think she actually did quite well in a way because it's
I think probably of the all four characters hers was the more
complex one to play, so. Yeah.
And I went on my own little journey with her and her
character. So by the end of it, I was like,
do you know what? Hats off to you.
You did actually. Really.
You really did this character justice, and it was not an easy
role. It was not an easy role.
And maybe because I came in with my own biases of not liking her
from other shows, not not liking her acting, I mean, like she's
consistently playing these characters that are, they're
testing you. Yeah, OK yeah.
And so when I saw her in the show, I was like, oh shit, here
she is again. I was like, Dang it.
And sure enough, her character is really difficult to like.
She's actually quite unlikable and she's prickly and she's
irritable and she's jealous, and it's totally fine for characters
to be flawed and you know what have you.
But in this show, I really was disliking her for the bulk of
it. It was only until the last
couple of episodes that I was like, OK, fine, yeah, fine, I
will allow it. You know what I'm saying?
I do. I had the same journey.
Yeah, well I think I can guess
what your feelings are, but what were your overall thoughts on Do
you like Brahms? I was just so in awe of this
drama. Like it's really.
Like, it just really surprised me.
So when I started it, I just didn't.
I kind of started it on a whim. Like I said, I saw puck and bin
and I was like, oh, like they're classical musicians.
I don't really know much about classical music.
So I was like, you know, I'm just going to start it and I
might end up like 2 episodes in and just not carrying it on,
which is kind of like the thing that I do.
But before I knew it, I was like 8 episodes in and I was so
invested. I just.
Was the writing was amazing that acting was.
I just loved it. I think it's so underrated.
So that's the other thing because people don't talk enough
about this drama. No they don't.
They really don't And and I was. So that's partly also it because
you kind of you know you like you hear stuff and like someone
says oh this is an amazing drama you gotta go and see it or or
like it's a really famous you know like genre setting drama or
whatever. But no one really talks about
this drama and. So I just thought maybe it was
just gonna be something that like was a bit of a palate
cleanser in between a couple of like big dramas that I was
watching. But no, it just and it stayed
with me. And This is why it was so lovely
that you you invited me back because it was to talk about
this drama rather because it was so, so lovely to relive it again
actually and just kind of re enjoy it and rewatch some clips
and listen to the soundtrack again and just be reminded of
how what a great drama this is. And so.
It's good that you're doing this so that other people who may not
have seen it pick it up and well might be intrigued by this
podcast and think I'm gonna give this a go cuz it deserves.
It yeah. I can't remember how this ended
up on the docket for season 4, but I'm glad that it did.
I am really partial to musical dramas.
We've covered Dream High on the show.
I don't know if any other podcast has covered Dream High.
Maybe it's just cuz it's a bit of a torture to watch, but we
did the hard work. If you want to, if you want to,
no thoughts about that one, then scroll back and listen to it.
But I have a soft spot for music dramas and I've feel like I've
watched a fair share and this one is very good.
I think that I was more annoyed that it was such a slow burn
because, and I don't mind slow burns, like we've covered
something in the rain, which is pretty slow and some other shows
as well, that would fall into that category of slow burn
romances. This one's real slow and I think
it was more annoying that the the pace at which people were
speaking to each other was so slow.
And there were a lot of pregnant pauses, which are rife in case
Rama land, where people just say something and then nobody
responds back for a long minute and then they continue the
conversation. And so I had to put this one on
1.25 speed and that seemed to be a really good sweet spot for how
I wanted this paste. Literally that one change of
making it 1.25 speed made all the difference.
I actually thought on a couple instances as I was watching the
last few episodes, because I didn't do this for the whole
show, I just did it for like the last few episodes.
I thought that the setting had like somehow come undone and it
was still. It was just playing on regular
speed because it was so believable.
I was like they must be talking really fucking slow for me to
think that this is actually the regular speed and the thing
messed up like the plugin messed up.
So. Yeah, it's so funny because I
didn't realize till I read what you'd written that the director
of this had directed Interest of love.
Interest of love. Yes.
Did you watch that from earlier this year?
Right. So if you find Brahms pregnant,
Paul slow, you would. You will really struggle with
it. Just.
I just thought it was so in I was like, ah, do you know when
you find out directors directed two things and you're like,
yeah, that makes sense, That totally makes sense.
Yeah. But I think, yeah, that, I mean,
I think it's a real Marmite drama.
I think people who are watching it with me kind of on socials at
the time were just like, Oh my God, this is how I hate this.
And then there were other people like, Oh my God, this is
brilliant. So.
Yeah, but that was pretty much my only complaint was this sort
of like her taking their sweet time saying things and I don't.
I love the content of what they're saying, and I love the
way that it's scripted. That's all great.
I love that, and I generally love a slow burn.
Apparently the show in my mind should have been on 1.25 speed.
Like that's the should. Be the regular speed.
Yeah, um, So I'm gonna, I'm gonna defend that a little bit,
right? Because I for me, I felt like,
so I'm not, I don't classify myself as a full introvert and
something a podcast, so I can't be that introverted.
But I think there's an element, there's an element of like
introverts that have to work out what they're saying in their
head. Like, I feel like if you're an
introvert that struggles to, and this is not obviously not me or
you struggles to kind of put our thoughts into words and actually
marvel at the way that some people just go, right.
Well, this is what I think. And Pam, you know, it's like I'm
gonna lay out here with this point and you know, and I have
people in my life that that say this to me.
Like I just can't. Talk like the way you do.
Like, I just don't. My brain doesn't work that fast.
My mouth doesn't work that fast, and I can't.
Like, I have to work out what I'm saying in my head before I
can say it out loud. And I feel like if you're that
kind of person, this drama will speak to you because there's
these two people and they're grappling with, like, big
emotions, right? There's a lot of stuff
happening. So I think it was for me very
real that it took them so long to respond to each other and to,
as you say, with pregnant pauses and things because.
They're just people that are kind of still working things out
and also not great at expressing themselves and also struggling
to kind of put it into words. And I think that they they.
And that's partly why I loved it so much, because it was truly 2
introverts. Falling for each other.
It wasn't like I'm just going to kind of sketch introverted
people, but I'm still going to make them drama people and they
kind of like be, you know, like Dawson's Creek level of like,
you know, like unlike that I could speak about my feelings in
a really like intelligent way even though I'm still a teenager
type thing. So it was really like believable
for me I think. And it added for me added to
that kind of authenticity of like these two are truly like,
you know, these characters, these introverted characters,
You make a fine point and I agree with you.
And the just the other day I was on the phone with my mom and I
told her that I was really tired because I was interacting with
more people. I I just switched jobs recently
and I'm spending my days in the office now and I've been working
from home for the past few years.
And I told her at the end of the day, I'm so tired because I'm
talking to people and interacting with people and I
have to be on all day long. And that's so different than how
I was spending my time during the pandemic and working from
home even even more recently. And I told her I'm an introvert
and this is taking a lot out of me.
Yeah, yeah. And she was like, you're not an
introvert. And she like, fought me on it.
And I was like, I swear to God, if I am in a social situation, I
it takes a lot of effort for me. And when I leave, I'm drained.
Yeah, and I love to curl up and I'm a such a homebody.
I want to be home and you know, that sort of thing.
And maybe I'm way more of an introverted, I'm sorry
extroverted introvert now than I was when I was in my younger
years. Because in my younger years I
feel like I would have full on conversations in my head and I
was a much. I feel like over the years I
come to understand that there's people that like to just listen,
you know, even before even responding, let alone the
response that comes after. I just mean, like people like to
wait and listen, and they're not quick to insert their own
thoughts or quick to cut people off or something like that.
And that is something that a lot of people don't don't
understand. Like it doesn't compute that.
Like, I should just stop talking, you know?
And absolutely, I agree with your take that it was very
authentic to have these two people be introverts and true
introverts and not like, they call them introverts, but
they're not really introverts. But I think as an audience
member, I was really pressed about the way that they were
talking. I'm so glacial pace in some
conversations and I and then it's all important to me.
I was like, this isn't even like a nothing conversation that
these people are having. Every conversation to me was
important. Every interaction meant
something. And so I was like, I can't skip
this. So then I was like, you know, I
was like, we have to, let's go like let's move a little.
So that's where the 1.25 came from.
It is not a blight on the show. It might be just a blight on me.
So I I think you mentioned earlier how it was very not
slow, but they were restrained basically.
And I love the themes of the show and how it's studied music
and dreams and the really inside baseball take on the classic
classical music. Industry, yeah.
Yeah. Yeah, characters and
relationships. And there were some other
another show that it reminded me of, which was Spring Waltz.
I don't know if you've watched that show.
It's with Han he or two. I want to say it's 2007.
Eight around. There it was.
It was late 2000s and she falls in love with a very talented
concert pianist. And even though that's a
melodrama, I don't know if I would classify do you like
Brahms as a melodrama? Maybe some episodes, but not the
whole thing. And that show felt had the
vibes, like the relationship seemed to have the same sort of
vibes where, you know, you had like very thinking, feeling
people who just loved each other and appreciated music.
And there was drama with the music and you know, all these
things wrapped in a neat bow of a Music K drama.
So I don't know if you've have you watched a lot of music K
dramas? Like, not really, I don't think.
Yeah. Have there been.
I definitely have watched Dream High, which you just mentioned.
Well, yeah. And maybe we'll give that a
path. No, I can't really think of any
of this that that I have watched, actually.
But yeah, there's quite a few, but I think they focus on bands
a lot of the time, right? The kpop industry, yeah.
But the classical music you've got like spring waltz we have 5
fingers, which is a like 30 episode K drama that I didn't
even finish watching. I dropped it because I was like
this is too long, but it's stars D Tang Wook.
Oh, OK, yeah, yeah. And this other guy, He was just
in GD son. What's that actor's name?
No, I don't know. Anyway, those two are in like a
piano rivalry, right? It's totally.
Okay. Yeah, and there's this.
Special piano in their house that they don't know how it
makes such a beautiful sound and.
There's a piano CEO company in the mix like it's I was it was
like a lot of piano, which what, 5 fingers I guess.
Yeah. Yeah.
And then Beethoven virus. Oh, oh, go ahead.
No, you said G. Chal and I just completely have
blanked out because it's a drummer.
I dropped the sound of magic. Ah, sound of magic.
So I have to go into why? You dropped it.
Yeah, I have seen. Another So yeah, that's the only
other music drama that I've seen.
So yeah. OK, we got.
Beethoven virus. We got heartstrings, which this
also reminded me of heartstrings because in heartstrings, they're
in school, in music school. And it's.
One of the members of CN Blue with Oh my God, the girl from
Airs, Pakshinay. Is and she plays the kayakum,
which is almost like a it looks like a Korean version of a
zither. And she plays so she's like in
the traditional instruments, like section of the music, not
club of the music school. And then he is playing guitar
and so he's in like the modern instrument part of the school.
And so there's like a rivalry between the traditional Korean
instrument people and then the modern guitar and bass and all
this stuff. And it's really cute.
So I enjoyed Heartstrings back in the day.
A lot more music dramas than that, but those ones sort of
relate specifically to me, to this drama, and then I also.
Mentioned the comp summer strike already.
I'm not sure I I have an idea in my head, but have have you ever
played or do you play an instrument?
I used to play? The piano.
Oh yeah I like I mean not to very high up maybe this is what
I found interesting right. So I mean this is, this is not a
spoiler obviously. So puck and bins character from
the start, we know that actually she has had to.
Kind of overcome her, her family's disapproval that she is
playing the violin, right and she's trying to try and make a
career out of playing the violin.
And I found it quite interesting for men, kind of an Asian
background, that so many of us are encouraged to take piano
lessons, classical music, instruments, as an
extracurricular thing in order for us to have it on our CV so
that we can then qualify and go through university.
Like that's a whole like. That's a whole thing, whether
you're an immigrant Chinese person or you're living in
China, right? That is just a thing that your
parents encourage you to do. And there's like generations and
generations of people kind of playing in research.
But unless. You're gonna?
Be a concert pianist, right? No Asian parent wants you to
actually then try to make a career out of it, right?
They're just like, no, you're gonna.
Play it. Competently to put it on your
CV, but like God forbid you go and try and make a career out of
it, right. Because we want you to go and
like I don't know be a lawyer or a doctor or like you know an
account or whatever. I we're not.
We don't want you to choose something as difficult like her
parents say it in the drama right?
Like you know, like it doesn't pay and it's really kind of it's
not seen as a high profile job and obviously she had a great
degree before in business and. And I just found it like an
interesting commentary on, like, Asian Society of how they view,
how they push their children to do all this extracurricular
music lessons but then say, well, no, but no.
Creative, like creative arts is not not a career option like we
want you to be, you know? Yeah.
I thought it was an interesting take, actually.
Yeah, I I'm Hispanic. If you don't know, I'm Hispanic
and I I didn't. Grow up playing instruments.
But I really wanted to learn how to play the piano, so I took
started taking piano lessons late in life.
I started taking them when I was already in high school, 9th
grade, and I think I only took it for like a year or two and I
went to miss Hannah Lisa's house, which.
She lived in a predominantly Jewish community.
She was, I think she was a Holocaust survivor from Namaste.
And she would just do piano lessons out of her, out of her
little like condo. And she was so sweet.
And I remember I went to my first lesson with her and or
like consultation, I guess because it wasn't a lesson yet.
It was just like, you know, getting to know the the teacher
and you know, what is the, what's the timeline here when
you're available? And she looked at my hands and
she goes, You have very small hands, but I know a lot of great
pianists who have small hands. And she was so sweet, she was.
Like, you can make it work. She basically was like, it's
okay. And.
I. Knew nothing.
I didn't know how to read music or anything, so I was starting
from Ground Zero. And it was like pulling teeth.
It was very difficult. And then I had to find the time
to practice It was this whole thing, like it was this whole
thing to fit into my life. I quit taking lessons with Miss
Hen and Lisa because I was failing algebra.
My parents were like, it's either you.
Practice or you passed your algebra class.
It turns out that I'm actually really good at, or was really
good at math because I went into.
Some college courses and was taking like higher math and I
had. I'm really proud of this fact.
I had a math professor come and say you should get a math.
Minor. All you need is like these two
classes, these two three classes, and she mentioned the
name of the class, names of the class, and I was like, that
sounds terrifying. I'm not taking those classes and
getting math minor. Come on, so get real.
So it never happened. I have lost all of my math
mathematics skills since. So it was just the teacher, the
algebra teacher that I had during that tumultuous time that
I was failing that class. I blame that teacher because I
was good at math. Anyway, that's a tangent.
But I I stopped taking Miss Hannah Lisa's classes and I had
some really nice memories with her because she used to use a
metronome on her on the piano to keep help me keep time.
But then when she didn't use the metronome, she would count.
And here's what I thought she would was about to keel over and
die on me during the the lessons.
Because here's what she would do.
I can't believe I'm going to imitate.
OK, here we go. She would go like this 1231.
2312 Like I don't. Know if she just couldn't take a
breath in between the counting, it would scare me half to death
every time she would inhale. When she was saying the number
and it was, it was a it. Was really frightening as a
child's, as a high school person, I was, I would like look
at her like, Oh my God. Anyway, that's Miss Hannah,
Lisa. And then when I was in later in
high school, we had to choose our electives.
I chose three random electives. None of the electives that I
chose were what was given to me. I got guitar one.
With Mr. Eves in high school, this was a really highly coveted
class position. I don't know how it was a God
thing because I landed in that class and I loved it.
I remember the first day, like 20 kids coming in at different
points of the of the one class that I have, trying to get him
to sign like the transfer so that they could enter his class
and he's like, I'm maxed out. I can't.
He was such a good teacher and I loved playing guitar.
I played guitar for many many years after that and.
I asked my mom today why she never signed me up or my sister
up for a classical music instrument like violin, piano,
something. Why she never signed us up for
ballet or gymnastics or something.
When? Those are things that kids sign
up for when they're really little, like 5678, and she goes.
Well, I took ballet when I was really little.
My mom signed me up and I was like, yeah, and she goes, but
she forced me to do it and I didn't have any interest in
doing ballet. So I figured if you didn't have
any interest in it, I'm not going to force you to do it.
Like, just matter of Factly And I was like, OK, so I could have
been a concert. Pianist and missing Lisa could
have been famous for being my teacher.
I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding.
But that is my experience with playing instruments and I do not
play any instruments anymore. Yeah, yeah.
So this show. Felt very like her little
journey going through playing violin and I was like.
I I felt it deep in my bones, yeah.
Well, I mean. I'm super.
Impressed because they both learnt their instruments, right?
So I think part and bin could play violin and then she kind of
re picked it back up. Yeah.
And then Kim and Jay like actually learnt to play the
piano. Like, I'm just so impressed.
He had like a month. He said he learned in a month.
She learned in a month. How you can't learn.
In a month but. Anyway, like, still, I'm
impressed. Yeah, it's really impressive.
That they played their own instruments in the show and that
they looked pretty good. Really believable.
I'm sure that. I mean, if I was someone on the
production and I had a couple of actors doing their best, had
minimal time to prepare to look like professional, a
professional violinist or a professional concert pianist, I
would dub them with a real person who can look at the
footage and actually play something that might be.
A little closer to the caliber that they need, yeah, but that's
neither here nor there. I'm not taking away from the
fact that they actually learned how to play piano and violin for
this show. I I think that this drama is old
school, and it's really hard to explain how it's old school
other than like I already pointed to Spring waltz, which
is an older K drama. But I think love rain also.
Feels this way where you have two really timid and sensitive
leading a leading couple and they're very introspective and
feeling and I feel like maybe do you like Brahms has melodrama
roots because K dramas of yesteryear in the melodrama
genre are. Like this?
They feel like this couple where it's like everything is a big
deal and all of these conversations are important and
you don't have all of this like fluff, so to speak, like empty
episodes because everything is interconnected.
But anyway, that's the last thing they'll say about that.
Was there anything that really surprised you about the way that
they portrayed music and the way that they portrayed?
The music school and Chamber Orchestra and stuff.
No, I. Found it.
Well, like I said, I don't know much about the classical music
world. So I found it like, really
interesting. But I actually really enjoyed
that. They made it so relatable
because it's still like a microcosm of, like, Korean
society within the music world, right?
So you know, Kim and Jay is like the superstar of the world.
But he's very lonely at the top, you know, like in that kind of
like I've just wrapped King the land, right.
So we're chebo drama and you know, like all like, you know,
he's going through his emotions, but he's alone because he's at
the top of the tree and then she is like, you know, right at the
bottom of the tree, right. So she is not only, you know,
still the student violinist, but she's also not a very talented
one and doesn't, you know, isn't isn't getting the spots that she
deserves and things. And then you've got some really
awful professors, people that are really super selfish.
So it felt really like they'd put in like all our very
familiar OK drama tropes but within this classical music
world, which I I, you know, I really enjoyed.
And then I think there's another observation I had, but I think
it might be a bit spoilery. So we could leave that till till
the till the end. But I I like that they kind of
flipped the trope a little bit with the classical music, so.
Yeah, OK. Yeah, OK.
So I think we're at that point. I think 1 two things.
OST, because you mentioned that you were listening to it.
Yeah, I love the. Ost loved it.
OK, you didn't like it. No, I was fine.
I. Just I think.
I only. Comment on Osts when I get an
earworm and I start and I like add it to all my playlists and I
find it's really repeatable. Yeah, but otherwise I'm like,
oh, that's. That was pleasant.
That was nice. Nothing terrible.
About it, it was. Wonderful in the moment,
Absolutely. But if you played it to me in a
mix with other K drama songs, would I be able to be like?
That's Do you like Brahms? Yeah, yeah.
I see what you mean. Yeah.
No. There's one gummy track that I
really liked that I thought was really good.
So I mean, it's like still been on.
So this drama, I watched it a while ago now, and the OSD
tracks are still on my kind of like I have a rolling playlist
and then I get sick of them and then I have to shove them off
because I can't hear them again. Whereas the Brahms ones are
still on there. Like, I'm still listening to
them. Ohh, that's so.
Nice. Sorry, it's a sign.
Of longevity, It's good. Yeah, it is a good.
All right, the second thing is what would you rate the show out
of five Sojo bottles? 5 being amazing, 0 being
terrible? So I.
Kind of. Like at the time I gave this A9.
Actually, so I'd score out of 10, so I guess the equipment
would be 4. But like when I was revisiting a
lot of this, I mean, maybe I've mellowed in my like, K drama
critique, but I was thinking that I can't.
I'd actually didn't, you know, there wasn't a lot that I
disliked about it. So but yeah, so probably 4-4,
but but OK, yeah, but not because there's like major stuff
that I thought this is not so great or they didn't handle this
well. So I'm knocking a point off
just, you know, yeah. So less that the the there's
something wrong with it. Just that it's like it's not
knocking out the park. Amazing, yeah.
OK, so I think. I'll rate it either 3.5 or 4.
I'm leaning towards 4. There's some things in the later
episodes that we'll we'll talk about in the spoiler section why
that really bothered me, but other than that I think it's
really pleasant. It's a really easy watch for the
most part, and you should definitely give it a try if you
haven't already. I think do you like Brahms?
So I said. Is probably one of the more
underrated shows for sure, yeah. And I.
At the top, I'm a romance fan, and the romance delivers for me
on this, you know, like, my problems with this drama are not
the romance to say for me. And I think there were so many
moments that just made me really feel things, and I think the
actors did just such a good job of portraying their emotions.
And that they're like eyes was just often brimming with
emotions so they could have whole scenes, as she said, full
of pregnant pauses. That really made me feel stuff
because they were doing so much of their acting through emoting
and through their body language and through the way their eyes
moved or the way they looked and then looked down.
And I just thought it was, yeah, it was really great.
I agree. All right, so with that being
said, we're going to get into the spoiler section.
So if you don't care about spoilers, we're going to, we're
going to keep going and you're going to come with us on this
journey. We'll be back right after this.
You want to come in? All right.
We're on the other side of. Spoilers and I think we want to
start where you left off. You said you had something that
you want to say that was a little spoilery, and so we're
gonna start there, right? I didn't mean to.
Cliffhanger it, but like it's good.
So what I really appreciated because we were talking about
classical music and I've, you know, we talked about how before
like a lot of people have this on their CV and they try.
But I think so many Asian dramas, and I think specifically
Korean ones, have this thing of showing people, if you just work
really hard, you study really hard, you put your hours in, you
will become successful and this drama.
Specifically says no, actually, that might not work for you.
You could play the violin and be so diligent and be practicing
all the time and have calluses on all of your fingers, but it
just might not be there for you because that elusive thing
called talent, or the thing that elevates a normal pianist or a
normal violence to to be some concert grade one is like.
A specific magical thing that you can't try 10,000 hours and
achieve. And I really loved that they
made that part of this drummer. Like, I loved that her arc was
that she put the violin away. Like this thing that was like
she had dropped everything. Stopped her business career,
restarted school, endured, like her classmates kind of basically
looking down on her and her being an outcast.
And because she was older than them and all the rest of it, and
it was still not. Good enough.
Not enough. And that's.
Just so. Antiphical to K drummers, So I
really love that. I love that.
That was her arc, and I think so too.
I think it's almost on par with being as compelling.
As their romance, yeah, is her journey.
And her heartbreak with. The.
Deep love that she has. For playing the violin and and
the violin in general. And that's something that the
show also juxtaposes against other students and against JYP,
her her. Her lover is that other students
who have that quality, that talent, that drive, hate their
instrument. And JYP multiple occasions was
like I don't enjoy playing the piano.
And the. People that want it the most
don't have what it takes. And that is a brutal reality.
And I remember, like, going through the whole piano and
starting late and Miss Handelisa, like being like, oh,
you're it's late. You know, because she had kids
that were coming in there, like really little and play very
well. I have this stupid story that I
have to tell. I'd be remiss if I didn't tell
it. And so the piano that I had at
home that I would practice on was like an electric piano, but
it had a bunch of settings and you could play some songs like
the piano would like light up and.
It would tell you like. What's a press?
But the piano itself would play the song on its speakers, right?
Whatever piano song and my sister.
Had a friend over my sister's 3 1/2 years younger than I am, and
so her friend presumably was also young, right?
Maybe 3-4 years younger than I am.
She had a friend come over and all of a sudden I hear the piano
going like they had pressed some buttons and the piano was
playing some piano song and I walk over and I was like turn
off. The piano.
I walk over. Her little friend is playing the
piano, and it was so good. I thought the piano was playing
it itself. Yeah, like I thought it was a.
Track that. Came with the the keyboard.
And I was shocked. She had the way her little
fingers were flying over the keys.
I was stunned. Yeah, stunned.
And. I had not for anything, but the
little friend was Asian, but I was.
Like, I'm never gonna get to that level.
Yeah. Yeah.
A lot. And I liked the.
I did not love it the way that this character loves the violin.
Yeah. Yeah.
And I think it's also because the drama starts with showing us
that she made this momentous decision.
Stop it, you know, just go and take it.
So you you assume by the end of the drama she's gonna somehow
Yeah, she's gonna, she's gonna, she's gonna rocky herself, you
know out of and be all like well trained and like, you know, and
is scary. It was scary how real it was.
It was also scary how she was like a second class citizen in
the school, so that. Yeah, yeah.
Because of her. Lack of talent, and I thought
the drama really started on a carefully.
Like, how do I put this? It was humiliation.
The drama started with humiliation because it had that
whole intro sequence of her getting chewed.
Out and humiliated by the conductor who had just dismissed
her and the other seat next to her.
Because he thought the violin section was too loud and he was
like, OK, you're not playing today.
She had already like, she was like, but I practiced so hard,
yeah. And she started to like.
State her case and the conductor was not having it.
He was extremely rude and even when she.
Said he's like, what is your name?
And she starts saying her name, Tesuna.
And that means sorry in Korean if you don't know how to spell
it, because it's not spelled the same way as sorry.
Evidently. And I was like, Oh my God.
So it was like this little like who's on 1st gag that was
happening because he's like, I I know you're sorry.
Stop saying you're sorry. What is your name?
I'm asking you your name. It was like, Oh my God, it was
painful. Yeah.
So painful. So then from there they start to
craft this romance. And you, you're taken for a ride
because her journey as a violinist as well is extremely
important to the show and it gives it's a huge source of
heartbreak for for you as the audience member and certainly
for the characters. Yeah, and I thought it was
brave. I.
Thought it was brave, the drama ended with her putting her
violin away and just going and saying goodbye.
To it she. Literally like has there's a
little like goodbye ceremony to her violin.
And I was like, oh. I almost cried.
When she because this is jumping to the end.
But when she sells her violin, I have a story like that.
I had a guitar that was collecting dust for years and
years. It made the trip up with me
after I moved out of my parents house and it was just in my
closet and I never played it. I never practiced on it.
I was like done with it by that point and I went to sell it and
I listed it and you know, I was it was a public place.
I was meeting up with these people and I had these thoughts.
I was like. This guitar meant a lot to me
and I remember buying it with my dad and like playing it in the
store and all of the times that I practiced on it and played on
it and I was getting really emotional.
But then I was like, it's not like it's not living.
It doesn't have a good home. I'm not playing.
I had all of these thoughts as I was telling the star and the
family that came to buy the guitar, they they looked pretty
worse for wear. To put it, to put it mildly.
And the dad picked it up and started playing the guitar and
he played so well, he just played like a little lick.
And I was like, this guy's gonna use it.
This family's gonna enjoy the instrument.
And it was, I was like, here, I would have given it at that
point. I would have just given it to
them for free because I was like if it goes to a good home then
great, it gets played with. Yeah, it's like Toy Story 3.
It is. It's.
Like Toy Story 3, but yeah, when she starts crying.
Yeah. Saying goodbye to the
instrument. And that she's gonna sell it.
I was like, Oh my God, yeah. I feel.
This I feel, yeah, she's. So good at crying as well.
She really kind of makes you feel.
Yeah, she's so good. It's terrible.
They say the name of the show in the show because she asked him
at the airport in episode one. Do you like Brahms?
I love when they do. That in shows and in movies.
OK, it's like a low hanging fruit, but I love it and.
He says no. He says no, I don't like Brahms
because of this whole like supposed.
Love triangle. That he had with Claire and
Schumann to other composers of the time, and that mirrored
JYP's own. Tumultuous relationship with his
best friend's girl and the best friend he.
Also had like 1/3. Wheeling situation.
That you had like. And I like that the two they
learned to like get through their complexes and him not
liking Brahms. By the end, he's like I only I
played your your three. Talked to me about in episode
one and developed this pro music program that got you into this
internship that was. Really powerful.
To me that he ends up playing Brahms and you know, he chooses
these songs, yeah. That mean a lot.
And she understands because she's part of that world.
So it was it. Was really nice.
I'm going to switch gears for a second before we get too sappy.
I really hated her best friend. Yes.
OK. OK.
Yeah, I. Thought I was like being really
catty about it. But no, no, I really disliked
her. I found her a bit.
I just I first of all like I just didn't feel like they were
friends. Like they didn't feel like an
authentic friendship. I felt like therefore she was a
bit because also like so let me layout.
I am not a big fan of love triangles, so to have.
Basically 2 two of them in one drama.
Yes. Was just like I'm a bit over
them but I mean they I think they did the the kind of the
Brahms and Clara Schumann thing like mirroring one was OK I I
could do that but the second one fell forced and and then because
obviously she is part of the best friend's part of this I
felt like she was just kind of she just felt a bit yeah bit
fake and it just didn't feel very authentic and then they
jammed in this like second love triangle.
I just. Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, I. Didn't like it at all.
It was a little bit icky. The best friend I think in
episode 3. It's her birthday, right?
It's Jason Wow's birthday and the friend comes by and says,
I'm not going to be able to make it to your party leader.
Here's your gift. And she start the best.
Friend only comes to drop off the gift and cry and ball over
the guy. Who now wants nothing to do with
her? Her ex.
Which is the crush that Chesungla has on him, yeah.
And it makes that it. Makes Chesunglass feel really
small and foolish. And why the?
Hell would the friend? Do that on the her birthday,
Yeah. It was like this.
Isn't about you. Annoying.
It's my birthday. You know what I'm saying?
Yeah, it's. You know very.
Annoying and then? Later on when she basically has
a go at her for having feelings for him and it's just kind of
like she doesn't get to choose and she didn't act on them
because you know, out of respect you and you just chew her out
for it. It's just kind of like.
Oh, I was a bit. Like I just wanted to Chuck
things at her. And then she said.
Oh, it's not because you liked him.
It's because you lied to me. That's what she was like.
Oh, I'm upset at you because you lied to me for all these years
and I'm like, get the fuck out of here.
Like. Who would say, hey, I have a
pretty strong crush on your boyfriend now?
Your ex and hang the girl code or the bro code like this was
totally uncalled for and she had she had no leg to stand on.
It felt like the BFF. Thought she was the main
character. That's a good take, yeah.
Yeah, I yeah. I kind of felt like they wrote
her in that, that, like, she just kept thinking they were
meant to be, right? Yeah, like her.
Her and this guy were meant to be.
And he was just so not into her. It wasn't even the love triangle
in some ways, because he was really not into her.
I agree. I agree completely.
And then they tried to bring her back later.
I thought this was good, if only the relationship was believable,
that then of them being friends, because they bring her back
later when she's really chase someone was really down.
And the violin repair shop guy who was that part of the other
bit of that triangle calls the BFF and he's like basically I
must, we don't see that conversation, but I'm glad that
he did that, Yeah. Yeah.
But yeah, that's part of the parts of the show.
I'm like I could actually done without this bit.
In episode. Three, we get this sort of like
conversation at the dinner table.
Like there's even. Can music comfort people?
Is music a comfort? And I thought this was a little
bit of a stupid conversation because I'm like, of course
music can comfort. Music therapy.
Now, when I was a kid, there was no music therapy, OK?
But did you have thoughts about this romantic notion about music
and the way that some of these players, like these
instrumentalists, were like? I don't know if music can
comfort whatever. They were a little bit
pessimistic about it. Well, I found a macro.
Like I think it mirrored, like I think it was a really good for
Kim and Jay's character. So Joe repeats like arc in the
you know. Like, he's the flip of Sona,
right? He is so perdiciously talented.
But piano, piano playing for him brings him no joy.
He has no joy. It is just a way to make money.
It's like a thing that's pressure.
It's the thing that means that he has to take sleeping tablets
to sleep and it's not something he gets any kind of.
Joy out of, let alone comfort from anymore, right?
And I think there is also like a commentary about which I think I
feel as well, of just what happens when you turn your
passion and your hobby into a job and it becomes like the
thing that you just that your livelihood depends on it Does it
just erode that passion for? So I mean, like, mine's just
very small thing. But like, I love knitting and
crocheting. And part of the thing when
you're knitting and crochets, people meet you and you go, wow,
wow, you've made this. Like, you should totally sell
this, right? But like, nobody wants to pay
actual money for things that have been like, made handmade.
And the hours that go into it, like your average adult jumper
would take 80 hours. So if I charge myself a minimum
pay, like no one's paying me like 800 pounds or like 1000
U.S. dollars for a hand knit jumper, right?
That's just not not happening. And.
And so. Like, but people always go, oh,
you should do this as a job and so A it's economically not
viable, but B it's also like, but then I wouldn't be doing it
for myself, right? It would no longer be my hobby,
my passion, my joy, my comfort. It would be something that.
You know, I have to do like, whatever my customer wants me to
do, even if it's hideous and in the wrong color or whatever, you
know, thing that might erode my joy.
And it becomes something that's not, you know, it becomes a
chore. Because all jobs are a chore,
right? Even the ones you love.
So it's kinda. I thought it was.
I thought it was a good conversation in that sense,
because it was like asking this general, more general question
of like what happens to you when actually you've picked up this
instrument and it must have given you joy at some point.
But now like several years down the line, does it no longer are
you almost becoming to? Hate it because it's actually
become something that you're tied to, you know?
Absolutely. I think.
You hit the nail on the head. I think that Jason basically
comes in and says look. Songs mean different things to
different people, and one person might derive joy from something
that you hate. The out of the equation, the
fact that it's a job for JYP, Yeah, And then he's actually
suffering. And you know, she kind of
defines it that way and it still.
For the craft, totally. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So. She does have a very romantic
notion of living and playing music as her career versus JYP,
who's in the trenches and really feels the strain of this life,
how demanding it is, how he's constantly living out of a
suitcase and you know, not to mention the financial strain
that his family puts on him because his father's constantly.
Yeah, getting in debt, so. Yeah.
And then all the pressure. From his agent on staying on the
top of his game and like, you know, being potentially
overtaken by some other brand new star in the pianist world
and yeah, just feel. For him.
So much during this drama. Like I think he they do.
A really good job. Of kind of showing how he's
quietly, like how hard this is for him.
Mmhmm. And then later on, this
conversation comes into play. I think in episode 14 where she
starts to this is when she's. Thinking of giving up the violin
and she they have like the flashbacks of this conversation
about music and bringing you comfort and she's like hugging
the violin as well while she's thinking of all this and she
goes to. The violin case and the bridge
has fallen. The bridge has collapsed on the
violin and you're like, Oh no, that's a little on the nose for
me personally. Yeah, like that sort.
Of thing. It happened multiple.
Times in the later episodes. And I was like, this is a little
cheap, like, you know we can, we were really smart earlier.
You didn't need to have the violin bridge collapse to show
that. Yeah.
It's yeah, you know what I'm saying.
Well, actually. Because A.
Lot of I think the beauty of this show was all the
subtleties. You know, some some of the stuff
like I didn't even notice until like afterwards I read like
other people what they wrote about the drama and stuff and
I'm like, oh, I didn't even notice that that was so.
And like I think for example like the way that their
relationship, like one of the things I loved about them was
how organically they kind of grew together and the show
showed. How they came to care for each
other. And they did it in loads of tiny
little ways and it was really, really softly done and really
beautiful. Yeah.
So the bridge was a bit like, oh, this is a bit K drummer is
this is a bit. We get the symbolism.
It's like, yeah, I get it, yeah. It's a little like, you know.
Spoon fed in episode three he plays cuz she's very cut up and
it's her birthday. She just had this.
Thing happened with her best friend who's crying over the guy
that she has a garage on. It's this whole complex thing
and she's not feeling up for going to the party and I think
he's in the practice room and he plays Moonlight Sonata for her.
And then transitions. It into Happy Birthday.
Yes. And I was like.
I was holding onto the wall. I was like this is amazing this
is. Genius right to do.
This because she starts. She's like, I don't really feel
like listening to music right now.
I don't feel like listening to this song.
And then? He transitions.
Into Happy Birthday and I was like, Oh my God, I am sold if a
boy did this for me, Major Kennergy, but also I would buy
it. Yeah, so that.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, if it just reminded me
the one thing I have to say when we have classical.
Having said that, I'm not really into classical music.
One thing when they do do classical music, I wish they
would pick some other pieces and not pick like the like the
literally the most overplayed, like Moonlight Sonata.
Like in Twilight it was flipping Claire de Lune.
I was like, just fucking loon. Claire's a fucking loon.
I'm just like, yeah, let's just like, pick a different fact.
Let's not all play the same thing.
That's on like the classical 100 like CD, right?
Let's just kinda. But yeah, I I was like, come on
guys, that's I mean, I'd like to learn some other paintings.
I'd like to learn, you know, find something obscure to love
and then we could all get to know it a bit better.
So yeah, that might learn my pet peeve for this.
I agree completely. I agree.
I think it was the transition that I was like, Oh my God, Oh
my God. I hear it.
It's happening. But then he gets up from the
piano. Assess asks her, Would you like
to be friends? Yeah, and then he says.
No, we have. To be friends and then he goes
and hugs her and says I'm doing this as a friend.
Ohh, they were so. Cute.
Because he's just like. Comforting her.
And I like their date when they go on their first date and
they're walking by the wall at the palace, yes, that, he said.
Multiple times. He likes to take a stroll by the
palace and she's like, really? I guess it's a little cliche,
maybe, but I appreciate it. I appreciate these moments where
you see them just vibing with each other and making small talk
and having a little bit deeper conversations.
And it's good. I I liked all that.
Yeah, I really. What I really loved, and given
obviously that they're introverts, was just how quickly
they open themselves up and start telling each other things
they haven't told their Bff's. About themselves and obviously
crushes and whatever but just just like opening up it was
almost like they kind of got like I mean you know I'm as I
said a romance fan. So I do always love it when like
two people meet and they kind of realize that they're this is.
Someone that they. Can bear their soul to a little
bit like that always gets me. And I think that they did that
so well right from the start. Right right from the start.
She's kind of quite honest about how she feels about this, that
and the other and. Because they're so introverted
in clothes. Like, this is like the first
time we as an audience hear some of this as well, right?
So I think that was really, I thought they did that so well.
Yeah. What did you think about?
Him and 2nd Femaley Dongyong together and their hang up,
which was pretty consuming for a large part of the show.
So this. So I did struggle.
With this, like I said, I'm not a big love triangle fan.
I found her character really difficult, so I think it sounds
like we had a similar journey in the most of the drama.
I was like, I just do not like this person.
Apple. She's.
A bitch like. My God and also why?
Does she have? Two.
Not just one, but two really amazing people fall for her.
Like, what is? Why?
Yeah, for what? For what, exactly?
For what? She's not great.
No, she looks great. No.
And and neither of them are with her for the money which is
something I could I could I'm like OK maybe for the money and
the the influence because your family is like you know this
amazing like musical like whatever you know family and for
the for the prestige of it. But no that's not the reason
you're with her. You like her?
Because I don't know. I don't know why you're like
yes. I don't know why.
They liked her. She was not charismatic.
She was very dry. She seemed to have no sense of
humor. She was rude.
Rude, yeah. Rude.
She was mean. To Chesunga as well, Yeah, she
seemed to have. One expression throughout the
show and. Which was?
It was distaste. Like she was annoyed or judging
everyone around her at all points, and I particularly
thought that she was cruel. In.
Episodes 5 through 6 or so, when she breaks up with the cellist
with the, he'll know like I thought that was terrible
because she breaks up with him and.
He's trying. I think they're in an outdoor.
What are those called? Like the tented?
Oh, the pojung child. Yes, yes.
And he's trying to. Convince her that she's
imploding their relationship for something that she thinks is
better, which in this case is JYP.
Yes, but it you know it's not, it'll make her uncomfortable
eventually that she'll regret it eventually.
The grass is not always greener on the other side and that.
She and she still does it anyway.
She still calls it quits with him and his crying in that scene
was so good, so. Good.
So good. I mean, as much as I bitch about
how, like, it's still like, it gave us that scene.
It gave us another. Not that we really needed it,
but another Kimson Cho, looking wounded and like, heartbroken
and yearning and just like, oh. My heart, my heart went out
there, you know, our poor boy. But then later, she tells the
foundation director, Youngin, I think they call her Noona
throughout the show. She tells her that they broke up
and he's there. Like Kilno is there in the
concert hall where they're talking and she goes ape shit in
front of the Noona character because she's asked him, did you
intend to marry me? With what confidence?
Did you think you had anything to offer me?
Tell me why they. Liked her, she said.
Shit. Person she is.
Horrible She's and horrible and also like they kept flashing
back. Like they kept flashing back to
that scene in the concert like theater bit where they so this
is JYP now and and and the sex second male asking female lead.
And the. The.
Kind of like confession. That wasn't the confession, But
I think, I think when we got to like the fifth three play of
this, you think Flashback. I was.
Like enough. Enough.
I'm like a bit over it. Like, actually, could you just
show me why he liked her rather than this scene?
This, rather than this scene? Could you show me a time when
she deserved your adoration? Because then maybe I'd get it a
bit more. But you know, I know, yeah.
Yeah, we had. We both.
Had the. Same issues with this character.
And then her threatening at various points Chesuna like she
shows up in front of her house in front of Chesuna's
neighborhood and says that her and JYP have 15 years of
history. Stay out of our business.
Yeah, I was like, what? The hell where did this guy?
If I was chasing, I'd have no idea what she's talking about.
Why? Why she would come and tell me
this? Because at this point, they're
not even together, really. Yeah, it was crazy it.
Was it? Was.
So I completely. Was on Chase on last side, did
you, did you take sides in their relationship at all?
Like did you find? That you were.
Sort of on JYP side as far as he had a lot of the way that he was
behaving was warranted and you know, forgivable or were you on
chase on last side? I was chasing our.
Side Yeah, Yeah. Because there.
Were there were. Times when I'm just like because
let's be fair, like as as beautiful as this drama, that
subtlety. There were also times when it it
did lean into the tropes right and so like part way like like
towards the end when it does that whole miscommunication
thing if she miss her or misunderstands like.
Him kind of being the accompanist to the second female
and like you could just explain, you could just talk and you
could also tell her like your money issues and you could just
tell her like cuz she doesn't feel like you're talking to her
right? Yeah.
You could just talk. You could just talk.
I mean it gives us antsy scene. So I'm just like, I get it, I
get it, I get like that's why they did it.
But yeah, now all the time I did feel like, OK, so first of all
like, I just feel the drama did such a good job of.
As we said, making her an introvert.
But she is so brave. Like she like throughout this
drama, right. She is consistently putting
herself out there. And you know, because she's, I
mean, this is flipping hard for anybody to do, but it must be so
much more harder when you're such an introvert.
So she tells him that you like seeing when she tells him she
likes him. Oh yeah.
Perfect example. And and you do you want to read?
The thing because she wrote like an interview she gave right
about that scene she talked. About that scene and it was
really touching. The way she talked.
About their chemistry, and she explained that in episode 6, it
wasn't that I meant to confess my feelings, but after seeing
his face, everything just came out uncontrollably.
I had my hand on my chest and I could feel my heart beating, so
it seems like she's a little method because.
She was feeling some type of way during that scene, and you could
tell that it was authentic and very organic.
Yeah. The way that it just sort of
spilled out of her, like I like you.
Yeah. And I felt.
It you know like I've been I've been that person that think that
person that's kind of like I don't think you'd like me back
and you're like way too like. You know about out of my league,
which is I think how she feels right.
This person is so out of my league.
But oh, like I've got all these feelings and then suddenly like,
and then suddenly you're asking me what's wrong And I'm just
like I can't pretend that like I'm OK.
Because obviously I'm not OK and like black is my feelings.
And so it felt so real. I was just like and but she was
so brave as well you know to just bear her heart it it, you
know in in that situation where she feels like.
It's just one sided like for her, you know, it's just from
her side. So she's not saying it to like
elicit like I like you back. Like I know she knows that this
is not, you know. Yeah.
And then the ice cream kiss. Can we talk about the ice cream
scene? Take it away.
Take it. Away I made a TikTok about it
cuz I loved it so much. But absolutely please what did
you what did you think about the ice cream kiss?
I just love the. Well, first of all, I love the
IT turns out that he didn't really like ice cream, so it was
so delivable. This is so believable.
Yeah, yeah, that he's. Like I just.
Do you want to grab ice cream? He basically is just like pulled
it out of thin air, even though he doesn't even like ice cream
just to spend time with her and then later on she they're eating
ice cream together. But he's not eating.
He's. Not eating it.
And she's like, what? It's wrong.
And he's like, I don't really like ice cream.
So that's really cute. That was already cute.
As I mean God they're just so cute that was already cute as
and then they lean in because then the hurt his ice cream
falls and then she she's like you know you know they're about
to kiss and and then she does it right she initiates it she
kisses him and like I'm just like you go girl like you just
you know like it must also really hard and then.
And it's just so cute because then she kisses him and then she
suddenly, like, draws back and sit like you could kind of feel
like she goes, oh shit, like I I kissed him like, oh, like what
was I doing? And then he just goes in for
like round two. And then I'm just like, and then
and then the ice cream is melting.
And then we are all melting. And I was like, oh, this is such
a great scene. I love that.
Perfect. Yeah.
She puts down her own. Ice cream so it's like.
I got to dedicate myself to the sweeter thing and this kiss is
sweeter than the ice cream. That.
Right now I. Scene.
And yeah, she's quite brave, I think even just the fact that
she went to Business School, graduated with a business
degree, and then was like, I'm going to go back to school for
violin. And she'd never played the
violin before. Wild that.
Is that is. That's maybe something more
because. And even her.
Dad was like, do you? Even, like, are you even
talented at playing the violin? The family's like befuddled by
her decision and of course they don't support her, which is
really sad and. I I don't know.
I don't know if I like this family at all, but.
But quite. I guess like in the in the
social context, I think completely understandable.
Yeah, I love, I love that she is such a brave character, but she
doesn't look it right. She's going.
So it's that juxtaposition of life.
They don't have to always be warriors and they don't have to
be like a king in the King's affection and be all like, you
know, I'm alpha. Like she is so, so, so strong
and so, so brave. And then even then, later, when
she she decides that she's going to break up, you know, and she
does it for herself. To put herself even though she
likes him so much. She she's like, I'm doing this
for me. That really organic and also
really brave and took courage and yeah, I.
This isn't. This isn't working for me.
Yeah, and I. Agree completely.
I like that she she brings up, I think in voiceover can she beat
time, which is 2 things that she's trying to work out in her
mind and heart. Can she beat the time?
That other people have on her. Like as far as her musical
ability, she is way behind everybody else in school.
And even his JYP's agent comes and has like multiple terrible
conversations with her where he's just putting her down and
giving her reality check that she'd never requested.
And he's like, there, you can't be time everyone else has had.
Been practicing and taking lessons for over a decade and
you're just starting. Like, whether you're good or
bad, it doesn't matter, You can't beat them.
And in her, in the relationship between JYP and Jung Kyung, the
second female lead, it's the same thing that she's
questioning. Like, can I beat this time that
they've spent together? Like, I don't have this history
with him and. How am?
I going to get you know he's she's everywhere in his life.
Like she goes to his house. She requests to go to his house
which is also really brave right Early on in the relationship.
She's like can I go up to your house And she sees like the
Hank, the handkerchief that she gave him and he's funded
basically by her family. His entire livelihood depends on
on her and. So on and so forth.
With this, and it's a valid question, yeah, talking about
the relationship, the elitism, which I think you touched on
earlier was probably the most like.
The list goes on with how she's been imprinted all over JYP and
she said like Jason was like, how can I?
Frustrating part of the show. To me like never never mind the
two love triangles and the second female lead from hell, I
thought the elitism and the way that there is like a clear
hierarchy in the school and. The music.
Community. And I couldn't fathom how JYP
could let his piano competition teacher speak so badly of his
girlfriend at this point. And how her?
Internship buddy as well was saying like, why would a world
class pianist date an ordinary violin student?
Yeah. Yeah, cuz she's just ordinary.
It was. It was a lot.
And I was feeling that along with the character, that was
something that was running throughout the show was just
this the way. That the community's so.
Yeah, yeah, it. Was so hierarchical, right?
But that's why then, then that also gave like, one of the other
scenes that I really loved when he was just, you know, he was
when they were together and people were asking them like,
you know, is this rumor real? And he's like, yeah, she's my
girlfriend. Like I'm we're dating.
And then they sit next to each other in the canteen, and then
they just basically do, because they just do a lot of this, like
shy smiling at each. Like they can't, Yeah, stop
smiling at each other. But then they kind of stop, and
then they start again because they kind of like, can't not
stop smiling. And I was just like, ohh,
they're so adorable. They're so cute together.
I love them. Yeah.
Yeah, the exploitation. Of the students by the
professors, yes. Disgusting.
And they badger them. They insult them.
The teachers are condescending to them.
They pin all of like the professors pin all of their own.
Dash Dreams. And musical aspirations on the
students. And not only do they live
vicariously through them, but they they're simultaneously
gaining esteem and clout and position from attaching their
name to their most successful students.
And this blew my mind, I don't feel.
Like, we have that in our culture over here in the West.
So I was like, this is like a whole new thing where you have
these students who make it and then somehow like the teachers
also in the same sentence. Why?
Yeah. That's really interesting.
Because you know how you said like this drama kind of felt
like a bit old school to you, So this part of it?
Felt very old school to me because I think that's quite,
it's quite an Asian confusion concept, you know, the whole
like confusion thing of a master and their like their their pupil
and how a successful pupil reflects well on their master.
So for me, it felt like these were kind of themes that had
been so the fact that they these two quite bitchy professors and
they're like at each other, like the whole the two women
professors, yeah. It felt really.
Old school to me, so actually I. Ended up kind of enjoying it
because I found that bit like a little bit melodramatic, like
melodra, like old school melodrama.
Like they were just, it was like it was just so OTT and they were
just so bitchy and they just hated each other so much that I
was like, OK, I'm just this bit's not like this is just the
mellow butt of this drama. Like they're kind of like taking
the P rather than it being like a true reflection of kind of
might might go on in the classical world.
So that's right. Yeah.
So it was. It was a.
Little bit. Trying to watch and to have the
students get in the crosshairs of these petty rivalries and the
those two music professors who don't one actually did teach the
students. It felt like yes, whenever.
She was having the private. Lessons with that one girl who
had a a really overbearing mom she was teaching her.
On the other hand, whenever we saw the other professor with
Chesuna on those private lessons, it was.
I was like, how is Jason, like, keeping it together?
Because she's not even paying attention.
She's not giving her any notes, She's not teaching her anything.
And. Then she had to do the.
Event and then not get invited like she did all that work and
then so angry I was. Livid.
I was livid when that professor said.
That that she was. Like, oh, I only invited the
best students, the best players. And so of course you're not.
A member of the Chamber Orchestra which the chamber.
Itself was like a pyramid scheme.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was a.
Ponzi scheme, yeah, yeah, yes. The students, the players
themselves, were buying all the tickets and.
They were the like. There was no, Oh my God, it was
so frustrating. But I I just couldn't get over
that that bitch of a violin professor who?
I mean. Even later.
She's at some sort of event from the KYUNGSU Foundation that
happens at the school and in front of all of the KYUNGSU
Foundation girlies. The Bitch Violin Professor says
you couldn't ask for a better wife for a performer.
Nowadays women all have their own job keeping them busy.
But honestly, for musicians like June Young who go on tour, they
need a wife who packs their bags and manages their schedule.
That's how they can focus on their music only, without having
to worry about bothersome things like managing their money.
It's a head scratcher. It's so.
Old. School.
That's what it is. That's the bit that remind, I
think, yeah, that's the bit that felt like old school.
Whoa. Whoa.
And then I love how you had that Kyungsu nuna go.
People really just say whatever they please, yeah.
Like. People just flapped their.
Lips together. And she goes.
Not everybody. Is an adult just because they
are older? Yes, I.
Love her character. Oh, I loved her character.
I thought she was such a gem. I really enjoyed her inclusion.
Yeah, in the the whole show, really.
I love. I love the.
Actress. Actually, so yeah, I love her
too. Yeah, that.
Is I have her. Saw Jung Yong.
Yes, so. She is also in interest of love.
But she is. But she is playing the mum of
Yuyun Suk and I think there's like a decade between them.
I was just like, come on, now she's what?
Now she's in. She's just like mum roles now.
It's like she's not that old. Guys, come on.
So yeah, that was a bit, yeah. Anyway, I digress.
No, it's fine. It's fine.
I think that the whole JYP doesn't, can't play piano the
way he wants to and never has play piano the way he wants to
is also really important part of the show.
And really poignant because whenever he has these lessons
with this terrible, terrible competition teacher who like, is
mentally traumatizing all of his students evidently and
especially JYP. Yeah.
He's constantly telling him. To pander to the judges.
And to basically dumb it down and play it in the most
respectable, the most like appeal to the the common
denominator basically versus playing it with the feeling and
emotion and maybe slight difference from the pandering
like the majority and getting a perfect score from like one
person and making one person feel something.
And I was like, that's powerful. Like we could sit there and talk
about that for a long time, but I.
Like that and he ends up. Saying can I not even play the
piano the way I want to? And the teacher's like, no, you
can't. It's.
Really interesting because actually I think it's a parallel
as well. So have you heard of Long Long?
No. I don't.
So. Lang Lang is a very famous
pianist from China. So he's probably the most famous
pianist that China has ever produced.
And he started when he was three, obviously.
So yeah. And he's and he's done
interviews about how like he. He.
Was basically like pressured into doing well.
So anyway, I I digress. So one of the themes of and as a
racist element to it as well, but one of the themes of.
The Chinese classical music scene or even the East Asian
musical scene is this kind of like and again slightly racist
kind of viewpoint. The East Asian people are very
technically good, but not necessarily have this kind of.
Appreciation or this artistry or this authenticity of voice that
maybe Western musicians have because they, you know, there's
this kind of like because you know, like Chinese, there's a
Chinese, like a racist Chinese trope is that we're all robotic
automatons and that we're really good at that kind of following
instructions and doing it. Like everybody could do the same
move at the same time in a really orchestrated way.
But we can't think for ourselves because we're kind of robotic
like that and so. Pianists are like technically,
so people who do then E stations that then do the classical music
and learn an instrument are like technically very proficient but
yet don't necessarily have this artistry thing.
So I also thought that that was like his teacher was kind of
representing like that world of like be.
Somebody who is technically good and pleases everybody.
And don't be too individual and express your personality and
your you know your emotions through your piece and be too
idiosyncratic, like because you should just fit in because like
the Asian thing is to fit in and not stand out.
I am shocked. Well, not shocked.
How do I put this? I have never heard that about.
Musicians and artists from Southeast Asia ever.
And so that was shocking in and of itself.
But I am so glad that you're here to have these great nuanced
takes and and call out some of these maybe stereotypes if
you're looking at the got it nicely.
But I. Literally, you blew my.
Mind right now about that take in that viewpoint about the
racist stereotype and like. I never thought of it like that.
I never thought and. It's just, you know, I come from
a different culture and like, individuality is everything.
And that's why you've. You know, gravitate towards
certain performers because they make you feel a certain way or
they talk about something that in their lyrics that like speaks
to you. And classical music is really
difficult to make a name for yourself to me, because the
music has been on the page for sometimes centuries.
And countless people have played it.
Yeah. And what are you gonna bring to
the table that's new and fresh and different?
Yeah, no, I totally. Wow.
Yeah, it was interesting. I I felt like that's why I
actually appreciate another element of why I appreciated the
drama that it was set in, the setting that was kind of had a
wider social. Commentary I think like on,
yeah, like I said that it's very much kind of.
Something that lots and lots of people do in Asia just for the
extracurricular credits and not necessarily in and of itself.
Romance of it, yeah. Yeah, right.
Not for. Or the love.
Of it or the creativity, the artistry of it, Yeah, yeah.
Yeah. I really.
I guess the last thing that I wanted to talk about about gyp
was that he was so. Wrecked, like with his soulless
life. That he's lived as a pianist and
as a student, and that he's the golden ticket for his family.
The checking account that they dip into when his dad squanders
more money and he feels indebted and owned by the rich family, by
Jung Kung's family, who gave him everything.
They gave him his shot, gave him the foundation money and they
continually pay his family's debts under the table.
And it's like he can't live without them.
Like he can't amount. To anything without their
wallet. And it's maddening for him to
keep this toxic lifestyle that he's and it goes into.
Like what we were saying earlier about he's never been able to
enjoy his piano playing. Well, this is a huge part of it
too, that he's been beaten into submission and he's been bought
and paid for, basically. Yeah.
Yeah, so the romance. Fan in me also loves that hits
his setup because he's so lonely, right?
I love a lonely hero. A lonely, damaged hero.
And yeah, and I I love that. I love how they they set it up
in the drama. Like it's not in your face that
this is the thing that he's going through that you just kind
of like peel back the layers and realize that he, you know with
with the whole, like I'm this top tier concept, P&S comes all
of this top kind of thing. And and I thought that the drama
did a really good and then like Kim and Jay himself did a really
good. He was.
So it was a really physical performance actually because
they're so introverted and they don't say a lot.
So I felt like they were really showing their acting chops
through really subtle like the way he held his body, the eye
contact and stuff and like, yeah, just really great.
I agree. I agree when they break.
Up which I was fully supportive of Jason while breaking up with
him. Actually, as a matter.
Of fact, I was like, yeah, this should happen earlier.
It's of course raining outside. And that's what I mean by in the
later episodes it gets a little cheap with like the K drama
tropes and the cliches where earlier they had this whole
scene where she gave him an umbrella.
It was raining, he didn't have one.
She gave him one. Then they break up.
Of fucking course it's raining outside.
When she walks out and he gives her back the umbrella.
Yeah, yeah. So I was like I hated it cuz
they didn't need. It right I.
Didn't need to do that. Well, actually, cuz yeah.
And just the other really, really, really great scene that
I really loved was his initial confession to her.
So, so let me set this up. So she he had said, I need to
have a conversation with you and I need to tell you something.
So she then all starts thinking, Oh my God, what could he be
telling me? Like, could he be telling me,
could he be confessing his love back to me or whatever?
And then she's all like, really tense and nervous.
And then suddenly he goes, so I'm playing the piano for
talking, and she's just like. What the like WCF like?
Why you tell like why are you telling me this?
Why is this relevant to me? Like you just kind of told me
that you were telling me something so I thought you were
here to tell me something big like just basically you know,
she more thing like one more thing that Jung Kung has like
Won over her. Yes, is.
That now suddenly he's her accompanist accompanist.
And she's struggling. Like has been struggling to get
a good accompanies for her grad school audition.
And it's like like right where it hurts, right, Yeah, right
where it hurts. And then he said that this is
the really important thing he wants to tell her.
And also we as in the audience know that he wants to do it like
cuz he doesn't want her to misunderstand and stuff.
But my heart's with her. I'm just like seriously, like
seriously, this is the way. Read the room.
Yeah, and then and.
Then he drops the bombshell. Of like, actually I like you.
And then they have their kiss with the piano and the
discordant notes, and now it's like, I love the thing, I love
the scene. Yeah, that's a really good A+
scene and I. That then they come up with that
thing. Between them, that's like, tell
me the important thing first. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I really like that too. I.
Really love that too. Yeah, so.
This was OK for me in the episode. 15 they both get.
And this is done in like a montage sequence, so it's not
dwelled upon that much. But she gets sick because she's
decided to give up the violin because that's her great love,
right? She's loves playing the violin
and then he gets sick at the same time because they broke up.
Because she was his greatest love, not the piano.
Like, who gives a fuck about the piano?
So I I was like, OK, this is OK. I'll allow this trope of like,
oh, they get sick because they're heartsick, basically,
Yes. Yeah.
Did you foresee?
That Jung Kyung's grandmother would die.
I was quite shocked actually, I think when it.
Happened. But then I realized, I guess
they were telling us that she was not.
She wasn't. She was ill.
She was OK.
So here's I I agree. With you and.
I I'm. The fact that they were saying,
oh, she had a hospital. Say she was ill and.
People were kind of like treating her very gingerly
whenever she was out and about. That's fine.
But she seemed in good health the rest of the show, and so I
thought we were free and clear of some elderly person just up
and dying on us in the middle of the show.
Not the case at all. You get a really cheap shot,
right? Where Jung Kyung just sent the
e-mail was about to send the e-mail that she's going to turn
down the professorial position and her violin string snaps to
signify. Smash, cut the grandma.
We're already like, she's already dead and we're at the
funeral. I was like, what the fuck?
Like this is so. It couldn't.
Have been more old School K drama in that moment.
Yeah, I so agree. I so agree.
Yeah, he's like, again, we were just talking about all this
nuance and meaning throughout the show.
And their journeys are so interesting.
And then you have like the violin snap to civilize that the
grandmother died. I'm like, shut up.
Like, just shut up, tone it down.
Because we were good up until now.
I felt a bit like it was almost like the showrunner, like, came
in. Maybe at that point I said, you
know, like, I think you need to put these things into your
drama. Like, it's just liberty.
Subtle. It's too too smart.
You have to dumb it down to the. Audience.
Yeah, exactly. So annoying, but they finally
get together. And play Brahms for her
graduation. Recital, yeah.
Which I really enjoyed their performance I thought.
The latter. Performances between them and
the trio, yeah. And his graduation recital as
well. I was like, these are really
good. Memorable bits of the show of
them performing and they sounded really good.
I did And I think where like Pak on bins kind of like violin
playing and slight background and it really paid off because
when she's doing the Super dramatic like you know, Boeing
thing, I'm just like you look so right.
You know, I do not pay the violin, so I have no idea, but
you look like you look the real deal.
And yeah, it was so great. It was really good.
Yeah, I like the quote that she says to him after their
performance at. Her graduation recital.
You know, the piece we played today?
The FAE Sonata means free but lonely.
But I hope that you can be free and happy.
Yeah, yeah, that's so lovely. It's so lovely.
I don't understand this is a nipic.
Why did? His graduation recital have like
a bunch of songs, and then hers just had one song that's so big.
Like he came in and had a whole program.
And she just needed. Him for the one son.
Yeah. Yeah, maybe that's just his, You
know, he's the star. And she's like, yeah, true that
little. But I like the.
Conversation. That she has.
With him after his graduation. Recital where he says, I mean he
like they've already broken up, she's about to leave and he says
like, I love you. Like I'm I'm being selfish right
now. I know that.
Like we've. Broken up and.
I hurt you. This is so great.
But I love you. And I think I just regret it for
the rest of my life. If I didn't tell you right now
and I was like, like, hand over heart, I like, couldn't breathe.
I was like, Oh my God. Then she says that she can't be
friends with him. Yeah, because she loves him.
And then they have this most scrumptious kiss backstage.
I was like, oh Lord, like this is.
It was pretty good, yeah. Yeah, the last couple of notes
that I have have to do. His mom.
Throughout the show, I was thinking she should just divorce
this asshole. There's no hopes that I know.
I know Ben JYP has this convo with his mom.
And says mom. Get a divorce.
I literally gasped. So like the gasp that I gust
when he goes, he just starts in. Mom, get a divorce.
I was like, that's what I have been saying the whole.
So direct. Love it?
Yeah, yeah, he caught me off guard and.
Then couple rings happy ever after.
And and that's it like I think maybe the.
Show the only. Other nippic I have is maybe the
show should be 12 episodes long versus 16.
I think that would be a really sweet spot so you didn't have to
do the 1.25 speed so that I didn't have to.
Do the 1.25 speed and we wouldn't have two love
triangles. And we wouldn't have a little
bit of wheel spinning with John Kyung and her bullshit.
And yeah, it just would have been a little bit of a tighter
show. And I again, really good show
overall, really enjoyed it. I I I No.
I liked it at 16. I would have taken 14 but I
think like 12 was maybe a bit too.
I mean the what the one thing I would say that my final point
would have been that I'm just very glad that they the secondly
didn't end up together. Oh my God that's a great point.
I'm so. Glad they didn't, cuz I was.
I was, I was like, you know, because I really didn't like
her. So episode 14 bit, I think I was
like, please don't get back together with her, don't, don't,
like, don't give her, don't redeem her so much that she is
now like, OK to have her. Because I thought that's what
they were gonna do with the direct like her grandmother
dying. They were gonna like make it all
like get it all like like shmushi and like she was gonna
like realize that she'd been a bitch all this time.
And I was like, please don't make that happen because I'm
just not buying it. And then he goes off to the
States and I'm like, yes, yes, so leave me.
Find. Someone.
Find someone who deserves you, yeah.
Yeah, I agree. Oh, the last thing, I guess.
John Kyung. Is Semi redeemed when she
realizes that she never loved JYP.
She just was comforted by him and his presence and his piano
playing and was extremely jealous of his success.
And felt inferior because her own talent had diminished.
Yeah, but. But again, I didn't buy that
either though. Because that doesn't like her
self realization. Yeah.
OK, Well, no. Had self realization if that's.
Why she liked him like I just was a bit like, but then, but
then you were basically acting like the the jealous kind of
bitch, right? So I don't like.
I get like that could be a justification for how you feel
about someone, but that is not how you behave.
For the majority of this drama, she just behaves so badly.
She did. She just behaves so badly, I
guess. What I liked is that she was
actually a good teacher. Yes.
Yeah. So I like that little like, you
know the the girl was, she saw herself in the girl, right.
And her, her tiger mum. And yeah, and having, I think
also having her coming to terms with.
What the foundation means to each member of her family and
how the grandmother, like she called her grandma out for
thinking that this foundation was this like charitable thing
that she was doing out of the goodness of her heart when
really she started this foundation because she felt
extremely guilty toward her daughter who died Junkyung's
mom. And not having a good
relationship with her and being very harsh toward her.
Yeah, in life. And I was like, oh, that's.
Ooh. That's heavy.
I felt like towards the end, like I could.
Yeah, that's. Buy her like, I don't think she
had a full redemption art, but I could.
I felt like I could buy a little bit of, like, hope for her, that
she could be less of a bitch in the future.
Yeah, and she was already in her 30s, like.
I feel like by the. By the time you're in your 30s,
you're fully cooked like this. You don't grow that much, I
guess. I don't know.
Yeah. This is great and you had such
great takes and so much insight. So we Wow, we were on the same
wavelength for a lot of. Cultural relevancy and things
that spoke to you that I just didn't even pick up on.
I'm so glad that you came on this episode with me.
And enjoyed the show. Sometimes people come on and we
have a good time but the show sucked and we were just
commiserating the whole time because we didn't like the show.
But in this case we did like the show.
And I do wanna just thank you for being so patient.
It takes a really long time sometimes to produce podcast
episodes, as you know, with afternoon to ask.
But I really appreciate it. You've been really, really
wonderful. And I hope you come back.
Oh, I'd love to come back. Thank you so much for having me.
I had a blast. Thank you.
Oh great. Where can with people find you
online? Sarah So I.
Post probably a little bit too obsessively on Instagram at K
Drama this. And then as you said, we've
we've just started a brand new Baby pod Afternoon Asks, which
is a sister podcast of Afternoon Delight.
And I know you've had Leah from Afternoon Delight on your show.
So we myself and then Grace, my cohost is a Korean American.
So we're kind of like Asian owned voices on this whole K
drama many together. So we and it's called asks
because we have a lot of questions, right.
So, you know like we watched K dramas and we're like does this
thing really happen. So we're we're kind of how to
ask the questions that we all have and bring on a lot of
guests and grill them because we both neither us know everything.
We learn how to say Korean names properly with Grace and we learn
some phrases and and other things.
So yeah. So come and join us on Afternoon
asks. I am so glad that you guys are
doing those episodes. And have.
Started a really nice like spin off of Afternoona.
I loved having Lee Leon and here's some more episodes with
you guys, both the afternoona team coming on Debak.
I really appreciate it and that's it.
That's been our show. I'm Jessica and this has been
the Tebaki Rambles podcast. We're turning good time seeing
us from Hanaman or Hanaman. It's in the matter of sugar in
our sky ground. Get some high.