we watch videos in the evening, usually one movie or drama via youtube or sometimes Netflix, and then a K drama.
We just finished this K drama: Beautiful Love Wonderful Life
I don't know if this is on Netflix: I found it on youtube, although they seem to be erasing earlier episode now.
The series starts with two depressed teenagers who met on line and made a suicide pact to die together...but only one of the teens dies and the boy's suicide is covered up both to protect the girl from prosecution of enticing his suicide, and to protect his mother, who is told her son dies a hero trying to save the girl's life..... And the series then fast forwards ten years to show the ramifications on everyone's lives from those actions.
here is a preview of the early part of the 100 episode long miniseries:
The plot then expands to her family: a subplot of her older sister who marries for money and who is forbidden by her mother in law to stay in touch with her family because of prejudice against poor people (a subplot in many K dramas: See also the movie Parasite).
The husband's adultery with his secretary, a divorce forced on them by his mother, and later his decision to confront his choices and to reheal his marriage; the older sister's realization she needs her poor family to heal from the trauma of a bad marriage, but also as the plot evolves, she realizes that she really loved her husband and does want to forgive him and remarry.
But it is mainly about family ties and love, despite dysfunction; but the plot examines the upper class ruthlessness, class prejudice, about the mother in law from hell. Adoption is part of the story. And the problem of school bullying, which was behind the girl's original desire to kill herself is an important subplot.
yes, a chick flick and melodrama.
But several things make it different from American series.
No graphic sex, and characters in love don't just move in together and have casual sex. Some violence, but not a lot of gratuitous violence, and even that violence is seen as wrong. When minor crimes happen, the police urge settlement: So a boy who assaults a man who insulted him doesn't go to jail because he apologizes, and compensation is given. Lots of apologies in the plot, something that is almost absent in American films, where revenge is the norm. (is this an example of policing reform that is being pushed by the Democrats? Ah, but feeling ashamed and apologizing might not work in an American society where Freud made shame a sin and aggression and revenge is a subplot of nearly every movie).
Ditto for the forgiveness and remarriage: The idea is that the marriage bond is more than a piece of paper, and can and should be rekindled instead of divorce and moving on. Quick: When is the last time you saw that in an American film?
so a happy ending for all after 100 episodes. Oh yes: and there is lots of humor in the plot.
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the big hit, of course, is on Netflix: Crash Landing on You. About a sky diving lady executive who accidentally lands in North Korea...and is rescued by a North Korean soldier.
Not just a chickflik: There are Subplots about corruption in both Koreas, and there is probably enough gunfights and mystery for alpha males to enjoy.
If you don't have netflix, someone posted part of it on youtube, so watch it before the internet cops find it and take it down.
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in a related matter:
I was amused that a Korean restaurant is opening up the street (many restaurants are closed with only take out). We also have a Korean grocery store. Not many Koreans in town, so maybe they are aiming at locals who see a lot of meals in K dramas and want to try the food.
Even Joy said she might want to try the food, since when she visited Korea with Ruby and friends (as their chaperone), they stayed with our nephew who was there studying the language ...so instead of eating at the expensive local restaurants, she bought food and cooked Filipino food for him in his kitchen.
I'm not sure I would like it, since I dislike hot food, and remember the Korean dishes and BBQ that one of my fellow residents used to serve us at pot luck dish parties.
But I found this ad all over my internet: You heard of Hawaian pizza, with pineapple (invented by Greek immigrants in Canada)? And of course there is Taco pizza.
Well, welcome to Korean pizza.
K-PIZZA
Premium beef cubes over our naturally aged cheese, with the finest ingredients on a bed of korean bbq sauce and drizzled with sesame seeds
what? No Kimchee on the Pizza?
Yup. that is Shakeys, who also has Philly Cheesesteak Pizza and lot of other exotic recipes.
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