Coffee Prince / Ep. 49

I'm Jessica and this is Teva K Rambles, where a couple of friends review Korean dramas and welcome to another episode. Where I have my good friend Carol back with me. Carol from K Drama Musings and an admin for K Drama K Dramatics Club. I am so thrilled that you're back. Carol, how you been? I've been good. How have you been? I've been well, let's just really quick just say that the last time we were together was for love between fairy and devil. Which I think everyone and their

mom listen to that episode. It's very well received. People are very excited to hear us talk about love between fairy and devil. And now we've got a few C dramas in rotation now for Tebak, because it's it. I love C dramas. It's not a problem for me to cover Z dramas, but I know we are K rambles and we are here to talk about a very huge Korean drama today. Carol Carol's like already. I'm already losing my mind because this is my absolute favorite K drama.

When I approached you for covering coffee prints, I think this was the beginning of the year. I want to say it was like six months ago and I was like, Carol, do you want to come on and do coffee prints? And you freaked out. And you were, like, absolutely so fucking lutely. I want to do it. And I feel bad that it's taken so long for us to get here. It feels like we were. I've given birth to something and we're finally going to talk about coffee prints together.

You know what? I don't mind it at all, because it gave me a chance to rewatch it twice in the time that we in the time that you asked me and. I got so nerdy, I got to a point where I was like trying to figure out their MB TI and it was it took me away, It took me away. Carol, I think I might have to lean on you a little bit for this episode because this is the first time I've rewatched coffee prints since originally watching the show, I want to say a decade

ago. What I watched it like you know that meme. 50 time? No. 500 time likely. That's me. This is my show. Definitely me. Yeah, I knew I was my right person. I knew that I had asked the right person to join me for this adventure into coffee prints when you were like, this is my favorite K drama. I can't believe it. Like you were so thrilled.

And we're finally here. Before we get started, a little housekeeping If this is your first time listening, please go ahead and subscribe on your favorite podcast app. We're on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and many more. And if you like us, please give us a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. That goes such a long way for listeners just like you to discover the podcast. And please come say hi. Check us out on social media. We put all of our updates on there.

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You can check out the page on patreon.com/always Critic Pod and shout out to her patrons Curtis Bales, Cindy City, Alana Grace, Lorna Lee, and Sammy. I feel like I'm rapping when I say your names, but thank you guys so much. You guys are wonderful. And I mean this is it. We're going to get into it right now. Coffee. Prints. I will read the My Drama List synopsis. It reads Cheyhan Gill is the grandson of Chairwoman. Ang of Dong in Foods. He has never had a job and does

not care for responsibility. Han Kil is hung up on his first love, Han Yuju, who only sees him as a friend. Konchan is a 24 year old tomboy who is often mistaken for a guy. Her father died when she was 16 years old and since then she has taken over as the breadwinner of her in her family. When Han Kil and Untan meet, he, not knowing that she's a girl, decides to hire her to pretend to be his gay lover so that he can escape the blind dates arranged by his grandmother.

After getting an ultimatum from his grandmother, Han Kil takes over a rundown old coffee shop, later renamed Coffee Prince, to prove that he's capable to both his grandmother and you two. In order to attract female customers, he only hires good looking male employees. And Untan, desperate for money, continues to hide her gender. Gender. To get a job at coffee prints. Yeah, so. How is this not a good premise? Tell me.

Oh my God. So I was reading some articles from back in the day from when this aired, and it's some interviews with the creators, which we'll get into in a second. And they they were like some people were complaining that this is not a realistic show. And I was like, OK, so first of all, second of all and third of all, did you not read the synopsis? This is not a realistic show by any stress.

No and and I find it so funny that depending on the show, we're always arguing this is not realistic or I want to escape like, what do you. Want. What do you want? What do you want, babe? Because this is not really about not watching coffee prints for realism, OK? Exactly, but I will say it's one of the realest shows out there to me. That's two different definitions of real. Two different definitions for real okay. So Coffee Prints, I didn't know this.

Coffee Prints was adapted from the novel Coffee Prints by Easton Lee, and it aired originally from July to August 2007. We're back with another summer show in the summer. I know I. Know it's 17 episodes long and it was directed by female director Ian Zhong. I feel like that's pretty rare to have a female director or PD, however you want to call it. And she's directed other things like she's in the trap.

Sorry about it. I'm so sorry that we had to say she's in the Trap and bring it back on the show, but she directed Cheese in The Trap, The Lies Within in 2019, as well as Summer Strike. From 2020 to yes, I loved summer. I loved so much, right? Yeah, the. Vibe and and she wrote it. Oh yeah, that's right. That's right. Yeah, so. So that's huge. I know For coffee prints, the writers are E Young E Jung Ah, and Jung Hyung New. I'm sorry, Jung Hyun Do.

And this was their first writing credits ever. Both of them. yo-yo. Yo, perfect. Yeah. And of course, we'll get into who stars and coffee prints. Kong Yu stars as Han Kil. He was a grand total of 28 years old when he did coffee prints. Talk to me about your feelings around Kong Yu. Kong Yu I have to comport myself. No, I see. It but. I love that man so much. I think he is very talented. I love what he has done with his career.

So earlier, you know, I really loved him and his first one, he was like a high school kid and then he does. Hello Biscuit. No before Biscuit. So this is before he got bigger. So I saw him and I saw all of that and then I saw Hello, my teacher. Or biscuit teacher. And I loved it so much. It was problematic because there's a teacher and a student, but it was really well acted. He acted the part of a very emotional teenager very well to me.

And then Coffee Prince came along and I was just like, I'm short circuiting because what? What the fuck did you watch coffee Prints when it aired in 2007? Because you were watching. You've been watching K dramas for a very long time. Did were you? There. Yeah, I was not there. I watched it in October 20, 2007. Oh, so few months after, yeah. Basically, you were there. Basically, it was harder to find currently airing dramas back then. That was my soul Jew that.

It was a website I was using and that's where I watched it and it was just perfect. Kung Yu has, I think, become a household name. He's a national treasure, and this was his this was his breakout role in Coffee Prince. This is where everybody was like, Oh my God, they fell head over heels for Kung Yu. And he's gone on to do really varied, interesting projects in movies and TV.

And we talked about it a little bit on our Goblin episode, because of course we covered Goblin a couple seasons ago. And I mean Goblin itself. 2016 was a huge year for him, The cameo and Squid game. We got Squid Game 2 coming up next year in 2024. He's a Netflix guy now since he started in the silent see. And I really like his his movies, to be quite honest with you. I love the movies that he's done Silenced in 2011, which he sort of pioneered and was like a producer on.

Basically, I'm one of the best movies I've ever seen in my life, very moving, very hard to watch. So do you have any, like thoughts on him as a persona? Because I think we can obviously sort of look to his works and be like he's a great actor, really good. Performer, but I think a lot of people also sort of feel like he's a bit endearing, especially now that he has an Instagram account and all. That it took forever, I was. Like him and his cats and the pets, because he's a cat man.

I was like one of the 1st 100 people I remember. To follow him on Instagram because I was losing my miles, like finally. And then he's just a dork on Instagram. A pure nerd, so he. Made me He definitely made me reconsider my swiping left on apps for guys who have fish in their hands. Because to me, I was like, oh, he's hot. Like, yes, a fish. But on the dating apps, I'm just like, what is fish? Are you expecting me to cook? Like, what's what's going on here?

Swipe left every single time. So now I've worked on my prejudice. Yeah. But I think, yeah, I think his persona is I love that he's mysterious. He keeps me very. Interested in what's happening with Gong You. He's very private, but he's also very loyal, which I really appreciate and really love seeing to be honest. Because he's been with his stylist, for example, since 2005 or 2006, and they've become best friends and you see pictures of

them on her profile. And like they went on a trip for her birthday and they had matching shirts and like a group of friends and it's just adorable, adorable and he's still working with her. So I I found that very, very endearing And his relationship or friendship with Eden walk to his absolute it's fantastic, so. I I really like him.

I also like how he doesn't actually make any political statements except through his work, so through Silenced through supporting or being a member of 1982 Kim G Young, that movie. He did, yeah. He was a husband. Of that movie. Great, great guy to me all around. I agree. I think he's really sort of a perfect. Sort of specimen. I feel like he's Leo DiCaprio without all of the Ibiza Yaffes, with the with the hot models that are 25 or younger.

He is just without all that. He is the Leo DiCaprio to be of Korea, you know? Yes, I agree. Yeah, I agree. What a babe. Great guy. Great guy. 10 out of 10. 10 out of 10 So his Co starring Coffee Prince is Yunnan Hey who plays Untun. She was a grand total of 23 years old when she starred in Coffee Prince and I don't know if a lot of people know this about her, but she debuted as a member of a girl girl group, Baby Vox or Baby Vox.

I'm not sure how you say some of these K Pop group names and she was with the group until 05 and then she was with a project group WSG Wannabe. In 20 up to 2022, so she is an idol turned actor. There's a ton of idol do you throw rock and you hit an idol in Page drama world okay. I think that she is sort of a divisive figure now that I didn't notice many years ago when I was watching her works, but now she's just sort of relegated to the reality.

What are they called, like Running Man and those kind of shows instead of doing K dramas? She really hasn't done any K dramas or TV or sorry, movie works since 2018. But Yunnan hey is such a formative figure in the early 2000s and I I just, I loved her. And she was the my first K drama was one of her K dramas. So she holds a very special place for me. She was in Lie to Me in 2011, which is one of her most terrible shows.

Like it was not well received. People didn't like that show and I watched it. That was my first K drama ever. Yeah, So she's holds a very special place in my heart because she's my first K drama leading lady that I ever saw. And then I went on to watch a bunch of her other works, like Princess Hours, aka Kung Yeah, which is 06. The year before Coffee Prince, she starred in Princess Hours, which by the way is getting a remake that's happening next year. I saw that.

Unbelievable. And then My Fair Lady in 09, I missed you from 2012. Which I don't know if you've seen that one. She was like, I don't even want to go over the plot, but that was a very, I think the term is mellow thriller. Yeah, so she was. I saw that one. Yeah. I think the one I did not like the most was My Fair Lady. OK, I never watched that one. I don't know why, but I. Stayed clear of it. I loved my favorite from her are Princess Hours, which was her first time.

Coffee prints and lied to me. I actually really. Lied to me. Okay, Let's talk. Really like a minute on lied to me because lied to me. Had every trope, right? It had. What was it like? She lied that she was in a relationship with this dude, Then he found out about it, got upset, then went along with it. I believe there was a cherry blossoms scene. There was the wrist grabbing Cocacola, the Cocacola Kiss. Are you joking me? Are you? That was the best Cocacola.

Ever I was shook it when I saw this And you know what I came from watching. I'm telling you like this summer or something after I got out of college and I got my first job and I had all of this extra time on my hands that I wasn't studying. I wasn't going to class. I was just going to work had what do I do with all this time. So I watched Lie to me that's I think that summer and I had just come off of binging True Blood. OK.

Like I talked to my friends now and I'm like, yeah, I watched True Blood. I I cannot tell you any specific thing about True Blood. It was like a fever dream me binging True Blood on this off the wall like bootleg site that I had like it gave my computer viruses. I. Watched True Blood and then I got hooked on K dramas. So to me, I was shocked that I was so into this whole like wrist grab and like glances and like really it was playing up the intimacy and the romance of

everything, right? And then you hit, then you hit the Cocacola kiss scene 10 on it. Never got empty. Damn fantastic. So so that's just putting it into context for you. Lie to me is probably not the best show that I've ever watched, but I think it's underrated to a point. I think you should watch it if you have. It I do think you should watch it now. Granted, Kanjiwan is no longer like in the sphere of acting because of his scandals and everything, but.

He's a great actor. Hon Gil Dong. He did a show called Hon Gil Do He? Did, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and he did. Capital Scandal. Those are two really, really good shows. Yeah, well, Yunnan had her own scandals, right? Like she. Was embroiled in the scandal with her management and she tried to, she notified the contract. It was this whole thing. She had haters online when the Internet was new and it was very fierce. She got death threats and things like that.

She was fearful of her life and I think then she went on some reality show where she designed an outfit. And it was. Plagiarized quote, UN quote. And that sort of sank her battleship. She didn't recover after that, and. You can tell by her body of work post like 2015 ish. Yeah, yeah, what? Just the types of projects that she's getting. It's not. Yeah, it's not the same anymore. Yeah, and she got criticized. She got ill. And yeah, and then she was ill,

She was battling alcoholism. She said that she's sober about 8 years now in a recent interview. And I'm just like Home Girl has been through it. Luru it so unan. Hey, if you really want to sink your teeth into some K dramas from yesteryear, look up unan his filmography and get to step in because this is what I that this is my introduction to K dramas was her K dramas and I feel like she is so great in a lot of things. Yeah, yeah, she is. So we'll wrap up the cast really

fast. We have Ishan Kyun as Hansong, if you might know him as just Ajasi because he is the Ajasi from my Mr. in 20. 18 the. Voice so butter the voice so let me just say it. When I first watched coffee prints, I did not understand the appeal. Of Easton Kyun. I was like, why is this guy even a player? You know what I'm saying? Because I didn't get. I did not get it. I re watching Coffee Prince. The level of attraction that I feel for Easton Kyun, like what? Up through the roof?

And it might be because I am way closer to his age that he was when he filmed the drama, because he was 32 years old when he filmed Coffee Prince, right? And that's exactly the same as his character's age in the show. And I was like, I don't know, maybe it's just because I'm getting older and like the voice and the little like mid 2000s get up that they had him in. I was like babe. I ate it up. I ate it all up. Oh God, so he's in the show.

He's the second male lead. I might call him cousin like. Throughout the show because I feel like Hansong, his character's name and the Hanco for Cole's character, really, that's been a cut. But I was listening to a podcast, I'd be like, are they the same guy? I'd get confused. So he's either Odyssey or Cousin as we're talking through. But yeah, you might have seen him in Parasite. Also in 20/19, he has like 40 something credits to his name for just movies.

He's a prolific actor. Amazing. My gosh. Yeah. You should see his show on Apple TV. I think it's Dr. Brain. Dr. Brain. Really good. And then on Prime Video. Money and power. Something around money and power. It was so good. Yeah, it was so. Oh, that man. Yeah. What a man, What a man. I don't know. I don't know him at 32 years old and 07 was like doing things to me this time.

And I was like, maybe I was, didn't watch coffee prints at the right time in my life to, like, appreciate this second male league because I had a bad, I had second lead syndrome so bad. On this rewatch of coffee prints, to be quite honest with you. I feel you, OK. So TE Jong UN plays Han Yu Ju. She's the second female lead. She is also a singer turned actress. And then we have a host of Princess here that we can go through really fast.

We have. I don't know if this counts as a one of the Princess, but I guess it does. Kim Jong 1 plays Geshi. He's like the coowner. Yeah, another Audrashi who've you seen everywhere. You're like, oh, it's that guy. He's a that guy. I feel for most people here in the West. We have Kim Dong Wook as Halim. He was recently in My Perfect Stranger. Yo. And he's doing delightfully deceitful. So he has two dramas airing and. He's doing.

Well glow up. What A glow up, Glow up, glow up. I gotta say, the whole cast except RIP. But the whole. Cast, Yeah, the whole cast blow up. Blow up, Major, But let's continue. Yes. Then we have King Jewuk. Yes, that King Jewuk playing Songki. Yeah, I OK, so besides Isung Kyung throwing me for a loop this rewatch. I was. I was smitten with Kim Jouk in this because for those who don't know Kim Jouk, you might have seen him in her private life.

Yes, he's the main guy in her private life, among other things. And him looking really young with the long hair. The long hair was it for me like I was? With the pony with the. Pony. You know what? We'll get to why I loved the show so much. But let's continue. OK. And then we. OK, then we have Eon plays Mignon and unfortunately this actor, why haven't we seen him anywhere else? Well, he died tragically in a motorcycle accident the very next year after coffee prints in 2008. Right.

I had no idea until very recently. I cried. I cried so much because it happened while it happened, while he was filming a drama. So he wasn't on his way back from work, I think. Something like that. Yeah. Yeah. And it was just a rock event. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, Actually, Yeah. And it was in the middle of Gong Yu's enlistments because Gong Yu enlisted right after coffee

prints. And there are pictures of him, like being excused from the military to come to the funeral and just the, oh, my baby, the devastation from the whole cast. I felt that in my spirit. I still feel it. I still feel it. And watching their reunion episode where they get to talking about him and it starts. Ringing. And I'm just like, oh. What a what a great guy. It's. Emotional and life cut too short for sure and RIP eon.

Yeah, yeah. At least we have this thing to remember him by, the coffee prints where he is sort of like a bumbling fool and he becomes like a model or something at the end of the show. Yeah, at least it gets like a good ending. And then to wrap up, this is not a Prince. We have Kim Yung look playing Hangill's grandmother. She is everybody's grandmother, OK? She is. She put a lovely lady. I what a class act. I love her. I love following her on TikTok.

All of her Tik toks are really weird and stupid and funny and I just love that she's even on there. And I think maybe a lot of people know her as the grandma from hometown Cha. Cha cha, Yeah. Yes, what a blessing. What a blessing to have her. And what a oh the her character and hometown Cha Cha Cha was really a gift to me because I'm like 01 day if she's no longer here. Just the words and the wisdom and all that, she said in Hom Cha ah what a gift. Beautiful song. Yeah.

So workout. We come to the end of it, I think. I know how you feel. I think everybody knows how we feel about this show. But please talk to me about coffee prints, your unspoiled thoughts. Unspoiled, OK, I watched this like I said in October 2007, I was in a very emotional space of I want to find my place in the world, like who am I? And and I need people who believe in me. And it just it was just perfect. It was the perfect show to watch. Because it helped me process my

emotions. It helped me understand friendships. It helped me even process how I was interacting with my parents at the time. Because I really did feel like both Hangyo and Gunchan, just with what was happening in my life at the time. And so it was like my outlets, because I was, I felt like. As a kid, I didn't have the space to explore my feelings with my parents because I'm from Ghana and this was just it. Everything I was seeing felt like it.

So it's a fantastic show on friendship, on found family, on family, on purpose, on love. Yeah, you can't go wrong with coffee brands. I love that answer. I don't think I can give a better answer than that because when I watched coffee prints I was just like a punk and had not been exposed to a lot of K dramas. This was maybe in my first 50K dramas that I watched and I thought it was really good and I could totally understand why

this was making waves and why I was seeing this on top. 100 top 50, top 20 list that I was going through at the time trying to find really good K dramas. You know, I don't know if people realize this, but it's really was really hard to find credible critique or rankings or ratings on K dramas. Back in the day, right? And I started way later than you. And I had the Internet at my disposal, and I was still like, where do I even start?

How do I find these K dramas? Where do I watch like, all this stuff? Yeah, today you just go on TikTok and people someone tells you, like what to watch, how to watch it, whatever. Or you just go on Netflix. It's so easy. So it's so easy. Now, yeah, y'all don't know. You guys legitimately don't know. And so when I watch coffee Prints, I appreciated it immensely and I thought it was really good. I thought some of those scenes were like, like K drama crack moments.

And I've said K drama crack a few times lately in different episodes because there are so many K drama crack moments and coffee prints, really iconic ones, that I still remember. They're ingrained in my memory. Yeah, yeah. But I think rewatching today, I'm struck by how. Woke it is, I guess. Thank you. Yeah, thank you. It's yo. This drama was ahead of its time compared to all the dramas during that time period. This drama was like, it talked

about feminism. It talked about, you know, purpose and finding yourself and and really putting what you want ahead of love and. It's just it's just perfect. I don't know anyone who doesn't like it. I feel sorry for you, that's all. I have this quote here from Rolling Stone, India that says Coffee Prince was a cut above the rest and that it was the determination of the cast which truly brought each character to

life. You made her character believable both as a boy and a girl in love for the first time. Goong's well balanced portrayal of the Moody Han Kyl made him lovable throughout the show. His dilemma on his sexuality, reactions leading to soul searching and the chemistry between him and Yun is seamless. The show raised questions on gender identity, social norms and notions around samesex relationships, femininity, masculinity, which makes it more suitable a show for everyone, even today.

Exactly. I'm standing ovation. Yes, stand ovation for that paragraph from Rolling Stone India, because I fully 100% agree. That it covered a lot of ground. And I don't necessarily feel like there was a ton of plot either. We are just sitting with these feelings with these people all. We were just going to the coffee shop every day like you know what I'm saying? Exactly. What was there to it, you know? It felt, you know what it felt like? It felt like I was just getting

a vlog from my friends. Oh, I like that. Because it just, it just felt like daily life. It just felt even like the struggles they were having, the emotional struggles. It just really felt like I was watching a vlog with my friends on YouTube, Yeah. I appreciated the chemistry between Gongyu and Yunnan hey so much. This time around, I know. I knew it was good the first time I watched coffee prints.

But on this watch, I was like, look, if it's some shows nowadays currently airing shows, recent shows wish that they could have welcome you and Yunnan had back in coffee, you know what I'm saying? Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah, I agree. It's a very natural, sexually tense relationship that they had. And a lot of give and take, push and pull, feelings, angst, all this stuff. And then on top of that, he's grappling with his sexual identity. Like, what? Is he gay now? What does that mean?

How is he going to pursue her? I mean, when him, how he thought, he thought he was like, exactly. It was amazing. Amazing. And and I loved that he did not like. They did not air on the side of homophobia. And the reason I'm saying that is because I've heard the criticism that people are like, oh, it was homophobic. No, that's not fair. Not exactly. If you yeah, if you've been heterosexual all your life and then all of a sudden you are. Attracted to someone of the same

sex, right. I can imagine that you start wondering. Yeah, you'll start thinking like, yo-yo, yo, what's going on with me? And I think he presented that so well in the drama, his struggle with it, right. And finally accepting. Oh, it's beautiful. It's very. I mean, in that sense, it's very realistic because if something like that happened to someone even today, I don't feel like it would be a an easy ask or an easy decision for someone today

to go through that. Whether it's you've been gay all your life and all of a sudden you're attracted to someone of the opposite, Like whatever the case is, you got something, an outlier that's pulling at your heartstrings. How do you handle that? You know, and it's all about his identity and how he thought of how he thought of himself. And yes, how is his family going to take it? Yes. How is society going to take it? Do I overcome this in some? Do I?

Do I go for it? You know what I'm saying? Or do I not? Do I shut it down? But how is that going to hurt me? It's literally a spiral for the man. And I loved how he played it because he it was a battle of self loathing. But then he like loves her and slash him and what is he going to do? Like he can't live without her. So it's it's quite emotional and believable for how kung you sort of acted it out.

And I think with as much respect as 2007 could afford it, even more respect than even a struggle like this today I would feel. Absolutely. I was watching an interview with him maybe 2 weeks ago and the interviewer, Jung Doyon, asked him what helped you become the actor you are today? And he said Coffee Prince. And then she's like, oh, if you were and if you were to love in real life, which character would you like to follow? And he said Choi and Gill like he had.

They're just. He loved so passionately. Yeah. And even. And he had so much courage. And that's what stood out to to him. Yeah. So it's like, oh, you get it, Boo. He. Get it? Yeah, he's really great. I loved seeing some of those clips of them returning and watching the series all those years later. I think the documentary aired a couple of years ago or something.

Yeah. Yeah. I think maybe on the 10th anniversary, I don't, I can't remember exactly, but they brought the whole cast back, actually. Maybe it was the 20th anniversary. No, no, that's stupid. Not the 20th anniversary, because I'm going to be 2027. Anyway, they brought everybody back and they had them watch certain scenes and they had little interviews with everybody

and I loved how. There's like a soupy article that does a really good job of summarizing all of these little clips and the documentary itself and Kong you commented to, Yunnan said. I remember everything we did. We kissed a lot Since I've aged. I know since I've aged. I can talk about it without feeling shy.

And Yunnan says I'm shy and was. I know she was like really bashful about it because honestly, they were all over each other in. The show and I would be completely mortified to return to it after the fact and watch it wait. Wait, I don't think they had a lot of kisses, though. No, what I'm saying is well.

Compared a lot of intimacy. Yes, but and and then also I feel like compared to more recent shows even that was a lot of kissing because there's some shows that like you don't get any kisses like some are strike from the same director. Yeah, yeah. No. Kissing. Yeah, so that's what I say. And then Yunnan. Hey, they were watching their own kissing. Yunnan. Hey like averted her eyes and said ohh, it's hot in here. Go, you go. You said Untan was a very motivated girl. She was not passive.

I didn't know what on his hands were doing, but after watching the broadcast, our hands were pulling up my tshirt. I guess he never noticed that. She was like. Clawing at him, It's great. It's so great. She was into it. She was into that's why he said she was motivated. I would be like cut, cut please cut because I don't want you to see me blushing right now. Let me see Isung Yun who is Aji? Said Chaihan Gil is gong. You didn't suit him better than any other role.

However, Kong, you hesitated to join the production. Explaining It was a time when I had a bit of opposition against romantic comedies after becoming an actor. It was the first time I had experienced that puberty I wanted to grow while fulfilling my sense of achievement. The vibe around me was you have to do this you that's how you become a star, get advertisements and get main

roles. And this is something that's even happening today, is that a lot of people are not taking melodrama, dramas, thrillers, these genres seriously. Stars get made with, like, romantic comments. Yeah, romance, right? Like, consider Ryan Gosling or Matthew McConaughey over here. It wasn't until they did The Notebook. It wasn't until they did you know how to this guy in 10 Days that they were really getting

play. And they were hesitant to keep doing that because they were afraid of getting typecast, even though the money was good doing these romances right. So I feel like Kong use got a had a valid hesitancy, right? He did, he did. But at the same time, we hadn't gotten like a proper romance from him. Oh yeah, no. Cuz when you say biscuit, teacher? That's a very strange show. Because I remember watching it and I was like, I feel weird.

It is a very strange show. And then he did one fine day, which was OK. It didn't have the same hype as coffee prints, but really, coffee prints really felt like the start of Gong Yu. It's. His notebook. It's his notebook, exactly. I haven't seen the notebook, but it's his notebook. I haven't seen the notebook. Not that I am a advocate for The Notebook, but I feel like everyone should see The Notebook

at least once. OK, I don't care who you are, just watch The Notebook at least once you can get it and then move, move on with your life. So watch The Notebook Carol. Stay tuned for The Notebook Movie Corner on the Patreon Feed, because I don't know why, but I want to be there for when you when you give me your thoughts on the Notebook. Otherwise it'll just be in our TM's.

So regarding the situation, PD Ian Jung explains some actors may feel apprehensive about idol turned actors, referring to Uninha. However, Kung you said I am the problem for myself. He said he wasn't in the position to discuss his costars acting and that made me think this person is cool. Because Golia didn't have an ego about working with Yunnan, who had just received a ton of Flack for her acting in Princess hours.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And we see behind the scenes videos of Yunnan, hey working so hard. Oh my gosh, she worked so hard because of that Flack she was getting. And I was watching the wrap up party videos where she goes outside and she's just crying her eyes out and people are coming to her like you did such a good job. He did. Like we're so proud of you. It was it was a beautiful moment. Yeah, and Kong, you praised her.

Even to this day, he maintains. The reason I was able to become Chaihan Kill was go on, Chan and Union. Hey, that's her character's name and then her real name Union. His passion made me feel embarrassed and helped me to grow. It made me wake up. Yes, which is so interesting because that's what I feel like. That's what her like, to see her work so hard as an idol actor because of that Flack. And then to see her character

also work so hard. I could tell the moment he fell in love with her in the show and it was so early on. It was like, well, can I say. It or the show is really old, 2007. It is old spoiler alert, but he fell in love with her when he went to her house and he sees her schedule and he's like, Oh yes, so she does this and this and this and karate and and walnuts and and milk and he's just like, wow, this person is. Living so passionately. And that's when he starts falling for her.

Yeah, he starts appreciating her. Yeah, he understands her a bit more after that. Exactly. Yeah. It's nice. He doesn't have the full picture. No. But he understands her. Yeah. But seeing how her day is mapped out to the minute is really kind of blew him. Yunnan Hey expressed her admiration for the drama, saying after appearing on coffee prints, I no longer heard the term idol turned actress. It's the project that made me into an actress.

That's so. Beautiful I. Forget getting really emotional about it because I mean, knowing how her career turned out and how she struggled throughout her life and the different scandals and stuff, I feel like coffee prints has to be super special to her to have that. Yeah. Yeah. Last thing I'll say about is about Kongyu his. There's a quote from him. Coffee Prints is the project that revived my dying passion. I think I was healed through the drama. We became brighter and hotter

together. That's why I think it's that much harder to forget everyone. And that's what makes this project that much more meaningful. I'm sorry. Yeah. So if you haven't watch Coffee Prints and you're listening to this, please just watch Coffee Prints, OK? It's great. It's one that's great. I loved it. I mean, I don't know if I said my thoughts, but yeah, I loved it.

I think I have some qualms that we could talk about in this in the spoiler section, certainly, But it is a top tier drama, one of the best out there. It's why I watch K drama, you know what I'm saying? It's for these kinds of dramas. Yeah, I agree. Same my number one drama. It's not my number one, but it's up there. So fun facts really quick. Yunnan hey won Best Actress at the 44th Becksong Awards and so did Yun Jung, the director. She won Best New Director at the 44th Becksong Awards.

This has spawned remakes. Of course. You've got remakes coming out of coffee prints coming out of Thailand, the Philippines, Malay, Malaysia and China as well. And then a couple of fun facts about the locations, because I feel like these are iconic locations. The coffee prints. Like Store Coffee Shop was an old coffee shop in Hyundai which was remodeled for the filming. The eponymous cafe was reopened

after filming concluded. Sorry, reopened after filming concluded with The Wallflowers painting by Hanyuju and other props from the drama on display. I do not know if it is still there. It's still there. I visited it in 2015. Oh my God. Tell me. About the coffee drinks. Oh my God. How I did my whole pilgrimage. To. To the coffee shop it was not good. Shut up. It was not good by that time yo by that time the the leer like the allure of it. Yes. It was gone and it wasn't well maintained.

I am curious to see if they've brought it back up because you know, people are still watching the show, right, And want to visit, but holy yeah, at the time it wasn't that so. Eight years after the show, it was. No good. It wasn't good. It wasn't good. My gosh. I broke my heart, Oh my, but I was still so happy. OK, so wow, so the soul animation center at the foot of Namzan in Ye Jung Dong jungle. That is the rooftop that was used as the exterior terrace for a hung Gill's house.

And you can see this rooftop garden thoroughly from the scene in episode 17. But I mean, there's so many scenes that are outside of his house, which is a beautiful terrace. Yo, let's talk about it. Because that was, what, 2007? That was going to be my first apt. I was just like, if I ever build something, it's going to be Chaihan Gill's APT. I sent you a floor plan of it that I drew. Like no one could tell me nothing. That was that was a beautiful apartment.

What a great location. I was like, this is luxury. OK? It is beautiful. So. Those are some fun facts about coffee prints. Would you care to rank the, I'm sorry, rate the drama out of five Sojo bottles? Give me a face right now. You're like, please. I'd rate it A5 Sojo bottles and I'll explain why as we go into. The no problem. Spoilers and whatnot. I think I'll give it a four, maybe 4 1/2. That's so much of. Bottles. Yeah. No, you'll find out why.

You'll find out why. I don't want to ruin it because I still really believe in the show. You feel me? But yeah. So we're going to talk spoilers for coffee prints right after this. You want to come in? All right, we're back in the spoiler section. We're going to talk spoilers for coffee prints. Carol, where would you? Like to start because I don't have very good notes for the drama. I gotta be honest, I was just watching to watch basically.

But if you want to, I told you I was gonna lean on you. Did you wanna talk about anything specific right now? Let's talk about the easy ones like the low hanging fruits that didn't have that much context I'd love to 1st talk about. The relationship between Handgill and Hansen Ajashi, his cousin. OK. OK. OK. Do you want to do that first or are you just listing off some topics that you want to? Cover. I'll do it. Let's do that first.

OK, so him and his get so Konyu's character and his cousin are in love with the same woman for the better part of a decade. And the cousin was dating her for like 9 years before she cheated on him and moved abroad. And the the whole show starts with her coming back to Korea and he, the cousin is really messed up about it. And then Kung Yu's just like hovering for a decade and I don't know how to fit. This is icky. Okay. It is icky. It was so annoying for that.

It was so annoying for that. Super annoying and we're coming from at it. From not a Korean perspective, I felt that Kung Yu's character was extremely inappropriate with her. You know what? I actually don't think so from a K drama perspective. Really. Because even thinking of like, the conservative nature of Korea, I was like, they are all over each other. It's bizarre. I'm only saying this because when you're looking at the dramas of that time, it was very much we can be brothers, we can

love the same girl. Whoever wins, wins. It was very much like that. I just. Don't agree with that. I think it's weird. I think it's weird for sure. But it was a thing. And shows when you look at my lovely Kim Sam. Soon when you look at lovers in Paris, you had an uncle and a nephew who loved the same girl. When you look at Kane and Abel. So she stopped. It stop it. I'm No one has ever brought up Cain and Abel to me. I fucking love that drama. Girl, it's me. I'm gonna ring it up. Oh.

My God, I have had so many people on this show. I can. Oh my God, no one has ever. You've watched Cain and Abel. We are. I've watched Cain and Abel. We are one of the only people, I feel like, who have watched that. It's so good, It's so good. It is so good. Oh my God, yeah, yeah, yeah. But OK, So to your point, yes, they love the same woman, but it wasn't as, I don't know, but it wasn't like this younger dude who was. Hanging around. This nuna and she was, she was

very flirtatious back to him. Maybe it was because there was like that still tension between them. If she entertained his his like fences. Yes, she entertained it, but I think that's just who she was. Well, we have to talk about her. Who? Exactly. I got issues with her okay. I got major issues until until she has our conversation with with cousin I had major. Issues with her so but look so going back to the cousins so it happens twice to them.

Because Han Kyle is in love with you Ju second female lead and then Han Song the cousin falls in love with Unchan. So it's like a love square and the cousins love the same women. Yeah, they just have a type. What can we say? No. They're like wildly different women and. I don't know what to say like this, I don't think. Would this fly today? I don't think it would fly today.

I think that what you said about them being different women, Hanyu Chu was sort of like the ideal type of woman and artist, soft spoken, gentle a bit. Off standoffish but also warm. Like she kept you in. She had that exactly. Well, Yunnan hey was just loud and vibrant and yeah, open book and and something that made someone who made them really think about their lives and what they're doing and. Then I have a followup question. Yeah, go ahead.

Do you feel like these ladies were relegated to being the Manic Pixie Dream Girl because? I don't. I mean keep going get like I'll just leave the question out there so you can ponder it, but. I don't think so, because Yuna Nahey had her own life, right? And her own. And she was very adamant and persistent in her arc that she was so adamant that she ends up getting his support. So yes, yes, she was there to help him grow, but at the same time, I feel like he was there to.

Once she realized her dreams and goals and whatnot, he was there to support her too, and. Yeah. And that was, to me, balance, because you can't just always be the one taking. Yes, yes. They bring up that imbalance way later in the show because it seems like we get a lot of their relationship. Like they get together pretty early in the show, which I feel like a lot of people might bulk at that. They might be like, why did they get together so early in the

show? We, it feels like maybe there's way less tension. And stakes throughout the last few. Episodes. What do you mean they got together early? Yeah, Han Kyl and UN Chan got They work together for a few episodes at the end versus they get together at the end of the show. Does that make sense? Oh, OK, they did get together. Yes. And episode. I'd say officially 12. Right, Yeah. So then we have a bunch of episodes left. Like there's 17 episodes, so.

They're together for a while and we get to see them grow together. We get to see them, their relationship, right? And I don't, I don't necessarily like even though I brought it up like Mannepixie Dream Girl. I think thinking it through, you're absolutely right that they have sort of a balanced scenario here where he ends up supporting her dreams and he lets go of his right or he finds

a new dream, so to speak. But I think with her relationship with Aja, she is a bit of a manic Pixie dream girl. She sort of, she sort of flips out of his life in and out. She delivers milk, she plays with his dog, They have these like park dates and he's like sort of enamored with her and her outlook of life and her zest and her zeal and her youth. And for for him, it is a bit of a Manic Pixie Dream Girl scenario with, but not by Han Gill's. Character or Kong use. Character.

We have strayed a little from the cousins. No, but the Cousins, What did you specifically want to talk about with the Cousins? I absolutely loved how they spoke to each other. Oh, really? OK. There was, yes, because there there was a scene where. He's talking about his frustrations with Han Yu Chu, the cousin. Talking about his frustration with Han Yu Chu and Chohan Gil is like, that's because you want to catch her. You want to. Love her scene. OK, that's early. That's pretty early.

Early. And that's when it that's when the show became a different show for me, because I'd never seen that before having that. Call in of saying you're being an asshole, this is what you're doing, This is she is a person of her own. And I was like, damn, OK. That was in episode 4, and what the cousin says is that he can't get used to her again. Yes. And Kongyu says that's because you're trying to tame her. Her. Wildness. Is her appeal. Exactly. And then he reads like a quick headline.

The the cousin reads a headline in an art magazine that says she doesn't want to get married, which compounds the issue because he does want to get married. Tough. Tough to to like for that guy for their relationship, the second relationship with him in the second female lead. It's very interesting to see how Kongyu understands. Her better than he does. Yeah, yeah. And Kongyu is like, don't try to change her. That's because. He's feeling the same things, right?

He's feeling the same things where he feels like everyone is trying to change him into something he doesn't want to be. Yeah, and maybe it's how do I put this. I feel like this is too smart of a thing for men to actually realize and say out loud. Yo, don't try to change her. Her wildness is her appeal. Yes, she's sort of like a cat. She comes and goes when she wants. She has these flirtations. She has these, like, trysts now and then. That's part of her.

That's why you like her, is that she's sort of unpredictable. Yeah. Yeah, that's why I'm like the show was ahead of. It and I'm like, look, I there's no way that a man would say. That in real, no shade. But no shade to men. But I have never heard such a profound thing. Yeah, and Kong, you supposed to be 29 years old, right? Exactly with the show.

No way in hell is a 29 year old coming through with that, like nugget for his 32 year old cousin to to get over his complex with his longstanding girlfriend who he wants to marry. And it's like, well, why do you even. Yeah, what do you think about that? I just threw like a little zinger in there because it's very much, it's very much giving throughout the show. It's very much giving. Man written by a woman. Yes, that's what I was just

about to say. That's why the show is written by a woman, because they also have an opportunity for Hansung the cousin, to say something a nugget like that to Hanggill when Hanggill is like. What's wrong with paying my girls debt? Like, why is she mad at me? This is later in the show. He serves it back to Gongyu's character. That's right. And you see, and you see Gongyu's character be like, oh Oh my gosh, I've been so dumb. Of course you're right.

And that's what I really appreciated about their friendship is they could challenge each other and the way they think. Without the other person bulking and saying, oh, I'm going to do it my way, F you and and all of that, so you could see that they respected each other and they listened to each other and yeah, so I love their friendship.

I think what you're referring to is episode 16, and the cousin says the moment a man makes a woman his, the man wants that woman to live according to his wishes. Which just because he's won her over, can he force her to do as he wants. Exactly. Only could be written by a woman. There is no way in hell, but this was written by a man thinking that a man would say this out loud. It's a bit preachy. It's everything a woman would

want to hear. And us two women sitting here talking about it, 110%, we're eating it up. You could see it's eating it up right now. So I mean, my criticism is, I guess, is it forced upon the characters to say this or do you do you feel like it rings hollow because it's sort of detached and unrealistic for a man to muse about a woman's role in society? Or do you feel like it works? I think it works, and I think it works because Hanson's character is came off cousin.

Came off as such a wise a wiser person who is in tune with people's emotions, not always his own. So he definitely had anger issues. Very, very typical. He had anger issues. He had a lot of ego and pride. They both did, but to see them? Grow past it and let go of their ego and be like yo, I just, I just need you. I just want you because at the end of the day you find that both of them are very private about their relationships. It's just me and her, you hear

him many times saying. Oh, this is just what happens between honey or Jew and me. It's like we've been going at this for 10 years. We'll be all right, you know? So yeah, we'll work it out. But that doesn't mean that they will make stupid decisions. They won't make stupid decisions. Sorry. And they won't say bad things, but they have each other to draw them in. I'm a little. With Hengiel's character, I'm like, you're too wise because you don't have any friends you don't have.

So Henkiel is like a shut in. Yeah, like your job is just you. Let's just talk about Henkiel first. That's Gonggiu's character, right? I don't. Believe this man exists, right? Obviously, like, man written by women and all that. But the way that they created this character, we first see him on the plane back to soul and he's flirting aggressively with his seat partner, playing cards with her, and he's like, smiling. He's chumming it up with her.

And then when she's like, let me get your number, she wants to contact him and stay in touch. After he's like, why would we do that? And, like, shut her down, Then I'm like, Oh my God, bitches, so. And then he's sort of mean in the first few episodes. Yeah, right. And then you come to find out that he's actually a little teddy bear inside and he's really sweet and sort of like a golden retriever boyfriend, which is all fine and good. Then you find out what he did in

New York for the past few years. I thought, oh, he's just romping around in New York like eating Shay and doing whatever he wants on his titles. Like dime, right? Because he's rich. His family's rich. No, no, no, no. He was working freelance for a toy company for a few years, trying to get enough like clout to actually get a job as a toy designer, working on like Legos, it looked like. But they didn't say they were Legos. They were some other company.

Whatever. Does Lego know that they did that? And I was like, OK, and then when she goes into the room finally, that's in his. Penthouse apartment that he doesn't let her go in initially. They go in and I'm like, what the actual fuck it is. A room full of Legos and a giant. What's it called? Like a play space that's like immaculately detailed. It looks like a medieval like,

yeah, space. It's one of those things that people pay thousands and thousands of dollars to create a custom Dungeons and Dragons like. Thing. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. And I was like, this is really, I did not expect that they would take it in this direction. And for some reason, I completely blanked blocked it from my memory on the rewatch. So when the rewatch hit and I was, I was watching this scene, I was like, you're joking, you're joking. This man is sitting in here

playing with toys by himself. Because. Because he is an only child. So that's the first. Thing No. Yeah, Yeah. And he had issues with his parents, so with his dad to be specific. So he's trying to make sense of his world. I don't think it was strange that he was playing Lego only because. I felt like he had this facade for his family, whether it was his grandma or his mom. He always had this playful, outgoing facade and when he was by himself, he was more

reclusive. It was really Gon Chan's character who made him talk more and and pushed his emotional boundaries, but otherwise. When he's not around people, he's just by himself and I think I get. The recluse I get, I get that he doesn't have any friends. I get that he has this issue with his dad. I understand he's got daddy issues.

I understand he's not really close with his dad and that he wanted to get away and do his own thing and find his own dream and making toys was something he could do in his own. Yeah, and. That's what he says later on in the show. I get all that. It's literally the shock of she's like, what's in the room and they go in and it is this entire play space that is not even I I was questioning the level of the play space because I was like, OK, why is this entire game board that's the

size of the room on the floor. Why can't you put it on like a custom table that's closer to, like, chair height? That he can play and like, not be huddled over on the floor with like some pillows and stuff for comfort. I was like, I was like, look, I'm all for creating a space that's your own and having this hobby, having this passion, whatever. I was like, he's rich, let's take it up a notch. Like, let's like level up. But it wasn't about the setup. It was more so about he's still

a child. I know, I, you know, I agree with you and I understand what you're saying. Maybe it's just me that I'm like, if I was untan and I never mind that I have nowhere near the same background as untan. If I walked in and I saw this, I would have been like, first of all, what the fuck? Second of all, get me a chair and I want a cushion and I don't want to sit on the floor and I'm going to order you a nice table to put this thing on because.

I am not getting scoliosis playing with you in this middle room, OK? I feel like your expectations are high for a bachelor who doesn't want to work. Right. Who did not design his space himself? His grandma did. Like he just shows up. You got a point. Guys, Yeah, guys keep going to guys places. True. He does keep it pretty clean, so I'm not far off from like, you know. Maybe he's just an orderly person, but you'll go to a guy's house and all he'll have is his computer channel.

Stop, stop. Because this is a running joke. This is a running joke in just society, right? That they'll have, like, a mattress on the floor and a really nice game console and a TV with the wires still, like, sticking all over the place, and they'll be like, welcome. And I'm like, no, no, no. Get your life in order. Get a freaking bed frame. Exactly like I love that running joke, though. I do I just. You go to that stuff A. Few times so I know what I'm saying. It's scary.

It's scary and he's very scary. He's not at that level, though. He's not at that level. He's way above that level. OK, He's got furniture. He's got food in the house. He's got dining chairs. He cooks. He cooks. OK, like, I'm. I'm not far off from, like, coming in here and being like this is bare minimum. Let's level up, OK? Well, wasn't it the same in House of Cards? Did you ever watch House? No, I never watched House of Cards, The American or The The. American one.

The guy had a whole. What's what's the war in the war between the North and South in America? I'm in Canada. Sorry. Yeah, that one. I'm in Canada. OK, Sorry, I'm saying. Civil War? Civil War. Yeah, he had a whole toy setup thing that he was always playing with and it was on the floor. I can know. Can know. No media. Oh my gosh, you're telling me Kevin Spacey was on the floor? Yes. Kevin Spacey. That's him. Yeah. Let's not get into Kevin Spacey at the moment, but OK. That's a word.

Sorry, we just cursed on the show. We mentioned Kevin Spacey, so, OK, so that's how Kyle kung Yu's character. He's got, he's got a lot going on, but I would say that I didn't like the whole drama with his dad. Which I thought was very simple to understand, and they complicated it because they were like, he's an illegitimate child, that's what he believes. And that's not his real mom and his dad had an affair and all this stuff. Come to find out, he's just some

other kid. Like they had friends that fell in love and then he was born out of wedlock or so. No, no, they were married. And then they got divorced. And then his mom died in a car, in a car accident. And then he was in an orphanage and the dad who moved to Australia just like, fucked off and didn't care about his child. And then he was adopted by his current family.

And I'm like, it's so annoying to me that they, yes, I found it so annoying and that they were trying to derive drama out of it. And I was like, this is not where the draw. This is not where the drama is at, you know? It's lack of communication and the good old, you know, guys who are stoic like the dad, never actually saying anything. And I and I in part understood him because this is the child of his first love. He's not gonna every day be like, yo, this is my first love

when he's married this woman. And unfortunately. Messed up. It's so messed up. It's too messed. It is so messed up. It is too messed up. But I think the mom character is more loving than necessary. More loving than that. Situation in that situation like how are you bringing your first loves? You just can't get over her. Your husband's first love. Had a child, died. Now you're gonna raise your husband's first loves child. Yeah, like. It's a lot. Come on. Come on.

It's a lot. It's a stretch. It's such a stretch. You see what I'm saying? Like it's, yeah, as much as they wanted to and then they kept. It felt like they just kept adding to the drama versus taking away. Like I'm like to simplify. He has daddy issues. We're done. I don't think. I think it could have been enough where the dad was just ill prepared to raise a child. Maybe he has issues of his own and they had to work it out versus he's raising his first loves child and the dad, the

biological dad coming back. I was like I don't give a shit like it was not good. I did not appreciate the biological dad. What a talk to me. Talk to me. I I did not appreciate that scene because I'm just like, what do you want? Why are you, why are you back here? And I think they used it as a way to tell him the truth of his, you know, origin story, but I didn't care for it. And they're like, oh, you have a brother. And I was just like, I don't, I don't care.

I don't care. And I don't think they it wasn't that important because the same way he struggled with his sexuality and and family and found family, you don't see him struggle with this whole dad situation. So it's not that important. It's not that important. I do appreciate how going Chan supported him in it. Oh, sure, sure. But. Comma, I don't care. I don't care. He didn't seem to mind. It was it was a lot for him, but he seemed to take it in stride and just felt like a waste of

time. And the drama is sitting pretty at 17 episodes. So to me, if this was made today, this would be 12 episodes. They would cut down so much of that crap. They would cut down on the mom like Going Ton's mom. And the neighborhood butcher who have like an on and off again like every conversation they have. I'm like it's the same conversation. Literally the same conversation. Every time that he has a crush on her he wants to marry her. Why isn't she giving him the

time of day? And it's just nothing Conversations, you know what I'm saying? That would have been cut the whole drama with conchants mean little bratty sister and. And so I got. Oh my God. Entitled little bitch. I hated her for so much of the show. And then her with Mignon. I hated the way she treated. Her. She treated him like shit, like shit. So every time they were together and she was demanding things and he was smitten over her and would do anything she she wanted.

I was sick of it. It happened so much so if this was 12 episodes made today, all of that would be cut down or gone entirely. So many things would be taken out, like the whole drama. Also I hated this of Kinjewuk's character Sony Songki, him and the the Japanese lady or something that he fell in love with. But she was married in an abusive relationship and then she escaped to Korea and he followed her to Korea and he was stalking her, his her. Son or something in the daycare.

And he was like, where do you live? And I was like, what is this? What is this? And then she packs up and leaves. She kept warning him like stop coming by here. I don't want to deal with you. And even if I like you a little bit it's not that much. It's not that serious. Why are you here exactly. And she just up and leaves leaves like doesn't tell her, doesn't tell him where she's going, cuz so Kim J looks drama. Another hindrance of the show. I was skipping most of that shit.

I mean, the list goes on for different things that I don't care about. Yeah, you know. So that's the major qualm with the show for me, because we got 17 episodes and you're not just watching Kung, You and Yun and hey, you're watching all of these characters and their various. Idiosyncrasies. And I'm like, I don't care. I don't. And maybe that makes me a bad person or maybe it just makes it really obvious on rewatch what I care and don't care about in stories and what is the meat right.

I don't want to keep eating you know. Breadsticks all episode. I want to fill up on the main course, OK? And to me they're they were the main course. OK, yeah, I agree. I agree. I think. I feel bad because I feel like we've gone to the part of the episode where I'm just like shitting on this show. But I, you know, I think. That because they had 17 episodes, they got to show a little bit about everybody's life. Was that necessary? I don't know. But does that make them

memorable at this time? Absolutely. When you think of Kim J Woo, you do think of his character in Coffee Prince. Each person had a distinct story to them that you remember, right. The cofounder of The Coffee Prince, I felt like his story with his love life was there to to show and to like be a lesson.

To Cher, hang out and Sunky. I liked his love story and the way that he told it was very well done because he does it on the rooftop and this is after home use characters found out the jig is up. Like he knows that Untine is a is a girl and he's. Really. Oh my gosh, that is That moment is one of my favorite lines in the show when he says something along the lines of. Yes, I know I'm angry. But when I think about it, can I

live without this person? That that yo perspective and just forgiveness and letting it go so that you can move to the next stage. I was like, Oh my God, that's amazing. I thought it was a very good use of that story. From what was it hometown? The the other co-owner or something of the coffee prints. He was very good at inserting some much needed perspective throughout the show, but that scene was amazing for him.

I didn't like how they thought that was juicy enough to bring around in the final episode where he meets that first love again, the one who ditched him and was like really bad to him. And she's married and has a kid and all this stuff. And I'm like, we don't need this. We do not need this. That was a standalone thing in an earlier episode. We don't need it.

So that's what I mean by There was a lot of little things that added up, and I just didn't like some of these side stories that didn't need to be. Side stories that could have just been. Oh really cool monologue instead of like, oh, now we have to find out what happened to him in his first level. Did we need to circle back on that? No. No we didn't. Know I agree. Let me see. I also that character Hongge Hongge Chic. That dude was disgusting.

I don't know how he lived. I don't know how he lived. See, it made sense that he was on the floor. Filth, because he was in episode one, he was like picking his nose and I was like weird, ill and then he kept doing really gross hygiene things. The towel that he used. On no, no, stop, stop, stop something. I was like this is nasty and then him picking like some gum off the glass in coffee prints and then like. Putting it in his mouth and stuff, he was disgusting. A cesspool. A cesspool.

So that's a side note for that guy. Because I was like, I don't think they would ever make such a gross dude in a current drama. I don't know why they made this guy so repulsive that I was not laughing. But he was really good at his job, though. True. True. And then I couldn't tell if it was real or not because the way they shot it, I was like, did he really just do that? Like take a towel and like clean the tow cheese out from his feet and then clean his teeth with the same towel?

The shot is unbroken, so I'm convinced that they made him do all these nasty things over and over again for the take. It's. Nasty. Imagine. It's so good. Yeah, it was. So let's talk really quick about the meat. Cute. And then we can talk about the whole tension of them falling in love and some great scenes that we have. OK, so she's really poor. She's living paycheck to paycheck. She's a delivery driver. She's a Taekwondo instructor. She's peeling chestnuts.

She's sewing eyes on little plushies. And it's all menial work, and her mother is an overspender. She's spending $100 on shoes that they can't afford. It's really messed up. But she delivers food to Kong Yu's penthouse apartment, and he is nearly naked. He's just in a towel, and he's sitting on a on a couch, using a smaller towel to wipe the shower, the water off of his. Legs and she looks up his towel as he's drying himself and definitely sees him naked. I had got I got questions

though, because why? First of all, he gets out of the bathtub Because he's taking a bath full of soap and it's like a bubble bath. He gets out, still covered in soap sets. OK, that was and I was like. He's a maniac. He's a maniac because he cuts out of the shower. He's like on the phone or something. And I was like, is he going to get back in the bath? I was so confused. And then he starts drying himself off, just puts a towel

on with soap still on his body. And I was like, somebody call 91, call 911 because he needs help. That was uncalled for. I was like, who does that? And then she shows up and he's like, Oh yeah, just leave the food there at the front table. Yeah, And I'm like, who the hell takes delivery in a towel still covered in soap sets? And I will. Say. It was so K drama. It was so K drama. I don't think it was K drama, because sometimes it's crucial. Listen, I was sick a couple of months ago.

What are you telling me? What are you telling me, Carol? Let me just finish. Let me just finish. I was sick. That's the context. I was sick and I put it on my Instagram and this person I hadn't worked with in like 4 years was like, hey, I have some antibiotics, I will get you, I will bring it to you. And she told me she'll come at 12. So I'm in the shower, I'm washing my hair. I have, I'm black, I have like 4C hair and she's, I'm washing my hair and I get a text. Hey, I'm here.

She was 2 hours early and she was on her way to drop her sister, her daughter off at a birthday party. So I'm like, ooh, I got to go. So I just put on my shower cap, I put on my robe, I ran downstairs and that was like conditioner. All over me. So you know what? It happens. It happens. I was just like. How do I put it? He No, he didn't Even he wasn't care. He did not care because he was already out of the back before she ever knocked on the door. Yeah, he didn't care. OK, he's.

I was surprised billing that he was. Billing because of what? First of all, he had a studio, so it was just one big space. It was an extended bathroom, OK, with a couch. So he was. No. But then he's kind of tickled by the fact that she get she looked at him or he because at this point he thinks that delivery driver is a man. He's like, oh, did he see something that he liked? I think that was around the line that he said, yeah, and I was

like, this man is out of bounds. Out of bounds because that is, so he's. Playful he's. So open and. He's so open and playful. Tickled by the fact that she she might have seen, so he might have seen something I was like, Oh my God, I wouldn't like. I don't know if this is just a man thing or what, Like if you are one of these people that is OK with this scene and would be the Kong Yu's character. Do this reaction, have this this play out and you're perfectly fine with it.

Please talk to me because I want to know what kind of personality you have and I don't know if it's just a personality thing. I'd love to know her meet cute with the second male lead which is our cousin is really good. I think this is the better me cute to be quite honest with you because she I know she delivers milk to his house every morning and. She's on the other side of the gate of the gate at his house and he has got a giant sheep dog named Terry, which I love the

name Terry for a dog. Terry is like a human name and she's petting the dog, she's playing with the dog, she's awooing the dog. She's like, oh, trying to get the dog to howl with her. And it's so charming and. She tells the dog, oh, like, get your owner, get your dad to come out and, you know, have some fresh air or something. And he hears her talking to the dog and being really good to the dog. And she leaves and all he catches is like a glimpse of her leaving on her bike.

Yeah, and I was like. This is a really good me. Cute. It is. And I think that it's especially fascinating because his introduction to her is a girl, because he heard her voice while. And Chan, let's talk about it for a second. During those times, all the jobs she was doing were for men. So because she passed as a guy, she was able to get those jobs. And so you could see in their

head the, What is it? I don't want to say prejudice, but they already have those linked images to yeah, oh, delivery guy, oh, this guy, guy, guy. And for him to see her as a woman first. I was like, oh, this is so cute. This is perfect. Yeah, it's really cute and. I love that later on she he meets her outside the wine bar where she's like temping for a night and she gets the gender of the dog wrong.

I thought this is such a great touch because she goes, she thought it was a girl dog and he goes, oh it's a boy and she's like, oh Dang, I thought it was like, I thought it was a girl and I'm like, wow, wait wait a I guess inside joke I guess is good. I like that little nice touch. But then they enter here and Kong, Kong, you entered the contract relationship. She plays his fake boyfriend.

He doesn't believe her when she gives her ID number and it has a 13 in it, which signifies that she's a female. He's like no, no, no, give me your real ID number. See. But that's what I mean by he already had his preconceived notions. I know of what a girl should look like and what a guy. Looks. Like, I know it's crazy, but I

did. I thought I took a step back when I think there's a moment where she's talking about payment and she wants payment for every little thing of skinship that he does to her on these blind dates. So she's like, what does a handhold cost that should be Cost this, this cost this. If you touch me here, cost this. And then she stops short of the kissing price and he follows that up with, what if I rape you? And I was like what I was like. Did I read that wrong? Wait, what? Yes, yes.

No, I gotta look that up this. Is episode 2 episode two. He says that to her in a playful tone because she stopped short of kissing. Then he I guess he thought this would be funny if I follow this up and tease her about what if I rape her and I was like ho ho. Wait, did that did he say sleep with you or did he actually say rape? The translation. On Vicki was rape. Stop it. Yes. OK, that just brought it down for me.

And then in that same episode, he parks his Mini Cooper in the middle of two spaces, 2 parking spaces, like he parks on the line and I was like red flag, red flag like. If I don't, I don't know how to drive, so I'm just. Like, Oh my God, Carol, you do not park. In the middle of two spaces, OK, that's just not that. That's asshole behavior. And so those two things taken together, I was like, is there other stuff that I'm missing that I don't remember happened that are super red flaggy for

this guy? Oh my gosh, now you're gonna make me watch this again. I can't believe you didn't see this. And then he manhandles her so much throughout the show. He does. Like, just yanking her around and oh, let's go talk and he grabs her wrist and like, Yanks her out. I'm like, this stuff is really annoying and sort of dated and uncomfortable to watch. So all of those things were early, right? Well, those two things. And then the manhandling happened throughout.

I have an episode 4. This is my note. I swear, all these guys are gay. This is my note because I said I have like proceeds too, because at the first team dinner that they have Mignon that unfortunately the actor that died, that character gets drunk and kisses Jaewuk, Kim Jaewuk on the back of his head. And then the other guy, Kim Dong Wook, that guy, that's his real name in real life. He sucks on his toe. And then he kisses Kongyu.

He kisses Kongyu on the head, smothers the old man Kim Jong Tang one, that's the real actor's name. And then he kisses Yunhe Yunhe on the lips. And presumably all of these guys are straight and I'm like, bullshit, bullshit. All these guys queer, OK? Like, this is not. I mean. What do you feel about the I feel like they're blending the the as much as the show talks about explicitly like the homosexuality. I feel like the show is just gender bending and a fluid sexuality all around.

Yeah, I think it was. Let me see, 22,007. I'm gonna age myself. OK, it's for a moment. Don't worry about it. So please forgive me, Okay. So 2007 was the first time I had heard the name the term metrosexual. Really. Yes, and I just had to look it up again. The definition relating to or denoting men who live in urban areas, enjoy shopping, fashion and similar interest traditionally associated with women or gay men.

I think that there was, there seemed to be a lot of representation of that in the show with with Sungi, the waffle guy and and then just the way they spoke. But I also think that without saying, I don't know, I don't know how to explain it because. Growing up I would see guys like hold hands and and do stupid shits. OK. Which now we would put definitions on. Uh huh.

Which we didn't back in the day. And you know what, maybe that's my hang up is that I feel like there's definitions for things now that happened throughout the show and they didn't put any labels on anything throughout the show exactly. Exactly. Labels. That's, that's the word. So I didn't find it weird because I also went to a boarding school for for three

years. So I was in a boarding school and it was a mixed school, but you had separate quarters for the guys and the girls, but you heard and you saw this shit all the time. And so OK. So you're a little desensitized. Yeah, yeah. I wasn't desensitized, but OK, it was more so I didn't have a label. It's normal. Right, right. I don't. I don't know what's right or wrong in this case to put a label on it or to just leave it the way it is. It is. What is?

I I I think it is what it is, is what I prefer, OK? Because I think labeling has become a little too political. Absolutely, yeah. Episode 4, they go play basketball and shirtless. Kongyu will always be top tier like K drama to me because they go, they like ditch work one day because it's slow at the coffee prints. And they go play basketball. Com you starts to chew them out, starts to reprimand them and then he's like, I'll play you for whatever out. I don't even know how they get

to the baseball. I'm sorry basketball. But A+ plus scene that follows it up because after the basketball they sort of they come together as a group right of like you talk about found family earlier. Now the guys are even closer after doing this like basketball scene. I'll know how you And then hey kept it together because they're like dripping in sweat. And Kongyu's got his shirt, like wide open and I'm like, I can't

even handle this. And I'm sitting in an air conditioned room in 2023, so I don't, I don't know how she was there to do it. Because she had not come into her like sexuality, like she's oh. My God, we have to talk about that too. Yeah. But anyway, so then they followed the basketball scene up with the fountain scene, friends style, and they make like a pack, like, oh, let's fight.

Fighting, fighting. We're going to do well at the Coffee Prince. Let's make three times our investment or whatever it was that going you promised the grandmother. And they throw a coin in this giant fountain and then they all jump in the fountain. Yeah, it looks like so much fun, So refreshing. I'm not even bothering with the fact that they're in a public fountain romping around. I don't even care. I'm like, this is top. Like, this is cinema.

You know what I'm saying? Like and the needle drops throughout the show. I wasn't concerned at all with the OSCI was concerned with the music that they had license, just music that was not created for the show specifically. And they had songs like This Will Be Everlasting Love from Natalie Cole, which I'm like how much did they pay for that? And then they had on the The Fountain scene, You and Me song from the Wannadies. Yeah. Oh my God, I love that song so much.

So really fun sequences that kind of stick in your brain. They don't have much to do with the plot at all. This is just like music video fodder. But I love it. I love it. Yeah. So I don't know if you had any other scenes before we get to She turns into a girl for a night. Yes, I loved when they went, when they went to like the team event where Gongyu is selling apples or something like. That, Oh yes, the orchard.

That whole, yeah, the orchard, that whole scene where they work together, collect the apples and they go into the water and many help is like, no, no, you're a girl. He was so cute. He was so cute when he found out she was a girl. So I loved that. And I also loved when the guys were living together and just how deplorable it. Was. And how you I. Mean. I thought it was worse than the like the parasite basement.

It was worse. I was like, this was worse, Yeah. But you could see their personalities in that space with Sungi like being super clean and he had his like mosquito coil he's. Yes, it's good it. Was it was good? Yeah. She gets a makeover K drama trope. She gets a makeover for the art exhibition that she goes to with Aja she cousin. I forgot how horrendous she looks when she leaves the house and he picks. Her up. Oh my gosh, I wipe that out of my memory.

I don't know how they let her leave the house like that. Yo, they don't like her. Like the mom, let me just say because of the way she left the house to go to the art exhibition, I think her mother and her little sister hate her. There is no way that they should have let her step foot looking like that. She looked like a clown. She. Did she literally look like a clown? And so he takes her to get spruced up and get a change of clothes and everything, and she

comes down looking amazing. And I love she falls down the stairs, not fully. She just like, skips a step and he catches her from falling. And it's so she's all that. It hurts like, I'm like, Oh my God, a dream. Sequence. Yeah. It's it's good. And then obviously hijinks because Kongyu ends up attending the art exhibition instead of, you know, her just being there Incognito. She's now trying to avoid Kongyu and all stuff. Yeah, that's great. And he doesn't recognize her at

all. I like at all, because that was a bit unbelievable for. Yeah, yeah. But I'm just like, wow are we? So, like, how strongly do we believe what we believe and do not challenge our thoughts? I don't. You're trying about suspension of disbelief? Or are you just talking about? For him. Oh, for him. OK. For him and even for me, I'm just like, OK, I'm seeing A and that's A and now you're telling me it's B and I'm like, no, that's A like. Come on Guy, open your eyes. Yeah, he's a blind.

Just completely blind to her. Yeah, In episode six, he is already. I mean, he already likes her. He's already bothering her at work and just like a school kid with a crush, he's like ordering her around. She's getting frustrated. She blows her bangs up. Like she does like thing with her bangs and he's like, why don't you stop doing that? I need you to stop. He's so hot and bothered he's. So hot and bothered. And he aggressively drags her up to the rooftop And he got like,

he's so hot and bothered. He looked like he got a fever. He just like, can I hug you? And she's super uncomfortable And she backs away from him and he says it's just like when they were doing the blind days. Come on, he doesn't bite, but he doesn't wait for her consent. He just grabs her and pulls her in for the hug. And I was like, okay, not not my favorite, but he's doing it to gauge his physical reaction to the hug to see if he's attracted to her.

Because earlier he had hugged you do the second female lead and was like, oh thank God I'm still straight because I guess he felt something so he does it to her on time. And I love their reactions to after the hug. Yeah. Because she's like like Shook and grabbing the wall and shit to keep keep up and he does the same and he's just like clutching his heart like, oh shit, you know? I think that was the first time for her to sort of recognize that she feels different and.

And the feelings may be strong. Uhhuh. Uhhuh. Grandma gets sick with stage 4 stomach cancer around episode 7, and they did absolutely nothing with the stomach cancer with like that was just nothing. Almost like given that the elderly character would get sick. Yeah. So I didn't like that. I feel like that was half baked. And OK. Do you have thoughts on that?

I'm just. Thinking I'm just thinking about the sequences of that, and I think they put it in there to show just how much Hanggill adores the women and his family. Because for Grandma and Mom, that guy would burn the earth for those two women. So to to get to see him obsess over her and his mom and just be like an adorable baby for them and for me, I'm just like, OK, yes, he loves them, but is he also overcompensating because his dad is lacking? Oh, I got nothing to add to that.

We're going to move on because I was really Episode 8. She gets a kiss. She gets kissed by the cousin at his house. Ohh another iffy area. Iffy. Yeah. Iffy. Iffy. I did not. It's very surprising. And I could see why. She just ran out the house. Yeah, because there was no provocation. He just, like, came up on her. Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, obviously no consent or anything. And I was like, then later on in the episode, she's over at Komu's house.

And he says you're gay, right? I'm not. So stop trying to seduce me. And I'm like, Oh my God. Brah, it's not that simple. I was like babe and then he. Borrowed the notebook like it's not that simple, it's. Not that simple. And then he gums up with that sworn brothers thing with a young name. Thing and then they get the he gets their ears pierced as like their sworn brothers oath. I don't even know. OK, OK. OK.

But that brings up what we just, we talked about earlier about you know not having labels and all these things being normal and so he's trying to like find normal for him and and. Make it seem less without actually saying or accepting that he has stronger feelings. Then I think this is I have notes for episodes 9 through 12, but the night at the beach. Get out, get out. This is the Oh my God, this is K drama crack. This is the crackiest of crack.

She there's like walking on the beach and she sort of go and saying like, what do you like about me? Which part of me do you find pretty? Of course I like you. dot, dot, dot as a sworn brother and she is really testing this man, OK. I thought that was just kind of rude of her, I thought because she knows what he thinks of her and she's still really flirty, like cannot keep it together. Does she know though? Because you know she did.

She does say that I never like how can you look at me and say you like me? She she had some major. No, girl, we'll get to it because this is part of these sets of episodes, because I feel like it's we have to talk about the whole in time being like a doe idea and headlights through the whole thing. But he holds her hand. And intertwines the hands as lovers do. And then they watched. She's like, let's stay and watch

the sunrise. And they spend the night out on the beach and she puts her head on his lap like she saw him do with you do the second female. She was definitely testing him, testing him. And then right, I'm like, girl is really testy. So then he gives her his cardigan. Real cute because it's, I guess, chilly up on the beach. I live in Florida. We don't got that. And then it's hot, like, take we have no cardigans at the beach. So as she's sleeping, he spoons

her spoons with her. And I love this scene. It's very complicated. Like complicated, right? So he's cupping her hand in his and he's just crying as he kisses her head and he looks just terrified. At the realization that he loves a man and he's trying to reconcile this feeling, he goes missing for three days after the scene because he's just wrecked. He's spiraling.

He has having an identity crisis, if you even have a mirror scene at his place after where he's like puts the shaving cream on his face and he's looking at himself in the mirror and he's just like, smears the mirror with shaving cream. He doesn't even want to look at himself. And. He struggled and I felt. Struggling. Yeah, Yeah. What did you think of the beach scene and sort of the aftermath of that? It was very I loved it. It was very cute. It was very poignant.

I think that the aftermath, though, was immature. Yes, I was thinking that too, because. Let's just put it in perspective. He's almost 30. Yeah. Yes, he's having a sexual identity crisis. He loves a man. But for him to go AWOL for three days? And he's a business owner and just leaves the coffee shop unattended for three days? Nope. Not receiving any calls. This is like teenager behavior. It is and that comes with. The immaturity of not having friends.

You're building your own levels. Because it's not. It doesn't have friends. No I I. Like. There's that. I don't think he has a lot apart from his cousin. A lot of interaction, meaningful relationships with people. I thought it was very unfair to understand just how much work meant to her. And what she could do for her family and to take that away, so to lash out on her. I was pissed. Yeah, because he kept saying every other episode he was like, you're fired, you're done.

Yeah, like you don't play people like a yo-yo, It was very annoying to watch. But I also understood him because. He was in an era of we don't go to therapist, see how he struggled to go to the psychiatrist and. And the psychiatrist was office dismal. Yes, that was a bad I was like. That was a terrible. Portrayal of therapy and going to a psychiatrist and the psychiatrist was like. How long have you been having fantasies of dressing as a woman

and thoughts of doing this? And I'm like, what? Completely wrong. Yeah, completely wrong. Did. And I was like, but you'll be fine in a few days if you just take this medication. I'm like, what? What? That was the problematic, oh really problematic moment for me, because it's almost like you're saying pray the gay away, so take in a sense. Yeah. Or medicate the. Yeah, medicate, yeah. And that was that was crossing the line for me.

However, I want to recognize the error and the lack of of empathy and knowledge and just respect. It was present, so I get it, but it's it's a hard scene to watch. It is very difficult to see those three days for him and especially him going to the psychiatrist. Cohen Chen says. At this point, I'd rather be his good friend as a man than get turned down as a woman. As a woman. And that's so heartbreaking because she has never gotten to be a woman. This is someone who is the

primary breadwinner of her home. She's. Interroginous takes over. She has, I guess, masculine features if you want to call them fat, Masculine, but OK, she's not traditionally feminine. She's not traditionally feminine presenting correct era. And even in flashback sequences of her as a child, she still had short hair. She was still dressing a little more like a tomboy, to use the term in the My Drama List

synopsis. And I genuinely felt bad for her in her struggle, up to a point, because around this time when he's going through it. And he's not getting any help. And she says she has this pity party. It just has many pity parties. She's constantly crying. And I have in my notes. I'm so sick of her blubbering, You can't I say in my notes, you can't start a relationship based on a lie. You have to tell the truth. You have to open up and be vulnerable.

Let them in. And she wants to have her cake and eat it too. The entire drama, and I don't mean coffee prints as a whole, I mean the drama of this section of the show. Their issues would be wrapped up if you just manned up, no pun intended, and told him the truth that she's a woman. I honestly didn't get the spinning wheels of that section of the show because to me. She's suffering. He's suffering. What's gonna change? Like something has to give. Yes. Oh my gosh.

And I love that when he found out and finally when, you know, they move forward, he called her out on it. I think two or three times. Oh, I have the direct quotes here. I don't worry. We'll get to it in a second because we still have a couple of things before the shit hits the fan, because I love when she says in this pity party. With the cousin there, she says. But look at me, I'm not a man or a woman.

I'm too scared to tell him. And that's something that the cousin brings up later when shit hits the fan and people are trying to reconcile the two of them by saying what they know of the story. And the cousin says she doesn't even know who she is. There you go. And it's like, that's really profound, That's really deep. She's very young. And she's been put in a box for her whole life, which is you're not good enough. You don't look the right part to be a woman.

You're not feminine presenting. And so you're just going to get put in the box of you're a boy, we're going to consider you a man. And it's this whole complexity of not being wanted. Of not knowing how to be a woman. What is femininity can is she still a woman even though she's dressing like this and acting like this and has these jobs and all this stuff? It's very interesting. I have a question. Yeah. So she was a tomboy with her

dad, right? You see that sequence of of her playing with her dad and her dad playing with her as if he's a son or she's a son. But when she grows older, is she? Forced into this box that she's in, I think so in order to be able to provide for. Her family, I think it's a little bit of both that she's comfortable wearing these clothes and with the short hair, that's fine. Maybe she's comfortable not wearing makeup. That's totally fine.

But I also think it's that she was forced into it to provide for her family and to. Provide for her family. Patriarchal stand in for her dad who died early and now she has to provide for her family. So absolutely, it's a little bit of both to me. It's it's it's really a conversation on society. Oh yeah, for me because. Back then, you may be working at a cafe, or you may be like a bar host or a waitress. You cannot excuse the fact that she had very little options to go with because.

She had very little options. She was very young, in her 20s. She did not have a college education, she repeatedly said. She had no dreams, She had no talent. She didn't do well in school, so there's no recourse for her other than to do these. Dirty jobs for essentially these jobs that are meant for men with no education, Men who are young like part time, which. Probably, which probably paid

more. Yes, which probably paid more than if she was saying that she's a woman and she wants these jobs because of the pay gap. It's completely unfair. It is unfair. So I I understand her, but I my issue with her is when she saw that it was getting serious. Yes, she she has gotten the same courage that Hangill worked through. Yes, to speak up, but she didn't get that courage. Didn't. And then we get to the kiss in the coffee shop, which is iconic and.

I don't know what else to say about that. Because it's amazing. It's amazing. He comes in hot. He's like is all over her. And I think this is that part where and when they were rewatching it now closer to the present day, I think she was grabbing his shirt or something in that scene and I was like, like, that's a lot. But he says this line, I like you. I don't care if you're a man or an alien anymore. See. OK. It's an iconic line.

People keep saying it in every variety show whenever the skits comes up. Was it necessary to say Alien? I don't know. I don't know. I get the sentiment is what he's saying, that I don't care who you are, you're just you and I like you. That's fine. To compare being in love with a man to being in love with an alien. That was a bit. Hasn't aged well at all. But no, it's 2007. But people still like that line. They like to drive. Yeah, I I'm just shocked at it.

Yeah, I just love the kiss. That's a. Kiss. I just distinctly remember watching this kiss in 2011 or so when I first watched show and I was like, Oh my God, I think I I was rebound rewinding it. I was like, I gotta see it again. I gotta see it again. Yeah, it's steamy. It's good. It's spicy. Then shit hits the fan. The poser boyfriend who is my perfect stranger dude, He spills a beans.

He spills a blabbermouth. He's such a blabbermouth because he thinks that she told him the truth when he gets to work that morning, but she chickens out. And then he starts talking about her as if Kungyu knows the truth, the intensity of that moment. Yo, the intensity. That's why I'm like, go for the best actor. Oh my God. And I hate her reaction.

I do hate on Chan's reaction because she can't look him in the eye, which fine, I feel like that's a cultural thing that like if you are at fault, if you are, you know, have a lower position, if you're sorry, you don't make eye contact with somebody. That's rude. Yeah, so fine, she doesn't look him in the eye, but then she doesn't say anything. She's so ashamed that she doesn't say anything. She doesn't offer any

explanation. She doesn't say I'm sorry, even he's got nothing to go off of. And again he goes AWOL. He goes driving down the street, thinking back on all the moments they've had together and how he should have seen it coming that she was a girl the whole time. And that's his bad, because you should have challenged your thoughts. You should have heard her when she first said. Her I D and started with two. But no. You're like it's a you know what? He had every right to be angry. He.

Did have every right to be angry, I feel, And his world came crashing down in a very key drama fashion. But I love his line when he's talking to the cousin later, because the cousin knew the whole time he got mad that the cousin was lying to him too, feeding into the ruse. And Kony says, will the world end if I find out she's a girl? And I'm like, he got points. He's got points, OK? He says to her later. Tell me this isn't true. Tell me you didn't lie to me for months.

You don't do that to someone you love. OK, I'm going to watch this again when we finish because those lies. Impactful. I hope you do one of those posts that you do. With like with the lines, the quotes. Yeah, with the quotes, because it's impactful. I'll do it. I'll do it, don't worry. But he, I mean, they talk to that each other scattered throughout the episode, because of course, they're just angsty and upset, and he has every right to be, he says later.

You were selfish. You didn't care what I was going through. You didn't tell me, even when I told you that I like you, even though you're a guy. So I love that he hits on the the selfishness of her, not telling him that he she didn't consider how he'd feel. And then he does it like this is inexcusable. But he, like comes on her and they have this aggressive kiss in the coffee house. And then he pulls away and says I like you better as a man. That was that.

That was the moment. That was the moment for me, because I told you I was in a very special space. That was the moment where I decided that no matter how angry I am, I will not intentionally hurt someone. And I've lived by that, like, forever. And so there was a moment in my life where. My dad did that to me and I remember having a panic attack because I was like, you did not need my dad and my sister shout

out to my sister. I love her but and my dad, sorry, but I was like, you don't need to intentionally hurt people the way you know it would hurt them the most. Right. And I could not forgive that moment. Yeah, it's very. Below the belt, very below the belt. For him to do that. And then he says what do we have now? Do we have trust? You don't know what I gave up in my life to have you. You've been weighing your choices because you didn't want to get hurt. Oh my gosh.

Vulnerability. Fuck yeah. It's so much. It's so much. But they make up, they get over it. They get through it. They. You know, reconcile. And then we get a bunch of episodes where they're together and it's very sweet, even sweeter than the other episodes that came before it. They're very giddy with each other, especially him. I feel like Kong, Yu's character, is just smitten with her. Anytime he sees her, he's just like, like, it's so cute to see them.

And then we get those final episodes. Where is he? Or is he not going to go back to New York? Let me just say. New York has been a problem in K dramas since Time Immemorium. OK, this is not a business proposal. Recent thing. He goes to New York and leaves her and there's a time jump. No baby like New York was a threat since the early 2000s. It's always been in the ether. And he ends up deciding, deciding not to go back to New York and design toys. Because he's found new meaning

to life. He just found new, meaning new fulfillment in what he's doing at the coffee shop, which is. That's the word. Really interesting concept to give up on a dream because you found a new one. Yes, Yeah. Yes. Oh, my gosh. OK, random. I was talking about men that I admire. And why I admire them. And the common thread was one of these points where you have one dream and you're just like, you know what, I'm going to lay it down and go after this one

because I I love that. I'm like, ooh, let's put that on my vision board. Let's go. I mean, we're leaving out the fact that he is enamored with on time and wants to stay with her, doesn't want to do long distance or break up. True but. Does he need to design toys anymore to feel something? No. No, Yeah. No. I was devastated when he tells the grandmother and the family that Unchan is actually a girl and that they're dating. And their reaction? The reaction? From grandma.

From grandma was shocked. Fair, but grandma was vicious. Oh my gosh. So one of the worst blowout reactions, and it hurts and so much. I mean, it hurt me and I'm just a casual audience member watching this after the fact, but it was very sad. Oh my God. But then you two and the cousin who have had their ups and downs, they're back together, She gets pregnant and then she proposes to to him that they get

married. Well, he proposed to her and she was noncommittal, you know, with the, I don't know, cheese stick or whatever it was. And then she comes back and proposes to him, and that was beautiful. I know the girlies were up in a bunch about it, but it was. I think mean the girlies were up in a bunch. They hated that scene. They're like, why should a girl, Why should a girl propose? It should always be the guy.

And OK. Babes, So my thing is the the show is groundbreaking in all kinds of ways. So many ways. And they had set up earlier that her character doesn't want to get married. She's not about that life. She's a free spirit, whatever the hell. And. I feel, and I've said this in another episode, I can't remember which one might have been searched. www.withyouthat. That's a deal breaker in a relationship, right?

When one person wants to get married and the other person doesn't, on moral, ethical, whatever grounds that they want, that's a deal breaker. To me. That's spells the end of the relationship and the fact that she sort of works through it. And gets over the trauma because her mom's been married four times. And, like, it's this whole thing complex that she has about getting married. She plucks up the courage to

actually propose to him. And then she knows that it's something that he's wanted for many years. Talk about being together for nine years and not getting married. I'm like, that was not on him. He would have gotten married long ago, but it was on. Her. That's true. And. You know him sort of cheating on her. Her definitely cheating on him. They've come so far and it's very good. I can't understand why it's it's a character development for her, yeah, to propose. I would.

I would like to say it may not be a deal breaker if you find the right guy when you're thinking about Su young from Girls' Generation and her guy and who's saying. Him saying and interviews like I want her to have the success, all the success she wants, and the work she wants to do and whatnot. Like, yes, I'd like to get married, but her dreams are just as important. I died. Oh my God, I love that man. But yeah. Right. I think what I said on the search www.episodewasthat,

somebody has to compromise. Yes. Yes, you did say that, I remember. That, and yeah, that's a real life compromise with that celebrity. That's true. But in the show we also see, we see him compromise. We see everyone compromise. Yeah. Which is so beautiful. Because that's very realistic, yeah. But Kong You's character fumbles a bag in the final couple of episodes because he gets marriage hungry. And he gets approval from his

entire family. He convinces his whole family that Untine is the perfect daughterinlaw. The co-owner is talking, talking her up to the grandmother. He's like, you don't even realize what a Jemmy you have here because she's better than him and all this stuff. So he proposes to her, puts a ring on her finger. She thinks it's just a promise. Ring, A couple ring. And she assumes and talking with her little sister and stuff, that they would get married in 4-5 years or something.

He's shocked, shocked because he wants to get married now, like in the next year. And she's all about I need to work on myself. I have this. I finally have something I want to do, something I'm good at, something I'm interested in, and that's becoming a great barista. I want to be the best barista ever. I want to study this. I this is my dream now and to provide for my family on my own terms and stuff. And he's over here like, I swear I'll take responsibility for

your family. And that was something that the sister was bringing up to. She was like, is he going to buy us a house before you move to New York? I know. I'm like, bitch, what entitled. Entitled little brat. What makes you think that her boyfriend should buy you a house? It was like. Exactly. And Unchan says in that moment, responsibility. How? For how long? It's better not to make promises you can't keep. Will you live forever and never die?

My father said he'd take responsibility for our family forever, but he couldn't do that. A person can't take responsibility over another person. You can only take responsibility for yourself, for yourself, until you can accomplish. Until I can accomplish things on my own, I won't marry. You know, I feel. The ground, I feel the ground shaking. I feel it shaking because this

is so very. Amazing of them to write into her character, and it felt very genuine for her to have this pride over her life and this fierce independence. Of course she does. She's been doing this on her own since she was 16, and why should she be a kept woman? Why should he have to provide for her family? She can do it on her own and all of these things. I was watching with my mom and at this scene she was like. You see, This is why I tell you, you have to make your own money.

Go to school, start working, make your money before you go and do this. Laugh, laugh, laugh, laugh. I laughed my head off, but it was so important, yeah, to to learn that. It's very important to. I think in today's day and age, there's so many horror stories of. You just don't have any skills to survive on your own and then you get stuck in a relationship that is providing for you and a lifestyle that you can't

maintain on your own and. And knowing his behavior, oh, his anger issues, he can just take it away and then what? Right. Cuz he was threatening her with her job for half the show. And so she was like, uh oh, we're not marrying. And me just like live as your wife. Like I want. I have dreams. I want things I want to do. I have things I want to do. And I was like, damn mad respect. I'll tell you what though. When I first watched this in 2011, I was in a different spot

in my life. Yes, I had a job. Yes, I was educated. But holy hell, I was on Kongyu's side during this whole thing. I was like, why isn't she marrying him? I don't understand why they're waiting. I don't understand why she wants to become a barista. Of all the I was like really upset with her not accepting the proposal right away And to like watching it today, I'm like, maybe I'm just. In a different. Place in my life. I'm like, absolutely fucking lutely.

Why would she get married now? She's so young. She has so much she wants to do. Let her study coffee, whatever the fuck she wants. I don't care It it made no sense for him to want to marry her after three months. Together three months that they've known each other. But sometimes I feel like, did he wants to marry her or do he want to have sex with her because they have that scene.

Did have that talk to me? They did have that scene where he's like, yeah, and we'll live in New York together and you'll go to Chelsea and we'll have pizza. And he was painting this whole picture, which is so funny because he was telling handsome like once you marry, you want that person to live according to your. They have that conversation. But for him, he's like, oh. Wait, wait, she says. Are we getting married? He's like, what are you saying? We have to get married before we

live together, sleep together? So what? This was a little jarring for me because this goes into first of all, she's very naive about anything having to do with relationship. Anything sexual just kind of blows her mind and. I mean earlier when they and that when the second leads, the second couple announces that they're pregnant, She's very happy for them, but she's like, I wonder how they got pregnant and they're not even married.

No, I. And I was like, so Kongyu's characters, like, looks at her and she's like, oh, right. And she's like, are you fucking for real? Be fucking for real. But, but, but, but, but. Gonyu has lived in New York. He's part of the, you know, cosmopolitan life, if you will. Cousin is 32. He ain't playing no games either. But culturally there was still, and I'm sure there still is this vibe culturally that you don't get pregnant before you're married. Right, right.

And that's why, you know, celebrities have these shotgun weddings. And so I understand how she was thinking. And I watched it when I was 18, so I I was just on that train of what? You mean we're going to have sex and we're not married. Okay, but also how presumptive of them to be like. Yeah, we'll just live together in New York together. And they just started their relationship like, he's like, let's live together. We've been together for 72

hours. Sir, I think we should take it a little slower because he was very quick about it and he never gave. He never had this conversation with her before about what stage are we at? Do you want to? Do you even want to live with me? He was leading the relationship, the girlies are looking for leaders and he was leading. What can you say? He was dragging her along like a horse behind the cart and she put the brakes on that and she was like, no, I wanna do the first of all.

First of all, she was like, we're not gonna live together before we're married, #1 #2 sexist. I can't believe you just wanna have sex and then not get married. It was like very. A conservative of her. But also, I understood where she was coming from. I was like, yeah, yeah, I can kind of see why she was like, what? And then third of all, when she finally realizes her barista dream, she's like, we're not getting married before I complete all this stuff that I want to do.

Yeah. So again, he was. And then he's like making plans without her, which got her really upset. Yes, she was like that. Was the whole thing. Yes, how can you do this to me without even telling me? Yeah. Communication, Communication. Communication. Communication. And he couldn't understand why she was so upset because to him, he's like, giving her this Cinderella life. Yeah. And she's like, I don't want to be Cinderella. I want to be a con Chan. Uh. Huh. Uh huh.

So I think now. Back in 2011 when I watched watched this, I was like, she should totally just get married to him and they live together and that's the end of it. I think now I'm of two minds of it because she was so young, right? Just 20 something years old. And he's 29, almost 30. And I'm like, first of all, if a man wants to marry you and you love each other, just get married. There shouldn't be this giant

engagement that's years long. Second of all, if you want to be a cap woman and not have to work and grind and hustle, more power to you just get that bag, sweetie. Like marry the man. So that's why. I mean, I'm like, I'm up two minds of it. I think generally. I was definitely supportive of her wanting to not get married right away and become a barista and all that stuff. Because she never done anything remotely like that. He's already studied, he's

already been abroad. He's just more cultured than she is, and she doesn't have all of that experience. Not only that he's gotten to live life for him and she has lived life for her family this whole time and for the first time she's getting to live life for her and it it's it is her first relationship and her first time falling in love and. Like there's just so many factors like. Let her breathe, please. Let her breathe.

And back then, when I was watching it, I was like, definitely don't get married right now. Oh, really? Because. Oh yeah, Because you can. You have an opportunity to live out your dreams. So do it. And it's nice to have someone encouraging you along the way, but you don't necessarily need it because it's your dream.

Go after it like I also. Feel like in the Even when I was watching it initially, and even now, I feel like we have culturally way different stances on what a marriage entails. And to me, back in the day and even now, I'm like if she gets married, she can still study, she can still become a barista. It's not even a thing. But perhaps we're missing the part that if they get married, she's going to have to care for this man. This manchild is playing with.

Legos and household, yeah. And his family and her family have. Responsibilities and cultural duties and all this. Stuff. She was seeing all that and she's like, I don't want to do that, right? Now and just get that as a I. Literally, yeah. I literally just finished doing that with my family. What are you talking about? And you want me to jump into it again? No. And that's very much the space I'm in personally right now. With I'm living my life.

My kids, aka my siblings, have graduated. I don't have to care for them anymore. Da da da da. It's now about me. There's no way I'm going to take that responsibility, jump into it head first, yeah. Yeah, so a lot of context that I feel like we might be missing or glossing over when we say she should just get married or she should just wait and then get married, whatever the case is. Now we get a time jump of two

years. She goes to Italy to become a barista and I will tell you, I remember vividly watching the scene and I remember this scene where she comes back. And and she's fam presenting. She's fed well, a little more fam presenting. I still don't think she's like not in a skirt. She's not. Doesn't have a full face of makeup or anything. That's true. She's. Quite a nice balance. She still have short hair, but it's shoulder length now. Yeah. You know, it's like a nice evolution of her.

It seems like this is where she wanted to be over time. Not only. Yeah, I I loved that that she didn't come show up in a dress with heels and and all of that. I loved that she found her style that still speaks to her. And just the new way she wants to move through the world. If you, the glow up was real. The glow up was real, yeah. And the way he looked at her. Oh yeah. I think the only scene that we skipped was the sex scene that happened right before she left for Italy.

That she. Are we talking, are we talking about the dream sequence or are the actual sex scene? No. The actual sex scene, OK, which they didn't show anything, I mean. You know, it's OK, drama, but that scene where she goes over to his house and he's hot and bothered, he like wants her, she doesn't get it. She put his hands on her and she

freaked out. And that night or something she calls him and she goes over late at night and he had was like put the kibosh on anything coming, coming close to her and stuff because he wants her and she stays over intentionally. He's like, please leave. If you, if you don't leave right now, I'm not sending you home. You have your face in your hands because Carol, this scene is so again iconic for cock because she puts her little foot in, he locks her out without her shoes.

She's like, I need my shoes. Whatever, open up and she puts her little foot in and she puts her head in and she makes her way inside And he had just warned. He's like, please be warned. And boom, he like got her up against the door. Whoa, whoa. When he put. Her up against the door, I was like, I remember screaming the first time I saw. Yeah, on the second watch I wasn't screaming, but the first time I watched it, I remember screaming.

I've never been able to watch that scene again just because I can't. I can't do it because I'm just like. I lose my shit. Too many emotions, yeah. Yeah, I lost my shit and I lost my shit now in 2023 when I rewatched it. What a quality, like scene. That was a long time coming for this couple and all of a sudden she got so much courage. Yeah, I agree. Yeah, it was. It was really good. And you could tell like she didn't know what she was doing. She was like, she was like new.

It was her first time and so he had to take leadership. But she just, you could see her moving according to what she was feeling. Yeah, it wasn't all one sided. I would. Say it wasn't all one sided. Yeah, yeah. But before we move on, we forgot something. One of my. Favorite scenes ever, oh God, ever is when he calls her and he's like, what are you, are you sleeping? And she's like, no, he's like, can you come over?

And she goes over and she's sitting on the couch eating chicken and he's like, how was your day? And and and then she gets pissed off, like, why are you asking me all these things? And finally she's like, you weren't there. I kind of missed you. He's like. I missed you. Yeah, because he was. He was like and. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. That whole couch sequence was the most loving thing for me. Top top three loving moments for me in the show because it was so

underrated. Very common to do in real life. And yes, I only touched me. We were talking earlier about how this show was not realistic. What's realistic is them together. Yes. Their scenes together, their chemistry, the way it's so easy and way it's so hard sometimes for them. The look on Kongyu's face when he's giddy about something that she said. Or they're on the phone. And she surprises him and says, I love you, I love you, I love

you over and over again. And he was standing on his couch and he like collapses. He's like because she shakes him up so much by saying I love you and. Then he decides I'm gonna be petty or pissed and he's like, let's not get it twisted. I love you more. Hang up. That shit is what's realistic and what's addicting to watch. Yeah. OK, I think I've come to the end of my notes. Did you have anything else you wanted to add about? That was the last thing I wanted to add to this.

Is so much fun. I just want everyone to watch the show. I do too. If you haven't watched coffee prints and you've gotten this far and we've spoiled it for you, please just experience it for yourself. It is such a wonderful experience and despite of some of the stuff that I was harping on earlier, it is a top tier cave drama. It is. Did so well internationally and in Korea. Everybody loved it. Everybody still loves it. And just watch it. Just watch it. Don't let the 2007 of it, like,

get you, get you down. Exactly. All right, Carol. Is there anything you'd like to plug before we get out of here? So I know you do K dramatics, you do K drama musings. Yes, please follow me on K drama music, K dramas, musings. OK On Instagram. I'm sure I'll plug it in somewhere on socials and tag. Jessica, Jessica, thank you so much for having me back. Thank you for coming on completely. Enjoy myself anytime. I'm chatting with you. I can't believe it's been 2 hours plus.

Yes, I know. And I said before we got on that I'm going to cut it short. Don't worry. Yeah, here we are again, 2 1/2 hour episode. But hopefully people have have stuck around and listened to the whole discussion and everything that we love about the. Show it's it's fantastic. I'm currently hosting watch parties for a King of Land on Sundays, so if you would like to join to join. Nice. All right, that's it. That's our show. I'm Jessica and this has been the Tebaki Rainbows podcast.

On go, so let jabber jaw change and nada. No change, nada. You sit down here, you. You're so we call my while you're Edo, Kimmel, Jana again there is some more head job.