[Staff Spotlight] Get to know festerfaster

117 June 26, 2017June 25, 2017

by Paroma

Explain your username (and/or avatar if you wish).

My name here is an homage to Uncle Fester of The Addams Family, whom I stubbornly called Uncle “Faster” throughout my childhood. He really understood pre-teen angst. My avatar is of Agent Carter, the most badass spy in fiction. I will never stop mourning the end of her TV show. Hayley Atwell as Peggy was life!

What is the first drama that you watched (or the first drama that made an impression)?

You’re Beautiful was my introduction to Korean dramas, and nothing ever caught my heart the same way again. Hwang Tae-kyung became the emotional, mercurial, steadfast, stubborn male lead that I secretly compare all my fictional heroes to. Go Mi-nam brought me the satisfying realization that a drama heroine can unapologetically defend her self-worth to the man she loves, without the writers undoing her defiance in the final act. Together, they pulled me into a world of storytelling where characters are deeper and the narrative more nuanced than I had ever been exposed to before.

Name a job or two that you’ve had in the past.

I once played girlfriday to the beloved Indian lyricist/director Gulzar. He was a legend, and I had grown up loving his movies. He was visiting my city for a festival, and the organizer needed someone to ferry him around and keep things smooth for two days. There was a lot of running around and door-holding involved. I was a recently graduated, overly opinionated kid, and that gig changed something in the way I viewed life. I watched this gentleman, whose name inspired awe, deal with fans, reporters, and self important businessmen with unwavering calm and humor. And I received an unforgettable lesson in grace and dignity.

Have you ever lived a moment that you thought belonged in a drama?

My dad and I got caught in a landslide on our way back from a trek in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas. Our train back home was to leave from a station 300 miles from our basecamp. We realized that we would miss it if we waited for the road to get cleared, so he and I ditched the hired car and trekked down the mountain through rain and knee-deep sludge over two days without food. By the time we got to a town that had clear roads ahead, both of us were running on fumes. We hired a farmer to drive us down the last leg of the trip, terribly aware that we were about to lose the train anyway. The drama-worthy moment happened when, after all the troubles we went through, we arrived at the station with moments to spare. We ran inside to find that our platform was the very first one, and that our train was already standing on it, and the door to our coach was standing open in front of us. There may have been angels singing in the background, but I was too shocked to notice. Neither of us moved much on the journey home, and there were a few fractured ankles and toes between us, but it was all worth it.

What’s your favorite drama you recapped?

The Liar and His Lover. While objectively the best drama I’ve recapped till now has to be Police Unit 38, covering Liar was an experience augmented by the love and engagement of a core community of Beanies, whose weekly insights turned a sweet youth drama into an unforgettable phenomenon.

What drama genres do you especially like?

Romantic comedies, fusion sageuks, time traveling, high school, medical, mysteries, and everything to do with science fiction and fantasy.

What drama genres do you especially dislike?

Melo. I can’t stand weeks of unrelieved pathos, no matter how satisfying the conclusion.

Is there a drama character you’ve ever strongly identified with, and why?

The one character I’ve felt strong kinship with despite being her polar opposite in real life is Choi Hee-jin from Queen In-hyun’s Man. There was just something about the way she underestimated herself, despite being resourceful and clever. She was smart, self-aware, and unselfconscious in her love for Kim Boong-do. She’s still stuck in my heart after all these years.

What’s a random skill you have?

Coaxing street dogs into letting me treat their injuries. There was a time when I was terrified of dogs. Then, I lost my mind and brought home a puppy. Caring for him made it impossible to overlook the roamers who lived on the streets of my city, and so, I bought some books and taught myself the basics of veterinary first aid. There’s something of a learning curve, but I’m fairly competent with needles and tourniquets now.

Favorite non-Korean movie and/or TV show?

Marvel’s Agent Carter (U.S.), Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai (India), and Bromance (Taiwan).

Which Hallyu celebrity would you actually want to meet and spend an hour with?

None. I believe firmly in never giving people I admire the chance to disappoint me in person.

Which of the 7 deadly sins would be your undoing? (Pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, or sloth.)

Gluttony. I can fight sloth, but the spiraling, sucking vortex of gluttony is the kind of evil that defeats you by making you feel good. Who knew K-drama marathons would become the battleground where I lost my soul for good?

Your favorite drama has an unholy alliance with your most hated drama and produces a mutant baby drama. Describe the plot.

A prince marries the wrong sister, then finds her dead in a pond one day. He travels to the future to solve the mystery of her death, but decides to open a coffee shop instead. He hires a boy, who is really a girl, to help run the shop, and then spends all his time pining after his cousin’s girlfriend. Thankfully, his cousin wanted to kill him anyway. Assassination attempts ensue, and the girl saves the prince’s butt. Both fall in love, but the prince thinks the girl is a boy, so much struggling with self-identity and societal concepts of manhood happens. Then, just as he decides to love her even if she’s an alien, he gets sucked back in time and remembers that he still has a murder to solve. Meanwhile, the girl meets Gong Yoo in the future timeline and decides that he’s far hotter than the prince anyway.

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Tags: Staff Spotlight

117

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1 undrama

June 26, 2017 at 4:12 PM

Hahaha! Loved your mutant baby drama! Gong Yoo is indeed far hotter than the prince!

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 3:05 AM

Thank you. It took me a while to appreciate Gong Yoo's charms, but now I'm firmly under his spell. =D

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celine

June 27, 2017 at 4:44 AM

Coffee Prince started my love for Gong Yoo oppajusshi. And to this day, nothing has changed. hehe!

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Kafiyah Bello

July 6, 2017 at 12:11 PM

Haha, you are me. He is the single reason I sat through Goblin. My first love.

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2 whoopeeyoo

June 26, 2017 at 4:18 PM

HAHAHA at your mutant drama! Hi @festerfaster! Glad to know more about one of the persons who contributed to the The Liar and His Lover fervor here at DB! And yes to Hee-jin of Queen In-hyun's Man. Still one of my favorite after all these years. I'm sure Hwang Tae-kyung is happy that he ruined us all. Haha! You seem to live quite an outdoorsy and adventurous life!

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3 Sheesh

June 26, 2017 at 4:24 PM

I love Rooftop Prince and Coffee Prince. Gong Yoo is life though. :)

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 3:08 AM

I started out liking Rooftop too, but so much went wrong between the great beginning and the poignant resolution to the murder mystery in the last episode. I didn't mind the ending all that much, though by that time, I didn't care if they ever reunited. All in all, great potential, but seriously head-achey execution. =\ But Coffee Prince! Ahhhh, perfection. =D

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rentenmann

June 27, 2017 at 4:29 AM

Yeeeessss to everything you said! Nice to know more about you!

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darcylove

June 27, 2017 at 6:30 AM

Yes!! That was perfectly said!!

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4 Trinity 🍆

June 26, 2017 at 4:25 PM

I just started watching The Liar and His Lover! I'm currently on episode 5. It's fairly cute so far! Not made it over to the recaps yet but now I might!

I've only seen 2 Taiwanese dramas and Bromance was one of them. I really loved it. I also loved how accepting and open it was about LGBT issues.

Nice to meet you festerfaster!

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 3:11 AM

Nice to meet you too @trinpie! I hope you make it over to the recaps soon. There was some magic brewing in those threads while the drama was airing. I know that I'll be going back to read the comments when I rewatch Liar in the future. =)

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 3:13 AM

Ah, also, about Bromance. The LGBTQ angle was dealt with surprising sympathy, and the lack of censure for the hero's love for his best "guy" friend was pretty amazing too. I'm all about portraying reality on screen, but portraying the positive reality you want has ample merit too.

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vannerie

June 27, 2017 at 3:35 AM

I happened upon Bromance last week on Vikings and I'm working my way through it at the moment. It's quite addictive.

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5 🍙 kimbap noona

June 26, 2017 at 4:29 PM

And Gong Yoo's rooftop apartment is a much hotter piece of real estate. Win win.

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celine

June 27, 2017 at 4:47 AM

YES! OMG I am reminded of his apartment and how awesome it is! I remember telling my parents that I want to live in such a spacious minimalist kind of apartment with a huge open space rooftop.

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🍙 kimbap noona

June 27, 2017 at 6:56 AM

I wonder if this apartment is one of the destination stops for the Coffee Prince tour. If not, I want the owner to AirB&B this place!

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celine

June 28, 2017 at 12:03 AM

@kimbapnoona OMG Yes to Airbnb!! /searches online/

I actually have not been to the actual Coffee Prince Cafe despite having visited Korea for a number of times and actually living there. I heard the coffee is expensive and the staff are very strict about people staying for too long. I should really visit it next time. And yes, I will look for Hangyul's apartment. hehe!

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6 Kip

June 26, 2017 at 4:32 PM

LOL I would totally watch your mutant drama! Rooftop Prince and Coffee Prince, right? I can't tell if there are others haha. I love your real-life drama moment! And a random job of yours that you had, it's very cool! Hmm, for me it's just the opposite where I loved dogs as a kid because my cousins had dogs and now I'm scared of them, but hey, maybe I'll find a way to get past my fear too! ???

I feel you in that I wouldn't want to be disappointed by my idols if/when I meet them and they turn out to be not at all what I expected, and I get disappointed. I'd still like to meet just Yoo Ah-in though haha.

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7 SailorJumun

June 26, 2017 at 4:53 PM

#LiarStrong ???

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🍙 kimbap noona

June 26, 2017 at 5:12 PM

The future DB store should totally carry LIARSTRONG wristbands, although the message could be confusing to people outside of the community.

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 3:18 AM

@sailorjumun Ha. When I read your favourite recapped drama segment, I was grinning like crazy. Cause, of course, it was the same for you. That was an amazing experience, and all thanks to the mad, bad beanies we spent those memorable weeks with.

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8 sfgirl

June 26, 2017 at 5:21 PM

@festerfaster nice to meet you! I am so jealous that you had the opportunity to work for and spend time with Gulzar. There is magic in the words he weaves together. I still listen to songs from Mirza Ghalib and the song "Mera Kuch Saaman" which he wrote for the movie "Ijaazat" is a masterpiece in my eyes.

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Ek Ladhki Thi

June 26, 2017 at 8:50 PM

Bol Na Halke Halke from Jhoom Barabar Jhoom is one of my favourite songs ever.

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QueenM19

June 26, 2017 at 11:55 PM

From his older works I love "Woh Shaam Kuch Ajeeb Thi" from Khamoshi, and I guess kinda new, I obsess over "Maar Udaari" from Pinjar. Even though "Mera Kuch Saaman" is very famous, I've never heard it until your comment, so thanks for introducing it to me!

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 3:19 AM

"Mera Kuch Saaman" is a personal favourite. =D

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9 jillian

June 26, 2017 at 5:50 PM

Nice to meet you festerfaster! Thanks for all the wonderful LAHL recaps.

I love TaeKyung and for a time was enamoured with him regardless of his moods. Deep down we know he loves MiNam. Queen InHyun is amazing.. marathoned that drama since couldnt get enough of BoongDo and HeeJin.

Love your mutant baby drama. Gong Yoo indeed!

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10 giocare 🌻💛

June 26, 2017 at 6:21 PM

YASSS BROMANCE!! Any other Taiwanese recs?

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 3:21 AM

Miss Rose. Just started it, so I can't be a 100% sure yet. But it stars Megan Lai, and she was the best part of Bromance.

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Jrr 🌈

June 27, 2017 at 3:03 PM

Miss Rose wasn't very memorable, but it wasn't too bad also. I just hated the predictable obstacles near the end. ? I hope I didn't spoil anything.

I 1st saw Megan Lai in Meteor Garden 2 but only in Mars she made an impression on me. She was the second lead. Mars was my ultimate favourite, along with The Rose, which was from Taiwan too. ❣️

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11 Rainbow Unicorn

June 26, 2017 at 6:44 PM

Ooh! Are you Indian?! Dramabeans has made me realise that kdrama has a much greater following in India than I thought.. where are all these hidden kdrama fans?! How come I dunno any in real life - or no one flaunts it?! I want company! Haha

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Kdramamom

June 26, 2017 at 7:24 PM

Yeah me too.Me. Too. Am so glad one of the recappers happen to be Indian . For festerfaster sake I'll now binge watch the lier and his lover . The amount of Indian followers for kdrama has been huge I've realized especially after shifting to the US . Talk about the world being a small place ?

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Kdramamom

June 26, 2017 at 7:26 PM

I'm glad for all the other drama beanies too. You guys all run a amazing website .

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sfgirl

June 26, 2017 at 9:10 PM

I love that festerfaster is bringing out the beanies of Indian origin! I am not surprised that Korean dramas strike a chord among us. Culturally there might be a lot of differences, but there are so many fundamental similarities, that it's easy for me to relate. Family dynamics, relationship dynamics, the deference to older family members, issues of sexism, gender roles, pressures of education, issues of class are all so familiar.

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Rainbow Unicorn

June 26, 2017 at 9:18 PM

YesSS! OMG! exactly! none of my non-kdrama watching ppl get it. It's much more relatable than amercian tv show with their million one-night stands and zero family contact, etc..

I mean can u imagine your mum not calling u a million times a day if u happen to live away from home?!? and the guilt trips if u miss a cousin's wedding or dont come home for big festivals like diwali ?!?

I keep thinking that kdrama remakes would work wonderfully in Indian tv cuz it's so relatable but then they would probably destroy by extending it from a 12-16hour story to an infinitely long running show :(

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pari

June 26, 2017 at 9:45 PM

I have been told that DD used to broadcast these series earlier with hindi dubbing.

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Rainbow Unicorn

June 26, 2017 at 10:09 PM

whaat seriously?!!?
oh wait now that u say it i remember one my friends mentioning watching Dae Jang Geum in hindi... Ghar ka chirag and all !

They should do more!

Dbeanie

June 27, 2017 at 12:47 AM

oh yes. Jewel in the palace!! I loved that show. I would always try not to miss any of the episodes. Back then I did not realise it was Korean.

Fatcat007 (Kitty 💜)

June 27, 2017 at 6:37 AM

I was reading all the exciting comments of the Indian beanies having found an Indian DB staff & grinning all over you guy's comments & suddenly found this so I can't stop writing. I too remember DD use to air Dae jang geum aka jewel of the palace aka ghar ka chirag at night AND emperor of the sea in the afternoon every Sunday & I never missed a single episode :-)

Rainbow Unicorn

June 29, 2017 at 2:16 AM

@fatcat007 - woahh! your kdrama addiction started that early! the force is strong in this one ;)

ObsessedMuch

June 26, 2017 at 11:28 PM

They did show the dubbed version of DoTS on Zindagi recently! I checked it out just to see the what i considered the start of something that I really wished for- a gradual introduction of Korean shows to Indian audience! (After getting so used to reading subtitles and the Korean tongue, I hated and laughed at Song Joong Ki speaking Hindi)

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Rainbow Unicorn

June 26, 2017 at 11:56 PM

hahaha! that must have been hilarious! I have to check it out! I always prefer subs rather than any dubs right from my anime watching days close to 10 years ago (sheesh i'm old!).. it feels funny and often the voices dont match our expectation of the characters

I wish they had good indian remakes the way a lotta kdrama, jdrama and cdrama and recently thai drama make good remakes in the context of their country. I'm sure it will happen soon considering just how popular these dramas are becoming.

Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 3:27 AM

Er, yeah. I tried to watch a few episodes out of sheer stubbornness (must support all attempts to bring kdramas to our soil), but it was too hard!!

PakalanaPikake

June 27, 2017 at 1:50 PM

@obsessedmuch,

Irish-American here -- and I'm with you when it comes to subs versus dubs. I WANT to hear Korean being spoken, even if I only understand .000001 percent of something. I want to hear those beautiful voices so I can tune in to the emotions being conveyed as originally intended. It's one less thing to get lost in translation.

Perish the thought of counterfeiting the vocalizations of Gong Yoo, Jo Hyun-jae, Eric, Cha Seung-won, Joo Jin-mo, Lee Joon-gi, Seo Hyun-jin, Jang Hyuk, et al. Accept no substitutes!

While too much aegyo drives me out of my tree, just the right amount makes me happy as a clam for some inexplicable reason -- especially coming from guys. Higher-pitched girly aegyo sets my teeth on edge -- probably because I hate the American analogue of manipulative female baby talk. Barf!

There's something about a good exasperated "Aish!" or "Aigoo!" that English will simply never be able to express -- especially coming from a hard-boiled detective or hunktastic six-foot-tall swordsman. ;-)

Rainbow Unicorn

June 27, 2017 at 8:51 PM

@pakalanapikake - absolutely agree with you! I love your empathetic "Perish the thought of counterfeiting the vocalizations of Gong Yoo,... " ! Feel you girl ;)

QueenM19

June 27, 2017 at 12:07 AM

They actually remade Boys over Flowers called Kaisi Yeh Yaariyan and although it was super popular in India, I thought it was a trainwreck because of all the extra drama they created to keep it running so long. Though there are some shows that I feel would be done so well as movies or if they kept it pretty much exact and just showed the happily ever after. I doubt they'd do it well though since so many Korean movies are made into Bollywood movies but they don't do as well because it's just not the same :(

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Rainbow Unicorn

June 27, 2017 at 12:21 AM

OoOoh! Guess I missed this show since I had moved outta India by then and didnt catch up on tv gossip! Lol!

yeah.. the wiki summary of the show is a bit of a trainwreck! but to be fair I cant really digest boys over flowers when i watch it now! but back then it was like love at first watch! haha!

Yeah - the main problem is the excess obsession with adding too much drama to plots.. its the ekta kapoor effect . So many of t he good shows which started off soo well went down the drain thanks to them being unable to resist extreme drama additions to make them run long.. sigh. like balika vadhu or iss pyar ko kya naam doon (is this also a remake of something? it was surprisingly good till midway)

But atleast there has been a start for fixed hours short drama format with stuff like Naagin... however cringeworthy and terrible that drama was... and Kutumb! So there might be some hope for indian tv in the future after all!

QueenM19

June 27, 2017 at 12:12 AM

I fully agree, and although I also watch Indian dramas on the side, I'm pulled to KDramas more, simply because the Indian dramas keep pulling stereotypical storylines - an awful mother-in-law, a sacrificing daughter-in-law, really rich families, plastic surgeries - at some point we need variety and I think KDramas do so well at catering to everything and everyone. There's so much more to watch and see though I think I'll keep watching Indian dramas for their amazing outfits/budget and the occasional weddings/events.

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Rainbow Unicorn

June 27, 2017 at 12:25 AM

YESS! the awesome outfits and jewllery of the weddings and festivals! I totally watched jodha akbar the tv show for a long time even after it had waded into kill-me-now-already-territory just for her clothers & jewllery. same with balika vadhu and soo many other shows! Bahubaali too! What can I say? they have some beautiful stuff :)

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Sa

June 27, 2017 at 12:41 AM

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 3:25 AM

Is it ironic that I know very few Indian kdrama lovers too? We must do something about this. Form an expeditionary force that will go forth and convert the masses to our drama loving ways maybe. =P

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Rainbow Unicorn

June 27, 2017 at 4:46 AM

Hahaha! you bet! I'm totally on board! It's my secret hope that for korean tourism board takes interest in promoting in India & I can be hired there to make some use of the amt of time I have spent kdrama binge watching! Lol

You've obviously made good use of it! ;)

Maybe eventually when dramabeans starts forums kinda stuff we ought to have Indian fans forum - but that's soo in the future.

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ObsessedMuch

June 27, 2017 at 6:24 AM

I am all for it!

I am sure all of us are going out bit for the noble cause?... I have converted 6 people to the wonders of kdrama till date! ?

How much more we could do united!

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Rainbow Unicorn

June 27, 2017 at 8:50 PM

haha! definitely a noble cause! ;)

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ObsessedMuch

December 5, 2017 at 10:36 PM

Lol I am already part of this thread below, but I wanted to throw some shade-

"Dramabeans has made me realise that kdrama has a much greater following in India than I thought..where are all these hidden kdrama fans?! How come I dunno any in real life"

Because you live in Singaporeeee!
And because you spend half your day in lab/doing PhD and the other half watching kdramas and going around liking posts on DB!

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12 neener ~ Inside the Magic Shop ~

June 26, 2017 at 6:59 PM

I just love your answer in who you want to meet. xD Nice to meet you fester! I have yet to finish Liar though. T_T

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13 heebiejeebied

June 26, 2017 at 7:10 PM

Ooooh! I'm so excited to see that one of our recappers is from India! Never really realized that India has a much larger kdrama following than I imagined. Like an this covert, underground fan movement- people know about it, but not many talk about it :p Also, I'm so envious of the fact that you actually got the chance to meet Gulzar!
I also loved the recaps for police unit 38 and liar and his lover!

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Rainbow Unicorn

June 27, 2017 at 12:43 AM

possibly cuz kdrama still has the stigma from it's days of overt makjang and cringey lovey-doveyness... ! my friends make so fun of me cuz of this w/o having tried it out.. though i have to say i succeeded in converting a few recently :D

for most it's a guilty pleasure which they wouldnt admit too.. like im sure noone would admit to their mills&boon's phase as teenagers! Lol

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 3:29 AM

@heebiejeebied It does feel rather underground. But I find that I like it that way. Kdramas are my own, special secret, and I only share it with a few, select friends who know not to dilute the wonder of it. =)

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14 miselpo

June 26, 2017 at 7:32 PM

Uoh Hwang Tae-kyung. Where is Jang Geun-suk???

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 3:35 AM

See, Jang Geun-suk was the one to teach me never to follow the screen persona into the actor's real life, cause then you're bound to be disappointed by the fact that he gives away Hwang Tae-Kyung's precious smiles much too easily and at every opportunity! I mean...what happened to my broody baby with his myriad neuroses and WHY IS HE SUDDENLY SMILING SO MUCH?!

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vannerie

June 27, 2017 at 3:39 AM

Hang Tae-kyung's smiles had to be earned.

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 11:10 AM

@vannerie You understand me. =D

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15 Mia

June 26, 2017 at 7:37 PM

Wow...are you from India??

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 3:35 AM

Yes, indeedy. =)

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16 Ally

June 26, 2017 at 7:45 PM

Ok, THAT was my favorite mutant baby ever! Also, I watched TLAHL after the fact, but appreciated your wisdom. And Agent Carter! I'm mourning that cancellation was well.

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17 Jrr 🌈

June 26, 2017 at 7:49 PM

YES! Bromance FTW~ ?

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18 blnmom

June 26, 2017 at 7:53 PM

Holy moly, you lead an exciting life. Your drama moment was better than most dramas.

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Amilia

June 26, 2017 at 9:31 PM

That catching the train story was AWESOME!!! Thanks for sharing it.

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19 yayabean

June 26, 2017 at 7:58 PM

Omg! @festerfaster, what a drama moment!

Thank you for sharing a little bit about your past experiences. Your compassion towards dogs is admirable. You're an ?

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20 Ek Ladhki Thi

June 26, 2017 at 8:47 PM

Oh, I was under the impression that all the DB staff was Korean, I was wrong. Gulzar, wow. He wrote some of my favourite OSTs, I cannot listen to Dil Ka Rishta from the Yuvvraaj OST till this day without crying. Jhoom Barabar Jhoom was such a weird movie, but again Bol Na Halke Halke gives me so many feels.

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Mia

June 27, 2017 at 3:54 AM

Heads no 2 is also not Korean

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 3:57 AM

You'll be surprised at just how global the staff is. =D

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Rainbow Unicorn

June 27, 2017 at 4:55 AM

curious - does this mean u understand korean? or u recap from subbed episodes?
I tried picking up korean but the pronunciation is soo hard (thankfully the script was easy - thanks king sejong!)! my vocabulary is limited to the 50 most popular kdrama words !

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Fatcat007 (Kitty 💜)

June 27, 2017 at 6:43 AM

I'm sure at least JB & GF are not Korean, I think they mentioned it in the article they wrote about themselves that they were brought up in Korea but they are not Korean....or something like that I don't remember

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Ek Ladhki Thi

June 27, 2017 at 7:17 AM

Wait what?! I didn't know this. I could have sworn they were.

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 7:31 AM

They're Korean American and all around awesome. =)

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Fatcat007 (Kitty 💜)

June 27, 2017 at 11:36 PM

yes, just as festerfaster said, they are Korean American; that's what they had mentioned in their self intro article ages ago. (or was it a Q&A session for the beanies...?)
I too think they are awesome :-)

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21 astromantic

June 26, 2017 at 8:51 PM

"I once played girlfriday to the beloved Indian lyricist/director Gulzar."

"My dad and I got caught in a landslide on our way back from a trek in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas."

Wow... I feel like I could just sit down and listen to you tell me stories, haha. Your life seems so full of adventure!

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 4:02 AM

I love telling stories! I just need willing ears, but somehow, I never can get people to sit still through more than five or six of them at a time. It's very disappointing. =(

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PakalanaPikake

June 27, 2017 at 1:16 PM

Dang, I love your sense of humor, festerfaster.

PS -- You have to learn to tie better knots. ;-)

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22 expatb

June 26, 2017 at 11:18 PM

Love your mutant drama! Glad to meet you, @festerfaster!

Really like your philosophy about meeting any celebrity. This is a great way to think! Mind if I adopt it? ;)

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 3:41 AM

Go right ahead. =)

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23 ObsessedMuch

June 26, 2017 at 11:37 PM

Meeting Gulzar and being his girlfriday for a day sounds like such an amazing experience! I once heard him speak live at Jaipur Literary Fest and this guy (along with Javed Akhtar) just knows how to weave magic through words! Also, your kdrama moment sounds so terrifying and exhilarating at the same time!

I just knew LAHL would be your favourite recaps even though 38 Task Force was objectively a better show! There was just something magical about Liar beanies in the recap threads!

Your random skill reminds me of my Bengali friend... She takes home wounded stray dogs and helps them recover. Also, Sarabhai vs Sarabhai is a personal favourite of mine too.. have you checked out its season 2? I haven't out of a fear that they will ruin the magic of the first one!

Hahha @ your mutant drama baby! It is a complete story and would just work perfectly well! :P

I am so happy that a DB recapper is a fellow Indian kdrama addict! :D

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QueenM19

June 26, 2017 at 11:59 PM

Gulzar AND Javed Akhtar?! I am so jealous! That would be so fun to listen to them especially at a Literary Fest!

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ObsessedMuch

June 27, 2017 at 10:25 AM

It really was! :)

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 3:53 AM

@obsessedmuch Gulzar and Akhtar are incredibly erudite men, who are a pleasure to listen to. Akhtar did a series called Jaane Pehchaane on the evolution of Indian cinema. Did you watch it? I think it's been added to the netflix catalogue now. Which is yay for me. =)

I have checked out SvS Take 2 and while I'm not blown away, they haven't killed the cast chemistry either. It feels like an organic extension of the original. They seem to be finding their footing and adapting as they go on. I love one new addition to the cast and strongly dislike another (the younger, snottier new member of the family), but it's really wonderful to have Maya and Indravadhan back on screen. I need some more meat in Monisha's role -- she's been relegated to being the reliable punchline for now -- but I'm hopeful. Which is more than I had expected of this incarnation of an old, beloved show.

Happy to meet another Indian kdrama lover too. Tell your friend hi from another Bengali dog lover for me! =)

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ObsessedMuch

June 27, 2017 at 9:33 AM

I haven't yet, but I shall soon :)

Oh if it is alright then I might just check it out! Maya and Indravadhan are my favourites! <3

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24 mary

June 27, 2017 at 12:20 AM

Wow... that train story made me feel so inactive for wheezing after 3 flights of stairs :D And... I can't help wondering what happened to your rented car?

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 2:46 AM

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 2:47 AM

It came with a rented driver, who presumably drove it back to town after the roads were cleared. =D
But, @mary, you don't get to claim to be inactive after becoming the omnipresent force on DB that you are! That's false advertising! =P

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25 korfan

June 27, 2017 at 2:09 AM

Oh wow, your drama moment!

It's nice to know a little bit more about you. Thanks for sharing with all of us and thank you for your recaps!

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korfan

June 29, 2017 at 2:28 AM

Um, so apparently I received a downvote for thanking one of our recappers, festerfaster, and for being nice.

Heh! Thank goodness I'm not one to take things personally. :)

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Rainbow Unicorn

June 29, 2017 at 2:40 AM

aww shucks.. must've been an accident! can't even begin to think what might cause a downvote for your comment! or do u have hidden enemies out to get you we are not yet aware of?! #KdramaAddictionShowing

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ObsessedMuch

December 5, 2017 at 10:40 PM

Aww the time when downvotes were a thing on DB :P

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Paroma

June 29, 2017 at 3:27 AM

@korfan I think you may have been a victim of short button spacing. =) I would give you another thumbs up but DB is telling me I already upvoted you. =D

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korfan

June 29, 2017 at 3:43 AM

Thanks guys!!

An accident is what I'm also thinking. That's ok though, these things happen.

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26 I Quit

June 27, 2017 at 2:32 AM

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 2:55 AM

1. Just Coffee Prince (beloved) and Rooftop Prince (deeply abhorred). =)

2. Bromance was my second T-drama and totally changed my perception of what kind of pacing I wanted in my dramas. You'll know when you watch it, but Bromance really draws out emotional beats. But it worked for me. Cause the story was solid. Hope you like it, cause loving Bromance is an experience! =D

3. I know Agent Carter didn't work for many, but more than the story, I loved watching Hayley Atwell on screen. She reinstated my trust in Hollywood's ability to treat a female spy like an action hero with a brain. Such perfect casting!

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I Quit

June 27, 2017 at 4:11 AM

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27 vannerie

June 27, 2017 at 2:50 AM

I now immediately want to know more about Agent Carter! I really enjoyed both Police Unit 38 and The Liar and his Lover and I appreciate all your hard work on recapping those and other shows. Your mutant drama sounds eminently watchable to me and I admire your emergency vet skills. Thanks for sharing with us festerfaster.

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 7:35 AM

Oh you have to watch Agent Carter! It's two short seasons and undoes a whole slew of annoying stereotypes about female spies. There's also the awesome banter between Atwell and D'Arcy's characters. =D

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28 monchers

June 27, 2017 at 3:19 AM

Hi, @festerfaster! Nice to meet you! Bless you for your random skill and compassion towards dogs.
Also, yes to Gong Yoo. <3

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 7:32 AM

Nice to meet you too, @monchers!

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29 frabbycrabsis loves KBS Drama Specials

June 27, 2017 at 4:19 AM

Yes to Bromance! You're an incredibly interesting person!

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 7:46 AM

You draw really well, @frabbycrabsis. =)

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30 celine

June 27, 2017 at 4:50 AM

Coffee Prince is classic. Choi Hangyul is love. Gong Yoo is life. Nice to meet you @festerfaster

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31 teesui

June 27, 2017 at 5:25 AM

YES!!! Bromance!

Ever since I stumbled upon that show 3 months ago, I've watched it 2 times now....in the middle of watching it a third time.

It's too bad I can't fly to the Tokyo meet & greet.

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32 Fatcat007 (Kitty 💜)

June 27, 2017 at 6:26 AM

Nice to know you festerfaster ???
It feels even better knowing you assisted gulzar once & sarabhai is your fav show (can't disagree on that one, especially now that season 2 refreshed all our memories) :-)

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33 Saya

June 27, 2017 at 8:56 AM

Yay, my PU38 buddy! But but but, does PU38 really beat Circle? I would've died to recap that show, it's so good!

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 11:09 AM

@saya Circle is mind blowing, but you know how much a good bromance does me in! And PU38 had one of the greatest!

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Saya

June 27, 2017 at 12:06 PM

you know how much a good bromance does *me* in, but you're right, they're kind of hard to compare because they're both the top of their game, but slightly different games.

Also, I just remembered the playground fight and now I'm going to go watch it again right now! My beaaaaaaars!

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34 anahita

June 27, 2017 at 9:27 AM

you met gulzar, what? you’re def one of my favorite people now, esp since i think we have the same sort of taste in dramas: i’m all about those fusion sageuks ! & quick q, but did you meet rakhee when you were girlfriday-ing gulzar? ♥︎

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35 pipette

June 27, 2017 at 10:06 AM

This post is blowing my mind.

- First of, Gulzar. SO COOL. *_*
- Second of, so many Indian beanies, omggg. <3
- Third of, bless you for taking care of the street dogs. Im only able to feed the ones near my house and you have ALL of my respect for taking care of them and treating them too!

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Paroma

June 27, 2017 at 2:30 PM

You're awesome for feeding them! I can't do that right now, so I'm always grateful to meet people who look after their local canines. You keep them alive and loved. =)

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36 PakalanaPikake

June 27, 2017 at 1:11 PM

@festerfaster,

Thanks so much for your recaps of BEAUTIFUL MIND. Yay for michykdrama's medicaps! ;-)

Your drama "moment" is more like a saga (saga-euk?!). You had me at "My dad and I got caught in a landslide..." As for making it to the station on time, I'll just imagine that Saint Francis of Assisi dispatched Lassie and Rin Tin Tin to escort a choir of angels to hold the train for you. ;-)

For me, Eun-chan and Han Gyul set the standard for cross-dressing shenanigans in COFFEE PRINCE, but it was his "alien" declaration that took me apart at the seams -- and made me a Gong Yoo fan for the remainder of this incarnation.

I recently watched BROMANCE, and enjoyed it to bits. In a related vein, I loved Shin Sung-rok's performance in HYENA, which had a touchingly tender reverse-twist amidst the bromance and hetero raunchiness.

"I believe firmly in never giving people I admire the chance to disappoint me in person."

Aha! "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain" -- with a tip of the gat to the Wizard of Oz. Sometimes its better to keep on suspending that disbelief. ;-)

Thanks for adding to my enjoyment of Kdramas and DramaBeans. ;-)