Peaky

If you'd like to watch a healing drama with Little Forest vibes, I'd recommend One Day Off. It stars Lee Na-young, a high school teacher, who makes weekend trips around Korea. She discovers new places, samples new food and encounters colorful characters during her brief trips.

This is hilarious, especially if you know a little about Korean politics bc there are a lot of caricatures and references to real politicians and events ( Jeon Kwang Hun, real estate scandals, etc). I've also learned a lot about Korean politics through this show. This was chosen as Cine21's best drama of 2021. You can watch this with English subs on Viki and Kocowa, or search "Going to the Blue House Like This" on dc.

Hooked! I absolutely love these two! This is on Amazon Prime, or search "day of kidnapping" on dc.

Have you watched What Happens to My Family? It's up there among the greats. It has Park Hyun Shik, Nam Ji Hyun, Seo Kang Joon, and Kim Hyun Joo!

Watched this for my bae Hong Kyung and he has so much range! He's a brusque, competent detective in Revenant, a snively rat in DP, an abused psychologically complex student in Weak Hero, and a fluffy cinnamon roll in Finger Flick! I know he also played a disabled role in a movie that landed him the Baeksang rookie award, though I haven't watched that yet.

My face hurt from smiling so much. Protect Mr. PE Teacher at all costs 😭

Watched this for my bae Hong Kyung, and was blown away by Cho Hyun Chul's acting. Side note: did NOT know he was Mad Clown's brother!

This show did a good job portraying the banality and sadisticness of bullying. It also shows how if there are systemic issues, a few good people can't change anything. It's so sad people commit suicide bc there's no hope and it's enraging it took so many suicides to finally change things. It's the same everywhere. In the US, the police and military will also cover up wrongdoings (abuse in the police, rape in the military). So many rotten, broken systems and it's incredibly difficult to change them.

I'm glad it's kinda an open ending if you squint, bc in my world, she ended up with the one who never forgot her. The one who spoke casually to her when they reunited bc he felt close to her. The one who saw snow falling and cherry blossom petals falling with her. I gotta stop bc Imma start sobbing bc of this simp. Gonna find content on youtube to fill the void.

Don't get me wrong, I squeed and died at every interaction Kang Min Hyuk had with Park Gyu Young, but he had more chemistry with Lee Chung Ah. Like I would love a drama centered on that forbidden, tragic first love. Also, Lee Chung Ah is an elite QUEEN and I need her in a lead role TT

I love this writer too. I've watched seven of her dramas haha. They write really good dialogues and show interesting observations of human nature and relationships. I also love their bizarre sense of humor.

So the creepy, possessed maid will be the way everyone finds out the two ladies are from the past. But I wonder if Chin-gam's wife will pay the creepy maid to send the ladies back to the past?

Also, I wonder if the CEO will become a little villainous when she realizes that her sons and grandson are in love with the two ladies.

@pipper_beggs I was right, I found the episode I was talking about. Life Bar episode 21 at the 31:28 mark.

Seo Ji Hye talks about how her family was in a financially difficult situation, so she went to a vocational high school bc she couldn't afford to go to college and she wanted to work right after graduating and help her family. Luckily, she got street casted in her last year of high school. She helped her parents a lot financially, but her parents still have debt. She said she sometimes thinks, until when do I have to support my parents? But she's also thankful for her family.

So yes, she has a lot of similarities with her character. They are both eldest daughters who feel responsible for taking care of their family. They are both burdened by their parents, but thankful for their parents.

It may have been mentally difficult bc Seo Ji Hye also comes from a poor background. I think she hinted it's hard for her to get married bc she has to support her family in the talk show Life Bar.

Yes, but it's a time skip and re-unite type of ending.

The drama's message is don't hold onto the wrong balloons that will fly away. Instead, hold onto the right balloons. In Eunkang's case, the wrong balloon was Chawon and the right balloons are herself, her family, and Bada. Eunkang wanted to escape poverty by marrying Chawon, but she realized she shouldn't depend on others but herself. Eunkang: "I was foolish to depend on others. I realized I needed to depend on myself and take care of my own future".

This drama's not perfect, but there are many things it does well. In the beginning we were rooting for Eunkang to ditch her pathetic boyfriend and become a teacher. Then we had sparks of illicit chemistry between Eunkang and Chawon ignite. Then we had Eunkang's flip get switched after getting disrespected and mistreated and her dark alter ego came out. Then we had the fallout and atonement.

I love that this drama shows the raw, dark, ugly side of life such as poverty and dysfunctional families. I also loved the complex female characters, Eunkang, Bada and Eunsang, and the phenomenal acting of the actors.

Btw, Namchul and Eunsan will re-unite. Remember Eunsan said "never give up". And Geumah and Daegeun will re-unite. It was hinted that Geumah's son is Daegeun's son. Geumah said "I have something to tell you about what happened 12 years ago".

Hong Soo Hyun (Bada) ATE her scenes ripping apart Eunkang and Chawon. I'm glad she had a chance to shine. I think Bada will appreciate Eunkang after Bada experiences poverty and running her own errands. I'm rooting for their friendship.

I'm dreading the fallout when Chawon finds out about Eunkang's schemes and when Bada finds out Eunkang helped steal her designs.

I'm curious whether Bada and Geumah will end up with new men. Maybe Geumah, but I don't think Eunkang and Chawon can be together bc that would be too stressful for the child. Ahhhh!! you really can't predict anything in this drama bc nothing's black and white!

In Terms of Endearment, another drama by this scriptwriter, the female lead lives with her boyfriend, leaves him bc he cheated, and then meets and marries a perfect man. Then her perfect husband finds out about her past and she leaves him because of obstacles in their relationship. But he forgives her and looks for her and they re-unite. I feel like Red Balloon will be the same. Eun Kang will pay the price for her sins and repent. And Bada and Chawon will forgive her. Hence the title of episode 20 being "Desire, Regret, Reflection, Understanding and Forgiveness".

Btw, Eun Kang's acting when she almost got caught by Bada gave me the chills! Queen. I also appreciate the themes of generational flaws. The sisters' father cheated, and the sisters internalized it and ended up following his footsteps. I love that this drama is about imperfect humans bc in reality, humans aren't perfect.

Is this drama really only 20 episodes? I can't believe it's halfway over, I feel like there's so much to unpack. Jo-eun's house of cards will collapse eventually (predicting Bada's ex will expose Jo-eun), and I wonder if Cha-won's attraction is deep enough to withstand it. It doesn't seem like it. So far Cha-won likes a fake image of her. I think there was a quote in an earlier episode that said "you can try to hold onto a balloon, but it will fly away". I wonder if it was foreshadowing. Anyways, I'm really enjoying this drama, Seo Ji Hye's acting, and the complex, flawed relationships and struggles in the Kang family.

Like I said, I agree with you. Women shouldn't be pushy. But it's scarier when men are pushy bc men are physically stronger and it's much more common for men to react angrily/violently to being rejected.

I agree with you, but when men strongly pursue women, there's a power imbalance. Men can be violent and use fear/force. Men can react angrily to being rejected; you hear on the news of men killing women for rejecting them or breaking up with them.

This screenwriter writes a lot of flawed characters, and that frustrates a lot of people haha. Their dramas can also turn pretty makjang. I personally liked Revolutionary Sisters. Liver or Die started good, but deteriorated. I think a lot of people hate watched Wang's Family. I think Three Brothers and Famous Princesses are more happy dramas, but they're old dramas and might not have subs. Autumn vibe dramas that involve cheating by other writers include I Have a Lover, One Warm Word, and On the Way to the Airport.