Episode Twelve Transcript - The Butterflies On The Concrete Podcast: What Got Me Through The Week?
(Audio for this podcast can be found under the Podcast Tab on the navigation menu)
[Intro Music – “There is poetry all around me…”]
Hello and Welcome to this week’s episode of the Butterflies On The Concrete Podcast: What Got Me Through The Week? This week I’m gonna talk about the Korean Drama, Once Upon A Small Town. But, please listen to a very brief disclaimer before we get started.
This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for any professional medical, psychological, financial, legal, or other advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you feel you are in a life-threatening situation, please promptly contact the appropriate authorities, medical providers, or crisis intervention service providers in your local area for immediate assistance. All rights are reserved and this podcast, in whole or in part, may not be distributed, reproduced or otherwise used without the written permission of Hyssop & Ebony LLC.
Alright! Now, let’s get started.
Once Upon A Small Town is a short romance drama that I found on Netflix. It’s only 12 episodes, and the story is pretty simple, but I think that’s what makes it charming to watch. The female lead is Joy, who’s a member of the popular Korean girl group Red Velvet, and she plays Ahn Ja-yeong , a police officer in a small town four hours away from Seoul. I first saw her in the show The Liar and His Lover and she did a really great job portraying her character in that drama so I was looking forward to seeing her in this show and she did not disappoint. The male lead is Choo Young Woo, and he plays Han Ji-Yul, who’s a veterinarian who lives in Seoul.
The story begins with Ji-Yul at work at a veterinary hospital in Seoul. He gets a phone call and rushes out of the hospital and then we see him end up in the small town where his grandparents live. He shows up at their house but they aren’t there and when he goes to hop over the fence to get inside, he’s caught by a police officer, and that officer is Ja-yeong. When she sees his identification, her demeanor changes into one of disbelief. Eventually we learn that he’s the grandson of the only veterinarian in town, and his grandfather tricked him into coming there by feigning an urgent medical situation so that he can manage the hospital while his grandparents go on a cruise together. He reluctantly adheres to his grandfather’s wishes and manages the hospital, but he doesn’t pretend to be happy about being there. We watch him adjust to living in a small town, and at first he doesn’t seem to like how nosy the town’s residents are because he believes in having healthy boundaries and they… don’t. However, over time he begins to see the value of being there, and falls for Ja-yeong, too.
Next, I’ll share some of the elements of the show that I enjoyed, but, please note that there are spoilers ahead.
The premise of the show is just really cool. I enjoyed watching Ji-Yul adjust to working with larger animals like goats and cows on farms instead of just cats and dogs and other smaller animals that you’d find in cities. In the beginning, though, we do see him help an injured dog. The dog gets trapped on a farm while raiding chicken pens and he rescues it. In the process, he scolds Ja-yeong for not reprimanding the farmer for violating animal protection laws and setting up traps that ended up harming the dog. Ja-yeong is somewhat lenient with the residents that she’s known throughout her whole life. Ultimately, she adopts the dog that he saved.
Ji-Yul has to adjust to walking, and riding his bike, over long distances to visit patients until he’s able to get a car, and he also has to work longer hours than what he’s used to. It’s kind of amusing to see him frustrated with all of these changes, and endearing to see him overcome the challenges he faces at work.
He also has to get used to his nosy, but caring neighbors. An example of this is when members of the women’s association barge into his grandparents’ home to bring him food in the first episode. The rules in Seoul seem very different from what he experiences in this new place where generosity and hospitality seem to come first. Ja-yeong is also very friendly, and welcoming and helpful towards him and it takes some time for him to warm up to her because her behavior is so different from what he knows.
Another element of the plot that I enjoyed was that Ja-yeong and Ji-Yul first met when they were younger, but he forgot about it while she has always remembered him. We see her go through the motions. She wishes that he had remembered who she was and gets upset when he didn’t, but then she accepts that he forgot about her, because she recognizes that he won’t be in town for very long anyway, and it was a very long time ago, so it seems as if she realizes that she might’ve had too high of expectations. What’s nice about this plot point though is that he doesn’t remember her until close to the end of the show, and yet we see him gradually fall for her bright and kind personality, and empathize with her having been abandoned by her mother, even without knowing that they have a shared past, and that’s even better, isn’t it? That he doesn’t fall for her because he once knew her, but instead he loves her for who she is as he knows her right now in this moment. That makes it just an added twist, a special layer to their relationship that they once were friends during the most difficult time in his life when he lost his parents in a car accident.
Lastly, I enjoyed the love square between the characters. Ja-yeong has a close friend, Sang-hyeon, who’s clearly in love with her but she doesn’t know it at first, and in the end she clarifies to him that she doesn’t love him in a romantic way. But before any of this gets cleared up between them, Sang-hyeon and Ji-Yul are in a bit of a silent competition for Ja-yeong’s heart and there ends up being some good romantic tension where they get jealous of each other. Sang-hyeon can tell Ja-yeong likes Ji-Yul, but he still tells her his feelings, and we have to wait a bit before she gives him the answer that we as viewers already know. Things also get complicated when Ji-Yul’s ex-girlfriend shows up and tries to win him back at the last minute and Sang-hyeon tells her that he hopes that she’s successful in her pursuit, but, of course, she isn’t. Part of me wonders if I said too much, but I feel like the unwritten rule of these romance shows is that the leads will end up together, so I don’t think anything that I’ve said is all that surprising even if they are technically spoilers.
Overall, there are a lot of sweet moments between the lead characters and so if you’re looking for a laid back and low key romance drama where there isn’t too much conflict you’ll probably enjoy this show as much as I did, or maybe even more!
Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to me talk about Once Upon A Small Town.I’d love to hear your opinion of the show if you’ve watched it, so please leave a comment on this episode’s post on our Instagram page at WhatGotMeThroughTheWeek, or send an email to whatgotmethroughpodcast@gmail.com. The transcript and audio for this episode will be posted on HyssopandEbony.com.
Until next time!
[Outro Song – “Ocean waves on busy streets, butterflies on the concrete. The beauty I could not see becomes a deeper part of me. You remind me, You are present in every single thing.”]
Intro & Outro from Magnified (a cappella) © Amber Eboni Episode Eleven Transcript - The Butterflies On The Concrete Podcast: What Got Me Through The Week?
(Audio for this podcast can be found under the Podcast Tab on the navigation menu)
[Intro Music – “There is poetry all around me…”]
Hello and Welcome to this week’s episode of the Butterflies On The Concrete Podcast: What Got Me Through The Week? This week I’m gonna talk about the Korean Drama, It’s Beautiful Now. But first, I need to play a brief disclaimer, so please bear with me before we get started.
This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for any professional medical, psychological, financial, legal, or other advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you feel you are in a life-threatening situation, please promptly contact the appropriate authorities, medical providers, or crisis intervention service providers in your local area for immediate assistance. All rights are reserved and this podcast, in whole or in part, may not be distributed, reproduced or otherwise used without the written permission of Hyssop & Ebony LLC.
Alright! Now let’s get started!
It’s Beautiful Now is a 50 episode weekend drama that I watched on the KOCOWA App. It’s also available to watch on the Rakuten Viki App.
This drama caught my eye initially for just one reason – the lead actor, Yoon Shi Yoon. His drama, Flower Boy Next Door, used to be at the very top of my list of favorite shows, and because of that I’m always interested in his new projects. I don’t know if everyone is like this, but once I find a show that I like, I have a tendency to watch any future projects of the main actors of that show in order to support them. Sometimes their next project isn’t as great or as relatable as I would’ve hoped, but there’s always a possibility that sometime later on they’ll have another project that does resonate. And, for me, that’s the case with this show.
The lead actress paired with him is Bae Da Bin. I thought I’d never seen her in a show before this, but then I was pleasantly surprised when I learned that she was actually a supporting character in one of my favorite dramas, My ID is Gangnam Beauty. I’ll likely continue to seek out more of her shows after this. Yoon Shi Yoon plays Lee Hyun Jae, a skilled attorney and Bae Da Bin plays one of his clients, Hyun Mi Rae. The other lead actors play Hyun Jae’s brothers. His older brother, Lee Yoon Jae, who’s a dentist, is played by Oh Min Seok, and his younger brother, Lee Soo Jae, who works part time while studying for a civil service exam, is played by Seo Bum June. The lead actresses paired with the oldest and youngest brothers are Shin Dong Mi, who plays Shim Hae Jun, the CEO of the law firm Hyun Jae works for, and Choi Ye Bin, who plays Na Yu Na, an aspiring pastry chef, respectively. The entire cast is phenomenal, and I’d like to give a special mention to the actors that played Mi Rae and Hyun Jae’s parents. They went through a lot and their emotional portrayals of their characters gutted me several times.
The premise of the show is that Yoon Jae and Hyun Jae don’t want to date anyone or get married but they’re already in their thirties, so their parents decide to offer them a pricey incentive for them change their minds – an apartment! The first brother to get married gets the apartment, and while they are reluctant to go along with it at first, the parents decide to include their younger brother, Soo Jae, in the deal and when he quickly brings home someone to marry , their competitive spirit is ignited and their journey towards finding love begins.
The strength of this show is this: it’s romantic moments managed to make me swoon throughout; it’s perfect comedic elements were seamlessly woven into the narrative and caused me to burst into uncontrollable laughter constantly; and in the midst of it, because I felt so much affection and understanding towards the characters at various points of the story, it made me cry a whole lot tears I never thought I’d shed.
Through this show I experienced a rollercoaster of emotions, but most of them were joyful, and that’s why I’m recommending this show to you now.
When you watch a 50 episode drama, it’s a major time commitment. You never know if it’ll end on as strong a note as it began. There’s always a possibility that something about the plot or the characters will ruin things and cause you to lose enthusiasm and stop watching midway through. But this show wasn’t that kind of drama. It rewards you for your dedication and tells a sweet and heartwarming story from beginning to end.
There was only one part of the plot that I fast forwarded through – and that’s only because I’m impatient when it comes to dramatic conflict and I wanted to know how the major conflict would be resolved in the story. In fact, I waited until the show had already finished airing before I started watching it, just in case I wanted to skip ahead when things got too tense, and find out how it was all going to end. If you don’t mind hearing some spoilers, i’ll let you know which part in particular later on.
I’ll discuss some of my favorite moments in the show now, including some spoilers I can’t help but want to discuss.
I’ll start with Episode 12. The lead up to Hyun Jae and Mi Rae becoming a couple is endearing to watch. Hyun Jae is uninterested in falling in love again after his last break up, so when Mi Rae confesses her love for him he turns her down at first. But then his ex-girlfriend shows up and demands he handle her divorce proceedings, and she prepares a gift of sorts to thank him for his help. That gift is a lie that she tells him – she tells him that she told Mi Rae they spent the night together, when they hadn’t – and when he hears this, he gets worried about Mi Rae’s reaction to the news and what she’s going to think, so he hurries to her so he can clarify things and tell her the truth. And of course she has no idea about any of it. I don’t think it was necessarily the best method of getting him to recognize his feelings for Mi Rae, but it was definitely an effective way of handling it in the story and it’s what allows their love to start to blossom.
After they get together, their relationship isn’t all smooth sailing. He’s a great cook and critiques the meal she prepares for him (which he doesn’t know was actually prepared by her mom), and he doesn’t introduce her as his girlfriend when he should, which is during a moment when he’s a bit oblivious to the advances of a female screenwriter that shows interest in him when he’s asked to be a legal consultant for an upcoming drama. But in episodes 17 and 18, he becomes more considerate of her, and makes the proper introduction and serenades her, which is just the sweetest thing. Hyun Jae also teaches her how to drive which shows how amazing he is as a partner because her own family members argue with her while she’s trying to learn while he remains supportive and patient. He’s steadfast in his love for her throughout the show once he decides that she’s ‘The One,’ and it’s a swoonworthy thing. He consistently provides her with patience, sincerity and a strong sense of security.
Although Hyun Jae and Mi Rae feel like the main couple in the drama in many ways, I actually adored the oldest brother’s journey towards marriage even more so than Hyun Jae’s, and that’s saying a lot because I loved those moments between Hyun Jae and Mi Rae. But I think it’s because Yoon Jae and Hae Jun share a lot of hilarious moments in their relationship.
Hae Jun and Yoon Jae meet because she’s in need of a dentist for an urgent dental problem. When she meets Yoon Jae she’s immediately smitten by him, so much so that when she finds out that he’s going to be on a dating program she sabotages it because she doesn’t want him with anyone else. Obviously, that wasn’t a good thing to do, but she pursues him until he suggests to her in Episode 12 that they should casually date. The thing is, she’s older than him by a couple of years. He’s 39 and she’s 42. And she doesn’t want to be dating casually, but she agrees to it because she likes him so much.
One funny moment is when they go bike riding together at her suggestion. When she daydreams about it she imagines them being on one shared bike, and her sitting on the back while he does all the work, which is what happens in dramas. However, in reality, they ride two separate bikes and she isn’t very good at riding a bike at all, but he is, so they stop along the way because she gets frustrated. One adorable moment is when he pulls her close unexpectedly while they’re talking and he figures out that that’s what makes her heart race faster for him. Another great moment is when they dance together in her apartment building’s parking lot after they get denied entry by a nightclub – clubbing is another date idea that she suggests to him. Those are just a few moments that show how cute they are together. Although she’s in her forties, her desires when it comes to love are quite innocent in some ways. She’s successful in her career but relationships weren’t always a priority in her life so now she’s trying to make up for it with Yoon Jae.
Episode 18 is a favorite because Hae Jun and Yoon Jae have their first kiss. He takes her on a date to a restaurant he once went to with another woman, and that woman shows up unexpectedly and flirts with him in front of Hae Jun. Hae Jun tells him they should never meet again, but he runs after her and tells her he can’t do that, not see her again, which is the lead up to it. It’s such a sweet moment.
The last aspect of their relationship that I’ll mention is that after they get closer, Hae Jun gets nervous that Yoon Jae will find out that she’s the one who sabotaged his appearance on that dating program. The way it’s resolved is so well done. It’s a spoiler but I’m going to say it anyway because I was so surprised while watching. It turns out that he knew all along that she was the person who ruined his opportunity and he got to know her better because he wanted to figure out why she would do something like that to him. Quite an unexpected way to remedy the conflict, but it worked so well for this particular story. I don’t know if many people would try to get to know the person who denied them an opportunity. Most would probably walk away from that person. I’m not saying it’s a good thing or a bad thing either way, I’m just saying that as a viewer it’s a unique resolution that I appreciate. And it shows how good of a person Yoon Jae is - that he’s willing to allow that information to bring them closer to each other instead of letting it tear them apart.
As for the youngest brother, Soo Jae, I would say that if there’s one aspect of the story that I would change it would be his relationship with Yu Na. He convinces his friend Yu Na to lie to his parents so they can get married and then sell the apartment to pursue their personal goals. He wants to stop studying for the civil service exam so that he can start a business because his friend offers to sell him his gym. She has a passion for baking and would get $100,000 to use towards that. In the process of lying to his family, they fall in love with one another and have some really saccharine moments together, but then Soo Jae finds out that his friend had him sign a fake contract to take over his gym business and then took his money for the down payment and fled. Mind you, he took out a loan for that down payment. It’s sad and a total mess when Yu Na tells Soo Jae’s mom the truth about their contractual relationship, and as a result of everything that happens the parents cancel the original get married - get an apartment deal. Soo Jae and Yu Na also end up breaking up because the mom doesn’t want Yu Na anywhere near her son, even though the scheme was all Soo Jae’s idea.
Still, none of that has anything to do with why I’m upset that they get back together in the end. After all, Soo Jae learns from his mistakes and becomes a better version of himself in the aftermath. It’s actually quite a beautiful and redemptive story arc and I’m genuinely happy that he ends up happy and fulfilled at the end of the story.
But, with that said, my issue is that I really, really liked the chemistry that Yu Na had with Mi Rae’s brother, and I would’ve preferred if Soo Jae had been given a new love interest instead so that Yu Na and Mi Rae’s brother could’ve been together. Mi Rae’s brother is Yu Na’s boss for a short time while she works at a restaurant - he’s an executive in the family business who’s at the restaurant temporarily in order to find ways to improve its performance- and though they don’t get along at first, he ultimately tries his best to be supportive of her dreams and to understand her as a person. He wants to be there for her as best he can throughout the show and even after she leaves the restaurant and starts working at a bakery as a pastry chef after passing the required exam, he goes to visit her and buys macarons as a way to cheer her on. I just think he would’ve been a better fit for Yu Na, because I’m fairly certain he never asks her to compromise who she is for his benefit like Soo Jae did. Soo Jae knew she didn’t want to lie to his parents and she told him no several times but he was persistent and managed to change her mind. And so, while I want Soo Jae to be happy, and I’m glad that he’s grown as a person, I just don’t think that that happiness has to be a reconciliation with Yu Na in particular. He could’ve had a fresh start with someone new. But, alas, it isn’t my story to tell.
There’s a lot more that happens in this show. There are two characters with adoption story arcs, there are two health scares, there’s the death of a loved one, a divorce and a false positive pregnancy result. There’s hesitation about falling in love, misunderstandings between characters, annoying conversations with nosy in laws and break ups and feelings of regret. I mentioned I skipped ahead earlier, didn’t I? It was during the main conflict involving an adopted character who learns who their birth parent is, and it affects another major plot line so I needed to know that everything would be okay which is what made me fast forward and confirm before I continued watching the rest of the show. So, yes, there’s a lot of sadness and there are moments that aren’t easy to watch. But there are also a lot of good and sweet and happy moments, too. Just like life.
It’s Beautiful Now is the type of show that makes you feel something. If you’re numb, or empty inside, looking at a couple episodes will have you smiling to yourself or laughing hysterically all of sudden. And if you haven’t cried in a while, as if stuck in a deep, hollow sadness, certain moments of this drama likely will have you lying in bed bawling cathartically with handfuls of tissues. I say all of this from personal experience, of course. And I’ll take the time to reassure you now, if you weren’t already aware, that there’s a happy ending. Because of all this, I believe this show is worth watching all the way through at least once if you have the time, even if you have to fast forward through some parts and then go back and watch like I did.
Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to me talk about It’s Beautiful Now I’d love to hear your opinion of the show if you’ve watched it, so please leave a comment on this episode’s post on our Instagram page at WhatGotMeThroughTheWeek, or send an email to whatgotmethroughpodcast@gmail.com. The transcript and audio for this episode will be posted on HyssopandEbony.com.
Until next time!
[Outro Song – “Ocean waves on busy streets, butterflies on the concrete. The beauty I could not see becomes a deeper part of me. You remind me, You are present in every single thing.”]
Intro & Outro from Magnified (a cappella) © Amber Eboni Episode Ten Transcript - The Butterflies On The Concrete Podcast : What Got Me Through The Week?
(Audio for this podcast can be found under the Podcast Tab on the navigation menu)
[Intro Music – “There is poetry all around me…”]
Hello! Welcome to this week’s episode of the Butterflies On The Concrete Podcast: What Got Me Through The Week? This week I’m gonna talk about the Korean Drama, Today’s Webtoon! But first, I need to play a brief disclaimer, so please bear with me for a minute before we begin.
This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for any professional medical, psychological, financial, legal, or other advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you feel you are in a life-threatening situation, please promptly contact the appropriate authorities, medical providers, or crisis intervention service providers in your local area for immediate assistance. All rights are reserved and this podcast, in whole or in part, may not be distributed, reproduced or otherwise used without the written permission of Hyssop & Ebony LLC.
Alright! Now let’s get started!
Over the last few years I started reading webtoons and that might seem irrelevant to our conversation this week, but let me explain. I found out that Moon Ga Young, who I loved in the drama Find Me in Your Memory, was going to be starring in the True Beauty drama adaptation and so I decided to read the source material in the weeks leading up to the drama air date. (Please listen to episode eight if you haven’t already because it’s where I discuss my love for Find Me In Your Memory more in depth.) True beauty is a webtoon that I adored once I started reading it, and oddly enough I never finished the drama adaptation but I did keep reading the webtoon because it was just that good! Another webtoon that I’ve recently enjoyed is Let’s Play, which someone suggested that I read, and it’s a story that I’d definitely recommend because it’s quite bingeworthy. If there are any other webtoons you’d recommend, please comment on our Instagram page with suggestions!
The reason why I mentioned these webtoons I’ve loved reading in the past is mostly because my adoration of them - and in turn the art form itself - is what made me very excited to watch the drama that I’m discussing this week, which is entitled Today’s Webtoon. I think loving webtoons and also loving writing in general has made me appreciate this drama even more so, but truly anyone could enjoy this drama because it’s well-written and satisfying to watch as a viewer. There were very few loose ends by the end of it, and each conflict was thoughtfully resolved making it a much watch drama in my opinion.
The drama Today’s Webtoon, which I watched on the Rakuten Viki app, is all about the behind the scenes struggles and triumphs of webtoon producers, editors and writers! According to the description provided by Rakuten Viki, Today’s Webtoon is a show that’s based on a graphic novel by Naoko Mazda.
The lead actress of the drama is Kim Sejeong, who plays On Ma Eum, a former judo athlete who becomes a contract employee at Neon Webtoon. This is the second drama of hers that I’ve watched. The first was the Netflix show, Business Proposal, and I absolutely loved, loved, loved that show. It was so funny and just a wonderful, charismatic romantic comedy that’s worth your time. As for the male lead, I’m not entirely sure who the lead actor is. As I watched this show, it seemed like there were two: Daniel Choi, who plays Seok Ji Hyung, the webtoon service team’s Deputy Editor, and Nam Yoon Su, who plays Neon Webtoon’s other new hire, who’s a permanent employee, Goo Jun Yeong. I shipped Ma Eum with both Ji Hyung and Jun Yeong, but this isn’t actually a romance drama. I initially assumed it was, but it’s more of a slice of life drama which I think would be very healing for most viewers.
The plot is very simple and straightforward. Ma Eum joins Neon Webtoon as a contract worker after quitting judo due to an injury. The contract is for one year, but this one year is a very important one for the Neon Webtoon service. Neon Webtoon is just one of many services offered by Neon, its parent company, and there are rumors circulating that if the webtoon service doesn’t increase its profits, Neon, the parent company, will terminate it and shut it down altogether. The staff of this webtoon service has gone through a termination of service before - they formerly worked at a company called GingerToon - and while the Neon corporation agreed to take the editorial team in three years earlier, they aren’t doing very well financially and are now at risk of being replaced. They were given a certain amount of time to produce record profits, and that time is now running out. And the antagonist of the story is an executive who wants to do a merger and acquisition with a more profitable webtoon service company, called YoungToon, and that executive sabotages Neon Webtoon numerous times in an attempt to make that acquisition of YoungToon happen.
Throughout the drama, we watch the webtoon service team try to increase their profits through various means, and in the process we learn about their successful and established artists and we also see them recruit and nurture newer artists as well. We see most of this with Ma Eum primarily at the center of the story, although some other employees do have meaningful storylines also, and she’s the heart of the show. Will the Neon webtoon service succeed in this crucial year, or fail? That is the main plot point, it seems.
Please note that there might be some spoilers ahead as I briefly talk about my favorite aspects of the show.
An aspect of the show that I really enjoyed was how bright, optimistic and resilient Ma Eum was throughout. Whenever she’s faced with an obstacle, she never falters in her determination to help the webtoon service team and it’s artists, nor does she give up on her desire to become a full time employee. One example of this is when her father initially wants her to continue with judo but she stays true to herself and tells him that she has other plans. Another example is that she travels a far distance in order to find the girlfriend of an established artist – Artist Na Gang Nam - someone who draws one of her favorite webtoons- so that he won’t be distracted by her sudden disappearance and can meet his deadline. She also reluctantly encourages him to resubmit a manuscript because she knows he can produce better work. Ma Eum helps the daughter of an legendary secluded artist, Ma Hae Gyu – who the team hopes to work with on a webtoon remake - when an incident happens at her job, then she helps her appreciate webtoons because she hates them after seeing how damaged her father has become. Ma Eum also convinces Ma Hae Gyu, her father – the broken but legendary artist - to recognize that his greatest work of art isn’t his webtoon legacy but his daughter.
Ma Eum always gives each task and challenge that she’s faced with a hundred percent, which is so admirable. Even when her colleague Jun Young says pessimistic things to her, about how the webtoon service team might not last long at the company, because of the rumors, she believes she can work harder and help the team and change the trajectory of the team for the better. She doesn’t just give up and accept defeat.
The best example of how incredible a character Ma Eum is though is her treatment of the newbie artist, Shin Dae Ryuk. Her first impression of him is not very good because he has a tendency to be obsessive when he’s drawing in a way that makes others uncomfortable and she sees him drawing someone one day and confronts him about his behavior on the street. Not knowing who he is, she later recommends him and his work to be a part of a webtoon camp their team is holding so they can find new artists and ultimately she’s surprised to find him there, especially when she realizes that he was the person that she selected! At the camp, he’s bullied by other artists because they don’t think his drawings are very good and because he seems like a loner and like an odd person, but, even so, Ma Eum sees something in his work and advocates for him even though she has some doubts about the kind of person he is. He’s an outcast, that much is clear, but she still sees potential in him when few others do. The chance she takes on him as a new artist is probably the best story arc in the show. He grows as a person tremendously because of her guidance and because she believes in him when no one else does, including some of her team members who question her judgment in recommending him.
As an aspiring author, I’ve often encouraged myself with the notion that all it takes is one yes to change your life for the better. One agent looking at your work and understanding it, one editor advocating for you, is all it takes for your work to reach the masses. This story arc is that notion in practice and it was so endearing to see Artist Shin mature and bloom in this drama.
The newbie Artist Shin has an apprenticeship first with a more senior artist, Mr. Baek, and learns how to improve his drawings and then after he debuts, his work is loved by so many people, even though it’s untraditional and previously had been dismissed by some as odd or weird. It even gets adapted into a drama series. And his immense trauma from his childhood is also healed thanks to Ma Eum, who stays beside him through his writer’s block and other hardships, and helps him gather the courage to reconcile with his family later on. It turns out that his memories from his youth, which have haunted him for years, aren’t the full picture. He was missing vital information that, once relayed to him, changes his perspective of what he went through growing up. Suddenly, a once gloomy and disturbed character transforms into a bright, yet somewhat awkward character now filled with renewed hope.
The senior artist, Mr. Baek Eo Jin, who gave him an apprenticeship did so because Artist Shin knew how to tell an interesting story instinctively, even though he had no formal training and even though his drawings weren’t sophisticated or polished. He was a diamond in the rough, someone who was troubled but still had potential, and Ma Eum saw something in his work and gave him an opportunity instead of dismissing him, ignoring him or shutting the door.
There are several other artists’ stories that are shown in this drama – from another newbie artist Gu Seul Ah who isn’t sure of her talent and faces pressure to find a “real job,” and then overworks herself once she gets her dream opportunity, to an established artist Oh Yoon who tries a new genre and struggles after it isn’t received well. Each of these artists’ stories are beautifully told and add essential layers to the overall narrative of how these hardworking and dedicated producers and editors in the webtoon service editorial team work with artists during the highs and lows of their careers in an effort to bring their readers joy, escapism and fulfillment. And all of the stories conclude exactly as I wanted them to, in a way that makes viewers feel more hopeful.
The other aspect that I loved the most about this show is the overarching theme that you can always dream a new dream. Ma Eum changed her dream from winning an Olympic gold medal in judo to becoming a webtoon producer. The senior artist, Mr. Baek Eo Jin, has an assistant Im Dong Hui who leaves after ten years because he’s jealous of Artist Shin’s brilliance and potential and breaks his laptop during the apprenticeship as a result. This assistant gives up his ten-year long dream of becoming a webtoon artist and becomes a supportive confidant to the person he once envied, because Artist Shin is the person who understood his webtoon when no one else could. And then the webtoon service team itself has a new dream by the end of the show. They once dreamt of moving to the main building of Neon headquarters, and upon reaching that goal, they move forward with a new dream of becoming a successful company globally.
Today’s Webtoon is such a good drama. I highly recommend it, and I hope that you enjoyed hearing about it in this episode. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to me talk about it. If you want to talk more about your opinion of Today’s Webtoon, please leave a comment on this episode’s post on our Instagram page at WhatGotMeThroughTheWeek, or send an email to whatgotmethroughpodcast@gmail.com. The transcript and audio for this episode will be posted on HyssopandEbony.com.
Until next time!
[Outro Song – “Ocean waves on busy streets, butterflies on the concrete. The beauty I could not see becomes a deeper part of me. You remind me You are present in every single thing.”]
Intro & Outro from Magnified (a cappella) © Amber Eboni Episode Nine Transcript - The Butterflies on the Concrete Podcast : What got me Through The Week?
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Welcome to the Butterflies On The Concrete Podcast: What Got Me Through The Week? This week I want to talk about the band, Paramore. I’ve been a fan since around 2008, around the same time I started watching Korean dramas, actually. But while my loved one introduced me to Korean dramas, the way I found out about Paramore was quite different. I was looking at their label, Fueled by Ramen’s website because someone I had a crush on at the time told me about a different band I can’t even recall now, and I was trying to learn more about it. In the end, things didn’t work out with my crush, but that day, Paramore caught my eye, and I’ve loved their music ever since.
I was initially drawn to their album Riot! because of its relatable songs about romantic relationships like “For a Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic,” “That’s What You Get,” and “crushcrushcrush.” And then I fell in love with “Brick by Boring Brick,” from their album, Brand New Eyes, and another song - one of their most popular songs, also from that album -“The Only Exception,” which is a song that I used to listen to while aspiring to experience those feelings. Now that I’m older, though, the songs that resonate with me the most come from their two more recent albums, their self-titled album which came out in 2013, and After Laughter, which came out in 2017. Those songs, which deal with the reality of life and hardships in life in general – whether from relationships or the pressures from society at large – are what I’m going to talk about today. They’re the songs that I probably listen to the most, the songs from this band that have helped me the most.
I do want to start out by saying that the beauty of music is that for every listener a song can mean something different. For the songs I’m going to discuss, the way I view them and how I describe the ways in which these particular songs have helped me, might be different from the artist’s intended meaning of the songs, or be different from how another listener might interpret it.
Now, let’s get start with some of the songs I’d recommend from their self-titled album. All the lyrics mentioned are taken from Spotify or Genius.com, and were written by Hayley Williams and Taylor York, with one exception, “ Anklebiters,” which lists Justin Meldal -Johnsen as a co-writer according to Genius.com.
The first song I’ll talk about is “Daydreaming.” In general, I tend to view learning to be content with life as a good thing. I think it’s important to be grateful for where you are, and not take things for granted, because your current situation might be better off now than it was in the past. And I’ve learned from experience that life can always get worse, not just better, so having gratitude and finding happiness in your current situation is definitely important. However, with that said, I think it’s safe to say that when you’re going through a difficult season in your life, or if you’re dissatisfied with certain aspects of your life, it’s normal to wish you were somewhere – anywhere- else. Whether it’s you reminiscing about a different, happier stage of your life from the past, or longing for an unknown future that you imagine would be less painful, or sad, or scary than your current harsh or uncertain reality. And so, for me, that’s what I personally interpret this song to be about. Some of my favorite lyrics from it are:
“I wanna get out and build my own home
On a street where reality is not much different
From dreams I’ve had, a dream is all I have...”
And “It’s not that I won’t remember where I’m from
Just don’t want to be here no more...”
That feeling of wanting to escape your current reality, the way it’s captured in this song is so very relatable.
The next song is, “Ain’t It Fun.” Hayley and Taylor won a Grammy for this song and rightfully so. I remember listening to it on my way to work when it first came out and grooving to it, because it speaks the facts of adulting so bluntly in an upbeat song. I’m a big fan of sad or cynical or sarcastic lyrics with a good beat, the juxtaposition of the two, really feeds my soul. Like, yeah, this is just the truth, thank you for telling it in this way. They verbalized how I think so many of us feel about life, we think being an adult is going to be one thing, and then we enter adulthood and learn it’s not what we imagined it to be. Many of the support systems and structure we once had are gone, friendships fade as everyone goes on their own separate paths and run towards their dreams that they might make a reality, or might fail at terribly. It’s hard making new friends, moving to new places and adjusting on your own. My favorite lyrics from the song include, the chorus, which I’m sure you already know, but I’ll say it anyway…
Please bear with me all of these lyrics are going to sound way better when Hayley Williams sings them as opposed to me saying them. So I apologize for that in advance. But, the, so, the chorus of “Ain’t It Fun” is:
“Ain’t it fun? Living in the real world. Ain’t it good? Being all alone.” Because the answer is no, clearly, it’s not fun. It sucks.
And, also, “Ain’t it good to be on your own? Ain’t it fun? You can’t count on no one. Ain’t it fun? Living in the real world.”
Because that’s just very much how life is. It’s hard to find people you can rely on, and sometimes it’s hard to be the person others rely on if there’s no reciprocity. Some people are really good at making friends and maintaining those friendships but I’m terrible at it and so there are very few people who I feel I can count on and I value them tremendously. Quality over quantity is my goal now that I’m older, whereas when I was younger I thought quantity and being accepted by others was more important and I didn’t really know how to build a lasting connection with others either so I ended up with friendships that were lacking a solid foundation, and were less strong, because of it.
The song “Last Hope” has gotten me through so many moments of self-doubt and confusion as I’ve tried and failed to chase after my dreams. I’ve just sat and listened to it over and over again, trying to keep myself going, to have that mustard seed of faith and not give up even though I realized I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing with my life. Especially on those days when just making it through another day seems tough and feels like a victory. The lyrics are just so raw and honest, and beautiful as a result of that sincerity. Some of my favorite parts of the song are:
The opening lines, “I don’t even know myself at all
I thought I would be happy by now
The more I try to push it, I realize
Gotta let go of control…”
And then the chorus, of course:
“It’s just a spark
But it’s enough to keep me going
And when it’s dark out, no one’s around
It keeps glowing.”
I mean, I love the next part, too, the whole song is incredible. Listen to it now, please, if you haven’t heard it before, or if it’s been a while since you’ve last heard it. As I worked on this episode, I realized just how much I’ve learned about navigating life from this song and some of the other songs I’ve discussed and will be mentioning shortly. Like, I really grew up with these songs, and the perspective they’ve given me on how to keep moving forward and keep processing the randomness and the joy and the cruelty of life is really remarkable. It’s so powerful now that I’m talking about it and thinking about just how much I’ve relied on this music. It’s amazing that this band has created this music that’s so life changing. Truly. I’m so grateful that they exist.
“Anklebiters” is a song that has become more and more relevant to me as I’ve gotten older. It starts with the line, “Why do you care what people think?” And then the pre-chorus and chorus continue spitting straight facts with:
“Fall in love with yourself
Because
Someday you’re gonna be the only one you’ve got…” (repeated twice, followed by)
“Why you wanna please the world and leave yourself to drop dead?
Someday you’re gonna be the only one you’ve got.”
I used to view what the chorus meant differently than I do now. Initially, I just took it to mean that I should focus and strengthen my relationships with the people closest to me. After I lost the person closest to me years later, though, the song’s meaning changed for me, because like… even those closest to you won’t always be there for you, even if they want to be, because life is so unpredictable, and therefore it’s important to learn how to become self-sufficient and to love yourself fully and live without the opinions and limitations that other people may try to place on you. You might someday literally be all you’ve got in this world, a very sobering thought. So, of course, enjoy other people’s company and make meaningful relationships, but also learn how to be okay on your own, not limiting your vision of what your life can be out of concern for other people, or because of what someone else told you was or was not possible, and know that you *can* be okay on your own, if necessary, because life could force you to be alone - or put you in a season of isolation - whether you want to be or not.
The last song that has helped me a lot from this album, is “Future.” Some of its lyrics are:
“I’m writing the future, I’m writing it out, loud
We don’t talk about the past
We don’t talk about the past now.”
And
“So, just think of the future
Think of a new life
And don’t get lost in the memories
Keep your eyes on a new prize.”
It sort of follows the same theme of “Daydreaming,” in my opinion. The hope that the future will be better than the present, you just have to hold on. Again, this song has been on repeat for me over the years.
The album After Laughter came out at a time when my loved one was in the hospital, a few weeks before they passed away. And that was a devastating time in my life, filled with sorrow and stress and despair, but the songs on this album helped me feel understood and less alone during that difficult time in my life which I’m still healing from even now. I don’t think anyone ever really gets over losing a loved one, instead it stays with you and becomes a part of who you are as time goes by. There are several songs I’ve held onto from this album, but because I’m afraid I’ve already been talking too much, I’ll narrow it down to just two.
The song “Fake Happy,” is so wonderful. It made me feel seen. The chorus is absolutely everything, and I quote,
“Oh, please, don’t ask me how I’ve been
Don’t make me play pretend
Oh, no, oh what’s the use?
Oh, please, I bet everybody here is fake happy, too.”
It’s another song that’s super upbeat with what sounds to me like somewhat sarcastic lyrics.
It makes me think of Ariana Grande’s song, “Fake Smile” and Jensen McRae’s “Happy Girl.” That theme of society expecting you to put on a façade of happiness for the comfort of others even if you don’t feel happy. How many times have you said “you’re fine” when someone asks, “How are you?” Even if you weren’t actually okay, you know? I’ve found people rarely want to know how you’re actually feeling, they just ask as a courtesy. It’s more acceptable to pretend to be happy instead. “Fake smile” is more so about being determined to express your true feelings in spite of that expectation. “Happy Girl” is acknowledging that expectation and trying to begrudgingly fit into it. And “Fake Happy” in my view is a mixture of both. Playing along, knowing you’re not happy but since it’s something everyone does, you just go along with it, even at the risk of hiding those sad feelings even to yourself, sort of being disingenuous about social expectation in a lighthearted way.
Lastly, the song “26” has gotten me through some of my lowest moments. The lyrics of the chorus are literally what I’ve needed to hear in order to get by, and they have healed me so many times:
“Hold onto hope if you got it
Don’t let it go for nobody
And they say that dreaming is free
But I wouldn’t care what it cost me.”
And,
“Reality will break your heart,
Survival will not be the hardest part
It’s keeping all your hopes alive
When all the rest of you has died
So let it break your heart.”
That acknowledgment of how tough life can be, and the encouragement given to us, the listener, to hold onto life and not give up in spite of life’s hardships, no matter what, is just incredible songwriting. I love Paramore and their honest and sincere portrayals of life often paired with an energetic and fun beat, or head banging guitar riff, or an acoustic melody that makes you feel something even when you’ve gotten used to feeling numb. And Hayley’s voice is a God given talent, so powerful and flawless on the record, and then when she sings live somehow it’s a billion times better, when it was already perfect.
I believe they’re touring this fall and so I’m anticipating and looking forward to news of a forthcoming album whenever they’re ready to release it.
Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to this week’s episode. If anyone is listening to this and would like to talk more about how much they also love Paramore, or the ways Paramore’s music has helped improve their lives, or want to share something else that got them through the week, I want to know! Please comment on this episode’s post on our Instagram page WhatGotMeThroughTheWeek, or send an email at whatgotmethroughpodcast@gmail.com. The transcript and audio for this episode will be posted on HyssopandEbony.com.
Until next time!