~ You Must Create A Habit To Make Time For Things That Nourish Your Soul ~ 🌼

Through ‘Goblin’ I Learnt Life Is Beautiful In Both, Colors Of Light & Dark

Ah, where do I start with this show? The 'Goblin' was my first 2021 drama pick. I had heard SO much about it -- one of the highest drama ratings ever scored, the love story of Eun-Tak and Kim Shin and of course, the hardcore shipping of Wang Yeo and Kim Sun. 

My YT recs were spammed with "Goblin: funny moments" featuring the Gob and Deok-hwa. And then, I happened to read a Google Review by someone who was raving about how the world built is so vast, so intricate and so fascinating. My mind instantly packed in high expectations for the show.

I get why Gong Yoo is so popular but can I say I love him more when he's doing off-screen interviews? (Have you seen his recent one with IU on Palette? *adorbs*)

The show has everything for a fantasy lover like me --- Korean mythology, magic, fantastical characters and badass Gods. 

What I didn't enjoy very much, contrary to popular opinion, was Eun-Tak's character. I found her obsessive and more of a crybaby than anything else. No offense to the actress, who I'm convinced is massively talented.

The story revolves around Kim Shin, a cursed 900-year-old Goblin who was a general-of-war in his last life and is seeking his wife in the mortal world. The latter is the only one who can help him end the treacherous curse and send him peacefully to afterlife.

Eun-tak, an orphan since she was 9, can see ghosts and converses with them. She's also very aware of her destiny as the Goblin's wife. A high-schooler, she meets her destined husband (Gong Yoo) and  soon enough, the tale gets complicated as the two battle fear of death, their growing love for a each other and the wretched curse.

There is Wang Yeo, a scaredy-cat of a king who is similarly cursed to be a Grim Reaper for repenting his past-life sins. I must say, the GR (Grim Reaper) is hot.🔥 He's also one of the most fascinating characters in the show for me -- shy, reserved, melancholy, with a soft lover's heart. 

Personally, I liked his bromance with the Goblin more than the latter's love story with Eun-Tak. (** insert: the MIB'ish slow-mo scene where the two of them walk towards Eun-Tak to save her. Also, the beaut BGM**)

But I am also heartily biased towards 'Sunny' aka Kim Sun, Wang Yeo's queen and Kim Shin's sister in her previous birth. Sunny is everything that Yeo is not -- bold, courageous, unafraid of chasing the man she dotes on and a strong woman with an even stronger pool of self-love.

The story is slow-paced, highlighting how transitory life is and how beautiful it is to be alive. We see the gradual progression of days as the Goblin and Eun-Tak fall in love and how the latter shows our hero what it means to live fully. Just following this up with some of my favorite learnings from the drama now:

1. You cannot change the past but you can learn from it. Something Wang Yeo does so beautifully when he regains his memories as a GR and repents for his past acts of cruelty and injustice.

2. Choose yourself, over and over again. Ah, I learned so much from Sunny, especially about how sometimes, forgiveness is not the answer and you cannot force yourself to offer it.

3. Through pain and discomfort, we grow. I could see this with Kim Shin's character --- first a deft goblin with a cocky attitude, we see his heart open up to the vulnerability of being human, of loving someone even when there isn't a guarantee of a happy ending and letting pain help him rise to be a better man, to himself and those he loves.

While Goblin is a fascinating drama, I wouldn't call it a favorite nor something I'd like to re-watch. Maybe because the expectations I set for it were too high and the show felt a little too long and intense. Another lesson learned: never read Google reviews of a drama before you happen to watch it yourself.

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GIF Credits: | 2 - Yahoo News Singapore | 5 - Wattapad | 6 & 17 - Giphy | 11 - Pinterest | 

“needing the type of hug where you bury your head in their shoulder and they just hold you tight and there’s this mutual need to keep holding on.” - @constellatedlove

Heartwork 06.02.2020

Find more journaling inspiration @anvijournals

“My love language is reminding you of your power.” ~ @galadarling

~ Some GIF-love from Hyori’s Bed & Breakfast (Season 1) ~

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Credits: GIF 1: MyDramaList, GIF 2, 3 & 4: Amino Apps

~ Shin Hye Sun appreciation post for her absolutely delightful performance in Mr. Queen / Queen Cheorin ~ 💕

‘Dinner Mate’: One Of The Most Underrated K-Dramas Of 2020

My first access point to K-dramas has been Netflix, so it was quite a while later when I realized there are thousands of great dramas not listed on the platform that I could probably access elsewhere. Of course, there were a lot of trials involved in stumbling upon a high-quality, free streaming platform, but I managed.

The Story:

'Dinner Mate' a 2020 drama, fit the bill for my next watch. Two strangers share a meal coincidentally and what follows is a relationship where they refrain from sharing personal details as they continue meeting over dinner to enjoy food.

I came to love this drama SO much. Every element in the story has a purpose and a place. 

Dr. Kim-Haeyoung, a psychiatrist uses food therapy to heal his patients while Producer Woo Do-Hee breathes and slays B-Class tacky content at 2N Media Box. Both of them have survived terrible heartbreaks from long relationships.

What unfolds is not just a story of healing but also of how the acceptance of our pasts can allow us to make the most of the present moment. While their ex-lovers show up, demanding a place back in their hearts, it is wonderful to watch Kim-Haeyoung and Do-Hee let go of residual pain and hurt, as they begin to accept and flourish the love that's blooming between them.

I love badass characters, especially female leads and Do-Hee is one of them. She's bold, fierce, proudly weird and says exactly what's on her mind. Kim Haeyoung is calm, composed and yet bears a childlike curiosity that always leads him to unexpected adventures.

Jin-Eol and Jae-Hyuk, the ex-lovers of our protagonists map a trajectory that begins with entitlement to the love they once walked away from, to fighting a one-sided fight and finally, understanding the beauty of letting go. There's my favorite Nam A-yung, the 43-year-old CEO of 2N Media Box. She's as wild as her wardrobe but has a heart that's more open than any of the lead characters we see.

The story is simply beautiful with elements of humor, heart and emotion seamlessly supporting and elevating each other. Every episode is a delight to watch, every moment dripping with insight and meaning. 

This is one of those underrated wonders which I'd proudly download and re-watch over and over.

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Pictures | IQUI & Doodle App

GIFs | 1&2 - Dramabeans | 3&4 - Soompi Forums

~ Dear joy, thank you for quiet, persistent whisperings. ~ 🌼

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~ notes from everyday ~

In need of some love and light myself today so sharing another favorite quote from ‘Iburigurashi’. 

These are screengrabs I’ve taken while or after watching an episode. Returning to post these brings the same warmth and fuzziness in my heart as it did the first time I watched these scenes. 

I’m always grateful for positive things in this world, especially on the days that feel a bit too hard. I’m always grateful to be Loved, even though I may not understand the ways in which I’m being taken care of. 

Sometimes, a shoulder to cry, a show to return to, or a Friend who’s picture you can look at and talk to are enough to soothe the rough edges of life. 

I hope you find those too, in case you may need them today. 🌸

Don’t Let Your Past Dictate Your Present Is What  I Learnt From ‘Chocolate’

For every drama I've loved so far, there's an inner Anvi screaming "O, my god! What a show! Go watch it!". It's screaming very loudly for this one as well.

My third drama to be precise and my first Korean one, ‘Chocolate’ (2019) had my heart in a knot and made me weep like a baby. It took every broken piece inside me and took its time in gluing it back with a little bit more magic and love.

Man, this show. Oh man, this show.

A tale of two childhood sweethearts, Dr. Kang and chef Moon Cha Young, the two reunite after nearly two decades with only Cha Young recognizing her first love. Dr. Lee Kang, an illegitimate heir of a big medical institution, lives with his step-family who wants nothing more than his inheritance. A boy who once dreamed of becoming a chef, Kang now seeks revenge for his mother's death.

Moon Cha Young has had it rough in life. A survivor of a terrifying building crash, she finds solace in food and cooking. Suffering from post-traumatic disorder, Cha Young keeps to herself, until Kang's best friend falls for her.

(I won't spill the beans further because that would just unravel the plot making it pointless to watch. Which is precisely what I don't want --- I want you to watch the drama and fall head over heels for it and cry buckets just like I did.)

Kang and Cha Young cross paths once again in a hospice for terminally ill patients and it is here, amidst stories of love, death, family and friendship that they begin to know each other.

The drama is tear-jerker, NGL. But I didn't mind that one bit. It isn't a light watch, it is mature and heavy and worth every minute of your precious time.

As is typical of drama male leads, Kang's initial treatment of Cha Young pissed the shit out of me even though I could understand where his attitude stemmed from -- Cha Young after all, broke the heart of his only and best friend. Still, I wanted to punch the man in his face a lot of times. And I also wanted to shake the hell out of Cha Young for returning to him time and again like a wounded puppy. Thank god she stopped after a while, thank god for some self-respect.

I also love, love the side-cast in this show. What freaking cool actors and boomers. I particularly love head nurse Ha Young Shi who's totally cool, gives zero shits about gender stereotypes and goes all in with her heart. Then there is Lee Joon who's narrative I particularly enjoyed, especially the way he chose to let his own heart guide him rather than his family's expectations of him. I loved Director Kwon Hyun Sik, a father figure to Kang and an absolutely beautiful man.

My learnings:

1. Some people are worth those second chances. 

Some people are worth placing your trust back into and trying once more. Some people are worth the fight. 

2. Don’t let your past dictate your present. 

Let your present dictate your choices, your heart. The past is long gone and if something from it comes revisiting, it is worth looking at in a brand new way.

3. It’s never too late to open your heart again.

For me, 'Chocolate' still remains one of my favorite dramas till date. I love the slow-paced nature of the show, I love how it wrings out all kinds of emotions from you and how it heals you in ways you don't even realize.

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GIF Credits: | GIF 2  - Soompi | GIF 7: Tumgir | GIF 11: Netflix 

Image Credits: Hancinema.net