The Drama Addict’s Guide to Surviving the End of One’s Favorite Drama

As Heartstrings has come to an end and we are scraping to pick ourselves up and deal with the reality of the situation, one always has to have a back-up plan. Here’s a little guide I put together to make the transition easier:

We’ll Always Have Paris. In this case Paris being the music. And the music being the Heartstrings OST.

Feature film – it. Starting a new drama right away may feel a little tedious, since it takes a while to get invested, and you need your fix now. Try something like Cyrano Agency or the Japanese film Linda, Linda, Linda. They’re bound to turn your frown upside down.

Run in the opposite direction to find your way back home. Try something non-Korean, such as the awesome little French film Love Me If You Dare. It’s a story about being in love with your best friend and everything that means to the two characters, from childhood, to their teens and into their adulthood. The two stars were the first on-screen couple I shipped in real life and my wish came true. Marion Cotillard and Guillaume Canet became a real couple, two years or so after the film(and are still going strong, having welcomed their first child this year). She also went on to win an Oscar for her portrayal of Edith Piaf and he went on to successfully direct and star in other projects, but no matter how many times I’ve seen them in other films, I could never forget this first instant of absolute magic. The chemistry between the leads is so intense you might need protection goggles during the kiss scenes. The whole film is such a passionate, beautiful, warm, joyful, insanely mischievous(some might even call it perverted, though not in the sexual sense) ride, and the playful tone hides so many layers of metaphors, that it will make you fall in love irrevocably. Or you might hate it, there’s always that possibility, but hey, you won’t know until you try. The “Better than…” scene (you’ll know what I mean when and if you watch the film) is one of my favorite scenes ever.

Start an online petition asking MBC to release the bears. Make sure to mention that it’s not a PETA-related action, and that in fact you are referring to the releasing of the bear key chains shown in the drama Heartstrings. Might want to wait a day or two before making that clarification though, just in case the controversy and ensuing buzz will make MBC release them sooner.

Learn to play the gayageum. Sure, it may not be easy, but it’s the most surefire way of securing a Shin of your own.

Fangirl to your heart’s content.

Whether it’s this

this,

or this:

Something will surely distract you from the pain in yer heart.

Find a rebound. Admit it, we all need it sometimes. Flirting with a drama that makes you feel good about yourself with no intention of settling down is good for the soul. Got some guilty pleasure dramas stashed away? Now’s the time to dig in.

Spend some time with a friend. Sure, you may no longer share the sizzling passion of yore, but we all have a drama or two we can always go back to for comfort. Goong or Coffee Prince might be a good (and tonally similar) option, as would be a part of the Hong Sisters oeuvre (I’d avoid YAB though because it’ll make you even more melancholic – Delightful Girl Choon Hyang is the one I’d go with right now).

Date other dramas. It will be awkward at first and you might be in for some excruciating hours and annoying dialogue, but the best way to get back in the game is to… get back in the game. Besides, you never know who your next true love might be

Fall in love again. Whether it’s going to be Scent of a Woman, Protect the Boss, Birdie Buddy, Can’t Lose or another one of the currently airing/soon-to-be-airing dramas, one is sure to meet some of your expectations. It may not be the same as what you are currently missing, but who’s to say different is bad? My best bet? The Musical, the Gu Hye Sun drama that is finally set to air. A med student that wants to be a musical actress and a song writer with connections to Broadway? Did they have Heartstrings fans in mind when they finally decided to air it? Sign me right up! I think I found my next recapping project. Well, at least one of them anyway.

*Disclaimer: The above guide is intended for humorous purposes. No dramas were harmed during its production.