FADE IN
Act 1
INT. LIVING ROOM - 08:00
Appearing, PETER sees his WIFE sleeping on a sofa surrounded by a pillow and a blanket.
PETER (V.O.): My wife is in the habit of falling asleep while watching TV dramas in the small hours of the morning.
Observing her wife.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): She's a night owl. I believe she likes to immerse herself fully in the storytelling.
Pausing.
KAJI (V.O.) (Cont'd): While she was working, I felt very bad about it as she slept very little but her professional job was demanding.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As she has recently retired, every day is a holiday for her now.
Smiling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Uncharacteristically, I've joined her in watching the Korean TV drama "Crashing Landing on You"(CLOY) even in the early morning.
Act 2
INT. DINING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
Sitting closely with KAJI, the family pet, in a chair, Peter shares breakfast with her.
PETER (V.O.): Throughout the CLOY series, the plot delves into the complexities of the relationship between North and South Korea.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): It also describes the stark differences in their societies. I've read that what is portrayed is 60% accurate.
Sharing sandwiches with Kaji.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Against such a backdrop, the drama explores the themes of loyalty, sacrifice, the power of human connections, and love.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" as well as the Chinese legend of "牛郎織女" (Cowherd and the Weaver Girl) are mentioned in the drama's dialogues.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I studied Romeo and Juliet in my secondary school days. While CLOY shares thematic similarities with the fiction, it diverts from the tragic tale.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Cowherd and the Weaver Girl is another forbidden love story between a young man and a celestial being.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And after separation, they're allowed to meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
Sharing sandwiches with Kaji.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In CLOY, the protagonists may meet for a fortnight annually in Switzerland.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Oh, I'm reminiscing my favourite moments in the series - the romance and the beautiful landscapes that swept us away.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): And I miss my yearning to watch another episode.
Sharing sandwiches with Kaji.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As a substitute to the drama's continuation, we've rewatched the final episode...but the dramatic effect has gone.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Dramas use plot twists, suspense, and emotional arcs to engage viewers. Once they've experienced in the initial watch, the impact will diminish.
Finishing breakfast, Kaji leaves Peter.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I believe my wife and I prefer to preserve the original emotional connection we had rather than diluting it through repeated viewings.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): What we've now is emptiness.
Peter surfs the web with his mobile.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Let me explore new Korean series to watch as my wife and I will begin learning Korean from this Thursday evening onwards.
We see on screen an article with inserts on "The Best K-Dramas of All Time, Ranked'.
Having checked it has been updated in April 8, 2024, Peter reads on.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I don't like thrillers. And I had enough workplace dramas, crime dramas...
We follow Peter to read other film titles: "Descendants of the Son", "Crash Landing On You"...
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): While romantic comedies make me feel young, I should watch "The World of the Married (2020)" when it's available on streaming.
Act 3
INT. LIVING ROOM - 09:45
Working on a laptop, Peter inserts an AI drawing entitled: "From Binge to Void" into a draft.
PETER (V.O.): Binge is a period of excessive indulgence in an activity. Void is completely empty. My wife and I have consumed 16 episodes in a few sittings.
Mining the web, Peter reads an article: 18 CLOY film locations to relive the series' most dreamy moments.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): We're experiencing the transition from binge-watching to the emptiness of post-series withdrawals.
Peter WhatsApps the link to his wife.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): A positive way to curb those withdrawals is to start planning trips to some of the CLOY filming locations!
FADE OUT
THE END
