#YSObsessions: A K-Drama, a ‘90s magazine, and meal plans

#YSObsessions is a roundup of our current faves and recos, from books, movies, music, and games to a range of other stuff like online sensations, hobbies and activities, and maybe even our new favorite place in the whole world.

This week, we’re gushing over Hyun Bin’s broad shoulders, revisiting the golden age of glossy magazines, and powering through our 2020 fitness goals.

Crash Landing on You

If you follow me on my (private, all sorts of a mess) Twitter, you probably have an inkling that I binged watched Crash Landing on You last weekend. I was really hesitant to watch it at first, because I’m currently learning Korean and didn’t want to mess with everything I’ve studied so far — but turns out, I’m weak for broad-shouldered Korean men who are gentle yet protective, and can whip up a good meal while still looking dashing. 

Crash Landing on You is one of the better K-dramas that I watched since the dawn of time (up there on the list with Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo) and the show got me all soft over the course of 16 episodes. Hyun Bin and Son Ye-Jin’s chemistry was perfect, and the way that Ri Jeong Hyuk and Yoon Seri were written as characters reflected the cultural differences and similarities between North and South Korea.

As someone who is slowly learning the language, it was a really good feeling that I was able to recognize the subtle differences between the North and South dialects — and I honestly loved how the main characters would say “I love you” in their respective dialects. 10/10 would watch again just for Hyun Bin’s shoulders. — Bea Amador, managing editor

Sassy magazine

Last month I got to fulfill a life-long dream, which was to own an issue of Sassy magazine — the long-defunct cult alternative teen magazine from the late ’80s and early ’90s, most famous perhaps for the Christina Kelly-penned profile of grunge lovebirds Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love (titled “Kurt and Courtney Sitting in a Tree,” and a rare achievement in journalism!).

I couldn’t afford the Kurt and Courtney cover since it was going for about P5,000, so I made do with an issue from October 1989. The main cover line says simply, “Exactly” in bold all-caps sans serif, stark white against the cover girl’s fuzzy red sweater and the yellow background. My favorite part, though, has to be that there’s a feature on River Phoenix, who was one of my favorite people growing up.

The magazine is just as smart and funny and original as I’d heard, and there’s even a section for advertisers detailing how more mainstream titles like Seventeen were ripping their style off. If you can’t get a copy for yourself, check out Sassy Scans on Tumblr or How Sassy Changed My Life on Kindle — as a tongue-in-cheek and affectionate chronicle of the publication’s rise and fall, it’s the next best thing. — Fiel Estrella, copy editor

Lean Machine delivery service

I’m still powering through with my 2020 fitness resolution (yay!) but as always, keeping up with the nutrition/diet side of it is hard (not yay!). The fitness hustle actually does become a hassle if you’re always on the go too, eating at the weirdest times and succumbing to the fluorescent interiors of fast food. One way to curb that is the baon way, but again this hustle (the work kind) culture just does not give you the time to meal prep.

For a month, I got to try Diet Diva’s Lean Machine delivery service: a high-protein meal plan, coming at a strong 2000 calories a day, delivered to your doorstep every morning. It’s different viands per meal, per day — they even offered a plant-based meal a day for one week. The meals are prepared by a dietitian, so no surprise with looking more fit and feeling fully recovered after workouts. It’s been a perfect combo with my usual gym, swim, and spin, and the results are great — wait for my next beach trip, and I’ll prove it! — Gian, Nicdao online art director