[[Drama 2020] Once Again, 한번다녀왔습니다]

Geez....I don't know what happens...my interface of Soompi keeps changing every two days. Oh well...

 

Gooddata for the second week of July is out. Once Again is #2 in TV category. 

Lee Sang Yeob is number #3, Lee Minjung is #5, Lee Sang Yi is # 8. 

 

I am so surprised that the impact of Nagyu couple is immediately felt. It's funny that a lot of Nagyu shippers are teenage girls while Dajae CP has a lot of supporters from women in their 30s and 40s. I am glad to see Lee Sang Yeob getting the long overdue acknowledgement and popularity. TV dramas like this really depend on an effective pairing to make actors/actresses shine--and vice versa. 

 

 

[[Drama 2020] Once Again, 한번다녀왔습니다]

I am not going to tell you how many times I've watched episode 32 (i.e. 63 and 64). Like @capri2014, I kept playing all the scenes of GJ-NH on repeat.     I mean, I have been so invested in this pairing from the get-go that I got totally exasperated during these eight weeks. Some fans, like @jelly ,probably took a break because of non-development between GJ-NH. In DC Gall inside of Once Again (a popular Korean platform for fans), many shippers of Nagyu (the name they gave to GJ-NH) left during these 8 weeks but now Nagyu CP is getting popular with new fans after the latest two episodes. 

 

@the girl who!  The episode 31 aired on Saturday also broke the record of ratings on Saturday.  As @eLizza says, the ratings have surged obviously in the last several episodes---when the writer stopped giving 2 minutes 37 seconds of screen time to GJ/ NH. Korean fans constantly talk about 8 weeks and 2 minutes of appearance of Nagyu in one episode. 

 

And I do consider the latest episodes worth the hype and ratings, specifically with regard to Nagyu couple. The writing, directing, pacing and the performance by LMJ and LSY are hitting the right notes.  What comes after the stasis of 8 weeks is two richly-written nepisodes where Nagyu couple, as well as the audience, take a rollercoaster ride to go through angst, longing, crisis, reconciliation, warmth, tears, laughter and a lot of love. Surely, Sadon couple is very cute, but Korean fans on DC inside are raving about how Nagyu CP can "digest all the genres" from melodrama to romantic comedy. I want to applaud LSY and LMJ for their excellent acting. I know that people like to criticize LMJ's acting (just like how people like to criticize KTH), but I think she is a perfect fit and has been doing great so far with this role. Most importantly, she and LSY have this scintillating chemistry--not only visually but also in terms of comic timing. Their bickering in the latest episode is a great joy to watch!

 

 

On Sunday night, LMY and LSY, as well as "epilogue" (lol) all appeared on the naver search. 

 

 

 

My favorite scenes in episode 33: 

 

 

I share the same view as @fluffyloaf ....the two eating scenes actually show us how they are actually trying to "work things out." This is why I love a type of Korean dramas like weekend dramas or reply series where they use a mundane scenario of eating to portray emotional bonding. 

 

I LOVE it when NH asks whether GJ has eaten after the hug scene. This is the question among close family members. It's not the saccharine lovey and lovey talk. During the eating scene, LSY and LMJ are such capable actors to convey the nuanced feeling of care through their gaze. I mean..when is the last time they dined together and enjoyed each other's company?  Even in the second time in the noodle shop, the bickering is so natural.  Nahee can never do the same with the director. The director also seems to prefer fancy restaurants while NH, being the daughter of a fried chicken shop at the marketplace, feels at home in a cold noodle place.  

 

I find their drunk scene so cute. Nahee also indirectly communicate to GJ about her hesitation, which is why GJ finally comes forward to tell her that he wants to start over once again. I am a bit jealous of Lee Byung hun because LMJ is so pretty even when her hair is all tangled up...

 

@emerald ox Yes. This couple still has to go through a lot of hurdles. LSY went on a radio show and revealed that Nagyu cp still has obstacles. I am all fine with this-- as long as it's not another 8 weeks with 3 minutes of screen time!

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

The epilogue is simply daebak! 

I mean, I cannot say enough praise to LSY. Did anyone of you notice that he made this satisfying growl when he lies down to spoon NH? HAHAHA. Such a realistic detail and I am sure it's his ad lib performance. I also like how he uses his arm as pillows for NH. For me, this kind of "bed" scene is far more fluttering because this mundane detail is what defines the companionship of marital life. 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

@eLizza  Maybe four "Lees" will make it to Gooddata. All the four leads have the same last name. LCH-and two LSY and LMJ. 

 

Credit: DC inside https://gall.dcinside.com/mgallery/board/lists?id=onceagain

[[Drama 2020] Once Again, 한번다녀왔습니다]

Whoa! We've got a real development between GJ and NH!! 

 

What's funny is that I watched the interview of LMJ and LSY Friday. LSY said that GJ will be straightforward from now on...but given the record of the writer, I didn't take his words seriously. I am so glad that I was wrong. LMJ (as well as her age..lol). LSY dominated the search for the whole night. 

 

 

 

The ending has quickly accumulated 250 K views.  The most upvoted comment is so witty:

"All those who have waited for 8 weeks have gathered together to watch this scene" 

 

 

 

 

@emerald ox Your postings made me laugh so loud. Seriously.  we have persevered for 8 weeks and during these eight weeks, all we get is only a pittance of the screen time on either GJ or NH--not to mention little to none development between their relationship.  And it ends up.... all we need is sticky notes. HAHAHAHA so economical! 

 

To be fair. the relationship between GJ and NH is surprisingly better-written in the new episode. The writer just does not know how to control the pacing and develop multiple subplots for 100 episodes. For instance, once the relationship between GJ and NH picks up, the writing on the sadon couple kind of falls into a stasis, like what happens to GJ-NH couple earlier.  Prior to this episode, I shared the same stance with  @cuplik that going to the United States will be more in line with NH's character. 

 

However, I really like the plot twist of this medical incident that shows the dynamics between NH and GJ. They really complement each other well, personality wise. Yes. NH is headstrong, tough and impulsive while GJ overthinks and hold backs to the extent of verging on being cowardly. NH may not have a popular personality. However, earlier in the series, she persists on informing the police on the child abuser. Yesterday, NH prefers to do the damage control immediately while GJ, as usual, wants to wait out. NH is a realist without much patience, while GJ often wants to avoid conflicts. 

 

The writer, by exception, shows us how there is nothing intrinsically good or bad in respective personality. NH is often criticized for her persistence and inflexibility. Yet,  without her persistence and headstrongness , GH's career is probably destroyed. One of the most upvoted comments via Naver under the video clip where NH challenges the mother of the patient says it correctly: " A feeble, gentle GJ needs a tough, smart woman like NH, but he also needs to protect NH in front of his own mother."

 

I am actually relieved that the writer does not give us a fiction of how GJ or NH has changed for the "better" or undergone a total transformation. As someone who is married and being with my husband for almost two decades, I can avow for the fact that people don't really change---only to a very limited degree. (Those who are stuck in a domestic abuse situation often believe that their partners will change and stop beating them. Because of this "fiction," they will hardly get out of the abusive situation). However,  for GJ and NH, they can learn how to cope with issues gradually and openly with reason and compassion. 

 

Now GJ makes the first step communicating his needs to DH. I really hope that they can finally get to talk about the miscarriage and mother in law. 

 

New Stills!!

 

[[Drama 2020] Once Again, 한번다녀왔습니다]

18 minutes ago, emerald ox said:

I watch again the recent 2 episodes and realise that NH hasn't once asked GJ about BY. She isn't curious or threatened by his newfound relationship anymore. That, and what she said by the swing at the playground how happy and comfortable her life now, to me she has completely moved on. Her concern merely as a colleague and when she thought she might irritate GJ, she really meant to say that she's now so over him. GJ too tried his very best to let her go, and get past but he is still strongly bound by his love or regretful, yet he knew too well he's unable to provide hope, dream and happiness for NH. He kept dropping subtle hints and she seemed flustered somehow, but I hope NH won't be easily swayed. Indeed they have issue, lots of issues that set them apart. 

 

 

I love the conversation in the playground. NH is at first caught by surprise when GJ asks her whether she is happy. Note that NH's reply does not include any reference to JR. She says that her life is very peaceful now. She talks about mundane details after moving back to her mother's house, like buying a watermelon home and then all of them will chitchat over something insignificant.  But then again, GJ just gets up and leaves like that, without even trying to help her carry the melon. Sigh.... If it were JR, he would have definitely picked up the melon for NH. It's kind of ironic that GJ keeps telling NH to change her personality, but he himself doesn't change himself at all. How many times in the past did he make NH go home alone without giving her rides even when she obviously needs help?  

 

@Nodame  I wouldn't compare MIL's relationship with DH with her relationship with NH, because the mother is far more dependent/instrusive on GJ, the older son. GJ shoulders all the burden back in SK while JS escapes to Turkey. 

 

It's so painful to see GJ give love advice to NH, not only because GJ is still clearly in love with NH. I mean does NH really need to ask another guy to buy her a bracelet?  What an archaic idea and it just doesn't come naturally for her. She is acting like a good student following the directive from her ex-husband. LOL. For me, being flexible about payment does not make her more or less reasonable or accommodating.  From the flashback, we also know that NH can be a good wife by tending GJ while he's sick.  So she can be reasonable and very loving.  What's really changing NH now, at least from what I see from such a limited screen time of GJ and NH,  Is not these love tips from GJ, but having "normal" conversations with JR, GJ or JS, and being at home with her family. She is no longer stressed out about her marriage, her pregnancy, her in-law, which is a good thing. 

 

@emerald ox You may be right. She doesn't even ask GJ about the porridge directly. She is not even curious about his relationship with BY.  While she definitely sees GJ as someone more than a colleague, their interaction feel like good friends or family-- at least for now. I have some friends who actually have great relationships with their ex-wife or ex-husband. So maybe the writer will surprise us by giving a mature development for both?

 

[[Drama 2020] Once Again, 한번다녀왔습니다]

9 hours ago, Mellow_mindeulle said:

@cuplik I think Nahee hasn't tried  hard to be close to her MIL. In first episode, her MIL bought her a dress and brought it to the hospital and she said she already had the similar outfit. I mean accepting it and saying thank u wouldn't hurt you. I will feel sad if someone do that to me. She always ignore her phone call, and yes the MIL has bad temper, so how will their relationship be good. If her MIL hate her thats not because she is OkBoon's daughter, but bcos she ignored her.

 

To be honest its very difficult to like Hyun Kyung and Nahee's character. They have to do self introspection. Their ex are not perfect, but they are not jerk (like Gahee's ex or Dahee's ex). Not only their ex should improve themselves, they also have to.

 

Jaesuk's expression every time his mother praised Dahee is so priceless. It is sad to see sadon couple in their busy schedule circumstance. 

 

 

It's mutual. If you have a mother in law who has access to your apartment and has the habit of coming uninvited-- while being drunk--even late at night when you and your partner are about to getting intimate, I wonder what you will react to her "gift' --when she not only comes uninvited to your apartment, but also comes uninvited to where you work. It's natural to suspect that her gift is part of her scheme and her thoughtlessness.  In the flashback, the mother in law also intrudes their apartment--drunk of course-- when they were about to go to bed when they tried to cope with the loss of the child by making another baby. In the scene, the mother in law completely ignores NH and just addresses her own son. NH is invisible to her MIL. 

 

I have difficulties finding the clip on youtube. I will upload it to refresh everyone's memory.

 

I agree that NH is a not a likable character, especially compared to her two sisters. But then I find the way her mother in law intrudes their marriage life even more disagreeable and even repugnant. It verges on being abusive, and violating privacy judging from a modern Asian standard. Doesn't GJ himself challenge and accuse his own mother for his failed marriage?  Again, as a habit, GJ does not take actions until it is way too late. 

 

I am a devout supporter NH-GJ pairing mostly for the chemistry between LMJ and LSY. Yet, to be honest, If I were NH, I would have never married GJ in the first place precisely because of GJ's mother and the way GJ ALWAYS bows down to her mother's guilt trip. I am not a big fan of Mama's Boy. Being a female doctor in SK is a real big deal. Why should NH put up with all the BS from her mother-in-law? That alone shows that NH is really in love with GJ. Remember how the director says that he is surprised to find out NH married because she is so independent and a kind of loner? 

 

I am with @cuplik on this. Even if the director is not in the picture, the elephant in the room is still the mother-in-law and their lost child, as @dramaninja reminds us. I am tired of criticizing this writer who has spent WEEKS if not months regurgitating the cliches of jealousy. She even applies the same cliche to sadon couple....I guess she just runs out of any gimmicks. I mean, there is SO MUCH to write about between NH and GJ--the lost child, mother-in-law, career path and even their co-owned property. C'mon. NH owns half of the flat, which is worth a lot of money in Seoul. Yet, the writer completely forgot about all these . Sigh...  

 

Yes. The most upvoted comment I read in Korean website also said a similar thing as  @acidrain33 .....the comment says that why GJ always holds back without telling NH directly what's in his mind? I mean why on earthy does he tell the director the truth while holding back in front of NH? GOSH!!  I actually don't think that NH has any clues that GJ still likes her. When she questions why GJ avoids her these days, she  says "I thought I did something again to irritate you." I am heartbroken when hearing this. Don't forget that GJ also gangs up with his colleagues to ostracize her in the past. Or to say the least, he is a bystander and he does not try to intervene to stop the malicious rumors from circulating. All he did was to criticize NH's personality. I get it. NH has problems, but it doesn't mean that it is justifiable to exclude or ostracize her. Compared to the director who from the get-go knows how to defend her timely even in the elevator, GJ did not defend NH until they were separate from each other for good. All things considered, the director puts GJ to utter shame. The director appreciates NH for who and what she is. That's why she has smiles these days. 

 

If they  can really work on their relationship/communication issues, then I fully support their reunion. At this point, I don't see any problem of NH coming to NYC--although it won't happen because it is kdrama. I don't have much confidence in the writer. I just hope that it's not another instance of Kdrama heroine blatantly and masochistically choosing someone who is obviously bad for them compared to the second lead. Doesn't her mother say she want someone who cares about her daughtesr? 

[[Drama 2020] Once Again, 한번다녀왔습니다]

On 6/29/2020 at 5:30 AM, the girl who! said:

 

 

It's great that Once Again finally broke 32 % mark. Lee Sang-yeob was trending on Sunday night, and two new items on the relationship of GJ and NH were ranked # 9 and #13 on naver entertainment news. I agree with @foreverempress that the writing is not going anywhere. It's totally makjang now with replay of formulas like petty jealousy and misunderstanding, even among the older couples. Yet, a morsel of the screen time and zero writing. LSY manages to shine--it's the achievement of the actor, and the tangible chemistry between LSY and LMJ,  not the writer. 

 

 It's kind of consoling to see that the naver clip where GJ witnesses the "kissing" between NH and the director has the highest view counts for the recent episodes, especially given that LMJ and LSY, and their storylines are completely sidelined for weeks. They should collaborate in another drama. 

[[Drama 2020] Once Again, 한번다녀왔습니다]

9 hours ago, jelly said:

I know that for K-dramas due to the live shooting system (Once Again is currently shooting), that they alter storylines due to audience reaction. It could be the case here with Sadon couple having more screen time in these 2 episodes. My concern is that these 2 episodes we had this week could signal for us what to expect for the Doctor couple going forward.

 

IA with what everyone has to say regarding this couple, with Sadon couple and Kimbap lady and the Meat guy, Gahee and the young guy, we see movement. I did wonder if because this is a longer show that they are saving this couple's moments for the latter end of the show. I hope so, because it gets to the point for the last 2-3 weeks where I feel like I'm writing the same thing with GJ and NH lol. I want to check back on this couple 1 month later to see if the writer has done any progress to them, because I don't feel like writing about the same thing with this couple .

 

 

 

 

Sadon couple is certainly the hot item. Both the actor (JS) and actress (DH) has entered the top 10 list of GOODDATA--yay! I am very happy for both of them because both of them have very natural performance!!  JS and DH have always been the focus from the get-go, because the series begins with the dissolution of DH's marriage, JS' return from Turkey and their chance encounter. I have the feeling that the director is recreating another fabulous drama couple,  like the one from My Father is Strange. The drama couple from My Father is Strange ended up dating in real life. 

 

As we all know about the ripple effect,  certain characters are better written and thus become popular , which will earn more screen time for the characters, and the actors and actresses playing them will become even more popular. This is just the reality of live shooting system. As one Korean comments says it well, the drama feels like a rom-com starring Sadon CP..Now,  Kang Chang-hee from SF9 will have a special appearance, playing DH's college classmate. Lee Sung Kyung will probably play a girl JS has known from his times abroad. I am fine with JS/DS to become the main couple that the drama promotes, but I have problems with intentional sidelining of the characters that make me interested in the show in the first place. At this point, I would prefer the writer to send NH or GJ abroad to study than staying in this pointless circle of jealousy, regret, self-blame turned self-numbing. C'mon-- this is a mass entertainment aired every weekend, not Gertrude Stein's avant-garde modernist novels in which nothing happens but just endless repetition of the same plots and the same kind of emotional states. . I agree with @jelly that the writer simply does not know how to deal with the couple at this point.

 

It's consoling to see that the drama NAVER  page has discussions on GJ/NH's issues, just like here in Soompi https://entertain.naver.com/tvBrand/11665369

 

@emerald ox hahaha I feel the same! I got excited when KBS posted the drama stills with LMJ and LSY,  and wait religiously for the airing because I saw them in the preview. And what happens? You get literally what you have seen in the stills and preview!!! Nothing more. HAHAHAHA Are you kidding me? I keep asking myself. I seriously expect too much... I am not even their fans, but I am just invested in their story.... 

 

@cuplikThat's what I feel about Boyoung. Does she simply want a father for her son? It's totally fine and in fact respectable. Yet, there is no writing on that front either. Her son keeps pushing her mom and GJ together. Gj is nice to Shiho because he is always into kids (that's why NH feels guilty about her miscarriage)--* not* because he is BY's kid. He is also so pleasant next to BY and SH--pleasant but absent-minded as you observe rightly. He is only his true nagging self with NH. 

 

I love the scene where all the siblings celebrate DH's success. Yes. I burst out laughing when NH hit the mouse. Even such a small action shows LMJ is totally in the character of NH, and they really have the chemistry like sisters. 

 

@the girl who! Yes. The writer has done wonders in portraying heart-fluttering cute romance. To be fair, even though NH's conflict with her mom is difficult to stomach, the writer has done a great job in showing how NH, with a type A personality, shoulders everything by herself because she feels that she has failed her mother's expectation, and the expectation of her then-husband with her miscarriage. Even the gossip over NH's divorce among the ajumma in the supermarket feels so real because that's what they do. Divorce is still much a social stigma in Asian societies, and children's divorce is certainly a mark of shame for their parents.

 

I agree that NH and GH are not typical likable roles, which is why I love this pairing. Even though I was critical of GJ earlier, he is "real" and he is an adult with self-awareness of his own problems. With such two "real" characters, I wonder why the writer has to rely on the gratuitous cliches of jealousy and triangle. 

[[Drama 2020] Once Again, 한번다녀왔습니다]

1 hour ago, emerald ox said:

I never watch a weekend drama with 100 episodes, I'm guessing the writers are wrapping up stories with other casts in the current episodes or in the next few weeks. NH and GJ will get more screen time towards the end of the drama, I hope. But the ratings are surprisingly consistently high.  

 

@Katsuragi It seems that fans/netizens often associate actors off-screen to their characters they play in drama/TV. Is this normal?

 

 

 

Well. KBS weekend drama consistently have high ratings though. It's KBS' "staple" with a royal following, like my mom. lol, who has been watching KBS weekend drama for as long as I remember. That's how I get into family/weekend dramas. Once Again is doing well in terms of ratings, but it's not like My Golden Life, another KBS weekend drama, which reached upper-30s in ratings very earlier on ( like episode 16) and eventually broke 45% in the finale.

 

I actually thought the leads to be Chun Ho Jin and Cha Hwa-Yeon, judging from the sequence each character is introduced in the opening: (Chun Ho Ji, Cha Hwa-Heon together, then Lee Minjung, and then Lee Sang-Yeob). It's normal that some characters will have more screen time than others but as I said earlier, but a good weekend drama writer knows how to put multiple lines--both the main and subplot-- into action simultaneously regardless of the screen time. At this point. GJ/NH are mostly like "fillers" or props.

 

Korean netizens' comments can be aggravating. It's really unfair to judge the character of the director by the history of Alex. But then I think they are just angry at the lack of the real interaction between GJ/NH. 

 

@marrez1  The complaints about the stagnant writing and screen time have started weeks ago though. Initially, I just saw few comments, but then the criticisms are just getting louder and gaining momentum this week with less than 5 minutes of screen time. That's why there are news reports. I don't mind so much about the diminished screen time than the poor or non-writing, to say the least. 

 

It's not the end of the world--it's just a drama compared to everything happening in the world. Hopefully LSY and LMJ will collaborate in another drama.

 

 

[[Drama 2020] Once Again, 한번다녀왔습니다]

11 hours ago, jelly said:

Man the show really downgraded or diminished the screen time of Gyujin and Nahee. 

 

 

 

There are a couple of Korean news reporting the missing screen time and narrative of GJ and NH because audience was flooding the TV naver page with complains and negative comments: 

https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=609&aid=0000286394

 

From the comments I read on Saturday night, they only have the screen time of 2 minutes 39 seconds, or something like that...some drama fans even accuse KBS for cheating LSY and LMJ and using their names as baits (these two are indeed bigger names). Fans were angry *not* only because of the reduced screen time for consecutive several weeks, but also because of the crappy writing--it keeps replaying jealousy, while without any attempt to address the issues in communication, mother-in-law, and miscarriage...At this point, both LMJ and LSY are more like special appearances. lol

 

They also find the role of Boyoung "stuffy" (don't know how to translate) and "foxy." And they strongly disagree with Alex's character due to Alex's DUI record in real life.  They claim him to be "greasy"...(it's my literal translation) I don't quite agree with their views. I am okay with Boyoung and Alex. Alex's role is in fact well played and he has great lines. It's just that LMJ and LSY have great chemistry so it's difficult to make an alternative pairing in the same drama. 

 

As for LMJ's acting, I see mostly praise and positive comments, which is quite an exception because Korean fans liked to pick on her in the past, esp with her speech. Some comments I've read are quite funny. For instance, in the scene where NH gets drunk and corrects the director for forcing everyone for drinking gatherings, the most upvoted comment writes, "Lee Byung Hun has succeed" ....I mean it's ridiculous in a way because Korean audience attribute her good acting to the tutelage of her husband. Whether you agree with LBH's personal life or not, he is in reality one top actor in SK. Some already have a positive view of her because she is willing to play a role in a weekend drama with target audience of ajumma.  (I think they didn't know that LMJ shoot to stardom because of the weekend drama Smile You). They like the fact that she shows up in a family drama and apparently she doesn't have "celebrity disease." In the scene where she finally reveals her pain to her mother, audience is in awe of her acting, saying that they didn't know that she is this good.  

 

I don't find her acting "flat"--I am actually happy that she chooses a different character this time because she has never played a dorky and wooden role in the past.

 

I am no longer confident with the writer 양희승 Yang Hee-seung. I mean the triangle between the two aunts and the Boss is turning into a total farce and makjang. The problem is that Yang did not write  Soonpoong Clinic (the most famous family drama in Korean TV history) alone--the main write is Shin Dong-ik if I remember correctly. Judging from Yang's past dramas ,he is really good at penning Kdrama romance that goes through a familiar trajectory:  chance encounters, friendship turned budding romance, pining or self-denial,  confession,  rejection, conflict, jealousy, and reconciliation. That's why sadon CP is so appealing. However, he is not as good in penning the fallout and aftermath of the marriage life. Repeating the same kind of jealous-driven narrative for a divorced couple simply doesn't work for a family drama of 100 episodes. I don't like Familiar Wife he writes( Go Back Couple for me is far more superior) but at least there are far more meatier contents in Familiar Wife.

 

Anyway. At least the writer is making Sadon shippers happy.   The guy playing SJ is very talented and I am happy that he gets recognition he deserves. And Maybe Korean ajumma enjoy the triangle between the two aunts and boss yang? Ultimately they are the ones who decide the rating. I will take a break from this drama at this point. Till then.

 

1 hour ago, dramaninja said:

Give it time this dram has a long way top go still, this stuff usual happens with long dramas like this. They have eps focusing on other things besides the leads.

 

 

Hmm...It has been weeks with a minimum of screen time and meaningless plot. ..it is noted by Korean audience that there is literally no development after Nahee moves out except to replicate the jealousy trope ad infinitum. 

 

Family drama, esp.KBS weekend drama, is a genre by itself, requiring an commendable set of crafts in writing. The writer needs to create a delicate balancing act between all different characters, between cliches of romance, family dynamics, and the current social issues. Yang Hee-seung wrote High School King of Savvy which I LOVE, and Oh My Ghost and Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo are also cute. Sadon CP is so well written and you can find some similar patterns between Sadon CP and the love stories she wrote in her early works. I thought this drama will touch on the issue of divorce (SK has one of the highest divorce rates) but then she seems to be more interested in proliferating new romances rather than examining the issues. It's probably because romance is what she is really good at.

 

I personally appreciate the storyline of how the old brother's ex-wife has to cope with the two kids-- I don't care for the older brother and his company though--and I also like the depiction of the relationship between Gahee and her son. I just wish there were more. Anyway. Everyone has their own cup of tea. 

[[Drama 2020] Once Again, 한번다녀왔습니다]

On 5/31/2020 at 11:29 PM, jelly said:

Spoiler

 

Sigh, I am bummed whenever we see Nahee and Gyu Jin scenes in the show now. When I first watched this show, I thought he was a hilarious and extroverted character compared to his ex-wife. So I was a bit transfixed to say the least watching the couple from Ep 1-14 (Up to NH moving out), that they could somehow work things out but as the show progressed my feelings on that changed. 

 

I find their storyline heartbreaking and while I do root for them, I find their complete lack of communication with one another so frustrating. It makes me sad (symbolizing perhaps?) that Gyu Jin is always one step behind, we the audience clearly see that he still cares about her but Nahee doesn't see that. Look back when NH announces she wants a divorce from him, and he doesn't give off much reaction to her proposal. He just sits there and doesn't display much of a reaction, while it seems that she wanted him to say some opposition. He threw out the baby room and everything in it, without giving her a chance to grieve. He also wasn't that tuned to her feelings, when the hate comments came out he boasted to her upset face that he upvoted them. Another moment when they with their mothers and he said "No wonder you are a loner, that's why you've no friends." Why was he being so rude and mean to Nahee when she was in a time of distress?

 

Its also telling how the writer has purposely not shown much of their full story of the couple thus far. We know they met by chance encounter. But how did they end up falling in love? Was he or she drawn to each other from the start? Or was it a one sided crush turned love? Why did they marry and decide to have a baby together? 

 

 

 

On 6/1/2020 at 3:10 AM, jelly said:

 

Spoiler

 

I wonder why that is? It's an interesting albeit long journey to see these rekindle their spark again, but the show began with them fighting, bickering, and being mean to one another (Moreso Gyu Jin). I like Nahee a lot, and while she can be a bit prickly she's clearly the more sensitive one in this relationship, and I wish Gyu Jin realize that and was more sensitive towards her when they were married. I would like to see them in a time where they loved each other (a.k.a the lovey dovey moments). I like LSY a lot as an actor, and I feel a bit bad for him that his younger brother has the better role in the show. I know I'm in the minority here, but I found NH and GJ relationship to be realistic and complex. They have a lot of shared history together, and have gone through the ups and downs in a relationship than usually K-dramas wouldn't show. 

 

IA. GJ is shown to care about NH. (When he would wait for her, only to be scheduled for a late night patient) or the recent moment when he was a tad late in saving her. I notice that he has no one to talk about his issues with When he and his brother talk about their own problems, they always talk about something else separate from one another. His mom is a nuisance, so I feel sad seeing him just not act upon those feelings and instead let them fester which only creates more issues. The other doctor guy is a good match for GJ to see, and reflect back. The church chick nope, I haven't seen much from her to as to why GJ would like her. She seems opportunistic with GJ, and he still cares about NH to see past that  One things for sure, we have 30 more episodes to go with this show ah so I really hope that the writer makes him grow as a character. He's the one that needs to change the most, and when he and NH can better communicate with each other that's when they can grow toge

 

ther.  

 

@jelly  I LOVE LOVE your two postings. Thank you!!

 

In my earlier postings, I thought I was over-analyzing and I decided to focus on JS-DH for their light -heartedness. However, the recent development of love triangle between GJ-NH-the director give me pleasant surprises (I don't want to include BY at this point because her character does not have much stake--not at this point at least). I feel that the story between GJ and NJ resonates with the title of the drama. Will they fall in love "once again" after being "married once"? I find myself rooting for them to find their own happiness, whether they will get back together or not. I understand why some may find the portrayal of the pairing between  GJ-NH boring. Well...dealing with the marital issues and personality patterns are tedious because it is difficult for anyone to change..

 

 Initially,  it seems that the director serves as a typical Kdrama plot device to make our male lead jealous. interestingly, the writer uses the "third wheel"to shed light on the underlying problems in the relationship between GJ and NH, barring the external issue such as mother-in-law. To be honest, in the first 20 episodes,  I am very critical of GJ. I find him petty and childish. He clearly knows NH to be socially awkward and blunt, but he "rides on" NH's unpopularity among colleagues to further ostracize her, whether he means it or not. He uses his own "public persona" as the golden standard to put NH down. He makes himself out to be the "victim" to the dysfunctional marriage and NH to the culprit in public eyes.  He does *not* shut down and instead unwittingly participate in all the backstabbing at his then-wife until they are finally divorced. 

 

In the new episodes this week, the writer has done a brilliant job setting a stark contrast between the director and GJ. The director appreciates NH for who she is, for her sense of justice even though her straightforwardness can put her at risk. I agree with the director that not everyone in the workplace has to be as "suave" as GJ or JS.  In the elevator,  when everyone speaks ill of NH, the director has the courage to "clear" the rumors for NH. In comparison, as @jelly observes rightly, GJ is always "one step behind."  He only defends NH in front of his colleagues, and challenges his own mother *after* NH has left him.

 

If the writer only makes GJ jealous and competitive, then I wouldn't have changed my idea about GJ. GJ is totally shaken after witnessing the director's confession towards NH (BTW, kudos to LSY's acting!) He is hurting because he can't express his love towards NH like the director. It's funny that GJ may seem to be an outgoing extravert , but I find him an insecure, shy introvert underneath his nonchalant appearance. Let's not forget that in one of the flashbacks, NH was the one who made the first move-- she asks him to take her out for dinner. They apparently have known each other by being in the same class so probably NH is probably interested in him.  Yes. JS is immensely likable, but that's only because he has an older brother like GJ to shoulder all the emotional baggage (and a lot of garbage) from an overbearing mother. 

 

When seeing how the director defends NH in the elevator, GJ concedes to NH that the director is a nice and reliable person.I really appreciate LSY's performance in portraying how GJ has realized his own lacking, and his longing and tentativeness towards NH. 

 

Luckily for him, NH is not an average candy girl. NH is indeed an odd ball because she is so level-headed. She is anxious to reject the director because she doesn't want to give him a false hope  She is grateful that the director saves her, so she returns the favor by being a chauffeur. She doesn't want to "owe" him anything. In comparison, when GJ saves her from a motorbike earlier, she knows that her heart is still fluttering from his gentlemanly attention towards her---if only GJ realizes how much he still loves her and SAYS IT TO HER!! GJ is so clueless to the extent that he does not realize his body and mind are all concerned about the wellbeing of NH. 

 

Up to now, I feel that the director can be a great friend of NH, because finally she has someone to talk to like a normal friend, apart from JS.  At this point, she still feel most comfortable with GJ--  I mean, C'mon, they have no problems sitting on the same hospital bed.  lol  I just hope that they can have a real communication one day.

[[Drama 2020] Once Again, 한번다녀왔습니다]

2 hours ago, foreverempress said:

I don't particularly think that you're being objective regarding Na Hee's personality being difficult to get along with. All of her co-workers are very messy people and partly treated her the way they did because her husband enabled it. Maturity and growth can be spread  amongst all of them.A person that is objective is not just looking at one component, you're looking at the whole context of the situation. Has she been difficult to get along with? That is going to be based on the personalities that she's interacting with. I think she is self aware of her own personality, she doesn't apologize for it. Imagine someone telling you to change a personality while they have flaws themselves that they are not willing to change. Would you be willing to accept that?

 

The question I always ask is what makes it difficult for these people to get along? Should persons just change into a different person so they can be approved by others? Most people have a lack of introspection especially when it comes to the bigger part of the puzzle. If you don't like someone, it's up to you to discover the true reason you don't like that person and then acknowledge your own role regarding the Dynamics of said relationship.

 

Da Hee is on my crap list for spilling a secret that was not hers to spill. Sure, her big brother was going to confront his brother-in-law. She should have let the confrontation happen; the divorce could have been revealed by him. The way she spilled the secret caused them to box out Na Hee in a very unfair way.

 

 

Right on!  I agree with everything you say here! I mean what's wrong with women having a "difficult" personality if they can get the job done well?   It's not like that Nahee actively sabotages any team effort to treat patients. When Nahee successfully brings the domestic abuser to the police headquarter, even the police officers and her own colleagues admire her for her persistence and courage. She is scared herself, but she is not a damsel in distress crying for help. She doesn't ask others for approval and applause either. After her mission is accomplished,  she just goes out alone quietly to get fresh air as a kind of consolation. GJ is the only one who understands Nahee's vulnerability. In the newest episode, even if she finally starts to feel an inkling of jealousy towards Boyoung, she handles the entire situation with level-headed professionalism by giving her son the care he needs. 

 

I wouldn't compare her to other female doctors from other dramas. My point is that we are living in 2020 and we should have a whole different portrayals of female working professionals.(Search: www has done a great job I would say).

 

Personally, I am so tired of all the relentless smearing of competent, powerful women from both men and women for their difficult "personality" in the workplace and in the larger political domain. In reality, I am living through the nightmare, the devastating consequence of the systematic sexism.  Four years ago HC was said to be "crooked" and she has a "cold personality." Few months ago, EW is "so hard to love" even though she has plans for everything. This gets too painfully personal for me, because I have lost several beloved ones during this pandemic-- I lived right in the vicinity of NYC. I couldn't even say proper farewell.   How I wish I had a "difficult" but competent woman on the top-- -because my friends and family members didn't have to die for the lack of leadership. 

 

Anyway. Sorry if I dampen the mood. I just try to watch this drama as an escape from everything happening around /to me.  I kind of feel that JS-DH is the main lead now because they have far more screen time. The guy who plays JS is so good with his comic timing.  Love this pairing. 

[[Drama 2020] Once Again, 한번다녀왔습니다]

2 hours ago, Marie Kay said:

I have said I honestly disagree  with this statement. Dahee didn't put down her sister at all. She only acknowledges that she know that's how "other elders" think of her sister because she has heard it all before. It's kinda hard to defend someone even your own sister when what is being said is true. Everyone in their whole family knows how difficult Nahee can be.

 

Your point is valid, but mine is not invalid. I just have a different take. Nahee still has not told her own sisters about her miscarriage. She has not told anyone, including her mom, about the domineering, intrusive mother-in-law. Why not?  Because she doesn't want her mom to get into a hair-grabbing fight with GJ's mom--again. All in all,  Nahee keeps her divorce very private. She doesn't have a big mouth speaking ill of her ex-husband or in-laws, like those ladies in the market for instance.  I mean, it is so clear that the reason of their divorce is not their "irreconcilable difference," but the lack of communication after the miscarriage and the interference from the in-law. 

 

I am also speaking from the East Asian, specifically Korean context. You just don't side with the "outsiders" (outside your family). But again, KBS' weekend family dramas is known to be a genre reflecting and reinforcing a kind of traditional gender/ domestic ideology, not a critique of it, like JTBC's drama, The World of the Married.  A divorced woman is the one to be blamed (even Nahee seems to believe divorce to be her own fault!). It must be her "difficult personality" that is the cause of the marital strife and the conflict between her and her mother-in-law. No wonder the female lead from The World of the Married tries every way to salvage the marriage.

 

I understand that Dahee, with her personality always to appease others and especially the elders, kind of follows the logic of her sadon and says that Nahee is difficult in the eyes of the elders.  But "the perception of the elders" shouldn't have anything to do with the marriage--but it does in the case of NH-GJ. That's why sometimes I don't want them to get back together. At least the interim director appreciates Nahee for she is, instead of trying to change her. 

 

All things considered,  I am sure that I am overthinking and overanalyzing because the script writer only uses divorce as a mere plot device, or a mere premise for a rom-com. It's not meant to have a serious discussion. I will just sit back and enjoy the romance between all the potential pairings. 

[[Drama 2020] Once Again, 한번다녀왔습니다]

Hello everyone ~ 

 

First time here in this thread. I lost my old soompi account so I have to register for a new one. I haven't gotten time to watch Kdrama but now I am stuck at home (because I live right in the epicenter of Covid-19) so family weekend dramas like Once Again are the great choice for me to lighten my mood. 

 

At first, it is 사돈 sadon couple that draws me into this drama. Both of them are so adorable and their interactions give me a good laugh.  The funny thing is, Lee Min-jung used to play the youngest daughter from a rich-turned-bankrupt family, who got ditched ALSO right on the day of the marriage in the weekend family drama , "Smile You." In "Smile You," the character Lee Min-jung plays has a pain-in-the-richard simmons older sister, who is ALSO a doctor and who happens to the first love of Jung Kyung-ho. LOL.  In any case, if you are interested, you can check out Smile You, or I Live in Cheongdam-dong starring Lee Sang-yeob, the latter of which is arguably the best K-family drama I've ever watched.

 

Anyway. while I agree with some soompiers here that there is no need to overanalyze the drama, I've actually found myself more invested in the storyline between Nahee and Gyujin AFTER they finally file divorce-- than the conventional rom-com story arch between JS and DH.  Contrary to the unpopular view that sees Nahee as rude, unsociable and nerdy with zero EQ, I actually find her character very refreshing with a rarified sense of "realism." I started to have a positive opinion towards her after she pursues the case of domestic abuse by literally putting herself under danger. She has this level-headed professionalism, which is a welcoming exception in Kdramaland. She knows that she is a loner and she is unpopular since childhood, but she just accepts it without trying to change that. How cool is that? haha.

 

In the latest episode aired last night, Nahee actually tried to ameliorate the argument between GJ and the interim director. I don't even think that she has lingering feeling for GJ. Yet,  she respects GJ's professional judgement regarding the inconvenience of hospital reservation system for the elderly and the poor. I will be curious to see how they deal with post-divorce situation--like adults. 

 

After watching the newest episode, I feel like ranting. I actively *dislike* Dahee for the first time when she puts her own sister down in front of Nahee's ex-mother-in-law in order to show empathy with GJ and JS's mom. She doesn't know what's going wrong with her sister's marriage life. She is no different from those hospital colleagues whom GJ accuses of backstabbing at his ex-wife out of ignorance. Does she know how much and how often GJ's mother intrudes/bombards their marriage life--to the extent that they cannot even have sex???  It's one thing to be nice and kind, and it's a different thing to always want to please everyone. Maybe I simply hate Kdrama trope of Candy girl. I really hope that the drama writer can give this character continual growth. For instance, even K-netizens are wondering whether she is seriously studying?  LOL. I was rooting for her so hard when she quit her job earlier and rejected her finance. Hopefully she can realize her dream of becoming  a child therapist. 

 

Regarding the other two siblings, I want the brother to stop trying to get back with the ex. It's becoming really annoying. He can just be a financially reliable and dependable dad for his two daughters. For Ga-hee, she needs to find something to do regardless of whether she will develop a relationship with the delivery boy. 

 

With regard to NH's and GJ's respective new interests, I still don't like Bo-young. But I don't mind the pairing between the director and NH because I like Alex even since the good old  times of We Got Married.  Honestly, NH seems just so disinterested in having any emotional life at this moment. I miss the fights between NH and GJ though because we get to see the spunky side of both. 

 

Look forward to tonight's episode!