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fictionista
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Okay people, I need to make a final post on this thread in order to get this off my chest. Then I can finally have my closure with this series and move on. Real life has been waiting for me for about 2 months now.
So the finale has been probably on a majority of audience's shitlist and on mine too. And after everything ended I have tried long and hard to wrap my head around things and here's my conclusion. This really is the ending that the team were going for. The husband was probably decided from the start. The confusing clues and heavy hinting at JH as the husband thing was deliberate. There's no other way they could inflict this much of a tremendous heartbreak on a character played by a known face and not face an even harsher backlash than what they are now facing. Even Kim Nam Gil was a rookie when he played Bidam and swept K viewers off their feet in Queen Seon Deok.
I wondered why writer LWJ was going for this ending when it would've been that much easier and conventional to make JH the husband. Was it the shock value? or for the purpose of trolling viewers? I decided on neither of the above options. If I follow the drama's progression from episodes 10 to 18, I see a hesitant and uncertain JH. He never gives his all to pursue DS, always ever putting someone else or something else over his love for the girl. So the ending of ep 18 actually makes sense. He loses everything because of his hesitation throughout. That his gestures of love were subtle, noble and swoonworthy aren't the point; the fact that he in the end failed to convey that sincerity to DS paved the way for his final doom. Even in ep 18 he cannot bring himself to make an earnest confession in fear of rejection and chooses instead to let his friends turn the whole proposal (which is the best richard simmons proposal ever written and shown in a Kdrama) into a joke. This is why he ends up losing everything. Had he played his cards right, given DS that jacket in ep 15 or went to her in her time of need and comforted her, or even kissed her in ep 10 after that 'hajima' or cleared up the pink-shirt misunderstanding or even taken any of the million and one chances that the universe hurled at him from years 1988 to 94, none of this would have happened. He would have been DS's husband. It's all a matter of making the right choices in life and not fate or chance is what the writer is saying. And I honestly like this new take on the notion of 'fate/chance' even if the end result becomes so horrendous and heart-wrenching to watch on screen. Taek did everything right with DS. He was there for her in her time of need and he picked the girl over the friendship. He called her pretty, he complimented her, he made her feel warm. That kiss in a semi-dazed state in ep 17 was actually the game-changer and that lie to JH in ep 17 ended JH's chances for good.
But I actually approve of this development because it shows that for once in Kdramaland the writer is indicting the sentiment of 'noble idiocy' and suggesting that the noble idiots end up as well noble idiots. They get nothing by doing nothing. If you love someone, NOW is the time to tell them or do something definitive about it. If you keep pushing away your love like JH did time and again till the point of no return, then you have nobody to blame but yourself. Doesn't matter what your reasons are. Your nobility or the greatness of your character does not determine your chances of winning over your love. This is a bitter pill to swallow but it is true nonetheless.
Regarding DS, we were foolish to expect more depth from her. DS is just the way she has been portrayed. She is shallow but so what? A majority of people on the planet are like her. She is the everygirl, the unloved, forgotten middle child who has always craved for love, attention and a kind word from those who surround her. As long as she is loved and made to feel wanted and cherished, she doesn't care who she is receiving that love and attention from. This is represented metaphorically in ep 7 when DS is shown to be desperately wanting a pair of pink gloves - it doesn't matter who gives her the gloves first or who manages to effortlessly guess what she wants. She is only concerned with the 'gloves' which in my opinion symbolize the affection and love that she has wanted from somebody, anybody. Besides the drama only ever showed her as a responder and not as an initiator. She only ever responded to cues or triggers. We see this through her responses to SW and JH and lastly in Tk's case. Every time it was someone else who acted as the trigger or gave her a clue and she followed from there. It is pointless to call her names because that's what the character is like. The character is (to me) just a shallow, ordinary girl incapable of interpreting extraordinary and noble gestures of kindness or thoughtfulness. There's not much depth to her beyond that cheery and vapid facade. And it's pointless to rage over it. Instead we should accolade the writer for creating such a realistic character instead of the archetypal Miss Goody-Two-Shoes self-sacrificing, consistent-in-love Kdrama heroine. DS always needs something tangible to fall back on. And Tk's kiss in ep 17 was the most substantial evidence of his interest. It nullified all the former sweet things that JH did for her and made way for Tk to be the husband.
So yes what I'm trying to say is guys, don't hate me for my interpretation. I am not doing this to shift the blame on JH but trying my best to make sense of the jumbled mess of an ending and the entire drama. The last two days were hell for me. Because no other drama character has ripped my heart out like this, shredded it into a million tiny pieces and fed it to the vultures. Jung Hwan (in my eyes) is probably the best written tragic drama character of all time. And I say this despite crying over Bidam for days. It is true that Reply 1988, in the end, is about the story of 5 families who lived as one family in a neighborhood and the ardor of youth but I choose to remember it as a story of the greatest first failed love ever. I don't think the writer's decision to focus on Jung Hwan's emotional journey from adolescence to adulthood was accidental. It was a conscious decision. First loves aren't always supposed to work out and by showing this from Jung Hwan's perspective, the writer tried to drive this point home with an even fiercer intensity. Of course it hurts me to no end. It is going to hurt me for a long time to come. But that doesn't take away from the main message here which is powerful and true. The husband-hunting wasn't the point of this drama since the Tk-DS loveline was definitely given the short shrift. The highlight of the drama was a failed first love, family ties and the bonds of friendship. And the highlight of the finale was the cementing of JH's status as tragic hero. JH's reduced screentime and the general lack of any indication regarding his current position in life (in 2016) only heightens this sense of tragedy. So yes the writer's decision to leave out JH from the main frame and never mention him again or put DS and JH face to face after that confession was also deliberate. JH moved on after ep 18 but I doubt his emotional scars will ever fully heal. By hooking him up with some random hot actress in a cameo appearance in the finale and showing him all smiley cheapens the importance of his character and makes everything even sadder. I'm glad they didn't take this easy way out. But that's just what I think. Let us just remember him as the husband-not-husband. Let us remember him as the winner (if we equate love with a game) who forfeited.
So at this point I don't know whether to hate writer LWJ, rage at her or to compliment her for the bold creative decisions she took while writing this drama. I hate her and at the same time I cannot help but try to rationalize her decisions to the best of my abilities. Of course, there are some things which feel false. KJH's casting as Taek and the future husband's JH-like mannerisms in the very beginning and the shoddy way they chose to explain the clues. Also the way they established the main loveline which didn't touch me emotionally at all.
But overall I have to say that the drama has been a great journey and it has given me immense viewing pleasure for 2 months even though it leaves the bitterest aftertaste at its end.
I have also had great fun discussing this drama with you lovely peeps and spazzing over this greatest of tsundere heroes ever created. Let's meet again in some other drama thread. Till then, ciao.
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12 minutes ago, Howlongwillthisfandomlast said:
Did they ever explained who does the cigarettes in ep1 belongs to?
Nope. As far as I know they failed to explain half the clues convincingly. They just basically trolled us is all.
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13 minutes ago, yellow and green said:
Irrational, sexist, angry words ahead by a 640 page lurker, who experienced her first drama-death today after ep 19.
A part of me died after today's episode, much like how Boromir died in Lord of the Rings (my death really starts at 1:17 part of this clip). The writer, Lee Woo Jung, appears first at the 1:17 mark and then you get a real good look at her by the 1:33 mark.
Back to my point: I know this is going to be a really F'd up/sexist thing to say, but I'm sorry not sorry - this is how irrational/irate Lee Woo Jung has made me today: as much as I wanted JH/DS to be the OTP, I now quite frankly don't even want JH to get TK's sloppy, used seconds (omg I said it - I am the devil incarnate - please lay down your arrows DS fans). So the 1% miracle I was hoping for, can kiss my irrational behind that actually ships a rational script.
If by the end of ep 20 DS doesn't give JH closure - a reciprocation to his sincerity - and all she ends up giving him in return to his confession was that pathetic/patronizing smile at the bar/restaurant, then BYE FELICIA.
I wasn't always this nasty, I swear.
You're not nasty at all. We have been nothing but fair to DS all along and have tried to rationalize her actions to the best of our capabilities. But she is literally the least developed Kdrama heroine in a long time. I think last night's episode established that beyond all doubt. I don't mind her for choosing Taek but I mind her reasons for choosing the guy she did choose in the end.
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34 minutes ago, MrsSoJiSub said:
I NEED THE LAST EPISODE SO I CAN FULLY LET GO....IT ISN'T FAR...I CAN'T.....I CAN'T STOP CRYING....OH GOD WE COULD HAVE HAD IT ALL...SHE'LL NEVER KNOW AND NEITHER WILL HE WHAT ONE TRULY FELT FOR THE OTHER......I AM DYING....I CAN'T.....I DON'T WANT TO FEEL THIS ANYMORE....WAEEE BUT DID IT ALL REALLY MEAN NOTHING.....THE BUS...THE GLOVES..THE PINK SHIRT.....THE BEDROOM SCENE.....THE DON'T GO....WAS IT ALL FOR NOT.....NOOOOOOO.....WHY DID THEY GIVE US ALL OF THAT IF IT WAS FOR NOTHING.....OH DRAMA GODS IT HURTS........WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHWY WHWY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHWY WHWY WHY WHY WHWY WHY WHY WHWY WHY WHY WHY WHY THE ALLEY SCENE OH LORD MAKE IT STOP...
I feel your pain you know. We all do. We're all struggling to come to terms with this because it feels like a real tragedy. It's just that the writer pulled one on us by suddenly throwing all development of episodes 1-16 up in the air and writing a new drama from ep 17 onwards. I'm pretty sure she did this for the shock value and that the designated husband was JH all along. The ratings were already through the roof so it wasn't like the drama would fail at this point. So she utilized that creative freedom to give us a highly illogical turning point. This ending feels false and valueless and the emotions are not registering at all. But here's the good thing. This drama still remains Kim Jung Hwan's story, a story about his failed first love and how it gave him the most valuable coming-of-age lesson in life. His character underwent the greatest development in the story and he has secured a place in the hearts of millions of viewers worldwide. He will never be forgotten. Right now in my books he trumps even Bidam in Queen Seon Deok. Isn't that better than being a forgettable husband who got the girl in the end but failed to evoke such strong sentiments?
I'm far away in south Asia but here's an internet hug for you. Things will only get better from here on. We'll see RJY in something else soon enough.
Cheer up, girl.
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8 minutes ago, MrsSoJiSub said:
I am happy for Deok Sun, I really am; but my heart hurts sooo much for Junghwan....Why was I lead to follow his feelings this far....did we see that smoke running video wrong? It went Sunwoo, then Taek, then finally Junghwan caught up to Deok Sun and smiled....Where did I go wrong you guys? From where did I go wrong? It feels like before the break one thing was happening and then after the break another whole things started up...WHERE DID I GO WRONG!! But, all their merchandise advertises Deok Sun and Junghwan. The OST, the calendar, the MV's....WHERE DID I GO WRONG????
You didn't go wrong anywhere. Writer Lee Woo Jung is just high on LSD is all.
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5 minutes ago, EMM! said:
What i meant by "My childhood friend's ex-girlfriend" whom I ended up marrying-- if this is what they're rooting for and what everyone is still holding on to..
is if Junghwan ends up as the husband, this will probably follow Deoksun all her life hahaha! That she dated Taek and even kissed him more than twice In order for Junghwan to be the husband, Taek and Deoksun should realize they're not fated together.. which means breaking up sooner or later. But still, they dated. We can't change that fact. For us, she'll be the ex-girlfriend of taek who ended up marrying junghwan.
No I was wondering if the future husband uses this statement (line in bold letters) anywhere in the interview shown in ep 19.
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3 minutes ago, EMM! said:
This is confusing to me and my friends as well.There's no clear and linear timeline for ep19, so we don't really know for sure what happened first, next, and last.
There's still about 2 months left for 1994 when Junghwan's confession scene ended though.
That's pretty much the only thing clear (??) or something..
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"My childhood friend's ex-girlfriend" whom I ended up marrying-- if this is what they're rooting for and what everyone is still holding on to..
I'm sorry but it leaves a sour taste in my mouth. If they end up together, if there will be a plot twist, I sincerely hope they tie things together and make all their past, flaws, and mistakes be accepted, just like how true love works in real life.
NGL, it's sour because it's Taek.
We might have seen Deoksun dating other men, and probably kissing with them too-- we don't know-- and we might have known that Junghwan did date other girls and might have kissed them too-- we don't know-- but we can't take away the factor that they don't know these people they dated as hearfully as they know their childhood friends.
Aigoooo. They could've ended this episodes ago, or at least let Junghwan meet another and move on completely before overwhelming us with today's ep.
Or they could've released this for ep20 so no one will be too bothered since it's the last ep anyways!
HAHAHAAHAHAHA
Last day later!<3
Thank you for the niceeeeee and sweet ride!
Who said this? Sorry chingu, I did not have the heart to watch today's episode after all so could you enlighten?
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6 minutes ago, MrsSoJiSub said:
It all felt too easy. that's what's wrong with it. it felt like an ending without an ending. let me explain. before the episode began I knew they were going to go all in with Taek and Deok Sun like how they went all in with Jeong taking care of Chilbong all of episode 20. As the show progressed I wasn't worried because it was going just as I expected. I missed the first 10 minutes of the live stream but when you all mentioned the couple mentioning two kisses, I knew for sure TaekSun kiss of episode 17 was going to come back into play. I even commented here "maybe they are talking about the kiss that happened in ep 17" if someone has the time or patience to go back and look you may find it.
When you all said Taek had gone to visit Junghwan and it was that early in the episode to do so, I honestly expected they would actually talk about it, but when Junghwan just let it go, all water under the bridge that's when I got suspect with these writers. After that happened I said to myself this and I think I even commented about how they are conveniently keeping Junghwan away from things at base. "oh man are they really going to do this? they will have deok sun and taek date but it won't last. wait S, it all depends if they openly date or secretly do it." so the episode went exactly how I thought (with a lot of misleading) until the kiss and Deok Sun's reaction after the fact, I honestly was not expecting that. That threw me. At the same time I felt "didn't this come a little early S?" But then I was like okay I guess we get the reveal early and then we have some flashbacks and talks from the adults to sell it. But then we go to the adults and the seats are empty. they just stay on those empty seats. what am I supposed to be thinking? like the dream kiss this may or may not be real? the two that just kissed are not the two that are married? what am I supposed to think writers.
after all of that I still had hope because just the way they had been hiding Junghwan the whole episode was just too convenient. It felt like how oppa was in that elevator the whole episode, you thought chilbong finally had the girl, but then the elevator doors open and it throws everything out the window. in the end she gets one phone call that changes everything. this episode was going down that same route so in all honestly when Junghwan came back and was given the flowers, I thought something was going to pass between him and Deok Sun that would change everything we are/were being lead to believe. but then the episode ends there. it feels too much like they want me to believe taek the husband and have me believing take is the husband, for him to actually be the husband. it's silly but not really when you think on it. it feels like they knew everybody knew that Junghwan is the husband (well the majority of k-viewers that they are trying to appeal to that is). so to really get the "big reveal" factor out of the big reveal, they are throwing everyone a curve ball. doing something that will make everyone go WTF!!! I knew it!! In the end.
the more I think on it. the more I believe Junghwan is the husband and the big twist in coming. perhaps @blue_angel_1004 and I are both delusional? maybe we are reading too much or too little into things or missing the obvious. but if I am to believe the writers in their statement that they are going with the ending they always intended. looking at their official stuff, it's Junghwan. I reserve the right to be wrong and to have you all laugh at me about it tomorrow. but for me, at the end of the episode, thing just didn't sit right with me. I felt I was being played yet again (same as how I though the confession was a joke and many kviewers expressed anger at it being turned into a joke, but was it?) like they are leading me to that one thing, just so I will have my mind blown when they really show me where they had been taking me is always where we were going. they just hate that I knew the end destination before they got to tell it to me *shrugs*
so I guess I'm crazy as richard simmons (yes even with the youtube vid, which they can easily take down the title of.) because I am now 50% sure Junghwan is the husband. If I am completely wrong tomorrow then I accept that. But when have the writers ever made it this easy for us to know everything in the end and it's not even the end, we still got one more episode to go. so I have gone from 85% , 15% in Taek's favor. To 50% in both boys/men's favor. if I end up being wrong twice. I will laugh with you guys. it just didn't feel the end to me so i'll go with my gut.
I don't think there's any way to turn this around and not make this drama look like a trainwreck. It already is too much of a trainwreck at this point if we consider the narrative flow of episodes 17-19 which were completely untrue to the spirit of what the earlier episodes were hinting. Even though I want to have faith in that 50% chance/hope that you and @blue_angel_1004 share, it's over for me. Didn't the husband mention he has never been to school? And that their first kiss was in 1989 or something?
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6 minutes ago, papulichan said:
Okay...so first I get Chilbonged and now Jungpaled !!! BUAHAHAHAHAHA....
Didn't exactly get Chilbong-ed but Jungpal-ed I did get.
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6 minutes ago, carolinedl said:
I don't want to appear totally delulu, and I will respect it if TK ends up being the husband... But a part of me feels that it is not over. They are still so many things we are not seeing and all.
I know some DS/TK shippers are feeling the same way, some said so on the MT.
Let's just wait and see for tomorrow's episode. One never knows... At least we need closure.
@blue_angel_1004 or @lelee could one of you translate the preview for us please?
This ending feels so false and cheap to me. I am still going to hold out hope though. Something just feels wrong and rushed about this episode.
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26 minutes ago, Mecarine Wangsa Djaya said:
This is my first comment guys, after watching this drama,
At first I just love DS with SW, it's usual to fall in love with good boy.
But after watch eps 3, I fall in love how JH show his interest to DS.
Taek-kie is sweet, but I love when DS with JH. I have heartache when JH confess to DS,
it's so deep yet sad
That confession remind me every silly moment of JH and how he always came slightly late because of his doubtness.
I hope JH will be with DS. But, I do realize that Taek-kie have the bigger percentage after watch eps 18.
hiks
Yeah about the same chance that I have of becoming the American President.
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My god I'm so psyched right now I don't even know how I'll handle reading all your live-cap posts. Somehow a drama couple's getting together has been turned into a matter of life and death for fangirls the world over. As much as I find this funny, as a fangirl it still feels like my life is on the line.
Peeps, I know most of us have bawled multiple times while watching ep 18, but I noticed that there are just soooooo many JH-DS moments in the drama that they barely managed to cram in a third of them in those flashbacks and in that montage in the end. It's absolutely silly to even think of not making JH the husband after all this. More than half the drama is about the trajectory their relationship has taken over the years.
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21 minutes ago, MrsSoJiSub said:
When we finally get that kiss. IF we finally get that kiss, I am abusing that titanic (oh the irony) gif where the old lady says "it's been 89 years". My soul shall ascend to the heavens to personally thank the kdrama gods and also tell them it took long enough when we get that kiss. Frank Ocean will have dropped 3 comeback albums when we finally get that kiss. Barbra Streisand will have had a comeback and done 2 'Final Farewell Tours' when we finally get that kiss. The Redskins will have won the Super Bowl and the Los Angeles Lakers will be back to their glory, when we finally get that kiss. The Smiths will reunite and hold a sold out concert when we finally get that kiss. The Philadelphia 76s will actually win some games, when we finally get that kiss. The angel Gabriel will descend to bless all our lives when we finally get that kiss.
I can't believe it's been talked about since page 4 and now at almost 11,000 posts we still wait...slight hope, it dangles on a strong like slow spinning redemption...
Even though I didn't get about 60% of these references I lol-ed so hard while reading your post that now my mom thinks I'm some kind of loon. You rock you know that?
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20 minutes ago, honeywell said:
In all honestly what percentage do you guys feels that JH is not the husband? I'm currently at 10%.
1%. Even if they don't make him the husband, I'll consider ep 18 as the rightful end.
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@ihate0ni0ns Just want you to know that I love your videos. They're so on point every time. Excellent choice of music for the latest one.
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16 minutes ago, carolinedl said:
@ricenamja I have an error message right away...
Opening fine for me. Use https instead of http?
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1 minute ago, dairymilks said:
Where do I find @blue_angel_1004's subtitles?
Here you go - http://castingbees.tumblr.com/
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3 minutes ago, namunamuyeppeo said:
Use the subtitles released by @blue_angel_1004 and @castingbees. Those people have corrected all mistakes made by the moronic subbers at DF. Honestly I need to rewatch the whole series with corrected subs. That way more aspects of the narrative will be revealed or become clearer.
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1 hour ago, namunamuyeppeo said:
Yeah yeah, there is a possibility of that happening of course. I'm guessing Jaewoo is someone who's cool with everything. I'm sooo curious about what the interview is all about! I can't believe we're reaching the end already!
I'm just wondering, what's your thought about DS's job in the future? She said she works in her home office, and I saw some card boards posted on the background with some fashion designs on it, if I'm not wrong. Could it be that she changed her working path?
I think I heard adult DS say 'I'm part of the ground crew so I have lots of free time now' in ep 18.
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1 hour ago, papulichan said:
OMG !! I never noticed that !! Great eye , chinguya !! Yeah , that really makes me think now.... Isn't the Ruby "confession" ring more of say a promise ring or a proposal ring ( beside it being JH's graduation ring...)..I mean...
I think there's a reason why she doesn't wear a wedding ring. And that garish looking red-ruby ring is not something you can wear on an everyday basis and not have people peg you as a loon. I hope the ring has its narrative purpose. I mean that thing is so precious, so heavily imbued with meaning and emotional significance. It pretty much stands for everything single thing JH has ever felt for DS. Writer-nim, you better not let it go to waste.
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Okay guys another important thing I found by rewatching the episodes, adult DS does not wear a wedding ring or any ring at all. But Na Jung and Shi Won both sported wedding/couple rings in their present versions in Reply 1994 and 1997. In ep 1, 2 and 8 present DS (LMY) wears low-necked sweaters she is seen wearing a necklace with some kind of ring as pendant but it is not JH's garish graduation fiancee ring. It looks like a ring to me but some other kind. My inkling is that it could be her wedding ring but it looks too small to be honest. In other episodes in which adult DS appears (ep 6, 9, 18) she appears to wear either polo-neck or relatively high-necked sweaters so the necklace remains conveniently covered up.
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3 minutes ago, papulichan said:
Why do I have this slight hunch how the person behind the camera is the supposedly son -"Jae woo" that adult BR mentions on the phone to SW. Considering their current 2015/16 age bar...all of these kids are now in 45+ .. so I was wondering if indeed the name "Jae woo"...is SW-BR' son...he may be in his late teens and the whole interview thing may just be some school/college project.... Just a far-fetched thought...
Yeah I also remember in ep 18, DS mentions that she is doing the interview for 'unni'. It might be something relating to either Bora-SW's son/daughter's school project or something Bora needs at work.
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2 minutes ago, ash623 said:
about that bora thought, after i watch it again that part, i hear lee mi yeon voice instead the future bora voice. maybe it's just me...
but till ep 1 - 18 it's only DS and JH that narate the most of the story, same as reply 1997, only Shiwon and Yoon Jae who narates the story.
In reply 1994 all of them have their own part to narate the story, but most of the story is narated by samcheonpo.
No I'm pretty sure it was Bora who narrated ep 12 especially the bit about what it means to love someone.
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I majorly agree with everything @blue_angel_1004 said on the MT but I was wondering if everything unfolds from the husband & wife's perspectives, then what about all the episodes which featured Bora's narration in voiceover? How could either DS or future hubby have an inkling about what Bora thought or felt?
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In order for Junghwan to be the husband, Taek and Deoksun should realize they're not fated together.. which means breaking up sooner or later. But still, they dated. We can't change that fact. For us, she'll be the ex-girlfriend of taek who ended up marrying junghwan.
Ryu Jun Yeol 류준열 - [Best New TV Actor for 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards + Drama Category Rookie Male Award for AAA]
in actors & actresses
Posted
Saw the live event just now. Omigod the number of times he teared up while talking about that confession scene. T_T
Everyone thought DS and JH were endgame. The writer basically screwed up big time.