[Drama 2015] Answer Me 1988 응답하라 1988

[athie_aza]

16 minutes ago, carolinedl said:

 I would agree with this comment minus the sleep. They don't get much sleep, work long hours all the time, etc. PLus, once they make it big, they cannot go out like that. And let's not start with teh crazy fans... ha ha! For every job, there is a hard price to pay and it is pretty high for actors IMO.

Speaking of jobs, I am really looking forward to seeing what everyone will do in 1994.

I was sold on the whole JH being a doctor but now we have rumors that he is a pilot... Somehow, I really wanted him to be a doctor, I don't know why.

What do you guys think?

Taek = badduk player

Bora = lawyer, judge

DS = stewardess, actress

JH = pilot, doctor

SW = doctor, engineer, pilot

JB = ?? Entrepreneur? Househusband ? @MrsSoJiSub - what would you like your JB to do?

DR = TV personnality, comedian. I also think he could be an actor.

 

 

 

i think JB being a chef since he have skill making delicious kimchi fried rice. haha...

[toera]

24 minutes ago, carolinedl said:

 I would agree with this comment minus the sleep. They don't get much sleep, work long hours all the time, etc. PLus, once they make it big, they cannot go out like that. And let's not start with teh crazy fans... ha ha! For every job, there is a hard price to pay and it is pretty high for actors IMO.

Speaking of jobs, I am really looking forward to seeing what everyone will do in 1994.

I was sold on the whole JH being a doctor but now we have rumors that he is a pilot... Somehow, I really wanted him to be a doctor, I don't know why.

What do you guys think?

Taek = badduk player

Bora = lawyer, judge

DS = stewardess, actress

JH = pilot, doctor

SW = doctor, engineer, pilot

JB = ?? Entrepreneur? Househusband ? @MrsSoJiSub - what would you like your JB to do?

DR = TV personnality, comedian. I also think he could be an actor.

 

 

Since JB went to the temple and discovered that missing politician, how about reporter?  Apparantly no one else in Korea had managed to find that guy and it was the only chance we got to see him running.

[carolinedl]

@toera That's not a bad idea! Do you need a diploma in Korea to be a reporter? Though I guess we all the money he has, and MO as well, they could open their own newspaper!

[packmule3]

I have to post something from dramabeans. 

“Deok-sun runs up behind Taek when she sees him ahead of her on their street, and tells him that he must’ve had a hard day, and that he did a good job. It seems like exactly the thing he needed to hear (or maybe it’s just the person he needed to see), and he smiles and takes a decisive step forward.
She’s surprised when he holds onto her arm, and then he starts to lean in like he’s going to kiss her…. Omo. Omo.
But then he just rests his head on her shoulder and stays like that for a little while, and she stammers that he worked hard, and he smiles.” [credit: dramabeans]

I love dramabeans. I think she and her team do an awesome job with the recap. But people here at soompi must keep in mind their limitations. Because of the time constraints – they upload their recap speedily for the benefit of the non-Korean speakers – they don’t have time to write it like a romance novel (lol) or analyze the different layers of a scenes. They only narrate the story as they see it, and of course, they bring their own biases when writing. 

Which is perfectly fine!  I’d be worried if they don’t have biases. Like, what? Are their brains sieves that cannot retain past recollections of likes and dislikes? 

I can understand why JH-DS shippers would agree with dramabeans. dramabeans sees an exhausted guy, momentarily cheered up to see the girl he likes, approaching the girl and resting his weary head on the girl. Nothing more, nothing less.

But frankly I don’t understand why the TK-DS didn’t bother to CONTEST that point of view. lol?  Or maybe it’s because I'm trained to argue reasonable doubt that I don't mind questioning things?

 

Here is an alternative way of looking at this scene --  

It’s 11:00 pm. TK’s shuffling his feet as he walked down the street. How long had it been since his ride dropped him off? Was he waiting for her? She saw and she ran up to greet him brightly. Considering it was already 11 at night, she looked the same way she did when she left the house that morning.  She immediately cheered him up – which was interesting because it meant that she knew of the baduk results before their encounter. Did she check up on it herself? Or did she hear about it on the street on the way home? Her brother who was a baduk/TK fan had just heard of it on the 11:00 news. 

She said with a wide smile.  “Hey, Master Choi! Chin up!” 

He smiled, BUT note this: he WASN’T smiling AT HER. He was smiling downwards, as if there was something amusing him. Do you understand the difference?

 “Hey! Walk with your chest held high, at least. And lift your head!” she insisted earnestly.  She tried to make eye contact with him.

He finally looked up and stared at her with a dopey smile. She stopped talking. Her smile wavered a bit, and she began to blink. She looked at him, eyes widening and  eyebrows raised. 

Then, he took a step closer. Suddenly, the mood changed. She was looking down now, her eyes weren’t searching for his anymore. Her voice changed too. It was lower. Huskier? 

“Oh…I bet you had a really tough time today.”
Taek steadily gazed at her, but she kept her eyes averted. She also kept blabbering, as if to fill the silence. “Well, yeah…losses happen…”
Without a word, he took his hands out of his pockets, and he reached out to hold her wrists, gripping them. He took another step. She was finally quiet. He leaned in; dropped his head onto her shoulder. She seemed to catch it with her neck. 

[The camera focused on his face.] 
His head was resting on her shoulder, his face expressionless.
She stuttered. Her voice was hesitant, softer, totally different from the chirpy voice she had used early. “You… you worked hard.” 
And he smiled widely.

*******
See the difference between this one and dramabeans?  Because of what dramabeans wrote, most people didn’t see the nuance of their brief encounter. Moreover, the impression planted in the readers’ heads was that TK merely sought a comfy shoulder pillow buddy. Look, if you're a shipper for TK-DS, you shouldn't be accepting that kind of interpretation passively. lol. That's a very superficial way of looking at the script. You have to dig in deeper. 

See these points:

1) When she crept up to him and started talking, he was secretly smiling, NOT because he was happy to see HER, but because HE knew what she was up to: trying to cheer him up. He's been doing this all the time. He smiles even when she's not looking at him. Just check out the beach scene. Or the banana scene with NoEul.

 2) When he looked dopily at her, it wasn’t because he was so tired that he couldn’t focused his eyes. True, he was tired. But he was wryly amused by her efforts. No fool [and he's a genius] stares a girl like that for more 2 seconds without a thought entering his mind. A thought must be running in his head. lol. Like, should I kiss her? Will that get me slapped hard on the face? Maybe I should just check it out another day.

3) One thing for sure, Taek was thinking, muzzily, “This girl’s so cute.” Remember? He finds her cute all the time, even with the mice caper.   

4) When DS started blinking, her voice lowered, and she stammered, it was obvious that she felt nervous, disconcerted, unsettled. 

But why? 

If this was her friend she’s always felt motherly for -- as others claim -- then this was the perfect time to turn on that maternal love full blast. Like, pat his back, brush his hair, offer him milk and banana, babytalk, wipe his snot, coo… whatever. But she wouldn't be feeling like this all flustered and nervous, if her feelings were simply motherly. 

5) Finally, when he laid his head on her shoulder, sure, he was resting. But he definitely wasn’t dozing. Look: just because somebody’s face is expressionless doesn’t mean it’s not paying attention. Still water runs deep. 

Taek could have very well been waiting. Waiting for the next move. Waiting for a reaction from her. Waiting for the moment to pass, Or waiting for the moment of connection.

6) And when she stumbled on her next words, he knew. That was why he smiled. 

He didn’t smile because “Ahhhh! She appreciates how hard I worked today.” Nope! lol. What is he?? A kindergartner who needs recognition for his hard work? He had TROPHIES for his hard work. And accolades.  And millions of won. And liquor….let’s not forget liquor….
 
He smiled because he heard the confusion in her voice, her uncertainty, her awkwardness. 

Look: if you’re a boy in love, that’s what you’re looking for in a girl whose affection you’re also unsure of.You want to know that you haven’t left her cold or that she treats you like one of her “pet cases”.  Do you understand that? 

And Taec received confirmation. Hence, the smile. 

That was why the following day it was just fitting that TK greeted DS with that stupid syrupy silly sickening smarmy “Deok-sun, anyeeong.”  [So uncool. ugh!] 

But did YOU get the joke by scriptwriter?  

Last night, DS did all the talking. If you listen to the YT clip again, TK was silent throughout that encounter. SHE was the one making a fool of herself with her blabbering and stammering and sudden nervousness. This morning, as payback, it's TK who was looking foolish.

******************************  

Guessing time again: Do you think he lied here? 

@nearsea, Thanks for looking for that YT video.

@shooastrid, sorry about the baduk again. My laptop is wonky right now, but I'll post my prophecy tomorrow.  

[MrsSoJiSub]

1 hour ago, carolinedl said:

 I would agree with this comment minus the sleep. They don't get much sleep, work long hours all the time, etc. PLus, once they make it big, they cannot go out like that. And let's not start with teh crazy fans... ha ha! For every job, there is a hard price to pay and it is pretty high for actors IMO.

Speaking of jobs, I am really looking forward to seeing what everyone will do in 1994.

I was sold on the whole JH being a doctor but now we have rumors that he is a pilot... Somehow, I really wanted him to be a doctor, I don't know why.

What do you guys think?

Taek = badduk player

Bora = lawyer, judge

DS = stewardess, actress

JH = pilot, doctor

SW = doctor, engineer, pilot

JB = ?? Entrepreneur? Househusband ? @MrsSoJiSub - what would you like your JB to do?

DR = TV personnality, comedian. I also think he could be an actor.

 

 

I want Maggie Cheng for one reason or another divorce my Bong (maybe she got tired of all his hobbies and wasn't feeling much like Vienna). To get over the heart ache he goes on a wild American adventure to "find myself" to which mama Kim wonders ya this little richard simmons what the richard simmons had you been doing all these year. richard simmons find yourself!? This little richard simmons richard simmons richard simmons. Gotta love that woman. Anyways, while on his American adventure he drops by D.C and visits the monuments. While at the Library of Congress my Bong's ears and interest perks when he hears "the voice of the one he knew was destined for him" (blushes) give an interesting factoid about former president Roosevelt who once said "there is much to be learned from stamp collecting.." Eyes met, awkward shy smiles were exchanged. We went to Ben's Chili bowl talked about a lot of things (he was a bit unnerved that I knew he had a little brother and kept asking if he was married and if so "was it someone from your neighborhood? Didn't you tell me some family lived down stairs? You said they had a pretty younger daughter right? Two teenagers living under one roof, something bloomed right..? What became of him and her?" -as he was responding an ambulance came by and I never got to hear everything. All I got was "they are both very happy" then he was looking at me weird so I smiled and didn't bring it back up again). By the end of our meeting we exchanged number. We talked nonstop and I even went with him to New York and Las Vegas (what happened in Vegas stays there *winkwink*). He would fly to visit me and I would go see him in Korea. Unfortunately things just weren't meant to be between us. We lasted for 5 months and last I heard from him he's back with Maggie C (she really was the Vienna of his heart and I wasn't even a close Salzburg).

If only dreams really came true. For real I want my Bong to try the college entrance exam for the last time, and unfortunately fail yet again. He and his parents just accept that college was never in his cards and he moves on from that. He gets a job watching over the arcade in the neighborhood and after months of dating works up the nerve to formally meet Maggie C's father. Life is a twist because daddy Maggie C falls in love with my Bong and both share a love for winning chips prizes. Papa C is some big time antiques collector and actioner and runs many successful house of that field. He's really loaded and my Bong inherits the business when he marries Maggie C. To this day he is the happy CEO (and still obscure collector) of the whole business.

I agree with everything expect for my cold pit bull marshmallow. Once Blue put it out there I have become instant that Junghwan become a PD of some television show. Chances of that happening are slim, but I still want it. I want Taek to be a retired badduk player who like teaches it and runs the variety scene because of it. Ironically enough, the boy who hated giving interviews and such, is pretty damn funny and entertaining when allowed to free talk. I am really curious to see what princess Jinjoo became. I would give anything to have her be some big wig food critic or chef.

[carolinedl]

So we have:

Taek = badduk player, badduk professor

Bora = lawyer, judge

DS = stewardess, actress

JH = pilot, doctor, PD

SW = doctor, engineer, pilot

JB = entrepreneur, journalist, antiques collector

DR = TV personnality, comedian, actor (?)

[nearsea]

@packmule3 You're welcome =]] and thank you for the analyses.Such a splendid post,just based on that one and half minute clip! It's been a pleasure to read your amazing commentaries,and the way you break down each and every left out cues.On a first look,a lot of things seemed accidental and casually placed.But now after all these readings,the scatteredly planted dots have finally started to take shape.Rest of the week will go fast I guess .

[balladblue]

I agree with @MrsSoJiSub about wanting JH to be a PD. I like the unexpected aspect of it, yet at the same time it seems like the show has hinted at his interest and potential in the entertainment field. He loves movies, keeps current with the popular singers and songs, knows the trendy dances (Sobangcha!). Plus he can use the gag material from his Dad, lol.

Additionally, the show has portrayed JH as a sensitive person in that he is keenly observant to changes in people around him, and he seeks to understand what happened. For example, when he noticed his Dad was not happy, he sought DR's counsel and finally engaged with his Dad in the silly greeting gag. Also when his Mom was disappointed they were okay without her around, he initiated action to assure her that they still needed her. Moreover, he picked up on TK being jealous of their school field trips. 

I believe his sensitivity to and understanding of those around him would be greatly advantageous to a career as a PD.  Similar to our beloved Shin Wonho PD-nim, he would be able to give depth to his subjects and showcase their humanity and respect their vulnerability. 

 

[MrsSoJiSub]

3 minutes ago, balladblue said:

I agree with @MrsSoJiSub about wanting JH to be a PD. I like the unexpected aspect of it, yet at the same time it seems like the show has hinted at his interest and potential in the entertainment field. He loves movies, keeps current with the popular singers and songs, knows the trendy dances (Sobangcha!). Plus he can use the gag material from his Dad, lol.

Additionally, the show has portrayed JH as a sensitive person in that he is keenly observant to changes in people around him, and he seeks to understand what happened. For example, when he noticed his Dad was not happy, he sought DR's counsel and finally engaged with his Dad in the silly greeting gag. Also when his Mom was disappointed they were okay without her around, he initiated action to assure her that they still needed her. Moreover, he picked up on TK being jealous of their school field trips. 

I believe his sensitivity to and understanding of those around him would be greatly advantageous to a career as a PD.  Similar to our beloved Shin Wonho PD-nim, he would be able to give depth to his subjects and showcase their humanity and respect their vulnerability. 

 

You give me hope girl  and you are so right about his being attuned to the feeling of others. That aspect of his character is why I feel for his character. I was edging to him when he bawled up to fight the bullies for Dong Ryeong. I was getting warmer when he smirked at his mom mentioning that she gets jealous of the relationship Sunwoo has with his mother, and was a goner the moment he rightfully punched and cursed out (and poor cold pit bull marshmallow alone) and got a beating from said bully. I fangirl every time I watch the scene where he asks after Sunwoo's necklace and brushes off the concern for his bruises. The things you've pointed out shows he could make a pretty good PD (I actually want him to be a sadistic one like Nam PD LOL).

I like all the potential jobs we've come up with for the character. But they all feel so predictable that I feel the team will go in the very opposite direction with them. Like who really though that one dude from R'97 would work for the government in the country LOL or that Hoya's character would be the doctor (man this team really loves doctors). I thought Yoonjae would become a doctor and Hoya's character an entertainer of some sort (to go with his being an idol irl and a good dancer on the show). I am ready to be surprised by their career choices and future paths.  

[carolinedl]

14 minutes ago, MrsSoJiSub said:

 I am ready to be surprised by their career choices and future paths.  

 I am ready too! But R1997 was a bit different, no? Did they ever talk about what they wanted to become (It's genuine question, I cannot remember)? Plus the time jump arrived earlier so it was hard to predict who would do what...

I want to be the most surprised by DS to be honest. There is nothing wrong with the jobs I/that were mentioned but I imagined DS would do a job a little bit closer to people... She is so smart and also quite sensitive to others. Perhaps a school councelor? I love the whole school president incident in episode 15, so much that I want it to mean sthg in relation to her career. I had mentioned nurse but with her grades, that might be difficult... 

[packmule3]

Wedding Jokes x 2. 

Whether you ship a couple or not, you have to appreciate the sense of absurdity these scriptwriter and director have. They like to play inside jokes that probably aren’t meant to be seen until after the show and we know the final outcome of the husband-hunt. 

For instance, did you know that two weddings already occurred in the show? lol.

Remember how, in Episode 2, DS teases TK to drink his milk so he can grow up quickly and marry her? Well, DS’ wish actually comes true and the wedding happens before the episode ends.

Like this: 

After finishing a serious conversation with his future father-in-law (troll!), TK enters his quiet house and his gang surprised him with his birthday party aka THE wedding party.  

Presenting the groom, the bride, and the best men --

He supplies the drinks for the wedding (yes, the groom always pays for the bar at the reception). TK gets liquor from his tournaments, apparently. 

JH is the photographer. All weddings must have a photographer. Look at the angle of his camera. His camera was focused on DS. Not TK so TK had to side-angle to face him. The resulting pic would have shown a couple shot, TK and DS, just like a wedding photo. 

JH also tells him to change his clothes because he looks like an “old man” in them, meaning, TK has grown old enough to marry DS in reference to the DS joke about drinking milk to grow up.

SW turns up the volume of the TV because what wedding is without blaring trumpets and loud organ music? 
DR is the crazy emcee ordering people around. 
Last but not the least, the DS grabs his hand and with joined hands, they cut the wedding cake (aka the birthday cake).  

The joke would have been fne if it ended here. But this is the part I like best.  JH kicks him for no good reason. Hahaha. Seriously, if I were JH, I'd do more than kick him for stealing the girl. Probably pummel him to pieces? 

However, this joke isn’t complete. This is only half of it. This was the Western wedding. The KOREAN WEDDING occurred in Episode 12 -- lol – during the lessons on cursing. 

Again, parody is strong with this scriptwriter/director duo.

Typically in weddings, the groom says the vow first and the bride repeats the same words. In this case, however, the teacher DS says with the curse words first, then the student TK repeats after her. They both have their solemn faces on, and if you ignore the fact that they are spouting @#$!@#%, it appears as if they’re reciting the wedding promise. 

A picture says a thousand words. 

credit: dramabeans

The blanket covering the legs of JH, DR, and SW alludes to the paebaek ceremony. The parents sit in front of a low table with food. The couple sit on opposite sides of the table (in this case, a BADUK table, lol, nice detail, there) and an apron is spread between the bride and groom. Their parents will throw dates and chestnuts to the couple which they’ll try to catch with the apron. The number of dates and chestnuts caught will equal the number of future children. 

 

Now, as I said, these are meta-jokes intended for TK-DS. I do notice that the scriptwriter sometimes do parallel stories, for instance, there’s a jwi scene for JH then there’ll be a jwi scene for TK, a chasing scene for JH, then a chasing for TK. Although the scenes aren’t exactly alike, each one advances an insight into couple interaction.  

I’m hoping that they’ll do a parallel wedding joke for JH, too. But who knows? Probably the reason they don't have these inside jokes for JH-DS is that their real wedding is not a joke. lol. 

@sheza Thanks for suggesting the affinity between JH’s father and DS. Yes, I’ll look into that and post my thoughts on it soon.  

@shooastrid no bad u..  but I guess, you knew that already.

[Vannyah M]

Husband was revealed loooong time ago. Just listen carefully. I`m writing this from sound designers and sound editors point of view ( or better point of listening). *Hint- volume up the speakers at 29 seconds listen*

 

[toera]

@carolinedl If the diploma stops JB from being a reporter he can open a detective agency.

Spoiler

Where his fighting skills will be a problem haha.

MrsSoJiSub doesn't read spoilers.

 

[ihate0ni0ns]

@carolinedl Can I suggest a writer as DS's future aspiration? More like novelist maybe. The present scene where she showed and talked about her diary to the interviewer somehow convinced me that she could become one  

And by becoming a novelist, she works at home with flexible working hours so then she could occasionally does some charity works, visiting hospitals, and orphanages and maybe does some volunteer works there. And for all we know, she might become a philanthropist and that's why she's being interviewed, no? 

[Eichhoernchen]

Cant just JH be dancer? I mean he got the skill right there, even better dancer than the park nam jung of Ssamundong DR. His dance is such a eye treat. I want more really and cant we have nice thing, PDnim?

[MrsSoJiSub]

47 minutes ago, toera said:

@carolinedl If the diploma stops JB from being a reporter he can open a detective agency.

  Reveal hidden contents

Where his fighting skills will be a problem haha.

MrsSoJiSub doesn't read spoilers.

 

My Bong as a detective... I'm imagining him as some 1940's noir detective a la 'The Falcon Crest' and boy does he look good in my imagination (shawty can I...). I think he'd make a bad detective though because I can see him getting obessed with every little detail and taking like forever and a day to solve cases and once he does he'll let people go because of his soft heart or something LOL.

@packmule3 I find your second wedding analysis to be interesting. Taek's party I think was just a surprise party and teaching him to curse was teaching him to curse, but if what you wrote is the visual representation the writers were going for then it was a pretty clever move by them and pretty clever of you to catch that. I enjoyed that scene simply because Taek's last spot on impersonation of Deok Sun's cursing (I crack up at the little head thing he does) was spot on but still adorably funny. Now I'm wondering what other gems (if it holds meaning or not) I may be able to pick up on if I had some Korean culture background knowledge. I'm a bit sad faced at all the things I may have missed...

ETA: @ihate0ni0ns after Bora read Deok Sun's diary I too thought she would make a great novelist. That girl really has a way with words. Her diary entry was kind of vivid "as the dark night.." or something poetic and symbolic of her feelings.

[carolinedl]

@toera and @MrsSoJiSub I could totally see JB as a detective. He does focus on details, maybe too much. But he could also get himself out of some dangerous situations... though he is not very sawy. It could be quite comical Speaking of which, I really want to see what MO's father does. Maybe he could work with him (if he is not a gangster, which I don't think he is).

@ihate0ni0ns Yes!! or a screenwriter?

Taek = badduk player, badduk professor

Bora = lawyer, judge

DS = stewardess, actress, writer

JH = pilot, doctor, PD, dancer (!)

SW = doctor, engineer, pilot

JB = entrepreneur, journalist, antiques collector, detective

DR = TV personnality, comedian, actor (?)

[mellinadear]

*sigh*

EDIT: thanks @packmule3 for your wonderful analysis. That scene you mentioned of "JH kicking TK", I saw it as JH's leg being "tangled by TK's bag. He was tryna free his leg from it. That's how I viewed the scene anyway. Looking forward to more of your posts. Its great to see different points of view and how it can interpreted in different ways. Keep 'em coming.

[nearsea]

4 minutes ago, mellinadear said:

*sigh*

.

[snowglobe147]

Dear PD-nim,

If you haven't noticed by now, we have been waiting for a kiss between DS and either JH or TK for exactly two months now. So WHEN ARE WE GETTING OUR RICHARD SIMMONS-ING KISS SCENE???????????? I've been waiting long enough to make a list of requirements. The kiss must...

1. Be as good as or better than the SW/BR makeout

2. Last for like, five minutes, at the minimum

3. Be with JH (heehee, sorry Taek fans)

4. Be as thrilling as the DS/JH stuck in the alley scene

5. And -this one's major!- not be in the last episode.

We will all die of insufficiency before then, and you won't have any fans left to watch the show. The next episodes had better deliver and meet up to our standards (those two weeks we had to wait have been two weeks too long). We're expecting a mind-blowing, awesome episode that will surprise us, make us cry, laugh, cheer, and get a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Keep up with the good work! Hwaiting!!! (We only have two days left to wait! Hwaiting for us too!!!)

Sincerely, an avid, Reply '88-deprived, whole-hearted fan