[Drama 2015] Answer Me 1988 응답하라 1988

[kentangbakar]

14 minutes ago, DragoonKain3 said:

God damn, I will always remember Answer Me 1988 as the BoRa story. I love her speech where if it was even a 1% chance of it being Sun Woo, she would've taken it. When she hears the nickname, even though it wasn't Sun Woo, she was banking on even the 1% chance that he would hear about her. It's ironic that the 1% chance happened because her blind date had to save his future bride to be, so it really was a 1% of a 1% of a 1% chance of it being Sun Woo. Very very unlikely, but seriously, I think she was trying in this way for the past 6 years, so it was bound to happen with so many tries.

 

No one has went through as much character development over the course of the series as BoRa. Heck, pretty much EVERYONE is their 1988 selves. But BoRa? Started as this headstrong noona who expects everyone to obey her every whim, to someone who now cares about everyone's feelings. This is especially for Sun Woo, where it looks like she was trying to reconcile with him for so long, but didn't have the heart to do it head on when before that was all she did.

 

She might be successful in her job, but seeing her tiptoeing when it comes to love just makes her character so three-dimensional. BY FAR AND AWAY the best character in the story.

Thank you sooooooooooooooo much.

from, 

Bora supporter (Hehehehehe) =)))))

[Guest]

Now that I think about it -- i'm probably a mixture of all the ssammundong 5.

Junghwan: grumpy/prickly all the time

Sunwoo: study medicine

Deoksun: crushing on any1 i think likes me

Taeki: walkin around half-sleep

Dongryong: hmmm, my farts probably smell just as bad? 

[EMM!]

29 minutes ago, DragoonKain3 said:

No one has went through as much character development over the course of the series as BoRa. Heck, pretty much EVERYONE is their 1988 selves.

I believe it's not only Bora who made a really huge character development outside the Ssangmundong kids (our 5 leads)!

There's Jungbong.

Seriously. I will write a long post about how much his character has grown from the first time he was introduced (but I'll leave that after ep20~~ <3)

[tefb]

sungbora's wedding , papa sung can relax now

[athie_aza]

2 minutes ago, tefb said:

sungbora's wedding , papa sung can relax now

 

CONGRATS! SUNWO-BORA!!

[solelylurking]

3 hours ago, hushhh said:

 

I so agree with you on that. You may well have something in mind for a character and the character tells you NO, and you do it anyway, that story will never work.  

If you are lucky you characters will tell you how the story needs to go. It it hard when they are wrestling against your ideas, but it is even worse when they turn their backs and refuse to talk to you.

 

 

Yes that's true. Maybe you are a writer yourself dear @hushhh?

One of my head ache as a writer is when my character and the way the story goes just the way I want it doesn't work out. I've tried different ways, different lines, different situations, and it still feels off. Maybe that's what happen to Writer-nim. I'm actually sad when people bashed out her work and saying it's ridiculous or something harsher. It's not easy to work on something so sophisticated and elaborated as this. It takes time, maybe years to developed this. I'm lucky I've got to watched this. I'm not buying if they say they still working on the script. The main script obviously done. If they need a little touch up here and there that's given. Look it BR and SW. In the BTS we learned they knew their love line all along. Don't you think JH, TK, and DS don't? They knew and they work hard on it. 

I don't want to bring any ship down, maybe (just maybe) they really haven't decide the end game. But we all can see the glimpse of it. That's why some of us are angry. But please don't bashed the writer. She did a hella great job on it. Let's drink tea and enjoy the ride. 

[kentangbakar]

should we celebrate this?..1st time I think all thread related to R1988 in the same list? 

or did I miss any other thread?

 

[woohyunvevo]

this drama's got me mad, its got me stressed out

[tefb]

is that pink coat girl ds?

[monsterlife]

Finally I watched episode 17 & 18 with sub!
Wow the slow mo and the background music when Junghwan and Dukseon missed each other. And his confession  .  I guess the most painful for me was not how he ended it with a joke or how he seems to give up but Dukseon's face and action after the confession. She looked disappointed and it was just devastating.

Don't you think Dongryong have regrets on how he is compared to his friends? He spoke of how nice the past was. I want a happy ending for Dongryong. 

Episode 17 was just pure fluff for me as TK-DS shipper. Her monologue and her reactions with the princess carry. And the kiss is so pretty and so pink.  

After this episode and if I looked back at the other episodes I am 100% sure who the husband is. 

[nearsea]

3 minutes ago, tefb said:

is that pink coat girl ds?

Pink coat girl is MO.DS is probably the girl standing beside Bora.

[Howlol]

Congrats Sunbora fans!

[Abim Syazili]

19 hours ago, tefb said:

is that pink coat girl ds?

 

MOD EDIT: please do not quote images!

 

It's probably Man Ok lol

How pretty and casual she is.

[hushhh]

8 hours ago, solelylurking said:

 

Yes that's true. Maybe you are a writer yourself dear @hushhh?

One of my head ache as a writer is when my character and the way the story goes just the way I want it doesn't work out. I've tried different ways, different lines, different situations, and it still feels off. Maybe that's what happen to Writer-nim. I'm actually sad when people bashed out her work and saying it's ridiculous or something harsher. It's not easy to work on something so sophisticated and elaborated as this. It takes time, maybe years to developed this. I'm lucky I've got to watched this. I'm not buying if they say they still working on the script. The main script obviously done. If they need a little touch up here and there that's given. Look it BR and SW. In the BTS we learned they knew their love line all along. Don't you think JH, TK, and DS don't? They knew and they work hard on it. 

I don't want to bring any ship down, maybe (just maybe) they really haven't decide the end game. But we all can see the glimpse of it. That's why some of us are angry. But please don't bashed the writer. She did a hella great job on it. Let's drink tea and enjoy the ride. 

 

Yes, the writer has done an amazing job.

Sometimes it is frustrating to read comments complaining that people favorite characters are suffering.  It feels like people don't understand that is what is suppose to happen.   There is no point in telling stories where characters are pretty, happy, and get what they want when they want it. The only place that makes sense is when you are drawing a picture book for children. 

Look, I'm going to be disappointed if the person I'm fulling for don't get the girl. I might even be bitter.  But art allows us to the have those feelings in a safe way then get back to reality.  The point of watching some of these drama is to fall in love with characters and suffer with them as they grow as people. Complaining about their suffering (this actually isn't a problem in this particular forum) it's like getting on a roller coaster and complaining because the ride is scary. Duh.

I write and have an MFA in it, but I wouldn't call myself writer because I went to school with writers and they are always writing.  They have to write like sharks have to swim. I'll write "creatively" if someones ask me to. I do academic writing because I thought something through and want to share it and its a part of my job progression requirement. 

I use to be inspired to write when something didn't make sense in the world and I want to create a world where I could fix it. Now I prefer to teach performance and supervise my student as they devise projects.  I don't "teach' writing right now because there are more accomplished playwrights in the department that do it and I have different specialities I can bring to the team.

But when it comes to writing, characters can be stubborn. I tend to be a late starter.  I do my first draft in my head. If I put a creative peice on paper too soon I'll never get the story done. For me , starting late allows the characters to mature so by the time I begin  they are grown enough to tell me who they are and what they want.

 

[nearsea]

3 minutes ago, tefb said:

is that pink coat girl ds?

Pink coat girl is MO.DS is probably the girl standing beside Bora.

[angelxglo]

22 hours ago, __jesse said:

 

Cut to save space.

Why then did she choose to wear Taek's mittens in ep 8? She was "dying to make it obvious, but didn't want to get caught." She chose to hide her feelings of infatuation for JH, and wear the mittens which didn't bear any emotional attachments. Contrast the moment when she tried on JH's gloves and that moment when she put on Taek's mittens. Girls can be complicated. Simply because they chose A over B doesn't necessarily mean that they preferred A to B. 

mod edit: please do not quote images!

At this point of the drama, I think that if JH had confessed there and then, he would've gotten the girl. Perhaps that's why everyone thought JH was endgame, we could see it happening. But JH hesitated, and that was his achilles heel. He waited all the way until Taek confessed in front of the boys in ep 10. Which raises another question: was JH's retreat truly an act of noble idiocy, or was it an excuse for his hesitation and lack of courage? 

 

I couldnt agree with you more on the above 2 points. JH's choice so far is clearly a blurred line between noble idiocy and lack of courage or both. On that note, I think this point of the story makes sense cuz Taek acted instead of hesitated.

but, i've been thinking about it for days now and I just can't logically comprehend the idea of Taek being the husband. I have been reading alot of DSxTaek and while i do see their point, I just can't find any evidence from my point of view that DS likes him as a man, yet. DS only started to see Taek as a man until the most recent episodes (from the soccer field onwards). She jokes that taek should hurry up and grow up and marry her more than once, but those are more on the humor side. She takes care of him like she takes care of her little brother. I think there were more than 1 scene through out the whole series thus far that makes this distinction very clear. On top of that, during episode 18, with the news article reported that taek is a female actress's ideal type, she asked if she's crazy( or something along that line?). When taek showed up infront of the concert hall, her face was *mong~* expressionless. when they walked into the concert hall, they were not walking side by side, instead, she led the all the way into the hall. DS just kept insisting that she wasn't dumped. When taek gave her his jacket that he wasn't even wearing, her answer was "i'm not cold" even when she was clearly freezing outside. it just doesnt add up for me.

Also, while JH was making his "confession", isn't it really obvious that the director/writer was putting extra effort into showing that DS looking at the door everytime someone walks in and JH taking note of it. I find it very suspicious, like they want to shift our attention somehwere else other than DS's facial expression.

also, i would like to point out that the last episode of 97 was titled "why first love don't work out (something along that line)" and 2nd to last episode of 94 was "beginning of the end".

Can't you tell i ship JH. LMAO.

[unkyung]

Everyone just enjoy the show. There is only two episodes left. The ship has already sailed. The script is pretty much done. Also in true reply fashion, the last two episodes will be speed warp, rushed and somewhat unsatisfactory for everyone no matter what ship ( or non ship) your on. Personally I just ship the show. I'm not big fan of most kdramas, but love the reply series. 1988  really gets my heart cause I lived( early childhood) in korea during the 80's. 

 

On on a side not I needed to rant. I watch in raw, but I also like watching it again with subs to make sure I didn't miss anything. Wth  Dramafever! Why post the episodes if ther aren't available to watch?

[athie_aza]

23 hours ago, emy_rose said:

Yes, packmule3 it's really a good thing to have an open mind...

Before I start I'll like to tell you to not take offense by my words if they are highlighted because I decided to borrow some of your phrases and use them to let you understand what I'm saying,  for you convenience I'll highlight them for you...  because it’s obvious if you know where to look

Now about the open mind I think you'll like what I found on another forum:

in this thread I read mixed or even opposite comments and responses... but everyone has a right to his or her own preferences, choices and opinions, even if you don't share them: to each his own

I really have an open mind so I'm sure that this is what you're talking about and that you are not ignoring my posts because you don't want to discuss your POV with someone else, ignoring the free country it's not open minded thing to do... the free world is open to dialogue.

So since you're saying the same thing but you're using words that are not reflecting your open to new ideas attitude I'll just show you how misleading it's what you wrote... don't worry it’s obvious if you know where to look. I’ve highlighted that part for you

I'm sure you can follow your vow better than this without belittling half the people of this forum

Yes, what you wrote about JH and Taek it's right... but the fact that the writer chose to show DS wearing the mittens only one time even if a lot of episodes are set during the winter season cannot be ignored simply because of shipping.

And is it right if we viewers think that DS is not keeping the gloves that the boy she liked gave her?

Now my mother still has the gifts of her ex-fiance even if she married my father 38 years ago... because they're memories to cherish. So don’t go for the obvious decoys. Look instead for subtleties and take a moment to think -- could we really do that? think that DS is not keeping the gloves?

I only pledge one allegiance here: to the scriptwriter... so if it can be true that Taek confessed after the concert in ep18 but we didn't see it yet it can be true that DS weared the gloves but we didn't see it yet... it's something the Reply series always had: flashbacks with different POV or with scenes we didn't see at all before.

In fact, the end of ep18 was a sequence of flashbacks from JH's POV and we saw scenes we didn't saw before...

and in episode 6 when we learned that SW liked Bora there were a lot of flshbacks and scenes we didn't saw before using SW's POV...

Bearing in mind this, it's right to say that it's hasty and superficial to think that the writer didn't have anything else to say with 2 episodes left... the one where we'll see for sure who is the husband.

Moreover we have seen that DS really liked JH but we haven't seen for sure what she thought about Taek's feelings and if she is not taking care of him like a litlle brother anymore... suppositions can be wrong: mine and yours, we need to be impartial.

In truth I won't be so shocked if we'll see DS's POV flashbacks... maybe one will be about the gloves... we didn't see DS's POV since the talk with DR so I believe that with 2 more episodes there's all the time we need for more than one flashback.

 

In episode 7:

Is it so strange that a brother is belittling her sister? We have proof that No eul didn't think her sister is a beauty... there was that time when they were watching the TV and DS asked if she was more beautiful of a korean actress or singer (idk who she was, but she was a beauty showed in TV) and NE looked at her like if she was a crazy person... he doesn't think it possible that her sister is a beautiful girl.

Taking that in consideration I can understand why he said that JH must be crazy... I don't think that it ever crossed his mind that someone can like his sister... so why is JH spending money for DS?

He must be crazy...

NE didn't know that there is a reason why JH brought the gift - JH likes DS - so NE supposition is not something to consider

In episode 13:

It's really so important that the person that was reading the paper and that shoved it in DS's face, paper where there’s Taek pictured with his winning trophy, is NE?

What difference would it made if DS's father was the one? Or Bora? Now with Bora I'm sure it would have been more funny because that's an opportunity to tell DS that she is a pabo... something that she always do... but anyone can serve the purpose of showing the paper.

And in truth DS doesn't really cherish that gift... it doesn't matter how much it's worth or how hard it was for Taek to win it that trophy became a flower vase in the end: I’ve screenshot the necessary scene for you convenience

 

The interesting here is the cosmic joke:

That thing was an useless thing for the Sung's family and even if it was saved from being a kimchi container it became a flower pot put in an angle in the end... goat sound.

Why did you wrote "Suddenly, JH’s gift paled in comparison. Which sucks if you're his shipper"?

What about the "it's just the thought that matters" philosophy?

Is DS such a venial person that cared about the money more than the feelings? She never was before

70,000,000 won or more means nothing if there's not heart in the gift... and I'm not saying that Taek didn't put his heart in that gift, I'm saying that there's no need to point out the material value of one gift over the other... what it's important it's the sentimental value of the gift and I pledge my impartiality when I say that both gifts are important and are at the same level for JH and Taek shippers...

Now since I ship the writer I think that the most important thing is which one DS cherish more? I'll wait till the end to know the truth because making conjectures now is illogical assumption and the writer hoped audience will fall for this.

First of all it's not an Arthurian legends... I don't want to seems the I-know-everything kind of person but what you said it's incorrect, don't just post what you saw on internet believing that it's the truth... it’s obvious that it's possible to made a mistake if you blindly post other people words without reserching it first. I'll post the right origin of the chivalric analogy like a spoiler because it's a little long and it's out of topic/not related to R88 drama... and I know that it can be boring

  Reveal hidden contents

you read this, right?

http://www.jwpitt.com/favor.htm

where it says Arthurian legend

and this?

http://www.jwpitt.com/favor.htm

where it says the thing about "the most prized possession" and you put together the 2 sites words... that's a misdirect, nothing more.

For now I’ll only explain a little  the Lady's favor origin for you: it's a Middle Ages real custom... 

I love everything that is Middle Ages - I don't know how many books I read that are set in that period or where the subject it's that period... but it's really better not to let me wander off the topic... anyway do you understand your mistake?

To those who need explanation I'll point out the important point here:

King Arthur is a legendary british leader and his historical existence is still debated and disputed by modern historians (these are wikipedia words... but I knew it since forever, I was so little when I first watched "The Sword in the Stone" Disney movie)... so how can it be right to say that the Lady's favor is a legend (of another legend) when in truth it's a real thing?

Just to let you know it because maybe you are curious (since you searched google for your theory you must be) the Lady's favor custom during the Middle Ages, when the tradition in Chivalry of a Knight carrying a Lady's favor into battle or tournament ( right phase from one of the link you found), was an important real tradition and real habit, not a legend.

If you want we can talk about it more somewhere else.

Now back to your post:

It's really creative that you saw that analogy... don't take offense I'm not saying that's not possible: it's possible and you can say it, remember we are open minded... I'll just disagree with you.

Just to point out another possibility, a more down-to-earth one, I want to share something that I and everyone I know always do:

When I go on a trip I always bring back a souvenir for my family and for my friends... it's not something that I do to be chivalric, it's just something that I do because I care

And I'll tell you more: if it's one of my family or my friend that it's going  to the trip I ask for the souvenier... if they're going without me the least they can do is bring back something, it's a courtesy for the one that it's staying at home.

Now I'm not saying that what it's normal in my country it's the law, even if before now I always thought it was a worldwide custom, I'll just say that's a possility too that the souvenier it's only a courtesy.

By the way since you can be right I'll search more about this: can you imagine the embarrassment if I ask for a souvenir from a male friend from another country that I don't love and he thinks that I'm telling him to came back to me with a proof of his love? No, I'm kidding I won't search it because like I said I disagree.

P.S. DS's favor in your analogy it's really not special at all... many times she took care of Taek when it's cold like a mother/older sister, really I already told the good ladies here a long time that and you don't understand what I'm saying. Read my posts again... for you convenience I'll tell you again where to found them: pag 412, 415 and 424.

I know I'm really kind to tell you the pages, no need to tell me so... I just want to help you since we both only pledge one allegiance here: to the scriptwriter... we are not like the myopic ones who didn't pay attention to the script, and instead focused on the shipping... It's not the scriptwriter's fault if people wish to deceive themselves. It's a free world; there are no "thought police" out to imprison people for their delusions. 

P.P.S. I'm sorry to all of you for calling you myopic and delusional, please don't take it to heart because these are only  packmule3  words that I'm using because we are both impartial person who ship the script.

I really need to tell packmule3 thanks because after more than 300 dramas that I watched she was the first person ever that let me understand that I ship the script too...

Since I'm liking R88 it means that I'm liking the writer's work in other words I'm liking the script: that means that I ship the script too and since I ship the script I'm impartial

It's easy to understand... right ?

I'll tell you more if you don't ship the script you are not liking the drama?

Taek's shippers, JH's shippers are you liking the drama?

If yes maybe you are a script shipper too... you just don't know it yet because like me this is your first time knowing about the script shipping... thanks packmule3 to share with us the joy of being a script shipper.

Now it's only normal that I'm understanding things in my own way... and I can't be so arrogant to believe that what I think it's the only possible interpretation... like I said I'm not omniscient ( I wrote it at pag 424 packmule3)

I think that it's only a coincidence or a natural disposition or a cultural fact or something else that I don't know the reason why my impartiality is different from packmule3's impartiality... it's all relative

I'll not point out the fact that my impartiality is always for the boy I think it's the first lead and packmule3's impartiality is always for the boy she/he think it's the first lead... ok I just pointed it out, my bad...

but I did so just to let other people understand this "I-ship-the-script" thing.

This one is a personal idea, please don't go there after I so well explained the "I-ship-the-script" ship... it can be read us an illogical assumption of a Taek's shipper that the writer hoped audience will fall for.

I'm so sorry you pointed out a shipper thing, anyway I don't see your point...

Are you saying that she learned to put the cocktail umbrella in her hair during her trip in China?

This one is a chinese girl

  Reveal hidden contents

 

I don't see umbrellas, I searched a lot but I only saw girls with hair ornaments

This is MGIAG's photo where there's a traditional girl

  Reveal hidden contents

Hair ornaments are a korean tradition too

so is it really right that DS learned to put ornaments in her hair during her China trip? I don't think so since around the world women use to put ornaments in their hair since... I don't know... forever?

In the Middle Ages that you pointed out with your lady's favor analogy women used to put flowers in their hair... this of course doesn't mean that if I put a flower in my hair it's because I'm back from a museum visit... maybe I put it in my hair because a flower in the hair can make me cuter than I'm - for the record I'll never put a flower in my hair now, but I used to when I was little... a lot of children do this.

Anyway are you telling that she was excited because that was the first time she saw a cocktail umbrella? I think that the excitement was for the french dessert, but I'll follow your cocktail umbrella supposition for now.

So was China the only place where she could have seen the cocktail umbrella before that dinner?

Why? Because the cocktail umbrella seems a chinese umbrella?

Look what I found:

The cocktail umbrella is believed to have arrived on the bar scene as early as 1932 courtesy of Victor Bergeron in San Francisco, a bartender who lived in Cuba and Hawaii to learn about tropical cocktails

So the cocktail umbrella is not from China but from San Francisco and it's origins are in Cuba and Hawaii...

Really if the scriptwriter is such a troll that didn't show DS's trip to San Francisco to us till now and that he will show it only in the last episode I'll quit my shipping-the-writer ship

But maybe this is not what you mean, that the cocktail umbrella is a chinese custom... because IT'S NOT.

It existed since1932, so is it wrong to say that in 1988/89 they were all over the world? Most likely yes

Now my POV is obvious if you understand what I'm saying. I’ll show you

The cocktail umbrella is not chinese custom and it was all over the world by now... so it's imaginative to think that DS learned about it during her China trip... maybe she saw it before in Gangnam, the poshest neighborhood of Seul... I know for sure that she went there before.

And about "why was Taec grinning again? Why did he find her cute? lol."

I think the he is smiling because he thinks that she is cute since he likes her and he told so in episode 10...

Since that dinner is in episode 12... what do you think it's so strange that you ask why he found her cute?

We all know he likes her... no lol for this.

 

 

I dont know how many time I've laugh becoz of your post. I think i should join script shipper fans club immediately...

 

[Meliere]

GUYS GUYS GUYS before someone develops a hemorrhoid and we all rush to the emergency room for another round of Reply General Hospital ...

CAN WE ALL TAKE A DEEP BREATH and chillax .. a little?

Here's a serving of reali-tea: by this saturday R88 will be over. richard simmons over. Yes. No more squad. No more garlic. No more Jung Bong. No more Cheetah and Papa Bear and Princess Jinjoo. 

By saturday, the husband will be revealed 100%. So just sit back. Wait. And. See. 

What's the point of fighting now? Why can't we--in honor of the family and love and warmth that has been r88-- channel the spirit of the show a little, and not be such banshees over shipping? 

Here's another serving of reali-tea: the world is filled with beautiful, compassionate, and smart girls. DS isn't the only 'worthy' girl out there. Kdramas make this mistake of playing reverse-harem. If I have ONE complaint about R88, it's that it is seriously unfair in its portrayal of girls. The show has so many fantastic male characters and bromance is explored 600% every episode, and yet DS-BR is underdeveloped and DS seems to be the only conventionally pretty girl in the universe. But rest assured shippers, the "odd" boy out is going to get his gorgeous wonder girl. There's no such thing as the "forever alone second lead" in Reply universe. 

Also, JH and TK are co-leads in that they are both integral to the show. To dismiss one or the other in favor of your ship is such a shame. Both are so much more than the husband game; both are heroes:

• Taek is a hero for fighting the narrative itself and for dismantling genre tropes / viewer assumptions. The story keeps on drawing limits around his existence (he can't do this! he can't do that! he's never around due to baduk! late entry! shoudn't he be weak and clingy?), and yet as a character he keeps on crossing the line. 
• Jung Hwan is a hero in the classic sense: he is the narrator/protagonist of a "coming of age" tale-- one filled with youthful humor and foibles, and one in which painful lessons are learned and growth earned. 

 

Because the taektanic has already written so many words on Taek, I'm not going to talk about him here. Instead I want to focus on Jung Hwan. Because I love Jung Hwan.

And you know what? The writer also loves JH.

Truly she does. She couldn't have written a more poignant arc for him. Many of my fellow TK shippers were weeping right there with him on saturday. I know I personally spent much of Sunday crying. "But fate and timing aren’t just coincidences that find you. They’re moments like miracles, that arise out of choices made." JH is so damn relatable. The realization that inaction too is a form of decision, and how despite our best intentions, the heart too can quail ... all of it hit me so hard. Like the squad in 1994, I'm in my twenties and am approaching that age when I can't write things off as a "youthful indiscretion". I can't blame my indecisions on "oh I'm still trying to figure out what I want from life." I cried so hard because JH's words expressed everything I've ever been anxious about decision making and the need to take responsibility for one's own fate. 

In a kdrama universe where all the male leads are perfect, and "first" vs "second" male lead is only matter of actor billing and genre maneuverings ... I want to hug the writer for crafting two wonderfully flawed male characters who've been given the liberty to "live" and "breathe" and "transform" within the narrative.

I also want to point out one interesting aspect about JH's characterization... 

Have you guys noticed that, out of all the male Ssangmun-dong characters, JH is the most relatable? Characters like DR, JB, SW, and TK have such 'hardcore' unconventional traits that their identities are incontestably their own (DR by any other name would not be DR .. like I can't say some other character in a drama is a Dongryung). How many of us are class presidents? How many shove garlic up our butts? How many can't park nor tie their own shoelaces?

But I'll bet my last banana that everyone here can find a piece of their heart in JH. 

This is because the writer likely formed JH to be an audience surrogate. I'm not bringing up this term as an insult. All popular fiction needs an audience surrogate. Can you imagine Sherlock without Watson? Tolkien once admitted that "The Silmarillion" was less popular than LOtR because it lacked an audience surrogate. This is because as viewers or readers we yearn to identify with a character and experience that particular fictional world through their eyes. Have you guys noticed that JH is always watching, observing, or narrating? Through him we as audiences also watch, observe, and narrate. 

R88 is amazing in that it weaves together several narrative arcs. TK's arc can be read as an allegory of a single baduk match. SW's is about the metamorphosis of loss into attainment (it is through his father's death that he matures into a competent young man, falls for his BR, and gains an even larger family). In my opinion, JH's arc is a near-perfect bildungsroman (a.k.a. the coming of age story, the novel of education, the novel of formation etc...).   I know JH shippers like to jab @packmule3's silver pen straight in her eye, but please PLEASE give her credit for this amazing summary of JH's growth and characterization:

Spoiler

 

First off, I don’t know which ship you’re in, but I’ve to give you fair warning. If you’re a TK-DS shipper, please do not use my arguments to dismiss JH as a character. To do so is to diss the scriptwriter.  I’ve two sons whom I both love dearly so I know well that the scriptwriter has two “sons” here in this story of hers whom she loves equally…though differently.  Even if that character isn’t going to be OTP, it doesn’t mean that he was a minor consideration to the story. Both characters are integral to the plot. Yin-yang.

The key to understanding JH is the script. The Adult DS introduced him as “dog. Not fully human.” In contrast, Sunwoo was classified as fully “human” because he’s the “most normal” person in the gang.  

Just keep in mind that JH is neither an angel nor a devil. He’s in the process of maturity. His flaws will be on display at the beginning of each episode, but his new and improved self will come out in the end. Therefore, if you’re only highlighting a segment of his behavior -- either BEFORE or AFTER his growth -- then you’re only getting HALF of the picture. Each episode presents a facet of his self-discovery because this show is about his coming-of-age as much as it is DS’ coming-of-age. Unfortunately, because of all the shipping and the husband-hunt theme, we’ve had arrested view of his development. 

But I’ll give the shippers some examples of what I’m trying to say. I’ll cite four episodes which are the briefest to explain. The others are too long, and I don’t have time now.

Episode 1. Hand in Hand. 

JH siphons money from his mother. The “totally human” SW asks only for 1000won from his mother for contribution while JH asks 30000w. As a consequence of his scam, he feels he can’t ask for more money when his cash and his shoes are stolen from him. He suffers in a silence; perhaps with guilt, perhaps with embarrassment. His mother discovers about the bullying, and without directly confronting about it, reminds him gently that she’s always there to talk to. His life lesson: He may think that he’s too cool to be hugged by mom or tell his problems to mom, but mom will always be there for him. 

Episode 2. One Thing You Misunderstood About Me.

The “totally human” SW rightly avoids playing soccer with the school bully, but JH says the bully is just fine; he doesn’t smoke [Note: JH doesn’t smoke. The cigarettes aren’t his. That was a troll by the scriptwriter/director. Haven’t people noticed the pattern in their trolling yet? They should..because they mean something.]  

JH wonders why SW doesn’t just give up his medallion to appease the school bully. But later, he punches the bully after the bully taunts SW again. His life lesson: Family, friends, respect, and honor are some of the things in life worth fighting for.

Episode 8. One Warm Remark.   

Our JH learns two lessons on love here. First, girls don’t dance silly in front of the boys they love. 

Second, his Hyung loves him very much. His Hyung’s last and first thoughts were of him. What was his last thought? When he feared that he wasn’t going to survive the medical procedure, he packed up his meager worldly possessions and bequeathed them to JH to remember him by after he was gone. What was his first thought? When he finally opened his eyes after surgery, his first concern was JH’s nosebleed.  We also see a bit of JH’s stress symptoms. Although he’s stoic throughout the ordeal, he shows his anxiety with nosebleeds.

But what can we glean about his character from this episode? This: he’s a good kid, but he’s not THAT perceptive about human nature. He can’t intuitively “read” emotions, and he’ll most likely misinterpret them. He needs guidance from people around him like DR. For instance, his mother’s facials/spa treatment right before his brother’s surgery? It was a coping mechanism for her. She was trying to relax before this stressing situation. She was showing everybody false courage because she knew they derive their “cues” from her. Meaning, if she was worried, then they were worried too. [Symbolism here: the free samples. SHE ordered the real stuff so the other ahjummas could have the freebies they couldn’t afford.]  

 

 

There's a narrative reason for JH's incredible relatability. We viewers are supposed to be emotionally right there with him as he journeys through each episode only to come out a better person at the end. We too learn from his mishaps and misunderstandings, and cheer when he overcomes.

This is why JH is a hero. Not because he bickers with DS. Not because he seems 100% likely to be the husband according to some shippers. To borrow @liteulkwin's words, it's okay to have multiple fates. He could be the husband. Or he could not be the husband. But that in itself does not reduce or take away from the incredible justice the writer has given JH. 

[MrsSoJiSub]

One thing that has been nagging at me is why exactly adult Deok Sun is being interviewed. I think last episode made it kind of clear that the interview is focused on her and not the husband so now I"m wondering why. Maybe at some point in the future she stops being a stewardess and becomes a famous or important something or another that is worth interviewing. What that is exactly....I keep thinking and thinking and still come up blank. One thing that fits is that she became a big romance novelist. When we first see her interview she is reading her diary and the particular portion is about a crush. Perhaps she was doing that to show where inspiration and interest in love stories and romance began at such a young age...? Or maybe she has kids and they are big and famous and she is being interviewed because of them *shrugs* ? Why is she being interview? More than HSI (Husband Scene Investigation) I want to know why Deok Sun is being interviewed? Maybe she is part of some bigger documentary on friends turned lovers...a new segment on past famous stewardess? But she keeps talking about her youth yeah, but a lot of question and such have been focused on the journey of her and her husband's love story. Yeah maybe she is part of documentary project on love....What do you guys think? Do you think Dong Ryeong will stay working in his brother's restaurant for life? If not what will he grow to become? Des Noeul  ever make it big as a singer? And where in the world is Joey Wang?