[Drama 2015] The Village: Achiara's Secret 마을- 아치아라의 비밀

[liddi]

Thank you so much to @baduy, @jayakris and everyone else who understands the nuances of the language and are so willingly sharing it with us. Truly insightful and gives a different perspective as to what I have interpreted based on available subs (C-subs or English - both Viki and DSS). Thank you too @baduy for the latest of the character profiles... agreed that having read them after watching C-subbed Ep3, I now approach Ep4 with a different mindset than how I would have, had I not been privy to it. 

This drama just gets better and better... and I can honestly say that it is the one that keeps me waiting on pins and needles for the next episode. From the looks of it, the current string of attacks might have led further back than expected, with the possible reveal of a past survivor that I did not expect. The supernatural side is considerably toned down in this episode, while characters are getting fleshed out more, and we see facets to characters which makes me rethink my initial impressions of them. I love how the drama is progressing and how it continues to surprise me, just when I thought I had figured certain aspects out. Alliances too appear to be oft-shifting, and characters still remain at varying shades of gray for the most part except for a very few, unless of course these too become red herrings. Wonderful wonderful performances from all, and I can't wait to dive back into the eerie world of Achiara.

[Impossibility]

the soundtrack that goes "lalala" or something, is it a well-known piece? Because I've heard it in American Horror Story, and I thought it was exclusive to that series but apparently not?

[IBELIS]

After watching episode 3 these are some thoughts that popped into  my head. The drag queen was the walnut man.the dental records matching doesn't make the corpse be HJ. I'm holding out for the forensic report. Just because GH seemingly got off the plane from america doesn't mean he had never returned to Korea before. Was that really a ghost that YN saw? BW is supposed to be mentally challenged but he was the only one who thought to go through HJ belongings in the storeroom.  Now that the police know that HJ has been missing awhile and believe the dental records are a match why aren't they looking at her belongings for clues.If the woman that raised SY was her Gma why didn't she take the sister as well, or ever mentioned to SY that she was alive. If the body is HJ why was she killed?

I know that the drama just started and most of these questions will be answered but it helps me wrap my head around the mystery.

[baduy]

Text preview for ep 4

 

On finding Yuna's cellphone, Soyun, accompanied by the local police officers, goes to rescue her.

The 'young lady' who is arrested on the scene is treated as a strong suspect for the murders.

While Woo Jae is investigating the 'young lady', he discovers a shocking fact connecting her with the disappearance of Hye Jin

Outside the police station, Soyun hears the sound of a walnut rolling along the ground and is suddently overcome by terror.

[andy78]

We have a good chance that Hye-jin may be So-yoon’s sister(100%)...why both girls were proclaimed dead when they both lived, and how they grew up not knowing each other???WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST ?Who killed their parents?I have the feeling their death was not accidental!!!I love Yoo-na!!!The dinner table scene  was great...Yoo-na vs Assemblyman Seo...i hope we will have more confrontation scenes...thanks for ep 4 preview translation @baduy !!!

[bebebisous33]

@andy78 I like Yoo-Na very much too. First, due to her ability she is looked down and outcast, therefore I feel sorry for her. Yet she is able to withstand all that terrible atmosphere. I like her spunk and her attitude towards the grandmother. I can't stand the latter for her harsh comment towards Ji-Sook and Yoo-Na. I don't know, but I do feel sorry for Ji-Sook. The way her husband treated her and his comment revealed a lot: she doesn't need to study or be smart, she only needs to look good. I got upset, when he said that and added that Yoo-Na should share the same fate. How disgusting... 

I have been wondering why assemblyman Seok married Ji-Sook in the end. He is and was a womanizer, besides he had already a son. Did she threaten him because she knew something? Why is she so eager to have another child from him? MAybe expecting a son... Is his wealth really her motive? 

 I don't know but his son seems to be closer to Ji-Sook than it appears. Could it be that he loves her stepmother?

Why did HJ upset Ji-Sook in the first place? She knew that Yoo-Na adored her and both had a close relationship. However, the mother was a target implying that she has a dark secret and did something bad in the past.

[baduy]

 

Star News -  Naver: 'The Village' confirms that her sister is alive.. The mystery thickens

 

A word of caution though. [소유는] 문근영 언니 생존 확인 in that heading doesn't mean "confirms that her sister is alive".  생존 (生存) is "survival"  as in 적자생존 (適者生存), or "Survival of the Fittest", the four character saying oft quoted by Kdrama Chaebol-owning villains to justify their evil deeds. So it's actually "confirms that her sister survived (the car crash)." Which of course doesn't mean she's still alive now. Soyun naturally hopes she is, but she's far from having confirmation of that.

[bebebisous33]

@baduy Like you, I believe, HJ is dead. She survived the accident but when she came back to Achiara, she got killed. She must have been searching for Achiara's secret and discovered it. I suspect therefore she decided to show the pictures to JS. Her provocation had a goal... 

I am wondering if So Yun's family is not connected to the Seok family, like for example her father was the CEO in the first place and Seok's first wife could have been So Yun's aunt. The fact that the grandmother is so eager that GK should become the next CEO so that Ji-Sook doesn't get the fortune is a clue for me that something like that must have happened before: the right to inherit might have not belonged to that family in the first place. Sure, Seok mentioned his grandfather but somehow, I feel both families might be related. 

Interesting is that the accident happened in Seoul and not in Achiara in order to avert suspicion that Seok might be connected to it.

[baduy]

@baduy Like you, I believe, HJ is dead.

[...]

Interesting is that the accident happened in Seoul and not in Achiara in order to avert suspicion that Seok might be connected to it.

Ah, that rather assumes that HJ, who does now seem to be pretty thoroughly dead,  was the missing sister (as distinct from someone who must have had some significant connection with her). I don't think we can be completely sure of that just yet. Given the Korean notion that the spirits of the departed hover around their pictures, it may well be significant that  the photo of HJ that Woo Jae showed to SY produced no trace of a paranormal vibe in SY (although full-time shippers bent on turning every Kdrama into high romance were probably too focused on the "has he got a gf" angle in that scene to notice that).

So I don't know whether the sister is dead or not. I just wanted to avoid people (especially those who for some reason that escapes me prefer to read about dramas without actually watching them yet) getting the notion that what SY found in episode 3 was confirmation that her sister was still alive, rather than merely that she wasn't killed back then (as that newspaper report of course also claimed SY had been, hence, presumably,  why SY callls Korea  "the place where I died", an enigmatic phrase we have now heard repeated three times in reprises).

As for the location of the accident. Yes, the "nothing's got to happen here out in the boondocks" pattern seems to have played a part. Plus, in the strange world of Kdrama 'reality'; entire families getting splatted by one of those Rent-A-Truck-Of-Death vehicles is so common in the Seoul area of Kdrama-land that no-one seems to give it a second thought, let alone manage to investigate it. Invariably, the police discover the CCTV wasn't working and give up.

 

[bebebisous33]

When in the episode 3, Joo Hee described her sister Ji-Sook as greedy and full of ambitions, I had the impression that Joo Hee must be projecting her own thoughts onto her sister. Joo He is describing her own sister like Seo's mother: cunning, greedy and ambitious. Nevertheless, it was Joo Hee who called her brother-in-law to get her friend GW a permanent position as teacher. Her move reveals that she is using her connections to get what she wants.  

So far, I have seen a Ji-Sook who is determined to protect her daughter. She wasn't upset that her step-son GH became the chairman of the school. It took her a year to earn GH's trust and the way she did showed dedication and determination. The only negative behaviour of Ji-Sook was with KHJ. On the other hand, we saw that the latter had a relationship with her husband which is understandable that Ji-Sook got upset. However, I don't like people who keeps pointing their finger to Ji-Sook saying she wanted HJ to be dead and she is the one behind it. I don't think, it isn't so simple. Moreover, Joo Hee seemed to be close to HJ which might be a clue that Joo Hee is more involved in HJ's disappearance than it seems. Who took the pictures of KHJ with assembly Seo? KHJ knew where the camera was so I come to the conclusion that HJ must have been working with someone. IT could definitely be Joo Hee and we know that both sisters don't get well along. 

[nearsea]

After ep 3 finally the drama has started to settle in..first two episodes more seem like character descriptions too me..and not too scary...but by ep 3,I sat straight and watched with my breath still.I loved yoo na,she's like another center of this drama..Woo jae's dedication with his work and how he takes the call each time with his key speech is very uplifting.I guess more and more secrets are waiting to get spilled.

[khaiden]

hope someone post some recaps...can't watch too slow connection....:( 

[Misstwilightfan1416]

Episode 4 Video Clips

 

[heikirikotatsu]

The village  ep 4

[bebebisous33]

I don't know but I have the impression that people from Achiara don't like people who are different, like f. ex. Yoo Na, the autist GP and the "aghassi". I watched a scene where the man dressed as a woman is attacked by students and later, he was trying to shock women, but it didn't work on HJ. Therefore the inhabitants seem to be narrow-minded and try to outcast people who behave differently from social norms.  

[kanzcech]

BTS Yook Sung Jae-Moon Geun Young

 

[bebebisous33]

The teacher GW is really creepy. I can understand why the teenage girl hurt the other student... not that I am supporting her action. Her jealousy was founded. Such a teacher should be fired, having an intimate relationship with a student is forbidden.

I am wondering where this teacher comes from. I don't think, he was born in this village, if so, he would already have got a permanent teacher position.

[baduy]

The teacher GW is really creepy. I can understand why the teenage girl hurt the other student... not that I am supporting her action. Her jealousy was founded. Such a teacher should be fired, having an intimate relationship with a student is forbidden.

 

That scene in the car with the hand on thigh (which we've visited partially twice before of course) and the subsequent scene in the classroom will look rather different once you have the subs. In fact it ought to have seemed different to Ga Yeong, since she, after all, doesn't need subs to understand the "real life" situation she was in. But her vanity at having a handsome teacher all her classmates are crushing on  set up an assignation with her for what she thinks (hopes) is a nefarious purpose deceives her, and the Young Lady's car swishing by puts an abrupt end to proceedings before her delusion about what's going on can be dispelled.  The dialogue and actions are, of course, deliberately tricksy-teasy. He puts his hand on her thigh, and she looks more surprised that he's making his move so fast rather than shocked by what she thinks that move is aiming at. He tries to take his hand away again, but she grabs it and keeps it where it is while she asks him with a sort of coyness with very sultry overtones why he doesn't say what it is he wants, "reassuring" him that she thinks she knows already (and impiying that she doesn't mind, indeed rather the reverse).  But he roughly pulls his hand back out of her grasp, and sits undecided for a moment before saying, in a distinctly clinical-factual and not at all lascivious tone "Would you mind baring your legs completely?  That's what I want."  She still thinks this is a seduction ploy which she's more than willing to go along with, so she starts to pull  the hem of her skirt right up, but hesitates when a large and prominent birthmark on her inner thigh starts to come into view. She explains that she's rather shy about the birthmark, but the teacher impatiently stretches his hand out again to push her skirt still further up to get a view of the full birthmark, but at that point the other car drives past.  The subsequent episode in the classroom shows that Ga Yeong has completely failed to understand what was going on.

 

[bebebisous33]

The teacher GW is really creepy. I can understand why the teenage girl hurt the other student... not that I am supporting her action. Her jealousy was founded. Such a teacher should be fired, having an intimate relationship with a student is forbidden.

 

That scene in the car with the hand on thigh (which we've visited partially twice before of course) and the subsequent scene in the classroom will look rather different once you have the subs. In fact it ought to have seemed different to Ga Yeong, since she, after all, doesn't need subs to understand the "real life" situation she was in. But her vanity at having a handsome teacher all her classmates are crushing on  set up an assignation with her for what she thinks (hopes) is a nefarious purpose deceives her, and the Young Lady's car swishing by puts an abrupt end to proceedings before her delusion about what's going on can be dispelled.  The dialogue and actions are, of course, deliberately tricksy-teasy. He puts his hand on her thigh, and she looks more surprised that he's making his move so fast rather than shocked by what she thinks that move is aiming at. He tries to take his hand away again, but she grabs it and keeps it where it is while she asks him with a sort of coyness with very sultry overtones why he doesn't say what it is he wants, "reassuring" him that she thinks she knows already (and impiying that she doesn't mind, indeed rather the reverse).  But he roughly pulls his hand back out of her grasp, and sits undecided for a moment before saying, in a distinctly clinical-factual and not at all lascivious tone "Would you mind baring your legs completely?  That's what I want."  She still thinks this is a seduction ploy which she's more than willing to go along with, so she starts to pull  the hem of her skirt right up, but hesitates when a large and prominent birthmark on her inner thigh starts to come into view. She explains that she's rather shy about the birthmark, but the teacher impatiently stretches his hand out again to push her skirt still further up to get a view of the full birthmark, but at that point the other car drives past.  The subsequent episode in the classroom shows that Ga Yeong has completely failed to understand what was going on.

 

So thanks for the explanation... GW is looking for something in particular. Birthmark or no birthmark... He seems so interested in those village's stories. 

[baduy]

I watched a scene where the man dressed as a woman is attacked by students and later, he was trying to shock women, but it didn't work on HJ.

We saw that scene twice, and it turned out the first time round, the Young Lady was concealing something in retelling it to Woo Jae. It's only in the cliffhanger lead-up sequence (intercut with SY making a discovery that will send all the countless netizens who praised this drama for, at long last, dispensing with the birth secrets trope rushing to find that hole in the Achiara woods and hide away down it) that the Young Lady, pledging Woo Jae to secrecy, reveals the crucial missing bit, namely "something she said to me" which led to his fixation on HJ.  Not only did HJ not run away but instead looked Young Lady steadily in the eye and then slowly, though not menacingly advanced towards him till he himself turned tail and fled (as in his first version of the encounter). But the "secret" addition is that as she stood close to  him, she said in tones which are half-compassionate, half despondent,  "Looking at you, I know what your heart is like." [See correction in EDIT below]  That's what paralyzed him for a moment, then caused him to run off in shocked confusion. 

 

EDIT: AAAGH!  Drat those rain sound effects, plus the background music and the doubled voice with echo effect!!!!  THATS NOT WHAT SHE SAID.!!!!  She said

Seeing you looking this way, I wonder what would be in your mother's heart?

(이런 모습 보면 당신 엄마는 어떤 마음일까요.)

Sorry folks. Maybe I need a hearing aid as well as new reading glasses.

And of course, the parallel intercut revelation about SY's sister, and why SY's (significantly) MATERNAL grandmother took SY alone to Canada and  concealed the survival of her other family member from her, should have alerted me before I played the raw back through a better sound system that I head the live stream on....