Park Bo Gum ❤ Girl's Day Hyeri aka REPLY 1988 TAEK x DEOKSUN

[shooastrid]

51 minutes ago, Meliere said:

Chingus, don't panic here. The latest episode was slow, but it helped Taektanic dodge the biggest iceberg thus far.

I'm now 85-95% sure Taek will actually marry Deoksunie. I was praying all night for Taek to go noble idiot (for a lack of better terms). And YASSS, the drama gods have been kind. 

Before I get ahead of myself, a disclaimer: I hate noble idiocy as a plot device, and hoped against all hope in the space between ep. 10 & 11 that it'd never happen to this show. 

But because it did happen to this show, and in such heavy doses -- ep. 11 on basically featured nothing but JH looking hurt and solemn and tragic -- I knew the only way for Taek to break out of second lead territory was to suffer some noble idiocy of his own. It doesn't matter if the writer developed Choi Taek as the god of complex characterization, gave him screen time and a life, wrote him to be refreshingly honest & competitive -- so long as he is oblivious to JH suffering in shadows, he will never get the girl. Why? Because of viewer sympathy and East Asian moral philosophy. While "hey Jude, don't be afraid / you were made to go out and get her" is celebrated in the West, we have to remember that Korean societal values are grounded in Confucian ideals which place individual desires below that of collective wellbeing (i.e. family and friends and bros before hos  something so "selfish" as dating). I mean, look at the Korean word 우리 (woori / uri). Typically it means "we" or "us", but when someone says "my [someone]" woori is also used, in a confounding of personal and collective possession. Also, notice the parents don't call each other by their names; it's always "JB appa" or "BR omma"" or "Taekie appa". This is why, perhaps more than any country on the planet, Korea features so many popular family weekend dramas and dramas which stress the bond of family. 

The heart and pathos of the Reply series has always been about family. Previous OTP troubles converged along familial lines: R1997 featured a brother backing out for a brother; R1994 featured OTP dating in secret because the parents consider them to be brother and sister. When JH emerged in full noble idiotic glory in episode 11, I though Taektanic had sunken for sure. Because even if JH made DS cry 1340983029 times and TK made her smile 1340983029 times, viewers would still be sympathetic to JH. Because he's the "bigger guy" and "did the right thing". And face it, no kdrama narrative would ever punish a character for taking the "moral high road"; if anything, he'll be rewarded the girl for being such a righteous dude.

This is why Girlfriend on DB ended her episode 15 recap with that menacing screencap and the line, "It makes me less worried about this look on Taek’s face. A little." She's been pro-JH, and is understandably confident that he's the husband. By kdrama logic, now that noble idiocy has marked JH as the male lead, the obvious expected thing for Taek to do is march on blindly, chase the girl, force his feelings on her, ignore JH's mute angst, stir some sh!t up, make *evil/menacing/competitive* trouble for the OTP, and lose out in the end. Q.E.D. NEVER MIND that this is inconsistent with the narrative presented so far. Never mind that this is equivalent to character assassination for Taek. IF JH is lead, all of this would be okay-- why? because second leads are disposable. Second leads can change at a moment's notice to service the story & main OTP loveline. (lol remember Choi Young Do from Heirs? Poor guy was given 50 different brain lobotomies, and one sudden hairstyle change.)

So I prayed all night for Taek to prove everyone wrong. He's been so surprising and delightful as a character. But if there's ONE consistency to his character, it's his kindness. This is why I never believed for one second that he'd be capable of going "sh!t storm competitive" on JH.

--

Here are my additional observations as to why Taek will be end game:

• Dongryung is Suntaek's match maker. End story. Done. 
• The past five episodes is "slow" and "stagnant" only if you're team JH, sorry. Here on the Taektanic we've been delighted every episode with important reveals. My favs are TK helping JH's dad, TK telling DS that BR "must have been DS in the past life LOL", TK being sassy with SW & BR (and BR's "Choi Taek ... I trust you"), AND OMG TK being the one to beat JB's arcade record LOLOLOL. Oh, and don't forget sassy Taek counting his Blue Marble money in front of his friends.
• Deoksun's "courtship" of JH mirrors her crush on SW. She liked SW for 4 episodes (ep. 3 - 6); she again pursued JH for 4 episodes (ep. 11-14). Everything from the dressing up and primping to aegyo speech are direct mirror images. 
• Thematic consistency: the whole point of episode 15 was to establish DS as an individual. What's the point of DR's pep talk if she gets two confessions from the boys and has to choose one?!?! Now the onus is on her to find her heart and go after the boy she likes.

Happy voyage guys. Get ready to buy @chickfactor ddeokbokki. Also, Taek is bringing more pizza. We should comfort him when he gets here. 

P.S. go read @shooastrid's post on Baduk (if you haven't yet seen it). Taek's presence in the show can be totally interpreted as an allegory for a baduk match. Her analysis is spot on and brilliant, especially the bits about komi and player handicap (omg, Choi Taek is 6-dan, so it means if he played against an unranked player, his handicap would be 6 stones .. .e.g. 6 episodes.)

 

I LOVE YOU! <3 <3 <3 *Died a little bit for the "I prayed all night" part. LOL <3

[Meliere]

@mustardmaimai @Phuong Tam Nguyen

OMG I MISSED YOU GUYS TOO! Bwahahah, Bong hyung, I saw your posts on the main thread. So hilarious, especially the one about the two ships disappearing into the bermuda triangle. 

Sorry to not have joined you guys sooner! I work in the art market and have total sh!tty graveyard hours. I meant to wake up at 5 am to catch the live recaps ... but overslept because I've been so sleep deprived due to work recently. 

Thank you for the flowers, my lovely handsome Bong hyung. For you, a basket of kittens:

@shooastrid

I LOVE YOU TOO!! I'm so glad we have someone knowledgeable about baduk here. Your post GAVE ME LIFE.

[monsterlife]

I am more interested in DS reaction when TK said he got a girl he like and he wants to confess. Probably that also factored in TK's decision not to confess? He probably thought she will always see him as a younger brother. And that JH is the much better choice. Aside of course from the fact that JH is a very beloved bff. 

IMHO, there is no parallel reaction. DS does not even know or have a hint that TK likes her. So that little bit of disappointment in her face cannot be compared on how she was heartbroken when JH does not like going out with her to the concert. TK is a friend, like a younger brother even so I was expecting for her to just sleep right away after he cancelled on her. Maybe I am reading too much on it but the girl is staring at the phone and she was waiting!!. That must count for some thing. 

#stillteamtaektanic #iamreadyforthesinking #pleaselettaekbethehusband #ihatereply1988writers

[nearsea]

Argh watching the drama is like watching a day long tennis match with balls being in the two consecutive courts all along..sometimes taek is ahead and sometimes it's a draw.Anyway I am scared how deok sun's gonna react when she gets to know that jh was tongue tied about his feeling because of taek.Would it seal the deal for her...? Or how the writer is going to handle two noble sacrifice in this case lol,without this being a strained act.But I remember the scene when deok sun passes the gang at the library,and the boys get to know that the date is cancelled..What still remains a question is if JH realizes that taek is giving up here..and with that knowledge if JH is going to make a move on ds.Err yes,four episodes seem too short,to solve this stretch,considering how all the characters are given equal screen time.If I was the writer maybe I'd be giving away all the time for the Bermuda triangle,but the writer is hell bent to keep it dragging till the end.So either deok sun gets to know about both the boys,but it's still not clear if she's sure herself about JH's action,one thing she knows that she has got his attention,but she does not know cause of his behavior.So in the future,would it be that when deok sun is more wise and matured,or more 'perceptive' of the male brain waves lol,would she realize how 'her with JH' was never something serious? And maybe the subtle and everyday moments with taek would stay with her? We never see the bond these two has in any other case.For example JH likes deok sun,but their kind is more a tensed one,built on opposite attraction part,and while we see JH shielding deok sun in the bus,or waiting till midnight to give her umbrella.But this never went too far,it was never taken to the next level.So why would the writer give so much emphasis on the 'care and share' small moments that deok sun and taek have? 

[shyyraa]

I feel like the scene where she's trying to hide her burp in front of Taek is a good sign that she is starting to see Taek differently? Because in normal circumstances, especially if she were to consider Taek only as a friend, I don't think burping in front of him would be a problem but she tried to hide it (which is so unknowingly feminine of her to do so when that is usually not the way she acts especially around these 4 friends of hers) therefore I feel like she is unconsciously starting to see him as a man right now thus the shyness of burping loudly in front of him.

[Meliere]

also, what does it say about Taek that despite his competitive nature, he'd never in a million years let JH get hurt?

*teary eyed* the bromance is indeed great

[rembrandtz_5e20]

1 hour ago, Meliere said:

When JH emerged in full noble idiotic glory in episode 11, I though Taektanic had sunken for sure. Because even if JH made DS cry 1340983029 times and TK made her smile 1340983029 times, viewers would still be sympathetic to JH. Because he's the "bigger guy" and "did the right thing". And face it, no kdrama narrative would ever punish a character for taking the "moral high road"; if anything, he'll be rewarded the girl for being such a righteous dude.This is why Girlfriend on DB ended her episode 15 recap with that menacing screencap and the line, "It makes me less worried about this look on Taek’s face. A little." She's been pro-JH, and is understandably confident that he's the husband. By kdrama logic, now that noble idiocy has marked JH as the male lead, the obvious expected thing for Taek to do is march on blindly, chase the girl, force his feelings on her, ignore JH's mute angst, stir some sh!t up, make *evil/menacing/competitive* trouble for the OTP, and lose out in the end. Q.E.D. NEVER MIND that this is inconsistent with the narrative presented so far. Never mind that this is equivalent to character assassination for Taek. IF JH is lead, all of this would be okay-- why? because second leads are disposable. Second leads can change at a moment's notice to service the story & main OTP loveline. --

Meliere, you totally nailed it! 

[nearsea]

About the extension,correct me if I'm wrong but reply'94 got extended too right,by two episodes?

---

The phds available on this thread on taek and this drama should be printed out and sold on ebay/amazons for the love of kdramas lol.I feel like making a copy in this two week vacuum period.@gerimisore can may be make a cover page illustration for us..=D.

[Phuong Tam Nguyen]

guys, from Kim Bobby on youtube, this is the translation for TK and DS's call

 

T : hello, is it dukseon? it's me, taek-ie. dukseon-a....

D : yeah, are you okay? you did a great job

T : i don't think i can go tomorrow (the movie date i think). i have a schedule tomorrow.

D : ah, really? is it important?

T : yeah, i have to go.

D : i understand, if you said you need to go then it must be important. it's okay, we can see the movie sometime else. go to sleep now and don't take your medicines. okay?

T : okay. dukseon-a, i'm sorry

D : aigoo it's okay so go to sleep now. have a good sleep!

T : cries . . .

OMG now I know why they pan through the tons of medicine next to TK's bed before focusing on his face: he chooses to take the pills and sleep intentionally,  although DS wishes the opposite  

btw I'm not sure if this is TK's photo album (which might have TK's childhood pics with the gang, his parents and DS) but I can see photos of young TK playing baduk  

http://postimg.org/image/8dvof6ha7/

 

[Meliere]

7 hours ago, st4rdust said:

yes that porn check was so funny to me... And the way he assures her seems like a hubby assuring his wife too hahahah ( *sweat-sweat-sweat*)  

OMG YES!! Mid-bite panic, mouth stuffed with jajjangmyun noodles ... "aniii ... I don't like them"

LOL EDITED TO ADD:

[allegramente]

@Meliere I really appreciate the assurance that Taek's "noble idiocy" should be celebrated -- it seals the deal.

I want banana though.

@nearsea @st4rdust @bunnyqueens17 @ngocdpb @onlysb1  , thanks for the responses. Whether he thinks  DS reciprocates JH's feelings, to Taek, it probably doesn't matter. He probably sees one big mess that threatens the status  quo, and gives him massive headache of course....

[ninaanin]

Hi

I'm more an outsider than an insider here   But I'm consistently lurking here and also following SW-BR thread (who are in fact my OTP) .

After ep. 15 I had wrote a long post, but gave up to post here. It was very pessimistic and thought it would bother you guys here. I won't post it anymore because so much changed after episode 16 (at least from the recaps and the few scenes I saw). But I will sumarize it in few words:

- I still thought JH was the end game (for sure), although to me DS-JH love line was poorly written;

- Although till now I wasn't shipping DS with none of them, after episode 15 I was unwillingly (and very upset with it) boarding this ship too (even if I believed then that it would sink), for Taek's character and DS-TK development is too good to not be shippable (lol).

- To me, if Taek wouldn't back out, he would never got that girl.

However, after today's epsiode I think (wow what a changing!) that the probability that TK is the husband is bigger than that of JH. IMO, today's episode stablished for sure Taek as the mainly amongst the main characters. .

And, I completely agree with what @Meliere in special about the nobel idiocy trope: without an act as "bigger" as that of JH, Taek will never get the girl.

51 minutes ago, Meliere said:

--

Here are my additional observations as to why Taek will be end game:

• Dongryung is Suntaek's match maker. End story. Done. 
• The past five episodes is "slow" and "stagnant" only if you're team JH, sorry. Here on the Taektanic we've been delighted every episode with important reveals. My favs are TK helping JH's dad, TK telling DS that BR "must have been DS in the past life LOL", TK being sassy with SW & BR (and BR's "Choi Taek ... I trust you"), AND OMG TK being the one to beat JB's arcade record LOLOLOL. Oh, and don't forget sassy Taek counting his Blue Marble money in front of his friends.
• Deoksun's "courtship" of JH mirrors her crush on SW. She liked SW for 4 episodes (ep. 3 - 6); she again pursued JH for 4 episodes (ep. 11-14). Everything from the dressing up and primping to aegyo speech are direct mirror images. 
• Thematic consistency: the whole point of episode 15 was to establish DS as an individual. What's the point of DR's pep talk if she gets two confessions from the boys and has to choose one?!?! Now the onus is on her to find her heart and go after the boy she likes.

 

(sorry for cutting your post)

I absolutly agree with what is highlighted above: the pace of the tringle love line wasn't slow. The transparent truth is that JH-DS love line just stopped, there weren't developments because (if it isn't another trolling) their loveline wasn't meant to be developed!!! What we got was the slowly but always consistent and constant development (or building up) of TK-DS (love)friendship since episode 6!!!! What I thought really curious when lurking through SW-BR thread was people there complaining that on the main thread people were blaming/bashing SW and BR because they were stealing time from the main OTP. People there said that JH-DS-TK shippers or even TK-DS and DS-JH shippers were annoyed with the pace. Well, I was tempted to write there and to say that they were wrong 'cause the slowly pace of the main OTP (meanig JH-DS) was mostly seen here as a blessing, and that I barely (or never) saw any of you guys blaming BR-SW lol .

The biggest thing that refrained me to believe TK as the husband, however, was the fact that till the end of ep. 15 we hadn't any sign of how DK's really felt. But, when she and DR are dancing (when Tk discovery JH's feelings), I noted one thing: she doesn't looked even one time to JH (at least not in a meaningfull way), after she stopped she keeps looking at DR. During the whole moment I felt as if DS was back to episode 1, when every guy there was only her friend, nothing more.

But, from the few scenes that I saw of episode 16, I'm almost sure that, even if in a subtil way, it was shown that DS's heart goes to TK.

Nevertheless, I still think that it is possible that Taek isn't the husband. For two things: the real guy upon who he is based (he has another lovestory) and the fact that JH's actors name come first in the credits (if I'm not mistake).

But I'm not worried about Taeks end. I'm confident that, be it with DS or without her, TK will get a really good and satisfying end  

(sorry for the long post!).

 

[darafangirl29]

taek's alone in the hotel room after a tiring game

he calls and talks to ds about cancelling the movie date

he says sorry

camera slowly panning from taek's back

a moment of silence

camera focus on taek's face and we see his tear falling 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

brilliant. absolutely brilliant emotions, cinematography,musical scoring.. everything

this is one of the best moments of this series.

 

 

 

[mellinadear]

So @hafunohane asked for our favourite scenes and this is mine. 1. DS tapping TK's butt and telling him to grow up and marry her. Lol that scene will forever stay with me. 2. DS going to China with TK and discovering new sides to him and TK acknowledging what DS did for him to make him comfortable. 3. DS teaching TK how to curse & TK imitating her. He looks so adorable. Lol.

As for things I want to see happening in the next 4 episodes.

I just want TK to be happy. I want him to live life to the fullest. Go out have fun with people(basically for him to really spice UP his social life) and just be who he really wants to be.

As for DS, I want the same for her or she should focus more on who she wants to be OR just for our sakes, GIRL, CHOOSE WHO YOU WANNA BE WITH SO WE CAN MOVE ON TO BETTER THINGS. 

[nicola_nikka]

My heart broke today. It was horrible, seeing taek cry. I mean, I felt bad for junghwan already with his moody/sadness but taekie cried. The disappointment in seon voice during the staircase. I have to see the eng because it was so sad  

[nearsea]

19 minutes ago, ninaanin said:

I absolutly agree with what is highlighted above: the pace of the tringle love line wasn't slow. The transparent truth is that JH-DS love line just stopped, there weren't developments because (if it isn't another trolling) their loveline wasn't meant to be developed!!! What we got was the slowly but always consistent and constant development (or building up) of TK-DS (love)friendship since episode 6!!!! What I thought really curious when lurking through SW-BR thread was people there complaining that on the main thread people were blaming/bashing SW and BR because they were stealing time from the main OTP. People there said that JH-DS-TK shippers or even TK-DS and DS-JH shippers were annoyed with the pace. Well, I was tempted to write there and to say that they were wrong 'cause the slowly pace of the main OTP (meanig JH-DS) was mostly seen here as a blessing, and that I barely (or never) saw any of you guys blaming BR-SW lol .

 

Sorry to  cut your post,but that's a good one.In fact in any vulnerable moment of DS,we have seen JH to hold back,and not being there for her.Which is always what the second leads end up doing.Like when he was loitering in the alley,when deok sun was crying at the stair,he was still indecisive about what to do,this is somehow a classic kdrama act,which have been repeated a lot in the past[not wanting to hurt any jh shipper though]...In any case,we don't see him to act upon his feeling.,it was always restrained.

19 minutes ago, ninaanin said:

The biggest thing that refrained me to believe TK as the husband, however, was the fact that till the end of ep. 15 we hadn't any sign of how DK's really felt. But, when she and DR are dancing (when Tk discovery JH's feelings), I noted one thing: she doesn't looked even one time to JH (at least not in a meaningfull way), after she stopped she keeps looking at DR. During the whole moment I felt as if DS was back to episode 1, when every guy there was only her friend, nothing more.

 

Yeah she does look much relaxed on episode 16 right? She has not shown any specific act of grudge towards JH,and looked her normal self at the library.The pain or ache of rejection/silence from JH was not seen anywhere in her face at all.

[Meliere]

29 minutes ago, Phuong Tam Nguyen said:

T : hello, is it dukseon? it's me, taek-ie. dukseon-a....

D : yeah, are you okay? you did a great job

T : i don't think i can go tomorrow (the movie date i think). i have a schedule tomorrow.

D : ah, really? is it important?

T : yeah, i have to go.

D : i understand, if you said you need to go then it must be important. it's okay, we can see the movie sometime else. go to sleep now and don't take your medicines. okay?

T : okay. dukseon-a, i'm sorry

D : aigoo it's okay so go to sleep now. have a good sleep!

T : cries . . .

OMG now I know why they pan through the tons of medicine next to TK's bed before focusing on his face: he chooses to take the pills and sleep intentionally,  although DS wishes the opposite

WELL-WRITTEN ANGST HURTS SO BAD. JH's angst kind of made me frustrated a little. BUT THIS. OMG. *LARGE SALTY TEARS*

And people say Team Taek is delusional  I mean, just look at the dialogue, script, plot, and narrative. 

[monsterlife]

@ninaanin yeah the lack of 'main otp' is just really a blessing for me . And with the lack of JH-DS there is a ton of TK-DS moments even if it is flitting. I did say before that I will take any cute TK-DS moment with gratefulness. I just never thought TK would not go on the usual 2nd male route. 

But the same as you I still see JH as the husband. To entertain myself while I was waiting for the show to start and read the live recaps, I went back to the first few pages on the main thread and I saw the family tree of ds and jh and it just 100% confirm that jh is male lead. He is the only one connected to ds and the rest of the gang is connected below like they are jh and ds children. 

[chickfactor]

45 minutes ago, allegramente said:

@Meliere I really appreciate the assurance that Taek's "noble idiocy" should be celebrated -- it seals the deal.

I want banana though.

[snip]

 

I'll bring you bananas. 

Honestly, this does make a lot more sense. Did anyone expect that:

- T confesses

- DS jumps into his arms

- They are lovey-dovey couple for the next 4-6 episodes, as JH watches silently with pain in his eyes

- In the final ep., JH is rewarded with love interest - a girl who looks and talks like DS

Well, I'm sure there are people who would love it if things went this way... but I like the way it's going now.

I trust the writers this time. (Hopefully they will not repeat the flaws of 1994, which, honestly, was pretty bad in retrospect.)

[nearsea]

@monsterlife Yeah JH's name come first on the family tree,but that connection just exists on that diagram,there has been nothing apart from that which signifies their special connection or whatsoever.However yeah JH being the husband is the most common solution,but as we can reach any equation in the straight way,we can take detours too.And maybe this time the writer is playing this game of labyrinth with us..And this by far is the most exceptional,offtrack series of the all three,story wise.