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

[nearsea]

1 hour ago, allegramente said:

I'm trying to wrap my head around something.

Did Taek back away because he thought DS liked JH? The movie date was arranged after he knew about JH's feeling but before he found out about the photograph.

If this is the case, not so much a bromance but a case of "misunderstanding" that JH and DS liked each other.

@allegramente Good point.Maybe taek has gotten somehow the signal that deok sun reciprocates jh's feeling,because of how close they're standing in the picture.So maybe he was still ready to confess even after knowing that JH likes her.But the photo changes everything,and he bails out from his position.

[chicha]

3 minutes ago, minibunny said:

What an episode.. My heart aches when watch it but I am happy since I think the bigger picture for our taekkie.. To be honest, I restraint myself not to say anything until I watched ep 16 so here's my opinion regarding the last two episode (it will be long post, so you can skip it if you want)

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Ep 15 makes me unsure about DS feelings.. She makes the face when JH treats her nice.. But she makes other face towards TK when she takes care of him and when he lies his face on her shoulder.. Makes me wonder which guy that she truly likes.. And ep 16, I can said for sure which guy that she likes.. 

When some people complain about TK rests in DS shoulder after she's crying.. They complain, instead comforting her, he fall asleep? Well, nobody perfect.. He had exhausted and long competition.. At least he asked and answered all her questions.. He just didn't want to force her if she didn't want to tell him.. TK character is really close to reality, he has flaws which makes his character great.. He's not ordinary typical kdrama lead who seems too perfect.. 

About DS face.. At first I feel terrified because maybe that some people are right, that she might be not into TK but then episode 16 makes everything clear (for me).. Now I understand why she makes that face.. She worries about him.. She dislikes how baduk makes him exhausted like that.. She also might think that other girl (that DS thinks TK likes), makes him tired too..

After TK said she doesn't know him that well and he has someone that he likes, DS changes..which makes me sure that DS likes TK! 90% sure hehe..

About today episode,

1. I love how TK just stand up when DS looks sick and gave her a medicine.. He directly gave her, without anyone told him (some people want him to take care of DS right? And now he do what they want).. And DS doesn't want him to see her burping.. It's just like me, I don't want my crush to see when I burped, I don't want him to see me when I'm ugly.. It's definitely a sign that she likes him (especially with DS behavior)

2. She's waiting for him to call and she's sad/angst when TK cancel their date (not in front of him but others).. Can you all see the disappointments face that she made? 

3. The noble idiocy that TK made.. Sigh.. I actually knew that he would do that but still it hurts.. and now, not only TK is sad but DS is also.. I never see DS look like that.. it's different kind of sad when she's with SW or JH.. I don't know how to describe it but you can feel it.. But the bigger picture is TK definitely the main lead here and his chance to be the husband is bigger and bigger

4. I just love the interaction between TK and DS.. When DS thought that TK watched porn with others.. She just behave like his wife.. So cute and adorable 

I have to wait for the subbed to fully understand.. I know everything can still change but I am satisfied with TK characters and this ship.. 

 

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*)  
The fact that she turned her head to burp was a HUGE emotional boost for me too... She never was this self conscious before... 

[nearsea]

1 hour ago, Wendy Wang said:

There's a huge difference between Junghwan backing out and Taek backing out. 
For Junghwan, all we saw was him not wanting to think that anyone else could like Deok Sun, and how sad he was when Taek confessed to the guys. All that happened at the end of ONE episode. We felt sad for him for a moment, but then in later episodes, people just got frustrated with him not making a move. When he backed out, Deok Sun had just began to confirm if Junghwan likes her, it was a yes for one moment, then all that was gone and he lost his chances already when he backed out, because if he didn't, Deok Sun probably would have began liking Junghwan for real, considering how he cares for her. With Junghwan backing out, we saw more of the Taek/Deok Sun dynamic, which was a lot deeper than Junghwan and Deok Sun's.
Now for Taek, it took two episodes to show him backing out, with dramatic flash backs of how he found out. First, the change of expression after seeing Junghwan's laugh, then seeing that picture in the next episode. Yes, Junghwan saw Taek's photo, but he already knew Taek liked Deok Sun then, he was told by Taek, whether he wanted to believe it or not, Taek said it out loud for him to hear. Taek found out on his own, and I think that's really a big deal for a main lead. At the end of the episode, we see Taek fully backing out, by cancelling the movie with Deok Sun and we see him cry, along with the flashback and sad music. Don't tell me that it doesn't hit you hard in the heart, watching that scene, because it should. Now we know the reason why Deok Sun was so gloomy that day. She told Taek to not forget about their "date" and was waiting anxiously for that call, even getting a little mad when she had to wait so long. This reminds me of Romeo and Juliet...it's a tragedy, but what I'm reminded of is the theme of love. How Juliet was so in love with Romeo that waiting even for 3 hours for news of the wedding felt like forever. We sort of have a confirmation of Deok Sun's feelings now. When Junghwan told her he couldn't go to the concert, she just kept asking him until he said he was going. That was also to confirm his feelings, to see if he liked her enough to go with her. With Taek, she was naturally sad, she just wanted to go to the movies with Taek, and I bet she didn't even realize how gloomy she was that day. It was natural and she didn't need to have any confirmation taek liked her, nor did Taek need to confess for her to begin liking him. 
Now we just need to wait two weeks to see what happens...

Wow was she the one who suggested the date and not taek? I missed the first one hour almost,so was she waiting for his call all along? Really appreciate your comparison on the chain of thoughts of both boys.

[chickfactor]

Wahahahaha! I was SO wrong.

Spoiler

 

I thought that Taek's competitive streak definitely meant that he would not give up the girl he likes. Wow, "Bros before Hos" is a powerful thing.

They made another point of highlighting Taek's competitive streak - he can get even more obsessed with computer games than Jung-Bong, which is quite a feat.

I love the dramatic device of the picture in the wallet: with Taek seeing the picture, and then Jung-Hwan knowing later that Taek saw it. That Taek now knows about his feelings for DS, and that is why Taek gave up.

 

I just feel like this story is being told so well, and I am just really getting so excited. I realize love-triangles have been done to death in K-dramas, but I just love how both suitors are developed and there is a real love and affection between them.

I still think it's going to be Taek. But the real winner here is BROMANCE.

[meguna]

Also, could it be that the reason why JH kept staring at his wallet is not just because there's a picture of him and DS there but because of the "possibility" that TK has seen that picture and things might get messy because of it, which has in fact. Lol idk it just suddenly came to my mind.

[Meliere]

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 thought 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 Girlfriday 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:

• "Ancestor" Dongryung is Suntaek's matchmaker. The Oracle has spoken. End story. Done. 
• The past five episodes are "slow" and "stagnant" only if you're team JH, sorry. Here on the Taektanic we've been delighted every episode with important reveals and heart-warming DS-TK scenes. 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.
• EDITED to add: It's also hinted in the latest episode that her feelings for Taek may be more than platonic. The end sequence is soo revealing: instead of sad music + Taek hurting alone, we have sad music + TK & DS hurting together. Plus, our girl can't even burp in front of TK anymore. 

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. BOOM baby)

[chicha]

No Taek asked her to free up her Saturday and wait for his call after his game so that he can let her know where to meet etc... But after focusing and winning his match, right before he made the call, he made the decision to cancel and lie to her that something important came up that he has to go to.... But later on he tells his teacher from the Baduk center to not accept calls for the next day ( or something like that I am guessing this part)... 

Heart breaking scene.... DS sounded very relaxed and seemed fine with him cancelling but she totally WASN'T. Our ship will sail... 

[Phuong Tam Nguyen]

Okay guys so the cuts are out on https://www.youtube.com/user/CJENMDRAMA/videos

First of all let me shout out to Noeul!!! His voice is SUPERB OMG!!! No wonder his name becomes the hottest search in Korea tonight haha  DR's voice is really nice too, but the classroom scene is too short and there's no official cut for that  

 

Back to our love line, yes I agree that the role has switched between DS and TK. We can see that from the way he silently follows her and asks if she's okay. and she's really trying to hide her blurb from TK at 1:07 mark Look at TK's worrying eyes guys, these eyes are full of love. Notice JH's nod at 0:35 mark

, we are going to see another scene parallel with this.

 

after that we can have a deeper look into DS's expression. After his "araji" (our TK is "demanding" now haha), DS just opens her eyes widely and nod in understanding (and a bit of expectation?) I guess she's happy when looking at 1:22 mark. (DR's "What?" is funny though and JH's face is really sad

 

here is the twist! after watching the raw, I guess JH and TK both know the dilemma they are in now. Imagine there's a wallet dropped inside your room and you pick it up. Obviously you will open it and check the things inside to see whose it is right? I think it goes the same for TK here. So, TK knows about the photo at the MBC concert. Later, we see that JH is staring at his wallet and when DS goes to the study room on Sat (after TK cancelled the date), the camera focuses on JH's face and I guess he knows why TK backs out. So, the 2 guys are at the same position in the husband hunt. And I do think it's fair enough. 

TK looks so sad here. Actually before he made the call, he nodded knowingly (like how JH did earlier) but the cut does not include that. So this is kinda like 2 guys decide to take a step back for each other, carrying their broken hearts of course. The moment his voice broke at 0:26 I couldn't stand it anymore. He paused a lot and she paused a lot too. The silence between the sentences are like they can sense something wrong about each other. OMG silence is really their thing. TK held that phone for so long after DS hung up and then cried. Look at DS too, she was taken aback and disappointed and sad I guess...so we get some insights from her heart today   

 

besides the love line, we get to see TK happy for his dad. I think this is the first time Mr Choi spoke a lot like this to his son. and TK realizes that and I'm glad that he encouraged his dad in this, as long as his dad is happy, TK is happy too. Their expressions rock. I can feel joy, a bit of bitterness, regret, relief and a sense of "not wanting to let go but still choosing to move on" from the Choi.

 

and for TK the gamer =))

 

P/s: I think the one week break happens because they really do live filming to the very end episode. Assume there will be lots and lots and tons of flashbacks in the last 4 episodes, I understand that post-production is really a pain and the team really wants to do their best and shows us the greatest ending. They have come a long way and worked so hard till the end, so just sit back, enjoy and encourage them guys. 

I love this thread so much as we care about the well-being of people and we concern about the emotional connections between characters, which I believe are so much more long lasting than just a kiss scene, bed scene or hug scene. Of course all these physical contacts are essential after all, but only after the lovers know themselves and their partners well, we will surely see a high quality scene involving physical interaction at a deep emotional level  The progress is slow for a reason and I do think BG and HR are close for a reason haha  

 

 

 

 

[monsterlife]

DS always chooses TK (unconsciously or not). It is what I noticed anyway. In the manito game, she likes it if her manito is TK. She chose to wear TK's gift. She chose TK when DR asked her who she likes the most (how she answered it scares me the most. It is so flippant). She was annoyed when he fell asleep on her at the movie house. 

And isn't it kind of amazing how attune she is with TK's wants and needs? She is TK's friend but the way she knows his likes and dislikes so deeply and clearly seems like she was always watching him. I mean would you really be that attune to your bff's needs? Especially the one you always don't hang out because of busy schedule. 

But of course this is just my delulu heart talking. This is all the writer's fault for raising my hopes too high. 

[Wendy Wang]

14 minutes ago, nearsea said:

Wow was she the one who suggested the date and not taek? I missed the first one hour almost,so was she waiting for his call all along? Really appreciate your comparison on the chain of thoughts of both boys.

Taek was the one to suggest it but Deok Sun told him to not forget about it.

[mustardmaimai]

@Meliere omg! You're back! I've missed you all day my dongseong! Trying to make sense of this drama without you is a lonely, lonely affair. Haven't even read your post but wanted to shout out a warm hello and, here, some flowers:

 

[Phuong Tam Nguyen]

3 minutes ago, mustardmaimai said:

@Meliere omg! You're back! I've missed you all day my dongseong! Trying to make sense of this drama without you is a lonely, lonely affair. Haven't even read your post but wanted to shout out a warm hello and, here, some flowers:

 

@Meliere Welcome back  I love your insights ^^

About JB today, he's so cute :)) He stays up so late to fold paper cranes for MO, all the eye bags haha and looks so happy to be on the phone with her (and after that he got shocked by the shouting of MO's father hahaha)

http://postimg.org/image/qxp19dad1/

http://postimg.org/image/so82aurw5/

 

 

 

 

[chickfactor]

So here's a quick recap of Ep.16, just in case anyone wants it:

Spoiler

 

JB & MO: It's MO's birthday. DS told him that she is rich and doesn't really need anything, so he should get her a gift from the heart. So JB is folding 1000 paper cranes for her.

MO's school grades are waaay worse than DS's. (She's ranked 1298 or something.) Her older brothers are in college, and her father really expects her to go, so she is pretty screwed.

JB calls MO's house and while they're speaking, their dad picks up another line and yells at her. JB hangs up in fear and practically hyperventilates with fear. Also, MO tries to cover up to JB - about her dad going to work at night. Is he really a Mafia Don or something? Ha ha. I'm sure there's a funny explanation for this.

JH tells JB that he knows JB is dating DS's friend. They have a cute brotherly moment where JH tells JB that his dream is to become a fighter pilot.

--

Later, while all the boys are watching "Dirty Dancing" in Taek's room, they make fun of him that he only wants to become a fighter pilot because of "Top Gun." That if he watched "Dirty Dancing" first, he would want to become a dancer.

Which is kind of a theme in today's ep - what does everyone want to become? Sun-Woo says that he wants to become a doctor, because it's his mom's dream. But he actually doesn't have his own dream.

--

There's an amateur singing contest coming to town for auditions. DR and JH's mom try-out, but they both mess up. DR is immediately preceded by an amazing black singer who sings the same song DR was going to sing, "I just called to say I love you." So DR tanks it.

JH's mom messes up because she accidentally brought the wrong audition tape. This is disappointing because I really wanted to see her audition. It looked like it was going to be awesome.

I just love how JH means, "my mom is awesome and she will kick your butt." And to express that, he simply keeps saying, "She's Ra Mi-Ran."

It turns out No-Eul ended up being picked as one of the finalists, because he had a hidden talent for singing.

--

Bora moved out of the house to go to a "go-si-won" (a study dormitory) so she can concentrate on her studying. Her dad doesn't come home to see her off, but as she drives away, he was waiting for her. He gives her some medicine and some spending money. Bora cries. I cried.

No real idea how Sun-Woo feels about this, except that they had a movie date or something, and she forgot because she was studying at the library. So she runs to see him like crazy at midnight, and he says it's okay and hugs her even though she was many hours late.

These two kids are in it for the long haul, it looks like.

--

Taek's dad tells Taek about wanting a "good friend" of his own, and that he wants to become a "good friend" with SunWoo's mom, but that he will not do it, if Taek is uncomfortable with it. Taek replies that Dad's life is his own, and that if Dad is happy, he is fine with anything. Sweet.

So this romance is progressing, too, at least.

--

Anyway, regarding Taek and JH:

So JH leaves his wallet in Taek's room. He looks inside it and sees JH's photo with DS. He later asks DS to return it to JH.

When JH gets his wallet back, he realizes that Taek probably saw that picture - so he stays up at night staring at his wallet on his desk. (Because that is what JH does - ruminate silently. OH JUNG-HWAN JUST LET ME HUG YOU!)

Taek makes a date with DS to go see a movie after a competition in China. He will return a day earlier than his team to see her, and promises to call as soon as the competition is over.

All the boys know that he plans to confess to her.

DR talks about how strong Taek's competitive streak is, and that he will win this one for sure, because he has a new goal (confessing to DS).

DS waits by the phone for Taek's call. He tells her he can't go to the movies after all because he has to stay behind another day. When he hangs up the phone, he cries. (TAEK, LET ME HUG YOU!) He asks his baduk-teacher (?) to not wake him the next day, and he knocks himself out with drugs, which he promised DS he would take less of.

 

 

[hafunohane]

16 minutes ago, Phuong Tam Nguyen said:

Okay guys so the cuts are out on https://www.youtube.com/user/CJENMDRAMA/videos

First of all let me shout out to Noeul!!! His voice is SUPERB OMG!!! No wonder his name becomes the hottest search in Korea tonight haha  DR's voice is really nice too, but the classroom scene is too short and there's no official cut for that  

 

Back to our love line, yes I agree that the role has switched between DS and TK. We can see that from the way he silently follows her and asks if she's okay. and she's really trying to hide her blurb from TK at 1:07 mark Look at TK's worrying eyes guys, these eyes are full of love. Notice JH's nod at 0:35 mark

, we are going to see another scene parallel with this.

 

Sorry to cut your post but after watching that clip above... It just dawned on me: DID DS IGNORE JH WHEN JH ASKED HER "ARE YOU OKAY?" ????  She didn't even turn her head around.. 

[lyn09]

Hi guys! 

So the last four episodes has been sooo slow on the terms of our Husband Hunt and we only have 4 episodes to go.../

SO TELL ME HONESTLY GUYS, AM I THE ONLY ONE SMELLING THE EXTENSION? I'M PREDICTING AT LEAST 2 EPISODES EXTENSION.

Reply 1988 has been consistently getting high ratings, TVN is bound to milk that right?

I'm actually hoping for at least 4 episodes extension because the love lines are a bit undeveloped IMO. Unless the last four episodes would be dedicated to the love lines their story won't feel like it matured naturally and I also I don't believe that they will abandon the family theme as that's actually the biggest pull of Reply 1988.

What do you think guys? Will we be getting an extension?

[Phuong Tam Nguyen]

I really hope so @lyn09 I don't want anything to feel "rushed". I enjoy the pace so far, partly because the team reveals TK-DS arc slowly and I love how other characters are explored to a great extent. Of course, when the writer/PD wants to focus on many characters, the love line will be less of the focus. The team may want to keep the drama short and sweet with 20 episodes, but I'm so sure that we, as viewers, will feel cramped and rushed like adrenaline crash :)) If the pace is like this and the number of episodes is still 20, the ending will be as open as ever hahaha

[bebe1989]

By the way: i think we miss some scene. I think the director dont show us:

1. When ds and jh watching concert, we only saw after concert

2. Ds deliver jh wallet, we only hear ds voice.

and why i feel anxious about this one? I hope there is no scene about this.

after we got confirmation ds feeling about taeki. 

[rembrandtz_5e20]

I think DR may have given us a hint on how the triangle will end..DS will decide, and she will come to the realization on her own, without being forced to.  

I was wondering why they kept focusing on Taek's worsening health. One possibility is for Taek to fall really ill and DS to come to realise how much she cares for him. The headaches must serve a purpose and can't be shown for nothing. MHO. 

And as always, the views on this thread is awesome! ....But now I can't bear to watch Taek's heartbreak in EP16 

[Meliere]

16 minutes ago, lyn09 said:

SO TELL ME HONESTLY GUYS, AM I THE ONLY ONE SMELLING THE EXTENSION? I'M PREDICTING AT LEAST 2 EPISODES EXTENSION.

Reply 1988 has been consistently getting high ratings, TVN is bound to milk that right?

Yeah, I'm almost certain the news will be release soon. Oh well! I love the squad so much, I can watch them play blue marble for 2 hours.

[shooastrid]

Aaaargh guys. ASDFGHJKL. I can't even.. Argrhnnnnnnnnnnhhh

Please someone just rip my heart out already. I can't take it until Tuesday for Subs and another long two weeks until Ep 17. I can't just can't!