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

[packmule3]

8 hours ago, hushhh said:

...

Oh yeah, lol the question was if I had any respect of affection for him  
Uhm, so no respect whatsoever. Take charge or step off, don't linger around. Affection... well... I can see he's just too indecisive to take action and I feel sorry for him. I guess affection would be too strong a word for him. [Ok, the work on empathy and compassion.  Look at your periphery, away from the husband hunt, and look at JH as an individual with his own independent growth arc and you may develop some compassion and learn to appreciate the journey he has made from being emotionally dense to the needs of others (except for JB) and dealing with everyone from a logical/non-emotional way to learning to offer emotional support that meet his love one's needs even if what they need is illogical.]

 

I think @CamelKnight was expressing his frustration for a male character who was indecisive. Same here. I don’t have to ACTUALLY SEE JH's action in progress, or anybody's movement in the process. I’m perfectly satisfied to see just the end results.

For instance, one of the moments I enjoyed in this kdrama was in Episode 8, when JH came to visit his Hyung at the hospital and he brought bananas and pineapple from TK. He was the only one who thought of sending fruit for the patient. Then, another scene was when TK was called to attend to the hospital bills of his dad because he was the "guardian."  Then, there was the moment when the neighbors realized how influential TK was and how he pulled strings to get the necessary treatment for JH’s father in the hospital. I like it that he was modest about his fame and power; it set him apart from his school-aged friends. While on one hand we had JH who was all wishy-washy about his teenage crush, we had, on the other hand, TK could make decisions like one of the grown-ups and didn’t hesitate to use his contacts. 

So, no. Unlike what other people -- cough cough -- wrote here about TK being a baby [or gay. Grrrr,], he wasn't at all immature when it came to important things. 

Also, regarding "hesitation," we know that THIS scriptwriter is big on indecisive moves. She had first made this point about hesitation/indecision in Reply 1997. 

Spoiler for @CamelKnight but it doesn't really matter because you'll forget this anyway by the time we do a rewatch of Reply 1997.

In Reply 1997, Episode 4, the lead guy, YoonJae, had this monologue when he saw his best friend hugging his girl, “There is no gain without effort. You can’t get it if you stand still. There is no more fair play.”  Then, he stood up and blocked an incoming call from another suitor. 

Then, in Episode 13, he had this voiceover reiterating this point, “There is nothing more urgent than now. Because later might never come. Life isn’t long enough to speak of the next opportunity, rather than the now that’s before our eyes….If you give up on now because of laziness or a lack of courage, there is no hope of another opportunity. If you love now, the best timing is now. You have to go before it’s too late, and you have to confess now. Because you never know what’ll happen later. The next opportunity might never come.” [credit: dramabeans]

I don't think this writer deviates from this concept of true love. For her, the lover must be able and willing to risk his comfort zone for love. He creates his own timing.  And in Reply 1988, she repeataed herself.  When I realized that the theme and title of Episode 9 were “Crossing the Line,” and 1) JH did NOT cross the line, and 2) DS herself didn’t want him to cross the line, I knew it was game over for JH.  The writer would have to do some pretty nifty switcheroo in the plot to make JH a viable option as future husband…like he could take a bullet for DS or jump in front of a train. 

What JH expressed in his own epiphany about timing in Episode 18 was a more detailed explanation of what YoonJae said in Reply 1988. JH said, “But fate and timing aren’t just coincidences that find you. They’re moments like miracles, that arise out of choices made because of ardent desire. Surrender and decision, without hesitation—that is what makes timing. He was more ardent, and I should’ve had more courage. It wasn’t the red lights, nor the timing that was bad… but the countless times I hesitated.”

See the similarity between two Reply dramas? Her lead male characters have this imperative or determination to act. She extols this value, and I expect her to keep this mindset when she writes again. That's why for me, this is an important concept to remember when viewing the next Reply series. I honestly don't think we should focus on the “color theory.” That isn’t a fool-proof [emphasis on fool] indicator of who the husband will be, and it relies too much on people citing details that may or may not be relevant to the story. As it is, the important color here is this Reply 1988 was pink. Pink for TK’s pink mittens that DS chose over JH’s pink gloves. And pink for TK’s pink sweater that DS chose to wear and for that pink shirt she did NOT choose as JH’s birthday gift. Pink represents DS’ choice each time.  So, does this mean we have to focus on PINK in the next Reply series? No, heaven forbid.

Anyway, as Camelknight said, JH always held back. And his character didn’t change, even in Episode 18 when he proposed. Leaving that ring there was so typical!  Sure, JH tried to brave a proposal (that is, crossing the line) but as soon as he realized that she wasn’t going to fall for him, he called on his friends to bail him out of the situation and to save face. He was unlike TK who baldly answered his friends’ teasing in Episode 10 that he liked DS as a woman, and not as a friend. 

[packmule3]

On 5/16/2016 at 7:25 PM, CamelKnight said:

*bows*

Thank you

I don't like it either, but I've seen many comparisons of Reply 1988 to a baduk game. Instead of a nice trophy, there's the trophy wife (which isn't much better than prize, I'll admit) to win. You don't need to be a feminist to dislike that but I guess that's what it all boils down to. Sorry  

 

You know what they say, it's better to be a "trophy wife" than a "consolation prize."  kekeke. 

My favorite moment? This is one of many.

The title of this episode is “Memories” and I can imagine the two of them returning back to this place when they’re very old and watching the same horizon. 

There’s something poignant -- and blessed, too -- about watching the same horizon together, at the beginning of their relationship when all’s bright and rosy like sunrise, and then at the approaching of the sunset of their lives. 
 

[CamelKnight]

13 hours ago, hushhh said:

 

On 16-5-2016 at 6:03 PM, CamelKnight said:

@hushhh he's not my favorite character in Reply 1988. He's definately not my least favorite character either though.

The thing I'm missing with JH is some serious stamina. He just gives up too easily and doesn't make a decisive move. I wouldn't call what he does giving up actually.  I would say he withdraws from the field. In my opinion, he withdrew because he lost the game. If you ask me, he could've been with DS if he only had made his feelings clear. I don't agree with you on this.  He might have distracted DS if that. But DS was Taek's from hello (to quote Jerry McGuire) I don't know about that. Just look at how mad she was when JH's hyung wore the pink blouse. She figured it was the one JH got from her as he didn't wear it. That reaction tells me there was more there than meets the eye. JH ofcourse, could've explained either by telling her or by going back in the house and getting her present. Instead, he simply sighed and moved on with a look like "bollocks" on his face. No action there, at all.

If you compare Reply 1988 to a Baduk game, it's clear to see why TK ends up with DS. Consider TK and JH to be the players, DS to be the "prize". JH is playing a very conservative style, always waiting, always watching but never making a move to win the game. TK on the other hand takes his time to set up his opponent, even gives him the chance to win the game but in the end, takes action to win the game and the heart of DS. Can't reallytalk about Baduk.  Don't know the game. I get the prize metaphor but that's a contentious analogy. There was a pretty extensive forumthread about how Reply 1988 resembles Baduk/Go as much as it's played in it. I think it was in the General Discussion section but I can't seem to find it at the moment. It pointed out a lot of analogies between the series and the game. By the way, I don't mean to be offensive with that remark. It's how I see just about any lovetriangle to be honest. Two guys or two girls fight for the love of one of the opposite sex. Only one prevails and wins the ultimate prize: the affection of the one they fought over. I don't like this kind of sexualization either, I'll admit. Eventhough it does make for some good entertainment at times. It's a blunt way of describing these situations, but I'm open to any other analogy you can come up with

JH is certainly not the underdog, DS was interested in him (if only because her friends told her he was interested in her). But he fails to take actions, fails to follow through. He's not the underdog, but he makes himself out to be the underdog and becasue of that, loses. Yeah, he isn't the underdog, yet but he was never going to get DS--LOL. See my answer at the first part. In my opinion he clearly had a shot. He just failed to make it.

Oh yeah, lol the question was if I had any respect of affection for him  
Uhm, so no respect whatsoever. Take charge or step off, don't linger around. Affection... well... I can see he's just too indecisive to take action and I feel sorry for him. I guess affection would be too strong a word for him. [Ok, the work on empathy and compassion.  Look at your periphery, away from the husband hunt, and look at JH as an individual with his own independent growth arc and you may develop some compassion and learn to appreciate the journey he has made from being emotionally dense to the needs of others (except for JB) and dealing with everyone from a logical/non-emotional way to learning to offer emotional support that meet his love one's needs even if what they need is illogical.]
Don't get me wrong! JH certainly made a journey in life. He learned a lot about himself, life and his friends. That's not at all what I'm talking about. To me, his major character flaw was him being indecisive in his feelings towards DS. I've been him, been in his situation plenty of times and I know from experience you'll always lose out. It wasn't untill I grabbed myself by the horns and dragged myself towards a girl to confess that I was finally able to get a girlfriend. Even after that, I still lost out on occasion, but showing initiative, standing up for myself and displaying confidence in myself was what ultimately got me the girl. It's what JH is lacking and perhaps that's why I don't have respect for him. He reminds me too much of me when I was younger.

 

 

4 hours ago, packmule3 said:

 

I think @CamelKnight was expressing his frustration for a male character who was indecisive. Same here. I don’t have to ACTUALLY SEE JH's action in progress, or anybody's movement in the process. I’m perfectly satisfied to see just the end results.

For instance, one of the moments I enjoyed in this kdrama was in Episode 8, when JH came to visit his Hyung at the hospital and he brought bananas and pineapple from TK. He was the only one who thought of sending fruit for the patient. Then, another scene was when TK was called to attend to the hospital bills of his dad because he was the "guardian."  Then, there was the moment when the neighbors realized how influential TK was and how he pulled strings to get the necessary treatment for JH’s father in the hospital. I like it that he was modest about his fame and power; it set him apart from his school-aged friends. While on one hand we had JH who was all wishy-washy about his teenage crush, we had, on the other hand, TK could make decisions like one of the grown-ups and didn’t hesitate to use his contacts. 

So, no. Unlike what other people -- cough cough -- wrote here about TK being a baby [or gay. Grrrr,], he wasn't at all immature when it came to important things. 

Also, regarding "hesitation," we know that THIS scriptwriter is big on indecisive moves. She had first made this point about hesitation/indecision in Reply 1997. 

Spoiler for @CamelKnight but it doesn't really matter because you'll forget this anyway by the time we do a rewatch of Reply 1997.

Anyway, as Camelknight said, JH always held back. And his character didn’t change, even in Episode 18 when he proposed. Leaving that ring there was so typical!  Sure, JH tried to brave a proposal (that is, crossing the line) but as soon as he realized that she wasn’t going to fall for him, he called on his friends to bail him out of the situation and to save face. He was unlike TK who baldly answered his friends’ teasing in Episode 10 that he liked DS as a woman, and not as a friend. 

You're spot on for the first bit (I elaborated myself a bit too  ).

Thnx for the warning  I'll forget asap! Did have to read it since you mentioned me further on again though  
Ah yes, the ring! At this point, I really was ready to forgive JH for his lack of decisiveness. I was like "YEAH! ROCK ON BABY!" I was grinning ear to ear, loving how he finally stood up for himself and then... nope. Nothing. I'm sure it would've been too late. I'm convinced that at this point, DS had made up her mind enough for TK to wander into the desert for a year and still have her as a girlfriend, patiently awaiting his return. But it would've restored JH's credits, at least to me.

Let me explain why this is SO important. The life lesson you hear a lot is "You miss 100% of all the shots you didn't take.". In other words, if JH had confessed and failed in obtaining DS as his girlfriend, he would've at least known where he was at. He risked it all but at least, in 5 or 10 or 50 years he would still be able to look himself in the eye/mirror and tell himself "At least I tried".
As he failed to even try to go for DS, he will only live on in regret, constantly asking himself "What if...?". That nagging feeling is what will make him feel uncomfortable and even miserable for a long time, perhaps even till his dying day if DS truly was the one for him.

[hushhh]

1 hour ago, CamelKnight said:

5 hours ago, packmule3 said:

I think @CamelKnight was expressing his frustration for a male character who was indecisive. Same here. I don’t have to ACTUALLY SEE JH's action in progress, or anybody's movement in the process. I’m perfectly satisfied to see just the end results.

 

1 hour ago, CamelKnight said:

To me, his major character flaw was him being indecisive in his feelings towards DS. I've been him, been in his situation plenty of times and I know from experience you'll always lose out. It wasn't untill I grabbed myself by the horns and dragged myself towards a girl to confess that I was finally able to get a girlfriend.

 

 

15 hours ago, hushhh said:

Uhm, so no respect whatsoever. Take charge or step off, don't linger around. Affection... well... I can see he's just too indecisive to take action and I feel sorry for him. I guess affection would be too strong a word for him. [Ok, the work on empathy and compassion.  Look at your periphery, away from the husband hunt, and look at JH as an individual with his own independent growth arc and you may develop some compassion and learn to appreciate the journey he has made from being emotionally dense to the needs of others (except for JB) and dealing with everyone from a logical/non-emotional way to learning to offer emotional support that meet his love one's needs even if what they need is illogical.]

 

 

Uhm, so no respect whatsoever. Take charge or step off, don't linger around. Affection... well... I can see he's just too indecisive to take action and I feel sorry for him. I guess affection would be too strong a word for him. [Ok, the work on empathy and compassion.  Look at your periphery, away from the husband hunt, and look at JH as an individual with his own independent growth arc and you may develop some compassion and learn to appreciate the journey he has made from being emotionally dense to the needs of others (except for JB) and dealing with everyone from a logical/non-emotional way to learning to offer emotional support that meet his love one's needs even if what they need is illogical.]

On re-read I realize that my statement seems emphatic and absolute. Didn't mean it that way. As we all know dramas work best when people respond to what resonates with them, espeically if it is actually jusified by the writing. 

For reasons unknown to me I never responded much to JH as a viable option for DS's happiness.  Maybe he could have married her but the way he was, if he didn't change I didn't see them as being happy.

As a severly flawed person I am often facinated and attracted to flawed partners. NOT any kind of flaws but ones that resonate with me.  My experience of JH was almost corrupted by actions of *xx*.  I don't like JH presentation of masculinity and I find his interaction with DS problematic I do think that the writer did a great job on delineating JH's character and his journey from youth to adulthood.

I t

 

[CamelKnight]

@hushhh I guess K-Drama's bring the best and the worst in us to the surface  I wasn't offended in any way so if you're feeling sorry towards me, please don't!  

We all have our flaws. I guess that's what makes us like Reply 1988 so much. The characters displayed have plenty of flaws too.

[MemyselfandJJ]

Hello!

I am newbie here but I have something needed to be answered by you guys LOL because I am rewatching Ep 2 (actually not the whole ep but some favourite cuts so my questions may seem shallow...) anw!

The first snapshot: DS slid the chocolate bar into the jacket at 27m26s

The second snapshot: the boys came out of the room to go eat tteokbokki at 27m17s (?!? how could that happen they should have come out after she hid the chocolate not before...)

Is that intentional or mere mistake of the editor??? What do you think?

 

[packmule3]

On 5/17/2016 at 5:05 PM, CamelKnight said:

I'm sorry you're not sorry, but I forgive you so I'm not that sorry. Sorry.  

@phikyl @packmule3 when are we going for EP6? Is anyone else joining us? Perhaps at a later/earlier time so we can still discuss? @tiendoank @cooleet?

 

 

I can't make it on the next two weekends.  Graduations and beach weeks. How about this Friday evening KST? Will the ladies go clubbing this Friday or do a rewatch with us?  

Episode 6 should be fun. It's the manitto episode, right? 

[packmule3]

1 hour ago, MemyselfandJJ said:

Hello!

I am newbie here but I have something needed to be answered by you guys LOL because I am rewatching Ep 2 (actually not the whole ep but some favourite cuts so my questions may seem shallow...) anw!

 

 

The first snapshot: DS slid the chocolate bar into the jacket at 27m26s

The second snapshot: the boys came out of the room to go eat tteokbokki at 27m17s (?!? how could that happen they should have come out after she hid the chocolate not before...)

Is that intentional or mere mistake of the editor??? What do you think?

 

Brava!  You got it.  It was intentional. 

This is another info that was discussed in PM only between a couple of posters. I didn’t want to write about it out in the open because I felt people were still skeptical that JB was the culprit who took the chocolate meant for TK. And I didn’t want to waste my time [and theirs] giving proofs to them ad nauseum.  I feel like that ill-fated Cassandra in Homer's Iliad.

But since you brought it up, let me tell you what I said in PM. 

The discrepancy in minutes is proof that somebody – specifically, JB -- tampered with the videocam to erase or delete any evidence of him taking the chocolate from the jacket. It wasn't a mistake of the editor; it was deliberately done.  But viewers would only come to this conclusion if 1) they were paying attention to the minutes on the camcorder, and 2) they understood who the culprit was. Of course, the scriptwriter was expecting a lot from the viewers, and unfortunately, it was a hit-and-miss.  

JB rewound the tape and that was why the videocam was registering 27m26s when DS put in the chocolate in the jacket and 27m17s when the boys came out the room. There were missing minutes or minutes unaccounted for because the tape was rewound. 

All the other boys were in that room so none of them could have taken the chocolate and fiddled around with the camcorder. Jinjoo wouldn’t know how to operate the camcorder. Only JB would have both the know-how to work the videocam [he was MacGyver, remember?] and the motive to steal the chocolate [he was upset that he lost that video arcade game to TK].

As I said from the beginning, JB took the chocolate.

Anyway, good job. And I'm glad you posted.  

[Guest]

@packmule3 The problem is that Friday night KST is Friday afternoon for @CamelKnight so he probably wouldn't be able to make it when we actually do the re-watch. Are you okay with posting later @CamelKnight? 

I'd be willing to do 2 re-watches too. One at 10pm KST and then another one that's at Camel's night time. 

[CamelKnight]

@phikyl I'm actually free Friday afternoon (my time). Depending on whether my stomach is hungry or not, I'll be joining you (once I figure out what time that KST is. Why can't we all just have the same time!)

@packmule3 I never noticed those timers! I would've filed it under directors mistake had I noticed. Sometimes I wonder if you actually go frame by frame... 

[Guest]

@CamelKnight If my calculations are correct, 10pm KST should be 2pm for you. Tell me about it with the different timezones! I have about 8 clocks on my phone just to keep track of all of them! 

We re-watch things a lot. I didn't notice the timers but I noticed other clues pointing to the same conclusion.  There's rarely, if ever, just one thing that leads to a conclusion @packmule3 makes. 

 

So rewatch tomorrow/later today? Friday May 20th, 10 pm KST then? Episode 6. Let me mess around a bit and whip up an image for it. 

[Guest]

                            Episode 6 Re-watch:

                     

Paging: @tiendoank, @cooleet, @packmule3, @CamelKnight, @deeand, @hyuki4ever and anyone else whose name I've forgotten! 

[CamelKnight]

@phikyl should be okay with me  

[deeand]

5 hours ago, phikyl said:

                            Episode 6 Re-watch:

                     

Paging: @tiendoank, @cooleet, @packmule3, @CamelKnight, @deeand, @hyuki4ever and anyone else who's name I've forgotten! 

My hubby is working out of town for two weeks starting today!!!! horayyy!!!! 

and I sent my daughter vacation at her granny house.. ke,,,ke....

so... I finally can joining the rewatch. 

[packmule3]

7 hours ago, CamelKnight said:

@phikyl I'm actually free Friday afternoon (my time). Depending on whether my stomach is hungry or not, I'll be joining you (once I figure out what time that KST is. Why can't we all just have the same time!)

@packmule3 I never noticed those timers! I would've filed it under directors mistake had I noticed. Sometimes I wonder if you actually go frame by frame... 

 

Frame by frame?  I’m not THAT obsessive. Ask our mutual friend, @angelangie. She can vouch for me. 

But @phikyl is right. When we “insist” on a certain conclusion or interpretation, it’s rarely based on just ONE thing. We usually back it up with multiple reasons. 

You see, long before Reply 1988 ended, there were four ladies here who were already PM’ing each other, because they expected that the JH shippers would complain vociferously WHEN Taek was revealed to be THE husband.  The JH shippers aka Gaeddoek people were so confident that they were right but, based on what I know of this scriptwriter’s particular mindset or “worldview,” the JH shippers were 100% wrong. Also, to be brutally honest, if I was to strip away their fangirling smut on JH’s abs and features, none of their arguments made sense to me. Lol. 

So, our small group prepared "talking points" or rebuttals in case the JH shippers questioned TK as husband in the final outcome. [And sure enough -- as we anticipated -- they DID complain. They even petitioned tvN to revise the script on change.org. hahaha. That’s how absurd they were. They totally didn’t comprehend the script.]  

We also appointed one devil’s advocate” among us to take up the side of the JH shippers, and poke holes in our explanations.  This way we could cover everything and were ready for their arguments at the end of the kdrama … but sighhhh. We didn’t expect them to agitate for a thread shutdown because they were such sore losers. 

However, it soon became apparent to me that WITHIN the Taectanic ship there were two factions as well: those who believed that TK was the first love and those who believed that SW was the first love. So, another PM group was established, composed of seven members, with the goals of debunking SW as first love and establishing TK as DS’ true first love. You see, based on what I know of this scriptwriter, she’s very much into the concept of First Love = True Love. [Objectively speaking, I’m glad I didn’t marry my First Love -- that would have been Armageddon -- but how I *personally* experienced or felt about First Love has zero bearing on the story and its analysis, anyway. It's what the writer thinks about First Love that matters.] 

I think those ladies wouldn’t mind if I mention their names now, so they can get proper credit. They are: @shooastrid [she's the creator of the baduk thread on your General Forum, @CamelKnight], @nearsea, @moonkeeper, @hafunohane, @mangachickava, and @Phuong Tam Nguyen. Also, I’ve PM’ed others like @phikyl, @.crestfallen., @onlysb1, @fangurling123, @melissala, and @cooleet and used them as sounding board. 

Thus, many of the things I write about now were, in fact, conceptualized behind-the-scenes. I personally didn't go "frame by frame."  I was opposed to posting them outside all at once because 1) I didn’t want to bamboozle people with explanations or ideas that they weren’t ready for, and, 2) after a while, I found it tiring dealing with people who refused to see sense. It's like if they don't get it, then they don't get it.  

During both times the threads were shut down, we were consolidating and refining all the “evidences” or arguments. We were just waiting for the opportune time to release them. Hence the re-watches. 

1 hour ago, deeand said:

My hubby is working out of town for two weeks starting today!!!! horayyy!!!! 

and I sent my daughter vacation at her granny house.. ke,,,ke....

so... I finally can joining the rewatch. 

hahaha. I've this image of you, saying...

 

We'll see you later.

[CamelKnight]

5 hours ago, packmule3 said:

 

Frame by frame?  I’m not THAT obsessive. Ask our mutual friend, @angelangie. She can vouch for me. 

But @phikyl is right. When we “insist” on a certain conclusion or interpretation, it’s rarely based on just ONE thing. We usually back it up with multiple reasons. 

You see, long before Reply 1988 ended, there were four ladies here who were already PM’ing each other, because they expected that the JH shippers would complain vociferously WHEN Taek was revealed to be THE husband.  The JH shippers aka Gaeddoek people were so confident that they were right but, based on what I know of this scriptwriter’s particular mindset or “worldview,” the JH shippers were 100% wrong. Also, to be brutally honest, if I was to strip away their fangirling smut on JH’s abs and features, none of their arguments made sense to me. Lol. 

So, our small group prepared "talking points" or rebuttals in case the JH shippers questioned TK as husband in the final outcome. [And sure enough -- as we anticipated -- they DID complain. They even petitioned tvN to revise the script on change.org. hahaha. That’s how absurd they were. They totally didn’t comprehend the script.]  

We also appointed one devil’s advocate” among us to take up the side of the JH shippers, and poke holes in our explanations.  This way we could cover everything and were ready for their arguments at the end of the kdrama … but sighhhh. We didn’t expect them to agitate for a thread shutdown because they were such sore losers. 

However, it soon became apparent to me that WITHIN the Taectanic ship there were two factions as well: those who believed that TK was the first love and those who believed that SW was the first love. So, another PM group was established, composed of seven members, with the goals of debunking SW as first love and establishing TK as DS’ true first love. You see, based on what I know of this scriptwriter, she’s very much into the concept of First Love = True Love. [Objectively speaking, I’m glad I didn’t marry my First Love -- that would have been Armageddon -- but how I *personally* experienced or felt about First Love has zero bearing on the story and its analysis, anyway. It's what the writer thinks about First Love that matters.] 

I think those ladies wouldn’t mind if I mention their names now, so they can get proper credit. They are: @shooastrid [she's the creator of the baduk thread on your General Forum, @CamelKnight], @nearsea, @moonkeeper, @hafunohane, @mangachickava, and @Phuong Tam Nguyen. Also, I’ve PM’ed others like @phikyl, @.crestfallen., @onlysb1, @fangurling123, @melissala, and @cooleet and used them as sounding board. 

Thus, many of the things I write about now were, in fact, conceptualized behind-the-scenes. I personally didn't go "frame by frame."  I was opposed to posting them outside all at once because 1) I didn’t want to bamboozle people with explanations or ideas that they weren’t ready for, and, 2) after a while, I found it tiring dealing with people who refused to see sense. It's like if they don't get it, then they don't get it.  

During both times the threads were shut down, we were consolidating and refining all the “evidences” or arguments. We were just waiting for the opportune time to release them. Hence the re-watches. 

That... is quite obsessive, very impressive, immensly scary and a good reason to stay out of all your paths for the coming future should I notice I've got a different view.

I'm at a loss for words here, but I guess I could sum it up with saying that I'm generally scared with the level of fandom I'm whitnessing here. Not "Eek-a-spider!" scared. No. I'm "That-clown-on-a-moped-with-his-funny-nose-and-his-rainbow-hair-and-his-knives-already-bloodied-by-his-last-murder-only-5-seconds-ago-is-going-to-kill-me-now-and-I-have-nowhere-to-run" scared. 
Excuse me while I change my passwords, dye my hair, change my name, username and my gender, move to another country and go live in the jungle for my remaining days.

[packmule3]

Haha. I only take THIS drama seriously. -- and the Hong sisters' Warm and Cozy. That drama, I also have that one down as one of my favorites. I got annoyed when the bloggers at dramabeans panned it so I decided to "analyze" it to bits and pieces just to prove that dramabeans was only skimming the surface there with its commentaries. You should see my kiss analysis.... Right, @phikyl?

The Hong sisters are my favorite rom-com writers because they can be subversive with their dead-pan humor. For instance, there was one scene in Warm and Cozy where the sisters were trying to take a dig at these "water slaps" in kdramas. You've seen those: the rich, mean, disapproving mother-in-law or girlfriend reaches for a glass of water and splashes the poor heroine on the face with water. In W&C, the second lead heroine coolly stops the glass in mid-swing and calmly informs the mean sister-in-law that she's a Jejudo diver. She makes a living risking her life in the deep blue OCEAN every day so why on earth will getting splashed on by a full GLASS of water demean her? Lol. I thought that was a poetic way of telling the sister how insignificant she is: even her insults are just a "drop in the ocean."

Woman empowerment!

I really don't get why kdrama writers still include water slaps in the script, in this day and age. It's trite and unoriginal. Plus, it always puts the female lead in a pathetic, subservient, oh-pity-me! situation. Then, if you're a mindless viewer, that water slap reinforces the mentality that women, even the supposedly "strong" heroines, are helpless and docile creatures who'll tolerate such insult. Ugh!  If somebody threw a glass of water at me, I'd probably laugh in HER face then rip her apart with words...that is, if I didn't karate chop her hand first.

The kind of rom-com I'm looking for is the anti-makjang dramas. 

But don't worry, @CamelKnight. You're part of the family now so we won't eat your liver with Chianti and fava beans like what Hannibal Lecter used to do with its prey. No need to pedal furiously away from us in a clown outfit. 

You know, I have trouble remembering passwords if I change too often so now my default password is "incorrect." Hahaha. Literally. My password is incorrect. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, packmule3 said:

Haha. I only take THIS drama seriously. -- and the Hong sisters' Warm and Cozy. That drama, I also have that one down as one of my favorites. I got annoyed when the bloggers at dramabeans panned it so I decided to "analyze" it to bits and pieces just to prove that dramabeans was only skimming the surface there with its commentaries. You should see my kiss analysis.... Right, @phikyl?

Yep! I told you, when we were talking favorite shows @CamelKnight, that you should read @packmule3's analyses of that show before you wrote it off...I wasn't kidding. Lol! Unfortunately, it would take quite a bit of backreading through that thread to get to all of them but W&C was really well thought out. Even the previews could have hidden meanings sometimes! I liked the show from the get go but it was quite interesting to go back and watch it again with new eyes after reading the Soompi thread.

 

Also, I'm here! I'm awake.... not yet coherent though. Need to go find some of that liquid that makes me human and then I'll be ready to watch. 

@CamelKnight Apologies. Looking at my phone it seems I got my timezone conversions wrong.  3pm for you is 10pm KST. 

 

[deeand]

I'm here 

9 hours ago, packmule3 said:

hahaha. I've this image of you, saying...

 

Spoiler

We'll see you later.

ke..ke..ke... you describe it perfectly.

I love both of them, but sometimes a mother need her private time "home alone"

[Guest]

You know, this first bit is a good example of the way JH chokes when it comes to DS. He had the opportunity to confront SW and get an explanation about SW's actions but he chose not to. So JH spends quite a bit of this episode upset, thinking that SW has a crush on DS, when he could have just talked to SW at the beginning of the episode and gotten the misunderstanding cleared up. 

DS tells her friends that she'll share with them if SW kisses her but she doesn't do the same with TK after the dream kiss in episode 17, does she?