[OFFICIAL THREAD] DDONGI COUPLE ~ (Eric Nam ❤ MAMAMOO Solar) LEGGO~!

[Farfalle]

Love to read your analysis, chingu! @enko20 & @cinnaminskies  

@gureentea It's because I saw that only one copy of the photo when Eric & Solar took it out together from the machine (screenshot below). But you know, maybe my eyes are not that good  And thanks for your effort for the research, chingu! 

Spoiler

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Eric participated in a campaign!

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Don't know if it's posted before, but Solar was so serious monitoring MAMAMOO performance 
Full version with other artists: http://www.vlive.tv/video/16720/REPLAY-1112-쇼-음악중심-5분-딜레이-Show-Music-core

 

MAMAMOO Diary (which contains Solar). Some of them are not subbed yet, so the sources are from Korean fans.

Spoiler

 

 

November 11th is Pepero Day in Korea, but since they're model for Pocky, so they called it Pocky Day. If only our couple hasn't separated, they could celebrate Pepero Day together :')

 

 

 

[abbychan]

@Ira Ajja @autumnleaves19_stv agree with you, taeun antis are scary and I think this is the reason why bomi is now paired with an actor instead of an idol, cause they don't want bomi to receive the hate that naeun had that time, only few shawols and pink pandas are supporting taemin and naeun during their stint and most of the comments are like naeun is just using taemin or taemin is too good for naeun, its a pity coz this two look actually good together. For teuksora, as far as I can remember the only time that elfs got unhappy with them was when Leeteuk proposed to sora during ss4 concert (up to date that was the most romantic proposal in the history of wgm, imagine doing it in a concert) but after that elfs like sora, I'm actually an elf and leeteuk biased and teuksora is my main ship, tbh most elfs actually calls sora as first lady, and up until now leeteuk still talks about how he miss sora in public, ( refer to the chuseok ep he openly said it ), he even post their wedding picture on instagram, so all the love from elfs for this couple. for bbyu couple I watch some of their episode and I must say that joy really like sungjae, no doubt , those look in her eyes and smile when sungjae is around says it all, I don't think that rv fans made so much fuss about coz they look so cute.

And for eric and solar, as most of us already said most of the moomoos just hate that solar is being tagged as eric's wife, I actually read some tweets that they admire the respect that eric gave to solar, others are the possessive moomoos that thinks that moonbyul and solar should be the one dating (tho I like moonsun but not to the point that I want them to date lol). most namnations thinks that eric is just too good for the show, considering his nation's boyfriend image and that he deserve someone better than solar. Nevertheless we know that this two are just the perfect balance from one another

[Ira Ajja]

@autumnleaves19_stv @abbychan thanks a lot for the explanation 

@gureentea good job chingu

i really like read all your comment with the last ep, i feel dissapointed too that mbc don't make it into 2 ep...i guess it's wgm signature to chop the ending of the cp so the viewers will get emotional (i feel they like to playing with viewers heart by trolling us)

[enko20]

@cinnaminskies Yes, you brought up a very good point I forgot to talk about. That was also an ultimate test of acceptance, and as you can see, what Eric did really proved the statement I wrote in my Solar's article that he "finds perfect in Solar's imperfection".

Also, the way he disregarded it all and saying "I like her, she's kind and bright to me" is basically him saying that he likes the Yongsun of today, and no matter what she did in the past it won't make him think any less of her. We all have made mistakes in the past, and we learn to change and improve from it. Eric himself probably went through a lot of failure to become the guy he is today (as evident by two of his breakups), so he knows better than to point fingers at Solar for who she once was. That was probably the biggest hurdle for them to become personal with each other, and Eric passed it with flying colors.

@autumnleaves19_stv @abbychan What you two said really bring me back to the past WGM disasters that I witnessed in my earlier years of watching the show, especially that whole Taeun fiasco. I remember watching the mean prank Taemin played on Naeun and I just sat there going "WTH DUDE?", and then the staff used cursed words on him afterward lol. Watch that, and you will really appreciate how someone like Eric will never do anything to hurt Solar emotionally just for giggles.

And it really gives us a perspective of how clean Eric and Solar truly has been in comparison. What was the most scandalous thing that happened during their stint? That's right, it's the panelist episode, and that wasn't such a big deal either. It was the panelist choice, not their, so both were blameless. Dubai, slightly controversial, and for a reason I will never understand (since when did going on vacation trip considered being overworked? I would like to be overworked everyday like that, please).

I think both WGM and the casts have revolutionized a lot over the years and learn from their past failures. The extra safe editing and planning might come at the cost of our own enjoyment, but in turn it put less of a burden on the idols' reputation. It sucks for my shipper heart, but as a supporter of their careers, I will take that anyday.

[407801baby]

Hello all

On 07/11/2016 at 7:52 PM, Le_Sanguinea said:

As for @407801baby's question - I'll say this: No guy looks gently like at that at a girl without some degree of tenderness/appreciation, even if you say that it's only for show 

ikr, thanks @Le_Sanguinea for answering my question  happy to hear that (i'm sure because it's from male point of view and your knowledge in analysis as psychologist).

 

Hello @enko20, i'm sorry it took a while for me to answer your question. 

Spoiler

MBC's New PD said that they let the artist watch the filming/editing clip before it aired, and i remember she said that Eric is good enough in giving direction and suggesting something related to filming, and i think he will keep some of their footages for their own memories, i mean for not aired in the eps.

 

First of all i would like to apologize to all of you because i brought the not so accurate information. Actually i stated the comment based on the things i remember from WGM's New PD by @Farfalle. I've re-read again the translation and confirm it with her, and i came to a realisation that i've been misunderstood in some part about that. I'll match what i said with the translation by using the same color.

On 16/08/2016 at 2:05 AM, Farfalle said:

No matter how real-variety, how natural will a behavior that come out in front of cameras. I asked the couples to look when the camera is turned off.

 

On 16/08/2016 at 2:05 AM, Farfalle said:

'WGM' staffs and casts communicate actively in order to manage without script, they're trying to make the broadcast more 'authentic'.

"We often call, text, and converse with the casts. More than any other program, there will be a lot of conversation between casts and staffs in this program. After filming, before the next filming, we asked something like 'How was the last filming? What's your thought about your partner?', and we talk together about what you're going to do next. We communicate very specifically."

 

On 16/08/2016 at 2:05 AM, Farfalle said:

we want to ask some items to the casts through consultation and check their wishlist about what they want to do when they're married from time to time. We discuss such as what will you do, when, where, and with whom you'll progress, so the staffs can prepare for the broadcast.

 

On 16/08/2016 at 2:05 AM, Farfalle said:

However, when we asked the casts about the things they wanted to do if they got married, they didn't tell special things. Go eating delicious food, doing things they like together, traveling, they wanted to do those usual things.

 

As stated above (implicit), eric (and i think the other couple did) give some of his opinion about kind of date he want in WGM since he was a panelist before and know how the show run compared to solar (i believe i had read this in some article but unfortunately i can't find it now  ). I clearly remember how Eric try to call Solar with a sweet nickname first in their early episode eventhough he not really feel comfortable filming at that time.

The PD also said that they asked the cast about today filming, and as stated above thy let the cast looking into the camera after the filming (i don't think they need to re-took the scene if it turn out to be bad because it definitely will looks unnatural). That's why i came to a (quick) conclusion that the staff also can ask about the couple opinion regarding cutting the scene but once again this is my opinion which turn wrong as it not stated explicit in the PD translation. 

Eric might be not used to watch himself but, it doesn't mean he never watch himself right? 

Just now i watched the Chuseok Rally Part 1, Eric said that he saw Jo Se Ho kiss Cao Lu forehead in the last episode and Solar give the reaction about it too. Even it's not clear that Eric watched himself in the show, but for me it showed that Eric willing to watch WGM other than other variety show that he went before.

Don't asked me about Solar, she definitely did. She will be dragged by her member in front of the TV and they'll teased Solar about it kkk. Solar excitement about Dubai episode air time is the same as Decalcomanie MV release, so i bet she would be watch their eps regularly and check about their fans comment. In Chuseok Rally Part 1 she said that Jin Kyung and Jota have a lot of aegyo from their cuts, but it's hard to find they doing aegyo just from cuts unless you watch the whole episode. 

For your information : 

She made two translation about WGM's New PD interview here (but only one appear in the frontpage) and the other is missing. I found the other translation here :  http://onehallyu.com/topic/308728-✿♡official-ddongi-couple♡✿✿eric-namnam-yoon-do♡solarkim-yongsunmamamoo☆yongnam☆solric♡✿wgm✿ddongicoupleforeverandalways/page-100 

Spoiler

As expected, Eric Nam shows the aspect of 1 house 1 Eric Nam properly in 'WGM'. Eric Nam even took care of Solar's gift at his travel program shooting, generating envy. Choi Yoon-jeong PD hinted that Eric Nam takes care of staffs frugally.

 

"I heard story from on-site PD that the more he sees Eric Nam, he's also a good friend. The good attitude to start 'WGM' is indeed sincerity. He also minds to take care of the staff and he even takes care of Solar's gift although nowadays he's so busy going abroad back and forth. This word isn't used often, there's authenticity. If there's an eating god, at the pizza restaurant he takes care of 30 staffs' order and he frequently asks whether if it's not hard. It's a small manner, '1 house 1 Eric Nam' that is yelled by fans looked like appears in nano scale. (laugh)"

 

Eric Nam recently also made female fans fluttered. In swimming battle with Solar, Eric Nam as victory got a right for a wish. Unlike the expectations that his wish is for skinship, Eric Nam asked Solar to drop her formal speech and gave a pleasant reversal feelings.

"Eric Nam wanted to hold Solar's hand, we're also expecting the unexpected skinship. After Eric Nam and Solar busking wedding, Eric Nam has been developing intimacy, in that part we thought that there will be a feeling of thirst. Even if Solar herself is still comfortable and think of it as courtesy, at the thought of Eric Nam felt uncomfortable, her thought was clattering down in the interview. The thing that Eric Nam himself wants, he works faithfully at the thing in his mind/heart and it felt like he's thinking seriously about his relationship with someone named Solar.

 

Seriously the 'divorce' thing and my wrong prediction about ddongie will last longer got me very upset! but i came to a realisation that I have been gone to far to handle this with careless statement  so i'll try to thinking and act wise from now on (in stating a comment). 

Most of you make an interesting opinion with your experience watching WGM (sorry i can't mention u one by one, because so much of post, and i have a weak memory remembering the username kkk)!

If i have enough

of spare time i will write mine, so you will find out why i'm so upset with their short appearance in WGM. 

One again i would like to say sorry because i stated the wrong information and causing a commotion here (virtual kneeling), i hope the answer satisfied your curiousity

Thank you 

 

[gureentea]

@Farfalle ah i didn't pay attention to that! i think you're right. i thought it has 2 pics each when i saw on other scene. but turned out they only have 1 pic each on 1 paper.  either way i still really love the idea 

@enko20 i know rigghttt the song make you feeling so melancholy  thank you for your effort for the translation! 

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i think it's not posted yet

i don't know why but eric kinda lost his lively eyes these days... he seems tired, sad, sick..? but actually i felt his eyes already like that when he filmed the autumn ep and on the event before that.

[jjsis]

Chingus, I never bother about this before but i keep thinking of this for our Ddongie.. When is their official divorce date? Is it when they last filmed on Nov 9th or when MBC air their last ep this sat,  Nov 19th? I wonder if yongsun is still eric's official wgm wife on his birthday this year.. 

And yes i agree with @gureentea his eyes looks soul-less.. be strong eric-shhi..

[enko20]

@407801baby

Ah I see, thank you for the explanation. Don't be sorry chingu, I see how the wording can cause misunderstanding haha. Thanks to your effort, i finally remember other articles that's not yet featured on our front page. It's time to bring them out so we have more info to play with  

5 hours ago, 407801baby said:

As stated above (implicit), eric (and i think the other couple did) give some of his opinion about kind of date he want in WGM since he was a panelist before and know how the show run compared to solar (i believe i had read this in some article but unfortunately i can't find it now  ). I clearly remember how Eric try to call Solar with a sweet nickname first in their early episode eventhough he not really feel comfortable filming at that time.

 

Here is the article that you were looking for (All translation works by @Farfalle)

Spoiler

Edaily ‘우결’男 매력탐구 (2) ['WGM' Male Charm Exploration  - Eric Nam, PD mind with ideas factory]

http://starin.edaily.co.kr/news/NewsRead.edy?SCD=EA31&newsid=01331686612684016&DCD=A10102

• Sweet male icon, Eric Nam
  Eric Nam joined 'WGM' in April. His virtual wife is a member of girl-group MAMAMOO, Solar. Their process of fresh romance revealed Eric Nam's tenderness, which is a hot topic in SNS everyday. He personally cut the fruit from the fruit basket that he received as a gift to make fruit lunchbox for Solar, they ate beef intestine soup together because it's her favorite although he doesn't like it, and so on. His trivial but sensible acts have received overwhelming support from female viewers. Because of that, fans' roar of "1 house needs 1 Eric Nam" have been poured out too.

 

• This scene only
  (Translator's notes: I don't translate this part, since it is just a narration of Eric and Solar moments that aired in 'WGM', particularly their proposal and wedding ceremony scenes.)

 

• The staffs' view of Eric Nam
  Choi Yoon Jeong PD compared Eric Nam with white color. "White is a stylish color. Glow as it is, it looks good even when it's overlaid by different colors. Showing its true color to make other color stands out. That point resembles Eric Nam," said Choi PD. Choi PD added a cute reason, "In fact, Eric Nam's skin is so good. Flour-like skin."
  
  In addition, Eric Nam is an idea bank. Choi PD said, "Dinosaur egg proposal is Eric Nam's idea. He has a PD-like mind, he actively contributes ideas. Many people thought everything in 'WGM' goes according to the script, but the cast's idea is applied a lot. Self wedding photoshoot is also Solar and Eric Nam's idea. The two of them work hard to immerse themselves in the situation."

This was how I knew that both Eric and Solar actively contribute to their filming, and you could really see a lot of episodes concepts are very "Ddongi" like (mukbang, playing games etc.)

5 hours ago, 407801baby said:

She made two translation about WGM's New PD interview here (but only one appear in the frontpage) and the other is missing.

 

Here is the full article of that one:

Spoiler

'WGM' PD talk about Jo Se-ho ♥ Cao Lu, Jota ♥ Kim Jin-kyung (Interview part 1)
Source: '우결'PD가 말하는 조세호♥차오루, 조타♥김진경(인터뷰①)

Spoiler

Each of three couples that lead 'WGM' have different personalities. 'WGM Season 4' Choi Yoon-jeong PD told that she's trying to give differentiators to each of the three couples. Choi Yoon-jeong PD is responsible for the production/direction of 'WGM' since last February.

"Charged with 'WGM', the biggest thing that hold the direction of the 'WGM' framework is maintaining the personalities of 3 distinct stories. Jo Se-ho and Cao Lu's plot covers up to the family stories, their own characters are honest and easy-going. Rather than prince and princess feel, they have the story of realistic marriage in 30s. Jota and Jinkyung are young friends talking about marriage as a fantasy rather than reality. In the dating and marriage of early 20s, there is a lot of such romance then they look naturally get accustomed to that. Eric Nam and Solar have same job yet different cultural background. In their mid-to-late 20s, it is the appropriate mix of realism and romance that coming from that age."

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'WGM' PD "Eric Nam-Solar, take care of staffs well... There's authenticity/sincerity" (Interview part 2)
Source: '우결'PD "에릭남, 솔라·스태프 잘 챙겨..진정성 있다"(인터뷰②)

Spoiler

The addition of Eric Nam to 'WGM' is causing a great sensation. Called '1 house 1 Eric Nam' (means one person that's charming as Eric Nam is needed in a home/family), the new term created by receiving much love from female fans, the response of Eric Nam's joining was so hot.

"We tried to replace a couple on sequence, when Eric Nam's appearance speculation articles got out, I was surprised that female fans' interest at online sites appeared badly. There has been talk about Eric Nam's appearance in 'WGM' several times, Eric Nam himself also told me that his fans would be discouraged by the episodes, because of that he hesitated. Eric Nam's popularity is beyond imagination, so I was really shocked."

Eric Nam was partnered with Solar. Choi Yoon-jeong PD's reason of spotting Solar as Eric Nam's partner is she heard about her bright personality. Solar also shows full of excitement aspect in 'WGM', unfolding romance full of flutters with Eric Nam, which boasts a colorful charm.

"At the time Solar is interviewed for the first time, Eric Nam's appearance is settled. It is expected that Eric Nam would match with dandy and stylish women, so Solar's chosen as reversal. Eric Nam is also bright and he wanted a friend with puppy-aura that sings well. I thought it's okay if he's matched with an easy-going, honest, and bright friend. From the PD perspective, MAMAMOO is a charming group with nation's favor, there's a part (of Solar) which hasn't been verified in other entertainment, it felt like a challenge for me. There were also enthusiasm and charm that makes people feel good among MAMAMOO members."

As expected, Eric Nam shows the aspect of 1 house 1 Eric Nam properly in 'WGM'. Eric Nam even took care of Solar's gift at his travel program shooting, generating envy. Choi Yoon-jeong PD hinted that Eric Nam takes care of staffs frugally.

"I heard story from on-site PD that the more he sees Eric Nam, he's also a good friend. The good attitude to start 'WGM' is indeed sincerity. He also minds to take care of the staff and he even takes care of Solar's gift although nowadays he's so busy going abroad back and forth. This word isn't used often, there's authenticity. If there's an eating god, at the pizza restaurant he takes care of 30 staffs' order and he frequently asks whether if it's not hard. It's a small manner, '1 house 1 Eric Nam' that is yelled by fans looked like appears in nano scale. (laugh)"

Eric Nam recently also made female fans fluttered. In swimming battle with Solar, Eric Nam as victory got a right for a wish. Unlike the expectations that his wish is for skinship, Eric Nam asked Solar to drop her formal speech and gave a pleasant reversal feelings.

"Eric Nam wanted to hold Solar's hand, we're also expecting the unexpected skinship. After Eric Nam and Solar busking wedding, Eric Nam has been developing intimacy, in that part we thought that there will be a feeling of thirst. Even if Solar herself is still comfortable and think of it as courtesy, at the thought of Eric Nam felt uncomfortable, her thought was clattering down in the interview. The thing that Eric Nam himself wants, he works faithfully at the thing in his mind/heart and it felt like he's thinking seriously about his relationship with someone named Solar."

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'WGM' PD "Couple premonition? If all of the three couples were dating" (Interview part 3)
Source: '우결'PD "커플 예감? 세 커플 다 사귀었으면"(인터뷰③)

Spoiler

The three couples who show peculiar chemistry on 'WGM', many people hope that they really date. Earlier 'WGM' also produced real couple. Choi Yoon-jeong PD at the question of whether there was a couple that is foreboded to be a couple answered, "If all of the three couples were dating, I think it's nice," and smiled.

"Rather than only one couple, I really think that it's nice if all of the three couples really dated. (Park) Mi-seon eonnie told me that looking at the example in reality, the feeling is there, and she learned that there are also quite many couples that dated for real."

'WGM' has met viewers for over eight years. The program has turned the longevity ball to different PDs and writers. He thanked the writers for their strong affection to 'WGM'.

"There are a lot of veteran writers are among the writers. Their times are different with each other, but there are many writers who have the love for 'WGM' for more than 3 years. There are writers such as Jeon Sang-hee, Shin Ji-young, Park Hyeon-jeong, Kwon Min-hee; I think the program is going to roll well. Cast members' trials and errors are reduced and the emotion is managed. The other reason for three couples' personalities are different personality of the three PDs in-charge that brought out different colors. Because they have know-how and affection to 'WGM', there's a talk of 'WGM' whether 'should we abolish', but I think they had not lost the value of strong entertainment program's existence.

 

 

Lots of information here that give us deep insights into our couple.I will send those links to @Le_Sanguinea to get them to the front.

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Mamamoo will be on "SNL Korea". This is going to be hilarious!

Bring back the memories of Eric on SNL Korea. It was bizarre but absolutely hysterical (If Solar had watch it she never would have thought that Eric's serious, ever).

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Eddie just tweeted this:

Eric's comeback incoming??

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Matching toys? How cute!  (I can't remember which events these two were at here, can chingus help me out?)

[Ira Ajja]

I read mamamoo will perform draw draw draw at the show today...after watch the showcase with sub i really love this song cos has ddongie vibe

@enko20 i'm curious too with eddie tweet, if eric will make comeback it will be fun 

I feel the same too with eric eyes

I see the preview for yang and nam show...i can't see eric being nice with other girl  haha 

[autumnleaves19_stv]

@jjsis,hello there. Officially they are still 'married' u til the last episode will be aired. Usually the other CP who always wore their ring (or another couple things) will officially took off their ring/couple things after the last episode eventhough they shooted it before. 

Please CMIIW.

[Le_Sanguinea]

I really fell asleep lol. I guess I couldn't stay awake for a few more hours to finish typing this yesterday.

I don't think I've polished this enough yet, but I hope you enjoy this anyways. It's not exactly the couple analysis that I've promised, but I tried to express what I felt as I watched Eric and Solar through the eyes of a long-time WGM viewer. Cheers! 

 

PART 2: ASKING THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS 

Guilty pleasure.

Or to paraphrase, an odd choice of a hobby to pursue. That’s how I would describe watching WGM to a newcomer to the Korean entertainment scene. There’s just something so inherently fascinating about watching two strangers interact on camera as a pseudo-married couple that it takes watching more than just one couple to fully appreciate the logic behind such a concept. Of course, considering its nature as a reality show that aims to blur people’s perception of celebrity relationships doesn’t diminish from the fact that even if most of it is manufactured in a sense, we can get a small inkling of the personality types of our favorite idols/celebrities as they participate in the show’s premise.  

Who knew this show would last so long?

I admit that at times I have mentioned that before, but again, enjoyment is dependent on personal taste. Subjectivity is a focal part of the appeal of WGM, lending to the concept of having 3 couples stay active in specified cycles over the show’s history to appeal to various audiences with varying degrees of appetite for romance. Saying one couple is the best doesn’t have any objective basis, and it’s probably more accurate to reconstruct your statement as “Oh, this couple is my favorite out of all the WGM couples I’ve watched!”  Those of you who have been to other shipper threads know this for a fact – there will always be people who will comment, “Oh, I’ve been watching since season 1, and these two are the best so far!” (Admit it, some of you veterans have said that at some point in your shipper career).

But it begs the question: WHY?

Why, out of the roughly 40+ couples on the show, would you prefer watching one over the other? And why would you choose to “ship” them?

It’s a fascinating process, watching two persons evolve from being two separate individuals on the show to reaching a point where it’s kind of impossible not to think about them as a couple. To me, part of the fun of watching WGM is to discover that one moment that defines them as an “it” couple, rather than just two guys featured on WGM for an episode or two.

Remember these two? To be honest, I forgot about them when I was typing this.

 

But what makes or breaks a couple on WGM? To talk about that, we need to discuss COMPATIBILITY and CHEMISTRY first.

They’re both separate concepts that you use to describe the progression of interpersonal relationships, but you can’t interchange them with one another. You can say that a couple has chemistry, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re compatible. You can say that a couple is compatible, but they lack chemistry.  You may have heard these words used interchangeably over the course of your stay here in Soompi, most of which are used to justify a couple’s popularity with the viewers. While it’s true that their definitions are inherently similar, using them as blanket terms for each other is fallacious and misleading.

Confusing, right?

Understanding these concepts helps us to view WGM objectively and allows us to appreciate contrasts with other ships compared to ours. Now for me, I judge Chemistry and Compatibility based on the first meeting of each couple, not necessarily the first episode. If you recall, Eric and Solar didn’t actually meet in their first episode so that’s a moot point. If I like what I see, then I follow them. If I don’t feel convinced, then I wait a few more episodes; the benchmark for a couple would probably be 10 episodes in, although I did make exceptions for couples like YongSeo (Good lord those two, it took me almost 30 episodes to fully appreciate them). Like what I mentioned earlier, compatibility grows over time, so whenever people start to give up midway through a couple segment because things might not be progressing the way they want it, I always say give it one more episode. Let me explain - Chemistry, more often than not, happens at the beginning of a relationship. It is a complex process that more or less is defined by how well two individuals establish rapport with each other. It is not necessarily sexual, nor is it defined by romantic overtures. It’s safe to say that it relies more on the feeling of “connection” to each other, that initial feeling where you say that “Oh, I feel comfortable” with this guy/girl.” One could say that it is intuitive, because only the persons involved would be able to describe what he/she felt that established the basis for their connection. Compatibility, on the other hand, develops over time. It is the ability or state where two persons are able to co-exist with each other without conflict that would otherwise cause problems with the development of their personal interaction. It more or less depends on how well their personality types get along, whether or not they would be able to bridge certain problems as a couple even with two different ways of thinking. Remember my example earlier? About how people with chemistry are not necessarily compatible? Imagine two very passionate people, each with their own drive, meeting together and falling in love. At some point in the beginning of their relationship, chemistry plays a huge part in defining WHY they were attracted together in the first place. In some cases, two passionate people don’t usually end well, because their passion and drive might clash with each other and lead them to separate.

I tried to watch them til the end, I really did.

 

Still, first impressions last. How a couple interacts on their first meeting plays a large part in determining if they would catch the viewers fancy or not.

 

From Annyeonghaseo onwards – The First Meeting

I bet Gain was seriously considering running away at this point

 

The first meeting is usually a good indicator of how you can gauge a couple's appeal as they go on as a couple. With the Adam Couple, the hilarity factor involved with having your husband dressed as a mongoose in the middle of nowhere sparked my interest in watching a show with a weird premise like We Got married.

Talking about chemistry and compatibility, I believe that the PDs from the first season got most of the formula right, though not in the sense that all of their casted couples had both elements in their relationship. Rather, the success of season 1 was dependent on the fact that some of the couples weren’t actually compatible with each other, but had an odd sense of chemistry between them, as befits a “realistic marriage,” so to speak.

The first season of WGM didn’t rely on dramatic elements as much compared the later seasons (meaning they didn’t make use of missions and special concepts for the couple’s first meeting). They just gave them a mission card that said “Move into your new house,” which made it that much more easier to look at them as two individuals living together as a married couples as compared to later seasons, where the PDs tried to approach the program as a “date first-marry later” concept. It’s interesting to note though the PDs found some elements from the first season more appealing than others, and incorporated those into the “First Episode” elements that we usually see with newer couples in later seasons.

Alex and Shinae were the first to portray the first-meeting-awkwardness concept that a lot of later WGM couples portray in later episodes, drawing a parallel with how Eric and Solar first met. (Disclaimer – I loved the AlShin couple back then). It’s interesting to note how similar their first meeting went, barring the fact that Alex and Shinae didn’t go through that locked room trick that Eric was forced to go through for Solar. Both Eric and Alex have the same image – the gentlemanly nice guy who knows how to lead a conversation whenever it gets awkward between them. While Solar and Shinae, though they have different blood types (Solar is B, ShinAe is A) and different personalities, played it safe throughout the first meeting. It’s amusing to note that even if they stayed on the passive end of the conversation, both these girls managed to mention some of their individual quirks as somewhat of a test to their partner. ShinAe gauged Alex’s reaction when she brought out her box full of baby shoes while they were unpacking for the new house. 

Yes dear, I collect Baby Shoes as a hobby.

Alex: (...)

 

In her BRI, ShinAe said that she was trying to see how would Alex react to her displaying some of her hobbies to him as a test. She was a bit disappointed that he reacted with surprise rather than support, but mentioned that she understands and would give him another chance to accept that fact.

In Solar’s case though, the topic was a bit easier - food.

What better way to impress a girl by saying you love Tteokboki too?

The simplest way to gauge whether a couple has chemistry or not is by observing how many times they connect with each other with random bits of conversation. First meetings are always like that – two people probing for topics where they would feel comfortable in conversing with the other person. Oftentimes a neutral topic like food would be a good place to start, which is precisely what happened during their first meeting (Not to mention Solar loves to eat). In Eric and Solar’s case, they DID have chemistry in their first date together, but not romantically, as some people would have expected. In my opinion, the LTE couple beats everyone else in that regard, though I attribute part of that fact with the place where they met (That blind room date was a stroke of genius, to be honest). SoHan couple comes in at a close second – who wouldn’t want someone playing a piano for you on your first date? (Leeteuk doesn’t count, he failed his first try).

I have to admit, my heart skipped a bit watching this scene.

 

In later couple segments, the PDs seemed to focus more on “creating” chemistry rather than letting it develop. Thematic elements like music, elements of suspense and couple themes were added to create a scenario where a sense of anticipation would build up to the point where the two persons would actually meet. I believe this gained prominence after the initial exit of AlShin couple, when producers wanted to build up “identities” for the couples following the good reception of the public for their developed personas. That didn’t actually work as well as planned though, with succeeding couples getting booted out simultaneously for lack of sincerity, which is hilarious considering the couples they had to work with back then (HyungDon and Taeyeon, Sung Rok and Shin Young.)

Having watched a lot of couples in the past, I already have certain expectations about how both the guy and girl would react given a particular scenario.  Like what I’ve said earlier, it seems to me like the WGM PDs more or less preferred the ambiance of Alex and ShinAe’s meeting to an extent that most of the couples are edited in a way to highlight the awkwardness of their first meeting, especially when it comes to the women. Although I acknowledge that it’s natural to feel awkward around a stranger the first time you meet, the fact that I was already familiar with WGM’s notoriety for cutting scenes just to project a certain image gave me a healthy sense of doubt while watching various couples. That wasn’t particularly true in Season 1 though, where you had a lot of wives with strong personalities like Solbi and Inyoung, and to some extent ShinAe and HwangBo (I’m only counting the main 4). There are some exceptions to this observation if the two individuals already established relationships with each other outside WGM, examples of which would be couples like Adam and GaIn – previously a noona-dongseng relationship, and Kim Won Jun and Kim So Hyun, previously good friends in real life.

It’s interesting to note though that even though Solar and Eric were not necessarily that close initially and treated each other more

like work acquaintances, the awkward editing rule didn’t affect them as much as I initially thought it would. I’ve mentioned this before in one of my first few posts in the thread, about how I applauded Eric for making Solar feel comfortable and at ease, especially with his body language, as he was asking her questions. Anyone with minimal background in reading body language would appreciate the fact that he did his best, both conversational and attitude-wise, to make him seem approachable and friendly to alleviate Solar’s discomfort, despite his later confession that he seems somewhat cold in comparison to how he actually acts when he meets someone new. I’m not quite sure if this was because Solar was one of his preferred partners though – it would be interesting if it was.

 

I've pointed this out before - Who's leaning back and who's leaning forward as they talk?

 

Another thing I liked about their first meeting was with how straightforward they were as they talked. I liked the fact that Solar was direct with her questions and candid with her opinions, while at the same time, I also liked the fact that Eric carried the conversation in such a manner that he encouraged her to continue. Free-flowing conversation without having to resort to other gimmicks to relieve the awkwardness were part of the reason why I became interested in watching their segment. That, and the fact that they made me feel that way without me having any previous bias to either of them watching this first episode. Back then, I only knew Eric from his appearance as a WGM panelist, and Solar from her Mr. Ambiguous MV from right before I quit K-pop temporarily.

 

From my own personal opinion, I found their first meeting refreshing as a long-time WGM viewer. Although they’re not the only couple to offer this kind of feeling for me, the manner in which they carried their conversation was a selling point for me. Some couples were interesting because of how mismatched they were (Ah PocaGuri, my dear 4D couple), but I saw flashes of possibilities with their first meeting. To put it simply, 대박 – it was like finding a treasure after a long drought at sea. Sure enough, I finished all 19 episodes of them in 5 hours, something I didn't expect to do after staying away from WGM after a year.

 

The Tipping point (No, I’m not referring to Malcolm Gladwell)

Discussing compatibility as opposed to chemistry is a bit more complicated, albeit in a different manner than discussing chemistry. Chemistry is a hard thing to quantify because it is subjective, meaning only the people who felt the chemistry can describe it for themselves. Compatibility on the other hand is slightly easier to quantify because you can base it on the personalities of the individuals involved. I’m not going to go through a complete personality profile here however, rather I’m going to discuss pivotal points – specific instances where compatibility starts to develop.

A common argument among shippers regarding compatibility involves the topic of pacing. “Oh, their pace is too slow” “No skinship yet?” I’m not quite whether Korean culture has anything to do with the incessant need for them to display skinship as a sign that they have romantic connection, but it’s not a defining factor, especially since different personality types have different degrees for tolerance for skinship in relationships like that. For example an introvert with a Sensing primary function would probably be more tolerant of his/her partner’s attempt at skinship because of the inclination towards the five primary physical senses (touch, sight, smell etc), as opposed to an introvert with a Feeling primary function, who depend more on sensing emotions rather than physical contact. Given that information, it’s easier to spot tipping points once you have a grasp of a certain individual’s personality.

Most of you already wrote articles about Eric and Solar’s tipping point, so I’m not going to go through that again. All of us seem to agree on one thing though – Jejudo was the turning point of their marriage, simply because that gesture by Eric at the poolside did much to influence Solar’s change of opinion of him, as was already discussed by @cinnaminskies and @enko20.

 

This gif says it all.

If we were to compare other pivotal points from other couples with theirs, the common factor would be sincerity. An acid test of a sincere pivotal point would be evident in the receiving person’s real time reaction to the event itself. Let me illustrate some examples, most of which are favorites of mine:

 

 

1 – Crown J sings Too Much for Inyoung

For those of you that didn’t watch their segment, Crown J and Inyoung fought a lot over the little things during their time in WGM. People loved that quality of them though, affectionately referring to them as the Ant Couple because of how they bickered, making it seem like they were a realistic couple in real life. Here, they’ve just finished fighting over yet another trivial thing – I’m not quite sure if this was the day Crown J brought her to see a baseball game but heavy rain ruined his plans. Crown J pulled a surprise event for her instead, and you can tell that Inyoung didn’t see it coming.

2 – Leeteuk's SS4 proposal

Goddamit, this guy just makes it harder for us common guys to propose properly. How in the world do you top that? Forget the fact that legions of ELF fans were heartbroken that their leader chose to openly flaunt his WGM like this, Kang Sora’s reaction to Leeteuk’s proposal was sincere. It’s still my #1 proposal in WGM to date. (Sorry Eric, I still need to comment on this objectively ) 

 

3 - Jae Jung's event for UEE

 

This couple is an oddity. Apart from the fact that they have a bit of an age difference (8 years), Park Jae Jung has a very dry sense of humor that only a few people would appreciate. Despite of that, they managed to get along quite nicely thanks to UEE’s positive outlook.

I can’t find a video of it anymore, but in here Jae Jung surprises UEE by singing a song for her. UEE, knowing how bad Jae Jung is at singing, was visibly touched by her effort to cheer her up.

 

4 - Jung Eum's birthday event for Yong Jun

 

 

Some people slept on this couple because of the fact that they were actual couples in real life. Despite that, they single-handedly delivered one of the most touching events in WGM history in my opinion. A little bit of a disclaimer, I’ve never watched this subbed in English yet, but I found it to be poignant and touching enough to warrant it being on the list. The backstory behind this was Jung-Eum planned a birthday event for Yong Jun, delivering a handwritten message for him as the elevator going up to his apartment stops on every floor. The thing is, Yong Jun lives on the 21^st floor, so Jung-Eum had to race each time to catch the elevator in time for her to deliver her message. Jung Yoon Jung PD, the one who replaced the Season 1 PD at the start of the new season, cites this as her most memorable scene in We Got Married, saying

Quote

"Everyone started crying. I started crying again in the editing room. Only a real life couple could have pulled off that event. Also, due to a staff member's mistake, we had to shoot that scene twice. So basically, Jung Eum ran 42 floors that morning. I can never forget Yong Joon's face when he started tearing up at the 5th floor."

 

I didn't include goodbye episodes here, because the nature of the episode itself would of course bring out an emotional reaction from the people involved. If I had included them though, Bbyu and Dimples couple would both take the cake for emotional goodbyes in WGM. Fun fact though, I haven't even finished Bbyu's segment yet but I already watched their last episode, simply because I was curious about why they lasted for 45 episodes.  

- - - - - - - - - - - - 

While I was listing those examples, a small voice kept telling me, “Of course they would be touched by those events. Who wouldn’t be?”

While I acknowledge that those events were designed with the intent of eliciting a reaction from the receiver of the event, the point of planning those events in the first place would be to break down barriers between the two persons, making them closer by giving them something to think about in the relationship. Like, “This person is willing to go through this to prove his affection for me.”

If you go by this argument though, some might argue that Eric’s proposal to Solar would be the best example for a “tipping point” in their relationship, but I would have to disagree. I concur that Eric’s proposal is touching at the very least, but it didn’t hold the same amount of gravity that his wish to Solar had. Basically, his wish made Solar think about the current status of their relationship, with her acknowledging that all this time, she had been putting mental barriers between them. It’s not as evident in their previous interactions though, because of how well they play with each other.

From then on, we all know the history. Post-Chuseok, they’ve become what we’ve wished them to be since episode 1 – free and open with each other, with their personality on full display. Neither of them are afraid that the other would judge them for playing a part, which is telling considering the recent episode of Solar pulling a prank on Eric - All this with the added bonus of sneaky skinship shots that MBC doesn’t want us to see. I’m beginning to wonder though, if things like that are explicitly stated in the contract that WGM couples sign – like cutting certain shots to preserve an idol’s image on the show from the negative backlash. Guess we’ll never know.  

I mentioned this before, that I found their straightforward manner of talking very refreshing for a WGM couple. At the very beginning, I had already determined that sincerity wasn’t going to be an issue for them, and a minor detail about their stint proves my point. Did you guys notice that this couple didn’t employ Mildang during their stay in WGM? Sure, they had that one argument when they were discussing Eric’s MV and his partner, but I found that instance more amusing that concerning. In Young did raise a point on Radio Star that their marriage was not realistic if there was no fighting involved, but again, I attribute this to both of their personalities. A straightforward outlook to resolving conflict would have them talk it out first instead of dragging it out without telling the other, which would normally lead to unresolved conflict between couples. From the get-go, they struck me as a couple that would willingly point out their honest opinion rather than give the other the wrong impression. Eric’s line of thought in episode 27 proved that.

His reasoning that honesty would be the best indicator that he cares for Solar cemented my opinion of them as a couple. That, in my personal opinion, is how you should approach conflict in a relationship. No drawing it out over prolonged periods of time, or keeping it to yourself. The best way would be to discuss this with your partner to avoid misunderstanding, which is what they strived to achieve during the course of their stay. I’d probably say that it’s one of the reasons why they are one of my personal favorites in all of WGM history.

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And here we are, on the verge of the final episode of our current ship. I could write another 2,000, maybe 3000 words proving how at this point in time, they’ve already developed both their chemistry and compatibility with each other, but I guess you guys don’t need any convincing anymore. I know I said I would do a couple comparison analysis to prove that, but I feel that it wouldn’t have given them enough justice because each couple has their own quirks that endear them to their own sets of shippers.

To be quite honest, shipping is still an alien concept to me. I can never truly explain in detail why people ship other people in real life, nor why we follow them as much passion as we do.

Monday Couple and Ddongi Couple parting only a week apart was a bit too tough to handle.

 

But if I might offer a reason - it's probably because we thrive on connection. We humans are not a solitary species - we derive comfort from the fact that we are able to connect with like-minded people about like-minded ideas. That is why thread like this exist, that is why shows like We Got Married exist, because we feel connected to the people in them on a visceral level, speaking to us in a way that we can only express through shipping. 

As much as I loved JjongAh, or PocaGuri, it feels different when your own real life expectation resonates with what you watch onscreen. I’ve said this before in the JjongAh thread - a person’s preference of couples often reflects his/her own views on how their own relationship should progress. Back then, I picked Yura as my ideal type because a bright and bubbly personality offsets my serious and analytical one, so in many ways I’d probably be attracted to a girl like her in real life when the time comes. I realized though, that I was viewing my favorite couples as ideal individuals rather than looking at them as a couple that resonates with my own worldview. Looking, Eric and Solar’s relationship was the first to resonate with me on a personal level, with me thinking – this is what I want, if I ever have someone in my life again, I would want us to be like them.  

As cheesy as it sounds, they've become #relationshipgoals

I’ve long realized the fact that WGM is one of hobbies because of my interest in living other people’s relationship’s vicariously through their stint on WGM, and personally if I had to pick one, I’d pick my Banana Milk couple any day. Outsiders might think it’s too much to base your own personal beliefs based on a TV show, but hey, I get my information everywhere. It’s not as if I’m just limited to self-help books and verbal advice, right?

And who knows, maybe our ship will gain another shipper or two.  

 

To be continued - Part 3: Of Swan Songs and Ever Afters

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

I still have a lot to say, but maybe it's best just to condense them all before we watch their last episode next week, yeah?  

 

 

 

[cinnaminskies]

@Le_Sanguinea Another beautiful article from the captain of our ship! Don't feel too much like you need to space things out! I don't think our forum can ever have too many long articles about the best things about the Ddongi couple. I didn't even realize it until you said it, but I think I'm drawn to Eric and Solar for the same reasons you are; they're kind of relationship goals. They're right in the sweet spot of all relationships; romantic but still good friends, kind to each other but not submissive, playful but not in a hurtful way. They're kind of... perfect for each other. I only hope they see it as much as we do.

And really, that mid-concert proposal almost had me in tears, so I can't even imagine what it must have been like for fans of the ship when it was airing. 

Also: I feel the need to thank Solar and Eric's immense love for Tteokboki for bringing them together in the first place. Congratulations you two food loving dorks for loving food so much you ended up also loving each other.

[xHanaParkx]

SBS The Show later at 8pm KST!

[xHanaParkx]

Photocards in Memory Album

 

Solar

[onlybeagles]

@Le_Sanguinea Woah!! Amazing article chingu!! That was a really good read! Cant wait for more!!

 

and just a little update on Solar. New Mamamoo diary --- hilarious, as expected from the beagles... and i dont know if its just me but she doesnt look as lively as she usually is on those Mamamoo videos.. She looks a bit sick and her eyes are puffy. I hope she's healthy and well

 

[xHanaParkx]

[loconeko91_stv]

6 hours ago, Ira Ajja said:

I read mamamoo will perform draw draw draw at the show today...after watch the showcase with sub i really love this song cos has ddongie vibe

@enko20 i'm curious too with eddie tweet, if eric will make comeback it will be fun 

I feel the same too with eric eyes

I see the preview for yang and nam show...i can't see eric being nice with other girl  haha 

 

Yes I read that they will perform it too.. And I dont know if someone have shared this before, the lyric is mainly written by Solar, Moonbyul (look like she write the narration/rap part) and their CEO helps them.. So pardon my delulu, I feel too many Ddongie feel here too,especially when I know the meaning of the lyric.. If their last eps aired next week,maybe I'll cry if I hear this song :'(.. 

[LYRICS] Mamamoo - Draw, Draw & Draw

(Wheein)
Draw, draw and draw,
Your visage and the street we walked together
Everything felt different

(Hwasa)
Draw, draw and draw
Spring summer autumn then winter passing again
Us two within that painting

(Wheein)
Bring up the memory
and draw, draw

(Solar)
The nervous feelings of our first encounter
The fluttering moment, draw draw

(Hwasa)
That place where we spent time together on Christmas

(Wheein)
I want to hold it all
(Hwasa)
Inside the painting called us
My memory

(Moonbyul)
Every day, every night
The bus stop on the opposite side
The earphone we shared with each other, listening together
You stroke my hair again
You mean everything to me
And then a melody just for us
On the canvas called you
My paint soaks in
My memory

(Solar)
Draw, draw *(And then) listen
Day by day fill up my ear
With your comforting voice

(Hwasa)
Draw, draw *(And then) look around
The snowy street, us two alone

(Wheein)
Where everything was painted white

(Solar)
Bring up the memory
and draw, draw

(Hwasa)
The nervous feelings of our first encounter
The fluttering moment, draw draw

(Wheein)
That place where we spent time together on Christmas

(Solar)
I want to hold it all
Inside the painting called us
My memory

(Hwasa)
So much memory, draw and draw

(Solar)
Bring up the pieces one by one
And draw, draw

(Wheein)
The moments that were warm because we shared them together
I want to hold it all

(Hwasa)
Inside the painting called us
My memory

[gureentea]

Eric's updatessss!

Eddie's instagram update (possibly taken in Miami last month)

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Eric's going to interview Eddie Redmayne on his birthday (Nov 17th)... in China? 

video: http://tvcast.naver.com/v/1240961 (his eyes still look the same here... ㅠㅠ) and OH i think it's the same day as the previous WGM/BRI filming? his shirt is the same

Spoiler

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YangNam Show teaser

video : http://www.tvcast.naver.com/v/1240385

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Solar said "Skip, skip to my lou~" here (how i miss her doing that with eric..) and bless this one moomoo who always makes solar says assalamualaikum and syukran again and again ㅋㅋㅋ~ (i think the moomoo here wear hijab)

 

[xHanaParkx]

 

[xHanaParkx]