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

[Ira Ajja]

Read from some fan acc that AAA a little boring and the sound system not good...i check twice and blackpink performance too and i like bp outfit hehe

I watch bp clip in weekly idol with 2xfaster dance...i can't imagine mmm make this fast dance i'm worry with solar neck/back

Eric birthday...what time in korea now...well just see the cake from ig

[Farfalle]

I enjoy reading the articles! I can relate most of the points to myself. Glad that our thread has talented writers  Btw, I agree, Eric's eyes look so tired lately  And thank you chingus for updates both on Eric and Solar!

@coldcucumber I'll work on it, hopefully I can share the article translation before the final episode airs. Thanks for the info, chingu!

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Eric's updates from yesterday:

Spoiler

 

 

Eric's latest IG story! (I wonder if he's already in China...)

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Happy birthday to Eric Nam, our Yoon-ddong!  I'll always wish the best for you!

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MAMAMOO Diary Episode 10

 

[enko20]

@coldcucumber Exactly my thoughts chingu  Like we discussed before, camera pranks on WGM could turn out to be very controversial (Taemin-Naeun), and the truth is that Solar-Eun Ah definitely took a risk with that set up for Eric. Solar must have had a lot of trust in him to even attempt this in the first place. Everything could easily have been a real, heated argument had Eric lost control of himself instead of laughter and an hour of personal talk among those three.

Seems like the PD has even more praise for Ddongi in that interview. Hearing positive words from both the casts and the show itself after their ending is a huge relief for me. I'm so used to feeling the burn by couples dropping bombs in interview (So Eun, Nam Goong Min etc.) that a part of me is always very skeptical every time this kind of thing come up.

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35 minutes ago, Farfalle said:

Happy birthday to Eric Nam, our Yoon-ddong!  I'll always wish the best for you!

 

Happy birthday Eric!  Hope he is having a good time, wherever he is. Here's to another successful year in his career. 

It's unfortunate that we probably won't see what Solar does for Eric's birthday in real life (but she definitely congratulated him one way or another). At least I'm happy she did celebrate it with him in advance next ep. 3 more days chingus, I'm excited but sad at the same time.

[coolbrattyro]

Wow!! so many updates today. 

Thank you chingus. All articles about our ddongie are very well written, I am looking forward for the next part of them. 

@cinnaminskies your youtube video somewhat made me teary eyed ( chasing cars). I hope you can make more out of your busy schedules.   

Mamamoo winning in AAA, these girls truly deserved it. I hope they make it in Mnet (MAMA) as well. 

And its our yoon do's birthday today.. I hope they contact or atleast Solar texted Eric ( I think that would make his birthday really special this year.)

2 more days and its our last episode.. Are we all ready?

[4l4yers]

Another silent lurk here . . . 

I personally really love this forum. . 

Thanks for all the updates,  articles,  FMV and anything that related with this couple, ,  i really appreciate all of your efforts . . 

 

I don't know if this video already post here before, but i just want to share about this video about eric. 

 

Once again thanks for all of you guys. .  

[coldcucumber]

@enko20 Yes, mte! I personally like the scene where Solar and Eun Ah were discussing how to pull off the prank. Eun Ah asked Solar whether he catches on fast and Solar said yes, he will notice if it's sloppy. They are definitely much closer than I thought and have deep understanding about each other for her to say that. Ddongie will only have 33 episodes including the final one this coming saturday and that's probably 16-17 meetings for around 7-8 months time. It's been mentioned before, but I want to point out once again that all those small information that comes out of their mouths about each other and keeps surprising us each time because they never say or discuss it before on screen, gives us a glimpse of how they are truly building and maintaining their relationship outside the show. It is somehow like an assurance to us that they will remain as close friends after all of this ends. Ah, ddongie road will truly be missed but they left quite a mark on the show unlike any other. 

Also, I was curious about this:

Spoiler

what did So Eun and Nam Gong Min do in their interviews? I've never watched wgm before so I don't really know about it... I know wgm has few 'scandals'. 

 

[enko20]

@coldcucumber If anything, Solar definitely must have noticed this about Eric - he is a very perceptive person. Have you noticed that?

For example, when they met up at their home after the Dubai trip, Eric immediately detected Solar's colored contact lenses. He's the kind of guy that pay attention to tiny details like that, and Solar knows this. If Eun Ah did not act convincingly, Eric would have noticed her body language and smell something fishy going on. 

Also, now that I think about this, the fact that Eric was so into the moment at that time revealed another side about him. He's a person that get anxious very easily whenever a girl gets hurt/uncomfortable, and I have to thank @cinnaminskies for bringing up his lyrics in "Good For You" to remind me about this. I think he could have caught Eun Ah in the act, but he was too busy worrying about how to make Solar feels better in his head that it probably didn't even cross his mind that it was all a ruse.

 

Spoiler

Ok, I will give you a quick summary

Kim So Eun

Spoiler

LTE was one of the fastest pace couple in WGM history, and every one was hyped up about how "real" they were. Many shippers were sold on their "explosive chemistry" and romance. They even had a tearful goodbye in the final episode.

Then So Eun went on an interview and dropped this:

http://koalasplayground.com/2015/01/18/kim-so-eun-upsets-wgm-fans-by-explicitly-putting-the-kibosh-on-real-life-romance-with-song-jae-rim/

She said there's no chance for a romantic relationship with Jae Rim, and they don't even contact each other outside of the show. As you could guess, this sparked a huge argument among their own shippers everywhere, including here on this forum back in the day (I was there to witness this as a lurker). Many people jumped off the burning ship in disbelief, and So Eun was bashed like there was no tomorrow. The criticism was so harsh that she had to come on camera and apologize to Jae Rim in front of him later on:

http://netizenbuzz.blogspot.com/2015/02/kim-so-eun-apologizes-to-song-jae-rim.html

(I should clarify, this was after the dating scandal with Son Ho Jun)

 

Nam Goong Min

Spoiler

He built up a romance with Hong Jin Young during their time together, and they even shared a kiss on a boat under the bridge near the end of their stint. Everyone thought: "Well, they kissed each other so they must be in love right?"

Nope

http://www.allkpop.com/article/2015/06/nam-goong-min-says-hes-not-in-contact-with-hong-jin-young-after-we-got-married

Then this year, he revealed that he's been dating actress Jin Ah Reum not long after their WGM stint:

http://www.allkpop.com/article/2016/02/nam-goong-min-and-model-jin-ah-reum-confirmed-to-be-dating

It's not just that they squashed any possibility of a romance, but they even said that they don't keep in contact with each other, and that's what really threw shippers off.

 

Spoiler

Those were just two of many, many examples throughout history. As if the belief about WGM being "fake/scripted" wasn't bad enough, those things cemented that even further.

Hopefully now you can see how big of a deal it is when Solar came out with that interview saying that both Eric and her want to keep in touch and keep their relationship going. Whether the relationship between her and Eric is friendship or love, that we do not know, but at least they have confirmed to us what we could see and feel - they actually do have a legitimate connection with each other.

 

 

[Farfalle]

4 hours ago, coolbrattyro said:

2 more days and its our last episode.. Are we all ready?

@coolbrattyro NOOOO! But it's coming, so we have to face it anyway 

@4l4yers Welcome! I think I've seen some of the scenes in that video, but I've never seen some too. Thank you for sharing and feel free to write anything regarding Ddongi couple here!  

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The translation! The article content is in the spoiler!

'WGM' PD "Eric Nam ♥ Solar, heartbreaking but beautifully parting" (Interview)
Source: http://isplus.live.joins.com/news/article/article.asp?total_id=20878488&cloc=

Spoiler

Eric Nam and Solar will leave MBC 'We Got Married' after the broadcast on 19th.

Eric Nam and Solar recorded their last episode of 'We Got Married' on 9th. Two of them, who joined in April as a new couple, are called 'Ddongi couple' and they give off honest and adorable charm more than anyone else. But unfortunately, their virtual marriage has been ended in only eight months.

When asked about the atmosphere at the time of the last recording, Heo-hang PD said to Ilgan Sports, "Eric Nam and Solar were a gem-like couple of 'We Got Married'. They're so pure and kind that I couldn't put them all on the screen. They're a couple that showed great consideration for each other so the staffs cherished them as well."

"They leave 'We Got Married' at the most beautiful time, but they will shine brighter in the entertainment industry from now on," and then he/she added, "Eric Nam and Solar were sadder than ever at the time of the last recording. The ending was a little bit heartbreaking for both of them but they ended beautifully. They made a beautiful finish. Please watch their last appearance on 'We Got Married' with interest."

Meanwhile, the last story of Eric Nam and Solar couple can be watched on 'We Got Married' broadcast on 19th. Lee Gook-ju and Sleepy will join as the replacement of Eric Nam and Solar couple.

Some explanation:

• Don't know if Heo-hang PD is male or female, so I used "he/she".
• I translated "가슴이 먹먹하다" as "heartbreaking", but I think the most accurate explanation for that is "so sad that can't say anything".

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Random thing that I noticed after watching the latest episode again. My curiosity wouldn't be answered though, thanks to the bad editing  After the shoe throwing game finished:

Eric's hands position... It looks like he's trying to open a pen/marker?

 

And he's holding that pen/marker here. I wonder what were they doing...

[abbychan]

I'm kinda surprised that solim had a controversy like that, I wonder how hard it is for the solim shippers that time. The wgm controversy that stayed with me is when Oh yeon seo was reported to be dating lee jang woo during her wgm stint with Lee joon, wgm was on fire that time and the sincerity of the cast was already in question. So know I really appreciate that yongsun assured us that she and eric will remain in contact, that proved that even thought they are not the best in skinship, the friendship that they build throughout the show was real. Also those interview with the wgm pd, means how amazing these two are.

@coolbrattyro I trying to be positive, but thinking that it will officially end on saturday still breaks me. 

 

Btw Mamamoo received so much love last night, even the pd upload an instagram video when they are performing!! Well deserve for the Best Entertainer Award 

Spoiler

 

 

And It's Eric's birthday! let's all greet and show love to our yoon donggie!!!!! 

I had time last night and made a video for eric and I actually made a video tribute for ddongie tho I'm not a pro at video editing but here it is if you like to see 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

[cinnaminskies]

Stage 3: The Honeymoon (Chuseok - Dubai)

Solar and Eric themselves explained for us why Chuseok was so instrumental in changing their relationship. I’ve explained it as well. I think, really, it’s a mix of their answer (a full day spent together around strangers where they were forced to lean on each other) and mine (My Ear’s Candy finally lighting that romantic spark they’d been gathering kindling for) that did it.

This section of episodes is particularly interesting, because most of it takes place in the span of one day (their chestnut date being the exception). They go from the frozen date to the DIY shop to drinks and their heartfelt talk in the pool (still my favorite scene of theirs to date) all in one day. There are only two days of filming in this stage (excluding Dubai, since that kind of crosses between stages). Compare that to stages 1 and 2, which had about 2 ½ months each. Things are speeding up, only increased by their contact outside of the show, and that’s good, because they’re really a third of their way done with their run already.

I call this stage the honeymoon stage because not only do they go on their honeymoon during it, but the full impact of an ending hasn’t hit them yet. It’s still all giggles and smiles and figuring out who they are to each other after Chuseok, and it’s… it’s sickeningly sweet. They’re terrible. I hate them. (Not really, though, or else this article probably wouldn’t even exist).

As Solar would say, LEGGO!

An Old Married Couple: On-Screen Closeness Post-Chuseok

There was something interesting Eric noted when he and Solar were on their chestnut date. “When did we become like this?” he asked in his BRI interview. “We were like a newly-married couple before, but now we’re like a middle-aged couple. I think it’s because we’ve become comfortable with each other.”

Despite the fact that Solar’s walls were the most obvious, I think Eric also had some up too. I’m not entirely sure the reason, since somehow Eric’s dating life is a little harder to piece together than Solar’s (despite the fact that Solar is actually the hardest to read). The Eric we see during their two dates together - honest, teasing, sometimes cheating Eric Nam - is the same one I came to know on ASC. They’re not only friends now, but Eric’s no longer afraid of scaring her away. He can cheat and tease and play with her as much as he wants without Solar leaving, because she’s doing the exact same thing to him (although I’d argue she’s cheating much more often).

There’s also a new element of honesty, going past even their original openness they’d had during their first episode. Eric stopped letting Solar win at everything, and started actually trying to beat her at things. He also was honest with her about the disastrous state of her cooking when she asked him to be. Solar was honest in a similar manner, asking him to develop a Korean sense of humor (which he never did, but I don’t think it matters because Solar was laughing so hard every time he said “In Dubai” that I think she forgot about it), because all of his jokes were American.

This joking-around attitude is also when we start to see Solar actually start doing some aegyo around him. They both admitted in one of their earlier dates that they’re terrible at forcing it, so all of the moments she does it are not only natural, but completely unexpected. “I’m cooking this with you for my love,” she told Eric, and all of us died a little bit inside (Eun Ah included). Part of Solar’s charm is her unpredictable nature, and it really felt rewarding when she started saying little things like this to him. It felt like - pardon my own cheesiness here - someone had unlocked her heart a little bit.

Going along with this, Solar, the lightest lightweight in the entire world, began drinking with Eric. I attribute this to the fact that she trusts him to the highest degree. It’s not that Solar doesn’t drink - her members have shared quite a few stories about drunk Solar - but that she has a tendency to become vulnerable when she drinks. Solar drinking with him both in Korea and Dubai showed me that she was completely relaxed around him. And, she could be, because she rightfully trusted Eric not to take advantage of her more vulnerable state. Not to mention, Solar said in her early episodes that she finds people get to know each other better when they drink together (hence why she packed alcohol to bring to their new house against Moonbyul’s advice), so her drinking with Eric shows us she wanted to get to know him even better.

That’s Too Tame: Solar Takes Charge of Skinship

Who else, when Solar vetoed the cheek kiss for My Ear’s Candy actually had to pause the episode and make sure she just said what you thought she said? Yeah. Me too. This was Solar, our Solar, the shy girl who couldn’t help but scream every time Eric so much as came close to her (even earlier that day), suddenly standing up and saying “Actually we’ve been taking things way too slow.” I was absolutely speechless.

My Ear’s Candy only furthered my speechlessness. At first it seemed like Eric kept pulling her closer without any indication that she wanted it, but, upon a second viewing, I realized she kept motioning for him to come closer. It started on her first “Saranghe” and continued throughout the song. Solar not only is good at sexy dancing, she enjoys it. If you watch any of her Mamamoo dance practices you’ll find that she, although not being the overall best dancer, is always doing something along the lines of when she got on the ground during her Chuseok performance. There’s a reason why she, when given the opportunity to choose any song for her solo stage, went with Sexyback, and it’s that she just enjoys doing things like this. Solar was now close enough with Eric to share her enjoyment with him, if that makes any sense.

And, then there was the kiss at the end, which Solar deemed less “tame.” The kiss that I’m fairly sure about half of the people watching (including both Eric and other competitors) thought was going to end up on the lips based on both her earlier comment and the initial way she’d pulled on the back of his head. Solar, girlie, I love you, but please stop giving us all a heart attack.

They deserved that win, if for this performance alone, but that wasn’t quite enough for Solar.

Flash forward only about ten days: Eric and Solar are reading the “Eskimo Greeting” sign in the igloo. Eric mentions they should try the greeting and Solar, before he’s even really finished talking, plants her hands on his shoulders and pulls him towards her. That’s around the point when I realized that something beyond just Solar’s love of performance must’ve been at play during My Ear’s Candy.

Even the editors noticed. “Look at her go!” one of them captioned the moment with, like she was, to go along with that episode’s ice theme, someone who’d finally started ice-skating on their own. It seemed like a kind of clumsy, impulsive move on her part, but it fit her so absolutely well that I was shocked I hadn’t realized her displays of affection would be like that before. Solar pulled away as soon as it got too intense, and started laughing, as she’s prone to do, but that original moment was all her, not him. She pulled him closer. She leaned her head against his.

The best part is, it doesn’t stop there. I don’t think they’ve had a filming day since then where Solar hasn’t outwardly taken charge of skinship, pushed even further on by Eric’s wish for her to continue surprising him with it (remember, she’d said in her BRI afterwards that she hadn’t expected him to want any of that kind of thing).

On their chestnut date, there was the, quote-on-quote, “dangerous poke,” which I think might’ve topped My Ear’s Candy for the most shocking thing she’s ever done.

In their hotel in Dubai, she started massaging him and ended up petting his leg hair, which is probably tied with the whole Crocs and Neutrogena deals for the weirdest thing she’s ever done. I still don’t know how Eric made it through that in one piece.

And then, there’s the yacht. Where Solar not only just started laying down on his arm, but, in their My Ear’s Candy encore, pulled him closer to her by his collar (anyone suddenly reminded of Moonbyul’s kiss in Decalcomanie?). If you rewatch this scene, you’ll notice that it was actually Eric, not Solar, who kept him from completely falling into her. He reached his arms back for balance when she pulled him forward. If I’m being honest, I don’t think she would’ve minded if he hadn’t. They traded off skinship from then on, and the rest of the scene is cut off. Why? Well, I have my own suspicions… Come on, MBC, we know the song is longer than that.

I’m going to stand my ground in the belief that, if a first kiss is going to happen (and who knows, with the rate MBC is making cuts, maybe it already has), it will be Solar-initiated.

Run Away With Me Pt II: Expressing Emotion Outside of the Show

So, you all already know where this part is going. I’ve talked about Eric’s cover of Run Away With Me several times now (I even made a video for it). At first when he posted it I was still on the edge of shipping them. The Chuseok episodes hadn’t aired yet, and, while I could sense something might change, I wasn’t convinced.

Still, the lyrics to this song stuck around in my head. I thought it was weird that Eric, who is now a successful singer and not a teenager posting covers on YouTube anymore, would post only one of the covers he’s performed on his Soundcloud, a long while after he’d actually performed it.

@enko20 and I talked it over, if you’ll remember, and we realized that he posted that on the exact same day that their pool conversation (aka the “I wish we could stay like this forever. I don’t want us to change” conversation) happened. It’s so sneakily done I’m actually upset at him for it.

That day Eric told her something that took whatever last tiny part of me was still skeptical after Chuseok and put it on board this ship. In WGM terms, what he said is very incredibly powerful. He wanted to stay like that, sitting outside in a plastic pool, surrounded by 5-10 other people with lights and cameras, with her forever. It was almost like he was staying he wanted to stay married to her forever (something I’m still kind of thinking he does, since he just introduced her to his brother for the second time as his wife. He could’ve just left it at “Solar” or “Yongsun,” but he just had to go that extra step, didn’t he?)

And then, then Eric posted the cover on Soundcloud, with barely a tweet announcing it, and tagging it, not with his name or even the name of the song, but with the simple #Pop. It’s hidden and quiet, and yet also kind of feels like a confession. Go listen to it. It’s beautiful and wonderful. I hate him, he’s terrible.

Run Away With Me is only the first step, though. Both Solar and he actively brought up WGM on their social media, albeit through slightly differing means. Eric posted one of the promo pictures for the chestnut date on his Instagram, and Solar, as soon as she came home from Dubai, started posting pictures, promising that she’d “post more once the episodes aired.” (Spoiler: she hasn’t). It’s like they were telling their fanbase - their very anti-WGM anti-Ddongi fanbase - that this show and this person were a part of their life now, and they would just have to deal with that.

Eric also snuck Solar’s voice onto both his Snapchat and Instagram stories when they were in Dubai. For the Nampyeons who refuse to acknowledge WGM’s existence, Solar’s signature “Whoa!” was probably hard to distinguish, but for those fans of his who know about Solar, it was a pleasant surprise. Just like Run Away With Me and the promo picture, it was a secret to be found by those who would know the significance of it. And, now that we know the way that whole fountain scene played out, I’m incredibly grateful he let us in on that moment.

I’m In Love: The Honeymoon Feelings

I’m going to split this up into three sections, one focused on Eric, one on Solar - because they both finally have enough content to do that (in the span of only like 4 days of filming, too - and one final one on them together in Dubai.

Eric:

Here, finally, my earlier focus on them trying to find a concept pays off, because here we finally got that moment I’d been waiting for forever: Eric realizes the value of the precious commodity of the Yong-hug.

And, of course, by that I mean, I’d been waiting for a moment, even before I started shipping them, where Eric just finally could not stay strong against Solar’s naturally adorable nature anymore. Finally, in the ice and snow and that giant puffy white jacket, his resolve broke down. “She looked so cute I wanted to hug her,” he admitted in his BRI, and then we got to watch Solar act absolutely adorable and ridiculous for 20 minutes, so, really, who didn’t want to hug her after all that?

Compare this to what I talked about in Stage 1, where Eric said he thought about holding her hand, and only finally did it once there was a reason to. Here there was no reason, no thinking about it either. He just wanted to hug her. It was pure, utter instinct, and that was when I realized how screwed he was.

Consequently, this is also when Eric stopped playing so nice with her, and his reasoning for that was that he wanted to stop letting her win so she would know how good he was. Obviously, despite Solar already thinking he knows everything and can do everything, Eric’s changing feelings meant he wanted to prove to her just how capable he really was. There were so many comments flying around the panel during that day they spent together, whether about him no longer playing nice, or his skill when it came to the DIY things.

Eric got his wish, despite probably not noticing himself, in Dubai of all things, when Solar was stroking his legs. That impossibly weird scenario, not any of the absolutely normal ones Eric was trying to prove himself in, was where it kind of finally clicked for Solar that “Oh. My good friend who I may or may not have feelings for is attractive,” regardless of whether or not he’s what she thought was her ideal type. For my own sake and sanity when thinking about that scene, as a Solar stan, I have to say she must have been pretty dazed about the whole thing, since she did it for so long. (I’m still embarrassed on your behalf, Kim Yongsun).

Another result that he didn’t pick up on (one that possibly could’ve been the reason Solar asked him to develop a Korean sense of humor) was in the DIY shop, when Solar leaned back on one of the stools and asked him if he wanted any coffee. There was a whole lot of eye contact during that moment, so if anyone just had a flashback to ASC, you’re on the right track. It’s a popular Korean innuendo and it just *whoosh* went over Eric’s head. These two. I can’t believe them. They’re a mess.

Of course, all of this culminated in the pool scene, when Solar asked Eric if he had any wishes. At first he said he didn’t, but, after some prying on her end, he let out the most romantic thing he’s probably ever said on the show: “I wish we could stay like this forever. I don’t want us to change.” Here Solar was, wishing he had a better sense of humor, and he’s telling her he doesn’t want their marriage to ever end. (Reminding you all again this is still one filming day after Chuseok).

And, because this was something that came from his heart (as Solar said, “I can see you really mean it”), it had more effect than any of the other equally cheesy things he’d said to her during their first stage of marriage. Solar would later be feeling almost the same thing at the fountain in Dubai, but let’s save that for a little later.

 

Solar:

Let’s go back to the pool again, shall we? They talked a whole lot in there, so much that most of it was cut out for the sake of the episode. Still, the editors managed to show us a little bit of their progression towards each other, from lying on opposite ends, to sitting so close his head is almost in her lap. Solar put it best when, describing their progression, she said “At the beginning it was awkward, but after a while we naturally sat on it together.”

That’s kind of the way it was for Solar throughout the course of their virtual marriage: awkward at first, gradually progressing until it’s as natural as can be. Anyone looking at the way they were sitting originally could tell it looked kind of staged; the panelists even said it reminded them of a jeans commercial. No one really sits like that with someone they’re close with, and Solar and Eric naturally corrected that until he was sitting so close even the panelists noted his hand resting on her leg.

Her BRI also gave us insight into another thing I hadn’t realized until she brought it up: the impact that doing WGM has had on Solar personally. When talking about the most important thing he’s ever said to her, Solar said that it was when he said she can do everything well. Solar’s struggled with feelings of inadequacy throughout her whole life, not helped along by how late she joined the music industry compared to a lot of people. She’s silly and clumsy and shy, and, while that just makes her more endearing to her fans, sometimes I’m sure it can be tough. Just think about their first meeting, when she was so reluctant to admit to Eric - who she just found out is basically perfect on paper (no I mean, seriously, he got a 750 out of 800 on his SAT. That’s like… amazingly impressive) - that her nickname means “pretty fool.”

Eric has never let that cloud his vision of her, though. He’s always encouraged her, and, even when she’s not doing something particularly well, praised her for trying. Not to mention, Solar is good at things, and she was able to realize those talents through her time fishing, decorating, and building things on WGM. “I can’t do it, that’s what I always thought,” she started her BRI out, when explaining he wish, before going on to say that Eric has changed the way she thinks about herself, and given her confidence.

“Eric is a great gift to me.”

This isn’t Eric being sweet in a letter to Santa, this is a hidden confession in the BRI of an episode she knows he won’t watch. This is the reason why I, as a Solar fan, have a hard time taking people seriously when they say they’re excited for her to leave the show. Solar’s been given not only a stage to grow more into her own, but found a support system she hadn’t had before in Eric, and I’d give my left arm before I would take that away from her. This girl’s had too much sadness in her life for me to wish any more upon her.

This is why, after Eric wished for her to do more surprise skinship, and Solar got over the initial shock of realizing he wanted that from her, she said another incredibly important thing in a BRI: “I want to make him feel the way he makes me feel.” Solar had literally just said that Eric makes her feel confident, protected, and sure of herself, so this is a big deal. In the span of less than a month, Solar has gone from shying away from Eric’s affections to accepting them to actively trying to reciprocate.

And this brings us to the airport, when Solar let her actions speak louder than her words as she gave Eric roses and cake and serenaded him with the song he’d sang during their first episode. She was incredibly, absolutely, sincere, and you could tell how much thought and effort she put into making it special. Solar, in whatever way you want to see it (platonic, romantic, whatever), loves Eric. She cares about him on a very deep level, a level we’ve really only just barely gotten to see.

Dubai:

Let’s fast forward to Eric’s 200th day event really quick (which… ahem… also was cut MBC). While Solar went out of her way to do something grand and romantic, Eric’s event was relatively small. The thing is, though, his event has to do with something Solar said during their pool conversation when asked what made her start seeing him in a more romantic light: “When you carefully took care of me.” Here he continues to do just that, by packing her favorite food (also their first connection point!) just in case she can’t stomach the local food, and cooking it for her in the kitchen of their room. It’s small and sweet and simple and kind of everything I love about Eric’s approach to his relationship with Solar; the little things have more impact than the big ones.

And, as we know, it had the desired impact. Solar started smiling really big and then started hitting him (like she always does when she gets overwhelmed by emotion). “You’re incredible,” she said, and I agreed with her, because he is incredible. It’s like @Le_Sanguinea said; Eric and Solar are kind of relationship goals. I think if someone did either of the events these two did for each other on their 200th day for me I might marry them right then and there. She kept glancing at him throughout the rest of the time they were eating together, even when he wasn’t looking at her, which I feel is sort of a switch from the way they used to be.

Speaking of a switch, there was a lot of (how should I put this?) flirting during the bedroom scene. Let’s put aside Solar full on moaning during the massage (stanning Solar is a hard and embarrassing business, everyone), and instead focus on their banter. Oh boy there was a lot of it. I talked earlier about how comfortable they became with each other after Chuseok, to the point where they can now say whatever they want, but the whole back and forth of “get on the bed” “no how about we just sleep” “no get on the bed” was incredibly amusing to me. They were both just giggling the entire time, too, which gave me the impression Solar was doing it more to get a response out of him than any actual desire to get him more flexible (although really, who knows with her?). We’re going to skip the leg massage scene because I already talked about it and I think that’s enough second-hand embarrassment for this whole article.

And then, finally, they went to sleep (kind of - we all saw Eric get up at the end, and Solar still needed to take off her makeup so really they didn’t, but they pretended to, so that’s good enough for now).

Solar seemed so surprised when, after she confessed that now she feels comfortable around him, Eric responded that he feels the same. “Really?” she asked, and he had to confirm it a second time. I think so much of their time spent together has been Eric thinking about her comfort, that Solar must sometimes worry about his (not to worry, Yongsun, I think he’s had the time of his life with you). He then proved just how comfortable he is with her now by admitting to her what we’d thought was only admitted in a BRI - how pretty he thought she looked in the traditional clothing.

And Solar admitted she was happy that he thought she looked pretty. I know this all seems like really simple, small, stuff, but, for them, it’s the tiny things that are important. Solar’s excited that Eric finds her pretty (remember their limo ride, when she was disappointed he wanted her to be his virtual wife not because she was pretty but because he thought it would be fun), and, despite her relatively cool answer of “Thank you,” she seemed touched by it, just like during their snow date. Eric’s second answer about what his favorite part of the day was revolved around seeing her smile (are you also sensing a pattern?). That’s like, some hardcore romantic stuff right there. He was happy because she was happy. Solar’s answer revolved around Eric too. Here they are, in a beautiful city, surrounded by new and amazing things, and their favorite part of being there is each other. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.

Eric once again assured her that everything he does, she can do, and then even went so far as to say he’s learning things from her. This is a big deal for our “Yeba.” I couldn’t see it, but I could hear the blush in her voice as she said “Come on, you already know everything.”

This brings us to “Thank you for marrying me.” They were both so tired, you could hear it, so every little thing they said seemed like a very candid confession. “I could have had anyone as my wife, but we became the couple. It’s us who are making this work.” I can’t even imagine how touching this must’ve been to Solar, who’s fought so hard against criticism that she’s not good enough for Eric (criticism I know believe she knows about after the candid camera), and the whole pressure of dating the Nation’s Boyfriend. Eric’s right; he could have been partnered with anyone, but he wasn’t. He was partnered with Solar. Him and Solar took We Got Married and spun it on it’s head and are now leaving it with a close relationship. There’s a reason that tweet circulating with a video from last week is getting so much attention, and it’s not because of the show itself; it’s because of Eric and Solar. Not even the fiercest antis can claim that they don’t care about each other, because they do. They just clicked, and we’re reaping the benefits of that.

After turning off the light, they had their last bit of banter, where Solar and Eric made sweet, adorable plans to meet up in their dreams. It was incredibly cute. I hate them (this seems to be a theme in my writing right now).

There’s one last scene I want to talk about (and no, it’s not the fountain scene; I’m saving that for stage 4 because of, you know, the whole not-wanting-to-say-goodbye thing): Eric’s shouted confession. This whole Dubai trip was really about them getting to do the things they wouldn’t be able to in Korea due to their celebrity status. In Korea they have images to maintain, and people not to richard simmons off. In Dubai, however, they’re not Eric and Solar; they’re Yoondo and Yongsun, and they can shout each other’s names into the world without fearing any criticism from anyone. And that atmosphere, I think, is really what pushed Eric into doing what he did.

It was perfect, sunny weather, and the two of them were ecstatically happy. Even Solar noticed, commenting that they “need to take a picture. Pictures are the only thing that last.” (Such sad words from such a happy girl).

Now, confessions are nothing new to We Got Married. I’ve once heard someone describe the three “bases,” if you will, of the show as 1. Holding Hands, 2. Cheek Kiss, and 3. The Confession. There’s something kind of magical about the way Eric chose to go about it, though. This time, we didn’t even need the blush filter MBC likes to use to know it made Solar blush, because she told us. It was a mix of him yelling and the echo and just the fact that he could even yell it in the first place that made it all so perfect. There was probably not going to be a moment as perfect as that one again.

So, where does that leave us? They’re in Dubai, closer than they’ve ever been, Eric’s just confessed twice in the span of less than 24 hours, Solar’s amped up her forwardness to a 10, and they are really, honestly, incredibly happy.

But, to use a very appropriate quote from The Outsiders, nothing gold can stay, and these two are about to find that out very quickly. Solar was listening to I Wish You Love for a month for a reason, after all. I’ll talk about the endingness of it all after Saturday, in one last installment of their journey.

Until then, I’m just going to leave you with the lyrics of I’m In Love that Solar changed:

Quote

Don’t know what to do / to hide my heart / You are too beautiful

 

[Ira Ajja]

@enko20 i read the news about solim and gongjin too and after siso news about so yeon date i told my self i have to be carefull with actress/actor cp, it's make me wait patiently with taebom progression (i don't let my self to get to much excitement), but to be honest we are the viewers who got to blame cos to much delulu

[Le_Sanguinea]

I was browsing through the thread and I read @cinnaminskies's part 3 and I was like, "Wait, part 3 already? When was part 2? Holy craf I have a lot of things to archive!"  

Seriously though, keep them coming. I have a bit of free time before my shift so I can probably format an article or two into the front page.

[enko20]

@cinnaminskies The whole time I was reading that, all I was thinking of was "I'm not sure if Eric and Solar were the only ones that's a hot mess in this writing". I really thought the title of this article was "I hate you all" or something 

But in all seriousness, I think you brought up some very interesting perspectives here that got me thinking about a heap load of new things. I don't know if I can write a feedback/review/thoughts soon though, I've been doing lots of those in the span of a few days, and I'm still working on my own piece too 

@abbychan Yeah, to me the charm of Ddongi is their emotional aspect,  how they understand each other's feeling without many words or skinship. It makes me feel really satisfied when they turn that unspoken feeling into sweet words and skinship for each other, like they can't contain it anymore and they want to share their feelings for each other. Hope that makes some sense.

@Ira Ajja Yes I'm always cautious when there's an actor/actress involved. It's easier for them to manufacture their romantic feelings from their experience with dramas. I got burn out badly after SoLim so I didn't really follow any couples after them deeply. Eric really dragged me back into this full-time, and I'm glad he made that happen for me.

------

The photo booth Eric and Solar went into in Hongdae:

------

Eric Nam will interview Eddie Redmayne from "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" in ~3 hours (5:30 PM KST)

(Eng sub of this video here)

And a reminder that Episode 1 of YangNamJa show will also air at 7:40 PM KST!

[cinnaminskies]

@enko20 No need for a full response right away! I'd much rather have your article sooner and a response later than the other way around. Besides, we're all going to need something to focus on in the coming weeks, so we can talk about it later. For real, though, I don't know what it is about these two that makes me so mad at them for being so good to each other. I think the cuteness just kind of takes over and messes me up inside. I don't know.

[Le_Sanguinea]

Good lord, do you guys realize that we've put together a whopping 9 articles over the past few days? That's more than what other threads have in a month or two.  I had to make a separate section for all of them, as well as for the translations that @Farfalle wrote. All this excluding all the detective info from @gureentea (which I'm still in the process of compiling).  Good job guys! 

Some of you might wonder why the heck am I so particular about putting everything on the front page. Probably because when I was a WGM newbie, my first ship had such an amazing an detailed front page that I can't help researching EVERYTHING they posted in there just to satisfy my craving for any kind of interaction between them (I'm referring to Adam, btw). Things like soundtracks, articles, fan pictures and the like - I know the feeling of watching your first WGM and couple, and as such I want new people joining to take a look and say, "Wow, so I'm not the only one feeling this way." Things like that make the shipper journey worthwhile and enjoyable, don't you think?

I'm probably going to spend quite a bit of time completing each section of our thread in the coming months to try to get over the fact that their WGM stint is ending. Of course, that just means more time to play detective with their other appearances .  Things like completing a soundtrack list (I still can't find that bloody song they played while they were writing in the Why I love you book in the pool in episode 26. ) and adding pictures and gifs to our gallery. If any of you want to contribute a video, article, or picture that I might have missed, PM me! I'm more than willing to find some space for anything related to our couple, especially since I don't have time to research full-time. Just remember, if it's a private source, remember to ask for permission so we won't get into trouble.

3 more days!

 

[gureentea]

i think we shouldn't expect them to cry a river on their last ep later, i read another WGM PD interview and she/he said their last meeting was not a sad/tearful separation like previous couples in WGM, but it was a beautiful ending (similar like the interview translated by @Farfalle)

this is the full interview (still in korean) wanna ask help from cheonsa @Farfalleto translate this if you had time! 

Spoiler

MBC 예능프로그램 '우리 결혼했어요'(이하 '우결')의 연출을 맡은 허항 PD가 하차하는 에릭남과 솔라 커플과 이국주와 슬리피 커플에 대해 밝혔다.

아쉽지만 이별이다. 에릭남과 솔라 커플이 '우결'을 떠나게 됐다. 아쉽지만 떠나야 할 사람은 떠나는 법. 8개월 동안 아름다운 모습을 보여준 두 사람은 어떤 이별을 보여줬을까.

'나 혼자 산다'를 졸업하고 '우리 결혼했어요'로 넘어온 이국주와 슬리피 커플 이야기다. 두근두근 설레는 첫 촬영을 앞둔 상황에서 이국주와 슬리피는 포털사이트 네이버 V앱을 통해서도 모습을 보이며 본격적으로 부부가 된 것을 받아들이고 있다.

한창 첫 촬영 준비에 바쁜 허항 PD에게 이국주와 슬리피 커플 합류로 자연스럽게 '우결'을 떠나게 된 에릭남과 솔라 커플의 이별에 관해서 물었다.

 

원본보기

 

다음은 일문일답

- 에릭남 솔라 커플의 이별 현장은 어땠나

둘 다 굉장히 제작진이 아끼는 커플이었다. 워낙 순수하고 착한 똥이 커플답게 예쁘게 마무리된 것 같다. 그동안 '우결'에서 보여줬던 눈물 흘리고 슬퍼하는 이별이 아닌 아름답고 정리하는 느낌의 이별이었다.

- 에릭남과 솔라 커플이 어떤 모습을 방송에서 보여줄 예정인가

두 사람이 8개월 동안 방송하면서 굉장히 추억이 많았다. 첫 만남부터 여행을 가고 처제들도 만나고 수많은 일을 했던 추억을 정리하는 과정이 방송으로 나갈 것 같다.

- 특히 에릭남과 솔라가 아쉬움이 컸을 것 같다.

'우결' 하차가 끝이 아니고 두 사람 다 가수니까 앞으로도 서로 지켜보고 도와주면서 잘 지낼 것이다. 마지막 촬영을 하면서 두 사람이 좋은 관계로 발전할 느낌을 받았다.

- 이국주와 슬리피 커플은 혹시 비즈니스 커플 아닌가

'나 혼자 산다'에서도 100% 동료애는 아니었던 것 같다. '우결'에 넘어온 이상 친구가 아닌 부부로 관계가 설정되고 그 상황에서 두 사람이 어떻게 하는지 주의 깊게 관찰할 예정이다. 아직 첫 촬영 전이기 때문에 어떤 모습을 보여줄지 궁금해진다. /pps2014@osen.co.kr

[사진] MBC 제공

source: http://m.entertain.naver.com/read?oid=109&aid=0003433723

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eric today?

 

[coldcucumber]

@gureentea ah, yes I've been contemplating whether to ask for english translation or not from @Farfalle about that article. From google translate, the PD said it was a beautiful and clean feeling farewell (?). Ah, I think I will just put the the whole thing from google translate in the spoiler. The way google translates ddongie as 'poop' though hahahaha 

Spoiler

Eric Nam, who is in charge of directing the MBC entertainment program 'We Are Married' (hereafter referred to as 'Wojwi'), will get off and said about the solar couple, the foreigner and the sleepy couple. Eric Nam and the solar couple have left the "right". Unfortunately, the person who has to leave leaves. It is a story of an exotic couple and a sleepy couple who have graduated from 'I live alone' and have passed 'we got married'. In the face of excitement, Lee Young-soo and Slipy are also accepting that they are becoming married with Naver V app on the portal site. I asked about the separation of Eric M and the solar couple.

What was the farewell scene of Eric Nam Sola couple? Both of them were very generous couples. So pure and good poop seems to have been finished pretty like a couple. It was not a tearful sad farewell that I had shown in the "Wooyang" yet. It was a beautiful, clean feeling farewell. - It was very memorable for Eric Nam and the couple who was going to show the show on the air for 8 months. It seems that the process of organizing the memories that have gone on the trip since the first meeting, meeting with the sisters, and doing a lot of work will go on the air. - Especially Eric Nam and Sola seemed to have regretted it. I will keep on watching and helping each other. During the last film, I felt that the two people would develop into a good relationship. - It seems that the foreigner and the sleepy couple were not 100% colleagues in a business couple or 'I live alone'. I am going to observe how two people are doing in a situation where a relationship is set up as a couple rather than a friend as long as it has been passed on the "right". I am still wondering what it will be like because it is before the first shoot

 

[Farfalle]

@coldcucumber @gureentea I've seen that article too in DC gallery, but because the content is almost the same, I thought I'd do it if I have some time. Thanks for your info though, chingu!  I'll do it if I have my hand on keyboard soon. Sorry because I can't provide fast translation lately  

-----

Ugh, sorry I haven't had some time to read your posts above properly including @cinnaminskies's article, but guess what. After many netizens demand for Ddongi couple's unreleased clips for the latest episode, HERE THEY ARE! Yeah, there are two of them!  (Although I can't watch them right now... Sobs...)

[Unreleased clip] Ddongi couple, the rose of Sharon has blossomed!
http://imbbs.imbc.com/view.mbc?list_id=6605365&page=1&bid=wedding_svod

Spoiler

The translation of the video description:

During the autumn outing
Eric Nam ♥ Solar play 'The rose of Sharon has blossomed'!

Yoonddong, turns out he isn't a vocalist but a rapper?!
Two people who speak and run fast
Their rose of Sharon has blossomed!

Was the game originally this sweet and fun..? ♥

 

[Unreleased clip] Ddongi couple's chocolate advertising imitation which is sweeter than chocolate!
http://imbbs.imbc.com/view.mbc?list_id=6605364&page=1&bid=wedding_svod

Spoiler

The translation of the video description:

Ddongi couple who has a late autumn outing!

They find a duck during the outing and
shout "Duck!" enthusiastically!
Yongddongi's English pronounciation is getting better >_< So praisable~

They watch a chocolate advertising
and then challenge to imitate the advertising...
Ddongi couple is sweeter than chocolate ♥

 

 

[coolbrattyro]

oh~ thanks @Farfalle
I hope someone translate it....

[Le_Sanguinea]

Ugh, such crappy resolution. I don't even want to rip those videos from the site because the resolution is too small.

I get why the PDs cut the Rose of Sharon part. It doesn't actually serve any purpose even if they edit it in, other than to serve as fanservice to us shippers for extra content. It's just a clip of them playing a game and having fun.   On the other hand, that chocolate commercial has some shots that would be nice to have a gifs/screencaps, IF it had better resolution.