[Drama 2018] My Mister, 나의 아저씨 - Best Drama at 2019 (55th) BaekSang Arts Awards

[YukawaCattle]

銝祈剜

[Thomas Zhang]

A friend from Australia has watched this drama last two weeks. She totally agreed with me for the theory  that last scene was a reunion well prepared by DH.

 

We discussed a lot and had a conclusion: there was not any coincidence in this drama.

 

Some events looked like an accident. But actually the writer and PDnim had set a foreshadowing.

 

For example, the bribery which should be sent to PDW was given to DH by deliverer's mistake. 

 

But at the beginning, JA was delivering letters. A letter that was supposed to be sent to PDW was sent to DH by JA's mistake.

 

This means that the names of these two people are really easy to be confused

 

That is a foreshadowing，so that later scene of sending bribery to the wrong person did not like a coincidence.

 

Edit plus: the overtime working scene. Only JA and DH got on the subway train. Why? Was it a coincidence that let JA  conveniently confess again?  It was absolutely not a coincidence. DH was good at playing football and JA was good at running.  These things were all well foreshadowed.

 

If the ”no coincidence" theory is right, Park Dong Hoon  deliberately sitting at the cafe that Ji An would go, waiting for her to appear and pretending to be a chance encounter. 

 

So he was definitely divorced.

Edited January 27, 2022 by Thomas Zhang

[YukawaCattle]

銝祈剜

[sweetroad]

4 hours ago, Thomas Zhang said:

If the ”no coincidence" theory is right, Park Dong Hoon  deliberately sitting at the cafe that Ji An would go, waiting for her to appear and pretending to be a chance encounter. 

 

So he was definitely divorced

 

Haha, I like your conclusion.

 

And it is very interesting to think about DH sitting there, waiting for her to appear sometime. I'd never thought about that before you brought it up earlier....but you are slowly convincing me :). He would know the name of her company, after all, after keeping tabs on her through Chairman Jang. Perhaps he was just so sick of not seeing her that he finally decided to do something about it. Sort of.

 

2 hours ago, YukawaCattle said:

This idea makes me imagine their future, lol.

 

1. DH will always confess to JA, just as JA always did to him before.

2. DH will directly kiss JA, just as JA did in EP3.

3. DH will always want a hug, just as JA wanted a hug before.

4. JA will be very shy, just as DH before 3/4 of EP16.

 

Yay!

 

By the way @YukawaCattle and @Thomas Zhang if you want to see (and participate in!) a current, "live" English-language discussion of MM, check this out: https://thefangirlverdict.com/2022/01/26/open-thread-my-mister-episodes-15-16/

 

Kfangurl just concluded her group watch of My Mister yesterday, and the comments are coming in. Always fascinating!

[YukawaCattle]

銝祈剜

[Thomas Zhang]

7 hours ago, the_sweetroad said:

By the way @YukawaCattle and @Thomas Zhang if you want to see (and participate in!) a current, "live" English-language discussion of MM, check this out: https://thefangirlverdict.com/2022/01/26/open-thread-my-mister-episodes-15-16/

 

Actually I'm tired of showing evidences and analysis to those non-shippers. 

As a matter of fact, they are always talking about their own opinion and imagination without any evidence from lines or scenes and logical analysis according to roles' characteristic.

They'd like to talk about opinion instead of facts with a simple sentence "I just don't think so".

 

And I don' know what happened to my network that I can't leave a reply like this.

As you can see I would always be cynical when arguing with a non-shipper.

So let it be......

 

Edited January 28, 2022 by Thomas Zhang

[YukawaCattle]

銝祈剜

[Thomas Zhang]

3 hours ago, YukawaCattle said:

So photos are red herring for non-shippers.

 

And that guy's description of photos is wrong. Th were not his ex-wife's photos. Those were DH’s son's photo with his mother who is DH‘s ex-wife.

Edited January 28, 2022 by Thomas Zhang

[YukawaCattle]

銝祈剜

[Thomas Zhang]

1 hour ago, YukawaCattle said:

 

Yes.
If there is a photo that is only YH, then I will say, " oh, maybe they didn't divorce."
But all are YH& JS, 100% divorce.

 

One question is, "Why KWS didn't let us see the environment of DH&YH's house after the time skip?"
Because divorce answer will be very obviously.
The family photo on the wall properly has already disappeared.

 

 

Before time-skip:

1. The family's photo is shown everywhere: DH's home. DH's office. Omma’s home. Even when DH wore JA's slipper after he was promoted, he still put a family photo on his desk. 

 

2. DH won't take initiative to touch JA. All the touches they‘ve got were from JA's request or action.

 

After time-skip:

1. There were not any family photos shown to us.

 

2. DH took the initiative to hold JA's hand and won't let it go until JA made a promise to contact him.

 

So......

Edited January 28, 2022 by Thomas Zhang

[sweetroad]

On 1/28/2022 at 1:21 AM, YukawaCattle said:

Thanks for the link.

But I am curious about who is she?
Is she a famous one on K-drama social network?

(Sorry I am in Asia, lol.)

 

KFangurl lives in Singapore and she has kept that blog for a long time, with reviews of many Korean dramas as well as Chinese and Taiwanese dramas (like Someday or One Day). She's well-known for her thorough reviews, and now she's been doing some group watches of shows as well.

 

On 1/28/2022 at 2:01 AM, Thomas Zhang said:

And I don' know what happened to my network that I can't leave a reply like this.

As you can see I would always be cynical when arguing with a non-shipper.

So let it be.....

 

Sometimes it takes a while for a comment to show up. I don't know if the Moderators have to approve it the first few times you comment, and then after that your comments would go up automatically. When I first commented on her threads, back in Ep 1 I think, I had to wait a few minutes before each comment would be published.

 

And yeah. We are shippers because of the data, not necessarily because we wanted them to fall in love (I never imagined it before I watched the show). The data convinces us....but the data is subtle and sprinkled throughout the entire show. I think non-shippers can have a strong bias against a romance between DH and JA, and then, for example, read into DH's facial expressions that he's treating JA platonically. 

 

On 1/28/2022 at 1:21 AM, YukawaCattle said:

What is the meaning of Antsy：Petty Level 3 in the article BUY ME SLIPPERS = I LOVE YOU?

 

Antsy is also irritable, edgy, or impatient.

 

Petty level 3 means that Dong Hoon has "descended" to not just be antsy (level 1), but really, really irritated and "petty" at a level 3 intensity. Petty can mean 小氣 ! A child can be petty when his favorite toy is taken away - he throws a fit over something small . Adults can be petty when they take a small offense and make it into a big deal and never let it drop. For example, if my husband leaves a dirty dish on the counter and I ask him to put it in the sink. Then I keep complaining to him, for the next week, that he didn't put the dish in the sink and how angry I still am about it.

 

So "Antsy: Petty Level 3" means that Dong Hoon is really irritated that she took away the slippers and is ready to go after her about it. It's like Dong Hoon has 很大的小氣! Or 非常強烈的小氣! But that's all from Google Translate; have no idea if it makes sense to you

 

 

[Thomas Zhang]

New thoughts.

 

Director and Writer set up two scenes for us to make a contrast.

 

1. EP13. The trio disappeared for KH&SH dug out the truth of YH's infidelity. Hoogye Ahjussis， JH & YR couldn't find them. In this scene, we can see how these Ahjussis & JH looked like for lost friends and how YR looked like for lost a lover.

We can tell from their expressions and behaviors.

Ahjussis and JH looked like being just curious, not much worried.
But YR was worried, impatient, and anxious, wandering at the bar.
 

Why does PDnim set up this scene for us? I think he wanted our audience to know the different reaction between losing friends and losing a lover.

 

So at the same EP later and next at EP14, we can tell from PDH's mood and expression and behavior that he was definitely looking for his lover JA like YR did at EP13, not looking for a friend as JH&Ahjussis did.

 

 

2. EP16. 

 

When EP16 SW sat at JH's bar, SW&JH sat on either side of the table. They kept distance.

SW was very calm. And JH accepted the reality. 

That's how a pair of former lovers finally let go.

 

So how did JA&DH  looked like at the last reunion scene？

 

They were  both emotional.

They were excited, nervous, curious, with expectation and anxiety, unwilling to part again.
They finally made a breakthrough to approach each other and make a promise.
In contrast, the reunion of these two couples is completely different, proving that Ji-An and Dong-Hoon never let go of each other.

Edited January 28, 2022 by Thomas Zhang

[actionscript]

On 1/27/2022 at 8:59 PM, the_sweetroad said:

@actionscript Great finish to your list. You actually have 30+ moments? Wow. Would you mind posting them all here, in one post, for our reference? (all-text would be fine for me, unless you reeallly want to do screenshots). I was going to put together a list of "evidence of JA's feelings for DH" but I think your list of 30+ moments will fit the bill perfectly!

 

Here’s a quick draft of the other scenes that did not make it to the top 10, in no particular order:

 

- Their walk at the start of ep 9, when JA told DH she wanted to see JY get fired, “Because you hate him, mister.”

As KFG said, it is the first time she has shown complete solidarity to DH.

 

- When she run to him on the snow in ep 5

This was momentous, as it is the first time she ran to him.

 

- During their dinner in ep 7, when she asked DH about JY: “Should I kill him for you?”

Though this is a mini version of the two scenes I have put on the top spot, the fact that this came relatively early in the show when the two are just starting to build their friendship, it definitely came unexpectedly.  And that's not only because she has shifted completely to DH’s side, but it shows the extent she was willing to go for him.

 

- Erasing the wiretapping app

As KFG said: “It felt like she was cutting off a lifeline.. cutting off a crutch, and now has to learn to walk all over again.”

 

- The two Fighting! scenes

 

- Running to him on the bridge in ep 6

This also felt momentous, as it confirmed the concern she started to develop for him in ep 5 wasn’t a fluke, it is deep and real.

 

- When she slapped Asst Manager Kim

Compared to the things she will do in the latter episodes, this act seemed petty, but it is the very first act she did on his behalf

 

- The train confession in ep 12: “I waited for you coz I missed you.”

 

- The confession at the end of ep 10

 

- Throwing away the slippers

Awww.. 

 

- Assuring him ”You are a good person. Really.”

 

- The shack scene: “I really want you to be happy, ahjussi!”

 

- In ep 9, when she was already resting at home and heard DH leaving Jung Hee’s bar after the night’s drinking, she ran to him just to get a glimpse of him and tailed him until he got home.

Though there were numerous mentions of JA wandering around to catch a glimpse of DH, this is a concrete example the show has given us. (And yes, there was a siren sound as she was running, and the sharp movements of the shoulders up and down once she saw DH, but that could be due to the running. )

 

- In ep 9, after hearing DH say to the team he was wrong in hiring her, that night she deliberately passed in front of DH by JH’s Bar just to ignore him and express her disappointment.  But after walking past his view, she stopped, breathed heavily, and tears welled in her eyes. 

 

- Running to YH to have her listen to JY’s clip

The way she has thrown herself in front of YH’s car, just to let YH hear JY’s thoughts about their relationship -- and to no direct benefit for her own.

 

The following two came from @the_sweetroad's guesses, which I have overlooked but definitely belong to the list:

 

- When Ki Bum advised her to run, she requested for one more day so she’d be able to buy the slippers and give them back to DH

 

- During their farewell dinner, when she told DH she never really lived until she met him

 

My initial list ran to around 32, but I’ve deleted a few scenes that I felt were redundant and then combined a few scenes together in the top 10.

 

Links to the top 10:

10-6   5-1

  

 

On 1/27/2022 at 9:30 PM, the_sweetroad said:

Good question! I don't think it's a red herring per se, but I am curious why Ki Bum said that he was partially responsible for Ji An's debt to Kwang Il. Some more of his backstory would have been nice.

 

I think if the show didn't reveal anything more, then it's not important to the overall scheme of things. So that dialogue was put in there to demonstrate either one of the scenarios below or perhaps both:

 

1.       That JA has a kind heart -- she is not calculative when it comes to money. In fact, she's very responsible when it comes to it, as she mentioned to Kwang Il that she has been very diligent in paying her debt and doubts other of Kwang Il’s clients were as diligent.

 

And we saw how her kindness came back to her.. When she promised to Sang Hoon she will pay him back the funeral expenses, Je Cheol assured her not to be so calculative.

 

2.       It explains Ki Bum’s loyalty to Ji an in carrying out her plans (to PDU, and for tailing DH and JY, etc.) without the show having to further justify their partnership or having to explain how they will split the pot.

[Thomas Zhang]

On 1/23/2022 at 10:08 PM, Thomas Zhang said:

According to the unofficial Mandarin translated edition which is generally acknowledged to be accurate， Omma was saying that YH's going abroad let DH be a single man.  (让孩子爸爸过单身汉的日子合适吗）

 

I don’t know what the other edition of the subtitle said here.

But "leaving you alone" is enough.

It was Omma,  a Sibyl in the Drama, who gave us an assertion.

 

9th re-watch and found a new evidence for Omma's amazing ability of insights and prophecy.

 

[YukawaCattle]

銝祈剜

[Thomas Zhang]

1 hour ago, YukawaCattle said:

(1) After JA was hit by a car in EP5, DH chased after her.
And then he helped her take care of her grandmother.

 

(2) After JA was hit by a car in EP7, she heard DH praise her pretty face
and thus rushed to the restaurant to find him for a drink.

 

(3) After JA was hit by a car in EP15, DH found her in CD's hut

 

A bicycle, a Sedan, an SUV. 

It seemed these crashes were getting worse and worse.

Maybe these transportation symbolize that JA was facing worse and worse events

[sweetroad]

5 hours ago, actionscript said:

Here’s a quick draft of the other scenes that did not make it to the top 10, in no particular order:

 

Great, thank you!! Nice to have them all here in one place

[YukawaCattle]

銝祈剜

[YukawaCattle]

銝祈剜

[actionscript]

Yu Ra’s Movie: A Metaphor for Ji An

 

The short movie clip of Yu Ra that is shown in ep 16 was a metaphor for Ji An’s life.

 

The first scene shows Yu Ra’s character gulping down a shot of soju. We see Ji An drank soju in various scenes such as:

-   The company dinner in ep 5

-   The dinner with Dong Hoon in ep 7

 

 

She is styled with her hair tied as Ji An usually would. She is also eating in a company dinner reminiscent of the company dinner in ep 5:

 

Spoiler

 

 

She then proceeds with the following monologue:

“Do you know why I’m always sick?

 Because there are so many people I hate.

 I thought about when I wasn’t sick.  

 When I was in love.”

 

Sickness exemplified her life prior to getting to know Dong Hoon. Her world was full of hate, not only for the likes of Kwang Il, but more so with herself. It embodied her feelings of guilt and her avoidance of building human connections. But all that changed when Dong Hoon entered her life, showed her kindness and empathy, and that allowed her to heal.

 

Then she goes “So I decided to love you starting today. You bas****.”

 

Spoiler

 

The finger-pointing and the use of the word “bas****” is an allusion to this scene:

 

 

The Department Head becomes exasperated with her:

“Acting out when she’s drunk, that’s all she can do.

 Who hired her?

 She can’t do anything right.

 Until when will you act like that?”

 

Spoiler

 

These are a synopsis of everything Dong Hoon has experienced from Ji An and all his bewilderment that came with it: the stealing of the bribe money, the out-of-nowhere kiss, the unexpected love confession, and the wiretapping. Questioning “Who hired her?” is also a callback to ep 9 when Team Three asks Dong Hoon on the rooftop “What made you hire her?”

 

The above scene is interspersed with Yu Ra’s character saying:

“Let’s love. Let’s love him.

 Let’s love that bas****.

 I’ll try to put up with him.

 I will try to love you more passionately.” 

 

Spoiler

 

These signified Ji An still loving Dong Hoon throughout much of the latter episodes despite the distance and boundaries that Dong Hoon had constantly kept.

Her pounding on the copier is again a callback to how Ji An would do it in a couple of scenes.

 

The change in the color of her wardrobe is significant, too. In the dinner scene, when she was still in her world of hate, she was wearing black. But that changed to a lighter-toned top in the latter scene, when her world has brightened brought about by her connection with Dong Hoon. It's the same color tone that Ji An would wear as well in the final coffee shop scene, providing a connection between the two scenes.

 

Then she broke the 4^th wall and addressed the audience:

 

Spoiler

 

That is the last scene in the movie clip, and is a foreshadowing of the show's last scene itself on what’s to come between Dong Hoon and Ji An once they reunite.

 

 

 

 

How witty that the show encapsulated the entire journey of the main protagonist, Ji An, through a parody and presented it through a movie within the show, an easter egg so to speak. The key idea that really stood out for me was, while Ji An always used the word “like” in a number of occasions in describing how she felt for Dong Hoon, her meta representation in the movie only used the word “love,” over and over! In fact, she uttered “love” 6 times in the 65-second skit. I believe it is the show’s way to categorically confirm how we are to interpret the more subtle “like” that Ji An used.

 

And then there’s how the meta Ji An broke the 4^th wall to lay out what exactly is to come in her final reunion scene with Dong Hoon – of love surging up between them.