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

[sadiesmith]

I know @rellea already translated part 2 of this interview with Seo Hyun Woo (Section Chief Song).  Does anyone want to take a look at the first part and translate the interesting bits?  

http://v.entertain.media.daum.net/v/20180518134017394?f=m

[Sakari]

Someone else posted about the possibility of a Japanese remake (of MA) 50 or 100 pages ago, and I remember having the same idea. Now I find it even more probable – witness the Japanese remake of Signal airing right now: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Signal_(2018)

 

[arctichare]

Here's IU checking up on us 3 weeks after the finale -

 

Hi @andius, great post. I think you just mentioned some of my favourite moments from the show where Dong Hoon is longing to see Ji An. And as you mentioned the confrontation scene in ep 10 - (putting it under a cut as it's image heavy)

 

Spoiler

It's when Ji An says this line that Dong Hoon starts to panic and starts walking away from her. It obviously struck a nerve. Because as we all know, literally moments ago, Dong Hoon was hanging out at the restaurant hoping to run into her.

 

 

 

 

 

I think the last two lines by Dong Hoon are partially directed at himself as well like "What the hell are you doing, Dong Hoon? Go home!".

 

Sigh, denial, thy name is Park Dong Hoon.

 

I find longing in fiction (when it's done well) to be really sexy. And when it's done so well and with such subtlety, it's just *sighs* perfection. I feel as if this show was crafted for me or something.

[anipanch]

10 hours ago, timidjock0819 said:

I need a serious REPEAT of this LJE and LSG professional partnership. That chemistry and tension between them is really something it cannot just end in one project

Oh who doesn't? I really hope they will reunite in a movie this time. Many people from movie/drama industry watched My mister because of its high class, it's impossible for those two to not get noticed by film directors or writers. Someone mentioned before,.it would be great to see LSK and LJE in a Korean version of "My fair Lady", the more I think about it the more I want it, they are just perfect for it >__< or in a deep, psychological movie, since they connect on emotional level so well. Hope doesn't kill a person, let's see if we ever see their partnership again, it will certainly be magnificent

[andius]

@arctichare When you put it in that perspective, you might be right :)) I simply love how absolutely flustered DH was in this scene, that he was pushed to do something he normally wouldn't (hitting JA on the head). It's really the first time he was confronted with his feelings isn't it. Poor guy. Combined with all the other stuff going on in his life, no wonder he was pushed to go visit his monk friend and sort himself out.

 

Probably beating a dead horse here, but I've been rewatching up to episode 2, and I can't get over how they translated 50 million won DH got as cash and not gift certificates. I remember getting so confused when the matter of these certificates being brought up later on. 

I'm surprised that the guy from Kwang Il's office accepted that as payment for the loan though... are gift cards that ubiquitous in Korea?

[tiger457_stv]

1 hour ago, andius said:

@arctichare When you put it in that perspective, you might be right :)) I simply love how absolutely flustered DH was in this scene, that he was pushed to do something he normally wouldn't (hitting JA on the head). It's really the first time he was confronted with his feelings isn't it. Poor guy. Combined with all the other stuff going on in his life, no wonder he was pushed to go visit his monk friend and sort himself out.

 

Probably beating a dead horse here, but I've been rewatching up to episode 2, and I can't get over how they translated 50 million won DH got as cash and not gift certificates. I remember getting so confused when the matter of these certificates being brought up later on. 

I'm surprised that the guy from Kwang Il's office accepted that as payment for the loan though... are gift cards that ubiquitous in Korea?

In south korea, it is not uncommon practice for business deal to start with gift giving.... that runs in contrary to western standard (especially with the US where there are strong bribery laws).  Recently the billionaire chairman of Lotte Group Shin Dong bin was sentenced to 2.5 years for bribery of a confidante of expresident Park.  6.4 millions dollars was set up at a foundation liked to Park's friend Choi Soon sil and the company received a government license for its duty free business.  Shin is appealing the conviction.

 

This scandal in 2016 brought down Park's presidency.

 

Lee Jae yong, the de facto head of Samsung group was found guilty of bribery in august 2017, but he appealed and got out free in feb 2018 after his 5 years prison sentence was reduced.

 

So South Korea is struggling to change to a more western style of government/business where the 2 entities are not so intertwined. 

 

Nevertheless, if you want some thing done in many part of the world, you need to grease it with some thing.  SO COMES THE GIFT CERTIFICATE which is designed to make it harder to trace where the GIFT/BRIBE comes from.  It is not a 1 to 1 certificate so a person can exchange that with some one else for cash or services, if the latter is willing to take the certificate..... almost an underground economy!
 

Of course the actual value once converted to money (won) will be less!   One can always go to shady people like loan sharks and get money at a discount!   In the United States, people have even used FOOD STAMP (a kind of voucher for poor people from the government to assist them in buying food...they just go to a supermarket and pay with the food stamp)…. to buy illegal GUNS!!!!  That shows that firearms are more important than food!

 

OF COURSE THE LOAN SHARK WOULD ACCEPT THE GIFT CERTIFICATE (AT A DISCOUNT OF COURSE)….but they did not do that because the loan shark Kwang Il did not want Ji-an to pay off her debt to him/his father.

 

AS LONG AS SOMETHING IS NEGOTIABLE, IT HAS A PRICE! HAHAHA!!!

[sadiesmith]

4 hours ago, arctichare said:

Hi @andius, great post. I think you just mentioned some of my favourite moments from the show where Dong Hoon is longing to see Ji An. And as you mentioned the confrontation scene in ep 10 - (putting it under a cut as it's image heavy)

 

 

I find longing in fiction (when it's done well) to be really sexy. And when it's done so well and with such subtlety, it's just *sighs* perfection. I feel as if this show was crafted for me or something.

 

Sigh, @arctichare, I agree with you 1000x.  And thank you for the images especially these two below.  I had forgotten that at this scene she said the same exact words she did at their last drinking scene, when she announced that she would leave for Busan because she felt pathetic waiting around trying to catch a glimpse of him.  We all know that it's not she who has been hanging around looking for a certain someone, but HE, and he knows that.  And the writer and director did this on purpose, trusting the observant viewers to notice it too, and the irony is just soooooo delicious.  And LSK's facial expression below is soooooo on point.  This drama is a master at showing us the hero's true feelings without his saying anything himself, and for very good reasons.

[akhenaten]

So here I am, trying to cope with my MA withdrawal by reading a book and guess what kind of plot the book has? It’s about two people who find companionship and comfort in each other during dark times (World War II), get separated, and get reunited years after.  They fall in love but there are objections to their relationship because of so many reasons, one of which is that the man is so much older than the woman.  

 

Here are a few lines from the book:

 

”What is the difference between being in love and truly loving someone?”

 

”When the dust settles after the explosion, you look at the pieces that remain.  Then you have to decide whether your lives have become so entangled that you can no longer live without each other...love is not about excitement and physical desire and attraction...true love is the core that remains after the infatuation has burned out.”

 

And know what’s so funny? During the time they’re apart, there’s a scene when the young woman is in the dining room of a private club, and she hears his voice, and she follows the sound until she finds him conversing with other people, unaware of her presence.

 

I felt like I was reading another version of the story of Park Dong Hoon and Lee Ji An.  These two are everywhere I go! 

[tiger457_stv]

3 minutes ago, akhenaten said:

So here I am, trying to cope with my MA withdrawal by reading a book and guess what kind of plot the book has? It’s about two people who find companionship and comfort in each other during dark times (World War II), get separated, and get reunited years after.  They fall in love but there are objections to their relationship because of so many reasons, one of which is that the man is so much older than the woman.  

 

Here are a few lines from the book:

 

”What is the difference between being in love and truly loving someone?”

 

”When the dust settles after the explosion, you look at the pieces that remain.  Then you have to decide whether your lives have become so entangled that you can no longer live without each other...love is not about excitement and physical desire and attraction...true love is the core that remains after the infatuation has burned out.”

 

And know what’s so funny? During the time they’re apart, there’s a scene when the young woman is in the dining room of a private club, and she hears his voice, and she follows the sound until she finds him conversing with other people, unaware of her presence.

 

I felt like I was reading another version of the story of Park Dong Hoon and Lee Ji An.  These two are everywhere I go! 

DEJA VU     Does he have a deep baritone voice too?!!

[akhenaten]

7 minutes ago, tiger457_stv said:

DEJA VU     Does he have a deep baritone voice too?!!

 

@tiger457_stv  I believe the man’s voice was described that way.  And he’s a perfectionist who wants to do things right that he doesn’t want to be obvious that they’re in a relationship.

 

The characters in this book are from Easter Europe but they might as well have been East Asian. Hahahaha! 

[andius]

@akhenaten Wow, that sounds interesting...May I ask what's the name of the book? 

 

[ccl82]

These scenes are not related, but in a way, DH answered JC's question 

 

 

[mylovelystar]

Lee Ji-eun & Kwon Nara

 

 

IU mentioned Ji-an towards the end of the latest IU TV vid

'

 

IU wished for high ratings for My Mister on her birthday

 

[Gif from the latest IU TV vid]

 

[tiger457_stv]

5 hours ago, sadiesmith said:

 

Sigh, @arctichare, I agree with you 1000x.  And thank you for the images especially these two below.  I had forgotten that at this scene she said the same exact words she did at their last drinking scene, when she announced that she would leave for Busan because she felt pathetic waiting around trying to catch a glimpse of him.  We all know that it's not she who has been hanging around looking for a certain someone, but HE, and he knows that.  And the writer and director did this on purpose, trusting the observant viewers to notice it too, and the irony is just soooooo delicious.  And LSK's facial expression below is soooooo on point.  This drama is a master at showing us the hero's true feelings without his saying anything himself, and for very good reasons.

 

@sadiesmith said:  When Ji-an said:  And I feel pathetic for hanging around so late at night...for a glimpse of you!...   Engineer Dong Hoon looks very uncomfortable!!!

 

 

As they would say it in court:  Judged and found guilty!!!@@@@  hahaha

 

This story reminds this reader of BINARY STARS in astrophysics,... where 2 stars are fated to orbit each other going round and round in a circle always trying to get close to each other but the other would slip sideway away... so they just circle each other, bound together by gravity to never escape from each other for an eternity!   If one binary star is much smaller than the other and close enough, then its content would slowly be suck away by the bigger star, until they eventually become one!

 

Example is a star called SPICA (alpha virginis) in the constellation VIRGO, which is very bright and consist of A PAIR of tightly bound binary stars that whirl around each other every 4 days!  They are so tightly bound that we cannot even resolve them with a telescope!  The only way we knew they are two in one star is because of their doppler shift around as they circle each other!... much like Engineer Park Dong Hoon and Lee Ji An.

 

So @akhenaten  can read her book, then look up at the constellation VIRGO at night and see the brightest star there and see THE PAIR.  Like you said, every where!!

Edited June 9, 2018 by Jillia
Please do not quote pics! Thanks! :)

[akhenaten]

57 minutes ago, andius said:

@akhenaten Wow, that sounds interesting...May I ask what's the name of the book? 

 

 

@andius  It’s called “The Girl From The Train” by Irma Joubert.  You can check it out in the link below. It’s a nice book. Some of the parts are reminiscent of scenes between Park Dong Hoon and Lee Ji An and there were lines and scenes which I wish the two of them had in the drama.  But then, if they did, then the vagueness and ambiguity that made the drama so exquisitely beautiful would be lost. 

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24689357

 

 

[justamom]

Why are all of you still here? 

[nearsea]

1 hour ago, akhenaten said:

 

@andius  It’s called “The Girl From The Train” by Irma Joubert.  You can check it out in the link below. It’s a nice book. Some of the parts are reminiscent of scenes between Park Dong Hoon and Lee Ji An and there were lines and scenes which I wish the two of them had in the drama.  But then, if they did, then the vagueness and ambiguity that made the drama so exquisitely beautiful would be lost. 

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24689357

 

 

 

Do you have a knack for finding out stories which have similar premises/ context? Cause I checked out the synopsis and this totally reminds me of dong hoon/ Ji An lol. I would love to read the book except I'm not sure if I have still moved on from this drama haha. 

I have only rewatched ep 1, and for some reason, I was finding it hard to finish the episode, maybe the blame goes to the ruthless Ji An and because how stressed I felt just looking at dong hoon's stressed face and the numerous forehead wrinkles. 

 

This makes me think I would love to get a season 2 for MM, but that I guess isn't happening.  Meanwhile I look forward to more awesome DC posts, and the analyses from the people here. ^^

 

[ccl82]

Just now, justamom said:

Why are all of you still here? 

 

I dunno. Everytime I see My Mister-related posts on IG, I'm triggered. 

[justamom]

I was going to type up my thoughts about My Ahjussi and Buddhism, but it's late so it will just be a short one for now.

 

Maitri. To love yourself. One of the fundamental principles of Buddhism. 

 

It sounds easy, but so often we are influenced by things on the outside. And it gets so easy to let our negative thoughts overtake us.

 

Real compassion towards yourself, is learning to maintain a relationship with pain, guilt, shame and all those feelings that make us suffer.

 

Dong Hoon, at the start of the show, is suffering from his failure at work, the breakdown of his marriage, all enough to break any man. 

 

But at the end of the show, he breaks down. He learns to hug himself for the first time.

 

To be kind to himself.

 

Finally, he starts to understand Maitri.

 

Only when he learns to love himself, he can truly learn to love again.

 

https://www.elephantjournal.com/2016/01/maitri-making-friends-with-oneself/

 

 

[nearsea]

I would say my ahjussi really strikes a chord with the whole philosophy on how today's urban population regard life vs how life should be regarded. In that regard, it might share the ideology of every religion/belief system. Like I love when dong hoon says to his monk friend, I was relieved when you decided to reject the worldly life, I thought one less competitor. But then he had a successful life and a picture-perfect marriage with pretty lawyer wife and a son who studies abroad. 'The society' we're so afraid of and keep mentioning' would say they are a success. But although in worldly materialistic point of view one might say it's the case, but is that really so? Or do you really call someone successful just cause they had been living a comfortable life and apparently have everything one can wish for? The way the writer actually takes two people from two different seas, i.e, the materialistic society and the non-worldly society just gives us a hint about what the writer is trying to achieve or tell us here. Although body needs food, our soul needs nourishment too, and when the need of that soul isn't met, we literally die. Which happened in the case of dong hoon, who has been working in one of the top-tier companies, but still something is missing in his life. The urban society and the typical norms and boundaries made him more suicidal and then the true epiphany occurred when he went to see his monk friend and was finally able to empty his mind and stop thinking about the so-called society and the standards. 

I think in today's society a lot of people have been facing the problem dong hoon had to deal with, so when we realize that it's not money or status or worldly possessions which would make us truly happy, only then we can live for real. Dong Hoon's friend realized it way early, and although for dong hoon the way to home was a long road, ultimately he reached there. Dong Hoon himself had lots of goodwill in him, which helped people around breathe properly. Somehow in kdramas and mostly in real life too lol we tend to idolize people who are good looking or gets attention just because of their looks, talent or conversational skills, but here we see that how end of the day kindness or helping people is the way to someone's heart. Park dong hoon is an average man [don't deny though he's good looking haha], but he was able to move so many people's hearts just because he doesn't backbite when people aren't around, help people who have nothing to do with him or even has concerns over someone who's stealing things. We don't see this level of integrity often and that's why it was so hard for Ji An to leave him. I could go on and on but somehow through this drama I realized the importance of talking less/ not doing vain talks and what integrity actually means. Also yeah, not everyone has kind bones in them and people these days think sarcasm is very cool and all, but when you are really sincere and earnest, that's what hits you the most. And like the saying goes you would actually know how a person is, when you see how they behave when no one is looking.