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

[YukawaCattle]

銝祈剜

[sweetroad]

On 2/15/2022 at 1:42 PM, YukawaCattle said:

Ah.
No wonder in your fiction JA's sign language class seems not her primary job.
I always think it is her main job.

 

Interesting! I always thought working at the corporation was her main job, since she was transferred to the main branch (in Seoul) of the Busan company. I didn't think sign language could have been her main job, then, since she was giving budget reports to her new Department Head and talking to her friends about Deputy Manager Trot. To me it seemed like teaching sign language was a volunteer thing. But your thought is an interesting possibility!

 

On 2/15/2022 at 1:42 PM, YukawaCattle said:

Oh, thanks again.

I am always willing to read what you link for me.

Because there are so many articles and I don't know which one should read first.

So I think this is nice for me.

 

OK!

 

On 2/15/2022 at 1:42 PM, YukawaCattle said:

So I think it makes sense that DH went to fight KI should be around 2/28.

And DH finds JA in EP15 should be around 3/31, then they separate around 4/30.

I think this should make sense, and then the "miss days" in February will "show up."

The problem of February, I think, is that JA paid back her loan date and the last day JA's grandmother checked in the nursing home's date.

 

Your timeline makes sense if we were to go by the moon and the "miss days" in February, especially with Do Joon Young telling Ji An that she only had "10 days left" before Dong Hoon's interview (assuming DH's interview took place in the March teen days).

 

But yeah, with the dates that the show threw in there (Feb 21 and Feb 23) I was sooo confused.

 

On 2/15/2022 at 1:42 PM, YukawaCattle said:

Because according to this, non-shipper can say, "See, the scene they show us not always true, so what you said is not a kind of exact evidence."

So if I am KWS, I will always pay attention to these details.

 

I wonder if it had to do with them making episodes as they went. In other words, not all the episodes were done by the time they aired Episode 1, so they couldn't go back through all 16 episodes and clean them up and make them consistent. It's only we fans now who go back through all 16 eps and look at every detail.

 

[YukawaCattle]

銝祈剜

[actionscript]

13 hours ago, YukawaCattle said:

Oh, thanks for the link again.
I've always been got lots of MM's knowledge from you. 

This scene is so romantic.

 

Oh yes that’s one of my fave scenes! It’s on my top 10 most romantic moment list, #8 if I recall.

 

Even during my first watch, that was one of the first scenes that made me realize things are definitely turning romantic for DH as well (JA started much earlier). That scene was definitely meant to convey romantic feelings – the sequence, the facial expressions, the eyes, everything! There are other feelings evoked like care and concern, but these are borne out of romantic love. If the PDnim wanted to convey another feeling, he would have designed a different scene altogether. Having the heart gesture just prior to JA’s appearance further added to the conviction.

 

4 hours ago, the_sweetroad said:

Yes! I always checked their phones for dates and times, too, but they were never there. The only thing they show is clocks - and the time always seems to fit the clocks (in DH's apartment, at the resto-bar).

 

Here’s a clock scene that doesn’t seem to be in sync. It was when DH went to KI to confront him. It was still very bright when he entered the building. But the clock reads 10:48ish. We’re not sure if it’s morning or night. Actually we don’t have to mind the clock. The fact that it was still very bright when DH entered the building, and when they were fighting, it was well into the evening with the full moon shining brightly. But I don’t think the time between DH entering the building and the time the fight with KI started lasted several hours. 

 

 

1 hour ago, YukawaCattle said:

I think the timeline is an important detail because if we can not use the scenes they show us to infer a make sense time system, then in the same logic, then the "evidence" in other scenes which shows us can be challenge by other people.

Because according to this, non-shipper can say, "See, the scene they show us not always true, so what you said is not a kind of exact evidence."

So if I am KWS, I will always pay attention to these details.

I think this is really a big problem.

(So sad.)

 

That reasoning goes both ways. If a non-shipper would show evidence, then shippers can also throw the same argument saying "See, the scene they show us not always true, so what you said is not a kind of exact evidence."

In short, that problem has nothing to do with the shipper/non-shipper argument. 

 

37 minutes ago, the_sweetroad said:

Interesting! I always thought working at the corporation was her main job, since she was transferred to the main branch of the Busan company. I didn't think sign language could have been her main job, then, since she was giving budget reports to her new Department Head and talking to her friends about Deputy Manager Trot. To me it seemed like teaching sign language was a volunteer thing. But your thought is an interesting possibility!

 

I think the corporate job is the main job as well. Here we can see her officemate thanking her:

 

 

And it's the same officemate she's having lunchbreak coffee with. She's the one in the middle:

 

 

 

1 hour ago, YukawaCattle said:

By the way, it seems like JA never tells us how about DH's appearance.
We only hear DH says JA is pretty, but it seems JA never tells us she thinks DH is handsome.
Why is that?

 

She could be insinuating something here.. 

 

Spoiler

 

But for me, the fact that she was willing to have a "scandal" with PDH but was only willing to go as far as spiking PDU's drink should also mean something, right? 

[sweetroad]

1 hour ago, YukawaCattle said:

I want to write an example!

 

Yay! Glad to read your example! I didn't know you only watched MM in November or December.

 

1 hour ago, YukawaCattle said:

I really love this one.

 

I completely forgot about that scene! Such a fun exchange between a grumpy DH and a friendly Sang Hoon. Is that Ep 4?

 

And it's funny - in my fanfic I actually have the line "Why can't it be me?" And today I saw it in your clip!

 

1 hour ago, YukawaCattle said:

He is so handsome and charming. 

Look at his cute face!

 

You love him. Can you watch his new movie "Kingmaker" in your region?

 

1 hour ago, YukawaCattle said:

We only hear DH says JA is pretty, but it seems JA never tells us she thinks DH is handsome.
Why is that?

 

Interesting point...she does want a hug after all, so she must not be repulsed by his physical appearance, but you're right she never says anything outright about his looks. Except for the sarcastic scene.

 

She does watch him play soccer at the funeral with longing eyes. So that must be something.

 

1 hour ago, actionscript said:

If the PDnim wanted to convey another feeling, he would have designed a different scene altogether. Having the heart gesture just prior to JA’s appearance further added to the conviction.

 

Yes! Totally agree. It seems so blatant, really, with the heart gesture and the complete longing on DH's face. It would be odd if it weren't a romantic feeling surging up in him.

 

1 hour ago, actionscript said:

Here’s a clock scene that doesn’t seem to be in sync. It was when DH went to KI to confront him. It was still very bright when he entered the building. But the clock reads 10:48ish. We’re not sure if it’s morning or night. Actually we don’t have to mind the clock. The fact that it was still very bright when DH entered the building, and when they were fighting, it was well into the evening with the full moon shining brightly. But I don’t think the time between DH entering the building and the time the fight with KI started lasted several hours. 

 

Good catch! When DH goes to the offices it's just around sundown, which in February in Seoul is around 6:15pm (this website has been a wealth of information for me these past few months: https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/south-korea/seoul)

 

So there's no way it took DH 4 hours to get up the stairs to visit Kwang Il. Hehe.

 

1 hour ago, actionscript said:

But for me, the fact that she was willing to have a "scandal" with PDH but was only willing to go as far as spiking PDU's drink should also mean something, right? 

 

True and a good contrast....she told DJY she wanted to try to sleep with PDH, but she didn't entertain those thoughts with PDU.

 

And let's not forget she was willing to kiss PDH!

 

Also, if anyone is looking for something good to watch, we've been watching Reset, a Chinese drama on YouTube. It's very well-done with good acting and an engaging story.

 

Spoiler

 

 

[actionscript]

23 hours ago, YukawaCattle said:

By the way, it seems like JA never tells us how about DH's appearance.
We only hear DH says JA is pretty, but it seems JA never tells us she thinks DH is handsome.
Why is that?

 

22 hours ago, the_sweetroad said:

True and a good contrast....she told DJY she wanted to try to sleep with PDH, but she didn't entertain those thoughts with PDU.

And let's not forget she was willing to kiss PDH!

 

The fact that JA already said she liked DH 3 times, and even said she liked all his sounds, etc., that definitely trumped any physical complement. And I’ve posted the GIFs a few pages back showing the stolen glances JA would throw at DH as well.

 

DH’s character didn’t have the same opportunity, so a physical complement from him was necessary to establish how he sees JA.

 

 

 

I liked this framing of DH and JA. It was beautifully shot.

 

 

 

But this one I couldn’t make sense of. It was shown for a full 4 seconds. Definitely it was meant to invoke something.

 

 

I’d be a hypocrite if I wouldn’t admit that the shot looked naughty to me.  Could it be the PDnim’s subtle humor at play here, as he has shown in numerous scenes throughout the drama?

 

My hunch is that the first shot was made to conjure up images of a marriage, while the latter of their honeymoon. 

 

Perhaps a foreshadowing of the future? The PDnim is the ultimate shipper after all! 

 

Many have already mentioned how the whole funeral ceremony looked like an imagery for DH and JA’s wedding. And even at the morgue, JA’s words of “Thank you for meeting me. Let’s meet again.” were symbolic of her relationship with DH and a foreshadowing of their separation and eventual reunion. So perhaps the PDnim capped the whole imagery with a honeymoon allegory? 

[YukawaCattle]

銝祈剜

[Thomas Zhang]

1 hour ago, YukawaCattle said:

But I am curious why when DJY suggests that she date PDH, she becomes negative and thinks PDH won't love her?
Then why has she had the confidence that the scandal would success at first?

After the EP10 confession, DJY urged JA to do something effectively. JA said that she would try to sleep with DH. Then, we all see that DJY raised a doubt ——“will he sleep with you?”

JA knew that DJY won't believe a positive anwser. She did not believe that herself. So she only talked about the method by pouring wine and drugging.

 

Actually every role who was familar with DH thought that JA was not the one that DH would be interested in.

The board of SAMAN all thought JA was a "low-end woman" for DH. That's why PDU was not quite sure firstly if JA was sent by DJY to frame up DH. 

 

Another interesting thing is, DH and JA like each other but they also think that they did not deserve each other.

 

 

 

 

[sadiesmith]

5 hours ago, actionscript said:

I’d be a hypocrite if I wouldn’t admit that the shot looked naughty to me.  Could it be the PDnim’s subtle humor at play here, as he has shown in numerous scenes throughout the drama?

 

Butt stare in addition to all the neck stares?

[sweetroad]

19 hours ago, YukawaCattle said:

By the way, @actionscript and @Thomas Zhang you two inspired me.

I think maybe we can use how DH treats JH to understand PDH loves LJA.

 

Whoa! This is great! Yes, how he treats Jung Hee (very comfortably, but with nothing happening) is a big contrast to the restraint he shows around Ji An! He touches Jung Hee without any problems, but he seems to have to brace himself to touch Ji An. Thanks for laying out all of these examples.

 

19 hours ago, YukawaCattle said:

So JA does a part-time job again? 

 

In my mind it's a volunteer, non-paid thing that she does because she is a generous soul.

 

19 hours ago, YukawaCattle said:

It is in EP2.

After KH tells DH that he should keep his distance from JA.

 

OK. Thanks! I will watch it again for laughs. I LOVE grouchy, exasperated Dong Hoon so, so much.

 

19 hours ago, YukawaCattle said:

So you didn't reference this scene?

Wow.

Then I think maybe this is because this dialogue has already in your subconscious.

 

I wasn't referencing this scene, isn't that crazy? It was just there in my head. But I had zero memory of that scene from Ep 2, either....so it must just be a romance trope (being too late, seeing the person you love with someone else, wondering Why can't it be me? )

 

19 hours ago, YukawaCattle said:

But maybe it is because the writer wants to say that what JA loves is PDH this human, not his money or appearance?

It seems like she feels DH is attractive or handsome is because she loves him, so she loves all of his characteristics.

 

Yeah, I do like how the show does this, they have Ji An fall in love with Dong Hoon through listening to who he truly is, rather than his outward appearance or his status or profession, etc. She is really not a gold-digger at all, nor a seductress. She really just falls in love with him as a person.

 

19 hours ago, YukawaCattle said:

And I am always curious about whether in EP1 JA is already attracted by DH.

He cares about her ankle, after all.

 

@actionscript has made a great case that Dong Hoon is attracted to Ji An in Episode 1 on the subway. I hadn't thought it my first few watches, but I'm convinced now. And in Episode 1 he looks at his co-worker's ankles and comments on them, too, so Ji An's ankles are on his mind as you say.

 

19 hours ago, actionscript said:

DH’s character didn’t have the same opportunity, so a physical complement from him was necessary to establish how he sees JA.

 

Very good point!

 

19 hours ago, actionscript said:

I liked this framing of DH and JA. It was beautifully shot.

 

But this one I couldn’t make sense of. It was shown for a full 4 seconds. Definitely it was meant to invoke something.

 

Yes! I love how they are framed in the top picture. The second framing I'd never thought of, but you're right, if it's for a full 4 seconds KWS must be trying to say something. When I looked at the photo now, at first glance it seemed like Dong Hoon was just so focused on Ji An and on her sorrow. However....

 

19 hours ago, actionscript said:

I’d be a hypocrite if I wouldn’t admit that the shot looked naughty to me.  Could it be the PDnim’s subtle humor at play here, as he has shown in numerous scenes throughout the drama?

 

My hunch is that the first shot was made to conjure up images of a marriage, while the latter of their honeymoon. 

 

Perhaps a foreshadowing of the future? The PDnim is the ultimate shipper after all! 

 

Many have already mentioned how the whole funeral ceremony looked like an imagery for DH and JA’s wedding. And even at the morgue, JA’s words of “Thank you for meeting me. Let’s meet again.” were symbolic of her relationship with DH and a foreshadowing of their separation and eventual reunion. So perhaps the PDnim capped the whole imagery with a honeymoon allegory? 

 

This made me laugh so hard! His hand IS right there, isn't it? And it looks like he's looking down. Oh dear.

 

14 hours ago, sadiesmith said:

Butt stare in addition to all the neck stares?

 

We need to send @actionscript on a hunt for more butt stares during the show. Neck, ankles, hands, butt....it's all there. Oh dear.

 

19 hours ago, actionscript said:

And I’ve posted the GIFs a few pages back showing the stolen glances JA would throw at DH as well.

 

Can you post this again - or the link to the page? It would be nice to see it again

 

17 hours ago, Thomas Zhang said:

After the EP10 confession, DJY urged JA to do something effectively. JA said that she would try to sleep with DH. Then, we all see that DJY raised a doubt ——“will he sleep with you?”

JA knew that DJY won't believe a positive anwser. She did not believe that herself. So she only talked about the method by pouring wine and drugging.

 

What you're saying makes a lot of sense. This was during the conversation where she had to lie to DJY about her feelings for DH, so we know that she wouldn't actually do anything to harm DH. So saying she would need to spike his drink was just a show for DJY....although behind that "show" was probably also a real feeling that she could never seduce him without resorting to something like drugs.

 

By the way, hope this is OK @YukawaCattle but I want to give praise to your excellent blog! https://ahjussicalanalysistw.wordpress.com/

 

It's in Chinese but Google Chrome does a good job of translating it. I read a couple of @Thomas Zhang's posts on it, too. Good job, guys! Hope the people in your circles become more and more convinced that DH got a divorce and that DH loves JA.

 

[Sandra Navarro]

Hello everyone! I’d like to introduce myself as a fellow lover of My Mister, the most epic drama of all time.  

@the_sweetroad, reading your welcoming message to My Mister fan lurkers and your message to me on your fanfiction, finally pushed me to comment after following the thread for some time now . Thank you for that and for providing a prompt to comment on!  On to your Q’s. 

 

Q #1: The first time I watched My Mister was in July 2021. I wanted to watch another IU drama after I finished watching Scarlet Heart Ryeo, and My Mister kept on showing up on my Netflix feed. But, the poster for the drama seemed a bit somber and totally not a romance drama (my favorite drama genre to watch), so I kept scrolling past it for months, lol. It wasn’t until I had a couple weeks off work and traveled to Colorado to dogsit for my sister (I’m from California) that I decided to give it go. Little Sir, my sis’s doggie became my My Mister watch buddy, lol. I feel bad saying this now, but I nearly dropped the drama the first few minutes it began( I know, I would’ve missed out on the most perfect drama in the world) because I didn’t find Lee Sun Kyun that enthralling, (, gasp at the horror of my thinking back then) and I was bummed that it wasn’t a romantic drama (so I thought ).  The first notion immediately changed, with lightning speed ⚡️the moment I heard Lee Sun Kyun’s velvety deep voice. It hypnotized me . I went from not liking him to falling in love in seconds . And my second belief changed when PDH asked LJA to buy him slippers again. In the first few episodes, I had made peace with myself that I wasn’t going to find any romance in the drama, (even though I wanted it to happen) and had become content just watching a fantastic drama. But that precise scene kicked off my spidey senses , and made me realized, “oh shoot, this is a love story!!!”  Which cemented my absolute love of My Mister ever since.

 

Q #2: Mmm, based on @actionscript’s matrix the first time watching I was 3,3. Now it’s 4,4. 

 

Q #3: What I notice now on my rewatches is   Park Dong Hoon’s immediate attraction to Lee Ji An. Within the first episode we see him captivated by her. Like when he notices her bare ankles and keeps looking in her direction the moment they head out of the subway station. 
 

Q #4: My favorite funny moments are the times when Sang Hoon drove past the yellow light and when he would sing in front of Yu Ra’s apartment.

 

Q #5: My favorite character is Park Sang Hoon because of his sense of humor.

 

Thanks to everyone who read up to this

point . My Mister is simply amazing! 

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by Sandra Navarro

[Thomas Zhang]

On 2/13/2022 at 5:44 PM, the_sweetroad said:

On 2/12/2022 at 9:24 AM, YukawaCattle said:

recently discussed with @Thomas Zhang and have an idea that the screenwriter has already used the comparisons to show you that DH and YH will divorce.

SH and AR vs. DH and YH is the most important one.
The situations of these two groups in EP1 and in EP16 are completely reversed.

 

Nice!

 

This inspired me that the state of a couple would be going to divorce or not is totally different.

These two couples must be another contrast.

 

I have seen many couples who have been fighting for decades, some may mention the divorce, but in the end it did not.

Other couples who seemed to be very much in love got divorced suddenly.

Only afterwards did their friends learn that they had long ignored each other.

 

And I think the dilemma with DH and YH's marriage is that DH would never initiate a divorce, and YH is a relatively decent middle-class woman who can't initiate a divorce when she's made a mistake and DH is not (which is why she's indifferent to DH possibly losing his job, because it's a good excuse to initiate a divorce).

 

And there seems to be a post here that mentioned that in Korea the cheating one can't file for divorce.

 

So that's one of the points I made earlier, that it's really very out of character for DH to initiate a divorce and then to stay together with JA. It was impossible for DH to do these things. He even would not make any promise to JA.
So DH & JA must be separated and get reunited later.  (But why don't you contact each other, why?why?why?  Just to show us that how JA missed her Ahjussi by a sign language lesson???)

 

And  YH eventually went public with her cheating and defended JA allowed her to finally be in a position where she could get DH to accept the divorce.

[sweetroad]

4 hours ago, Sandra Navarro said:

Hello everyone! I’d like to introduce myself as a fellow lover of My Mister, the most epic drama of all time. 

 

YAY!!! You're here, @Sandra Navarro! So fun to have you (and @Benz) as recent additions to the thread.

 

4 hours ago, Sandra Navarro said:

The first notion immediately changed, with lightning speed ⚡️the moment I heard Lee Sun Kyun’s velvety deep voice. It hypnotized me . I went from not liking him to falling in love in seconds .

 

 

Please find the dedicated Lee Sun-kyun thread here:

 

  He gets better with age.

 

4 hours ago, Sandra Navarro said:

Q #2: Mmm, based on @actionscript’s matrix the first time watching I was 3,3. Now it’s 4,4. 

 

Wow, you were more "advanced" than some of us!

 

4 hours ago, Sandra Navarro said:

Q #4: My favorite funny moments are the times when Sang Hoon drove past the yellow light and when he would sing in front of Yu Ra’s apartment.

 

Yes! He's such an outwardly expressive guy, which makes for so much great humor throughout the show.

 

Please keep your thoughts coming!

 

~

 

2 hours ago, Thomas Zhang said:

(But why don't you contact each other, why?why?why? 

 

I know - it seriously drove me so bonkers!!! But as several of you have mentioned before, if there was nothing romantic there, it would have been easier for them to stay in touch comfortably (like DH and Jung Hee). It's like why did DH avoid Jung Hee's bar when Ji An was staying there? It's in that same realm.

 

2 hours ago, Thomas Zhang said:

Just to show us that how JA missed her Ahjussi by a sign language lesson???)

 

 

2 hours ago, Thomas Zhang said:

So that's one of the points I made earlier, that it's really very out of character for DH to initiate a divorce and then to stay together with JA. It was impossible for DH to do these things. He even would make any promise to JA.
So DH & JA must be separated and get reunited later. 

 

It was very insightful what you mentioned a few pages back, that if Ji An had stayed in the neighborhood, DH couldn't have initiated a divorce with YH and gotten together with JA. JA could not have been seen as the "reason" for DH and YH's divorce, just like Do Joon Young could not have been seen as the reason for DH and YH's divorce. DH and YH needed to get a divorce on their own terms and because of their own reasons, not because of any third party. So in the show's ecosystem, JA moving to Busan was necessary and healthy.

 

I'm actually just amazed she came back to Seoul at all. If she had stayed in Busan....would anything ever have happened between DH and JA?! Would DH have gone after her?

[Thomas Zhang]

1 hour ago, the_sweetroad said:

I know - it seriously drove me so bonkers!!! But as several of you have mentioned before, if there was nothing romantic there, it would have been easier for them to stay in touch comfortably (like DH and Jung Hee). It's like why did DH avoid Jung Hee's bar when Ji An was staying there? It's in that same realm.

 

Now I get it —— In this way, the PDnim wanted to emphasize that their feelings for each other were ambiguous love, not friendship. People in ambiguous relationships will be hesitant to contact, while friends will not. And the green light on a warm spring day at the end of the show symbolizes that their relationship can be made public.

[actionscript]

On 2/16/2022 at 8:57 PM, YukawaCattle said:

Because I don't think they need any evidence but still can make the inference.

They can always use the official standpoint to argue without using any scenes.

So I think this is our weak point.
I mean, at least we have such a weapon(analyze scenes and the script).
So I think this is important.
(I think non-shippers always don't need to do such works.)

 

Oh yes you’re right! But I think all those subtle moments, clues and breadcrumbs we’ve already talked about countless times, whether shown as easter eggs or those that applied the Chekhov’s gun principle, already provided overwhelming evidence. So I guess a few timeline bugs won’t affect them at all. 

 

On 2/16/2022 at 8:57 PM, YukawaCattle said:

I think maybe we can use how DH treats JH to understand PDH loves LJA.

 

Very, very insightful contrast there!

 

The show really used a lot of parallel and sync scenes as well as contrasting scenes as narrative devices and it’s amazing how you’ve uncovered so much of them! 

 

On 2/16/2022 at 8:57 PM, YukawaCattle said:

But I am curious why when DJY suggests that she date PDH, she becomes negative and thinks PDH won't love her?
Then why has she had the confidence that the scandal would success at first?

 

Well, the scandal that JA was initially thinking was just to make DH appear to be having an illicit relationship with her. During the dinners of JA with DH in episodes 1-3, she wasn’t even putting in any effort to be friendly. In fact she was very hostile, like scolding him for asking discourteous questions. And then surprising him with a kiss was just meant to be photographed. So it’s really just pure business for JA.

 

On the other hand, what DJY suggested was for JA try to date him for real, like to appear friendly and be interested in him and all that. That’s what JA thought might not work.

 

Also, JA was already pleasantly in disbelief upon hearing that DH might really be interested in her as well by eating and drinking with her. Shocked yet happy with what she heard, she was seeking validation. Her "What kind of nutcase would like a girl like me?" really meant "Are you sure he really likes me?!" She just phrased it in a way that suits the flow of her conversation with DJY. 

 

23 hours ago, Thomas Zhang said:

After the EP10 confession, DJY urged JA to do something effectively. JA said that she would try to sleep with DH. Then, we all see that DJY raised a doubt ——“will he sleep with you?”

JA knew that DJY won't believe a positive anwser. She did not believe that herself. So she only talked about the method by pouring wine and drugging.

 

Great insight!

 

The little flaw I felt is that DJY being a very perceptive and intelligent man, when he already perceived JA to be truly liking DH in that scene, why did he still trust her with his plans? JA liking DH should have already been a huge red flag for him.  My guess is that with time running out, DJY might have thought it would be too late in the game for any drastic change in plans. Also, he did hire that photographer to also tail DH and JA as a backup plan.

 

23 hours ago, Thomas Zhang said:

Actually every role who was familar with DH thought that JA was not the one that DH would be interested in.

The board of SAMAN all thought JA was a "low-end woman" for DH. That's why PDU was not quite sure firstly if JA was sent by DJY to frame up DH. 

 

For me, it’s more on the board members just knowing DH is not the type who will fool around with another woman. So the board members are perplexed on why someone would use such a scheme on DH when they knew it would just fail as he would never fall for such a trap. Even Dir. Yoon said so in ep 8, and DJY just brushed him off saying something like “Let’s just wait and see if he’s that type of guy or not.”

 

19 hours ago, sadiesmith said:

Butt stare in addition to all the neck stares?

 

Seems like it!! 

 

17 hours ago, the_sweetroad said:

His hand IS right there, isn't it?

 

It reminds me of this line from Yura’s audition scene.. The two scenes must be connected. 

 

Spoiler

 

 

17 hours ago, the_sweetroad said:

And it looks like he's looking down. Oh dear.

 

Not only that. In the first picture, he was a bit to the right of the figurative straight line (thanks to @YukawaCattle's straight line theory in MM’s scenes) but in the second picture, he joined JA to the left side of that line. And notice his pelvis was thrusting forward a teensy-weensy bit. 

 

17 hours ago, the_sweetroad said:

Can you post this again - or the link to the page? It would be nice to see it again

 

Your wish is my command... JA's own neck, hand, and back stares and stolen glances on DH:

 

Spoiler

 

 

9 hours ago, Sandra Navarro said:

Q #3: What I notice now on my rewatches is   Park Dong Hoon’s immediate attraction to Lee Ji An. Within the first episode we see him captivated by her. Like when he notices her bare ankles and keeps looking in her direction the moment they head out of the subway station. 

 

Welcome to the forum, @Sandra Navarro! Your post is soo funny!! Hope your spidey senses would rub off to the non-shippers! 

 

Yes! Exactly my thoughts! Actually that subway scene plus the fact that Yoon Hee’s very first scene shortly after was of her cheating already got me thinking that the show is definitely setting DH and JA up!

 

4 hours ago, the_sweetroad said:

I'm actually just amazed she came back to Seoul at all. If she had stayed in Busan....would anything ever have happened between DH and JA?! Would DH have gone after her?

 

I personally believe had the separation went on for longer, one of them would have contacted the other. I think it would be JA, esp. if she stayed in Busan. Since she was already in Seoul, she was passing by Saman, which I believe won’t be a one-off. And soon she would have asked JH or the bar owner about DH.

 

But that’s why they are “fated” to be together. The universe will do its job. Fate has already brought them twice before, and now, the third time’s the charm! 

 

3 hours ago, Thomas Zhang said:

Now I get it —— In this way, the PDnim wanted to emphasize that their feelings for each other were ambiguous love, not friendship. People in ambiguous relationships will be hesitant to contact, while friends will not. And the green light on a warm spring day at the end of the show symbolizes that their relationship can be made public.

 

Yes, things were indeed ambiguous between them as it all happened so fast. Everything before the time skip happened in just 3 months, and they became closer only by mid-Feb. So they really needed a pause. JA said she wanted to start a new life in Busan. I think she is sincere in her efforts to want to move on from DH, as she is not sure if DH will actually get a divorce or not. And DH is giving her that space and opportunity to start a new life free from any baggage because he truly loves her. It proves DH’s love for her is one that is not selfish and possessive, but one that is genuine and liberating.

 

[YukawaCattle]

銝祈剜

[Thomas Zhang]

8 hours ago, actionscript said:

The little flaw I felt is that DJY being a very perceptive and intelligent man, when he already perceived JA to be truly liking DH in that scene, why did he still trust her with his plans? JA liking DH should have already been a huge red flag for him.  My guess is that with time running out, DJY might have thought it would be too late in the game for any drastic change in plans. Also, he did hire that photographer to also tail DH and JA as a backup plan

 

The reason DJY wanted to listen to the recording of JA's confession was because he heard that DH hit JA.  He knew DH so well that it is very uncommon. Why would DH hit a girl ?  Unless he likes the girl and won't let others know it.  So DJY thought it was really a progress.

 

 

A new idea : 

YR faced a new director during the shooting of her new movie, but had the exact same encounter ——being bullied by the director .

 

As a comparison, I feel as if JA goes to a new company and still encounters the same workplace problems as well. It's true that she can actively make new friends there, but that doesn't mean that company is a paradise. Maybe the care from the top of the company will make her feel better, but her dubious background may still be questioned by her direct supervisor.

It's only after many comparisons that she'll feel even more strongly about how rare a good person her Ahjussi is.

[Benz]

Woah woah woah what’s going on here? I was gone for only a minute and you guys are delving into *check note* naughty stares at the funeral? A’ight a’ight I’ll be the boring guy here and break up the party, let’s leave the sanctity of the entire funeral scene alone, shall we? Out of the entire drama, this is probably the one where “the curtains are definitely blue”, so to speak. I highly highly doubt that PD intended the entire funeral to be anything more than a sincere, poignant display of compassion and precious human relationships (as Grandma already said to JA in her last visit). Anything beyond that, as much as we like to decipher and analyze, really dilutes the profound meaning of what the funeral represents. I read the piece on GMS about “Joseon Representation” and I reluctantly nodded along, but I certainly don’t agree if someone has said this has some resemblance to a wedding (huh?) or if PDH has thrown some naughty look or innuendo at JA (huh???). Nope nope nope that’s so icky!!! *throws salt*

 

 

 

Alright now that’s out of the way, I’ll join in the “newbie Q&A” that the_sweetroad asked - you’re so thoughtful and inclusive, I love it!

 

1. Q1. I first watched the drama in February 2021 and have since done a full rewatch once, plus a bunch of random pieces here and there whenever I’m bored. I remember my absolute favorite scene during the first watch was PDH fight with Kwang-Il, since it then occurred to me that PDH was seriously, deeply into JA and her life story. If he wasn’t, he would never ever started a fight and risk his life like that. He didn’t even fight the condo owner guy who humiliated his own brother. JA’s cathartic sobbing and the whole follow-up scene with Hugye gang was cherry on top. Now, though, I have too many favorite scenes to list, because I know how rich and deep in meaning those scenes are (I’m heavily biased now).
2. Q2. I already mentioned my matrix result (which I will name Actionscript’s My Ahjussi Zodiac, or AMAZ for short, from now on - change my mind), I was 2-1 or 2-2 in my first watch, and firmly 3-4 today.
3. Q3. Answer to “Things I noticed during rewatch” is not completely pure, because I was armed with a metric ton of details just by reading GMS and this thread after my first watch. But let’s indulge my musing for a second, I wanted to talk about JA a bit. She spent as much time eating and drinking with DJY as with PDH, right? Both men also got to talk about how they perceived life, work, relationships, etc. One (inadvertently I suppose) paid off all her debt, while the other one offered pretty much nothing but his listening ears. But coming out of it, JA’s conclusion (said to KYH) that “DJY is trash and I just pitied PDH”. Interesting, right? How she viewed them was very astute, and by the end she was impacted by PDH and DJY in such a stark manner. One would think, with her past and life experience, she would be so predisposed to DJY’s cynical views of the world. But no, PDH’s warmth and compassion was so overwhelming that she completely transformed, it’s beautiful.
4. Q4. My favorite funny moments: Chief Seo “I like LJA” - LJA: *roll eyes* (Also honorable mention to Yura’s expletive-filled monologue to PKH on the phone - bravo!)
5. Lee Ji-an is the most compelling, well written female character that I’ve encountered in all my years of watching kdrama, bar none. My absolute favorire character in the drama, maybe ever.
6. Bonus: my favorite OST is “내 마음에 비친 내 모습” (My image reflected in my heart). I like the whole OST obviously, but this one reaches differently to me for some reason. 

Edited February 17, 2022 by Benz

[Gumiho]

On 2/13/2022 at 4:44 PM, the_sweetroad said:

 

@Gumiho this is full of spoilers so don't look!

 

But he's such a kind-hearted ahjussi, treats her with respect, and talks to her. And he plays soccer and isn't bad looking at all. So....you know.....

 

@the_sweetroadthat is why he is a ahjussi. when a guy treat a young woman with respect then he is a ahjussi. HAHAHAHA. Oppa will be sentimental so will forget respect LOL. PDH is a ahjussi type. And I like it that way. He is a gentleman <3 

 

NB. I am watching ep 9 hahaha

 

[actionscript]

19 hours ago, YukawaCattle said:

Oh, I mean, does JA already have some feeling in EP1 which when DH cares about her ankle?
I was curious about that.
It seemed when he cared about her ankle, she paused, maybe feeling a little shocked someone care about her?

 

I don’t think JA already had some feelings for DH in ep 1. But she definitely doesn’t see him as someone obnoxious, such that she’s willing to create a scandal with him and kiss him but perhaps not with PDU.

 

In the last scene of ep 2, when she is waiting for DH to alight from the train station, the camera focused on JA fiddling her shoes. I am not sure what emotion that was supposed to convey. (I think the only other shoe-fiddling shot of JA was in ep 10 when she was waiting for DH by the post to give him the slippers.) My take is that it was showing some apprehension perhaps? Contrast that to when she was executing the plan on PDU in ep 3, there was no apprehensions whatsoever. Her every move and every step exudes conviction. So perhaps she was already seeing glimpses of DH’s inherent earnestness and decency as a person?

 

19 hours ago, YukawaCattle said:

@Thomas Zhang really helps a lot.

He is willing to share his high-quality analysis on this blog.

I think lots of people will be convinced by his idea.

He is awesome.

 

Agree!! I am Iearning a lot from both @Thomas Zhang and you esp. on narrative structures and the connections of various scenes across the different episodes! 

 

19 hours ago, YukawaCattle said:

By the way, did the PHY writer imply something here?

 

I mean, because it seems KDL will fall in love with the girl who already has a boyfriend, so......

 

I don’t think Asst Manager Kim saying he likes JA means anything. That scene was just him redeeming himself from all the bad treatment and scolding he gave JA in the past.

 

19 hours ago, YukawaCattle said:

DH's reaction is also intriguing here.
It seems like he is jealous.

 

And yes, I also find very funny how DH reacted when Manager Song said he likes to give JA a hug. The fact that Manager Song had to retract means they all know what JA meant to DH. 

 

 

12 hours ago, Benz said:

Woah woah woah what’s going on here? I was gone for only a minute and you guys are delving into *check note* naughty stares at the funeral? A’ight a’ight I’ll be the boring guy here and break up the party, let’s leave the sanctity of the entire funeral scene alone, shall we? Out of the entire drama, this is probably the one where “the curtains are definitely blue”, so to speak. I highly highly doubt that PD intended the entire funeral to be anything more than a sincere, poignant display of compassion and precious human relationships (as Grandma already said to JA in her last visit). Anything beyond that, as much as we like to decipher and analyze, really dilutes the profound meaning of what the funeral represents. I read the piece on GMS about “Joseon Representation” and I reluctantly nodded along, but I certainly don’t agree if someone has said this has some resemblance to a wedding (huh?) or if PDH has thrown some naughty look or innuendo at JA (huh???). Nope nope nope that’s so icky!!! *throws salt*

 

Ok ok I hear ya!! 

 

Sometimes I let my imagination run too wild. 

 

12 hours ago, Benz said:

1. Q3. Answer to “Things I noticed during rewatch” is not completely pure, because I was armed with a metric ton of details just by reading GMS and this thread after my first watch. But let’s indulge my musing for a second, I wanted to talk about JA a bit. She spent as much time eating and drinking with DJY as with PDH, right? Both men also got to talk about how they perceived life, work, relationships, etc. One (inadvertently I suppose) paid off all her debt, while the other one offered pretty much nothing but his listening ears. But coming out of it, JA’s conclusion (said to KYH) that “DJY is trash and I just pitied PDH”. Interesting, right? How she viewed them was very astute, and by the end she was impacted by PDH and DJY in such a stark manner. One would think, with her past and life experience, she would be so predisposed to DJY’s cynical views of the world. But no, PDH’s warmth and compassion was so overwhelming that she completely transformed, it’s beautiful.

 

Yes I find all these deeply touching, too!  Despite not getting the normal love from a complete family growing up, that JA was able to respond to DH’s kindness to her with a love so pure and without asking anything in return, it shows that JA had never lost her humanity despite all the hardships she endured growing up. 

 

12 hours ago, Benz said:

1. Q4. My favorite funny moments: Chief Seo “I like LJA” - LJA: *roll eyes*

 

I love that LJA eye-roll moment, too! If I’m not mistaken, that’s the only funny scene that had JA in it? All the other humorous scenes mostly came from the supporting casts if I recall.