[Drama 2018-2019] Encounter / Boyfriend, 남자친구

[dukesa1122]

Wow! Thank you for those HD images @leedonghaek. You’re really quite resourceful. 

 

@msbae81

While the kiss scenes leave me blushing and shrieking, the vid call scene left me smiling from ear to ear. It’s too sexy hearing KJH bossing CSH to answer the call and he demanded for her to actually say what she’s thinking or feeling. CSH expression was also on point. She showed awkwardness while doing the first face-to-face vid call she had and she’s too cute!  almost like you’re watching a mirror and you make sure you look good while talking. If you get what I mean. 

[frozentundra]

Trying not to read too much in the thread until I've caught up (I'm only in ep 5), but this drama is really well done!! And one thing I really like (which is slowing my viewing time, lol) is all the poems. Every time one comes up, I have to track it down, because they don't necessarily say who the poet is. (Maybe these are all such well known poems in Korea that there's no need?) The first one was by Na Tae Joo (his work is also featured in School 2013 and Lee Jong Suk released a collection of his work last year). And of course she also gets that whole book of NTJ's poetry, which is clearly shown on screen. The one in 5 (and apparently 10?) is by Kim Kwang Seob, called "In the Night." In any case, I really like the way art and poetry are woven into the drama; it makes sense, considering the guy is a photographer who is in touch with his art side. And of course,  the acting and cinematography and just the way the whole story is told is really strong. If you just told me a synopsis, I might not be all that interested, but something in the way it is done is really compelling, and I can't stop watching.  

[rahma92]

11 minutes ago, dukesa1122 said:

 

while the kiss scenes leave me blushing and shrieking, the vid call scene left me smiling from ear to ear. It’s too sexy hearing KJH bossing CSH to answer the call and he demanded for her to actually say what she’s thinking or feeling. CSH expression was also on point. She showed awkwardness while doing the first face-to-face vid call she had and she’s too cute!  almost like you’re watching a mirror and you make sure you look good while talking. If you get what I mean. 

Its actually my fav scene too. Its felt so natural and so real. I rerun that part so many times and still cant stop smiling because of them  

[lclarakl]

@dukesa1122,  What made me start watching K-dramas many years ago was because they remind me of the romance novels I used to love to read...and even now when I have time. They give us a leading man/woman that speaks to some of the fantasies we as women/men have about our "ideal" person.

 

I loved, loved, loved the moment she acknowledged him in front of the reporters. No relationship can last when one person carries the bulk of responsibility and suffer. For me, that's when I started seeing them come together as a team.  However, in the real world, it's one of those moments when a real CEO of a large company that is governed by a board would have fantasized about doing. Their actions also impact the morale of the company. The whole issue with Soo Hyun's ex husband and ex-mother in law----would never happen in the real world....a good lawyer would have made sure she got the hotel with no strings attached.

 

What I love about K-dramas is the creativity is endless and they defy reality.  For me, they are like "dancing as if no one is watching."

 

Love'um!!

 

 

[nikir]

This forum is too good.. am laughing ut loud reading the recent posts

@bebebisous33 so amazed at your analysis.. starting to wonder if the scriptwriter actually analyzed as much as you.. it's like reading a personal analysis....daebak

[dukesa1122]

Spoiler

1 hour ago, utkim said:

It’s so hard sometimes for being a shker , aren’t we? 

 

 

No wonder she’s been acting like that. Now I know. Thank you for sharing that to me 

 

Encounter in Popular Now thread even if its not our airing day. Wooot!

 

@lclarakl

Hahaha when you put it like that, yes. It’s very very extremely rare for those instances to happen in real life. Thinking about it, had KJH and CSH never met in Cuba, he probably never even get the chance to talk to her or see her at all. Unless in parties where the CEO needs to deliver a speech.

Edited January 6, 2019 by dukesa1122

[lclarakl]

46 minutes ago, bebebisous33 said:

 

This shot caught my attention. JH asked CSH to take a picture of him before his departure, but strangely, he went outside and she had to take a picture of him through the window. Usually, such pictures are not easy to take because of reflection or light. Yet, this way of taking a picture of him illustrates their actual situation. The window symbolizes the fence between his world and hers. She loves him hence there is the red wall next to him but he can not stand next to her... he can only be seen from afar. By letting her take a picture of him that day, JH could see how painful it was for her... on the other hand, later once she saw his portrait developed, she remembered the pain felt that time and how much he meant to her hence she ran to him.

 

 

@bebebisous33, I love this post. When he went out side for her to take the picture, I thought it was like 'so close, but far away'. The way toys are in the toy glass box. Kids can see the toys, but can't touch them. Want one, but not sure how they can actually get one.  

 

I also told myself during this scene that glass is made for breaking, unlike a solid metal or cement wall.

 

@dukesa1122, exactly!! That's why I love K-dramas. They make the impossible happen.

 

[BogummyNoona]

Encounter is burning in Twitter and Instagram.   Have you watched the parody and videos. LMAO. Can't stop laughing. 

[NongpeeP]

9 hours ago, lclarakl said:

 

@NongpeeP, Sorry for the late response to your post. First, I have to say that I enjoyed reading it.  Also, I agree that it is realistic for a business decision to be made on 'qualitative preferences'. Anyone who has ever purchased a dog/pet from a quality breeder, soon realizes that the breeder is interviewing you in their own way to ensure that the pet is going into a good home because they think of their pets as a member of their family. The same in the case of the garden owner. It is realistic to think that he would want such a precious garden to go to someone who will also cherish it.

 

In my comment below (not sure why it has your name):

 

I say only in a K-drama, because it is very unrealistic to believe that an entry level employee like Jin Hyuk who had been exiled would be privy to business discussions and issues related to the acquisition of this property....way above his pay grade.  It is unrealistic that Jin Hyuk would have been given the sole responsibility as a new employee of heading up the year end party. It is also unrealistic that the CEO would announce before a room of employees that she's in some type of relationship with one of their peers. I also didn't understand how the garden owner could just jump to the conclusion that Jin Hyuk was in love with the CEO by reading a letter that Jin Hyuk wrote that solely focused on the garden and his sentimental value for the neighborhood park.  

 

The thing that I found absolutely, hands down unbelievable was Jin Hyuk composing a legible letter using Google Translator---  I can't tell you how many laughs we've had on threads after using Google Translator to translate written previews.

 

It's only in k-dramas that the unbelievable becomes believable and the believable becomes unbelievable. That is the beauty of K-dramas, it breaths life into our fantasies (sometimes too much life).  I'm glad that they are making Jin Hyuk appear very helpful to Soo Hyun, making him a man that she can depend on, a man who can help her. Otherwise, it looked like a worldly woman dating a young boyish man.  Especially when you have her ex-husband who looks manly and capable (despite being controlled by his mother) of now protecting her.

 

I still want him to become a world renowned photographer. 

 

@lclarakl

The blue letter has been written by me but the quote with my name is not by me, it might be some system error.

 

What I mentioned in blue letter, I meant that Kim Jin Hyuk can achieve garden's owner's emotional issue because

- KJH understood the precious place; 

- KJH knew why the garden owner is concerned about this garden from ep1;

- KJH apologized and confirmed this hotel group's and CEO's intention to ease this garden owner's mind.

 

From your mentioned points, could I add mine as follows:

- an entry level employee like Jin Hyuk who had been exiled would be privy to business discussions and issues related to the acquisition of this property....way above his pay grade.

 

Me: Agreed. This Kdrama's scriptwriter let KJH bruntly do without any permission and not telling CSH(CEO) too. KJH mentioned to garden owner that it is his personal reason why he wanna let this hotel in Cuba project on.

 

- It is unrealistic that Jin Hyuk would have been given the sole responsibility as a new employee of heading up the year end party.

 

Me: Agreed. This Kdrama's scriptwriter let KJH propose this mask theme, Director Kim PR agreed and ask KJH to draft the concept. The story skipped the detailed preparation parts by the whole PR team. 

 

- It is also unrealistic that the CEO would announce before a room of employees that she's in some type of relationship with one of their peers.

 

Me: Agreed. Kdrama world has this kind of incidents here and there with reasonable background.

In Encounter, CSH is like a celebrity who has been in the limelight/news as same as a singer/actress, she has paparazzi before meeting KJH.  In Ep1, Secretary Jang mentioned CSH's eating sashimi has been taken to the news. CSH's attending ex-mother-in-law was on the news.

Therefore, CSH's dating would closely followed by the news reporter too, it is hard to avoid answering the questions with high pressure&newsreporter's asking technique by throwing fake info to let CSH correct. 

 

 

- I also didn't understand how the garden owner could just jump to the conclusion that Jin Hyuk was in love with the CEO by reading a letter that Jin Hyuk wrote that solely focused on the garden and his sentimental value for the neighborhood park.  

 

Me: I did not understand too so I rerun several times in order to explore whether I missed any words in the letter or in conversation which made me not understand this garden owner's presumption of KJH&CEO as lovers. I can not find any clue from my several reruning.

 

 

EUREKA !!!  Your comment made me find one convincing assumption, 

the Garden Owner saw KJH's picture in the magazine, he knew that KJH is just a frontdesk in a hotel chain in this large Dong Hwa hotel group, this Donghwa hotel group will not let this frontdesk man to negotiate about this crisis of the important project in Cuba.

In addition, this garden owner recognized KJH as an invader to this garden in ep1, KJH is just a young boy who enjoyed taking a photo.

 

Why did KJH(Frontdesk man) take a critical risk to pursue this Cuba Hotel deal without permission with all possible ways he could, no matter

1. Fly from Korea to Cuba; 

2. Invade to the garden straight with baggage;

3. Sleeping overnight to wait

4. Writing the letter with informal explanation mentioned about KJH's playground with memory of beloved woman and CEO's strong intention to protect this garden (not mention any other position in this company)

5. If this Cuba Hotel deal resulted in failure and the Donghwa hotel group found out the fact that KJH did this actions without permission, KJH could be sued for damages. 

 

The garden owner got this weird clue and guessed whether KJH's beloved woman and the one&only female CEO he mentioned in the letter is the same person; therefore, KJH dared to take this disapproving risk with nerve-racking actions for the CEO. 

 

 

- The thing that I found absolutely, hands down unbelievable was Jin Hyuk composing a legible letter using Google Translator---  I can't tell you how many laughs we've had on threads after using Google Translator to translate written previews.

 

Me: There might be better translating program.  

 

 

 

PS. Park Bo Gum's new CF as CEO that he is not in Encounter

Spoiler

 

 

[bebebisous33]

26 minutes ago, nikir said:

This forum is too good.. am laughing ut loud reading the recent posts

@bebebisous33 so amazed at your analysis.. starting to wonder if the scriptwriter actually analyzed as much as you.. it's like reading a personal analysis....daebak

I doubt that the connections between poetry, art and cinematography are just a coincidence. Sure, the author might have not totally realized the deepness behind everything. Yet, in my opinion a good work is not random.

When I started analyzing the importance of nature in Encounter, I had just watched the only first 4 episodes. And the more episodes we got, the more my interpretation was confirmed. After 10 episodes, we can say that JH is often associated to the wind, the air or the sun which is also a star. As for CSH, I think, she is often linked to birds.  And don't forget the white howl she offered to JH. And here is another evidence that JH and CSH are meant for each other. A bird can only feel free and comfortable in the air... with the wind. On the other hand, JWS compares her to flowers. Sure, driver Nam also used the metaphor of a flower for CSH. Yet here is the difference: JWS sent many flowers and even wrote that these resembled her. So the note and the number of flowers give the impression that CSH is not unique and special. This contrasts so much with JH's mind: "among a multitude of stars, one star stares at me." So for him, CSH is an unique star that he can distinguish from others... for JWS, it is different. In the end, his gesture shows that CSH is not really meaningful but he doesn't realize that. Funny is that he thinks a little note, he can woo her so easily... Like I have already said, JWS is far from being well educated: expression skills and his knowledge about book, arts and poetry are rather low and poor. 

 

  @guinearoyal @icyphoenix

@twtwb @xu_lyfe @stroppyse @philosophie @thistle @Yongzura@thadora@jl08

[Smudger]

dc

[BogummyNoona]

6 hours ago, NongpeeP said:

 

@dahae2006

Read google translate how Encounter’s crews exhausted from non-stop filming in freezed weather and have just gotten cheer up from Food Buffet Support, Comprehensive gifts, Drink Truck, it is amazing collaborated projects by Fans. 

 

 

@gumtaek 

Great news, congratulations to Park Bo Gum, Song Hye Kyo, PD, Scriptwriter, Casts, and Crews for another proven success after selling copyright to over 100 countries.  

 

 

@krisan

 

For Korean Dramas, there are many genres for different target groups of audiences.

Each genre can not serve all groups of audiences, that is just another facts we could anticipate.  

 

- No drama can serve all audiences’ preference.

- Working on any acting projects esp. with hallyu stars will be on spot to be analyzed and criticized.

 

 

For recent on-air dramas, I am not watching any others and I do not understand why other audiences like those formula repeating theme or fierce life or too fantasy genre. 

However, I have not given negative comments to other dramas because I am busy with rerunning Encounter, searching about Encounter, and joining this forum.

 

Over 2 years Park Bo Gum got acting project offers in dramas and films but he chose Encounter. Song Hye Kyo chose Encounter after 3-year break and marriage.

I used to wonder why and I even used to be one of no-no audiences to Encounter. 

 

However, now I really appreciate Park Bo Gum, Song Hye Kyo, their agencies to have unmet visions to choose Encounter and portray with their utmost. 

 

Last but least, Encounter is great in all aspects:

- Quality:::

Fresh story, thorough script, challenging roles to the main leads, increase, increase brand value in acting careee to PBG&SHK (acting in difficult-to-believe role contradict to real life) ; and 

- Commerciality::::

got high rating in cable, can sell copyright in over 100 countries (very popular in Chinese), and 

securing more CFs to PBG&SHK,

 

that’s all we (Encounter’s fans) can dream of. 

 

Just remember guys the Turkish Proverbs that "a tree that bears good fruits will be stoned." Encounter is the best drama in the  kdrama land nowadays that's why critics are keep on throwing bad reviews , come to think of it, if it doesn't touch them they will never talk about this like other kdrama that just starts and ends silently. Ratings are not bad, it is pretty high for a cable channel. Let's not be greedy but let's pray and hope that it gets it's most deserving rating since it is a Class A/A+ drama. For now let's support it and enjoy it since 6 episodes are only left. And honestly,  I am not ready yet. I want to continue it until engagement, wedding, family life and until they get old. LoL. 

[waaw]

I really love the subversive but poetic aspect of this show. Maybe because i've always been a rebel (but romantic !) who loves Art....although i don't know anything about it Lol...but i'm sure it is about "feeling". 

I'm not really surprised by SHK accepting this project as she has some of that in her  but i'm really surprised by PBG because from what i understood he has a very traditional education, that's why he gained all my admiration here.  (and by saying that i'm also aware of the prejudice of mine).

But i admire both of them, they have all my support. 

 

Sincerity and true love are important in the story, and maybe this drama is an opportunity to show her the fans who sincerely love her, sincere supporters. Maybe with this project she wanted to defend her freedom and art because that's very restrictive/limiting to be seen mainly as " the wife of "  (and him as "the best friend of " ) and not as free individual human beings....I feel lucky that all i see is CSH and KJH when i watch otherwise i would miss all the beauty of the drama. 

 

That's interesting (for me), cause Freedom is another important aspect of the story...her character is Cha Soo Hyun... a sad puppet but who's courageous enough to free herself. 

PBG and SHK are courageous by playing in this show as much as their characters are in the story..

That's why i said that i feel the values  (and some lines) of this drama go beyond the frame... i wish i was more fluent in english cause i can't find proper words to explain this feeling. But the more i feel it and the more i understand why they both have accepted this !  Maybe i'm weird to feel that  .... 

 

I LOVE THIS "SHOW" !

I LOVE JINSOO 

[thistle]

1 hour ago, bebebisous33 said:

This shot caught my attention.

 

I'm really enjoying reading your analysis.  Brilliant!

 

By the way, not sure if I might have missed it, but did you notice the recent scene where CSH is in the boardroom?  Everyone is dressed in sombre clothes except for her.  The doors behind her have something like large brass chevron designs on them.  When she stands in front of the closed doors, the brass diagonals behind her look like wings. 

 

 

[BogummyNoona]

22 hours ago, ck1Oz said:

@stroppyse Lol. I am a good student. Who is used to being told... no segment more than 8-10 sec long. Too short and you would get choppy words. But for subs to fit on screen. So I subconsciously count when a scene is on. And I am used to noticing abrupt cut away switching scenes. 

 

Encounter doesn't actually have it. I have watched a few melo dramas where the PD is just 2-5 sec too long lingering on a scene. Drives me batty. And the BGM is not irritating. Or too late- omg subbing Chinese drama is a nightmare- the BGM is too loud for me to hear anything.

 

And to be honest I sorta swooned when CSH was praising KJH on the phone. Especially since she said it with a straight face. There's hardly any technical jargon here i.e. legal or medical so been enjoying understanding the conversations. That's why Ji Min has caught my fancy as the frustrated supportive friend losing her cool. She makes me laugh. And she is so cute.

 

I like the 2 actresses playing the mothers as well you see. I love the the evil Chairwoman- or the actress playing her- her voice is always so dignified. 

 

And I like CSH's clothes as well. She is so professionally stylish.  No flashy pretentious jewellery. Muted colours or if using colours rich jewel toned ones. I even like her white tops.

 

The lighting PD is good. Nothing too dark. And no glaring flashlight lighting up the night sky obvious. The car scenes- and they are so many- don't have the camera mounted too close or the bumpy feel when the car is on a wheeled trailer truck and the team in front feel. The night scenes are really well done. Sokcho is picturesque. Lots of nicely framed beach frames on screen. The locations are so good.

 

And Cuba looks cool. One of my acquaintances spent Christmas and NY in Panama. Not the same but the whole vibe, backdrop and the sky looks so different and I like the old school feel to it. Like Asia. But like 40 years ago etc.

 

I am not saying this drama is the best I have ever seen. But I am commenting that the directing is smooth. There are not many unnecessary scenes. Almost all the cast can act well. There are hardly any screeching characters. The second leads are not too much into the foreground. The main leads are allowed to spend time together. They are not bleating idiots. As we all know from countless previous dramas some main leads can be real twits. CSH and KJH have flaws but since I watched ep 1-10 within 2 weeks its not glaringly obvious.

 

The female lead is usually shown to be suffering, slapped, having a nose bleed, having an empty bank account in front of the atm, working and suffering overtime, sacked, humiliated, lose their house, blackmailed etc. You get the picture? Did you see any of that? And KJH did- Sokcho- but then it didn't make it such as if he was having a terrible life. So what if he had to commute? The writer wrote around it. Its not as if they had 2- 4 episodes of the OTP not seeing each other- like on other dramas.

 

And this would probably not be noticed. The writer keeps scenes brief. There are not many- hardly any- run on sentences. Long, long sentences that take 3 screens of translations. Its easy to follow. 

 

Like you said I nitpick. And I know when there is nothing to nitpick. So therefore I am free to just watch the story. And * cough, cough * as a bonus we get a proper kiss scene. And hugs. And no stupid zoomed in too close till the face fills the screen filming. Plus there is reciprocation. Sometimes in other dramas we get a long period ie ep 10 before the OTP comes together properly. 

 

Sorry for the essay. This will probably be my longest post. I better get back to real life. Work is getting busier and I have already been saddled with 2 projects I have to prepare teaching sessions on. 

I appreciate your review @ck10z. These are all the elements that I observed and watched in this drama. 

[Josh Marquez]

Is it just me or anyone else notices that the man at the cafe who puts JH memo upfront was the same old man from the hotel in cuba (the one who got the taxi for SH at ep 1)? The cafe was clearly not part of the hotel. Or they recycled the extra? 

[BogummyNoona]

14 hours ago, beebeep said:

 

WWSK was widely popular among my younger friends and I followed the recap of the drama every week and watched several episodes of WWSK as well. The 2 dramas I think are made by the same production company. Unfortunately, a lot of my friends who typically watch Kdrama are not keen watching encounter due to the age gap. So, “Encounter” indeed face an uphill battle from the beginning and given this circumstances, the rating is  very good. The other complain is that the drama is slow or boring and I think it’s a matter of taste since I don’t feel that way when I watch this drama. Through out watching the drama, I thought it was really  beautiful and romantic. 

Just what I said in twitter, people that only have a taste will enjoy it. All elements are there. If they don't able to enjoy the arts and literature, figurative dialogues, moving cinematography,  the sound scoring, the excellent acting,  the balance roles of every actor and actress, the comedic aspect brought by Jimin,Dae Chan,P.O and the HR team, the fast-paced plot and of course the overflowing and sweetness overload of the two leads plus the perfect visuals of BoGum and Hye Kyo-  this drama is just not for them,  maybe a little blame for not having a good taste. Lol.                             Just like the others are saying,  characters in Encounter are smart .They have their own struggles but they have their own way of making their characters brave and brilliant like the CSH's father and even KJH. He is not seen here as a pity man that fall in love with a rich woman since in Cuba he was the one saved SH.                                         As I always saying to the bashers, if you don't like it, then don't watch it, don't spread bad vibes. Peace and good health to every one. Rating will get high again and it will surprise us. God is good all the time. 

[BogummyNoona]

10 hours ago, ahdrianaa said:

I think that I found their room  , they will definitely have to explain the balcony kiss if my guess is correct. 

 

CSH’s room in first episode 

 

  Hide contents

 

 

She is back in the same room in episode 10 

  Hide contents

 

 

It’s the Habana Suite at Hotel Saratoga in Havana, they probably shifted the furniture around for aesthetic purposes.

 

  Hide contents

 

 

 

But the stupid continuous and curve on CSH’s balcony kept throwing me off because KJH and CSH were making out on an individual balcony.

 

A quick search of google shows that the only floor which has separate balconies in that hotel is the 3rd floor ( the hotel claims to have 6 floors on their website, if the counting throws you off because of how floors are counted in your country then just go from the penthouse to the bottom and subtract 3 floors).

  Hide contents

 

 

The Habana suites are situated on the 1st floor and 3rd floor, given how CSH’s balcony is too elevated to be the first floor so it’s certain that CSH is on the 3rd floor. 

 

Looked on the hotel website and realized that KJH is probably staying in the room adjacent to her suite, which would explain why his balcony is individual and she has a continuous and curvy balcony. The red arrow indicating his room and the blue arrow indicating her room. 

  Hide contents

 

 

So did they end up in his room and how did they end up on his balcony, please watch episode 11. 

 

Judging me? I don’t care, I found their room. 

 

Wow, profound analysis. Even the hotels can't hide from you. Lol.

Edited January 6, 2019 by bebebisous33
don't quote videos, gifs and pictures. Remove these next time please

[bebebisous33]

3 minutes ago, Josh Marquez said:

Is it just me or anyone else notices that the man at the cafe who puts JH memo upfront was the same old man from the hotel in cuba (the one who got the taxi for SH at ep 1)? The cafe was clearly not part of the hotel. Or they recycled the extra? 

No, you are not the only one. Furthermore, he is also the one who mentioned the place Morro Cabana. He even added that was the perfect place to fall in love. So he is their guardian angel.

[africandramalover]

On 1/6/2019 at 7:11 PM, bebebisous33 said:

And don't forget the white howl she offered to JH. And here is another evidence that JH and CSH are meant for each other. A bird can only feel free and comfortable in the air... with the wind.

 

To quote the song, KJH is THE WIND BENEATH CSHs WINGS!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.... and I think that CSH will buy the playground. She must have already signed for the transfer by now. Perfect I LOVE YOU present.