[Drama 2019] When the Camellia Blooms, 동백꽃 필무렵

[larus]

“When The Camellia Blooms” + “Secret Boutique” Achieve Their Highest Ratings Yet

TV/Film

Oct 4, 2019

by E. Cha

KBS 2TV’s “When the Camellia Blooms” and SBS’s “Secret Boutique” have both soared to new all-time highs!

According to Nielsen Korea, the October 3 episode of “When the Camellia Blooms” scored average viewership ratings of 10.2 percent and 12.9 percent, marking the drama’s highest ratings yet.

 

 

https://www.soompi.com/article/1356653wpp/when-the-camellia-blooms-secret-boutique-achieve-their-highest-ratings-yet

[lollyminx]

I just saw episode 6 and my favorite parts are:

 

1. Yong Sik carrying Pil Goo and Pil Goo feeling happy about it 

2. Kang Ha Neul with a messed up hair after the fight 

3. Yong Sik making Dong Baek's cursed fake birthday special 

4. Yong Sik wanting to see every name in Dong Baek's ledger HAHAHAHAHA

 

I've remained voluntarily single and happy for years now and I have no plans to date but now I wish I was dating someone... maybe someone like Yong Sik HAHAHAHAHAHAHA 

 

"He keeps making me keep my head up." 

 

Despite the ending, I still don't think Dong Baek is the corpse. I think Hyang Mi stole Dong Baek's wallet. At one point, Hyang Mi will try to escape by taking Dong Baek's identity, which means changing her hair, stealing Dong Baek's IDs, etc.

 

Also, I still believe it was Dong Baek's mom who turned on the sprinklers, back when she still didn't have dementia, and later in the series Dong Baek's mom may reveal a clue of what she saw of the joker back then. Or the joker may be around and then Dong Baek's mom will recognize him/her.

[Dramanoona]

Who cheered when Dong Baek had enough and let her hair loose as she marched towards the police station.  - *applause*

My emotions as the episode happened.

1.  Mom reveal () and it's the ajumma from Strangers from Hell?? ()
2. Hyang Mi and her not so innocent ways - she has always stuck to her goal of 100 million won. Will Mr No snap? ()
3. Yong Shik lifting Pil Gu up ()
4. Yong Shik acting like a petulant kid ()
5. Dong Baek telling Yong Shik not to go to Camellia again ()
6. Yong Shik's surprise for Dong Baek () - sad cos he was rejected but loved that he persisted (not physically aggressive but more like wooing?)
7. When Yong Shik wanted to look at all the names in the ledger ()
8. When Yong Shik's mom realises that the couple would be inevitable ()

This drama makes me want to gif again!

 

Ladies. Find a man who makes you feel this way.

[bedifferent]

27 minutes ago, lollyminx said:

 

Despite the ending, I still don't think Dong Baek is the corpse. I think Hyang Mi stole Dong Baek's wallet. I think at one point, Hyang Mi will try to escape by taking Dong Baek's identity, which means changing her hair, stealing Dong Baek's IDs, etc.

 

 

Good idea.    Happy that it may end up not DB.

 

... then...

 

 sad that

 

1)  YS and DB possibly not together anymore.  The way he grieved and said it sounds like he has not seen here awhile a d they have parted ways.  What happened?

2)  Where is Dong Baek in 2019?!

 

I’m not single... still can pine for Korean actors! 

 

Stay happy.  Coupledom is not for everyone.  If you are in a relationship, good for you and him, just don’t be like lawyer wifey!

[lollyminx]

44 minutes ago, bedifferent said:

Good idea.    Happy that it may end up not DB.

I think this is too much of a feel-good series for the main lead to die. I'm about 90% sure 

 

44 minutes ago, bedifferent said:

YS and DB possibly not together anymore

Maybe reality caught up to them. I mean they live in a society where there's still stigma about single mothers dating single men so all the issues getting in the way may have piled up, breaking them apart. But I think when Yong Sik learns Dong Baek is alive at present time, they'll reunite or something. Crossing my fingers. 

 

44 minutes ago, bedifferent said:

Stay happy.  Coupledom is not for everyone. 

 I've set a year for when I'll be open to dating. At the moment, there are still some things I'm fixing in my life that I'd like to focus on. I've given myself a set number of years to figure things out then when I'm good, I'll start dating. I hope I meet someone as passionate as Yong Sik but probably not. Male drama leads don't exist in real life. 

[chickfactor]

7 minutes ago, stroppyse said:

 

Or perhaps it's when DB finally has had enough and decides to stand up for YS against GT, declaring that she'll sue GT for all the times that he tried to touch her in any way while pretending that he was doing something legit. It was a cute moment, even better when YS tears up at the thought that DB called attention to herself for his sake when he knew that she hated being the center of any attention.

 

 

 

I really loved that part. I loved how they stood in front of each other holding back tears. There's just something so child-like about both of them, and they really looked like two kids just bawling in front of each other, overwhelmed with FEELINGS.

 

I also loved how that was a callback to DB standing in front of Jong-Ryeol, both of them crying, during a flashback.

 

It was genuinely hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time.

[larus]

When the Camellia Blooms: Episodes 7-8

by selena

Everyone learns a little more about themselves and their peers in this episode. Moments of raw honesty and self-discovery hit us hard as our leads try to navigate their newly interwoven lives.

 

  
EPISODE 7: “The Country Boy”

 

http://www.dramabeans.com/2019/10/when-the-camellia-blooms-episodes-7-8/

 

[40somethingahjumma]

Goodness me... the parallels with Thank You just keep coming. Instead of an elderly grandfather with a penchant for Choco-pies, it's a semi-functional mother with a taste for energy drinks.

 

If sheer persistence was all it needed to win a woman's heart, I'd say Yong-shik would be a top contender for any prize on offer. I'm fascinated by how he gets away with it because in in other dramas, when a second male lead gets too persistent, he can often rub me the wrong way. YS' wooing is way over-the-top but for some reason in this drama it works. At least speaking for myself. I think in part it is about who he is trying to win over and in part how he does it based on his knowledge of who she is. Even before Episode 6, I was inclined to think that DB was beginning to warm up to his charms. She's right... she'd have to be a psychopath not to be even slightly moved by all his grand and nutty gestures. Whatever else he is, our boy is consistent.  He is boisterous and he certainly doesn't do things by half. 

 

To her credit, Dong-baek has done well with the hand that she's been dealt. She's a survivor and this last episode demonstrates that most clearly. For me the most tragic aspect to all of this is not she's had a very difficult time of it despite trying to do the right thing by everyone. The really depressing part is that she's been brainwashed by the people around her to think that her life can't be better than what it is... that her lot in life is fixed. I think the word "cursed" was used several times. In so doing she erroneously believes that she doesn't "deserve" to be in a relationship with a good man who is willing to bend over backwards for her. 

 

I get the heebie jeebies when I hear the word "deserve"... used in all kinds of ways in modern parlance that I find disturbing. "Deserve" suggests to me merit, reward, accomplishment which really should have no place in a conversation about "love". If we only loved people because they "deserve it", a lot more abandonment would be going on. 

 

One of the big lessons of this courtship that was remarkably well done in this last episode was how YS proved that unconditional love is almost never about the recipient but the giver. YS' love is big enough to jump through all the hoops. It isn't reliant on DB herself (although he is perceptive enough to see her strengths) because goodness only knows how hard she's tried to shoo him off with insults. It's certainly not reliant on mummy's approval or those of his elders in the town. The reason why his love is meaningful and doesn't annoy the heck out of me is because all of it comes from the better part of him. It is a love that understands and is nurturing. I root for him because he is respectful and kind. For him, it's about DB. The birthday surprise was mind blowing. Even I was in tears. When a man goes to all that trouble despite being somewhat hurt by your insults... I just don't think it's something to take lightly. Whether DB thinks she deserves any modicum of happiness is irrelevant. The important thing is what YS believes about her and the effect that he has on her. He builds her up where others seem only to tear her down.

 

In contrast is Gyu-tae. It's all about his ego. He wants respect... I can understand that. He can't get it at home so he demands it from everyone else... to the point of absurdity. The end result? He's a jolly nuisance. He feels emasculated by his wife but he doesn't have the courage to deal with the root of his issues so he takes to bullying "weaker" women or throwing his wealth around greedy women... except now he's getting a taste of being manipulated.

 

Same thing with Jang-ryeol. He's not getting a lot of love at home. Certainly not a lot of respect. I can see why he would be interested in Pil-gu... a son that takes after him...  and that he has only just found out about. And then there's the guilt factor for letting DB raise a child on her own and the stigma of that... also understandable. But one gets the sense that it isn't just about mother and son... it feels like he is running away from his own problems by making appearances in Ongsan. It's a kind of refuge for him but he's getting ahead of himself. In that instance he can alleviate his guilt by throwing a bit of money around, play secret dad before going home to a spoilt, materialistic wife that's the complete opposite of his first love.

 

 

 

 

[chibiusa]

 

 

 

[rubie]

October 4, 2019

 

Rom-com/thriller 'When the Camellia Blooms' blossoms in ratings

By Dong Sun-hwa The Korea Times

 

KBS 2TV drama "When the Camellia Blooms" has a thriller element. Courtesy of Pan Entertainment

"When the Camellia Blooms," a rom-com/thriller on KBS 2TV, topped the 10-11 p.m. timeslot ratings on Wednesdays and Thursdays, beating rival dramas on other channels by large margins.

The latest episode, aired on Thursday, hit 12.9 percent to be the most-watched program during the prime TV hour. The 32-part series beat the SBS drama "Secret Boutique" (5.8 percent) and MBC's "Extraordinary You" (3.3 percent).

 

The first episode of Camellia on Sept. 18 started at 7.4 percent.

 

The series is about Dongbaek, played by Gong Hyo-jin, a single mother who runs a pub named "Camellia" in a small village. Dongbaek is the Korean name of the flower. Opposite her is Kang Ha-neul, a policeman who is besotted with her and seeking to earn her love, whatever the sacrifice.

 

A thriller element heightens the tension because Dongbaek has witnessed an unsolved murder at a beauty parlor. Is the killer stalking Dongbaek?

 

"Realistic depiction of the characters and situations adds to the drama," Kang said during a press event in September.

sunhwadong@koreatimes.co.kr 

[bebebisous33]

@40somethingahjumma DB's major issue is that she has internalized this perception that she is cursed hence not worthy to experience happiness. This was the result of permanent bullying and ostracizing... even her only boyfriend KJR didn't protect her from that as he kept his relationship with her in the shadow. His colleagues never met her. He never stopped his mother from harassing her as well. So his image was much more important than his own happiness. After marrying Jessica, a small celebrity from the higher society, in order to polish his image, he has realized that he was wrong in the end. On the paper, he is married but in reality they are just two people living two different lives.

 

So we can assume now that it was her mother who saved her life with the fire alarm, since she must have been following her for a while. 

 

The episode 6 was really entertaining but what caught my attention is the contrast between HM and DB. Both are in a similar situation, both outcast and without any family. Yet HM shows a totally different personality. She can understand people pretty well hence she could plan to "blackmail" NGT. DB has some problem to understand people... See how she judged YS as a weird person in the beginning. HM is different hence she is able to give love advice to DB. From the start, HM knew what NGT was looking hence she often used the words "respect". NGT doesn't feel respected by his wife. This is no coincidence that she used the right word. She got close to him and made sure that his next move would be used against him... his ambiguous offer (the trip) was turned against him later and he couldn't object, when she claimed that she had thought, he was interested in her. From a friendship, it became an affair... She is a very cunning, greedy and selfish person, quite the opposite of DB who is just looking for peace and acceptance. I am sure that HM will become the joker's target. However, DB is not clueless too. The ledger is the proof, she wrote everything that happened to her. Now that the wife has realized that NGT didn't have an affair with DB, she will look for the other woman.

 

Actually, I was quite happy that HM blackmailed him because his actions definitely gave mixed signals and he didn't even realize that. NGT is just stupid, arrogant and weak. Just like KJR, he is running away from his problems... Both are weak men in reality as they can be easily manipulated. We could see the contrast between them and YS. DB said really harsh things against YS in order to push him away, yet he didn't give up and even try to release his frustration towards someone else. No, he showed his pain but remained calm. Unlike the two other men, he doesn't care about his image at all. Justice and heart are always in the center of his life. That's why he can not be manipulated like the others. KJR couldn't even stop the nagging from his mother-in-law.         

[chibiusa]

Gong Hyo Jin #3

Kang Ha Neul #7

[Latte_Anyday]

@bebebisous33

Not just that but bein' abandoned by her mom at the age of 7 is traumatizing for any child. That left a permanent scar as we can see by how timid Dong Baek is. Thanks to Yong Shik's unwavering faith & love (of course) she's learned to have a spine for once. Perhaps now Pil Goo can take a breather & start living as the kid he is.

    Ha-ha as Mrs. Noh observes her husband ain't the brightest crayon in the box but she loved that he was an open book, though that has lost its charm. And I agree that he gave Hyang Mi mixed signals, at the same time I'm not siding with her either. She's sly I'd give her that. She's like most mistresses who know how to please their men. That is by telling Mr. Noh what he wanted to hear, while stroking his ego. Mr. Noh like any man fall for it, look at how pleased he was after Hyang Mi told him she respected him.

    I'm not as averse to Jong Ryeol LoL. I just think he's a man who fell in love too fast? I guess that happens even to the best of us. I don't however see his attraction to that Jessica person other than to obviously level up his status. What of his daughter though? While he's busy reliving his past in Ongsan, his poor daughter is neglected LoL Jessica doesn't seem like a doting mom either. She's as vapid as most of these people I see on social media who seem to lead perfect lives but when the camera's off they're miserable as the next person..

[1ouise]

On 10/4/2019 at 8:07 AM, bebebisous33 said:

So we can assume now that it was her mother who saved her life with the fire alarm, since she must have been following her for a while. 

 

I was wondering if DB's mother would appear,

and I thought that maybe DB had some guardian angels watching out for her after the last murder,

but I was surprised to see that her mother was the one stalking her.

 

If we assume she is the one who triggered the fire alarm,

and she has been following DB,

does that mean she is faking her dementia??

 

On 10/4/2019 at 9:42 AM, Latte_Anyday said:

I'm not as averse to Jong Ryeol LoL.

 

Same. 

I think he was immature to begin with and now is growing up.

It's always a good thing, and never too late, to change your bad ways.

 

I laughed so hard watching this scene! 

His changing expressions, and the conflicting thoughts and emotions, and the kdrama cliche ... I loved it!

Now I understand better what it means to be a romantic thriller comedy. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bebebisous33]

@1ouise @Latte_Anyday Just because I wrote that KJR was weak, this doesn't mean that I hate him. Well, he has his qualities, like f. ex. the moment he realized that PG was his son, he was trying to act as a father and to redeem himself. Furthermore, you can sense that he is missing warmth and a family. However, he still allows his wife and his mother-in-law to take advantage of him, while he could be more confrontational with them. I am quite sure that their social status is not that high (they are not that powerful and rich).

 

[chickfactor]

Another thing I love about this drama is how they don't drag out the *seeecrets* like other dramas. People talk honestly and find out about things in due time. No dragging stuff out just for suspense.

 

Like when YS found out about DB being PG's mother. Or when DB found out who YS's mother was. In fact, when YS found out who PG's father was, he simply guessed by intuition, and it wasn't some big dramatic shirt-clutching moment.

 

What I love about this, aside from not being manipulated as an audience member to anticipate some "Big Revelation" is that it is reflective of how really UN-scandalous DB's life is, compared to the exaggerated reactions of the townspeople. She's... a single mother! (Yes, so what?) Child's father is... that baseball player! (Wow, not a big deal.) YS does not think any of these things are a stigma, and I love how the show itself is letting us know that as well.

 

And I know that the lawyer (NGT's wife) is kind of a villainess so far (giving our DB a hard time!) but I just want to tell you, she is flippin' awesome to me. She is so funny and cool. That scene while she was driving and someone was harassing her? Come on, awesome. And that hair salon scene? Dayum. I hope she teams up with DB soon, now that she realizes DB didn't do anything wrong.

[larus]

Yong-Sik and Dong Baek will start dating next episode. YAY! I like how he created a surprise bday gift for her despite being brokenhearted by her words and how she protected him at the police station. She was so cool walking there with her ledger.

 

I still believe that the victim is Hyang Min or another woman. When they showed the scene again from the crime scene, we found out that the police don`t know for sure who is the victim. They did not recognize her with certainty.

 

[lollyminx]

8 hours ago, 1ouise said:

does that mean she is faking her dementia??

The salon attack happened years ago so it's safe to assume Dong Baek's mom may not have had dementia back then. 

 

8 hours ago, chickfactor said:

And I know that the lawyer (NGT's wife) is kind of a villainess so far (giving our DB a hard time!) but I just want to tell you, she is flippin' awesome to me. She is so funny and cool.

I like her too, to be honest, except for the fact that she doesn't take responsibility for her share in the breakdown of her marriage. She represents women who want to stay married for the sake of telling everyone she is even if her marriage isn't working. I hope one day she realizes that she's partly to blame because she looks down on her husband and doesn't respect him. Realistically speaking, they should just get a divorce and start fresh, but for narrative's sake, I want to see them patch things up... to communicate so she'll see what her husband needs, and her husband will see that he can't run away from his marriage my harassing other women. I want to see them patch things up if only to see two actors I love act like a loving, married couple. 

 

7 hours ago, larus said:

I still believe that the victim is Hyang Min or another woman.

Yes! She has way too many targets on her back lol The loanshark, the landlord, and the lawyer wife. Although I want to think the landlord and his wife aren't capable of murder (I think in this episode, the writer simply wanted to set up the landlord and wife having thoughts of murder just to throw suspicion at them). Hyang Mi is the corpse because she has so many reasons to steal Dong Baek's identity, and she's the one capable of doing so without feeling guilty about it.

[rubie]

October 5, 2019

Kong Hyo-jin Proves She Is Rom-Com Magnet on Both Big and Small Screens

 

By Hwang Ji-yoon The Chosun Ilbo

 

It looks like Kong Hyo-jin is trying to prove that she is truly a household name in Korean romantic comedy, as she concurrently appears in a romantic comedy film and a TV series.

 

Her latest film "Crazy Romance," co-starring actor Kim Rae-won, hit theaters on Wednesday amid much hype, while the TV series "When the Camellia Blooms" has been receiving good responses since its start on Sept. 19.

 

"These days, I'm more at ease than ever. My TV soap is going well and I have a good feeling about my film," said Kong.

 

Kong has a charm that makes her come across as a girl next door one can open up to, and this enables viewers to easily empathize with her characters.

 

The same is true for "Crazy Romance," which portrays a break-up and new relationship between a typical young couple of today.

 

Kong says romantic comedies are never easy for her despite her reputation and impressive portfolio in the genre. "I get stressed and a lot of things run through my mind each time," she said. One of her biggest fears is repeating her previous roles. "If something seems familiar, I often ask the director or writer to make a change. Some may call me fussy, but I believe that is what brought me to where I am now," she said.

 

"I especially like playing characters with high self-esteem, who are as committed to their work as they are devoted to love, because that kind of person, be it a woman or a man, seems awesome," she said.

[larus]

4 hours ago, lollyminx said:

Yes! She has way too many targets on her back lol The loanshark, the landlord, and the lawyer wife. Although I want to think the landlord and his wife aren't capable of murder (I think in this episode, the writer simply wanted to set up the landlord and wife having thoughts of murder just to throw suspicion at them). Hyang Mi is the corpse because she has so many reasons to steal Dong Baek's identity, and she's the one capable of doing so without feeling guilty about it.

 

 No Kyu-Tae or his lawyer wife are not really on my suspect list  just because they are not showing signs of psychopathy. Joker is a phycho, who murders people in cold blood.

No kyu Tae is pathetic in some scenes. I understand his thoughts of "murder" because Hyang Mi stuck on him as a letter mark. She brings him trouble and he can`t get rid of her. When he saw Hyang Mi  going carelessly to the truck he just imagine for a moment what if... he closed his eyes but nothing happened. A phycho doesn't rely on others. 

No Kyu Tae`s wife seams controlling and domineer but she has her vulnerabilities. She doesn`t confront him openly. She suffers knowing that his husband might have an affair with Camellia owner. She makes herself good looking and goes to Dong Baek to tell her that she won`t renew the contract with her. Later, she realises that Dong Baek is not the other woman. To me,  Ja-Young is a normal woman with insecurities in her marriage.