[Drama 2020] When My Love Blooms, 화양연화

[plappi]

2 hours ago, luffie said:

@plappi is that for ep 3??? Does it usually get subbed? Thank you for the share!

This is a preview of ep3, it will be translated into ep2.

[thistle]

Since our leads watched it, I've been on a quest to find the movie Love Letter.  I know that I had it on my watchlist back in the MySoju days (because the movie had Toyokawa Etsushi as ML and that man knows how to play romance) but I don't specifically remember watching it (so either I did not watch it or I did and it hurt so bad that I forgot). 

 

Thus far, I have not found the movie online (well, I did find it but I didn't dare watch because the site was buggy--my security came up with all sorts of intruder warnings).  I have a feeling that Love Letter may have some relevance for the drama we're watching since our leads were both so particularly interested in it.  The one thing that I can say about the movie is that the ending is bittersweet because 

Spoiler

the male lead is dead and the FL is still reaching out to remember him.

Hopefully this is not a shadow of the future here.

 

.....editing to add that Wikipedia has a good plot description of Love letter:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Letter_(1995_film)

 

and there are copies of the video for sale on eBay (apparently also on Amazon but I didn't fully check there) if you are inclined to spend money for the privilege of watching.  I decided not to because, although it purports to have English subtitles, my experience of purchasing subtitled Japanese DVDs has been bad and I don't care to throw money away.  If you decide to buy, be sure to check whether the seller is actually selling right now--many of the eBay DVD sellers had their stores in "away"  notation.

 

[jongski]

43 minutes ago, celebrianna said:

I already dislike JH’s wife.

Same here. And I think she was wearing red dress or gown, I already got the vibes. I also don't like Ji Soo's ex husband..

 

20 minutes ago, thistle said:

Since our leads watched it, I've been on a quest to find the movie Love Letter.

Oh no. I check your spoiler. I think I want to see Love Letter too.. but dang. Yes  Hope it's not foreshadow.

 

Edit: just to add. Now I know why she cried at the end. But they both love  the movie. Certain things remind them of each other. Handkerchief, the song she plays on the piano, the movie Love Letter.

[thistle]

7 minutes ago, jongski said:

I think I want to see Love Letter too.. but dang. Yes  Hope it's not foreshadow.

 

I'm still trying various sites to see if I can find it online. 

 

One interesting thing is that this movie was released in 1995 so that gives us a start point for our timeline on When My Love Blooms.

[celebrianna]

@jongski, the ex-husband has a vibe of “I own you because of our son” or “you can’t getaway because our son binds us”. He even threatened that if she slips up even a little with their son he will file for custody. I suppose this will come into play later in the drama. No wonder this is a melodrama. It’s pretty sad when unscrupulous people have power over the main characters. For JS to forego child support, I can only imagine the difficult life she must have lived with the mother-in-law and son. 
 

@thistle, I just finished watching episode 1 and it looks like their story started in April 1993. I have heard of the movie Love Letter before but I can’t remember if I saw it in a Japanese drama or Korean drama. I feel like this might have a sad ending so I’m preparing my heart. However, I also want to think on the positive side seeing that right now the OTP’s meeting in their 40s already seemed like the winter of their lives in every aspect. I want to believe that their spring will come again like it’s shown depicted under the cherry blossom trees for their younger selves. Right now everything about their lives seem so gloomy and almost dead.

[jus-ash]

Hi All!

 

 

LOVE  this!

Love the vibe, the solid-actor leads -  Lee Bo-young, Yoo Ji-tae (and his wife Park Si-yeon totally delivers everytime she plays a richard simmons role). Watched Ep 2 without subs and falling more in love. Suffice to sit I will sit through Ep 2 again  later, WITH subs to fill in the blanks.

 

For this one - the 'slow' I can totally stomach.  The convincing yearning and feels between them just make up for it.

There are 2 other weekday dramas out there where;  although I love the vibe, cinematography and one of the leads in each drama ... I really cannot hang around with the slow, waiting to find out the deep dark secrets.

 

LOVE LETTER - there's an old Korean drama Love Letter and a famous Japanese movie Love Letter

 

[SaiSai1988]

EPISODE 2

Nationwide 4.400 (0.953 Million Viewers) 
Seoul 5.670 (0.570 Million Viewers)

[Nymeria289]

Okay, Yoo Ji Tae doing pull up.......that was gratuitous and I thank drama gods far and wide for it.

His character needs to divorce his wife so that I can fully ship him with Ji Su.....I know it sort of is a chaebol open marriage but I still can't ship with him. Him having a child also makes things very murky. Also, Ji Su's husband seems to love her, so does both her sunbae's. I am so loving it.

[sal2]

Really loved the two episodes. It kinda feel old school drama, but also have fresh element too.   What stood out was how much they long for each other and also how JH soften up around JS. Looks like his marriage is emotionally stranded and his wife do have affair. she use travels as an excuse. He got confirmation true picture so he knows what she is doing. I wonder how he gonna end this marriage  so he gonna go back to JS. but still early so lett see how writer gonna handle this. Also JS have her ex to handle. So sure allot of obstacle before they could end up together. 

interesting part having their kids being in same class. I wonder how this gonna affect the future for our OTP. or it also could be a bonding thing between their kid and OTP. 

Is it me but as JS was the one pursue JH the past,  in present it is JH that gonna pursue her. They shifted social place her he is rich and she is poor in the present. But I hope writer knows of to handle his married.

[chickfactor]

56 minutes ago, sal2 said:

Really loved the two episodes. It kinda feel old school drama, but also have fresh element too.   What stood out was how much they long for each other and also how JH soften up around JS. Looks like his marriage is emotionally stranded and his wife do have affair. she use travels as an excuse. He got confirmation true picture so he knows what she is doing. I wonder how he gonna end this marriage  so he gonna go back to JS. but still early so lett see how writer gonna handle this. Also JS have her ex to handle. So sure allot of obstacle before they could end up together. 

interesting part having their kids being in same class. I wonder how this gonna affect the future for our OTP. or it also could be a bonding thing between their kid and OTP. 

Is it me but as JS was the one pursue JH the past,  in present it is JH that gonna pursue her. They shifted social place her he is rich and she is poor in the present. But I hope writer knows of to handle his married.

 

 

Exactly my thoughts. There is an old-school drama vibe (which I wasn't sure I would like but I love), and it also feels fresh, too.

 

I don't know how Jae-Hyeon and Seo-Kyeong's marriage will end, but it will.

 

It's not the mechanics of the marriage-divorce that I'm interested in, however. Not only will he have to divorce her, he has to extricate himself out of this incredibly corrupt company he is involved in. I mean, he went to jail for 4 years to cover his father-in-law's corruption.

 

So I really want to know how such a passionate advocate for social justice turned into... well, a capitalist pig, basically. (I don't think all capitalists are pigs, by the way. Some people are ethical about running their business. But this corporation obviously treats their employees like slaves, and he is the hatchet man.)

 

Both Ji-Su and Jae-Hyeon curiously ended up marrying rich jerks.

 

I love that their love for each other is so clear. My guess is that they had to separate because she went to jail, which is related to her protests.

 

I'm also very curious about how this "school violence hearing" will turn out. Is Ji Su's son just going to stay quiet and let himself be expelled/punished? Or will he speak up about how the other boy has been harassing him? I know this is a storytelling device to bring the main characters together, but I really want to see how this is addressed.

[ponderings]

I started watching this because of Yoo Ji Tae and Lee Bo Young. 

YJT always brings this nice level of intensity and calmness. I don't know how he does it. 

LBY is beautiful, but I love how she delivers her line. She immediately is in her character.

And both of them together in the ending of ep 1 was wonderful SYNERGY!!

I don't know why, but when I was thinking of this drama before sleeping I started crying. I wondered what made Ji Soo (LBY's character) cry so much seeing Jae Hyun (YJT's character) after such a long time. The juxtaposition of their younger counterparts also brings an extra layer of sensitive emotions. Props to the beautiful cinematography, directing and storytelling.

 

The chemistry between these two is amazing. I love Jeon So Nee. She was amazing in Encounter/Boyfriend. 

The second part is even more amazing (:

Spoiler

 

 

I really didn't want to submerge myself into a melodrama because it makes me so emotional and sluggish afterwards. But the rainy day called for a melodrama and I decided to continue watching today. Episode 2 was great. I love how JS is relatable in being a single mother trying to get by. And I am curious to what made JH changed. I am curious as to what happened between them both!!!!!

 

PSY's character as the chaebol heiress reminds me of her character in The Innocent Man. She's going to get on my nerves again. But again, this makes me so curious as to why JH decided to change his philosophy, values and beliefs and grew up marrying a wife like Seo Kyung. 

 

Lastly, I read that this director is the same as Should We Kiss First which was a lovely, heartwarming drama. I am rooting that this drama will be great, too. And the first OST is already amazing!!! So poetic 

 

 

 

[Samuel Yohanes]

For those who wonder...

 

VIU also subbed the drama and i think the first to subbed it ( quicker than viki ) 

 

but i know that viu is not available in america and canada so yeah. 

 

i watch it on viu and had a blast with first episode. the only thing i am angry is the duration is not long enough!!!!!!!!! only 65 minute  we need like 75 min+ LOL! 

 

and whats up with the drop in rating for Sunday episode?? isnt it supposed to increased with lesser competition???? in saturday the airing had a clash for some minute with The King but Sunday only clash with Once again for a bit..

 

Preview Sub ( From VIU )

Jae Hyun : i cant help but think of the old days

Voice(?) i think it is jinyoung voice not jae hyun voice obviously: ji soo-ya , its been so long ( some flashback scene and ji soo looking to the people calling her and it is jae hyun )

Jae Hyun : Good Luck,Ji Su

Jae Hyun WIfe : Just keep in mind that ill be watching her.

JI Soo : Are you asking me to leave them? ( i think this mean jae hyun ask her to leave the protester )

Jae Hyun : i dont want you to suffer

Ji soo : NO

Jae Hyun : i want to protect you

 

[ponderings]

Don't worry about ratings @Samuel Yohanes! Just enjoy the episode and that's all that matters

 

I have to watch on viki because I'm in America. I dropped The King for When My Love Blooms which says a lot (:

 

 

[celebrianna]

These two episodes were simply tragically beautiful especially because of what could have been. I think my favorites moment in episode 2 was Ji Soo’s reflections on her feelings during her visit with her dad in the hospital. It’s almost like she’s just been enduring all these years while clinging to memories, dreams, thoughts, etc of Jae Hyun. Honestly, her longing and self control is poignant. Something must have happened in her family situation to part with Jae Hyun because it seems to me that she loves this man deeply and yet she walked away from that love.

 

The message in the card that she left for HJH just breaks my heart:

 

I think I can endure because of those moments that were beautiful like flowers. I am sorry and I am grateful, Sunbae.

 

As to her ex-husband, I fear that if this school complaint gets out of hand he might have to get involved. I’m hoping this doesn’t happen because it will just add more troubles in Ji Soo’s life. I don’t like the way he communicates with Ji Soo. His approach is hostile. He told her he can only detect a lie in her eyes and not her voice. I suppose that might seem like he wants to see her but I got the impression his statement told a story about their past marriage particularly from the way she looked and responded.

 

@Nymeria289, agreed. I don’t want anything to jeopardize YJS’ custody of her son. A scandal with HJH would be terrible. I also imagine that HJH’s terrible wife might try to cause a lot of trouble for YJS. She seems like the kind of person who would throw tantrums over anybody touching her stuff and that probably means there’s no way HJH could easily leave her although I’m not sure if it ever even crossed his mind.

[Fabbo]

The reference to the movie Love Letter got me really confused.

The scene is clearly set in 1993. 

 

Spoiler

 

But even without looking it up i knew that the movie Love Letter is from 1995. (I know my Shunji Iwai stuff)

Looking it up got me even more confused though. The Shunji Iwai film was one of the first japanese film shown in korean cinema's and i imagine that it was popular among the students and younger generation. While for the older generation was a lot more opposed to japanese culture. So it would be a great reference.

But it didn't make its way to korea right away. As far as i know it was shown in 1999 in korea and reached top10 box office then. So they would be way off with the years.

 

My conclusion is that they must mean the movie Love Letter from 1985 by Tatsumi Kumashiro.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Letter_(1985_film)

I knew about that film and had watched parts of it. The Shunji Iwai film just seems the obvious reference so i didn't think of it initially. And i don't really know anything about the reception and cultural impact of the one from Tatsumi Kumashiro. Apparently it was like one of those underground movies popular among korean students?

But you don't make a cultural reference and then don't check the years. And there is also the aspect that they watch it on vhs. If it was the Shunji Iwai one they would have watched it at the cinema because it was such a big hit. Or maybe it was already watched by korean students on vhs before it hit the cinema?

I am still a bit confused. Because it would have been such an obvious reference but it doesn't add up. And how many people would get the reference to the 1985 movie. Wouldn't they also think of the wrong one?

 

Anyway I am going to watch the movie in full this week and report back : D

[ktcjdrama]

Would you believe me when I say episode 1-2 flew by so quickly for me? It’s all the long-time-no-see old-school feel that I’ve missed for a while... Can already imagine the angst and melo seeing the preview for ep.3, because ML will remain married to domineering wife but want to do something for the FL 

 

Love all the OST/BGM so far. I love the FL’s strong character. One instance was when the other mother asked her to resign from her position in school, demanding why she didn’t apologize and she reminded her she just did 30 seconds ago. The second was when the ex-husband wanted to see her eyes whether she was lying or not about the son’s condition in school, and she just told him to figure out a way to distinguish lies from voice since she would come no more to talk to him face to face. Of course I also love that during the university days, she was the one who actively pursued the ML, yet she is now avoiding people. Making the mystery of what happened all these years that made the roles switched over all the more intriguing. Interesting also that both the ML and FL have served some prison time. 

 

Anyway, I am ready. Bring on the angst! 

[Fabbo]

I tried really hard to concentrate and break the spell to not just stupidly stare at Lee Bo-young the whole time... Just wow

 

[ponderings]

32 minutes ago, ktcjdrama said:

One instance was when the other mother asked her to resign from her position in school, demanding why she didn’t apologize and she reminded her she just did 30 seconds ago. The second was when the ex-husband wanted to see her eyes whether she was lying or not about the son’s condition in school, and she just told him to figure out a way to distinguish lies from voice since she would come no more to talk to him face to face.

 

Yess! This is why I fell in love with her character, too. She has that poise to stand up for herself. She's confident. And she has those moments to calm down like opening the bus window to breathe or exercising her fingers. She's human! She brings herself together and keeps going on with life.

[-jade-]

Hello everyone!  

 

My gosh! Just two eps in and I'm so freakingly in love with this melo romance drama already! In fact, just the first ep alone was so captivating. Not to mention, the way it ended with that cliffhanger of their reunion (though not quite one, yet). I'm not sure if it's due to Lee Bo Young whom I dearly miss, or Yoo Ji Tae whom I also dearly miss. Or both of them pairing as the main OTP! A dream OTP, indeed! Or perhaps also due to their younger counterparts, GOT7 Jinyoung (who impressed me in My Love Eun Dong back then) and Jeon So Nee. They are also so freakingly cute together!

 

 I feel it will be a hell of a melodrama ride. I am willing to go with the flow of what writernim intends. I won't mind if it would not end happily. Life isn't always a basket of roses, anyway. Just be plausible, entertaining, even shocking and provocative at times, that's all I ask. Please don't begin so well only to fall flat like a prata at the end. No yeast? No juice/oil? No way! Don't be another... 

Spoiler

My Love Eun Dong, please. That writernim for MLED was also a rookie, and had indeed written really well for the first 12 or so episodes. But, for whatever reasons, whether it be due to PD, broadcaster or writernim herself, the ending was so not a pudding it was meant to be. Although, I must add, it was still a very good watch. 

Rookie writernim Jeon, Fighting! You already fired up your first drama project spectacularly. 

 

For now, we can already see and feel the intense rivalry between LBY and PSY (YJT's wife), and upcoming between YJT and KYH (LBY's ex-hubby). And, ohhh, I'm going to feel so bad for LTS' one-sided crush for LBY. It makes me wonder why he didn't pursue LBY when buddy YJT ended up as a chaebol's son-in-law. Was it due to some code of brotherhood? The cast is superb!

 

Kudos to PD Son Jung Hyun for capturing the visuals so well, so poetically, so romantically. It's literally making me fall in love all over again.

 

But, bright and awake I am. All ready to carry on or cry on with this classic, romance drama, and so curious to watch how or "When My Love Blooms", or if it would at all. Already can't wait for eps 3 and 4 to come! 

 

Love reading all your thoughts. Thanks for all the updates, too. 

 

CR: Images as tagged or from the internet.

[WANGYEO]

For Jaehyun and Jisu's love to bloom again, Jaehyun needs to divorce his wife. I feel uncomfortable with him "stalking" and being around Jisu when he is still married even though it is a loveless marriage at this point.

 

I wonder why JH married JSK when he doesn't seem to love her. When he saw that pic of her having an affair, he didn't feel heartbroken or surprised. He might already knew(?) when he gave her that look when asking her why she is going to Hawaii and she had to assure him it's a business trip.

 

I'm happy to see Park Siyeon but oh my gosh I hate Jang Seo Kyung. Even her first scene I can feel she will be a total spoiled B*. She is someone who hates when people touch her belonging. She will go insane just to ruin someone's life for it. Therefore, she won't divorce Jaehyun easily. I feel like she knows about Jisu's and Jaehyun's story.

 

I watch this for Lee Bo Young and Yoo Ji Tae but I fall for Jeon Sonee. She is pretty in all of the outfits she wears. Young Jaehyun and young Jisu scenes are heart fluttering.