[Drama 2020] My prettiest moments /When I Was the Prettiest, 내가 가장 예뻤을 때

[sken40]

I actually like the latest episode. I didn't speed watch...so this is a good sign.

[backstreetboysfan]

I liked the newest episode and that promo. I knew it.

[Samuel Yohanes]

the show is just ridiculous but make me really curious how they will salvage the ending for this drama

 

i mean can you guys even predict ?

 

yeah obviously jin is alive and carrie jung is still around

 

but i think this is one drama where there will be NOOOOOOO ending that will sastify everyone.

 

i am 100000% of it. can you guys make an ending that make sense and not make the drama fall to trash ending tier drama? 

 

what i know is that lot of watchers is divided with team hwan and team jin.

 

 

[chickfactor]

Well, I'm still very into it. But it's got a very different vibe from before, doesn't it?

 

One thing I love is Kim Mi-Kyeong as the Mom. Now that she is out of prison, I love that she is just pretty awesome and isn't cowering with guilt. That's what I like about Ye Ji, too - they stand up for themselves with dignity, but also, without being terrible or selfish. I like their unapologetic attitudes.

 

Speaking of selfish and terrible people - Nightmare Aunt continues to be the absolute worst. And the boys' mom continues to be a loon.

 

I really don't know how I feel about HWAN. He was so adorable in his school uniform. Now he's just... .

 

He doesn't have the right to tell her where she can live. So he needs to shut it. I didn't know being "grown up" just means you get to be a bitter jerk now.

 

What happened to the boy who promised her she won't be alone anymore, that he will become her family, her brother? So she rejected your romantic advances (which she had every right to do) and now you're going to kick her out of the house? Very disappointing.

 

 

Spoiler

I compared this with "I'll go to your when the weather is nice" before.

 

There are certainly common elements - countryside melo with a side of tragedy. (Also, in the original book, the main female character was an artist. In the show, she was a cellist.)

 

So, it appears to be the same tragedy - main female character's mother killed her abusive husband. (okay, there's actually a little twist to that in this other show, but I don't need to get into that here)

 

Anyway, I can't help but compare the two shows because there are so many common elements.

 

Despite the terrible tragedy, the female character in "Weather" is relatively healthy because she had a strong support system. And that made it possible for the romance to really shine instead of everything being weighed down by the dark past.

 

In this one - the horrible tragedy never stops depressing me because this screaming, bat-dung crazy aunt just refuses to go away. I don't even care which brother she ends up with, I really need something to happen to this aunt that will make me feel okay with this show. Some sort of exorcism. I am traumatized.

 

 

 

Oh, and I don't know if this was made clear - but that lawyer Ryu Seung Min who used to be Ye Ji's boyfriend - his father was the lawyer who represented her mom at the murder trial. That was how they met and he was her first love... etc. (from the MBC show website)

 

That he ended up working at JinHwan company - that's pretty... random. But anyway, that is why he keeps in touch with her mom and knows where she is.

[confusedheart]

7 hours ago, Samuel Yohanes said:

the show is just ridiculous but make me really curious how they will salvage the ending for this drama

 

i mean can you guys even predict ?

 

yeah obviously jin is alive and carrie jung is still around

 

but i think this is one drama where there will be NOOOOOOO ending that will sastify everyone.

 

i am 100000% of it. can you guys make an ending that make sense and not make the drama fall to trash ending tier drama? 

 

what i know is that lot of watchers is divided with team hwan and team jin.

 

 

I know the kind of ending that would satisfy me. Since the drama is called 'My prettiest moments /When I Was the Prettiest', I wish the makers would leave it at this, kind of a recollection of a time when I was young and in love, my first love, of course all from Hwan's POV. How I stood by the person I loved, silently offering her my support. And that according to me was indeed the loveliest time of my life.  A time I would always cherish and remeber with bitter sweet emotions.

 

I think this should be the most appropriate ending. The thought of the younger brother ending up with the elder brother's wife makes me really uneasy. I mean nothing could make this right, unless of course the elder brother proves to be the most evil man on earth. And from the posters , the dichotomy is very much clear. Innocent / Evil (Couple in White / Couple in Black.) So the foundation has been laid already.

 

I had a lot of expectation from this drama. But the characters are turning into caricatures, stereotypes. The story too is too black and white, with no shades of grey. We already know the ending.

 

Except the cinematography which is simply mind blowing, the story has proven to be a big disappointment. 

[monica63]

I see so many comments that they are not liking the drama because some are not comfortable with this kind of melodrama involving two brothers loving the same woman. I think we should not judge too quickly and continue to watch if you all are fans of the actors and actresses. I think the leads are all good. I am personally a fan of Im Soo Hyang and in every episode the knetz has been commenting on her acting so I don't know why some of the comments say she's bland. This is a serious melodrama and it is not even an easy role for anyone. Soo Hyang has to cry so many times in each episode. I know the writer hesitated with the script but the pd wanted to take the bold step of making it into a drama. It is never easy for all the leads to accept the drama because there will be people bashing their characters but the latest episode saw a significant increase in ratings. It means the knetz are slowly liking the drama. Melodrama with a twist.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CE-XD11pCxU/?utm_source=ig_embed

 

[D27Gjk68]

I suppose it's possible that they could come up with a satisfactory way for Jin and Ye Ji to be together but I can't imagine how.  I might have bought that if they had moved the Hwan/Ye Ji relationship to  a friend/mentor relationship BEFORE having Jin/Ye Ji get engaged or had Jin/Ye Ji fall for each other despite respecting Hwan and trying to stay apart but instead they presented it as Jin pursuing for Ye Ji partially to spite Hwan (that's how I see it.....)

 

I found ISH's acting to be extremely bland in episodes 1 - 6.  She was virtually emotionless and the one expression she did show was cluelessness.  I do think that in episode 7 she had scenes where is starting to show some real emotion.

[TRAN]

6 hours ago, confusedheart326 said:

I know the kind of ending that would satisfy me. Since the drama is called 'My prettiest moments /When I Was the Prettiest', I wish the makers would leave it at this, kind of a recollection of a time when I was young and in love, my first love, of course all from Hwan's POV. How I stood by the person I loved, silently offering her my support. And that according to me was indeed the loveliest time of my life.  A time I would always cherish and remeber with bitter sweet emotions.

 

..... 

 

Hi, sorry to cut your post. And me too I would very much prefer this kind of ending. 

Physically end up with my (ex) sister in-law is just not on. 

 

[riverie]

Hi, a new user here. I have been taking a look couple of time at this thread since I was quite interested in the drama. The poem when I was the most beautiful is really something and I enjoyed it a lot. 

I would just follow my two cents and then go back I guess. :) Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion but I personally don't see any problem with Ye Ji following her heart and being together with whomever she wants, be it hwan or someone else. Her husband is missing for three years and yes us as viewers know that jin is not dead, but in the story while it's happening, at those moments she is feeling lost and vulnerable and I can see why her heart could change. 

At the first place it was sad to see that jin just decided to go after his brother's crush, not considering his feelings at all. If that was not already enough, he looked down at him by saying how he is young and immature and doesn't deserve ye ji. Even if he was sincere in his love, that was not the way to handle this whole situation. So, I feel that this is fate playing its cards. Of course we will see how it goes, and what happens next, but I would love to see ye ji being strong and independent and not relying solely on her partner to decide her happiness. Tbh, it seems like she doesn't even know why she loves jin, and often at times she visibly looks attracted to hwan, I don't know haha. But in any case, I can see how it was written in the past, as the story is so melodramatic like old kdramas. I won't say I am not enjoying it. :)

[Firefly]

Drama reminds me of Tree of Heaven & Autumn my heart.  i see no problem with Ye Ji loving Hwan. Actually she started liking Hwan first & flirted with him way too much but he was a school boy and adult brother showed strong support and stability than school boy can offer. She chose big brother over her feelings which she almost didnt know it is there but it is hidden there. Life is like that. Sometimes you make choice and stay true to it. Now Jin is missing almost 7 years. It was 3 years till Hwan tried to kiss Ye Ji. Since then another 3 years have passed. Now after those long years, they are just legally bound in marriage by now. Drama is getting interesting. Hope it has a good & resonable ending like Giant where Hwang Jung Eum follow her heart to love her man who was enemy's son than staying by her brother's side.  

[Jayne Nasution]

The first reason why I decided to watch this drama was because I wanted Jisoo to get the girl.

He's the lead, so if we follow kdrama golden rule, he would het the girl.

However, I didn't know I was in for emotional ride. Not a fan of ISH but she's not bad here.

 

I agree that she actually didn't love Jin. Jin probably didn't love her, either. They just needed each other to be their solid rock. Something strong to hold on to.

Hwan, on the other hand, was a mature teenage boy with a golden heart. He KNEW and UNDERSTOOD Yeji. No matter how strong Yeji denied her feelings, Hwan had a special place in her heart.

 

FF 3 years later.

Hwan tried to kiss Yeji and she was very upset. She said she was his sister in law for goodness sake. She ran back home and Hwan flew back to US. But no, it wasn't the reason. She was not upset with Hwan. She was upset with herself because she found out that even after 3 years, her feelings for Hwan never changed. After 3 years, without Jin, she actually wanted it to happen. That was why she decided not to return Hwan's (e)mails.

 

FF 4 years after Jeju incident.

Hwan returns as a different person. A full grown adult, cold and seems heartless. And Yeji, confuses. Why? She's the one who ignores Hwan and Hwan has every right to come back home. If she can't stand Hwan, she is the one who has to move out. Once again, she gets upset. Once again, not with Hwan, but with herself. 7 years after everything, she is back to square one. She knows with Hwan around, it's getting more and more difficult for her to deny her heart any longer.

The ending? Yeji should stop tormenting herself. A heart always has its own freewill. And it's okay to follow her heart.

 

Those are my 2cents, my rambling, my wish for the ending.

 

[chickfactor]

I'm enjoying reading other people's analyses for what this story is actually about. I don't think it's a simple, straightforward "two brothers love one woman" story. I mean, it *IS* that, but I also think they're trying to do something more interesting with the story. (Whether they are successful with that or not is debatable, of course.)

 

First and foremost, Ye-Ji is a domestic violence victim. I'm really stunned by how the Horrible Aunt is exactly what you imagine a domestic abuser to be. (And I admit that I am not an expert on this subject, but I think everyone should be aware of some of the signs of abuse.)

 

So what this aunt did to Ye-Ji is to isolate her (destroying all her friendships and job prospects) and kept telling her that she can't go anywhere. That no one will ever love her or want her, and only the aunt, as her blood relative, is the only one who will ever accept her. And this is what a typical domestic abuser does - isolate them and tell them they are worthless, so they can't leave.

 

And that's the way it really seemed to her. Even her first love - who, because his father was her mother's lawyer - knew all about her background, and still loved her, but ultimately her tragic past was what broke them up. He loved her, but he wasn't strong enough to overcome his family's objections, and she wasn't strong enough to put him in that position. So she was convinced that she could never be with anyone.

 

So to me, this narrative is of a domestic violence victim who is rescued by a family. These two brothers and their father broke through all of these barriers, and they were able to embrace her and love her and give her a home. This family has a certain amount of wealth and influence and an iconoclastic point of view that insulates them from being too concerned about what other people think. And that helped them overcome whatever prejudice other people might have about Ye-Ji. I think the story did a good job of helping us understand this.

 

I think Ye-Ji always knew that Hwan loved her, but she eliminated him as a romantic possibility from the start because he was her student. I really think she just clung to this family as a lifeline and needed to be accepted, and to be with Hwan was not a viable option.

 

I still don't know enough about her relationship with Jin to draw a final conclusion. I think they both cared about each other and both began their marriage with every intention of making a life together. But I do think Carrie was right about Jin - that he ultimately doesn't want a quiet life working in his family business. We will still have to know more about why he disappeared (was it against his will?) and what he was thinking.

 

As far as Hwan goes - he did "grow up" in the sense that he does seem older and more mature on the surface. But he really appears less emotionally mature than he was when he was in high school. In high school, he seemed to understand Ye-Ji's pain and was gracious enough to truly wish her happiness, even if things didn't go the way he wanted.

 

Again, judgment reserved for now, because we haven't seen enough of Older Hwan. But I was really impressed with how understanding and kind he was before, and now he's just bitter and trying to control her against her will, claiming that it's for her own good.

 

Anyway, Ye-Ji sort of walked from one domestic abuse situation into another, in a sense. Before she married Jin, her mother-in-law (Yeon-Ja) threatened her, that she would reveal her "secret" and that she "holds all the cards," saying, "I hold your fate in my hands." So she's being threatened and controlled by someone else now. And Horrible Aunt constantly threatens her, too.

 

So aside from the facts we know - her mother killed her father - there seems to be something else going on, something that these two women are threatening her with. So that is another mystery.

 

And Carrie Jeong. We don't know what she's up to, but based on the last episode, it's something pretty bad.

 

Ultimately, I just want Ye-Ji to be happy and finally break free of the terrible people in her life and find peace. What happened to her truly isn't fair and I really hope Horrible Aunt is held accountable somehow for all her emotional abuse.

 

I don't care who Ye-Ji ends up with - although I think it's been made clear who that will be, and I hope they reach that conclusion in a way that makes narrative sense.

 

I don't think they need to make Jin into some monster in order to make Hwan seem like a palatable option. I think Carrie, for better or worse, does know Jin well and knew that he didn't want a regular life working at the family business, and that Jin was attracted to Ye-Ji in part because she was a rescue fantasy for him. If the show can convince me that Hwan is somehow better than that, then I think the show will have adequately convinced me that Hwan is the proper choice.

 

My favorite moments of the show are with the father. I loved when he spoke to Hwan in the mountains about letting Ye-Ji go, and I loved it when he consoled Ye-Ji after his wife visited their home and harassed her - telling her that she doesn't have to take that abuse from anyone. Father's conversation with Hwan in the mountains is the moment that this show truly transcended from an ordinary drama into being something special, for me.

 

I'm sad that the good people in Ye-Ji's life weren't able to protect her from the awful people - the father can't stop his horrible wife from abusing her, and Chan-Hee and her uncle couldn't protect her from Horrible Aunt.

 

But I think the father is a good guy who has emotional intelligence and a wise perspective on life. It's clear that whatever emotional intelligence Jin/Hwan have comes from him.

[chickfactor]

http://www.imbc.com/broad/tv/drama/wheniwasmostbeautiful/preview/

 

8회
나중에 더 아파질 거야.

예지(임수향)를 독립시키려는 환(지수)의 노력은 오히려 가족 내에 분란을 만든다.
한편, 환의 귀국을 축하하기 위한 동창회에 참석한 환과 예지는 스캔들에 휘말리게 되는데..

 

 

Preview Translation:

 

Episode 8

It will hurt more later.

 

Hwan's efforts to make Ye-Ji move out and become independent causes trouble in the family.

 

Hwan and Ye-Ji attend a class reunion to congratulate Hwan's return to Korea, and they become mired in scandal.

[blademan]

On 9/13/2020 at 8:45 AM, Jayne Nasution said:

The first reason why I decided to watch this drama was because I wanted Jisoo to get the girl.

He's the lead, so if we follow kdrama golden rule, he would het the girl.

However, I didn't know I was in for emotional ride. Not a fan of ISH but she's not bad here.

 

I agree that she actually didn't love Jin. Jin probably didn't love her, either. They just needed each other to be their solid rock. Something strong to hold on to.

Hwan, on the other hand, was a mature teenage boy with a golden heart. He KNEW and UNDERSTOOD Yeji. No matter how strong Yeji denied her feelings, Hwan had a special place in her heart.

 

FF 3 years later.

Hwan tried to kiss Yeji and she was very upset. She said she was his sister in law for goodness sake. She ran back home and Hwan flew back to US. But no, it wasn't the reason. She was not upset with Hwan. She was upset with herself because she found out that even after 3 years, her feelings for Hwan never changed. After 3 years, without Jin, she actually wanted it to happen. That was why she decided not to return Hwan's (e)mails.

 

FF 4 years after Jeju incident.

Hwan returns as a different person. A full grown adult, cold and seems heartless. And Yeji, confuses. Why? She's the one who ignores Hwan and Hwan has every right to come back home. If she can't stand Hwan, she is the one who has to move out. Once again, she gets upset. Once again, not with Hwan, but with herself. 7 years after everything, she is back to square one. She knows with Hwan around, it's getting more and more difficult for her to deny her heart any longer.

The ending? Yeji should stop tormenting herself. A heart always has its own freewill. And it's okay to follow her heart.

 

Those are my 2cents, my rambling, my wish for the ending.

 

100000% agree! I think your post is the first one that managed to get everything I felt about this show - the plot, direction, actors etc...into actual words 

 

Her feelings for Hwan is REAL. No one can convince me otherwise. Yes Hwan trying to kiss her prematurely 4 years ago was completely uncalled for but I stand my ground when I say that it needed to happen for her to realise there is some lingering feelings for him. 

 

But tonight! Oh boy.

 

 

The angst if going to hit HARD. And I'm here for it!

 

At this point, I don't see any justifiable reason for Jin hiding for 7 years from his family. The writers may surprise me - but for now just NO.

[Boom]

 

 

[shanew3stgalz]

i wonder about yeji and hwan relationship after jin's comeback .. will yeji stays loyal to jin ?

 

how about our hwan ?

[Nodame]

@chickfactor Thanks for clarifying why the lawyer was Yeji's first love. OMG that makes sense. It seemed so left field why he liked her and knew so much about her mom. Much appreciated. Your post on domestic violence and the plot/characters, I agree.  I saw the other drama too and I can see the parallels too as well and the differences.  Thanks for the written preview.

 

@Jayne Nasution Loved how you wrote about Yeji and Hwan and Jin and her feelings/suppressing and them and being frustrated. I appreciated it too. Loved your predictions.

 

@Boom thanks for the preview for tomorrow

 

 

[Kvothe]

I think those that are hoping for Ye Ji and Hwan to be endgame will be disappointed due to the narrative parallels drawn now between Jin and Ye Ji and Jin's parents.

 

We've been led to believe that Jin's mother left his father more or less due to his injury, which likely played a large part in Jin pretending to be dead all this time -- that fear that Ye Ji would leave him for good once she found out about his physical state. It is very unlikely that the heroine in a korean drama will leave her paralyzed husband for her brother-in-law. 

 

I must also that Imm Soo-Hyang's acting at the door was simply incredible. That mixture of grief, desperation, and hope was breathtaking. And not a reaction of someone likely to leave her husband.

[Nodame]

clips of ep 7 from today --I have a few hours before I get off work to watch it.

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 behind BTS ep 7/8

 

 

prior episode

 

 

 

[MVM]

33 minutes ago, Kvothe said:

I think those that are hoping for Ye Ji and Hwan to be endgame will be disappointed due to the narrative parallels drawn now between Jin and Ye Ji and Jin's parents.

 

We've been led to believe that Jin's mother left his father more or less due to his injury, which likely played a large part in Jin pretending to be dead all this time -- that fear that Ye Ji would leave him for good once she found out about his physical state. It is very unlikely that the heroine in a korean drama will leave her paralyzed husband for her brother-in-law. 

 

I must also that Imm Soo-Hyang's acting at the door was simply incredible. That mixture of grief, desperation, and hope was breathtaking. And not a reaction of someone likely to leave her husband.

 

Hmmm it does very much look like she is attracted to Hwan too. Are they showing this to us for no reason? 

I am quite curious what is going to happen next. We are halfway though and I still have no clue who she is going to end up with, which is exciting. I do begin to think that it might be neither of the brothers though.  

If I was to predict what is going to happen next I'd say Ye Ji will initially be angry and happy at the same time, then extremely guilty and confused about her feelings, because as I have said earlier they showed us her being attracted to Hwan for a reason.  If I was looking at the narration alone and it wasn't a kdrama I'd say absolutely any ending is possible, but it is one so I'm beginning to think Ye Ji and Hwan might not be a possibility. I am shipping her with Hwan, but in the end  I want her to pick the person she really loves, I'd hate it if she just settled.