To refresh our memories.

Deoksun ended up waiting outside the concert hall in the cold weather wearing just her slippers. She had lied to the boys and told them that she was going out on date. Taec realized that she wasn’t dressed for the cold weather so he cancelled his baduk tournament and went to DS whom he knew was freezing. He gave her his jacket even though she protested that she wasn’t cold. (hint: MinHo and Boyoung)

 

 

JH on the other hand, saw it rained but didn’t worry about Deoksun waiting in the cold rain. He also saw Deoksun’s supposed date at the movie theater so he knew that Deoksun was lying and got dumped. He then went ahead to watch the movie Forrest Gump. He watched an hour and 7 minutes before it dawned on him to go after Deoksun.

By the time he got there, Taec was already there.

This scene should be reviewed by kdrama lovers because this is the standard for romance. It’s not about the right time or the right place. Regardless of how wrong the timing or place is, TRUE lovers will find a way to be with each other.

That’s why you say that you fall in love with the “right PERSON,” and not the “right time” nor the “right place.”  Ultimately, your decision will rest on whether he is the right person. If he is the right person, then the obstacles presented by the “wrong” time and the “wrong” place can be overcome.

If a character keeps thinking that he should wait to approach the girl until opportunities arrive or circumstances change or better timing appears, then he’s setting up PREREQUISITES for love to happen. He’s making pathetic excuses for his failure to go after the girl.

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On Taek as Forrest Gump.

A few of you asked me how TK knew to go after DS at the concert hall. I don’t believe he heard his manager and the GF’s conversation about DS. Besides, if you listen to that conversation again, there was NOTHING that the two people were saying that TK didn’t already know. As a matter of fact, what the two people were discussing was only hearsay; TK had actually witnessed DS leaving for the concert unaccompanied. So, he knew “better”. lol.

Now, I think two possibilities happened here:

a: the staff and GF were standing in front a window, right? They were discussing the rain. TK could have walked up to the window, saw that it was raining outside and decided to cancel his game because he knew DS wasn’t dressed for a rainy day. Thus, he called a press meeting and apologize to the tournament organizers and his opponent.

OR – I favor this, because this is more his typical behavior:

b: when we saw him in the restroom washing his face [Episode 18], he had ALREADY called the press-con and informed the event organizers and his opponent of his decision to withdraw from the game. Why do I say this? Because that’s HIS routine. He typically washes his face AFTER his match, then he leaves the place with his manager [rewatch Episode 6, after he beat the Chinese player]. I assumed that he washed his face because he had already told people he was forfeiting.

What does this mean then?

This means that he ONLY proceeded to go to the Baduk center to tell his people of his decision to withdraw. When he realized that DS was faking it [he was the one who looked down and saw her slippers], he decided to go after her.

TK +1000 points

On the other hand, JH had to process the information and weigh it BEFORE he acted. He 1) was told by DR that it was raining outside (did it click that DS didn’t have an umbrella?), 2) got on the phone with SW, 3) asked DR if they really wanted to do it together, 4) saw DS’ cheating BF with another girl, and 5) watched Forest Gump until halfway through the show, BEFORE he made a decision to go after DS.

[BTW, the scene where Jenny called Forest Gump and they ran towards each other in the Reflecting Pool is at 1 hr 7 min mark of the movie; I’m checked. He sat there in the theater for an hour with DR.]

Then and only then did he decide to go after DS. Now, that was a very huge mistake and JH admitted it in his monologue. It was his hesitation = his inability to cross the line that caused him to lose [Episode 9].

In a comment I wrote to a poster on the MT, I stressed that Ep 9 was a pivotal point in the show. Why? Because this is when the scriptwriter exposed JH’s character major flaw. You see, for this scriptwriter, like most Kdrama writers, the concept of “risking it all for love” is paramount. The guy (and the girl, too, of course) has to take that metaphorical flying leap off the cliff for another person.

But if the guy (or girl) wasn’t even willing to give up his coat to a freezing girl, then he wasn’t ready yet for the “flying leap.” And if he declared his affections at that moment, his words would ring hollow because actions > words.

However, the risks don’t need to take on an unrealistic, life-or-death proportion, like jumping in front of a train or taking a bullet in the brain as Bruno Mars promised. Most of the time, the “risks” demanded of the hero in kdrama is just a matter of rearranging life priorities. In TK’s case, he knew that DS came first before baduk in his life. He proved it.

Do you also understand now the scriptwriter’s intent in showing TK place his jacket on DS’ shoulders? That jacket-sharing was to directly contrast the two men. Two men, two concerts, two jackets, and one freezing girl. BTW, I said before that this is a standard trope for this writer. The guy “wraps” the girl in his outfit. I actually call it the “dog urinating on the fire hydrant” trope.

The nice thing about the way TK gave her his jacket was its simplicity. He just DID IT, without her asking for it or telling him that she wanted his jacket . When she protested that she wasn’t cold, he LIED and said that he was hot. Why did he lie? He did it to allow her to SALVAGE her pride after the relentless jokes on her abysmal dating life. He didn’t make her the object of spectacle and the object of his jokes. And that’s good sign for a husband.

Personally, I find those jumbo-tron proposals during baseball/basketball games VERY inconsiderate. You know what I’m talking about?

The guy suddenly kneels down, pulls out a ring and proposes with thousands of spectators watching them and waiting to see if she’ll say yes. It’s VERY inconsiderate because the pressure is on the girl to say yes, even when she’s feeling hesitant, unsure or just plain awkward. In some cases, a public proposal can be regarded as emotional blackmail because the girl is being forced – or placed on the spot – to reciprocate the guy’s feelings. Personally, I recommend intimate, private proposals with only the girl and the boy, with none of their family members and friends present as witnesses.

Lastly, who do I think is Forrest Gump? Since everybody must have an opinion on this, let me state mine then. I don’t need a second invitation, really. 🙂

I know I’m going to hear howls and shrieks here from the peanut gallery, but you have to hear me out. On the surface, FG = JH. He was watching the movie with DR when he had an epiphany; then, he had his vehicle streak through the empty streets of Seoul. However, if you scratch beneath the surface, FG = TK. The first clue was of course TK’s standing in front of DS gasping for breath. We’re given the impression that he had the run of his life, although we didn’t actually see him running. Curious, eh?

But there are also personality traits that link TK to FG …. and the costume. lol.

For instance, both FG and TK are stoooopid. lol. What’s the famous line from Forrest Gump? “Stupid is as stupid does.” Now, how was TK described in the introduction? He was described as a genius at playing Baduk, “but what’s he going to do with that, when he’s an IDIOT when it comes to anything else?”

Also, FG was patient and calm, exactly like TK. They both have a soft but monotonous way of speaking; they can’t sound like they’re hard to ruffle. When the TV baduk interview went far longer than the stipulated 30 minutes, TK didn’t shout like a divo at his manager’s incompetence. When he discovered that JH hid a secret from him, he felt betrayed but he didn’t strike back at JH. [I would have.] JH’s frustration at TK’s innate goodness made him wish that TK was a jerk.

Then, FG was intuitive. He can sense the emotions of the people and empathize with them. DR might be wise for his age and observant, but TK has the ability to sense what isn’t verbally expressed and empathize. That was how he was able to talk with DS’ dad about deceased mothers, to assure his Dad to remarry, and to voice concern over JH’s mom’s worry. Also, he of all of the guys understood DS’ need to nurture and take care of the weak [clue: the dead birds from the Olympic games] Hence, he lied about his chopstick skills, his being cold, his financial management skills.

There was also FG’s popularity. He became a media sensation because of his running abilities. In TK’s case, it’s obviously baduk.

And if you youtube the childhood story of Jenny and Forrest Gump, there was this scene when three boys chased the handicapped FG, and Jenny shouted at him to “Run! Forest! Run!” This scene echoed the vignette in Reply 1988 showing the first time the gang of four met TK. The three boys were all naughty and they scared the introverted TK, Suddenly, DS appeared on the other side of the truck and gave him a fish candy. The young Jenny was Forest Gump’s protector, in the same way that young DS gave TK a piggy back ride.

Lastly, the costume. lol. Many of you are probably too young to remember this, but when the movie Forrest Gump came out, the FG and Jenny costumes were one of the most popular outfits for couples to wear on Halloween. The guy simply had to wear a plaid blue shirt with buttoned-down collars, and the girl wore a white lacey frock. Now, look at what the costume designer did for TK and DS.

She reversed the colors, but TK wore the uptight clothes and DS wore the casual outfit. That was an inside joke, too.

So those are my reasons for saying Taek Choi = Forrest Gump.

Enjoy the show tonight.