I’m not sure whether to continue with this kdrama or not. I just found out that director is Kim Sang Hyub, the director of “The King in Love.” This director is good at trolling. 🙂
My post on reincarnation is here. Reincarnation
If you’re getting confused about the switching back and forth between past and present, just think of Haru as a reincarnation and he’s trying to remember his past life. DanOh however is like a seer who can see the future. Kyung is kept in the dark.
Moving on with other observations.
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2. The brother is aware.
It started with the fireworks. I told you that the fireworks reversed when Kyung proposed.
Ch 11 at 0:047.
He was watching his Hyung proposed and he looked shock.
But he knew it was a stage because DanOh left Kyung in a huff right after the declaration.
This means that he’s aware of their inconsistent behavior.
Then, at the dinner with both families, he watched DanOh act lovingly, saying that she wished she’d get married the following day.
Ch 16 at 18:04.
Then, DanOh released Kyung’s hand after that. He knew it was stage.
But the last proof for me was this fight with his brother. He was punched by his dad and yet chased after Kyung and excused their dad’s behavior. Ha! He knew that the pain would stop in when the Stage occurs. He thinks his Dad is only bad during the Stage.
He didn’t want Kyung to change anything, probably because like the Squid guy, he knows that attempts to change the plot is either futile or more damaging.
Same with JooDa.
At Ch 16 at 10:47. She looked up at the clock. I think that’s how she can tell when a Stage is done – when she sees illogical absurd things in the world. Unlike DanOh who gets an auditory cue, the clicking sound, she doesn’t get any prompts to signal the beginning or end of a Stage.
Her story doesn’t grab me as DanOh’s story, so I’ve been ignoring. I didn’t feel an ounce of sympathy when she took out her phone, glanced at Lee Do Hwa’s profile, and said goodbye to herself. “Yeo Joo Da, goodbye now.” This meant, of course, that she was giving up finding her happiness with DoHwa and going with the scripted Stage life.
To be honest, if I were a character in this manhwa, I’d be one of those mean girls bullying her for a good cause. lol. I’d want her to grow a spine.
But I think the actress’ portrayal of JooDa is the weak link. She looks insipid and unbelievable as a girl crush when there’s a sparkly actress Lee Hye Yoon around.
3. The date scene
It was idyllic moment. But what interests me is that it started and ended with the scar on Haru’s hand. Did you notice?
After escaping their music class, they ran to the rooftop.
DanOh: This is nice.
Haru: I know, right?
DanOh: I even get to skip class with you. I’m having fun.
Haru: Me, too.
DanOh: (seeing his scar and gasping and touching it) You got it back. It doesn’t hurt?
Haru: Yeah. It doesn’t hurt at all.
DanOh: I feel relieved whenever I see this scar because it feels like the Haru that I know returned.
The scar is the way she identifies the real Haru, but I don’t think it has dawned on her yet that the existence of a scar meant that Haru was badly injured at one point.
DanOh: Haru-ya. Haru-ya.
I like this. His name is a comforting word for her, just like the sight of his scar comforts her.
Haru: What?
DanOh: Just because I like it. I didn’t know that my days could become this precious. I’m not going to change anything now. This is my last time messing around. I don’t want to be greedy for you in the next stage.
Haru: If this is your last time, should we go somewhere far?
DanOh: Far? Where to?
They went to the antique shop and they saw Haru’s sketchbook, SooChul’s polaroid camera, Kyung’s tennis balls and the jewelry box. All these items are actually linked to Haru. It’s his sketchbook. The camera was the one that took the souvenir picture of Haru. He’s Kyung’s tennis practice player (or opponent). And the jewelry box held the norigae that he bought.
DanOh: I thought it was a new space but it’s all the writer’s doing.
Haru: However, even though they’re the writer’s doing, they probably don’t know that we’re here right now.
DanOh: If you think of it like that, then this moment feels really special.
I like the way she swayed and bumped him. That was a good body language that she’s flirting with him.
Haru: The writer will never know our own story. This really feels like we’re skipping.
DanOh: A special moment.
Then, on the way back to the school, she suddenly stopped Haru to inspect his palm again.
Haru: What is it?
DanOh: (grabbing his hand to inspect it) It’s a relief that it’s here. I keep wanting to check if you have your scar or not. Whether you’re really Haru or not.
Her separation anxiety is cute and understandable. After the fright of losing him and him returning with amnesia, of course, she’s insecure. But it’s very sweet of Haru to go with it.
DanOh: Promise me.
Haru: Promise?
DanOh: Don’t disappear on your own again. (pinky-swearing) How did you get this scar again?
Haru: There was something strange in the library.
DanOh: Perhaps…is it that blackhole thing? I saw it before, too. It’s fine. It’s probably nothing. I’m sure when you’re off stage you can see strange things, too. I’ve seen a chair fly around and a watch go backwards. However, it’s a relief that your scar’s back. I really like this scar because it’s proof that you’re Haru.
Then she noticed that she was clinging on to it too long and let go.
DanOh: Sorry.
Then, they walked off and their hands started to brush up against each other. Trope alert! She snatched his hand then pretended that it was an accident.
DanOh: Sorry. I didn’t notice it.
He grabbed her hand and she looked up wonderingly at him. Trope alert! But I don’t care if it’s a trope because she really looked believable here. I can imagine Gong Seung Yeon ruining this scene. lol.
She got that right look of surprise, shock on her face.
Haru: Let’s go.
4. Photos
There were also subtle comparisons between Haru and Kyung. Take for instance, the photos.
She complained that the photo on her phone’s home screen always stayed the same no matter how often she changed it.
In the Shadow.
KY: I think it looks pretty good.
DanOh: Huh?
KY: The photo.
DanOh: You always you didn’t like it.
He grabbed the phone from her to look at the photo.
DanOh: Hey. What are you doing?
KY: You’ve been bugging me to take a wallpaper photo for your home screen.
DanOh: That’s because it was a stage.
KY: You said you don’t know if the Eun Dan Oh in my memories was really you or not. I wish the Eun DanOh I’ve known was the real one.
He’s getting creepy. How many times has she told him that she doesn’t like him? Is this the kdrama writer and director’s way of keeping their options open so they can switch the main lead back to Kyung in the last episodes? I found out today that the director for this show is the same director as “The King in Love.” (sigh) Had I known this beforehand, I wouldn’t have started on this kdrama.
DanOh: Huh?
KY: There must be a reason why things went back to the original.
He’s trying to insinuate of course that they’re the endgame, and there’s nothing that she or Haru can do about this.
In contrast, Haru also resisted having his picture taken.
DanOh: Since I took a picture, I should cherish this. (pic of their candies) Haroo, hold these. Let’s take a picture together.
Haru: I’m fine.
DanOh: Oh! Don’t be embarrassed. This is called creating memories.
Haru: I don’t want to take a picture.
DanOh: No. Look at the camera. Right there. Look over here. It’s creating memories.
At the last second, Haru obliged her.
Look at their pictures.
The one with Kyung is definitely Stage. She was clinging to Kyung and didn’t make the V pose. And she doesn’t like those cheesy, heart décors anyway. The one with Haru is her real self.
5. The tennis game
This scene is important because I think it shows Kyung’s real source of jealousy. He’s not jealous of Haru because he loves Eun DanOh. He’s jealous of Haru because he doesn’t like to lose to a competitor. This stems from his feeling of abandonment.
In the Shadow, Kyung lost his temper, and shouted at Haru.
KY: Opening someone else’s locker.
Note: It’s actually Haru’s locker. I don’t know what he’s talking about here.
Hanging out with Eun Dan Oh and becoming friends with Lee Dohwa. Others might mistake you for me. I wonder why? If the writer made this world, why are he only giving you the special treatment?
Haru: I’m curious, too. Why does the writer keeps sticking me with you? (pushing Kyung away)
KY: I’ll look for that answer.
Then, in front of their classmates (good thing DanOh wasn’t there), Haru won the match which Kyung was supposed to win 99.854%. Haru had less than 1% chance of winning. Kyung was enraged like a bull.
KY: Let’s do it again.
Haru: The game is over.
KY: Take one more step. (meaning do it again) You can’t beat me.
Haru: Why?
KY: Because you can’t win.
Haru: Because of my setup?
KY: Do it again until I win. Do it again. Do it again. Do it again. You don’t understand the situation you’re in, because Eun DanOh plays along, right? How many more times do I have to tell you, no matter what she’ll be an extra that crushes on me until she dies?
Haru grabs his shirt.
Haru: I don’t care what you say or do to me. But don’t hurt DanOh anywhere, in anyway. I can’t watch it. DanOH getting hurt. Thinking about you. Going through difficulties because of you. All of it.
KY: What are you going to do? You’re an extra that wouldn’t be able to appear in a single scene if it weren’t for me.
Haru: If I have to, I’ll change the story.
KY: Change the story? You’re going to change a story that’s already been drawn?
Haru: It hasn’t been drawn yet. It’s being drawn right now as well. Because the pages that the writer hasn’t drawn on are blank.
KY: How sure are you of that? How can you be confident about whether the writer has drawn everything already or is still drawing it? Please stop talking bullshit about changing the story or whatever and leave Eun DanOh and me alone.
Haru: You. Do you like Eun DanOh?
KY: What?
Haru: Moving past your setup and everything. Do you like Eun DanOh?
KY: Why are you rudely asking that?
Haru: Because I like her. EunDanOh.
To me, Kyung can’t answer because he hasn’t really thought about Eun DanOh in that way as Haru has.
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So that’s it for this episode. I’m probably going ahead to review Episode 10. But as I said, I’ve reservations about this director.
“He’s getting creepy. How many times has she told him that she doesn’t like him? Is this the kdrama writer and director’s way of keeping their options open so they can switch the main lead back to Kyung in the last episodes? I found out today that the director for this show is the same director as “The King in Love.” (sigh) Had I known this beforehand, I wouldn’t have started on this kdrama.”
From last night’s episode it looks like in TF, DO was the one in love with BK (at least on stage it was). It was still creepy though because it was (wait for it)…all staged. 😂. All their “chance”/fated meetings were deliberately planned by BK (with HR’s help). Ironically, the “chance” meetings that weren’t “staged” were the ones between DO and HR (the fabric shop fall onto his back). 😂. I think that’s why BK seems so jealous because subconsciously he’s expecting her to be besotted with him like she was in TF. Although jury’s out as to whether she was actually “aware” and HR and her were doing their thing in the shadow of TF just like they are now in Secret.
I keep thinking their tennis matches are like duels of old. Battling it out for the girl. 😂.
I don’t know this director though? Was The King In Love that bad? Isn’t it usually the writer that’s at fault? Not so much the PD?
If you’re getting confused about the switching back and forth between past and present, just think of Haru as a reincarnation and he’s trying to remember his past life. DanOh however is like a seer who can see the future. Kyung is kept in the dark.
This is the main reason I’m not watching this one. I will get confused between the real thing and the staged thing. LOL. I’ll just watch it when it comes to Netflix, if it does. By the way, Hotel de Luna and He is Psychometric is in Netflix. 🙂 I’m actually following When The Camellia Blooms too and The Lies Within.
How do I explain “The King in Love”?
The script was good, the execution was bad.
It was based on a novel written by ?? (don’t know, don’t care) then adapted for the TV by a famous and experienced screenwriter. From what I heard, the screenwriter was given free hand to rewrite it as she sees fit.
The novel version: love triangle between the brutal and manipulative king, his loyal guard and a lady. The guard and the lady fell in love and fled from the king.
The kdrama version upended all that: there’s still the love triangle, but now the king isn’t brutal and manipulative at all. (Siwan played the king.) He went out of his way to save his guard’s ass because the guard is someone whom he considered a brother. The King fell in love with the lady and risked his kingdom for her. The lady loved the King, too, but the guard fell in love with her, too, and sided with the coup plotters. The King had to save him again. In the end, the guard admitted he did wrong in stealing the King’s woman and asked for forgiveness. The King forgave him and staged his death so he wouldn’t be hunted down as a traitor. The King had no choice but to sit on the throne to stabilize the kingdom, that his supposed “loyal” guard almost ruined.
He ordered his lady to go in hiding, too, and his guard escorted her to safety. It should have been understood that the guard and the lady were no longer an item because 1) he apologized to the king for plotting against him all because he fell in love with the King’s woman, and 2) he apologized to the lady (aka the King’s woman) for the mess he made because he became greedy of the King’s woman. Why apologize if you’re going to turn around and steal her again, right?
Anyway…
Report came that the lady was seen at a beach all by herself. Soon after that report, the King abdicated and went to China where he was never heard of again.
But then, if the astute viewer goes back to the beginning of the story, she’ll find out that this whole story is a narration. The King is narrating to his beloved how he fell in love with her at first sight a long time ago. The King is addressing the “King in Love” to the very lady who figured prominently in the story.
See that?
On paper, I thought it was genius. The writer followed the same events as were written in the book, but she altered everything and gave the events a different interpretation. It was the “alternative” script.
The execution was the problem. The editing and the directing weren’t equal to the task. He didn’t tell his actors (especially the lead actress) what he was doing with the script. lol.
Thanks for the quick run down. I haven’t watched that one with SiWan. That’s with Yoona? She’s another actress I am not convinced deserves her buzzworthy status. She’s better than Suzy but… 🤔. So maybe she did know and just couldn’t execute it 😂
It’s the same here with Rowoon. I know exactly what Kim HyeYoon is thinking and feeling (her acting makes her an open book – she’s brilliant). With Rowoon I am not sure if its because his character is supposed to be mysterious or if it’s his inexperience that’s leaving me guessing? KHY knows her character like the back of her hand. Rowoon seems to be reaching. Or maybe that’s what the writer/PD wants him to convey, that he’s this mysterious otherworldly creature with no beginning.🤔.. And it does sound like the writer is changing the webtoon story here too with EY (which is why some are not happy about it) but it also means no one really knows how it will end.
@agdr03 we’re having a ball reviewing The Lies Within in the Soompi thread. Come join us. 🙂. Yes I saw that He is Psychometric and HDL is on Netflix. May rewatch for Park JinYoung.
Agree with Rowoon.
His face isn’t expressive like the Kyung actor (Lee Jae Wook?) so I’m relying on his words more than facial expression or body gesture. But as you said, it’s probably because he’s supposed to be stoic while Kyung is the volatile one.
Yoona? She has her strengths. And weaknesses. Not believable for the romance scenes but okay with the others. She should stick with roles that resemble her natural self. Kinda like Ok Taecyeon. He’s okay if he plays characters who are like him. But then it doesn’t really count as “acting” if you’re just portraying yourself, right?
Kinda like George Clooney? 😂
@nrllee , I haven’t logged in on Soompi for ages, maybe over 2 years. hehehe I’ll see if I can still log in and join you. I thought I was dropping it after the cut off hand but I was still intrigued so I continued. 🙂
Yes, Park JinYoung is unforgettable. 😍
I don’t agree with Rowoon. We can see what Haru is feeling. It’s just that he’s constantly discovering the world around him. He can do things but he doesn’t know how and why, he doesn’t know why Danoh is the center of his world except he can’t help himself to love her and protect her.
More than a love triangle, Haru wants to change the writing, Baek Kyung wants to keep it. Haru wants to change Danoh’s fate, Baek Kyung wants to keep the only person who showed love for him even if it was fake. He wants it to become real, he wants to change the Shadow. The only thing they both wants to stop is the illness.
“ I don’t agree with Rowoon. We can see what Haru is feeling. It’s just that he’s constantly discovering the world around him. He can do things but he doesn’t know how and why, he doesn’t know why Danoh is the center of his world except he can’t help himself to love her and protect her.”
Yes that’s what I am getting from him. Is that how his actual character Haru is supposed to be? That’s sort of where I am coming from. It’s like he exists solely for her? There is no other meaning in his life. She defines him. If she wasn’t in the comic, he wouldn’t exist. That’s fine if that’s all he is.
Rowoon’s interpretation on his character:
“I feel lonely because I can’t feel what others are feeling”
“I’m bold with my actions with DanOh. I also don’t realise what I am doing.” (defending Haru against what others say about his character being a fox)
“Haru is just an innocent and bright character. But as the drama progresses and his feelings for Dan Oh grows larger, I think he will be quite fierce in order to protect his love…. He is a large, bright, kind and innocent character. I hope you can think of him like that.”
Maybe some characters are not made out to be expressive. I remember watching The Hymn of Death that Lee Jung-Suk starred in and the characters are always almost so restrained, calm…it was sometimes so slow moving and a lot of looking at each other! Maybe those roles are more challenging because you have to act with your eyes. They sure don’t feel like GSY
@grace
“ defending Haru against what others say about his character being a fox”
Yeah what’s that about? I read that in the other forum and I was thinking what fox? When I read that my first thoughts were of the Chinese “Huli Jing”…fox spirits inhabiting human form…but these are usually female and they are usually up to no good. Is that what they are implying? I saw no hints of evil at all in HR. If anything he exists purely for DO’s sake and seeks her greater good above all else. He has no family and doesn’t seem to relate to anyone on any deep level other than with DO and Squid and very occasionally with DH. Thanks for the tidbit about what Rowoon said, it gives perspective to his character. I will just view him as an angelic being from the stars then (like Le Petit Prince).
Ditto that.
What fox? Haru?
lol. Kyung is the fox.
I’m trying to catch up on “When the Camellia Blooms” and the demented mother of Dongbaek lectured Kang Haneul’s character for just waiting patiently for Dongbaek to arrive while she’s out with her ex-husband.
He was saying that he trusted her to make the right choice.
The mother said, “If you’re going to watch from afar, just give up. You’re being way too generous and kind for no reason. It’s not sexy.
Go ahead and wait until she returns. But she won’t return. She won’t return if you just wait. The guy who protects the girl can’t beat the guy who tries to steal her.”
See? I like “Camellia” because it gives a good insight on the mindset of regular people. UNFILTERED.
I was worried about Haru taking a back seat and watching idly by as Kyung goes after DanOh. No.
In kdramaland, Fortune (and the gods) favors the bold.
So to those who think that Haru is a fox… tough shit.
I’m giving up on this, Dan Oh is just too annoying for me and I find I’m only watching for Kyung. In the latest episode I watched there was a moment where we discovered Kyung’s father’s wedding anniversary with his second wife is the same date as his mother’s death anniversary and that’s a line I would have liked to explore more.
Oh! The director also did two dramas that I saw:
7th Rank Sergeant: a hilarious comedy in the first ten episodes, and boring afterwards.
Dong Yi: a good historical drama very classic, slightly less good than Queen Seon Deok or Jang Ok Jung, in my opinion.
The King in Love: I haven’t seen this drama.
The idea of a kind of “reincarnation” without being a complete reincarnation is exploited in the pastiche drama “dramaworld”, where the main actors are the same from one drama to another. And a secondary character aims to change the game this time, and to delight the heroine’s heart.
I’ve been suspicious of Kyung’s brother for several episodes now. I even thought he might have something to do with writing the manhwa.
On the other hand, I wonder if the author of the manhwa is really outside the world of extra-ordinary-you. So the author could also be part of that world.
I find the antique shop particularly strange, since it contains the manhwa’s objects. But I have no hypothesis about that.
The heroine’s reaction to the black hole: unlike Kang Chul in “W”, this character doesn’t try to question the mysteries of manhwa any further, and she puts it on the same level as flying chairs. That’s a bit normal for a romantic manhwa character. By bad luck, since I had already written my story, I also use a romantic manhwa during a few episodes (in a very different way, fortunately). My manhwa character doesn’t ask herself a lot of questions either. The heroine is above all sentimental and naive, and very unintellectual. So I find the heroine’s reaction to extra-ordinary-you quite logical. Since the beginning of the drama, she has been content to accept the situation without developing complicated theories, or doing intense research and experiments concerning the meta aspect.
Kyung insists despite her rejection by the heroine: this is the typical behavior of this kind of character. It’s this kind of second lead that never gives up, keeps on harassing. Even as a character awake from his existence, he behaves according to typical drama tropes.
Tennis match: you’ve got the character right! I don’t know whether or not he develops a real feeling for the heroine. On the other hand, it’s certain that he will see it as a competition. It doesn’t matter if he likes the heroine or not, he doesn’t want to lose to someone else! Ah ah, he really is a jerk!
There’s a scene that caught my attention (I don’t know if it’s in this episode or the previous one).
The manhwa’s second lead saves the manhwa’s heroine, when she’s locked in the lab.
This scene takes place backstage, and is therefore erased a few moments later, by the scene that happens “on-stage”. Yet the girl keeps at her feet the shoe that gave her the second lead, whereas normally this detail should also have been erased. This means that the manhwa has been changed!
As I haven’t seen “The King in Love”, I can’t understand why you have doubts about this drama. The direction of extra-ordinary-you is good. I will criticize more the direction of the actor (which depends on the director, I guess). Dong Yi was correct on all levels.
Here, most things depend on the writer. The director would have to change the script, or amputate it (it’s not impossible, as far as I know, the director has a say in the final result).