Open thread for the ladies on this blog watching the finale.
I’m staying because I’m a shallow person and I like pretty people.
credit: trendingkdrama’s tumblr
90 Comments On “A Piece of Your Mind: Eps 11 & 12 Open Thread”
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Open thread for the ladies on this blog watching the finale.
I’m staying because I’m a shallow person and I like pretty people.
credit: trendingkdrama’s tumblr
Comments are closed.
I’m about to watch episode 10. 😊
@agdr03 they are the sweetest. I just watched last night’s episode. Fast forwarded through Grumpy Pianist and Ditzy Gardener. I really adore their moments together. And how she encourages him when he’s sad – like she’s counting her blessings? And he proposes. And she accepts… and IW ruins it all… HW was so mad that IW hurt SW’s feelings by bringing up JS… he deserved the shirt fronting. Gah I am so in love with JHI’s acting and his portrayal of HW. Soft when you need him to be and then seething when his beloved is affronted. My kind of man 👍🙂
Yeah, I have to say that JHI is my new crush. 🥰 I’ve started Something in the Rain and he’s captivating me there even with his very much much younger look with shorter hair too. 😁
Argh! Gardener and pianist just makes me lose it. 😏
I stayed on for the pretty people and plants in this series. And for the pleasure of seeing JHI cast opposite younger actress. Somehow I am kind to this drama even though it has major narration issues cos visually it is pleasing.
Hi there, Staygold.
I know right? I’m also glad that JHI has finally found a leading lady who’s his age. And they look good together, too.
I thought the ahjumma writers were “fetish-izing” his boyish looks too much.
Of course it has to be the pianist who says no one can come between HW and Jisoo to SW. But she married him? 🤷🏻♀️ Whatever! 😣
I just love that HW can read what SW’s thinking. I love that she was just there comforting him and she played the piano for him too. He’s saranghae was 😍. They are sweet together.
Poor SW, after getting a full boost of energy after HW’s proposal and finally having that stability, she gets rattled. 😭 Yeah, IW deserves that shirt pulling alright. If looks could kill, IW would be dead for sure.
Only one more episode tonight. I will miss this couple. They are just so comfortable together? It feels like a homecoming. Like that chair with the street lamp. Warm, fuzzy, safe. HW needs to say farewell to his mother now that he knows the real story. And I feel like he needs to say farewell to “real JS” as well. I know he already sort of said goodbye to AI JS at the bridge but I think revisiting Oslo would bring back so many memories he would need to say it again. Properly. To the real JS who died in Oslo. For closure and completeness. Similar to how SW had to revisit her old home and play her recorded piece to her parents for closure. Then he can come home once more into the arms of SW his beloved and finally move on.
agdr03> JHI is really great to make us feel what his character is feeling. I loved the scene in Something in the Rain when he’s listenning the voicemail on his bike, we can feel his joy and emotion.
@Sayaris I agree. He’s a gem when it comes to acting.
I agree @nrllee that HW needs to properly say goodbye to his Mom and Jisoo in Oslo so he can move on completely.
I’d like a happy ending together with their little HW or SW. That’s how I see this couple because of their gentleness and care for each other. They pretty much built a home already as it is. ☺️
@Sayaris, yes JHI can really make you feel all the emotions he wants to convey with his different characters.
I’m only on episode 4 of SITR and I can just feel his happiness and giddiness whenever he’s with Jin-ah. I’m smiling with him the whole time. 😁
JHI is not only good looking, but I feel every single emotion he portrays. I loved dearly his composed and mature role in OSN, as it had a story-line that hit close to home. I did’t enjoy as much SITR only because I do not like older woman-younger guy romances (I am prejudiced, I know), but his acting there was nothing short of impressive too.
Episode 11 was delightful and painful, all in one. The editing team finally got a hang of the chopped mess they had to put together, and the transitions were much smoother. The relationship of HW and SW is one I’d love to see more of in k-dramas. He knows what she is thinking before she even utters a word, and she knows how/when to comfort his unspoken pain. This is what mature love is like to me. Throw in the occasional sweet innuendo, and loving glares, and I’m sold. I also appreciate how the “stupid niece” at least tried to revindicate herself, and realized family mattered more than liking some Catherine Earnshaw-like guy. I just cannot stand him and his egocentric sorrows.
Hae In is just the comeplete package, he’s got the acting talent, the looks, the personality, can even sing… still not convinced he is real and not an April 1st joke of the universe.
The last episode is rather painful to watch but I like that this show doesn’t take mental health struggles lightly. Grief and depression are complex, healing takes time and it isn’t straightforward. And no hot new love interest can magically fix that.
Sigh that was just a beautiful drama. I wasn’t exactly sure why they had to part briefly but I guess both needed to get over their grief/guilt as individuals before coming together again. I really liked how there was no histrionics when it came to the parting. No blame game, no lashing out in anger. Just gentleness and the willingness to trust the other party to find their own way of dealing with it. The homecoming was all the sweeter for it. ❤️.
As @nrllee said, no histrionics, but tears were coursing down my cheeks as I watched ep. 12. I agree with @Packmule3 that the writing should have been tighter, and 12 episodes would have been sufficient from the get-go, but I wish we hadn’t ended up with the chop job this drama became.
I can imagine SW and HW being successful as a couple, but I wish we’d been shown more of that. I couldn’t believe that more than halfway into the final episode we’re waiting for SW to get through her noble idiocy and let go of the JiSoo myth. Why couldn’t she talk it though with HW? Or for that matter lay it all out to her Unni Eun Joo for her opinion? So much time lost, both for the characters and for us viewers. That’s a shame, because the two lead characters were appealing, engaging, and sympathetic–we rooted for them to get through their deep hurt–and the actors who portrayed them did an excellent job bringing these roles to life. It is amazing how much acting JHI can do with his eyes.
I had tears too when SW asked for a short break. 😭 I was crying because I felt HW’s pain but what a guy for understanding and knowing what she needs.
I agree @Welmaris, she could have just talked it out with HW or Eunjoo.
I wouldn’t mind having more scenes of them together at the end but it’ll do. So the thunder reaction point was for him from his Mom but through JiSoo.
Goodbye SW and HW. You were lovely together. It was nice to have a piece of your mind. 🥰
Did anyone get what the point was of AI SW in Ep16? That scene was so random? The piano tuner lady’s story was obviously cut short. She appeared and then disappeared and in the grand scheme of things I thought she was superfluous? And MinJung never found out it was HW’s hand that she held? Was that deliberate? I remember her trying to find out who’s hand it was and that plot line just fizzled out. I could’ve done without the sob story of IW but okay…so he waited for JS for 10 years as well. What’s with this writer making not just 1 but 2 male leads pine for the same woman for 10 years? 🙄. I am glad HW found SW and bit by bit they made a life together. The AI bit of the drama didn’t make sense a lot of the time. It just made HW and SW’s lives that much harder. It blurred their sense of reality. AI JS was not real. Anyway I am happy to have watched this drama in its entirety although truth be known, I fast forwarded scenes between Ditzy Gardener and Gloomy Pianist…and his recitals… 😂
^sorry I meant ep12.
I thought MinJung was trying to help the piano lady in getting AI SW to get her point of reaction. Initially she was just like a hey google sort of thing? But after MinJung talks to Eunjoo, she was able to get AI SW to work properly. That’s how I interpreted it.
Yeah the hand that MinJung wanted to know, she could have discovered it when they went for a walk in the beginning scene with SW, HW and Eunjoo. It’s not like the device wasn’t released because the tuner lady had it.
I was really upset with the gardener when she shut that door at HW. Haven’t forgiven her. 😂
The piano tuner lady seemed to be in a care home, my guess is that she has Alzheimers and she asked for SW as her therapy device’s personality. It is obviously a storyline that was mostly cut off, the only reason they kept this much was to make a point that SW’s reaction point was HW (which was a much needed relief for him during their pause).
There is a chunk of Min Jung’s story missing too, searching for the hand, and also they pointed out several times how she remembers everything, yet she denied to know what the date was that she wrote up to the ceiling… Guess it had something to do with young Eun Joo and would have explained why she named her own daughter after her, also why the boarding house was the reaction point for her.
I really wonder though if Koreans use ‘ten years’ differently. Won’s mother died in 2005 and Ji Soo met him again in 2012, so In Wook must have made his move in less than 7 years. And then again, it’s only 8 years to 2020 so Won’s unrequited love didn’t last for a full decade either.
In Wook was with Ji Soo all the time though, so his ‘unrequited love’ was not pining from afar, he just didn’t have the balls to confess his feelings. It might be a Korean thing again – in When the weather is fine, there are at least 3 characters holding a crush on a highschool classmate for 10 years, never making a move even though they meet regularly…
Thanks for that explanation @Luna. I was wondering what the purpose was of AI SW because those devices were supposed to be therapeutic. That makes sense that piano tuning lady had dementia.
Yes there were obvious chunks missing because they cut the drama short. I quite liked the camaraderie in EunJoo’s homestay. Didn’t care for ChangSup… serves him right for being so unkind to Unnie. And the love heart that he drew on the chair… err…no it doesn’t make it all better. You were lucky Unnie sent you off on your way the way she did. 😡
And I always wondered why they chose to sit on the ground to drink and snack when they could’ve done it so much more comfortably at the table? 😂
@agdr03 I was half expecting her to find out when they went for that walk to the park and sat on the bench. But no MinJung never did find out who’s hand it was. And maybe she didn’t really need to know in the end. She had obviously moved on from her grief.
Yeah she was happy at the homestay and because she’s been there in her early years, she was able to have her happy memories and was able to move on. 😊
@welmaris I agree about how JHI can do so much with just his eyes. And I love how he smiles. It starts off imperceptibly and then moves slowly across his face as his mouth widens and finally reaches his eyes which twinkle. I never tire watching it. And the same with his angst and pain. It’s palpable across the screen and you ache with him. Such a brilliant artiste.
“And I always wondered why they chose to sit on the ground to drink and snack when they could’ve done it so much more comfortably at the table? 😂”
In SitR, the family have their meals at the dining table but whenever they have guests over, they always sit on the ground around the coffee table… different traditions I guess. 🙂
I just saw that scene @Sayaris and I was just in awe. 🤩 He had tears of joy and you could really see his happiness with his expression. 😍
@nrlee, he’s smile makes you want to stare at him with both hands under your chin. 🥰
Since he has time available, APOYM having wrapped, I was thinking of inviting JHI to the islands since the TK:EM party is ongoing. I’m hoping he’ll want to take a dip in Shirtless Bay or Liquid Lust Lake. But I’m afraid a scuffle may break out in Forest of Lurking Fan-Ahjummmas over who will claim him as her date. Oh, I heard a new musical act started in Bitter Regrets Bar. Patrons found his pinched face and gloomy demeanor off-putting even considering the location of his piano gig.
I’ll get ready to ramble if JHI is coming 😂
I’m seeing a lot of Andrea and Winter bts video posts in Instagram, I wonder if their followers are getting giddy because of it? 🤔😁
“ Patrons found his pinched face and gloomy demeanor off-putting even considering the location of his piano gig.”
Not going to get an encore from me…no Play it again Sam…he played enough of the same piece in the whole drama. 🙄
“ I was thinking of inviting JHI to the islands ”
Yes please @Welmaris. Always room for cerebral actors…who are capable of intelligent conversation…but…err…yeah, a quick dip for him in Shirtless Bay would certainly not go astray… and he would beam that beatific smile of his up at us adoring Ahjummas and we would attempt to return in kind without looking too cougarish… 😂. I am sure he would find time to entertain us all and exchange pleasantries. He strikes me as a patient sort of fellow.
@agdr03 yes they are going delirious because of WinterGarden. They did a BTS together and of course fan girls just focused on the 2 of them (Jang and IJ were in the video too but IJ claimed they were more like father-daughter 😂. So maybe their pairing won’t happen either. Frankly I feel IJ seems happy enough as he is – just with UJu). Tonight will either crush their hopes and they send hate Andrea’s way for refusing “cute” Dr Jang or it will prove a feeding frenzy as they busy themselves creating video after video of their eternal love after their date.
“Videos after videos of their Eternal Love”.
🤦🏻♀️😂 Well, we will see tonight. Yeah, I agree that IJ with Uju is enough. He doesn’t need a partner for now. I can see him being ok for a long while.
This is my fave ost for now from APOYM. I just love it.
https://youtu.be/0w79eXBPuCo
Ahh that was beautiful @agdr03.
https://youtu.be/ulwKUaP54z0
This kiss was so sweet. I loved how she tried to give him a peck and just couldn’t reach him (she was so cute)…and he read her mind (like he always does)…leaned over, pulled her in and did the honors. 😘 Swoon…
Definitely swoon! I love the way he was looking at her while she was trying to position herself but yeah he still knew what she wanted to do. 😍 I wish my hubby can just read my mind like that every now and then. 😂
I can’t remember the name of the drinking establishment on Shallow Island, since Bitter Regrets Bar gets all the publicity, but a fan favorite may agree to sing a few numbers there in support of his Tune in for Love co-star, Kim Go Eun, now FL in TK:EM. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the golden tones of Jung Hae In.
https://youtu.be/8djvG1rZdLM
I cant remember it too but we have a poolside bar in Shallow Island. 😁
Oh that first song of HJI gave me goosebumps. 🤩🤩🤩
TE is a good singer too! ☺️
Thanks for this @Welmaris. I’m very happy to watch it. 🥰
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDxgibgwYtU&t=
He could totally sing an OST for his next drama…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuJ2WJtwQnk
Not Hae In singing but it is one of my fav clips with him: girl sings confession-type song which gives him an idea, turns on The Stare and in three seconds he looks totally smitten, Go Eun and male host are like WTF have we just witnessed? 😀
Oh my goodness! Totally! 😍
@Luna O she’s one of my favs. She and her brother are AKMU. Voice of an angel. She’s just gorgeous inside and out. No wonder HI was smitten. This is one of my favourite songs, it’s just so sad…but beautiful (How Can I love the Heartbreak)
https://youtu.be/ajgodM_hHN8
@agdr03 Honestly JHI-SYJ couple was way better than Hyun Bin-SYJ. I mean in Something in the Rain, the couple was more real and less drama-esque than in Crash Landing on You, you can feel all their emotions : when she took his hand under the table, the confession, etc.
I’m on episode 7 of SITR @Sayaris and yes I have to agree. SYJ and HJI are very natural and comfortable with each other in comparison to HB and SYJ. I can see their respective characters for real in their situations especially their skinship. 😱 It came as natural as it can be.
That confession with her holding his hand was something I’ve never seen before. That was nice. I especially liked the scene after her accident with her crazy ex and they were driving. They we’re talking about it but I can see HJI’s eyes in tears the whole time, it didn’t drop but it was there. Only when he stopped on the side of the road did he let it dropped. I think I almost had my mouth open in admiration for his emotional turmoil and excellent acting. I can say he’s one of my few favourites now. Just wow! 🥰
@nrllee Thanks for the link, they are really good! (but I think Hae In was not really smitten, just playing… he is the quiet reserved type, but knows how to work the crowd)
I never understood the craze about HB and SYJ. There is at least one BTS for SitR that could drive their shippers bonkers, SYJ hugging JHI tightly, just because, long before shooting starts… 😛 It is also interesting how some of the best scenes were adlibs. The director gives his actors a lot of freedom and that’s half the reason SitR and OSN feel so natural and real.
@Luna The beer scene was fun and sexy to watch thank to the can of beer 😀
@Sayaris Just finished rewatching it like the 1000th time. 😀
In case anybody is interested, a kind soul made subs to some of the BTS videos:
(obviously, there be spoilers)
*******************
edited by packmule3 to remove broken link. 🙂
It shouldn’t be a video but a page anyway, no idea why it won’t work.
Is there any way to edit/delete comments?
I can delete them.
I don’t know why it’s not showing up (I’m not a techie). But perhaps you can break down the link (i.e., put spaces) and post it. Then, I’ll put edit your post for you and put the link together again or Sayaris can when she copies and pastes the link.
Thank you so much @packmule3, and sorry for causing trouble!
The link should be vimeo . com / user84629305
,minus the spaces.
Got it. Let me see if I can do something with it. 🙂
Sorry, Luna, it’s when “vimeo” is linked with “.com” that’s causing the problem. So I’ll just leave it as is, with spaces. Sayaris and the others can just copy the whole text and link the words themselves. Sorry. 🙂
Please don’t bother much with it, if you could just take out the broken link in my original comment so it does not distort the flow, that would be more than enough. <3
No problem. In a sec.
@Luna The BTS are on youtube if you prefer.
The scene : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhRGHMYZq-w
The making : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vQIoMnaf8Q
Goodness, I’m so glad my husband’s current “office” is downstairs because I just got a load of hot flashes with those scenes. That face, that body, those eyes, and to top it off, that voice! I think I am placing him at the top my new, short list of favorite male Asian stars.
And thanks to @Luna and @nrllee for introducing me to AKMU. I’ve been listening to them on Youtube, and love their style. There is something about foreign language ballads that is so alluring.
I know, I must have added about ten thousand to the number of views on those… The one I tried to link has English subs added, though not sure anyone can concentrate on the text anyway. 😛
Thanks for the videos ladies! That was a pleasure to watch. 😍 I can see that their not only comfortable on screen but off screen too. I’m not on the beer scene yet but that was hot. 🔥😂
@agdr03 I started watching One Spring Night where I left off just because I miss JHI 😂. I never finished it for some reason. And the FL’s bf is none other than Capt Ahn from Hospital Playlist 😂. He looks thinner. So strange to see him out of scrubs.
Oh Captain Anh is in OSN. 😁 I can check it out after SITR. I’m on episode 12 already so I might take a look at it because of JHI. 🥰 I’ve really taken him in as one of my Oppa. 😂
@agdr03 And the girl who plays SW’s Unnie EunJoo? She’s the FL’s best friend 😂. I didn’t realize it because she looks so different.
At least we know people from other dramas. 😂 thanks @nrllee! 😉
All are connected!
Captain Ah was in Prison Playbook as the boyfriend of Druggie and Jung Hae In was in PP too as Captain Yoo 🙂 He always fought with Druggie as they shared the same prison cell and their scenes were super funny.
O yes @sayaris I forgot about PP. Anyway I figured out why I stopped watching OSN…the FL’s character is so wishy washy. My goodness she kept stringing JHI’s character along? I get that she’s confused but man she is causing him so much pain. I am not sure I can keep going…thank goodness SW didn’t do that with HW (not for long anyway). I don’t think I can bear JHI’s version of pining…my heart hurts for him. 🙁. I am like, for goodness sake find someone who deserves you! Someone sweet and kind and who doesn’t vacillate between her bf and you? And cause you constant pain? She’s so selfish? She wants him (just in case) AND the security of her now bf? Poor man. I think I will watch APOYM again just to have sweet couple moments as salve. 😂.
Still missing this show a lot and can’t really feel other dramas right now… So, this week’s watch is JHI’s New York travel show. 🙂
Do you have the links? Is it on Viki?
You and the others may discuss it here, if you want. I don’t mind going off-topic. I’m always off-topic myself.
It is on Viki (not for my region though :(), and also on Viu and Kocowa for those who can access it. Most of it is also on youtube, hope this link will work: https://www.youtube.com/user/kbsworld/search?query=jung+hae+in (or just search for Jung Hae In’s Travel Log)
There is also a somewhat shady site to watch it but I’m not sure if I’m allowed to share the link here.
@nrllee I think that female lead takes a long time in One Spring Night because normally she is not an impulsive or emotional type, so the love-at-first-sight thing really confuses her. Still she wants to break up with boyfriend fairly soon but apparently in Korea that requires both parties to agree…
But once she makes up her mind, cute scenes follow. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w7O_MpR_D8
@Luna. I am getting frustrated with her (FL in OSN). They aren’t married though? So it’s not like a divorce? I know in Korea that divorce requires both parties to agree. She should’ve just let him be for the moment whilst she sorts herself out. I didn’t like how she told him he couldn’t fall in love and just wait for her in the meantime whilst she figures it out. It’s terribly selfish of her. And he’s a single dad? You don’t play around with someone who’s already been in a failed relationship like that. They’ve been hurt before. Urgh…I don’t think I can keep going. JHI just does the whole pining thing so well that I ache for him. He’s too good for her 😂. Yeah I am just rewatching APOYM now again. Just HW and SW bits. Fast forwarding Gardener and Pianist 🙄.
I liked the FL in One Spring Night. I think she was not wrong to question herself. The relationship with her ex lasted pretty long, there are ongoing marriage discussions, so it’s the fear? Or there is just not more love. JHI’s character is something serious or just a fling? Etc.
The ex is not helping by not accepting everything she said… She always had to repeat herself.
I think falling out of love with the ex is what really makes One Spring Night’s FL hesitate about what to do. Her heart is all for ML, but is he really The One, the love that will last for a lifetime or will it also fizzle out soon enough? Because if feelings are fickle, then she should just do the rational thing and marry the guy who is considered a perfect catch, not the single dad who is damaged goods in the eyes of society. And her relationship with the ex is not horrible after all, just low key unsatisfying, exactly like the majority of marriages… is permanent love possible at all or is it just a fairytale?
Anyway, I think by the time she asks ML to wait for her, she has made up her mind. But she knows it will take time to cut ties with unflushable ex, and she wants to protect ML from being labelled evil seducer who stole someone else’s girl. He already has so much contempt to face for being a single father. And she knows that the ex will be even harder to get rid of, if he sees the new couple together.
I find it strange too that even though it’s only a relationship and not a marriage, it seems like it is not over until both agree to break up, but apparently that’s how it goes… or maybe, a relationship is not over until the man declares it so. Patriarchy is still very strong in Korea. 🙁
@sayaris yeah her bf didn’t help. Yes she was confused but I just felt she should’ve just said she needed to sort herself out first. I just didn’t like how she was playing both sides. He was ready to just leave her alone to sort herself out first but she kept ringing him and giving him hope whilst she was in the process. I didn’t feel it was fair on him. Anyway, I have stopped it for now and gone back to watching HW and SW cuteness. ❤️
@Luna and @nrllee, it has been months since I watched OSN, but I seem to recall the FL was under a lot of pressure from her family to maintain her relationship with her longtime boyfriend because of the connections it would bring them. If she married up in society, her whole family would benefit. And if I remember correctly the longtime boyfriend exhibited stalkerish behavior when she tried to break things off with him.
It would be my ideal to see JHI in cameo roles in both Hospital Playlist and The King: Eternal Monarch. He is known to the writer and director of HP because he had a cameo in Reply 1988 and a significant role in Prison Playbook. He’s known to the writer of The King: Eternal Monarch because he had a multi-appearance cameo in Goblin. I can wish, can’t I?
Yes @welmaris I completely understand where she was coming from. Like many who mentioned it, she was having to decide between the security of her long-standing bf and this sudden encounter with JHI. Whilst I completely understand her quandary and why she’s dithering, I question her approach in dealing with it. I think she should’ve just told him she’s working it out but leave him out of the loop till she deals with her bf. She just keeps dragging him back into the fight as if she wants him to stand in and admit to being the reason for her betrayal? That’s what’s frustrating me about her. The fight should be hers alone to deal with. She shouldn’t be using him as some sort of human shield. Anyway that’s my personal opinion. I may come back to OSN when I am in a better mood 😂. Currently a rewatch of bits of APOYM is giving me the salve I need.
I’m not sure if I’ll watch OSN. But the thing that grabbed me with SITR is the OST by Carla Bruni. 😁 It’s just perfect for Jin-a.
https://youtu.be/yj3IY-mUbCg
@nrllee, I needed fluff at present, so started watching Her Private Life. Some of the OST sets my teeth on edge, but for the most part I’m liking the show. It’s a convoluted contract relationship story, but sweet. Not much angst, and what has cropped up was resolved quickly. Both ML and FL have some good comedy chops. They’re also believable when it comes to romance. RAWR! This seems to have more than the usual amount of skinship, and I’m fine with that.
I’ve previously seen the FL, Park Min Young, in What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim, and Healer. I liked her in both of those. I’m less familiar with the ML, Kim Jae Wook. The only previous work I’ve seen him in is Coffee Prince, where he played the moody half-Japanese who made waffles. He starts HPL as tsundere, but it doesn’t take long for his softer, goofy side to show.
@agdr03 So many people hated the OST of SitR and especially Stand by your man, but I think it is perfect for the mood they wanted to create. Wonder if the reaction were the same if the language was Korean rather than English… Carla Bruni sings one of the main OSTs for One Spring Night too (Spring Waltz), and Rachel Yamagata is also the main contributor. No Bruce Willis there, though.
How about this rendition of Stand by your Man? 😉
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8hJ6HB1Gcg
@Welmaris I started Her Private Life for the fangirl angle, which was cute at first, but it disappointed me how the show gave a free pass to the toxic sasaeng fans. But the deal breaker was the second half of the show, which shifted the focus to the guy (it was called HER private life dammit, can’t the woman be in the centrum all the way?), and brought up the most ridiculous and unbelievable past connection I ever watched. Also, while APOYM is an insightful study of people dealing with grief and past trauma, HPL illustrates the kdrama romcom treatment of the same topic… so, so unreal.
The show deserves points for its treatment of LGBT themes, though. And Park Min Young is good in romcoms, plus she kisses like she means it, which is always nice in kdramaland. There’s no sadder sight than a fish kiss, carefully shot from six different angles, lest you miss how fake it is. 😛
@welmaris @luna I couldn’t bring myself to watch Her Private Life or What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim. The topics were not my cup of tea. If you haven’t already watched it, Radiant (The Light in Your Eyes) was a beautiful drama. It looked at the much overlooked topic of aging. I am in the mood for fluff. I just came out of one time travel drama 365 Repeat the Year and I can’t bring myself to carry on watching Eternal Monarch. I stopped at Ep5. APOYM was such a nice mellow drama with leads that I liked. I might take up Luna’s offer to watch JHI in his Travel diaries as a diversion. I just watched little snippets here and there. I couldn’t stop laughing at the one time he was called out in NY for being underage (he ordered beer)…he was like “I am 32yo!”. Ever since the whole scandal with Jung JoonYoung and how it destroyed the whole 2Day 1Night variety, I haven’t found a variety that would keep me watching weekly.
The core idea of Radiant, using a scifi premise to get people really feel the indignities that seniors experience, was absolutely mind-blowing. I have to admit I didn’t like the last reveal, it was the obvious choice but (for me) it doesn’t really work in the context. Still well worth the time, and I’m glad that JTBC let the series be 12 episodes rather than add fillers to bring it up to the standard 16. Kdramas should be more flexible with episode count, it is imo the main reason why so many dramas fall flat in the second half.
Yeah I can’t blame the American waitress, Hae In looked about 16 with those glasses and all. 😀 The whole travel show is just three guys (including the actor playing ML’s best friend in OSN) geeking out in a city they admire, nothing groundbreaking but pretty cute.
For pure silly, I liked the web miniseries The boy next door (mind you, I’m a sucker for poking fun at kdrama tropes):
@Luna I can understand how HPL seems to get off track if the title is interpreted as applying to only the FL. I see the theme of valuing the inner lives of women being explored with several female characters: the cafe owner and her husband; the chaebol daughter and her overbearing mother; and the mom who kept a secret, living in fear she’d be rejected if it was exposed.
I get a kick out of seeing the actresses playing the moms in roles different than I’ve seen them before. Kim Sun Young is over the top as the chaebol mom. Realistic? No. But a blast to watch because she looks like she’s having so much fun chewing up the scenery.
@Luna, have you gotten to the episode in JHI’s Travel Log when they go through the haunted house? Who would think his voice could go so high?! He’s a humble man to include that footage instead of editing it out.
Waaaaaaaaaaaa! I just watched that video now @Luna and I was smiling like an idiot! 😍 JHI is sooooooooooooo cute there! I’m not those people who hated SITR OST because I actually loved it. I love Stand By Your Man by Carla Bruni and Something In The Rain by Rachael Yamagata. I instantly liked it and for me it did go with the different emotions played in the drama. But I liked it most when it plays with Jin-a and Jun-hui’s scenes. Thanks so much for this, It made my day. 😁
@Welmaris Yeah you must be right that HPL’s title is about female characters in general rather than the FL only. I guess I was just too disappointed by the lack of fangirl life in the second half, because that’s got me interested in the first place. 🙂 And the past connection plot was just dumb and forced. But then again, it wasn’t much different from Rooftop Prince where FL as a child falls asleep in a stranger’s truck and next thing you know she’s adopted to the US… I wonder if maybe plots like these are leftovers from the chaotic years after the Korean war.
The haunted house was fun, I guess guys are more likely to freak out when they don’t have to play strong for their girlfriends? 😀 Humility is an absolute must for Korean actors anyway, but JHI seems genuinely humble and all flustered when someone compliments him. And how many male actors would admit that those famous six-packs were only temporary?
@agdr03 You are very welcome! I’m looking forward to hearing your opinion about SitR when you finish it. 🙂
I loved both OST SITR and OSN, they matched very well the mood of each drama.
For Her Private Lif and What Secratary… , I think the chemistry and the love stories were nice but both time there was a childhood trauma pretty weird in the mix. The humor was funny but there is a superficial side and at the end 16 episodes is too long. It’s not like there was a deep development of the characters…
@agdr03 @luna @welmaris @sayaris
Everyone’s first love 😂 I didn’t realize he was in Goblin and Reply1988. I can imagine him as everyone’s first love.
https://youtu.be/lF6AgvJOJb8
Oh my goodness! I’m stumped! 😂 I really didn’t pay him any attention then and now I’m seeing those in a different light! How could I not remember that? Funny in those scenes he was really supposed to be a rival of some sort!
Silly me! 🤦🏻♀️😂
He got his second chance with KGE in Tune in for Love and with Reply 1988’s PD in Prison Playbook at least 😂
I am sending a link to this article not just because it has something cool about a billboard in Seoul, but because I want to call your attention to the second video in the article. It is the same wall we saw as the winter forest scene in the headquarters of HW’s company.
https://www.boredpanda.com/seoul-korea-led-screen-display-building/
Thanks for the link! It looks so cool – another addition to the list of places to visit if I ever get to go to Korea… 🙂
For all of us that admire JHI’s acting skills, he has been nominated for what seems to be the Korean equivalent of The Oscars, for his role in the movie Tune in For Love. Now, I have not seen the movie yet (I dont want to spoil my current perception of TaeEul, so I’ll waint until that’s over), but my admiration of him feels satisfyingly validated.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joanmacdonald/2020/05/07/baeksang-awards-announces-nominees-and-plans-to-proceed-without-an-audience/#2a4237092ba3
I’m crossing the fingers for him, and in case he should win (kinda long shot, going against a Parasite actor…) I hope it goes without any controversy this time.
The actresses playing Min Jung and Seo Woo’s mom are also nominated (both for their roles in Parasite).
The awards system is a mystery, JHI has acted in half a dozen movies and it isn’t even his first main role, so I wonder what qualifies someone for the “new actor” award? And why is The World of the Married, which only finished a week ago, already nominated for awards this year – will it be eligible for two years?
@Luna- this is the first time I’ve heard of any other movie by JHI, but I only discovered him recently. I’ll have to look them up and add to my watch-list. What controversy are you referring to that has happened in the past? Was it at the same awards, or with JHI? I’m enjoying past years ceremonies on YouTube now that I know some of the faces, and will definitely log in for this year’s.
I watched and enjoyed (although not sure that’s the right term) Parasite. Park Myoung Hoon’ character was thrilling. My husband got a kick out of his coming up the stairs scene. However, even though I loved him also as Seo Dan’s uncle in CLOY, it puzzles me that they would put a secondary role against a main role in the same category. And as you said, he has also acted in a variety of movies, according to my friend Google.
@IcedFireAngel I think the controversy was over (of all things) where he was standing during the photoshoot for the awardees of Baeksang 2018
https://www.allkpop.com/upload/2018/05/af_org/04101529/jung-hae-in.jpg
The Central spot in the photo is supposed to be the (unspoken) most esteemed spot (eg like wedding photos, bride and groom is always in the center). Because he was standing the middle, he was deemed to be “proud” and wanting to “steal the limelight” from other more established actors/actresses. I don’t think this was his intent at all? More likely than not, everyone was ushered up and he just happened to be in the middle?
Yeah for all the things to blow into a scandal, accidentally standing in the wrong spot on a photo might be the most stupid ever. (https://www.soompi.com/article/1176703wpp/jung-hae-addresses-controversy-baeksang-arts-awards)
It should be the ushers job to make sure everyone is at their designated place anyway… But Koreans can be incredibly vile towards their celebrities, no wonder so many of the younger stars struggle with mental health problems. 🙁
@IcedFireAngel I have only watched his 3 latest movies and they seem to be more of a mixed deal than his dramas. Tune In for Love is nice and nostalgic, though the final conflict seemed to come out of the blue. It gave me the feeling that it should have been a 3-4 hours miniseries rather than a 2 hours movie. Really good chemistry between the leads, though that’s a given in any JHI romance. 🙂
Start Up is rather weird (but Korean humor rarely sits well with me, so the problem might be me) but worth watching alone for this usually nice-mannered guy casually flipping the bird. 😀 And Heung Boo The Revolutionist is a sageuk movie where JHI’s role was too small and the rest didn’t really keep me interested, but the subs might have been responsible for that.
@nrllee – thanks for the background info. It seems baffling that a situation like that would create a scandal. From what I’ve seen, he is quite shy and awkward in those award shows when hitting the stage. I assume it’s a very cultural issue of respect and “know your place” standards. Still, hard to believe JHI would intentionally go against any such manners.
@Luna- as I start to follow Korean shows and understand their culture a bit more, I have to agree with you that fandom can be devastating at times, which is quite sad, considering the wonderful positive impact their culture has worldwide. As for K-movies, I have only seen Parasite (good, but weird, like Mother), The Flu (excellent), and Time to Hunt (good, but too long). Haven’t really ventured into comedy yet, but will give his movies a shot. When I like an actor, I try to watch most of his/her work to really grow with their interpretations. The theater kid in me loves to follow their craft, and I’ve placed JHI right next to Tom Hardy for this.
@IcedFireAngel I’m the same, once I really like someone I want to look up everything they were in. I’ve watched most of JHI’s dramas by now, though I’ve been stuck on Blood for ages… Fangirling is hard work sometimes. 🙂 But I shouldn’t complain since I liked or loved all his dramas from 2016 onwards.