The thread is now open for spoilers and reactions.
The winner for last week’s Bingo Game was Grace. Congratulations, Grace!
Here’s the trophy for you.
Here’s the Bingo game this week. Good luck!!!
I’m surprised that that there’s no BBQ product placement in this kdrama? Really?? They’re always featured in popular kdramas like “Goblin,” “Crash Landing on You,” and “The King: Eternal Monarch.”
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credit: Korean Times
Let’s enjoy the show!
*gush* thank you again. 😀 I should pass on the baton to someone else to spot the bingos.
@packmule3 Did you watch the episodes ahead before you did the bingo? 😛 you are making me unconsciously spot these in DYLB too!
I love the episodes 7 & 8, still trying to digest it but it hit so many good notes, satisfying ones. The sweet beginnings of dating: the kisses…again, their dates, their conversations show how different they are in the little things but there is acceptance. More references to books and inspiring quotes. The fame that HJ finally got after waiting and sticking to his principles for so long.
HJ quietly standing by his brother and empathizing instead of berating him when he got scammed. I loved how that contrasted how his brother/family treated HJ when HJ was not doing well in his career.
Have they created too perfect a character?
No. I didn’t watch Episodes 7 and 8. Why? Did I come close?
But some tropes were obvious. Like I was sure they’d hold hands since they already kissed. Then, the other guy, the best friend, would become jealous once he found out that they were dating.
I was also sure there was going to be a poetry or book quote because kdramas always have them. lol. Then, it’ll be Chuseok in two days time, so the writer would write that in to make the kdrama apropos… And to be “uplifting” in time for the Chuseok holiday, there should be good news/happy event for either Bogum’s character or Sodam’s character. You can’t have the drama end on a low note before the holidays, can you? The writer wouldn’t want to depress the viewers especially with this coronovirus and social distancing.
🙂
By the end of episode 8 of Record of Youth I’m beginning to feel that the plot may be working toward some tragic point. I’m thinking about two characters in particular: Jin-ju, Jeong-ha’s enemy in the hair and makeup salon and Lee Tae-su of A June Entertainment.
Although Jin-ju gets some sort of comeuppance from Jeong-ha in episode 8, it’s possible that Jeong-ha still isn’t free from the effects of this irrational hatred – which she did nothing to create in the first place. (Do people know the poem “I do not like thee, Doctor Fell…”? I think about it every time I see Jin-ju.)
And then there’s the thoroughly nasty character of Lee Tae-su, who bears a similar baseless grudge against Sa Hye-jun and his agent Lee Min-jae. If Lee Tae-su had behaved properly at the outset, he could have been involved in Hye-jun’s success, so he only has himself to blame. But he can’t take that and is using all the means at his disposal to wreck Hye-jun’s career.
These two characters have the power to bring misfortune and suffering to the lives of Jeong-ha and Hye-jun, both of whom seem to be unaware/powerless to do much about the forces of envy and hatred which are building against them.
I hope I’m wrong, and I hope that screenwriter Ha Myung-hee will make sure that the two antagonists are deal with in the proper way but at this stage, half-way through the series, I feel there’s no actual guarantee.
Things will have to get worse before it gets better. So I am crossing my fingers to see how it pans out. This is a story that has to weave a certain thriumph over the unpredictable and bad things that happen in life….hope. Since this is a record, what we are seeing is the past, they will reach the year 2020 as a present, and then show a possible future.
“The most precious present in the world is…
living in your present,
learning from your past,
and planning your future.”
@grace my thoughts exactly, HJ seems too perfect! But I do love how how he sticks to his principles throughout and is always kind and considerate.
@packmule you really have the knack for picking out all the tropes! So many in these 2 episodes:
House visit+new hairstyle: HJ goes over to JH home to get his hair dyed black (does that count for hairstyle?) by JH for his upcoming drama Gateway. I think he ends up at her home again at the end of Ep 8 after they were dancing in the rain.
Earpods: HJ and JH were listening to music using HJ’s earpods.
Old flame + love triangle: HJ’s ex tries to join the dinner with the guys, even when she knows JH will be there. I don’t know if she’s going to try to get back into HJ’s good books now that he is getting more successful, but it’s probably going to result in conflict later on.
Holding hands: All.the.time.
Poetry: Not exactly poetry, but HJ gave JH a picture book and leaves a sweet note inside. It’s ‘Rain’, by Sam Usher, from a series of 4 stories of a boy having adventures with his grandfather. So apt for this drama, since HJ is very close to his grandpa.
Transformation+finally good news: We see HJ’s transformation into a popular actor and rising star. One fan asking for his autograph transforms into everyone swooning over him, he now shifts from driving his dad’s truck to getting his own car. (Is BMW the sponsor for this show? They all drive BMWs!)
Comeuppance:
Jin Ju, Taesu, and Do ha all get some form of comeuppance. JH discovers that Jinju sets her up, and pours water over her head, Taesu and Doha lose a commercial contract to HJ.
Bridge: HH runs after JH after his shoot and stops her on a bridge to say good-bye.
There hasn’t been a single fried chicken being eaten thus far haha. But I found it so funny how HJ’s brother was spot on about how the person being bad-mouthed in the toilet always manages to overhear the conversation lol!
What??!! There was actually an old flame?! 😂 I honestly threw that in at the last minute just to fill the empty box.
And new hairstyle too?? Lol! That one I was expecting bec in kdramas, there’s usually a hairstyle change to signify a pivotal change in life. And HJ got a girlfriend, didn’t he? 😂😂
The bridge was also a last-minute addition. I couldn’t decide between a bridge scene or a playground swing scene. Next time, I should do cable cars.
What?! Still no fried chicken?!! I’m so disappointed with Olive BBQ! 🍗 What’s this? Are they snubbing my Park BoGum and Park SoDam? 😂😂
Okay, you win the Bingo trophy 🏆 this week, @JT7. Congratulations! Will “engrave” a trophy for you next Open Thread.
No fried chicken but there was Subway…in Ep6. I am slow to keep up with this drama.
😂 True. The toilet stalls in the restrooms remind me of a confessional box in a Catholic Church. Whoever is inside the toilet stall gets to hear the ugly confessions of their friends, classmates, and coworkers.
I’m four episodes behind myself. I only watched the kiss scene.
There’s something this director is doing in this drama I don’t like: without preamble, inserting scenes that are out of context of the timeline. We learn that what we saw was not fit correctly in the timeline when we later see it again in the right context. At the end of episode 8, we get another in-episode trailer when we have a quick glimpse of our two leads in a bedroom, both looking a bit stricken. I can’t tell if they’re nervous or upset, but they don’t look happy. HJ is wearing a white shirt, but he’d been wearing a striped one while dancing in the rain, which likely indicates the two scenes didn’t happen one after the other, as we’re seeing them.
As for dancing in the rain, the couple looked like they were having so much fun that I fear it is this drama’s version of watching the sunset at the seashore: something terrible is going to happen to tear them apart.
I am seeing parallels between men in HJ’s life that are/were supposed to look after his best interests, but fail miserably.
HJ’s ex-agent, Lee Tae Su:
-Didn’t give HJ the pay he earned, keeping it for himself. Criminally withholds what is due.
-Didn’t hustle to get HJ gigs. Fails to do his job of finding good opportunities for HJ. Blames HJ for his stagnant career.
-Became jealous and vindictive when HJ ended their contract despite having wronged HJ. Actively seeks to harm HJ’s reputation and career, and believes HJ deserves whatever he dishes out.
HJ’s father, Sa Yeong Nam:
-Claims he loves his younger son, but obviously favors his older son while regularly belittling HJ. Intentionally withholds expression of love from HJ, believing doing so will force HJ to grow into a responsible adult.
-Paid for Gyeong-Jun’s college education, but HJ did not get that benefit. Fails to provide equal opportunity to both sons.
-Accuses HJ of following empty dreams, not giving HJ credit for working hard–since age 15–at part-time jobs and modeling gigs. Thinks HJ should join his contracting company, and refuses to see the validity of how HJ does earn money.
-Is so rigid in his thinking that when he and HJ disagree, he strikes HJ and later doesn’t want to apologize for slapping him.
-Is so unsupportive of HJ’s career that even when success is finally coming his son’s way, he won’t watch him on TV and hopes he’ll fail so he’ll give up his chosen profession.
The difference between these two men who are so toxic in HJ’s life is that the ex-agent openly acknowledges cheating HJ on pay and sabotaging HJ’s prospects; HJ’s dad, on the other hand, is fooling himself when he thinks his behavior toward HJ is grounded in love.
I’m going to try and do something I haven’t done before, and that is to analyze the cinematography of two shots in this drama that made me sit up and take notice, thinking “I like that!” I think I owe it to myself to find out why I like these two camera shots, and if they help to tell the story.
Both scenes involve two characters facing each other at night while conversing.
The first one takes place at the end of ep. 5 at the 1:05 mark. The setup starts with HJ insisting on seeing JH home, even though his head was injured at the film shoot. JH rejects HJ’s offer, but he ends up riding the bus with her anyway. After they get off the bus, they’re caught in the rain as they walk along a street lined with small shops.
HJ: Oh, it’s raining.
JH: Gosh, it’s so weird. Every time I’m with you, it rains.
HJ: You’re right.
(JH runs a few yards further down the road. HJ stays in place.)
JH: Why are you standing there? Run!
HJ (after some thought, during which the camera does a close up on his face in profile, shows her from his perspective, then comes back to him): I want to get rained on.
JH (runs back to stand in front of HJ): You’ll be cold. You said you were a rational person.
HJ: I feel like I’ll explode.
JH: Let’s take shelter first.
HJ: I’m conflicted. There’s something I want to say, but I don’t know if I should say it.
JH: Well…When you’re not sure whether or not you should say something, just don’t say it.
HJ (with an almost imperceptible shake of his head): I’ll say it.
(And then we get this camera shot:
Note: Edited 10/2/2020.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15XsJg48zMaaPutXJFpNPExwyy_SqVUUu/view?usp=sharing
My eye is caught by the bright, saturated colors despite it being nighttime: the building behind our couple bathed in blue, green, yellow, and pink neon light. JH and HJ are facing each other, standing about four feet apart, each centered in their own color block: JH in green, HJ in yellow. The center of the camera shot is a big circle–a wreath–on a pink color block. HJ & JH are offset to the left. The strip of neon lights running across the top of the shops makes a distinct line that cuts the screen horizontally about one-third of the way down. Above this line the colors are drab. The bottom right quarter of the screen is out of focus, closer to the camera viewpoint. It looks like a planter box, and we could be crouching behind it spying on this couple in their little, surreal, cheerful world during a private moment.
JH: To me?
(The screen shifts to show HJ from perspective behind JH’s head.)
HJ: I think I like…
(Camera on JH’s face, looking up from shoulder height.)
JH: What?
(Camera in tight closeup of HJ’s face)
HJ: I think I like you.
(Camera shot of two of them standing with neon-lighted wall behind them, looking down on them from higher elevation so they become elements of the festively decorated street.)
(Camera in tight 3/4 shot of JH’s face. She looks gobsmacked.)
(Reflection of couple captured in mirror inside a shop. Focus changes to blur them and sharpen words written on the mirror: I’ll be the light to guide you.)
(Camera in close 3/4 profile of HJ’s face as he looks at JH with a slight smile. HJ’s wet skin reflects the green neon light.)
This scene in the street is depicted with many camera shots spliced together. It is choppy, which matches the dialogue. There are bright and cheerful colors, but only on part of the screen; only a portion of the couple’s world looks cheery, and artificially so. A distinct line runs between HJ & JH, and they don’t cross it. (This scene is repeated in abbreviated form at the beginning of ep. 6. It continues with JH reaching across the line to grab HJ’s arm, and together they continue walking while sheltering under HJ’s jacket. They end up back at JH’s home.)
The other scene where I liked the camera shot happens in ep. 7 at the 44:43 mark. The setup starts when HH’s shoot ends for the night and JH decides to make her way home alone rather than have HH drive her. HH walks after her, gaining speed, then breaking into a run that turns into a sprint. As he’s running, HH remembers snippets of conversations.
JH: I’m Hye Jun’s fan…Don’t tell Hye Jun.
HH: I bet you like him even more now. I know how great he is.
JH: Right. I do like him more. So I’m trying not to develop feelings for him…I was totally determined not to date him, but I couldn’t resist…Am I doing the right thing, Hae Hyo?
HH catches up to JH on a pedestrian bridge. He runs in front of her, touching her shoulder as he passes her. He’s winded.
HH: Hey.
(We see the first of two similar camera shots. See below for discussion.)
JH: What?
HH: Hey, don’t be startled.
JH: What’s going on?
HH (doesn’t speak right away as he tries to catch his breath)
(And then we get this camera shot: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jzCQupj8s–1MXcBxW_dIjWCH7CM37ex/view?usp=sharing)
HH and JH are facing each other, about six feet apart. It is night time and colors are muted, almost black and white. We are looking at HH & JH through the bars of railings. The bars closest to the camera are out of focus, and one appears as a thick slightly diagonal divider between HH & JH. There are many railings in camera view, some in front of the two and some behind, at various angles. None are horizontal. If the bars we see in this screenshot were notes, we’d be hearing a cacophony. The grids of the skyscrapers in the distance and the plaid of JH’s jacket add to the geometric busyness. HH is standing on the uphill side of an incline relative to JH, so his height over her is even more pronounced.
HH (camera on his face): I wanted to say bye. To end the day properly.
JH (camera from perspective behind HH): Okay, let’s end the day properly. (Camera on HH’s face, and he’s still panting.) Get home safely. Good work today. Bye. (JH continues walking, leaving HH standing behind her on the bridge. As she walks up the incline and moves closer to the camera, she appears relatively bigger than him. Her increasing size as she moves forward dominates as he stands still; she moves away from the railing bars while he remains juxtaposed against them head to toe.)
HH (turns to watch JH continue walking across the bridge; after a pause, says to himself): Kajima [don’t go].
In this camera shot, not only are HH and JH divided by a thick, blurry line, but they look caged, imprisoned by an unbalanced excess of bars. Everything around them looks rigid and unyielding. And the attitude JH expresses to HH by her words and demeanor are equally rigid and unyielding. He is firmly friend-zoned.
Due to a typing error, the link to the first camera shot I discussed above doesn’t work. Here it is again:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15XsJg48zMaaPutXJFpNPExwyy_SqVUUu/view?usp=sharing
Unless you want to fix it for me above, Packmule3, please pretty please, by inserting a space between JH and https.
Ooo @welmaris great minds think alike. That first one was one of my favourites too. The mirror with the quote was what made that scene a stand out. And did you notice the convenience store name in the backdrop at the beginning of Ep6? When they ran off to take shelter after that end scene in Ep5? “I Like You” I think it was? Or “Like You”. 😂. I haven’t gotten up to Ep7 yet. Still in the middle of Ep6.
@welmaris thank you for dissecting both the scenes! The first was one of my favs (the rainbow neon lights contrasting against the dark rainy night was what caught my attention), but I didn’t notice the angles of the second scene until you pointed them out. I’m loving how they frame the scenes, like how most of the food shots are taken as flat lays. I thought the dancing in the rain scenes in Ep 8 were lovely too, because of the lighting, symmetry and lines, the couple were even dressed to contrast with JH with a black top and white skirt, while HJ was in a white striped shirt and black pants. There was a scene in Ep 1 where HJ was having a confrontation with Taesu, and they filmed some of the footage from the outside looking into the room. The angle made it look as if HJ was standing inside the mouth of a shark.
I found the insertion of future snippets and the looping back to expand upon those scenes very disorienting initially, but am getting used to it. I took the scene in the bedroom to happen after they were dancing in the rain, and assumed they had changed out of their wet clothes. I’m wondering if this would be a parallel to what happened to Jin U and Hae na (ie. they have a conversation in the car and then later decide to take their relationship one step further). I too have that sense of foreboding that sometime terrible is going to happen, given the sense of regret we are hearing in the voiceovers. With all the emphasis they are making on the leads’ names (JH = stability, HJ = forgiveness) it will probably be related to these 2 aspects?
@packmule: Haha thanks! You are spot on for the pivotal change bit. He dyed his hair for the show, and it was the one that shot him to fame. I’m wondering if the titles of the shows he’s acting in are a hint of what is happening in his life: He acted in Normal Person when he was still a rookie, then it was Gateway that marked his rise as a star. Now he’s picking The King Returns over Love and Guilt, with the former being about power struggles in the family while the latter is on romance.
You would have still scored a hit even if you had chosen playground swings over bridges! The 3 guys seem to like to meet at a playground. Oh and I forgot there was another bridge scene in Ep 7, where HH learns that HJ scored a role in Gateway. Seems like bridges are HH’s thing, and he’s always looking on in envy at the back of someone walking away from him.
@nrllee: I think it was “I like you”. So cute, I wonder if they really have a store with such a name or was it specially done for this show?
@JT7 I feel the same. Everything is just going too well for our OTP. I cannot help but feel that first scene where HJ was beaten up by the actor who didn’t want to see his gf (Kim HyeYoon cameo) is a foreshadowing? HJ (the bodyguard) vowed to make it big like that actor. But at what cost? The gf was a make up artist as well? Will he do to JH what that actor did to KHY?
thanks @Welmaris for the analysis of the two scenes the first one you mentioned also stood out for me, the bright colours in the dark night. They really know how to make a scene look so good. It is a confession scene and what best to brighten it up amidst the struggles they are going through.
Seems like the quote on the mirror is still there! https://www.instagram.com/p/CFbGaOvJfl2/
Last scene of Episode 8 where they danced in the rain and under the big sheltered structure.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFyyCxKp-7S/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
I love how that framed them together, and then apart and back again as they danced all under the canopy of that structure.
https://postlmg.cc/hhdNzmF6
On the teaser scene of them in the room, there is an air of tension there. It may not be what many people think it is.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EjLphXRUcAAPfeN?format=jpg&name=large
It is a teaser for sure and now as @JT7 said, this seems to be a pattern of going back and forth on the “storytelling” that PD does. A different way to do those cliffhanger teasers to make us watch next monday!
@JT7, yes BMW’s definitely their car PPL, there was an article on it about how they chose the cars to suit each character. I thought HJ would choose the red sports car (which would have been super flashy) but I liked that he chose the blue one that feels a lot more down to earth.
I vaguely remember @pm3 mention couple outfit in the earlier bingo. Their couple outfit is not in your face loud though they did wear clothes that complimented each other. Someone on twitter spotted it: black and white stripe t-shirt with a blue jeans material long sleeve shirt.
https://twitter.com/vitaminseoul/status/1308445619908874240?s=20
(am I putting too many links here? :O )
Last thing, the scene where HJ told HH that he got the role in gateway and when they went home HH’s neighbourhood is bluish while HJ’s neighbourhood is reddish. There is quite a divide in the rich and poor that they are emphasising here. (I can’t seem to find the link to the twitter post)
😂😂 Will do, Welmaris. I don’t have my laptop with me at the moment. When I get home, I’ll fix it.
@Packmule3, thank you, kamsahamnida, arigato, xiexie…
@nrllee, in my online search I wasn’t able to locate a South Korean convenience store chain named “I Like You,” so I suspect it is made up for this drama. The big names in South Korean convenience stores are 7-Eleven, CU, emart24, GS25, and Ministop.
When we see JH & HJ standing outside the convenience store, I keep hoping to see these two fellas stride out of the tunnel to the left: https://youtu.be/5ldXhHSfl58
@Welmaris, that’s a lot of green onions but I don’t mind if those two men are the ones whose going to give it to me. 😂😍
I just love Noona here! 😁 She’s so funny especially when she met PSJ’s character. 😂
It’s a pity that just a few days after HJ won Best Actor, he’s called by Police regarding the death of Charlie Jung. 😬
I really hope that as much as HH is really jealous of HJ now, their friendship will be enough to get over it. 🤞🏻
I want that scene when HJ’s mom woke him up, is it for for breakfast? She said ” wake up and then sleep again after eating”. HJ did as what her mom asked. I guess that’s the morning after winning the best actor award. Hj is already an adult and I love it when an adult son would still obey the parents even for simple things. In this generation, not sure if it’s still common to have that respect for the elders. Just so wonderful to watch!
I couldn’t help it but is it just those episodes or there is a lot of reflections and mirrors reflecting them in those scenes? Tying in with the title Record of Youth, a record is also a reflection of the time when you were young.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bj4QJ4XLsCuB-Av7iIfBtCq_SqV7EoRk/view?usp=sharing
@agdr yes! I super love Min jae! The way she was shrieking and fangirling over PSJ was so funny!
@grace yes mirrors seem to be a thing. Even the Swoon noticed it: https://www.instagram.com/p/CF_d593J-X4/?igshid=1w6tvb3lu2cpr
@packmule will u be dropping this drama and stopping the open threads? I remember you mentioned about the references to Parasite. Saw the posters for the show some time back and they also reminded me of Parasite, thankfully though it’s a more positive spin: https://mobile.twitter.com/cjndrama/status/1296616805025210369
No. I’m still watching Record of Youth. I’ll create a bingo card for tomorrow. 🙂
I owe you a trophy, too.
Hooray! The thing I am most curious about is how many trope hits you‘ll manage to list on the next Bingo card, you’ve been spot on for predicting them so far!