Team “Good Boy” or Team “Geek”?
This post had been “under construction” for so long because I didn’t want to say who I was going to pick, and put a thumb on the scale.
I was on Team “Good Boy.” As I said in my First Impressions post, Jipyung was Cyrano for me, and I’ve always sought justice for Cyrano. lol.
source: openagenda.com
However, when I explored my reasons for liking the character Jipyung himself, I approved of him primarily because the writer gave him a vivid background story. His history provided the emotional subtext that I needed to understand his current situation. I wanted him to win the girl because the writer grounded him well with his childhood link to Dalmi.
For instance, I could see that the young Jipyung felt an affinity for young Dalmi when he saw her crying when she lost half of her family after the divorce.
As I said in my First Impressions, family was important to JP because he was an orphan. He could relate to Dalmi’s feeling of abandonment since he’d been there. When they met again as adults, he was naturally going to feel connected, not only because of the letters, but also because they both had the same emotional scarring from losing their family. He remembered the young vulnerable girl and he would protect her again.
Additionally, the young JP benefited from their letter-writing. It wasn’t only Dalmi who gained something from the experience. He did, too.
For one, by writing to her, he was able to retreat into fantasy world where he was a “normal” child with a family, even a pet. I doubt that he revealed to her the truth of his existence, that he was homeless teenager, sleeping in her grandmother’s food kiosk at night.
For another, reading Dalmi’s gentle musings calmed him down. He was a resentful teenager when he left the orphanage. But with the company of Grandma Kim, and letters from Dalmi, his hostility to the world was tempered.
These words that Grandma dictated for him to write were not just for Dalmi but for him as well, “I took the time we spent together for granted when every moment was a gift. I’ve made up my mind to stop filling my days with regrets.”
So I say that he too had to be grateful for those letters. They were lifesaving for him, too.
Lastly, because I knew his background, I could understand why he refused to help Dosan.
First, he wrote off Dosan as clueless and hopeless because, in his assessment, Dosan didn’t have the qualities to be a success story like him.
He even told Grandma that Dosan looked like a nice guy and easy to manage. Grandma dryly pointed out that he’d been one, too.
But he didn’t see that way. In his mind, he received no assistance from others (except, temporarily, from Grandma), and he built his business from scratch on his own. For a self-sufficient guy like him, Dosan was a loser, especially since Dosan had everything going for him from the start but still accomplished nothing at this stage in his life.
And second, he was a suspicious sort of fellow.
Remember when he though Grandma was out to cheat him? Same here. He didn’t like Dosan reminding him of his magazine interview. Dosan read aloud the description about him: “The Sherpa people serve as guides in the Himalayas…. I want to be an investor like a Sherpa…. A companion who guides and protects entrepreneurs.”
He vehemently denied saying these.
Well…He may or may not have been misquoted, but the fact is he was already “Sherpa” once before in his life. With Dalmi. With the help of her Grandma, he was a companion for her through her turbulent days.
But this time, he didn’t want to help Dosan because he was protective of his success and reputation, he worked so hard to attain. He didn’t want to be taken advantage of. He preferred to pay Dosan money than be used as a leverage to gain success for Dosan when he thought Dosan was a loser.
See that?
Since the writer gave me his backstory, it was easy for me to sympathize with him. I wanted the forecast given by his Alexa-like device to have a predictable and happy outcome for him.
When he asked the device, “How’s the weather today?” and it answered, “Today, the god of fate will send a gentle breeze into your peaceful life.”
When he asked again for the weather instead of his fortune, it continued, “You may run into someone you met briefly in the past at an unexpected place.”
But the device’s fortune-telling could be interpreted in two ways. It could mean that he was destined to either meet Dalmi or meet Grandma…with the help of Dalmi.
My guess is it’s the latter.
Note: Please don’t expect to me to write paeans for this actor.
He isn’t my type at all. I’ve watched him on that variety show “2 Days, 1 Night.” He smiles too much, and he doesn’t strike me as a particularly bright fellow. If you take away that face which fans raved about, then he’s a bore.
Hopefully, he’s a better as an actor than an entertainer.
Now, in contrast to the writer’s detailed backstory for Jipyung, Dosan’s appearance in the drama seemed haphazard and arbitrary. He showed up in the last minutes of first episode, like he was an afterthought. And that’s because of the way he was introduced in the story. There was a cherry blossom petal that landed on Dalmi’s head,
then slowly drifted across the city,
hovered above the heads of Jipyung and Grandma,
and then found its way to Dosan’s room to land on his unsuspecting head.
Like, how many times do I have to see a petal drifting in the air to connect the heroine and the hero? This plot device was original in “Forrest Gump,” when a floating feather was used in the opening and ending scenes. It represented his destiny.
But since “Forrest Gum,” writers and directors have used a floating feather, leaf, petal, butterfly, and dust mote ad nauseam that this trick has become banal.
Jipyung got a nice backstory and Nam Dareum, but Dosan got a drifting petal? What??
I’m a dissatisfied bunny.
Aside from floating petal, I detested the use of slow-motion for the encounters of Dosan and Dalmi.
I get it. A director employs the slow-mo to announce to the viewers that something life-changing is about to happen. It should be reserved for ICONIC moments. If it used too often, it becomes pathetic bathetic.
In “Start-Up,” the director did it three times for our couple. One, at the drop-off point for Dosan’s autographed baseball. Two, at the networking event of Dalmi. And three, at the Han river impromptu date.
In all these scenes, the director wanted us to believe that Dosan was walking to his destiny,
hence the shots of his feet moving towards her.
The director also wanted us to believe that Dalmi was waiting for this moment. That’s why she was filmed standing still, with that look of a deer in the headlights, as he walked towards her.
I thought the first slow-mo scene was contrived. I didn’t get why I had to focus on their emotional reactions when love-at-first-sight is such an overrated event. Seriously, how green and juvenile was Dosan to imagine himself in love with a beautiful stranger? lol.
The second slow-mo made more sense to me. He made a conscious decision to show up at her event after reading her letter, and she was shocked to see him because she’d given up all hope of seeing him. This moment had enough tension to require the slow-moving camera.
But the third scene was the best use of the slow-mo. This time, he returned to her side, consciously disobeying Jipyung’s command to get in the car. This time, she was telling him she wasn’t disappointed waiting all these years to open her “musical box” — and meeting him. This was a significant moment for both of them because he decided to wander aimlessly with her. In this scene, the use of slow-mo camera was justified.
But what pushed me to join Team Knitter was the hand.
I mentioned the hands in my First Impressions so let me continue my explanation here.
There’s a Latin maxim nemo dat quod non habet, which is translated as “no one gives what he does not have.” You’re all aware that I refrain from talking about politics and law in this blog so I won’t discuss the legal context. Suffice to say, I cannot transfer ownership of goods or property to you, if I don’t have ownership of said goods or property. 🙂
In this drama, I was reminded of this nemo dat rule when Dosan looked at his empty hands in Episode 4.
Dalmi told him that she liked him because he had nice big hands, but when he looked down at his hands, he saw that they were just empty hands. He didn’t have anything. The nemo dat rule applies, that is, he couldn’t give what he didn’t have.
This close-up of his eyes meant he realized that he didn’t have anything for her to like, except his hands.
He studied his bare hands.
Compared to the “fake” Dosan, he had nothing.
He looked awkward and dejected here.
He apologized for his question and said goodbye. Once she was inside, he looked down at his hands again.
And he gripped them. He must be feeling chagrined, impotent, frustrated, and pathetic.
However, at the end of this Episode 4, he offered his empty hand to Dalmi in a handshake. With his empty hand, he was offering her the CEO position in his start-up company.
That’s when I figured that he was only empty-handed until he allowed her into his life.
He had to open his hand to let her join him. He was, literally and metaphorically, starting up his business venture and life adventure with her in hand. And his hand was no longer empty once he was holding hers.
And that’s why I’m on Team Geek/Knitter now.
He made considerable headway from that clichéd beginning with the drifting petal,
to the ending scene in Episode 4. I think if they follow their dreams, they’ll discover that despite all the ups and downs, the turns and detours in their lives, they’ve always been on their way to each other.
I no longer think that Dosan has less chance than Jipyung of succeeding at winning the girl’s heart just because he’d been shortchanged of a good background story.
Team Good Boy all the way even if it hurts. The show is still playing its cards close IMO (plus a possible timeskip could change a ton of things). Good Boy and Dal Mi haven’t even spoken 1-on-1.
Eps. 5-6 will be interesting.
Another member of team “Good Boy” here!
Team Good Boy. I’m kinda disapointed the story is not about him, he’s just so fun to watch! I love his relationship with Grandma and Do-San.
Uuuuugggh, I’m so torn!! I think the Geek is going to win the Suzy Sweepstakes, but a part of me wants Good Boy to get it. Good Boy may end up with the lawyer (Jung Sa-Ha) as a consolation prize.
@John, I am the same way. I want Good Boy to get the girl, but most likely it will be The Nerdy Knitter. We will wait and see. Has there ever been a happy ending for the Cyrano guy in this type of love triangle?
O no…another guess the husband/bf drama? I was wondering why my Insta feed was filling with people picking sides for this drama. Mr Dimples from 100DMP obviously doesn’t have prosopagnosia anymore. Will he get the girl this time? Or will he always be the bridesmaid, never the bride? 🤔
Good Boy but I know it’s going to be Geek.
Good Boy did all those things for Seo Dal-Mi’s grandma but eventually you can see that he has feelings for Seo Dal-Mi 😅
Okay so I’m the only Team Geek all the way here I guess.
Hahahaha Now it’s like I’m having a knack now of siding the main lead in the dramas that I’m watching 🤣😂.
Also, I think it’s just me in this 😂😅, but I’m kinda wanting to see Jipyeong and Injae together 🤣😂🤣, not just in business context but in a more deeper relationship 🤣🤣🤣
Judging by the posters, the endgame is going to be Dalmi/Dosan. I am still curious about how they will become a couple, so I will continue watching. I do hope for a happy ending for Ji Pyeong too, either with the sister or with the lawyer.
I liked that Dosan was aware of his limitations. He appears to be humble yet strong willed. I forgive him for knitting English style! (I am a Continental style knitter).
Slightly off-topic: What’s the deal with not wearing socks with a suit? Everyone who does that looks like a Dickensian orphan to me, regardless of the quality of the suit.
lol. I don’t know if Dosan wasn’t wearing socks with his loafers but I know my sons wear those “no-show socks” (I call them BABY socks just to tease them). As far as I know, they would never wear loafers without socks, lol. That would be gross!
Sweaty feet + leather shoes = stinky feet AND shoes
For formal occasions, office wear, and holiday get-togethers, they still wear dress socks.
For sports, they wear the athletic socks. Especially when they play pick-up basketball, sports sock are good for ankle protection. They don’t twist their ankles.
But I’ve noticed that for informal affairs, like barbecues, garden parties, casual dates, lunch dates, weekends with us, traveling, hanging out at the boardwalk, and going to church (when they don’t have to be lectors or ushers), they wear no-show socks with their chinos or shorts. When they wear slacks with have shorter hems, their ankles show, so it makes sense to show their ankles.
But even their no-show socks come in assorted size. I know that some of them look like my no-show socks that I wear with my ballet flats. Meaning, they’re low cut.
During winter, I hope they’re wear regular socks.
And oh, there was a time when they had plenty of “crazy” patterned socks. I got them as fun gifts for Christmas, St Patrick’s day, Easter, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and so on. But I’m not sure if they still wear those.
Gone are the days when they’re wearing white socks that reach mid-calves. My husband still wears those and my boys tease him for having zero fashion sense.
They’re not really into skinny pants/jeans like Dosan (or at least, not in front of me and their dad), but yes, they were no-show socks.
Yay welcome to team Geek 🙂 I agree with everything you say. Jipyung should be who we’re rooting for, but Dosan has been written by the writer as someone who needs her the most. I like that for him.
Ok I’m sold on this drama now after that scene.
@packmule3 I’m on Team Geek too🙌 There was something so poignant about Dosan staring at his hands in that scene that I started rooting for the underdog to win💪
My personality is rooting for team Good Boy, I can feel him and his intension! In the beginning I really thought that he’s the lead actor until that “afterthought” scene in episode 1 where Dosan appeared. I find JP’s style romantic even if he likes it hidden. He’s done a lot of extra miles act for Dalmi. But it”s obvious that the writer designed Team Geek for Dalmi, so I have to endure it.
I’m for Team Good Boy. I can feel him and his intention. In the beginning I really thought that he’s the lead actor until that “afterthought” scene in episode 1. I find JP’s style romantic even if he likes it hidden. His acts were indeed an extra miles for Dalmi. I can accept it, it hurts a bit… that the writer is gearing towards Team Geek.
From episode 1-3 I was team good boy but it’s pretty obvious nerd boy is end game so I’ve just decided to be team nobody and see how everything pans out.
I really just hope the writers don’t turn good boy into a horrible character just to make a point that Dal Mi is met to be with Do San.
Rooting for Team Good Boy too…he is such an underdog and finally in the later episodes we are seeing sides of him being revealed, about his ambition and really the smarts. He really is the star coder.
But he is not a business guy and that’s why he needs a mentor and/or parter to fill in the part he is lacking in. He asked JP to be his investor and mentor which was rejected many times. This is where Dalmi fits the bill, and he really needed her in the business sense. Their handshake sealed the deal.
Did you mean Team Knitter/Geek?
One of my sons is in this field; he uses “machine learning” for quantitative analysis in finance. So… this Dosan actually has skills that can potentially surpass anything that JP has. That’s why Alex is head-hunting him. Dosan is like a rare-earth material that’s valuable and in demand, that’s sitting unseen in plain sight. 😂😂 JP was offered first dibs, but he didn’t have the foresight or acuity to invest in him. Oh well. There’s always going to be second round.
Oops! @pm3 yes I meant Team Geek! What was I thinking?!?! Probably subconsciously thinking that Team Knitter/Geek is a good boy too since he is like the “living buddha” he is inherently good. 😛
Is it possible for her to choose neither of them–once she discovers that they both lied to her? (Does this ever happen in a k-drama, where the FL rejects all suitors?) I think the unveiling of the lie is really going to hurt her since the imaginary friend/penpal was so much a part of her childhood.
Also I’m wondering if Do San is going to get ambitious (the broken pen symbolizing the beginning…) and leave Dal-mi behind–e.g., to go off to the U.S. with Alex, or to find a different company to work for where the CEO doesn’t have just a high school education. Then Good Boy could swoop in and comfort her.
I’m slightly Team Good Boy simply because he is doing all this for the grandma, or at least he was initially. And Do San did it initially because he saw how beautiful Dal Mi was when he tried to sell her the baseball. It wasn’t entirely altruistic on his part.
@BethB I actually think Dal-mi wouldn’t end up with either of the ML. Not sure how the story will progress though thru this route. Maybe Dal-mi would ditch Do-san or vice versa. I like JP character but I couldn’t tell if Dal-mi is really fond of him… first love sometimes is confusing, an ideal-illusion of sort. While you can tell she is so fascinated with Do-san, impressed with his Tarzan-Jane analogy of machine learning.
Team nerdy knitter all the way 😁 Smart is just so sexy 😆
For me I never saw HJP as a viable rival. Partly it’s because I’m a Nam Joo Hyuk fan :). But also it’s because despite his sympathetic backstory, he just wasn’t that likeable. Firstly, I found HJP to be unnecessarily mean. He doesn’t do just teardowns of the work of non-viable start-ups, he tears them down and bludgeons them. Obviously he doesn’t have to do it this way, because the Lady with the Neck Pillow manages to be both critical but constructive. He’s hurtful and he seems to think he has a right to it because he’s convinced he’s correct…. Just, not my kind of person. Secondly, he doesn’t have the emotional courage to go out on a limb, express his feelings, and await judgment. In kdrama, its the dudes who are brave enough to risk rejection for the chance of loving their lady who win the lady’s heart. So he doesn’t fit that mold. Thirdly, he never affirms Dal Mi. Does he? Remind me if I have forgotten. All he has ever said to her that affirmed her strengths was that she was resilient. And that came up in a conversation where they were talking about how hurtful his critiques sometimes were. So yeah, her strength is resilience against his toxic mentor personality. So nope. It never crossed my mind that he could rival NDS who has so many good interpersonal qualities, even though he sucks at flirting. LOL.
And while some might cite HJP’s difficult childhood as the explanation for his jaded view of life, I would say that at least once in his bleak youth, someone showed him kindness and love. He made money OFF her lifetime’s savings and used that to forge a successful and bright future for himself. Grandma Seo saved him! An old lady who never asked for anything in return. He should have been paying it forward for the rest of his life, let alone searched for her and give something back at least. Yet, despite his miracle encounter with Grandma Seo, he remained cynical, toxic and cruel as an adult. Just. No.
This was such a great analysis honestly, I loved your reasoning and the references you used. Tbh I loved that floating petal intro to Dosan! hahaha I understand your reasoning though, for me that cliche was great and just cheesy enough. Team DoDal all the way! I love this twist on not only the Cyrano story but also this trope of writing to someone under someone else’s name.
There’s a bollywood movie with this same trope, where FL1 writes to ML under FL2’s name as kids, and when they grow up and see each other again, ML thinks he’s in love with FL2 etc etc. In the end, he ends up with FL1. and growing up I hated that movie because I always thought it would have been so much more fun if the ML had really ended up with FL2 aka the person who’s name was being used in the correspondence. They had the better chemistry imo too. So I was so happy to see this drama going in this direction. I think it’s so much more meaningful to form a new relationship as an adult with someone who fits you in present day and want to grow with you. Anyways, thank you for your lovely post!
if i would listen to my heart, i’d be team good boy. but as the episodes progress, it’s showing that JP’s into DM as an oppa, a mentor, an orphaned teenager turned successful man paying off his debt to DM’s grandma. i haven’t gotten this feeling that he’s into her romantically.
but if i am going to use my head, and follow where the story goes, DM would end up with team geek. i get that DS hasn’t had any romantic relationships, that is why he’s like what he is, but i don’t get butterflies on my stomach when i see them together.
anyway, my final stand is i hope neither of them gets DM. instead, all of them will achieve what they want (not in the context of love).