Sorry. I only have time to write this.
After going back and forth with Ella (thanks, Ella) on JP’s character, I say this:
Yes, I like that JP let Dosan know that Dalmi *might* like him.
JP: Have you no pride?
Dosan: Why are you getting angry?
JP: I’m taking the letter and the tree.
Dosan: What? That’s not fair. We were supposed to do a swap.
JP: No. Even then, it’s my loss.
Dosan: Your loss? What do you mean?
JP: Mr. Nam. I was going to keep playing dumb, knowing how dull-witted you are. But I can’t. Listen up. I won’t say it twice. Stop feeling inferior to me. Work on your self-esteem and look at Dalmi again. Then, you’ll know who she really likes. With those hands alone, you beat our memories.
BUT I still disliked the way he said it. He was still petty. He was still insulting. He was still skipping the apologies. He was still shifting blame to make it sound as if it was all Dosan’s fault and he didn’t tell him lies.
To me, he came out pathetic because:
A. He wanted a “fair” trade. He got the plant and the letters since Dosan got the girl. lol. What did I say about his insistence on “fairness”? I said that love wasn’t about fairness, equity, proportionate calculation. It was about looking after the other person’s wellbeing.
B. He thought it was a zero-sum game where there’s a winner and a loser.
Where’s the love, dude?
He kept talking about being a loser. Like here.
Here.
And one more time.
Welllll…..Dosan thought that he “lost” Dalmi, too. He didn’t complain about being the loser.
Remember what he did?
He decided to carry Dalmi over the bridge. That was symbolic of his decision, of course. He decided to bear her constant presence even though it would bring him pain because he thought she already found a new man. He decided it was better to be with her, than to be WITHOUT her. (I told you, didn’t I? in my post on the long road.)
That’s why he was sitting beside her here.
He was sitting with her because he swallowed his “loser” feelings in order to help Dalmi reach her goal.
But you know this scene when Dalmi told him that they were entering a bid?
Dalmi: I wanted to tell you that we have decided to bid on the project.
JP: (smiling) Okay, you made a good decision.
Oppa fangirls: OOoooh. He’s so handsome. Look at those dimples. We hate you, Dalmmiiiii!
Me: Oh geez, louise.
lol. I saw those dimples, and immediately recalled what he told Youngsan in Episode 15, when Youngsan told him that Samsan Tech was going to start a business in Seoul.
JP: What brings you here?
Youngsan: To see if we could rent an office. We’re starting a new business
JP: Starting a business? I thought you were here on vacation.
Youngsan: Thanks to our experience at 2STO, people want to invest in whatever we do.
JP: So what are you trying to say?
Youngsan: I was just curious. What are your thoughts?
JP: That’s great news.
lol. Will you look at those dimples? Since I’m not one of his fangirls, those dimples don’t mesmerize me. In fact, whenever those dimples show up, I wonder what he’s up to.
JP: Congratulations. I wish you the best of luck.
Do you see now what I’m getting at?
Youngsan: You’ve changed a lot.
JP: No, I haven’t change.
Youngsan: You have. You’re a lot nicer now.
JP: You know, I only say good things to companies I’m not interested in. Why bother to check and criticize the condition of a car if I’m not going to ride it?
Seriously. Fangirls should be able to distinguish between a smile and a smirk. This is a smirk.
lol. What have I said before? I already gave you that Maya Angelou’s quote but here it is again.
Just sayin’.
Do you see the difference between Dosan’s love and JP’s love?
Dosan was “rejected” by Dalmi twice already. But he continued to support her even when he thought he had no chance…just in case.
Chulsan: Remember Dosan talking about developing an autonomous driving system at 2STO?
Youngsan: Of course I remember
Chulsan: When Alex asked him why he wanted to do that.
Youngsan: He said, “just in case.”
Chulsan: But he’s turned that into reality.
Youngsan: Yes, he has.
Saha: “Just in case”? What are you guys talking about?
Youngsan: Not telling you.
If readers of this blog can’t tell a smile and a smirk apart, at least they should be able to distinguish between true and fake love.
Sadly, JP isn’t rehabilitated yet. He’s getting there, though, and there’s still one episode left. Let’s see whether he does the right thing for “love” tomorrow.
Ahh pm3 you’ve done it again! I am so thankful really that I have come across this blog.
Seriously I have no idea what makes the JP fangirls keep falling for him? Hahahhaha they only look at the exterior and not his inner workings. I was pissed at him in the elevator scene when he suddenly replied to Dalmi about his favorite side dish knowing full well that Do San can hear their convo. DM was already uncomfortable but he had to say it that time. Talk about petty. Lol
I agree with your reply on the other thread, it didn’t sit right with me when he told DS “stop feeling inferior to me and look at Dalmi again” like hello JP you’re the main culprit, he is truly not a good boy. I found it funny the way he hid when he saw DS taking out the side dish he likes because in my mind i feel like he realized he’ll never be the man DS is so he decided to be a jerk, his go to defense mechanism.
I’m laughing reading this post packmule3.. thank you.. you’ve made my hopeless thought about why did JP this why did JP that, why the fangirls why the fanboys that, become such a humor to myself.
I wish, JP would do the right thing for love in the final episode. Because I hope I can connecting the dots of why the writer make this character in the first place.
Thanks for this explanation. Of course blinded JP fans would always be blinded by that smile.
Yes, Do San will love Dal Mi forever and support her forever even when he taught he lost. He will always still use those hands to help her.
I like that backstory about the self-driving car project at 2STO. It means that even if Do San claims to be sailing without a map, he is still preparing. That project was a preparation in case he gets to work with Dal Mi again. He still wants to make that dream of hers come true.
Do San is also not blindly sailing. He sees every failure as a step towards success.
“What if you survive?” He said to Ji Pyeong on the elevator. He is willing to take every risk even with a slim chance of survival.
I’m dying of laughter now. My friend called jp mr.dimples and just now they’re saying fine DoSan can be with DalMi and they will keep mr.dimples for themselves and i want to shout hello guys.. he’s not giving DalMi to DoSan, he’s not giving away DalMi out of the goodness of his heart like some candy. Pffftt..
One thing that i mentioned in the other post when jp was saying “so what are you going to keep having one sided love forever?” the word used here is “one thousand years, ten thousand years” i found it fascinating because there is another word for forever in Korean so in my head this is jp mocking DoSan by choosing that words but DoSan blessed his pure heart replying back resolutely “one thousand years ten thousands years.” and that shut jp up.
@packmule3 yes. It’s still ALL about him (JP) isn’t it? 🙄. He’s saying to DS, “Not my problem that I am STILL far superior to you and you’re the one with the inferiority complex. And by the way, you’re so DUMB coz I had to work this all out for you.”… err… that would be a true statement had you not insisted at every juncture to tell him to his face that he’s a loser? That nothing he does will work? That he’s just going to drown and get eaten by sharks? By insinuating that he (JP) and DM were an item just to rub his face in it? 🙄 How else is he supposed to feel? O my goodness. Jerk to the max. And here’s DS out of the goodness of his heart saving the special dish for him to take home because he knows he(JP) likes it? Which instead of accepting graciously he (JP) still throws his kindness back in his face. 🙄. Will it kill him (JP) to at least show some gratitude or accept his act of thoughtfulness? Why does this JP “deserve happiness”? Nope. He’s still in my bad books. Let’s see if he’s better in Ep16.
@packmule3 Hello! I’m a silent lurker and I just wanted to thank you. I’ve been very disturbed by the whitewashing of JP’s character everywhere and was beginning to question myself for hating someone so ‘lovable’. Everything you said is on point; he was envious of DS from the very beginning. I even began questioning his feelings for Dalmi because it somehow felt like he was competing with DS – ‘You seemingly have everything, so I’m gonna snatch your girl. I wrote the letters, so I have the right to.’ That’s why I never felt any sort of chemistry between JP and Dalmi. They seem like cousins to me at this point, thanks to Grandma being the only common topic of informal discussion.
Talking about JP’s dialogue “Okay, you made a good decision!” to Dalmi, even I immediately recollected his conversation with Yongsan. I was literally thinking to myself “So now you’re no more interested in Dalmi’s journey? Because she chose DS?” Honestly, I can’t with his pettiness towards DS. I hope they show him appreciating DS at least in the last episode, because I still remember how DS was excited to see JP as the ‘Sherpa’.
Maybe I’m petty but I find it funny how jp thinks it’s fair that he got both the plant and the letters since dosan got the girl. The plant is dosan’s since the beginning. Why would he think he can take what’s dosan’s if he couldn’t get dalmi lol. He definitely doesn’t love dalmi, he just doesn’t want to lose to dosan
Yes. He just does NOT want to lose to Dosan. The funny thing is it’s not a win/lose thing. If he loves her the way Dosan loves her, then — as Dosan pointed out to the guys in Ep 3 — they’ll both be working together to help her out.
I thought him taking the plant was amusing because it’s a money tree. DoSan said a couple of times that it wasn’t necessary to him. I took that to mean two things: that not success but Dalmi is DoSan’s dream, and again, he’s not superstitious (like with blood types and the ancestors) Jipyeong, on the other hand can’t turn down this symbol of money. Strangely, it doesn’t seem to have grown in 3 years despite the fertiliser. Or perhaps the ‘fertiliser’ is the problem.😆
Hahaha @fern yeah right! Just like JP, the plant did not develop at all!
Jipyeong can take that money tree alright. Dosan doesn’t need that anyway! I wish Dosan kept the sailing off without a map letter.
But I thought the music box was from her exchange with him on that online site where they conducted their baseball ball transaction 🤔.
@packmule3, The only thinge that symbolizes love for JYP are money and possessions. This has been his default setting and the behaviors that would protect them are how he operates. Realistically he can’t be expected to change overnight. And what he really wants-yhr love and security of family-he I’d unable to accept. I loved the scenes with Dosan’s parents. JYP first manipulates Dad to get inside but does not get what he expected
My I’m feeds him.Dad plies him with his special blend He gets drunk.He had to sleep on flannel plaid PJs. Dosan asksom to pack a dish he knows Jyp likes. And in the end Jyp takes the letter and money tree ad a pyrrhic victory. He tells Dosan about what he envirs about him. But he doesn’t fully let on about family. You know he’s sort of giving up Dalmi, but I don’t entirely trust it because of his never ending nerf to compete for whatever prize is out there starting from his teen-age winnings. On all honesty, he’s damaged goods of the sort Dalmi does not deserve or need. From a viewer’s point of view, I have no idea what drama the Jyp fangirls are watching. Time after time, the writer has demonstrated Jyp&s prodigious shortcomings. The only explanation I can think of is the actor’s good looks coupled by a performance that is sympathetic to the character(a bit of the charm offensive-that us clear headed viewers find offensive and phoney).
Am looking forward to the finale to see how they wrap this up. I think given this penultimate episode that we’ll land on something realistic.
And @packmule3, did you ever think about going into the predicting game-you’ve been right on target. That tarot program could use your input.
🙂 The reason I’m holding on to hope for his character’s development is that this writer treats all her designated FOILs — and this guy is the antagonist to make Dosan’s star shine better, whether JP fans want to swallow this bitter pill and hard fact — KINDLY in the end. There’s really no bad SIDE characters in her kdramas so I don’t expect her to break her mold with JP.
That’s why I’m still hoping for his character rehabilitation in the end.
But we shall see. I’ll have to watch this last episode later since this is Sunday and I’ve the usual ratpack coming over.
@packmule3, Hope you have a great Sunday. Thanks for providing insight into this writer’s process, preferences. You did this with Hospital Playlist and its comparison to the Reply series. It’s like taking the enrichment course. And, I am with you in hoping for a growth spurt for Jyp. I can see how characters like Dalmi’s mother have changed in a heartwarming way. And In Jae is moving forward. Even though this drama oresents the maplless journey, I much appreciatevyhe fact thatbyou’re providing maps and guides to aid in our appreciation of this , for me, far better than expected drama.
I was rewatching Ep 15 and I really do love the awkward elevator encounter:
– DalMi’s fallen face of being seen together with jp
– The ‘kongjaban’ piece, jp was so busy smirking, delivering that jab to DoSan he failed to notice DalMi’s reaction to it
– The showdown of DoSan and jp
– When the elevator finally open, DoSan stepped out and DalMi just followed him out without even looking at jp, who was left in the elevator literally holding the bag lol..
@packmule3, You are the drama seer. JYP got a wonderful landing. He gets to give back on his own dime and gets Grandma’s love too. The heck with the shipping stuff. JYP gets to start a happier in more fulfilled life. And in my imaginary future for him,he’ll eventually find love. Same goes for Injae who reunited with her true family and her music box. The only real villains here are stepdad,his son and the twins.