I’m going to repost this as a “Throwback Thursday” (I know it’s Monday) post to hide the comments.
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3. Mealtime dynamics
This blog was the first to analyze the kalguksu dinner in Season 1, Episode 2. Based on all Reply series, I knew that, for this writer and director, the mealtime dynamics is predictive of the couple’s romance.
So let’s see what we can glean from this tteokbokki lunch in Season 2, Episode 4. It began with Songhwa calling IJ about the drumstick in the cafeteria menu.
Songhwa: Hey, they’re serving drumsticks today. Hurry!
IJ: Really? Darn it. What a bummer! I’ve a lunch meeting today.
Songhwa: What’s it for? Do you have a conference?
IJ: It’s an important tteokbokki meeting, which was scheduled last week. They’re all waiting for me.
Songhwa: I thought you had a conference or something. Okay.
IJ: I’ll stop by your office for coffee. Are you staying late today?
Songhwa: Mmm. You should hurry. Enjoy your meal.
IJ: Thanks, enjoy your lunch.
Comments:
a. We learned that this tteokbokki lunch had been in the works for a week. IJ and Jang knew who the VIP guest was. JW.
b. But although Jang knew that JW was coming, she didn’t request for special food for JW. It was baffling to me that she didn’t she know that JW’s aversion for spicy food. They’ve been dating over a month now.
c. Not included in the lunch: Songhwa and JWan. I’m not sure about SH. He didn’t seem to be an invited guest, judging from IJ’s comment and Minha’s surprised face.
d. Songhwa called IJ up because she regarded him as her TWIN brother who would get excited about the drumsticks too.
e. Considering that all JW had to eat here was the steamed egg, it would have better for him had he gone to the cafeteria and eaten drumstick.
Then Minha arrived with the lunch for the tteokbokki meeting.
Minha: (dropping two heavy sacks on the table)
IJ: Don’t tell me you got one for each person. We don’t do that here. My gosh what’s all this?
Jang: (in a cutesy voice) Anyeonghaseyo. Is the tteokbokki here already?
IJ: Gyeoluh-na. Does Chuchu always order this much?
Jang: Why?
IJ: Minha ordered three full servings!
Jang: I can finish one by myself.
She knew that JW was coming so where was her order for JW’s meal? If she was going to finish one full serving for herself, that would leave 2 full servings to be shared by the three people: Minha, IkJun and JW.
IJ: (understanding) Ah…
Minha: This is half and half. The original flavor. (giving it to Jang)
IJ: That one is quite spicy.
Jang: I love spicy food.
IJ: Oh no. Jeongwon can’t handle spicy food. (stopping)
Noteworthy:
a. IJ was such a blabbermouth. It was a good thing that Minha already knew about JW. And this was the SECOND time he almost spilled the beans.
b. As I said, how come Jang didn’t know about JW’s food taste? They’ve been dating for over a month now.
c. More importantly, as soon as she was told that JW couldn’t handle spicy food, she should have looked for an alternative food for JW to eat.
Jang: Ah. She knows. Dr. Chu knows. I told her. She’s the only one at Yulje who knows about it.
Minha: I congratulated her for beating God.
IJ: (snapping fingers) That’s right. Uri Gyeoluh beat God.
IJ: (continuing) What did you get for us?
Minha: The mild flavor. By the way, didn’t you say you invited one more person?
IJ: Yes. I did. I got it right this time. (smiling at Jang) Where’s this prick?
He was referring to JW, of course.
SH: (walking in)
IJ: Hey! Don’t you dare barge in here!
SH: (checks the door sign)
Minha: (setting a place for him beside here) Hello.
SH: Anyeong. I thought this was the GS Medical Office. What are you guys doing here?
He was surprised to see them in the Obstetrics-Gynecology lunchroom, and thought he had mistakenly walked into the GS Medical Office. Minha looked surprised and IJ was only waiting for JW.
IJ: We’re eating tteokbokki, obviously.
Minha: Have some tteokbokki. The steamed eggs, too.
IJ: The steamed eggs are mine. I’m going to eat all of it.
Minha: Well, okay. (returning it)
SH: It’s fine. That petty jerk can have it all. (looking at the food) Is this one spicy?
Minha: It’s the mild flavor. Can you not eat spicy food?
SH: I can. I like spicy food.
The director was obviously setting up a comparison between SH/Minha and JW/Jang.
Although SH was a surprised guest, Minha immediately stood up and prepared food to share with him. She didn’t know about his food preference because they haven’t gone out on a date. But when she learned that he liked spicy food, she eyed Jang’s spicy food.
In contrast, Jang had a WEEK to prepare for JW’s food yet she did nothing. Then, when she found out that he couldn’t handle spicy food, she didn’t act quickly to find him alternative food.
Minha: (looking over at Jang)
Jang: (protects her bowl and pulling it closer to her)
Wrong move, girl.
Jang should have offered SH a taste — either out of kindness or to make a good impression. After all, SH is JW’s oldest friend.
SH: This one’s good too. Dig in. (he opens a drink carton and offers Minha) Here.
Minha: Oh, thank you. You should have some too.
SH: Sure.
Minha: Here. Have some rice balls, too.
SH: You too. Eat up.
Minha: Okay.
IJ eyed them suspiciously. Although he didn’t say anything, we Flower Gardeners get it, of course. Although Minha and SH weren’t dating, they looked like they were dating from the way they attended to each other’s needs. This is a sneak peak of SH and Minha’s endgame.
Note: This slow romance between SH and Minha is how a romance of a man in his forties would be like. Remember what the Director said about Hospital Playlist?
“I also wonder whether love in your forties is like this. It’s been 20 years since they were in their twenties. During that time, they would have met many people and formed many relationships, and they’re at an age where old memories alone are not enough to live each day with passion. They’re no longer at the age to passionately fall in love at first sight or where emotions of love overtake your everyday life. I wonder whether the difference in writing from today’s typical romance or the speed of the relationship is the biggest reason.”
source: soompi love at 40
IJ: Gyeol-uh.
Jang: Yes.
Jang: Three. Two. One.
Then, JW entered in. They all welcomed him. The background music started playing.
A note on the background music since this music was played too during JW and Jang kissing scene in Episode 3.
This is equivalent to the fanfare music in the “I like you” scene in Episode 3. JW walked in the room when Songhwa and SeonBin were discussing about Songhwa’s potential boyfriend.
However, in contrast to that fanfare, this background music is for problematic for two reasons:
One, the original music was sung by Bijou. The original title is 누구보다 널 사랑해. Translated, it’s “I Love You More Than Anyone Else.” However, when you listen to the hook of the song, it sounded like the girl was singing, “I don’t want your love for me.”
I told @Good Twin, in the Alfresco thread, that rather than debate whether this was a mispronunciation or awkward English, it was better use of our time to investigate HOW this Director used this song in his previous work.
I found it in Reply 1997. Check it out in Kissasian. (Netflix replaced the song, probably because of copyright issue). Episode 9, time stamp 34:35. The same background music was playing when the Hyung proposed to Shiwon.
Hyung: (kneeling down) Shiwon. Will you go out with this oppa?
Shiwon: (silent)
Background music began opening strains.
Look at her face. She was uncomfortable about this.
Shiwon: Do I have to answer right now?
Background music: “I don’t want your love for me. I don’t want your love for me.”
Hyung: No. Take your time. (stands up) Shall we go? (offers his hand)
Shiwon: (doesn’t want to take his hand)
Hyung: (grabs her hand and leads her out.)
The Hyung and Shiwon dated for a short while, but they eventually broke up. She married her YoonJae, the real love of her life (and Seo InGuk’s character).
Thus, if I were a Winter Gardener, I’d be wary of this song. Although the singer was unintelligible, it’s clear as bell that the Director interpreted the lyrics as “I DON’T want your love for me.”
Okay. Let’s continue with the lunch dynamics.
IJ: Andrea, what took you so long? (offering him his tteokbokki bec it was mild) You do all the pediatric surgeries here?
JW: Yes, I actually do.
IJ: Right you do. It was an exclamation, not a question.
JW: (inhales) This is pretty spicy.
IJ: (agreeing) It’s probably too spicy for you.
Jang: (wordlessly giving him IJ’s steamed egg)
Are we supposed to say, “Brava”?
One, this dumb girl didn’t even know that her boyfriend couldn’t tolerate spicy food.
Two, she just borrowed the idea from Minha to give the steamed egg. It was just a side dish!
Three, she didn’t offer the rice balls, too.
Four, she had a week to plan this.
IJ: Gosh, seriously. How could you do this to me? Is this how you treat your Cupid?
Notice that he wouldn’t let Minha take the steamed egg, but when Jang took it from him, he cut her some slack.
IJ: (answering Songhwa’s call) Where are you? I’m fine with anything. Okay, I’ll see you there. Bye! I will starve myself.
Minha: Professor Lee!
SH: Was that Songhwa? Do you want to take this unopened box of rice balls?
IJ: It’s okay. I had enough food. Enjoy your lunch. Bye.
lol. That was a hint from the director, too. Just like SH was offering IJ a box of riceball to go, Jang could have offered some of the rice balls for JW, too. But she didn’t.
Compare and contrast.
Back in Season 1, Episode 12, Songhwa was also gobbling up her spaghetti — just like Jang was pigging out on the tteokbokki. The difference between the two, however, is that as soon as she heard that JW was working all night, she stopped chewing, and asked about JW’s risotto.
Then, an hour later, she heated it up for him so he would have something warm to eat.
Note the time. She even stood up to get water for him.
JW: When did you order this risotto? Did you just order this? At this hour? It’s nice and warm.
Songhwa: I thought you probably skipped dinner, so I put one aside for you. I microwaved it at the store.
And JW appreciated it.
To recap:
Jang had a week to plan the lunch meeting but she did nothing. All she was concerned about was stuffing her face with her spicy tteokbokki. When she heard that JW didn’t eat spicy food, she didn’t move to get him something else.
When measured against Songhwa, she failed abysmally.
Now do you see why Flower Gardeners refuse to believe that Jang-JW is the endgame?
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Two more to go. 🙂