These are my short notes before the series finale.
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Episode 13
A. Dam’s conversation with the Mountain Spirit
MS: Those that are not human don’t know what it is to be humane. I wanted him to experience it himself. I wanted him to learn what it’s like to feel desperate, hurt, and happy. Like Hye Sun did.
Dam: I don’t understand what you’re saying.
MS: What turns the Bead blue is humanity.
Dam: Humanity?
(cheesy background music)
MS: WooYeo may think the Bead finally gave him the answer after 1000 years because he met you, but his Bead has turned blue once before.
Ahhhh. So he lacks self-awareness. He didn’t realize that his Bead once turned blue. He thought Dam was the first time. But…but…but…he had reason though to think Dam was special because it was the first time that his Bead went flying out of him and into Dam. That was an unusual encounter.
MS: (continuing) When he faced the death of the first person he cared for and learned what sadness was. But he chose to close his heart after that, thus missing the chance to make his dream come true. Then, the moment he got curious about you…
Flashback: the marble turned blue inside her, and he dismissed her.
MS: (continuing) the moment he felt bad for you, and therefore, the moment you brought his desire to become a human back, the Bead gave him the answer.
In short, Mr. Fox got burned.
He didn’t want to care for somebody again because his first experience taught him that it was bound to be end up tragic. He gave up on his goal to become human because he didn’t want to go through that ordeal again. That’s why he accused the Mountain Spirit of being a cruel person. In his mind, the Mountain Spirit enjoyed seeing him suffering.
Additionally, meeting Hyesun was a mixed blessing. Sure, she gave him advice. But given her personal tragedies, Hyesun had a fatalistic perspective on how gumihos transformed into humans. She believed that all relationships turn bad in the end.
Hyesun magnified his fear and trepidation, instead of allaying them.
Fortunately, meeting Dam counteract Hyesun’s influence. Because of her, he revived his desire to become human. But he had to do a balancing act. On one hand, he had to consider Hyesun’s well-intentioned but rather cynical advice on becoming human. On the other hand, his #1 concern was Dam’s protection. Nothing — not even his human transformation — takes priority over Dam’s safety.
MS: (continuing) So I wanted to stimulate him. I upset him. I frustrated him. I put him in a situation he didn’t want where he didn’t have to give you the Bead to earn energy, thinking those might help.
Like the red string of fate with Tiger Sunbae Sunwoo. The Mountain Spirit wanted to impress upon Mr. Fox that Dam wasn’t needed for the Marble to turn blue. But this was still an insufferable move by the Mountain Spirit. He till made use of a human being to achieve his own ends.
MS: (continuing) I have always felt for him, and I still do.
Dam: Why didn’t you say this to him?
Good question. Why didn’t he say so?
MS: Just because you know where you’re headed doesn’t mean you can get there.
In other words, Mountain Spirit did this out of the goodness of his heart.
I really detest this trope in kdramas and that’s one reason I ditched “Doom at Your Service.” I call this the “Good God!!!” trope. Like a master puppeteer pulling the strings of his puppet, the god-figure in the kdrama forces the hero to act according to his “divine” wishes because he knows what’s best for the hero.
Look: if the hero were to copy the deity’s behavior, he’d be shamed for playing dirty and being manipulative. But the deity in the drama is given license to break any morality clause because, for one, he’s god and for another, he’s doing it for the hero’s own good. What a crock.
Dam: Then why are you telling me this?
MS: Because I think you may be able to find the way.
Dam: (ponders)
MS: Should I give you a hint?
Dam: A hint?
MS: Some take off their jackets when the wind is strong while some take off their jackets when the sun shines warmly. Which type do you think Woo Yeo is?
Ugh! Here goes the Mountain Spirit again, trying to sound Confucian with this mumbo-jumbo.
Why didn’t he just say so?
He already knew that Hyesun is different from WooYeo?
I didn’t think the Mountain Spirit meant it literally, though. lol.
From Episode 14
A. Pillow talk
@Janey said it was their “Fermina Daza speech” to each other.
Fox: I love it. How you trust me. And how you’re here by my side. I love it.
Dam: And what else do you love?
Fox: How you ask me if I slept well. How you eat anything deliciously. Your smile.
Then, it was Dam’s turn.
Dam: When we first started living together, I said I was craving yum woon sen, and you went out and got it even though you don’t eat any food. Right, when I had bad period cramps, you went out for the dating project for me. When I was worried about my future, you took me to a museum and comforted me. In times like those, I thought you were much more humane than I am. Please continue to show me those sides. If we start with such little things, this might work.
I noticed that Mr. Fox and Dam had different sort of memories.
With Dam, she had distinct memories of specific occasions. But with Mr. Fox, he remembered broad and general qualities. His memories weren’t tied to one particular moment, but something she did over and over again. He remembered her habits and her traits.
To me, it makes sense that the writer would delineate their differences. For Dam who lived just a short life, a memorable thing would be linked to a specific moment in time. But for somebody like Mr. Fox who existed for 999 years, he would recognize and appreciate her immutable qualities.
So her smile would be something memorable for him, and it wasn’t a cliched, cheesy remark. He would fall in love with that smile because that smile was distinctly hers and unchanging.
B. Goodbye, Tiger Sunbae!
I like how Dam didn’t send this guy mixed signals. She was consistent and upfront about her feelings. If heroines in kdramas treated second male leads like this, there would be less shipping wars.
Tiger: Dam. I like you. I like that you speak so casually and the way you look when you glance at me carelessly. I like everything about you.
Dam: Sunbae.
Tiger: There were times I thought I was just confused because I couldn’t make you like me. But I don’t think that’s the case.
Okay, so he admitted that he started “chasing her” was out of pique. lol. I’m still smiling at that preposterous way Dam rolled out of his way.
Tiger: (continuing) I like you. I know what you’re going to say. Still, I wanted to say it one last time.
Dam: One last time?
Tiger: I’m going to go study abroad.
hahaha. This is so kdrama! Every rich kid in Korean with a broken heart ends up studying in America.
Tiger: This can be a confession of love or a goodbye. You can take it however you like.
Dam: (offering her hand) Goodbye, Sunbae.
Thanks, @Janey, for the tip. We can watch this actor in “Kiss Goblin,” a webtoon now available in Viki. He’s the male lead there so he has a happy ending.
C. “Taking off his jacket”
I admit that I didn’t see this coming. I didn’t expect “taking off his jacket” to be a metaphor and a prelude to mating at the same time.
Dam: I should have discussed with you in the first place. The things I couldn’t change no matter how hard I tried seem to change since you realized it yourself. Now I get it. You’re the kind of person who takes off the jacket when exposed to warm sunshine for a long time.
Dam: (continuing) To be honest, there’s another reason why I’m living with you.
Fox: What?
And she told him about her encounter with the Mountain Spirit
Dam: Are you okay?
Fox: I’m glad. I thought your sacrifice was what changed the color of the Marble, and it made me feel bad. But I’m glad that wasn’t the case.
Dam: (holds his hand)
Fox: Still, we should be careful. There’s still the hunger issue so it can still be dangerous.
Dam: (grabbing his hand again) I said, don’t worry. There’s no way I’ll be in danger. Actually, when I met the mountain spirit, I asked him a favor. I said I would make sure to turn you into a human, so I wanted him to keep me from any sickness or death. We made an agreement.
Fox: You always surprise me.
I like that Dam has a strong sense of self-preservation.
Overall, I enjoyed watching this series. I’m glad that writer didn’t try to make a feminist icon of Dam. The kdrama didn’t come across as preachy or in-your-face about what constitutes a great heroine like the Disney films nowadays. (Frankly, I’m getting tired of heroines who have to badass because they’re hurting, misunderstood, in fear, or seeking revenge.) I like that Dam is cheeky, witty, and self-aware. She didn’t drive me nuts, like most heroines do, with indecisiveness.
Comedy aside, there’s still a strong message for its young audience about daring to be different, standing up to bullying, following one’s passions, supporting one’s friends, avoiding toxic people, and being assertive.
Dear @PackMule3, there are many great messages in this show. After a time you get that Tiger destroyed his opportunity with Dam at the very beginning just by reducing her to a bet. Then when he showed he had no empathy nor values while listening to his “friends” grading Dam. You could said his Hubris destroyed his relationship with her.
Just like Maggot in “Hospital Playlist”, everything came to him so he did not value anything. Maggot by being the only GS Resident. Tiger by being handsome and rich. At least you can see Maggot working XD .
Like we say here, “otra cara bonita”, {[just] another pretty face}.
But I also like that he learned from his mistakes. He learned to oppose his gang when they were up to no good.
This was the heartbreak that made him grow. And that is nice 🙂 .
BTW, it seems that the metaphor of the jacket referred to:
1.- Ms. Fox is the kind of people that learns by heartbreak. The episodes that forced her to learn and reconsider her values) were when she hurt others, and that made her to vow never to impose hell on herself. She takes her jacket when its windy. She was always open to change so she arrived 300 years before her time was up.
2.- Mr. Fox needed to open-up. He needed to welcome change, so he needed a carrot (Dam) for that information to flow in.
And sorry dear @PackMule3. After watching a possible future to Mr. Fox (the Maegu) just a few months away I get that Mountain Spirit was alarmed and made an “intervention”. A hamfisted one. We don’t see him intruding in Ms. Fox’s business since she was not in danger and was diligent in becoming human.
Would you let me not to be with you in this one? 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 pretty pretty please? 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺
That does not mean I liked what he did, but he did it to avoid having to destroy Mr. Fox. And using Dam, even if he never put her in danger, was hard. Desperation is never a good counselor. But like oh so many times, Dam’s common sense and directness saved the day.
Guess the Mountain Spirit was aghast in how strong was her will, but he also smiled when he discovered she could be relied upon 😀 . That is something every parent wants to see in a potential mate for their offsprings 😉 .
Thanks @PM3!!! I’m looking forward to the last 2 episodes but will definitely miss this show. So many lessons and likeable characters in this show.
I like Dam’s character overall and she is someone I’ll stand behind as a FL. She is very authentic and the only way you can be one is if you have a good sense of self. She is not aiming to be perfect or be ms goody two shoes either. And you’re right, if FLs are as straightforward as Dam with their feelings for their admirers, then there will be no SML syndrome. She even accomplished that with the red string of fate! She is really strong minded.
The other character I like is JJ, for his guileless personality even though it can be considered unmasculine or losers. Unlike Dam though, he is too nice. He needs to also take care of himself and find the right partner to appreciate him.
Although I dislike what the meddling mountain spirit did to Pox, I should say he has a patience of a god by waiting 999 years to do this. Hahaha! He probably tried in many ways we don’t know of but he is running out of time and needed drastic action. Like @FGB, I understand why he had to intervene.
I’ll try to join you for the Friday rewatch. It’s a great way to end the show and I’m definitely rooting for a super happy, hilarious ending.
Dear Pakcmule3,
thank you for this post. I also agree about your opinion regarding Dam’s personality. Her character is so refreshing in this Kdrama world. I especially adore her boldness. I like that she is straightforward and not misled Tiger Sunbae in a way, however she still can be respectful towards him. She knows how to stand up whenever the problem comes, I like how she solved her problems when:
1. Tiger Sunbae and her friends bet on her;
2. When she is starting to have a feeling towards Mr Fox, but Mr Fox still didn’t know about his own feeling;
3. When Mr Fox told her about the red thread between Tiger Sunbae and her;
4. When Mountain Spirit finally told her about why he did all those things to Mr Fox.
I learn a lot from her character, and I hope many viewers would also learn many things from this drama. Aside from what has been said in this post, my highlight lesson would be the honesty between the main couple. I like how they both tell each other what’s really going on. Of course there were some misunderstandings, but their honesty would lead the way on how they would solve those misunderstandings. I remember that during watching this drama I don’t have this irritating feeling whatsoever (that I usually had during watching romance dramas) on this couple relationship dynamics.
Moreover, the second lead couple is so funny. They bring us laughter and sweetness too. They are one of my personal favorites couple in dramas this year. 🙂
Thanks @pkml3. @Janey, @FGB, @moonstar, Dam is one heroine I can get behind without having to reconsider. Show has the stuff I look for in approving a drama,… like growth in the characters. So I am also uber pleased at JJ’s trajectory and even Hye Sun’s. I’m not too sure about Soo Kyung… but now we have 2 more episodes to see how well Fox/Pox develops.
@FGB what a nice way to explain taking the jacket off under windy or hot conditions. I admit I never thought of it this way. The winds of change made Hye Sun adapt quickly and hence also learn how to be more human faster. The slow burn of the hot sun took several hundreds more years with Fox/Pox. He’d probably buttoned up his jacket too tight against the wind to begin with!
I hope to be able to join all the gang at the Friday watch/rewatch. Keeping fingers and toes crossed 😉
For Reply 1988 fans, the casting in MRIAG of Hyeri as Lee Dam and Ko Gyung Pyo as the mountain spirit added to the fun of this show. I wasn’t quite clear on how Dam was able to use the red thread to reel in the mountain spirit when she wanted to continue her conversation with him, but I got a kick out of how their dynamic changed with her take-charge attitude. Dam certainly had a lot of growth as a character, going from passing out from fright at seeing Shin Woo Yeo in his gumiho shape to bossing around a mountain spirit.
Start-Up fans also have the fun of seeing Kang Han Na as Hye Sun and Kim Do Wan as Jae Jin become the second couple. KHN has been able to show comedic as well as dramatic acting skills in her role here. She’s also been able to imbue her character with vulnerability alongside a touch of menace. In many ways I think Hye Sun has been my favorite character to watch in MRIAG because she’s complex.
Although we’ve got two more episodes to go, I imagine most of us will take away from this show the sauna ice room scene as our favorite, because the actors so fully committed to the goofiness of it.
I hope by the end of the show some loose ends are tied up satisfactorily. Why was Dam’s mother not susceptible to Fox’s mind control? Was Fox ever identified to the police as a possible suspect in the assault of the book company employee who was later murdered in the hospital?
SPOILER: Ugh not going to get a happy ending until the final episode. It ended in a cliff hanger …. I suspect those tears he is shedding in the teaser will lead to him finally becoming human. 🤞
I love this drama so much after vincenzo 🤓
I cant explain how much i love this one.
Comedy and romance is balance.
the story easy to follow, i never skip any scene, bcs its very entertaining me. I found my self waiting every weds-thurs to meet mr pox, dam, hyesun, jae jin, sunwoo,soo kyung 🦊
Mr pox and hyesun so funny when they have conversations, hyesun always make conversation turn to be funny🤣
I also love sunwoo and his sister seo woo bickering😁
Dear @GB,
Ms. Fox takes her jacket off when it is windy: really bad experiences forces her to reconsider her ways. The thing that opens her up is extreme suffering, then she is open to change.
Mr. Fox takes his jacket off when it is sunny: he needs to feel safe to feel confident enough, get out of his shell and open up to experiences 😉 .
That’s my interpretation, I could be wrong 😀
Agreeing with everyone’s thoughts.
Re the Mountain Spirit, I also had the same question as Dam (and @packmule’s gifs lol) while watching — why didn’t the Mountain Spirit just tell Fox?
But I’m glad that they kept the “mysterious / philosophical” non-explanations throughout the series mostly to a minimum, and that Mountain Spirit’s explanation to Dam on humanity, etc. generally made sense. TBH, i dropped Doom At Your Service by Episode 8ish or so because I got impatient with the nonsensical supposedly-deep stuff the deity kept doing and saying. Personally, I had no idea what was happening with the plot and why it was happening. 🙈 Anyway, Im glad I didnt find MRIAG go that route. General story and concepts remained simple.
On Dam, I agree with everyone that she’s a relatable and great heroine. She’s strong and honest and has a great sense of self-worth. But she’s also warm, sweet, friendly, and very normal. Im happy that she never turned into those heroines that are described to be “strong” and “independent” when in truth they are just stupidly reckless or annoyingly sassy/bratty.
@FGB, thanks for the jacket explanation! Tbh, I didn’t the understand the “take off when it’s sunny vs take off when it’s windy” thing they were talking about. I thought it was a Korean expression that somehow got lost in translation. But your explanation helps me understand. 🙂