The thread is now open for spoilers and discussions.
Hey, @Diane! Another “Start-Up” homage lol.
Gifs from deokmis’ tumblr:
source: deokmis’ tumblr
In my
humblesuperior opinion, Nam Joo Hyuk’s scene edged out Kim SunHo’s.Gif from yesdrama’s tumblr:
source: yesdrama’s tumblr
Chief Hong commented, “I guess someone got the romance going. It’s unnecessarily pretty.” He was grousing about the fireworks. He was about to say something more, when she interrupted with, “It really is pretty.” And he stopped because it struck him then that she was really pretty too, like the fireworks.
If “Hometown Cha Cha Cha” was my first kdrama, then I’d swoon and say, “Wow! What a romantic moment.”
But I’ve watched other dramas and I’ve seen this firework trope/“Gosh darnit! She’s pretty!” trope done so many times. And this scene pales in comparison to the same scene used in “Start-Up.”
In “Start-Up,” Suzy’s character just had a crying spell, and DoSan drove her around in the open convertible to calm her down. She looked out the window and saw the fireworks over “Sandbox” office building. She said wistfully, “It’s pretty.” Dosan glanced briefly at the fireworks, then gazed thoughtfully at her. He said, “Yes. How pretty.”
There was a double connotation in his response. Outwardly, he was casually agreeing with her that the fireworks were spectacular to look at. But secretly, he was declaring that he found her enchanting: teary-eyed, red nose, and all.
And THAT’s why I say that Dosan’s scene wins. Anybody can say that you’re pretty when you actually look great. The statement is just a confirmation.
But if a guy can look at you and still think you’re pretty when you’re feeling plain or ghastly, then his statement is a reassurance (or a big stinking lie…hahaha). He’s reassuring you that no matter how you look, he still likes you.
Do you see what I’m saying, @Diane?
Let’s enjoy the show!
Hey @packmule3, Your Start Up reference was spot on but I don’t find Kim Seon-ho objectionable in this role. His character in Start Up was a different story-give me DeSantis via Nam Joo-hyuk anytime. At least Kim seon-ho isn’t the male version of Shin Hyun Been-he isn’t a one note actor and he’s pleasant to look at. Lol…
🙂
To be honest, I’m still trying to make up my mind about this character and actor. Here’s where I stand as of Episode 6. As usual, take it or leave it…
1. So far, I’m not impressed with the actor’s delivery. He’s just…doing okay.
It’s a good thing that he’s playing a likable character, Chief Hong, because then he doesn’t have to do anything nuanced.
2. I see that he’s posturing for the camera.
Just look at the scenes when he’s required to have a swagger. Take for instance, in Episode 4, when he came out of the water with his surfboard. Did you notice what he did? He brushed his hair with his hand. Episode 6, when he came out of the café after HJ dismissed him, he brushed his hair again with his hand.
In my opinion, this hair-brushing is a nervous tic by the actor. NOT the character. This actor is NOT comfortable when he has to act “handsome.” lol.
3. And I say this, not because I’m an authority on him, but because I’ve been watching him (and the rest of the cast) on “2Days, 1 Night,” for a long time now. “2Days, 1Night” is actually my happy pill since Season 3 when PD HoJin Ryu was on helm.
This actor is actually a SHY guy. A nice guy. Too nice, if you ask me, because when he has to act devious (e.g., betray one of his crew, steal a chance, and so on), he looks strained. Like it goes against his natural inclination to be mean, but he has to do it for laughs.
Also, he’s reluctant to call attention to himself. He isn’t a scene-stealer. He lets other do the comedy and action, and he’s quite content to passively watch them.
There was an episode when one of the other cast members, Moon SeYoon, asked if Kim Seonho was there to participate or to spectate. That was a zinger, and it was true. If this actor had been given an ordinary face, he would nothing to add to the show. That’s why I’ve been complaining that he’s boring on the variety show. I don’t mind a self-effacing actor, just not on a variety show.
4. So far, the actor does NOT own this role. I can imagine a handful of actors who could have done the job equally, or perhaps better than him.
Like Kang Haneul, “When the Camellia Blooms”
Seo InGuk “Doom at Your Service” — I would have loved to see him with his country-fied accent here, lol.
Lee Jong Suk, “Pinocchio,” “W”
Nam Joo Hyuk, lol
Park Hyungsik “Strong Woman…”
Lee Seunggi
Do Kyungsoo
Yoo Seungho
Yoon ShiYoon, he looks goody two-shoes, too but he can play dark.
Gong Myung, Prince2 in “Lovers of the Red Sky.”
And…Jung HaeIn, he can beat KSH in a smiling contest, but he does dark well now that I’ve seen him in “D.P.”
See that? I can imagine any of these actors as Chief Hong because this actor hasn’t left his own distinct, unique stamp on the character yet.
5. To me, his goody-goody personality on the variety show isn’t much different to his character in this drama.
6. I really wish that writers and directors do not FANGIRL/FANBOY their own actors because their judgment becomes impaired.
7. The way I see it, Chief Hong is supposed to be an all-around Mr. Nice Guy with a dark secret/painful past. But the way, this actor is portraying the character, Chief Hong appears just…well…a bland guy. Take away all his altruistic acts, and his smiley face, and what is there about this guy that appears conflicted, vulnerable, doleful, and lonely?
None.
Take that book scene in Ep 6, for example. He read, “A first kiss tastes like mud, sunlight, and roses.” He goes through the motion… he sighs, blinks, touches his nose, stands up. He puts hand in pocket, steps around the room a bit, then touches. his. darn. hair. again.
Compare that scene to Gong Yoo’s scene in “Goblin” when he was reading the poetry, “Physics of Love.” Gong Yoo did nothing in that scene. He was sitting down the whole time as the poem was read in a voiceover. He didn’t move an arm or a leg.
But the audience can SENSE the change in him — just in his eyes. His eyes lost their intensity, they glazed over. He was looking at a distance. And then the girl walked over to him, and his eyes widened. He was seeing her up-close, but he was also seeing her — and her significance to his life — for the first time.
And Gong Yoo didn’t move from his chair.
https://youtu.be/Kldqp4Byyuk
My 2 cents.
@packmule3 I agree about KSH. He just does…okay here. I think it’s also to do with his self doubt. It bleeds into the roles he plays. When an actor doubts himself and can’t fully “believe” he is who he is portraying, it shows. The actors you listed above have self belief. They fully commit to the role and become the person they are playing. At least in their head anyway (you need to be able to switch off when the PD yells cut if you’re playing a psychopath). KSH always seems uncomfortable with the sudden adoration he’s received because of Start Up. If nothing at all all this attention has added to his self doubt? He’s not comfortable at all with this sudden “megastar” status. It’s like he’s embarrassed or something. I think in Start Up his self doubt didn’t matter as much because JP as a character was conflicted and had a lot of self doubt underneath all that anger and bravado. So it worked in his favour. Here as Chief Hong he’s supposed to be a man who has had his Walden awakening. He’s supposed to be composed and “sorted”. He is supposed to be completely at ease with his life as Chief Hong, whether he is surfing, fishing, making coffee, or doing handyman jobs everywhere in town. But I still see his self doubt seeping out. Through nervous tics like you mentioned. Shy and retiring is fine in real life but as an actor you have to leave that behind when the camera rolls. You have to just dive into the role (all in) and become the role you play when the camera rolls. You have to BE the character.
@packmule yes definitely thought of SU again when I saw this scene. There is one for each and every episode (someone actually collected and did a side by side comparison of everything). Just imagine if Nam Joo Hyuk did a cameo here as an investor. That would be hilarious!
100% agree on Nam Dosan’s “fireworks-pretty” scene is gazillion times better.
Looking forward to what the drama has in store for us this weekend.. I’ll be on the lookout for more SU references. Haha!
@packmule3 and @nrllee, I agree with you. Although, I’m find myself not really caring too much?? I think my approach to this show is more breezy and go-with-the-flow. I mean, if KSH delivers the acceptable minimum and is not glaringly incompetent next to his partner, then that’s just fine by me.
I just hope KSH will have developed enough nuance and skills by the time his mysterious past is revealed.
And on other possible actors — the idea of thinking of alternative actors is fascinating. 🙂
I agree the role would probably be easy a great fit for Kang Haneul (“When the Camellia Blooms”), and it would be a fun twist, too, because this time, he would be playing a pleasant/genius guy as opposed to a pleasant/slow-ish guy in “Camellia”.
And I agree, too, that Jung Hae In would be a great fit. I think he has a much wider range than KSH, a kind of depth that is hidden beneath the cute-boy image, but rises to the surface when the need arises (which is good for the Chief Hong role). I have yet to see DP, but I vaguely remember watching him in “Tune In for Love” where he played a character with a problematic/unfortunate past and present. Yeah, he can pull off adulty/non-cute.
Nam Joo Hyuk — don’t get me wrong, I *LOVED* NJH in “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo” and in Start Up he was super endearing (hands down, Team Do-San all the way!) — but I’m not sure if NJH has already shaken off his adorable puppy vibe. I’m a little unsure if he can pull off a character that exudes humble but actual authority over others, and a character whom people imagine to have done important/awful things in North Korea. lol.
@pandamilktea I agree. This is a fun watch and to be honest it’s not a melodrama that requires a huge range so I am just going with the flow and overlooking his occasional nervous tics. I also concur about Jung HaeIn. Loved him in Tune In For Love. And A Piece of Your Mind. And Prison Playbook. He completely fills his role whatever he’s given. He can do dark and light. Nam JooHyuk…I liked him in Radiant. But that was because I felt he fitted the role. And yes there’s a bit of a nerdy lost puppy look about him so I can’t picture him as Chief Hong. 😂
Not watching this drama but am commenting on this thread because I saw someone write Start-Up (😉), and @pm3 great analysis on KSH. Again, just like JGU was written for Shin Hyun Been, the character of Han Ji-pyeong was written for this guy, he is the goody two-shoes simpleton like you described his IRL persona to be, and doesn’t have to act cute all the time (that was for the lead, Nam Joo-hyuk, to do). I just don’t find this guy having a lot of screen presence, like he doesn’t leave a stamp, as you said. I’m seeing a lot of GIFs for this show, and even there, he appears strictly okay, nothing great. And I am unable to feel the chemistry between the pairing (contrary to Joo-Hyuk/Suzy or even Seon-Ho/Han-Na in Start Up, Han-Na is probably a great screen partner for him because she has such a vibrant presence in front of the camera, main or side role regardless, and compensates his lack of confidence nicely). Also, agree with the actor alternatives you have listed, they would definitely have brought in their own flavour to this character. Anyway, I think a large part of the audience (that’s BANNED from here lol) probably tune in for his cute dimples, which may have been what the makers wanted to achieve by casting him as the lead in the first place haha
@dashman1010, yeah, actually, he is kinda bland 😅😂
Chief Hong was a spy in North Korea?!!! Did I miss that scene? Or is this KSH fangirls making up stuff for Oppa? 😂
This is exactly my point, @pandamilktea.
If you and I can imagine another actor doing a BETTER job of Chief Hong, then for me, it’s a good indicator that this actor is underwhelming. He doesn’t OWN the role.
But all is not lost yet. It’s only Episode 6. Who knows if things will change next episode? 🤷♀️ He can still up his game midway through the series.
So far, when KSH does an important scene, like:
chase Juri around HyeJin’s house,
stare pensively at the umbrella,
dance on stage at the festival,
tease HyeJin about crossing lines, and
pretend to be bestie with the Seoul Producer
I can imagine Kang Haneul performing with more expressive energy,
Jung Hae In expressing more sensitivity,
Seo InGuk playing top dog,
and Kim Soo Hyun (“It’s Okay If You’re Not Okay”) charming my socks off as he makes coffee.
Kim Soo Hyun actually played a North Korean spy disguised as a village idiot in a film “Secretly, Greatly.” He made the green tracksuit famous.
It’s okay if it doesn’t bother you, but all I’m saying — my 2 cents worth — is his acting has still a long way to go. I can’t suspend my disbelief because he hasn’t assumed the role, his character, to the fullest extent of his abilities.
@packmule3, completely agreed. 😊 Regarding the spy in North Korea, sorry for the confusion, lol! Am happy to say this is NOT from the frenzy of the fangirls. 😂 I have a memory of a goldfish — Weren’t the Gongjin folks gossiping about him possibly being a soldier sent to North Korea (among other things) during the 5-year gap?? Anyway, that’s where my North Korea comment came from. 😅
@dashman1010,
Screen presence!! That’s it! I was looking for the right term. This actor doesn’t have screen presence. He doesn’t dominate the screen. He stands out now because he’s the male lead. But put him in a room with other actors his age, Kang Haneul (31), Jung JaeIn (30), Seo In Guk (33), Kim Soo Hyun (33), and his stage presence — relative to the others — will be obvious. As I said in 2Days, 1Night, he’s boring.
KSH is 35.
Shin Mina is actually doing great. She’s got this. Her character reminds me of an older Emma Woodhouse, Jane Austen’s heroine. She thinks highly of herself but she has a good heart. I guess she’s the feminine version of a tsundere.
I like the way she uses props too to show how she’s feeling. For instance, when she was faking her nonchalance after the kiss, she forgot that she’d screwed the cap back on her drink. When she visited Grandma to convince her to get implants, she had her purse stiffly in front of her like a shield. When she didn’t want to give him the wine, she hugged the bottle like it was a child she was sending off to kindergarten for the first time, then she patted her hair for self-approval.
Shin Mina is great as usual. Although I like the Hanna actress in “Start Up” and “My Roommate is a Gumiho,” Shin Mina owns this role.
Thank goodness KSH was cast in this and not as the lead in a more nuanced drama. This is middle-of-the-road stuff and it suits him well, even if we might prefer someone else. I’m happy enough, although Shin Mina out-acts him even non-verbally. I’m shallowly watching it for the surroundings, the characters, and a summery coastal feeling, so unless he ruins it I’m content.
This is a tangent, but I find it interesting when a less-than-gorgeous man is cast as a ML. It used to happen a lot in Hollywood and other places and it very occasionally happens in K-dramas. I’m thinking of Humphrey Bogart, Gerard Depardieu, Kim Dong Wook. Often they have a combination of great voice and acting skills. I like when someone who doesn’t *look* like a credible ML has me eating out of his hand later and believing the love story with their charisma alone. I know people will disagree, but for me, Gong Yoo and Seo In Guk were on the edge of this group until I saw them act.
I like being surprised that way. I will enjoy looking at a handsome man who can’t act, but he won’t make me feel swoony.
@Fern I agree about Seo InGuk. He’s not my idea of “handsome”. He would not have drawn my eye in a crowd normally. But when he acts on screen, there’s something about him that’s magnetic. Screen presence.
Very interesting post, @packmule3, and equally interesting analysis about KSH’s portrayal of the ML Chief Hong in HTCCC. I do like him in this role, maybe because it’s a simple role to play, has less shades of gray or conflict. I do agree with @packmule3 and many of you here that he doesn’t show enough nuanced acting prowess yet to play a more complex character. I liked @packmule3’s reference to Gong Yoo’s reminiscing about the effect of love to KSH’s thinking about his first kiss, and I completely get the difference in acting. But, to be fair, I also think it may be because KSH is still new to acting in dramas. I read somewhere that he comes from a theatre background. Maybe he still needs to hone his acting skills more. I found his eyes expressive in some scenes, but if I were him, I would smile less maybe (the fangirls would kill me🙈🙈). Too much smiling is suited to this role, but maybe sometimes his smile should have a shade of torment, if his dark past is still bothering him. I have no complaints on his looks though (here speaks my shallow heart( but is he boyfriend material in my eyes? Not yet, because I like complex and layered personalities, which are revealed layer by layer. Maybe Chief Hong will be that too eventually, I’m still hopeful KSH will mature as an actor with time. Those who spoke about his screen presence- absolutely on point. Contrast a Seo In Guk or LMH with him, and he is miles short in that.
I agree with @packmule3 on Shin Min Ah. She owns this role. Her character has so many layers and nuances, and she shows them all so well. But again she is a seasoned actor. So this is expected of her.
I actually like their sceens together, I think the pairing does work in this drama, and since it’s a feel-good drama, I end up feeling happy after watching the episodes. A large part is of course due to the direction, but I think the two leads are doing great too. I’m on board🙌
I thought this was supposed to be Shin Mina’s comeback drama ? She’s supposed to be the Spotlight here ? I always assumed so. I proposed that ML was a retired SK spy with PTSD. He clearly has PTSD (don’t they all?) But yeah. It never bothered me thay Shin Mina was out-shining because I expected that.:)
I’m enjoying them together too @phoenix ❤️
@Arihsi Yes, they both areaking the pairing work for me😊 I hope there’s not too much of a trianglr now because I hate those. I think your theory about Chief Hong being a spy is awesome 👌 I’m all set to watch the new episode now 🙌
Okay, I take my words nack. I liked the way KSH showed torment in the last svene of Episode 7. He does have something dark in his past. I went to see a psychiatrist in Eeoul, and I also think that is why he is stopping himself from confessing his love even though he clearly wants to.
Mystery no.3 of the village is out now too – any guesses on who won the lottery but is apparently hiding it (and why)? I think it’s the restaurant owner, I forgot her name. I remember she owns the house that is rented by Hye jin too.
Episode 7 and I quite like Lee Sang-yi as Seong-hyeon. I like his crew members. My favourite cameo is the little crab at 32.36.
I don’t think that Seong-hyeon is up to no good, but it seems to me that Gam-ri is vulnerable to kindness since her family seems to be so distant. When Song-hyun didn’t show up one day, her reaction was like Hye-jin’s when Chief Hong stopped crossing paths with her in the mornings. Seong-hyeon’s remark about the spoons being glad to be used must have inspired Gam-ri to think that her house would be glad to host a group of people for a change. S-h said that he enjoyed “hanging out with people more than anything else. Eating, laughing and talking together. That’s all there is to life, isn’t it?” Gam-ri is another hedgehog, like Hye-jin, with a soft interior.
I loved the games scene. The two men are quite equally matched and I think it’s a bit of a shock to Chief Hong. I liked the blanket washing as well.
Ah, does anyone get the feeling that Seong-hyeon keeps June sometimes separate from the rest of the group? He’s come to Gongjin twice without the others. He seems like a nice lad – too thin according to Gam-ri. It made me wonder if June is struggling with something.
I was surprised that they didn’t make Ju-ri sign a confidentiality agreement. Her hiccups were so funny.
@Phoenix, my guess for the lottery winner is Chief Hong. For someone who goes by minimum wage, he has fancy stuff ay home. My second guess is either the restaurant owner as you pointed out… or her husband/the village chief. If it’s been 3 years ago, it coincided w their divorce.
I was expecting more tension between Seong Hyeong and Du Sik over Hye Jin in this episode.
Also, that drunken scene when Du Sik said “Don’t leave me.” Felt disconcordant. He sure wasn’t drunken enough to be able to go out and sit out in the cold. Maybe it’s the alcohol talking. But it felt off. Forced. Just so Hye Jin could help carry him back inside.
@PM3, can you pls check if my comment got caught in your moderation or spam folder? Or I totally messed up and it didn’t post. 😉
Thanks!
You know what I’ve been thinking? Maybe because *most* kdramas use a particular set of scenes… We can’t even call them troupes… Those are situations so far as I understand. I’m talking about scenes. Drunk scenes, “ga-ji-ma or don’t go”, staring at each other, trauma, night mare, car scene etc etc etc we have too much context for comparison. Imagine yourself in office. Let’s say I’m a good employee, but an “okay” one. Not an “excellent” one. If you are my boss, you won’t spend your days thinking what if my this task or that task was done by some other xyz employee provided I do my job. That’s because usually, though offices do repetitive work, there is seldom 100% repetition. Whereas in kdrama, there is a long, loooong list of scenes that *every* other drama does. It’s getting exhausting now. So we have tons of different versions of ga-ji-ma, drunk scenes, I love you scenes, trauma nightmare shedding tears scenes – and thus, we may like a certain actor better than the other. Look wise all of them are good. Of course, there is place for excellence like HB or ML actor of Goblin etc. I’m talking generally.
I forgot to add jump in front of a bullet/car/truck scene, moderately unwell scenes, hospital scenes 😛
Yes, the “Gajima” scene, with matching pulling of hand! This time though Du Sik tugged at Hye Jin’s shoulder bag sling and forcing her to do the laundry with him.
Although I don’t remember what K-drama that was where the ML told the FL “Don’t go.” And I thought he pulled his arm. But we are shown later that that tugged at her bra band. Haha
Drunken piggy back scenes are also a trope! Though I liked how they did it here where Dusik told HyeJin to quit the act. And after putting her down, she immediately went for her shoe.
My favorite piggy back scene though though My Name is Kim Sam Soon where a drunken FL peed on ML’S Back
@Fern and @Welmaris, you’re right about the Cho Hui being _just_ Yeong Guk’s (one-way) first love!!! 😊 It also seems like Cho Hui is unaware of Yeong Guk’s feelings for her before. She just really treasured their friendship trio.
Though frankly, I still don’t get Yeong Guk’s appeal. I can’t see why Hwa Jeong still seems to love him. (Though I’m sure the show will slowly reveal Yeong Guk’s positive virtues in later episodes.)
@Phoenix, I’m not a fan of love triangles, too!!! 🤗😂 I don’t know, I just always find myself feeling awkward/sad/cringey for the third wheel. I always wish I could tell the third wheel, “Dude/Girl, save yourself the heartache, have some self respect, get out of this awkward scene!” 😂 I mostly fast forwarded the scenes where HJ and Seong-Hyeon were talking, and Du-Sik kept trying to insert himself into the conversation. 😅
I think the show wants us to jump to the conclusion that Du Sik won the lottery (????) But I suspect it wasn’t him because that guess would be too predictable. My initial guess is on Hwa Jeong, too. I like this part of the show that keeps its viewers guessing. 😊 (3rd mystery; Du Sik’s past)
And on KSH. Okay. I dont know if its an acting fail on his part, or I wasn’t just paying too much attention while watching. But that scene where he was outside, drunk, and he opened his eyes, and Hye Jin said, “I know that look.”
Well, it didn’t look to me that he was about to cry. I thought he was going to kiss her. 😂 So yeah. KSH’s acting nuances… are not yet fully developed. Lol.
@CheekyChu, there are so many piggyback scenes, I don’t even remember which one I liked best (sweetest/most heart-fluttery). Off the top of my head, I can think of the Weightlifting Fairy scene where the Female Lead got drunk. But even then she wasnt even carried piggyback style, I think? Wasn’t she placed inside a grocery cart? Lol.
@pandamilktea your last sentence madee LoL 😆 so I call them actors-in-learning. Like growth mindset you know 😜 the ML of true beauty (I’m terrible with names) is also a part of this still-learning club.
I’m loving Shin Mina though.
Made me*
I’m rather thinking that Lee Sang-yi is a better actor than KSH. I know he’s not the endgame, but I can’t help it. I loved his interactions with Gam-ri while he was washing the dishes. The dialogue could have been very corny but he pulled it off.
@pandamilktea Haven’t watch that one yet. But Arihsi’s recent post about usual K-drama “tropes” made me remember the few funny ones that I saw, that even if they followed the same trope, ended differently.
@Fern, Seong Hyeong’s character is fun (even Chief Hong is impressed by him); he’s even more sensitive of Hye Jin’s needs, her broken back etc. Vs Du Sik who is imposing on her.
Anyway, HP left me heartbroken. So I needed a balm to soothe my wounded FlowerGarden heart. Since I am certain that it’s SikHye all the way, I just hope that SH would make their journey to love worthwhile.
@packmule3 there is a meta reference to sweeping hand through hair near the end of episode 8. Clearly you’re not the only one who noticed this tic! Very sweet show. There is also a reference to a comedy with a sad ending – I hope that is not a forewarning. Also, the man who is stalking the women feels very Do Do La La … hopefully that will get resolved quickly.
@Arihsi, love the term “actors-in-learning!”
Like many of you, I think KSH is not a very confident actor. Thankfully this character suits him well. SMH nails her character though!
I am enjoying how we get to know one side character/family more through their interaction with HJ each episode. I hope we see enough character growth in HJ and DS as they get to know each other more before they decide to get together.
@Good Twin,
The constable in this drama was Rara’s creepy stalker in DoDoLaLasol. 😂
Ref KSH being an actors-in-learning, last scene ep 8… His expressions are totally off ? He’s supposed to demonstrate surprise, worry, relief… I don’t know ? If I look at him in isolation in this moment, I’d say he saw a ghost.
I am really enjoying this show, but have to agree that KSH is fine and pleasant but not great or impactful in any way. @pm3 is right that any of the actors she named would do a great job in the same role. But, still, I am enjoying it. And Shin Mina is great as always.
I also noticed the meta reference in ep. 8 when the PD told one of the band members in the show to stop running his hand through his hair. Lol.
I appreciate all of your points, and had similar thoughts on another actor when watching another series. I do not think _anyone_ would say KSH is in the same league as far as acting skills as Gong Yoo. I mean, Gong Yoo has all of 2 scenes in Squid Game (ultra violent and definitely not for everyone, but I could not stop watching it this weekend) and they are both really mesmorizing. GY completely runs circles around another at-least-equally famous and celebrated Hallyu star who also has a featured role and just a few scenes in the series. But other than the surprise factor of seeing this other famous star, it similarly occurred to me that his role could have been just as ably played by someone else. Not true of the Gong Yoo role – as @packmule3 says, he completely owned it.
my wild guess is that chief hong won the lottery and that some bad people learned of it so they did something to him for the money. i kind of know someone who’s had several kidnapping attempts bec he won the lottery. he lives very privately now. but there were also some flashbacks on someone being murdered or dying. maybe he got involved w someone being killed but he blamed himself for it cause he wasnt able to help. thats why now he does all kinds of helping to everyone! 🙂
So many mysteries in Gongjin. Little town w many secrets.
I wonder who the abductor/woman stalker is. Could it be the assistant director?
Though I hope it’s not the policeman.
Something’s also off w Seong Hyung. Giving me stalker-ish vibes now.
Nice backstories about how Hye Jin worked her way through school. She also has a good sense of justice after it was shown that she would run after scammers even in the day.
About the previews for the next episode, what are your takes on why Du-Shik introduces himself as Hye-Jin’s boyfriend?
Does he stay with her after the hug because she is afraid of the stalker but her parents suddenly show up so he needs to say that? (But what about her best friend?) Does she ask him to be her bodyguard/boyfriend to feel protected?
Glad she didn’t kiss a sleeping Du-Shik. *Consent is needed.*
Good for her for standing up to victim-shaming when the police asked the the gossip lady how she could be so gullible.
I find Seong Hyung suspicious, too. He is too nice to everyone. I would think his kindness is calculated, and he has a secret agenda. BUT that’s me, speaking as my distrusting and cynical self haha. (If I were a resident of Gongjin, I would be that petite bespectacled lady who is always cynical and pessimistic. Lol.)
Objectively and within the context of the show, I think he’s just meant to be nice?? Someone who is a worthy match against Du Sik?? Though tbh I find him/the actor a little more compelling than Du Sik/KSH. But anyway we know this is a very straightforward love story. I just hope he wont be too sad and broken-hearted in the end. Maybe he will find love in his assistant director (?). Maybe she has a crush on him. 🙃
On the sexual predator at large, I’m trying to rack my brain if we previously met a character who didn’t seem important enough. BUT IF the show will be gutsy enough to make the criminal one of the likeable main stays, maybe it’s the policeman? Only because it’s more unlikely to be the ex-husband and Bora’s dad? But hopefully it’s not him. I kind of like his rotisserie chicken romance.
@pandamilktea I hope it’s not the policeman. Or any of the characters we have seen thus far. Already luvin the Gongjin village folk, even the town gossip. One of the crew perhaps?
Did you notice the clothes strewn on the floor w soju bottles (scene after landlady saves school teacher from the abductor)? I wonder what it meant. It seemed out of place. But it will surely have significance in the future.
@CheekChu those were the missing clothes — Bora’s mom missing blue dress (thought to have been blown away) and the red bra. I thought the shot just confirmed that the abductor is some sort of perverted sexual predator.
@CheekyChu, the clothes on the floor were the missing bit from the wash lines that the stalker was stealing: the dress, the red bra. Pervy. Could it be the grope-y guy who was caught at the dental office?
Yes, at some level Seong-hyung is calculating, too. Chief Hong realised that he planned the meal for himself and June at Gam-ri’s. She wouldn’t normally have enough food to entertain 5 guests, right?
Seong-hyung is really going after Hye-jin. My question is, why didn’t he try to ask her out when she lived nearby, in Seoul. Why wait until she moved away? He said early on that he was looking for her for a long time. I would almost bet that he arranged or suggested June’s dental appointment with her back in the city. He remembers many small details about her. He must have had a crush on her from long ago.
@pandamilktea, great minds think alike. I was still writing when you posted, so I agree with you.
And yup, me too, I also hope it isn’t any of our favorite village folk!
@Fern, oooh. The gropey dental patient!!! Could be! He has a history, too, IIRC.
*IF* the person walking behind Hye-jin was the abductor, we can rule out any of the village folk who were watching the filming and anyone related to the crew. But that person behind Hye-jin may also have been someone completely innocent – we weren’t shown the person at all.
Yes, @pandamilktea, Chief Hong said something about Mr Gropey’s record. It would be handy for it to be him. 😉
Looking back at the possible abduction, I think that Hwa-Jeong had a good look at him. If it were someone she knew, she would have said so. We can see a bit of his profile – it doesn’t look like a villager we know to me. But it must be someone who lives locally because he seemed to get back home very quickly.
Thanks @pandamilktea and @Fern. Oh right there was a red bra. What I I saw first the beige/skin tone bra and the shoes. That’s why I didn’t think it was the missing clothes. Also, must be my phone lighting, but the dress looked more purple to me.
And I thought this was a lighthearted drama. On top of DuSik’s traumatic past and Seong Hyeong’s stalkerish vibes, we now have a sexual predator to deal w in the village.
I had hoped for a drama without serial killers/predators. My hopes have been shattered, but I will continue to watch. Please no terminal illness or Truck of Doom!
I laughed heartily after reading @pkml3’s note on the posturing of KSH/Du Sik who pushes back his hair, when in Ep 8 Seong Hyeon tells the idols June and In Woo to stop touching their hair, and Du Sik protested: “What’s wrong with that!” Show is intentionally mocking itself.
My guess as to why Yeong Guk and Hwa Jeong divorced is that Hwa Jeong never saw Yeong Guk react towards her the way he does to Cho Hui. She was too tomboyish to call forth his simpering gallantry. But being a simple guy who’s easily led, he fell into her plans to get married because she wanted to.
When she couldn’t get over the fact that even as her husband, he’d never regard her in the same starry-eyed first love way, or the fact that it was she who had presumably confessed and proposed to him (this is based on what he said), she decided to divorce him. Again the force of her personality compared to his weak one, enabled her to get her way.
I’m guessing it was her sense of not being the one who was chosen, but the one who chose that may have made her bitter. It might still have been fine if silly Yeong Guk had not worn his heart on his sleeve over Cho Hui, because that told Hwa Jeong how differently he regarded her. Knowing that vast difference in treatment, might have affected her pride.
@GB I laughed at Nam Sook’s reaction when she over head Hong asking Ji PD if he wanted to eat ramyeon.
I meant “overheard”.
Yes, so did I @Feifei! So much fake news that she can gossip about!
@Growing Beautifully, and @Feifei, yes, that was great. Her face could make a perfect meme.
@Growing Beautifully, I agree about Hwa Jeong feeling that was because of being so obviously 2nd choice. I was really taken aback when she switched into formal speech with Cho Hui. I think it broke Cho Hui’s heart.
@Fern, I agree. I feel sad for Cho Hui who genuinely seems to want the continuation of friendship with Hwa Jeong, and at the same time I understand Hwa Jeong’s sentiments. Pity our Yeong Guk is so dim. If only he could read the signs of Cho Hui’s disinterest, and just rein in his own schoolboy-style crushing on her, … but that’s never the way in a drama.
Yes, it was a really sad scene. I don’t think Hwa Jeong will stay distant, though. It’s not her style. Even if her husband’s feelings make her bitter, it’s not Cho Hui’s fault. Hwa Jeong is a very sensible person and kind-hearted as well, after what I’ve seen in her interactions with Hye-Jin. I think that Hwa Jeong would actually have been a good teacher.
@Fern, it was nice that Hwa Jeong was the one who thanked and apologized in NamSook’s behalf to Hye Jin. Obvs she has also raised her son well on her own.
I don’t see the charm of her husband though. And I wonder what caused the divorce. Ah the first mystery of Gong Jin!
I agree, @CheekyChu. He seems like comic relief rather than a desirable partner, but we don’t know their story yet.