One thing that rarely fails to impress me in kdramas is the infinite ways that a couple can go on a date.
For instance, there’s a phone date of Park Shin Hye and Jung Yong Hwa in “You’re Beautiful.” PSH’s character Minam spends a day in the skincare mecca in Seoul, Myeongdeong, but she’s unfamiliar with the area. So the second male lead YJH calls her up on the phone, and follows behind her, all the while, introducing her to the places where she could eat and shop. The reason he can’t go on a simple date with her is that he doesn’t want her to know that her disguise has been discovered.
Another memorable date is Goblin and Eun Tak’s day in Quebec City. Who can forget that scene when ET hops on the crosswalk that Goblin is magically changing colors from afar? Or who can forget that poem “The Physics of Love” that he’s reciting in his head as he watches her?
“Mass is not proportional to volume.
That girl as small as a violet,
that girl who floats like a petal
pulls me toward her with a force
greater than the Earth’s mass….”
Until now, that moment leaves me embittered because the only love poem I can think of when I’m in love is this:
Roses are red, violets are blue.
I can’t rhyme, so here’s a haiku.
Banana.
credit: devildrusje
Kdramas set the bar of dating scenes so high that if I were a guy living in South Korea, I’d end up as a hermit. Now, even Hari has established a standard for us ladies, too. Let’s me tell you how.
1. She asks the guy out.
I’m sure you’ve noticed the reverse trope. Hari is the one to invite Taemoo on a date. She calls him up after her disheartening encounter with Minwoo and his GF. She knows she dodged a bullet there. Taemoo is way better than Minwoo.
Taemoo: Hello? What’s up? You don’t usually call this late.
Hari: It’s just…I stepped out for a bit and got bored.
He quickly picks up the undertone. However, compared to his straightforward “I miss you,” he thinks that her roundabout way of saying it is unnecessary. She doesn’t need to be shy about saying that she misses his company.
Taemoo: I miss you too. You have a weird way of telling me that you miss me. Do you want me to come?
Hari: No. It’s okay. It’s late. Let’s go on a proper date after work tomorrow. Let’s go somewhere nice. Okay?
I like that. Up until now, it’s been Taemoo who asks out. It’s about time she returns the favor and let him feel wanted and “sought after.” She’s proactive about their dating life.
2. She comes prepared.
I like to think that she arrived late for her date with Taemoo because she first passed by a convenience store for an umbrella. She didn’t have an umbrella with her when she walked in the office that morning, but she has one when she meets up with him. She might have noticed that the street was wet.
Hari: (running) I got here as quickly as I could. Did you wait for a long time?
Taemoo: No. What do you want to eat? Korean, Japanese, Chinese or Western. Just say the word. I can get a table at any restaurant in Seoul with one call.
Lol. He’s showing off again that he’s good at a lot of things.
Hari: Then let’s start with some greasy Western food and finish off with some spicy Korean food.
Taemoo: Sure.
It starts to rain. Before Taemoo can panic, Hari has opened the umbrella and is holding it over their heads. It’s the yellow umbrella just like in her fantasy “first meeting” with Taemoo.
Taemoo looks shocked but he doesn’t say anything. Pretending not to notice anything amiss, Hari begins to chatter to take his mind off of things.
Hari: I’ve always wanted to go on a certain kind of date in a weather like this if I got a boyfriend. I want to do that now.
Taemoo: (staring at her)
Hari: Can we?
My comments:
1. This scene reminds me of that time they went on a theme park date in Episode 8. They were eating corn dogs and Taemoo mentioned eating it with his parents when he was 7 years old and returning to park to eat it whenever he remembered the occasion. Instead of feeling discomfited, Hari chatted naturally about food tasting better with happy memories. Taemoo thanked her for allowing him to talk about his parents without pitying him.
This umbrella scene reminds me of the corn dog scene because in both cases,
a. he doesn’t want to be pitied,
b. she senses and respects his desire to put a brave front, and
c. she engages him in small talk to avoid an awkwardness.
2. Remember Taemoo’s direct way vs Hari’s roundabout way of telling him that she missed him?
Now, we’re seeing Hari’s roundabout way of dealing with Taemoo’s phobia. She recognizes his anxiety, but she doesn’t pressure him to talk about it nor does she judge him for it. She provides him emotional support by being with him. She helps him to relax by talking about activities they can do together. She keeps his mind focused on positive, fun things.
3. She creates a bucket list in no time.
To ease his anxiety about the rain, she pretends to have a bucket list of things to do with her boyfriend on a rainy day. She gets Taemoo to ride the subway with her, instead of driving the car.
Hari: The subway is the best when it rains. There’s no traffic or anything.
A train rider jostles him and he ends up within kissing distance of Hari. He braces himself to stop from squashing her.
I guess, this is another great reason for couples to take subways. They have an excuse for skinship in close quarters. But Taemoo, like a gentleman, doesn’t take advantage. Instead, he looks around for seats and rushes over to empty space to save her a spot.
Hari: Have you ever been on a subway in Korea?
Taemoo: No. It’s my first time.
Hari: It’s your first time? With me, right now?
Taemoo: (nodding)
I think Hari aims to slowly replace his unhappy memory of the rain with their happy memories of dating in the rain.
Hari: What? Really? Korean subways are the best.
Then she regales him with a story about riding the train in college with Yeonsoo. She does this again to keep his mind off the rain.
Next on her improvised bucket list is visiting a flower market. As they get off the train, they head off to look for a place to eat.
Taemoo: Is the restaurant that you want to go to nearby?
Hari: (beaming up at him) Before that, we need to go somewhere. Follow me.
Before he can say a word, she grabs his hand to lead him to an underground flower market.
Taemoo: Do you like flowers?
Hari: Is there a woman who doesn’t? It was my dream to go to a place like this with my boyfriend if ever I got one.
Taemoo: It came true then.
Hari: That’s true.
Note however that she doesn’t recognize any of the flowers. For someone who supposedly likes flowers, she doesn’t know the names of the most common flowers.
Hari: The carnations are so pretty. So many different colors. Look! There are purple carnations.
Taemoo: I think those are lisianthuses, not carnations.
Hari: Right…lisian…yes.
Just a factoid. Lisianthus is a member of the carnation family. I confuse the smaller, multi-layered lisianthuses for peonies, too.
She goes to another flower stall.
Hari: This one’s pretty, too. These are… probably not carnations.
Taemoo: Aren’t those mudans?
Hari: Mudans? Nope, these are peonies.
Taemoo: They’re the same thing.
Hari: Hey! The name doesn’t matter. Don’t be bound by formalities. I was trying to say, “focus on the beauty of the flower,” you know.
Taemoo: That’s true. Whether you’re Geumhui or Hari, you’re still the prettiest woman in the world.
I like this! He agrees to whatever she says. (Just kidding.)
Hari: (laughing at his compliment) Is today some special anniversary or something?
The saleslady asks if they want to order something, and he gets Hari a bouquet of flowers.
Last on her bucket list is to go to a restaurant for comfort food.
Hari: There’s a food that we have to eat on a rainy day like this. Let’s go.
Pic
In the restaurant, she teaches him how to eat the pancake.
Hari: When the weather is so humid and gloomy like this, you need to eat some joen that are oily and crispy like this. Try it.
He takes a bite then start critiquing it.
Taemoo: The texture is very unique. How did they make it so crispy?
Hari: No! Don’t do that. We’re on a date. Don’t talk about work. Stop thinking about work. Look. You need to enjoy food like this. (demonstrating)
My hubby and I practice this rule!
Taemoo: (copies her) Like this?
Hari: Yes, like that.
He gets up to answer a phone call. Hari notices that it’s raining outside the window.
Hari: Why is it pouring again?
So she stands up and switches seats so she can block Taemoo’s view of the rain outside. When Taemoo returns, he wonders why she’s sitting beside him.
Taemoo: What is it?
Hari: I wanted to sit next to you.
She chats about her coworkers, Ms Yeo and Mr. Gye. She’s obviously trying to entertain him.
He notices that Hari is mirroring his body movement. If he leans back, she leans back. If he leans forward, she leans forward, too. Though her movements are so subtly, he realizes what she’s been doing all along. She’s distracting him from thinking about the rain.
In the metro station, they both overheard a student saying it was raining hard outside.
He pretends not worry about it and asks her asked her if there was a restaurant nearby. He was going to brave the walk to the restaurant despite his phobia of the rain. But then, she delayed the walk when she suggested going to the flower market instead.
In the flower market, they were both listening to a passerby exclaiming that the rain had stopped.
Upon hearing that, she quickly suggested a nearby restaurant. It was sweet how both of them were carefully listening for updates about the weather, but neither one wanted to show their worry.
What I like about this whole montage is that we get to see his and her facial expressions when they were listening in to reports about the rain.
At the subway
He put on a cheerful face for her,
And she put on a cheerful face for him
At the flower garden
He spotted her face, though.
Then she put on a cheerful face for him.
He probably thought he was pampering HER when all along she was the one taking care of HIM.
Now, Taemoo knows that Hari is subtly blocking his view of the rain, and distracting him with her nonstop prattle.
He leans in to kiss her. She’s confused.
Hari: What?
This is cute, too. She succeeds in her mission to help Taemoo deal with his phobia, but she doesn’t even know it. If I were Taemoo, I would have fallen in love with her all over again right there and then.
4. She’s “girlfriend material.”
After their dinner, they walk home.
Taemoo: How long have you known?
Hari: (just stares at him)
Taemoo: I guess I’m the one who didn’t have the courage. I’ve been wanting to tell you all about it one day, but I couldn’t.
Hari: I’m sorry. I tried to pretend that I didn’t know but… if I hurt your feelings, I’m sorry.
Taemoo: It’s not that. I was thinking about how to not seem too pathetic when explaining my weakness to a woman I like. Hari-ssi. I…
Hari shakes her head and leans against him. She pats his back, comforting him.
Now, what’s my takeaway from this whole rain date?
It’s this: If Taemoo is “boyfriend material,” then so is Hari “girlfriend material.”
Men, like Taemoo, have been taught to apologize for their weakness. But without saying a word, Hari demonstrates that it’s okay. There’s nothing for him to feel ashamed of or worry about. Her calm way of coping with his anxiety says that she can become his strength when he needs it.
Sigh.
So, like the phone date in “You’re Beautiful” and the Quebec City date in “Goblin,” this rain date sets the standard for future romantic rain dates in kdramas. It’s not just the visuals, but the unsaid effort behind-the-scenes (like the food truck in Ep 6) and the understanding the couple reached at the end of their rainy date that make this date special.
Hi @packmule3, This post is so good and to me sows that romance need not be fancy restaurants. Th most romantic gestures are in recognizing what I need partner needs and can be like pulling a yellow ☂️ out like a rabbit out of a hat. That Hari did it, upendeoo d the trope. I also loved that subway newbie TaeMoo found a seat for two on the subway to share with HaRi. As a lifelong subway rider I can say how wonderful that gesture is. Hari can now fall asleep on his shoulder. Subway rider c swoon. There is also something to say about the standing subway kiss, especially in moments when the lights go out(either when crushed by the door or wrapped around a pole 9r grasping at the Hand straps). I cite happy memories of dating my husband.
Please permit me one aside. TaeMoo rocks haberdashery-his wool/cashmere coats, single and double breastfed suits, sportswear, white shirts, etc. As they say, his visuals are stunning. They have succeeded in making Hari an everywoman who is frequently seen in sweats, work clothes, face shields. She is really pretty but they try to make her plain. Our gorgeous boyfriend sees her beauty no matter what she wears. He corrects her for occasion butalways sees her beauty, that also includes what she is inside.
And with all of the above we’ve seen the good qualities through many episodes. I love this couple.
Thank you for this post @packmule3!
Another good quality of Hari is that she doesn’t take advantage of Tae Moo’s position and social class. At the time when Ha-min, her brother called Tae Moo as brother in law, he’s so happy that he would give something like a credit card to buy anything he needs. Hari quickly took back the card. It’s the same when she was offered and invited by Tae Moo to go with him in the US, Hari decided to decline the offer.
Hari also tried showing the other side of the world that Tae Moo might not be aware of because of his social status. She is happy to share that other parts of the world where ordinary people can also be proud of no matter how petty and simple they are.
HaTae couple is inspiring and funny that we have a lot of take aways after watching this show.
@pm3, Thank you so much for this post, for opening my eyes to what I have missed. This is a beautiful date because of her understanding and consideration of him….and his too.
I will always remember the TM saying that it is tasteless to boast. At the same time, to discover the other party’s hidden loving and considerate intentions for you just makes one’s heart wanna burst with love, which cumulates to the impromptu kiss.
😂 It looks like you’re ready to list all the tropes of a subway romance there, @OldAmericanLady!
I do remember one memorable metro ride. We were in Paris, and my then-boyfriend and I were the only ones in the car when a busker walked in and played “La Vie en rose” on his accordion.
“Quand il me prend dans ses bras
Il me parle tout bas
Je vois la vie en rose
Il me dit des mots d’amour
Des mots de tous les jours
Et ça me fait quelque chose…”
Lol. The moment was surreal. It was just like in the movies … but then it wasn’t exactly just like in the movies because I wanted to break up with him. 🤦♀️
Years after that, I was in Paris with my young boys. There were other people but we were the only ones in that section of the car. A busker was going from one car to the next, playing the same “La vie en rose.” When he entered our car and serenaded my boys and me, I was reminded of that night many years ago. I knew I made the right choice back then.
If I had been persuaded years ago to stay in Paris because of the romance of the moment, I would’ve missed out on the beautiful life I have right now. 🙂
Thanks @pkml3. Great anecdote. Just because a romantic situation makes the heart flutter, does not mean it’s a good idea to ride on the emotional highs into making decisions that might be unfortunate.
LOL Loved your love haiku!
@packmule3, thank you for this! and also your personal story.
Hari truly is a beautiful soul. If I may add to the list – and as some have pointed out before – she doesn’t make Taemoo choose between the people who matter most to him. She knows she’s got it in her to eventually convince Haraboji of her own virtues and authenticity, so she insists on personally nursing Haraboji even though she knows he’s deliberately trying to wedge her and Taemoo apart. She lets Taemoo spend a whole year away from her (though personally didn’t really think this separation was at all necessary to the final ep – we lost precious time here!) so that he can focus on his grandfather’s health.
YOU GO GIRL!
as an aside, ahn hyo seop in his IG post mentioned that “the story of Hari and Taemoo still goes on”. Whether it’s Season 2 (unlikely I think) or reel-to-real OTP, here’s to HaTae and their happily ever after!
I love this post because Hari is definitely all that. 👏🏻
I’m so happy that PD said that the rain date needed a kiss at the restaurant. It wasn’t on the script but the kiss spoked volumes.
It was a thank you, I love you and I appreciate how you love me kiss. ❤️❤️❤️
I can honestly say that I love HaTae as much as I love Xiao Nai and WeiWei. 🥰
Right, @Grace?
Taemoo wanted to keep his food truck a secret. He didn’t want to boast about his wealth.
Hari too wanted her rain date a secret. She didn’t want to embarrass him about his phobia, an irrational fear.
The kiss was just perfect. You’re right. His heart must be bursting with love.
(And see? There was no alcohol needed to push the romance.)
That’s why this rain date is tops.
@GB,
Had I been looking for a “sign” to stay in that relationship, that accordionist’s “La vie en rose” would have been it. 😂
It was straight out of the movie script. A couple. In Paris. Alone in the metro car. The wheels of the train rattling. And music that for young American like me was quintessentially French. 😂 That’s the reason street musicians always play that song for tourists, especially on metro lines #6 and #9.
Yes, @swiss postscripts.
@agdr03 sent me Ahn Hyoseop’s IG thanking international fans for the drama’s success. I’ll edit the boyfriend thread and post it there tomorrow.
I don’t think he’s required to do military service because of his Canadian citizenship so we’ll be seeing more of him. I hope he doesn’t mess it up with lousy scripts. 😂
I know he’s touted as the “son of SBS” because of the number of shows he’s done for the company. But isn’t he the “son of Netflix” as well? Or is that Nam Joo Hyuk?
Please remind me again. Who’s WeiWei?
Did you hear about Deng Lun? That actor from “Ashes of Love” cdrama? I read that he was “cancelled” because of tax evasion. 🤨
Wait. Where did you see that the rain date needed a kiss? Which YouTube clip?
I like this Director then. He’s got great “situational awareness.” 😂 Really now, what was Taemoo supposed to do? He realized what Hari did for him secret? A kiss was called for.
😂😂i haven’t enough of AHS (BP was my first foray! and Dr Romantic 2 upcoming as soon as I am done w DR1) and definitely watched more of NJH’s projects so won’t be a reliable judge of the title “son of Netflix”. and that being said, I really gotta thank you and all BODers for upping the ante in my appreciation for Netflix kdramas (I wouldn’t have known what to watch but for this blog!)
WeiWei is the Department Belle and Xiao Nai’s wife. Her name is Bei WeiWei. ☺️
Here you go, a good one of the bts for the morning date, playground kiss and thank you kiss. 🥰 Yes, the rain date kiss was sweeter than honey. 😍
https://youtu.be/BxHO80TQocI
Oh yes I heard about Deng Lun. 😞
He’s canceled alright.
AHS’s next project is the remake of the Taiwanese hit Someday, One Day which me and girlfriend @Phoenix liked.
We’ll have to check it out and see what’s it like for him and Jeon Yeo-been which is Vincenzo’s FL. I don’t mind her.
I wish they’d remake Autumn Concerto.
I saw a post about KSJ’s post interview for the drama and she said the last scene was all adlib from her and AHS. They discussed it and that’s what came out. She said they just wanted something simple for a proposal and nothing like a grand event like the way Taemoo planned it on episode 6?7? ☺️
@Packmule3 – also cancelled and trying to re-emerge is Zhang Zhe. He has posted a pic where he looks to have lost lots of weight – he has posted about the anxiety this has created. This was a political thing because he posed for pics near some Japanese monuments: http://koalasplayground.com/2022/04/05/c-actor-zhang-zhe-han-emerges-from-cancellation-with-first-instagram-update-sharing-new-pictures-and-message-to-fans/
Ps Really glad you brought this up. It must be devastating.
I loved Den Lung in AoL… this is such a shame.
@agdr03, thanks for sharing those tidbits! shall look forward to “someday, one day” – jeon yeo-been was a real firecracker in Vincenzo.
as for the simple proposal, ksj must have clearly embodied her character. I reflected on the ending as well, and his proposal shows him coming full circle in appreciating that expressions of love needn’t be grandiose and loud; simple but thoughtful, and aligned with the recipient’s needs, is enough. maybe that’s why he didn’t even bend his knee??? 😜
Ooh @packmule3, your metro story had book ends! I love how your life turned out as it was beautifully meant to be-now that’s romantic.
Guys, I reached episode 10! Yo!!!
I enjoy more the side couple in this drama. The FL is probably pretty but isn’t my type. When the friend is much more exciting! She… cross the line, ahah!!
So, it’s ok to give her a stamp as a nice girlfriend. But she’s not easy, as soon as something goes wrong (or she imagine that), she gets upset and think the relation is over. ^^
@WE, hah, we were just protesting on another thread that the 2nd FL girl is not nice!! She’s immature, demanding, fault-finding and self-centred when it comes to relating with the 2nd ML.
Juxtaposed against the FL, it becomes even more stark, just how not ideal she is, as a girlfriend.
@GB, I’m sorry about the protests… I prefer her. I didn’t use a thermometer to check but she clearly raised my fever when she “crossed the line”… I was in this lucky guy’s shoes. Hot and sweet scene. ^^
Women like that often have the flaw of being very annoying on many aspects… But what can you do when you love them? ahah!
Episode 10, there is also a big revelation, about the girlfriend of the guy the FL was hanging on. Wow! Here, I wouldn’t be in the guy situation. Looks like all was fake. I need to watch more to check that, if they come back to this situation later.
The situations related in the mini-drama on TV was very fun.
Good way to introduce some meta comedy in the drama.
@WE, before watching ABP, I WAS NOT a fan of both the ML and FL. I’ve watched Uncanny Encounter and the FL was just an ordinary actress to me. Same thing with ML, when I first saw him in Abbys, I didn’t continue watching. I never expected anything grand in watching ABP but things have changed while watching this show. BOTH ML AND FL changed their character in doing this show, so I’m thinking of buying the blue-ray something that they normally sell after the drama ha ha ha, just thinking…