The thread is open.
Here in this blog, we’re good at spotting boyfriend material.
I didn’t think that a romcom with death as theme and funeral parlor as setting could work, but it’s working here. For me, this drama’s message is this: although our days are numbered, we see eternity in the company of loved ones.
That’s why it’s hard for the dead to move on after death. The thought of going alone into the afterlife — without their loved one, and with unfinished business — stops them from crossing over.
And that’s also why TaeHee and DongJoo’s encounter feels fated to happen. We the viewers can see them spending the rest of their lives in each other’s company.
It’s human nature to associate eternity with the presence of loved ones. It’s not good to be alone forever and ever.
I like this uplifting perspective much better than:
“Hotel Del Luna” — the long farewell was just navel-gazing. There was too much self-indulgent contemplation of the looming death of IU’s character, Manwol.
“Tomorrow” — Rowoon or Kim Heesun: their acting distracted me from the plot. I didn’t know whose performance annoyed me more. I get that Rowoon is still wooden; he’s only been in the acting business for 6 years. But Kim Heesun has no excuse. She needs to learn subtlety, especially in the big emotional scenes. Otherwise, her character portrayal comes off as rehearsed and inauthentic.
“Move to Heaven” — As if the subject of trauma cleaning wasn’t complicated enough, the screenwriter(s) decided to weigh down the drama with more psychological problems: autism, hoarding, parental death, crazy uncle, separation anxiety.
This was me when I read the synopsis.
“Doom at Your Service” — makjang with a wishy-washy heroine. It’s not good when I found myself wishing she’d die already by Episode 3.
In “May I Help You,” I’m getting the right balance of romance and comedy, and death and grieving in each episode. To me, it’s not shallow to enjoy these romantic scenes with TaeHee and DongJoo. On the contrary, these scenes remind us to be grateful for these silly, sad, tranquil, awkward, joyful moments spent with somebody who matters to us.
Edited: 11/24/22. More gifs. This time from mostlyfate’s tumblr
I found Hyeri cute here. The look on her face is soooo derpy.
Let’s enjoy the show.
Generally agree @packmule3-just mildly disagree about Move to Heaven. I thought that drama handled treating the deceased with great dignity. The back stories including the loss ofvthecafoptive father, the uncle’s c redemption and the m humanity if our autistic nephew provided the hook for the stories if those who passed away. However, I think May I Help You did the stories of those whom passed better because we heard their voices and saw their lives and the reaction of lived on4s directly. I liked that Dong Ju was a character who experienced loss viscerally-having lost her mother when she was young. I loved her relationship with her friend v and her friend’s grandmother. They became her second chance family. It was so beautifully done in thiscdrama and rang true to me (I remember how I longed for a mom when I was young and ended c the kids who could call out for mommy when things got tough). I also loved Dong Ju’s male relatives, her Dad and her Uncle, the wonderful priest (even if he gave her beer early in the day with a c straw-Korean culture maybe ). And yeah -Tae Hee is great boyfriend material. There are so many things that make this drama a joy to watch. But one is that it does not feel false. I look forward to the episodes going forward.
Thank you, @packmule. Ha, how much did Tae-hee pay the claw machine for that cute little stuffy?!
Like OAL, I liked Move to Heaven, which showed another facet of people who work respectfully in matters relating to deceased people. To me, the difference is a realistic view that one might not come to understand everything about a deceased person. I was a bit disappointed with the new love triangle and other loose ends at the ending which implied that another season might be forthcoming.
I liked the 2nd couple in Doom at Your Service better than the OTP and likewise Lee Soo Hyuk was the only character I liked in Tomorrow. I had never seen him before DAYS, but I was hooked as soon as he said to his office staff, “I’m the prettiest one here.” I realise it’s shallow of me to be a fan of someone’s voice, so I’ll stop now.
@Fern, Just looked at Amazon and Episode 7 is up and running. Hooray! Our drama will continue for all 16 episodes.
Thank you, @Old American Lady.
I hope that you are well and that your husband is feeling better.
Kalispera Ladies…!
Episode 7, quick comment:
Oh, I simply love them!
Thanks goodness the jakkanim knows her job and it shows.
It is like watching “Our Beloved Summer”. Every episode is a chapter.
I am very happy because lately, I get to see awful scripts that their plots go nowhere. (One of my latest disappointments is: “Love is for Suckers” . Seriously, the jakkanim wasted a good cast for a mediocre plot.)
So, Team Dong Joo all the way.
Kim Tae Hee is a sweetheart…❤️
Husband material all the way!
Are the subs out, @Cleopatra?
My Amazon prime isn’t working where I am now so I’ve to watch it elsewhere earlier WITHOUT a sub.
I so enjoyed the scene in the hanok. She took care of him well, didn’t she?
And it was great that the two uncles met and introduced their nephew and niece. It was so obvious that the priest approved of TaeHee.
Who’s the writer of this kdrama. She/he is doing it well.
@Packmule3,
Kalispera! I watched it on Amazon Prime. I just checked for you and it is still raw in the other sites…
Yes she did! It was what he told her mumbling before he slept that made me swoon! I will post more tomorrow about it.
Their conversations lately are a mix of humor, being honest and kind with each other.
Jakkanim Lee Sun Hye was in the team that was writing Reply 1997, as per Asianwiki. This is omitted in MDL.
It is her second work. I am impressed. As it seems she was also a writer in variety programs. I guess that’s why the humor isn’t it forced?
Oh.
It’s funny that when we think of the Reply series, we immediately think of Lee WooJun.
But as it turns out, she’s only the head writer. After the Hospital Playlist sophomoric love lines, I’m convinced that the Reply series (at least, the 1997 and the 1988) were only as good as the JUNIOR writers hired to help Lee WooJun with the script. Her nameless junior staff were the unheralded writers who gave the drama the common touch, insightful moments, and sweet romance.
So I’m not surprised that Lee Sun Hye was in the Reply 1997 team, and that we’re enjoying the balance of romcom and melodrama in each episode.
The writer of “Racket Boys” — another simple drama with a heartwarming theme each episode — was also a “graduate” of Reply 1988.
@Packmule3,
I still haven’t forgotten the HP2 fiasco. I haven’t watched “Reply” series for that reason as well.
BUT because of what you said about the junior writers, I will give them a try!
After all, we are applauding them for their contributions to the overall story.
I also have “Rackets Boys” on my radar. I remember your posts about it when it was ongoing!
If I am not wrong that jakka also cowrote “Prison Playbook”?
Yes. The writer for Racket Boys also wrote Prison Playbook. He did well.
I think Writer Lee WooJun and Director Shin’s shtick of riling up the fanwars and agitating the audience to guess the end game has become stale, not to mention, cynical. Their gimmick is to create a media buzz around each episode so they troll the viewers. It’s so pathetic that they worry more about the ratings (and breaking records) than the actual value of the script.
“May I Help You” keeps the story simple. Obviously, simple doesn’t mean stupid, dumbed down, or trope-y. It just means that the writer and director are focused on the essentials like character development, and are not caught up in media-play and record-setting.
@packmule3, I love this drama and I’m happy that you pointed out the wrirers’ prior drama connections. I enjoyed Racket Boys for its easy storyline that was sports oriented bot not overly tropey. The young characters were very natural. That’s what I like about this drama. The characters have ev every day appeal. They are not over the top. On HPL where we had maggot girl who consistently overshadowed our FL, I ended up disliking the actress who played her to the extent that I don’t watch her subsequent work.
I am happy that we are not seeing fan service gimmicky here but a lovely set of human stories framed by our leads whose romance is allowed to progress slowly,
You said it, @OAL.
Sometimes I just want a clean story line. Heartwarming. Sweet without being saccharine. Honest and without gimmicks.
Kinda like a classic grilled cheese sandwich or a classic cheese pizza. I dislike it when the chefs try to make it fancy with smoked Gouda, Gruyère, Muenster or Colby Jack.
How did you like Ep 7?
She finally realized what she’s been feeling for TaeHee didn’t she? Thanks to her friend Sora…who’s a hoot! 😂
@packmule3, I enjoyed Episode 7 and was so happy our FL liked our ML. Sora is a hoot. I hope shedoesn’t get disappointed by her crush. The writers are showing us that he is complicated.
I would love your take on our priest uncle. I hope you don’t find him sacrilegious. I like that he is unconventional but holy, kind and spiritual in a very down to Earth way.
I also hope that Dong Joo is not dusuaded from keeping her job. The countdown dream catchers make me nervous. I think that her ability to communicate with deceased people eases their way to the afterlife and helps those who mourn them in their grieving process. I liked that she was able to change the grandmother’s picture and got to the bottom of the grandson’s need to purchase cigarettes. He was not a smoker after all and was not a bad kid either.
I get a kick out of the fact that our leads are idols. Unlike Cha Eun Woo who is basically wooden, they are natural actors.
@OAL,
I’ll have to comment on the priest some other day. I’m prepping for my flight back home. I’m longing for steak and potatoes. That’s one downside of travelling on business: eating daintily. I have to watch what I eat, then I eat like a bird.
Yes, the bully had another side, a good side. I like that. He didn’t want to smoke the stuff himself because it stank, but he wanted to buy it for his grandmother.
I think the writer gave us enough secondary stories for the remaining 8 episodes. There’s DongJoo’s job. As you said, we don’t know what happens to her after she completes her mission. It’s sad if she’s no longer there to help the dead transition over.
There’s the Funeral Director and his sister? his old friend?
Sora and her one-sided crush on the Director.
The Housemate/Cop who becomes depressed during rainy days
The ex-girlfriend and her complicated family life
DongJoo’s father. I hope he doesn’t die in the end. (That was a very kind of him to give TaeHee a bag. Such a thoughtful gift!)
Then, TaeHee.
The writer set up the individual stories nicely.
Oh? Is the actor an idol, too? I didn’t know that.
Yes, the ML is an idol. He is popular in Japan as well.
Kalimera @Packmule3,
What I know is that a writer writes the story he/she wants to tell. If you ONLY have in mind the ratings and how to appease the viewers then you are losing subjectivity and the goal to tell a story well said.
I agree with you. It is better to have simple stories. Character development for me is of higher importance, that’s why I got frustrated with the jakkanim of “He is Psychometric” for choosing that ending. I still haven’t watched Episode 16 for that reason. I don’t understand why they are choosing messy endings. Just end your story right and do justice to the characters.
@packmule3, safe travels. When you get home I hope you get that steak…yum…
There was that scene in the hanok that made me swoon last night. It was after TaeHee confessed to Dong Joo that he was a doctor.
They were sleepy and then he asked her why she is not asking him why he quit. And Dong Joo being herself, told her why she understands him. She told him her side of the story about why she quit ping pong. So, she wouldn’t ask.
And then he said those magic phrases:
TaeHee:
Even If I don’t say…
What If I tell everything to the girl who understands,
and makes me want to depend on her?
What happens If I want to lean on her?
Then what will I do?
After listening to his mumbling, Dong Joo looked at him suprised.
And that is the reason why I believe that Dong Joo won’t fall for the SFL’s plea to leave TaeHee alone, if we trust that preview for tonight’s episode.
Dong Joo makes Tae Hee smile and being happy, while when his ex-girlfriend is around he is more than a cold stone. So, Jakkanim I have faith in you. Don’t make this draggy. We don’t wish for that…
@packmule3, you mentioned the dead not being able to cross over because of unfinished business. I think this is true of Tae-hee and Dong-joo as well. Tae-hee completely breaks off with his beloved fiancée and now doesn’t even want to see her, has never asked how she is doing, seems to have no curiosity about her at all. It doesn’t seem like his style to me. He is a thoughtful person.
At the beginning of episode 7, Tae-hee’s ex asked him if he still thinks it is his fault. Then she asks if it is ‘because of me?’ It made me wonder if their breakup wasn’t as unwarranted as it seemed. We can see that she has some emotional baggage from her family situation and that he was her only comfort. I hope that they can resolve the end of their relationship and move on.
Dong-joo still has survivor guilt from being born healthy while her mother died in childbirth. I never thought about the confluence of birthdays and dates of death in such a situation before. It would always be bittersweet for the child and anyone who knew both mother and child.
I thought Dong-joo was funny when she turned the stuffy’s face to the wall and punched it. She walked out of Tae-hee’s van when she thought he lied, but he persisted and was able to salvage the situation. He said he hadn’t lied; he was working and didn’t eat. He did admit to lying about the boss not being able to drive at night. Tae-hee did it because he wanted to drive. When Dong-joo asks why, and if it’s because of her, he teases her and says she doesn’t need to know which makes her chortle.
Later in the hanok (after being piggybacked there), Dong-joo calls Tae-hee a quack for not knowing that he is sick. She nurses him with sikhye, medicine and water and tucks him in on the floor bed. She bosses him around and won’t take no for an answer and he lets her. It’s sort of a role reversal, considering he’s a doctor. She has learned that now as well but doesn’t bother him with questions.
I liked their exchange once they were both lying down. Tae-hee wonders why she doesn’t ask why he quit as everyone else does. Dong-joo says she has reasons why she quit table tennis that she doesn’t like to share and that is why she won’t ask him for his reasons. TH turns away from her and says:
TH: Even if I don’t say, what if I tell everything to the girl who understands and makes me want to depend on her? What happens if I want to lean on her? Then what will I do?
He can’t even look at her as he is saying this. I think he is afraid that she will judge him somehow or decline to be that person.
The next morning, they both say that they are feeling better because of the care they received from the other. As they are driving back, Dong-joo answers his questions by telling Tae-hee not to get sick, but she doesn’t mean only physically.
DJ: (paraphrasing what the cop said to her earlier) Your body aches if your heart is aching. You can lean on me if you’re having a hard time.
I liked these dialogs so much. The writer makes the exchanges realistic and not cringy.
I hope that you have or had a good flight back home and the reward of your steak and fries. There’s something about good American beef that I miss. Corn lot feeding vs. silage perhaps?
Ha, @Cleopatra, we both posted at the same time. What a great scene. YES, there is something there: it is Dong Joo who is the girl who understands, not the ex. IMO, there must have been something that the ex-fiancée didn’t or wouldn’t understand, either in general ways or about the incident with Jun-ho.
Kalispera my dear @Fern!
As it seems we both noticed that scene!
My guess is that the incident that happened in the past with the kiddo didn’t happen when he was on his own.
They were all present and witnessed the accident somehow. Hopefully we will get to know of what happened… That’s why we got that cryptic conversation and that patient in the ICUin the last minutes of Episode 7…
So, the female doctor is at fault somehow. Hence he chose to cut ties with her. That’s the way I am decoding all these!
Hi@Cleopatra and @Fern,I have been following your discussion about Tae-Hee, why he never proposed to his ex and the reason he quit medicine. I don’t like his ex. She has false vulnerability and seems to play on his sympathies. She is strong and seems to be manipulative. And she doesn’t appear to bring him joy. I,like you, think the whole incident with Junho was her fault(although the honorable, Tae Hee seems to have taken the blame by quitting medicine and enlisting in the military (-what a way to hide out). I love the way Dong-joo makes him feel happy. She gives the impression of being real and is wise beyond her years. She knows not to go places(discussion at the hanock). Her facial expressions in the car were so real as they were when confronted with meeting the ex. She doesn’t put pressure on him. All the more reason to love her.
On a personal note, wecare still riding the rollercoaster. Now radiation is next followed by surgery. Please keep us in your prayers. The discussions on BOD help keep message. Thank you so much.
@Cleopatra and @Old American Lady, I don’t know if the ex-girlfriend is literally at fault for Jun-ho’s death, but she may be guilty of not supporting him or somehow blamed him at that time. Thinking back to his words to her, how everything is horrible including the thought of making a family with her, it seemed so harsh and his decision to cut ties completely seemed so stark in contrast to the lovey-dovey scene of them getting coffees together. That any workmate, girlfriend, or fiancee would also feel horrible at the time of such a tragedy rings true, so his reaction to her seemed strange for his character, unless she was somehow unreliable.
It turns out that she can contact Vincent easily enough. I wonder why she didn’t do that earlier to find out how Tae-hee was doing? Instead, she has waited until she saw him across from the hospital one day. Vincent seemed VERY reluctant to speak with her.
Speaking of Vincent, it seemed that he and Dong-joo’s uncle knew each other in the past. Am I the only one who sensed that? Vincent called the uncle Father and the priest called him Brother. Once the priest understood that Tae-hee was Vincent’s nephew, he seemed immediately pleased. They talked about attendance at the chapel. Might they have been in the seminary together?
I want to scream from the top of my lungs : Jakkanim, you are brilliant!
Thank you for giving us a great Episode 8! ❤️
What? What happened, @Cleopatra? Don’t leave me hanging! 🥹🥹
Lol. This is a drama that would be fun to rewatch. Where’s @agdr03? She really should start watching this too.
The couple scenes
I can’t see it with English subs yet. I reckon I’ll have to wait until about 11pm like yesterday. Can’t wait, @packmule3 and @Cleopatra.
I think @agdr03 is watching a Chinese drama atm.
@Packmule3 and @Fern,
The execution in Episode 8 is brilliant! You need to watch this. I am not going to do it justice if I simply write it down.
TaeHee told her…!
But they way the director did it with the jakka made my eyes watery.
The kiddo was indeed his little brother and he blames himself for the accident. They were supposed to meet and the little boy was going to bring him the ring.
But things didn’t work out that way…
😂 Yesterday, I watched the unsubbed Ep 7 version at 4am. Then did the treadmill at the hotel gym. When I got back to my room, the subbed version was up. The timing was fortuitous.
@Fern, I’ll repost your comments on Ep 7 on the blog when I get home and add mine. Thanks!
@Fern,
Thanks goodness, It is on Amazon Prime. I don’t have to worry about the subs for this one…
👋🏻 I am looking for my next kdrama besides Love is for Suckers.
It’s not scary yeah? 😆
I’ll have to catch up with you ladies then.
I did remember our rewatch of Business Proposal when I was watching it. ☺️
Ok. Count me in. I do like Hyeri. 😊
@Fern, thanks. 😘
I was going to start on She and her Perfect Husband because I like Xukai. But I’ll hold off and jump on this one. ☺️
I should be able to watch a few episodes today. After my cleaning etc. 😁
I don’t have Amazon Prime, so have to wait a little while longer. I’ll do something productive around the house for an hour and keep checking.
@Fern,
Boo on that one… 😔
(Tomorrow I will answer to what @OAL and you have written above. I am on my phone atm.)
Where have you been, @agdr03?! 😂😂
Yes, please, do binge-watch this. I think you’ll like it.
You know me, every now and then I go away. But I’ve been in the Love is for Suckers thread just recently. 😂
I’ll binge watch this so we can rewatch.
It does look interesting. ☺️
Hi watchers of May I Help You, I am so stoked f I r Episode 8. Thank you @Cleopatra for giving us hints for what is yet to come. I want to know Tae-Hee’s story. Thus is such a bright spot for me. Yay!
@agdr03, This drama is very healing and at the same time can be very funny. You’ll laugh out loud and be brought to tears. Our young OTP are very real. I hope you enjoy it as much as the posters here do.
Thank you @OAL. ☺️ I’m sure I will. The ladies in BOD makes it extra special always.
I still have you and your husband in my daily prayers. 🙏🏼❤️
Thank you so much @agdr03, all prayers are gratefully accepted and welcome. We’re cautiously optimistic and hope for a good outcome. BOD serves as a welcome respite for me. You all rock!
@packmule3 Hi there, I believe you’re busy packing to travel… it just occurred to me to remind you. …
This is to tag you as a reminder to please open a new thread for the Liar Game Rewatch for Episodes 9 and 10.
Safe travels home!!
I’ve just watched and I have to echo @Cleopatra. This episode is so warm. All of the stars overhead at the end…
Done, @GB. I have my personal laptop with me.
I’m done packing. I’m at the airport lounge. 🙂
Many thanks @pkml3. You’re on the ball as always. Read/See you when you get home!
🥛 🍪 🍺 🍗 🍷 🍝 🧀 🍱 🍵 🍰 ☕ 🥞 🫖 🍉🍈🥝🍊 🍶
Kalimera Ladies,
I will answer first to @Fern and @OAL, as I have said last night.
After watching Episode 8, I think that are things, we -the viewers- don’t know anything about yet. For instance, the little kiddo had his conscioussness after the hit. We know that because of the flashback.
So, what happened that traumatized not only Tae Hee and Dong Joo, but also the Police officer Seo Hae-An? Because we have seen the POV only from the first two, but the third’s one is missing. We only know bits and bytes about him.
As for the doctor lady, I think Samcheon gave a perfect explanation when he said that some break ups don’t need a reason and people don’t seem to overcome that fact.
*To be continued…
@Packmule3, did you return safety to your base?
Hello Again!
@Fern I just reread your yesterday’s comment again and here are my thoughts (no only about their past relationship, but also for what we learned yesterday):
We saw via that flashback, how Tak Chung-Ha remembered Tae Hee when they were dating. He was very attentive to her indeed. That’s why he remembered how she was drinking her coffee even two years later. At the same time we really don’t know how she was in their relationship, I mean as a girlfriend.
TaeHee ended their relationship for two reasons.
The obvious one is that his little brother died.
Tae Hee is consumed by guilt because of it. Tae Hee was the one who asked the kiddo to bring him the ring at that Marketplace in order to return to the Hospital and propose to CH. If he did that, then TaeHee promised to his little brother to take him stargazing.
So, the kiddo went at the arranged time (20:00) to the Market, but TaeHee because of work got late? For another time, TaeHee didn’t do what he promised to do, not only for their appointment, but also broke his promise to take him where the kiddo truly wanted, to watch the stars.
The second one is that the ring went missing after the accident.
So, when I saw how the jakkanim used the present in order to show to the viewers what happened in the past, in a mirror scene, then I was elated last night.
Tae Hee told Dong Joo about his brother, because everything that happened with Joseph was cathartic. Via Joseph, Tae Hee managed to fullfil his late brother’s wish and that made him open up to Dong Joo. Because, he was blaming himself for not being present when he was supposed to.
And that is the reason why I was elated last night.
The jakkanim used a mirror scene in a parallel way to show us what happened in the past and how that affected the present.
Along with the director, they showed us and they didn’t just tell us. For me, that shows that those people know their craft pretty well and for that I am truly grateful!
@Cleopatra, who do you think Chung-ha is speaking of when she says she will kill someone for Tae-hee? There is a short scene of the policeman looking in on someone who seems to be comatose and on life support. Could it be the driver of the van that hit Jun-ho or is it the daughter of the shop owner?
Yes, there are a lot of unexplained things still. I had a different idea of what Vincent said to Tae-hee about Chung-ha. I think Vincent’s perspective was that there wasn’t a good reason for the breakup and that is why Chung-ha is still clinging to Tae-hee. That may be true or perhaps there was something else that happened between Tae-hee and Chung-ha.
Sometimes I feel sympathy for Chung-ha. Clearly she wants to resume the relationship. Her rude barging into the office/flat and her comment, “I’m always un-invited, huh?’ seem driven by jealousy. I can understand jealousy, but she is also critical of Tae-hee and bitter for her own self. Here are her me-driven lines: “Do you know that you’re really good at driving people crazy? It just doesn’t make any sense to me. Why do you have to be the one carrying the cross? Why did this have to happen to us?” She forces her way into his space and then gives un-productive and negative criticism. Was she like that at the time of the accident as well? Whether that is the case or not, with such a diatribe in the present it’s no wonder he wants no interaction with her.
On the other hand, there is Dong-joo, who can be jealous too, as we saw at the beginning of the drive to the hanok. But she makes it clear without negative criticising, so there can be an exchange. Also, as Cleopatra said, she puts no pressure on Tae-hee and she accepts him as a doctor, as not-a-doctor, for himself whatever he is. When Dong-joo nags Tae-hee he isn’t bothered, because there is care behind her nagging.
Another unexpected thing is the reaction of the policeman at the scene of the accident. He seemed unable to act professionally. He should have been on his phone or radio immediately calling the emergency services. Instead, he seems stunned by the situation and unable to react to either the van or the boy. I’m sure we’ll get more information as the show progresses.
I loved all of the scenes with Sora in episode 8.
Hey my dear @Fern,
I think that the person you are refering to, is the driver. He is in a coma in that ICU, that’s why Chung-ha said to TaeHee to kill him for him.
There are not many things that we know about the Police Officer. At one point, he said that the boy of Episode 7 reminds him of himself. We know that he looks for bullies, but at the same time conforts that fireman with the cafe about his daughter.
So, is he related to the driver? Did that accident make him freeze because he was present to another one in the past? Was he on duty when the accident happen? (He had no equipment with him, based on what we’ve got from the flashback).
I get what you say about their past relationship. It is another idea indeed. I just feel that TaeHee couldn’t possible bring himself to continue his doctor life because he couldn’t save his brother. He also thinks he is responsible for his death, something that echoes Dong Joo. She feels responsible for her mother’s death. So, we have two people who feel that some important others are dead because of them.
Those two share the same pain.
Since they share the same pain, Dong Joo can empathize with TaeHee not only out of concern or sympathy, but also because she knows exactly how TaeHee is feeling.
Something that Chung-ha cannot do, because she has other issues of her own.
For me her character needs therapy ASAP. She has a dysfuctional relationship with her mother, she doesn’t have friends and she is stuck in the past. She is also a doctor.
As you pointed out @Fern, the words that are coming out of her mouth are too strong. TaeHee cannot stand her because she is truly oblivious about WHY he is feeling that way. Hence, his stiff stance every time she is around. On the other hand, Dong Joo being who she is, she realized it herself in the macaron scene.
I am guessing that after what happened in Episode 8, DJ will tell CH to back off TaeHee and it won’t go pretty. CH is pressing all the wrong buttons.
As for Sora, I am glad she reacted like that in that scene.
That man was beyond rude to Im Il-Seob, when he is the one paying for his grandchild’s hospital bills! My guess those two were in love and because of IS’s occupation her father told him to break up with her. They also blame him for their bad fortune! Ignorant people are fools. Sadly, he is not an exception…
Hi, Has anyone mentioned that Dong-joo has the ring and found the ring because she talked to Jun-ho before he went to the afterlife. Has she not put two and two together to place Jun-ho with Tar-hee? That seems like a huge plot point to me and it’s hanging out there for us to see.l am interested to see how it is resolved.
As is the case in most K Dramas we see all of the coincidences playing out. One is that the funeral parlor is somehow attached to the hospital. It strikes me that it is strange, by western cultural norms that this is usual. It is also sad to me that funeral directors and employees are thought of as dirty because of their proximity to corpses by some superstitious members of Korean society while doctors, who also have proximity to corpses are reversed. And the hosp is tal and funeral lol home by are attached!
Looking forward to seeing how all of the coincidences are resolved. This drama gives lots of ideas to mull over.
Kalispera dear @OAL,
Dong Joo doesn’t know yet how Tae Hee’s little brother look like.
She cannot connect the dots yet, because she didn’t meet with his family at the time. She left the room running when her “gift” showed up.
She found the ring but couldn’t find them because they relocated…
So, it remains to be seen when this will be out and about and how it will be resolved..
@Cleopatra and @OAL, I think that she has JUST realised that Jun-ho is Tae-hee’s brother. After she heard Tae-hee’s story, she had a flashback to Jun-ho asking for her to get the ring from that market and telling her to ask the policeman if she couldn’t find it. She will soon realise what the ring is for, since this all happened shortly before the end of the episode.
@Old American Lady, I can’t remember which k-drama I was watching when I saw a funeral home within a hospital. Anyway, my first thought as an American was that it wouldn’t fly in America because many there wouldn’t want to think of death in the context of a hospital, which is supposed to offer the opposite – health and curing. Of course, that’s not everything a hospital is about. I suppose it would be very convenient to have a funeral home there, or nearby.
@Fern,
I don’t think that Tae Hee told Dong Joo more about the actual accident. He only uttered about his brother’s death.
The flashback was for us -viewers- to connect how all these people came to live in the same apartment complex.
We got to see that the Policeman is also traumatized by TH younger brother’s death.
That is my interpretation of the scene…
@Cleopatra, Tae-hee said, “I have a little brother”. My impression was that he told her the story while we viewers were seeing the flashback of his experience. Then we returned to them after he recounted the story and he, distraught and weeping by then, said, “Because of me he died.” After the scene swipes up to the stars, we watch Dong-Joo’s flashback which led her to look for the ring. I guess we’ll see.
This director does some strange chops with scenes and we are left guessing whether a scene is being communicated, whether it is in current time or is a flashback. This also may be a problem with the translation I have. It may be more obvious in the original Korean.
Hi, For those of you who visit Shallow Island, you may want to watch Love and Leashes on Netflix. It stars Seohyun as the female lead and Jun as the male lead who work in the same office and share the almost same name with only one different letter. It is a BDSD rom com but is no Fufty Shades of Gray. Our male lead is adorable and has comedy chops. Shallow Islanders will appreciate the many times our ML is shirtless. He also has an incredible haircut that shows his handsome features. I would say that this movie is not for everyone but if you want to get another look at our ML in a different context, I suggest fast forwarding this movie to get a nice view of him. Lee El is in a supporting role in this film( an entirely different role for her).
My next look for our ML will be DP. He may be overshadowed by Jung Haein, but I’ll pay attention to our ML.He definitely be a new actor to follow. He is a multitalent as is Hyeri, another follow. I like her a lot. Both of our leads are natural actors.
That’s one of the things about K Dramas. There is so much talent out there to discover and BOD has help guide me to this plethora of riches. (@ packmule3, when I started here after leaving my lurker status, you gave a response to how to chose dramas -follow actors, writers, directors, subject matter. It has s t oid me in goidvstead. Thank-you).
Kalimera my dear @Fern,
I totally understand you. The director is mixing the flashbacks in the past to give the viewers information about what really happened.
Striptwise and I am talking technical here, I still believe that the whole line Tae Hee said to Dong Joo is: “I have a little brother. Because of me he died.” And that line is significant, because it echoes Dong Joo’s line: “My mother died, because of me.”
So tomorrow we will learn if he said more or not. 🙂
I’ve managed to watch all the episodes so far, at last. It got better for me from Ep 3 onwards, and so I’ll probably watch along with all of us here.
The mysteries:
1) Why Tae Hee was such an attentive boyfriend – which made me assume he really loved Chung Ha – only to be such a cold fish towards her now, as if he’d never loved her at all. If he had been sincere towards her then, and was about to marry her, what changed..?..(besides the tragedy of his brother).
When CH said she’d kill the one who had knocked Tae Hee’s brother down, the thought came to me that perhaps she’d been instrumental in saving that person’s life. However he remained in a coma.
2a) What tie up is there between Dong Joo, TH, his ring and his brother Joon Ho, that touchihng JH should have initiated the opening to the Deceased Peoples’ Powder Room portal LOL and passageway to the afterlife.
2b) Will the return of the ring to TH mark the end of the Powder Room appearances?
3) Why is DJ’s father working overtime and not telling DJ. And why is DJ working at all instead of studying for her Civil Service exam? Are they both trying to earn money so that the other won’t have to work so hard?
4) The rain did not only bother DJ and TH, it bothered the policeman neighbour Hae Ahn too… he changed his mind about going for the movie because of the rain. Why? Also we know why TH didn’t like the rain, but why was DJ afraid of going out in the rain without an umbrella?
It seems that Chung Ha has had a stream of stepfathers. I assume her mother is rich enough … she’s still quite attractive too, and so the men keep coming around and she keeps getting married. By contrast, Dong Joo’s dad has remained single all along.
It’s strange that DJ’s nice boss, Il Sub, is the one his ex-GF goes to for money for her child, when she still has her own father looking out for her.
Hello there @GB Unnie!
I can answer for now to your 3.
DJ’s father didn’t want to admit to DJ that his workshop is not going well and he cannot take care of her. At the same time, DJ was traumatized because of her gift two years ago that her father told her not to go to the Funeral Parlor ever again.
That’s why TaeHee almost had a heart attack in Episode 5 when they met all together for that lunch. He knew their secrets.
I will return…!
Unnie,
Regarding your 4.
DJ doesn’t have a mother. So, when she was in school and it was raining, she had noone to come to her aid. Her father was working in a factory with leather goods. Until she met Sora in the ping pong and her Halmeoni was coming for her with an umbrella. (Check again Episodes 5-6 about that flashback scene).
We learn in the end of Episode 8 that the Police Officer was also present when the little kiddo was hit by the truck. It was raining that fateful day. We still don’t know what happened when he was at the scene, but we can say that the PO has regrets about that day as well.
Regarding your 1.
I have the same idea with you, about the ex-girlfriend taking care the driver when he came in the ER. If they went first to the driver and then to the boy, perhaps there is a reason that he wanted to cut ties with her. We just speculate, since this part is not revealed yet.
Thanks @Cleo! What you say is plausible all round. Yes… the other mystery is what was the Policeman Hae Ahn doing there looking at the injured boy, Joon Ho, in the rain and looking at the smashed truck that had hit Joon Ho.
It was as if he knew the truck and the driver and was in a dilemma about whom to save first. In the same way, Chung Ha, who might not have known about Joon Ho, may have been the one to save the driver first. Hae Ahn seems to be feeling bad about the whole thing even now, since rain bothers him….could be guilt or shame.
I did not understand about DJ’s father telling her not to go to the funeral parlour… what gift of hers did he know about?
@GB Unnie,
When she first saw the kiddo in the Powder room, she left the Funeral Parlour like crazy and most likely she was suffering from panic attacks and then from bad luck.
At that time, her father most likely thought that she had nightmares because of the dead people she saw and not that she can actually see and talk to dead people. That is her gift, the ability to talk with the Souls of the people who are leaving this world.
The only one who really knows about it, is her Uncle who is also a Priest. He thinks, her gift is God’s will, so in secret DJ returned to the Funeral Parlour and does what she does.
Her first case was TaeHee’s little brother. He was number 21 at the time. I think we are now in number 8. That’s why she keeps repeating that she will do this job until Fall.
As for the PoliceOfficer, he might know the driver indeed. The problem for me is the following: the kiddo had his consciousness, when he talked to the PoliceOfficer after the hit, so I think his golden time was lost because of something we don’t know yet.
So, for PO, the rain is guilt and maybe shame as you have written above.
@Cleopatra, Everything you said. I think the Dad is like the family who didn’t want the flowers. I think they were superstitious about touching dead bodies. The Dad and the woman thought people who did were dirty. DJ has such a great gift that makes it easier to comfort the bereaved. Would DJ’s Dad think differently if he knew about her gift? I would hope so.i also wonder about the numbers on the dream catchers. Do they mean that she loses her gift when the numbers end? I hope not. I hope that she chooses to stay at her job.
I am so happy to read your comments @Cleopatra. They show all of the kindness and humanity of this beautiful drama.
Hey my dear @OAL!
It is good to read you! I do hope you are okay. *hugs*
I am trying my best to show the humane aspect of those characters. It is important to me that we get to see that part. ..
Thanks again @Cleo, I rewatched Episode 1 (and parts of 5), and found that I’d literally fallen asleep at the crucial parts that you’ve described. So that’s how it happened and her father still does not know the truth.
So this show uses a lot of non-linear storytelling and I keep falling asleep LOL and missing out parts.
Although it’s shocking to be able to see the dead looking alive again, it’s actually quite nice, that ‘Makeup Room’. It’s like DJ is brought into the alternative reality of the in-between place before the dead move on, and they get a chance to look their best in death even as they did in life. I like how they can walk in that rosy light through a little garden to get to the afterlife.
Another mystery is how TH’s mother seems to know that he’s having a hard time. She said over the phone to his uncle (her brother?) that it’s her karma to know.
It’s so cute and funny that Hae Ahn has just met DJ and already thinks he’s in a deep romantic relationship with her, and that he has influence over her. He takes credit for stuff that he had no part in doing, (like how she returned to the house) without awareness that he’s being ridiculous.
Hi @Cleopatra, our family us having adventures in health. My husband will be having radiation treatment in preparation for his surgery. The good news is that his tumor has shrunk and he’s put on weight and has more energy. He is cared for by an international team of physicians, nurses, a dietician, schedulers, various therapists, all guided by a tumor board that follows agreed upon protocols. This is a learning curve for us but so far so good. If the world were only like the medical team we have, we’d be better off for it. The team consists of Egyptian, Ukranian, Indian, Chinese, African, Irish, Italian, Korean, West Indian and Latin Americans. One nu5se just completed the Hew York Marathon. I am more optimistic about the world when I see ho3 the c people in the hospital a l work together. There is a lot of kindness.
Our story also has lots of kind people. Our leads have personally experiencedcgreatvloss. I feel tired c DJ who has never know her mother but actually she did. Her mother must have wanted her terribly because she kept DJ alive in vitro. I would like to think that she c gave DJmher gift I fvcommunucating with thrcdeparte Dr and maybe newborn DJ was somehow able to comfort her Mom.
I am looking f I rward to seeing how everything resolves here. There is so much that is healing in this c drama.
I just read that we are not going to watch any new episodes for the show because of the FIFA championship.. Boo!
@Cleopatra, I watch it on Amazon, I guess if it is not aired on its original Korean channel, we won’t get it on Amazon. I’m with you-boo! And pardon my last reply – my autocorrect was in overdrive and I also needed to edit it.
@Cleo, oh, is that why there is no sign of the new episodes? Boo! Indeed!
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