The thread is open.
I’m not sure if there’s any interest in this new kdrama starring Yoo Yeon-seok and Moon Ga-young. I’ll open this thread anyway.
It’s on Netflix. 16 episodes. Every Wednesday and Thursday.
@nrllee has this to say about it:
😂😂😂 Interest of Love just dropped on Netflix. This is Yoo YeonSeok’s drama with Moon GaYoung. I am getting dejavu. Actor who plays SeokMin is YYS’s colleague. 😂😂😂. They sit down for lunch and actor playing SM is ribbing him about MGY’s character. Ep1 is showing promise. YYS has a crush on MGY. She’s gorgeous as usual. Palate cleanser from his last drama with she-who-shall-not-be-named. Chilbongie is back 😂😂😂. The longing discreet looks. The not so subtle attention to her needs. I need to watch and pen some thoughts. From the get go, this drama gets the audience thinking with the voiceover (by YYS) to set the scene (hierarchy within the bank, outside the bank, contrasts starkly with the upside down economy of “love”). Off to watch now properly.
Enjoy the show!
Transferring @OAL’s comment here. –pm3
**********
@nrllee, Am watching it too. YYS is in a Misaeng like drama. I am liking MGY a lot so far. She is playing an adult role. The world of S. Korean customer service banking is very different from the almost do it yourself version of banking here where there seems to be very little human interaction and more emphasis on ATMs. This drama interests me because of the work culture. I think there was a lot said about the treatment if VIP customers- an expensive day trip to Jeju Island by plane to resolve a credit card issue???? One thing that these dramas seem to show is the almost oppressive nature of the workplace in S. korea. No wonder why there is so much drinking at what seems to be mandatory team dinners. As an aside, S. Korea has one of the world’s lowest birth rates. working Moms don’t have a chance in this culture.Anyway, this drama is promising.
And,off topic, the actress who will not be named seems to have no chemistry with the ML in Reborn Rich. It seems like the netizens have not warmed to that love line according to what I have read. This wasn’t her drama because too many were pulling for the superstar ML and considered her one dimensional
I also read that they wanted to ditch the love line.bi intend to watch the drama with fast forward in mind.
@pkml3, I’m also not sure if I will be interested in ‘Interest of Love’, LOL, but thanks for the thread!
I am watching this and will put together some thoughts on Ep1. It’s based on a Korean novel (not webtoon) with the same name, so it’s got a lot of metaphors. MGY is a complex character in this drama. YS’s character calls her a “bitch” by the end of ep1. Right up our alley 😂
@OAL yes I did read about she who shall not be named and netizens reactions to her most recent drama. Guess it took them a little while to figure out what we knew here all along. 😂
@packmule3 thanks for opening the new thread 🍪🍪🍪
Ep1 introductory voiceover (YYS)
KCU (Korean Credit Union) celebrates its 62nd anniversary this year. To our (the bank branch) left are the financial district and white collar workers. To our right is a marketplace with 50yrs history. (KCU sits like an arbiter between the 2 societal factions of white and blue collar) Over 300 customers visit the YoungPo branch every single day. However we do not show the same love for every single client. Those who come to borrow money must take a number and wait. Those who come to lend money to the bank are escorted. VIP clients who deposit over a certain amount go straight to the branch manager. And VVIP clients don’t even come in because the bank clerk goes to their home.
We do discriminate based on your account balance and monthly expenditures. During the Joseon era, social class determined your status. But in 2022, your status in Korea is determined by your wealth. Such social status ranking exists for both those visiting the bank and those working at the bank. It also exists between me (YYS) and her (MGY).
This drama is about lines. Hierarchical. Societal. Self imposed. Question is, where does love sit in that economy? Does it adhere to those lines? Are there no lines? Should there be lines? Are those lines set in stone or can they be moved?
I think this drama is not your regular sweet candy type, it’s just complicated and I think would portray some hard rules of society. Looking forward for how it portrays every characters and their understanding of love. Moreover watching Yeon Seok playing an emotional character is really interesting. Plus Moongayoung is also good showing her cold vibes. So far enjoying it.
@EssVee yes YS is giving me his full emotive acting range just in these 2 eps. I loved how he looked confused and hurt and tried so hard to keep his tears back when he confessed (and was totally vulnerable) only to be hit hard by MGY’s response at the end of Ep1. MGY is an Ice Queen so far. She is referred to as the “Goddess of YoungPo). She’s “worshipped” by all the men in the branch. But she’s untouchable and aloof.
Madame Bovary was touched on in ep1. It was a book SangSu (YYS) was reading. I would say SuYoung (MGY) has lofty ideals when it comes to love. That would be Madame Bovary. She has a highly romanticized view of what the world is like (or should be like). She came to Seoul expecting there to be no lines/delineations/hurdles and that she would be given the opportunity to shine as long as she worked hard. That of course was an illusion that was dealt a blow as soon as she started to work.
Notes from Ep1-2
– SY came to Seoul from a country town TongYeung after the death of a family member. She was wearing a white bow hair clip on her hair, on the left side as a sign of mourning. This depicts the death of a male family member. Most likely her younger brother. I get the feeling the person in the photo she was linking arms with as the background pic of her phone is her deceased brother. Something must’ve happened in the family for her to run away. She refused to pick up the phone from her mother.
– I need to take some pics because there are parallel scenes which highlight SY and SS’s similarities in Ep1. There was the cute “date” in Jeju.
– something must’ve changed her mind when she was waiting for him at the restaurant. She saw him running towards the restaurant as he crossed the road and then smiled (she was happy to see him coming initially). Then she took a second look…he seemed to stop and look back? That was when her face changed and she scuttled out of the restaurant. Why? Did that trigger a memory for her? So she decided to shut herself out from the world again? Because her attitude towards him changed totally after that incident. She seemed to be doing the same when fled to Seoul. She rented an old apartment with no furniture which was cold, damp and dark. She said that was how she felt as she sat there alone.
Thank you for the thread @packmule3 ❤️❤️❤️
I am watching too, @nrlee! 😆😆😆
And I read the book as well, wayyyy before the drama started, out of curiousity. It was an immersive reading for me, bought it online, started straight away at midnight, finished at 3am and re-read again after I woke up.😁😁😁
Thus far, I can see writers used most of the materials from Chapter 1 and 2 of the book for ep. 1 and 2 but rearranged the characteristics of each character and bits of their stories in the book, then add connections between the mashups to reach their desired ending, of which, as I expected, has been set differently from the book. Happy ending is abound 😁😁😁. There are also timeline differences and plot twists between the two as a result of that re-arrangement.
While watching, my mind just goes auto-pilot and picking up the plotlines from the book vs the drama. It’s fun so far seeing how the writers are using the book to create a slightly different narratives for the four people to reach their aim for the otp. 🤭🤭🤭
The connections in the Book, past and present,
Past:-
Kyung Pil (Drama: and Sang Su) – Mi Kyeong
Soo Yeong – Sang Su
Present:-
SS – MK
SY – Jong Hyeon
SY – KP
It was not an easy reading cos all people in the book made mistakes in their relationships as a result of having different interests/ expectations/ understanding of love. Their social status, personality, education and experience in life also played a part in them having such understanding of love. Interesting topic in which I am able to agree and disagree on the points/issues raised in the book. 😁
@nrlle, to answer your question, ss didn’t realise until sy asked him if he really apologising for making her wait (ref. Ep. 2) That was when it finally dawned to him that she saw him stopped and hesitated at the green light. And once sy saw him remembered, she left. Though work has made him unable to come at all, ss still steadfast to his feeling for sy.
In the drama, yes i also agree Sy brother died and she probably blame her parents for it. Both parents and brother are a new plot added into the drama whereby the brother’s part will highly likely be linked back to a plot (from the book) between sy and jh later on.
I have something on my mind about jh family from the book. At the moment, there was no introduction about the casting of his parents, even in the relationship chart produced by jtbc. Instead they introduced sy’s family which was non-existent before. Probably, another re-arrangement.
I like how the drama used books, read by ss, and some other scenes of sy in her me times to enhance the thoughts of the characters and their inner dilemma.
@miracle23 I already didn’t like her when she saw him waiting for her at the movies and rang him to tell him she couldn’t make it. And then she smiled when she saw how disappointed he looked. That’s just cruel (schadenfreude – joy at seeing someone’s misfortune/humiliation). If my son were enamoured by a woman like that I would tell him to drop her like a hot potato and find someone else more worthy of his adoration. 😂😂😂. But I guess the author is trying to highlight to us that when you’re “in love”, you don’t think straight and for many, logic is thrown out the window.
I don’t know if I can hang around to watch poor SS endure this sort of torture for another 14 eps. 😂😂. Especially if SY continues to be as nasty as she is now. Somehow I get the feeling they will come to an understanding in the end. Because in the opening credits, after he follows her repeatedly, at the last bit, she finally turns around and faces him. Still, is she really worth it?
You are right, nrllee. You might not like the book too😅. It will be a frustrating read, perhaps. The girl is definitely not worth of all the heartaches he had, per book. 🤧
I read the reviews first and after reading the book I wonder why some of the readers didn’t talk about how SY was using SS at times when it was most convenient to her. She admitted of meeting him without any affection and consequently leading him astray before running away from her ‘guys’as the last resort. The lives of the four people became entangled and their relationships broke apart. Everybody somehow turned bad to the people they have affections and/or loved.
But that was the book.
In the drama, it seems they have reorganised SY’s feeling so that she will develop affection towards SS. We would have to see more but for now she has shown elements of unnecessary jealousy towards SS when she herself did not give him a chance and rejected him for whatever reason she deems justifiable🤷🏻♀️. They are not even officially dating yet for her to be so hateful towards SS. Hence, I feel she is a bit over-reacting. If she likes him enough in the past years of working together, she would have understood him better. She would make an effort and she would have cared more. She should be able to see he also struggled and got bullied at times.
For now, I see that she could not be borthered with anyone until she saw SS is showing interest on her. As if, as a person, SS has no rights to doubt himself, be afraid to take chances/risks and reconsider before he makes a final decision. Whereas she can easily choose to doubt the people around her, as a result of the discrimination she experienced, and decided to shut people out and lived in her bubble. For now, she is still quite similar to the book version, minus the kindness she showed SS in the drama. 😁 An ice queen, and maybe a bit of a drama queen. Chill girl. That guy loves you nonetheless. Do you really has to go that far? 😂
Thanks @nrllee and @miracle23 for the insights into TIOL. Iam really into series that are slow burning plus gives space for the audience to have different perspectives of the character. And this shows seems to provide all that. Iam personally enjoying the vibes between SS and SY. and really curious to know how their story will move forward.
I also love how they have tuned their love with bank as the base. Hope to read more contents from you guys. Let’s enjoy the show🤗
I think the writers have opted to make SY more “palatable” as a character. She appears in Ep 2 traveling to Seoul with a white bow on the left side of her hair (mourning a male relative).
https://i.ibb.co/Fw22tSQ/D4-E949-CE-6246-456-E-AEC2-B86-CC8-DF04-D5.jpg
So she’s fled TongYeong for Seoul to “start afresh”.
I get the feeling she’s only hopped onto the security guard JongHyun because he reminds her of her deceased brother. Remember how they asked her at dinner if she preferred men like SS (old style classical movie) or like JH (KPop idol modern). She picked JH. I think her brother had a KPop idol type look too. She’s reverted back to familiarity when she felt that SS didn’t quite meet her lofty ideals.
When I replay the flashback of him running to the restaurant, she was initially happy to see his figure at a distance running across the road.
https://i.ibb.co/mH4qrq1/4444497-B-D609-4-DE4-AE45-6-AD6-DEE2-BD70.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/DLKPF89/E59-C8-AD6-A999-4151-9-AB3-43703-AD96496.jpg
Then she took a second look and her face changed
https://i.ibb.co/zF0YdTb/5-AB8-FB64-463-C-4-C6-C-83-B0-003-C3-B88-F3-C0.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/Np385Kp/8-DC8-A238-1-AE1-4668-9768-FE66-DDBD032-C.jpg
This was the confrontation when he apologized for that incident.
Her accusation (are you really sorry you made me wait?)
https://i.ibb.co/BPvGnsz/3-F88825-C-CFB4-4-D5-F-A915-B96-E6-DFCD45-E.jpg
The flashback from his point of view. He had run across the road, then he paused and turned around.
https://i.ibb.co/KDSCNHR/DBE8-FC86-FDEB-4-CCB-8929-4318-DFAA6-F59.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/Jt6nFdr/A9-DDEEB4-79-B4-4-F29-9603-4-D424827-F001.jpg
Why did he turn around? Was it to help someone? Did someone call his name and he looked back to check who it was?
I am wondering what it is about “waiting” that made SY so touchy? It’s like she’s misdirecting some unresolved anger inside towards SS? Did her deceased brother make her wait? And she was now taking it out on SS for repeating that mistake?
There are mirror scenes for Ep1 and 2, if I have time I will put it down in a Google doc and link it here. Suffice to say in Ep1 the voiceover for the hierarchical and societal lines are discussed – macro level. As seen by SS (who actually does experience those prejudices too – over dinner with his high school reunion guy friends). Then in Ep2, SY reiterates those lines except from a personal level (micro level) because she’s on the “other side” of the line constantly.
Personally I find SY selfish. 😂😂😂. Probably why I don’t like her very much. I guess that’s her “goddess” coming out. She’s like a diva. Very much self absorbed. She claims she likes clear defined relationships (lines) yet she bemoans lines in a hierarchical societal system which hem her in. The practical me says to her, “you can’t have it both way girl? Stop feeling sorry for yourself and making others feel miserable just because you are?”
Thanks for your comments @nrllee and @Miracle23. After reading you, I don’t feel inclined to even start this series. I often get angrily worked up over selfish characters, and would rather not watch the FL who’s likely to infuriate me. LOL. I may drop by to read and see if there are more positive vibes later. 🙂
Yes, nrllee, the dead brother will likely be linked to JH if the writers wanna break the two apart and make SY goes to SS. In the book, as SY feeling frustrated with her relationship, she arrived at a point where she saw herself more of an older sister to JH and not a lover. It makes her feel sick since it has been 2 years they shared home and bed. Meanwhile, in the drama, writers intentionally created a dead brother whose age are similar to JH. She must have regretted alot for unable to protect her brother. JH will just become the replacement for her guilt. I think this could be a plausible route.
Whatever past she had, I can’t and won’t easily give her a free pass. She needs to understand her actions have impact on others. At over 30 years old, she can’t continue to remain ignorant of others’ feelings just because her life lacks sunshine. She needs to take responsibility to whatever it is she said or done to people. If she does not want SangSu, stop giving him any signs. Stop going to him and giving him hope. Stop any lingering eyes, confusing stares.
*sigh* But in reality people are sometime selfish, went back on their words and crawl back to the one they harshly rejected. Too late. You will end up ruining the happiness of other people just so you could be happy.
UoL is definitely not an easy watch 😂😂😂 but watch it I shall.
Deae God, please let me remain patience throughout the journey. Amen.
😁😁😁
Ep3
So SY tripped and fell into security guard JH’s arms. And he confessed that night. It was not as it appeared to SS.
I do not like how the boss is making advances to SY. It’s not appropriate. And predatory 😡. MG is actually nice? She’s certainly nicer and more straightforward than SY is.
The man on the wallpaper of her phone was someone who loves(d) her more than anyone else. I guess writer wants to keep us guessing but I still have my money on it being her brother. If it is the case then she’s using that as her measure for each guy that tries to woo her. Honestly it’s not a realistic measure because humans tend to remember good things about a person that they care about (when they pass away). It paints them in an overly optimistic light.
SY did not seem to like how everyone “used” JH and got him to run errands. I get the feeling she was annoyed with the hierarchy/social standing playing out in front of her.
JH wants to climb the social ladder too. He has dreams and goals. He’s a nice man. But it doesn’t look like SY feels the same way. She seems a little upset that SS is giving her the cold shoulder? Serves her right. She tells JH he reminds her of someone who is just as hardworking as he is (probably her brother?). Or herself? She was pretty hardworking too.
SY’s dream is to live an average ordinary life? That’s what she said to her brother. That’s kinda surprising. She just wants to live a contented life. Everything that her brother promised her – to buy her a house with a huge balcony in Seoul, so she can grow herbs there, paint and play the piano? Well she’s done it now? She seems to be ticking off all these unfulfilled promises her brother made to her in the past. As a means to honour his life? Looks like her father somehow caused the death of her brother. He walked out on them? Probably why the children had to work? JH may have died in a motorcycle accident? He said he was going to get his licence. Father returned at the death of JH. Mother took him back? Mom was trying to clarify something to SY but she walked out before she could do so. There must be a misunderstanding here as well.
SY felt like her happiness was a responsibility because that was part of her brother’s promise to her. That she needed to be happy. But this happiness has been elusive hasn’t it?
Their different coffees and makers emphasise their social status. Especially JH’s. Stick coffee.
😂😂😂 MG hugged SS outside the bank in front of SY. Payback time.
SS stepped in this time to help SY out when she was asked to get drinks at Karaoke. Eek…I still don’t like her at all. She’s so supercilious and arrogant.
If there’s a SY hidden behind that cold veneer she better come out soon. MG is looking like a better prospect for SS right now. At least she doesn’t play these mind games. 🙄
@miracle23 I am getting dejavu moments with HP flashbacks watching SS 😂😂. The single mom (like Rosa). Her asking him if he’s dating someone (like Rosa). Karaoke. Jeju island references.
Ep4
SS just wants to be average too (just like SY). He’s not into climbing that social ladder. Writer is pairing their values up. They had breakthrough moments for both of them. (This was a flashback)
SS was a good kid. His version of happiness is to not have regrets. So his father’s death weighed heavily on his approach to things in life. He hesitates because he doesn’t want to do things that he will regret later. So he hesitated at the lights when he was running to meet SY. He knew that he was in deeper than he would like to be with her. So he hesitated at the lights. Was he really sure he wanted to pursue this relationship? Because for him it wasn’t just a fling or a casual date (like with MG), it was a commitment to something longer term – marriage. Yet he’s realized that the decisions he’s made/hasn’t made hasn’t brought him any closer to happiness (he is living with even more regrets). He needs to realize that life is a leap of faith. It’s not just about NOT making mistakes. It’s also about taking that leap. “But what if I fall?” Asks the skeptic in us. “But what if you fly?” Should be the counter argument.
Not sure I like MG’s reason for liking SS. “You’re someone I want to have”? Sounds like one of the bags she has. He’s a possession? 🙄
JH is SO nice. He’s the less complicated option for SY. He’s the obvious choice. No drama. But love isn’t like that is it? It’s not logical. 😂
So he’s taken a leap with that hug in the end but why do previews suggest he’s vacillating between MG and SY? 🙄. More to and fro-ing I guess?
What keeps me watching is their voiceovers that give me an insight into their decision making process. It’s quite intriguing (even if it is frustrating 😂).
I finally got around to watching the available episodes of this drama. I was having trouble believing YYS as a character suffering from unrequited love, but by Episode 4 I’m more convinced. Sang Su’s aversion to casual dating–his sense of responsibility when it comes to relationships–is understandable after hearing his mother and his college friend (Mi Gyeong) give their perspective on him.
Both Sang Su and Su Yeong want to find happiness in average lives, yet happiness eludes them. It made me sad to hear SS say in voiceover that he’s shackled by the death of his father. I am so glad SS’s mother credited herself for having done a good job of raising her son alone, and he also acknowledged it. Mama is also matter-of-fact about her resentment for her deceased husband. He seems to have put his family in difficult financial circumstances because of some decision he made, then died before he worked through the consequences. Traffic accident? Suicide? Did the man sacrifice himself so the family got insurance money? Or did he just avoid dealing with the mess he made by escaping into death?
Su Yeong also has a father that left his family to fend for themselves. He didn’t die, and he returned to the family, but Su Yeong holds him responsible for the death of her brother.
People who’ve been profoundly hurt by their fathers, whose fathers didn’t fulfill their roles as leaders of their families, will bring baggage into relationships. Su Yeong is furious with her father and has not dealt with her anger. The rage she harbors eats at her from inside and causes her to form a hard shell to keep it contained. Sang Su is dogged by if-only thoughts, assuming some action on his part could have saved his father from ruin and death. Overthinking–considering if this and if that–causes SS to hesitate.
Mi Gyeong is attracted to SS because she sees him as stable; rather, he may be paralyzed.
I’m curious to learn more about Mi Gyeong’s relationship with her father. She briefly mentioned him at the bank, with a slight air of warning to the predatory boss. Her father may be someone she feels she can rely on in a pinch. Yet she also mentioned she was rebelling when SS knew her as a college student, and she insists on working instead of solely living off her family’s wealth. She says she sees similarities between Sang Su and herself. Does she also struggle with emotional damage caused by a father?
Our sweet security guard, Jeong Jong Hyeon, has also spoken about his father, who is a farmer in a remote part of South Korea. It sounds like his father is far behind the times when it comes to technology that is commonplace for most of the South Korean populace. JH is committed to caring for his parents, even if it causes him to be short on money. He wants no regrets when he looks himself in the mirror.
SH wants to feel good about himself, to not have regrets, so he takes action. He sends money and supplies to his parents. SS thinks he’ll be happy if he has no regrets, but his fear of developing regrets keeps him standing in place instead of moving forward. Su Yeong is too immersed in blame to feel regret. Mi Gyeong appears too privileged to suffer from regret, but what drives her desire to rebel… against what, or whom?
Ep 3 was a little frustrating for me but Ep 4, is amazing. Finally, what has been filling my mind being spoken out loud by SS. #communicate. Why did she chose to assume and lie to his face instead of communicate. Simply ask. It is not like she just knew him for one day. She heard his stories (as I expected. Logically she should since they worked closely in those years), she knew how he is. So, from the very beginning, regardless of her past, I am not convinced her continuous actions towards SS are justified. What did she want to hear from him? He bares all to her already but she keeps denying her own feelings and put them both in a push and pull situation. How stubborn can she be? For how long? Now that she heard all the good things from MK about SS, she does not want him to leave her? Yet she still pushes him away? Honestly, it is really tiring to see her keep torturing herself, and SS unnecessarily.
MK was more straightforward in showing her feelings. She can sense something between SS x SY so she took action. Unfortunately, drama will show her as the typical rich girl who lacks sensitivity, and to some, manipulative. From the book, she is just someone who wants a stable relationship with a guy who did not look at her background as she has been through failed relationships. I guess her being rebellious has something to do with KP and her dad.
The scene with SS’s mom whereby she tied SY’s hair but washed MK’s feet gave a forebording meaning for MK and hint of happy ending for SY. I have a thought that they might use it against MK, if and when SS saw it. Really feel sorry for this character as it was not written like this in the book. She was stated as a kind woman multiple times despite her self-righteous and selfish personality at times. Her personality is her own worry of whether SS is the right person for her, whether he can accept it. But she can’t deny her heart. To her, SS seems like a guy who will not easily be swayed to look the other way. And they both are happy in the two years they were together despite the feeling of uneasiness that comes and goes, relating to differences in social status, lifestyle and perspective. I look forward to how the conflict between MK x SS will be reconstructed.
@nrllee, when I first read the book, I laughed so hard because there are so many HP references especially on SS x MK romantic endevours… the first kiss at the exit staircase, among others… but of course UoL is much much full of 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 SS x MK, I root for them. MK mistake was not being truthful about her past with KP when she knew SS hangs out with KP at the office. This is also a reason why MK initially hesitated to approach SS when she saw how close the guys are. But her heart just fell for SS. So far in the drama, many of MK x SS romantic scenes have been reconstructed to be just a casual event. Movie and lunch date with SS became SY’s plot. Holding hands and standing closely as lovers in the elevator giving off a very romantic vibe with SS initiating the hand holding and not letting go. But drama made MK did it and the situation became unrequited on her part. It was awkward for me to watch cos I am still loving the book version of SS x MK good times, sexy 🔥 times together so much.😁 I want them to be happy forever 😁. Their 2 years will stay in my memory, ❤️
So, nrllee, I am not surprised if that HP team took some reference from the book. They were known to reference many sources when they were making Reply series. Some fans of the original works claimed it almost seem like plagiarism. 😅 Well, for HP they even copy paste from their own past works🤪. I heard they are doing another medical drama in 2023. Maybe their ego was ticked off when many viewers said their Yulje love hospital(?) is a fantasy through and through. 🤭
@welmaris thanks for joining us and your notes are on point as usual 👍. Currently amongst the 4 main characters I like JH the most and SS is a close second. Both men are honest and reliable and would make worthy husbands. The female characters I like less so. SY is the worst. She’s a diva and I dislike divas. 🙄 MK is better because in spite of her rich status she doesn’t seem to have any airs. She’s neither apologetic about her status nor does she flaunt it to make others feel bad. She’s generous and kind.
@miracle23 I know how you feel. I disliked how SY kept cutting SS off when he tried to explain things and she presumes everything. But her presumptions are always seen from her point of view. Like the goddess that she is. She’s mean spirited and doesn’t seem to be capable of getting down to another person’s level to understand them? She always expects them to come to her level. 🙄. So what if he paused midway crossing the road. The point was he decided to turn up? It was a big decision for SS now that we know how he “dates”. He doesn’t casually date. He dates to get married. For what it’s worth I do like that writer has spared us the claws out jealousy fights between the characters in the love square (?). Everything has been civil so far. HP references are inevitable. So another medical drama in the works? Are they giving us S3? 🙄 I have no more energy to entertain the pair of them. I’m pretty sure we were short changed our ending because they just ran out of puff and courage to deliver the original planned ending and just slapped together a majority crowd pleasing one which was less than satisfying. Serves them right. He who dares wins. You are only as good as your last game. And HP has been eclipsed by multiple dramas so far. That would sting for ShinLee. 😂
Yes, so what if he hesitate? Didn’t SY hesitate as well, towards others. We all have the right to hesitate, to think through, to have doubts… the decision we make in the end is what matters most. So, think, have doubts, deliberate as much as we want before we make any decision. It is alright.
Ep5
Gah! I am getting supremely annoyed with SY. She has not one, but two good men who are vying for her affections and she’s…dithering…🤦♀️😑🙄. I can understand her hatred for her father but her mom shouldn’t be the brunt of her anger? Direct all that anger towards the man who is at fault?
It’s plainly obvious that she likes SS. She even understood why he hesitated? Yet she chose to make him pay for it? She’s mean spirited. 😑. Her refusal to open her heart up is the root cause of her unhappiness. She only said yes to JH because he was the “easier” and safe choice. She doesn’t like him that way. She will break his heart. It’s totally selfish of her to get his hopes up like that. He’s safe because she knows she will never have her heart broken in that relationship because she’s not giving any of it to him. She’s merely humouring him. 😑🤦♀️🙄.
What gives her the right to be angry that SS said she “chose” to confront the boss? He’s respecting her choices? She’s suffering the consequences yeah? She was annoyed that SS yelled at her for not looking after herself and refusing help (on her high horse), yet she repeats the same “error” with her mom by yelling at her for doing the same? 😑🙄🤦♀️. She keeps him guessing all the time. It’s agonising to watch. 😂. MG is the “easier” choice. She hasn’t put a foot wrong. She’s nice. She’s open and honest. She hides nothing. The complete opposite to SY.
I can see how the writer is trying to make SY more palatable to the viewers but really her treatment of the 2 lovely men in her life is just appalling. It’s disrespectful to them.
Ep6
🙄. Moral of the story – don’t give your significant other shoes as a gift or for any reason. I guess they had to drag this out. But it does offer an interesting discourse about “love”. I think the writer is using SS’s friend SeokHyeon as a sounding board. He had broken up with his long time gf because of their social class differences. And now he’s announced he’s marrying for convenience. The lady in question has the same social standing as he. But he states he has no passion for her at all. He’s putting the horse before the cart ie marrying to date.
And our OTP have settled. SY I think partly views sweet JH as a stand in for her deceased brother. He’s the safe option. Notice how she didn’t overreact when he didn’t tell her why he went MIA? Yes she was worried about him but she had no real expectations that he would behave in a certain way. She didn’t give SS the same opportunity. Because she had unrealistic expectations (she was genuinely interested even if her pride wouldn’t allow her to admit to it). Her behavior towards SS was (and still is) appalling, because it’s confusing him. Their conversation in the filing room was the first real conversation they had. But she was still not completely honest. Yes she may have thought the both of them had no future because they were too dissimilar (says who? 🤦♀️🙄. She’s prejudiced beyond belief). Outwardly they may seem dissimilar because she’s all about grand gestures and open conflict and he isn’t. But he fights battles as well, just not as openly as she does and with more tact and nuance. Case in point their treatment of Branch Manager Yuk. His “affair” is also reflective of what’s going on with the OTP. Everyone thought his “wife” was his real wife when it was just his mistress. Everyone thinks OTP is with different people but inside they are still pining for the other.
I much preferred SS’s approach than SY’s to their prospective partners. At least with SS he’s laid it down that he’s still not 100% sure about dating MK because there’s no “fire” there. She replied she was content with just 1%. So he was honest about feelings from his end from the start. SY was not. She wasn’t honest with him at all. He’s just conveniently there. She “thinks” they are the same because socially they seem to be on the same rung but they are nothing alike deep down. JH’s dad probably has problems back home. Maybe sick? So he’s breaking up with SY to head back to care for him or something like that. I can totally see him doing that. I am not sure why he chose not to tell her about it (maybe he thought she had too much on her plate already with the Manager Yuk situation and didn’t want to add to her burden). This will probably set her off reminding her of her brother in the past. SY and JH lasted all of one ep…if that. 😂. I wonder how long SS and MK will last for.
SS’s friend GyeongPil has had history with MK in the past. It’s obvious. Guess we will see how writer will loop him in in later eps.
Just finished watching all 6 episodes of TIOL and my views are solely based on the series.
Firstly, the moment SS acknowledged that he hesitated in the signal before coming to meet her, I actually applauded.This is were this drama resonated with me. When he said he hesitated coz he took her seriously My love for SS became tenfold. But I guess many viewers hated SS for this. Also the way he visioned SY as the bride and took the risk of complaining against his boss to save SY, I knew this guy is really in love with her. He had carried his love in heart for 3 years but being a lil passive and a over thinker, he had pushed his love deep within. He was also low-key persistent and always approached her even though she hurted him with her words and deeds.MK is definitely a breath of fresh air in his life. But somehow I get only friendly vibes with them. The romantic tension that I sense between SuSu couple is missing with SS&MK. Maybe coz MK is quite playful and I feel she somehow wants to have a relationship with SS. Until now what I understood was her love for SS is mainly coz of his warm and caring personality. It’s just few days and she fell for his charm. She has never witnessed his weak side and I don’t get when she said she expects only 1%from him. We have to see in future episodes how their relationship work.
SY is definitely the cold princess. Having lost her brother, getting stuck in a job for a long time and having a bullying boss is not easy on a person . And I think I rudeness aloofness and her insecurities all stem from this.
Even I felt hurt the way she treated SS but I think we need to cut her some slacks. Maybe she has never been given that confidence to feel that way. Her acceptance of JH Confession is her another escapism from reality which again got shattered in the end of epi 6. JH breakup was just as quick as his confession. Should wait till his reasons are revealed.
The series is a slow phased but that’s how a melo works giving us an in-depth thought process of the characters. So far iam just enjoying it. Some of the dialogues are amazing esp YYS voiceover.
Kudos to both the main leads YYS and GaYoung for giving an awesome performance. Their emotions are on point and maybe that’s why I root for them.
And ya @nrllee thanks for an in-depth analysis of the episodes. It’s very interesting to read.🙏
Welcome to the blog, @esvee.
@nrllee will enjoy having company to discuss this show with.
Hey @esvee. Welcome to discussion. I have to agree about the 2 main leads. If it were any other actress, I would totally despise her completely. But because it’s MGY, there’s a part of me that wants to give her the benefit of the doubt. I want to see her break free of the shackles that bind her heart. I just wish she gave SS the opportunity to just speak to her normally. Like she does JH. I feel that she’s that uptight about him because she knows he (SS) means business. She may want clarity and commitment but she’s so NOT ready to open her heart completely and dive in. They were relating “normally” before their relationship went up a level. One could argue they communicated so much better before they “went out”? She should’ve just given him the same opportunities that she’s given JH (to explain his side of the story). But she bailed because she decided it was too risky a venture for her. So she backed out from SS. What I didn’t like is that she kept lying to him about her true feelings. That just confused SS even more. The poor man just can’t figure her out and she’s unwilling to let down her guard.
Dear nrllee, I am sorry for not being around… my mind has so many things to say about the drama version of the book but I don’t know where to start… hehe I am glad good discussions keep popping up especially on the important issues raised through the conflict of love in the drama.
To esvee, welcome 😉 I am glad you enjoyed the show thus far.
First of, I feel the drama is a really well made adaptation of the book as it expanded what the author wanted to share with us from his observation of the society norms in Korea when it comes to understanding love. The author provided the book’s title with a double meaning. One is understanding of love and the other is interest/profit of love. The production team used the latter for the drama. They wanna show how different interests will result in different understanding of love and affect the outcome of it.
I would like to share a few reviews which I find are on point about matters raised in TIOL.
https://n.news.naver.com/article/028/0002622481?sid=103
https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/109/0004769684
https://n.news.naver.com/entertain/article/047/0002378424
When I first started the drama my mind has been fully occupied with the book version that the fun of matching the puzzle soon becomes almost non-existent as the story progresses and the main topic that writers and PD want to share becomes more deeper and further elaborated and explained through the words and actions of SS, SY, MK and JH, as well as the other characters surrounding them. I became too engrossed in the scripts, the subtle expressions, the hidden signs and meanings from all those. So many subtleties that I can’t blink. Though I have to admit, at ep. 5 and ep. 6, despite understanding the woes of SY x JH, I skipped most of their erm… scenes which I find meaningless… hehehe… it’s more the usual reason warring in my brain on similar tropes. Mianhae SY… my mind just went auto block… I know how it will end anyway… kekeke
I would like share a topic that the writers presented to SS through various similar scenarios in his conversations with other people. They want him to choose, to tell us which way he will go. These scenarios show the social norms that people rarely marry the one they love the most. I like SS’s reactions in each scene, how he took all in and thought about them. And we saw later on he subconsciously relayed his own thought about them through his conversation with MK. He disagrees.
SS’s Friend 1: I’d like to have one last exciting romance before I get married.
SS’s Friend 2: Marry first, date later. Guys, my outlook on life has changed. Think about it. Our ancestors met their spouse on their wedding day but they lived well. Getting married to a suitable partner first is a system proven by history.
SS’s Mom: I dated plenty when I was younger, so I don’t feel the need. And I have enough passionate relationships before I met your father. Actually, there was someone I liked more than him, but I still married your father. So, I figured you end up marrying someone whom you’re meant to be with.
SS: Seeing the love of his life in a wedding dress.
KP: Has Seok Hyeong taught you anything? He was head over heels in love for years with his ex-gf, but in the end he’s marrying someone on his level. What is the big deal about love anyway? Is it really that great? People are so weird. They read reviews and do thorough research before purchasing an item. But they act all innocent when it comes to love and pretend like they don’t judge others. Then they call you a bastard if you weigh your options.
SS: They said it is impossible to understand love. However, I find it even more impossible to understand myself. I can’t understand why I hesitated back then or why I need to let go now.
MK on Giacometti: He was an incredible man as well as an incredible artist and lover. They say he was in love with three women. There was his muse, Isabel, whom he stayed with for only three months. Caroline who was a prostitute and his last lover. And finally, his devoted wife, Annette, who was by his side until the end. Which one of them do you think he loved the most?
SS: He should have loved his wife the most.
MK: But he poured all his passion and love into another woman.
SS: You can’t control your heart’s desire.
MK: Why are you defending him? You shouldn’t go down the same path.
SS: Laugh.
From these hints(?), SS’s mind is set into marrying the one he loved the most. He is defying the norms. MK’s advise for him not to love other than his wife is like a premonition (to me) that SS will love his wife the most as he is someone who can’t control what is in his heart, who he desires. He loves and desires SY. Period.
With this, I believe how the end would be is highly depending on SY. We were shown a teaser of them in the hotel.. progressing… will SY stay after all that? Assuming that they proceed through it? Or will she decide to leave SS x JH and strive for a better future for herself, just like the book. SY’s script has indicated that she wants to leave, to be in a new environment, to work hard for herself. I think this is also a hint. I am glad she showed improvement by opening up and tying up her misunderstanding with SS. She decided to take charge of her life and moved on from SS. Though I disagree when SY said she had no choice and chided SS for thinking she had one. She does have a choice i.e. to continue to cower, be suppressed and looked down upon OR she can rise and speak up about the unfairness that she has been subjected to. She made a choice to stand up against the Manager. She chose. In many other instances, she chose. She chose to run away from home and cut ties with her parents, she chose to ignore SS and lie to him. She chose to over-react about his hesitation. She chose to dismiss his worries and concerns for her. She chose to misunderstand SS as well as her parents. She chose to push other people away and she chose to live in her own bubble. That is her coping and/or defensive mechanism. How she protect herself as a result of her past. I can understand her and where she is coming from, but I can also disagree. ^^
The shoes gifts are foreboding, in a bad way to JH x MK. MK throwing the dice, risking to fulfill the efforts that should have been SS’s is also not a good sign. SS is just not in it. He is killing time hoping SY would find him again in her mind and her heart. For this decision, I disagree with SS. I understand he wants to move on. But he can’t to let go of SY. Hence, he should have rejected the coin. He should have told MK that he has someone else occupying his mind and soul, and that it highly likely will stay forever. It’s not about him not ready to give 100%. This is him not even willing to let go of SY because he doesn’t understand why he has to do so, why he has to stop loving/liking SY. If MK is willing to wait for his answer, MK should be able to accept his honest rejection.
All these further emphasised the ending … despite all hurdles, the set fate is that SY x SS were meant to be together, if SY is willing to move in line with SS.
Surrounding these war of feelings and uncertainties are the importantt factors that influence them = the Interests that dictate the outcome/meaning of love to each one of these people i.e. social status, education, family background, career etc.
The words of KP. It shows how he was judged for weighing his options about his partner. How he might have a different interests than MK in their relationship. Perhaps, those interests were what caused them to break up in the past. I think drama might reunite the two. We’ll see.:)
@miracle23 thanks for those transcripts. It certainly is a discourse about “love” so if the viewer can unentangle herself from the characters and their frustrating actions, she will be able to think through those issues as well. It really is about choices. Not one thing is right or wrong. People live with their choices and the outcomes that come from it, good or bad. I think the writer is pairing SS and SY up. Deep down (before they got all confused with unrealistic expectations and misunderstandings), they actually were very similar in outlook. Both just wanted to be “average”. They didn’t exactly want to climb the corporate ladder or be hugely successful. Even SY. She just wants a level playing field. To be recognized for her hard work and duly rewarded for it based on merit. SS I feel has no desire either to be “bank manager”. All I see with him is confusion right now. Because if I were in his shoes, I would be the same. SY is confusing because she’s not honest with her feelings. Her actions/behaviours don’t add up. So right through ep2-6 we see SS trying to understand what happened for her to behave the way she did. Was he really so bad at reading the signs that he got her all wrong? Or was it something more? The fact that he doesn’t have the benefit of knowing her family background and her past pain (like we have), makes it even more bewildering for the poor man 😂😂😂.
I think SS is so bewildered by SY that he’s started to doubt his version of how love should be. Which is probably why he decided, “well, if I can’t love the one I want, maybe I can love the one I am with.” So he’s willing to give this version of love a shot. One where you commit first without the accompanying feelings. MK seems rather desperate to be in a relationship with SS so she’s just jumped at the opportunity. I don’t think this will end well for them.
I am not sure SS and SY will end up together. But I get the feeling at the very least, they will eventually get a better understanding of each other in the end. I feel like they did so well in just getting to know each other before SY overly complicated it by giving SS that ultimatum after their first proper date.🙄😑. They just need to lighten up a little and get back to the “get to know you” stage, because to be honest they don’t even know each other that well? SY assumed a lot about SS eg she thought he was from a rich background which we know he isn’t. SS didn’t know anything about her brother or her past. All these things will give them context about why the other person makes the decisions they did and it would progress their relationship at a more sustainable pace.
Thinking back, I wonder if these lines talked to SS could also mean to emphasise that in reality, we usually end up with our endgame after a number of times we fell in and out of love. We experienced heartbreaks before we meet our ever after. Perhaps this could also be a hint of the drama ending that depicts reality of life.
@miracle23 there are hints that the writer thinks they are more alike than they think. Eg the whole “I want to be average” talk. The mirroring of scenes – they are kind to customers/strangers. So I get the feeling that they are both figuring out what “love” means to them and if their original concept needs tweaking or not. I feel like they are currently in the “exploratory” phase where they are seeing if they can embrace this new idea of love or if it’s really not right for them. SS’s version is more mainstream and “old school” which I like, so it’s easier to understand where he’s coming from. SY is petty and volatile and has past trauma which skews her ideas so she’s harder to follow.
Ep7
Both SY and SS are wearing shoes that their prospective partners have given them. Both are at the Han River. SS is at the start of his relationship and SY is potentially at an end.
MK was definitely dating someone in College. SS wasn’t even on her radar then. She looked uncomfortable when he brought up the subject. GyeongPil was probably in the picture then.
SY is on the receiving end of what she did with SS. JH initially gives her no explanation and then actually he lies to her as to why he’s called it quits.
MK showing a side of her I am not liking. Why did she ask GP and SY to have lunch with SS and her? Just to gloat? 🙄. SY still lying when SS gave her the option of bailing on lunch. 🙄. The lied again (and made SS look stupid) for saying she likes oysters when she told him on her first date that she didn’t like oysters. She annoys me so much because she just keeps treating SS unkindly. And she doesn’t need to. It’s just her pride at stake 🙄. MK does the same to GP. He noted that she didn’t like perilla powder in College (so they were a thing) but she’s now decided that she does. New woman, new me. Both these women are acting so juvenile 🙄. All 4 of these people are being completely deluded about their relationships. It’s so obvious 😂😂😂.
😂😂😂 The conversation that SS and MK’s moms had over lunch with each other? It’s like a foreshadowing?
(I like this voiceover )
Numbers can tell u many things. One’s wealth, social standing. One’s full potential. Numbers help me realize that he has a rough future ahead of him. That his situation isn’t something I can handle.
What does this voiceover spell for SY and JH? If she can’t handle his situation and the fact that he doesn’t seem as resilient and “hungry” to climb that ladder as she is, then why does she continue to pursue this relationship?
MK…hmm…did she have bad intentions for picking up SY together with SS? Also, not sure why she would opt to get SS to use her car instead of his? To show off? 🙄.
MK seems to be trying too hard? I am getting Dr Maggot bad dejavu vibes 😬. Let’s not break up? How low can you go with your expectations?
SY is giving JH all the chances she never gave SS. Is it out of pity? Shared experiences so she feels she understands him?
Neither relationship feels right at the moment. It’s like they’re on an exploratory path to discover what they really want and it’s not this. Too many lingering unfinished business between SS and SY at the moment. SS just looks like he’s going through the motions of being a couple with MK (letting her dictate the flow of it and just going along for the ride) but his heart isn’t in it. There’s too much left unsaid between SS and SY. He hasn’t moved on yet.
My takes on Ep. 7,
It reveals MK as a person. Her person, her desperation, her commitment and drive to find that missing piece in her life i.e. to love and be in love with the person she can call her own. This person for her to love which will complete her and vice versa.
The whole episode pointed out MK’s personality as follows:
1. KP: Well, even if she knew (about SS liking SY) she wouldn’t have backed off.
2. SS: Aren’t you embarrassed to say such things (ie be upfront and open about her feelings)
MK: Not at all. I can take it even further.
3. SS’s Mom: If she takes after you, then she’ll bring home a good man.
4. MK’s Mom: My daughter takes after me, so she has very high standards.[…] Don’t ever accept a daughter-in-law if she’s like my kid. […] Gosh, you won’t find anyone bossier than her. (aigoo, her own mom rejected her as an eligible bachelorette hehe…)
5. SS: MK, why are you so bold?
This is MK. She is not afraid to show her affections, in public or in private. This is her way to react to her feelings for SS. To commit to fulfilling that 99% in their relationship, to make it work. One of her mistake that will probably haunt her back is her lying by omission about her past with KP. Perhaps, she finds no need to talk about it as she has moved on. Unfortunately, it could be one of the easy reason for SS to walk away. Another for being selfish at times and self righteous, traits that she admitted are her flaws.
These four people reacts differently to love and it relates back to their background and personality. While SY is more silent to the point of being dishonest about her true feelings for SS, MK spells it all out. Why is she so desperate to find a good guy who she could give her heart and all that he needs and whom will love her in return? Look at the household she grew up with. Her own parents. Hence, she craves for a love, an attention that she is lacking growing up. Mayhap her heartbreak with KP has also fueled in that needs to be loved and to love, to find fulfilment in her life. She was written as someone who are willing to give all that she can to the person she loves. And this mindset, her lifestyle and her ways are what will make SS feel awkward in this relationship. Not to mention in his mind and heart there has always been SY. He won’t let go. MK is nervous. She knows SS is the good guy that she can finally settle down with but she also knows he is not 100% in it, regardless of who the person is. Hence, she is worried and desperate for SS cos she has grew fonder of him. I saw that she asked SS a lot about his feelings of whether he ever did like anyone. SS’s denial is the answer she is holding on too. I agree at how she told off KP when he tried to make things awkward for SY by mentioning JH. She is protecting SY’s privacy. Perhaps, another reason that caused past rift at college between the two.
While MK bares her heart to the one she likes, the other three may take a more silent route. Not easy to confer their feelings and burdens which cause a lot of misunderstandings, confusions, preconceptions. A tiring journey, tbh.
People may choose to disagree with MK or even stone her for doing what she can to hold on to SS. SS should have not taken the coin. I pity her. Despite everything that she is capable of giving, she won’t be able to give SS what he needs the most i.e. SY. I hope MK and the others who are broken by this experience can find another chance for love.
My takes on Ep. 7,
It reveals MK as a person. Her person, her desperation, her commitment and drive to find that missing piece in her life i.e. to love and be in love with the person she can call her own. This person for her to love which will complete her and vice versa.
The whole episode pointed out MK’s personality as follows:
1. KP: Well, even if she knew (about SS liking SY) she wouldn’t have backed off.
2. SS: Aren’t you embarrassed to say such things (ie be upfront and open about her feelings)
MK: Not at all. I can take it even further.
3. SS’s Mom: If she takes after you, then she’ll bring home a good man.
4. MK’s Mom: My daughter takes after me, so she has very high standards.[…] Don’t ever accept a daughter-in-law if she’s like my kid. […] Gosh, you won’t find anyone bossier than her. (aigoo, her own mom rejected her as an eligible bachelorette hehe…)
5. SS: MK, why are you so bold?
This is MK. She is not afraid to show her affections, in public or in private. This is her way to react to her feelings for SS. To commit to fulfilling that 99% in their relationship, to make it work. One of her mistake that will probably haunt her back is her lying by omission about her past with KP. Perhaps, she finds no need to talk about it as she has moved on. Unfortunately, it could be one of the easy reason for SS to walk away. Another for being selfish at times and self righteous, traits that she admitted are her flaws.
These four people reacts differently to love and it relates back to their background and personality. While SY is more silent to the point of being dishonest about her true feelings for SS, MK spells it all out. Why is she so desperate to find a good guy who she could give her heart and all that he needs and whom will love her in return? Look at the household she grew up with. Her own parents. Hence, she craves for a love, an attention that she is lacking growing up. Mayhap her heartbreak with KP has also fueled in that needs to be loved and to love, to find fulfilment in her life. She was written as someone who are willing to give all that she can to the person she loves. And this mindset, her lifestyle and her ways are what will make SS feel awkward in this relationship. Not to mention in his mind and heart there has always been SY. He won’t let go. MK is nervous. She knows SS is the good guy that she can finally settle down with but she also knows he is not 100% in it, regardless of who the person is. Hence, she is worried and desperate for SS cos she has grew fonder of him. I saw that she asked SS a lot about his feelings of whether he ever did like anyone. SS’s denial is the answer she is holding on too. I agree at how she told off KP when he tried to make things awkward for SY by mentioning JH. She is protecting SY’s privacy. Perhaps, another reason that caused past rift at college between the two.
While MK bares her heart to the one she likes, the other three may take a more silent route. Not easy to confer their feelings and burdens which cause a lot of misunderstandings, confusions, preconceptions. A tiring journey, tbh.
People may choose to disagree with MK or even stone her for doing what she can to hold on to SS. He is currently her BF. If he doesnt like any of her ways, tell her. SS should have not take the coin. I pity MK. Despite everything that she is capable of giving, she won’t be able to give SS what he needs the most i.e. SY. I hope MK and the others who are broken by this experience can find another chance for love.
@miracle23 that’s a good take on MK. Her desperation in trying to “keep” SS just comes across as undignified to me. I understand why she does it but it makes her stoop too low. She deserves better than 1%. Between the 2 women, she can definitely give more than SY can to SS. But he’s obviously NOT over SY. And she’s NOT over him either. I blame SY for their awkwardness. They have unfinished business because SY wasn’t honest with her feelings. She never gave SS a chance. Look how many chances she’s giving JH. If she gave SS the same number of chances they would be in a completely different place right now. I think she assumed he was from a rich family and didn’t have to work his way up. She feels like she’s on the same footing as JH because of their shared experience and background. So she feels kinship there. But is it love? I don’t think so. She needs to work that out.
But I agree about SS taking that coin. It was an impulsive decision and it’s not going to do him any favours. It looks like he will spend the night with her. She’s going to be hurt in the end. Because I can’t see how he can be fully involved in their relationship if he keeps looking at SY like that.
Yes nrllee… we will never know what tomorrow will bring. Him taking the coin and subsequently exposed on their dating status, followed by exposed to MK’s mom of his identity as her bf. Her father will know soon enough. His mom too. He put himself in that situations. The decision that he made by taking the coin, now has subsequently being led into an entrapment by coincidences that followed. It is now turning into a pressure for him to stay in the relationship. You will never know what future will be. Be cautious in making your decision.
must agree so far episode7 for me was so uncomfortable to watch. I dont know, the feels and warmth i felt for SS & MK initially is slowly fading away seeing how uncomfortable he is and how desperate she is. The moment their love story began, i started feeling zero chemistry. Maybe thats what the director intended to do so. Now personally blaming one or the other for this mess up is easy but in reality i believe this is how we all tend to behave. Have we not impulsively taken a decision and regretted the rest of our life. And times even when we knew certain things are not possible, we still carry a little hope. That’s what exactly SS MK relationship is all about.
Now just like @nrllee said, it surprises me how SY was patient with JH and even went behind him begging to come back. I wonder if this is the same person who made SS life a hell coz he hesitated for few seconds. but then if we look deep into it, SY probably would have felt hopeless and humiliated in front of SangSu just like what JH felt and relieved it to SY. She definitely could see a part of herself in JH and she wants him to succeed and live his dream . so she decided to guide and mentor him in the facade of love. Also she somehow must have felt responsible to payback him for all the motivation and inspiration that he had given in her difficult times. But the fun fact is, its easier to advise and motivate others in their difficult times but when faced by themselves all those words just fade into thin air. That’s why when JH had a problem, the positive minded guy fled away leaving SY instead of sharing it with her. So i think in the second half of the series she might witness a very serious and sad boy JH instead of the person whom she knew as cheerful and happy.
with all this mess iam just enjoying KyeungPil’s character. His attitude be like dude its payback time MK coz he knows how much SS is into SY.
An another thing i noticed is why is SY giving hard glares to SS like as though he cheated on her. The poor guy already is uncomfortable with his feelings for her and then she makes him look guilty too.
And like @miracle23 pointed out, i feel the whole episode gave few new insights about Mikyeong and that made me dislike her a little more. like for instance her rudeness with KyungPil and her inviting all four for lunch. I thought i would give her the benefit of doubt, but her attitude when her mom asked if she had stolen SS work and the way she answered and the way she tried to avoid using SS car i feel she is not as innocent as she seems to be. But I hope iam wrong.
lets wait for the next episode. Now i just want the male leads to be together and show some lovey dovey scenes for all the angst they are creating.
Oh Yes @Miracle23, i just could picture the entire situation. If only we could time travel back, i would ask him to undo his decision. I wonder once all his and her family knows, he will be caged with the RESPONSIBITY” he was talking about. I really cant see him go through this. And the fact that SS played by YYS, that guys expressions are damn on point. and this makes it even harder for us to seem him like that.
@EsVee, it is easier for viewers to dislike MK after this week’s episodes. The clash of personalities, interests, backgrounds and the fact that she is just a necessary tool for main OTP make it even more convenient to feel that way. I would like to diverge from the majority. Cos to me, she also has the right to love and expect love in return from the one she gives her heart to, the one who chose her. Her desperation for his attention and acceptance is very very hard to watch because as spectators, we know he does not feel the same for her. It makes her pitiful to me. Even if she is a rich girl who has everything, she can’t escape loneliness and becoming pitiful. Like nrllee said, she deserves better, than to be made a fool while SS x SY taking their own sweet time warring with their feelings.
About riding in SS’s car: Ep. 7 we saw she asked him to use her car but in Ep. 8 she has no issue riding in his car. She even pointed out about perhaps it is time he changes car after noticing the audio player is broken. The car is old. In the book it was SS’s dad’s car. Not sure why drama makes SS uses that old car. That just a normal conversation to me.. others may feel differently. Some even claim she is showing off to SY. Did they see her satisfaction in that supposed mission? MK does not care because she does not know SS x SY have feelings for each other. And the only fact she knows, at the moment, is that SY is another man’s girlfriend. Don’t forget that.
I am unsure of the actual intention of writers to show these car scenes. My interpretation is maybe MK does not want SY to feel uncomfortable since SS’s car did breakdown before. Who knows it might break down again on that trip day. *shrug*
The main point here is that, MK is just being MK. It gets clearer to me from the recent episodes that she really is unaware of SS’s true feelings for SY and vice versa, their denials to her confirmed her belief that nothing is going on between the two. I don’t see malice in her intention to pick up SY or even to host a party for SY. Friends do that.
Even in the car MK is just playing with her phone uncaring of whether SY/SS is uncomfortable because she did not know the two have feelings for one another. That awkwardness between the pairs will not change even if the party is held in a restaurant, even if they meet up any where. Because MK and JH are UNAWARE about SY x SS. *sigh*
MK, hesh… that is perhaps the only way she knows how to love and treasure the one she gives heart for. She is so oblivious to her surroundings, to the exchanges between SS and SY. I feel sad seeing her trying too hard. I can’t help but feel disappointed towards SS, nonetheless. He should just shut up instead of saying things he can’t commit. Responsibility? How can you do that when your heart and mind demand another? MK will just hold on to that tiny hope coming from you. Can’t you see her eyes? Being her boyfriend yet wanting another woman… what a mess.
I don’t like how KP being the yippie spectator in all this. He said he supported SS x MK together. He knows MK will suffer the worse from that hopeless relationship. If he really loves her back then, should have warned her before she got more deeper. Should have warned SS about MK if she is really the bad guy. Because SS is supposedly his best buddy. But he let SS x MK continue on. He knows SS can’t move on from SY, so why did KP let on. Is it that joyful to watch your friend suffer?
His words to SY, eventually have double meaning i.e this is the good guy that you rejected. He has always been a good guy. He has always been there. It is unfortunate that you just fail to see him as he is, till too late.
I am really enjoying the discussions in this thread so far. They have definitely given me a different perspective on the show.
I was wondering how big of change from the book have the writers for the drama made so far? Can Miracle23 or nrllee elaborate on that because both of you have read the book?
Welcome to the blog, @Yuemanlok.
I hope @nrllee or @miracle23 will get back to you soon.
@yuemanlok I haven’t read the book so I have no idea. I am purely watching this drama on its own merits. Without the encumbrance of having expectations to fulfill because I already have preconceived ideas in my mind of how a character should be based on the initial reading of the book. I believe @miracle23 has read the book so her take on certain characters will probably be different because she has the book to fall back on. I do believe that the writers have adapted the book and changed quite a bit to temper the characters somewhat.
@miracle23 is right though about SS’s disastrous choice in taking the coin from MK (and dating her). Because she’s got preconceived ideas about him. So despite his hesitancy and stating he can only give 1% at the moment, she’s been happy to fill in the blanks for him and proceed at full speed towards the altar. She’s selling herself short. Practically throwing herself at him. But he needs to take responsibility too? Just because she’s moving so fast, you can always tell her you’re not comfortable with it and to slow it down? Instead of just going with it and hoping your heart will change with her enthusiasm buoying you along? She’s the only one paddling right now in their boat. He’s definitely punching above his weight by dating MK. Her parents (maybe not her mom but definitely her dad) will not approve. She has some unfinished business with GP (SS’s friend). I am not sure how much that plays into her pursuit of SS. She seems to want to show him off whenever GP’s around. It’s like watching her take revenge for some past grievance GP did to her? She’s behaving like a woman scorned there. I think she senses the threat that SY is to her but because both of them deny it, she just has to try to believe that nothing is going on. I don’t see MK and SS’s relationship ending well.
JH is too sweet. I can see his allure for SY. It’s him being like a reincarnation of her brother. He lifts her out of her doldrums and sends her on flights of fancy with his ability to dream. Problem is, she doesn’t seem to want what he wants. He wants to climb that ladder of success. He had a setback but now he seems to be back to his usual cheerful self. Currently though, he’s stuck BELOW SY’s societal status. Will she be able to wait long enough for him to get pass his Police exams and move up to where she is? Will his “dreams” be sufficient to maintain her interest in him in the meantime? What if he never does pass the exam? Will she be able to put up with watching him being disparaged on a day to day basis?
Neither SS nor SY have properly put their feelings for each other to bed. Leaping into another relationship was just unwise for both of them. But I guess that’s the risk in any relationship. If you take a leap, you run the risk of being hurt. These are adults (including MK and JH) and they need to own the repercussions of their choices, good or bad. So it looks like SS and SY will have a one night stand? 🙄🤦♀️. Did the wedding reception of SH bring both of them thudding to their senses? Both wondering if they should give their relationship another shot? That would be horribly unfair to their partners though? 🙄🤦♀️ It’s a mess if that’s what happens.
Preview seems to show SS and SY attending a funeral together. Both are wearing all black. Not sure whose?
Hi Yuemanlok, welcome to the thread. Thanks @nrllee for your comments.
With regard to the book… hmmm… For the adaptation, the main plot was changed. Hence, what follows after will be aligned to that main plot. In the book SY does not love SS. She finds him annoying. She fell head over heels for JH. Her words: JH is the person she loves, SS is the person who loves her and she/her is ASY herself. She admitted that when she was in her darkest moment with JH, she approached and met SS with no affection.
And in the drama, that was changed into SY likes SS from the beginning. The rest of the book was reconstructed to meet this objective. A few of SS x MK romantic scenes were replaced with SS x SY romantic dates as you can see in the teasers. The cinema, the lunch after were both SS x MK dates before they became official. SS did go to MK house and sit close together overlooking the Han river like in ep. 8. He was thinking and deciding whether to move forward with MK. If not, for whom and why? Because SY already moved on and rejected him. So, SS decided to start dating MK and spent their first night together, at MK’s house that night. SS woke up the next day resigned to be affectionate to MK, be happy and spent the next few days together again before they went to the Bank Manager and confessed that they are officially dating.
As you probably notice, drama did some reconstruction to these parts. The dating news was broke first, before they slept together. It was at SS’s house instead of MK’s and the morning after SS was reluctant for skinship, still. Throughout the drama he was reluctant to move on. So, my mind wonder why the heck he said he won’t take the relationship lightly when he obviously still treating her like stranger, as her boyfriend, because we knows where his heart is. He is not invested. Not even 1%, emotionally. #FACT Who is he kidding? *roll eyes*
Per book, SS x MK were happy together for 2 years, despite common bumps as a result of clash in personality, lifestyle and background, similar to JH x SY before things went south but drama adaptation sped things up. In the drama, MK x JH just a tool to reconnect SS x SY. But on a deeper perspective, the story of the book remains about the interest and understanding of love between these four people. Hence, it would be best to look at each of their perspectives instead of just focusing on eagerly wanting to watch the OTP get together, get laid and have more skinships than at present.
The adaption also made some further elaborations: On MK, her personality, her family and background. SY as well with the backstory of her family and late brother which does not exist in the book. Book only mentioned she was reminded of when her parents argued. That is all about her family, iirc. They have to create her trauma from somewhere. And for SS it was about his late dad and his mom. TBH, I am not fully convinced with SY’s dilemma. She is just stubborn and has superior inferiority complex. She has to deal with this and come out of it on her own. Because it is a war she has within herself. She chose to shut people out, to think that she is undeserving of SS’s love because of their differences, according to her. Yet she still yearns for him *roll eyes*. Pick your struggle, girl.
As for JH, so far his story tallied with the book. Not much different, but shorten. Lack of skinship in the drama as opposed to the book. The book let both pairs had normal dating experience i.e. loving and affectionate, sleeping together, living together as normal couple… But drama is reserving those skinships for the OTP, it seems. Is it realistic? That is up to you to decide. 🙂
Overall, these major changes were made to fit the new narratives, to pave ways and set the fate for SS x SY. You can see that SY will sleep with SS. In the book, she made a deal with KP, slept with him, recorded it and it got to JH and SS. That is her decision, way to leave both guys and make them stop chasing her. This after she agreed to start fresh with SS, subsequent which SS prepared to confess to and break with MK. SY in the book is not really an angel like what they are painting for SY in the drama. A major contrast.
SY: Like all broken relationship, she was the one who ruined it. She can’t say she ruined everything but she ruined as much as she could. With the only luxury and freedom one can enjoy, with the power and right to seduce and be seduced.
Hence, she made that decision with KP. The only way, according to her, to get away from both JH x SS.
In conclusion, don’t bother too much about the book because the adaption has its own desired ending. The book will be reconstructed to be in line with that ending. 🙂
P/S: This thought just came to my mind after seeing a few comments calling MK abusive, conniving and manipulative towards SS, HER BOYFRIEND, because she wants to hold on to him. Because she is doing her part to fulfil that 99%, within her own deadline. I wonder why thus far, I did not see people point out that actually in the this whole love struggle/ battle – which was started by SY – she has the most power, the upper hand because she knew whatever it is SS’s feeling for her is very very deep. MK can never get SS’s affection. SY can smirk all the way to 7th heaven and gloat in silent to MK that she is the one that holds SS’s heart. She is taking her sweet time dragging this all out through her stubbornness and denial of her feelings for SS. She denied him a chance she freely gave JH. She said she is protecting the one who chose her? Didn’t SS choose her first? She keeps giving him longing, wanting looks that are confusing him. Does she love me or does she not? She also knows SS will be readily available to her beck and call whenever she will be in trouble. We will be shown that she will seek his comfort when the time comes because SS is the good guy in the story. He will be there for her. Now, can this be categorised as emotional manipulation, whether she realised it or not? I leave it to the members for further discussion.
Cheers!
As a character, SY doesn’t impress me. She left a bad impression on me on their movie date when she watched SS go through dejection as a result of her telling him she wasn’t going to make it and she smirked? That’s just cruel? schadenfreude (pleasure in someone else’s misfortune). 🙄. So I’m only going along with their relationship because SS obviously likes her. Her inability to be honest is also a red flag for me. She may seem to be “letting” him go but she’s still giving him those longing looks so it’s not helping. I guess the fact that they keep getting into those situations which make it hard for them to move on doesn’t help. Eg the filing room incident, the selling fish incident etc. SY’s “toughness” probably reminds SS of his mom. Whom he says is strong and resilient.
@miracle23 it could be that the person at the hotel going into SY’s room is KP and not SS. 🙄. That would align with the book suggestion. Goodness knows why she would over complicate the relationships like that. SY’s concept of love is just warped. If it is KP she slept with, surely she would know how betrayal feels like? She witnessed the betrayal of her father? 🙄. I don’t get her unkindness to her mom either. She never gives anyone a chance to explain. Only JH. She just cuts them off before they get to tell their side of the story. She doesn’t seek to understand at all. Her reflex action is to just cut them off. It’s not one of seeking reconciliation or trying to empathize. She presupposes with her lens and thereafter has brief moments of introspection. Yet I do not see her at any point move from her initial sanctimonious stance. She never apologizes for her harsh words or actions in the past. She just starts to act sweeter and less cold towards the person again. So she always expects the other person to grovel back to her. She is indeed a “goddess” as her nickname suggests. She’s never “wrong”. Her “subjects” idolise her. SS deserves better.
Good morning Nrllee,
I actually took the time to check on that teaser. It seems SS was standing in front of a similar door and ringing the similar doorbell. However, there is a different in SY’s footage as she opened up the door. The carpet outside her room was slightly different in color, maybe purposely filtered to confuse the viewers. But, there was a golden half/quarter circle just outside the door, that could be some sort of decoration on the lower part of the wall opposite her room. or it could be a moving tray that is usually used for room service. I did not see this golden thing at the dark grey wall where SS stands. So the teaser could very well be a red herring. We’ll see.
I skipped through Ep. 8 and realised there is a change of sort in a way SS treated MK towards the end of the episode, after the meeting with her mom. Seems like he cared more than initially. He casually spent time at her house chatting over drink. I think the part 2 starting next week will have a time lapse. And things between the two current pair will start to go south. Next, SS will start spending more time with SY and MK will get wind of the rumor calling SY as SS’s office wife (per book). In next ep., SS will meet his senior who will spill the beans about MK and KP (per teaser = book).
SY definitely has her own demons to deal with. Nobody can help her except herself cos it is all in her mind. If I were SS’s mom, despite him liking her I won’t let him marry her because my simple mind just can’t accept how she rejected my son and put him in such a misery because of her own prejudice and self pity. She is pretty, kind to people too but that is not enough to justify what she did to SS, and herself. MK is selfish and self righteous, SY too, in her own way. All four have their own principles and thought process which may not be in tandem with many of us viewers. She won’t be getting an easy pass from me, regardless of her history. Her treatment of her parents are a result of her own preconceptions. She should reflect on it because she is the one who chose to walk away based on that preconceptions. She is making things too complicated and as a mother, I do not want my son be dragged into that emotional turmoil, after all he went through growing up.
SuSu couple is beautiful to look at but damn tiring and mind boggling to follow through. Just be honest already! Communicate! ^^
😂😂😂. I agree @miracle23. None of them are completely honest with each other and that’s pretty much the root of all their problems. I find it revealing also that each has their own preconceived ideas of what love is coming into romantic relationships. And it’s based off what they experienced within their family dynamic.
SS sees industry, “strength” and resilience in SY (her actions when it came to that difficult customer who wouldn’t leave. Her standing up to Manager Yuk). That’s how he described his mom. She brought him up on her own and still is industrious in her old age. SS’s mother is a strong woman. I would say more “together” and stable than MK’s mother.
SY’s version of love is epitomized in her brother. From the short interchange that the brother had with her in the flashback, he’s a bit of a dreamer too. Hence her gravitation towards JH. If she does “cheat” with GP, then she’s channeling her father. She’s self sabotaging her relationships because she doesn’t feel like she deserves it.
MK for all her rants about how her father neglects her mom, she’s pretty much chosen the same type of man. Someone who looks after her basic needs but doesn’t really satisfy her emotional needs. I feel like her over the top actions towards SS is her desperate attempt to get him to respond to her. She wants a reaction from him. Any reaction. Whether it’s a smile, a laugh or shock. So she’s very forward and “in your face” as a result. If you look at MK’s mother, she seems to be doing the same to her husband. She shops like a mad woman. I get the feeling it’s her way of trying to get her husband to pay her some attention.
JH for his part seems to only see SY’s kind side. And she has only shown him this side of her thus far. His family I would say (despite their low social status) is the most “functional” and together. Their family unit is warm, kind and caring towards each other. I wonder what will happen when he witnesses the other side of her. The cold, abrupt side which is the one she seems to show regularly to poor SS.
This show is driving me crazy (in a good and bad way). I get that this is 16 episodes so they have to drag things out, but the two leads need to stop staring at each other from afar. It’s so obviously that they LOVE each other that it makes me incredulous that their partners didn’t see it right away.
Shows like this are why I only watch certain Korean dramas. Give me more 10-12 episode shows!
Ep9
So it was a red herring. SS and SY didn’t sleep together after all.
Thoughts
– nothing like being in the face of death to get people to share their innermost thoughts. SS and SY share another moment of truth together. Shared sorrows. Shared thoughts. Progress.
– why was it okay when SY had her “break” from JH and stayed the night at a hotel so she could clear her head, but it wasn’t (in her mind) okay for him to do the same after he failed his exam? Maybe because he went AWOL again…no message, nothing…but still she’s okay with forgiving him. Double standards much? With SS there was no chance given at all. 🙄😑
– both women are trying to “support” their men. SY “makes room” for JH in her life. She is supportive of his dream. MK is trying to move SS into her social circle with the suit and the new car. The men do not appreciate being put in positions where they feel inferior so neither are happy about it.
– We get the backstory about GP and MK in College.
– Both SS and SY are stuck in the same positions because they didn’t pass their tests. Just like how they are stuck in their respective relationships. Same old, same old.
– Time has past and the couples are still together. Cracks are beginning to show though.
Jeju revisit brings back memories and SS and SY are back to square one again. I don’t actually like how SY framed the question at the end. Why did she ask SS if she should break up with JH? So she can blame him if anything goes wrong? She’s always like this in relationships. She never wants to shoulder any blame. She always puts the responsibility on him. It was his fault that they didn’t progress because he hesitated at the lights. If he says yes now, it would be his fault that she broke up. 🙄🤦♀️
SH’s wedding. He was having second thoughts and cold feet right up to his marriage. Yet he pushed ahead with it. He didn’t look like a happy groom with his wife to be as they walked down the aisle.
MK – given her past with GP (who cheated on her), she’s keen to latch onto someone steady and dependable like SS. Her desperation continues. The harder she tries, the more reticent SS looks. She’s the only one doing the heavy lifting in their relationship. At what point will become too much for her? To her, SS may seem to be a 500W coin that is rare and to be treasured. To SS, she’s just 500W. She’s starting to realise that his heart is somewhere else and that makes her even more desperate to walk down the aisle with SS sooner rather than later.
SY – is told by the older lady clerk that there’s time enough later on to be in a comfortable place in relationships, that passion and sparks should be the name of the game when you’re young. Her brother was a dreamer too. So she’s holding onto JH because she feels like he’s her brother. All the love she had wanted to shower on her brother, she’s showering on him. That’s probably why she gives him so much leeway in the relationship. Time and again, she gives him chance after chance. She strikes me as someone who doesn’t mind when that someone is “beneath” her in the social ladder. She was the same with SS when he was just starting out. But as soon as she realised their social standing was different, she got cold feet. How long though will she be able to carry on like this because it’s not bringing her any happiness being the support person for JH.
JH – his failure in the police test is eating away at his self esteem. The fact that SY bows over backwards to be supportive (moving her stuff out), relinquishing her usual social outlets to keep him company etc is making him feel even worse. Hence his dummy spit. He feels like a burden to her. His confidence is taking a beating. The gulf between them is large. He feels it more acutely than she does. Although she’s probably starting to feel it too. She needed a “break” from his gloomy outlook, that’s why she stayed overnight at a hotel.
SS – is still trying to figure out if he should follow his heart or his head. Although if he were to really think it through, MK and he are not compatible. He was always feel like the outlier in her social circles. She will be the rich lady and he her kept man. I am glad his mom isn’t stepping into his business and letting him figure it out.
I made through the released 10 episodes this weekend. It’s not the most pleasant binge and I ffwd through a lot of the SY/JW scenes.
I agree with everything discussed here thus far. SY is not very likable and MGY is the only reason I don’t completely hate her character. I’m annoyed with SS for taking the coin, but I don’t blame him necessarily. He thought he did enough by stating up front that he wasn’t all the way ready and didn’t foresee everyone finding out and just how relentless MK would be in her pursuit of him. What I do blame him for is not speaking up when MK gave him the opportunity to come clean about his past with SY after she told him about her past with GP and point blank asked him.
MK was truly oblivious to their (SY/SS) relationship which shows how self absorbed she is even after all the time spent with the two of them surrounded by tension and awkwardness. The way she tossed the floor mat down and purchased the painting to hang in the bathroom show how out of touch she is. She’s mostly kind and recognizes her privilege and is apologetic when she takes back over for SY at work, but she doesn’t exactly do anything about it and is miffed when her mother brings up the fact that she’s taking credit for the work SY did and says it was hers to begin with.
I think there will be some kind of reveal that the father had something to do with her break up with GP and maybe he didn’t cheat on her..or maybe that’s what spurred on the cheating??
I do not look forward to episode 11 after seeing the previews. It looks like it’s about to get very messy.
@miracle, thanks for your input with the book information. The differences are so great between the two, I’m glad I didn’t read it because making comparisons and having expectations for what’s to come would drive me nuts.
I watched ep10 and our OTP have a break through but honestly their timing isn’t the best. As @birdie007 intimated about Ep11, it looks like a mess will ensue. I can’t believe that this all happened just because SY got mad at SS about hesitating at the lights 🤦🏻♀️. I get the feeling MK’s dad had something to do with the break up with GP as well. GP knew her cousin but MK seemed adamant that she never introduced them to each other. GP may have been warned off or “bought” and created a situation to force MK to break it off with him. MK treats SS as a possession. She said so in an earlier episode. He was somebody she wanted to possess. She is like her father in that respect. She believes he can be “owned”. Her father said as much to SS as well. Can love be bought though? Can you convince yourself that you can “grow” into it? Is the money and the security and satisfaction it brings be sufficient to keep you happy within the relationship? MK is following in the footsteps of her mother if that’s how she views love (remember how I mentioned you learn about love through familial relationships?). A marriage where your material/external needs are met but you are still starved emotionally.
As for the newly married male friend of SS? I doubt he was texting his wife when SS spoke to him outside when they were having a smoke. He behaved like he was busted for cheating. He was likely texting his ex. The writer is using him as a sounding board for the status of SS and SY’s relationship.
The ice rink encounters for both girls with SS were mirror scenes. Both “fell” into his arms. MK was dishonest by pretending to be a newbie on ice. SY was honest about her abilities. And we got that kiss. 😘.
Will have to wait to see how it all pans out in the end. OTP revisited their initial Jeju trip together. Nostalgia. SS got to do what he had initially wanted to do with SY on that first trip. Visit the beach. Jeju for them is an opportunity to get out of their usual responsibilities and realities. Allowing more freedom of expression. Still, reality is where it’s at and they both need to come clean to their respective partners about how they have behaved.
How an impulsive decision, a few second hesitation can cause a chain of reactions in the life of few people..Phew…
It’s been a long time wherein a show has got me thinking about the characters and how they are gonna end. Full credit to the director and the editor for not giving us a clue even though it’s been adapted from a novel. At this point of the show I know the ending can go haywire.
The kissing scene in the ice rink was so beautiful to watch. I felt relieved watching them let out 😃coz just like SS it was too frustrating for us too. But once that scene was over & when we think how this kiss happened amidst the mess they created, our feelings are back to square one just like what SS Said.
And just seeing how this show is gonna move on I feel it gonna be messiest.
At this point of time I wish no one ends with anyone.
JH is just so young and his life has only started. He needs to prioritise what’s important to him, find out what he is good at and act accordingly. Sometimes it’s ok to let go things that we are not good at( here police exam) and explore the things he could do and for this he needs to be free from his emotional baggage and let himself free from SY.
I don’t care if SS is with SY or not but he needs to breakup with MK. It’s the only good thing he will be doing to MK in the long run. A few second of SS MK life as married shown in epi 9 just tells how their life wud be full of regrets and sorrows.
Though I enjoyed few scenes of SS & SY together, I hve a feeling SY wud hurt him again. Her love for him is still not clear. Can’t say anything from her expression too. She needs to settle her chaos with her parents and focus on her career. I wonder why it’s difficult to do a degree through online or part time. I’m not sure how it works on South Korea but she needs to find peace with her family if she needs to shower love to someone.
And SS definitely needs a break from all this. He needs to concentrate on his self. May be travelling or doing things he like. For a change stop worrying about what others say think or feel.He needs to start loving himself unconditionally.
Is this easy , Nope but is it impossible again big NO.
Hope each one finds their own happiness.
Now waiting for more angst😂
@EsVee at this point I am not sure JH is doing the police exam for his own sake anymore. It started off like that. Before he was committed to SY. Then he failed. And ran away. Where he lost his drive. SY reappeared to give him that emotional support. And he gives it another go. I feel like at this juncture, he’s only doing it for her sake. Not because he wants to anymore? He feels like he needs to prove himself worthy of her. It’s tied too much to his self esteem. With each failure, he feels less and less worthy of her. And he sinks deeper and deeper into depression. He feels like he doesn’t deserve her, and I think that’s why he keeps failing. His lack of confidence in that area is hampering his progress. He needs to break away from her and get through the police exam on his own. Without the added pressure of having to succeed to prove himself to her. For him, if he walks away from the exam, it’s equivalent to him walking away from ever being “enough” for her in his own eyes.
MK is the same. She sees SS as a possession. Someone she needs to possess. Like the painting. She likes it, so she bought it. It’s the life she’s used to. Money is no object to her. She’s never had to worry about money, or work out a budget. For her, that night with her friends at the hotel was just a normal casual occasion. It never occurred to her that for SS the bill would be excessive, and that he would need to pay in installments because he didn’t have that much free cash floating around to use. Her past experience with GP wouldn’t have helped. It makes her doubly anxious and overly eager to please. She’s constantly worried that he will find someone else better than her so she overcompensates. Problem she has is that SS was never free of SY to begin with. SS wasn’t absolutely honest with her. Maybe he thought he could forget SY by giving it a go with MK. But life just kept throwing them together and giving them opportunities to rekindle their relationship. Whatever it is, it’s going to be messy. And all because SY got miffed that SS hesitated at the lights. If there was anyone to blame for this whole mess, I say SY is the one to bear it all. She got mad at SS. Then lied about JH. Decided to start going out with JH. All the while SS kept trying to get the truth out of her. Because the poor man was confused about her actions (and the facts that made her out to be lying eg going on a blind date despite saying she was going out with JH 🤦♀️). But he shouldn’t have taken the coin from MK. To him, she was just 500won. To her, he was this rare 500W coin that needed to be cherished and collected (a collector’s item). There was no emotional connection from his end at all.
There are no winners in this particular situation. Everyone loses. And all because SY refused to communicate her true feelings to SS. 🤦♀️😑. She kept lying to herself and to him. And this is the fall out. 🙄
Hi everyone 🙂
Hi Birdie! Nice to see you here ^^ Well, though reading the book and watching the drama gave me some different perspectives, there are similar thoughts remain. It’s a good brain exercise to learn about how best to manage the matters of our hearts and our lives. For example, be HONEST regardless of anything. Be transparent and be straightforward, do it with finesse. If people walk away because of the truth, then they should not be there in your life after all. You have nothing to lose by them walking away.
I guess I am a very simple person. What is wrong is wrong. No means no. Regardless of how desperate and persistent someone else’s is towards you. I did that before, rejecting someone who was so persistent because I didn’t want to regret having to make an IMPULSIVE decision for the sake of other people, or even myself. Maybe I am just a minority who did that. To me, for SS and SY to jump into a relationship where they can’t even commit for reason other than the feelings they have for each other is unacceptable to me. How can you go there, give your body to somebody so very easily just because…*shrug* You do this while your mind and heart are somewhere else? And you regret each waking hour being with the person of your own choosing. To me it speaks a lot about who you are. To me, I can never rely on this kind of person. Trust is far from it. This is my stance. I hope to remain so in the future.
Just like SS and SY who proclaimed that each is the person they want and desire, as well as a person that they could have, respectively, MK looks at SS as the person she wants in her life, who she hopes can give her the happiness and loves as a partner where her parents are lacking in each other. We were given explanations for this. She is in pursuit of that love. Hence, I do not see her wanting SS as mere object or possession. But because her script came off that way and was said way earlier than the other two, plus her wealthy background, mayhap many find it convenient to look at her feelings that way. I beg to differ 🙂
Unfortunately, just as how her dad treated them, she showered SS with materials. But she explained herself by saying, money means nothing because she was just lucky to have it all at her dispense. MK also said money could not compare the feelings she has for SS. What matters most is that her efforts in her relationship with him. That she is willing to, and she can, give all to him. But her efforts did not matter to SS. Unfortunately too, for SS her background and grandiose way of life are far from the average life he is aiming for. It became a burden. Her gifts despite her wanting to give him everything are very uncomfortable to him. The timing is off too… But I can’t blame her fully. She is reacting to her suspicion that he likes someone else… she is fishing for at least a compliment or something to indicate that he cares… that he at least likes her even 1%. He didn’t budge because he feels nothing for her. And I really wish she keeps her confidence and walks away. But because she loves him too deeply, she lost that confidence and she drown herself in more and more desperation, reacting foolishly on that desperation. I agree with some comments by viewers that in this mess, for now, MK is the real victim.
However, writers might try to neutralise the wrongdoings of SS x SY to their partners by making MK sleeps with KP. JH will have his own fallout. It was already indicated in the earlier episodes. Even if the writers did so, my initial thought remains that these all could have been avoided if only SY finds it in herself to be more honest, communicate and accept SS for all his flaws just as he will learn to accept her and all her baggage. They both lack honesty and ability to communicate with each other on the more important things in a relationship than love. They do not talk and resolve the real issues hovering their love (is it really love for SY?). They forget about the other hearts they played with just so they could continue their own war of feelings, finding their way to each others. I can’t make sense of their behaviors. It speaks abundance of selfishness and ignorance by choice.
I can’t look at SY and see a girl who is thoroughly weak. No. She made her bed. She decided on her life. She chose to push SS away. She chose not to tell MK that she was uncomfortable with her showers of gifts. She chose to lie. She chose to let dishonesty runs amok, she chose to be intimidated by MK and bitter that MK can be so open about everything, that MK can have it all, including SS, and easily can discard things because she can afford it. Whenever I see MK with SY I always wonder how can SY has no remorse at all with that that bitter looks of her and fake smiles. Does she really understand what she did to these people? Or to her their afflictions are their own doings and that she has nothing to do about it? Does she really think so? Does she only care about her feeling and everybody that is in her way can rot for all that she cares? To SY, love is like a sand castle. Her love is unable to withstand even a strong wind. It can collapse any time. So I wonder why she loves when she expects love to fall apart that easily? What is the weight of her love? Does she really care for SS in the same depth that he cares for her?
There was a review about UoL the drama vs the book in youtube. I agree the drama adaptation was beautifully made and executed well by the actors. However, I still pick the book when it comes to explanation of the main issues of Understanding of Love which I find is no longer given attention as we approach the end of the drama. The drama is now more focusing on SS x SY romance. Their issue is honesty. I can’t buy into that dilemma of theirs. I prefer the book as it explains many other aspects than love. The emotional struggles are more real. The book did not just focus on love. The burden of having to accommodate your partner because you feel compassion for them was deeply elaborated where in the drama it was just a touch and go. The efforts by SS x SY to make their respective relationships work also was elaborated well in the book. The book shows all of them are very flawed. It shows how despite whatever SS did, SY does not budge from her feelings for JH. She just want to find comfort in being with SS, she admitted it so. That is not love to her. If the drama were to turn this around and said SY finds comfort in JH, it does not make sense because she is the one doing the comforting, mostly. And she even grew tired of it. Who to say she would not grow tired of SS in the future? He is a guy with many thoughts and worries.
In the drama, SY also still finds comfort in SS. Why? Because he is that easy? Because he likes her? If so, why she pushed him away at the first place? No matter how I try to understand SY, I can’t help to return to square one. To where it all began. MK approached SY with good heart, to find a friend, to share good news and happiness with a friend. But her way of living is far too uncomfortable and intimidating to SY because firstly, she has a history with discrimination from the wealthy and those with good educational backgrounds; and secondly, she can’t seems to see SS, a guy she herself rejected, be with MK. MK’s way of approaching her feelings and love are too unconventional for others to feel comfortable. She is too carefree for the likes of SS and SY. But like Birdie said, she acknowledges her flaws. I think this is also the intention of both drama writers and book author i.e. MK is someone who knows where she lacks. She was written as someone who is aware that she is sometimes selfish and self-righteous. In the drama, MK did apologise few times to SY for her straightforwardness and ignorance. I feel that they would make a fun pair if only SY opens up to MK. MK would make a really good friend and can be opened to honest opinions of others if only people can be straightforward to her instead of keeping her in the dark and just judge her behind her back, and be self-intimidated by her background and personality.
SS x SY need to own up to their error in judgment that caused heartbreaks to others. By making others do similar mistakes as SY x SS does not wipe out the fact that this all started with them. I want SS to apologise for lying to MK. How dare he continues to keep her beside him knowing fully well the pain it caused her when KP, assumingly, lied and broke her heart in the past? How dare he even think of the consequences of breaking up with MK will have to his future career while having a go with SY? Stop being a coward and an irresponsible distrustful man. Tell the girl and break it up. Let her find her rightful happiness elsewhere with the person who will appreciate her flaws and love her sincerely. If you can’t be that man, let her go. You don’t deserve her. For now, what you deserve is the repercussion of your actions. Be a man and accept it.
@miracle23 looks like SS heard you 😂. He’s breaking up with MK. Was it really MK’s birthday though? Or was she just faking it? If it was her birthday, it’s rather cruel to do it on her birthday. Still, she keeps stalling him and trying to avoid the inevitable. So it’s partly her fault that it had to happen on her birthday. The writers here are painting her as the nasty 2FL. I hope for SS’s sake that even if he doesn’t get back together with JH, that he knows that staying with MK would be deceitful. It’s better for her to find someone who loves her in return. Theirs would be a sham marriage. SS’s friend SH is again playing the sounding board for SS-SY. Divorcing his wife because his heart is with his ex.
Preview shows JH proposing to SY. Hmm… I am still unsure if SS and SY will end up together. Their timing seems to be off.
^if he doesn’t get back together with SY
SY is on a self destructive course because she doesn’t believe she deserves to be happy. She has this fear that love is an illusion and that someone will destroy the very thing she worked so hard to build. Love for her is like a sand castle. It’s impermanent. Remember how I said everyone’s concept of love is shaped by their experiences in family and in life? For SY, the men in her life both caused her great pain. Her father cheated on her mom and destroyed the trust in their family unit. Her brother whom she adored died in an accident. Both situations came out of the blue. There was no warning when these events took place. Their family was happy, no reason for her father to cheat. Her brother was healthy, she had no reason to suspect her would die so soon. She’s traumatized so much by the impermanence of these loving relationships that she isolates herself from any intimacy, whether it’s with female friends or male friends. When anything comes even close to giving her hints of bringing her happiness (in love – be it friendship or romantic love), she self sabotages. She destroys that sand castle because at least that way, she’s “in control”. She knows when the pain of loss will hit her. She’s convinced herself that no relationship is permanent and it inevitably leads to loss. The fear of not knowing when that loss will occur drives her to self sabotage (break down the sand castle she built). She can’t bear living with NOT knowing when that loss will hit and it makes her anxious. That’s why she self sabotaged when she started to feel happy with SS in the beginning. She destroyed that relationship by going out with JH and agreeing to blind dates. And now when that relationship with JH is looking serious and her relationship with SS is starting to show signs of rekindling, she’s done it again. Lobbing a grenade in there to destroy the sand castle on her terms by sleeping with GP (I am not entirely sure this really happened – she may have colluded with GP to make it appear that way). She’s so fearful of “being happy” in a relationship because she’s been “trained” by her experiences to believe that it never lasts. So instead of living in constant fear of losing that happiness, she chooses to snuff it out when it all gets too much and get over the “pain of loss” as quickly as possible. SS has been given that glimpse into her deepest fear on that beach when she spoke about the sand castle. That’s why he disagreed with her and tried to convince her that there’s a chance that the sand castle could still stand up and to live with that risk. Not every sand castle you build will be washed away or torn down. SY needs to pay heed to the Eric Hanson quote,
“There is freedom waiting for you, on the breezes of the sky.
And you ask, “what if I fall?”
O but my darling,
what if you fly?”
If you opt to self sabotage every potentially close relationship you have with every human being, you end up lonely and morose like she is. Relationships are all about risk. When you open your heart to anyone, there’s every chance that you will be hurt. But there’s also every chance that you will experience warmth and happiness as well. They are 2 sides of the same coin (love).
Agreed, nrllee. There is always two sides of a coin. Watching her keeps making damaging choice each time… I am speechless. This is a girl I don’t want to be anywhere near my son. She treated people’s sincerity towards like trash. Then she dares to feel intimidated and regretted her actions afterwards. But does it change? Nope. She keeps making decision by herself. Even if it meant so as SS is not inflicted by any bad fall because of their feelings. Did she ever really think of him? Of his feelings? Of whether it all really matters to him, the repercussions? She did not. So why she without even talking to him/ getting his input, made her own decision and caused him more pain? UOL has become noble idiocy cliche to me. I could not been borthered by ASY anymore. Realistic for the drama is slowly diminished.
If she wanna leave she could just quit and leave to another country quietly. Do you disregard your value that much that destroying yourself has become your default action? Geez… Don’t ever tell me that is the only choice you got 🙄🙄🙄
After watching episode 12 I must confess I can no longer Defend SY. Iam not even bothered if she slept with GP or just cooked up a story to save SS(which is way too ridiculous) coz either way she is not doing the right thing. I read many comments on how she did to avoid hurting SS but I strongly believe it was mainly to prevent her being hurt. She didn’t even think of the repercussion it would cause for both JH and SS. Right now I don’t care about GP.
She was the one who held the hands of JH and then she would be the one who would push him from the cliff( although he is pathetic but he doesn’t deserve this)And SS, one thing is clear she had never valued his love. @miracle23 was right. If she wanted to avoid SS , she could hve fled to other place or could have avoided him after the ice rink kiss. But she encouraged him to play the lying game, they went for a walk together , she didn’t mind when he held her hand and all this while accepting the ring from JH.
The only good thing from the last two episode was SS Breakup with MG.. And I hope he stick with that and not deviate. I believe everyone’s happiness is being away from each other.. And finally as @nrllee said, she needs to look at the other side of the coin too… but I doubt it would be too late😥
@miracle23 @Esvee I agree. There’s no defending SY now. I knew from the beginning on that first date at the movies when she sent him a text to say she couldn’t make it whilst watching his disappointment from her vantage point up high that she was bad news for any guy. That’s just cruel on her part. It was sport for her. I noticed that she only performed these acts of cruelty to people she was closer with eg her parents, SS, and now JH. She was fine with strangers eg bank customers, little girl in the playground.
Even if she finally does concede to being with SS in the end, I don’t trust her enough to keep him happy thereafter. I can’t help wondering (as SS would as well) if she would decide to kick that sand castle over again just because she felt overwhelmed by the thought of losing him. 🙄🤦♀️ She needs therapy. If I had to chose between someone who loved me like MK or someone who just teases like SY, I would pick MK any day to save myself pain and suffering. SY is too unpredictable.
Ep13
I think the assistant bank manager (?) and Noh said it best.
“What’s going on at this bank anyway? One person pretends as if his mistress is his wife. Another one gets married, has an affair, and becomes an online community star. And now a dirty scandal that got physical? We need to perform an exorcism or something.” (I concur :😂:)
SY’s father said
“she’s a kind and warm hearted person. She’d rather get hurt than see others in pain.” (Really? This is the most incongruous assessment of SY that I have ever heard. SY is not what I would classify as a kind and warm hearted person. He obviously hasn’t been watching any of what’s unfolded in the past 12 eps :😂:)
Finally honesty from SS to MK and from SY to JH. Bursting the bubbles of the pretend love. Note however how different both “break ups” were. SS took all the blame – it’s my fault. SY seemed to want to absolve herself of responsibility? Or at the very least she wanted JH to take some of the blame? When he called her a b**** at the end, I thought she deserved it. 😑
Last scene where SS shaded SY with an umbrella? Showed he was willing to be there for her in spite of all that has transpired between them. Not sure if I am going to be totally on board with this couple. More so because of SY. This deep seated inability of hers to feel comfortable in a happy state is like a ticking time bomb. You never know when she’ll implode.
Added comment – I will say that amongst all the relationships portrayed in this drama, the stand out relationship to aspire to is the one between SS and his mother. Now that’s a healthy relationship. With set boundaries. Especially his mom. Hers is the ideal when it comes to how to relate to your adult child. She didn’t take sides. He’s a man who is capable of making his own decisions and live with the consequences. She never judges him or calls him out for stupid decisions (like when he went out with MK). She’s there to back him even when he’s not there (see how she stood firm when MK’s mother tried to cut her down to size – she was the hands down winner in that battle). There was no swearing, no histrionics, no drama. Just consistent care and concern, a listening ear, wisdom in how gently she offered her advice. She never stepped in to “help” but trusted him to make hard choices. Her love is constant. He is assured of her having his back even if he’s done the dumbest things. And they can share a laugh with banter. I loved how she told him he needed facial masks because he looked so worn down (she could clearly see he was in pain and holding back tears, she opted to make him laugh to make him feel better. I love her. ❤️)
Totally agree with @nrllee that SS and his mom interaction is so far the best in the show. I love how his mom is such a strong lady. She has a dignity of her own compared to the rich MK’s mom. I love how there is a unsaid respect between SS and his mom. The scene were he cried and his mom just diverted him with her silly comment on using face mask just touched my heart. I hope we get more mom son due in the next 3 episodes.
And finally it was good to see SS have a talk with Mk and happy new hey had a proper closure.
I really don’t want to talk about either SY or GP….
I can never defend them for what they did even if according to them it’s a sacrifice from their side..Phew…
Ep14
What can I say? This ep should be titled “The LONG (and PAINFUL) goodbye”. 🙄😑
I had to fast forward some segments – the pained, angsty pining looks… the sobbing… it was a dreary watch. All the while I am screaming inside, “it didn’t need to be this way!”
Did MK really flip heads on the coin? I thought she flipped tails. But good on her for having the dignity to say goodbye for real. It was never going to work anyway. At least in their circumstances, they talked. Painful though it was, at the very least they were completely honest with each other. I can’t say the same for SY and JH. She left him hanging. She never explained well at all. She just made him think she was a b**** who toyed with men and slept around. It’s as if she decided that if all the men thought she was like that, she may as well just prove them right. That’s her bizarre logic.
I cannot understand how anyone (writer nim I am looking at you for your warped depiction of love) can think, “you know what? I can’t bring myself to break up…so I’ll just sleep with someone else so they can break up with me.” Huh?? That’s just cowardly. And SY continues in her cowardice. She repeats the same mistake she pulled with JH. Say goodbye properly for crying out loud! SS deserves that much. Honesty. She strings him along with her vagaries and cryptic replies. There’s first snow…and we all know what that signifies. Lifting his hopes up. She says he always comes and finds her anyway when he asked if he could call her again. She leaves him with no hope of any closure by just disappearing like that. Did she take his plant? She should’ve just left it behind. Does she expect him to head to TongYeong and search high and low to find her? Is that her expectation? She’s such a diva I have no words. She’s selfish to the core. Everything is all about her. Although she somehow thinks her actions are beneficial to others because “they are better off without me”. 🙄 Her lack of self awareness beggars belief. She leaves a trail of devastation everywhere she goes. People left with no closure. Just hanging by threads which she stitched up in the first place.
No preview for last 2 eps. I don’t really care anymore if SS gets back together with SY anymore. She’s bad news. SS should just move on from her. I would like at least some positivity in the last 2 eps please Writer nim, whatever it is. The “life” and “love” that you’ve depicted for 14 eps leaves everyone devoid of hope? It’s just one big long painful journey. Surely that’s not the message you want to leave with your viewers? 🤦♀️🙄
Ep15. We’re nearly at the end…thank goodness.
Thoughts
– I wanted to clap MK for being the most honest (and that’s saying something because as a character I wasn’t particularly taken by her). For all her desperation towards SS, at the very least she was honest with her feelings and expresses it. She’s got closure with her relationship with GP now that she forced that reveal from him about why he slept with her best friend all those years ago. And she sorted things up between her dad and her. See? Being honest is the way to go with relationships. This is the way to say your goodbyes. Full disclosure. Reconciliation and closure. The farewell with SS was a bit awkward at the start (why would you request that he send you to the airport but I guess it was her only opportunity to say goodbye well) but it ended well. They parted friends.
– SS takes SY’s name card (for the new branch). Then tells older lady colleague to tell Assistant Manager Noh that SY had “called” so as to buy her 10days in case she decides to come back. See? No closure. Just like MK all those years after GP thought his way of ending things was the most effective. Like MK said, it causes more pain for the ones left behind because it’s the ultimate betrayal.
– GP (to SS) – do you think this is all my fault? (Is this a rhetorical question? How dense can you be? You went along with a plan that would cause the greatest hurt to your best friend SS? I am surprised that he would even consider eating with you again).
– So SY did take SS’s “future happiness” plant. Why not just leave it behind for him to find? End it for real? Don’t string him along?
– As usual, SY’s penchant for just judging on outward appearances before getting her facts straight has resulted in pain for everyone around her… her parents suffered as a result of her misunderstanding. Goodness knows why they didn’t bother to clear it up for her.
– And yes, SY is still hung up about the hesitation at the lights. 😑🤦♀️ How petty can you get?
SY – Why did you hesitate? Come to think of it, you never gave me a reason. (Well, you never really gave him a chance to explain himself did you? 😑)
SS – It was for a short moment…but I think I lacked the confidence too. It wasn’t for the reasons you said, such as being a high school graduate or a service rep. I wondered if I could really be responsible for another person. That’s where my thoughts ended up.
SY – who said we were getting married? (Err…you implied it? You didn’t want an undefined relationship? You wanted him to be sure right after the first date?)
SS – I think I’ve always thought way ahead. That way I could be prepared for any misfortunes that might come my way.
SY – was I a misfortune to you? (Why is it still all about you?)
SS – No. just a variable. (I wanted to laugh out loud here.)
(She leans over to kiss him)
SY – something like this is a real variable isn’t it?
(He responds in kind with interest. Challenge accepted. What can I say SS? You’re a sucker for punishment. :😂:)
– SS and SY farewell at bus stop. She’s still skittish. Refusing to let him know where she lives. She promises to call him. He’s doubtful (and so are we) because we know what happened last time she waved goodbye to him after he dropped her off. And then his voiceover… “that…was my last moment with ASY”. 🙄🤦♀️ Well they say a leopard never changes its spots. And she’s gone and done it again. After showing up uninvited to the guest house with drinks and then kissing him first… dear god woman, how can you live with yourself? You keep leading him on. If there was a woman who just wanted a man to just forever live pining for her, she’s the definition of one.
Oh Thank god at least there is someone who have the same thoughts on SY. I still can’t believe this girl had the audacity to visit to his guesthouse, initiate a kiss and then promise him to call all with that fake smiling face of her. To be frank all the time SS & SY we’re having that Date( I still wonder how some ppl call that a date), my heart was thumping harder. It was as though I was channelising SS feeling. Poor guy can’t even smile freely. He is always in a fear mode with her. If not for SS ( read YYS acting) I would have never ever wanted them t be together.
But I’m happy Ss & MG had a good closure. Now she would restart her life in US.
Still kinda curious how the ending would be…
Hope all is well in the end.
What else to say.
@EsVee I have no kind words for SY. She’s a tease. She’s not sure enough in herself to give herself to him completely and yet…she still persists in giving him hope and strings him along. She could’ve been brutally honest and said, “you know what? I still like you but I am not confident to start anything. I need time to fix myself first. I am not sure what the future holds for us so I don’t want you to wait around living in hope that something might happen. I can’t promise anything.” Something in that vein? Nope. She persists in giving him hope. Telling untruths about seeing him again next week for pork chops. That she would ring him again when she gets to Seoul. The kiss. The suggestive appearance at night (and she wants to stay the night). All these things planted in his mind to ensure that she leaves an indelible mark on his memory so that he won’t ever have closure. She laughs at his desperation when he launches into the ocean to retrieve the name tag that she’d so nonchalantly tosses away. I don’t care how doe eyed and conflicted she is, she’s cruel.
As for ending, there’s probably going to be some time jump. And they meet in the future or something like that. Because “fate” seems to keep throwing them together for some reason. 🙄 I doubt it would be anything conclusive. They will probably do another one of these weird “dates” again and we get an open ending. What I would dearly love for an alternative ending is for SS to find someone else who he can love and loves him back…and when he does meet SY in the future, he’s the one who walks away from her for good. Telling her he’s found happiness with another woman and there’s no chance he will ever get back with her again. Serves her right. 😂
I would love that ending too but for some reason I think the TIOL would go for an open ending.
What can I say? It’s more of the same in Ep16.
There’s a time jump. 4 years. In a nutshell, the only person who moved on (and found happiness with no regrets) is MK. Surprise surprise. Yes the person who said her goodbyes well. Sorted the relationships out and didn’t run away or utilize weird tactics like sleeping with someone else to avoid face to face confrontation or work through a break up. 🙄 The rest were left in those 4 years wondering “what if” or having pained reactions whenever the past is brought up. All stayed stuck in limbo even though they tried to make in roads to just move on. I don’t care how the writer tried to sugarcoat this, it was not written well and all I could see was people still trying to fake happiness or pretend that they are wistful but dig a little deeper and they are still living in the past so much so that they cannot fully enjoy the present. There’s a lesson here to end relationships well. Ghosting is NOT advisable.
Summary
– Ma and Bae – the other bank office couple get married.
– Manager with the scandal retired. Talked about doing housework so maybe he got back together with his wife? Not sure.
– Deputy Manager Noh is now the Branch Manager and he’s still happy in his marriage
– Older lady bank colleague has her 3rd baby. She’s the only one who knows where SY is and kept in touch with her during the 4 years.
– SeokHyeon finally manages to sell his marital home. I think he’s still moping about his gf. I can’t be sure, I fast forwarded some bits.
– GP is back as friends with SS. He’s still at the YoungPo branch. He bumps into MK at Ma/Bae wedding and he’s still stuck in the past. Who’s fault is that? 🤦🏻♀️
– JH passed his exams. He is now a policeman. Living in an apartment overlooking Han River? They have a chance “meeting” when he’s a cop directing traffic and she walks by. She sees him and walks by (yes, no hi or goodbye, she just sees that he’s achieved his dream). He catches sight of her, tears up and remembers he promised to salute her and he does (how is it everyone else remembers everything about her but SY chooses to conveniently forget important details about them?). He still wears the watch she gave him, refusing to change it even though it’s got a cracked face.
– SS has been promoted as Assistant Manager at another branch. YeonNam? Just so happens its also the branch closest to where SY is situated.
– MK is working at HQ after her stint in Washington. She’s about to get married so of the 4 I would say she’s miles ahead headspace wise. Yes she may think back occasionally about the past, but she’s clearly living her best life in the present because she’s put the past to bed.
– SY opened a painting cafe called “Future Happiness”. She still has the plant and so does SS. They have chance meetings AGAIN. And do their usual verbal dance around with vagaries and wax philosophical (but I’m not buying it). Ending is open I think? There’s no talk about being together, no future plans, just trying hard to find a way forward ploughing through the mess left from SY’s decisions. It’s still all about her.
And would you believe she forgot, yes she forgot, about her promise to have pork cutlets with SS at his University. He had to bring it up to her? Just goes to show how disingenuous she is. 🙄
SS – why didn’t you call me back?
SY – why didn’t you come looking for me? You said you could always find me. (Why is it all about her? He asks her a reasonable question and she fires back accusing him of not looking for her? It’s always someone else’s fault)
SS – I did look for you. I went back to TongYeong a week after we parted. But TongYeong was bigger than I thought. Now can you tell me why you did that? (Why does he always have to prove he is worthy of her answer? She expects him to grovel and he just accedes. It’s like he’s a doormat. So painful to watch)
SY – because there was no more give. And no more to receive. (Huh? Spoken from your end maybe? Selfish to the core. In case you have forgotten, there are always 2 people in any relationship, just because you have nothing more to give and you think the other person has nothing more to offer you doesn’t mean you decide unilaterally to end it).
SY – have you ever wondered how things would’ve been different if you made a different decision? (I can’t believe she’s still fishing. What did YOU do wrong? You first because then it would make me feel better to say my piece)
SS – whoever was deeper in love has no lingering thoughts like that. Only the one who ran away has regrets. (You said it champion. You’re the one who tried. You stayed to try to fix your decisions. Yes you hesitated, but you apologized. At every juncture, you tried to make it work. SY just threw tantrums and ran away. She didn’t try AT ALL.)
SY – I remember you bawling because you liked me so much. (There she goes again. Putting him down. You were head over heels over me. I was this unattainable star.)
SS – what? I never did that! I never went that far. After you left, there was a time where I wondered every day.
(then the pair of them go through the what ifs…but as usual, SS has to look desperate first before SY opens up and gives her side. And then they expand it by looking into the future with what ifs eg they would’ve gotten married, had kids, fought occasionally…)
SY – …and that could’ve eventually ended in a divorce. (Ms Sandcastle wrecker is at it again)
SS – you always imagine the worst. There’s also a possibility that we could’ve made up and ended up living happily ever after.
SY – but even in our imaginations, it’s nothing special.
SS – isn’t that what love is? Two people going through every day life together? (Yes SS it is. SY has a delusional expectation of what love is. She’s never accepted the ordinariness of true love. It’s lived in the mundane. But it’s beautiful).
They face each other and then SS’s voiceover and we get flashbacks
“we were once a part of each other’s lives. We fell for each other. Our hearts skipped for each other. We were foolish. All the moments that we regretted made us long for each other more. During those times, were we (SY’s voice now) actually in love? (SS’s voice) Or blinded by the interest?”
Back to the 2 of them near the top of the hill
SY – what did you forget today? You said this was the Hill of Oblivion. So I wondered what you forgot today?
SS – Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
They exchange dewy looks, smiles of acknowledgment and continue up the hill together towards pork cutlets. (END)
Having walked up this Hill Oblivion with them, I have to say emphatically yes, I want to forget the last 16-17hrs spent on this drama.
@nrllee,
Thanks for the last recap. 🙂 I don’t know how you do it. You carry on till the end, even though you despise the female lead SooYoung with every fiber of your being. I would’ve dropped it as soon as I realized that the characters are irredeemably messy.
I think we should create a name for dramas like this, “Nevertheless,” and “Third Charm” (remember that ending, too?). I don’t think the “slow burn” per se is the reason I’m turned off by them.
“My Liberation Notes” is also a “slow burn” romance and the main couple aren’t perfect. They still have a long way to go at the end of the story especially since the man has to get rid of his alcohol dependency and leave his thuggish life. But the finale is tolerable because the screenwriter had been clear from the onset that she wasn’t promising the viewers a rose garden, i.e., love isn’t going to be a rose garden. Instead, love is hot and dusty, labor-intensive agricultural field.
The way I saw it, the setting of the kdrama is the metaphor of the love according to the screenwriter. And that was a fair assessment.
It’s easy to spot kdramas with ideal love stories, and I gravitate towards them.
With those three dramas I mentioned, the characters are so dysfunctional together and their relationship so unhealthy that the couple are better off NOT being together in the end. And I was skeptical that the screenwriters had anything profound to say other than “Hey! Love is messy. Deal with it.”
But I know. I really should start watching and dissecting these dramas if only to identify the characteristics and signs of co-dependency, and warn the younger, impressionable readers what to avoid in a real relationship. At the very least, these toxic kdramas should provide the audience a teachable moment when we analyze the mistakes of their very flawed characters.
Oh well.
Next drama!
I finished Interest of Love, but didn’t have the energy (during and after COVID) to comment on this thread. I found this show engaging and the actors excellent despite characters being infuriating. I agree with what @OldAmericanLady wrote in another thread, that this show is a thought piece.
My reactions as I watched this drama reminded me of feelings I had when reading William Faulkner’s novel As I Lay Dying. One of the characters in the book has what seems commendable intent to transport his deceased wife’s body a long distance to be buried with her ancestors, but his bull-headed pursuit of this unnecessary goal (their family cemetery was a short way down the road from their home) cost others dearly, especially the adult children who were also grieving the death of their mother. I went from feeling bemused by the widowed husband at the beginning to hating him by the end. Did I want to stop reading the book? No, because it was masterfully written. (After all, William Faulkner won the 1949 Nobel Prize in Literature for his body of work.) Even though I found the choices and actions of some characters ill advised, if not thoroughly despicable, I wanted to stay with the story because my discomfort was part of it.
So many things in Interest of Love were twisted from normal to hideous. Even set design signaled this. In Episode 8, starting at 40:38, take note of the artwork on the wall by the dining table in Mi Gyeong’s home. There are three paintings of Disney characters, one of Goofy and two of Donald Duck. Usually such cartoon characters would bring cheer, but these are dark and menacing. We watch the surprise birthday party for Su Yeong play out in front of these grotesques, the supposedly happy event becoming a minefield.
I was okay with watching Interest of Love because I wasn’t rooting for or against any person or pair, but intrigued by how the script managed the twists and turns. The main characters were developed as complex people who stayed true to their nature throughout. Were they toxic? Yes, and that’s what made this drama interesting to watch.
When she asked what he forgot once they reached the top, found myself giggling thinking “it’s the same time at night so the restaurant is going to be closed you fools!!!! neither of you will ever learn anything!!!! Ever!!!!”
I don’t know what it is that made me continue watching—-As of late I’m finding it easier to drop shoes, but I stuck around for this. Maybe because I never got emotionally invested in any character so it never made me actually feel too much. I was most intrigued by the second female lead the entire show and I’m glad to see where she ended up.
@packmule3 Liberation Notes was in a different league to this drama. I could understand the characters. There was pathos. It was well written and directed and I was in no doubt as to the message the writer was trying to convey. With this drama, I don’t know if the writer opted for hyperbole or what but I couldn’t relate at all to any of the characters and I couldn’t see what the writer was trying to say. I am told by someone else (who can understand Korean) that the title “Interest of Love” is a play on words. The Korean word for “interest” can mean “understanding” or “personal interest”. Which meant that it was a purely selfish view on what love is. And it underpinned the majority of the decisions that the leads made within their relationships. They were in it for totally selfish reasons. And that’s what made it frustrating to watch. Because none of the characters were note worthy. Like @Welmaria pointed out, they were all toxic. Especially the FL. I hate watched this to the end. Perhaps I was in the mood to rant and this provided the catharsis I needed so I pushed through 😂. It’s over now. I think I will start Our Blooming Youth. Although I am not enamored by the FL there. In the stills that I have seen her in, she looks sullen and reminds me of Jung SoMin in her role in AOS. I need to watch to see if my prejudice is justified or not. Maybe I have only seen the stills of her undergoing trials and she has a chirpier side that I am missing.
@nrllee, thank you for staying till the end. Honestly, I was no longer immersed in SY’s malady cos I get her from day 1 and till the final day, I still disagree on her hesitation and their dishonesty towards each other. After 4 years… *sigh* I wish them best of luck in their future, whatever it may be. 😀
These four flawed people have their way of falling in love, holding to that love, and break as they try hard to let it go. Out of all the main characters, my pick is MK for sure. When everyone painted her a bitchy rich girl, all that was intended by the creators was to show that she is just a kind rich girl, who at times selfish and insensitive, who wants to love and be loved badly, who is caring but not taken kindly. Like the others, when she loved, she loved hard. I appreciate that MK remains the most confident, straightforward and honest with her feelings and say what was on her mind, as well as knows what is best for herself. I am also happy that she went through the normal course of falling in love, understanding of where she stands in her relationship with ss, in denial, breaking up, accepting the harsh facts, letting go and moving on to better things. And to think she finally settling down with her new partner, phew! Thank goodness it was not KP. KP’s answer to MK’s “why you did what you did” reminded me of SY’s decisions and actions towards SS, throughout the series.
In the summary of things, the production team has done a great job presenting their version of the noir and realistic love story. The OST, the cinematography… they are brilliant. The good take I am happy to see from the drama is that it sparked tons of continuing discussions on the pros and cons, the dos and don’ts in a relationship. Many thinking koreans viewers, young and old shared their stories and how similar the characters and their dilemmas with what the viewers have had once in their lives. They agreed it is very frustrating, nevertheless realistic to them as well. Thus, their discussions continued. To that, I applaud the drama production for this good adaptation. I also applaud the main casts, the supporting casts for an excellent performance. They embodied each characters to a tee. I am also thankful and satisfied as a fan that YYS is finally able to show his strength in a full-fledged melomance project.
As for SY, I may not agree with her, but truth is, there are many SYs out there who needs to see this and perhaps give some thoughts about what SY did to SS, to herself, to others. Whether that is the right way to live ones life. To those SSs, love is blind. If you feel that kind of blind love suits you, who am I to stop you from seeking it. To each their own. Though I wish you would find someone who would love you and put efforts as much as you do in the relationship, with 100% honesty.
For me, this drama will not change what I feel about being in a relationship. It was, all in all, a good explanation of some perspectives in love, be it good or not so much so… If the person doesn’t have what it takes to be honest with me, to reciprocate my feelings and efforts, the door is on his left. I’ll be glad to move on to someone who are on the same page as me. Wasting energy, efforts and time on someone who does not care enough to even bother is not my cup of tea.
To that, I bid you farewell, TIOL. ^^
@miracle23 yes to all your points. SY is my least favourite FL character of all time. Right to the end she was still stringing him along. For SS’s part, I hope he’s decided once and for all to walk away from her because she’s not the woman for him. I agree that of the 4, MK was the one to aspire to. Hers is the character with the most growth. And in the end, she behaved in the most adult way and left the relationships she had with others intact. She mended bridges and left on good terms. She can walk away with no “regrets” from her end.
It looks like YS is really trying hard to attempt all manner of different roles? His next one is a serial killer? Gu DongMae revisited? 😂.
Sharing for those you are interested 😁
https://n.news.naver.com/article/021/0002556434?sid=106
@nrllee 😂😂😂 he’s not trying hard but finally got the roles he probably have been thinking of doing… YYS has always known as one who can get easily bored with repetitive characters. I thank God when he gave away his drum and sticks🤣 … He signed on for 2 seasons of HP and let that be the end of it. Amen.
Previously, he was known for his villain characters which worries his agency and then Chilbong saved him😂
I am glad he got this psychopath role. I read the webtoon, he is gonna be crazy in it. Like real crazy killer psycho, beyond Dongmae 😅. Though I dunno what change they will make on the webtoon.
The main actress, she was not in the webtoon iirc. I did not see a mother trying to catch Hyeok Su for killing his son. I am really looking forward to YYS’s acting dynamic with Lee Sung Min and Lee Jeong Eun (the crazy maid in Parasite movie, also Aeshin’s maid in Mr. Sunshine, and YYS’s aunt in Mood of The Day😂). I hope the drama turns out good, if not great 😁… finally a psycho thriller! I am happy! 🥰🥰🥰 😁
Lee JeongEun does those serial killer genres well 😂. She was creepy as with SiWan in Strangers From Hell. Lee SungMin would also be crazy good as the taxi driver (fresh off his brilliant portrayal of grandpa in Reborn Rich – many would argue that he was the star in that drama, not JoongKi). I am looking forward to seeing YS break away from his pining. IOL kept reminding me of Chilbongie.
Hahahah… aha, a mature look of chilbongie… but chilbongie did not get it as bad as sangsu 🤭🤭🤭 chilbong moved on to his wife while ss is stuck there with sy 😁. Chilbong is more like MK 😂.. closure and move on to greater things. 🤭
Thank you @nrllee and @miracle23 for your amazing insights. I really enjoyed reading all your viewpoint. I also loved how each and every viewer of this show had their own interpretation of characters. I think that was the USP of this show. Though the show had its own drawbacks( I also believe no show is made to perfect) I enjoyed the journey throughout. It took me through various emotions and made me think on different perspective. I must confess but for the acting of the characters, the show would have been bland. I think that’s because this show is character driven more than the story itself. I believe YYS gave one of his performance. Although he gets into the skin of the character in every role he plays. It’s actually a pure joy watching him act.
I’m totally waiting for his psycho thriller.
And all in all thank you to all who had shared your thoughts about this show TIOL.