The thread is open.
Saturday, 13.30 UTC
5.30am PST
8.30am EST
9.30am Caracas
1.30pm London
2.30pm Paris
3.30pm Athens
9.30pm Singapore, Perth
Note the schedule of the episodes:
Episode 8 – Feb 25
Episode 9 – Mar 4
Break – Mar 11
Episode 10 – Mar 18
Episode 11 – Mar 25
Episode 12 – Apr 1
Break – Apr 8
Episode 13 – Apr 15
Episode 14 – Apr 22
Episode 15 – Apr 29
Episode 16 – May 6
Enjoy the rewatch!
This reminds me that I should do a pre-rewatch before the actual rewatch. I know, I know,… I’m a crazy bitch who’s creating more ‘work’ for myself than necessary. For me the fun in the rewatch is having a bunch of people watching with me and us all commenting together at the same time. Being able to respond is only possible if I’m reading comments and not when I’m just watching the episode… so…. Heheheheh!
@GB. You work so hard on dramas. If only you could get money for that! 🙂
I’ll be here, unless I’m dead OR…
I make a dream yesterday:
(yeah crazy)… I wake up saturday, and it’s 18:00 (4 hours after rewatch).
And I say to myself… Shit, I missed the rewatch.
But, didn’t I put a clock to wake up in case I made a nap??
My dream ends like this… I missed the rewatch.
Then I woke up and could breath. Gosh, it wasn’t real.
I still have a chance to rewatch!!!
But law of karma make I have probably bigger problems coming up.
@WE, dear, dear me!! Are you having dreams about the rewatch now? LOL. It’s a big part of our lives.
One of the possible meanings is that you’re dealing with a lot right now and are having a bit of a struggle. There’s added stress and your subconscious is helping you ‘deal’ with it by letting it out in a dream. so now that you know something may be coming up, you are going to be more prepared.
I keep coming here to ‘play’. Most of the time, it’s not hard work. If it were, I’d not be doing it!!!
Being in ‘drama-land’ on this blog or watching or writing is my way of turning my thoughts to relaxing things while I let other (more) serious things percolate at the back of my mind. Probably it’s what you do when you write and re-edit your scripts. It’s a good break when our minds don’t go to sleep but instead still needs to ‘think’.
@GB, maybe that? I don’t know. Sure I feel in peace when writing, but it’s work and not so relaxing when it needs to think about a lot of things and solve endless hard choices about how to make this or that. And… wait… You jump me into speaking about that? What is the world limits in a post on BOD already??
@WE, you know you can write at length in MDL… anyway, even this blog seems to allow many characters, like way over 2,500? I used to post many long paragraphs worth of words and I’m sure I went over 2,000 characters per post.
I’ve taken to cutting each post shorter now and to post several instead of just 1 long one.
Im in one of the craziest episode of the drama, 28.
It’s supposed to be the beggining of part 2 of the drama.
But I messed up screentime. Episode 1-13 are shorters than 14+.
Well, it was a bit my plan to shorter this part one day, but I can’t now.
To much mess, +photos, then have to edit all flashback references.
So I leave it like that until the final end, then I’ll see.
Now I don’t know the final number of episodes when I’ll split and resynch all.
I just suppose I’m at half the drama because it was like that in the first draft.
And if I’m happy with first half, lot of crazyness, second part starts with a bang.
Things of a new awesomeness not seen yet in W season 1. 🙂
After scene re-ordering of 28 first half and corrected/rewrited that…
Second half… almost impossible to re-order first. I have to correct first.
Then re-order, then correct again about scenes transitions.
A bit more complicated than others, lot of stuff to delete also.
As I don’t know where I go with all that, just work on rewriting first looks the best way. By the time I end that, I have a clear mind about all the stuff. 🙂
Well, I’m speaking here, I’m doing a pause, as I worked a lot this day on this episode. And I’m at the part where I don’t have scene order anymore. Lost in the mess. I will need to make corrections on the corrected episode I can feel. But that’s ok, just going step by step with cool and think about the feeling.
Morning! (here). Letting the hubby sleep so making do with yesterday’s coffee. See you all in 10 minutes.
Hi salteddust!! 😉
Hi @SD and @WE, I’m lurking while watching a bit of Island Season 2.
Hello WE, hello SD.
Hi Feifei, It’s nice we are here early today.
Hi @GB, am watching Island 2 too!
I forgot hi to GB, because it’s like we are in this thread since yesterday, lol!!
Hi @FF, looks like we about ready. Lots of tears this episode!
Park Shin Hye tears mastery. ^^
We start now!
Hi @WE, @GB, @feifei! Going to start.
Time to start!!! Let’s go!!!
Hee Ju after running a train. Flashback.
Voice over of jin woo.
Order to answer emails. Cold dude.
We’re getting the different points of view this episode. What Jin Woo expected, what HJ thought and how she felt.
Jump into flashback in the shower.
So the main line is a train flashback with jump into others flashback. Yoooo.
+ imaginary scene when he look at marco.
yoooo.
@WE, yes, its flashback into flashback into flashback. Took me a bit of time to realise that Marco was in Barcelona and that later on JW believed that SJ had gone there as well to meet him.
And the voice-over is the guy phoning in the shower flashback lololol
The flashback within flashback, and I see Marco…..the same actor in Alchemy of Souls.
@WE good joke/contrast in how Min Ju knocked and spoke to SJ and how the thugs knocked on Marco’s door and threatened him.
@GB, it’s when I see that, that I think I’m some steps behind SJJ. LOL. Even I have some nice montages now. But it’s ok. At least it’s more easy to understand.
@FF, Marco is baiting and provoking. He only appears in a few scenes but he’s quite outstanding.
@Feifei, yeah, this guy is a nice actor.
Wasn’t he in extraordinary you? The only good one in this.
I really like this flashback. First Hee-joo running along the train track, then the voice over narrating as in earlier episodes, some scenes on the train from earlier episodes, now with sound, and our introduction to a new character, Marco. I am also amazed at how different Lee Jea-Wook looks here, almost unrecognizable. And the stereotypical messy programmer bedroom (like my eldest son! ha ha!)
@GB, Marco does look like a kid here. He looks soooooo mature in AOS.
SJJ doesn’t bother too much when she need to tell the story: The HERO guess everything. And we see everything as if it was the truth.
@FF That’s the mark of a good actor, when they can transform themselves.
The MOTA screenplay is on sale. But I would need an electronic version I can translate. And I don’t think it exists. Should be at max a kind of tinder thing, impossible to get text. Or maybe with OCR ? Yeah but korean OCR?? Sadly I won’t be able to study this one. TOo bad.
@WE, yes he was in Extraordinary You.
This flashback segment is so long.
@WE, at least we see that JW has some investigative evidence from which to weave his guesswork.
But we have no choice except to believe him unless we can come up with as likely a scenario.
@GB, not always. I mean… some actors play the same character almost. But they are great at doing that too. 😉
Joining in! Episode where we meet Marco. Impressive , although brief, performance for rookie, Jae Wook. Barely looks like same actor in Alchemy of Souls.
After these 10 minutes flashback montage,
back to the TEARS… with breathing. with trembling.. ahhahahaha
@WE @FF @SD,
In between leaving the apartment and going to Granada, Se Ju was running for his life and called JW to meet in Granada.
But this would mean that Se Ju and Marco had fought and Marco was already dead, and appearing as an NPC chasing Se Ju? But I thought that it was in Granada, Cafe Alcazaba that they fought, so how come Se Ju was on the train to Granada. Conversely if they were not in Granada …How come they were able to play the game in Barcelona? Didn’t they have to go to Granada to play the game?
This guesswork of JW’s is kind of confusing now.
Hi @Lootie Lyn (@LL) Yes we said the same thing!!!
Look at how the ladies fawn over Jin Woo, all except Hee Ju LOL.
At least, grandma and sister are happy to see him.
I wait for the “maybe boyfriend” now. ^^
Hee Ju expertise at crying: first open the water so no one can hear my tears making plic-ploc.
Hi lootie lyn !!
Hee-Juu, are you here?
Yes, I’m pooping
@WE, I’m amazed at how much water they waste with the tap running, while PSH is also wasting water in crying.
Here’s the continuation of much crying… then in the rain also more water *sigh*
@GB, now you got me confused too. Was the fight in Cafe Alcazaba a guess work too?
And now, so good…
after she endures this, he leave
then a message, then she speak on the phone.
BUT: he shut the phone!!!
and then…….
…..
(kind of yumi cells scene with twists)
@WE once again HJ is angry so her words come out in a tirade.
Her point of view is that he’s a fraud running from his ‘sin’ after lying to her.
She’s however more angry at herself for nursing him and caring about him when she should have been caring about her missing brother.
I like how we also hear JW’s inner angst. Below that cold exterior, he is suffering. Now not only for Hyun-suk’s death, but the possibility that Sejo could have also died, and might not have if he (JW) had not so unceremoniously ignored him. JW is changing almost completely even when he seems the same on the outside (his cold demeanor in the previous episode when talking with Sun-Ho, or his assistant(s)/employees).
Hee Ju cries when she is sad, cries when she is angry, cries when she feels helpless.
SJJ know to twist a scene or a situation, damnit.
@FF, since we NEVER get to hear Se Ju’s account of what happened, I believe we only have JW’s guesswork. The Cafe scene might or might not have happened. But we do seem to see Hyeong Seok waiting at that Cafe in another episode.
@feifei, it happens she also cry when she’s happy. 🙂
@SD, yes, JW did not take SJ’s phone call as a true call for help. It was for business and to best HS that he ran to Granada.
He’s become much more considerate in the last year of suffering NPC HS apparitions.
The 3th associate, the guy who can’t believe the truth!!
Here to makes people speak about the truth, while becoming more and more overwhelmed.
And when someone speak, it jumps into FLASHBACK.
@FF, we later hear that JW regards her tears as sincere tears for him as well so while he disregards the tears of the wife/ex-wife, he respected HJ’s tears.
We reached a point where only 20% of the drama is real time. LOL. And 40% are flashback from another flashback.
@WE, yes each conversation goes into flashback so that we don’t get much exposition.
I notice that Sec Seo wears 2 lenses. But JW used only 1?
How come JW limps (and uses the walking stick) in this game but does not limp in the train when in game mode?
@SD, I think JW is always a caring person. Judging from the way his staff talks to him, I don’t think he is the cold type but he probably needs some kind of assurance that the person is genuinely kind towards him before he warms up to them especially women? His bad experience with his two ex-wifes may have contributed to his coldness towards people.
Without thinking much about the consequences…
Accept ally!!
(fortunaly, the hero is less smart here)
JW was surprised that Sec Seo could see Cha.
Seo : “It really hurt. The stabbing felt real. It’s not like any other NPCs out there.” (Bug NPC stabs feel real)
So there’s a difference between the real people who became NPCs and the usual virtual characters.
“you are mad after a year with him?”
HE DON’T WANT TO TRUST!
OH HERE. a rare time the director use that:
he signals the flashback with a CGI effect.
in the office of Jin Woo.
It helps a lot, but he didn’t used that much in the drama.
@WE, but we have to also see from Park’s point of view. His friend is making his life difficult by getting him to delay the launch without giving him a reason that can convince him.
Same problem when it came to Prof Cha.
“Desperation made me ignore other’s feelings. I am sorry but that is how I have always lived.” Yes, @feifei, the script does imply that JW was a caring person, but no longer can afford to be. I agree, he must be more personable than he initially appears to us in this drama or his staff would not have been so flippant with him as he learned to play the game.
@GB, yeah, real wound from the zombi NPC.
He touches his shoulder when remembering that.
Kind of detail enhancing the scene.
@WE, I just noticed that too… the special effect.
Min Ju is more like a mother trying to take care of her sister and grandmother at the same time.
@WE, but the NPCs that killed Sec Seo later were the usual ones in the game. I wondered why he felt the pain then… maybe because they were in or near Granada?
JW had hidden Se Ju’s traces so that Marco’s death would not be linked to him.
So HJ cannot report her missing brother to the police.
They do not know if SJ killed Marco, whether he’s missing or hiding.
What a horrible situation for a sister who tried to be a parent to her younger siblings…. more TEARS.
@GB, well it’s a mystery we are studying.
Im not sure if the NPC Jin Woo fight can hurt him, when he trains.
But yeah, grenada ones looks specials.
Or any NPC can hurt his assistant once he’s an ally? I don’t know. We don’t see scenes where they dies anymore.
At least she can see he search for his brother far more than police.
@WE, yes this part of when the NPCs can really hurt a human or can’t is not explained.
Just like the timeline of when Marco died. He was found near Granada but not exactly in Granada. Se Ju was still running from Barcelona to Granada … we assume that he’d accidentally killed Marco in Barcelona, and was running from his NPC. Very confusing here.
@WE, yes she can appreciate his efforts but still has to kick him out of the house LOL.
He admits that perhaps he missed her and I think he felt guilty so he went to see her even before locating SJ.
His reasons for what he did all sound true and reasonable, so she accepts them in the end.
Another bug in the game: once you become an ally you cannot break the alliance.
Ahhh I remember now. The kiss in the rain was put later in a flashback. lol.
SO, now, she ask him to leave after that kiss?
@FF, yes that’s a scary and most horrible bug. Sharing the points is great, but sharing the threats when they become really able to wound is not what any ally signed up for.
@feifei, maybe just a alliance with Jin-Woo?
I am still at the restaurant scene with Jung Hoon and Sun Ho “The CEO has not changed” meaning of course that JW is sane. But of course JW has changed immensely. He is now on a true quest, to find Sejo and figure out how to truly get rid of HS. No one seems to really recognize how much JW has changed.
@WE, there was a kiss in the rain before this? I thought it would be way later.
@GB, the kiss is show later, but in a flashback if I remember well.
Or wait… the kiss in the shopping was also in a flashback. Damn, I’m confused, can’t remember.
@SD, yes that’s the thing. Even Secretary Seo says that JW is just the same as ever and normal. But he should know that now JW is more caring and considerate. Or maybe to Seo, JW was genearally quite nice, so he didn’t note the difference.
It’s quite nice for this manager, looking like an “anyone else” guy, to have sex with yura.
@WE Ah here we get JW’s reflection on the kinds of tears … Fake tears, tears filled with excuses but HJ’s tears were for him when he wasn’t there. Seeing her take care of him meant so much to him.
That’s why he went to see her when he said he shouldn’t have.
@SD, I think no one knows that JW is looking for Sj in the game. Others think that SJ is missing/dead or hiding but no one thought that SJ is hiding or trapped in the game except for JW. He bore the secret alone and no one saw his change they thought he has gone insane or rather obsessed with the game.
Revealing, and a positive note from the limited romance angle of this drama, is that we see JW make move to secure his second divorce right after confesses to HJ that he misses her.
@WE, It’s really surprising that Yu Ra would bother to ‘date’ her manager. I wonder why.
Now Prof Cha gets his chance to remove JW as CEO. I wonder if her always wanted to do so or if he really had liked JW at first. As long as JW was good for his company, all was well. The real cold-hearted one was Prof Cha.
@LL, I wonder if at the time of missing HJ, JW ever had the intention to date her in the future. Maybe not yet until she kept re-entering his life.
Here a thing always mysterious. Jin-Woo is supposed to be the boss. But in a way, he’s dissmissed. I don’t how work company parts and power, it’s blurry.
But ok, the goal is that: fire the boss.
Some sniper camping.
Nice way to play a game.
I did this a lot on many FPS games. ^^
Very relaxing.
People angry and insult you of “camper” on the chat. ^^
@GB, I think sex is a way to have power for her.
Plus, she has the profile to enjoy just for fun.
They had to hire so many actors to be dead bodies LOL. Maybe there are dummies among them.
Then we finally hear Citadel’s Hawk.
@WE Yeah probably sex and power.
Now we have your fave ‘almost family’ guy being irritating.
Notice: the game icons about information of time of death.
Very accurate. Even the bodys will disapear after a time.
@GB, you are ahead, but I jump into this so nice scene.
@GB. I find Prof Cha confusing as well. He does seem to have genuine liking for JW (though not for his own grandson), and he really waits for a very long time for JW to right himself (a year is a LONG time to wait for a CEO), but in the end, Prof Cha can turn cold hearted in a minute? I think perhaps he does have genuine liking for JW, but all relationships for him are ultimately transactional (as his relationship for his own son turned out to be, though again, why not the grandson??)
@WE, But even after so many hours the bodies still littered the school. All piling up even. As if JW asked for all the dead to not be removed yet.
Almost family is being high-handed when he has no right.
She has to endure the shittalk of this guy about the man she loves. aahahaha. So fun.
@GB, yes time isn’t accurate. Sometimes, body disapear fast, but not here. But that’s ok. It doesn’t change the plot.
@SD, yes, Prof Cha is a one-note and yet unexplainable character. His whole life is the company and his ‘good’ name and not even family matters.
k-pop star interview. ^^
@WE, fortunately JW is able to stop HJ from going to Granada. It will be he who would need to go (next episode, I think). But that trip was a waste of time as far as I could tell… Just to get one message.
Get out of that plane, NOW!
Falcon glove item. And falcon item. ^^
Half of the drama reached!! 🙂
@WE,
The game is so cool, I like how the glove appeared. So we don’t get to know the message until next episode. Another cliff hanger.
@GB. I see why you want to rewatch the rewatch (ha ha). It gets difficult to maintain the watch, especially this episode with all the flashbacks!
@GB, yes, lot of questions, mysteries, and the unknow message. 🙂
@SD, Yes… particularly dramas written by SJJ. However I do pre-rewatch most episodes anyway, so that I can read and type and not be watching closely at the same time. I just have the show playing so that I know which part most of us are at.
JW is still limping in the game.
I am behind now coz I paused to eat tom yam soup.
@FF, Yes I have noted the same thing.
3 MYSTERIES
1) When does JW limp in the game? Only in SKorea?
2) When do the NPCs really hurt the humans? Only in Spain?
3) What is the correct timeline and location for Marco’s death. How to fit it in with Se Ju’s running to Granada and disappearing?
Well, I rewatched all too, a few week ago, after rewatching first episodes.
It frees some times to comment and read comments.
@FF, Is it cold where you are? Tom Yam Soup will make you hot!
@WE, I actually started rewatches because I kept forgetting details, then it became a habit. LOL, but that means I have to invest double time for each show … so sometimes I have to skip rewatches or FFD all through.
@GB, no, he looses wimp during the chase with the police (and NPC).
I’m not sure, maybe this was blurry and not done correctly?
We should suppose he never wimp in the game?
Or he loose wimping after more immersion…
… that means, later when he’s in the train!!!
Yeah, could be that. After he don’t limp anymore.
@GB, its not cold here. The husband needs supper and the only stall available at this hour sells tom yam soup. So its tom yam soup for supper!
@WE, yes, possible. The limp disappeared after he got more and more fully into the game and hit above a certain level, maybe.
@FF, I feel like having soup too… hmm…
Where are you at now in the episode?
@GB we have reached the end of the episode. I will try to find time to sort out the Marco stabs Se Ju in Cafe Alacazabra part later.
Time passes by so fast during a re-watch.
About marco: he don’t die at the exit of the bar. Just wounded.
So he die in the wood? What are they doing in the wood, I wonder.
@FF, yes, every rewatch party flies by like it’s just half and hour but we usually hang on longer than the episode length.
@WE, Marco and Se Ju were supposed to meet HS somewhere… was that in Barcelona or in Granada?
The flashback we saw or the guesswork of JW had them in Cafe Alcazaba having an argument and Emma watching them.
Even if they chased each other, I’m not sure how near the forest would be to the city. It’s strange. So why was Se Ju still taking a train to Granada if he was already supposed to be there?
GB, no idea. It remembers the drama “Train”, very blurry about where and when people take the train. LOL.
They were in grenada, then for a reason… In barcelona, in a forest near.
Or the forest were near Grenada, then See Ju go in barcelona to take his stuff.
Then want to come back in grenada. Then go in the twilight zone. ^^
@WE, your guess is as good as any! Thanks for the fun rewatch!
See you next week @WE, @SF, @LL, @FF!
Bye bye everybody
see you soon
Good-bye @LL, @WE, @FF, @GB. Just finished. I am now several episodes ahead; always at the end of the Memories of the Alhambra I want to jump into the next episode! Just excellent cliff hangers. But my hubby just woke up (and grinding the coffee beans — too loud when he is sleeping) and I have a dusting of snow to shovel so we don’t create ice later in the week (after 13+ inches earlier this week, Aackk). See you next week!
Bye everyone! See ya next week!
@GB Upon first watch I never realized the purpose of HJ’s frequent, sincere crying was to show contrast to less caring wives of JW. I got that she was a better person than they were but never thought of the tears as a device. Too bad this became one of the criticisms of MOTA and Park Shin-hye. Regardless, she is good at it…can cry without looking unattractive!
@LL, yes, me too. I was fed up with her crying at first. Took me this rewatch to notice the value placed on her tears.
Ahahaha. Really, you make me laugh.
Park Shin Hye is a so good actress!!
I was addict to her dramas in the past…
… well you know, it’s when you like a actor/actress and watch all their dramas.
In MOTA, right from the start I was able to see…
… How good she was in that! Her best role.
Heheheh @WE, I will admit that so much crying and so little ‘action’ of the FL in this show contributed to my sort of dropping it the first time. I also thought the love-line was unnecessary. Needed to throw that out and start afresh to see what SJJ was trying to get at.
@GB, regarding the 3rd mystery Marco’s death. After speed checking subsequent episodes, I think @WE got it right. Marco and SJ are supposed to meet HS in Cafe Alcazaba in Granada. They arrived before HS. SJ told Marco that the profit split ratio should be 70:30 (SJ:Marco) if the deal with HS goes through, Marco disagrees with the ratio proposed by SJ. Marco stabs SJ in the Cafe and the bug kicks in. SJ escapes from the Cafe into an alley, Marco pursued. SJ shot Marco with a game weapon but it hurts Marco in reality. The chase continues, Marco ended up dead in a forest which must be nearby Granada unless the game can teleport them back to Barcelona. SJ obtained JW’s contact from Marco’s pocket. SJ went back to Barcelona into Marco’s room (Marco’s home address) uses Marco’s computer to send an email to JW. There Marco NPC appeared and chased SJ all the way to the train station. SJ calls JW for meet up at Hostal Bonita but didn’t alight from the train to Granada.
HS arrived at Cafe Alcazaba but didn’t get to meet Marco and SJ.
@Feifei expertise on the bridge! It sounds the right thing.
It’s a bit messy as a plot. But I guess the writer needed differents things:
– the bar must be in grenada.
– the brother has to take a train going to grenada.
Once you have that, you just “make it happen” in any way.
@GB. Remember? There was a scandal about SJJ interview. Because she said the drama didn’t have a female lead at first. But she changed after that. Well, it’s sincere speaking, I find it nice. It shows the difficulty about the craft, and how a writer can successfully change a story in deep. But many audience were angry about that.
Thanks @Feifei,
Yes, your timeline of events checks out with my memory (and probably my notes somewhere). So the only mystery here is why Se Ju found it more expedient to return to Marco’s room, all the way in Barcelona, to send the email, rather than do so back in his own home.
I kind of feel there was no actual reason… ie it was written that way so that we would have Se Ju’s dramatic running home/away from Marco and the mysterious disappearance on the train, as the hook to keep us watching.
THE SERVER
Oh, and one more missing piece that I just recalled. I mentioned it a few episodes ago… where was the game saved and running from all this time? It had to have been on some powerful server, presumably in Granada, because not only were Marco and Se Ju able to get virtual weapons and level up before anyone ever knew about the game, the game was also played by Cha Hyeong Seok who had reached Level 4, one day in advance of Jin Woo. Both HS and JW would have had to have been playing on the same server in order for them to become enemies/allies.
Would 2 boys have been able to afford paying for the hosting of the game on some server before they even sold it to a big corporation? They must also have been able to afford the JOne contact lenses.
I’m assuming that the email SJ sent to JW contained the game codes and that Yang Ju was able to install it into the JOne server. But that should have re-initialised the game or some data should have been missing, but the game continued smoothly as if everyone had been playing non-stop on the same server all along.
I’m mentioning the JOne Server, because towards the end, it was shut down a couple of times to force the game to pause. There was no mention of any server in Granada.
The really eerie thing about the game and its bug, is that the AR programming seems to have taken over part of the human mind of the players. Even when they are not logged in, JW and later we see, Secretary Seo, still see the NPCs. JW saw NPC HS even in the US when he was nowhere near the server.
The blows of NPC HS felt real no matter where the players were. The blows of other NPCs did not hurt the players except…
… near/in the ‘home’ of the game, Granada, we hear will later hear that Sec Seo felt real pain when stabbed by arrows. However, generally JW was able to get shot by NPCs and still carry on fighting. I’m not sure if the game logic became shaky here. It was only with HS’s stabs that JW suffered real pain and fainted.
I have to say that SJJ wove such an interesting and exciting tale that I did not think about all these practical issues until the re-watch. Because the story ‘feels’ so good, I tend to forgive and ignore the holes that never did get filled in.
Hah! @WE, we both replied to @Feifei and said about the same thing in the end.
I didn’t bother with interviews and stuff, but it’s definitely true that the story did not really need any female lead. The problem, I felt, was that they chose crying queen to do the not-a-leading-lady role. If it had been an actress of lower celebrity status, the show would have been closer to the way it had been originally intended.
Still it’s true that because SJJ had to write in a bigger role for PSH, and managed it somehow, it shows the calibre of the writer.
Many blurry things about the server too.
It can be things put under the carpet.
OR
We have small hints here or there, but the writer priorize something else.
Give explanations and details about everything isn’t what make emotion, thrills, etc.
I have currently the problem in the episode I’m working on. Tons of explanations, even philosophical blah blah, very nice. But I’m cutting in the flesh to shorten that. It’s the kind of thing you write, and once done you think it’s good, and you can’t delete. But two years later, you read again and say… crap! Ok that’s nice on paper, but it’s not nice for the story.
The email See-Ju send to JW couldn’t contains the game data.
Its too big, there are tons of 3d model in 8k definition.
But certainly a link to a server where JW could download it.
So, the game was running from the start on JW server.
Only part where the game don’t run on that is with Marco and SeeJu.
We have to suppose their computers were high-top enough.
By the way, in a scene, the drama takes the time to say SeeJu computer was high-end.
About the mic-mac. Marco and SeeJu were working in barcelona.
For a reason I don’t remember, they go to grenada in the bar.
Then fight, then the forest (I don’t remember if the drama say where is this forest).
Then See-Ju return to barcelona to take his stuff. I suppose he disconnect the game running on his server. Logically, he have to do that fast when he sees marco is chasing him. That’s mean what? Even without server running Marco can chase him? If not, well, the drama ends quickly. See-Ju just have to close his server, destroy the game data, and he never have anymore problems with marco.
Ep 8 time stamp 9:51 “Marco’s body was found in the woods near Granada.”
Ep 1 time stamp 37:47 “JW unzipping the game program file : Recuerdos de la Alhambra from the email sent by SJ”
@GB, I think SJ went back to Marco’s room to sent the email because the game program could have been saved on Marco’s computer. I have no clue about how the game server works.
@WE, Yes, that’s what I feel SJJ does. She prioritised the suspense and action, and left the logistics of how the game could be played by different people unaddressed.
The most plausible explanation, is, as you say, that the game was running from JW’s server all along but that only those given the link and the ID to access it could play. It’s possible because a big corp like JOne could have invited or given a ‘discount’ to game programmers to put their games into their server, in the hopes of finding more content for their lenses, etc.
Yes, about too much explanation … I had difficulty with cdrama Three-body,/b> because there was some scientific explanation… I literally fell asleep but kept coming back for more later.
Why do you say this? They should have been playing the game on the same server otherwise how was Yang Ju able to see ‘Master,’ know his level and that he had not logged in for a long time?
I have to rewatch the parts where Marco and Se Ju were talking, fighting etc, bearing in mind that that is all conjecture of Jin Woo.
Yes, the whole issue of NPC Marco chasing him could have been terminated immediately if Se Ju had just shut down the game on the server.
I don’t think he’d want to destroy the programs or the data.
LOL @FF, looks like the ‘how tos’ of getting to access the Memories of Alhambra game is challenging our creativity. I at first thought the same as you, ie that the game might have been in Marco’s PC, (otherwise why return to Barcelona), but this makes the timeline of when/how Hyeong Seok could play the game difficult to explain as well.
HS would have played based on the link Marco gave him. If the link was to Marco’s computer, then how could Jin Woo also have the link on his server and play from there with Yang Ju watching him etc? Then both HS and JW were playing against each other… they had to be on the same server. It’s too hard to explain it. Above I decided to go with @WE’s suggestion that the game was always on a JW server. Yes there was an email and JW did unzip some file that SJ had sent him. We don’t know if it was just a login data file or something else.
No I was thinking at first the game was on marco or seeju computer.
And is on JW server only after getting the email.
But well, I’m in trouble now…
I don’t see why the game would be on JW server from the start, because they were also ready to sell it to the other guy.
But the problem is: if shut-down the server. Is able the zombi still chasing people?
If I remember, later JW server is shut-down. And so, the zombi is able to come or not?
In the drama logic, I would say yes. JW see the zombi even when lens are not activated. As well see him too when server is disconnected. It feels the better solution for this drama to not have a plot-hole with this servers mess.
However, as you say GB, there is also the continuity of the game, scoring.
See Ju is level 100, so it should be in the same game environnement than JW.
OR
It means when JW installed the game on his server, he installed also the game environnement, so the previous players scores too.
@WE, yes, I know, we are giving this server mess an unconscionable degree of attention. However it’s rather provocative… how to unravel the mess? I find that it cannot be unraveled to our satisfaction unless the game never migrated to another machine.
1)Suppose game is in Marco’s computer (I’d prefer that it’s on Se Ju’s computer since he did 90% of the work, I’m sure, but because he went to Barcelona, let’s say it’s because the game was in Marco’s computer)
2)Se Ju packs and leaves home for Barcelona.
3)Marco meets HS and gives HS the means to access the game.
4)Marco tells SJ about getting money from both HS and Jin Woo.
5)Marco and SJ go to Cafe Alcazaba to meet HS, but SJ changes his mind about the payment split and the boys fight. They leave the Cafe and end up in the forest.
6)HS comes to Café Alcazaba. He is upset that the boys stood him up, and worried that they sold the game to JW.
7)Se Ju returns to Barcelona, sends the email to JW, and runs from NPC Marco.
8)JW gets a call from Se Ju. It’s interesting that in the call SJ says he met Cha Hyeong Seok and didn’t want to sell the game to him. So was there a day when he met HS before he calls JW?
9)JW opens the email, unzips what SJ sent him and goes to Granada from Barcelona. We assume that the game is now on the JOne server. But HS is still able to play the game.
10)HS starts playing the game to check it out. Based on the credentials given by Marco, the game HS accesses would have to have been on Marco’s computer, but HS continues to be able to access it even after Marco dies and SJ sends the email. This is the break in the logic.
11)JW arrives in Granada and wakes up Hee Ju at 1.16am. Plays the game. Yang Ju is able to see him play. So the game is now on the JOne server?
12)When the sun rises Se Ju disappears on the train. JW can’t find SJ at the Granada station but meets Su Jin and her sister.
13)JW locates HS who’s been playing the game and has leveled up to Level 4, but won’t duel with him until he levels up to match him.
14)JW levels up and duels with HS. Both of them never needed to log into a new server. The points accumulation continues as if they are on the same server.
Oh gosh this server mess, I tend to agree with @WE that JW installed the game and also the game environment so that he can see the scores of all players in the same environment.
Maybe the initial game environment is set in Granada, Marco and SJ are players as well as developers, JW and HS are logged in as players while Yang Ju is logged in as a developer and therefore he is able to monitor the game process. The Granada version is hosted on the initial server chosen by Marco and SJ. JW did not install the game on J-One server after all.
I am making reference to the Pokémon game, anyone can download and install the game on their mobile devices and start playing. If the player is in Japan, the game will automatically detect the player’s location, load the Japanese environment and play with players who are concurrently logged in in the Japanese environment. The player will catch Pokémons that are available in the Japanese game environment. If the same player goes to Philippines and log in, the game will load the Philippines game environment. Hence where the servers are located should not matter to the players? Only Nintendo knows where the servers are isn’t it? So if HS and JW are players trying out the game they should not be allowed to install the game program on their own servers because they have not buy over the publishing rights yet?
We are not told what SJ actually sent to JW, maybe he sent JW the program logic and how the game integrates live environment into the game in a way that is different from other AR games in the market and finally gave JW the means to log into the game?
The other thing that puzzles me is SJ actually calls HS a reality bad guy but SJ has never met HS at all, why label him as a REALLY bad guy?
Hi ladys.
I think the server mess is decyphered now. Or let’s say, we can get a plausible explanation by ourselves. That’s make sens with the drama logic.
GB, awesome resume, you work too hard on dramas!
I hope you will have pleasure to make that on mine, but maybe I should publish all episodes before. I hope to end that this year, if possible before second half.
As Feifei sasy, the connexion make sens. HS was connecting on marco access. But as the game migrated on Jone server, access password remains the same. So he continues to play on his rival server!
As there is no end in server workin, the zombi can still appears. But I think the zombi can appear even without server. Else, return to hypothesis one, See Ju would like any server stops. I’m not sure it makes sens with a later scene (episode 15 I think) when Pr Cha comes back et ask to starts the server. Fatal error for him, as his zombi son appears.
Only other inconsistency I see in this drama is SeeJu able to create such a game.
I visited a company creating game. And not such complex games. There was 50 guys in the room!! So, it’s impossible for a single guy to create so much content, so detailled about 3d model, AI, and whole physical engine (what relate gravity, moves, etc). And even, the game interact with real live elements. Remember when the warrior crash on the car episode 1. That’s mean the game can analyse the set from the lens and adapt. Gosh. Nothing in the world is able to do that. I’m ok SeeJu is the kind a traditionnal korean genious, but well… He’s not Mr Fantastic or Loki!!
Great to have your thoughts and game experience @Feifei and @WE! It makes a great difference when we can extrapolate from real AR games. Yes, the Pokemon game is pretty close and explains some of the possibilities.
I agree that a lot is ‘impossible’ in reality but of course, we accept it in a drama. The most mind blowing thing is that the AR and real world integration in MOTA is seamless. I know that we have not found even 1/100th such complex programming possible with even a team of software engineers.
What’s also amazing in MOTA is that all the players are connected to the server only by the smart lens. I recall that JW lost his phone, and was still able to play the game. So the sound, together with the ‘environment’ depended totally on the lens. In the beginning, Yang Ju worried that the lens could not keep up with the game and JW said it was a little warm/hot after game-playing. At one time, I thought the earpiece of his phone aided in the sound, but it was only used for JW to talk to Yang Ju while he played.
In the AR game in Three-Body, it makes more sense because the players are wearing more gadgets over head and hands, and are strapped down to be safe, although they can walk etc. The game world there looks computer generated, but it’s not meant to integrate with the real world.
@WE, I’ll probably end up asking you a bunch of questions if I read your script. 🤔
Well, the impossibility for a single guy to make this game, anyway, I know it from my first watch. So I just chose to put that in a closed box and say I don’t care, let’s enjoy the drama. 🙂
What’s funny later, when we see JOne company (episode 7?), we see there is a whole team working on the game, making 3d models of weapons, etc. What looks like a real company able to produce such a game. And 2 rows of big servers. ^^
I think the earpiece gives also game sound. Just logical. For all these player in Seoul. They need a full experience, sounds of sword clashing, etc. But I don’t remember if we see closely their head and earpiece on them.
Yes of course, you can ask questions. My concern is that’s easy understandable. But I can’t know, because for me of course it is. But how about someone new? This rely on precise indications, and scene-headers are importants. Then, as it’s like a drama, I wonder how far it’s easy to get. When we have Flashback, Montage, voice-over. I guess it could be confusing. It helps to know it’s like watching it on a TV screen.
I should write a quick guide, saying what are indications. Like “thought” voice-over is yellow. Voice-over italic. Inscriptions are blue. Etc… But I feel like just reading a bit show all that, and understanding is intuitive. Thanks to html presentation, it’s far more easy to read than any other screenplay.
So the understanding difficulty may be more space and time, in the flow of the story. I hope the tricks used are intuitives, because people are used to watch dramas. So when there is a quick flashback, it sounds “ho! it’s like in a drama” and a voice-over like “the people seing the flashback, says that”. I made a difference between subjective flashback (RECALL) and objective flashback to help more. Well, I would probably need to write a guide, just in case.
I showed you many exerpts from W script. And also, if I remember, you have the files, as well as Healer ones. Of course, as you know the dramas, it fells like the script is more easy to understand. But think about that: if you were reading it for the first time, not knowing the drama? And in this way, find any screenplay (western format) on internet of a movie you didn’t watched. See if it’s easy. Because english difficulties, I don’t always understand. But most of movies are easy to get, as it’s quite linear. SJJ dramas aren’t. Far more difficult to get.
@WE,
I did not actually read scripts of shows I’ve not watched, but I was once shown a couple of pages of a Western script and was surprised by how little direction was in it. The actors had to come up with the what they thought the characters might do, by themselves or perhaps with the director during the quick rehearsal before the shoot.
Yes, this will be helpful.
If your script is not as full of flashbacks within flashbacks like SJJ’s, it should be easier to read and understand. 🙂
@GB, yes you are right. There isn’t much direction in western screenplay.
I couldn’t translate seriously more korean screenplay but I did that:
Just bad translation of other screenplays I have, just to see a bit.
So a screenplay from famous writer Kim Eun Sook, and I found the same than others:
There is strong direction. They really think about characters emotions, attitudes.
It have to say this:
– Parenthesis are limited in western screenplay (too short, no space, no action).
– While K-Screenplay can use parenthesis as long they want and for anything (even actions lines). So of course, there is room to enhance character direction.
As I was thinking about that, as well to do it quick. DONE !!
I realize it could also be almost a guide to write K-Screenplay, lol!
https://w4worlds.fr/html/W_Saison2_Script00_US.html
Hum hum… In fact, I have flashback in flashback… 😌😓
… complex montages… 🤪
One of 51 subscenes (breaks W record: 25)… 🤯
One in time reversal. 😵
It’s just I don’t use huge structures over the whole episode as she did.
And don’t delay someone voice-over from a flashback into another flashback two minutes later. Or the complex tricks she uses. So, well, of course, it’s more easy to catch! 😅