The thread is open.
Sorry for the delay. I was travelling again.
Ha! I wasn’t surprised that the CEO turned out to be a killer and… a secret admirer of Doha. I wrote down my suspicions in my Quick Takes for Ep 10. I wondered if he was gay because that’s the only possible reason that I could think of to explain a) his disapproval of DoHa’s relationship with Solhee, b) his colossal headache afterward (when he didn’t even blink when he discovered his wife’s secret affair), and c) his meeting with Doha’s mother to tattle-tale on her son’s love life. He was acting like a spurned lover.
However, I was surprised that the screenwriter went that route. It isn’t politically or socially correct nowadays to paint an LGTB character in an unfavorable light. Oh well.
Let’s enjoy the last episode.
Transferring @Fern’s post here.
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Episode 15. With spoilers:
Some odd things and other good things.
Why would Eom-ji’s brother be at her belated funeral without a prison escort? Surely he’s not been released already after a month or so at most?
I was worried about Sol Hee in that taxi — I thought something evil was going to happen. But it seems that he was just taking a cheat’s long route to get more pay and she couldn’t tell that he was lying.
I don’t want to discuss the aegyo scene of Sol Hee and Do Ha calling each other endearing names. 🙄
I did like that Do Ha is finding things to bring out the positive aspects of not hearing lies. He is such a good boyfriend.
Ah, I hope that your travels went well, @packmule3. Thank you for the updated thread.
Really enjoyed the last episode, and found myself wishing there were a few more feel good scenes. Thankful for that because I didn’t expect much after the mystery of the killer was solved
I found the last two episodes rather bland and formulaic. Although I was inclined to like KM’s acting, in the end, I did not find he added depth to his character.
That was a big diamond!
The final episodes are definitely the product placement episodes in kdramas. I guess that is the episode sold to the sponsors. King the Land was even worse.
I thought it was a meh ending but happy. The way they handled the crime and ex girlfriend suicide note was just weird. Why would that make anyone feel better? ML is good at playing naïf but not great in moments of betrayal, grief or shock. I’ll look for second male lead (cop) in another drama. He gives off Kim Seon Ho vibes – but seems less problematic.
Kalimera !
I haven’t managed to watch Episode 16 until the end. Still, I am content that we get a happy ending…
I was glad that we had a couple who, between themselves, weren’t problematic and were quick to talk things out. I felt that Do Ha’s character was the wiser and ironically quicker to grasp the ‘truth’ than Sol Hee’s character.
I thought the mothers got off easily. And I agree with @Good Twin that the reveal about the suicide text wasn’t helpful. Do Ha had long lived with the thought of her suicide. Do her good wishes rather than anger make it better, especially if she was killed instead? -Made no sense to me.
Yes, @Good Twin, that was an avalanche of product placement at the end, wasn’t it?
@Fern for one second or maybe less than a second they showed that there was a policeman outside the funeral hall
Glad to read that. Seemed like a pretty big continuity error.
Although this drama didn’t break any ground or prove to be super exciting, I found it to be quite comforting and delightful (except for the thwarted gay lover/secret murderer subplot—that left a bad taste). Almost everyone ended up together, something I always find especially comforting in Kdramas. The two main actors also seemed to take delight in each other, smiling broadly whenever they kissed.
I think the message overall was learning to trust other people.
Another thing I really enjoyed was the set design. That was part of the comfort for me. The soccer fan apartment, the famous composer downsizing to a smaller, cozy apartment, the tarot cafe that looked exactly like what you think it should look like, along with the tarot reader—the actress who played Cassandra looked exactly right for the part (as she also did as a ghost in Goblin!). I also like the neighborhood they created, and all the little businesses that people were running alongside each other. As for the product placement, I know it’s an episode 16 PPL dump, but at least this was a little more subtle than some of the others I’ve seen recently (except for those “tasty” egg sandwiches).
Oh, I just remembered one other thing I didn’t like about it. It seemed to also have a message that if you’re unattractive, no one will love you. For some reason everyone thought the baker was ugly. I didn’t. And of course the mom was always making faces about how ugly her beaus were.
I am wondering what others thought about The female lead’s dialogue about her realization that context matters And not just whether or not something is a lie or the truth. I thought that was unnecessary for her to say because that was the whole theme of the series and should have been understood by the audience by the last episode. It just seemed a rather heavy handed way of summarizing the theme Where it could have been done symbolically or playfully.
Thank you, @BethB. That makes sense.
@Monmor, yes, we were spoon-fed those lines, but perhaps it took the FL just that long to realise and accept it. I wondered how she would handle her clients.
Maybe this says more about me than about the drama, but I wondered if we would get more information on her gold bars. Did she ever tell Do Ha about them, for example, and I missed it?
@BethB, yes, about the link with beauty and loveable-ness. I really felt bad for the baker, when everyone was obviously telling clangers about his face. I wanted to see him paired up with someone as generous and kind as him. Even Sol Hee’s dad was telling her to hurry to get married to Do Ha because of his face. And Sol Hee was always asking if she was pretty. Tsk.
I enjoyed the veteran actors who played the parents. Both the mothers were playing counter type to some extent.
Spoon fed is a good way of putting it. They could have had a good exchange between the Leads playing with this idea, fOr example. As much as I enjoyed the show it did fall somewhat flat For me. I don’t think I will give it a very high rewatch rating.
Annyeong 🍂
Because I watched this show to the end, I wanted to input my thoughts…
When the real culprit was caught (he tried to commit suicide!) and we still have 2 episodes left… I was curious. and loved it… coz we get to see the characters move on from this tragedy that affected each of them for the past 15 years. We even got a time jump. We got to see their “new normal.”
I am happy — even though it feels mundane (such is life) — that Do Ha moved on to working with other talents, that Sya on found her personal bodyguard/love, that the parents got back together and started a noodle resto 💗, that Solhee stopped using her talent for money. I’m glad Solhee accepted not having her gift and living with that… then in the end, she did have it back – so horray for her moving on and dealing with it in a new way.
Yes, we got a proposal at the end. so happy for our OTP — ZZzzzz haha. Feel good ending. Love it. DOha is such a good boyfriend indeed @PM2.
I also felt this drama lost momentum in the final two episodes. In an effort to give each character the best possible resolution, the endings for most story arcs were forced. Do Ha’s mother should have ended up in jail for bribing a police officer, whether or not her son was the true culprit. I cannot imagine Sol Hee’s mother being content to run a rustic noodle restaurant: it’s a break with her character, who we saw pursuing easy money and loving lavish gifts. I’m not convinced that her quick turnaround to the simple life was because her golddigger persona was a survival tactic. And her wanting to punish her daughter by repeatedly demanding money: how can she see that as justified when she pursued criminal activity and Sol Hee, a young child at the time, just told the truth.
That said, I thought the actors playing the side characters were more fun to watch than the ML, who always looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
I really dislike final episodes that are wrapping up every ones’ stories whether it fits with the character arc or not. It feels like going through a checklist. I had the same thoughts about the FL’s mother as you did. I did enjoy the actor (who was the husband)’s make over though. Pretty funny!
@monmor, since I’ve seen actor Ahn Nae Sang clean cut in several dramas and in Joseon garb in others, I quite enjoyed the view from Shallow Island when he was in mountain man mode. I was glad he got to play a romantic scene, albeit short, with a ring and a hug in culmination, no kiss.
Howdy!
This drama started ok but in the end it didn’t really give me the ‘feels’ that I wanted to.
This might be the first time that I was cringing at some scenes. 😬
But anyway it’s another drama with a happy ending so I’ll take that. 😃
I commentated on this drama on another platform discussion, and perfectly innocuous comments and like some others it was removed! Most of us are mystified but ce la vie as they say. Because of the cast and the promising storyline I looked fwd to it,but was disappointed from halfway. For what it’s worth I thought the chemistry between the leads was sadly lacking right up to last episode and then Bingo! The penny dropped and they looked comfortable with each other. I think the story deflated markedly because of what?? Direction? Script? Lack of enthusiasm vibe from ML.? Too late now but it would be interesting to see this ML in a more challenging,perhaps roguish role than his past efforts.
Apologies for using the word ‘chemistry’ in my previous comment! I’m new to this area and may need a few tips on text – language specifics🤔 anyway apologies again 🙇♀️. Am enjoying the threads.
Yes, this drama disappointed me, too. I still have to watch Eps 13 & 14.
For one, the romance between the two leads is too — hmmm. what’s the word here? — cookie-cutter-y? gingerbread-y? I appreciate that the leads didn’t have big dumb misunderstandings that separated them. But the way they dated was so textbook that they looked milquetoast as a couple. Their first time to hold hands, their first hug, their first kiss, their dating scenes, all these pass me by and I didn’t get the *thrills* that I was expecting.
For another, the mystery surrounding the ex-GF’s death failed to grab my attention, too. I. just. didn’t. care.
But will I recommend the drama?
I guess if you’re a fan of the actor, and you want to follow up “Alchemy of Souls” with a drama where he’s the sole male lead, then fine, go ahead and binge watch this. He didn’t bomb out. His character was bland so his acting was flat and uninspired. His first kissing scene during the camp date was blah.
To me, he still has a long way to go to be as dynamic and distinctive as Lee JaeWook, his co-star in “Alchemy.”
In reference to the ML of 100 Days My Prince, after watching D.O./Do Kyung Soo’s most recent mv “Somebody”, I was wishing he had been cast as the ML in this drama. P.S. you have to watch it though the end.
Awwww… nice ending!
I did wonder why he was wearing another plain white shirt when he went on a date with her when he looked better in a rugby shirt at 1:59, and what was written on the back of his white shirt at 3:02.
Yes, D.O./Do Kyung Soo is another impressive idol-turned-actor. I still remember when I first saw him, a movie called “My Annoying Brother.” He played a blind ex-judo athlete. D.O., Siwan, Lee Junho. Those are my top three male idol-turned-actors.
Oh! I have to add Seo In Guk, too!
There are others who are good but within their range. They’re good when they’re performing a role which closely resembles their persona. I’ll put Park Hyungsik here, Park JinYoung, Rowoon, and Cha Eunwoo.
I’ll put Ok Taekyeon there in that category, too.
I may have to reassess Rowoon again after his drama “Destined With You” though.
The idols-turned-actors who get a passing grade for me are:
This male lead in “My Lovely Liar” and Suho, the second male lead in “Touch Your Behind.”
Suho is the leader of the group D.O. is in. I saw Suho in another drama, but I wasn’t too impressed and didn’t finish it. Yes, in my opinion he and Hwang Min Hyun are much of a muchness so far although they could improve.
I hope Hwang Min Hyun, who played DoHa in My Lovely Liar, continues to hone his acting skills. He’s pleasant enough in face and demeanor to watch, but I can’t help thinking he runs the gamut of human emotion from A to B (to borrow a snarky quote from Dorothy Parker dating back to the 1930s).