11 Comments On “Serendipity’s Embrace: Eps 5 & 6 Open Thread”
Snow Flower
I am enjoying the low-key romance of the 2FL and the PE teacher.
GrowingBeautifully (GB)
@Snow Flower, yes, I think I’m preferring the other ‘romance’ too. After a nice start I don’t find the main couple all that compelling. I wonder why. I’ve yet to watch Ep 6. Perhaps I’ll feel differently after watching it.
Snow Flower
We are now entering anxiety and misunderstanding territory. Hopefully everything will fall into place next week.
GrowingBeautifully (GB)
@Snow Flower, yes it had better work out well because next week’s episodes are the last 2!!!
GrowingBeautifully (GB)
Considering that there are only 8 episodes altogether, I’m amazed that Show still had filler for more than half of Ep 6.
It’s interesting that Teacher Son’s mother incorrectly thought more than was true about Son and Hye Ji, while Hu Young’s mother guessed correctly at a glance that there was an attachment between her son and Hong Ju.
However both mothers provided the catalyst for the next decision regarding having a girlfriend, that their sons have to make.
Another sort of parallel, both Son and Jun Ho take action only when the girl was already hurt and it’s rather too late to backtrack on what was said.
Speaking of backtracking, Hu Young tells Hong Ju not to take back the kiss and she tells him not to take back the promise to stay in Korea instead of returning to the US. Let’s see who takes back their word first!
= = = The secondary couple and the metaphor of shoes. When Son lent Hye Ji his shoes, it was just a friendly gesture without any significance. Only when Hye Ji decided that he might like her and that she liked him too, did the shoes mean more to her. She wore his shoes to go to him when he was sick. A sign that she wanted to be with him. When she returned the shoes after he said that she had nothing to do with him, he understood it to mean that she had given up on seeing him as a boyfriend.
He should have kept his feet in his shoes and not put them in his mouth when he nervously asked her if she had apologised to him the day before. I cannot understand how he could garble the simple sentence of “I’m sorry about yesterday.” But there we have it and a super hurt Hye Ji who promises not to approach him anymore.
Son will have to push past his Vice-Principal’s dreams to marry him to the elder sister and convince Hye Ji that she had been right to think that he liked her. He was a fool to never have made his sentiments clear to both Hye Ji and her dad.
At the eleventh hour, the show gave us a double whammy: the arrival of HoYeong’s mom and the mental breakdown of HJ’s ex-boyfriend. These two will prevent HoYeong and HJ from having a smooth relationship.
I like the director to tie everything up in a neat little bow. I dislike unresolved conflicts (like HoYeong’s mother issues and HJ’s abandonment issues) and lingering feelings (Is HJ really over her First Love? Will she feel guilty about leaving him now?)
If there were 10 episodes, I wouldn’t worry so much about these last-minute troubles. I hope the ending won’t be rushed and forced. 🙂
Their romantic scenes don’t move me. They feel stale.
I’m reminded of that kdrama with Junho and Yoona. King of the Land. They went through all the romantic tropes in the book but I didn’t feel anything but artificiality. The camera shots were too artsy, the slow-mo too contrived, the kissing too rehearsed.
This kdrama isn’t as overblown as King the Land. But there’s the same fakeness about it. Like their tumble in the sand when they were tugging the octopus. Or their day in the amusement park. 🙄
I must admit that there are some moments when I can feel my heart “flutter.” But this is mostly due to the actor Chae Jong Hyeop’s puppy eyes, though. I like how he projects sincerity just by looking straight at the camera.
GrowingBeautifully (GB)
@pkml3, I have to admit that when I saw the octopus in the sand and guessed what was going to happen, I FFDed LOL. I think I’m too jaded by these childish tropes to want to watch them for any length of time.
About the fakeness… yes, I feel that Kim so Hyun has failed to convince me that Hong Ju really cares for Hu Young. Chae Jong Hyeop is making a valiant attempt but even he cannot save a one-sided looking ‘love’.
Hu Young’s constant staring at Hong Ju kind of bothers me too. I agree with what Hong Ju said about him needing to look at something else so that she could eat in peace.
Yes, about those unresolved issues that have suddenly been introduced this late in the series.
Counting the old issues (there are at least 3):
-Uncle Baek and his first love obsession
-VP Kim and his determination to get Son as son-in-law for the wrong daughter
-Getting Hye Ji to give Son another chance
Counting the new issues (there are at least 2):
– Mum Baek won’t let anyone cross her especially Hu Young
– Jun Ho’s mental breakdown and neediness
Will the resolutions within 2 episodes be a slap dash affair? Will we get another period of separation so that all the wounded people get healed, the Rock Asset company does not fall apart, the anime gets created…. before we can have Hong Ju and Hu Young back together? 🤨😒
Fern
I agree about the lack of authenticity in the love between the OTP. I get that Hong Ju has separation anxiety or attachment disorder related to her being abandoned multiple times without explanations since childhood. But once she asked Hu Young to stay in Korea and not go to the U.S., her love for him should be more apparent. She shouldn’t have to tell us her thoughts or dreams about him being attractive to her – we should feel it.
I shouldn’t compare this with the Double, which showed more electricity between the leads from the first episodes. It’s apples and oranges. But I find there’s something stiff and formulaic in the acting here.
I am enjoying the low-key romance of the 2FL and the PE teacher.
@Snow Flower, yes, I think I’m preferring the other ‘romance’ too. After a nice start I don’t find the main couple all that compelling. I wonder why. I’ve yet to watch Ep 6. Perhaps I’ll feel differently after watching it.
We are now entering anxiety and misunderstanding territory. Hopefully everything will fall into place next week.
@Snow Flower, yes it had better work out well because next week’s episodes are the last 2!!!
Considering that there are only 8 episodes altogether, I’m amazed that Show still had filler for more than half of Ep 6.
It’s interesting that Teacher Son’s mother incorrectly thought more than was true about Son and Hye Ji, while Hu Young’s mother guessed correctly at a glance that there was an attachment between her son and Hong Ju.
However both mothers provided the catalyst for the next decision regarding having a girlfriend, that their sons have to make.
Another sort of parallel, both Son and Jun Ho take action only when the girl was already hurt and it’s rather too late to backtrack on what was said.
Speaking of backtracking, Hu Young tells Hong Ju not to take back the kiss and she tells him not to take back the promise to stay in Korea instead of returning to the US. Let’s see who takes back their word first!
= = =
The secondary couple and the metaphor of shoes. When Son lent Hye Ji his shoes, it was just a friendly gesture without any significance. Only when Hye Ji decided that he might like her and that she liked him too, did the shoes mean more to her. She wore his shoes to go to him when he was sick. A sign that she wanted to be with him. When she returned the shoes after he said that she had nothing to do with him, he understood it to mean that she had given up on seeing him as a boyfriend.
He should have kept his feet in his shoes and not put them in his mouth when he nervously asked her if she had apologised to him the day before. I cannot understand how he could garble the simple sentence of “I’m sorry about yesterday.” But there we have it and a super hurt Hye Ji who promises not to approach him anymore.
Son will have to push past his Vice-Principal’s dreams to marry him to the elder sister and convince Hye Ji that she had been right to think that he liked her. He was a fool to never have made his sentiments clear to both Hye Ji and her dad.
Great explanation of the shoes, @GB. Thank you.
You’re of course most welcome @pkml3!
I wish the main OTP wowed me a bit more. Can’t really put my finger on what’s lacking or maybe it was too little too late?
Yes, @Snowflower.
At the eleventh hour, the show gave us a double whammy: the arrival of HoYeong’s mom and the mental breakdown of HJ’s ex-boyfriend. These two will prevent HoYeong and HJ from having a smooth relationship.
I like the director to tie everything up in a neat little bow. I dislike unresolved conflicts (like HoYeong’s mother issues and HJ’s abandonment issues) and lingering feelings (Is HJ really over her First Love? Will she feel guilty about leaving him now?)
If there were 10 episodes, I wouldn’t worry so much about these last-minute troubles. I hope the ending won’t be rushed and forced. 🙂
Same, @GB.
Their romantic scenes don’t move me. They feel stale.
I’m reminded of that kdrama with Junho and Yoona. King of the Land. They went through all the romantic tropes in the book but I didn’t feel anything but artificiality. The camera shots were too artsy, the slow-mo too contrived, the kissing too rehearsed.
This kdrama isn’t as overblown as King the Land. But there’s the same fakeness about it. Like their tumble in the sand when they were tugging the octopus. Or their day in the amusement park. 🙄
I must admit that there are some moments when I can feel my heart “flutter.” But this is mostly due to the actor Chae Jong Hyeop’s puppy eyes, though. I like how he projects sincerity just by looking straight at the camera.
@pkml3, I have to admit that when I saw the octopus in the sand and guessed what was going to happen, I FFDed LOL. I think I’m too jaded by these childish tropes to want to watch them for any length of time.
About the fakeness… yes, I feel that Kim so Hyun has failed to convince me that Hong Ju really cares for Hu Young. Chae Jong Hyeop is making a valiant attempt but even he cannot save a one-sided looking ‘love’.
Hu Young’s constant staring at Hong Ju kind of bothers me too. I agree with what Hong Ju said about him needing to look at something else so that she could eat in peace.
Yes, about those unresolved issues that have suddenly been introduced this late in the series.
Counting the old issues (there are at least 3):
-Uncle Baek and his first love obsession
-VP Kim and his determination to get Son as son-in-law for the wrong daughter
-Getting Hye Ji to give Son another chance
Counting the new issues (there are at least 2):
– Mum Baek won’t let anyone cross her especially Hu Young
– Jun Ho’s mental breakdown and neediness
Will the resolutions within 2 episodes be a slap dash affair? Will we get another period of separation so that all the wounded people get healed, the Rock Asset company does not fall apart, the anime gets created…. before we can have Hong Ju and Hu Young back together? 🤨😒
I agree about the lack of authenticity in the love between the OTP. I get that Hong Ju has separation anxiety or attachment disorder related to her being abandoned multiple times without explanations since childhood. But once she asked Hu Young to stay in Korea and not go to the U.S., her love for him should be more apparent. She shouldn’t have to tell us her thoughts or dreams about him being attractive to her – we should feel it.
I shouldn’t compare this with the Double, which showed more electricity between the leads from the first episodes. It’s apples and oranges. But I find there’s something stiff and formulaic in the acting here.