Flowers For My Life: Episode 16 (Part 2, FINAL)
“To my precious you
who brightened up my life
I invite you to my funeral”
SONG OF THE DAY
Sang Sang Band – “Say Goodbye” [ zShare download ]
…Continuing FINAL EPISODE SUMMARY, PART 2
Ho Sang sets aside some time to spend an entire day with Nam Kyung, so Hana takes Eun Tak out to spend some time together as well.
Nam Kyung and Ho Sang think back to when they were in the same club together, and how Ho Sang used to always make Nam Kyung laugh. They promise each other to spend the day as though it was one of the old days.
Like they did on his birthday, Eun Tak and Hana go bike riding. Hana says that Ho Sang felt bad about becoming the center of attention after his illness was revealed, pushing Eun Tak and Nam Kyung aside.
Hana asks about Eun Tak’s first love, and he answers that she was the opposite of Hana (Hana: “Then she must’ve been the style all men fall for”), and there was a fierce competition rate — approximately 300 to 1 — but in the end, he won her over. Hana asks why they broke up, and Eun Tak tells her it got bothersome to keep dating, and stopped being fun.
Hana: “How is that first love? That’s not even love.”
Eun Tak: “Most people love like that. At the time, you believe it’s love, and when it falters, you feel sad. The love you have right now is special.”
Hana: “Is it?”
Eun Tak: “That was one of the reasons I liked you. I didn’t believe that kind of love existed. But seeing someone actually experiencing it… it blinds the eyes.”
Hana: “Sometimes I think, what would be different if Ho Sang weren’t sick? We’d be happy because we’d have a future together, but we wouldn’t have been able to feel the preciousness of spending each passing day together.”
Eun Tak: “Getting married and spending the rest of your lives together doesn’t always mean the love comes to a happy ending. But Hana, your love will have a happy ending. I believe that.”
Over drinks (Nam Kyung drinks soju; Ho Sang pretends his soda is liquor), Nam Kyung and Ho Sang remember how they used to go drinking as a group. He always intended to be the one to see Nam Kyung home if she got drunk, but he always got drunk first. As they say their goodbyes, Nam Kyung’s happy facade cracks a bit: “Back then, when we drank with friends, we’d always hug each other. Can I hug you once, like back then?”
Ho Sang tells her, “You never once hugged me then. I was so sad over that.” Nam Kyung tells him she’ll make up for that: “My friend Yoon Ho Sang, you have to stay with me a long, long time, okay?”
Hana: “I think you’ll get upset with me if I tell you this… but sometimes I have this brief thought. That when you left, I’d follow. But I won’t think that anymore. Everyone’s trying so hard to protect us, if I betray that, everyone will regret it.”
Ho Sang: “Don’t ever think that again. Not even for one second. Okay?”
Hana: “Okay.”
Ho Sang: “When I’m gone, you have to console the ones left behind, and receive comfort too. You have to do it in my place.”
Hana: “But what if it takes too long? What if it’s too long until I meet you again?”
Ho Sang: “If it looks like you’re having too much difficulty because it’s taking too long… if you look too lonely… I’ll use my support and ask to bring you to me quickly.”
Hana: “You’d better. I’ll trust you.”
Ho Sang: “Don’t get your hopes up too much. You know I don’t have the skill to get much support, wherever I go.”
Hana: “You’ll have to do your best. Work hard, and look good to God, okay?”
Ho Sang: “Okay.”
The rival funeral-home owners drop by again, this time to inform Hana’s father that they intend to get out of the funeral business. They’d met while working in a nightclub as waiters, and tired of the loud noise and busy scene. They’d intitally gone into the funeral business thinking it would be quiet, easy work, but they’ve found it’s not. Each job pains the heart: “Funeral work isn’t for anyone to do. It’s for people with deep hearts, like you. It doesn’t suit us.”
They’re going back to the nightclub scene, and Hana’s father leaves him with this bit of wisdom: “Whatever you do, whether it’s for the dead or the living, do everything with sincere affection.”
Ho Sang calls Hana out to meet him in town, and she sees him carrying a bunch of balloons that spell out: “Wad of Gum. I love you.”
Ecstatic, Hana races to Ho Sang and hugs him… and in his surprise, he accidentally lets go of the balloons. Disappointed, Hana looks up at the balloons flying away. Ho Sang says at least she got to see it, but she’s still upset.
Seeing Hana’s disappointed expression, Ho Sang seizes the moment, and kisses her…
…and Hana finally gets her grand-gesture, Goong moment.
Hana has a heart-to-heart with her father, who asks what’s bothering her. She answers that she feels the loss of each passing day, and asks if it’s true that the days pass by more quickly as you age. Her father says it seems so. Hana: “I’m glad. That means each day I spend with Ho Sang now is longer than each day I’ll have to spend without him later.”
Her father tells her, “You’ll have many long days ahead of you. Thinking of that hurts my heart. But what can you do? If you’ve decided to overcome these difficulties, you should. As important as Dae Bak is to you, you’re important to him. If you know that, take good care of yourself.”
He also gives her a piece of practical advice: “Also, make sure to praise whatever he does as good and wonderful. That’s what gives a man the power to live on.”
Hana, Ho Sang, and Eun Tak are surprised to receive a visit from the widow from earlier. Her husband visited her in a dream last night: “He told me to be sure to thank you. Because of you, he was able to leave with a happy heart. He wanted me to tell you that. Seeing how healthy he looked, I feel much better. Thank you. But you know, even in my dream, he was joking around. Even when you die, it seems people don’t change.”
Sitting around after the widow leaves, Ho Sang tells them he thinks he’s received a large gift from the deceased man, for teaching him that even when you die, it’s possible to convey your feelings to those left behind. Hana expresses relief at knowing she can communicate even if it’s just in a dream. Ho Sang: “So both of you had better live well. If you don’t, I’ll appear in your dreams to scold you.”
Ho Sang: “Living and dying… they’re not separate things. I think they’re connected. It’s like moving — when you move, you separate with your friends in that neighborhood. You miss each other, but get caught up in your busy lives that you don’t get to meet very often. Is dying the same? We can’t meet as often as when we lived in the same neighborhood, but when you really want to meet, there will be a way, whether it’s through dreams, or memories.”
Hana: “And even if you don’t hear each other’s news often, you figure they’re living well over there.”
Eun Tak: “And you think, they’ll have met better friends in their new neighborhood.”
Ho Sang: “It’s like elderly schoolmates — later on, you’ll all meet together.”
Eun Tak: “Chattering on about how you and I used to be?”
Ho Sang: “Yeah.”
Hana: “When we meet again, I hope we won’t have changed too much.”
Ho Sang: “Don’t worry. Even elderly grandpas and grandmas say that when they meet their grade-school friends, they return to their grade-school days. So whenever we meet, we’ll return to these times.”
Walking down the street, Ho Sang comes upon a little girl dressed in an angel costume. Wordlessly, she smiles and holds out her hand to him. Ho Sang asks calmly, “You want me to go with you?” and she nods yes. Ho Sang: “Now?” The angel-girl nods again.
My heart drops in my stomach, afraid he’ll drop dead at any moment, but Ho Sang asks her, “How about if I go a little later, instead of now?” The little girl smiles and says, “Let’s meet next time.” She walks down the street, and Ho Sang gives her a wave.
Hana’s voiceover tells us: “I don’t know if that little girl was really an angel or not. But I believe she was. She came to show him that the world he’s going to is a beautiful place.”
Once again, Hana and Ho Sang visit the large tree in the open field. He lays down to rest, and Hana lays down next to him, as he tells her to bury him here with the trees: “I’ll be sleeping comfortably under this tree, so whenever you want to see me, come here and wake me. Okay?”
A brief montage flashes back over all the funeral services we’ve seen thus far: Ho Sang’s own (mistaken) funeral… the funeral where he broke the elders’ precious jar… the mountaintop funeral… the grieving mother who lost her son… Lan’s Vietnamese procession… Madam Gong…
…while his voiceover tells us:
“Looking back, all funerals have people and tears… they were filled with warmth. So now, I can see my impending funeral without sorrow. I want to face the day when my loved ones gather to remember me with smiles.”
He writes the invitation placard to his funeral.
The following is perhaps the best possible way they could have depicted Ho Sang’s death: symbolically. I didn’t want to see him die, and I didn’t want to see him deteriorate in health. I LOVE how they chose to let him go.
It’s a variation of the series’ opening credits, which if you haven’t seen are almost the same, except now they carry added meaning. Ho Sang lies in the field alone, clutching flowers, and meets Hana. They laugh and smile, enjoying each other’s company, until a bell rings, cutting short their time together. His hand leaves hers, and he walks away. A black-ribboned lantern flutters in the breeze.
Here’s the clip:
We fade in on Hana’s family, dressed in black after coming home after Ho Sang’s funeral. Hana inserts a videotape into the VCR, having received instructions from Ho Sang to watch it after his death.
In it, a healthy Ho Sang speaks into the camera:
“Did you come back from my funeral okay? I wanted to jump up in the middle and make everyone laugh, but I bet that didn’t happen. I thought you would all be feeling tired and down today, so I prepared a small present. It’s nothing big, but I’ll show you pictures of my youth. I won’t be able to show you myself aging, so I wanted to at least leave you with images of my childhood.”
On the picture of Ho Sang’s “I love you” balloons, Ho Sang says, “You were upset because we lost the balloons, weren’t you? Well, here’s proof they existed, so don’t feel too bad.” Ho Sang then plays on the piano, joking that they’ll be amazed at his skills. He performs a brief children’s song, and the family smiles along.
Ho Sang’s smiles falter as he tearfully says his last:
“Father, Mother, Pil Gu ajusshi, Eun Tak, and my Wad of Gum. I love you. When you think of me, always laugh. My body may be gone, but seeing you laugh, I’ll gain strength too. Thank you for coming to my funeral today. I truly thank you for filling my life with warmth. Treasure my grateful heart. I’ll live well where I am, too. Until we meet again, please stay healthy.”
And finally, we arrive one year later at the anniversary of Ho Sang’s death, where everyone has gathered in spirited remembrance for a picnic. People have mostly stayed the same, aside from Eun Tak having moved up to Seoul in the intervening time. In addition to the family, in attendance are Nam Kyung, Miss Lee (Madam Gong’s tearoom apprentice), and the ex-funeral-home rivals…
…but they’re visited by other loved ones, such as Lan and Madam Gong…
…and of course, Ho Sang.
“Here sleeps Yoon Ho Sang.”
Additionally…
I feel like I should have some final words to say, but I must’ve said them all. Or I’m still worn out from watching the ending.
Flowers For My Life is a beautiful drama, and one of the best I’ve seen. It had nary a misstep along the way, and provided something wonderful in every episode.
I feel like calling it a “beautiful” or “moving” drama will turn people off, but it’s enjoyable and heartwarming and funny as well. I hope everyone who watches it gets the same sense of satisfaction. If you don’t like it, it doesn’t bother me, but this one goes straight to the top of my list.
Tags: Cha Tae-hyun, episode recaps, Flowers For My Life, Kang Hye-jung, Kim Ji-hoon, stuff I dig
Thank you.
Thank you, I love how they ended the story..
Just one word sufffices how I’m feeling:
Wow.
Wah.
Thank YOU.
thanks for this!
i hope none of them lashes out because the drama wasnt very popular like han ga in. but i dont think they will, ’cause they looked like they were having a lot of fun filming it in one of those entertainment tv shows.
kiwee, don’t worry, that definitely won’t be happening! reading about cha tae hyun’s reaction after the drama finished airing (humble, gracious), it seems everyone who worked on Flowers, despite the low ratings, realized how wonderful a series it was. han ga in didn’t lash out because the drama wasn’t popular — she criticized the writers because they ruined a potentially decent drama with insanity. (jae hee was similarly disappointed with witch amusement.)
docmitasha, i’m feeling the same. despite my general wordiness, i feel like flowers is so good it can stand on its own. it doesn’t need extensive explanation.
Thank you Javabeans for that wonderful closure of an excellent series. Been catching up on the series on KBS world and so looking forward to watching the ending. Its amazing how only by your words tears are shed. Once again thank you so much.
I got so sad and started crying when I read this recap… indeed, Flowers is such a beautiful drama and all the actors/actresses were great and moving. This is definitely one my favorites list.
Wow
Beautiful. The only word i had for this drama. Although the ending included a death, I felt the drama was done so beautifully that I didn’t feel a sense of unhappiness. Unlike a majority of kdramas, the impeding death did not show the unhappier side of life. Instead, it celebrated life. This drama lacked nothing and did not leave me with “what if” questions. Although I still cried buckets, I don’t regret watching it. Wonderful wonderful wonderful drama. Wish more people would have realized how great of a drama this was.
Does anyone know what the ratings for the final episode were? I figure they should be a little better, seeing as how “My Man’s Girl” (the primary competition for that time slot) had already ended. That the show never even reached double figures in ratings should be a prosecutable offense.
The best dramas I have seen so far are Soulmate, Dal Ja’s Spring, and now Flowers For My Lifev and Que Sera Sera.
First, I want to give a heartfelt thanks to you, dear Sarah for taking the time to blog this show sincerely and with a gentle hand. Allowing us to see the wonderfulness of this show. Not only was the story heartwarming, but the cast was captivating.
Second, I have always been scared of dying, but slowly now I feel like dying is not something to fear, because no matter how much we fear it, dying will still come to pass when it is our time. I will try my best to live my life, laughing as much as I can, working as hard as I can, and of course loving as much as I can. It is to me truly amazing when a drama can make you look at an aspect of life differently. This story inspires me, comforts me, and most of all warms my heart. I loved the way they ended it, showing that death is not the end of all things, in fact it can bring new things to pass. As long as you live in memories, and in the hearts of people you love and who love you, death has not taken you completely. There is so much I could say, but I will stop here, and say once again kamsahmnida for your hard work. I assure you that I am a reader of your work for life!! Thanks and I look forward to more works from this cast, and more posts from you.
oh my god. tears started streaming down my face as i read this part! I gasped when I saw the angel, I thought that was it.
thank you very much. i love this drama
Wow… This was such an incredible ending, and you depicted it so beautifully : I had so many tears coming out of my eyes I could barely read in the end… Thank you. Thank you very much for keeping this blog…
This is probably one of the most original dramas I have ever seen! And there was no re-hashing of common plot elements: no evil secondary characters, no crazy parents, no sudden-changes-of-personality-to-fit-the-story, etc.
WOW! I’m just breathless…
Thank you Sarah. This such a a beautiful drama, inspirational, meaningful and full of emotions. It reminds me of a book Ive read too but this just plays it out well. The cinematography, imagery were just superb. I love the part, when Ho Sang was talking about death and moving. This is a one of a kind drama, an unforgettable one. Really beautiful.
Thank you!
I’ll never forget this wonderful drama. So beautiful.
Again, this was such a bittersweet drama, it started out funny and very cute and it ended even cuter with a slight tough of sadness with with every bit of satisfaction. I cried a lot during this last episode, and even if others dont agree or even value this drama as musch as i do i dont care. I also wanted to say thanks for the summaries because they were always good especially the last couple of episodes. And yes i do agree with all that you said about this drama and the way they did his death was beautiful, because even though u didn’t see the hardships leading to it you still understand and feel the emotions that come hand in hand with it.
thank you! thank you! just reading this brought tears to my eyes.
you’re wonderful, javabeans!
Thanks a lot for your summaries…i loved reading them….
Wow, the ending
Beautiful, Sad, Happy
I didnt even cry till the very last scene then i balled…
This show has been amazing and i love the way they ended it, very nicely
Thanks so much again, for all of your great summaries, you made it more enjoyable for us all!!
BEAUTIFUL DRAMA!!!!…It has the best ending. It just knocked Cloud stairway from the top of my list for the best ending and Over the rainbow for my fav drama of all time
I really like this drama! Thanks a lot for writing the drama for us!!!! Thanks for writing the summary for us!!!!!!!! I love your summaries! Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!! We LOVE you!
I really love the ending of this drama except for the part that the dead people in this drama “came back”. lol. It was nice. I was hoping that there’s going to be a child…. but, I guess the writers didn’t want them to have a kid, eh?
I really love that wad of gum thing… And the video he made…..
Thanks a lot again! Great drama! Can’t wait for the subtitles!!!!
Thank you very much for this reviews .. It still airing in KBS world , but that didnt stop me from reading all the reviews .. I will keep watching the drama coz in my opinion this drama showed us how live could be wonderful if u know how to live it and how death could be peacefull when you leave a good impression in others live …
…
what get me most is how a lonely simple girl graw up and learn about life by the hardest way ( death ) and took us in this journey where you can value each moment and each person in your life … after this drama I will always love Na Hana ” only me ;p ” for being so kind and caring of others hoping that they will love me too
thank you so much for sharing. I really enjoyed reading your entries and am looking forward to buying the dvds when they are available
I haven’t had the chance to download or watch FFML (or any other series for that matter) as it’s not available in where I am right now, but I’ve been following your summaries. And believe me, just from reading them, I can’t help but tearing up. In part I feel like I don’t want to let go of this, but on the other hand, I’m incredibly happy that the series’s ending is handled exceptionally well and that I know when I watch it myself, I would be satisfied. Thanks for doing all 16 episodes, it was such a blast.
Thank you so much for completing the summary for this series. It has been a beautiful Flowers of My Life Journey. Although ho sang had to go, i feel that it ended very peacefully & smoothly. i’ve watched mainly kdramas that are comedy cause im afraid of tearing in those tragic ending kdramas. Thus i’ve only caught Snow Queen & Flowers of My Life which has some comedy & mild sadness, even though someone died in the end. I hope you will continue to take up such beautiful stories and thanks once again!
thanks so much for your fantastic summaries!
Flowers for My Life is such a beautiful story that tells us how life can be beautiful although it is “not a bed of roses”.
Congratulations!!!
To javabeans for the BEAUTIFUL summaries..
To the production team & casts for such a BEAUTIFUL story..
Life is not a bed of roses, but yet I came in the search of flower. Hope I’ll meet mine.
thank you for the wonderful and well written summaries. I hope my favorite station brings this to the Philppines. I really love Cha tae hyun and though I get bothered looking at Ha Na (i saw her last in art of dating), the overall production was great. I guess the ratings was low because of the topic but that’s surprising for Korea since most stories end up with death.
Anyway, i will surely watch out for this and if it doesnt air here, i will just wait for the dvd.
thanks.
Am watching this on KBS World. So, I am still at episode 11, with 5 more to go. I am writing this comment ‘blind’ as I dare not read the post, as that would mean I would know the ending, and also not reading the comments by readers here, apart from peeking at the first 2.
Anyway, I just want to say that Flowers for My Life is by far the best drama I have seen this year. Its thoughfulness and story build-up is as good as Alone In Love. I can’t wait for KBS to screen the rest of the drama this week.
Glad to see, actually I didn’t, but I assume that all the 30 odd comments were in praise of a drama that was well done, and that everyone enjoyed it.
Thank you so much for doing the summary for this wonderful series. I felt very sad reading the last part of your summary, but I agree with you that the drama wraps everything up nicely. This is definitely one of my favorite drama!!!
Thanks! Loved this series and just wanted to read your summary to remember the touching last episode.
I’ve followed your blog from when I watched the first episode of Flowers For My LIfe until its end. I msut agree with you every step of the way ,when you say that, FFML, is yet one of the best, if not the best, Korean drama ever made for television. Thanks for blogging your thoughts about it, and sharing it with us. I may not be Korean, but I truly love Kdrama!
Keep it up!
wow. that was an awesome recap! made me cry like everyone else as well. i loved the fact that they didnt show cha tae hyun’s character dying slowly ~ the lighthearted path to his death so much sweeter. thanks for the blog, its amazing to read!! Cant wait for recaps for the future eps of coffee prince
DD aja aja dramabeans fighting
its very happy in a sad way to watch this show! ^^
you forgot! ggool ggool ee came back too!
i LOVED all your nicknames for Euntak
Thank you for your wonderful commentaries and all your hard work bringing us a synopsis of each episode. I was truly touched by this Korean drama series and will remember it for a long time to come.
P.S.
I know Kang Hye-jeong from her earlier work in “OldBoy” and “Rules of Dating”, and she is known for taking unusual roles, but I was really surprised by the excellent acting skills she portrayed in this drama. Her quirky character could have rubbed me the wrong way; if she played this role in an over the top manner, but to her credit, she played it perfectly. Even after the much publicized dental surgery(?), she is still cute as hell!
Thanks for the recap. I’m only on Episode 13 at the moment but just couldn’t wait, especially since you did a fantastic job with your recaps and screenshots. I agree that this is one of the best K-dramas of all time due to the wonderful writing, directing, acting, and cinematography. I generally avoid tear-jerky dramas but this one got me hooked with the comedy from the start and even though it’s sad at moments, it’s a “beautiful sadness” as someone has already said. This drama and Dal Ja’s Spring (comedy, romance) are my favorite K-dramas so far this year (and at the tops of my list for all years; other favorites: Goong (Princess Hours), The Vineyard Man).
That was the best drama I’ve seen. I was shocked and delighted to discover that the opening scene was Ho-sang’s funeral all along. So satisfying, I just wish more people watched it, I also wish the ost would be released. I guess they can’t get licensing agreements for all the foreign songs. Do you or anybody know what song was used for the Hana/Ho-sang love theme? Thank you for all your hard work.
i’m a lurker here… having read your recaps to coffeeprince, queserasera, dalja’s spring, and wanted to give you much thanks…. flowers for my life was touching, moving, and your recaps were so poignant… eloquent, capturing the drama’s heart and soul.
im looking forward to watching the drama… having read so much… thank you! thank you!
I missed episodes 15 and 16, so thanks very much for taking the time. I’m really at a loss for words.
i loved this drama! its very heartwarming…i cried a lot, but hell, the film deserved a lot of tears, isn’t it… what more can i say? it’s just great! i hope more people will watch this film, the actors were good too!
I just finished reading all your summaries in one night and I must say…
I’m bawling my eyes out on this one. I’m just…oh my goodness. Even if they were summaries, I still cried! Ahh! I can’t even see what I’m typing anymore…
I cried for a good 5 minutes right after I read Ho Sang’s invitation to his own funeral. I’m crying again as I type this. Also, because of this drama, I discovered such a cool song called ‘74 – ‘75 by The Connells.
Just finished and am still reeling… What an amazing drama – I laughed and wept and then laughed and wept some more. Quirky, yes, but also managed to be delightful, thoughtful, moving and touching. Was so impressed with the sustained level of writing and the casting/acting/filming was exceptional. I just love this drama – thank you so much for insisting that people watch it. I wouldn’t have done so otherwise… (Now if only you had a quick cure for puffy eyes and stuffed up sinuses from too many tears!)
thanks javabeans for the recaps! it really is a beautiful drama i’m gonna buy the dvd for this. i haven’t seen this just read your recaps and i must say that the show doesn’t deserve the low ratings. it’s now part of my favorite kdrama list too!
Hi there Javabeans!
just wanna ask u a question. do you know the name of the sad korean song from this series? i’ve been searching for it for a very long time. thank you in advance
keep up the good work!!
ive just finished watching the drama last night…and i must say its really good. it made me see death in a different perspective…. although ive cried nonstop from episode 10 to episode 16 …i really enjoyed watching it…how ironic!
thanks for the great summaries! i was crying so hard just from reading the recaps… can’t imagine how it will be like to watch from ep 1 thru 16..
Seriously, I’m speechless….
I watched this drama when it was airing and I just read your recaps. I’m no pro at Korean so you filled in a lot of blanks!
By far, one of the most (not to be so cheezy but…) touching drama, ever.
Okay, I just read all your summaries and THIS TOTALLY BROUGHT ME TO TEARS!!
Wow….. so i finally set aside some time and watched this drama because it came so highly recommended by you and i just have to say to you, “thank you.” never have i ever seen a drama that was so well rounded, so polished, and so full of heart than this. this definitely tops my lists of dramas as well. i don’t want to be cliched and say that it changed my life because it doesn’t directly affect me. however, each episode’s message definitely left a deep impression on me and made me see life in a whole different way. it’s been so long since i’ve seen a show with such substance and meaning while being fun and enjoyable at the same time. i thank you again for introducing this drama to me, it was a magical experience.
I’m always watching the episodes while reading your posts just in case I miss out on something. The ending was perfection. I too can’t ask for anything better. Everything was brilliant. I would describe it as inspirational. I started out chuckling, giggling, and laughing out loud then tearing came into the mix and before I knew it it’s over. I can’t praise it enough. I never once felt frustrated and I wouldn’t change a thing about this drama. LOVE♥LOVE♥LOVE
I can say this is one best drama i have seen far.
I just ordered and received this drama on DVD! I was so happy when I found it. I watched most of the episodes on KBC-TV here in Chicago (broadcast channel that airs KBS programming) last year and absolutely loved it. I’m not one for analysis (at least I can’t express it in words), but I found it to be a very moving and thoughtful series. A “stop and smell the roses” approach if you will. Sorry for the horrible pun.
I thought all the actors did a superb job. I felt for all of the characters. I also enjoyed the humor that was mixed in. Just the right amount of drama as well.
I haven’t even seen the drama yet [...because I love to be spoiled...] and this recap has already made me cry.
Beautiful
So I finally sat my butt down and marathoned this series because it was on my to-do list for the longest time. Boy, oh boy. I laughed, I cried, I did everything in between. This one really leaves a lasting impression.
Thank you javabeans for your constant harping about what a little gem this series is. I was nervous at first because I don’ t like themes about death, but you were right as usual. This series hits just the right balance of humour and pathos.
I had to watch previous work that Cha Tae-hyun has done as he’s not my usual cup of tea, but I found that he grew on me. Believe it or not, I watched the Prince’s First Love and thought hmm, he’s not so bad. heh, heh.
Anyways, I am glad I made the effort. It makes me appreciate my own life more and reminds me to not give up the hope that I might finally find my own happiness.
I’ve avoided reading your recaps of this series. It honestly scared me at first. But, I fell in love.
Thank you.
I love it! Thanks to you, I have watched this wonderful drama. It really touched my heart. Lovely story, lovely ending… it really leaves you feeling good! Although I cried, its not a sad cry, but a happy cry!
By the way, I was wondering where I could get the instrumental tracks played in the drama? Its really good, there is one which has a song version with it. Really loved it!
Thanks again for ‘promoting’ this drama!
It took me a while to read your recaps for Flowers for My Life. Didn’t know what happened. Anyway, you are right, the drama is different and enjoyable I was moved just by reading what you have written. My friend has a copy of this drama and I intend to watch it. The characters are quirky especially Hannah, it started off with a very flawed heroine not those goody two shoes boring lead that I usually encounter with k-dramas. I’ve always loved Cha Tae-hyun, he is very comical and natural, I’ve always ever watch him in the movies, Sassy, Highway Star, the Fool (he made me cry in this one) and My Girl (hated this movie). Hannah same thing I’m more familiar with her movie Herb, where she played a mentally handicapped girl, she carried the role flawlessly. Thanks for your recaps it is always fun to read them and understand what is going on especially if the subs from the DVD are way bad.
Love every minute of this drama, esp. the last episode. It is magical…it shows the audience how death isn’t really a scary thing and that is just about the hardest thing to do in the world…but the writer, the director, and all the actors achieve that goal so effortlessly and beautifully.
Thank you for suggesting this drama. It is one, if not the most, satisfying drama-viewing experience of my life.
You know that knot in your throat feeling, I felt that through out the whole drama. At one point I started laughing so hard and then my laughter turn into really loud cries. It felt as if I was loosing a family member of my own. As I listened to the small video where he plays the piano I had to pause it and keep crying because even though his death was very fitting for him it felt sad though it had a pepper of happiness.
I loved this drama to bits.
Sarah, thank you soooooo much for reccing this! It went straight to the top of my list. Even if CP has sentimental value for me and I don’t get tired rewatching it over and over, Flowers for my life is -I have to admit- better. The acting, the script, the characters, the directing…everything was so wonderful. It was touching and heartwarming and…amazing. Loved it!
I’m afraid I’m going to compare all the next dramas I watch with this one and I’m so scared of being disappointed. For some reason, I think they’ll always pale in comparison. Ah well. So glad I’ve watched Flowers. Thank you, Sarah. Thank you!
I finally just finished watching this drama this weekend. I think I cried buckets while watching this drama. From like 11 on, I didn’t stop crying and laughing.
My family thought I was a lunatic. And then during the final episode I was seriously sobbing. I was like, nooo I know he has to die but it’s so sad!
I don’t get it. So what happens to his real mother? She’ll never know what happened? And she’ll stop receiving phone calls from him too.
reading the words
“…and of course, Ho Sang.”
hit a chord.
(loved this, even though im a few years late)
@ Anon #69
Yeah, I found that to be one of the saddest parts, that his mom will never know he died
Just like in MISA.
since you rated this as 10/10, i will try to watch this… i hate endings when someone died… i really love to watch with ” and they live happily ever after”… but not all ends with the way i want it…
always— thank you,,,,