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High Kick 3: Episodes 120-123 (Final)

High Kick 3 finally comes to an end! It both feels like it’s whizzed by in a blur and taken forever. It’s because the stories tend to fly right by, cute and brisk and moving right along to make room for more good stuff without belaboring points. But when you step back and take a look at the whole, there has been so much growth and development that these characters have walked miles. And for the most part, it feels like we’ve walked with ’em.

SONG OF THE DAY

Verandah Project – “Good Bye” [ Download ]

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EPISODE 120 WEECAP

Jong-seok finds the letter Soo-jung wrote to Seung-yoon when she thought he was in the army, and is quick to rub her face in the “love letter,” sing-songing about how she must like Seung-yoon.

Soo-jung protests, insisting there’s no way she likes Stupid — she’d never! When Seung-yoon arrives, she headlocks him and demands that he tell the others that she doesn’t like him. Confused, he agrees, although even Mom and Dad smile knowingly.

Now that Jin-hee has secured her dream job, she finds her own apartment. She packs her things and has a tearful goodbye with Ha-sun, though both ladies try to keep cheery. Jin-hee thanks Ha-sun and vows to repay the kindness, and the roommates throw a party to mark her last night here.

The next day is her last day at the clinic, and she goes in early to pack her things. When the new employee arrives, Jin-hee trains her — until she realizes she’s talking to Kye-sang’s replacement, not the new intern. Whoops.

Kye-sang arrives at the clinic after Jin-hee leaves, and they text back and forth, disappointed to have missed each other on her last day. Even worse is that he’ll probably be running so late he’ll miss her send-off dinner.

Sure enough he isn’t able to make it, and they send more disappointed texts, since it’s such an anticlimactic way to send somebody off. But she forgets the Jin-sang plant at the office and goes back for it, and runs into Kye-sang there, and they decide to have a drink as a mini-sendoff party.

The ajumma recognizes the Jin-sang plant as a kumquat, not the cherry tomatoes they’d believed. Now Jin-hee sighs at all the things she was wrong about — the new doctor at the clinic, the plant, and thinking Nurse Im was single when she’s a married mother. What else doesn’t she know?, she wonders. Kye-sang jokes, “I’m actually younger than you, noona,” and actually has her believing it for half a second.

Jong-seok is thoroughly enjoying making fun of Soo-jung for liking Seung-yoon, and Seung-yoon gets caught in their fights. He asks Jong-seok to quit teasing her because it just makes himself feel bad for being the cause. But he mentions Soo-jung visiting him at the training center, and Jong-seok tears out of there mid-conversation to up the mockery: She doesn’t like him — she loooooves him. So childish, but cute.

Today is Seung-yoon’s birthday, and the family prepares a special dinner. Seung-yoon is touched, but more sibling fighting ends with Seung-yoon diving face-first into his own cake, and he’s had enough of being caught in the middle. He thanks them for dinner, but leaves without eating a bite of it.

Instead, he eats instant ramyun in a convenience store, and Soo-jung calls him out, surprising him with a cake and a song, saying she felt bad for ruining his birthday. She even has seaweed soup in a thermos, and since she has no money to buy him a gift, she does a dance (to SNSD’s “Gee”).

As she dances, Seung-yoon gapes, as though seeing her in a new light. What’s amusing is that she dances and sings happy birthday with an uncharacteristic — dare I say girlfriendy — sweetness, but as soon as she’s done she drops the act and reverts to her usual blunt self, warning him not to tell a soul about this.

He asks, even though he knows it really can’t be true, totally, he’s just checking — she doesn’t like him, right? In her usual cranky tone, she declares no, and he backs off — he was just making sure!

When Jong-seok walks by, the two panic and she ducks for cover behind a shrub while he lies that he was just out for a walk, uh huh, yup!

Jin-hee and Kye-sang drop by her new workplace after hours, where she finds her new desk. She admits that she’s scared, and that today’s reminders of how much she doesn’t know has shaken her confidence — she used to think her fortitude would carry her through, but what if she was believing in the wrong thing?

Kye-sang tells her not to be afraid — not knowing is what makes life interesting, compared to life deciding everything from the start. He makes her promise to share whatever fruit the plant eventually bears and wishes her well.

Jin-hee smiles up at him, comforted, and thinks about the meaning of failed love — after it’s done, does it just disappear, leaving nothing behind? But in this moment, she’s glad to have liked Kye-sang — liking such a warm and lovely person leaves her with no regrets.

The next day, Jin-hee reports for her first day at the advertising company and sits down at the desk bearing her initials… which turns out not to be her desk after all. Oops.

Unfazed, she hurries to the intern meeting room and bursts in, announcing herself buoyantly.

EPISODE 121 WEECAP

To Ha-sun’s great dismay, Ji-won still wants to go to Rwanda. Ha-sun says fiercely that she won’t let her go and while Ji-won has a stubborn personality, she isn’t unaffected by the pleas, feeling bad to see Ha-sun so emotional.

Jong-seok “accidentally” drops his test in front of Ji-won to show off his perfect score and basks in her praise. Ji-won says she envies Jong-seok, because everyone roots for him, whereas everyone opposes her wishes.

Jong-seok thinks she’s referring to not really wanting to go to medical school, though he assumes she’s still going to Myungin University (her first choice, his ultimate goal). He tells her to pursue what she wants, because you only live once.

Lee Juck, meanwhile, is in a rut. His life consists of work and “cold blind dates with cold women,” and now he finds himself missing “her.” We finally get a clear answer as to who that is, because he drops by the clinic asking for Jin-hee, but hears that she quit.

Soo-jung runs into him nearby and asks for a ride, and he obliges. There’s a tiny bit of a misdirect planted in the scene that perhaps the “her” is Soo-jung after all, but it’s a fleeting moment.

Ji-sun deflects calls from a persistent caller, hiding it from Julien. Finally a call sends her hurrying away, canceling their dinner date, and Yoon Gun advises Julien to worry — she’s acting like a woman who’s got a man on the side.

Turns out his spidey sense is right on, because Ji-sun reluctantly meets with her ex (Park Sung-kwang), who asks her to take him back. He’s married, but he says he’s technically single since they haven’t filed the paperwork.

Ji-sun rejects him flat, so he changes tack and asks to borrow money, at which point Julien arrives to put him in his place, and here the height difference actually works as a funny sight gag. The ex has a quirky way of speaking (“Start over. Let’s. The two of us”) that Julien unconsciously mimics (“You’ll get hit. Hard. If you come back”), and then he ushers his girlfriend away.

Ji-sun apologizes, wanting to take care of it without worrying Julien, but he tells her he doesn’t need explanations because he trusts her. Aw, the relationship’s a little random but they’re cute enough.

Ha-sun and Ji-seok go to Kye-sang to ask him to help dissuade Ji-won from going to Rwanda. Jong-seok overhears the conversation and immediately puts the pieces together, and it angers him — so she’s following her crush to another country?

He confronts her later that night, and it seems to me that his reaction stems from feeling like she’s shut down his own dream, since she was the catalyst for his college goals. He asks while fighting tears, “Why tell me to go to college if you’re not even going to go?” Ji-won starts to say that Kye-sang isn’t the whole reason for Rwanda, just like she’s not his entire reason for wanting college. He cuts her off: “Do whatever you want.”

That night Ha-sun breaks down and cries to Ji-won that she lives in daily fear that she’ll pick up and leave at any moment. Furthermore, she’s sorry for not knowing Ji-won was lonely, or seeing past her smiling facade.

Kye-sang calls Ji-won to talk and reminds her about something she’d said — that they were there for each other in their times of difficulty. He says it’s true, but he doesn’t know what that means, or what he feels about it, and it’s something he’ll think about. So he hopes she won’t rush either, because she’s young and has time.

Ji-won understands that he’s yet another person telling her not to Rwanda, and says it feels like she’s caught an infectious disease, spreading unhappiness to those she cares about most: Ha-sun, Jong-seok, and Kye-sang. She starts to cry, saying that she’s just trying to follow her heart for once — why won’t it work?

Lee Juck buys musical tickets and tries calling Jin-hee, but finds her number has changed. He goes to the house to see her in person, and finds that she’s moved. Soo-jung happens to be there, so he invites her to the musical, and she’s happy to accept.

But on the day of the show, she cancels at the last minute because an urgent matter has popped up. It’s sort of a white lie, and it would be annoying if not for the fact that her “important matter” is to make Seung-yoon ramyun. So cute. You know what they say about actions speaking louder than words… (even though her words are pretty loud as she complains about how annoying he is, even as she chooses him over a free show).

With minutes till showtime Lee Juck tries to return the tickets, just as another patron is being turned away from the sold-out show: Jin-hee.

They chat while waiting for the curtain to fall, and he admits that he actually bought the tickets for her. When she describes her awesome new job, he says he envies her, because he has no joy for his tiresome work.

But today plants an idea in his head, and after he goes home, he starts writing a novel — the novel that the show uses as its framework — about coming out of the depressing, long tunnel in his thirties, of which Jin-hee shines as the light at the end.

Ji-won decides not to go to Rwanda, to Ha-sun’s relief. But there’s more bad news around the bend, because Ha-sun receives word that her mother’s surgery didn’t go so well after all.

EPISODE 122 WEECAP

This means another trip to the States, and Ha-sun plans a two-week visit to take care of Mom. She makes preparations, while everyone assures her not to worry because they’ll take care of the home front.

Kye-sang packs up his office and readies his departure, just as war breaks out again in Rwanda. The family urges him not to go, Yoo-sun in particular worried about his safety, and Kye-sang comes up with a lot fo resistance despite assuring them that he’d stay safe. Finally he relents, agreeing to redirect his volunteer efforts to rural Korea.

He runs into Ji-won in the tunnel, both of them in the same boat now that their Rwanda plans have fallen by the wayside. They reminisce about meeting in this tunnel, which has changed a lot over time and holds a lot of memories.

Kye-sang sees the band-aid stuck on the wall, which she explains was hers from the time she fell and he helped bandage her up. She’d wanted to leave a marker that she was here. He wants to see what she’d written underneath it, but she stops him, saying it’s silly and meaningless.

Ha-sun wants a last date before her trip, so she and Ji-seok go whole hog and spend a full day out doing coupley things and memorizing each other’s faces. Ji-seok looks forward to the things they can do when she’s back like cherry blossom viewing in April and going to the opening baseball game, which is much more exciting than the exhibition game tonight.

Ha-sun gets a call from Dad during dinner, and she doesn’t betray any emotion over the news but it’s clear something’s wrong, and she suddenly decides she wants to see that exhibition after all. She insists they go, and they sit there like old times; it’s a fitting activity, since baseball is how they bonded in the first place. Aw, she’s not going to come back, is she?

They take a leisurely walk afterward, and Ha-sun pauses to take in the moment. He tells her he’s so happy that sometimes he thinks he’s dreaming, which makes him afraid that if it really were a dream, he’d be crushed. She gives him a sudden kiss.

You almost want Ji-seok to clue in to her behavior — he talks about doing things later, while she insists on doing them now — but you also want their last date to end happily.

Ji-won comes upon Kye-sang outside, who sits in contemplative silence after having drinks with a friend. He asks her to play him a song, and she sings as we get a montage of all their moments throughout the series. I’m not getting a romantic vibe from him, but more of a rueful sympathy for their similar situations — feeling lonely, wanting to do something, having loved ones oppose your plans.

But Kye-sang’s moodiness also comes from knowing he’s going to hurt his family anyway, in particular his sister, because he wakes Yoo-sun on the morning of his departure to tell her he’s actually going to Rwanda, not the countryside. She protests, but he tells her he has to go, and assures her he’ll be safe.

He doesn’t want big goodbyes or grand send-offs, so he’s written everyone a letter. Yoo-sun tearfully sends him off, and Kye-sang thanks noona for being his biggest support. They say their emotional goodbyes, waving at each other through tears.

Another sad goodbye comes for Ha-sun, who is sent off by Ji-seok. She has a hard time keeping her smiling face on, and as suspected, it turns out she’s not coming back right away. Her mother’s health is pretty bad, and recovery will be slow, so she’s moving to the States indefinitely.

Ji-won finds a box outside her door, which contains a camera just like the one she’d told Kye-sang her father once bought her, which was lost. Kye-sang explains seeing it in a camera shop, and since it’s engraved with the same initials as Ji-won’s camera, he’d bought it thinking it might be hers.

A flashback shows us the night before, when Kye-sang had left her the gift and then headed to the tunnel, where he’d written what she’d written underneath the band-aid. With a smile, he sees the words:

Ji-won & Kye-sang, 2011.10.31

Ji-won takes photos with the new (old) camera, and when flipping through the developed photographs, she finds one she hadn’t taken. It’s Kye-sang in the mirror, snapped accidentally while packing the camera for her. She pins that picture up on her board.

EPISODE 123 WEECAP

As we suspected, Ha-sun doesn’t come back, and it leaves Ji-seok withdrawn and morose. She calls occasionally, always apologetic, but for now she has no plans to return yet.

Nae-sang upgrades his business to Ahn’s World, and buys an expensive bottle of champagne along with new equipment. Yoo-sun chides him for the expense, but he says it’ll be opened later, once he’s found success. It’ll be motivation for him to work hard to merit opening it.

However, the kids get into yet another petty fight, and Soo-jung shoves Jong-seok, who knocks over the bottle, breaking it. Eeep! Seung-yoon suggests transferring the label to a new bottle; even though they’ll be outed the second anyone takes a taste, at least that’ll spare them punishment for now.

It takes Dad a while to get work, but he comes home ecstatic when he gets his first gig. The kids tense when the champagne is mentioned, but Nae-sang says that no, the champagne will be for a big success later down the line. Instead, he suggests a fireworks party to celebrate.

Jong-seok has decided to intensify his college prep by moving into a live-in dorm-academy situation. Basically he’ll be studying full-time for the entrance exams; he tells Ji-won he’s going to make a real proper go of it, and make it to Myungin. She asks for a handshake, and he obliges.

I do think Ji-won’s envious that Jong-seok is whole-hearted about his studies, because it’s something she lacks. When she drops in ranking from second to fourth and her “rival” crows about crushing her, Soo-jung asks if she’s bummed about it, but she says she doesn’t care. Being good at something and liking it are different. Soo-jung figures that means she likes something other than studying, and encourages, “Do it. Whatever that is.”

The Ahn family climbs the hill and begins their lights show. As they shoot fireworks into the air, Jong-seok thinks to himself:

Jong-seok: “Will Dad succeed enough to open that bottle of champagne? Thinking about it, I don’t think Soo-jung or I will be scolded over it after all. It’ll stay there until Dad succeeds, and when we finally open it, Dad will have succeeded enough that it won’t matter whether it’s fake. The dreams we have may end up being illusions, just like that champagne. Maybe they won’t be anything special in reality, or maybe they’ll be unattainable in the end. Maybe to me, Kim Ji-won and Myungin University will turn out to be illusions too. But because we have those illusions, we run.”

Two months into Ha-sun’s departure, Ji-seok is still quite and glum. He narrates for us how life has dulled, how time creeps by slowly, how his memories of her are only getting sharper. He misses her like crazy and comes to the unmistakable conclusion that he can’t live without her.

And so, he decides he’ll go see her — and that it doesn’t matter what happens, because it’ll be better than things are now. With resolve he starts to run home, ready to act on his decision — and she’s there, waiting for him.

Ha-sun apologizes for coming so late, and they they stand there, just taking each other in.

Ji-won gets a postcard in the mail from Rwanda, which starts out with the simple question, “How are you?” She starts writing a reply in class as the teacher makes another comment about the rankings that everybody but her cares about. It prompts a decision of her own and walks out of class with a bow and a smile, saying, “Bye, everyone.”

Soo-jung follows her out to ask if she’s heading to do that thing she wants to do. Ji-won nods, and Soo-jung doesn’t prod for details — she just raises a fist and wishes her luck.

As Ji-won leaves, we hear her reply to Kye-sang, in voiceover:

Ji-won: “Ajusshi, I haven’t been fine. But I’m going to try, from now. So I’ve decided to end this tiresome schoolroom life — look forward to what I do in the future.”

At this point, Future Lee Juck cuts back in, telling us that this is where his novel ends — well, minus the epilogue, which was purely his imagination having fun. And we can see that yes, Jin-hee is in fact his wife.

As for the epilogue?

Seung-yoon becomes president, fulfilling his dream. Soo-jung is his interpreter, who translates his interview with the New York Times reporter who congratulates him for his successful welfare programs. But he’s still prone to saying oddball things, so Soo-jung leans in to mutter, “Stupid!”

The end.

COMMENTS

Annnnnd it’s over. And nobody died! Thank heavens for that; I think the PD would’ve had to worry for his safety if he’d ended this series like he did Season 2.

More than the lack of death, though, I appreciate that despite leaving open a number of threads, that openness is true to the spirit of the show. It’s not a last-minute switcheroo, deciding to leave questions unanswered for the heck of it; rather, it treats the characters as real people, heading off into the unknown after having grown, matured, and found themselves over the course of the show.

Perhaps they haven’t “found” themselves entirely — inasmuch as a person can ever complete that process of self-actualization — but if we map the arcs of the characters over the past year I think they’ve come a remarkable way, and with this finale most of them (all?) have taken that big step into the next phase of their lives.

To wit: Nae-sang and Yoo-sun have weathered their share of bumps, but he’s managed to find his feet again and the future seems promising for Ahn’s World. Perhaps this second go at running his own business is even a bigger achievement than the first time around, because this time he started off literally with nothing — bankrupt, running from creditors, hiding from the public in general, thrown into jail. You don’t get more rock bottom than that. He hasn’t been the most thoughtful husband (he was downright frustrating at times), but I think the marriage has come out of these tribulations stronger, as has the Ahn family as a unit. When things were going well before this series began, they were a happy family, but it’s after everything has shaken them up that they see exactly what they mean to each other. That marathon-running episode? Still brings tears to my eyes, just thinking about it.

On the romance front, Ji-seok and Ha-sun have confirmed their love for each other in a really devoted way that makes me feel that their relationship is rock-solid. Theirs is one of my favorite relationships in the show, because you feel their bond; you know these two are on the same page, and in it for the long haul. It would have been nice to get that happily tied storyline with a wedding or engagement, but it’s meaningful enough to have Ji-seok go through the separation and come out of it more convinced than ever that he wants and needs Ha-sun with him.

Jin-hee has come a really long way, from being homeless and broke to getting that dream job and finding stability, with the promise of a successful love to sweeten the bitterness of the failed one — even though it’s a really lovely point she made about not regretting that failure, because it was a love worth harboring.

Lee Juck turned out to be a more enjoyable character than he started out as, and I appreciate that there’s more to his relationship with Jin-hee than a mere process of elimination, where she’s the last woman standing and therefore his future wife. He has a character arc to go with hers, and they dovetail in a nice way; he’s the opposite of a lot of our characters in that he’s already established and successful in the eyes of the world, but he’s unhappy and disheartened until he finds a new passion, spurred by Jin-hee’s enthusiasm for her work.

I was okay with Kye-sang leaving to help people in the way he feels he’s most suited, even though I can’t help feel but his character wasn’t developed as much as it could have, or should have, been. He’s so capable of doing humor and heart and being engaging, but for a really long while the drama kept him more as this paragon than a person — he was the object of Jin-hee and Ji-won’s affections, but we couldn’t really see him. Not much. Not nearly enough.

Jong-seok discovered he has a future after all, and that hard work really does pay off, even if you think you’re all but out of the game. And Ji-won found a way to step outside her own rut, that cycle of achieving for the sake of doing it, not because it means anything to her.

Because it must be said, though, I think Ji-won’s character is one of the show’s less successful developments, even though at the outset she was one of my favorites; I liked that she was frank and self-possessed. She also made connections with Kye-sang and Jong-seok in subtly touching ways, which made me eager to see how she progressed.

But she became a big hindrance for me, and I think she was the hindrance for a lot of viewers. It’s not that I don’t buy a romance with Kye-sang (though I don’t), and it’s not an age issue; some of High Kick’s most successful and heartwarming pairings have subverted expectations with age (see: Jung Il-woo, Seo Min-jung). The problem, I think, is that she’s not an accessible character. I’ve seen articles discussing the failure of viewers to connect with her because she remains an enigma — whereas someone like Jin-hee, despite being more of a “loser” figure, makes you feel for her because her reactions and tribulations are universal. Her fear of failure, her desperate need to pull herself up by her bootstraps, her burden of providing for others — I rooted for her to make it, and feel proud when she does.

Ji-won, on the other hand, is so self-contained and inexpressive that it’s hard to know what she’s really thinking, or how she really feels. This is true for more than just the Rwanda situation, but that’s a prime example of the problem — it feels like a borrowed dream, and therefore I don’t believe that it’s really “what I want to do.” That’s a shame, because I really did love Soo-jung’s moment of encouragement, and the gesture of Ji-won deciding that this school stuff isn’t really for her…. except that school tends to be something you do whether you “like” it or not.

When she walks out of class, it makes me think she’s being foolish, because even if she discovers another dream, I’m not going to believe that a high school diploma somehow gets in the way of that. It strikes me as an immature move, and I want to tell her, “So you don’t enjoy school? Do you think everybody else does? Suck it up and get a diploma, then indulge your first-world angst. Not everybody gets to only do what they like to do. Boo hoo, princess.”

That’s a harsh version of my point, but I make it because the show didn’t establish an alternate explanation for her behavior. Maybe she could have decided against medical school in favor of volunteerism, for instance — just not school as an entity, because that just doesn’t work with the forced parallel of What I Want versus What Everyone Wants For Me. The show needed a better trade-off for that argument. I don’t hate her, just find her to be a frustrating cipher.

You could posit that the same borrowed-dream argument also goes for Jong-seok, and there are parallels, as she points out. But there are key differences, in that the show should have delineated her desires better so we didn’t see them as an extension of her crush. I don’t actually think she wanted to go to Rwanda because of Kye-sang, but the show doesn’t really explain her newfound desire to do public service, so we’re left wondering.

I know she isn’t saying public work is her new endgame; she’s just trying to follow her heart. But why is this the thing? Show us, don’t just gloss it over and think we won’t care. I probably would have been more accepting of her change if Kye-sang spurred her into volunteer work, and after much reflection she decided she was needed somewhere, in a place where she could make use of her unique talents. Someplace other than Rwanda. At least in that scenario, I could see her carving out her own dream.

Ultimately the problem of Ji-won is that you could never see her heart — and in a drama that’s all heart, that blankness sticks out.

Jong-seok, on the other hand, remained a favorite of mine, and his trajectory is really heartwarming. Even though he doesn’t end up with the girl he wants, I loved that hint of bittersweetness to his musing, about needing that dream to fuel him. He (and the show) did a better job with his studying storyline, separating what was inspired by his crush and what was his own desire. In the end I’m actually relieved he didn’t “get” the girl, because I liked him so much better than her, and I want more for his future. He’s working so hard, and putting everything out there to change his life for the better that the sky’s the limit.

The Ahn-Yoon family, of course, was one of the major highlights, joined by the acquired family next door. I love the juxtaposition of these two types of families — the kind who take you in when you’re down because they love you and they’re flesh and blood, and the kind who step up despite a lack of connections to become that love and support. The show doesn’t argue one as better than the other, but often drew parallel storylines between both, which I appreciated.

It’s true that some cast members didn’t get as much of the narrative spotlight, but I think I’m okay with that. Soo-jung is better in small doses, and it’s a pleasant surprise that she ended up being so much more likable than she was for the entire first half. Maybe more. I don’t know if it’s because she started getting more storylines, or maybe we just grew attached, the way people do.

Seung-yoon didn’t have a lot of growth, per se, but he absolutely pulled his weight by being reliably funny, keeping the tone quirky and amusing with his unpredictable reactions to things and absurd beliefs. And even though he remains the same lovable weirdo for much of the show, he’s forms bonds and spurs change with other characters — like his cute puppy-master relationship with Yoo-sun, or his budding (?) relationship with Soo-jung.

High Kick 3 was neither hugely funny nor hugely dramatic, so sometimes it’s easy to forget it’s technically a sitcom. It approached life in a matter-of-fact, amusing way and told the story of people who grew on us, feeling like people we know and argue with and ultimately love. It’s slice of life, in the best of ways.

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The end! It's here! What a sad and happy goodbye.Thanks High Kick 3 for all the laughs for the past 6 months. Cheers!

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Thank goodness someone felt the same way about Jiwon's story conclusion. It drove me batty. Bc if her "heart" and end goal was volunteerism, wouldn't it make more sense to at least finish like the last 6 months of high school, go to college, and then pursue her dream of volunteer activism? Realistically, as a college graduate (or even a med school graduate as her fake goal was) would be much more useful and helpful in saving the world then a high school dropout.

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I totally agree with this. When she walked out of school in that last episode, I was like NOOO. TURN BACK. HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS ARE USEFUL.

Like you've said, we didn't get to see much into Jiwon's heart, so I couldn't help but think that she was going there cause of Kyesang (even though I know she's probably wiser than that) and it made me like her a lot less than I did in the beginning. Which is a shame, because I usually like independent-minded smart female characters.

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"NOOO. TURN BACK. HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS ARE USEFUL."

Haha, lol. They are kinda useful.

Farewell, High Kick 3. Thou art missed.

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No one will ever get to read this comment (hopefully when someone feels nostalgic enough to read the recaps) so I'm willing to write Ji won's ending in my perspective. Ji Won wasn't expressive from the beginning probably because that's just how she is, especially after growing up with no parental figure. Sure, she lived with someone, but to her Ha Sun was probably more of a public figure. She always disregarded Ha Sun whenever Ha Sun told her to not take the scooter. I see her ending as: let her make her own mistakes in life. She's tougher than she looks and will find her path. There was that assurance, at least for me that she'll be fine in whatever comes her way.

And, I'm discussing this too much (and talking to myself), but yes I very much agree with Kye Sang's character. He became the dependable, reliable, character, that everyone pretty much took granted for. Ah, but in that sense, I guess he was everyone's angel, counselor. ok, that ends my (probably incoherent) thinking corner

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I saw your comment, lol :)

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Oh wow, that actually does change perspective to Jiwon. Throughout the series, I really don't remember Jiwon getting in trouble because of her own doing. She does look like she never had much of a failure in her own decisions, though no surprise there since I don't really remember her deciding much for her life (she does the things that is expected of her). Maybe she will encounter obstacles that can make her see her short comings or that will let her realize she made a bad decision, but this would also help her become more mature. She's clever, and that would definitely help her device a better plan for her future after overcoming problems.

Her ending perspective came out more like she's very confident that everything will be great for her just because she's trying to follow what she really wanted that it turned out that she's not very relatable at all. Maybe if they made her more nervous or in doubt but still confident and would still stick to her decisions, I guess I would see a bit of your perspective as well and helped me understand her more. :D

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Being a graduate is not all its cracked up to be. I don't know if you can get your diploma or an equivalent in Korea later on in life but it seems like it'd be a piece of cake for her anyways. I guess in the end we are supposed to feel like she is just as unaware of where to find her happiness as we are.

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I completely agree with you. I understand that school isn't fun. It's not fun for most people. But in the real world, you need to get your diploma and go to college if you want to get anywhere. I think she should've done what she wanted to do at least after she graduated college. Disappointing ending for Jiwon; she was being very foolish. For the other characters, I liked their endings - pretty satisfying :)

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I don't want it to end!

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Can't believe it's over! I had sentimental tears in my eyes during that ending sequence of flashbacks from the entire series. We really went through a lot of funny and touching moments with these characters. I'm going to miss this show, and this huge and unique family.

I thought I would be disappointed with an open ending to the Jong-seok/Ji-won/Kye-sang triangle, but it works for me. I think the way things had been going with these three characters it feels more organic with the three of them separately following their dreams, having grown because of their interactions. If she had ended up with one of them, it would have felt like a forced too-neat ending. And I agree that while I really liked Ji-won in the beginning, she's gotten progressively harder to understand and more frustrating. She still has a lot of growing to do if she thinks dropping out of school and running off to follow someone else's dream is the right thing to do. It doesn't bother me too much, but it is the most unfinished of the character arcs.

I was a little disappointed at how underused Yoon Kye-sang was in HK3. He had his moments, but he could have been such a great character and it's a shame the writers didn't give him more depth. I would have loved more moments like his goodbye with Yoo-sun, which brought me to tears. I remember the scene earlier in the drama where they were sitting on the swing, talking about their childhoods. I would have liked to see more of who he was, and what he was thinking and feeling, instead of his annoying jokester personality, which I think I only put up with because it was YKS.

Still, despite my minor gripes, I loved this show and I loved the finale. I like the hints of romance between Soo-jung and Seung-yoon; Jong-seok's little voiceover about dreams and how they keep you going, despite the uncertainty of the future; the Ahn family's little fireworks party, which reminded me of the earlier kite-flying one; and that moment when Ji-seok and Ha-sun were reunited was just lovely. The way they just gazed at each other. *sighs* I thought I would be pissed if they didn't show a wedding, but as you said, javabeans, their devotion to each other is palpable and unshakeable, and we don't need a wedding to confirm that.

Thank you so much javabeans and gummimochi, for your wonderful and tireless recaps! It made watching the show so much more enjoyable, not to mention I don't think I ever would have picked up a 120-episode daily drama if it hadn't been for javabeans' posts about it. I loved reading your insightful and funny comments.

If you weecap another sitcom, I will be reading and cheering you on! :)

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Ji-Won. I am so disapointed in the writer(s). I liked her so much at the beginning of the series, right until and end and she turned all mopey and serious. I thought she had more spunk her. It's like I could see myself in her, and yet why did she just skip fucking school? Hello, in this generation, you need some form of post-secondary education. And I totally don't buy the whole volunteer activism thing. She's always been so secluded, I just don't see her being able to connect with other very well. Honestly, i thought her ultimate goal would have been to become a photographer.
And Jong-Seok and her were one of my favorite couples - until the end. I actually thought they were well suited for one another. For a supposedly smart girl, she didn't understand that the sweetest, most caring guy, was right there with her the entire time. For her character to grow, the writers had to have shown her opening her heart, which she never truly did. And while I love the actress, i say: DAMN YOU WRITERS!

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They were my favourite couple too! I was so disappointed.

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I like to think that in the end Ji-Won did chose photography. At least in my interpretation of the ending. It still does not explain why she couldn't finish school.

I was wondering what Gye Sang said to his noona, the night he left, to calm her and convince her he needs to go to Rwanda. I felt like he told her something that the audience was left out of. Perhaps his budding feelings for Ji-Won? That is probably just my inner shipper talking.

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Totally agreed! I've just finished this and seriously i feel the same way. I love Jiwon and Jongseok too much till the end of the drama..... omg this is 2016......... 4 years have passed

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Javabeans, I don't think you were harsh at all concerning Jiwon's ultimate deicsion. I agree with your point concerning Jiwon and her rather stupid decision to quit high school. No one likes High school, but you do it anyway because without it, your future is severely limited. She has what, 1 yr left of high school? What is she going to discover about herself in that one yr that is so precious and important that she needs to do it right now?

The writer kind of ruined the character for me in the last several episodes. It took a rational, mature high schooler and made her more immature, more unreasonable than the other immature HS students (like soojung) that jiwon was held up against as a contrast.

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It's already/finally over... looking back, I realize how much I've grown to like Jin-hee and Jong-seok. I agree with the problems with Ji-won's story... I could see what they were trying to convey but I could just never feel a connection with her. I also noticed how certain relationships, like Ji-seok/Kye-sang and Soo-jung/Ji-won, were never really explored in this season. Of course, it's bc of the limitations of time and risk of laying out too many stories. But I thought it would be interesting to see some Ji-seok and Kye-sang bromance... maybe that would've allowed us to see another side of Kye-sang. Oh well. I'm pretty content w/ the ending. We've definitely come a long way. Bye bye, High Kick 3. It's been a nice journey!

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Thank you so much for your re-cap. I really enjoy the show. I always wonder how they would end up the story, and now I know and I love it.

I love every characters and love the way they progressed esp Jongsuk, Soojung-Seung-yoon, and Hasun-Jiseok. I think Jiwon's decision was kinda immature. All in all, I somehow wish they would produce another HK4. haha

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phew! It's finally over. The ride was bumpy, but overall it was fun.

I followed your recaps without watching a single episode, (the only one I watched was a short clip of Ji Seok and Ha Sun's date - just to hear Yonghwa's Banmal Song being played in a drama...kekeke...)

Therefore, thanks a lot for all your hard work! ^.^

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Man, Ji won was one of my favorite characters in the beginning. But I agree with everyone on their opinions! How can you suddenly decide that I've never been happy every time I smiled was fake, I felt for Ha sun who felt that they were close. She became so secluded and different her carefree, scooter riding persona gone... Hers and Kye-sangs characters where my least favorite, I enjoyed Soojung more

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Thanks javabeans and gummimochi for recapping this 123-episode series week after week for months! And thank goodness, we made it through without anyone dying!

It's so sad to say goodbye to characters we've spent months with and whose everyday matters we've become so invested in. I'm going to miss Jin-hee, Ha-sun, Ji-seok, Seung-yoon, and the Ahns the most. I'm going to miss all the humor that Kye-sang has brought to the show- though I agree with you that his character isn't really that fleshed out.

I felt the same way about Ji-won, too! Her ending made me go WTF! I could understand taking a year off from high school to do volunteer work, but it really looks like she has quit school altogether. It's not like she's some sort of rare child genius who can get by without a high school diploma. I wish they had let her graduate and skip college instead. Despite her claims otherwise, I still believe that subconsciously, she wanted to go to Rwanda because of her feelings for Kye-sang. Interestingly, for both Kim Ji-Won's characters in HK3 and What's Up- I liked them in the beginning and then became annoyed with them by the end.

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NOOO! I guess Jongseok-Jiwon were not meant to be. :(

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*Sniffle
It's over! Ack. I miss it already. But besides that I thoroughly enjoyed it. This show was so heartwarming I'm sad to say goodbye. Too bad it's too long to re-watch. Well, maybe over summer I'm sit down on my couch and not leave until a few weeks of marathoning is over...

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I also struggled with Ji-Won's decision at the end to WALK. OUT. OF. HIGH. SCHOOL. It struck me as foolish and naive, yet at the same time, it does make me question my own prejudices about happiness. As a college graduate, I would push for everyone I care about to go to university. I consider it an obligation, a baseline that you have to meet. In that same way, most of us who disagree with Ji Won's decision also see high school as a baseline.

However, when I consider that there are people around me who consider graduate school, medical school, you-name-it an obligation, a baseline that I personally have to meet, I question how long someone is supposed to go with society's expectations before they are allowed to step off that path and not be considered irresponsible.

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I have not watched a single episode of High Kick3, but I've able to enjoy this show through your weekly recaps. So a big thank-you to you and to gummimochi.

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“You’ll get hit. Hard. If you come back”

Ok. That line really made me bust a gut. I don't know why, but it's just funny how he said it, mimicking the ex. XD

I think, even though some love lines didn't work out, the one that I rooted for the most came out intact and whole. How could I not love Ji-seok after pining over Ha-sun and being her rock without her realizing it? I'm glad they're together and alive, and that's good enough for me.

Thanks jb for staying in there for the long hall. *passes you some Senzu Beans* X)

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LOVED THIS SERIES!

i totally agree with you about jiwon. i had a total "what the flip?" moment, reading through this recap about ji won. like, seriously? urgh. hate it for the explanation you gave. i ended up not liking her character, which is unfortunate because she was one of my faves.

i loved the families in this series.

fare thee well, high kick 3. ^^

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Nooo. It ended. Without my favourite two people being together. JIWON YOU INSANE. As much as I hate school, I know I HAVE to go through it no matter what if not my future is ruined.
Still, I hope that one day they'll act together in a drama/sitcom again. They're just so cute together! I love Jongseok and Jiwon, but damn those scriptwriters. Jongseok obviously changed a lot throughout the series, but I wished Jiwon would change to become someone who is more open and friendly. Since she's so smart, why can't she see that the one that's always there caring for her, the one that waited for her in the cold, the one that's taking her seriously, is the one that she's tutoring all along? ARGH.
Nonetheless, I loved this series. Though I only watched til about episode 50 (and watched 65 for Taemin), this recap helped me a lot. Thank you javabeans and gummimochi for recaping 123 episodes for us! Your efforts are much appreciated(:
Wondering if you'll sub the upcoming HanaKimi drama with Minho (SHINee) and Sulli (fx) tentatively set to air around Summer? ^^ I'll be happy if you would~
Once again, thanks for the weekly recaps!

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wow, we're in the end eventually.. Thank you so much javabeans for your recap and wonderful thoughts, also thanks to gummimochi.

truthfully I just watch one episode of this sitcom, but I'm a committed reader of your recaps. Somehow you can make a show looks better. So when I have sparetime I'll absolutely gonna watch this show.

If you have a plan to recap another sitcom I'll be here to support you! Standby perhaps? haha

p.s your songs choice for this recaps is great javabeans, I've downloaded many of it.

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All of your concluding thoughts were spot on~~

I admit I've been falling behind on watching High Kick, but reading the finale recap makes me feel really sad that it's over. It's true that you never know how great something is until it's gone... like how I heartily disliked Go Youngwook, but then cried when he heroically left, and wished he could stick around. As Holden Caulfield said, once you look back, you start missing everybody.

When I watched the first episode of High Kick 3, I thought it was pretty good/solid, but not as addicting as a good drama or as funny as a variety show. I also felt that a lot of the characters were rrrreally similar to the ones in High Kick 1. The main difference, I felt, was that High Kick 3 seemed to be revolve around romance and love lines: Jongseok/Jiwon, Jiwon/Kyesang, Jinhee/Kyesang, Jinhee/Lee Juk, Soojung/Seungyoon, Soojung/Lee Juk, Hasun/Jiseok, Hasun/Go Youngwook, etc. There were even other couplings that were hinted at. The possibilities were endless!! For some unknown reason, I continued to watch it, and it became my daily mac n' cheese show, something warm and filling. I will savor the remaining episodes. High Kick has a really good formula, and I would love to see more sitcoms like it, and a season 4. There are a lot of family dailies, but very, very, very few incorporate comedy/realism/and more "modern" influences.

Also, I loved the analogy of the bottle of champagne!! It's a fitting message for all high school students, and even college students. We have so many dreams, but those dreams may turn out to be illusions. Even though I wanted Jiwon to end up with Jongseok, this ending was really realistic and bittersweet. First loves almost always end in heartbreak.

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Thank you for your recap.I was interested enough to read it every week.

Don't know if I could have been as interested if I was actually watching it but it was a nice weekly read. Thank you very much.

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I want to thank you SO, SO much for recapping the entire series of High Kick 3! I've been a huge fan of a series and have been following your recaps religiously so it feels like I'm part of the high kick family too.

It takes dedication to recap such a long series, and I really appreciate you for that! Thank you! <3

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Never expected to be so glum over a show ending. I agree with everything in the ending thoughts 100%. I had one ponder though; I've been wondering why Ji-seok and Ha-sun never switched to banmal or sounding less formal with each other. I know their relationship was rock solid and all, it just always sounded like they were being so polite to each other all the time. I thought that changing forms of speech indicated a closer or more intimate relationship. But I know that in some cases, a couple or husband and wife never drop formal speech. I remember on Coffee Prince I kept waiting for Eun-Chan to drop her speech but she never did. Just a ponder.

Thanks so much for recapping this series. It was great.

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I would have liked to see them use banmal too, but I think once you've been talking to someone a certain way for a long time it must feel awkward to switch. Which is probably why people usually decide to drop to banmal pretty quickly if they are close in age or think they'll get along well.

I think Ha-sun and Ji-seok did try to change their way of addressing each other, but they just found it too weird.

Such a cute couple, one of my favourite drama OTPs ever. <3

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ji-won's decision is just more cowardly escapism on her part. she hasn't thought it through and she'll probably come to regret it. i was rooting for her and kye-sang for much of the show, but am glad they didn't end up together. she would have held kye-sang back so much, ditto if she'd ended up with jong-seok.

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Thanks JB. I've enjoyed this drama through your recaps.

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Ji-won was pretty much my favourite character throughout the show and personally, I always felt connected to her, always felt I understood her.

She seemed to have this underlying sadness and although she was strong and independent and didn't really worry about anything, I felt like that lack of fear was because she didn't really care about anything and so there was nothing to be afraid of.

Her decision at the end - my initial interpretation was that she wasn't really quitting school (though that may've been because I didn't get that she'd literally said 'goodbye' to her classmates) but had instead decided that she would take some time off instead of going to college but would still, you know, graduate from high school (and I still can't believe that someone as smart as Ji-won would fail to understand the importance of her diploma; so surely she did go back, if only to finish up and take her finals?).

As for Rwanda... hm, my opinion is that in the beginning it was because of Kye-sang (of course), but as she thought more about it and looked into it a bit, she realised that volunteering would be a way out, a true independence from the guilty strings of family, a time to get away from everyone who knows her and do something good for the world, a period of freedom in which she could decide what she wanted to do and who she wanted to be.

She could've gone anywhere and I'm not sure I believe she went to Rwanda in the end; I do believe she left the country for a while, though, perhaps travelling, perhaps volunteering, because her life back home seemed to be suffocating her.

Anyway, that's just my opinion; ymmv.

(and thanks Javabeans and gummimochi for recapping the show! :))

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It's such a satisfying ride. THank you Javabeans and Gummimochi for the fantastic recap and for you commitment.

Like Javabeans, it also feels that it is too short, but it feels like it has been forever. It has been a habit for me to religiously waited for new torrent uploaded by Semi-fly even though I have to guess what was happening don't understand Korean -- and then wait for Sunday for JB/gummimochi recap to come to know what was said.

I love HK3, and I am glad I dont have previous HK experience so I can really enjoy whatever given.

I have grown so fond of every characters and can feel for them. Of course sometimes I dislike their action or their choices, especially NaeSang's treatment of his wife grr...but nobody is perfect and it is great to see everybody's imperfection but still love each other nonetheless.
Really wish that everyone is doing great in their 'lives'.
I am glad that even small character like Yongwook too has a future ahead of him.

And I think I can understand Jiwon and why she quits school. Perhaps her dream work does not need any school diploma and the diploma will be useless for her. Anyway I think she has think it through. With her determination, I believe her life will be richer than ever.

I think the writer treats the characters according to their personalities. Jinhee is the bubbling drama-queen, so her story is always bubbling and full of dramas. Hasun is sweet and earnest, so her story is also very sweet. Jiwon is friendly but introvert, and her story is pleasant but does not divulge much.

Jiwon and Kyesang are friendly but actually they are emotionally scarred and emotionally inaccessible.
Watching episode 122 really makes me realize how much they have shared and how much they have overcome together -- mostly without word. What they have was like heart-to-heart wordless conversation, which really suit them. I think Kyesang look when Jiwon sang was not sympathy, but sadness that he has to leave her behind. I don't know why he does not reach out to her as partner, perhaps because he still has a dream to realize and does not want to complicate his life and her life. But I do see them together in the future. Three to four year down the road, they will be on-par.

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Amazing series. I like how they started the Ahn family in a rut and had them come out on top by the end.

Soo-Jung was my least favourite character in the beginning but her character was so lovable by the end. A great actress.

Jiwon, I agree with everything javabeans said.

Jinhee and Jongseok, respectively, were my favourite storylines. A lot of growth and struggle. Nae-Sang was hilarious.

Hope there's another one.

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Can't stand their pairing Julien with the English teacher. Found that contrived and utterly uncalled for. I watched every ep up till then, but quit the show the min. those two r hooked up.

Ji Won remains my fav char in the show. I like her being smart, friendly and so willing to help out a neighbor in need.
The loser girl remains a loser to me, a charity case until the show finally gives her a real job.
Ha Sun was dense when she was with the perpetual student getting ready for the civil service exam. Didn't like her when she could see the Phy Ed teacher who was in front of her all along.
Really like Jong Seok n his bestie. They are two funny and lovely guys.
It's over. Time to bring on a new show.

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Ji-won and Kye-sang are soulmates. We don't understand them, but they understand each other. I think Kye-sang's joking way is part of his facade, just like Ji-won's smiling way. They are both friendly, warm-hearted but scarred people. Outside people don't see through their loneliness and sadness. And they don't always need everyone to understand them, just few people, and hence not all of us understand them. There are people like that, who just think a little bit more about the world, who just seem a little more complicated. Their sadness comes from within, just part of who they are.

I think Kye-sang cares for Ji-won a great deal. He said he would think about what she means to him, but he knows that she's the one who understands him and whom he understands. His farewell to her was the sweetest. I think that was enough of a conclusion for them for now.

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I finally found someone have the same opinion. even he's 34 and her 18 years but they have a similar spirit. I was waiting for Kye sang said "something" like waiting for his answer after back Ruwanda. it's so sweet when they meet again.

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I like what you said here.... loved their moments together. They just get each other

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Jiwon is so annoying tbh I wish we had more of Soojung and less of her.

Yeah, she probably took time off school, travelled the world to ~find herself~ did an ~unpaid internship~ honestly I don't even know how she would manage the traveling part seeing as she can't really even make decisions lol. "ok, Paris. No, London! Argentina!"

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are they doing the puing puing in the last photo! Thanks for doing recaps of this show!

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The pictures... :(

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thanks for the recaps.. great series.. i totally fell for Soojung (though i have to admit she was rather annoying at the beginning).. her story with Seungyoon is my fave.. they complement each other so well.. love how she calls him stupid all the time but her actions betrays her most of the time.. action really do speaks louder than words.. wish i can see her in other shows.. she's great in acting..

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omg why did you use photobucket there a POS! now i cant see the pictures!!!!

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omfg!!!! 123 episodes and Ha-sun, Ji-seok didnt get married she left him!!!! if i was Ji-seok ide dump the bitch! this proves it the High Kick 3 director is supper shit when it comes to endings worst director EVER!!!!! i wouldnt watch any of hes crap again, i should be thankful at least know one died this time. SOOOOO DISAPPOINTED WITH THE ENDING!!! ahh well at least i got to see crystal being naughty! by crystals words " thats now how you end things STUPID!!! "

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Nope they didn't marry (yet) in the last episode. But she still went back to Ji suk at the end.

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Now that I've read these last weecaps, I am glad it is over. I loved this show, and all the characters, but I think it ended in a good place. We can never know what the future will be like, but that's what life is like. High Kick 3 did an excellent job of showing real life in a sitcom. It wasn't overly funny or overly sad. It had a lot of heart. I enjoyed it so much. I wonder....will there be a High Kick 4?

Thanks for the weecaps, Javabeans!

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I liked HK3 at the start, and then I decided to watch HK1, and ugh, somehow HK3 didn't seem nearly as good. There weren't many parts which actually touched me like HK1, like how Jiwon's backstory just seemed cliched, and Soo-jung was too annoying for me to connect to when she cried for her dad in the jail. Kye-sang's eyes felt dead to me, like he wasn't actually feeling any emotions, and Jin-hee's fantasies just got annoying after a while.

That being said, I still loved the series at the start - Lee Juck's I-Hate-Life was pretty funny, and Seung-yun never failed to make me like; Jin-hee's beginning was hilarious and pitiful and then Ha-sun + Ji-seok = damnit ADORABLE.

It probably would've been better if I waited until HK3 ended to watch HK1. I would have stopped making comparisons and just enjoyed it, since HK3 was my first seriously-watched KDrama.

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It ended :(

I was very disappointed with Jiwon.

I have to say that Unstoppable High Kick was still the best out of all high kick season.

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I agree with everything but Jiwon. I think the point for Jiwon was supposed to be exactly that. Mysterious, unable to understand her. What we're supposed to understand is that, especially within Korean culture, she doesn't want to live her life the way everyone else expects everyone else to live. It's a feeling of entrapment she wants to escape out of. The way some people think she didn't think it through just doesn't make sense; I think it's the opposite. And leaving school doesn't mean she can never go back again.

Just think about it. We all live the way we're "supposed" to live, and that "supposedness" is determined by others who don't care about individual beings. She sees Jong-seok doing what he REALLY wants to do, he sees Kye-sang doing what he REALLY wants to do. She doesn't want her life to be determined by the world, especially when the world has made her feel lonely.

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I really liked Jiwon. I feel like her feelings were not only a mystery to the audience, but also muted and hidden from herself as a self-defense. She's not one to rely strongly on emotions. She goes by instinct, and self-preservation. She's still got a lot of growing up to do, but I like her character as is in this series.
Jongseok was my fav. character overall. So much emotion from that boy. :)

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"Duet" by Rachel Yamsgata (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EO0w9i5wmA) is playing in background when Jiseok and Hasun reunite.

Same song was also played when Sekyung / Jihun were on their way to the airport.

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To echo the thoughts of some folks here, if it weren't for your weecaps and positive comments, I would never have picked up and committed to watching a 120-episode sitcom.
Your weecaps helped me understand the show better since I was watching with unfinished subtitles and your comments definitely enhanced my viewing experience. So thanks a bunch to javabeans and gummimochi for taking on and finishing the HK3 project!

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i havenot seen the ending since dramafever hasnt uploaded the whole series. But, just by reading your post makes me teary eyed already... :(
im gonna be sad once this series is over

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Quite a few people seemed to misunderstand the recap wrote. He wasn't annoyed that Ji-Won abruptly dropped school; he was just annoyed that her character was seemingly enigmatic and incomplete.

I see it from a different perspective. She is in fact THE brilliant stroke of characters. Vulnerable, naive, ignorant, confused and idealistic. She was simply being TRUE to herself, as she knew how best.

Possibly not subscribing to our world of formulas. A COMPLETE contrast to the nun who left everything AT THE END of her life to go to the temple. She is committing herself to herself AT THE START of her adulthood.

We can't really say she's right or wise. Only Ji-Won can answer that, but given her two great losses: a father who left her involuntarily and Kye-Sang who did so voluntarily.

The greatest injustice here what Kye-Sang did to himself and to her. He liked her but was stopped from a fear of intimacy, of losing love just when he did when his mother passed. A couple of clues: he is eccentric but always yielded to her requests. He is overly concerned with propriety (age-wise) and blocked his feelings.

No one's fault, but we see that how everyone's life can be intricately interwoven, for worse or for better, with the end result chaotic, uncertain, and unpredictable.

Are we *better* people because of others? Do we bring happiness to others? There's no answer. The only answer is that we are different because of them, and they because of us. Such is life.

Ji-Won just emphasized that. Life and people are neither simple nor ordered and neat.

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Song heard at very end of episode 123 is titled "Arrival" sung by Sarah Brightman, in case anybody wants to know.

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Thanks Airtioteclint! That's a great song!

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When you see any versions of High Kick be prepared for a sad ending.

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Really enjoyed the relationship development between Ha Sun and Ji-seok; in a way, I felt as if they were the two who held the drama together. I loved every moment of the drama with them in it. I felt the chemistry and love in their relationship. It was very heart warming to watch such a beautiful relationship.

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I agree with the lack in Ji Won's story development, but still see her as one of my favorite characters. I think with her leaving high school wasn't a smart choice either, but to me it felt kind of rushed at the end. So probably if the show continued longer they probably would have her be sensible enough to graduate first. Other than that great show :)

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I watched part 2 in the last five days, and I am still traumatised by the ending. Here I am to check out Season 3's ending first. Thank goodness what I'm skimming through sounds promising. Might try this when I have the time. While I didn't feel that I've wasted 5 days of my life (amidst tons of work waiting for me actually LOL), I don't know how long I will take to recover from the worst ending in any show EVER, especially when I've come to love almost every character in HKTTR, except for Shin Se Kyung (especially after I'd read that she had some kinda F-up influence on the ending. Narcissistic POS

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