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Answer Me 1997: Episodes 3-4

I luff this show. So much. It’s rare to meet a high school drama that genuinely makes me go, Yes, that’s what it was like! This series isn’t afraid to let its characters feel every ounce of embarrassment, insecurity, and earnest joy—the honest, lovely, and sometimes ugly truth about what it’s like to be eighteen. I already loved the characters and the world, but then came the birth of the best love triangle ever. And now I just want to live here. Wake me when it’s 2012.

SONG OF THE DAY

K2 – “소유하지 않은 사랑 (A Love I Don’t Possess)” [ Download ]

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EPISODE 3: “What You See Is Not Everything”

Summer of 1997. Mom and Dad argue up a storm over Shi-won’s latest antics. Dad calls her names, Mom calls Dad names, and ’round and ’round we go. Must’ve been something bad.

We backtrack to three days earlier. Shi-won plans out her route in Seoul to get to… Tony oppa’s house. HA. She’s determined to see him this time. Now I get why Dad was livid.

She joins the small group of diehard fangirls already camped out in front of Tony’s house with various gifts, and they all jump to attention at the arrival of his little blue sports car.

He greets them nonchalantly and tells them that he’s not going to come out for a while, so they should all go home. They sigh disappointedly, but most comply. By 9 o’clock that night, they’re down to three other girls and Shi-won, who’s looking more haggard by the hour.

6 A.M. Shi-won pokes her head out of… an appliance box? Dude, you did not spend the night in a box outside oppa’s house like a homeless fangirl stalker!

She groggily wipes off her face with a wet wipe, and by 1 P.M. she’s a walking zombie, stopping for instant ramyun in a convenience store in a sleepy haze.

The longer she waits is just fuel to the fire: “I can’t go like this!” And by nightfall the second day, she’s climbing the wall. Oh. No. Does this end in jail?

She sneaks up to the front door, which happens to be cricked open for the dog to do its business, and Tony comes out to fetch his little poodle. She scares him half to death, and he just sighs, clearly immune to the crazy.

He starts to shut the door but she pleads, “I came from Busan!” Tony: “I came from America!” He slams the door.

Shi-won berates herself for scaring Oppa, and acting so stupid. Aw, she’s not even upset that he shut the door in her face?

She sits on his front stoop, crying so sorrowfully it’s adorable.

Suddenly a voice calls out, “Hey, Busan!” Yay! She whirls around and Tony oppa signs her t-shirt, telling her this is the last time, so she shouldn’t come around anymore. He asks if she has train fare to get home. D’aw.

With her head still hanging, she ekes out, “Oppa, I love you.” He laugh-sighs at her like the little girl that she is and pats her on the head as she cries.

Back to Dad, who screams that he’d like to see Shi-won love her father like she loves “that monkey,” and Mom screams right back that he went too far with Shi-won’s punishment this time. He says yelling doesn’t get through to her anymore.

We pan over to see Shi-won in the aftermath, her hair shorn off and still stifling her sobs. Aw, *hugs.*

2012 Reunion. Yoo-jung waits for confirmation on some concert tickets on her phone, and the girls sigh that being a fan doesn’t mean what it used to—not like the days when they’d have to stand in line and put in the time to see their oppas.

“A Love I Don’t Possess” plays on the stereo and Shi-won immediately identifies it as Yoon-jae’s favorite song. That takes him back, as he reminisces about the time he heard it sent to his pager as a song message, from mystery sender “1004,” aka “Angel.”

In the morning after the hair debacle, Mom and Dad have another knockdown fight over the breakfast table, when Dad discovers that they’ve run out of his mother’s kimchi. He whines like a giant baby that he can’t eat without his mother’s kimchi, going on and on about how perfect she is.

Mom snaps and takes away his food, and tells him to go live with his mother then, and ask her to breastfeed him while he’s at. HA. I love her.

Shi-won drags Yoon-jae out before he can ask what’s going on, and as soon as he sees her new hair, he sighs, “What’d you do this time?” He totally sides with her dad about her going all the way to Seoul, and she snaps at his nagging.

They catch up to Joon-hee on their walk to school, and he sweetly compliments her new hair, saying she looks like Audrey Hepburn now. Aw, it’s a lie but it’s very sweet. He asks why she’s so down and Shi-won says it’s because her parents are always fighting.

She decides she’s going to the local government office today, because someone needs to put a stop to this: “People from Kyungsangdo and Jeollado shouldn’t legally be allowed to marry!” Lol. I hardly think you need a law to reinforce generations of feuding between the regions, but it says a lot about her parents that they managed to marry anyway.

Joon-hee tsk-tsks that she probably didn’t get to eat breakfast then, and offers to buy her something before class. She points out the vast difference between I-told-you-so-Yoon-jae and caring Joon-hee. They go off arm-in-arm, leaving Yoon-jae scowling.

Sung-jae is busy that morning tending to his Tamagotchi, those little virtual pets before there was an app for that. Unsurprisingly, I always killed mine. Yoon-jae takes his bitter mood out on Sung-jae.

Joon-hee walks Shi-won to class and asks if things are still icy between her and Yoo-jung since her jumping ship to you-know-who. He tells her that Yoo-jung wants to make peace, but Shi-won still feels betrayed—not that Yoo-jung became a Sechskies fan, but that she lied to her about it.

But when she reaches the top of the stairs, Yoo-jung is standing at the end of the hallway with determination. As the music swells, she takes off her hat… to reveal an identical haircut to Shi-won’s, in solidarity. That’s. So. Cute.

Shi-won looks up in shock and Yoo-jung smiles sheepishly. They stand there grinning at each other, already made up without a word. I just love the smile on Shi-won’s face. Is there anything better than a best friend?

They linger in that perfect moment, and then Sung-jae comes through with a mop to undercut the earnestness: “Are you two shooting a commercial?” Pfft.

It turns out Sung-jae’s on cleaning duty a lot, because it’s the go-to punishment for not getting the right answers or generally misbehaving. Not a surprise.

That day the boys get a new classmate, a student who transferred from Seoul because of his army dad. Enter DO HAK-CHAN (Eun! Ji! Won!). He’s well-spoken and very polite, and introduces himself to the class.

Sung-jae makes cracks about his weird accent but then gets put on show-the-new-kid-around duty because he’s the clean-up guy today. He turns around and purposely speed-talks unintelligibly that he’ll show him around later, leaving Hak-chan confused.

The bell rings and the girls dash out of class to line up at the payphone. Shi-won calls to hear the announcement that H.O.T.’s second album will go on sale tomorrow. Time for squeals.

Yoon-jae comes by to ask if Shi-won is “Angel,” the one who sent him the song, and she scoffs that that would make her crazy. He doesn’t even give Yoo-jung a second look, even though she’s batting her IT WAS ME eyelashes at him. You dolt.

Sung-jae half-assedly shows Hak-chan around, and then leaves him standing in the middle of the hallway with his milk crate while he runs an errand. When he comes back he finds Hak-chan being hit by the principal.

Turns out Sung-jae spilled milk the whole way up the hall and then left Hak-chan standing there with the evidence, and cringes. But Hak-chan’s totally chill about it, which makes Sung-jae decide on the spot that he’s cool after all.

At lunch, Shi-won asks Joon-hee to page her early tomorrow so she can line up to get her H.O.T. album as soon as the record store opens. Yoon-jae doesn’t understand why she’d have to do that just to get an album she’s already reserved a copy of, and she spits back, “Well YOU’RE the person I least understand in the entire world!”

He’s been sipping her drink from her straw and she snatches it away angrily. Yoo-jung sweetly offers him hers, and he tellingly pops her straw out before drinking it thoughtlessly.

Sung-jae joins them with big news: the new kid’s going to give Yoon-jae a run for his money as the “king card” (best catch) in their class. He says he’s asked around and then rattles off outrageous rumor after rumor, of how Hak-chan stuck a pencil in a kid’s head for messing with him, or tossed back a drink with the principal of his last school, and how he supposedly has a porn collection AND a manga collection that anyone would kill for.

I love that in Sung-jae’s mind, Hak-chan has gone from that kid from Seoul who thinks he’s better than everyone to his new hero, all in the span of half an hour.

Shi-won finds Mom and Dad having another screamfest that night, and early the next morning she tells Joon-hee that she’s worried about them. They won’t listen to her and she’s asked Yoon-jae to say something, but he refuses to get involved. Joon-hee says that’s Yoon-jae’s charm and Shi-won scoffs at the idea that Yoon-jae has any good traits.

They get their precious copies of Volume 2: Wolf and Sheep, and walk into school sharing headphones, and talking about Yoon-jae the whole time.

Joon-hee points out that Yoon-jae likes K2, and Shi-won sighs that everything down to their musical tastes are complete and total opposites.

She rattles off a litany of weird and picky things that Yoon-jae does, from food choices to his insistence on tighty whities. Joon-hee: “There’s really nothing you don’t know about Yoon-jae.” Shi-won: “We’ve been together since the moment we were born. There hasn’t been a single day I haven’t seen him. I’m sick to death of him!”

Behind them, Yoon-jae watches them walk in together, chummy and laughing. He’s especially bitter that he’s carried her lunch all the way to school, to be greeted by that.

He storms into Shi-won’s class to drop off her lunch, setting off the rest of the girls in a flurry of mirror checks and waves. But all he cares about is asking Shi-won if it really wasn’t her—Angel, the one who sent him the song.

Urg, it’s so obviously not her, but it pains me that he wants to believe it was her badly enough that he’s asking again. She asks why on earth she’d do such a thing, and he does his trademark move, running his fingers down her face. She sticks out her tongue childishly.

The other girls ask jealously if she’s going out with Yoon-jae and Shi-won just sneers at them too, like they’re all crazy.

Yoo-jung tries on a headband to work her best Lee Seung-yeon look, and tells Shi-won she could be Kim Nam-joo in Model. I totally wanted to be her. She says she’s going to grow it instead and be Kim Hee-sun in Propose. I wanted to be her too! Yoon-jae: “You’re both ugly!” Pfft.

Today Sung-jae brings Hak-chan to the lunch table. But Hak-chan goes white in the face as soon as he sees the girls, and awkwardly tries to squeeze on the boys’ side of the table so he doesn’t have to sit near them.

He’s SO AWKWARD, I love it. What happened to smooth introduction guy? This is hilarious. He perches on the verrrry edge of the bench and Yoo-jung watches curiously, and then yanks him closer for a good look. The girls introduce themselves, and Hak-chan can’t even look at them as he mumbles his name.

Everyone’s like, what’s with this guy? Sung-jae mutters that he’s not normally like this…

Yoo-jung has to practically accost him to get a look at his face, and then immediately squeals at his long eyelashes. But the attention just makes him even more awkward, and when Shi-won puts her hand out for a shake, he closes his eyes and reaches blindly behind him like a crazy person, shaking at nothing wildly.

Shi-won narrates: “A face like a prince, charisma like fireworks, athletic skill, and even leadership ability… God gave Hak-chan everything. But to be fair, he left one thing out. Do Hak-chan, who learned of women through porn: in front of a real woman, becomes a complete and total idiot, a first-class moron.” HA.

Shi-won and Mom watch tv that night, and the news reports that the Busan Seagulls have broken their losing streak and finally won a game. Soon Dad arrives in the driveway and starts honking his horn and shouting for Mom to come down and they start yelling at each other as she heads out.

Shi-won sighs as she chats with Joon-hee online, saying that their fights are just getting worse and worse, even when he’s won a game. She goes outside to check on them after a while…

Only to open the car door on Mom and Dad gettin’ busy in the backseat like a couple of teenagers. Hahaha. That’s not fighting! Shi-won’s so shocked she can’t even look away.

Dad finally has to tell her to go inside, and she awkwardly complies, and then he closes the door: “Well we got caught anyway, might as well…”

She goes back to her computer, stunned, as Joon-hee asks if everything’s okay. He puts on his jacket to head over, and she tells him she’ll see him tomorrow. Joon-hee: “Tell me what happened…Is it a secret?”

Shi-won: “Yes, a secret, one that I’ll never tell anyone for the rest of my life.” Joon-hee: “Then I’ll tell you my secret. Tell me.” Shi-won: “Your secret won’t compare.” Joon-hee: “Mine will be stronger…” If it’s what I think it is, he totally wins.

She finally types: “I saw… my parents… doing it…” She figures her secret’s got him beat, but after a pause he types: “Truthfully… I like…” and we don’t get to see the rest. But whatever it says, Shi-won’s eyes turn to saucers.

She narrates: “Anyone’s secret tells a truth that I could not have known. And then when what I knew is no longer real… secrets have more power. How much of what I know is actually true?”

In the aftermath, Shi-won and Mom sit awkwardly on the couch trying desperately to ignore what happened and watch some tv. Dad comes in with ice cream for everyone and they sit together, all acting way too cheery, but trying to be normal.

Mom hands Shi-won an ice cream cone, and then goes to hand Dad his… as it lands smack dab in his lap, cone-side-up. HAHAHAHAHAHA. Their eyes dart back and forth in the most awesomely awkward silence, and Shi-won gets up to scootch to her room without a word. *cringe* I’m dying.

Yoon-jae stays up late that night, listening to another K2 song sent by Angel over and over again, wondering who the hell it is.

Fifteen hours earlier. Shi-won and Joon-hee get to the record store to get their H.O.T. albums. It’s Joon-hee’s turn up to the counter and the shopkeeper asks for ticket and birthdate. Joon-hee: “October 4.” OMG. Ajusshi: “1004? Angel.”

Eeeeeee! I knew his crush would be on Yoon-jae! I totally didn’t expect him to be Angel too, just because Yoo-jung had been set up to be the misdirect with her pager stalking. But how sweet that he’s the one sending Yoon-jae’s favorite songs. My heart, it already bleeds for you.

As we go over the day’s events we see the chat from Joon-hee’s side. He types: “I like… Yoon-jae…” and hesitates. He presses Enter and bites his lip. Shi-won narrates:

Shi-won: A person’s heart has countless levels. Its depth cannot be known. Its limit can’t be known. You could fight to the death, and then exchange affection as if nothing ever happened. A red-blooded male could turn into an imbecile in front of the opposite sex. Yes, the truth is uncomfortable. But if we don’t embrace that discomfort, then we must live the rest of our lives believing what’s fake to be real. Even uncomfortable truths must be embraced. What you see is not everything.

Reunion, 2012. The girls take Hak-chan’s picture to run it through the celebrity lookalike app. The result: 100% match for Eun Ji-won. Ha. Yoo-jung says she doesn’t see the resemblance, while Hak-chan throws a fit.

Joon-hee tells them to stop teasing—Hak-chan hates being told he looks like Eun Ji-won: “How old is he and he’s still a choding?” Shi-won tells the guys to take a group photo with superstar Eun Ji-won and Yoon-jae makes his way to the other side of the table.

He puts his arm around Joon-hee who remains separated from the group, so Yoon-jae pulls him close. Aw. If you two end up the couple in the end, Show, I will luff you forever. But even if it’s just an I-love-you-as-my-friend-no-matter-what, which I sincerely hope it is, I will love you just the same. *sniff*

 
EPISODE 4: “Fair Play”

SONG OF THE DAY

Sarah Vaughan – “A Lover’s Concerto” [ Download ]

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Reunion, 2012. The group argues over whom to vote for – Kim Soo-hyun or Han Seok-kyu. Ha, for the Daesang? Shi-won tells Yoon-jae to massage her back and he complies without batting an eyelash.

Yoo-jung votes for the young hottie, of course, while Shi-won argues for Han Seok-kyu and how his face ought to be on the 10,000 won bill anyway. Yoon-jae laughs as he thinks back to ’97, when Han Seok-kyu was still the topic of conversation…

Fall, 1997. Joon-hee and Shi-won watch Han Seok-kyu and Jeon Do-yeon’s movie, The Contact. Shi-won swoons over Han Seok-kyu and argues that he’s way better than that annoying Busan kid, Yoon-jae.

Joon-hee: “Do you know that everything you say ends in badmouthing Yoon-jae?” Shi-won: “Does it?”

At the same time in Seoul, Yoon-jae’s brother Tae-woong walks down the street and hears a familiar song. It’s “A Lover’s Concerto,” made popular again because of The Contact’s soundtrack. He stops at the tape vendor’s stand to ask for the album, as he flashes back to a young girl he tutored back in 1991 (played by Standby’s Kim Ye-won).

She was madly in love with him, wanting everything that he ever touched: his pencil, his lip balm, the sweater off his back, or the cushion under his ass. Everything was: “Oppa give me that!” She made it into college with his help and that day asked for his lips, surprising him with a kiss.

Back to 1997. Shi-won comes home late to join Yoon-jae and her parents at the kitchen table. They wonder where she went and she says she went to see The Contact. Annoyed, Yoon-jae reminds her they were supposed to see that together this weekend. It totally slipped her mind.

Did she see it alone? “No, with Joon-hee.” He gapes, “The TWO of you?”

Mom smiles and asks if Shi-won is dating, and Dad gives her the side-eye: “My daughter, last place in school and dating too… you’re the busiest person in all of Busan.” Shi-won swears they’re just friends, but Mom smirks, “There’s no such thing as friends between boys and girls!”

Shi-won: “Sure there is, right here.” She nods at Yoon-jae. Ouuuuuch.

That night, Shi-won gets online, ready to live out her own version of Han Seok-kyu and Jeon Do-yeon’s internet-chat movie romance, only to find that 60,000 other people already beat her to Jeon Do-yeon’s screen name from the movie. She settles for being number 65342.

She chats with a college student in Seoul in the ROTC, but when he asks about Busan like it’s a tiny town in sticksville, she says her mom needs the phone and ends the chat abruptly.

It’s the day of the Korea-Japan World Cup Qualifying Match, and Dad and Yoon-jae are already parked in front of the tv. Dad calls out to Shi-won to make sure that the chicken’s been ordered, and she looks up in a panic.

She was too busy going through her latest idol magazine with Yoo-jung to remember. Whoops. She pokes her head out to face them with her sincerest apologies, and confesses the whole truth.

Dad grumbles at her use of “fair play” and she explains to Yoo-jung that “fair play” is a surprise tactic: they think you’re going to lie, but you attack with the truth and therefore cannot be argued with. She smiles, “I’m not a coach’s daughter for nothing.”

One by one the boys arrive. Hak-chan is back to being his smooth eloquent self and immediately gets on Dad’s good side by saying he’s a fan. Then Joon-hee comes in, and Dad is impressed with his looks.

Sung-jae he knows only too well, and bribes him with Park Jung-tae’s bat if he can watch the game with his trap shut. Joon-hee’s the only one who goes to see Mom in the kitchen, and he sweetly compliments her, saying she’s looking younger every day.

She says loudly so everyone can hear, how NICE it would be to have such a husband, a son, or a son-in-law. Yoon-jae throws some eye-daggers his way.

Then Joon-hee joins the girls in Shi-won’s room as they’re squeeing over a message from the college boy Shi-won chatted with last night. He wants to meet in the chatroom again.

Yoo-jung: “You might date a boy from Seoul!” Joon-hee grabs Shi-won’s face with both his hands and tells her to do well… which is exactly when Yoon-jae walks in to tell them the game is starting.

He looks back and forth between them silently, and they stay frozen like that too, her face still in his hands.

Finally Yoon-jae tells them to hurry in his usual gruff way and walks out, leaving them behind in the room, smiling awkwardly.

Shi-won: “Still like him now?” Haha. This is the Best. Love triangle. Ever.

Joon-hee prods her to chat with ROTC guy, and meanwhile the game starts and Yoon-jae sits there stewing and wondering why they’re not coming out of the room.

Yoo-jung tries to get Yoon-jae’s attention any way she can, but he’s so distracted he can barely hear her. She tells him that Shi-won’s busy chatting with her soon-to-be ROTC college boyfriend, and you can practically see steam coming from his ears, like, There’s another guy?

Meanwhile, in Seoul, Tae-woong comes out of a friend’s wedding as his buddies urge him to move on with his life and get out of Busan. He says he will after he sends Yoon-jae to college, and then passes a street artist doing portraits.

It flashes him back to 1992, when he and his girlfriend had their portraits drawn together, and he had written a marriage proposal on it, using her original bad-English wording from when she was still a high school student. She squeals in delight.

Back to the soccer game. Shi-won and Joon-hee finally join the group and when they sit next to each other, Yoon-jae snipes at Joon-hee to move his head because he can’t see. So petty.

The game starts to get tense and Yoo-jung wraps her arms around Hak-chan, who can barely keep himself from spontaneously combusting right there in the middle of the living room.

And Yoon-jae has his arms around Joon-hee, whose omg-my-crush-is-hugging-me moment just kills me.

Suddenly the doorbell rings with a chicken delivery—a mistake, since they clearly forgot to order theirs. Yoon-jae is the only one to protest that they shouldn’t steal someone else’s chicken, but he’s outvoted and Mom says on a day like today, it’s okay to bend the rules.

He protests that the chicken shop owner knows them and will probably call, and Mom says they won’t answer the phone then. Shi-won whines that her ROTC oppa is due to call, which then makes Yoon-jae change his mind. Convenient, romance-killing chicken.

The game starts winding down 0-1, and they call it a day and filter out, sure that Korea’s never going to turn a loss around in the final moments of the game. Only Sung-jae is left to watch the rest in silence.

But of course, as soon as the room empties out, Korea scores its first goal. Sung-jae breaks his vow of silence and screeeeeeeeams.

Everybody runs back and gathers in front of the tv, and then they watch as Team Korea scores another goal and wins the game. The living room explodes in a sea of happy screams and hugs, and Hak-chan nearly has a heart attack at Yoo-jung’s show of affection.

Sung-jae finally gets to open his mouth, letting loose a barrage of things he’s been holding back since the start of the game, and Yoon-jae hugs Dad and then turns to Shi-won…

…who’s too busy hugging Joon-hee to notice him. Oof. His face darkens. They scream for joy, locked in a seemingly endless embrace from his point of view. He narrates:

Yoon-jae: I knew in that moment, that when you like someone, you have eyes for her in the sides and the back of your head. And that if you don’t knock, there will be no answer. Standing in place will not get you what you want. There’s no such thing as fair play anymore.

And then… the phone rings. Everyone freezes.

Yoon-jae is the only one who gets up to answer. He picks it up and everyone holds their breath, and Yoon-jae apologizes to the chicken shop, owning up to the deed and promising to stop by the shop later. They all commend him for his fair play.

Only… on the other end of the line is ROTC boy (Im Shi-wan? Is everyone from Standby coming for a visit?), asking over and over for Shi-won, as Yoon-jae jabbers on about chicken.

Damn, Yoon-jae’s not messing around. In voiceover, again: “There’s no such thing as fair play anymore.”

Back to 1992, when Tae-woong couldn’t go on a trip with his girlfriend because the Seagulls were about to play the final game of the Korean series. She pleaded and pleaded but he said no, and let her borrow his prized possession, the walkman his dad gave him before he died, with a tape of their song, “A Lover’s Concerto.”

They wave goodbye as she gets on the bus. The Seagulls win the series and Dad calls Mom from the locker room, on cloud nine. He’s talking at her a mile a minute, but suddenly his face freezes. Oh no.

He lets the phone drop as he turns his attention to the tv. The bus crashed, didn’t it? Ohgodohgod… The list of victims gets read over and over on the screen. As the phone falls to the ground, we hear Mom’s voice screaming in terror, “Our Song-joo! Our Song-joo! What about our Song-joo?!”

OH NO.

There’s her name on the screen: SUNG Song-joo. She’s their DAUGHTER? Holy crap!

And then Tae-woong comes in looking for Dad with flowers in his hands. Dad can barely manage to say, “Tae-woong-ah… our Song-joo…” He turns to the tv, and sees the news. Augh.

1997, post-soccer game. Dad yells for Sung-jae to go get Ajumma’s wallet from the nightstand so he can treat the kids out to dinner. He opens a door and Yoo-jung stops him, “That’s Shi-won’s unni’s room. The master bedroom is this way.”

And through the cracked doorway, we see the framed portrait of Song-joo and Tae-woong sitting there on the shelf. Heartbreak.

Tae-woong gets back from Seoul that night and Shi-won runs into him on her way back from walking Yoo-jung home.

She sees that he’s got a shiny new portable CD player and asks for a listen. It’s still playing “A Lover’s Concerto.” She swoons at the thought of listening to H.O.T. on it and puts on her aegyo smile, “Oppa, give this to me!” Aw, exactly how her sister used to say it.

It stuns him at first, and then he smiles sweetly, “Sure.” She lights up and he pats her on the head.

But as she runs off with a skip in her step, a different feeling comes over him, perhaps reminded of Song-joo, or perhaps noticing Shi-won for the first time.

Reunion, 2012. Tae-woong walks in the door (!) and everyone gets up to greet their teacher. He sits down next to Shi-won and pats her head sweetly, as we get reminded in voiceover that at this dinner, one couple will announce a wedding.

 
COMMENTS

A twist! I love it!

Omo, what a wrench to throw into the final mystery. I like that we have a new player in the game, even if I’m still rooting for Yoon-jae. Competition in his older, nicer brother is going to complicate things in a big way. I didn’t expect that the circle would expand, but now that Tae-woong is here, I feel like someone’s going to give Yoon-jae a run for his money because the other boys weren’t likely candidates if Shi-won is one half of that final couple. Right now I’m rooting for Yoon-jae in 1997 more than in 2012, because I’m not one for first love having to be the end-all be-all, but Tae-woong’s arrival suddenly shifts things and I want Yoon-jae to step it up.

I really love the careful reveals on this show—when we first met Tae-woong, he was just a teacher, and then Yoon-jae came home and we found that he was Hyung. Suddenly it changes everything that we’ve seen in retrospect. And then again here with Song-joo, who I just assumed would be a painful memory of Tae-woong’s first love, but she turns out to be connected to everyone. What heartbreak this family has, though you wouldn’t know it in the everyday. The reveal was so perfect and so heartwrenching, and something about Yoo-jung’s very casual, “That’s Shi-won’s unni’s room,” killed me.

But the best reveal of all was Joon-hee’s. I suspected they might be dropping hints that he was gay when he said he like Cha In-pyo in Star in My Heart, and then quickly defended himself by saying that he was watching for Choi Jin-shil. Or when Sung-jae and Yoon-jae were naming dirty magazines and he had no idea what they were talking about. But they were small clues, and nothing to jump to conclusions about.

So when he confesses that he likes Yoon-jae, it’s a surprise because I certainly didn’t expect to find out so soon, let alone the fact that he’s in love with his best friend. I love everything about his nervous moment, of hitting Enter and waiting to see what Shi-won will say. And I love her even more, for being his friend just the same, without judgment.

And what follows is great because they’re naturally spending more time together—she’s the only one he’s come out to, so they’re going to be close—which sparks Yoon-jae’s jealousy because of course he only sees that his best friend is suddenly moving in on his girl. Everything about their love triangle is going to break my heart, but in the best way. This is teenage angst at its best, and dramaland on its A-game.

 
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Thank you for the recap!

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Drama, I luff you so much. So so so so much. Isn't it Tuesday yet?

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omg gummi, I just got around to watching this drama (I know..what's wrong with me?!) but I am obsessed with it now! Give me MOAR!

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This drama is just so awesome :)

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oh memories are flooding in.

I can proudly say that I grew up with h.o.t.

'We are the future' everyone?

Thanks a lot for the recap (:

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not sure if everyone knows already but just wanted to tell everyone to be sure- its up on dramafever!

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Awesome! I've been waiting for this recap since I can't find this drama subtitled anywhere. Thank you!

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Found it on youtube. thanks to whoever is doing this! whhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkFPWP6pGQo

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Can someone please please give me a link to where I can watch it. It's not in dramafever or viki :(

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This is next on my "to watch list" as "I Need Romance 2012" is winding down - but hoping that viki or df gets it.

Don't like the popups on dramacrazy, but they have it (titled "Reply 1997).

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Oh God please someone sub this show, I've been going to a lot of sites looking for subs but nada, zilch, zero. I have to be content with GF's recap wonderful as it is I want to watch sooooo badly. Infinite's CEO is doing all things right for the boys, picking wonderful projects for them to star in.

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Hoya himself actually was the one who had the final say :) But yes, of course, their CEO (who's hilarious and lovable, btw) had a hand since he allowed Hoya to do it.

One of my followers on Tumblr dropped a link to the subbed version of episodes 1 and 2 on my ask box this morning, actually. The link has been posted below but here it is, anyway (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkFPWP6pGQo). It's translated to English from the Chinese subs, I guess but it's the best one we have right now :)

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OMG. Thank-you big time!

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I saw that dramacrazy had at least the first episode subbed, and DramaFever said they were getting it soon...

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Thank you, thank you, I could always count on you guys.

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If you have Chrome or Firefox (not sure about IE), you should get adblock!

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Lawd, I <3 <3 <3 this show!

<3!!!

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I have to note that for someone who spent her childhood (a long, long time ago) in the region where this show is based, it is such an amazing thing to hear almost the whole cast speak in such authentic Gyeongsang-do accent. Some of the jokes (like the part when Sung-jae speed-talks to Hak-chan) are entirely about how different Korean sounds with pungent regional accents. It adds a whole new, deeper level of nostalgia for me! Thank you, Show!

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I'm absolutely enamored with this drama and so glad you hooked me on it, girlfriday! Lots of nostalgai even though I was only 6 in 1997, but the memories of dial-up and H.O.T. are still there. Was really shocked with Joonhee's secret and am so curious how it's going to play it. Love that they're keeping this sweet and short, only 8 hours!

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My heart will break if its Shi-won with hyung who is getting marry.

but so many possibilities.

I'll love it if it Dok-Chan and Yoo Jung. that will be cute.

I also love the love triangle. I laugh out loud everytime i see Yoon Jae's miserable face when he looks at Shi-won and Joon-hee.

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I meant Do Hak Chan and Yoo Jung

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i think the hyung like shi won because she remembered him about her unni(his died girlfriend). So, there is possibility that shi won n yoon jae still can end up together. But, this drama is good! TvN really produced good drama this year!

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Ok, I have to find this subbed somewhere. The pictures of the girl's matching haircuts is the most adorable things ever. And the pictures of JiWon having a seizure at being touched are hilarious.

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OMG~!!!! I sooooo loveee this show!!! And I was only like 1 when it's set lol. I wish that it was a full length drama or something. That would be Heaven~

Thank you SOOOOOO much for the recap, I can't find this subbed anywhere! :D

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Ahhh ... I need more of this ... now throughing the teacher in .... the suspense is killing me on who is getting marry...

As much as I like Yoon-jae and Shi-won are childhood friend and Shi-won is his first love ... I like the idea of childhood friend staying friend ... maybe it is because there been too many drama with childhood ending up together like a "happily ever after" that I prefer this not to be the case. That I prefer them to stay friends forver ... and maybe it is because now we got more love triangle going on ... lol ... need more!!!

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This is the best.... I really want to watch it. Not sure if there is sub or not but I want the drama to finish first before watching it..

Thanks for the recap Girlfriday...

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I've been waiting for this recap, thank you so much. No sub available and yet I keep rewatching this show raw like a loon.

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Ep 1 is subbed on Dramacrazy.net

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Thank you very much girlfriday! I am enjoying this drama through your recaps for now... it look really lovely and though my teen years were quite boring, awkward and idol-less, I find it very cute to be seeing another kind of life... heheheh

Looking forward to next week!

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I love this show SO much that i watched it raw even though i don't understand a single thing! Hak Chan's reaction whenever Yoo jung gets too close is just sooo hilarious! haha.. i wasn't expecting Joon hee's confession but i love it just the same, it is indeed the best love triangle ever! That omg-my-crush-is-hugging-me moment was daebak! Tae woong and Song joo's story is just so heartbreaking, the scene where Sung jae accidentally opened Song joo's room to reveal the portrait just broke my heart. I think Tae woong was just seeing Song joo in Shi won and I hope nothing romantic will play up between them... but why did he have to be in that reunion?! I hope Shi won won't end up with hyung because i still want her to end up with Yoon jae or else my heart will be break into tiny little pieces.

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I loved this recap! It was a lot of twist and turns. I don't know who to root for now! So confizzled since I love all the characters! What to do?! Who to cheer on?! This is definitely a good drama! I'm so excited to see what happens next! Eep! The anticipation is killing me!

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THANK YOU so much for this recap. without you i wouldnt understand anything! like i watched this raw and didn't even pick up on joon hee's secret until i saw a gif on tumblr.. i didnt even know about the 1004 angel thing, until you mentioned it, and had no freaking clue about the sister/girlfriend twist! your recaps are my lifeline to this drama haha

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Madly in love with this show. Thanks for recapping, girlfriday! Still hoping to watch the series with english subs :)

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I can not wait to watch this episode....Joon-hee's reveal was the best. The look on his face when Yoon-jae was hugging him during the baseball game was just aljfladjfa;ljf....I swear if any mothers try to pull some anti-gay bs like they did with Life Is Beautiful, I'm going to raise some hell

I just love this drama so much already, next week cant get here fast enough

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omg this show is amazing. thanks for the recaps!

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EPISODES 1 & 2 ENG SUBS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkFPWP6pGQo

The links are at the description. Turn on CC :)
I think it's translated from the Chinese subs.

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Loving this drama so far.. so much 90's reminiscing..thanks for the recap, girlfriday and javabeans

However, a question:"People from Kyungsangdo and Jeollado shouldn’t legally be allowed to marry!" Why is there such antagonism between these two regions? A google search gave me nothing...

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The regional conflict is a strange one in such a small country that's already divided up north and south. The Kyungsang-Jeolla animosity has to do with post-war era politics and presidential elections, involving candidates from those regions, oppressive military-backed governments in the 70s and 80s (with those from Kyungsangdo in power) and politicians manufacturing and using regional feelings to urge voters one way or other. It has permeated media and culture in modern South Korean society and creates all kinds of hard feelings and actual physical violence not too infrequently. It's terrible and a huge waste of energy.

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Wow... you're right. That IS a strange conflict.. to the point that it incites physical violence. And here I thought Korea was very nationalistic -- all Koreans united as one. Thank you for the brief (but of course, interesting) history lesson. Hopefully such regional antagonism will dissipate in future years.

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I LOVE IT!!! awesome! Thank you

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OMG. I was waiting for this for about two days now that when I saw it at the homepage, I went screaming, "AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" with hands flailing and all.

THANK YOU, GIRLFRIDAY! You don't know how much happiness you're showering right now.

Okay. Flail time over. Who knew that the supposed third leg (angle? line?) of the love triangle became Shi-won's gay BFF? And Yoon-jae, you're glaring daggers at the entirely wrong person. You can just look on forlornly later, as Hyung sweeps the girl off her feet, and she none the wiser that you even liked her. But so far, the hints we get from the 2012 scenes are for the Shi-won and Yoon-jae couple? Hm.

Last--Eun Ji-won! How many synonyms can we find for HILARIOUS?!

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Here! Episode 1 with English subs ^^ http://youtu.be/MkFPWP6pGQo :D

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well.. they're not the best but better than none haha

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It is available on Dramacrazy under "Reply 1997."

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Sorry only Chinese subs. OOPS!!

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OMFG DRAMA yes... just YES!!! Thank you so much for saving my brain cells after watching the train wreck that is Dr. Jin. I love this show so much. The actor that plays Young jae was also in Love Rain. Now in Love Rain I found hi to be annoying and I thought he over acted too much but in this drama I just LOVE him. The way he portrays his feelings of hurt and jealousy are just awesome. And come on how ADORABLE is Hoya? * Squee *

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Could it be? Could it be? Oh no.. :( I hope the couple would not be Tae Woon and Shi Won. I will not be able to bear if I see my Yoon Jae heartbroken.

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I usually chose to watch a drama based on u recap. At 1st, i was going to drop this drama of my to-watch list, but after reading ur recap, i immediately downloaded it. TQ for the great recap! U rocks!!!

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HOLY SHIT. I love this show!!!Thank you girlfriday for recapping it!

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YESS!! I'm so happy you're recapping this! I am in absolute love with this sitcom. I keep forgetting it's a sitcom cuz it looks so much like a drama, and plays so much like one! But whatever you wanna call it, I love it! :D Also love the fact that it's just gonna be 8 episodes. Keeps it short and simple. Cuz nowadays I'm losing my faith in dramas that are only 16-episodes. Before they were the best! Now all they bring is disappointment. Like for instance, "Big" & "I Do, I Do". Two dramas I thought started off okay then just failed at the end. But this sitcom will be different. I can feel it. :D Cannot wait til next week's episode!! So keep up the good work! I shall be awaiting your recaps every week! ^_^

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you just made my day.thanks a lot GF! ;)

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I don't get the preview. I wonder why the girls were fighting?
Wish next friday would come faster !!!!! (coz even if i watch it raw i wont understand till i read the recap!)

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OMG! I so have the same app as them!! So much fun!!!!

Love that Do Hak Chan scowls for looking EXACTLY like Eun Ji Won!!! LOL!!! So cute!!!

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FINALLY! Thanks for the recap, girlfriday!!! This is going to be 99% Junhee-Hoya so pardon me.

When the episodes aired last Tuesday night, and tvN uploaded two cuts of Junhee showing his crush for Yunjae, I was like YES YES YES I KNEW IT! Next thing I know, every scene of Junhee and Yunjae are giffed all over Tumblr :)

Actually, when they first started showing the teasers and mentioned that Junhee has a BIG secret (based on the teasers and the amount of pictures Hoya has uploaded of Seo Inguk and him together), I immediately thought that the secret might be that Junhee's gay and likes Yunjae. But then I thought that's just my inner fangirl's wishful thinking.

And then Tuesday night I was watching the episode and that part came out and I literally went numb and was all O____O NO WAY. Because 1) really??? 2) Hoya, an idol??? and 3) wait, really???

So I re-watched the first and second episode and lo and behold! Everything just fits. Also, this plot twist is seriously one of the best ones in my recent memory. Because now Yunjae thinks that there's something going on between Shiwon and Junhee when in truth, the reason why the two are spending an inordinate amount of time together is because of Junhee coming out to Shiwon about his crush on Yunjae in the first place. Very good, Show. Well done.

I also like the fact that Junhee's your typical average kid - good in sports and is even the town's rising best dancer - it just so happens that he likes boys. Yes, the character is kind, sweet and caring but that doesn't really equate to a guy being gay immediately and in the show, you wouldn't really know he's gay unless you're looking for it. So I like that they weren't going by the stereotypical image that gay guys = effeminate. Though there's nothing wrong about that because there really are gay guys who fit that bill but I'm just saying that it's a nice thing that they chose to represent Junhee like this.

Also how cute is that part when Yunjae pulls Junhee to him for the photo at the end of Episode 3? At first I was thinking that maybe, Yunjae never found out about Junhee liking him and therefore, is still comfortable and touchy with him. Then there's also the possibility that Yunjae ended up knowing and eventually liked Junhee back (though come on, he's pretty crazy and sincere about Shiwon plus that would just be too neatly done). So I'm pretty happy that this recap presented a new angle for me. I never entertained this idea before and I'm glad that it was brought up in the recap - that Yunjae did end up knowing that Junhee is gay and likes him but he's okay with it and accepts his bestfriend no matter what. Best option, tbh.

I also applaud Hoya for taking on the role :) Woollim, the company he's under, has a pretty LGBT-friendly track record so it's not really surprising. Nell, Epik High and Baby Soul & Yoo Jia, all have done some works that feature love between same sex couples. Actually, Hoya said in an interview that he never thought nor planned that he'd go into acting since he wanted to focus on music this year but that "the opportunity just presented itself", meaning he himself chose to do the role, knowing all the possible reactions and the implications of doing it.

Now the show itself, I really really really love it overall! It just feels so real and so raw. I am still so surprised with Eunji's acting because I never knew she could act so well. She's her group's best singer, pretty with a personality and she can also act? That's already too much blessings for you! Haha! One thing I also love so far is how the story feels so tight and very well planned out. Maybe because it's only 8 episodes, technically meaning 4 hours, that the whole story's unraveling fast but in little doses that we can take. tvN has produced some really great dramas so far!

Excited for Tuesday!!!

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Eek!! Are you an Inspirit? Did you watch Sesame Player or You're My Oppa? I can't help thinking how perfectly Hoya's real personality matches with his character in Respond 1997~~ Joonhee's secret crush on Yoonjae reminds me of Hoya's funny WGM moments with Dongwoo. His friendship with Shiwon reminds of the way he was so sweet and caring with Jiae. And his shy, gentle character as Joonhee pretty much matches the way he is in real life, too. Oh yeah, and I remember that one time Infinite made fun of Hoya for being girly because he liked home making and knick knacks. The casting director of this show did a great job~~

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Well, since I'm an Infinite fan then - yes! Yeah, I've watched both shows, Sesame Player and You're My Oppa :) Both are great shows to get to know the boys better, actually, all of their shows are!

The Rappers Got Married part of SP was instigated by Hoya himself, lol. I can't forget the part where he coerced Dongwoo to go on an outdoor date with him and ditched the other members to go couple bike riding and eat chicken while watching the sun set over looking the Han River. Totally sweet~

Actually, I remember an interview where Hoya said he finds it hard to play the character because Junhee is so different from his personality but that he's taken on the role and challenged himself.

Hoya actually has the tougher manly image among all the members. Also being often labeled as the most competitive, determined and focused by the other members and even being ranked #1 in Courage in Ranking King despite being utterly a scaredy cat during the episode. But as you've pointed out, he's actually very sweet and caring. Like what the members themselves have said, there's two sides to Hoya - Hogod who's manly and charismatic on tv & Hoaegi who's hilarious and full of aegyo at home. It's just that his Hoaegi side isn't really the usual "gentle" side that most people expect.

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just took the words COMPLETELY out my mouth

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Great minds think alike then? haha

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I don't think Hoya has any problem playing a gay character haha * I'm NOT saying he's gay calm down let me finish * If you watch any show with Infinte they are all really close and affectionate and I'm pretty sure L and Sungyeol have kissed at least twice on variety shows* that I've seen and had mini heartattacks of joy over * and Sungjoong and Sungyeol have kissed during concerts.* Their cover of troublemaker proformance * So as a group they seem to be totally accepting of all forms of love. Which is why I'm a proud INSPIRIT <3

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Oh, he totally doesn't, I think :) The other Infinite members are also very okay with it, from what I see. Hoya even mentioned about him practicing some of his lines on the members, especially Dongwoo. Sunggyu even calls him Junhee on twitter ^^ From what I see, Infinite's one of those groups that are very open minded. Maybe the working environment they are in - Woollim - helped.

I've seen and read a lot of times when they would blatantly show their love for their fanboys~
1. Like that one time that L passed by a group of fans and he stopped by a fanboy's camera and stared and smiled sweetly at it.
2. And that time that L said his most memorable fan in Japan was a married man who went to all of their events because he thought it was very nice of the man to come see him (I think the man even told him "I love you, L").
3. Or that time in their showcase when a fanboy screamed "I love you" to the boys and Woohyun and Sungjong threw hearts at him.
4. Or that time there was a fanboy making hearts at Sungyeol and Sungyeol got so excited waving back at him.
5. And that time that a fanboy told Hoya "I love you~" and Hoya replied with "I love you too~"
6. There's also that one time Woohyun picked a boy from the audience to reenact Protect the Boss's backhug scene!

There are a lot, really, and it's just so nice that Infinite doesn't mind and actually acknowledges and shows that they love their fanboys. Now I'm not saying that all of their fanboys are gay because they aren't but it just goes to say that they aren't freaked out by all the "I love you"s and heart throwing :)

Somehow, this has turned into an Infinite appreciation comment, haha!

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Oh no I love Infinite so it's ok haha. They are one of those groups that seem like they are really friends OFF camera. I know all idol groups pretend they are " Best Friends Forever" but I'm sure thats not the case come on were human you can't like everyone. But the way they act seems very natural and I would assume it would be hard to be so affectionate * like kissing * with people you don't really like. I've seen alot of their interveiws and concerts and they seem to have a very close bond. Of course you can see some might be closer then others * Hoya + Dongwoo* * Sungyeol + L * but that's natural to have your friends and then your close friends. I don't know, I'll end my tangent haha But yeah I really Love Hoya's acting and can't wait to see more.

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girlfriday, I cannot, CANNOT, thank you enough for the recaps! I'm not patient enough to wait for subs, so your recaps are a MUST as I watch this gem raw.

The growing up experience must be similar to everyone regardless of nationality, because I can totally relate to the story, and it made me go "awww" endlessly.

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LOL at the ice cream scene ^^~~

And whoah, the "historical" accuracy of this drama suddenly hit me when the guys had to whisper the word "manga" because I remembered learning that Japanese cultural imports were banned until 1998/1999. This drama really is like a perfect flashback to what it must have been like in the 90s in Korea.

My predictions:
So far, my best guess is that Yoojung and Hakchan will be the couple that announces their engagement. And I think Shiwon and Yoonjae will eventually date, but then break up, but then start dating again in 2012. Shiwon and Yoonjae are being so perfectly set up as an OTP that it will be extremely disorienting and upsetting for me if they don't end up together. There are dog gone rules in dramaland, damnit.

My opinions:
I love the cast; Eunji's a sweetheart, Hoya is adorable, Eun Jiwon is forever a choding, and Sung Dong Il is forever boss, but... this mini series is a bit too slow paced for me. The script is pitch perfect and the directing is assured, but it isn't really exciting (IMHO). I love reading about all the funny and adorable moments in the recaps though, so I can't thank GF enough for doing them.

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The ice cream scene literally had me LOLing, seriously. No kidding.

The accuracy of the drama is actually one of the things I love about it. I wasn't a teen yet during this time but it just feels so real (but we already do have the internet, albeit with a very low population, at that time). And the little snippets of Korean pop culture that we are given feels like little nugget gifts, tbh.

I expected the Yunjae-Shiwon setup at first but the introduction of the big brother angle just threw me in for a loop so I'm not so sure anymore. So now, in all honesty, the 2012 reunion scenes doesn't feel like they are the two people who are going to announce their wedding at all. Same with Hakchan-Yoojung. I feel like, maybe the romance between the two couple happened in 1997 but ended there as well. I'm not sure. This drama taught me from the revelations this episode not to assume anything so we can't always be too sure (except for the Junhee part cause I had a feeling about that!).

Though I beg to disagree about it being slow paced and unexciting. I watch it the minute the raw videos come out and the episodes have always been fun and entertaining to me - nice and tightly done. But that could just be me so /shrug

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Thank you for recapping girlfriday!
I hope someone will sub it asap.

I am team Tae-woong by the way!!! hehehe

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I so want to watch this show! But I cannot find it anywhere. Any suggestions?

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kimchidramas.net its subbed till episode 4 or dramacrazy.net

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Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you so much for recapping this wonderful series.

TvN have been on fire this season. Excellent series!

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now i reaaaally LUFF LUFF LUFF TVN!

now THIS one needs an extension! hee

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Agreed!

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huhuhu. I hope softsubs for this will be available soon. So want to watch this.

thanks for the recaps.

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Thank you girlfriday ^___^
I watched this on tuesday, but had to wait for your recap to understand it. Thanks again ^^

and here, Eun Ji Won singing H.O.T.s Candy:
(I hope this works out...)

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didn't work... so heres the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjen5aclbDU

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Thanks for recapping this show. After Shut Up Flower Boy Band, what another great high school drama. I love both despite being so different, but this show is so amazing. And I love that I can substitute American and Indian culture into the scenarios and it's my friends and me back when... Great show that picks up on the universal era of teenage-dom ;)

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Are there really only 8 episodes?! Heartbreak!!! This is close to being the best drama of 2012!

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Thanks so much for your recap. They are about to add this show at Dramafever and I added it to my list after your recap of episodes 1 & 2.

Thanks so much for all the effort (and hilarity!) you put into doing this.

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the answer to my summer thank you girlfriday for picking up this gem of a high school romance comedy. I love the love triangle, music, and cannot wait to watch it subbed.Yay only 4 more episodes to go and 8 subbed in all. TVN just keeps producing good stuff everyday.

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Thank you so much for the recap. I'm waiting for the whole drama to be finished and subbed, but I'm totally reading this recap with earnest laughter and can't wait when I see this on my screen. Thanks GF! Btw, I also read the recap for the comments from readers underneath it. Love all of it!

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I hate how only once couple will announce there marriage why can't there be more? :(

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Thank you, Thank You. I'm loving this squeal

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I rarely comment, though I frequently read, but I was so bothered by girlfriday's comments that I am compelled to comment.

I am frustrated and disturbed by the idea that having a gay/straight love triangle makes it 'the best love triangle ever', and by the wholehearted endorsement of it.

I know many of you will be angry with my 'intolerance', but if no one else will say it, I will! Homosexuality is sinful. It's as sinful as fornication, adultery, or any sexual sin. NO sexual sin should ever be portrayed in a positive way, no matter what the 'modern' or 'popular' opinion.

Now you can hate on my comments to your hearts' content.

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It's a shame that homophobic people like you exist.

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@EmJaye

tell me, unless of course you're a young virgin, did you only ever had sex with your partner in the prospect of having children? Because if not, it's as much of a sin as homosexual having sex for only the pleasure.
Heterosexual hypocrisy really pisses me off. Like all these guys that have sex with different girls and even once married go look for some outside love but when coming accross gay people, they feel entitled to be disgusted, like they're oh so white themselves!

Fuck you, already take care abt you own life and how you supposedly follow your rules (religious, cultural, social ones) before having any right to point out some people as sinners just bcs of who they are and who they love!
Who do you think you are to say who is right or wrong! Are you God? The texts you're most likely referring to have they been written by God directly? No. You're just a human being like everyone else and most likely you have sinned many times in your life as well and would have enough work minding your own life, your own choices before questioning others and who they support.

Fuck you, I'm christian catholic (and heterosexual) but people like you make me sick. Homosexuality exists in hundreds of varieties of animals, this is not a disease, neither is it some choice people make that could be changed with a bit of will!!! I still remember having my friend crying bcs his mom would tell him that she'd rather have a son murderer than him being gay. She and you really make me question what is wrong with mankind!

I can't believe I have to see this type of comments here, I just wanted to comment on these awesome episodes but don't feel like doing it anymore.
One last request: next time go elsewhere spreading your hate and self indulgence!

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I feel sad and sorry for you EmJaye. Love in any form should always be portrayed in a positive light.

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EXACTLY! It's always bother me why other people think they have the right to tell someone else who to love or not to love.

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Someone needs to pray for you, my dear. May you one day look back and realize how ignorant you are right now.

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Hey EmJaye,

I don't think you are wrong for voicing your opinion; I understand what you mean about modern/popular opinion. Homosexuality used to be commonly viewed as sinful and wrong, and now it is not. I think that somehow, there can be a disconnect between reality and dramas in the sense that what I would reject in real life, I can be more accepting of in a drama. So your comment reminded me about the issue at hand again.

But I think girlfriday was really referring to the subversion of exectation here--because the love-triangle is not the one the viewer would expect, it is all the more entertaining to watch the human interactions that result.

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*expectation*

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There's really no need to put it in apostrophes. You are intolerant, and most likely a hypocritical follow-what-i-want-from-this-religious-text-ignore-everything-else narrowminded idiot that I'm actually glad you made your post. Makes it fun so everyone else can see what you are.

And before you use the whole 'you're hilarious, you're being intolerant towards my views!' shtick, please realize that batshit, outdated, and plain stupid views like yours shouldn't be tolerated in the first place. Come join us in the 21st century. Or not, doesn't really matter. History and the future is against your moronic views and "values".

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Just another one of those homophobes. Really, grow up, it's the 21st-century~!

I don't even know why people like you still exist, when homophobe people are known as the most likely the most gayest of gays that exist since the homophobes themselves.

Try watching some gay porn, and let's see if you're not the most turned on person like a gay person who's more comfortable and not as turned on as you do.

Sheesh~!

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"Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven" (Luke 6:37)

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Sorry about the double comment. Technical glitches.

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"Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven" (Luke 6:37)

"Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things." (Romans 2:1)

"And why behold you the speck that is in your brother's eye, but consider not the beam that is in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:3)

But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." (John 8:7)

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Dear Dooshbag, F-tard Emjaye. Why do you watch dramas?

Lets face it, in today's advertising and culture - sex, or the pretense of sex, or mere lust for a product or person is what drives the market. Not even in today's culture, it's always been that way because our instincts & our sexual drive at that is what often fuels us as human beings. And guess what?? There is nothing wrong with that. Why?? Becuase when we live for a mere 100 years, why live as a moron F-tard like Emjaye?

Dramas almost always hint at the possibility of romance & sexual tension (like ads do) because they know its what the watcher wants. Haven't you ever squealed at the kiss scenes in Korean dramas F-tard Emjaye? Look your stupid god in the eye and don't lie. If you have, then congrats!

You have just bought into ' a sexual sin' in your own words. There's nothing innocent about the tame kisses in korean dramas because we all know where that leads and frankly we enjoy it. So do you F-tard Emjaye. So in your words, we can sum up watching korean dramas as 'a sexual sin'. Why? Because enjoying the ripe hint of sexual possibility is akin to enjoying the sexual tension itself. So you, by your own words, by watching romantic comedies have committed a sexual sin. SO WHO THE F ARE YOU TO CONDEMN OTHER SEXUAL PRACTICES???!!!!

Are you saying then that African Americans should not be counted as human beings? Because they were oppressed in the past by people who think stupidly like you do? Hate like yours is what breeds religious terrorism, racism and intolerance. Yay! Let's all kill each other. Because my religion breeds intolerance! And I will henceforth subscribe blindly to everything it says. Even if I think I'm educated and should know better. And post comments knowing that what I'm saying is wrong!

And frankly I wish I knew where you lived. Instead of hiding behind a computer screen like the big coward you are.

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I couldn't care less about your comments as they are anachronistic in a modern society. Homosexuality is sinful? Is it really. Well, I am not religious so don't believe anything at all is 'sinful', but I do know right from wrong. And love between two consenting adults is never wrong, no matter what their genders are.

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SO LOVE this!! If only I can watch it with subs!

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At first, i thought that shiwon's sister died to make room for the romance between shiwon and yoonjae, so yoonjae could have his chance (cuz if taewoong ended up marrying shuwons sister, shiwon and yoonjae wouldnt have a chance). But now that i think about it, it really seems like there might be a shiwon-taewoong couple. What i predict is, the shiwon-taewoong couple will announce their marriage, and yoonjae will try to get shiwon back? idk, one of the ideas thats been swirling in my mind...
but im really rooting for shiwon and yoonjae!

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I love this show! Thanks to your recap I can understand the episodes! Many thanks!

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