Nice Guy: Episode 20 (Final)
by HeadsNo2
And so it ends, and we have to say goodbye to the nicest guy we’ve never seen anywhere in the world – the drama world, anyway. More than just coming full circle, our characters (and especially our side characters) are able to finally move on from the shackles of their pasts in a satisfying way, even if they might have had to jump through one too many off-screen hoops to do it.
Some payoffs inevitably feel more earned than others, but at least we’re offered something sweet and hopeful to chase away all the bitter suffering. But, that doesn’t mean you won’t need a box of tissues for the journey ahead.
Final episode ratings clocked in at an even 18.0%, a solid and successful finish to a solid and successful show.
FINAL EPISODE RECAP
Eun-ki doesn’t even seem to waver at Maru’s offer to run away together, and coolly pulls her hand away. “I think you’ve misunderstood something,” she says. “We have already ended our relationship long ago.”
And right now, justice for her father, Taesan, and Joon-ha are all more important to her than Maru.
He wrist-grabs her into a hug as she tries to leave, and it shakes her resolve. It’s with a smile that he tells her to go, but he steadfastly holds onto her sleeve until she’s out of reach. Even though he’s letting her go, he doesn’t want to.
(I had to go back and check another episode because I thought my eyes were deceiving me, but today’s opening credits are different – the clock in his hand is moving forward at a normal speed, not speeding backward, and he’s smiling through his tears. Seriously, what an awesome touch.)
Eun-ki confronts Secretary Jo about Joon-ha’s accident, and he chalks his appearance that night up to coincidence. She acts understanding and sweet as she asks him to take a seat… and then kicks the chair out from under him. Eun-ki-ya! Why did you ever have to have amnesia?! You and your bad self were gone for too long.
She grabs him by the collar and demands to know who hired him. To say that he’s afraid of her is an understatement, but neither of them are aware of the spy listening outside.
And of course, that spy reports straight to Min-young.
Maru tells Jae-hee that it’s time to turn herself in, since the death recording will make its way to the police tomorrow regardless. Jae-hee threatens to reveal the slush funds Eun-ki’s dad took out for her and ruin her, but Maru is unaffected.
He explains how he was so scared of her threat that he wanted to run away with Eun-ki, but she rejected his offer because of all that needs to be done. “Seeing that side of Eun-ki put me at ease,” he confesses. “Because it’s her, she would be able to handle anything that comes her way just fine. Now it’s okay for me not to be next to Eun-ki.”
Jae-hee still has no intention of turning herself in, and getting Maru’s empty shell as payment is unappealing to her. She’d rather die.
On that note, she asks Maru, “Do you want to die together? Let’s die together. Even if we live or die, we can only go to hell.”
Maru: “If you want to die, then die alone. I am not going to die. Why would I die? I didn’t even do anything wrong. Even without love, I can live fine alone. It’s not like I’ve always had what I wanted. I was never selfish or full of greed in my life, not even once. The things I want to do, the things I want, the things I wish for… Have I ever had any of those for at least once in my whole life? I can live fine without love. I will find a way to survive. Dying is hell. Why is living supposed to be hell? I definitely won’t di-…”
He gets cut off by a sudden wave of pain. Well, that hematoma certainly has a knack for dramatic timing.
Eun-ki thinks back to Maru’s offer as she tends to Joon-ha. She notices his fingers starting to twitch, and tears fill her eyes. He’s waking up. (Rejoice!)
Jae-gil comes home to find Maru passed out on the floor. His horrified reaction Breaks. My. Heart.
Choco can barely contain herself when she arrives at the hospital. Jae-gil’s eyes are bloodshot from crying as he stands vigil outside Maru’s door while the doctor is inside, and Choco confronts him about keeping Maru’s illness from her.
He doesn’t deny that Maru didn’t want her to know, and even admits he thought it was for the best, too. Choco breaks down, blaming herself for not noticing sooner, when Maru would be able to notice when she had the slightest fever. Time for a tissue break.
Jae-gil comforts her, at least, in telling her that Maru could do that because he’s her older brother, and she’s his younger sister.
She steels herself to go inside, but turns around at the last minute and leaves. Is it too much to hope she’s gone to get Eun-ki?
Maru finally stirs, and it’s Doctor Suk at his bedside. Yet they don’t act like strangers who haven’t seen each other in years, as Doctor Suk tells him that his surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning. And because of all Maru’s dilly-dallying, his chance of survival is now 50%.
Then the reveal, as Doctor Suk admits that what he regrets most is doing as Maru asked, and treating Eun-ki. So it wasn’t coincidence that she was seeing Doctor Suk – Maru had arranged for it all along. Which means he must have known where she was after the accident.
He regrets it because he knew Eun-ki would go after Maru the moment she regained her memories. But it’s with a smile that he tells Maru that he better live, or else.
Joon-ha finally opens his eyes. Eun-ki’s there for him and cries in relief.
Jae-sik saunters into Jae-hee’s dark dining room, nonchalantly munching on a corn-dog while she sits in silence.
He’s eating it for a reason, as he explains that he’d gone to juvenile detention once for beating up a kid who made fun of their mother’s prostitution. When he’d been released and found Jae-hee eating a corn-dog with her friends, he’d asked for a bite. She’d thrown it on the ground instead.
“Since then, you’ve treated me like this,” Jae-sik adds. “Like a stupid dog that’s just passing by. Not even once calling me Oppa.”
But then, he tells her that he was fully planning on killing Maru, despite Jae-hee being against it. He claims he couldn’t pass up on an officetel, and was planning on just shutting his eyes and killing Maru.
The only thing that stopped him and his greed? Choco, whom he affectionately calls Chici-Chici-Choco-Choco. Because she’d regularly fix meals for the man who came to kill her brother.
And even when he went yesterday to kill him, she’d cooked him seaweed soup for his birthday with the beef he asked for. “So how can I… how can I kill that guy, her oppa? How can I kill him after I ate her seaweed soup for me?” Pump the brakes, Jae-sik has a conscience? This scene is amazing in ways I can’t describe.
However, he’s NOT happy about losing the officetel, and blames it all on Jae-hee. If she’d ever shown him an ounce of human kindness, then Choco’s kindness wouldn’t have affected him as much, and he could have killed Maru for the officetel. Er. Well, when you put it that way, both Jae-hee and Choco saved Maru’s life.
Of course, Jae-sik is holding back since Maru’s dying anyway. His lack of conscience returns as he wonders if he can pass off Maru’s natural death as his doing so he can get the officetel, but Jae-hee has only heard the “Maru is dying” part and demands to know more.
That night, Maru thinks back to Doctor Suk’s words, about doing everything he needs to before tomorrow’s risky surgery.
Jae-gil finds Choco singing her heart out in a norebang, and chides her for not being at Maru’s side. She refuses to see him until after the surgery, because she doesn’t want him to feel at peace if he sees her.
She knows because she’d almost died while Maru was in prison, and the only thing that kept her alive was the thought that she couldn’t give up without seeing him. “So my Oppa, also, if he gets the surgery without seeing me… By chance, while getting the surgery, if he’s having a very hard time and is in so much pain, if he thinks he wants to quit everything… ‘No, that’s not right. I didn’t get to see Choco.’ He will think like that and gain strength, so he won’t die and come out alive.”
Jae-hee calls them to ask about Maru, and she can barely hold herself together as she dresses to go. She remembers Maru proclaiming vehemently that he wouldn’t die, and now understands the meaning behind it.
She catches Eun-ki on her way in for a change of clothes, and remembers Maru saying that he could survive without love. So when she decides to tell Eun-ki the truth about Maru being sick, she’s chosen the higher path – what’s best for Maru, and not herself.
As Eun-ki zombies her way through the hospital hallway, we hear Jae-gil in voiceover telling her that Maru sustained the hematoma from their tunnel of love. She’s also carrying the guilt of Maru delaying the surgery because he’d wanted to help her regain her position in Taesan first.
Eun-ki hesitates at the door, as Jae-gil’s voiceover continues: “Maru said he was very happy being together with you, Eun-ki.” As for the surgery outcome, no one knows.
She can’t work up the courage to knock. Maru, perhaps sensing her, opens the door… but she’s not there. Is someone going to be there for him?
The sad realizations hit Eun-ki one by one. She flashes back to the Wedding That Never Was, and all the cruel things she’d said to him. How he didn’t say a word in his defense. She eventually breaks down in tears.
Jae-hee, alone in her room, also breaks down into sobs.
Min-young calls Jae-hee from his car, his tone rushed and nervous. He’s taking the blame for everything, and says the story he wants to go to court: He manipulated Jae-hee out of his greed for Taesan. So he alone is responsible for the Chairman’s death… and Eun-ki.
Oh. No. You. Didn’t.
Jae-hee starts freaking out, knowing very well what he’s capable of. She tries to talk him out of it, but he’s intent on taking out Eun-ki so she has no more obstacles in her way. And then he’s ready to take the fall alone.
He puts on a black hat once he sees Eun-ki stumbling down the street. No. You. Aren’t. No you are NOT, you crazy bastard! (*flails*)
Jae-hee’s shaking as she tries calling Eun-ki to warn her, but Eun-ki ignores the call.
Jae-gil visits Maru to lie about being unable to get ahold of Choco, even though he’s more interested in the fact that Eun-ki came to the hospital, but never showed up. Aww. Was Maru waiting for her?
Maru runs outside to look for her, his spidey sense tingling. Just in case we forgot he made the “Run away with me” offer, Eun-ki flashes back to it again as she wanders on the street.
Finally, she turns around and starts running back toward the hospital. Maru spies her from the other end of the crosswalk. Please no Truck of Doom. Please no Truck of Doom. Please no Truck of Doom.
He smiles brightly, and the light changes. She notices him too, and they start closing the gap between them…
But Maru sees a shadowy Min-young approaching her from behind and runs forward, throwing his arms around Eun-ki as he spins around just in time to save her, getting stabbed by Min-young in her place.
Silence. Min-young leaves the knife in his back and walks away, disappearing into the crowd.
The light changes, and Maru just keeps holding her. Does she know what happened? Does she know what happened?!
Maru just holds her tighter in the middle of the crosswalk as traffic moves around them.
Cut to: Jae-hee, calm and collected in front of her mirror. She makes a call: “This is the police station, correct? I want to turn myself in. My name is Han Jae-hee.”
Maru sits on a bench with Eun-ki, using his hand to cover his stab wound. Eun-ki. I know you didn’t really pay attention when he was the Hunchback of Notre Dame, but for the love of all that is holy, pay a little attention to how he looks. His hand has blood on it. Maybe try giving that the once-over.
To his credit, Maru struggles to hide his pain from her. Using the excuse that he’s tired, he tries to send her on her way. Everything they need to say can be said tomorrow. They both keep saying ‘tomorrow’ as though it’ll really come true if they say it enough.
She has one thing to ask before she leaves: “At that time, in that tunnel, why didn’t you avoid my car?” Question of the year.
His face is tense and his words are rushed, since he clearly wants to get rid of her before she notices he’s got a hole in his stomach.
He claims he doesn’t really remember why, but he’ll think about it and tell her tomorrow. She seems to accept it, only to surprise him by swooping in for a kiss.
Jae-hee gives her statement to the police, confessing not only for her crimes but Min-young’s as well. She even takes the blame for Joon-ha’s murder attempt, claiming that she seduced Min-young and forced him to help her.
She even brings up the murder from seven years ago, finally confessing as the killer and admitting that Maru took the blame. I love that even the policeman stops writing the confession, in a “Are you sure you don’t want to check yourself before you wreck yourself?” fashion.
But Jae-hee declines a lawyer, and chooses to keep confessing.
Eun-ki and Maru kiss, and he’s loathe to pull away. She tells him she’ll come back early tomorrow, and that she’s grateful to Jae-hee for one thing – in letting her meet Maru. (Girl, I love you and you’re my favorite character, but how dense can you possibly be? Even if you can’t see the blood, wouldn’t you think it’s odd that he’s keeping that hand to his side? AHHHH. *headdesk*)
Maru stumbles alone on a deserted street, his sweater dripping blood. He falls to the ground, struggling with all his might to get up. But he can’t.
“Eun-ki asked me, at that time in the tunnel, why didn’t I avoid the car? Even though I told Eun-ki that I don’t remember, I remember the reason very clearly.
At the time, I was exhausted by the world and by my lot in life. And this present life of mine, even if it ended this way, I thought it wouldn’t make a difference. And that in the next life, I would definitely meet Eun-ki, and we’d experience that ordinary kind of love that everyone does, the simple kind of love that everyone in the world, no matter who they are and what they do, gets to experience. That ordinary kind of love.
I want to start all over again. This is what I think I prayed to God.”
He gasps for air as he remains sprawled on the ground. Slowly but surely, his breathing begins to slow, until there’s only still and silence.
Seven years later.
A little girl smiles for the camera, as she says in both Korean and English that Park Jae-gil is her father and Kang Choco is her mother. Choco sighs – her name is Jeon Ji-yeon, not Kang Choco.
Hah, and her daughter even says “heol” (bull) like her mother. As they go downstairs to meet Dad, we see Choco and Jae-gil’s wedding pictures on a shelf. Look what happened while we were gone!
Jae-sik is making an honest living working in a fried chicken shop, which Jae-gil stops at in the morning. Secretary Hyun pops in too, to sourly give back a love letter Jae-sik had written to her. Aww. That’s weirdly adorable.
She’s not totally averse to the idea of Jae-sik, and they bicker back and forth over the “love letta” while Jae-gil smiles knowingly.
We find Jae-hee sleeping in her car outside of a prison, apparently waiting for Min-young’s release. He sees her waiting, but chooses to leave before she wakes.
She tries to follow him, but she’s stopped by Joon-ha, who really looked like Maru for a second. (Or is that what they wanted us to believe?) He tells her to respect Min-young’s decision. And by his words, it sounds like Jae-hee was only released from prison a few months prior. Her dreams these days are much more simple than they ever were.
Joon-ha asks her about Eun-suk, and she admits she hasn’t seen him yet. Apparently Eun-ki has been taking care of him, and they’ve been getting along great. That’s so sweet – he finally got his Eun-ki Noona.
Speaking of, we see Eun-ki in Maru’s old neighborhood hiking a sick child up to the local health center. But the doctor isn’t in. Can we dare to hope…?
When she returns to the clinic later, we hear a familiar voice. And the doctor is, indeed, Maru.
Alive. Maru’s alive. Cue collective gasps of relief.
He explains everything that happened in one convenient fell swoop, but all we need to know is that he got the brain surgery, and it was obviously successful. And now he’s a doctor again.
BUT, the little girl goes on with her exposition sickness to add that Maru lost his memories after his big hematoma surgery. He can’t remember anything or anyone he’s ever loved, nor can he recognize faces. (It explains why he looked a little confused when he first saw Eun-ki in the office, even though he smiled soon after.)
Despite his lost memories, the little girl mentions that it’s odd for Maru to always go to Eun-ki’s Bakery, because the food there is terrible and everyone knows it. But he eats there every meal. So why?
Maru just smiles. We find him next at Eun-ki’s Cafe, and she sneaks a couple of pictures of him. (If there was a drinking game for how many products have been placed in just this final episode alone, I’d be getting my stomach pumped right about now.)
He discovers her, and with a sour look, ushers her over. Her camera is full of his pictures, and he asks, “Are you interested in me?”
Eun-ki shyly admits that she is, because he’s her ideal type. “Since when have you been interested in me?” Maru asks.
She pauses. “It’s been a while.” He presses her for more details, but she doesn’t give them because she’s embarrassed. He scoffs and leaves.
We hear him in voiceover as he ends up wandering back to her shop when she’s not there – what we’d heard as he was not-dying, about wanting to start over again with Eun-ki in another life and experience an ordinary kind of love.
Maru: “What kind of person she is… I would ask those who know her. And at times, I’d hang around outside her house. And at times, because I want to look good in front of her, I’d learn the old school trot dance that her father likes, and learn baduk, and learn how to eat all different kinds of foods without being picky. And at times, I’d memorize all the songs of her favorite pop artists. And at times, I’d go to the place she frequents and wait for her the whole day.”
He says this as he ends up waiting for Eun-ki on a road she frequents, and she goes to sit by him once she sees him.
“I’d tell her I miss her if I miss her, and I’d say I long for her when I do. I’d feel excitement and gratitude. To date like other people… I think I prayed for it.”
He sits awkwardly for a moment, before he passes over a ring box. She opens it to reveal two couple (wedding?) rings inside.
Maru turns to look at her, the old him filtering through his gaze as he smiles.
They stare at each other, both smiling happily. The last lines of Maru’s voiceover follow:
“And I say my prayers again: Thank you. Now, I am happy.”
COMMENTS
What a ride that was. And were it not for these final minutes, I would have walked away feeling a lot more dissatisfied. Not that a happy ending cures all – the ending could have been happy or sad, as long as it made sense – but thematically, it definitely worked. Narratively, not quite as well.
I couldn’t help thinking, once Maru was revealed to be alive, how moot most of the big conflicts ended up being in the long run. There was an inevitable rushed feeling that came from having so much thrown at us in these final two episodes, yet most of it didn’t emotionally resonate with me as it should have, simply because we weren’t given adequate time to really process what was happening.
Up until the forty-five minute mark, almost every auxiliary story going on was more interesting and immediate than Maru and Eun-ki’s story, which shouldn’t have really been the case. But it’s a small complaint, considering that we did get such nice wrap-ups for our side characters. Excluding Joon-ha, even though it’s good to know he’s fine. I do wish there had been more time dedicated to his accident and subsequent coma, because as it was, it felt like a throwaway device employed to spur Min-young into action. And Joon-ha, as a character, deserved a little more respect than that.
Nice Guy was never a show that delivered huge twists and jaw-dropping surprises, and most of the time it was just a matter of waiting for the other shoe to drop. The surprises sprinkled in, like Joon-ha’s accident or even Maru’s stabbing, didn’t pack as much punch as was probably intended. Joon-ha’s accident-and-recovery inattention was probably a time constraint, but Maru’s stabbing was just frustratingly meaningless. And it had the added side effect of making me think less of Eun-ki, a character I love, because too many coincidences had happened just so and at just the right time to allow Maru to do what he does best: Sacrifice. And she got to do a whole lot of nothing.
And in that sense, his saving her was absolutely nothing new. I had hoped that Eun-ki could regain some of her lost traction by saving him from saving her, which would have done a nice job of subverting expectations. But then we’re supposed to believe that even after ALL of that, she couldn’t be bothered to notice a thing? And then it was never brought up again on screen where we could see the aftermath? Yes, his face is beautiful and it’s hard to look away, but the whole stabbing/noble sacrifice scenario felt oddly fabricated compared to the fairly organic storytelling we’ve had till now.
I loved how Jae-hee’s trajectory ended, and thought her arc was one of the more satisfying ones of the series. While I wish we had been able to learn a little more of the Jae-hee that left Maru for the Chairman, I appreciated that she was never evil just to serve the plot, nor was she ever without her own twisted justifications for her actions. The way her morally questionable actions always had immediate and terrible consequences fit in nicely with the eventual change she made for the better. Her choosing to turn herself in, without being literally forced, was as perfect an ending for her as any.
In that same vein, I was surprised that Jae-sik was also afforded a decent arc, and found myself liking his character regardless of his moral compass. This might speak more to how well he was acted, with an ease and total lack of self-awareness that you don’t normally get in your usual villain stock these days, but his refreshing honesty about how awful he was made what could normally be a frustrating character not only palatable, but also dynamic and interesting.
His realization that he couldn’t kill Maru because Choco treated him like a human being was moving, even when his thought process remained so very flawed. The fact that time was spent giving him a happy ending was a little surprising, but it was nice to see that both siblings were able to correct their past mistakes and turn over a new leaf. That was some 2+ Grade Satisfaction.
Where I find myself held up is the completion of Maru and Eun-ki’s arcs, and more Eun-ki’s than anyone. The epilogue we reached was sweet if not slightly confusing (as to whether he had his memories or not), and even though everything changes with time… What happened with Taesan, again? Not that I held any love for that company, but after making it the biggest deal for the past nineteen episodes, was it all for her to give it up and own a shop in the countryside? Not that there’s anything wrong with that decision, but if that’s where we were going, then why oh why did we spend eternity trying to get her to the top of a company she may or may not have wanted?
By leaving the hematoma reveal until the last minute, and by not letting Eun-ki catch on to Maru’s sacrifice, she ended up being so woefully removed from what was happening around her that it felt almost criminal. She was in control of nothing while Maru, up until what might have been his last moments, protected her from everything. This speaks more about him than it does her, since I think that by the time the hematoma news hit her I’d lost sight of who she really was. Who knows, maybe it dates back to the car crash, when the first sprinklings of disillusionment hit. Or maybe it was when Eun-ki 3.0 took the stage.
While I do wish we were allowed more time to spend in the aftermath of the reveals we all saw coming, I did like that the ending worked so well for Maru thematically, and thus worked for Eun-ki by extension, in allowing her to be happy with the man she loves. And while his journey wasn’t about faith, the fact that he started with none and gained it by the end to pray for what he wanted – a fresh start – was a nice touch. He was granted what he needed to live again, not in another life, but in this one. Finally, time is moving forward again. Maybe it’s moving forward for the first time.
In the end, and to an almost frightening degree, Maru proved that there is such a thing as nice guys. Endlessly fascinating and fantastically portrayed by Song Joong-ki, Maru will probably forever remain as one of those characters I liked watching from a distance, but one I wouldn’t necessarily want to know personally. I’ll gladly leave him to Eun-ki and their future soccer team of the world’s most beautiful children. They’ve earned it.
RELATED POSTS
- Nice Guy: Episode 19
- Nice Guy: Episode 18
- Nice Guy: Episode 17
- Nice Guy: Episode 16
- Nice Guy: Episode 15
- Nice Guy: Episode 14
- Nice Guy: Episode 13
- Nice Guy: Episode 12
- Nice Guy: Episode 11
- Nice Guy: Episode 10
- Nice Guy: Episode 9
- Nice Guy: Episode 8
- Nice Guy: Episode 7
- Nice Guy: Episode 6
- Nice Guy: Episode 5
- Nice Guy: Episode 4
- Nice Guy: Episode 3
- Nice Guy: Episode 2
- Nice Guy: Episode 1
Tags: featured, Moon Chae-won, Nice Guy, Park Shi-yeon, Song Joong-ki
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101 Jade Butterfly
November 18, 2012 at 8:06 AM
And then its Happily Ever After. It was asked...No, its was demanded of Lee kyung Hee , & she delivered. Albeit , in a lil' misfit way but Maru lives! Glad he wasn't steamrolled by some truck or left to die in the forsaken walkway.I WILL watch your next movie , LKH! Thanks for listening.
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102 Jeca
November 18, 2012 at 8:19 AM
Ho can one be so poetic about the characters in Kdrama as you do....and after all these years. I m impressed. ;)
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103 ayan
November 18, 2012 at 3:43 PM
Thank you nice guy, you made my semester.
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104 Awe
November 18, 2012 at 3:54 PM
well, Heads, thank you for driving the clown car on this one. i was very happy to sit in the passenger's seat and watch the scenery fly by as this drama sped through 20 episodes. as the tourguide+driver, you pointed out landmarks and trivia that gave that added touch. good job!
although the last episode left me with a mild case of whiplash, i was happy the writer took a different route towards the end instead of her usual "kill everyone, take no hostages" style. so, to show, i thank you also.
this has been a very entertaining ride.
i really enjoyed MaRu's voiceover at the end. i believe he knew EunKi all along, but that he just wanted to start all over with a 'good, simple, fresh start'. some of us choose to forget the really painful/awkward/embarassing moments and i think MaRu used the 'cover of amnesia' so he could face EunKi as the nice guy he really was and get a new start.
thanks show and thank you, everyone...i enjoyed spending time with you during this drama.
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105 =_=
November 18, 2012 at 5:02 PM
i just gotta say that MCW is so beautiful this whole drama...
cant stop being amaze looking at her...
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106 phjfever
November 18, 2012 at 8:00 PM
i'm glad i'm not alone in that the ending , albeit i'm so happy our maru did not die, was unsatisfactory to me as well, this is not surprise for me at all with k writers of kdramas, they get you all hooked up & addicted to the story but in the end they leave you with some baffling ending! overall i luv this drama esp with song j ki & moon chae, they gave it their all & like DB said fascinating and fantastically portrayed by him! he's so young & yet so full of potential already, not only a pretty face! if i had my choice i'd luv to hv seen the ending of maru not suffering from hematoma, instead maru & eun ki living their married life, still very much connected to tae san & hvng jae hee ousted from that position, etc. however as i said we don't always get to see what we anticipate in kdramas but seeing them happy together made it all great!
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107 angskeet
November 18, 2012 at 8:18 PM
I loved this drama from the beginning, and making it a happy ending made me love it even more! Maru and Eun Gi are the best characters ever
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108 MelMax
November 18, 2012 at 11:37 PM
... whew, sighhhh, just marathoned watched all 20 epis, and loved it... I'm so glad I waited for the whole drama to end before watching (requested a day off to watch...)
'am loving Song Joong Ki more--4 thumbs up (fr two hands and two feet-he!, always been a Park Shi Yeon fan--hey she did a great job being a villainess here... and from La Dulce Vita, Slingshot and of course Coffee House and now this.. discovered Moon Chae Won in It's okey Daddy's Girl--she was a gem there and here... of course the cast, brava for all...
Sooo, there were lots of what? and..huh? But this was awesome, I've come to accept that dramas always have some kind of flaw or lots of them but oh well, Maru survived his bleeding brain--I can understand him having amnesia, there's always that chance with any kind of craniotomy... and finally becoming a doctor, yahoo... Liked it that Eun Gi--gave up her Tae San and did the waiting at the end for Maru to like her...
..just like previous episodes sometimes it's best to just leave your brain at the door... migraines galore with this drama.. Maru, my headaches/migraines were worse than yours.. But truly thanks for the recap/recaps... 'til next time--khamsa...
Thanks Heads.. I'm glad it's finally finished because it sure was one of those dramas that if I waited-watched every week the whole 2mos+ I would have had a bleeding ulcer by now, though I think I have one now from all the highs and lows of this awesome drama... and at the end of each episode was the melancholic-soul wrenching crooning of "Love is like a Snowflake" by Xiah Junsu (I hurts me that DBSK has broken up, his singing refreshed the wound of their group break up--that added to the sadness of each episode--sorry to go off tangent.)
Kwangsooo, I am so glad for and proud of him in the drama. And to have such a pivotal role as Maru's best bud, I cried with him in his anguish for Maru and so happy he's a rich man's son and ends up happily married to a beautiful young wife who has always adored him and with a genius daughter... he gets kissed though it's not Yuri (SNSD)--I bet a lot of the Running Man cast & creware having a ball with him after this drama. But luckily...the ending loved it, if it had been a tragic or open ended one well, shame on the writers... so I expect everyone will get an award at the end of the year... Now I can go sleep, I'm exhausted from just 2 hours sleep in 2 days... khamsa... need to rest my brain 'cuz it's headed to confusion land...
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109 jetaime2157
November 19, 2012 at 2:39 AM
cute, really cute ending.
Song joong ki, comedy and drama are both good. Way to go SJK
I think Maru alreay gain his Memory back, and his teasing Eun Ki being not one of the pretty girl in the village.
And in his narration "And at times, I’d hang around outside her house" (Dr. Maru is always in Eun Ki's coffee shop) and times, because I want to look good in front of her. "And learn how to eat all different kinds of foods without being picky" (his eating the sandwiches from her shop even though it tasteless )
I think his feeling his way back in to her life, when he found out that Eun ki was interested in him. He left but came back with the ring (the ring that got for their wedding 7 years ago).
And the smile he gave to Eun Ki when he gave the ring it means "I'm back" and Eun Ki recognize that smile she smile back to Maru knowing that Maru recognize her.
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110 MissyK
November 19, 2012 at 4:52 AM
Finished the drama finally .... found the execution of some parts of this episode did fall a little short for me considering the previous 19 episodes had been executed well ... that being said, I felt it is an ending fitting for this drama ... after all the drama started out with what Maru did and at the end, he got to live out the dream life that he always wished for.
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111 rheina07
November 20, 2012 at 3:43 AM
the ending is just . . . to bland.
i am hoping for something much much better than that and make more sense !!
I think i'll be able to realize that maru has to died in the end rather than having those quick time jump to 7 years later.
and yeah. how about TAESAN??
how come our strong and fierce eun gee become one of the woman who care for kids?
how come she become the owner of a cafe in countryside??
how come??????
I think, if the drama got extended to 22 eps, the ending might come better than this.
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Silverteem
November 20, 2012 at 2:30 PM
Everything that you were asking were to be expected. Eun Gi wasn't attached to Tae San, she in numerous instances was willing to give it up. Her father had done some shady deals on the past as well, w/ Jae Hee's confession, there is nothing much that Eun Gi can do either to hold onto Tae San.
Eun Gi during her amnesiac stage had revealed that she's just a vulnerable woman as she is fierce. I think it was a well established fact that she was a child robbed of love when her mother died and was forced to be raised into a heartless successor to Tae San by her father.
It COMPLETELY makes sense that she left Tae San and went to Countryside as both Maru and her have always dreamed of running away into a place where no one knows them, living a simple life.
Both Maru and Eungi got what they wished for.
I do agree however that at the MOST, an episode would have helped filled up more gaps, rather than a quick jump to the future.
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RealKDramaaddict
November 24, 2012 at 10:20 AM
Her mother died when EK was an adult, fully formed. She was cold and heartless by her very own choice.
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Silverteem
December 6, 2012 at 6:56 PM
My bad, yes her mother died when she was adult. But her mother LEFT her when she was young, presumably to go off with another guy or something, as seen with her father's distrust w/ women. In the end she's still robbed off of a normal childhood. And was always out trying to prove to be the capable daughter that her father dreamed her to be.
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Silverteem
December 6, 2012 at 6:57 PM
Actually not *dreamed to be, more like DEMANDED to be.
RealKDramaaddict
December 13, 2012 at 3:33 AM
Everyone had traumatic childhood in this drama; she chose to be heartless, cold, paranoid, and bitchy.
silverteem
December 18, 2012 at 3:34 PM
Just like Jae Hee too right? Or even Maru.
112 cheleilei
November 20, 2012 at 4:38 AM
Watched the final episode and read this recap a while ago but thought I'd come back and comment. ^_^
I personally think that in the end Maru ended up remembering Eun-ki. Those rings in the box he gave her at the end, AREN'T THEY THE SAME EXACT ONES FROM BEFORE THAT HE BOUGHT RIGHT BEFORE HER MEMORY CAME BACK? I could be wrong, but when I double checked, they were the same.
I really liked the wrap up overall. I was totally expecting something like A Love to Kill and Maru and/or Eun-ki would die, so considering that Maru lived and Eun-ki was interacting, even as strangers due to memory loss, I was estatic. I was really happy at how clean of a job the authors did with humanizing Jae-hee and Jae-sik. The small parts from the previous episodes made their endings make sense. Min-young's ending was also clean and well done too, especially with that last minute stabbing, even if no one can really figure out what the real purpose of him doing that was for.
And just like everyone else, I was freaking out about that TRUCK OF DOOM. I've seen too many dramas and music videos that have the lovers about to meet and right as they step onto the road someone gets hit and dies. I would've so mad if that happened. =P
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113 Sponge
November 20, 2012 at 6:04 AM
Thanks heaps for the recaps! I'm satisfied with the ending and drama as a whole even though you make a valid point about the flaws. It was still a fun ride, my feels were all over the place.
The fact that Taesan was just ignored seemed confusing, not that i ever wanted eungi to inherit since corp mechanisms are always frustratingly boring.
Also i agreed that the stabbing served absolutely no purpose except to further emphasise what a 'nice guy' he is, and to make viewers believe he was more likely going to die (neither of which i liked all that much - and seriously what a double whammy of pain, logically i didn't really expect him to live through that even though i wanted him to).
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114 bambledd
November 20, 2012 at 2:19 PM
Really glad it ended w/ a happy ending but they wasted so much airtime showing flashbacks of scenes from this very episode. They should really give viewers more credit than that.
And have to say that the "proposal" scene was soooo.... flat. Reminded me of a kid leaving food out for a dog, the way the ring box was just sort of put out without any meaningful dialogue or expression.
Thanks for the recaps!
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115 eunhye
November 20, 2012 at 3:30 PM
ah, this drama truly has been a roller-coaster and i've loved every minute of it! Song Jong Ki and Moon Chae-won were awesome even though i wasn't constantly blown away by their overpowering chemistry- they worked.
I must admit i was close to tear so many times during this episode it wasn't just because of the main cast either Lee Kwang soo and Lee Yoo-bi (Kang Choco) were amazing and Choco's justification for not seeing her brother was heart wrenching.
I totally agree even Yang Ik-june (Jae-sik) had me totally feeling for the guy with no moral compass or loyalty...
overall Nice Guys has been a good one and now i'm left wondering what should i do with my wed/thurs now that it's over...
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116 Nikilann
November 23, 2012 at 2:15 PM
I just knew there was something strange with the watch this time ! Seriously, I can't believe I missed it ;) Thanks for the awesome review. Quite a drama ... I'm gonna miss Maroo (and Moon Chae Wonis damn talented to choose the dramas that will be hits. Like Lee Min Oh. I respect their talent. Or Joo Won. He maybe is the best for that, for now ^^)
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117 Gasenadi
November 23, 2012 at 6:21 PM
HeadsNo2 !! I am not EVEN half-way through the recap, haven't read any of the comments, but just have to RAVE about your abilities. My eyes are now puffy, not from the angst of this anticipated finale after a grueling marathon. But from laughing, cackling, guffawing at your interjections in pure recognition of my own reactions. Yeah, I also cringed expecting the Truck of Doom. And dropped-jaw at EK's obliviousness to MR's bleeding hand. And the poor cop taking JH's super-sized confession had to stop to remind her of her rights. LMAO!!! Had to stop before I peed on myself. You, and your compadres, are why I LOVE dramabeans recaps. Gracias!
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118 conan
November 25, 2012 at 6:44 AM
I finally got around to watching the finale. Denial is my unwanted best friend.
I'm just glad no one got killed, even the bad guys. Dramaland needs no more murdered characters. Although I do think that extra two episodes might do this drama some good. The last episode felt like it was so rushed. I agree with you on how a lot of the problems that ensued within the last two episodes just got wrapped quickly. Maybe I wanted to know more about Joon-ha. Maybe I wanted to know more about how Eun-gi reacts to Maru's condition. Maybe I want to know how Min-young eventually realized he had to turn himself in. Maybe I want to know who the new Taesan CEO is (Joon-ha maybe?).
And about Maru's amnesia. I think initially he did have it. Propagnosia and all. But just like Eungi with hers, he eventually learned his memory back. Or at least by the time he went back to Korea all is swell and done. Sort of a way for him to have that "ordinary love" he wished that one time. The rings says it all. I think it was the same rings he was about to give to Eungi before, no?
Overall I did enjoy the drama. It was a masochist kind of love. It's terrible for my soul but I just love it. I love the fact that no characters were pure evil, just as you said. They had their own intentions for their doings, and it wasn't just out of jealousy and hatred. I also liked how the writer doesn't think we're overly stupid. Those skip to the ending talk about the details later was perfect. It made me hate the writer a little, but in a good way. I guess. When the KBS Drama Awards comes around, I wouldn't be surprised if this drama, Song Joong-ki specifically, would nab multiple awards.
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119 fraulein
November 26, 2012 at 5:59 AM
I think I was the only one hoping (please don't trash me) that Maru and JH will end up together.
I pity JH. Luck was never on her side -
1. all her dreams squashed for a stupid visit to a motel.
2. although married to a chaebol, she couldn't find love. Chairman Seo was a heartless man (not to mention invalid) that hardly has any emotions.
3.Became an obsession of another old man (lawyer Ahn) who was always there to stop JH from getting near Maru.
4. JH was too proud to honestly confess that she still loves Maru. Instead she just keep on teasing him about his love for her.
5. If Maru had been able to catch her on her first visit to his house (thanks to Choco's piggyback request)?
6. If Maru wasn't framed for threatening JH (thanks to Eun Gi)?
7. If JH had not (out of her super anxiety) insulted Maru at the restaurant for selling himself.
8. If JH or Lawyer Ahn had knew that there is a CCTV in front of the gate??!! A little tip, don't commit adultery in front of your house.
Argh... too many ifs, but none of these happens. Hence JH lost Maru.
When Maru read out his diary about how he wanted to be with Noona, at some place where she can always reach him (I was crying at this point), he knows he wasn't opting for revenge but just the wish to stay by her side.
I can totally relate to JH, cause I was once proud, always rushing to conclusions and made a lot of decisions that I terribly regretted. Given the condition of her childhood, I can't blame her for foolishly clinging tightly to her throne and away from his brother finding her. Also she acted stupid because unconsciously she can't face her guilt of sending Maru to jail.
The only reason I think Maru ended up with Eun Gi was because Eun Gi has all the lucks in the world! Maru always witnessed the bad side of JH and the poor Eun Gi's suffering. Bad timing!
Why can't Count Monte Cristo ended up with Mercedes? :(
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missjb
November 26, 2012 at 6:28 AM
So I'm not the only one who want A Jae Hee - MA Ru pairing? hehhh... I'm glad I have a friend who agreed with me... Maybe It because I dislike Eun Ki's character so freakin much.... I tried so hard to understand her character, but I end up found out her flaws more. Maybe it something to do because her character although is the most complicated and a hard one to potrayed, I don't think she is a well written character. her self centered bitch behaviour just doesn't match with Ma Ru. And Their relationship lack of trust as well.
I actually love Ma Ru - Eun Ki's relationship around 11-16, but it's more due to I'm so touched by Ma Ru's action towards her. But when reach ep 17, My dislike to Eun Ki character is arisen and My sympathy towards Jae Hee is growing on me! I'm just cried along with Jae Hee when she Cried and felt sorry when hearing Ma Ru's condition (and when she turn herself in to the police, I just want MR know already her sacrifice for him and for his happinesss... *CRIES* compare to Eun Ki's reaction who are my opinion soooo FLAT and didn't makes me shed a tears for her guilty feeling. HAH.
But EK - MR's last kiss is soo awsome tough >.<
But it's more about MR's love for EK is soo deep and not because I love them as a couple.
I agree with you on your 6th point. The conlflicted between Jae Hee - Ma Ru start from that incident, and Eun Ki indirectly cause Ma Ru's anger towards her. MR until now didn't knew that Eun Ki was the one who accuse him and makes him want to jail even until now right? so unfair for Ma Ru. ! The guy really has a bad luck.
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RealKDramaaddict
November 28, 2012 at 6:40 AM
You are not the only one who cared for JH but I did not want her to end up with MR. Rather, to find her own self and after being healed, accept a new love.
I felt nothing between MR and EK, cold, coldness, and icy cold. Twisted, mistrustful, full of lies interactions.
In fact, I don't think that EK is smart or perceptive. One-track mind of a bulldog, full of hatred and entitlement. I think MR did see it and accepted her the way she was, out of his big unhealthy heart. She had her Barbie, now she has MR, just a different object. Has she ever listened to him, asked him what he really wants? Did she try to learn about MR and his desires, his life, his past? MR was doing that toward EK, she just accepted and demanded more.
Many things are left unexplained. People love to hate JH forgetting that she did not kill EK's mother, if was lawyer Park's father, the Chairman, and lawyer Ahn who killed her. But JH took all the blame and inhuman treatment from EK.
At the end, being a 37-year old ajumma, EK still behaves like a little girl. Maybe, if she really was smart and business savvy, her bakery wouldn't be a total failure.
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Silverteem
December 6, 2012 at 7:06 PM
Eun Gi had 7 years to wait for Maru. She chose to forego that 7 years to let Maru achieve what he always wanted to be.
Why would people hate Jae hee for NOT killing Eun Gi's mother? Huh?
If you were Eun Gi and you found out that Maru was doing all these distrustful things too, would you that be understanding? Actually forget that, Eun Gi kept on trying to understand Maru, but Maru kept pushing her away back then.
At 37, Eun Gi doesn't only behave like a little girl, but she never aged. Her bakery thought is just one huge excuse to stalk Maru.
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missjb
December 9, 2012 at 6:40 AM
I still can’t makes sense EK’s action. What I saw
from the ending, was Eun Ki’s obsession towards
him is no joke. Lol
She even stalk him on the countryside. The show
never told us what EK’s thinking during that 7 years. I STILL can’t understand her action, even when you
mad at someone, is it enough a reason to have desire
to crush someone by your car? Is it makes you have
the right to trying killed the man you supposed to
love? if that’s not an obsession what else? If anything, JH convince me more her love to MR is
more real. She turn herself in and confess, and even
confess a murder 7 years ago. She confess to EK
about MR’s condition, so let EK know, so MR not
being misunderstood again. JH’s action towards the
end, was I waiting for EK, to makes a big sacrifice. Not all Newkdramaaddict comment i agree with. But one
thing I agree with her/him, the show never showing
us her unselfish act towards MR. How she want to
know about MR’s feeling. She always act based on
her own opinion.How can the writers makes me
convince her act in the last episode is to sacrifice for MR? Reply « PREV
RealKDramaaddict
December 13, 2012 at 1:22 AM
People love to hate JH forgetting that she did not kill EK’s mother, if was lawyer Park’s father, the Chairman, and lawyer Ahn who killed her. But JH took all the blame and inhuman treatment from EK.
This is what I wrote. One more time for your reading comprehension: throughout the show JH was blamed for EK mother's death. Real killers were other people, including EK's father.
THis is what you said, "Why would people hate Jae hee for NOT killing Eun Gi’s mother? Huh?"
Huh?
RealKDramaaddict
December 13, 2012 at 3:40 AM
"If you were Eun Gi and you found out that Maru was doing all these distrustful things too, would you that be understanding?" No, I would close my eyes, scream that it means nothing and I don't want to know because he is pretty and I want him now. All mine. No matter the past and no matter what he says. Or wants. And I would crash anyone on my way. Then I crash him if I cannot have him.
"At 37, Eun Gi doesn’t only behave like a little girl, but she never aged." So EK can only be kind when she is dim, weak, and disabled? Or acts as a little girl?
What about being kind, but also smart, quick, efficient, and strong? Looks like EK version 4 is clueless, kind, and naive, suddenly stripped off her agency yet again. At the ripe age of 37.
silverteem
December 18, 2012 at 3:42 PM
@RealKDramaaddict
Which is my point. Who is hating on Jae Hee? You make it sound like there were a lot by saying "PEOPLE". Basically, you're saying it was only EK who hated her... I dunno, looking back at the show again, EK hated Jae Hee because she saw her as a bloodsucking gold digger. I don't know where you came up with her hating Jae Hee because her mother died? How does that even connect? So forgive my reading comprehension, but your context was blurry too.
silverteem
December 18, 2012 at 4:43 PM
@missjb
The question I have is, why should EK sacrifice for Maru? I get what you're saying, and I think it would have been nice too had the writers actually showed us how EK could return the sacrifice for Maru.
But then I step back and think about it, it actually doesn't make that much sense. Maru is supposed to be sacrifice personified in this drama. For me, her 7 years of letting go is enough sacrifice already, ofc I do agree that this sacrifice is not as palpable as Maru's, but let us be honest, who can actually top off Maru's ability to sacrifice? Another thing, is that it was fastforwarded to the future, and I do agree, that diminishes the impact of the "sacrifice" in EK's part.
And just to reiterate what I kept on saying, EK wasn't only in love with Maru, she was obsessed. I think that's not something that the plot was trying to hide.
And for the record, Jae Hee's actions towards in the end isn't anywhere near for what Maru has sacrificed for her. In the bigger picture of things, they are "equal" at best, and I'm still on the opinion that Maru sacrificed more for her (not that you can quantify such things...). And you cannot really say that it was sacrifice when Jae Hee simply did what she was supposed to do several years ago.
What I found really confusing/disconnect about the justification of Jae Hee's actions towards the end, is that it not really something borne out of love, but more of guilt. Sure, I do agree that she confessed because she loved Maru too, but like I said their relationship is truly like of a brother-sister. There is no denying that they were romantically involved, but I don't know, I just did not feel the chemistry.
And let's get this straight, Eun Ki hates the past, and wants only the future. As she repeatedly showed, no matter what Maru's pasts were she did not care. But when she found out that Maru used her, ofc all her illusions came crashing down. I just cannot emphasize how she fell for him deep. Maru is a true bastard, he knew what EK' weakness was and fully exploited it: EK's mother, and her dysfunctional relationship with her father. And so, in a spur of that moment, when everything that EK believed turned out to be false, she just acted the way a broken person would probably do too.
RealKDramaaddict
December 20, 2012 at 5:17 PM
It's getting boring because you claimed that you watched the drama but it seems that you spent your time under a rock. Hey, do yourself and favor and really watch it so you won't make unfounded assumptions.
It's almost Christmas and I feel generous. So here it goes, pay attention:
Episode 2, EK runs away from the hospital, sits in the garden and waits for JH. She tells her clearly that a week after her mother was kicked out of the house, she died. Since then all EK wanted was to have revenge on JH. She wanted to find her weakness and destroy her.
EK should have targeted her own father, lawyer Ahn, and lawyer Park's father because they were real killers.
Cheers! :)
Oh, and for the record, EK grew up with a full set of parents, albeit dysfunctional. Yes, her mother cheated and the father had shady business and was a killer, but she was not abandoned like you continue to claim. She had a roof over her head, money, best education in America, and a powerful position in the company. And the Barbie. EK's mother left the house a few months after MR went to jail.
silverteem
December 21, 2012 at 6:19 PM
@RealKdramaadict
And that changes anything?
You said "People". EK hated her, whether it was justified or not, in the end Jae Hee coveted what she wasn't supposed to have.
EK was a jaded btch, and JH was an opportunistic btch.
There ya go.
silverteem
December 21, 2012 at 6:39 PM
And now I question your own attention deficit in the drama too.
EK's mom got kicked out and Jae Hee arrived, I nor EK ever claimed that it was Jae Hee that killed her mother. She was however, angry at her intuitively because her mother was kicked out and eventually died (allegedly of accident) because of JH's arrival to the house. Clearly, EK was not aware that it was her father. So was her anger towards JH misplaced? Maybe, but it definitely wasn't unjustified either.
Silverteem
December 6, 2012 at 7:11 PM
Maru fell on hard on Eun Gi when she went amnesiac. Sometimes just being genuine is all it takes. All along, what Maru felt for Jae Hee seemed to have all rooted from his admiration and pity towards her. They never truly connected romantically in my opinion. She was like the total noona package.
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missjb
December 9, 2012 at 6:18 AM
I don't think Ma Ru's love for Jae Hee, it's just full of pity towards Jae Hee. Yesss.. His love is built by his conscience at first. But love is built from many factor, sometimes, we love someone for many reason, factor, or even without a reason. After that, love will start to grow because another reason like their personality, feeling the connection, etc. Something that makes that love more geniune. that's human right?
He devoted to her for 19 years for god sake. and he take the blame for her after he was being affected by kissing her! He is moved by that kiss and make a decision without thinking properly. How in the world is not love romantically?
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RealKDramaaddict
December 13, 2012 at 7:39 PM
In case you yourself got amnesia, go watch the first episodes of Nice Guy. JH was MR's first love and he carried the torch for her for many years. Their chemistry was quite good. IN MY OPINION.
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Jen
January 2, 2013 at 6:59 AM
I know this comment is late as hell, but you're a real bummer in the comments section, aren't you? I would understand that you'd really like to express your opinion after just finishing this drama, but it's been over a month, and why would someone who really hated the overall drama (besides jaehee obvs) like you still go back to this post again and again to write about your frustrations? You sure like to make yourself mad by checking in here every now and then, don't you? Or do you have this holier-than-thou attitude, 'this drama is total shit and all favorable opinions about this drama is also total shit and only my thoughts and opinions count.' I totally get that vibe from your posts.
120 stefaniesugia
December 1, 2012 at 7:21 AM
this is such a great recap! just finished watching this drama and thought i'd read the recap here in dramabeans. your reactions are exactly the same as mine; especially the Maru-stabbing-sacrifice-thing. nevertheless, it's still a great drama, and watching Song Joongki for the whole 20 episodes was worth it :))))
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121 Dana-Carmen
December 2, 2012 at 6:31 PM
So... am I the only one in here that understands the ending as a dying man last wish? I really cannot see it as a happy ending...Just a dying man's last moments and how he'd wished the things were like that(happy&different), since the writer is the same who wrote A love to kill...well to be honest I kinda expected both or one of the main characters dying, his dramas are usually like that...anyway the ending leaves a lot to the imagination ...
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122 kimchi pop
December 3, 2012 at 2:13 PM
The ending felt rushed. Plain and simple.
The sad part is that if you are a kdrama lover you knew by the episode before the finale that this was going to happen. Way too many loose ends were still flailing around so in a way, I was prepared for a hurried ending. Its really frustrating because the writing up to this point had been pretty strong and I was genuinely vested in many characters. I'm feeling a mixed bag of emotions here. I'm glad that I got a small glimpse into the 'after' story but I wish they hadn't squashed it into the last few minutes of a 20 ep drama.
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123 Kate
December 4, 2012 at 12:27 AM
Do you have the script of this drama? Please can you help me to find it???
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124 missjb
December 9, 2012 at 6:36 AM
I still can't makes sense EK's action. What I saw from the ending, was Eun Ki's obsession towards him is no joke. Lol
She even stalk him on the countryside. The show never told us what EK's thinking during that 7 years.
I STILL can't understand her action, even when you mad at someone, is it enough a reason to have desire to crush someone by your car? Is it makes you have the right to trying killed the man you supposed to love? if that's not an obsession what else?
If anything, JH convince me more her love to MR is more real. She turn herself in and confess, and even confess a murder 7 years ago. She confess to EK about MR's condition, so let EK know, so MR not being misunderstood again. JH's action towards the end, was I waiting for EK, to makes a big sacrifice. Not all Newkdramaaddict comment i agree with. But one thing I agree with her/him, the show never showing us her unselfish act towards MR. How she want to know about MR's feeling. She always act based on her own opinion.How can the writers makes me convince her act in the last episode is to sacrifice for MR?
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125 Kira
December 9, 2012 at 7:56 PM
I hate that empty feeling when a good drama ends, BUT I am definitely going to keep an eye out for Song Joong Ki. <3 LOVE.
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126 chulz08
December 10, 2012 at 4:29 AM
Savoring the end, though I would really want to know if Maru really lost his memory or he was just pretending that he has an amnesia cuz in the end when he handed the wedding ring I was like "ok he was just pretending".
ommo..I really hope and wish for a part II, book II, sequel whatever it is :))
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127 k-soup
December 17, 2012 at 4:41 AM
I haven't been in the dramaland for quite some time and I am NOT a big fan of melodrama crap.. I've had enough of it in the past and yes, I wasted a lot of crappy tears.
This is my rule breaker. I love Moon Chae Won and I adore Song Joong Ki.
I'm a century too late with this drama. I just watched it 3 days ago. I haven't watched episode 19 and 20 yet but I've read the recap.
First thing about it?
I've skipped a LOT with this drama. I hate dealing with some parts, no mater how important they were or how necessary there were to understand the plot, skip! skip! skip! skip! skip!
it's just eun ki and maru scenes and just read recap to understand the plot.
I LOVE the ending. the turns of the events. I love the way the drama turn the miserable-dramatic-just-kill-me-plot into this-is-as-easy-as-breathing plot.
BTW, stepmom is a very bipolar antagonist (?)
I have a love and hate relationship with her. I'm confused ;)
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k-soup
December 17, 2012 at 4:52 AM
P.S I declare Song Joong Ki as not just a pretty boy but a GREAT actor and he earned it well. As for Moon Chae Won, I added her in my favorite young actress who can really act. VERY WELL.
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128 Myka
January 1, 2013 at 6:38 AM
Maru is hot and all and a very badass hero, but god forbid when I agree that Nice Guy is the most overrated series of 2012.
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129 Marce
January 6, 2013 at 4:49 PM
All in all I liked the ending very much, and in my point of view I do believe that the hematoma did heal maru from his vengeance and hate - state because after the car crash with eun ki (in which he wanted to die) he felt he was alive to have the opportunity to redeem himself and help eun ki thus returning him to his nice guy days :)
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130 mysin
January 13, 2013 at 11:19 PM
I'm sorry... Really really sorry, I could cry right now just by writing this but moon che won is not suit for the role, everytime I watch her I keep having this flashing Moon Geun Young 'Eun Jo' character in cinderella's sister as Eun Ki... I know I'm being subjective but I keep having this stress while I saw her trying to act as cold & self disfunctional character here... I love MCW in painter of the wind or princess's man but not here... She can't act out the character like moon geun young did, too bad, for me, it just didn't work, I can't say the drama is good either bcos usually I lost time everytime I watch korean drama but this one keep making me sneak to the clock wondering when this episode is going to finish... *sigh* too bad cos Song Joong Ki really pull it off
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131 leiaquino
January 15, 2013 at 4:24 AM
I've just watched this drama 2 days ago(yep, I definitely missed out the fun of interacting with you guys). Well, I'm not fond of Korean dramas(of watching any drama, actually. School's taking away all my free time). When a friend made me watch this during our lunch period(2 hours of it. usually I'm at the library at that time. Yep, I'm a nerd), I was captivated at how good the actors were. Specially with those of SJK and MCW. I took off precious hours of sleep from my daily schedule just so i could satiate my obsession for this drama. And now that I'm done with it. I plan on rewatching it with my dongsaeng :)
After so many years of mostly pain, sacrifice and regret, Maru and Eun Gi finally get a happy ending and I was so glad they were given one :) What happened after the surgery...
- Maru suffered from prosopagnosia (I think this is how God answered his wish to start again). I remembered on one episode where he said he didn't believe God exists. But he prayed to Him to grant them another chance(he and eun gi) to experience an ordinary kind of love because he thought that no matter what he does, he will never get to have that opportunity after what has happened then between Eun Gi and him.
- Maru's heart just like what Eun Gi's heart did, remembers her while he was studying in America because of that ring(I suppose lol). And I think the doctor professor was helping him recover from that. Then he decided to go back there to start over with her. After he had quite remembered her.
- I remembered Eun Gi saying there are more important things she has to do and she says that that's more important to her than Maru. I think she let the doctor professor take Maru abroad and continue with his studies there while she takes care of all the things back there (Taesan, Joon Ha and her father's murder case and also, I think Eun Sook too. Her mother was put in jail and she has to take care of him.) After she has solved all the problems there, she left Taesan to somebody she trusts (maybe joon ha, idk.), opened a shop and wait for Maru to come back(she knows he'll remember her and come back and find her and like what Maru wanted, she wanted to start over again with him too.) And when he comes back, they both acted like they both don't know each other so they can start over again and then Maru decided to let her know that he remembers her, via the couple rings.
- Then they got married and lived with their simple life. I wanted Eun Gi to wear that wedding dress he showed to Maru back when she lost her memories. I imagine them saying good morning to each other every morning, Maru will do most of the cooking because Eun Gi just don't excel with that field, they'll teach each other during meals, Maru teaching her how to cook sometimes, Eun Gi, wanting to impress him will ask help from a neighbor or on the internet to learn how to cook, they go visit Jae Gil and Choco sometimes and vice versa, and they'll go on dates...lots of it and they'll go on trips when they have excess money and they go on making their own EunMa baseball team XD
- On Jae Gil and Choco's wedding, I'd like to think that Choco's mother(her biological mom) got invited in their wedding. I got the feeling her mother only say those harsh words to her so she'll choose to go to Maru.
--That's all my imagination :D when I rewatch it again I'll write a review. Thanks so much for this recap, it helped me understand this drama better :D
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132 sparkles
February 3, 2013 at 2:16 PM
I enjoyed this drama very much. I had many favorite parts in this episodes. I enjoyed watching a twisted but handsome character like Maru. Even though he had hurt Eun Gi, I ended up liking him. His character was very interesting because he has a nice side and dark side in him. I liked Eun Gi's spunk too. LOL. Love these two characters.
So sad to see it end, especially when it ended badly. It seemed to me like we had a couple of episodes all rolled into 1 because the director wanted it to be only 20 episodes long. If they had extended the episodes, then we may have a more satisfying ending.
I keep wondering who the little girl Eun Gi brought into Maru's hospital. Is the little girl her little brother's girl friend? LOL. Also, whatever happened to Taesan? She wanted to protect it so bad that she chose it over Maru. Why is she now just living a simple life, owning a small store? I don't get it. Again, it could have been better if they had only extended the episodes and filled in the gaps.
I don't mind the "let's meet and fall in love again in out next life time" plot. However, it did confused me because of the big story gaps. I'm just glad that they have a happily ever after because our Kang Maru deserves it! XD
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133 jay
February 8, 2013 at 10:31 PM
can't wait to see Moon Chae-won on her next TV drama role. I love her so much...
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134 sparkles
February 8, 2013 at 11:14 PM
Okay. In episode 7, Eunk-ki said that she was 29 years old. Then, after the car accident 11 months passed before Maru and Eun-Ki met again, which makes her 30. Therefore, 7 years later.. means that Eun-ki is 37 years old before she and Maru gets to start all over again and get married? Wow. That is a long wait. She waited 8 years to be with Maru. *sighs*
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135 MaruMaru
February 16, 2013 at 2:35 PM
I love reading your recaps! I didnt watch this drama because i was to scared it wouldn't end happily, but i read your recaps and ended up falling in love with Maru
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136 lusiabournet
March 4, 2013 at 7:42 PM
I agree in many point view of you. How you noticed the plot, the script n the caracter as well.
Yes i could say 'jae hee' caracter was the most who end up brilliantly and was portrayed wonderfuly by PSY.
And the i unsatisfied things was the jump time, put 7 years, and give me another pity feeling for eun gi caracter, even she get all the love she wants but why put so much cost for this caracter. Not so brilliant for the caracter who come up powerfully in the beginning ( i lost the trace of this caracter). The writer, I dont know why have to deal with 'amnesia' again. The 45 minutes was answer all, yes get stabbing, again save eun gi, and eun gi doesnt even pay attention really awkward n unnecessaire,
I always remember the strong caracter if eun gi who 'dare to seduce in meanwhile so naif ' i think maru who supposed to be the player fell at the same time with eun gi but he always try to put himself to not to fall for eun gi, that why he's ( next to eun gi) become surprisingly a nice guy, the way he used to be, only because he realized that only eun gi who see him through his heart ( that's why he more suffered when loosing eun gi than jae hee).
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137 Melanie
March 10, 2013 at 1:23 AM
I LOVED this drama, it is now one of my favourites! I think I am more of Eun-Ki's thinking, in the sense that I had NO IDEA Maru was stabbed, and I witnessed it... XD I thought that Min-Young had a conscience change and didnt actually stab Maru, because I didnt see anything in his hand as he pulled away (I need to go back and look at all the signs you mentioned..). I then continued watching blissfully blissfully happy until Maru sent her away and revealed BLOOD ON HIS HAND! and then he walked off and collapsed to die all alone in a park full of no one to save him, talking about how he wanted to Die in the tunnel, and hoped to meet Eun-ki in the next life, and I was crying uncontrollably... I had feelings of bitter-sweetness as they showed the other happy endings, But then MARU APPEARED! and I was happy, and confused because he wasnt winking at Eun-ki, or showing any sort of recognition, and then he said he had no memories and I was miserably sad again.
I felt it was a "sort of" happy ending. Maru had happiness, but not as Maru the guy we knew and loved who had suffered so much and deserved to be happy, but as Maru the man who didnt remember his horrible horrible life and could start afresh, And that is Sort of happy, but not really though.. Our Lovely selfless Nice Guy didnt get his happy ending..
But then he brings out the rings and it makes one wonder if his memories came back, or if he just found these rings and decided to give them to the beautiful woman he fell for, and has a strange connection with.
Either way, your recaps are awesome, and this Drama was awesome.. but it still makes me sad. ToT
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138 lorac
March 10, 2013 at 12:12 PM
I find the comment: “read through all the recaps and watched [only] episode 20 and I didn't feel lost” interesting. One thing that impressed me while watching the drama was the stillness of the characters and the time they were given to think. Long pauses where the actors express a state of being only by a look, and action or more importantly inaction can only be experienced in watching the drama, not reading about it.
So for those of you who didn't watch the drama and only read the recaps and think you know the drama, think again because you may have missed a lot.
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139 evaRhema
April 12, 2013 at 11:28 PM
thank you so much HeadsNo2, javabeans and girlfriday for the recaps!! :DD
as for me, everything in this show was just great and although i have some frustrations on some parts, i just forgot all of it because of the happy ending.. I mean, people, Maru didn't die!! add to that, he can have a great future with Eun Ki!! for someone like me who was thinking along the lines of "As long as he is Happy whether he lives or dies, i'd be more than satisfied", that was a great christmas bonus!! I was really prepping myself for his death, but he didn't die!! hallelujah!! I'm just so happy because they're happy after all that pain and angst.. hahah, just sharing my thoughts coz i just love love LOVE this drama to pieces (especially Song Joong Ki, cue crazed fangirl screaming kyaaaahhhh~~ XDD ) !!
the storyline was great, the editing was super, the acting was amazing, and the ending was HAPPY, what more could i possibly ask for??
sorry, can't say anything more. i gotta go get some medicine for my seriously grave withdrawal symptoms.. *^_^*
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140 Devdevv
April 16, 2013 at 8:52 AM
i've watched this drama and hm its turned out to be boring and the only reason i watched this drama till the end is because song joong ki. I was confused about the ending... how about taesan..? how about the stabbing? i thought maru would die because he already finished his role as kang maru and already made jae hee went to jail.. so he already finished his revenged(?) and 7 years gap... and i didn't understand why he want to do revenge but still love jae hee...?
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141 Kate
June 25, 2013 at 12:32 PM
When did Ma Ru officially and sincerely love Eun Gi? Also, when was he officially over Jae Hee?
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142 Marj
August 6, 2013 at 1:33 AM
While I love Song Joong Ki and his acting here, it seems i never really was so into the show. good story, good acting, good characters, i hardly feel like i cant wait for the next episode. I think the problem lies with Joong Ki too baby faced that its hard to equate his looks with the hardships and sacrifices he endured. I think if the character was played by a more mature guy like So ji sub or Go Soo, i would be more invested.
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143 Stuart
August 19, 2013 at 5:00 AM
I only started watching K Dramas 3 months ago, and so Nice Guy is only my 26th series, but I had to post to say how much I found the experienced enhanced by reading the recaps here immediately after watching each episode. The insight and commentary really added a lot, thank you!
As for the finale, I agree with so much of what you said. I found myself more invested in the Jae Gil/Choco pairing than the Maru/Eun Gi one as I tired of his relentless martyrdom. I also thought that Jae Shik's rant against Choco's stirring his conscience was a real highlight of the episode. The wrapup was rushed, but after everything the series threw at me, I was happy to see that he gave her the couple rings he bought before his surgery. If that was fanservice, I consider myself well served!
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144 nimrah
August 21, 2013 at 12:56 AM
i enjoyed this drama! some episodes were so thrilling and some episodes were just repetitive and boring -.- i was hoping for a more detailed ending...felt like there were a couple of loose ends. All in all 3.5/5...definitely not a re-watch though.
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145 Tsu
March 19, 2014 at 11:34 AM
did maru's memory come back?
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146 sinag-liwanag
July 23, 2014 at 4:22 AM
I think I'll pass on this. I don't get the impression Maru really loved Eun Gi when all she did throughout the entire drama was to be infatuated with him. He seemed to have a stronger connection with his ex. Not once did he ever admit to loving Eun Gi whereas she talked about her feelings for him (even to his face) half the time. It just strikes me as very one sided where the girl constantly pines for the guy who settles for her because the girl he really wanted didn't want him enough. It took about 19 episodes for him to stop pushing her away and even then, his asking her if she'd run away with him strikes me as half hearted. Overall, it really looks to me as if he only cares for her as a friend. If that's the case, why did they (the writers) even force them to be together in the end, complete with the retarded amnesia plot (really? The girl already had amnesia, now the guy too?! That's overkill); I think I'd rather they not include the romantic subplot at all than write it this one-sided.
I'm not going to argue about which one has a better plot but as far as the relationship between male and female lead goes, I think Secret had a better one in that you could really tell Min Hyuk loved Kang Jyeon - and it started in the middle of the show, not at the very end. It was more satisfying at least in terms of the romantic aspect. In Nice Man, I think Eun Gi deserved better. I was hoping she'd end up with Joon-ha. :(
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147 Mimi
July 26, 2014 at 2:34 AM
What a ride that drama was- a whole emotional rollercoster also- (somehow a very different kind of emotional rollercoster as it does it without draining too much energy out of you either, cos of the conclusions/answered ep after ep)
However...
I throughoughly enjoyed this drama, but i agree with you Dramabeans on that one, Maru is not near a character i'd like to know personally, but was very exciting to see that character from FAR AWAY, haha.
One thing this drama teaches, if there''s anything to learn from it, is, to not live to seek revenge and do not covet, it will only end up making u utter miserable. Smile, and be happy, it is the best method-!
This drama was the first one i watched with Song Joong ki in, i 've never seen him perform before, and WHAT a fantastic, brilliant, amazing actor i've gotta say he is. Not even exaggerating. With his natural "Innocent/flowerboy' face, he was able to pull off a role even actors with the strongest/not so innocent faces would find challenging! Hats off to him!Brilliant performance, and that works for all the other actors as well, including Lee kwang soo, though i know him very well in real life, outside seeing him in dramas i mean (watching RM and his interviews) i was somehow able to see only his character and connect with it, forgetting Lee kwang soo is behind it!Brilliant.
So many moments in this drama, especially the last few minutes and scenes, which i admit made me tear up quite a bit. What a bad man Jae hee's lawyer is, too many villains in this drama,Lol. But brilliant acting altogether.
A drama that was definitely a waste to watch- maybe not one i'd watch again, but one i enjoyed because of the efforts i can see was put in it and the deliverance.
Thank you dramabeans, you're a brilliant writer and dramas recap blogger yourself!
^^
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Mimi
July 26, 2014 at 2:36 AM
Definitely NOT** a waste to watch, i meant. :)
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Mimi
July 26, 2014 at 2:37 AM
Definitely NOT** a waste to watch, i meant :)
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148 Lisa
August 13, 2014 at 12:51 PM
I actually have to say that I enjoyed the ending. I of course was annoyed with Eun Gi not getting that Maru was kinda stabbed in front of her and the signs were like a bright light and that he again had to be the saviour of all, but I enjoyed how they did it.
Maru surviving can be seen from different views, people who think it is possible, people who think it's unrealistic, I personally thought it was the first step into ONCE getting what he wanted. Maru said that he didn't want to die, he wanted to live and never did he ever get what he wanted, but finally he got the chance and survived.
I think it's clear that Maru at least recognizes Eun Gi in the beginning, because he obviously eats her shabby sandwiches while everyone knows they are ... shabby. And seeing as he treats her as a crazy paparazzi later makes it seem like he just wanted that fresh start with Eun Gi (like mentioned in the voice over then). Seeing the box with the couple rings again made my heart flutter, really, because I've waited for that box since Maru put it on Eun Gi's desk but immediately took it with him again when seeing that she remembers all. This was clearly a sign for me that he did in fact remember her. Everything else wouldn't make sense. It's cute in some ways and everything that Maru wanted and deserved (finally). Eun Gi seems to be a lot more like the girl she was when she lost her memories which makes me wonder if it's because she finally can trust. Eun Gi was cold-hearted and "bad" because she couldn't trust anyone, wouldn't trust anyone. "Without memories Eun Gi" didn't have those issues and rather trusted blindly so now we have a mix of the two.
Jae Shik's "redemption" was actually seemingly fitting. A person like him can change if he receives the love he never got from his sister. And I'm sorry but his love line? Totally cute *.*
I enjoyed the ending, just because it's a fucking happy ending. I didn't expect it, really not.
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149 susie
March 17, 2015 at 11:16 PM
hey......I really love reading or recaps soooooooo much....its just almost similar to watching d drama.....with some1 awesomely awesome sitting beside and commenting their head out....I.luv.ur.recaps.so.much. I want to just continue watching ur recaps until the end of time.....bt,there's just one problem...the pics in ur recaps aren't appearing.....I wonder wants the problem ???? I tried a lot of things to fix this BT it didn't work. so please suggest sum of the ways I can fix this....this also goes to the rest of the drama fans who are reading d recaps.....
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150 taylor
June 10, 2015 at 11:23 AM
This drama is one of my all time favorites. It's my second time watching the series and I could definitely go for another run through the episodes because it is that good. If you liked this drama I highly encourage you to go rewatch it! There are so many small details that you will catch on to that make this drama better the second time.
Like in episode 3 when Eun Gi finds Maru's home he asks her, "Are you interested in me?" and then goes on to say "Is your ideal type a handsome man?" In this ending, after taking her camera and seeing all the pictures of him, he asks her the same thing "Are you interested in me?" to which she answers "Yes. A handsome man is my ideal type."
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