358

Mi-rae’s Choice: Episode 16 (Final)

It’s the end of this crazy time-travel-but-really-alternate-realities wormhole where some things are left the same while other things are changed. You can never be sure what kind of consequences your present actions may have in the future, but at least you can rest assured in the notion that there are some things you can change now, which is what’s important at the end of the day. Well, this day here and now anyway; I can’t tell you if it’s the same thing in a different universe.

But no matter what universe you’re in, the numbers remain the same as Mi-rae’s Choice ended its run with a 4.1% in ratings.

SONG OF THE DAY

Jin – “너만 없다 (Gone)” [Download]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

FINAL EPISODE RECAP

Everyone waits expectantly as Shin goes on air, faced with the dilemma to choose between two different scripts. He looks up after an agonizingly long pause… and reads off the one without the humidifier controversy. On one hand, that’s a relief, but your principles, Shin!

The crew is disappointed and Mi-rae turns off the broadcast. The pair of reporters wait for Shin after the broadcast with dismay, but he walks right past them.

Oppa learns that moving Ajumma in her currently unconscious state is potentially dangerous, yet leaving her here doesn’t seem like a great option either.

Se-joo asks if there’s something he doesn’t know surrounding Ajumma’s sudden collapse and wonders if Mi-rae actually believes the ajumma’s dubious time-travel story. Mi-rae knows it sounds ridiculous, but says Ajumma feels like a long-lost twin, so seeing her in distress pains her too.

Mi-rae seeks out Sandwich Board Man at his home, where he shows her his meticulous records of his son’s illness and death. He’s grateful that she would even listen to his story and doesn’t care about protecting his anonymity because he’s already lost his son. How sad. What angers him is that those businessmen still profit from their unethical deeds, calling them murderers.

Ajumma Mi-rae wakes in the hospital and has to be physically restrained from leaving until Oppa and Mi-rae arrives. Both Mi-raes jump at the sight of each other—Mi-rae is shocked at her future self’s gray hair and Ajumma is surprised… seeing herself? Wait a minute, are we dipping into amnesia territory?

Sure enough, Ajumma insists that she’s in her thirties, refusing to believe that she’s middle-aged. The doctor confirms that it’s degenerative amnesia due to trauma; the good news is that her memory could recover in time (unlikely) but she’s also susceptible to dementia.

We backtrack to Oppa’s earlier conversation with the Black Men, who informed him that the other Kim Shin is waiting for his wife to return. Apparently he’s still alive and well, thanks to a life-saving surgery after Ajumma left for the present.

So Mi-rae sits beside Ajumma’s bedside, wondering what was so traumatic that her future self would want to protect herself by forgetting it all: “Or is it because you don’t want to go back [to the future]?”

Mi-rae and her brother are invited to lunch with Chairman Lee and Se-joo, and the chairman wastes no time to suggest that they settle on a wedding date, what with the engagement rumors floating around and all.

She assumes that Mi-rae will need to be properly groomed for marriage, like cooking or floral design, but she’s surprised to hear that Mi-rae has already mastered those skills. Oppa is all for the kiddos to be married and suggests they go the formal route with an engagement party.

It isn’t the kind of reaction Chairman Lee was expecting, but she reluctantly complies. She asks why Ajumma didn’t join them and Mi-rae informs her that she’s in the hospital.

At the same time, Ajumma Mi-rae wonders where her diary has gone and where Shin hasn’t dropped by her room with flowers today.

The demonstration continues at NTN, to which Shin asks if Hee-kyung was trying to distract him with fancy parties and golf dates to prevent his participation. She defends that it isn’t, but that’s when Yoo-kyung suddenly pops in for a visit, introducing herself as Shin’s ex. Ha.

She’s here to ask for his help with her overseas scholarship application, and Shin can’t help but be impressed at her ambition. She beams at that and jokes that Shin should have liked her rather than Mi-rae.

She asks if Shin is really okay with Se-joo and Mi-rae’s impending engagement, but before he can answer, he gets a frightened call from Ajumma Mi-rae asking him to come visit her.

Mi-rae finally informs Se-joo about her previous meeting with his grandmother after lunch, to which he asks if Mi-rae can really quit her job. He says that he’s just kidding, since he respects that Mi-rae will only be happy if she’s working.

His voice turns serious to ask if she’s ever given any thought to studying abroad. She hasn’t and he lets the matter drop for now.

At the hospital Ajumma runs to hug Shin the moment he walks through the door. Thankfully he’s already been filled in on Ajumma’s condition and learns how they first met and gotten to know each other in her timeline. She grows nervous, saying that he sounds like someone who’s never heard this before.

He tells her that they’re both trying to run away from their pasts and paths, and it rather feels like they wound up where they started. Ajumma Mi-rae replies, “The fact that we’re trying to escape our own fate means that we’re still at the mercy of our own fate.”

Shin is approached by Sandwich Board Man at work to expose Taeguk Group aka the one responsible for the toxic humidifier sterilizers, but Shin turns it down. Mi-rae doesn’t have much luck at her job either, the tiny network lacking the power to put it on the airwaves.

Looking over the other script, Shin thinks back to the father’s pleas and Ajumma’s teary confession of her own son. An older gentleman calls out to Shin, blaming him for ruining his life. He’s Future Shin, isn’t he?

Shin asks if he was affected by the humidifier scandal, but the older man laughs back: “Can’t you tell? I’m you, from the future.”

To be more precise, he’s the future Shin who kept his mouth shut for the past thirty-five years, and he regrets that decision every day. He led a successful and prominent career and wanted for nothing, at the cost of his wife’s death and he lost touch with everyone close to him.

Future Shin hasn’t heard Mi-rae’s name in a long time, and he’d always wondered if he would have made the same decision if he went back in time to that fateful day. A tapping sound interrupts them, and when Shin looks back, he finds his future self gone.

Another tap alerts Shin back to the newsdesk just in time for broadcast, which both Mi-raes watch in the hospital room. Ajumma is moony-eyed for Shin, but Mi-rae has had enough and asks if the memory lapse is just a ruse.

She parrots Ajumma’s own words back at her to say that she’s trying to escape reality right now, but Ajumma only blinks back, perplexed.

It’s time for Shin’s ending statement and he initially misses his cue, lost in thought. Then Shin looks up to report one more scandal as he informs the public about the toxic humidifier sterilizer. Ajumma Mi-rae jumps up in shock while Sandwich Board Man smiles in gratitude at home.

Shin apologizes for not addressing the news sooner and rallies for public support as Ajumma Mi-rae says in a panicked voice that they have to stop him, her memory now returned. But she’s in such distress that she needs to be given a tranquilizer.

He walks off set where he promptly runs into Hee-kyung and asks her if this means he’s fired and in debt now. She tells him that it’s worse than that because she’s extremely disappointed in him. Why do I find that so funny?

But that’s the least of his worries as he recites another clause in his contract that states it’s his job to report the facts, and leaves.

Mi-rae returns to Ajumma’s room to find her crying, and that’s when she learns that the other Kim Shin is still alive. Her immediate reaction is relief but Ajumma bows her head in shame. Mi-rae says she can just ask for forgiveness from her husband, but Ajumma replies that she’s also ruined Shin’s life in this universe, too.

So Mi-rae stays up all night researching Taeguk Group and their humidifiers, and pitches the idea to her brother for tomorrow’s broadcast. Oppa defends that that move is media suicide, but Mi-rae reminds him of how a drop in an ocean could change the world just a little.

This is the hope their show has been hoping to find, Mi-rae presses, and asks for his help. She also approaches Writer Bae and Yoo-kyung as well, and they both agree even though it means putting their careers on the line.

The men on the team are more reluctant, but they change their tune once they hear how Shin’s career is doomed because of this ordeal. Heh, I like how it takes an extra thwack upside the head to get the rookie announcer on board.

When Se-joo turns down the proposal, Mi-rae asks if he’s been threatened by Taeguk Group since the news report, but we know that it’s Grandma’s firm hand behind the order.

Se-joo explains that Taeguk is a major advertiser they can’t afford to lose, and exposing them would put everyone’s jobs at YBS at risk. He in turn ask if she’s pressing the issue because of Shin, but Mi-rae answers that it’s her principles that are driving this manner.

She thought Se-joo would be on the same page. “Because you’re different than the chairman.” Those words weigh on Se-joo’s mind for a long while, and then he calls to give the okay.

It looks like Shin was fired after all as he arrives at his office to find it already occupied by a new resident. He smiles as if both amused and relieved.

The Pandora Box team goes ahead with the humidifier story that leaves the corporate higher ups fuming. The protesters cheers while Shin watches the broadcast with relief as Yoo-kyung stresses the importance of journalists defending their own.

The broadcast is a success and the newspapers and the internet is abuzz with praise for Shin’s strong conviction and dedication to the truth. Needless to say, Chairman Lee is furious and demands to know how her grandson will take responsibility for such a ruckus.

She blames Mi-rae for his wavering heart and yells that she should have fired Shin years ago. But Se-joo won’t run a company where he’d be ashamed to show his face to employees and hands in his resignation.

Se-joo meets with Yoo-kyung outside, who tells him that she’s received the journalism scholarship. She’s headed for the States soon, and asks what Se-joo will do now that he’s unemployed.

She accurately guesses that he’ll spend some time in Jeju and takes his silence to mean that Mi-rae won’t be accompanying him. Then she asks if things would have been different if Se-joo had met her first—would he have fallen in love with her instead? He says he would have.

Mi-rae is called in to see Chairman Lee, who immediately demands that she break up with Se-joo. Slamming his resignation letter on the table, she accuses Mi-rae as the responsible party for her grandson’s ruin.

When Mi-rae refuses, she throws in the threat of blacklisting Shin from the industry as well. Mi-rae rises at that moment to say that she believes one’s feelings cannot be swayed by power nor money and leaves.

Mi-rae invites Se-joo for a home-cooked meal, and doesn’t answer when he says that the setting makes it feel like they’re newlyweds. They both have something to say to the other, and Se-joo asks to go first.

He informs her that he quit his job and plans to study abroad. Thanks to the recent broadcast, he’s realized that up to now, he’s always done things he must do. Now he plans to pursue what he wants to do and learn to build his own great broadcasting network.

He asks if Mi-rae is willing to accompany him, and she apologizes that she won’t be. She feels sorry for always being on the receiving end of his kindness, and that she wasn’t able to give him anything in return; she fears that she’ll hate herself if she stays by his side.

She plans to take some time to work on herself to become someone better. She’s not asking him to wait for her because she understands he could end up with someone else. Slipping the ring off her finger, she asks that he considers giving this back to her if his feelings don’t change in the future.

Se-joo tells her to keep it and Mi-rae gets up from her seat to break the tension. He then rises to give her a backhug, and she places a hand over his.

It’s finally time for goodbyes as Ajumma Mi-rae wearily informs her younger self that she’s going back. She’s suddenly looking years older by this point and dismisses the warnings that the journey alone could kill her, saying that she’ll die anyway if she remains here.

Mi-rae asks if she can’t stay a few more days, but Ajumma says that she wants to be by her Shin’s side to the end. She has to go back to apologize to her husband who’s waiting for her.

So Mi-rae and Oppa accompany Ajumma and Black Man No. 2 (because the first one strangely disappeared) back to the elevator. Oppa gives her one last hug and smiles when she nags him to take care of his health. Ack, these two.

Then Ajumma takes her younger self by the hands and tells her not to suffer by time-traveling like she did and take care. Crying now, Mi-rae thanks Ajumma for coming back to the present. “Thank you for making me into a better person.”

Mi-rae places a key in Ajumma’s hand and explains that it’s the key to Pandora’s Box. She says that she’ll bury a chest in their yard, so Ajumma must make the journey to find and open it. She doesn’t know what she’ll put it in yet, but she’ll decide on something.

“Even though you can’t change the past, you can always change the present.” Mi-rae says. With that, Ajumma climbs into the elevator and they both shed tears as the doors close between them.

As Shin leaves NTN, he’s moved by the protesters show their support for him. He turns around to see Mi-rae, and the two go for a walk. She asks teasingly how it feels to end up the way Ajumma had predicted, and he answers that he’s okay with it, given how much he’s helped others.

He thanks her for the broadcast and says he planned to come see her, but she deflects it by assuming he meant it as a professional courtesy. She informs him that Ajumma has left to be with her husband who’s alive, and Shin is relieved to hear it.

Mi-rae says that doesn’t mean she plans to date Shin—why who would want a man with a mountain of debt? He asks if she would when he’s debt-free, and she answers that she’s not sure.

Mi-rae tells him that she’s going to let the future worry for itself now and wonders why anyone has to determine their future in the present. At that, Shin smiles and tussles her hair, saying that she’s all grown-up now.

Then they each take their separate leave as they walk away in different directions.

3 Years Later. Christmas Eve. Yoo-kyung now headlines her own show as the MC and wraps up her interview with special guest Mi-rae, who’s now a bestselling author. Afterwards, Yoo-kyung asks if she has any special plans tonight.

Mi-rae doesn’t answer and Yoo-kyung jokes that she has so many invitations out the door. That’s when Jokey PD says he’s available tonight and both ladies skedaddle. HA.

Se-joo arrives at the aiport and his secretary asks if there’s a special reason why he returned to Korea a day earlier than expected. He says there’s no particular reason, but there is somewhere they need to go first.

Oh yay, Oppa is now happily married and his pregnant wife (carrying their second child) appeals to Mi-rae to persuade him out of leaving for yet another overseas trip for his documentary show.

As for Writer Bae, she teaches a broadcasting class and drops the hint that she’s friends with the famed Writer Na Mi-rae, which earns her an impressed response from her students. Her lawyer husband meets up with Shin, who thanks him for taking on the case against NTN.

It looks like Shin has his own journalism show now and though he’s invited to join them for dinner, but he politely declines because he already has plans.

Mi-rae walks into a bookstore and rifles through a book entitled—you guessed it—-Mi-rae’s Choice. Moments later, Shin walks in to pick up the same book. Not one to be left out, in walks Se-joo to grab a copy of his own.

As she passes by both men without notice, we hear Mi-rae’s previous narration in voiceover that one hopes for a Christmas miracle and holds onto the feeling that this year will be happiest Christmas of one’s life.

Mi-rae exits the store with the book in hand, only to double back. She suddenly stop in her tracks and smiles.

Epilogue. In the future, we see Ajumma Mi-rae digs up the chest that her younger self told her about. In it are pictures of a handsome young man. Aw, is this little Geon all grown up?

She flips through the pictures that document his life in reverse from his teenage years to his childhood to Mi-rae holding him close as a toddler. As Ajumma holds onto the last photo, another male hand clasps over hers.

COMMENTS

Despite the rocky opening that started off this hour, I rather liked this sweet epilogue, even if it doesn’t follow any alternaverse rules that give me more migraines than they’re worth. The photos contained in the time capsule gives Ajumma the hope that her son Geon is alive and well in another universe and timeline. It’s a sweet present that Mi-rae can provide to give our time-traveler closure and to convey the message that even with her endless meddling, she was still a part in changing Mi-rae’s life for the better. I’m warmed by the fact that not only did Ajumma make it back to her future, she’s also reunited (and I presume, reconciled) with her Kim Shin whose hand I also assume is his at the end.

As with most dramas, I have to suspend some belief that the child in the photos is Geon, since I don’t think Ajumma would have had the same visceral reaction in her hands if it were Mi-rae with another child. Naturally that begs subsequent questions of the boy’s father and whom Mi-rae chose at the end (which I’ll get to). I do think it was a deliberate choice on the show’s part to leave this open-ended by not showing us who he was both when Mi-rae returned to the bookstore and that final photo of her and her son, even if it left me even more confused than ever. And just because it was deliberate doesn’t always make it a good one. Yet because I do believe that it is Geon, I’m inclined to believe that present Mi-rae did eventually end up with present Shin.

There is, of course, another infinite batch of possibilities thanks to our multiverse theory that vary from marrying Se-joo to marrying neither man to a slew of others based upon the various decisions our characters were faced with at every turn. But what I can gather at the end is that although Ajumma Mi-rae initially arrived as the same person as present Mi-rae (with a few added years), it was that very moment she arrived in the present when their paths diverged. So I can see the show’s initial aim to place emphasis on the choices present Mi-rae would make, and how that fell apart as Mi-rae became less of her own agent of change (of her own life in another timeline. Oy, the headaches) as the story progressed.

As for the ending itself, I am aggravated that it just… stopped. We don’t get anything past a closeup of Mi-rae, and I paused for a good minute, thinking, “…then what? And why?” and it’s as if the show answered back: “Oh, you wanted more?” In a sense, I feel cheated out of both romances between Shin and Se-joo as they were built up (and sometimes torn down) as we followed along the series, only to have the story giving no resolution to either at the time of the ending, making us as viewers do the guesswork on our own. And while I’m usually okay with open endings, this is one case where I was scratching my head and resignedly concluded that it wasn’t worth another headache.

The past few episodes aren’t without its hiccups, what with the original Kim Shin being alive, giving Ajumma Mi-rae a main reason (apart from her ailing health) to return to the future and loosely constructed love triangles to string us to the end. As for present Shin, I did like that he got a wakeup call from his own self about the consequences of choosing not to disclose the story and even with that, the words I assume comes from a manifestation of his own conscience. Then we saw that Shin can also have a positive impact on others. Despite his stubborn thinking that he has to forge his own path and that he tried to push Mi-rae away because he was afraid he would bring her down with him, there are people who are there to put their necks on the line and support him, including Mi-rae.

I do like how the women still managed to pursue their own dreams with Yoo-kyung clearly ahead of that pack. She’s one character whom the earlier phrase that she needn’t depend on a man truly applied, studying to go abroad on her own and to provide for her family with her own strength. I thoroughly enjoyed her as a female second lead and left a little left wanting for her friendship with Se-joo.

So even with its odd turns in its story and often comical time-travel authorities to even more confusing time-space boundaries, I’m still reminded of the heartwarming moments between Oppa and his sister from another universe. But you can bet I’m never going to hope that another me comes back from the future to tell me that she wants to fix ONE thing in my life, that’s for sure. She can stay in her own universe.

RELATED POSTS

Tags: , , , , ,

358

Required fields are marked *

I.....don't understand this drama. (but Yoo-kyung<3)

I get not playing by the rules of traditional rom-coms, but then there's not playing by the rules and then there is making NO SENSE AT ALL.

Also, this has to be the first Yoon Eun-hye drama I've ever seen where she doesn't get a proper kiss scene with anyone. Let's just reflect on the waste that is...

On the upside, Yonghwa has improved a great deal as an actor, so that is a genuine positive I take away here - thing is certain, I won't miss this drama, or its messy execution of everything from premise to relationships (Oppa and Mi-rae are the only connection in there that actually make me feel anything)

0
14
reply

Required fields are marked *

I don't think anyone understood this drama. And I felt bad for YEH (whom I liked since Coffee Prince) and Lee Dong-gun (whom I liked since Sweet 18). Their talents were wasted by the wastrel plot. Of course, Yong-hwa got a good deal though....in that he improved his acting. Good for him.

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

yeah, I don't understand how they cast Lee Dong-gun and Yoon Eun-hye and then completely wasted that potential pairing.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yoon Eun Hye hasn't been picking good projects ever since Coffee Prince, and that was a long time ago. Her previous list of works like My Fair Lady, Lie to Me, I Miss You were only mediocre at best, and Mirae's Choice is the latest addition to it. I feel sorry for Lee Dong Gun since this is his comeback drama, but hopefully both of them will get chances to act in better dramas next time.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

it was meant to be misunderstood, coz writer Hong Jin Ah doesnt know what to do with it. would it hurt to show kim shin and mirae getting together at the end with a simple kiss to end the series? that'll just be 3 minutes at most, so they ran out of time? or both leads dont like to do any kissing scene. i think Lee Dong Gun is averse to kissing , remember MY BOYFRIEND IS TYPE B. i dunno about his other dramas tho.
ms. Gummimochi, pls. help us and pass on our collective sentiments to writer Hong Jin Ah. I felt so ... I dont know what to feel, or how to feel or .. am just confused.
to yoon eun hye, i watched this for you.. and i had to watch vineyard man afterwards coz I need to wash it down with something really good from the retro YEH, who was pretty, charming, so full of life and gets a wonderful kiss from Oh man suk at the end of a very beautiful kdrama. circa 2006, ah, memories...

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I was also impressed with Yong Hwa's acting in this drama!!!he's definitely improved and I really liked his character! Well, I think this character was interesting and well-written and it gave the actor the opportunity to shine for once. I think his other roles were "meh"!
But what kind of ending was that? I feel cheated because on the romance front, we don't really get an answer about who she chooses to be with! and strangely enough, the characters are in their 30s and seeing them hold hands seems like a huge deal for them...oh yes, we still have a lovely hug with Yong Hwa and Yoo Eun hye at the end!!! b but that's about it!!! and I've seen more swoon-worthy scenes in The Heirs, lots of hugs and hands holding and kisses and they are just teeenagers!!! ^^

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yeah, I was hoping for some lip action in this finale. We actually got more skinship between Ajumma Mirae and Kim Shin than between Present Mirae and Shin.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

My thoughts exactly! This drama confused the bejesus out of me and the ending totally left a sour taste in my mouth. The only upsides to it were: YK who finally got her own show, and Oppa who got married and had an adorable little family of his own. The rest was just a mixture of bleh, confusion, and frustration.. *sigh*

Well on the other hand, I'm so glad I only read the recaps of this drama xD

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I agree what a waste. I don't understand a thing

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Two words: Train wreck.

Glad it's over.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Most pointless drama in 2013
i don't know the meaning behind it

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I can't even tell you how hyped up I was for this drama for the simple fact that YEH always delivers when there's a kiss scene. If all else failed at least we'd get that but no kiss scene AT ALL? I was so happy Yonghwa was working with her, even if he didn't get kiss scenes with her, I was hoping he'd be on the sidelines taking notes when she had them with LDG. She seriously is the best as far as K-dramas go.

Happy to see my favs back on the screen but sad to see a drama with so much potential, especially with these four leads, turn into a mess. The network sold this drama as a rom com and then turned it into a melo. Mirae's Choice is the appropriate title for this drama but with an ending like that, the focus should have been on her furthering her new career instead of the dilemma over potential husbands. The image of Mirae becoming a successful author who raised a child to adulthood without that success being about the choice of man would have actually been a more powerful one.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

i think they had a kissing scene in ep 3 or 4.. it was in kim shin's dream when he visited mirae in the hospital :)

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

You know I forgot about that kiss because it didn't involve present Mirae.

Ah this drama. Just hate wasted potential. I loved all the actors in this and it's just sad to see this drama not live up to it's potential. I think Han Chae Ah will be fine but LDG and particularly YEH and Yonghwa should pick a KBS weekend family drama as their next project. Those dramas just never fail ratings wise since KBS has no competition from the other networks as far as dramas are concerned. Those dramas really do have a captive audience. Joo Won did 'Ojakgyo Brothers' after being in 'Baker King' and that led to him doing 'Bridal Mask' and 1N2D. Even Uee wound up getting a lead in a hit drama after doing 'Ojakgyo Brothers'. Lee Bo Young did 'My Daughter Seo Young' on KBS and that drama had an almost 50% viewship. She landed IHYV on SBS after that. Not really a fan of those 50+ ep family dramas but the KBS ones do work wonders for boosting your career if you land a good one with a solid cast. KBS had a good run with 'Ojakgyo Brothers', 'My Husband's Got a Family', and 'My Daughter Seo Young'.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

i know right! i suppose it doesnt really matter who she ended up with because in the end she is happy and THATS what matters. but i really wanted to know. would we have really been happy with either choice. i guess they HAD to leave it open for that reason. oh and the kiss... WHAT IS THAT ABOUT! no kisses at all. *frowns* thats the best part of a drama.. lol

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Ah, this drama! Why do I love it so much when I really am so angry with it?

So was this a feminist empowerment drama all along? Yes, i suppose so, a thumbing of the nose to Korea's entrenched couple culture. So why -- even with all that triumph music thundering across the screen do I have this nagging feeling that Mirae's becoming a "better" person was a result of the emotional scarring she got from Future Mira's bad news, Miranda's bad behavior toward her, the station's gossip, and Yoo Kyung's "I woulda had him if Future Mirae hadn't messed up my life." I'll allow that inferiority complex/gossip/rebuke scars pushed Mirae to be pro-active about her life, but don't use self-congratulatory triumphant music as if your ending is fulfilled. Because that wasn't the question the story wanted answered.

I kinda feared the writer would go with Mirae consciously NOT choosing either guy but for her to not consciously CHOOSE anyone at the end? That's far worse. Now that she is all self-powered and the inferiority complex is gone, who the heck would she choose? Should she choose neither or both? But now, we aren't shown what the saner stronger Mirae would choose? So is the love in the heart of the inferiority complex Mirae non-existent or not powerful enough to last in this new phase of her life? Is no vestige of it left? Was no part of it pure enough and strong enough to last even now? The whole idea that we can't really love somone until we learn to love ourselves just makes me cringe.

Seriously, I feel the fate theme became a prop, and the prop was confusing/unthought out. In the last episode, the plot pulled in some convenient stupid tropes (temporary amnesia, chaebol grandma suddenly disliking Mirae, Mirae's being angry at hubby is really HER fault, hubby not really dying). Not to mention the characters stopped behaving characteristically.

Plus, the OTP was kept apart too long. I would love to see the original script for this thing. I get the feeling the real OTP was SeJoo-Mirae because even at the end, although YK and SJ were in the same geographic area (am pretty sure), the writer couldn't bring herself to bring them together in another country. And Mirae doesn't even make a clean break with SeJoo but keeps stringing him on even to the end. Is it because she's insecure and still needs to hold onto a guy? Is it because she is letting him down easy? Is it because as she says she is not worthy of him? But why keep the guy's ring? As a writer, I know this situation: the writer really likes both guys for her main character. But after a while, you have to man up; and if you still want to be piggy and to let the heroine keep the love of the two rivals, you kill off the girl's rival so the second lead character can't rebound to her. There are ways to do these things but this writer's choice....is the least respectable way.

In a movie about choosing between two guys, to sidestep the answer about fate/choice by disguising it as female empowerment/character lacks moral courage. We buy a book or watch a story because for a little moment in time we want to hear someone else's philosophy of life (dressed up in story form.) This writer confused her plot with her theme. Mirae feministing is okay but what about fate, suffering, love and challenging bad prophecies/parental warnings. Is the writer brave enough to say "You love your husband but you shouldn't have married him. Listen to an older, wiser ahjumma and...

0
19
reply

Required fields are marked *

oooh, dang! I certainly ranted didn't I?

Okay...continuing:
Listen to an older, wiser ahjumma and divorce him via time-travel!"? NOPE! Is the writer brave enough to say "You chose the only guy you will ever love, and it'll be a rough ride so just suck up in the bad times." ??? NOPE! I don't trust a writer who doesn't make her views clear. This ending had cowardice, the writer's personal indecision, and fear of the audience written all over it. Curse you, live shoots!

I opened Pandora's Box and kept trusting in hope...but my hope was a delusion. This "giving a drama the benefit of the doubt" habit is going to be seriously reconsidered. From now on I will trust all the Korean ahjummas who instinctively know what dramas to avoid.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Really like your rant because you just articulately expressed how I feel about the drama. This drama is about Mirae's Choice so leaving the ending as it is shows cowardness and an affront to the intelligence of the viewers. It really annoyed me whenever people picked on Mirae and she buckled under the pressure. What a story it would have been if we saw Mirae become a strong woman who is able to choose for herself not just in the area of career but also in her personal life. So, what did this story accomplished? It left a bad taste in my mouth. I did what the characters in the story did - picked on Mirae rather than cheer her on for choosing whatever she chooses! But here I am forced to choose for Mirae to satisfy my own need of having a happy ending to this story.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

so true. I hadn't thought of that. We really don't get a chance to see and approve of her choice.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yeah, the drama truly left a big question mark on what Mirae's choice actually was when it should have been answering it.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

a thumbing of the nose to Korea’s entrenched couple culture.

I could have got behind it if it felt like that was the way it was headed (independent Mi-rae? I like that idea), but literally the only character who does feel truly empowered to me is Yoo-kyung, not Mi-rae (who just reads as waffling between two men).

0
6
reply

Required fields are marked *

Maybe it should've been titled "Yoo-Kyung's choice". It would've made more sense…she grew the most in this show, from resigning her role as the person who just always on a serving end, whether she wants to or not, to a person who stands on her own two feet, strong and dignified.

0
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

I would definitely watch that drama. In it, Se-joo would also finally get over second lead Mirae and see the goodness that is YK and fall in amazing love...dishing out a wonderfully cute chemistry....and I just become a puddle of squee. lmao

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Omg, this. I would totally watch that. With lot's of sugary cuteness on top please. Because female empowerment never meant you can't have a guy anyway. I just means you don't have to and choose yourself. Man, the thought of what SJ and YK could have been. I went into this drama hoping for two cute OTPs. Not much romance and comedy apparently in this romantic comedy, sigh.

0

so true. I'd watch that too. I hate waffling women who stand tere dithering between two men.

0

Carole, I also hate that. Actually, I hate when either a man or woman waffles between two people like that. It's not fair to anybody and just makes for so much needless angst.

0

Seo Yoo-Kyung's progression as the 2nd lead female character was a nice and welcome change from the norm we often see or are subjected to in kdramas.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I do feel like it was a feminist drama but it could have been done so much better. Like I said before if she is going to choose herself then let her say it! there is nothing wrong with that!!
I just hated how she just like kept hopes up for both guys just because it was convenient for the plot. I agree with your point on the last paragraph, the writer was scared to make her point and it really ruined the story for me. We had so many themes run through this drama and yet I feel like none of them stuck.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

"In a movie about choosing between two guys, to sidestep the answer about fate/choice by disguising it as female empowerment/character lacks moral courage."

BINGO!!! I'd have to go back to find the exact episode thread, but I said something very similar to this. It really annoys me that the show masqueraded as a female empowerment show, when in fact it was nothing of the sort.

At the beginning, I was so excited not only because of the premise, but because the show seemed like its attitudes toward women and relationships was going to be different. But it really wasn't. In the end, Future Mirae is the bad guy who is supposed to go beg for Shin's forgiveness -but hasn't he done at least as much wrong, if not more, than her?

It's like the writer wanted to have her cake and eat it too. Ultimately, the show was the same old romantic triangle shtick, except we never had a chance to see much of the Shin-Mirae romance. So if you go that route -at least let us see an actual ending! But no, we get this open-ended ending that doesn't actually signify anything but the writer's inability to commit to anything.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Mirae didn't choose Shin cause people were picking on her and making her feel guilty. What empowered woman allows gossip/snide comments/etc to thwart her? I would've loved it better if all the gossip/backbiting hadn't happened and YET she chose to not take SeJoo. Then the empowerment thing would feel real. Instead, she just looks like someone who wasn't being strong at all, she is someone who let public opinion push her around and she gives up both guys. Heck, Yoo Kyeung would think nothing about advancing through using powerful guys..and yet in this YK is the stronger female character.

The writer should've shown the difference between reputation, community shaming and doing something for yourself....self-worth. SeJoo gave up his position at YBS because he couldn't go against his own conscience. I couldn't see the strength in Mirae's choice because she just looked overwhelmed with self-loathing caused by company gossip -- the opposite of what writer intended.

The k-drama thing with fated couples really annoys me...and am presently enduring it in Bel Ami. All that fatedness takes away some level of mystery and certainly doesn't allow for free thinking about divorce. Heci..if some guy is your cosmic-ly ordained true love, and if the drama keeps hinting you're fated for each other, how can true choice --or an admission that your husband is wrong-- happen? So no wonder, they went back to the woman blaming herself for wanting a cosmic divorce. Soooo annoying.

I think a J-drama would've handled the ambiguity way better.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Think the writer's inadvertently managed to create a new drama genre: the anti-rom com.

I'd love to know what kind of reaction/flack MHIYD's finale and writer are getting, now that it's done and dusted?

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I agree with most of it--I think it was meant that way, but after a while MR felt like she was just following fate rather than saying it was destiny, thus her own choosing. It got sloppy towards the end in terms of event structure and internal rules. I makes me feel sad--does the YEH Rom Com curse continue? After Coffee Prince it kinda seems like she was saddled with a Rom Com curse where the writing would be bad, but look good at the start.

She originally refused to do a production because she thought the writing was bad, IIRC in favor of doing Coffee Prince, which was a hit, but after that, it seems she's getting cursed more than the agency that screwed her over. I'm really sad since I've liked all the male leads, the premises, etc that she's chosen. They all seem to start well and then train wreck later on on writing alone. Makes me wonder if she needs a cleansing or something, K-drama style.

I'm disappointed. I expected Mirae to stand up for herself and make choices, not follow other people's wishes. At least Korea agrees with me. There isn't even a religious aspect in Korean culture that could save this drama.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

That's quite a rant, Carole. But I don't think SJ and MR were the OTP. I mean, the show had MR indisputably in love with Shin for most of its run. So I can even understand that she might have lingering feelings for him in the future when she became successful and all. SJ, on the other hand, seemed like a friend to her only so after being apart so long, I'd totally doubt she suddenly gained feelings for him. As for YK, she totally gave up on SJ and moved on in her life, working towards her dreams (frankly, that's better than clinging onto SJ). They, interestingly, were just not meant to be in this future but that doesn't mean that because SJ didn't get attached to YK that he would be with MR.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think on paper and in the script Mirae and Shin are the OTP. But something strange often happens when one writes a love triangle. I can attest to it as a writer. You see the virtue of both lovers and you, the writer, become somehow conflicted. This is often what makes the rivalry so believable, because while one is writing a chapter with the OTP, you totally feel that they are perfect for each other. Then when writing the chapters where the second lead and the heroine interact, you totally feel that THEY are perfect for each other. The reader/audience picks up on that and are as conflicted as you are. This is what I think happened to the writer. She stuck to her guns by making Mirae only love Shin, but she undermined Mirae's love for Shin and sabotaged the written OTP. In addition, while there were moments when she should have begun turning SeJoo's heart toward YooKyung, she did those moments half-heartedly..and she never allowed herself to give up on SeJoo's love for Mirae because she/the writer did not want to cut him loose. This is something that happens with writers all the time

In addition, SeJoo didn't fall in love because of a person but because of a thing. I think of the "falling in love by water" as a kind of magical spell over which SeJoo had no control. Kind of like the potion in Tristan and Isolde. So he was doomed no matter what.

She set up the story as a feminist trope, a very daring one in K-drama circles: The one you totally fell in love with and believe to be your OTP is one you should not have married.

Now, that is very very daring, even taboo. Think of it. If one lives in k-drama culture and all sorts of coincidences, passionate looks, wistful longing, makes it clear the person you're in love with is your ONE TRUE LOVE.....then you marry this person and have a crappy life, making him suicidal and, suffering poverty.....how can you divorce the person FATED for you? This is why although we see a lot of divorced folks in k-dramas, we don't see a lot of stories where people fall passionately in love through signs and coincidences then after a while they divorce. (I'm totally thinking that Wang Family may --or may not challnge-- the anti-divorce trope.)

So the writer decides to do the feminist brave challenge: An OTP which ended in failure and death. The heroine's choice should naturally be: Divorce by time travel, or accept the marriage suffered because the hero was messed-up. Thus: make the hero change, make the heroine change, or marry SeJoo.

But in order to keep the status quo -- and betray her own feminist premise (which was to challenge the idea that you have to marry the guy you're passionately in love with because the universe/time has ordained it) she went overboard and resurrected the (supposedly) dead hero THEN had the older heroine blame herself...and had the younger heroine "find" herself. Thus the hero is not blamed, the woman is responsible alone for the bad marriage, and the OTP trope stands undefiled. If you want to leave your crappy marriage, divorce is not truly an option...and certainly the man is not to blame...he was just being a noble headstrong person.

The undercurrent of the story is that if the taboo against divorcing your fated one is truly challenged ..Mirae and SeJoo would end up together. The writer was cowardly at cross purposes with her story.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

@ Carole
"...very very daring, even taboo. Think of it. If one lives in k-drama culture and all sorts of coincidences, passionate looks, wistful longing, makes it clear the person you’re in love with is your ONE TRUE LOVE…..then you marry this person and have a crappy life, making him suicidal and, suffering poverty…..how can you divorce the person FATED for you? This is why although we see a lot of divorced folks in k-dramas, we don’t see a lot of stories where people fall passionately in love through signs and coincidences then after a while they divorce."

This is exactly what I originally thought the writer would explore and kept waiting for her to lead viewers down this path. Of course, it never happened and she chickened out early.

If only writer Hong Jin-Ah "had stuck to her guns" and dared to follow through thereby successfully executing the trope "The one you totally fell in love with and believe to be your OTP is one you should not have married."

Merci Beaucoup! I appreciate and look forward to your insights.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Congratulations on managing a remarkably positive, upbeat recap. Reading your recaps of the last two episodes I understand now why you didn't offer this drama as an option in the voting list for worst of they year, because it's obvious you really like it. To which all that can be said is, I guess someone had to and, vive la différence, I guess.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I personally did not hate this drama, unlike some. For me it was more disappointment than dislike. I was hoping for a 4.0 and got a 2.5. And while some do think it was the worst of the year, I can think of at least 3 or 4 others that were "worse". However, this one does make the top of the most disappointing of the year.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I only watched two episodes (6? and the finale) of this whole drama and read the recaps the rest of the way through. I decided I was curious enough about this show that I decided to watch the finale with subs before reading about it. I was pleasantly surprised and I really liked the ending. It was about choice and moving forward in your life. In the ajumma's future, Shin and Mirae went and wallowed and bickered in their misery. In Shin's sucessful future self, he didn't really stand up for what he really believed in and only chased after success and present Shin didn't want to be like that. I liked how present Shin continued fighting for what he believed and how his friends came alongside him too.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I have seen Yong Hwa and his advances in his acting through this drama. Good job...

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Lol at that second Black Man ajusshi. I can't remember where I've seen him. Queen Inhyun's Man? Nine?

He has guyliner?!!? ROFL

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

2nd Black Man Ajhussi looks very familiar too.....but I keep thinking he was some random unimportant CEO from some drama.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

lol at all this

So the writer really dragged that nonsensical love triangle until the very last minute, as if it wasn't obvious enough who Mirae had feelings for.

Se Joo ended up being so pathetic, I literally facepalmed in the scene where he asked Mirae to go to NY with him. Here I was thinking, "omg good, looks like he has some dignity, he said he wanted to speak first because he'll leave and he doesn't want to put her through the pain of rejecting him again"and then he's like "so will you come with me'

I

can't

I mean, how delusional can you get?

Also annoyed at Mirae tbh, what's up with that non answer lol why is she wearing the ring, then wonders why people think they're engaged? Her behaviour in the last two episodes just screams forced to me, the writer made her get a new (spineless) personality to keep the triangle alive. But I wanted them to end up together because they deserve each other tbh. Yookyung and Shin deserve sooooo much better.

I also was expecting a glimpse into YK-SJ alternate universe marriage, to see what actually happened. But I guess the writer just wanted to focus on the love triangle thing, and since it's 98% possible that Future Mirae was lying or at least tweaking the truth for her own purposes (I mean she didn't even know them personally) maybe viewers would be even angrier when they found out that, in fact, Alternate!Se Joo and Yookyung loved each other and it would just make the heroine look worse. So it got swept under the rug, like Yookyung. Not that I wanted them to end up together in this timeline, mind you. Yookyung's finale was actually the only one that I liked (along with Oppa's).

At least the reactions in viki are hilarious.

0
23
reply

Required fields are marked *

yeah... the alternate univers should've been shown. I allowed the non-consequnces of Future Mirae's rapid aging, accepted it when Future Mirae didn't die and when she got her memory back in time to return...although I did wince at the convenience of the plotting. But I allowed and accepted all that because I thought I'd get to see older Shin and older Mirae together...not just holding hands. Ah well. It'll still be one of my fave dramas, i think. After I shake off my anger at that annoying cowardly ending.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Funnily enough I was prepared to not see Ahjumma Mirae's future (or present?) from the start of the drama, and I would've accepted it as long as the rest of the story was solid. Since it ended up being so disastrous at least let us have a glimpse to the future sheesh.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

One of the most poignant ironies was that after all that meddling to make sure she doesn't marry him, Future Mirae tells Present Mirae that she's eager to still get home to her hubby Kim Shin - ouch.

The loss of the Mirae-Shin OTP hit me hard, mainly because I was also shipping the actors themselves and LDG in particular. Such a pity they weren't allowed to be the fantastic leads in this drama that we know they're capable of being!

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Although I shipped Mirae with SeJoo (because scenes of SeJoo's love for Mirae is way more apparent and in your face than scenes of Shin's love for Mirae) I always thought of Shin as Mirae's husband. That scene with Future Mirae and Shin in the hospital room....wow! so touching.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Also, if Ahjumma's future is not Mirae's future how the heck did she find the box Mirae buried???

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

and if she was weak enough to probably die from going back to the future, how would she survive another trip to see the box?

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I so agree. Their non-breakup breakup is a perfect example of everything wrong with this drama. It was the perfect time to end it for real this time, but the writer couldn't cut the cord totally.

YK and Shin should have gotten together. I would have shipped it hard.

0
15
reply

Required fields are marked *

It would've been such a great drama if we were never sure what permutation the coupling would take. But the writer took away all sense of suspense.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

can u tell me who did mirae choose finally?! I didnt get it actually.. kim shin or sejoo?!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

"YK and Shin should have gotten together. I would have shipped it hard."

I disagree, and I say this as someone who came to like Yoo-Kyung at the end. If they'd gotten together as planned, she'd never have come into her own and pursued her own dreams. She would have become the chaebol's wife who gained all of her power from his company's money. A comfortable life, perhaps, but not a very empowered one. Whereas in this universe, she will become successful on her own terms and because of her own efforts. I think she got the best ending out of all of them.

0
7
reply

Required fields are marked *

YK and Shin might've become a media power couple, i think.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

After she became successful on her own, sure. But not if they had gotten together before she learned the value of her own worth and efforts over serving men to get what she wants.

0

Shin was always telling her her value, though.

0

I meant more after the timskip mostly.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh, I see. I actually think that would have been great. I like the idea of them meeting up in America, or when they were both back in Korea after the three years

0

Wait…I'm confused, Shin isn't the chaebol…SJ is. Is it meant to be YK and SJ should've gotten together?

0

@nomad - My fault! I misread "Shin" for "Se-Joo" and ended up making the thread confusing. Sorry, @lemondoodle.

0

yeah, Seju and Mirae basically didn't officially breakup
they just put a KIV on their relationship by
Mirae gave Seju the option of coming back to her if he wants and he can give her the ring again
she said she can't be with him as she felt that she's inadequate and wants to be someone better, not because she didn't like or love him

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

She was a coward throughout the entire drama. Did you expect her to really own up to the fact that she didn't like him? Really?

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

what so hard at saying 'i don't like you'
it's better than keep stringing SJ along like that

0

@ lola
but didn't she said to him that she doesn't have this kind of feelings towards him like two or three times and he still wanted her or did I miss something...

and I agree @Annie, the writer made her a very cowered character, as in the whole ring scene, very uncomfortable

0

Yup agree with lola.. Off courae she will gradually have feelings with sejoo the monent she knew that he is the one who save her life at the beach

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

When Se Joo asked Mi Rae to move to New York, I think he already knew the answer. He did not seem disappointed when she said no.

This drama clearly had the story moving the characters and not the other way around.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thank you for the Mi-rae's Choice (AKA Marry Him If You Dare) recaps Gummimochi!

I have much to say about MHIYD and it will probably be more than 3500 characters :)

0
25
reply

Required fields are marked *

Now that all 16 episodes of MHIYD have aired, writer Hong Jin-Ah needs to apologize to all of the disgruntled viewers with the song/duet of:

"Hurt You" by Toni Braxton & Babyface

Here we go
Damn
Here we go again
Loving you has caused me so much pain
But you don't see it, you never see it

So why apologize
I was just doing what I had to do baby
An eye for an eye

God knows I never meant to hurt you
I never meant to break your heart, your heart babe
God knows I never meant to turn you on, turn you out
Never meant to take it that far, that far babe
God knows I never meant to hurt you, hurt you, hurt you, hurt you, hurt you, hurt you

Baby, guilty as charged
I'm not gon lie babe
I did you wrong so many times yes
So I know why you crossed the line...

But I, (no, no) I apologize (don't apologize, don't apologize)
Oh baby, the pain I put you through (put you through it too
What I did to you (I did the same to you)
Oh I made you cry...

God knows I never meant to hurt you
I never meant to break your heart, your heart babe

0
8
reply

Required fields are marked *

Before I start my rant, I will list some "Positives" from Mi-rae's Choice (AkA MHIYD):

OST: My Lady, Casting Love, Only Me, It's You, Lonely Christmas, Morning Dew, 나를 오르다

Melody Day – Only Me (혼자만) Marry Him If You Dare OST

Only me, only I am hurting and hurting
Only me, only I am comforting my aching heart
You don’t know my heart or my loving confession
Is the love – what to do? When I see you, tears keep falling
Love – what to do? I try to hold it in but my love seeps out
I guess my love has to be you
My heart says it doesn’t know anyone but you
Is the love – what to do? When I see you, tears keep falling
Love – what to do? I try to hold it in but my love seeps out
Is the love – I love you, when I see you, my heart tells me
Love – I love you, even if it hurts, it tells me that it’s okay

Park Hyo Shin – It’s You (Marry Him If You Dare OST)

You don’t know – even when someone who loves you
Is looking at you all day by your side, you don’t know
You don’t know about
The person who loves you more than life itself
It’s you, I love you, that’s my true heart
Even if you don’t know, again today, my heart has only you
The one person that I love, it’s you
I don’t know but I only know how to love you
Even if it’s a painful love
It’s you, I love you, that’s my true heart
Even if you don’t know, again today, my heart has only you
The one person that I love, it’s you
The one person who is my last, the one person who has my heart
I only know you so again today, I will wait for love
The one person that I love, it’s you
Because I only know you, because I can’t cast you away, tears come
The one person that I love
You don’t know about the foolish person
Who loves you more than you love yourself

0
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

yup! actually the OST of this drama was the best thing I got, better that other current dramas *coughHeirscough*

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

MHIYD's "It's You" and Heir's "Love is the Moment" was written by the same person, who also happens to be Lee Dong-gun and Yong-hwa's boss.

0

@tebz10
yeah but they got it right in MHIYD and lost it in Heirs! God seriously "Love is the Moment" is a nightmare!

0

@tebz10

Who wrote the songs? Who's the boss?

Actually I'm ok with the Heirs OST :) The tune is ok, quite catchy, though some of the English lyrics, hmmm, don't seem so great.

0

@ByTheWay

He's the CEO of FNC, the agency that manages both Lee Dong-gun and Yong-hwa. His name's Han Seung Ho. I learned about it when I watched Cheongdamdong 111, the reality show that features the company. They were having this conversation on how both LDG and Yong-hwa are in the drama, and that their CEO has written the OST. And that their agency will be ruined if this drama doesn't succeed.

FNC produced (or maybe co-produced) this drama, as well.

0

Ha! Good song choice.

Mine, from the viewers to the writers: "Baby You Done Me Wrong," by the Everly Brothers. The lyrics really fit!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

The more time I think about MHIYD...

My pendulum swings back and forth between gratefulness for :) and disappointment with :( the drama and open ending that writer Hong Jin-Ah left us with...

I am quoting and applying some of the lyrics from "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus to MHIYD:

"We chained our hearts in vain...[An OTP Choice by the writer in the finale]

We jumped never asking why...[As more episodes aired what was Future Mi-Rae's "Truth?" & Time Travel/Alternate Timeline/Universe Theories]

fell under your spell...[The possibility for all the OTP's]

Don't you ever say I just walked away... [Stuck with you from Episode 1 - 16 despite declining ratings]

I will always want you... [MHIYD to be better than you turned out to be]

I can't live a lie,...[Pretending you were only perfect and not full of flaws]

All you ever did was wreck me
Yeah, you, you wreck me...[Cop out with all of the OTP and avoidance of actually showing the final choice]

I put you high up in the sky...[Daring to display Feminism, showcase Workplace Discrimination, and Ageism]

It slowly turned, you let me burn... [Inconsistency of character personalities/behavior as the episodes progressed and alternate universe time travel plot-holes]

I never meant to start a war... [between any of the YJH, LDG, or YEH fans, writer Hong Jin-Ah, viewers, netizens, network, etc.]

I just wanted you to let me in...[Real competition/rivalry among the eventual OTP]

Yeah, I just closed my eyes and swung
Left me crashing in a blazing fall...[Full of Hope in the ability of MHIYD to execute the romance and time travel plotlines]

"Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus

We clawed, we chained our hearts in vain
We jumped never asking why
We kissed, I fell under your spell.
A love no one could deny

Don't you ever say I just walked away
I will always want you
I can't live a lie, running for my life
I will always want you

I came in like a wrecking ball
I never hit so hard in love
All I wanted was to break your walls
All you ever did was wreck me
Yeah, you, you wreck me

I put you high up in the sky
And now, you're not coming down
It slowly turned, you let me burn
And now, we're ashes on the ground...

I never meant to start a war
I just wanted you to let me in
And instead of using force
I guess I should've let you win
I never meant to start a war
I just wanted you to let me in
I guess I should've let you win...

I came in like a wrecking ball
Yeah, I just closed my eyes and swung
Left me crashing in a blazing fall
All you ever did was wreck me
Yeah, you, you wreck me
Yeah, you, you wreck me

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Positives: The Cast

Yoon Eun-Hye (as Present Na Mi-Rae)
Lee Dong-Gun (as Kim Shin)
Jung Yong-Hwa (as Park Se-Joo)
Han Chae-Ah (as Seo Yoo-Kyung)
Oh Jung-Se (as Oppa/Na Joo-Hyun)
Lee Mi-Do (as Writer Bae Hyun-A)
Ko Du-Shim (as Miranda/Lee Mi-Ran)
Choi Myoung-Gil (as Future Mi-Rae)

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

BTS [LAST SCENES] 미래의 선택 Marry Him If You Dare: 윤은혜 Yoon Eun Hye

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOc551qPSfc#t=104

FrenchNeri_YoonEunHye_MHIYD

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM__cRJ3PmUcCZZPI-M1_DA

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thanks for the links! Nice to see our actors smiling, instead of the sad faces they carried throughout the finale.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

You're welcome! I agree with you that it was nice to see smiles instead of sad faces from the actors.

0

they even have more interaction off screen more than onscreen :| how sad!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Negatives:

Hopefully this will make sense even if my train of thought skips around…

Mirae’s Choice (AKA MHIYD/Future Choice) started out as exciting and full of potential. The promos highlighted two suitors, one choice. The possibility that the second lead would have a fair shot at the heroine, even if it was a different timeline was enticing and refreshing.
Pandora’s Box of Hope…Yeah, many of us held out hoping that MHIYD would be worth our efforts and time invested in actually watching and desperately wanting the final episodes to fall in place and tie up most of the loose ends/threads.

Unfortunately; right now the word “Hope” might be too much of a sensitive word and reminder of Pandora’s Box for some.

Frankly I have a lot to say (so many random thoughts)
There is so much that I want to say, but a part of me says “Why bother?”
I have postponed posting my “negative” thoughts yesterday and today because each time I tried to I felt drained…too lazy to even exert the energy to rant, curse, or even type all this up.

What don’t I feel? Disappointment, Anger, Sadness, Frustration, Infuriated

As a final parting gift to viewers, the writer Hong Jin-Ah left it up to our own imagination.
She probably figured that if you want to complain about my writing…I will leave you with the chance to pick for yourself or make up our own version of the ending for Mi-rae’s choice.
Better yet, if you love to write, then you have the chance to write your own Fanfic.
Make Lemonade out of Lemons – Optimism...Viewer’s Choice…

Open Ending…Open to Interpretation…Choose for Yourself…We see what we want to see…For some of us the OTP is based upon our own personal individual bias…

Not the first time and definitely will not be the last finale with an open ending.

We all have similar and different taste. Watch the finale (Episode 16) for yourself, and make up your own mind as to whether you liked the ending or not.

It’s one thing to end a drama with an open ending if you don’t have the word “CHOICE” in the title or as its theme. However, when you purposely name your drama “MI-RAE’S CHOICE” and the major theme and plot of the drama is about the “CHOICES” of individual characters…I’m sorry, but I feel like it is almost an act of sacrilege intended for the viewer to mindlessly accept and tolerate.

Why the copouts -- with scenes of the different love angles/squares/triangles and the final choice? :(

Foursquare = KS/MR, SJ/MR, SJ/YK, or KS/YK
Triangle = KS/MR, SJ/MR, and SJ/YK
Friendzoned = SJ/YK and SJ/MR

Some of the audience was partial to Kim Shin and Na Mi-Rae as a couple.
Some of the audience was partial to Park Se-Joo and Na Mi-Rae as a couple.
Some of the audience was partial to Park Se-Joo and Seo Yoo-Kyung as a couple.
We as viewers will always have our personal OTP preferences that may differ from the writer. We are aware of this even before we start and become invested in a drama. However, the fact that you kept teasing and pretending like the possibility for other couples besides Kim Shin and Na Mi-Rae would be given a fair/ equal chance to develop, grow, and exist was just dishonest and wicked.

Example:
For most of the drama it didn’t matter how many times Se-Joo came to the rescue, supported her career choices, provided emotional support, took care of her, anticipated her needs, or said the exact words Mi-rae was longing to hear (from Kim Shin) time and time again -- he was always friendzoned. Now...

0
10
reply

Required fields are marked *

Now suddenly as we tune in to Episodes 15 – 16, we find them wearing couple rings.

Na Mi-Rae can listen, argue back, and stand in the presence of Kim Shin as he cursed her out after the car accident and public confession of Se-Joo, but suddenly she becomes tight-lipped and almost mute when it comes to Se-Joo’s constant pursuit for a romance/chance to date/show his affection with her.

How can you start or sell a drama and not have it plotted out or contingency plans in case you receive outside pressure from the network, advertisers, sponsors, viewers, netizens, etc.?

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Parallels

Episode 12:

Voiceover of Mi-rae “Tis the season for people to dream of a miracle: that past friends will return or lovers who will call in after a long while. “A feeling that all miracles will come true that day. To hope that this year’s Christmas will be the happiest one yet.”

Preparation for Christmas Eve Date with Kim Shin (spraying perfume in front of the mirror)

Early Merry Christmas Wish at the Amusement Park/Last Minute Business Dinner with Park Se-Joo (spraying perfume in front of the mirror)

Kim Shin signs the contract with NTN in the present timeline, Future Mi-Rae’s universe, and (Visitor) Future Kim Shin’s universe

Episode 16:

Voiceover: “When its Christmas, people dream of miracles. The return of old friends who have left…And a call from a lover you have lost touch with…It’s a day when all the miracles of the world seem possible. Christmas didn’t always bring us those miracles. But we dream again this year. That this will be the best Christmas of our lives.

In the bookstore passing by Kim Shin three (3) times.

In the bookstore passing by Park Se-Joo once (1)

In Episode 13:

Future Mi-Rae tells Oppa that he should get married and have kids now so she might see her niece or nephew when she returns to the future.

Episode 16:

Oppa is happily married with a pregnant wife (carrying their second child). Mi-Rae holds his child Gun in her arms. Oppa remarks “Others would think he’s your baby.”

“Epilogue. In the future, Ajumma Mi-rae digs up the box that Present Mi-Rae told her about and gave her the key to. She flips through the pictures that document..life in reverse from a young man to his teenage years to his childhood to Mi-rae holding him close as a toddler.”

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Correction...

Episode 16:

Kim Shin signs the contract with NTN in the present timeline, Future Mi-Rae’s universe, and (Visitor) Future Kim Shin’s universe

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Disregard...this did not happen in Episodes 12 or 16.

It happened in Episode 15:

Kim Shin signs the contract with NTN in the present timeline, Future Mi-Rae’s universe, and (Visitor) Future Kim Shin’s universe

0

The question many have asked and/or answered - Who did Na Mi-Rae Choose?

Well we are led to believe that Future Na Mi-Rae made it back alive to her universe.

Option #1
Present Na Mi-Rae picked herself.

Option #2
She picks Kim Shin. [For the past 15 episodes, Mi-Rae has been literally tripping over herself to be around or near Kim Shin. Would she actually be able to avoid running into him as well as any and all contact for 3 years? They live in the same city, work in the same industry, and know the same circle of friends/people, etc. "Then after I pay back all that debt, you'll see me? Maybe."]

Option #3
She picks Se-Joo. [She kept the ring…she told him that after meeting him, she's only been receiving and wants to do something for him too…she wants to become someone who can give him something back to him...she wants to work on herself and become a better person…"If you still haven't changed your mind later...will you give it to me then?" The chances of running into each other 3 years later.]

Option #4
Future Timeline/Universe is with Kim Shin & Present Timeline/Universe is with Park Se-Joo

Option #5
Future & Present Timelines/Universes are both with Kim Shin

Option #6
She smiles because she sees both men at the same time.

Option #7
She smiles at someone random…new eyecandy.

0
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yeah, true about option 2: How could they not see each other if they're in the same industry? Why would she smile like that if she's been seeing him all this time?

It' possible she smiles because she sees herself. It does make one wonder why she would go to a bookstore to buy her own book. I don't think she would go back into the bookstore if sneaky fate hadn't been calling her in to meet "whoever."

It could be time is playing a trick on all three again. And once again the round begins. Why would they all have to end up at the bookstore at the same time? Is time so perverse? Is the power and the bond between these three so powerful?

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Open Thread #320 - 37.1.2.1.3 August December 6th, 2013 at 10:19 PM
One of the pictures shows the child at the beach smiling. (Possibly a reference to Jeju – Se-Joo’s favorite destination and where he first met Mi-Rae.)

Open Thread #320 - 37.1.2.1.4 Carole McDonnell December 7th, 2013 at 1:01 PM
August, you know..it’s interesting that Future Mirae wants to improve Mirae’s life and instead sends Mirae into a timeline where she almost dies twice. Only to be saved twice by SeJoo.

Open Thread #320 - 37.1.2.3.4 Carole McDonnell December 6th, 2013 at 4:32 PM
August, I went back and watched the last 15 minutes of the Mirae Finale and did you notice? There are a series of photos with double portraits before Future Mirae digs up the box….the first one is Mirae and Oppa. But there is no photo of Shin and young Mirae. Only a photo of Shin and Future Mirae. Which honors their timeline. And the last photo of the series is Mirae and SeJoo. Which is very very very telling.
The parting of ways between Shin and Mirae in the park is also telling.
The pics in the Pandora’s Box of the older child has him holding a photographer’s case, I think.
Yep, I’m convinced either SeJoo married Mirae or she pretty much treats Oppa’s son’ Gun as her own. If the child in the pics is Oppa’s son and Mirae didn’t marry, that is also healing for Other timeline Mirae.

0

Why do I think that she picked Park Se-Joo?

In the present timeline Kim Shin and Mi-Rae only dated…mostly in secret.

With Kim Shin for the past 15 episodes, Mi-Rae has been literally tripping over herself to be around or near Kim Shin. Would she actually be able to avoid running into him as well as any and all contact for 3 years? They live in the same city, work in the same industry, and know the same circle of friends/people, etc.

“Then after I pay back all that debt, you’ll see me? Maybe.”

Also the Present Kim Shin learned from Visitor Kim Shin that although he did not marry Mi-Rae, he still had journalistic/career success in the industry. His major regret all these years was about not speaking out in truth about the faulty humidifier story. He did not say that he had regrets about not marrying Mi-Rae when Present Kim Shin asked about her in Visitor Kim Shin's timeline.

Se-Joo was nowhere in site – out of the country. Mi-Rae and Kim Shin had all the time in the world to interact with each other…even in secret like they previously did.

In the present timeline Se-Joo is adamant to Miranda (she is the one for him), Seo Yoo-Kyung (he will not change his mind), and Mi-Rae (he wants her to be happy – career/all things in life).

Mi-Rae accepts Se-Joo’s proposal. Mi-Rae rejects breaking up with Se-Joo just because Miranda suggests it and makes a threat toward Kim Shin.

When Mi-Rae and Oppa were on their way to the family dinner with Miranda and Se-Joo, it was one of the few times that she displayed excitement, being invested in the outcome, and concern for how Oppa came across to others. Think back to the discussion of marriage that took place in the restaurant at the table between Miranda and Oppa and privately in the car with Mi-Rae and Se-Joo. She kept the ring. She told him that after meeting him, she’s only been receiving and wants to do something for him too. She wants to become someone who can give him something back to him..She wants to work on herself and become a better person.

“If you still haven’t changed your mind later…will you give it to me then?”

When he back-hugs her, she reciprocates with her hands.

The chances of running into each other at that exact moment 3 years later…

The camera shows Mi-Rae exiting then turning around to reenter the bookstore through the revolving door. The camera shows Se-Joo entering the bookstore through the revolving door as well and lingers on…

First and foremost Se-Joo was a photographer/filmmaker. The background of the picture with the child and Mi-Rae smiling look similar to Miranda’s/Se-Joo’s office at YBS. All of those pictures captured the essence of a person (family) and their joyful memories with each other. It reminded me of the time Se-Joo filmed Mi-Rae at the Amusement park that day and when he walked past the restaurant and longingly stared at the family having dinner wishing it for himself.

Choices:

Kim Shin was forewarned by Future Mi-Rae and Present Mi-Rae but he still chose to sign the contract with NTN, report on the faulty humidifier story, and incur the debt as a consequence/result. He was not forced to leave YBS, far from it, he was offered his dream job and timeslot (9pm Anchor). The only choice he made differently in this timeline was to distance himself from and cease pursuing Mi-Rae.

Heeding Future Mi-Rae’s advice/warnings, Present Mi-Rae persevered as she struggled to make a career change and became a successful writer and...

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Heeding Future Mi-Rae’s advice/warnings, Present Mi-Rae persevered as she struggled to make a career change and became a successful writer and novelist. Her future estrangement from Oppa was prevented, their relationship was repaired and stronger, his health issues were no longer hidden but brought out in the open. For a husband, Mi-Rae chose Se-Joo.

Reflecting back on everything in MHIYD, it seems that Mi-Rae chose differently in all areas of her life thanks to the meddling of Future Mi-Rae.

0

For the life of me, I could never get past why the writer or the drama itself for that matter would make the audience go through such great lengths/the motions of – the “mesmerizing” scene of Mi-Rae swimming with Nemo and all the other fishes, Se-Joo rescuing her, hiding from Oppa and meeting Se-Joo for the 1st time in the editing room, the scene of them sitting on the floor in the audio room, and then the blanket moment where he inquires about her burn/scar, etc.

I enjoyed the Kim Shin as Dark Vader and Mi-Rae as Mulan scene, George Clooney outing, and basketball game secret date, and past timeline flashbacks but none of it ever measured up to the Swimming with Nemo scene.

I kept asking myself why?

Symbolism – In this timeline Se-Joo rescued her not only from the water but also from her ill-fated union with Kim Shin. Everytime she was sad or down after an encounter with Kim Shin, Se-Joo was there either as emotional support, to lift her spirits, or as her rescuer.

Example: Subway Arson Incident

Although Kim Shin lifted the fallen advertisement sign off of Mi-Rae, the real danger was from the electrical spark/wires surrounding Mi-Rae.

Behind the scenes, it was Se-Joo struggling to loosen/remove the chains/lock in the water tank room which ultimately saved Mi-Rae.

Episode 1 Recap
Gummimochi said: “Fate will still play a hand to make sure that those who are destined to meet will meet…how destiny will continue to play out with (or without) Future Mi-rae’s interference.”

Episode 1
Future Mi-rae says: “An evil fate is still fate. You always meet whoever you’re supposed to meet. So that’s why… destiny and fate are scary.”

Episode 6
Kim Shin says: “The future [mi-rae]… fate… is a lot scarier than anything we can prepare for. But one choice can also change the future. The future isn’t set in stone. Your choice is your future.”

Episode 16
Future Mi-Rae says: “The fact that we’re trying to escape our own fate means that we’re still at the mercy of our own fate.”

Fate implies no choice. Destiny is changeable by the individual.

Is Kim Shin her fate in all timelines?

Was Se-Joo her destiny in this timeline?

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes, yes, forgot to thank you, Gummimochi. I just kinda went off on a shpiel there. I did like this drama a lot. I just wish I hadn't gotten so invested in it...so I wouldn't have gotten all disappointed. But, still. I like it. And I'm thankful you recapped it. Am very gratful you did.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

i lost the track in between.. i feel i am totally lost...
i really dont get the ending... she dint end up with anyone?? or did she? if so who he is? someone please reply..
what happend to se joo?

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

SeJoo came back after spending 3 years in NYC. We don't know what the heck he did there; We assume that he 'bettered' himself.
The ending? At the ending, she didn't End up with anyone. The fact that both guys are there in the bookstore to buy her newly published book means that they are both there for her to choose from when she walks in. Who does she choose is what we don't get to know.
Ajumma jerks all the chars around. The writer jerks all of us around. Is the way I feel.
I watched up till ep 5. Came back to watch the finale. Don't feel that I missed anything except for the aggravation!!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

This drama left me wanting soooo much more from it. I didn't like the ending and not because its not the classic happy ending. I'm all up for a heroine choosing herself and not being with any of the leading men, that would be perfect, really. What I didn't like was how the show executed the end. So the whole time Show is telling me is Mi Rae's choice but in the end it doesn't even let me see what her choice was!!
And you may argue that that was not the point and fine if that was not it, if the point was her change and growing up then show me her making it on her own and how she decided to write a book and how she got succesful, then I would feel so proud of her and I would be right there with her saying "screw men!". If that was the point, then by just skipping to the end and seeing that she did make it on her own does not have the same effect on me.

I feel more prood of Yoo-Kyung because I saw her progress, I saw her making decisions to help herself and thats why it was so satisfying to see her being an MC on her own show. You go girl!

*sigh*, if only I could go back in time and rewrite this drama....

0
6
reply

Required fields are marked *

My point, too. It's called Mirae's Choice, and yet we don't get to see her choice. I wouldn't mind either if she didn't choose between either men and chose herself, instead. But to leave us guessing? Why?!

Also, I heard from the grapevine that Mirae was really supposed to end up with Shin, but the writer didn't want to anger Yong-hwa's fans who were clamoring for a Seju-Mirae ending. So, whatever, I guess.

0
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

Grapevine be abounding everywhere ---there's also the other grapevine. which says Mirae was supposed to end up with SeJoo.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yeah, I heard that too but then just make her choose neither and show her being independent. Problem Solved! See, to me it would have been better if at least the last episode started with everyone going their own ways, then we see Mi Rae becoming successful, writing her book....then we get to the part where they show everyone and how they are and Mi Rae does her interview and we end with Mi Rae being happy with her life choices. The epilogue could stay the same to show us that in the end she does marry but that wouldn't even matter because by then we would know that she is HAPPY and that is basically all that matters to me, that she is happy with her life.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I heard that story too, but frankly it sounds like an urban legend, and there is zero proof it actually happened. It seems like a way for people to blame Yong-Hwa's fans for this mess.

For what it's worth, I know just as many YH fans who would have been happy to see him end up with Yoo-Kyung. And why would the writers care about pandering to Yong-Hwa's fans at the end of a drama? They don't need them for ratings anymore.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

"For what it’s worth, I know just as many YH fans who would have been happy to see him end up with Yoo-Kyung. And why would the writers care about pandering to Yong-Hwa’s fans at the end of a drama? They don’t need them for ratings anymore."

Haha exactly what I think as well!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I know as a fan I was done with Seju and Mirae by the third week. Why would I want to experience "You're Beautiful" redux. He could have been with Yookyung or some other girl if it would guarantee he'd get a real romance and decent kiss in this drama. I can't stand when they throw a couple together in the last ep, but it would have been better than this ending. The writer or whoever was hounding her is responsible for the lost potential of this drama. Four leads, parallel universes, time travel, 3 year gaps, and a broadcast network too? The possibilities where endless for this drama. I said it at the start of this drama and I'll say it again, the best triangles are when the female lead gets to truly like both her love interests and eventually chooses one. Worked in BOF, Dream High, Reply 1997, and IHYV. Writer could've given us a double dose of real romance for Mirae instead of stringing along a friendzoned Seju for the entire drama and giving us a YEH drama with NO kiss scenes. Talk about alternate universes.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thanks for the splendid recaps. It was fun hearing your thoughts on this drama and bringing about some great discussions.

It's no surprise that I'm heavily disappointed in this drama; it had a lot of potential and multiple times it made me feel as if things were somehow going to connect and click for me if I was patient enough. But nope....the show ended up being nothing like it seemed to promise because it made me build up an imagination when it tried to be mysterious and then failed to live up to it.

One of my biggest issues was of course the time-travelling but instead of rehashing that (because it will never make sense to me no matter how many brain cells I use on it), I'll talk about another wtfery. I can't believe Ajhumma went back in time to change her past simply because she thought Kim Shin was dead when he wasn't even declared to be dead and had a pending surgery. If things would've been fine for her if she still stuck around waiting for him to be alive, then there was seriously no need to time travel. Which means this entire drama was completely pointless. Fuck you, Mirae's Choice . :(

And seriously, why not even a resolution on that damn annoying love triangle? I'm ready to assume that it was Kim Shin that Mirae was smiling at because seriously, Geon is only a product of certain timing, Shin, and Mirae. So it seems pointless to act so vague on that front.

Anyways, the clear winner out of this entire mess of a drama is Yoo Kyung. God bless her. I'm soooo happy that she's living happily. And somebody please give my darling Han Chae-ah a lead role. Seeing her play secondary characters in Gaksital and here just makes me want her to be a heroine already (and just as good as her secondary characters....I mean, if she ends up a heroine like Mirae and Mok Dan, then forget it).

0
13
reply

Required fields are marked *

Not sure if Geon could be a certain timing when it seems that one Mirae had him early in her marriage and the other Mirae had time to become a best-selling novelist...but he probably is Shin and Mirae's child. But the whole misunderstanding/my fault thing!!! Really? Your husband of many years is in the hospital kinda sorta immediatly following a possible suicide attempt/accident ....and you respond how? You find some great fashionable black pleather duds and rush over to Time Travel Central? The mind reels! I really hate it when a drama writer seems to have forgotten what she wrote earlier...or when she assumes we forgot.

0
6
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yeah, I don't think that was originally intended, because if it were, the scenario makes Ahjumma look incredibly self-centered to go back and stop the marriage when her husband is on the operating table.

Sooo many weird changes in this drama that couldn't possibly have been part of the original plan and resulted in big shifts in characters (as has been pointed out numerous times in the recaps). It's a shame, because it really did have some wonderful, small moments, but as a whole, nothing came together cohesively.

And gummimochi, thank you for clearing up the issue of the kid in the photos at the end! Silly me, I wasn't even thinking of Mi-Rae actually having married one of the guys and had a kid. I was coasting along, thinking it was her nephew in the pictures -- Oppa's baby boy. Of course it makes more sense that Mi-Rae left pictures of her own child growing up for Ahjumma to find. Okay, so NO, it makes no sense at all, based on the parallel universe explanation (plus, what would Ahjumma and Future Shin be doing living in Oppa's house if they'd lost touch five years after the marriage?), but it's still sweet.

I really wish the writers had continued with the "memories" Shin was having when he didn't get together with Mi-Rae from the start. Instead, the writer ended up changing the rules with the parallel universe theory, making those "memories" just one more cute thing that made absolutely no sense by the end.

Still, I enjoyed it. And strangely, I'm somewhat satisfied that a drama went out on a limb and kept the lead couple apart at the end (even if it is implied with the photos in the buried Pandora box). For once, it wasn't a foregone conclusion that the lead couple would end up together come hell or high water. Personally, I would have been more than slightly annoyed if Mi-Rae and Shin had gotten together quickly, after all of the nastiness he inflicted on her as a noble idiot. You just can't have happily ever after after that kind of emotional pain. Yes, show, you could have done it better, but thank you for not making it okay to get together with the guy who treated you like crap, even if it was supposedly for your own good.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yeah, those dreams/memories were very convenient - like when Shin first dreamed about kissing Mirae in hospital, and when Future Shin visited Present Shin (was that a dream too? Surely, according to the last-minute alternaverse theory, if they're completely different timelines, then he shouldn't be having those "memories" in the first place, and nor should Mirae?

It really would have been more bearable if they'd at least given us some clues about WHAT Shin was thinking when he was going through his noble idiot phase. As for Future Mirae, clearly, nothing useful was going through that noggin of hers. Imagine not sticking around to check if your husband's actually dead...

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

so true about the visions/dreams. And the dictionary. I liked that magical elements.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I watched it just for My Jung Yong Hwa who left The Heirs for Mi rae ... Yong has developed as an actor and looks equally good. But this drama is utterly confusing and boring... 사랑해 용 화 ... U were worth watching though the drama is a failure....

0

The way I saw it, Geon can only be Geon because of the timing. Like...that's kinda how biology works. So I'm thinking that in both parallel universes, Geon was born at the same time. It just seems easier to think that way.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

It probably is Geon. But it does feel very strange to have the same kid born even after three years, considering in one case Mirae got married immediately and was a housewife and the other one she waited three years. But I see what the writer is aiming at.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I agree, seriously your husband just comitted suicided and you respond by leaving???? without actually making sure he is dead??? I just couldn't understand that. I felt like that was just done really sloppy in my opinion.

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

yeah, I think the changes in the script to save the ratings made everything sloppy! the writer threw ideas without solving the previous one, she didn't tie the loose ending.
if she gave the time travel as a cheap trick to make both couples work throw their differences I wouldn't have been disappointed as I see it was character driven drama!, but having everything fogy and dragging it to the VERY end was my problem with this drama!

I just hate how she threw a bone to each side leaving us frustrated, I'm not against what happened in the end but it should have been way earlier in the drama around episode 8 or 9

this one hasn't been mirae's choice for the whole episodes except that last one.

and I hate how they made us invested in the main otp and left us dry! le sigh!

at the end life has it's dark moments in everyone's life just learn to get from it stronger rather having this mess!

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I've never seen so many loose threads in a drama!!

Like the saying goes, "he who tries to please everybody pleases nobody."

In the end, it wasn't "Mirae's Choice" - it wasn't even "Marry Him If You Dare" cos nobody got even close to getting married!!

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

LOL!

0

I had a problem with it as well. For 15 - 16 episodes, you meddled in their lives. Then it is revealed that Kim Shin is not actually dead but alive??? Oops...You think!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think the badly done time travel trope and FMR badly thought out actions are what brought this drama down. The basic plot could have been good, but it was like the writer could not make up their mind on which way to go, so it ended up bouncing around into some really dumb tropes at times.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

If Older Mirae is a different, parallel universe, she shouldn't be able to dig up Pandora's Box from Younger Mirae's lifeline. After all the box would have been buried after their different choices had sent them to different futures. I really like some sort of inner logic in my fantasy and sci fi!

0
10
reply

Required fields are marked *

While I totally agree, I have a Whovian's experience in making sense of nonsense. So think of it this way.

While they are two different universes, Future MR's trip across dimensions created a bridge between the two universes. Thus they are tied together in a localized space. When she went back to the future, she took the Key that belongs to the old Pandora's Box. The Key and the Box are tied together. So Pandora's box was able to be connected to both worlds. While it was in the ground, it was in a "Schrodinger's cat" situation. It existed in both universes. Only once it was dug up did it fully exist in FMR's universe. At that point I assume it disappeared from YMR's universe.

While I doubt that this was the writer's intention. It is what makes my mind rest easier.

0
9
reply

Required fields are marked *

Most awesome rationalization ever! 1000+points

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

yeah these kind of series as Doctor Who and Fringe what makes us come up with a solution to this mess!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Can you please also make up an explanation for how future older Shin is still alive? I was under the impression that he died a long time ago.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Apparently, future KS is alive thanks to a life-saving surgery.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

he probably committed suicide but didn't die
ahjumma probably assumed he's dead and straight away jump into the time machine

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

If she gave older mirae the key, how did young mirae lock the box?

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

spare key!

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Lol!!
Good one!
Sometimes we just can't see the trees for the forest.

0

Thanks! This is the most rational part of my MHIYD experience, and I'm clinging to it! :)

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Shame on me! I forgot to say thank you for faithfully cranking out your recaps. Many Thanks!!!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I don't get why they pushed the romantic relationship so far at the beginning of the drama when they ended like they did I mean I was rooting for them. Plus I do not get why the ending would be a choice between sin and SJ as mi rea never showed any emotions or romantic feelings toward SJ.

Plus I find that Yoo-kyung got over SJ too easily and too fast I mean she went from I really like you to well whatever I have to move on I mean she didn't even seem sad or disappointed to hear about the engagement.

I blame myself for being so involved in shin and mi rea's relationship I thought that among all the chaos they would end up together in the end and the ending of this drama just got me confused about their relationship

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I mean they really liked each other at the beginning and both of them got really sad and depressed about being apart and then at the end mi ra's like, well see you when your debt free? I mean they could have dated until he could fix his problems or at least stayed friends it seems as if they became strangers. It's like they broke up without properly dating.

This drama did teach me something that I forget every once and a while. I should take dramas for what they are... dramas, Its not real life and I should never get too involved in the characters or stories because I'll get disappointed at some point
The only ending I liked was oppas ending

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

This ending. This drama! What the . . .and how did . . .and why didn't they . . .

Oh, forget it. In summary, this drama was legen-wait for it- no keep on waiting, because it NEVER lived up to its promise and got good.

That's all I got.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

-dary

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Like Choi Jon Hyuk's mane of glory, Marry Him If You Dare should have its own category of which drama left you scratching your head in the end the most?

I love love love this show though, and will miss it.

Thanks for the recaps!!

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

exactly!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I almost threw something when Seju told her to keep the ring and she said if he still wants her in 3 years then maybe. Woman you never showed any feelings for him whatsoever, so why are you keeping him hanging on for 3 years. You know he's not going to get over it. Then later she's like "maybe" to Shin as well. I seriously hope both moved on during the time skip and Mirae is looking at someone totally unrelated to either one of them.

The drama end in the present to me points SJ, but then you have magical box that Mirae buried that points towards Shin. I give up.

The only bright spot is everyone is happy and health (yay oppa!). I'm insanely happy for YK. She doesn't need SJ and I'm glad she moved on to better things with a new show.

This drama is fine if you ignore the fail attempts at romance and obvious rewrites, but Mirae is just not a compelling or interesting enough character to watch the drama for overall. Such a massive disappointment and a waste of YEH and LDG.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

So this entire drama spent time on who Mi-rae would choose, and then in the end we get nothing. I understand how the drama tries to show us that the future is not set, and you can choose your own path, but....she needs to make a choice!

On the one hand, I feel like Mi-rae would end up with Shin. She always seemed to have stronger feelings for him. Yet, on the other hand, she could have also chosen Se-joo as she kept his ring. *sigh*

This universe doesn't really make sense. If there truly were alternate universes, Future Mi-rae wouldn't have been able to see those pictures that were buried. If logic follows, nothing should have changed in Future Mi-rae's world, therefore, Past Mi-rae could never have left those pictures behind. The pictures do add a nice touch, and I'm glad that we get to see Geon all grown up. Another thing that semi bothers me about when Future Mi-rae found the pictures, is keeping both her face and her husband's face hidden. I mean we know that her husband is Shin, so why the secrecy? Nothing should have changed in her lifeline. But by keeping their faces hidden, it's like trying to toy with us, and be like, you don't really know who her husband is. Or I may just be delusional, and over thinking this. Haha.

I never really have a gripe with open endings. I mean they don't have to show the main couple getting married or anything, but at least show us who ends up together!!! Make Mi-rae make a choice! If she ends up with Shin, fine. If she ends up with Se-joo, that's fine too, but don't just leave us in this non-choice.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I will add a guy's perspective. I am a 63-year old Engineering Professor in USA and I have a wonderful wife and 8 children from 34 to 15. But I am quite emotionally involved it this drama as I couldn't sleep the night before the final episode. My wife and I both attended a male-dominant university where there were only 20 undergraduate girls at that school in 1973. But she decided to married me when she was 19, before her junior year in college. She had two kids while she was in medical school and another during residency. So I wanted Mirae to get married ASAP even if she wants to develop herself, she would be 35 at the end of the drama. With an understanding husband, she could reach an even higher plateau. I know my wife has no regret as she is enjoying her grandchildren while she is still quite young.

I wanted to have Mirae marry Se-Joo because I feel he would be that kind of supportive husband. The ending reminded me of Dream High when even after 10 years the girl didn't marry that supposed choice of hers. That Dream High ending had me mad for weeks, I replayed the last 20 minutes over and over to look for clues as to which guy she chose. I will have problem with this drama as well, I would have to forget this soon since I am approaching final exams. I am having problems because nobody around me is as invested as I am even though this is pure friction.

I do want Yoon Eun Hye, the actress, to have a good marriage. She is now 29 and I read an article that she now wants a boyfriend. With all the fame and resources that she has, it might not be that easy to find a true love. I will pray for her because I feel she has a wonderful and cheerful personality.

Off the topic a little, I noticed how well dressed the Korean Drama actors are. I saw the green dress Mirae wore to the party (Episode 15) online

http://www.farfetch.com/shopping/women/moschino-embroidered-blouse-dress-item-10518341.aspx

It was going for $1653.64 USD. It is now on sale at a lower price. I thought for sure Se-Joo bought it for her, but apparently it was part of Mirae's regular wardrobe. For that reason, I feel the Korean actors dressed too well for the shows to be realistic. I wonder what kind of clothes Hwang Jung Eum will wear in Pig-Like Woman.

0
11
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thanks for another male perspective docster - as a mere 46 year old, you've made me feel positively juvenile, an unusual sensation for me in K Drama circles! I'm also pleased to note that your reaction to some of the fashion items was similar to mine. I'm a guy with zero fashion sense, but when I learned that the watch MiRae wore while working at the call centre costs $45K US I thought it somewhat out of character.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yeah, that watch went a little beyond the very common expensive Samsung phones that the poverty girls have so often in dramas.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

While we're on the topic of product placement (PPL), I wanted to mention how obviously the drama did a commercial with the whole sanitizer/humidifier thing, lmao.Yoo Kyung literally flashed a commercial smile and the camera lingered for a good five seconds on the products. Although it was ironic that in context of the story, that stuff was supposed to be lethal, lmao.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I hope this doesn't come across as condescending, but you are just about the cutest haraboji ever. I think it's adorable how you want all the ladies to be happily married :). You and your wife must have a very solid marriage to have 8 kids while she was a doctor.

I think Se-Joo would have made a supportive husband for Mirae. And great marriages can develop even in a case where there isn't "passionate love" at the beginning. But Mirae seemed so attached to Shin that I don't think a relationship with Se-Joo would ever have worked without tremendous will on her part (which was never there).

I also was angry about the Dream High ending! What a letdown.

Regarding the clothes, I imagine these items are donated by the companies for promotional purposes. To save costs the drama production has to take from whoever is willing to do that, so realism may go out the window a lot.

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes, I think the product placement clothing is one of the reasons why Heirs has so many ugly sweaters. Apparently quite common in k-dramas. I read someplace that advertising is harder to get for historical dramas, because you cannot show the hero using a Galaxy S-4 calling for help in 1500 AD :D

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

That is why Queen In-hun's man was conceptualized. He took the phone back to the past from the future.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

lol too bad he couldn't take back those Audi cars. Now that was a drama that had clear time travelling rules and stuck to it (except the cell phone part)

0

I'm just glad the horse was okay! :)

0

I liked the Moschino dress, but the price is unreal for Mirae's budget. Finally at last, they dressed her fashionably instead of a ajumma whose been dumpster diving.

This drama was called Mirae's Choice, but in the end, she didn't choose any one. Copped out ending because the writer wrote her self into a hole with the parallel universe crap. At least, Yoo Kyung and Oppa had a good future. Poor Se Joo got jerked around for another 3 years!

I liked Han Chae Ah and Yong Hwa who has improved so much in his acting. Too bad it was in this dismal clunker.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm sitting here grinning from one ear to the other. Isn't it amazing, how the internet almost effortlessly connects different people of different cultural backgrounds and different age? A thing not always that easily accomplished in RL.

Greetings from Germany from a 48 years old fellow Kdrama addict unable to talk about her obsession with her RL friends! :) Where would we all be without DB?!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

An Understanding Husband~ what a delightful concept.(I know this sounds sarcastic but it is a genuine, non-sarcastic thought.) Nice to have a male pov.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

This show should have been entitled Yoo Kyung's Choice. Afterall, she's the one that made the most choices, and evolved the most. Let's see.

She fell in (like) love with Se-joo not knowing YBS will be his, so we knew right away she's in it for the right reasons.

She's the only one who called FMR out on her meddling.

She's the only one who means what she says and says what she means, no mincing words, and no idiotic nobility.

When she realized she was going nowhere with Se-Joo, she let him go.

She stood up for herself in the end, refusing to do whatever she used to do with directors, etc.

And the list goes on.

0
8
reply

Required fields are marked *

And it might have been Mi-rae that first said she didn't need to rely on any man, but it was yoo kyung that actually lived it. Mirae said maybe to both guys, keeping them hanging indefinitely, while yoo kyung let go if her infatuation with se joo and actively pursued a better future for herself.

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Zappy - I found YK to be one redeeming feature of this ghastly mess. Incoherent, inconsistent, incomprehensible and incompetent, the only thing the show got right was her character. I am now beseeching the Drama Gods that they not let HCA suffer by association with this turdfest and instead reward her with the lead she's so richly earned.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes, YK and Oppa :)

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

YK should have been the lead character. I love and adore YEH, but Mirae was just terrible.

YK studied on her own and came back and got her own show interviewing people of being the one being interviewed as the cute little wife. So happy for her.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I was happy for Seo Yoo-Kyung as well.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

YK was much more of what Mi Rae was supposed to be about than Mi Rae was. I admired her a lot more in her role than I did MR.

I will give this drama credit for one thing - they did not turn the 2nd lead girl into some vindictive evil harpy from hell that happens far too often in dramas. In most of the episodes I found myself wishing YK well, while not particularly caring about MR.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes. One of the positive things about this drama is the secondary characters' deviation from the norm. Se-Joo wasn't cut from the same cloth as the usual second leads, and Yoo-Kyung rising above her circumstances in love and life in general is very refreshing. They should have fashioned Mi-rae's growing up from yoo-kyung.

And what is up with such an open-ended finale? It's so moronic ... Err ...ironic that the show was made out to be all about Mi-rae's choice, and in the end, she didn't even make one. Well, she did, but shame on this drama for not showing us who it was. Why the cop out?

Whyyyyyyyy???!!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I give credit to MHIYD as well for the way Seo Yoo-Kyung's character was initially presented and developed as the 2nd lead female in a drama.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

This drama broke the one rule in Romance. The HEA.

Fail (sorry LDG, YEH, and JYH, you deserved so much better)

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Help me out, please. What is HEA?

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Happily Ever After.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thank you, DayDreamer! :)

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I don't know if YEH is unlucky or her and her team are picking bad dramas one after another. The last one, I Miss You wasn't too bad but still crazy. It's like after Coffee Prince, her resume fell down hill. Which is so sad because she's got charisma, screen presence, talent, and the looks. WHat a waste. Another YEH disappointed drama. A sad comeback for LDG, whom I adore so much.

I stopped watching this after the 5-6th episode when I felt like the writer couldn't decide on what to do with the rest of the drama. What is it? Rom-com? Drama? Mystery? Time-travel? Self-improving? Life lessons? Pick SOMETHING!

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

This is one show where I don't really blame the actors at all - it was the mixed up plots that the writer came up with that were the real problem.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes!! I truly admire all the actors for being so stoic and professional about seeing this show through to the $#?! end, even though their hearts must have sunk upon seeing the ending script...

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I totally agree with you.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I normally don't write responses to the drama recaps, but this one I just really couldn't resist. Honestly, I think this is one of the worst dramas I've ever watched. Fashion King is also on that list, but only because the ending was just so ridiculous. But this drama, I was so excited because of the pairing and because of Han Chae Ah.

I feel like I've wasted so much time rooting for the characters and having the ending come to such an open-ended conclusion. It's as if the writer was scared to have Mirae make a choice of who she wants to be with, which is immensely ironic because the name of the drama is "Mirae's Choice"...but sure. Open endings work when there's a certain amount of reassurance that the characters will somehow end up together.

But here, it just seems so evenly divided that I have no idea who Mirae is going to end up with. If Mirae hadn't grabbed Sae Joo's hand when he backhugged her, I would've been 60/40 with Shin and Sae Joo. But I seriously have no idea who she'd pick.

If anything, I feel like Yoo Kyung ended up being a much more satisfying character who grew so much as a character and made choices for herself.

Whoever this writer is, I would like to avoid any drama that she writes in the future....

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I don't think it's worse than Fashion King, but maybe, more disappointing? Fashion King started going downhill really early on.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I didn't see FK but I heard enough comments to stay away from it, about MC I don't think it's a ridiculous ending it's very insightful actually BUT ..

if this drama wasn't advertised as a rom-com drama! plus making us choosing between either KS or SJ we wouldn't have been THIS disappointed!

yeah it dragged ALOT starting from ep 7 or 8 but if MR decided to be alone way earlier it would have been better, and having flashbacks to root for KS/MR ship then scenes with MR/SJ while MR still in love with shin is pure torture!

I just think knowing that this drama isn't in the rom-com category from the start would have been better! and knowing the ending before watching might have make it better I guess

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

OMG I just saw 16 hours of my life go down the drain.....Why o' why didn't I quit early on when I noticed all the Yonghwa fan girls screaming and wailing on the internet that he needed to get the girl in the end. Why did I think that something would eventually happen in this drama to make it actually worth watching.

First of all I was lulled into a false sense of security because Yoon Eun Hye appears in a lot of very good dramas. Then there was the comeback of Lee Dong gun. He isn't my favorite K actor but he's a competent actor for television and an attractive guy. Who would know that this would not just turn out to be a hot mess.

It deserves the 4% rating. It should also be a cautionary tale for Kdrama producers you can't "save" sagging rating by pandering to a bunch of teenagers. You will lose the adult viewers.

0
13
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh, WORD. The pandering--if that is what happened, and from some rumors about the "original ending" of the show that seems the case--well, they certainly deserved that continued low rating.

I also can't believe I wasted 16 hours of my life. I had hoped that the writer would pull out something competent and fullfilling of the rom-com aspect of this drama, but not even that! Not even stereotypical tropes! It's not even clear that she picked herself--it's just not super clear who she actually picked. WHY? How does that even make sense?

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

It’s not even clear that she picked herself–it’s just not super clear who she actually picked.

Exactly! I could even have got behind an ending that was about Mi-rae finding her own path and not ending up with either guy, but instead, we got.....this.

Friday OT is going to see more venting from me, but for right now, I'm just too stunned to let out the annoyance.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Ha, I let out my frustrations all in this thread. By the time Friday rolls around, I will lose steam and feel totally indifferent by then.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

LOL..me too.

0

I look at the Yonghwa comments from time to time, just to remind myself that not everyone in this world is sane :D

I don't know for sure that the writer was pandering - but I don't see any other reason why all the sudden shifts in plot line happened, and often ended up making no sense.

Just for example, the "water" thing was a big deal for the first 2 or 3 episodes, then it just kind of faded off into nothing. Totally inconsistent writing.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

It's very deserving of its ratings. Yep supposedly the Seju/Mirae scenes were used to "save" the drama from further free falling in the ratings. We can see how well that worked out. Now we have a terrible drama with terrible ratings. When we could have had a good drama with terrible ratings. Nothing was going to save the ratings, they should have just lived with it and told the story they wanted to tell originally.

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

My thoughts exactly. I had heard other dramas got rewrites occasionally because fans like a character. But this pandering to the idol fans has got to stop. I will be very wary of investing my time in the next drama with an idol.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Sigh, most dramas nowadays will have an idol in it. And they're in major roles. I'm ok with idols acting, that is, if they can act. They should start with minor roles first.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Idols are everywhere. Just make sure the leading man or female has a big fandom. Then they can drown out some of the idol fangirling. LDG has been away for so long it was easy to steamroll him, especially considering the terrible writing.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I guess it never occurred to them that by writing a good drama they could raise ratings! The idol pandering is disgusting, if that's what happened. Are they so blind to think that just by letting YH continue to act and come off as a good character, even if a secondary character, that that would be best for him instead of pandering to the point where the drama is considered BAD?

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Am not sure if the pandering was to teenagers or not. If one goes back in time (on th internet) one sees so many decriptions of this drama. Some of which seem to posit the OTP as SeJoo and Mirae. And some of which have Shin/Mirae pairing.

For instance, this page has news items which show both possible pairings.
http://yooneunhye.net/forums/topic/lee-dong-gun-yoon-eun-hye-tabbed-as-the-leads-in-choice-of-mirae-future

And there is stuff like this from other sites:

"The drama will center on a son of a broadcasting company’s CEO and a girl who struggled her way up to become a television writer. As a time-slip story, the show will then head to when the girl from the future meets herself in her past to warn her not to meet the man in her present."

http://www.tenasia.com/archives/70808

Most of the pre-airing news say nothing about choosing whether to marry her husband again. At first it seems as if the show would be about the future self giving Mirae "advice." About? "career issues." "The man in her present"????

So...if one isn't sure what the drama was supposed to be, one can't blame any actor or teenagers for where the drama ended up. The problem lies with the writer either leaving the path she started on or biting off something she wasn't willing to chew.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

When the rumors of this drama first surfaced, the only two names dropped as the possible leads where Yonghwa and YEH. So one can only guess who the scriptwriter originally wanted Mirae to be with and how many rewrites really occured. The writer made the mistake of creating one of the most swoonworthy moments in a drama with that Mirae skinny dipping scene involving Seju. She hooked plenty of viewers with that scene while Shin was too much of jerk in the very beginning. You could just look at all the posts of all the viewers who got sucker punched with 2nd lead syndrome in those first two weeks. Maybe a lot of viewers never jumped off that ship but I know I did. I adore Yonghwa, but I'm not shipping a couple going nowhere. Mirae and Seju were a dead end early on. It was just obvious he was friendzoned from the start. Every episode Seju spent hopeless over Mirae was an episode lost from a potential love line with Yookyung or some other female character. That was one of the reasons I was disappointed in this drama. Just about everyone knows the second lead never gets the girl so what's the point in believing it could actually happen. There were four leads in this show, parallel universes and a 3 year leap into their future that should've happened way before the last ep. If that 3 year leap happened earlier, then all the potential couples could have played out before each character figured out who they really wanted in the end. Then everyone could walk away somewhat satisfied.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I agree completely, especially with your last paragraph.

I never understood why people were so quick to blame shippers or fanbases for the progress of the drama. If JYH's fanbase was this strong it sure didn't show in the ratings and from netizzenbuzz I was under the impression that it was also general viewers who prefered SJ with MR.

Still, 2nd lead shipping happens so often without any consequences and because of the weak reaction to the drama in general I wouldn't even consider it especially overwhelming in this case. If the writer really faltered because of that she's very weak (which is why I really agree with the take that she couldn't decide a solid direction to begin with).

I also don't see how the progress of the show would have actually catered to fans of the SJ/MR pairing as it butchered SJ as a character and in parts even MR. I saw a lot of people being very unhappy with the character development.
In addition looking at international fans of YH specifically, a lot of the blogs, tumblrs etc. shipped his character with YK.

Either way, if I were to buy into the reasoning that the writer/producer wanted to sell their product overseas as it had already failed nationally and hence increased SJ's presence in the drama - there still could have been many more other ways to give JYH more screentime without ruining the character PSJ, the storyline or the OTP. Like giving him his own loveline with YK. So it seems to over-simplify things and often to go hand in hand with idol-bashing (when let's be honest, aren't k-dramas and k-pop just two pleasantly cheesy sides of the same damn thing?).

I also agree with Mia - that skinny dipping scene with SJ and MR was very endearing and something that would have been a lot better for an OTP to get the viewers on board of the pairing - which in turn supports the idea that there have been major re-writes with the writer not being able to let go completely of the first story she wanted to tell.
I was never invested in SJ and MR because it seemed clear that MR/KS where attracted to each other and friendzoning kills romance so after being turned down in the first half of the series I felt that this story arc had served it's purpose. So I simply hoped for two adorable OTPs in the end because I liked them both a lot (KS/MR and SJ/YK) - keeping the feminist theme was perfectly possible along with that because that's a different cup of tea. But it never happened and the feminism became excuse for neglecting a choice which is pretty much the opposite of what feminism wants for women.

Altogether the teasers and premise were so lovely, the start great, the cast wonderful. There's just so much untapped potential and the writing simply frustrates me, I don't want to think about what this could have been, sigh. Bottom line, don't tell your story unless you know where it's going and how you will get there.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

If Mirae ends up with either man, it has to be Kim Shin. How do feelings for Se Joo just APPEAR after 3 years of being apart? That is DUMB. So why even leave us hanging? If they were doing to do this BS ending they should have done it in episode 15 to have it resolved in episode 16. What a waste of chemistry between YEH and LGD.

Also, can I just say, picking a man does not make you LESS OF A FEMINIST. It's fine if you choose to be without them because that's what you want, but the drama showed us the whole time that who Mirae wanted was Kim Shin. At this point, Mirae is no longer defining her life by marriage, but by waffling between the two, or showing that she is though it makes no sense, defeats the feminist point that she has agency and a choice.

And for the first half of the drama I enjoyed what the writer was doing regarding feminist ideals, and I had found that refreshing, but the forced triangle and what I saw as fan service, really completely derailed this drama.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Exactly! If Yoo Kyung can stop being in love with SeJoo, then shouldn't Mirae's love for Shin also disappear in three years also?

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think YK getting over SJ was actually an exception. I mean, dramaland is usually all about not getting over a love.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thank goodness for YK. She's now my favorite second female lead of all time.

And UGH, if Mirae couldn't fall in love with Se Joo while she was actually SPENDING TIME WITH HIM, how is she supposed to fall in love with him when they are apart? DUMB.

And for Mirae and Shin, all we got was that nice moment in the prop room and then a lot of longing that had more chemistry it her watching him on TV than her being back-hugged by Se Joo. ARGH.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yeah, I don't get it. I thought the show was cute early on, but the last few episodes gave me whiplash. Mi-Rae didn't show any interest in Se Joo romantically, and then suddenly she's wearing his ring? But wait, she's not really wearing the ring cuz she wants to get married? But she's concerned about engagement rumors because... she's wearing the ring? What's going on?

And then the ending, as many others have said, who did Mi-Rae actually choose? Clearly she didn't end up alone, so she chose someone, but to get right to the end after being a romantic dramedy and *not show her choose either or none* is a cliffhanger of a finale, and that's a terrible resolution. It's like the ultimate meta indecision F-you, where you know she eventually did something but you don't know how or why, so then what was the whole buildup for? Does the writer truly believe that her love life wasn't one of the major points of the show and that just leaving it out there was clever?

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I've done enough ranting about this crap at koala's. I'll just say LDG is Hooooot

0
5
reply

Required fields are marked *

Amen to that! I'd marry him in a heartbeat

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

me too, I just had enough! hope LDG comeback with a better project soon, don't let us wait long.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

LDG appeared in the show Cheongdamdong 111. But he was like in ep 1 for a few minutes only. Yeah, looking fwd to his new drama soon too!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I started rewatching Sweet 18 to see LDG in a better project (all the while feeling insanely jealous that he never ever aged!!).

Anyways, I think I'm also done ranting....no more energy left....goodbye Mirae's Choice. I'll revisit you in year-end reviews just to warn potential viewers of how much you sucked, lol.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yes, can he please read the news for realsies, so I can watch him every day?

If not, I'll just create a gif and watch him pronounce "facts" all day long :D

We love you, LDG Oppa - welcome back ... and *fighting!*

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Just been dropping by now and then for some of the recaps and comments. Never had any intention of watching this as I've been burned by too many bad YEH dramas before. I wanted to watch for LDG, JYH, and HCA but they just couldn't overcome my aversion. Hope there would be more LDG dramas next year (he's one of the 3 Korean actors my brothers recognize), happy that YH has improved (though I wasn't really unhappy with his previous acting), and lastly hope that HCA would maybe step into a lead role.

I'm not really sad that things turned out this way but I'm not happy either because I feel that it's too sad that there were so few very good kdramas from the big 3 this year. If this had turned out okay I would've maybe watched it sometime in the future.

Thanks for the recaps gummi. Some of the other sites who covered this drama had really negative things to say about it. Glad that you kept it cool and objective throughout.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm sorry I keep seeing this comment that Yonghwa has improved. Where? He's still just as stiff as ever but don't tell his fangirls. Their heads will explode.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

the worst drama of 2013.

before, i thought Goddess of Fire will be the worst one, but after i finished MHIYD then i decided MHFYD / Mirae Choice is the worst. even fashion king has the clear ending (the lead was dead) but this drama , oh my gosh , it did not give any clear ending, only more confusing and the writer is COWARD, only a coward will do that kind of story.

if you can not developed the story atleast don't ruin the ending, just give the clear ending . its not open ending but it was confused ending.

i hope after this writer of this drama never ever release her writer on Kdrama land anymore. she is just a coward, tacky, and dummy writer on kdrama land now.

and also thanks a lot to the Actor and Actress. LDG, YEH already did the good job with the tacky script ever. i realized they could do much better if there is good writer but still i am proud with their effort for this drama until end. i hope after this drama, their acting and career will not sink, but more good drama will wait for them in future.

and thanks dramabeans .

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

For those of you who stopped watching as soon as the credits started rolling, like I did at first...GO BACK!!!!!

The Pandora's Box thing...Several people have commented that they went back and checked and the pics of Mi Rae's son are the of the same child they showed earlier with Future Mi Rae. BAD prop department. Over all those years the pictures retain the exact same size and format? Don't think so. A CD or stick would be more realistic, but probably not as pretty to look at. BUT, how the heck does our Mi Rae's box end up in Future Mi Rae's world? Hole...not falling in. If I keep trying to find the reasons why any of these things make sense, I will lose my mind.

Since the final premise is of parallel universes where our alternate selves exist living the lives we would have lived if we made other choices, future Mi Rae is living a life different from our Mi Rae and slightly changed because her Kim Shin has not died and she has learned to forgive him. Like everyone above said, that whole part of the story was yet another huge HOLE! When you start following down that path of alternate/parallel universes you end up creating so many scenarios there is never an answer. I am assuming future Mi Rae's son is still dead. She was told nothing would change in her life, so that means her child is still dead and she and Kim Shin still broke up and he still attempted suicide. But, she has saved our Mi Rae and her son and our Mi Rae has sent her those pictures as a thank you and solace or consolation that her decision to go back was not in vain and her child is living his parallel life happily with our Mi Rae and her husband, Kim Shin.

And if you follow the premise of this story, that parallel lives exist, then follow it all the way to the ending of YOUR CHOICE!!!! (they should never have changed the name of this show from Mi Rae's/Future's Choice) In this universe I am sure, for me, that Mi Rae's choice is Kim Shin and the baby that future Mi Rae lost has his second chance at life. Because you cannot have the same child if the father is different (but also totally ignoring the science of sperm and egg and how the exact same child could be born...ugh CAN'T go there!!) . For our Mi Rae and future Mi Rae this is their happy ending. For the Se Joo/Yong Hwa fans, there is the other parallel universe.... where Mi Rae picks him.

In the end, as far as the philosophy of this story is concerned, it ended like it should have, for me. We will all decide the ending of our Choice and that is why they left it open like that...so we could. But, it doesn't change the fact that I wanted more out of the ending. There is no reason why, in a 10 or 15 minute clip at the end, they couldn't have figured out a way to show, maybe via a split screen?, the parallel lives of the 2 Mi Rae's. One with Kim Shin, One with Se Joo...and just for fun, a 3rd screen with Se Joo and Yoo Kyung so she could have her happy ending. How much fun would that have been? It would certainly have to have been better than this one! For gods' sake this is supposed to be a ROMANCE...wth did that go? In the Black Hole with all the other plot points that make no sense? Frustrated, but slightly content. Thank God for Answer me 1994 and the kiss of the century last night! Made up for everything!

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

maybe the writer wants us to study deeply into the whole time-travelling-theory. heh *sarcasm*

but still, i love the tingling-girly feeling experience that this show gave me. i think i'll watch javabeans' recommended time-travelling Nine to at least satisfy my time-travelling logic. hee...

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

OMG! Nine is NOT to be missed. For me, the best show of the year purely because of the concept and how well it was executed. I feel slightly, SLIGHTLY guilty about saying the best when I'm putting it up against a show like Scandal, or Two Weeks, or Secret, but they all had their holes and weren't perfect. The writing in Nine just blew me away. Never dreamed Kdrama could take a sci-fi concept and use it so well. I am a huge fan of sci-fi/fantasy. Nine just left me breathless. I want to own it badly.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

This year has just been full of k-drama bombs that i've resigned to waiting for them to finish airing before I begin on any. I'm so glad I steered clear of this mess

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I didn't hate the show, but I didn't love it, either, and I so wanted to love it. It became so repetitive that it was tedious; we know that he "fails", we know that FMR wants her with the rich guy; we know rich guy's mom is cookie cutter "control freak mother". There were a few twists here and there, but nothing that really caught me. To be honest, this show didn't need a triangle past the middle part. It could simply have been MR trying to decide whether to stay with the love of her life, or walk away and make a life of her own. Easy as that, and probably would have been more entertaining.

Parallel universes? Really? For your purposes that did not work for the show, but against it, especially considering where you were taking the final episode. There were so many reasons FMR could have run away and chosen to stay, and you go with one that will screw continuity?

And the ending...seriously?! You do not do that to an audience. If I turned this into my editor, she would flay me alive and make me slink to the corner in shame. Total cop out, trying to satisfy both camps.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Don't understand the chest burying thing. If we already established that present Mi-Rae and future Mi-Rae lead different lives from the point that future Mi-Rae came back to meet present Mi-Rae, how can present Mi-Rae bury a chest that reaches future Mi-Rae? They're living in different alternate universes! Present Mi-Rae might not have known that, but that doesn't make it less true!

I hate to say this, but I have a feeling the writer lost his/her way on this one, because the ratings kept tanking and there was no fan response for him/her to work with to shape the story. That's why it ended up with this frustrating open ending, because he/she didn't have the benefit of having fans coax her into either ending up with Shin or Se-Joo. She really should've picked one, or at least made it even clearer that he/she picked Shin, since the show was leaning so hard on that anyway. Either that, or he/she should have started leaning on Se-Joo from the midway point. Planning, folks, planning. This show really had none towards the end.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Don't. Just don't.

Try to make sense of the time-traveling aspect of the show, that is.

I'm trying to "whooooza" my way out of ranting over that chest thing. I don't think my head can take any more scratching over the inconsistencies that they're trying to pass off as limitless possibilities.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

While overall I would give the series about 2.5/5, I think the final episode was the best of the last dozen. And I don't think this was the worst show of the year either - a few others come to mind, but especially WTF Paris. Unlike several other shows that I just dropped after a few episodes, this was at least interesting enough to keep watching, though that teetered on the edge at times.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think I would give a similar rating (maybe 2/5 just because I'm less forgiving when I feel disappointed).

It's that it had a pretty interesting beginning and I could actually say it was exciting for a few episodes before the lack of logic started trickling in which marred my enjoyment. Still, it wasn't all that bad and I could come up with all sorts of explanations because the show had potential and I felt like things would get properly explained in due time.

But then it started testing my patience increasingly with every successive episode and had me going wtf. I still pledged loyalty to it and faced disappointment after disappointment. In the end, I was only left with a bad aftertaste. So that's why I just rate it 2/5..... for the beginning, YEH-LDG chemistry, and YK.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

and also, because the writer is very busy and affraid to made the decision for ending because she knows lot of fans want mirae ended up with seju . thats why, i felt writer changed the original story (kim shin with mirae) to new storyline ( confusing ending on ep.16)

i said that because, it seems (begin on episode 9-15), the writer only busy to developed Seju character (either its the demand of sponsor or for the marketing, don't know sure), i only got the vibe, that writer is neglecting LDG presence on this drama, i can say i barely saw LDG or Kim Shin in last episode, even he did not get the meaningfull and good dialog or scene in last 5 episode. looks like he only as cameo , not first or second lead !!

and it looks like, writer had to sacrifice LDG position for JYH sake. turn out, as i can see JYH could developed his acting in here but LDG and YEH got totally wasted in this drama. this is the worst drama for YEH because she can not developed her act much better which i know she able to developed her skill in romcom. what a waste for YEH and LDG

so this is the reason, why i don't like idol in kdrama, sometimes the real actor/actress who can act had to made "sacrifice" for a marketing/sales purpose because hell yeah there is idol who can bring a lot more money for that drama than the real actor can do.

0
8
reply

Required fields are marked *

lol you should run away and hides from YH crazy fans, they don't accept the fact that idols in kdramas often kill their own drama at the expense of veteran actors, and it's just for the sake of profits! kentertainment industry really sucks, they should appreciate veteran actors more than the idols!

I remember that in wild romance, till now I don't know why the hell did I watch this drama.....

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

kekeke, :D . i am not affraid and not hiding from YH fans.

what i said is true, i can see it from ep. 8/9 to 16, writer only think about YH/ Seju . its a mess from 8-16. before that i can enjoyed the story without fast forward method on ep.1-7.

and about wild romance, i am agree, its a nightmare too.

and also, i think prime minister and i (lee bom soo and SNSD group, i forgot that name of that girl of SNSD) is the potential of WTF drama or messy drama. i am affraid Lee Bom Soo will having a fate like LDG , got tottally wasted and the rating is bad because of idol.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

@cimori

hahahaha, :D they are no active here like in other sites like @ ms.koala, it a mess there!

I guess fans here accept the obvious facts without getting irrational or blinded by the idols glory

yeah the first 6-7 episodes are totally different from the rest, how sad I can't even watch the first episodes without getting disappointed cause we will never see them happy together again

but an idol as a lead role better than a second role getting much screen time over the veteran actors, at least I'll decide to watch it or not from the beginning, and not expecting someone who is not the lead actor to take over the whole drama

yeah you mean yoona I know she has a lot of fans but I'm not a fan of her acting, I can't predict whether the drama gonna be good or WTF messy drama, but with idols acting I'm not very optimistic

I hope LBS won't have this bad fate cause I'm still sad about LDG...sigh

aigoooo..what a mess!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I totally agree… I watched it for LDG and YEH pairing but completely disappointed… JYH was not bad, but the premise was not for her to choose him…sad...

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Well he didn't bring it...it still ended with 4% rating so much for idol appeal. Perhaps next time they should hire an idol that is actually appealing. Instead of a live version of the walking dead. Because Yonghwa is about as charismatic as a piece of dry toast.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

in korea, yes , both KBS and writer knew that they can not save this drama anymore.

but what i felt is that they want to gain profit outside korea. they , especially KBS and the production house knew a lot that YH have a lot of fans in Japan, and other asia . they are a die hard fans who will buy anything related to YH or CN Blue. and if there is DVD for this drama, i am very sure the die hard fans will buy it, no matter what if the story is good or bad , as long there is YH then they are in.

because of the "profit" outside korea who can bring another money for them, then i felt they changed the whole story in episode 8-16, the portion for YH is really a lot in those episode. but still i can not feel YH acting, yes the story/character for YH/Seju in here is developed but for the vibe of his acting , i am just i can not feel it

pardon for my english, mine is not good.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

YH has never had a high rated drama so I'm not sure why because netizens liked him and MR/Sj they thought it would magically turn around the ratings just by having him in more scenes.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

exactly! well correct me if I'm wrong but as far as I can remember, I haven't seen any YH's drama that could be considered "memorable" because it's either I watched it halfway or never watched it again after it has ended. I'm not a hater, in fact I like YH, but only as a singer. Poor LDG and YEH because they have been very much underutilized

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm glad I stopped watching this drama halfway and read your recaps instead! What a cruddy ending .. It's on the level of "Big" and "Bad Guy" drama cruddy endings! I mean in the drama Bad Guy I wanted to throw things at the screen and strangle the writer after investing so much time & emotions on that drama.

I feel bad for YEH & LDG for being in this drama and I think this drama should be listed as a top runner for "most disappointing drama" in the dramabeans 2013 awards. Sigh.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

It truly was a choose your own ending. The clues go both ways. As angry as that makes me, I am going to take the offer and chose my own ending.

She ended up with SJ. He was the one who brought out the best in her. That she wanted his ring in the future wasn't wishy-washy-ness, it was her true feelings. After her conversation with shin they both walked away on two divergent paths. This was a very visual way of saying their lives are now diverging.

She had two have ended up with one of them, otherwise her book would not have become a best seller. Where can I get that book, I bet it would have better answers. She ended up with one of them, and I don't think it was Shin, therefore she must have ended up with SJ. ... That sentence would have made me happier 8 episodes ago.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Forgot to say, Thank you Gummimochi for the recaps. This was not and easy one to stick to the end. The days when I just couldn't watch, you got me through to the next episode. Your deciphering efforts were Herculean.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

i think miraes' choice is one of the best of yoon eun hye. the drama had base, a good story and keeps the viewers' on their toes. although i find the timetravelers a bit funny i liked the fact that the drama was different. the female lead in all kdramas endsup with the potential male lead. but the endng with mirae,when she comes back again into gift store that moment i was like, a bit agitated then i finally understand its a viewers' side ending. all in all i think yoon eun hye, jung yong hwa,lee dong gun did a great job. i would defintely watch this drama again.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I feel like that the choice was not between Sejoo and Shin, but how she wants to lead her life after knowing her own future... On that part i think writers saved the grace in the last episode.. As far as her choice between two men was concerned, I feel it doesn't really matter(but I didn't see any ring in either of their hands, so I presume it's Shin or totally new person).

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

*scratch head*.....then what!??..
i really don't get the ending!!! I HATE open endings-different people would have different views. Instead, i prefer if the writer herself tells us what she decided.

What have i wasted so far... effort, time, sleep..just to watch this drama. It started getting confusing and slow after the 7th-8th, but i still gave it a chance. If only I'd knew the ending would be this disappointing.

To watch the 2 main leads look over each other with so much love(probably the ONLY romantic scene we EVER got repeatedly!!) it would have been worthwhile seeing them get together in the end, going against all the odds predicted by Ahjumma Mi-rae.

DAMMIT!!!! Now what?? *scratch head*

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

LMAO. Im with you there. lol !!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thanks gummimochi for recapping the drama!

Towards the last few eps, it didn’t feel like Shin is the main lead anymore. Even Ajumma Mirae seemed to be the female lead rather than Present Mirae. For a moment, I really thought Ajumma Mirae and Kim Shin would kiss in that hospital scene!

To me, only the first 6 eps are the best. I could watch the scenes from there again and again, especially that one kiss scene that we had in ep 3. Kinda miss Shin’s cursing behavior, haha – he just seemed to turn mellow towards the end. Also his dictionary scenes.

I hope KBS or any other station could give another chance at YEH-LDG pairing. KBS paired Lee Da Hae/Jang Hyuk again in Iris after Chuno, so I’m hopeful :)

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I TOO BELIEVE UPTO 10 EP IT WAS GOING WELL BUT IT FAILED TO DELIVER WHAT ITS TITLE IS. MARRY HIM IF YOU DARE TEREE WERE NO PROPER LOVE SETTING BET THEM WHEN IT LOOKED LIKE THE OLDER REVEALED IT . IT COULD HAVE BEEN NICE IF THEY HAVE SOME QUALITYH TIME AND FOUND OUT AND SHOW THAT THEY CAN DO BETTER JOB THAN THE PAST. BEC OF RATINGS THEY TRY TO CHANGE SCRIPT WHICH DOWN SIZE IT. STILL I BEIEVE THE MAIN LEAD HAVE FEELINGS FOR BUT DUE TO SACRIFICE BY OTHER SHE MADE THE DECISION. THE N WHAT WILL GOT FROM THIS DRAMA IS JUST LOOK AT PRESENT.FOR MALING UP PAST THEY DESTRY ACOUPLE AND ENDING WAS DISTRATOUS FOR ME. WE SPEND SO MUCH TIME TO WATCH AND WHEN ENDING IS LIKE THAT IT BREALKS OUR HEART.MAY BE THE WRITER WAS ITSELF CONFUSED ABT HER TALENT TO WHOM IT SHOULD FINISHED WITH IT.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

This drama was boring and nothing made sense, I had the feeling the author was at his/her wit's end trying to pull out all the stops to come up with something original, but when you don't have it you don't have it. Instead it was ruined completely for me, I feels sorry for the actors who tried hard.

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

Plus I don't like the looks of the actress playing the young Mi rae - she is so not pretty, it's very hard to believe two handsome guys will fall in love with her... Very unrealistic.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Given the billions of married couples in the world, if only "beautiful people" married we would have a very low population.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yeah but I agree with Mikunda she is not pretty. I have never thought she was pretty. She gets good roles and everyone says she's pretty but I actually liked her better when she was playing a boy. Now that I believe.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think YEH is pretty when she's like this:

http://www.dramabeans.com/2013/08/time-slip-drama-mi-raes-choice-confirms-leads/

http://www.dramabeans.com/2012/10/yoon-eun-hye-joins-yoochun-in-i-miss-you/

But I also agree she looks a bit boyish as she did in this drama. Like, she has that sorta slight touch of androgyny and broad shoulders that always makes me think back to the first episode of Coffee Prince when I actually thought she was a guy in the first ten minutes of the show (I hadn't read the description so didn't know what the plot was beforehand).

0

Maybe it's because I was invested in this drama and hoped for great things, that's why I'm disappointed with how things turned out. Sad. Really sad.

I hate it that in most dramas, most of the time the character of the leads change from fun and snappy to just sad and full of burden.

YEH should try to act with Ju Won in her future project. That guy is a high rating magnet!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I guess I'm in the minority (of one perhaps) but I loved this ending. Absolutely loved it! Mi-rae says something like "Screw the past, it's over and done. Don't choose in the present for some unknowable future that might or might not happen. Make the best choices you can make in the here and now and the future will take care of itself." All four main characters follow this advice.

Mi-rae stops defining herself by the men in her life. She uncovers the talent she's had all along, becomes a working writer and has what is probably the first of many best selling books to her credit.

Yoo-kyung stop trying to climb the ladder of success via powerful men who can do something for her career. She goes to America, works on her skills and returns to host the show she tried to get with Se-joo's help on her own merits this time. Her prospects are bright.

Shin, who unlike the previous timeline when he didn't even appear on camera as an anchor, outs himself on camera as the kind of journalist he's always wanted to be. He's going to stand up to the rich and powerful, be the voice of the common person, right wrongs and, oh yes, he now has the respect of his peers. He has become an example of what a good journalist should be doing, reporting the truth. He clears his debt on his own by taking NTN to court and not only voiding the contract but probably winning substantial personal damages as well.

Se-joo stops living under his grandmother's wing, goes on to study how to achieve success for himself and returns his own person. He is no longer under Granny's thumb and her edicts about the business. If she wants him back, she will have to accept his choices in everything, including his marriage, or not have him at all. It's a great outcome for him.

I think the point of the open ending is that now either one of the men will be a fitting partner for either one of the women and vice versa. They have each realized and acted upon an important life lesson. It is ultimately your life, you can't live it the way other people want you to live it and being happy with your choices in the present, while no guarantee as the future is unwritten, is the best predictor of happiness and personal fulfilment in the future.

Personally I think Mi-rae and Shin will end up together and Yoo-kyung with Se-joo but, because they are each now satisfied themselves, happiness will follow no matter who their ultimate partner will be. I'm satisfied.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I thought the ending was the best part, and the open ending did not bother me. It was I think ep4 to 15 that were the downfall of the show - too inconsistent.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

This seems to be a problem with most of the Kdramas I've watched. They tend to lose the narrative midway and inconsistency is therefore a huge problem. Why? Dunno. Might it have something to do with the short turnaround time from script to shooting that seems to be common in this type of show? Mi-rae's Choice is one of the better ones, for me at least, in this regard.

I really don't give a damn about the whole mechanics of time travel anyway. Parallel universes? Time marching ever forward? I'm not a quantum physicist and so any explanation is all, well, quantum physics to me. Future Mi-rae comes back to the past to change her future, it turns out to be a bit more complicated than she imagined from reading the brochure and that's good enough for me. Also I thought Shin was imagining Future Shin on the roof top. It was all in his mind. Although it is kind of fun to imagine many future people returning to their specific pasts to change their personal futures simultaneously. The mayhem would be off the charts!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

One thing I don't quite get is that how come MR is working on that humidifier story for Pandora's Box show when she has left YBS and is already working in her new job...

How the HR works in K-dramas really amazes me :) When they submit their resignation letter, they simply stop working that day and leave (it's like getting fired). And when Shin got fired, there's no formal notification and NTN already had a replacement the next day. Wow.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

So agree with you
I also don't understand why Mirae can work for YBS when she's working at another company.
The resignation thing also too fast to be true... oooh, it is a K-drama anyway

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

As someone noted in an earlier thread - "there are no logistics in Korean dramas". But even then I did not get that sudden switch back to YBS - it was all the dozens of little glitches like that that contributed to the low ratings I suspect.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I thought it would be all right if Mirae actually got to cover that story in her new job. But, no she had to meddle in YBS, 'coz if not, SJ won't be affected and then Miranda won't have anything to say in this.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm so sad. Was really hoping that her and Sejoo to get together at the end. I thought their relationship was developing nicely towards the last few episodes. His affections was slowly moving her heart.

I don't think it'd be convincing for her to end up with Shin when they only went on a date (was it even considered a date?) once, and that was it. Relationships usually take time to develop.

However, to have her not choosing either one of them was quite disappointing at the end.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I agree. Despite the weird character shifts, the last episodes seemed to show a Mi-rae who was warming up to Se-joo's affections. I'd like to think she got together with the man who was hopelessly devoted to her, rather than the guy who was incredibly cruel to her (supposedly for her own good), even if he rocked her socks.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Wow... speechless... this drama is confused about being confused.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

It was good but the there were parts that were lacking. It could have been better but it turned out a bit peachy . i get the lesson but the lesson didnt fit. The actors and actresses were great but... there is still the but.
. In British sense: Ive lost the plot.
Oh well I guess I have to depend on the Multiverse Theory.
I guess the other me must be a gazillionaire somewhere instead of lying in bed with her cup of tea and waking up with a white collar job?
Got to roll.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think that open ended ending must have been decided on pretty late in the game, or otherwise the director didn't get the memo. Mi Rae looked so utterly miserable every time she was with Se Joo that I can't possibly imagine she ended up with him.

It was just so disjointed.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thanks gummimochi for recapping the drama!

Towards the last few eps, it didn’t feel like Shin is the main lead anymore. Even Ajumma Mirae seemed to be the female lead rather than Present Mirae.

To me, only the first 6 eps are the best. I could watch the scenes from there again and again, especially that one kiss scene that we had in ep 3. Kinda miss Shin’s cursing behavior, he just seemed to turn mellow towards the end.

I guess I’ll not be watching this scriptwriter’s dramas in a long time to come. I’ll remember her name: Hong Jin Ah. I didn’t finish King 2 Hearts and Beethoven Virus, so I think her works are just not my cup of tea. Even if her next drama has a star-studded cast or my fav actors in it, I’ll just wait for the whole drama to end and see if it’s worth my time to watch.

I hope KBS or any other station could give another chance at YEH-LDG pairing. KBS paired Lee Da Hae/Jang Hyuk again in Iris after Chuno, so I’m hopeful!

0
8
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oops, oh dear, I didn't know my post would turn up in italics! Sorry!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Amen to that, pls god I wanna YEH/LDG again, cause this mess wasted everything that could have been!

and believe me this one sucked BIG time, I loved K2H it's just not every one's cup of tea but it was great to a lot of people, but this one her is disappointing to everyone

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I also want YEH-LDG pairing to get another chance in more romantic way and get a happy ending... =)

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

With a load of skinship!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I was soo ready to put this writer's name in blacklist category, until you mentioned she wrote K2H. People certainly have different taste, but I loved K2H. And to be honest, I was giddy for the first part of the show, til wasn't anymore.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh my..I didn't know that she wrote K2H as well, I love K2H so much, and there is like a very huge gap between these two dramas as if they were written by completely two different persons! I'm not expecting it to have similar scenes like in K2H, but at least, came out with a good storyline, if not better, at least as good as K2H

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Personally, I loved King 2 Hearts a lot. Beethoven Virus started out all well and good but at a certain point, I got tired of shouty Kang Mae and so dropped it. Plus, I feel like the low ratings contributed to the hodgepodge that was the script of Mirae's Choice so I'm not really going to strike this scriptwriter off because of this one disappointing project.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

K2H and BV were written with her sister. So maybe two heads are really better than one.

I won't strike her off completely too but I wouldn't jump and watch her drama from ep 1. Will wait and see the reviews first.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *