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Discovery of Romance: Episode 16 (Final)

The finale is one dedicated to Yeo-reum, and fittingly so. She ties up all the loose ends of coincidence, fate, loyalty, and love to discover what romance means to her. The long road with twisty detours and roundabout paths has finally come to an end. And although the end is no big surprise, we’re given a couple of pleasant surprising nuances about romance, which is an optimistic and thoughtful note to end on.

 
EPISODE 16: “Although there’s no such thing as everlasting love…”

Yeo-reum works in her shop, and her new bangs and signs for woodworking classes tell us that some time has passed. A man comes in (cameo by Yoo Ah-in) to sign up for classes, but his real question reveals another intention: “Do you have a boyfriend?” She casually tells him that it’s been a year since her break-up, and she got dumped for two-timing. When she asks if he’s still interested, he awkwardly slips out of there. Heh.

She reflects that it’s actually been a year since everything’s happened and thinks back to her farewell with Tae-ha. In interview mode, the two express their reluctance to part in that moment. Yeo-reum says that she was tempted to turn back when she was walking away, and Tae-ha admits that he wished that she had.

In a quick flashback, we see that she kind of did, standing and crying just around the corner out of Tae-ha’s view. “I cried for an hour there. I was scared and wanted to Tae-ha to take me somewhere.” Tae-ha tells a similar story, “I don’t know how long I stood there. The sun had set by the time I left.”

Yeo-reum also reveals that she drunk-dialed him around two months after their break-up. In another flashback, a very drunk Yeo-reum sits outside her workshop door and calls Tae-ha to ask how he’s doing. She denies that she misses him but admits that tears keep falling. Her moment of sadness is interjected by a random man on the other line. Realizing that she hasn’t been talking to Tae-ha, she hangs up and buries her head, crying that he changed his number.

Tae-ha tells us that he deleted all his numbers when he got a new phone and doesn’t know her number anymore. That way, he won’t be tempted to send her another drunk text.

Making herself ramyun, Yeo-reum shrugs it all off and says that everything’s in the past. As she starts eating, Joon-ho and Sol come back from their movie date. They look at her pitifully and coo at each other. When Yeo-reum asks what movies are out, they shut her down, asking if she’s really going to watch a movie by herself, and she gives them a deserving glare.

Joon-ho gets a call from Ha-jin about work and makes it overtly clear that it’s not him. So obviously, Yeo-reum knows that it’s him. With the covert caller revealed, Joon-ho adds that Ha-jin hasn’t taken off his ring yet, making Yeo-reum pause in silence.

Ha-jin comes home from work and notices a pair of slippers in front of his closet. He slowly slides open his closet and finds Yeo-reum hiding there, just like she used to. She gives him a cautious greeting and asks if he’s missed her. Smiling, he acknowledges that he did and admits that he’s always nervous when he opens the closet, hoping that she’d be there.

She tells him that if he wants to get back together, he can just tell her. “In hindsight, I should have listened to you. Even if we fought, we should have stuck together. Don’t you still hate me?” He says that he does, but she knows that he doesn’t. When he asks if she’s sorted out her feelings, she nods. He’s happy that she’s ultimately decided to come back to him, and they reunite with kisses.

But that’s all in his imagination. Back in real life, he’s hugging not Yeo-reum, but a pillow from his closet. He quickly shuts the door and walks away, telling us that this is actually an improvement. Even a few months ago…

In a flashback, Joon-ho accompanies Ha-jin in his drunken state. He tells Ha-jin about his relationship progress with Sol, but Ha-jin ignores him completely, with only Yeo-reum on his mind. After taking a swig from his bottle, Ha-jin asks about Yeo-reum and orders him to tell her that he’s completely fine, though he’s obviously not.

Still getting over the relationship, he says, “I knew she was tough and bad, but how could she not call me once? If I were her, I would make an excuse to see me.” When asked if he wants to get back together with her, Ha-jin initially says no, but goes back and forth, wrestling with the whole Tae-ha–Yeo-reum mess.

Joon-ho looks at him with sympathy as Ha-jin continues, “But apart from all of that, Yeo-reum and I weren’t fit for each other. If there’s one thing I learned from this relationship…” He falls and lies on the ground as he finishes his thought in a voiceover: “I learned that if she doesn’t love me, I can’t make her. It doesn’t work with effort. I can’t even control my own feelings; how can I control someone else’s?”

At work, Tae-ha tries to find a company to partner with for a new interior project. His employees recommend that they work with Yeo-reum and Sol again, but he shuts them down with unexpected candor. He admits that he and Yeo-reum are exes, so they can’t work together. A clueless insensitive employee wonders how, since Yeo-reum had a boyfriend. That prompts Tae-ha to leave.

Tae-ha meets up with a client at a restaurant to discuss the new project. The lady seems to have the hots for him, as she asks to have wine with him sometime. He agrees to in a professional manner and leaves as she watches him with an infatuated gaze.

As he takes the escalators down, he notices a familiar face: Ha-jin, who’s at a conference with his fellow doctors. Tae-ha hears his conversation about marriage from afar and sees that Ha-jin still has his ring. He turns around to leave, probably with the wrong assumption.

Ha-jin passes by the restaurant and sees the back of a woman that looks just like Yeo-reum. He shakes his head and walks away, knowing he’s hallucinating her presence everywhere. But turns out, it is actually Yeo-reum, and she’s there to meet with the infatuated client. She’s the furniture end of this deal.

When Yeo-reum flips through the interior designs, she recognizes the business card from Tae-ha’s company. Infatuated Client tells her that she’s interested in Tae-ha and has confirmed that he’s not taken. The lady seems excited to jump on this opportunity, but Yeo-reum seems more fixated on the fact that he doesn’t have a girlfriend.

Tae-ha’s car is blocked off by another car, so he angrily calls Director Yoon to take care of his other business plans. When he turns around, he sees none other than Ha-jin, his car also blocked by the same vehicle. They snap at each other, clearly annoyed to be stuck in this situation together.

Ha-jin catches Tae-ha staring at his ring and starts to poke him where it hurts. He updates Tae-ha that Yeo-reum is doing well, and taking it a step further, he offers a wedding invitation to him. He’s clearly enjoying being an ass, smirking at Tae-ha’s reaction to the news. The valet driver arrives just in time to break the tension, and the two go their separate ways.

Ha-jin pulls up to the side of the road, reflecting on his malicious intentions for Tae-ha and Yeo-reum. He scolds himself for his childish actions and finally finds the courage to take off his ring. After some hesitation, he drops it out the window and drives off.

Mom and Producer Bae take a walk in the countryside. She comments on how nice it is, and he tells her that she can come down here after finishing her current drama. “When I see you always working in that office and eating carelessly, I’m upset. So come here and take care of your health.” She suspiciously asks if he’s telling her to stop working, and he scoffs. He knows she’s not one to stop working at command, and he needs her to keep writing for him anyway.

He knows that she’s worked nonstop after Yeo-reum’s father passed, so he wants her to come to this place to rest. He wants them to enjoy a decent life. She questions whether that’s possible, and he asserts that it is. Taking her hand, he assures her: “I’m right here by your side.” Smiling, she agrees by suggesting that they get a dog and a patio. They hold hands and look at their new home in good spirits.

Ha-jin returns home and glances at his two bikes: one that he bought for himself and one that Ah-rim left for Yeo-reum. Then he wistfully looks around in his apartment, and we see that he’s packed up his life into boxes.

Infatuated Client sets up a meeting for her interior and furniture designers, which sets up a reunion for Tae-ha and Yeo-reum. They pretend not to know each other and introduce themselves in honorifics. As the meeting progresses, Tae-ha thinks back to Ha-jin’s mention of their upcoming wedding, and Yeo-reum thinks back to her client’s plans to get with Tae-ha. When they get into an argument about the design, the client declares that she’ll leave it to Tae-ha, since she likes him.

Tae-ha spits out his drink at the sudden confession, and the client takes her confession further by asking him out to dinner. Yeo-reum glares at Tae-ha, and he quickly glances at her before accepting the dinner offer, to which Yeo-reum pouts. He hands her a gift from Director Yoon (he’s trying to make moves, eh?) and offers to take her out for gopchang (pig intestine). Right before they leave, Yeo-reum interjects that she really likes gopchang as well. Ha.

The three end up at the gopchang place, and when Infatuated Client asks what they want, they reply in unison and finish each other’s requests. Tae-ha notices that Yeo-reum doesn’t have her ring on, and it bothers him.

A couple drinks in, the client starts asking Tae-ha questions to get to know him: what he does in his free time and what his favorite book is. Yeo-reum answers the second question for him — A Dog of Flanders — and he acknowledges that it is. When she asks what his favorite part of the book is, she beats him to it again — the end when they freeze to death. On the topic of movie genres, Yeo-reum answers and asks if porn is a genre. HA.

By this time, Infatuated Client has picked up that the two know each other, and Tae-ha admits that they were friends. Yeo-reum reveals more, saying “We also dated for a bit. Five years, in fact.” Haha, best cockblock ever.

Infatuated Client is understandably annoyed and returns the gift from Director Yoon, leaving the two to talk out their problems. Tae-ha asks why Yeo-reum’s interfering and brings up her supposed upcoming marriage with Ha-jin. “Don’t interfere with my life and live happily. It’s a good thing I broke up with you then. Thinking about it now, I’m thankful we did.” He shoves Director’s Yoon rejected gift into her hands, congratulates her, and walks off.

…Only to turn back again to give his final word: “You told me that love is loyalty, right? What’s loyalty without heart? Your heart is first and then it’s loyalty. Live long and happily with your loyalty.” He storms off, and she watches him leave with a curious blank look on her face.

Sol and Joon-ho are feeding each other popcorn while watching a movie, when Yeo-reum returns and interrupts their couple time. They imply that she’s not invited to watch with them, as they take the movie to another room. She follows them and asks them to have a drink with her because she saw Kang Tae-ha today. They wiggle their fingers “no” and continue watching, so Yeo-reum turns off the movie and forces a venting session on them.

She tells them her belief in coincidences and fate. They work in related fields, so it’s just coincidental that they met up again. “Coincidences are coincidences, am I right? And he’s still a jerk. I imagined a reunion to be more nostalgic and yearning.” Sol and Joon-ho remind her that they’ve shared a long history, and he’s probably sick of her. It’s not like they just broke up, either. They ask her to leave and start to go under to covers, making Yeo-reum dart out of there.

The next morning, Joon-ho and Sol are stuck in a predicament with the bikes they received from Ha-jin. Yeo-reum walks in and sees them, which triggers happy memories. They tell her that he left the bikes for them to ride, since they would go to waste anyway.

Yeo-reum and Sol work in their shop, but they’re interrupted by a sudden visit from Ha-jin’s mother. As soon as she walks in, she slaps Yeo-reum across her face. She says that she never liked Yeo-reum, but she hates her even more for causing Ha-jin to leave the country. All Yeo-reum can do is apologize. Ouch, motherly instincts and anger are seldom a good combo.

Afterwards, Sol admits to Yeo-reum that she knew, but Ha-jin didn’t want to make a big deal out of his departure. His real dream was to pursue global service, so it’s fitting that he follow this path. Unsettled by this news, Yeo-reum rushes out.

At the airport, Ha-jin picks up a call from his mother and assures her that he’ll be in touch often. After some hesitation, he finds the strength to express his true gratitude. “I’ve never said this before, but thank you for raising me. I love you.” He hangs up with that and gets up to catch his flight.

But in the distance, he sees Yeo-reum approaching him. She gets closer, and he thinks back to their past conversation about couples growing apart and changing. Back then, he was convinced that they would never break up, since they always tried to understand each other. In the present, Ha-jin thinks back to the promises he made then.

In a voiceover, Yeo-reum tells us: “All promises made on the basis of love are true, but there’s no one who will fulfill that eternal promise after that love has ended.” Ha-jin: “Yeo-reum had known that then, but I’ve only just realized this now. A promise only lasts as long as the love does.”

Sitting a seat apart, Yeo-reum asks Ha-jin about his plans. He says that he’ll be gone for about a year and asks if she’ll wait for him. Not fulfilling his hopes, she tells him that she came to apologize, as she never had a chance to properly do so.

In response, he tells her, “I’m not the one who let you go, and you’re not the one who left. When I was with you, I wasn’t happy. I was always anxious, tried to hide it, and wanted to be loved. It’s not because of Kang Tae-ha — we tried to be happy together, but we weren’t. That’s why we broke up.” He tells her that he wants to find happiness within himself and wishes her happiness as well.

Director Yoon goes out on a blind date on Tae-ha’s request, and his date turns out to be Mom’s assistant, Gi-eun. She tells him that she quit her script-writing job once her book got published. She pulls it out, and it’s titled Discovery of Romance. She signs the book and hands it to him, and he’s clearly impressed. He turns to the signed page, which says that she’s interested in him, and when he flips to the title page, the tag line reads, “Romance is not a drama but a reality.” Oh, the meta.

The go on to discuss the contents of the book. Director Yoon asks, “So construction company president K, furniture designer H, and plastic surgeon N. The story just ends with H getting dumped by the two? That’s it?” Responding to his outrage, Gi-eun says that she doesn’t know because that’s as far as she got in covering this story, but she fills him in with her insights: “I really don’t know the ending. It’s sort of roundabout. They all abandon each other, they’re all a bit hurtful to each other, and they all find solace in each other. But that’s all a part of human relationships.” By this point, Director Yoon is absolutely smitten.

Tae-ha brings flowers to Yeo-reum’s father and pays his respects. Mom and Yeo-reum arrive some time later and see the flowers. Mom wonders who dropped by, but Yeo-reum knows that it was probably Tae-ha — this is why she liked him. Yeo-reum’s come to visit her father for the first time in six years, and in her thoughts she apologizes to him. “I’m sorry for coming so late. I’ll come more often now. I’m sorry I didn’t come and for hating you. I’m sorry for everything.”

Mom decides to drop the bomb now, telling her late husband: “I’m getting remarried. I’m going to live the rest of my life with Bae Min-soo. Now that Yeo-reum is here, I won’t come anymore. It’d be strange to keep visiting you while living with a different man.” Yeo-reum responds with utter shock, and she continues. “I’ve come to visit you loyally throughout the years, but I can’t live the rest of my life simply on loyalty. Even if we meet in the afterlife, let’s ignore each other.” She gives him a curt goodbye and walks away.

Bewildered, Yeo-reum chases after Mom and asks her how she could do this: marry twice when she hasn’t even married once. Mom gives her explanation: “You see what I did there? He and I are done. There’s no reason to feel sorry or keep loyalty towards a finished man. The end is the end. You got that, Han Yeo-reum?” You go, Mom.

Ha-jin is currently working at a free clinic in Cambodia, and he serendipitously comes across Ah-rim, who’s arrived as a new service worker there. They go on a walk, and he realizes that this is what Ah-rim was doing the whole time, not studying abroad. He found it strange that she hadn’t contacted him or used any of his money. He lightly scolds her for still using honorifics, but she finds it awkward to suddenly drop it after being separated for so long.

Ah-rim asks if Ha-jin got married, and he replies that after spending so much time seeing greater struggles here, he’s realized that love really isn’t such a big deal. Based on that, she correctly assumes that he got dumped, and he immediately gets defensive when she calls Yeo-reum “that scary unni.”

She admits that she also liked someone, but it was one-sided and she never got to confess her feelings because the person had a girlfriend. He scolds her for liking a taken guy, and she wonders why she did, with a hint of sarcasm and regret. They laugh it off and watch the sunset in content.

Yeo-reum returns to her room and finds Joon-ho there. He tells her that Ha-jin wrote a letter confessing that he’d coincidentally run into Tae-ha and told him that he was getting married to her. “He’s too nice for his own good and wanted me to tell you this. But Yeo-reum, I also have something to confess.” He takes out Tae-ha’s memory box from under the table and slides it to her. He didn’t feel right about throwing it away and tells Yeo-reum to do what she wants.

Tae-ha finds his way to a collection of trees but deflates when he arrives at the location. The trees are all cut down, and he says that the stumps seem to reflect reality. “There’s no use in love. What’s the use in becoming one through love when it can end just like that? Love’s nothing; it’s just a fleeting moment.”

He prepares his camera to take a picture of a stump, but someone walks into the frame. It’s Yeo-reum, happy to see him there. He’s confused and asks her how she knew he was here. She shrugs, claiming that she didn’t know and suggesting that it must be fate. He refuses to believe her, saying, “Maybe it is fate. But let’s avoid making this fate here.” He walks off, but she follows.

Turning around, he yells at her to leave. She smiles back, and he can’t help but smile back but quickly catches himself. Shaking himself out of the giddy feelings, he narrows his eyes at her with suspicion and asks if she’s stalked his social media.

She shakes her head in denial, but in a flashback we see otherwise. The contents of Tae-ha’s memory box are scattered over Yeo-reum’s bed, and she tries to locate Tae-ha through social media. She looks smug when she finds him among the sea of Kang Tae-has (and where he’s headed today), and in the present, she continues to insist that it’s fate. Hehe.

Tae-ha scoffs and walks away, but Yeo-reum trails after him saying, “It is fate, but I don’t believe in fate anymore. If life was planned out for us, it wouldn’t be any fun. I like thinking that there’s no set plan for our futures, and it’s funny that we happen to meet here.”

Having enough of her nonsense, Tae-ha tells her that he’s forgotten her and life is somewhat livable now, so stop following. Yeo-reum says that she wants to start back up with him and that she got dumped. But he’s over it and says that he’s going to find a nicer girl than her. Not one to lose in the argument, Yeo-reum claims that she’s become nicer and urges him to change his mind: “We’re both bad people. Why hurt all the better people of the world?”

He still refuses and walks away, so Yeo-reum walks in the opposite direction. When he realizes she’s not following, he chases after her. She says that she’s changed her mind, but Tae-ha notices that she’s wearing the bag, necklace, and earrings he got her. She did come to see him.

She walks away, but Tae-ha follows her and grabs her hand. He takes note that he’s holding her hand (hee, just like their early days) and that she’s not letting go. Then he asks why she’s smiling, and she replies, “When I’m with you, I feel most like myself.” She lets that sink in and gives him permission to kiss her. He says that he doesn’t need her permission but pulls her in for a kiss anyway.

We get quick flashbacks to their first kiss as voiceovers tell us their outlook. Yeo-reum: “This love, too, will end one day. Although there is no everlasting love, if we didn’t believe in it, we couldn’t hold each other’s hand.” Tae-ha: “The climax of our love has passed, and we’ll probably live bickering all the time. But I think I like it better that way.”

 
COMMENTS

I’d say I’m pretty satisfied. I’m a sucker for cute, and that ending was bursting with cute. Not that this drama was completely realistic or perfect by any standards, but the ending granted our couple well-deserved happiness with a nice touch of realism. They both know they’re in for a completely different relationship from what they had before, but they wouldn’t have it any other way. They’re hopeful for what’s to come, but they know what to expect — it’s a nice combination of fate and coincidence. I think Yeo-reum had a nice way of exhibiting and articulating her understanding of those two ideas. With fate, there’s a fundamental understanding that there is a path and an ultimate destination for you. It’s reassuring yet unsettling at the same time, so screw your belief in fate. Just go with the coincidences — intentional or not — and go along with what life throws at you. It’s better that way.

The loyalty and love dynamic was brought up twice throughout this episode, and it’s a hard call to make. It’s difficult to draw the line between the two, as it’s almost a chicken and egg type of dilemma. Does loyalty foster love, or is loyalty an inherent part of love? Is one better than the other? The finale seems to tell us that they’re both essential to building and maintaining a relationship, that one can’t exist without the other. But simple loyalty isn’t going to cut it. Your blind loyalty can hinder your pursuits for love. And it’s okay to come to terms with an end and move on, cutting your ties with your previous loyalty. It’s an intriguing paradox they set up, and I can’t decide if I agree or disagree with it. But I guess it just boils down to happiness. Whatever you do, just be happy.

The honesty in this episode was so refreshing. Ha-jin finally being open and honest about his feelings was long overdue, but I guess it’s better late than never! I don’t think he wasn’t honest before; he just didn’t know how to be honest with himself, which inevitably led to the fallout. The reality was that he wasn’t happy, and I’m glad that he finally got around to understanding that. He needed that realization for himself so that he could properly make amends and get over his relationship with Yeo-reum. I’m glad he finally learned how to properly say goodbye, with his mother and with Yeo-reum. Although he wasn’t the best-written character, he had enough complexities to keep me invested and sympathizing with his internal struggles.

All the cuteness and resolution in this episode put aside, I know that this series as a whole was quite frustrating at times. Actually, more often than not, there was something in an episode that could be disputed. Simply put, there were many opinions and feelings. But I think that’s a good thing and somewhat intentional. The disagreement and discussion were sparked by questionable decisions by our flawed characters, and I can’t help but think the characters were purposely written in such a manner. They were intentionally flawed almost in an explicit manner to magnify very real flaws we may have. There were many times that I could see myself in a certain character, and that caught me off guard. It was a surreal way to experience some of my own flaws, and so I applaud the show for its writing. It was controversial, real, and quite frankly, aggravating, but that’s what made it different and realistic.

I’m a bit disappointed that the show didn’t exploit its format more, though the final meta wrap-up did conclude it quite nicely. The interview format was something really new and used quite well in this drama, and I only wish that they had used it more during the duller moments of brooding. It was a nice break from the norm, almost transcending the concept of breaking the fourth wall to breaking the third and fourth walls. The inceptions of meta in crossing over boundaries of the interviews were probably my favorite parts of the drama, making me wish I could do such things in real life. Imagine walking through a fourth dimension to whack someone on the head for talking trash about you. If only dramas were a reality… which they aren’t according to Gi-eun’s book, so conveniently titled Discovery of Romance. Meta.

Somehow, even with all this turbulence, everyone gets their happy ending. Sol and Joon-ho fulfill their potential as the most adorkable couple ever. Ha-jin and Ah-rim reunite as brother and sister (with potential for a future) after two decades doing the work that they’ve always wanted to do. Mom gets on the same page as Producer Bae and teaches her daughter a lesson while she’s at it (side note: I loved blunt Mom and her no-nonsense attitude). Even Director Yoon and Gi-eun get an unexpected match-up. And of course, our main troublesome couple, Yeo-reum and Tae-ha, who are frustrating and cute beyond words.

There were many things I appreciated from this drama. Some purely on the surface, some great nuances, and some small insignificant details. To list a few: the ongoing burning smell whenever Eric is around, how Jung Yumi cries while still being so pretty, Sung Joon’s attractiveness even in bland and shapeless clothing, Kim Seul-gi’s impressive range in acting, Eric mastering the art of the stink eye, the strange design of the PPL bikes, the rabbit named Yeo-reum that mysteriously disappeared from the plot, and the bromance between Director Yoon and Tae-ha. I’m glad the ending did live up to its title, though one can only hope that discovering romance in real life won’t be as crazy and meandering. But if it comes with a guaranteed side of cute and ducklings on your head, I’ll take it.

 
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Thanks for recapping this drama! I know it was a polarizing one, and it took me a while to warm up to the characters, but in the end I really enjoyed it and found it a satisfying journey.

Eric and Jung Yumi forever <3 That last screencap with the ducklings is my favourite thing.

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Joon Ho is Hot! that's all I can say, and he can give those two guys a run for their money -easy. I dont care who yeorum ends up with, I really thought she should just be better off alone. / sol (kim Na Gil) should have her own show next year maybe, her chemistry with these flower boys is just amazing - joon ho here, go kyung pyu in flower boy next door and nam joo hyuk in surplus princess. / if not for joon ho and sol, I wont be able to finish this drama. yea, what happened to the cute rabbit?/ It seems like Kang Tae ha's scenes were just few and far between esp. in the latter episodes, I dunno, I keep looking for him. nothing really special with this role, just standin or sittin there looking like a male model, acting some. I wish he'd be given a more active role next time, would really love to watch Eric Mun again, maybe with Yoon Eun Hye in a romantic comedy, of course.

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Eric-Eun Hye…ahhhh…don't know how long will wait for this duo have chance to work together…

Agree with Joon Ho (Yoon Hyun Min) and Sol/ Kim Seul Gi (not Kim Nam Gil, dear…^^). Both cute and talented...

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I really do wonder about the poor rabbit..

Thanks for the recap. As i read somewhere.. Eric won. Hehhh...

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it probably starved to death during that episode where they did the marathon working thing tbh (was that even this drama?)

RIP, bunny han yeoreum. maybe this show would've been better if you were the main character instead of just a fluffy plot device (i mean, i think we can all agree that bunny yeoreum was way better than human yeoreum)

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LOL

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The rabbit was always chilling in the background, lol. I even saw she got bigger.

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a few episodes ago someone on this site pointed out the irony of yeoreum feeling like taeha knows her better than anyone, when she says it was her relationship with him that made her less trusting and open. it's all i could think about during this episode, esp when she did she felt most like herself around him. she's right, why hurt all the nice people of the world? they do deserve each other.

i know a lot of people are going to have things to say about this finale. i wish i were more coherent but I'm tired rn, so.

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I was in this for the beautiful sung joon, so it caught me off guard to have found myself rooting for eric instead. Oh boy. Does that guy have such charm! So manly!! And jung yu mi? So pretty.

But kim seul gi, as per usual, has the tendency to steal the show. She should really be in a drama where she's the lead :)

Anyways, i agree that this drama was frustrating at times. But i find that it's frustrating because i keep seeing myself in the situations they put themselves in. I mean, kdramas are not exactly known for their realism, but this one has a lot of moments where i find myself asking, "what would i do if that were me?" And that's what makes me tune in week after week after week. Well, that, and sung joon's awesome kissing. Heh.

I don't know if i completely warmed up to yeo reum's character, but i love that she was a bit selfish with ha jin. It's like i understand that it stems from her painful relationship with tae ha. And it's never nice to be selfish, but at the same time, that's reality right there. Relationships always have the element of bitchiness, pettiness, some secrets and fake tears. And i didn't dislike the slap from ha jin's mom. She kind of deserved it.

The ending was very cute and well done, but i wished they deviated from the norm. I wanted to see yeo reum and tae ha getting the closure they desperately need; and the show justifying in a satisfying way ha jin and yeo rum deciding to actually work things out. But that's because faced with her dilemma, that's probably what i would have done. Made a grown up decision and stuck with it. I mean, she wasn't unhappy with ha jin. She loved him - i loved that sweet episode where she opened her arms to him when he told her about being adopted. And she wouldn't have been all confused if tae ha didn't still love her and gave her beautiful, smoldering, sexy looks all the time. But again, that's just me :)

Thanks again for the recaps, dramabeans.

And thanks, show for giving me eric!! Tee-hee.

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yeah, I agree with you about the seeing myself in the characters and not totally warming up to han yeo reum!

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If Yeoreum told Hajin that she and Taeha are exes in the beginning itself, there'd be no story to tell..

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I'm satisfied with the ending. But honestly, I demand more scenes of our lead couple Tae Ha-Yeo Reum. They deserved more lovely cuties scenes after those heart breaking scenes for so many episodes. How come this drama only gave less than 5 min to them for having lovey dovey scenes again….

Anyway, one of best drama this year. Good performances for all casts even supporting roles (Tae Ha-Director Yoon brotherhood is the best….XD). I hope Eric-Yoo Mi has chance to work together again. If we need to wait for years in a drama, what about in the movie? Their chemistry was superb. They don't need any skinships at all to convince the audiences if their characters are in love (or maybe Eric-Yoo Mi fall each other, who knows????).

Love the cinematography and color they used. They know when to shoot in short or long zoom to make us available to see their expressions.

Love the story lines. Thumbs up to the writer who wrote such kind of beautiful notes and sentences. The story is a mix between happiness and sadness, dorky and cutie but so meaningful.

And the OSTs just confirm how this drama really concern to the very detail things. The OSTs just encourage all the scenes and help them to delivered it beautifully.

Congrats for the drama team. I'm really grateful if they consider the DoR season 2.

Waiting other good news from the actors, especially Eric (this guy existence seems could overshadowed everyone.. ) and Jung Yoo Mi (such a great and wonderful actress)..

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Not enough scenes with TH and YR eh? I waited for a
Back hug!!!

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hehe!

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As compensation, they showed us a lot of cute OTP scenes in the past I guess

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Yep and they were A LOT!

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But I want lovey dovey scenes in their present days not in the past. Their past relationship is cute and all, but their present days, even just by looking each other makes my screen burn, that's why I want more than that…kkkkk

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I just finished the last episode, even though I still do not realize that it’s the end XD
I really liked this drama, even though at times I wanted to shake some characters XD
But it’s also what I like about this story!
Because as Que Sera Sera, I was completely addicted, from the beginning to the end.
I would not say it’s my favorite drama, because I already have too many favorites drama ..
But it is one of the best this year for me, with Gap Dong!
Because he’s the same usual style (love triangle), but at the same time it happens to be different, to pass this barrier. As being a major consumer of dramas, I just saw everything related to love triangles, I like that, otherwise I will not continue to watch dramas, but it’s so nice when a drama comes to detach from these barriers!

The fact that it is more realistic is a + , although of course it’s still a drama, so a fiction.
I love when characters are more complicated than the appearance, it is far from « big bad guy, the poor sweet little heroine with all the ills of the world, which in addition is bullied by the big bad, but falling in love with him because she finds him every excuse in the world. Not to mention the nice guy who loves her, and that is never used in the drama. OH I forgot to mention the wicked stepmother »
In Discovery of Romance, all the characters are more complicated, more “human” and yes even Sol!

They are not inherently evil / bad, but they are not nice to the point of being “perfect,” precisely because they are human, and no human is perfect in this world! We can be nice, nasty, selfish, stupid, hurt someone, etc etc make bad choices, whether consciously or not

One moment you can find a character, endearing, cute, and 10 min after being completely frustrated with his choices.
And there’s no one person who has not made any mistakes, bad choices in his life.

So we can be frustrating, upset, do not understand a character, but at the same time we manage to put yourself in their shoes. “What if it was me?”

There, as viewers it’s a little easier to say, who made a good choice or a bad choice. But in life, when you’re in a situation where you have to make a choice that inevitably hurt someone it’s more complicated.
and I think Discovery of Romance shows that.

Sorry for my english ^^”, it’s even more horrible when I’m excited to write something XD

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Thanks DL for the wonderful recaps!

I love the drama but I was disappointed by the ending.

I wish we could have seen more of the OTP together, interacting. But it was good or better than most dramas Ive seen.

What is interesting is that the drama shows a measure of evolution of kdramas, yet there are still many of the same issues and limitationa common to kdramas in general - the same simplistic stereotypical elder generation characters, the same structure, linear eventa and plot flow of a love triangle drama, and the same emotional maturity levels of the characters.

I await the next generation of kdramas that explore life without these traditional elements!

Thanks again DL!

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She suits short hair: lovely and refreshing. :)

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I’m satisfied with the ending for all the characters. All a while YR & TH were apart from the breakup, they still haven't stopped thinking of the other (Taeha stills keep the suitcase with their loving memories and Yeoreum still remember his birthday when the day comes). It's just matter of time they would resolve what broke them apart from years ago if they ever meet again, and they did, that faithful blind date at the hotel.

No one knows what the future holds on any relationships. We’re better off focusing on the present that we making choices rather than the unknown future. And these 2 quotes are exactly just that, "as far as we can go together"

"I would hold your hand and go as far as I can. As far as we can go together" ~ Kang Taeha

"Although there’s no love that wouldn’t end, but if we don’t believe that it’ll last forever, we wouldn’t have held each other’s hand.” ~ Han Yeoreum

I love the soft color pallet, the beautiful cinematography, the nice setting, the witty & polished lines from this drama (even though the writer-nim slow-cooked her plots & characters at time), and of course the great acting from the cast.

Thanks for the recaps and discussions.

oh, are Sol & Joonho still dating or they're married coupled in the last episode?

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Thanks for the recaps!

Loved the ending although I kinda wished they gave more scenes and airtime to our OTP. Their last scene proved how much I actually want them to get together early on in the drama.

Overall, this is a very well written drama about the reality of relationships.

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Dramallama pointed 'the on going burning smell whenever Eric is around'. The man is BURNING HOTTTTTT!!!!!

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I've already said what I most felt about this show in the last episode's recap, but I will say that this:

I really don’t know the ending. It’s sort of roundabout. They all abandon each other. The one who dumped someone gets dumped, too. The one who got dumped dumps someone else, too. They all are a bit mean to each other. They all hurt each other a bit. They all console each other a bit.

is one of my favorite quotes of any drama ever. I love that it went beyond the realm of the endgame ship; that the story with which we began actually ended when everyone was apart, and everyone was hurt, and everyone was healing. I think that acknowledges the reality of experiences far better than I’ve seen maybe a lot of objectively better dramas handle. That your experiences and moments are inextricably a part of you, no matter where you end up. I think I’m so used to the concept of the female lead “choosing” the male lead or vice versa that a lot of times, in a lot of dramas, the interactions with other characters, especially the secondary leads start seeming irrelevant, because therein, rarely do lead/second lead relationships go beyond the potentiality of romance, so once the romantic angle is established, all the previous interactions between them seem fairly meaningless.

But I feel like this show went beyond that; they all hurt each other, and they were all consoled by each other. To me, that's beautiful. Yeo-reum’s relationship with Ha-jin, the bicycle rides and the kissing, isn’t meaningless simply because they didn’t end up together, because that too is an aspect of who Yeo-reum is, and who she will be because of that relationship. There will always have been a moment in her life when she was in love with Ha-jin, and those moments are equally a part of her, as are her past with Tae-ha, and her future with Tae-ha.

And I think this is why DoR is more than the sum of its parts. This show was about the discovering, the journey, more than it was about the destination. We started off talking about destiny, with the characters contemplating whether something would have been different if a certain event hadn’t happened, and yet, more than coincidences guiding them, we saw them make choices over and over again, and by the end, owning their choices and their happiness or unhappiness. It’s like Yeo-reum's paradoxical statement: maybe it’s destiny, but I still don't believe in destiny. Someone who had their heart broken is going to break someone else’s heart sometime, everyone is equally the hero and the villain depending on who tells the story, everyone is the lead of their narrative and the secondary character in someone else’s narrative, and there’s no real end to the story; only the place where you decide to stop telling.

And in all this, I felt that the show, in itself, was Yeo-reum; flawed, ridiculously self-aware, jaded and worldly, and yet always secretly, hopefully, romantic.

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Aw Zoe, that was beautiful!

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Well said....

Just wanted to add that there are other " discoveries"- JH finally found that he would like to be beyond " oppa" to Sol....
That TH's initial dislike of Mgr Yoon turns out to be his loyal Hyung, confidente & just plain drinking buddy...

Yes, sometimes, one has to go through life's journey before one can ( even) see what he/she is looking for ( in life) and that often time, that discovery was nearby all along....

Thank you again for all the hard work in recapping this( often frustrating) drama.... Also, I really enjoy and appreciate all those ( different) opinions/ comments.... It's ok to agree that we disagree?

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Hee... the appreciation of recapping of course was meant to be for @ Dramallama & @ Lollypip if that wasn't clear...

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Aww I just love what you write about DoR. (Maybe even more than the show itself by now.) Thanks Zoe! Hope to see you in the comments of other shows!

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thanks for the tears drama will miss you.
can we have the rediscovery of romance next?

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Thanks for recap. Sol and jo hoo watched my favorite bollywood movie!
It was like i love romance 2 with less after make up time

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What movie were they watching? *curious*

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It was "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi"!

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Yes it was nice and funny love story

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Thanks! Will check it out... if I can find it online

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I like that you were thinking the same thing I was: they needed more interviews in the middle of the drama. Since it was a rom-com, that might have lightened the tone a little. I loved the realism and ambiguous aspect of the drama, but I also liked the happy ending. Because I watch these dramas to be entertained and feel hopeful, dammit.

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Oh man Eric and Jung Yumi is SO cute together!!!! :) :) Im so sad it ended :'( I want to see more of them :/

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Watch Que Sera Sera if you haven't already. It has them as the main couple and is even more addicting than Discovery of Romance!

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I loved reading the recaps, it was so interesting but then I saw the drama which, honestly, was boring.

But thanks for recapping the drama!

Best Wishes. :)

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Thanks to Dramallama and Lollypip for the recaps!

This drama wasn't the easiest watch, as other have said, but I'm glad I stuck to it. It has turned out to be one of my favorite dramas of the year because of the writing and the characters. Yeah, the characters aren't always likable, but they feel real. Except Yeo Reom's mom. I still don't really get her. But I did love the scene where she and Yeo Reom visit her husband's grave--her dryness and Yeo Reom's excellent look of bewilderment.

The acting and writing together were wonderful. This was one of the few dramas that I actually wanted to go back and watch certain scenes not because of their swooniness (I am a romcom girl at heart) but because of the actors' ability to draw me into thinking more about the situation.

And just want to tip my hat to the things that kept me going during those frustrating watches:

Eric's smoking hotness *fans self*
Seul Gi love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The cute and sweet ending made the whole watch worth it. I've already rewatched it three times, something I don't usually do.

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This drama was so good. I came in with no expectations at all, but am just so pleasantly surprised by all it managed to do.

Sure, things got a bit slow in final week, but the drama was really well paced. There was enough conflict to sustain all 16 episodes and it never felt contrived. Kudos to the writer for crafting all the characters so carefully and with so much depth. I loved the main pairing to bits and pieces, but Ha-jin and Ah-rim's story took me by surprise. I was crying with them as Ha-jin read Ah-rim's farewell letter, and I hope they well get the closure they both need, although the drama has chosen to leave that open.

I really enjoyed the messages about romantic relationship. I tend to agree with the writer's P.O.V, or at least the messages she is leaving throughout the drama a lot. The final scene was great as a reminder that love probably doesn't last forever, but we go into each relationship with all our heart, and full of hope, otherwise, we probably wouldn't even be able to sustain anything for more than a little while.

Eric and Jung Yumi are such talented actors. I've never been a fan of either one, but this drama has completely convinced me. Their ability to convey hurt, pain and the giddyness of falling in love made me fall in love with them and the drama.

I am sad to say goodbye to this drama, but looking ever so forward to Nodame Cantabile!

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Thanks for the recap dramallama. I prefer the title translation Discovery of Love because it seems more befitting than Discovery of Romance for the considering the content and subject matter explored. Likewise, I want to commend DOR for its writing as well. I agree with you that at times: "It was controversial, real, and quite frankly, aggravating, but that’s what made it different and realistic." and that "The interview format was something really new and used quite well in this drama..."

As actors and actresses, I hold Eric Moon, Jung Yu-Mi, Sung Joon, Kim Seul-Gi, Yoon Hyun-Min, and Yoon Jin-Yi in high regards for having the courage to tackle and portray fractured and imperfect characters like these.

Food for Thought:
• Whether you feel it immediately or not, your life is constantly being shaped by the choices you make.
• The past is unalterable yet one can invariably gain insight and learn from it.

Discovery of Romance (aka Discovery of Love) gave us plenty of Food for the Journey. Main Takeaways from the culmination of 16 episodes:

"If you love someone tell them because hearts are often broken by words left unspoken." ~Unknown

"I fall, I rise, I make mistakes, I live, I learn, I've been hurt but I'm alive. I'm human, I'm not perfect but I'm thankful." ~Unknown

"Love is not just about finding a good partner. It is also about being a good one." ~Unknown

"Never take someone's feelings for granted because you never know how much courage that they took to show it to you." ~Unknown

Value and appreciate the people who sacrifice their 'something' for you. Because maybe that 'something' was their everything." ~Unknown

"I trust you" is a better compliment than "I love you"...because you man not always trust the person you love but you can always love the person you trust." ~Unknown

"Time decides who you meet in your life. Heart decides who you want in your life. And your behavior decides who will stay in your life." ~Unknown

"A relationship is not based on the length of time you spent together; it's based on the foundation you built together." ~Unknown

"Relationships last not because they were destined to last. Relationships last long because two people made a
choice to keep it, fight for it, and work for it." ~Unknown

"A great relationship is about two things, first find out the similarities. Second, respect the differences." ~Unknown

"You don't love someone because they're perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they're not." ~Jodi Picoult

"The best thing in life is finding someone who knows all your flaws, mistakes, & weaknesses, and still thinks you're completely amazing." ~Unknown

"I'm not a perfect person. I make a lot of mistakes. But I really appreciate those people who stay with me after knowing how I really am." ~Unknown

"Don't look for someone who will solve all your problems...Look for someone who...

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"Don't look for someone who will solve all your problems...Look for someone who won't let you face them alone." ~Unknown

"Don't bring baggage from an ex relationship into your next relationship...unless you want it to be a short trip." ~Unknown

"You'll never find the right person if you never let go of the wrong one." ~Unknown

"Never lose yourself while trying to hold onto someone who doesn't care about losing you." ~Unknown

"Never chase love, affection, or attention. If it isn't given freely by another person, it isn't worth having." ~Unknown

"Love is blind and love can be foolish - Our heart doesn't always love the right people at the right time. Sometimes we hurt the ones that love us the most and sometimes we love the ones that don't deserve our love at all." ~Unknown

"You may lose the people you love, you may lose the things you have. But no matter what happens, NEVER LOSE YOURSELF!" ~Unknown

"If you really love that person, learn to wait. Maybe you are not meant to be together today but meant to be in the future." ~Unknown

Overall it was a very satisfying journey. And if you ask me it was well worth it! :)

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Aw, the last pic is SO cute :D

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I'm just curious...so who was that 10 year old boy the mom kept watch on all the time? That story just dropped on the side and I could never understand..

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I'm pretty sure it's a child her husband had with the woman he was having an affair with. I gathered from the last few episodes that both the husband and his lover had died (possibly both by suicide), leaving the little boy behind to be raised by his maternal grandmother. I think YR's mom felt partially responsible for him being orphaned (she said that if she'd let her husband go when he wanted to go, both he and 'that woman' might have lived) so she was keeping an eye on him and trying to help him out in little ways.

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thank you!

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I hate the ending!i hate everything in this drama..its my opinion..Hate it..

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"the ongoing burning smell whenever Eric is around"

It took me a second, but lol so true

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Eric is forever hottie.

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This is seriously my second favourite Korean drama (after Reply'97). Not that other K-dramas are not as good or this drama does not have major flaws but I simply love that this drama is purely about romance without asserted family, job, alien, or psychology issues (well, there are mom and ahrim's issues but those are either small/designated to be catalyst for Taeha-Hajin-Yeoreum's reactions)

Correct me if I am wrong but this drama is the first to do so.

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LOVED it. I laughed and cried and enjoyed this journey.

I loved that it just wasn't about Yeo Reum and Tae Ha finding out what love is and finding their way back to each other but it was about all kinds of love–familial, friendly, and romantic–and how that shapes you. How you'll never truly know what love is even when you think you do and how everyone is still putting the pieces together no matter what age. It's really discovering and you may never truly figure it out but you can try even if you keep on making mistakes; you don't have to beat yourself up every time. Also how everyone loves in their own way and there's no specific way or right way to show love or be in love or love in general. I loved the writing that high-lighted, not only those things, but characters also growing apart in a natural way. Much like love, distance and discovering that you're no longer on the same page with someone sneaks up on you. It's painful but you also have to strike while the iron is hot, when you realize, and let go. Though, I appreciate the drama showed it takes time for some as well.

I loved Yeo Reum who was everything–selfish, blunt, cool, calculating, warm, understanding, stubborn–but never unsure of herself or her feelings even when she was struggling with them. I like that she always took the time to figure things out either by herself or asking for advice or just unloading on some friends, lol. Jung Yumi is as beautiful as ever and touches me again with her performance of a character I can accept, relate, and sympathize with flaws and all. Eric was also great as Tae Ha and I enjoyed the character's growth throughout the series. I could really see him becoming more thoughtful and it was great. You don't often get that out of a male lead all the time and I like that he didn't have some magic fix or completely changes but he really took a deep look at himself. That introspection is a breath of fresh air. Eric: I'm so happy he took this on–I can't see anyone doing Tae Ha better and he would seriously make me cry sometimes (all three leads did! D':). Proud of Ha Jin for coming out with his feelings. I can understand wanting to be loved and accepted and so by the end, I got him. Like everyone else, he has a lot to work on and I hope that, now, by accepting his past and his (living, familial, current) situation he can really go on and stop holding back. Sung Joon, as usual, works this performance and I think I got some more range from him here than I have had in a while.

The writing was great and I appreciate this writer for continually showing that love is not a fairytale, though it can be at times, and that the reality is there will be terrible, hard, frustrating times. But, the important thing is still yourself, doing what's best for you, and understanding others and when you've hurt them. And understanding when you're hurting yourself. I think I will keep this drama in my head (and heart) a long time.

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DoR joins "Coffee Prince", "The Man Who Can't Marry" and 'Miss Korea" on my list for best K-romcoms.

Like the others - it had the combination of good writing/dialogue (the dialogue was realistic), acting and direction with the emotional/dramatic scenes being heartfelt (and not forced or sappy like too many K-romcoms) and broken up with comedic bits that are a lot of fun (DoR basically bumps off INR2012 - DoR does a better job w/ the overall storyline; the whole couldn't continue w/ the relationship due to secret family illness was a little to makjang).

Unfortunately, only CP out of the 4 managed to find a large audience w/ the other 3 being criminally underappreciated (seems like much of the Korean audience goes more for soap-operish, sappy type of romcom w/ the one-note characters, cliche-filled scenarios and sloppy, trite dialogue).

There has been much commentary about how so-and-so character (all of the 3 leads) was unlikeable, etc. - but that's really misguided (interesting to note how some really disliked YR, while other disliked TH or HJ the most - that's a sign that the writer was doing her job) since none of them were really bad, but just had flaws like actual people (note all the K-romcoms on my list were devoid of the 1-dimensional "evil" character and that pretty much all the characters, both lead and supporting had their good and not so good points and were overall likeable).

In particular, both viewers and characters in DoR (including YR herself) referring to YR as a "b!tch" was a bit unfair.

Aside from not telling HJ who TH was from the start (let's not forget that TH kept YR in the dark about AR) - YR didn't do anything that really deserves that description.

YR from the start had no feelings towards TH other than hatred (altho that 'hatred' really masked the fact that she did still have feelings; if she had been truly over TH, she wouldn't have such deep feelings, even if "hatred" for TH) and she would defend HJ whenever TH would make a disparaging remark about HJ (in contrast, HJ would remain silent when AR made similar remarks about YR, altho he did raise a protest when it came to the "scary unni" remark).

YR went into that work relationship w/ TH solely to earn $$ so that she could get married to HJ and had, at the time, no inclination of having a relationship w/ TH other than a professional one and maybe getting back at him a bit.

As it turned out, there was misunderstanding about their past and TH having changed for the better which restoked the passion/love that YR and TH had for each other.

YR understandably had to break it off w/ HJ - it wouldn't be fair to HJ or a good foundation for a marriage if YR's heart was with another.

While YR and HJ loved each other, it was more of a "comfortable" love w/ each not really knowing the other (which is why they evaded fights/hashing out the issues) and hence, keeping secrets; tho at the end, YR did know more about HJ than HJ...

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^ Totally blanked on "Reply 1994" and "1997" also on my list for top K-romcoms, but at the same time, tend to separate out the cable/tvN shows from the network shows.

Another thing about YR - one could totally see how she was the way she was - due to her mother's relationship w/ her father, her relationship w/ her mother (kinda cold and business-like) and her relationship w/ her father (seemed like YR had that emotional bind w/ her father that she didn't have w/ her mother which is why her father's death really rocked her world, and the only other person who was as close was TH - which is why that was a double blow when YR ending up losing both).

Happy for the mother and Dir. Bae as neither seemed to have had happy marriages.

While the Sol and JH pairing was inevitable, a part of me wishes that the writer did not fully go down that path (besties finally becoming lovers had been done to death) - and the 2 were better as bickering besties, rather than the nauseating lovebirds (as cute as they were).

Think it would have been more interesting if JH had an inkling of feeling something more towards Sol when the other 2 suitors appeared and that they explored it a bit, but ultimately decided that they were better off as besties (was rooting for Dir. Yoon even tho I knew it wasn't going anywhere).

I'm glad that the writer did not have TH fall in love w/ AR b/c that would have made things a bit icky and that that we see the 2 together again w/ their future ambiguous.

Do they just restart their brother/sister relationship after years of being apart or does this become something else (while the 2 saw themselves as bro/sis growing up, after so many years apart, the 2 have changed so much that they didn't recognize each other)?

One thing great about DoR was that pretty much all the characters changed and developed over time and the change was believable.

Regarding the acting, I know that Eric had been criticized for his acting in the past ("MW the Spy"), but he really did a good job here displaying emotions.

The wonder a good script/dialogue and a good PD can do for an actor (same went for KTH in "My Princess", Lee Yeon-hee in "Miss Korea", Go Ah-ra in "Reply 1994" and YEH in "Coffee Prince"); speaking of "Reply 1994" some connections to DoR.

1st time seeing Kim Seul-gi and Yoon Hyun-min in anything and was glad for the intro - both have talent (both acting and comedic) and in particular, can see big things in KSG's future.

Can totally see KSG following in the footsteps of Gong hyo-jin in being a romcom queen (playing more quirky roles) who is also noted for her acting.

As for Jung Yumi, another excellent performance (she can do so much w/ the slightest change of expression).

Usually, actors look a bit ridiculous in flashbacks, but JY's younger YR did really seem more innocent/freshfaced and not hardened w/ life's experiences that we see w/ the later YR.

From the start, I found certain...

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Kim Seul-Gi and Yoon Hyun-Min definitely draw your attention in their dramas and they both endear you with their characters.

You should check out Kim Seul-Gi as the sleep deprived webtoon manager in Flower Boy Next Door (2013). Plus it was recapped here on Dramabeans.

Check out Yoon Hyun-Min in Heartless City/Cruel City (2013) as Kim Hyun-Soo/Doctor's Son #2 man. Otherwise affectionately known as Cutie Soo in the Squeecaps from the ladies blogging @ The Problematic of the Unproblematic.

http://dr-myri-blog.blogspot.com/

The good news is that there are Squeecaps for Flower Boy Next Door and Cruel City on their blog.

For Dramabeans' 2013 Editor's Picks [Year In Review], Heartless City received a best bromance recognition and it came in 2nd place for their Top 5 Dramas [In Order of Awesomeness].

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This is quite a painful ending to watch for me since I was rooting for Ha Jin to actually end up with YR. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt bad for him because I felt like YR was just using him to practice the way she tames men. Well at least it had that kind of feel to it especially in the beginning where she would refuse to say sorry even when she was in the wrong, and she would never call first after a fight because she learned from KTH's relationship not to do that. Anyways, DoJoon and Sol couple made me happy in the ending at least and I loved how DoJoon got the guts to actually call out YR for being a "bitch" to his friend (Ha Jin). It was true, she treated the nice guy (which I know is an endangered species in this world) like dirt. She has this logic of push and pull in a relationship which is fine but she did more pushing than pulling for sure. She pushed Ha Jin to the point where he wasn't acting the way he would and would get into fist fights with KTH over YR. I could tell the guy really fought for YR both figuratively and literally speaking. And the most ironic thing I found was that YR should know best out of the entire char how much it feels like to love the person more than your significant other loves you. She knows this but despite knowing this pain she still continues to still have "accidental" feelings for KTH. I wish she was more honest just the same as how HJ should have been more honest with her too. He was to forgiving and she was too indecisive. I kinda wish in my own creation imaginary drama world haha that she would not end up with any of the guys. Two timing and getting no one in the end was the lesson I would have wanted in this drama but I know I'm too much of a downer. Just a thought though.

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It was a painful watch for me too... I was also rooting for Ha Jin, but in the end I was happy that he was starting to move on. He realized it himself that he was not happy with Yeo Reum. Not that I think Yeo Reum is a b*, she was trying hard but still making mistakes and I can sympathize with that. Having said that, I still agree with you that she could have be more honest and open to Ha Jin, like she was with Tae Ha and like Tae Ha actually urges her to do at some point. And, I share your thought about the ending a little bit. I wish the show would have just ended with Yeo Reum being single for a while with a hint that she might be able to connect with either Tae Ha or Ha Jin in the future...

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Yes it was painful! I was hoping that she remains with Ha jin or with someone new. Most painful was Ha Jin and Yeo Reums's understanding of their unhappiness and unfulfilled needs. It was not that they didn't love each other. It's just that Tae Ha reappeared with a transformed attitude. Hard to beat the love that you met on a train somewhere. Haha. I really believed that Ha Jin and Yeo Reum will end up together (fixing the kinks) if Tae ha wasn't there. But one thing that made me understand Yeo-Reum was when Tae-ha made a point about her loving herself more. Ha Jin stopping that from happening, stopping her career and talents from advancing, will soon see an end to that relationship. I totally get that. Still, it was bittersweet when Ha Jin tried really hard at the end to understand Yeo-Reum work better. Ugh very painful. We make choices in life and people judge us, but the the only real story is known by the couple who choose each other.

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I LOVE this drama. For once we didm't have "bad" people and "good" people. They were just people, flawed. Just as we are...
Yeo Rim is a human being, she is not perfect. She suffered a great loss, she was neglected by her then bf. She has the RIGHT to be upset and "vengeful" when she met him again. Still her vengence didn't go that far... and it was mostly self defence with Tae Ha pushing her. She didn't WANT Tae Ha back in her life after all.
The only one really bugging me was Ha Jin who kept meeting his "sister" without explaining homself to Yeorim.

People should learn to accept that feelings cannot be controled. You can control your actions, but not your heart.
Also the misoginy of some comment is appealing. I suppose these people would judged a victim of rape as the "one who wanted it."

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I was so hoping that they would NOT get together at the end. After all the ups & downs, I was just SO over it, and wanted THEM to be, too.

But they got together. She tracked him down. It ended cutely. But what a monumental waste of time for them (it took a year).

And what a revelation the guy who played Ha Jin was. Just to watch his emotions flit over his face was amazing - without even saying a word - he's just so natural.

Now I intend to watch everything he's ever done. As well as Que Sera Sera, which has the same two leads, Eric and Yu-mi, as Lyn (up there) recommended.

DRAMALLAMA wrote: ***Yeo-reum claims that she’s become nicer and urges him [Tae-ha] to change his mind: “We’re both bad people. Why hurt all the better people of the world?”***

However, in the version I saw, it was hilariously translated as: "You're a jerk. I'm a bitch. Why bother drying up other people's blood?" Which was one of the highlights of the finale for me! I'm hoping I can work that phrase into a conversation somehow! ;)

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Yea, I didn't know the show left such an impression on me until I dreamt of Ha Jin's sad face that night I finished watching the final episode... SUNG JOON!! Please be the lead in the next drama! <3

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Just because YR said at the end "you're jerk, I'm bitch…" some people make this conclusion as the reason they deserved each other. YR/T, yes they aren't perfect person, same as Ha Jin, Sol and Joon Ho and others too. But they realized their mistakes, they made proper apologies, they grows mature through their mistakes that's why they deserve second chance, especially when their heart still belongs to each other. So, when someone said TH/YR shouldn't end up together, I think we, as the viewers becoming mean to both characters as we know exactly how they're still in love yet hoping the two separated.

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This series is such a gem! Great cast (especially Kim Seul-gi, Eric), fantastic directing and production. The finale wrapped up everything neatly. My favorite parts in this finale were:
- when the writer explained to Director Yoon that she interviewed her characters. During the series, I was wondering whether the series was going for "The Office"-esque of interview. I liked how the writer "shined" in the finale - glad to see how it all worked out for her.
- Yeo-Reum using her new "tricks" with Tae-ha at the end of the finale to show she's on the same level as him now. All the characters truly matured :)

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I watch this drama because of eric, he is so hot!! But dont like drama story... too boring, but I still wants to see eric's face....lol

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Thanks for all the recaps!

Without doubt, my pick for best drama of the year.

Low TV ratings, plenty of frustrations, but the fact that this is No1 on mobile/Internet, and the fact there it inspired SO DEEP discussions is a sign of its beauty.

Thanks Eric, Yoo MI, Writer Nim and all the cast:))))!

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Luv Luv Luv this drama. I haven't seen Eric in his previous shows but I'm glad I watched this one. Jung yumi is always pretty. There were dragging moments but over - all, it's relatable, refreshing and realistic. I'm a woman, friend, lover and wife in my 30 ' s, there are many situations in this show that I kinda went thru myself. But I'm still not sure if YR had sex with K went she came over when she was drunk? Did I miss it?

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The most satisfying drama of the year. The ending gave me much hope on a weary day. The loyalty and love issue stuck in my head the most: some people stay out of loyalty, and grow and mend their love. But some can't stay just out loyalty, as they have grown and while the other has not. It is quite a strong and impactful message. Plus the reality bite from the mother at the grave!

The ending was not a bang, but I like it when Eric said that they were not in their honeymoon stage any longer and were moving on where they left off. I don't need more lovey-dovey scenes because really, we don't act that way all the time. In reality, sometimes we buy bidets for our spouses. Haha. I like the fact that Yeo-Reum went out and made her destiny and hunted Tae-Ha down. Although I was quite angry at the fact that she was so positive about Tae-Ha's love for her still remains. Haha.

I was kind of hopeful that the cameo by that actor after the year has passed would be Yeo-Reum's new love. But that is too Hollywoody I think. Kdramas tend to focus on first loves.

Overall, quite a hard episode to watch due to the painful almost real break ups and realisations of what is love and happiness, but gave a sweet and hopeful ending, for people like me, who love being myself, not wanting to lose myself, who is still discovering the meaning of love.

And then I remind myself that this is Kdrama. But a great drama nonetheless that keeps me thinking.

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Kudos to the great acting (emotional scenes are harddd) and the chemistry among the cast is the best since Witch's Romance in my opinion.

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One of my favorite rom-com. This is one of the best written love story. The story of how a girl try to find her true love. So, I guess it will be better to put the tittle 'Discovery of Love' rather than 'Discovery of Romance.' One thing is clear, Han Yeo Reum, the girl from unhappy family (due to her mom and dad had bad relationship in the past), try to find her happiness from other people arounds her and it effects her personalities. She always try to get people attention because she doesn't get much from her family. Joon Ho and Sol were and always her best friends. However, once she met Kang Tae Ha as her first love, the guy becoming her 'everything'. She shared everything with him. No wonder, until all these years, even just by looking her face, Tae Ha could predict what's in her mind. She lets Tae Ha knows every single things about her and not allowed others come to know even when she meet another guy (Nam Ha Jin). Nam Ha Jin and Yeo Reum really did effort to show their happiness by showing affections, but both never realized that relationship isn't all about skinship. Relationship is about trust, comfortable, sharing your happiness and sadness together. This is why at the end, Nam Ha Jin told her he never felt happy and insecure during their relationship. I could see Yeo Reum actually good girl. First, when she said she wanted to get revenge to Tae Ha once she knows this guy fall for her again, but she didn't do any strange actions. Second, she accepted Ha Jin's proposal and try not to leave him because she knows Ha Jin is the type of guy who is really sensitive and can't see the separated between them. Third, she choose to break up with both because she realized how bad her attitude towards both of them. Yeo Reum's heart belongs to Tae Ha. and vice versa.. Glad they end up together, because it's so painful to watch two person in love so deeply but couldn't be together for whole episodes…Thanks to @Dramalama and @Lolypop for this recap… Hope to see another collaboration from Eric-Yoo Mi in the future.

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thank you for the recaps, I'll miss this drama!!
I loved the ending!

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Finale!!! Yeee….Tae Ha and Yeo Reum at the end….how I wish they have more lovely moments. Anyway, love the series, I enjoyed it a lot. I'll miss all the casts, especially Eric. God…he looks hot as hell in the last episode. I can't imagine if he wore this kind of style from the beginning of episode. I think I can't take it…Too hot too handle…I bet Yoo Mi also suffering from his hotness too …LOL...

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tho its ending a bit (very a bit) disappointed but still, i love this drama so much and it makes me find another model-actor to love. Sungjun is the best with his explosiveness mad at Eric kkkkk
hope they meet again in another project. love Sungjun, Eric and Yumi

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That was a nice drama,but I really wished that she ends with hajin! Not taeha!!he was so bad to her in their last relationship,hoe can she trust her again !!anyway maybe he changed !but she could be happy with hajin more,and I think they look better together than she and taeha.don't think so??
I'm sad for hajin.I will marry you oppa.don't be sad:'(
Hehe^^

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Kang Tae Ha is the most well written male lead character ever in k-drama. Started from jerk, childish, dorky and teaser but becoming mature, lovely and protective guy at the end...

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I wanted her to be alone and live with her 100 cats "ajumma wiz the cats"...she doesn't deserve either of those guys

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Can I be completely unconventional and say that the led couple actually really REALLY ticked me off in this drama. Don't get me wrong, I really loved the drama. But, I felt the ending would have been better if she was with neither and spent some time reflecting on herself.

Honestly, the only reason she didn't work with Ha Jin is because she lied continuously through her teeth about her past with Tae Ha, assuming that he would get all jealous and stupid about it. But, Ha Jin and Yeo Reum didn't end because there was "no love left", its because she wasn't honest. If he had been told in the earlier episodes they could have worked on strengthening their relationship despite everything and Ha Jin would have gotten over the fact that he was just an ex-lover. What she did to Ha Jin was completely unfair and kind of cruel. The counter argument to this is that he was going after Ah Rim. But was he really, there may have been some leftover feelings of puppy/first love. However, from my perspective it was mainly a guilt thing which caused him to look for her and keep going back. After all he spent most of episode 15 and 16 completely depressed over Yeo Reum but I didn't see that reaction with Ah Rim. Which can only lead me to the conclusion that he loved her far more than he was interested in his "first love".

(part 2 of my ramble to come)

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(part 2 continued)

Yeo Reum is an entirely selfish character, not wanting to let Ha Jin go but happy to have Tae Ha around, because lets think logically here. If she didn't want him around she would have told Ha Jin the truth and actively found a way to remove Tae Ha. "But, she always loved Tae Ha and she just needed time to see that" I hear you cry. Maybe she did, but that's still entirely selfish, being with another guy when your feelings aren't really with him. "But she had to go through that process to see how she really felt"...again maybe she did, but that doesn't mean she had to stay dating Ha Jin when she clearing had feelings for someone else. That's just heartless. As one of my two favourite characters put it she's "such a bitch".

now let's get to Tae Ha, because the number of issues I had with him and his selfishness are too many to count. Actually in this regard maybe he an Yeo Reum are perfect for each other, both completely self interested people who don't care about how they influence those around them. Firstly, DON'T GO AFTER AN EX GIRLFRIEND WHO HAS HAPPILY MOVED ON AND IS DATING ANOTHER GUY (who is actually really good for her) BECAUSE YOU WANT HER BACK AND HOW YOU FEEL IS ALL THAT IS IMPORTANT. Secondly, SHE DUMPED YOU BECAUSE SHE FELT UNLOVED (something she actually had with Ha Jin) BECAUSE YOU WERE A COLD, UNRESPONSIVE ASS THE FIRST TIME WHAT ON EARTH MAKES ANYONE THINK THAT THIS TIME IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT (after all you already did 5 years, people don't change that dramatically, I think you've seen just about everything there is to about each other. I give it a couple of months and they'll be right back to square one. Except now they have hurt an innocent man in the process)

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(part 3 continued)

Now may I just say on another note how much I adored the characters of Joon Ho and Sol. There is a couple doing it right. Friends for the longest period of time, who have seen each other at their best and worst. People who actually care about each other's feelings as opposed to being totally self interested. Im not saying that people can't fall in love at first sight, but if it produces the type of relationships that are found in the lead triangle of the drama I'm not actually sure who would want them. In my opinion they seem toxic. In a drama seemingly polluted by toxic relationships, Joon Ho and Sol's development together was a breath of fresh air. I anticipated every moment that I saw them on screen individually and together.

Finally, let me say how much I enjoyed watching this drama. It's just the ending left me feeling hollow. I understand that the typical drama set up, narrative and follow through has a specific structure. But, I would have so loved to see this drama diverge from that typical format and actually focus on forming a healthy loving relationship between two lead characters who are moving on and forward with their lives, as opposed to the toxic selfish ones with characters retuning to their old vomit (excuse me for putting it so graphically however the image seemed to fit perfectly).

Ok, I'm not sure how many of you actually bothered reading all that but I just felt I have to get it off my chest even if no one ever sees it.

THE END ^-^V

(P.S. Im sorry for using the word selfish so much I just think that no other word ] so perfectly expressed my frustration. )

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I agree with you about YR's selfishness. But we shouldn't forget that there was one year where the three of them didn't meet (just expect like that), but YR still trying to contact TH (when she got drunk) but couldn't because TH changed his phone. From this scene we could see: First, the one that hold YR's heart from the very beginning is TH. Second, YR tried hard to forget about TH but she couldn't same as TH seeing he changed his phone and gave the memory box to YR. Third, YR didn't try to contact HJ even though it will be much easier since HJ and Joon Ho is working at the same hospital. Because the time skip for one year, we couldn't she how she passed that period. If the episodes are more longer, I think writer could described how depressed and guilty she was towards both guys.

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I knew your favorite character is Hajin from the way you described him as a perfect guy. But you forgot one thing, he has insecurity issue and temper. And he sent AR to study abroad for making sure his relationship. He indeed depressed. Did you forget how jealous he was towards TH and always end up with fighting with him even though HJ is the one who always asked to meet up and share about YR. In my perspective, Tae Ha's character is the most well written and developed one in this series. I agree he was jerk, selfish, such as teaser, but after episode 9, he realized all his mistakes and tried to move on but he couldn't. The worst thing is when he tried to forget YR by asking Directoor Yoon in-charge of the project, YR rejected due to the reason of professionalism.

TH and YR are still in love. In episode 12 (if I'm not wrong), it revealed that YR pretend to be drunk just because she wanna touched TH's cheek. She might used HJ to forget about TH but she realized her mistakes. If HJ end up with YR, it will always the same. Spending time together without revealing anything about them. Relationship isn't about making love and lovey dovey moments. Like YR said she always become herself when with TH.

How can we wish something bad happen as the punishment when they both still needed and love each other? Thorugh this series all had their lesson and that's the beauty of this drama.

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Kang Tae Ha's character is much stronger than YR. He knows how to handle this girl. What could be applied for Ha Jin can't be applied to him. Tae Ha loves her but he shows his pride above it. I think that's reason why she still loves him even chasing after him again in the end just like the very first time they met.

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Really I'm pissed. Why!? CAN I HAVE JUST ONE GOOOD DRAMA where the SECOND LEAD get's the girl!? Like please!!!!! Until that happens all these dramas are cliche. CLICHE CLICHE CLICHE!

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I'm going voting crazy!

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Just watched "Discovery" and read your review. Amazing how viewpoints differ. Never felt Yeo Reum grow at all. Her smugness at the end, looking so confident when she approached heart-wounded Tae Ha, was stupifying. And when she insists she didn't really mean to find him we know she is still lying to stay on top--spinning nonsense about coincidence being better than fate--when their meeting was neither one of those. As for the drama, yes I get it, that's what the writer considers 'real' relationships to be…yet the bleak landscape of love pictured here, with a "bitchy" female lead, her cold mother, and equally selfish, diva bestfriend distanced me so much that I felt sorry for ALL the males in this drama. I'm so lucky not to have friends like ANY of the women in this story. The writer clearly does. I guess all of us have different "Discoveries of Love"--this one made me feel hollow.

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God!!!!!i really wanted yeo reum,to end up wit ha jin......:-(buh i knew her fate was wit tae ha....such a downer

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