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Orange Marmalade: Episode 12 (Final)

If you want to create a brave new world, someone has to be willing to put themselves out and say, “Here I am, please accept me.” Luckily, there are some pretty brave kids willing to do just that, whether for themselves or for their friends. Orange Marmalade set out to make a statement about the world and what it means to be different, and I think it did that in a wonderful way. No matter who or what you are, we are all worthy of love and happiness.

FINAL EPISODE RECAP

Jae-min recovers his memories in a rush, and not just the ones from this lifetime — he also remembers meeting and falling in love with Ma-ri in his previous life. He tells her that she wouldn’t believe him if he told her, but Ma-ri says would believe anything he says. Jae-min tells her that his puzzle pieces finally match, and pulls her in for a hug. He thinks to himself: In my memory from a long time ago… Ma-ri… you were there.

Jae-min himself unpacks Ma-ri’s bag back into her locker as the whole class watches, then takes her hand and walks through the school hall for everyone to see. Only Shi-hoo and Ah-ra don’t follow them out to see the new couple make their feelings public.

They go to the fountain where they made wishes before, since Jae-min wants to remake the wishes. He admits that last time, he was so flustered to be with her, he only pretended to make a wish. Ma-ri says that this was her wish — to come back here with him again, and Jae-min promises to bring her here any time she wants.

She thanks him for accepting her as herself, and internally he apologizes for not doing it sooner. He thinks that she doesn’t even know how long it took the two of them to get here, and promises never to wander from her again. They both make new wishes, and he asks what her wish is so he can fulfill it — his wish was to make sure their wishes all come true.

Ah-ra’s mean girl sidekicks confront her for the truth: Is Shi-hoo really a vampire? She doesn’t want the school in an uproar over it, but it’s too late, since several other girls overheard her admission. By the time they get back to class, the kids have all scooted their desks away from Shi-hoo’s desk. He picks up his things and walks out without even looking at Ah-ra.

Ma-ri tells Jae-min that she always wished she weren’t a vampire, until she met him. She wanted to be honest about her life, and felt it was the only way to be honest with him. Jae-min apologizes for being so self-centered, but Ma-ri just says that she has a dream she wants to fulfill — to play music, with him.

She’d always played her music alone, but when she was in the band, she realized how much better it was to perform with others. For the first time, she realized how much she wanted to have friends.

Jae-min again watches the video of Ma-ri explaining the meaning behind the name “Orange Marmalade,” and how it means that nobody will be thrown away even if they’re different. He finds the business card of the music producer, which he’d saved.

Ma-ri visits Shi-hoo at his new job and thanks him for everything, and he just asks if she plans to keep going to school. This time when she answers in the affirmative, he’s not angry, and just chucks her chin. Ah-ra joins them and the store manager calls her his girlfriend, and Ma-ri and Shi-hoo have this adorable silent, ”Girlfriend?!” “Yeah, whatcha gonna do…” exchange.

In private, Ah-ra apologizes to Shi-hoo for outing his secret, and asks him to come back to school. The next day he braves the kids’ frightened stares, but Jae-min stops him to talk. Shi-hoo is all, “What’s with all the thanking lately?” but Jae-min tells him to just accept it without complaining.

Jae-min starts to ask why Shi-hoo is dating Ah-ra if he likes Ma-ri, and Shi-hoo compares himself to vampire bats, who will throw up the blood they’ve eaten to save a starving bat. He thinks that species’ who drink blood have a loyalty to each other that way. He jokes that an omnivore wouldn’t understand, and Jae-min actually laughs.

Out of the blue, Jae-min suggests they get the band back together. Shi-hoo says he’s not interested, and changes the subject — it’s probably crazy inside the school right now. He’s right, as news that there are actually two vampires attending classes sweeps through the halls.

The parents are freaking out, and the teachers are bombarded with calls, worried that he’s not only a vampire, but a bad influence. Ah-ra’s father calls Teacher Han, representing the parent committee on the Shi-hoo issue. They’ve put it up for discussion at the next school council meeting.

The kids are busy getting the band back together, and all the other students admit they’ve missed playing music together. The only obstacle is the producer’s objection to vampires in the group, but Jae-min has an idea.

When they head back to class, they find the entire classroom standing in the hall, and Shi-hoo and Ma-ri alone at their desks. The class refuses to go in when Jae-min tells them, and accuse him of liking a vampire. He readily admits it, but Shi-hoo has had enough and leaves again.

All during class, Ma-ri worries about Shi-hoo, who fills his day by working. The kids have drawn slurs on the steps where Ma-ri eats lunch, and Jae-min and Ma-ri clean it up while Jae-min asks where she got all her courage. She says that she thought, if the students saw her eating out here every day, it would get boring and they’d become immune.

Jae-min tells Ma-ri that all the kids have agreed to play in the band again, even Shi-hoo, which makes her happy. But she’s worried about the school council meeting, and Jae-min assures her they’ll think of a way to smooth things over. He feigns a headache so he can lay his head in her lap, and admits that he didn’t eat the vitamins she gave him because they were too precious. No, you’re too precious.

Ma-ri takes her dad his lunch at work, and gets a call from Soo-ri, who says that she’s happy she didn’t transfer schools. She even thanks her for burning her hand while saving Soo-ri from being burned, and Ma-ri invites her to meet her at the cafe.

There’s a little awkward moment when Soo-ri orders a shaved ice and forgets that Ma-ri can’t share it with her, but Soo-ri shakes it off and even asks about seeing Ma-ri eat food when she first came to school. Ma-ri says that she can eat food, but then has to throw it up quickly or she can’t breathe. Soo-ri figures it must be nice not to eat and gain weight, which is such a teenager train of thought, ha.

Ma-ri’s dad watches the girls from the register, his voice going all wibbly when he tells Jae-min’s mom that his daughter has her very first friend. Mom remembers her from the hospital when Jae-min was hurt, and notices that she’s carrying the purse that Mom picked out.

She asks Teacher Han if he knew about Jae-min and Ma-ri, and figures out that Ma-ri is the reason Jae-min started playing music again. She admits to being a bit selfish, that she’d been disappointed when she realized Jae-min likes a vampire.

She knows how hard it is to love a vampire, and she thinks she understands now why he lost his memories for a while — loving Ma-ri must have brought up his trauma from when his mother married a vampire, and it was too much for him to bear. But she determines to support him in his love and his music, though Teacher Han tells her the music might be difficult since the kids are all worked up over Shi-hoo.

The parents have petitioned to have Shi-hoo transfer schools, and the principal tries to assert that he hasn’t done anything wrong, and that a forced transfer can only be done as disciplinary action. The parents argue that Shi-hoo is plenty delinquent, though it’s obvious that they just can’t handle the thought of two vampires at the school.

Suddenly, the non-vampire kids from Orange Marmalade crash the school meeting, and Jae-min tells the school board that all kids have the right to learn without discrimination, even vampire kids. Ah-ra adds that the school has a duty by law to protect minority students. She points out that the students claiming they can’t study because of only two vampires is pretty ridiculous, but the school board replies that they also can’t ignore the students who feel scared in class.

Waiting in the music room, Shi-hoo tells Ma-ri that he think she should leave school — he doesn’t have a compelling reason to be here like she does. She argues that she won’t run away, and he shouldn’t, either.

As a last-ditch effort, Jae-min asks the school to allow them to form a special class, even temporarily. The four of them will be in a class with the vampires, and prove that having vampires in class with humans isn’t a problem. Jae-min argues that it’s just that vampires are unfamiliar, so if the students see that they aren’t so different, they’ll change their thinking.

With long faces, the four human students file into the music room to tell Ma-ri and Shi-hoo the bad news — they have to spend the day cleaning their new schoolroom. The school board agreed! They get to use the music room as their classroom, and Ma-ri and Soo-ri celebrate while Shi-hoo actually cracks a smile.

That night, Jae-min tells his mom that he’s going to stop seeing the psychiatrist, and that any remaining gaps in his memory can stay that way — he’s happy the way his memory is now. He also plans to be in the band again, which makes Mom happy, and he shyly promises to play music for her. Sweet.

Teacher Han is the new class’s homeroom teacher, and he makes a point to tell them that he respects and supports them. Jae-min talks to him about wanting to live alone again, now that he’s recovered, and Teacher Han figures they couldn’t all four (including Shi-hoo) live together, and says he’ll tell Jae-min’s mom.

Jae-min tells him they’re starting up the band, and asks Han to be their teacher supervisor again. Han agrees, and reminds Jae-min how Ma-ri described his blood as being sweet. He must be going somewhere with that, but we don’t hear what he says next.

Jae-min meets with the music producer, who expresses concern about managing a group with two known vampires. Jae-min suggests that they compete in a televised competition, and the producer points out that if they make it to the show’s top ten finals, their vampire members will be outed to the press. The backlash could be huge. Jae-min says they can overcome it with music, and change how people think. But he knows that the producer can give them an even louder voice, and asks his help.

We get a cute little montage of the class alternately studying, and practicing their music. They audition for the show, and pass the first few rounds to make it onto the live show.

Of course, Ah-ra’s mean girl sidekicks are jealous of the time she spends with the band, and wonder what is it they’re practicing for so hard. Ae-kyung, the lead mean girl, has another friend who’s going to be in the show, and she spills the beans about Orange Marmalade having two vampires in the band.

Ma-ri’s parents cheer the band on the day of the live show, and even Shi-hoo throws an awkward little arm-heart. Ma-ri stares dreamily at the stage and tells Jae-min that she feels like she’s standing at the entrance to the world. He says there will be a lot of trials coming up, but they promise each other not to regret any of it.

Shi-hoo can’t help but feel a bit of residual jealousy as he watches them holding hands, and Ah-ra blocks his view with her own hand. She points out that her hands are pretty too, and he just calls her a princess. Ha.

A loud scream draws all the contestants, and they find that someone has thrown blood all over the dressing room (and Ae-kyung’s friend looks awfully smug). At least it’s not human blood, but the show is saying they can’t start recording because of the band. The other contestants are refusing to record, out of fear.

Shi-hoo says it’s not the whole band, just him and Ma-ri, but Jae-min retorts that that means it’s because of the whole band. Shi-hoo wants to give up, but Ma-ri refuses to run away. Jae-min says it’s not running away, just looking for another entrance.

So they try another entrance, and later on they set up a little street concert next to Ma-ri and Jae-min’s fountain. In voiceover, Jae-min says their first concert didn’t even have twenty audience members, but the important part was that the band, as humans and vampires, stepped into the world together.

Little do they know, the music producer is watching from afar, impressed with their ability to blend different worlds in such a wonderful way. He tells his assistant that he started his company to unite the world through music, but he forgot about that in his desire to be the best. He wonders if it would be too reckless to give these kids a chance.

And then, they’re in a music studio recording their debut song. They debut online, and Ma-ri and Shi-hoo’s vampire status causes some hateful comments. But the few positive comments give them hope, and they practice even harder. Slowly, their music starts to win people over, and Jae-min narrates that he thinks people’s thoughts are always open to change.

Shi-hoo’s boss starts to fire him for being a vampire, even though she admits he’s a good employee, but a bunch of fangirls come in the store to goggle at him. They squeal when he admits he’s a vampire, bouncing excitedly about how cool he is, and say they’re not afraid of vampires anymore because of him. His boss happily allows him to keep working there when the girls ask his help picking out hairpins.

The band performs every week at the fountain, as as time goes by, their audiences grow. During one concert, a drunk man causes a scene and screams that the vampires make him sick, but not one audience member joins in. He’s escorted away, and the band picks right up where they left off.

Soon more and more vampires go public (ha, and there’s Jung Yong-hwa, lead singer of CNBLUE, the band Lee Jong-hyun plays for in real life), and the VCA director says it just proves that people’s thoughts are changing faster even than the laws. The first stage of the Coexistence Project is declared a success, meaning that even more vampires will be revealing themselves soon.

In addition, amnesty is given to nineteen vampires who have been receiving punishment under the old laws… which means that Shi-hoo’s parents have come home. They see each other for the first time in years, and Shi-hoo cries, speechless, as his mother hugs him.

Jae-min and Ma-ri go on a picnic, and Jae-min asks why she didn’t tell him what it means when a person’s blood seems sweet to a vampire. Apparently, it’s like Fate telling them this is their intended mate. With a grin, he asks if that’s true, and Ma-ri says she didn’t want to depend on Fate. And even without it, they ended up together.

She makes him some toast with orange marmalade, and he narrates that his girlfriend likes orange marmalade as much as he does, even though they’ll never eat it together. While he eats, she drinks her synth-blood, and Jae-min wipes a bit off the corner of her mouth. He leans in for a kiss, as he narrates that they’re just a little different.

COMMENTS

A cute, satisfying ending to a cute, adorable show. I really feel that, taken as a whole and as an independent production, Orange Marmalade was a sweet show with a good message. I know a lot of viewers had some disappointment that it didn’t follow the manhwa more closely, and because of that, I’m glad I made a point to avoid the course material before recapping the drama. Taken on its own, the drama was pretty good in my opinion, though I do feel it could have been improved with showing the different timelines in a different way. I completely get what the show was trying to do by putting the previous-lifetime backstory in the middle the way it did — but by deviating so much from the manhwa, THEN throwing the history into the middle, I think it was just a bit too jarring for many viewers. I applaud the writer’s desire to do something different (especially given the theme of the show, that different is good), but I think you run into trouble when you deviate so far from people’s expectations without warning. I believe that the show would have been much better received if we had known what to expect with the pacing.

That said, I did like all three sections of the show, and felt the show told the story it set out to tell in a really interesting way. The characters were compelling, and for the most, part well-acted (special shout-out to Lee Jong-hyun, who truly exceeded all expectations and has made me look forward to any future dramas he may choose to do), and I enjoyed all the relationships and how they grew and evolved. So much so, that my only real complaint is that we didn’t get to see more of the six friends growing and bonding together. I don’t say this often, but I really think we would have welcomed another couple of episodes, if it meant that we could have seen more of the kids getting to be friends. But with limited time, it chose to focus on the message, and I liked the message that being different isn’t bad and that people have to change their preconceptions if the world is to become a better place.

I’m happy that Jae-min did finally seem to have changed his attitude towards the vampires, and truly accept them. I love his newfound willingness to throw himself into uncomfortable situations to prove that the vampires aren’t dangerous. First he took responsibility for Ma-ri, even when he still didn’t like vampires but just knew that singling them out wasn’t right. Then he offered to take class with them, to show everyone that they aren’t dangerous. That’s how you change the world, by being willing to step up and prove that change isn’t bad or wrong, and in fact can improve things. Saying the words is good, but you have to put your money where your mouth is, as it were. And when Jae-min did that, I finally felt as though he had changed, and that he wasn’t just saying that it’s wrong to discriminate, but was willing to put himself out there as proof. But I also appreciate that he learned that running headlong into opposition isn’t always the right way — sometimes you just need to back up and look for another entrance.

Most of all, I really appreciated the overarching theme to the show, which is reflected in the title of the band, Orange Marmalade. Vampires may not be real outside of the dramaverse, but it’s true that nobody should be thrown away for being different. Our differences make us special, and that specialness can combine to make something truly wonderful. The vampires in the show could represent anyone — people of a different race, or who behave different from what’s considered “normal,” or people with mental or physical disabilities, or even just people who think differently. What’s different about a person is not what’s important — what’s important is that we are all worthy of respect and acceptance, and that our difference make us wonderful, not bad or scary. And the truth is, we all have something different about us… with some, it may be something obvious like our appearance, and for others it may be something more internal. But everyone has something that makes them unique and special, and that’s to be celebrated, not vilified.

So, I may be in the minority on this one, but I really enjoyed Orange Marmalade, and I’m gonna miss these kids. It was a mostly light, sweet summer romance that I’ll think of fondly when I look back on it, and I’ll remember it with tenderness. And now, I’m going to go read the manhwa, and I’m sure I’ll love that just as much!

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Lovely ending! Thanks for the recap Lollypip!

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Well, the ending was very cute although again a lot of ground was covered in a very short amount of time. I have read some of the original source and my quibble with this show has never been that it didn't stay faithful to that (although I do really miss Ma-Ri being able to form solid friendships instead of just romantic interests until this episode). I just think the pacing was all over the place and with this many storylines and topics, things really need to be prolonged more for any emotional impact. A lot of the show was like scene/scene/scene instead of really flowing. I'm also sad that they didn't seem to know what to do with Shi-Hoo. He tried to kill himself and then was locked up and when he returned it was the least concerned reception I've ever seen.

That being said, I didn't dislike the show. I did actually quite like a lot of the acting and characters as well as the overarching themes that they tackled. There were a lot of nice scenes even if I think it didn't live up to its potential.

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Also, because I always forget on last episode recaps, thank you for recapping the show for us!! It's always great reliving the episodes and seeing someone else's take on everything.

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tbvh, this drama frustrates me. i haven't read the manhwa either, but i found the structure very confusing and just plain unnecessary, which really ruined my love for the first three episodes. i really just can't wrap my head around why a writer would build up such a fantastic world, with such compelling, conflicted characters and a cute romance to boot, and then completely forget about it after four episodes, only to tell the EXACT SAME story again??? and then AGAIN??? because that's essentially what this drama did imo - it built up all this tension and conflict, rushed through a resolution, and then spent another five episodes building up the same conflict again, except only in a different time period. and then it goes back to the present to tell the same story.../again/. so as a viewer, i'm basically watching the same two people do the same thing three freaking times.

honestly, it felt like the writer was trying to tell two different stories, except the characters were the same and the writer just couldn't decide which story to choose, so they ended up indulging themselves by telling both of them at once, and succeeding in none. if the writer had just stuck with one time period, or had at the very least linked past and present in a more substantial way, the drama would've felt so much more fleshed-out. AND it would've had enough time to build up to one satisfying resolution, instead of rushing through three clumsy ones.

but anyway, thanks for the recaps LollyPip!! i really enjoyed them. :)

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if you have read the manhwa vs the show it was more exciting because they inserted things to make the show a fitting for audience. As for me the manhwa was boring and too predictable because what makes the manhwa interesting is the friends around them. I like how they change the story line a little bit because reading and watching is still different. Just like watching all those movie comparing to books the movie will always come short or vice versa if they don't edit things for viewing.
but all in all i like the show, its make me go back to watch the Buffy Vampire slayer and all those teenies vampire story. I like the lightness of the show.

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Great message but I felt like they could have been a bit more too the point with the sageuk section to give more time to appropriately pace and flesh out the return to the modern era part.
The main characters were great. I think Ah-ra should have had a bigger role overall to help balance the story's focus (which was mainly on JaeMin and MaRi) to an equal balance of both pairs of leads.

JongHyun and JinGoo are noona-killers for sure. hahaha

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Although this drama was a mess, somehow I enjoyed it. I particularly like the ost by Lilly M. Also, I felt like the writers underestimated their time so the first part was a roller coaster.

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I love the last episode, everything is wrapped up nicely. It's just heartwarming when the vampires as minority as they are, started to get accepted by people. I think this show really does well in drilling the idea of accepting everyone no matter how different they are.

Not sure if it's really necessary for them to have the sageuk part, since the modern days story is actually more engaging. But overall, I do enjoy this show.
And Jong-hyun really had a breakthrough here! More idols can act properly now =)

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"And Jong-hyun really had a breakthrough here! More idols can act properly now =)"

Yes! I thought he did well in improving his acting skills. He already had the fight skills in place so I'll look forward to more of both.

Would be fun to see him and Lee Jun Ki have a spin kick bromance where they jointly fight some baddies.

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I felt like I watched two shows in a run. Together, they didn't make sense but separately better. Strange. The show spent Joseon period without narrative purpose. We already know they're fated and no need for them to part in the past lives.

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The only thing left to say is well I'm glad it's done! It was entertaining to read recaps and the show was alright considering that I didn't watch the manga. Bye bye show~

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i love how this drama ended! loved the whole drama. too bad its way too short and i actually agree with you that they should have used few more episodes to show how the kids in the band bonded. it needed in the first part of the drama as well... anyway nice recap as always Lollypip :-D im kind of new to reading your recaps.. whenever i thought of watching a new k drama i would read few of your recaps to get an idea and then follow it through. thanks a lot for your hard work... You have no idea how i wait for your recaps!! its detailed and interesting and funny too to read! thanks again!! <3

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Dear SNG, the whole point of this Drama was not the love lines nor the friendships (which were both very welcomed, to be honest), but segregation and how it impoverishes both the main culture and of course the segregated ones. A family full of love like Ma-Ri's with no people to give their friendship is a pity, as is a talented songwriter/performer who only composes for her own consolation.

It is a show about courage (living from the heart) and the limitless possibilities that appears when people are accepted and able to be free to make a difference; and by default the monotone and boring society that is the norm under a monoculture. It is also a show about how to make a difference and not to get drained nor embittered by such a battle (the "looking for another door" strategy was truly wonderful - kudos to the writers).

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Well said! Bravo! You've understood the message of the manhwa and the drama.

And, while the middle part showing the past history could have been executed better, the drama was still able to deliver its message(s).

On a side note: I have been reading Dramabean even before it became Dramabean. I have always had the greatest of appreciation for the writing on this site, especially of Javabean. The recaps and commentaries are so well written that it is a joy to read everything on this site.

And, I have to commend Lollypip's comments about this drama, which are so beautifully written and also shows her/his wisdom. Thank you!

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Dear AuntieMame, It is an honor to know an old schooler, since I only have been around since 2013 (in Dramas).

Hope to read more from you,

FGB4877.

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Dear LollyPip, this has been a beautiful show. The script is really tight and smart, the characters full of love and dignity, and well acted. My main complaint is the strange storytelling device in going Sageuk unexpectedly and then return back to the present.

For me, the highlight in the script this chapter was the "finding another door" decision.

I am really happy with this show. I am sorry it was underrated (so probably we will not see more seasons), but it was so with "Flowers for my Life". Sometimes I wonder if Korean Society is open to discuss some themes... like segregation (this show) or death (Flowers for my Life).

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Oh, yes. Flowers For My Life is another winner. It's not a drama for everyone. But, it is for people who like dramas that raise ones consciousness.

And, I've never forgotten the funniest scene with the jajangmyeon delivery during the procession up the mountain. (With the delivery guy saying, "Don't order from us next time.")

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If you ignore the mess that was episode 4 and watch the sageuk portion as a standalone drama, Orange Marmalade would be one of my favorites. The first two episodes were perfect, and the last three where we return to the present hit all the right notes. The pain, the angst, the feels.

This episode was adorable, and Jae Min, for the first time in the entire show, was a sweet boyfriend. How sweet was his "Should we just paint the whole thing red and make it Baek Mari's spot?" I love how he put her first and stood by her side and wholeheartedly accepted her as a vampire. Why couldn't Jae Min be this sweet since the beginning? The writers made him such as ass for so long that I couldn't help but hate him for more than half of the drama.

On the contrary, I loved Mari through and through. I love how she was never ashamed of being a vampire and refused to quit even when the whole school looked at her like she was some monster. Mari is my spirit animal. Kim Seol Hyun is stunning. Special shout-out to Dad who was the Best Dad Ever.

Both vampire kids were love. I loved Shi Hoo's nonchalant attitude even though we know he's just a fractured little boy who misses his parents like crazy underneath. Lee Jong Hyun's acting improved tremendously. As reluctant as I was at redeeming Ah Ra, I actually started to ship her with Shi Hoo at the end. She was especially cute admitting she has more competition with his fangirls around.

The Orange Marmalade OST was gold. I love listening to cheesy Dream With a Twist, so I was really excited when the band got back together. I burst out laughing at Jung Yong Hwa and Yook Sung Jae being vampires. Orange Marmalade will always be a memorable drama for me, in part because of the rage it caused when it turned into a train wreck, but more so because the episodes that were good were really good. High school dramas done right are my weakness.

A huge thanks for sticking with Orange Marmalade until the end and all your positive recaps, LollyPip!

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Thanks for the recap, LollyPip!

Overall, it was a good message the series sent out to viewers and the ending was cute. LJH definitely did an outstanding job here!!

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Was Seolhyun good in this show? (By good I don't mean by idol standards, but actually GOOD)

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Ms. Seolhyun (Ma-Ri) wasn't good, she was EXCELLENT. You could say that she didn't show a lot of range (at least in the modern times, which is what I saw) but she did show lots of depth, bravery and sorrow. I have to say, in the first episodes I was smitten by her (not like I loved her acting, but like I could actually fall in love with her - And I am a nitpicky guy).

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She's serviceable, but I think she lacks charisma and isn't really lead role material yet. ( IU in Producer is a much better example of an actually-good idol actress)

I tore through the whole series last weekend and while I really like the character of Ma-ri/the idea behind the show, the actress has a tendency to look like she's rather conscious of how she appears on camera.

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Hello Pogo, how are you?.

I suspect Ms. IU has a far more rounded sense of humor (one of the Oh so many benefits of being a little bit older), which makes her look lively in front of cameras. Also more life lived properly becomes more experience, that then usually translates in more range.

But to be fair to Ms. Seolhyun, her character started as subdued and had to grow from that. Also, the excess of self-image conciousness is sometimes an undesirable aspect of being so gorgeous ;) .

Of course, these are just my opinions ;) .

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What a sweet show! The young ones portrayed here could represent any race, creed, religion or sexual orientation. The producers of this show should be immensely proud of their product. I was thoroughly entertained by a great story with super acting,

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Yes, you could say this show portraits lots of minorities, but my money is ponted directly on the new pan-Asian inmigration to Korea (you can't tell them apart from the main Korean population, unless they speak with an accent or show strong features from other cultures).

And yes, I admire these young actors. I can't tell if they are that good or that they were very smartly cast.

On another note, I loved Jae-Min's love-starved mom. It was bittersweet to see her wishful think all those gestures like Jae-Min buying a bag to be directed at her.

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Orange Marmalade was an odd drama for me in that not only was the last third of the drama my favorite part, but the last episode was my favorite episode. I liked the other two parts but in my opinion the Joseon part and especially the first modern part pale in comparison to the last three episodes.

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Has it ever happened that you didn't like any drama Lollypip? I think you write good things about almost every show!

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Aw, that was sweet. I really did enjoy this drama, and I agree with you on the couple extra episodes thing. While watching this I was wishing for another couple episodes or even just one episode focusing on the six of them and the growth of their friendship some more. Would've loved that. And more Shi Hoo and Ah Ra, would've been great as well ^_^ (I always liked the thought of that couple since they first met)

I am satisfied with it, it was a nice watch. The first episode really grabbed my attention and the cast did a wonderful job (special clap to you Jonghyun! My first time seeing him act and I didn't know what to expect at first, but he did great) I was tempted to leave when the Joseon era part of the story came on (because I was confused if they were turning it into a historical drama, and Those are not exactly my cup of tea) then I found out it was just telling the background of the story and decided it was worth it. Helped clear things up in the present time.

But the final leg of the drama was definitely my favorite. I have no regrets watching this one.

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Thank you, Lollipip! Wonder work on the recaps and helping us see what the writer was going for. Yes, the modern-sageuk-modern oreo cookie approach was a little strange and, like another beanie mentioned, it felt like we had the same story repeated a few times. But, the overall theme, characters, and the acting kept me interested. It was good to see the acting was not drastically different comparing veterans actors to newer idol actors. The idols did a very nice job and I am looking forward to more dramas from all the actors now.

I am glad that I had not read the original version so I had the chance to enjoy this version and its quirks on its own merit.

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Thanks for the recaps! I loved this drama, and it made me want to look forward to any of these kids' future dramas, most especially Yoo Jin Goo. He has a long career ahead of him!

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I am one of those who really loved this drama. The first three episodes really caught me - though at the second look they may be unpolished, I love them for the breath of fresh air they give, so much that I actually looked past through all the flaws without regret.

So I decided to read the manhwa, mostly because my sister was reading and liking it. It was cute, it was nice, but nothing more. Though I liked it too, I also found it kind of plain and even boring sometimes - what made it enjoyable where the characters, more than the story itself.

So back to the drama, it made me apreciate even more the different approach it took - though I admit the "back in time" section did almost throw me off at first (by that I mean when I saw the preview for the 5th episode), but I decided I have no actual reason to give up on it just yet, And boy, was I right!

As these review kept saying, that section made it all so much more understandable, the characters, the story. A brave move from the writers that I very much liked. I didn't care that the story was practically repeating itself three times, cause each time it added something more.

The last episodes I found interesting and I think they gave good closure to the show. Now I have so much love for Jae Min, Ma Ri and Shi Hoo - I also loved Ah Ra and how she changed, being an actual delight in the last two eps.

To conclude, yeah, I loved this drama (next level is "adored", but I'm leaving that for Mask and Oh my ghost).

PS - Thank you, Lollipip, for the racaps! I appreciate having someone on the same page as me regarding this drama and your last paragraph here pretty much sumed up my feelings :)

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you are not the only one.. I like Orange Marmalade.. I do not have much to complain about.. It's the best high school drama I have watched.

as a drama, there is nothing wrong with putting the previous lifetime in the middle part of it. I don't find it awkward either. Maybe I have not seen the manhwa of this, so I could accept it readily than others.

For once, I do not need to get angry with 2nd leads spending more time with 1st leads, which I think the writer wanted to focus on, thus only 12 episodes. I believe if it was 16episodes, they will add in scenes of 2nd leads going out with 1st leads and makes the 1st leads getting angry with each other. But thanks to the writer, I do not need to suffer for this like other dramas.

I read that the rating is low, but this drama is really under-rated. Since this is a high school drama, they should broadcast it earlier. Nevertheless, I love this drama and I like Yeo Jin Goo after watching this drama!

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Despite not reading the manhwa, I admit I was weirded out by the sageuk-in-the-middle approach - like another beanie said, it really did feel like variations on the same story stitched together three times. And honestly, the sageuk bit could well have been a standalone.

But the end was really good, and I'd rather have a drama that's weird in the middle but ends well, than the other way around (since apparently we can't have dramas that do well with their beginning, middle AND end).

And Yeo Jin-gu can totally carry a show. Give that boy another leading role, and soon!

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I enjoyed the drama too as a whole. It had its ups and downs but it's a fun show nonetheless. I agree with some of the commenters above, that the last three episodes were the best. Glad I didn't stop watching. :)

And I loooove Orange Marmalade's OST! So beautiful.....

Thank you for recapping OM LollyPip. ❤️

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i want to wish all the cast of this drama the very best! they did a great job. they are young and still have a long way to go! love the drama very much! my favorite character is Jung Jae Min :-D hehe Yeo Jin Goo did a great job as always. his ability to show various emotions to the right amount is amazing!

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Thanks for the awesome recap :D
This is the first time I have followed someone's recaps with such diligence. And I belong to the minority who loved this adorable drama with all its twists.
The webtoon was great but this drama as you said was adorable <3 <3

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I loved the last few episodes! It's the first drama, I felt, that had the end in mind rather than the beginning. Usually kdramas that are meh start with a strong concept but lose steam ahead but this one is the opposite.

In any case, it ended off so sweetly. I just love how everything was resolved so nicely both in a practical and a thematic sense.

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So, Orange Marmalade is one of my favorite manhwas ever (I've read it at least 3 times), and I didn't even know it had a tv show until now! I am afraid to watch it, because the manhwa was so good and I don't want to have this showed ruined by the comparison...

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Can you email me the name of the vitamins please thank u ayahbarrido.ab@gmail.com

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Thanks for recapping @lollypip!

I'm going to be one of those who read the manhwa first, then came to the show... and I think it would be better for everyone to REVERSE that order - watch the show, then read the manhwa, for maximum enjoyment.

I tried the Joseon timeline, but in the end I couldn't stomach what felt like a fanfic in the middle of the original story, and I ended up skipping most of it, and went straight to Episode 10 to continue the story. By that time I just wanted to complete the series (OCD-tendencies) and close the chapter on this "adaptation".

In fact, just treat the whole tv adaptation of Orange Marmalade as fanfic, and it might be easier to watch.

*really disappointed, and going to re-read the manhwa now to get the good vibes back*

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