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Answer Me 1988: Episode 7

It’s a countdown to Christmas, and an episode all about giving presents—agonizing over what to get someone, the anticipation of getting the thing you asked for, and most importantly, what that present really says about your relationship, and all of the unspoken feelings that come along with the package. Gifts have never been so loaded as they are on this street in 1988, but then, feelings are never as intense as when you’re eighteen.

 
SONG OF THE DAY

Shin Hae-chul – “그대에게” (To You) [ Download ]

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EPISODE 7: “To you”

At the first snow, Sun-woo makes his big confession to Bora: “I like you, noona.” She stares dumbfounded at first, then answers, “I like you too.” He can tell she doesn’t mean it in the way he wants though, and he says he’s not kidding and he’s sincere about this.

Bora’s expression doesn’t change: “I have a boyfriend. And I’ve never once thought of you as a man.” Sun-woo says he knows all this, and she asks why he said it then. She insists that she’s not at all concerned about his feelings, and in her noona way, she calls him a pint-sized little squirt. He responds by silently brushing the snow off the top of her head as if to say, I’m not so little anymore.

She returns his coat and tells him that this is just between the two of them and they’re going to bury it forever, because she doesn’t want to be tied to him in any way. Aw, poor Sun-woo.

We fast-forward to December, 7 days before Christmas Eve. All the kids are gathered at Jung-hwan’s house, and when Bora comes in late, things are awkward between her and Sun-woo. Deok-sun scowls at them while Jung-hwan chuckles in glee.

Jung-bong hyung announces that they’ll be playing a manitto game this Christmas, which is basically a Secret Santa setup, where you draw someone’s name and are nice to them for a week and get them a gift. Everyone complains about the stupid game and wonder why Hyung is insisting on it, and Jung-hwan tells them it’s because Hyung is dying to collect the last college music festival LP and Mom has cut him off until he gets into college.

They all draw names, and immediately Taek ignores the rules and raises his hand to say that he’s got Jung-bong, and will buy him that LP. But when they all open up their scraps of paper, they find that every single one of them says Jung-bong. HA. Hyung quickly says that was a practice game, and they pick again.

The kids ask what happens if two people pick each other, and they say it’s fate and start chanting, “Get married!” Dong-ryong asks what happens if you pick yourself, and they say that’s fate too, and no one’s got that kind of luck. Naturally, Dong-ryong has picked his own name (and spelled wrong, at that).

Deok-sun races out after Sun-woo to dig through his pockets, and screams when she sees that he drew Bora’s name. She runs home in a snit and digs through Unni’s jacket, and then throws a full-on raging tantrum in her room. We see the crumpled up piece of paper on the desk that reads: “Sun-woo.”

Sun-woo sneaks back out of his house when he sees that all the adults are there holding a neighborhood meeting. He wonders what they need to hold a meeting about when they talk to each other all day every day, but Dong-ryong’s dad leads the group in a song, and then they discuss what to get the kids for Christmas this year. It’s just too adorable that they all have to agree on getting all the kids on the street the same thing, to be fair.

Sun-woo’s mom asks who told Jin-ju that there was no Santa last year, and everyone knows right away that only one person could’ve done it: Bora. Mom and Dad hang their heads in apology and say that they’ll get Jin-ju’s Christmas present this year. She wants a snowman, so Deok-sun’s mom promises that she’ll get Santa to bring her one.

Jung-hwan finds Sun-woo avoiding his house and suggests hanging out in Taek’s room, and says he has something to tell him anyway. They eat ramyun (I love that neither Taek nor his dad are home, but they just cook and eat like they live there), and Jung-hwan brings up Sun-woo’s crush on Bora noona.

He admits to accidentally overhearing some stuff on the night of the first snow, and Sun-woo makes him promise not to tell anyone. Jung-hwan: “I thought for sure it’d be Deok-sun. She’s the prettier one.” He immediately realizes he just admitted that Deok-sun is pretty and amends it to: “I mean, she’s the prettier one of the ugly girls!” Smoooooth, buddy.

The others eat at Jung-hwan’s house, and when No-eul saves the last radish for Jung-bong hyung, everyone can tell they picked each other’s names in the manitto game. Everyone chants for them to get married too.

Jung-bong wants that LP he’s been dying to buy, of course, and No-eul asks for an erotic novel. Jung-bong says he doesn’t have that one, but he knows someone who does. The pairs seem to be lining up for most people, and we see in Deok-sun’s drawer that she picked Jung-hwan’s name.

Jung-hwan, meanwhile, sits alone in Taek’s room reading that novel that No-eul is so desperate to read. He jumps out of his skin when Deok-sun bursts in unannounced, and hides the book under the blanket while trying not to look guilty.

That just makes Deok-sun even more determined to find out what he’s hiding, and she jumps him to tackle the book out of his hands. He puts up a good fight as they wriggle their way across the room, but Deok-sun’s got a death grip on him and in the end she’s sitting there reading his book while he sits nervously waiting for a reaction. She calls him a beast, but he says defensively that all the guys in his school have read it.

Taek’s dad asks them to watch the house and goes all the way to Taek’s baduk training center with an umbrella because it’s raining. The moms note that he always goes there and just stands outside waiting, which is exactly what he does that night.

Deok-sun gets engrossed in the Lee Mi-yeon drama that Jung-hwan was watching and shares a blanket with him, which he tries not to freak out over. He’s so cute, I can’t stand it. She likes the pink mittens on TV and says that pink looks good on her too, and Jung-hwan snarks that they just look good because of Lee Mi-yeon.

She asks if he picked her name for the manitto game, which he denies. She says it’s either Taek or Jung-hwan (you don’t say), and says offhandedly that she’d like it if it were Taek.

Taek finally comes out and smiles to see Dad waiting for him. When they get home, Dad worries about Taek having to travel to Busan for a match in the rain, while Taek worries that he’ll be late for Dad’s birthday, which also happens to be Christmas Eve.

Dad seems more worried about his own interview with a reporter the next day, and heh, they got real-life announcer Park Ji-yoon to cameo as herself.

Deok-sun answers a call from “our Taekie” while he’s down in Busan, and because her house is so loud with her dad and brother shouting over a game on TV, she only hears parts of what he’s saying to her. He’s calling to ask her opinion on what to buy his father for a birthday/Christmas present, but she thinks he’s asking what to buy her for a manitto present.

She chirps, “Gloves! Pink ones!” and Taek wonders if pink would be okay. He says he and Dad have never really exchanged gifts before, and has no idea what to buy. Deok-sun entirely misses the dad parts of the conversation, and Taek just thanks her for her help and says he’ll see her on Christmas.

She asks when he’ll be back and insists on waiting up on Christmas Eve, and though he doesn’t really get why, he says he’ll stop by that night to see her then.

Jung-hwan’s mom comes by Sun-woo’s house with rice cakes, and marvels at the way he stops Mom from opening jars when her wrist is hurting, or goes to scoop up Jin-ju down the street and make her promise to brush her teeth and only eat candy once a week. Jung-hwan’s mom wonders how you get a son like that, and Sun-woo’s mom says he’s just like his father.

The ajummas wonder how Taek’s dad’s interview is going, and they figure he’s probably sitting there silently. He’s doing okay for the most part, but the questions that trip him up are all about Taek as an infant—what he dreamed before Taek was born, what time of day he was born—Dad can’t seem to remember any of it, and it seems to upset him that he doesn’t have the answers.

The reporter says that Taek must take after his father because they’re both so reserved, and she says that it must’ve been difficult to raise him alone. Dad says there’s nothing difficult about it, and Taek was easy to raise because he’s so kind. He says that all he asks for is Taek to be healthy, and when the reporter prompts him to say, “I love you” on camera, he shies away nervously, saying that he’s not used to saying things like that.

Sun-woo’s mom runs over to Taek’s house with food and stops to gather the laundry that’s getting drenched in the rain. She wonders why the house is empty, and finds Taek’s dad drinking alone in his shop.

Sun-woo studies all day at the library and then checks his watch before heading out. He stops to try and wake Dong-ryong, who’s been sleeping on the floor all day. Dong-ryong insists this is better than home where Dad is around, so Sun-woo just tucks him in with a dictionary pillow for the night.

Bora parks her car down the street and sighs at the heavy rainfall, but when she opens her car door, Sun-woo is waiting there with an umbrella. You waited all day just to do that, didn’t you? She says that she likes getting rained on, and Sun-woo simply calls her a liar and puts the umbrella in her hand.

He puts his hood on and walks out into the rain, and says cheerfully that he’ll pick up the umbrella tomorrow morning. Heh, another excuse to see her! He’s not the class president for nuthin’.

Sun-woo’s mom asks what’s got Taek’s dad drinking, and he asks if she remembers what she dreamt before Sun-woo was born, or what time of day he was born. She remembers every last detail, of course, and he sighs that the reporter asked him those things about Taek: “But how could I know?” He says he couldn’t remember and couldn’t respond, and was embarrassed.

She assures him that fathers don’t remember those things and that’s normal, but Dad sighs that if Taek’s mother were here, she’d remember. He says he’s so sorry to his child because a mother would’ve remembered what he wore on the first day of kindergarten: “Dads are useless.”

He sighs that if Taek’s mother had survived instead, Taek would have as much love as any other child, and eat good food, and always wear clean clothes: “And if he got sick, his mother would hold him tight.” His voice cracks as he tries to swallow his tears.

Sun-woo’s mom argues that there’s no dad out there like him, and reminds him that he wakes up at the crack of dawn every morning to make sure that Taek eats a warm meal before leaving the house, waits outside with an umbrella any day that it rains, and has never once watched TV with the volume raised for fear of disturbing Taek.

She assures him, “Taek knows all of that. Do you know how deep his heart is? He knows how much his father loves and cherishes him.” Dad sighs that it doesn’t matter if he knows or doesn’t, stricken with pity for his son who doesn’t have a mother like everyone else. Dad, stop making me cry!

It’s two days until Christmas Eve, and Deok-sun ignores the freezing weather and puts on a jean skirt. Jung-hwan hangs out on the front steps tying and untying and retying his shoelaces until Deok-sun comes out, like a giant doofus.

He mocks her for the skirt, but she says she has to look nice because she and her friends are going to Gangnam after school. Jung-hwan scrambles for excuses for why she shouldn’t go, but she ignores him. When Sun-woo joins them to walk to the bus stop, Deok-sun scowls and walks away, putting another grin on Jung-hwan’s face.

Deok-sun and her friends go to the very first McDonald’s in Gangnam, but her friends sigh that everyone else has dates. They prod Deok-sun to call her boyfriend, but she snaps at them for even mentioning Sun-woo. They ask for Taek, who’s still in Busan, and reject Deok-sun’s offer to call Dong-ryong.

They ask her to call the tall one then: “You know, the scary-looking one!” Deok-sun gapes and says that Jung-hwan will never ever come, and she’ll only get an earful for calling. Her friends refuse to let it go though, and guilt her into making the call. They watch expectantly as Deok-sun goes to the payphone in the corner, then pulls the receiver away from her ear from what must be Jung-hwan’s rant on the other end.

Sun-woo gets dressed to go out shopping, and even takes Jin-ju along like the best oppa ever. Jung-hwan’s mom asks if Jung-hwan is going with them, because he just got dressed to head out too. But we know where he’s really going!

Cut to: Deok-sun’s slackjawed expression as she looks up from her table. Her friends gasp in awe, and Jung-hwan just stands there: “What. You said come.” Hahaha.

Jung-hwan is actually nice to Deok-sun’s friends, and buys them all whatever they want to eat. Of course, to Deok-sun he’s his usual nitpicky self, and snaps at her to only order what she can eat instead of always leaving food half-eaten. It comes out sounding very oppa/boyfriendy, not that either of them picks up on it.

When Deok-sun goes to restroom, her friends say that Jung-hwan and Deok-sun must be very close for him to run over here with one phone call. He answers awkwardly, “I thought she was alone…” That just makes her friends even more certain that he likes her, and they assure each other that this time, it’s FOR REAL.

The parents rush to an emergency neighborhood meeting, where Dong-ryong’s dad announces the bad news that the weather forecast has changed and there won’t be any snow before Christmas, and therefore no snowman for Jin-ju. They called an emergency meeting because of Jin-ju’s snowman present? That is just so quaint.

They ask for any and all ideas, though of course they shoot down Jung-hwan’s dad’s suggestion to just not wake her until the day after Christmas. Deok-sun’s dad suggests ice instead of snow, and Taek’s dad is put in charge of making it.

Deok-sun and Jung-hwan ride the bus home together as she listens to Wham on her Walkman, and the way he looks and smiles at her when no one is looking is just so ridiculously sweet. Without a word, he reaches over to pull one of her earbuds out and put it in his ear, surprising her.

When they reach their street, he asks what’s got her so lost in thought, and she finally whirls around to face him and he gulps nervously. But she just guesses that he pulled her name in the manitto game, otherwise why on earth would he come all the way to Gangnam, with a personality like his? Ha.

She says she’s got enough brains to know he’s being nice to her because of the game, but Jung-hwan insists that he pulled Taek’s name, not hers. Deok-sun: “Then why did you come?”

He’s so frustrated that she can’t tell (but can’t actually say it either), and suddenly grabs her face in his hands and says, “Use that head of yours and think carefully. Why did I come?” He walks away, leaving her more confused than ever.

Jung-hwan is so preoccupied that he doesn’t even notice that Mom and Dad are getting frisky on the couch and that Hyung is digging through his drawers to steal that novel for No-eul, and he just plops down in his bed face-first in defeat.

On Christmas Eve, the kids all gather at Jung-hwan’s house to watch the college music festival, and the parents gather outside to watch Taek’s dad carve a snowman out of ice for Jin-ju. He makes the eyes out of baduk stones and Jung-hwan’s mom puts her scarf on it, and they head inside for drinks, pleased with their handiwork. It really is the most adorable iceman ever.

The kids all guess who the winner of the festival is going to be as they watch, though Sun-woo seems more interested in sitting closer to Bora, and Bora makes sure to keep pillow dividers in between them.

The dads share a drink and toast to Taek’s dad’s birthday. They figure that Taek is too busy to celebrate his father’s birthday, and Dad agrees that growing up as well as he did with just half the love is enough of a present for him. Jung-hwan’s dad argues that Taek’s dad gave him twice the love, and his eyes well up with tears.

The college music festival nears the end and everyone picks different favorites to win. But then Shin Hae-chul’s group Infinite Track is introduced, and as soon as their song “To You” begins, everyone starts sitting up and shouting over one another to declare this band the winner. In no time they’re all on their feet dancing, and we pause to watch the moment when Shin Hae-chul debuted.

Later that night, Sun-woo asks Bora to come outside. She complains the whole time, and when he puts a present in her hands, she reminds him that she didn’t want to feel burdened. He smiles and tells her this is her manitto present, nothing more, leaving her feeling embarrassed.

Deok-sun waits and waits out in the street, and lights up when Taek arrives with suitcase in tow. She says there’s only thirty minutes left in the day, and he cuts her off to hurry home. She’s really confused, and calls after him to ask about the gloves. Taek turns back with a smile and says his dad’s really going to like them, and thanks her for her help. Wah waaah.

Taek comes home to find Dad asleep at the table, and Dad smiles and tells him to go to bed. Taek pulls out a present from his bag and hands it to him, saying, “Happy birthday, Dad. I’m sorry I couldn’t even have dinner with you on your birthday. Dad… you know I love you a lot, right?” And inside the box is a pair of pink mittens. Man, these two make me cry.

Dad can barely hold in his tears, and finally stands up and awkwardly reaches out to take Taek’s face in his hands. He says, “When did my son get so big, thinking of his dad and everything? He’s all grown up.” Taek’s eyes brim with tears too, and Dad struggles to say those three words out loud. After two false starts, he finally says, “You’re all I have,” and hugs him as he cries.

No-eul finds Deok-sun still lying out on the deck that night, upset that no one picked her name for the manitto game. No-eul says that it was probably Taek but he forgot, and warns Deok-sun not to make a big fuss over it because Taek lost today. Oh noes.

Taek gets ready for bed and takes more medicine before lying down, then discovers something in his pocket. It’s the scrap of paper from the manitto game, with Deok-sun’s name scribbled on it. He runs outside and finds her still in the same spot, and admits that he totally forgot to get her a present.

She says it’s okay, mostly just happy to know for certain that Taek picked her name. He insists on getting her whatever she wants, so Deok-sun finally asks for pink mittens and Taek laughs. He promises to buy her a pair just like Dad’s and she goes inside happy. He sits there for a little while longer, just smiling after her.

Everyone wakes up on Christmas morning to the news that it rained overnight and it’s an unseasonably warm day. All at once all the parents remember Jin-ju’s snowman and rush out to the street, where only the scarf and baduk stones remain in a puddle. Sadness.

Sun-woo comes out and wonders why they’re all sitting there looking glum, and they tell him about the snowman that melted. Sun-woo sleepily wonders what the fuss is about when they sell snowmen at the corner market: “Snowman is what Jin-ju calls ice cream.” Lol. All the parents just gape as he offers to go buy some, and then they watch happily as Jin-ju and Sun-woo eat their ice cream cones.

No-eul comes into Deok-sun’s room to deliver a present to her, and she lights up to find a pair of pink gloves. She wonders where Taek got them when department stores aren’t even open, and No-eul says they’re not from Taek: “That’s from Jung-hwan hyung. He said it was your Christmas present.” He stares for a long beat, then adds, “That hyung must’ve gone crazy.”

She stares at the pink gloves curiously. And upstairs, Jung-hwan paces in front of his window, just dying to get a peek at Deok-sun’s reaction but not daring to go outside. She tries them on in her room and is overjoyed, not that she’d ever let him see it.

Deok-sun narrates: “We were at the age where we no longer believed in Santa, and were no longer excited by a manitto game. It was an age where we weren’t satisfied by the excitement of a secret present. Palpitations filled us to the brim and made breathing difficult. Embarrassment made us feel like our hearts would burst. We wanted it to be known so badly, but didn’t want to be caught. That fluttering of ’88. We were eighteen.”

Taek practices at the training center even on Christmas day, and his coach comes by to give him a present from the reporter who did Dad’s interview. It’s the part where she eggs him on to say something to Taek on camera, and when he shies away from saying “I love you,” she says they won’t air this part publicly.

Once that pressure is gone, Dad quite easily says, “Son, I love you.” It’s still startling to Taek, and his eyes fill with tears instantly to hear those words from Dad. He says it again into the camera: “I love you, son,” and Taek cries.

Deok-sun narrates: “Time flows and leaves behind parting and regret. If you love someone, you need to say it now. You have to say it before the time spent breathlessly living turns into regret. Perhaps the biggest gift left by time is the memory of having loved. So before it’s too late, overcome your embarrassment and confess: ‘To you, the one I love.'”

 
COMMENTS

The glimpse into Taek’s relationship with his father was so touching, and everything that they managed to say to one another felt more impactful simply because it came from two people who are so reserved with their words. We always knew that Taek’s dad was a quiet, steadfast sort of father who was always there for Taek, but I didn’t really know that Taek was his whole life, and that he worked tirelessly to try and love him twice as much because he didn’t want Taek to be lacking for a mother’s love. It broke my heart that Dad would never give himself credit for that, and that he only felt guilty that Taek didn’t have a mother. They both spent the episode feeling terribly inadequate as father and son, when it’s clear to us that they love each other far more than they could ever express in words or gifts. Man did those pink mittens make me cry though. I just kept picturing them on Dad’s giant bear hands and thought they would make the most ridiculous sight gag, and yet the sincerity in that one gift was enough to bring me to tears.

It was, of course, the most straightforward theme of the episode—that the intent behind the gift is far more important than the gift itself. For Taek and Dad, it wasn’t love they were lacking, but a reason and a chance to express that love, no matter how pink and fuzzy. We saw the comical version with all the parents having countless meetings and strategy sessions all in an effort to keep a little girl’s hope in Santa alive, only to discover that they missed the boat entirely. The effort behind their iceman was real though, and I loved just the idea that a neighborhood like that could exist, where families are that loyal to one another and treat one child’s Christmas emergency as if it were their own. It’s because it’s minutiae that it’s almost more touching than them being there for the big things, and I love that in this series, the parents’ friendships give the kids a run for their money.

Then there are the gifts that are perfect—the exact thing you’ve always wanted—except that they come from an unexpected person. It’s kind of adorably simple that all Deok-sun cares about is getting her pink gloves, but a nice twist when all the wires get crossed and she doesn’t get them from the person she asked. And meanwhile the one guy she thinks is always annoyed with her is so observant that he knows it’s what she wants without having to ask. Jung-hwan’s way of noticing every tiny thing about Deok-sun is so endearing, and I love their dynamic so much right now that I don’t want him to confess yet. I’m honestly not concerned that she’ll have figured it out though—he might’ve dropped big hints, but she’s not exactly the brightest bulb.

I know we have many more years of these characters’ lives to get through, but I’m kind of sad about leaving their 18-year-old stories behind as 1988 already starts coming to a close. For me it’s always the best of the Answer Me shows, when the kids are at their youngest and struggling with the most fundamental parts of growing up and figuring out who they are. Not that I expect these kids to mature overnight, of course. I think we have a ways to go before that. But already they feel a little more thoughtful and a little more grown up, even if it’s just one baby step at a time.

 
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OMG My first time to get the first comments!! I am now watching this with Chinese subs. Thanks so much peeps at dramabeans!!

Sorry guys, I am Team Taek!

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omg where did you watch the chinese subs from??

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maplestage

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Dude did we get trolled?

Not sure Taekie even likes Deok-Sun now …

Movie movie movie movie what happened to movie. OMG what if it's a fake out-- what if Taek had called everyone individually regarding said movie? *angry goat bleep*

Narratively, it's a bit disorienting. If only because ep 6's core is built around Taek's five match struggle and how the movie would be his metaphoric "light at the end of the tunnel".

Oh well, it could be a very good thing if Taek does not play second lead in a love triangle. That type of role is so limiting, and Taek's character is way too interesting to be restricted that way. Now everyone can just enjoy the Jung Hwan - Deok Sun romance without worrying about poor Taekie and his trampled heart.

The way things are set up right now, Jung Hwan is 100% Mr. Hubby. There's no point in dragging Taekie through the mud and grime of painnn. (Taekie shippers: jump ship now, before your disappointment becomes a flesh wound.)

BUT SERIOUSLY though Taek ah, why cute little PINK fluffy mittens for your father?? lolllolol. I can't even

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There's no way he doesn't like her, but his crush isn't the only thing going on with his life and it's not the focus of the drama. Which is good, though I agree it was a little weird the movie date didn't happen. Or any mention of it. Though I think his part in the love triangle is coming soon and they'll probably answer the movie question as well. Along with what Taek will give/do for DS now that she already got the gloves from Junghwan. It's definitely not going to be easy for DS/JH to get together.

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The movie date can happen in tonight's ep. It's still just Christmas morning, a few hours Taek got home at 11:30pm! No need to get all suspicious about a fake-out yet.

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The date either didnt happen or happened off screen. Last episode when Taek asked Deoksun out it was in November. And by the end of this episode it was Christmas already.

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Or maybe there's no love triangle! Which would be my preference.

I don't really see Taek interested in Deok Sun in a romantic way. He takes to strangers badly and Deok Sun is the only girl in his life. Add to this the fact that he has no mother .... Of course he is going to be emotionally fixated on DS-- but in a way a baby duckling might waddle after something.

Jung Hwan's interest on the other hand is rooted in typical coming-of-age teenage boy stuff. Friendship and familiarity is suddenly defamiliarized by a sexual attraction and awareness not there before.

Taekie is ... Taekie. I mean the way he his now, with his baduk and fragile health and stunted real world abilities, is a narrative of its own. Its kinda unrealistic to change him into a romantic second lead over night. I was just disappointed regarding the movie because ep 6 built it up as something he reallyreally wanted to do...

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His lip bite though.

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and official website mention that he does like Deoksun.

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I KNOW! HE FREAKING DO THAT EVERY SINGLE TIME WITH DEOKSUN! I'm too hyped.

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From the start, I always thought it will be Taek. Maybe it's because the actor who played Taek is meant to be the lead right. em..my heart goes out to Taek, perhaps it's the motherly side of me coming out.

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The problem is,,,, what if he another chilbongie??? It will really break my heart

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Honestly wishful thinking. It's obvious he likes her and the heartache and pain will part of his growing up process.

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I am not a shipper of romance for Taek. Deok-Sun is nothing special. I really don´t see the appeal since her personality isn´t too great to be honest. especially compared to Taek, she is such a brat. What I need for Taek is not a romantic relationship, but to do well and be well. The quite sudden opening and becoming so talkative when he was so quiet does not seem to fit, but I am glad he did. but I am quite satisfied with him not having any lines and just smiling... and yes, I think he asked everyone to the movies.

Dong-Ryung has been sort of an outsider, but they should develop this character more. it´d be interesting.

the preview doesn´t look so good....

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Yeah, good luck with that. His profile says he likes her. Same with SW saying he liked someone and we know how that worked out.

And Deok-Sun isn't really a brat at all. She can be immature and needy, but she's still young. She cares about her friends and sacrifices for her family. If anything she's deserves the undivided attention of all the guys because she's such an afterthought for her family. If anything she's and DR are the ones who keep that group of friends together.

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lol with just that you believe he likes her?? for me I don't see any sparks at all, what I know for now is that JH really likes DS and SW really likes BR

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yeah, i don´t really know either. i think he is just taking a chance to have more in his life than baduk. he is actually trying to live his age and embrace the world

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He likes her. I'm super surprised people are confused by this.

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Interesting, I thought I am the only one who thinks that DeokSun is a kind of brat. What I really dislike about this show despite of this very heart warming storyline in each eps is that Deok Sun and her sister really yell( actually her parents too) all the time. they are too loud. Bora has a hard surface but has a good heart but DeokSun does not appear to have a great heart unlike the main girl from Sassy Go Go. Deok Sun seems immature for a 18 years old. She does things with exaggeration so often that she seems really dumb( not to mention her school record). I wonder if this is due to the actresss's inability in executing the portrayal of Deok Sun that the writer wrote.
The actor who plays Taek really shines, by the way. As they are now at this stage, Taek is too good for DeokSun. So even she might break his heart, I am ok with that. He should have other chances with other girls in future.

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Isn't that the whole point? That a person is actually that immature at 18? I mean, I obviously can't generalize and say everyone was immature at that age, but I can definitely relate to some things deoksun did . The friends themselves are all so vastly different, with Sun woo being the most mature while deoksun and dong ryong are the more playful types. I quite like this ,somehwhat realistic portrayal of a character, without it being a clear cut good vs bad type.

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it just doesnt feel "18" it feels "14 and from an anime movie"

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I think it's unfair to judge deoksun to not have a good heart just because she's immature or dumb sometimes. Remember those dead pigeons she brought home to bury? Not to mention sacrifices she did to her family, tho it's not so big but she endured it for a long time.

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Oh! I forgot her love for her grandma!

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I'm another one who doesn't think DS is anything special. I've nothing against her, and certainly nothing against Hyeri. Matter of fact, I think she is doing a great job portraying the char. DS, as she has been written so far, just seems ordinary, nothing to get excited about, no big loss if one doesn't marry her, no big deal if one does. I get that the 18 year old JH has a crush on her, but in the grand scheme of things, there are other fish in the ocean is the way I see it.

Of course, we can talk about how the ordinary-ness of these chars., of this story, this drama-world, is what makes it so appealing.

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Re;we can talk about how the ordinary-ness of these chars., of this story, this drama-world, is what makes it so appealing.

Except the fact that in the series, both male contenders become very famous in their own fields later on their lives!! I wonder what field that JH will become famous for?

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Actually, I think Hyeri is currently doing a mediocre job portraying DS. Yes, DS is naive, a ditz (not dumb) and sometimes can be immature; however, a better actress would make her endearing (e.g. Eunji in Sassy Go Go). Right now, DS just exists - nothing else - thus, there's really no reason to care about her outcome. The only reason why she is needed (for me) is because JH likes her.

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@tplannyc

A lot of people like her and relate to her issues as a middle child, which still come up. And her scenes with the guys are also the best and bring out the best in everyone. Just because so many people here are hot for the male characters doesn't mean nobody cares about her.

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Wait aren't they ALL normal and ordinary ? Outside of Taek, nobody is special in this drama. Sun Woo is nice, but that's it. He's boring and not that cute. Junghwan can be sweet, but can also be a jerk. They are smart, but not outstanding. Nobody is super special. Deok-Sun fits right in with the rest of them. Why are the guys looked at as such wonderful catches, but the girls hate on.

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I'm going to have to agree, I sometimes find her really annoying. also agree with the comment that says they're all normal, expect Taek. BUT like someone else mentioned they're endearing. Jung Hwan even when he was being a jerk, was endearing because you could tell that he still cared deep down (nuanced acting, not over the top like DS). Same with all the other characters. And while many have pointed out her niceness in her actions (i.e. pigeons) i never personally felt it, emotionally. The only thing that I could perhaps feel or relate to about her character was her being the middle child. I felt bad for her, that's about it. Her outburst during the birthday cake thing was the only one that came across and made me (as an audience) feel for the character. Just my opinion, I am not invested in her character at all and I'm pretty sure most of that is due to her acting. Eun Ji's character was very similar and even though I fund that annoying, I was still there with her emotionally and invested in her character.

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She doesn't have a good heart seriously? Maybe you should watch the early episodes. She gives up so much for her family, tries to get along with her sister (makes a deal to borrow things) , is the only one who doesn't shit on JH's dad to start with and loves her friends (and they love her back). If anything she is immature, but not having a good heart.. I'm not sure what show you are watching.

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I have to agree. She may not have the best personality and I may not be able to relate to everything about her, but I do think she has a good heart. Deok-Sun really does care about the people around her and even though she is quite childish at times, I personally enjoy her character a lot.

Not to mention, I really love her fashion style haha.

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Park Bo Gum and Choi Mu Seong just absolutely killed their scenes. I was crying my eyes out T.T
and then I swooned over Jung Hwan and cooed over how cute Jin Joo and Sun Woo were. I swear, the feels this show is giving me...

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The interactions, the small emotional beats...they are so heart felt and touching. And they are NOT about the romance. So real, so multi-faceted! No wonder this show has ratings that are going thru the roof.

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I know. This show is literally a rollercoaster ride for me. One minute I'm like a loony person laughing my ass off, then goes all gooey emotional, as in im fugly crying, then goes all swooning, you know.

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girlfriday, are you recapping this whole series by yourself?? Thanks so much for the recap, loved this episode! PBG is the best crier ever.

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Definitely seems like it. If Javabeans was going to join her, they would have started alternating already. Lol, I hear ya! The minute his face scrunches up into a semblance of a frown, I tear up! PBG FTW.

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“I mean, she’s the prettier one of the ugly girls!” LOL..JH is way too cute.

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But, but did Taek and Deok-sun go to the movies? Didn't he ask her to go at the end of the last episode?

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Wow... Jung Hwan was a bit aggressive in this episode. And the pink gloves... >_<

Wanna make a bet, when the kissing scene will happen?

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I think next week or later. Keke

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It'll be romantic

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Waah JH!!! You nailed it! Jinjja!!!

And teak.. Why your smile is so cute :)
I hope u won't be hurt like Chilbongie :(

Thanks for the recap!

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I love Taekie's smile, and his puppy eyes ;P

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The character that Taek is based off on married a girl 12 years younger than him… so I think the girl he'll end up with is Jinju!
Also Bora and Sunwoo are so cute.. I really like them together. And Junghwan, ahh junghwan you cute little thing ! haha

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you´ve been obsessed with that for 3 episodes now, haven´t you? what does this have to do with real life?

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LOL. I've been reading comments about how Taek will end up with Jin joo since his character is based on a real life Baduk player of those times, and I've been telling myself the same thing! Why would they follow the real life story? They might,but there's a good chance that they might not too. I am team might not!

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I am more curious as to who will play the adult Jin Joo. I hope they get someone that would make us do a double take like Kim Tae Hee or Song Hye Kyo. lol

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I'd honestly hope not since it's pretty obviously pointing towards SW's mom and Taek's dad marrying each other, meaning she'll be his little step sister. Kinda weird.

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M team Jung Hwan why the hell hez so cute with his crush :)

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i don't see the drama, but all the guys are so ugly this year

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[a t-rex just ate you]

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From Min-Guk's collection. LOL.

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apple is in the eye's of the beholder. Not everyone has to be a "flower boy" in order to score the girl, men can be charismatic and charming without the looks.

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lol troll much...

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im not a troll, i find the male guy, really ugly, sorry people

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I think that might be the pt: to make these ppl look as regular as possible, so that this drama world would be believable as a not-so affluent neighbourhood in 1988 Seoul.
No one is spectacular looking, just regular folks.

It is safe to say that Park Bo Gum and Go Kyung Pyo are recognised as really handsome fellas, but even their looks have to be toned down to fit in with the theme and feel of the show. Same for the actresses, esp. Hyeri, who has to give up looking her beautiful idol-actress self to be DS.

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So you don't watch the show because the 'male guy' (whatever you mean by that) is 'ugly'. Fine and good. Why are you posting here if you have nothing else to discuss regarding show's themes or execution or plot or story? Posting inflammatory comments which will only get the fans' hackles up is a form of trolling to me.

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Hypocrite. I just wanted to point that out. That you @Sammy are being a hypocrite. You're post has nothing of merit based on your own criteria, yet you felt perfectly comfortable posting it. Talk about the themes, executions, plots, or stories if you want. But don't be a weirdo netizeny-type of poster. And it is weird.

I agree with @Pik. Maybe? None of the "male guy(s)" actually look cute in character. They're behavior is cute, endearing, and attractive, but in the looks department not so much. I saw some picks of real life Bora and Sunwoo for a recent photo shoot. I was shocked. Nothing about them in this drama told me that either one of them could look that good.

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Oh LOL. I didn't even pay attention to the 'male guy' part of the previous comment. This just made my day. Hahaha

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@sammy.

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Junghwan is ugly and handsome, freaking sexy to me. If that even makes sense.

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because Kid like Lee Jong Suk of course doesn't fit the era, where you'll find doctor-made nose in 1988 when McDonald's just open that year in Seoul. No brainy.

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Good pt.
I think viewers esp. young ones might be too used to the plastic surgery look that we get in KD so often. These kids don't have the chaebol look, that's for sure. lol

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@ES:-I have posted perfectly on-topic comments on the rest of the recap posts on DB so I don't think you have any right to call me a hypocrite. Also, just as Pik has a right to her opinion, I have a right to question her offtopic and illogical comment in which she has implicitly expressed her disdain for a show without presenting any valid arguments for her dislike. Don't patronize me.

Also I am all for discussion, debate and contrary opinions. But elitist sentiments like so and so actor is 'ugly', 'fat', 'unattractive' gets my hackles up because they exalt some oppressive standard of beauty that every actor must measure up to in a film or entertainment industry anywhere in the world to be applauded. And that is just wrong in my eyes. I do agree that I may have been rude to her in that comment in which case I apologize, Pik.

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....so you don't watch the drama, but decided the guys are ugly without watching it?

I'll let that speak for itself.

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Pictures and screen caps? Or are some of you reading this in some text only version and can't see pictures?

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I guess what everyone is trying to say is, don't judge the drama just based on their looks (Which MOST certainly is subjective. I think they're hot) .....and as fans we do feel a little irked when someone who isn't watching the drama ,writes it off just because (in their opinion) the male leads "are ugly". Of course you're entitled to your opinion, but so are we. LOL

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Actually, I think it is mighty interesting that: Give movie stars bowl-cut hair, make-up that flatten their facial features, and they turn into sb from the old neighbourhood. In contrast, give handsome guys spiffy outfits, perfect hair and lighting, and voila, they are recognised movie stars!

If pictures and screen caps are all that sb goes by, it can be quite misleading or circumstantial. There are obviously Viewers who only cares about looks; this show would't be their cup of tea.

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because people who read the recaps agree that the story more important than the pictures. Did you even read the recaps or you just open dramabeans and "okay the pictures of cast don't appealing me, I'm not reading nor watching"

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I actually don't find JH that much attractive in the pictures but extremely attractive on the screen. That goes with many actors you know. They become alive on screen and you can't really see that from pictures. But of course, 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'..

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I rather have a well written and directed series then a drama bad in every way other cast that looks good.

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Agreed. Way too much fluff in KDrama. Good story telling trumps. How does anyone think PBG is not attractive? Admit they purposely toned him down. The scenes between him and his dad is worth the price of admission.

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My niece who is still in high school also gave a similar comment after seeing the screen caps. Well, she didn't actually used the word "ugly", only "why aren't there any handsome guys in this drama?"
Then I showed her my school yearbook. I singled out a picture of a boy, and she had a good laugh hearing the fact that that boy was regarded as the most famous guy (= most handsome) in my school that year. She didn't believe me at first, then flipped the pages and searched for other good looking guys and found none LOL

My point is, maybe the guys here really look "ugly" for some because they're from a different era, and for me it's understandable. Plus, I agree with @KDaddict?JCW up there, they are supposed to be regular folks from a regular neighborhood, and I love that the production team put efforts to make those good looking guys in real life look not so good looking in the drama.

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Hi there,
TBH, I had a hard time finding PBG and GoKP in the show's poster 1st time I saw it. I looked and looked and couldn't find or recognise them. I stared at everyone's clothes and hair, and thought it rather funny in that outdated sort of way. That's why they have make-up, hair, and costumes in film-making.

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Actually i think the guy who likes bora gained a bit weight for this role,i have seen him in other dramas and he's good-looking, even here with the chin chin. But i think all of them are handsome 3 of the boys are pretty even.i know everyone is entitled to their opinion but its offenseive to call someone Ugly, that word should be banned. I'm sure if you said they are not as attractive or not appealing, not as good looking, beanies wouldn't be as offended.

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I actually think that Taek has good facial feature... not a manly looking but he is a good looking boy.

I have seen many boys who look like JH back in my school days. They are not ugly but they are average looking guys. (But popularity was little to do with their looks in my school. )

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I consider Sun Woo handsome, and at first glance Jung Hwan wasn't as pretty for me either but on screen he's a killer. His smile especially. I mean beauty is pretty subjective, there are loads of people in life that might not fit into society's concept of physical beauty but they make up for it when we spend time with them, and as we like them more, they do appear more attractive to us.

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I actually like the fact that they did not go for the pretty. I can feel the sincerity of the production because they are going for authenticity in depicting a typical neighborhood in the 80's. Plus, basing one's enjoyment of a drama by how hot the guy looks seems very limiting.

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you think park bo gum is ugly??? girl watch the drama, and then you can judge.

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I can't even find the exact words to describe the feel after reading this recap.

The series surely climbing up to my top 3 all-time-fave kdrama.
I can see myself, in the next 10yrs, re-watching the eps.

:')

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A part of me is sad that there are some who are too fixated playing the husband-hunt instead of appreciating the heart-tugging, emotionally-charged little moments of the show. Yes, figuring out the husband is all sorts of exciting and engaging in shipping war fires us up but more than those things, the family/friendship sequences are really the reason why I consider this drama a precious gem.

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I'm actually glad there's so much less focus on the husband-hunt in this season, partly because Deok-sun as a character isn't nearly as strong as 1997's Shi-won. She's cute, but not nearly as engaging.

I also can't see her carrying the main focus of a love story that was as central to the show as Shi-won and Yoon-jae (or a love triangle) - the show made a good decision to spread the focus out to the parents and their relationships with their children too. It takes a lot of the burden off the female lead and potential first lead, and is a much better use of the (90 minute!) air time.

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I agree. Also, the focus on the family and the neighbourhood stuff in general makes a good meaty story. It makes me hope for a nice grounded show (by that I mean that it doesn't have those couple of episodes towards the end that feel like dragging it out just for the sake of it) and we get actual story.

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I'm very touched by the scenes involving the adults, i.e. scenes with adults in them: Like Taek w his father, Taek's father pouring out his regrets to Sun Woo's mom, the 3 women together, Sun Woo's mom staring lovingly at her 2 lovely children, etc.

I love Taek a great deal, but am not sure that he'll make a good BF for anyone at his stage in his life. He is just too clueless as a person and is solely focused on his career. Maybe in a dozen years when he is more confident and developed in his career, and is more well-rounded.

Sun Woo is such a good person. His scenes w JJ are truly sweet. His taste in women however is not yet developed. I don't know what an angel she might be underneath, but on the surface, she is a porcupine and is sure hard to take.

My fav girl in this series is actually Jin Joo.

I was thinking: There are 3 girls in this series. If Bora+SW, DS+JH, JJ+Taek, then it leaves DS's brother and JH's brother. The 2 bros would have to fend for themselves, or better yet they can end up together as a couple. Then they can all be in-laws!!! Ke ke ke. Goat-bleat.

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yeah, the scenes between the adults and between the adults and children are the best ones in this show. Like Jung-hwan messing up things for his mother last episode. Or Bora taking Sun-woo's mom to the station in a car she barely knows how to drive in the middle of the night.

I know Bora's not instantly likeable, but I don't find her bossiness or her rage too off-putting, especially considering the times they live. She's a porcupine all right, which is interesting to me because it's usually guys who get that characterisation - seeing it on a girl is a bit rare.

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I actually hadn't thought of it that way. It's true, if you take Bora's character and attribute it to a man in a Korean drama, there's a 98% possibility that he's the main lead. And that it's somehow endearing that he's prickly and rude.

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Exactly.

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yeah she's the tsundere

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I don't ship Bora w Sun Woo or w anyone at all. If SW chooses to love a porcupine, he has to lie in the bed that he makes. But his poor widow mother deserves a better DIL for having raised a son as perfect as SW.

Somehow, I can't get behind a grown woman who snubs out her cigarette in her sister's ice-cream. She is no longer 21, but 48 at that pt! If that was my double scoop Hagen Das, I'd be Extremely pissed indeed. LOL

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I didn't address the shipping question at all, I was talking about Bora as a character in her own right.

But if you want to take it from a "Sun-woo's mom deserves better" angle, Bora's the one who went out of her way to drive her to the station in the middle of the night without being asked. That speaks volumes about her as a character, beyond all the complaining and bossiness.

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No, you were not addressing the shipping question, and I didn't imply that you were. We are both talking about Bora as a person.

She did one good deed that we know of. The rest of the time she is insufferable. One good deed does't make her a good person to live with or to have in the family IMO.

If it were Dong Ryong who wants to marry a prickly girl, I would't feel sorry for his mom, cos she has been an absentee mom for all we know, and does have 4 other sons.

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I'll take prickly over insipid any day - and if Bora's prickly, Deok-sun's shallow and frequently oblivious to the world around her (not in the same way Taek is, though).

But they both have other things going on behind that surface, like Deok-sun's middle-child complex, or Bora's gruff exterior actually hiding concern for others. Like her mother says, she'll grumble but she'll do what they need her to do - whether it's take charge of her siblings at her grandma's funeral or drive Sun-woo's mother where she needed to go. Give me a flawed heroine, any day - a perfect girl (like your standard kdrama Candy with 10 jobs and a sunny nature) with perfect Sun-woo would be nothing but a total bore.

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It doesn't have to be that extreme, that black vs white, prickly vs insipid, perfect girl vs total porcupine. There can be a wide middle ground in between.

It is good that you enjoy Bora. It is also true that many ppl find her scary or off-putting.
It is fine that @lemondoodle and others like DS a great deal. It is also with good reason that many find DS a bore. And so it goes.
Our opinions can change as the drama shows us diff things.

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When it comes to shipping here, I only ship DS's brother w JH's hyung. Those two are just adorable and funny together. What is better than two oddballs finding love w each other?
They did the homosexual strand w so much sensitivity in Reply 1997. But that story was sad and repressed. They could do a more upbeat one here. Ke ke ke.

OTP shipping is so yesterday, no? ?

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I think Taek made me cry silent angsty tears... ...

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I watched the episode without subs so thank you very much for this recap: it helps put certain things into perspective. I'm horrible at choosing the right husband (team Taek, but it's probably JH) so I'll let things fall where they may

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BUT WHAT DID SHE GET JUNGHWAN. I was so mad I rewinded the episode three times to make sure we didn't get to see it. Are they making a point to say she just doesn't care about him at all right now? I love how they made the episode about Taek and his father instead of about him and a girl, but I do think it's annoying to end on the cliffhanger of the movie last ep and then not get around to showing it.

I really did wish Dongryong did get someone, just because making him get himself seemed the easy way out.

Excited for the next episode tonight hooray.

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Whose name did she pull in the game? Was it JH's? I missed it.

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OK, so she pulled JH's name and hasn't done a thing about it all week.
IDK, of the 3 girls in the 3 Reply series, DS does seem to be the least thoughtful so far.

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Maybe she didn't read hers. Bora didn't get Sunwoo one tho.
Or she thought she lost the name, it was in the drawer

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She hadn't mentioned whose name she drew, much less what to do for them or get them.

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IKR?! I wish they'd show what she actually did for Jung Hwan. I mean, for someone who insisted on being on the receiving end of the secret Santa game, Duk Seon sure didn't play her part. Whatever happens to "Give and Take"? Even if she's oblivious to Jung Hwan's feelings, they are still friends first and foremost, and she should have given him something or at least did something nice for him. It just comes across as selfish IMO.

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Let's all give her the chance to show that thoughtfulness. This is the Reply franchise we're talking. If the background characters get the chance to be on the spotlight, I'm pretty sure they won't let the main character go astray. Don't put too much shade on it hehe

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I know! I was waiting for her to remember that she was supposed to get JH something too....

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I don't think the gifts were a big deal. Did anyone give gifts like they were supposed to? The brothers I think, but otherwise no.

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Especially since he gave her EXACTLY what she despite despite not knowing it ,or being her Secret Santa !!!! She better redeem herself in today's episode!

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The best moment of this ep for me is when JH walks in on his parents making out on the couch and completely misses it, And misses his brother trying to steal that novel in his room. I laughed till it ached.

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This episode was GREATTTTT! To be honest, all of them were. I'm really happy that in this last installment the writer decided to go for a simple "One way road". Though I enjoy the twists and I'm sure we'll get to see more romance development ahead, the fact that they're focusing more on the whole neighbourhood/families' interactions makes the journey more resting and equally enjoyable.. I just can't get enough of it!
Btw, I LOVE JUNG HWAN, I already said this a multiple times, but I find him hella charming and HOT (Yes! HOT. I still don't get why many ppl think he's not that attractive... He is!) <3 I don't get how is that DS can be this clueless? lol but I agree, I want him to confess later and keep the sweetness and awkwardness coming. Yaay!
and I'm also loving the SW-BR pair... still wondering if what she said about having a namjachingu is true, but whatever the reason, I believe she's for real when she denies having feelings for SW... In her eyes, he's still a kid, like her sis. Though I'm pretty sure she'll end up with him somehow, she will most likely succumb to his cuteness overload (Not to mention SW is actually way more matured than she is).

Great acting from PBG and the guy who plays his dad... they got me tearing up with those scenes!! Loving father and loving son indeed.

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I really liked this episode, but I feel it didn't fit in the timeline. There was that whole build up last week about Taek and then nothing...? Or are they telling us not to obsess over love triangles. I wouldn't be surprised! I'm sure the answer we seek will come up soon. I totally expected this to be a heavy Taek/DS episode, but it was actually Junghwan who made a move. Now I wonder what Taek will eventually do, since I know it's coming.

Taek is cute, but he did show this episode he's not really a good option for a boyfriend. He's too engrossed in his own thing and too forgetful no matter how nice he is. You'd be left feeling ignored in the end.

And Deok-Sun really has no reason at all to understand what Junghwan is doing. He's still being his prickly self at times, even if he's being nicer. The gloves should make her think some, but until that moment I don't think she had a reason to think he was crushing on her.

I love the father/son relationship. I hope this puts to rest the notion that some people had that they had an unhappy home. They don't. They just don't say what they feel very often, but there is obviously a love of love between the two.

Bora/SW bore me to tears honestly. I don't see what he sees in her and he's one of those clingy guys who never gives up. We already know how it ends, with her giving in eventually and changing. Compare them to DS/JH and I just can't get into them. Junghwan does hang around DS as well, but he just seems to give her more space...? Idk, maybe I'm just biased. Their umbrella scenes were alike, but so different. Junghwan just gave it and left, but Sun Woo gave it and then used it as an excuse to go bug her again another day. Just not my thing.

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I basically agree w you pt for pt.
1st paraG: it'd be great if the show pulls such tricks more often to tell the audience not to fixate on the couple game.

Bora+SW: I don't find Bora attractive myself, but I understand that SW being a fantastic student and Student Body President would be attracted to a girl who is well known around the neighbourhood for her scholastic achievements.

Nothing wrong w waiting around all day just to run into her at the end of the day, give her an umbrella as it's raining, and go back to collect it the next day. She may or may not be home; if she is, then it's a bonus for him.

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With Bora and SW I need to see why he likes her. He seemed specific on the timeline, so maybe she did something for him. I wouldn't even mind if he said she's a bitch, but deep down she cares. Basically what her mom said about her, which is true. If he wanted to get to know her more that would be interesting. But she's nice and pretty is just... okay. And nothing wrong with his approach, just doesn't make me swoon like other guys in the show lol. He has a tough act to follow.

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>Or are they telling us not to obsess over love triangles. I wouldn’t be surprised!

That's possible. Early in the episode, DS asked her mom to give her more kimchi soup, and it is possibly referring to the Korean idiom of "Don't drink the kimchi soup first (without getting rice)".

Kimchi soup is sour and spicy and is eaten together with rice, so if you drink your kimchi soup impatiently, before you get rice then you're gonna get a sour/spicy mouthful. Therefore, the meaning of this idiom is to not get ahead of yourself and to assume things too early

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Oh man, I feel the writer likes to make fun of us lol.

And I think everyone had it in their head what this episode would be like and they went a totally different direction. I expected DS/TK, but instead we got wonderful father/son moments. So it's a surprise to see things not go as people expected, but still the same the episode was great. So it works and I think what people expected (or maybe not) will still happen soon enough.

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Ugh. Now that you've mentioned it. Kinda agree with BR-SW, they didn't make me feel anything. They better keep up with DS-JH, JH didn't even confessed yet but were all swooning so hard.

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Junghwan is adorable I can't help but smile everytime he's on screen.
Taek and his dad made me cry so much T_T

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I really like Jung Hwan as well, never failed to bring a smile to my face every time I see him flash his smirk or just generally being awk-dorable around Duk Seon. I was never into Trash Oppa much (and was firmly on Chilbong's side to the bitter end), so I wonder what makes it different this time, because on paper the two characters have more common traits to each other than to the other boys.

I thought Duk Seon and Jung Hwan's constant bickering was cute instead of stupid and annoying. And I liked that it never got physical. On a second thought, that's probably it; I could never get why Trash and Na Jung would fight to the point of pulling each other's hair.

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I think the thing with Trash oppa was because we don't actually get to see his feelings blossom on screen, so we didn't connect with him. Jung Hwan has his feelings right there on his face and we get to see him experience his feelings, so we like him more.

I was also Team Chilbong for the same reason that I like Jung Hwan, because all the grand gestures and sweet moments on screen was between Chilbong and the girl while Trash Oppa's relationship with the girl was developed more off screen than on, which is why in my eyes the script sucked, since it concentrated more on fooling the viewers than plot line. I'm still half convinced that the writers meant for Chilbong to be with Na Jung but changed their minds half way.

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I need to watch this now!!!!!!

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I can't help but noticed how symbolic colours and timing are in this drama. JH always seems to be there at the right time for DS while TK seems to be late or is a step behind. The pink mittens is pretty interesting too with different giver's and to different receivers but both were unexpected.

PBG is such a wonderful actor, it's such a treat to watch him on screen.

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Yes to PBG. What a lovely young talent, although I wouldn't describe him as wonderful yet. For me, that expression is reserved for the likes of Ha Jung Woo, Jo Jung Seok and Lee Sung Min. But if he keeps improving, he'll get there, and I'm looking forward to it.

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"Ha Jung Woo, Jo Jung Seok and Lee Sung Min".....

Those are some pretty tough acts to follow! (and the youngest of them is 35 to PBG's 22, so he's got a long time to catch up)

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Have they shown Dong Young’s house or his mother, Is she ever hang out with other moms? May be they don’t live together. Once he mentioned that no one at home as always. Why? Did I miss something?

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No. No. Not sure, not shown as of ep7.
They do live together as Dongryung lunch box is prepared by his Mum. His Mother is working and he has 4 older brothers that are probably much older than him.

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WHERE IS SIX FLYING DRAGONS??!!!!!

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Heads said SFD recaps will be delayed because of real life obligations. It's Thanksgiving week so she's probably busy. She said that recapping sched will be back to normal next week.

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I loved everything about this episode, especially because the focus was on the each relationships. From Taek and his Dad (they made me cry last night), to the whole neighborhood doing what they can to make sure gets the best Christmas present, and also to each romantic development between Sun-woo and Bora and Jung-hwan and Deok-sun.

I love Sun-woo's persistence to show his feelings for Bora even if Bora's on a quest to block whatever he's doing. A part of me thinks it has to do with the fact that she read Deok-sun's diary? That maybe she knows her sister's got a crush on him, which is why she's adamant in not entertaining him. Idk. If that's the case, I think it will say quite a lot about their sisterhood, and I can't wait to see them talk it out.

As for Deok-sun and Jung-hwan, I echo what you said here, GF:

"It’s kind of adorably simple that all Deok-sun cares about is getting her pink gloves, but a nice twist when all the wires get crossed and she doesn’t get them from the person she asked. And meanwhile the one guy she thinks is always annoyed with her is so observant that he knows it’s what she wants without having to ask.

Jung-hwan is still prickly, and Deok-sun is still grumpy over Sun-woo. But I can see in them the growing maturity much like Yoon-jae and Shi-won's in 1997. He's totally smitten on her, and those feelings will only grow deeper each day. I am really excited with their development because at this point in time, I'm about 95% sure it's really Jung-hwan.

I'm pretty sure there's a lot in store for Taek, and as much as Park Bo-gum makes all our hearts wrench when he cries, I hope we don't continue with this "Don't make my Taek cry or else!" He's as stunted as he is. He's yet to realize the value of building relationship with other people, just like how he did with his Dad. Let him do his mistakes. Let him cry over it. Let's not be like the parents in the earlier episode where we insist beating around the bush so that he won't get hurt. For his character to bloom, he's got to go through all the pain--even if that means experiencing his first heartbreak. And the only way out is in and through.

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P. S. I am also quite curious about all the focus on the HANDS this episode. For one, the gift that went all around were the gloves. And then there's Jung-hwan staring at Deok-sun's hand on the bus where he seems like he wanted to hold it but couldn't. And then there's that moment when Jung-hwan held Deok-sun's face with his hand, and Taek's Dad also did the same to Taek. I wonder if I'm just noticing random stuff or if they really play something. Gah, I'm curious.

Another thing that also keeps jumping at me are the clocks and watches. They pretty much bombarded episodes 5 & 6, and actually up until now. So yeah, I hope all these gets tied up soon enough.

1988 is doing so well not just with the ratings, but so evidently in its writing. I can't believe we're almost halfway through :(

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Thanks for recap GF.

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Keep refreshing dramabeans for this recaps......I hope that DS knows JH feelings as soon as possible... please writer-nim ..don't drag it too long

And who is BR's boyfriend?I'm so curious..or she lied???

Taek and his father relationship makes me cry....???..so warm

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Taek...Taek...Taek.........

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Park Bo Geum is a gem. He barely had any lines but he made me cry so much. His acting is so believable that I'm right there with him. His dad though. Gosh, I'm crying again.

FYOU KIM JUNGHWAN GO AWAY I HATE YOU DAMMIT! I really feel so attacked. This guy is a walking ball of charisma. I just can't with him anymore. He'll be the death of me.

Question is, did Deok Sun ever give Junghwan a gift? What about Bora to Sunwoo? This show is good but it jumps all over the place and the editing is awkward. I still wish it's only an hour long...

I'll probably be watching this drama raw and just reading recaps here. Thanks so much girlfriday! You shine the light to the raw darkness. Thank you!!!

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it reminds me about #teamchilbong...ㅋㅋㅋ now #teamtaek.. but i know... taek always go to play baduk.. maybe #teamjunghwan ?;)

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The kids call JungHwan, JungPal; and Taek, Kidong. I'm always curious of what these nicknames mean or are they just mere gibberish? Can someone explain, please?

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I think they're just nicknames. "Jung Pal" is from Jung Hwan's name first character Jung, and Pal is just an addition to make it sound extra old-fashioned. It's something long time childhood friends might do to each other, as a sign of familiarity. Kinda like how The Producers' Ye Jin and Joon Mo refer to each other as Ye Bal and Joon Bal. If it's not right, someone please correct me on this.

Whereas Taek got nicknamed "Hee Dong" because of his dad. Duk Seon always called his dad Go Gil Dong ajusshi (which wasn't translated in the sub), it is a character from the cartoon Dooly the dinosaur whose distinct hairstyle resembles Taek's dad. In the cartoon, Go Gil Dong ajusshi has a son named Hee Dong. That's why the father and son as a set are nicknamed Go Gil Dong ajusshi and Hee Dong-ie.

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OHH. Thanks for that piece of knowledge!! :)

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ah it's 'Heedong', not Kidong. It's finally clear to me now. Especially it's not even mentioned on the subs. Thank you for answering! <3

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I dont get the husband hysteria at all. who the hell cares. I want to focus on the individuals development rather than pairing up. we are not playing picture domino.
There is Bora who is an interesting rebel and I would like to know where it takes her in the end.
and there are many interesting characters, but they dont use the time frame of the episodes intensely enough, I think to show anything new about them.
last episode I got Aspie feels from Taek now he is suddenly talking so much hehe. I would be ok even if he didnt have lines, just more screen time.
I am glad they are showing the parents side of the relationships as well, their feelings and motivations and doubts, cause kids often forget that part and center on themselves.

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I think it's obvious it's gonna be Junghwan-Deoksun that's why the writers said there's no husband hunting this time around. It's a shame most people focus on the husband question when there are so much more interesting things going around. I can tell every character is going to get their own spotlight and wishing this so bad for Dongryung and his dad because they're the flattest characters at the moment.

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LOVE THE FAMILY SCENES THE NEIGHBOURHOOD SCENES ALL THE LOVE SCENES SHOW TAKE ALL MY LOVE. jung hwan slayed me especially in this episode for all the love stuff

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I was crying just from reading this recap.... TnT

I dunno if I can survive watching through it...in motion, with music ...XD

Thank you for recapping this lovely drama! ♥

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Then with just that Sun Woo may be a candidate again LOL

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He won't be. He is definitely out of the race when the future husband mention deoksun is rejected by Sunwoo.

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A lovely episode. I'm glad they focused on Taek's relationship with his father on this one. It's not often that we see such a heartfelt depiction of a single father's experience and his inner emotions about it all.

JungHwan, mate, I kind of want you to just confess and at the same time not. It's fun either way. Hehehe.

Also a little help guys. The last song they played at the end of the episode with JungHwan's older brother and his LP - does anybody know of the title and the artist??

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I really love the snowman story line! The looks on all the adults' faces are priceless. After going through all the serious meetings and everything LOL

This drama is really playing tricks on us. A "normal" drama would pick up from where they left off in the previous episode, Taek & DS on the phone, so we've been (ok, I've been) waiting a whole week to know if they really went on a movie date, or did Taek call everybody, or basically anything about the Taek and the movie, but there's no mention about said movie whatsoever in this whole episode LOL I love it! I am a little disappointed, but I love it! Now I have a feeling that we won't be shown anything about Taek and the movie until the last two episodes ^-^

Thanks for the recap, girlfriday... made my cry again just by reading it.

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If I have to wait for Tuesday for sub, I don't know what I'll do. Thank you girlfriday for the review *cry silently in the corner*
I'm too invested in this drama, dammit. How can it made me cry every single episodes? And squee and laugh like a mad man every cute DS-JH scenes? I think this is the best series of all Reply series, unless they pull a chilbongie on us and ruin the fun.
*go back rewatching all the cute scenes for the dozen times*

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do you guys have evidence of why junghwan or taek could be the husband? cus honestly from the looks of it, i think jung hwan is the husband but who knows? they could be messing with us.

thank ya :-)

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Is he dying , his brother? I saw special premier show they mentioned he went to army service.. In previous series also someone's sibling died.. because my sister is keep saying that some will die..

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I agree that Deoksun isn't a great big heroine or anything - which she shouldn't be, by the way, because second to nostalgia, Reply is all about showing characters who feel like they're just like you and people around you. That being said, if anything, I absolutely adore how sweet and careful she is with her words and actions when she's around Taek, like he's a puppy she took in.

The Deoksun-Junghwan arc is so cute and is unfolding at such a lovely pace right now, and my heart isn't ready for the looming pain, because no way we can have 12 more episodes and no big fights and heartbreak ahead.

Also, these quick drama recaps are keeping me alive through the weekdays. Thank you!

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I have not watched the drama but just read the recaps so I don't know if I am missing anything but I feel that Taek is indeed the husband and the one they introduced early as the adult version is indeed JungHwan or maybe Sung woo but he is still not the husband but maybe he slept over as a friend since Bora unnie was also in her pajamas....

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I watched the adult part again in episode 2 and when adult Deoksun called him "hey!", he said "how can you say 'hey' to your husband".

So yeah, the adult guy they introduced is indeed Deoksun's husband.

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i think we should just enjoy their moments. clearly deoksun and jungwan aren't going to get together right away because remember when she says in the future that he dated may girls before they got married. so it seems things will keep them apart for a while and she will probably date someone else in that time. maybe taek and then they will end up together. yes i;m 100 sure the husband is junghwan no doubt.

I understand some phrases here and there but 1988 is the only drama i have started watching raw simply because i cant wait for subs. i still get the gist for the most of the episode but your recap and filling in the blanks is what i love.

the moments between taek and his dad made me really cry and reading your recap had me in tears again. taek is so precious and it hurts my heart a little that she couldn't receive those pink gloves from him first. i'm dreading taek seeing her wear them. i am also really worried about junghwans bro i hope hes ok :(

also taeks father and sun woo mother seem to really connect i'm really curious if it would lead somewhere, they would be lovely together.

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This show is just killing me in so many ways. In 1988 I was around Bora's age. The music! The clothes!?! The kids' friendships are just fabulous. The adults' friendships are just as wonderful. As an ahjummah, I find myself really identifying with the moms. The theme of mothers and orphans is really tugging at my heart as I move my own mother into hospice care. But as often as this show makes me cry, I laugh hysterically, too.

And as an aside, people become beautiful to you as you get to know them. Jong Hwan, Sun Woo, Dong Ryong, and Taek are wonderful characters and beautiful to their friends and family. Duk Seon will realize that I think. As another aside, the kid who plays Jong Hwan, Ryu Joon Yeol, is gorgeous. :-)

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Is it just me or does Taek looks and acts more manly when he's with Deok Sun?

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I personally don't find it THAT weird that Deoksun hasn't realized Junghwan likes her yet. I mean I wouldn't suspect my male friend who curses at me, feigns hitting me and shoves my head forcefully to be crushing on me just because he's nice to me from time to time.

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I can't believe people here think Deoksun is annoying? When to me Deoksun is the most relatable and realistic character. She's immature, loud and dumb. Unlike Taek or Bora she's not gifted, and not smart like Junghwan or Sunwoo. Deoksun is the sad middle child who always gets ignored, but she loves her family all the same. She's not greedy either, and clearly cherishes her friendship with everyone all the same. She doesn't have a strong exterior, she's just her.

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I'm so glad to finally find a comment that defends Deok-sun.

There was an entire scene in the drama dedicated to show that Deok-sun, as the middle child, has to sacrifice a lot (the eggs, sharing her brithday with her older sister, etc) and people call her a spoiled brat? I have nothing against criticising characters but...are we watching the same drama?

I love Deok-sun because she basically wears her emotions on the sleeve. She laughs when she's happy, she cries when she's sad, she goes crazy when she's angry. She's such a simple character and that just makes her really endearing to me.

I'm so tired of people just trampling over the female characters over the smallest things and only fawning over the male characters...

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Seriously, I don't get how she's annoying at all. She's a wonderful and caring person who sacrifices a lot and gets nothing in return. Without her being her lively self among the guys, that group of friends would be a sad little and boring group honestly.

If people find it annoying she's not all over Junghwan, well why does she HAVE to be? Even if he likes her, she doesn't like him yet. Let her fall in love with him if it's mean to be. She doesn't have to suddenly love him because he decided to treat her nicely after a decade of treating her the opposite.

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And I agree she's the most relateable. She's not super special, or super smart, or super beautiful (Hyeri is pretty though), but she tries hard and as a middle child myself her crying in episode 1 is what really got me into the show. She's not mature, but she's not supposed to be.

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I don't find her annoying at all. I mean, people find her annoying? WHY?

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I must have missed where sb says DS is annoying. I don't see her as annoying.

It's really great that you listed her qualities:
On one hand: "immature, loud, dumb, not gifted, not smart, doesn't have a strong exterior"….Some ppl react more to those qualities and find her lackluster.

On other hand: "not greedy, cherishes her friendship, gets ignored as middle child and still loves her family"…Some ppl react more to these qualities and find her relatable.

I think the schism points to what the two camps value more in ppl and in drama chars.

But it is early yet, and she has many more eps. in which to grow and change (into the DS played by Lee Mi Yeon that will impress us more).

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Oh the contrary I don't think LMY does a good job with Deok-Son. You can't even tell that's who she's playing. She's obviously a good actor, but she's not like DS at all. The mannerisms aren't the same and nothing else is similar either.

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Someone posted earlier that the guys on this series are not good looking?? Time for an eye prescription change --
It is so refreshing to see faces without the caked-on BB cream.
And JH's lips - woah!! The kissing scenes will be WOW!

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whuaaaa bogum bogum uri bogummy park bogum!!! i just wanna say that i’m in love with his acting. so sad he doesn't get new actor awards in APAN, and seriously how can i remember you doesnt get anything? sorry for out of the topic.

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PBG is great. He is very young and talented; he will have plenty of chances to get his acting awardS, plural. Don't worry.

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