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20th Century Boy and Girl: Episodes 7-8

Aw, Show, you’re supposed to be a rom-com, why you gotta make me cry like this? Get ready, because as the past is brought to light, it turns out that Ji-won and Jin-jin’s childhoods weren’t as rosy as we’d thought. The more we learn about their past and how they were split up, the more I love them. These poor kids have been through a lot, and I have a feeling that we’ve just scratched the surface.

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EPISODE 7: “Christmas in August”

It’s the year 2000, and Jin-jin sits for a professional portrait. The photographer offers to give her the portrait for free if she lets him display a copy in his window, though he asks for a favor first. He mentions the current picture in the window, which is of her older sister Ho-sung, but we don’t see her picture or hear his request.

Later, CEO Jang sees Jin-jin’s photo in the window and goes inside, desperate for her contact information, saying she “has an aura.” And even later, Ji-won stares at Jin-jin’s picture just before his mother picks him up in a moving truck, on their way out of town.

Jin-jin narrates that Ji-won left without even saying goodbye. It was a summer’s day, when they were 18 years old.

In the present, Jin-jin and Ji-won unknowingly end up at the same showing of Love Letter, and Ji-won spots Jin-jin on his way out. He lurks in the lobby, and when Jin-jin emerges, he sings the same taunting children’s song he used to use to tease her with when they were children.

Jin-jin immediately knows it’s Ji-won, and she looks nervous as he asks her to eat with him. She says she’s busy, and Ji-won points out that it’s 2:00 a.m. He asks if she’s angry, noting that she’s wearing the same expression as when he recorded over her Anthony tape.

He asks if he’s done something wrong, and when Jin-jin says no, Ji-won relaxes and says he’s glad to see her. He’s surprised when Jin-jin asks where he’s been, since he texted her explaining everything, but she says her phone was broken.

Ji-won tells Jin-jin that there’s a lot he wants to talk about and someone he wants her to meet, but they’re interrupted by a call. Ji-won drives Jin-jin to the police station to pick up her little brother, asking her to stay in the car and going inside alone.

Aw, Min-ho must not have gotten the job because he’s drunk as a skunk, sporting his pink hair again and wailing that they already knew who they would hire before the interviews. Jin-jin is embarrassed in the car as Min-ho slurs that she’s ugly, has a bad temper, and never washes when she’s at home. HAHA.

Jin-jin levels her best glare at her brother, scaring him into the hiccups and shutting him up. Ji-won can’t help but grin as he remembers a tiny Min-ho who used to get beat up. He recalls that he threatened to beat those kids up once… “Is what I’d love to say happened, but instead I got beaten up by a sixth grader.” PFFT.

Jin-jin sincerely thanks Ji-won for that day, and for today. She also thanks him for helping her at the airport, and Ji-won confuses her by saying that they met once more after that. She doesn’t know that he saw her on the street in Hong Kong.

The next day, Jin-jin finally looks through the purse she was carrying, and only now finds the note that Ji-won left inside saying, “I’ll be back.”

The next day, Jin-jin’s parents are looking through some old photos, and they find one that sparks Mom’s memory. She remembers that it was taken, “That day… Ji-won’s father.” They wonder where Ji-won is now.

Jin-jin comes in looking for pictures for a magazine article, and her mother suggests one of her with Ah-reum, Yong-shim, and Ji-won taken on their first day of school. Jin-jin smiles nostalgically, but when Mom asks, she says she doesn’t remember that day.

She shows some of the photos to CEO Jang, who teases her about how many were taken at a certain Subway shop. She giggles that she used to wait there to see Anthony, but she never saw him. She says that she ate so many ham sandwiches that she can’t stand them now, and she glares when road manager Hong-hee shows up with Subway ham sandwiches for lunch.

The three talk about what project Jin-jin should do next, and Hong-hee suggests she go on We Got Married. He says they’ve been calling nonstop, interested in filming her in her very first relationship for their show. CEO Jang snaps that Jin-jin is a serious actress, then gets his head bitten off by Jin-jin for yelling at Hong-hee.

Jin-jin’s mom calls Min-ho for help taking out the trash, but he’s hung over and ignores her call. Someone stops to help, and Mom’s shocked to look up and see Ji-won grinning at her. She’s thrilled to see him, and also to learn that he’s back in town.

She asks about his mother, and he must give her his mom’s number, because we see them talking on the phone. Jin-jin’s mom fusses at Ji-won’s mom for not telling them something sooner, saying sadly, “Because of our Ho-sung…” Ji-won’s mother answers, “Unni, actually I—…” but we don’t hear the end of their sentences.

That night, Ji-won’s mom calls him to say that she talked to Jin-jin’s mom. She asks him to come for dinner on Thursday, and he says he’ll be there — he’s even got the date circled on his calendar.

Tonight’s meal is a humble bowl of jjajangmyun with a fried egg, which brings back a memory of Ji-won as a child, when he and his father shared a similar forbidden meal. As Ji-won ate, his father sadly asked Ji-won to remember this when he wouldn’t be around anymore. Oh no.

In the morning, Young-shim is again a few minutes late to work, and again, her boss Kyung-seok doesn’t mention it (I’m starting to think that clock is broken). Later, he asks about her work, and she’s on top of everything, but she has trouble finding her results on her messy desk.

Kyung-seok offers the cleaning lady another cup of coffee, and this time, Young-shim offers to make it. But the cleaning lady says that she likes Kyung-seok’s coffee better, then berates Young-shim for making more work for her by not separating her trash, dripping coffee, and not cleaning her desk.

On her way home, Young-shim spots a hotteok stand (fried bread with syrup filling), and she texts Ah-reum, since it’s her favorite treat. But Ah-reum says that tonight is the work event that she’s attending with Dong-hoon, the cute copilot.

On her way out, Ah-reum finds her mother piling up all the things she’s stockpiled for Ah-reum’s eventual marriage. Her mom says that she can’t just let them rot and plans to give them away, but Ah-reum assures her mom that she’s getting married soon.

Ah-reum is first at the restaurant, and she’s soon joined by her coworker Ji-hye, the one she previously roomed with. Dong-hoon arrives next, but instead of sitting next to Ah-reum, he chooses to sit by Ji-hye. Ah-reum tells herself that he just wants to see her face better.

Elsewhere, doctor Woo-sung parties it up with his cellist date, Hee-jin. He’s a shameless flirt, and his date soaks it up like a sponge.

As Ah-reum’s event gets going, another coworker asks Dong-hoon whether he has a girlfriend. He says there’s someone he likes, and that his type is bright and cheerful, a girl who makes you happy to be with them. Ah-reum assumes he’s describing herself, but her coworker thinks that sounds just like Ji-hye.

Later in the evening, both Ji-hye and Dong-hoon disappear, and Ah-reum is told that Ji-hye was feeling sick. She goes looking for her, stopping for a hotteok on the way, and eventually sees Ji-hye sitting alone on a bench. Ah-reum is about to approach her when Dong-hoon shows up, bringing coffee.

As Ah-reum watches, Dong-hoon leans over and kisses Ji-hye. Ah-reum turns around with tears filling her eyes as she stumbles away.

A few days later, her friends ask why she hasn’t mentioned her date with the copilot. Ah-reum sneers that she doesn’t like him anymore, criticizing his looks and calling him a boring kid. Her friends squint at her, knowing her better than that, and Ah-reum finally confesses that he’s dating someone.

Jin-jin and Young-shim loyally jump to Ah-reum’s defense, threatening to call the girl and give them a piece of their minds. When they calm down, they tell Ah-reum that she’s better off without him. Best. Friends. Ever.

They notice that the weather is getting cooler, and Ah-reum says that this time of year always reminds her of Ji-won, because of his father. They remember that he passed away on August 25th, which they call “Christmas in August.”

On that Thursday, Ji-won’s assistant Tae-hyun shows him the magazine article about Jin-jin, which features the picture of her with all her friends as children. Tae-hyun says this proves that Ji-won knows Jin-jin, and asks why the photo is captioned “Christmas in August.” Ji-won dodges the question.

Tae-hyun tells Ji-won that the CEO of National Chemical is coming to Korea, then says in an equally distraught voice that he has to get married. Ji-won laughs, but Tae-hyun groans that he’s an only son with an older father who’s nagging him to get married.

When Tae-hyun says that his father’s only wish is to have a grandson before he dies, Ji-won’s smile turns sad. He recalls a day when his father had lit candles on a cake, even though it wasn’t anyone’s birthday. He and his parents had all made wishes, and little Ji-won had grown serious when asked what he wished for.

He’d said he wished for his mom and dad to live to be 100 years old… oof. His dad had gathered him into his arms and said in a shaky voice that his only wish was to see his son start school.

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EPISODE 8 RECAP

CEO Jang meets with an executive, telling him that Jin-jin is having a resurgence in popularity after her confession that she’s never dated. The executive mentions a daily drama they might offer to Jin-jin, which delights CEO Jang.

Another CEO joins them and mentions that Director Shin, the one CEO Jang has been hoping will call with an offer, has cast a new actress in his latest movie.

Furious, CEO Jang calls Jin-jin to rage about Director Shin, but she tells him to calm down and not worry about it. Hong-hee answers another call from the producer of We Got Married, and he starts to turn him down yet again.

But CEO Jang jumps at the chance to revamp Jin-jin’s image, and he meets with the producers of the show. He says that he only has one condition, though we don’t hear what it is. Later, he calls Jin-jin, selling her on the idea by calling the show “the 20-year-long love story of the century.” Of course he doesn’t mention what show it is, hee.

Jin-jin’s mom has been taking food to Ji-won often, but when she takes him some pancakes, he’s not home. She goes down to her husband’s restaurant, where he reminds her of the date: August 24th.

Ji-won turns down an offer to go out for beer with Tae-hyun after work, saying that he has a date. Tae-hyun eagerly asks if it’s with Jin-jin, but Ji-won says, “Nope, my dad.” On his way home, “Hyung” calls him to say that he’ll be late.

A passing ambulance sparks another memory of Ji-won’s father being rushed into an ambulance while Jin-jin’s mother stayed behind to take care of him. The doctors told Ji-won’s father that his illness had spread, and that it was no use continuing his treatment.

Dad had said that he wanted to see his son go to school, and the doctor praised him for hanging in there this long. He’d advised him to go home and make the most of the time he had left, and later, Jin-jin’s mother had held Ji-won’s mom as she sobbed.

Ji-won’s father had made it to Ji-won’s first day of school, and he and his parents had posed for a picture at the school gates. That photo is the one that graces the table at his memorial, where Ji-won spends this evening.

Jin-jin’s mother tells Jin-jin’s dad that Ji-won has a new family, knowing that her husband feels as though Ji-won’s mother betrayed his friend. A flashback to Ji-won’s teen days shows him having dinner with his new stepfather, who seemed like a good man.

He’s not disrespectful, but Ji-won eats robotically and speaks in one-word sentences. His stepfather tells Ji-won that he also has a son, who will be Ji-won’s new hyung. He’s late to dinner, and as they wait, we see that Ji-won’s mother was already pregnant with her now-teenage daughter.

At Ji-won’s father’s memorial, they all sigh that Hyung is always late, though Ji-won defends him. The door opens as Hyung arrives, and at the same time in Ji-won’s memory, his new brother shows up to dinner. In the past and the present, we learn that Ji-won’s hyung… is Anthony. I did NOT see that coming.

Anthony brings Ji-won’s dad’s favorite cake to the memorial, and he and Ji-won perform the ceremony together. When it’s time to eat, Anthony teases Ji-won for getting old and pudgy, making Ji-won laugh. Aww, I’m so happy that they like each other.

Ji-won asks their sister to tell “him” that dinner is ready, and when she’s confused, Anthony says that he means Dad, sending Ji-won an understanding look. Dinner is comfortable and normal, as Mom tells Anthony that she wants him to get married, their little sister teases her brothers, and Stepdad passes Ji-won his favorite dish.

The next day, Ah-reum sees the photo of Jin-jin and her friends in the magazine, which reminds her of today’s date. Jin-jin also remembers that it’s “Christmas in August” today, and she goes to their old elementary school. Ah-reum and Young-shim are there waiting for her, and they play together like they’re kids again.

And then the day gets even better when Ji-won shows up. The ladies scream his name, thrilled to see him, and the Four Bongos are finally reunited.

We flash back to the day they all started school, each arriving with their parents. Jin-jin narrates that they knew it was a special day, even though it wasn’t a spring day, but a warm day in August. “Mom told me this: That Santa Claus had decided to grant Ji-won’s dad a wish, and set up something special before he had to leave us. It was like Christmas in August.”

The friends had posed for a picture, and now as adults, they take a bunch of pictures of the four of them in front of their school. Jin-jin continues, “The kids who remember the sun, air, and wind of that day have gathered again. We’re 35 now, on Christmas in August of 2017.”

CEO Jang speaks to the We Got Married producer, confirming that his one condition won’t be a problem. With a mischievous smirk on his face, he says that Jin-jin will have no idea.

Something is definitely up as a nervous Hong-hee and stylist Mi-dal drive Jin-jin to what she thinks is a meeting to discuss a movie. Hong-hee says that CEO Jang will be late and asked them to go somewhere first, and Jin-jin is surprised when they arrive at the same Subway where she used to try to get a glimpse of her celebrity crush, Anthony.

Meanwhile, Ji-won arrives home to find his belongings in the hall, and Jin-jin’s mom rushes down to tell him that their boiler exploded. Ji-won gapes at his damaged ceiling and soggy furniture, and though he tries to decline when Mom invites him to stay with them until everything is fixed, she’s a force of nature and doesn’t take no for an answer.

PWAHAHA, she takes him to stay in Jin-jin’s old room, which still has Boys Be Ambitious posters featuring his brother Anthony on the walls. She embarrasses them both by remembering a time when Ji-won had been playing in this room and refused to go home, insisting he was going to marry Jin-jin. She gives him a set of keys, and he offers to change her locks for her, but she declines.

Jin-jin waits at the restaurant, feeling nostalgic as she looks out the very same window where she spent so much time as a teenager. She’s so lost in thought that she doesn’t immediately notice the man who steps into her line of sight. After a moment she finally registers him, and she sits up in surprise to find her crush, Anthony, standing in front of her after all these years.

 
COMMENTS

I’m guessing that that Anthony being her onscreen husband is CEO Jang’s “condition” for having Jin-jin go on We Got Married, because that is brilliant, not to mention deliciously devious. CEO Jang knows that Jin-jin is going to be angry that her new “project” is a variety show, but that the possibility of being “married” to Anthony will sweeten the deal so much that she’s very unlikely to refuse. It’s also going to really put a wrench into Ji-won’s plans to woo her, because not only will Jin-jin be pretending to be married to the guy she’s crushed on since childhood, but it’s also his brother.

Which brings me to biggest shocker: Anthony is Ji-won’s Hyung?! I never saw that coming in a million years, and while part of me is cringing in anticipation of the complications this is going to cause for Ji-won as he tries to win Jin-jin’s affections, another part of me is so ridiculously excited for the exact same reason. It’s one thing when the girl you like has a crush on an unattainable celebrity, but it’s quite another when that celebrity is family. Not to mention the fact that Anthony is about to transition from girlhood crush to actual man for Jin-jin, and one that seems like a really sweet, generous person, and that she believes that Ji-won is married.

Usually in a rom-com it’s clear why the heroine would choose one guy over another, but in this case I’m not going to blame her one bit for waffling between the brothers, because they both have a lot to recommend them. I could generally do away altogether with the whole second-lead plot in dramas, but in this case, I find that making Anthony and Ji-won surprise brothers (to Jin-jin anyway), as well as having Anthony be every bit as wonderful of a man as Ji-won is, will make Jin-jin’s conflict more interesting than her just thinking that Ji-won is married. She’s going to have a real conundrum on her hands — on the one hand, Ji-won is bound to come on strong after having lost Jin-jin once, but on the other hand, she’s going to be playing house with the man she’s fantasized about for decades, on a show designed to elicit romantic feelings in its couples. Poor, lucky Jin-jin!

This episode was a real tear-jerker, and I found myself needing to stop and compose myself several times. Poor Ji-won has had such a sad life, losing his father at such a young age. It explains a lot about why he’s so quiet and soft-spoken, both because he appears to be a lot like his gentle-seeming father, and because losing such a loving man is bound to have an effect on a boy.

I’m really loving the way the families are portrayed in this show. Jin-jin’s family isn’t very verbally affectionate, but you know they all love each other very much. I’m very curious to learn more about her older sister, what role she’s played in all this, and why she’s no longer around. And Ji-won’s family reduced me to tears with the way they came together for his father’s memorial day — most of the people there never even met Ji-won’s father, yet they honored his life simply because they love Ji-won so much. That’s real love right there.

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Is it just me.... but Anthony being Ji-won's brother wasn't really much of a shock to me. Based on the previous 2 episodes (even last week as well), I was actually guessing they were going to be brothers of some sort.

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Yes, I knew it! From the moment where Jiwon was texting hyung about eating with a "female friend" and then it next cut to Anthony, I was like "whaaat? Is Anthony his brother??"

You and I called it, haha.

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Same same

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Since I am enjoying this sweet old fashion rom-com so much, I will also make an old fashioned statement that surprises no one: forget being born with a gold spoon, I would rather be born as that teenage daughter who has two of the swooniest oppas in Dramaland.

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You wouldn't be able to marry either of them!!! :p I always envied girls with older brothers. My ideal birth order for kids was 2 boys and 1 girl and I ended up getting 2 sons and a daughter for our youngest!

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I envy her too! ‘Cause I got 2 older sisters and 1 younger sister - no brothers!!! Hahaha! I feel like I have 3 moms in the house since the eldest is 10 yrs older and the second one is 7 years older than me.

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The academic year in Korea starts in March. So the 4 families and 4 friends held a "mock" first day of school for JiWons dad because he was not going to be able to make it to Jiwons "real" first day of school. I found that extremely touching, that the 3 girls families went to the length of creating this moment for Jiwons father.

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OMG r u serious???!!! I didn't piece that together! Legit CRYING right now!

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Yeay, it's up! Thank you for the recap @Lollypip. This show & while you were sleeping are my fav among 6 currently airing drama I watched rightnow. They surely know how to hit me right on the feels. Ep 7-8 was a tear jerker & they caught me off guard, I didn't expect that at all. And have I said how swoony Gong Ji Won is? I fell for him completely. Seriously this show, I can't wait to watch their next ep, ugh why Monday seems so far away.

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Also, I noticed discomfort on Jiwons end with his "new" family. He doesn't refer to his stepdad as dad and there was a scene where his gaze lingered on his mom giving a bite of something on Anthonys plate. I felt that pang on his behalf but immediately after his stepdad pushed his favorite dish towards him, which im glad for.

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he does seem awkward with the dad. but it was really sweet that the mom was being extra thoughtful to her stepson, while the dad was also being extra thoughtful to his stepson. They married good people, Jiwon probably just couldn't call him dad because he had such a good relationship with his dad, not because the stepdad is bad

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I think not calling his stepdad "Dad" had more to do with the fact it was his dad's memorial day. Names are tricky - like if you call your mother-in-law "Mum" because your husband does and because it makes your mother-in-law happy, but if you happen to be at an event with your ACTUAL mother you probably will avoid saying "Mum" to another woman because it feels weird.

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Lol. It's funny that Lee Sangwoo's real wife Kim Seo Yeon was in real WGM before and now her husband is going to be in 'fake' WGM. I was always wondering how the couples on WGM interacting behind the scenes, sometimes there were news that they are actually meeting like that secret dinner between Jinwoon and Go Junhee or those dinners and visiting each other filming locations between Kang Yewon and Oh Minsuk.
But now since Jiwon is totally pursuing Jinjin, and Jinjin is definitely fall in memory of her first love(or first boyfriend?) I'm curious as to how she can manage herself between her onscreen husband and her real life pursuer(?)
Because first, in my knowledge there are rules in WGM that they need to treat this marriage as real (hence the out of control scandal if there are couples that got caught with another male/female), and two Jinjin know Jiwon already had a wife so she's going to hold herself not to get too close to Jiwon.
But..but.. I want to see our lead together faster! And I really want them to resolve any past and misunderstandings right now!

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This is what Im feeling conflicted about the show right now. A part of me is excited to have some obstacles in their relationship. I didn't expect it to be very smooth sailing, but to have fake marriage with the lead's brother? Not to mention they both are celebrities, things will bound to get out of control. Sighss..

I was hoping to watch this drama with ease. Whom am I fooling? This is a drama!

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but they showed in precap.. he told jin jin to not spread rumours about his marriage.. saying he never got married

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I love the yellow sweater on Kim Jisuk! I love that this drama does not always show scenes how the characters "miss" meeting each other even though they are only like a metre away from each other. Jiwon saw Jin Jin in the cinema, like he did in HK and that it is inevitable for them to miss each other at home since they practically living in the same apartment building. I love this setup.

I'm sure it's gonna be complicated as it turns out that Anthony is Jiwon's stepbrother. I really didn't see that twist coming, I was half expecting that Jiwon's stepbrother is the lawyer. I hope Jin Jin finds out that Jiwon's not married in the next episode, I don't want it to be drag out anymore than it should be.

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I'm also confused. So is the Jiwon's mom pregnant with is Jiwon's dad's baby or Anthony's dad's?

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She's pregnant with Anthonys dad baby. Jiwons dad passed away when he was very young,

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oh yeah! omg. can't believe I forgot that. I was confused for a second.

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The minor details are what make the family relationships seem real.
When Min-ho got a look from Jin-jin and knew he had crossed a line, so he started to hiccup, was hilarious. Really, they do act like siblings. And then when Ji-won's sister complained about his favorite food being something she doesn't like, it reminded me of many similar arguments with my sister over the dinner table.

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There was something unexpectedly lovely in Ji-won's family awkwardness. They were so considerate of each other, yet at the same time it left so much things unsaid even after they spent almost 20 years as a family. It was especially palpable in their dinner scene, in which the little sister was the only one who has easy relationship with everyone. Though it's still heartening to see that Ji-won has an easy camaraderie with his brother. (Speaking of them being stepbrothers, I really hope the writer won't drag those two and Jin-jin's story to the usual love triangle path. There are many more interesting plot point they can milk out of them beside the cliche heroine-has-to-choose-between-two-brothers conflict.)

It was such a stark contrast to how comfortable Ji-won was with the Four Bongos even when they've lost all contacts for the past 17 years. I just felt really happy and relieved to see his wide, genuine smile and the 3 girls' enthusiastic response to his arrival. I can't wait to see those 4 resume their delightful friendship and find out more about their adorable teenage backstories.

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The awkwardness did not feel "natural" in some sense. JW's dad passed away when JW was 7. It appeared that JW's mum did not remarry until JW was 18. And JW is now 35 and by all accounts professionally successful. Unless we're missing some backstory, why would JW be awkward around his step father? I get that perhaps, as a young kid, you might be resentful of a new dad/family. But 18 is practically an adult and, at 35, you would think that he would have resolved any issues he had.

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and while cellphones were still a bit of a luxury for kids in 2000, at 18 it seems odd that he didn't keep in touch with his best friends at all. It makes sense if he were, say, 12 when they moved out? What kind of resentment or shame does JW have to act the way he did?

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I felt like he may never want to call someone else “Father”. I wonder if Ji Won visits his mother and his stepfather that much. He was out of the country for a while for his job. He seems to be the kind of person that has to travel often. In his old photos, it looked like he may have gone to school outside of the country too.

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i agree. it isn't that he resents the stepdad, just that he loves his dad so much that he doesn't want to call anyone else dad. Their family is fine, they love each other but probably can't communicate that in words or in hugs, etc.

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I get that he may not want to call anyone else "dad".... but he had 17 years to figure this out (they have the memorial service every year... so at least 17 dinners if nothing else). Wouldn't he have settled on "something" after 17 years? Which is why it makes the awkwardness unnatural. Is there a Korean word/term for "stepdad"? And in we also see that terms like dad/mum/brother/sister/uncle/aunt/grandma are not always literal in the Asian and Korean context.

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I interpreted the awkwardness being mostly cause of the fact that it was the Memorial Day for his fathers death. In one of the earlier episodes he talks on the phone and say as Abhouji I believe. So I think he was just awkward calling someone else father on the memorial service of his actual father. Some days you miss people more and relationships feel different. I thought it was quite natural for it to be awkward on that particular day.

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I did guess that "hyung" would be Anthony.... It was only obvious since in dramas most of the characters are interlinked.
And HOW did min ho jump from pink-black-pink hair so quickly??? Wig? Is that how kpop stars change hair color at the speed of light?! O.O

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Long time lurker, first time commenter -- because I just HAD to ask after this episode: does anyone else get the impression that Ah-reum and Young-shim don't know that Ji-won and Jin-jin were a thing back when they were teenagers? I'm not sure if the show is being deliberately vague about this, but I hope it's not the case, because them not knowing wouldn't fit with how close the three ladies are (and always have been)...

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I would believe if the two friends had no clue. Sometimes you don't tell your best friends everything. However I would not be to surprise to know that they actually knew and decided to keep it to themselves and wait for jin-jin to tell them personally.

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As you say, at the time, it may be realistic that JJ kept her budding relationship with JW discreet and a secret.

However, being the close friends they are, it is surprising AFTER 17 YEARS that JJ would not have told them "you know, I secretly dated JW many years ago".

This has been one of the weaker elements of this drama. Although the timelines are separated by 17 or more years, the characters act and emote like all of this happened yesterday.

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I kind of agree but also disagree because
remember that the girls made a promise and jin-jin at the end of the day broke it. Plus its a sweet secret between her and ji-won that she can cherish forever not everyone wants share their memory.

Also take into consideration that they were all teenagers and at the young age friendship breaks very easily for a boy that is why they made that promise.

To end I know things about my bestfriend that she hasn't told me, do i hold it against her no. At the end of the day she might just be embarrass or just doesn't want to share it with me. I still love her the same. I bet when where old and retired we will tell all our dark and sweet secrets to each other one day.

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In episode 1, it was mentioned that the girls’ friendship was almost broken over a boy. I think that Jin Jin and Ji Won had just started dating quietly. I’m a little surprised she didn’t gush about him to her friends, but then again, she knew they are already familiar with him. Maybe she assumed they only thought of him as a friend and classmate. Perhaps later on, she learned that Ah Reum or Young Shim liked Ji Won too. Or they found out about JJ+JW and this revelation caused a temporary rift in their friendship.

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I kinda had the feeling that Ji-won and Anthony will be somehow connected but the pieces didn't really add up so I kinda chose to ignore it. So I still got surprised and excited when it was revealed that they're stepbrothers haha. This is going to get juicy!

I'm on Team Ji-won of course but I can't help root a little for Anthony because that's a 20 year worth of fangirl fantasy for Jin-jin. You go, girl!

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The heartbreaking scenes of Ji Won and his father made me tear up. I teared up even more when I saw the Four Bongos dressed up for school during that day in August. I realized that they were fulfilling Ji Won's father's wish by setting up the whole photoshoot to create that special first school day moment.

The families in this drama are so nice to see. They support and care for each other. All the positivity warms my heart.

And whoa, I can't believe Anthony and Ji Won are step brothers!!! *shocked* I sorta wish they didn't have that close connection. At least they are kind to each other (right now). I'm uncertain about how extra the angst will be though.

About that dang co-pilot. I think he kissed Ji Hye when she was too drunk to resist. I feel like she doesn't have feelings for him, but we need to see her confirm it. She had seemed genuinely happy for Ah Reum when she had received the chocolates back then.

It was lovely seeing the Four Bongos finally reunited! I want more of them together!!

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Ok, I have two issues with this show. The first is that I find the pacing of the episodes to be really slow. Since we're dealing with four main characters here, I fear that the show might try to give each one some depth but one or two--I wonder who--might not get enough attention, especially putting Anthony into the mix. The second issue is that I really am not a fan of love triangles and this one looks like it could get especially messy.

On the other hand, I do love the family dynamic between and in the different families. I'm really happy that Ji-won's stepdad is a nice guy and I totally get how the two parents are showering attention on their non-biological kids.

Side note: I really liked that scene when the Four Bongos briefly reunited.

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Can I be honest? I'm kind of disappointed in this show. From the synopsis, it seemed like such a bubbly but it's kind of gloomy and seems to be heading towards mak-jang...:/

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That said! I am super interested in the lawyer friend's story and her relationship with her boss

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Of all the airing dramas right now, this is like my cup of hot tea -- it's not as addicting/exciting as hot choco or coffee (WYWS and Witch's Court) but something about the warmth and comfort it brings just makes me like it a whole lot. Plus, it's a relatively stress-free watch with a lot of heart and awesome girlfriends.

Also, I'm really looking forward to the WGM part -- I'm actually a fan of WGM and have faithfully followed and shipped couples there (Goguma couple, JaeRim and So Eun, Bbyu, Taeun, and Jonghyun and Seungyoon). It's quite a huge scandal when one of the parties in the fake marriage gets outed dating someone else in the course of their program (I remember Oh Yeon Seo and Kim So Eun's scandal). I hope it kinda gives an inside look on how WGM couples actually are -- if they're really scripted or if its just simply reality TV simulating marriage/relationships but allowing celebrities to develop feelings for each other. Hehe. To this day, I am convinced Ye Won and Min Seok have feelings for each other, also Jonghyun and Seungyeon and also Bbyu. LOL.

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I think it's weird how she's supposedly a top star but her CEO is getting excited about her getting cast in daily dramas. And he actually wants her to participate in WGM too? Lol. Is she really a top star?

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Her image took a hit after the scandal so she has gotten less offers. The statement she made that she hasn’t dated before also affected her casting in possible projects. Most of the scripts offered to her were about being single. Maybe some people think she doesn’t have the experience for big romance dramas.

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I don't think he was excited, though. He was meeting the director in hopes that the director had a good drama for Jinjin, but he paused after hearing the synopsis, and then feigned enthusiasm because 1) he probably doesn't want to offend the PD and 2) he's worried Jinjin won't get other projects, so he doesn't want to reject it outright.

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Thank you for your recap and comments, @LollyPip!

When I realized that Anthony is Ji-won's mysterious hyung, I was just as surprised as you -- and also tickled to bits. It's downright inspired. Instead of a garden-variety love triangle with regulation pissing match, I have a feeling that this polygon will play out differently.

Ji-won has been trying to introduce step-brother Chul-min to his biggest fan for a while now. The two seem to be very close, even if they don't spend much time together. In fact, Ji-won's whole stepfamily comes across as a group of lovely human beings. If both brothers run true to form, I don't foresee a lot of yelling and screaming. Besides, it wouldn't surprise me if Anthony and his manager are already on their way to being an item, based on his support for her mother.

Thanks to CEO Jang, it looks as if Jin-jin and her idol crush Anthony are being cast in a show that stands to rejuvenate both their careers. Here's hoping that Anthony's career gets enough of a reboot that he and Boys Be Ambitious simply have to do a reunion special, and if Terius can't be bothered, tough noogies. He may end up being embarrassed into doing a reunion when popular demand summons the legends back on stage.

I absolutely loved CEO Jang's machinations to have Jin-jin and Anthony meet at the Subway where she used to watch for him and Boys Be Ambitious. I don't care if it was PPL -- it was a wonderful return to the "scene of the crime." Well done, Show!

As for the family losses, these episodes truly were tearjerkers. Even the Japanese film LOVE LETTER echoes the loss of a parent, friends split up when a family has to move, the death of a friend, and unrequited love. Ji-won's father's slow demise was too sad for words, the one bright spot in it being his surviving to see Jiwon's first day of school. He reminded me of another loving and prematurely-deceased drama dad, Park Do-kyung's soundman father in OH HAE-YOUNG AGAIN.

I've gotten the distinct impression that Jin-jin's elder sister might actually be a twin who died. My impression is that she, too, had a lingering but fatal illness and was dying around the time that Ji-won and his mother moved. I'll bet a dollar to doughnuts that Ji-won's mother told him to say nothing to anyone because of all the stress Jin-jin's family was going through with her sister.

What I find odd is the notion that Ji-won didn't contact Jin-jin after the move. Was he packed off to America to go to school?

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I SAW ANTHONY BEING JI WONS BROTHER A MILE AGO(ok maybe not a mile,but since that first episode when he was moving back and his bro was preparing his apartment and they talked on the phone). Anyways the dad's storyline made me bawl. I was crying the whole time he was onscreen. Why do the sweetest people always have to go? What type of drama karma is it??
But now there's gonna be drama drama ooh

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there are lots of things in this drama that we don't get to see or hear! :D

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THIS IS SUCH A HEARTWARMING DRAMA! I totally did not expect to be crying so much in this episode 😭 That staged first day of school really ripped my heart to pieces. Give me dramas with characters having close-knit relationship with their families and I’ll surely stick around.

AND having Jin Jin fake-marry Anthony got me screaming my fan girl heart. I mean if that would be me in her shoes and Kang Ha Neul, I might have died on the spot HAHAHA (lol like that would happen to me). Also, Jin Jin’s line saying that nothing really ever happens to a real fan and his/her idol lol’ed me so much.

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I really like the rambling pace of this drama, although it's slower than most dramas of this format (i.e. non-daily dramas). It's really great at capturing realistic but nuanced relationships between the characters, like Jiwon still being uncomfortable with his stepfather but also seeing his stepfather's genuine concern for him (remembering that he likes tonkatsu).

But there's something I don't quite understand: I can see why Jiwon kept quiet about his mum's remarriage from his friends, because he wasn't able to come to terms with it himself (adding to that is probably how she got pregnant before marriage). But why did his mother cut off contact with Jinjin's parents, when they were clearly so close that they at least deserved to know she and Jiwon were all right?

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i think the answer lies in how jinjin's mom told the dad that jiwon's mom remarried. Jinjin's dad and jiwon's dad were really close, and mom said she knows dad thinks jiwon's mom betrayed his friend... so maybe she was really ashamed of being pregnant out of wedlock. although to be honest, it had been years since the dad died... i think that shouldn't be seen as a betrayal at that point lol

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The actress playing Ah Reum is a lovely woman. I haven’t seen her before. I like her cuteness and enthusiasm for life & love. I felt bad for her when she saw her crush with her coworker, but it was good that she got over it quickly. I really want to see her happy after her past unrequited loves.

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haha before i read any comment, i just want to say: I saw that coming the first time he mentioned his hyung. I think it was because he talked to him on the phone about hyung having a date, and then it cut to anthony and the female manager being all sweet.

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'Ji-won’s father had made it to Ji-won’s first day of school, and he and his parents had posed for a picture at the school gates. ' - 'Ji-won’s father had made it to Ji-won’s first day of school, and he and his parents had posed for a picture at the school gates. '
- i dont think it was actually jiwon's first day of school. His mum, other parents and their kids staged it for jiwon's father. If i recall correctly, the narrator said that usually school doesnt start in august, but under special circumstances they came to school as if it was a new school semester. I find it touching that they did that for jiwon and his family. His dad got to see him start school thanks to his wife and friends.

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I do love this drama very much. <3

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been excited for this drama since the news came out, worried a bit when MBC staff's strike news came out, and glad that the drama project still on and it's here for me to catch up. I wish I watch this when the drama already finish so I don't have to wait for another week for another episodes just like how i am trying to wait patiently for temperature of love, while you were sleeping, and because this life is our first to finish. but i guess i was playing with fire because tonight i just decide to try the first episode of this drama and then yup here i am at 8th episode (gosh it's only 4 hours into drama, 6 more waiting weeks to go).
don't think that i will get swooned by Kim Ji Seok since I just started rewatch Oh Hae Young Again but I AM. and I like Han Ye Sul. gahh I want to see more of these two and the gang.
and I think just like how I'm being a fan of some kpop idol, I know that it's different with partner in life and I guess Jinjin already know it and that's why she kinda decide to just being a fan and don't want to see him in a way "seeing" him as to have relationship with him.

also, when I watched the first 2 episodes I kinda feel the vibe of reply 1977 and after checking out the news for this drama, my guess is right, the writer is one of the writer for reply1977. kinda proud of myself here :))

last one, ha, i agree, i think the clock is broken.

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One scene no one's really talking about: the co-pilot kissing a clearly too-drunk-to-participate flight attendant. Yes, he brought her coffee. But she was not interacting with him, and he was nowhere near as drunk as she was.

I'll admit, I was expecting the jealous friend to step in there and take the girl home. I'm a little bothered that we look like we're skimming right over that entire interaction. She was not participating, she does not know him that well, she's drunk, and he's taking advantage of those circumstances.

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in my interpretation, it was a kiss scene between a lover, the flight attendant and the pilot like each other and kiss,
she felt bad, he comforts her, they get into the mood and kiss so it's not forcing someone to kiss situation,

the kiss is to represent that they are in a mutual relationship and jin-jin's friend is wrong at decipher the signal of the co-pilot, it's her junior that he is close with

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