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Answer Me 1994: Episode 3

Somebody gets married, somebody breaks up, and somebody falls in love for the first time. Strangely enough, that’s what happens in an episode about everyone’s relationship to their beepers, from what your greeting message says about you, to the life-altering things that get said over voicemail, and the agony of waiting for that page from the boy you like. Welcome to love in the digital age.

 
SONG OF THE DAY

015B – “신인류의 사랑 (A New Generation’s Love)” [ Download ]

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EPISODE 3: “A New Generation’s Love”

As always, today’s breakfast table looks like a feast and Mom happily refills plates, not noticing the glazed-over stuffed-pig faces from the boys. Everyone’s in good spirits because they’re headed on an MT (an overnight retreat where college students drink, play games, and date to their hearts’ content).

Haitai explains as much to Mom who’s never been on one because she didn’t go to college, and Dad who had to skip them because he was always playing baseball. Dad encourages the boys to meet nice girls, but Haitai says Seoul girls won’t give these country boys (pointing to Samcheonpo and Binggeure next to him) the time of day, as if that doesn’t include him.

Na-jung tells them in her gruff way to just nab those girls, and she and Dad get into a yelling match over how he warned her to use prettier language… all the while speaking exactly the way he wants her not to. Lol.

She very nearly swears, crying, “Aissh” in exasperation (*gasp*), which of course gets Dad’s blood boiling. She gets sent upstairs to drag Garbage oppa out of bed, and sits by his bedside for a moment, just staring.

Getting him out of bed requires a little more violence though, so she attacks and shirtless Garbage just throws his arms around her to hold her down. Na-jung chomps down on his arm to get free, and he finally gets up, crying in pain that he has a cramp in his arm now.

He whines at her to pull his thumb to straighten out his arm, and the second she pulls it, he farts. Pwahaha. She runs out of the room calling herself crazy for ever swooning at that disgusting thing, feeling very much cured of her bout of insanity now.

Mom and Dad realize that with all the kids out of the house they can have a date night, and they get all wink-wink nudge-nudge over their big night out.

The phone rings, and Na-jung’s mood turns from bad to worse when she has to deliver the phone to oppa because it’s his girlfriend calling first thing in the morning. As she hands the phone over she complains (loudly into the receiver) that Seoul girls are so rude.

Garbage shoos her away and turns on a dime, speaking comfortably in his Seoul accent and being downright smooth and pleasant on the phone, like a totally different person. He says he won’t stay at the MT for long and then hesitates when his girlfriend requests a show of affection.

He says he can’t do that stuff ’cause it’s childish, but then complies with a, “Jagi-ya, I love you! *kiss*” before hanging up. A moment later he calls out to Na-jung and turns around… to find her glowering right over his shoulder. Hahahaha. I knew that was coming and still it cracked me up.

She wonders what he could possibly see in that girl, and starts getting petty: “She got surgery for her eyelids!” Oppa: “I know.” Na-jung: “And her nose!” Oppa: “I know.”

Na-jung: “And her chest!” Oppa: “No, I touched them and they were definitely real.” LOL. Not the answer she was expecting. She freaks out and yanks his hair, calling him a pervert, and he swears it was a joke.

She finally calms down and he remembers why he called her here, because he needs help setting up his new beeper. She sighs that he’s the last person on earth to get one, and that he needs to keep up with the times to be a true Gen-Xer.

She asks if he wants to use a voice greeting or a song, and Garbage scoffs that of course it’s a song—who leaves voice recordings anymore? Cut to: Samcheonpo, leaving a voice greeting on his new pager.

Na-jung asks which song he wants to use, and sighs at his lame choices, deciding on 015B’s “A New Generation’s Love” for him. She lays out the plan: she cues up the greeting recorder, he presses play at the beep, and she puts phone to speaker. Oh man, this whole setup is bringing back so many memories.

They press play, and Garbage cries, “Oh, I know this song!” and Na-jung slaps the dummy upside the head, having to point out that he just said that into the recorder. Pfft. This is a complicated science, people!

Garbage promises to do it right this time, so they go again, this time staying quiet as mice. Suddenly someone’s voice comes closer, singing along to the song, and Samcheonpo appears at the door to call them downstairs.

Teehee. Garbage sighs in defeat that he’ll just leave a voice greeting.

2013. Everyone’s gathered at Na-jung’s house for the housewarming party, and suddenly Samcheonpo gets a text from Na-jung, who’s sitting on the next couch over. She’s sending him a heart from Anipang, and he marvels at her hip expressions of affection, you know, for a middle-aged woman.

The boys laugh at her epic obsession with winning every new game she comes across, and Yoon-jin says this time it’s Anipang, and she’s always facing off with the son/nephew/mystery boy. Na-jung complains (as she’s playing) that he never studies because of the stupid game, which basically makes her her father, doesn’t it?

Garbage and Binggeure head out for a smoke, and the other guys point out the hypocrisy of the chain-smoking doctor. The conversation turns to famous people from their hometowns, and Yoon-jin and Haitai are like walking encyclopedias of everyone’s birthplace.

Chilbongie (the only native Seoulite of the group) gapes, always having been amazed that country folk know where everyone else is from. The entire group turns to him defensively: “It’s not the country!”

We go back to 1994, where the kids are saying the exact same thing back then, busy defending their hometowns as cities to their Seoul classmates on their MT.

Haitai and another classmate get into this my-hometown-is-better battle, arguing back and forth over things like “My city has an airport!” and “Well my city has a mall!” Hers doesn’t, so Haitai wins, while the Seoulites laugh at their intensity over basically arguing the heights of acorns.

At home, Binggeure and Chilbongie are the only two kids around, and Dad fondles Chilbongie’s pitching arm with all sorts of advice on how he should treat it like a million-dollar limb because he’s destined for the major league.

Binggeure tells ajusshi not to pump his cousin’s ego too much, because he’s already so popular at school that it’s gone to his head, and girls are lined up to go on dates with him.

Dad gets ready to lecture him about dating, but Chilbongie swears he’s only got his eye on the prize, and won’t date till he’s in the majors. Dad seems pleased with that answer, like he’s already his coach.

The boys are headed out in the same direction as Mom and Dad, so they offer to give them a ride. Dad’s adorably busy swooning over how pretty Mom is, and Chilbongie asks if he really thinks she’s just as pretty as she always was. Dad guffaws at the dumb question, all, “Just look at her!” Aw.

Mom wonders why Binggeure didn’t go on his MT (he would’ve gone on the med student one with Garbage), but he says in his shy quiet way that he isn’t really into that drinking and partying stuff.

Chilbongie says his cousin is planning to change majors because medicine doesn’t seem to suit him, and Dad gets all huffy about throwing away the opportunity. Binggeure just hangs his head.

Dad’s excitement over his first drive on the big city highway starts to dwindle when he needs a bathroom, and Mom asks if the boys have time to make a pit stop. Chilbongie assures her politely that they do, even though it’s only now that he tells her that the family event they’re headed to is technically his mother’s wedding.

The air in the car turns awkward for a moment (clearly the boys avoided telling them until it was expressly asked), but the bigger concern is how to get off the highway, which for some reason seems to be impossibly difficult for Dad. He keeps missing every exit that Chilbongie points out, taking them further and further away.

Even still, Chilbongie remains good-natured about it and tries to guide hapless Dad off the highway. Sometime later Dad winces and then admits, “A little bit came out.” Ewww.

This whole car ride is intercut with Na-jung’s MT games, where one by one the other kids lose and drop off to sleep, until she’s the last one standing. They weren’t kidding about her competitive streak.

She heads out looking for Garbage who’s at the same campsite with the med students, and leaves a pager message asking him to call because she’s had a tummy ache since morning. She washes up for bed and waits and waits, but there’s no answer. He’s too busy playing games at his own MT to notice his pager going off, and Na-jung finally nods off to sleep with her pager by her pillow.

Dad finally stops the car to go looking for a bathroom, where he finds one locked door after another like a cruel joke. By now they’ve long missed the wedding, and Mom apologizes for the terrible timing. Chilbongie says it’s okay because he’s not really that close to his mom, and she probably didn’t even notice he wasn’t there. She didn’t even tell him she was getting married until a month ago.

Mom thinks that’s hogwash (that his mom isn’t worried) and hands him her phone card to go at least leave his mom a message: “Still, a mother is a mother!” He trudges out toward the payphone, and Binggeure explains that his aunt was never really very motherly.

Chilbongie dials his mother’s pager number for the first time, and smiles to be greeted with a song, saying to himself that she’s hip, as always. It leads to a voice greeting, where she thanks everyone for wishing her well on her big day, “And even though he’ll probably never hear this, to my precious son, Joon-ah, mom is sorry and loves you very much.”

It shocks him, and he leaves her a message that he’s sorry about missing the wedding, and jokes that he’ll make it to her next one. He apologizes for their recent fight, admitting that he felt like she was going away forever or being taken from him.

He goes on this tangent about craving her radish kimchi lately, and asks her to make him some, promising that he won’t share with dad. This whole one-sided message is so heartbreaking.

He says he thought about it, and he loves her very much, “And I don’t really mean it, but congratulations on your wedding.”

He hangs up, and then turns around to find Dad peeing in the phone booth next to him. Pffft. “That was beautiful, what you said!” Well that’s just awkward.

With everyone’s plans blown for the evening, Mom and Dad take the boys to dinner, where Mom refuses to let Dad order anything with soup for fear of repeating the bathroom debacle.

Na-jung wakes up at the crack of dawn and frowns to see that there’s still no answer from oppa. She goes out for a walk, and who should pull up next to her but Garbage. She’s still mad about her message going unanswered, but perks up when he explains he drank too much and lost his pager.

But when she asks where he’s going so early, his answer deflates her even worse than before: he’s headed out to meet his girlfriend for White Day (a version of Valentine’s Day) armed with a giant basket of sweets, and adds that he won’t be coming home tonight.

He asks her to tell Mom and Dad, and drives off even though she refuses to answer. He drives away, but then stops and runs back to her. He takes his jacket off and puts it on her, before pinching her cheeks and then running off again. Bah, oppa, stop doing swoony things!

Later that night Na-jung refuses to come out of her room, still unable to digest her food from the day before yesterday. She sits huddled in oppa’s jacket in a funk, when suddenly his voice echoes from downstairs.

She perks up right away to hear him tell Mom and Dad that his plans went south and he hasn’t eaten dinner, and she runs down like the wind to ask why he came home. He points at the basket of candy and tells her to keep it, and she beams.

He adds a nagging, “And brush your teeth after!” at which Na-jung grumbles, “What am I, a child?” Garbage mutters under his breath, “Of course you’re a child. What else would you be?”

She doesn’t hear it because she’s so busy running upstairs to check her hunch that he broke up with his girlfriend, and she calls his pager to listen to his messages. An angry one from the ex confirms it, and immediately she lets out a giant burp, her digestion troubles gone in a flash.

Na-jung: We’re Generation X. Of course now we’ve been replaced by a new generation, armed with smartphones and the internet. But at age twenty, we were the first consumers of a cutting edge civilization. We found love through PCs, confessed our hearts on beepers, and broke up over voicemail. We were the youngest new generation.

But then and now, the reason a new generation’s love makes a heart flutter or skip a beat isn’t pagers, smartphones, or any cutting edge trend. Youth must be clumsy and crude, and love must be innocent and old-fashioned. That’s the only requirement for my love at age twenty to be remembered as making my heart flutter and skip a beat. I am twenty, and starting a clumsy and old-fashioned love.

While Na-jung jumps up and down clutching her basket of ex-girlfriend goodies in her room, downstairs Mom explains to Dad that Garbage got dumped because his girlfriend showed up on their date with blonde hair. Dad assumes Garbage didn’t like it, but Mom explains it’s because he didn’t notice. Ha.

Garbage goes to bed and Na-jung pops her head in the door: “Oppa-ya. O~ppa. Goodnight.” She waves and smiles, suddenly all shy and sweet.

Na-jung (voiceover): “At age twenty, I’m experiencing my first love.”

 
COMMENTS

Aw, I sort of love that she falls in love first. I’m preparing myself for heartache—even if oppa ends up seeing her differently later, she’s bound for a world of hurt with her one-sided crush. But I love the first stirring of feelings for her, and that we experience every crushing blow when oppa makes a date with another girl, and every upswing every time he does something unbelievably sweet. I’m still sad that he’s not her real oppa, but it does make the bachelor-off much more interesting. How’s anyone going to compete with Best Oppa Ever, bearer of cookies and warm milk?

My favorite thing is that he gets to see a side of her that no one else sees, when she’s not swearing like a sailor or bellowing or biting, that is. She can be downright bashful, which is adorably earnest and worlds apart from the Na-jung who argues with Dad at the breakfast table or screams her way through basketball games. We have yet to actually see her AT college (I’m beginning to think she only goes to the basketball games and MTs) but I hope we’re going to open up the world a bit more. Having everyone connected to the boardinghouse makes it the natural center of the drama, but I’m ready to see the kids’ world broaden a little to include school and people outside the family, especially for Na-jung.

It was great to finally get some screen time for Chilbongie, who has the distinction of being the outsider among the outsiders for being, well, an insider. I enjoy that he’s the one who sticks out for being a Seoulite, which is a fun reversal. Even his way of life seems foreign to Mom and Dad, who are new to the idea of parents who divorce and remarry like modern folk. His conversation with Mom in the car struck such a great chord, with her refusing to believe his mother wouldn’t care and his fear that she might be wrong. That car scene made me wish he’d marry Na-jung, just so Mom would end up his mother-in-law. Is that wrong?

1994 isn’t a fast show by any means, and sometimes (okay, lots of times) there are endless stretches of jibber-jabber that are just there for color, and have nothing to do with anything. When they do get to the emotional punch though, it’s fantastic. I just always want to get there a little faster. Perhaps now that the romance train has finally left the station with our heroine’s burgeoning crush, we can get the boys onboard. Because we could really use some conflict around here. I mean, you have a house full of young single twentysomethings. Why are we not drowning in mixed signals and romantic hijinks crossed six ways to Sunday? Chop, chop.

 
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oppa yaaaa <3

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Sigh, still resisting until I have more time. But the first episode sounded so good!!

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Now I want her to end up with Chilbongie more than ever!!
Thank you for the review :-)

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Opppaaaayaaaaa! Sorry for repeating I just love et!

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The car scene really got to me too. I know I'm probably the only one atm, but I totally am on the chilbongie ship. I do like oppa a lot but I prefer to see them as an adorable pair of bickering siblings rather than a couple. But maybe I'll change my mind now that she's fallen for him.

Kinda loving the simplicity of this show, but I agree it needs to move a tad bit faster.

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I'm with you on Chilbongie's ship, let's sail together!! Hahah

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yay me too! Go Chilbongie :-D

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My intuition is telling me she'll end up with Chilbongie! There is no way writer is going down that yoonjae/shiwon road again, right? Right? I don't need to be convinced actually. She WILL end up with Chilbongie. *cover ears* I'm not listening to any single word you all say.

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TEAM CHILBONG ALL THE WAY!! (Although I really do like Oppa...)

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I love oppa-yaaa but I absolutely LOVE Chilbongie! He had me ever since the posters/teasers for the show were released.

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Keep the faith, Team Chilbong for the win!!! :D

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I wonder if the whole divorce issue is going to come up later for one of our mains since they were really highlighting it with Chilbong's mom. 1994 to the 2002 wedding is a pretty big time jump. I get nervous remembering there's still 17 eps to fill, when it kinda seemed they spent half this episode looking for a bathroom.

Thanks Ms. GF for the recap!

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P.S. So surprised when absent-minded Oppa actually remembered to change his pager password from 0-0-0-0 like Na-jung told him to. How much did I love that she guessed the new one right away. 1-1-1-1. Hah! She knows him well.

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That was priceless. I laughed so much with the 1-1-1-1.

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Great post! There are two of your points that I want to touch on, the first being how much I loved the 0000 to 1111 scene. It was such a small, almost throw away line (it didn't even get a mention in the recap), but I think it perfectly encapsulated their relationship and who the two characters are. He is an absent minded genius who has no EQ or common sense, but she is the one person that can bring him out of his head and into the real world. Even if he doesn't do it very well (seriously, I laughed so hard at him changing his password to 1111). She has a tough exterior, but is very caring and nurturing when it comes to Garbage. And the fact that he does what she says and she knows him so well just shows what they mean to each other. Loved it! Team Oppa!

The second thing you mentioned that I think will be important to the drama is the concept of divorce and who the kid is. I really can't see him being Na-jung's son, since we know her wedding is in 2002 (it's still possible, but less so in my opinion) I have a few theories about who he is:

1- He's Oppa's son from a previous marriage/relationship and he lives with his dad and step-mom, Na-jung.

2 - He's Na-jung's brother, born to her parents late in life, and lives with his sister and brother-in-law after his parents died. (Have we heard anything from Mom and Dad in 2013?)

3 - He's Chilbongie's half-brother (from his mom and step-dad) who lives with his brother and sister-in-law, Na-jung, for the same reason as #2.

4 - He's the son of the "second couple" and just has a close relationship with Na-jung.

Any other theories?

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Agree with you on their relationship. I love how oppa-ya and Na Jung balance each other out so well. She's more of the mature/tough person whereas oppa is like you said, absent minded, but when it comes down to it, oppa comes running to her protection and care whenever she's feeling vulnerable. Bonus points for the fact that he's only been the one to really see that side of her.
I'm rooting so hard for this relationship which i loove.

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Ooooh. #3 seems to make the most sense. Forever biting my fingernails. But then again ... I thought Eps 3+4 would be more Chilbongie based, but urgh Oppa-yah forever too nice, I can understand why she keeps on falling for him ;______;

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or Theory #5: He could be Na Jung's son with Oppa or Chilbongie. She got pregnant while she was still in college. The kid (played by Yook Sung Jae of BTOB) could very well play a 15 year old character 'cause he's still 18 in real life. :D

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I could see that as well, but if her wedding was in 2002, he must be from a previous relationship/marriage. Unlike in the West, where you can have a baby and not get married for years and years, I can't see Na Jung getting pregnant in the mid 90's in Korea and not getting married until 2002. And that kid is way too old to have been born in '03! :)

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Definitely a son. Taken out of a viki synopsis of answer me 1994
"Sung Na Jung (Go Ah Ra) isa polished woman living in modern-day Seoul with her husband and son. "

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agreeing with you that he's an absent-minded genius, but he's definitely not one with no EQ or common sense. coming back with snacks, getting out of the car and running towards her to throw the jacket around her shoulders, or towards his girlfriend: kissing the phone...i think he has shown plenty of gestures with gd amt of EQ

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No, I you are right. I was thinking about that yesterday while I was watching ep 4, and he is more clueless and absent minded than lacking common sense or EQ. And he is a very thoughtful person, especially towards Na Jung.

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omg!~i really into Trash!~ hope dat oppa and na jung wil end happily. :) but is'nt it too early to predict that to b true?hmm, i guess that wud b more twist after this

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The show needs to move a little faster but my favourite scene is still the part when na jung records the voice message song with garbage and samcheonpo sings along to the song, making up the lyrics for both of them to have breakfast. I find that scene so endearing and relatable, reminds me of the days where I'll record songs on the radio and accidentally sings along with it because I suddenly realized I was recording it halfway through the song.

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Such a fun episode, lol'd a lot and that's a good way to spend Friday nights! I actually like the pace. Now I want more Binggeure.

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/sighs
She is sure to end up with her oppa, isn't she?

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But he's her oppa! Perfect and sweet oppa never gets the girl. I wonder if I should still root for these two because I love him, but I don't want my heart to break either.

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The sure thing is
1. the amount of screen time the hero gets
2. the one our heroine bickers with.

Deep down, he's sweet oppa, but they fight like no other.
which leads me to believe he'll be the end game.

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agreed! Chilbongie doesn't really get much screen time. This is the writers making us fall in love with oppa so that later when she's together with him, people don't start hating the show, I think!

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Yes it maybe a bit talkie but it's fun talk after watching this one Heirs movement seems non-existent

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I love this drama but there are like five points in each episode I just sit there and go 'next scene please' and even after that it goes for another two. Best example would be the kids at the restaurant. And the driving around. But yeah when the emotional beats come, it's a kicker. Really do wish they'd stuck to the half hour episodes, but I know if they had I'd be wanting more anyway.

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I agree. Those two scenes you pointed out were exactly the ones i thought needed cutting down.
Each episode contains scenes that are longer and more dragged out than it needs to be. They need to film more scenes (anythingg) and while cutting down those dialogue over dialogue scenes. Im really enjoying this show, but it would be so much better had it kept 1997's original 30 minute per ep. format.

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Agree! The driving around scene was too long it's not even funny anymore... I love Sung Dong Il ahjusshi and his antics but that scene should have been cut down.

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I adore this drama way more than Heirs. I totally love oppa. He's the best for NJ. I know its kinda a long shot but please let NJ get together with oppa. In this episode he's sweet to her and is kinda ignorant of her as a woman. You know, calling her a child and all. But still, oppa is the best!

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This show is definitely the one that's got me right now. I did fast forward a little bit, because some parts do feel too long, but I was also super impatient yesterday! ;) Also, with all the wink-wink-nudge-nudge between the parents, I'm more and more convinced that the young kid in the present is a late born sibling. I also could be wrong, and the minor misdirects in the future totally get me, because I just don't know FOR SURE (and I'm a really indecisive person, heh). Anyway, still on Team Oppa endgame, but will enjoy the long journey we'd take to get there, if we do! And if not, the writers will probably sell the actual endgame well enough that I'll be appeased.

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Ah yes! I also think that mysterious boy is Na Jung's late born brother..

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I still feel that some of the scenes should be shorter... that they loos their strength, because they are too long. And the pissing scene in the telephone boot I just found gross.

Don't get me wrong, I still like the show... but there is like a missing beat to make me really fall in love with it. A beat "Answer Me 1997" had. More depth? Better interactions between the characters? (I mean all characters.) Better individual stories and first loves? Better tensions... and better humour?
Well, perhaps it is just too early. I like the nostalgia and the setup... and I love Oppa :--)
But I want more from it than what the show currently gives.

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You've articulated all that I feel about this drama! It just feels like 1994 is the unpolished precursor of 1997. The regression is a dismaying one!

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I love this show for its slow pace, for its lack of conflict, for the meaningless banter, for the yelling match at the breakfast table, for the old songs, for the faux-brother-sister closeness, for the country-bumpkins in the big city, for its young ppl coming of age, facing college away from home, facing the whole wide world and all the possibilities it offers, for their clumsy dating, and even clumsier falling in love.

Once in a while, it is so wonderful to have a show that takes its time, that isn't driven by conflict, is just smooth and soothing, like port after dinner on a chilly night.
I love it to bits. I wish there were more like it.

Heirs is my crack drama. So thankful to have this to make the stretch from Fri to the following Wed go faster.

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It's the kind of drama that makes me enjoy every interaction...and though it doesn't have much plot (More like a slice of life..prolonged version), but I thoroughly enjoy it. I'm so torn between oppa and baseball guy (forgot the name already). I'm with gf when she said I want her to end up w/ baseball guy just so he'll have mom as his MIL. But oppa and Go Ara character, it reminds me so much of my interaction with my pseudo brother when we were young. And as we've matured and have families of our own, we realize we can't be like that anymore, since we're not exactly related.

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I agree with you two. I love the fact that this show takes its time and isn't a whirlwind of scenes right after another. It gives me the feeling of looking back at memories and reliving them through someone else's life. You always remember those little moments where you start singing along to the voice recording or that one car trip where someone didn't go to the bathroom beforehand and you have to make an emergency stop at a restaurant. I like the laid back feeling this show gives me. Even though it's slower than the other dramas I'm watching, I get the most excited when Friday rolls around. :)

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agreed... for the first time i love a drama for it's slow pace... actually it's not that slow since i enjoy every interaction... so it doesn't feel slow at all...
i don't want it to be in hurry or many things is revealed at a time...
and this the pace exactly good for me who watched it on-going because if it's just short ep like 1997, i probably be rolling around in my room frustrated for new episode which i'll get next week...
this drama is perfect in it's on way..
totally love it...

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WOW, same. I have no idea what people are talking about, "slow pace"? I think it's even more meaningful to understand Korean and the dialects. It's hilarious--all the banter is just so funny! sigh.
I am not complaining about the "jibber jabber". People who want a faster drama? just read the re-caps. I, for one, am going to watch the whole freaking 1994-throwback drama and LOVE ETTT

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Loving Go Ara in this!

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It's 20 episodes this time instead of 16 so I get why it's moving so slow, still, I can't stand this pace.

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Loving every minute of this drama. Still on team Oppa but gotta admit Chilbong is cute.

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I enjoy the slow and deliberate pacing of the show, the long bits between and building to conflict feels more like slice of life than the usual camp dramas. And I do like me some slice of life.

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I really love jung woo in this role, with those little mannerisms of swiping his fingers and repeating pet phrases that shows his personality
And for some reason at the moment when na jung was bouncing on her bed feeling gleeful aft finding out abt the breakup she looked really like the inimitable faye wong in chungking express, esp with the shalala music at the background

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So slowwwww. I'm giving it one more episode before putting 1994 in the past.

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Watched the promo for Episode 4 and can't wait for the episode itself and the recap. Finally some interaction between our heroine and Chilbongie, hihi, can't wait...

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Chilbongie! Can't believe he played such an a** in Werewolf Boy, he's waay too sweet here! But still team oppa all the way, I do love me some pretty but average looks + winning personality always gets me, plus I totally didn't expect those pecs from oppa!

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You need to Google the actor who plays Oppa. There are some shirtless photos of him floating around the internet that will make your jaw drop. Just saying...

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thank you for the recap!

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Dude all this time I thought they were related! I was totally weirded out before I realized they weren't but when the hell was that said? Confused, man.

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It was revealed at the end of episode 2.

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I'm impressed by the older actors, Jung Woo (Oppa / Trash) and Kim Sung Kyun (Samcheonpo). They are amazing in their roles especially Sung Kyung who plays the naive country bumpkin.Gosh, he's was in The Neighbor and Nameless Gangster movies and he's totally believable in his characters. Just love their scenes!

Trash is Na Jung's first love. Rule of Kdramas: second leads and first love never gets the main heroine; therefore Chilbongie will probably romance and marry Na Jung later.

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What if Garbage is her first love but chilbongie her last?

/sobs

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What I like about this show compared to 1997 is that there's actually a mystery about who NJ will end up with. So many of us are conflicted about Chilbongie and Oppa and which one she'll end up with.

In 1997, I'm pretty sure 99.99% of us wanted Shi Won to end up with Yoon Jae and were 99% sure it would happen halfway through the series. The older brother wasn't even in the running.

But with 1994, there's real nail-biting going on and moving back and forth between the two ships, so it makes it more fun.

I don't mind the slowness because I like how it's developing so far. If it's this slow by the 10th episode, then it might be an issue. For now, I love it! :D

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:) I love it too~

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I am not really the first love sucker like most of my friends. I believe that people grow and meet the people they are meant to meet and live with. But... I REALLY wanted Garbage to be the future husband. It feels right if he is considering he understands her best. Her worse, her best, her pain and her happiness, he have seen it all. He had know her for all his life and it just feel like it should happen. I do like Chil Bong, it'd be nice if he is the future husband, considering he is a nice guy with a sweet personality, but, yeah... I dunno... I just wanted to root for Garbage only to see the endless cute fights ^^

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why why why
I don't know for WHAT reason but I am rooting for Baro's character Binggeure. I must be crazy. Trash and Chilbongie seem to have a lot more possibility but. But.... The way he lifted the coffee and stood right in middle in the second episode at the end...
It's suspicious how there's zero progress so far, Chilbongie too which is why he's my second, and... I must be a real creeper but *coughs* in the living room in 2013 *coughs* all the guys wore dark checkered house slippers*cough* but Binggeure's were white*coughcough* with a red heart on them*coughs* and when she shouted in exasperation everyone kept staring at her while he took a look and turned back to the tv screen-
.....

/why am I such a creep what is wrong with me

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There are SO many little details and misdirects, that the viewer can look for hints for ANYONE to be her husband! It's pretty great! I love the little things like that!

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Thanks for the recap...so fast and reminded me to run to viki to watch today.

There are NO bad choices for our girl, so I have relaxed my stance about hating the Mystery of the Husband device.
I want it to be Oppa, of course, but now am willing to accept an end where it isn't,

Not that it makes me happy, but, I will trust the writers to convince me her choice is the right choice.I figure if there is a reason for her NOT to pick Oppa, that is a good thing, right?

That means one of those boys actually treated her better?

But which one?
I can't see how baby-faced Baro ends up being the One, but I liked how sensitive he was to his cousin's feelings about Mom remarrying in the car. He's quiet, but you have to watch out for those quiet ones. They are the best at sneaking up on you.

I am totally neutral to CH, but mostly because the show hasn't given me much to go on.
The pace could be faster, let's hope the writers are listening and pick it up a tad.

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Not CH but CB.

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I kinda miss Oppas relationship relationship with NJ being an actual Oppa. He's still amazing but the relationship lost some of its magic from the first episode when we found out the truth.

I'm still loving this show though. It helps that I'm totally ok with her ending up with any of the boys.

Oppa for obvious reasons.

Chilbongie because he's just so sad and tragic and NJ and her family will make him happy and he deserves it.

Haitai because he takes good care of her. Not on the same level as Oppa, but I've noticed him still caring for her. I feel like he might be ending up with Yoo-jin though which I'm all for.

Binggeure is just adorable and NJ could bring him out of his shell. He's also the one who would have the surprise element at this point. It would be a nice twist.

Samcheonpo....well I dont see it happening but if it did it would another twist that I would totally be on board with.

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I couldn't help but notice Jung Woo debuted in 2001 at age 20 with the movie Running 7 dogs and since then racked up a long list of playing minor roles. His only lead role was with the indie movie Wish and since then has been playing minor roles up until answer me 1994.
Wow. This guy. An underdog. I feel bad someone that's been in the business for that long and as talented as him has sort of been overlooked.
It's amazing how long people can be in the acting business but never get a break until years down the line whereas some get lucky with a hit project and they're offered several projects. Fighting Jung Woo!
I'm sure he'll get more fans after 1994.

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"His only lead role was with the indie movie Wish"

And he was a screen writter for it!! Well according to this
http://asianwiki.com/Jung_Woo

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*writer

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He was. It was based off of his life story, I think. He talked about it on Happy Together with the YTBLSS cast. He was so humble and grateful to the director and stuff. He's a pretty awesome guy!

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What?? Based on his life? That settles it, he's my favorite actor of the year!! =p

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He should've gotten a lot of exposure from You're the Best, Lee Soon Shin, too, since he was the best character in the drama.

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Isn't it pretty much obvious that her future husband is Garbage? Why would it be ChilBong? Imagine if her future husband is Chilbong and in the last episode,Other leave.Then what? With Garbage,you will see their never ending bickering to the end,The kind the writer loves and can end the show with it.It's 99% Garbage,the future husband and him and only him.No way ChilBong is the future husband. The writer doesn't intend on building up other characters as much as Garbage and doesn't want them to reach to Garbage level.Garbage is the lead character in here and he always gets the girl at the end.I'm going to even bet my money on it.It's just too obvious.The writer is a big sucker to First Love and here it's still the same.I suspect there will be a divorce in there and Garbage might have married someone else but He is the end game in here.ChilBong is just too weak of a character to live up to the title of lead male in here.He doesn't even have as big of impact on the show as Haiti and other boys in that house.If not for the actor,Chilbong would be the last possible choice in here.He is just too nice,too sweet to be Na Jung's husband and no way male lead material.

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I'd like to agree, but this thing is 20 episodes. There's still a loooooot of time to flesh out the characters.

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I'm hanging on to all your theories and am hoping that she will end up with oppa. The two are adorable. I can totally relate. Go ara and Jung woo are totally comfortable with each other, right, I mean look at the load of skinship even though its not in the romantic sense. I'd totally give into watching the two end up together. Yeah, Chilbongie is cute, but he's way nicer and doesn't have the chemistry the bickering not-siblings have. And I can't picture Na Jeung falling for Chilbongie because with the Best! Oppa! Ever! how can she? I totally hope oppa and na jeung as endgame. . . .*crosses fingers*

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I've been wondering this for a while. Is Korea the only technologically advanced country that still has pay phones, or do the prop crews make them?

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When I was in Seoul I did saw a couple payphones. Not sure if they worked though.

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don't tell me Na Jung is a genius too. 20 episodes are way more than necessary, and does not help me to be productive at all

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I'm not sure if it's because this season is not as tight as the previous. But this season definitely lacks the amazing variety-esque comic timing of the first season.

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Thanks for the recap!

I ship Haitai with ... myself. Most likely because his face reminds me of a guy I dated right after college. He was a gentleman and had a great sense of humor. Stupid me, I was too young to have valued him for the gem he was ~ shoulda' snatched that version of HaiTai up and kept him.
(my bad)

The show's version (imho) has no chance in the game, but I really like his interaction with Samcheonpo -- it's a great bromance. Bumpkin & bumkin-er and their basket of 40 biscuits ~❤

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Team oppa all the way :D
This show just know how to hit the right emotional spots :)
First love with an adorkable oppa, yummy!

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I almost would like NJ to get married once to one of our options and then divorced (then the kid is hers) and then be on her second marriage with another one of our options. Having built back up a good relationship with her first husband in the intervening years. It would be a kinda progressive move for a typical kdrama, but might be nice.

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That's what I'm thinking!! Cuz, again, with Reply "series" we expect some twist. and after watching episode 4....the game of "who is the (current) husband?" begins...LOL.

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Reading this spoiler is killing me. But I'm in team oppa. After read all the comments it made me realised that it similar to My Little Bride movie. The bickering btwn MGY and KRW

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I enjoyed this episode so much because we finally get some real Chilbongie scenes and Na-jung's crush on Garbage came to the fore. I love Garbage (when I say those words, it sounds weird) and I hope they get married. I hope so, so badly because I really want Jung Woo to be the male lead. He was fantastic in YTBLSS, so I hope he's our leading man.

Thanks for the recap, Girlfriday!

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Thanks for the reeccaappppss.

Why oh why do I have a hunch that the divorce issue will come out again on later episodes? I feel like perhaps Na Jeong marries Garbage then got a divorce but still in good terms then marries ChilBong?

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Everytime he says "mmo mmo mmo" (ie what what what) to Na Jung, I fall a little bit more in love with Garbage...

What is this show doing to me!

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@porcelain- I agree whole heartedly with you. Oh oppa, what are you doing to us? @girlfriday- Please post epi 4 as well. I'm desperate. . . Pleeasuh!

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me too, every couple of hours I look if girlfriday already posted ep 4!

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I actually loved how slow the show goes. The only time that I ever caught myself thinking that it's slow was in Ep 1, I think, back when they were watching 'The Last Game'.

Maybe it's because I'm watching this show for the nostalgia of the 90s, not the romance? That being said, Oppa-ya is making me swoon along with Najung. I want him for myself. =P

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You are going to keep recpping the series, right? I love eungdabhara <333

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Just when I think the episode is over, I check the time to find I'm only halfway there. I love all the insignificant moments, though. I probably laugh more than any other time.

I also think mystery boy is Na Jung's brother.

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love love love this show. I didn't watch the Answer Me 1997 until much later (after rave reviews from a friend)..but after watching that, i was hooked.

I don't mind that Answer Me 1994 repeats many of the same plot techniques as its predecessor, it is comfortable and familiar. like how i'd recognise and feel a sense of connection with the nostalgic pagers, floppy A drives and watnots of the early 90s.

and i like that it's a twist that the heroine falls in love first this time, unlike 1997's heroine...she has a more sensitive side even though she is juz as brash

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