Answer Me 1994: Episode 17
by javabeans
Big things are in store for many of our characters, and a few mysteries are answered for us (though not, of course, the main one. Goodness knows we couldn’t have that). It’s a rewarding hour for those of us who’ve been waiting for concrete movement on multiple fronts, and the payoff is both sweet and a little melancholy, which is pretty much what this series does best.
SONG OF THE DAY
Jung-woo, Yoo Yeon-seok, Sohn Ho-joon – “Feeling Only You” [ Download ]
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EPISODE 17: “Love, Fear Part 2: Answer Me 1997”
In 2013, Haitai wonders where Binggeure went, to which Yoon-jin asks, “Can’t you guess?” Haitai can but we can’t, since we’re being kept in the dark. Thanks for that, drama.
Back to May of 1997, where post-bus-accident Garbage now has his arm in a sling and his neck in a brace. That’s what you get for messing with fangirls, dude. He assures Na-jung over the phone that he’s totally fine, and his friend Min-jung raises an eyebrow at the obvious lie. He makes sure that Na-jung is coming down tomorrow for her birthday, and it’s sweet how much he clearly wants to see her, busy schedule and practicality be damned. The next day he sleeps in the break room sitting up, afraid he’ll oversleep if he lies down.
Na-jung arrives at the hospital, and for a moment they both light up to see each other. Garbage hurries to her with arms outstretched for a hug, but Na-jung registers his injuries and starts in on the worried scolding. He’s all, I’m not even that hurt, and Na-jung screams (while hitting his cast, ha), “You call this not hurt?!”
Na-jung asks about her birthday present, and Garbage puffs up proudly to assure her that he bought it ages ago. She warns that if he bought “something strange like last year,” he’s dead and they’re over. Garbage tugs nervously at his collar…
In a flashback to 1996, Garbage leads Na-jung to her room, building up the suspense while promising her the thing she wanted most. She’s about to burst out of her skin, saying that it might be too small to see as she rubs her ring finger in excitement (uh-oh… is she thinking a diamond?). Garbage scoffs, saying there’s no way he’d buy a small one, and then, TADA!
He opens the door giggling in glee… she bursts in shaking in excitement… and then she sees the gym equipment standing there with a big bow around it. OH, OPPA, you didn’t.
Okay, it’s for her back exercises and not a hint to, say, lose weight or anything. But still! One can see exactly why she’s so skeptical this year. It’s hilarious the way that Garbage registers Na-jung’s less-than-enthused reaction and knows something went wrong, but he can’t quite figure out what. His voice trails off as he asks, “Was this… not it? Did you want something else…?”
She blows her top and looks at him through angry tears. A suspicion dawns on him, and he asks if she wanted the more expensive exerciser, lol.
Back to 1997, where he asks how she can threaten a breakup so easily. He says he gets nervous if a day goes by without her calling, knowing he’s going to get even busier and worrying that she might really dump him. She says he’s worrying for nothing, and he starts to ask something in a serious tone… but then decides against it.
Samcheonpo he tries again to wheedle Yoon-jin into meeting his old school buddies, which gets a flat rejection. He slumps in his seat and wonders if she doesn’t like him much. Yoon-jin doesn’t see why he should connect those two things and says, “I like you a ton, you know.” Which, aw.
She gentles her tone and explains that she’s terrible at these forced social niceties, feeding him coffee to soften the blow. He grudgingly lets go of some of his crankiness.
Then as they’re paying, his dorky hometown sunbaes drop in coincidentally and Samcheonpo proudly introduces his girlfriend… who is nowhere to be seen. Hee.
Na-jung and Garbage go to his apartment for her birthday dinner, and she glares at the mess—it’s nowhere near as bad as the last time, but let’s face it, that’s a pretty low bar we’re talking about. Garbage gets simultaneously nervous and defensive, and lands on the one thing keeping her from blowing her lid: “I’m hungry, can’t we eat? [aegyo whine]”
So Na-jung cooks and sets the table, but before they can eat a bite, he gets paged by the hospital and has to dash. She urges him to go quickly and not to worry, and he promises to get back in time to light the candles of her cake. As he leaves, he pelts her with kisses.
Garbage goes about his rounds efficiently, but gets held back with more and more work. Na-jung waits at the table long into the night, falling asleep by her cake. It isn’t until early morning that Garbage finally gets off duty, and he races home.
By the time he gets there, though, all he finds is an empty (and freshly cleaned) home, with the birthday cake still sitting there unlit.
Binggeure gets another voicemail from the Die-Die sunbae (named Jin-yi), in which she nervously says she hopes he didn’t show up last time because she couldn’t make it. It’s one of those embarrassingly nervous messages where she rattles on, and right after she says goodbye the recording catches her muttering to herself, “Ack, my heart is pounding.” Cute.
Yoon-jin still has ruffled feathers to smooth over, since Samcheonpo is still annoyed that she ditched him at the cafe (she panicked out of nerves, she says). But she drags him along to partake of a cool new trend—sticker pictures, haha. (He sticks a photo onto her wallet, only to get yelled at for it.)
Garbage gets a voicemail from his mother, whom he’d promised to pick up at the terminal for her physical and has forgotten to meet. He’s in a bind because he’s got a patient to attend to, so Min-jung offers to pick his mother up for him. Uh-oh. She makes me nervous; does she have designs on Oppa or not?
Garbage’s reaction suggests he’s aware of some strangeness going on, and he asks Min-jung plainly why she’d meet his mother. Instead, he foists off his rounds on his (male) friend and heads out. Phew for Oppa drawing lines.
Turns out he doesn’t need to do that, because his mother pulls up in a taxi, accompanied by Na-jung. Mom had called Na-jung’s pager just in case, and is thankful that she came to pick her up. Garbage gapes the whole time, having thought she’d left.
They have an hour to wait while Mom undergoes her exam, so Na-jung tells Garbage to take a nap. He suggests they both take a nap together, which is a prospect that makes her a little nervous. Not that she dislikes the idea, since once he cuddles with her she breaks into a giddy smile.
Binggeure gets another call from Jin-yi sunbae, and she starts off with more nervous chitchat before inviting him to her study group, which she says is really coveted. She makes a slip of the tongue when she orders him to be there, saying, “You’d better not be like last time when I waited two hours—er, would have waited for two hours!” Aw, so she told him she skipped it so he wouldn’t feel bad?
You can see that Binggeure doesn’t quite know what to do with all this, though he isn’t necessarily indifferent. And on second thought, this time he reaches for the phone to make a call.
Na-jung jerks awake and finds that she’s slept the day away. Oppa guesses that Na-jung barely got any sleep last night waiting up for him and apologizes for not spending her birthday with her. She’s not very upset and says it’s understandable, but he has his serious face on as he kneels to look her in the eye and says this could happen again, no matter how he tries to avoid it.
She laughs, “I know, it’s okay.” Garbage replies, “It’s not okay to me.” He gets really serious and takes a deep breath, and takes something out of his pocket. Then he gets up, and then kneels down again, only this time it’s on one knee. Omg. Is this what I think it is?
Na-jung looks half-terrified waiting for the ball to drop. Garbage asks, “Jungie… will you marry me?” He opens the box and shows her the ring. “Please marry me,” he asks.
Na-jung breaks into a big wet smile and throws her arms around his neck. And then they seal the deal with kisses.
That night, Garbage gets a surprise visitor in front of the hospital: Binggeure, who is for once pretty forward about asking for dinner and for more food. He’s usually so shy and passive with Garbage, but he’s clearly got Things On His Mind today. And when he gets to the point, he says that Garbage no longer has to buy him meals after today—in the future he’d like to be treated to just drinks. Puppy’s growing up.
The song scoring the moment is Kim Dong-ryul’s “Truth in Wine,” and after a long moment, Binggeure says, “Sunbae-nim, because I have you, I’m happy.” Then for the first time ever, he calls him hyung. Omo. More than anything, that simple “hyung” brings a tear to my eye.
His narration says, “Now, this blank space that I’d left empty for a long time… I will fill with the answer to my confusing love.”
Next thing we know, Binggeure’s out for drinks with Jin-yi’s study group, playing a game of Spin the Truth Bottle. When she’s in the hot seat, they ask why she invited Binggeure—does she like him? She drinks to avoid answering, and Binggeure smiles to himself.
Binggeure gets the next question, a yes or no: “I came here not to study but because of Jin-yi sunbae, yes or no?” He answers yes, and Jin-yi gets giddy.
He walks her home that night, and when he doesn’t make any kind of move, she asks for a handshake. He looks at her in his pensive way, thinking:
Binggeure: “1997, age 23. I wanted to confirm whether this heart-pounding feeling, or this person who kept weighing on my mind, was out of simple curiosity for the first person to approach me from the opposite sex. Or whether it was that thing called love that other people keep talking about.”
Binggeure says aloud, “Confirmation.” Then he moves in to kiss her.
We come back to the curbside scene in 2013, with Binggeure standing by as a red car zooms past—ha, total fakeout. Are we surprised? It’s the next car that brings a smile to his face, and Jin-yi pulls up to say she just wanted to see hubby’s face on her way to the hospital. She drops off a cake for the party, then asks for a kiss. Like a good husband, he complies.
Ah, and we finally hear his name, Kim Dong-joon. Not that he was ever seriously in the running, but I suppose we can officially strike him from the list now.
Back in 1997, Samcheonpo and Yoon-jin make another visit to the army. Haitai’s on his final 100-day countdown, eager to get back to the outside world, convinced that he’s kept current on trends to fit right in… though his clipped army speech will need work easing out of.
Mom and Dad watch a commercial of that one-way cell phone they invested in, positive they’ll be rolling in the money soon. Na-jung tells Garbage about it, and he thinks those phones sound cool… until he hears that you can only make the calls in range of a phone booth. “Then why don’t you just use the phone booth? Why would you use that phone?… How much did you say he invested?” Gulp.
Mom asks after Haitai, and Samcheonpo chuckles that it’ll take him a long time to get rid of his army mannerisms. But then Samcheonpo’s father calls with bad news: Samcheonpo’s draft papers just arrived. He’s being enlisted in a month.
He locks himself in his room in shock, and Yoon-jin beats on his door assuring him that she’ll visit every day. But that’s not comforting enough, and Binggeure notes that Samcheonpo was already worried about Yoon-jin getting tired of him. With him off in army, who knows how her feelings might cool.
Na-jung chats with Garbage over the phone and starts in on him for not eating a proper breakfast. Halfway through her tirade, though, he goes silent, and we see that on the other end of the line his attention has been diverted by the TV. He and his buddies look on as Chilbongie is interviewed on Japanese TV, which is a nice reminder that Chilbongie still exists in this world. Not that I’m bitter. (Much.)
Chilbongie interviews in fluent Japanese, and is asked about a girlfriend. He doesn’t have one, but admits that he does have somebody he likes, though he declines to give details. It puts Garbage into a funk.
Binggeure: “If you have nothing to lose, you have nothing to fear. The deeper love grows, and the more you don’t want to lose it, the more your fear grows. Love feeds on fear.”
In the early hours of the morning, Yoon-jin sneaks into Samcheonpo’s room and wakes him. He resists until she says they’re going on that trip she’d refused before, and then he bolts up immediately and half-sleepily stumbles around getting ready as fast as he can. Lol, boys.
Binggeure: “But what overcomes that love-fueled fear is love itself.”
2013. Na-jung and her father head upstairs to deal with the noisy neighbors… and who should open the door but Sung Shi-won (Jung Eun-ji). Omo, more 1997 crossovers?
Shi-won politely apologizes for the noise, and the ladies bond over being from neighboring cities in the south. Shi-won invites them in for coffee (and is briefly startled at Dad’s familiar face, pwahaha), then roars for her husband to come out and say hi. She lets out a string of swears under her breath, and Dad mutters that she has a temper to match Na-jung’s.
So Yoon-jae (Seo In-gook again) comes out, and he recognizes Dad as a famous coach, saying that he heard a lot about him from his father-in-law, pfffft. (Who, just to make the joke clear, is also Sung Dong-il in 1997′s alternaverse.)
Yoon-jae calls his father-in-law out to say hi, and ’97 Dad comes out grumbling to greet ’94 Dad. To make it even stranger, the two Dong-ils recognize each other as former teammates and distant cousins (well, there’s only one Sung clan, so all Sungs are considered very very distant relations at some point).
The two Dong-ils trade stories of their well-married daughters, and all we get from this exchange is that Na-jung’s husband is rather famous and he’s heading up to join them in a minute. Husband rings the bell moments later, and Shi-won opens the door, only to recognize him. “Wait… are you…?”
And we fade out, because of course we don’t get to see him.
We jump back to 1997, before the proposal, with Garbage shopping for rings. He picks the gaudiest, ugliest ring of the set, but thankfully someone with better taste speaks up to veto the choice. It’s Shi-won in her high school uniform, and she steers him in the direction of the simple diamond solitaire.
Things are all fun and cheer until Garbage asks for the radio to be turned down (H.O.T’s “Candy” is playing, uh-oh), and Shi-won immediately argues for it to be turned up. Tempers flare and he recognizes her from the bus, and Shi-won goes running. Let’s consider that a boon—Garbage can’t afford another broken arm.
Na-jung begins tutoring the troublemaker student she has just taken on, and now we see that it’s Eun Ji-won! (Er, Hak-chan.) I hadn’t even realized till now how bummed I was at not getting a full cameo set, and now that we have it, I can rest easy.
Na-jung isn’t having any luck ordering him to join her at the desk, mostly ’cause he’s so uncomfortable around her. I’d totally forgotten how hilariously awkward Hak-chan got around girls, but this is a pretty great reminder. Na-jung interprets this as rebelliousness and bellows at him to study, chasing him around and hitting him with pillows.
COMMENTS
You know, I’ve totally accepted that Garbage is the husband and Chilbongie is no longer in the running, and my emotional investment in the husband question is pretty low (at this point it’s everything other than the mystery that keeps me interested), but I’m still super annoyed at how they’ve just dropped him off the map. Haitai too, whose trip to army I thought would be fodder for some poignant character moments. But I feel like Haitai and Chilbongie have been eliminated from the husband question and have been unceremoniously dropped from the drama as a result—whether or not that was the intention—and that just highlights how little story there was in the first place.
I don’t like any drama that treats characters as mere plot devices, and despite the fact that Chilbongie was played with warmth and sweetness, it’s only too clear now that he wasn’t really given much depth as a character on his own. That makes me seriously sad, because I absolutely loved him. I still do, in fact, but I feel like he’s become an afterthought. That’s why as much as I awwed over the progression of Na-jung and Oppa’s romance in this episode (the proposal was a lovely bit of acting on her part especially), I can’t shake my dissatisfaction over the mishandling of the whole love triangle aspect.
I don’t think the crux of the dissatisfaction on Team Chilbongie was because supporters felt Chilbongie was a better person than Garbage, or “deserved” love more, or was better hero material. Honestly, I think it’s a simple matter of the drama literally setting Chilbongie up to be the love interest, and making him the primary contender for ten episodes. So when you suddenly take that away from him (and from us), of course we’re going to feel cheated. I will argue that this was done strictly to preserve the mystery, which makes it a fault of the production for serving its gimmick more than its characters. It has nothing to do with which character is the better man, and everything to do with the fact that the writing bait-and-switched us, and I think we have the right to feel unhappy about it.
Binggeure’s slow development, on the other hand, feels more like a planned arc. I suppose our confusion over his feelings wasn’t too far from the mark, since he himself was just as confused. At first when Jin-yi was introduced (in the last episode), I was disgruntled with the drama for jerking our expectations around yet again in service of a gotcha moment (making us think he was gay and then giving him a girlfriend). But I’m more appreciative now, because I do think the orientation ambiguity was a genuine issue for him.
I don’t think Binggeure is bisexual (and I chafe when stories paint bisexual people as the catch-all category for people who haven’t decided whether they’re gay, because I really don’t think sexuality works like that), but I do think he was working out what exactly he felt for Garbage, and that there were moments when it was more than plain friendship or affection. It was nearly hero-worship, and I can see how that can confuse the romantic-platonic question when you’re an inexperienced young adult who’s never had any romantic relationships before. For instance, we might talk of girls having girl-crushes and understand that this doesn’t make someone gay. In Binggeure’s case it’s possible he conflated his emotions with other feelings, which led to him taking his time sussing everything out carefully and methodically. That fits with what we already know of his character, given that he took time off of school to work through how he felt about his future, so this feels consistent with his personality.
I also think that’s why he was so adamant about sticking to using “sunbae-nim” for Garbage, because he hadn’t quite decided yet how he felt about him, and thus he didn’t know what to call him. Until he did, he would keep to the nice formal “sunbae,” and taking a clear step by calling him hyung denotes that he’s come to a point of acceptance, where he’s comfortable defining their relationship as a friendly brotherly one. And only then does he feel able to move forward with those other feelings and pursue a romantic relationship as well.
RELATED POSTS
- Answer Me 1994: Episode 16
- Answer Me 1994: Episode 15
- Answer Me 1994: Episode 14
- Answer Me 1994: Episode 13
- Answer Me 1994: Episode 12
- Answer Me 1994: Episode 11
- Answer Me 1994: Episode 10
- Answer Me 1994: Episode 9
- Answer Me 1994: Episode 8
- Answer Me 1994: Episode 7
- Answer Me 1994: Episode 6
- Answer Me 1994: Episode 5
- Answer Me 1994: Episode 4
- Answer Me 1994: Episode 3
- Answer Me 1994: Episode 2
- Answer Me 1994: Episode 1
Tags: Answer Me 1994, featured, Go Ara, Jung Woo, Yoo Yeon-seok
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51 liz
December 15, 2013 at 10:10 PM
""Honestly, I think it’s a simple matter of the drama literally setting Chilbongie up to be the love interest, and making him the primary contender for ten episodes. ""
But, how and when? NJ never showed feelings for CB. So I never thought of him bring the primary contender at all.
I think you guys are just team CB and are upset.
I understand being upset for no CB in two episodes, however, HT had his scenes, in some other episodes he didn't even had that much screen time before.
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Javabeans
December 15, 2013 at 10:12 PM
Nah, I find the "You're just mad it's not Chilbongie" argument pretty reductive. I'm totally onboard with Oppa being the husband. I think the drama's plot was structured badly, and my dissatisfaction stems from that.
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confusedturtle
December 15, 2013 at 10:25 PM
This show should have been 16 episodes. It doesn't feel like there is enough story, and great characters are feeling like dangling loos ends. By the way, where is the baby?
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Strawberryx3
December 16, 2013 at 1:23 AM
So true, It's 1997 now and NJ and Trash are engaged. The oldest their kid would be if they started now would be junior year of high school. Also YJ and SCP have 4 kids. Someone better be taking care of those children.
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liz
December 15, 2013 at 10:45 PM
Sorry about it, it is true CB character needs more screen time and development...
But it seems this site favors CB more, of course you guys like oppa too, but it seems CB is the favorite of people here.
When I read you considered CB the main contender for 10 episodes, and didn't consider Trash at all... I was even asking myself if I was seeing things because I never considered CB main contender at all. He was always the sweet and perfect second guy imo.
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Mandy
December 15, 2013 at 10:59 PM
Sorry to butt in here, but isn't that the main point? Everyone has their own way of seeing things, and that doesn't make any opinion right or wrong. You never saw CB as a contender for NJ's feelings. Many of us did, including JB and GF. This is a blog, which means everyone (including the bloggers) have their interpretations.
I definitely saw CB as a huge contender for 10 episodes before NJ and Oppa started to date. And even if he weren't, there is still a need for his character to be developed and given a storyline that doesn't involve NJ. CB vanished as soon as he was out of contention, which makes for horrible story telling and treatment for one of the show's main characters. Thats what most of us are upset about...
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liz
December 15, 2013 at 11:40 PM
I understand, I'm sorry.
Peace.
Earl Grey
December 16, 2013 at 12:42 AM
Couple things:
1-You are not entitled to a fleshed out CB. In dramas, there tend to be characters that are not as fleshed out as other characters. CB happens to be one of those; a lot of second leads tend to be like that. Maybe you are just more interested in them than the creators are interested in talking about them; that is ultimately their prerogative. Is it unfortunate? Yes, but it saves us from bloat. Do I think he could be a more interesting character? Yes, I had a darker interpretation on him than most folk and I was interested in seeing it unfold. I am not, however, entitled to that story.
2-CB did not vanish as soon as he was out of contention he stayed a good 4+ episodes thereafter depending on just how early you call it for Oppa. Personally, I find it refreshing that, instead of instantly throwing the couple into a false ambiguity like most dramas, this drama has been focusing on how a relationship is maintained despite structural obstacles that in most dramas would be treated like the end of the world. I can understand if you would rather it would be a tussle over the girl to the end or would like to see a him getting over her story, but he has only been gone 2 episodes so I think you are being premature.
3-Perhaps everyone is entitled to their own interpretation but that does not mean that they all have the same support from the text. That said, the only person here who argued that other interpretations were totally unsubstantiated was Java, whether she meant it or not. The person here clearly said imo, whereas Java said that she was arguing trash was not a contender at all as part of the drama's structure, i.e. there was no inkling of a Trash/NJ story beyond her crush. People are incredulous about this strange claim and saying that they saw the oppa/nj from early on, and by and large leaving the door open for a CB interpretation for at least 10 episodes. You seem to have misunderstood who is saying what in this debate.
52 Chaeki
December 15, 2013 at 10:12 PM
So disappointed with this drama that I gave up on ep 12, its dragging and boring, but even reading recaps doesn't help peak my interest again. I thought ep 5-8 were the best.
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53 squizzlee33
December 15, 2013 at 10:14 PM
Watching this episode made me realize that I wasn't a CB-NJ shipper(i need a real life oppa lol) but instead a Chilbonger whose heart just broke seeing how the writers handled with CB... Gotta agree with Javabeans, it seems that CB is 'just there' merely as a rival to Oppa... Such a shame because a lot of people including myself are really drawn into his character(and no it does not have anything to do with his looks which many people claimed -.-)
Anyhow I loved the scenes with the 1997 cast! The two Dong-Il's was hilarious :)) but seeing the scenes made me realize how much I missed SW and YJ... :(
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54 porcelain
December 15, 2013 at 10:15 PM
Oppa proposed!!!! Sweetest scene ever. Najung's tears.
I am happy. I did thought I have a lot to write. Perhaps I do. But now I am just in a so-fluffy-I-want-to-die mood. Thus I will bask in this sweetness for just a long while more. Might write more after I come down from my "high".
Now I sound like an addict and this drama is my crack. Lol...
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Porcelain
December 16, 2013 at 9:22 AM
The other things I want to add;
- I love how the arch of Binggeure story develop. It is indeed possible... I read comment about saying it seems the love line seems OOC but Die-die sunbae is really cute & sweet etc... but I did think it was believeable and I love how he said he needs to "confirm" just like Yoonjae and went for the kiss. I tell you the writers will be the death of me with these tactics of theirs.
With the series ending, can I just say that I am glad that the show is not equalizing the characters just to be a set of clone of the previous characters. Najung is not exactly Shiwon. Neither is Yoonjae/Taewoong as Oppa or Chilbong. Yes Yoonjin is still like Yoojung, the girl best friend.
Hakchan could be Samcheonpo. Or Sungjae is Haitai... But I actually was glad that they did not write for Binggeure to be Joonhee Ver.2. Imho, that will be a disappointment then. Its like they challenge themselves and wrote it about a youth struggle, finding and accepting and is comfortable when he fill in the blanks of his life. So I really like that. His sort of "letting go" scenes with Oppa is really sweet. Felt bad that Joonhee never had had closure, maybe just the back hug when he shifted from the place he share with Yoonjae.
- Hakchan cameo... lol... another speechless one... his girl phobia is hilarious... maybe we can have Taewoong oppa cameo to complete this?
- Appa meeting Appa and is distantly related? I was clapping like a seal when I saw that scene...
- Where are al the kids? I am upset with the lack of baby Sooksook.. we only ever saw him in that episode which Oppa carried him... arghh...
And what about present kids? We know Yoonjin & Samcheonpo had 4 kids, Najung and her hubby had 3 kids... But where are they? I thought Appa & Omma might be babysitting, but when they turn up for the ginseng liquor I am like... Where are they? And I hope adult Sooksook like come out of his room to greet his parents, coz we know he is back from his cafe date with his girl... I dunno, I kinda want to see them with their kids.
Really all I ask for Xmas now is to let Haitai and Chilbong story to have their moment... and to tie up all lose ends... otherwise... Its not so much about finding the hubby anymore... But for the group of characters I care so much more having the ending that they deserve. I have no idea what to do with myself after investing 10 weekends to this drama >.<
Show, please be good to me...
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55 Fangy
December 15, 2013 at 10:22 PM
Lately, the focus of the story has turned to the secondary characters, with the main leads used as a comparison (or is it the other way round?)
Last week, Bingeure sorted out his career choice; this week, he figured out what love is. Like Javebeans mentioned, he is confused about his affection over Oppa. It's nice to have 2 episodes to build his love story. Yes, Die-die seems resilient and persistent; but if Bingeure had not waited with her at the bus stop at MT, she might not have given him a second thought. And what motivate Bingeure to follow her that night? Perhaps that peck on the cheek made his heart poundered, and for the first time, noticed a girl. Her constant messaging also helped to keep her in his mind. After sorting his feelings for Oppa, he decided to give a chance to himself and Die-die; just like he decided to give medicine a chance.
Last week Seo Taiji's episode I thought it is a sealed deal for Samcheonpo and Yoonjin. (Who wouldn't marry a guy who will go to that extend for you despite himself?) Then, this week makes me realised that last week was a sealed deal for Yoonjin, but not Samcheonpo yet. Samcheonpo is still uncertain about Yoonjin's feelings as the episodes portrayed. And understandably so when we saw how everyone compare their physical looks, and probably the army cadet trying to hit on her is just one of the many suitors Yoonjin encountered. And Yoonjin's constant refusal to meet his sunbae just add on to his insecurity and doubts. Thankfully, Yoonjin is aware of his insecurity. Besides reassurance in words, she decided to fulfil his wish to go for a trip together. This may not be a sealed deal for Samcheonpo, at least, lessen his insecurity.
This then makes me look at our current main couple (it's current just because...=x). Both have their moments of insecurity, which is understandable because of their Seoul-Busan relationship. And hence, the proposal. An act to confirm each other's commitment to the relationship. The proposal is so sweet that if I were Najung, I would have said yes too! Yet, right after this, something happen that I couldn't comprehend. Why is Oppa feeling uneasy over what Chilbong (who is an ocean or sea away) said in a TV?
Paraphrase from the drama: The deeper the love, the stronger the fear of losing it. Hence, you need love to overcome the fear. I thought more than love, it should be trust and faith in both parties to sustain the relationship.
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56 confusedturtle
December 15, 2013 at 10:22 PM
I just can't watch this anymore. It feels like the goal of 1994 is not to tell a story, but to see how many times it can troll the audience. I love the characters, but sometimes they do really strange things- Oppa pulling a teenagers hair, basically assaulting her, before she did anything to him? And the whole Bing thing- I get that it could have been a hero-worship thing, but he reacted physically to Trash every time Trash walked around without his shirt on or touched him. He had an actual crush on Trash. So his cure to having a crush on a guy was any girl whatsoever liking him? I mean, I know she's cute and they bonded, but she's the only girl who showed interest in him and she was only in the show for 2 episodes. Couldn't she have at least popped up earlier? Couldn't this show, maybe, have an actual plot instead of a bunch of M. Night Shamalan 'surprises?'
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57 stars4u
December 15, 2013 at 10:23 PM
Chilbong!!
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58 Grumpy
December 15, 2013 at 10:26 PM
I don't think it's true that Chilbong was being set up as the love interest. I feel like a basic qualification of being a love interest is that the heroine displays some interest in him, which NJ categorically did not. There is zero ambiguity in their relationship, from the moment Chilbong showed up in episode 2 till the moment he left in episode 14, till now. It was pretty clear the male lead was Oppa the whole time IMO, especially since Na-jung's entire emotional storyline was based in her feelings for him, and Chilbong's story was defined relative to Trash rather than Na-jung by episode 6. That is, the love story was structurally based in Trash/NJ, and Trash is basically the Shi-won of the drama, in that he is the crux around which the love triangle is based. NJ loves Trash. Chilbong loves NJ who loves Trash. (This set up is symbolized as early as episode 6, in the umbrella scene, when Chilbong asks NJ how women look at men they love, and then it cuts to Chilbong walking behind under one umbrella watching NJ and Trash in their own world under the other; NJ is so focused on Trash she doesn't notice Chilbong; Trash chooses to exclude him and monopolize her; and Chilbong watches them both, unnoticed and purposely excluded). We slowly but steadily are given insight that Trash loves NJ but feels conflicted about dating her, beginning definitively in episode 6 (and arguably earlier), and coming to a head in episode 11. Basically Chilbong's entire love line, meanwhile, beginning in episode 6, is defined by the fact that NJ loves Trash and that it is a one sided love, reaching its apex in in episode 10, when he confesses to her explicitly because he feels it is shameful to persist in one sided love. From then on, Chilbong's most meaningful interactions occur with Trash, not NJ, as he challenges him for NJ, comparing "winning" or "losing" her to a game of baseball, and explicitly stating that more than anything, he changes and defines himself relative to his rival. At the same time, while Chilbong does not register in NJ's emotional storyline beyond vague discomfort at his feelings, Chilbong is central to Trash's storyline. Starting in episode 6, he serves as a catalyst for Trash to reconsider NJ in a romantic/sexual light, to consider Chilbong as NJ's obvious suitor and then as his own rival, and throughout all this, to see him as a threat to his relationship with NJ. This comes full circle in episode 17, when Trash watches the interview, and Chilbong becomes a representation of Trash's fears in his relationship with NJ now that he has so much to "lose."
There are also little signs that aren't dramatically significant that scream first and second lead for Trash and Chilbong, respectively. Just a couple examples...NJ's first kiss is with Trash (the bite kiss), while each kiss with Chilbong occurs within situations of dubious consent (the first time when she's so wasted she has no way of choosing whether to kiss or drink, and the second time, when he kisses her after confessing and implicitly being rejected). When they go to Japan, Chilbong gives the perfect generic gift for a girl, while Trash brings back marshmallows and manga, the perfect gift for NJ. There are countless other moments like this, and it's difficult for me to believe that you didn't see them, when you're so knowledgeable in Kdrama cliches just like this.
Also, Haitai has had scenes in the military, mainly in one of the central narratives in 14,...
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Grumpy
December 15, 2013 at 10:27 PM
(continued)
Also, Haitai has had scenes in the military, mainly in one of the central narratives in 14, and several scenes in 16 worked into the Sung-gyun/Yoon-jin storyline. He was never really intended to be a candidate and wasn't even trolled about except in episode 11. I mean, by that reasoning, wouldn't Sung-gyun's enlistment also be a way of writing him out because he isn't a viable candidate? Side character story lines have not suffered because of the husband game; only Chilbong has, and that is only because yes, YYS acted out a relatively unfleshed out character with a massive amount of appeal. But Chilbong has always been the least developed character and most generically related to the others (his only meaningful relationships are with NJ and NJ's dad; even his cousin has more to do with Trash). If anything, this critique of his development should have come much earlier, accompanied by realistic expectations of his role in the love triangle and show in general, rather than now, as a way of criticizing the show's follow through of that love triangle. Just as structurally NJ is Yoon-jae and Trash is Shi-won, Chilbong is clearly TW.
I agree that Chilbong fans have the right to be upset, but projecting your disappointment in that regard onto the drama, dragging Haitai into it and dressing those feelings up as objective critique, is kind of disingenuous. I really appreciate everything you do here and respect your opinions even when I don't agree with them, so I'm kind of disappointed you went there.
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Javabeans
December 15, 2013 at 11:24 PM
See, I'd disagree with you that Chilbongie wasn't a love interest. ALL of the early clues pointed to him, and while I was pretty sure many were intended to be misdirects, for a while those were all we had -- everything in the 2013 scenes pointed to Chilbongie. So it's just as false to argue that he was never in the mix. I would also argue that Na-jung's department store collapse reaction was pretty potent stuff, even if it wasn't explicitly stated as romantic.
So again, you're free to disagree with my interpretation, though I think calling me disingenuous is an odd claim. Feel free to be disappointed in me, I suppose; I don't know what people expect of me that I'm supposed to meet some invisible standard all the time. *Throws hands in air*
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Grumpy
December 15, 2013 at 11:38 PM
Ah, sorry. I only meant to say that using your disappointment about Chilbong to level a critique at the show in this instance was disingenuous, not you. I guess people have high standards for you because typically your opinions are pretty fair and objective? Anyway, thanks for taking the time to write these recaps and bearing the brunt of all our fannish extremes.
Also, yes, theoretically Chilbong was in the mix, but based on my experience with AM 1997 (2012 went hard TW, 90s gave us YJ), the fact that Chilbong got all the early clues kind of served as a big giant clue that it was Trash instead. And because I just can't help myself...while the hug after the department certainly showed she cared about him, it was also within the context of Haitai calling NJ, SG and YJ calling CB and crying, etc. I would hug my friend and cry if I thought he had died only to find him miraculously alive, and I think there would have been something seriously wrong with her if she hadn't. Structurally it was too little, too late, occurring after the pendulum explicitly swung back to Trash.
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Earl Grey
December 16, 2013 at 8:56 AM
All the early clues?! Did you even read what you responded to? It is a list of early clues. These are the blinders the commenters are talking about! Are we all just mystics who divined the story when it wasn't there? Is the South Korean audience the same way?
I mean I get it that you thought it was CB, but it is totally disingenuous to put either you being disappointed or being wrong on the drama when so many people clearly saw what was happening. You read this one wrong; perhaps the mystery gimmick can be blamed for that. It is not, however, this grand structural flaw with the plot you are trying to make it out to be. Perhaps Grumpy is a bit strong in dismissing the ambiguity of the early episodes and there is a CB case, but please do not keep on denying that there is a Trash case!
That is what so many people are seeing as disingenuous!
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Michelle
December 16, 2013 at 9:58 PM
hmmm the scene where NJ hugged CB COULD have ventured into romantic territory if the writer wanted to. (although it didnt in the end). but if that hook were to be used to start a romantic edge to NJ and CB relationship it would be quite weak IMO.
NJ would have been EQUALLY relieved if CB had been replaced with any other friend. i mean, who wouldn't feel that relieved? unless you're a freaking heartless friend.
I think the extra relief would only be because NJ would feel extra bad/feel responsible if something had happened to him - since she was the one who kept nagging him that she just HAD to go to that naengmyun place.
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Strawberryx3
December 15, 2013 at 11:25 PM
I definitely see where you are coming from but I think there is more to it than that. I think it's the efforts in CB's actions that got fans really thinking about CB as a possible love candidate. The guy went all the way to SCP's hometown just to spend time with NJ and Trash had that chance also and didn't. I guess it's cuz CB was there all the times Trash wasn't and that we didn't really know Trash's feelings earlier on. We only knew of CB and NJ's feelings. I think if Trash didn't step up his game, then CB could have been a love interest. Trash didn't really come to terms with his feelings until a little later especially when CB went for the kiss in the beginning.
CB had developed in the beginning with the family and baseball background. We had looked to him because of his ambition and determination. He is still tied to the other characters being the person SCP called to make sure he wasn't dying from the building collapse. CB had a lot of screen time before he went to Japan and then it felt like he was really forgotten about. Right now he is considered underdeveloped because of the lack in screen time in the past couple episodes compared to everyone else. But I don't think you can really consider CB a character that has massive amounts of appeal for no reason. He had appeal before when he was relatively more developed than everyone else and he still has that appeal but he's relatively underdeveloped now.
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omona
December 15, 2013 at 11:47 PM
I apologize now If I might offend someone but
Why do you guys hold this grudge against oppa NOT going to SCP hometown?
We all know Trash was trying to not hurt NJ at that time because he didn't answer her, so I think he was doing his best to make a distance between them, so he did not go.
If he went NJ would be anxious around him, making the mood tense between others and nobody would enjoy their time.
Saying oppa doesn't try as CB just because he didn't went there is a bit much - in that same episode Trash confessed he didn't pay attention in the movie he watched with NJ - He pretended to laugh and pay attention.
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Grumpy
December 16, 2013 at 12:11 AM
I agree. I also don't think it's a realistic standard to have for a man, that he should have to travel for twelve hours to be with her for four. It's sweet that CB did it, but it's not a problem that Oppa didn't. Rather, it's a problem to expect that of him. Rom coms sort of build up this ideology of how men should woo women (which bleeds into how people evaluate male characters as men), and sometimes it gets really really unfair.
59 my name? why'd u wanna know?
December 15, 2013 at 10:38 PM
BG's story was the only thing that was worth watching in this episode cos die-BG were super cute and glad he's not gay cos not everyone is okay with the idea of being gay or of people being gay. In my country especially it is now illegal you get caught, u get sentenced to 14 years in prison cos its against our culture and religion.
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60 coby
December 15, 2013 at 10:41 PM
I just picked up this drama again for cameos.
Yes I am still bitter on this show being on Team Chilbongie... and just javabeans I've come to accept it.
It is just difficult on how this show made me invested to Chilbong's character only to be shoved like that.
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61 Strawberryx3
December 15, 2013 at 10:49 PM
I'm curious, does anyone know if you get exempt from the military duty if you enroll in med school? Med school takes a long time so I feel serving duty might take away from it. I don't think Trash will be going but I was just wondering~~
Also, I am really loving the Samcheonpo and YJ couple in this episode. Even though they can be a little dysfunctional sometimes and their personalities are so different, their actions are so heartwarming like the toilet plant LOL and now YJ spending time with SCP before he leaves. We will get to see how NJ and YJ act when their significant other is away and how they deal with it.
Another part I really liked was when Trash kisses NJ before leaving to work and their emotional talk. The way they part in saying bye to each other, you can see they are so much in love and so thoughtful of each other. I guess with the husband mystery, we have to come to treasure what NJ and Trash have now. Because really, even though we may think we know who it is, we don't really know 100%. There memories are very precious and it's a little scary to think it all turns around maybe for the better or worse.
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marie
December 16, 2013 at 12:25 AM
based from some sources i read, male doctors in korea also serve in the military but they can delay (or is it the standard to do so) going until after they finish medical school. like, if they get drafted, they can process papers saying they are studying, etc.
then when they are done with med school and go to the army, they serve as army doctors and have a higher rank and more priviledges than normal soldiers.
i read also from the same sources that the same case applies to athletes, like national athletes.
in the world of answer me 1997, bing geu rae and chil bong can delay going to the army considering their course and profession.
so in here in the drama, hai tai went and in this episode, sam chun po was drafted.
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marie
December 16, 2013 at 12:25 AM
i meant 1994.
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leeeezzzzz
December 16, 2013 at 12:54 AM
Every male needs to go to the army. There are only an few exceptions 1. If you are a third generation only son. 2. Health reason, like being flat footed or heart issues 3. If you serve you country in other ways, like winning an Olympic metal. I am not sure if it is good enough to just go to the Olympic or like sporting events. Hope that clears it up for you.
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62 chocopie83
December 15, 2013 at 10:53 PM
i think eunji will be surprised to see chilbong more than trash.. seeing how the show trolls us, pretty sure both will come to eunji's door and she'll be like 'oh arent u the famous baseball player~' lol
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63 saranga
December 15, 2013 at 11:03 PM
i gotta say, i'm really perplexed about how the chilbongie thing turned out. we aren't at the end yet, of course, but seeing how na-jung and garbage are now officially engaged, i'd be shocked if chilbongie turned out to be husband.
all this time, it just felt like they were always ON THE BRINK of doing more with chilbongie/giving him more to do aside from pining for na-jung. hmmm...
i absolutely loved the 1997 crossovers! oh my gawd i missed shi-won!!! go ara is doing a gorgeous job with na-jung (the engagement scene was perfection), but i'd missed shi-won's sass. na-jung is the more submissive/traditionally feminine character when compared to shi-won. there's nothing wrong with that, but shi-won is more my kind of girl.
is this show ending at 20 episodes?
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anne
December 16, 2013 at 2:35 AM
it is still possible because there are clues that tie him to being the husband in 2013 and that is the end result, the 1994 up to 2013 is the fluid part of the drama (as opposed to other dramas wherein the start is the fixed end and the ending is the fluid part).
also, there have been many episodes talking about bing's possible feelings for trash oppa but in just 2 seconds, it was resolved and he has a wife in die die (jin yi).
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anne
December 16, 2013 at 2:36 AM
er, i meant 2 episodes
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64 windparis
December 15, 2013 at 11:11 PM
i hate this writer she makes us believe in the present scene that chilbongie is the husbund,,so we can rooting for him till the end..
but looking from the past scene my heart says the husbund will be oppa
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65 Abled
December 15, 2013 at 11:29 PM
I disagree that he was set up as the main contender for Najung's affections -- from the moment Trash was revealed to not be her biological brother I pretty much called that he would be the husband. I agree that Chilbong's character development was super weak -- and that's precisely why I don't think he was the only contender for her affections. From the beginning Oppa was made out to be a lot better written character than Chilbong was, and frankly, I say Chilbong's charm is 80% YYS being amazing.
We definitely got hints that Garbage felt something of some sort for Najung. Chilbong and Najung's first kiss was interrupted by a dramatic pan onto Garbage. The interest Garbage showed in Najung, as ambiguous as it was, was still 50x more any interest that Najung showed in Chilbong. If the writers ever had some real intention for Chilbong to be the husband, then I don't see why they wouldn't show her having even a hint of non-platonic feelings for him throughout th first episodes. Whilst they definitely dropped some kind of hints on Garbage's part in regards to his affection for her.
The love triangle became tedious and long winded. But deceiving? No. It was hardly a bait and switch. I think we can definitely agree to disagree, and I think Team Chilbong has 100% reason to be upset at his characterisation. But for the life of me, I CANNOT understand why people were so convinced that he was set up as THE primary love interest, or that the writers just pulled Garbage out of nowhere in the last minute.
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66 Earl Grey
December 15, 2013 at 11:31 PM
It seems that some people saw the Oppa story from early on and some people saw a CB story. Those seeing an Oppa story, have no continuity problem with the plot and that is the intended story. Those seeing a CB story feel betrayed by the story as it has become clear that the Oppa reading was the correct one. That there even is such a divide is an artifact of the husband mystery ploy, but that is as far as you can go faulting the drama for your perspective on it. To say that Oppa was not even a contender until episode 11 is to say that your misreading of the intended story is the objective story of the drama.
I really do not understand this misreading. NJ was in love with Oppa; Oppa was showing clearly protective and jealous tendencies towards NJ (and he let her bite/kiss him when it was telegraphed what she was doing); CB had all the hallmarks of the luckless in love second lead who approached NJ as a generic woman while Oppa knew her as a person. And this is not just hindsight talking: I was legitimately surprised by the existence and widespread nature of CB shipping when I started reading comments on the show around ep 11. A lot of us saw what the plot was all along and we can follow it through the drama.
Perhaps you are a victim of the husband mystery or perhaps you just really wanted it to be CB and are masquerading your partisanship as objective analysis but either way to act like your misreading is the objective plot of the drama is disingenuous. Personally, I think the real story was clear enough that it is unbelievable that it does not even seem like a possibility to you but if you have a problem with the drama it is that it was not obvious enough.
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67 sun yue
December 15, 2013 at 11:31 PM
One of the my biggest problems with his character in the earlier episodes was that he stuck so closely to Na-Jeong, that he didn't get any time to develop with the rest of the cast. While everyone else felt tight, he felt more like a tertiary friend. His absence makes sense in a realistic way because he never had those moments with other characters. Unfortunately, he wasn't given any meat beyond his role as a catalyst for Trash to react. And I think that's where the writers missed the mark with him.
Haitai's absence lately is more egregious. He did get those moments with the others and while it makes sense why Samcheonpo and Yun-Jin are his most frequent visitors and why Trash would be too busy, you'd think his good buddy Na-Jeong would be willing to make the trip. You'd think we'd see more of the transition from civilian to soldier mode. Instead, the show gave us the result (his speech patterns) without the struggle to make it satisfying.
On a random note, Min-Jung is basically female Chilbong. She knows her crush is in a relationship/likes someone else and treats Trash in a very loving and caring way. What's really interesting is the different reactions to both of their characters. Naturally, Chilbong isn't cast in a malicious light, nor should he be, but I wonder how much things would be different if, instead of a "who is the husband?" game, it were a "who is the wife/other?" scenario.
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Selina
December 16, 2013 at 12:53 PM
I agree. This is why for me if the complaints of CB's character and lack of development had begun in the earlier half of the series when there was a lot of potential for development and the flaws were glaringly there I could understand and be really on board with the majority of internwebs comments. However the complaints coming at this point in the series honestly feels like much projection and disappointment of CB not being the husband, beng masked as disappointment of writing and development.
I am not saying that is the case for all opinions and much of the reasoning makes sense and is even justified. However, it feels that if CB had been made the husband much of what has been pointed out would still be there (the potential to develop him as an individual with his family arc, getting him to really interact and bond with the boarding house other than NJ, etc) but the complaints wouldn't be as vocal, and as many.
I don't know, I don't know. I don't want to offend but, half of the argument feels justified and half of it comes off like passive aggressive anger at not receiving the story, ship, or potential ending that one envisioned or wanted.
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68 jennipoh
December 15, 2013 at 11:33 PM
Maybe the reason why so many of us thought Chilbongie was the primary contender is because he narrates a lot of the insightful monologue, freely giving us his innermost thoughts and feelings, and that usually does NOT happen with second leads. Just giving us Chilbongie's point-of-view was a dangerous move on the writers to begin with, while Oppa's was more obscure and mostly unspoken. The writer is obviously trying to steer away from traditional structures (maybe too much that's it feels like we're being cheated) and give us something that we're not expecting, in other words, fanservice. They totally fed us the sweet Chilbongie-Najung, Haitai-Yoonjin, and maybe even Bingure-Joonhee probability and yanked it away from us. The bottom line is .. people don't get all they expect in life, and neither should we from this drama that tries to portray life as realistically as possible.
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69 reddy1
December 15, 2013 at 11:37 PM
Might be an unpopular comment but I seriously don't think there was a love triangle in this drama to begin with. Like how the dolls were displayed in the past few episodes, it was always the gorilla (Oppa) and seal (NJ) in romantic positions and puppy (CB) looking from far away. In my textbook, for it to be a love triangle, NJ somehow has to show interest in CB, which she never did from episode 1-17. I don't think the writers have been cheating us on the love triangle, its just some are rooting for CB and projected the relationship between the three characters as a love triangle. Just wish these past episode reviews were not that bias.
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tura
December 16, 2013 at 4:02 AM
He WAS a contender and just because CB's fans are upset about him being ignored by the writer Oppa's fan are trying to make CB's fans seem delusional which is annoying. I've been trying to ignore those comments but they kept getting out of hand. He was a suitor for her love/hand which makes him a contender, please get ur analysis right. *rolls eyes*
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reddy1
December 16, 2013 at 9:50 AM
My comment was not to intended to offend anyone. I apologize if it was read that way. Its just that in my opinion, for it to be a love triangle, one of the person has to like the other two people. Now this is just my textbook definition of a love triangle. For me, the perfect examples of love triangles are portrayed in I Need Romance 1 and 2 where the lead was actually in a relationship with both male characters.
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Omona
December 16, 2013 at 11:46 AM
I think people that watched I need romance should know that they might keep the same formula.
I thought I need romance 2 would be different, I really thought second guy would get the girl. And he didn't. I was crushed, I really thought they would change from INR 1, but they didn't, but when the main couple got together and were all kisses, I was happy and let go.
One of reasons of disappointment here is that this versions should be different from Season 1, I don't get it thought, they are going by the same formula like they said, and I don't think it is a bad thing.
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cafelatte
December 16, 2013 at 10:00 AM
Contender: "a person who tries to win something in a contest; especially : a person who has a good chance of winning" I would agree with you if we had been given even a sliver of indication that Najung might be swayed by CB and given him a chance. I still think the Department Store collapse doesn't count for much because of the deathly circumstances and najung's personal involvement in setting it up since she insisted CB meet her there instead of another location. Personally i don't get how so many CB fans. jb included, put so much weight on that moment and it is listed as the primary (and usually only) indication of a more than platonic feeling from najung's side.
So, sure, he was an Aspirant for Najung's heart but up until now, he hasn't given any tough competition to Najung's love for Oppa.
Him setting himself up as rival to Trash is another story. I see people arguing that Oppa wouldn't be so "scared" of CB if he wasn't a serious contender but that, to me, is on a different level altogether. By declaring that he'd be back to claim the ball and saying he's not giving up till the end ruffled Oppa's feathers. He's only human - what guy wouldn't feel worried when another guy declares his whole goal is to steal the girl he loves. iirc CB said something along the lines of "You never know. You might get her stolen from you like a fool/idiot" But oppa's insecurities have nothing to do with Najung's love - it's more of him feeling not being able to give her enough time, treat her better that feeds his fear of losing her.
So i'd argue that IF Najung and CB end up together, it will not be because CB won Najung's heart in a fair and square way, it would be because Oppa played the Noble Idiot card or something.
If you have other details re: non-delusion, please do share because I am curious if I too have my blinders up like so many CB fans do.
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70 Amayesing
December 15, 2013 at 11:38 PM
I honestly agree about the CB feelings. I find it a bit telling how many Oppa shippers are on your back about feeling as though CB was set up as a main contender. That was the WHOLE point of the drama! The mystery! It's as if they expected everyone (including you) to absolutely KNOW that Oppa was going to be endgame from episode one, when the majority of Oppa shippers themselves said they felt nervous (hopefully now they can relax and enjoy the NJ-T scenes without stress).
I think the NJ-T scenes are really sweet, but as a person who liked CB, I really would have liked to know more about him, instead of the writer omitting him from the cast (along with HT, wth was with that?!). What's going on in Japan? How is he coping? Even a shot of him playing baseball would be nice, just to know how he is.
Regarding HT's absence, we are finally going to get a glance of his happenings (and love-life supposedly). Thank god...
I feel like the reason I really loved Shi Won's character, and I only like NJ's, is that I felt like I knew everything about her, and I understood her. I knew what she did on her days off, what she wanted to do in the future, and her character didn't only revolve around the romance. NJ, too, started out with other friends, and gained YJ, but now...? I'd like to see her go to a basketball game, or find something interesting and engaging in her major! I'd just like for her to do SOMETHING without it being linked to Oppa or Chilbong. Both have something else going for them, what about her?
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AuroraB
December 15, 2013 at 11:44 PM
You're right about NJ! I just realized that...After she realized her feelings for Trash, it's as though her whole life revolved around him. She was obsessed with the basketball player at the beginning, but that just...got written off/died...NJ's personality also isn't as memorable as Shi won's.
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omona
December 15, 2013 at 11:57 PM
SW life resolved around tony. I was even tired out about it tbh, even her work had to be thanks to Tony.
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71 AuroraB
December 15, 2013 at 11:38 PM
Totally agree with the Chilbong thing. I'm slightly annoyed with what the writers have done with his character. I wish they'd given him more depth if they really wanted us to believe he might be the husband. It's only after he was shipped to Japan that i realized that he was such a flat character. I also feel like the writers aren't giving us much of a story when it comes to Na jung's and Trash's relationship. It's like yes, they have cute moments, they're in a good place, but why should we care? Maybe it's just me craving some drama and twists. The show itself has settled in this sort of like comfort zone where nothing dramatic or even hilarious is happening, and i'm wondering if it has to do with the fact that it has more episodes than 1997. I'm really waiting for the big payoff...(I don't know why i still have hope that CB might be the husband.)
So far I really like Bingguere's character, he's the most consistent. And there's some character development there...
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omona
December 16, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Hello, I should ask the same then, sorry about it:
NJ and CB have cute scenes, why should we care?
What is so special about NJ and CB scenes aside CB undying love and persistence?
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TwoCoins
December 16, 2013 at 12:35 AM
I don't think AuroraB was saying this as a CB shipper thing. But it's just commenting on the drama and how there is a lack of 'drama' now that they're together.
I feel that the writer made some mistakes with the frequent time jumps and the glimpses of the happy moments (except for the proposal of course) of NJ and T. It's like they want to create a problem between T and NJ but I don't feel the problem either. It went too fast. there were hints of T being too busy and then suddenly proposal. I haven't even got time to feel 'hurt' for NJ or anything.
Then now we have this Min Jung girl being suspiciously nice, whom I think is just there as a tool for 'proof' how much T's love is unshakable.
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sun yue
December 16, 2013 at 1:48 AM
I think Min-jung is supposed to be Trash's Chilbong and kind of a tacked on justification for the show not going Chilbong's way. She likes Trash and is "suspiciously nice" and caring because she presumably likes him. Of course, her being caring doesn't make Trash obligated to like her back or even treat her well in the same way that Na-Jeong doesn't owe Chilbong anything.
In that sense, Min-jung and Chilbong feel purposely one-note characters to contrast idealized tropes (the dutiful prince charming and the gentle and doting flower) with the rougher yet more dynamic slice of life lovelines we see in Jeong/Trash, Samcheonpo/Yun-Jin, and even the mom and dad. Just looking at those three central pairs, they're all a bit dysfunctional, are focused on the mundane, and seem to involve more bickering than anything else, but I think that's supposed to make the softer moments sweeter than if they offered up pure saccharine. This is not to say that the show hasn't made glaring missteps or that this is even the show's intention, but it's what I got from it.
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72 Tania
December 15, 2013 at 11:39 PM
I think i cant feel the beat the intense impulse love between T and NJ...... in Reply 1997 they really had that ...
:)
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AuroraB
December 15, 2013 at 11:47 PM
yeahh the chemistry isn't there lol...That's why i like the CB-NJ love line, there's a sort of nervousness and awkwardness that draws me in, makes me feel the beat haha
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73 HAROBED
December 15, 2013 at 11:44 PM
How many episodes more to go pls?
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Selina
December 16, 2013 at 12:21 PM
4 more
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74 Abled
December 15, 2013 at 11:49 PM
For the record, I don't think Chilbong wasn't a contender for husband AT ALL. He had a good chance, but I just don't see why people think he was /the/ main contender. I'm pretty sure if the writers intended as much, they could have easily built up a great romance between him and Najung. But I don't think he was THE main interest that Oppa showing an interest in Najung, and the story heading in that direction was so out of the blue or inconsistent to the plot.
People bring the example of the Department Store collapse and though I agree that it was a big moment and a definite roadway for NJ to develop feelings for him. The fact of the matter is that it wasn't and the end of the episode had Najung still very much with Oppa and her feelings pretty much reciprocated.
I could easily be on the Team CB ship if the writers actually bought in and invested in his and NJ's love story. As it was, that wasn't the case. For the record, I liked Chilbong as a character more than Trash, so I'm not harping on javabeans as "Team Oppa". I think your opinion and frustrations over Chilbong is legitimate, and I agree that he was used as a plot device in later episodes. But I don't see the "bait n switch" or lead up to believe he was the husband everyone else did. My friend who started watching Reply without following the casting + Episode 0, and she's 100% Team Chilbong, but from the beginning she had a strong feeling he wouldn't be the husband.
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Strawberryx3
December 16, 2013 at 12:27 AM
If there's a "husband game" how can there be no other contenders? It defeats the purpose of let's guess who the husband is. I can completely see how Trash is the main contender but you can't rule out CB as a contender. The whole set up in the beginning of the show is guess who the husband is. If there is only one contender there's no point in having this set up so there has to be be at least some doubt or possibility of the main contender not actually being the main for the set up of the show. There are only possibilities.
I have no dissent for NJ and Trash coupling. I think they fit each other really well and their relationship growing is really something that is nice to observe. I used to look to possibility of the CB and NJ but at this point I want to see CB develop into his own character, be with someone who returns his feelings and makes him happy even someone other than NJ. I just wanted to point out that for there to be contenders there are possibilities. Even if there possibilities that are less probable than other ones, they may still be contenders.
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Abled
December 16, 2013 at 12:47 AM
Of course there are other contenders. I apologise if my comment came out otherwise. I do think they are other contenders -- but straight out from the beginning it was obvious there were only two serious ones. But I don't understand the argument that he was made out as THE main contender -- like the Yoonjae of 94 -- so that him not ending up with Najung seems to be inconsistent/deceiving. I'm sure there were ways that the writers could proceed after episode 10 that'd make Chilbong-NJ work great (and I don't doubt we'd have another bunch of Team Oppa shippers screaming "inconsistent"!!). But as it is, there wasn't anything about the way their relationship (didn't) progress which seemed to be the writers being deceitful.
I agree 100% however that Chilbong's character has been given a great disservice, and I attribute this to his character being glued to Najung for the entire first ten episodes. I understand Team CB being upset at his character having such little development AND not getting the girl -- cos yeah that sucks. And it is a writing fault. But I think there were ample hints early on that it gave Trash-Najung a lot more headway than CB-NJ.
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Omona
December 16, 2013 at 11:51 AM
I would not mind if NJ went to CB, I mean Oppa took long time before confessing, I believe there is timing, and if he lost it, I wouldn't be angry for writers going for CB, but thing is for 17 episodes, they showed us T and NJ relationship getting stronger and stronger, and NJ feelings never, never changing, she never felt anything more than friendship for CB, so I would be upset and call it inconsistent if they go to CB and NJ because I would feel cheated ... if they showed NJ feelings changing/confused on episode 14, any hint, anything, I wouldn't mind...
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75 HAROBED
December 15, 2013 at 11:52 PM
How many more episodes to go?
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TwoCoins
December 16, 2013 at 12:27 AM
4
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76 atz
December 16, 2013 at 12:06 AM
Unlike most viewers, I am not that happy with this drama. Na Jang character seems so preoccupied with Trash that she does not develop or mature as a person, only she gets better with kissing Trash. The last scene ( NJ's husband, only seen from his back, met Siwon and she was surprised then there is a scene that Siwon and trash met at a jewelry shopin 1997 after the accident) certainly indicates that it is Trash who became NJ's husband. If he were not her husband, what is the point of showing the jewelry shop scene besides teasing the viewers?? I think that the writer has been having a too much fun to confuse us as if her wit is superior to her viewers. This is rather annoying.
Someone previously pointed out that NJ's son's GF told him that she heard that his father is very famous thus NJ's husband is CB. I recall that both male leads from Reply 1997 became very famous, almost very unreal level. So Trash can become a super smart surgeon who conduct first ever brain transplant or something!!, yeah, almost Nobel Prize worthy. In a way, if all of the guys end up with their first love, it is not realistic at all.
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Omona
December 16, 2013 at 8:36 AM
Why so many people complain about NJ life being just oppa, but don't complain CB life being crushing on NJ?
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Earl Grey
December 16, 2013 at 9:07 AM
Because CB is a man and NJ is a woman. It is expected of the man to be obsessive over the girl in a K-drama and the woman to be confused or at least passive in her love. The man is supposed to chase after her, disregarding his family, his friends, his work, etc (this is also why so many dislike trash, because he thinks of these things and for a long time) or else he is not a proper love interest. Not saying that relationships can not or should not work this way; just saying that some people seem to think they should not work the other way (i.e. how the trash/NJ relationship works where NJ is more the masculine role and oppa the feminine as these dramas go).
I realize it was rhetorical but couldn't resist as this double-standard is so intrinsic to the criticism of the show.
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Z
December 16, 2013 at 10:10 AM
I think it's because Chilbong does have other things going on in his life. He has outside friends, and baseball. If he had given up going to Japan to stay with Najung, I would have similar complaints about his love as well. (Not a shipper on any team by the way. I feel like I have to mention this in every comment).
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Selina
December 16, 2013 at 1:23 PM
But what has NJ given up to be with oppa? NaJeong still hangs with the boarding house gang and outside friends. She still hangs with her parents. Has school, her movie club, tutoring, her fangirling, etc. Yes scenes are not dedicated to it as before, but scenes had never really been dedicated to all characters schooling (expect sprinklings here and there that we still get) and she's naturally aging and growing out of her hardcore fangirling (which is still there with her scrap booking, posters, and hitting games -heard about but not shown-)
People act like Na-Jeong has dropped everything in her life to be with oppa and that is not the case. I see nothing wrong with a girl on the phone with her long distance boyfriend (something would be wrong if she didn't want to talk with him), cooking and cleaning for him, being mature and understanding of his work circumstances, and making time and taking effort to make the relationships she is happy in work. It's not like oppa does/did not not try his best to do the same for her (he calls her too, took time in his schedule to find a gift, and then tried to have being with her time and when that was interrupted used the hour he could spare for her) or doesn't appreciate or takes for granted all that she does (everything after the birthday incident).
The complaints about her lack of development in some specific areas were there long before she started dating Oppa. So again what has she really sacrificed that is not the norm for any person in a relationship?
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Z
December 17, 2013 at 4:19 PM
Najung hasn't given up anything to be with Oppa because she doesn't really have anything else going on, which is my point. I mean, sure she goes to school (I guess, we've never seen it) and she's had a few part time jobs. But, for the most part her every waking moment is dedicated to Oppa. At least from the veiwers' vantage point, whcih is all we have to go on. The one mention of Basketball since like, Episode 3 was just an excuse to show Oppa being adorably jealous (which he totally was). The one time she showed some outside interests and joined the Movie Lovers club or whatever, it was just to draw on the "Will Oppa Make it to the Group Date On Time?" suspense. \
You're right in saying that the lack of development was around before she started dating Oppa, though. I remember sometime in Episode 3 or 4 thinking "Isn't she in school? Does she never go to class?" It's just all the more glaring ever since the crush kicked into high gear and especially since they started dating because we only ever see her in the context of her relationship to Oppa. Think of it, when was the last time they showed Najung doing any thing Non-Oppa related? I'm drawing a blank.
77 Heartoppaya
December 16, 2013 at 12:20 AM
And I listened to and downloaded 'Feeling Only You' the 7th OST of AM'94 and can I say that I absolutely love it? All three boys voices blended together, I have to say, that is friendship. The best ship that we should be shipping. On another note, I loved Jung Woo's voice. He sang like a pro. I loved him since his Bread Man days. I also loved Yoo Yun seuk in his Gu Family Book days more than Seungi. The song was brilliant. I'd love to see SHJ in more projects too. I know JW and YYS will get more projects with their heartwarming performances in R'94. I love Goara too. She was brilliant. The proposal had me swooning and crying, but then, that happened to everybody, right? We're humans, so obviously we'd swoon at an Epic proposal like that.
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78 Heartoppaya
December 16, 2013 at 12:26 AM
And I listened to and downloaded 'Feeling Only You' the 7th OST of AM'94 and can I say that I absolutely love it? All three boys voices blended together, I have to say, that is friendship. The best ship that we should be shipping. On another note, I loved Jung Woo's voice. He sang like a pro. His voice was different than the other two, and I loved that. I loved him since his Bread Man days. I also loved Yoo Yun seuk in his Gu Family Book days more than Seungi. The song was brilliant. I'd love to see SHJ in more projects too. I know JW and YYS will get more projects with their heartwarming performances in R'94. I love Goara too. She was brilliant. The proposal had me swooning and crying, but then, that happened to everybody, right? We're humans, so obviously we'd swoon at an Epic proposal like that.
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79 TwoCoins
December 16, 2013 at 12:26 AM
Well.. episode after episode I've always loved Reply 97 better than 1994 because the story was tighter. We don't have so much of the connecting implications and interaction as we did in 97. e.g. the gift that exchanged hands so many times between the friends in 97, Tae Woong who worried for Yoon jae who worries for Shi Won on the robbery night. There was just a tight relation between all of them. Where as in 94 we have Na Jung Hai Tai, Hai Tai SCP, HT SCP, Trash BGR, etc but they stand almost separately from each other except for very few moments.
Now about CB. In the first 3 episode I was all Trash girl, and then something changed and I liked CB more. I agree with all the comments about feeling cheated about CB.
It's not a matter of whether NJ was interested in him at all, but we have so many scenes of him and in 2013 that my brain holds him as someone of importance in the drama and therefore I must pay attention to him. Whereas BGR had multiple episodes about him and his career, confusion, etc. He got maybe half an episode here and there and people talking about him being hardworking.
It's like because he is kind and already so good at what he does the writer didn't know what to do with him, no other struggle they can give him. How about when he made the choice to go to Japan, why don't we get some insights on how he chose Japan? Him moving in as a cliffhanger turned out to be nothing. Nothing happened while CB was in the house.
Since (if) the endgame is T, I feel it doesn't make sense that CB is so close now to NJ and is the most 'active' in that house. Even if he moved on, found a girl, etc, it is still weird. I feel like the only reason he's there in 2013 is just to confuse us.
and (if) the endgame is not T, it would be really weird for T to be there since they've been engaged before. It's not just a simple I've dated you before. Something big must have happened to make them separate and that would be hard to just ignore.
Either way I don't see it going to make sense in the end.
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Omona
December 16, 2013 at 8:38 AM
In A1997 future scenes, I always thought TW was the husband though.
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dpm
December 16, 2013 at 8:56 AM
I agree the whole group friendship is lacking. The whole 1997 gang were closer and them being still close in 2012 made sense. But this time around the group seems more close in 2013 than they were in 1994 and it doesn't make a lot of sense because the timeline is now in 1997 and we have yet to see a friendship develop between most of the characters.
The different friendships are more sideline and the scenes where they're all together are actually quite rare. And even those were more about the romance than the friendship anyway. The drinking scenes always used to move the plot along with the CB-NJ kiss and have YJ dropping secrets about NJ's feelings.
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80 chris
December 16, 2013 at 12:37 AM
i still hope CB will be the guy for NJ. Trash feelings towards NJ is sincerce, but driven by CB push.
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81 Azy
December 16, 2013 at 12:56 AM
Never care about who is the husband. I just enjoy Chilbong the character. Just give me back Chilbongie. Joon-ah, please come back happy and well. Please come back as cute and carefree Joon pre Na jung. Hate hate when you are reduced to just plot device and as a mere cameo.
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82 Strawberryx3
December 16, 2013 at 12:59 AM
I think I'm now getting the sense that since there were so many scene devoted to CB in the beginning and not much of the other characters, now they are making up for it by switching it up. While I'm upset about having CB there for a long portion of the drama and suddenly nowhere, I have to look back and be thankful for the chance to see everyone else's stories come into play. Trash didn't really admit his feelings until later and now we get to see it. If there were substantially more CB scenes, would we have gotten to see development of everyone else?
Also, I think this may be due to the Reply 1994 cast coming into the picture. Did this take away from the show? Maybe it would have been nice to see Reply 1997 separate and not so linked to 1994 for comedy at the expense of the development of characters. However, I still think it was a good thing, it's what we has viewers want to feel again and it's refreshing to see how everything is linked together. I could really feel that lightheartedness I felt while I was watching Reply 1994 and this series is all about nostalgia. I love both of these series and I'm not dissing on bringing the characters back just merely looking at it's affect to Reply 1997 as it's own story.
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Strawberryx3
December 16, 2013 at 1:02 AM
I guess it's also in part that I'm tired of people relating that this person is like Shi Won's character in Reply 1994 and stuff like that. I wish Reply 1997 could stand alone and show me something more than just a shadow of the other series. They are different but I sometimes wonder what it would be like if one was without the other. But I understand it's hard since it's the same writers and it's simply for analytic purposes which I enjoy each analysis and totally respect everyone's opinion.
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Strawberryx3
December 16, 2013 at 1:06 AM
I totally mixed up the years, it's quite late here. I hope you can get the point, I'm super sorry ;w;
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83 mxx
December 16, 2013 at 1:18 AM
Oh darn. With Garbage proposing so early, I'm convinced that she's going to end up with Chilbongie now.
It's going to be one of those plot twists because they "revealed" it before the last episode and made you think it's all in the clear and safe now. And then you start to get comfortable with the idea, and BAM! You get thrown a curve ball. Lol.
I was rooting for Garbage too. He's still my fav <3
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84 Altari
December 16, 2013 at 1:18 AM
I just loved Najung for being totally cool about Oppa having to miss her birthday. Too many Kdrama females are so self-centered and bratty in similar situations. She knows Oppa feels terrible about missing their date and just trusts his love even when Oppa is too busy to spend time with her.
And I loved that cuddling in bed and proposal scene!
It was the most beautiful and "feels-genuine" proposal I have seen in a drama.
I think a big reason why I like this drama is because while most Kdrama romcoms are like a beautifully decorated cake that's all fluffy cream with no sponge cake, this drama does the sponge cake part of love/marriage so well. Even NJ's parents interactions depict a happy marriage after twenty, thirty years.
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85 Fangy
December 16, 2013 at 1:56 AM
Since in Epi17 it is implied that Chilbong still have not forgotten Najung, I'll just take it that Chilbong still have a chance with her. But if he meant another girl, good for him too!
I've come across many relationships where (a) childhood sweethearts happily married to each other; (b) friends breaking up with their longtime boyfriends of 8-9 years, and married the next guy whom they only knew for less than 6 months (not rebound since there were a period of non-dating); (c) friend who was dumped by his girlfriend of 3 years to go back to her first love; (d) a colleague who fell love in first sight with a girl who didn't even know of his existence because she was sent abroad for studies before he could say anything, they met few years later when she returned, and now happily married after some courtship.
From the narrative point of the drama, it probably seem unwise to change husband now, but between 1997 and 2002 is still a 5 long years for a relationship to evolve/develop .. and we should be seeing Samcheonpo and Yoonjin getting married first :D
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86 Nicki
December 16, 2013 at 1:59 AM
I just....I like Chillbongie, but I just can't get over the fact that he keeps actively pining for a girl who has never shown any interest in him (and no I don't count when she cried because she though he hadn't died in the mall collapse - I think she would have cried over anyone living in the boarding house) and is actively in love with someone else.
I'm all for being tenacious and being goal oriented, but I also think that it's kind of disrespectful at this point to NJ and Trash...and to be honest, kind of pathetic. I mean, it's been 3 years! Dude! At least try to move on* (and I don't just mean geographically).
Maybe if they had built him up as more of a well rounded character that wasn't just in love with NJ as his defining trait, or integrated him better into the group I'd be more invested, but I'm just not.
If they end up making him the husband, they better have the last 4 episodes, in which somehow NJ breaks up with Trash, and falls in love with CB play out in a reasonable, believable manner. But I just don't see how you can through over the preceding 16 eps. Oh well I guess we'll see!
*of course if the girl that he likes is a different girl to NJ I apologise fictional CB, my bad. Good for you!
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87 joycekang
December 16, 2013 at 2:04 AM
I feel the same way about the whole bait & switch. Chilbongie was set up as this awesome guy & that had me rooting for him SO MUCH, expecting the big guns to come out when he declares the head-on competition with Oppa… aaaaand then he was just shipped off to Japan just so the main couple could have their development.
That's why in as much as Najung & Oppa are also wonderful together, there were just expectations that weren't met. I miss my earnest, competitive Chilbongie. You better give him his own great ending, Show.
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joycekang
December 16, 2013 at 2:07 AM
Love the twin Sung Dong Il's though!
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sun yue
December 16, 2013 at 2:26 AM
I kind of hated the baseball hand-off/challenge. I don't know, I get it, narratively speaking, but it didn't feel right. Telling someone that you're not going to give up on pursuing their significant other, or essentially "it's not over til it's over" without a hint of irony, is kind of a dick move.
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Altari
December 16, 2013 at 2:45 AM
I agree. If this was a female character declaring that she was going after another girl's boyfriend she would not be getting all this sympathy no matter how sweet and earnest she was.
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cafelatte
December 16, 2013 at 9:16 AM
head on competition? Is najung a warrior's prize or something? At the point when he declared that challenge, he already knew how Najung felt about Oppa. If he had still tried to weasel his way in that would have made me lose all respect for him. I think going away to Japan was the best thing the writer could have done for him. He would miss out on the lovey-dovey developments between Najung and Oppa so when he does come back and (IF) he tries his luck again, he won't seem like such a douchebag.
Frankly, (and I admit I ship Najung-Oppa, so maybe this affects my thinking but) -- how can you be disappointed when she has zilch nada zero interest in him. Being competitive is disrespectful of Najung's own feelings.
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88 kimberly
December 16, 2013 at 2:09 AM
Trash has always tried to do whats best for her. He proposed because he new she would make herself sick trying to take care of him. So that is the same reason he is going to break it off with her because he feels she is wasting her life waiting for him to finish med school.
They will bring Chilbongie back and they both will give it a try. But both Trash and her will realize they cant live without each other. The End
Come on how many dramas have you guys watched.
By the way ,Trash is the only one who would let a man he knows used to want his wife hang out in his home.
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annemarie
December 16, 2013 at 2:42 AM
based from the drama, he wouldn't.
because he didn't want na jung to study with him. and he smoked a pack of cigarettes because he thought na jung cancelled their date to take care of chil bong and lied to him saying it was yoon jin.
this even though he knew that na jung likes him and only considers chil bong as a friend...
or maybe the reason he is jealous and insecure is that he knows na jung more than she knows herself and he knows she was feelings for chil bong and she just doesn't know it? *hahahaha, too makjang*
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89 h0neybee
December 16, 2013 at 2:19 AM
You know what I wanted to know? What happened after CB and NJ kissed. Did she like it? Did she hate it? Didn't it make things more awkward between them? I've been waiting patiently, but we're already on episode 17 and still no answers. If they touched on that a bit then maybe I could understand their relationship more. Cuz honestly, what IS their relationship?
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90 Kairoskat 💐
December 16, 2013 at 2:36 AM
I miss haitai!! So happy he's back next week! More haitai scene please..I'm one of the minority who ship haitai-najung..I know its not likely to happen T_T
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91 Chloe
December 16, 2013 at 2:41 AM
*Sniffle* Gosh, I was really looking forward to seeing Najung and Chilbongie together :'( And I totally agree with javabeans - I get that the writer has to give more scenes and time to the (probably) main couple, but to give Chilbong just one scene here and Haitai just a couple of scenes here and there is just saddening for Chilbongie and Haitai lovers!!! But oh well, am loving the humour slapped into each show and the characters. They are all so...real - and I guess this is one of the things that define the Answer Me shows. :-) Am still quite happy with it. It's not perfect, but it's putting in a commendable amount of effort.
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92 Ree
December 16, 2013 at 2:50 AM
I actually find this whole discussion pretty fascinating. I mean, we're all watching the exact same drama, exact same characters, exact same plot, but there are such HUGE differences in opinion in regards to whether or not Chilbong was seen as a primary contender. And I don't mean differences from blind shippers or anything, but from rational people who did watch the drama in a rational way and see the good in both guys. It genuinely makes me wonder what exactly the writer DID intend. I know we have interview snippits of Jungwoo saying they were testing the relationship b/w Trash/Najung, PDs saying they didn't have a definite plan for the husband/pre-recorded ten episodes. But I still believe the writer had an original intention in who she planned the husband to be, and everyone seems so divided on who it is.
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93 riko
December 16, 2013 at 2:54 AM
I totally agree with Javabeans. The way they dropped Chilbong obviously indicated they had no plans for him outside of said relationship with Najung.
I'm disappointed in the writers for possibly letting the overwhelming K-netizen preference for Trash sway what could have been a great relationship with Najung-Chilbong. There's a reason international fans obviously favour Chilbong, and I wish she took that into account instead of serving K-netizens.
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Ree
December 16, 2013 at 2:57 AM
"I’m disappointed in the writers for possibly letting the overwhelming K-netizen preference for Trash sway what could have been a great relationship with Najung-Chilbong. There’s a reason international fans obviously favour Chilbong."
???? Because international community's preference is inherently more wise and better guided than the domestic watcher's preference???? I'm pretty sure there's a perfectly good reason domestic fans prefer Trash as well.
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Heartoppaya
December 19, 2013 at 6:43 PM
Yep. I'm an international fan but I'm helplessly rooting for Oppa-ya. Sorry to point this out, but even though Jung Woo isn't the most handsome character, he can act pretty well. Yoo yun suk has the looks and talents, but I don't see any romantic tension or crazily-aware-of-each-other b/w him and Goara. Ofcourse I love Chilbongie, but I love Oppa more. He's the one who acts to move my heart. This is just my own personal opinion. But as I've said before (read #30), what's most important is that all have been good friends till the end. Just look at the boys in the group pic, they are so adorable. I heart that. Anyway, I hope that writer-nim won't disappoint us, and give a good reason if oppa is not the husband. Also, Oppa-ya, fighting!
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Ketu
December 16, 2013 at 5:18 AM
@riko i loled at your comment. You obviously think the so called international fans are more intelligent have better sense than the Korean fans. Bear in mind you are watching a Korean show written directed acted and produced by Koreans there is a reason you watch it because they are good enough to make a great show that brings in viewers from all over the world. I hate this dissing of Korean fans as unintelligent it happens here and in Heirs discussions. Its like biting the hand that feeds. Its frustrating.
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cafelatte
December 16, 2013 at 9:31 AM
You are contradicting your own self. On the one hand you believe the writers had no plans for CB aside from Najung's storyline. Then in the same breath you think that making Oppa - Najung's lover was merely decided because of public opinion? If you look at the story so far as a whole, Oppa has always been crafted and treated with great detail and care. Just watch episode 2 - the big reveal that he's not the brother and the many storylines involving things he does for Najung, Binggeurae, for the parents, at the hospital etc. The writers have always treated him as "special" and that was entirely intentional on their part - not some response to outward pressures.
"CB's story" episodes are coming - ep 19-20 probably. He is a supporting character and he is being treated just like the rest of the supporting characters with getting the focus in some early episodes and then a wrap up towards the end.
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Michelle
December 16, 2013 at 8:30 PM
serving knetizens? ummm trash has always been the favorite from the very beginning. and quite frankly, even the CB FANS in KOREA have absolutely no problem with his supposed "unromantic proposal that only came about from fear" or his reluctance to tell NJ he likes her in the very beginning.
ive mentioned this so many times here on DB but the main reason why koreans like trash so much is because his actions are so realistic and acceptable in the context of korean culture.
the fact that he proceeds with caution and chooses not to completely depend on his feelings... and all the other things that CB fans DONT Like about trash is actually the very reason that korean like him.
and yes this is a korean drama and if you are in tune with korean culture, i feel like its very easy to see that trash has been written to be the main contender and the favorite.
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Michelle
December 16, 2013 at 8:32 PM
and it is always the case that a writer has a "favorite". in every single drama.
its not based on the audience - it is decided from the very beginning.
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94 Z
December 16, 2013 at 3:06 AM
LOVED Bing's story arc here. I had actually been really disappointed that they recycled the gay plot because, why? I'm glad that they did something different here. And, while it was a "gotcha" moment, it definitely wasn't just for the sake of trolling the audience. It really fit his character to be confused and passive and, like he told Hyung (I loved that!) about med school, he didn't know how he felt until he tried it.
When the writers sent HaiTai and then Chilbongie into exile, i thought for sure they were going to do a time jump, just because this world is so much more interesting when the gang is all together. Now, they are sending SCP off too? I don't get it.
I think the show handled the love triangle really well until the point where Chilbong challenges Trash tho go head to head for Najung's heart, because that never actually happens. I would have liked to see Najung conflicted about her feelings for the boys and have her make the ultimate choice. Heck, if we're out here going crazy, I don't see how it could have been such as easy choice. I never was on either Team but I'm on Team Good Story, and it would have been a much better story if the conflict wad on Najung's end.
Lastly, what is Oppa freaking out about as the end? Chilbong ifs a baseball star and the Rookie of the Year. This cannot be the first time you've seen him on tv in the year he's been gone. Why get all disgruntled and storm of the room with your fiance still on the line?
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95 Shila
December 16, 2013 at 3:23 AM
I'm not any character shipper, just want to give my opinion. I think the husband will be Chil Bong:
1. Remember how the writer use the actor real name in the drama, except a few like na jung, and binggurae
- Kim sung kyun - samchoenpo
- sung dong il- sung dong il
- lee il hwa - mother
- yoon Jin yi - Jin yi
There fore likely next epi Haitai real name will be kim Ho joon as oppose to sohn Ho joon, trash oppa - Kim Jung guk, and chil bong - Kim jae joon.
2. From 1st episode, how na jung speak to her hubby using Seoul accent and her interaction with him more like spouses.
3. He sleep in one of the room in the house like he knows all the room inside, and remember this is housewarming party so other friends likely 1st time coming to their new house.
4. He make coffee for the dad when he came and called sung dong ill father.
And we have another 3 episodes to go and the timeline between 1997 and 2002 is quite a long time. Any thing can happen in 5 years.
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Laura
December 16, 2013 at 11:41 AM
We already know Trash's name is Kim Jae X.
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Dorina Revamonte
December 17, 2013 at 6:16 PM
yeah right..... i believe oppa is the husband too.....
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96 atz
December 16, 2013 at 3:30 AM
In four eps to go, letting CB into NJ's life and somehow making CB and NJ a couple seems very difficult. As far as the preview goes, did we see CB in it? All I can predict is that NJ and Trash will have a crisis and maybe CB will be there to comfort NJ. Yet, NJ and Trash will confirm their love,,,, something like that!! Or next eps will cover Hitai's love then next one is onto CB finding another girl??( that might cause a stir among viewers). This drama, even they are over 20 years old, seem like a teenage love drama. If we have to watch a drama with a girl who is innocence with love( puppy love kind of way), I rather prefer the girl from HardNut. The girl is very quirky without yelling a lot. I just do not know why many female heroine in K drama come with bad manners( such as eating habits and yelling). do they find it cute? It surely puzzles me,,,
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97 Camille
December 16, 2013 at 3:35 AM
I personally think it's Chilbong because he's almost out of the picture most of the time. I'm neither Team Chilbong nor Team Oppa, I just think they've put too much focus on Oppa to surprise us with Chilbong in the end. :)
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98 vanillacoffee
December 16, 2013 at 3:52 AM
Was Oppa really freaking out when he saw Chilbongie on tv? Maybe he was just watching and felt troubled by Chilbongie still (apparently) holding on to Na Jung- for Chilbongie's sake! I don't know, it just didn't seem like Oppa was really worried about his relationship...
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99 Shar
December 16, 2013 at 4:20 AM
I don't care anymore whatever happens, happens CB fan til end.. P.s I will gladly take him or maybe I will write a fanfic or something lol!!!
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100 ML
December 16, 2013 at 4:32 AM
I was always under the impression that CB was set up as a strong contender for NJ's love based on these factors:
1. Drama synopsis where NJ meets a freshman who knows her basketball idol and will love in her 20s bloom? We know CB is that freshman.
2. The sibling relationship between T and NJ was so strongly played out in the beginning that when romantic love entered the picture it was hard to accept, though I do agree the love scenes are very adorable.
3. The non-family person that NJ had the most voluntary skin ship with, besides T, was CB. She holds his hands/arms while walking, seeing the magic eye, watching the horror show, hugging him after the mall collapse and letting him massage her when she was having back pain. I think physical touches like these usually have significant meaning in kdramaland.
4. Some may say T loves NJ better or more while others will say CB. To me, both love her and her family dearly. Even when buying her gifts from Japan, T bought her make up, marshmallows and manga which he knew she liked while CB bought her perfume because of her comment about his cologne and he even bought expensive whisky for her dad.
5. There was the physical awareness of him during the massage and baseball practice. She also had respect when he played and watched him on TV interviews.
6. The 2013 scenes are so CB and NJ skewed that I wonder why so much trolling if he's not the husband. Or else the dad made him a godson hence the closeness and familiarity in the relationship.
OK don't know what else to say anymore Lol :)
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yuna111
December 16, 2013 at 10:16 AM
i know. in the drama's synopsis:
na jung - one day a freshman shows up in front of na jung, who knows no other man than sang min oppa, she begins to sway. will her first real love start in her 20s?
chil bong - to him who was interested in nothing but baseball, maybe na jung would become more important than baseball
if you base things from the synopsis, he is a contender and they seem to be the pairing.
also the names! he's the only one with a real name, not just a nickname since episode 3.
and how na jung changed how she addresses him, from chil bong to bong-ah, to joon-ah, to plain joon in the 2013 scenes when she asked him to order the food delivery.
in korean (and japanese dramas), there are formal (kr -shi and jp - san, -kun) and informal (kr -ah, -ie and jp -chan) attachments/honorifics to names but it is more intimate to drop said attachments/honorifics. when people call husbands/wives by name (not the husband/wife title but the actual name), there are no attachments/honorifics to signify that intimate connection.
joon has also changed how he calls na jung's dad. in the past, it is always coach-nim (polite professional). in a recent episode, it was father (close).
joon has also changed how he calls trash. from hyung/hyung-nim (close informal/close formal), to sunbae/sunbae-nim (polite professional), then back to hyung-nim. obviously, the drama has shown why the way he called him in the past has changed, and we expect that the reason for the way he calls him again is also important/significant.
in the same way, how na jung calls him and how he calls na jung's dad, there is an important/significant reason, particularly in changes in relationships.
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