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Pinocchio: Episode 20 (Final)

Aw, it’s time to say farewell to our band of reporters, who based on this drama, are pretty much defenders of truth, justice, and guardians of the galaxy. With great media exposure comes great responsibility… The finale delivers exactly what we’ve come to expect from this show—a sweetly satisfying, heartwarming sendoff for everyone and their mothers. And fathers. Don’t forget the dads!

 
SONG OF THE DAY

Noel – “See You in NeverLand” [ Download ]

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EPISODE 20: “Peter Pan”

In the wake of Beom-jo’s confession (falsely, to his mother’s crimes), it’s a mad dash to the police precinct. Reporters flood in and line up to get an interview with Beom-jo, but he refuses to see anyone.

In-ha and Dal-po corner the chief detective and argue that Beom-jo isn’t a criminal mastermind and they all know it, but the detective says that until they can prove he’s lying or someone else confesses, his hands are tied.

But almost immediately, word spreads of Chaebol Mommy’s plans to come to the precinct that night, and every station scrambles to get reporters and camera crews ready. In-ha goes to see Mom, who tells her that this is their chance to ask questions on camera.

Mom knows that Chaebol Mommy’s only weakness is her son, and that Beom-jo must’ve turned himself in knowing she’d come for him. She says that this is the opportunity he created for In-ha and Dal-po to ask the right questions. Mom plans to be there as well, because this is what she risked everything to accomplish.

Meanwhile, Chaebol Mommy is at her wit’s end, and no amount of coaxing from her staff can get her to change her mind about going to the police station. She can’t stand that her precious Beom-jo is spending even a minute inside a jail cell, and demands to go onward.

The reporters are lined up at the precinct’s entrance, and Mom arrives to nitpick some more at In-ha’s inane prepared questions (to be fair, she knows they’re lame because they’re from Il-joo, who’s busy kissing Chaebol Mommy’s ass). She tells them that their job is to make Chaebol Mommy say something other than the two standard lawyerspeak lines, which we see her repeat over and over in the car on the way there.

Mom turns to Dal-po and says that she’ll be standing there too, so this is his chance to ask everything he’s ever wanted. That makes his thoughts drift back to the day he and Hyung took their picture.

The photographer tries to coax a smile out of Dal-po, but Hyung’s impending arrest hangs over him like a dark cloud. Hyung turns Dal-po’s face toward him and tries to lighten the mood, and Dal-po just promises to do whatever it takes to bring Song Cha-ok down. Dal-po asks Hyung what he wants to say to her if given the chance, and promises to say it all in Hyung’s place.

Chaebol Mommy arrives at the precinct and repeats her two standard-issue statements about complying with the investigation and being sorry for causing trouble, and it looks like she might make it inside without caving to the reporters’ questions.

Dal-po’s face twists up as he thinks back to Hyung’s answer to his question: His request was for Dal-po not to ask the things they’re curious about, but to do his job as a reporter and ask what it is the people want to know. Right now all Dal-po can see think about are his mother and father, and the only question floating in his head is: “Why did you slander my family?” But he shakes the thought out of his head and keeps his promise to Hyung, focusing on getting Chaebol Mommy to break from her rehearsed lines.

Dal-po asks if she thinks Beom-jo is innocent, and at that, Chaebol Mommy answers eagerly that her son is innocent. Hooked. He keeps going and asks what she thought when she saw reporters slandering Beom-jo’s name. She says it’s wrong, and that it has to be made right.

Her lawyer’s prodding for her to stick to the script just makes her snap right then and there: “Trouble? What trouble have I caused to feel sorry about?!” Dal-po knows he’s got her, and asks her to correct them then, and she rants over and over that Beom-jo is innocent.

They keep insisting that he confessed, and the other reporters join in to ask if this means she’s in on it, and if he’s taking the blame alone. It builds and builds, and she finally breaks: “My son is innocent! My son is so kind that he took the fall and went to jail just to protect his mother!” Yahtzee.

The crowd jumps on her statement to ask if she just admitted to attempted murder. She doesn’t answer any more questions, but the damage is done, and she stares numbly at Dal-po as her lawyers lead her inside.

Most of the reporters clear out, and In-ha asks Dal-po why he didn’t ask all the things he wanted to say about his family. He just lets her wonder and doesn’t say, but shares a little bow with Song Cha-ok, who muses to herself that he really has a talent for making her feel embarrassed.

In-ha thinks that Beom-jo must regret sharing those incriminating text messages with her, because then his mother might still be a sweet angel in his eyes. Dal-po says the truth has a way of coming out eventually, so he would’ve found out a different way, and she isn’t to blame.

Chan-soo watches the news and answers a call from Dal-po, wondering if he called to brag about being the top story on every channel. But Dal-po surprises him by asking him to drop the charges against Song Cha-ok. Chan-soo asks if he got his apology, and Dal-po says that he did. That’s big of you to consider that silent bow an apology.

At YGN, Yoo-rae boasts to her sidekick that she’s got a great story to pitch in today’s meeting, and Gyo-dong walks by to tell her he’s looking forward to it. Yoo-rae finally decides that he likes her and flits off to the meeting twirling her hair.

But her big pitch turns out to be a breakdown of Chaebol Mommy’s I’m-going-to-prison fashion, which is embarrassing for everyone in the room. Gyo-dong yells at her in front of everyone to focus on what’s important, and Yoo-rae sits stunned in her chair long after the meeting is over, deciding that she was wrong about Gyo-dong’s feelings. Orrr, he lurves you so much that he’s disappointed in you!

For a while now, Hyun-kyu has been coaxing her to become his protégé, and Yoo-rae finally says yes. There is a literal passing of the headband like it’s a crown, and Hyun-kyu pun-sings his nickname into H.O.T.’s “Candy,” just to make my day.

The latest news reports tell us that Chaebol Mommy’s various companies are breaking off and voting in new presidents, including MSC. The employees are banding together to petition shareholders to vote her out, and leading the charge is our very own Princess.

Once Chaebol Mommy confesses to everything, Beom-jo is released from jail, and Dal-po is there to pick him up and call him a crazy bastard again. Beom-jo saw the news and wonders why Dal-po didn’t ask about his family, but he says he’s a reporter so he just did his job.

Dal-po thanks him and asks what he can do in return, promising to do whatever Beom-jo asks. In-ha runs up to them out of breath, relieved to hear that it’s all over and Beom-jo is okay. Beom-jo makes sure that Dal-po meant it when he said he’d agree to whatever he asked for, and looks at In-ha with a smile: “Then lemme borrow In-ha for half and hour.”

Dal-po’s eyes widen and he instinctively pulls In-ha behind his back, stammering in protest. But when Beom-jo says it’s to say his final goodbyes, they can’t argue.

He takes her back to the convenience store where they first met in person, and tells her that this is the place where he had his biggest regret—it was only thirty seconds, but he let this one moment pass.

He reminds her of the birthday she had when Mom came to see her about the MSC internship, and how disappointed she was that it wasn’t a visit to wish her happy birthday. In-ha remembers that nobody remembered her birthday that day, but Beom-jo says that he did—he came here to give her a present but chickened out at the last minute, and he regrets it to this day.

He takes that present out now and hands it to her, and says the things he wanted to say then: “Happy birthday, Choi In-ha. I missed you, Choi In-ha. I’m glad we met, Choi In-ha.” She asks if he still means it, and is grateful that he does. He turns to go but decides at the last minute to get a hug, and then says goodbye.

Song Cha-ok receives notice that the charges against her have been dropped. Princess comes by with good news that their director will be fired in no time, but she just asks him to hand in her resignation. He doesn’t see why she’s quitting when everything could change in a few days, but she seems determined to leave MSC.

Beom-jo visits his mother in prison, and though she’s without her makeup and her designer clothes, she’s still exactly the same. She’s the one in jail but all she does is worry about the time Beom-jo spent in there, sleeping on the floor and suffering.

Despite confessing to her crimes, it’s clear that Mommy feels no actual remorse—she reassures Beom-jo that she’ll be out of here in no time, and in a few years they can start over. She suggests that he study business in the meantime. He just swallows back his tears and says there’s something else he’d like to do.

MSC’s director comes charging up to Song Cha-ok to ask what she told the police about him, and she answers matter-of-factly that she told them everything. She remembers that she forgot about the latest bribe and decides she’ll have to go back and tell them about that, and he rails at her to shut up. She gets in the elevator to leave the building for the last time and says back to him in banmal, “No, you shut up.” Ha.

As she rides the elevator down, she remembers Dal-po’s questions to her long ago, when he asked why no one believed her words, and if she was a real reporter. She answers to herself now that it’s because she was a liar, and no, she isn’t a reporter.

Dal-po and In-ha fold laundry at home, and he asks oh-so-casually where she went with Beom-jo the other day, and why she took so long. She doesn’t remember being gone longer than thirty minutes, but he gripes that it was forty-two minutes. Heh.

She calls him petty but then they get distracted by pictures from Chan-soo’s housewarming party, and suddenly the picture of them holding the baby and looking very much like parents makes them feel awkward.

Dad chooses that moment of all moments to look over their shoulders, and pulls them aside for a chat. They launch into this long-winded excuse about the picture and how it’s not what it looks like (lol, it’s not even like he caught you kissing!), but Dad has more serious concerns on his mind.

He tells them about bringing up their relationship to Grandpa (as a hypothetical dream), and how he reacted badly. Dad understands Grandpa’s reasoning—he refuses to lose his son a second time, which is why he’ll never agree to un-adopt Dal-po, and a relationship like theirs could end, while family doesn’t.

In-ha can’t believe he’s asking them to break up, but Dad’s idea is just to lie to Grandpa instead, because he’s worried that telling him the truth could lead to some kind of breakdown. In-ha vehemently opposes the idea, but Dal-po agrees to think about it, which upsets her.

Dal-po lies awake that night deep in thought, remembering his promises to Dad that he would never do anything to jeopardize the family, and how he had asked to lie to Grandpa about being his son back when he was desperate and needed a father.

In-ha cries alone while leaning against Dal-po’s door that night, but then the moment of angst gets undercut when he opens it and she tumbles backward right into his arms. He says he has something to tell her, but she runs away to the bathroom, mortified.

Princess gets reinstated at MSC, and everyone welcomes him back at the city news desk, even Gyo-dong. Princess complains about the lock code on the door changing in his absence, but Gyo-dong reminds him that it changes on rotation all the time. That just makes Princess wonder how Yoo-rae got in here every time she was drunk, and Gyo-dong stays conspicuously silent.

Yoo-rae gets drunk again, this time wailing at Gyo-dong for leading her on and then rejecting her. She ends up at the gate of the precinct demanding to see him, and the officers roll their eyes and call him out to fetch her. Ha, is this what he did every time?

He carries her into the reporters’ room and puts her on the couch, and tucks her in with newspapers. When she sneezes and shivers from the cold, he throws his jacket over her too. She mutters in her sleep at Gyo-dong for leading her on, and he cracks a tiny smile.

In-ha finds Yoo-rae looking hungover and reeking of booze the next morning, and again Yoo-rae has no memory of how she ended up sleeping on the couch. Dal-po finds them and asks In-ha to talk, but she lies that she’s on her way out and runs away.

He can hear her hiccupping down the hall and chases her down, and she lies again, desperate to run away before he breaks up with her. She asks how he can give up so easily when they went through so much to get here, but Dal-po finally gets a word in and says that he has no intention of giving up.

He’s going to tell Grandpa the truth and do whatever it takes to get permission, because he’s learned from Beom-jo and Hyung that no matter how much people might seem happier not knowing the truth, in the end not knowing doesn’t keep truth from being true.

She agrees that it’s the only way, but then asks what happens if Grandpa doesn’t give them his blessing. Dal-po says he’ll try everything, but if in the end nothing works, the only thing they can do is accept it.

She cries just to hear him say the words, but he wipes away her tears and tells her, “Father is the person who saved me, raised me, and let me meet you. Even if the entire world gave us permission, if Father says no, I can’t disobey.” He holds her tight and they agree to tell Grandpa together.

They head home and brace themselves for the moment of truth, and kneel before Grandpa, who wonders why they came together. Dal-po begins, “We have something to tell you…”

Fast-forward to January 2015.

We’ve finally caught up to the present day, and Hyun-kyu stands in front of the YGN building looking very much the same—suit on top, sweats on bottom—to announce the newest rookie reporter selection process.

Camerawoman Jae-hwan nitpicks at him like always, but when Il-joo comes by to ask if she isn’t tired of bickering with a manchild, she answers by pulling Hyun-kyu in for a big kiss and says that’s why she married him. They’re so cute. Il-joo grumbles, still dying of jealousy.

Dal-po is back in Hyung’s apartment, and as he gets dressed in his snazzy suit, he talks to In-ha over the phone (she’s still saved as “Niece In-ha,” so I gather that Grandpa said no). Both their stations have rookie interviews today, and they chitchat as he drives over to pick her up for work, and she waits with two coffees in hand.

Dal-po says he met with Beom-jo recently and he plans to apply at MSC as a rookie, and In-ha thinks it’s crazy because he’d have to go live at the police precinct all over again from the start. Dal-po shudders at the thought and says that’s worse than going to army twice.

He picks her up, and she comments on him dressing up now that he’s on the courthouse team (she’s on economy coverage at MSC). She jokes that she’s dressed up because there are lots of good-looking guys interviewing today, and he scowls.

At YGN, Dal-po calls the next group of interviewees in, but stops short when he notices that one of them looks eerily like Hyung (it’s the same actor who played Hyung as a teenager). And then in the group interview, when Gyo-dong asks about news you want to hear versus news you need to hear, Mini-Hyung starts giving a hypothetical example about tickets to an idol concert. Everyone in the room raises an eyebrow and they ask if cancer news is next, and Dal-po is properly weirded out that Mini-Hyung is quoting him. But he says it’s a story he was taught in a special lecture series, and the lesson stuck with him.

We see that Song Cha-ok is the teacher he’s talking about—she’s doing what she does best, teaching new reporter hopefuls how to do the job. But now she’s imparting a very different kind of philosophy about the news that needs to be told, which she picked up from Dal-po.

Over at MSC, In-ha is wrangling the interviewees as well, and one of them recognizes her as the face of MSC’s news and the world’s first Pinocchio reporter. Pwaha, I love In-ha’s deadpan response to the compliment that she’s prettier in person: “Of course. I think my looks are wasted on journalism too.”

But she overhears that same girl telling the others that In-ha was just chosen as a publicity stunt, and she heard that her recent journalism award was yet another PR move. In-ha loses her patience and screams back that yes, she was chosen for publicity, but challenges the girl to confirm her source about the award. When she says she just heard it somewhere but it fits, In-ha makes a point of her assuming something without confirming the facts. Princess tells the girl to just go home now. In-ha gets back to calling out the next group of interviewees, and Beom-jo comes up when she calls his number.

He greets her with a big smile and says it’s been about a year, and she pouts that he always hangs out with Dal-po but never with her. Beom-jo corrects her and swears that he tells Dal-po to bring her along every time, but he never does. Ha. She raises her hand for a high-five just like old times, and Beom-jo gulps nervously before offering up his hand for one of her jumping high-fives of pain. Yay, the band is back together!

Dad and Grandpa stop by Dal-po’s empty apartment to fill his fridge like always, and Grandpa notices that Dal-po left his wallet at home. He finds the picture of him and In-ha with Chan-soo’s baby tucked inside, and though Grandpa is taken aback at first, the image of them as happy parents gives him pause and he wonders if maybe their relationship isn’t as wrong as he once thought.

Dad carefully broaches the subject and says that he thought it was absurd at first too, but the more you think about it, the less weird it gets, and the more he sees them together, he starts to find them cute at times. Aw, Dad.

He says that Dal-po has liked In-ha for over ten years, but the fact that they’re living as uncle and niece because Grandpa wants it that way makes Dad proud of them, but also sorry too. Grandpa puts the wallet back with a deep sigh.

It’s time for the new rookies to get their start at YGN, and now Yoo-rae is the new Hyun-kyu, dressed exactly the way he was on her first day, with the exact same speech and headband to boot. I love it. Hyun-kyu just watches her, beaming with pride at the monster he’s created.

Dal-po gets ready to do a report outside the courthouse and is surprised to see Grandpa there. Grandpa says he came to the courthouse to submit paperwork to cancel Dal-po’s adoption. Awwww.

Grandpa says it’s time he help Dal-po reclaim his real name, and says he’s sorry—he loved Dal-po so much that he was too stubborn for too long. Ugh, it still breaks my heart when he tells Dal-po that he can throw away that name now.

Dal-po cries, and Grandpa tells him, “You just take good care of our In-ha now.” Dal-po nods, “I will, Father.” Grandpa hugs him close: “Thank you for living as my son,” and Dal-po answers, “Thank you for raising me, Father.”

Grandpa sits by with a proud smile as Dal-po begins his report, announcing Chaebol Mommy’s three-year sentence. In-ha follows with a report of Beomjo Group’s recovery after voting on a new CEO, and Yoo-rae follows with reports on the various assemblymen who are being investigated for their involvement in corruption.

Then we fade into a wedding dress shop, where Dad and Grandpa read the latest wedding-wear trends right out of a magazine, the same way Grandpa did when he took Dal-po in for his makeover.

The curtain opens and In-ha and Dal-po model their wedding dress and tux, and Dad and Grandpa fawn over them. Dad snaps pictures of In-ha and Grandpa is still very much all about Dal-po, which just gets me right here.

They order them to try on every outfit in the store, and the curtains close again. In-ha turns to Dal-po and says she’s curious about something—why did he go on that quiz show back in high school?

He answers with a kiss, and then: “Because I liked you.” He finally told her! He goes in for another kiss. And another. And another.

 
COMMENTS

I could do this all day. Don’t stop on my account! Pretty brave with two parents sitting just on the other side of that curtain, but I guess they’re not afraid of much anymore. I love that it ends with In-ha finally learning how long Dal-po’s been in love with her, since he’s never once confessed to it outright. All in all the finale was a solid wrap-up, and in exchange for dealing with the height of our main conflicts before the final episode, we got resolutions and futures and time to focus on the family, which made me happy.

As a series, Pinocchio felt very much like a retread of themes that the writer and director had already explored in I Hear Your Voice, and for that reason it admittedly doesn’t feel as fresh the second time around. The extra episodes didn’t help much for the pace of the story either, which hurtled through its best material in the first half and suffered through a languid latter half. Going from the emotional stakes in Hyung’s story to the moms and their war was a sharp downturn in speed and emotional investment, and I can’t help but wonder how much better it would have been to watch it play out in the reverse, with Hyung’s story getting the bigger buildup for the finale. In hindsight the drop-off in tension after Hyung gets jailed marks the show’s biggest mistake, because it’s akin to killing Min Joon-gook off halfway through I Hear Your Voice—where would we have been then? It might’ve been a miscalculation on how good Hyung’s story would be, but hell, isn’t this what the liveshoot is for?

The plotular missteps might’ve been helped by a more conflicted romance, but this one, while being buckets of cute, wasn’t actually all that conflicted. I didn’t mind in the grand scheme of things because I found Lee Jong-seok and Park Shin-hye to be SO. FRIGGIN. CUTE together, but it didn’t help the sagging pace in the second half when their feelings had been confirmed but they kept trying to invent reasons why they couldn’t be together. The only reason I ever bought was this last one, involving Grandpa’s blessing, so I feel like much of the breaking up and angsting we did in the middle did the show no favors. Compared to the early conflict—Dal-po trying to hide his feelings because he thought they were wrong, or In-ha asking him to ignore her repeated confessions—the later stuff didn’t move me nearly as much.

This writer is far from subtle in her themes (though honestly, she did a better job with reporters than lawyers, because omg, the law in Voice was seriously funny), but I do appreciate that she wears her heart on her sleeve when it comes to idealism and writing heroes and heroines who fight to right wrongs in their own way. In Pinocchio it was driven by the idea of eternal youth, not living forever, but as in Peter Pan—the title of the final episode and the symbol of unending youth. The older generation of characters (the moms and Hyung included) had each lost their way at some point, because they lost their innocence and their idealism, and eventually their sense of right and wrong. But In-ha, Dal-po, and Beom-jo are Peter Pans, because they refuse to cave to the jaded grown-up acceptance that this is just the way things are, and set out to find a way to make their naïve view of the world a reality.

They learn along the way just how naïve they really were, but they also hold on to the core of their idealism, and that’s what changes the people around them. (Well, it doesn’t change Chaebol Mommy so much as gets her caught, but she’s a bit of a nutjob, so we’ll call that a mitigated success. And I actually liked that she didn’t suddenly feel remorse, because that would’ve been out of character.) We get the sense that our central characters will stay young forever in the way that matters—in heart. In that way it’s much more about Peter Pan than it is about Pinocchio, though it was fun to get a rom-com heroine who was forced to be honest at all times, on top of being vain and shameless.

Though her character didn’t get nearly as much development as the hero did, Park Shin-hye’s performance was the one that stood out in this drama, if only to serve as a great big reminder of how much I like her in comedies. She does funny in an effortless way, and made In-ha so lovable that I forgot all about the sad girl who used to get dragged around by rich assholes (man, what I wouldn’t give to wipe Heirs from my memory). It’s so nice to have her playing a strong female character, and so charmingly at that. Lee Jong-seok is best when working with this production team, though I can’t help but wonder if casting someone else would’ve been the distance from I Hear Your Voice that we needed. But I loved Dal-po all the same, so I can’t argue that it was a bad choice, because he carried the emotion of the show.

Part of Pinocchio’s winning charm is that every side character is played by someone great, which makes all the newsroom scenes entertaining on their own. Kim Hae-sook and Jin Kyung were especially great as the two moms, as was Yoon Kyun-sang as Hyung, and pretty much everyone on the two news teams was fun to watch. I was frankly a little disappointed with Lee Yubi’s character, both in the actress’s portrayal and in the character’s arc, because she was so broad that I couldn’t take her seriously. I feel like her romance with Gyo-dong saved her (almost nonexistent) storyline towards the end, because she was wasted for a good portion of the drama. Kim Young-kwang got his chance to shine, but it would’ve been nice to give the boys’ friendship a little more heft by building it in early on. It feels mostly like the second leads got punted in favor of developing Hyung and Mom, which I understand given the way their conflicts drove much of the plot, but it would’ve been nice to tilt the balance a little more evenly.

But what I did love unabashedly about Pinocchio was the family. Even its fluid definition of family was moving, from Dad and Grandpa’s acceptance of Dal-po, to In-ha’s tenuous relationship with her mother, to Dal-po’s heartbreaking one with Hyung. And of course Dal-po and In-ha’s struggle to define what their love was, when protecting their family was so important to them. That stuff was aces, and I’ll never tire of watching uplifting stories about found families that go to the ends of the earth to love one another. Grandpa’s refusal to let go of Dal-po as a son feels like the farthest thing from a roadblock there is, because it comes from such pure-hearted love. And it was so fitting that Dal-po decided that he couldn’t betray that love.

Even though I knew we’d get a happy ending, I found the finale’s conflict compelling because I love this family, and it matters a great deal that they respect Grandpa and search for a way to earn his blessing the right way. I’m so glad we didn’t rush through that acceptance or get some kind of comical version where they go through all that angst and he just tells them he knows; instead, we get another highlight father-son moment. Dal-po and Grandpa’s scenes were among my favorites throughout the show (as were In-ha’s scenes with Dad), and I got to send the show off with a feeling of satisfaction and lots of warm fuzzies to spare. Thanks for the feel-good times, Pinocchio. You were the best love story between an uncle, a niece, a grandpa, and a dad ever. Strangely, not as weird as it sounds!

 
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Thanks for all the recaps. I'm sad to see this series go. :( I'm glad that mom turned out to be pretty awesome.

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What is inside the present that Beom Jo gave to In Ha in the convenience store? Can anyone tell me please?

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I have the same question :(

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I'm sad but glad, it been a dry season for me with drama lately but was glad finally a good one came out. Thanks for the recap beans! Much love xoxo

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I think the character Dalpo is well designed for Lee Jong Seok I couldn't picture anyone playing the role, he does best in romance department and bringing out best kisses from Park Shin Hye.

The second half of drama does faltered but I'm happy that the writer stays from her idea and doesn't get easily swayed from the fans for requesting of more love story than reporting itself.

All in all LJS and PSH works very well together. Thanks girlfriday for rigorously recapping this drama.

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Thank you!!! I loved the entire ride and the only other thing I could have probably asked for with the ending was involving hyung one way or another... (maybe even something with Grandpa, if not In Ha and Dal Pyung, continuing to relate with hyung...) But that's ok. I love this all the same.

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By the end of it I forgot she was a Pinocchio LOL she did hiccup since episode 15

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Thank you so much for all your hard work on the recaps. It makes me sad to say goodbye to these characters, but I'm happy that I'll be able to rewatch from the beginning now without worrying about it going off the rails.

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They look so beautiful at the ending scene. I'm in awe
The drama might not be perfect but it is meaningful and has all the wonderful characters that make I care.
I love the OTP's chemistry and will miss them badly

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Awww...all warm and fuzzy inside...thank you GF for the ride!

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I loved this drama so much but the ending left me with questions :(

- what happens with hyung? Does he stay in jail?
- why did the drama leave off without resolving yoorae and gyodong's misunderstanding :( i was hoping they would get together!
- I would've liked to see chaelbol mommy show some remorse to make her a more rounded character. I realize that her love for her son is the part that would show her "good" side but I don't really see much character development because she stayed the same through out the show (nice on the outside, love for her son, evil on the inside)

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I saw a comment somewhere that said that showing hyung's younger version was maybe sort of a nod to him, that showed what might've been if he hadn't followed the path of revenge. Idk, that really got me in the heart, but I wish we saw him too.

As for Cap and YR, I wished we got to see if they actually ended up together! But I'm honestly so glad YR became the female HK, she'll probably make those interns cry now lol.

PRS isn't the remorseful type, she showed no concerns over her past actions, and I'm that stayed true until the end. Still felt bad for BJ though, but once the Han line are all friends, I'm happy.

Admittedly, that ending kind of made up for everything, for me. Choi family is love.

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What part did they show the younger version of Hyung? I must have missed that.

I was also waiting for a bit of closure with Hyung. Like it would have been great if Dal Po 'formally' introduced In Ha to Hyung and sort get his blessing too. I mean, he's still family, right?

And what turned out from Grandpa's visits to Hyung? They could have made something out of it...

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At YGN, when DP called out the interviewees. He's one of them.

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I agree to you!

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Hyung killed three people. One of them was left alive in a hole to starve to death. So yeah, I'm pretty sure he stays in jail. Hyung's character was weird. In the beginning he was in a murderous spree (3 and wanted more) and then he finds Dal Po and he is all warm, fuzzy, and wise. Where was all that wisdom when he was murdering people?

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...actually he wasn't all warm and fuzzy when he first met Dal-po, it was Dal-po who talked him around to turning himself in.

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Desire for revenge can cloud good judgement.

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"– why did the drama leave off without resolving yoorae and gyodong’s misunderstanding :( i was hoping they would get together!"
Right???? i too feel the same way!!!

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exactly! i loved this drama but i totally shipped Yoorae and Gyodong!!! >< i wanted to see them together at the end, but unfortunately i didn't. :( i adored their moments XD especially when Gyodong tried to make Yoorae happy and when he carried her when she was drunk. <3

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What is inside the present that Beom Jo gave to In Ha in the convenience store? Can anyone tell me please?

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So, what do I do with my life now? :'(

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My thoughts exactly!!

We have Hyun Bin though, let's hope he can fill the emptiness next week.

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whoa @Bongsook, you have a similar username to me as well! I take it you're also a fan of Park Bong Soo? :D

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From Healer drama that is :)

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Is there another PBS in dramaland? lol I wouldn't know. I'm a Healer fan~

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@ Bongsookie: Agreed, PBS from Healer is a fave of mine.

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a question that gets thrown around by people who love this show..no really,what will we do with our life now?

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Try to fill it with other dramas lol But honestly, I don't think anything can fill this gap for a while.

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Yeah it may take a while... I could watch something else but I will probably think of this show while I'm watching..lol

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T-T IM HEART BROKEN.. If i were you i'd watch It's Okay That's Love since theres atleast two people from the curreny cast.

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I felt like this after Misaeng, but Pinocchio filled that hole for a while. Now Pinocchio ended too......what do I watch now?!

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Healer because it is my answer to everything right now, even if it has no relation to the questions...

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rewatch you from another star

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I'm actually doing that right now!

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Watch Healer.

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AMEN. HEALER! (p.s. the beginning is a tad bit draggy but afterwards trust me it is wow)

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@KrispyKream

Yes, I agree with @Kellie, you should totally watch Healer! It's an incredible drama and has an epic romance ♥

You'll love it for sure as much as a lot of beanies here love it too. If you look at the comments sections for Healer, since episode 8 onwards, they all have above 1000 comments each (ep 8 & 9 with 1000+, ep 10 with 4000+, ep 11 with 1000+, and episode 12 with 2000+ and counting....)

Trust me, you won't regret watching Healer :)

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Ahahah! I'm already watching Healer. Ji Chang Wook is so !@#% hot!! I don't know what's going to become of me when that drama ends too. Probably fall into a pit of depression. HAHAHA!

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Haha it's a great drama, I'm glad you're liking it too as much as I do :)

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I'm a big fan of Healer, but there's a void left by Pinocchio itself.

I think when you're so emotionally invested in something, it might turn out this way, it might take a little while to let go. It's hard to find quality dramas like Pinocchio.

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I love this show... just finished watching and went here to read the recaps. Life will not be the same without my Pinocchio ;( loved the plot, the leads, the characters, awnd all the twist andmturns... It was a roller coaster ride, BUT will ride it again just to see my Pinocchio. I love In Ha and Dal Po's character.
LJS brought PSH kissing scene out to another level finally. This is PSH first soap were I Found her kissing scene more comfortable to watch. LJS is sssssooo hot! He's on my top 3 list of fave Korean Actors. His kissing scene is superb, sooo believable...
I love this show and yes, I'm inlove with LJS.
Can I please get more on PSH and LJS together? I'm missing this show already...

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I think it'll be such a waste not to bring them together again. Maybe it's not possible in the near future, but I hope they get paired up again. They have amazing chemistry and so much potential as actors.

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exactly, they complement each other really well as actors and have a comfort level that makes their chemistry so effortless.

I hope we'll get a reunion someday.....right now, I want a reunion of her with Kim Woo-bin in a drama where KWB is first lead this time.

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They just complement each other right? I dunno about you guys but I am shipping them. They just look good together and even off-cam they still have that chemistry.. Lol look what this show did to me

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My thoughts exactly! Love 'em! :D

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I think I agree with everything that GF said.

I loved the drama, and especially in the beginning part when I was completely sucked in.

It did slow down quite a bit and turned overly moralistic for sure but even then it was never too far from being sweet and fun.

Loved every minute of Pinocchio and I just wondee what would have happened if they didnt have hyung's story end so abruptly.

Thank you GF for your recaps. It is like watching the drama with a patient friend to whom you can go, "what? what just happened??!" and get a good answer.

*finger guns*

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Aw, I love this. They always give good answers, and always add something extra special to the dramas! Never change, GF!

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I agree 100%. At the part with Mini Hyung, I was like 'huh, what am I missing?'. GF always gives us those answers. Thanks very much for that!!

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Thank you so much for the recaps! Hope you get lost of rest after this, you deserve it so much, GF. We love ya.

I won't say much about the finale, just that it was everything I wanted it to be, and even more. I was so emotionally invested in this drama, which hasn't happened in a long time, and it was great to feel that and like something so much. But now that it's over, I feel kinda empty and really really sad.

Honestly, I thought Pinocchio did more good than bad. It definitely made an impact, despite losing the thrill towards the end, but never the heart. I was never dissatisfied by ANY of the episodes because this show had characters that I loved, relationships I envied, interactions that were so cute and adorable.

Pinocchio delivered some great moments. From the start, it caught my attention, my compassion wasn't lost to the tragedy of the family. And from then on, the plot and pacing was superb, I was absolutely thrilled by this show for delivering so much, and producing a satisfying drama. It may have sizzled out at the end, but I was never bored or annoyed at the plot because I understood the characters and their intentions.

I think despite the flaws of the drama, the writer deserves the credit, for bringing such a thoughtful, compelling story to viewers. Yes, it could've been better, but when it's all said and done, this is dramaland. This is entertainment. And to have a drama like this, which actually does have a voice, and carried a meaningful message while giving us lots of entertaining moments, is a feat that one should be proud of!

Pinocchio is a drama I'll miss a lot, and one I'll come back to often, undoubtedly.

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Wat can I write , good bye pinocchio and oppa lee and unni park shin hye am going to miss u

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Argh finale is here when I dont want it to come..Thank you so much gf for writing such awesome recaps everytime..
although thiR show has some missteps along the way but it never forgets to deliver on things that mattered especially on the family that we have grown to love so much like they are are own.

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and that is why i love this show,flaws and all.

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I love this show.. nuff said. Now off to read. Thank you Girlfriday!

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I don't know what to say, I can't believe it's over now.

Thanks to a great writer and production team and an AMAZING cast (really, they were all so important) Pinocchio turned out to be a really satisfying drama until the end, And the finale was everything I wanted and more. Definitely one of the best dramas of 2014/2015. I'll miss it a great deal!

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I know, I can't believe it's over :(

And yes, it's one of my favourites of 2014/15 for sure, because even with all its flaws, this story had so much heart. I'll miss it too!

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I'm gonna miss the characters so much (T-T). Thanks for the sweet and satisfying ride Pinocchio!

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Oof, definitely the characters. It's so rare to like all the characters in a drama.

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Despite its flaws, i can never say I regret taking the time to watch this drama. The chemistry between the leads, *fans herself haha. I know a lot of people complain about her kissing scenes, but i found that in this, the kisses look natural. Looking forward to these two in another series. Sighhh what to do with life now. I guess i should try searching for my own Dal Po...

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Such a satisfying conclusion. A little more epilogue about Cap and Yoo Rae would be the cherry on top of this scrumptious sundae.

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I wanted one for hyung, I mean he's still in jail but :(

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FEELS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crm93La3s_c

I'm not even gonna bother trying to be coherent right now. It won't work out. I'll really miss Pinocchio. End.

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I didn't hear the words 'Saranghae' uttered throughout the show.. Too bad 'coz I've been really looking forward to that.. I'm just really a sucker for 'Saranghae's between OTPs. Am I the only one somewhat bothered by this? Hehe

But they sure made up for it with that kissing scene. I am such a fan of LJS and PSH chemistry, the best there is in KDrama land to date. They already replaced Jae Hee and Han Chae-young in my heart, which is really saying something since I have always loved Mong-ryong and Choon-hyang, so much so that no OTP has been able to beat their spot in my heart .. well, until Pinocchio. Argh, be still my heart. I hope LJS and PSH get together again for another drama, maybe not anytime soon, but sometime in the future..

I'm so worried now that I'll never be able to get over this drama.. Help! I love love love everything about it. Thank you, Pinocchio!!! Time to re-watch it from the beginning..

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Thank you for the recaps!!

I'm really happy for Lee Jong Seok that this drama turned out well. Doctor Stranger was such a mess! Park Shin Hye did a really good job in this drama. She has improved her acting a lot. Now I have to go and catch up on the episodes!

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Thank you for the recap, girlfriday! You're awesome. :-)

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I was hoping until the end that Kim Woobin would be able to do a cameo. What a tragic thing!

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Haha I would have loved KWB's cameo! What a loss! I really liked it when they brought in Min Joon Gook and Lawyer Cha from IHYV.

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What episode was the Min Joon Kook cameo? I watched this show faithfully and did not see it. Was it during the end credits?

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He's in Episode 1, lol.

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It's either in the first or second episode :) Look for thr scene where Inha was thinking of ambitions and picturing herself in the supposed fields.. MJG was of course in the Atty Inha scenario!! It was hilarious hahah

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In episode 2. He was in In Ha's daydream.

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What episode was lawyer Cha's cameo?? I thought it was supposed to be ep. 13, but I didn't see him on that episode.

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I loved the ending and really the drama as a whole. My only real complaint is I wanted confirmation of Yoo-rae and Gyo-dong's relationship. Which is kind of weird because while I do find Yoo-rae and Gyo-dong cute the fact that he's old enough to be her father did kind of bother me.

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IKR... I was hoping they get together too.

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Do you think they were together in present day? Living together?????

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kyaaah....more kisses please!! i will miss all the characters (especially, uncle, niece, dad,& gramps), except for BJ's mom because she's a cookie. i wish there was more to YR/Cap romance. <3 Thank you for the recaps!

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Thanks for the recap! I agree with you about the hyung plot. I felt the week after hyung confessed to be the slowest week; I was worried that the drama would continue to go downward from there but luckily, it picked up! However, the hyung arc is the strongest in the whole series. I am glad they put hyung in every episode, only even if it were for a minute or two. I just can't get enough of him. Hopefully Yoon Kyun Sang will get a bigger role in his next drama!

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Thank you so very much for your great recaps, Girlfriday!!! Love, love, LOVE!!!

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Thanks for all the recaps GF!

I thoroughly enjoyed this drama. Any drama I can finish without ever fast forwarding scenes is a good drama in my book. lol The only problem they had with the drama is that they accidentally used up their best plot (hyung story-line) so early on. It would have been better if they rearranged it a little bit so that both hyung's revenge plot and the taking down of mommy chaebol went hand in hand, both encompassing most of the 20 episodes. But in hindsight, who knew hyung would end up being so popular a character. I am sure the writer did her best to give hyung some love but triple murder kinda screwed him over. lol

I am glad both PSH and LJS were in this drama. They both redeemed themselves from their previous sucky dramas (The Heirs and Dr. Stranger, respectively). Plus, they had such a nice, natural chemistry. PSH actually looked like she enjoyed her kissing scenes with LJS. The rest of the cast did their job well, especially Gramps and Dad who provided a nice contrast to two horrible moms.

If YFAS and Miss Korea was a good start for 2014, Misaeng and Pinnochio closed the year out nicely for me.

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The only problem they had with the drama is that they accidentally used up their best plot (hyung story-line) so early on.

I think they really didn't realise just how popular hyung would end up becoming with the viewers - enough to have people asking who (previously unknown) Yoon Kyun-sang was.

And just like you, YFAS/Miss Korea began 2014 for me, while Misaeng and Pinocchio were the perfect dramas for the wrapup. I don't feel enthused by any of the other currently running/upcoming dramas, so rewatches will have to do I guess :/

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Thanks for all your recaps GF! Much appreciated, very well written with very tasteful, respective reflections, keep up the great work!

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What episode was the 'Oska scene' shown? I remember only seeing it at the preview. Also what happened to hyung? :<

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I thought it was a preview too but I realized watching the next couple of episodes where I was anticipating it that it was actually just an epilogue. They started adding in epilogues it's just for that week it was weirdly edited in to look like a preview.

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Ugh, he was my fave character from IHYV. I wish it was more than the epilogue. But I guess YSH was busy preparing for his wedding and stuff, and couldn't invest the time for filming.

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Just wished I could've seen Yoo Rae and the Capt get together..... :((( I was happy with the drama as a whole- but I shipped those Yoo Rae and Capt the most!!

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I know. I wanted to see a scene wherr they acknowledge it. Something sweet. Lol. Or in the present day if they were living together. Or something!

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I HOPE PARK SHIN HYE WILL PICK A ROLE LIKE THIS IN HER NEXT PROJECT. YES TO COMEDIC-TYPE PARK SHIN HYE...BOO TO A CRYBABY PARK SHIN HYE.

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OMG!BEST DRAMA OF THE YEAR!(4 me)i love the drama!!!so cute!i ship darling couple!!!

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I mean it was good story, but as everyone says here, they should have confirmed the relationship between cap and yo rae. I mean we should have seen a scene where they are lovey dovey. In the present day at least. Right?

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I don't know about yoo rae and cap... Cause right now, I'm still hyperventilating about nosy jang and his WIFE.
That was my absolute ship and I'm so happy about it I've been giggling like an idiot for hours now.
My roommate's just about ready to call the crazy bin...
Hehehe

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Even if I hadn't shipped it, the look on Il Joo's face during that reveal made it awesome. Il Joo entered the perma-dog house for me when he snitched on the corruption expose. He doesn't get any good things.

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yeah, I ship those two way more than Yoo-rae and Cap, you could see it coming from Day 1 (i.e. not shoehorned in) and they are ADORABLE together <33333

And none for Il-joo, bye!

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lol Il-joo deserves no love xD

They were so fun! Definitely missing these characters already!

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You should have seen the smile I had on my face when she kissed him! Those two were awesome!

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THANK YOU everyone ❤

My heartfelt gratitude #love

*cries happy tears*

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I love when a drama has a real last episode (and not one which barely contains a story inside such as '6months later")
Pinocchio is a gooooooooood drama!!

And PSH finally learned how to kiss someone!!!!!

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This was one of PSH's best role yet. The strong female character suits her. It was nice to see PSH not be in the middle of a tug of war between the 2 guys that liked her. PSH and LJS really had good chemistry. I can tell she loved portraying IH opposite LJS as she's always posting pictures of them together during filming. Bravo to her also for finally having a decent kissing scene. yay! It's time to see her with LSG though.

Anyways, I wonder why the writer decided to remain vague about Cap and YR? Was it the age difference or did the writer just mean for Cap to be some father figure who's looking out for YR? I wish we could have seen more a closure for them because now it's left me wondering what happened to them.

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You gave us great recaps GF...thank you so much! Hope to see more of LJS and PSH couple in future dramas...Pinochio did not disappoint and I was entertained with every episode...it's comparable to YFAS in terms of acting, plot and e value!

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At 1:30, look who's there, staring at PSH!!!

Lee Min Ho & Park Shin Hye - Funny moments at 2013 SBS Drama Awards (Re-edited)
http://youtu.be/YmhwoRVicW4

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LOL this video

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I loved this drama... for the first half, I was completely enthralled... I haven't yet seen IHYV (but have since caught episode 1 and maybe half of 2) but then I realized I didn't necessarily love LJS, I loved CDP and his relationship with CIH... I got goosebumps with the first kisses (with Roy Kim's song in the background, ooh, so good) and adored the family relationship (omgah, wasn't grandpa & dad the best?)... the first interview speech that CDP gave to CIH and then repeated back to himself after the gym lady death, as well as the whole arc with hyung made it hard to wait till the week rolled around again. I wish the show had kept the tension up though the relationships were so so sweet and I looked forward to GF's recaps every week. I want to go see IHYV but really do love LJS as CDP and don't know whether that'll mess with my mind... I love LJS & PSH together... they're just so cute together!

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I need to work hard to get myself emotionally detached from this drama T.T What am I going to do with my Wednesdays and Thursdays? Next week would be Hyde, Jekyll, and I so I definitely need my emotions back. It's gonna ba hard :(((
I'm still a bit disappointed over what they did to Hyung. I mean, they are accelerating at the right path with Jaemyung but suddenly pushed the brakes, crashed down and went straight to a confusing path. It's his story where the story starts to paced through and even the biggest conflict of the story but it just ended halfway like that (though I surely love Hyung's redemption! But...) I didn't even know also what happened to my 2nd OTP- Cap-Yoorae ;( but I appreciate the Nosy Sunbae-Hoobae loool. Despite all the flaws, it's the heart of the story and of every characters which got me sucked into this emotional attachment to this drama. Choi family- The best fictional family ever!
Still doing a crying vigil until now. Bye my favorite winter drama. Bye Choi Inha. Bye Choi Dalpo/Hamyung. Bye to all amazing characters. Bye, Pinocchio. Thank you.

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i didn't buy it at first when beom-jo's mother was willing to exchange places with him at prison, because i thought it would be more in character for her to realize that she had been betrayed again, and cut him off coldly- seeing as she'd said that the attacks had been a warning to him as well. but after seeing how she was in prison and his look of utter disillusionment- brilliant scene btw- i changed my opinion. when actresses wear a full-face of makeup in scenes where they go to sleep (for lots of reasons including ze patriarchy, etc.), her willingness to go without any makeup was amazing., and did a lot more for the scenes than i can explain.
as girlfriday said, this drama didn't feel as fresh as i hear your voice because of the similar themes and also because of lee jong suk (although i can't imagine anyone else playing dal-po), and there were definite leaps in logic and one too many coincidences, but in the end, i loved all the characters and the message was very strong- one that's very relevant today.

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yeah, I loved the way Beom-jo's mom's arc played out - of course she wouldn't feel remorse for what she's done, it would be totally out of character for her.

Her love for her son is her lone weakness, and the brilliance of it lies in the way her character was shown from episode 1 - she's continually shown to refer to people as basically objects, to be treated as she wishes (starting from the moment when she asked Beom-jo if she should find "the Pinocchio" for him and later subverted the reporters' rules to demand of the policemen why there weren't any stories on their rounds - moments that seemed like mere comic relief at first, but are cast in a darker light later ). I was really impressed by that, they didn't even have to do a 180 degree on Mom, it was there all along in the writing!

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Wow... You explained it well.. Now i hv to rewatch again, i think the writer gave us so many little hint... This drama is well made plot from start to end. Thanks Pinocchio, Bye Pinocchio...

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Loove the interpretation of the title "Peter Pan"! Seriously, no idea at first, but now it's make sense!
Yass, couldn't agree more on part family thing was taken seriously in this drama and I love it. I even think that The Choi's are waay cuter and sweeter than any couple in the drama TT^TT
Also thank you for noticing Sinhye's great acting heheh, everyone's been telling me they hated Inha but I think she just a little bit misunderstood because she just tried to be all strong when her mom doesn't love her like the way she always wish. I think they didn't explore her feeling much and it made me sad because of the potential of angst and tears haha.
But overall, I super in love with all the character without exception, even the nosy Jang and Chansoo! So sad to let them go T^T

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My wish is the writer to pen another Pinocchio drama with different aspects of jobs. How I wished Dr.Stranger to have a Pinocchio among dr.Spies?

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Yeah, this drama isn't as fresh and punchy as I Hear Your Voice, but it's still one of the best of 2014, for me - not as good as an excellent drama means it's still very good! There's a warmth about it that makes this the drama equivalent of comfort food for me, even if hyung's storyline and its unexpected intensity kind of upset the applecart when it came to having to match up what came later.

I also agree that casting Lee Jong-seok does lead to automatic IHYV comparisons, but he was so perfect in the role of Dal-po that I wouldn't dream of switching him out. And he was absolutely perfect with Park Shin-hye. I've said before that he's an actor who is truly gifted at coaxing out the best from his costars (male and female) if there is anything to coax, and PSH was a great match for him and finally got a role that allowed her to show it. It's really bothered me that people's dislike of her romance scenes and inability to separate actor from character (even in otherwise intelligent commenters) has sometimes led to unfair and frankly grossly personal criticism of her. I'm glad that she's finally delivered on the promise she showed in her early years - I loved her chemistry with LJS, but she also showed great rapport with the senior actors too. The odd little Choi family unit wouldn't have been half as convincing if she hadn't gone all in on it and committed to it.

And it's great that the family played a huge role in this finale - Pinocchio was at its best when it considered human bonds, especially family, and that holds true right to the end. The deferring to grandpa's wishes and holding off on their romance (even if it is in a "we're not dating anyone else either" style) works here. And it's even sweeter when Grandpa finally wears down and agrees to undo the adoption - he adores his son above all else, and it shows. (though I am sad we never got to see Dal-po find out that Grandpa was sneaking off to show hyung his childhood pictures. What happened to him wondering about that once?! Come to think of it, what about hyung in the present day, I mean he's still in jail isn't he?!)

I also love the cast, even though a couple of characters ended up woefully underused. Lee Yubi did the best she could with what she was given, but her role in Pinocchio was reduced to one-note comic relief. It's almost reminiscent of Im Shi-wan in Triangle - both dramas picked up gifted young actors as supporting leads and gave them hardly anything to do, so I don't think it's her fault. Just hope she gets a better drama/larger role next time. I'm really glad that Kim Young-kwang and most of all, Yoon Kyun-sang got to step up to the plate though - especially YKS, those heart-wrenching eyes! I hope he gets bigger roles soon.

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All in all, it's a perfect finale - I know a lot of us have been resistant to Song Cha-ok's redemption arc, but I do like that it was handled in a way that was consistent with her character, at every step. Same with Chaebol Mom - of course she's totally unrepentant and incapable of seeing the world as anything but an inconvenience for her and her son, and it was really sad to see Beom-jo face the fact of how she still didn't get that she'd done anything wrong, even after all the world knew it.

And the ending kisses.....WHOA. Like you said, gf, it's pretty gutsy when your parents (ok, legally not his dad anymore) are on the other side of a curtain, but it's really nice to see a couple who adore each other and make that clear. I love that the show makes it so obvious she is as into him as he is into her, and their comfort level as family means great things because neither is shy of skinship. And it was sweeter and more intimate than seeing the actual wedding.....all the kissing in Pinocchio has been the perfect mix of tender and passionate, and I loved it. I hope to goodness LJS and PSH work together again, but even if they don't, I'm glad this was the drama they chose. I'll miss it so much!

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"I hope to goodness LJS and PSH work together again, but even if they don’t, I’m glad this was the drama they chose. I’ll miss it so much!"

Ugghh this hits me so hard, I never thought of this. This makes me appreciate Pinocchio more. I will definitely cherish this drama with all my heart and soul because I might never see LJS-PSH tandem ever again. Ughh.

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Honestly, this is a pairing I've wished for since early 2013, when School 2013 and Flower Boy Next Door were airing at the same time - those dramas were the first real glimpse at just how good LJS and PSH could be in the right roles, but I filed it away under wishful thinking because what were the odds, right?

I'm so grateful we actually got to see them together, they were everything I wanted and more.

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Omg, when they did the Jambangee Photoshoot, they looked so good together! That's when I wanted them to do a drama. And after hearing they were paired up to do Pinocchio, I was so happy that my wish actually came true! There were so many negative comments towards PSH and this pairing, but I'm glad she refuted them all and showed her strengths.

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THANK YOU, SHOW! SUCH A PERFECT ENDING. I have not felt this kind of satisfaction from a show since You Who Came From Another Star.

Pinocchio gives the audience the impact that they had planned all along. Salute the Writer-nim and Producer-nim. Salute our Darling Couple that has given the sweetest moments in each episodes from beginning to end. Salute the whole Soundtrack that is befitting perfectly into every scenes of the story. With mass media being biased towards certain sides these days, I truly wish every reporters out there would watch this show and learn that their perception should not matter and that their reported facts should have been verified and no matter what, truth conquers all.

Still cannot believe that Pinocchio is over. Wish there is Pinocchio Season 2 or something like that, you know, a story about Ha Myung and In Ha's after marriage, their ups and downs as reporters with children (can you imagine that? I bet Grandfather and Dad would be the ones taking care of the kids!), and also, Hyung's release from the prison.

Now what should I do to fill this empty hole in my heart?*blow some wind to my hair*

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You said everything GF.

You pretty much summed it all up!

ParK Shin Hye, our couple, the mistakes the plot made, the heartwarming style of the writer, the moms, the character arcs, the idealism, innocence and youth being passed on to adults, hyung and most of all THE FAMILY.
--- You put it all out there perfectly!!

I will add two things on my own :

1) No Hyung in last episode. :( Flashbacks doesnt count!
Actually I was looking forward to Grandpa's sessions with Hyung and Dal Po finding ou, and hyung becoming part of choi family in a way- but that entire thing seem to have vanished into thin air.
I guess scheduling conflicts with hyung might be the reason. Still... it left me with a small frown.

2) The last one :

"Thanks for the feel-good times, Pinocchio. You were the best love story between an uncle, a niece, a grandpa, and a dad ever. Strangely, not as weird as it sounds!"

Sorry for stealing your words GF, I cant put it in better words. One day when I want some feel good family love , I would re watch all Choi family scenes and cry. Starting from the bus scene, where grandpa confesses why he kept him close to finally grandpa letting him go. I would see them and cry. Then my world would look all bright and nice.
I know it.

Good bye Pinocchio, you were so right for the heart.

And Am so looking forward to the next drama of this writer!

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yeah, I wanted hyung to appear in the present day too :(

And for him to become a part of the extended Choi family and for Dal-po to find out Grandpa visited him in jail. But that really went nowhere :(

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Yes. My feelings exactly. :(

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