Extraordinary You: Episodes 31-32 (Final)
by LollyPip
Whenever one story ends, another always begins. Our ill-fated couple has finally reunited, but eventually their manhwa will end and separate them again. But just because it’s time to say goodbye to this adorable manhwa doesn’t mean that the characters are gone forever. The Writer will use them again — but will love be enough to bring them back together in another world?
EPISODE 31
Haru sees that the art room has disappeared, now that the Writer has no more use for it. He rushes Dan-oh away from it, and he flirts with her to distract her. He checks his nametag but it’s still blank, so he shoves it into his pocket where Dan-oh can’t see it.
He tells Dan-oh that he’s happy right now with her, but she says that they still have a lot of things to do together, especially after they graduate. She brings out her phone where she’s made a list of things she wants to do with him like writing letters to each other and wearing couple items, but of course the one Haru notices is “kiss a hundred times,” hee.
Soo-hyang visits Mi-chae in the kitchen again, and they share a Romantic Moment when she gets startled and he catches her from falling. Soo-hyang says that Mi-chae seems out of place in a school because he feels like an ancient soul, then she realizes she may have said too much and starts to go. Mi-chae stops her, suspicious, but he shakes it off and sends her on to class.
Haru looks through the yearbook and notices that many students’ pictures are now blank. He checks his own photo, which is still there but beginning to fade. Not only that, but the name on his locker is also blank, signaling that the Writer will erase him from the story soon.
He sits on Dan-oh’s desk and writes on it: “Eun Dan-oh ahnyeong — Haru.” He tells her it’s his letter, but Dan-oh complains that ahnyeong can mean “hello” or “goodbye.” She wants their letters to be more heartfelt, saying all the things they can’t say out loud to each other.
Later Dan-oh catches Haru working on something in the library. He says it’s a couple item, and Dan-oh catches on that he’s trying to fulfill her wishes. Haru asks if she really wants a hundred kisses, making Dan-oh stammer, “No, yes. No… NO! Yes.” LOL.
The couple items turn out to be matching rainbow-colored paper chains to wear around their necks, which might just be the cutest thing ever. At first Dan-oh is disappointed, but Haru is so proud of himself that she can’t help but love them.
She tries to pull him in for a kiss with his paper chain, but it breaks and the kiss fails, leaving her puckered up and Haru laughing. Dan-oh starts to stomp away, but Haru pulls her back and tells her to try again. This time she uses his tie to pull his face down to hers, and he’s more than willing to grant her wish.
Do-hwa sees Dan-oh in the hall later and, unaware that she’s already regained her memories, he almost bursts into tears again. He runs over and flaps at her like a butterfly, trying to help her remember, then realizes she already does when she glares at him. HAHA, Do-hwa hugs Dan-oh and Haru smoothly twirls him away.
Do-hwa is pathetically grateful that Dan-oh is back to make the Shadow interesting, since all he’s allowed to do onStage anymore is play violin and walk with A3 to weird music. He vows to be better friends to Haru and Dan-oh, initiating a cute Three Musketeers cheer.
After school, Kyung approaches Haru in his library corner. Haru thanks Kyung for helping him get Dan-oh’s memory back, and asks if he can ask a favor. Kyung says that’s not fair, since Dan-oh already likes Haru better. But he admits that Dan-oh and Haru are meant to be together, and he tosses Haru the flowered keychain Dan-oh gave him.
Kyung skips class in the kitchen, and Dan-oh joins him there. Looking at Mi-chae’s diorama, she takes Kyung’s character and writes his name on its nametag. She places it outside the diorama and says it’s the real Kyung, but of course he sneers at her sentiment. Before he leaves, he tells her, “Thank you. I’ll see you on the next Stage.”
In the next Stage, Nam-ju gives Joo-da a pretty hairpin. When the Stage ends, she asks him sternly where he got it, but he can’t remember. Joo-da sighs that he has no concept of economy, and she gives him a book (aww, it’s got a strawberry on it) to monitor his money, warning him that she’s going to turn him into a good man.
Next she confronts Sae-mi and the bullies, who were obviously planning more tricks to torture her. Joo-da tells Sae-mi that her bullying won’t work anymore so she should find a new hobby, and a guy who actually likes her — and as soon as she’s gone, Sae-mi sobs on Soo-cheol’s shoulder. Good girl.
Joo-da runs into Do-hwa in the library, and he notices that she’s still wearing the white shoes he got her, with the butterfly drawn on them. She says that the butterfly’s fluttering didn’t work out for them, but it may have been meaningful for someone else. Joo-da jokes that she wishes she could date both guys, making Do-hwa laugh, and after she’s gone he sighs a final goodbye.
Mi-chae summons Haru and Kyung to the kitchen, and when Kyung sees what’s happening, he tries to leave. Mi-chae bellows in his Kingly Voice at Kyung and Haru to SIT, and they obey. He serves them some of the foods they liked during Flower, and he says they’ve suffered a lot because of their memories.
Since Flower is in the past and Secret will soon be over, Mi-chae suggests they make up and leave their hate behind them. He holds out a hand to Kyung, who reluctantly shakes. Mi-chae says the Writer is too cruel to put a couple of teenagers through so much, but when Haru asks how old he is, he refuses to say, ha.
Kyung leaves first, and Mi-chae tells Haru that he knows he’s had a hard time. Haru gulps and nods, but he leaves Mi-chae with a smile.
Joon-hyun joins Kyung on the catwalk, noting that he looks sad and lonely like usual. Kyung says he’s always been alone, and that Dan-oh said he should find his real self. Joon-hyun says he already knows the real Kyung, because before he went bad in Flower he was really friendly and affectionate.
Kyung takes out the burned pages of Flower and drops them off the bridge, one by one. Joon-hyun says that he’s glad the Writer made him Kyung’s little brother, and that he’ll always be by his side.
In the school foyer, Mi-chae sees Do-hwa leaning close to Soo-hyang. He assumes they’re kissing (Do-hwa was just blowing something from Soo-hyang’s eye) and he has a jealous fit, pelting Do-hwa with dried squid, ha. He warns Do-hwa away from Soo-hyang and Do-hwa wonders when they got so close, and when Soo-hyang says they’ve been hanging out, Mi-chae looks suspicious again.
Haru is in the library when he hears a strange sound. He goes to his secret corner, which is now disappearing, along with the drawings of Dan-oh he’d hung on the wall. Joon-hyun appears and says that Haru is being punished for changing Kyung’s Stage.
Joon-hyun asks if he’s scared, and Haru admits that he’s scared his time is growing short. But he says that his and Dan-oh’s love will still exist after the story ends, so he doesn’t regret it. Joon-hyun says that Haru was able to change the story because he chose his own fate, and that he envies Haru his bravery.
He says he’s decided to make his own fate as well, and stay with Kyung until the final scene. He tells Haru that he hopes he can be with someone he loves in the last scene, too.
Dan-oh gets Haru a nice watch as the “gifts” part of her wish list. She worries when she sees that the nametag on his locker is blank, but she’s too excited about the gift to give it much thought.
EPISODE 32
She joins Haru under their tree, and he quickly hides the notebook he was writing in under the bench. Dan-oh says that everything didn’t go as the Writer planned because they got to say and hear the things they wanted onStage, and tell each other how they really feel. Haru hugs her, and while he’s not looking, she tells him that she doesn’t like him — she loves him. Moved, Haru says a simple, “Me, too.”
They head inside, and Dan-oh crouches to tie her shoe. When she stands, Haru is gone… oh no. But a Stage starts, and Dan-oh is relieved to see Haru sitting at his desk. Nam-ju and Joo-da get another “public announcement” Stage, this time declaring their love, but as soon as it’s over, Haru is gone again.
He’s back in the library, and Dan-oh quickly finds him. The lights begin to go out so Dan-oh and Haru run, but when they get to the foyer, there’s nowhere else to go. Dan-oh panics when she sees that Haru’s scar is disappearing, but Haru says calmly, “Back then I couldn’t protect you. This time, I’m glad your fate changed. I’m sorry I can’t be with you in the last scene.”
One at a time, the lights go out, but Haru sweetly tells Dan-oh not to cry because he’s happy: “You were my beginning and my end…” He asks her to say his name, so Dan-oh sobs, “Haru… Haru-yah!” They hug each other tightly until they’re plunged into darkness, and when the lights come back on, Dan-oh is alone. Haru’s nametag floats in front of her for a long moment, then it disappears, too.
One year later.
It’s graduation day, and all the students are paired up and taking pictures on their last day of school. Nam-ju is still the boss of the school, but Joo-da is the boss of Nam-ju, so she’s no longer bullied and in fact, she pretty much runs the place.
Kyung finds Dan-oh in the infirmary looking at her Haru wish list, and he tells her to smile because it’s a good day. He heads to the A3 hideout to see Do-hwa and Nam-ju, and Do-hwa gives a sappy speech about how much he loves his buddies. Nam-ju snaps that they’re only graduating, not moving away, and that they’ll always be A3 (“My boys” ~cringe~). Awww, even Kyung admits that “A3 shines brightest when we’re all together.”
As the students get together for a group photo, Mi-chae leans on a tree nearby. Soo-hyang asks if he wants to take a picture, but he says there’s nothing here he wants to remember. Soo-hyang sighs that it’s the last page anyway, and Mi-chae finally realizes that she’s self-aware.
Soo-hyang says that she thought she’d be happy just being near him, but it was too hard, and she missed him too much. Mi-chae grabs her up in a hug, too happy to speak.
Nam-ju invites Do-hwa to be in their class picture, and as the camera snaps, Dan-oh hears Haru’s voice saying her name. She goes inside and writes his name on his locker again (why do I feel like she’s done this every day for a year?), then she takes out the watch that’s still inside.
Kyung congratulates Dan-oh on graduating and thanks her, feeling like it’s his last chance to do so. He takes his tennis ball from his locker and leaves it outside, sitting on top of his diploma. He looks around, as if expecting something important to happen very soon.
Meanwhile, Dan-oh sits at Haru’s old desk for a while, looking out the window. When she leaves, his watch and her diploma are still there, and on the desk she’s written, “Haru-yah, congratulations on your graduation! From 19-year-old-Dan-oh.” On her diploma, she’s written Haru’s name beneath hers.
The students gather for one final Stage, in which Nam-ju tells Joo-da that his biggest secret is that he loves her. Nearby, beneath Haru’s tree, Dan-oh finds the notebook that he hid under the bench a year ago. He’d titled it, “Dan-oh’s Day” (or “Dan-oh’s Haru”), and he’d drawn pictures of their story, from the very first time they met face-to-face to their last conversation under the tree.
On the last page, Haru had written, “I hope this becomes an unforgettable gift for Dan-oh.” It makes Dan-oh cry, and she thanks Haru for being her first love… “and my fate.” She hugs the notebook, then she hears the sound of flipping pages growing closer and closer…
One story ends, and a new story begins. Dan-oh is older and her hair is longer, and she runs through the Hani University campus, late for a lecture. Many of the other college students look familiar, though they’re in very different roles this time around — the bullies from Secret seem to be the intellectuals now.
After class, Dan-oh heads to her locker. At a table nearby, Sae-mi and the former Jin bullies chat about the smart and handsome Soo-cheol, who they believe reciprocates Sae-mi’s crush because he’s always buying her food. He shows up looking quite handsome indeed, and as they decide what to eat, Dan-oh leaves her locker — which has no name on it.
Nam-ju also has a minor role in this story, as a child education studies major known as the worst dresser on campus, HAHA. Today he’s wearing a sweater covered in gigantic strawberries and drinking a strawberry milk, and Sae-mi and her friends decide there’s no way they could ever find him attractive.
In the campus library, Dan-oh comes very close to running into a familiarly tall student several times. He turns in a book of poetry (“The Duino Elegies”) just before she reaches the desk, and something about it catches her eye. She checks it out and when she sits outside to read it, a small blue butterfly lands on the page.
Dan-oh follows the butterfly to a nearby exhibit of art by students from the school’s art club, and the sign advertising the exhibit says that it’s October 10th. The butterfly lands on a picture that appears to be blank at first. As Dan-oh looks, the picture clarifies into a pencil drawing of a boy and a girl sitting together under a tree.
Sae-mi and her friends walk by, and Dan-oh overhears them talking about a tree on campus that’s supposed to be three hundred years old. Taking the drawing with her, Dan-oh goes to look for this tree. On the way she passes a guy who seems to set her heart racing, but she doesn’t see his face and she shakes off the strange feeling. Above them, a shimmering portal blooms into being.
Dan-oh finds the tree and sits on the bench underneath it for a long time, but nothing happens. Eventually she leaves, but she hears a voice saying, “Whether we’re onStage or in the Shadow, let’s meet there on October 10th. If we do that, I feel like we might see each other for a long time, like this tree.” Another voice answers, “When we are 19 and 20.”
She turns and runs back, and this time, Haru steps out from behind the tree. Dan-oh gasps, “I found you,” but Haru just stares at her blankly. Calling him by name, she shows him the drawing, but he still doesn’t seem to recognize her.
Disappointed and confused, Dan-oh leaves the drawing on the bench and turns to go. But Haru calls out to her, “Eun Dan-oh,” then runs and grabs her in a backhug. Dan-oh turns in his arms and they’re both crying as Haru says, “I missed you.” Dan-oh tells him, “I missed you, Haru-yah,” and they fall into each other’s arms, finally free to be together.
COMMENTS
What a sweet, perfect, and perfectly sweet ending for Haru and Dan-oh. It’s taken them three stories to finally be together, but now they’re just two nameless extras in a manhwa that has nothing to do with them, and they can live happily in the Shadow until the story is over. And despite the fact that this story will eventually end, they’ve managed to find and love each other across three different manhwas now, so I have faith that no matter what the Writer plans for future stories, Haru and Dan-oh will continue to find each other, over and over again.
I like how Secret ended for everyone, with almost all of the students paired up and looking forward to a happy future. They don’t know it won’t happen and ignorance is bliss, but they get to continue on in the new manhwa with their same love interests. It’s adorable that Sae-mi and Soo-cheol seem to be the main characters in this story, and I love how all the roles were switched, with the bullies becoming nerds and the nerds getting to be the cool guys. Even Nam-ju gets a break and can live out the story as a minor extra, and although we didn’t see Joo-da, I’m sure she’ll show up for him soon. I interpret his new obsession with strawberries to mean that he subconsciously remembers something from Secret, and I think that he’ll eventually become self-aware with Joo-da’s influence.
I did notice that besides Haru and Dan-oh, we didn’t see any of the self-aware characters from Secret in the new manhwa, and my theory is that the Writer set it up that way on purpose. It was clear to me that during Secret, the Writer knew on some level of the self-aware characters and their attempts to change the story. Maybe this time they’re just leaving those characters to themselves, to do whatever they want in the Shadow, and hope that they leave the Stage alone. I choose to believe that Mi-chae and Soo-hyang are off happily married now, that Nam-ju and Joo-da will grow closer as they work on Nam-ju’s self-awareness, and that Do-hwa will find a girl who likes him as much as he likes her, and who appreciates his goofy sense of humor and adorable dimples. As for Kyung — I’m just glad that he won’t be alone with Joon-hyun by his side, and that he proved he can change. He’ll probably always be grumpy and difficult, but he saved himself from being a villain, and I’m sure that someday he’ll find love, too (maybe with Joon-hyun…?).
The mark of a good drama is when you don’t want it to end, and I definitely didn’t want Extraordinary You to end. I want to continue watching this new story, with everyone’s new characters and the new college setting. The show didn’t go in the direction I was expecting, with everyone becoming self-aware and fighting back against the Writer, but the way it ended really suited the tone that was set from the beginning. They may not be able to fight what happens onStage, but they can make the most of their Shadow time, and they can still love and have friends and be happy. It’s a lot like real life — there are some things we can’t change, but within those parameters there’s a lot we can choose for ourselves, and we can change our fate. It’s just a matter of finding happiness where you can, and finding peace with the things you can’t change. And if you want it badly enough and love hard enough, you can have the fate you choose for yourself.
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Tags: Extraordinary You, Kim Hye-yoon, Kim Ro-woon, Lee Jae-wook, Lee Tae-ri
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1 Kafiyah Bello
November 29, 2019 at 8:14 PM
The ending was really cute and I am glad they got their happy ending. Nam Ju's ending was my favorite though, strawberry sweater and milk, hehehe.
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Bhabana
April 5, 2020 at 1:15 AM
Can u feel forward me or give me link of the ful last episode plzzzzzzzzzzzz
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2 WishfulToki
November 29, 2019 at 8:31 PM
(“My boys” ~cringe~)
Thank you Nam-ju for staying consistently cringey and making me laugh to the end. I’m afraid the halo of light will always follow you, whether you are the lead or a strawberry-clad extra.
I think he was on his way to self-awareness at the end, since he didn’t remember where he got the hair pin...anyway.
Takeaway message of the drama for me: be glad you are not a manhwa character and have some control over your own life. Geez.
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WishfulToki
November 29, 2019 at 8:43 PM
On second thought, Nam Ju could be the lead again, or second lead, since a) he still has the halo and A3 music, and b) Sae-mi noticed him and was so very dismissive of his looks. Trust this writer to create a love triangle again, and this time Nam-ju falls for Sae-mi first.
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WaywardHistorian
November 29, 2019 at 9:10 PM
I love that thought, although I see his set up as closer to Ju-da's Secret character. This time he's getting mocked for his clothes, his education major shows off his nurturing side similarly to Ju-da's gardening, and that strawberry fixation has to count for something. At least that's my reasoning. Hopefully, his lines remain cringe-tastic. :D
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ar_arguably romantic
November 30, 2019 at 1:16 PM
interesting and good eye! I didn't notice that.
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YY Chats with Toast Between Bites
November 29, 2019 at 11:05 PM
He's my favourite character, up there with Baek kyung. I love that he's so dense, and so grim, delivering all those cheesy lines with that poker face. And he's so goodlooking, scowly and dark-eyed. Can we have him as the romantic lead soon?
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Mary Lee
December 17, 2019 at 8:01 PM
What are you talking about? He is the lead in this! Lol!
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3 yayabean
November 29, 2019 at 8:33 PM
Overall, I'm very satisfied with this drama. It wasn't perfect, but I enjoyed watching all these characters, especially our main "extra" lead couple, Haru and Danoh. Rowoon and Hye-Yoon were super adorable together, even behind the scenes they were too cute 😉.
This drama is definitely one of my favorite dramas of 2019. @lollypip thank you for the recaps; they were a treat! 😁
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WaywardHistorian
November 29, 2019 at 9:21 PM
I have to second your thanks to @lollypip. I love her recaps because she usually manages to spot something I've spotted where I want someone else's take.
I also agree that this was a truly enjoyable show. (I accidentally hooked a friend on it, and neither of us relate to High School stories, so... extrordinary.) Rowoon and Hye-yoon *did* make an adorable pair, and they both went beyond the material.
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yayabean
November 29, 2019 at 9:46 PM
I remember being hesitant about watching the 1st episode because it was about high school students, but the manhwa premise remind it me of W, so I decided to check it out. So glad I did.
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4 gadis
November 29, 2019 at 8:46 PM
I'll probably be more annoyed by this finale eps if I still held out hope that the drama writer is going to explain the rules in this world. Thank goodness I've given up on that since several eps ago, because the last 2 eps instead told us that there's no rule and it's only a matter of characters' sincerity coming through. Like, what now?!?!?!
Despite all that, I'm glad the last arc is all about reconciliation. Whether between would-be enemies from both Secret and Flower worlds, between estranged friends and lovers, between people and their object of one-sided love, or between the characters' Shadow and Stage self. I just kinda hoping this comes a bit earlier so we can enjoy the progression of their changing relationships much longer.
As for the epilogue where the writer apparently created another manhwa and populated it with more or less the same looking characters, yeah... It's easy to imagine that she/he is rotating the lead roles again, and while Dan-oh and Haru get their happy journey this time around (because they're too persistent for the wtiter to control anymore?), another pairing is probably being tortured by the Stage/Shadow contradictions right at the moment. And history repeat itself. Or not. 🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️
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yayabean
November 29, 2019 at 8:55 PM
Comment was deleted
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yayabean
November 29, 2019 at 8:58 PM
Season 2 would be great.
Also, the drama's ost was nice. The songs by Verivery and Stray Kids have been stuck in my head for a while.
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5 Fatcat007 (Kitty 💜)
November 29, 2019 at 9:10 PM
.......okay so I have QUESTIONS.
But first, yay to myself for sticking to a drama till the end. This'll be the second drama for me this year.
And yay that they reunited (?) ....
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Fatcat007 (Kitty 💜)
November 29, 2019 at 9:12 PM
So. It took me to reach halfway of the finale to realize that the climax of the drama was Danoh's death set up, & that we've successfully overcome that obstacle & now waiting for the impeding parting.
I didn't know why I was thinking it would be more than that, probably cuz I thought it would be like W with them having more power & self-control as they became more & more aware....
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Fatcat007 (Kitty 💜)
November 29, 2019 at 9:24 PM
Next up, my QUESTIONS:
1. So if they ultimately had to part but meet again later anyway, what was the point of everything that happened in the last 30 episodes??? 😐
2. Won't they get tired of being recast over & over again. I mean one lifetime is tiring as it is.
3. Mi chae seems to know A LOT about the manwha world, rules & the writer. How? How does he know that the characters would be put into a deep sleep? Howwww?????
4. But then according to Mi chae, the writer will "wrap up the story" & the characters go to sleep, in that case, wasn't Juda's choice illogical? I mean her reasoning was that Namju can't live without her & i was like okay one, he isn't self aware & two, your last scene is some cheesy confession in front of the whole class & then it ends abruptly with a happily sleepy after so what do you mean by making a great man out of him??? If they had continued living in the shadows after the final stage is completed then it makes sense.
5. Why did the sets disappear towards the end, what exactly does it mean that the writer was wrapping up. I mean I understand characters disappearing but sets can exist in the shadows like those floating chairs.
6. In one ep they went to a shop full of props. Why were all the props there? What did it mean?
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amruta1009
November 29, 2019 at 10:02 PM
1. Most of us are wondering the same thing, heh.
3. Mi Chae is self aware and was in the flower Manhwa too. I think he realized those things with time.
4. Not exactly. The story hadn't ended yet. She was talking about the rest of the story. And the one year time skip showed a lot of things had changed.
5. Mi Chae did say that the writer had become too lazy to draw the sets and so they would disappear. Just like with Haru.
6. The props. I don't know either. A lot of things being unexplained in the drama (grr).
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Fatcat007 (Kitty 💜)
November 30, 2019 at 12:09 AM
4. They simply graduated, I think 🤔. And tbh, the 1 year later time skip looked like another page flip of the writer rather than the drama that viewers were watching.
I mean isn't that the normal way of a manga/manhwa wrapping up? The otp stays together against all odds & then flip~ it's graduation time & the last page is of a class photo & the otp walking away hand in hand.
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Kurama
November 30, 2019 at 2:10 AM
1) We all die one day, so what's the point to try to be happy? To find a job? To have a family? It's the same in this drama. They were depend of the writer's story but still tried to make their own story step by step. They couldn't know for sure they will be reunited.
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Fatcat007 (Kitty 💜)
November 30, 2019 at 3:12 AM
See I get your point, but idk, I had this idea in my head that they'd either be completely free of the writer's control and either live happily ever after in the shadow world or maybe... come out of manwha altogether (?) 😅
The thing is, all the dramatic & tragic build up to the parting felt like something MAJOR was going to happen. But I felt like what happened after was not enough to compensate that(?)
They made their own story but also it all ended too early & now they'll meet & part each time & start all over & it's like an endless cycle or reincarnations.
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Kurama
November 30, 2019 at 3:33 AM
It's all the point of the story. The story start all over but not the same. They always had gain a better situation in each story.
It's a bittersweet story but they are doing their best to live their life in their own, it's why I find it beautiful. They're no winner or looser.
simply.aqua
April 6, 2021 at 6:48 PM
So this is for anyone new like me who just watched the show.
Technically Dan Oh and Ha Ru are now living free as they are both nameless extras who don’t appear on stage. They will always be in the Shadow in this third college story. And as long as the Writer makes them nameless extras in the rest of their stories then they’ll always be together.
But if he didn’t bring them back they’d just be asleep in the void until they’re brought back to a story which could have possibly never happened thus them being asleep forever.
Sharada
August 5, 2020 at 11:40 AM
1. While people might think what is the use of 30 episodes if they end up seperated and meet in a different world.... The thing is.... In the first book.... They had just realised their love and haru was not the person who can change the story then.... When Dan oh died in the first book.... That was when he was full of remorse that he couldn't save her and he would do anything to change the story if he had a chance.... That's why haru has the ability to change the story in the book secret.... And as to why it was necessary to show those 30 episodes is because its similar to the phrase "drop by drop makes an ocean", throughout those 30 episodes, both haru and Dan oh tried their best to change their fate and to be together.... That created a lot of memories and when haru left... He left with a goodbye gift which was the book filled with moments they had spent... Indicating their sincerity for each other.... In the last ep, su hyang tells Dan oh that the tree is watching and fates can change if the feelings are sincere.... The reason why they are able to be together in third book without any issue is because of their sincerity to be together through out the second book...
6. This is just my opinion but still.... For any writer to draw things... Like sets... And... Props... He must have excellent memory to remember them all.... Which is not possible always.... Instead he or she can have a storage where all props are present.... Or in our understanding... A rough book filled with drawings of props ever used... Maybe that is how the link is.... Geez.... Ignore it..... Its too hypothetical
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Fatcat007 (Kitty 💜)
November 29, 2019 at 9:28 PM
7. Why did Kyung & Dowha didn't make a good impression on the writer when almost everyone was recast? They are sleeping somewhere? Noooooooooo
8. What did those portals mean? Who had the power over them????
9. WHY only Danoh could see the storyboard?
10. What was Kyung's younger brother's role more than a being a mysterious puppy?
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yayabean
November 29, 2019 at 9:56 PM
@fatcat007 All very valid points. Is there a no.11?
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Fatcat007 (Kitty 💜)
November 29, 2019 at 11:36 PM
😂 there IS.
I just had to go out & left it halfway in a hurry. I have SO many questions. I'll add them as i slowly remember. (Short memory)
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amruta1009
November 29, 2019 at 10:07 PM
7. I missed them in the end too.
8. I think yhe portals were probably only a view to the other Manhwa. Don't know the reason why it even existed just like why the Manwas were in the library. But then again another thing not explained much.
9. Another thing that didn't make sense to me either.
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Kurama
November 30, 2019 at 1:44 PM
The manhwas could be Easter Egg drawn by the author like Disney's artists put Mickey's silhouette everywhere.
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luzitania
November 29, 2019 at 10:43 PM
I agree with all of them.
So many questions and so little answers.
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Fatcat007 (Kitty 💜)
November 29, 2019 at 11:47 PM
11. So what genre did Trumpet Creeper exactly belong to? Sageuk tragic romance? Like the ml killed the fl through the sl & then became king(?) Kyung only remembered parts that he had with Danoh. Not after.
(Side note: i think show had lots of potential but went downhill after Haru's disappearance & memory loss)
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panshel
November 30, 2019 at 1:24 AM
11. I confess I don't understand Trumpet Creeper at all or I didn't pay attention to the sageuk flashbacks. I was glad @Linlin asked in yesterday's recap, but I'm still confused.
So Trumpet Creeper was like Secret where Dan-oh loved Grand Prince Kyung in the Stage and Ha-ru in the Shadow? And Ha-ru loved Dan-oh in the Stage and Shadow? All this time, I thought Ha-ru was the male lead and Kyung the second lead because as we're told, Ha-ru and Dan-oh are Fated To Be. Did Stage Dan-oh ever find out Grand Prince Kyung was trying to kill her and have a change of heart? Otherwise, when Ha-ru killed Dan-oh in the Stage, why did she look at him with loving eyes?
Genre-wise, Trumpet Creeper is definitely a sageuk tragic romance like My Country: The New Age.
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Kurama
November 30, 2019 at 1:42 PM
7. We don't know for sure they won't be in the new manhwa.
8. I think they're wormholes connected all the stories and the author.
9. I think it's because she touched the book when there was a wormhole behind.
10. Danoh has Haru, Baek Kyung has his brother, someone looking after him. Except Baek Kyung always chose to push people around him and his little bro didn't have the courage to change things. It's Haru who made change his mind.
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yayabean
November 29, 2019 at 9:47 PM
Same here! 2019 has been a "drop" kinda of drama year.
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6 bil
November 29, 2019 at 9:12 PM
aww, I didn't want this drama ends too. Even till today I still watch their behind the scene (must watch: haru and danoh who act more affectionate each other in real life, haru and kyung who loves to tease dan oh, and kyung who act like the real maknae on set).
Extraordinary You maybe not a perfect drama, many people lose interest when amnesia happened to haru and danoh, but still I'm happy I can watch till the end. The drama itself give me so much laughter in the beginning, warm and swoony in the middle, and tears in the 4 last episode, and now EY one of my favorites drama all of time.
Thank you Lollypip for your recap, I really like your comment
"It’s a lot like real life — there are some things we can’t change, but within those parameters there’s a lot we can choose for ourselves, and we can change our fate" I couldn't agree more.
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7 panshel
November 29, 2019 at 9:18 PM
I went from "Baek Kyung is such a dick" to "Where is my Kyung in university??" ("Did you just call me 'Kyung'?") Kyung grew to be my favorite character. Lee Jae-wook is amazing and single-handedly saved this drama. I love the way Kyung talked -- his intonation a mix of incredulous and judging "어..그래? (Oh..is that so?)." While I was tired of Extraordinary You repeating the same scenes, I can rewatch Kyung's scenes over and over: his mother's cemetery, Dan-oh's handshake, his coat, their date, their wall, Dan-oh's puppet. For the record, I never shipped Kyung with Dan-oh as she should end up with who she loves, but Lee Jae-wook and Kim Hye-yoon had chemistry. I more want Kyung to date Kang Ye-seo from SKY Castle.
Kim Hye-yoon and Kim Ro-woon were cute but boring. They had no passion (their lips barely moved during their kisses). Dan-oh always scoffed at Nam-joo and Joo-da's clichés, but Dan-oh and Ha-ru's scenes were "worst" with all of their accidental closeness. Ha-ru was basically a manhwa (or drama) character come to life perfectly swoony and heart fluttering. Some of their couple time could have been given to Do-hwa, Joo-da, and Nam-joo who at one point all but disappeared.
@ting (Episodes 9-10) @wapzy (What we’re watching) What was the plot twist in the MBC character descriptions? I specifically avoided reading the descriptions while Extraordinary You was airing to avoid spoilers, but from everyone's warnings, I was expecting Joo-da to turn dark. I expected self-aware Joo-da to use Do-hwa because "Cinderella was the main character." Or for Joo-da to find out Ha-ru switched her grandmother's chart and get revenge.
As a result, I became more interested in Joo-da's story over Dan-oh's. I wish Nam-joo and Joo-da had a kiss in the finale. I loved Dan-oh and Do-hwa's friendship and missed self-aware A3's antics. I'm still left with questions about Trumpet Creeper (which at first I misread as "흔花" and not "능소花"), and there was no explanation for little bro Joon-hyun's creepiness.
A big thanks for recapping every episode, @LollyPip!
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WaywardHistorian
November 29, 2019 at 9:30 PM
In the character descriptions, Haru was listed (in addition to #13 & Haru) as the author. Since it didn't get explored in the drama, it wasn't a plot twist after all. (Maybe that's where the Manwha went and the Drama didn't?)
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ting
November 29, 2019 at 9:31 PM
Based on MBC character descriptions, Joo Da would turn bad. Joo Da was upset that Dan Oh was changing the stage thus taking away her spotlight...something to that effect.
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panshel
November 29, 2019 at 9:44 PM
In which character descriptions? I don't read that here or here? Did MBC edit the descriptions? Evil Joo-da would have been an "extraordinary" plot twist.
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yayabean
November 29, 2019 at 9:53 PM
I got excited when Joo-da got back at her bullies. So yes, evil Joo-da would have been fun to watch😁
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KDFL
November 29, 2019 at 10:25 PM
I wish they went with that because the plot sort of turned into the typical dramas that the show itself made fun of. It would have also been interesting if Haru was the avatar of the writer. I loved the beginning of the show. But when they stopped trying to change the stage, and everything became about Dan Oh's death, things became boring. I was only interested in Kyung's story because it felt like he actually had a story in which he had character development.
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Ayellie
March 5, 2020 at 6:45 PM
I mostly skipped the Dan-oh amd Ha-ru part and watched the second half of the show because of Baek Kyung.
Both the character and actor did a great job and I really hope to see Baek Kyung happy in another manhwa and LJW as main lead in another drama. I see LJW got a lot of potential, he has a wide range of acting abilities. And I really hope he become successful someday. A School Series drama perhaps?! :) For me, a great actor can make you root for a character no matter how hateful or pathetic they are. And thats exactly what he did in this drama. His scenes made me cry and he made this drama bearable. I hoped for a happy ending for Kyung and I guess even though he did not get Dan-oh in the end, at least he was able to save himself from becoming evil. Oh, i can't move on from him.
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8 amruta1009
November 29, 2019 at 10:12 PM
The ending was mostly satisfying. Atleast Dan Oh and Haru got together in the end. But I am still angry at the no rules thing. Most of my favorite moments this episode were the ones with Do Hwa. His scenes were the best. In the whole drama actually, heh. Totally hilarious and adorable. Also Namjoo with the Strawberry shirt, haha.
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9 luzitania
November 29, 2019 at 10:35 PM
Thank you @lollypip. I unfortunately dropped this drama but I enjoyed reading your recaps.
I will always be sad for what Extraordinary You could have been.
It had a fresh premise and an unique spunky heroine. The first half was amazing! We were introduced to this world which turned out to be a comic and this heroine who discovered she was just an extra (Dan Oh walking around when she thought she was the lead was hilarious). Then Doh-wa gained self-awareness and Dan-Oh found this mysterious boy with unknown origins (Haru). On top of that, Dan Oh had occasional flashes of the upcoming story board and we got hints that Dan-Oh and Haru might have met before (at the palace during that field trip).
All of this to say, I was pumped. I tuned in every week to see more of this spunky heroine forming a trio with mysterious Haru and funny Doh-wa. I was getting ready for this trio to do some sleuthing and get more answers about this world while slowly uncovering Haru's origin and his link to Dan-Oh.
Instead, Show decided to concentrate on the love triangle which to me was the weak point of this show. Plus, it reduced Dan-Oh to an aegyo machine who squealed "Haru" every time she saw him (this got really old really fast) and shifted its main character from Dan-Oh to Haru who, I am sorry, but was way too one-dimensional to carry this show (the actor did his best with what he could).
When a week had passed and I realized I hadn't watched the previous week episodes, I knew Show lost me. So no bean for me.
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10 panshel
November 29, 2019 at 10:41 PM
Except Ha-ru and Dan-oh were the main culprits in changing the story of Secret. If the Writer hoped self-aware characters would leave the Stage alone, they should have at least drawn Jinmichae and Kyung who are anti-change the story.
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nerdy
November 29, 2019 at 11:01 PM
The show played on its own cliches and made Dan Oh and Haru writers favourite characters (even if not the main lead). They were the only ones who survived three lifetimes
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11 blessingwind
November 29, 2019 at 11:00 PM
Time to say goodbye to this LOVELY drama i have watched this year. I will miss this show a LOT. Yes, i agree the some episodes were repetitive and we still didnt get to know the rules of this world, the writer etc, but this show really had some special aura which led me to watch till the end.
When i first started watching this drama, i did not know about the plot at all neither knew that this was based on a webtoon. I just watched it because i saw a thumbnail in DB for the recap of this drama. So i just got curious and started watching. I thought it would be some other sappy high-school drama, but boy i was so wrong. Dan-Oh was the sole reason at first i actually stayed to watch this drama. Her never-ending determination, different sides she showcased both on the stage and shadow, her spunk and fire in her. She shined above all.
She really is a fighter from beginning till end.
I never knew i would love Haru-DanOh scenes this much.Since at first Haru was jjust a nameless character who didnt have any lines, and Dan Oh was like a broken record trying to make him remember her. After that scene when Haru finally regained his self-awareness, and he took her from Baek kyung telling him he wont remember the scene at all, that was the the moment that lead me to believe that these two could do a whole lot to change the setting. I will miss their scenes the most in this drama. Their scenes had so much emotions ranging from cute, sweet, romantic, sad etc. I am glad that they got finally reunited in the end like they wanted. The 300-year old tree played a bigger role in reuniting them again and again. What a fate these two have. I am envious of them.
I will miss you Baek Kyung! His character has so many shades and his inner feelings were damn complicated. I know that his approach towards people were wrong on so many levels, but all he ever wanted was to feel less lonely.His character was the most loneliest and saddest from all the characters, both in the stage and the shadow. I just wished we got to see more of his scenes with DanOh being nice and sweet to her, rather than saying always saying she is meant to be with him and trying to get in between her and Haru. Glad that finally at the end, he changed to a better person. I wanna hug him so bad. Lee Jae wook is one great actor.
Mi chae and Soo-Hyang reunion was bittersweet. Like Haru-Danoh their love stayed true till the end. Soo-hyang is such a strong character. She never tried to hint Mi-chae about her she was self aware until the very end. She just wanted to spend time with him even for a little while and she was happy.
I laughed so hard that the great fashionista Nam Ju in the 'Secret' manhwa was degraded to a bad dresser in the new college manhwa. HAHA! But he was better looking than the Soo-cheol even in his worst state. His love for strawberry has progressed so much from Secret manhwa. Keep going Nam Ju. I will also miss Do-Hwa. His dimples , his jokes and his violin.
I will...
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bil
November 29, 2019 at 11:07 PM
Haru Dan Oh (plus Do Hwa) scenes are the main reason why I should watch this drama again. They're adorable when they are together, on screen and off screen
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blessingwind
November 29, 2019 at 11:16 PM
Yes. I am still on Extraordinary You withdrawal syndrome. It has been a week, yet i still go on youtube to watch some of the drama scenes, watch some mvs, and also behind the scenes videos. All the actors get along so well. I wish we could see Kim hye yoong, Rowoon, Lee jae wook and Jung Gun-joo in a variety show.They are so entertaining even on behind the scenes.
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12 blessingwind
November 29, 2019 at 11:11 PM
I will miss truly miss watching this drama. It was special in its own way. Hats off to the actors , Kim Hye yoon, Ro woon and Lee Jae wook and all actors for portraying their characters so well. The cinematography , the colour tone of this show so so beautiful. It was colourful, bright, warm and cozy. Just perfect.
Thankyou DB and Lollypip for recapping this drama. Hats off to you people's hardwork.
One more thing is that i love ALL of the OST in this drama. Finally after long time, i found a drama with the BEST OST. .All the songs in this drama matches so well with the characters feeling. Such as 'First love' female version portrays the love for Haru from Dan-Oh's side and the male version of this song matches with feelings of Kyung for Dan-Oh. Both the versions are sung in two different emotions. One is happy and cute, the other has bit of melancholy tune.
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yayabean
November 29, 2019 at 11:37 PM
I liked this drama's ost. Your My Beauty is such an earworm😁
The last time I liked an ost from a drama was in 2007's Coffee Prince's.
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13 MeloMe
November 29, 2019 at 11:12 PM
The ending to me was pretty unsatisfactory. The whole drama started going downhill in the second half and while most people were invested enough to be able to ignore it's fault and love it all the same, sadly this wasn't the case for me!! I did not even have a problem with Dan Oh crying and Haru's amnesia plot didn't frustrate me. I think what really irks me is that far too many questions have been left unanswered. The writer created this magical fantasy world but it ended up being too confusing. This is actually surprising for me because I was able to ignore the few questions that While You Were Sleeping did not answer and love it still (I remember there were 2-3). So I thought I would be able to ignore some of the technical questions regarding the manhwa world but here they bug me so much so that I can't seem to want to add this in my "my shows" list!! I remember after Haru comes back, those few episodes were so boring that I struggled to finish them! My interest in the show just kept diminishing but I still was hoping that the last epsiodes would be as exciting as the first half of the show!! I think i would have been a whole lot pleased with the ending if they had addressed atleast some of the questions.
Tho, I do like that no matter what or where Haru×DanOh are, they will always find and love each other!
Some of the questions that bugged me:
The first, regarding the self awareness of characters. How and why is this achieved. Some ppl deduced that it was because the writer keeps reusing the same characters but then this doesn't explain why JuDa and DoHwa became self aware as they were not part of the previous manhwa! In addition, Squid Fairy was not only aware but seemed to remember everything from the last Manhwa. Why was this the case?
Also I don't get the whole point of Haru coming back with a setup after he died in the shadow!! How did this happen? Why was this necessary? And then if he did comeback why was it necessary that he disappear again?. If he had to disappear again why was a setup added to his character in the first place??!! This seemed to make no logical sense to me!
Other questions that I have are of a slightly different nature. They are based on the fact that this story was a manhwa being read by the readers. I understood that the writer added Baek Kyung and Eun Dan Oh's story as a spin off in the secret manhwa. Maybe in an effort to appease the fans as these two couldn't have a happy ending in the last manhwa. What I don't get is that how can the readers be pleased to see Eun Dan Oh as just a nameless extra filling the background in the college manhwa considering that she was the female lead of another manhwa. Also, why was it that only Eun Dan Oh and Haru were added and not Baek Kyung?Same for Nam Ju, while I agree it was funny to see him as the opposite of who he was in the secret manhwa, how will the readers be happy seeing him without Ju Dah!!
Despite my qualms, the first half was fun enough that I...
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MeloMe
November 29, 2019 at 11:15 PM
Despite my qualms, the first half was fun enough that I don't regret starting it even though it's not going in my "my shows" list.!
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14 YY Chats with Toast Between Bites
November 29, 2019 at 11:13 PM
This show started off so strong and refreshing, wobbled in the middle, and found its way back in the last three episodes. I cried the last episode, and even though Danoh and Haru got their happy ending, it felt hollow, like how long is it going to last? Can they never marry, have kids, grow old together? Are they doomed to remain young forever, colliding, parting and crashing again, over and over and over? So it was a bittersweet ending for me, because it wasn't real, and it was hollow because of that, a fact driven in by the absence of Baek kyung, it was like he never existed, that his pain was obliterated, and I felt angry, because all that pain was so real, and his character broke my heart, and I felt it was so unfair to just make him cease to exist.
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Anna
December 4, 2019 at 11:49 AM
I agree about the ending being kind of hollow. Although they are happy in an alternate world, and we can assume that they have all their previous memories from Secret, I felt cheated. Hahah. This was a time jump, essentially, and generally, those feel like a cheap way of trying to tie things up without answering questions.
I would have preferred to see Dan Oh and Haru happy in Secret, since that's the story we experienced and made an emotional connection with, and I understand why they couldn't...but yeah, the ending was definitely bitter sweet. Gimme a season 2!!! hahah
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15 froyo
November 29, 2019 at 11:53 PM
am i the only one who just enjoys this drama without thinking too much about the "manhwa rules"? its a fantasy drama after all. the most important thing is finally dan oh and haru meet each other again.
as much as i love Dohwa, i think i agree with Juda decision. i feel bad for Namjoo because he didnt know his character until the end when people around him pretty much know everything.
it could be the writer who makes danoh haru become extra in the new manhwa or both of them wake up in the new manhwa with their own will because they are so desperate to meet each other. i don't know but im sure if there is a stage there will be Danoh and haru somewhere in the shadow live happily together :')
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Qingdao: likes scented candles
August 3, 2023 at 9:39 AM
Right--why worry about the rules because in a fantasy drama, the rules are at the discretion of the writers.
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16 Kurama
November 30, 2019 at 12:57 AM
I really loved this drama! One of my favourite for 2019 :)
For this episode, I loved Danoh-Haru scenes! They're so cute! The kiss scene was super cute, I'm really curious what happened before they got out of the library for Danoh to consider her 100 kisses with Haru as done :D
The scene when Haru disapeared was awful to watch, when he asked her to say his name was really touching, she's the one who gave it to him. Like packmule3 wrote it very well on her blog, "First, she’s HIS existence. He told her, “Today’s been the happiest day for me since my beginning and ending was you.”
Second, he’s HER Haru. Her day. “Haru. Haru-ya.” " = Sein und Zeit by Heidegger, it's the last classe at the end of the drama. It's the philosophy of this drama, we all have some settings but we still can change some things. Danoh wanted to live, to fall in love with the one she chose and to be an ordinary person who lives an ordinary life and always finds Haru the 10th Octobre under the tree. All her wishes were fulfilled.
For Baek Kyung, I'm happy to see him to be open to other people and make place for them in his life. Now, his little brother is ready to fight to make his hyung happy and it's good to know that he has a special someone in his life too, even if it's not a girlfriend. The fact, he didn't seem to have a role in the new drama, didn't bother me. The writer wrote him pretty badly in the first 2 manhwa, maybe they both need a break to let the writer to be more inspired with him.
Dohwa was really funny and was nice character. I hope the writer will do like with Soo Hyang and will reunite our Three Seuli Mukseteers later in the story because their trio was gold.
I really like Juda changed her life for herself. It's really less romantic than Danoh but she could find her own happiness.
Nam Joo was a fun character. I think his self-awre personality would have been very soft. Now he can be who he wants without a dragon mum.
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Kurama
November 30, 2019 at 1:40 AM
For the drama itself, I think the PD did a great job.
1) The casting : I liked the fact he chose typical tall and handsome guys and small girl because it was perfect for manhwa characters. They all are around the same age and you can see they felt confortable to film togther. It's the main thing that emerges from their interview. I liked the fact he let them a lot of freedom to discuss the scenes between them and decide how they wanted to do it. The PD encouraged and respected his actors, I found very nice from him when he said to Kim Hye Yoon she could get out, far from Haru, to calm down a little bit during a sad scene. Kim Hye Yoon was the best choice for this role! She really impressed me how she could act Stage and Shadow in the blink of an eye.
2) The filming sets : inside and outside I found every place beautiful : the hall, the library, the beach at Busan, the river, the field full of white flowers, the temple on the mini island, etc.
3) The story set-up : I don't have issue with the rules of the drama. The difference between Stage and Shadow is clear, I think Haru could change the Stage because he came from a vortex-wormhole in the first episode, everybody was frozen except Danoh and after that we could see Haru's silhouette. The fact he was an extra made possible to him to be in scene without the writer realized it. Danoh touched the book when there was a vortex behind it and she could see the story-board and later she put her hand in the wormhole...The writer can reuse her characters or not, add them later, etc. In US comics, the writers reuse so many times the same heroes in different set-ups, it's pretty common in comics books.
4)The staging : every scene were beautiful. The lights, the way they played with Stage and Shadow (angle, filters), etc.
5) Literary and artistic references : the classes were really well used to explain the questions the heroes were wondering. The poem Flower : When I spoke his name, he came to me and became a flower. Let’s take a look at The Stars by Alphonse Daudet about a innocent shepard and his love for a young girl. The poem Danoh read about Love. Beethoven’s Variations in F Major about variation of old piece. All the math theorem like Gauss math theory. The English vocabulary and extra-ordinary you :D ETC.
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yayabean
December 1, 2019 at 5:10 PM
@kurama Thanks for posting your thoughts about the last episode. I found them very insightful.
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17 DelSatu
November 30, 2019 at 1:23 AM
Thank you for recapping this lovely little show @lollypip ! It is really one of my favorite of the year, as it gave me warm fuzzy feelings I so needed at the time of the year!
I know many beanies were displeased by some of the show's flaws, but I've found this story very coherent, including the ending: the manhwa had to end and the self-aware characters faced their coming disappareance gracefully, although they couldn't erase the sadness of loosing the bonds that have been created in this world.
I have loved Kyung as a character (and I have to confess that I love the weird cheest A3 strutting music!) and how he has finally managed to come out of his set-up - and the actor is undoubtedly charmismatic. During the whole drama, Kyung struggles with so many conflicting feelings (hurt! sadness! jaelousy! anger! love! loneliness!) but has finally found his inner peace with a little help from his friends. Maybe in the next manwha, he can be a brooding hero, with less insecurities and many occassions to shine!
I feel for Do-hwa like I felt for Dok-jae at the end of "Go Back spouses": where is Do-hwa?!? I'm sure he'll outgrow of his second-lead status this time around, burn the violin to the ground and get the girl. Maybe even Jo-da, since she liked him back (who wouldn't?) and made her decision based on the circumstances of the previous drama.
Of course the main couple were adorable puppies, and I was particularly impressed with the lead actress and the energy she put up in that role (it was so impressive in the previous episode during the unaware stage- it felt like 2 different people).
For me, this drama was the best mix btw W and Ouran High School Host Club: embracing the clichés of the shojo world while trying to circumvent the writer's terrible lack of imagination! and for all that, I am sincerely graceful!
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yayabean
December 1, 2019 at 5:14 PM
@delsatu Totally agree. This drama was my crack drama of the year.
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18 dany
November 30, 2019 at 3:50 AM
This was a good show. I liked it (I loved it in the beginning). Cute actors. My favorite character was Lee Tae ri's character.
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19 TurtuallySarcastic
November 30, 2019 at 5:41 AM
Thank you for the recaps @lollypip!
It is a waste of time to try and make sense of the Writer and how the manhwa world works, as many Beanies correctly pointed out to me after I ranted about this last week. Do not get me wrong, I love the idea of the Writer controlling the manhwa world as a substitute for Fate, something we cannot control or understand and only can control as much as Fate allows us to. Unfortunately I was hell-bent on pestering a human Writer for explanations, and even falsely accused not one, but two characters in the process. I usually suspend my disbelief and can easily go with the story, which I should have done with this K-drama, but alas, it spoiled my viewing a bit. Maybe a rewatch in the future will help.
Jin Michae, I will never forgive myself for suspecting you, but I hope you will accept my love to make up for it. Someone better cast our Italy as a male lead soon, lots of acting and wooing chops, this one! The same goes for Do-Hwa. Soompi claimed that we were soulmates, and once he started reading that love letter to A2 I knew Soompi was right. ;) A2 even acknowledged and returned the love after 16 episodes! :D
Kyung had a lot less screen time this episode, which makes sense as his story sort of wrapped up in episode 15. I hope he can open up to his little brother, because he wanted someone by his side who would never leave him. If they ever appear again, because I actually thought the absence of the self-aware characters in the college manhwa meant that they would not appear again (in that manhwa). I can accept this ending, after all the suffering Secret (and Flower) put them through they deserve rest, but of course it would be even better if they simply appeared after this episode.
I hope the webtoon writer creates spinoffs for these three webtoons, because I would love to read the Stage compilations and replace Dan-Oh as the present snark reader. ;) Especially the last one, I want to watch that one play out, because my brain has decided again to make up theories that will probably be way off, like that Nam-Joo and Kyung’s fangirl with the ponytail are the leads (Nam-Joo has the same problem as Haru, too handsome to be an extra, probably a 96-liner thing), judging by the way she noticed him whenever everybody else dismissed him.
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20 PMSahjumoni
November 30, 2019 at 6:24 AM
I loved the concept of this show. The abrupt scene changes from the shadow to the stage never gets old. This novel concept itself was enough to float the entire drama. They should have just concentrated on exploring more of the relationships between the other characters in the shadow and on the stage instead of over-focusing on the romance. The romance never resonated with me simply because I could not comprehend the fated connection between Haru and Dan Oh. For me, Haru was a usurper who stole someone else’s limelight (and girl). I liked Baek Yung a lot from the beginning as a complex character in itself.
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Kurama
November 30, 2019 at 7:58 AM
Stole? Haru never forced Danoh to fall in love with him. It's Danoh who tried to find him, she's the one who gave him a name, she's the one who took his hand, who kissed him. She's a big girl who knows what and who she wants. It's all.
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21 ar_arguably romantic
November 30, 2019 at 1:52 PM
Thank you for the recap!
Not the direction that I had expected the drama to go, but the more I thought about the ending, the more I like it. Given the direction and music and everything, I had expected something more fantasy and thrilling. Maybe something W-esque. I was a little disappointed when that didn't happen. What we got was ultimately something more subdued and slice-of-life, which isn't a bad approach, especially since it differentiates it from W. I ended up seeing it as an allegory for life. Life has a beginning and ending, and the afterlife/next life is something we never know for certain, but have high hopes for. There will be things that you can't change, but you do your best within your ability to seek happiness.
Randomly, it reminded me a bit of Another Oh Hae Young, which had a slight fantasy angle with an impending death (the premonitions had an eerie feel too), but it wasn't about preventing that death so much as it is about living life to the fullest and having no regrets when you die.
Anyways, I loved this drama and its journey, and I'm so glad that Haru and Dan-Oh got to be reunited as extras. We didn't see Baek Kyung around in the new manhwa, but as he didn't appear as an antagonist, I'm glad he got a break. Maybe he'll come back as a happier guy in the next manhwa.
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22 empressblue
November 30, 2019 at 6:12 PM
"The mark of a good drama is when you don’t want it to end, and I definitely didn’t want Extraordinary You to end. I want to continue watching this new story, with everyone’s new characters and the new college setting." <--- *THIS!!!*
Thank you for recapping @LollyPip!!!
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yayabean
December 1, 2019 at 5:16 PM
Me too! Season 2, please. @empressblue
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empressblue
December 5, 2019 at 8:06 AM
Judging by the ratings, season 2 seems to be impossible but as Ex-You drama fans, we can only hope. T^T @yayabean
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yayabean
December 5, 2019 at 7:09 PM
Hope is what keeps us going😄 @empressblue
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23 rochinipark
December 1, 2019 at 3:51 AM
Me too felt I could just watch this next story based in college.I didnt get it at first they were just extras in the new show. Wouldve like to see if the others frm the high school setting also reappear here. But surpising to note that Sae Mi and Soo chul may be the leads in this new manhwa.
Lovely underrated drama glad it kept me happy when I watched it.
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24 anonymous
December 1, 2019 at 8:01 AM
The show was a waste of its interesting concepts to be honest. They don't have to explain everything, but why didn't they even explain why Danoh was able to see the storyboards? It was an important part of her character. The explanation was already included in the webtoon, which was that Danoh was created by the Secret writers before their debut. She had the abilities of time travel, seeing the future, and changing the future. In the drama, they gave the the last ability to Haru, which I honestly didn't like because Danoh became someone who always had to wait for Haru to save her or do things for her.
I also didn't like that they never showed the writers of Secret or even just glimpses of their thoughts and creation process like in the webtoon. I was expecting the writer to be Baek Kyung's brother because he seemed too attached to the characters while not wanting them to change anything. There was also a creepy vibe to him that I felt that there should be more to his character. It's probably one of the plot points they left out just like Namju's disability and Juda turning into a villain (based on the MBC character descriptions). I don't know if I like that they made the writers into a Fate-like figure instead.
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25 Anna
December 4, 2019 at 11:23 AM
Sigh. This drama was too cute. I'm really glad I decided to watch it. It's one of the few dramas I've watched this year, actually! The rainbow necklace scene was so cute!
I just loved how pure Dan Oh and Haru's love was and how light (most) of the story was. No crazy drama, just a slice-of-life kind of story with some unique elements.
Justice for Do Hwa! Poor boy. I felt bad that Joo Da led him on after she became self-aware. I know that she didn't do it ill-willed, but still. I was hoping to see Do Hwa at the end being a womanizer or something (haha!), but alas. Or even with him being the main guy since he was the second lead in Secret.
If Korea actually did "seasons" for shows, I would definitely love to watch the characters in the new story, or even see more of the sageuk story.
Hye Yoon did a really great job, as did Jae Wook. Hye Yoon is a great cryer, and so good at (sometimes cringey) aegyo. Hahah. Jae Wook is so good at emoting, and I don't know why, but I really liked how he delivered a lot of his lines. Maybe it's the tone that he used or the way he spoke? Rowoon did a good job overall, but was definitely the weakest, especially with his serious scenes.
I'm going to miss our three musketeers (Dan Oh, Do Hwa, & Haru). Their friendship was too cute. Always enjoyed their scenes together and wished there were more! Dan Oh and Do Hwa's friendship, especially, could have used more scenes.
Overall, I really enjoyed this drama and will definitely be one that I revisit every so often! My favorite scene of all time has got to be the scene in the classroom where Haru finds Dan Oh napping and he lays down on the desk right next to her. Such a pretty scene.
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26 Annie
December 5, 2019 at 3:26 AM
Guys I don't know for sure, but in the first scene in the new manhwa, one of those people who were putting up the artwork looked a lot like Joo Da. Maybe its my imagination or something lol XD
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27 pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
December 29, 2019 at 7:41 PM
I just finished the last episode - and despite the many questions we're left with, I enjoyed it a lot and I'm happy that Dan-oh and Haru found each other again as nameless extras this time and will keep doing so no matter what the writer plans for them. Kim Hye-yoon is an absolute gem 😍
Also I did want to see the rest of the new story, hopefully with a self-aware Joo-da and Do-hwa, and all the rest!
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28 Lady Malfoy
January 1, 2020 at 8:16 PM
This was so glorious. I was in such a drama slump for so long, and I finally caved and renewed my viki subscription to watch this. It brought me such incredible amounts of joy. I loved loved loved this ending. I would love a sequel to this, and by sequel I mean I want 16 episodes of sappy squishy precious love. Nam-ju definitely wins as best reincarnation though--that strawberry sweater gave me LIFE. I loved this drama. I will miss it.
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29 cottonmilk
February 7, 2020 at 8:58 PM
I get bored easily of a drama eps when they come to the 10th pr 11th episode. I could already guess how the drama would ends, how the character development grows on each character, etc. There are so little dramas that can keep me stay for a long time, making me question what will happen next, and get me hard to move on from the characters. Extraordinary You is one of the extraordinary dramas I ever watched. Last time I felt so lost after the last episode were after watching Pinocchio, Scarlet Heart and My Love from Another Star.
Everything is special about this drama; the plot, the mystery, the casts, the personality switches, everything is amazing. I only need to watch the first episode of EOY to see if I would fall over heels on it. I hope to see dramas like this in the future.
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30 Lavga Rose
February 11, 2020 at 6:19 AM
I really love this drama but I have one question... when they are older (in the "third manhwa") why does dan-oh remember Haru? I mean.. there was no flashback besides the little conversation they had. (“Whether we’re onStage or in the Shadow, let’s meet there on October 10th. If we do that, I feel like we might see each other for a long time, like this tree.” and “When we are 19 and 20.”)
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31 Firefly
February 14, 2020 at 1:52 PM
Finally got around to watching this drama after all the hype surrounding it. High school drama with an interesting premise - I was immediately hooked. I managed to stay on the ride all the way through, but it was definitely getting annoying towards the end. With such lovable characters, interesting set-ups and potential for story, it was a shame that episodes kept repeating themselves and we heard the same two lines, “Let’s change our fate!”, “I can change the stage!” over and over again despite nothing big actually happening to back those claims up.
Compressing the drama into 12 episodes, with more focus on the other characters (Ju-da who actually became very interesting after becoming self-aware, Do-hwa in scenes other than just comedy relief and Mi-chase/Joon-Hyun) would’ve made a far more gripping drama. Nevertheless, it was a good drama (with far more momentum in the first half compared to the second), that ultimately couldn’t live up to the standards it tried to set itself. The drama did attempt to answer questions about existence and free-will with little Easter eggs sprinkled throughout (the art class, the college class at the end), but the dialogue between characters made it repetitive and used towards the end.
Acting was stellar and I’m super glad to see Hye-Yoon, who I loved in Sky Castle, in a lead role. Her acting and chemistry with Ro-woon (who I’ve never seen before) was tangible and a big part of what kept me watching. I thought I’d found my new drama crack with EY but I’m almost relieved it ended up on a downward trajectory. Kdrama withdrawal would’ve been waiting in the wings, otherwise!
Well, time to move on to the next drama!
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32 Ruka
June 17, 2020 at 1:46 AM
Then who is the writer???
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33 extranininino
July 10, 2020 at 4:12 AM
Replying to everyone with the question of why would the writer recast the same characters over and over again in a new manhwa, I think it is basically like us writing stories or fanfiction. We will always revert back to that particular character or muse bc thats what suits our taste the best. But in a different settings. It kinda makes sense why the writer always choose the supporting characters to be the leads in his/her next manhwa. The writer is us whenever we finishes a drama and wonder what would it be like if this particular small pairing ended up together? (Hwang jung eum and park seo joon from kill me, heal me to she was pretty?) I love extraordinary you bc of this little epiphanies it gives me. It makes you relate more as an audience. I hope to see the cast (the real cast, not the cast in the manhwa.... What??) meaning; hyeyoon, rowoon, jaewook and all of them together in another project. From all the bts videos i've watched, they have really great chemistry and synergy while working together.
Also, i like to think that the wormhole thingy is really the writer's own feelings. Bc it appears everytime the self aware characters are in action to making changes. It's as if the writer itself is remembering all the feels he had from the previous manhwa it affects the characters will to be more self aware and take charge bc they too remember it. Does that make sense?
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34 zw
August 4, 2020 at 7:11 PM
awe i wanted dohwa and juda to date in shadow. like, why couldnt she have both guys, one in stage and one in shadow. but, now dohwa can find someone who actually loves him wholeheartedly so it's actually a good ending for him
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35 Uttara Das
September 4, 2020 at 3:59 PM
I thought since the starting that they will show the writer, but keutkaji obsosso 😭
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Uttara Das
September 4, 2020 at 4:01 PM
I even thought that that black hole would connect the comic and the real world.
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36 Mia Tesoro
January 9, 2021 at 9:36 PM
i dont know y but i still cant manage, what actually happened in the last episode???? they can live together ever after or they just need to follow the rules??? if they must follow the rule then what will happen to them?? cant be together? and if they can live together, where the rules gone? are they be excused??? omo...i really need someone explain what are the message they gave in last episode...and if they decided to move on to season 2, ring me a bell...btw, this story is not bad...i love the turning page sound....may this drama be success! fighting! tq for releaseing this drama too
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Kurama
April 6, 2021 at 11:42 PM
Both Danoh and Haru are extras in the last book. So the writer didn't give them a character description like a heart issue. They won't have to change the Stage this time to save Danoh, so they can live how they want until the end of the book.
For the message of the drama, the teacher at the university gave it by talking about Heiddegger.
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37 Becky babe
July 2, 2021 at 3:05 PM
Interesting film they must collect award
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38 Qingdao: likes scented candles
August 3, 2023 at 9:48 AM
August 2023 completed 1st watch. Finally able to check out this drama that has had so much hype. I recently watched True Beauty and saw the cameos from this drama. It was cute and ended with a logical and happy ending.
So, I avoided getting too hung up on rules of a Kdrama universe, especially with fantasy. For some reason, this show was "cracky" and I enjoyed the characters and the premise. The settings were beautiful (except bad wigs in the Goryeo story) as was the cinematography.
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