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Do You Like Brahms: Episodes 3-4 Open Thread

The tables have turned this week, and now it’s our hero’s turn to get a look at the inner life of our heroine. As their similar natures and predicaments bring them closer together, an official friendship is declared — and it’s off to a beautiful start, being rooted in genuine care, support, and mutual understanding.

 
EPISODES 3-4 WEECAP

Excuse me while I spazz! The developments this week could not have been more lovely, and this budding friendship between Joon-young and Song-ah is the stuff that dreams dramas are made of. The birthday song, the hug, the chats by the stream, the sweet confessions… These two have been so unhappily in love for so long that seeing them find happiness and camaraderie in getting to know each other is just everything.

We left off last week with Joon-young and Song-ah’s impromptu dinner together, and it’s not the only time that circumstances will throw them together this week. Add in the fact that Song-ah is acting on behalf of Joon-young at the foundation, and our leads are spending lots of quality time together. And I’m not complaining.

Our leads’ professional and musical lives are tightly knit, but this week they realize how similar their personal stories are, as well. Both have been locked into these emotionally and creatively stifling love triangles that rather than let up over the years, just seem to get more so.

We’ve watched Song-ah picking up on Joon-young’s love entanglement (half because of circumstances, half because of perception), but this week it’s Joon-young that witnesses hers. In an early post-concert dinner with all of our triangles and quadrangles present, Joon-young instinctively plays interference for Song-ah. I loved that it was his knee jerk reaction to protect her from learning that Dong-yoon and Min-sung had gotten back together (ish), even without being explicitly told about her feelings.

The secret can’t be kept, though, and on Song-ah’s birthday, just before a celebratory get together, Min-sung confesses what happened. It’s Song-ah whose heart is broken, but it also looks like Joon-young’s been stabbed. He witnesses and understands things about her even as an outsider. It’s the same role she played, and is playing, for him.

The night drags on for Song-ah the way crappy nights often do — she lingers at work, trying to gather the strength to meet everyone and pretend she’s fine. But it’s our hero’s turn to shine. He plays one of her favorites songs (Moonlight Sonata) and them seamlessly turns it into a beautiful rendition of Happy Birthday. I don’t even like birthdays, but this was possibly the sweetest and most meaningful birthday wish around.

The scene continues to so beautifully capture the way both Joon-young and Song-ah are drawn to and understand each other, as well as their impulse to comfort each other. When he blurts out, “Do you want to be friends?” and then jumps up from his piano bench saying, “No, we have to be” and envelopes her in a hug… I might have been clutching my heart during this entire scene.

There’s so many great metaphors and themes to unpack in each episode of this show, but I think one of the most important this week was the construct of music being a means for communication and consolation. For Joon-young, we learn that music is stronger to him than words (and that’s part of why there’s so much emotion attached to certain pieces for him, like Träumerei); for Song-ah, she claims that music is consolation, but later thinks to herself that it only represents the moments she’s been heartbroken.

Not that it’s uncommon for musicians to relate over music and music philosophy, but Joon-young and Song-ah just seem to get each other. Over the weeks or so that our episodes cover, we watch them grow more and more close and comfortable with each other. They can read each other’s signals with a glance, back each other up when they need moral support and/or an escape route, and they’re so in sync that it’s just a pleasure to watch.

Joon-young even admits to seeking out Song-ah (after a hellacious day of Jung-kyung stress) because he missed her, and because being around her makes him happy. It strikes me that this boy can use his words just fine when he needs to!

Of course there’s a lot more than Joon-young and Song-ah’s relationship going on in this drama — there’s all the ways the people in their life keep intersecting, and the external pressures they face, too. We end our episodes this week with a sobering sequence of Joon-young telling Song-ah what it’s really like to be a professional musician compared to the sugar-coated version he shares at his “talk concert.” He deserves to be so much happier than he is; I’m not the only one hoping he can extricate his heart from Jung-kyung, right?

Speaking of Jung-kyung, what do we do with her? I’m trying to feel sympathy for her plight and pressures, and she’s by no means a flat character. She’s full of sharp edges and nuances and hurts the people around her a little too easily — but it’s so apparent that most of this is just because she’s so miserable, locked in grief, pressured into her future, and stuck in a relationship she doesn’t seem to take any joy in.

On paper I could sympathize with her, but in the drama, she has this attitude about her that makes it hard for me to root for her, and her snapping at Joon-young during their rehearsal sealed her fate for me. Or is it just that she always seems to have what Anne of Green Gables might call, “a sour expression”?

I mentioned last week how this drama wowed with its use of subtle tension and subtext, and it’s still strong this week as we follow our characters, see what they do, hear what they say, and then are privy to what’s really going on behind that.

For instance, Hyun-ho is not as dense as he pretends to be, and he knows there’s something between Jung-kyung and Joon-young — and to his credit, rather than sit on it for a decade, he unearths it right away. So far he’s shaping up to be the clearest and most uncomplicated of our characters… but with so many opaque and complicated people around him, I’m not sure the friction in their relationships will be as easy to resolve as he thinks.

At the end of our episodes this week we’re left with a pianist who can’t seem to keep his sabbatical, a violinist who never gets to play her violin, and a web of circumstances and emotional connections that keep knitting them together. I love the weight this story has about it — not because it’s melodramatic, but just because it portrays the heaviness that can be a part of everyday moments.

The friendship between Joon-young and Song-ah is not only everything they needed, but everything they didn’t know they needed. I love watching them interact no matter what they’re doing — whether they’re smiling when they spot each other across the street, running interference for each other, or chatting at Cheongyecheon after dinner. Imagine when they finally play together? *Spazz*

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Just two introverts falling in love! What's better than this?

I was already emotional when he started playing Moonlight Sonata but when it transitioned into Happy Birthday I absolutely lost my mind... like the writers knew what they we're doing with that...

The only weak point for me are the side characters, who I find... well... uninteresting. Save for maybe Hyun Ho who at least has some visible conflict going on internally.

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Ikr! I have been waiting for this show! (*been kdrama-free since Hospital Playlist)

Love the subtlety of the scenes when both leads are in it. The silence, glances between the leads, you feel it with them, knowing you too are falling! *wheeee 🥰

Looking forward! 💙

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Callie, "The only weak point for me are the side characters, who I find... well... uninteresting."
<- The co-worker guy, (Park Sung-Jae?), sure seems sketchy, critical and self-serving up to ep. 3. What bothered me in that episode was at 30:38, he was saying, “the client’s kids already went to Mr. Park’s concerts many times, and to be honest, tickets to his concerts are easier to get than a few years ago…”
I thought Joon-Young just returned to the country after a long absence?

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This drama is definitely spazz worthy. I love the moments when leads interact.

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I'm 100% onboard this drama now. I wish we will get more of their friendship before it develops into romance because it's really too precious!

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I’m totally not these people, but I want to be. And by “these people” I mean Song-ah and Joon -young. Omg. This slow burn is soooo satisfying.

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Yes, satisfying is the word. It's like aloe after a burn. Cool, soothing, and satisfying.

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Rom.com is not one of my fave genre but once in a while something this irresistible comes around and change my tune.
Do I like Brahms? Oh heck yes!

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But Do You Like Brahms isn't even a romcom.

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Romance/Music, whatever you call it.

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Do you like melo genre? Do You Like Brahms is a melo.

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Uh. Oh. Did not know that.

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I do when it comes from Noh Hee-kyung and Jung Ha-yeon's melos.
Brahmas doesn't feel like a melo to me (yet).

I love the leads!
Park Eun-bin is one of my favorite child actors. She can play any type of roles. A regal queen in "Secret Door", a dedicated doctor's wife with (20yrs age gap) in "Hur Jun", a quirky college girl in "Age of Youth" etc. Her character here is the opposite of Ji-won in AoY.

I think this is good role for Kim Min Jae. I had to ditch his last drama because I was bored to death and this is coming from a sageuk geek.

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A melo that doesn't feel like it so far though... fingers crossed it stays that way.

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So happy to see that you have picked this drama up @kiara!!

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I'm so happy that you are watching too <3.
I hope you are doing well :).

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The OTP are truly blessed. I can’t get over the moments they have together. And we have to agree, Kim Min Jae is indeed swoon worthy. The voice (MAN THE VOICE!) and the subtle glances, the awkward greetings Song Ah and Joon Young share, saving each other and comforting each other. Playing Song Ash’s favorite piece when she was down and smoothly shifting to Happy Birthday was everything I would’ve dreamt. If some guy does that to me, I would be married already.

But for real, Park Joon Young is not the typical male lead (in fact he seems more like the sweet second male lead with wrong timing), but his gentlemanly gestures makes my heart race. Just like Song Ah, I’m also falling in love with him. This is probably Kim Min Jae’s best character so far. I do agree, he acting was always so good. But now he’s swoon worthy.

Plus the fact that the actors play their own instruments is a happy coincidence.

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That voice is killing me. I remember liking him well enough in THE BEST HIT, but he was like a boy. Suddenly I'm swooning when he says in this deep manly voice: "Can you turn the pages for me?" "I think I came because I wanted to see you" "Do you want to be friends? No, we have to be friends". *melts into a puddle*

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His voice is a blessing. And the best thing about it is he rarely talks. So like when he opens his mouth it’s a happy surprise. *melts into a puddle too*

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That voice was the first thing that made me start this drama, honestly! It gives me goosebumps - one of the best drama voices I have ever heard.

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I’ve watched his dramas before but I always forget how deep his voice is. I’m a person who always fall for the voice first and Kim Min Jae has secured a fan of me in that way.

Unique voices are my thing. That’s why Onew from SHINee is my bias. Hehehe

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Unique voices - me too! - I pay attention to voices most of all in performers, and love collecting interesting voices. Didn't know about Onew. *sets off to explore*

I stuck with (the mostly meh) Flower Crew mainly for KMJ's voice, but haven't watched The Best Hit, because of the terrible things I have heard about the plot. I don't think I have watched anything else with him in it.

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I first search whether he is the main lead and if he’s not then I probably won’t watch it. Lol

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And yes, Onew is a good thing to search for. Prepare to be mesmerized.

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So did you all know that KMJ trained to be a rapper/idol? He sometimes sings and raps still. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/f9MKAFkKaZw

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And another where he raps on an OST on a show he was in. https://youtu.be/m1bOUqhDy_I

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@ally-le Thanks for the links! I knew he was a rapper, but hey, he can hold a tune as well! Nice :)

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He’s also Nurse Park in the Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim series and did really well—his love lines we’re adorable! You can’t forget Goblin where he played the young king. He was in Tempted too. A wasted show with a lot of talent. He also did a show (a long time ago) in Vietnam which was a VN/Korea collaboration where he plays an idol.

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@ally-le I always forget that he's a rapper. I think his rap in The Best Hit was my favorite part of that show. It blew me away!

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jinki’s voice 😍😍😍 so smooth!

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He and Yeo Jin goo have talked about their similarly low voices (and looks and age) in interviews and KMJ says Yeo Jin goo’s voice is “10
stories” lower than his. Lol. They both have low voices though and very swoon-inducing when they speak!

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Indeed, my bias. And the fact that both him and KMJ are both silent and kind and soft speaking. And they both can play the piano...

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@ally-le I know it's a popular belief that Kim Min-jae and Yeo Jin-gu look similar, but I've never seen the resemblance. I think Kim Min-jae resembles Song Joong-ki, and no one has ever said Yeo Jin-gu looks like Song Joong-ki.

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That's a really good point, that his character is more like the typical 2nd male lead who never gets the girl - in Kdramas nice guys really do finish last so here's hoping this drama turns that old trope on its ear.

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The look at Song-ah's face while she's listening Joon-young speaking in front of the students.... It made her really sad because she knew the truth.... Ah, two softie kindred spirits, I just want them to be happy.

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I love when Song-ah and Joon-young randomly meet in the middle of the street or at her work and they like awkwardly bow and smile at each other, it's so cute, and I can't get over Joon-young's smile, it's the sweetest thing ever

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I replayed that smile on the street scene over and over again.. it was indeed the sweetest thing ever.

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So many smiles in these 2 episodes....on the street, the birthday dinner, the dinner with just the two of them, and over the chats in Cheonggyecheon. I just want to replay these scenes on loop in my head all day!!😅

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The thank you scene at the birthday dinner was so good. SA looking for JY eyes to say thank you, you can feel how grateful she was. but what's better was how JY was so happy about that.
The hug or the not confession scenes were fluttering but it is this kind of small moments that seal the deal for me.

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I loved the moment when Song-ah said she never asked Joon-young to protect her from the truth, and she doesn't want him to do it again, she'd rather be hurt than be left in the dark. Once again, she showed that she is strong.

I also loved the moment when he was walking down the street toward her and his whole face lit up, and she had to look away because she was so happy to see him. How could this not end in romance? It just goes to show how sheltered they are that they don't recognize their growing friendship as something deeper and more beautiful than their failed "loves".

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The fact that they feel comfortable enough to speak honestly with each other even though they haven't known each other that long is so telling!

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There’s so much respect between them two which I love, like I’m sure Song-ah is grateful for what Joon-young did or at the very least understand why he tried to protect her, but she doesn’t get angry at him for so doing so (which is the case in most kdramas) but rather respectfully tells him not to do so in the future

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"I missed you" is a mistranslation. He said, "보고 싶었던 거네요" meaning "I wanted to see you," which is in line with what he said that seeing her makes him smile.

Joon-young says all these heart-fluttery lines so casually, how does he expect Song-ah to not fall for him? When he said, "아니," OMG, did he just use banmal with her!? He switches back to jondaemal, but I died. No, I can't be friends with you! (just friends with you) I'm in love with you!! He remembers everything about her from her name Chae Song-ah to the pieces she likes Moonlight Sonata to her birthday. kyaa~ that hug. Now that she's mourned her unrequited love, there won't be a next time when Joon-young hides the truth from her.

Did Song-ah suggest he play Träumerei? NOOO, WHY!? I'm grateful he at least has Song-ah to confide in, while he repeated his rehearsed answers onstage. "What did I do in my past life to deserve this?" Joon-young is so unhappy, I just want to save him. I want him to quit the piano and find new friends. When Hyun-ho told Joon-young to leave, I raged, "Bitch, he was here first! You leave!!" I just can't understand how this is the first time Hyun-ho is seeing this. How was he so oblivious? Their practice session, you could cut the tension with a knife. The only explanation for how the trio could stay friends for so long is they lived in different countries and barely saw each other. This relationship is over. Jung-kyung went to look for someone other than her boyfriend on her birthday and waited for his birthday present. She clearly likes Joon-young, so why did she not accept him when he played the piano for her in middle school? BEFORE Hyun-ho. Or does she just not want to lose Joon-young? I hope his "You're really hateful lately" means he's over Jung-kyung once and for all even though he would never make a move because of Hyun-ho anyway.

Thanks a ton for the weecap, @missvictrix!

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Agreed.. Also the scene when she came to his performance in New York and suddenly kissed him, and that's why JY was so confused... And she even lied to Hyun-ho that she didn't go to his performance....

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Actually in her defense she never outrightly told hyun ho whether she went to his concert or not. As you can see from her surprised reaction when she asked if Joo young said she didn’t go....
But still, she deserves to be trashed a little because she’s annoying me so bad.

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Yeah, I picked up on the mistranslation too. Still, very swoony. I love how open he can be when he's with her!

Hyunho telling Joonyoung to leave was so sad, because Joonyoung's the one who actually cares about him, not Jungkyung. I wish they would just sit down and have a SOBER conversation about what's happening instead of just beating around the bush and letting all these misunderstandings fester. They're all grown adults, and Joonyoung especially needs to stop protecting Jungkyung.

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I think I need a flashback to their school days, because I'm really not getting the sense that they are a close trio. Joon-young and Hyun-ho seem like friends, but if Jung-kyung has been this bitter and haughty since middle school it's hard for me to see why both boys would fall for her.

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VIKI has it translated correctly, I believe. I saw the wall posts that said he missed her and watched the show without subs at first and didn’t hear that. However, my Korean is not good enough to know what he actually said—but this made more sense after I watched it with the subs. It’s too early to say he misses her. But yes, “I wanted to see you,” is totally appropriate. He kind of likes her. I don’t think he minces words when he actually says them our loud. The thing is getting him to say how he really feels. I think he had a breakthrough this episode when he was going over the questions truthfully with Song-ah. I don’t think he’s ever told anyone how he really feels. I think Jung-kyung is at least right about that. She has probably wanted him to confide in her the same way. I think she hates playing the violin. I need to write an essay about her next!

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Same about the essay about JK ! ^^ will waiting for yours

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I didn't read the confession when Joon-young said that she made him smile like a romantic confession on his part, but it was a well-written romantic confession scene.

He seems to be a person who is in touch with his feelings, he know exactly what he is feeling even if he can't change anything.
That's why when he ask for them to be friends, it was for his own sake too. He know Song-ah is different and makes him feel something different. And he wants to feel that and even if he doesn't know what this feelings mean exactly.

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You are right about the confession. It indeed was a romantic confession but what made it so powerful is how deeply truthful it was- precisely because the young man does not yet consciously realize that he has fallen in love. Rather than some pre-plotted lines that are delivered to the girl he instead says exactly and precisely what he means- those words are truly words from his heart. Now his mind simply needs to catch up with his heart so that he himself will consciously understand what his heart just said.

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Precisely why it affected all of us the same way! Lovely!

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It's fascinating that he can be so honest and direct with Song-ah because it shows his true, adult personality in a healthy relationship as opposed to the immature quagmire of the youthful trio. Their relationship obviously has not changed or grown since high school - not surprising at all considering how little time they spend together - and seems shallow and hardly worth attempting to repair.

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I hope Joon-young knows the effects his actions and words have on Song Ah. For now, he seems to just offer friendship and I feel for her if she starts to catch feelings.

As he said, love moderately. If you love too much, then the pain comes.

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This boy is either extremely naïve or he's a player. After being all swoony, he looks completely unaffected, while Song-ah is shook.

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I know, right? I mean, I don't know if he has resolved his feelings for Jung Kyung. Did he really mean it when he said to her to get married to Hyun Ho already? Because he still seems to be affected by her.

And in the meantime, he spends time with this vulnerable girl who just got her heart broken and says these words. It can be that he just really needs a friend and doesn't mean to lead Song Ah on. But that's still a jerk move.

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My impression that he is being too friendly with Song Ha to show junk kyung he has a new girl in his life. I felt it is littel to fast he moved on to Song Ha 😁

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I didn't felt that at all. Because Joon-Young & Song-A shared moments that Jung-Kyung wasn't around and had nothing to do wiht her, so I can't see that he's using Song-A to show around. And this is a trick situation, Joon-Young has feelings for Jung-Kyung and at the same time he's developing feelings for Song-A, something is going to cross

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My feeling is more in the lines of him asking Jung-kyung to marry so that she establishes her commitment to Hyun-ho. She stringing them both along for now. It's despicable. I get that she's sad and feeling trapped but she's doing it all to herself.

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Actually I do not think his request that she marry is limited to Hyun-ho. Rather it underscored the fact that she would not be marrying him. This followed just after his declaration that he does not like her. He actually has been as direct with her as he could be short of slapping her across the face. He may have had a crush on her in the past but that is definitely over.

She may have thought that she was stringing both guys along but Joon-young has just very explicitly disabused her of that notion.

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He is no player- his life has been such that he cannot be a player- he has no time for it.

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I don't see how the poor guy can be a player - he's spent the past 7 years shuttling between hotels and concert halls, no time for even one relationship much less to be a player. His life has been so single-minded, so absorbed in his music, that no doubt he is extremely naive and idealistic about love. He mistakes his adolescent crush on Jung-Kyung for some grand passion so he resolves to love gently and logically in the future... and I have to smile. Boy doesn't realize he's on the path to finding real love at last, and he is going to discover there is nothing "moderate" about it, at all.

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Yes! This was definitely worrying. :/ But SA should keep her head on her shoulders too.

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I loooooove this so much. Waiting for the episodes to come out every week is going to be torture.

I'm so glad Joonyoung and Songah found each other. Talk about right place, right time despite their individual ongoing struggles. They are exactly what the other person needs to heal and grow. What a blessing. When Joonyoung told Songah that he wants to see her because she makes him happy I swooned so hard. Who wouldn't want to hear stuff like that? From a young, handsome, successful musician no less? Where do I sign up?

So here's my issue with Jungkyung, right. I know she's miserable. But I don't think she deserves my sympathy for most of it. Sure, maybe she feels pressure about her future. But she's already resolved to do what she wants. We know from episode 4 that she isn't facing this terrible dichotomy between choosing the foundation job and being a performer. She flat out rejected the former. It's not like Hyunho's situation where his whole family is depending on him (perhaps benevolently, of course) to pay them back for the investment that they made in his cello career. I'm not saying that her having that financial freedom invalidates her problems, of course. It just makes it harder for me to sympathise with her because she doesn't even seem grateful or understanding about the fact that people like her grandmother are trying to help her set up some stability for the future that up till now she hasn't really had to earn the way her friends have.

Secondly, I don't think she's stuck in her relationship with Hyunho. I think some beanies were discussing this on the fanwalls or the previous post (I forget), and questioning why she continues to stay when she clearly does not want to be there. Personally, I think she chooses to stay because it's just convenient for her. She knows Hyunho loves her and supports her and that's her safety net. She's probably thinking that if Joonyoung rejects her, she can just go back to Hyunho and act like everything is fine because she knows he wants to continue being with her. This emotional manipulation is just not on.

As Joonyoung said, I really can't stand you.

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I agree with you. I can't stand her either right now but I'm waiting to find out what happened to her mother. Her father seems pretty cold and horrible, and even her grandmother doesn't actually trust her musical abilities. I was kind of shocked that she said Jung-kyung shouldn't be a judge in a competition because she used to be a child prodigy but is no longer one. C'mon, becoming a professor at university is nothing to sneer at! She has first-world problems, like @kimbapnoona said. Everyone is talking like she is a failure, so it's no wonder she's bitter. What I don't agree is the way she is dealing with it by manipulating and venting her frustration on Joon-young and Hyun-ho.

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I don't think she's actually become a professor at a university. She's been turned down for all the jobs and the one at her university isn't looking very likely, either. She got turned down for being a judge because she wasn't qualified. If she'd been a professor, then she'd likely be qualified to judge. But, still, first world problems... I think she seems really immature.

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Oh, thanks for clarifying that. So she's currently unemployed? I guess that's why she says to her grandmother that she'll live as a musician... I guess her sour expression looks the same if she's pleased or not, so I missed it. 🙈

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Yup, unemployed. She told JY that she kissed him in part because she was jealous that he could be somewhere she could not (performing on stage). Hyun-ho also seems to be secure in his future as a performer. He was invited to be a guest cellist in Seoul and seems confident that he'll get a job with an orchestra in the U.S. Hyun-ho can also go where KY cannot, which must just drive her crazy.

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Well she seems to be just graduated from a postgraduate program, so it is understandable that she could not find a job just yet, especially when she was target at getting a professor position in US at such a young age. Many have to be a lecturer and become more experienced before being offered an assistant professor position.

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@asiandramaniac I don't think this drama is taking the very real difficulty of breaking into US professorship. Haha. The characters seem to think she should be ashamed that she wasn't offered a position. I have several friends in academics and it is a really tough job market right now! Lots of adjunct professors on year long contracts with just a few making it to the tenure track.

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I also agree with you. I think her relationship with Hyun-ho is about convenience and hedging her bets. Joon-young may be who she really wants, but in actuality she's using both men for her own selfish purposes. I appreciated that she is a more complex character than the run-of-the-mill villainous second leads we often see, and I do hope the story continues to keep her this way as it unfolds - otherwise, it'll get one dimensional really fast and could end up being a real drag.

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At least we can take solace in that fact that she's not phony and throwing fake, sweet smiles in every direction. She's a witch both on and off camera.

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Yeah, she is remarkably consistent in that respect.

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I agree about the relationship with Hyun-oh. I don't think she's stuck. I think it's comfortable. Hyun-oh is the "foundation job" to her romantically. It's there when she wants it, and it will be there if performance or professorship are no longer options. I think the guy who works for the foundation hit the nail on the head when he guessed that they'd break up within the year. Dating during school days is one thing. It's about companionship and having fun, but now this is getting down to real life. I think she's always been sad that JY didn't make a move on her, but he felt too guilty over profiting from her mother's death. Even without Hyun-ho in the picture, he'd have always felt weird about that. There's the scene where he sees them holding hands and it brings home is feelings for her and that he'd already known that he could never act on them even before that. Plus, he was off touring and competing while those two were back on campus having a normal college life and getting the opportunity to be a campus couple.

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I think JY is not just feeling guilty, but also inferior when his father always causes financial troubles, versus her being a chaebol. That's why he suddenly became cross at her after meeting his mom.

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Yes, he has lots of reasons in his mind to feel like he's not on the same level with her. Excellent point.

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We only got some brief scenes with Hyun-ho, but once again, the drama shows us so much in a moment. It's clear he treasures Joon-young as a friend, for when he tells Joon-young to leave for him there's no malice. Instead, there's this air of sadness, as though he feels he doesn't stand a chance if Jung-kyung has feelings for Joon-young.

It's telling of Hyun-ho's perception of himself with regards to Joon-young that instead of trying to win Jung-kyung back, he's pleading with Joon-young to help him by leaving. We haven't seen too much of his musical standing/ his position in the music industry yet, so I can't tell if his insecurities stem from that. But that impulse to compare yourself professionally against even your dearest friends is certainly a sad reality of the pursuit of music.

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I'm still feeling all soft and mellow after Episode 3. I watched it twice to get all the music references and *cough* Happy Birthday can we be friends? *cough*. Joon-young is such a Romantic in the old-school music sense. He sits in the palace gardens and watches daffodils to relax. Schumann would be proud.

Nerd moment: Does anyone else start spazzing when they see an Urtext edition anywhere? It's a shame Jung-kyung ruined that practice session. I was really hoping to hear Hyunho play the cello in Mendelssohn's Piano Trio No. 1: https://youtu.be/KioVcstEF9E

Thank you for the weecap @missvictrix! :D

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I had no idea about this music, but immediately after I watched the episode, I went in search of the klaviertrio! I got so excited about listening to a cello piece other than the Bach suites, and then Jung-kyung walked in...

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LOL I felt the same way, where's my music?? -- who would have thought she was a musical killjoy as well--

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I did!!! Spaz about the piano book, that is. I saw Mendelssohn this episode and thought it would translate into a performance. It never did though!

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I grew up treasuring Urtext editions because they were expensive and hard to get in the pre online sheetmusic era, so I get unreasonably excited when I see one. XD

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I definitely appreciate that the show pays attention to these little details! I love how that the corners of that Urtext score look worn like he had been living with it for years, and not like the production assistant just bought it and brought it to the set on the day of filming.

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I love, love love how they are really bothering to get the musical details right. I have been watching TwoSet Violin videos on YouTube (thank you to the Beanie for the recommendation!) to witness the horror of music presentation fails.

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@skelly Aha! You've fallen into the TwoSet rabbit hole too. This one had me ROFL last night: https://youtu.be/kKlas9lRGxg

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I’m still hoping for some Debussy and Schubert. Also I hope Songah gets to play some Vivaldi!!

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Debussy would be nice though he's not from the Romantic period. Schubert has to make an appearance! They're missing out. @missvictrix cleverly included "impromtpu" in her weecap. I don't know if that was on purpose but it's a nice nod to Schubert and Chopin.

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To me, JK is a greedy person who in a relationship with HH because she knows he loves her and at the same time stringing JY with her action. I think she knows that JY likes her (or maybe she feels the same) and use his feelings to keep him by her side too. I wonder how she end up dating HH since she didnt look that interested at him. It seems like HH and JY cherish each other as friend so I hope they sit down and talk rather than drift apart over a misunderstanding.

no comment on JY and SA because that happy birthday song and a hug combo is too sweet it kills me~

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My favourite monologue was the one about "silence", at the beginning of ep3, when JY tells SA that is the first thing he remembers when someone talks about competitions. I thought this monologue had a lot of subtext, and got me thinking about a bunch of things:

Besides (literally describing) the clamour of silence that slowly took over the competition week for JY, it was surely also a subtle reference to the role of silence in our otherwise hyper-crazy lives and how we need to embrace that as part of living. And most importantly, it was about the impactful power of silence in music: when do you insert it, for how long, what comes before, and what comes after? indeed, does anything come after at all?

There were a few other gems like this in these two episodes. If it continues in this vein, I might stay for a little while longer.

That said, the plot contrivances are still a bit much (both have birthdays on the same day?!), and the meeting coincidences are more than necessary, and the dialogues can be a bit more cheesy than I'd like. I hope this gets fixed somehow.

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I also really liked the rumination on the concept of silence. Like you, I thought about it's importance and the role in plays in music as well. When he was telling the story, I also thought about the burden of silence - as the sound of the pianos got quieter, with fewer and fewer competitors left, I imagine the pressure to win - and the weight of that on a child's shoulders - could also have felt heavy.

Likewise, the expression "a deafening silence" - like what is clearly between JY and JK. And then there is SA, who comes into JY's world and provides moments of silence after her perceptive questions to give JY a beat or two to reflect and respond.

It's really a beautiful touch of this show.

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Nice phrases, both! 'deafening silence' and 'the burden of silence'. I agree - both JK and SA have their own interpretations of silence and use it in different ways, and/or JY receives them differently.

The description of how the ride to the top gets lonelier and lonelier, until it's only you is a great metaphor for life, I thought. For me personally, it's about how as a child, you have all these people around you - family, friends - and then slowly, as you grow older and live your own life, everyone starts leaving, dropping off, there's no one left to have conversations with, and it all goes quiet. And then one fine day, the quiet becomes forever, it never ends.

This state of being is - arguably - universal, and that a drama should talk about it, was very beautiful indeed!

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That's really perceptive; I hadn't thought of it that way. Life CAN be rather lonely as we age and people start living their own lives. We have less and less time for people and things, so our circles shrink. That really is a universal experience, and begs the question: how do we make meaningful connection in our lives? In this show, music is definitely part of that, but I really like the idea that this is, overall, a very universal and human experience.

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I'm in love with this drama. I love when a production feels real, relatable and Joon Young's story is giving me that.
Everytime he talks about his life as a musician with SA I feel really bad. He always talk about it with a smile on his face even when he's telling the most heartbreaking story. But what hurts me more, is that he seems so used to it that he talks about it like if it didn't care.

I know that his 'friend' was drunk when he told JY to leave Korea, but I really wanted to punch him in the face for that. That guy should start talking with his girlfriend, he needs to stop pretending that he doesn't notice that she's so freaking done with him.

JY already has the whole pressure from the critics, public, and all those people that WON'T UNDERSTAND THAT HE'S ON A BREAK, and keep asking him to performe somewhere. So I really really want that couple -I can't call them his friends. Well, I'm not sure about HH, but I'm definitely not calling JK his friend-, to leave him alone.

I love JY's relationship with SA. They're so cute together. I love how they support each other. When SA says something like "but how do you feel about it?" "but did you like it?" "you can be honest with me", dundun, I feel so happy because it shows that she cares, and that there's someone for JY but at the same time I feel so bad for him, because he always seems surprise like if he never has listed to those words before and never considered his feeling.

Next time, let's talk about SA, her friends and how JY supports her (the "It's okay, only think about yourself" scene T.T); but this week I was weak for JY's side of the story.

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Joon-young always tried to please people around him : his family, the Foundation, his friends, the public. But he never did things for him. I think that, even it was the wrong moment, Jung-kyun was right, he doesn't give his opinion. It's why Song-ah is different, he says everything to her and I hope in the future we will play piano for him.

Song-ah in the middle of her friends relationship and without being able to express her feelings was sad to watch. I'm curious about CEO Yoon, why did he want to hide the truth to her? Does he know she has feelings for him and doesn't want to loose the attention? Or he has feelings for her too.

Their interactions are the best parts of the drama! I loved each of them!

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“Owner Yoon” definitely has feelings for her. He doesn’t want her to know about the one night stand not just to protect her, but to protect himself as well. He’s perceptive and there is or was a mutual attraction there. The first night he came back, he wanted to see her first (not his ex GF) and used the violin cleverly in expressing that he cared for her even as he was telling her to tell the violin she loved it. He wanted to hear those words too. And then this episode when he asked “gwinchana?” And we all thought he was asking her if she was alright, but then corrected himself asking about if the violin was ok, I do think he’s perceptive to see she was in a pensive mood. They spent a lot of time together with him teaching her and she’s super sweet, how could he not be in love with her? I think he hasn’t made his move for the same reason she hasn’t—because the trio’s friendship would certainly suffer. And now that it’s already broken, he’s stuck in purgatory and still can’t say anything. I have a real soft spot for him. I don’t know how the writer will resolve his character. I hope he figures out his love life though—it’s so painful to watch.

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I kinda liked his character in Be Melo as well - he was a jerk but also very confused. I'm not sure he'll figure things out for himself here either.

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Lee Joo-in might really like to pick interesting characters! His character in Age of Youth 2 is also quite unique.

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If there is a player in this show, it is definitely CEO Yoon. I did not like his little head-game wordplay with 'I love you - this is what you should be saying to your violin' and then asking if she was OK then pretending it was about the violin. That's very manipulative, and he's also manipulative in how he withholds information from her. He took advantage of a drunken situation with their friend - she's good enough to have sex with but not good enough to date - and seems to want to keep Song-ah strung along, as well. I love his profession (one of the most kind and wonderful people I have ever met was the stringed instrument repairer in my home town) but as a character he's toxic.

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Aw, I guess I read him completely differently.

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I am totally in love with this drama. Totally. To the point where I am upset that Viki is taking more time to translate than illegal websites. That never happened before.

The awkwardness of drama is really something. I didnt noticed until someone pointed out and after watching episode 3 and 4, I cant stop noticing. It is like you are first dating someone and dont know what to do with your hands. Introverts unite!

I am a bit confused Jung-Kyung feelings. I hope she is not doing it because she is bored with life and her choices.

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I've noticed the slower translating, too, but I read that there was a tech glitch on the provider side for episode 4 - so many that was the issue this time? It must be a huge pressure for the translation teams to get it done both fast AND well, knowing we're all so excited when episodes drop! :-)

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Oh. I didnt know that there was a problem and yes, translators are amazing \o/

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I can't remember if it was on this site or not, but I saw someone else describe the awkwardness of this drama as refreshing because it feels more genuine to the actual awkwardness we experience when we meet a new person—rather than the for-laughs comedic awkwardness that we more commonly get in shows.

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Apart from liking very much the OTP and don´t like to much the supports characters yet, I really like the secondary characters: the foundation workers (I like the office gossip), the guy from the credit card company (I dislike him of course but it´s a good character), the director of the Kyung-hoo Cultural Foundation...

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I really appreciate that both JY and SA are willing and able to be vulnerable with each other. SA's honesty about her situation and her feelings in the rehearsal room at the end of episode 3 was standout to me. There were echoes of Ko Moon-young's 'trauma should be faced head on': she did not mince words. She owned it all. She let JY really see all of her, and he honors that trust with the music. And in episode 4, JY lets her see him. When she says, 'I'll listen to you" and gives him the space to be his whole self and be completely honest.

The word that keeps coming to mind for me is 'simplicity.' They are both complex people, and their lives are, too. But when they are holding space for each other, they are both able to simply BE. This is really a beautiful gift.

Also, I'm so glad that JY finally told off JK. I'm glad this show didn't wait until episode 10 or 12 to start to put that girl in her place - because it also reduces the chance that her machinations will become a one-note song for the bulk of the show (see: echos of the exes in Dinner Mate). HH pulled a very d*ck move, I don't care if he was drunk. He's clearly not as oblivious as he seems, and he's coming across as a little pathetic to me. I want him to develop some self-respect ASAP - and also apologize to JY if he truly values him as a friend.

I am really loving this show. I wish I could binge it, but there's no way I can stop now and wait until it's completely aired to do so!

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Gosh I hope it doesn't go the Dinner Mate way - I dropped that show very early because of the craziness.

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When Jung Kyung stop for the second time at the practice session, I'm plain itching to give her a good slap !

I love it when Soong Ah and Joon Young are together, they are so sweet and definitely falling in love.

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That scene really made me sad. You can notice their painful dynamic: JK doing wtv she wants, HH knows whats her problem but he pretends not to and ask her what's her deal; and then we have our JY, that tries his best to fix things and save their relationship. But I really think that he should stop that an find new friends, because these two aren't good for him.

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I am officially obsessed with this drama. Kim Min Jae has brought his A game fully to this drama and I believe every line he delivers. Joon Young seems to everything with sincerity and kindness. If the child actor does the same. You can tell he is rather lonely and needs Song Ah because she is a also a little lonely. Be still my heart.

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I wasn't sure if SA was in love with DY. It wasn't as clearly shown like JY for JK. Or maybe I wasn't able to pick up the hints. But after this week's eps and watching the previous eps it looks like both liked each other from before. So why didn't they get together? Is it because of their mutual friend? Did she confess to him before SA or did SA step back? Because DY could've said no to her and still remained friends even if he didn't get together with SA afterwards to avoid jeopardizing their friendship. Then after all these years maybe he would have a shot with her after coming back from Italy. But now MS still harbors feelings for him and SA can't do anything because it'll hurt her. Also when DY told her not to tell SA about their night together didn't she get a clue that maybe he likes her? What he did was wrong, pretending it never happened and breaking her heart, but isn't MS also being oblivious?

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I am mildly curious about that love triangle but I don't actually care much for Min-seong and Dong-yoon. I am grateful that so far the melo element in this drama has played out more in the secondary characters, while Joon-young and Song-ah are nice people caught in the middle.

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Actually me too. I'm just glad we're seeing the 2 leads being adorable together. I just hope the melo element doesn't affect their relationship much.

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Me three. I think it would be overkill to have to deal will 2 triangles full-on.

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If that happens I will need my obtuse helmet on to deal with these angular impact in order to deal with such acute and pointed pain
*faints from engaging in excessive bad geometry puns

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I can recommend the PPL stormtrooper helmet from THE KING: ETERNAL MONARCH.

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I'm pretty sure it is because of Min Seong. Min Seong and Dong Yoon dated briefly in the past and Min Seong professed that she still liked him to Song Ha. They never dated for that reason, but they still stole moments together. Ex. When she went to pick him up from the airport and didn't answer Min Seong's calls.

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Cheonggyecheon is honestly one of my favourite places to walk around in Seoul and having experienced being there to then seeing the scenes of our leads actually there, talking so comfortably with each other, just makes it even more wonderful to watch. I am loving the natural transition of their relationship and it's so comforting to watch. I honestly can't wait to witness the two of them together, helping each other achieve their dreams and finding happiness in their music and each other. Fingers crossed for scenes of them two performing together.

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Cheonggyecheon just seems like such wonderful urban planning which provides a sense of refuge in such a hectic big city like Seoul!

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It really is. A relaxing location within the concrete jungle that allows people to escape for even just a few moments. Makes me want to visit there again.

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I live for the Steinway PPL in this drama. I loved PAGE TURNER but they played on INWAY pianos and I couldn't get over it. 😂

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🤣🤣🤣 Me too! It almost doesn't register as PPL because where I am that's what most concert halls and many schools especially at the college level have in their spaces.

With the acknowledgement that I am living in a part of the world that has more resources than some, it was rather strange for me that a fine arts high school in Seoul does not own a grand piano in its concert hall Steinway or not. If that fact is only to enable the plot so the chairwoman would send her own to the school, it felt a bit forced and without adding too much to the story.

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Oh in addition appreciating not seeing Inway or Young Chang pianos, I am even more glad not to see a white piano in this drama. I mean it is fine to pick a color you want since a grand piano is a huge piece of furniture in anyone's home, but we just don't usually see them in concert halls 😅

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I love the Steinways too. I have a Yamaha grand piano which is perfect for me and my kids, but a Steinway in your home not just says you reek of money, but that you have really good musical taste too. Lol.

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this drama just gives me the warm fuzzy feeling. i'm completely obsessed at this point.

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I love the leads and I love the main characters. They can just sit and talk and smile at each other and I'm pretty content. But the show as a whole, I don't know. All the coincidences and slump meetings, it feels devoid of background. For those of you who've seen Extraordinary You, I sometimes feel like I'm just being shown the stage. A commentary on Buffy by Joss Whedon also comes to mind when he talks about filming, how to and fro-shots between characters is the simplest way of shooting a scene. The show is fond of doing that, and I'm sorry to say it gets a bit boring and repetitive.

However, I thought episode four showed some progress in these areas so I'm sticking around for at least another week. Kim Min-jae is so hot in those suits and I just die when he opens his mouth and that voice comes out, low and mellow like the cello. 😍

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There are definitely a lot of coincidental meetings. I'm going with the idea that the classical music scene is small, so you bump into the same people everywhere. Literally. I seem to meet the same people in choirs and ensembles in my community.

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It made a lot of sense to me; classical music really is a fairly insular world where you bump up against the same people over and over, in the audience/on the stage/in the classroom.

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I agree with the scene being small, but that wasn't what I meant. At one moment they're in a meeting, then they coincidentally meet outside or coincidentally walk past one another in a coffee shop. I feel like the show is based on this coincidence. I miss the story on how all the characters transported themselves into these coincidences. I don't make sense, do I?

If you've seen Extraordinary you, the stage/shadow parable is quite fitting, suddenly the characters are just transported somewhere. I feel the flow of the story could've been better managed by the screenwriters.

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I see what you mean. I've also watched Extraordinary You and remember how it poked fun when characters were just transported to the Stage. I didn't get that feeling from this drama though (not yet at least) because they happen to work in the same place and they seek each other out.

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They didn't show the scene of JY lending his jacket to SA when they sat by the river but still it's swoony how such a gentleman he is. *savemyheart

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Yes! I noticed this immediately and was swooning lol. I can just imagine the incredibly adorable awkwardness that ensued as he lent her his jacket. My guess is the production team knew we'd have an overflow of cuteness so they didn't include it in the scene.

In all seriousness though I appreciate the subtlety in which the drama carries itself. We just have to pay attention to appreciate little tidbits like that.

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I'm so in love with this show right now. This show wasn't initially on my radar at all, but I'm glad I gave it a try. Song-ah has such a sweet and quiet personality that I love. The way she hangs back at times and hesitates is so relatable, at least for me, lol. I find myself looking forward to her and Joon-young's interactions throughout each episode. That hug was everything! I'm rooting for these two whether they stay friends or fall in love. Also, I'm thankful this show is introducing me to classical music. I've been listening to Schumann in the past week!

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What's I love about their relationship is that it's really two way. Like Miss Vitrix said (thanks again for thee weekcap ^^) it's everything they need at the perfect moment.

They so perfect for each other right now that it kind of doesn't latter wether it will remained only friendship, a passing relationship, or (what I Hope) love.

The love triangle on JY side could be potentially so good angst wise but again I find something's missing to bé totally invest in it.

On the side note I was watching begin again (ep8) with there was a Epic trio performance of Henry playing violin with a pianist and a cello it reminded me of the show (minus the love triangle ^^). Hope we can see some musical performance on the show soon.

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I started watching this on a whim...have been in a kdrama slump and this hit me like a ton of bricks right in the feels! Jung Kyung is really unlikeable so far, and I don't know whether it's the actress or the character but I want to skip every time she appears on the screen.

Our 2 leads though...ahhh I haven't watched anything recently that drew me in like these 2 have. The directing is good...it's a nice slow burn and I really hope this keeps up. That scene where they wer meeting to head to the venue together and SA was standing in front of the building - her whole face LIT UP when she saw him and vice-versa - i couldn't get that scene out of my head all week! Park Eunbin and Kim Min Jae are knocking their roles out the park.

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You know, different that what many beanies have said, I don't dislike jung kyung. She is interesting and she has depth... or at least that is what I feel from the beginning. Portraying the role of a modern Clara Schumann, she must not have an easy inner life, and she doesn't have friends she can really trust.
So, we still have to wait and see how her character develops.
I wouldn't accuse her of being simply the evil mean second female lead. She is has her own schedule and struggles.
I hope the writer will know how to use her well

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I am so glad I picked this up! Finally caught up with the 4 episodes.
I love this show!! And excited to see the weecaps here!
Its so nice to see such genuinely kind and nice leads. These two fill my heart with warmth..
Can't wait for the next episodes.

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How much do I love the line "Do you want to be friends? No. We must be friends?" I'm still thinking about it weeks later. *swoons*

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The child actors look so much like their adult counterparts!!
Moonlight Sonata to Happy Birthday was so sweet! Beautiful transition. And of course that hug. Wonderful.
His support during her difficult party was so thoughtful. Their easy smiles and laughter when alone together really contrast with their awkward discomfort when with their longtime friends and their emotional history.
I really appreciated Joon Young standing up for Song Ah against the rude employee. He was very angry, brought out his protective side! From this usually quiet man.
I loved when at the office, he repeated the word happiness, then looked at Song Ah and asked her to have dinner with him. For Joon Young, happiness = Song Ah! And his warm words by the river, all the squees and feels :)

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