3GGG

I'm actually very disappointed with this episode. So much so, there's really not much to analyze here. And even if we dug out the visual cues... what would be the point? Suffice to say, this will be a drama I will refer to as the "exception to the rule" when it comes to visual mastery. A drama that shows even the director can lie to an audience for the sake of building false hope or cheap uncertainty so that, regardless of the ending, we "won't see it coming".

That said, I want to point out the missed opportunity from the writer to use In Jae again. I mean, her character has been basically ignored, but in this episode, the writer could've involved her in the bidding decision. In Jae was the one who asked Dal Mi to enter the bid and planted the seed that would sow success. So it would've been beautiful to have had In Jae inspire/convinced/Spurr Dal Mi into "taking a chance". She could've even pointed out that In Jae knew what it was like to fall from high above and yet, she'd landed on her feet and built something in the wake of that loss. I think that would've been a beautiful bonding moment between sisters; which would've been more powerful than having Do San fulfill that role.

Another thing I can't help but lament is how the love triangle has hurt Dal Mi most of all; tying her character to her choice of a partner rather than to her building her success. I remember back before the halfway mark, I truly saw Dal Mi as the star of the show. But after she found out about the letters, her character lost her identity, becoming little more than a "love interest". This is perhaps what hurts me the most.

And while I applaud Do San for finally wanting to embrace his own self and show himself to Dal Mi as who he is... what's the point so late in the drama's run? His dishonesty has already been rewarded after all. This decision should've happened way sooner. And then the characters should've rebuilt a relationship based on honestly from the ground up, rather than continue where they left off --as if the lie was so small, it didn't affect them...

In the end, the writing has minimized all lessons that could've been learned in the wake of mistakes and lies, which stopped most characters from having proper character growth. We'll see what happens tomorrow, but I am bummed by the wasted potential of this drama.

Nevertheless, the actors did a great job on this and I wish them all success in their future enterprises!

Well said!

Agreed, I'm starting to get the sense that the writer herself has lost her own way. I'm hoping that she can somehow savage the message (regardless of the ship), but I'm not sure how she can do it, especially if the end game continues to be SDM x NDS. At this point it would be even better if they all stay single and become a team, as they are good teammates.

I've written a short analysis in the discussion section and touched upon some of the problematic messages just to get them out of my system. But, as my writing showcases, I'm not sure where the story is heading anymore.

I believe most people are concerned with the message rather than the ship.

At least that is the case for me. So, like I always do, I've adjusted my rating since I neither agree not enjoy the message the writer is putting out there. Which is nothing short of rewarding dishonesty.

I also feel that some of the characters have failed to grow, while others have even regressed in their growth despite the three year time skip.

So though I still love some of the characters, I'm falling out of love with the drama itself.

I'm adding my two cents just to show that the complaints aren't meritless or simply out of pettiness. One person can love a drama another person despises. Nothing wrong with anyone's assessment as it is a matter of taste. The best thing is simply not to judge each other and instead accept that there is something out there for everyone.

Exactly. I detest with a passion this kdrama trope that male leads must carry the weight of their problems (usually a disease) on their own. And to do so, they usually push the FL away. Then, only after they have recovered, do they come back. It's ridiculous. Meanwhile FLs usually need to MLs to help them overcome their problems.

Thank you for reading, I'm happy you enjoyed them and found them useful. A lot of work and time did go into making these articles, so I always appreciate it when people take the time not only to read them, but to drop a comment as well. <3

Oh, btw, I finally assembled all my comments/posts for the last 5 episodes in a discussion here: https://kisskh.at/discussions/sandbox/57149-short-episode-analysis?page=1&r=notif&_nid=44321727#p1403297

Aww thabj you very much, it means a lot. I am glad you enjoyed my analysis of this drama and thank you for taking the time to let me know :)

I feel the same way! I can never watch a drama passively, which comes with both good and bad. Bad because if the drama doesn't offer food for thought, then it becomes very frustrating lol.

It's a great thing that you brought up that point! I'd made a mental note regarding that but it slipped off my mind completely when I was writing my analysis!

We're definitely on the same page on that one. I interpreted the lack of rainbow and getting an overcast, sad sky instead as three things:
1. NDS has lost hope, which we kind of see as ends up deciding to go to SF. To a point that even when the rain has stopped, he cannot visualize "his happy ending".
2. I also saw it as a sign of not getting a reward since he's still following someone else's directive. In this case, he kept following Dal-Mi's voice, choosing to wonder just to see if his experience would be the same as hers. The result? He will find no respite and therefore no true happiness until he follows his own heart. Until he starts living for himself and until he decides to find his own happiness rather than expecting someone else to carry the weight of making him happy.
3. I also saw this as a further deviation from Dal -Mi. Unlike the way she can see opportunities even while lost, NDS expects someone else to give him a solution. This kind of ties into someone else I found interesting, which is when he mentioned he doesn't understand metaphors, just algorithms. Because although it is said that opposites attract, too much opposition means they cannot understand one another. And I expected him to come clean and confess he didn't understand her letters. That, instead, he had to rely on HJP's interpretation of those letters to start to understand her. Which just goes back to him being dishonest with himself as well as those around him.

Thank you, I'm glad you agree. Even if people disagree on who the ML is or who SDM should end up with. I hope we're all on the same page that rewarding dishonest behavior and implying it's okay to not be yourself is not something we should strive for --let alone, be in agreement with! :)

Glad you enjoyed it :)

Thank you very much for the information! I LOVE learning something new! Now I feel like the remark of "we're eating noodles again" just gained even more meaning!

Thank you for reading it :), I'm happy you enjoyed it. Even if things don't pan out how I'm thinking, it's still fun to analyze ;).

A different take always makes for an interesting discussion. I do think that NDS felt the rift happening before they stepped into the restaurant. However, if we considered food as a motif, the fact that he didn't even try to take a bite is quite telling.

As to SDM waiting for NDS, it may very well play out as you've established. However, the important thing is that the writer needs to make it so that they re-establish their connection based on truthfulness. And that truthfulness needs to extend to NDS showing himself as he is (not as other people want him or advice him to be). At this point, I don't know if there's enough time to rebuild that relationship because, the last few episodes since SDM found out the truth, were not used to rebuild the trust. Instead, we had NDS still pretending and following other people's directives.

We'll see how the next episode shapes up. But I will be very disappointed if NDS still continues to lie and be dishonest, not only with SDM but with himself as well.

Indeed, I wonder if them eating noodles has a deeper meaning in Korean culture. It's interesting that it's a plate they eat in weddings. I know "ramyeon" is usually tied to intimacy, but not sure about noodles in general.

I LOVED episode 12. It's probably one of my favorites! Which says a lot as it followed a very draggy and lukewarm episode 11 (the first episode I found myself bored with). So... here's my analysis this time. I'll touch upon episode 11 very briefly since not much happened in it, tbh. Or at least, not much that's actually interesting. So here we go:

Episode 11 was actually the first time the director threw in some visual cues that tied NDS and SDM together. Perhaps the most familiar of them was when they fell asleep, both looking at each other; which is a BIG giveaway to show characters are "into each other".

My disappointment with the episode is that the writer ended up dismissing a previously powerful message and that was... SDM needing space.

They made such a big deal of SDM asking NDS for space, showcasing a message that needs to be said: "all actions carry consequences" and someone who has been wounded requires time to heal. Yet, SDM seemed to have quickly assimilated everything and returned to being very "lovey-dovey" with NDS; thereby nullifying all consequences with an almost handy "edit-undo". This is perhaps the biggest reason why I hated this episode. And, don't get me wrong, this is not the first nor will it be the last time K-Dramas put out there a problematic message. But let's continue to onwards...

Episode 12 actually carried a lot of weight and a TON of changes. We got to see arguably the most emotional scene in the whole drama... HJP going to Grandma after finding out she's going blind. There is NOTHING more perfect than the buildup and climax of that very powerful scene.

Apart from that, there are some interesting scenes happening here. First, we have the sleeping scene. Unlike episode 11, when NDS and SDM fall asleep and the director chooses to compose the scene to mirror them... notice how they aren't looking at each other in the composition. Instead, they are mirroring each other but each looking in their own direction (forwards). This already hints at an incoming separation (which could be emotional and/or physical). This separation is later sealed when NDS and SDM ride the bus together. Notice how, when the camera frames them, they are each looking in not only a different direction; but an opposite one!

This leads me to talk about the food scenes in these episodes. I've mentioned before that "food" is a BIG motif in K-Dramas. Food scenes are important because they are a way to show "nourishment". So who the characters eat with, how much they eat, where they eat, etc. construct a powerful subtext. That's also why when someone is worried about someone else they care about, they usually ask "have you eaten?" rather than "are you well?"

So the food scenes in this episode are very telling. We have SDM finding HJP after he's had his heart to heart with Grandma. As he's leaving, SDM asks "Have you had dinner yet?" That already shows care. And it was SDM who is extending comfort this time.

When they go to the restaurant HJP remarks "we're having noodles again" and that's important. Because, indeed, although HJP and SDM have had few scenes together lately, most of those scenes have food involved. Just think about how SDM gave HJP food twice and he enjoyed each bite. And HJP bought and mixed SDM's noodles before confessing his feelings to her.

Not only was the scene in episode 12 one of nourishment, but it was also grounded in reality. In fact, consider what SDM says to HJP: "I want reality". And that's exactly what HJP is to her. He's someone who nurtures through reality, rather than hopes and dreams. There's a reason why a life full of ONLY hope is unsustainable and, so far, that's what NDS represents in comparison. He lies and avoids issues in order to keep SDM from getting hurt. But that also means he doesn't trust she can handle life or the truth. A lie is a lie, no matter the intentions (which is a message the show has been promoting so far).

Anyways, let's then compare SDM x HJP's food scene with SDM x NDS's food scene. Rather than a cheap place, their food scene happens in a beautiful french restaurant. SDM eats but almost without tasting the food, while NDS doesn't even eat and ends up leaving the restaurant. Notice how un-nurturing the whole scene feels.

What's more, we see even more examples of how NDS has been made to follow other people's dreams and directions; and how little he's actually chosen for himself. This time, after claiming he would show SDM his true self, he's still getting direction from others and changing his tune.

We have his mom telling him to delete his text message and call her instead (so he goes against his nature). Later, when he's riding the bus, SDM remarks about the beautiful weather, and NSD glances at the sky and agrees dismissively (showing his true nature, but creating a rift with SDM). Then he tries to stop at Sandbox, only for SDM to stop him (goes against his nature and intentions). Then he ends up in the restaurant and tries to talk to SDM about what's important to him, only for her to close his book dismissively (shows his nature but creates a bigger rift with SDM).

All of this keeps supporting my idea that even if NDS is the ML, he's not the end game for SDM. Or at least, he can't be the end game until he's comfortable in his own skin. He cannot put all his happiness in the hands of someone else while pretending to be someone he's not. That would be an INCREDIBLY problematic message to put out there. I mean...

"If you want to get the girl, don't be yourself! Instead, ask those around you for advice and follow what they say blindly. And if you do get the girl while pretending... then just pretend some more. It's not like that's going to make you unhappy, right? Why be yourself... when you can be someone else!"

Anyways, we'll see what happens next week.

I confess the time skip seems to be happening a lot sooner than I expected, but I see it's necessary for NDS to grow from a confused child into a man; one who (I hope) is confident enough to be true to himself and openly embrace his nature. .

Regardless of the love triangle, I'm excited to see SDM work with her sister and possibly mend their relationship (one can hope!). I'm also interested in seeing how HJP and SDM relationship will change in the absence of NDS (who hadn't yet given SDM enough breathing room to allow her to explore her feelings for HJP).

One thing is for sure, more than the love triangle, I just really want more scenes between HJP and Grandma! And perhaps more scenes between In Jae and SDM!

What do you guys think?

Likewise :)

Oh, I don't think I've read that article (Not Your Average Female Lead)! Now I think I'll look for it tomorrow to see what is being discussed!

Yes, gender roles play a big part on how plots are constructed, especially in K-Dramas (sometimes much to my annoyance). I already covered some of the differences with my previous "Analyzing Tags" articles, so the last one would be more of a conclusion/thought piece about what the data yielded and my personal interpretation of it.

Have you thought about writing an article about the Grim Reaper? I hadn't thought about how differently it is portrayed depending on the drama, but I'd for sure be interested in reading it. :)

I actually think you'd enjoy Come and Hug me more if you were to read the article first, since you'll be able to know what to look for. I would suggest skipping the character analysis (which I included towards the end) since that one might yield some spoilers. However, it is up to you. And certainly, Come and Hug me is within my top 10 dramas as well!

I watched Hotel Del Luna and LOVED it (it's also in my top 10) though for very different reasons that C&HM. While HDL was excellent in the story and writing, C&HM is simply a masterpiece of visual artistry.

I'm glad you enjoyed my articles. I love writing them, but they require a ton of time and planning to make them. I do have a series planned regarding Common Motifs (symbolism) found in K-Dramas, I even have a ton of examples already saved, but I need to finish the Analyzing Tags series first. I just need to find the time to write down the last article (which is a sort of thought piece on how different the leads are treated based on gender. Let's just say, it's not that the FLs are weak by nature, but the ML are way too perfect and lack flaws when it comes to Romance K-Dramas, which makes us feel like the FL are weaker in comparison).