Just wanted to share a depressing thought for HJP fans.
When the Lie is eventually revealed, there is only one loser... HJP
Let me explain. First, the three players in the lie, Grandma, HJP and NDS.
Grandma - She can lie all she wants, she can even tell SDM that it was her fault her parents divorce, but it won't change the fact that she is family. It won't the fact that she is the one always in SDM corner, so she get's a free pass. SDM no matter how wrong she thinks it was for her grandma to lie to her like that will learn to forgive her quickly.
Verdict: Neutral, not a win, not a loss.
NDS - Of course initially she will be betrayed by NDS, and she will be angry. But when NDS explained he wanted to be upfront with her from the start, and HJP always stopped him. SDM even has evidence of this, when NDS tells HJP in front of SDM, "i'll take your advice about that problem".
He can also talk about how HJP tried to bribe him to perpetuate the lie, how he was about to meet her with the baseball, but HJP interjected, how HJP is the mastermind of all the lying. And he has witness in his two friends who will have NDS back over HJP.
Verdict: Winner, because he can easily paint that he was the victim, he just has to act naive and innocent. Initially SDM will be angry, but later will learn to forgive due to all the benefit she is getting from working with NDS.
HJP - He has no out. He will be seen as the mastermind here. And his only way out of this mess would be to blame Grandma forcing him to lie, and write those letters, but come on, HJP isn't going to throw grandma under the bus. In fact, i'm pretty sure that HJP will just fall on the sword here.
SDM will question why HJP did it, and he may not have a good reason for it. And no matter what excuses HJP came up with, all SDM would have to say is. "You, HJP, who probably knows me best, whose words have kept me sane all these 15 years, you should have known, I would have forgiven you if you told me earlier, but instead you continue to hide and lie, and even get NDS involved in your plans.
Verdict: HJP is the big loser, as not only does he lose the girl, but he gets blamed for the whole thing.
It only shows that the letter was written with HJP 's handwriting. It does not prove that the words were from…
Yes, I am. And I don't get player vibes from HJP.
There was no action that HJP could do, he was and always has been the man in the shadows, words are all he has.
What pray tell could HJP talk about? That he was living rent free at grandmas shop? That he opened an account and is making money investing? That he's actually older than NDS? His non existent childhood? Should he tell SDM he is an orphan? Let's not forget his main goal is still to provide comfort to SDM.
I could tell you a story about myself, but use different names, different places, even change some of the events, but the story would still be thematically about something that happened to me. The letters may very well be, half truths.
I think what people need to understand with the letters and why they are so important to HJP fans is because the letters are all HJP has to be honest...
NDS is in prime position to make SDM fall madly in love with him for the following reasons:
1. NDS has a warm and likeable personality. 2. His two guy friends are wing manning him and shipping NDS and SDM. 3. They are both financially invested in the company they are in. 4. They are spending a lot of time together, working together. Something is bound to happen in such an environment. 5. His company will be the major reason she is able to reach her goal to compete with her sister.
What does HJP have? Not much, he doesn't spend much time with her. He is not so integral to the business success, they could have just gotten Alex and still be fine. He has no one shipping him and SDM. In fact in a very ironic twist of fate, the way that SDM and HJP are communicating at the moment is mostly through text and email, not much different from their letters 15 years ago, but of course most of the talk now is based on business. In fact, if SDM had never chosen HJP as the mentor, he would have no justifiable reason to continue communicating with SDM. Is just being her mentor enough for HJP? I don't think so.
So as you see, the only ties he has left, that shows HJP he has a shot are the letters. And HJP fans know it, that is why these letters are important, as they symbolize the relationship and feelings SDM and HJP share. So call it the last bastion of defence. And HJP hope that those letters are enough to sway SDM's heart.
And let's be honest, HJP wouldn't even think he has a shot if SDM had ex boyfriends. IF SDM had 3-4 ex boyfriends, then HJP would know, his role would be just that, a first love. But the fact that he set the standard so high, that in SDM's mind her bond with HJP was strong enough to survive 15 years. And even when the real NDS pretends to be HJP, it's enough that his name is Nam Do San for SDM to fall for him. Such is the power of their connection. And that gives HJP hope that those letters are more important to SDM than just a tool to alleviate her loneliness 15 years ago.
As i've said before, I can't imagine HJP and SDM being together, as the writer is heavily biased for a NDS and SDM OTP since day 1, and is just cruelly using HJP as a hindrance to their love, which is really mean of the author.
I'm still hoping for a Reply 1998 type ending. But we'll see.
What I see is: Dalmi is in love with the letters not with the person. Just like how I fall in love with a character…
So does that mean in a Long Distance Relationship, where we communicate only through chatting, I'm in love with the picture of the person (catfishing even?) and his/her words, rather than the person itself?
You do know online dating exist right? And you do know people have gotten married over video games as well, where they never meet each other, and the love grows through the words they write to each other?
I think you are horribly underestimating the power of the written word. Haven't you heard? the pen is mightier than the sword!
Plus your analogy is all wrong, we are comparing love letters from a significant others, to a fictional character, written by the author to entertain people. And half the time the authors are actually pseudonyms or the book was written by a ghost writer, so there is a lot of impersonal aspects to a book vs a love letter. A fictional book targets a specific audience. A love letter, or personal letter targets just the recipient.
It's like saying, well my boyfriend gave me flowers, but i'm not loving my boyfriend more, i'm loving the flowers, because roses are my favorite.
and comparing that to
I was in the public garden, and I love the roses in the garden, and not the person who planted those roses for everyone to see..
HJP is not cold on the outside and warm in the inside who slowly shows his warm nature. He is a cold man in the…
I think you should be entitled to your opinion, but maybe be open minded to other people's opinion as well?
You want to be able to have your opinion, but you belittle others? It's a two way street, respect others, and you'll get your respect as well.
That's my opinion anyway.
Nothing wrong if you dislike HJP, and prefer NDS. It's a love triangle after all, so it's bound to happen. But maybe respect the views of other people who prefer HJP. Nothing loss to you if you act less aggressive.
It only shows that the letter was written with HJP 's handwriting. It does not prove that the words were from…
Go back to Episode 1, and you'll notice that Grandma is holding a letter she had written to SDM, and not once, do we see HJP just copying her letter word for word. In fact he calls her letter old fashioned and lame.
In fact it's touching as we see grandma get excited with the words that HJP chooses to write. HJP is quite the wordsmith it seems. Many times we see Grandma point excitedly as the words HJP has written.
It's one thing to be open, loving, trustful and warm to someone face to face, and whole different beast doing it anonymously hidden behind some pen pal letters. Because HJP didn't need to face SDM in person, he had the freedom to just bare his soul, knowing that SDM will never know these stories, these letters actually belongs to HJP.
HJP wants to keep lying to SDM, because he is still effected by the torrential storm in his heart.
It only shows that the letter was written with HJP 's handwriting. It does not prove that the words were from…
I don't know, if someone wrote me a letter telling me...
"Kimsamsoom, you are the reason I wake up everyday with a smile on my face. You make the drudgery of life palatable, in fact, if not for your letters, I don't know how I could face each and every day..."
I'd think that's pretty deeply personal. Someone is baring their soul out to me. It's quite an emotional setting.
The reason that SDM had a lot to talk about, because there was a lot happening in her life, and she needed someone to share it all with.
I think, you made me realize that Grandma was always the conduit of both SDM and HJP. Both were being taken by her, and shown kindness by her, but for some reason, both SDM and HJP couldn't confide in Grandma. I guess confiding someone similar age is such a different thing to confiding in your relative.
As for HJP, most of the things happening in his life included Grandma, so he obviously could not talk about that, instead he talks about how special her friendship has been to him.
SDM also, as you can see is someone who wears her heart on her sleeve, from her upbeat demeanor in the Cafe, to how she wooed the Designer to her team. HJP on the other hand is aloof, and not as demonstrative as SDM, so it would make sense his letters are not as robust and rambunctious as SDM's.
Lmao! Did we watch the same drama? Or are you the writer? Or perhaps you simply dislike Dosan? Lol
I don't really hate NDS, just an observation. When NDS tells SDM that HJP is like a brother, we see everyone struggling to lie about it, including NDS friends and HJP, but for NDS, if you'll notice, it was just natural.
I'm not a good liar myself, so when I lie, people can tell right away, i'm saying if NDS were to lie to me, I would believe him as he is very convincing, thus a great liar.
HJP is not cold on the outside and warm in the inside who slowly shows his warm nature. He is a cold man in the…
Ok, I can accept this characterization if you also admit that.
NDS is a manipulative and sadistic person, who pretends to be naive and innocent to get what he wants. He appears warm and kind on the outside, but inside he is cold, calculating, and selfish. He is also apathetic to the plight of the people around him unless it serves his purposes.
And I have evidence for this characterization as well. Want me to write an essay of why NDS is the villain of the show? it wouldn't be that hard.
It only shows that the letter was written with HJP 's handwriting. It does not prove that the words were from…
I mean, defending the NDS side is ok, but maybe don't trounce on the other side to make your arguments stick, because they are not working.
What I find confusing is how this user takes everything at face value, and doesn't know how to read between the lines.
This is Kdrama, everything is either passive agressive, super subtle emotions and a lot of reading between the lines. If you want a story where everything is taken at face value, I suggest watching western dramas, where passion is being shown upfront, and no need for these Kdrama mind games.
It only shows that the letter was written with HJP 's handwriting. It does not prove that the words were from…
I think something you need to concede though is that initially the letters from HJP were more about supporting SDM, how he pretended to have lost a dog to understand what it's like to have lost a sister and etc...
But this particular translation of the letter shows that it's HJP, admitting to SDM that her writing to him has actually given his life more meaning, and in fact it proves that SDM's letters were also supporting HJP during his rough patch.
So it's no longer one sided support for a lonely SDM, but rather a supportive pillar propping up a lonely boy and a lonely girl.
Thank you for this! I saw rumours that someone translated and got curious but couldn't find it
No your right, she didn't get into college, but she could have.
When Grandma found out that SDM has a chance to enter a good university, she sold her corndog shop to pay the tuition, but SDM decided to drop out of college instead to not burden Grandma.
To all of you who are saying that JP's letter to DM is fake, check this out: https://www.facebook.com/100036608049815/posts/361602475070018/?d=n
To be quite frank, SDM was more in love with Dosan when she was young and in those flashbacks, then she is now with the real NDS.
For someone who was in a long term 15 year relationship with this boy named NDS, actually being with him, and working with him, it doesn't seem like it.
The relationship of NDS and SDM at times seems more familial than romantic most of the time. She just doesn't seem as excited, but rather it looks like she has her eyes on the prize of being the next google instead. There is a disconnect happening here.
i first though that the four leads will do the startup first.................but they have messed up a simple…
Yeah, I don't enjoy the spotlight on sibling rivalry, especially when it's not friendly competition. It's a real life problem, and it has destroyed many families IMO.
Yep. It's that estranged. Dal Mi and her grandmother are ride or die and that is their family unit. The mother…
Unfortunately in Asia it is. Why do you think countries like Japan have such a backward notion towards maternity leave. A lot of women in Asia are starting to opt not to get married, as having kids become a liability. In the past, you were socially pressured to quit and take care of your family if you were a woman.
Even in some western nations, there is this prejudice, they just need to hide it better, since gender discriminations exist in the west.
I actually don't feel anything WIJ has done is irredeemable. The girl who cried when her father was being beaten up by his boss is still there. And I don't actually sense animosity from WIJ to SDM, actually more SDM to WIJ. Even during hackathon,
WIJ is very subtly encouraging her sister. She could have hardcore crushed her sister's dream anytime she wanted, she could have maliciously made sure her sister did not succeed, but she did none of those. The answer is clear.
Yep. It's that estranged. Dal Mi and her grandmother are ride or die and that is their family unit. The mother…
I get the idea that WIJ hasn't been back in Korea for a long time, spending most of her time in the US branch of his dad's company. I could be wrong though.
When the Lie is eventually revealed, there is only one loser... HJP
Let me explain. First, the three players in the lie, Grandma, HJP and NDS.
Grandma - She can lie all she wants, she can even tell SDM that it was her fault her parents divorce, but it won't change the fact that she is family. It won't the fact that she is the one always in SDM corner, so she get's a free pass. SDM no matter how wrong she thinks it was for her grandma to lie to her like that will learn to forgive her quickly.
Verdict: Neutral, not a win, not a loss.
NDS - Of course initially she will be betrayed by NDS, and she will be angry. But when NDS explained he wanted to be upfront with her from the start, and HJP always stopped him. SDM even has evidence of this, when NDS tells HJP in front of SDM, "i'll take your advice about that problem".
He can also talk about how HJP tried to bribe him to perpetuate the lie, how he was about to meet her with the baseball, but HJP interjected, how HJP is the mastermind of all the lying. And he has witness in his two friends who will have NDS back over HJP.
Verdict: Winner, because he can easily paint that he was the victim, he just has to act naive and innocent. Initially SDM will be angry, but later will learn to forgive due to all the benefit she is getting from working with NDS.
HJP - He has no out. He will be seen as the mastermind here. And his only way out of this mess would be to blame Grandma forcing him to lie, and write those letters, but come on, HJP isn't going to throw grandma under the bus. In fact, i'm pretty sure that HJP will just fall on the sword here.
SDM will question why HJP did it, and he may not have a good reason for it. And no matter what excuses HJP came up with, all SDM would have to say is. "You, HJP, who probably knows me best, whose words have kept me sane all these 15 years, you should have known, I would have forgiven you if you told me earlier, but instead you continue to hide and lie, and even get NDS involved in your plans.
Verdict: HJP is the big loser, as not only does he lose the girl, but he gets blamed for the whole thing.
There was no action that HJP could do, he was and always has been the man in the shadows, words are all he has.
What pray tell could HJP talk about? That he was living rent free at grandmas shop? That he opened an account and is making money investing? That he's actually older than NDS? His non existent childhood? Should he tell SDM he is an orphan? Let's not forget his main goal is still to provide comfort to SDM.
I could tell you a story about myself, but use different names, different places, even change some of the events, but the story would still be thematically about something that happened to me. The letters may very well be, half truths.
NDS is in prime position to make SDM fall madly in love with him for the following reasons:
1. NDS has a warm and likeable personality.
2. His two guy friends are wing manning him and shipping NDS and SDM.
3. They are both financially invested in the company they are in.
4. They are spending a lot of time together, working together. Something is bound to happen in such an environment.
5. His company will be the major reason she is able to reach her goal to compete with her sister.
What does HJP have? Not much, he doesn't spend much time with her. He is not so integral to the business success, they could have just gotten Alex and still be fine. He has no one shipping him and SDM. In fact in a very ironic twist of fate, the way that SDM and HJP are communicating at the moment is mostly through text and email, not much different from their letters 15 years ago, but of course most of the talk now is based on business. In fact, if SDM had never chosen HJP as the mentor, he would have no justifiable reason to continue communicating with SDM. Is just being her mentor enough for HJP? I don't think so.
So as you see, the only ties he has left, that shows HJP he has a shot are the letters. And HJP fans know it, that is why these letters are important, as they symbolize the relationship and feelings SDM and HJP share. So call it the last bastion of defence. And HJP hope that those letters are enough to sway SDM's heart.
And let's be honest, HJP wouldn't even think he has a shot if SDM had ex boyfriends. IF SDM had 3-4 ex boyfriends, then HJP would know, his role would be just that, a first love. But the fact that he set the standard so high, that in SDM's mind her bond with HJP was strong enough to survive 15 years. And even when the real NDS pretends to be HJP, it's enough that his name is Nam Do San for SDM to fall for him. Such is the power of their connection. And that gives HJP hope that those letters are more important to SDM than just a tool to alleviate her loneliness 15 years ago.
As i've said before, I can't imagine HJP and SDM being together, as the writer is heavily biased for a NDS and SDM OTP since day 1, and is just cruelly using HJP as a hindrance to their love, which is really mean of the author.
I'm still hoping for a Reply 1998 type ending. But we'll see.
You do know online dating exist right? And you do know people have gotten married over video games as well, where they never meet each other, and the love grows through the words they write to each other?
I think you are horribly underestimating the power of the written word. Haven't you heard? the pen is mightier than the sword!
Plus your analogy is all wrong, we are comparing love letters from a significant others, to a fictional character, written by the author to entertain people. And half the time the authors are actually pseudonyms or the book was written by a ghost writer, so there is a lot of impersonal aspects to a book vs a love letter. A fictional book targets a specific audience. A love letter, or personal letter targets just the recipient.
It's like saying, well my boyfriend gave me flowers, but i'm not loving my boyfriend more, i'm loving the flowers, because roses are my favorite.
and comparing that to
I was in the public garden, and I love the roses in the garden, and not the person who planted those roses for everyone to see..
You want to be able to have your opinion, but you belittle others? It's a two way street, respect others, and you'll get your respect as well.
That's my opinion anyway.
Nothing wrong if you dislike HJP, and prefer NDS. It's a love triangle after all, so it's bound to happen. But maybe respect the views of other people who prefer HJP. Nothing loss to you if you act less aggressive.
In fact it's touching as we see grandma get excited with the words that HJP chooses to write. HJP is quite the wordsmith it seems. Many times we see Grandma point excitedly as the words HJP has written.
It's one thing to be open, loving, trustful and warm to someone face to face, and whole different beast doing it anonymously hidden behind some pen pal letters. Because HJP didn't need to face SDM in person, he had the freedom to just bare his soul, knowing that SDM will never know these stories, these letters actually belongs to HJP.
HJP wants to keep lying to SDM, because he is still effected by the torrential storm in his heart.
"Kimsamsoom, you are the reason I wake up everyday with a smile on my face. You make the drudgery of life palatable, in fact, if not for your letters, I don't know how I could face each and every day..."
I'd think that's pretty deeply personal. Someone is baring their soul out to me. It's quite an emotional setting.
The reason that SDM had a lot to talk about, because there was a lot happening in her life, and she needed someone to share it all with.
I think, you made me realize that Grandma was always the conduit of both SDM and HJP. Both were being taken by her, and shown kindness by her, but for some reason, both SDM and HJP couldn't confide in Grandma. I guess confiding someone similar age is such a different thing to confiding in your relative.
As for HJP, most of the things happening in his life included Grandma, so he obviously could not talk about that, instead he talks about how special her friendship has been to him.
SDM also, as you can see is someone who wears her heart on her sleeve, from her upbeat demeanor in the Cafe, to how she wooed the Designer to her team. HJP on the other hand is aloof, and not as demonstrative as SDM, so it would make sense his letters are not as robust and rambunctious as SDM's.
I'm not a good liar myself, so when I lie, people can tell right away, i'm saying if NDS were to lie to me, I would believe him as he is very convincing, thus a great liar.
NDS is a manipulative and sadistic person, who pretends to be naive and innocent to get what he wants. He appears warm and kind on the outside, but inside he is cold, calculating, and selfish. He is also apathetic to the plight of the people around him unless it serves his purposes.
And I have evidence for this characterization as well. Want me to write an essay of why NDS is the villain of the show? it wouldn't be that hard.
What I find confusing is how this user takes everything at face value, and doesn't know how to read between the lines.
This is Kdrama, everything is either passive agressive, super subtle emotions and a lot of reading between the lines. If you want a story where everything is taken at face value, I suggest watching western dramas, where passion is being shown upfront, and no need for these Kdrama mind games.
But this particular translation of the letter shows that it's HJP, admitting to SDM that her writing to him has actually given his life more meaning, and in fact it proves that SDM's letters were also supporting HJP during his rough patch.
So it's no longer one sided support for a lonely SDM, but rather a supportive pillar propping up a lonely boy and a lonely girl.
When Grandma found out that SDM has a chance to enter a good university, she sold her corndog shop to pay the tuition, but SDM decided to drop out of college instead to not burden Grandma.
For someone who was in a long term 15 year relationship with this boy named NDS, actually being with him, and working with him, it doesn't seem like it.
The relationship of NDS and SDM at times seems more familial than romantic most of the time. She just doesn't seem as excited, but rather it looks like she has her eyes on the prize of being the next google instead. There is a disconnect happening here.
Even in some western nations, there is this prejudice, they just need to hide it better, since gender discriminations exist in the west.
I actually don't feel anything WIJ has done is irredeemable. The girl who cried when her father was being beaten up by his boss is still there. And I don't actually sense animosity from WIJ to SDM, actually more SDM to WIJ. Even during hackathon,
WIJ is very subtly encouraging her sister. She could have hardcore crushed her sister's dream anytime she wanted, she could have maliciously made sure her sister did not succeed, but she did none of those. The answer is clear.