HJP considered these letters a chore and called them "stupid". He found "stupid" the idea of making him write…
Initially the letters begin as a chore, but as i've said, HJP eventually starts looking forwards to the letter, and i'm guessing the contents of the letter started to reflect that. We see this in Ep 1, as his face and demeanor changes when he sees the letter in the bird box. Time stamp episode 1 37:55 mark. He was so excited to read the letter, he had to sit down and open to read it right away, and his demeanor is different from a few seconds earlier, where it did indeed like it was a chore.
It's interesting that we view the same scenes with different interpretations, but that's the great thing about Kdrama, lots of opinion on the same scenes.
When they decide what the name of the pen pal should be, they describe NDS as being rich, wise and warm.
I know a lot of people are saying HJP detested writing the letters to SDM, but I implore you to rewatch episode 1, it does a great job of setting up the importance of the letters to both SDM and HJP.
A lot of the words in those letters were genuine words from HJP, and his demeanor towards the letter goes from chore, to eventual happiness at receiving and writing them.
And in the past 15 years, all SDM can talk about is Dosan still, in fact Grandma even says "it's been 15 years and all you can do is talk about him still."
At around the 60 minute work, we get a glimpse of HJP inner working. His words "That kind of kindness I can't afford." It's a tragic point, as we see that Grandma has been quite successful in helping HJP overcome his demons and be a force for good, but the betrayal that HJP thought grandma did to him, made him go back to his mistrustful and cynical ways.
He even says, you lured me to writing those letters by calling him a good boy, which means him being called a good boy by grandma was such a huge thing for him. And while writing those letters to SDM, he can believe, if for but a moment that he was a good person. Because unfortunately for orphans, they have this thought in their heads, that they are not good people, and that's why their parents abandon them, and this is probably what is in HJP's mind.
And once HJP finds out the truth about what grandma actually did, the guilt was too crushing for him to continue staying, as he betrayed the only person who was unrepentantly kind to him. In the train station, we see HJP doubling down on his rudeness, and starts to taunt grandma, but being the mature adult she is, she plays him at his own game, acting aloof and uncaring as well. And it breaks him eventually, and we finally see HJP's true self, a man, when his defenses are down, is a kind and thankful young man.
What I also find interesting is that the criteria of the fake persona grandma and HJP makes is someone who is rich, wise, and warm. So far HJP checks the rich and wise part, but he has a lot to work on before he can be considered warm.
Grandma is sneaky, I think not only did she want SDM not be lonely, but he also wanted HJP not to be lonely either.…
I think grandma wanted the pen friend to prop up Dalmi in the low point of her life, being separate from her mom and sister.
Like i've explained HJP telling the grandma that he is being forced to write these letters, or how it's a chore, is just typical of young HJP personality. Rewatch the first episode, and HJP will remind you of a young man who has so much pride, that even when homeless he has to flat out refuse help from Grandma, he is rude throughout the episode because this is how he copes with his emotions, and it appears even in adulthood he hasn't gotten rid of this character flaw of his. But the grandma being smart knows this is all a tough guy act, and in the end HJP is a good boy, and does the right things.
HJP may have started to think of the letters as a chore initially, but he later actually places a lot of thought into them, and it starts healing him of his loneliness as his low point as well.
During the flashback, the reason HJP cannot think of what to reply to SDM is because he has no family, and no traditions to speak off. In fact, I find this flashback quite important because it's one of the few times, if not the first time we see some sort of kindness from HJP. He is usually just shouting and arguing with grandma otherwise.
That time of the fake letters is not memorable for him because it was a chore for him to write these letters that…
The way he calls the letter a chore and stupid completely fits HJP's personality.
It's like that boy who likes you, and gives you some chocolates. And you say "Thank you". And his reply will be "It's nothing, I just found them in the dumpster, and thought what a waste i'll give them to you instead".
It's such a weird thing, but men do act this way a lot. It's like they are ashamed of letting their sensitive side show. I don't know.
I just can't watch the next episode I can't handle watching HJP crying like that. yk he has everything and is…
HJP's life, even with all that money seems so lonely... Such a big apartment, and his only companion to joke with and talk to is his AI. Super depressing and lonely...
Heroine hits peak of marysue each and every episode. Sometimes feels like writer is hardcore self-inserting herself…
I agree on the Mary Sue part, but I think the show has a lot of good things going for it. There is certainly enough good things going for it to keep me interested, and keep the plot going, but there also so so so many tedious things each episodes that really drags down the quality.
I will agree though, what started as a possibly unique kdrama experience, has been nullified and brought down to the level of typical kdrama. But it's still an enjoyable watch.
The thing is, even though NDS and SDM share the same age, SDM losing her father so early in her life, has made…
Sorry, you misunderstood me. I'm talking about his "Little Buddha" persona. Instead of being ambitious, and striving for the best, and tap into his potential, he is handicapping himself and his company by making decisions that benefit SDM, and not the company per se.
NDS doesn't know what his goals are, I don't even think he knows why does the things he does, he appears to be a puppy looking for guidance on love, business and everything from SDM.
Actually IMO, NDS is the least loneliest of the four people. Here is my loneliness ranking.
HJP - He is an orphan, has no real friends, is cold, unapproachable, and closest thing he has to family is grandma. His only companion is his AI at home. Even his subordinate only treats him as a strict boss.
WIJ - Yes, she chose the easy life, but just like HJP, she has this corporate coldness that permeates around her. BUT at least she has her mom, and to a lesser extent SDM.
SDM - Yes, she has grandma, and to a lesser extent WIJ and her mom. But in her over competitiveness and want to beat her sister, she is on this road only she can traverse.
NDS - Eh, he has two bestest bud, he has his parents who are proud of him and love him, he even has extended family like his cousin, he has a strong support group.
Grandma is sneaky, I think not only did she want SDM not be lonely, but he also wanted HJP not to be lonely either.…
It's been shown that eventually HJP wrote them on his own, I mean it's a bit of an exaggeration to say Grandma was there for every single letter, maybe the first 5-10 sure, but afterwards, it was all HJP.
And yes, I do think the world of Grandma, she has so much love in her heart, for her to take in a young HJP was such a big deal.
And, I really think Grandma thinks HJP is a good boy, and even though he has rough edges, would be able to befriend young SDM. She must have a reason for not pushing for a real friendship back then.
I totally agree. I don't get the hate NDS gets while HJP is the one who 1. started the whole lie without any true…
I personally am more invested in HJP, but I definitely do not hate NDS at all.
I root for HJP, because I love underdogs, and I think HJP is a heavy underdog.
For NDS, he has a long and successful road ahead of him, having SDM by his side would not be a game changer to his business, as there are many people who would have invested in him anyway, and as shown in the Knitting club, his looks attracted quite a few girls to want to date him, and once he is rich and successful, he will have little trouble finding another SDM.
For HJP, it's not quite so. He has so much emotional baggage, and his cold demeanor has made him quite unapproachable. Having a SDM by his side would be a huge boon for him, and actually help humanize him more, and warm him up. Basically, as Grandma said "I wish I had met you sooner", then HJP would have ended up a much different person and would not have suffered so long. Whose to say if HJP would ever meet someone who understood him like SDM does...
So basically, since I feel NDS would have a pretty good life without SDM, while HJP would continue being lonely, I prefer HJP.
dont hate me but i have always liked injae in a manner even i couldnt understand... i really cant wait to see…
we like flawed characters, because subconsciously we are all flawed human beings, and we like seeing flawed characters get happy endings as well.
It's not as satisfying rooting for the Mary Sue's.
People's viewing preference have change as times have passed, back in the day, people always preferred rooting for the winners, and the more Mary Sue the characters were, the better. These days, people want to see their characters with some grit, and go through hell, to make the reward oh so more satisfying.
That is why WIJ and HJP are pretty popular in this drama.
Both NDS and HJP have flaws. The big difference here is that all of HJP's flaws are laid out from the beginning,…
What made NDS popular initially is of course his good looks, but it's also his innocence, his dorkiness, just the way his mind works, his loyalty to his friends and etc... The more he loses his core personality, the more fans he loses.
Grandma and HJP is on the grey side, neither good nor bad.
Oh yeah SDM is a very flawed character in a lot of ways. The way she obsessively competes with her sister is a real turn off. She lacks the self confidence to be happy with her life choices.
The focus on NDS I guess is coming from how poorly he is written by the writer, and not so much his fault. Also another reason is he is letting his emotions cloud the success of his company.
yall literally stop fighting... the repeated issue i see regarding HJP is that how he shouldnt claim ownership…
Grandma is sneaky, I think not only did she want SDM not be lonely, but he also wanted HJP not to be lonely either. So it was literally hitting two birds with one stone.
Think for a second, someone like a young HJP, being so mistrustful of people. If grandma had asked him to make friends with her grand daughter for real, would he actually have done it? I doubt... But anonymously writing to her, using a fake name? Sure why not, HJP has complete anonymity.
HJP was writing from his heart, as the letters provided an outlet for his loneliness, and gave him someone closer to his age to bare his soul to. Lest we forget they wrote each other for more than a year.
Okay, I feel like I'm leaving way too many comments but I have a lot of thoughts about this drama.Both NDS and…
If you've ever watched the Kdrama "Jealousy Incarnate", a very similar situation plays out. And the reason for the ML to keep pushing the FL away was pride, and being unable to deal with his own emotions.
The harshness he drops, is no different from the harshness coming from WIJ in the sense that these are people who have been in corporate for a while, and thus will act like it. Plus add to the fact that SDM and NDS are both younger, it adds even more so, as in Korean culture, Seniors can be quite harsh to Juniors, and the methods may often be harsher as compared to same aged colleagues.
NDS biggest flaw is that he is allowing emotions to hurt the chances of his company to succeed, he's been lucky so far, but in the real world, you can't just keep doing what your GF who has no experience or pedigree to make big decisions for your life's work. Beginners luck doesn't last forever you know. If NDS wasn't so smart, his two friends would have left by now.
HJP's biggest flaw is that he doesn't allow emotions to enter his life too much. Even when he is at his most emotional, he is still helping SDM and NDS succeed. End game is Grandma and HJP, i'm calling it now.
with nectar so sweet
Than an Onion
with layers to peel
It's interesting that we view the same scenes with different interpretations, but that's the great thing about Kdrama, lots of opinion on the same scenes.
When they decide what the name of the pen pal should be, they describe NDS as being rich, wise and warm.
A lot of the words in those letters were genuine words from HJP, and his demeanor towards the letter goes from chore, to eventual happiness at receiving and writing them.
And in the past 15 years, all SDM can talk about is Dosan still, in fact Grandma even says "it's been 15 years and all you can do is talk about him still."
At around the 60 minute work, we get a glimpse of HJP inner working. His words "That kind of kindness I can't afford." It's a tragic point, as we see that Grandma has been quite successful in helping HJP overcome his demons and be a force for good, but the betrayal that HJP thought grandma did to him, made him go back to his mistrustful and cynical ways.
He even says, you lured me to writing those letters by calling him a good boy, which means him being called a good boy by grandma was such a huge thing for him. And while writing those letters to SDM, he can believe, if for but a moment that he was a good person. Because unfortunately for orphans, they have this thought in their heads, that they are not good people, and that's why their parents abandon them, and this is probably what is in HJP's mind.
And once HJP finds out the truth about what grandma actually did, the guilt was too crushing for him to continue staying, as he betrayed the only person who was unrepentantly kind to him. In the train station, we see HJP doubling down on his rudeness, and starts to taunt grandma, but being the mature adult she is, she plays him at his own game, acting aloof and uncaring as well. And it breaks him eventually, and we finally see HJP's true self, a man, when his defenses are down, is a kind and thankful young man.
What I also find interesting is that the criteria of the fake persona grandma and HJP makes is someone who is rich, wise, and warm. So far HJP checks the rich and wise part, but he has a lot to work on before he can be considered warm.
Like i've explained HJP telling the grandma that he is being forced to write these letters, or how it's a chore, is just typical of young HJP personality. Rewatch the first episode, and HJP will remind you of a young man who has so much pride, that even when homeless he has to flat out refuse help from Grandma, he is rude throughout the episode because this is how he copes with his emotions, and it appears even in adulthood he hasn't gotten rid of this character flaw of his. But the grandma being smart knows this is all a tough guy act, and in the end HJP is a good boy, and does the right things.
HJP may have started to think of the letters as a chore initially, but he later actually places a lot of thought into them, and it starts healing him of his loneliness as his low point as well.
During the flashback, the reason HJP cannot think of what to reply to SDM is because he has no family, and no traditions to speak off. In fact, I find this flashback quite important because it's one of the few times, if not the first time we see some sort of kindness from HJP. He is usually just shouting and arguing with grandma otherwise.
It's like that boy who likes you, and gives you some chocolates. And you say "Thank you". And his reply will be "It's nothing, I just found them in the dumpster, and thought what a waste i'll give them to you instead".
It's such a weird thing, but men do act this way a lot. It's like they are ashamed of letting their sensitive side show. I don't know.
I will agree though, what started as a possibly unique kdrama experience, has been nullified and brought down to the level of typical kdrama. But it's still an enjoyable watch.
NDS doesn't know what his goals are, I don't even think he knows why does the things he does, he appears to be a puppy looking for guidance on love, business and everything from SDM.
Actually IMO, NDS is the least loneliest of the four people. Here is my loneliness ranking.
HJP - He is an orphan, has no real friends, is cold, unapproachable, and closest thing he has to family is grandma. His only companion is his AI at home. Even his subordinate only treats him as a strict boss.
WIJ - Yes, she chose the easy life, but just like HJP, she has this corporate coldness that permeates around her. BUT at least she has her mom, and to a lesser extent SDM.
SDM - Yes, she has grandma, and to a lesser extent WIJ and her mom. But in her over competitiveness and want to beat her sister, she is on this road only she can traverse.
NDS - Eh, he has two bestest bud, he has his parents who are proud of him and love him, he even has extended family like his cousin, he has a strong support group.
And yes, I do think the world of Grandma, she has so much love in her heart, for her to take in a young HJP was such a big deal.
And, I really think Grandma thinks HJP is a good boy, and even though he has rough edges, would be able to befriend young SDM. She must have a reason for not pushing for a real friendship back then.
I root for HJP, because I love underdogs, and I think HJP is a heavy underdog.
For NDS, he has a long and successful road ahead of him, having SDM by his side would not be a game changer to his business, as there are many people who would have invested in him anyway, and as shown in the Knitting club, his looks attracted quite a few girls to want to date him, and once he is rich and successful, he will have little trouble finding another SDM.
For HJP, it's not quite so. He has so much emotional baggage, and his cold demeanor has made him quite unapproachable. Having a SDM by his side would be a huge boon for him, and actually help humanize him more, and warm him up. Basically, as Grandma said "I wish I had met you sooner", then HJP would have ended up a much different person and would not have suffered so long. Whose to say if HJP would ever meet someone who understood him like SDM does...
So basically, since I feel NDS would have a pretty good life without SDM, while HJP would continue being lonely, I prefer HJP.
Plus like HJP, I feel it easier to write and respond to people on an anonymous online forum.
I'm pretty shy in real life, and probably would have less to say, so writing on MDL is my outlet :)
It's not as satisfying rooting for the Mary Sue's.
People's viewing preference have change as times have passed, back in the day, people always preferred rooting for the winners, and the more Mary Sue the characters were, the better. These days, people want to see their characters with some grit, and go through hell, to make the reward oh so more satisfying.
That is why WIJ and HJP are pretty popular in this drama.
Grandma and HJP is on the grey side, neither good nor bad.
Oh yeah SDM is a very flawed character in a lot of ways. The way she obsessively competes with her sister is a real turn off. She lacks the self confidence to be happy with her life choices.
The focus on NDS I guess is coming from how poorly he is written by the writer, and not so much his fault. Also another reason is he is letting his emotions cloud the success of his company.
He knew what he did, but he did it anyway.
Think for a second, someone like a young HJP, being so mistrustful of people. If grandma had asked him to make friends with her grand daughter for real, would he actually have done it? I doubt... But anonymously writing to her, using a fake name? Sure why not, HJP has complete anonymity.
HJP was writing from his heart, as the letters provided an outlet for his loneliness, and gave him someone closer to his age to bare his soul to. Lest we forget they wrote each other for more than a year.
The harshness he drops, is no different from the harshness coming from WIJ in the sense that these are people who have been in corporate for a while, and thus will act like it. Plus add to the fact that SDM and NDS are both younger, it adds even more so, as in Korean culture, Seniors can be quite harsh to Juniors, and the methods may often be harsher as compared to same aged colleagues.
NDS biggest flaw is that he is allowing emotions to hurt the chances of his company to succeed, he's been lucky so far, but in the real world, you can't just keep doing what your GF who has no experience or pedigree to make big decisions for your life's work. Beginners luck doesn't last forever you know. If NDS wasn't so smart, his two friends would have left by now.
HJP's biggest flaw is that he doesn't allow emotions to enter his life too much. Even when he is at his most emotional, he is still helping SDM and NDS succeed. End game is Grandma and HJP, i'm calling it now.