Has the ML in any version ever proclaimed he's calling off the red-cards? I don't think so. The red-cards are very conveniently shoved under the rug, never to be seen again (till the fake one shows up, in some versions?). Thyme deliberately hanging up his gloves in ep 7, shutting-down the arena, and saying the red-cards are cancelled henceforth, is a relatively responsible take on the bullying issue, instead of glossing over its existence by pretending it never happened.
To make sure we arrive at this moment, Thyme's characterization had to be tweaked. While yes, he retains the hot-headedness and penchant for violence from his previous iterations, this version of the ML is: 1.) surprisingly implied to be more self-aware (social-media bullying commentary, Hana-meltdown, his view on Ren, etc) and we are 2.) told that he has an impulse-control problem (aka, he isn't a raging beast 24/7, & he perfectly retains the ability to turn into a normal functioning human when the stimulus is removed)
I kept wondering where they were going with this, as it was VERY new, compared to what I had seen before. To ensure that the arena is closed-off after ep 7 by Thyme himself, (i.e. officially ending his chapter as a bully & moving on to the next arc)... these changes had to be made to his characterization. Because these little defining traits of his actually make it possible (logical) for him to able to realize the difference between what's right, and what isn't (once he's calmed down, of course). The only thing that is changing for him, however, is the very definition of 'right/wrong' as Gorya and Roselyn's morals war inside his head. The red-card has been the physical manifestation of his mother's moral compass, and of Thyme being previously on Team-Roselyn. And now with his cancelling it, he's firmly camped on Team-Gorya! <3
So, in short.... change in Thyme's characterization = Thyme renouncing his life as a bully.
My theory, since the 'present' in SD1D was 2019, aka the year the show released, whereas here, the 'present' will…
-HYX is actually aged up and is celebrating her 31st birthday in 2022. Which still makes her 7 years old when she first encounters LZW in 1998. This also looks okay, as JYB is 32 while shooting for this. -'Quansheng' dies in 2020 on the aircraft. Which makes HYX 29, and Quansheng 28 as he was one-year junior to her, in college. This also fits with AHS who is turning 27 in 2 months. -In Korea, they have a legend that death beckons you at 9's (aka, 9, 19, 29, 39 and sooo on). Quansheng would fittingly be 29 in his Korean Age when he dies. -1998 is Yunru's timeline, but they *could* be aged up to play college-freshmen instead? (I cannot think any of the 3 leads in HS uniform would be convincing, lol!) -This would make LZW, MJJ and CYR all 17+ (18+ in korean age), and thus on the verge of turning adults (aka 19 in korean age, in 1999). -This puts their year of birth as 1981. Which would mean LZW with the limp, in present day (2022) is 41. (makeup dept has heck of a job to do aging up AHS from 27 to 41) HYX's year of birth would be 1991. -This puts LZW and HYX's age difference as 10 years, in this remake.
My theory, since the 'present' in SD1D was 2019, aka the year the show released, whereas here, the 'present' will be 2022. Read on, only if you have watched the original! ^^
I have watched in time with you. Yeah, we all had a crush on Li Da Ren. XDGood to know you found some recommendations.…
Oh wait, here I was thinking I was making a rec to you guys, but now I find out that you have indeed watched it! Acckkkk! xD Now I'm curious to know why ITWY did not make the cut on this article! Maybe because it's really old! ^^
Ahhh! I LOVE these stories! Coincidentally, I was on MDL to update my watchlist, as I JUST finished 2 episodes of In Time With You (the j-remake of arguably one of the MOST popular and well-loved friends-to-lovers story from Taiwan) <3 <3 I mean, we have all heard of the fangirling on Li Da Ren, amirite? :P Ugh, this article and me... feel fated now! :'D YDMC and Adult Trainee (story 2) are 2 of my absolute favorites! Because I trust your taste, I'm bumping up Us & Them (ZDY & JBR) and Falling In Love to my immediate watchlist (they were earlier on lower priority lmao!) :) Thanks once again for doing this article, and giving me all the feels!
yess same i don't vicky would go that way either, i feel like she would just focus more on acting. i've never…
Haha, yess, we do have our biases based on whose work & personalities resonate with us! :') I agree, ZYT is very underrated, in the sense that she hardly ever gets offered very serious roles or meaty scripts. Here's hoping she gets good work in the future! She was amazing in Remembrance! <3
Oh, that’s such an interesting conversation, because at the core of it all is the very fundamental question…
>>So what new information do we and does he gain here? Even at his worst he has control if he really really wants to wield it.<<
A profound & powerful realization. The kind that can only be made when you're pushed to the absolute brink. Which he was, by the storytellers. I'm glad we get to see a different/ new quality in him this way, that wasn't shown to us before. And I agree, the romance element has very little to do with it! I like how this analysis sits very well with the theory that unlike all *other* versions of Hana Yori Dango, Thyme is the protagonist here, and not the FL.
So I see people saying that That Scene proves that Thyme would never hurt Gorya but I interpret it differently.…
This is brilliant. More logical than the sappy love-angle I was trying to sell anyway, because it's more tonally accurate with what we've been shown so far. Thyme hanging up his gloves BECAUSE of what transpired that morning in the school, is a stronger storytelling. It also ties nicely to when the fake red-card shows up, and how he will refuse to retaliate in the kidnapping-plot, despite being egged on. I mean, romance is great, but I appreciate a thicker piece of meat to chew on (aka, a more convincing psychological angle!!) :D
Hmm, I know Vicky Chen is known as a child prodigy and a genius. Kinda like how Zhao Wei was in her generation, although she went the highly-commercial route, whereas I don't see Vicky going that way? I wonder which one of these will catch Zhang Yimou's eye (because imo GXT doesn't quite deserve her spot as a Yimou Girl). Now I'm wondering who would be considered the 4-dan actresses between Zhang Ziyi's generation and the post-95 gen? I can think of the likes of Zhou Dongyu, Yang Zi? I also remember Zheng Shuang was also considered in the list before she was cancelled (again, another actress who I believed didn't deserve her spot!) I would have completed missed 'from dust, flowers bloom' had it not been for this article! I'm eternally grateful! <3
Hmm, I really like this take too! It does fit better with the last sequence, and is a more realistic take on the events that transpired. At this rate, I see Thyme will take up monkhood eventually! xD
I get that a lot of people felt uncomfortable watching Thyme regress to his old or even worse self. And I have…
Bingo. Beautifully written! <3 This is exactly how I saw the scene. Action by action. Also, I believe it was a smart choice showing us the ugliness Thyme is capable of. The situation pushes him to the absolute brink of madness. He even threatens his BEST friends MJ & Kavin with violence upon being stopped (which is why they back the f*ck off). But he's not able to carry on, and hurt her. (unlike MG 2001/ 2018) Rather than ignore the possibility/ existence of any violence from the ML toward the FL, the writers negate the possibility completely. If he cannot bring himself to hurt her at his LOWEST, he's never going to be able to hurt her, ever. Given the previous background of the ML (in this iteration as well as the previous), I think it was important to get this out of the way. The power Gorya has over him, is more immense and absolute, than in any other versions. I watched the scene again, and the way he helplessly looks for an exit, and looks to be restrained and shackled up, breaks my heart. He's a beast, a very dangerous one, and he knows it T_T
Yes, the aemin party still won at the end. Code 1 aka Park Muyeol (he appeared at ep. 1) denied all the accusations…
Wow, I think I got it completely wrong, haha! Code1 was thus always trying to support this other guy to win the elections, and here I thought all the scheming was done so that HE could retain his powers. Ohmygod, I wasn't paying attention, I guess? Like the voters... who were also stupid? xD I'm shocked. His party got what they wanted: win the elections. NK also got what they wanted: the 300mil USD. All other smaller players ended up paying the price. Woahhh!
Yes, the aemin party still won at the end. Code 1 aka Park Muyeol (he appeared at ep. 1) denied all the accusations…
Just a question.... the guy who finally wins in history... was he the President before this too? As in, did the same guy get re-elected? Or does a new guy but from the same party get elected in 1987? Because I'm always confused if 'Party President' and the 'country's President' are the same dude or not? Even in Snowdrop....
Edit: Till the elections, Chun Doo-Hwa was the military dictator and President. After the elections, his ally from the same party, Roh Tae-woo wins. I think, even in Snowdrop, they portray the same sequence of events??? Although, in Snowdrop, I was under the impression that CDH's character was ALSO running for the Presidency, and the 3 idiots were somehow going to ensure Code1 retains his power by winning the elections? And in a way, their election-scheme gets exposed, so CDH loses his power... and THAT's why some other dude ends up winning the elections? Am I getting this all wrong? Was Code1 actually not running? Was he getting his 3idiots just to make his party-candidate win, and not HIM? :O Either way, it's disturbing how CDH died in Nov 2021, of cancer, just a few weeks before Snowdrop aired!
Yes, the aemin party still won at the end. Code 1 aka Park Muyeol (he appeared at ep. 1) denied all the accusations…
Okay, same... my brain-cogs refused to work after crying my eyes out. So yeah, I had to ask! Now I'm kinda mad Code 1 still won after all this. :/ I assumed the 3 idiots were executed because the nationalistic music starts blaring from the speaker as they are being escorted out. Usually that's the cue/ artistic signal people will be executed in all these ww-II and post ww-II movies! xD Thanks for the response, I'd love to believe CY cut out a deal for saving the families of the fallen comrade, and is blissfully spending her retirement life as a Japanese housewife somewhere! ^^
Can someone very quickly explain what happened at the very end of the final showdown?
-Does the Aemin Party win? Is Code1 the one waving for his victory at the very end? -If yes, then why are the 3 henchmen put into prison & executed (implied to be?) -What happens to the money? Does the North ever get it? Or do we assume Kinomoto Riko is on the run with the money?
1 
To make sure we arrive at this moment, Thyme's characterization had to be tweaked. While yes, he retains the hot-headedness and penchant for violence from his previous iterations, this version of the ML is:
1.) surprisingly implied to be more self-aware (social-media bullying commentary, Hana-meltdown, his view on Ren, etc) and we are
2.) told that he has an impulse-control problem (aka, he isn't a raging beast 24/7, & he perfectly retains the ability to turn into a normal functioning human when the stimulus is removed)
I kept wondering where they were going with this, as it was VERY new, compared to what I had seen before. To ensure that the arena is closed-off after ep 7 by Thyme himself, (i.e. officially ending his chapter as a bully & moving on to the next arc)... these changes had to be made to his characterization. Because these little defining traits of his actually make it possible (logical) for him to able to realize the difference between what's right, and what isn't (once he's calmed down, of course). The only thing that is changing for him, however, is the very definition of 'right/wrong' as Gorya and Roselyn's morals war inside his head. The red-card has been the physical manifestation of his mother's moral compass, and of Thyme being previously on Team-Roselyn. And now with his cancelling it, he's firmly camped on Team-Gorya! <3
So, in short.... change in Thyme's characterization = Thyme renouncing his life as a bully.
-'Quansheng' dies in 2020 on the aircraft. Which makes HYX 29, and Quansheng 28 as he was one-year junior to her, in college. This also fits with AHS who is turning 27 in 2 months.
-In Korea, they have a legend that death beckons you at 9's (aka, 9, 19, 29, 39 and sooo on). Quansheng would fittingly be 29 in his Korean Age when he dies.
-1998 is Yunru's timeline, but they *could* be aged up to play college-freshmen instead? (I cannot think any of the 3 leads in HS uniform would be convincing, lol!)
-This would make LZW, MJJ and CYR all 17+ (18+ in korean age), and thus on the verge of turning adults (aka 19 in korean age, in 1999).
-This puts their year of birth as 1981. Which would mean LZW with the limp, in present day (2022) is 41. (makeup dept has heck of a job to do aging up AHS from 27 to 41) HYX's year of birth would be 1991.
-This puts LZW and HYX's age difference as 10 years, in this remake.
Lemme know if math worked! xD
Now I'm curious to know why ITWY did not make the cut on this article! Maybe because it's really old! ^^
YDMC and Adult Trainee (story 2) are 2 of my absolute favorites! Because I trust your taste, I'm bumping up Us & Them (ZDY & JBR) and Falling In Love to my immediate watchlist (they were earlier on lower priority lmao!) :) Thanks once again for doing this article, and giving me all the feels!
I agree, ZYT is very underrated, in the sense that she hardly ever gets offered very serious roles or meaty scripts. Here's hoping she gets good work in the future! She was amazing in Remembrance! <3
A profound & powerful realization. The kind that can only be made when you're pushed to the absolute brink. Which he was, by the storytellers. I'm glad we get to see a different/ new quality in him this way, that wasn't shown to us before. And I agree, the romance element has very little to do with it!
I like how this analysis sits very well with the theory that unlike all *other* versions of Hana Yori Dango, Thyme is the protagonist here, and not the FL.
Now I'm wondering who would be considered the 4-dan actresses between Zhang Ziyi's generation and the post-95 gen? I can think of the likes of Zhou Dongyu, Yang Zi? I also remember Zheng Shuang was also considered in the list before she was cancelled (again, another actress who I believed didn't deserve her spot!)
I would have completed missed 'from dust, flowers bloom' had it not been for this article! I'm eternally grateful! <3
Rather than ignore the possibility/ existence of any violence from the ML toward the FL, the writers negate the possibility completely. If he cannot bring himself to hurt her at his LOWEST, he's never going to be able to hurt her, ever. Given the previous background of the ML (in this iteration as well as the previous), I think it was important to get this out of the way. The power Gorya has over him, is more immense and absolute, than in any other versions.
I watched the scene again, and the way he helplessly looks for an exit, and looks to be restrained and shackled up, breaks my heart. He's a beast, a very dangerous one, and he knows it T_T
I'm shocked. His party got what they wanted: win the elections. NK also got what they wanted: the 300mil USD.
All other smaller players ended up paying the price. Woahhh!
Even in Snowdrop....
Edit: Till the elections, Chun Doo-Hwa was the military dictator and President. After the elections, his ally from the same party, Roh Tae-woo wins. I think, even in Snowdrop, they portray the same sequence of events??? Although, in Snowdrop, I was under the impression that CDH's character was ALSO running for the Presidency, and the 3 idiots were somehow going to ensure Code1 retains his power by winning the elections? And in a way, their election-scheme gets exposed, so CDH loses his power... and THAT's why some other dude ends up winning the elections?
Am I getting this all wrong? Was Code1 actually not running? Was he getting his 3idiots just to make his party-candidate win, and not HIM? :O
Either way, it's disturbing how CDH died in Nov 2021, of cancer, just a few weeks before Snowdrop aired!
I assumed the 3 idiots were executed because the nationalistic music starts blaring from the speaker as they are being escorted out. Usually that's the cue/ artistic signal people will be executed in all these ww-II and post ww-II movies! xD
Thanks for the response, I'd love to believe CY cut out a deal for saving the families of the fallen comrade, and is blissfully spending her retirement life as a Japanese housewife somewhere! ^^
-Does the Aemin Party win? Is Code1 the one waving for his victory at the very end?
-If yes, then why are the 3 henchmen put into prison & executed (implied to be?)
-What happens to the money? Does the North ever get it? Or do we assume Kinomoto Riko is on the run with the money?
'Honey badger don't care' xD xD