Kim Yoonmi 김윤미 金潤美

Posting here because I found out that a lot of people don't know that much about Korean history? If you got questions, I can answer them in as much or little detail as you'd like. While this drama isn't based on exact history, it does reference a lot of history.

Anyway, I've gathered this has to be set after the Imjin war around mid to 3/4 the way through Joseon from the clothes and the cultural cues...

Oh and if you haven't guessed, yes, Korean. And yes, I did take Korean history classes--several. And also majored in anthropology (mostly concentrated around systems like racism, sexism, etc. But also have a geek interest in food and hanbok.) So if you got questions, I can answer.

The main features of signalling to the (Japanese) audience romance:
1. Parental approval, even silent parental approval. (Happens near the beginning, though through a few throw away lines and then near the end.) Usually ends with either strong objection, "Not like that" or with a "I don't understand what you're saying."

2. Rival concedes to character they think is the better match (happens twice in this drama.) (Points go up if it's a fake and comical rival who has no chance to get FL. The SML usually concedes near last episode, which they did with the whole, "You don't need [my] umbrella anymore" and "You and Haneoka work well together" which are lines usually used in Japanese dramas for break up lines. It cuts out before the conversation ends. And then ends with Haneoka holding an umbrella, showing she does still needs an umbrella afterall.)

3. Imaginary Parents (They pulled this off in the girls episode).

It's fallen away, but earlier versions of this also had parent says character needs other character. (This happens with Yoshio's father about Ishiko, though it's throw away lines and not as heavy.)

4. A Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu. (Last episode)

So... ummm... Other Japanese drama support for this.... (This drama draws on other Japanese dramas and references them.)

Parental Approval:
Nodame Cantabile
Trick (though digging for those episodes is kinda difficult--it ran for several movies and series)

Rival Concedes to ML:
Itazura Na Kiss (Granted, more manga, than anime, and truthfully the Taiwanese version adhered more closely to the manga than the anime or Japanese drama).

A Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu that sounds like a proposal.
Operation Proposal
Hotaru no Hikari
(There's a whole lot more.)
This is why he launches into a whole explanation in the last episode to refute her Ehhh?

Finally Imaginary parents thing is often pulled off flat out in a ton of international dramas, even Hallmark movies. I've seen this trope done in Hallmark movies, Lifetime movies, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Taiwanese, Indian, Pinoy--it's really hard to miss. Usually the episode shows how they get their parenting on.

BTW, there's more on the list than this, but I'm saying that there is a long enough trend that it's easy to pick up on.

Writer intended it, but I knew the ship wasn't going to sail, because that's also an old trope of lawyer/mystery Japanese dramas and he'd promised near the beginning he was going to lean hard into those (He made a tribute to Legal High, for example). Trick refined this to a fine art, BTW, where MML said things like Je t'aime to the FML, but she didn't understand, and she reciprocated in ways that he didn't understand either. So it's intentional.

Mystery dramas do this, so I expected it, but some people from the comments below wanted to know if the ship sailed, so this is my attempt to answer if it sailed. While Romance wasn't THE focus of the plot, it was a small element, so why not answer the question asked?

I've watched so many old Japanese romance dramas, that I've been able to pick up on the signals over time. Not sure if you want to hear all of the Japanese shipping signals though, 'cause it will sound obsessive.

It is hinted at heavily every episode, but does not sail.

The ship didn't sail, though they kept promising to lift up the sails every episode. EVERY episode. Even at the end of the drama, there was a soft break up indicated, and then something that sounded like a marriage proposal, but then the ship didn't sail. And then they STILL shipped them after that with the umbrella. Japanese dramas keep doing this, and while I appreciate and understand it, it also tortures me. They even made them look like they would be great parents together for an episode, and still didn't sail.

BTW, not against platonic relationships either. But they seriously shipped the Shoko and Ishio together every single episode.

The Ship~~~

Every episode the writers keep shipping them, though in a very Japanese way. Even at the end they ship them.

The drama plot is somewhat better, though they shouldn't have trimmed as much as they did on the princess (the one that pushed her into the pond). But otherwise, I kinda like the drama plot better. Less forced kisses and more coaxing on romance so there is more connection, instead of using romance motifs.

You can read here through Season 1 of the manhua (Chapter 145): https://mangabuddy.com/my-dear-concubine

There is a Manhua, but the manhua has a different plot (also more toxic masculinity in it, such as kissing her when she's sleeping deeply without consent...). The drama is slightly better written in certain places.

He invited her to his room, but had her read and copy account books instead.

Wait for Si Ming, which is a spin off?

I think she will because of the deal she cut with the demon-in-the-wall, that he could do whatever he wanted with her body/spirit if she should fail. So I'm thinking she'll appear in part 2, because of contract reasons.

Rough summary from watching first episode: A bodyguard from the past comes to the present and meets (I think an actor) who resembles the prince she has been protecting in her time period. However, her attempts to "save" him are met with disdain.

You can politely request Tencent to do them, on their short channel, but keep in mind humans need to do the subs, so saying, "Right now" etc will result in substandard subs. So aim to say, "I'll be patient" and "Thank you."

Yeah, I do so on my blog somewhat and sometimes in drama comments, but some people get really mad at them. Mostly cultural notes, character notes, and thematic notes. Someone got really mad at me posting cultural notes about Qing and the origin of the SA ==Honorable woman by women expected to commit suicide came from Prince Gwanghae during the Imjin War on another site... so... I put them on a blog. But it's that sort of thing. I give a little historical background on the thing, or make cultural notes to make it easier to understand, or comment on the politics in the drama, on if they are correct or not. (As in things like OMG, Homosexuality is a white import--which it isn't, except when you're retconning and think Korean history only comes from the Imjin War forwards) If I'm allowed links, I'll also link up to the support on my statements.

People also get mad at my feminism commentary and how the issues different for each country and international viewers might not understand the issues being brought up in the drama, etc. *shrugs* Say like how Me Too affected S. Korea differently than say, UK or US. Or what "Escape the Corset" means.

It's that sort of thing. *shrugs* It's my defense against Koreaboos--I believe in education about the good and bad of Korea, rather than promoting fetishization, etc. I want people to know what is good and bad and understand the context the drama is referring to.

In this case, the missing story structure Giseungjeongyeol, I thought would help understand the story better. (Education about story structures worldwide is pretty poor).

So the general theme of the drama from the very beginning was that Hee Soo (희수) didn't love herself enough. She kept trying to find love in all the wrong places, and tried to find it in men that didn't love her, and people who didn't care about her, so when she was getting it from the right places, she couldn't see it at all.

Since Koreans deal more generally on thematic development, because it's a forte of the writing, the story arc, which is giseungjeongyeol, makes complete sense.

The first act is her trying to find love in the wrong places. The second act (seung) is about her friend finding out about the notebookand her not being able to see the love of those she cares about around her. The Jeon is kinda literal with her returning home where it all began. (They added two twists in there too) And the Gyeol is the *result* rather than the conclusion. The result is that she learned how to love herself. Thus the ending song. Since the whole plot wasn't about her finding romantic love, it didn't end there, and I think if the plot had ended there, it would have been a royal mess as the writer pointed out in the last episode:

Hee Soo was too reliant for affection from Si Ho. And Si Ho was too reliant on her for helping with his panic attacks--he also needed to learn self-love and respect. Since Hee Soo was an endless pit of need that took from everyone, she needed to have time to reset the old patterns with Ji Ho. So a year to reset isn't bad. And then they could reevaluate their relationship again and start on a fresh foot. And this, to me, is the most believable ending. It's the healthiest and not the codependent relationship that would have resulted otherwise.

I know people hate "result" endings and want really closed conclusions, but the story had run out of premise by then. The diary no longer existed. Her mother got revenge on her backstabby friend, she'd learned love, so you'd need another drama in order to get them to be able to reset their friendship with a new set up.

Probably because I'm Korean I liked the ending...

I'll explain why in the spoilers.

That, too, is unresolved. You'll have to hope for a season 2.