NotGun

We all have our favourites. It would be no fun if we all liked the same characters. 🤣🤣🤣

Probably because it was originally based in China and for many families once a daughter is married they are then bound to the new family for filial piety. Ming is very aware that Tong is his brother in law and he should help/support him as it is a reflection on his family.

Its because his soul recognized that of his true love. As shown in the elevator scene, when he grabbed onto new Joes arm. The problem with Ming is that he has no emotional intelligence. He wasn't able to realise that living with Joe in his old home was a true relationship that had developed into love between them both. Until Joe left and then pretty much die straight after that. Ming feelings are very extreme due to the sudden death and his inability to process his loss.

Because Sol is selfish a$$hole. His character is constantly hitting on Joe in the beginning even though he was turned down and even after he knew he was living with another man (Ming). Ming was upset with Sol and for good reason, who would like to see the person they are living with constantly being approached by another person.

Sol IS NOT the SML to add to a love triangle. Joe has not had interest in him for many years and clearly has stated that he now has no feeling for him and that he is in a relationship (with Ming in the first 4 eps).

But that still did not stop SOL from acting like he owned Joe. So sorry, not sorry Sol is just an annoying side character who for many dramas would be seen as a red flag.

They explain it in the novel in terms of their religion. So I will just paraphrase. Both men died at the same time/day and their souls were sent somewhere to some God but the God deemed that he has one to many souls and sent the wrong Joe back. This is the beginning theme of how original Joe ended up in new Joes body.

Over the course of the novel this is expand further with Ming and Joe having intertwining fates. That even in death their connection is so strong that God could not keep them apart and actually chose to send original Joes soul back as he was meant to be with Ming. And had died an untimely death.

It also made Tong more famous (it was his first movie) as the scene in the novel were describe as cult classic fighting scenes that everyone remembers and talked about even years later. So this shows Tongs motivation to keep Joe in his place, and that is as a nobody because he doesn't want Joe to succeed only to be an anonymous stand-in.

Yes read the Novel... except they removed Mings older brother. I just image he's there anyways (!_!) He helped to make Ming more likable and to be a bridge of understanding what happened with Ming in the 2 years Joe was in a Coma.

I agree, the way his older brother was written was fantastic cold but calm. And always there to support Ming. And the rest of his family especially his sister... her crazy matched well with Tongs. Except she wasn't as subtle about it. It showed the environment that Ming grew up in. An his family position on what a "relationship" should be was not open or accepting at all during Mings childhood.

The big thing reading the novel for me was that they explicitly spoke about the characters ages several time. reinforcing that Ming was 16 when his crush started and because of this in less than 2 years he had to leave and study abroad for university to remove himself from Tong so that his sister could be happy and he wouldn't be as heart broken. And that where the story continues when he returns and is about 21/22 years old and start a relationship with original Joe who is in his early 30's.

So to me... he is really still an adolescent in the matters of love and real relationships. And when he is clearly being taken advantage of by Tong, Mings not able to clearly see that he is being manipulated. Then when he gets real love not understanding that it was love (because he has no experience) and when Joe dies it must have been a huge trauma for him.

If you can wait, I'd wait a few more weeks until it is finished. because it is so addictive. (!_!) Also the first 4 episode are an emotional roller-coaster. I watched them all together then had to read the novel. It's torture waiting each week for the next episode.

She does not have say in the family business (not discussed in the tv show), but in the book. Ming also has an older brother and they both contribute to the running of the family's interests. So Tong would need to get the support from one of his brother-in-laws. And Ming was an easy target being a teenager that showed puppy love interest in him.

Mings sister married into Tongs family who are new money (very much less money/ but still rich to everyday people). She is now part of Tongs family. Mings family is old money and in the novel are also high up in politics/military positions.

So Tong knows that Ming is his way into getting more money and power. Mings sister in the book was several tropes of crazy/toxic. I really liked his seemingly cold but caring older brother. But since these characters have been reduce/removed in the tv series I cant say much about them. Except that the one scene with his sister at night seems to show that they have a good relationship.

EXACTLY Ming is partly a product of his family and his experiences...

Also Ming is a decade younger than original Joe. He is still in that early twenties learning about love and life phase, He had a one sided crush for 4+years on a guy (left the country because of it) and then didn't even realise that he was in a loving committed relationship, living happily together before everything went really wrong. Because of the guy he had a long running crush on. Yes he made some very juvenile outbursts and some stupid mistakes. But who hasn't in their first real relationship. And no-one expects the person to just leave and die.

Of course the house arrest and chains are toxic but if he just locked him in his room then it would have been more in line with the book and not as sensational.

And Mings family is in keeping with crazy. Maybe not as toxic as the Military family in Addicted but how many men gay men come out in these families? I cant wait to see how the tv series portrays the family to Joe.

Yes, Ming's family is the equivalent of a Chaebol on K-drama. So the top 0.01% over generations. So that everyone in the country knows the surname.

This was briefly alluded to by Tong in the beginning. In the novel the family is in the military/government in top positions and Ming and his older brother run/control the business empire for the family. I really liked Ming's older brother in the book. I don't think he will appear. I think they consolidated the brother and sister into 1 character.

Tong as you guessed and I did also before reading the novel, is trash. The way he plays Ming so that he can get what he wants is incredible. Because Mings sister has no control over the finances and Ming does. So the scene where Tong lets Ming feed him food and Joe watches is Tongs way of controlling Ming and letting Joe know where he stands. In the beginning episodes. Hopefully they will start showing that Ming woke up to Tong when Joe left him and that he only tolerates him as he is now his brother-in-law.

Remember that it has only been a few weeks for Joe and over 2 years for everyone else. His feelings have not had time to resolve and he is basically back interacting with his ex.

If he was to borrow from Wut, he couldn't pay him back and it wouldn't even cover the initial debt from his own hospital bills, let alone the cost of his mothers treatments which are twice a week. And Wut has a wife and Young child to support also.

Borrowing from Sol has its own risk as he needs so much money and in his new body they are barely acquaintances. If he can't borrow from his boss and friend, then he isn't going to go down this route. Plus it will be a huge burden for him having to owe Sol. What Sol will want is unknown.

Ming on the other hand is known to be incredibly rich that this amount is pretty much nothing to him. Their agreement is pretty clear and the length of time is defined. Joe knows exactly how this will go, that he will just be a stand in and can prepare himself mentally for their interactions. Basically he sold himself for a year.

So the book has 120 chapters and the series seems to be covering 10 chapters an episode. I think that the series is doing well to keep with the main intent of the novel. With only minor changes and the consolidation of some characters. And it roughly shows the math in the book that Joe asks for the cost to care for his mother during the next 20years of treatment and nursing cost. Plus the prior hospital debts. So the money is literally just for them to stay alive. He is trying to be realistic about the costs. Because he still wants to work and prove for his family.

But what got me was... what DR would be giving their patient a diagnosis in the stairwell. It looked great visually but in reality no Dr would be telling that information in public. No no dont worry its not cancer, it just kidney failure and pans out to the people walking on the stairs and he walks off with no other dialogue LOL

I don't like him either. A character that is constantly hitting on the main character even though they know they are taken/living with someone. And in the present breaking into his home, even though he never had a relationship with him. (just work friends) its just ick.

He's a whole different type of flag. He didn't like Joe, when Joe was kind and helpful to him a newbie. Then he got famous and lonely and wanted someone who liked him.

I read it over the weekend. It really gives and insight into the characters thinking. And I really appreciated that it reminds you several times of the characters ages. Which isn't really clear in the show, so you can start to understand the age gap and how Ming is not really emotionally mature.

The other thing I didn't notice at first watch of the series (probably because its an emotional roller-coaster) is that the SML keeps hitting relentlessly on Joe. He's kind of trashy, even though hes been turned down multiple times and Joe and Ming are/where living together.

I read it here https://rosyspell.wordpress.com/ I recommend starting at chapter 1, read to chapter 40 and then read both the POV of Ming chapters. before continuing on. As this is how it is supposed to be read.

Also I'm okay if the series doesn't follow the novel exactly as the theme which becomes more apparent later in the book still seems to be in the series.

As the flashback showed him failing in love with the back of "Tong's character" from the poster and then again the back and arm muslces from the fight scenes but that was more likely his Stand-in as we all know that Tong doesn't like to extend himself at work and does the bare minimum. And who has been his stand in for all these years? Joe! Plus please don't get me started on Tong stringing Ming along as if he's not aware of Mings feelings for him.

Does anyone else think that Ming has been in love with Joe the whole time and didn't realise it?

As it showed him failing in love with the back of Tong from the poster and then the fight scenes but that was more likely his Stand-in as we all know that Tong doesn't like to extend himself at work and does the bare minimum. And who has been his stand in for all these years? Joe! Please dont get me started on Tong stringing Ming along as if he's not aware of Mings feelings for him.