AnicsiRoscoe

It is actually not true that she never liked 2ML. He was her first love, albeit only from letters. Had they met in the past, or had 2ML revealed who he was in the very beginning of the show, she might have fallen in love with him. This is also why Do San was feeling so inferior and hostile toward Ji Pyeong: Because he knew and felt that Dal Mi only liked him because of their shared past, their letters, which wasn't him in the first place. It's true that her feelings intensified towards ML, but she might not have been interested at all in Do San, had she not thought he was the one from her letters. After all, she shot down each and every man who approached her over the years for not holding a candle to the "Do San" from the letters.
As for Ji Pyeong, he might have realized his feelings much later than Do San, but it is obvious from the beginnig that he cares for Dal Mi and wants to help and protect her, not only because of her grandmother, but because he thinks she's charming and strong-willed. Personally I am fine with Dal Mi ending up with Do San, but I am annoyed at Do San's hostility toward Ji Pyeong, who only ever helped him/them succeed. Sure, he might have been rude on occasion but in the end, they wouldn't even have made it into Sandbox without him.

Well, that's just your opinion though, and that's okay. The ratings reflect the general viewer's opinion. Personally I love this drama and I've rewatched it half a dozen times since it aired in 2016. It's very touching, thought provoking, fantastic cinematography and set design, music, acting, the plot touching on friendship/romance/comedy... Medical aspect is interesting as well. So 8.7 as a mean score is valid imo, it could even be higher than that.

Hmm, why wouldn't make it sense? Just before that scene, In Kyu leaves his granmda's house to kill himself. It's December, just before Christmas, and it's snowing outside. He could have imagined that scene wistfully, like something that could have happened had Min Ju not died in October. Also, the christmas scene fades into Si Heon sleeping soundly, thus it might have been a dream of his as well. I don't think the production team would have made such an obvious mistake.

1. I also think Yeon Jun in the end is in a coma and might eventually die. Yeon Jun's memories never merged with Si Heon's when he woke up in his body after the accident. That means that his 'mind/soul' was already dead/not there anymore. And it is also the reason why Si Heon as Yeon Jun didn't remember Tae Ha, although the original YJ was in love with him. It's a very sad story ;'( I think the reason why they made SH queer but he and his 'boyfriend' ended up dying, was because otherwise it would have been a very selfish and morally questionable choice of Si Heon to occupy his body for more than a decade. He would have stolen his identity, present and future. But with Yeon Jun's soul already gone, he basically just occupied an empty vessel.

2. I was also confused at there being two Si Heon's at first, but it actually makes sense. The handicapped one is the 'real' Si Heon's body and his mind after waking from the coma in 2002. The other one in YJ body is only his MIND from BEFORE waking up, while he is still in a coma. It's the concept of time travel where there can be one person twice or even multiple times, as long as they're originally from different eras. Like in Harry Potter for example.

I actually think it was just an imaginary scene, it never happened. The lighting is different, there's even a somewhat blurry filter on the scene. So I think it's not real.

I watched this within two days... It's been a while since I binged a drama like this. Now, I don't think it'll become a rewatch favorite, but it's a superb drama that will keep you at the edge of your seat. It was really fun to catch all the little details and hints and put the puzzle together before the characters on screen did. The two main leads were amazing in their roles, playing different characters with the same face or even the same one but with different life experiences is really challenging. I also think the ending was the one that made most sense, although I would have loved a little montage/time skip to know more about each of the characters. 9/10 from me, and totally recommended, but definitely watch it paying close attention or you'll be lost in the timelines.

Tae Ha's and Yeon Jun's timeline doesn't change (before the accident), because it's not related to the tape. So unfortunately, that accident will happen and Tae Ha will die, just as he did originally. I also think Yeon Jun is in a coma and might eventually die. Because as far as I remember Yeon Jun's memories never merged with Si Heon's when he woke up in his body after the accident. That means that his 'mind/soul' was already dead/not there anymore. And it is also the reason why Si Heon as Yeon Jun didn't remember Tae Ha, although the original YJ was in love with him. It's a very sad story ;'(

Yeah I think it's a drama where one needs to pay good attention, there's a lot of hints that foreshadow the story, but by episode 8 or 9 everything is pretty much sorted. I hope it becomes clear the second time around! :)

They are only 6 or 7 years apart, that's not that much in the grand scheme of things. In 2011 Si Heon would be 33 and Jun Hee 26, which is a completely normal age difference as adults.

I dropped it once at episode 16, but couldn't quite remember why or much about the plot, so I started watching it again and I'm at episode 9 and it's such a snooze fest. Like, seriously, there's so much you could do with the premise, but it's just really, really cheesy and really, really boring. I loved the first 5 episodes or so, but with the romance progressing it's lost its spark. There were super cheesy moments before as well (how many times can you repeat the 'tripping-and-catching-someone-swirling-around-move' in a single drama? urgh...) but it's getting to absurd levels. Unfortunately I think i'll have to drop this once and for all.

I don't think that is the case. Ms Gu is still the owner of Distribution and Air. as I see it. The chairman just told Ms Gu to 'give up all her positions she holds here (in netflix subtitles it was translated as 'here', but what he actually says 'at king hotel')'. And later on in ep 15, Won has to buy out the other hotel because it's actually part of distribution. He just visited the shop because he wanted to give Da Eul the presents/food to share because he heard of her fruitless visit. He also tells his sister he doesn't want to fight her, and he's not a greedy person, so it wouldn't make sense for him to take on everything. He just wants to make King Hotel his own vision.

Considering there's a span of 1-10 in ratings, 5/6 would be considered mediocre, and 8+ a high rating. There aren't many dramas with a rating close to 9, and those would be 'excellent' ratings. I agree that this drama isn't that great, but the ratings will probably continue to drop until the 8.2ish mark...

The first half was very entertaining and I found the workplace 'politics' also intriguing. The main leads had a lot of chemistry while still bickering and when their relationship was kept a secret. But after that it was sort of bland. I mean, sometimes it's not bad to watch something lighthearted without much drama, but the second half definitely couldn't live up to the beginning and it became a bit lackluster to me. Still, 8.0 for the first half and because Jun Ho is a fantastic actor and beautiful human being. I still prefer Wok of Love over this tenfold, though.

I never thought this day would come, but I actually finished the drama. I knew I would cry buckets, and boy I did, but I have to admit, I did not love it as much as I thought I would. I loved the premise, I loved the characters and the emotion, the costumes and at times the suspense – but I hated how unapologetically they worked towards this tragic ending. The last final five episodes or so were no enjoyment. I finished it because I wanted to see it through, but I feel like, no matter how tragic a story or ending is, there should be moments of respite and peace and healing. Of course, not everything can be a 'Mr Queen', but I still wish there had been some sort of hopefulness and closure. There were also some actions of characters that in my opinion didn't quite make sense or would have needed more explanation. I am torn about how to rate this. I loved the first half a lot, despite it being flawed as well, and I hurt with each tragedy that hit So and Soo and all the princes... I'll settle on a 8.5, but I don't think I will watch it again.

Ja, vielleicht war es dann wirklich im Abstand von ein oder zwei Tagen, dass sie es geändert haben. Naja, finde es vor allem schwierig, dass hier quasi 'Zensur' passiert. Wenn es eine wirklich heftig erniedrigende Szene wäre oder so, wäre das evtl. etwas anderes, aber in diesem Fall ist das nicht so, auch wenn sich mancher auf den Schlips getreten fühlt.

Yes, it seems it was in episode 7, but they cut it out (at least Netflix Germany did, not sure about other places). I remember because I thought it was weird the way the phone call was edited. We only saw Won's face, and the phone in his hand, we never got to see the person on the other end of the line. So I figured it was to create suspense as to what his appearance would be (it did actually work well, because we see Samir's face the first time he pulls down his car window...)

But yes, I agree with you, I found him quite likeable as well.

I am German, and all I ever see depicted of ‚Germany‘ in foreign shows, is how we wear Lederhosen, drink beer until we get piss drunk, eat sausage every day, are diligent workers but uptight with no humor, emotionless and cold, and let’s not forget our Nazi history… Do I enjoy seeing my culture portrayed like that? No. Do I make a big deal out of it? No. Because I know it’s not true, and because I know most people who watch those shows will see it as the comedy it is meant as, or as the stereotype that people expect to see. Each and every culture/and or religion is misrepresented in comedic shows. And Kdramas especially portray their own elite/politicians etc. often enough in a bad light, sometimes worse than trash.
So I don’t understand your „ 2- we're normally stero-typed and in the worst way possible we never get to be shown as humans but as a collection of everything negative and this one was a spot on example“.
Prince Samir is shown as Won’s friend, they bicker and compete with each other, but overall Samir has a friendly and fun personality. What about his performance wasn’t ‚human‘? Won and other people in the show flaunt their money, so it cannot be that. The drinking and partying? It’s never specifically said what religion Samir belongs to, and there ARE people of influence in Arab countries that drink and party behind (more or less) closed doors, even if their religion doesn’t allow them to. Again, this is a work of fiction, and it is very obviously not meant to be offensive, because his character is written in a nice manner.

Also, just btw, the nightclub scene has been cut from the show... Now here comes the 'netizen' censorship, bravo!

I started watching the drama only yesterday, I saw the headlines of the controversy but didn't look into it in detail. After watching the two episodes I wondered what the fuss was all about. Was it the money? Was it his insistence concerning the FL? Or how he treated Won? It seems the original scene of the nightclub has been cut from the the episodes by now, so I cannot share my opinion on that... However, I do think people need to chill. In comedy, everyone and everything gets their share of exaggerated ridicule, that's what most comedy lives off. The overall picture is what matters, and Samir is depicted as a very sweet and likeable man, of course not without flaws. People of his status could behave differently than most of the Arab citizens. It could still happen.
There are dozens of Korean characters, in some shows even royalty, acting inappropriately. It is not meant as a representation of a specific culture.

I find it sad that you think the female lead here is toxic and self-centered. I don't know when you dropped watching it, but much of it becomes apparent later on in the show. After what had happened to her, everyone would have doubted themselves and fallen into a black hole. At one point in the shows she says 'I wonder where I would be now if I hadn't ended up at that beach back then.' It implies thoughts of suicide. Why is it selfish for her to want to find her true self and heal? Mental health is the most important thing in our lives. How are we going to love someone if we hate ourselves? I agree that she didn't do Jae Won justice in how she broke up with him, but this is why this drama is so real. She said she wanted to come clean back in Seoul, but then she found out about him knowing her best friends and all the pain and humiliation came flooding back, the part of her she wanted to hide the most. We make mistakes. We think we will spare the other person pain or longing by making a clean cut and getting them to hate us, but it's just fueling their lack of understanding instead. Anyway, I personally have nothing but sympathy for FL and while I feel so sad for Jae Won, I got teary eyed when I learned of her past... Some people may have wished for the leads to not end up together, but to me, it was the opposite. Jae Won and Seon Ah at YangYang beach were not 'real'. They were in a bubble of their fantasy world without responsibilities and a care in the world. While it's beautiful and romantic, something like that cannot last forever. It's not only Seon Ah who was a different person then, Jae Won acted way out of his usual demeanor as well. So when they finally face each other in Seoul, with the 'real' world around them, it's not as rosy colored anymore, but this is the lesson we learn from this drama. There's nothing like a perfect person or relationship. They had to recognize the good and bad in each other and learn to compromise in order to be together as their 'real' selves...

I agree and I think a lot of people drop it too early because of the 'documentary' thing. It is strange perhaps, but it's just to set the mood and idea of the story and later on you completely forget about it and those scenes almost disappear, too. It's in my top 10 dramas, so I am happy you gave it a second chance. Agree with the view on Seon Ah, I mean, there is nothing worse than not being able to love yourself. She says it very clearly later on as well, that her priority is finding out who she is first. How would she be able to be in a relationship otherwise. So, yeah, a very deep drama for me and I'll always go back to it for sure!