I was actually waiting for this one since the synopsis seemed interesting but now i am hesitating whether to watch…
I don't know the definition of toxic drama you meant and what commenters meant down below. If you think this drama is a toxic relationship/romance between ML and FL, no it's not. The ML and FL's characterization is nice, strong, smart ML and FL. There is a toxic character so far, which is SFL. But isn't it that so many romance dramas have toxic people who try to break up the couples?
The romance happens quite fast, in our eyes. But not from the couples' point of view since they were best friends since high school and now they're 25. I don't want to spoil you more with the details you gotta see it yourself. But I think, it's a different kind of romantic drama than what is out there normally. If usually the drama starts with two people without mutual romantic feelings whether they are strangers, enemies, friends, or acquaintances, then after so many episodes their attraction towards each other grows until they become lovers. This drama it starts with them meeting each other again after he's gone abroad for so many years. She had an unrequited love towards him and showed a confession video during graduation school publicly but he left after a phone call without even seeing the video. She found out he was with SFL (who was their mutual close friends) and thought they were an item. It didn't turn out that way as the story reveals little by little. He also has a feeling towards her and pursues her for 6 early episodes. They got together by the end of Ep 6. He then explained what happened but of course, the manipulative SFL came back and tries to break them up. And there are also the FL insecurities.
In my opinion, this is just a normal growth of the romantic relationship between two people, in which you need to get to know each other, communicate properly, understand, etc, etc to form a healthy long-term relationship. In the journey, there is a misunderstanding, insecurity, jealousy, and unknown knowledge about the other person. And since it's a drama, of course, there are people who oppose the couple as we coined them as toxic characters, work-related obstacles, etc.
Personally, I will skip many scenes with the toxic SFL. Luckily there is the second couple which is quite nice, and the work-related problem of both FL and ML that are watchable. Some people at his and her workplaces are nice too.
i didn't know Jung Manchun was one of the security guards and abused kids. i thought he was an employee of the…
Jung Man Chun is indeed the employee of the food processing plant, but I also theoritized Jung Man Chun as one of the security guards since there must be a connection between the Joker's face carving with the killer signature. Jung Man Chun is accused to kill Baek's daughter and is still alive (though had a strong alibi holding Eun Ki on hostage) when Yeom's daughter is killed. But by the third death (the retiree/deliver guy's daughter's death) Jung Man Chun is already dead. How did the killer come with that 'signature' then?
Jung Man Chun did carve his wife with the Joker's smile and she was still alive. Isn't that considered a domestic/physical abuse? Not just a fancy tattoo, right? She is embarrassed of the scar that's why she used a mask while working at the hotel. That's when Sung Joon found her and used the carving as an evidence in the court that Jung Man Chun killed Baek's daughter not him (since Jung Man Chun accused Sung Joon killed Baek's daughter not him).
The taxi driver/ex security guard also abused his wife but she ran away. So far there is no indication he carved her with Joker's smile. When he showed her picture to Yeom's grandson's nanny, there is no Joker's smile carved on her face.
When I found out that Jung Man Chun physically abused his wife and carved her face with the Joker's smile, I thought…
There are many theories I could think of on why "Sung Hoon helps Sung Joon to stop Yoon Jae". - First of all, it was Sung Joon, not Sung Hoon, who came with a revelation that the captives were not held in the previous house Eun Ki hinted at but in the Welfare Center. So, the original plan might deviate without Sung Hoon having a chance to inform Yoon Jae. Or, another Plan B Sung Hoon already thought about. - Second theory, Sung Joon found the captives while the bomb is still ticking. Sung Hoon doesn't want or doesn't plan for Sung Joon to die with them. Why? We don't know yet. It might be he grew attached to Sung Joon as a brother. Or, he needs to use Sung Joon for another plan. - Third theory, is the weakest one, Sung Hoon grew attachment to Eun Ki and Eun Ki is also held captive. As Eun Ki helps the brothers because she is grateful for their father's saving her life, although she is Baek's illegitimate daughter, she has a good heart he could see. Besides, she is technically also an 'abandoned' child, 'abandoned' by her father.
Why took a complicated route? Who knows... I assumed the grand plan has to be changed many times, lol. For example, what if Sung Joon gained his memory when little, or dies on duty? Thus he can no longer be accused and killed as 'Yoon Jae'.
Since the whole story is not revealed yet, probably we won't know Sung Hoon's motivation in doing this and that besides revenge, till the end of Ep 16. All I know Sung Hoon is a perfectionist distrusts anyone, and is detached.
About the Joker carving... my theory in the spoiler below, beware may be gruesome...
When I found out that Jung Man Chun physically abused his wife and carved her face with the Joker's smile, I thought that although Jung Man Chun didn't kill Baek's daughter, the killer (for now I only point out as one person, can be more once we know the whole story) used the carving not just because he needed a killer signature, but to remind the bad guys of what they did in the past. I think Yoon Jae and Sung Hoon witnessed the sister being raped not only by Yeom but also Baek and other security guards (including Jung Man Chun). Why I thought it was gang rape because not only Yeom (who had been eyeing the sister) but also Baek recognizes the necklace. After that, her face was carved with Joker's smile, probably by Jung Man Chun, and eventually killed or the other way around. The reason why I assumed both Yoon Jae and Sung Hoon witnessed that is because if only Yoon Jae witnessed it he would attack them (like he did when Baek took his necklace). Sung Hoon also witnessed it as he would hold Yoon Jae's burst of anger. Both should've seen the rape because the sister is mute she can't tell them what happened. So now it's understandable their long-time hate and revenge plan against these people.
1. The Playground memory #1 (SJ was pushed) and #2 (SJ with bandage) were YJ's memories not Sung Hoon's.2. SH…
Nice guy is In Sung/Yoon Jae. When In Sung left after meeting Eun Ki, Yuna came. Yuna and In Sung only exchanged glances. Yuna asked Eun Ki who is that guy. Eun Ki said: "a nice guy". Later when she was killed, as usual, Yoon Jae showed off his face. Yuna doesn't know his name, so she carved 'nice guy' to tell Eun Ki. 'Nice' in Korean is 'jo eun' same as Eun Ki's name (Jo Eun Ki). She didn't finish writing the 'guy' because she died.
1. The Playground memory #1 (SJ was pushed) and #2 (SJ with bandage) were YJ's memories not Sung Hoon's.2. SH…
About the last one, it can be that SH thrusted himself onto the knife. So it seems like he's innocent and takes SJ's suspicion off him. So YJ can say he did not stab SH.
Their sister? Their sister died, and her remains' DNA test proved that she and Yoon Jae's are blood related. Eun Ki's mom is the nurse who worked at Hope Welfare Center.
Ep 1: Lee is ott and annoying. Phueng is not bad, she and Phop can be a fun couple to watch. I will wait for Fon to show up to decide if I want to watch further.
The romance happens quite fast, in our eyes. But not from the couples' point of view since they were best friends since high school and now they're 25. I don't want to spoil you more with the details you gotta see it yourself. But I think, it's a different kind of romantic drama than what is out there normally. If usually the drama starts with two people without mutual romantic feelings whether they are strangers, enemies, friends, or acquaintances, then after so many episodes their attraction towards each other grows until they become lovers. This drama it starts with them meeting each other again after he's gone abroad for so many years. She had an unrequited love towards him and showed a confession video during graduation school publicly but he left after a phone call without even seeing the video. She found out he was with SFL (who was their mutual close friends) and thought they were an item. It didn't turn out that way as the story reveals little by little. He also has a feeling towards her and pursues her for 6 early episodes. They got together by the end of Ep 6. He then explained what happened but of course, the manipulative SFL came back and tries to break them up. And there are also the FL insecurities.
In my opinion, this is just a normal growth of the romantic relationship between two people, in which you need to get to know each other, communicate properly, understand, etc, etc to form a healthy long-term relationship. In the journey, there is a misunderstanding, insecurity, jealousy, and unknown knowledge about the other person. And since it's a drama, of course, there are people who oppose the couple as we coined them as toxic characters, work-related obstacles, etc.
Personally, I will skip many scenes with the toxic SFL. Luckily there is the second couple which is quite nice, and the work-related problem of both FL and ML that are watchable. Some people at his and her workplaces are nice too.
Jung Man Chun did carve his wife with the Joker's smile and she was still alive. Isn't that considered a domestic/physical abuse? Not just a fancy tattoo, right? She is embarrassed of the scar that's why she used a mask while working at the hotel. That's when Sung Joon found her and used the carving as an evidence in the court that Jung Man Chun killed Baek's daughter not him (since Jung Man Chun accused Sung Joon killed Baek's daughter not him).
The taxi driver/ex security guard also abused his wife but she ran away. So far there is no indication he carved her with Joker's smile. When he showed her picture to Yeom's grandson's nanny, there is no Joker's smile carved on her face.
- First of all, it was Sung Joon, not Sung Hoon, who came with a revelation that the captives were not held in the previous house Eun Ki hinted at but in the Welfare Center. So, the original plan might deviate without Sung Hoon having a chance to inform Yoon Jae. Or, another Plan B Sung Hoon already thought about.
- Second theory, Sung Joon found the captives while the bomb is still ticking. Sung Hoon doesn't want or doesn't plan for Sung Joon to die with them. Why? We don't know yet. It might be he grew attached to Sung Joon as a brother. Or, he needs to use Sung Joon for another plan.
- Third theory, is the weakest one, Sung Hoon grew attachment to Eun Ki and Eun Ki is also held captive. As Eun Ki helps the brothers because she is grateful for their father's saving her life, although she is Baek's illegitimate daughter, she has a good heart he could see. Besides, she is technically also an 'abandoned' child, 'abandoned' by her father.
Why took a complicated route? Who knows... I assumed the grand plan has to be changed many times, lol. For example, what if Sung Joon gained his memory when little, or dies on duty? Thus he can no longer be accused and killed as 'Yoon Jae'.
Since the whole story is not revealed yet, probably we won't know Sung Hoon's motivation in doing this and that besides revenge, till the end of Ep 16. All I know Sung Hoon is a perfectionist distrusts anyone, and is detached.