Frings

SeungWan's father

"By breaking up HD and YJ writers are saying that no first love can last and be happy!!"
"Writers are trying to say no LDR can last with the break up!! Couples can't get over issues?? Just because of some distance??"
>> Jiwoong and Yurim last through LDR, stay together for at least 10 years, get engaged
"That doesn't count!!! It just means that there was no reason for YJ and HD to break up!!"
>> Break-up scene and memories have HD spelling out it wasn't just the physical distance that broke them but the emotional one
"But that's out of character!!!"
>> Show spent the entire duration showing HeeDo's struggles with not being put first before a job, her trauma from her father's loss, need for emotional honesty and closeness, and propensity to react emotionally first
"But YJ was out of character!! They had great communication all along and suddenly they didn't?!!"
>> Show spent the entire duration showing how hard of a time Yijin has to share his struggles with others instead of keeping them to himself, how his priority is doing well enough to provide for his family and bring them back together, how he's prone to trying to escape to fix things by himself

Bonus:

"HeeDo isn't happy because she has a red car!! And there's rainbows!! And her husband doesn't even show up!!"
>> HeeDo literally expresses how happy she is with her career(s), mother, daughter, the memories and lessons she learned in her youth, spells out that MinChae's father isn't there because of COVID quarantine
"But she didn't move on!! She's stuck on memories of Yijin!!!"
>> HeeDo literally says her regret was the way that it ended and what she wishes she could've said instead

Come on lol. You can just say "I'm disappointed because I really wanted HD and YJ to end up together, I wish they could've resolved their issues and lasted like I hoped they would" instead of trying to twist the text to be what it wasn't so you can pretend your disappointment is due to a quality of writing issue rather than you disagreeing with the story that the writers wanted to deliver and have been delivering from the get-go. Not saying the show/final episodes are beyond criticisms but there's barely any room for people to discuss them properly among the overblown reactions.

Alas, I don't know what I expected lol it is what it is. Glad to have seen some nice discussions before, tragically unsurprised that they are and will be buried by ermmmmmmmm *superficial* (to put it kindly) readings for a few months to come at least.

lol

Media literacy has been a hard find among the reactions for sure lol

I was actually holding on pretty well in this episode compared to the last one where I was bawling my eyes out basically all the way through, but in the end they still got me and I cried a bunch.

Such an amazing journey, I was surprised by how quickly this climbed up my favourites list and more pleasantly surprised still that it remained so all the way despite some of my hesitances. I'm definitely not letting go of these characters yet: that's what fandom is here for (Heedo and Yurim especially, I'll see you two on AO3). Down the line I'll definitely be rewatching the show just as fondly, but much like my few truly favs I'll need some time apart to give room for all of these EMOTIONS.

Now I'mma ignore every comment discussion that dismisses the show because of the break up or misjudges or values the show only for the HD/YJ romantic relationship. Finally! I'm free!

hear hear!

lol

This episode stabbed me straight in my Ko Yu Rim-shaped heart like five different times :D

In all seriousness, I genuinely love her character and the journey the writers set out for her. The arc about leaving your home country on your own as a young adult for family/financial reasons hits very close to home for me as well, and I liked the little things they portrayed on that. Very curious on where they decide to have her end up.

Hee Do this episode damn near made my heart burst out of my chest with all sorts of emotions. What a character and what an evolution - grounded, sensical, so human. I genuinely do not care about the whole "who is the husband" thing at this point beyond some small curiosity. At this point they've delivered basically all I wanted from Hee Do, and all that's left for the last episode is to put a neat bow on it. Seriously impossible not to love her.

All in all I cried harder than any show or movie has made me cry since My Mister. Phew! I still have a lot more thoughts (the direction and sound design this episode really shined at times, also the script has probably given me my favourite line from the show) but I need a break from all these FEELINGS for now lol. wewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

I don't see anything weird about knowing about your mother's life experiences and thoughts before marriage and motherhood; including ex-boyfriends. Especially since it was made explicit that Hee Do was fine with it. I'd recommend it to anyone.

I like your interpretation of the changes in YiJin, definitely agree. I feel for him in his struggle; his greatest strength is also indeed his greatest weakness like his sunbae alluded to.

For real, the shots with the letters and pamphlets was so amazing; gutting and heartbreaking in its simplicity.

Such a well edited moment, I cried like a baby

Love love this comment. This show does so many things well and I truly love to discuss and hear people's opinions on it beyond the "will they won't they" thing, because the characters built and the themes tackled are truly so beyond that.

My heart near burst out of my chest at the beginning with pride for Hee Do. What is probably my favourite line from the whole show was from her too: "There aren't many things that we can do as we want in this world". I don't think there's a more apt thought to express what it's like to be an adult, and it's vital to understand as you become one. I think most people come to that understanding eventually themselves, and there's a lot of feelings tied to it.

AND THEN "Let's erase it together. At least that much we can do as we want."
UGHHHH who dared write this beautiful as fuck line????

The entire episode that follows proceeds to prove that short exchange. And then having present day Hee Do look back on it all fondly, and understand all the lessons she learned from it and the things she hopes her own daughter will experience as well... THAT is, to me, a happy ending. We've been repeatedly reassured in a way that Hee Do is happy; that Yi Jin makes it through (though hopefully we find out how). That life is worth it, even through absolutely awful times, even if all you have for a bit is yourself; and that even if you part with someone eventually, the times you spend with them can still be beautiful, happy, formative, and everything else under the sun.

While I don't ship YJ/HD, I hope like you that we all get closure for this beautiful journey the writers took us on. I was really afraid that we wouldn't get that for Yu Rim too, given how she kinda disappeared from the episode after the match lol, but the teaser for the next episode put me a bit more at ease (and Seung Wan too!).

It didn't surprise me personally, though I was wondering more about how he would've gotten there given what happened to the global and North American airspace at the time. I *guess* when he says he came by land he could've meant Mexico? But yeah, sending Yijin there def required some suspension of disbelief, especially since they already had local Korean crew, but I kinda get why they did it.

Re: some of the other comments... It also doesn't surprise me that it was a plot point because while 9/11 in itself is indeed a very "US thing", at the time it was absolutely a global issue. All eyes were on it. I actually think 2521 went light on how on edge the world was because of it; we have to remember, at the time no one knew what this was nor what would come of it. No one knew if there were more bombings about to happen or where. There was a very real looming sense of incoming war and realistic fear about how that would affect the world; heck, flying as we know it today and the way every airport in the world works is directly born from this. NYC also has a lot of immigrants, and the US is the place with the highest number of Korean immigrants (apparently now closely followed by China, interesting), so the angle of reporting on those people's stories made sense to me. It's what happens at any time like now; an applicable comparison to that is how reports regarding Ukraine are right now in other places for instance.

My main concern though is how they used it in a way that... really felt odd for a bit there. I don't think having Hee Do seeming to "only" care about it because she wanted to see her boyfriend was particularly smart; I think the writers partly wanted to show an example of individual impact vs general (as they have done with professionals vs their personal lives so far), but I'm afraid they didn't pull off the tone completely. I'm seeing some sentiments of the sort echoed in Korean discussions... e.g. https://twitter.com/imbriepsa/status/1510252305857548288

my god this final match i am literally bawling my eyes out

Bahha yeah, we have a lot of Yijin/Heedo shippers in MDL - and to be fair, it's one of the questions left for the end of the show so people's curiosity is killer. For me since I don't ship them (though when I ship something I ship it HARD), I don't mind whatever happens as long as it's well done and makes sense for the story; and also won't butt into much of the convos abt them (I guess others who don't mind are the same). If you grow attached to them as a couple however and then are invested on whether or not they get together, I think Ivy is right that you might prefer the question answered before starting so that you know what you're getting into. I generally prefer to be as spoiler free as possible, but I totally understand why others would choose that route! I look forward for you to enjoy it as well hahah, and get ready for the comment section to explode even more!

This show does intimacy really well :')

Aw, I appreciated your comment, people don't bite here! :D But yeah, I completely agree with you where the important thing is it suiting the drama - and to feel the ending is earned. Personally the romance between the characters at hand is like not a draw at all LOL but that's a matter of personal opinion. The fact that the show isn't about the romance though, I really do mean; it is a part of it but the show never really proposes it as its main focus I feel. If I did ship the main couple I'd probably let me bias show though. :P I'd say the sooner you watch it, the better! And then you can have strong as heck opinions like the rest of us hahaha. I wouldn't be able to wait!

Oh noooooooooooo I was just replying to it but you deleted it right as I clicked post LOL. I'll post it here if you don't mind, but I can delete it too if you're prefer :)

I don't want to say too much so as not to ruin what the drama has in store for you to enjoy, but I really would not say this drama revolves around a ship at all (although I'm sure some who root for them would disagree). In that sense, I also disagree with the opinion that if the ship in question doesn't end up together then it's a sad or bittersweet ending, and if they do it's happy; because, again, the show isn't really about that unlike a "proper" romance show. I think some of the discussions here of disagreement are because there's two sides who disagree completely on that basic definition, so it's kind of not possible to see eye to eye; otherwise it's really just personal preference like you said.

I can't speak for others, but I'm not sure I'd use the word "realistic" for the show personally because it requires suspension of disbelief just like any other media as you mentioned, and because that word doesn't really tell me anything *about* the show. Maybe instead I'd say it's "apt" and "grounded" if I really really had to? It's a coming-of-age show that is very good at its portrayal of youth, does the rare feat of actually making fictional teenagers feel like teenagers (plus in making their growing up feel natural), and lands emotions both light and heavy very well. As you said, it's not the same genre as trope-y romcoms, but it's also not a melodrama; it very much purports to ground itself closer to real life situations and emotional progressions. So I'd say is that it's a very character-focused show, and that it tackles some real life themes in such a relatable way that maybe that's why the word "realistic" comes up in the discussions lately.

(I also think some of the discussions talking about realistic vs not realistic are meaning it in the sense that it is/is not realistic *for the story*, not the real world; as in, does it feel fitting to the themes and arcs established by the narrative thus far. I agree it's not the best word to use for that, but still that opinion will really be a matter of personal interpretation too.)

It's a gem of a show, I hope you enjoy it greatly when you get around to it!

Definitely watch it daily, I can't take waiting! Also it's already impossible to avoid spoilers on social media when I watch a couple hours late, I can't imagine my feeds if I wait the whole weekend lol