JLM

Watch Hyena lol

This series is so bleak I had to ff some of it. But I get the dilemma, it goes on all the time in politics where is a numbers game of weighing up legislation for the betterment of society, versus the individual and their immoral behaviour. Kennedy, Clinton even Martin Luther King to name but a few all have dodgy backgrounds.

I agree though with everyone, why in gods name stay in the house of your rapist for 5 years, just to add to the intense misery of this show. Jin Seung Hee is literally driving me nuts she's so toxic. What are the chances of lurking around the very hospital room where HYJ is telling her story of the rape, WITH the door open!!!! Writers Please!!! Also imo Kim soo Bin is just causing massive amounts of issues, she hasn't got the maturity to consider things, she's just acting on a feeling of outrage and hurt. I guess based on her own miserable background.
Was it really necessary for the story to have NJD as a rapist? Surely he was manipulating the events enough to point out what he had to do to pass this legislation without adding that!

It's an interesting question whether KHJ made the right move, that law enabling a voice for sexually assaulted women seems pretty amazing. Hard dilemma.

Could anything be more adorable than this drama. Kindness and personal courage are so important, and this sweet story is all about that. Kudos to everyone who made this series, it's just perfect imo.
I love the entire cast, especially Jeon Do Yeon, I have watched several of her dramas and movies, she's beyond amazing, don't know if anyone has seen A Man and a Woman, just phenomenal.
Jung Kyung Ho, is wonderful as CCY, his deep love and appreciation of NHS is too lovely, also his respectful restraint and caution. RHS from IBlues is also amazing, all the characters are so well done. Loving it!

I think your explanation about the screen adaptation of the novel is so interesting. To me there was always something wrong or awkward about this drama, I thought the actors did a great job with the material they had, and obviously the direction etc. but it just didn't really gel or make sense. It just did not make sense that the FL would sleep with KP, when she could have opted for a much easier solution. Apparently the convoluted thinking was to protect SS from having been seen to have an affair with SY while also seeing PMK. Given that her father is the boss and could life a misery for him. Also it enabled her to break up with JJH. All of the above is ridiculously complicated and doesn't feel right.
SY continuous running away from SS, a metaphor for running away from love etc. because of the fathers affair and the brothers suicide, has always seemed beyond weird to me.
It makes so much more sense that she never really liked him.
When she finds out that it was in fact her mum who had the affair, she seems to forgive her straight away. However as a narrative, the logic of her hating her father etc and her consequent dysfunctional behaviour has become null and void. The whole premise of her weird reluctant behaviour towards SS is wiped out.
I much prefer that original story you outlined from the book.
This also means that everyone who has posted about this drama, in such a well-meaning way, has had to really deal with a basically crap, illogical story. LOL.

Gee, these characters in their 60's should make for an even more exciting story line, with possible hearing loss, arthritis and memory loss...the pace will be even more riveting.

I know MDL members sign up for post Trolley therapy lol!

My sentiments exactly. Why in gods name live in the same place as your rapist, or lover, why because the son lives there? Guess we'll find out, although it was vaguely hinted that she might commit suicide. Throw in yet another miserable event.

Also re Ji Hoon, why not check the water, looked pretty shallow, which is exactly one metre from where the kid was 2 minutes before, but no for the plot WJ had to look around stupidly and speed off. Expedient writing.

Awful how JSH keeps abusing the crap out of KHJ. It's seriously so cruel and unbearable to watch, KHJ just is being beaten to a pulp by nearly everyone. Hope she ends up with CKY, but unlikely. Hard to figure out how she will come out of this nightmare.

Maybe they should all hold hands and jump into the Han River :)

Having said all that, I still think this show is well done, well acted, and it's certainly causing a lot of reaction from the viewers.

I think this drama is amazing but sooooo intense and grim. Frankly I don't know how KHJ is keeping her sanity, she is being hit with horrendous trauma on a daily basis, as is I guess NJD. If KSB is feeling so grateful to KHJ, it seems she's the only one who is kind to her, why reveal such a devastating secret, she knows all the other stuff that is happening around KHJ right now. Of course they had to meet in a grim street in the pouring rain. As for the "affair" there are so many plot twists that I'm keeping neutral till the end of ep 16. The Trolley metaphor is really interesting. It's really only become clear to me in the few eps.

Yep, I see your point. It is obviously the intent of the writer (and creative crew behind him or her) to meticulously examine the complex machinations of these introverted, reflective, complex characters, in the context of what happens in love relationships. I think also there is a cultural lens here, potentially a Sth Korean one, where relationships are more nuanced, and subtle. than perhaps in US, UK, Aus. etc. I think you did an amazing job of figuring out the characters and their behaviour, certainly you saw things I never thought of. This drama has stirred up lots of reaction it's amazing. people are really relating so much to the characters.
Kudos to the writer etc.
IRL, I think both the Mi Kyung and Soo Young would be too difficult for SS. I like him and I don't think he'd be happy with either one. But considering it's a Kdrama, let's see what happens. Congrats again on your great analysis.

Yes that's hilarious but true. Some of the Korean OST's are great, some are a bit high and screechy.

True, but after all that closure and rock throwing, she still sits in the car with him AGAIN, and throws a coin, and once again has a total meltdown, her method of getting closure and moving on is like nothing I have ever seen.

I think you're really getting this drama probably more than a lot of us, and I have been really interested to read your ideas.
However I really don't think the 2FL is "a wonderful person" there were a lot of eps where SS clearly, kindly and respectfully told her that he was deeply sorry but he just didn't love her. If you re watch those eps she's constantly ignoring him, in denial, in her own blind, narcissistic fantasy of their relationship. She repeatedly is in deep OTT distress when he tells her respectfully and sincerely apologises, she weeps and carries on but never accepts what he's saying. Which would show a mature, loving respect for him. In this behaviour she is quite like her father, which is I guess to be expected.

She thinks she can bully and emotionally manipulate him into conforming to her vision of their love. A narcissist is someone who is really only interested in their own world view, even in the beginning she was totally ott in her responses to him, buying him the car etc. he clearly didn't want all that, She did a similar thing with FL when she barged into her place and gave her clothes. Even in the first few eps, SS mother sits next to him and says she thinks he is very sensitive, and overly cautious, she really understands him.
Mi Kyung refused to see reality all along, never picked up the cues.

So therefore his weeping, etc is not that he is coming to terms with his awful behaviour towards 2FL, I think this guy is just a really kind, deeply emotional person who is horrified to have hurt someone, maybe too much so. Had Mi Kyung really loved him, she would have let him go, understanding his position, and been hurt but dignified. You just can't bully and force someone into loving you, sad but true. That's just not love. And I don't think his behaviour is "bordering evil". It's actually pretty normal to make mistakes, and I think he took the consequences really well.

Sure he has to forgive himself, and in my opinion he deserves to, and feel good about himself, and hopefully find the love he deserves.

Agree, really good analysis of story, and review, thanks!

Yes she needs to do 3 double espresso shots and then join Cirque du Soleil or do stand up comedy
however all jokes aside, I do know someone like her irl, it's tough going. She said she was going to put her feelings and happiness first, interesting to see what she does. I sort of agree with above comment @HjHof12 I feel the ending will be some time of separation then the leads will get together......phew!

Yep, luckily Mi Kyung, the queen of emotional manipulation, has plenty of dosh to ruin the Volvo, we are not all blessed with that good fortune. Lovely behaviour, here's the car I'm forcing on you Sang soo, now I'm taking it back cause you don't love me.

Gee, we're on ep 14 Mi Kyung, has finally got the message, and is now proceeding to further torture and punish Sang su, the ultra sensitive male, who can't stop crying and feeling guilty. Poor guy, now he's off to be further tortured by bipolar Soo young. In the spirit of the rest of the drama this will be slow and drawn out...and yet, I have to say it's really well acted, and I'm dying to see the end. Tbh I can't really understand what the writer is trying to do this this drama.

Me too, what a bunch of dysfunctionals, lol

yes rather than 15 minutes of staring, before each sentence, or rarely explaining anything, and speaking in metaphors...but then you don't have a drama series, which is btw addictively driving everyone nuts.

Exactly, but then again WAE not!

Agree, that first scene was looking like some great resolution to their relationship, finally.. Not understanding these initial scenes?? Like the other one where HSS and PMK look like they're married, and then it's as if these scenes are just imagination. But whose??