IM YourOnlyOne

Actually, it was hinted in the early episodes. Just that, majority of us refused to believe it.

Anyway, it wasn't a curse. It's actually a comfort for her.

If you believe in destiny and/or fate, then his father would die on that day, for that very reason. If she wasn't given the spiritual “Stella's touch”, it would've devastated her. But because she was able to spend 3+ hours with her father, she was able to accept her new reality faster.

If you don't believe in destiny and/or fate, instead you believe in free will, the show established it is about helping people. It was not just through her helping the dead for their last request, even the police officer helped people. And the business of the male lead character was also about helping people.

Her father did the same thing, he helped protect a pregnant woman.

Later in the episode, it was further firmly established that the show was about helping people. Going out of our way to help strangers. The fire explosion tragedy. Seven people went out of their way to help others, where the male lead was as a little boy, and the female lead was still in her mother's womb who was working in that building.

It's not a curse.

Yes, it was a cruel. And, even in real life, a person who did good and ended up dead to save another life, is cruel. But as her father said, such is the cycle of life. We live and we die. Death is simply part of life. And thus, we should value the people around us, even those we do not have any blood relations. It is our relationship with others that makes us happy.

Compare that to the police officer, while he is not a psychopath by definition, he ended up distancing himself from any meaningful relationships. Even his relationship with the male lead was not exactly 100%. He intentionally came closer with him because he felt guilty. Yes, he did value the male lead as his older brother, but there's something else behind that relationship he built.

If the police officer had good relationships, he would have fulfilled his mother's wish for him to live a happy life.

It isn't a curse, but yes it was cruel. Life is cruel. Why die?

So, let's live happy by building meaningful and genuine relationships. Not only do we make our own lives happy, but other people's lives too. Once we are at death's door, we can happily say, “I've finished the race of life well”. And the people who will remember us will say, “They lived a happy and fulfilling life.”

^_^

Exactly!

Every scene, the sequence of those scenes, were well-thought of. And them dedicating 40 minutes to it also helped. Perfectly executed.

It was like we were there. We were the character.

And it was a good decision they didn't ask her to cry during those home scenes. The audience was already in her shoes at that point, her crying while remembering her precious memories, would've been a distraction away from it.

Her character was like anyone would be, trying to fight the tears back, and learning to accept the new reality. Being strong because we have to continue living for the people who went ahead of us.

Super duper perfect execution and episode. We can write an entire book with just that one episode.

The ending? It was real.

I mean, I cried in the ending of The Red Sleeve, Uncontrollably Fond, Gu Family Book, they touched our emotions.

But in May I Help You, I cried because it's true-to-life. It spoke to our heart, mind, and soul.

This is just my analysis.

She's hurt deep inside. She reached the point in her life where she just wants to live and get by, without any distraction.

She now sees relationships as a distraction. If it will hurt her, she distances herself immediately. If there is any chance something will not work, she stays away.

She now have a black-and-white view of everyone.

I can relate. In fact, the opening monologue of episode 2 made me realize why the character is "familiar", she's partly me.

Allow me to explain further.

1. I'm undergrad. While I did enter college, the treatment is the same as you never did, or never finished high school… like her character.

If you succeed better than the graduates, you'll feel the pressure. And if there are managers who were hired from outside the company, and they happen to be high and mighty, they'll find ways to make your life miserable because for them, only graduates should have your position and success.

2. Back in late 2020, my then girlfriend of 15 years left me hanging. Just like that, we're over.

Since then, I no longer trust any women. Trust in relationships. I know not all women would do what my ex did (and other stuff she did). But, I am still deeply hurt. I am deeply broken. Deeply damaged. That my trust of women when it comes to relationships is in pieces, too.

Before I saw episode 1, since the break up, I'm always thinking what I would do if I start to see "signs". And my conclusion happens to be similar to what our fictional character did … cut-off immediately.

I haven't finished watching episode 2 at this point. I paused at 06:13. So, the above was only based on what I know so far about her character; and trying to relate to it from my own experiences.

It wasn't "sins of the father" or "to pay the ultimate price".

She got the spiritual version of "Stella's touch" because:
1. Her birth was a miracle

2. 21 people because of the explosion tragedy

3. Her mother died because she chose to help a little boy instead of taking care of herself (she's pregnant, she's more vulnerable)

4. Her ability was to grant one final request for the 7 people directly related to the tragedy. The 7 people who went out of their way to help others.

5. Her ability was also meant to solve the death of the male lead's brother.

6. She, or her dad, did not pay any "price". Her dad was simply one of those people who would go out of their way to help other people, putting their own safety and survival aside. Just like how those 7 people did during the tragedy. (Which her mother was one.)

7. This is her, having the chance to also help others…

… and learn the value of life and relationships. Which led to the male lead character to also go back to his profession of saving lives.

And, like her father said, it's the cycle of life.

Now, if you believe in destiny or fate, and not of free will, well, her ability allowed her to have one final moment with her dad. Because if destiny or fate is real, then her dad would have died that day no matter what. If she didn't have the ability, she probably would take years to move on and have a positive outlook in life, it would devastate her.

^_^

> but its a drama, so his death didnt really do anything

That exactly is the point, it's a drama. His death was a plot device. And well, it was kind of hinted already in the first few episodes.

Besides, even in real life, there are things that don't make any sense at all, but it still happened.

Oh, you CAN DEFINITELY die from it.

1. It was a huge pot. By the looks of it, it wasn't your cheap and light pot.

2 It was like 10 to 15 floors high. Which means gravity would increase the speed and impact.

3. The way the father shielded the pregnant lady was his back was arch, thus his backbone was more exposed.

4. We can also assume the pot fell on his head.

5. He's 50+ years old. And the way his daughter wants him to stop working (was even angry at him when she discovered he's working), would mean his eyes failing was not the only ailment he had. We can safely assume he was definitely not in good shape.

To sum it all up, yeah, he will certainly die from.

In fact, just #1 and #2 can kill you already, especially if it's #4, fell on your head (which again they did not show).

^_^

May I Help You?

review > https://kisskh.at/profile/Shael/review/248105

In any TV series, be it Korean or Western or any other region, it is rare to see an ending that blows you up. This is one such ending, and you better watch the entire series before watching this episode.

SPOILERS FROM HEREON

The first 40 minutes was dedicated to the very sad and cruel fate of the lead female character. It focused on the reality of life that many of us refuse to accept. How painful it really is, no matter how much we deny it.

Yet, at the same time, it showed us how precious life and relationships are. Why we should value each other, even if we are strangers.

The next part was a very beautiful and touching answer to the question, "Why is the lead female character seeing the dead alive for one last time?"

And the answer was simple. They were all connected to her. Through the office/factory explosion which happened on her date of birth. Her mother used to work there, and was pregnant. She was born on the day her mother died, after helping a little boy. That little boy? He is the lead male character she fell in love with.

And every other people who went out of their way to help others during the fire accident, the lead female character later helped with their final requests.

Not exactly 21 of them. There were seven people directly connected to that tragedy. She helped them back, without her knowing, at their time of need. But there were 21 people who died because of that tragedy, and one was her mother, who was pregnant with her.

And if we think about it, the last soul she helped was her own father. A very painful and cruel way for everything to come full circle.

The last part of the episode? This was where it picked up and ended the episode in a high note.

It focused back on the male and female lead characters. How they have cross paths before, but haven't had any interaction. That no matter what may have happened in the past, no matter what happens in the present, we forge on and live. We continue with life, and be happy with what we do.

The male lead character, saving lives as a doctor. The female lead character as a funeral director, helping those left behind to bid farewell to their dearly departed.

Episode 16. An unexpected, yet epic ending (SPOILER ALERT)

-> https://kisskh.at/723801-il-dang-baek-butler/episode/16

LOL. Yeah. I was like, “Dude, who wouldn't upload a photo they like? It doesn't mean anything.”

I like the character, An Soo Young. She is very familiar. I've worked with someone like her. I am far more interested in her than any other characters introduced in Episode 1.

OH-EM-GEE. Please tell me it's not.

Please tell me they were just leading us on.

WHAT THE F***?!

In the flashback near the end of the episode, the translation between the future couple used “Comrade”.

— The Korean peninsula only split in 1945-09-02, after World War II.

— Ja Geum Soon was born in 1930.

— From 1930 to 1945, the Korean peninsula was under Japanese rule. The primary language was Nihongo. Any adult after World War II would either be using Nihongo or usual Korean at that time … “Comrade” was not yet in their vocabulary.

— 'Comrade' is usually used in communist countries. But North Korea only existed from 1945-09-02; and was primarily under Russian influence; and more concerned about keeping the US down South, than “re-educating” Koreans into the communism way and thinking.

— Hostilities between the North and South only started sometime in 1948.

— In 1950-06-05, the Korean War broke out when the North invaded the South. Depicted in Episode 1.

— They already have a baby by 1950. We can assume the baby was born either in 1949 or early 1950.

— Geum Soon's future husband was also freely travelling between the North and the South. This means the flashback scenes in Episode 14 were sometime between 1945-09-02 and 1948 (before hostilities broke out).

Otherwise, how could he travel between the North and the South freely? He even nonchalantly told Geum Soon he won't return to “Seoul” (I'm just using the modern name) and stay in the North with her. They were not yet afraid of communism. It was still life as usual.

So, how come they're using “comrade”?

Did the translators make a mistake? Or, was it the writer of episode 14 flashbacks?

All things considered, the ways and thinking of communism was more likely only pushed to North Koreans after the Korea War broke out in 1950. And forcing people to use “comrade” would take re-education or threat. And the flashback scenes in episode 14 were no doubt before 1948.

I don't know if it was the subtitle only, or it was in the original script. There was something wrong with episode 14 flashbacks.

OUch. They messed the timing of the subs.

Final week. / Last 5 episodes.

Pretty much the same. It starts to diverge near the end.

This week is the last week. Last 5 episodes.