bloomingtide

btw in the text messages between Dongjoo and Taehee (aka the scene where we see taehee's phone screen in eps 9), she reminds him to take the vitamins she gave him and to eat lunch, and he like "how do you know? i was just thinking about what to eat." to which she replies with "It is my talent." He laughs (ㅋㅋㅋ) and says that she should not forget to eat lunch too. (how very married of them, haha)

They are the cutest awwww 🥺🥺🥺🥺

i am so sick of shitty second leads who constantly disregard the boundaries, comfort and wishes either of FL or ML for the sake of their own feelings alone. Happens in too many dramas lately. Why are so all such traaaaaaash?😒

Yeah, as said this writer adores her creepy stalker dudes way too much tbh

yeah he is a nothingburger, so comical an unhinged stalker Psycho that i cannot take this guy seriously/be scared. The writer really has a thing for stalker guys unable to handle rejections tho. Must be her type, lmao

idk about you but this is a hyperbole just because this drama is trash. I for my part enjoy the hell out of May I Help You, Summer Strike, Revenge Of Others and (for the most part) Reborn Rich atm

Lol, lemme put this trainwreck on hold and watch it burn from afar for now. Time to get my popcorn 🍿 🍿 🍿

Nah, watch May I Help You instead if you want a wholesome romance

Yeees. It is about her (supposed) disrespect for the dead when he thought she would be respecting and "get it", and had shown so with her doing so much to find the son in episode 2. Also there is a personal component in it as well to how coldly he treats her afterwards, even going as fair as saying he cannot stand her. Because it is disappointment. Disappointment that the first person he took an interest in after going through the motions for two years, turns out to this horrible, crazy person. His budding attraction to her was what let him lash out out at her so much (and at this point this is super-emotional for our dude as bottled up as he is normally) Like for the brief instance of 10 minutes of eps 4/ a day or two in the drama verse he is treating her as coldly and cannot stand her presence like with Chungha (if for different reasons of course) It stopped the interest in her dead in its tracks (episode 3 and the amount of time he spends thinking about "this odd woman", that bandaid he wears for too long bc it reminds him of her and it makes him smile, his awkwardness at inviting her out to dinner. The different way he speaks with her (almost not quite flirty), asking her tentative questions gives away so much heh) But of course not for long because he never ever had a single luke-warm feeling about Dongjoo since meeting her.

There the predominant feeling is anger to the point he forgets to buy dinner for his uncle and returns empty handed to rants to his uncle about her. Like he is so very emotional about it which is huuuuuge for the guy (lmao at Vincent needing to yell out "odolbbyeo" to get his rant to stop xD) Especially compared to CH where there is just... resignation, emptiness in his interactions with her. Maybe i should not compare it (since one is a response to/reminder of trauma but it is still so very striking how Dongjoo is able to push his buttons and how BOTHERED he is by her positively and negatively, while CH just sucks the will to live out of him, so yeah xD

Haha, thank you. I have so much fun looking deeper into this show and its writing because there is so much depth and nuances here if you care to see/find them. As someone who wrote over a million words (hobby-wise) in the past decade, i have become quite good in recognizing what works and what not and how storytelling works on the technical side in the first place. I don't do this for every drama nor care enough to, but MIHY sure has me in its chokehold atm and i love it to bits. I surely hope tho the writers gave it more thoughts than i did, because i am just here for the fun that analysing their writing and character development gives me and in effect a better understanding of the story they want to tell. It is good good shit and a joy to do for a narrative nerd like me who appreciates writing when done well (and tear it apart if not lol)

Yeees, I love how it is the typical piggy ride scene but also not, because he is drunk too and she is not blackout drunk either just very tipsy and having so much unbridled fun. The way she hits him and them just yelling and laughing it is so sweet bc so carefree. I always chuckle when Taehee stops and looks up to her door and goes "whoa so many steps I can't do this (with her on his back still) and laughs. And still he does it 😂

oooh you are right, i meant he did all the emotional efforts in their relationship as it being unbalanced with her not giving back, but given the term has that connotation, it is misplaced. My bad. Should probably not write textwalls in the middle of the night when it leads to displacing terms where they not belong, whoops. Gonna edit that out.

I don't fault you for being distracted by him in the rain tbh xD I had to rewatch the scene a couple of times to get all the dialogue too haha. I mean as said i also get her being desperate, but also the things she said are a bit... questionable. It is a theme with her, alas. That comment of Hae An was really 💀 he is pretty much an unproblematic cutie and he tried but his inexperience really showed, i am also happy they addressed it (this scene always cracks me up, such good situational humor with Vincent side-eyeing the hell out of TH) and yeeeees to rest. The man knows DJ's worth bc for the first time he is actually in a well-balanced relationship where it is an equal give and take without him having to perform the former only. He can rely on DJ as well as she can rely on him. As it should be.

noooo i just love and appreciate writing when done well and love to look under its hood to see the inner workings of it. If the ML is a bastard i am the first to tell you because i hate this double standard that is so very apparent with kdrama stans of them applying different and superhigh standards toward FL's in a drama while ML can pretty much do whatever tf he wants and is still loved. I find myself often defending FL's against hypercritical and hypocrite stans, but with this drama i have lost all patience with CH by now. Not my fault she is written like a self-absorbed chaebol princess from the mid-2000 and has nothing going on outside of clinging pathetically on ML with her dear life. I have no patience for people, fictional or not that disregard other people's boundaries, consent and comfort. I do hope we get to see something else w her but i also don't care at this point lmao.

I love Taehee bc i can relate to his struggle of getting back on his feet, so to speak. While i had no traumatic loss like he did i had and still am battling with MH issues which also changes you, so i understand a lot of his unhealthy ways of dealing or rather NOT dealing with things. How he pretends to be okay but is actually just going through the motions, thinking he does not deserve better. Been there. Not fun. Idk, why i find the drama incredibly validating and comforting in the way it talks about and approaches these topics of trauma/grief/death and yet how hopeful and bright it is in between. Just like life is, in a way, light and dark and sometimes it is hard to keep the balance between the two, which imo the drama also shows well.

This is my latest text wall about this drama. Lmao I'm into deep here send help 🤣 It is about Chunha's/Taehee's relationship dynamic using the clues the drama gives us, so it may repeat some stuff i said before, but also why i think taehee isn't used to being cared for by others:

https://kisskh.at/723801-il-dang-baek-butler#comment-11863147

Next on the agenda of my never ending analysis of this drama and its characters: Dongjoo/Taehee dynamic. Dongjoo is awesome, an essay. Coming to this comment section in forseeable future lmao.

Same, i wrote a loooot about Taehee, but i actually want to write about my love for Dongjoo as well which probably/most likely will be another text wall so i postpone it on tomorrow. Because i have so many feelings about her.

Tl:dr: The scene where Hae Ahn singing his praise about DJ is pretty close, bc if TH would have not dated her, i would have haha.

Yeeeah, i think so too. Though the reason why i said the show's narrative is more like one in a book is that it does not spell everything out for you and instead gives you a lot of context clues and works with visual details that seem random at first but become important and a full picture later on. ( A veeeery good example of this is the scene of vincent talking with his sister (TH's mom) on the phone and he opens up a drawer during saying "it was an accident" and in the drawer the camera pans veeery briefly on a framed picture stowed away in the corner. It is the one of TH in doctor attire with his brother, the one Vincent took at TH's graduation... which context we only get to know two or three episodes later. It is things like this why i like the writing so much, it is clever and requires you to pay attention to the details. And it is one of these shows where everything comes even better together upon rewatching it.) Another reason is the way it uses dialogue, it is not simple infodump like in other kdramas (you know the "Ah, there he is my favorite nephew/niece, let me greet you" kinda lines) but it (almost) always serves a purpose, nary a word is wasted. Either dialogue is used to let characters learn something (particularly DJ with her clients) arrive at a conclusion or get to know each other (DJ & TH's bus convo about their jobs and why feels natural as listen in to some people getting to know more of each other, instead of infodump for the sake of the viewer)

Okay, that is a longass pretext to what i actually wanna say, lol, which is, while we don't get to see a lot of the relationship of CH and TH, you can take what the characters said and how they acted/act and infer from that how their dynamic kinda played out. Tis a bit like playing detective, since they only sprinkle in infos about CH here and there, tho without many details. Things we get to know, and excuse the textwall incoming lol:

-Her mom works at the same hospital and is quite toxic, didn't offer CH a stable environment growing up through dating many different partners. She does not want to be like her, refuses go to blind dates her mother offers, holds on to hope to return to TH. They have a bad, fraught mother/daughter relationship.

- Chungha's dialogue of "he (taehee) was always on my side. He was all i had. And "My mom has a new boyfriend. I have no one else to talk to (about it)" (to TH as she brazingly orders his dime a job service to have lunch with him) gives away that she has no friends or social circle at the current moment and had none back then when she dated TH. She appears to have FULLY relied on Taehee for any support and company for the duration of their relationship. Which, tbh is baaaaad and unhealthy. Because in turn this means, TH was the one doing the emotional work/efforts in their relationship and most likely had to do a LOT of it. Puts a lot of pressure on a partner too, especially when it is as one-sided as looks to be the case here. And we get to know TH as a pretty empathic, compassionate guy who goes the extra mile even if he didn't need to (give DJ's father a ride, cheer DJ up with that bear dance, send her bd cake etc) and he is shown to take care of CH in the "order ice for her coffee" flashback. So there seemed to have been a pattern there of him being the caretaker of her in the relationship, and thus her neediness isn't just a thing that comes to light when she is on her obsessive pursuit of getting him back. It appears to have always been there, especially when taking in account what her mother said about her "always getting what she wants, no matter what." She is quite pitiful too, and kinda weaponizing it, banking on his compassion when asking TH "Can't you just feel bad for me?" (in the same lunch scene) which is 😬 😬 😬

The breakup scene is telling too, bc the first thing she says is "I know it is hard and painful, but it is for me too. I am about to go insane." and " But why do we have to breakup over THIS?" "*I* will wait for you for as long you need. You will be okay after a while." I get she was desperate in this situation, begging him to stay etc, but it is still a baaaaad look if you make this situation and his pain about yourself and do not even attempt to understand, least of all validate his grief and pain outside of off-handed remarks before your feelings take preference again.

Compare that with how Dongjoo talks with him about the incident in eps 9, and yeeeeeeah.😬 She is never shown as one to understand or empathize with him, even upon her (unwanted for him) reunion with him two years later, the first things she says to him are like "are there more vacant rooms, i want to move in too" and "should you not ask how i have been"? and then when he said "i assumed you are well" she turns his words into "SO YOU THOUGHT ABOUT ME???" which... yikes and reflects in his wth reaction lmao. Tbf, she recognizes that he is still not okay and asks if he needs more time, but idk it is always with this feeling of pressure bound to it, to hurry up, to get over it so they can be happy again, that he can be there again for her. This question/worry does not feel like it is for his benefit, but hers. After that are several more things like that where she does not listen to nor respects what he is saying.

-- Taehee also strikes me as being constantly taken aback when Dongjoo does things for him, she listens and empathizes. The man really seems not being used to be on the receiving end of kindness/care, of someone else performing the role of the giver for him. The example that comes to mind is DJ's and his involuntary night in the granny's old home. He is taken aback as she stops him with an "you don't have to explain" (about him stopping to work as a doctor) and notices he runs a fever (which he did not, because his worry about her injury was more important) She feeds him a rice-drink and medicine and puts him him to bed rather resolutely xD and while bewildered, this man looks so very happy about being taken care of, for once. We know CH is his first love and they dated for a long time, so if the relationship dynamic between them was as one-sided as it appears and the drama presents us in its bits, he does not know it any better and thus being taken care of is something completely new for him. It also shows in his musings/want "what if i tell everything to the girl who understands, what if i want to rely on her, what am i supposed to do?" later on. Not to mention that he nearly causes another car accident when she tells him "you can rely on/come to me when you are having a hard time." on their way back. Poor guy is so shocked haha.

Sure a lot of this is done by reading between the lines and interpretation on my side, but when another woman (Dongjoo) understands him better and on a deeper level in a mere few weeks that CH has managed in a decade, then she should do some soul-searching why that is. Because as i see it, this relationship was quite askew emotionally in her favor and he the nice guy who stuck at her side bc she was his first love/relationship and yes i bet he also loved her. But when the accident happened and he suffered the traumatic loss, he very likely didn't get the support/understanding from her he needed, nor had longer any energy to take care of her, on top of the whole ring propose story, of course. Kinda the sum of it all that led to him breaking things off. (Very telling of him expressing the wish/thought that he/it would have been better if DJ had been at his side back then instead of CH, bc with DJ he feels he could have gotten through it. And this again does not speak for CH's qualities in a relationship💀)

Not to mention that her mere presence is/has become a trauma trigger for him, soooo yeah. It was for the best they parted ways.

This is so adorable. Oh my sweet summer child hahaha (actually eps 8 has been usually the magical kiss episode, but lately most dramas take more time to build up the relationship so it became more eps 10 by now.)

No, not really, it seems random... but i googled the meaning/symbolism of number 21. And maybe the writers did the same bc it really fits into the show (whether or not you believe in this spiritual mumbo jumbo is another thing but it is interesting nonetheless in regard to DJ)

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"The symbolic meaning of the divine seven is the acquisition of self-knowledge which is learned throughout a cycle. The number 21 is 7 times the vibration of the initial understanding. If you are projecting good energy, you will be manifesting good experiences, and poor experiences if your energy is low-quality. In the Bible, the 21 is associated with resurrection - death and rebirth. It is the end of one cycle and the beginning of a new mission. We see the same idea reflected in modern-day traditions. In the Bible, we see the 21 as a reflection of both good and bad. It is associated with sin and rebellion but is also a representation of God and the Temple. There are 21 chapters in the book of Judges, a significant title given the 21 is when judgement is finally handed down. Sin relates to your weaknesses. These do not have to be directly related to the 7 deadly sins, but they are often the root of emotional problems.

The symbolic meaning of the number 21 card in the tarot deck is The World, suggesting a complete end to a life cycle. Another cycle is about to start. This is what religions mean by death and rebirth. Moreover, by the seventh transmutation of the libido (psychic energy), you really should be reaching a point of self-realization."

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So death and rebirth, a journey of self-realization, basically. Because with each otherworldly client DJ also learns something about herself and the first one is self-explanatory given the show's subject matter. If you add up meaning of "angel number" 21, it also has the "you will be finding your soulmate soon" component which is really a nice touch, hah. Lemme quote:

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"Angel number 21 is an invitation to celebrate life’s milestones, no matter how big or small. It reminds you that you’re exactly where you need to be at this moment in time, and it shows that your life is constantly moving forward in a more positive direction. The symbolism of angel number 21 suggests that there are past issues that you need to come to terms with so they can be resolved. Angel number 21 is a powerful number that is also a sign that your life is full of abundance and that you’re a very lucky person, who may even find their soul mate or twin flame finally."

Cue Dongjoo running into Taehee (and the other way around) constantly at the start of the drama hahaha. But as said take the texts with more than a grain of salt and not too seriously. Still interesting tho.

This episode was such a punch in the guts. So well done narratively tho, with in the ways it involves the leads. (Taehee being the one saving apple husband hits different when you know TH's full backstory tho 😭😭😭) The letter always gets me bawling. Really good storytelling in all its tragedy.

Yeah there was a korean article linked waaaaay down here which wrote about "the change after itaewon" and the drama now more focusing on the "living than dead" aka the leads i guess. So yeah, the script was definitely altered due to the irl events.

It is very noticeable in how brief the client's stories have become in the past eps. But i like how they have not lost their impact and tie in so well with the leads' current situation (the girl regretting not having confessed to her crush, which brings DJ to confess to Taehee and the lies at the wedding where the bride plays a role/is not true to herself, tie in with TH's self-deception/refusal of allowing himself to love/happiness, where he is not true to himself, or DJ. And his apology toward DJ was chefkiss, which shows he can and will do explain himself if he cares enough to do so. With CH he does not and tbh by now i don't blame him because that woman never fucking LISTENED to him anyway 🙃 💀

Ah, gotcha. Honestly, Chunha is the only one of them who overstaying her welcome by about 3 episodes now.

Hae An has just a harmless crush on dongjoo and is never pushy, just a bit, maybe too enthusiastic, which comes from him being such an emotional guy. (he is an interesting foil to taehee here who bottles everything up due to trauma) Unlike CH with TH Hae Ahn however is respectful and accepting when DJ says no, nor does get hung up after she let him down gently. He is probably also very inexperienced with relationships/flirting (hence his "you remind me of my mom" comment 💀) but overall he is an unproblematic cutie with a backstory that ties him to the leads. Which is much more interesting than his crush on DJ, but kudos for him leading TH to his "oh shit i am in love with her" epiphany, since AH didn't shut up about how great Dongjoo is haha. And the scene of awkwardness and side-eyeing of vincent toward TH when HA cries after rejection and curses out "the bastard whom she likes" while TH awkwardly shuffles on his feet, never fails to crack me up. Situational humor at its best haha. I have my theories about his role in it all, but that is for another post. Looking forward to see more of his story tho.

DJ's ex is a bastard fraught with inferior complex toward TH (and that even w/o knowing he studied medicine) but he was just there to serve one purpose: To get TH out of the passivity he'd wrapped himself in after his trauma flare up. And out TH came, with fists swinging, standing up for the woman he loves. Which in the end was part of the sum that led TH to stop holding back, for once since his traumatic loss, and allow himself to reciprocate Dongjoo's love, to be at her side. DJ's ex won't have any relevance for this drama anymore outside TH certainly making sure to cherish/hold her hands as much as possible to undo this assholes rude break up words 😏😏😏

I have written so much about Chungha by now that i don't want to repeat myself, lol. I actually think she wasn't supposed to be as heavily featured as she is in the current script. Since the writers had prior to Itaewon involved Taehee more in the client's stories in order to put up a mirror for/in front of him regarding grief/regrets . Very noticeable with episode 3 (the wife) and apple husband in eps 4. After that, he was still involved in helping DJ but not as directly as before. Because the narrative function of the mirror for his grief was shifted to CH instead, who appeared after the itaewon tragedy happened in eps 6/7. I think she was always meant, to reappear given we see her first in eps 4, but her role definitely grew after that irl incident and the needed script change. So the writers probably had to fill in a lot more CH than initially planned with the ghost ppl wishes truncated due to what happened. It is a pity, but the change understandable given its subject matter.

And good news is: In the preview for eps 11, CH is heard saying "we should not meet again until our death. We are over." which is promising regarding her GOING AWAY at last, lol. Watch TH be like "DID I FUCKING STUTTER? BUT GEE THANKS CATHERINE OBVIOUS."about it, tho he is most likely too busy kissing/hugging/dating DJ to give a single damn in the first place🤣)