bloomingtide

i think they meant what looks like an unintended auto correct, since you wrote "Vincenzo CASANOVA" above 🤣

Yes, this. Honestly, i feel the ex situation is as clean as it gets, because it took TH starting to date Dongjoo for CH to give up her obsessive pursuit of him (as seen/heard in the preview) . And this despite two years already having passed since their break up and he repeatedly telling her in words and body language both, after she waltzed back into his life, uninvited and unwanted, that they would never get back together. Nothing else got through to her.

And agreed, especially the mother feels so comically 2005 kdrama makjang-ish and Chungha's deliberate obtuse, self-absorbed chaebol princess persona does not add up with the compassion and emotional intelligence needed as a doctor, as well. But I bet it wasn't planned to let Chungha linger on for as long as she did. Tho then the itaewon tragedy happened and that (understandably) changed the focus away from the ghostly clients and episodic stories about death fully to the leads' story with ghostly clients mixed in without going into super deep detail of how they died etc. I find it still impactful tho as these stories/wishes serve as mirror to the leads' current situation/ an opportunity to learn/grow from it/further their development. Yet i cannot help but wonder what the drama would have been without this tragic real life event altering its script, ngl.

I'm not sure if Tae Hee told her the full story that would've made her feel any better. I can totally see her just saying "so that means you wanted to marry me. We can get back to that, no matter how long it takes!" rather than he broke up with her because seeing her triggers his trauma and hence she is the opposite of comfort to him (the guy cannot even bear to be under the same roof with her.)

Plus, she did ignore even the most basic things Taehee clearly and repeatedly told her, to the point where the man just mentally sighed and looked into the camera as if he were in The Office at her "I will wait for you even if you told me not to, xoxo" message. Because as self-absorbed as she is, NOTHING he says or does goes/went through to that woman. (That is the reason why he asked her makjang chaebol mother to take her back/talk sense into her after all.)

So I think telling her he planned to propose that night would be a bad course of action. As unhealthily dependent she is on him that she has not moved on in TWO whole years, she would most likely hear nothing he said after he uttered the word "proposal" and zoom in on that, doubling her efforts "to win him back" Instead it making her give up and understand his situation/point of view, like any mentally stable person would. Not to mention, she has continuously proven in several episodes and every encounter with him thus far that she doesn't understand him, nor even cares to, because her own feelings and needs are paramount to everything/everyone.

Haha, no problem I kinda thought it was a joke, but it did not translate as well as one. However since I'm ballsdeep in the heads of these characters and love this drama to bits, I seized the chance to add some more introspection regarding the characters. Don't mind me and my need for analyzing the hell out of this show xD since i empathize with and relate a lot with its topics of grief and healing and how difficult it is to get there. Tis my comfort drama and couple atm. But you are all good, thanks for clarifying it additionally tho. A wonderful weekend with tired cornsalad to you too 😘 (I'm so behind with reborn rich tho lol)

It should have been a healing drama with the leads slowly and steadily understanding each other with a few other side couples.

It really is that, tho? Where are you at right now with watching? Did you caught up? If not, do not read too much into the comment section and watch instead hehe

However, I disagree that Taehee has already gone through the grieving process, he has just STARTED it. more like. Tthanks to Dongjoo who he has found a kindred spirit in. Because she also lost a family member and blames herself for it. So she understands and it makes him want to rely on her (he voices that in eps 7) We see him opening up about what happened bc she never pressures him about "getting over it/to tell her about it" she lets him go at his own pace, which honestly is the best thing you can do. Be there and LISTEN, as simple and yet as difficult for many as we see with Chungha who does the complete opposite. Hence his regression back into deep trauma/guilt after the trip and having to face CH, because she keeps pulling him back into the past, into the most painful time of his life. With his perceived wrongdoings, the what if's he failed to make true or avoid. Her mere presence is a trigger for his grief/guilt, which shows in his complete shift in body language, expression and demeanor. it is as though his life is sucked out of him, whenever he sees her, He cannot even bear to be around her, the point where he does not even want to be in the same house as her.

So obviously, they are not good for each other and it shows in every interaction of hers with him in which she constantly projects her own needs on him without ever heeding his. She pressures him to feel, say and do things he doesn't nor want and ignores it when he voices opposition or says basically... anything. You can see him resigning after she sent him the "you told me not to wait (for you) but i'll wait anyway :)))" message bc nothing he says and does goes thru to that woman. Because her feelings are paramount to EVERYTHING, nothing else matters.

Contrast this with how DJ handled her (temporarily) rejection by TH despite being very hurt ofc, and you have one of the reason why he will be able to work toward healing with her at his side but not with CH. Hell, he recognized it on his own when he told DJ "if only you were at my side then, it would have been better." when talking about that night. This is very telling about what and who he needs in his life, and CH is none of either.

Or to quote another excellent excerpt of a post the user L13 made:

"I don't deserve to be happy with you" is just a nice way of saying that when his brother died, TH's relationship with CH lost importance compared to his feelings of loss and guilt and he couldn't bring himself to go through the motions of being a devoted boyfriend, proposing marriage and acting like everything was fine. In reality, he *couldn't* be happy with CH because he needed to grieve first and she wasn't the kind of person who would let him do that, but with DJ he feels he could have got through it.

---------------

(Plus with her dad and her uncle TH has also gained two very supportive people in his life which will be positive for his overall healing process. Unlike with CH and this toxic witch of a mother who drains the life out of others lol)

Ding ding ding, that sentence is the winner of it all, because i see so many people in this comment devaluing/underplaying the impact such a traumatic experience has on one's life, how deep grief can run and how difficult it can be to move on from it. The lack of empathy and understanding for it all is really mind-boggling and the mindset of "get over it" even scary. Anyone, as have i, who has dealt with mental health issues /and or a fundamental loss of a loved one will tell you a) It does not work like that, nor is the process ever straightforward and very individual b) screw you from the bottom of my heart (regarding the sentiment of "pull yourself up by the bootstraps it is not so bad, just get over it" not individuals in this comment section, mind) Fictional character or not, experiences/incidents like this happen irl and such a mindset is invalidating and insulting af to people who have been there/lived through it irl. Anyway, more under the spoiler tag, because i have a LOT OF FEELINGS on this matter:

I want to frame this post, honestly.

I was sympathetic to chungha up to eps 9 and thought his "we are over" would do the trick for her to take herself out the picture. But instead she appeared with her luggage ready to move in at his door as if this were the most natural and logical step to do next, as if they were still in a relationship. She never asked what TH thinks about it, and stayed even as he voiced his disapproval. The gall of this woman, i can't. And then he should tell her "the truth" about what happened that night, when she does not even listen to and ignores the most fucking basic things he has to say? Yeah no, this is equal to bashing your head against a wall repeatedly. CH is kinda like a genderflipped fuckboy who does not accept any no/rejection and only backs off when it is clear the other person is in a (new) relationship. Because his individual agency in it all meant and means shit to her. This is such a 🚩to me. All the more how she does a reservation in a restaurant w/o ever asking him, and tells him "Be there at 7pm. You come, right? I know you said i should not wait but i will wait *anyway* and do everything it takes xo :)))"... and you SEE taehee being just so very done after reading the msg. Because nothing he says or does gets through to this woman.

I also find telling her that he planned to propose her and the whole ring story, given how dependent she already acts/is with him a bad idea. A really baaaad idea, because this would cause her to cling on even more. Ngl, i am a bit annoyed that the show does not mention their break up two years ago once since episode 6, and let her character waltz back into his life and basically treat it as though it was just a two weeks break where he was abroad for vacation or something. This could have been better solved, tbh, even with a throwaway remark.

It is been two years since their break up. Normal people move on in this giant frame of time tbh, but she is anything but normal and utterly dependent on a partner for happiness. Yikes.

The drama is really amiss to show that passage of time (hence my timeline forum post) and let her waltz back into his life as though he had only been on vacation for two weeks instead. As though his traumatic experience and the break up hadn't even happened. They never address that it has been two years since then formally. But she reeeeeeeally has no claim over nor say how or what he should do with his life by now. Nor does he owe her anything she is demanding. Be elsa and let it go instead, geez xD

DJ let him down gently and gracefully in eps 10, but it was not a break up since this requires dating beforehand. Hae An is licking his wounds afterwards in a hilarious scene but will most likely focus more on the bongsu accident case now with his promotion to detective.

Leaving this here because it perfectly sums up my thoughts about it:

https://kisskh.at/723801-il-dang-baek-butler#comment-11849691

Aka, sometimes people aren’t right for each other and going through hard times just makes it obvious. Really that simple.

"I don't want to ever let go of your hand."

I love how Taehee SAYS this to Dongjoo (in the preview) because our boy is well aware of the self-consciousness she'd developed about her hands due to the social stigma around her job and superstition toward them "being dirty/bringing bad luck." Now where we are entering the dating era of the drama, i want him to focus on holding Dongjoo's hand in all the different, cute ways possible (to undo all the cruel things her ex and others had said.) You know the ones, haha.

And although Taehee said he never wants to work as a doctor again, his learned profession in the medical field makes him imo an ideal partner for DJ in regards of her job as Funeral Director. Because as doctor he learned to see the human body, dead or alive, not as anything gross or morbid but to regard it wholly and with respect. (Which kinda explains why he was so very mad at her when he barged into the funeral parlor and she looked like "cradling" the apple mom's corpse. Whoops.)

Lol where did you watch episode 14? You caught the unedited version that amazon prime accidentally released before correcting it later on, This never happened on viki, btw. I guess dramacool and co still have the faulty version up?

It is set to air in a month now (Jan, 11th) so not much longer to wait :D

It is based on a book, which has also two parts. In order to be able to tell the full story of the novel, more time and episodes are needed. Hence the two season approach. Nothing to do with westernizing lol

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS. GOD FINALLY SOMEONE SAID IT. And now please louder for the people in the back. Because (as i said further upthread) Chungha strikes me as VERY high maintenance in the way she makes everything about herself, is never validating any feelings but her own/expecting her partner to do 200% of the emotional labor,in a relationship and them to take care of her 24/7. Basically taking, taking, taking, while never giving any of it back. It is veeeeeery draining to be around this sort of people, even for the kindest, most patient of heart. Especially when she fails to stop and listen what the other has to say and RESPECT/HEED their opinions and needs.

Which is, as you recognized most likely also part of the reasons why Taehee broke up with her. He lacked the energy to *give*/take care of her any further due to his loss/trauma experienced & his grief remaining invalidated by her. Because damn it is ever so VERY TELLING that he said to DJ: "If you were there beside me back then (after the incident), it would have been better." Since that tells me Chungha did a pisspoor job with listening to/understanding her partner and his situation ... which is a MO that shows (all the more) two years later when she refuses to accept Taehee's rejections given, and the boundaries he continuously set with her. Because SHE needs him in her life and for own well-being, no matter how very uncomfortable and miserable her company alone makes him feel. It is all about her alone. Evil Mom raised her to be a princess indeed, yikes

I would love to send off taehee to trauma/grief therapy, because it runs so deep for him that professional help is almost a requirement. Alas kdrama is not good at all with even off-offhandedly MENTIONING the characters taking up counseling (mental health issues are very stigmatized in SK afaik) so he gotta work through it on his own with the help of the support system that dating Dongjoo brings. Aka an understanding/validating gf with shared lived experience (loss of a family member and feeling responsible for it), a cute, kind dad adoring him and the cool uncle who is super-supportive of his relationship w/dongjoo and likes him a lot as well. Such an improvement over having to deal with evil almost in-law chaebol mom and her draining.... everything tbh. (FR tho, irl a partner should not be your therapist, but alas kdramaland loves to handle/treat trauma/ptsd (survivor guilt) with the power of lurve. Which is ofc a huuuuge part in the process to heal, but should never be the singular one regarding mental health problems. But yeah, it is what it is in kdramas 🤷‍♀️)

Chungha really needs help to learn to stop being an energy vampire first and foremost that makes her partner responsible for every of her needs and general emotional well-being. Her complete dependence on a partner for happiness is unhealthy af. Plus she strikes me as very high-maintenance in the way she makes everything about herself, never validating any feelings but her own/expecting her partner to do that as well and them to take care of her 24/7. Taking while never giving back. It is veeeeeery draining to be around this sort of people, even for the kindest, most patient of heart. (Which i imagine is also part of Taehee breaking up with her. Him lacking the energy to *give*/take care of her any further due to his loss/trauma experienced & his grief remaining invalidated by her. Bc it is VERY TELLING that he said to DJ: "If you were there beside me back then (after the incident), it would have been better.") Especially when she fails to stop and listen what the other has to say and RESPECT their opinions and needs. Evil Mom raised her to be a princess indeed. I guess there is a reason why she has no friends 🙃💀💀

Anyway, she needs to take responsibility for her OWN life and well-being instead to make it her significant other's sole task, build up a social circle, maybe even cut ties with that stereotypical evil makjang mom. Or take her and return to whatever makjang drama they crawled out of. In the end, i really don't care anymore as long they are gone lmao.

Lemme c+p my reply given to another user with the same question, then. Does not reflect the latest character/plot developments of the past two eps, but gives you a good overview either way, i think.

MIHY is, outside its sparse supernatural element a story down to earth and about people. No geniuses, no rich CEO's or chaebol heirs etc instead both leads are normal people battling with what challenges life threw/throws at them and to take care of the people around them. Nothing about the drama is scary or creepy, it's story and plot is well written, heartwarming and relatable. The stories of the dead people are somber and you will need some tissues, but it never gets never depressing or super-grim. There's an apt deftness to how the show balances sadness and humor, the tonal shift never feels jarring. It is about missed chances and regrets, but also about the celebration of life, of using the time given to us best, of healing and moving on (from grief, from trauma) and (finding) supporting (in) each other.

The leads' shift from bickering strangers to sort of friends not quite lovers (yet) is very fluently and naturally. Tae-Hee and Dong-Joo are *so*, *so* cute in their early stages of attraction and unconvincing denial. The actors have a great chemistry together and their flirting is one of the best I have seen (also thanks to lee jun young. This man is so expressive, you can see in each micro-expression what his character is feeling at any given moment. And you will *notice* when he starts to be smitten with FL, because this actor will let you know.) It is a bit awkward to witness in the best way, as if I'm 'interrupting something xD Their effortless dynamic fits in the way the characters and story are developed. Bit by bit there is peeled back more of their background, thoughts and personalities. Imo, this drama values its viewers time/investment, instead of infodump the plot all at once it gives careful hints and details that seem random at first but lead to a big "aha" moment later on. The stories of the dead are episodic and self-contained, but may help the leads to reflect on certain things in their life, and every episode builds up on prior events to take the characters further. Really impressed by how consistently good the writing has been so far, and hope they can keep it up..

Never said that you are, it is just usual practice to need a sub when watching the latest episodes that aired, bc this is what attracts viewers after all. Well if the other episodes are free by now (never checked bc i have and use my viki sub) i guess you would have to wait until they lose their "newly/just aired" status to follow suit with the rest, then?

I know you are probably joking but that is still a weird hill to die on with focusing on TH not being a boxing champ and one-punching the other guy's lights out. Instead of, you know, to see how big it was that Taehee gave up his carefully crafted passivity he had wrapped himself in the whole episode and lost his cool because he could not stand how this jerk was talking about Dongjoo. After all, we see him trying holding it together for a good minute or so, as the ex kept insulting TH, but enough was enough as he added injury to insult (toward DJ). Hence, ex fucked around too much and found out.

So no, TH is not less a man because his punches did not "end the other guy's existence." He stood up for the woman he loves. *That* is what counts and what a real man does 😎