Considering the limited time-frame of each episode (it is, after all, a webdrama), I still found the show and plot to be very much enjoyable and as you said, fresh. The plot was refreshing and light-hearted--but still--there were also gloomy topics delved into as well (unemployment, wanting to fulfill the dreams of your parents/making your parents proud, etc.) I think the cast delivered so well in terms of acting and conveying extreme (and a variety of) emotions. I'm more so impressed with Kai because this was his first time acting!
Oh my gosh, Kai and the scene he had with his mom in episode five was intense to say the least! Maybe I'm biased because I'm an EXO fan, but I think he did exceptionally well!!! This is his first time as a lead role and I have to say, I was surprised and very, very impressed with how well he acted!
Oh my Goddddddddddddddddd. When Kai started crying in episode 5, I started bawling my eyes out and yelling at my computer screen LOL. His acting actually exceeded my expectations, and for this reason alone, I found myself enjoying this webdrama sooooo much! He just has this dreamy look to him and whenever he looks at the female lead I'm so immersed into the drama and it genuinely feels like he's in love ahjndkjvdndslvnsdlkvnslvns *u*
I can't wait to see his future work as an actor <3
Why is everyone so fixated on the husband? The husband search really was just another side story. The main story…
@xoxo I agree with your point that the story "was built so that the viewers felt an attachment to JH and his interest in DS", so I suppose I can understand why many viewers would feel in a sense, betrayed by the writers in regards to that aspect, but as the OP mentioned, the primary focus of this drama was never only about romance. If viewers chose to get invested, and in your words, "live vicariously through" the fantasy involving JH and DS that's fine--but I think in doing that, that's precisely what made them left feeling so disappointed and unsatisfied with the ending.
For me personally, I was always neutral in terms of who DS was going to end up with because quite frankly, I wasn’t too fixated on the romance and all the other aspects to drama made it so worthwhile. Moreover, to me, there was always something lacking in the character development of both JH and Taek. JH was sweet with good intentions, but he was simply that—sweet with good intentions; Taek was cute, endearing, and intriguing in his own way, but we didn’t really get to delve much into how and why he ever did the things he did the way JH did/why he liked DS (on the contrary, we saw all this with JH). The only distinctive factor to me between the two characters which ultimately lead me to believe that Taek was the best candidate as husband for DS was how direct he always was with his feelings. JH on the other hand, from the get-go, was even embarrassed to tell his own friends that he had feelings for DS. Taek never cared about what anyone thought. JH had good intentions, and his actions always seemed noble—and we got to see things in his POV—but he never ever put these thoughts into action in regards to DS. Really, what I’m trying to say is, I can understand why people would feel so attached to JH, but I can’t quite understand why they’d be so disappointed with the outcome of DS x Taek, or feel as if JH’s character wasn’t put to justice. Feeling attachment towards a character is one thing, but to feel attached to a pairing is another… And it’s a little strange, considering how little JH did to actually show DS how he felt. Really, from what I’ve seen, it was all actually one-sided (aside from their teenage years where DS was teased by her friends with the idea that he liked her—and so she decided she’d have feelings for him, too… But it was a similar case with SW, anyway).
As for JH&DS being the main pairing throughout the show and that they were “a well-developed romantic pairing” that was backed out last minute—again, I’m going to have to disagree and say this is all subjective, and I really don’t think it was an abrupt decision. Yes, a cruel decision to make, but not necessarily an abrupt one. Like you said, the drama is “meant to be bittersweet, exploring the ups and downs and nostalgia of the characters' youth”—and that’s precisely why, in my opinion, this ending wasn’t sad or disappointing at all. First loves and heartbreaks all fall into the category of bittersweet, nostalgic memories of a person’s youth, and unfortunately, JH was used as the victim to demonstrate this very trope. I can’t see why this was something people didn’t see coming, especially given all the subtle hints that lead many people like myself into thinking that there was that slight possibility that DS and JH would not be end-game. This slight possibility that someone else was going to sweep her off her feet is what stopped me from growing an attachment towards JH being with DS. It was this slight possibility that she wasn’t going to end up with him that made this ending more reasonable and not so unpredictable, really.
I just can’t see how it’s all that much of a sad ending because DS and JH never really… had anything between them. JH was never direct with her, so it’s understandable to me, and not at all disappointing or surprising that she didn’t end up being with him.
“ In a main network drama the writers would gradually shift the loveline in the other male character's favor, because that's how the initial emotional attachment can be broken off. But R1988 writers want more realism so it was to be expected that they wouldn't want to follow the typical Kdrama formula” – This is my point exactly. I kind of saw it happening all along, and that’s why I’m finding it a little difficult to understand why some people are so extremely disappointed with how things ended. I mean, didn’t we see this coming, anyway? And it’s a little disheartening to see some extreme reactions (not directing this at you of course), bashing on the drama entirely, simply because they were so fixed on the idea that JHxDS was an end-all, and that the fact that she’s with Taek is such an absurd, ridiculous thing… When really, it all actually makes sense.
But as you said, it’s understandable because in a typical drama, building up a relationship gradually and seeing both leads POVs is the norm, especially in regards to their feelings towards one another. Like you said, R88 writers wanted more realism, so this is why—for me—this ending wasn’t so unfathomable and actually quite logical. I think we agree on a lot of points, but my main thing is just… Not quite understanding why someone wouldn’t be able to forsee this type of ending, and in turn, being so upset about it.
DAMN, this was long but I’m terrible when it comes to getting to the gist of things OTL
[TLDR: I just don’t understand why some people never saw this type of ending coming and subsequently becoming saddened by it (unless if they truly were attached to JHxDS as you said), but even then, all the clues proving that the “unexpected” would happen were laid out in for us all along! That's why for me, the argument of the ending being a "happy" one is subjective, all depending on whether or not you chose to get attached to a certain character/pairing]
Why is everyone so fixated on the husband? The husband search really was just another side story. The main story…
@xoxo But the question is: why do the viewers feel cheated? And why is this ending not a "happy ending"? I'm pretty sure that's all subjective. It seems happy enough to me.
Decisions were cautiously made: Junghwan chose not to pursue Deoksun, and Taek did. Deoksun chose Taek. She's happy.
Everyone chose to make these decisions, and these decisions obviously impacted the outcome of their future. Junghwan chose not to pursue her... so how is it not a "happy ending" for him, or for anyone else for that matter? It's because so many people grew so attached to him, and simply because he had more screentime than Taek, they felt he was more "deserving" of Deoksun--but he already surrendered and admitted the truth himself: Taek loved her more than he ever did. Taek took action, and he chose not to. That's just a decision he has to live with, and if it's something that makes him unhappy or seem pitiful, it's really all on him.
I can't decide whether I favour R88 over R97 anymore!!! R97 will always hold a special place in my fangirling heart, as this drama aired while I was also in my senior year of high school ;;;;; Such a perfect school, coming-of-age drama.
If you watched the other Reply series, you definitely need to watch the original '97 if you haven't already~~!
Honestly though, if you think about it, there has been several clues pointing out to Taek being the husband. It…
Yes, they were really clever with the way they handled this!
I hope we get some sort of epic flashback for Taek though (the way they have regularly done so for the other characters), showing the viewers all the sweet things he did behind the scenes that many viewers probably aren't picking up on lol.
Wow, now I'm actually getting more excited with the idea of Taek being the husband. Yep, I'm offically on board with this ship lol c:
Honestly though, if you think about it, there has been several clues pointing out to Taek being the husband. It may feel like an abrupt, last minute decision, but from the very start I could easily see how Taek was going to be one of the potential husband candidates. During the very first few episodes, as Deoksun spoke about her childhood and growing up in the neighbourhood, she literally mentioned Taek and spoke about him more than any of the other boys. She spoke about him in such a nostalgic, heartwarming manner--the way Najung spoke about Trash in R94 and how she only had one oppa... but after her brother died, Trash became her oppa, lol. I just saw so many parallels.
In any case, I can understand why so many viewers feel like the scriptwriters tried to lead them into the wrong pathway / this ending was a last minute decision--especially with how much they developed Junghwan as a character (as opposed to maybe Taek). Compared to Taek, we got to see Junghwan's true intentions and feelings. We got to see his POV, especially in regards to how he felt towards Deoksun (which we didn't really get with Taek)... But that doesn't necessarily mean Junghwan's more "deserving" of her. Junghwan even said so himself in episode 18: love is all about timing, and if you don't take the opportunities that land at you, then you have no one to blame but yourself. He even admitted that Taek was better for Deoksun. This admittance is a surrender in itself. Why should Deoksun have to be with guy who doesn't even feel like he's worthy of being with her? Why should she be with a guy that won't even actively go the extra mile for her? Like, he took too long, sitting in the movie theatre to watch Forrest Gump. He hesitated and hesitated, and even after letting things come to a closure, he still tried to downplay his feelings as if he was joking. He literally had six years!! And unlike Taek, he never, ever even voiced it out to their friends. He kept the burden of his feelings all to himself, and maybe that seems noble to some viewers, but to me, I can totally understand why Deoksun would ultimately choose Taek over anyone else. Not to mention, her feelings for Sunwoo and Junghwan were mostly developed due to her peers teasing her and putting all these crazy ideas in her head. She was only 18; of course she'd start forcing herself on anyone that her friends would say were crushing on her. It's understandable. On the other hand, the feelings she developed towards Taek were feelings produced all by herself; they were more raw and organic--more CERTAIN--and all without the need of help from a third party.
Personally, though, I never really grew much of an attachment to either Junghwan nor Taek LOL. Junghwan was sweet and he had good intentions--but he was just that. Sweet with good intentions. He never put all those ideas into action. Taek, on the other hand--he was cute, endearing, and very, very intriguing in his own way--but there was always something lacking in his character development & truly portraying how he felt about Deoksun... In a weird way, he was subtle with his actions... But still, funnily enough, very much more so direct than Junghwan ever was. *sighs* There was so much potential in both these characters and in regards to the romance portion of the drama, but strangely enough, I'm still satisfied??? I actually enjoyed and liked the fact that the primary focus wasn't on romance for a change??? I liked that it was more about community, family, friendship, and growing up as adults. There were so many lessons to be learned, so many relateable, realistic~ scenes. I mean, they could have totally delved more into the love-triangle if they were given a bit more time--or if they chose to minimize all the other scenes with the other characters--but I'm actually so happy they didn't. I'm veryyyyyyy much still content with the ending we're being given.
On a side note, WHY IS PARK BOGUM SUCH A CUTIE PIE?!!!! WHENEVER HE SEES HYERI HE SMILES SO BRIGHTLY I ALMOST FEEL LIKE I'M GOING TO... GO... BLIND?!!!! Such subtle, discreet actions of affection, and yet... HE'S STILL SHOOTING HEARTS AND RAINBOWS AND BUTTERFLIES OUT OF HIS EYES FOR HER??!?! How does he act so well?? (Especially with such a limiting character OTL, no offence to Taek). It's not fair.
Plus he's a great kisser.... haha. These details alone were sort of what ultimately made me sway towards almost wanting to root for him. Just almost, hahaha.
from what i can remember, the first couple of episodes were great --the show was interesting and entertaining to watch, quite cute. however, i think this was around the time when.. i heard the screenwriter was being changed..? or something like that, idk. well, yes, i noticed that the story became a little draggier, just difficult and boring to watch. i had to drop it. perhaps i'll give it another try one day.
I tried watching this because I liked the anime (or at least halfway thru)... I could not get past the first half…
loved the anime as well, i watched half of this drama.. and.. i just can't. ugh. dropped it. it may be because of my expectations, thinking that it will be as good as the manga/anime... but ugh, no. they left out sooo many parts that were actually important to the story, and how the characters develop, etc. etc.
definitely gonna watch the latest japanese adaptation.
i guess i wasn't paying enough attention, and i've only watched the first episode, but, if yoon jae and sung siwon aren't siblings, why are they living together? O__O /stupid question
Considering the limited time-frame of each episode (it is, after all, a webdrama), I still found the show and plot to be very much enjoyable and as you said, fresh. The plot was refreshing and light-hearted--but still--there were also gloomy topics delved into as well (unemployment, wanting to fulfill the dreams of your parents/making your parents proud, etc.) I think the cast delivered so well in terms of acting and conveying extreme (and a variety of) emotions. I'm more so impressed with Kai because this was his first time acting!
Oh my gosh, Kai and the scene he had with his mom in episode five was intense to say the least! Maybe I'm biased because I'm an EXO fan, but I think he did exceptionally well!!! This is his first time as a lead role and I have to say, I was surprised and very, very impressed with how well he acted!
I can't wait to see his future work as an actor <3
http://mydramalist.com/discussions/reply-1988/24567-spoilers-the-husband
For me personally, I was always neutral in terms of who DS was going to end up with because quite frankly, I wasn’t too fixated on the romance and all the other aspects to drama made it so worthwhile. Moreover, to me, there was always something lacking in the character development of both JH and Taek. JH was sweet with good intentions, but he was simply that—sweet with good intentions; Taek was cute, endearing, and intriguing in his own way, but we didn’t really get to delve much into how and why he ever did the things he did the way JH did/why he liked DS (on the contrary, we saw all this with JH). The only distinctive factor to me between the two characters which ultimately lead me to believe that Taek was the best candidate as husband for DS was how direct he always was with his feelings. JH on the other hand, from the get-go, was even embarrassed to tell his own friends that he had feelings for DS. Taek never cared about what anyone thought. JH had good intentions, and his actions always seemed noble—and we got to see things in his POV—but he never ever put these thoughts into action in regards to DS. Really, what I’m trying to say is, I can understand why people would feel so attached to JH, but I can’t quite understand why they’d be so disappointed with the outcome of DS x Taek, or feel as if JH’s character wasn’t put to justice. Feeling attachment towards a character is one thing, but to feel attached to a pairing is another… And it’s a little strange, considering how little JH did to actually show DS how he felt. Really, from what I’ve seen, it was all actually one-sided (aside from their teenage years where DS was teased by her friends with the idea that he liked her—and so she decided she’d have feelings for him, too… But it was a similar case with SW, anyway).
As for JH&DS being the main pairing throughout the show and that they were “a well-developed romantic pairing” that was backed out last minute—again, I’m going to have to disagree and say this is all subjective, and I really don’t think it was an abrupt decision. Yes, a cruel decision to make, but not necessarily an abrupt one. Like you said, the drama is “meant to be bittersweet, exploring the ups and downs and nostalgia of the characters' youth”—and that’s precisely why, in my opinion, this ending wasn’t sad or disappointing at all. First loves and heartbreaks all fall into the category of bittersweet, nostalgic memories of a person’s youth, and unfortunately, JH was used as the victim to demonstrate this very trope. I can’t see why this was something people didn’t see coming, especially given all the subtle hints that lead many people like myself into thinking that there was that slight possibility that DS and JH would not be end-game. This slight possibility that someone else was going to sweep her off her feet is what stopped me from growing an attachment towards JH being with DS. It was this slight possibility that she wasn’t going to end up with him that made this ending more reasonable and not so unpredictable, really.
I just can’t see how it’s all that much of a sad ending because DS and JH never really… had anything between them. JH was never direct with her, so it’s understandable to me, and not at all disappointing or surprising that she didn’t end up being with him.
“ In a main network drama the writers would gradually shift the loveline in the other male character's favor, because that's how the initial emotional attachment can be broken off. But R1988 writers want more realism so it was to be expected that they wouldn't want to follow the typical Kdrama formula” – This is my point exactly. I kind of saw it happening all along, and that’s why I’m finding it a little difficult to understand why some people are so extremely disappointed with how things ended. I mean, didn’t we see this coming, anyway? And it’s a little disheartening to see some extreme reactions (not directing this at you of course), bashing on the drama entirely, simply because they were so fixed on the idea that JHxDS was an end-all, and that the fact that she’s with Taek is such an absurd, ridiculous thing… When really, it all actually makes sense.
But as you said, it’s understandable because in a typical drama, building up a relationship gradually and seeing both leads POVs is the norm, especially in regards to their feelings towards one another. Like you said, R88 writers wanted more realism, so this is why—for me—this ending wasn’t so unfathomable and actually quite logical. I think we agree on a lot of points, but my main thing is just… Not quite understanding why someone wouldn’t be able to forsee this type of ending, and in turn, being so upset about it.
DAMN, this was long but I’m terrible when it comes to getting to the gist of things OTL
[TLDR: I just don’t understand why some people never saw this type of ending coming and subsequently becoming saddened by it (unless if they truly were attached to JHxDS as you said), but even then, all the clues proving that the “unexpected” would happen were laid out in for us all along! That's why for me, the argument of the ending being a "happy" one is subjective, all depending on whether or not you chose to get attached to a certain character/pairing]
Decisions were cautiously made: Junghwan chose not to pursue Deoksun, and Taek did. Deoksun chose Taek. She's happy.
Everyone chose to make these decisions, and these decisions obviously impacted the outcome of their future. Junghwan chose not to pursue her... so how is it not a "happy ending" for him, or for anyone else for that matter? It's because so many people grew so attached to him, and simply because he had more screentime than Taek, they felt he was more "deserving" of Deoksun--but he already surrendered and admitted the truth himself: Taek loved her more than he ever did. Taek took action, and he chose not to. That's just a decision he has to live with, and if it's something that makes him unhappy or seem pitiful, it's really all on him.
If you watched the other Reply series, you definitely need to watch the original '97 if you haven't already~~!
I hope we get some sort of epic flashback for Taek though (the way they have regularly done so for the other characters), showing the viewers all the sweet things he did behind the scenes that many viewers probably aren't picking up on lol.
Wow, now I'm actually getting more excited with the idea of Taek being the husband. Yep, I'm offically on board with this ship lol c:
In any case, I can understand why so many viewers feel like the scriptwriters tried to lead them into the wrong pathway / this ending was a last minute decision--especially with how much they developed Junghwan as a character (as opposed to maybe Taek). Compared to Taek, we got to see Junghwan's true intentions and feelings. We got to see his POV, especially in regards to how he felt towards Deoksun (which we didn't really get with Taek)... But that doesn't necessarily mean Junghwan's more "deserving" of her. Junghwan even said so himself in episode 18: love is all about timing, and if you don't take the opportunities that land at you, then you have no one to blame but yourself. He even admitted that Taek was better for Deoksun. This admittance is a surrender in itself. Why should Deoksun have to be with guy who doesn't even feel like he's worthy of being with her? Why should she be with a guy that won't even actively go the extra mile for her? Like, he took too long, sitting in the movie theatre to watch Forrest Gump. He hesitated and hesitated, and even after letting things come to a closure, he still tried to downplay his feelings as if he was joking. He literally had six years!! And unlike Taek, he never, ever even voiced it out to their friends. He kept the burden of his feelings all to himself, and maybe that seems noble to some viewers, but to me, I can totally understand why Deoksun would ultimately choose Taek over anyone else. Not to mention, her feelings for Sunwoo and Junghwan were mostly developed due to her peers teasing her and putting all these crazy ideas in her head. She was only 18; of course she'd start forcing herself on anyone that her friends would say were crushing on her. It's understandable. On the other hand, the feelings she developed towards Taek were feelings produced all by herself; they were more raw and organic--more CERTAIN--and all without the need of help from a third party.
Personally, though, I never really grew much of an attachment to either Junghwan nor Taek LOL. Junghwan was sweet and he had good intentions--but he was just that. Sweet with good intentions. He never put all those ideas into action. Taek, on the other hand--he was cute, endearing, and very, very intriguing in his own way--but there was always something lacking in his character development & truly portraying how he felt about Deoksun... In a weird way, he was subtle with his actions... But still, funnily enough, very much more so direct than Junghwan ever was. *sighs* There was so much potential in both these characters and in regards to the romance portion of the drama, but strangely enough, I'm still satisfied??? I actually enjoyed and liked the fact that the primary focus wasn't on romance for a change??? I liked that it was more about community, family, friendship, and growing up as adults. There were so many lessons to be learned, so many relateable, realistic~ scenes. I mean, they could have totally delved more into the love-triangle if they were given a bit more time--or if they chose to minimize all the other scenes with the other characters--but I'm actually so happy they didn't. I'm veryyyyyyy much still content with the ending we're being given.
On a side note, WHY IS PARK BOGUM SUCH A CUTIE PIE?!!!! WHENEVER HE SEES HYERI HE SMILES SO BRIGHTLY I ALMOST FEEL LIKE I'M GOING TO... GO... BLIND?!!!! Such subtle, discreet actions of affection, and yet... HE'S STILL SHOOTING HEARTS AND RAINBOWS AND BUTTERFLIES OUT OF HIS EYES FOR HER??!?! How does he act so well?? (Especially with such a limiting character OTL, no offence to Taek). It's not fair.
Plus he's a great kisser.... haha. These details alone were sort of what ultimately made me sway towards almost wanting to root for him. Just almost, hahaha.
definitely gonna watch the latest japanese adaptation.