So, I was reading some comments and there was one saying how the dynamic was similar to Pride and Prejudice. I…
I love knowing that Austen readers are out here watching k-dramas as well. ✨✨ I'd say that Mr Knightly didn't have his nose up in everyone's business as much as Du Sik 🤣
Disclaimer: I love Du Sik's character, so don't come for meI think Du Sik already has some flaws that people might've…
I totally get what you mean by the Pride and Prejudice comparison! With Darcy and Lizzie, it's that "a man changes his manners and a young lady changes her mind". I'd say Du Sik and Hye Jin could do a bit of both!
I really enjoyed reading POV on this drama. But perhaps the answer lies in the type of book that he reads. Walden…
I think it would be super cool if he were just travelling. He is always talking about what people do overseas, so it makes sense that he might have some first-hand experience with it.
I really love that they are building the foundation of a relationship here from a value perspective. Really don't…
Disclaimer: I love Du Sik's character, so don't come for me
I think Du Sik already has some flaws that people might've forgotten, since they were most apparent in episode 1. He's a great character, but there are some things about him that would seem a bit off-putting to a stranger. In the first episode, he's pretty cold to Hye Jin because she's an outsider (and probably because he can tell she's from Seoul). It's clear he's made a snap judgement about her based on her appearance and behaviour (she wasn't noticeably rude in Episode 1, just polite). He kicks his sandals to her instead of handing them over nicely. He's stand-offish with Hye Jin for most of the first episode, even though she's been polite and he's even seen her go out of her way to help I-jun and Bora. He could've easily given her 4000 won to pay for coffee (that's less than 4 USD), but he made her do manual labour for 3 hours. He also used banmal (informal speech) with her, even though she was pretty much a stranger at that point.
It's easy to forget that Hye Jin is a fish out of water, so of course her spikes will be up. She's literally experiencing culture shock among people who are nice, but totally up in her business/ Most people tend to be a worse version of themselves when they're out of their comfort zones. On the other hand, Du Sik is in his hometown, where everyone knows and loves him, so of course that'll bring out the best in him when we see him on screen.
It isn't abnormal to think that way, but some things are meant to be left unsaid otherwise like what you've suggest,…
I agree that she could improve her interpersonal and communication skills.
I'm commenting more on how people have issues with her overall mindset. I think that people forget she is a product of her environment - a big Korean city where people often make judgements about others based on superficial characteristics. A place where you need to be cutthroat to survive. She's just as much a product of her surroundings of Du Shik is - which is a large part of why he's so much more amiable than her.
I think people really need to consider Korea's social norms when judging some of the ish that goes down in this show, especially when judging Hye Jin. It's so normal in Seoul to consider people's looks, background, academic history and career prospects when making acquaintances, friends and dating. Hye Jin might seem judgemental to a lot of us, but her whole 'social positions' speech was pretty reflective of what many people in Seoul would think, even if they don't say it aloud. Sure, it's not nice, but if you live in a city where this kind of thinking is normalised from the creche, you probably won't realise how problematic it is. Sure it's classist, but it will seem pretty normal if everyone around you is comparing salaries and promotions (eg. Hye Jin's University classmates at the wedding).
Same goes for Ju-ri wanting braces. This is honestly just the tip of the iceberg in a country where so many young women receive eyelid surgery and nose jobs in high school.
I think you can appreciate this show more holistically if you step back and consider it in terms of Korean (more Seoulite) norms, rather than in terms of the norms in your own country. Like Hye Jin can really lack tact and be hurtful, but her calculative ways aren't that abnormal where she's from.
I'm guessing that Du Shik suffered from some major health issue (maybe cancer?) and that's why he spent 5 years in Seoul before coming back to Gongjin. I don't think his secret will be anything super dark/gritty.
Someone who attended Seoul National University must've been somewhat like how Hye Jin is now - all about that hustle, about moving up the ranks, about money and success. It takes something earthshaking to make a person take a 180 degree turn and drop everything to prioritise happiness, rest, community. He probably wasn't ever as hardcore as Hye Jin (being a nice country boy and all that), but I can imagine he would've changed when he went to study in Seoul.
There's that scene of him standing outside the urology clinic in Seoul, the hardware store guy mentioned him going to Seoul more often lately and we see him sitting in a doctor's office (or was it a therapist's office?). It's not unusual for cancer survivors to need regular check-ups, even after they're in the clear. Not suggesting that he's headed for relapse at the moment, but it might explain why he was off the grid in Seoul for so long.
A side note - I need a list of all the books Du Shik is reading. Some of them are so totally expected - like of course Du Shik is reading Thoreau's Walden.
Thank you to everyone who has spoiled the ending. You have saved me an hour of my life. Never could I have predicted such a bullshit, ironic, meaningless ending to what could've been such an incredibly meaningful and modern show. They really Cheese in the Trap'd us.
But if they asked him if he liked a 17-year-old girl from his school it would be OK? Why? In the end, it's the…
I think you misread my post. I'm talking about people (eg. Seigo, other people working at the ryokan) asking Hayame if she likes Issei. Not the other way round.
For example, I think it's strange that a grown man (Seigo) suspects that a 27 year old woman is into his 17 year old brother, casually asks her about it, and seems to think the only concerning thing about this is that Hayame will choose Issei over Seigo. (If you don't think this is strange... Cool. Let's agree to disagree.)
I'm rooting for Hayame and Issei, but I do question how society (in the show) normalises an adult having romantic feelings for a child/adolescent. Just because it's legal, doesn't mean it can't be problematic. And just because Hayame isn't grooming him, doesn't erase the permanent power imbalance that will always exist in their relationship. After all, Issei is a teenager with limited life experience and maturity - he has a lot of growing up to do before dating Hayame.
*teen* but same thing ..he is 17, if he turns 18 and then they get together I guess it's kkkk
I'm like, don't get me wrong, Hayame can't help falling for Issei. I'm not judging that (or at least I've suspended judgement because it's a tv show). I'm just concerned that every other adult asks her if she has feelings for Issei as if it's totally normalised in society for a 27 year old to fall for a 17 year old. Like, there's no stigma around it, it's just accepted. I'm rooting for Hayame and Issei, but I kind of hope it happens when he's older. Let's be honest, a 17 year old boy has a lot of growing up to do before he can maintain a healthy relationship. Especially one as unstable as Issei currently is.
Can we please talk about the fashion in this drama? The grandma is serving us these modern kimono LOOKS that are so FRESH. And the muted dusty rose and tan/beige tones that Issei always wears? LOVE IT. It's super classy, and also shows what a soft boi he is on the inside.
I think people really forget the following key details when judging Na Bi:
1. Na Bi has been super neglected from childhood, specifically she has been neglected by her mother. Even when Na Bi is an adult, her mum chooses to have a man over, rather than prepare for Na Bi's birthday visit. Childhood neglect can seriously affect how and from whom you seek affection as an adult.
2. Na Bi didn't grow up with the best role model for how to form healthy, long-term relationships. I'm not judging her mum's decisions, but watching your mum fall in (and out of) love with different men when you're a child might influence your perceptions of romantic relationships. (Again, not judging any parents or parental figures like this, or children who come from these families).
So, Na Bi has had a lifetime to develop these unhealthy views of herself, of her significant others and romantic relationships. (I can imagine Jae Won experienced something similar if no one has ever cooked him seaweed soup on his birthday, even when his family is rich and could've hired someone to cook).
Everyone commenting here is acting likely Na Bi can magically develop the skills (yes, skills) to develop and maintain a healthy relationship. Like she can just turn around and say, "hey, let me stop craving affection and toxic passion and start looking for a relationship founded on mutual respect" or "let me just whip up some self-esteem and stop this man right here".
For someone like Na Bi, it can take months or years of hard work to grow a better attitude towards relationships. That's not easy when you're young and surrounded by so many other messy people and couples (looking at you Bit Na and Ji Wan). She probably thinks this kind of behaviour is almost normal.
Sure, I hate how she always gives in to temptation, but it's hard to blame her when that's all she knows how to do. It's not like she's the kind of person to trust and confide in others. And therapy also isn't normalised in Korea.
I think Du Sik already has some flaws that people might've forgotten, since they were most apparent in episode 1. He's a great character, but there are some things about him that would seem a bit off-putting to a stranger. In the first episode, he's pretty cold to Hye Jin because she's an outsider (and probably because he can tell she's from Seoul). It's clear he's made a snap judgement about her based on her appearance and behaviour (she wasn't noticeably rude in Episode 1, just polite). He kicks his sandals to her instead of handing them over nicely. He's stand-offish with Hye Jin for most of the first episode, even though she's been polite and he's even seen her go out of her way to help I-jun and Bora. He could've easily given her 4000 won to pay for coffee (that's less than 4 USD), but he made her do manual labour for 3 hours. He also used banmal (informal speech) with her, even though she was pretty much a stranger at that point.
It's easy to forget that Hye Jin is a fish out of water, so of course her spikes will be up. She's literally experiencing culture shock among people who are nice, but totally up in her business/ Most people tend to be a worse version of themselves when they're out of their comfort zones.
On the other hand, Du Sik is in his hometown, where everyone knows and loves him, so of course that'll bring out the best in him when we see him on screen.
I'm commenting more on how people have issues with her overall mindset. I think that people forget she is a product of her environment - a big Korean city where people often make judgements about others based on superficial characteristics. A place where you need to be cutthroat to survive. She's just as much a product of her surroundings of Du Shik is - which is a large part of why he's so much more amiable than her.
Same goes for Ju-ri wanting braces. This is honestly just the tip of the iceberg in a country where so many young women receive eyelid surgery and nose jobs in high school.
I think you can appreciate this show more holistically if you step back and consider it in terms of Korean (more Seoulite) norms, rather than in terms of the norms in your own country. Like Hye Jin can really lack tact and be hurtful, but her calculative ways aren't that abnormal where she's from.
Someone who attended Seoul National University must've been somewhat like how Hye Jin is now - all about that hustle, about moving up the ranks, about money and success. It takes something earthshaking to make a person take a 180 degree turn and drop everything to prioritise happiness, rest, community. He probably wasn't ever as hardcore as Hye Jin (being a nice country boy and all that), but I can imagine he would've changed when he went to study in Seoul.
There's that scene of him standing outside the urology clinic in Seoul, the hardware store guy mentioned him going to Seoul more often lately and we see him sitting in a doctor's office (or was it a therapist's office?). It's not unusual for cancer survivors to need regular check-ups, even after they're in the clear. Not suggesting that he's headed for relapse at the moment, but it might explain why he was off the grid in Seoul for so long.
A side note - I need a list of all the books Du Shik is reading. Some of them are so totally expected - like of course Du Shik is reading Thoreau's Walden.
For example, I think it's strange that a grown man (Seigo) suspects that a 27 year old woman is into his 17 year old brother, casually asks her about it, and seems to think the only concerning thing about this is that Hayame will choose Issei over Seigo.
(If you don't think this is strange... Cool. Let's agree to disagree.)
I'm rooting for Hayame and Issei, but I do question how society (in the show) normalises an adult having romantic feelings for a child/adolescent. Just because it's legal, doesn't mean it can't be problematic. And just because Hayame isn't grooming him, doesn't erase the permanent power imbalance that will always exist in their relationship. After all, Issei is a teenager with limited life experience and maturity - he has a lot of growing up to do before dating Hayame.
1. Na Bi has been super neglected from childhood, specifically she has been neglected by her mother. Even when Na Bi is an adult, her mum chooses to have a man over, rather than prepare for Na Bi's birthday visit. Childhood neglect can seriously affect how and from whom you seek affection as an adult.
2. Na Bi didn't grow up with the best role model for how to form healthy, long-term relationships. I'm not judging her mum's decisions, but watching your mum fall in (and out of) love with different men when you're a child might influence your perceptions of romantic relationships. (Again, not judging any parents or parental figures like this, or children who come from these families).
So, Na Bi has had a lifetime to develop these unhealthy views of herself, of her significant others and romantic relationships. (I can imagine Jae Won experienced something similar if no one has ever cooked him seaweed soup on his birthday, even when his family is rich and could've hired someone to cook).
Everyone commenting here is acting likely Na Bi can magically develop the skills (yes, skills) to develop and maintain a healthy relationship. Like she can just turn around and say, "hey, let me stop craving affection and toxic passion and start looking for a relationship founded on mutual respect" or "let me just whip up some self-esteem and stop this man right here".
For someone like Na Bi, it can take months or years of hard work to grow a better attitude towards relationships. That's not easy when you're young and surrounded by so many other messy people and couples (looking at you Bit Na and Ji Wan). She probably thinks this kind of behaviour is almost normal.
Sure, I hate how she always gives in to temptation, but it's hard to blame her when that's all she knows how to do. It's not like she's the kind of person to trust and confide in others. And therapy also isn't normalised in Korea.