irmar

Not only that. We were shown in this episode that the father is not totally okay, it still hurts him to see his old friends, so it's not as if he's blissful and content with being deaf. This, together with what you say, gives me a tiny little bit of hope that the writers won't disappoint us just to deliver a trite ending with "oh, the trip was just a learning process, there was no mission after all"

That's the last sliver of hope left for us. Just hanging from a little string.

I think she used the word "shelter" in English.

Yes, it's coming to Viki on December 4th, pre-subbed, and probably all episodes together, but I strongly recommend not rushing to watch it. The reason being that the Chief Editor who'll be working on it is the very best editor on Viki (she's there since 2009, also knows Korean well). People have waited for six long months, it's worth waiting a little bit more in order to enjoy the drama in its best version. Of course you do what you want, but that's my sincere recommandation. The pre-subs Viki brings are "Netflix-style", shortened versions with no flavour at all of Korean culture left. Not to mention that often they have mistakes as well.

Well, you can't really enjoy on such a small screen!

https://kissasian.fm/info/ousama-ni-sasagu-kusuriyubi and also
https://www.viki.com/tv/40148c-kissing-the-ring-finger#episodes

After searching all over the internet, I finally found in the cast credits on IMDB the name of the tenor who supposedly sung the first, operatic songs Di Quella Pira, Dio! Mi Potevi Scagliar and Nessun Dorma. He is Jung Sang-Hyuk
But it also lists Bae Jae-Chul himself as performing Il Lamento Di Federico, La Donna E' Mobile, Niun Mi Tema, Ah Si Ben Mio, Amazing Grace , Di Quella Pira. Could it be that the singer himself had old recordings that were used?
It's frustrating when they don't give this kind of info!
Here is the page: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3150114/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cl_sm
Then I tried Google with search words: "the tenor – lirico spinto songs"
It had every single song, with interpreters and also the duration! And it confirmed that there are two songs sung by Jung Sang-Hyuk and the rest of the arias sung by the main lead are recordings of the real Bae Jae-Chul, on whose life story the movie was based.
Puccini: Turandot "Nessun dorma" Jung Sang-Hyuk
Verdi: Otello / Act 3 - "Dio! mi potevi scagliar" Jung Sang-Hyuk
Verdi: Otello: Niun Mi Tema Bae Jae-Chul
Verdi: Il Trovatore / Act 3 - "Ah sì ben mio"
Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra,Bae Jae-Chul
Verdi: Rigoletto / Act 3 - "La donna è mobile" Bae Jae-Chul
Cilea: L'Arlesiana / Act 2 - E'la solita storia (Il lamento di Federico) Bae Jae-Chul
Verdi: Il Trovatore / Act 3 - "Di quella pira" Bae Jae-Chul
Traditional: Amazing Grace Bae Jae-Chul

And here is an article about the real Bae Jae-Chul
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2009/02/20/people/A-voice-cancer-struck-down-sings-once-more/2901314.html (Published: 20 Feb. 2009)
Here he is in 2000, five years before the cancer diagnosis. https://youtu.be/QwcobbAXy80?si=LvFNQENktbajU0O9
Here is Bae’s debut performance in Japan as Manrico of Il Trovotore with Fiorenza Cossotto as Azucena. September 2003 Tokyo, Orchard Hall https://youtu.be/unT1xQOk9eg?si=pCoE8j81GrVzIxXf
Here he is singing Che gelida manina (I don't know when the video was taken)
https://youtu.be/hft3t_98dcA?si=EvMIlrWe9jv6mzA9
There are quite a few videos of him. Just search with 배재철
One of them is a full documentary of his life that is basically exactly like the film. I took the transcript to an automatic translator and figured out what it says. Here is the scene of his first comeback to the stage: https://youtu.be/vlSZoZvBRuI?si=1LfeEQY73Xqu94XK&t=3042

It's on kissasian.fm

No, but I just searched for it, it sounds interesting. I even found where I can watch it. Thank you for the suggestion!

Well, even if he succeeded in changing his father's fate, his mother and possibly brother will still be deaf, so things will change somehow, but not drastically.

Just "understanding his parents more" isn't a good enough reason for all this adventure, and if all his sincere hard work and efforts are wasted, he will feel a failure.
All this just to be able to tell his dad "How dare you tell me not to be a singer when you liked it so much when you were young?"
(Well, he also got a girlfriend. )

I hope not! Crossing my fingers!

Yes but all his honest and desperate efforts would have been in vain. That said, I do think that they are really going to go this route.

However Tom didn't say that her opinion doesn't count. He said "it doesn't count more than that of the others". Which is true, because all opinions count the same.

I am very afraid that they will do the politically correct thing and make him deaf anyway. I wish they don't do that!

The original plan was to find who he was based on the few clues her mother gave her. 1. He liked spicy food 2. He formed a band for her sake (they both did, in a way) 3. He serenaded her at the festival.

If they go that route they will make the dad deaf anyway (despite his son's desperate attempts during all those episodes) and give us the "it doesn't matter because he had a happy life anyway" crap. It's politically correct lately to say that being deaf is not a disability and it's just as well to be that, "no big deal".

I said that because you asked about both. But yes, there is also some romance, although it's not the focus of the drama at all. I am still on episode 10 and there are three or four people attracted to someone, one of which is one-sided and most probably won't lead anywhere. The nice thing is that those romances are not like an afterthought but they come naturally from within all the rest of the plot.

Still it sounds weird to me, I don't know.

Yes, I think most of us agree that the background music is the weakest point of this drama.