maryxiah

I low-key ship this.

Exactly my thought.

Thank you puppy for being such an awesome character through and through. You deserve all the good things in life and my only wish for you is to reincarnate into a world where you receive the love you couldn't get. <3

Finally! This show picked up this week. The love triangle (or is it square now?) galore continues and extends to Hyun Joo's parents this week but I enjoyed it, it was both hilarious and mortifying to watch, hilarious because of how petty the couple fought for their favorite son-in-law (reminds me so much of ship wars in dramas) but couldn't even utter the words in front of Hyun Joo, and mortifying because they basically aired their dirty laundry in front of family and friends during their wedding anniversary party no less. I enjoyed the childhood connection reveal despite the trope-y and cliche plot, I thought it made sense that their meeting triggered the past lives memories to surface, and the trauma of almost dying intensified their emotional parting in past lives memories. I feel bad for Ji Woo for retaining his memories and are haunted by them, unlike Hyun Joo who has mostly recovered or suppressing the memories. Now his behaviors kind of make sense, he goes back and forth wanting Hyun Joo to remember but doesn't want her to be tormented by the same past as he is. I wish they explore more on the past lives because it's an opportunity to connect viewers to the OTP. As of now, I'm still unsure about the romance.

However, the more I watch, the more I like Ji Woo. I like his honest and calm temperament, he wears his heart on his sleeve and doesn't beat around the bush, he respects Hyun Joo's wish when she sets a boundary (like not meeting outside of work because she requested it before being reinstated), and he doesn't lash out when provoked (like being punched by Do Gyum). Also, love the fact that he refused the kiss from Hyun Joo because he thought she didn't share the same feeling, really like that about him. It's funny that he's the one in love but she's the one constantly thinking of kissing him. The only thing I don't like about him is his stalking habit, it's toned down compared to the first episode, but still there.

Now I'm actually looking forward to next week's episodes.

I think your comment should be directed to the OP since s/he was the one questioning why Do Won was adamant that his father was the killer. I was replying to the person above me, who seems to think Do Won didn't believe his father was the killer, which is incorrect because Do Won A world believed him to be the killer until Seo Kyung proved him wrong.

Do Won A world was. He believed his father to be the killer until Seo Kyung revealed to him that the serial killer has been putting her late mom's jewelry on the victims so his dad couldn't have been the killer (he only had 1 necklace).

Stuck on episode 11 because I'm not ready to let this one go...

Okay, this show is extended for 4 more episodes and should air until 27th Aug, Yoo Jung finishes filming for Backstreet Rookie on 8th Aug, I know it's a stretch but I'm hoping Dong Il or Jin Goo would invite her over so I can finally have my YeoYoo reunion-ish. Please please please...

Yay!!

"We are both watching it with different lenses, but it’s nice to see different interpretations and perspectives"
I once heard from a friend that our brain fills in what it expects to see, so I believe our impression/judgment is often colored by our expectation, which explains why we often view the same thing with a different perspective.

I personally disliked some of the things Do Gyum did, like tricking Hyun Joo to be his pretend gf, planting a surprise kiss on her cheeks, questioning her meeting with Ji Woo behind his back and etc. I get his cheeky nature and comfortable relationship with Hyun Joo, but I felt like he crossed a line, especially when Hyun Joo commented that she felt like she had lost her brother. I can't help but compare him to Ji Woo, who's always polite, never loses his cool, and doesn't impose himself on Hyun Joo, his main and only problem is that he's a stalker. But I actually want Ji Woo for myself haha, can't help thinking he's so handsome in every scene.

"Haha we are watching it for different actor."
Yes, that we are. I am mainly watching for Yoo Jung. I was expecting romance as well but clearly Backstreet Rookie isn't the drama for it, I've come to terms with that. I'll rewatch Clean With Passion For Now for Yoo Jung's cute romance with Yoon Kyun Sang. Also, I find it funny that fans are outraged that Ji Chang Wook is playing Dae Hyun's character because it doesn't suit him, but he actually played a similar character in his early days and it launched him to household name before Healer.

After re-watching some scenes, I finally get why Ji Woo's face in their past lives were obscured or blurred, it's because Hyun Joo doesn't remember the guy's face, so his face was always hidden in her dreams/memories. Now I wonder why the 1973 memories are more prominent than the other 2 lifetimes.

Actually by episode 5 of Mystic Pop Up Bar, I already knew it was Chief Gwi. The words "I want to be someone you needed" was the giveaway.

Iljin covers a broader term than just "bully", it is used to define someone who's good at fighting and generally refers to problematic kids like delinquent, dropout, smoker, drinker and etc. Which is why Eun Byul mentioned she didn't do anything "bad" even though she was hanging out with the iljins. We all know Saet Byul had a problematic high school life even though she was not a bully per se, which is why she fits the iljin term and I used the word ex to describe she turned over a new leaf.

"I think he’s the only character that isn’t problematic to me in any manner lol"
Very true, which is why he's such an endearing character.

"I know the drama did it for comic flair (such as punching him in his sleep and got hurt for it)"
I don't get why the director/writer would think that violence is funny. I lost count how many times a character is kneed, slapped, or punched in this show.

"Thinking about it, I rather DH not be with either SB or YJ, they’re both too aggressive and opinionated lol he needs to find a girl who is a good listener and one that can encourage him to develop a backbone."
You know how some people are rather passive and need a little push from the people around them? That's Dae Hyun to me. I think he needs a strong woman to complement his malleable nature. Also, he seems to prefer this type of woman, his ex in the first episode was quite domineering.

"Under the fantasy elements, I see the social issues they address...I also relish family themes but also community spirit themes!"
I see what you mean. I love the balance between humor and emotional scenes in Mystic Pop Up Bar, so the general tone is consistently light and heartwarming, unlike most slice of life dramas with contemplative and broody mood. I think Backstreet Rookie could learn a lot from Mystic Pop Up Bar in terms of humor and storytelling.

"I feel like the real killer should be a character that only exists in one world without the other."
That wouldn't be true because the killer told Do Won that they all live different lives simultaneously, which includes him. I do think the killer may not be Sung Wook now because the semen DNA of the fifth victim didn't match him. I am suspecting the therapist as well because he's giving off suspicious vibe but he doesn't have a limp.

If I have to read speculations and theories about the ending then the show isn't doing its job. For a show that's been consistently good in the beginning, I thought the final 13 episodes were rather weak and disappointing.

That only explains the lack of fight scenes, not the filled with flashbacks and absurd ending.

Yeah, I was wondering about that too. I think it's an effort to keep viewers guessing the guy's real identity even though it's clear to us that it's Ji Woo, kind of like how Mystic Pop Up Bar was playing with the identity of the crown prince by showing both qualities in Chief Gwi and Kang Bae.

"I think HJ uncomfortableness has to do more with being cautious with his feelings."
Which is why I said he was using her affection for him to guilt trip her into staying away from Ji Woo, albeit unsuccessfully. She was trying hard to be considerate of his feelings that she had to hide the fact that she went out for a drink with Ji Woo, and not knowing how to act around him after he found out the truth, showed she was uncomfortable with the whole situation. I agree that she is still adjusting to the idea of Do Gyum being in love with her, but I can see that she only sees him as her little brother and nothing more, which is why I couldn't root for him. I'm not rooting for Ji Woo either because I don't know what's the deal between their incarnations and why he falls for her in this lifetime too.

I was never watching Backstreet Rookie for its romance, I was in it for Saet Byul and her journey so it never felt slow to me because I could see progress in her. As opposed to this drama where romance is in centre stage yet I can't root for either guys, making it slow and painful watch for me.

One example of a cameo role with significant screen time I can think of is Park Ha Na as Song Mi Ran in Mystic Pop Up Bar, she even doubled as Yeo Rin's friend in episode 3, but still notably less compared to puppy's screen time in this drama. Korean dramas are mostly live shooting so I guess they have more freedom to work around the script and characters.

I initially believed Dae Hyun and Hyun Joo's relationship was at its end because of how forced and lethargic their relationship dynamic felt, but then I see flashes of efforts on both sides and I thought it's not as hopeless as it seemed. I can't get over the fact that Hyun Joo cheated though, it was obviously a lapse of judgment and stress induced from her strained relationship but still not an excuse to cheat. I've never thought of Hyun Joo as evil, she's just a human and prone to make mistakes like everyone of us. If they ever want to make this work the second time around, she needs to be honest to herself and Dae Hyun, which means admitting that she cheated and was embarrassed by his social background, and Dae Hyun needs to grow a backbone and stop letting everyone walk all over him, especially his girl.

Weirdly, I've never felt the slice of life vibe from Mystic Pop Up Bar, it was mostly fantasy and comedy for me. This one is a true gem in terms of storytelling, it hits all the right notes for me. I realized I'm big on family theme, which is why Mystic Pop Up Bar worked for me, and why I stayed for Backstreet Rookie - the family dynamic between Saet Byul and Dae Hyun's mom, Saet Byul and her sister, Dae Hyun's parents.

I am more curious as to why his 3 incarnations left her because it's obvious that he loves her a lot, and it's hinted that he's harboring deep secret in regards to that. I am seriously impatient and all they've given so far are mere crumbs.