Just want to share my thoughts about how it is going to end. The writer can either go for a happy ending or sad ending.
Many of the viewers are worried about the cheating arc depicted in the J-version. I didn't see the J-version since I avoid dramas produced before the 00s. However, I am a fan of the screenwriter of the J-version, Kitagawa Erioko. I absolutely loved her writing in "Orange Days", which also features a hearing-impaired character - a musician FL, who lost her hearing later in life. Unlike the J-version of this drama, "Orange Days" does have a happy ending. I heartily recommend "Orange Days" for any one looking for well-written characters with disability.
More than the cheating itself, I am more interested in the circumstances leading to such a situation. If a such a thing were to happen, it would be caused by Moeun having a terrible misunderstanding of JW. However, many times in the previous episodes, Moeun says that she doesn't want anyone else to misunderstand JW. It would be ironical to have such a setup, where the relationship fails due to her misunderstanding of JW. Also, the misunderstanding is an effect of JW's disability and it would imply that JW is doomed in all his relationships. If two of the women in his life who really cared about him can't get through to him, there is no hope left for him. Though I do not prefer this ending, it would be heart-breaking, and a fitting one for a classical tragedy, if the writer decides to go for it. Also, Moeun doesn't have to cheat for the couple to breakup due to misunderstanding.
The writer also can choose a happy ending for the couple. In that case, the couple have to overcome the misunderstanding, by talking it out - just like how they have done till now. I can't help but notice how much time the drama has spent so far in showing the leads being together and communicating. I really love that about this drama. Most of it is basically the couple just sitting across a table and discussing stuff. Through these many discussions, Moeun has helped JW to have the courage to go ahead with the solo exhibition, helped him connect with the bullied student, and help him find peace from his previous heartbreak .
Though I have kinda made peace with both the possibilities, I do hope the writer chooses the happy ending. I am a bit optimistic mainly because of how the secondary couple's relationship is progressing. What I would really hate is an open-ending. That would be the death-knell of this story.
With two episodes to go, here are my final thoughts. I was thinking about why I found this drama interesting in the earlier episodes. In the earlier episodes, the drama was centering the issues and concerns about "becoming a parent". It was looking into (i) couples with fertility issues, (ii) the difficulties of pregnancy after miscarriage, (iii) relationship/family issues during pregnancy, (iv) relationship/family issues related to adoption, (v) career-related problems after becoming a parent, and (vi) being in a relationship with someone who is a parent.
Except for KJH and SJ, every other adult in this drama has some specific parenting concern. "How do I make this decision, as a parent ?" "What do I think would be an appropriate response as a mother/father ?" Of course, not all of them good decisions, but at least there is some concern. Even YM, due to her relationship with SK, had to think about the question of 'how to console a kid who grew up without a mother' ? In one earlier episode, YM tells SK that she has two moms and SK can have one.
My expectation from TRHC at that time was that it would show how such support from people, who are not necessarily related via a family connection, can be helpful for those who are navigating these difficulties. No need to say how badly it failed my expectations.
Some might say KJH also has similar concerns as a parent. No, I disagree. The drama is now written in such a way that the audience are supposed to feel sorry for KJH because he is a loner and an outcast. It is not written in a way that his utmost concern is Haneul. Look, KJH was the one who, after almost a year of relationship with YD, cheated on her. The man is sooo lonely that he can not be committed in a relationship. He had to sleep with SJ while being YD's boyfriend because, you know, he is being outcast. I say, "Get The F* Out of Here."
Of course, one can say "Why are you getting worked up so much ? It is just fiction." And because it is fiction, we expect better work from those who make these imaginary worlds.
I see mixed reviews, but until episode 4, I feel that the drama knows what it is about and its tone/vibe is perfect for a silly comedy drama. Han Ji Min is perfect for the role of Ye Bun and she delivers the Ye Bun's exasperation quite well.
Of course, as is typical for a k-drama, there is a serving of suspense-crime-plot.
As a k-drama watcher, I get some of the references to 2521 and 'My liberation notes'. I am sure there are many other cultural references that went over my head.
Tejas made the argument that this story would have worked better in a reg kdrama with 16/20 eps. However i would…
Thanks for pointing out YD being a top instructor and that she her career is completely done for.
The drama has developed in such a way that it has proven the asshole, who was instrumental in getting her fired, correct - in the sense that it is impossible to be a mother and continue to keep her job.
Six episodes left and here is my rant. I think there are four fundamental problems with the drama.
1. Characterization of KJH : Given how absolutely bonkers the writing has been, I was sorta expecting a redemption arc for KJH, even though I really really didn't want it to happen. Consider three of the many terrible things KJH has done : (a) cheated on YD ; (b) At SJ-TK's marriage, he injured SJ's dad ; (c) Terrorized YD so much that it was one of the principal reasons why she had to stay away from her family and the man she loved for a year, giving birth to Haneul all alone. Writing a redemption arc for actions (a) and (b) is difficult enough, but for action (c) is unacceptable.
I think the fan reactions are understandable. We are coming up with theories about DNA tests or KJH has being adopted - not because we don't like adoption, but such a implausible scenario is sounds more palatable (given the blood-line obsessed grandma) than a redemption arc for KJH. I think the key problem is that KJH was written as such a terrible person in the first place. That was quite unnecessary. They could have written KJH as some one who makes some mistakes out of a lot of passion and a bit of jealously, left YD when she asked him to leave, and comes back after the time-jump for parental custody. A redemption arc for such a person would be at least plausible.
2. Balance between primary and second couples: As some one (LA drama fan, I think ) already noted that there are two many couples fighting for attention. My problem is that all the couples are facing serious problems and there is no relief. In Ep. 44, all the three couples are facing difficult problems and it is so stressful to watch. TK-YD have trouble with KJH & the Gong family, DW-YM have problems because of the return of SK's mom, Hee-Dae Sang have problems due to their past con. There is not a single secondary story line where we can find some relief or enjoyment. This makes this drama difficult to watch. I could watch THRC Ep. 44 only 20 minutes at a time sandwiched between some other comedy drama. For me, the gold standard here is 'Five Enough', where when the primary couple has some trouble and they cut to secondary storylines, we can see cute/romantic moments, that gives the viewer necessary relief from the problems.
Further, they killed off two story-lines that I thought were actually interesting that might have lead to some relief moments - the sperm donor story line, and HW & Pharmacist. I still think HW-Pharmacist had better chemistry compared to JM-HW.
Also, a lot of screen-time is taken by SJ-JH, who are not even a couple.
3. Problems with that 1-year time-jump: I can understand why they need the time-jump. The drama has to be shot in summer, it is impossible to shoot with infants, there seem to be some stigma associated with showing visibly pregnant female leads for a multiple episodes (I was wondering about this: Is there a main-stream k-drama where the FL is visibly pregnant for say 4 or 5 episodes ? Is this a sponsorship problem ?) But the nature and the scenario surrounding the time jump was terribly written. It was unforgivably bad. It completely diluted the characterization of YD and Inok. They are no longer are the same person after that. Because of that, they are playing very passive roles in the later episodes - as in Ep 43 and 44. Again, it didn't have to be this way. As bloomingtide had noted many times in this forum, there are numerous other better ways to handle this time-jump.
4. Characterization of SJ: I am guessing that a redemption arc for SJ is also coming, may be after SJ's dad dies as a result of some of her shenanigans. It would be much much more implausible than KJH's redemption. The reason I think is that there are some fundamental problems with characterization of SJ. A lot of her actions are just explained as some sort of psychotic behavior. No clear motivation is provided. The difficulty with having one of the main leads as a psychotic person is that, while it is easy to write them a someone who does all the bad things, it leads to nowhere but prison. It only works in a thriller or a revenge drama. For family drama, I think you need a clear motivation and a proper flashback about what lead to her to become such a person. I still don't know what was the deal between her mom and the grandma. Also, SJ and SJ's mom seem to believe that, because of SJ's dad, the Gong family cheated them out of some fortune that should be theirs. In some earlier episodes , SJ's mom had some troubles with debt sharks. All these background are completely forgotten. If a good background is developed and laid out clearly, then redemption arcs can me made acceptable for the audience. Otherwise, I will settle for any one of the fan theories I like.
There are also so many other issues, but these are the ones I see as the big ones. Chasing for angst and makjang, the writers lost the great foundation they had made in first 30 episodes. If they write very crazy scenarios that are so out of character, of course, audience will just make up ones. I feel that no matter how crazy that sounds (say, Haneul being TK's biological child), it is not as bad as what is actually happening in the drama.
I haven't been in the comments for a while. I just noticed that the MDL rating has fallen below 8. Is there any drama in MDL with sub-8 rating and more than 14,000 comments ? Should be some drama that started very promising , went completely crazy in the later half, but a significant chunk of audience just couldn't drop it. Need a separate 'roller-coaster rating' for such dramas. May be TRHC is very unique in that sense.
I feel kinda ambivalent about this week's episodes. Everyone gets so dumber and so crazier in a year, that it justifies YD's running away. Not great writing because its all 'hindsight is 20-20', but enough to keep me going.
Also, I am no longer interested in the DW & YM story line. I can't believe that they don't know each other's family members even after a year of dating, especially given that Soo Geyom's missing her aunt YD. I was rooting for their relationship earlier. Now, I don't care if DW gets back to Soo Gyeom's mom or stays with YM. Its fine, either way.
She really said he wouldn't have formed a bond to that child like she wasn't a single mother with TK on tow herself…
I couldn't agree with you more. Episode 32 onward it became a different show altogether. Its feels like they fired the head writer and replaced with someone different, even though it is not the case. There is too much of shock/drama and there are very few scenes of anyone being happy, funny or romantic. I personally feel that the current proceedings are just too much for a family drama. I understand that one can break rules as a writer, but this is just reckless.
I was thinking about how TK has had two relationships in his life that ended abruptly. In both cases, the partner left without providing a proper reason. When he was in relationship with SJ during the high-school days, SJ just lied to him that the relationship was just a game for her. At that time, SJ didn't reveal that real reason she left him was the grandmother. Now, in his relationship with YD, she didn't even leave a note. YD just ghosted him for a year.
I have no idea how someone who had these experiences like these would trust anyone for a long-term relationship. I think, the writers have given themselves an impossible task here. Anything is possible in k-drama land, I guess.
Also, I am still waiting for some resolution to that terrible interaction in the past between SJ's mom and grandma.
Episodes 32-34 were quite disappointing, steering right into cliche-territory. We had this great couple, and we wanted them to be together destroying their enemies. All we get is noble idiocy. https://imgflip.com/i/7sshvj . Today's episode especially has been weighing heavily on my mind since I watched it. I have to thank bloomingtide, Sher, LA_Drama_Fan, Casein , nanir, zindigo and others for their comments. You all provide me the cathartic feeling of "Thank God! Someone said it!". More than the drama, I look forward to all of your comments here every week. I will keep watching till the end just to hang around here. I guess, in the end, the real Jinja is the friends we made along the way.
Many of the viewers are worried about the cheating arc depicted in the J-version. I didn't see the J-version since I avoid dramas produced before the 00s. However, I am a fan of the screenwriter of the J-version, Kitagawa Erioko. I absolutely loved her writing in "Orange Days", which also features a hearing-impaired character - a musician FL, who lost her hearing later in life. Unlike the J-version of this drama, "Orange Days" does have a happy ending. I heartily recommend "Orange Days" for any one looking for well-written characters with disability.
I mostly agree with the earlier commenter who said it would not be significantly out of character for Moeun to cheat: https://kisskh.at/689207-say-you-love-me#comment-15856267 .
More than the cheating itself, I am more interested in the circumstances leading to such a situation. If a such a thing were to happen, it would be caused by Moeun having a terrible misunderstanding of JW. However, many times in the previous episodes, Moeun says that she doesn't want anyone else to misunderstand JW. It would be ironical to have such a setup, where the relationship fails due to her misunderstanding of JW. Also, the misunderstanding is an effect of JW's disability and it would imply that JW is doomed in all his relationships. If two of the women in his life who really cared about him can't get through to him, there is no hope left for him. Though I do not prefer this ending, it would be heart-breaking, and a fitting one for a classical tragedy, if the writer decides to go for it. Also, Moeun doesn't have to cheat for the couple to breakup due to misunderstanding.
The writer also can choose a happy ending for the couple. In that case, the couple have to overcome the misunderstanding, by talking it out - just like how they have done till now. I can't help but notice how much time the drama has spent so far in showing the leads being together and communicating. I really love that about this drama. Most of it is basically the couple just sitting across a table and discussing stuff. Through these many discussions, Moeun has helped JW to have the courage to go ahead with the solo exhibition, helped him connect with the bullied student, and help him find peace from his previous heartbreak .
Though I have kinda made peace with both the possibilities, I do hope the writer chooses the happy ending. I am a bit optimistic mainly because of how the secondary couple's relationship is progressing. What I would really hate is an open-ending. That would be the death-knell of this story.
(i) couples with fertility issues,
(ii) the difficulties of pregnancy after miscarriage,
(iii) relationship/family issues during pregnancy,
(iv) relationship/family issues related to adoption,
(v) career-related problems after becoming a parent, and
(vi) being in a relationship with someone who is a parent.
Except for KJH and SJ, every other adult in this drama has some specific parenting concern. "How do I make this decision, as a parent ?" "What do I think would be an appropriate response as a mother/father ?" Of course, not all of them good decisions, but at least there is some concern. Even YM, due to her relationship with SK, had to think about the question of 'how to console a kid who grew up without a mother' ? In one earlier episode, YM tells SK that she has two moms and SK can have one.
My expectation from TRHC at that time was that it would show how such support from people, who are not necessarily related via a family connection, can be helpful for those who are navigating these difficulties. No need to say how badly it failed my expectations.
Some might say KJH also has similar concerns as a parent. No, I disagree. The drama is now written in such a way that the audience are supposed to feel sorry for KJH because he is a loner and an outcast. It is not written in a way that his utmost concern is Haneul. Look, KJH was the one who, after almost a year of relationship with YD, cheated on her. The man is sooo lonely that he can not be committed in a relationship. He had to sleep with SJ while being YD's boyfriend because, you know, he is being outcast. I say, "Get The F* Out of Here."
Of course, one can say "Why are you getting worked up so much ? It is just fiction." And because it is fiction, we expect better work from those who make these imaginary worlds.
Of course, as is typical for a k-drama, there is a serving of suspense-crime-plot.
As a k-drama watcher, I get some of the references to 2521 and 'My liberation notes'. I am sure there are many other cultural references that went over my head.
The drama has developed in such a way that it has proven the asshole, who was instrumental in getting her fired, correct - in the sense that it is impossible to be a mother and continue to keep her job.
1. Characterization of KJH : Given how absolutely bonkers the writing has been, I was sorta expecting a redemption arc for KJH, even though I really really didn't want it to happen. Consider three of the many terrible things KJH has done : (a) cheated on YD ; (b) At SJ-TK's marriage, he injured SJ's dad ; (c) Terrorized YD so much that it was one of the principal reasons why she had to stay away from her family and the man she loved for a year, giving birth to Haneul all alone. Writing a redemption arc for actions (a) and (b) is difficult enough, but for action (c) is unacceptable.
I think the fan reactions are understandable. We are coming up with theories about DNA tests or KJH has being adopted - not because we don't like adoption, but such a implausible scenario is sounds more palatable (given the blood-line obsessed grandma) than a redemption arc for KJH. I think the key problem is that KJH was written as such a terrible person in the first place. That was quite unnecessary. They could have written KJH as some one who makes some mistakes out of a lot of passion and a bit of jealously, left YD when she asked him to leave, and comes back after the time-jump for parental custody. A redemption arc for such a person would be at least plausible.
2. Balance between primary and second couples: As some one (LA drama fan, I think ) already noted that there are two many couples fighting for attention. My problem is that all the couples are facing serious problems and there is no relief. In Ep. 44, all the three couples are facing difficult problems and it is so stressful to watch. TK-YD have trouble with KJH & the Gong family, DW-YM have problems because of the return of SK's mom, Hee-Dae Sang have problems due to their past con. There is not a single secondary story line where we can find some relief or enjoyment. This makes this drama difficult to watch. I could watch THRC Ep. 44 only 20 minutes at a time sandwiched between some other comedy drama. For me, the gold standard here is 'Five Enough', where when the primary couple has some trouble and they cut to secondary storylines, we can see cute/romantic moments, that gives the viewer necessary relief from the problems.
Further, they killed off two story-lines that I thought were actually interesting that might have lead to some relief moments - the sperm donor story line, and HW & Pharmacist. I still think HW-Pharmacist had better chemistry compared to JM-HW.
Also, a lot of screen-time is taken by SJ-JH, who are not even a couple.
3. Problems with that 1-year time-jump: I can understand why they need the time-jump. The drama has to be shot in summer, it is impossible to shoot with infants, there seem to be some stigma associated with showing visibly pregnant female leads for a multiple episodes (I was wondering about this: Is there a main-stream k-drama where the FL is visibly pregnant for say 4 or 5 episodes ? Is this a sponsorship problem ?) But the nature and the scenario surrounding the time jump was terribly written. It was unforgivably bad. It completely diluted the characterization of YD and Inok. They are no longer are the same person after that. Because of that, they are playing very passive roles in the later episodes - as in Ep 43 and 44. Again, it didn't have to be this way. As bloomingtide had noted many times in this forum, there are numerous other better ways to handle this time-jump.
4. Characterization of SJ: I am guessing that a redemption arc for SJ is also coming, may be after SJ's dad dies as a result of some of her shenanigans. It would be much much more implausible than KJH's redemption. The reason I think is that there are some fundamental problems with characterization of SJ. A lot of her actions are just explained as some sort of psychotic behavior. No clear motivation is provided. The difficulty with having one of the main leads as a psychotic person is that, while it is easy to write them a someone who does all the bad things, it leads to nowhere but prison. It only works in a thriller or a revenge drama. For family drama, I think you need a clear motivation and a proper flashback about what lead to her to become such a person. I still don't know what was the deal between her mom and the grandma. Also, SJ and SJ's mom seem to believe that, because of SJ's dad, the Gong family cheated them out of some fortune that should be theirs. In some earlier episodes , SJ's mom had some troubles with debt sharks. All these background are completely forgotten. If a good background is developed and laid out clearly, then redemption arcs can me made acceptable for the audience. Otherwise, I will settle for any one of the fan theories I like.
There are also so many other issues, but these are the ones I see as the big ones. Chasing for angst and makjang, the writers lost the great foundation they had made in first 30 episodes. If they write very crazy scenarios that are so out of character, of course, audience will just make up ones. I feel that no matter how crazy that sounds (say, Haneul being TK's biological child), it is not as bad as what is actually happening in the drama.
Also, I am no longer interested in the DW & YM story line. I can't believe that they don't know each other's family members even after a year of dating, especially given that Soo Geyom's missing her aunt YD. I was rooting for their relationship earlier. Now, I don't care if DW gets back to Soo Gyeom's mom or stays with YM. Its fine, either way.
I have no idea how someone who had these experiences like these would trust anyone for a long-term relationship. I think, the writers have given themselves an impossible task here. Anything is possible in k-drama land, I guess.
Also, I am still waiting for some resolution to that terrible interaction in the past between SJ's mom and grandma.