tenoh27

A new love interest is possible, sure, but looking at the fact that JW is still hung-up (unhealthy or not, some people go through this, and it’s a natural part of life, and frankly, one year is not a long time, especially for someone as busy and tied up like KJW) on IS and not dating anyone new, very unlike his previous MO, I think IS will be the one.

They are not young people anymore, who have all the time or interest in looking for new relationships. Looking at their personalities and goals in life, IS would likely remain single her whole life, and JW, someone to settle with if he got sick enough of his loneliness. Both not a positive development in a drama like HosPlay, however, given what had come before.

So, I still expect a JW/IS pairing by the end.

Not sure whether the long explanation below will help, but anyhow:

Park Il-Do as the name of a “real person” (on the show) was shown to be an outcast from a rich family influential during the period of Japanese occupation of the Korean Peninsula. The Park family continued to be powerful (and wealthy) post-war period, and Park Hong Joo was the grandniece of Park Il-Do.

It was said that Park Il-Do was an eccentric man who got stranger after returning from his studies in Japan, and went on to kill (without reason) the servants serving his family. However, it was his act of murdering a cousin which had him exiled from the family to Gyeyangjin, where he proceeded to kill his own son and wife, then stabbed his own right eye out, and committed suicide by wading into the ocean. He wanted to become a “powerful spirit/demon”, and his actions (murders etc) were supposed to allow him to become one.

The first person PID possessed after becoming a spirit was his ex-driver, a Mr Lee.

It was said PID will come from the East Sea and possess people when human society and individuals become especially corrupt.

However, by the end of the show, PID turned out to just be another human possessed by an even greater entity, which then called itself PID. So, that entity’s real name was not PID, but something else.

Thematically, that entity was alluded to be the “ultimate evil” (the devil, as understood from the concepts/dogma as utilised in certain monotheistic religions).

She was never possessed in the first place.

I think S2 is “better” so far, in terms of what the team said they wanted to achieve, the themes and depth.

I am those who appreciate that there is more than one thing to like about a show. Not everyone is a WG, Bidulgi, IkSong, GomGom etc fan, but there is something for many, and I consider characters/relationships well written if I can care about them even without being a fan.

Yes, very true.

However, I love The Guest for the characters and relationships, so it did not really matter to me if the mystery, thrill or suspense were lost, as those elements were not the main reasons for my obsession with the show. 🤪

The emotional beats and dynamics (and visuals) were what kept me hooked, and those still remained. 😉

As someone who has rewatched this (mostly segments and certain scenes) and yet found the initial viewing more than harrowing (not a fan of horror, thriller or gore), I can say that by now, the gore and horror had lost most of their impact. The sadness, heartbreak and love still remain, however.

Perhaps because some is speculating about Ik Sun cheating or omitting to tell Jun Wan for some “nefarious” purposes? Some are piling on Ik Sun.

I think some are forgetting she is written to be performed that way.

Could be some are putting that assumption (gay male friend) forward because that reason can be one way of diffusing the issue without extra drama for Jun Wan and Ik Sun? Speculation on my part too.

Am only at Ep 17, but this was a truly an amazingly written, directed and performed show. And so nostalgic, but in all the best ways. A true masterpiece (so far). Can’t wait to see how it will unfold further and the ending, though I expect tears and some major deaths, and our main protagonist will not get his personal HE. 😭😢

If there is one thing I am sure about, it’s that the issue will be settled without major trauma for them. So far, this is just not that kind of show.

Similar to that issue with the returned ring at the end of S1. I never really doubted it was caused by some minor misunderstanding easily cleared up.

More and more, I think the drama is outside of the show more than inside it (barring the stories of patients and the attendant life-and-death issues etc related to a hospital).

I am in agreement with you.

While, yes, Ik Sun might seem to have omitted an important point, I am not sure it was intentional. Highly likely it never crossed her mind, especially for someone who is used to having lots of close male friends.

I get that Ik Sun could be more sensitive to Jun Wan, but Jun Wan definitely needs to be more open about his feelings, especially the negative ones. It raised lots of red flags for me, Jun Wan’s repressing his own feelings in order to be more supportive and mature for Ik Sun. I doubt she wanted that.

I also think one needs to be cognizant of their age, stage in life, experiences and personalities.

Well, I am glad the next episode will confront these issues for Jun Wan, though, so I expect things will be somewhat better for him by the end of Ep 4.

I think we might be having more drama in the comment section than the show itself. LOL.

Like you, I think a wedding is far likelier than a breakup at this point.

His clinginess now is totally predictable, though. He is generally an affectionate and caring person, as evidenced by his interactions with his close friends and patients.

In Season 1, he was so cold because he was in denial about his own feelings and still hoping to stick to his childhood dream of being a priest. Now? His inner child and octopus nature were allowed to shine and become attached to that object of desire, Dr Jang.

But the other couples are certainly more fascinating this season precisely because there are still uncertainties as to their final outcome.

Yes, Ik Sun is used to having mostly male colleagues and friends. Her best friend is also Dr Ahn Chi Hong. This was likely just a plot point to cause temporary insecurity and to push the two of them to communicate better. Furthermore, that friend could turn out to be someone not at all interested in women. Problem solved.

I already guessed that might be the case, but at the same time, Ik Sun had mostly male friends, and even her best friend was a male, Dr Ahn Chi Hong. So, while it was not a surprising development and perhaps supposed to make Jun Wan a bit insecure, I doubt it will be anything too serious by the end.

They are already in their forties (with mature personalities in general), and this is simply not those type of show. Jun Wan simply need to open up and be more honest about his feelings. He needs to communicate more too.

I though they might, at first, but after the developments in Ep3 I also doubted they will drag out IkSong. The “slow burn” this time is most likely GomGom.

You said it perfectly. Only some one like Dr Chu can pull YSH out of his preferred solitary shell. YSH is by all accounts a good person and man, and since Dr Chu did have an understanding of how he is and his personality, I do trust they will make a fine couple, and Dr Chu will be treated well.

(My heart did go out to Min Ha during the first episode. Those scenes in the snow were superb).

And given the kind of story/show this is, as well as writer-nim’s track record of giving her female characters who they want, I am confident things will end well.

So, am simply kicking back and enjoying the show.

When the ex made an appearance, I got the good feeling that the GomGom ship will definitely sail. All clues point to that end, but when, that’s debatable.

I think they were married for about a year (“arranged” marriage), and the ex-wife asked for the divorce, if I recall correctly. No details were given, but the early episodes of S2 resolved the emotional baggage somewhat for YSH and the viewers. He was not there for the ex at a difficult time, and he felt responsible for that. They divorced, he continued to be shadowed by that, but had largely moved on by now.

I don’t think the writers intended to go deep into the reasons wherewithal as this is after all not a romance/melo drama , and SH is not the only character to be focused on.

I really enjoyed the romances in the show, but I don’t think they will be focused much on, at all, and am totally fine it it. I don’t need the details, bolts and screws on all the relationships. Those are not what this show is about, and should not be given prominence at the expense of other stories.

Thank you for the informative reply.

Yes, CDrama production values have increased in leaps and bounds in recent years, and even before this, they always have their specialty (and lead) in certain niches (Wuxia, Asian fantasy, historical etc) where other entertainment industries could not compare with.

Yes, it can’t be denied that good dubs would be better than some badly performed acting (voice included), and voice actors are gems.

I highly doubt dubbing will ever go away because it does have a major role to play in many aspects of making a show, and given the climate in the CEnt world and the policies shaping it, dubbing will remain dominant.

I just hope they do a much better job at it, and allow more non-dub shows/works as well (including having more actresses/actors dub their own work).

Many thanks, again, for the lovely article, and hope you will continue to enjoy the plentiful CDramas around.

I think we can rest assured it is not going to happen, not for long, anyhow. This is slice-of-life, and ShinLee, not Makjang, thankfully. (Not implying anything is wrong with Makjang, since many people love that as well).

Succinctly stated, thank you. Still, Dr Jang was and remained one of the BIGGEST reasons. 😄