Reviews

Sometimes Love Arrives Too Late, Episode 5 Hit Me So Hard

At the beginning of Episode 5, I thought I was going to get something sweet and beautiful.Imagine the person you have quietly loved for so long finally asks you on a date. To the aquarium. You have never been to one before, so you become determined to make it special. You spend countless hours studying everything you can about sea life. You learn the ages of the turtles, the strange little garden eels, the jellyfish that are 95% water and have no brains or emotions, and the penguins whose complicated relationships somehow involve cheating and affairs. You learn all of it, not because you suddenly love marine biology, but because you want to impress the person you love. You even buy a matching pair of pens, something small and ordinary, but precious because it belongs to both of you. And for a moment, it feels like maybe this is finally becoming something real.When Takoi holds Shiono's hand, they both feel the weight of that moment. But love is never experienced in the same way by everyone watching. In a society where same sex relationships can still be judged, even something as innocent as holding someone's hand can become something frightening. Even at the police station, Takoi denies that the matching pen came from Shiono. He says someone else gave it to him. Shiono hears him. The words are quiet, almost unbearable to hear, but what comes next hurts even more.At the bar, his friends tease Takoi about going to the aquarium on a date with another man. Cornered by their questions and the pressure surrounding him, Takoi says that he only asked Shiono out because he looked lonely. He says he would never date a man. He says he is not a creep. Perhaps he was frightened. Perhaps he was embarrassed. Perhaps he had never been in this situation before and simply did not know how to face the eyes of society. Perhaps he did not mean any of it. But sometimes, words do not need to be meant to destroy something. They only need to be heard by the person who loves you.Shiono hears everything. Takoi does not realise that he is standing outside, listening. He does not realise that every word is breaking the heart of the person who had spent so much time learning about the ocean just to have something to talk about with him. So Shiono quietly walks away, alone, into the cold and darkness, drinking by himself while carrying a heartbreak that Takoi does not even know he has caused.Takoi apologises, and perhaps he truly was under pressure. Perhaps he was scared. Perhaps he had never experienced feelings like this before. Perhaps he was simply trying to protect himself from a world that still tells people who they are allowed to love. But apologies cannot always undo what has already been heard. Shiono tells him that he does not care what people think of him, but that does not mean the words did not hurt. Because it was not society that said those things to him. It was Takoi. The person he loved.And then Shiono says something that makes everything even more heartbreaking. The timing is perfect. He is transferring. Maybe this is what love sometimes is. We spend so much time worrying about what people will think, what society will say, what we are supposed to be, and what we are supposed to feel. And while we are looking everywhere else, we fail to see the person standing right in front of us. Until they are gone. And only then do we realise how much space they occupied in our hearts.Maybe gender never mattered. Maybe society never mattered. Maybe all the fear, all the expectations and all the judgement were never as important as we believed. Because when the person you love walks away, the only thing left is your heart asking the question you should have answered long ago. Why did I let the world become more important than you?

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What a showdown!

Sumin seems way more crazy than I imagined and I am afraid she might turn into a killer eventually. That woman doesn't care about anything other than ruining Jiwon's life. It's almost like an obsession! 🫣Jiwon's such a queen — milking Minhwan dry and then slamming him into the ground just like that! And in front of his own mother! Bravo, girl! And her plan to make his mother dislike her right from the very first second they met was so clever. Loved every bit of it! 👏😏Could Ms Yang's stomachache mean she's the one with Jiwon's illness now? Oh, no! 😟Also... I kind of ship her and Mr Lee. Her husband is yet another trash-of-a-man who doesn't deserve her, nor their daughter. 😤And Jihyuk... a man who doesn't like cats likes a cat who doesn't like people, and the cat likes him in return... Poetically beautiful! 🥰 And he even ensured he's taken care of after he's dead... aww 🥹

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why the hell that ending scene in the preview…

why the hell that ending scene in the preview gave me a foreboding vibe??? i hope i am wrong & that was just some added spice for the finale, cause ima be majorly p*ssed if the mains don't get a happily ever after, after all the emotional turmoil's they've been through. they deserve to be happy, as much as Naoya's father deserves to suffer. i was so freakin happy that Naoya told Takaaki "gave him an order" to take his father down. as was annoyed when he held him back (a few eps back) but am happy that Naoya realized that kind, polite words wont get through to his father. he understands only power & deserves to be pushed back on, so hard it hurts. maybe then he might let Naoya live in peace.

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shouldn't be shocked the new rat is connected…

shouldn't be shocked the new rat is connected to Naoya's father - like of course. he treats the people around him like dirt, so i am happy that Naoya stood-up to him. would've loved if he humiliated him, but that wouldn't go in an Asian made drama/movie - no matter how bad a parent is, the child has no right to stand up to them, they can point out their faults but they need to do so while bowing in gratitude forever. frustrating to watch but it is what it is, ironically Naoya's father will never learn from his mistakes & think maybe he should mend his ways, if anything in his eyes he wasn't strict enough & will only think up new ways of how to break Naoya. kinda sad. feel sad for his other son too - but he is old enough to realize that a life under his father's thumb is hell on earth. hope he comes to this conclusion sooner rather then later.

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Naoya was finally blossoming in this ep, he…

Naoya was finally blossoming in this ep, he stopped doubting himself & knew what he wanted - the full time job & admitting to Takaaki that he wanted to be with him, as much as Takaaki wanted him - that it was mutual. even going to Takaaki's place was a step forward into stabilizing or normalizing their relationship - which was never really defined. this is the security he needs as much as Takaaki needed it too. but then we got the preview & see that it isn't gonna be smooth sailing, not for Naoya. but i assumed any hurdle's he would now need to over come would be cause of his family & his father. idk who the guy was getting handsy with Naoya, just hope Naoya can handle the situation & him.

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xiao qi

so he wasn't even in this episode that much - but this 10/10 is for him. everyone else is a scum bag - and we clearly witness the complete and total downfall of count suyi - previously general song. well... a good reminder that men have choices and if they do not work to overcome the shadow within, it will devour them. xiao qi remains the truly decent man among them all - and far better than his princess. i know her tolerance and respect for life is the "right" thing, but she is so obsessive with it, the character trait is borderline psychotic. almost unbelievable in a way. oddly, the purity is xiao qi IS believable? now that is something interesting that i should study. is this my own delusionary daydream speaking? bottom line: after a pathetic few epsidoes in rise of the phoenixes where everyone was crying and being a moppy rag doll, the grit , determination and resolve of the characters in the rebel princess are indeed refreshing.

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guess was wrong about Naoya's sibling…

guess was wrong about Naoya's sibling & he was as oppressed in that house as Naoya, think cause his mother was still around & from what we heard she was as mean to oppressed as his father, so thought his brother would've been treated differently & grown up to be a spoilt brat. guess that father treats everyone the same - like garbage. also understanding that the reason he was treating Naoya the way he did was cause he really wanted to break him so much so Naoya would bow & break his own free will offering the reins to his body & soul to his father is kinda diabolical. happy that even though i considered Naoya to be too soft, he turned out to be harder then i thought given the fact that no matter what his father did to him & how broken he was he didn't do the one thing his father wanted - he never gave up his freedom & bowed to his father. **********************************Naoya's co-workers r really great & i love how much they have come to care & worry about him in such a short time (as he just started working there) but i find ridiculous how far the Japanese have taken costumer service, the "costumer is always right" is on steroids here & i don't get how verbally abusing the staff while they bow & smile is acceptable - mind boggling.

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