Haha, I don't even completely agree and I still appreciate it.

LOL yeah, I totally loved the last sentence.

thank you for this comment. people view things differently so i'm one of those people who see this story more on the positives than the negatives.

i dont argue when people express frustration and anger on the female character's annoying habits. it's not something to be proud of. but like you said, and i do wish, viewers could still look at the story as a whole on a different angle.

Thank you so much for this comment. I am not watching PK because I watched ISWAK and TKA faithfully. But I love reading the recaps and the comments on dramabeans. I have a love hate relationship with the comments section because though the korean version is cute and all that, it upset me that there was severe bashing of the taiwanese version(which I adored). I feel that the TW version had a soul and Ariel had succeeded in portraying the naivety and indecisiveness of Xiang Qin so perfectly.

And the emotional development of Zhi Shu and the way he begins to respect Xiang Qin was clearly shown. Ex: the scene in TKA when she drives her pregnant friend to the hospital, the way zhishu worries for her and realizes that she has that Life's grace for being so single minded and determined about what she wants. He admires her in that scene.

I ranted off too much. I know many people here hate the TW version but had you watched it with an open mind you would have seen that it is more soulful compared to the korean version which is merely fluff. Not that I hate the korean version. I was in fact happy that Hani had so much backbone till this ep happened. :( Well, it doesnt matter, I love both versions. And thanks for saying good things about the TW version.

@ Aprana

Yes, I totally agree! I think what is essentially lost in the korean version (and say this having only seen the first 2 episodes) is that the heroine is not as silly, clueless and unsexy as she's in ISWAK and the hero is not cold-hearted and emotionally unresponsive as in the taiwanese version, which is the CORE of the tension of the drama. If you remove that aspect from the drama, what is left? Just some girl who doesn't have perfect grades falling in love with a guy who still hasn't hit "puberty" and hasn't grown up yet? What's exciting about that?
The taiwanese version is more extreme but that is also the point! That is the heart of the drama, seeing that jerk Zhi Shu struggle against falling for adorable, kind-hearted, completely clueless and incompetent Xiang Qing. Yes she did love him too much, but is she really weak? I think she's quite strong to be able to love someone like that and endure so much with utmost devotion. Yes, in individualistic country like US those kind of things are frowned upon, here your career and inner strength is more important than anything else but I think for China and Taiwan family values take priority. Personally I acceept and loved Xiang Qin the way she is. She's a person I would want to have as my family or a friend, and that's all that matters to me.

honestly, the plot is so simple that it could have been made up by any teenager.. i guess the refreshing part of it is that it speaks true for most girls in the world, where they think 'if you try hard enough, it might be possible." who wouldn't dream one way or another of being with someone unattainable? in OHN's case he is just sooo near. The setup was very inevitable, two people caught up in almost all scenario?? it's like rubbing two stones, and you get fire!!! most parts of the show, i either shut my eyes, close my ears or pause the video because of aggravation on OHN' actions, but heheheh in the end i laugh at it. so ridiculous but makes you think,,, does it work???

Oh, yeah, i completely agree about being able to stand on your own. I really, really do, completely agree.

May be what's unhealthy for you, is healthy for some people...

Just something to think about...

DUDE. So true. So, so true, and no matter what choices people can make (and there are lots of them), this is the important critique of Ha-ni's reaction right here. If she is entirely dependent on someone else to create meaning for her, then... Who is the person inside her skin, after all?

What line?
Who draw the line anyway?
You? Then it's your line of course...
May be for some the line is an inch/ feet further...

It is actually a strong one. Substitute BSJ with religion, politics, or any other "worthy" cause and I wonder if people would be so up in arms about her devotion. She is devoted, despite the odds. It rubs me the wrong way but I am not going to downplay that aspect of it. Most people would have given up, but we live in a throw away world where even "till death do you part" means "until I get sick of it". The real question is is love greater than pride? Is pride greater than your promise of lifetime commitment? How many people really have that much devotion and understanding inside of them? How many people wouldn't want to be loved that way?

Exactly. I'm not going to say BSJ is abusive, and I don't think being a housewife is a stupid or lesser choice than having a career. BUT:

@acidlimp: i think the problem is not that she is devoted to Seunjo - there are many devoted characters out there who hold on despite the odds, but still look after themselves in the process.

You asked the question 'is love greater than pride?' I would contend that pride is not the issue here - self respect and personal responsibility is. It is 'pride', 'love' and duty that keeps millions of women (and men) in abusive relationships. Certainly, Oh Ha-ni is not in a physically abusive relationship right now, but people change. The fact is, this story seems to be telling people that valuing another person more than yourself is healthy, and awesome, so it doesn't matter what they do to you, or what you have to give up, as long as its for true love, or whatever.

Not every 'out of reach' guy is a Baek Seungjo - some of them are severely troubled and abusive - what sort of message is this story sending to women who are deeply in love with these men, in real life? That if they ignore the abuse they recieve, one day they will be happy?

Placing yourself at the whim of another is an entirely dangerous thing to do. I would say that it is possible to be devoted (even if you so wished, an adoring housewife) to another person, without having that person define your life.

@Eleven11 A lot religions preach that valuing others, or god, above yourself is awesome and great. Why is that acceptable above valuing another person the same way? How is she neglecting herself in favor of BSJ other than him not treating her like she wants? The fact that she wants him to treat her better is a good indication that she does have self-respect.

If someone is deeply in love very little is going to sway them off the course. Loving someone defines your life period, and you don't even have to go to Hani's extreme. Loving someone does not mean that they love you back or even treat you well. If this wasn't true on an almost universal level, country music writers would be out of business.

I'm always curious why people get so upset about "the message" that shows like these are sending. This is a fictional story of one couple. If someone can turn on the television or computer to watch this story then they have already been exposed to countless messages with opposite theories and ideologies. Abuse happened long before TV and will continue to happen no matter what pictures flicker on the screen.

felt like i had to say my piece...

the thing is, seung jo is not an unredeemable person.

see how he smiles at his little brother,
or how he relents and helps out the class of students.

if he was an alcoholic abusive, or physically violent, or any one of those variants,
then i would say, run as fast as you can and don't look back.

but, seung jo is a guy who just doesn't seem to be able to express his feelings well (manifesting in a pretty mean tongue), and who views life in a mathematical, logical way.

and i guess, for a genius as he is, maybe it would have been TOO much of a stretch if he was also emotionally-well-balanced as well.

Beneath this though, lies a warm heart, but it needs someone to bring out and manifest, so that the warmness of his heart can complement the excellence of his brain, and hence utilize his intellectual skills for something that can benefit a lot more people.

his parents are worried for him as well. And i think his mother instinctively knew that hani was the person to bring about the 'redemption' in her son, something that nobody else could.

hani's character is what seung jo needs to marry his brain with his heart. And why i also agree with hani that he would be so much better/more beneficial as a doctor than developing computer games (sorry to all computer game afficiados ^^)

call hani pathetic or an insult to feminism, but her type of character is what drives his growth, just as he propels her to want to develop herself further.

it's sadomasochistic undoubtedly, and i also wish that he would at least be more careful with his choice of words, but somehow, for both of them who are both extremist in their own ways, it works.

and when he becomes a doctor and really helps save so many lives, hani is also his helpmate to make it happen.

maybe most of us would not want to put up with the 'meaness', but then again, a potential doc seungjo out there would have been lost to the world.
and if it takes an oh hani-esque person to redeem him, and that is her life goal, then that is perhaps her destiny.

so to me, this story is about redemption and growth and bringing about betterment of life, ideals. And how it took such a girl as this to bring that about.

@ Acidimp

This post is crazy long because you brought up some pretty heavy points.

I really hesitate to bring religion/politics/whatever into this, because it is such a complex thing. The key difference for me though, between loving another person more than yourself, and loving a god more than yourself, would be that a god is essentially an ideaology. There are usually set rules and doctrines about this ideaology set within an institution. Essentially, the ins and outs of loving this god are set down for you to read before you start to love the god more than yourself. You know what you're getting into, so to speak. I would also argue that this can also be dangerous, in its own way, but I think that would be getting off topic.

With loving a person, however, you do not have the same insight as to what you are getting into. Loving someone is a leap of faith. You put yourself out there in the hopes your feelings will be returned, and you can never hope to know every crevasse of a person's heart. People are constantly changing and developing - there is no disclaimer you can read that will tell you of the problems that may arise in a relationship with another person. The decision to enter into (or stay in) a relationship with someone you love, should therefore be made very seriously, with regard to the well being of both the other person AND yourself.

As for the 'love defines your life' thing, I think this is where you and I have very different ideas about what love is, and may mean we won't ever agree. I think love is hugely important, but nothing solely 'defines' my life. My life is defined by a myriad of different things - love for my family, friends, self, boyfriend, pets, studies, cheese etc. Sure these thing are all important in different ways and to different extents, but to say that love for my boyfriend means that they are no longer anything to be would be very wrong.

I'm writing such a huge comment, but I'll say one more thing on this topic - healthy relationships are based on more than love. You need compatability, mutual respect, timing, means, etc.

In terms of the 'why do people care about the message?' aspect of your post, the messages we receive from all around us inevitably shape our views. We are not brought up in a cultural vacuum, our ideas and beliefs didn't spring from nowhere. Saying that something does not matter because it is fiction is ridiculous. Fiction conveys ideas and ideas change peoples lives. It is important to identify what sort of ideas are being conveyed in pop culture so we can have conversations like this and decide whether we will be influenced by them or not.

I'll stop writing here because I suspect this reply is ridiculously long, and I have to go to uni. I hope I conveyed my beliefs well enough. Sorry for the wall of text, everyone!

Not to get too religious or serious but:

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love isn't about being loved in return. :)

Word.

If I remember the past episodes, many times Hani realized that she is pathetic enough to follow Seong Jo and determined to forget him. She did try her best many times but it is Seong Jo's actions that made her melt and keep persevering with SJ. Even though he confused her sometimes, she has faith that SJ is more than what he shows outside and his actions tells that. I don't think Hani is stupid enough to not see even slightly, that SJ is changing. HE IS NOT TAKEN HER FOR GRANTED. He is appreciating her in his own way he knows. eg: SJ didn't complain a word about Hani's cooking and ate it, the smiles and simple gestures that he shows which bring her to giddiness,eg:commeded her effort after exams and tennis practice. And so much more even though they are subtle actions, Hani felt them. And for her, it's enough to be happy as long as she is with Seong jo. Seong jo completes her, made her try harder to accomplish things which she could not even imagine, eg:get to top 50, learned tennis. Other people didn't believe in her but her determination, with inspiration from Seong Jo, she achieve lots and she will achieve more because of Seong Jo.

Eleven11 I brought it up to make a point because it is such a passionate and personal belief and one that is not easily influenced or swayed...very much like love. Religion is more widely practiced and accepted but it does not mean it is correct or even steady. You are right, I don't want to get into a religious debate. My point is that both religion and love require a huge leap of faith. Relgiion may be well documented but it is documented by others, not your own personal experiences or emotion, therefore the effects of devoting yourself solely are just as mysterious. Suicides, murder, war, persecution, fanaticism...all of these were results of mindless devotion to the so-called well documented idealogoy.

(Just on a personal note I find it disturbing that people are more willing to love an idea or a belief more than the people those beliefs are supposed to uplift. Isn't that where all the trouble starts? Aren't we all god, aren't we all the universe...are we not all supposed to the divine mixture of good and evil?)

You are right about the defining life thing, I should have used a better word. Influence or shape but not totally define. ;) I disagree with the messages shaping our lives bit though. We receive all sorts of conflicting and erroneous messages if they all shaped our lives we would be a hot mess. Instead, we choose what shapes our lives based on our inner foundation. The power to shape is all a part of what we choose to believe and what we choose to discard so it's not accurate to blame the messenger or the message.

Mine is long too...oops sorry. :D

And that's why it's off putting to some. Because the script of PK relies heavily on the Japanese turn of events.

I was just reading, some sort of article on how Korean women, and subsequently men, are getting married later because the women want to have a career first. With this thought as I viewed this episode, I was already anticipating the backlash because of the "living for another" ideal.

Not bashing post-feminism, but it's true, we women feel entitlement of our own freedoms and decisions. Something Hani, right now, is not exhibiting. And I can presume will not happen if this drama does continues to draw upon the original manga.

Yeah, I hope so too :) Seriously, if they diverged and offered Ha Ni's character some independence and growth, she would be awesome.

@ Hannah 10:28 am

Plus I love her (non-topknot) hair! And it just occurred to me---wouldn't it be REALLY FUNNY if all this were a meta In-Yo-Face to KHJ fangirlism?! um... *blushes* =^_^=

Again,
Thank you...
Finally someone with senses as I do ^^

Gosh, V! I agree with you!!!! Hahah, loving it when finding someone with a similar mind. Hahah (and I've been refreshing this pages so much, and re-checking the new comments each time, LOL)

Agreed

Exactly...

"If we look at this, then who is to say that Hani will not become serious about nursing… she might have started it to be of help to seungjo but hardworking as she is, she would give her all for nursing like duckie does with cooking."

Wouldn't it mean more, in a piece of fiction that little girls will no doubt idolize, if we didn't need to bank on the what ifs because we understood that the heroine is capable enough to use her mind for herself?

As of now, basing it on what they've given us, we don't really get that impression. So speculation doesn't mean a lot.

And, okay. It's not like Seung Jo is just her motivation to do something worthwhile. It's more like she'll just do whatever Seung Jo wants, just to be with him. That gives the corrolary message that girls should give up everything in a 'pure' love so that they can be considered worthwhile. Also, that it is enough to not want anything but to please a man. Isn't that squicky? Oh, and to deny the male/female division in fiction is just willful ignorance. It exists.

Also before people get mad, I actually like PK. It's really cute. I just personally also happen to find it, in some ways, pretty offensive. Just my opinion, you're free to disagree, etc. etc.

*It’s more like she’ll just do whatever Seung Jo wants, just to be with him. That gives the corrolary message that girls should give up everything in a ‘pure’ love so that they can be considered worthwhile. Also, that it is enough to not want anything but to please a man. Isn’t that squicky?*

Ok I get ur point but SJ doesn't want her to do as he wants her. For most things, she has done it without his consent. She decided on her dreams on her own. And what she's doing isn't because solely to please him, but to please herself too, to help, to be there, to share his ups and downs. Isn't normal for us to help when we see someone is in trouble. In OHN case that someone is who she deeply in love with. So it's abnormal, now? Why?

*Oh, and to deny the male/female division in fiction is just willful ignorance. It exists.*

Willful ignorance? huh... That is the kind of perception I want to diminish.

sorry... quick reply cuz it might turn into a rant but i think we're dramatizing this a bit... i dont think becoming a nurse equates to giving up everything for love... it's not as if she wants to sell drugs or something... it's more like improving yourself because of love for the one that you love.

"For most things, she has done it without his consent. She decided on her dreams on her own."

Hm, but I think the lack of choice (implicating identity) is the very issue. She completely gives up her choices to Seung Jo so far as she says she'll just follow him blindly. I'll concede that she has agency enough to follow her dream - but then when her dream is only to give up her agency to him, it's really not that admirable.

"it’s more like improving yourself because of love for the one that you love."

She's not simply improving herself, she's moulding herself entirely to his whims. According to what she says right now, anyway - we'll see how that goes.

Haha. I'm just going to agree to disagree. I don't think anybody is really going to change anybody else's perception, and that's okay! It was fun debating. :)

I agree completely.

You really put that awesomely. I've seen abusive relationships in many different forms and although this is nowhere near the extremity, it's still there. And that scares me, that people think it's okay to devote her life to him (like he is a god) and be in this slightly manipulative relationship.

But at the end of the day, she is ashamed and she isn't happy about it, because it's not the best situation for her to love a guy so much when he doesn't love her back (or at least acts in such ways.

So what if it doesn't okay?

What is okay, anyway?
Let me rephrase, what is normal anyway? Who sets the bar? We the public. We see. We judged. If something is beyond the ordinary; If something really bothers us; If something goes not according to our expectations or set of values; What would we do? We singled them out. We punished them. We called them names.

Looks like you never going to be satisfying with anything, but that's life.

We can go at it again and again, but no matter what you seems want to take this negatively. I on the other hand see things in a positive tune. That's why it never ends.

For once in a while. I really want to see the world in the eyes of the children. Sometimes being an adult really tires me down with all the responsibility, complex, tension, problems, issues, etc etc... sigh never-ending

"Ah What is normal anyway?"

Nice. I heard you. Another possible definition is that "a normal" is someone who conforms to the predominant behavior in a society. This can be from various reasons such as simple imitative behavior, deliberate or inconsistent acceptance of society's standards, fear of humiliation or rejection etc...

Its too soon to judge things. And even if it doesn't add up to your standard of a healthy relationship, others may see it differently.

The level of tolerance that you have probably too low for you to accept such different/ abnormality in values that you believe in so strongly. Just don't take things so negatively, try to see things in a lighter mood. You may find it differently. If not then, I just accept you for who you are. And in return, just accept them for who they are, no matter how different they seem.

Isn't it good to be a giver, once in a while?

You know, f you for telling me that I'll never be satisfied anon, you dont know me. I don't expect him to be some lovey dovey guy, I do expect him to show her some f'in respect and for her to WANT RESPECT from him.

Is it so wrong to want equal RESPECT in friendships/relationships. He constantly makes her feel like shit, constantly reminding her that she's dumb and annoying. And yeah he's changing, and I see that, but for her never to hold him accountable for the way he mistreats is is wrong. For her to stand there and just take all his jerkiness and you treat her like some martyr, it's not okay.

And damn right, I'm not going to sugar coat this, because what you are doing is IGNORING all the shit going on. I love the character HaNi and until now, I was all for her feelings for him, because I felt that she was growing to, and maybe would realize that he needed to treat her better. Being in love with someone, wanting to put them first never makes it okay for them to treat you badly

And don't tell me he doesn't treat her badly, he makes her feel bad all the time.

@Nameless: again, this is not so much the fact that he is not some lovey dovey guy, but the fact that he can make her feel bad about things. Whether or not his behavior is normal is not really the case here, whether or not he shows enough respect for her is the case, and whether or not she should demand respect. And what is with me being told that I'm not okay with abnormality. Don't call being a jerk just not being normal, whoever you are, whatever you prefer, you always have to respect your partner, you respect your friends and family. This makes for healthy relationships and I won't ignore the lack of respect here.

Wew...

@ Nancy why the needs to do name calling here? Did I push your button or something... if so I apologize...

Let me rephrase again, human can never be satisfied, always, I mean always wanting something more... including me... Yes, I also can never be satisfied. That is a basic human flaw.

There I said my peace... be civilized when speaking your mind. And when others don't seem to look your way, don't be so defensive about it. It's just going to show how weak you're... hmm again I think I may push your button... so again.. sorry...

And that's just prove to me how tolerate you're...

10 year old can play a manipulative game? Wo...

Anyway, as I see it, you seem to judge them too soon, the story hasn't unfolded yet, there are 4 more episodes to go, and probably BSJ is not your favourite typical perfect hero of the day. But that's what it represent. That for every person to have flaws, and that flaws can be improved, if you give it a chance.

Mean? I didn't find his meanness to be so troubling. Perhaps I have a different level of tolerance than you. That's what makes it harder for you to accept. What makes it poisonous for you may not be so for some people.

I guess I don't expect the writers to really have them change enough in a span of 4 episodes, but I should know better.

I'm not saying 10 year olds play manipulatively, I'm saying he is acting like a 10 year old in love (being mean, etc) and are taking it to this adult level which is very odd. And poisonous is probably a bit strong, but in terms of tolerance, what's so wrong with not wanting to tolerate a guy who is just mostly mean to me. I guess because I've been taught to be a woman who never lets anyone make her feel bad. To you it might seem like I'm some person with no tolerance, but to a Hispanic woman like me who sees her sisters of color being put down every day, I don't appreciate any woman being put down by the person she loves, she deserves more than that.

I understand that this was written in Japan a couple of years ago, but this is a website that obviously contains a lot of americans, some who are not white, so like me, I will criticize in how it fits with my view of the world.

Oh that's why you're so defensive. I didn't see you as intolerant person, I say that we have a different level; perhaps I'm on level 6 you may be lower. That's why your perception varies from others, from myself...

Anyway, I'm a coloured person myself. And I've seen also people getting bad treatment from the ones they love. When I mean bad treatment, I mean it's really bad that is beyond redeemable. But this story is not all about that...

BSJ is someone who is redeemable. You mention that he always treats her bad. How come? Did he not change a lot because of her. He used to make fun of her, I mean a lot. Compare to the very first time they met. Now he actually listen to what she has to say. Did he mock her? No, he encourages her instead. When OHN made all those horrible dishes, did he angry at her? No, he ate them without any comment. So what part of bad treatment is that? Where does him being mean in here? Still not giving him a chance? He is just about to start. So don't urge him to stop. Root for him instead, so that OHN will get the man that we all hope she deserves.