Persevere, Gu Hae-ra: Episode 4
by javabeans
This show makes me feel so many emoooootions, it’s great. It’s settled into its rhythm now—feel-good with a touch of melancholy—as the camaraderie really starts to come together, and it’s such fun to watch this diverse mix of personalities gel into a team, one where every character feels real and heartfelt. The drama isn’t quite as bubbly as it was at the outset, but it’s thankfully also not completely moody either (and in fact has a lot of laugh-out-loud, good-natured comedy). The show feels like Monstar but with more purpose and focus, which is wonderful because I loved Monstar until it lost its way and kind of meandered to a weak finish. Gu Hae-ra has what I loved about that show, minus what I didn’t. Win-win?
SONG OF THE DAY
Ulala Session – “Family” from the Persevere, Gu Hae-ra OST [ Download ]
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EPISODE 4: “You Came Back to Me”
Se-jong walks home at night. As soon as he steps inside the door, he sees Hae-ra throwing her arms around the new guy who bears his twin’s face, and the two guys catch each other’s eyes in a mini-stare-down.
Then we’re back at the fight in the alley, where Se-chan’s doppelganger is knocked out by pickpockets. All goes black, and sometime later they’re at the police station, where the moms arrive and fuss over Hae-ra. Jaws drop when the new guy turns to greet them, introducing himself as Ray Kim Hanson.
They take Ray home to hear the story, and he explains that when Henry sent him that photo of Se-chan three years ago from the Superstar K auditions, he was so shocked that he had to come to Korea.
Mom seems to understand immediately what’s going on, and her mind flashes back to December of 1989: She’s very pregnant when she arrives at the single mothers’ center, and gives birth to Se-jong. An employee brings another baby to her for help nursing it, because while his elder twin was adopted to the U.S. right away, the younger twin wasn’t taken because he fell ill. His birth mother died soon after childbirth, and so Mom took in Se-chan as her own.
Ray is saddened to have come too late to meet his brother, and Mom assures him that Se-chan grew up well. She treats Ray with cool civility, telling him to go back home; I guess it must be too painful having him around. But Ray heard about Se-chan’s bucket list from Henry and wants to see it. Since he has no place to go, Mom agrees to put him up until he returns to the States.
The Impact idols practice hard, and are peeved when Se-jong says he has to miss rehearsal tomorrow for a personal reason. Their reaction doesn’t change his mind, though, and he promises to get his part down perfect for the next rehearsal.
Hae-ra gets a temporary gig playing music at a dance studio, and the dancers ask her to play anything while they warm up. (They’re dancers from Mnet’s dancing survival show Dancing 9, Choi Soo-jin and Lee Seon-tae.) Hae-ra picks Lim Ki-hoon’s “The Day We Met,” a song she used to sing with Se-chan; it’s also the song that Ray watches his twin singing in one of the video clips Se-chan recorded. The two scenes form a sort of duet-from-the-beyond, separate but together, and Hae-ra cries a little as she finishes.
The next day is Se-jong’s birthday, and Hae-ra helps his mother prepare dinner. He exchanges a shy greeting with Hae-ra, then notices his mother setting an extra place at the table. Who’s coming?
Mom and Hae-ra exchange looks before they bring out the visitor. Gah, you couldn’t give a guy a little warning? Se-jong looks up in astonishment at Ray, and struggles to process as his mother tells him that Se-chan is still her son and his brother—but he’s also Ray’s brother. Se-jong says bitterly, “So I’m not his real brother, and he is?”
Hae-ra explains that Ray came all this way to see that bucket list, and that just adds to the hurt. “That bucket list—I was the only one who didn’t know,” Se-jong says. He excuses himself angrily.
Ray just sits there quietly, and Mom asks him to understand Se-jong’s shock. When she asks when he’s flying back to the U.S., he asks for a favor—there’s something he wants to do for Se-chan first.
Hae-ra chases Se-jong out, and he turns on her angrily. How could she keep the bucket list from him? “I’m his brother!” he says, not some stranger who comes out of nowhere. If anybody had the right to know about Se-chan’s list or to do anything about it, it was him. “You lied to me,” he accuses.
Hae-ra turns that right around on him—he lied to her about taking Se-chan’s place in the idol contract. He’s stunned that she knows, while she exclaims that she could have hated him her whole life because of it. “Was your reply to my confession also a lie?” she adds.
He avoids a direct answer, saying just that it’s not important right now, and that he wouldn’t have accepted her confession in any case. He would have cared for her, “but not as a woman.” He says firmly, almost meanly, that she is only a friend and should get rid of any lingering feelings.
That night Hae-ra sobs to herself on her balcony, and Ray overhears from his own.
Se-jong drinks heavily at a pojangmacha, and just as I’m about to retort that he earned this pain on his own, we get another set of flashbacks to illuminate his behavior. After getting thwacked by their teacher for ditching school to go to the Panic concert, Se-chan injured his ear. He’d told his hyung to repay him with a wish later, and then called in that favor during Super Week. He’d admitted that he thought Hae-ra liked Se-jong, and said, “My wish… is Hae-ra.”
Oof. Amazing how one flashback can turn my feelings right around. As he drinks, Se-jong pulls out an old note and re-reads it. In the form of their balcony whiteboard, it’s a song request: To Se-jong, from Hae-ra, Toy’s “Good Person” (“Kang Se-jong is always a good person to me”).
He gets completely drunk, and Scarlet finds him slumped on the front steps of the agency. She joins him and asks why, and Se-jong talks to her like she’s Hae-ra, slurring that he refuses to accept that other guy as Se-chan’s hyung. With tears in his eyes, he says miserably, “Gu Hae-ra, you shouldn’t do that. You’re the girl my only brother liked. You know what Se-chan’s last wish was? It was you, Gu Hae-ra. How could I like you then?”
Just then, President Hwang and a producer step outside within earshot. Knowing that a drunk trainee would be in dire trouble, Scarlet pulls Se-jong around the corner, where he pitches forward, half-conscious. Her heart starts to pound as he leans into her, and combined with those vulnerable tears, she’s smitten.
Ray comes along to rehearsal to ask permission to join them, and Team Persevere gapes in surprise, marveling at how identical he is to Se-chan. Tae-poong first requires a test of his singing ability, and Ray picks Lee Jang-woo’s “Since We Met” because he’d seen it in Se-chan’s videos.
It’s another painfully familiar song for Hae-ra, and when Tae-poong indicates that she should join in the duet, she drags her feet. But despite her reluctance, they have musical rapport right from the start, and her mind flashes back to singing this with Se-chan. It makes her teary as she looks at Ray—the mindfuckery inherent in this setup is definitely understandable.
Tae-poong delivers the verdict: Ray has a great voice, but needs practice. So get crackin’.
Se-jong requests a release from his contract, promising to pay back the contract breach fee and all the costs sunk into his training. President Hwang says there’s no way he could repay everything, and ominously insinuates that he’d ruin Se-jong and his family if he doesn’t do as he’s ordered.
And thus, the Impact debut continues as planned. They’re a smash from the start, shooting up the charts and amassing tremendous popularity from Day 1.
It’s a different story for Tae-poong, who staggers out of the bank looking at his empty account. His father only offers a contrite, “I’m sorry. I meant to not touch your money again…” He returns to the studio with heavy heart, because that money was meant to provide for the kids’ lodging and training.
He finds the kids at Se-jong’s place, where the moms are treating them to a barbecue party. Woo-ri sighs that it must be great fun for the boys to bunk together, and it turns out that Jang Goon is also crashing here. He says uneasily that his father allowed it, but his unsettled expression tells us that’s not the full story.
Sure enough, we jump over to his father, who has gone to his study house lodgings only to find that Jang Goon isn’t here anymore. He’s furious and demands that his daughter ‘fess up where her kid brother went.
At the barbecue party, the two moms sigh wistfully that it would be nice to share a house since they’re so close anyway, though one apartment is too small for all of them. Tae-poong starts to get an idea and makes a proposal to the moms, piling on the flattery by calling them noonim. He even throws in some aegyo, which looks both hilarious and wrong, coming from him. (Tae-poong is adorable. He’s fast becoming a favorite.)
And so, in the name of trainee lodging, Tae-poong tears down the wall dividing the two homes, enlisting the team in the remodeling process. As they work, Henry starts riffing on the piano and tells them all to have fun while they do it, singing to Yoon Sang’s “One More Step”: Even though we’re one step slower, it doesn’t make us that much later…
That evening, Hae-ra falls asleep on the couch and dreams of riding in a taxi. She’s with Ray instead of Se-chan, but the scene unfolds the same way and a truck barrels toward them. She wakes with a start, and when she sees Ray standing there, she grabs him in a bear hug, sobbing, “Oh thank god, I thought you died…”
That’s the scene Se-jong walks in on (and immediately out of), and Hae-ra realizes she’d confused the situation. She quickly steps back and apologizes to Ray, then hurries off. Ray finds the CD Se-jong dropped off: Impact’s debut, for his mother.
Aw, and as he walks away, Se-jong pulls out a second CD that he didn’t leave behind, for “Peanut.” Welling up with frustration, he starts running, running, running until he can’t run anymore.
Meanwhile, both Ray and Hae-ra lie awake in bed that night, thinking of what happened earlier.
The combined households now make up a bona fide boardinghouse, and everybody sits down to breakfast together, which shines a light on a few sticky points. First, there’s Jang Goon, who can’t share family-style dishes without twitching, and then Henry reinforces his pervert image by mishearing Korean words for more salacious interpretations. (For instance, he mishears salted roe (myeong-ran-jeot) for Hae-ra’s mom’s boobs (Myeong-ran’s jeot). Pwahaha.)
I love how the moms, who were happy to treat their kids’ friends, aren’t going to turn themselves into the wait staff. Se-jong’s mom lays down the rules, essentially making everything self-serve. And self-clean.
Hae-ra and Ray lose the “not me” game and get stuck dishwashing, and she apologizes for yesterday. He’s guessed that she mistook him for his brother, and asks what Se-chan was like. She describes him as always smiling no matter what and supposes Ray is curious about him. He says yes, and adds that he’s also curious about her, since she figures so largely in the diary.
A knock at the door sounds the arrival of an unexpected guest: Jang Goon’s father, who is spitting mad that his son ran away and has quit his university prep classes. Jang Goon hangs his head apologetically but displays a bit of spine when he refuses to go with Dad, saying that he understands that his father’s wish is for him to fulfill Dad’s and noona’s unfulfilled education hopes: “But what about me? What about what I want?”
Jang Goon apologizes for being such a son, but asks his father not to come looking for him again and walks out. The moms invite Dad for sympathy drinks, listening as he airs his grievances. He describes what it feels like to be good at nothing but making noodles, and how you can’t do anything without a college degree in this world. His one dream is for Jang Goon to go to university and get a stable job.
Later as Dad leaves the building, Jang Goon watches him leave, feeling torn.
Tae-poong is proud to announce to the team that he’s found an in-demand songwriter to write their debut song. He leads them in the choreography as they rehearse (g.o.d’s “Where You Should Be”), and Ray’s first rehearsal is a success. The team welcomes him with cake (and then assaults him with cake).
Tae-poong has been consistently been annoyed with Henry’s informal behavior (which feels disrespectful to him), and decides to speed his acclimation to Korean society. His solution: the bathhouse, which he insists is a key part of life and bonding for the Korean male. Henry goes along with it despite finding it odd, and then the boys compliment each other’s junk, because of course they do.
That night, Hae-ra calls Se-jong (his number still unsaved in her phone), feeling nostalgic in the wake of Team Persevere’s reunion. Getting no answer, she sighs aloud, which prompts Ray to comment from his balcony. He asks about their school, wanting to visit it.
Se-jong thinks to the embrace he witnessed, and flashes back to a scene from his high school days, when he and Hae-ra had been studying together. She’d nodded off, and he’d cupped her head to prevent it from banging into the desk, then gently nudged it onto his shoulder. And with their faces inches apart, he’d leaned in closer… closer…
He shakes aside the memory. Then he checks his phone and sees the missed call from Hae-ra, finger itching to hit the call button. But it doesn’t.
Hae-ra takes Ray to school that night, and is surprised when he knows all of Se-chan’s sayings and reactions. He tells her that the diary is half about her, and half about Se-jong, and asks what kind of person Se-jong is.
They sit down on the bleachers outside and she describes Se-jong—he may be smart, but she finds him frustrating because he never talks. (Tell me about it.) He’s got a lot of secrets, and she doesn’t understand why. She looks momentarily excited when her phone starts ringing, but is disappointed when it’s just Mom—a reaction Ray notices.
Jang Goon’s phone alerts him that today is his father’s birthday. Over at Dad’s restaurant, Dad drinks with his buddies, who take turns bragging about their kids—salaried, educated, prosperous all. That’s when Jang Goon enters, and when the friends ask what he’s up to these days, Dad quickly blurts that he’s preparing to study abroad. The ajusshis applaud his wise decision to quit that music nonsense, but put in a song request on Dad’s behalf.
Dad sits there awash in shame while Jang Goon plays his guitar, singing to the classic Lee Seung-hwan ballad “Family.” Great, I’m crying two bars in already, and that’s before he gets to the part about juggling expectations and disappointment: How can I please my parents’ hearts? / I don’t know / I want to say what my loving heart feels / But it only feels awkward…
Then when the friends tell Jang Goon to hurry up and get settled so his father doesn’t have to keep working, Dad can’t hold back anymore and lashes out at them. What do they care what his son does? Have their kids ever sung them songs? He breaks up the party and kicks his astonished friends out, while Jang Goon feels terrible knowing he’s the source.
Gruffly, Dad tells him he liked the song: “But I wish you would come to your senses and return to your place.”
Time for another cameo: It’s songwriter Yoon Sang, hosting his radio show, and the Hwangje idols are his guests of the day—Se-jong, Ki-joon, and Scarlet. Turns out Yoon Sang is the songwriter who promised Team Persevere a song, so Tae-poong arrives at the station with Hae-ra in tow.
Se-jong, Hae-ra, and Tae-poong stiffen upon seeing each other while the interview continues. Scarlet is asked why she picked Se-jong as her ideal type, and Ki-joon cuts in to say that Se-jong is full of aegyo. Ha, that’s actually funny. DJ Yoon Sang requests a demonstration, putting him on the spot, and Se-jong uneasily musters a half-hearted “puing-puing.” HAHA. (At least he returns the favor by saying Ki-joon also likes aegyo, forcing him to join in.)
A listener requests a demonstration of Scarlet’s awesome vocals, and she coughs an excuse about her voice not being up to it. Yoon Sang presses for a short display, and Scarlet can’t reasonably refuse, so she starts singing a few measures before coughing up a fit. I’m pretty sure Se-jong notices something’s off with her voice (and Ki-joon already knows she’s a fraud), but Se-jong swoops in to the rescue to pick up the song, salvaging the moment.
Afterward, Tae-poong greets Yoon-sang, and Hae-ra tells him enthusiastically how thrilled she is to get to sing his song. That makes Yoon Sang fidget and request to speak to Tae-poong alone, which can’t be a good sign.
Sure enough, once they’re alone Yoon Sang breaks the bad news—he won’t be able to give him a song after all. He adds the caution that those kids aren’t likely to get a song from any other songwriters, either. Hm, is that just friendly concern, or does he mean somebody’s interfering?
As the idols leave, Scarlet asks Se-jong suggestively if his radio show rescue was a bit of flirting. At least he tells her flatly that he’s never responded to her flirting, though she’s not the type to let that stop her.
Just then, Hae-ra charges up to him asking to speak. Scarlet tries to fob her off, thinking her some random fan, but Se-jong identifies her as a friend and grabs her arm, pulling her aside. Now Scarlet really racks her brains (a task, that!) to place why Hae-ra’s name sounds so familiar.
And then it hits—his drunken, tearful confession.
Se-jong pulls Hae-ra aside and pretends that he didn’t see her call last night. Hae-ra beats around the bush, making small talk that’s obviously not her real reason for wanting to talk, and he impatiently tells her to get to the point.
Hae-ra says that her hug with Ray was a misunderstanding. He replies that there’s nothing to misunderstand because it doesn’t concern him. To really get the message across, he repeats it harshly: “Whatever you do, whomever you do it with—there’s no reason to tell me. I won’t do that either.”
Hae-ra grabs his arm as he turns away—and then Scarlet darts in and grabs her arm, warning her to back off.
EPILOGUE
We’re back at that high school study scene. Hae-ra opens a notebook where she’s written a note that she has to become a singer for the sake of Dad’s song, so she’d better not doze off. She’s studying music theory, which has her tugging at her hair, and Se-jong turns out to know the stuff much better. She calls him cool, and he smiles at the praise.
Her head starts to nod, and he catches it and rests it on his shoulder. The sunlight beams into her eyes, and he raises a hand to shield her face. And then he leans in, close, just about to kiss her…
And Se-chan’s voice yells from the door, “Hyung, I’m home!”
COMMENTS
Awww, I love this angst. I can see if it’s not your thing, but for some reason the way this drama treats the we-can’t-be-together angst really hits the right buttons for me, and that’s a tricky thing because it’s a plotline that could very well not work. It requires the right touch, because if dragged out too long we feel frustrated with the characters for letting non-reasons keep them unhappy.
And I confess to feeling those exasperations start to bubble up with Se-jong, but the funny thing is, every time I’m about to lose my patience the drama reveals something that makes me understand him and his choice. Yes, I do think that ultimately his reasoning is flawed and self-sacrificing to an extreme, and if it were all about Se-jong refusing Hae-ra because he’s such a good guy with a saintly sense of integrity, then I’d be over it. And if he’d acted this way with Se-chan still alive, I think it would have been too nobly idiotic for me to tolerate for long—after all, Hae-ra likes Se-jong, she doesn’t return Se-chan’s affections, and Se-chan is going to have to accept that someday. Keeping himself unhappy wouldn’t make his brother any happier.
But now, I see him more as suffering from survivor’s guilt, and the fact that the girl likes him instead of Se-chan actually intensifies that burden. At least Hae-ra seizes upon the one thing she can do for Se-chan, which is assemble the old gang and make his wish come true. This is an active, tangible thing she can do. Even Ray can find comfort in helping the team and trying to realize Se-chan’s dream by proxy. Se-jong, however, has nothing but that last damned wish, spoken in a bout of jealousy and insecurity. There’s absolutely nothing he can do to make it better—if he were to pursue his heart, that could feel like disrespect for his dead brother, while on the other hand abiding by Se-chan’s wish keeps him miserable. So right now he chooses miserable. I don’t actually think those are his only two options, but I can see how that’s how things feel to him right now, when he’s isolated and cut off from any support system. Plus he’s always been the type to keep all his thoughts to himself, suffering silently—he’s certainly his mother’s son in that regard.
The thing is, Se-chan’s wish is completely unfair and, moreover, not possible—Hae-ra’s heart isn’t an object that can be transferred back and forth between the boys. She has a mind of her own and her feelings matter, dammit—she has a say in this. But both boys are equally guilty of forgetting this, Se-chan because of the way he wanted to claim her, and Se-jong because of how he pushes her away.
Of course, I can’t hate Se-chan because he was a sweet boy who died too early, and his heart was in the right place. And honestly, after I saw that his dying thoughts were to save Hae-ra before himself, he won my heart—I can’t hate him after that. It’s just, I can see how leaving things where he did was a royal pain in the ass to his loved ones. What’s extra painful about it is that Se-chan didn’t get to grow up, mature, and rescind those words. But that’s the last thing Se-jong remembers of him, and thus he feels bound by it.
I’m definitely curious to see how Hae-ra’s mixed-up feelings and memories play out with Ray now, especially seeing that he sparks Se-jong’s jealousy. He’s not actually very much like his twin at all in personality—it’s jut that his voice, his face, his biology are all familiar, and that tricks you on an unconscious level. I’d wondered which way the reaction would go for Se-jong, because Ray’s appearance could have drawn out his protective loving side—yet once I saw how he reacted to being displaced, it made sense to me that he felt everything was being taken away. I don’t think Ray is a serious contender (sorry if you’re on that ship—you all have my sympathies!), but I do expect him to play a pivotal role in shaping Hae-ra and Se-jong’s relationship, whether it’s through jealousy, competitiveness, or maybe even support.
I was thrilled to get a few scenes from Se-jong’s perspective, finally! Although we’ve been able to see that he cares for Hae-ra, it was really helpful to see more in depth how he feels and reacts to everything. Hae-ra’s forthright and honest with her feelings in a really refreshing way (I love that she confessed first, and that she’s always pressing Se-jong for the truth), but he’s a brick wall. He’s such the master of the poker face that without these flashes, it would be so easy to see him only as Hae-ra does, when he overcompensates for his true feelings by being extra mean. While I cut him some slack for meaning well, there’s only so far I can go before I feel like acting mean and being mean are pretty much the same thing. Either way, he hurts Hae-ra. It’s important (and refreshing) to get inside his head a little—now if only he’d let others in too. We just want to love you, Se-jong! Well, more, I mean.
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Tags: featured, Jinyoung, Kwak Shi-yang, Min Hyo-rin, Persevere Gu Hae-ra
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1 nevi
February 9, 2015 at 12:31 PM
I'm going to pass out. Why everything is so complicated. So every time that sejong wanted to express his feelings, sechan was there to destroy it :-) it's going to be fun it's making my heart to beat fast 두근 두근
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2 nevi
February 9, 2015 at 12:35 PM
I really enjoyed it. please continue to post recaps. 감사합니다 ;-)
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3 Heartoppaya
February 9, 2015 at 12:37 PM
Awww.. Se-jong is tugging at all my heartstrings. That drunk confession and flashback almost-kiss shows that he has loved her since a long time and that he can't let go. Se-jong is such a beautiful person. His actions speak louder than words and I can actually see his heart breaking. He indeed is suffering from survivor's guilt, but seeing that Ray is in their life I hope that Se-jong can come back. I loved Se-jong so much in ep 1, when he was with his brother and Hae-ra. I hate Impact's influence, but I suspect a bromance between Se-jong and Ki-joon. I'm still shipping Hae-ra with Se-jong.
Henry and Tae-poong are the best bromantic couple this year! Totally. They're killing it. Henry's kiss, backrub and measuring of each other's... stuff was Comedy Gold. Tae-poong and Henry are already in my heart now. I love 'em!
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4 tee
February 9, 2015 at 12:39 PM
AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!! Yesyesyes you just expressed in words exactly how I felt about the angst and Se-jong. This was the episode that did it for me (i.e. turned into a crack drama and solidified my ship bwahahahaha). Se-jong has to be end game if we go through all this pain right?! I feel like what Haera feels for Se-chan is not a romantic love, but more like love for a best friend, and now that he's gone, she misses him and feels guilty, while being around Ray makes her twice as confused. Anyway, I'm not sure what it is, but the all emotions in this drama really resonates with me, and I was crying right along with you and all the characters.
I was getting annoyed with Se-jong inflicting pain on himself and Haera, and then that flashback really got me, not like I wasn't rooting for him before, but yeah. Now for some positive forward movement please!
I'm so excited for what's to come. The romance! The friendships! I'm have felt this warm and fuzzy for a group of misfits since Dream High!
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5 sfgirl
February 9, 2015 at 12:52 PM
I started this show because when Dramabeans was covering the casting news, there was the Monstar comparison. Even though Monstar went a little south towards the end, I adored that little show (The fact that I have a massive amount of love for Yong Jun-Hyung's voice, has probably something to do with it :-/). So I had to start it and boy I was glad I watched Persevere, Gu Hae-Ra.
The moment when Hyung saw Ray was really good. The shock that his brother wasn't actually his real brother and this stranger in the room with his dead brother's face.. I can't even imagine how one would process that information. Add the bucket list on top of it and the weight is too much.
The agree with JB, that Ray is not at all a serious contender here. We can all see that there is a reciprocity of feelings between Hae-Ra and Se-Jong. It's no one sided pining. So by KDramaland Law, Ray will simply be someone to complete Se-Chan's list (remember bucket list item -- fulfill hyung's wish?). As much as I adore Jinyoung and his face (sigh!), he is not it.
I LOVE TAE POONG! I loved Shim Hyung-Tak in Lets Eat and he is killing it here too. His character has a nice range from Comic to Emotional which the actor handles really well.
P.S. - A rant moment if permitted!! I for some reason skipped out on Reply 1994 (saw 1997 and love it to pieces), and seeing comments here on Dramabeans comparing Hyung to Trash and Chillbongie made me go start it. The problem is that I want to throw something at the TV every time because I know the end game already and it makes me annoyed..LOL.
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revlow
February 9, 2015 at 1:52 PM
Shoot. That's too bad about Reply 1994. I think most people are good about noting **spoilers** but maybe after a certain time it's not feasible. Perhaps not knowing all the details will be of some comfort as you watch. I do my best to not read spoilers for older Kdramas I haven't seen yet, but, darn it, it's not always possible.
After you finish it, if you haven't seen Youth Over Flowers you may want to check out. Very fun realty show with 3 of the actors in Reply '94, touching relationships between them.
https://ggotbodachungchoon.wordpress.com/
or go directly to the videos at dailymotion:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x27d15v_yeoniverse-x-banasubbers-eng-sub-20140912-lads-over-blossoms-ep-7-part-1-4
Don't worry that it starts at episode 7; episodes 1-6 were with a different group of guys.
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sfgirl
February 9, 2015 at 2:27 PM
Oh Sorry.. I should clarify, I wasn't upset about spoiling 1994 at all. I was spoiled a long time ago probably not even on Dramabeans! Hehe. I want to throw stuff at the TV because even though I know who the OTP is, I still stupidly wish it to be different. Chillbongie is just too cute!
I have to watch Youth Over Flowers if only for Baro! I have an unhealthy love for Kpop Baby Faces. It is sad actually.
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revlow
February 9, 2015 at 2:31 PM
LOL about Baro. I know what you mean about unhealthy love for baby faces.
Yeah, second lead syndrome is very frustrating and sad at times.
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revlow
February 9, 2015 at 2:32 PM
Yes, and Chillbongie is ridiculously adorable.
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revlow
February 9, 2015 at 1:59 PM
Oh, and what I just said about the relationships in Youth Over Flowers is not a spoiler. It's obvious right from the start. Anyway, lots of fun if you haven't seen.
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6 Mia
February 9, 2015 at 1:28 PM
This show is AMAZING. I don't think I've ever been obsessed with a show so quickly.
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7 gogummaa
February 9, 2015 at 1:35 PM
"I don’t think Ray is a serious contender (sorry if you’re on that ship—you all have my sympathies!)"
What?!! NOOOO. When it was Se Jong vs. Se Chan...I was all for Se Jong. I like this cool, mysterious but having a loving character within type. I like Se Chan but he's too bubbly and vocal for me. When Ray appeared, he was almost perfect that I ship him with Hae Rae now (not so much since the show isn't going in that direction yet). But, I'm not that into Se Jong now (he's too martyr for me lol).
Please show, give me a little light for Ray and Hae ra. Don't go Chilbongie on me!!!
Tae Poong is a gold in this show hahaha i just love him and the ahjumma's fantasies hahaha
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ajewell
February 10, 2015 at 9:05 AM
I'm afraid to keep watching for this very reason. Though I've tried, I'm just not feeling Hae Ra/Se Jong, and feel more chemistry between her and Se Chan/Ray (not to mention, I just find him more believable as a singer/entertainer). Could just be personal bias, but there it is. Laaaaame.
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8 Jazzelm
February 9, 2015 at 1:58 PM
LOVE LOVE LOVE this show! I love all the songs (which are amazing, keep them coming show!!) and i love the characters and the cast. Tae-poong and henry's bromance is adorable, that bathouse scene was hilarious (and u get to see the bloopers of it at the end of episode 5 heh), tae-poong's little romantic triangle with the mothers (yeah i know its not serious but its still good fun) and the ray-se jong- hae ra love triangle is angsty in all the right ways. If the writing keeps up til the end, this show can easily become a classic imo.
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9 jam
February 9, 2015 at 2:08 PM
wow the recaps are convincing me to start watching this series! tho it doesnt seem light at all (that was my expectation too haha), i'm all up for the angst if it's delivered well!
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10 Jyc
February 9, 2015 at 2:13 PM
I have decided not to get on any ship. Haha. From episode 2, after that scene where Se-chan asked the volunteers to tend to Hae-ra first, I thought that there's not a single ounce of effort from other guys that could match that. But every time I see this flashback about Se-jong and the way he's trying his best to keep his feelings, I can't help but root for him too because I think he deserves to be happy. It's just so difficult to get fully om board to Team Hyung because Se-chan's choice in that accident remains in the back of my head. I know it's too painful and we all eventually have to move on, but that's one last act that you just can't completely leave behind. But I guess, I'm okay with Se-jong finally doing something about his true feelings because in his way, he has a love for Hae-ra that is unquestionable in itself. So it gets shaped well.
I also think Ray is not a strong contender--as of now. Because judging from how this show surprises the viewers, getting ahead of myself is last in the list. I just hope that, even if he won't be a good contender, he'll be able to have a good character development instead of just being the guy who reminds everyone of Se-chan. And I do hope that he gets to bond with Hyung, too.
P. S. That duet between Hae-ra and Se-chan/Ray was seriously one of the sweetest duets ever. I think it's true that Se-chan's voice is indeed the unifying voice because basing from his duets with Hae-ra (and also, if you can remember the duet with Hyung in episode 2), he does complements the voices of the other people--which, on a musical level, hits all the right tones for this drama.
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ChanNoonim
February 9, 2015 at 2:26 PM
thats why sechan/Ray(Jinyoung) voice use to harmonize most of his group (B1A4) song XD
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Jyc
February 9, 2015 at 7:53 PM
Exactly what I'm talking about ;)
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11 Tootsiepatootsie
February 9, 2015 at 2:38 PM
Scarlet reminds me of that annoying second lead chick in you're beautiful: whingy, screechy, temperamental and barely a threat: a joke.
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JoyBells
February 10, 2015 at 3:41 AM
Quick google search tells me Scarlet is that actress from "Boys over flowers" who pretended to Gu jun pyo's girlfriend when he lost his memories towards the end of the drama.
I hate to be that person but-Wtf happened to her face.She looks like a totally different girl.
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12 Even
February 9, 2015 at 2:46 PM
I honestly love all our characters so much, even Scarlett lol.
But I looove Se-jong. Omg I adore him. I just want him to be happy, I really do. He's had it too tough for too long. Why is he such a silent sufferer? Just let Hae-ra love you!!
Ray tho. He really has a different aura compared to Se-chan. He's more manly. (and swoon worthy. Raaaaaaaaay)
And Tae-poong is so wonderful. I love his relationship with the moms it's so great lol.
Ray tho. (Raaaaaay)
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13 PeepsLeAwesomePotato
February 9, 2015 at 3:59 PM
I love this show, I do. It hits you all with all the right feels and at all the right times to deliver full impact.
The only questionable part of the story is... Scarlet. However did a whiny, screechy, temperamental starlet ever become one of the biggest names in the K-music scene, what with Korea's netizens being so infamously judgmental? One small mistake and, Oops! I mean, she would have been expected to sing live when she goes on variety shows too... or does she not go to those either? I think it's because I'm thinking of the expectations of the average idol where she's concerned and I can't fathom how her voice double escaped notice in all three years... (200 Pound Beauty did this too, but that took place when the internet and smartphones were not as fast or as widespread as it is today.) When Cheon SongYi came out, I let it go, since, apparently, actors and actresses are held in greater esteem (and are allowed more leeway, therefore) than idols. Just... how?
The spoiled little star is a favourite recurring character in many stories, but I don't really see how that can continue to work in today's Korea.
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Hagar
February 9, 2015 at 6:30 PM
She looks like she can fake being a sweetheart and singing live? lots of kpop acts lip-sync so it's not that big of a deal and with money and power she could be the face of a lot of brands which is how koreans count popularity
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14 Ali719
February 9, 2015 at 4:56 PM
I'm so sad this show is only on once a week. Se-jong is still my favorite and he angsts very prettily. I hope he gets out of his contract and joins Persevere. The moms are awesome and I love Tae-poong so all in all I LOVE the show.
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15 Heartoppaya
February 9, 2015 at 5:38 PM
Se-jong is doing it to me, making my insides melt with that gaze and smile. I dunno why, but this actor is so handsome and charistmatic. I so want him to win the love of his life.
Ray is a nice character, but whenever he smiles I keep missing Se-chan and his cute antics. It's a huge no-no for me regarding a relationship between Ray and Hae-ra. Ray might look like Se-chan, but he's not. I think the reason why Hae-ra seems affected around Ray is because he resembles her dead best friend to a T. That would scarily muck your mind. I'm happy to say, Ray will not be a contender. Whew! I wouldn't have to cry. But also I love Se-chan a LOT more than Ray.
But I'm Team Hyung all the way. Kwak Si-yang is sooooooooo sexy...
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16 sleepy
February 9, 2015 at 5:42 PM
several...
1. I feel there is better chemistry between Se-Chan/Ray and Hae-ra. The is more spark than with Se-Jong and Hae-ra (even the end part of the ep, i did not feel the thrill). More or less it will be Se-Jong and Hae-ra as they are the leads. I feel there is no magic when have their moments together. With Ray, this love triangle will come alive in new a form. I really really LOVE Se-chan/Ray and Haera singing together (ep 4 24:00 - their song sealed it for me)
2. Happiness is a choice. Se-Jong is not choosing it right now. Hopefully, he will make those choices as the drama rolls on.
3. I understand the complex emotions of Se-Jong seeing Se-Chan in Ray. Also, Ray's longing for his brother is a valid need. A new triangle can be emerged -- Se-Jong/Se-Chan/Ray. Se-jong and Ray fighting fulfilling their little brother's wishes.
4. Se-chan's love for his mom, se-jong and hae-ra are pure though we see him "immature" on his actions and decisions.
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Hagar
February 9, 2015 at 6:25 PM
I agree on the first note Ray/Sechan has better chemistry with Haera
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17 Hagar
February 9, 2015 at 6:24 PM
Am I the only one who doesn't like Sejong? I got bored of him so quickly
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sfgirl
February 9, 2015 at 6:39 PM
I understand the characterization and the driver for what Se-Jong is doing, but he is losing sparkle because of the sadness all around him. He is buried under the weight of so much death of brother, feelings some who his brother loved, shitty situation at his company... List goes on.
Soon, I hope, something will bring him over to the Persevere team, so he can partake in some joy and also bond with Ray and maybe gain another brother. Maybe ki-joon will use his Scarlett ghost voice knowledge to get se-jong kicked out of Impact?
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sfgirl
February 9, 2015 at 6:45 PM
Crap, this is what posting using an iPad will do, terrible missing punctuation and eaten words.
I meant "......weight of so much, death of his brother, feelings for someone his brother loved, ...."
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18 Serena B
February 9, 2015 at 7:22 PM
I'm so glad you guys decided to recap this show. It doesn't seem hugely popular, but I'm really enjoying it. Can't wait for the next recap!
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19 owl 🦉 🫰
February 9, 2015 at 9:40 PM
So the recent Kdrama theme is twins with Kill me Heal Me and now this . I really like it because of all the possibilities. There was so much hurt/shock/disbelief at the table when Se Jong met Ray Kim, and although no one was to blame for the situation at all, I can understand how Se Jong left mad at everyone. There doesn't have to be a reason when your heart has been stabbed. Henry is running around just being himself, but sometimes I just want to swat him like a mosquito. I miss Se chan' scruffy hair when I see Ray. Okay, on to episode 5!
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20 aj
February 10, 2015 at 12:38 AM
I rolled on the floor laughing at "Ray Kim".
I wish for a Roy Kim cameo in this drama.
I said after episode 1 I didnt like it but now I'm won over.
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21 Kaybee
February 10, 2015 at 1:11 AM
One of the few dramas where I don't like the first lead. I wish her well with Ray. I already miss Se-Chan. Se-Chan was better contender so they killed him off so the OTP sails smoothly with some angst for the viewers of course but it is so predictable....if she ends up with Ray then we'll have something to talk about otherwise the premise doesn't feel any new.
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22 JoyBells
February 10, 2015 at 3:49 AM
" I don’t think Ray is a serious contender (sorry if you’re on that ship—you all have my sympathies!)"
Looks like another of my ship is sinking,probably going to end end up where my Chilbongie shipwreck is,right at the bottom. *tears*.
I agree that Se-Chan had no chance with Hae-ra.He pushed himself at her,but she always took him as her friend. But Hae-ra seems to feel some sort of attraction with Ray.During the dish washing scene when he was behind her helping her put away the dishes,i definitely sensed some tension.Also during their awesome duet,she kept looking at him while in flashback we see that it was Se-chan gazing like a love-struck fool at her. I'm grasping for straws here. But Hyung is definitely the end game.Ray is just here to make him realize how important Hae-ra is to him and to move past his pain and guilt.
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lilyalana
February 10, 2015 at 4:58 AM
i am on the same ship too but i tried not too invest my feeling too much in case it sank again. do not want another Chilbongie *sobs*
Sechan might not have a chance but i think Ray might have a slightly better chance (if the writer want to push this loveline forward). with Ray, i think Haera is wavering a bit coz Ray reminded her of Sechan but he did not treat her like Sechan (eg: doing things for her, looking after her like picking her up at work) yet he is nice to her. and during the awesome duet, she is reminded of the past cuz Sechan would always look at her while singing but now, she finds herself staring at Ray who didn't look at her like Sechan did. that why i think Ray has the better chance to shake Haera's feeling if he decided to pursue her.
i know the ship is halfway sinking but maybe...... mayyyyybe a twist will happen. hehehe
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JoyBells
February 10, 2015 at 8:52 AM
Maybeeee a twist! Hahaaa. Its because of this hope,every single time that i get my heartbroken. Going to suffer from an another Second lead syndrome.Sigh...
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sfgirl
February 10, 2015 at 9:11 AM
We really haven't seen much of Ray's actual personality. Who knows the writers might have him step up (this is prob false hope.. :-D). A Hae-Ra and Ray pairing would would be breaking a lot of Dramaland rules (which I would welcome). Isn't it a given that the suffering leads who love each other get each other after enduring their 10 episodes of Angst!?
The only exception I have seen was "Queen of Reversals". I am sure there are a couple more.
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Kaybee
February 10, 2015 at 10:21 AM
...and Dream High. Song Sam Dong got the girl.
23 bonsai
February 10, 2015 at 4:04 AM
Se-chan's bucket list:
1. Make it as a singer and take care of Mom
2. Realize Hae-ra’s wish, make her father’s song number 1
3. Clear up hyung’s misunderstanding
4. Like hyung, be a son Mom can be proud of
5. Make one of hyung’s wishes come true
6. Someday, reunite with the Persevere team friends and become famous as superstars
This is a great bucket list. But some of these things are really personal (how are they going to go about this), I hope whatever happens, happens in an authentic way. I like all the characters. I see.... potential.
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24 jongski
February 10, 2015 at 9:11 AM
Waiting for recap of ep 5 please
My new fav show. Light and fun yet dark and angsty. Se Jong and Hae ra. Se Jong /Impact leader/ Se Jong / Se-Chan/Ray Romance and Bromance. A ya yay! plus Taepong is funny but also is like the father/brother/friend/producer/manager/ to Team Persevere.
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25 ajewell
February 11, 2015 at 5:57 AM
"I don’t think Ray is a serious contender"
I really can't argue this point, since I'm sure this is where the show is headed. . . but here's why I think it's stupid.
Frankly, what is the *point* of having Se-chan die and Ray show up, if they're not going to do something different with his character? So far, he's little more than Se chan 2.0., even the wishes he's trying to fulfil for the bucket list basically force him to assume Se chan's original functions: support Hae ra, make his brother happy, and sing. And then there's the love triangle. Having Ray fall in love with Hae ra first suggests he's headed back into second-lead territory, with little hope of moving her heart any more than Se chan did - and if he was basically just going to BECOME Se chan, why kill off Se chan to begin with? Their roles are exactly the same. It's starting to feel like his death was simply there for angst and forced heartstring pulling, which is all well and good when it serves a purpose . . . but it's not. Perseverence would've reunited whether Se chan died or not (they just would've found another singer). The Empire contract misunderstanding was cleared up due to eavesdropping. All of this stuff could've happened with Se chan alive. Heck, even the birth secret could've been so much more interesting had Se chan not died. Can you imagine the drama had Hae ra met Ray, and after being "dumped" by Se jong, started feeling more attracted to him? Or even dead, having Hae ra fall for Ray, while still being plagued by feeling of confusion and guilt, and forcing her to fight for *his* heart for once. . . so much potential.
To me, those type of conflicts are much more interesting, character-wise, and drama-wise, than the cut-and-paste conflict we're getting with Se jong employing noble-idocy again and again and again. Not to mention, Scarlet as a serious contender is a joke. Basically, it's sad that we're getting the story of her and Se jong having terrible timing, when we could have had a really fascinating love story here. They had all the ingredients. They just threw them all over the floor.
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sfgirl
February 11, 2015 at 9:36 AM
I agree with most of this..! Killing off Se-Chan barely serves any purpose except for angst which didn't really lead anywhere if the appearance of Ray is not going to switch things up. But I doubt that this story is going to take an unconventional route. It is still only 5 episodes in, but the paring seems to be pretty set in stone.
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ajewell
February 11, 2015 at 10:11 PM
Oh no, I totally agree. I'm sure it's not going to do anything surprising or unconventional. I just wish it would because it desperately needs it.
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thesuitelife547
February 11, 2015 at 11:13 AM
I'd have to disagree with you.
I don't think that Perseverance would have gotten back together. They already went back to their own lives and it didn't seem like anyone kept in contact with anyone after they were eliminated from the show. The only ones that still saw each other frequently were Sechan and Haera.
I see Sechan's death as a catalyst to get the gang back together. Haera and Tae Poong made the effort to find the rest of them. It was 3 years after Sechan's death when they found the bucket list and started assembling the old gang. When they were finding Woori and Jang Goon, that was the first time that they were hearing of Sechan's death. Sechan's death was the entire reason that the gang was getting back together, to fulfill his bucket list.
Also, I think Ray's appearance is there to have Sejong come face to face with his feelings. With Sechan alive, Sejong was probably going to continue hiding his feelings forever. If Sechan had just simply died, Sejong would still have never come face to face with his feelings because of the guilt he felt.
However, seeing Haera and Ray look cozy together will probably cause Sejong actually step up in his feelings for Haera. It can probably be assumed that Sejong does not like Ray in any sort of way, since well, he just appears out of the blue and announces that he's Sechan's real brother and that everyone told Ray things that they kept from Sejong.
So I think there is a point to Sechan dying and Ray showing up. I think that it helps to create the overall story and shape it and the characters.
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ajewell
February 11, 2015 at 3:34 PM
See, I strongly believe that the band would've reunited whether Se-chan died or not, simply because this drama is about underdogs and music, and the reforming of the band would have been integral to that plot. It would've been pointless to introduce us to Perseverence, have them fail, kill off Se-chan, and *not* have them reform at some point down the line. As you said, the bucket list was simply the catalyst - it was a good way to get Hae-ra moving, but it wasn't the *only* way - heck, it wasn't even a *necessary* way. Wanting to reform the band because it was one of Se-chan's wishes is well and good, but if the members hadn't wanted to pursue that dream themselves, if Henry's mother hadn't given her blessing, if Woo ri hadn't good reason to leave Empire, then bucket list or not, it wouldn't have mattered, especially considering the path for Perseverence was already opened the minute Tae-poong met Hae-ra and Se-chan. Se-chan's death only delayed the inevitable. . . and since Ray is pretty much Se-chan, it feels like we were pulled around in a big, dumb pointless circle.
As for Se-jong . . . he doesn't need Ray there to understand his feelings though . . . he's ALWAYS known how he's felt about her. If it was Henry taking an interest, or even Jang Goon, he'd still feel jealous and unhappy, because it's his heart, his mind, his sense of guilt that's holding him back, not a lack of understanding. Throwing Ray into the mix doesn't change that at all. All it does is give him more reason to be jealous and confused while clinging even tighter to that noble-idiocy thing he's got going on. Even the dumb bucket list is all about wanting Hae-ra and Se-jong to be happy . . . so really, to complete it, all Se-jong needs to do is stop moping and confess his feelings for once. Except then there'd be no drama. So instead they're forcing Ray into Se-chan's mold, so that Se-jong can keep forcing himself to be unhappy and guilt-ridden over nothing, while ensuring Hae-ra stays safely tucked away, pining for him, without a viable love interest (I'd be so, so, so thrilled if she legitimately fell for Ray, but even if she did, I doubt it'd be genuine). So it's all so utterly pointless and frustrating, and I am actually kind of envious that it's working for you, because I'd be enjoying it a lot, lot more if it was working for me, but it's just not.
The only reason I'm still watching is in some vain hope they'll pull a twist-to-end-all-twists, and the first-love thing will sizzle and they'll take this down an unexpected path (via Dream High, How to Meet a Perfect Neighbor, and Queen of Reversals). But I know it's unlikely. *sigh*
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26 jongski
February 11, 2015 at 6:54 AM
Well, ep 6 looks dark angst based from the preview Argh! why is it once a week only?!
Anyway, I just found out Kwak Si Yang's (Se Jong) is 187cm, agency is Starhaus. Same as LMH. Hmmm...
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27 bebebe
February 18, 2015 at 11:43 PM
I adore the show. I wonder why I didnt get interested in it earlier. I just now finished marathoning it.
However, as much as I dislike myself for a.l.w.a.y.s being so nitpicky about timeline, as much as I know I should just take it easy every time; really, it's basic math.
The trio are 21 (Korean age) in 2010 the twins must be born in 1990 (as written in Se-chan's urn in Ep.2 born Dec 8,1990).
How come in epilogue of Ep.3 the twins were already born in 1989? And again in this Ep.4, Sejong's mom gave birth to him in Dec 1989?
And it makes me think of the worse: How can it be that in Ep.2 the trio first meeting was in 1998, instead of 2000 (when Hae-ra was having her 11th yo birthday)??
I know I'm coming out as annoying to be annoyed by such a trivial thing, but really, it's basic math.
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Toomanygorgeousactorstopickafave
February 19, 2015 at 6:12 AM
Seems you missed another error. In this episode, Se chan said in a video that Feb 28, 1999 was the day he met the girl who changed his life. So, yeah, not "1998" as stated in episode 2, and obviously not "2000" as it's supposed to (considering also that in episode 1 (year 2000), Hae-ra's mom mentioned they've been living in that neighborhood for 10 years meaning it's been 10 years since Hae-ra' father passed away: 2000-10=1990. Oh, well. Isn't it a little pathetic we mull over such trivias? ha :p
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28 jjeinn
March 28, 2015 at 11:42 PM
NOOOOOOOO even now i still miss se chan. ray is too serious for my liking and sejong is plain boring to me now. the only good thing about the drama now is henry and taepoong
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