Melting Me Softly: Episodes 15-16 Open Thread (Final)
by missvictrix
Melting Me Softly is ready to conclude its tale, but before our cryo-couple can be left in peace with a happy ending, they have to endure a final round of suffering. One might ask why. To act as another testament to the strength of their love? To prove the humanitarian necessity of cryogenics? To get the audience to stick around for two more hours?
EPISODES 15-16 WEECAP
There’s a psycho killer on the loose, folks! Last week, Lee Hyeon-du (imposter baddie), though imprisoned, enticed his henchman to help our cryo-couple meet their maker. This week, he spares no effort to make that happen. Despite being on every watch list, this nasty fellow finds a way to get at Mi-ran. Luckily, the first time he strikes she’s faster than this highly-trained killer, and tases him in the neck meat.
Outside of the imminent danger to Mi-ran, most of Episode 15 is concerned with Dong-chan and his journey as his body temperature is slowly transitioned to normal. In other words, he’s getting “melted,” just like the now-infamous title of our drama. Maybe that’s why the story lingers on this plot arc for so long? Everything else has been rushed through or glazed over, but here, we stall. We watch the long process of defrosting. The needles in the lab. The fevers and vomiting. The thrill when Dong-chan can go for long runs and drink hot coffees without getting dangerously ill.
While we’re watching this drawn-out process of Dong-chan’s, he starts keeping a vlog, and I have to say, I love this element. The drive to document and narrate and talk about his experiences makes sense for a production director/genius, and it fits well with the aesthetic of the drama as well.
This begs the question: why didn’t they use this throughout the entire drama? I, for one, would have loved it to be a deeper, more psychological look at what it was like to be away from the world for twenty years, and to hear it all through his voice, rather than watching the dumb things we have been for the last eight weeks.
Also a bit mismatched is the universal rejoicing when Dong-chan is no longer a cryo-man. Why is this a bigger deal than when he returned after missing for twenty years? Was it really that rough to use AC a lot and drink iced coffee instead of hot? Apparently it was, because all he and Mi-ran can talk about is when they get to be like “normal people” again. (I’d like to argue that they’ll never be normal because of, you know, two decades in a cryogenic sleep, but that’s neither here nor there.)
The final burst of drama in our drama is either: a) the emotionally-charged and much foreshadowed event that brings all the narrative arcs together into a meaningful climax that will end the drama; or b) a forced, needless, and ridiculous last bit of excitement to keep us from tuning out for the last week. I’ll leave it to you to decide which description is most accurate here.
As for the shape of that final burst of drama, Mi-ran saves Dong-chan from a killer blade and is effectively stabbed by the evil henchman. It’s actually a really good scene! However, the complications are quite dire.
Dong-chan is thawed, but Mi-ran is not. She’ll die without surgery, but if they try to perform surgery with her current body temperature, she’ll also die. The only solution? Put her back to cryosleep. This is a bit of a head scratcher for me, since thawing = dying and dying = thawing, but Dong-chan says that while she’s in cryosleep they’ll make a new formula to fix her body temperature so they can operate and save her. And with that, into the cryo-pod she goes.
This is all very ridiculous. I mean, I can see the drama intended to go here and pull their foreshadowing together and even have us all rally around the life-saving nature of cryogenics — but as a story it’s frustrating. Good thing they only have one episode left to pull this thing together. That means it will be fast.
In our final episode, we’ve got a roller coaster ride through the sadness and depression of “losing” a loved one, the cryo-professors hard at work, and a handy three-year jump to make it all come together. As with most time jumps, we have reversals of fortune, army service stints, new hair-dos, and new living situations — the best of these being that Dong-chan has become a de facto son-in-law of Mi-ran’s parents, and a fixture in their household.
It’s no surprise that after a few false starts, Mi-ran survives the treatments, surgery, anesthesia, and eventually returns to the land of the warm and living. Her parents are precious, and so is Dong-chan’s devotion, and I enjoyed their snowy reunion complete with tears and a delicious embrace. If the drama cut here, I would have been okay.
But, no, it goes on into an obnoxious epilogue wherein Mi-ran cares more about going overseas for training to become a director than she does spending time with the people who have adored her, waited for her, and wrapped their lives around her. It’s not until Mi-ran reads Dong-chan’s journals while she was frozen for the second time that she realizes she can’t leave him. And long story short, they leave together, start a travel vlog, and live happily ever after. Pfft.
To everyone who’s stuck it out with me and watched this drama from start to finish, or even just came to the weecaps to share the, uh, experience — pat yourself on the back. It’s a challenge to get through a drama that’s not only a big disappointment on both premise and cast, but falls short of what it could have been.
Still, there’s so much to learn from stories like this. Dud dramas teach us what makes a good drama, and being able to articulate what woulda/coulda/shoulda happened to make it better is actually an awesome exercise. And speaking of that, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed everyone’s great ideas about the different pathways this drama could have followed, and how different the story would have been. Better luck next time, everyone!
RELATED POSTS
- Premiere Watch: Miss Lee, Melting Me Softly
- Temperatures are heating up for Ji Chang-wook, Won Jin-ah in tvN’s Melting Me Softly
- Ji Chang-wook and Won Jin-ah thaw up in teasers for sci-fi romance drama Melt Me
- Lee Moo-saeng joins Ji Chang-wook drama Melt Me
- Yoon se-ah to play Ji Chang-wook’s first love in Melt Me
- Ji Chang-wook to return to dramaland as cryogenic man for tvN
Tags: Im Won-hee, Ji Chang-wook, Lee Hong-ki, Melting Me Softly, Shim Hyung-tak, Won Jin-ah, Yoon Se-ah
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1 Saya
November 18, 2019 at 6:06 PM
Aaaaahhhh a deliciously snarky recap that ALMOST makes the last 16 hours worth it XD
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LT is Irresistibly Indifferent and reminded of the slow march of death
November 18, 2019 at 6:18 PM
I think @missvictrix needs all the drinks.
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missvictrix
November 18, 2019 at 6:19 PM
I perversely enjoyed myself... But I'm not sorry it's over!
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egads aka Dame Maggie
November 20, 2019 at 12:22 PM
Some hazard pay would not be out of line here.
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mindy
November 18, 2019 at 6:45 PM
I find it admirable how @missvictrix tries so hard to find specks of gold in this gigantic, steaming pile of crap while still retaining a sense of snark and wit.
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missvictrix
November 18, 2019 at 7:06 PM
I did it for the Wookie ^^
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mugyuljoie is preciousss
November 18, 2019 at 7:15 PM
You and me both. I'm not sure how many more I can survive though. Choose wisely Wookie.
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SadKDramaLama
November 18, 2019 at 10:42 PM
I am not sure it's only drama choice?
Now this is just me but....Ji Chang-Wook always sold his acting with such subtle variations...it just drew you in and you could see the emotions behind it all...When I rewatch his earlier roles I am almost shocked at how strong an emotion he was able to portray with so little changes in expression.
For me, in this drama, I just never connected to what he was trying to sell. His face just couldn't cary that subtle magic. I never felt the desperation, shock, loss or even love he made be believer earlier roles...
Once that happened - the drama was always open for sidetracking. It's like when the parents are away the children go a little crazy.
LT is Irresistibly Indifferent and reminded of the slow march of death
November 18, 2019 at 10:45 PM
SKDL, it was just badly directed that's all.
I mean, it was badly everything. But badly directed is included in that.
egads aka Dame Maggie
November 20, 2019 at 12:24 PM
You are a much stronger person than I am.
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Infinitize
November 18, 2019 at 9:13 PM
I'm just so happy they can finally drink all that hot coffee together. Life was so rough without being able to do that.
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shichybot
November 20, 2019 at 10:37 PM
As I always say, cold coffee is not coffee at all.
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2 fogcity
November 18, 2019 at 6:11 PM
I dropped this a few weeks ago and I'm glad I did. It just became nonsense and the villain was so ridiculous.
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kellibean
November 19, 2019 at 5:29 AM
There was a villain?😂 I FF through almost every scene that didn’t focus on Wookie.
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A-Nony-Mouse
November 20, 2019 at 7:39 AM
I stopped around when they revealed the villain is the twin brother of a chaebol ceo... yep... I like Won Jin Ah and Ji Chang Wook... unfortunately there was nothing they could've done to save this drama.
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3 larelle79
November 18, 2019 at 6:12 PM
JCW apparently is already in talk for another project. Yeah, he wants this forgotten quickly. Even quicker than that.
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missvictrix
November 18, 2019 at 6:17 PM
@larelle79 I am fine with also forgetting this drama happened lol
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larelle79
November 18, 2019 at 6:35 PM
What drama?? 😜
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Kairoskat 💐
November 18, 2019 at 7:00 PM
But...his next drama might be LUCA which may or may not be a similar experience to Melty. Imo...LUCA's initial description is not convincing. Even it's translation: Last Universal
CryoCommon Ancestor is hmmmm...“LUCA” is based on Charles Darwin’s proposition that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors. Genetics is a topic that has not been dealt with in Korean dramas.
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larelle79
November 18, 2019 at 7:06 PM
Well now, this could be inter....*giggles*.
What I am saying is this could work o....*giggles*.
What is wrong with me ?
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LT is Irresistibly Indifferent and reminded of the slow march of death
November 18, 2019 at 7:38 PM
Curiosity wars with self-preservation.
I guess this is some kind of televisual fight or flight.
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Lookie
November 18, 2019 at 10:04 PM
That makes the project a sink or swim proposition, then. Some sure footed drama for Wookie, please. I am sure there are are lot out there.
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Lily left the valley
November 19, 2019 at 9:02 AM
Arthdal Chronicles did technically touch on genetics and ancestors. Yes, it's billed as fictional land in ancient times, but it does touch on them and it is a Kdrama.
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Vespertyne29
November 20, 2019 at 3:22 PM
OMG, that sounds dreadful. But isn't it directed by the same PD who did Black? Which was awesome (until the last 30 minutes). Would that PD sign up to do total crap like this was?
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4 LT is Irresistibly Indifferent and reminded of the slow march of death
November 18, 2019 at 6:14 PM
Oh good, now she's even younger than him.
That's a relief for everybody.
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egads aka Dame Maggie
November 20, 2019 at 12:24 PM
I watched the last 10 minutes, and that is exactly what I said out loud to the screen.
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5 missvictrix
November 18, 2019 at 6:26 PM
Honestly, I feel bad for Wookie and Jin-ah... It must really be hard to stick it out week after week through a drama that's terrible, and yet keep smiling. They kept it up, though, and it's a nice testament to their attitude and professionalism. For Wookie, well, this was a comeback FLOP, but he will be able to make us forget it (mostly). For Won Jin-ah, though, she's just making a name for herself, and while she's been previously amazing, this drama feels like a ball and chain on ye olde resume.
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larelle79
November 18, 2019 at 6:32 PM
She needs to have her people call up Lee Yoo Seon and try and get in on Forest of Secrets 2.
She is gonna need stronger bounce back than JCW and that in it of itself is BS.
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missvictrix
November 18, 2019 at 6:35 PM
I'm also cool with Just Between Lovers, Part 2.
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mugyuljoie is preciousss
November 18, 2019 at 7:21 PM
It's still a wait for Junho's availability though.
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growingbeautifully
November 19, 2019 at 6:42 AM
JBL2 would be heavenly! But it must be with Junho.
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6 Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)
November 18, 2019 at 6:27 PM
One of the most ridiculous parts was when they said they couldn't do surgery without anesthetic. Uh, until modern times that's how they did it. Not saying it was fun, but it worked.
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Kairoskat 💐
November 20, 2019 at 4:04 PM
This makes VB's phone surgery seems okay. Hahaha 🤭
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7 JustMe
November 18, 2019 at 6:30 PM
I am convinced this WHOLE series was just for that shower scene. You all know what I'm talking about.
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missvictrix
November 18, 2019 at 6:33 PM
I pretty much agree. But how weirdly placed and anti-climactic was it? Also, awkwarrrrrrrd ^^
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JustMe
November 18, 2019 at 6:37 PM
I love the lead actors... but it was simply off. and Dong Chan begging the professor to consummate his love with Miran a few minutes before was the cherry on top of all the cringe. (Im so, so, so, so sorry JCW. So sorry).
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dramamad
November 18, 2019 at 8:14 PM
Wait. What?
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dramamad
November 18, 2019 at 8:15 PM
To clarify, I did not watch the series. Just skimmed through the recaps.
JustMe
November 18, 2019 at 9:27 PM
I had dropped it by then, but it i did watch clips here and there to witness JCW and yes, he said it in the scene just before the kiss.
Lookie
November 18, 2019 at 10:07 PM
I'm glad that's one of the horrible episodes that i missed. *shudders*
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Infinitize
November 18, 2019 at 9:26 PM
And after all that, we didn't even get anything after their reunion. Why bother being skimpy now?
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JustMe
November 18, 2019 at 9:28 PM
Im just happy it's over for the sanity of the actors. Where were you truck of doom?
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CS
November 20, 2019 at 7:05 AM
I thought the same thing! You can finally smooch and cuddle all you want and - - nothing. We get a nice warm hug.
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8 rue
November 18, 2019 at 6:40 PM
@missvictrix you're a trooper. Thank you 👏👏
I saw the stabbing scene in an instagram clip and it made me mad. Granted it was so short it may not have painted the whole picture, but I kept wondering why she didn't scream out a warning or something to that effect instead of running AAALL the way to him and getting stabbed instead?
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RevSparklyAndroid
November 18, 2019 at 8:16 PM
This. I dropped the drama right here.
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skelly
November 20, 2019 at 9:09 AM
It was all a tragic mistake. She though TSTL was a challenge, when it was really an insult...
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9 Kairoskat 💐
November 18, 2019 at 7:07 PM
Thanks @missvictrix! I didn't watch melty but the weecaps are so much fun 😆
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10 mugyuljoie is preciousss
November 18, 2019 at 7:26 PM
I'm planning to pretend this never happened.
I wonder what drama JCW will choose for his comeback drama now that he's out of the military?
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larelle79
November 18, 2019 at 7:29 PM
It has been awhile since he has been out, right?
Maybe he is just taking his time.
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LT is Irresistibly Indifferent and reminded of the slow march of death
November 18, 2019 at 7:37 PM
*nods wisely*
Choosing a comeback drama is hard. it's good that he's taking his time, rather than throwing himself willy-nilly into the first available project. That could have been disastrous.
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missvictrix
November 18, 2019 at 7:51 PM
Cracking up!!
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Lookie
November 18, 2019 at 10:10 PM
Inglorious Entertainment... that is Wookie's agency?
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stpauligurl
November 19, 2019 at 6:12 AM
Now THAT made me cackle!!!
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seoul_searcher
November 18, 2019 at 8:11 PM
i just saw news that he is considering another project which sounds like another sci-fi
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larelle79
November 18, 2019 at 8:17 PM
I'll say it.
I believe, we are all a mess.
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seoul_searcher
November 18, 2019 at 8:20 PM
a hot mess
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larelle79
November 18, 2019 at 8:23 PM
The PD from The Guest is doing LUCA.
Weren't we due a The Guest film.
Now, I'm not saying this PD deserves to be burned, you know, you gotta eat but.....
Where are they with the film?
seoul_searcher
November 18, 2019 at 9:22 PM
@larelle79 i thought that too but we need the other actors to free up their schedule
CS
November 20, 2019 at 7:07 AM
I saw that too and thought, "Oh no, not another one."
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Lookie
November 20, 2019 at 10:48 PM
If the PD is not sure where to take this LUCA thing better Wookie stay clear of it. No touching even with a 10 foot pole.
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growingbeautifully
November 19, 2019 at 6:27 AM
This is the best sub-thread here!
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11 seoul_searcher
November 18, 2019 at 8:09 PM
i'm currently stuck on ep 10 but just wanted a peek at the recaps. As a viewer i barely ever say a drama is bad even if the majority of people like to nitpick at relatively bad, but still enjoyable dramas, but this show had nothing going on for it. not even Ji Chang wook's heart eyes did it for me. But one positive that i liked from this show was Won Jin Ah who surprisingly fits into rom-coms i just hope the next one, if she does, has more story and chemistry for me to get fully invested.
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12 Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)
November 18, 2019 at 8:17 PM
Did I blink at the wrong time or did they never catch the assassin?
Are they saving him for..... Season 2 :)
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larelle79
November 18, 2019 at 8:19 PM
You are looking for a resolution.
What thread do you think you are on Cobol? ;)
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missvictrix
November 18, 2019 at 9:06 PM
Hahaha rogue stabber lurks on
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JustMe
November 18, 2019 at 9:29 PM
They didn't have a budget for a truck of doom so they got a stabber :'(
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Lily left the valley
November 19, 2019 at 9:10 AM
If you blinked, you likely miss the scene at the police station where there's mention of the suspect at a ship yard (I think?) and then they all rush out to get him. I guess it should be assumed he did not escape capture.
I thought it was really poorly closed out, but then they would have had to drag out the twin chairman again/court scene/whatever--and I guess they couldn't cram both in the time left.
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13 amruta1009
November 18, 2019 at 8:23 PM
They could have just skipped last week's episode they were even more pointless. Also what a useless Villian, what useless mystery, what a useless... Nevermind I finished it (yay). The end.
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14 Kasumi
November 18, 2019 at 8:58 PM
This weecap is hilarious. What wit and snark! Great job @missvictrix! 👏🏽👏🏽
Have all the drinks 🍹 🍸 🍷
If not anything I enjoyed the roasting in the comments section.
My recommendation to Wookie is to give serious thought to his next choice. Dude’s SOOOPER pretty, so pretty he makes my head spin! 😍🥴🤩 But there is only so far a pretty face/shower scene can go in a drama.
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missvictrix
November 18, 2019 at 9:05 PM
^^
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15 Nhene
November 18, 2019 at 8:59 PM
Melting me softly makes me crazy..all episode are worth it..ji chang wook..
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16 Infinitize
November 18, 2019 at 9:08 PM
Well. I finished it. Everyone deserved better. Sadly, that's all I really have to say.
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17 Mehgann
November 18, 2019 at 9:17 PM
I would love to be able to argue that this show was one of those where they had the beginning worked out, but then the writers worked on it as it went along and messed it up. However, this show was off from the start. It didn't know if it was a comedy or a drama. It didn't know if it was sci-fi or a romance. It didn't know if it was a crime thriller or a psychological thriller. In trying to be LITERALLY ALL THE THINGS, it just kind of wasn't really anything at all. My apologies to @missvictrix. You are a kdrama hero for sticking this monstrosity out. Although, honestly, it was (for me) in the "so bad it's almost good" category.
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18 luzitania
November 18, 2019 at 9:23 PM
I did not watch this show but I read all the weecaps. Great job on the writing (and for sticking to it!) @missvictrix
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19 spazmo
November 18, 2019 at 10:22 PM
zero chemistry. fake expressions. hated it. but i watched it thru the end... why..........
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20 Mina00
November 18, 2019 at 11:54 PM
Thank you for a great recap . Your sentences made it sound muchhhh better then actual drama :) I know it is fair to watch and complain about it but I still watched it just because of him. I did not think it would end up that bad ! Defiantly the worse drama I have ever watched in my Korean dreamland so far :)
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Lily left the valley
November 19, 2019 at 9:15 AM
So you must not have watched Fashion King (TV drama, not the movie)? Or maybe you did watch it, but successfully blocked that from memory?
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nerdy
November 19, 2019 at 11:07 AM
The show has a bad reputation. The doormat female lead, greedy male lead whose type female lead was NOT and pathetic second lead. They made one of the most realistic love triangle in kdramas.
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Lily left the valley
November 20, 2019 at 7:41 AM
I think it was the first kdrama for me that had performers I like in it where the quality of the drama was painfully less than I was expecting at the time.
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21 riverj
November 19, 2019 at 12:02 AM
Thanks @missvictrix for your patience and determination to finish the recaps for THIS entire drama! (we all mourn how it could have been)
I really like what you said about the Vlog and just thought what if this drama kinda follow the You who came from the stars format. Each episode can start and even end with Dong Chan recording his thoughts and narrating through the whole experience. And make it more pensive and thoughtful without losing out on the fun, at the same time cutting out the unnecessary/sillu comedy elements that went off the roof.
If you want to do scifi/fantasy drama, do it well. Otherwise, a thoughtful story about 2 normal human beings meeting and falling for each other alone would be much appreciated already. Well I guess each writer will have to have at least one flop but please do recover from this. All the best to our actors and actresses who worked so hard to carry this out!
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22 Kurama
November 19, 2019 at 12:18 AM
Strong Woman Do Bong Soon had great ratings and I never undestood why... The couple had a good chemistry and Park Bo Young was cute but it's all. The story was pretty bad and as well the humor...
So I didn't have expectation for this drama except JCW. But after 4 episodes, I realized it was the same without the good couple. I don't think Won Ji Ah was good for the comedic scenes. And weirdly, they didn't have any chemistry.
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MikeyD signed up
November 19, 2019 at 6:08 AM
When they inexplicably went from secluded underground lab in the woods to unthawed guy in the middle of downtown Seoul that's when I knew this drama was going to be hopeless. Not to mention the doctor being remarkably spry for having been in a coma for 20 years.
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javinne
November 20, 2019 at 10:37 AM
But hey! SWDBS had cute parts in the final, also a wedding and super strong babies! The couple had wonderful chemistry and the way they fell for each other was what saved the show.
Here apparently you only had a 30 second shower kissing!
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amruta1009
November 20, 2019 at 11:09 AM
I agree about SWDBS. The only thing that made that drama watchable was them. Here the only reason why I watched Melting me is cause I'm just too stubborn to not finish a show once I start it.
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Ms. Rabbit 🐇
November 20, 2019 at 11:24 AM
I used to be stubborn like that, but it gets easier once I dropped my first couple shows. I just think about the more deserving dramas that I get to watch. and my blood pressure. and my eyes (from rolling). and my sanity. and my love for oppa.
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amruta1009
November 20, 2019 at 11:38 AM
It's not like I haven't dropped shows before but those were American and Indian but I figure kdramas are short anyway I can go through 16 episodes easily. Though I did drop Blademan, That fool and good thief, bad thief (though I still want to finish the last two - see stubborn)
javinne
November 20, 2019 at 12:33 PM
And my sanity! LoL!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Possum
November 20, 2019 at 10:17 PM
I only just made it through the first episode of Blademan. He was just too horrible. 😩
amruta1009
November 20, 2019 at 11:15 PM
@michelleb same
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Vespertyne29
November 20, 2019 at 3:56 PM
SWDBS is is in the "top two" of the WORST dramas I have ever watched. (She Was Pretty is the other, but I'd say 95% of that is because of how much I HATED the FL, both character and the actress in general. The only other drama I've seen her in was KMHM, and she was also an irritant for me there, as it was the first time I'd ever seen her banshee "acting" style. She was much less annoying in KMHM, plus the ML in that drama was so awesomely good, playing all those parts, that I just had to keep watching, shrieking FL and fauxcest (which I also hate) notwithstanding.
There wasn't one single thing I liked about SWDBS. Nothing. Yes, the ML is pretty, but there's nothing special about his acting that could save that horrible, juvenile, sh*t-infested (literally) plot, or mitigate the OTT offensive use of LGBT characters as a punchline.
SWDBS and MMS are why I now completely discredit international drama ratings, especially on Viki. I think the only people who love these dramas are teenage and young adult women who are obsessed with the MLs, and who will support their dramas, no matter how irredeemably bad they are. (And I see them on twitter, talking about how awesome MMS was, and how fabulous the acting was. Sigh).
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23 sumi
November 19, 2019 at 5:31 AM
This show made Vagabond look like the most logical movie ever. Let me just leave it at that.
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Vespertyne29
November 20, 2019 at 4:13 PM
Ha! I love Vagabond! It's fun, and I love both Suzy and Lee Seung-gi. I also always enjoy Shin Sun-rok, although it's unclear to me whether he is a good guy or a bad guy so far. (I think Edward Park may end up being a really good Bad Guy!)
Of course, I just finished watching "Watcher" a few weeks ago, and I am also watching "The Lies Within," and if we're talking about the thriller genre, Vagabond is way out of their league. But still, it's fun. And did I mention how much I love Lee Seung-gi? This is my first drama of his (I started A Korean Odyssey, but dropped it after a few episodes, when I found out it didn't end happily. I just can't watch non-serious or fantasy dramas that have bad or sad endings. The entire point of watching those is to feel happy and relieve stress!)
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24 kellibean
November 19, 2019 at 5:34 AM
Comment was deleted
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kellibean
November 19, 2019 at 5:35 AM
Comment was deleted
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25 kellibean
November 19, 2019 at 5:38 AM
We made it! Please choose a great project next time Wookie! Don’t be like Binnie and make me sit through stinker after stinker to make me prove my love. I’ll do it for you, but I won’t be happy about it😅
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Lucy🦋 | Hyun Bins First Love
November 19, 2019 at 11:07 AM
Hyun Bin may not have a hit when it came to dramas after SG, but gosh none of his drama has been a disaster like this! They were all bearable. But when it comes to absolute disaster, this one really takes the cake.
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kellibean
November 19, 2019 at 6:14 PM
This one was really, REALLY bad. Soooo very bad😭
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Tswankz
December 23, 2019 at 8:09 PM
This comment is golden :)
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26 Bob
November 19, 2019 at 5:58 AM
I'm reminded of a scene from 'Because This Life Is Our First' where the heroine gets her first head writer job for a drama only to discover they had hired an 'expert' adviser who had filled a whiteboard with generic K-drama tropes like birth secrets and vendettas. She was so appalled by what they did to her story that she quit on the spot.
The story of the writing of this drama would be fascinating. What did the original spec script look like? How many people were inputting ideas? Did the writer have any control over its content? This looks very much like a K-drama designed by committee.
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Vespertyne29
November 20, 2019 at 4:16 PM
The writer is the same one who inflicted SWDBS on the world, which speaks for itself.
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MikeyD signed up
November 21, 2019 at 10:27 AM
SWDBS, though vulgar and a bit schizophrenic, had entertaining characters, snappy dialog and knew how to tell a joke, MMS had dishwater dull characters, leaden dialog, and its humor was humorless as though the director had never tried to direct a comedy before.
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27 purebristles
November 19, 2019 at 6:46 AM
Thank you so much @missvictrix for the weecaps. *offers you a cookie for doing well*
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28 theTINYL
November 19, 2019 at 7:06 AM
The least they could've given us was a super extra steamy make out scene that ended in a fade-to-black or camera pan (wink wink, nudge nudge) to culminate all those moments Dong chan wished he could "love Mi ran like a normal person".
Darn show couldn't even do that.
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skelly
November 19, 2019 at 10:46 AM
We slogged through several hours of grinding mediocrity for one good 30-second shower scene. I feel so played, I should have stayed far away from this mess. For not sensing danger and dropping this early on I think I am going to be demoted in the Kdrama Critics Alliance. I was a Plot Device Sergeant-Major (as you would expect after 10 years) but I may be busted down to Soju Glass Washer.
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javinne
November 20, 2019 at 10:33 AM
LOL!!!!
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Vespertyne29
November 20, 2019 at 3:58 PM
ha! But seriously, reading a synopsis of the plot and knowing who the writer was didn't set off your alarm bells?
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skelly
November 24, 2019 at 12:07 PM
Yes, that is what The Commander said to me, as they tore off my stripes. Soju glass washer, it is.
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Infinitize
November 19, 2019 at 4:27 PM
Right?? They were all about being able to finally “love each other warmly.”
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29 Lucy🦋 | Hyun Bins First Love
November 19, 2019 at 11:04 AM
Dropped it around ep 6 or 7... can't recall which.
Kudos to this drama, they have managed to grab the title to the worst drama I ever watched or tried watching. I didn't even complete it and still found it a complete disaster.
I thought Heirs was an absolute disaster. But well well well... we finally have a new winner!
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skelly
November 20, 2019 at 9:14 AM
Unfortunately there are many candidates jostling for the title Best of the Worst. Enough for the same sort of charts, polls, and number-crunching that beanies do for end-of-the-year.
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Vespertyne29
November 20, 2019 at 4:24 PM
But for 2019, is there another serious competitor?
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30 javinne
November 20, 2019 at 10:30 AM
Ok, now I have really read the weecap, and honestly.... how bad this writer can be?
Worse than the Abyss writer???
I mean... with what else can I compare it?
Even Heirs and You are beautiful seem to be better and more logical dramas than this one.
I am totally sure Secret garden is better than this drama (at least for me)
I can totally imagine dr. Jin to be better, and I couldn't even finish its recaps! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Anyway... It is over.
I also hope our Wookie will recover with something better.
By the way, I didn't hate Suspicious Partner.
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31 Linda Palapala
November 20, 2019 at 5:59 PM
You made me so glad I never even bothered to start this drama. I did see Viki's repetitive clip on fb when she gets stabbed. I mean, perhaps they hadn't done all the cliches quite yet and had to check that one off the list?
On the other hand, Tale of Nokdu is the one bright shining moment (for me at least) of kdramas this year. It's when every trope is there, but handled in a more clever way so that you actually care about the characters and what happens to them.
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32 Rumi~
November 20, 2019 at 6:53 PM
Ha so you managed not to thwack or thrash something while watching this hot melted shit show.....👏 👏 👏.
See i was thinking I'd watch the complete show just to tell people how wrong & awful a drama can be..... But psssst I found the golden child guy & his group has really cute guys... So bye bye melty 👋
This was the best recap of 2019, you deserve an award 🏆. Loved the snark @missvictrix 💚
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33 shichybot
November 20, 2019 at 10:36 PM
Congratulations to Ji Chang Wook and Won Jin Ah for acting their way through such a ridiculous storyline. You did your best, guys!
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34 MikeyD signed up
November 21, 2019 at 1:25 PM
I get the impression this series was nobody's 'passion project'. It feels very much like the writer and director had been *assigned* to a project that had originated from some random production executive. I can imagine the conversation "Frozen for 20 years and then goes back to work? What am I supposed to do with a storyline like that?!"
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35 XinG
November 21, 2019 at 3:18 PM
Wait... so who is the culprit that exposed about mi ran 🤔🤔🤔
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36 tayywurrr
November 23, 2019 at 11:59 AM
The best part about this drama has been these recaps lol
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37 Gipsywings
November 24, 2019 at 1:42 AM
I loved that Pfft. in the end of caption!!! totally the right reaction to this whole show. All it can make anyone do, even wookie fans like myself is a pfft
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38 Ibrahim magaji shanono kano st Nigeria
April 2, 2020 at 4:55 PM
Is this drama formed base on the real story.it's very interesting and lovely drama film
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39 Bosuji
August 23, 2020 at 7:44 AM
PERFECT end review by MissVictrix.
BUT no I wasn't upset that I invested 16 hours ..
Wookie Watching was TOTALLY worth the time invested.
I realized I LOVE Wookie goof .. Comic Wookie AS MUCH as Super-Action-Wookie.
Because I LAUGHED ALOUD so so much during the watch. I ignored the Sci-Fi and Crime angle.
Now I wait to watch a DARK MODE WOOKIE .. He could PULL it off.
K2 MISSED OUT .. it would have been the perfect DARK MODE WOOKIE layout .. (by dark I don't mean Villain Wookie .. but someone who resides in a wounded soul and is drawn to Choi Yoon Ji fence sitting manipulative-game player type.
But KDramas are rarely Dark!!
"It's OK not to be OK" treads a bit around the DARK .. LIKED it immensely especially because of the Female Lead who LOVED because she leads the romance and skinship boldy and is not the template Damsel too shy kinda role most Kdramas essay out
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40 Tinker Belle
September 21, 2020 at 8:01 AM
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41 Tinker Belle
September 21, 2020 at 8:15 AM
I can't believe I strained my eyes to binge watch this.
How easy it is for this man to fall in and out of love so quickly? I would have appreciated if they had shown some base for Dong Chan for liking Mi Ran.
All I asked for was a good enough epilogue and all I get is a stupid argument on marriage and career. I understand Mi Ran is a little too young to marry but don't you care about Dong Chan even a little?
After every hope that the characters had about leading a normal life together, we didn't even get a kiss where their body heat for once doesn't rise without bothering them?
Some parts they turned Chang Wook's character so comic that even his tears towards the end don't have much impact.
And God, do you react so normally when you meet your frozen girlfriend after 3 years?
After waiting for a good enough ending for fifteen fuckin episodes, all we get is a crappy hug and a coffee sharing scene when all we wanted was a bit drama?
And does all Mi Ran care about is words and not feelings? Why would she give up her plans to go abroad only after reading a diary that said how much he missed her? And why did she have to state it in words that she wanted to be with him only after reading his journals? 🙄
This show was so crappy, I feel like I wasted even Wi-fi.
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