Sometimes I just don't get why OTP must break-up, anything except disloyal and abuse/violence (these root from character, I'm not your mom to fix them for you hah), can be worked up.
But hey who am I to say?
Bring back my adorable flirting couple 😫

I love melos and this show, but these two episodes repeatedly made me want to throw heavy objects at my screen.

First, as missvictrix said, people’s reaction to Taeyang’s mistakes three years ago is bordering on ridiculous at this point. With the exception of Taejoon, everyone is acting like Taeyang kidnapped Joonyoung, poured alcohol down her throat, and then pushed her down some icy hill out of jealousy and spite. But of course, that’s not remotely close to what happened. Even if you see Taeyang’s actions in the worst possible light—she peer pressured her friend into sneaking out and drinking, accidentally injured her, and then was too much of a coward to publicly take responsibility—the kind of hatred others show Taeyang and which she also shows herself is simply not justified. The National Team coach (ugh, that guy with his self-centered, vindictive, “you humiliated me” whining), the parents (especially Mom, who so blatantly sees her son as existing only to prop up her daughter that I want to slap her like she slapped Taejoon), and even Junghwan (who is at least cordial but who still seems to feel Taeyang needs to suffer forever for what she did) – all of these people are so morally righteous about their anger for no good reason.

As for Joonyoung, like I said last week, she has every right to not want to see or talk to Taeyang ever again. That’s not very generous or mature of her, especially since she can see that Taeyang is in tremendous pain over the whole thing, but it is her right. Refusing to accept someone’s apology doesn’t make you a bad person. What *does* make you a bad person is selfishly making innocent people (like her brother and Junghwan) suffer as some kind of weird penance for a sin they didn’t commit. She clearly wants everyone to be as miserable as she is and that’s narcissistic and amoral.

And poor Taejoon. He has spent his whole life being ignored or dismissed in favor of his sister—by his parents, coaches, and now, his girlfriend—and yet he’s still offering everyone the unconditional love he himself can’t seem to receive. Can just one person recognize how wonderful he is and treat him the way he deserves?

Other Observations:
It was nice to see Taeyang do something other than cry, but why was she smiling so broadly and, apparently, sincerely, when she and Taejoon broke up at the end? This girl is clearly traumatized by her crappy childhood and the incident with Joonyoung so I understand she’s probably not capable of giving more than she is right now. But her constant ghosting and dismissal of Taejoon and his feelings is really starting to bother me. She makes all the decisions in the relationship, decides what she wants to share with him and what she won’t, and outright lies if she knows he won’t want to hear what she has to say. And then she smiles joyfully when he dumps her like he’s some weight dragging her down? At that moment, I lost pretty much all sympathy for her.

I really like Yumin and I...

Tae-yang with Joon-young was miserable, Tae-yang with her mother was miserable, and Tae-yang breaking up with Tae-joon was miserable.

Still, it felt like we reached the lowest point in these episodes and started to swing back upward. First, Tae-yang went with Coach, apologized, and didn't get fired. So she will still be practicing and playing on the team. Second, Jung-hwan saw his first love for what it was, and let go.

Looking forward to spring for the Yunis, and good changes.

@missvictrix another great recap that captures the feel of this weeks episodes. This was so hard to watch I had to have breaks just to prep myself for the inevitable. I loved the fact the team and coach all kept showing Tae yang that despite her best efforts to push them away they were not going anywhere.
Tae joon is so loving despite the way his sister and parents have treated him he can’t afford to lose the girl he loves too. They really are good together and it looks like the next episode will be back to their usual banter as ‘friends’ maybe they will hold out until the dust settles and then return to a non platonic relationship but this way they can be there for each other and Tae yang won’t feel guilty for being happy.

Does anyone else think the team captain and Young sim have something but he is scared to reveal it because of her fear to do anything that will rock the boat with her child. Do you think they were a couple and the father of the child came in and swooped her away or do you think it’s second lead syndrome and she never knew and still can’t see it but the child’s father can and likes to rub it in even though he is no longer in a relationship with her. I feel like I missed something in the clues we have been given but don’t want to go try to find the conversations where the breadcrumbs were dropped.

I just want to hug Park Tae-jun and shield him from anything bad 🥺.
He has taken the "perfect" kdrama boyfriend to another level in my eyes.

I agree, they should just elope and call it a day

The ending emptied my head of all coherent thoughts, I keep saying this every week but I did not see that coming. I also forgot about the other characters for a good few weeks, so it was nice to have their struggles brought to the centre too - specifically Seungwoo x Youngshim. The Yunis team are really making up for their shitty behaviour at the start of this series, they’ve got TY’s back and I love that the girls are super supportive (even if they needed a little push from TJ).

And I’m glad JH got his closure somewhat and is making strides to give the girl who genuinely likes him a real shot. I think the same principle of TY not recognising her own value and accepting the love that comes her way also applies to JH when it comes to his love life - he was attached to an idealised version of his past that he wasn’t really looking at what was there in the right now, so I’m glad he is deciding to do that now. Kind of reminds me of that quote from Perks of Being A Wallflower about how we accept the love we think we deserve - though it was said for vastly different circumstances, I think the same principle applies when you struggle to let yourself be love/acknowledge the love because deep down you don’t think you’re worthy of it.

I’m exhausted just thinking about JY/JY’s parents but suffice to say, there’s many negative emotions brewing in my head. Like where do I begin, is it the fact that they’re ready to make a devil out of TY as though she literally broke JY’s leg with her own hands? The fact that JY won’t correct the narrative that it was completely TY’s fault? Or is it the fact that they step all over TJ and refuse to consider his feelings? Anyways, I can’t with them right now so yes idk basically wow, many tears, tailspin, TJ you’re so freaking unreal I love you.

Honestly, I don't understand this damn witch hunt for Tae-yang. As Tae-joon later correctly says to his mother, it was an accident! I was about to fire the remote into the corner until at least the team members behaved reasonably. It was late, but better than never.
I don't know who I detest more, the sister or the mother. But the mother seems to be winning, unbelievable how she keeps acting towards her son.

Good thing Tae-joon told Tae-yang the truth on his own and she didn't have to find out by accident. In the end, it came as expected, even though I had expected Tae-yang to flee earlier.

First off, this writer is lucky (and also very cruel) for creating characters I care so much for. This was a rough viewing experience.

Honestly, the regression these episodes depicted actually hit very close to home for me. Seeing the last bit of fight drain from Tae-joon’s eyes at the end there when it was made clear that his family didn’t even care to listen to his feelings and that no one was going to put him first even once was just brutal. I wrote in my comment last week that he was afraid of telling the truth because he always feared what the result would be. This defeat will probably take a serious toll on Tae-joon’s belief in himself and I really hope it’s time for the characters to look out for him for a change.

Honestly, I had a similar situation happen a few years ago and it feels like I am still trying to rebuild belief in myself. Even if I had hoped the angst to be lighter, I do agree with @missvictrix that it feels very raw and authentic. And given that I relate so heavily to Tae-joon’s feelings of defeat, I’m hoping the writer is planning a highly satisfying moment of catharsis down the line. She better take responsibility for all this pain she’s putting him and us through!

His family shouldn’t be judging him for being forgiving of a single moment of folly in someone’s life when he continuously, day after day, forgives their negligence and abuse without ever being asked. Just a measly “I’m sorry…” (which feels like it’s always followed by an unspoken “…things are like this and will always be like this”) every now and then is all he really ever gets for consideration. Woops, and one measly rolled egg. I swear, Tae-joon better finally get a chance to air all his frustrations or have someone, anyone, fighting for him for once very soon or I’m gonna riot.

I’m actually fine with the break-up, though I’m heartbroken for Tae-joon that it had to be for his sister’s sake and that he has literally no one to rely on. It’s sad, but, right now, Tae-joon’s love and support has become a source of guilt for Tae-yang and is keeping her from being able to be in this relationship properly. The thing is…I can’t really blame her. You can say she ended the relationship too easily, but, as even Tae-joon said, no one wants to see her having to repeatedly beg for forgiveness right now, which is the situation she would undoubtedly be in.

Even though I’m frustrated with Tae-yang’s lack of fight in these episodes, I just want her to heal so that she can love herself enough to be as reliable as I know she can be. I’ve been lost like her before so I find the characters coming together to help her fight this episode before she could finally begin to take those steps herself to be very moving. Sometimes you need help from others to begin to forgive yourself. She couldn’t expect that from Joon-young, but her team members and coaches were ready to rally for her despite knowing everything and I’m hoping we’ll see more of their impact on her soon...

Shout out to the coach! Coach Tae Sung plays by the rule yet he still looks after his athletes.

I really can't understand why people are upset over the way Joon Young treated Junghwan after hearing he was kicked out of the national team. Clearly she is over him and they broke up mutually, but if Junghwan still can't get over her and keeps causing trouble, how is that JY's fault? She is not responsible for JH or his actions and there is no necessity for her to console him, not even as a friend. I mean who goes back to being friends immediately after a breakup? Same with Yoo min. As much as I like her, she has to be screaming at JH for losing his shit instead of yelling at JY. Where is the logic when she said "I know I won't be of much comfort to you, so that's why I spoke with JY" ? Girl, they just broke up 🙄🙄🙄 If you remove TY from the equation by removing her as the trigger for the accident and keep other things as it is, what JH does would be smiliar to an ex bf overstepping his boundaries in the name of looking out for JY. This is simply unacceptable.

With just four more episodes, I hope they do a timeskip and show our lead couple being cute and happy.

I was really enjoying this drama until Joonyoung showed up. Now it feels a lot like a hate-watch. I'm sick of Taeyang and Joonyoung's contrived pity party. Not to mention the abusive parents and abusive coaches. But the worst part is watching Taejoon become a shell of a person. I think I will drop this show for my own sanity.

A moment of silence to Park Taesungs tear ducts. Girl has been crying in every single of this drama so far!

I am so frustrated towards the end of this episode. Taesung breaking up to appease someone else wanted me to just throw something at her. I hope they won't get back together and Taejun will find someone else, who appreciate him far better than Taesung ever did. Also, why is everyone looking after everyone else's happiness except Taejuns? Grrr!!

Also... Yumin! Please play hard to get. I know you like the guy, but running back to him every single time he glances at you just makes you look so easy. He needs to grovel and suffer for a minute before you take him back for the nth time!!

I like that K drama does friendships and love stories so beautifully when it goes well but sometimes feel they can be too extreme when they bring conflict into the story. This show and Shooting Stars have both gone from Spring sunshine and showers to full on hurricane season without giving us a chance to bask in the Summer sun.

I have been thinking more and more about the context of the Republic of Korea and how this must impact on the stories they tell.

What I first noticed when I watched K drama was the frequency of suicide in the programmes. I don’t know if it was just my limited access at that time or if there was a time when this was included due to the high rates in the country. I do wonder now that I have progressed from drama to reading books by Korean authors which give fictional accounts of the challenges of the financial crisis, the period of the Japanese occupation and forced splitting of the country causing families to lose contact with relatives because they now lived in another country, how these recent historical events effect the emotional development of the current generations.

Enforced military service because the risk is literally on your doorstep must shape a country’s view on loyalty and safety. I wonder if all of this is what leads to the emphasis on power, knowing your place, the value of friendship and trust, high expectations etc. on success and the inevitable emotional fallout of all this pressure. So many parental roles on dramas are either shown as being perfect in their loving side or extremely cold, controlling or self centred.

I am finding there is a move to add a level of darkness to what initially appeared to be a light and fluffy drama. I am hoping that we get to see a return to the happier times in this drama and others like it.

Poor Tae-Joon, the 3 women of his life are selfish and selfcentered. He deserves better.

I was exhausted by Taeyang. Honestly, she deserves a part of what it's happening. Joon-Young never had a trip because she focused on badminton. Taeyang wanted to make her happy by giving her a break but snowboarding in the middle in the night after alcohol? It was completely stupid. Joon-Young is guilty to have accepted it. But then, they hide it for what? Nothing. Both of them stopped playing badminton. For her mother... It didn't bother her when she was one of the best player on the national team.

Jung-Hwan and Yoo-Min are really cute together. Both of them are very direct and talk about their feelings. Jung-Hwan likes her but wants to be completely free from his first love to date her. I like the fact he doesn't want to use her to forget Joong-Young. It's funny like he became Tae-Joon's confidant too now :p

On a trivial note, has anyone else noticed the strong resemblance of Park Juhyun to Ahn Bohyun and vice versa? They were both born in Busan so I wonder whether there is a gene circulating in their families which I can credit for their resemblance? (of course, I understand how basic genetics works but can’t get over their strong resemblance).

OMG what a depressing couple of episodes! And exactly over WHAT?? Two national athletes break the rules, have too much to drink and go snowboarding, with disastrous results for one (the older) of them! The one who was injured could have said no .......and it was an ACCIDENT! Our heroine was was so remorseful that she gave up her career for three years and allowed everyone to believe she had been sacked for bribery. The injured athlete is a spoiled, entitled, thoroughly selfish young woman who proceeds to make her parents, her brother and her boyfriend as miserable as she possibly can, whilst accepting absolutely no responsibility whatsoever for what happened. And all of this is THREE YEARS AFTER THE EVENT!!!! What is the prison sentence for manslaughter in Korea? About a year, isn't it? They BOTH broke the rules, they BOTH had too much to drink, they BOTh went snowboarding. Surely the injured girl should take SOME responsibility. I doubt if our heroine would have felt any worse if her friend had died! And why did she have to leave the country? With her reputation she could have got a job just about anywhere as a coach .................bad things happen, sometimes you just have to suck it up and get on with life. I'm just hoping and praying that we don't have any more sobbing over the last four episodes, but I'm not optimistic.

I am furious! Such a lovely show turned into a tragedy. Don't get me wrong, I'm the biggest fan of melodrama. But you can't turn a cute, fluffy story into a misery mess like that. Especially because all this tragedy makes no sense to me. I don't understand it. It's not belivable for me... is it a Corean thing? Does it make sense in Corea? To be treated like that because of an accident?
Teayang looks seriously depressed to me. She needs psichological help. Maybe it's because of her mother and she turned a friendship into an obsession... I don't know. I don't think I can stand her much longer.
And where did the badminton go? I was so excited at the idea of the two Parks playing together and becoming very good and winning everything... but they never played together. :( No one is playing anymore. And is Taeyang really a good player? She spent more time being punished or hiding from the tean than actually playing. The script is a mess in the this second half of the drama. I'm getting exhausted by all this misery.

I spend each episode waiting for someone to finally punch Joon Young in the face... but it never happes. X_X That's is the real tragedy.