Thank you again, @dramaaddictally for your thoughtful recap. I really do appreciate your two reviews of this show, which made me aware of it and got me to think about it some more.

I agree that these 4 episodes brought a shift in perspective, from different experiences in society, to that of the characters personal experience. In that sense the split in episode drop was totally justified, so I take back what I said last week. As with the first 4 episodes, there are multiple interpretations possible, although what I am most impressed with is that the stories are not abstract explorations of ideas but really moving--the little girl searching for the bread that defined her mother's love, for example-that brought a tear to my eye. I would like to say a lot about each episode, but I'll try to restrain myself.

The first episode, on time, contingency, and the impact of choices, I found the most abstract; the second I'll expound on below; the third was great on the emotional meaning of food, and I agree, the fourth tried to wrap it up a little too neatly, but still, it dealt really well with the loss and regret.

I apologize if I sound really pompous here, I am not, just enthusiastic in thinking about the themes, and frankly, since I've already bored my wife with this, there is no where else I can expound on this show. While I found the first four episodes the most intellectually engaging, I have to admit that these last 4 hit pretty hard for me personally, because I'm older, recently retired, have thought a lot about chance, what I would do differently, about my teaching career, and what I'd say to lost friends and relatives-- and I myself love bread and have baked it for decades.

In fact not knowing that this would be one of the themes of the episodes earlier in the day I had baked a whole wheat walnut-date bread, and the smell was a kind of sensory adjunct to watching this episode, like John Waters the outré filmmaker's scratch and sniff "smell o vision" although mine was a lot more pleasant!

This is the season of flawed women. Bo-ra was vain and shallow and attention seeking, and also self aware enough to recognize her flaws. Ha-kyung is mediocre. She's a mediocre teacher, was a mediocre friend and a mediocre daughter, is even a pretty mediocre traveler. But she's learned to glean snatches of insight from it all.

Episode 8 when Ha-kyung's dead friend asks what music she's listening to she said she listening to something 'trendy but feels old-school'. Autumn 2022? Ha-kyung is definitely listening to the group 'New Jeans'. Their music video 'Ditto' was even set around the same time as Ha-kyung's high school flashbacks.

I had seen that episode 8 location before in a theatrical film, starring Shin Min-ah if I recall correctly. Let me look it up... well, there you go! The film's literally titled "Gyeongju", from 2014. I recall the same mounds shot from the same angle.

I love this. I love how it talks about something heavy like aging and death in such a lighthearted way. I find my self in better mood after watching this.

"Where di people in Seoul go after they died? There's no place like this (cemetery) in Seoul."
"For a place like Seoul, there's no place for death".

As i think death is a part of life, it is weird that a place as lively and vibrant as Seoul doesn't have a cemetry. Though it rational from a high land price POV.

"I'm not growing up, but aging. When younger, I didn't want to bother with anything. Now, life is more interesting. I'm amazed with everything".

Like aging is not something to be afraid of. I'm 100% agree.

The short time format for each episodes along with a simple exploration of heavier themes makes it an easy watch. The breads in Ep 7 made me want to pack my suitcase for a trip to Jeju Island and I couldn't get enough of Lee Na Young saying in korean that "If you can walk, eat and let your mind wander". It was soothing to hear it. Loved it! 10/10

@dramaddictally Thank you for the review. The last four episodes weren't as strange as the first episodes, which is why I think you were not as enthralled by the second half as with the first half. Also, I wouldn't call the 7th episode mom and 8th episode friend as ghost because the former was more of a symbolism and the latter was a fragment of imagination by Ha Kyung.

The very end of episode 6 when a woman was suddenly by Ha-kyung's side eating her kimchi pancake without explanation. What did you think was going on in that moment? A sister? A previously unknow room mate? I had earlier picked up the hint that 'magical realism' wasn't out of the question in this series but that only expanded the possibilities.

Thanks @dramaddictally for the weecap. I agree there was a very different feel to the two halves and I feel the week between prevented it being too jarring. A consistent theme was the backdrop of the beautiful scenery. There were some gorgeous aerial shots of sunsets and the sea. I involuntary exclaimed out loud watching that aerial shot of the Daereungwon Tomb Complex.

I liked episode 7 the best even though it brought tears to my eyes. The little girl was so determined to find that bread. She used to have the little roll and when she was the one buying the bread she gave her portion to the dog. It was so sad to see her bowing down at the mourning table of food. I keep encountering the women divers in my audiobooks and it is so sad her mum died while her child was so young.

On the whole I enjoyed the series with its mix of thoughtful reflection, beautiful scenery and humour. The humour was subtlety woven in; male teacher asking the students for cash and saying it wasn’t a mugging, her dancing not knowing she had an audience, her hiding behind the baguette style bread when the little girl caught her following her.

My brain could not switch off from wondering:
How she was going to store all those amazing types of bread as some of the speciality styles don’t taste as nice after being frozen.
Why children were allowed to play next to the burial mounds.
Why she left the food open to the elements on the bench but then went back to it some time later and started to eat it.

Thanks Dramaddictally for your insightful comments.
I love everything about this show, it's superb and it feels all the more luxurious after quite a few kdrama disappointments this year.
I need season 2.
Maybe if I start a petition :)

ONE DAY OFF (Ep. 5-8): Episode 5 is about Ha-Kyung chance to do something she thinks she is not good at but was too embarrassed to try: dancing. This is relatable to every viewer. There are things we would like to do, to try, to master but our own self-doubt stops us. It is funny that it sometimes takes a stranger to put you on your path. However the jumpy flashback editing style I felt was unnecessary until the introduction of the cartoonist and her ability to see how to get out of her own comfort zone to experience new things in the last chapter of her life. Ha-Kyung has a connection to the artist which quickly brings them together. The revelation is that we are all stuck in our routines and habits like a never ending time loop, unable to break the grind to do something more in one’s life. Instead, is a kimchi jeon is the perfect comfort food on a dark day?

Episode 6 is about how a rainy Saturday can bring you down, especially if work intrudes on your time off. It shows how “stuck” she is without much good luck; but around her are inferences of what kindness can do. One can view nature as controlling or as a companion; just as the Principal or PTA head is controlling something her students find as a break of their harsh routines: socializing with their friends. She finds herself in the middle and decides not to do anything, let it run its course like a rain storm.

Episode 7 introduces us to Ha-Kyung’s obsession: bread. We all have our own quirky interests but this one seems to suit Ha-Kyung. It is simple but elegant. And her bakery journey gets detoured by a young girl on her quest to find snail bread. We can tell Ha-Kyung sees her young self in this little girl who steadfastly searches for the “correct” bread so she can get her own treat. To me, it was not heartbreaking to see why the little girl was so determined to find the right bread to celebrate an important part in her life. It was comforting, just like bread is a comforting to many people..

Episode 8 can be summed up as “you don’t know what you are missing until it’s gone.” It really hit home when Ha-Kyung said she was not growing up but just aging. Her best friend, who was full of life, died at a young age. Ha-Kyung’s memories of their trips keeps her alive in her memory. Trips, like photographs and food, are tangible forms of memories that people hold dear because they are shared experiences that bond families and friends together. She said her time with Jin Sol was not deep or meaningful but fun. But it was meaningful enough for her to continue conversations with her. It is a powerful reminder that no matter how hectic, routine, or boring each day is for you, there are ways to make new memories if you try. But most people do not take stock of their lives until it is too late. Regret is a lingering pain in one’s life. It is hard to make new friends, it is hard to keep up with old friends. Work without play is not the way to live.
Her friendship with Jin Sol was a catalyst...

Guess I'm in the minority here as I enjoyed this set of episodes more than the first set.
I especially liked episode 6. It was just not her day - the rain, losing her card, forgetting her wallet - but she had a good talk with her colleague, the kids gave her bus money and she ended the day with a comforting pancake. Tomorrow is another day!

The 'romance' episode (3) was as much about inexplicable loss as episode 8, but on a smaller scale. The pair inexplicably losing each other while looking out over the city, the guy inexplicably not showing up to the theater despite his enthusiasm. The same feeling of loss and longing over missed connections, much the same as the former school friend suddenly gone and leaving a void. The losses started in episode 1 with the cell phone left at the monastery, then graduated to bank cards and umbrellas, missed train connections, and finally to a lost school friend.

This is the most unusual Kdrama that I have watched (140+ dramas). I would describe it as simultaneously deep & light, and beautifully filmed. I liked seeing the people she encountered on her journey as familiar guest stars and the unique places in South Korea. It was moving quirky, and enjoyable.