Like Flowers in Sand: Episodes 7-8
by missvictrix
The mystery of the past is slowly being put together, and this week, the missing piece is finally revealed — much thanks to our hero forcing himself to recall details he thought he’d forgotten in his alcohol-induced blackout. But there are other feelings hiding out in one of those blackouts, too…
EPISODES 7-8
The childhood flashbacks in this drama continue to be so completely touching that they make me feel tenfold for the characters as they are in the present day. These flashbacks are about character depth and context — not for merely shoving facts in our face like most dramas do — and Like Flowers in Sand is all the stronger for it.
This week’s flashbacks start off with when Doo-shik was leaving town and trying to say goodbye, but little Baek-du was too happy-go-lucky to realize what was going on until too late (these two never change!). The second flashback shows us our usual kid crew, but there’s another player on the outskirts. She’s a little younger than them so she feels left out of their world. As it turns out, it’s little Mi-ran, and we see her interacting with her dad, and learn that he was the one who taught her how to spell coffee as “coffe.” It’s little details like this, I tell you.
Back in the present, Yoo-kyung has just come clean to the ever-perceptive Hyun-wook, and she tells him the backstory of why they left town twenty years ago. Her father was once Geosan’s ssireum coach, and was suspected of the murder of one of the wrestlers after they supposedly fought when the wrestler refused to throw a match. Yoo-kyung tells us her father was freed on lack of evidence, but no one would believe in his innocence, and they eventually left town to start over.
The mirroring between the case with Yoo-kyung’s father and the present one with Choi is all too apparent — but it’s not just mirroring: Yoo-kyung believes that Choi Chil-seung was responsible for the match-fixing scandal in the past in addition to the current case. But, as we’ve seen, our cops are having trouble stitching the story together. They’re getting warmer, but it’ll take some more prodding…
Meanwhile, Baek-du is ready for his championship, but he specifically tells his family not to come. Due to the team being comprised of unorganized athletes, Baek-du misses the team bus to the championship location (and no one notices LOL), and Yoo-kyung actually has to drive him there. Baek-du is having the time of his life on this little road trip, and overeats with glee at the rest stop, claiming he never gains weight from eating. But that spree actually puts him over the 80kg weight limit for his class. And so, he spends the day before the match running the beach with a tire on his back. And when that’s not hard enough, the coaches decide he needs to carry Yoo-kyung instead. Cue: more cute bickering, slapping, and heart to hearts between these two.
It’s hard to believe they’ve been separated for 20 years because they know each other so well — for instance, later that night Baek-du tries to order her non-fish items at the sashimi restaurant they’re at with the team, knowing she can’t eat much there. That turns out to be a good move, because on match day, the entire team except Baek-du is down with food poisoning. It would be tragic if it wasn’t so funny — Baek-du goes to the match alone, and the team watches from their hospital beds in their little gowns and IVs!
At the match, Baek-du wrestles the best that he has in years. Round after round he pounds down his opponents and not only is the crowd going wild, but all the ajusshis back home are losing their minds cheering for him. Aww. Why is Baek-du on fire today? Is it because the team isn’t there, because his family isn’t there… or because Yoo-kyung is there? It seems like Yoo-kyung’s advice, her faith in him, and her presence at the match all contribute to Baek-du’s renaissance. Because when two teammates come over and tell him that Yoo-kyung actually left the arena, Baek-du’s winning streak comes to a quick end.
We cut to the team eating once again at Jin-su’s mom’s place, and it’s hilarious as she points out how depressed they are. But Baek-du is the most depressed of all, when he should be the one rejoicing — his coach reminds him what a feat it is to finish in the top five. Even the surly Jin-su gets up, and pours Baek-du a celebratory glass of beer. It’s the nicest gesture of acknowledgement from his frenemy – and a matter of respect — so Baek-du downs the beer while staring at his phone and the girl who’s left him on read.
It’s hard for me to say anything negative about this drama at all, but if there’s one thing that’s disappointing me a bit, it’s how Jin-su has been left on the fringe of the story. For one, his complex relationship with Baek-du is as interesting to me as Baek-du and Doo-shik’s relationship; second, rookie actor Lee Jae-joon continues to floor me in this role. He doesn’t say much or do much, but his eyes speak volumes in every scene with an intensity that communicates much more than is on the surface. Jin-su is such a fantastic foil for the more heart-on-his-sleeve-and-foot-in-his-mouth Baek-du that I eat up all their interactions. I also firmly believe there is more story to mine here (and who knows, maybe it’s coming in our final two weeks).
Back to our main plot, those six ounces of beer have a fatal impact on our delightful hero. He’s bumbling in a matter of minutes (but first, more kudos from Jin-su!), and happily, this leads to a telling encounter with Yoo-kyung. As in, Baek-du’s screaming “Doo-shik-ah!” through the town yet again, until they find a quiet place to hang out. As ever, their back and forth is adorable. Drunk Baek-du is even more silly than the sober one, and he scolds Yoo-kyung for ignoring his texts, and then openly asks for her to praise his performance at the match. Meanwhile, Yoo-kyung gives him a hard time, but also holds him up when he starts to wobble, and tells him better than finishing in fourth place was seeing him truly enjoy his sport again.
During this exchange, Baek-du starts to get hearts in his eyes, and he plants a kiss on Yoo-kyung, who’s utterly stunned but also doesn’t pull away. And doesn’t think to slap him with her requisite slap until several seconds later.
The next morning Baek-du has a hand print on his forehead and doesn’t remember anything — anything! He runs to the gym to meet up with Yoo-kyung and they basically reenact half of the conversation they had last night, thus proving it’s like it didn’t even happen to Baek-du. As for Yoo-kyung, she’s mortified over the whole thing, and definitely more in touch with her ~feelings~ if her reaction to his ramyun invitation is any indication!
With all the cuteness and humor (I mean, Baek-du buying ice pops for his hyungs with his prize money was comedic gold), we can’t forget the reason why Yoo-kyung left the match. The captain had called her with an important finding, and it’s the puzzle piece that starts to put everything together. Yoo-kyung goes straight to Ran’s Coffe, and Mi-ran plays it straight. “Hello Doo-shik unnie,” she says.
Turns out, Mi-ran is the daughter of the wrestler who died twenty years ago, whose murder was blamed on Yoo-kyung’s father. It comes out that Choi Chil-seung, when he came to Geosan, came to talk to Mi-ran and knew who she was. But what’s really going on? Mi-ran as a character has always been a bit glassy, so it’s hard to know what she’s hiding exactly, but she knows about the investigation and that both Yoo-kyung and Hyun-wook are cops.
Hyun-wook’s senses have always been up around Mi-ran, and after staking out her cafe, he follows her and her big mysterious black bag around. Meanwhile, Yoo-kyung is certain there’s something that happened the night of Choi Chil-seung’s death that they’re missing, and she convinces Baek-du to try to remember what happened the night he was drunk. No, not last night, she warns, but the night when he interacted with Choi.
Here we hit probably one of the drama’s greatest scenes — Baek-du is in the middle of the road, talking to himself more than usual, and reenacting the night he fell in the road and tried to give Choi his $40 change. While we’re watching Baek-du look like a madman throwing himself on the pavement, Seok-hee and his partner have pulled up in their cop car and they’re watching the whole thing. Their commentary is hysterical — from the “He must be hot that’s why he’s laying down in the street,” to the “Is he looking for a career change?” to Seok-hee eventually denying that he even knows who Baek-du is (LOL!). But the crazy pays off, and Baek-du is able to remember a crucial detail of that night: there was someone in the passenger seat with Choi.
Baek-du might have run off screaming in horror and embarrassment when he finally remembered kissing Yoo-kyung (“We don’t have that kind of relationship!” he sputters), but when he remembers this important clue, he runs at top speed to the gym to tell Yoo-kyung. But before he can get out what he wants to say in between heaving for breath — “That night… in the car” — Mi-ran walks in. “You saw me? You said you didn’t remember,” she says plainly. BOOM!
Mi-ran is such a wild card that I’m not quite sure where this reveal will go, but I love it as a reveal that’s been hinted at obliquely all along. In a story that has treated all of its characters quite evenly and without assigning villainy, I suspect and hope that this scenario will go the same way. At the very least, the flashback to Mi-ran’s childhood assures me that the drama cares about her as a character — like it does all of its players — so I’m curious to see where they take us from here.
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Tags: Choi Moo-sung, Jang Dong-yoon, Kim Bora, Lee Joo-myung, Lee Joo-seung, Like Flowers in Sand, Yoon Jong-seok 33 33 comments
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1 Blue (@mayhemf)
January 12, 2024 at 5:09 PM
How does this show do this!! It has me completely hooked. There is not a moment I take my eyes off the screen.
Firstly, that ssireum match was nail biting. I was at the edge of my seat. The whole editing between the match and Du-Shik/Mi-ran face off felt so tense.
I loved how the match was shot, beautiful angles, makes you get to the details of the sport.
Also, I understand Baek-du’s disappointment that she left, but I also like that Du-shik has her own agenda. It is not her job to root for him and be his pillar of support during matches. This is Baek-Du’s journey. She is giving him the right pointers and motivation, its upto him to figure out and get that championship.
Baek-Du - he is killing me!! Why is he so adorable!! No one has been more excited for missing the team bus. lol.
And him getting drunk and saying ‘thank you’ to Jin su!
BaekDu enacting scenes in the middle of the road. Lol. He is so precious.
The childhood scenes are precious. I felt for Du-shik when she came to bid farewell. That hurt. Poor kids. The child actors acted their hearts out.
As much as I enjoy the siblings, I do wonder why they act like ‘boys’ rather than men. Is it that there are no girls in the town and none of them dated?
At times it feels like ‘innocence’ runs in the family. Wonder how dad got himself a wife ; ). I need more dad and mom scenes.
I love this show. It has my whole 💙
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emsel
January 12, 2024 at 9:23 PM
Firstly, that ssireum match was nail biting. I was at the edge of my seat. The whole editing between the match
I think the editing team and director deserves a special credit because each of the different ssireum moves were explained crisply through commentary that it was possible even for a non-ssireum fan to follow through with ease and notice the variations.
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2 hacja
January 12, 2024 at 5:34 PM
For these episodes, the wrestling was great--well shot and choreographed, so that you could even understand the play by play. The one thing that was a little absurd was Baek-du's utter confidence that he could eat all he wanted the day of the weigh in. The agonies my friends on the wrestling team went through to make weight were what they hated most about the sport. (this is one of the dark sides of high school and college wrestling, to strive for a weight class below your natural weight, either to fill a spot open on the team, or to avoid an opponent who was better, or on the misbegotten theory that after weigh in eating/drinking would mean an advantage in strength, since you would presumably now be slightly heavier than your weight class.) Of course, in this case, cutting weight did lead to the cute beach carrying scene.
The investigation also progressed a little, and the motivation of Du-shik was made clear in the flashbacks. The flash backs also highlighted some excellent child acting. I can't believe how they found kids that were able to mimic some of the mannerisms of the adults so well.
The one thing I was really disappointed in was the development of the romantic relationship. In these episodes Baek Du revealed himself as too childlike, and probably not smart enough to be a suitable romantic partner for Du-shik. The running through the town screaming when he realized he'd kissed her when drunk was a perfect example. Near the beginning of this show, I'd hoped that Baek-du would reveal the intuitive intelligence that Du-shik's partner said he saw in him. But he hasn't. He's a really sweet guy, very loveable, but not in a romantic way for a police detective like Du-shik. She basically has to mother him to do the most basic things. So that was a big letdown for me, even though as I said I thought the other parts were developed well, and I look forward to seeing the wrestling and the case solved. Its just that now I'm feeling there are not enough grounds for a romance.
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Martine
January 12, 2024 at 5:51 PM
I love them together but wonder where their relationship can go. She is a cop from Seoul. He is a ssireum wrestler with the potential for being a champion from a small town. She isn't going to give up her career to move to a small town, and he isn't going to give up the sport to move to Seoul
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Elinor, Team Glasses team co-captain
January 12, 2024 at 7:02 PM
I suspect the drama will just glide over that problem - but at least it is her hometown, not just any small town, and she came back to resolve the injustice that drove her and her family out of it in the first place.
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hacja
January 12, 2024 at 9:06 PM
I can see the show glossing over the issue of overcoming their different locations. I just don't know how the show is going to be convincing in glossing over the issue of romantic incapability. (I mean, I'm sure it will, if its a happy ending, but I mean satisfactorily.)
As friends, they have great chemistry, and I was thinking initially romantically as well. Obviously she is physically attracted to him--but he is, right now, being portrayed as a very unromantic figure. I was just wondering why, in these episodes, the writers so exaggerated his portrayal as a childish dolt, albeit a very sweet one and a great friend, without providing some sort of compensation--say as they previously suggested, real intuition into the nature of the murder or murderer. Right now Snowball seems sharper in that regard.
Just to show how much I was hoping that they would be a viable couple, I was thinking about both real life and convincing screen romantic relationships where one partner was bright and competent and the other was sweet but simple.
In my former line of work, I encountered several successful relationships where smart academic women was married to less intelligent men. Very often the successful partners shared a geographic background or had met in college, which helped explain how the wife could be so bright and articulate and the husband really dull, but the gap in sensibility just was not as large as this relationship. No one, for example, had met their husband in elementary school, moved away, and then they grew up in different places, one becoming educated and professional in a big city, the other an uneducated semi-pro athlete in tiny town, and then they happily reunited because they had spent 10(?) years as children together. But maybe my sample was too small.
As for fictional portrayals, I was thinking about it, and most of them historically are of course ones where the man is sharp and the woman is childlike but really beautiful, so presumably male sexual desire would overcome the difference.
One sports drama where the woman is a lot more on the ball (get it?) than the man is the U.S. film, Pat and Mike, where Spencer Tracy plays a dim-witted agent and Katherine Hepburn his talented client, and by the end, they are a couple and he is a loyal sidekick. But they are in the same business, at least.
Is there a happy ending kdrama romance where there is such a gap between the FL and the ML as this one?
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Elinor, Team Glasses team co-captain
January 12, 2024 at 11:38 PM
No.
It was a yes/no question, right? The gap is unbridgeable at this point. Like you, I hoped that the show would show us more of Baek-du's intuitive intelligence, the good stuff that SML/cop understudy touted a couple of episodes ago - and that was seemingly borne out by BD's swift, correct guess that they're all cops. He's clearly not stupid, but he has been given bandwidth for only 1 (maybe 1.5) things at time: ssireum, but not mystery-solving or romance; romance, but not the practicalities of his daily life and means of earning his salary (e.g., catching the damned bus, focusing on his match); dog-catching/mystery-solving, but at the cost of alcoholic blackouts and having to perform an extended pantomime in the middle of the road to remember what he did last night. It makes it hard to imagine him balancing the future work/life responsibilities of marriage and job and kids, which is a baseline requirement for FLs.
Don't get me wrong, I think Jang Dong-yoon is FABULOUS in this role. Manchildren like this exist and he has completely mind-melded with this one. I love this character and his portrayal of it to death. But the FL/ML relationship is sadly sinking into the stereotype that women's highest and best role in life is as mothers and that men are eternal children who need perpetual mothering. I badly want the next four episodes to prove me wrong, but I'd bet Mi-ran's big black bag full of money it won't.
All this makes it sound like I’m not enjoying the show when in fact I LOVE IT and it’s the best thing I’m watching by far. That’s why I want it to be perfect, but it is brilliant at giving us imperfect, fully-realized characters.
Tangentially related: I've always like Jang Young-nam, the gravelly-voiced mom, and she's killing it as the world-weary wife of an emotionally constipated man and mother of a clutch of 30-something adolescents who embody "failure to launch." And that's a role that shouldn't need to be so common.
Random notes:
I’m not so sure about ‘adorable’ wrestler Beom-su. He’s a little too happy to take down Baek-du over and over in practice and to undercut him in situations outside the ring.
I admire Jin-su's mom's total commitment to multiple, clashing floral prints.
DancingEmma
January 13, 2024 at 9:17 PM
@elinor: You make excellent points about the patriarchal playbook coming into play. The role of nurturer, care-giver and potential lover are seemingly conflated but I hope these can be called out by the drama and addressed. Hopefully. One thing which I want to say to @hacja is that I want to define a romantic figure as one who is not violent, possessive, unkind, dominating, controlling, without empathy and entitled. (The bar is very low so these are my starting points). But one who has a great capacity for friendship, loyalty and non-oppressive love. I’m not suggesting for one moment that the points that you both have highlighted are not crucial but I see both Baekdu and Dooshik as romantic figures because they both evoke longing, curiosity and an emotional reaction in me about who they are, what they mean to each other and whether they can negotiate their differences in a way that doesn’t reaffirm the toxicity of the patriarchy.
latebloomer
January 12, 2024 at 7:39 PM
I think there's another side to the romantic relationship. Du-shik may seem more mature, but actually she has walls up, keeping everyone at arm's length. I wouldn't be surprised if this was her first kiss. Baek-du is the only person she trusts, which makes him a best friend and the most likely person to get close to her in a romantic way.
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Snow Flower
January 12, 2024 at 8:54 PM
I also thought that was her first kiss (and probably his too.)
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emsel
January 12, 2024 at 9:44 PM
@hacja I agree with everything except for your views that Baek Du isn't fit for Du Shik because as @lindag says Du Shik seems like a loner. Even though she bickers with her partner, Hyeon Uk, they don't seem to have any friendship and her captain is more of a role model and thus she can't be very chummy with her. Although the show hasn't shown her interactions with people or life in Seoul, I doubt she has close friends. Even her interactions with the ssireum team as a general manager are professional. (Yes, she is an undercover cop and doesn't need to mingle with the team, but she could get inside information more easily if she befriended the team. This is in contrast to the other cop who is always interacting with the town people and gathering insights through gossip.)
Bottom line is Baek Du is more than qualified to be a romantic interest to Du Shik. She needs to have "ramyeon and chill".
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hacja
January 12, 2024 at 10:28 PM
Right, I certainly get that he is the friend she needs, especially in these circumstances. And he is a wonderfully nice guy, that you'd really want in your life, just not as a boyfriend. I do not think these last two episodes portrayed him as good romantic material-- I thought the previous episodes were moving toward a more romantically appealing character.
It wasn't just how slow he was in these episodes, it was how childish he was in every respect. In one of the episode before these, he showed a maturity and understanding of his opponents circumstances involved in his match fixing. I wish these last two episodes had shown more of that kind of emotional development.
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hacja
January 12, 2024 at 10:30 PM
Also, I've always been kind of curious---how long has "have ramyeon with me" mean "lets sleep together."
miso
January 13, 2024 at 2:19 AM
To answer your ramyeon query, it's broadly accepted that this movie was the start of it all - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Fine_Spring_Day. The Wikipedia entry also mentions it lol.
Kurama
January 13, 2024 at 3:09 AM
@hacja Now, it changed for Chilling with Netflix :p
Mrs Buckwheat
January 12, 2024 at 10:57 PM
I would actually be happy if there was no romance, they just remained as friends.
There are only 4? episodes left. I think it will feel too rushed for any romance between them considering the pace so far.
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indyfan
January 13, 2024 at 6:06 AM
Me too! But I think that ship has sailed. I hope they develop it well in the remaining episodes.
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Scottie
January 13, 2024 at 2:26 AM
When I read this comment, I remembered an ironic song about Mummy's boys, but it also had the line that there is always a woman who likes to play Mummy! I don't think that Baek Du is a Mummy's boy, but I do think the romance is not as hopeless as you fear.
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3 Gum Shoe
January 12, 2024 at 5:43 PM
This drama is everything. This show works because it is like Baek Du's sirreum genius--unlike following the basic moves like Jinsu tells Baek Du to do, Baek Du and this drama are special because of they follow its intuition and heart. It wins you over by using it's not-by-number moves to upend your heart and throw you off your equilibrium.
The physicality and complete embodiment of Baek Du (and JDY's portrayal) continues to be a complete delight. The sirreum matches themselves were thrilling. But in addition, there were so many other scenes that completely enthralled me: his running to the store with pocketfuls of prize money (in change!) to buy his hyungs victory ice pops ("did you get paid in coins?"); his reenactment of the "dream kiss"; the running on the beach with Du Sik and their little sirreum moves on each other; the kiss itself and the smile afterwards. Even the way he was trying to recover his memory was physical because that's how he is in the world and his body remembered. (I am a firm believer that the body stores memories, and this was such a good example of this)
I love his family too. They all seem to love each other in their own idiosyncratic ways: how his mom proudly stared him awake after his. blackout from his congratulatory beer; his hyung giving him his lucky tiger energy underwear to wear to the match; his hyungs kidding him about the ice pops but then happily accepting his gift.
The relationship between Baek Du and Du Sik is so delightful and so them. Du Sik can seem tough and a bit cold, but she is clearly touched by him. They each say to each other without any hesitation that they know the other best and neither of them denies it. Du Sik knows how to get through Baek Du with her knowledge of his heart--she's the one who tells him that he just loves sirreum and he should wrestle because of that. When he is successful, she tells him that she is proud of him not because he did well at the tournament; instead, it is because he seemed to be happy when he wrestled. They are well matched, and their scenes are so mesmerizingly good without any of the usual romantic cliches.
JDY deserves all the awards for this performance. There has yet to be a scene chewing scene in this drama, and yet, his acting is one of the most authentically embodied and acted characters I have seen in a drama. It's like JDY has taken Baek Du and completely absorbed and metabolized him until they are one.
What is gift this show is. I love it with my whole heart like Baek Du taught me to.
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Snow Flower
January 12, 2024 at 8:59 PM
So well said.
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emsel
January 12, 2024 at 9:52 PM
JDY deserves all the awards for this performance. There has yet to be a scene chewing scene in this drama, and yet, his acting is one of the most authentically embodied and acted characters I have seen in a drama. It's like JDY has taken Baek Du and completely absorbed and metabolized him until they are one.
Yeah, JDY makes Baek Du feel like a real person than someone enacting a fictional character. I like how the actors (especially Baek Du's mom and bros) play off each other and bring about the onscreen chemistry like they are all related.
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Elinor, Team Glasses team co-captain
January 13, 2024 at 12:22 PM
One of the many things Jang Dong-yoon is doing brilliantly in this show is just being in his skin. His Baek-du is utterly un-self-conscious about his physicality. He is totally convincing as a man who’s spent most of his life shirtless in the opposite of the usual coyly sexy kdrama ML way; he's long past the point where he even thinks about it. There’s no surreptitious flexing or showing his best angle - he’s completely natural with his rounded shoulders, shambling walk, and jackrabbit running style. He never seems to be trying to control his facial expressions or hide his reactions. It’s all transparently there.
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DancingEmma
January 13, 2024 at 1:56 PM
Wonderfully put Elinor. It is a joy to see that for sure. It is really difficult for many people to feel so at home in their skins in RL too and to see an actor do it so deftly, charmingly and seamlessly is nothing but pure elation for me. I know so many KD awards appear to be nothing but participation prizes but JDY deserves to be nominated for and win an award based on merit.
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Blue (@mayhemf)
January 13, 2024 at 2:19 PM
I have never been more mesmerized by an actor in recent times. His acting is so raw and in character he is just being Baek-Du. I have always liked JDY but this is another level he has elevated his acting to.
You can also see his scars (probably from the sand pit) and his clothes are so basic! He pretty much wears a few pairs of Tshirts and shorts.
DancingEmma
January 13, 2024 at 2:55 PM
@mayhemf: So so true. I’ve been looking forward to reading your comments. I have to work today so haven’t read all the comments as yet but will do so first chance I get and get in there.
Just to say I’ve been mesmerised too. And, I love love Beakdu’s ‘dance’ with Dooshik. I will learn the actor’s name as she is wonderful in this role too. What a wonderful viewing experience it has been so far.
DancingEmma
January 13, 2024 at 7:25 PM
Of course I forgot to add that the world is far more forgiving towards younger men’s bodies (by and large) than younger women’s and it is rare for young women - who are not ‘45 kg’ as their listed weights - to appear in KDs as leads. Having said that, I still love his performance for the reason you mentioned (among other attributes).
Gum Shoe
January 14, 2024 at 3:27 AM
Yes! This is what I meant about someone being completely embodied--this ease in one's body--and Baek Du and JDY have it.
Another person who has this is Jason Momoa. A few years ago, I was a yoga workshop where he was also attending. Talk about someone completely at ease with his body. It's not just athleticism; it's a "I am living fully in my body and am at one with it" thing. (Compare some who has a "great body" but still seem at ease in it.) That aura is attractive when you encounter it. JDY has it here in this show.
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books7time
January 12, 2024 at 9:52 PM
"This show works because it is like Baek Du's sirreum genius--unlike following the basic moves like Jinsu tells Baek Du to do, Baek Du and this drama are special because of they follow its intuition and heart. It wins you over by using it's not-by-number moves to upend your heart and throw you off your equilibrium."
Beautifully said and, agreed. It is a refreshing drama for this reason.
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Mrs Buckwheat
January 12, 2024 at 10:54 PM
Well said :)
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Martine
January 13, 2024 at 10:31 PM
This was a brilliant post and I 100% agree with you. JDY is utterly amazing in this drama.
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4 Snow Flower
January 12, 2024 at 9:00 PM
Glad to see that the DB rating of the show has gone up!
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5 books7time
January 12, 2024 at 9:37 PM
Kim Baek Du's Winne-the-Pooh moments when he was trying to remember and Seok Hee's commentary on the fact that they would still be chasing Snowball even if aliens invaded had me truly in stitches.
Then Baek Du's match had me gripping my blanket and the romantic progression and the aftermath--the run of horror!--of the kiss had me giggling. But the flash back to reveal why Mi Ran runs a coffe (mispelling intended) shop made me tear up. Really, this drama has a talent for nailing emotional beats and giving impactful moments.
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emsel
January 12, 2024 at 9:54 PM
But the flash back to reveal why Mi Ran runs a coffe (mispelling intended) shop made me tear up.
I like the young Baek Du, Du Shik etc., but Mi Ran as a kid and her backstory placed her right on top of the list of characters I adore in this drama.
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Blue (@mayhemf)
January 13, 2024 at 3:45 AM
It’s amazing how the show does this. What was a small funny passing joke about the spelling in the earlier episode had such a meaning. Such a well thought out and meticulously written show.
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6 books7time
January 12, 2024 at 9:51 PM
Here is a beautiful review of the drama (so far) by Rolling Stone,
https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-reviews/like-flowers-in-sand-review-k-drama-netflix-south-korea-ssireum-1234941701/
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emsel
January 12, 2024 at 10:06 PM
That was a beautiful review. Thanks for sharing.
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Mrs Buckwheat
January 12, 2024 at 10:51 PM
Wow, thats a really great review, thank you for sharing.
This comment struck a chord with me -"In a landscape of exaggerated dramas, it's a welcome change of pace.
I'm enjoying the show so much for this exact reason and also of course JDY's portrayl of Baek-doo. He deserves an award for his performance here, it's masterful.
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indyfan
January 13, 2024 at 6:22 AM
Yes, so well stated. Like Flowers deserves all the love. But I had no idea Rolling Stone covers k-dramas now. How the world changes.
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DancingEmma
January 13, 2024 at 8:14 PM
@books7time: Let me add my thanks to you for posting this review. It was so well-written. Had I not been already watching LFIS, I’d have been beguiled enough by the review’s unerring clarity, precision and dare I say, a dash of poignancy, to immerse myself in this unequivocal gem.
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books7time
January 15, 2024 at 11:44 AM
I am very glad I could share it with Beanies who are just as much in love with the drama as I am.
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7 emsel
January 12, 2024 at 10:02 PM
@missvictrix You wrote up whatever I wanted to say about this drama and now I have nothing more to add 😅 Not complaining because I am utterly delighted by your eye for detail in noticing all the understated emotional beats like Jin Su's character and his interactions with Baek Du.
I need to find superlatives for how much I enjoy this show because simply saying "I adore it" doesn't do justice to the drama.
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emsel
January 12, 2024 at 10:09 PM
Also, does anyone feel that the husband who always gets scolded by his wife (He is listed by the name Lee Kyung-Moon in Asianwiki) feels suspicious? Like he knows something or is involved in the bets?
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Elinor, Team Glasses team co-captain
January 12, 2024 at 11:44 PM
Absolutely. One of the brilliant things about this drama is that it feels like every character has a back story and could surprise us at any moment.
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indyfan
January 13, 2024 at 6:03 AM
Comment was deleted
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books7time
January 13, 2024 at 8:35 AM
If he is not in on the match-fixing, I just want him to speak up for himself and end his wife's reign of terror over him or be the ultimate hero to put everything together. Just a happy moment for him, please.
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loveblossom🌸
January 16, 2024 at 7:26 PM
Yeah, her constant scolding has been a downer. But things can't be all rosy and kind in town so I accept it for now. Hoping things will change for the better though.
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8 FlourPower
January 13, 2024 at 1:33 AM
This show will be in my top three favourites for the year, I'm sure.
I'm kind of surprised no one on the wrestling team has noticed Baek-du being extremely chummy with the new manager, and or overheard him loudly calling her Du-sik.
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Blue (@mayhemf)
January 13, 2024 at 3:48 AM
The number of times he has yelled Du-shik-ah and Du-Shik-ee, you would think the entire village knows by now 😅
But it seems like he comes to meet her on off-training days and hence no one is in the arena.
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indyfan
January 13, 2024 at 6:11 AM
No one on the team noticed he missed the bus! I have my doubts about their deductive skills.
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Blue (@mayhemf)
January 13, 2024 at 6:20 AM
LOL. In their defense, they did not know Baek-Du was coming. Because, the coach had told him he is not qualified. It was only later in the day that Baek Du runs to Jin Su and tells him he is going to compete. So the team was kinda in the dark about it.
I am surprised the coach and head coach didn't notice. LOL
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9 Kurama
January 13, 2024 at 2:51 AM
I really like this drama!
But I have an issue with the romance. Baek-Du was portrayed so innocent and a little bit slow that I can't imagine a love story between them. They don't look at the same point of maturity for now. I want him to find his own path that is not connected to Du-Shik. I was disapointed he couldn't find his inner fire anymore when he realized she wasn't in the public.
The scene he renacted the famous night was very funny but the last run was uncessary with the reveal being obvious.
I'm surprised how Jin-su is underused for now, I thought he will have a more important place in the story. But I think it's the case of Hyeon-Uk and Seok-Hui too. The actors were presented like they have more to do.
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10 pliplipli
January 13, 2024 at 9:30 AM
I just love this drama. thats it.
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11 DancingEmma
January 13, 2024 at 9:48 PM
@missvictrix: Thank you for your weecap/recap.
I’ve had trope fatigue recently and it has dulled my engagement with and enjoyment of many dramas. But LFIS has demonstrated why such fatigue doesn’t have to be induced in viewers. Only a little bit of creativity can elevate a well-worn trope such as the piggyback to become a joyous part of the ongoing badinage between the characters. Like many of you, I loved that scene and found it such a joy to watch. I didn’t think once about it as a trope and found it organically threaded through.
I also loved the pocket full of change scene. It made me laugh because it came across (to me) as though he had been paid in coins and that’s why the adorable ridiculousness of that scene has stayed with me.
One last point: Did anyone else imagine that Miran could be Dooshik’s sister who left with her mother? Before the reveal, I thought so as it would have been a very KDesque trope. In a way, I’m glad it didn’t come to pass.
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Snow Flower
January 14, 2024 at 9:43 AM
I rewatched the first 2 episodes, pretending to look for clues, but in reality just marvelling at everything. Jin Su mentioned to Mi Ran that Du Shik is the only daughter of Oh Jun.
When Mr. Choi (reservoir guy) came to the restaurant, the camera showed someone in the passenger seat of a car watching him. The camera also lingered on Jin Su watching Baek Du's match. Nothing in this drama is random, so I am wondering. There was also a scene in the first episode when the village ahjussis were discussing the upcoming ssireum tournament. One of them mentioned that he had a dream about Baek Du and something bad happened to BD in the dream. Please drama writer, don't harm him!
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DancingEmma
January 14, 2024 at 11:50 PM
From your lips….
I don’t understand why more people aren’t commenting on LFIS. Aren’t they watching this gem or they are watching but can’t be bothered to comment?
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books7time
January 15, 2024 at 11:54 AM
This is the kind of drama that I want EVERYONE to know about but I also want to keep it secret because it is too precious. I couldn't bear any mocking.
I do wonder if people are not starting it because it lacks the sexiness and loudness of other currently airing dramas. In comparison, it is understated. But that is--well, one of the reasons--why it IS a gem.
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Snow Flower
January 15, 2024 at 1:13 PM
That's exactly my attitude toward this drama. Why aren't more people watching it? They don't know what they are missing! But on the other hand, it's OK. I hope the drama becomes a cult favorite and people quote lines from it by heart.
DancingEmma
January 15, 2024 at 1:18 PM
I feel the same way. Given how much we - the few commenters who love it - are raving about its strengths, if I were in the non-watchers shoes, I’d have paused other dramas and run to start this. Honestly, sexiness is in the eye of the beholder, right? And, when it is paired with vacuous characters who are constantly obsessed with maintaining their looks and privilege, I say nah. Take it and leave. I rather have this any day. I wish it was longer so that we could immerse ourselves in the novelty of its joy a bit longer.
12 Qingdao: likes scented candles
January 15, 2024 at 6:35 AM
This drama is sssooooo heart-warming! JDY is nailing this role!
When I see JDY in this role, I can't help but think that at his core, he remains the "authentic person" he was when an acting agency discovered him rather than a "groomed-and-trained entertainment person."
I don't see the leads as an incompatible romantic couple, rather, they really to seem to be "soulmates" and their setup seems like an ideal setting for a long-lasting, "real-life" romance to develop. There are so many leads in K-dramas that fall in love and then, often suddenly, a childhood connection is thrown to cement their "destiny" as a couple--eye roll. In this show, the childhood friendship as the beginning of the relationship seems organic, not an afterthought. The difference in their jobs, lifestyle and intellect don't seem to be an obstacle in their relationship. I don't see him as a candy and her as a chaebol.
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13 loveblossom🌸
January 16, 2024 at 8:08 PM
Love to read all the awesome commentary! I don't have any eloquent words to add. All I want to do is gush about this drama. XD I still love the hard-to-capture humor. It's so good as you're watching the episodes and witnessing the jokes. Killer lines like the ones from cop Seok Hee.
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14 bong-soo
January 16, 2024 at 8:21 PM
Late to the party but watched the eight episodes over 3 days so I am current and ready for episode 9. Longer comment to follow just:
1. Probably will go in the books for me as Jang Dong-yoon’s best performance;
2. Finally a sports drama that looks and feels like a sports drama. The matches have been thrilling. I read JDY put on 14kg (30 lbs) for this drama. I have to hand it to him. Carrying that extra weight and he can still sprint. (I haven’t found a source but I wouldn’t be surprised to read that Lee Jae-joon (Jin-su) put on a similar amount of weight. He has a really rounded face.). In the Baek-du/Jin-su match for the coaching position they both looked like fit wrestlers; and
3. Complaint. Possibly a result of watching the episodes back to back but the number of slaps Baek-du had to take mostly from Doo-shik but also mom was really getting annoying.
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Snow Flower
January 17, 2024 at 5:33 AM
Welcome to the party!
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bong-soo
January 17, 2024 at 11:52 AM
Thanks. Once again in kdramaland the traumas of childhood are played out in adulthood.
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