My Fair Lady: Episode 16 (Final)
by javabeans
Oh my gosh, this was one of the worst finales I’ve ever seen. I’ve been leaving room for the drama to upswing at the eleventh hour, but now that it’s over I can say with certainty that this is a gross disappointment. I can’t say it’s the worst last episode EVER (because there are many dramas I have never seen finale episodes for, of course), but certainly one of the most disjointed, nonsensical, pointless finales I’ve actually watched. It’s as bad as Witch Amusement for weirdness — but maybe even worse because at least Witch Amusement‘s finale was amusing to watch.
SONG OF THE DAY
My Fair Lady OST – “I Love You” [ Download ]
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EPISODE 16 RECAP (FINAL) (thank goodness)
Grandpa Kang comes home from the hospital, and Hae-na devotes herself to caring for him. Life returns to normalcy, as Hae-na admits in a letter that she writes to Dong-chan, “Nothing has changed. Except for you, everything is the same.”
She says she’s doing well and wonders how he is. She writes, “When I miss you, I imagine that you’re with me.” As she goes about her daily business, she imagines that Dong-chan is still around, nagging her and acting as her butler. “I miss you. I can’t help missing you.”
However, she doesn’t actually mail the letter, because the housekeeper later finds it crumpled and discarded.
Dong-chan, meanwhile, is back at the flower shop. Eui-joo gives him the news that the chairman left the hospital. Although he is relieved that this is a sign of improvement, Eui-joo says it’s more that he’s given up on treatment.
The directors all know the end is near, as they hint in a meeting held at the mansion. Hae-na has taken reins of the company temporarily, and counters their insinuations of the chairman’s failing health by saying that he’s well. (They all know the truth, but there’s an usavory eagerness to see him kick the bucket and vacate his spot.)
Tomorrow is Hae-na’s birthday, and Hae-na goes out for a walk along a bamboo-lined trail with her grandfather. As she steps aside to retrieve drinks, Dong-chan arrives. He has been directed here by Woo-sung, who wants to “repay his debt” by bringing him to Hae-na.
The meeting is awkward, and Grandpa’s demeanor stern. Dong-chan says that he didn’t plan this meeting, but now that he’s here, he has something he’d like to say: “Please live a long time. If only for agasshi’s sake, you must live a long time.” (Uh…? I don’t see the point in this dialogue — or this scene — since he ain’t telling Grandpa anything he doesn’t already know.)
He turns to go, just as Hae-na returns with drinks. The shock of seeing each other renders both mute for a prolonged moment, until he bows his head to her and continues on his way.
Hae-na watches him go sadly, until her grandfather calls her back to attention. He doesn’t know how Dong-chan came to be here, and writes this off as “a strange coincidence.”
Later, both indulge in their own pity parties, thinking of each other. Dong-chan rewatches his video clip of Hae-na telling him “I love you,” then wishes her a happy birthday.
In the morning, the staff surprises her with a birthday song and cake. She’s moved to tears.
(Hae-na’s birthday is a random thing that doesn’t serve much of a purpose. I wonder if they decided to shoehorn it in here because Yoon Eun-hye just celebrated her 25th birthday on set last week.)
Eui-joo calls Tae-yoon out to lunch again. She knows he finds her annoying, but she has a reason for this meeting. She sees how sad Dong-chan is, and is convinced that the couple are still pining for each other. Therefore, she thinks it would be a good birthday gift to Hae-na to bring the two back together, and enlists Tae-yoon’s help.
Eui-joo is rather proud of her scheme, and therefore put out when Tae-yoon responds unenthusiastically. She reminds him that they’re partners, and presses her point.
She lays out her plan — all he has to do is call Hae-na out. She’ll take care of getting Dong-chan.
Her suggested meeting point is a tourist ferry that travels along the river. Tae-yoon laughs at her, teasing her for thinking of such a corny activity. Who’d want to do something so lame? Eui-joo answers grumpily that she’s never ridden one before but thinks it would be romantic.
Grandpa asks his butler and housekeeper to keep taking care of Hae-na, as they have done a good job all these years. But the housekeeper speaks up hesitantly to say they’re not the ones Hae-na needs — the person she really needs is Dong-chan. She hands him Hae-na’s discarded letter to prove her point.
(Geez Louise! You’d think Hae-na were a child, the way they are carrying on about her, or at least a minor. She is a 24-year-old ADULT, and a supremely rich one, at that. She’ll be FINE.)
Now here’s where the plot logic starts getting fuzzy for me. I’m not sure if it is as sloppy as it seems or if I’m just missing something. Dong-chan goes to the Han River, where he recalls the last time he’d been here with Hae-na (they’d lit a cake and she’d asked him to stay with her). Hae-na also happens to arrive here and sees Dong-chan sitting along the bank. (I am assuming that she was heading to meet Tae-yoon at the ferry and saw Dong-chan coincidentally.)
When he looks up and they make eye contact, she hurriedly walks away. He catches up to her and they have a short, strained conversation wherein they trade pleasantries. When she gets up to go, Dong-chan grabs her hand and tells her to wait. Presenting her with her birthday coupon, he wants to claim it now: “Spend today with me.”
So they walk holding hands, happily play games at the arcade, feed each other ice cream, and what the heck is going on…? (They’re somber, then giddy, then playful, then somber again? Oh, whatever.)
They catch up on what’s going on in their lives; Hae-na tells Dong-chan that she’s been working hard, and even wrote him letters that she didn’t send. He says he’s been keeping busy and doing okay, although he has missed her too. When he says (lies?) that he hasn’t been struggling too much, she confesses that she has. She lays her head against his shoulder, “Just for a moment.”
All this while, Eui-joo and Tae-yoon wait at the boat for Hae-na and Dong-chan to join them there. At the same time, they both receive text messages, which tell them that the two others will not be meeting them. Realizing that their attempt failed, they try to get off the boat, only to find that it’s already pulling away from the dock. They’re stuck onboard.
Unfortunately, Tae-yoon gets a bad case of motion sickness and rushes to the bathroom to barf. He admits this is his first time on a boat, and feels embarrassed to always show his weaknesses around Eui-joo. She waves it off, saying that it’s not like they’re dating, so there’s no need to keep up appearances.
Grandpa reads Hae-na’s letters, perturbed at the contents since it shows that her love for Dong-chan remains undimmed. The next day, he tells Hae-na that he’s quite happy, and asks if she’s happy too. She answers, “If you’re with me, I’m happy.”
Grandpa says he has a birthday present to give her: “Live the way you want. That’s the best happiness. Whether that’s being the successor, or Seo Dong-chan, seek what you want. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Hae-na sort of understands, although I would contend that she doesn’t because she doesn’t rush off to reconcile with Dong-chan even though there’s nothing stopping her now.
She heads inside to fetch Grandpa a blanket, and when she returns, he’s asleep. Or so she thinks.
After a moment, Hae-na realizes that Grandpa is dead, and cries.
(The music is exceedingly tragic and the tone jarringly solemn. I literally asked my screen, frustrated, “What the hell kind of drama do you think you are?”)
After the funeral, Dong-chan finds Hae-na in the bamboo forest. She tells him she could feel him around her as she prepared the funeral, and assures him weakly that she’s okay: “But truthfully, I’m scared.” She’s all alone now. “How do I live on my own?”
He comforts her.
Su-min wins a child modeling contest and WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON NOW? (I know this is just to give us a cute montage of Wang Seok-hyun, but it makes no sense. It’s so random and out of context. Eh, whatever.)
Hae-na calls a handful of directors, including Uncle Chul-gu, to the house for a meeting. She has made a decision: “I’m will decline the successor’s position at this time. However, this does not mean I am giving it up.” She’s going to go study abroad, to learn and gain more experience. So she will leave the company in the hands of management experts.
After the directors leave, she asks Chul-gu to keep good watch over the company until she comes back, and not ruin it. He’s surprised, but agrees. I’m surprised, because WTF? He’s been an immoral and ludicrously over-the-top villain all series long, and suddenly he’s competent?
Hae-na extends a hand, and they shake on it.
Next, Hae-na cooks a meal for her servants as she announces, “I’m going to leave tomorrow. I don’t know when I’ll return. But when I come back, I’ll come back as a grown-up, mature Kang Hae-na.”
The servants are stunned and saddened, but also touched at her sincerity in cooking for them. She says that the food is “a bribe to ask you not to leave here and wait for me.”
(Personal aside: Last-minute studying abroad is a cliche I HATE because it makes no sense. You can’t just go overnight to study abroad! What about finding a school and a program and making arrangements? It’s a lame way to get someone on a plane — or under the threat of getting on a plane — and it’s about time dramas either give more thought to it, or figured out a better story to elicit that conflict.)
As she heads to the airport, Hae-na gives Dong-chan a call, but because he’s at work, he misses it. Eui-joo rushes in to tell him that Hae-na is leaving for the States, urging him to find her to say his goodbyes. Dong-chan is tempted to, but decides against the urge. However, when he checks his phone, Hae-na’s voicemail message gives him second thoughts:
Hae-na: “It’s me. I’m calling because I thought I should at least say my goodbyes. I’m about to leave for far away. How happy can I be in a place without you? And how happy can you be here, without me? What is real happiness? Grandfather gave me the freedom to be happy as his last present. The happiness I don’t want to lose is you, but I know how difficult I made things for you by being Kang Hae-na. So I’m going to leave now. When will I be able to return? I don’t know exactly when, but I will definitely return. At that time, if your happiness is still me, and mine is still you, then let’s love again and start over.”
(I AM SO FRUSTRATED.)
Spurred into action by her words, Dong-chan changes his mind and sprints out of the shop, grabs a cab, and heads straight to the airport. Once there, he scours the terminal looking for a sign of Hae-na, who has just arrived and is saying her goodbyes to her butler trio.
Spotting her in the crowd, walking to her gate, Dong-chan heads straight for her, their steps echoing the scene from Episode 1. Now he speaks to her in casual speech, startling her with his assertiveness: “Hey, you! Where do you think you’re going, without my consent?”
Hae-na looks up at him, perplexed, as he insists (oddly, with a pretty unemotional delivery), “Don’t go! I’ve been thinking, and I can’t let you go like this. I don’t think I can be happy in a place without you. So don’t go.”
But maybe the lack of emotion is the whole point of this scene; to play the big reunion without the big drama. Or whatever. Hae-na starts to catch on, and she retorts, “Hey! Do you think I’m the kind of woman who will come and go when you tell me to?”
By now it’s like they’re so relieved to be back together (again) that they revert back to their familiar script of bickering, where they fight but don’t really mean what they’re saying. He taunts her to try to leave, and she taunts back, “You think I won’t?”
Dong-chan blocks her path and says, “I can’t ever let you go. And I won’t let you go in the future.” She looks at him, holding back a smile, and reminds him that this is his cue to carry her out.
So he does, just as he did in Episode 1, and scoops her up over his shoulder. As the crowd watches, he shouts laughingly, “She’s my woman!”
And now for a truly choppy, random epilogue:
Su-min shoots an ad or photo spread of some sort, while his family brags that he’s one of them. The PD practically rolls his eyes at the silly Kangs.
Tae-yoon takes on a case representing Dong-chan’s debt collectors, who are now in jail and blame their misfortune on Seo Dong-chan.
Eui-joo complains that Su-ah has stolen her shoe designs and pleads with Tae-yoon (whom she’s been calling “Mr. Lawyer” all this time) to help her. He turns her down, which upsets her, until he leans toward her flirtatiously and says, “I’ll help you if you call me Tae-yoon.”
The butler trio go on a group blind date… only to find that it’s with the maid trio. All are disappointed.
Butler Mr. Jang and housekeeper Ms. Jo have some flirty vibes going on.
And finally, Hae-na and Dong-chan are fighting once again over some insignificant thing, and Hae-na shuts him up with a kiss. Dong-chan says jokingly, “That has lost its effect,” which prompts her to kiss him repeatedly.
The end. Or whatever.
COMMENTS
What an awful finale. It felt like a school play and I cringed throughout. Honest-to-goodness, I think that everyone — even the writer and director — gave up in this last episode and simply ran out of steam. I am relieved this drama is over. The best thing about this episode was the IRIS trailer at the end of it.
I think the thing that rankles most of us still watching at this point is that this drama should have been better. The scenery, lighting, and wardrobe were all gorgeous. The music was badly overused but not bad on its own merits. The cast was certainly easy on the eyes. And aside from Yoon Eun-hye’s slow start as snooty Hae-na, the acting was never the problem. I think she was the only one actually trying to act in this last episode, actually, and was impressed she could still wring out some tears when we’ve all lost the ability to connect with the story or these people.
Heck, the only reason I stuck with this drama for so long was because there were bits and pieces scattered throughout that hinted at a better drama. I kept hoping that the story would swing back upward and return to its high moments, but instead it kept crawling downward in a steady decline. I feel duped.
I think it would take days to nitpick all the little things that went wrong, so I’ll skip that exercise. But there were some huge threads left hanging, as most of you have already pointed out before, such as Hae-na’s first love. Seriously, what was the point? It would have been more fun to make Hae-na a bitch just for fun, rather than giving her a big emotional backstory and then never addressing it.
Furthermore, her transformation was so excessive that it feels like Hae-na grew a new personality entirely. I wish we’d gotten to see traces of the old Hae-na lingering in the new one, because otherwise it feels like one of those daytime soaps like All My Children where actors leave and new people are brought in to replace them and it’s just treated like it’s normal. What I liked about Fantasy Couple, for instance, is that Anna softened her hard edges and became more sympathetic, but she was the same person at the end that she was at the beginning. It’s like Hae-na started out similar to Anna and then turned into Eun-chan from Coffee Prince.
It speaks well of Moon Chae-won that she had people both liking and disliking her so strongly, because I just realized that Eui-joo is a completely blank character. What do we know about her? What personality traits is she given? What character quirks? All we know is that she speaks her mind and wants to design shoes. What a complete failure of the writer to create a character — but Moon Chae-won somehow made Eui-joo a real person. (Jung Il-woo fell flatter in that regard, because I think he was thinking too hard about analyzing his character instead of just, I dunno, being it.)
I like Yoon Sang-hyun and I thought he did as well with Dong-chan as could be expected. Unfortunately, the Dong-chan dance (butler, not-butler, butler, not-butler) got repetitive about eight episodes ago, after which we were essentially seeing the same story repeating itself over and over again. And that made his storyline, and therefore character, tiresome. His relationship with Hae-na suffered the same lack of imagination with same conflict playing out in episode after episode. It’s sixteen episodes of Groundhog Day. Urgh.
I think we can all agree that the actors deserved better, and that they all have brighter futures ahead of them. Let’s wipe the slate clean and move on, shall we? (If I didn’t leave this drama behind me, I’d be too bummed about the time I spent on it.)
RELATED POSTS
- My Fair Lady: Episode 15
- My Fair Lady: Episode 14
- My Fair Lady: Episode 13
- Who’s to blame for confusing characters?
- My Fair Lady: Episode 12
- My Fair Lady: Episode 11
- Stars of My Fair Lady deny dating rumors
- Jung Il-woo is confused with his character
- My Fair Lady: Episode 10
- My Fair Lady: Episode 9
- Fans rally to support Yoon Eun-hye
- Yoon Eun-hye sheds tears at acting criticism
- My Fair Lady: Episode 8
- Happy birthday, Jung Il-woo
- My Fair Lady: Episode 7
- My Fair Lady: Episode 6
- My Fair Lady: Episode 5
- My Fair Lady: Episode 4
- My Fair Lady: Episode 3
- Moon Chae-won promises more smiles in My Fair Lady
- More gifts for the staff of My Fair Lady
- My Fair Lady: Episode 2
- My Fair Lady: Episode 1
Tags: Jung Il-woo, Moon Chae-won, My Fair Lady, Yoon Eun-hye, Yoon Sang-hyun
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51 pabo ceo reom
October 8, 2009 at 11:12 PM
Like I said, you definitely had some patience to make it through this. I'm shaking my head reading this finale right now....
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52 mehhhhhhh
October 8, 2009 at 11:13 PM
Best thing of this drama for me: Adorable Wang Seok-hyun
Love to see his cute face.
Other than that, meh.
Time to move on to You're Beautiful & IRIS.
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53 hmm...
October 8, 2009 at 11:15 PM
err...i guess by reading some of the hostile posts we can tell what kind of unbiased, mature, objective people this drama attracted...
I for one just love JB's recaps, I think they actually do more justice to some of the series, and sometimes are even more entertaining than the series themselves! JB I give you two thumbs up! Of course, just my humble unbiased opinion. Thank you.
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54 fp
October 8, 2009 at 11:19 PM
My rating for MFL -- 2/5 Needs improvement.
I've been counting or should I say pulling the days for this drama to end for the sake of YEH, YSH, MCW and JIW. The production of this drama wasted a perfectly good actors/actress. This drama is so commercial. Its flaws are not even subtle - it's so obvious that you don't even have to look for it.
Thanks to the cast charm and good acting, MFL will be remembered for its positive ratings. I wouldn't include this though in my DVD collection - it's not something that I want to watch again even if the lead is my fave actress.
Thanks javabeans for the recap.
Never mind those "biased" comments from others who are too blinded by their love for their fave actors/actress, that they can't take critiques of poor script, flawed plot, even if it's already right in front of their noses.
Looking forward to IRIS.
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55 giddygirl108
October 8, 2009 at 11:25 PM
I'm surprised you didn't quit it! But hey...let's say that it wasn't a waste of time. Now you know how the actors would respond to crappy plot line, right? Or that it's not impossible to screw up a drama despite it having a great cast, scenery, wardrobe, etc. Hhhmm...maybe this drama did do the impossible ;)
lawl at your reference to Groundhog Day ^^
Here's to hoping the new dramas are a lot better!
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56 tuesdhei
October 8, 2009 at 11:25 PM
still.... THANKS JAVABEANS FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND ALL....
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57 Bogoreuy
October 8, 2009 at 11:38 PM
For those who said that high rating is nothing I'll tell you...HIGH RATING MEANS EVERYTHING...
Yes, it doesn't mean that a drama is good (in term of quality) but it surely will boost your career, you will be famous, get alot of fans, get alot of offer, and you will have higher status in entertainment industry. Just look at Han Hyo Joo & Lee Seung Gi now. Without the success of Shining Inheritance they won't get CF offer, MC offer & I bet LSG new song won't be no.1 at K music chart.
So be carefull with what you said/wrote.
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58 rainerust
October 8, 2009 at 11:42 PM
Like many of the others, I gave up on this drama midway and only carried on reading your reviews because I needed to find out if anything good actually happened (without having to go through the trauma and frustration of actually sitting through the episodes themselves!), and I'm quite glad it's finally over since everyone in the cast can move on to better and brighter things.
I really liked the TY and EJ bit at the end though (since I have been extorting the MFL scriptwriters to get them together for forever as I think they make such a cute couple), but you're right about the Groundshog Day rerun feel.
By the way, I do think Haena's uncle has always been competent (more so than Haena, at the very least) and the reason why he's always been so disgruntled about Haena's succession is because he feels he should have been in a better position to suceed. And frankly, even if HN is the heroine, I do kinda agree with her uncle - if there was a vote to put to, I wouldn't have wanted her running the company either (...there was not a lot of business sense in this show). Not to mention, she's female. In Korea, that's...quite...well...you know. Not that I'm trying to defend the fact that he's been a ridiculously over the top villian for most of the show so why HN would hand the company over to him, I frankly also have no idea (not that we care by now).
And seriously, what's up with Korean rom-coms and the whole going abroad thing? They did it with Goong, Coffee Prince, Shining Inheritance - it's like, there are no other endings for romantic comedies other than for the leading actress to LEAVE THE COUNTRY?! I don't understand it...
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59 Auntiemame
October 8, 2009 at 11:48 PM
Huh? Why would a community activist lawyer take on debt collectors as clients?
And, what happened to Su Ah and her battle for Tae Yoon; especially after Hye Na dumped him?
Did anyone else noticed that the flower shop lady just disappeared from the drama? For a little while, it seem like she was going to get more of a story line. Possibly a triangle with Butler Jang and the Manager of the Maids. Then, I thought she was going to have a part in clamping down on her ex-schoolmate, Madame Kang, since she knew all about Madame Kang's background.
And, I even thought that they were setting up the adorable little guy to somehow derail his father's attacks on Hye Na. Actually, I thought it would be cute for the successor issue to be settled with him and Hye Na as co-successors. He's certainly intelligent enough and he would protect Hye Na. And, he liked Dong Chan.
Instead, the only thing we got to do was go on every single one of Hye Na and Dong Chan's dates...
Very disappointing script.
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60 mookie
October 8, 2009 at 11:48 PM
I only watched minutes of this drama... not my thing. It's a great feat for you to have stuck till the end, Dramabeans, esp if it's even less enjoyable than Witch Amusement. My impression: it's a jdorama wannabe, but clueless in how to inject just a tiny bit of allure to be servicable to the characters these perfectly charismatic actors can easily deliver even if they r just strutting around. Repetitive and silly plot devices can still be enjoyable in fluff when u r attached to the characters , eg FH, which will never be on the list of best writing, Here though, the characters are written as though they r cardboard cutouts.
And thanks for those who repeatedly posted the ratings to prove sth, I now have some solid statistically accurate data in picking my kdramas....anything doing smashingly well is stinkingly insufferable for me.
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61 nowsover
October 8, 2009 at 11:53 PM
High ratings might mean people stuck around (like JB did) hoping the drama will somehow redeem itself in the end, then came to find out after it all ended that it did not happen. These people "contributed" to the high ratings but did they enjoy the show? NO. Do they think it was a great drama? NO. Do they think they wasted their time? Probably YES. Nonetheless they watched and boosted the rating.
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62 Ben
October 8, 2009 at 11:57 PM
@40 - Scriptwriter,
Thankyou for your analysis. I feel the same and I agree completely with you.
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63 YEA,,
October 9, 2009 at 12:01 AM
yes.. i'm disspointed.. the storyline , character all!!
i'm thankful i gav up watching, i just don't feel the love relationship between the main cast~~
so many dissapointed drama recently....
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64 Rave
October 9, 2009 at 12:14 AM
THE ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT THIS DRAMA
= YOON EUN HYE!!
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65 Rave
October 9, 2009 at 12:18 AM
And the reason why JB didnt give up on the recaps for this drama?
Because look how many comments it generates.
All her other posts have been discarded like this blog when she doesn't post what people only ever come here to read.
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66 JB ROCKS
October 9, 2009 at 12:27 AM
Thankyou JB for your hard work. You're awesome! I enjoyed reading your recaps. Glad that this drama is over! Not impressed at all.
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67 FRASH
October 9, 2009 at 12:37 AM
OMG, all you ppl complaining about JB can GTFO.
No ones forcing you to read the review and no ones forcing you to agree with her opinion.
SRSLY.
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68 justlevel
October 9, 2009 at 12:39 AM
Thanks for the recap, JB. I agree with most of your comments as they make sense.
My Mom, though a big YEH fan can't bear to watch the remaining episodes (after episode 9) anymore and you probably know the reason/s why. YEH was the only reason we even try watching MFL.
Ms. Yoon Eun Hye if you are reading this, we love you but please be careful and be wiser in taking future projects. We won't accept another pairing with YSH. We just don't see the chemistry, sad to say. We also would love to see you in the big screen again with an excellent storyline. Good luck princess!
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69 jane
October 9, 2009 at 12:40 AM
thanks javabeans for your summaries and commentaries.
i seriously had more hopes for the drama and that's why i think i couldn't quit in the middle of it.. it had glimmers of hope.
but that ending was seriously painful to sit through. it was so cheesy and unimaginative. it took so many cliches overused in other dramas and stuck them together to give us some makeshift ending. i don't blame the actors but this drama did nothing for them. *sigh* i'm glad i'm not the only one who thinks this was a bad one.
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70 100% pure
October 9, 2009 at 12:41 AM
TQ JB, nice recap and review.
JB has been fair on all subjects (mostly), not only on MFL or YEH, so it is not because of how many clicks/subject she gots from us-she challenging our intelligent on looking what is good, what is high quality what is high rating but empty content, overrated...-it is good actually.
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71 necama
October 9, 2009 at 1:02 AM
@40 scriptwriters
I agree with you!!!!!
I LOVED EVERY MOMENT OF THIS DRAMA I WILL MISS IT VERY MUCH> I DON"T KNOW WHY PEOPLE CAN"T JUST ENJOY AND RELAX INSTEAD OK HATING AND BEEN MEEN. IREALLY AM SORRY FOR YOU GUYES THAT YOU ENJOY ONLY TO STAB THE HEARTS OF THE ACTORS< IF YOU ARE ALL SO SMART GO AND TRY ACTING !!!!!!
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72 littlebunny
October 9, 2009 at 1:03 AM
It's time! It's time to re watch my CP DVD s again to make up for the disappointment because of MFL.
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73 anna
October 9, 2009 at 1:16 AM
It's rather interesting that the ratings for both episodes shot up like crazy, almost reaching 20%, lol. I didn't realize people were still so interested in the drama since it had been getting lukewarm ratings so far. I was really surprised.
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74 v
October 9, 2009 at 1:19 AM
Thanks for all of your recap for this drama! :) I pretty much gave up actually watching this drama after the 5 or 6th episode...I don't really remember. I feel so bad for all the actors who are in this drama...and just skimming through your summaries for the finale...what a big disappointment. So poorly written. Oh wells, at least it's all over. Thanks again for sticking w/ this drama despite it all. :)
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75 dons76
October 9, 2009 at 1:27 AM
this drama may have its flaws but it was worth watching for me.. it was light and funny and dramatic all at the same time.. though at certain points in the series i also wants to scream in frustration at how badly the scriptwriters are handling the story, still, i have to admit that for the past 2 months, i have been eagerly awaiting wed-thur so i can get my weekly dose of MFL.. all the actors, especially YEH and YSH acted so well especially in those dramatic scenes.. and im glad the ratings were so high especially towards the end.. congratulations to these talented actors who was able to save the sink from sinking.. they are the only saving grace of this show.. had it not been for them, the series would have been really forgettable.... wishing them more projects in the future...
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76 OK je
October 9, 2009 at 1:29 AM
Wow.
Looks like BOF was wayyyy better than this drama.
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77 paradoxurus
October 9, 2009 at 1:40 AM
to be honest..i only watched MFL becoz of YOON EUN HYE..no matter how suck or worst the drama, i'll will watching it becoz of YOON EUN HYE...('',)
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78 crazy ppl
October 9, 2009 at 1:52 AM
i cant believe what i read here.
people who dont watch the drama at all or just watching a few episode, but jump into conclusion by just reading recaps base on a one person's opinion and view.
it's like saying - i hate eating kimchi because i HEARD they taste funny.
c'mon! you people! u made me laugh that you even dare to comment on something you knew nothing off.
i appreciate javabeans taking time to do the reviews, and there's nothing wrong with her voicing out her opinion because this is her blog, but anyone will be too blind to not notice she nit pick throughout the drama.
Its just really obvious in Epi13 reviews, from choice of music in the hotel scene between TaeYoon and Eui-joo (c'mon they dont even like each other at all, why should there be any souful background music to go along?) to the increase of sales on the shopping site (Hae-na didnt just post 1 msg in the msg board, she's replying to ppl from the msg board hence generating more publicity and increasing the sales, and do viewers really want to her go into the details like typing out with proposal and reports barcharts coming up with marketing strategy? this is what would be logical?)
yes im a MLF supporter and enjoyed it despite the simple plot. cuz after a hard day of work what i really need is just something light, funny and easy to watch.
lastly if the show is a total failure, we wouldn't be here now at all, comments good or bad won't go pass 50, nor the no 1 ranking on kdrama streaming sites, it does mean something for all this to happen.
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79 sugarpunch
October 9, 2009 at 2:15 AM
This is highly.... bizzare. Everything is going too fast at the end, like they are rushing to meet a deadline or something. And the cliches..... hm. The drama at the last few episodes is too much for me to bear. I like YEH and the person who plays dong chan, but good actors may not be able to overcome a lousy script. sigh....
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80 Lina Aman
October 9, 2009 at 2:19 AM
Well..watching only for YEH.......Aja.........looking forward to next project of YEH.....love her.........
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81 nycgrl
October 9, 2009 at 2:39 AM
So weird how up in arms people are getting. I don't remember any other recaps getting this kind of reaction (didn't read BOF). If people disagree with JB they usually politely disagree but with none of this vitriol.
I have to say I have new found admiration for YEH from seeing her wallow in this obvious muck. To have the fortitude to plow through when most people would give up is a testament that she has grit and hidden strength and to top it all off she seems to be gracious as well. I do think she could have taken the easy road and blamed the directing, writing etc for her initial poor acting reception but she didn't. She may hate this drama now and happy to be over it but hopefully she can look back and see this experience as a character building experience and a proven measure of how her pure star power was able to pull the ratings up with no help from anyone. She should negotiate for higher drama/CF fees.
Anyway I'm not a fan just yet but I'm beginning to admire her. She may still need to prove herself as an actor to me and others but I can see why she is a star... no argument there.
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82 alone in the rain
October 9, 2009 at 2:39 AM
thanks JB for recapping MFL.
first off, i can say that this wasnt exactly the greatest drama of 2009, but it was actually okay for me. i have to say though that the drama did have LOTS of flaws and cliche plots and horrible writing but i enjoyed it overall because it was light and funny to watch without scrutining at it.
thanks again to JB for the hard work!
P.S (looking forward to see jung il woo in his next drama! :))
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83 Pat
October 9, 2009 at 2:43 AM
I can't believe that I watched this drama from beginning to the end. That was really a waste of time.
It was overly cheesy. Coffee prince was cheesy too, but the story was much better. is there any good korean dramas out there or should I stick with the American ones?
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84 Mona
October 9, 2009 at 2:47 AM
Hope that her next drama will be better. I've noticed that most "comeback" dramas don't hold up to the fans expectations.
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85 bobonee
October 9, 2009 at 2:56 AM
I enjoyed this drama... truly was better than quite a few i could name and the final episode wasnt that bad at all. It was actually pretty sweet and i personally dont regret watching this drama. It was entertaining while it lasted and YSH made it worth while... YEH had her moments too.
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86 crayon
October 9, 2009 at 3:02 AM
Wow, you die-hard YEH need to GTFO and go complain like you usually do on soompi. I bet you guys were thanking her for recaps for Coffee Prince, but now that javabeans isn't praising My Fair Lady as you guys hope, you guys call her bias and a hater? I watched her past dramas (Goong, Coffee Prince, Vineyard Man) and I was immediately hooked after an episode. I watched My Fair Lady for two episodes and couldn't feel the drama at all so I stopped.
My Fair Lady wasn't all it hyped up to be for YEH's comeback drama - the end.
All in all, YEH fans should stop being butt-hurt.
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87
October 9, 2009 at 3:21 AM
I've been reading your recaps about this show not because it is very interesting (though your recaps are great!) but because I thought it would BECOME interesting...
guess not.
One thing i find puzzling: in the beginning, wasn't Hae-na feeling frustrated and sad over a certain male? An ex-love of some sort? Which she thought looked similar to Tae-yoon (which explains their meeting)?
Did i miss it or what on earth happened to that? Was it just a useless thing written in because she needs to fall in love with someone who looks like her ex-love?
I expected more elaboration, but I guess not.
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88 behbeh
October 9, 2009 at 4:00 AM
Fact: As much as people say they dislike or pretend to be uninterested in this series. It still generates interest or else they wouldnt bother to comment.
I think some comepeting fans of MFL just like to take a jab at it which I find funny cause most of those people didnt even watch a single episode. LOL
Next week I cant wait to see IRIS trample You\'re Beautiful and Heading To the Ground in the ratings department. For those who think ratings isnt everything, then they need to wake up and smell reality. Ratings is infact everything. Good ratings means more money, better projects, populrity boost and etc. Another thing, those people who usually say ratings dont matter are the fans of those celebs whose dramas are doing poorly or not generating the ratings that they\'ve hoped for, so how convenient is it to say ratings is not everything.
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89 janerdelle
October 9, 2009 at 4:02 AM
FINALLY i already finish this 16 episode drama...I didn't like the typical korean airport scene ( again and again) because its getting used already in the past korean drama...is their anything that the writers can do to have a spectacular ending scene aside from the airport scene?? OH GOD!!
Yoon Eun Hye did her part in this drama, she was able to put to much effort and give her all she got...I give full credit to her for her hard work and dedication to this drama...though I'm not really convince with her acting because this drama is not heavy or what, but she has so many things to learn to be a seasoned actress.. Eun Hye must accept some serious tv project with a heavy drama genre and being partnered with great actors as well so that she will developed her craft..
I rate this drama: 3.5/5!! :)
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90 janerdelle
October 9, 2009 at 4:13 AM
Yoon Eun Hye's comeback drama is far more better when it comes to ratings than Song Hye kyo's comeback drama...
Song Hye Kyo's last drama is kinda like boring to watch but because I'm a huge fan of Song hye kyo then I tried to finish it to give her support....
both of them criticized their comeback drama, both of them didn't give the crtics a good expectation in their comeback, but they manage to finish their drama for the sake of their fans waiting for them to be back on tv once again...
Now its kim tae hee turn to show up what she got in her comeback drama...the much anticipated action series IRIS that will premiere next week....I can't wait to see this drama and to see KTH once again!!!
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91 Blue Lily
October 9, 2009 at 4:17 AM
@88- behbeh: "Ratings is infact everything. Good ratings means more money, better projects, populrity boost and etc."
No one argues about this. Please don't purposely misrepresent what other people want to say: "high ratings" NOT equal to "good quality".
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92 vis
October 9, 2009 at 4:18 AM
@asianromance:
"To all those who bash javabeans for being bias….uhh….duh, this is an opinion blog, not the new york times online (and even they can be a bit bias sometimes)."
I totally agree! Couldn't have said it better about ppl bashing the reviewer... what are you doing here if you don't like javabean's reviews? Either don't read them or better yet write your own review of it where you can talk all about how great you think it is. Personally, I like the personal touch that javabeans add to her reviews, it's what makes them interesting to read.
And yeah, I'm one of those who stopped watching this drama (around ep11 or so) but was still curious as to how things played out since I'd already invested so much in it... Pretty grateful that I didn't have to waste more hours watching in order to find out the ending and could read these reviews intead. Kudos to javabeans for persistence in reviewing this to the end!
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93 LTK
October 9, 2009 at 4:31 AM
I dont even know what to say about this drama. Maby my hopes were too high. I've only been reading these recaps since episode 7 and Im still disappointed. I think the actors did the best they could but - ready for the YEH fans- YEH could have done a much better job. It seems she tried so hard but thats maybe the point..that you could tell. IMHO after watching Smile, You. I think Lee Min-jung could have played that role spot on.
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94 Lk7
October 9, 2009 at 4:46 AM
Such a disappointment, YEH next time you'll do better. Im assuming the drama was alot different than what the writers had pitched?
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95 its me!
October 9, 2009 at 4:46 AM
eeek!
i gave up watching from ep 3 but just read the recaps..
the funniest thing happened last night at uni, after buying a Japanese green milk tea (YUM) my friend and I, (on a study Hiatus) went down to one of the computer labs to watch 1n2d for comedic relief... anywho my point is of all the 10000 or so computers we have at uni, there was a guy in the next computer booth just giggling like crazy and then i look over to see whats so damn hilarious to him, and whattya know he was watching MFL, yeah what are the odds...
anywho the ending reminds me rainbows and unicorns and well, MAKE-BELIEVE... a happy ending for all (well, gramps - so so, very grey area) sounds like something i'd watch to kill time and avoid depression.. Hmph..
Thanks JB! you deserve a Nobel!
<<<<<33333
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96 behbeh
October 9, 2009 at 4:52 AM
\"No one argues about this. Please dont purposely misrepresent what other people want to say: “high ratings” NOT equal to “good quality”.\"
What\'s the use of good quality when ratings is poor? You think other countries will pay a good fee to buy the series if the ratings is poor? I dont think so.
Opinions whether a drama is good quality or not is subjective to the viewers on the otherhand, ratings is final.
As for Kim Tae Hee it is useless to compare her comeback drama with either Yoon Eun Hye or Song Hye Kyo cause she is the worse actress ever, but ratings for IRIS will be high regardless, not because of Kim Tae Hee, but because it\'s a mega production, high budget drama with Lee Byung Hun in it. In that aspect Kim Tae Hee is the luckiest because she can just sit there and not say anything but IRIS will still kick a ss in ratings because of Lee Byung Hun.
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97 Atsirk
October 9, 2009 at 4:53 AM
It was not an asskickin' finale...but whatever. At least they ended up together...the story was choppy the last 2 episodes, but then again...
I want to see Yoon Sang-hyun in a better drama...he's just so great in comic acting...like Kang Ji-hwan...hahahaha...
Yoon Eun-hye should pick a better one next time...
Anyway, thanks Javabeans ;)
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98 Chiatok
October 9, 2009 at 5:00 AM
To scouting agent if the actors can deliver their talent even though the rating is low he or she will still be employable.
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99 dangermousie
October 9, 2009 at 5:14 AM
Thank you for the recaps, JB! I've given up on this drama around ep 10 (those are hours I will never get back! - I should have given up sooner because I knew from ep 1 this was not a drama for me, but I loved the cast so kept hoping) but I did want to know what happened in the end and thanks to the recaps I now know and don't have to suffer through actually watching it.
Btw, note to everyone who keeps insisting MFL is so awesome because even people who didn't like it read the recaps - ummm, that's the point? I have a mild curiousity about it but not enough to watch the drama myself. It takes a lot less time and effort to read JB recap than watch the ep. It certainly doesn't indicate this drama is great - I read recapsfor Witch Amusement too.
And JB, thanks for being critical of this drama. I mainly lurk on this site (and don't agree with many of your takes because we have pretty different tastes in dramas) but this got me posting because it was so refreshing to read somewhere that MFL wasn't the most stupendous thing ever to exist - because it's not like you could have discussed the drama rationally on soompi.
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100 Lan
October 9, 2009 at 5:19 AM
There are illogical things in every drama. But some we can leave alone. In the case of MFL, I think we don't have to go too deep into 1) how Hae-na could boost the sale by so much, 2) how Hae-na prepared to go abroad to study 3) The music and the mood, sometimes it's quite subjective etc... as long as these events serve the right purpose. I do think that using "studying abroad" all the time isn't always suitable, but if it is, no need to explain how the person chooses the program, etc.
There are things that I don't accept in dramas however, that is when characters and events are created just to be left behind and leaves viewers wonder what that was about. Someone above pointed out some of the things: 1) Hae-na's first love, 2) Eui-joo's mom disappears, 3) Su-ah's existence... they come when they are needed and discarded afterwards. The story seems very forced and unnatural that way.
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