I Am Legend: Episode 16 (Final)
by kaedejun
Thanks so much to javabeans and girlfriday for letting me write up the recaps to I Am Legend. It was a fun ride – and I hope you all enjoyed it too! I apologize for the lateness of this recap, so, on to the final episode!
After the song ends, Seol Hee stares at Ji Wook, whose expression says it all: pride in his ex-wife, happiness at watching her perform, sadness at not having realized her talents, and acceptance of Seol Hee being who she is. She chases after him as he leaves, thinking he had something to say.
They relocate to a cafe (really – what is up with the cafe as the setting for every talk? It’s like the river-side-talk, except this one is indoors.) Ji Wook admits that watching her perform was a nice feeling – it reminds him of the first time he met her, and he’s ashamed to have forgotten that feeling. (Uh – a little too late to be waxing poetic?)
Seol Hee is thankful that he had those emotions; during their marriage she had been afraid that she was the only one in love. But now, he’s acknowledged her completely by watching her perform. She gets up to leave, and Ji Wook apologizes:
Ji Wook:I’m sorry – for making you cry by yourself, for not letting you leave as you are but making you go through that miserable fight. I’m sorry – for letting the words you really wanted to hear from me be my sincere apology. I’m really sorry.
Kaedejun: AAAAAAAGHHHH! THE RAT BASTARD HAS EVOLVED!!!!!… into a kitty?
Seol Hee: Thank you. Live well.
They shake hands, their eyes glazed. Sighh*
Tae Hyun is sitting with Min Kyu, who can’t stop eating the fried chicken that he serves at the restaurant. With his mouth full, he notes that Seol Hee seems to be interested in him. (!!! Ah you smart boy! I knew you were like Noo Ri!) His only evidence is the radio broadcast, but what’s more important is what Tae Hyun thinks of her. Tae Hyun: “Stop talking about useless stuff and eat your chicken.”
But he has that same look of uncomfortable excitement that Soo In had when told that Tae Hyun might like her. He lets out a small smile and then drinks his beer to cover it up.
The next day at the studio, Ah Reum stumbles upon a news article with the headline “Comeback Madonna’s lead singer Jun Seol Hee confesses her surprise love for Jang Tae Hyun on a radio show.” WHAAT?! Soo In is all, “She just thanked him! It doesn’t make any sense!” Seol Hee is okay with it, but mentions that Tae Hyun may be surprised. Hwa Ja picks up on her expression and suggests, “Why don’t you have a passionate romance with Tae Hyun?” They’re perfect for each other anyways – both are divorcees. Ah Reum nods eagerly, while Soo In is…really quiet.
Seol Hee gets uncomfortable and runs to get water. Hwa Ja won’t let go of the subject, so Seol Hee remembers that she has an appointment to go to – yeah, one with… JANG TAE HYUN!!! OOOOH – the girls are not above teasing.
Hwa Ja asks for their opinion, and Soo In has none. Ah Reum gushes that Min Kyu thinks Tae Hyun likes Seol Hee too, and I am so disappointed we don’t see Soo In’s reaction for that statement.
Tae Hyun saw the same article, and he smiles – clearly he’s OK with it too! Noo Ri sneaks up behind him to read the article and says, “Are you having a relationship with Seol Hee Ahjumma?!” Guilty, Tae Hyun quickly closes the laptop, but it’s too late – Noo Ri saw his dad smiling as he read the article. Tae Hyun insists nothing is going on – and then Seol Hee calls!
Tae Hyun: “Dad has an important call, so you play with grandma.”
HEHEHE – Can I just say that I CANNOT stop smiling and giggling? Ah drama writers, thank you for answering my prayers….
Seol Hee has “something to discuss” so she goes over to his apartment and plays the melody of the song she composed on his keyboard. He asks about the lyrics, but Seol Hee is a little embarrassed to reveal it, since it’s personal. She brings up the article and apologizes for the reporter’s exaggerations. But Tae Hyun replies, “Not at all. I’m thankful to that reporter for writing it like that. I would like for things to turn out like that article.”
!!!!!!! Seol Hee smiles – it’s not one of rejection, but not one of complete acceptance either.
Seung Hye has an announcement to make – she’s leaving for the States to finish her law studies. Say what? 1) The “States-card” must always be pulled out when the character finds she has no future in Korea and 2) how the hell are you a lawyer if you didn’t finish your studies? But OK – maybe she wants to study something else. She tells Ji Wook to think of this time as their separation period; if they really can’t be together after her absence then they can officially break up.
But she has one caveat, and it’s for Tae Hyun: She wants to bring Noo Ri with her. She thinks that it would be good for Noo Ri to go to elementary school in the States, and if Tae Hyun is going to be in a relationship with Seol Hee, she doesn’t want Noo Ri to end up lonely. (I think the real lonely person here is Seung Hye, but she can’t admit that.)
Tae Hyun is resistant, but Seung Hye once again uses the “I’ll bring you to court if you don’t agree” excuse to make him think carefully about not letting Noo Ri go.
Back to the gals – Kwang Yul and Soo In had urgently called all the girls to meet at the studio early in the morning for BIG NEWS: the band was asked last minute to perform at the Pentaport Music Festival! Even though they were last minute substitutes for another band, they would be performing live on the big stage! The girls scream with happiness.
Plenty of fans go wild at their presence, and soon enough the Comeback Madonna Band is making its rounds in the music entertainment world. Fans mob them as they come out of buildings and Kwang Yul must hold them back so the girls can load into the van safely. They start doing interviews and booking more shows. Each time the girls get back on the van they’re fast asleep.
The life on the road is tiring them out more than being enjoyable.
When Hwa Ja returns home after an extremely tiring day, she finds Tae Sung sleeping on the sofa, Duk Soo on the floor, and the table scattered with pizza boxes, ramen bowls, and soda cups. She berates Duk Soo for eating such unhealthy foods; he has high cholesterol and should take better care of his health. He could also help clean up the house once in a while as she’s busy with her schedule.
Duk Soo gives her one of those small sheepish laughs and says he’ll try to do better. He asks if she has time off tomorrow for a family dinner, but she says (a little grumpily) that she has more bookings the next day and has no time.
Seol Hee sleepwalks into her apartment, dumps her guitar on a lounge chair, and collapses onto her sofa. (She cutely kicks off the slippers from her feet too, sending them flying all over the place.) Her phone rings – it’s Jang Tae Hyun. She doesn’t pick up. In a nice touch, the phone continues to ring as night turns to day. This time, Seol Hee wakes up to the phone and picks up: it’s Soo In. (Naw… Tae Hyun wouldn’t have possibly been calling all night…) Soo In is wondering where she is – she’s late.
Seol Hee turns around to see Tae Hyun’s plant. It’s the plant that should re-energize her when she’s feeling down… and it’s not working.
She rushes to the studio and finds Soo In and Hwa Ja already curled up in their seats, asleep. Ah Reum rushes up to her on the phone with Min Kyu. Gun has an upset stomach and needs to go to the hospital. Ah Reum asks if they can leave a little later, but Kwang Yul irritably says they’re already running late.
I’ve never been more annoyed with the greedy Kwang Yul until this episode.
They go off to their next event, which has them greeting all their Korean (and Japanese) fans and signing autographs and albums. Tae Hyun calls Seol Hee in the middle of it, and she has to apologize and hang up on him.
She meets with him when she gets back to Seoul and tells him all about her recently crazy schedule. Tae Hyun gives her a knowing smile – he had to do that during his days with Firebird. At first it was all nice, but after a while the activities became meaningless. But on to the purpose of this meeting – he confesses that Seung Hye’s threat has been troubling him. He doesn’t want to let Noo Ri go, but if he gets involved with someone else (*ahem* Seol Hee) then she will use it as a reason to take Noo Ri away.
Seol Hee takes action in the only way she knows how – she calls up Seung Hye to meet her in a local barbecue place. Seung Hye is unsettled at having to meet Seol Hee for any reason outside of a case. Seol Hee remains friendly though, and tells her that she never had any hard feelings towards her after the divorce. They may not be friends, but they also have no real reason to be enemies towards each other. But the real reason why Seol Hee wanted to meet her was to say this:
“For the rest of my life, I’m not going to live dependent on a man. I’m going to live the way I want to. So Jang Tae Hyun is only my music teacher…and my friend.”
Seung Hye asks why she’s telling her this, but Seol Hee shrugs and says, “I just…thought it needed to be said.” It definitely gives Seung Hye some food for thought as she walks home that night.
Inside the SBS (or SBC as they sometimes want to call it) building, Min Kyu surprises Ah Reum with a bouquet of flowers. It’s for their 1000 day anniversary. Ah Reum snorts with laughter; they have no business with anniversaries since Min Kyu didn’t even want to get married. He clears his throat and then says (loudly), “Miss Ah Reum, will you be the mother of my second child?”
Ah Reum says forget it – she’s busy enough with Gun. But she takes the bouquet and walks away with a huge grin.
Suddenly she hears a few chords being strummed and turns to see that Min Kyu is playing a few notes with a portable amp in the hallway! She’s surprised that he can play and asks when he practiced it, and Min Kyu replies (seriously), “I’m really thankful that you’ve lived with me.”
Aw… They’re going to grow up to be Hwa Ja and Duk Soo… 🙂
Kwang Yul has (more) big news for the band – he managed to snag them a guest appearance on the show Orange that features big stars and performers. The girls are excited – this means they’re big stars! However, a meeting with the writers shows that they’re not really there yet. The writers want the band to do an impersonation, since they’re not big name enough on their own. Perhaps something like the “Genie” video except on TV?
Seol Hee and Soo In aren’t too comfortable with the idea and try to offer other suggestions for the show, but Kwang Yul jumps in and says that the girls will practice hard for the performance. What the hell man?! Why are you ruining the band’s concept!?
The girls try to practice SNSD’s dance but honestly have no idea what they are doing. They try to imitate what they did in the elevator, but that just ends up being a chaotic mess. The last straw for the girls is when the show’s producer tells them at the last minute that they’re going to be lip syncing. It’s supposed to be more convenient for the show and for the singers, even though the whole show will be pre-taped. Seol Hee is insistent that they’re totally fine with singing live, but before they can get into a bigger argument with the producer, Kwang Yul says that they’ll practice with the lip-syncing for a bit.
Outside, Seol Hee announces that if the gig is going to go like this, then she refuses to do it. The other girls agree – it’s embarrassing for them to dance like SNSD and on top of that, they’re getting insulted with the lip sync issue. Kwang Yul says that they’re almost there at the top, but the girls refuse to budge. They leave him behind to worry about the show, and go drink beers in the studio.
It’s clear that they’re all pretty unhappy with the way their lives are going, as their schedules are pulling them away from their old selves. Seol Hee suggests that the band fold – stop all their activities. They may love to sing and play, but they’re starting to become something that they are not. They won’t disband, but they just won’t continue to try and “make it.” She points out that Hwa Ja is suffering because she can’t take care of her husband and son. She appeals to Soo In’s pride and says that they didn’t perform just to make fools of themselves on TV. She apologizes to Ah Reum for having exhausted her, but Ah Reum says she’s fine with it. Yeah – she’s the only one.
Seol Hee is afraid that she may lose the joy she had in playing music if she continues on. Hwa Ja breaks down into tears and agrees. It’s true she’s no longer happy with participating in the band’s activities because she really wants to be with her family. Soo In’s voice trembles as she notes that she no longer has been paying attention to her job, and is concentrating too much on the band. (Although, I don’t think Kwang Yul minds that too much.)
The good thing is, they’re not disbanding. Otherwise, I would have had a heart attack and been pissed off with the writers.
Tae Hyun hears that they’re going to stop working as a band and visits Seol Hee, who is practicing her first composed piece. He happily tells her that Noo Ri will stay with him, because Seung Hye had a change of heart, and suggests that Comeback Madonna Band at least do a farewell concert for their fans.
Hwa Ja is in tears as they sit in the van before their last performance. She’s so scared of what will happen because the unspoken thought in everyone’s minds is, will the band stop playing together? But they promise each other that that will not happen, and they go onstage.
They perform their entire repertoire in the rain – from “Love Love Love” to “Dance with Me” to their rock version of “Genie.” There’s something about them always performing in the rain and their fans dressed in ponchos, jumping up and down to the beat. I get this feeling that the ponchos could have become the band’s signature item and even in the sun, die-hard fans would wear the ponchos.
Seol Hee gives a shout out to her band mates and all the people who made her dreams possible, and they break into “We Will Comeback.” Everyone is there – Tae Hyun in the sidelines; Kwang Yul, Min Kyu, Tae Sung and Duk Soo in the audience. Even Ji Wook shows up to this performance, standing all the way in the back.
The fans go crazy for an encore, and so Seol Hee introduces her next piece of music – the new song that she composed herself – “To You (Dear Music)”. It’s the song that she said was very personal to her. At first, I thought it was going to be a song about heartbreak and her time with Ji Wook, but it ended up being a love letter to music for helping her through all her hardships. [download]
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This moment when I’m singing as if it’s breathing…
I can’t stop.
You, that lead me almost bursting,
Always at my side.
It always flows and flows, and it flows from my heart.
Always calls and calls, my heart at this moment calls you.
Love…Tears…
Joy…Sorrow…
All the days I live and breathe in you.
Thank you, life.
Music
In infinite solitude, you touched me
At times, weary, I ignore you but
Always at my side…
Ji Wook watches her, entranced at this beautiful Seol Hee who sings from her heart and can show her true self only here. Tae Hyun watches on, proudly and clearly falling deeper in love with her.
Seol Hee reminisces back to all the times that they performed and silently, thanks music for always being there to help her through her boring, everyday life. Any of her tears are washed away in the rain.
And we skip ahead to the near future. Hwa Ja is celebrating because she was just awarded for being one of the best salespeople for her company. Duk Soo is on hand to record the entire event, and in front of everyone they declare how much they love each other. She even embarrasses him by insisting that he kiss her in front of everyone.
As for Soo In – she’s managing a new group this time. It’s a co-ed band with…Ah Reum! The band is already making headlines as paparazzi grab some photos of the group walking in to a studio to film for a show. Soo In critiques everyone’s performance, including Ah Reum. She also reminds them that they have to work together harmoniously to be a good band – “A band needs to have one heart and mind.” That was Comeback Madonna Band’s motto.
The team puts their hands together and say “Angel! Angel! Fighting!”
(Don’t tell me they were trying to poke fun at A.N.Jell…)
And as for Seol Hee… she arrives at an open space where workers are chanting about their jobs, and hands them each a sandwich. They stop chanting – who the hell is she? Seol Hee asks why they were all fired, and the workers start complaining that they don’t know either, and that no one has an idea on how to fight back against the company. Seol Hee introduces herself as Go Jin Bae’s secretary, where the lawyer specializes in group lawsuits. She tells them that if they can prove that they were fired unfairly, they can file a lawsuit for compensation of losses.
The group becomes excited – it looks like Seol Hee’s found herself another case!
The band gathers one more time at the studio, all excited about their own successes, and play “We Will Comeback” once again.
Comments:
What!? You’re gonna end the series like that!?
OK – looking back, I don’t really have a problem with it. After all, how else could you end a series that’s all about four women who enjoy playing music for the sake of playing music? However, it was a bit abrupt and just… blah. I wanted MOOOAAAAARRRR. Especially a little more Noo Ri.
Anyways – I know there was some annoyance with how the events of episode 15 should have happened a lot earlier, especially in regards to Ji Wook’s character turn-around. However, I’m kind of happy that Ji Wook’s change happened when it did. Though the market case should have been wrapped up sooner, it also provided the time for Ji Wook to believably change and grow as a person. Once Ji Wook came to terms with himself, his family, and Seol Hee, there was not much left to him. He would have been rejected by Seol Hee no matter what, and there wasn’t much further that he could have gone. So, I think it was a good thing he changed right at the end of the series.
A note about the performance in the rain: it’s a nice touch that every time a watershed moment occurs, it rains. When the girls’ performance was canceled because of the rain, but their fans insisted they perform anyways, right afterward the Comeback Madonna Band became really famous. It was the start of their new life as an active girl band. Then their final performance was in the rain, and it was again a start of a new phase – they weren’t really going back to their old lives, but they were improving it and making progress without the pressures and stress of becoming famous. Each of these girls were becoming famous in their own lives, with Hwa Ja being a successful saleswoman, Seol Hee becoming a successful secretary for a law firm (and giving Jin Bae a certain reputation), Soo In becoming a successful manager, and Ah Reum – well, she really became famous.
This dramas had plenty of ups and downs, and its biggest draw was the music. The story lagged a bit, and there were times when I wanted to kill the writers for how they portrayed the whole Seol Hee-Ji Wook-Seung Hye dynamic. But at the sake of a good, fast-paced story, the drama did succeed with the characters. The slow pace provided great character development for Seol Hee (in the earlier part of the drama) and Ji Wook (in the latter half). Though Tae Hyun is kind of like a minor character with little depth, I did enjoy the side of him whenever he was with Noo Ri. And the drama never forgot that it was about the four girls who made up Comeback Madonna Band. The four women had to continually break free from the influence of the men in their lives: Seol Hee from Ji Wook, Hwa Ja from her husband who started feeling like she wasn’t acting as the proper wife, Ah Reum from Min Kyu pressuring her to join Red Punch, and Soo In – well, at least she didn’t end up getting entangled with Tae Hyun. They contrast from Seung Hye, who ends up doing things for the man she loves and ends up losing him anyways.
I won’t go so far as to say this drama was under-whelming, but it was definitely my brain candy for the past 8 weeks.
RELATED POSTS
- I Am Legend: Episode 15
- I Am Legend: Episode 14
- I Am Legend: Episode 13
- I Am Legend: Episode 12
- I Am Legend: Episode 11
- I Am Legend: Episode 10
- I Am Legend: Episode 9
- I Am Legend: Episode 8
- I Am Legend: Episode 7
- I Am Legend: Episode 6
- I Am Legend: Episode 5
- I Am Legend: Episode 4
- I Am Legend: Episode 3
- I Am Legend: Episodes 1-2
Tags: featured, I Am Legend, Kim Jung-eun, Lee Jun-hyuk
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1 girlfriday
September 28, 2010 at 8:35 PM
How...could they end it....LIKE THAT?
The band's ending, I'm cool with. But that is officially the worst resolution to a barely-functioning love triangle, since, like, the DAWN of TIME.
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Jane
September 28, 2010 at 8:41 PM
lol. HAHAHA. Well, I didn't watch this series but I guess if one watches it with no ex0pectations of romance, it'll be more enjoyable.
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kaedejun
September 29, 2010 at 6:30 AM
hahahahaha - hence, it was brain candy - mindless fun.
is it bad that i enjoyed the side characters a lot more? like, hwa ja and ah reum's families, and noo ri?
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Sukispop
September 28, 2010 at 9:29 PM
I couldn't agree more. I had a feeling the band's story would end that way, and it made sense. The love triangle story's conclusion, on the other hand, was truly disappointing. They dropped the ball on the Soo-in angle, and left Tae-hyun high and dry in love, without giving the audience any glimmer of hope for a coupling with Seol-hee.
And, really, what gives with Seung-hye going to the States to finish her law studies...when she's been practicing as an attorney, already??
IAL started off really well, then got mired in the divorce case, and then really dragged with the marketplace case. The moments with the band practicing and performing their music were very enjoyable, and the scenes of the growing attraction between Tae-hyun and Seol-hee were fun. But, in the end, I was left feeling unsatisfied.
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staples
September 28, 2010 at 9:44 PM
I agree 100%!!
I didn't expect the band to drop the ball like that. But that's cause I thought they were quitting music like "quitting music" and proceeded to spend the next 15 minutes yelling at my computer screen along with a bunch of viikii commenters. So thanks to kaedjun for clearing that up.
I didn't expect Seol Hee and Tae Hyun to be coupled at the end like "have confessed love for one another" since Seol Hee just divorced. But it would have been nice to be able to say "yes, we know that eventually this is what will happen," or at least SOMETHING!
I feel like it would be better if the drama had focused on the music instead of the law and had a second season to kind of tie everything together. It wasn't even like they _tried_ to fix their band problem. They didn't say "Manager, scale it back!" They were like "Yo, we quit." It didn't seem realistic. But with the drama as it is, I don't feel like it _deserves_ a second season to tie things up. I'm not even sure I'd watch a second season...unless it was for the girls and their personal lives. (all the hubbies and children are SO CUTE!!!)
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ockoala
September 28, 2010 at 9:40 PM
First off - thanks Kaedejun! Great recap series, enjoyed it greatly.
Secondly - GF, there was no love anywhere in a 10 mile radius, and anything resembling a triangle was an isosceles triangle for like 15.5 episodes. I gave up expecting any resolution for anything other than the Band.
Sigh, Rat Bastard really made it compelling, but it was like both he and Kim Jung Eun were acting against the piddling script they were given. So disappointing, but compared to Bad Guy IAL made a world of sense, so I'll leave it at that. Gah, my standards are dropping like fruit flies in winter.
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girlfriday
September 28, 2010 at 9:51 PM
OMG don't even bring up Bad Guy. Why did you have to bring up Bad Guy? There is nothing that compares to the whatthefuckery of Bad Guy.
I don't care if it's an obtuse triangle with sides that don't touch--I want, in the words of kaedejun...MOOAAARRR!
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ockoala
September 28, 2010 at 9:55 PM
Omo, sorry sorry, sore subject still, huh? The show that shall not be talketh about sprung to mind when IAL ended, just the lack of resolution or satisfaction it made me feel. But at least IAL made sense, which is more than the other thingie did. Is all I meant.
Heh, yes, I can do with MOOAAARRR myself, preferably the MOOOAAARRR that resulted in some hot reconcilation sex between the formerly divorced hot sexy couple. Oh, don't get me wrong, JW is a piece of shit husband I wouldn't wish on the beyotch in my office, but he was so sexy and smoldering I'm hopeless....
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Biscuit
September 29, 2010 at 6:42 AM
I suppose Bad Guy has now replaced Goong S as the show that shouldn't be mentioned of, aye?
Heheh.
Javabeans
September 29, 2010 at 12:25 AM
I will take ten Bad Guy finales over one Cinderella's Sister. I'm still bitter about that one.
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rant
September 29, 2010 at 1:40 AM
I'd take 11.
celestialorigin
September 29, 2010 at 8:22 AM
OMG! Bad Guy. IAL & Cinderella's sister. I didn't even watch the last episode of CS per recommendation from mookie sis. This one was not as bad. It just was a big "Huhhh? Is time up? Is this it?" moment... They should do Sp version like Japanese do to make up for it.
Ani
September 29, 2010 at 3:07 PM
I don't know about that. Cinderella Story may have been a let down in some ways, but the unhappy ending in Bad Guy and Gumiho: Tale of the Fox's Child left a bitter taste in my mouth... Ok, I admit I skipped episode 14 and 15 (or, more like fast forward through them) and fast forward through episode 16 of Gumiho: ToTFC, but the ending and the direction it was already heading before the end was reason for me to say "Screw you script writers". I do plan to go rewatch it and see what I really missed, but I say Bad Guy and Fox's Child rule the charts in bad ending.... or unhappy ending. I'm finding it hard to separate the two. X/
Ani
September 29, 2010 at 3:08 PM
*I meant Cinderella's Sister. What the hey typo?
sajor
September 29, 2010 at 1:39 AM
oh, but then bad guy was good throughout except its ending (for many, i'm still ok with it.). IAL was only good halfway.
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annie
September 28, 2010 at 9:48 PM
I KNOW. I was so angry after it ended - and so gobsmacked - I started yelling at the screen (which I never do).
It also drives me crazy that Seung Hye basically blackmailed the romance into not happening, and Seol Hee, without saying anything to Tae Hyun, goes along with her. If I was him I'd be mad (does he even know about it? Poor guy).
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2 ar
September 28, 2010 at 8:45 PM
Thank you for the recap!
This episode had all the music-related stuff that I had wanted in the previous episode- but at 5x the speed because they had to cover it in 1 episode. I thought the ending fitting and liked how it ended with the band and not with Seol Hee and Tae-hyun getting together.
I definitely rolled my eyes when Seung-Hye announced that she was going to the States to study. For real, South korea is NOT that small. How come no one ever says "then I'm just going to chill in the countryside and try to forget all this mean crap I did".
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xylophonic
September 28, 2010 at 8:55 PM
Also, why not like, Canada or something? Or Belgium?
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Kender
September 28, 2010 at 9:11 PM
I definitely rolled my eyes when Seung-Hye announced that she was going to the States to study. For real, South korea is NOT that small. How come no one ever says “then I’m just going to chill in the countryside and try to forget all this mean crap I did”.
I always wonder how they can arrange things so quickly, too. It's like, evil evil evil evil, omg huge life-changing revelation, I'm off to study now, see ya! Don't they know that it takes months to arrange to study at proper institutions, from the application period to acceptance to waiting until the new session starts..? Kdramas make it seem like you can apply one day and start studying the week after.
Also, I always wonder why the States is the go-to country. England and Australia are both English-speaking countries, why not go there? Or, thinking outside of the box, go to Brazil, or Germany, or France, or Egypt. Vacations are an acceptable and more realistic alternative to studying after massive heartbreak. I'm much more likely to fly off to Paris than enroll in a Masters program if some guy breaks my heart, really. :P
--
Thanks so much for the recaps, kaedejun! I'll admit that I could never bring myself to actually watch any of the episodes after the first one, but I was curious to see how things would progress, so I've been enjoying your recaps immensely. :) But I agree with GF--worst love-triangle resolution EVER. Well, after My Love Patzzi, but that's a whole other can of fish. ;)
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staples
September 28, 2010 at 9:50 PM
yeah, going on vacation seems much more reasonable than studying. It's like "I never realized how much a degree in basket weaving from Omaha State meant until you dumped me..." Coz, really? What are you studying there and why? I think they do it so that you know the person won't be coming back for a long time, if at all. If it's a vacation, they could be back in a month.
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staples
September 28, 2010 at 9:48 PM
" I definitely rolled my eyes when Seung-Hye announced that she was going to the States to study. For real, South korea is NOT that small. How come no one ever says “then I’m just going to chill in the countryside and try to forget all this mean crap I did”. "
Agreed! and what bothers me the most is that if you really think about it, will they be that successful in the US--or any other English speaking country? You _know_ these characters can't speak English 90% of the time, and even if they can, not at the fluency and accuracy necessary for work in the United States. Why not stick to an area where you know they'll be able to speak the language. Plus, what is she going to study in the US, pray tell? KOREAN law??
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mskololia
September 29, 2010 at 3:31 AM
Thanks to kaedjun for the wonderful recap.....
I'm never impressed when I hear my country -USA-mentioned in Kdramas...Ok, so you no longer need a visa to enter, big deal.....This does not make you like better than the rest of Asia and sometimes I think---what's up with that? *shakes head*
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mskololia
September 29, 2010 at 3:34 AM
Ooops, sorry for the typo "kaedejun".
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3 carol
September 28, 2010 at 8:49 PM
thanks to kaedejun for watching the whole series and picking out the choice moments to share with us (and in such record speed too!) . i might not have been able to watch the entire series, but i really feel like i GOT it, because of your sensitive recaps - in fact, I think I mighta got more out of your recaps then if i had watched it myself!
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4 xiaoSxin
September 28, 2010 at 8:59 PM
the music was outstanding for I am Legend. Loved it. Especially the last one, To You.. man, when I was watching Seol Hee singing it in the rain I was moved. Because the song really came from her heart.
I know it sucks that SH-TH thing ended that way.. but maybe I can hope on Lee Joon Hyuk's new drama, he will get the girl.
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annie
September 28, 2010 at 9:51 PM
I agree, the music was the best part of the drama!
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5 Dele
September 28, 2010 at 9:02 PM
I'm trying to accept this kind of ending. I might have been okay if they just cut it at the last performance but seriously come on I need something more concrete than this. I feel really bad for Soo In though, but at the same time I'm glad she didn't get further entangled in TH.
I love SH's love song to music, it was really beautiful. I'm a firm believer in the power of music to heal, inspire, comfort, and open us up to what life can bring. That was a realyl touching moment for me.
Oh well, it had it's ups and downs but it was a good drama.
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staples
September 28, 2010 at 9:53 PM
yeah. it would have been even worse in SooIn had fallen further for TH. Cause then it would be a far more ridiculous waste of love-tension than it already is.
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6 endodo4ever
September 28, 2010 at 9:07 PM
Thanks for recapping this series for the couple of last months or so. Congrats on finishing this series! :D IAL definitely had many flaws but the music kept me going. The ending didn't bother me too much because I wasn't expecting it to be strong. It was abrupt but since I was kind of expecting a mediocre finale, I thought it did alright.
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7 anna
September 28, 2010 at 9:11 PM
Wasted love.. rectangle.. or whatever if they never wanted to get into it in the first place. Eh.. I guess they just wanted to end with SH living her life and not depend on any man.. but all the romance build up was a waste and it pissed me off. Why bother at all.
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staples
September 28, 2010 at 10:02 PM
agreed!
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8 hh
September 28, 2010 at 9:11 PM
Hi Kaedejun!
I am pretty much sure that you are all worn-out from this battle of recapping the series, but thank you sooo much for the recap! Regardless whether the recap is late or not, what's important is that you are able to deliver the recap n we are able to read n enjoy them! Really, really appreciate with what you've done!
And regards to the cafe and river as the place for a talk, I'm guessing that the river is more of a place for a conspiracy or spilling some secrets, IMO though..
Anyhow, thanks one again n I'm hoping that this wouldn't be the last time for us seeing you here! Who knows, maybe you're going to recap Dr Champ next? lol ;)
Take care n best wishes!
Cheers
hh
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9 anon
September 28, 2010 at 9:15 PM
is that Noo-ri in Sungkyunkwan Scandal? it really looks like him and as cute
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danna
September 29, 2010 at 9:24 AM
omo i ws thinking hte same thing!
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10 Sukispop
September 28, 2010 at 9:36 PM
My apologies to kaedejun- in my earlier comments I forgot to give my heartfelt thanks for all your hard work and time in providing us with these great recaps.
Thank you, kaedejun!! :)
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11 momosan
September 28, 2010 at 9:41 PM
Excuse me while I shout a second...
A HANDSHAKE!?!
You're married to the guy for some years, you meet up with him to finally have him apologize, and you SHAKE HANDS?!? Stiffly like you have a broomstick up your spine?
For the love of all you hold holy, woman!! I don't care if sexy musician is lurking about making your heart flutter, you can give the ex a hug, eh? Maybe a shoulder pat?
I realize I was on the rat bastard bus rooting for the guy (yeah for change of heart, realization of rat bastardness!), and you don't have to forgive the guy, but seriously!? A HANDSHAKE!?
And show, honestly, you just leave them there triangulating in their triangle? Lord love a duck, show! Writers, grow a spine will ya?
Um...rant off.
Truly, lovely music, some nice acting but into the bin with you show. Not only did you repeat the same resolution of a case (the mysteriously delivered DVD TWICE!?) despite it being ridiculous the first time, but it then proceeded to be stupid in other departments as well. For instance, if you are the evil uncle, why press the heck out of a lawsuit you know you are on the illegal end of when you can settle and pay off and not get in trouble for, eh? Far cheaper and not as dangerous that way. That whole thing smacked of logic fail. Sigh....OTOH, it kept the rat bastard around and let him semi-redeem himself, which may have been why it was done.
Sigh....so close, and yet..into the bin.
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sagirl
September 29, 2010 at 7:48 AM
That reminds me of something...
WHAT IS UP WITH HANDSHAKES IN KDRAMAS?
They seam to take on a different meaning than in the US or maybe in the West in general.
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12 v
September 28, 2010 at 10:01 PM
Thanks kadejun for the recap! I've finally watched the finale and all i can say is.... WTH. well, i'm satisfied with how the band turned out to be. but really, the love story here went, um, somewhere?
Anyways, I still enjoyed I am legend but i agree, the biggest draw was the music, and heechul's cameo (haha, ignore me there).
Again, thank you for all your recaps! looking forward to seeing you in the future again. been a fan since PP days!
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v
September 28, 2010 at 10:03 PM
oops. mistyped your name. hope you won't get offended. -_-" sorry.
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13 annie
September 28, 2010 at 10:02 PM
Thank you for your hard work with the recaps, Kaedejun. I really enjoyed reading them. :)
I think the reason this drama left me feeling so shafted is because I loved ep 15 so much. But instead of delivering some great, tense drama and a satisfying declaration of love, we get... this.
I think it was doubly disappointing because the band broke up AND they Seol Hee and Tae Hyun didn't get together. I can accept that fame isn't all it's cracked up to be, but them giving up on Comeback Madonna combined with her giving up the chance for a relationship with TH just - sucks.
And all so that she can be - a secretary! How fulfilling! (I'm joking. But you know what I mean.) It's great that she enjoys helping the downtrodden with her knowledge of the law, but I was left with an odd feeling that I had just watched a legal drama masquerading as a rock-band drama. I didn't like that feeling.
LOVED the music, though. No qualifiers. :) And I have been won over completely by KJE, whom I wasn't impressed by before.
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14 Hanjae
September 28, 2010 at 10:06 PM
I can understand what happened to the band, though it was disappointing all the same - I seriously think that they could've made the point about enjoying music and not exhausting themselves WITHOUT them stopping their band activities. Plenty of artistes take years between albums, and rarely appear on TV or radio shows. But at least I can see why it headed in that direction.
The non-romance between Tae Hyun and Seol Hee, though? Now that one really left me screaming - how COULD they end it like THAT? I would've said fair enough if they didn't officially end up as a couple. Seol Hee just divorced, blah blah blah.
But I disagree with people who said they weren't expecting anything - *I* sure was! And it wasn't because I sat there and imagined up all those moments by myself; the WRITER put them in! There were elephant-sized hints that there's something brewing and countless little Tae Hyun/Seol Hee moments along the way. They even teased us with that almost-confession scene in the last episode... and then broadsided us with Seol Hee telling Seung Hye that they're just friends. WHAT?!?! *shakes fist*
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15 staples
September 28, 2010 at 10:06 PM
well. That was the end of that. My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, anyone?
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rant
September 29, 2010 at 12:29 AM
MGIAG better come up with a good ending, or else Hong sisters will forever be cursed.
voo doo dolls anyone?
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16 jyyjc
September 28, 2010 at 10:32 PM
i enjoyed this drama but...there was barely any LOVE between a man and a woman!!!!!*cough*tae hyun&seol hee*cough* i really thought they had chemistry together and i could see the growing attraction but their ending is..just..UGH!
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17 paperdolls
September 28, 2010 at 10:51 PM
Enjoyed the drama too but have same reaction with most on the way it ended - DISAPPOINTING! Expected more than that!
Can there be a PART 2?
Anyway, enjoyed the recaps till the very end, and I enjoy reading the comments of the readers, too.
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18 Denali
September 28, 2010 at 10:53 PM
Thank you Kaedejun for your recaps and telling us that you did enjoy that drama - I was afraid that it was kinda like a burden with the whole lack of romance and the numerous flaws.
“For the rest of my life, I’m not going to live dependent on a man. I’m going to live the way I want to. So Jang Tae Hyun is only my music teacher…and my friend.”
At first, I was so WTF with that line. I mean where is it written that being with a man does necessarily mean being dependent on him? And why in the world will you tell HER (not HIM) your feelings and that you have no plans whatsoever for a romance with him or anyone else? But then I know the answer: it's all for the sake of the story and because the writers knew that no viewers would believe in their romance, given their lack of chemistry. Sweet smiles, even with eyes, are nice, yet one needs more in a love relationship...
Then, Kaedejun, what will you be recapping next?
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Hanjae
September 28, 2010 at 11:05 PM
If they had really thought that viewers wouldn't buy the romance and decided not to make it happen, I think it would've been better if they didn't promise us so many possibilities and end up not delivering. The ending was practically schizophrenic - first, Seol Hee seemed pleased about the rumours between her and Tae Hyun, flustered at the thought of starting a romance with him, and even led him into the topic about the confession article. But then she turns around and says he's just her friend and mentor? It made no sense whatsoever.
Heck, I would have preferred it if the writer had the guts to come right out and resolve it, showing us Seol Hee refusing Tae Hyun, telling us why the relationship couldn't have worked rather than leading us on and then throwing cold water over the idea in the last 10 minutes.
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kaidanmono
September 29, 2010 at 1:24 AM
I'm so glad someone brought this up.
I mean, WTF Seol-Hee? Every romantic relationship = dependency on a man? If she didn't fancy him like that, she should've just said, instead of saying something that - if taken seriously and literally - would mean that she will never have a romantic relationship with a guy ever again.
I thought that was really bad writing, TBH.
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19 saryKIM
September 28, 2010 at 10:55 PM
the thing I'm most dissatisfied about is the potentially awesome non-existent love triangle! ughh I cry inside to think of the great possibilities that could have happened with it... and it sucks how the drama teased us with it. It was like, oh, Tae-hyun/Seol-hee is happening no wait not really well kinda ooohh Ji-wook is a new man maybe Ji-wook/Seol-hee will rekindle oh no wait not happening ohh back to Tae-hyun/Seol-hee oh I guess not.
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20 Pully
September 28, 2010 at 11:07 PM
I voted this drama as one of the biggest disappointment in the year. They had me hope high for the music and disappoint me with their BS law-ing thingy.
The writer killed her own drama. I could understand about not going mainstream, but what about "understream" then ? Never heard of indie kinda bands ?
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21 dordorMM
September 28, 2010 at 11:08 PM
Such a bad drama! and Kaedejun I think you took bias to write the recap... i remember once there was a guy said your recap sucks, now I agree with the guy, you missed so much in this ep. intentionally...it sucks!
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girlfriday
September 29, 2010 at 12:04 AM
Don't be an ass.
WTF is the point of a recap without bias?
kaedejun pours her sweat and tears into these recaps out of the goodness of her k-drama-lovin heart. If you chase her away with your lack of manners, I will be pissed!
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Hannah
September 29, 2010 at 1:12 AM
Um, excuse me, without these recaps I would have no idea what was going on with this drama. I'm thankful she wrote it.
And I agree with GF, one of the best things about the recaps on this site is the commentary which is, duh, biased. It's called having an opinion.
Dumb comment is dumb.
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v
September 29, 2010 at 2:00 PM
yeah... basically what girlfriday said.
i'm afraid if i say my own words, it might go out-of-line.
please don't be ungrateful, it hurts others.
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MeIGuess
October 1, 2010 at 2:54 PM
OmG dude your not suppose to say things like that. You can break a person's spirit. If you dont liek or agree with something then dont come here looking for her POV. She worked hard to do this, and she can be bias if she wants. I enjoy this And I happen to liek her POV. Dont be insensitive.
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22 dordorMM
September 28, 2010 at 11:22 PM
go read comments in viikii la, even soompi did a much better job than you!... here is the worst recap site for this drama!
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Javabeans
September 29, 2010 at 12:14 AM
Aaaaaand shut down.
If you can't keep your comments civil and worthwhile, you can't comment.
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Sukispop
September 29, 2010 at 12:43 PM
Thanks for stepping in and implementing the shutdown, JB and fri. Nobody needs or wants to read those stupid and offensive comments. Kaedejun worked hard to provide all of us these recaps, and deserves much credit and thanks. I, for one, am greatly appreciative of all that JB, girlfriday, kaedejun, and the rest of the contributing writers do for us.
Thanks, you guys!!
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Hanjae
September 29, 2010 at 12:15 AM
Hmm, why don't you write one then? You must be terribly confident in your recapping skills.
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23 Haina
September 28, 2010 at 11:29 PM
I agree with your recap and a lot of the comments here. The resolution was just so... anticlimactic. I liked the resolution for the band, but the resolution for Seol Hee and her romantic life just fell flat.
The writers really dropped the ball on developing a compelling romantic narrative for Seol Hee. She finally fought her way out of a miserable and loveless marriage and the story was suppose to be about how she rediscovers herself and decides live freely without a man. This is good but the last episode failed to deliver this message with any sort of depth because the show kept trying to make a love triangle happen, taking all the emotional punch out of resolution.
I could have done with one more episode that would bring more closure and emotional depth to Seol Hee's romantic struggle. I think the band's story was really to compliment Seol Hee's own personal growth after her divorce. Yet the end left her story with no satisfying conclusion.
I just wish that there had been some hint of Seol Hee open to the idea of pursuing a healthy relationship with Tae Hyun. No marriage, no depending on a man, just a loving relationship with someone that understands her clearly. I think this is where this drama was heading, but never quite made it.
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24 Ani
September 28, 2010 at 11:35 PM
ARGH! Almost as bad an ending as.... Gumiho: Tale o the Fox's Child. Yes, I went there because I invested myself in these shows and what I got in return was a headache and a bad mood. Well, at least I got good music out of this. Maybe I'll write my own ending.
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25 MeIGuess
September 29, 2010 at 12:27 AM
Overall I enjoyed the show. Like I really did. I wanted a lil Tae Hyun, Seol Hee kiss scene...but their subtlety made it even more enjoyable. I mean, their stares, the comfort they get from each other...the way they understand each other and can rely on each other (I guess you can call it a virgin kiss...or the like). But I did enjoy it. I loved Hwa Ja, Soo In (99% of the time) and Ah Rheum. Definitely Ji Wook. Hated his mom. But I was kind of rooting for JW and Seol Hee, but at the same tiem not really...bc it was obvious they could not be together again, even if they did still love each other, bc of MoaE. Who would want to be in a family with her again? And her bitchy daughters. I'll miss this show.
Thanks for the Recap, It was great.
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26 jusash
September 29, 2010 at 12:44 AM
what looked like a drama with potential fizzled out with an ending that was quite crappy (for me).
ultimately, i didn't see Seo-hee evolving as anyone too independent. and she has a career? seriously -- what as?
as solicitor of business, for a lawyer that hasn't really proven himself from start to finish? BOTH lawyers for that matter. Seung-hee and Jin-bae ... they never did do anything really, to prove that they were razor-sharp top-tier and a cut above the rest.
the SH-TH romance that was looking like it was finally off to some levels of more promise, on BOTH SIDES (finally, @ ep 16. thank you !)
but even that ... oh noes ... just as quickly nipped in the bud with the Seung-hee scene. (Seo-hee proclaiming that Tae-hyun wld not be anything more than a friend and music teacher to her).
WTF?!?
the only redemption was the nice closure .... which the scene with Ji-wook provided.
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27 chahaya
September 29, 2010 at 12:46 AM
thank you, kaedejun,for this drama!
I didn't watch the drama but I did follow your recaps here :)
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28 sunshine
September 29, 2010 at 12:57 AM
The ending was just, overall, unsatisfactory. But then again, the show had really started to drag in the second half anyway and but the time the market court case was over, the show really had nowhere to go. But a huge WTF-are-you-kidding-me moment was when Seung Hye said she wanted to go abroad...to pursue her studies. HOW ARE YOU A LAWYER?!
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29 Hannah
September 29, 2010 at 1:17 AM
It kind of devolved to a nothing ending. It wouldn't even have been hard to deliver a satisfying conclusion, they had set everything up fairly well. So what the hell, I don't even know.
Anyway, thanks for the recap!
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30 kk
September 29, 2010 at 1:39 AM
the song "Thank you dear music" was the DAEBAK moment of the episode. It was........ sentimental yet strong. It really rounded up Seol Hee's character well and was a perfect tribute to her life. IN fact, i almost felt the same way for my own life.
And lastly, Ji Wook. Man. He is the most under-utilised character here but I felt his sincerity and his heartfelt blessings to Seol Hee. Great acting.
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31 marie
September 29, 2010 at 1:40 AM
so..seolhee ended up with whom ? - part 2 please....
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oi
September 29, 2010 at 3:21 AM
I think so too. I feel something is missing.
Ep 16 was a bit of an anti-climax. I have not even bothered to rewatch it with subs. Though I understand that the drama is probably about Seol Hee becoming independant, still..... It is probably the die hard romantic k-drama addict in me that always wants a romantic ending. The writer knows this and tries to keep viewers with these hints and then give us such ending, because that was what the writer had in mind. So the writer tried a bit of both and ended up with nothing? But would be a good starting point for a sequel, I think.
Btw, kaedejun, thank you very much for your time and efforts to write the recaps. I also really like to read everybody's comments.
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32 sajor
September 29, 2010 at 1:41 AM
thanks kaedajun. i enjoyed reading all your recaps. hope you do more.
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33 luraaa
September 29, 2010 at 1:51 AM
Thanks to you, I'm now thinking if I should continue watching this drama or not. I guess the music was the only good thing on this show. Thanks again. You spared me 16 hours of drama-watching that can be spent on other shows.
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34 Angela
September 29, 2010 at 2:18 AM
Thanks for the recap!! I agreed with everything you said.
Personally, I was let down by the ending too, and expected much more than what we were given.
At first I was really angry with how the band-story ended: I thought this drama was going to be about their RISE to fame... not their chosen self-destruction after reaching these goals. I mean, what's the point of watching their struggle towards the top, only to see them make it but take *themselves* out of the spotlight? They could have continued being a band, and just stopped all the promotional crap outside of CDs and live performances...
I wish they had ended it on a high note; like with their first big concert, and a glimpse of their impending success. But yeah, I can accept this turnout, since it actually is consistent with the rest of the drama (choosing work over the band, family over fame). At this age, they just wanted different things. So I can (grudgingly) accept it.
BUT I HATED the dragged out group-lawsuit Seol Hee was working on towards the end. She sang about music being her passion and her life, and yet, it seems her true passion was being a secretary for a lawfirm. I wish she had set her sights a bit higher if she was going to commit herself to that path fully (like showing signs of wanting to be a lawyer herself or something.) At this point, she's doing exactly what she did before she married, so what's really changed?
And what was with the aborted love-triangle between Tae Hyun, Seol Hee, and Soo In? I wish they had focused more on that, and less on the humanizing of Seol Hee's ex (it was obvious he had changed after their divorce trial anyway.) And Seung Hye threatening to take her son abroad in order to create some fake tension... what was the point?? Especially if she was going to change her mind almost immediately. THESE are plots that could've gone somewhere and contributed to the over-arcing story... but instead, the writer chose to focus on Seol Hee's love of lawyering and people (ungrateful, grumpy people--not that you can blame them).
They really dropped the ball on this ending. Still, though, it's better than a lot of other ones out there...
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35 h311ybean
September 29, 2010 at 3:43 AM
Thanks for all your hard work recapping, KDJ. Contrary to the opinions of others, I enjoyed your writing and commentary, which was consistent with the level of intelligence and humor that I've come to expect from recaps on this site. It's just unfortunate that we can't please everyone.
I was a little disappointed in the way the drama ended, but 1) there is only so much you can do with 16 episodes, especially if you let stuff drag on for too long, and 2) as a writer, I appreciate the way certain loose ends were left hanging. For one thing, I'm glad the resolution of the romance gives all the shippers out there plenty of room to play :) Personally, I'm going to imagine that Seol-hee did get together with Tae-hyun, be a cool stepmom to Noo-ri, maybe have a kid of her own, and otherwise live happily ever after. And Soo-in finds an awesome guy of her own who totally adores her but also respects her commitment to her career. Maybe a slacker dude who thinks her being career-driven is sexy. (OMG I feel fanfic coming on...)
I also had to snort about Seung-hye's plans to study law in the US. Like you, I assumed she had a law degree already :-p and will assume that she's choosing to specialize in something so she needs further studies.
It was disappointing that the girls didn't become successful, but I'm glad it was their choice to turn away from it, instead of having stardom evade them despite all their hard work.
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36 autumnscribbles
September 29, 2010 at 3:48 AM
just want to say i've been reading your recaps since ep1 and i thoroughly enjoyed every one of them.
thank you very much.
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37 vihnell
September 29, 2010 at 4:51 AM
I am Legend better renamed I am Loser, lost the divorce case, quit the market case, late for band show, dismiss the band, abandon the lover, defeated by evil woman twice...I am glad TH no need to end up with " I am loser"...
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aberdeen_angus
September 29, 2010 at 5:39 AM
Okay, this comment made me laugh like crazy. That's so true! Hahaha :D
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kaedejun
September 29, 2010 at 6:27 AM
DITTO lol
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Mythili
September 29, 2010 at 7:26 AM
haha...so true...
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danna
September 29, 2010 at 9:30 AM
LOL...i cant stop laughing!
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Sukispop
September 29, 2010 at 12:59 PM
hahahaha! Good one! :)
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38 jojo
September 29, 2010 at 5:05 AM
Thanks Kaedejun for the recaps. I was disappointed by writing of the series ( a woman who has no time to see her son either on his birthday OR even a weekend keeps threatening to go to court to get custody PUHLEEZE ) and the ending, but not surprised. Guess Seol Hee really did want to be the Korean Erin Brockovich like you said.
They left a lot of loose ends for series 2 or a special. But I can see why Kim Sun Ah ran from this one... I guess plans for an album have been scrapped?
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39 Quaggy
September 29, 2010 at 5:19 AM
Great recap, Kaedejun! Thank you for recapping the entire series! I loved your comments as much as I loved finding out what would happen next.
I do find this ending a little disappointing. I was hoping that Seol Hee would go to law school, but I guess if it works for Erin Brockovich, it can work for her. I just would have liked to see Seol Hee be objectively seen as a success on her own.
I'm not completely surprised that they left the Seol Hee/Tae Hyun relationship unresolved. At least they left a little wiggle room. It already seemed that Seol Hee and Tae Hyun had come to understanding that if anything happened between them, it would be in the future. (Even Ji Wook seemed to realize that he was going to need some time after the dissolution of one marriage to start another.)
So I don't really think the conversation with Seung Hye was anything other than stating the truth at this moment, so Seol Hee's favorite father and son team wouldn't be split up. (And seriously, I agree with everyone else here. If Seung Hye absolutely had to go to America, couldn't they have said she was transferring to an American branch?)
But what I wouldn't give for a conversation between Seol Hee and her cancer-free-and-newly-returned-from-America sister (remember her?) about how Seol Hee is gaining a positive reputation as a worker's advocate and her relationship with Tae Hyun. Sigh. Well, I guess you can't have everything and what we got was a pretty decent drama, all things considered.
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40 Joon
September 29, 2010 at 5:20 AM
dordorMM was totally out of line there. The point of any recap is to give readers a feel for what is going on in the drama. That means having perspective (which you dismiss as mere bias). Try writing a totally straight-forward recap and you won't enjoy reading it half as much.
As always thanks for the recaps to the dramabeans team especially KDJ.
Now as for the ending, I was just like, "What the bloody hell, just happened?" Ha ha ha! It totally caught me off guard since it felt like they packed 4 episodes worth of story development in 1 finale.
The ending to that love angle was totally dismissive to the point of stupidity. You make them end up that way after doing a massive song like "You"!
And yes, I totally agree on those who say that this is a law drama pretending to be a music drama.
Thank God, the music was great! :)
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41 Htagged
September 29, 2010 at 5:34 AM
I have been following this show through your recaps but did not attempt to watch it as I wanted to see how the drama pans out.
Turns out I am not the least compelled to watch. Enjoyed the recaps loads though:)
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42 jossy
September 29, 2010 at 6:03 AM
Thank You! its been quite a ride!!
wonderful recaps Kaedejun!!!
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43 mee
September 29, 2010 at 6:04 AM
About Seung Hye going to law school in the U.S., I don't find that that unbelievable, although I find the timeframe in which that got arranged rather unbelievable.
The Korean system for becoming a lawyer is different from the U.S., although it's changing to the U.S. model of going to law school after you get an undergraduate degree. In the current Korean system, to become an attorney you must pass the judicial exam (사법고시) and then attend the Judicial Research and Training Institute. So technically, you don't even need a university degree to become a lawyer in Korea, although most do attend university, and many major in law (law is currently available as an undergraduate major in Korea).
So it's possible Seung Hye might have been studying in law school in the U.S., then somehow passed the judicial exam and ended up becoming a practicing attorney in Korea. Also, even in the U.S. people don't go to law school just for the J.D. degree, the degree conferred after three years in law school and which lawyers typically have. There are additional advanced degrees in law available (e.g. LL.M. or Master of Laws), which require one to already have a degree in law, and provide opportunities in specialization in a particular area of law. Many law school professors hold an LL.M. in addition to the J.D. So another possibility is that Seung Hye is going for an LL.M. somewhere, maybe she wants to become a law school professor?
So anyway, probably a too-detailed analysis of why it's not unbelievable that Seung Hye would be going to law school in the U.S.
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Sukispop
September 29, 2010 at 1:12 PM
Hi mee,
Wow, thanks very much for the nicely detailed explanation! :)
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44 surfergirl
September 29, 2010 at 6:35 AM
Well admit it, this drama sucks! After watching, I got this "what was that all about?!" feeling. And it started pretty strong with so much promise. It was trying to be everything all at once, in the end it didn't get anywhere with any angle they were pursuing. And the two lead stars don't have chemistry... it was already painful to see them together. Ji Wook was the saving grace, except they don't want to amp up the love triangle angle. So in the end, there's no love story to tell. And it fell flat. It was a waste of time IMHO. No wonder the ratings dropped. And you can see the female star looking tired as the series progressed. I totally don't understand where the writer is bringing us. It was good it finally ended. Must be the reason why the Kim Sam Soon star didn't go forth with this role.
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45 vihnell
September 29, 2010 at 6:50 AM
honestly speaking, the way how ji wook roar, shout, yell, is too much forced acting, and i get sick of it...
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46 opal
September 29, 2010 at 7:23 AM
@43..., I am with you. This drama really dissapointed me (after so much hope in the beginning).
I think the writer really lost of focus or perhaps too ambitious, wants to cover lots of things but ended with yaaakzzzz.
Good for Kim Sun Ah for finally dropping this project. Good Actress with good judgment.
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gra
September 29, 2010 at 8:41 AM
absolutely agree. But i am thanking for all the recap it's make me feel better.
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47 celestialorigin
September 29, 2010 at 8:26 AM
Forgotten to thank you for the great recap in my earlier post. Thank you thank you thank you!
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48 Barbara
September 29, 2010 at 10:13 AM
All this show needed was some "action" from the lead for it to be legendary.
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49 drama4lyf
September 29, 2010 at 10:17 AM
why was taehyun even in the drama? all the love tension was FOR NOTHING. UGHHG
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50 whatis
September 29, 2010 at 10:21 AM
I absolutely enjoyed this series. I really wish it was more though. There were a LOT of things they could go on. I'm never a fan of watching a series more than 16 episodes, but this really left me wanting more. The heroine is amazing, the story's great. Why stop there. Sigh.
Personally, I want to see at least a snippet of what the relationship between seol hee and tae hyun is. How is their interaction with each other. But I understand that it isn't the core of the show, which I can come to appreciate. It's fresh.
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