Tamra the Island: Episode 16 (Final)

89 November 24, 2010January 24, 2016

by nattacatta

So here we are. The finale. Tamra, you have been an excellent drama. While obviously the (cursed) cut hurt the ending, I still utterly adore you. And utter adoration is really all you can ask.

[As this is the final Tamra recap, I’d like to give nattacatta a big thank-you to taking on this project and seeing it through to the end. I hope you, like me, have enjoyed reading these recaps, which gave us a chance to re-live one of last year’s underappreciated surprises. -javabeans]

FINAL EPISODE RECAP

After the big lie to the King, William and Kyu are taken away. Kyu demands of him news of Beo Jin’s safety, close to tears. William reveals that Seo Rin has her (locked up).

Not for long. An intruder breaks into Beo Jin’s room, removing the bag off of her head. And lo and behold, it’s Yan. We knew you’d come through!

The Lady in Red is released from custody and met by the Man in Black. She offers a foreboding piece of wisdom; they should know how stupid it is to follow a crazy King, and they will pay the price.

He puts another dampener on her already dark mood: while he was away, Beo Jin was taken. She just smugly smiles, saying that that’s okay.

Yan takes Beo Jin to Park Yeon’s house, and he is shocked to see them both. He tells them of Kyu’s alleged nefarious plans and manipulation of William, which Beo Jin (holding the cute puppy!) adamantly refuses to accept.

Yan interjects; this was all part of the Lady in Red’s sly plans. There’s no way to free them. Beo Jin is opposed to this and decides that she must go and tell the King the truth. Park Yeon and Yan swiftly tell her that is impossible; she doesn’t work at the palace. In fact, she is a lowly peasant.

But, she can’t just sit around doing nothing. Light bulb! Working at the palace, she says…

Both Kyu and William are now locked up in jail, miserable. Kyu now knows that William lied to the King because of Beo Jin. William apologises and thanks him; it was from him that he learnt that kind of thing. He wonders if she is alive. Kyu cries, plagued with guilt, thinking it was all his fault.

William offers him words of comfort that because of him and Beo Jin, he was happy. Kyu thinks the same of him and Beo Jin too. Was I just daft not to see this bromance coming? Either way, it’s nice to have a sweet resolution in the finale.

Meanwhile, the Lady in Red arrives in Tamra and tries to convince the ‘crazy old man’/past government official, to go along with her plans. He wonders how many people must be hurt, simply for the sake of her foolish revenge.

She throws idealistic dreams about Korea’s future as a prosperous, happy country at him, saying that was his dream, and her father’s. So there’s a subplot here. Kind of odd to introduce it in the finale (I imagine it would be better developed in the long version).

He decides that it is all pointless, while she declares that she’ll never give up.

Back in the capital, the King receives a notice before meeting Kyu and William to hear their testimonies. Listening behind a line of court maids is Beo Jin. Kyu tells him that he is willing to sacrifice his life, but the corrupt officials and advisors that misled the King, who is everything to the citizens, must be stopped. These very same corrupt officials demand his death, but the King agrees to hear what Kyu has to say.

What I want to protect is not my own life. But rather, Chosun. The part of Chosun that your Highness ignored: the southern islands… Where happiness is found. Where people see through their hearts. That place is Tamra, Jeju.

The King clarifies that now he, the prisoner, is trying to teach him, the King. But Kyu continues; in Tamra, there is a group of female divers. He wants the King to protect those women and the island from foreign invasion. While the King doesn’t seem overly pleased, he does see the truth in his words.

But, at that crucial moment, our bumbling Beo Jin’s stomach makes a growl. Turns out, she brought the puppy. As much as I adore the puppy, there is a time and a place. Silly girl! The puppy falls out from under her dress and runs up to the King. He is quite taken with it and picks it up, just as Beo Jin tries to do the same.

Kyu and William both notice her and seem to feel a plethora of emotions. Relief at her being alive, happiness to see her, fear for what will happen to her.

The King, puppy dog in hand, reprimands her, a mere palace maid, for bringing a dog into the palace.

But, she reveals, she isn’t actually a palace maid. She is a diver from Tamra. She bows.

In Tamra, we don’t fight or kill each other. It is a true home for many people like me. In Tamra, Sir Park Kyu was not a nobleman, and the foreigner wasn’t a stranger, they were family. They are good people. I will risk my life on it! Please spare them.

She runs over to William and reveals his Seo Rin branding mark. She reveals that, under the Lady in Red’s orders, to save Beo Jin’s life, he lied to the King.

The King thinks back to the letter he received. It was from Tamra’s resident ‘crazy old man’, as he testifies that all of the allegations against the Prince and Kyu were manufactured by the Seo Rin group. He doesn’t want anyone to suffer because of that.

As the King looks at his advisors, they all squirm. He allows William to tell his story, but the Prime Minister interjects, trying to prevent the truth from coming out. The King wonders what he is so afraid of and orders him to be arrested.

The King considers what to call the puppy dog as Kyu stands up and smiles that 5 million watt smile at Beo Jin, who returns it with one just as bright. Yan walks past, smiling, in government official clothes (um, what?).That wasn’t very hard, was it?

At Kyu’s home, his mother cries over his fate of going into exile. Not as far as Tamra this time, but she didn’t even get to see him go. Kyu, Beo Jin and William hear this from outside and embark on their journey.

Some time seems to have passed as we land back on Tamra. Our two favourite bumbling guards from what seems likes years ago arrive with a large package for the governor. After getting Yi Bang’s help to get it past the guards, they set off to deliver it.

With the large scale port, it seems the Seo Rin group’s plans are going well, an East India Trading Company boat arriving tomorrow night. A Jeju official wonders why the Lady in Red wants to entertain all of the officials, when really the governor is all they need. She responds that until the ship arrives, they never know what will happen. They should wipe away any vestiges of resistance while they can.

Meanwhile, the contents of the massive package are revealed…

Beo Jin, Kyu and William!

Yay! As they all pop out, surrounded by friends and family, cheers erupt. Beo Jin is ecstatic to see her Dad, sister and Mum again. Kyu is greeted by some touchy feely hands (courtesy of Ggeut Boon, haha) but then proceeds to greet Yi Bang and all of the villagers. His hat got crinkled on the way (why is that so cute?). William’s friend from the island, one of the villagers, is very happy to see him.

However, these scenes of jubilation soon come to an end, when discussions turn to the forced labour they are experiencing. Yi Bang reveals that the East India boat will come tomorrow, and the villagers worry that once the ship comes, the island will be their’s.

Kyu, however, tells them that the ship will not come in but he doesn’t reveal why.

Mum tries to rally everyone; if the ship does come, will they just die quietly? Beo Jin joins in: now is truly the time for them to come together! Kyu is incredibly sad throughout this entire scene. Hmmm.

Yan, meanwhile, is on board the ship approaching the island.

The Man in Black brings urgent news to the Lady in Red: the East India Company has declared that they won’t be coming. She decides that if Mohammed won’t come to the mountain, the mountain must go to Mohammed. She decides to load up their ships with their silver. She will also, personally, be going.

Beo Jin and Ggeut Boon, thankfully, have heard this exchange, using their old employee outfits to have access to the compound.

Back on the East India ship, which has anchored a little off shore, the others wonder if it’s okay to wait for them. Yan tells them that they may be in danger if they simply follow the request. These people are betraying their own country, so they can’t trust them yet. He thinks back to Kyu’s words that he is actually Korean. So is he protecting his country by doing this? It seems Kyu’s words had an impact on him, and that is why Kyu was sure the ship wouldn’t come in.

William, along with a bunch of villagers, watch as the Seo Rin employees load up silver onto their ship. This is what Kyu said would happen, and he also told them to stop it. They don masks and enter the port, fighting the men.

Back at HQ, Kyu enters with soldiers.

Kyu’s troops are met by Seo Rin ones as the Lady in Red basically tells Kyu that he will die. The Man in Black instructs for some men to escort her to the ship and the fighting breaks out.

These scenes are that of chaos, as the men fight each other to the death, at the port and the HQ.

On her way out, the Lady in Red meets Beo Jin. Furious, she tells her that Tamra is everything to them. How dare she try and take it away! The soldiers arrive and chase after the Lady in Red. Beo Jin also leaves, following Kyu’s words that they absolutely cannot let the ship with the silver go.

The village women are in fighting mode, strengthened when Ggeut Boon arrives with Kyu’s adamant words about not letting the ship go. They get ready, undoing their dresses.

The Lady in Red makes her way to the boat, and we see fear on her face for the first time as her protectors are beaten. Luckily for her, the Man in Black arrives and ushers her to the ship, closely tailed by Kyu. He, however, has to fight his way through many opponents before reaching her and the ship manages to push off. Beo Jin arrives and, after William saves her life, they try to figure out what to do.

Kyu manages to get to the boat, jumping the distance between it and the port and landing on board. Alone, he tries to fight to stop the boat.

But, turns out he isn’t alone, as the divers are doing just what they are best at: diving. They swim through the water to reach the ship and start attacking its underside with their knives. Those women, my gosh they are tough.

Back on shore, Beo Jin desperately wants to go follow Kyu but William tells her that it is too dangerous. He is forced to rejoin the fight as Beo Jin hides.

On the ship again, Kyu is dangerously outnumbered, fighting the Man in Black along with multiple other assailants. He ends up defeated, swords at his throat and asks the Lady in Red whether this is her revenge of the country. She tells him that it is revenge for her father, and her dream.

This ominous scene is witnessed by Beo Jin from the port, who yells “EXILE!” just as the Man in Black raises his sword. Kyu is struck, falling overboard as all exterior sounds disappear and Beo Jin feels the full force from his injury.

He splashes into the water. Sinking further and further, his blood stains the water.

Beo Jin can’t take it and jumps in the water, to William’s worried protests.

She finally reaches him and, grabbing his hand, starts to pull him up to the surface.

Meanwhile, the Seo Rin ship has finally come close to reaching the East India ship. The Man in Black and Lady in Red are incredibly pleased.

But, our (seemingly gilled) heroes, the divers, manage to finally break the wood of the ship significantly, as it falls apart before their eyes. On board they feel the cracking.

As they realise that the ship is going down Titanic style, the Man in Black advises the Lady in Red to abandon their precious silver to save their lives. She absolutely doesn’t want to. These are their dreams! He tries to convince her to leave, but she decides that she’d rather give up her life than abandon the silver. They grip hands, he, loyal to his master until the very end.

The divers emerge and watch as the ship sinks, celebrating, along with all of the other villagers who witness this.

On the East India ship, Yan is applauded for the idea to keep their distance; otherwise, they would have been caught up in the fighting. Yan smiles over the terrifying divers that the island is home to.

Back on shore, Beo Jin panics with the unconscious Kyu in her care, alone on the beach. She prays for him to be saved and starts administering CPR to him, her hands covered in blood. She begs with him not to die and tries to stop the bleeding.

“I haven’t yet told you that I like you.” As she bangs on his chest, he wakes up, spitting water out of his mouth and calling her a troublemaker once again. He manages to sit up and hugs her.

She, between sobs, tells him not to go anywhere without her anymore.

Oh, tears, why must you come when I am trying to write a recap?!

Sadly, this entire exchange has been seen by a heartbroken William (but, I think the bigger issue here is why he didn’t get help when he saw a dying person).

Sometime later, the villagers welcome a massive ship at their port and they ooh and aah over how HUGE it is. (Ggeut Boon sees it and decides she now wants to be a sailor.)

It seems this is the ship come to take William and Yan away. All the villagers reminisce over their times with him and say their goodbyes. Beo Seol presents him with some coffee she herself made along with a gorgeous sketch book of pictures she drew of him, and Beo Jin. She asks him not to forget Tamra.

Kyu and Yan arrive, and Phillip says his goodbye to Yan. Kyu approaches William and offers him his handshake, remembering that he taught it to him, and William turns it into another type of handshake, one he says is a greeting between good friends.

He tells Kyu that he will write about Tamra, but, no one will believe that his name is Park Kyu (remembering his little ‘Park Kyu-fuck you’ pun). Everyone seems a little confused at this.

Moving on from the misunderstood humour, he asks Kyu to take care of Beo Jin. Kyu tells him to be safe as well, as they hug. The ship sails away and all the villagers yell their final well wishes.

Sailing away, William remembers back to a final conversation with Beo Jin. He assures her that he will never forget Tamra. For him, Tamra is Beo Jin. She promises never to forget him either and says that she will miss him a lot.

“Do you remember? I said I would protect you, since we are friends. I’m sorry that I am protecting you by sending you away.” He wipes away her tears, hoping that this will be the last time she cries.

On the boat, he finally says ‘goodbye’ to Beo Jin, Tamra, and the life that once was. She watches him sail away. Oh, man. I knew it had to happen, but still, their’s was a relationship so sweet and pure that it’s like watching two children have to separate. Really, really sad.

It seems a little bit of time has passed as we see Kyu, working clothes on, doing some household tasks at Beo Jin’s.

A lot has changed for Beo Jin too, who is now working in a government job to do with the tax goods. She wows an officer with her knowledge of all of the goods. (Yes! I love the Tamra gender role reversal that continues right til now, with Beo Jin working and Kyu being domestic. Although, something tells me there is more up Kyu’s sleeve…)

On her way home, she meets Ggeut Boon and some friends, followed by Yi Bang and his guards. They inform them that they are on their way to meet the new governor (hmmm, who could it be…).

A whole group of villagers end up gathering to go and meet the governor, including Beo Jin and her mother. They are all confused as we end up at Beo Jin’s house.

Kyu, domestic goddess that he is, comes out with his work in hand, greeted with a bow from Yi Bang.

The guards usher Beo Jin up to him, closely followed by her family. They greet each other with their favourite nicknames and laugh. She approaches him, this time, on the verge of tears of happiness.

The villagers all cheer, happy to have such an amazing new governor as Beo Jin’s family quietly smiles. Kyu and Beo Jin, smile, only with eyes for each other.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

[First of all, thank you so much javabeans and girlfriday for letting me finish these recaps! And thank you everyone who has read my recaps and left me comments!

And before I start, here is an amazing review of Tamra by ockoala on thundie’s prattle, if you want an excellent read that will satisfy your Tamra hunger.]

Onwards with my comments!

Let’s be negative first. It seemed to me as if this episode had a structure a bit like a ‘to resolve’ list:

Issues with the King… check
Issues with the Lady in Red… check
Relationship with Beo Jin and William… check
Relationship with Beo Jin and Kyu… check

However, since all of that was resolved in a strong way, which wasn’t necessarily easy, somehow I don’t feel angry about it. The resolution was neat, but no so neat that it was infuriating or overly simplistic. The characters still had to struggle, feel pain and work hard to get the resolution to where it ended up. Convincing the King (while slightly oversimplified) was not necessarily an easy task; the fight before the destruction of the Seo Rin group and its leaders was both emotional and difficult; the goodbye scene with Beo Jin and William was incredibly sad; and Kyu and Beo Jin have been through enough as a couple already to justify a painless resolution. Plus he almost died this episode.

The Lady in Red finally met her downfall. I like that we got to understand how driven she was, even in her dying moments. The whole father issue was obviously not well developed but I’m cool with that. I always saw her as a fierce, evil, independent woman, and I was happy to leave her like that. With that smug smile wiped off of her face.

While Beo Jin’s family has kind of been ripped off lately, I have adored the thread running through out of her relationships with them. Mum, Dad and Beo Seol are all such sweethearts and there were so many poignant, sweet moments speckled in the drama to prove this.

I started to get sick of William quite some time ago, finding him overly selfish and having a one track mind. However, the way his relationship with Beo Jin was resolved was great; first having the final realisation that it can never be and then both of them thanking and farewelling each other. We can only hope that he returns to England and finds a lovely girl to spend the rest of his life with (I think he actually needs a woman, he’s too insubstantial without one). Here’s hoping she speaks fluent Korean, because he’d be a shocking communicator if he had to speak English.

I am so happy that our lovely Beo Jin is working doing something she is awesome at, and no longer has to feel so inferior about her diving skills. She is confident, happy and adorable in her new life, so all power to her. It is fantastic that, right at the end, we see a little of the odd Tamra gender roles, with her working hard and Kyu being domestic. His job as the governor is significant (and spot on for his character), but he’s not afraid of donning the metaphoric apron every now and again and I like that.

Tamra is the place that meant so much to both of them (a place of growth for Kyu and a true home for Beo Jin) and to them as a couple. As I said above, their relationship was rather easy this episode, but only because of how much pain they have been through because of each other in the past. For them, I wanted and needed a happy and idealistic ending, which is what I got. They love each other, are compatible and adorable, so nothing else matters in this world. I love them both as individuals but they truly do complete each other (however cheesy that sounds) and as a couple, they are perfect.

There’s no doubt the cut hurt Tamra, but let’s forget about that for now! (I am curious, however, as to how different the very last episode was for the long version?)

The acting as a whole was very strong, from the smaller characters (especially Mum) to the three main characters. Hwang Chan Bin was obviously the weakest link but he improved and he fit William to a tee. The real stars, acting wise, are of course Seo Woo and Im Joo Hwan. They are both exceptional, worked exceptionally together (their chemistry was undeniable) and will, I’m sure, have exceptional careers to look forward to. Tamra has proven their acting abilities and strengths (both are incredibly strong all round, but Seo Woo is, in particular, amazing at crying scenes).

Overall, Tamra is an amazing drama that deserved way better ratings than it had. It is beautiful (scenery and music wise Tamra is flawless) and I believe its positives are more than enough to outweigh and cancel out its minor negatives. Tamra is definitely one of my favourites. This show is a gem, and I’m sure you all will agree.

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1 Anri

November 24, 2010 at 8:35 PM

Omggg~~ thanks SO much for recapping Tamra. I started watching this wonderful drama only because of Dramabeans (somehow) and its one of my top top dramas now. So thanks for much for that too ^^. You guys are awesome~

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2 gominam

November 24, 2010 at 8:41 PM

Tamra is the best drama I've ever watched. I'm glad I gave it a chance...

I had the chance to watch the 21 episode version and it has a lot of scenes that shouldn't be cut as they were all important to the drama as a whole..

Thanks a lot for the wonderful recaps....

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duffy

November 24, 2010 at 8:58 PM

I envy you...how were you able to get the 21-episode version?

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gominam

November 24, 2010 at 9:08 PM

I watched it in viikii. It's still there.
Go to viikii. Click on the Tamra photo on the right side.
On the left, click on Snowy (she's the manager, I think)
Then, another screen comes out.
Click the videos.
Click the videos again.
go to page 6 and then you can find the 21 episodes of Tamra with other dramas.

Good luck!!!
Let me know if you get it...

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saryKIM

November 24, 2010 at 9:17 PM

ahh! you're a lifesaver!

I had been watching the full version on viikii and got up to episode 10 when the videos were removed from the channel. It was pretty devastating for me, but it never occurred to me to check the uploader's profile...

thanks!

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duffy

November 24, 2010 at 9:40 PM

Just saw it...Thanks gominam! you're an angel ü

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gominam

November 24, 2010 at 10:49 PM

when I discovered it, I really jumped because I was so happy (just like a little girl)... ke ke ke..

I bet you'll be losing some sleep soon....sorry in advance...

luraaa

November 24, 2010 at 9:50 PM

Ack! I can't seem to find it. I've been looking at Snowy's profile and she doesn't have the Tamra 21 eps anymore, but on this page of the 21-ep Tamra, it says: "These videos are being worked on
as another project dealing with the language aspect of the drama."

Am I the only one who can't find the videos? Or have they been removed already?

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gominam

November 24, 2010 at 10:40 PM

follow my instructions earlier...you'll find it there.. IT is still there..

swui

November 25, 2010 at 7:01 AM

Thank you so much for this link..I'm already watching it again..lol..only this time the 21DC...I am having fun pinpointing the missing scenes...

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kdramaniac

November 28, 2010 at 6:54 PM

Thank you!!! You have given me the opportunity to love Tamra ALL OVER again and in its full entirety the way it was meant to be seen.

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Madita

November 25, 2010 at 2:59 AM

search at viikii.net for this

-> 21 Episode Tamna the Island

is it forbidden to post viikii links here ?

Well, I will always love Tama....thank you for the recaps.

But I recommend to rewatch it with the full version of 21 Episodes. They cut away some important and very sweet scenes in the 16 Episodes version...

While with the full version, the FINAL is much more satisfying.

Thanks again to Im Ju Hwan and Seo Woo ....two adorable actors. Hope to see them one day together in a good drama again.

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3 Jenn

November 24, 2010 at 8:43 PM

First of all I would like to say thank you for all your hard work! Reading Tamra was truly a gem to me and whisk me away from reality. :) Thank you thank you thank you a million times! <3

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4 Linh

November 24, 2010 at 8:57 PM

Thank you for your recap. Even though I've watched it many many times I still enjoy your recaps very much. Team Park Kyu! Yeah!

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5 saryKIM

November 24, 2010 at 9:11 PM

Firstly, thanks sooo much for taking time to recap this! I really loved this drama, and it's pretty frustrating that MBC cut this drama. I could definitely see in the last couple episodes that the flow was not as smooth. I wish I could watch the full version (too poor to buy the director's cut DVD set)

I will forever be in love with Park Kyu <3

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gominam

November 24, 2010 at 10:44 PM

check my posts above. you can watch it on vikkii

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6 a-a-a

November 24, 2010 at 9:22 PM

Team Park Kyuuu!! Seriously Tamra definitely is a GEM... I was really unhappy with the undeserved cut.. but anyways Thank you so so so much for the wonderful recaps. I will forever adore the underwater as well as the night time scenes of this show, they were amazing! And the bad ass divers going to attack the ship of Seo Rin with the super cool lanterns is one of my favorite scenes... Well thank you again for refreshing my memory of this wonderful drama! :)

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7 haruko

November 24, 2010 at 9:31 PM

The 21-episode version is amazing! I saw it and recommended it :)

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8 aigoo

November 24, 2010 at 9:40 PM

Nattacatta, thank you..thank you.. thank you for completing the recap. I am so so glad I discovered this drama after reading the recap on drama beans and thundie's. If not I would have missed out on this fun drama.

I am reading this final recap with a mixed sense of happiness and sadness.. sad that it has finally ended. And so happy for Park Kyu, Boe Jin and the people of Tamra.
What can I say.. lets flash the 5 million mega watt smile.. altogether now..!!

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9 danna

November 24, 2010 at 9:55 PM

thank you so much nattacatta!!

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10 rhea

November 24, 2010 at 10:18 PM

Thanks for the lovely recaps!

Because of you, I am watching this gem of a drama. And also, I've become a fan of both Seo Woo and Im Ju Hwan. So happy knowing that both of them are doing very well these days, with Flames of Ambition and What's Up.

Thanks much!

Tamra rocks!!!

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11 LeMonS

November 24, 2010 at 10:24 PM

I didn't start watching the show until your 4th or 5th recap. Your fault! Then I watched the whole thing in 2-3 days (oh, I was bad!). I really loved it. Kyu was a fantastic character. A korean Mr Darcy, if you will. Beojin was so much fun. Frustrating when she was weak, but really fantastic when she was strong willed and realized her strengths.

I know that this is one of those shows that I will watch again, in say 2-3 months.

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gominam

November 24, 2010 at 10:47 PM

yap, that happened to me, too. But I don't regret it because it's the best drama I had watched so far...

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LeMonS

November 25, 2010 at 8:05 AM

Oh, I forgot to say thanks...Thank you for introducing me to Tamra, which I really did LOVE.

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12 momosan

November 24, 2010 at 10:31 PM

TEAM PARK KYU!!!!

I'll double the sentiment. If at all possible, watch the 21 episode version. I'd loan my set out for a DB round robin, but it's gone AWOL in the UPS at the moment.....

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13 w

November 24, 2010 at 10:53 PM

thank u for the recaps!!!

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14 xiaoSxin

November 24, 2010 at 10:58 PM

Last episode!! Thank you nattacatta for sharing and recapping this wonderful drama to everybody here at dramabeans.

I am fortunate that I own a copy of the 21 episode DC version so my Tamra journey does not end here. The BTS of the DC version is almost like 2-3 hours and it was fun to see all the actors on set, with interviews and NG's!!

TEAM PARK KYU always! I'll forever be a fan of Im Joo Hwan. I cannot wait for his next drama, What's Up.

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15 Kerstin

November 24, 2010 at 11:04 PM

Team Park Kyu!!!! I loved Tamra but the directors cut (21 Episodes) version is much much better than the 16 Episode version. But thanks for continuing the recaps on this gem!!!

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16 Quinze

November 24, 2010 at 11:07 PM

Amazing recaps!
I wasn't very interested in this drama but I read your recap around episode 10 and just HAD to watch this.
Best. decision. ever.
Loved the music and the the visuals were gorgeous and the acting so so moving.
Thank You!

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17 swui

November 24, 2010 at 11:16 PM

I think it's a great drama and I am one of the people who gave it a try when you started recapping again...So mighty thanks for such an underated gem...

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18 keunsukfan

November 24, 2010 at 11:31 PM

thank you for recapping this!

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19 zaknaf27

November 24, 2010 at 11:57 PM

I decided to watch this on a whim and totally loved it!!!

Does anyone know if the Director's Cut subtitles are any good? I'm debating buying the dvd's as an X-mas present to myself.

Thanks so much for continuing to recap this gem. I needed something to fill in the time between Secret Garden, but I found it so captivating, I finished it in several days!

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eljay

November 25, 2010 at 12:55 AM

If you mean the DC from YA Entertainment's, then yes they are good. I gifted it to myself, albeit not for Christmas!

I immediately did a marathon watch of the show and special features in 2.5 days. Truly a wonderful drama and one of my favorites.

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20 aberdeen_angus

November 25, 2010 at 1:58 AM

Hey, nattacatta, thank you so much for these recaps! It wasn't until not so much ago when I decided to watch this, but I went directly for the DC. I fell in love with Tamra! :)

By the way, I've seen that lady in red's ending here is just on the boat sinking, right? I remember that Yan rescued her and the guy... Maybe that's one of the missing scenes ^^

Anyway, thanks again!

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21 kitkatx

November 25, 2010 at 2:35 AM

i havent watched it yet, but lord, the screencaps are gorgeous.

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22 anon

November 25, 2010 at 2:39 AM

Thank you for recapping! I wish there was an ending kiss.

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23 124y

November 25, 2010 at 3:17 AM

AGREE 100%. this drama is a rare gem. its hard to find a drama like this.

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24 kitkatx

November 25, 2010 at 4:18 AM

Does anyone know why the show didn't do well? Like... the time slot was bad or something? Or it really just didn't click?

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hermes173

November 25, 2010 at 5:53 AM

There could be several contributing factors like the fact that it's really difficult to classify this show. The nearest category that it could be slotted into would be fusion sageuk but it's got a slightly cartoonish feel to it (especially in the first few epis - probably due to its manhwa origins).

And the first 10 minutes of the show was an absolute horror. I believe that the 10min was critical and put many people off the show. I myself deleted the whole series from my hard disk last year, after suffering through the first 5 minutes. I remembered thinking to myself that I could do better than that school...lol

Then this year, fortunately the recaps were resumed on Dramabeans. I was intrigued after that and googled it, leading me to Thundie's ode to the show. The rest is, as they say, history. (Must say that I had a hard time finding copies of the show after that.)

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25 giddygirl108

November 25, 2010 at 5:33 AM

Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to recap this drama! I always looked forward to it every week and was never disappointed with your insightful opinions and perspectives on the drama :) Here's hoping you do more recaps in the future!

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26 Nhu

November 25, 2010 at 7:24 AM

Well, had that cut not existed, I think the flow of the episode would have been much less "checklist of resolutions". But the IDEA behind each resolution was still good, so in general I didn't much mind.

Gah, is there any way to get hands on the 20-eps version?!

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27 wormsoup

November 25, 2010 at 8:11 AM

Nattacatta,

A great big thank-you to you for picking up where the recaps had stopped. If not for your recaps, i wouldn't have been inspired to find out more about the drama and go on to marathon it in 2 days. And then to marathon the 21-episode version again in the following week.

truly a gem, tamra is. :)

ps: i watched the latter episodes of the 21-epi version on viikii and there wasn't much difference for the finale episode actually. however, several sweet scenes between our favourite couple were cut in the episodes leading to the finale, including others essential to one's understanding of the plot... :(

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28 ar

November 25, 2010 at 8:45 AM

thank you for faithfully recapping this series! now that i know Beo Jin gets with Park Kyu (i'm probably one of the few who seriously thought she would get with William ) and that she gets a job that she's good at by the end of the series, I'm going to watch it!

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29 Bluefyre

November 25, 2010 at 9:51 AM

Waaah...it's over! Hehe. I'm still in Ep. 5 on Dramafever though. I just had to watch this after watching Dong Yi.

1. To lessen my angst/tension levels
2. Your recaps

I'm so glad Beo Jin gets with Kyu! I was like... O_O when she was with William. Haha. Not that I'm against it...she's just more..err...I dunno. She's just better with Exile. Haha!

Thanks for all you guys' hard work! Looking forward to finishing this ^^

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30 lessaofpern

November 25, 2010 at 10:56 AM

Thank you very much for the wonderful recaps :D This is one of my all time favorite dramas :D * HUGS*

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31 pei ha

November 25, 2010 at 11:03 AM

Finally - now I can pig out on the turkey and kimbop!

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32 :)

November 25, 2010 at 2:29 PM

Thank You Thank You!! You are awesome! I can speak on behalf of all Tamra the Island loving New Zealanders :) Thank you heaps!

Is it true though that in the 21 ep version, Kyu and Beo Jin get married? Apparently in that one, everything's tied up a lot neater (e.g. Seo Rin doesn't actually die blah blah, Kyu and Beo Jin actually get married instead of that ambiguous ending)

I know the endin gmeant that they were together, but even now I wish there was more to tell us if they were actually together, married?! haha :)

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33 thunderbolt

November 25, 2010 at 4:32 PM

Congrats, nattacatta! So proud of you, woot!!

Tamra was a joy from start to end. Team Park Kyu forever!!

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34 hermes173

November 25, 2010 at 5:16 PM

This joy was an unexpected gem of a find, as was Park Kyu.

Thanks nattacatta, for taking on the task of recapping Tamra.

One of the elements that was missing from the 16-epi version which I thought hurt the show was the interaction between Park Kyu and his subordinate at the Investigative Department (don't know the proper name for the place where he worked in after he returned to Han Yang).

In the 16-epi version, their scenes were cut to the bone; I could only make out the gist that the subordinate was a slacker who aggravated Park Kyu slightly.

But in the full version, I found their relationship hilarious. The subordinate might be a slacker but he was streetwise and used his wiles and cunning to push the boundaries with his notoriously prim and proper boss. Like how he told Park Kyu to his face that the word was that Park Kyu was an insufferably arrogant young punk. He went on to soften the blow that given Park Kyu's intelligence and abilities, he had the right to be so. Park Kyu then looked at him and asked if he was criticising or praising him. Hehe.

But as the show went on, we see the subordinate being won over by Park Kyu's dedication to his job and his principles. He might whine about being overworked but he was firmly on Park Kyu's side.

About from the humour in their relationship, what I love about their scenes is that they also demonstrate how far Park Kyu had come along.

Remember in the first scene when Park Kyu reached Tamra? How he tried ordering the two dumb guards around? Then when the guards suggested, in the midst of escorting him to the police station, stopping to partake the ritual feast, he told them off for slacking during office hours. (Definitely not the way to earn a popularity award.)

Contrast this to how he treated later subordinate with exasperation but restraint. Yeah, boy had definitely matured and learned how to get along with others on the lovely island of Tamra.

Finally, I must say that it is sad that the recaps have ended. But I'll comfort myself by watching it for the nth time.

TEAM PARK KYU!!!

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35 Ladymoonstone143

November 25, 2010 at 7:52 PM

Thank you thank you...I really enjoyed this drama because of your recaps. I am so glad I found a drama that is great and a gem.

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36 cassie

November 25, 2010 at 9:01 PM

Thanks for recapping this series! I have watched the short and the longer version of this drama but I still love reading the recaps (brings back good memories) this drama made me fall in love with all the actors, especial seo woo and Im Joo Hwan. To be honest I was skeptical about this drama but Im glad that I watched it, the scenery was amazing, the music went well with it, and between the lead characters there was good chemistry between them; even without words you could feel Park Kyu's love and angst in this. I love this drama to bits !
TEAM PARK KYU !

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37 eimitri

November 25, 2010 at 9:26 PM

Thanks nattacatta, for recapping this lovely gem. I have watched the edited version and the DC. After watching the DC, Tamra has made it to one of my all time favorite dramas. Everyone was wonderful in it. I love the Tamra villagers and Beojin's mom is a wonderful wonderful character. Tamra definitely deserves more love and I hope that these recaps would convince more people to out this wonderful drama. Again, thanks so much for your recaps!

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38 Jennfer

November 26, 2010 at 10:27 AM

Thank you so much for recapping this wonderful show. I always do my best to get people to give it a chance because it's just such a lovely show with some really wonderful character.

Team Park Kyu!

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39

November 26, 2010 at 5:44 PM

Tamra is definitely one of my favorites. This show is a gem! Truly! I must have watch this drama 10 times in a row. lol My husband was furious at me but I didn't care less. hahahah I love Im Joo Hwan and Seo Woo. They are such amazing actors. I'm always looking forward with their upcoming dramas.

Thank you so much for the recap. The full eps are way awesome too.

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40 autumnscribbles

November 26, 2010 at 8:51 PM

thank you for allowing me to re-live the wonderfulness that was tamra the island, definitely one of last year's most under-rated drama.

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41 kdramaniac

November 28, 2010 at 6:50 PM

I am now going thru the long version. The scenes that were cut out help make sense of the story I'd seen in the short version.

I wish that Im Joo Hwan was playing the robot in the Korean remake of Zettai Kareshi (Absolute Boyfriend) and Seo Woo was the main female lead. Their chemistry is truly screen worthy and deserves another film opportunity to bring another love story to life. I'll keep wishing.

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42 mabaydar

November 29, 2010 at 2:18 AM

Yeah.. This drama is really under rated. I wish this drama to be more famous. and the cut hurt too. I fall in love with Im Joo Hwan in this drama. Looking forward to watch more of his drama now. OST of Tamra are the best. I love them and downloaded them. Thanks for reviewing and letting the world know such a good drama. Bcoz of your review, I started to interested in this drama and watched it. Thank you..... I will recommend to everyone.... IM JO HWAN .. Hwaiting.....!!

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43 Maria

December 2, 2010 at 1:03 AM

Thanks. This drama is very interesting and different than any other drama. Seo Woo is a very talented actress, I love watching her! I love her in Cinderella's Sister as well.

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44 nute

December 7, 2010 at 12:54 PM

thank you for recap!!
just one thing..that crazy old man is not former government official, but is actually a former king of Chosun who was kicked out by the current king..
oh i just love Tamra. I guess I'll watch it again, for 9th time or something..

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45 swui

December 8, 2010 at 2:09 AM

em yes I'm back for another round of comments after finishing the 21 DC on Viki.

I must say I'm amazed at how much that was cut....I misunderstood a lot of the plot...and some characters had hardly any screentime especially PK's dad, the Crown Prince, Pk's sidekick, Yan's and Lady Seorin's background...such a pity. And the plot made much more sense....and BJ's change of heart made more sense too...

even though I'm watching for the 3rd time, the DC version didn't feel all that familiar at all cos there were really LOTS of missing scenes...

I recommend the 21 DC version for those who haven
t watch too...

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46 iamnobody

January 3, 2011 at 10:48 PM

seriously this is one of my favourite dramas as im not really that crazy into korean dramas.im glad that i have the chance to come to know that tamra the island is different when compared to other dramas.the plot although is confusing me at times but it sounds reasonable and logical,doesnt it?

im now officially announce that im one of team park kyu members!!awh he is so hot and apparently he is the ideal man that every woman dying for(er only for certain women if u dont agree with me)

seu woo...wow she is incredible!!!i notice that she did cry a lot in the drama but her acting skills are natural.
i was stunned when she cried to her mother in earlier episodes.that made me wanna cry as well =p

the chances for ju hwan and seu woo to firm another dramas are pretty slim but i will anticipate it however.

by the way i also learn to sing along the song when the divers were collecting clams..quite funny huh???

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47 Peachy

January 19, 2011 at 7:07 AM

I adore this drama! I'm so happy that u finished the whole recap. Truly is a gem :) I watched the 21 eps when it just came out on viki.com. I was also stalking it 3x a week. lol Thanks to ur recaps and the 21 eps, everything is much clearer now.

SPOILER ALERT IN 21 EPS

Ending showed a clip of Lady in red in Yan's ship and Exile/Troublemaker's amine wedding. Yay!

I love Im Joo Hwan and Seo Woo. Their chemistry is perfect and both are really great actors.

I adorrrreeeee this site! Yippeeeee to Dramabeans!!!!!!

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48 Kyute

January 21, 2011 at 12:18 AM

Funny that the poster gave me the wrong impression of the drama. I thought it's one of those idol dramas whose storyline did not make any sense... but Tamra proved me all wrong... all the characters starting from the smallest to the main lead are all superb actors! And the OSTs, man are the BEST...it fits the story and the setting! Awesome! Perfect drama! I don't know what Koreans were thinking for not watching this drama. It's truly underrated. However, I would highly recommend that you watch all * 21 * episodes no less! I saw it at HULU.com. Check out Ep 19 where Park Kyu and Beo jin had a sweet romantic moment and also there's one episode where our cute Beojin got a piggyback from our handsome noble... aaaaahhh... so romantic! With the 21 eps, the storyline was really flawless... it made a lot of sense even what happened to the Witch (she did not drown by the way) ooops spoiler! Maybe they're thinking of a Part 2? I hope so, maybe we'll see the wedding of the century in beautiful Tamra Island? Wishful thinking....

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49 Kyute

January 21, 2011 at 12:24 AM

Oooops! I missed to say the most important thing about this drama... those beautiful LADY DIVERS, the super heroes of beautiful Tamra Island -- THEY ROCK!!!