Rooftop Prince: Episode 20 (Final)

517 May 24, 2012January 24, 2016

by javabeans

Well, wouldn’tcha know: Here’s a surprisingly satisfying ending for a series that was in danger of losing its way on multiple occasions. We finally get at the truth of the big Joseon mystery, and I was pleasantly surprised with how well it worked with the plot we’ve seen thus far, and the characterizations of our characters (in both time zones).

I’ve always wanted to go back to the Joseon times more, and missed the story that got left hanging after the first episode, so I was reminded of how I felt when beginning the show. It makes me think that it was a shame the show didn’t capitalize on the past storyline more, though I can see that the whole point was in making the future the key to the past.

In any case, if a flagging drama had to pull out one really strong episode amid a bunch of middling ones, the finale sure is the place to do it. It seems viewers agreed, since the finale pulled Rooftop Prince into first place after giving up that slot to Equator Man for weeks; it went out with a 14.8%, while Equator closed with a 14.1%. The King 2 Hearts ended on an 11.8% rating.

SONG OF THE DAY

Fanny Fink – “Hear Song” [ Download ]

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FINAL EPISODE RECAP

Yi Gak disappears from the modern world, leaving Park-ha crying on her lonely rooftop. As for the other side of the wormhole? We find Yi Gak reappearing in his own era, still dressed in his wedding suit, sitting in a barn.

It’s a strange sight for the locals, and he attracts stares as they pass by the marketplace. Then a team of policemen barrel through the crowd right for him, yelling, “Stop! Capture him!” Who, me? turns into OhcrapRUN!

As he flees, he literally runs right into Chi-san, who’s also running, still dressed in the same shorts and flip-flops he was in when he disappeared from the 21st century. Wait, have you been running for two whole days? Or does the wormhole dump all travelers into the same time, despite staggered departures?

Lucky for them, these are incompetent officers who lose him in plain sight. Though I suppose since they’re Prince Yi Gak’s line of defense, maybe not so lucky after all.

The boys briefly split up in the chase, and when Yi Gak finds Chi-san, he’s unconscious in the street with blood smeared on his face. He moans in pain… and then licks the blood away—ketchup, his favorite trick—and asks, “They’re gone, right?” HA, and now it makes sense why Chi-san was eating a hamburger in the car when he vanished, because now he clutches a small foil ketchup packet. Handy, that.

They’re safe from the authorities, but now the problem is how to get back to the palace without being immediately cast away as crazies. Thankfully, Yi Gak spies something in the distance: two ordinary-looking Joseon men, drinking from beer cans. Haha.

Looks like Man-bo and Yong-sool’s ever-present backpacks saved their hides after all. They didn’t leap with Joseon money, but they were able to trade a pack of gum for a full meal; a little modern marvel goes a long way.

Thirsty Yi Gak reaches for a drink, but the can is empty and Yong-sool reminds him (a little defensively, heh) that they were responsible for their own belongings. (As in, If you wanted one, you should’ve packed one.) Fortunately, Man-bo thought to pack the prince’s royal garb, which eliminates their biggest concern.

Elsewhere, Minister Hong—Bu-yong and Hwa-yong’s father—is informed of the prince’s shocking reappearance at the palace, which he does not take as good news. If Dad’s reaction weren’t enough to tip us off that he’s secretly aligned against the prince, how about the fact that his partner (dun dun dun!) has Tae-mu’s face? (Apparently his name is Muchang-gun, but no need to introduce new names at this point, is there? Joseon Tae-mu it is.)

Minister Hong angrily tells Joseon Tae-mu that the prince was reportedly taken care of last night when he was chased through the forest. Ahh, so the boys have returned just one day after their initial time-leap, and Joseon Tae-mu did try to assassinate him. Heh, so his incompetence as a murderer spans time and space; good to know some things are consistent.

Lord Tae-mu gets up, takes his sword out, and slices down the two henchmen stationed outside: “It appears that the assassins made a mistake last night.”

The ducklings return to the palace to meet the prince after having some time to go home, see their families, and dress in their old clothing. They’re puzzled at the inconsistency of the time lapse as well, which resulted in one sisterly, “Ew, gross, get away,” when Man-bo gave his sister a bear hug in relief, since she’d just seen him the day before.

They wonder if it could have been a dream, and at Man-bo’s modern reply of, “No way, that’s crazy,” Yi Gak reminds them all to remember their Joseon mannerisms. Ha, now they’re fish out of water in their own time zones. Talk about monster jet lag.

Now that everyone’s back in their rightful places, it’s time to turn their attention to that mystery. The prince orders his team to set up a special division at the Euigeumbu (the Joseon department investigating crimes under the king’s decree), and to summon the princess’s family there.

Bu-yong’s mother can’t understand the summons, and she’s still grieving for her daughter. But Minister Hong understands the greater politics at play and declares that it’ll all be over soon: “Either I will die, or the Crown Prince will.”

Thus they are rounded up and brought before Yi Gak, who asks if they understand why they’re here and where Bu-yong is. Minister Hong claims complete innocence regarding Hwa-yong’s death, and his wife explains that Bu-yong is shut in her room, suffering from a contagious disease.

But Yi Gak isn’t here to find out answers, but to reveal them. He begins with the death seven days ago:

In flashback, we see Bu-yong looking wistfully at the prince, hidden around a corner as he walks through the courtyard. She trips and falls, dropping a cosmetics container with powder, which spills to the ground.

Yi Gak comes up behind her as she’s crouched on the ground and has a little fun teasing her. He offers his hand, tsk-tsks about her tripping yet again, and asks about the dropped container. Bu-yong identifies it as face powder sent to the princess by their older brother.

Yi Gak is delighted to hear that she hasn’t been able to figure out his puzzle—what dies though it lives, and lives though it dies?—and says that if she doesn’t produce the answer by tomorrow, he wins.

Bu-yong visits unni Hwa-yong in the palace and makes her deliveries: the powder from their brother, and a letter from their father. Bu-yong notes that the powder smells a little different, wondering if it’s because it’s from China, and asks to take a look. But Hwa-yong—who opened the letter looking disturbed—snaps at her not to touch it, rattled by whatever Daddy wrote her. To kill the prince, perhaps?

There’s one last thing, and Bu-yong hands over a new handkerchief she has embroidered for the prince. But Hwa-yong is so upset by the letter that she barks at Bu-yong to leave.

Bu-yong arrives home while Joseon Tae-mu is sitting with her father, and the two men clam up at the sight of her. Curious at their unfamiliar guest, Bu-yong asks her mother about him, and learns that he is Muchang-gun, the prince’s half-brother. He’s such an obscure prince that Bu-yong has never heard of him, but that’s because he was kicked out of the palace when he was three, when his mother was dethroned.

Bu-yong starts to wonder at the curious circumstances, especially when her mother dismisses her questions and says vaguely that it’s Dad’s business. The clues are too odd to ignore, and she muses that the powder didn’t smell like cosmetics. She remembers her father’s letter, which she was instructed to bring back after the princess had read, which she forgot to convey back to Dad.

Bu-yong takes it out and reads the ominous contents: “Your Highness, today is the day. Listen to your father’s words carefully, you must not make a mistake.”

Bu-yong understands that a plot is under way, just as Minister Hong remembers that he was supposed to get the letter from her. He sends his underling (brother? son?) to retrieve it, which is found in Bu-yong’s room, open and clearly read.

She’s gone, though, having raced away to the palace, desperate to interrupt the deadly plot. Joseon Tae-mu can’t have that and orders his men to capture her, killing her if necessary. His coup is on the line.

As Bu-yong runs, we hear the rest of the letter’s contents: That Hwa-yong is to handle the dried persimmons at their nightly tea, distracting the prince long enough to sprinkle the powder on top.

So Hwa-yong presents the prince with his new handkerchief, and while he admires it, she poisons the persimmon and serves him tea. He comments that he met her sister today, and that he saw her tripping and spilling that face powder. The longer he talks, the more nervous Hwa-yong gets, shaking in guilt and fear.

Just as he reaches for the persimmon, Bu-yong is announced. She has to explain her presence somehow, and Hwa-yong rebukes her for ignoring the rules, telling her to come back tomorrow. Both sisters distractedly eye the persimmons—one needs the prince to eat it, the other is relieved they’re yet untouched.

Yi Gak is in a generous mood, though, so he allows her to stay and asks what she has to say. Bu-yong replies that she has solved the puzzle, making him chuckle. He’d told her she had until tomorrow, so this is her way of winning the bet (he assumes).

She says, “The answer is… Bu-yong (lotus).” Hwa-yong smirks at the audacity of naming herself, but the prince asks for the explanation. Bu-yong explains how the lotus is a flower that grows in a pond, whose roots go deep below into the ground, where all living things die. In order to flower, the lotus takes in that which has died; even though it lives, the flower must die for its seeds to again fall to the ground to bring new life. Furthermore, in Buddhism the samsara is a concept of the birth-life-death cycle, which is represented by the lotus.

Yi Gak laughs at that, impressed, and concedes that he lost again. By now Hwa-yong is edgy and impatient, and dismisses her sister. But Bu-yong can’t just go, and asks for her reward: the persimmon.

Aww, that’s so sad. And a helluva lot more poignant a sacrifice than running in front of a car, because while the situations are paralleled, the actual mechanism of the conflict works much better in this intrigue-laden Joseon era, with treason and coups and betrayals galore. (She can’t reveal the truth without condemning her entire family to ruination and execution, so she’ll just eat the poison and save the prince.)

Hwa-yong looks troubled while the prince finds the request paltry, but Bu-yong entreats him to comply, saying that this is what she needs right now. With trembling hands, she takes them and eats, every last one. And Hwa-yong doesn’t say a thing.

When she’s done, the prince calls it a night, and Bu-yong asks him to live in peace. Hwa-yong hangs her head, blinking back her own tears. When Bu-yong leaves, she’s already feeling the effects and stumbles weakly. She asks the court lady that if the princess should look for her later, to meet her at the Lotus Pavilion.

Then, with difficulty, she staggers out to wait by the pond, breathing painfully, remembering all her times with the prince.

After the prince goes to sleep, Hwa-yong slips away with two court ladies, heading to the pavilion. She leaves them outside the building, then faces her dying sister inside. I’m going to give Hwa-yong a wee bit of credit in thinking that she is rightfully horrified that her sister is dying, even if her first words are to blame Bu-yong for “ruining everything.” But it’s very wee.

Hwa-yong points out that Bu-yong’s big sacrifice isn’t going to fix much, since once she’s dead it’ll be easily discovered that she was poisoned, and their whole family will be killed if it is linked to an attempt on the prince’s life. But Bu-yong pleads with her sister for one last request, to protect the prince.

To that end, she has a plan: Dress Bu-yong in the princess’s clothes and pass off her corpse for Hwa-yong’s. If her body is believed to be the princess’s, it’ll deflect the suspicion away from an assassination attempt on the prince (whereas, nobody has cause to murder a nobody like Bu-yong, so if her body were discovered, the inquest would continue). This means Hwa-yong will have to give up her identity as the princess, but it would spare the family’s life. Furthermore, without his connection to the princess, their father loses his position of power and therefore he can no longer be a threat to the prince, and therefore the coup against Yi Gak will stall.

Time is running out, and Bu-yong gasps in pain that they must hurry. The women trade clothing.

Outside, however, Joseon Tae-mu is on the prowl, dressed in dark assassin’s clothing. He spies the court ladies and approaches the Lotus Pavilion, and cuts them down—finally, a successful murder! Yay?

Hwa-yong, dressed in Bu-yong’s clothes and face mask, emerges from the pavilion alone and runs to her father’s house. Bu-yong, meanwhile, starts to cough up blood. She clutches a letter in one hand and rises with difficulty to hide it behind a screen.

Outside, she looks into the water for long moments, shaking in pain and fear as she prepares herself. Murmuring, “Your Highness,” Bu-yong closes her eyes and falls into the water to her death.

End of flashback. In the “present” day Joseon timeline, Yi Gak finishes relating this story to the Hong family with angry condemnation.

Minister Hong insists that it was the princess who died, and it seems like the parents really are surprised. Yi Gak challenges them, asking if they can be absolutely sure that the sickly daughter at home is Bu-yong. He orders his ducklings to search the household for Bu-yong, and accompanies his team of special investigators to scour the property.

She is discovered hiding, and Yi Gak reaches to uncover her face, just as they hear the approach of attackers. It’s Joseon Tae-mu and his team of rebels, leading to a skirmish in the courtyard. He seizes his bow and arrow and shoots at Yi Gak… getting him square in the chest. Oh noes!

Yong-sool corners Joseon Tae-mu, though, stopping him in his tracks with a sword to the throat. And curiously, Yi Gak doesn’t seem to be in pain as he pulls the arrow from his chest. Aw, did his marriage pendant save his life?

Now he turns back to Hwa-yong, ordering her to raise her head to face him. He pulls the mask from her face, and sees his wife. That confirms everything, and he looks at her with furious contempt. Hwa-yong grabs his legs and begs for mercy, crying that she knows nothing, pleading for her life. Yi Gak thunders, “How is it that a wicked thing like you could be the princess?! It is not me to whom you should beg for your life—you should beg it from Bu-yong!”

He orders everyone rounded up and taken to the Euigeumbu to be charged as traitors. His men rush to his side, and he reveals the pendant Park-ha gave him, now dented from the arrow. He tells them, “Park-ha saved my life once more. Dummy.”

Hour of judgment. Yi Gak charges Minister Hong for the attempt on his life, and orders father and son executed by beheading. He charges his half-brother, whom he’d thought of favorably despite their long estrangement, with the same crime and punishment. In memory of Bu-yong’s sacrifice, he spares Hwa-yong and her mother, but strips the princess of her crown and sends them into exile.

Some time later, Yi Gak walks along that bridge alone now, thinking of Park-ha. He makes his way into the Lotus Pavilion, his gaze settling on the screen against the wall. The painted butterfly glows briefly, bringing him closer, and that leads him to a discovery: the letter Bu-yong had slipped between the panels.

He rips the letter out of hiding and reads the words she’d written in her dying moments.

“Your Highness, if you are reading this letter it means you are alive, and that makes me, Bu-yong, happy. There is one thing that is good about dying. I am glad that I can now say the words I have long held in my heart. I loved you, Your Highness. I cared for you my entire life. That which lives despite dying, and dies though living—even hundreds of years later, I will love you.”

Yi Gak sheds tears, and then has an idea, scrambling to write a letter of his own, which starts, “Park-ha-ya, I arrived safely. How are you?” He rolls up the paper and slips it into a tube, then tucks that into the palace hiding place he’d once shown her, where he retrieved her jade wedding pendant.

Back to the present, where Park-ha returns to the palace. She finds the hiding spot and feels around, hoping for something. She does, and opens the tube with anticipation, finding the old, yellowed parchment.

The letter continues:

“If you are able to read this letter, three hundred years will have passed. And if this letter finds its ways into your hands, I take back my words calling you Dummy. Is your fruit juice business going well? I can only imagine how you are doing, unable to touch you. I miss you like crazy. I want to hear your voice, and touch you. If I could die and meet you, I would die right now.”

And then, a familiar face arrives to order an apple juice. She’s in such a daze that he has to call to her twice, and then she doesn’t even spare him a glance. It’s Tae-yong, or is it Yi Gak?, and he smiles pleasantly at her.

The letter goes on to say, “I should have said I love you more. Park-ha-ya, I love you. I miss your smiling face like crazy. You must be well.”

The customer pays and keeps looking at Park-ha expectantly, like he wants her to look at him. But she barely notices, and he leaves.

Back to Joseon, where our ducklings… have set up a food stand of their own, selling—what else?—omurice. They even make their own fresh ketchup, bickering like old friends, and Chi-san even plugs in his iPod to ignore Man-bo’s nagging. Ha. What’re you gonna do when those batteries die, huh?

The boys make their delivery to the prince, and then poof, instead of their Joseon hanboks they’re wearing those comfy newfangled tracksuits, so they can eat their omurice in comfort. HAHA. Okay, that’s pretty cute.

They wolf down their food like old times, but as he finishes, Yi Gak finds himself on the verge of tears and sad thoughts. He makes an excuse, but the boys know what troubles him, and offer him a park-ha peppermint as dessert. And today, Yong-sool gets the evil eye for crunching into his, hee.

2012. Park-ha arrives at work to find a postcard of the Seoul Tower stuck into her front door, with a note asking her to meet there tonight.

On the flipside is a new sketch of her, depicting her at her juice blender, with Tae-yong’s familiar initials in the corner. And THAT gets her attention, finally.

She arrives at the meeting point and waits for a while, masses of tourists passing by in a blur. When the crowd disperses, one person is left standing by her side, looking at her with an expectant gaze.

It’s Tae-yong (or is it?), and he asks, “Why are you so late? I’ve been waiting for a long time.” Park-ha asks where he’s been, because “I was here the whole time.”

He’s looking at her like he knows her, but it’s not entirely clear which incarnation this is. My brain says Tae-yong, but the heart hopes for Yi Gak…

Tae-yong holds out his hand to her, and she takes it. The moment she does, suddenly the man transforms right before her eyes, wearing prince’s robes.

They look at each other with tears running down their faces, both thinking to themselves, “Even after three hundred years pass, I will love you.”

COMMENTS

I was holding out hope till the very last moment that Yi Gak had found a way back to Park-ha somehow, even if that would have flouted all narrative logic. (Hey, it’s not like the show has a lot of that left to lose.) But no, it’s Tae-yong standing there at the end, as the couple’s last words remind tell us that we’re looking at the three-hundred-years-later version, not the original.

And even though I balk at the idea of swapping out one Yoochun for another, reincarnated soul be damned, the show does manage to soften the blow by giving us the image of Yi Gak at the end to assure us that yes, he is the same person. (Kind of.) As in, this isn’t a cheap copy that we’re left to settle for, but as close a thing to the real deal as you can wrap your head around.

I confess to not being entirely sold on the reincarnated soul making up for the loss, but I appreciate the last scene’s depiction of the reunion—it isn’t the same pairing that we’ve been watching all series long, but because Park-ha sees Tae-yong dressed as Yi Gak (in her mind, it seems to be saying), it’s like their souls recognize each other. The material world and their current bodily trappings change from lifetime to lifetime, but the essence of their love is still there, and that recognition sweeps through them both.

It’s not a perfect happily ever after, but I’m strangely okay with it. Possibly because this show isn’t one that sticks with me emotionally in the first place so its flaws don’t upset me terribly either. I suspect that if the show had gone out on Tae-yong and Park-ha together, I would have been unhappy, but the swap to show Yi Gak standing there, reinforcing that it’s supposed to be the same soul, does go a long way toward getting me to accept it.

I do feel like Yi Gak sure got stuck with the short end of the stick, in that he loses both Bu-yong and Park-ha and has to live the rest of his life single. He’s got his sidekicks there, which helps, but he doesn’t get a consolation romance like Park-ha. I guess she’s the one who has to live knowing that Yi Gak is already dead, but somehow I think it’s worse to be him, either pining or grieving or in an existential state of “Well, I guess it all works out in the end, even if it’s not MY end.”

On the other hand, his Joseon storyline was always about bringing justice for the murder, not recovering a lost love. He starts out the drama grieving for his wife, and he never harbored illusions of being able to jump back in time to bring her back to life. So in that regard, he succeeds in what he set out to do: uncover the murderer, realize the truth, and punish the wrongdoers. If he hadn’t time-warped in the first place, he would still have had to deal with the grief of losing a loved one; at least in this case he knows he loved the right one?

I was satisfied with the wrap-up of the Joseon mystery in the final episode, and found Bu-yong’s sacrifice pretty heartbreaking. I understood it and felt for it, even though the very same action in 2012 had me scoffing and rolling my eyes. Her act had more emotional impact, and I felt the bittersweetness of Yi Gak’s discovery of what she’d done.

The finale also made me think that the seeds were planted well enough in advance to convince me that the writer DID know what he was doing. He clearly had the important beats worked out from the start, and the neatness of the resolution proves that this there was a decent amount of forethought given to the plot. The problem this drama had is the opposite of a lot of other live-shoot dramas, where you can sense the story unraveling at the seams and writers throwing whatever they can at the show to keep it going. Here, it feels like the show knew how it was going to end, but didn’t do a good job budgeting its plot in the middle portion and ended up whipping up whatever stories it could to keep the show treading water till it could dovetail with the planned part.

I do wish the plot mechanisms were more explained, though, since I’m still left wondering at the reason for the time-jump in the first place. We get a vague understanding that there’s a Fate-like power deciding when to move them forward and backward, and I think we’re safe in assuming that this Fate allowed Tae-yong to wake up after Yi Gak left his world. But it never quite addresses the Why of it all. Do random other people throughout history also get to visit their future selves, when something goes awry in their own worlds?

All in all, Rooftop Prince was a fluffy drama that I could watch easily without thinking too hard, especially when the show brought on the cute characters, fish-out-of-water jokes, hilarious sight gags and puns, and the sweet chemistry between Yoochun and Han Ji-min. It definitely is a show where the charm of the cast makes up for a lot.

Ultimately there wasn’t a whole lotta plot, which means that half the show was spent stretching out the same beats and repeating them with slight (but insufficient) variations on the same theme. Here’s a case of a show that should’ve been ten episodes at most, having to scrounge up stuff to fill twenty.

At least we had amusing interactions, with beautiful crying by Han Ji-min and an impressive leap in performance by Yoochun, who stretched himself a lot with this role. I’ll look forward to more things in both their futures—as well as the Joseon ducklings—though the production team is on notice.

517

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51 cristinefadden

May 24, 2012 at 8:04 PM

Dear Micky,
Congradulation! I think Rooftop prince is a best drama.You are very great in acting. I think you will posess more success with your drama. Please take care of yourself and have a rest. We all funs are supporting for you.

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52 Ria~

May 24, 2012 at 8:07 PM

I was pleasantly satisfied with the ending. It was the most logical possible ending. In the end, it didn't really matter if it was TY or YG since they are one and the same (soul)- the same goes with BY and PH.

It's sad to imagine Yi Gak spending the rest of his life missing Park Ha. It may seem like he got the shorter end of the stick (since Park Ha has Tae Yong), but if you think about it Bu Yong suffered the same. Bu Yong died and waited also 300 hundred years to be reincarnated as Park Ha. So IMO it all evens out. I think Yi Gak was even fortunate to be given the opportunity to spend time with Park Ha. If not for the time travel, he would have been stucked with a dead Bu Yong.

The end was so poignant. Especially how they greeted each other. Their meeting gave off a sense that they were speaking also as YG and BY. Like they were both waiting for such a loooong time.

In the end, it's truly not about whether the version of Yi Gak vs Tae Yong found his way to Park Ha. It's about these two beings, star-crossed lovers who found each other amidst time and space.

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barwnkesteven

May 24, 2012 at 8:18 PM

Agree. I actually don't want someone telling me specifically who is where and in what time - the way it ended was much more compelling for me than what I was afraid we'd get..."happily ever after!".

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Florentine Lily

May 24, 2012 at 8:42 PM

I also think that is what the writers were trying to convene. That their love is so strong it could withstand time, space and even death. It was a bittersweet ending. I also think it was better for Yi Gak to get the chance to have loved and lost Park-Ha than to end up with only the memory of a dead Bu Yong. He knows that somewhere out there she gets her happy ending.

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MenCallMeBacon

May 24, 2012 at 10:03 PM

I agree! I actually felt that Bu Yong got the shortest end of the stick. I cried for her the most, even though we didn't see much of her plight during RTP. Can't a girl catch a break? Her face was scarred for life; she loved her sister's husband, who couldn't/didn't reciprocate her love AND was supposed to be HER husband; and then she ends up sacrificing her life to save her family and her soulmate? I don't usually cry during movies/dramas unless I'm particularly hormonal, and I was tearing up when she was eating the persimmons and then again when Han Ji Min was narrating her letter to Yi Gak.

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53 Jess

May 24, 2012 at 8:08 PM

When I read about Joseon Tae Mu, I immediately thought that his tagline should really be: "Failed Murderer, since 1712".

I think Bu Yong taking the hit for Yi Gak has an emotional impact because what the show did was it made us pine for what could have been in the Joseon timeline. YG and BY is the Joseon OTP stranded by the classic chinese saying which loosely translates into "fated to meet but not fated to be together". Also, unlike PH's sacrifice for YG in 2012 (which was probably more impulse than forethought), BY's sacrifice was carefully weighed out - they only way she could think of to save everyone she loves is for her to die. And she did it knowing the price.

There are only two inconsistencies that I'm not getting yet:

(1) Why is Minister Hong siding with Joseon Tae-mu? His daughter (albeit his less favoured one) is the crown princess, slated to be queen. Obviously, Papa can have no claim to the crown. To be grandpapa to the future King is really as far as he can go. So what is his motivation to risk his entire family along with himself with the coup? If he wants more political power, shouldn't he be aiming to assassinate the King in hopes that his son-in-law will ascend the throne and his daughter becomes the Queen? This illogicality bugs me because his participation in the attempted coup is what set everything in motion.

(2) Why would Joseon Sena actually agree to the coup. She's going to be Queen. Her handsome, rich husband who is the future king adores her to a ridiculous extent. Her sister is a Noble Idiot for her. It's not like she can expect Joseon Tae-mu to marry her since she would have been his dead brother's wife!

The only reason I can think of is that Joseon Sena is barren and Minister Hong knows that eventually, she will lose favour because of that. If you think about it, that's probably likely because they would have been married for about 15 years or so (YG's 27-ish?) and they still have no children. And Papa probably set it up so that BY will marry Joseon Tae-mu post successful coup.

Finally, the only mystery that remains is - What did PH read in the history books?

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Nutella's Zombie

May 24, 2012 at 8:13 PM

"Failed Murderer, Since 1712" Pfffttt best comment I've read for Tae Mu so far.. I now want to make a meme solely for Tae Mu and his brilliant fails across all ages, Blackadder style..

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Jess

May 25, 2012 at 1:15 AM

Honestly, he failed so bad that in episode 19, (ie Failed Attempt No. 2586354), when he was reversing to make a three point turn to leave the crime scene, and it wound up with YG RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS CAR, I was mentally shouting at him: "Now's your chance! Step 1: Shift gear to D, step on the accelerator and run him over! Step 2: Reverse and repeat step 1 twice to make sure you get the job done this time!"

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Coco

May 25, 2012 at 1:29 AM

You guys are simply hilarious!

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The Nutella-Filled-Doughnuts Jae Ha Loves

May 25, 2012 at 3:32 PM

We can write a book based on him: How NOT To Be A Murderer. Co-authored by the people who saw Tae Mu fail a few times too many.

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barwnkesteven

May 24, 2012 at 8:14 PM

ROFL @ Failed Murderer, Since 1712!

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Daniella

May 24, 2012 at 8:17 PM

“Failed Murderer, since 1712″
LMAO! Best line ever!

And that's a great question about what Bak Ha read. I totally forgot about that!

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Nutella's Zombie

May 24, 2012 at 8:21 PM

I'm pretty sure someone's already linked this on the first page, but something along these lines ( http://dramahaven.com/actual-model-for-rooftop-princes-yuchun-is-joseon-gyeongjong-tragic-ending/ ) is probably what she read.

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Jess

May 25, 2012 at 1:16 AM

Ooh. Thanks for that.

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Hang

May 24, 2012 at 8:30 PM

LMAO, should they start a t-shirt production with that tagline, epic!!

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MenCallMeBacon

May 24, 2012 at 8:46 PM

Nice! (At least he got to kill those two no name assassin-fails and court ladies? That's something, right?)

To answer your questions:
1) Yi Gak explains this himself during the sentencing. Minister Hong played a large role in getting Yi Gak's mother dethroned and sentenced to death by poison. Therefore, he was afraid that when Yi Gak becomes King, he will be punished for those actions.

2) I think for the same reasons as Minister Hong? If Yi Gak goes after her father, what will prevent him from meting out punishment to her as well? And if her father is removed from his position of power, she will become very vulnerable politically. Or she's just a terrible person.

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Jess

May 25, 2012 at 3:26 AM

I view those that he managed to kill to be collateral damage resulting from a sloppy assassination attempt that FAILED. LOL.

Thanks for the heads up on the explanation the Show gave. However, I just don't buy it. The guy's in love with your daughter, who's going to be QUEEN. He's great friends with your other daughter. It's unlikely he's going to punish you. I mean, if YG actually cared that Minister Hong played a part in deposing/killing his mother (which I assume is not a Big! Secret!), he wouldn't have so eagerly married Joseon Sena in the first place. I mean... would want to become relatives with a man who killed your mom?! If there is one thing we never doubted, it is YG's (misplaced) love/adoration for his wife.

As for Joseon Sena, she's secure as long as YG loves/adores her. And since time immemorial, the best way for a woman to secure her position in her husband's esteem is to give birth to a son.

Sena, both the Joseon and 2012 versions, is just selfish as hell. What perplexed me even more is that her payoff in killing YG isn't exactly great. At best, she becomes Princess Dowager and since she has no son, she WILL be sidelined anyway. And she isn't exactly in Papa's good books anyway.

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Florentine Lily

May 24, 2012 at 8:56 PM

3. When did they get an older brother?

I wished they had spent a little more time in Joseon. I truly did not understand why Joseon Se-na would plan to kill the crown prince. I kept repeating that throughout. Was she in love with Joseon Tae-Mu? Are we supposed to infer that she was, based on her future self? What would she gain that she didn't already have? What would her father gain? But since it was the last episode, I guessed we are suppose to ignore the plot-holes and go along for the ride.

Her poor mother being exiled even though she knew nothing about the plot nagged me. But I guess she was guilty by association.

Anyways, this episode redeemed the series for me. I felt I could have gone from episode 1 to episode 20 and not missed anything plot-wise but the ride was fun while it lasted. And the actors and actress were amazing.

Thank you, JB, for the recaps and my thanks to the creators of this series and the commentators that made me laugh. 감사합니다

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folie a deux

May 24, 2012 at 10:12 PM

3. When did they get an older brother?

I think the brother was the one in episode 1 who tried to cover up the murder by giving a false testimony (?). He was in soldier's clothing and was addressed by YG as "brother-in-law"

@Jess: LOL @ “Failed Murderer, Since 1712″ XD

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Rovi

May 24, 2012 at 9:05 PM

OMG, the tagline cracked me up~!!! Someone should make a macro meme of that, Tae-mu and Prince Muchang...XDXDXD

(visual: Tae-mu and Prince Muchang's pics side by side or top and bottom, then the line in between. Hilarious. XDXDXD~!!!)

Are you talking about "有緣無份" (yǒu yuán wú fèn 유연무빈 yu-yeon-mu-bin)???

All this political talk of Minister Hong reminds me sorely of Yoon Dae-hyeong's coup in ep.19 & 20 of TMTETS, and how they thought Prince Yangmyeong was the leader of the coup...

Maybe maybe...being barren is one of the 8 (if i remember right) reasons for a royal divorce. Yi Gak hadn't had any idea of Hwa-yong's character until after the time leap, so yeah...or it's also they've been going at it, but not at the auspicious dates of the hapbang (合房) when they're supposed to do it...

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Jess

May 27, 2012 at 2:08 AM

Yes. 有緣無份 is the one i'm thinking of.

Well, she may not be deposed. But it means that her son will never be King and her family's political power will quickly wane.

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Rovi

May 27, 2012 at 4:51 AM

Thanks, I made sure to search of that since 有緣無份 is probably the saddest thing to happen in love stories where the lovers are separated by time... >~<

Well, yeah, she is deposed on royal orders (meaning she'll be known as pye-bin (廢嬪 폐빈 "Deposed Consort Princess to the Crown Prince") and so much on the lack of prestige; meaning sent away. So we'll never know if she became preggo...
Oh, and since Joseon theory says "Treason is infectious and is passed to an entire household", either you snuff it, or sent away.

Kudos to Gyeon Mi-ri, who wasn't even mentioned. To be honest, I think she was cast as opposite to Yang Mi-gyeong, and everyone knows the history between these two. XD *snerk*

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hoochie

May 24, 2012 at 10:20 PM

Yeah I didn't get why Minister Hong sided with the half-brother either until I read MenCallMeBacon's post. But it still seems like a very last minute thing to add to the story. I agree with Florentine Lily, they should have spent more time in Joseon.

Ha they should have tried stuffing Park-ha into a bag to bring back to Joseon lols. They brought back an iPod, cans of beer, clothes so why not a person? No one would recognize her as Bu-yong so her family being traitors wouldn't be a problem. It would've been interesting to see her adjusting to Joseon life...as a queen. Oh well.

Thanks for the recaps javabeans!

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eternalfive

May 24, 2012 at 11:35 PM

HAHAHA "Failed Murderer, since 1712". Genius. XDDD

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madsu

May 25, 2012 at 6:11 AM

Jess, Fab question.
Why doesn't Prince YG have children yet? Papa and Se Na must have reason to believe that the problem is with the Prince. This would be pretty much the only grounds for them to support getting rid of the current Prince, if the half brother could marry the widow and have an heir by her. Why not? I am thinking that may not be such a stretch.

Cannot expect the future king to marry BY with her scarred face. Mother of the nation cannot have such an obvious flaw. BY was never approached for this plot, and so it cannot be that she is central to their survival in the palace .

I have invested too much time on this drama. It has to make some sense, somehow.

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Jess

May 25, 2012 at 8:07 PM

Forgot about the need for perfection.

Yah. But in a Confucian-based society like Joeson Korea, it's unlikely that it's acceptable for a King to marry his dead brother's wife. Which brings us back to the case that Minister Hong had really little incentive to bring support Joseon Tae-mu.

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Rovi

May 25, 2012 at 8:35 PM

And besides, no one would really really marry Bu-yong in the first place, since of course Confucian thought says one must not damage one's body (ergo the long hair, nails(?), natch piercings, and beard-mustache), since it's a gift from the parentals, and from their viewpoint, it's kinda Bu-yong's fault still.

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Jess

May 27, 2012 at 2:11 AM

Bu Yong has really gotten the short end of the stick in this story then.

I think we just have to accept the fact that sometimes, people do inexplicable things and writers write inexplicable plots. lol.

one_nee

May 26, 2012 at 12:01 PM

LOL.. the tagline is really gonna be the best to put on his poster LOL..
as for your question, this is just based on my opinion:
1. as we know LeeGak is smart. and he dont follow old rules since he was a kid. i remember in eps 1, he dont want to sleep separated by his wife (it seems King supposed to be sleep separated from his wife/queen). and remember the scene in which many ministes n officials asked him to stop the investigation? he didnt follow them, since he formed his own team to investigated, so maybe minister Hong have known that if LeeGak crowned as King, he will be one hell of a King. in the other, he might think Joseon Taemu would be better for him if he is the one who crowned King. dont forget minister Hong even dared to get mad at joseon Taemu for failed to kill leeGak in the woods. wasnt it shown that if he is the king, he will be easier to 'controlled' by Minister Hong? beside eventho LeeGak seems crazy over his wife, he didnt really blinded by her in which she could controlled him (the scene in the Palace garden, eventho she keep trying to avert Gak's attention from BuYong, he didnt do as she want. or when she tried to sent BuYong back in the night of her death, Gak dismissed her n let BuYong stay). beside being a Queen not really guaranted anything. she can be dethroned or lost Gak's favour (esp since it seems only her beauty that attract Gak. maybe thats why the father want to sent BuYong as his wife candidate since he know BuYong will be perfect as Gak's wife, since they seem share the same interests in poetry n books).and as we can see, this kind of killing-the-next-king-so-the-other-one-can-be-the-king (with the help from old miisters) seems quite often happened in history of royalty.

2. as reason why SeNa/Hwayong agree, i believe its because it was her father order. beside if she was aware that there would be a coup happened (in which her father is the mastermind n her bro also involved), i believe she would see its be better is she helps then also being killed or sent to exiled (as it seems common happened to dethroned queen. isnt LeeGak's mom also dethroned?)

3. and wbt what ParkHa is reading in the history book.. maybe she read abt LeeGak's death? since if the Joseon F4 didnt come to the future, they could be death in the woods, when they were chased n jumped off the cliff, rite? or maybe the coup was succeded n he was killed? so maybe she read that LeeGak was died in Joseon, and it still gonna happen even after they come back to Joseon...

well, just an opinion tho, dorry for the long rambling lol =)

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Jess

May 27, 2012 at 2:40 AM

I agree that Kings tend to be capricious about their wives. Maybe the missing link is that we don't see YG politically resisting his father in law.

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Timba

June 17, 2012 at 7:46 AM

(1) Why is Minister Hong siding with Joseon Tae-mu?
Because royals were fickle and had many lovers. Minister Hong poisoned Yi Gak's mother, so he tried hard to become royal in-laws, but even then is not enough (maybe you are right, because no children from Yi Gak - Hwa Young's union), so he felt unsafe and went to collaborate with Joseon Tae-Mu. He's constantly afraid Yi Gak would revenge his mother when his love for Hwa Young fades away.

(2) Why would Joseon Sena actually agree to the coup.
Maybe besides above reason, she's also traditional daughter who obeyed parents. She never loved anyone but herself, both Hwa Young and Se Na. Se Na doesn't love Tae Mu, he's just a vehicle for her to gain wealth and position.

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54 la dee dah

May 24, 2012 at 8:10 PM

Thanks for the recap!

I was very satisfied with the ending. Feel sad for Yi Gak being alone with Park Ha gone and Bu Young dead, but sometimes that's just life, not everyone gets a happy ending. And for this situation, it would be difficult for them to be physically together - Yi Gak can't just leave his time, he's the prince of his country! And Park Ha has her family here. But I was heartened that Yi Gak and the three ducklings still carried on their relationship from the modern time - no separation of classes and holding their tongues in front of the prince. Disappointed though that the reincarnations of the ducklings didn't show up in the modern times!!

There were some loose ends, though. What happened to the two girls that lived in the same building? I thought they would build some story between that one girl and Man bo, because she had a crush on him. And no follow-up of Park Ha finding her real mom (just that one hug, that's it?)? And what was the point of the real mom dying or having that disease or whatever? There was no resolution to that! These look like they were swept to the side to fill in more Sena-Tae Mu time.

And big fan of Yoochun now. Started with SKKS, now this one. He's made for period dramas AND modern dramas!

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55 Nutella's Zombie

May 24, 2012 at 8:10 PM

Thankies for the superfast recap ^^~

I actually liked the ending, as people mentioned, it had a bittersweet taste, rather like dark hot cocoa. I also kept on hoping that somehow it would be Yi Gak who would inhabit Tae Yong's body after Tae Yong's hundredth rise from the dead. But for some reason, this seems more logical and realistic (well.. as realistic for time-travelling, re-incarnating stories as we can go). The souls recognise each other, and they live happily ever after, even though they all cannot retain the same memories. Personally, my head has made it canon for me that Yi Gak passed away early, back in Joseon era, and his concious and Tae Yong's merged in Tae Yong's body. That will keep me happy for life.

I do feel sorry for Yi Gak, but as I said earlier, personal head!canon reasons that since life-expectancy was shorter in Joseon era, Yi Gak passed away in a bit, and merged his conciousness with Tae Yong's, shortening his misery during Joseon era. Personal head!canon misses the ducklings though, very very much TT_TT

I think the reason many of us found the life-saving more touching in the past than in the present was because, in the present, everyone was all "There was enough time to yell! How did he not notice that car! She had enough time to push him away and run!" etc. making her injury seem unnecessary, more like a by-product of stupidity than love. In the past, however, her actions are very deliberate. She knows exactly what she is doing, and she has everything, down to the how-exchanging-clothes-will-stall/stop-everything planned. But for me, as with Tae Yong and Yi Gak, both Bu Yong and Bak Ha, are equally precious, even if they aren't photocopies of their past incarnations and possess flaws that make you want to clobber them with a big stone of sense.

For some reason, for me, this drama goes on the same list as My Princess. Adorable OTP and side-character fluff, a solid-enough-for-fluff-shenanigans plot for me, and some skippable angst and evil in the middle episodes. The last episode felt like it had come back to it's roots, and it was soothing and heartwarming.

I have to say, Yoochunnie's come a llooonnngg way from Sunkyunkwan Scandal. While his acting there was still good, over here, he played 5? 6? different roles (Tae Yong pre-accident, Yi Gak, Yi Gak in modern era, Yi Gak as Tae Yong in modern era, Yi Gak as Tae Yong in modern era part II, Tae Yong post-accident) convincingly. I want to give him a special hug for his acting in this drama.

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56 Anggara

May 24, 2012 at 8:11 PM

ok. finally this episode (final) comes. n i'm happy not being curious anymore n not feel that i can't wait for next episode. but i'm still not satisfied to see yi gak just stays alone in joseon n see park ha feels happy with tae yong (reincarnated of yi gak). i just want to make my own story for this ending drama. how about if tae yong just died when he tried to kill tae mo. then yi gak felt sorry about that. but next yi gak disappeared n went back to joseon like episode 19. but in this episode the problem in joseon can be solved. n after that yi gak go back to 2012 n meet park ha. then they got married. i think this is really good happy ending hahaha. in joseon bu yong died. in 2012 tae yong died. but yi gak can live happily with park ha in 2012. heump this is according to genre of this drama, fantasy romance n comedy.

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57 barwnkesteven

May 24, 2012 at 8:11 PM

I was, I guess, in the minority that was satisfied with the ending. Maybe I'm wrong but I think the writer(s) did something quite nice - at least for me - they left the viewer an opening to interpret an outcome that makes sense to them and everything they've seen so far. I could buy into arguments that the final scene is TY and I could buy that it was LG. The funny thing is, I don't know which it is and somehow that saved the ending for me.

If they had somehow transported Bak Ha back to Joseon times, I would've thought "oh, that's convenient". If, somehow, LG had been clearly re-transported back into the future, I'd have thought "OK, given it happened once, I suppose it could happen again but it feels like a cheap and easy happy ending". The ambiguity at the end - whether its just Bak Ha's emotion, some kind of magic, reincarnations connecting or LG's spirit in TY's void body - doesn't give me a happy ending all wrapped up in a bow that I couldn't buy. I'm left instead remembering how good these two were together and how much they love each other and it sucks knowing they had to part...and yet in that final scene, there's hope. To me, that's much more powerful than fanservice cheese.

I do agree there were some weird turns in the middle but the thing with RTP was that I liked the main couple and I loved the power rangers and - for the first time in a long time with K drama - I just enjoyed spending the hour with them. Even with RTP went wrong it wasn't painful to watch (I'm looking at you 'Fashion King'). And Yoochun...I hope he gets some good scripts in the future because I have to give the guy props.

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Florentine Lily

May 24, 2012 at 9:04 PM

I agree with you about the ending. I like how they left it open for interpretation.

Whatever happened, I'm glad Bu-Yong/Park-Ha got her happily ever after. The sacrifices that girl made! She deserves every happy thing (and more) that's coming her way.

With everything I've been hearing about Fashion King, I'm glad I didn't bother to watch that drama. People are angry!

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58 shiku

May 24, 2012 at 8:12 PM

The Joseon ending has left me with many questions like

1. How come they didn't know it was Bo Young who died in ep 1? I mean she had a freaking burn scar! Does this means they didn't look at her face when she was buried?

2. Why would Bo Yong's dad help Joseon Taemu to get the throne when his own daughter is the crown princess already!!!!!! I don't see how his position would have improved.

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Nutella's Zombie

May 24, 2012 at 8:17 PM

Well, she was face down in the water, and they didn't let Yi Gak see anything but her back floating on the water, and so he assumed based on clothing, since Princesses and Queens have special clothing that only they can wear. At least, that's the best I can make of it.

The setting of the coup, I myself don't understand, but Jess made a valuable observation that possibly Hwa Young was barren, etc.

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la dee dah

May 24, 2012 at 8:34 PM

The king and everyone else only saw her floating face down, and the king specifically gave an order that no one was to see her face when they pulled her from the water, thus the scene where she was pulled out but with that large sheet covering the top of her - that was the part where I sensed that the body wasn't really the princess in the first place.

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Forrest Gump

May 25, 2012 at 12:28 AM

Yes you're so right Goes to show the Korean King/Prince in those was so stupid. Lol

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MenCallMeBacon

May 24, 2012 at 9:07 PM

I already responded to #2 in another reply, but it's because Minister Hong was afraid of the repercussions of playing a major part in getting Yi Gak's mother dethroned as queen and being punished to death by poison. Yi Gak as a Crown Prince is in a powerful, but also precarious position. Upon becoming king, nothing can really stop him from punishing those that had a part in his mother's death. His entire family can be punished for three generations for his actions. (Side note: that form of punishment is one of Yi Gak's favorite lines when Bak Ha does something to make him angry--like kick him in the shin.)

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Nutella's Zombie

May 24, 2012 at 10:05 PM

I read at dramahaven Yi Gak was apparently based on King Sukjong's son... so is his poisoned mother would be Jang Hui Bin, the consort who dethroned Queen In Hyun (really, everything I learn from dramas~). However, wasn't Concubine Jang evil (and dethroned with the help of Boong Do)? If so, she was brought to justice through... legal channels, so wouldn't there be no way Yi Gak could punish Minister Hong? And since Minister Hong's daughter is Yi Gak's wife.. wouldn't it be easier for Hong to go for the forgiveness method rather than coup? I'm sorry if my ramble makes no sense, RTP and TK2H have both left me rather... incoherent.

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Rovi

May 25, 2012 at 8:49 PM

Yeah, regarding that article, I think the drama tweaked history a bit on that part...

But anyways, the Gisa & Gapsul Hwanguk drama have been replayed for soooooooooo many times ever since the dawn of movies and television in Korea its kinda the same anyways, nothing new...

Well, Kim Boong-do wasn't the only one who made Sukjong (who I think must be the Korean version of Henry VIII) realize he did wrong, since by the time of 1694 he was ruing the day he supported the notion of elevating Jang hee-bin to Queen Consort.

Anyways, yeah, Jang hee-bin was brought to justice due to conflicting reports of either shamanism or poison, due to the fact by 1701, Queen Inhyeon died rather mysteriously. There's reports saying Inhyeon appeared to Sukjong in a dream dressed in only a sobok (white hanbok) drenched in blood. Sukjong asked how she died, and Inhyeon just pointed a figner towards Jang hee-bin's residence. Sukjong noted music and laughter as he drew near, and spying through the window, saw Jang hee-bin and a party of shamans all shooting arrows at a voodoo doll and praying for her reinstatment. Of course, said shamans were brought in by dear brother Jang Hui-jae, so he too was poisoned.

Well, Yi Gak did sentence Minister Hong to beheading, so that's that...poison is too soft for him, committing treason like that...

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Coco

May 25, 2012 at 1:51 AM

1. The Crown Princess' family new it was Bu Yong that died, only Lee Gak didn't know. If you think back to episode 1, the dad tried his d_mnest to prevent Yi Gak from investigating the "murder" case. Also in the last episode, the mother tried to give all this "crap" excuses about the whereabout of Bu Yong. Also, Joseon Tae Mu followed Bak Ha to the palace purposely to stop her or kill her in order to cover their secrete. However, when he saw the "person" wearing Bak Ha's clothes and running away, he didn't chase after her. Why is that? That's because he saw that it was the Crown Princess that was running away not Bak Ha (Notice the Crown Princess' shoes). So he would have at least informed the whole family that the person in Bak Ha's clothes was Hwa Yong (Sena).

2) Someone has already explained Q2 up there already.
Basically if you watched the show or reread this caps, Bu Yong's dad is the one who caused Lee Gak's mother to be dethroned and killed (by poison) when Lee Gak was still very Yong. So Bu Yong's dad, looking after himself and his family, did not want Lee Gak to grow up and assume the throne. Because if he does, chances are he'll look into the death of his mother and go after Bu Yong's family for revenge. So Bu Yong's dad decided to kill LG and reinstate Joseon Tae Mu (He's also a Prince. An exiled Prince).

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59 Daniella

May 24, 2012 at 8:13 PM

"At least we had amusing interactions, with beautiful crying by Han Ji-min and an impressive leap in performance by Yoochun, who stretched himself a lot with this role. I’ll look forward to more things in both their futures—as well as the Joseon ducklings—though the production team is on notice."

I couldn't have said it better myself. Honestly, I didn't feel any sadness when the series ended like I did for Salary man, secret garden, but this was a wonderful drama and Yoo Chun was AMAZING. Han Ji Min is definately on my to watch list, I love her so much. She's giving me two great back to back roles from padam padam to rooftop.

I was a bit confused about the ending, but I'm glad you explained it and I totally understand the whole fate and ever lasting love. It sucks because Bak Ha has to start all over again while Yi Gak gets nobody. I'm glad Tae Yong woke up too. I'm going to miss Yong Seul the most out of the three ducklings, and of course I'll miss the others.

I wish they would have given insight about the relationship with the mother. I kinda liked Bak Ha better with her step mother anyway.

I'm surprise Rooftop beat King 2 hearts. That show is so popular on Dramabeans, but I guess it's not as popular in Korea...a part of me is happy about the ratings because I always felt RTP was more amusing even with it's ups and downs. Even then, I never wanted to give up on the show.

All in all, I've enjoyed it and thank you so much for sticking with the recaps (:

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60 jellybean

May 24, 2012 at 8:16 PM

i am crying for a lot of reason!!!!
those letter scenes were torture :((
thabk you rooftop prince for bringing out the best of yoochun!!!! ;)

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61 dreamerjhk

May 24, 2012 at 8:21 PM

Hi, I live in korea, and want to clarify some points on endings.

I belive after awaking from coma tae yong has the memory of his previous incarnation (Yi gak) on following reasons. (probably remembered her during coma)

1. From very first episode, he was attracted to park ha
( he probably didn't remember at this point but was subconsiously influenced ) because he was drawing her, and commenting how beautiful she was.

2. after awakening from coma, he actively seek her out and leave the message with yi gak style sign. ㅌ ㅇ
(which doesnt make any sense in modern korea. modern korean sign is either done in english or variation of his full korean letter, not just two korean syllables)

if he didn't remember her, it would be very strange act to do so. (after all he have never even talked to her as taeyong before)

3. as he is standing before her, he was now standing in yi gak style , with his hand behind his back
( which is posture of some one of high position or age, and is almost never done in modern korea, because it is now considered immodest.. only very old people do it)

4. remember how in episode 19 in marrige scene parkha held yigak's hand, one finger on yigak's knuckles..
in the ending tae yong is holding park ha's hand in same way.. (which would be absolutely inappriate if tae yong didn't have yi gaks memory... would be like suddenly kissing a person he only met)

5. lastly he tells her, " where have you been, i have been waiting for long time"
I belive that means he have waited for her for 300 years..
remember in first episode, how he was uninterested in wealth and position but spends his time wandering and drawing things... I belive in his past incarnations ( after dying as Yi gak but before being reborn as taeyong.. ) he must have done the same ...searched for her because subconsiously he missed her in those lives..

if he didn't remember his previous life, this comment does not make sense.

So I belive , in first episode he only remembered park ha subconsiously, but after waking up from coma ,
he must have remembered the important pasts
enough to recognize parkha.. and tells her in motion and words that he is " taeyong"

and park ha understands.. because otherwise, she would have never said " I was here the whole time (waiting for you..) "

and if they dont know , how can they think " Even after three hundred years pass, I will love you"...

the ending was beautifull. It is sad that Yigak the prince lived and died without buyong, but their love was strong to live through time and space, so they can be reunited.. and come to fruitation in present..

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cv

May 24, 2012 at 8:33 PM

I like your explanation. ^^ IF you look at it that way, totally makes sense. :)

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Amy

May 24, 2012 at 8:42 PM

I agreed!

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Moon

May 24, 2012 at 8:42 PM

yes yes yes exactly what I was thinking. It has to be TaeYong that now remembers his past since coming out of the coma. all those little things he did are so telling. Regular Tae Yong that had no memories would not have done those things.

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Eva

May 24, 2012 at 8:44 PM

I agree with you that "in first episode he only remembered park ha subconsiously, but after waking up from coma,
he must have remembered the important pasts"

There's actually a HINT in episode 8. Grandmother asked Se-Na to deliver Tae-young's sketchbook to Yi-Gak - in the sketchbook, there is one whole page drawn with BUTTERFLY and LOTUS...
I don't really it's just a coincidence as the cameraman did stop his camera at that drawing for few seconds...

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Eva

May 24, 2012 at 8:47 PM

really *think*

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Nutella's Zombie

May 24, 2012 at 9:55 PM

Beautiful explanations from the lot of you, especially dreamerjhk and eva. My heart can now rest in ease <333

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pk

May 25, 2012 at 9:42 AM

Also, someone did mention he opened his eyes while floating in the water as though he could see Puyong body floating...

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Ren

May 24, 2012 at 11:28 PM

thank you for sharing all these valid points of yours!

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moyu

May 25, 2012 at 12:17 AM

you make my heart feel glad ..gumawo... I feel very unpleasant since yesterday after watching the last episode .. but now I feel very - very satisfied after hearing the explanation from you .. I hope they will publish a special rooftop prince 

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Siti Salmah

May 25, 2012 at 12:38 AM

Thanks for sharing dreamerjhk, I an sure that's the way it was :)

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beppu10

May 25, 2012 at 5:00 AM

Aw, now I get it...that's the way BY stitched her initials in her embroidery that was passed on as HY's. I thought at first that the production team made a mistake since it's in Hangul and isn't it that they still use Hanja during those times? And, if that's the case then all along YG's memory is intact in TY's since TY signs his sketches with ㅌ ㅇ.
Wow...this is really daebak, because it really means that the one PH met is indeed LG.

Thanks for the insight!

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62 POGA

May 24, 2012 at 8:23 PM

I'm actually not satisfied with the ending - not because it's not clear if it's Yi-Gak who came back (or because it probably was not), but because Yi-Gak and Tae-Yong, and Bu-Yong and Park-ha, they are not one and the same. Sure, Tae-Yong is a reincarnation of Yi-Gak, starting all over. But the thing is...Park-ha, she isn't. She isn't just a reincarnation, she was with the "original" so to speak.

I would have totally accepted the ending, I feel, if Park-ha had lost all her memory - not in a weird amnesia gimmick. But Yi-gak somehow coming to the future and stuff must have changed his history, right? Shouldn't there be some historical repercussions? Or, if not that (if we go with the theory he was meant to go forward in time to solve this murder anyways, so it would always happen)...the ducklings disappear in the photos as they disappear in real life.

That kind of suggests that they never, ever existed, doesn't it? If they disappear from even the photos, that means they weren't meant to be in the present. I feel like that once they all leave somehow the people in the present-and-now should completely forget them. I mean, the events happened but their memory of the four special people there is gone or hazy. And I accept some mystic magic that makes them not really question it.

That way, Park-Ha remembers a feeling of intense love for some figure (Yi-Gak), but she doesn't actually remember him. Then, she is truly a reincarnation of Bu-Yong. Even 300 years later, she'll still love him, right? And then I would totally accept Park-Ha (Bu-Yong's reincarnation) with Tae-Yong (Yi-Gak's reincarnation) because there is no Yi-Gak-love hanging between Park-Ha and Tae-Yong. Now, I feel like Yi-Gak will always be there, you know, for Park-Ha while Tae-Yong is completely free.

With that, at the end it wouldn't just be Tae-Yong morphing to Yi-Gak. I feel like they could have made Park-Ha also transform into Bu-Yong (Joseon-era clothes) before they say those "300 years later" words. To show they ARE both complete reincarnations, living a new life, and their love has lasted through centuries.

Don't know if that makes sense, but I would have accepted a lot more with that.

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dreamerjhk

May 24, 2012 at 8:28 PM

I belive Taeyong remembered her only subconconsiously before coma, and during coma, regained his previous life ..
I wrote the basis on commnet 61.

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lizzzie

May 25, 2012 at 7:07 AM

"I feel like they could have made Park-Ha also transform into Bu-Yong (Joseon-era clothes)"

That would have been lovely actually. Then it would have been a lot clearer Taeyong was really Taeyong and not Yigak. But i guess they meant it to be open-ended (what with the princely stance and all)

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63 adam6010

May 24, 2012 at 8:24 PM

Dramabeans, thanks so much for giving us the recaps promptly and faithfully these past 10weeks. Also special mentions to all commentators who shared their angst and happiness.

My favourite part in today's is" ...Joseon Tae-mu did try to assassinate him. Heh, so his incompetence as a murderer spans time and space; good to know some things are consistent. "

It was too funny and such a spot on. All in all, I love this drama!!

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64 Eva

May 24, 2012 at 8:25 PM

1) I think the boys DIDN'T actually change into tracksuits in Joseon era,it's just that they FEEL LIKE they go back to modern era while they are eating their omurice, with less informal interaction between Lee Gak and the Power Rangers (in their MINDS they are back to MODERN era with tracksuits)...same for the last scene where Tae Yong who is wearing modern clothing suddenly "changed" into Lee Gak's Joseon clothing, he DIDN'T actually change but this is what it looks like in their MINDS

2) Did anyone find that the female shopkeeper Man-bo and Yong-sool met at the beginning of THIS episode (later by Lee Gak and Chi-san) is the SAME shopkeeper Lee Gak met at the CONVENIENCE STORE at episode 2???
The same trick is found in episode 1 and 3, same security guard in Joseon AND modern era who are trying to part Lee Gak from So Hwa-yong (in fact Bu-yong)/Se-Na
Haha, reincarnation applies to everyone... shopkeeper is forever shopkeeper and security guard is forever security guard

3) Not sure if this is true (I read this on other forums) that the Rooftop Prince story in fact is the first one written by this male scriptwriter AFTER the death of wife - one might understand what he wants to imply - he would still love his wife, even after they are dead and reborn... they are different yet the same

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Eva

May 24, 2012 at 9:06 PM

And the leader of the incompetent officers at the beginning of this episode is actually modern Pyo Taek-soo???

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dreamerjhk

May 24, 2012 at 9:26 PM

I read the same thing " that the story writer lee hyee myung wrote this story after his wife died"
so beautiful..

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Jen

May 24, 2012 at 9:48 PM

Yes that's true... The story writer's wife died a few years ago and he stopped writing for like 5 years afterwards... He is known for having really loved his wife....
I pretty much believe that his love and longing for his wife were reflected in many of Yi Gak's line and his letter to Bakha.... It's so sad and yet beautiful at the same time, and I guess that's why the last bit of this show seemed so sincere and moving...

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Nutella's Zombie

May 24, 2012 at 9:59 PM

Wow, brilliant noticing of details.. I must learn from my sunbaes @_@

The fact that the writernim wrote this after the death of his wife, and his implication, is so touching. I think any person who truly loves another would feel the same way. Hats off to you sirrah!

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65 phuonn

May 24, 2012 at 8:27 PM

hoping Yoochun will consider participating in an action role.... i know he'll kill it.

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Hang

May 24, 2012 at 8:34 PM

oh well, that would be awesome, plus he should be able to gain a few pounds to fit an action role - even more eye-candy ^^

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Rovi

May 25, 2012 at 8:56 PM

I dunno...he'll be doing his mandatory service next, but when, that I dunno...

His ranking was Grade 4, same as Heechul's, d/t the fact he has asthma (and I'm surprised he wasn't wheezing and everything during ep.11 last part and ep.12 during storage room fire)

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66 cv

May 24, 2012 at 8:27 PM

Thank you for the recap! I was satistified with the ending but maybe a little more time for the two together would have been great. :P

They both recgonized eachother---all that matter. Love that trenscend through time...incomparable. I'll leave it at that. ^^

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67 sheils

May 24, 2012 at 8:28 PM

*fudge*...had to re-write this all over again cuz I didn't input my email and pressed "submit"...*thud*

anyways, I don't get it...haven't watched the episode yet, but just based on the recaps, I have several questions and stuff I'm unsatisfied about:

1) why did the dad surprisingly want to marry Bu Yong off to the Crown prince and not the elder sister in the beginning? I thot that perhaps they would explain that she wasn't really his daughter or something cuz then it would match the present where Sena and PH only share the same mom.

2) how come they never explained what PH read in the history book? I think it would've been a cool flashback of her finding out that the Crown Prince met an early death from being shot by an arrow and that's why she gave him the pendant to save his life.

3) why did Bu Yong eat the poisoned persimmons?...she could have easily excused herself and taken the entire plate out with her...*thud*....her family was punished and caught in the end anyways so she only prolonged the inevitable...and even tho she managed to save the Prince's life at that moment, it's quite obvious that the Joseon TaeMu guy would continue to go after his life anyways...so shouldn't Bu Yong (as smart as she was) have thot about the fact that her sacrifice was short-lived?

4) I wish that Tae Yong would have started up a conversation about seeing her in NY and catching up on that date they missed because of the accident and PH turning him down cuz she's in love with Yi Gak and not just someone that looks like him (or has his "aura). Heck, I would have been happy with the Crown Prince continuing to write her letters and give her gifts from the past to the present for the rest of their lives...haha.

all in all, I much preferred this drama's 1st half, rather than it's 2nd half...and I think the ratings reflected that too. It was definately the actors that kept me coming back for more and not the plot. I look forward to their future work...especially YC's. Can he and HJM date in real life already?=P

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dreamerjhk

May 24, 2012 at 10:11 PM

Hi. I will write down my opinion..
(just my personal reasoning...)

1. reason why young buyong was picked instead of elder sena..
It was traditional of that time to marry off young.. and father probably was not thinking of treason that time and wanted to make marriage which would be viewed as more favourable to royalty..
( younger wife meant more obedient and docile wife with more fertile period.... that was medieval mentality, also the royal family would be more forgiving and think kindly of child like daughter in law.)

2. She probably gave him the necklace because she read the history book.. but was not sure it would actually change the written down history.. I guess she was just hoping..)
Also korean drama is made while on air ( episode 20 was probably made only several days ago..) and beacuse they run on tight schedule, have hard time making those fine points..)

3. i think buyong ate those poison at the spot because
she wanted to be sure that those assasination attempt would stop. only by making a huge scene ( death of prince's wife..) would rise up enough alarm so that further attempts would stop. If she took those poison away and lived what would stop the next attempts..
only by making a situation where prince's wife must disappear can parkha's father's ambition die..
death of prince's wife would means the cut to power, meaning parkha's father would have no reason to continue assasination. And buyong's ultimate sacrifice
put emotional debt on sena, making buyong's plea harder to ignore,( sena was probably in emotional conflict with this situation from very beginning, but dying buyong's plea and the fact that buyong's plan is only solution from family's destruction forced sena's hand..)

and it could have worked to, if yigak didn't figure out the truth, it would have made sena's family less powerful but would have saved them , and there would have been no more assasintation attempt from that family.
And Buyong probably didn't know details about yong Temu ( prince's elder half brother..), only that someone wanted prince's death, and this would stop further assaination attempt making her beloved prince safe.

4. I believe Taeyong only remembered buyong subconciously in the beginning , and gained full memory of past life during coma.. ( remember how Yigak started figuring out about reincarnation when he fell in water.. I belive same thing could have happened to Tae yong during his coma..)

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68 DMKO

May 24, 2012 at 8:29 PM

Thank you JB for the great recap. Loved the last two episodes of RTP. Man, I had not cried that hard ( the end of epi. 19) since 49 days. I thought it was that time of the month, yikes!

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69 KDRAMA LOVER

May 24, 2012 at 8:33 PM

I actually liked that she ended up with tae-yong, i knew she was going to because she was suppose to meet him at the beginning.h However because of his accident he couldn't. Remember Yi-Gak did say that they were fated to meet, but someone messed that up, so i knew she was going to end up with him.

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70 tarquinthetiny

May 24, 2012 at 8:36 PM

Thanks for another wonderful set of comments, JB. Like you, I was moved by the poignant ambiguity of the ending, but the show left way too many loose ends dangling, and on the whole I am feeling a bit let down. I mean, would it have been too much work to give us a one-minute-long montage of Park Ha's post-prince life? Granted that we don't need to know how Tae Mu and Se Na are doing in prison, it would have been nice to see Becky and Mimi one last time, and what about PH's long-lost Mom? I like closure!

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71 lutzy

May 24, 2012 at 8:50 PM

Javabeans - thank you for your insights on this, because I feel the same way!

The heart-warming moments did make up for the gigantic plot holes, and I felt like Park Yoochun did so well in his roles (Yi Gak, Tae Young, Fake Tae Young, 2nd Fake Tae Young).

Thank you for recapping!

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72 chewywon

May 24, 2012 at 9:05 PM

RTP has one of the most satisfying ending for me and hence it made the overall drama worth every my time.

JAVA, thanks for doing this recap. I shall see you when "BIG" arrives.

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73 Faye

May 24, 2012 at 9:05 PM

I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. First and foremost, I watched this drama because of Yoochun so I thought I never should invest too much time on the story. Sadly, I was. I was invested in the love story of Yi Gak and Park Ha, and the ending didn't give me the satisfaction of having a Yi Gak and Park Ha love story at the end.

I guess the drama was going for "realistic ending." There's just no way that Yi Gak can come back. Well, hello, he already went to the present, why not get him back...let's kill of Tae Yong and Bu Yong, and let Yi Gak and Park Ha love each other until the end. We didn't even know how Tae Yong woke up. Writers, you really have to fill us in in these areas because we can't just connect the dots.

I guess I'm placing myself in Park Ha's shoes. I just re-read the recaps, and I thought that Park Ha said that line, "My brain says it's TaeYong, but my heart thinks it's Yi Gak." Apparently, that was JB (thanks for that! I'm not being sarcastic). But if this were real and I were Park Ha, I would think the same way. "I know you're TaeYong, but can you just be Yi Gak?" She can't love TaeYong the same way that she loved Yi Gak because they're not the same person at all. They didn't live the same life, and they didn't have the same experiences together. Essentially, Yi Gak and Park Ha are both getting the short end of the stick. Yi Gak lives alone and dies, and Park Ha settles for second best. Oh, so is TaeYong! TaeYong will love a girl who fell in love with her for the reason that she first loved his past reincarnation.

Plus, who likes to be loved just because they were similar (in appearance, or soul, or whatever) to another person? I know my husband wouldn't like that. He used to be compared to looking similar to one of my old crushes, and he got mad!

So, yes, I'm not satisfied at all, and I'm glad that I got to rave and rant here. Because, just when I really good about a drama, it fails me at the very end. I would rather go back and watch Wild Romance. The plot was nonsensical from the very start, but the end satisfied me.

So there! Have a good night everyone! :)

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74 mom2mp

May 24, 2012 at 9:06 PM

I am glad that I am not the only one who was disgruntled with the ending. It would have been more satisfactory if one of two things had happened:
- Yi Gak goes back to the past; metes out justice; and reunites with Park Ha in the present. I get that this doesnt jive well with the fate/ reincarnation theory. But can anyone be at peace with a version of Yoo Chun unhappy and lonely at any point??? Tell me, Show? Did that make you happy?
OR
They could have erased everyone's memories of the timewarp. That would have ensured a clean slate for Tae Young and Park Ha. (granted Yi Gak is still lonely). How is Park Ha going to explain everything to TaeYoung? I can imagine future conversations:
TY: So tell me about your previous boyfriends
PH: Well there was this guy who looked just like you. In fact, he was you, just from the past. Then we fell in love, but he had to go back to his time period to avenge his dead wife
TY: So you are crazy. Thank you very much. Lets break up.

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blah

May 25, 2012 at 5:51 AM

1. making yigak go back to the future just to satisfy our thirst for a yigak-parkha happy ending- would have been 'cheap'.
2. erasing everyone's memories of the timewarp is another 'cheap' idea. it's just a crappy as 'and they woke up and it was all a dream'. i can't be bothered explaining but you might as well not have a drama. bor-ing~

the ending is what you interpret it to be.Technically the writers did give you your desired ending with the very last scene shot (yigak and parkha). Considering that you are a yigak-park ha fan like me, reading through through 'dreamjhk''s comments will give you some food for thought.

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blah

May 25, 2012 at 5:53 AM

*dreamerjhk*

my apologies//

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75 jeuri

May 24, 2012 at 9:14 PM

i really was in love with this drama at first but i gave up at around episode 13 lol. it would have been so much better if this drama was shorter. the first four episodes were gold.

i just have to say that even with the writing that didn't seem to know where it was going and the really sloppy editing (which was a big reason i kind of gave up, it was /that/ distracting), the cast all did a great job. really, especially yoochun! wow. he improved so much. and he and han jimin had such great chemistry. this drama made me a fan of hers hahaha. the ducklings too ;_; well, i was already a an of choi woosik's but rtp just made me love him even more. oh man.. looking forward to all of their next projects.

when are jimin and yoochun gonna get married?!?!?!

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76 Sam

May 24, 2012 at 9:26 PM

I actually thought the ending was exactly as it should be -- Park Ha and Tae Yong were destined to be together just as Yi Gak and Bu Yong were. Yi Gak just needed clues to make sure everything was set in motion in the past so it could fix itself in the future. Yi Gak couldn't be with Park Ha because, well, he belonged in Joseon Korea. Tae Yong actually lived in her era. This was just the most convoluted way to fix destiny after it was screwed up when the Crown Princess burned Bu Yong's face (or when Tae Mu's reincarnation was cast out of the palace. It's hard to call.)

I don't know -- everything tied up really nicely in my head.

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77 lampworker

May 24, 2012 at 9:35 PM

A big THANK YOU for the recaps! Sometimes reading the recaps and and comments is more fun than watching the actual show!

I'm okay with the ending, but it leaves a little twinge in my heart. Yi Gak is left without his love, and though Bak Ha gets the consolation prize, I'm sad to lose the whole family dynamic of Yi Gak+Bak Ha+power ranger kiddos. That was a big part of my love for the show! The tone of this drama was so light and fluffy throughout that the bittersweet ending felt strangely sobering.

On the whole, I absolutely loved our main characters. Props to Yoochun, Han Ji Min, and the ducklings (Lee Min Ho being my favorite!) for a great performance. And I'm thankful for all those laugh-out-loud moments that I'm going to go back and watch right now. :)

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78 Kiki

May 24, 2012 at 9:45 PM

Here's a theory: Post-coma Tae young can remember some of his past life, so he knows how he knows Park ha. That's why he's standing like Yi Gak at the end. He's Tae Young, but he's also Yi Gak, and he's aware of it.

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Moon

May 24, 2012 at 9:58 PM

Agreed for sure. We can really know this to be true after the hint given in an earlier episode from TaeYong's sketchbook, a drawing of lotuses and a butterfly. It has to mean he subconsciously remembered AT FIRST, then ending up with all memories, and knowing he is both TY and YG. It fixes everything and makes sure BH doesnt feel awkward about meeting TY

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Yuika

May 25, 2012 at 12:14 AM

Agreed, agreed, and agreed. Seriously, can't agree with you more there. Knowing that is enough to justify the ending for me. Here are my two cents: I always adored drama like these in which the ending is really up to the viewers' interpretations. It adds to the experience, and in this way nobody really loses out. If you think something, you could be 100% correct - in your head.

Speaking of which. Park-ha might end up with "second best," but fate is fate, and all that has happened up until now happened for a reason. If it wasn't for Sir Fail-To-Kill Tae-mu back there, Tae-yong would've had no trouble meeting Park-ha at the proposed spot way back in New York. And then their relationship would've blossomed nicely the way it did for Park-ha and Yi-gak, there would've been no company scuffle involving a control-freak Granny, and...we would not have had drama to watch.

But yes. It can be safe to assume that after Yi-gak returns to Joseon, the pieces of the puzzle have finally fallen in their rightful places. Yi-gak accomplished what he meant to all along: Solve the mystery behind the dead-one-in-the-pond and bring retribution to those who orchestrated it. Realizing that the one love he should've had in his lifetime, Bu-yong, was the person who actually died is a huge confirmation that only strengthens his/Tae-yong's soul bond with Park-ha.

Hence, when your theory comes into play, it all makes perfect sense that these two people were, are, and always will be made for each other across time and space. No matter how or when they're reincarnated, their souls will be drawn to one another without fail. Such is the power of, truly, an everlasting love!

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79 teng

May 24, 2012 at 9:47 PM

this drama is so good. i love the way the four ducklings appears in 21 centery wearing josean clothes and they return with modern clothes. the most sad park for me isn't when gi bak dissapear to 300 hundred years something but i think the saddest is when park ha read the letter gibak wrote for her from 300 something years.

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80 shopgirl

May 24, 2012 at 9:49 PM

I was so sad when realize that yi gak is all alone since bu yong is dead..

why don't park ha and yi gak exchange letter through that wormhole (the palace hiding place)??

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81 song pong

May 24, 2012 at 9:51 PM

Thank you for recaps of this drama, jb! They made my RP experience even more satisfying:)
The drama had its ups and downs but in the end it was worth watching. I liked the leads' performances very much and even though the plot got a bit weird in the middle I can honestly say that the drama made a long lasting impression on my mind. I will miss it and remember it fondly. The ending was also really well done, if not a bit too sad for Yi Gak :/ I figure he finds himself someone eventually and live happily ever after too!

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82 Vernz

May 24, 2012 at 9:56 PM

For those who are confused of the ending ... I don't think there's an element of confusion there.. it was actually clearly laid by the writer that you don't have to think anymore ... He was the real Tae-Yong - the postcard element minus the butterfly and the E.O. stamp is the proof - and that when Tae Yong extended his hand, Park Ha look him like he was Yi Gak .... the element of transcendence was there I think that's all what's reincarnation is all about [they're just lucky they were reincarnated on the same person, not a pig or a dog, lol] ...

and another thing weren't they suppose to meet in the beginning in New York? They finally met and this time ... both souls dwell on the same space and time ....

I agree that this drama can be stuffed in just a 5-10 whatever episodes.. but that is where the element of modern-commercial drama sips in .... that'll keep us waiting for the next episode ... and keep me coming back to your blog :)

I've been a follower of your blog but this is the first time I commented ... now I finally concluded that TV dramas|soaps can already be counted as 'mouse-era' literature ... "till then .. :)

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83 ar

May 24, 2012 at 10:01 PM

Bu-yong's sacrifice was so sad and if Yi-Gak hadn't time-traveled, no one would have ever realized that she died and he wouldn't have realized her sacrifice to save him. Definitely better than the "getting-hit-by-a-car" one, which is pretty played out.

I was sure that I would hate the ending, but I ended up loving it! It almost made up for some of the dumb detours we've had with the birth secrets, corporate shenanigans, and tae-mu's inept murder attempts. Yes, I know it is crappy that Yi Gak has to spend the rest of his life single and alone and having to wait lord knows how many lifetimes before he gets be reincarnated as Taeyong to meet Park-ha. However, in the spirit of love and romance, Yi-Gak would wait lifetimes for Park-Ha.

I do like the idea that it doesn't matter if his name is Taeyong or Yi Gak, this man- this soul- is the one Park-ha/Bu-yong's heart and soul belongs with. I like to think that the fall from the boat had awakened the Yi Gak memories in Taeyong.

This drama did a great job with the fate/destiny/soulmates schtick without coming off insipid and heavyhanded. It felt seriously romantic.

I'm glad they ended it this way. I've always rolled my eyes at those time-travel romances where one person travels to stay in another person's timeline.

What I would have loved to see are Man-bo, Chi-san, and Yong-sool's reincarnations somewhere in the background.

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84 Charlotte

May 24, 2012 at 10:04 PM

What a ride! Thanks for the amazing recaps javabeans. I truly and thoroughly enjoyed this cute little story in spite of the tired villain plot etc etc.

Narratively speaking though, the ending would have been a bit better if the camera revealed park ha as buyong, just like how taeyong was revealed as yi gak. Like you said, this story has always been about using the future as the key to the past. Time travel and reincarnation plots are always bound to be super messy - are we supposed for the past self or present self? Should the past self end up with the present lover or past lover? etc.

I guess to keep it simple and easy to understand, the story could have been better if the focus was always only on one couple - either the past or present couple. It would have made more sense if it was buyong standing at the end (eventho she died, but let's face it yi gak is also technically dead also in modern times). It's like two souls that were destined to be together finally found each other, transcending time, place, space.

At the end of the day the writers are trying to show us that yigak is taeyong and buyong is park ha. So it would have been nice is park ha was shown as buyong at the end.

But this series was really memorable and will be one of my favorites for a long time to come.
Thanks again java! Till the next amazing show! :)

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85 Frances

May 24, 2012 at 10:08 PM

"It’s not a perfect happily ever after, but I’m strangely okay with it. Possibly because this show isn’t one that sticks with me emotionally in the first place so its flaws don’t upset me terribly either. I suspect that if the show had gone out on Tae-yong and Park-ha together, I would have been unhappy, but the swap to show Yi Gak standing there, reinforcing that it’s supposed to be the same soul, does go a long way toward getting me to accept it."

I AGREEEEE! :)

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86 Anais

May 24, 2012 at 10:09 PM

I have read all the comments and I bawled at the ending (A LOT). I re-watched it many times to see if there was a hidden meaning. I did find one. When PH was in her shop, she was remembering the prince`s words in the letter he wrote to her 300 years back. What stuck me is when he said ``If I could meet you by dying, I would die right now.``

And then what a coincidence that at that very moment, Tae Yong shows up. What that means is that `no matter the time or place, my love for you will continue` (which is what Bu Yong had wrote to him in that hidden letter he found). I was happier with this double meaning, because it would mean that TY is the PRINCE in soul.

For everyone hung up on the prince living out his life alone. I undertand that`s sad, but what we seem to forget is that he DOES MEET HER AGAIN. That gives the ending a completely different yet satisfying meaning. Even the mannerisms were the same, with the stance, and then especially how they held hands and BOTH talked to each other as if they had not seen each other in a very long time. This leads me to believe that from the very beginning, TY WAS THE PRINCE, again in soul. And that`s what`s important!

Also, what a coincidence that he woke up after YEARS in a coma, only AFTER the prince left. That and the fact that they talked to each other is such a familiar `I already love you and have been loving you for a long time`` manner leads me to believe that somehow, when TY woke up, he woke up with some kind of feeling that he had to see the girl he met in NY again. Maybe it was not exactly the prince`s persona, but it was his SOUL, calling, always calling out to PARK HA.

When he tells her ``where have you been all this time?`` what he`s really saying is `finally...finally I have been reunited with you. I had to wait a long time, but it was worth it, if only to meet you again`. TY may not understand it, but his soul DOES!

Hence, when the prince says that he would die if only to see her again, it was a premonition into the future he hoped he would have with her again. He loved her so much that he was reborn again, so that his love for her would continue So they do meet again, the prince and her.

There is another similar conclusion, it was after I read it that I solidified my own:

http://wiiseong.tumblr.com/post/23697541996/i-am-sure-about-the-ending-of-rooftop-prince

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Sarah

May 24, 2012 at 10:32 PM

Ahhh! Finally I read someone who sees similarly with me! :) Thank you for helping me not feel alone! hahah :)

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Moon

May 24, 2012 at 10:46 PM

Lol! You linked to my interpretation! I never thought I would see my own thoughts/blogged stuff being mentioned offsite. Awesome :]
After reading your interpretation, I can agree that that also works.

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87 Heather

May 24, 2012 at 10:18 PM

Thanks for the recap!

So I too was screaming at the screen during the ambiguous ending...Oh well...there have been worse (looking at you City Hunter!) I'm fine with her being with Tae-Yong, or a mix of both, but the way it was portrayed confused me more than satisfied me.

The letter! I loved his letter so much--I was hoping for some more skinship etc from these two with the room-sharing etc....but that letter made me squee more than any of that would've. So great :D

Overall, a drama I loved, but I would've loved it more if it had focused on its stronger points--the F4 and Bak-ha--and less on the plot...still, a very enjoyable show

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88 NewKDramaAddict

May 24, 2012 at 10:25 PM

So much better ending than Fashion King! Take heed, writers! I enjoyed the series, was not heads over heels enamored with it. Would I watch again? Probably not every episode, but would spend time reminiscing as I skipped through the show! Ha Ji Min as usual did an excellent job. Yoochun also! But can I say I really dig him in period clothing?! Like him in modern but there is just something extra....call me crazy!!

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89 Sarah

May 24, 2012 at 10:30 PM

After much inner turmoil and debate about whether I'm happy with the ending, I have to say I think I'm content!!

It definitely breaks my heart that the Prince (Lee Gak) didn't get a happy ending, ending up alone without Bu Yong. BUT! I truly believe it's Tae Yong at the end, even if there are "similarities" (such as pose and speech) when he meets with Park Ha. In my opinion, you CANNOT forgot the whole message of this drama, in that "true" love (that they are fated to be together) lasts forever. And with each reincarnation, their souls will ultimately find each other. (“Even after three hundred years pass, I will love you.” - meaning that their SOULS are what last the time, not who they are in the sense of their human selves, aka: Tae Yong vs. Lee Gak, Park Ha vs. Bu Yong)

I kind of think the whole purpose of the whole going into the future was the idea that their love was so pure and true and that they were MEANT to be together, that it was fate's way of helping them. Because technically, if Lee Gak had failed, Tae Yong and Park Ha would never ultimately be together, thus their souls would never come together and be left to be alone forever, with the vicious cycle constantly repeating.

Thus, I really cannot accept the idea that it's Lee Gak, in the sense that he came back from Joseon magically. It's his reincarnation, Tae Yong, because that is who Park Ha is destined to be with in that era. Their souls are the same, and that's why I think they kept the somewhat similarities - to show that they are one and the same. The one Lee Gak was destined to be with was Bu Yong but tragedy struck. Therefore, as much as I fell in love with Lee Gak, I think in all sense I would've fallen in love with Tae Yong as well if only we had seen him more, because they are one and the same - the same soul, the same core.

It's such a beautiful story... To think that the one that you are destined to be, you will find them, no matter how much "time" has passed... no matter what era you are in. You will find them. I'm so in love with this drama! Hahah. For anyone who read my entire rant, thank you! :P :)

Btw... Did anyone find it super annoying how the persimmon story did NOT make sense in that, at the beginning they figured out the poison was on the persimmons... but in reality the Princess never ate the persimmons, and all of them were eaten by Bu Yong? I mean, hey we all have bad memories... but you really can't forget someone eating all of them :P

AND THANK YOU JB FOR ALL YOUR RECAPS!!! They're like, the BEST quality ever, and I practically live off of them! :)

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90 exquisitemelody

May 24, 2012 at 10:31 PM

Can't stop watching the ending of this episode!

I think it's very telling that the moment his voiceover says "If I could die and meet you, I would die right now," he comes into the shop. I'd like to think that's a hint that Yi Gak came back to meet her after Tae-Yong "died" at least in the sense that Tae-Yong remembered his past life as Yi Gak and his time with Park Ha. The way his voiceover reads the letter and the way Tae-Yong is acting in the shop...it makes me want to believe that the voiceover is both his reading the letter AND what he's thinking right then.

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91 Ani

May 24, 2012 at 10:32 PM

Satisfying, yet, unsatisfying. I like that Yi Gak couldn't time leap his way back to the future to maintain some sense of logic, but I'm also saddened about how he had to live his life without Park-ha while Park-ha at least got his soul back. It sucks yet it's sweet. I can't decide. I like the idea of the souls recognizing each other, but hate the thought that it wasn't this incarnation Park-ha fell in love with, but the other. Maybe with the cycle of hate and murder having finally ended (oh boy, I sure freaking hope so) in the next life, they'll get it right from the start. Or maybe, now that the cycle is broken there is no need for another cycle of reincarnation - it's this whole other concept/belief/theory I learned about reincarnation a while back in which reincarnation is the rebirth needed for life to balance out and so a soul may learn what they were meant to learn or suffer the punishment they deserve (etc etc) from the previous life. So, this is more like "Slimy, yet satisfying" right? The quirks and details are messy, but the end-result is sweet. Or, uh, bittersweet. Boy.... I sure wouldn't mind going back in time to slap this writer upside the head a few times and give him a proper tip of where I would like to have seen this drama go. I'm just saying. Yo Universe/Fate, I've been wronged. Where's my time traveling butterfly? Please don't send me the Soul Society version of butterflies. Thanks Bub.

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92 lahlahlahh

May 24, 2012 at 10:32 PM

In my mind, I'd like to believe that ending has TY "remembering" that he was YG since all of the falling in love with BY/PH did not happen yet (before 2012 TM's murder attempt). And because TY was a in vegetative state, YG/TY's soul and memories could not develop simultaneously and so after all was said and done TY got those memories after the mystery was resolved especially because TY wasn't shy to approach PH at the end like he was before in New York and he talked to her in a familiar manner... and so in the end, YG standing with PH meant that their two souls finally get to meet in the same time with same love & memories ... haha I don't know if anyone else thought that because I'm too lazy to read through of these comments but I am satisfied for the ending

THANKS dramabeans for your recaps as always :D

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Ani

May 25, 2012 at 3:11 PM

In my mind, I’d like to believe that ending has TY “remembering” that he was YG since all of the falling in love with BY/PH did not happen yet (before 2012 TM’s murder attempt

After sleeping on it, I came to the conclusion that I fucking hate the ending and that the only way I can actually like this ending if Tae-yong actually has Yi-gak's memories. You know, sort of like how Evelyn gains Nefertiri's memories in The Mummy Returns. Yeah, that's the only way I can come to terms with this ending because I WANT Yi-gak to be freaking happy. And if he had to wait 300 years to do it, than gorrammit, let the man be happy.... Oh hell, maybe Yi-gak learned to love again in the past. Whatever. *thinks happy thoughts*

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93 fti

May 24, 2012 at 10:33 PM

huhuhu...i'm seriously did not satisfied with the ending! i was hoping that LG supposed to arrive back at Joseon 1 or 2 days before BY's death so that he could save her!!

I want to see more scenes of TY and PH so that i can accept the fact that PH is meant to be with TY and LG with BY!! i dont mind at all what's the ending looks like as long as BY is still alive!! :(

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94 one_nee

May 24, 2012 at 10:37 PM

omg.. some of your thoughts is the same as mine, lol..
1. when i saw the Joseon TaeMu killed people, i also thought, 'wow finally he actually killed people.. and success killed more than one even'
2. i also finally understand why ChiSan have to eat burger before he warped back, turns out its for the sauce, lol..
3. i also thought, it seems in Joseon SeNa aka HwaYong didnt as cold n heartless than in the modern era.. she actually shown a bit of care for her sis (or maybe the tears were for her safety since the killing was failed)
4. yes, i also feel really really sad seeing BuYong dying.. from the beginning her shaken hand took the dried persimmon, to her coughed up blood till she murmured "Your Higness". for me, JiMin's acting was so much good as BuYong in this eps, better than when she was ParkHa
5. the ipod.. lol.. i also thought, what will ChiSan do if the battery is run out? there is no electricity in Joseon, lol
6. i also love this ending. since beginning, we know they came from Joseon n will be back to Joseon. i know many hope it would be TaeYong who go to Joseon (eventho i cant see how it is possible since he dont even like to took his inheritance as CEO, let alone to act as future King). esp when the F4 started to 'blinking', it shows that they dont n wont have even the tiniest possibility to stay, eventho if they want to, they deff will be back to Joseon. beside LeeGak belong in Joseon, he was part of a history.
7. yes, i do agree, after watched the finale, it seems the writer just have the first n end of the plot in this drama. and not so much for the middle part. maybe that was why he was stucked in the middle. i mean eps 8 have to cancelled air since the script wasnt fully written n there was enough eps to make 1 eps. i like eps 20 way much better than eps 19, in which they concluded all the modern plot.

and i like what he did to the bad guys. Joseon TaeMu's punishment is more satisfying than the one in the modern plot. eventho many people seems to thought the end scene was confusing (is it LeeGak or TaeYong). but i also thought that since TaeYong IS LeeGak reincarnation, so in a way, their soul is the same. LeeGak's love n longing seems to be inside TaeYong's soul too... maybe thats why they shown bunch of people before we saw TaeYong standing next to ParkHa? you know it like saying out of those people, finally they met. and if the palace symbolizes Joseon/Old Korea, the Seoul Tower symbolizes modern Korea, the 'Now' element as TaeYong n ParkHa are fated n belong each other in this era, since LeeGak n BuYong failed to be together in Joseon. and (for me) the last word just perfect, “Even after three hundred years pass, I will love you.” =)

ps : yes, it sad for LeeGak to ended up alone n longing for ParkHa, but maybe he can send letter to ParkHa if he misses her, you know Lake House way (eventho ParkHa will never be able to reply his letters).

thank you for all Rooftop Prince fast recaps, JB. since i watched it by streaming it, your recaps made me understand the story while waiting the subs came out =) sigh.. gonna miss streaming this drama every week...

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95 delaney

May 24, 2012 at 10:48 PM

Honestly at first I don't like the ending, but now that I've browsed through the comments and found some sensible explanations I'm pretty convinced now that the ending's satisfactory, if not that happy. Anyway, whether it's Tae Young or Lee Gak it's still Yoochun, ending up with JiMin unnie lol XD

Speaking of Yoochun, all I can manage to say is WOW. Yah I saw him in SKKS but for me this is his real breakthrough, considering the number of roles that he needs to portray (YG, TY, TY v.2.0) and the variety of emotions that he needs to express. I'm just a new fan of the DB5K (because of him LOL but in fairness they were really good) and saw their MVs I was like, wait, is this really him? I find it hard to reconcile the actor and idol as one person.

As for Ji Min unnie, well I've watched some of her dramas (and 1 movie, Detective K) and she never failed to impress me. Hence, I knew she would nail her Park Ha character. YC's lucky to have her as his co-lead as he can learn a lot from her :D

Oh, what can I say with the 3 ducklings? Although I felt that they were just placed for some comic relief and their characters were not that fleshed out, I still find them adorable and I will definitely miss them, esp. Chi San :D

Overall the show's a bumpy yet fun ride, so despite of the lack-lustered middle episodes I did not regret my decision to stick to it till the end (yes, despite of the strong temptation to watch QIHM which I intend to watch anyway right after RTP).

P.S. Can't they (YC & JM) just date already? I find their pairing too cute for words. :)

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96 melon

May 24, 2012 at 10:53 PM

I was sooooo not happy with the ending, eventough it was supposed to be a happy ending but how can you justify yourself that Lee Gak and Tae Young is the same person. It is like dating a twin, similar face but totally different person, I won't be happy if I am ParK Ha and poor Lee Gak as well.

When this drama started it gave you this happy mode but when it ended it just gave you this sad and unsatisfied feeling.

Do you remember, there was a scene, where Park Ha was reading a history book. Is there any significant at all with that scene?

In RTP 2, Tae young will die and Lee Gak has to travel back to the present era! :P

so not happy!

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97 Ilovemandoo

May 24, 2012 at 11:00 PM

Lots of things to get out, so sorry in advance for a long comment.

- "Wait, have you been running for two whole days? Or does the wormhole dump all travelers into the same time, despite staggered departures?"
Same thing I was thinking! I really wish the screenwriter had paid a little more attention to the show's logic. I know even the premise of the show is ridiculous (time travel), but at least give us some ground rules so it's believable!
- I know the ending was supposed to be emotional and poignant but I couldn't help but think that they were a little heavy-handed in their set-up. Taeyong isn't usually so serious and yet he was at the ending. As a result, it looked as though they both knew that it had been a while since they were reunited. Not to mention he did the same pose that Yi Gak always does..
At the same time I understand why they would do so and it was a nice beat to show Yi Gak and Park Ha (to futilely attempt to mend my heart), but it didn't satisfy me enough emotionally. and poor Yi Gak! (but also poor Taeyong who woke up to find his grandmother dead and his cousin in jail)
- This is probably just me but I sort of don't like that the couple got married in the first place. If Park Ha was going to end up with his reincarnation, her marriage vows just seem a little.. I know they're supposed to be the same but I still can't help but feel as though she's with two people.
- LOLOL at Taemu's face after he shot the prince. He seemed so happy to finally successfully murder! Too bad his plans were thwarted lulz lulz. And Joseon Taemu is stupid as well because he really didn't think about the repercussions of openly killing the prince, did he?
- Urgh in the end, I just wish that less time had been wasted on stupid plot points we didn't care about. Overall I'll take away the awesome comedy that was abundant in the first episodes and scarce in the middle.

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Florentine Lily

May 24, 2012 at 11:36 PM

"but also poor Taeyong who woke up to find his grandmother dead and his cousin in jail"

*Jaw drops* I KNEW I was forgetting something. OMG! Poor guy. I'm laughing and gasping in disbelief right now. I think you are the first person to remember that. Woah!

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98 Apple

May 24, 2012 at 11:04 PM

In my version, Tae Yong wakes up from his coma with a full memory of his past life as Yi Gak. That way, technically, even in the flesh, they're one and the same. (Same memory, same soul, same looks) =) <3

Thanks Javabeans!

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Apple

May 24, 2012 at 11:05 PM

Actually, then again, I think the show does HINT that this is indeed the case...

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Moon

May 24, 2012 at 11:26 PM

I think we can safely conclude that it really is the case. The sketchbook hint and the way he acts at the end is really telling to me. Those werent accidents.

It really was the way we wanted. Be Happy everyone <3

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delaney

May 25, 2012 at 12:07 AM

Yes, I think so too. One just needs to see through the surface to get it. ^^

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99 SuziQ

May 24, 2012 at 11:19 PM

Sad to see Roof Top Prince end.Will miss this show.One of the best for 2012!Hated Fashion King. I wasted 20 hours of my time to watch crap.

Wished Lee Gak could have come back for Park Ha, but there was still Tae Yong in the future to account for.

There have been previous incidents where people have recollected their past lives, so it's quite possible for reincarnated Tae Yong to recollect Lee Gak's memories.

A soul is immortal and can be reincarnated through many cycles of lives known as samsara, where each time in a body which is born and dies.People who have live their lives badly in previous lives have bad karma and will be reincarnated in bad future lives which can explain Tae Mu and Se Na being horrible people in the future. It was destiny or fate that Tae Yong and Park Ha met with a sense of deja vu and knowing that they were meant for each other. KISMET.

Micky, you did a wonderful job of acting in this role.Didn't like Miss Ripley, but you have So much improved. Can't wait until your next venture whether it be singing with JYJ or acting.

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100 Christy

May 24, 2012 at 11:20 PM

Despite the bittersweet ending (and I feel so sad for Princey Lee Gak being all alone) overall RTP is a very engaging drama and I thoroughly enjoyed Mickey Yoochun and Ha Ji Min's amazing acting. Hope to see Mickey in more drama projects soon!!!!

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