Gu Family Book: Episode 24 (Final)

716 June 25, 2013January 24, 2016

by girlfriday

Uh… so THAT happened. There are words. They’re forming slowly because I have a melty puddle where my brain used to be. It’s finale time for Gu Family Book, and I’ll tell you one thing: It ain’t boring! Ha. Hahahaha. Heh. Heh. Heh… *cries*

The finale brought in 19.5%, which left it just shy of ever breaking that elusive 20% barrier. I feel that it’s fair, because the show left ME just shy of sane, so quid pro quo. Tit for tat, and all that jazz.

FINAL EPISODE RECAP

We backtrack a little to Kang-chi’s visit to Lee Soon-shin, where he says it’s time they take out Jo Gwan-woong. Or eons ago, but who’s counting? Lee Soon-shin says he’ll trust Kang-chi but in exchange he has to make a promise not to take any lives by his hand, in the name of revenge. Kang-chi promises.

After rescuing Yeo-wool from the Piñata of Doom, Kang-chi tells her to rest, but she says she wants to be there for the epic moment when Jo Gwan-woong finally gets his due. Well you can’t blame a girl for wanting front-row seats to that showdown. *grabs popcorn*

Now back to the confrontation with Jo Gwan-woong, where our good guys line up like sitting ducks for Jo Gwan-woong’s gun-toting minion to take his best shot. He lights the fuse, and Yeo-wool is the first to turn around and see him. Crap.

She sees that he’s aiming for Kang-chi (which confuses me since I thought we were going after Lee Soon-shin to pin the murder on Kang-chi, but whatever it hardly matters at this point) and jumps in the way.

She takes the shot in the shoulder. Everyone freezes, and Jo Gwan-woong scowls at the shot wasted on the wrong target.

She falls into Kang-chi’s arms and gasps, “Don’t go anywhere! Don’t disappear!” A tear falls, and then she closes her eyes.

Kang-chi’s eyes light up green with rage, and he storms over to Minion like the Terminator, not caring that the guy is fumbling to reload his gun. He’s not fast enough anyway, and Kang-chi yanks the gun out of his hands and starts punching him in the face over and over and over again.

Kang-chi strangles him as he bleeds, growling that a useless human like him needs to die. Whoa. So quick to forget our promises, Gumiho Baby.

Lee Soon-shin calls out to him to remind him that it’s an irreversible path once you spill blood, but he argues back that this one can die and it would be better for everyone.

He’s about to go over the edge when suddenly Yeo-wool calls out to him, and it works like an instant de-hulking pill. He runs over to tend to her like he wasn’t just about to kill someone two seconds ago.

The boys get ready to move her, when Jo Gwan-woong suddenly declares that no one can leave. Oh, you’re still planning to attack? Then why were you just standing around watching the show with the rest of us instead of attacking when you had a diversion?

So then we’re back to square one, with swords raised on both sides. Jo Gwan-woong orders them all killed, which is when Lee Soon-shin finally steps up to say that he can’t abide any more of his villainy, and calls in the troops.

Suddenly the place floods with his soldiers, and Lee Soon-shin arrests Jo Gwan-woong for framing innocent people as traitors, selling state secrets, and attempting to murder him. Uh, if he could just be arrested for these crimes, then why have we let him run around for twenty-four episodes?

The Japanese emissaries skedaddle post-haste, and Jo Gwan-woong is left to defend himself. Even though his guards have the slowest reflexes known to man, they use gas bombs to slip away. We don’t even get to see the chase, so I’m assuming that means he got away.

Next thing we know, Soo-ryun and Chung-jo are getting word that Yeo-wool is on her deathbed, and we see Master Dam sitting by her side as Teacher Gong says there isn’t much time left.

A flashback to Little Yeo-wool brings us to that day when she first asked Dad to teach her sword-fighting. He asks why, and she says that someone got hurt because of her, and all she could do was stand by and cry.

Little Yeo-wool: “If I don’t want anyone to be hurt because of me anymore, then I have to become stronger.” Aw. She learned to fight because of Kang-chi. Dad heaves another long sigh and stalks out.

Kang-chi is at So-jung’s house, asking for some way to save Yeo-wool. So-jung sighs that it happened after all, and that there’s nothing Kang-chi can do when a human meets her fate.

He doesn’t much like that answer, and insists, “There must be something I can do! Yeo-wool will die!” But So-jung says that’s how Fate works, and all he can do is accept it. He says that the best he can do is to go be by Yeo-wool’s side till the end.

When Kang-chi returns to the school, he finds out that Master Dam and Gon have gone after Jo Gwan-woong.

The hunting party scatters through the woods, and Jo Gwan-woong starts to show signs of a cracked noggin—when a guard asks for their next move, he mutters at him to ask Minion because he’ll know what to do. The same sidekick who got hauled off by Lee Soon-shin’s men?

It doesn’t take long for Master Dam to close in on Jo Gwan-woong’s location, and a fight breaks out. Even when he’s down to a few last guards, he manages to slip away… only to run right into Kang-chi.

Jo Gwan-woong orders his men to kill him, and Kang-chi just lets his green eyes glow and tells them they can live if they drop their swords and walk away. They choose life. It’s pretty funny to watch Jo Gwan-woong get ditched so quickly.

Even after all that, he’s still posturing and screaming that Kang-chi will die, and Kang-chi just super-speeds over to him and claws at his arm. They don’t show much, but he reacts like Kang-chi just cut his hand off. Or is that just wishful thinking?

Kang-chi looms over him: “Does it hurt? This is nothing compared to the pain you’ve caused us.”

We hear through gisaeng exposition that Jo Gwan-woong got hauled off to Lee Soon-shin, hog-tied and short of one hand. But… I wanted to SEE that. In all its bloody and ridiculous glory. What the hell?

Now that Jo Gwan-woong is powerless, Chung-jo can no longer be pushed around by the other girls, and they back out of her way.

Yeo-wool opens her eyes and finds Kang-chi holding her hand. She sits up and asks after Dad, worried and sorry for what she’s putting him through. Kang-chi holds her and says she should just hurry up and get better then. She looks up at him and says she has three wishes. Aw man, is she really gonna die?

That night the family gathers for dinner by candlelight, as we hear Kang-chi tell Master Dam that Yeo-wool’s first wish is to eat with everyone. I like that wish. They laugh and joke good-naturedly, though Master Dam is just sitting stoically, trying not to look at Yeo-wool.

They laugh about how Yeo-wool was taller than Gon until they were eleven, and how he still doesn’t eat carrots like a little kid. Kang-chi outs Tae-seo for picking carrots out of his food too. I’m taking that as a sign that they’re meant to be.

Yeo-wool starts to struggle against the pain, and both Kang-chi and Dad notice blood dropping on the floor. Kang-chi gently suggests they go back to her room now, but she wants to stay just a little longer. Oof, that one thing gets to me—her wanting to stay at the dinner table just another minute.

Dad finally turns to her and says she should go rest now. She starts to cry as she tells him: “I’m sorry, Father. I’m sorry, Father.” He just wraps her tiny hand in his, and says with tears streaming down his face: “You are my greatest happiness, Yeo-wool-ah.”

Once Dad cries, the floodgates open, and everyone starts to cry. He asks Kang-chi to take care of her, which is a bittersweet way to finally get that approval from Dad.

He carries her down the hall, and she asks for her second wish—to go on a walk with him. He takes her to the river where they sit for a while, and she asks something she’s always been curious about: “Why are you afraid of spiders?” Kang-chi: “Because they have too many legs.” It’s true! They have too many. What do they need all those legs for anyway?

He asks if she remembers what he said to her back then—to be his wife. “If I ask you the same thing now, what will you say?” She wonders when he remembered, and why he didn’t say anything about it till now.

He says the second he knew her name, he remembered, “But you had already begun to mean something to me.” He asks again:

Kang-chi: Will you marry me?
Yeo-wool: Even though I can’t cook?
Kang-chi: Will you marry me?
Yeo-wool: And my sewing is terrible?
Kang-chi: Will you marry me?

He starts to cry, and she wipes away his tears. “Don’t cry, Kang-chi-ya. I don’t want to be a sad memory for you. I want to be a happy one. I want to be laughter to you, not tears. When you remember me, I want you to be happy. That is my third wish.”

He takes her hand and makes her promise: “Let’s meet again. Let’s meet again. I’ll wait for you.” She nods.

Kang-chi: “I love you.” Yeo-wool: “I love you.”

As they kiss one last time, blue lights come floating in around them. Kang-chi thinks in voiceover: “When we meet again, I’ll recognize you first. When we meet again, I’ll love you first.”

And then her hand drops away from his, and she falls onto his shoulder. He calls her name, but there’s no answer.

He holds her close as he breaks down in tears, and then he narrates: “And like that, the sound of her breath stopped. And in that moment, my time stopped.”

Time stops for everyone as they mourn Yeo-wool’s passing, and then when we find Kang-chi sitting in her room, staring at the flower he gave her, now wilted.

Tae-seo finds him there, still numb and not knowing what to do. He asks if Tae-seo thinks Yeo-wool might still be alive and happy if it weren’t for him, and Tae-seo says that if he had to choose between living a hundred years or only living a hundred days but with the person he loves, he’d choose the hundred days.

Tae-seo: “Yeo-wool was happier than anyone because of you.”

Tae-seo leads him out, and that’s when we see that Kang-chi has a bag packed. Everyone is outside waiting to say goodbye, and he bows to Master Dam to thank him for everything.

Master Dam asks if he’s going to find the Gu Family Book, but Kang-chi says no—he’s going to spend some more time living as he is, waiting until he re-meets the person he wants to grow old with.

Teacher Gong gives him medicine and takes a ring off his finger and places it on Kang-chi’s hand, saying that it’s a sign that he is his disciple. Aw. Dad hugs him goodbye, and then Master Dam presents him with Yeo-wool’s sword, telling him it’s his to keep safe now.

He bows one last time, and takes his leave.

Gon, who’s been conspicuously absent from the proceedings, steps out to watch him go. He says to himself in a quiet voice, “Go well, Choi Kang-chi.”

Kang-chi doesn’t turn around, but he knows Gon is there. He just raises Yeo-wool’s sword above his head as he thinks: “Be well, friend.” Okay, that was kind of badass.

Chung-jo gets a package—it’s the shirt she made for Kang-chi, returned to her. She wistfully recites a proverb that means that first love makes a person grow, while last love completes them, and then sets out towards the prison with a purposeful look in her eye.

She bribes a guard to get inside, and walks right into Jo Gwan-woong’s cell. He does in fact have a stump for a hand. And the reason we were deprived of that violence is…?

She says she came here to pour him a drink, and tells him it’s time for him to die now. He takes the gesture as a sign of mercy, given the punishment he’s about to face, but she just steels her gaze and says that she just wanted to cut off his breath by her own hand, that’s all.

He takes a drink, and asks for another, as he calls his life un-fun and muses that he wasn’t greedy—he just wanted to feel alive. Her expression doesn’t change as he starts to cough up blood, and then she leaves him there to die alone. Farewell, Stumpy. It wasn’t nearly painful enough a death for you, but we’ll take what we can get.

Kang-chi runs into Lee Soon-shin on his way out, and says he doesn’t really know where he’s headed. Lee Soon-shin tells him there’s no real answer to being human, save for trying, every day. He tells Kang-chi, “Of all the people I have met in my life, you are the warmest, kindest person.”

Kang-chi promises to come running if he ever signals for help, and asks if he really thinks that the Gu Family Book exists. Lee Soon-shin says that if he believes in becoming human, then it must exist.

Kang-chi smiles and continues on his path.

And then in Yeo-wool’s room, the blue lights return and bring her flower back to life.

Fade out, and then when we fade back in, it’s 422 years later in present-day Seoul. Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. WHAT. Suddenly he’s Hong-Giljimae?

In a fancy modern apartment are very familiar old relics: Gon’s sword, Teacher Gong-dal’s medicine jar, Yeo-wool’s sword, her purple flower. We only see a man from behind as he showers and gets dressed, and then a close-up of the ring on his finger, and a familiar red shirt hanging in the closet.

As he flips through a magazine we see that Teacher Gong-dal has been reincarnated as a doctor of eastern medicine, and then he gets a call from Yoo Yeon-seok, which is Tae-seo’s actor’s real name. This is getting too meta for my liking. So this is Tae-seo’s soul reincarnated, and he shouts at his friend to hurry up and get to the party.

Kang-chi looks out his window and narrates: “The 5221st crescent moon I’m meeting alone.” And down below in the street, a familiar voice cries out, “Excuse me!” as she runs through the streets.

Kang-chi finally turns his face to the camera as his butler calls to him, and it’s Servant Choi. What, you made your dad a butler? WTF, Kang-chi-ya? And even Ok-man is a valet downstairs.

As he drives through the city, we get glimpses of modern life (and a little moment where he smiles up at the statue of Lee Soon-shin, ha). Kang-chi narrates: “The world changed so quickly, and the way that people live has changed so drastically.”

At an intersection, a woman runs past his car in a blur, and it makes him do a double take. But the light changes and he keeps driving ahead. As he arrives to meet his friends, suddenly he hears a woman crying for someone to save her.

He sighs and pretends not to hear it, but she screams again, and he can’t ignore it. The woman screaming turns out to be Yeo-wool’s teacher, reincarnated, and she’s currently about to get her purse taken from Ma Bong-chul, who’s still a loan shark gangster even in this life.

Kang-chi shows up to save the day, only to beam when he sees Bong-chul and Teacher. “Are you taking money from people even here?” Ha. He counts to three just like the old days, and flashes his pretty green eyes at him before he beats them to a pulp.

He’s just about to have his hero moment, when a familiar voice calls out behind him to freeze. Everyone else takes off running, and Kang-chi puts his hands up with a sigh, saying it’s all a misunderstanding.

But when he whirls around, he stops cold. It’s Yeo-wool, inching closer to him with her gun raised. Is she a cop? Seems fitting.

She comes closer and tells him to freeze, which he’s already doing because his mind is blown, and he finally manages to say, “Yeo-wool-ah…”

She looks back at him quizzically: “How do you know my name?” Huh, so she’s the only one who has the same name?

She asks if he knows her, and we hear Kang-chi’s voiceover again that when they meet again, he’ll recognize her first and love her first.

He finally answers cryptically with tears brimming in his eyes, “I might know you, and I might not.” And then he looks past her to find a peach blossom tree and a crescent moon hanging up above. He finishes in voiceover: “And my time that had stopped… began to flow once again.”

End credits… and then an epilogue.

Kang-chi’s doorbell rings and he’s shocked to find Gon at his door, bearing a national security ID tag. The man behind him takes off his sunglasses… and it’s Lee Soon-shin.

COMMENTS

WHAT. THE. FUCK.

Is this writer on crack? The thing is, I totally see what she was trying to do, and it’s even theoretically the kind of ending I would love for a hero’s journey. Really really, promise promise. But dude, you can’t just slap that ending on without doing the legwork to make it organic, lived-in, and earned… hell, even remotely sensical. There’s a finesse to the execution! You can’t just decide your hero’s gonna be Iljimae and then shove us into the future. That’s messed up. I feel manipulated out of tears, and worse, cheated out of the hero’s journey that would have brought us here in a satisfying manner.

You know, I actually watched this series much like Jeon Woo-chi–with low expectations for a cute, fun hero story, delivered with cheeky laughs. It was never going to be epically amazing, but I wasn’t going to hold it to that when it was trying to be lighter fare. But this—trying to turn Kang-chi into one of those iconic in-every-generation heroes in the eleventh hour—was done so poorly. I may even have cringed less if they didn’t decide that he had to be Bruce Wayne, or that everyone from 422 years ago just happened to be reincarnated in the same lifetime. (Or was this the seventeenth Tae-seo he’s been buddies with? Who knows?) Just because you have a supernatural world doesn’t mean you get to do ALL supernatural things all willy-nilly. There are rules. What you sacrifice for that fancy surprise twist ending is that you went there on your own and left us all behind.

Kang-chi could’ve been that kind of hero… if that was what you were building towards for the past twenty-three episodes. But it wasn’t. And I know because I was there for all of it. We started in a good place, with an epic backstory and a great beginning for a hero. We set up a fantastic character who stood up for the weak and used his strength for the greater good. But then we let that sit there for the love story to take center stage. Living, loving, and dying was what he desperately wanted, and he fought for his human side to win out. So we wanted that for him. Because he told us so. We spent the rest of the episodes wondering if Kang-chi would ever get to the goddamn book and become human, and then gave up hope that this show would complete anything other than the romance. Because we spent SO MUCH time on the romance. And it was sweet, and cute, and all it needed was a pretty pink bow happy ending to satisfy us. That’s it.

Instead we got a death to wring tears out of us, and then a left-turn fast-forward so sharp that my whiplash is having whiplash babies. And the crux of it, really, is that it gained nothing in doing so. All we did was come back around to the romance. I suppose if you’re in it for a sequel, that’s another story, but then I hate people who shunt an ending in service of a sequel even more. Basically, if your endgame was this all along, then you should’ve done a better job shaping Kang-chi into a hero of the people. A champion. Someone who, I dunno, sacrifices becoming human to save the world? For instance?

And this is all before even getting to the fact that they pulled the reincarnated soulmance ending, which drives me crazy. The straight version: Kang-chi is still Kang-chi, but Yeo-wool is reincarnated, and he’s going to love her all over again. The fanwank version: Yeo-wool is also still Yeo-wool, because she still has the same name while no one else does, and her purple flower power gives her the right to do this. I dunno, I’m making it up. The point is, this kind of soul-in-new-body ending always leaves me with that niggling feeling that something’s not right. Because it’s not the same. Because she died, and he didn’t, and there wasn’t even any time travel for anyone who wasn’t us, and because then the healthier thing to do would be to move on with your life and date Catwoman or something. I get that pining for 5221 moons is, well, moony, but I thought the entire setup of the parents’ doomed tragedy of a romance was that the kids were going to get it right. And they did everything right every step of the way, only to get rewarded with a 422-year engagement.

I was all ready to put this show to bed with satisfactory B-marks, because it was fun and chipper, and a cool twist on gumiho lore. Though it didn’t explore the full extent of the beast/man divide, I thought that it had interesting ideas at the center and that we were just going to wrap up our narrative neatly. Even the sadder version that ends at the fadeout with Kang-chi walking down the dirt road—that would’ve been better. Less than stellar, but it would’ve been an organic ending. I might’ve even liked it. I’d still be upset at Yeo-wool having to die (because that’s just plain mean, is what) but I could be okay with Kang-chi setting out to live his life as half-human half-beast without her, and learning to accept himself as he is.

But so much of the emotional payoff I wanted was never delivered. And a finale that did that would’ve been enough for me to overlook the obvious flaws, like stretching story for 16 episodes into 24, or the unfortunate inverse stakes for Wol-ryung (epic, tragic, life-and-death) and Kang-chi (heartfelt, but juvenile, and not nearly as earth-shattering by a long shot). We were even shafted on the villain’s big comeuppance, which I know was not cut for censorship, (Remember when Wol-ryung yanked the still-beating heart out of a man and liked it?) not to mention that the drama’s over-reliance on Lee Soon-shin to come and save the day steals our hero’s thunder. I had fun with this show, even if it was never on a deep emotional level, but these last two episodes really took the wind out of my sails. It was such an interesting universe, rich with potential. To sacrifice closure in that world, for this… what a damn shame.

716

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1 Ivoire

June 25, 2013 at 8:25 PM

Thanks!

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Ivoire

June 25, 2013 at 8:40 PM

I had mixed feelings about the ending. This ep. felt to me like two different endings. I did not see that coming. The last 10mns reminded me of QIHM and RTP, for some reason (and maybe a tiny little bit of Faith?).

Also, for some reason, I was more moved by KC saying goodbye to everyone than by YW dying, though I thought it was well acted and well filmed (I thought Suzy did really in this ep., and so did LSG). I was watching all of that more from a curious standpoint, whereas KC saying goodbye and everyone (or almost everyone being there, in the front yard) sucked me in (that scene). That made me feel the same way I felt during Lord Park's funeral (very moved).

Maybe I wasn't as moved by YW's dying because she had been used as a plot device so many times, with her life being in danger. The impact this time was not as strong for me, though I kept hoping that she would be revived somehow or show up again. I just didn't realize (or better yet thought) it would be in 2013. Like I said, I had mixed feelings about this ep.

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askmec

June 25, 2013 at 9:12 PM

sigh. This show. The story was set up so nicely with awesome back story and an epic opening for the hero's journey. After the setup of episode 1 and 2, I thought this show would be full of adventures with some touches of romance. BUT NO. Most of the time there were TOO MUCH cute scenes, but I like the chemistry between the two (tbh I first started watching this because of Suzy). In the end, I got cheated with this Reincarnated ending.

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zfih

June 25, 2013 at 11:19 PM

Too tell you the truth, I didn't think it was that bad. Yes, there was so much potential - and they dragged the boring plot lines like there was no tomarrow! There was so much scenes they could have removed or shortened so that Kang chi could go find the Gu family book BUT I have seen worse dramas.
And this drama gave us a wild ride- so salute to that. I think the worst the writer did for this drama seems to be that they out in hard work for that in the beginning that was interesting and kept us on the edge of our seat, so the combination of having such high expectations and the writers carelessness at the end killed it for us.

Oh well. It was fun. And I loved all the characters so the ending doesnt kill me

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KDaddict

June 25, 2013 at 11:29 PM

I am with @zfih, every word.

It is bad but really not That bad. There is much wasted potential, but it was entertaining for the most part. The last 2 eps are horrid, which amplifies the out of place quality of the ending. So it leaves more of a bad taste in the mouth than it would have otherwise.

Story-wise, I do feel cheated. I love LSG and don't mind Suzy. That helps it go down easy. Overall, it is unsatisfying, but as she said, I've certainly seen worse dramas.

Peachaso

July 5, 2013 at 11:15 AM

I thought it was a pretty good ending, though I definitely could have gone without ALL the characters being reincarnated.

Here's my take on the ending: when Kang Chi says his time stops it means he stopped aging, then when he saw Yeo Wool again his time started again, I.e. he started aging. Thus, the Gu Family Book might not actually exist, and there might not be a way to turn into a human. But if you fall in love with a human who loves you back, you can maintain human form, and you will age along with the person you love...

Yoram

October 25, 2016 at 1:05 PM

I don't believe any of the people who watched this drama liked the ending, actually, I believe that all of them hated it. You can't have a heart and like it.
With great acting you capture us, make us participate in the story, sympathize with the wronged; cry when they suffer, smile with them when they are happy.
In a plot where anything is possible, what would have been wrong in letting the first generation's tragedy be compensated for with a happy ending for the second. why give so much hope and take it away. why suffer so much and die. If there is ever a sequel to this drama, and the its ending in our century is a possible hint for that, I will not watch it until all the episodes are out and I can read the comments on the last one; meeting again under the crescent moon and peach blossom tree our century is warning about more tragedy, more suffering, and no redemption.

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pabo ceo reom

June 25, 2013 at 9:26 PM

Wholly unsatisfying. I actually feel bad for the actors who were given such a sloppy story to portray.

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askmec

June 25, 2013 at 9:32 PM

Seriously, the beginning and ending just feel like TWO DIFFERENT DRAMAS..

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Tartani

June 25, 2013 at 10:08 PM

Beginning, Middle, End. 3 completely different dramas.
The beginning was a tragic love story of 2 lovers that started and resolved beautifully.
The middle was a cute rom com between the children.
The end was one big WTFkery.

Jlee

June 25, 2013 at 9:53 PM

That ending - what the hell just happened?

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yeng

June 25, 2013 at 10:55 PM

why is this drama even call gu family book, if there is not even any adventure in search for it?? I was expecting they would at least do something to relate about the book, but they just make him live forever and meet everyone in the future? I cant make any sense of this

dorisp

June 26, 2013 at 12:22 AM

though am also have lots of disappointment about this show, first the title of the show wherein we haven't even seen the 'book' and the unsatisfactory ending, but have seen lots of kdramas before with good/exciting first few eps only to be disappointed with a very rushed endings, I think almost 90% of kdramas I've watched have such endings that am not actually surprised when I see another one...but still am glad to have watched this one, at least I have met a very memorable character in Wolryung and Seo Hwa...

AryAry

July 28, 2013 at 3:24 AM

I think gu family book was suzy Lee Soon Shin said,,If want to libe you will find it''.That's my opinion!

AryAry

July 28, 2013 at 3:25 AM

I think gu family book was Suzy because Lee Soon Shin said to Kang Chi ,,If want to live you will find it''.That's my opinion!

ycel

October 16, 2013 at 9:29 AM

the ending is so disappointing...i felt that my tears were wasted because of that...where did the writer got that idea? so sad

applecookie

June 26, 2013 at 12:49 AM

I believe I mentioned somewhere in my previous comment that I didn't think the writers would, well, write off Yeo-wool's existence so simply. That isn't to say it was unexpected, though, and that's the very reason why this finale was a major letdown. It's that the producers and writers involved in this drama let it run a very predictable, cliched course which is what's supremely disappointing. Truth be told, I wished for an ending that would prove the monk wrong - that is, to have Kang-chi and Yeo-wool's strong feelings for each other to conquer that damned fate. And yet, Yeo-wool's impressive speeches to Kang-chi about changing destiny/being unafraid of the unknown notwithstanding, the show has only managed to teach us that, no, fate truly can't be changed by human means so long as we're alive. That irks me.

I was nearly about to blow a gasket when it got the scene with Kang-chi preparing to leave the academy, because the only thing I could think of was, "Please don't tell me Kang-chi's actually leaving to find the Gu Family Book and have his amazing journey happen offscreen." ...I was glad to let out a grand sigh of relief when it turned out he had just decided to leave to live as a real gumiho for a (very long) time.

Overall, I won't say that the drama was a complete waste of time, as I feel it wasn't. Just because the main couple didn't make it in their lifetime, just because the incredible timeskip makes the beginning and ending seem like two different shows, just because the drama turned out to be romance-centric like any other, just because the writers went batshit insane and threw their hands up in the air *doesn't* make me feel like I got cheated out of a decent series. Sure, it wasn't too satisfying. But at the end of the day, what matters to me was that I was still able to have important values reinforced to me, relate to many of the character's and sympathize their situations, and have some laughs.

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applecookie

June 26, 2013 at 12:52 AM

*characters (without the silly apostrophe)

-wishes editing comments was a real feature here-

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Ivoire

June 29, 2013 at 1:16 PM

CLAP, CLAP, CLAP!!!! Well said, Applecookie, well said! And I agree with what you have said...

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ing

November 21, 2014 at 10:21 AM

well at some part I'm agree with you.
at least....
at least the writer didn't let kang chi seeking out for the book offscreen.
so at least, the reincarnated lifetime part signs that the reall journey will begin later on.

as this drama's another tittle is "Kang-Chi, The Beginning", the next one might be.... well.. uhm... "Kang-Chi, The Real Adventure"? hahaah

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Betsy Hp

June 28, 2013 at 8:31 PM

@Ivorie: "Also, for some reason, I was more moved by KC saying goodbye to everyone than by YW dying..."

Everyone except for Chung-jo -- who got the cold present-return brush off. Also -- the only one who didn't get reincarnatedl.

I guess it's better for your flower to wither than get ripped away. Nice. Real nice. *bitter*

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Ivoire

June 29, 2013 at 1:10 PM

Hi Betsy Hp, good to hear from you :-). So do you mean that you were/are bitter about the ending/the resolution of the plot/drama?

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Betsy Hp

June 29, 2013 at 2:24 PM

Hi Ivoire. :)

I added the "bitter" to my comment to kind of signal that I was looking at that scene from a bitter point of view with a very narrow focus. (A very obscure signal, I realize -- sorry about that.)

I've been bitter over Chung-jo's story and its resolution. Which really was a lack of one, that led to unfortunate implications -- that she remained a gisaeng, that she became so unimportant to Kang-chi that he didn't say goodbye to her and she didn't get to be reincarnated with the rest of the gang.

It leaves the impression that because she was raped she became worthless. (In other words, it's better to die than to be raped -- which is really ugly idea that gets more play than it should.)

mylez

October 16, 2016 at 12:16 AM

a very bitter ending ..I cried the whole nyt after watching the final episode ..

blegh

June 25, 2013 at 9:48 PM

I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! a while ago (like years ago) I read a manhwa very similar, where the guy was immortal (but because of a curse), and everytime the girl was reborn and fall in love with him, she'd die the moment she kissed him. near the end the girl said, "next time when I meet you again I'll love you first". after watching this drama, from the first ep I had hunch and also hoping that the ending would be something similar. yayyyyyy!!!

I AM HAPPY!!!!!!!!

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Ivoire

June 25, 2013 at 10:27 PM

Hello blegh, I just LOVE that your screen name is "blegh" and that you are ending your comment with "I AM HAPPY!!!!!!!" That just brought a smile to my face, that difference/dichotomy :-) I thought I would let you know.

Well I am glad you are happy! Good for you!!!! Also, based on what you said (about the manhwa), this drama does not sound as original to me (anymore) as it did at first :-(

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blegh

June 26, 2013 at 12:13 AM

well as per how everyone's claiming that the drama is a mesh of everything in manga/manhwa, drama world. I'm not disagreeing. but I don't see anything bad about it in particular. like how it's similar to inuyasha. I actually loved it that it was similar how yewool was the kagome to kangchi's inuyasha. as for the similarity between the drama and that other manhwa, when I heard of the story that yewool might die, and the fact that being human isn't necessarily all good, I was hoping that kangchi wouldn't become human. and then i rembered reading the manhwa. rather than losing his divine self, I like the idea of loving and falling for someone again and again. it's like love never dies (literally! ). rather than seeing it as a never ending loop (which was indeed what the manhwa had going) I see it as long lasting love.
one doesn't necessarily have to be new to be good. I guess most people just didn't expect this outcome and getting angry because of it.
p.s. thank you (about the name)

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blegh

June 26, 2013 at 12:42 AM

also, the fact that no one has ever found the "book" before. like never, even wolryong spent 1000yrs of his lifetime looking for it. it won't be anymore logical that kangchi would be able to find it during yewool's lifetime. and without yewool, it's pointless for him to become human. also in a world where gumihos exists, I don't see how reincarnation would be a big deal. I don't see why the ending would be so upsetting. and yes please to a sequel!

skelly

June 26, 2013 at 10:21 AM

Actually, the whole problem was because of an ancient, tragic misprint; a drunken monk accidentally wrote "Gu Familly Book" when it was supposed to be "Gu Family Boot." The magical boots that could have given humanhood to all gumihos were in the closet under an old overcoat.

pogo

June 26, 2013 at 10:34 AM

Damn you, skelly, my screen is decorated with equal parts spit and coffee thanks to what you just wrote (not to mention the actual choking hazard known as dying of lols)

KDR

June 26, 2013 at 4:35 PM

Hahaha.. Boot indeed! I'm dying of laughter here!

KDaddict

June 25, 2013 at 11:31 PM

An endless, hopeless loop. They are caught in it and have to tread like hamsters. That's a cruel and sad fate.

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verte

June 25, 2013 at 11:40 PM

Oooh! I read that manhwa too :D
but IMO, it was rly bad :(

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Ivoire

June 25, 2013 at 11:43 PM

Hello KDaddict,

Who were you referring to when you said this, "An endless, hopeless loop. They are caught in it and have to tread like hamsters. That’s a cruel and sad fate." The characters in the manhwa she talked about, or KC and YW in this drama? (your comment left me a little confused...) Also, would that manwha be by any chance InuYasha? I keep seeing that name being referred to, in the comments' section.

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KDaddict

June 25, 2013 at 11:51 PM

First off, the manhwa. But it also looks like KC and YW are caught in this kind of endless, hopeless loop too. Look at that new moon over the cherry tree. Monk said last time that a love that started under that scene was detrimental to YW--it was her fate to die bcos of that love. So here we are again 422 yrs later. The implication is that she'll die again this time cos of KC. He'll wait for her next reincarnation. And the whole thing will be repeated ad infinitum. That's not a cruel and sad fate? ;)

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blegh

June 26, 2013 at 12:29 AM

well, as for the manhwa, when the maincharacter reincarnated, each time she was different. and she hated him the scenarios and evrything changed. however, in the drama, since everything is somewhat repeating, things can change. we don't know exactly.
lol I'm staying positive.

the ending is how I wanted it to be so I'm happy. I actually feel weird how it came out almost exactly as I hoped for. the moment yewool and kangchi was talking about meeting again, my feet started clapping over excitement. is this where I think it's is going? I still can't get over how the ending is so similar to how I imagined.
I must use this power responsibly! for the sake of kdrama world!!!

aisling

June 26, 2013 at 12:44 AM

This endless loop thing... Is like Neitzsche's Eternal Recurrence...

dorisp

June 27, 2013 at 12:52 AM

lol....i think you're right about their fate being ad infinitum as they meet again with that crescent moon so even after 422 yrs later YW will still die.....glad KC didn't let go his gumiho side as he got another awaiting to do....

KDaddict

June 26, 2013 at 12:20 AM

Ivoire, See @cloud9's comment in 18.1

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Ivoire

June 26, 2013 at 12:45 AM

I will, thanks!

mailahana

June 26, 2013 at 3:07 AM

It's nice to see that there is someone who stay positive like yours. Honestly, I laugh very hard knowing it's ending like that. How could it be? The writter must have a great joke!. But it was too bad for the actors to play a role with the script out of the idea (OOI) like that. In the mid of drama, I knew it has OOI but I still get it, but the last 2 episodes I knew something wrong will be happened, it's really loose (idea) at all. But big thankss to the cast for still act well till the end. *I must be positive too*

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mailahana

June 26, 2013 at 4:16 AM

@blegh
It's nice to see that there is someone who stay positive like yours.
Honestly, I laugh very hard knowing it's ending like that. How could it be? The writter must have a great joke!. But it was too bad for the actors to play a role with the script out of the idea (OOI) like that. In the mid of drama, I knew it has OOI but I still get it, but the last 2 episodes I knew something wrong will be happened, it's really loose (idea) at all.

But big thankss to the cast for still act well till the end. *I must be positive too*

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Biae

June 26, 2013 at 10:25 AM

What's the name of the manhwa?

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Ivoire

June 26, 2013 at 12:44 PM

Hi Biae, I think it is this, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InuYasha

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Ivoire

June 26, 2013 at 12:47 PM

Hi Biae, I responded to your question, and my comment is awaiting moderation. I think the manhwa is InuYasha. You can google it to find out more info.

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blegh

June 26, 2013 at 3:00 PM

no, the manhwa I'm talking about is not inuyasha. inuyasha is a japanese manga, and though the drama also had some similarities with inuyasha, the ending that I'm talking about is something else. in inuyasha, the main characters would travel between space and time. and in the manhwa and the ending of the drama, the male lead, being immortal, simply waits for his lover to be reincarnated. I don't quite remember how inuyasha ended. the manhwa a I'm talking about was really short (probably those 'one shot' ones). I'll look up the name.

blegh

June 26, 2013 at 4:55 PM

it's Replay by Ryu Riang. it has 3 volumes with five chapters each. the ending is almost the same as the drama's ending.

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jellybeans

June 26, 2013 at 9:29 PM

can i know the title of manhwa?

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blegh

June 26, 2013 at 11:00 PM

replay

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ing

November 21, 2014 at 10:16 AM

hello... well.... uhm... blegh... (it sounds like I'm yucking in front of you when I srote the 'blegh') XD

totally agree with you..
well I mean I'm not that disappointed of this drama tho. yeah there are some parts that let me quite down and yawn for a while but overall, I like this one.

and the strange one is...
Am I the one who gets happy with the end? lol
I was a crybaby for the KW-YW's love ending. So, I'm super relieved by the.. reincarnation part. It feels like the 422-years-later part wipes my tears and informs me that they're not done yet. there could be better plot for the sequel (I hope).

And I actually don't mind with almost all cast being reincarnated in the same lifetime. For me, it means a new light and hope for fixing their flaw at the old lifetime. Like I mean, I quite dislike Gon but I MIGHT like the latest Gon here. So, basically, I think the ending is really okay as a hint for the sequel.

Oh crap. I'm craving for the (better) sequel. AS the tittle was "Kang Chi - The Beginning", the sequel might be "Kang Chi - Craving for Book" with a better plot.

Well, I'm in quite good mood and very grateful tho. XD

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Ivoire

June 26, 2013 at 9:32 AM

Some more thoughts on the this ep.

I have realized that I actually didn't know how I felt/how to feel about the finale, and that feeling lasted me a good 4 to 5 hours after I had watched the drama. I went into it being very curious about a lot of things. Was TS going to give KC a test (he didn't), was KC still going to look for the book (no), would TS get the Inn back (yes), would CJ remain a gisaeng (probably, maybe), would KC and YW still have they HEA (no, or at least not the way I thought, in their own lifetime), would the ending be befitting to the beginning (*sigh* on that one :-( ), and other questions I can't remember right now.

I don't regret watching this drama, and being engrossed in it. I learned a lot in the process and though I didn't love every ep. equally, I always looked forward to the new ep. and I loved a lot of the dialogue and a lot of the acting. I also love the OST, a lot.

I have a few questions:

1--When KC said that he didn't bring up the fact that he had remembered telling YW he would marry her, and he said "I didn't bring up that fact because you had started having meaning for me," what did he mean by that? Why wouldn't he bring that up? Were the two mutually exclusive? (remembering her and her having meaning for him).

2--"I think I might know you, I think I might not," that was puzzling to me.

3--The open ended ending was interesting. Would the monk still be there (in 2013) with some clauses to their getting together? Could YW die again, a la InuYasha?

Back to my thoughts. I guess I was right about asking my question about Kageshima yesterday. LSS had a pointed glance with him in this ep. I guess they were just acknowledging each other.

And this might be just me, however, when KC asked YW to go home, I wish that for once, she had actually listened to him, his reason was valid, imho. Also, I am with GF on JGW's ending, it wasn't as satisfying as I thought it would be, sadly. I too, wanted to see the violence, preferably Gaksital style. JGW should have been put in the box of nails, and left there to die, slowly :-).

Interestingly, KC in the last 10mns looked more like LSG acting than KC. It was so weird to have KC for the last almost 22 ep. (being kC in his behavior) and then have him really look (and act) like LSG. That felt a little jarring to me.

I liked the 1st ending, it had finality. The 2nd one, I was not sure what to make of it, especially with many of the old characters being reincarnated (and not sure of what they all were, really in 2013).

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Ivoire

June 26, 2013 at 3:08 PM

I was also surprised at how melodramatic the drama went, and at how long it stayed there (till the end). I am with GF on her analysis, and I thought she touched on all the points where this drama went wrong, and the potentially interesting plots that could have been explored. I too, wanted adventure and hijinks for KC to go through, making this drama more fun and comedic and well... adventurous.

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ing

November 21, 2014 at 11:04 AM

Hello Ivoire!
I'm super late I guess.. it's been 1 year after you posted this comment XD
Well, please let me leave some thoughts for some of your questions :3

"1–When KC said that he didn’t bring up the fact that he had remembered telling YW he would marry her, and he said “I didn’t bring up that fact because you had started having meaning for me,” what did he mean by that? Why wouldn’t he bring that up? Were the two mutually exclusive? (remembering her and her having meaning for him)."
I'm not sure actually. But myself want to believe that Kangchi's saying means, he doesn't want to be embraced by past memory. Because the current Kangchi has already fell for Yeo-wool, there's no need to remember the past.. well.. Kangchi was something like.. explaining that even though he remembered that moment and he did propose her, the current Kangchi has already fallen for the current yeo-wool. he likes her by now, not by their memory or promise. oh crap, I don't know how to explain this. lol

"2–“I think I might know you, I think I might not,” that was puzzling to me."
for me... it's because kangchi has known the past lifetime's yeowool (as they have even formed love xD), so, he knew her. but after meeting the 2013's yeowool, he's not sure if he knows her because this yeowool is from different lifetime, might have different character, different background, different love-life.. so yeah... he might know (the past) her, but also might not know (the current) her.

3–The open ended ending was interesting. Would the monk still be there (in 2013) with some clauses to their getting together? Could YW die again, a la InuYasha?
I don't really know again well XD. But I think, at the past, yeowool was the one who had been told not to be close with the person she meets under cherryblossom&cresent moon if she wants to remain alive. she was against it, therefore, she died.
This time, kangchi was the one who saw yeowool under cherryblossom&cresent moon, so he might be the one who is in danger, but there might be a plot twist, right? yeah I mean... by the power of love.. or something.. or the book.. or anything, they can break the forecast and stay alive together. lol

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Ivoire

June 26, 2013 at 9:33 AM

I guess based on the ratings and how many CFs offers LSG and Suzy are getting currently, doing this project worked for them. The OST alone is selling at a high price ($33.00 and $67.00 on YesAsia). And that might be only the beginning. CJH got some recognition as well, which is good. I guess all was not bad.

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Ivoire

June 27, 2013 at 6:58 AM

I don't know if anyone will see these questions of mine, however, I had these questions about some of the episodes I happen to rewatch this past weekend. My thanks to anyone who reads this and manages to answer.

1--In ep. 11, when KC talks to YW outside (when they are sitting on the bench), he asks her if she has ever been in love, and in talking to her, he refers to love as "yunjong [sp?]" and not as "sarang," which was what I would have expected to hear. What is the difference between those two words?

2--In ep. 13, I heard the term "daejangbu [sp?]" being mentioned. I was wondering, is it a variation on the term "daejang [sp]?" (which I think means "captain or general?")

3--In that same ep. (ep. 13), I also heard the term "ohgun [sp?]" being mentioned. What does it mean?

4--I was wondering if there is a difference in the way "love," the word is said in old Korean (spoken in sageuk, for example) and the way it is said in modern day Korean.
In ep. 13, when TS asked KC if he loved YW, TS said something that sounded like, "yomo ya krecuna?" which was translated on viki as "you love her, don't you?" and at 1st KC said yes, but then he said "anida, yomorani," which was translated as "(no), I don't love her."
I was surprised when I heard that, because I expected to hear the word sarang being used to mention love, and it wasn't. I guess they used some other words, more reflective of what would have been said back then.

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ing

November 21, 2014 at 11:25 AM

Hello... I'm a year late for answering this.
sadly I can't water your thirst XD

1. I did some translates thingy, you know, trying to write yunjong, yunjeong, yonjong, yeonjeong, yeonjong, yonjeong, and only 2 of them have meaning. 연정 (yeonjeong) means coalition, 연종(yeonjong) means anbury. I don't even understand that, yet informing you this. sorry :" so, I think, yes, the old korean language might have some different vocabs from the modern one. hohoho

2. well again, after done the translating thingy, from what I found, daejang means general/captain/colon, while daejangbu means "a big man". I found this funny X'D

3. I've heard it for several times. I think...... it's a kind of title(degree) for the force. you know.. it might be something like daejang? hehehe

4. Well because I failed reload the drama :" and to lazy to keep reloading it, I can't hear or remember what they exatly said, but yes, there is a few different words used in old days and modern days. even in terms of saying sorry, in modern times you can say "mianhae(yo)" from the basic word "mianhada", but at old days they usually spell it "mianhao".. hee hee

pardon me if some of those are false.
well, I tried my best XD

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ing

November 21, 2014 at 11:29 AM

ohhh and I found that "gun/yang" is an honorific title for super formal occasion. gun is for man while yang is for woman.
if "ohgun" isn't a title like daejang, it might be the combination of family name (or the name instead) "Oh" and honorific title "gun"
well again..
I don't know XD

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ownzzjoo

June 30, 2013 at 12:17 AM

Dam good kiss in Ep 17. (I believe)....

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sachel

July 6, 2013 at 9:16 AM

that kiss made me commit to this drama! Too bad story became this murky in the last episodes :-(

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Yeol-Hye

August 29, 2013 at 9:48 PM

Has anybody noticed how they met again under a cherry-blossom with a crescent moon? And it was foretold that the person Kang-Chi meets under a cherry-blossom + crescent moon, will die because of him? And Yeol-Wa has already died once so has anybody ever thought of how she will die AGAIN ? Because of the same damn reason? Gosh , if there's a 2nd season , she better not die again or else I'm gonna .... gonna... cry like an idiot. T~T

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ing

November 21, 2014 at 10:31 AM

hello yeol-hye

I'm glad that I'm not the one who might cry like an idiot if that happens XD

well.. the exact thing about the cherryblossom+crescent moon is.. Dam Yeo-Wool was the one who got the forecast from the fortune-teller.
The fortune-teller said that she better not stay with the person she meets under cherryblossom and crescent moon if she wants to stay alive, thus, after seeing kangchi at the exact condition, she died.

Moreover, this time Kang-chi was the one who saw yeo-wool under that condition so, I think this time, Kang-chi will be the one who is in danger.

That's why I don't feel that bad for the ending because there might be a better sequel. There might be a twist for the forecast right?
Or.. no?
Oh come on.. if the sequel will exist, it won't be fun to be ended with dying scene again. lol

let's just hope for the better story :")

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Violet

September 9, 2013 at 1:10 AM

I think the series are very good in the flow.Is it really 24 is the last episode? If so,at the ending, i didn't feel perfect.Uh...You know. I think it'd be better the meeting of Kang-Chi & Yeo-Wool in these days should be longer than that...I mean the part that Yeo-Wool remembers Kang-Chi & the past should be added.

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2 Emily

June 25, 2013 at 8:26 PM

THANKS FOR THIS. I WAS WAITING FOR IT BEFORE I WENT TO SLEEP :D

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Emily

June 25, 2013 at 8:48 PM

The eff. Like, seriously, what the eff. I don't know but if she got shot in the shoulder, it shouldn't have been too bad? Unless it was closer to the heart than the shoulder. But most random ending ever...ok. That's why it didn't get the 20% rating. Because of that ending.

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Rebecca

June 26, 2013 at 10:33 AM

Head gisaeng to Park Chung Jo - "I haven't seen one (a gun) but they say it uses poison and shoots it into the person's body and makes the body and bones rot. Anyone who gets shot with that bullet eventually faces death".

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3 rhumball

June 25, 2013 at 8:27 PM

this ending.. the worst, disappointing. either the writer was on something, or mbc suddenly got gazillions of product placement offer.. the last scene, fancy car, hotel, medicine, cellphone, purse, clothings.. need to incorporate all those in the story line.

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kdramapedia

June 25, 2013 at 8:40 PM

Yes, the product placement was ridiculous! I never knew a "historical" drama could have so many! It's like they have been saving up all their sponsorship cookies so they could cram as many as they could into 10 minutes. *gag*

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KDaddict

June 25, 2013 at 11:47 PM

The white Ferrari was product placement. The phone obviously. There is always a phone PPL. What else?

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KDaddict

June 26, 2013 at 2:43 AM

So many ppl complained abt the PPLs that i went back and watched the last 12 mins just to look for them.
There is his white Lamborghini. The phone was shown, but I didn't even see its brand name. What else?
His tonic? Isn't that Teacher Gong's invention which his company is supposed to be producing? Brand not shown either.
His clothes? Gon's clothes? Gon and LSS's sun glasseses? No brand name was shown on any of them. It wouldn't be v effective PPL if viewers don't even see the brand, right?
Pls enlighten.

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bjharm

June 26, 2013 at 7:37 AM

with these drama with idol or big name actors pretty much anything they wear or use well be selling the next day, either brand name or just plain knock offs

kdramapedia

June 26, 2013 at 12:27 PM

Honestly, the majority of PPL in kdramas have the brand name blocked out. Just because it's blocked out doesn't mean that ppl can't find ou t what it is. The phone was a Galaxy S4, yet the name wasn't shown. The hotel/condo he lived in was PPL, the purse was PPL, the clothing cuts and patterns were petty unique so I'd assume that's PPL, and all that's just from memory. I'm sure there was more in the background (not all PPL is front & center) if I went back and looked.

KDaddict

June 26, 2013 at 10:08 PM

TQ. I see what you all mean now.
I think PPLs r like Dokko Jin's Mineral Water in Best Love.
Clothes, bags and other accessories, and their knock-offs do sell out after the broadcast. Technically, those are sponsorships rather than than PPLs.
The only saving grace of those 12 mins. is for us to see LSG and Sung Joon in good clothing and hairdos.

Mystisith

June 25, 2013 at 8:48 PM

Anthony would be ashamed.

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7rfei

June 25, 2013 at 8:52 PM

Anthony indeed would be.

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kdramapedia

June 25, 2013 at 8:58 PM

Anthony would've used it through out the entire series but somehow make it believable AND reach 50% ratings

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Duh-duh

June 25, 2013 at 9:00 PM

Best comment ever

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rhumball

June 25, 2013 at 10:01 PM

LOLLL. Anthony!!! yes.. i learned all the product placement from him.. hahaha.

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Lalala

June 25, 2013 at 11:52 PM

Same here! I never paid attention to the presence of brand name products on dramas and even drama ratings until I watched KoD and met one of Kdramas most interesting characters, Ansony. Lol

dramafan100

June 25, 2013 at 11:21 PM

These sets of comments are funny. I am new to Kdramas but was Anthony the guy in king of dramas? if it is so, I have fallen in love with all of you guys because i think you are all funny.

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Rovi

June 25, 2013 at 11:46 PM

Yes.

I was ROFL-ing through all the PPL comments, since I get the gist already from what "King of Dramas" would be like, since Gag Concert has a sketch named "King of Ratings", and is basically a hilarious riot. XD

fernetiks

June 26, 2013 at 1:03 AM

Well said! Anthony would rather die in the bike crash then deliver this final tape

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Pam

June 25, 2013 at 10:42 PM

Yep, product placement galore!!!

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Saya

June 26, 2013 at 3:42 AM

Oh man, I really feel for you guys. A close shave for me - I very nearly watched it as it aired, but life conspired to make me have no time.

A LOT of feels - if anyone watched non-kdrama Merlin, a show I loved with HUGE LOVE - *SPOILER* - this is exactly what the stupid writers gratuitously put us through and it was AWFUL

AND it was Christmas Eve

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Shiku

June 26, 2013 at 5:17 AM

I haven't watched Merlin s4 yet so nothing gets resolved yet?

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Saya

June 26, 2013 at 10:17 AM

Oh damn, I hope you didn't spoil it for yourself! S4 had one of my series-favourite moments, and Colin Morgan is brilliant as always.

MERLIN SPOILER

S5 is basically a season of filler crap and then a wtf ending.
Also some of the most poignant, lovely moments of all, as well as funny ones...they were just standalone bits of awesome, that ultimately didn't make a coherent or good story. Sigh. My heart still hurts.

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4 7rfei

June 25, 2013 at 8:27 PM

TYVM for the recap. Off to read it.
Overall I think it was an alright drama. I don't think it's terrible but the writer really could've touched more upon other aspects of the story or went deeper with certain themes. I don't mind cute but sometimes I did feel that there was a bit too much cute that takes away from the realism of the romantic aspect of the story. But since I felt the Suzy and Seung gi did the cute well, I wasn't as annoyed. In fact, I quite liked their chemistry together. Many times I did wish the writer could have managed her time a lot more efficiently to explore other characters and possibly apply some logic on some parts but I forgave her. Aish, the side characters other than GW were soo underused. Poor Sung joon. And tbh, I never cared for LSS and GW and wished they had gotten rid of that a lot earlier to focus is more on KC's "journey".
What I couldn't forgive the writer for was the ending. Ok, I got over the YW dying, wasn't necessary and stupid but I got over it..but the reincarnation...the modern times [frustration to the max.] It was the ending I feared for most, reincarnation in modern time, plus that kdrama starring contest crap ending. This is probably one of the worst endings in Kdramas I've ever seen. And what made it even worse was that this wasn't even a crappy drama. Had it been a completely shitty drama with this shitty ending I wouldn't have mind, but it's not. I was invested thoroughly, even more so than some qualitively better dramas that are currently airing so this ending left me with an extremely bitter aftertaste and I felt like I was slapped in the face by the writer. The ending left me with more questions than I had prior to this episode. I don't buy the reincarnation stuff because in the end, YW then and YW now, are still different people. And according to the monk, since they met under the peach blossom tree during the crescent moon once again, she's doomed to die..again..WTH. It made the majority of the episodes in this drama absolutely pointless. And KC and YW had trusted and accepted each other, only to end up with a worse fate than their parents. This also makes me feel that the writer was an anti of the children because she ended the parent's story quite satisfyingly. What exactly is the lesson the writer is trying to tell us? That fate is set in stone and no matter what you do you can't change it? or that drunk fortune tellers with weird eyebrows are always correct?
The only possible explanations I could come up with regarding the ending is that it's all a product placement ploy, because boy is it hard to insert cell phones, clothes, orange juices, and etc into sageuks or that the writer was simply drunk or on drugs. She might as well insert flying ponies and rainbows while she's at it, but that might cost a bit of CG which this drama lacks.
PS. What was the point of LSS and Gon at the end? And was Lord Park's name ever cleared? Did the siblings get the inn back? And um....gu family book? A sequel is practically impossible with this cast, though a special, even a ten minute one, to calm down frustrated viewers like me would be kindly appreciated.

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KDaddict

June 25, 2013 at 11:57 PM

"..a 10 min special to calm down frustrate viewers like me would be kindly appreciated."

Well said. Funny. Like.

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5 mysterious

June 25, 2013 at 8:29 PM

I normally don’t curse but I can’t think of any other way to put this than to say: What the HELL?!!! What kind of ending was that?! That was the crappiest ending I have seen, possibly ever. I am hard pressed right now to remember a more terrible ending. You killed off Yeo-wool, the female lead? What?!!!!!! Wasn’t there anyone around to knock some sense into the writer? What happened? Did the writer run out of ideas and so just randomly pick pieces of other dramas out of a hat? This ending was like ending of The Return of Iljimae (the ending of which I thought matched the story) and Hong Gil Dong (the ending of which I thought didn’t match the show). In this case, the ending didn’t match the show. I don’t care what the monk said, find a loophole (like always) and let Yeo-wool live; that’s what should have happened. The rule that you can only save a person once with divine blood came so late in the game it didn’t even make sense to bring that in; it was nothing more than a plot device pulled out of a bag (like all the other rules the monk seemed to be making up as he went along).
They should have focused more on his journey to find the book. In the end he didn’t even bother to search for the book; and it took 400 years for her to be reincarnated? Puh-lease! And then they once again meet with the moon hovering over a tree just like they did originally. So is she going to die again in this timeline? Are they destined to keep repeating history for eternity, cause hey, Kang-chi isn’t going to die anytime soon is he? His parents had such a moving end to their story and this is the ending the leads get? Are gumihos and half-gumihos not allowed to find happiness if they fall in love with a human? And are humans destined to die if they fall in love with a gumiho? Stupid, stupid, STUPID ending!!! The flower came back to life, why didn’t she?!!!
(I have a rule: I don’t watch a show while it’s airing. I wait until it’s finished and then watch the ending. If it’s a happy ending I go back to the beginning and watch it; if it’s a sad ending I don’t bother to watch it. Whenever I break that rule, I always regret it. This time is no different. If I had known Yeo-wool was going to die and they were going to have that stupid time-jump, I probably wouldn’t have watched it at all. But then again if I hadn’t watched I would never have seen Wol-ryung and Seo-hwa’s story which I loved. What’s a girl to do with such a bitter-sweet experience (bitter from KC/YW and sweet from WR/SH)? I will just do like I said I would in yesterday’s episode rant: I am going to pretend these last two episodes never existed. That is probably the only way I will be able to move past such a horrid ending and remember the good that the show had to offer.)

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anniemo

June 25, 2013 at 8:58 PM

I have the same rule too! And I always regret breaking it. Every freakin' time. I invite disaster though by preferring dark(er) dramas that (naturally) come with a higher risk of misery. I actually got burned bad not too long ago and so I'm far more cautious now than I used to be. Heck, I was walking on the wild side by just deciding to watch Monstar as it airs. No really. THAT was an actual internal debate. I am so so so SO glad I did not go the same route with this show. It might have killed me. I'm disappointed enough and all I did was read the recaps. My condolences (no sarcasm) to all those who did not escape unscathed. I might go back and watch this someday after I've gotten used to how it ends, but at least I'll be prepared. My wimpy heart could not take it otherwise.

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mysterious

June 25, 2013 at 9:15 PM

Didn't he also have that piece of wood that identified Tae-seo as one of the men of honor as well as Soo-ryun's sash that identified her as one? He had something that belonged to each of the men of honor in a display case; nice touch. And then he had a red vest like the one he used to wear (I doubt it's the same one unless he figured out how to keep fabric from deteriorating over 400 years; but if that is the original sash from Soo-ryun and it survived, maybe his vest did too.) plus he still had the ring from Teacher Gong. Seeing those relics was the only interesting thing about the ending. This drama did so many things wrong in the end; oh, it tears me up when I think about what it could have been.

(Side note: as was mentioned, having everyone reincarnated in the same timeline is a stretch, but no Master Dam, no Soo-ryung, no Chung-joo? They don't get to come back? And Seo-hwa's soul is probably still in the cave with Wol-ryung, which seems right. (Nobody cares about Jo Kwang-whatever-his-name-was; he can stay dead.))

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KDaddict

June 26, 2013 at 12:08 AM

Jo whatever his name was can stay dead, or he can come back and suffer every indignity known to man. That poison wine was too good for him.

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gg

June 28, 2013 at 8:11 AM

Agree that this ending sucked. I can think of an equally bad (or worse) ending tho, that is IRIS 1 (no offense to LBH's fans out there).

They shouldn't have named this drama Gu Family Book, should have named it The Gumiho Who Can't Get Over His First Love (첫 사랑 잊지 못 하는 구미호).

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mailahana

June 28, 2013 at 1:15 PM

The suitable title is Kang Chi The Beginning..

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6 harukogirl

June 25, 2013 at 8:30 PM

Yay! Final!

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7 harukogirl

June 25, 2013 at 8:31 PM

Wait, wtf!!??? Ok, now I hate the show...

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harukogirl

June 25, 2013 at 8:35 PM

Maybe hate is to strong....but..disappointed :-(

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disfigurine

June 25, 2013 at 9:09 PM

I agree I hate this show but it's only because I've hated it since the beginning, middle, and end, only the end stamped my hatred for this drama. Seriously how it got it's ratings beats me because I give it a D-. Such horrible writing. This writer is really bad and I've never liked any of her dramas even if it has my favorite Lee Seung Gi. I swear this was one of the lamest dramas and I'm someone who loved My Girlfriend is a Gumiho and other gumiho dramas but this was just plain awful. My honest opinion.

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jaglaine

November 27, 2013 at 3:14 AM

Myself, I liked the beginning but hated the ending. The middle was where the writer lost the plot. Kang Chi ended up being a crybaby. Never saw a hero cry so much, I thought he was going to get dehydrated. I only stuck to it because of LSG but this is one drama I won't be watching again.

Very disappointing. I also don't understand how it could have earned high ratings. No competition? Or is it because of LSG or Suzy?

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Dbsklove

June 27, 2013 at 2:22 AM

1. Yeowool could've totally lived if kang chi had taken the shot
2. Future yeo wool does not equal past yeo wool
3. What happened to the gu family book
4. Not all the four men of honor have given kang chi a task
5. Ugh.
6. But lee seung gi looked good in that last scene :D

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8 dduk

June 25, 2013 at 8:32 PM

that... ending.... ugh... all I have to say is it is such lazy writing!

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9 Katie

June 25, 2013 at 8:34 PM

Seriously. WTF. WTF. Not only do we completely IGNORE the Book, but...we get a lame time change and then THAT ending? WTF. This is the worst drama ending I've ever seen! I mean it's somewhat happy...but seriously?! I wanted more. I'm just so confused. I mean...granted I liked modern day Kang Chi and Yeo Wool, but there was absolutely NO build up.

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10 anonymous

June 25, 2013 at 8:34 PM

Crap Ending.
The writer should be arrested for taking weed as it is illegal in Korea.

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owl

June 25, 2013 at 8:43 PM

Or at least shared some so we could watch it as high as she was, ya think?

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hhisc

June 25, 2013 at 8:58 PM

ha ha

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ilikemangos

June 26, 2013 at 3:04 PM

lmaaao +1

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eliz

June 26, 2013 at 4:20 PM

Jajajajaja That's exactly what I'm thinking, literally I'm in shock, I can't believe that was ended that way.
Is frustrating not to know WTH happened with the book.

And really they are condemned to repeat all over again their story ?
So frustrating !!!!

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11 Dara

June 25, 2013 at 8:34 PM

What just happened?! How and why did we end up to the modern times?! From the ending alone I would suspect there to be a season 2... Thanks for the recap anyway!

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12 YL

June 25, 2013 at 8:36 PM

Thanks for the recap! Love the show very much. Just find it a pity that Yeo-Wool had to die. ): I was hoping they can do more about it when it comes to KC and YW meeting again. Does the tree and the moon means history will repeat itself if they are together?

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13 kiye

June 25, 2013 at 8:38 PM

Thank you, girlfriday, for all your hard work. I felt the EXACT same way about the last two episodes...

It's just...it had so much damn potential...

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zhill

June 25, 2013 at 10:06 PM

you are so right, this drama had so much damn potential ... but the last two episodes kills it. darn!! glad to read the recaps first, now i can just watch this last 2 episodes some other time.

Lee Sung-gi, why oh why? i still have to watch the last two episodes of K2H, and now this too?

how come most of the kdramas always have a crappy ending? Jang Ok-Jung last 2 episodes seems crappy too as what i've heard.

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rhumball

June 25, 2013 at 10:16 PM

K2H ending wayyyyy better than this one. trust me.

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crazyahjummafan

June 26, 2013 at 12:57 AM

Couldn't agree with you more! TK2H had a very satisfactory ending! Love the way JH and HA averted an international crisis in their usual 'play-hard-ball' way. Even SK's death had a redemptive aspect, and the Princess, got on with her life.

The only thing I like about the 2013 ending is how hot and suave LSG looked!

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saturtledaisy

June 26, 2013 at 1:44 AM

I agree with you. After the ending, the only positive thing I had to say was: 'At least we got to see Kang-chi with a different haircut.'

skelly

June 26, 2013 at 10:25 AM

K2H had more than just a good ending; that story had well-rounded, believable characters, a plot with a well-defined beginning, middle, and end, and a solid theme and point-of-view. This mess had none of these things, and was also crippled with a young, one-dimensional girl (but cute as a basketful of kittens! And improving!) in the lead.

mailahana

June 28, 2013 at 2:31 PM

I like TK2H ending too, but I just didn't like LSG' acting in that drama. It seems he has considered it when he took as a leading male actor in GFB, as a leading male actor he has a big responsibility to make the drama awesome. Even sacrifice many things, like doing 'bad hand' & doing many fun services. He is drowning into this drama, seems far away from his true character, but he said he is not regret it.
Actually, GFB (someone has said it) has a big potential, but not explored in a good way, IMHO. Hmm, despite its not really good ending. But I think I understand what writter mean, GFB isn't really existing so it'll not possible to find it & a gumiho can't live together with human.

Angel Yi

June 26, 2013 at 12:27 PM

K2H... AWESOME... but it's SAD

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14 Sue

June 25, 2013 at 8:39 PM

I hate reincarnation endings because I feel inept writers use them to try to fix the unfixable. However, if they must use them, they should do something special. For this last episode, since they were reincarnating other characters too, they should have gone all out. If you cut down Yeol-woo’s endless dying to 5 minutes, you have time to explore the possibilities:
-We see Kang Chi and Yeol-woo get married, and before he figures out how to become human they make another gumiho baby.
-Kang Chi and Yeol-woo come home one day from the stunned obstetrician’s office (who couldn’t believe the sonogram) and meet the new newlywed couple next door, Wol-ryung and young Seo-hwa. They all become best buddies.
-Later on we see an annoyed Kang Chi glaring at Yeol-woo, who happens to be fangirling while watching a music program. We see on the television that the booty-shaking idol she likes is none other than Tae-seo.
- Coming out of their building one day Yeol-woo throws up all over the lobby (extreme gumiho morning sickness). They call housekeeping and we see Jo Gwan-woong, coming with mop and bucket in hand. Since he does such a bad job, his lady boss Chung-jo bullies him to tears.

Now that would have made me happy.

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Jen

June 25, 2013 at 9:28 PM

OMG Sue!

Your endings are so hilarious but I love them!!

Gimme an alternate ending please, stupid writer!! I knew I shouldn't invest too much in his/her work (I couldn't stand that Baker drama) but this is Lee Seung Gi! I watched this coz of him and his delivery of a half Gumiho!! His Baby Gumiho journey for the most part of it was GOOD and some average.... But the last part (particularly last 2 episodes) was WTFWTHWTFWTH!!

OK, I'm never going to watch another of this writer's drama EV ER! (ok too extreme, maybe if its my beloved Yuchun or LSG I would).

AND..... the last 10 minutes was ............... *$%^&(W$^%W(%W)$W@$*&#@$&)&Q%

I rest my case.

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Francis

June 25, 2013 at 9:40 PM

This would have made a better ending.

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Mia

June 25, 2013 at 10:05 PM

bwahahaha I LOVE your ending! especially the last one!

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Angel Yi

June 25, 2013 at 10:15 PM

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL THAT CRACKED ME UP... Especially the one about Jo Gwan Woong. Seriously.. SO FRIKIN FUNNY... and better than what actually happened.

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Rovi

June 25, 2013 at 11:51 PM

Word~! XD

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KDaddict

June 26, 2013 at 12:00 AM

Love your endings. Applause.
Now why can't this writer can't think more like you?

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Sue

June 26, 2013 at 4:52 AM

Thanks. I was so disappointed that I thought if we are going to be ridiculous we better go all the way. To be honest my favorite ending would have included Wol-ryung and Seo-Hwa surviving, killing off baddie in ep 23, and then spending ep 24 with Wol-ryung and Kang chi exploring their quest for the Gu family book (hence the title of the drama). Argh, what could have been...

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crazyahjummafan

June 26, 2013 at 1:01 AM

Good alternative ending, esp about the baby gumihos, esp if they show us a glimpse of how that kinda happened.... and also your GW character with mop in hand (one hand only) and how CJ scolds him!

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jo ra im

June 26, 2013 at 3:18 AM

Love your ending. Maybe GF can make open thread about GFB (should) finale. There will be a lot of fans of GFB who will made their own imagination of the finale.
I can't drag myself to watch ep 23-24. I promised I will watch ep 23 if YW live but the recap of ep 24 made me mad. The writer really mess my day and I want him/her bring my precious time of googling everything about GFB.
I will make my own GFB finale storyboard so I can forget the messy story of ep 24
After the blue light bring the flower back to life, SJ feels something weird, he meets Master Dam and asks him to keep YW's body. A year past by, TS and CJ launch the new 100 Inn. KC comes and meet their relatives again but he don't see Gon at that party. Kid said Gon is on the secret mission. Someone drops a glass and it slashes KC's hand. The blue lights heals it but 3 masters and SJ notice that there is still scar on his hand. KC walk away in the wood when he hears voice screaming. A girl with veil tries to shoo away a fox. KC helps her just like he did with the little YW. KC's hand gets injure and the girl can't stop crying. KC confused cuz the blue light doesn't come. Suddenly, KC sees spider and screams but the girl cuts the spider's leg and only left 2 of it. Her moves makes the veil drops. Gon comes but it's to late cuz KC calls the girl: YW-ah. END
EPILOGUE: Old KC and old YW walk in the wood. There is a gumiho with nine tails run to them and calls : Omma...Appa and she is Shin MIn Ah

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Sue

June 26, 2013 at 4:27 AM

That would be a great idea! Open thread to imagine the possibilities, what should have been, funny or not. Maybe then we would be able to get rid of the awful taste the last few episodes left on us.

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Hyung

June 26, 2013 at 5:42 AM

LOL awesome

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me

June 26, 2013 at 3:55 AM

ROTFL! love the last point!

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minea

June 26, 2013 at 1:17 PM

@Sue

LOL! What an awesome alternate ending! I especially liked the one about JGW being the mop boy and CJ being the lady boss.

@jo ra im

LOVED your ending and epilogue! So this one would be like the prequel to MGIAG then. Love it!

*sigh* The awesomeness, the what could have beens. Tsk. You broke my heart, Show. The first two episodes were totally epic while the last two were totally epic fails. Why, oh, why? *shakes fists at the drama gods* I need a drink.

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minea

June 26, 2013 at 1:28 PM

@Sue

LOL! What an awesome alternate ending! I especially liked the one of JGW being the mop boy and CJ the lady boss. HAHAHA.

@jo ra im

Loved your ending as well! And that epilogue. Brilliant! So this will be the prequel to MGIAG then. Love it!

*sigh* Oh, the awesomeness and the what could have been! Tsk. You broke my heart, Show! The first two episodes were totally epic while the last two were totally epic fails. Why, oh, why? *shakes fists at the drama gods* I think I need a drink. *grumble*

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minea

June 26, 2013 at 2:18 PM

Woops! Sorry about that. It said error so I re-submitted after reconstructing what I initially wrote. Sorry again :(

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luvs

June 26, 2013 at 5:00 PM

hahaha too funny!!

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KDR

June 26, 2013 at 5:04 PM

My alternative ending: KC would become a dorky doctor (WITH A WHITE COAT AND DIMPLES!) with a phd in history.. he would be the head of a protected historical site (100 years inn and the forest nearby).. talking to little kids about the wonders of the past and nature...
That's when Gon would come in and tell him, he needs his help with a national security thing! And behind him is HIS body gaurd, YW!
He looks at them and smiles...
THE END!

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neliq

June 28, 2013 at 10:53 AM

What an awesome ending!! The writer should take a tip or two from you. MUahahahahahaha

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wannabe kdrama scribe

June 29, 2013 at 6:55 AM

Here's my alternate ending (preface: it's a cheat but in these type of dramas I don't feel it's out of place. Also these reincarnation ending are basically cheats):

YW dies. KC takes her remains (or if you like her body and keeps it preserved -it's winter- like Mr. Freeze in that awful Batman movie) back to the magical forest cave. KC goes through the human transformation thing to fulfill YW's wish for him to be human.

The side characters visit him and tell him to move on but he's holding vigil over her for a 100 days essentially and all this unapologetic soapy stuff.

He turns human and he's looking for some sign of a miracle but it isn't happening. Some more sobbing happens and the everything in the forest begins to wither - pan to the flower in YW's room coming back to life. Monk/fortuneteller senses something odd. The spirit of KC's parents look on like Obi-wan.

Blah blah blah. Maybe some Romeo and Juliet take where KC considers suicide for a sec (this might not be the right message) then more blah blah blah she wakes up. She's been dead for 100 days so it fulfills the prophecy part enough. Embrace. Some sappy dialogue. They head off back to her dad's place and they notice the dying forest. They realize it's some mumbo jumbo combination of the spirit of the forest/his parents/magic/power of love/his demon-human conversion (read: cheat) and they thank his parents and the forest and they head off happily in their new life together.

THE END

Came up with this bs 2 hours after watching the finale.

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15 cheliwel

June 25, 2013 at 8:39 PM

In a span of 10 minutes the writer made me hate that I watched all 24 episodes. I always hate the glaring contest endings. Why is that such a popular thing in many finales? Do that many people like it? I felt everything that happened in 24 pretty much negated what KC was fighting for. I still can't believe this is how this series ended.

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LizJ

June 26, 2013 at 1:53 PM

After reading about the finale, I realized that I didn't want to bother even watching it. I didn't like the reincarnation ending in RTP and from what I've read, I would absolutely hate this one. Such a cop out.

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okitokki

June 30, 2013 at 10:22 PM

what the fuck. what the fuck. what. the. fuck. i wasted a full day of my life watching 24 episodes... and that's how it ends? WHAT THE HELL, SHOW. (also, am i the only person bothered by the fact that they named the damn show 'gu family book' and touted it as a show about kangchi becoming human... and then in the end there was no book and he didn't become human? what the ever loving fuck was this writer on?!)

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16 gg

June 25, 2013 at 8:39 PM

waah, i was so sad she died!!!! i wanted my happy ending with YW and KC....waah waah waaah....well i guess in the modern times they sorta do but still =(

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17 snow_white

June 25, 2013 at 8:40 PM

I'm glad that I completed only ten eps.....not going to watch it anymore....

But your recap made me laugh so much.....thanks GF :-D

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owl

June 25, 2013 at 8:54 PM

I've never only read the recaps for a kdrama and not watched it, but if ever there was one to do that for, this was it.

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Toystar

June 26, 2013 at 3:29 AM

Why... The writer owes his/her viewers and explanation for this

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18 Skyblaze77

June 25, 2013 at 8:40 PM

....I wish I could say I cared, but frankly I don't. I have no interest in any character except Daddy Gu, which is a shame because I actually quite enjoyed the romance at the start.

On a side note, does anyone else think the ending was a TOTAL ripoff of Inuyasha? Like come on, guy loses girl (kikyo) guy lives for a while longer, then guy meets new girl (kagome)...

Damn but I think Inuyasha was better

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cloud9

June 25, 2013 at 9:48 PM

There were a LOT of elements similar to, if not ripped from Inuyasha in my opinion. The whole "gumiho blood can save each person only once" is a direct match for the "Tenseiga can only revive each person one time" rule. Obviously, the whole half-demon trying to become human quest for the human woman they love. Probably a lot more examples if I felt like taking the time to break down both series and comparing plot points. And yes, I agree that Inuyasha was a lot better as a whole in its execution of the similar premise between the two shows.

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skelly

June 26, 2013 at 10:16 AM

That's thing - it is OK to rip off a story (after all Shakespeare did it all the time) but you have to make your version BETTER than the original. This was just so lame, on so many levels. Writer fail.

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Ema

June 28, 2013 at 5:43 AM

Daddy Gu does not interest me at all. Only mummy did, she is really pretty.

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19 sartorius

June 25, 2013 at 8:40 PM

I stopped at ep. 21 and i dont know if i wanna bother watching the remaining 3 episodes...this drama just went down the crapshoot!!!

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bibapr57

June 25, 2013 at 9:12 PM

Watch 22... THEN STOP! For the love of all that's holy, DON'T WATCH 23-24.

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Rovi

June 26, 2013 at 12:01 AM

OK, thanks for the advise.

Now I won't be downloading the last 2 episodes AT ALL~!!! XD Would only be a waste of hard drive space.

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20 SopheaJane

June 25, 2013 at 8:41 PM

The only complete story in this series is love story between seo hwa and wol ryung... nothing more nothing less... the ending made me feel how i waste 24 episodes just to never get a glance on the title, gu family book. where is exactly gu family book? sad... this story is incomplete... :(

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AutumnPurple

June 26, 2013 at 1:08 PM

I'm so invested to WR-SH story too that i even pushed myself to watch ep 23-24 while hoping that i can get a glimpse of WR and SH. But the final episode just give me this whole WTH frown and frustration. Totally unsatisfying. If they made everybody came alive again, why there is no WR-SH? It's feel a bit unfair for their story to just end up at those cold, gloomy (?) but beautiful cave. sigh.

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21 Ramsha Jamil

June 25, 2013 at 8:41 PM

"Aw come on! Just get wol ryung to heal her'' is what I was thinking when she was dying. They had me again when they showed the future although it could have been more exciting. And the epilogue was simply puzzling. Please let there be another season to this show in which they show kang chi's search for the gu family book. Pretty please!

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me

June 26, 2013 at 4:23 AM

Me too! I was like "wol-ryung better awaken from his eternal rest with a dead woman and save his daughter-in-law to be".
Btw, 422 years later, what if the clear the forest around moonlight garden. Wont that force Wol-ryung to wake up from his sleep?

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ana

June 26, 2013 at 11:29 PM

Exactly!!! I kept screaming at the screen for that to happen! Wol Ryung could've saved her and somehow Kang chi could've saved his mom and then they both could've found the book and lived as a happy family. Or somehow turned their girls into divine creatures and lived happily ever after....I know this was too much to dream of but for goodness sake, they made me fall in love with a gumiho baby! I wanted a conclusive and complete happy ending!

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22 anonymous

June 25, 2013 at 8:41 PM

What if modern day YW already have a boyfriend? How can we take for granted that she will fall in love with Kang-chi? WHAT IF SHE IS A LESBIAN?

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Stardust

June 25, 2013 at 10:03 PM

LOL LOL LOL anonymous you made me burst out laughing in my quiet office! lol lol

All good questions, all valid!! To assume that she will be ready and waiting to fall in love with him is just so.... reincarnation crap. EVEN if the soul is the 'same' the memories won't be, so she is still not really Yeol wool, who went through thick and thin with him, loved him for who he is...

I dunno about u all, but if there is a season 2 in the modern days, I WILL NOT WATCH IT. XD

Thank you dear javabeans and girl friday for sticking out with the last 2 lacklustre ending episodes, and I really enjoyed reading the recaps over watching the drama sometimes. Cheers! *clink* And I hope you will have a bit more rest now that this project has ended!

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Angel Yi

June 25, 2013 at 10:17 PM

There probably will be a Season 2... and maybe I'll watch 1 episode.. just to not kill the writer

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skelly

June 26, 2013 at 12:21 PM

I'll watch this right after I watch "Big, Part 2" and "Jin: Return of the Jar Fetus."

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crazyahjummafan

June 26, 2013 at 1:05 AM

She may have a crush on someone else, but because of the crescent moon and peach blossom tree, they are fated till all eternity!!!! Arrgggghhhhh!!!!!

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Hyung

June 26, 2013 at 5:45 AM

For real... that damn crescent moon and peach blossom tree.....as soon as i saw it.... i was like "well....s***. there goes any possibility of a good ending even in 2013"

Seriously....there's no way to salvage any good feelings from this ending....everything about it was ALL WRONG...it's like the writer triped to come up with a silver lining by just introducing everyone at the end.

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23 Andrea

June 25, 2013 at 8:41 PM

Oh, God.

Have you ever bought something because in the advertisement it looks awesome or at least fun? And then, when you get home and open the package... It's nothing like what they told you it would be? And you get horribly pissed because you feel robbed?

That's how I feel right now. Horribly pissed.

What the f--, Show?! I overlooked most of your flaws and stayed with you until the end. Big mistake. You dropped plot threads like hot potatoes, your directing at times was horrible, a lot of the characters were one-dimensional or underdeveloped. You promised things and gave me others. You had so much potential with your original setup, and then you decided to screw everything up. Look, you had good moments, don't get me wrong. You made me laugh sometimes, and you made me swoon at others. Even when you were not the most logical drama out there, you managed to get me in the heart at times. I was not completely invested in emotional terms, but just enough to hold on during all these episodes. And I held on with the hope of having at least a decent ending, after all.

But after you concluded the Wol Ryung & Seo Hwa's arc (that I guess was one of the best, if not your best moment) you went freaking downhill. You got worse by the minute, and that ending... JESUS. Like, come on! You promised me Kang Chi's journey to becoming human and out of nowhere, you didn't show me his journey in twenty four episodes and in the eleventh hour, you jumped 500 freaking years so he could met reincarnated Yeo Wool... Which by the way, you killed in this completely logical way: putting a bullet in her spine, letting her live for a day or something, and only then you decided for her to stop breathing mid-freaking-kiss. Pfft. Thing is, after all that, then you freaking end the drama with them just looking at each other?! And then that epilogue, WHAT?!?!?!?!

Are you bloody kidding me?! Ugh. Show, you're grounded. Go to a corner.

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Vickie

June 25, 2013 at 9:54 PM

I agree with you. The story was set up so nicely (well, its a fantasy drama...right?) that I never thought they would pull this kind of ending. just WHAT. THE. FUCK. ? Yeo Wool's death makes no sense, and it just serves no purpose. I accepted SH's death because it is right to sacrifice herself and save WR(since the the cycle started because of her betrayal) so I'm satisfied that she took responsibility for her action.

This makes me question the point of the first two episodes. They showed us the "sad legend" between SH & WR, and we knew that their love would end in the tragedy. Okay, so they want to show us that this means KC's life would be the opposite of WR's and he WILL be successful in his search of the gu family book right?? because didn't SH wish for him to "not live a sad and lonely fate like WR?" BUTTTTT....In the end, KC is doomed with the fate worse than his parents'. YW dies (which I see her death as a PUNISHMENT for KC), and he lives alone for 400 + years.

Well in the end, I just hate that kind of ending... DONE.

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Andrea

June 25, 2013 at 10:08 PM

I know right?! It was way worse than Seo Hwa and Wol Ryung's story, because I felt they were trying to manipulate my emotions and on top of that, it made no freaking sense.

Ack, I feel so angry.

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Vickie

June 25, 2013 at 10:26 PM

Aha I feel cheated. Having the whole cast reincarnated does this drama no justice. And that freaking epilogue... I'm just like. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL. Is this the same drama?"

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crazyahjummafan

June 26, 2013 at 1:23 AM

I felt cheated too! What is the point of showing us that KC and YW's love was different, that they had chosen to trust and love despite the odds and yet still have a tragic end? And have an even worse end than WR and SH? Even then, WR and SH had to wait only 20 yrs to be together again! My poor KC had to wait 422 yrs!!! Come on writer, how could you be so cruel?
Even if you wanted to put a clause like, "One of you may die," at least let us believe that love overcomes all odds! If not WHY, WHY, WHY??? make their love so different, so sweet, so special?

I started watching this drama with mixed feelings - excited cos my darling SG is acting in it, and the story line seemed promising and different. Apprehensive because of all the comments about the writer and Suzy. But, despite, all the naysayers and prophets of doom, I actually enjoyed the drama. True, it didn't go as deep as I wanted it too, but I loved KC's character and I loved YW and just about every other character too, save two. The drama made me laugh, it certainly made me cry, and I enjoyed it and looked forward to it every week; but this ending, .... I can only shake my head!

If you're gonna make YW die, (after all that rescuing in ep 23), then let her remain dead! If not, then give us a happy ending, no matter how ridiculous it is. Right now, it's neither here nor there! No worse, poor KC will have to go through all the obstacles in loving YW again, after being alone for 400 yrs and have her die again and again!

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Andrea

June 26, 2013 at 8:27 AM

I completely agree with you.

The worst part for me is that the drama wasn't that bad (I've seen worse), BUT this ending left such a bad aftertaste. It basically killed the appreciation I had for the story.

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NYCNorma

June 26, 2013 at 10:37 AM

Agreed with all of the above. And might I add, exactly WTF was up with the last two minutes of the epilogue?!? It is like adding a last insult to injury. A hint of the beginning of a new plot line that feels like a cliffhanger to a next episode that will never happen?!? I. Just. Do. Not. Understand.

Angel Yi

June 25, 2013 at 10:18 PM

I watched this for lee seung gi. and for gumiho memories.. (ahem my girlfriend is a gumiho) and it was actually quite good.. Until it reached about episode 22ish... :((

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wannabe kdrama scribe

June 29, 2013 at 7:04 AM

Also the questionable logic of shooting the minor-character-in-the-power-struggle just to set the ending in motion - why wouldn't the big shot commanding admiral be the sniper's first target?

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24 butchick

June 25, 2013 at 8:41 PM

Two words for this drama that came up to my mind , i'm totally disappointed plus depressing with this FINALE. *sight*

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25 kdramapedia

June 25, 2013 at 8:43 PM

Whatever the hell this writer is selling, I don't want it. And I'm definitely not buying any sequel if one were to come about.

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26 Jaysleen

June 25, 2013 at 8:43 PM

GOD! i hated the ending. I just hope there is a sequel planned

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27 zakin89

June 25, 2013 at 8:43 PM

Hah thanks to the last two episodes GFB is kind of my this year's BIG :P

I was soooo looking forward the drama, enjoyed it most of the time and then...the ending is a big WTF?

Let's just hope that it'll be the only one I watch this year :D

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Andrea

June 25, 2013 at 8:53 PM

That's exactly what I told one of my friends. "Remember Big? That's how scarred I feel right now." So. Bad.

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28 Mipo

June 25, 2013 at 8:44 PM

I loved the ending

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29 laraffinee

June 25, 2013 at 8:46 PM

The writer should find another profession. Sloppy, terrible script - with LAZY story lines and diversions, and a lazy director to go along with it all. Too bad. The actors were really good - they had to be to overcome that LOUSY SCRIPT.

What a waste of talented actors.

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30 orenji

June 25, 2013 at 8:46 PM

All i can say is KC and YW get robbed from their happiness. So cruel especially after what they have done to fight for their love. Especially YW, poor girl didnt really get the love that she want. KC despite having all the wealthiness still lonely at heart. The reincarnation part is really sloppy and disconnected. Such a waste.

For Seunggi and Suzy, bravo for your chemistry. This is the one thing that keep me going on holding to this drama. Such an awesome chemistry they have. Too bad the ending ruined it for me. I dont think i can rewatch their scenes again without tearing up.

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31 kimutaku168

June 25, 2013 at 8:46 PM

I think the writer was on weed if not on crack. That was... whacked out. Seriously.

But major thanks to the DB team for still recapping this to the very end, even if the end was effed up.

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32 KDaddict

June 25, 2013 at 8:46 PM

I get a sense of deja vu w the reincarnation ending. I could swear I've seen it b4 in another KD. But it's Not RTP, or MGIAG, so which one is it?

I find the ending mildly amusing in a strange way, in that all the chars retain their original characteristics. The servants are still servants, the fighters r still fighters, the crooks r still crooks. Why is KC the only one who is now loaded when he wasn't b4? No fair. And LSS shows up in a white suit at his (hotel suite) door, w/o saying a word. Shouldn't he be the president or a 5-star general or the commander of the Pacific Fleet? Ha.

I don't object to a reincarnation ending per se. What I object to is the need for YW to die at all, while KC has a gumiho father whose blood can save her. For the 30 mins. after she gets shot, while they are doing all kinds of irrelevant things w her, like have dinner, I keep shouting, Go wake up Gu-papa. KC moves fast as a Gumiho, and dad would sense his approach, so what is the problem? Why does she need to die, other than for the reason that the writer mistakenly thinks that a reincarnation ending is cool? The writer either has brain fog or brain damage. I'm gonna be kind and say it is brain fog. That's my good deed for the day.

I'm pissed that Gu-papa goes to sleep (since he can't die) beside his wife. He is thus lost to his son, lost to the world, and most imptly, lost to us. Boo.

And there is no book at all, for father or son. How's that for pulling our legs?

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arugula

June 25, 2013 at 9:56 PM

Are you thinking of Arang and the Magistrate?

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33 kyl

June 25, 2013 at 8:46 PM

The scene when YW died reminds me A LOT of MGIAG, when Miho disappeared.

Ah, well. Such a shame, really. If they EVER gonna have a sequel, I don't want the same writer and director. So promising, yet the execution was just sloppy.

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7rfei

June 25, 2013 at 9:02 PM

I accepted the MGIAG because they were absolutely adorable at the end. But this starring stuffz. NO.

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Angel Yi

June 25, 2013 at 10:20 PM

MGIAG was a lot better lol... because the reincarnation/reappearance didn't happen out of the middle of nowhere... and we all knew that Hong Sisters wouldn't let Dae Woong live all alone depressed.

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34 Mystisith

June 25, 2013 at 8:46 PM

"they pulled the reincarnated soulmance ending, which drives me crazy."
I loaded that in Rooftop Prince and I hate it here. Well, hate is a strong word since I didn't care for the characters, to be honest. I'll remember fondly the parents love story but for the rest, no more fusion sageuk for me for a while: They almost never deliver a satisfying ending. Bleh. Next drama please.

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35 damnkdramas

June 25, 2013 at 8:47 PM

it's eery that my first thoughts upon finishing that last little epilogue with Gon and LSS were the same as yours. No joke. Verbatim. "What.the.fuck. Was the writer on crack?!?"

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Arirang

June 25, 2013 at 8:53 PM

What did that part even mean? Was Kang Chi going to get arrested?

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KDaddict

June 25, 2013 at 8:58 PM

And what's with that new moon and stupid cherry tree above her head again? She's fated to die again?

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Mystisith

June 25, 2013 at 9:02 PM

Lol! Like that movie where the same day is repeated ad vitam eternam until the good solution is found by the hero. I won't sign for that torture. ;)

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Milly

June 25, 2013 at 9:50 PM

Groundhog Day

kumi

June 26, 2013 at 7:32 AM

Sure. As sure as death.

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Glomp

June 25, 2013 at 10:30 PM

Precisely! Why would they want to enter Kang Chi's house? That was such a pointless epilogue.

To think I was so moved by the scene in which Gon was standing alone in the courtyard after Yeo Wool's death... as if he was waiting up for her as usual... Gah.

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36 Julie

June 25, 2013 at 8:50 PM

Uum, what Gu family book? Of all the questions in my head right now that one umm, how can i say this, intrigues me the most

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Jenna

June 26, 2013 at 7:32 AM

What intrigues me the most is: who wrote the first two episodes? Not the same writer of the last two!!! Honestly in the dying scene by the river, when I saw the blue lights I thought his tears are going to save her, if his blood can't then
his tears will. Seems as if the monk made up the rules as he went along. Clunky plot devices!

Love the WR and SH story, though.

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37 fuzzymogwai

June 25, 2013 at 8:51 PM

so yw's dirst ending had me crying buckets...

and the big bad...overstayed hismwelcome by like, 10 eps...chung jo shudda offed him after he raped her, and the rest of the show cud be abt kangchi findingnuimsnity, or maybe realizing he doesnt have to be human....to be human...you know?

its like, the writer had a story, and then had to stretch it to fit episode count, which is fine, bc i think there were plenty of other side conflictsnthat couldve been fleshed out...ie more schooltime hijinks, or tae seo being engaged to yw, or chung jo bitchslapping all the other gisaeng...
or an epic sea battle with the turtle boats...

or iono kw and kcand gon and tae seo robin hooding it for a while bc my neighbors know i squeed so loudly when they started doing missions together...

sigh

i liked the cuteness we got, and loved wol ryung...but super sad they...copped out on the fascinating story that kangchi couldve had...

thanks girlfriday for the recaps, as always!

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Pfffft

June 26, 2013 at 5:25 AM

Cried too. When YW got shot! And the dinner with the crew when dad wont look at her. It was heartbreaking.
reallized how awesome YW was when she about to die. lol.
It just doesnt feel whole without her

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38 KDaddict

June 25, 2013 at 8:51 PM

Sb said it's the same writer as Da Ja's Spring. Can't be. Can it? DJS is one of my all time favs. So well done. How many years down the road, and this is what the same writer is now capable of? That's sad. Premature aging fr smoking too much ...sth!

Did they end up using Suzy's OST? I'm not sure.

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KDaddict

June 25, 2013 at 8:56 PM

Yesterday, sb asked if CJ was KC's first love. The answer is in today's ep, when CJ said:
First love makes you grow. True love makes you whole.

She is gazing at the red jacket that KC has returned. So she acknowledges that KC is her 1st love. It helps her realize what love is, but YW is his true love. He now no longer needs her or anyone else, and so goes forth into the long night by himself.

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skelly

June 26, 2013 at 10:36 AM

Yes, this is the same writer as Dal Ja's Spring, according to Dramawiki. I am amazed and appalled. Regardless of Dal Ja, this writer is on my no-watch list now.

And as for the whole first love thing, no one doubted it was Chung Jo's first love, the argument came about because Kang Chi made this bombastic statement to Yeo Wool about Gus always sticking with their first love, and people were like... er, what about Chung Jo? So you had to turn his feelings for Chung Jo into an adolescent crush to make his big statement ring true. Yes, the audience can manage these mental gymnastics, but why should they have to? It's just another example of sloppy writing, one of many.

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39 owl

June 25, 2013 at 8:51 PM

I am reeling - I can't even ask the questions that are left to ask, because if I ever cared, I don't now. Wasn't there anyone with veto power to say, "No! Don't do that to the loyal viewers! They'll hate it!" Guess not.

I swore out loud when KC asked Admiral, "Do you think the Gu Family Book exists?"

Be gone, Gus all and your whole fam damily. I'm royally pissed.

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40 foulou

June 25, 2013 at 8:52 PM

Calling it now. Either a movie, or season 2.

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Angel Yi

June 25, 2013 at 10:22 PM

LOL... It'd be interesting if season 2 was worse than season 1 (ahem dream high 2) well... at least it can't get worse w/ the ending :P

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41 kooriyuki

June 25, 2013 at 8:52 PM

That goddamn book was a LIE!

JGW should have died at least 4 episodes earlier and Kang Chi should have been off to find the book, only to realise that it's non-existent.

And in the end the four gentlemen/woman did nothing.

I'm fine with heroines dead because we had that in Gaksital, no biggie. The reincarnation part cannot be compared to that of Arang, because that was sweet. This was...slapped together haphazardly.

Sigh. Waste of a pretty good drama.

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Stardust

June 25, 2013 at 10:10 PM

Yes it cannot be compared to Arang, because in Arang, the STILL remembered who they were, only 'restarted' in new bodies, given another chance at life together... I dislike reincarnation storylines but I accepted that one.

This is just....so..so...bad....

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rhumball

June 25, 2013 at 10:23 PM

totally agree.. Arang, it's still in the same 'tone' as the rest of the drama. it's cute, nice. and IT WORKS!!!. This one is just WTF moment.

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42 Fun-Lugha

June 25, 2013 at 8:53 PM

I want my money back ;D seriously i think the writers were under so much pressure to deliver that they ended up screwing everything up!
Who else cracked up when they saw the time leap?! I was just like 'get de fcuk'! And i thought he said he was gonna wait 'some time' before searching for the book, how'd that turn into 422 years?!!! Lastly I refuse to see the funny in all those incarnations, i second that it should have just ended with him leaving LSS and heading towards the unknown. You wanna know how to end a story? Ask Gaksital dear writers, intensity to the very last scene!

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Gaksital SPOILER

June 25, 2013 at 10:30 PM

GAKSITAL SPOILER!
The 'Gaksital' ending wasn't the greatest, either. The writers killed off nearly the entire cast in a final bloodbath. Making me feel bereft.

And 'Big', that ending was cowardly.

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Fun-Lugha

June 25, 2013 at 10:47 PM

Dying isnt the problem here! You can even kill off the main star a la Terminator and still do it epically and in a believable way. See with Gaksital most of them died protecting somebody else or sacrificed themselves 4 their country which was very fitting considering the story's main theme and all, you simply cannot say the 2 dramas are similar in that regard...(can't comment on BIG though as i stopped on ep 6 I think!)

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Rovi

June 26, 2013 at 12:07 AM

Gaksital ending was thus only the beginning of a much more bigger thing. Remember, that period was the Japanese Occupation (it would end only on August 15, 1945, AKA Liberation Day today). Of course it wouldn't just end with people marching up wearing Bridal Masks. The continuation is just like in the "The Land", only much more melodramatic and full of angst.

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43 Mia

June 25, 2013 at 8:55 PM

yeah~ my mind is still processing . . . what happened.

I think I'll just stick with Wol ryung's and Seo hwa's ending, cuz though it's not a happy ending, it makes sense. Right?

I don't know, I think my mind is a little confused right now . . .

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44 magnus

June 25, 2013 at 8:58 PM

Only one explanation for the ending: Product Placement. It's was glaringly obvious when they got in present day that the show was trying to shove in as much PP as possible because they had too. Very upsetting. I'm marking this as one of the most disappointing and frustrating endings to a show, right up there with Big. Just ugh.

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Angel Yi

June 25, 2013 at 10:23 PM

ANTHOONNNNNNYYYY HELPPP THEM

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mashimomo

June 26, 2013 at 11:57 AM

I've watched episodes 1 and 2 and dropped the series altoghter, but reading the time jump and PPL on the ending definitely made me think of Anthony! I'm very sorry for those who stuck thru with this drama and hoping for a satisfying ending.

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jademwong

June 26, 2013 at 5:29 PM

LOL KING OF DRAMAS REFERENCE. I LOVE YOU

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45 J

June 25, 2013 at 8:58 PM

Well said GF!

If the show went to hell because they want to make a Season 2, I'm not watching it.

I'm really disappointed.

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46 luvsmydramas

June 25, 2013 at 8:59 PM

I think it's a sequel setup. It has to be.... that was the perfect ending for part 2 next summer, right?? It does have an alternate title of Gang Chi, The Beginning. Maybe in the second part we will find out what he's been doing these past 400 years. I still loved it, but I will love it more if they finish it properly.... Hope somebody's listening!

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Angel Yi

June 25, 2013 at 10:24 PM

There better be a Season 2... or else this will be the first drama w/ LSS in it that i didn't like

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Hyung

June 26, 2013 at 5:46 AM

I agree..

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Jessica

June 26, 2013 at 8:42 AM

If there's a sequel then all will be forgiven :)

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skelly

June 26, 2013 at 10:41 AM

What they have done cannot be fixed. They took a good premise and wrecked it. Sorry, a sequel could only be one of two things:
- the same writer works on it, then it would be garbage on top of garbage.
- a new writer could work on it, then it would be shiny new glass and tile piled on top of garbage.

Sorry, but if Gong Yoo can be in a stinker, then so can LSG; there's only so much one actor can do, and LSG just emoted his little heart out, trying to make up for all of the problems with this one.

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jademwong

June 26, 2013 at 5:27 PM

I agree with you @skelly. LSG cried his soul out and did his gosh darn hardest to make up for what he knew was a stupid ending, but as with Gong Yoo, one fantastic actor does not a drama make. Sigh. This writer literally went bonkers.

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47 KDaddict

June 25, 2013 at 9:00 PM

BTW, would anyone like to come back in another 400 years and deal w the same ppl in your life again?

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kdramapedia

June 25, 2013 at 9:50 PM

uh, no thanks

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kumi

June 26, 2013 at 7:24 AM

That's what normally happens. Whether we like it or not.

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48 Sha

June 25, 2013 at 9:00 PM

I love the ending that's all…even yeowool die at least they meet again in modern time…i'm satisfied (looks like QIHM and RTP love story but in the case of presenting to the modern time they reversed it showing their love story in the past) I like it…though I hate the director of this drama so many KISSING SCENES…(how could they do that to Suzy who's only 18 yrs. old) yes she might be legal on western age but she still underage in Korean age…anyway I still congratulates Gu Family Book staff, crew & casts…they do a great job!

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Arirang

June 25, 2013 at 9:24 PM

It's ok for minors to kiss in movies. If there was a sex scene, then that would be a big problem. Plus there were only three kiss scenes (four different sets of kisses) and the last two were typical kdrama kisses except the last one when she freaking DIED in the middle of it. That freaked me out more than anything.

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kdramapedia

June 25, 2013 at 9:55 PM

They were all closed-mouth kisses. Even the "deep" kiss. If you look closely, you can see LSG just moving his head without lips moving (yes, I analyzed! judge me not!).

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49 dee

June 25, 2013 at 9:01 PM

We never know what happened in 422 years. I guess everyone is going immortal, except for Yeo Wool who died and reincarnated. Hehe.. Thanks for the recap.

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50 trixicopper

June 25, 2013 at 9:02 PM

The WTFery is strong in this one! Wowza!

What a total mess this writer made of an interesting concept and an awesome beginning. This show always felt like it was two different dramas. We had the epic love story of the parents and the teeny bopper in costumes rom-com.

The only reason I stuck it out (FFing all the way) was to get the ending of WR/SHs story. Throw in that ending and...
I knew I should have walked away last week and called it good.

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gumifudge

June 27, 2013 at 12:35 AM

Haha! It's like the primary episodes are indirectly proportional to the final episodes. I couldn't even bring myself to watch the last one and went straight here instead. *Sigh. This should have been a "16 episodes and a movie" format. (Where in the movie, the hero finally sets off on a epic quest to find the "book" and encounters mystical creatures along the way.)

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