Who Are You: A wrap-up chat
by javabeans
We may have not recapped every episode of tvN’s ghost-cop-melodrama Who Are You on Dramabeans, but since a couple of us have been keeping current with the series, we thought we’d weigh in now that it’s over.
I’ve got HeadsNo2 here with me as we chat through our feelings on the ghosts, the romance(s), the ending, and whatever else floats into our heads. (You can catch our Episode 1 recap if you need a refresher on the premise.) Note that we do talk freely about the ending, so know that this post is going to spoil you on the main plot points and twists if you aren’t up to date with the series.
SONG OF THE DAY
Yoo Sung-eun – “사랑이 자라서” (Because love grows) from the Who Are You OST
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javabeans: So, tvN’s Who Are You ended last week and while I saw it all, man has a week done a number on my memory because that show has already faded from my radar. The thing is, it was a pleasant watch and I had no big problems with it, but it was never very exciting.
HeadsNo2: It’s a bit fresher in my memory since I finished the final two episodes yesterday, but yeah, it was a pleasant watch without any huge upsets and yet I still liked it enough to want to talk about it… but I don’t really know what to say.
javabeans: I have no bad feelings about the show and it did exactly what it set out to do, and I think within the world of the show the story resolved satisfactorily (mostly). But… it was kind of a cold drama to watch. I wonder if it’s just the story it was telling that made it that way—procedural, ghosties of the week, quick resolutions to the cases—or if it’s because I could never get invested in either of the lead characters or actors.
HeadsNo2: Okay, I was just going to ask whether it was a story or acting issue that made it feel a little cold. I didn’t feel totally detached while watching, but I wasn’t glued to the screen either. (But I still don’t think it was pure fluff. What was it, then?!)
javabeans: Y’know, I bet the problem is a bit of everything. Story-wise, it had the requisite parts, right? You have the coma girl waking up after six years and she can’t remember stuff, and she’s trying to help ghosts move on to the hereafter, and she has a cute puppy-boy love interest, and a heartbroken dead fiancé guy, and all in all that’s a lot of potential emotion. But then the show had this odd fixation on the cases of the week, like it was using its characters to bolster up the cases, and not the other way around.
HeadsNo2: The problem with procedurals and a case-of-the-week format is that they know it’s temporary, we know it’s temporary, so why so much of it when there’s only sixteen episodes to tell a story?
javabeans: Exactly. Nobody cares, but you’re propping up this illusion that we all care. I will say that the one time I did actually feel anything was when Kim Jae-wook was involved (as the lingering ghost who’s trying to protect heroine girl Shi-on), which was both the thing the show did right and the thing I felt most disappointment about. That’s a weird dichotomy, but there you go: He would look so tragic, especially in the days when she couldn’t remember him, and I would want to cry for him. But the show really didn’t make the most of having him there or all that wonderful pathos built into the setup.
HeadsNo2: I was really excited for his character to have more to do, and the show definitely teased at that when he started earning points with the shaman (every ghost drama has a knowing shaman) so she’d convey messages to the heroine for him. I also liked that he couldn’t talk to Shi-on (So Yi-hyun’s character), which totally added that extra layer of tragedy. His whole character was a walking tragedy now that I think of it. In the good way, I mean. Good tragedy?
javabeans: Yes, his moments were the only time when I felt my emotions engaged in the show. And when we find out WHY he died, that whole scenario just felt so awful and sad and like a Greek tragedy in the way multiple things contributed to the death. Not just one bad guy doing one bad thing, but a series of details that added up (even Shi-on had a role, in having him take off his bulletproof vest before he got shot, for the utterly mundane reason of having him try on a new shirt).
HeadsNo2: Well, “died.” Can we talk about that?
javabeans: Grarrrrrrrrughhhhhhhhhh.
HeadsNo2: Okay, okay, so when that twist happened I thought, “Maybe this’ll be a cool plot turn!” But I’m not sure if the premise on that was flawed or whether the ending kind of made that twist meaningless.
javabeans: I think a huge part of the “he didn’t really die!” twist is that the reveal of his coma body seemed built in to just give us that Episode 14 cliffhanger (or whatever the episode number was). There was no dramatic effect to leaving him technically alive that couldn’t have been achieved had he just died as we thought, except to make us think the show had Keyser Soze’d us for a minute. Only it hadn’t.
HeadsNo2: Right, it actually would’ve been just as heartrending had he been dead, but that he was still holding on to the world of the living just for her.
javabeans: I knoooooooow. She didn’t need his physical body to be there when she said goodbye! She could have moved on anyway, with just his ghost! Which is exactly what happened in that scene, only there was also a body next to the ghost, so you didn’t know where to look and that was just awkward.
HeadsNo2: Oh, so awkward. Especially when his body flatlines and she’s telling his body to wake up when his ghost was… standing right behind her.
javabeans: Like, I wanted to cry for the poignant moment but I was kind of confused instead. Were you shouting at her to look at the ghost, not the body? This is your last moment with him! Don’t look at the shell who can’t respond to you! Look at the ghost who’s smiling at you and telling you goodbye!
HeadsNo2: Yes! The one you were just talking to! Why wouldn’t she try convincing his spirit to stay?
javabeans: I think maybe, maybe, the one point that the he’s-in-a-coma tangent could have added is that it gave Taecyeon his noble hero moment of stepping back and letting her choose. (Although… then the other guy dies so there’s no choice anyway.) But this is where we go from story concerns to acting ones, because I could never believe their romance. And I say this really really liking Taecyeon and thinking he was adorable and did his job—I just… he’s Song Seung-heon. There is a mental block there that he can’t get past in becoming a character.
HeadsNo2: But he can act, so.
javabeans: Well, he’s better, but is that maybe worse? That he’s a better actor but still not credible conveying that emotion? Dunno. I just don’t think they had chemistry. I was totally onboard with his character, like the fact that he falls for her first, and that he just shows up to take her to work every morning, and that he’s the indefatigable puppy who’s going to be there for her all the time. There’s that built-in tension because even if you love Kim Jae-wook for her, Taec is the guy who’s alive. That was all great stuff, but I couldn’t engage. So then none of the angst really landed for me.
HeadsNo2: I really did love his character, and I did like how characters in general were handled. Even down to the silly PPL side characters like the other lost-and-found officers.
javabeans: The bumbling idiots? Yes, they were terrible as officers (who graduated you guys, seriously?) but cute as comic fodder.
HeadsNo2: To be fair, every officer in this show was terrible at being a police officer. Remember when the hero and heroine had to call cops to their cop retreat?
javabeans: OMG. You are cops… and you get in trouble so you call in reinforcement cops… to your gathering of cops. ARE YOU COPS OR AREN’T YOU COPS.
HeadsNo2: I think the show was positing that lost and found cops are like the mall cops of cops? I was a bit confused, but I ran with it. It was fun to have their little underdog ragtag group on screen.
javabeans: Right, they’re the bottom of the cop ladder, in that Gun-woo (Taec) initially has this chip on his shoulder about being assigned to the cop boonies. But Gun-woo pretty easily transfers to the violent crimes unit, so it’s not like they’re merely security guards.
HeadsNo2: And all the units are interchangeable and in the same building, which still becomes an issue when Gun-woo and Shi-on are dating. He’s like, “It’s only a floor away!” but the final episode was all about how separated they were because he made the move to the violent crimes unit.
javabeans: LOL I know! Like they hadn’t seen each other in daaaaaays.
HeadsNo2: I feel like I’m jumping around a ton, but speaking of that final episode, didn’t it seem to go on for daaaaays?
javabeans: I feel like the show really ended when Kim Jae-wook went poof, and then they were like, Oh wait that’s not our main story actually ha ha. There’s this other couple.
HeadsNo2: I was waffling between being content with the happy ending or miffed that it was all filler, but I guess the only alternative would’ve been to lay on the tragedy. So happy = good?
javabeans: I liked the ending when I first saw it, but it’s one of those where the longer you think about it, the less it fits together. Can we address the whole thing about her seeing ghosts, then not seeing ghosts, then Taec seeing ghosts? I felt pretty satisfied with the ending tonally, but this whole show is about Shi-on being able to see ghosts, and getting this paranormal power without any defined reason. Invisible hand of fate or what have you. Which is fine until you then try to do something else with the skill, like transfer it to a different person. Rules! Where are the rules?
HeadsNo2: When Taec started seeing ghosts at the end, I assumed the rule was that you’d see ghosts if you were in a coma. So anyone in a coma can see ghosts! Which kind of takes the special factor out of the heroine seeing ghosts, but then she stopped seeing ghosts, and then the shaman still saw ghosts as usual…
javabeans: The show seemed to think that’s all the explanation it needed to provide. But that just flattens the whole premise out and makes the rest of the drama less special in retrospect.
HeadsNo2: I always wondered why only the shaman could see and hear ghosts while Shi-on could only see them. And then the whole thing with Gun-woo seeing ghosts came in and all I got was confused.
javabeans: Ending with Gun-woo seeing ghosts felt like a one-off joke, except nobody considered that the joke actually means something in this world—how does that logic continue past the fade-out? So now I’m sitting here wondering what happens next month, like if they become some sort of Moonlighting partnership, solving ghost-crimes together in between cutesy dates? And then suddenly everything turns into that joke.
HeadsNo2: Except now I’m confused about why Shi-on stopped seeing ghosts, because it seemed tied to her ability to see Kim Jae-wook’s character. When he died (for REAL!), she stopped seeing ghosts. So were her abilities tied to the coma, or not?
javabeans: As in, was he her portal to the ghostworld? Don’t you feel like this is the point where the writers get in your face and start waving their hands around, going, “It makes sense! Woo-OOO-ooo! Don’t think about it anymore!”
HeadsNo2: Yes. I think this is that point. Buuuuut, wouldn’t it have made more sense if she kept her ghost-seeing powers? Gah, why am I still wondering about all these details? I don’t think they were supposed to matter this much.
javabeans: I don’t think they were, but that’s what happens when a show ignores its own continuity. Or just doesn’t treat it as important. Because even though Who Are You was a show I didn’t get too worked up over, in the end we’re given a puzzle piece that doesn’t fit, only it’s the last one remaining in the box and what else are we supposed to do with it but try to make it fit? So we’re just turning it this way and that, wondering what to make of it, like a monkey with a screwdriver.
HeadsNo2: And again, it’s kind of that same conundrum in that I wasn’t so lost in the show that it mattered all that much… but seeing that I want to study it, it must’ve mattered. I’m lost about how I feel with this show.
javabeans: I think it’s because you create this show with paranormal elements, so there’s a premise that exists outside of our reality and therefore we need rules to understand it. If it were a rom-com that didn’t make sense we’d just move on and figure it was badly written. But if you go into a show like this, shouldn’t you make sure the premise works?
HeadsNo2: I feel like the premise worked more or less before the ending, especially in the beginning when we were getting the case-of-the-week deal. I liked the little details of the cases, like how Shi-on saw that one ghost girl how her corpse was—either freezing cold in the ground or about to be cremated, etc. It made her ghost-seeing powers feel meaningful (kinda).
javabeans: When Kim Jae-wook was first revealed to be in a coma, I wondered if it was a pure fanservice issue—like we all loved him so much we wanted to believe there was more out there for him. And then they killed him anyway and I was like, huh, that’s worse. Because you gave me a cookie and then took it away.
HeadsNo2: I know, it’s like you teased at the possibility that he totally could come back to life since he’s held on in a coma for this long! And then he didn’t. Now that I think about it, there was one other little detail where he was concerned where I was (naturally) confused. Remember how the shaman kept warning him that he’d risk losing his immortal soul as we got closer to the end?
javabeans: OH NO HIS SOUL. And then, nevermind! Ha ha! Move along now.
HeadsNo2: I totally thought they were going to go somewhere with that.
javabeans: They really should have! That was such a great point in Arang and the Magistrate, where death was better than non-existence. And in that world it meant something to lose your existence retroactively, even if you were already dead.
HeadsNo2: Right, like they were going to introduce some sort of risk to his character, or something. Something.
javabeans: I really thought they had built a more complex mythology when they introduced that point, and it was interesting. And then the shaman sort of let it slide.
HeadsNo2: Kim Jae-wook’s character was definitely a positive for me, but I wish they had done more with him. I guess the premise wasn’t in his favor on that one though, considering only one person could see and hear him. I still don’t think it was a flawed premise though, just… maybe not quite fully realized?
javabeans: No, it wasn’t a flawed premise through and through. I think they took it in places that didn’t work with the established rules, though.
HeadsNo2: Which does make me think that the coma-reveal for his character was fanservice, but if so, it was really mean fanservice! Who Are You giveth and Who Are You taketh away.
javabeans: I did really like the point where his ghost gets all jealous of Taec—that was a nice development. And when Taec then gets badly hurt and Kim Jae-wook is the only one who can sorta-help, and he hesitates and you wonder if he’s going to let the hero die out of jealousy… I wish they did more with beats like that.
HeadsNo2: I know! Because when they had those beats, they were great. Same goes for Taec’s jealousy/inferiority complex when it came to Kim Jae-wook, which is definitely another reason why I liked Taec’s character. Even if the final choice (him or Kim Jae-wook) was manufactured, he was never the sort of hero to act cold or keep secrets, so he let her choose. Even if it wasn’t a choice. Details, details.
javabeans: I was a fan of his character, which is why it was disappointing to me that the romance didn’t ring true.
HeadsNo2: He tried so hard to sell it, though. Like A+ for effort. And I am glad So Yi-hyun took on a role that didn’t require her to be a stone-cold bitch, though I’m not sure if she was super ready for it.
javabeans: She’s one of those actresses who is technically fine but for whom I feel little. I don’t dislike her and she’s not actively bad—she does what is needed. But maybe she’s to blame for the main romance falling short, because I could buy that Taec had a crush on his noona. I just didn’t believe she reciprocated. She doesn’t have that extra layer to draw me in to her feelings.
HeadsNo2: Whereas I feel like Taec has the raw talent to get to that point, he’s just a bit green still.
javabeans: Oh I dunno about that… Ha. He has the charisma and some skills but…
HeadsNo2: Okay okay, so he’ll never be great, but he’s so adorable. I just can’t speak badly of him.
javabeans: He’s super adorable, especially in roles like this (and in Cinderella’s Sister) where he gets to be adoring and dorky. But I can’t see him carrying stronger, more emotionally genuine characters, at least not yet.
HeadsNo2: Kim Jae-wook needs to be in more things though. Stat.
javabeans: How bummed were you when he took on this second lead role, and then wasn’t even allowed to speak for most of it? COME ON.
HeadsNo2: Short answer: Really, really bummed. Long answer: He did so much with silence though. I was kind of amazed. I think other actors could have sleep-walked through this kind of role, but Kim Jae-wook was able to convey such sadness through his eyes. I sound all adoring, but gah. He got to me sometimes/all the time.
javabeans: Basically he needs to do another drama asap, and it should be a hero’s role, and he should get a happy ending. And show his abs. You don’t go to army and not do the abs!
HeadsNo2: BUT HE DID. He did. *cries*
javabeans: Okay, MORE abs. Is that asking for too much?
HeadsNo2: When is asking for more abs ever too much?
javabeans: Never, if you know which side your bread is buttered.
HeadsNo2: So true. So basically, if Kim Jae-wook ever reads this: Please do more things. All the things. Love, us.
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Tags: conversation post, featured, Kim Jae-wook, So Yi-hyun, Taecyeon, Who Are You (tvN)
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1 hipployta
September 27, 2013 at 4:14 AM
Agreed on Kim Jae Wook
ALL THE THINGS!
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tokkioncrack
September 27, 2013 at 5:23 AM
Guess I should be fast forwarding to see all kim jae wook parts.
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lemonade candy
December 3, 2013 at 7:15 AM
I totally did just that... Ha. Kim Jae Wook...Why aren't you the lead role~ **grumble~grumble~grumble~**
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August
September 27, 2013 at 6:31 AM
Amen!
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Marie21
September 27, 2013 at 2:25 PM
I gave up on this show after I saw how the heroine treated Kim Jae Wook's character. Especially after she remembered him, she should have felt more heart-broken. She did cry but not enough for me!!! I was more a wreck than her at that point!! of course, his sad eyes got me so that's why I'm a bit mad at the heroine's reactions to him... You will find this silly, but for a man who looks at you with such sad eyes as Kim Jae wook^^, well, you can't help but cry a lot. -(
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MAMADUA
September 28, 2013 at 8:55 PM
totally agree 100%, it is about time Kim Jae Wook be the lead actor. He was the only reason I watched this drama till finish, the chemistry between KJW and SYH was good, but I do not feel a thing between her and Taec.
I cried a river watching KJW expression, those sad eyes.. killing me.
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2 djeedjes
September 27, 2013 at 4:22 AM
Why coma makes someone can see ghosts? Only in Korea?
Anyway. I watched this drama for Taec ( the big puppy ) with expectation "please don't be that bad, boy", and well, he did better than my expectation, thankfully.
If tvN expects to make a sequel by making Gunwoo able to see ghosts, I really hope they will reconsider harder!
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july
September 27, 2013 at 5:52 AM
I think it's trend in korea.lol. So that's why I like "Hello ghost" better than ghost story series (Who are you & Master Sun) because I never engaged with main cast story
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3 Hedviglilla
September 27, 2013 at 4:23 AM
I`m so glad that you kept up with the show :D
All in all, it was enjoyable. But I do fell that the first 2 episodes were the strongest. I even got scared a little. And for me it started as a strong drama. Though towards the end they started to loose that strength.
And Kim Jae-wook. He just ruled this show without words. I think if they would let him speak with the heroine now we would all have the second-lead syndrome :D :D
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4 snow_white
September 27, 2013 at 4:31 AM
I didn't watch Who Are You as it never looked appealing to me.....
Kim Jae Wook should do another drama asap....
The post was fun to read.....
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5 zakin89
September 27, 2013 at 4:57 AM
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Who are you =)
It was an enjoyable watch but it was lacking ... I never felt totally immersed in the story and the romance but I liked Taec's character quite a bit.
I felt bad for Kim Jae Wook because...well he was mostly just throwing lingering looks to SO (though he did that very well^^) and it felt like a waste of his talent...
The last episode was a bit of the WTF category because it felt out of place. Everything was already resolved in the previous episode and i felt like a filler.
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skelly
September 27, 2013 at 8:40 AM
If you like Taecyeon (as a performer, not necessarily as an actor), find him a cute puppy no actor but adorable etc. etc. then I think this show works better. I tried to watch it, but I don't like Taec, I don't find him the least bit cute or adorable, so I could only sit there and feel Kim Jae Wook's frustration as the world passed him by and the lesser man got the girl (and the lesser talents got all the lines!).
The coma twist was the last, cruel straw. I was hoping he would wake up and shake some life into this paint-by-numbers show, but the OTP must and shall be obeyed and so they killed him off. Stupid show. Stupid idol actors. Humph. (turns back on show forever) (Hoping Kim Jae Wook gets the LEAD next time)
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6 yasminsatria
September 27, 2013 at 5:04 AM
Heee, thanks for the wrap-up girls.
I didn't watch Who Are You but read the recaps somewhere, and even with that only, I have a serious second lead syndrome. I just love Kim Jae Wook, his eyes is amazing. Really need him in new project and as male lead pleaseee
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7 ck1Oz
September 27, 2013 at 5:25 AM
Love this Trying to figure out the rambling post.
If nothing else this reminds to look out for KJW's next drama.
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8 dany
September 27, 2013 at 5:28 AM
Kim jae wook was great in this, I mean the show is worth watching only for him. And yes, he needs a new drama and a leading role asap.
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August
September 27, 2013 at 6:38 AM
I only stuck with the show because of Kim Jae-wook and his entrancing performance.
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9 CaroleMcDonnell
September 27, 2013 at 5:35 AM
yes... "cold" was the right word. i felt no grief, no passion. just a grinding going through the motions til the end. thanks for the chat
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pogo
September 27, 2013 at 7:49 AM
yeah, when your OTP has all the spark of a soggy tissue, there's very little to sell there - it was pretty much a chore, watching that final episode.
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CaroleMcDonnell
September 27, 2013 at 10:39 AM
you can say that again. I tend to dread final episodes but that one...wow...the first time I found myself floundering in boredom and wondering what all and why all that extra stuff was happening. AS IF WE actually cared.
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10 wag-a-muffin
September 27, 2013 at 5:47 AM
The last episode (for me) was one of the most rambling, "hey, it's over. . .no, wait. It's not," endings I've ever watched.
I believe there is a great need for "editors" in the Korean Drama field. Somebody to say to the writers, "take this out. Put this in. Explain this. Make this make sense," and (lastly, and most importantly, " MORE ABS!"
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PlumWine
September 27, 2013 at 1:53 PM
Make that firstly " MORE ABS! stat!" Can I get that job? I will make sure to do a really really rigorous inspection of those abs, so as to please all the beanuts! ;)
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wag-a-muffin
September 27, 2013 at 7:56 PM
If it were up to me--you'd be hired. (It's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it.)
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Alinka
September 30, 2013 at 4:01 AM
Oh my god, I'm about to die from all the puns XD
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11 Sajen
September 27, 2013 at 6:34 AM
So I was wondering, when did Taecyeon go into a coma or whatever?
I watched the first 13 episodes and then stopped when the coma thing was hinted at toward the end of that episode. That's one of my biggest peeves when writers make it so a ghost might not be dead, if you're going to tell a supernatural ghost story tell a f*ing supernatural ghost story don't ruin it with an annoying manufactured happy ending.
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12 sixtyeightmonkey
September 27, 2013 at 6:35 AM
I appreciate the wrap-up chat, as I had nobody else to share gripes with about the show. It started off with an interesting premise (okay, the only reason I watched was because of Kim Jae-wook). I had a really difficult time with Taecyeon's acting, though. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think he was better in Dream High when he was younger. At least he was cooler in that role.
As for the storyline, it really was obvious from the start who was involved -- a bit too predictable for my tastes. Some of the ghosts were interesting, though. Some just dragged on too damn long with their sad stories.
Looking forward to more Kim Jae-wook in new projects.
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13 August
September 27, 2013 at 6:46 AM
Initially, I began watching WAY, because I enjoyed the work of So E-Hyun as Seo Yoon-Joo in Cheongdamdong Alice.
Kim Jae Wook did an excellent job with the character of Lee Hyung-Joon in this drama. Kim Jae Wook should have been the lead! He was the only reason I continued to watch WAY. This was my third time seeing him in a drama since his prior work in Dalja’s Spring and Coffee Prince.
I was really rooting for and holding out hope that Hyung Joon Oppa/Ghost Hyung Joon would break the second lead curse and wind up with Yang Shi-On. Yeah, he had an extra hurdle as the second lead to start with – he was a ghost. I am grateful for all the flashbacks of their relationship.
Dang it, I really wanted Hyung Joon Oppa to live, recover, and get the woman. I am glad that the writer gave Ghost Hyung Joon and Shi-On closure. She was able to see him in person before he died and grieve for him.
Although Lee Hyung-Joon was a ghost, he constantly provided examples of what actual police work without incompetency looks like. It was a struggle to continue watching week after week because of the absurd moments and the incompetency that Cha Gun-Woo and Yang Shi-On exhibited as police officers.
At the end of the day, Cha Gun-Woo and Yang Shi-On probably deserve each other just for all the times we had to witness the tomfoolery of their actions in this drama.
As the drama progressed, it was harder and harder for TaecYeon to persuade me with his portrayal of Cha Gun-Woo that he and Yang Shi-On were the OTP in this drama in comparison to the acting skills of Kim Jae Wook.
It was torture watching So E-Hyun and TaecYeon portray “romantic” chemistry that just wasn’t there. The chemistry between felt more like a brother/sister type of camaraderie. Some actors (pairings) have it and some don’t.
Case in point: Sun So Ji-Sub and Kong Hyo-Jin light up the screen in Master’s Sun!
Even the one-on-one scenes between Lee Joon-Gi and Kim So-Yeon in Two Weeks exude chemistry.
Also, the acting limitations of So E-Hyun were definitely exposed in her portrayal of the character Yang Shi-On. I doubt if it was just the way the writer wrote the character.
The next male lead role that Taecyeon accepts, l will run for the hills screaming before I tune in to watch.
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skelly
September 27, 2013 at 9:41 AM
Same here. Both headsno2 and javabeans are a lot kinder towards Taec than I would be. I think he is going into acting because he can't dance and he can't sing ( I totally lay the success of 2PM at JYP's door) and the jokes on us because he can't act, either. But he is going to continue to stink up the screen because he has lots of tolerant fangirls and JYP has to make money out of him somehow.
OK, Taec rant over. I can start ranting about the next idol actor in line, and it is a long line! ;-)
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14 girlinterrupted
September 27, 2013 at 6:47 AM
I didn't watch the show too. I'm really not into horror themes, and I as I'm already watching Master's Sun, that was enough for me. And also maybe because the leads do not interest me at all.
But I just have to say, after reading this post, you girls are really funny! Thanks for this! =)
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15 ageha
September 27, 2013 at 6:52 AM
I'm really glad I'm not the only one who felt cold watching this drama. Overall, I feel the same....nothing about the drama was offensive or terrible, but it wasn't entirely engaging either. I think *part* of the problem is that So Yi-hyun’s character had to be so serious and reserved for so much of the time. In the flashbacks she got to be happy and she seemed to kind of....brim over in giddiness. She was so cute and charming....but then with poor Taecyeon she had to be all serious. I just felt the two of them had at least SOME chemistry once she got to let her guard down with him.
Overall, I wouldn't necessarily recommend this drama, but if someone said they were thinking of watching it, I wouldn't steer them away from it either.
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16 thursdaynexxt
September 27, 2013 at 6:57 AM
I agree. That ending. What the ...?!$@#?
Think I emotionally engaged more with Sword and Flower than I did with Who Are You, even though the former was one of the year's ratings disappointments (poor Uhm-force!) Liked reading the recaps more than I enjoyed the whole drama (like L7CS). And loved the Usual Suspects reference (and as for "Moonlighting"... how about a Moonlight partnership? - the vampire one, I mean).
For me, I'd prefer that So Yi-hyun stick to lighter rom-com cute roles, or even the b*tchy roles. I don't think she carried the melo particularly well here.
All in all, a bit like making hollandaise sauce, but it split halfway through the series before all the ingredients really gelled together.
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17 makoto
September 27, 2013 at 7:16 AM
I enjoyed the show from beginning until the end since I love many cable dramas and thought it would be good and heartwarming. And I like So Yi Hyun! I think I'm the only one who likes her here. :D But I must admit that this drama neither good or bad... It feels so flat. The weekly cases make me feel like I was watching teenager detective story or something like that. So easy. The comma and amnesia issue didn't really convincing.
And this is my first time watching Kim Jae Wook. I love him after that. For the rest of my life.
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18 modest-goddess
September 27, 2013 at 7:19 AM
I watched the first 2 episodes but it just didn't grab my interest and the promise of more Kim Jaewook wasn't enough to make me tolerate Taecyeon's acting.
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19 muriell812
September 27, 2013 at 7:20 AM
I loved the beginning: it was fresh. And then, I gradually lost insterest in the show, mostly because the enquiry part was lame (IMO).
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20 Hanjae
September 27, 2013 at 7:35 AM
This entire post describes what I felt about this drama, hahaha! I liked it and found it an enjoyable, pleasant watch, but if you asked me why I liked it... I'm not sure I'd be able to tell you.
There were things I really liked, such as Taecyeon's character and the early cases - despite his obvious acting limitations, I couldn't help but find Taecyeon in his dorky role extremely endearing. And obviously Kim Jae Wook, gahhhh. Kleenex is definitely advised for that final goodbye to Hyung Joon oppa. There were also things like the relationship between Gun Woo and Shi On that I tried to like (was almost predisposed to, really, since I liked Gun Woo) and more or less managed to, even though they never 100% convinced me.
And then there are the not-so-well-executed aspects, such as everything related to actual law enforcement and certain dramatic moments. :P You know there's a problem if you start laughing when a character goes into a coma after being stabbed in the side with a TINY knife.
I must say I rather enjoyed the nice, mellow ending rather than the headlong rush to the finish line that we often get with dramas, though. I finished the drama and had happy thoughts for the rest of the day, which is a welcome change.
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21 gaeinalee
September 27, 2013 at 7:42 AM
You got me at "I just… he’s Song Seung-heon." *ROTFL*
I watched WAY live religiously for KJW, SYH and Taec of course.. Enjoyed it, tho not as much as Nine.
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22 owl
September 27, 2013 at 7:43 AM
I loved the discussion, thanks javabeans and HeadsNo2. I give Taec and A for effort as well. I also saw him on several variety shows during the kdrama run, so I got a mega dose of his adorkableness. He does really try hard. He's so cute in a couple commercials, too.
The romance was the major disappointment in the (quickly fading) show. Yeah, they could have done so much for us with that.
KJW - I'll take what I can get.
Next!
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23 nova611
September 27, 2013 at 7:58 AM
i didn't watch this
but shaman can see but cant hear??
i immediately thought of Arang's shaman
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24 Bakjuna
September 27, 2013 at 8:14 AM
I was disappointed that the last episode was all filler with "hints" at what is next to come (Gun Woo being able to see ghosts).. Also, they introduced new characters at the last episode that the show could've done without (the new lost and found officers and Gun Woo's hoobae who obviously has a crush on him).. I really felt for Kim Jae Wook's character, tho, especially when they had flashbacks of how he was with Shi On.. When they did that flashback thing with Shi On and Gun Woo, it didn't feel the same..
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August
September 27, 2013 at 11:16 AM
Most of the relationship scenes with Shi On and Gun Woo are just 2.0 versions of the flashback relationship scenes with Shi On and Hyung-Joon.
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Bakjuna
September 28, 2013 at 12:19 AM
I know, right? They were supposed to be sweet and romantic but it just felt weird.. Like Gun Woo was too much of a kid as opposed to being a boyfriend..
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25 michca
September 27, 2013 at 8:24 AM
I'm glad to know that I wasn't the only one shaking my fist at the screen shouting, "Why?!?", as Kim Jae Wook's character flatlined and instead of looking at him, she shouted at his body....after he just told her it wasn't him, just a shell. So wrong.
Once the show did him in, they also did in my like of the show and it turned boring.
Anyway, thanks for the breakdown/recap! ^^
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26 dtp_jnr
September 27, 2013 at 8:41 AM
The answer as to why Shi-on stopped seeing ghost was quite straight forward and easy to comprehend. When she first started seeing ghosts and asked the sharman about why she can see them the sharman told her that it's most likely because there is someone strongly she wants to see that's passed on. At that time she had no memory tho. Now that the person she wanted to see is finally gone and closure has been had, she has no reason to see ghosts anymore. EASY.......
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27 Treasure
September 27, 2013 at 9:12 AM
I liked the show, it had a nice easy "Ghost Whisperer" type vibe. I thought Teac Yeon did an acceptable job and I adore Kim Jae Wook. Having said that I think KJW needs to have an iron clad contract stating he gets the girl for his next show. I wish the show had gone beyond the 16 episodes and explored some of the characters a bit more. The end where it appeared Taec Yeon's character was going to take up the ghost whisperer mantle was interesting and a few more episodes exploring that would have been nice.
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28 yuelie
September 27, 2013 at 9:30 AM
Abs? Really?
Greedy girls!!!
I'm so with you! lol
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29 Mystisith
September 27, 2013 at 9:45 AM
Obviously it was a low budget clunky drama and since it didn't promise anything grandiose, I don't feel cheated.
Topic: Mourning process & how to start a new life. Show did a better job than 49 days and I'm grateful.
That story was a snake with 2 heads: 1 hero had to disappear. I was OK with the ending once I accepted that this drama made the mistake to have a "too strong/lovable second male lead". The characters were what kept me onboard and I think that the cast did the best they could do with the material they were given (cop stuff was a joke, ghost stuff was uneven).
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30 Yon Yih
September 27, 2013 at 9:46 AM
I like this show in the beginning but it disappoint me so much that I have to drop it in the middle.
The heroine graduated first from the academy but most of the time she's just a damsel in distress, I couldn't feel the chemistry between her and GunWoo, it's like suddenly they are kissing and fall in love with each other
Lastly , how can they waste KimJaeWook like this, I can feel his sadness just by his stare and yet this is all you ask him to do? They didn't even let him talk!
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31 meri
September 27, 2013 at 9:54 AM
Thank you for giving a place to rant/rave about this show! I watched the whole thing and enjoyed it as something to pass the time, but I never was excitedly waiting for the next episode.
I feel like it really had all the parts to be a better show, but it didn't quite gel together.
-Director: Not so seamless transitions in theme. Example: from rom-com (flashback scenes) to melo/scary moments. The flashbacks should have been short bittersweet glimpses that provided insight into the past. But they were so long and cute you sort of wished you could be watching that drama instead.
-I think everyone touched on the issues of the leading men.
-Lead Actress: Not very subtle. She always reacted to things with EXTREME TERROR!!!! then switched to numb/almost bored with nothing in between. Kicka$$ then panicky mess in the same scene.
-Writer: holes! holes! holes everywhere! You had to fill in the blank so many times about why characters were motivated to act in some ways or completely ignore things like basic police or ambulance procedure (I'm pretty sure there should be EMTs in the back of an ambulance and that you shouldn't violently shake wounded people lol).
But overall I was willing to overlook those issues and enjoy the cute puppy moments, action scenes or the creepy ghost sleuthing on their own. :)
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32 SuziQ
September 27, 2013 at 11:06 AM
This drama was all over the place. Bumbling cops, nonscary ghosts, and a romance that was a dud.
Poor Kim Jae Wook was totally wasted in his role which he couldn't even speak for most of the drama.He was trying his best to convey emotions without speaking, but he didn't have much to do. He needs to get a new lead role where he talks!
TAEC has improved, but he still needs more experience before taking more challenging roles as a lead.
I wished is was more suspenseful like the first 2 episodes, after that, it was nonscary and dull.
I agree and was confused about why she lost her ability to see ghosts in the end.Don't go into a coma in Korea, because maybe you don't want to wake up and sees ghosts too which is a crazy premise.
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33 sisiorchid
September 27, 2013 at 11:06 AM
o_0
The initials of the is WAY
And us got to wonder WEH?
"_"
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risa
September 27, 2013 at 12:26 PM
Right-- Wae, WAY? And who are you, Who Are You?
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34 rhayne
September 27, 2013 at 11:25 AM
very well, said. there is more spark with the story between kim jae wok and sion...he's really good especially with the acting...too bad, nobody recognized or gave much importance about his character in the story.
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35 Soyb
September 27, 2013 at 11:39 AM
What an unexpected but pleasant surprise to see you guys watched and we get the benefit of your wrap-up chat!
I started out loving this drama, tonally probably better that MS at first. The first 2 definitely and possibly 4 episodes were solid, gripping even to me. Also, it had a spooky vibe and the case by case mystery solving seemed interesting, too.
I thought when KJW showed up and the shaman was introduced who could communicate with him, the three of them would work together to solve his mystery as well solve other mysteries. Since he could communicate with the shaman, how much simpler and more logical it would have been for him to tell SO that he was shot by that detective and then the mystery being what was behind the shooting and who the ultimate head bad guy was. In retrospect, I don't get why the shaman was introduced and she was so under utilized.
It's as if the writer had this great idea and premise, but couldn't quite execute. Or possibly had too many ideas but didn't know how to put it all together in a logical way.
When I think back on this drama I feel a lot of regret for what I think it could have been. I enjoyed parts, I didn't particularly hate anything aside from the incompetent police in action, I really liked all three lead actors even if some acted better than others, but if I knew how it would turn out, I may not have watched it. Or waited to marathon FFing thru parts b/c really this is one drama where I think less would have been more. I think 16 episodes were too much, thank goodness it wasn't any longer and like you guys, the drama pretty much ended on Ep. 15.
As for Taecyeon being like Song Seung Heon... who would have thought there would be comparison between the two... I think Taecyeon has an edge if only because he didn't do the crazy bug eyes. Remember that scene from Dr. Jin? It helps that his character is like a puppy and he did a good job acting like a puppy.
Lastly, a gripe about police work here and in other dramas since I just finished Two Weeks... why do they come across as such incompetents? Is there a drama where they aren't bumbling idiots who wouldn't be able to catch a criminal if they tripped on him? I know it's a drama, but it does distract from being able to invest into a story when it's so ridiculously bad.
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36 alisa
September 27, 2013 at 12:02 PM
Omg Taecyeon comparison to Song Seung Heon is so perfect. They are both bad actors but so hot ,you just wanna look at them and hope for a shirtless scene.
Every time i saw Taec on screen i was like` I don`t care what you`re saying, you suck at acting, so take that freaking shirt of!!!!!!!!!!!`
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37 Cynthia
September 27, 2013 at 12:04 PM
Thanks for the wrap-up, ladies!
I knew WAY was just okay when I realized that I wasn't impatiently waiting for the subs to come out. The first half was interesting and then the moldy spots started to creep in resulting in some kind of foolishness for the ensuing eps. (Stupid police work sure didn't help but I did like the cute shaman and her relationship with the kid cop and the hot ghost.)
I like Taec but find that whenever he's on screen I'm fixated on those large ears of his - they are known for being his "tell" and turn bright red according to his emotions of the moment :-)
And I have to agree how nonsensical it was to have Shi-on grabbing onto and sobbing over the body of her love when he was right behind her and giving off all those 'I'm going to a better place' golden sparkles was just writing lunacy. I wanted her dropping to her knees in front of his spirit begging him not to go, or being happy for him that he was moving on. Remember that movie 'Ghost' with Demi and Patrick Swazy? The final goodbye was done well. Not here in WAY...
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38 risa
September 27, 2013 at 12:22 PM
Some things just shouldn't be paired together-- like soda pop and fine wine, Lee Beom Soo and Yoona, or Kim Jae Wook's soulful eyes and the rest of this production.
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August
September 27, 2013 at 1:21 PM
I am laughing so hard!
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alisa
September 27, 2013 at 5:19 PM
Seriously Lee Beom Soo-Yoona pairing is still bugging me. I would be if she was paired with one of the `sexy ajussi` actors, like Che Seung Won or Jung Woo Sung. But she just doesn`t fit with Lee Beom Soo.
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39 kkrazy
September 27, 2013 at 12:51 PM
Agree with more abs!
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40 sixtyeightmonkey
September 27, 2013 at 1:32 PM
Wait, was there a ghost story in the final episode? If there was, I can't remember. I can't even recall what happened in that last episode, other than Taecyeon's character demoting himself to Lost & Found to be with Shi-on. :/ I might as well have stopped watching the moment Kim Jae-wook's character glittered away to the afterlife, because I've already forgotten anything that happened after that moment.
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41 soserious
September 27, 2013 at 2:24 PM
still watched the show for jae-wook, and i kept getting aggravated because he NEVER talks. so yes, i cannot agree more. i was SO. BUMMED.
he needs to be in more things. and i cannot understand why he hasn't taken a lead role after all he's done. his acting flew me away on several occasions (particularly in Bad Guy).
so yeah. ALL THE THINGS, Kim Jae-wook. for us.
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42 Jenn
September 27, 2013 at 2:43 PM
Actually Shi-On could hear certain ghosts - remember Gun-Woo's dead father? His ghost was driving her crazy with tapping that she could hear and even had to go ask someone about it and it turned out to be morse code for Gun-Woo or something.
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43 Anvesha
September 27, 2013 at 5:00 PM
This is the Kim Jae Wook show for me. I loved him, felt sorry for him, cried some with him, hated the ending on his behalf lol Taec was fine in the beginning but without KJW, I probably would've stopped watching it.
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44 Jess
September 27, 2013 at 5:18 PM
I think you missed some of it. But then, some of what started to make sense didn't quite at the end. As for why she saw ghosts, I thought it was all about her ghost-ex. I got the impression that all the ghosts in some way were connected to his death. Also, she was seeing the ghosts because he was still alive and was fighting so hard to create that connection. Therefore, it made sense that it would end when he was finally gone. I thought the part with Taec possibly seeing something at the end was more of a "what if" kind of joke. But it would require someone else desperately trying to make him see, if that makes any sense.
The reason they didn't get to see each other much once Taec switched to the other department at the end was because he was in the "regional" division, which meant he had to travel all over and because he'd been on a long assignment. Which was why he wanted to switch back. He'd had his fill and realized he'd rather spend more time sleeping and dating. Which I totally understand.
I really like Taec as a person, but I feel like his acting is really him just displaying his regular personality. He seems the same as he does when he's filming that WGM international version show.
This show made much more sense to me than the crazy rules of Master's Sun. Why do the ghosts talk sometimes, but the coffee ghost never does? How is it that the Shaman marriage lady can call ghosts but not see them or hear them? How does she know if they came? If the dead cheated-on ex-wife ghost can trip a girl running down the stairs, why can't she do that to kill her lying cheating wanna-be-murderer husband? Who are You made much more sense to me.
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45 kdramafan
September 27, 2013 at 7:15 PM
I personally enjoyed this show.
I thought it was an easy watch. Not perfect but not cringe-worthy either.
There seemed to be 2 ending episodes and I thought the first was better but didn't really mind the last one.
If there was a recap for this show I don't think I would have liked it as I don't think this show was one for deconstructing. It was a just a light show that filled the beginning of the week:)
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46 Rach
September 27, 2013 at 8:20 PM
I agree with most everything you've mentioned. I started watching this one because Taec is an adorable puppy (whom I actually think is a pretty good actor most of the time), with the added benefit of Kim Jae Wook on the side. In the end, I LOVED Kim Jae Wook the most out of any of the characters. I agree that he expressed more with just his eyes than most of the other actors did with words. And yes. Please, another drama for him, but a happy-ended one this time, where he actually gets the girl!
I didn't mind the ending because at least it was happy, and I decided not to try and make all the paranormal sciencey things work, because that just ends up being frustrating. I thought Taecyeon did a good job, and I liked So Yi Hyun. I would agree, though, that the two just weren't that believable together. I couldn't believe that Shi On went from "silly puppy boy, whatever, you can drive me around" to "stay by myself, I need you" so suddenly. He always just felt like a little brother with a crush to me. Even though Taecyeon is obviously manly. A manly puppy? Can someone be like that? I guess so, because that is what he is.
Anyways, I enjoyed watching this show, and would recommend it, but it would probably be lower on the list of "OMG, you must watch this!" shows.
Incidentally, if we are comparing current "I see dead people" shows, I would pick The Master's Sun over Who Are You? any day of the week. I love how quirky and interesting that show is.
Ok, that is all.
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47 cocoonedsoul
September 27, 2013 at 9:19 PM
i for one, think that the HE'S-NOT-DEAD twist was good, because it gave closure. she saw him go in front of her, like /actually die/ and not poof my soul is going to heaven, and because of that she could move on.
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48 Kerii
September 27, 2013 at 11:17 PM
When this show first aired, I really loved it. I found the premise exciting and, well, it had Kim Jae-wook in it. However, as it progressed, my interest steadily declined until I didn't even care enough to watch it anymore (I never finished the last 3 episodes). There is something wrong when you root for the dead guy to get the girl O.o I guess I'm just so disappointed because the drama had so much potential but it was too focused on the procedural aspects and side characters (I was so tired of the dumb and dumber cops in their department).
On a positive, I was really touched by Kim Jae-wook's acting. For hardly saying anything, he really conveyed his character's emotions perfectly. I admit that he had me teary-eyed from his sorrow and despair **cry** He is a fantastic actor and deserves a LEADING role!! He steals the show in every drama that he appears in (I loved loved loved him in Bad Guy too). PLEASE, oh KDrama gods, give Kim Jae-wook a leading role NOW!
overall, an ok drama but I wouldn't watch it again (or finish it for that matter)...
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49 Lindy
September 28, 2013 at 12:14 AM
Every week I would say to myself, "This is it! I'm not wasting another second on this show." But next week I was back watching again. Mostly for Kim Jae Wook's amazingly expressive eyes though. I found So Yi-hyun's character to be curiously bloodless, tired and anemic - just dull and boring. I didn't care about her at all. Even the flashbacks, where she showed a bit more energy, left me cold. And Taecyeon!?! He's no actor and I actually felt kind of embarrassed watching him. There was zero chemistry between the two leads and this is the man she's supposed to rejoin the living to be with?
I don't think Song Seung Heon is so terrible. He's much better than Taecyeon at least. It's just he's one of these unfortunate actors whose incredible good looks work against rather than for him. The first thing I ever saw him in was John Woo's remake of A Better Tomorrow where he plays the gangster sidekick of Joo Jin Mo. He was still ridiculously good looking but that wasn't important for the character. He has a nasty, talk-dirty-to-me quality to him that was really effective especially in the early scenes in Thailand where he goes one-on-one with a Thai gun runner in a contest to see who can reassemble a revolver fastest. Not a good guy at all!
I agree, though, he can't do romantic leads. He's totally wooden, cold, unrelaxed and unconvincing. Too bad. He should just stick to playing thugs and not be allowed within a mile of the nearest heroine in need of an embrace.
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50 Ace
September 28, 2013 at 6:53 AM
Stopped watching at blank episode. I really forgot the ep.# but I know why I did stop. I really meant to continue watching this to the end because it was an easy watch but there was this other ghost drama that just got more interesting that I couldn't watch another drama until that one finishes.
I like So Yi-hyun (saw her in an early ep. of Hwashin and she was a hoot) but her character here wasn't really engaging. Taecyeon...ah Taec! He's better here than say Dream High, but there are moments when I can say that 'Oh, he practiced that in front of a mirror!' Haha.
At least Kim Jae-wook was there and did a whole lot of things for a silent character. I didn't get far to see the ep. where he was in a coma, but they killed him? Really? And Gun-woo came to see ghosts in the end? Was ghost-seeing contagious and transferable?
Thanks for the thoughts on this drama. You've described wonderfully what I was feeling about it.
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