Descended From the Sun: Episode 16 (Final)
by LollyPip
Cuteness abounds as we watch the soldiers and doctors we’ve grown to adore settle into their lives, finding ways to compromise and love one another despite their occasional clashes. It hasn’t been an easy road, as they’ve struggled to meet in the middle without compromising their own principles. But there are many ways to wage a war, and those battles are worth fighting when the reward is love.
FINAL EPISODE RECAP
Shi-jin walks over the dune to Mo-yeon, picking her up when she falls to her knees in her shock at seeing the man she was told was dead. Mo-yeon stammers, “You were dead?!” and Shi-jin hugs her, apologizing tearfully.
Once she accepts that he’s alive, Mo-yeon grows characteristically angry, pushing him away and snapping at him that being alive doesn’t make everything okay. She goes through a gamut of emotions — crying, yelling, calmly saying that she doesn’t need him, then back to hugging him and declaring her love, while Shi-jin patiently waits for her to work it all out.
Over in Uruk, now-Sergeant Ki-bum exclaims over the rare snow they’re getting, and Myung-joo wanders outside to see it up close. As she holds out her hand to catch a snowflake, a figure turns the corner in front of her — it’s Dae-young, injured but also alive.
He stops right in front of her, just looking at her with those eyes, already crying. He says the words that he’s probably been dying to say for a year: “I’m sorry I took so long to reply. We’re not separating. I will never separate from you again.”
Myung-joo weakly beats his chest, sobbing wordlessly, and Dae-young pulls her close for a kiss. She pulls away to hit him some more, and he just takes it, then kisses her again.
Sergeant Kim-bum is confidently in charge of his men, sending them out to the training grounds. But he immediately loses his composure when Dae-young walks into the barracks unannounced, bursting into childlike tears to see his friend and savior alive.
Dae-young indulgently hugs Ki-bum, and teases him for crying in front of his men. He asks how the high school equivalency test went, and Ki-bum squeaks out, “I passed.” Proud, Dae-young smiles and hugs him again.
Later that night Myung-joo gives Dae-young his dog tags back, which she’s been wearing all this time. She cleans him up, shaving him while he watches her intensely, and he promises never to die on her again. Myung-joo doesn’t believe him, though she wants to, because having him come back to her has used up all of her luck.
He tells her that Shi-jin is alive as well, and that as soon as they were able to report that they weren’t dead, they found out where Myung-joo and Mo-yeon were and each went there. Myung-joo asks what really happened on their mission, and he tells her that the enemy militia captured them just before the bombing.
They were kept in a bomb shelter, then a prison cell for several months. We see them, beaten and bloody, saved by a masked man just as their captors came to kill them. The man bends to release them and takes his mask off — it’s Jung-joon! He’s alive, and he came to fulfill his promise to pay Shi-jin back for his help in Seoul.
Shi-jin also tells his story to Mo-yeon, and she fusses at him for breaking his arm again. He just jokes that he’s lucky to have a girlfriend who’s a doctor, and she says that she missed his jokes and hugs him again.
He thinks back on all his injuries, how he’s been shot, stabbed, and beaten in the course of his job. He says that it won’t happen again, and he’s surprised to see the food for his own memorial set out nearby. Mo-yeon suddenly worries, and grabs a nearby volunteer to verify that Shi-jin is really here and not another figment of her imagination.
Satisfied, she offers him the food from his memorial (“It’s meant for you whether you’re a ghost or not.”), and takes a video call from her friends at the hospital while he eats. She turns the phone to find better light, and everyone gapes to see Shi-jin sitting right behind her. Hee, they all assume they’re seeing a ghost, and Sang-hyun actually faints.
Mo-yeon laughs, and when Shi-jin complains that this isn’t funny, she’s all Are you really going to pass up the chance for an awesome joke? They call her back, and Chi-hoon cries as he instructs her to tell Shi-jin’s spirit that she loves him so he can rest in peace.
Mo-yeon giggles at her friends’ histrionics and tells Shi-jin that they’re trying to get rid of him already. He complains that his widdle feelings are hurt, making them all shriek in fright again. Mo-yeon trills that she’ll explain everything when she gets home, and hangs up. Only now does everyone back home realize that that really was Shi-jin, alive and well.
Dae-young and Shi-jin make their way home, and before they can even salute Lieutenant General Yoon, he grabs them both in a giant hug and thanks them for coming home safely. Even Lieutenant (now Colonel) Park can’t make it through his grumpy speech before bursting into tears.
All attempt at formality is abandoned when Team Alpha come screaming up to grab Shi-jin and Dae-young in a group bear hug. Miffed at being left out, Colonel Park orders Shi-jin and Dae-young to write up their report in excruciating detail, and the rest of Team Alpha hilariously bail on them.
Shi-jin lets Dae-young do all the work while he offers ideas to spice up their story (Dae-young: It’s not like they’ll write to the enemy militia for confirmation!). They decide to base their embellished story on the Bourne movies, and Shi-jin skips out leaving Dae-young to do all the work. He says it’s because his girlfriend is here and Dae-young’s is still in Uruk, which, ouch.
He takes Mo-yeon to their coffee shop and asks if she remembers dumping him here, and she says that she might do it again today. She asks seriously if he plans to continue going to “the department store,” and he responds that no soldier plans to become a dead hero. Mo-yeon takes that as a Yes, but she tells Shi-jin that she won’t object.
Even though he’ll always feel sorry and she’ll always hate him for it, she says that she’ll support him. It’s her way of fighting for peace — his peace. Shi-jin apologizes that all he can do is be sorry, and to cheer him up, Mo-yeon asks him to go fishing with her tomorrow.
So they go, and while Shi-jin is finally getting the relaxing fishing trip he’s wanted, Mo-yeon complains that she’s bored. She wants to do something else, but Shi-jin objects to her ideas, and has one of his own. He chirps that they have a tent right there, and suggests that they take a break. Ha, he’s practically waggling his eyebrows at her.
Shi-jin’s big plans are foiled when Mo-yeon actually catches a fish, and he goes adorably squeamish when it comes time to clean it. Mo-yeon handles with with surgical precision, laughing at Shi-jin’s cute shivers.
That night they lay in the tent, while Mo-yeon looks up nearby hotels on her phone (so much PPL, ugh). She shows him the white stone she still has from their beach and says that this got her through the year of thinking he was dead. She thought that if she could go back and replace it on the beach, she could finally forget him. Over and over she bought plane tickets and canceled them, never able to actually do it.
Shi-jin starts to scoot over to her side of the tent, and when she doesn’t push him away, he tries for a kiss. Mo-yeon shoots him down, petting him on the head like a little kid, while he whines that she’s too hard to get. I’ll say.
Dae-young calls Myung-joo to complain about his report, but really just to hear her voice. She tells him that she’s asked Ki-bum so often if he’s really back, that now Ki-bum just says, “It’s not a dream, he really is back,” every morning as soon as he sees her, ha. Still, she can’t relax unless she hears Dae-young’s voice.
Dae-young invites her to call him any time, though tomorrow he’s escorting a VIP. In fact all of Alpha Team is on the job, though they argue whether it’s Dae-young’s or Shi-jin’s job to actually escort whoever it is.
Ha, it turns out to be girl idol group Red Velvet, who are entertaining the troops today. No wonder the boys were fighting. Dae-young even dances along as they perform their hit song “Dumb Dumb,” and Shi-jin holds up a fan sign that says “Red Velvet is sweeter than my girlfriend.” You better hope your girlfriend doesn’t see that, buddy.
Which is exactly what happens, when Mo-yeon gets a gander at a fan video featuring Red Velvet’s performance. And there’s her man, fanboying all over them.
While getting ready for her television show, she asks the host to ask her if she has a boyfriend. When she does, and Mo-yeon makes a point to innocently say that she’s much too busy for a boyfriend. Shi-jin gets all huffy, and Mo-yeon breezily says that since he was acting like he didn’t have a girlfriend, she just figured they weren’t together.
She’s even tattled to Myung-joo, who gives Dae-young an earful the next time she calls him. Both men try to justify that it was just awkward editing, and that they were actually cheering for their battalion commander. Yeah, right.
Dae-young tries flattery, while Shi-jin falls back on his charm, not that either tactic works. What does work on Mo-yeon is the news that Shi-jin is being promoted to squadron leader, and Shi-jin teases her for being a little too happy about the boost in pay.
Mo-yeon narrates as Shi-jin receives his promotion, then leaves and returns from another mission, that she’s in love with a squadron leader who protects women, children and the elderly. She’s now the most famous doctor at Haesung Hospital, and it looks as though she’s finally been given that instructor position she’s wanted.
Myung-joo comes home from Uruk, and tells Dae-young that she’s spent her time there deciding exactly how to kill him. He obediently hangs his head, until she says that all that thinking of him just made her miss him that much more, and he risks a glance up at her. He’s entirely too adorable.
He suggests that they go see her father tomorrow, though he’s decided that he won’t leave the army. He’s fully prepared to tell her father so, which makes Myung-joo so happy she forgets all about being upset with him.
So they stand in front of Lieutenant General Yoon, hand in hand, until Myung-joo throws a wrench into the whole thing: “Father, I’m pregnant.” At Yoon’s glare, Dae-young stammers that it’s not true, and he stage-whispers to Myung-joo, asking if she planned this. She just says that she decided it’s best to go on the attack.
Confused, Yoon sits them down to get the straight story, insisting that his daughter let Dae-young speak for once. He respectfully tells Yoon that he can’t keep his promise to leave the army. Even while he was locked up and tortured, he never once regretted becoming a soldier, and he doesn’t believe that his country should lose a soldier like that.
He promises to find another way to gain Yoon’s approval, but Myung-joo’s father says that he’s already proud to call Dae-young “son-in-law.” He tells them that he had already decided on the day that Dae-young left to approve their relationship, and that he spent a year regretting letting him go.
Myung-joo’s face shines when she tells Mo-yeon that they finally received her father’s blessing, but that’s not why she came to see her. She delivers a Christmas card from Fatima, who’s been studying Korean and has decided that she wants to become a doctor.
Chi-hoon borrows Sang-hyun’s laptop to show everyone the video that Myung-joo made him from Uruk. Chi-hoon’s little friend finally got his goat, which bleats when he finally tells them his real name. Poor Chi-hoon, he’s never going to learn the kid’s name.
Curious, Ja-ae decides to see what’s really on that file Sang-hyun is so nervous about. It’s full of pictures, but they’re not porn as she suspected — it’s pictures of one person, a girl, and the photos range from her childhood to adulthood. Every single picture is of Ja-ae.
A little stunned, Ja-ae wanders through the hospital halls like a ghost, until a visitor knocks her down and Sang-hyun comes running to help her up. He sits her down and tells her to rest, and says that he knows she looked in his secret folder.
Ja-ae apparently threw it in the trash folder, because “you said you wanted it deleted.” She asks why he has those pictures in the first place, and he says it’s his proposal, his proof that he’s loved her since they were kids together.
Ja-ae thinks he just feels pity for her, but Sang-hyun says that he knows what he feels, and it’s love. Ja-ae tells him to stop, that he doesn’t need to convince her any more, and that she’ll confess or whatever he wants after she finishes paying him back the money he loaned her. Then she runs off “to earn money,” hiding her shy little smile.
Mo-yeon names her new car Big Boss, and she instructs Shi-jin to drive somewhere secret, to his confusion. Mo-yeon explains that she’s scared to drive Big Boss, since she tends to destroy cars, and they head to a car wash where she makes him wash the car, too.
Mo-yeon gets out to help and immediately blasts Shi-jin in the face with water, and she gives him her coat, joking that she can see through his clothes like he did to her once. Shi-jin takes advantage and snuggles up to her, claiming to be freezing.
Dae-young and Myung-joo have lunch at the base headquarters, where he complains that she’s torturing him — by playing footsie with him under the table. She says she’ll leave him alone if he’ll visit her in the medical area, then loads up his plate with her own food to give him indigestion.
She gives him an invitation she received to Ye-hwa and Daniel’s wedding in Canada, and we see that the entire Uruk medical team have also been invited. Ha, the women are all upset, having been told they were only colleagues, just now learning that Ye-hwa is snapping up the handsome doctor.
Dae-young is confused, since he thought they were married already. Myung-joo explains that Daniel once had to pretend to be her husband to gain her political asylum, which saved her life.
Dae-young asks if Myung-joo ever read his final letter to her, and when she says she didn’t, he calls her a coward. He continues and we realize that he’s reciting it by heart: “If you’re reading this will, I, the cowardly one, will remain as a painful memory until the end. Don’t forgive me, and as much as I always thought of you, I hope you live a happy life. I love you with all my heart, Yoon Myung-joo. That will never change, whether I live or die.”
Myung-joo doesn’t believe that he’s really memorized his letter, and takes it from her pocket to prove it. But it’s true, and she gasps as she reads the words that he just said, perfect down to the last word. He tells Myung-joo that he wrote that letter a hundred times, and the whole cafeteria catcalls until he snaps them to attention.
Dae-young stands, and orders anyone of lower rank than himself to close their eyes. They do, and he leans down to kiss Myung-joo’s forehead while those of higher rank continue their Oooohs.
So Myung-joo stands and issues the same order, which gets everyone in the room to close their eyes, including Dae-young. She plants a real kiss on him, and every soldier defies orders and cheers them on.
Shi-jin and Mo-yeon share some beers at her apartment, where Mo-yeon tells him that she still donates monthly to Daniel’s cause as repayment for dropping his car in the ocean. He gives her a hard time about her schooling, and she wonders when he plans to go home, ha.
She thinks about what it means to take vows like her doctor’s vows, and narrates that there are a lot of words that stay in your heart. We see a new doctor taking her vows, and a new crop of Special Forces soldiers taking their vows to their country. We get a montage of the doctors and soldiers in Uruk, upholding their vows even when it means their lives were at stake.
Mo-yeon calls in her promise to whisk Shi-jin away at a moment’s notice, and they hop on a plane to Uruk. They finally visit their beach and replace their stone, and Mo-yeon teases that since Shi-jin lived, she lost her chance to come here with a different man.
They stay to watch the sunset and Shi-jin grows serious, refusing to share Mo-yeon’s wine because he’ll have to drive the boat back. Mo-yeon snarls that they have to go back at all, but she offers him another way to taste the wine. Rawr?
She admits that she was nervous when he kissed her that first time, and Shi-jin says that he’s nervous right now, at a beach with wine and a beautiful woman. They look up to see a shooting star and Shi-jin asks if Mo-yeon made a wish, and tells her that his wish is sitting right next to him.
She urges him to continue, and he says that she’s shining brightly, which brightened up his life. He wonders softly how such a woman became his, and she jokes that he must have been a soldier in his previous life and saved the nation. Which means that they’ll date in their next lives again, since he’s still saving the nation.
Shi-jin asks again what Mo-yeon wished for, and she says that she wished for a kiss. Shi-jin is more than happy to make her wish come true, only pulling away long enough for them to exchange “I love yous,” then going right back for more.
Everyone heads to Canada for Ye-hwa and Daniel’s wedding, and HAHA, Dae-young caught the bouquet. He looks at it fiercely, refusing to put it away when Shi-jin complains.
Chi-hoon breaks the fourth wall, asking the audience if they like endings like this. Everyone overcame life’s difficulties with love, and lived happily ever after. Suddenly the lights go out and everyone wonders out loud what’s wrong with the scene, and when the lights come back up a waitress comes running in to shriek that there’s been a volcano eruption.
The guests flee while the soldiers and doctors just hang their heads, then start preparing for another disaster. Dae-young says he should have taken that discharge, Myung-joo wipes off her lipstick, and Ja-ae puts her hair up. Mo-yeon tells her pretty heels to prepare to be destroyed, and Shi-jin loosens his tie, already dreading the report he’ll have to write.
COMMENTS
That ending was both odd and amusing, but I have to admit that I found the tongue-in-cheek poke at the overwrought dramatic happenings everywhere these people go to be pretty damn funny. By this point it’s too late to expect realism, so we may as well go with the obvious laugh.
I thought that both couples were given good, strong endings, showing how much they grew and proving that they’ll all have happy futures together. Dae-young’s decision to remain in the military, and Myung-joo’s father’s approval of him based only on his merits as a good man and a good soldier, especially got me right in the heart. Dae-young has never wanted anything but to be seen as worthy of Myung-joo, and to earn that regard honestly and sincerely meant a lot to him. We don’t know a lot about his past, but I have the feeling that being respected isn’t something he got a lot of growing up. You could see that having a father figure see him as a good man means the world to him.
Mo-yeon and Shi-jin’s relationship didn’t have as much angst, but that can be a good thing. They only had their self-inflicted hurdles to conquer, and both being people of strong moral convictions, that wasn’t an easy task. But they found a way to make it work with a little compromise and a lot of understanding, and I actually appreciated that their personal love story was simple and clear.
I worried for a while there that Shi-jin would quit his career, but regardless of the danger it puts him in and the worry it causes Mo-yeon, I’m happy that he didn’t. He’s said from the beginning that he believes in fighting for peace, and I respect that even after his year-long ordeal, his beliefs still hold strong. He has no intention of dying, but he’s not willing to give up the fight, not even for love.
And it’s a testament to Mo-yeon’s growth as a character that this time, she accepts his answer and decides to stay with him, even if it might mean losing him again. She knows now that Myung-joo is right — the only thing worse than losing the man you love, is not letting yourself love him while you can. She’s found a way to help Shi-jin, by being his peace when he’s home, and she’s content to be that for him, which is beautiful.
I also adored the friendships, particularly Shi-jin and Dae-young, and Myung-joo and Mo-yeon. The bromance between the soldiers was alternately adorable and heart-rending, as they proved that not only did they genuinely like each other, but they loved each other enough to lay down their life for their friend. Mo-yeon and Myung-joo started out as bitter rivals, but also learned, through their love for their soldiers, to put those things aside and learn to respect and even like each other. Again, I love that nothing ever really threatened those relationships but their own behavior, and that in the end, the friendships all came out the stronger for their struggles.
I do admit that I’m a little disappointed in the nice neat bow everything was tied up in. It’s not that I wish for Shi-jin’s or Dae-young’s death — the drama-lover in me wants everyone to have their romantic happy ending, naturally. It’s just that, again, the show deprived us of some pretty rich emotional moments by making both of it’s main male characters practically immortal. I think back to a particular King and his Earnest Bot, and while their story nearly killed me, it was realistic, and paved the way for some incredibly poignant moments and growth for those who were left behind. It’s just that Descended From the Sun had such potential to be great, and fell short by shooting itself (literally) in the foot, and not letting us feel any real fear or grief because we knew that the boys were coming back. They always came back — there were never any true consequences when they went off for another dangerous mission.
I’ve thought about it for weeks, and I think that the major weakness of Descended is that it set up some pretty heavy-duty background for the main story, yet the main story never elevated itself beyond the typical romance stories we see in other dramas. For a drama set in a war zone, I expected a lot more realistic situations, yet even the events like the earthquake and Shi-jin and Dae-young’s repeated threats to their lives never landed with any more gravity than moments in dramas with much lower stakes. My expectation was of a grand, sweeping show with a lot of angst and drawn-out plot lines, but what we got instead felt like a series of vignettes about life as a doctor and a soldier. Every plot point was solved within an episode and a half, so we never got to feel any real fear that there was any real danger.
And what really irks is that I could see the potential for better, in some of the characters and situations. Take North Korean soldier Jung-joon for example. His story arced over the entire length of the show — when he showed up he made a splash, then he’d fade back just long enough for us to forget him, then BAM, there he was again. Because he was allowed to be mysterious and sometimes lurk in the background, the impact of his appearances carried a lot more weight. When he showed up to rescue Shi-jin and Dae-young, it was a truly exciting surprise. There were several characters who hinted at the possibility of more, such as Daniel, Fatima, and Ye-hwa — just imagine if more of the characters had been handled like Jung-joon’s character was handled… we would have been truly blown away.
But as I’ve said before, it’s the characters and their wonderful relationships that really made this show a success, and despite my complaints about what could have been, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. Honestly, recapping a show does make you analyze a bit more harshly than you might otherwise, but the part of me that’s just a regular viewer has completely loved this journey, and is willing to remember the show while overlooking the flaws and plot holes. For me, the most important thing that makes or breaks a drama is the characters, and in that sense, Descended From the Sun exceeded all of my expectations. There were no stock-drama-trope characters, no messy annoying love triangles, just genuine, flawed (in a good way!) people trying their best to love one another in a difficult situation. The men were respectful and adoring, the women were strong and capable and stood up for their beliefs, and the friendships were loving and lasting. In that sense the show exceeded expectations, and that’s what I’ll carry away with me.
RELATED POSTS
- Descended From the Sun: Episode 15
- Descended From the Sun: Episode 14
- Descended From the Sun: Episode 13
- Descended From the Sun: Episode 12
- Descended From the Sun: Episode 11
- Descended From the Sun: Episode 10
- Descended From the Sun: Episode 9
- Descended From the Sun: Episode 8
- Descended From the Sun: Episode 7
- Descended From the Sun: Episode 6
- Descended From the Sun: Episode 5
- Descended From the Sun: Episode 4
- Descended From the Sun: Episode 3
- Descended From the Sun: Episode 2
- Descended From the Sun: Episode 1
Tags: Descended From the Sun, Episode 16, featured, Jin Gu, Kim Ji-won, Song Hye-gyo, Song Joong-ki
Interview with Kim Yoo-jung
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51 Blue Sky
April 16, 2016 at 2:17 AM
(cont'd)
15. but KMY has the really close zooms and her makeup is flawless.
16. The music is great, I got the songs off iTunes.
17. Everyone got the love/career/resolution that was needed. YAY!
18. I liked the mature, straight forward characters. They're up front about their emotions, except when they're hiding/running away from them. There's no love triangle/square. There's no childhood emotional trauma or birth secret to guide their actions. They're all freely acting adults choosing what to do with their lives (except DSY hampered by feelings of unworthiness from being a poorly educated gangster).
It's hard to watch dramas where the leads are super young and immature and floundering around after watching this drama and its uber competent and determined leads.
As to some common criticisms:
- Too much PPL - On TV, I get 8 minutes of pure commercials for every 22 minutes of programming, and it's in-your-face commercials. On Viki or Dramafever, I don't get any commercials, so in comparison, the subtly used PPL in k dramas are barely noticeable to me. Also, I don't recognize most of the korean products anyway.
- It's unrealistic - I don't know medical/military stuff, so I can imagine that it's possible. I mean, I can believe the magic time travel in Signal/Faith/Nine so why not the amazing recuperative/indestructible powers of immortal werewolf boy YSJ? You know what I find totally unrealistic? That 30-year-old couples in love for years/months don't make it past first base. That's crazily unrealistic! Or that a couple deeply in love would be apart voluntarily for a year or several years and not be in any contact at all, no phone or email (Boys Over Flowers or was it Coffee Prince). That's even more unbelievable.
- There should be more development of the side characters - the screenwriters/author did such a great job making the huge cast interesting that of course we all want more of the side plots, but it's just hard to fit even more into a 16 episode drama - this is in comparison with dramas were the side characters are boring and flat
- someone should die - really? The second lead's death in King 2 Hearts totally killed the series for me. I need happy endings. City Hunter hyped the romance then the leads walked away from each other at the end, which flushed the drama for me. My fav ending is Secret Garden because you can see their happily ever after - 3 kids, house, career, etc. It's easy to fall in love. Staying in love day to day throughout life's challenges is the hard part. That's why I wish the ending of Faith were more fleshed out. I'm not one for ambiguous pan out type endings.
- the last episodes were boring - the first 2 episodes are the initial attraction - the next 10 episodes in Urk were the falling in love between the doctor and the soldier on duty - the next 2 episodes in Korea were the doctor dates soldier off duty - and the last 2 episodes were the doctor and soldier figure...
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52 Blue Sky
April 16, 2016 at 2:20 AM
(cont'd)
figuring how to have a relationship day to day for the rest of their lives. I liked the little vignettes of their lives in Korea. I also noticed that YSJ is more human in the last episode as he spends more time out of uniform and trying to blend into KMY's civilian life.
Summary: I loved this drama. It was fun, engaging, unpredictable (although I do thank the writers for killing off the boys in the middle of episode 15 so I could have some hope they'd return!), the characters were wonderful, and the ending was what I wanted.
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53 Pancchi
April 16, 2016 at 2:29 AM
So it ended..
It was a good journey but not a memorable one. Never once was the twists and turns exciting. Everything was presented in a lukewarm way except chi hoon's self doubts.
I had stopped using my brain since ep 2, with the mindset 'hell with logic and practicality, focus on sexy joongki'. And now since its over i realise it was more soup than noodles. Their relationship was handled well but they could have shown other situation for moyeon's character. As an ex army man's daughter, one thing we lived through was uncertainty. Many times we couldn't contact daddy, had no idea about their lives. This aspect helps in character growth, to live in denial and yet desire a closure to the wait. Many times there aren't any goodbyes, just waiting.. This could have been shown well..
Anyways, this show had sexy kisses, funniest honest confession, and some serious relationship goals and for that am a goo stuck on the floor*_*
By the way, the title of this did not have anything to do with the show, right? Or my fangirly eyes and brain was too blinded by those yummy abs..
just wondering..
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growingbeautifully
April 16, 2016 at 2:51 AM
Hi @ Pancchi
From what you say... they could have interviewed real people with family in the army to see what the feeling are to bring to the fore.
However I felt that the aspect that they set out to accomplish, ie consider how honor and duty and love could co-exist, was handled well.
As for the title, I've not seen anywhere an explanation of what the 'sun' signified and who it was or was it everyone who was descended from it! :D But maybe I'm taking it too literally. We have a bunch of characters who were/are willing to bring healing and saving to wherever, like the sun that permeates the darkness. Maybe that's where the title comes from? :)
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growingbeautifully
April 16, 2016 at 3:14 AM
BTW, on Viki the alternative title is The Sunshine Team, which works as well and seems close to my wild guess!
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pancchi
April 16, 2016 at 10:30 PM
Hi Unni!
I agree with you about interviewing real people that would be great. Real people and real stories..
The Sunshine Team seems more apt, since they save and protect lives of people.:)
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54 Kit
April 16, 2016 at 2:36 AM
Reading through Lollypip's thoughts about the drama, I have to say they're spot on and that she's basically said everything I had wanted to say. I still can't help but wonder how much of a masterpiece this drama could have been had they been less lazy about the plot development. The set-up was already there, so much could have been expounded on, yet we were only shown the surface. The drama had so much going for it, so much pretty going on - the actors, the set, cinematography, etc. - but I couldn't really get into the story as much as I had wanted to because it lacked a sense of realism and danger. In a way, the excessive prettiness even made the supposed dangerous scenes even less threatening and urgent because everything looked too manufactured and polished. The King 2 Hearts had its faults, too, and at times I found the villain to be too cartoonish but at least the show allowed me to actually fear for the characters' lives and someone actually did die, which really got to me. The way all the problems in DotS resolved itself right away made them feel so contrived and superficial. This drama had so much wasted potential and that's what limits me to only liking it instead of really loving it.
Yet, with all things said and done, awww, I'm kind of sad now that it's over. Despite how many times I've complained about this drama, I actually did quite enjoy watching it week after week. Overall, it was a pretty light watch with lots of fluff and I'm pretty much contented with the way they ended things in the last episode, even if it was mostly fan service. I loved the dynamic between the characters -- the soldiers and the medical team -- and found the relationships and conversations refreshing. I have to agree, the best part about DotS is how well-written the characters were and how well the actors portrayed them. That's what made me stick through to the end despite the ridiculous plot sequences in the last few episodes. I'm going to miss seeing fanboys SDY and YSJ, spunky MY and MJ, the goofy medical team and Team Alpha on my laptop screen. Time to find a new drama to keep me busy.
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55 growingbeautifully
April 16, 2016 at 2:45 AM
Thanks LollyPip!
I was just amused through and through by this episode.
My fave scene of Feels... Kim Gi Bum dissolving into tears uponseeing Dae Young. That made me cry more than I thought and laugh too!
Funniest scene - Da Young shaking his booty for Red Velvet... couldn't believe my eyes!!! That prim and proper, almost expressionless (most of the time) stalwart soldier was shaking it up most gloriously and was gloriously ridiculous at that! I think my hoot of laughter bugged my kids.
Thanks to all the production team for (on top of all the accolades already mentioned by others above) a show that was in many ways well made, that kept to it's objective of examining the principles of honor and duty and did it thoroughly, and that remembered to tie up every single loose end. Even revisiting the first wine kiss and the see through wet shirt scene!!! (which I never even considered needed a callback). It was fun and cute and very re-watchable.
So I know what I'll be watching from now on when I'm bored! :D
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ivoire
April 16, 2016 at 6:11 AM
Hi GB Unni,
I just got done reading your comment. Don't great minds think alike :-) So happy that you loved the KKB and SDY's reunion. I rewatched it, and it was so well done, really. Great acting from both men.
I now love Colonel Park, his comedic faces are priceless. Also, I just rewatched the dance scene, and besides SDY shaking his bum bum, Col Park is also there dancing, it is hilarious. Did you see it? And the Alpha boys were dancing as well. Such a funny and cute scene. I loved how you described SDY, so well said! ? Okay Unni, will be back later to comment more. I always love reading your thoughts ?
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56 angieya
April 16, 2016 at 3:04 AM
*slaps own forehead* I finally realized why the episodes after Uruk were so dissatisfying....it wasn't the lacking plot or the glaring amount of PPLs....they didn't give us any more choco abs, duh!!!
We started into this drama with SJK's glorious post-army body, followed by him and Jin Goo in the shower (ok, this didn't sound right lmao), then the abs of glory of shirtless jogging soldiers in Uruk in almost every single episode and after that....nothing. Show, you only had one job to do, I already didn't expect much from you but seriously?! Not impressed, nope. XD
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57 rin
April 16, 2016 at 3:16 AM
MJ is such a girl crush character.strong,straightforward,independent,fight for what she wants,pretty,sassy but emotional at the same time.i really like the relationship and the dialogues between MJ and her father.kim ji won acting was the best for me in this drama.at first i thought she wasn't gonna fit the role but she prove me wrong.i can't imagine now someone else play mj character,really love her short hair too!!!and her beauty is divine and so rare.
also jin goo great actor too!!!their kiss scene in the snow was the best thing in this drama,in cafeteria when she grabs him and kiss him too,their hugs,holding hands...i am gonna miss them.hope for this 2 actors the best and a drama with them as main leads!!!
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58 Purple Rain
April 16, 2016 at 3:26 AM
Lollipop, I enjoyed your closing comments even more than the recaps.
It was a fun ride. Good cinematography and locations, great looking leads, fun and light-hearted humor, fantastic music. Yet somehow the gravitas was missing from the treatment of both the professions featured here. You're right it could have been even more...
But we're greedy aren't we :). It would probably have required a much more sophisticated writer and directing team to accomplish just the right kind of get-you-in-the-gut and let-me-run-by-that-thought "oomph" we were hoping for.
That said, it'll still be one of my top 10. Salute!
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59 SDYdumbdance
April 16, 2016 at 3:30 AM
The finale ep really wraps it all and even coating the drama with heavy sugar and fluffs. The part when the soldiers dancing to Dumb Dumb was the best. SDY dance the choreo with his straightface and if you look closer, there was a meaningful smirk and nod on Snoopy's face. Dude, do you want to make your wife angry again? LOL
However, I'm still bothered by the part when MY's messages suddenly marked as read just before SJ arrived there. Did SJ just got his phone there? How did he got the phone after all, just after 1 year? Did he postpone reading the messages just for dramatical effect? How did SJ know the frequency for MY's radio after all?
Well, I guess this drama is not meant to be analyzed logically, just like the recapper said.
SJ's aegyo in the tent killed me! How can MY reject his pouting lips after all? LOL but he deserved it for all the worry and tears he caused to his girlfriend. Serves you right SJ!
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siesta
April 16, 2016 at 8:11 AM
most logical explanation i could come up with (tho why do we need logic when dealing with this drama) : he probably left it at the headquarters on whatever country he was doing the mission before leaving for the actual battle, then got caught, tortured, and escaped. he went back to that headquarters, got his stuff back (after a year tho..) and left for Albania where MY is. he might only have had time recharging and reading it after landing in Albania and looking for MY. the rest, as they say, is history.
The End of this cellphone saga.
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60 korini
April 16, 2016 at 3:37 AM
And it's done. Kim Eun-sook is truly a wizard! One good looking guy, one good looking gal, add a little bit of scenery and a little bit of fluff, cut the leading man's role in half, make the girls giggle with corny lines and stuff, take a serious script about serious stuff, troll it and voila! Success and 40% ratings. I always said the audience is not so hard to please. We just need to feel reassured that everyone is doing their best. The production is not stingy with money, the actors are there to act and, why not since it's part of their work, engage in a little bit of selfsarcasm (yes, idols and starlets and good looking youngsters, you should laugh at yourself before the others do).
True, my serious self is failing to see the "moral", the epimythium, as they would say in "urk-ish" and the point of all the ride. Was it about the love story? Nah, we didn't see it enough. Was it about the doctors? No, most of them were caricatures. Was there another script about paramedics and doctors? Probably. Was the point to say how good the Army is? My silly self on the other hand, had a blast no matter what any grumpy would say. Question: after captain don't you become a major everywhere in the world? What's the "squade leader". I only knew about "squadron leader" in the British airforce. But, who really cares. It's been great.
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61 lunatic4kd
April 16, 2016 at 4:19 AM
That last scene summed u everything that was wrong about this drama for me. And maybe it's only me but I am absolutely horrified that now millions of Chinese and Koreans and other people around the world think there are volcanoes near Toronto Canada!!! THERE ARE NO VOLCANOS ANYWHERE NEAR TORONTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You'd think with all the money spent on this production, the writer, the PD and the entire staff could have taken the time to avoid the many many inaccuracies throughout the drama. The only scenes that maintained somewhat of an accurate reality were the military engagement parts and that's probably because Song Joong-ki and several of the other actors and staff have done their time in the military. But the medical inaccuracies and so many other little things drove me crazy. PLEASE DON'T GET ME WRONG - I LOVED THE BASIC STORY AND THE PRETTY.....but goodness me it was sinful to watch in so many parts. OK...I've done venting. Don't hate me..I just rejoice in dramas with attention to detail.
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lunatic4kd
April 16, 2016 at 4:28 AM
I don't know how I typed "sinful" in the last sentence when my brain meant to type "awful" but it might have been a fun mistake.
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Rachel
April 16, 2016 at 5:03 AM
The wedding took place in Vancouver, not Toronto. Doesn't detract from the flawed logic of that ending scene though.
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lemondoodle
April 16, 2016 at 10:29 AM
I thought it summed up everything that was great about this drama. It was ridiculous on purpose.
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Jeanie
April 16, 2016 at 8:03 PM
I totally agree! I lost it when Chi Hoon broke the 4th wall and the announcement that a volcano erupted. Till the end it was entertaining ..and as Jin Goo said, refreshing! Haha! But I guess not everyone felt refreshed? Hee.
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62 nickky
April 16, 2016 at 4:56 AM
dis drama is awesome...#daebak#I really enjoyed dis movie..tnkz 4 d recap
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63 Zara
April 16, 2016 at 5:43 AM
I did enjoy the drama very much but I can't just understand why it is soo very popular... May be its just because I am not a Korean
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64 TJ
April 16, 2016 at 7:02 AM
Maybe because I'm an American the lack of focus on the "plot" doesn't bother me so much. It sure as hell doesn't bother me that the violence and death take a back seat to the romance because for decades it's been the other way around in our entertainment.
Some things I learned while watching DoTS:
I was right about Kim Ji won. She is a lovely young up and coming actress. I liked her in Gap Dong and I like her now.
Song Hye ko is one of the most beautiful women today on film. I still think she's a bit "one note". Meaning she's always SHK. But she does it well and she just takes your breath away to look at her sometimes.
I was also right about Song Joong ki. I stumbled onto him early in my Korean movie watching and knew he'd end up a huge star. Nobody can resist that much charisma or that smile.
Jin Goo is one of the sexiest men alive.
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ivoire
April 16, 2016 at 7:31 AM
Hi TJ,
I noticed that KJW has a certain sensuality about her, I don't know if you noticed that. There is a certain way that she moves her mouth at times, and it looks very sensual. She really did well in this drama. Her chemistry with JG was very good and palpable.
Could you say more about SHK being one note, please? This is my first time seeing her act. And like you, I think JG IS the sexiest man alive (or one of them). I love his skin tone, which was tanned most of the times. And he has really beautiful lips. He really has nice features. I am glad I'm not the only one who finds him very attractive.
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TJ
April 16, 2016 at 2:16 PM
Well, you should watch her in That Winter the Wind Blows or maybe Full House. It's perhaps her voice and the fact that she seems to usually play a rather reserved but spunky heroine. Jin Goo is not spring chicken he's on the other side of 35 and he's been around for awhile mostly in supporting roles and in film. I like his skin tone too. It makes him look healthy and more "outdoorsy". I'm not fan of the Korean obsession with ultra pale skin. It's one of the reasons I've never liked Ji Sung's looks. Sometimes because his face is so gaunt a sculpted and his skin so pale he looks like Skeltor to me. Sorry but it's just not attractive to me.
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eugenea_nita
June 13, 2017 at 11:17 PM
I like how you said: "the "plot" doesn't bother me so much. It sure as hell doesn't bother me that the violence and death take a back seat to the romance because for decades it's been the other way around in our entertainment." - I totally agree with you. That's why I like k-drama so much. The fact that I don't need to worry about the "plot" being nonsense or cheesy or crappy...and just got to enjoy the lovey dovey and romance, Aaahh.. So entertaining and relaxing.. Plus the flutter feeling every time I see the strong chemistry between the gorgeous and beautiful actors and actresses.. The giggles from their cuteness and the laughter from the stupid jokes.. Aaahh...so priceless!! It's like an escape route from this serious and stressful world.. ❤️❤️?? Hahahaha.. #justathought
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65 haru
April 16, 2016 at 8:42 AM
Am I the only one who is a fan of SHK prior to this show? LOL, sorry i was just wondering since i keep reading only about SJK hahaha. (I love SJK too! Please don't hate me! Hehe)
Anyway,
Thank you for the hardwork LollyPip!! I really enjoyed your recaps throughout the shows! This is the first drama I watch without waiting for the story to end first and go straigthly to this website to read the recap LOL (usually i wait until the last ep first, watch the drama then read the recaps haha).
I love this drama, maybe it'll be my favorite for some times, despite the plots and the illogical immortal people haha. This drama gave me lots of tears, more laugh, many heart-warming scenes and of course, no fighting over the same woman (i'm tired of watching an "ordinary" lady who is kind and innocent being fought over two handsome guys and no the lady couldn't choose until the latter episode whose heart to break, while we already know best whose heart will, ha)
I sincerely hope this drama wins lots of awards, and to see the casts' another projects soon. I'm so in love with all the casts now. They all show me what good chemistry and acting are hehe. And of course!! Credits go to the amazing crews too! Great team! Great drama!
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TJ
April 16, 2016 at 2:21 PM
I have had a granny crush on the boy since I saw him in Penny Pinchers. He was so foppish and adorable in Sungkyunkwan Scandal I think that's when a lot of people fell in love with him. That devastating smile.
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66 Mini
April 16, 2016 at 10:16 AM
This show cheated me.It is like entering into the most sophisticated restaurant,treated with the best hospitality but only to be dined with second-rated food. My brains tell me how horrible and nonsensical the plot is but my mind tell me to just accept everything and enjoy the beauty face of SJK.
Overall, I didnt enjoy it to the max.Everything they set up was great.But why mess up the plot in the most illogical ways ever?
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67 LadyZee
April 16, 2016 at 10:23 AM
Was I the only one who waited 16 episodes to find out why the show was called "descendants of the sun"? ?
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lemondoodle
April 16, 2016 at 10:32 AM
Well, SJ kind of explained it in both his letter, his gift (sun burst necklace) and the final scene with MY. She's bright and sparkly and brought light to his life. I'd guess all the cast in general though are the same. They bring peace, hope and brightness to world... like descendants of the sun. Well, that's what I figure anyway.
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68 Appy
April 16, 2016 at 11:04 AM
As much as I adore SJK, I'd have to say that DOTS is one of the most overrated dramas. KES played the romance part really well, almost to the point of milking it, however in the logic department, she failed miserably. As the drama approached the ending, I basically gave up trying to make sense the narrative.
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Appy
April 16, 2016 at 11:08 AM
Also, as a Vancouverite, that instance when I heard there's a volcanic eruption in Vancouver, I just LOLed. There's a higher chance of having an earthquake here than a volcanic eruption. The writer should have researched this better, considering that this is a pre-produced drama.
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69 Rarin
April 16, 2016 at 1:17 PM
Great recap, as always dramabeans recap is the best for me because we think so much a like, i agree with everything, in the end the drama for me though good will go down as over-rated because the story's potential went downhill and much semblance of realism was brushed aside for the sake of romance which i'm not complaining about (i loved the happy ending) but the critic in me who enjoys a good story was disappointed.
The writer has made a name for herself with these high rating dramas but after seeing a few i've noticed a trend of these stories that start out well but deteriorate around the 10th episode which is frustrating as a drama fan, i feel her dramas do well because of the cast and the noise marketing that follows...i'll give her points but deduct for a lack of follow through
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70 Pearl~ai88
April 16, 2016 at 3:24 PM
I find it really interesting that you brought up K2H as a comparison in your closing comments. Not that DOTS and K2H are exactly comparable dramas, but they both focused around a great romance and military conflicts and I think putting them next to each other really highlights the strengths and weaknesses of both.
K2H was not very polished production wise, with some quirky directorial choices and some just plain strange ones. Not to mention the soul-crushingly terrible english day players! However the driving through line of Jae Ha's development as a person and a leader was very compelling. I knew what I was watching every episode for. I actually feared for the characters and their relationships with each other and was ecstatic when our heroes won the day or proved they had grown as characters .K2H succeeded in the hardest and most essential goal for all storytelling- it made me care, and care a ridiculous amount, about its characters and their lives.
On the other hand, DOTS had great production values and lovely visuals and used them to full advantage. Add in great actors portraying swoon worthy romances and squeeable bromances, and it's not hard to see why it was such a sensation. In fact, the relationships had great chemistry and a lot of emotional realism. However, there wasn't a strong enough through line to keep me invested. The conflicts were mostly episodic and got resolved before they could reach the peak of suspense. There wasn't even a lot of romantic suspense. I appreciate that MY and SJ's greatest obstacle was their internal conflicts instead of some contrived makjang plot, but the drama never succeeded in making me actually fear for them as a couple. MJ and DY were much more compelling on that front. I think DOTS only half succeeded in what K2H did so well- taking me on an emotional journey with the characters from beginning to end.
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Jeanie
April 16, 2016 at 8:20 PM
As a fan of both dramas (K2H and DotS), I totally agree with the points that you mentioned. I think K2H had a more serious, cohesive storytelling that went beyond just the main love story. Actually, I was hesitant at first when they announced the premise of DotS as I thought it was some intense melo. Lol! But once I've started watching and realized that the story was on a lighter note, I just sat back and enjoyed. Dots was more focused on the relationships and it was refreshing but yes, I too did not actually fear that something devastating will happen in the end
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hibeautiful
April 18, 2016 at 9:25 AM
So much agree with your assessment. As a fan of TK2H, I found myself comparing it with DotS too.
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Kit
April 18, 2016 at 11:07 PM
+1000!
I agree with all that you pointed out about what each of the two shows did right. Both shows have their good and bad points and I am a fan of both. But at the end of the day, TK2H beats DotS in my book because, like you said, it made me care about the characters' journey from beginning to end.
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71 forevershijin
April 16, 2016 at 6:31 PM
well, im happy that i watched this show... 16 hours is really worth it! haha
descendants of the sun is really about the people who are still willing to protect others even their own life is at stake. i really like the graduation ceremony of the new generation of soldiers and doctors.. well done! we should more appreciate those people that protecting us ,isnt?
i think its gonna be a long wait again to see song joong ki in my screen so i will be patiently waiting.. haha
thank you for the recap! :)
#DOTSfinale
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72 doobidoo
April 16, 2016 at 9:04 PM
Seriously, though. Can we appreciate Jin Goo's nerd dance to red velvet and his pink when he held the bouquet?
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doobidoo
April 16, 2016 at 9:05 PM
*pinky
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73 kyoukita
April 16, 2016 at 11:46 PM
I wished that they'll show us more of shi jin and his father moments, and I also want mo yeon to meet shi jin's dad. When his dad cried, it literally break my heart :"
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74 hwaiting
April 17, 2016 at 12:52 AM
Thank you for faithfully recapping DotS LollyPip. I appreciate your insightful comments and fun poke on the drama overall, fun poke in a good way. :)
I watch K drama to be entertained and this series gave me a fluffy, whipped cream on top, excellent entertainment. I love the setting in Urk and somehow because I came from an "earthquake laden, our place sitting comfortably on a ring of fire" I do appreciate the setup of the military and medical personnel getting together to alleviate sufferings and helping the downtrodden. It did hit home!
Love the funny scenes, SJ ghost and Urk boy with no name being the best!
I get giddy with all the pretties and I can't believe I am shipping the main OTP hard...why, I am 60 years old. :)
Thank you for all your comments dear hearts, makes my day sweeter ad happier.
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75 yammy
April 17, 2016 at 1:01 AM
Say what you will about DotS, but this the first (and the only) drama that made a fan out of my fifty-plus-years old, I-only-watch-documentaries-and-travel-shows-and-I-sneer-at-all-celebrities-except-a-very-few-very-old-singers-and-comedians-dad. My dad marathoned the first six episodes to catch up, and then proceeded to watch every second of every episode even without my mom or me (the two of us started to skip and watch only the good parts after episode 10). So I shall always remember DotS for making a drama fan out of my old man (and the song "You are my destiny~").
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Kit
April 18, 2016 at 11:09 PM
LOL!
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eugenea_nita
June 13, 2017 at 10:50 PM
Hahhaha.. Love your comment.. *high five *thumbs up for your dad ??♀️
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76 Elaine Wong
April 17, 2016 at 3:45 AM
I'm re-watching DOTS from the beginning and enjoying it more this time around. At first watch, even though I loved the characters, I was very critical of the show's many flaws. Now, dialling down my expectations of realism & logic, I'm noticing more of the little details that recur throughout the show (e.g. in the 1st ep, the first shot of the NK soldier is of him eating a choco pie; also, have you noticed that MJ always drinks soju from a tall glass vs DY from a shot glass?).
However, the timeline is really bugging me. They were in Urk the first time in May 2015, but SJ was promoted in Mar 2016, even though he had been 'dead' for a year in between, nevermind the few weeks/months after Urk when everyone was back in SK.
The show does the little details so well, I don't know why they didn't work out the overall plot points and timeline better.
I really give alot of credit to the actors for how well received this show is. Given a different cast, it could have turned into another Heirs for me.
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77 jyyjc
April 17, 2016 at 5:22 AM
I live in Vancouver. The ending about the volcano had me like -_____-
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78 Pchan
April 17, 2016 at 7:17 AM
Am I the only one who didn't get the hype of DOTS? Am expecting a deep story since DOTS had a soldier-doctor background, but basically it's just a story about soldier-doctor romantic relationship without any important main plot. I found the story lack its depth and predictable with too many filler show for fans services. Too many scenes about either the main guy or the main girl got injured or in danger, recovered, injure again, recover again, and so on. And some of that I found doesn't make any senses at all except to drag the story. Like in the episode 14 when Shi Jin injured from multiple gun shots (3 shots at the minimum) and nearly died, shortly after that he easily able to stand up in order to save a doctor held by north korean soldier. However, I do like ost and scenery in this drama, especially the scenery. I just don't get why they got over 30% something rating since there's a lot korean drama I found more interesting and deep or more entertaining as well as meaningful than DOTS but rated very low.
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79 shinmudejuve
April 17, 2016 at 9:04 AM
"the major weakness of Descended is that it set up some pretty heavy-duty background for the main story, yet the main story never elevated itself beyond the typical romance stories we see in other dramas."
THIS! Pretty well said.
This drama was so overrated. I don't find it's special enough to get almost 40% ratings.
The only episodes that captivated me were 6th and 7th. The earthquake issue was so well directed and I love the humanity aspects on both episodes. That's exactly what I expect from a drama with military+medical themes.
I have watched a brilliant military-themed American series "Band of Brothers", I kinda expect a Kdrama version of it. But it turned out to be just another typical romance-comedy. Ugh.
Noted for myself: I shouldn't expect a brilliant heavy-themed series if the script writer is Kim Eunsok.
I sincerely give advice to Kim Eunsok: please stay creating a light-themed romcom like Heirs or Secret Garden. It more suited to her.
Don't try too hard to make a heavy-themed series because it failed terribly.
The military and political issues were so terrible in writing.The action scenes weren't exciting. The plot twists were too predictable.
I dislike the romance part the most from this show. This is TOO CHEESY for my taste. If the cheesiness were meant to be jokes, then it's pretty horrible jokes. I almost threw up reading the cheesy lines here and there in each episode.
What a pity, since I am a fan of Song Joongki and I like Song Hyegyo a lot. They had nice chemistry but the cheesy lines ruined it all.
There were 2 aspects that save DotS for me: - Song Joongki & Song Hyegyo good acting
- Beautiful cinematography & directing
Overall, I enjoy the hype of DotS. But I will never remember it as my favorite show.
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shinmudejuve
April 17, 2016 at 9:33 AM
One more thing that save DotS: well created OST!
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Kat
April 17, 2016 at 7:30 PM
Enjoyed your comments.
Band of Brothers is epic. Everyone should watch it.
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shinmudejuve
April 18, 2016 at 10:40 AM
Yes!
Band of Brothers is a MUST WATCH. The entire show was so brilliantly good.
My all-time favorite American series.
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80 suzy
April 17, 2016 at 3:33 PM
this show was shit from beginning to end
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dotslove
April 18, 2016 at 2:16 AM
I am surprised at your resilience to watch it from beginning to end. :)
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maya2825
April 26, 2016 at 1:17 AM
LOL!
but it's oh so true, some resilience she got there! :))))))
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81 Kat
April 17, 2016 at 7:27 PM
Expectations matter a lot and I just thought it would be so much more intense and, well, better written. Yes, it's nice to not have some of the same tired tropes but I was hoping for the intensity of a Gone With the Wind and got a serial romance novel.
And, yes, this is wonderful for SJK's career and I'm happy for him, but I already knew he could do charming...I knew that in Sun Scandal. I just wanted more and surprisingly I found it in the actor who played the NK soldier. His character though little seen, left an impact and I'm hoping the actor gets some opportunities from this drama.
I was pretty hyped about this drama even with it's flaws for the first half but slowly found the 2nd half losing steam. Still glad I finished it as I do love a romance but that really is all this is; the action stories didn't do much for me.
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82 mido
April 17, 2016 at 8:28 PM
No matter how other see is this is the most loved drama in my life, i will keep this remember rest of my life. and yoo si jin :)
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83 Cutesoprano
April 17, 2016 at 9:50 PM
hi DramaBeans,
thank you for the Recaps.
i really love this drama..it goes beyond my expectations, well, except there are many flaws in logic and PPL..
surely the PPL is quite annoying to often appear in Drama, especially in the last episodes, from 13 - 16.
but what i love from this drama :
1. All the characters. the cast bring it to surface and really act it out. I love every character in this drama. and is it only me who fangirl to jasper cho aka Dr.Daniel Spencer? ahahahaha..
2. No Love Triangle. it really is boring to watch a drama with love triangle
3. Filming location.. most of the place is beautiful. Especially the filming location in Greece.
4. Story line are also good! it is new, and not ordinary. not typical and cliche story line in kdrama.
5. the moral that we can take from the kdrama. About humanity, loyalty to the country, about love and sacrifice, follow orders, etc.
even if there is flaw in some of logic.. like YSJ comeback alive and still looking handsome after getting some beating.. don't forget, he has a vampire ability when getting shoot in ep 14. i think code name BIG BOSS is well suite with him. like when you are playing games, sometimes it difficult to kill the BIG BOSS in the last level. hahahaha..
i love every scene in the drama. Especially, when the package from Shin Ji Young came, the scene where KMY & YMJ fighting over min Yun Gi..and the last.. when SDY & YSJ fanboying over Red Velvet.. ahahahahhaa...
OMG,,!i'm gonna miss this drama..! i want some more drama with Good Quality like DOTS..!
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84 louids
April 17, 2016 at 10:55 PM
What an ending ! I definitely had my emotional outbursts in episode 15 because flawed as it may, the sadness still came through! It was a very enjoyable ride and I agree with Lollypip with the investment in the dangers of the characters. I knew at least Soo Jin would be back and that made me not fall as deep into the sadness with the mourning characters.
One storyline that I thought was exceptional was Gi Beom's ! I love that it was fully written out and what a story of beating the odds! It was great!
Lastly, perhaps its because its where I am from but I lost a tiny bit of respect for the show when the waitress ran in (laughing actually) to say a volcano erupted in Vancouver, BC. Seriously? and with the big budget could they not have found the correct skyline of the city?!!!??? It really is just a google search.
Nonetheless, these were 16 hours well spent, watching fantastic actors do what they are best at - drawing me into their world!
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85 Sandy
April 18, 2016 at 7:23 AM
I loved this show and your recaps! Wonderful job!
I loved lots of things in this drama -
1 - chemistry of both pairs.
2 - strong women characters
3 - meaning of "patriotism"
4 - How NK soldier also was honorable (loved his country and his duty) and how the whole situation was handled
5 - growth of all main characters
6 - scenery
7 - minor characters - all wonderful actors
Also skinship, (should have been there) but it was probably censored due to China simulcast. Also K-dramas are not big on skinship - they are more about feelings. Lot of times even kisses are so fake---who kisses with lips pressed together!
Some loopholes were there but in the end, it is a 16 episode drama. They cannot focus on every detail otherwise it will end up being 50 episodes:)
All in all, this has been my favorite drama after Coffee Prince.
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86 Macon
April 18, 2016 at 10:47 AM
I totally agree with LollyPip it was like you read my mind lol
Realism was totally thrown out of the window. I know a lot of people would love the happy ending but with the plot in this drama they were too immortal. Ep 15 could have been their finale or if they wanted to really have that happy ending they could have made it longer and push for 20 episodes and gave us a little bit more of action since the character's was from special force anyway before giving the audience that happy ending. I enjoyed the drama all in all its just that the finale was kind of hard to swallow and if you didn't love this drama you'll have a hard time to let it pass hahaha
Since it was pre-produced they could have ironed this and that and it could have been perfect.
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87 cutesoprano
April 18, 2016 at 9:25 PM
I know it is out of topic..
But i heard there was 4 candidate actors to play the character of yoo sin.. they are :
1.kim woo bin
2. Jo in sung
3. Gong yoo
4. Wonbin
Now i'm wondering after watching dots from beginning to ep 16...
What will become if wonbin play the character of yoo si jin?
I mean..it's not that i don't love joong ki, but really..wonbin as YSJ will make a different story.. his aure is cool and so manly..i really missed wonbin so much and want to see his face in dramaland.. i'm not sure.. but i guess, DOTS with wonbin and song hye kyo? Legend..! I believe it will be even more perfect and legendary to have those couple in the same drama.. hahahaha..
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88 JustRozy
April 19, 2016 at 12:32 PM
AMEN, LollyPip! Thank you for a balanced review! Echoed everything I thought, so naturally I liked. What a pleasure to see Jung Ki again, and what a wonderfully nuanced actor he has become. Small, small, flicks of expression to say everything! This was classic KDrama storyline, with excellent writing and acting.
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89 Nemo82mi
April 19, 2016 at 6:26 PM
Thank you for the recap and comments. I agree with LolliPip about the drama not giving us grand moments...even when the 2 soldiers were suppose to die I didn't miss them as I kind of figured out they will be back at some point.
But the drama shows beautifully the pain of those who were left behind and I can feel their pain and lonliness.
But when they came back I didn't feel much for the re-union of the main character Sin Jin - Mo yun or Dae Young - Myung joo. What really made me cry is the scene of the Dae Young and Ki-bum re-union. I can feel the pain and happiness of Ki-bum... brilliantly done!
All in all beautiful people beautiful backdrops ... not bad at all.
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90 DramaFan
April 28, 2016 at 4:41 PM
DOTS did not turn out as good I have hoped. I think it came down to the writing. In my opinion, the details of each plot did not match the scale and intensity of the story. In the few events where he was seriously injured, you see him walked away with hardly any pain in the next scene! Unbelievable. Also those scenes when Chi Hoon was depressed, it was awful. They were all doctors and nobody diagnosed his issue? Nobody contacted his family back in Seoul? Just many loose ends. I know it is supposed to be more about romance/bromance than actions but still, why go all out to create intense plots and concluded them lamely? I also got tired on the focus on Song Hye Gyo’s beauty. How many times do they have to write that in? Everybody has a line on it. The 2nd pairing's romance was more interesting. After the 1st 5 episodes, it was no longer a ‘can’t wait for the next episode’. It was just a filler for me but SJK did fulfill his role nicely.
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91 rosa
May 14, 2016 at 10:52 PM
Happy ending is what most of us wants to see and im in love with this movie a lot. Korean drama is da best ever ????
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92 oxkimchi
May 18, 2016 at 8:55 AM
Volcano?! So ridiculously unbelievable for Vancouver but I guess that was the point hahaha
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93 Delight
June 29, 2016 at 6:23 PM
I love this movie....and the ending was perfect?
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94 Bongsommie
July 9, 2016 at 2:59 AM
My first drama whiteout a love triangle. Kdranas have made me paranoid because all thrice out amidst the humour and live i was constantly in fear of what could go wrong in each relationship-betrayal,a change of heart,a rival-happily at the end non of these came to pass. A drama o have thoroughly enjoyed and indeed worthy of app the hype i had seen of it. After watching healer and hearing of this being similar to healer i was indignant. Nothing ever could be compared to healer! This i refused to watch this and went on to watch others. *sigh* though my opinion ask holds-healer is the best!(can i get an amen with that?)- I'm thankful for DOTS for just being full of laughter with every episode with witty comments and scenes,deep emotions of love and care,no typical car chasing scenes or love triangles common to the kdrama world and awesome characters who shared the main lead roles together. Never did any of the two couples come off as side characters to me. Thank you for the lessons learnt on love and compromise and willingness to accept a person for who they are. Thank you for the journey DOTS
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95 AP
August 5, 2016 at 10:26 AM
i actually watched DOTS for almost ten times and believe me, i watched at least one episode every drama for me to fell asleep feeling the hype and cuteness of Captain Yoo.
i do not think that it will fell off on my toplist of best of all time K drama series and of course, my first and on top would be "You who came from the star" and the second one is this.
i love Captain and an alien though. lol. I LOVE EVERYTHING FROM "YOU WHO CAME FROM THE STAR" AND "DESCENDANTS OF THE SUN". MY FAVEEEEEE
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AP
August 5, 2016 at 10:27 AM
sorry. it should be every drama *(night).
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96 Corbin
September 12, 2016 at 2:34 AM
Hi, I was curious as to what the song was that was playing in the background at 43:00 When they have their lunch in the mess hall. It sounds like some type of folk song.
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97 GENERAL MADHAV JR.
March 16, 2017 at 8:14 AM
lol i want season 2 of this korean drama "descendants of the sun".i think thet gonna show it upon married life of shijin and moeyon which indeed would be interesting.
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98 DË$TÏÑY ( GEN. MADHAV)
March 16, 2017 at 8:18 AM
thanks a lot to the producers of this korean drama series ;thanks again really.
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99 Drama Korea Terbaru
March 16, 2017 at 9:46 AM
I Love Kim Ji Won after Watching this drama korea, I Hope Season 2 For This Drama korea
thanks for your Re Cap admin
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100 eugenea_nita
June 13, 2017 at 1:30 AM
I've always loved stories about military and doctor cuz it shows respect, dignity, humility, honor, values, sacrifices, love, friendship and so on and so on... And this drama blended them together soooo well..no words can describe how beautiful they brought and connected all of these up in this drama. It's good that it didn't focus too much on what so-called Cinderella story drama. They made it look so close to reality. So much life lessons you can learn from this drama.. Great job to the writer, director, actors, actresses and staffs. Perfect choices of the cast crews. Everyone's acting was so good..especially the lead characters..#songjoongki #songhyekyo #songsongcouple.. No wonder people ship them.. ?? Kudos! Love it so much.. ??????
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