Man to Man: Episode 16 (Final)
by chocolatte
Yes, Park Hae-jin, I’ll miss seeing your face every week, too. We finally bid goodbye to our gang of secret agents and agent-wannabe’s, and we use our last hour with them to tie up a few loose ends before sending everyone off on their next mission. That includes Ghost Agent K doing what he does best—closing out a mission in style—only this time, he’s got an awesome team behind him, and it makes everything that much more fun to watch.
FINAL EPISODE RECAP
Just before the live broadcast, Seol-woo outfits Seung-jae with the explosive mic, warning Seung-jae that if he doesn’t tell the truth on air, his heart will literally explode. Sitting across from Seung-jae, Woon-kwang looks at his rival with a smirk before cheekily tapping his chest for effect.
Director Im walks into the 58th floor of Songsan, where the TV’s already turned on to Seung-jae’s show. He looks around the office (probably for Mi-eun?), then gets a text from said secret agent, which reads: “Listen carefully to my husband’s words.”
On air, Seung-jae introduces himself as a “fan” of Dark Death. Woon-kwang doesn’t waste any time, asking why a fan of his would try to kill him not once, but twice. Damn. As the in-studio staff and crowd break out into hushed murmurs, Do-ha asks the show’s PD to trust her this once, promising a ratings bonanza in exchange.
As the show continues, Woon-kwang explains his accusation: “Eight years ago and two months ago—the accidents during my stunt shoots. Those were hits ordered by you, Mo Seung-jae, to kill me.” Seung-jae tries to feign innocence, but Woon-kwang has evidence, pulling out Dong-hyun’s pen recorder and broadcasting a clip of Seung-jae’s assistant ordering the hit on Woon-kwang.
In the control room, the PD calls for a commercial break in a panic. Do-ha pleads with him to let the two men continue their conversation, calling it their chance to uncover Songsan’s dirty connections. She confirms the authenticity of the recording that just aired and hands over a stack of confidential Songsan documents for the PD to verify. That works, and a few moments later, the PD tells his team to get the host off camera, leaving Seung-jae and Woon-kwang on air alone.
Back at Songsan, Director Im answers a ringing phone, his eyes widening when he hears K on the other end. Seol-woo instructs Director Im to look under the table, where he finds a blinking explosive. Seol-woo orders the director not to hang up or move unless he wants to be blown up.
Trapped, Director Im asks Seol-woo what he wants. Seol-woo says it’s simple: crime and punishment, and of course, revenge.
On set, Seung-jae mutters to Woon-kwang that despite this stunt, the world can never be on their side. Smiling, Woon-kwang responds: “Just once in a while, the world flips upside down. Today is that day.”
The show goes back on air with everyone tuning in, including Myung-suk and Dong-hyun’s wife from Dong-hyun’s hospital room, and Sharon, who’s watching alone at her shop with Mi-eun. When Woon-kwang asks Seung-jae for a response to the recording, Seung-jae insists that he’s innocent and calls the recording fake.
Over the phone, Director Im tells Seol-woo that the recording is meaningless, as evidence only matters if it’s in the hands of someone powerful. Seol-woo easily replies that they have plenty of evidence, so he shouldn’t worry.
Woon-kwang lobs the next question at Seung-jae, this time exposing Songsan’s newly set up foundation as a slush fund rather than as a true charitable organization. Once again, Seung-jae avoids all responsibility, saying he doesn’t oversee the day-to-day workings of the foundation, as that’s done by his wife. Dude, way to throw your wife under the bus.
Seung-jae apologizes to Woon-kwang for not keeping those around him in check, but he says that he’s not legally responsible for any of what’s occurred, since he himself hasn’t done anything wrong. When Woon-kwang asks if that applies to Dong-hyun’s accident as well, Seung-jae claims he doesn’t even know who the prosecutor is.
Meanwhile, still on the phone with Seol-woo, Director Im pulls out his cell phone to send a text instructing someone to track his location and send agents.
Back to the show. Woon-kwang brings up Seung-jae’s assistant again, this time telling Seung-jae that the assistant is being interrogated by the prosecutor’s office. Seung-jae clings to his stance that he shouldn’t be held responsible for his assistant’s actions; as a response, Woon-kwang mentions that Dark Death’s a particularly scary villain because of how easily he blows up bombs, then taps his chest.
Now looking really nervous, Seung-jae turns his head towards Seol-woo, who waves his detonator and whispers, “Boom.” Seung-jae’s fear-filled face is clearly visible on camera, leading Director Im to ask Seol-woo what he’s got on Seung-jae. Seol-woo tells him about the explosive, calling it a “microphone of truth.”
Woon-kwang asks Seung-jae if he really doesn’t have anything more truthful to say, moving to wrap up the show. Glancing back at Seol-woo, then at Woon-kwang again, Seung-jae finally breaks, hastily announcing to the world that he’s being threatened.
Hearing those words, Director Im smirks into the phone, telling Seol-woo that it doesn’t matter if Seung-jae blabs on live TV about the bomb or if he’s blown up with the bomb; either way, Seol-woo and team would be labeled as terrorists. Seol-woo, however, doesn’t look troubled at all.
Seung-jae continues his confession, telling his fellow citizens that they need to know the truth. “The person behind all of this is… the NIS director,” he says. (Ha, I knew Seung-jae would rat Director Im out!) Woon-kwang asks Seung-jae for proof, so Seung-jae digs up a USB drive in his pocket, saying it contains a file noting Director Im’s past evil deeds.
Director Im looks stunned by this turn of events, but Seol-woo smiles, calling Seung-jae a “young prince” who would never gamble with his life. Desperate now, Director Im yells at Seol-woo to detonate the bomb on Seung-jae, offering whatever he wants in exchange.
Seol-woo’s eyes turn hard as he asks, “Why did you do that to Dong-hyun?” Director Im says it was all for the country, claiming that it would be disastrous if information on the first-generation ghost agents were to be made public.
But alas, that’s exactly what’s happening now, as Seung-jae slides his USB drive towards Woon-kwang, offering it to the prosecutor’s office. Seeing this on screen, Director Im screams that he’s sorry about Dong-hyun and pleads with Seol-woo to kill Seung-jae now. After a beat, Seol-woo agrees, then holds up his detonator and presses the button.
Instead of Seung-jae being blown up though, the hidden wall in Seung-jae’s office slides up, revealing the video feed of Director Im on screen. Seol-woo coldly tells Director Im to accept his punishment, and Director Im chucks the phone in frustration, bellowing loudly.
That’s when Department Head Jang walks out from Seung-jae’s secret room, a copy of Director Im’s confession in hand. Moments later, authorities barge in to arrest the NIS leader. As Director Im is handcuffed, Department Head Jang tells him that his mission to catch the NIS traitor has been completed. Love it.
After the live show concludes, a chastened Seung-jae is escorted out by the police. Woon-kwang asks Seol-woo if Seung-jae’s mic was really a bomb, and upon confirming that it wasn’t, he asks about the alarm clock bomb Seol-woo concocted on his first day on the job. Seol-woo’s face betrays the truth, and the two cutely bicker about it, hee.
With everything now out in the open, Mi-eun tells Sharon that she and Jae-young will live like ordinary people, quietly. When Sharon asks if she’s okay, Mi-eun replies that it was all going to turn out like this eventually.
At the hospital later, Dong-hyun’s wife tells Seol-woo that Dong-hyun’s regained consciousness (whew!), but they’re not sure how his recovery will turn out. Noticing Dong-hyun’s wriggling toes, Seol-woo says he’ll be fine, and Dong-hyun almost looks like he’s smiling at his hoobae.
Myung-suk shares the good news about Dong-hyun with Do-ha and tells her this will hopefully lead to Seol-woo being cleared of his charges. When Do-ha asks her father why he thought Seol-woo was innocent, he says it’s obviously because Do-ha trusted Seol-woo, aw.
After receiving a call, Do-ha rushes over to Woon-kwang’s and finds the celebrity’s face grave. The reason for his stress? He can’t decide between keeping the three wood carvings, or the five million in cash. Do-ha yells at him to choose one, so he finally decides to go with the wood carvings. He confirms with the carvings that he’s made the right choice, lovingly asking them, “I did good, right?”
Do-ha brings the cash back to Seol-woo, and after hearing that he’s been cleared of all charges, she asks him how he knew that Seung-jae was going to betray Director Im. Seol-woo says it was a combination of his awesome skills and scientific profiling; at that, Do-ha’s eyes narrow, as she realizes that she must have been profiled by him as well.
She wonders if he chose to seduce her deliberately, having sized her up as an easy target. She gets more and more embarrassed at the thought of Seol-woo reading her feelings and covers her face in mortification. Smiling gently at her, Seol-woo says it’s true that he read her feelings, but adds that it was his own feelings that he didn’t know at the time. Seol-woo brings her in for a hug, and Do-ha melts into him, smiling happily.
The next morning, CEO Ji tears into Woon-kwang for keeping him in the dark, yelling that what he did turned out to be… crazy awesome, ha. CEO Ji gushes that Woon-kwang’s celebrity status is through the roof with media requests pouring in from all sides, then leans in to compliment Woon-kwang’s amazing performance on the live show. Woon-kwang grins, but then turns serious to ask CEO Ji for a favor: He wants him to look after Mi-eun.
Seol-woo meets secretly with Department Head Jang (who’s back with the NIS) to hand over the five million dollars. Department Head Jang tells Seol-woo that he’s been reinstated as a ghost agent and gives Seol-woo the next month off, telling him to rest and think things over.
For some reason, Seung-jae and Director Im are interrogated together in the same room. The two take turns blaming each other for their crimes and even try to name-drop in an attempt to influence the prosecutor, but thankfully, it doesn’t work.
In another interrogation room, Ki-chul and Assemblyman Baek, already in prison garb, wait for their turn to be questioned. Assemblyman Baek is positively giddy at Seung-jae and Director Im’s comeuppance and tries to get Ki-chul to agree to come up with a story to make things worse for the two. But Ki-chul opts for the truth, telling Assemblman Baek that he’ll testify against him as well.
When Assemblyman Baek asks Ki-chul about the deal he made with Seol-woo, Ki-chul thinks back to his last conversation with the ghost agent. Ki-chul had told Seol-woo that he’d get Seung-jae’s assistant and then turn himself in as promised. In response, Seol-woo assured him of his daughter’s continued medical treatments. Back in the present, Ki-chul tells Assemblyman Baek that the deal he made was to stay alive, then smiles gratefully.
Sometime later, Mi-eun returns to the ransacked offices of Songsan. Do-ha visits Ki-chul’s wife and daughter and sends a photo of the two to Ki-chul, who is on his way to prison, along with Seung-jae, Assemblyman Baek, and Director Im. Filming for Last Love continues, and while Dong-hyun’s still in the hospital, he looks like he’s on the road to a full recovery.
As we check in on everyone, Do-ha reads lines from the poem “Sky” by Park No-hae:
Someone high up, someone with power, someone with wealth
They all seem like the sky
No, they are the dark sky controlling our lives
Where and to whom will I be the sky?
Ah, we want to be the sky too
Not dark clouds that press down on others
Ones that support each other
I wish it could be a world in which we can all be blue skies to each other.
Do-ha sighs that it’s her favorite poem, to which Seol-woo sassily replies that it’s his too—that is, starting today. Seol-woo’s good mood is ruined when Do-ha has to run back to work, and when she suggests that he come back as a bodyguard so they can continue their office romance, he adorably complains that he’s on vacation, so he shouldn’t have to work.
Seol-woo’s next stop is Dong-hyun’s hospital room, where Dong-hyun also tells him to go back to work as Woon-kwang’s bodyguard. When Seol-woo reiterates that he’s on vacation, Dong-hyun asks what he’ll do after his vacation is over. Seol-woo retorts that he’ll resign and disappear, and though he’s sounds like he’s joking, Dong-hyun wonders under his breath whether Seol-woo’s referring to his NIS job or his bodyguard job.
Later, Seol-woo ends up at Woon-kwang’s, where he makes a deal to log 10,000 steps on the treadmill for Woon-kwang in exchange for Do-ha getting a week off, heh. Determined to spend some time with Do-ha, Seol-woo huffs and puffs his way through his task, much to Woon-kwang’s amusement.
In her store, Sharon fits Department Head Jang for a suit and congratulates him on his promotion. (Oh, is he the new NIS director?) Department Head Jang looks like he’s there against his will, protesting that he can’t accept the suit since it goes against ethics rules. At that, Sharon innocently asks if the gift would be okay coming from his wife. Cute! As Department Head Jang stares at her in shock, Sharon laughs at his response, and the two embrace.
Mi-eun visits Seung-jae in jail, letting him know that she’s transferred her stocks and real estate holdings back to his name. She then slides divorce papers over to him, telling him to sign it if he wants. Wait, she’s letting him decide?
Over a meal at Song-yi’s restaurant, Myung-suk gives Seol-woo a fortuneteller reading for him and Do-ha with a recommended wedding date. Myung-suk offers to gift the couple with a place to live, remarking that he feels as if he’s gaining a son. Seol-woo can’t say anything in response and just looks down at the fortune, looking conflicted.
Dong-hyun and his wife enjoy some outside time on hospital grounds when they spot a bunch of men in dark suits headed their way. Dong-hyun groans as the men split into two lines, forming a path for Department Head Jang, who marches up to Dong-hyun and pulls out an official-looking certificate.
Department Head Jang announces that Dong-hyun’s being awarded the medal of honor for playing a large role in protecting the nation. He pins the medal on Dong-hyun’s coat, then leads his men in a salute. Dong-hyun looks completely taken aback, but raises his hand to return the salute (though not before glancing nervously at his wife, ha). He exchanges a warm look with Department Head Jang, melting my heart into a puddle of goo.
It looks like Seol-woo’s hopes for getting some time with Do-ha go unfulfilled—Seol-woo’s followed Do-ha to the set of Last Love, but she continues to blow him off for work. Seol-woo’s busy pouting about this when someone catches his eyes from afar: Russian Major Petrov. Noooo.
Woon-kwang’s co-star, Eun-soo, pleads with him to film the ending kissing scene himself. She says that while she respects his rules, it would be really weird to use a double for the scene. With a sad look in his eyes, Woon-kwang tells Eun-soo that if they kiss for real, it would have to be passionate, since there’s no other love for these two characters.
In his hideout, Seol-woo thinks back to his earlier conversation with Petrov, who told him about a resurgence of a group called Red October, and that everyone from their previous mission—aside from the two of them—has disappeared.
Having made his decision, Seol-woo pays Woon-kwang a late-night visit. He’s refreshingly honest, telling Woon-kwang that an Eastern European terrorist organization is active again, and because his cover was blown, he now must disappear.
Woon-kwang doesn’t seem all that surprised at the news, commenting that only Dark Death could help Seol-woo at this point. Seol-woo says that Dark Death has other work to do—like be with the brave child who visited his secret headquarters—and tells Woon-kwang that he’ll end the bodyguard tactic now. Woon-kwang accepts his decision, but reminds Seol-woo that “tactics end, but life continues on.”
The next day, Woon-kwang meets Mi-eun for coffee and tells her that they’re wrapping up filming for Last Love. He says he’s planning on shooting the ending kiss scene himself, ending his promise to her of not kissing anyone while filming. When she tells him the promise to her isn’t important, Woon-kwang tells her it was, to him, simply because he kept loving her all this time.
“Let’s break up for real now,” Woon-kwang says, finally ready to move on. “Let’s do so without guilt, and without clinging on.” When Mi-eun agrees, Woon-kwang asks her to tell her son that Dark Death is always on his side. He adds that he’ll appear whenever Jae-young needs him, and at that, the two tearfully smile at one another.
Seol-woo meets with Do-ha and wordlessly hands her a cup of coffee while gazing at her with this look in his eyes. It doesn’t take long for Do-ha to realize that Seol-woo must be leaving, and she asks him when, and if, he’s coming back. Seol-woo explains that being undercover means that he has no idea who he’ll be, nor when he might return to being the person that Do-ha knows now.
So he tells Do-ha not to wait. She says that she won’t—she won’t look for him or be curious, and she’ll try not to think about him. She says she’ll just be here, and asks him to just come back someday.
Seol-woo’s still processing the goodbye when he gets a phone call from Department Head Jang, telling him to get back on duty. But ha, K is one step ahead of him as usual, as he’s already made plans to head to Hungary. Department Head Jang scolds him for doing whatever he wants as usual, but ends the call with a smile, ordering him to return to Korea safely. As Seol-woo hangs up, Major Petrov appears, ready to accompany Seol-woo on his next mission.
As Do-ha helps clean Woon-kwang’s carvings, she quietly tells Woon-kwang about Seol-woo’s departure. She remarks that Seol-woo’s fight never ends since there are so many bad guys out there, but she adds that she’s okay, since their tactic hasn’t ended yet either. Woon-kwang reassures Do-ha that though Guard Kim may have disappeared, Brother will surely return.
On his way to the airport, Seol-woo plays with his tracker coin, which Do-ha had given back to him when they said goodbye. Petrov notices the coin and asks about it; in response, Seol-woo calls it his “weakness” before turning the conversation over to what lies ahead for them.
Another day, another wake-up call for Woon-kwang. Woon-kwang awakes to a beeping (fake) bomb next to his bed, along with a poor man’s Guard Kim, aka Sang-shik, asking the “VIP” to wake up. Woon-kwang peeks over and insults Sang-shik’s new look before blowing him off.
Elsewhere, Do-ha cancels a movie date with Song-yi for something far more important: tracking down someone selling fake Woon-kwang merchandise. Do-ha pretends to be interested in buying an “authentic” Woon-kwang jacket and captures ample evidence to take down the scammer before scolding the culprit for daring to sully Woon-kwang’s name.
We also check in with Seol-woo, who’s now undercover as a priest in Hungary. As expected, he’s zipping along in his mission, easily securing the information he’s after and looking good while doing it.
Myung-suk prepares for the opening of his new restaurant and shows Do-ha the sketch he used to design the layout, which happens to be signed by “K.” Myung-suk wonders if Seol-woo will make it to their grand opening, then says that it’s probably difficult to come and go “from there.” Do-ha looks at her father in shock, asking if he knows Seol-woo’s whereabouts; he responds that he does, but it’s a matter of national security.
In jail, Seung-jae returns the signed divorce papers to Mi-eun before asking after Jae-young, saying that he misses his son. Welling up at those words, Mi-eun rips up the divorce papers, saying it’s not time yet. As tears roll down his face, Seung-jae nods at her in agreement.
CEO Ji and Woon-kwang meet with a potential investor, who quickly notices Woon-kwang’s prized wood carvings on display. The investor asks Woon-kwang if they’re for sale, assuring him that he’ll pay double whatever price he has in mind. At this, CEO Ji loud-whispers to Woon-kwang that they might not need the investment in the movie after all, but Woon-kwang tells the investor the carvings aren’t for sale, since he can’t put a price on his family’s memories.
Aww, Do-ha’s taken Seol-woo’s place next to Dong-hyun, as the two play video games in Seol-woo’s hideout. She quietly asks if Dong-hyun told her dad about Seol-woo—and ha, it turns out what Dong-hyun told Myung-suk isn’t quite the whole truth, and now Dad thinks Seol-woo’s a bodyguard for the Blue House.
Dong-hyun complains about not having any idea where Seol-woo is, and Do-ha offhandedly says that Seol-woo should have the coin tracker on him. It takes a second for that information to sink in, but after a minute, the two look at each other in surprise, realizing that they can actually track Seol-woo’s location. What, you just thought of that now?
At a café in Budapest, Seol-woo sips his coffee, coin in hand, when he gets a text from Major Petrov indicating that the Red October mission is complete. Smiling, Seol-woo quickly makes another call, then disappears.
Do-ha happens to be looking at Seol-woo’s location on her phone when the blinking red light suddenly disappears. She’s startled at first, but a slow smile spreads across her face when she realizes what this might mean.
As we zoom out from his empty seat at the café, Seol-woo narrates, “I am Ghost Agent K. A shadow without a name or reputation. I have a good feeling about this mission.”
COMMENTS
I’ve gone back and forth on how I feel about this ending, which is similar to how I feel about this show overall. On the one hand, I did enjoy the way our villains met their downfall—though the setup was kind of ridiculous, it was fun to watch Seol-woo partner up with not just Mi-eun, but also Woon-kwang and Do-ha in bringing down Seung-jae and Director Im via a live broadcast.
But on the other hand, I’m confused about the actual resolution of the whole mission. What was the point of establishing Director Im as the NIS traitor, in addition to positioning the “elders” behind Assemblyman Baek as the ones truly pulling the strings, if we weren’t actually going to find out more about those people? Why did the show bother to bring in first-generation ghost agents and the damning evidence on them and then not follow through on what those records contained? Why go on about how the world will be turned upside down if those records were released, but then not even mention what happened as a result of Seung-jae’s confession? Argh, so frustrating.
Plot issues aside, I’m mostly happy with the way the show wrapped up for our characters, especially since it meant that Dong-hyun made it out alive—for once, the truck of doom did not prevail, yay! That heartwarming moment Dong-hyun had with Department Head Jang outside of the hospital was so beautiful and in character, and it was made only better by the presence of his wife (though she came in at the very end of the series, she’s really added something extra to Dong-hyun’s story). I liked that Department Head Jang’s upright, steadfast nature was rewarded, and that Ki-chul, another man who was shown to be true to his word, got the peace of mind that he was searching for. Even Myung-suk seemed to have redeemed himself, having found his way of “living quietly,” while offering Do-ha the support that she’s always craved from him.
To me, the heart of the show was always Woon-kwang, who not only was at the center of the funniest scenes in the series, but also created the most swoon-worthy moments as the best oppa/hyung ever. I was disappointed in the show’s uneven use of Woon-kwang in the latter half of the show, but I thought the resolution to his story was handled nicely in the finale, especially by having him play such a prominent role in the live broadcast. I loved Woon-kwang’s fearlessness in going after Seung-jae on air, as it underscored the stark contrast between the two men beautifully: Seung-jae is such a coward—someone who’s driven by self-preservation at all costs—but Woon-kwang’s the opposite, and is always willing to put himself and his resources on the line if it means helping out his loved ones.
It’s so clear who the better man is here, and I’m glad Woon-kwang got the closure he needed to move on from his painful past with Mi-eun. Though I did at some point root for the two to get back together, I think the way they ended things was right—they aren’t the same people they were eight years ago, and it really does seem like Mi-eun loves Seung-jae in her own way, given her willingness to stay married to him. I just hope for her sake that Seung-jae comes out of prison a changed man, because while I get why she’d choose to stay with Seung-jae, we can’t forget that he’s the same guy who so cruelly threatened to take her son away from her.
I guess that leaves us with Do-ha and Seol-woo. It took me so long to get behind their romance, and then when I did, I feel like the show just kind of let it fade into the background, like it wasn’t worth spending too much time on. It bothers me that Woon-kwang got more of an explanation from Seol-woo on his departure than Do-ha did—at least, from what we were shown. It’s unclear what kind of arrangement the two agreed to, if they talked about their relationship at all—but based on their final scenes together, it seems like they’re operating on an “ignorance is bliss” model.
I hate the idea of Seol-woo going back to hiding so much about his work, when we saw how much he’d opened himself up to Woon-kwang and Do-ha through the course of the show. I mean, I understand the need to keep things under wraps for the sake of national security if Seol-woo’s back to being a ghost agent. But at least tell the people you love what that means for them! All we get is Seol-woo telling Do-ha not to wait for him, and Do-ha basically saying she won’t wait in name only, but that she’d still be around when he returns. Sure, that kind of arrangement might work with friends like Dong-hyun and Woon-kwang, but for Do-ha? Not so much.
In the end, though, I guess it doesn’t really matter, as I wasn’t necessarily watching Man to Man for the romance, nor for its action/thriller narrative. I liked watching the character interactions, especially our good guys, and for me, the show was at its best when it was light and funny and didn’t take itself too seriously, even as it was dealing with Very Serious Spy Issues. And even though the series was fairly entertaining throughout, I wish it would have been able to bring that lightness to the forefront a little more evenly all throughout its run—because when the show was firing on all cylinders, it was so great, and when it wasn’t, it was just Park Hae-jin on screen, looking pretty. Which I guess isn’t all that bad of a way to spend a few weekends, but let’s just say that I’m hoping for better projects for all of these actors the next time around.
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Tags: Kim Min-jung, Man to Man, Park Hae-jin, Park Sun-woong, Yeon Jung-hoon
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1 meganpg1
June 13, 2017 at 8:05 AM
I enjoyed the series. After it came out on Netflix, even my dad binge watched it and loved it!
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2 jillian
June 13, 2017 at 8:15 AM
WoonKwang is amazing when it matters. Especially in that live broadcast. He is the better man. SeungJae doesnt even deserve to be in the same room as him.
As for MiEun, I was quite sad that she qent back to SeungJae. I feel its for JaeYoung's sake more than anything else. She will do anything for her son even if stay married to that coward. I felt like she was backed to a corner when WoonKwang broke up with her officially. I'd like to think that she loved WoonKwang more. But she loved her son the most. So it was her son's well being than her own. Thats how I read her last minute decision to tear the divorce papers.
Now for WoonKwang, I get why he broke up with her. He was nursing this broken heart for years and not finding an answer to why. I just want him to move on and find a better woman to love and who will love him the way he deserves.
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lezah
June 13, 2017 at 8:19 AM
WK will always, always be the better man. 16 episodes of honestly being the best oppa ever. He's the type who would give up anything (even all his money) just for the people he loves. He thinks about others more than himself!
For Mi Eun... I think she did love SJ too, in her own warped way. For all his threats toward her, I don't doubt that he's been a "good" husband. He probably treated her well. She must have felt bad because she played a part in his downfall. And also definitely because of Jaeyoung. Little kid must have been so upset about not seeing his beloved daddy.
I'm so satisfied and happy that WK finally got closure. I wasn't looking for him to get back together with ME; that's a relationship that died a long time ago.
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jillian
June 13, 2017 at 8:54 AM
SJ appears to love ME in his own way. Otherwise he wouldnt feel threatened whenever ME was near WK. He appears to be a doting father that JY looks up to. Too bad he lacks integrity and morals. I couldnt really hate SJ since he is such an ineffective villain. Also because i ike Yeon Jung Hoon.
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yumii
June 14, 2017 at 10:23 AM
I don't know that trying to kill your rival is a sign of loving someone, so much as it is a sign of being possessive.
I also remember the first scene we saw of them as a family ME had to coach SJ's interaction with their "son". When theith son entered he greeted his mom and made a b-line for her. SJ moved between them to pick up his son. To me that didn't read as a doting father.
When you add the fact he kept his son hostage away from his mother as a means of punishing his wife, without any consideration for his son's well-being, that doesn't seem like a doting father.
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jillian
June 13, 2017 at 8:24 AM
I am happy with how it tied up all those loose ends. I dont want to dwell too much on the logic behind the spy stuff. I am just happy that their mission is finished and found the traitor in NIS. There were fun parts and some that we could do without. Park Hae Jin can do comedy and he is really good at it. I liked him better as the badass ghost agent though. Or maybe both equally.
I am happy as well that DongHyun didnt fall victim to the dreaded truck of doom. He survived to fight more bad guys. His wife is adorable and they deserve to spend long happy lives together.
Thanks chocolatte for the recap! Enjoyed reading your thoughts about the show!
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alasecond
June 14, 2017 at 3:03 AM
i am rewatching man from another star.. and PHJ has an awesome range of emotions.. comedy, melo, dark..
I wish he could soon get KES drama.. because i want to see some intense romance from him..
in all the dramas i watched.. while he excels at all.. but haven't seen 1 good kiss scene :P
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Ek Ladhki Thi is Kim Eun-sooks no 1 fan
June 15, 2017 at 8:12 AM
My heart might not be able to handle Park Hae-jin in a KES drama. A combination of his face and charm, and Kim Eun-sook's hearts fluttering words is a formula for heart attacks.
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immawish
June 13, 2017 at 10:28 AM
Gah, yesh I don't know the break up scene is just <////3 And it actually looks like Mieun got something to say but decided not to the very moment Woonkwang asked for the break up
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toomuchdrama
June 13, 2017 at 1:14 PM
as agent k stated, mi eun is never on anyone's side, she is just a mother protecting her child.
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3 lezah
June 13, 2017 at 8:15 AM
Aaaand my crack drama for the past 2 months has finally ended. I didn't think so much about the logic behind the spy plot because I was so invested in the relationships in this show, and I think those were more than enough to carry the show through. The espionage plot just served as a backdrop.
I love:
- How blissful and happy SW and DH looked when they hugged each other
- How WK and DH were both miffed that they got profiled as a villain/easy woman, hah!
- OMG when Sang Shik pretended to be Kim Guard just to get WK to wake up
On Seol Woo & Do Ha: I guess you can't take the ghost out of the man, and maybe the country only has enough resources to train one Seol Woo and can't do without him. I do understand why he didn't quit his job, because being a ghost was so much of an identity to him that I doubt you could separate SW the man, and SW the ghost.
When SW told DH not to wait for him, it was SW-talk for "don't worry for me because I'll be back". He didn't want her to waste her time pining for him while he was on a mission. And when DH replied that she wouldn't, it was DH-talk for "I won't because I trust you'll keep your promises." Like Donghyun & his wife, SW and DH are finding a way to make their relationship work. It'll never be a conventional relationship, not as long as SW remains a ghost, but I guess the important thing is that DH accepted that fact and didn't try to hold him back from what he needed to do, while reminding him that she would always be there for him so he wouldn't be alone even as a ghost. She's always been so giving and warm, and this last step of acceptance was true to character.
It was a lovely ending, though I do wish I'd seen them reunited. The hopeless romantic in me had hoped for a closed happy ending, so I'll admit I am a teeny bit disappointed, but I do see that this open ending may be more realistic.
On Woon Kwang & Mi Eun: WK and ME are perhaps an example of a relationship between a ghost and a civilian that didn't quite work out. I'm glad that WK finally gained closure on the matter because he spent 8 years holding onto unresolved anger. They've both gone on with their lives - he has his career, and ME has her son to protect now. He knew JY was his child but chose to let it go, which must have been so difficult, but was the right and mature thing to do. It's too late for them to ever start over together, but thank goodness for closure and agreeing to move on.
On other characters: When SJ and the director tried to out-bribe each other, I sniggered - some things never change. SJ has never really struck me as a real baddie, but perhaps more of a lost young boy hoping to achieve the past glory of his grandfather. I think it's sweet that he loves JY like his own. I don't doubt that ME did love him in her own way, so it's good that the show hinted that they two might reunite someday. Ki Chul was a character I didn't expect to even like at all, but...
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lezah
June 13, 2017 at 8:34 AM
Ki Chul was a character I didn't expect to even like at all, but I did like him. It was satisfying to see that he accepted his punishment willingly once he knew his family would be taken care of, because that's what KC always wanted - he didn't betray out of personal greed; he was just a ghost desperately trying to protect his weaknesses, and I can't help but like him for that.
Overall, I really liked this show. I didn't take it too seriously, and it was a delightful watch for me, regardless of the fair share of criticism it received. I must be the kind who glosses over flaws if I really like something, and I guess it was the case for Man x Man.
Thanks for all the recaps! xx
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Yanie
June 14, 2017 at 1:53 AM
Just like you, I am the kind of viewer who glosses over flaws if I really like something and one of the case is Man x Man as well.... I do love their characters and enjoyed watching them until the very end. ?
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TM
June 14, 2017 at 3:13 AM
Ki Chul is the biggest surprise to me as well! I don't usually like bad guys but well this one just seem human to me so in a way I just want him to be happy too. It seems to me that the ghost community has great bonds
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cherrycrumble
June 16, 2017 at 8:54 AM
I agree, Ki Chul's development from a villain to somewhat a protagonist that you actually care for was done really well. And quite unexpected too, since I thought when he was captured after his fight with SW, he'll seek revenge & become a bigger threat for SW in future episodes.
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Ek Ladhki Thi is Kim Eun-sooks no 1 fan
June 13, 2017 at 9:59 AM
On Ki-chul: I agree. I found myself reminding myself that this was the man who kidnapped and tortured my baby girl, but why do i feel sorry for him and want him to be happy too?
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4 fatcat007
June 13, 2017 at 8:26 AM
Thank goodness dong hyun lived! I think everybody must've guessed that he'll pull through.
I'll miss the bromance & the inefficient villians lol. In short I'll miss the show, it was fun to watch. :-)
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5 kaybee
June 13, 2017 at 8:43 AM
hfhahfdajkashfhdghjkgdsjgdjkg jsdshfsdaf h jfds fosioa j iaseh rsaei!!
Those are my most eloquent thoughts on the last two highly disappointing and confusing eps of a show that was entertaining when it was going for comedy and boring during everything else.
I want my hours back...
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6 growingbeautifully
June 13, 2017 at 8:53 AM
Thanks chocolatte! You've put down very nicely, what I'd say about what was good and not so good about this show. I wanted to be a lot more invested in it than I was, but I'm not too disappointed. There were good bits to keep us going.
The thoughts that came to mind as I watched was that, Seol Woo was either very good at reading people or else it was a risky gamble that he took with Seung Jae. SJ could have revealed on air that it was Seol Woo and Woon Kwang who were 'threatening' him, and this would have called their bluff over the 'bomb'.
I also wondered how he knew exactly where Dir Im would be (not his own office but Seung Jae's afterall!) and when, to have set up the other 'bomb', and to be able to call Dir Im to record his inadvertent confession.
The other thing that I found terribly unlikely was that Dir Im should never have thought Seung Jae would have made a copy of the incriminating videos. It was strangely naive of the head of NIS.
However what I really liked about the scheme to bring down all the baddies, is that Seol Woo had utilized the exact, right expertise of Woon Kwang and Do Ha to execute his plan. They made such a great team and this time, were not the 'incompetent' spies.
It was a nice ride, and we got to see enough of closure for all the characters we have come to care about ... so thanks ManXMan, and I hope to see all actors again! ?
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maryxiah
June 13, 2017 at 10:50 AM
Seol-woo is very good at reading people and profiling their characters, but he's not very good at recognising his own, which was what he admitted to Do-ha. He wasn't necessarily taking a gamble Seung-jae, rather he planned it well and knew which button to push. ;)
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7 JSinQueens
June 13, 2017 at 8:56 AM
This is a show I enjoyed so much that I started to purposely delay watching the last few episodes, because I knew it meant the show was ending. Thus, I missed the last few recaps. However, I have caught up by now and I found the ending to be very satisfying overall.
I'm the kind of person who never thinks a show is flawless. I can go on and on about the flaws even in shows on my kdrama top 10 all time list. However, I'm not in the mood to criticize Man to Man at the moment, because I think Man to Man sometimes got more criticism than it deserved. I was thinking towards the end of why I love this show so much, and I came to the conclusion that it exudes a warmth that other shows just lack. The main trio of course is incredibly loveable, but even beyond that I came to care about most of the large cast of characters (like Director Jang, Dong Hyun, and even Ki Chul.) This show had the ability to make me happy on a weekly basis which I really appreciate. (To add, I also appreciated the consistently good acting, the fast pace, and the refreshing lack of kdrama cliches especially in how the romance was written).
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lezah
June 13, 2017 at 9:16 AM
I sometimes wonder if I give it extra love just because it got a lot more flak than I thought it deserved, especially on the part of the female lead. I found myself insisting to my friends who had dropped it that the show was fantastic and they HAD to continue. They did, and ended up loving it, so I think it's safe to say that it's a show that's generally well done. Obviously it has its flaws but I agree with you, it exudes a warmth that made me keep coming back every week. All the characters felt decently rounded out (well except maybe the director, and those old first generation Ghosts that they never addressed after a brief appearance), and I genuinely loved the way the relationships were written. So all's good for me!
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Needaname
June 13, 2017 at 10:05 AM
Totally agree! It's not about the flaws but what it leaves you with! Me too, it always left me happy and looking forward to Fridays and Saturdays! I will miss WK saying "brother"! Yes, it was so heartwarming, watching our little family come together and stay together! Our ghost agents working together and so much more! There are plenty of shows I couldn't get into, so this one really clicked with me! This little gem is going into my treasure chest! On the Isles of Man x Man! :-)
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Yanie
June 14, 2017 at 2:01 AM
same here! Always looking forward for Fridays and Saturdays that sometimes my friend calling me crazy and all... Man x Man was my cherry on top. Not really affected about the show's rating or criticism as long as the actors did their part I'm good and happy and will treasure them in my heart forever. ?
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8 Martin J Simwaba
June 13, 2017 at 9:00 AM
I feel like Park Hae-jin is the only thing i'll miss about this show.
For some reason iam glad that Mi-eun didn't break up with Seung-jae and that her son didn't turn out Woon-kwang's. Although Woon-kwang's encounters with the kid indicated otherwise. Iam confused.
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maryxiah
June 13, 2017 at 10:57 AM
From Woon-kwang's cryptic conversation with Seol-woo when he asked if Seol-woo knew, I assume Jae-young is indeed his, but Seung-jae must have figured out as much yet still loves his son, I feel like the show decided to respect his right to the son he loved and cared for thus far so it was left for viewers' interpretation.
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Needaname
June 13, 2017 at 11:35 AM
Yes, it seems that it was left to interpretation. Another take could be that Jae-young is really Seung-jae's. Thus MiEun always chooses him over WK. But because WK played such an important role in putting his father away, he feels responsible. Jae-young will be growing up without a father, so WK offered to in a way "take his place" and be the male presence in his life, especially since Jae-young loves Dark Death so much. But yes, it could also be that WK will not disrupt Jae-young's life if he is his own, since Seung-jae was always his dad, but is offering to be a part of his life. That's what so great in Man x Man and possibly also the cause of its issues/frustrations, some things are just not spelled out for us. It's like giving us the dish without telling us what's in it. We know it's beef with potatoes, we just don't know the seasonings that make it so good! So to some it's delicious as it is, to others it's just so-so or inedible, and to others, well, they just wanted more salt or pepper...ok, for me now I think I'm just getting hungry for more!
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9 Needaname
June 13, 2017 at 9:03 AM
Thank you so much for the recaps chocolatte! Overall, for me, it was a great show! I will miss Man x Man! I think we've all expressed how we've felt throughout the show, so I won't be a broken record here.
I'd just like to say that I don't think SW and Do-ha are/were operating on an "ignorance is bliss" model at the end, but more "trust and respect". I think it is similar to Dong-hyun and his wife. No matter what Dong-hyun tells her, she knows him, she doesn't need to know the details (it seems he always lied to her anyway), but she knows he'll always do what he thinks he must for justice, and she loves him for that. They are a strong and wonderful couple!
SW and Do-ha have reached that level of maturity in their relationship. Waiting, missing, worrying is not what's important, but being there when he comes back, and he in turn coming back to her is. It's saying "I respect your choices/profession and I trust you". They accept each other for who/what they are.
Again, the coin, so subtle and yet such a strong representation of their love and Do-ha and SW. When the dot disappeared, it meant the mission is done, agent K no longer needs to be tracked because he's coming home, where he'll be next to her so they won't need to track each other. The last scene was so perfect! It seems that she is alone but she is not, our ghost agent is always there in spirit! That is how I interpreted the ending.
Man x Man had such subtle messages and meanings, which made it such a great show!
I will miss you Show! And thank you for a great journey!
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Ek Ladhki Thi is Kim Eun-sooks no 1 fan
June 13, 2017 at 9:55 AM
That's what I thought about the coin too. I really appreciate their love story even though Seol-woo lied to her sometimes. I absolutely adore Cha Do-ha. A woman with a big heart and a lot of love to give, I feel like she's the only one who could truly love and accept all of the things she knows about her man, and trust the things she doesn't. I'm a sucker for women who are brave in love mostly because I'm a big coward myself and won't even risk a relationship with a "dangerous" man.
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Needaname
June 13, 2017 at 10:10 AM
If a dangerous man comes my way who is like Agent K, I'm in! But yes, it takes a lot of guts and faith to jump in! Unfortunately, real life is usually not like a kdrama.
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Gail
September 2, 2017 at 8:03 AM
I couldn't understand the importance of the dot disappearing but I think your explanation is spot on.
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10 nelly
June 13, 2017 at 9:09 AM
I'm sorry, but what was that? I wanted an epic ending. I wanted those villains to really suffer. Why else would I watch 16 episodes about a suave spy?
At the beginning of this episode I thought it might happen. The last couple of episodes my interest was waning, but I stuck around for my three cute main characters and now I just feel disappointed.
It started out promising, I mean how cool was this "bomb" threat interview, but it just...left me hanging in the end. I feel like none of those villains really got their comeuppance, even The K2 (a pretty flawed show) had this one guy commit suicide, which was really satisfying but our main baddie here didn't even get a divorce? After all he did? He FORBADE his wife to see her only son and repeatedly tried to kill her ex boyfriend and then she STAYS with him? WHY? Is she a masochist?
After that K is being whisked away on another mission, after clearly being happy that this part of his life was over and wanting to stay with his girlfriend. And Do Ha was alright with that? She just waited for him and I'm totally fine with that. Whatever works for them, but then we as loyal fans don't even get an epic kiss for the finale? Was the back hug from last episode all we got? Sure it was implied that he would come back for her, but come on show, just give me a bit smoochie smoochie.
I hope I make some sense in my ravings, cause I just drank two glasses of wine, but you can't expect me staying sober after this ...whatever it was.
Maybe if some time passes I will look back fondly at this show, because it had some really cute moments and I adored Do Ha and our two boys, but right now, I'm just so angry.
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lezah
June 13, 2017 at 9:20 AM
I tried my best not to be disappointed, haha! I wanted fanservice, in the form of skinship and more smooches for sure. Given the number of kiss scenes I actually thought there would be one. But yes, I accepted the fact that both DH and SW came to a mutual conclusion about how their relationship would go. I don't know if it's sustainable but I guess the ending is open enough that we can assume they'll work it out.
Maybe ME (like me), didn't think of SJ that badly. I know he's supposed to be the baddie here, but he never really struck me as all that evil. Just perhaps a confused man trying to recreate his grandfather's reign of terror. Or maybe that's just how poorly he was written, because I mentioned before my main gripe with this show is how poorly the baddies were written. I guess since it doesn't take itself that seriously, the show thought it was ok for them all to just go to jail. I was ok with that, because the baddies weren't evil enough for me to hate them.
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11 Needaname
June 13, 2017 at 9:11 AM
Ok, now my final thoughts for this show, written after I watched the last episode. It is lenghthy, but also my closure for this wonderful show I will miss greatly! Thank you everyone, it was fun coming here sharing the myriad of emotions and insights this show brought out for all of us!
What a great ending! Man x Man, for me, continued to be great 'til the end! I am so glad the ending did not disappoint! Overall, I think it was actually a very well put together show and cast from beginning to end! I love how everything fell into place so nicely! Even our bad guys, acting like kids on their way to prison! Brought a smile to my face! Bae and Im bumping each other with an exasperated Seung Jae watching them from behind! It was almost cute! Maybe they were meant to be the joke of it all from the beginning!
I like that the last episode opened with Person to Person! Yes, we've gone from Man to Man to Person to Person. It's about everyone/anyone now! In the end, everyone is honest, and yes, justice prevailed by the law and by the rules! It gives everyone a better conscience, especially K!
I love that WK is keeping the 3 wood carvings, they brought his family together, his brother and his sister, yes indeed it is priceless! Now that they have found each other, they are the symbol of their commitment to stay together. I like that he and MiEun were able to have a proper closure so they can both "officially" move on. And that in the end, she still chooses Seung Jae, the father of her child. As SW said, above all she is a mother, and what's best for her son will always come first.
I am glad Kichul is also doing the right thing, by the law and by the rules. And it looks like he and SW will be watching over each other too, another brother!
SW now has a place to come home to and people to be a family with. So glad Dong-hyun is still around, and Jang and Sharon too!
I really love that Do-ha and SW are so perfect for each other! She, just like him, has a job she loves and is good at! If she needs to wait for him while he does his job, the reverse applies. As much as they can be like children when together, they have a mature relationship. I love that the show does not spell it out for us, it's subtle but it's there. Again that lucky coin, such a clever way of representing their love, Do-ha and SW! 'Til the end, SW is a ghost, or more like a spirit! Always with Do-ha, her shadow! Really like how the last scene is representative of their trust and faith in each other! It may look like she is by herself, but she's not! He is coming home! So perfect!
Ah, I will miss this show! But, looking forward to Four Men if it gives us more of SW/agent K! Argh, if it could somehow incorporate a WK as well! Please drama gods! You have been so good to us lately! Else, I hope to see Park Sung Woong in a leading role sometimes! He was so good here! Maybe there can be a spinoff with Dark Death! Thank you so much...
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Needaname
June 13, 2017 at 9:15 AM
Thank you so much for the recaps and giving us a platform to express ourselves here, where yes, we can dissect dramas to our hearts content!
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Lilium
June 13, 2017 at 6:36 PM
I think you and I must be M2M kindred spirits. :D
I also thought that this was a genuinely well-crafted show that was very consistent in its characterization and was true to its premise. It was unabashedly comedic (cheesily tongue-in-cheek) and while it did flirt with the dark side, it never really quite made the leap.
Take for instance, the wood carvings. It's wonderful how that those emblems of power began to take on new significance when it fell into UG's hands. From being sought-after objects containing the key to secrets, they have become mementos of how UG acquired a brother. While UG's growing attachment to them was hilariously done ("woodmance"), it is what they become to him and to us that makes them even more special. To me that shows a really high level of thought.
I'm very fond of the romance myself and personally I thought that was cleverly done. Loved the coin motif too. The whole thing was unconventional from the start and at the end of the day it cracks me up completely that a super spy that specialises in seducing women can’t get first base with his “weakness”. That scene with his moisturising his lips in disappointment was hilariously cute. Smooch-deprived PHJ is just delightful.
It occurs to me that CDH was absolutely Agent K’s type despite all his earlier denials. His confession to her in his bunker confirmed to me at least that his interest in her began long before Finding Cha Do-ha. I expect when I go back and watch the show, “You are pretty” will take on new significance.
*Listening to Aurora for the nth time*
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12 Michy
June 13, 2017 at 9:17 AM
Ermm... Can someone explain the ending to me?
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YY
June 13, 2017 at 9:39 AM
Sure. His next mission is to get married to Do-ha. I think. I'm hoping the dot disappeared didn't mean he's been abducted. She's smiling so I guess he's on his way back. I hope.
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kaybee
June 13, 2017 at 10:06 AM
LOL this just about sums it up alright!
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Michy
June 13, 2017 at 3:17 PM
Thanks but i still don't quite get it. The coin was a tracking device so how could the dot disappear unless he destroyed it? And why would she assume that he was coming back when the dot disappeared? Given the nature of his job it would be more logical to assume he got blown up or something. Don't mean to be morbid but....just saying.
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Needaname
June 13, 2017 at 4:11 PM
Exactly! The coin is a tracking device but it can be deactivated. I think he either deactivated it, or left it in the coffee cup which probably killed it, they did show a close up of the cup, unless it was for PPL purposes.
My interpretation of the coin is that it represents when they are apart and it's dangerous. Do-ha had said in a previous episode she did not like that they have to track each other (that's not how a relationship should be, you should have trust and be comfortable, not have to worry about each other if you can't "see" each other, my take on this). It becomes a burden. The coin also allowed them to find each other should anything happen to them. At the end, she only looked at it to "see" him but didn't really need to, she was fine before Dong-hyun mentioned it.
So, no coin/dot =
-the mission is finished, it is no longer dangerous
-he is on his way to her, so they don't need to keep track of their location, they know where to find each other and will be together soon anyway
If he left it behind, then he has retired as an agent, it was his last mission as agent K with NIS.
If he just deactivated it, then he may still keep his job and just activate it when needed
Of course, it could also mean that he got blown up or something happened to him, but he was still narrating, ie. he is alive, he was just on the phone, maybe with her? AND he had a good feeling about his next mission. And you know how good he is at his job/profiling/following his gut feeling. So we can only assume that all is/will be well!
Anyway, that's how I saw the ending. Hope this helps! I think they didn't show him at the end to show that he is still a "ghost agent". A shadow, Do-ha's shadow!
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TM
June 14, 2017 at 3:31 AM
I like your thought on the ending
Lord Cobol
June 14, 2017 at 10:02 PM
Re coffee cup PPL: "Buy this coffee! It's strong enough to dissolve metal!"
Meanwhile I'm having a vision of our superspy having to deactivate his tracker coin when the flight attendant tells everyone to turn off their electronics for takeoff :)
Angel
June 16, 2017 at 12:38 AM
I hope marrying Do Ha is his next mission :)
cherrycrumble
June 16, 2017 at 8:43 AM
I like your interpretation of the ending! Both he and she are all smiles at the end, and with him narrating that he has a good feeling about the mission (his lovers tactic with DH) definitely means he's coming home to her.
As for the phone call, I think it might be from team leader Jang who asked him to return to Korea and report to NIS.
lizj58
June 14, 2017 at 6:02 AM
Would the tracking device work on an airplane, say if he was on a flight back to Korea?
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Needaname
June 14, 2017 at 11:27 AM
I thought about that too, it probably means he's on the plane, well he would be on some kind of plane to return to South Korea, but I was thinking that I don't think the coin would lose its signal even on the plane. It's not like he would need to turn it off for fear of interference. I am strongly thinking he tossed it in the cup. He was holding it, contemplating it, he made a decision or just followed through on a decision he had already made. He was lighthearted. I have a good feeling about this :-)
Ah, still lurking here...
13 vannerie
June 13, 2017 at 9:25 AM
Woonkwang was my favourite character without doubt but I also cared about our team of agents and good guys. I thought the show tied up the loose ends in the last two episodes and ended well. And Donghyun survived to fight more villains.
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14 gaeinalee
June 13, 2017 at 9:31 AM
When PHJ as SW said that the poem was his fave too (as of that day), with that tone and gaze, why was it so romantic? So aww... I fall under PHJ's charm all over again. Have to tell hubz to learn to show his agreement in that tone and heart throbbing gaze.
I'm gonna miss the hilarious diva oppa and chief Jang as well.
Thanks for the recap, @chocolatte and @murasakimi!
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Angel
June 16, 2017 at 12:40 AM
Yes! It was really cute. I think he copied Do Ha's tone of voice while saying those lines.
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cherrycrumble
June 16, 2017 at 8:19 AM
I love how PHJ delivered the line by imitating her in that teasing and playful tone ^^
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15 fangirl98
June 13, 2017 at 9:36 AM
I know MxM wasn't a romance drama per se..... but in the end all we got was one kiss and lots of MEANINGFUL LOOKS. On the other hand, the bromance was adorable!! I'm mostly happy with the way everything wrapped up. It was cute, good...not great. (had to shut my brain off too many times) Looking forward to seeing PHJ's next endeavor (after a nice rest/vacation). 8-)
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16 Jrr
June 13, 2017 at 9:38 AM
I don't think Seung-jae returned the divorce papers signed, to Mi-eun. His name seal wasn't stamped on the document I remember. Or am I wrong?
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maryxiah
June 13, 2017 at 11:05 AM
He actually didn't. From their conversation, I assume Mi-eun gave the divorce paper at first because she felt guilty for deceiving Seung-jae all this time, so she said to him, "sign it if you want." But he chose to stay in the marriage with her, so she smiled in tears and tore the divorce paper. In a way, it was to establish that Mi-eun indeed loves Seung-jae as her husband even if she didn't agree with his shady, corrupt ways.
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Jrr
June 13, 2017 at 12:35 PM
yeah i thought the same too. thanks for clearing my doubt (:
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17 YY
June 13, 2017 at 9:49 AM
Bye, Oppa. I'll miss you....*sobs*
You made me swoon. You made me laugh. You made me cry.
You're one heck of an actor.
Weekends were brighter with you.
Weekends will be dismal without you...*sobs*
Even though I kind of feel the OTP ship ran out of steam after the abduction, I still love the words that you spoke, and the words that you left unspoken.
Your silence spoke volumes in some memorable scenes.
Bye, Oppa, bye. I'll miss you.
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gaeinalee
June 13, 2017 at 10:14 AM
Oh my, @yyishere, what a heartfelt letter you wrote.
Can't wait to read your poem for/about oppa where the moon, the star and the blue sky live happily side by side... ^^
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YY
June 13, 2017 at 10:23 AM
@gaeinalee There is no moon, no star and no blue sky. It's all darkness....*cries*
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18 Ek Ladhki Thi is Kim Eun-sooks no 1 fan
June 13, 2017 at 9:50 AM
This episode was so cute. I enjoyed this drama for what it was, a story of a boy that found a family and people who loved him unimaginably. I'm going to miss the little Chewing Ent family.
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19 gem28
June 13, 2017 at 10:12 AM
So here it is, the final one. I won't comment on the plot-holes or the lack of smart, scary villains. Enough said. Yeon Jung Hoon was criminally underutilized and I won't forgive the show for that.
What I liked and what made this show great is the character developments. Seol Woo started off as a cold, emotionally detached, mostly bored person with nearly zero attachments to anybody who was seeking thrill in adventure after adventure while wooing ladies. From that to the guy who constantly is craving the presence of people and his lady love was done seamlessly. Park Hae Jin gets all the medals, accolades and my heartiest congratulations for making his character alive with so many emotions. Do-Ha was a great character too. I liked her no nonsense, work first attitude till the end. Sure, she has somebody she loves now but I am glad that didn't change her or her priorities one bit, perhaps added one more person to her life but her core values remained the same. I too am a bit disappointed in the romance part. It wasn't nearly as fleshed out or as ground breaking as I had hoped. But, it fitted the scenario pretty well. Seol Woo won't be him if he isn't an agent so what he needs is reassurance that he has somebody who'll be around when he decides to come back. Yes, it is all perfect and romantic in theory but has massive issues in reality but this is a drama. The idea of the open end was to give us a hopeful ending without addressing the reality part of the situation, I'll take it. I liked how every minor characters had their closure. I sort of get why Mi-Eun did, what she did. Her son comes first and he needs his father. I liked that Un Kwang could say goodbye to her properly. Jang and Sharon are so good together and same goes for Dong Hyun and his wife. I liked that Ki Chul got his moment to shine. I really became fond of his character. As a package, pretty neat end.
As for that ending shot, this is my interpretation. Seol Woo finished his mission, hopped on a plane and is on his way back home. Do-ha will greet him with a smile at the same place and they'll live happily ever after, the end.
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20 maryxiah
June 13, 2017 at 10:32 AM
You summed up my thought on the ending perfectly, Chocolatte. My first reactions to the ending were disbelief, disappointment and anger. Unlike you, I was watching this for the romance, bromance and characters’ growth, and I felt like by the end of it, they didn’t really accomplish what they set out to do or promised to do with these characters. After getting by my initial reactions, I watched it for the second time and found myself mostly happy with final resolution, with the exception of our main OTP, I thought everyone else’s arc was tied up neatly.
Exactly! We were shown of their progression of feelings for a great portion of the show, and episode 12 was the highlight of their romance because both were willing to let their guard down and confess their feelings, and Seol-woo had to confront his fears and make some choices regarding his relationship with Do-ha, but all that fizzled out by episode 13 to make way for the spy stuff, which was still not much relevant in the end. Needless to say, I was disappointed because they actually made my heart flutter when Seol-woo said “Because you’re pretty” to Do-ha at the start of the show. I ate up the romance because I saw potential in their banter and mutual dislike for each other, it was like a universal sign that the two must fall in love!
Although at some point, I did hope that Seol-woo would leave behind the secret agent life to pursue a normal life with Woon-kwang and Do-ha, I can see why Seol-woo would ultimately choose his job, one that he loves and is very good at. And it was shown in the final hour how much unproductive Seol-woo would be without his job. I can kind of understand why Seol-woo asked Do-ha not to wait and she told him she won’t. By choosing to keep his job and still loving Do-ha, he was giving her a way out, as in not to be stuck in a relationship with a guy who’s barely going to be there for her. And Do-ha’s answer was an assurance to Seol-woo that she won’t spend her efforts waiting for him, of course in reality she would still be waiting for him, but it’s her way of assuring him to return to her without pressure. That’s how I interpret her, “I will just be here, so just come back someday.”
For all its worth, I was most happy with Woon-kwang’s arc, I loved that he got his much needed closure, and that he was the one to realize it and initiated to close that chapter in his life on his own. I firmly believe, for someone who loves unconditionally and undyingly like Woon-kwang, he deserves someone better than Mi-eun, the moment she left him (whatever reason it may be) she lost the right to his love. My only hope, Woon-kwang...
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maryxiah
June 13, 2017 at 10:39 AM
continuation...
My only hope, Woon-kwang oppa gets his own sequel called Man to Woman and romances a better girl, of course, having Man to Man OTP as side story would be a plus.
Love the final picture of the three leads btw.
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natzillagorilla
June 13, 2017 at 4:22 PM
hahahaha please, someone make this happen!
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YY
June 13, 2017 at 10:42 PM
Man to Baby The Sequel:
SW trains his baby to be a spy.
SW and baby aka Ghost Agent B go on a new mission.
Agent B pretends to be a baby but is actually a lethal spy whose weapon is a deadly milk bottle.
He delivers secret information to SW through a complicated coded language:
goo goo ga ga da da, for instance, means GOT THE CHIP, DAD.
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maryxiah
June 13, 2017 at 11:58 PM
LOL Pfft, you had me at goo goo ga ga da da. That reminds me of Baby Boss movie. So adorable! I'd love to see Seol-woo dealing with his baby.
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21 maryxiah
June 13, 2017 at 10:56 AM
Comment was deleted
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22 sorrynotsorry
June 13, 2017 at 11:22 AM
I'm not reading anything because I only got access via Netflix so am on episode 11. I have no idea how the drama has been going over with others. I'm obviously watching it pretty quickly, but not in an up-til- 2 a.m.- way. One thing I have come to appreciate is the relationship between the actor and Do Ha. It actually isn't that common to have non-romantic relationships between a man and a woman in dramas. Just like I enjoy the bromance, I like that these two people just kind of get each other without the assumption that some huge romance/love triangle must happen even if she is his huge fan. Regardless of how the last 5 episodes pan out, I know I'll miss PHJ's long suffering looks while dealing with this crew of people.
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23 katasu1996
June 13, 2017 at 12:44 PM
It was fun! I really liked this series. I don't think it was super great, but I loved the characters and their interactions, and it was just a fun way to spend some time every weekend. I'm not sad that it's over though. Rather, I'm glad, because I enjoyed the characters being together but I wasn't super invested in the story. To be honest, I only cared about Agent K and I just loved watching him do secret spy stuff and also be funny and charming. I never liked his romance with Do-ha though. It felt forced and fake, and honestly nothing about that character was special enough to make me believe a secret agent would give everything up for her. I previously said that I wouldn't be excited for a prequel where K falls in love with another girl. Um, I change my mind. Since I was never sold on this pairing, I would love to see one where the person he falls in love with is actually interesting, hopefully with a better actress who is willing to do more with her character. Lastly, I hope that this show was successful enough to make this into a series! I would honestly love to watch a show centered on K and his missions, and basically see him break multiple hearts. That would be amazing! Overall, the show was fun, and I want more for K, but I'm good with how everyone else ended and I hope to never see the Do-ha and K pairing again. Great job on the recaps!
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katasu1996
June 13, 2017 at 12:48 PM
Quick add on: If we had to see Do-ha in a sequel, how about a cameo where she moved on and married super attractive banker Lee Joon Ki whose cameo was criminally underutilized!? Now that is something I would love to see!!! Can you imagine K's face as he walks away from her wishing her happiness? That would be perfection.
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maryxiah
June 13, 2017 at 5:12 PM
That was Song Joong-ki. And no, my heart would be in pieces if Do-ha did that to Seol-woo.
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katasu1996
July 30, 2017 at 6:31 PM
Whoops sorry! But I wouldn't be sad considering she was the least interesting part of the show for me!
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24 Lilium
June 13, 2017 at 1:52 PM
My first drama addiction of the year has ended. Although there's no lack of dramas to replace it, I'm not sure I'm eager to let go. A whole-of-series retrospective is certainly in order some time down the track.
As someone who loves the spy comedy genre, I had a great time with the hijinks and the character dynamics. This show truly had the best trio relationship in a K drama that I've ever seen.
As far as finales go, I'm largely fine with it. I thought the Person to Person talk show was a bit of an anti-climax initially but when I considered how tenuous the newly formed alliance between MSJ and the NIS director was, it made a certain kind of sense. I did expect a bigger take down but it felt like the show wanted everyone (including MSJ) to have their "happy ending" so all of its energies were focused on that. While I think they tried a bit too hard on that front, I have come to accept that it is largely in keeping with the generally good-natured approach to the drama. It was always a spy comedy first and foremost so while it entered a dark phase, it did return to its comedic roots.
As for SW and DH, I'm expecting that on his return to SK that they will be married on 8 October as per Dad's wishes. DH will be a wonderful military spouse, keeping herself busy managing UG's acting career, visiting ex Agent Seo's family and maybe even starting a NIS Wives Support Group with Sharon Kim, Mrs Lee and even Mrs Seo.
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Lilium
June 13, 2017 at 2:29 PM
I loved the two references in this finale to two of my favourite spy stories: The Hunt for Red October and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
Very nicely done show.
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Needaname
June 13, 2017 at 3:15 PM
NIS Wives Club, that would be a great drama! I could see a comedy, uncovering their husbands' lies and various tactics! The ladies in Man x Man were all such great women! It was a nice touch, where the men were the flawed ones, the women kept them in check!
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Lilium
June 13, 2017 at 6:22 PM
The women were fantastic in this show. All of them courageous in their own fashion. Quite refreshing to see smart ladies not turn into grotesque villains.
Certainly one of the highlights of the drama for me.
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Ek Ladhki Thi is Kim Eun-sooks no 1 fan
June 14, 2017 at 12:17 PM
+1 on the ladies. After Six Flying Dragons, this shows has my favourite women.
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Angel
June 16, 2017 at 1:09 AM
I agree! This show has a strong set of women..
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25 PakalanaPikake
June 13, 2017 at 3:08 PM
Thanks for the final summation, chocolatte! I've enjoyed watching MAN TO MAN, and appreciate the play-by-play that you and murasakimi supplied.
Overall, it has been a fun ride. I've been watching it for entertainment, not logic. The villains are some of the dopiest baddies I've ever seen, but Dark Death more than makes up for them. I've only seen Park Sung-Woong in a couple of small movie roles prior to this drama. He's now officially one of my favorite ahjusshis. Woon-kwang is truly in a league all his own. I wasn't that keen on the character in the beginning because he was such a diva, but he stealthily grew on me the same way he grew on Agent K.
The show promised bromance and delivered it in spades. What I was not expecting was just how terrific an oppa Woon-kwang turned out to be. His solicitous concern for Do-ha is so doggone touching. That caring extends to the rest of his little family, and to their friends, relatives, and colleagues. I loved his "woodmance" (believe it or not, that's an actual surname!) with the three Buddha carvings, too. I loved how he spoke to the statues as he cleaned them with a paintbrush, just like a museum conservator.
I was kind of thrown by the ending vis-a-vis Do-ha and Seul-woo. Now that the dust has settled for a couple of days -- and I've gotten to read the comments in this recap thread -- I'm okay with the ending for the OTP. I have to keep reminding myself that the two of them still speak in code, even if they've dispensed with the lover's tactic. Perhaps the tracking coin speaks loudest of all. ;-)
I'm glad that Woon-kwang ceased carrying the torch for Mi-eun. He can amicably move on at last, while continuing his relationship with his young fan. Nicely done.
I was relieved that Dong-hyun not only survived his appointment with the White Truck of Doom, but also received a medal for his service to the nation. Perhaps more importantly, he got a new video gaming buddy in Seul-woo's absence. I loved how Do-ha repeatedly pwned Seul-woo while gaming.
I hadn't seen Park Hae-jin before this drama. It has been a blast to watch him in action. I love his subtle expressions. It will be interesting to see what he does in the MAN TO MAN prequel.
Thanks again to murasakimi, chocolatte, and the Beanut Gallery for enhancing my enjoyment of MAN TO MAN. ;-)
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Needaname
June 13, 2017 at 3:28 PM
Wait, I thought they decided the lovers tactic was one tactic they were not going to end?!
And yes! Loved the woodmance too! Great term! I also grew very fond of these wood carvings! The first one gave us WK, the second Do-ha, and the third SW!
Me too! It was my first Park Hae Jin drama and yes, I will definitely check out the prequel! I also want to see more of Park Sung Woong! I know I'd seen him before, and looking at his credits I've only seen him in Man of Honor. So hoping we get to see more of him. I was reading the interview of their press conference, and he had mentioned about how he's never had so many lines! Well, you were spectacular Park Sung Woong! To more lines!
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PakalanaPikake
June 13, 2017 at 7:17 PM
I didn't coin "woodmance" -- and unfortunately lost track of the Beanie who did. :-(
I may have gotten confused, but I thought towards the end that they decided to pull the plug on the lover's tactic after all. ;-)
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maryxiah
June 14, 2017 at 2:45 AM
I think it was @Lilium who coined it in one of the recap thread. As for the lovers tactic, I think both Seol-woo and Do-ha agreed not to end it, Seol-woo did say that the tactic stays on for as long as she still wants it, and she told Woon-kwang near the end of the episode that their tactic hasn't ended. I take it to mean that their relationship will still be there when he comes back from his mission and take it from where they left off.
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Angel
June 16, 2017 at 1:14 AM
You should try watching Bad Guys where PHJ is a genius psychopath
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26 toomuchdrama
June 13, 2017 at 3:27 PM
so it ends. after playing with my emotions, making me cringe, grin like an idiot, frustrated, confused, squeal like a school girl, confused again, swoon and back to frustrated again. it ends... like this... and they bade goodbye... and not even a goodbye kiss??
they should have at least made that dinner-movie-tea date happened. or that one day trip he's been begging doha.
oh well. im frustrated. and there's nothing i can do about it. :(
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27 natzillagorilla
June 13, 2017 at 4:32 PM
I must say I'm a bit frustrated with this ending. As soon as ep 16 ended, I was furious and kept thinking I wanted my 16+ hours back, but then, with time, my anger kind of disappeared, which says a lot about how I felt/feel about this drama...like I didn't care much or enough, I guess. I stopped asking for answers/smart villains/no plot-holes many episodes ago, and was just enjoying the dynamics between the World's Best Oppa and everyone else, since at the end of the day, the characters were what sold me this show. However, I feel a bit cheated with the romance, and can only think that maybe, maaaaybe and hopefully, we didn't get a final reunion/kiss from our main couple because somehow/somewhere they want to give us a happy ending for our favorite Ghost agent on the prequel they're planning? Like, here's the prequel and then for the ending we'll get how K is living nowadays? No? Too hopeful?
The one thing I'm overly happy about is our favorite prosecutor not being killed by the TOD! I was beyond happy and relieved after being ready to kill someone after he was hit...so thanks for that, show!
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PakalanaPikake
June 13, 2017 at 7:58 PM
I don't feel as let down by MAN TO MAN's finale as I did by MY SECRET ROMANCE's. The latter went down the tubes towards the end. What a waste of a promising start. Grrrr.
I totally concur re: Prosecutor Dong-hyun's survival. He was a great character. ;-)
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natzillagorilla
June 13, 2017 at 8:48 PM
Hmmm...it was different for me because, even when MSR's finale was basically 2 hours of messy flashbacks and unnecessay angst, it was, from the very start, a low-budget, cliched, not-so-good-acted drama, and I was fully aware of it. I watched merely for the pretty (seriously, how can Sung Hoon be so handsome?!) However, MxM had really good actors, a storyline that could have been really interesting, wonderful characters, and a few really good episodes...it was disappointing for me to be left hanging like that, especially since I was watching for the romance...
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28 shteffi
June 13, 2017 at 5:11 PM
Thank You dear chocolatte for your regular and comprehensive reviews. It was so much fun reading them and exchanging with other viewers.
After episode 12, the show didn't make nice strides with the development of romance (which chocolatte rightfully pointed out was hard to get invested in). But I am here mainfully for the development of romance, so the show left much to be desired, for me.
In episode 12, SW has given in to Do-ha completely, but then what?
In the later episodes they show both of them having conversations like they are so comfortable with each other and have an 'understanding'. Please here help me define what is that 'understanding'?
SW to Do-ha: Let life takes its course but you be my girlfriend. Wait, No! you dont say "don't wait to your gf".
Do-ha to SW: I trust you. Go do what you need to do when you need to do. You are not alone and I will always be here. But I wont wait for you and will try not to think of you.
I think this show was about how SW finds a weakness. This cold agent, who easily disconnects himself with all fabricated ties after a mission is over, is unable to do it this time and ends up finding something he discovers/finds to be valuable more than anything (even his work, as he quit being an agent when he needed to protect her).
But the show also tells us being an agent isnt compatible with a stable/good family life with examples of K-chul and Dong-Hyun (who needed to quit to keep his marraige).
Final words: Please season 2 with focus on Do-ha and SW developing their romance (coz its going to be a bumpy road...and i'd like to watch that)
One question for any of you reading this:
When Do-ha's dad gave SW a lucky date for the wedding. What did SW think? It was too soon , yes. Does him laying out the plan for Do-ha's dads restaurant indicate he might like the idea later down the road :)
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toomuchdrama
June 13, 2017 at 6:35 PM
One question for any of you reading this:
When Do-ha's dad gave SW a lucky date for the wedding. What did SW think? It was too soon , yes. Does him laying out the plan for Do-ha's dads restaurant indicate he might like the idea later down the road :)
as we've seen a few episodes ago, he did toy with the idea of living an average life. he's conflicted, i guess, he's still in the stage of addressing his feelings and emotions and marriage is a bit too soon. maybe if he'd stayed on vacation long enough, it might come to pass. darn that red october. now im even more frustrated.. :( oh well...
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PakalanaPikake
June 13, 2017 at 7:37 PM
It wasn't clear to me how Seul-woo felt about the auspicious date for a wedding. The man is still playing it close to the vest. I took it to mean that Dad is welcoming him to the family and has gotten over the earlier bumps in the road. (Did Dad discuss it with Do-ha? I don't think he did.)
I'm also not certain how much lead time was involved, especially when Agent Petrov popped up to apprise Seul-woo of the return of Red October. That development would certainly put the kibosh on wedding bells. On the other hand, shutting down Red October once and for all would make for better conditions for marrying, if the OTP were so inclined.
When I saw K's initial on the floorplan, I took it to mean that Seul-woo was letting Dad know that he valued their relationship. Will he really become Son-in-Law? Only time will tell, but I think things are headed that way. Just my $0.02.
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maryxiah
June 14, 2017 at 12:19 AM
Too soon, they barely went on dates and get to know each other's likes and dislikes. Seeing how Do-ha still hangs with Dong-hyun, a sort of family member of Seol-woo, and how Seol-woo still concerns himself with Do-ha's family, I'd say marriage will happen down the road. I'd love to have seen it though.
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29 elle
June 13, 2017 at 5:44 PM
Thank you Chocolatte for leading us on this roller coaster of a trip!
This drama was far from perfect. In regards to its plot and how it managed it genres, Man to Man left a lot to be desired. Yet I believe that this drama can easily ride on the brilliantly timed comedy and the chemistry between the three main characters: Kim Seol Woo, Cha Do Ha and Yeo Woon Gwang.
I wish this drama would have been able to embrace the tongue in cheekiness it had from the earlier episodes. Unfortunately, I fear that this drama will be remembered for its unbalanced and uneven execution that was never able to live up to the hype.
Even with all its shortcomings, I did genuinely enjoy Man to Man.
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natzillagorilla
June 13, 2017 at 7:15 PM
I enjoyed it too. As you say, the chemistry between the 3 main characters was brilliant; however, I must admit I continued watching only because I could do so on netflix... I think I'd have probably dropped it if I'd had to look for it someplace else.
Even so, I do look back fondly at many of the scenes...I just wish I didn't feel this "what if..." so much!
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30 spazmo
June 13, 2017 at 6:46 PM
this show was such a fun surprise for me... i LOVED the characters, from the stiff pasty deadpan spy man, the googly geeky girl, the genuinely self-absorbed action actor and the side characters!
i enjoyed the silly ride, laughed out loud alot of the time and became a Park Hae Jin fan - especially loved his uncharacteristically sweet smiles that he gave Do-ha after he fell for her...
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31 etrenelle
June 13, 2017 at 6:54 PM
I dunno... I enjoyed the show but that was really it... I still found myself pressing for the episodes first when they came out compared to other shows that came out on the same day but I dont have this feeling like. "GOD I LOVED IT SOOO MUCH!!!"
There were parts I loved and parts I just felt meh about. The drama was fun and it was a good drama to watch I feel if you aren't up for anything too complicated (compared to most spy films and such that I have watched) It is complicated in its own way of course with all these weird plot twists and plot holes that the show kinda managed to fix up by the end.
Overall though dont get me wrong I had fun watching this. The relationships between the characters is what really made this show great for me. I will give it an 7.5/10 it as a great show filled with laughs and amazing characters but the plot holes just made it kinda sit a bit meh with me
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32 booho
June 13, 2017 at 11:07 PM
I'm glad for SPY genre man x man is a "light-heartwarming" drama, even i can hate the villain in here LOL, this drama more like "family" drama
how a lonely seol woo, who always alone on his life and his mission finally found a "family" in unimaginable way
really love the bromance in this drama, and also all the WOMAN in this drama is a STRONG WOMAN XD, from Do-Ha, Mi Eun, Sharon, and also Tinkerbell's wife is not a "cry baby"
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33 april
June 14, 2017 at 4:41 AM
Am I the only one upset that we did not catch any glimpse on the background of SW? Does he not have relatives anymore and such? What drove him to be that unattached to his assignments prior DH?
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natzillagorilla
June 14, 2017 at 8:22 AM
I was upset as well, but I think this is maybe why they're gonna make a prequel...probably because his background is too comboluted to cram in just a couple of episodes
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cherrycrumble
June 16, 2017 at 8:30 AM
At first I also wish for some backstory to give his character more depth, but at the end I wasn't really bothered by the lack of it. I also read a PHJ's interview that it's kind of the key point of SW's character, that he's just someone who exist and has a feeling that he's just fallen from somewhere.
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34 TM
June 14, 2017 at 6:06 AM
Overall it was a nice drama that I enjoyed watching from beginning to end. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst. Like many I wish the love story was more developed because I feel like everything was just dropped on us. PHS did an amazing job as usual. I really love his acting and can't wait to see him on the prequel (or was it a sequel?) of Man to Man.
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35 yumii
June 14, 2017 at 9:52 AM
Thanks for the recap. Enjoyed the series. I loved the way it seamlessly shift the impression of Do-Ha from obsessive fan girl to skilled professional.
I feel as it the show's set up, confirmed by the title, was meant to be a bromance with a side of romance. However for whatever reason the balance shifted to the romance and bromance having equal weight, or perhaps the romance taking precedence.
". . . it really does seem like Mi-eun loves Seung-jae in her own way, given her willingness to stay married to him. I just hope for her sake that Seung-jae comes out of prison a changed man, because while I get why she’d choose to stay with Seung-jae, we can’t forget that he’s the same guy who so cruelly threatened to take her son away from her."
Personally I don't get why she stay will a man she knows to be a traitor and murder. I've read a few post elsewhere celebrating the Mi-eun+Seung-jae coupling. While I hate being the moralizing pragmatist I feel I must say that the way the show ends suggests the dangerous option of being able to sustain a relationship with a controlling violent possessive person.
Seung-Jae not only held Mi-eun's son hostage, he also twice tried to kill someone he saw as his romantic competition. You can't have a healthy relationship with someone like that, especially now that he has discovered that all M-eun's actions were suspect from their first meeting.
That kind of message of marital acceptance of aberrant antisocial behavior is what gets women and their children killed by men who think they own them.
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36 Lord Cobol
June 14, 2017 at 10:11 PM
When that doesn't work that's how you know it's the final episode.
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37 Angel
June 15, 2017 at 11:53 PM
I came to love this drama so much and I am one of those people who thinks that it does not deserve all the criticisms it has been receiving all through out, especially the female lead. I think the plot of Man to Man is still way way better than other dramas out there.
This drama, especially Park Hae Jin and his charm have been a ray of sunshine on my Fridays and Saturdays. I'm surely going to miss it.
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38 cherrycrumble
June 16, 2017 at 8:10 AM
I had a blast watching this show from start to finish. I admit that the villains are not as strong as I hoped and there are times when the spy plots are a bit dull, but it never once took me out from enjoying the show because I love the characters and their interactions so much, which were acted beautifully by talented actors. And I agree with some of you that this drama has strong female characters.
I love how the 3 wood carvings evolve from a McGuffin kinda thing to precious items that kind of represent our 3 main characters and how they belong together. They are priceless treasures not because of its physical value but because of the history and the memories behind them, which have brought the trio together as a family.
Thanks so much to murasakimi & chocolatte for recapping the drama, as well as all Beanies here for sharing your thoughts that makes me appreciate the drama even more!
I have a newfound love for Park Hae Jin and very much looking forward to the prequel drama.
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39 Anya
June 16, 2017 at 10:49 AM
I liked this series overall. It was really hard to get through though because of the coldness between the main actor and actress. If I found out that Park Hae-Jin and Kim Min Jung hated each other in real life I wouldn't be surprised at all. Everyone else was a better couple than these two. Luckily the rest of the story was interesting. And I loved the bromance between Seol-woo and Woon-kwang. As well as Seol-woo and Dong-hyun. They could have gotten rid of Do-ha and I would have been perfectly happy.
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40 memyselfandi
June 17, 2017 at 6:19 AM
Just watched the last episode on Netflix. The soundtrack seemed a bit muted. I thought the cheesy loud soundtrack added to the dramedy element of this show.
At the end when Do Ha was back on the hill with her cup of coffee that Seol Woo would come up and give her a back hug and a big kiss. I would have liked that ending. K dramas always seem to pull their punches at the end.
Enjoyed the run. I never watch K Dramas like this one for the logic. I know that part of it is my lack of familiarity with the culture, but I enjoy the freewheeling approach to narrative as long as the character motivation is within bounds
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memyselfandi
June 17, 2017 at 6:21 AM
At the end when Do Ha was back on the hill with her cup of coffee I THOUGHT that Seol Woo... Sorry about that.
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41 MJ
June 19, 2017 at 9:33 PM
Peace to all! I just wished they had gotten a female lead that had some chemistry with PHJ.
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42 MJ
June 19, 2017 at 9:36 PM
There SHOULD be a drama with PHJ and Jun Ji Hyun as leads! ♥️
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43 Vianna Nolen-peters
June 23, 2017 at 10:42 PM
I simply loved Man to Man! I watched it twice on Netflix. Who knew he would deeply fall for the girl! I think the writers did a great job of threaded their romance in the drama. Park Hae Jin is an outstanding actor and I think his character As K allowed him to really show us his amazing versatile acting skills. Yes, I am a PHJ fan! I can watch him all day! Everyone in Man to Man did an outstanding job. ?????
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44 neener
June 27, 2017 at 4:23 AM
I finally finished it after a long break!
I enjoyed the Show and Park Hae Jin is just SO pretty!
As for the OTP, as I understood it, there was no need for more words because it seemed like Do Ha understood everything. For Mi-eun, sad about her ending but her being a ghost was such a plus to the Show. And Shows shouldn't be allowed to kill good guys! Really!
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45 deana
August 27, 2017 at 4:10 AM
Hmmmm mixed messages with this series...First Mi Eun's son could have been either her husbands or WoonKwang's you know "the brave child". Does anyone know for sure? Also what is up with the masher kissing? Didn't anyone say action??? Lastly...WTH was up with that poor sap running his butt off on the treadmill and then the (love of his life) says NOPE too busy with the boss even for one day. Seriously??? Overall though...I thought it was great! Fun and romance and bromance.
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46 Gail
September 2, 2017 at 7:55 AM
Your review is pretty close to mine. In fact you picked up on some things I missed. What you didn't address, to my disappointment, is the purpose of the pink tracking dot disappearing on Doh-ha's phone at the very end. She wasn't upset. Did that mean Seol-woo was back at his unsecured hideaway and turned off the tracker. Did she smile because she knew he was back. I hope you share your views on this. Thank you.
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47 pearl
September 18, 2017 at 1:54 PM
this production was superb, i felt like i was watching a hollywood production, i only watched bc of Park hae jin but didn't like the lead actress they didn't have a good chemistry! 2 thumbs up and i'm gonna miss seeing Park hae jin's handsome face but i got some of his old dramas which i can contend with before his new drama airs which is Four Men! i can't wait, he's awesome overload!
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