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BTS Love Yourself: Tear Album Review
NOTE: This is not a post bashing BTS. This is an objective review of this album that will highly likely be seen as an “unpopular” opinion. I don’t buy into hype. I feel sad when I know they can do even better with their songs.
I am a big BTS fan and I love each member dearly as artists and individuals. I respect and admire them greatly. They often inspire me to keep working and to keep going I’ve dedicated a lot of time to understanding their MVs, and lyrics and analyzing them as well. However, this doesn’t mean that my love for them will blind me from everything.
My fear seems to have come true, at least for this album. I already had a feeling that this would eventually happen after hearing their last album, “Love Yourself: Her”. However, I just didn’t expect this to feel like a milking a cash cow situation. It’s inevitable in a sense, given how much fame they’ve amassed. It’s inevitable given that this industry is all about profits, at the end of the day. It’s inevitable because they probably need to be paid too. It . . . being selling out.
Objectively, I’ve listened to the album fully and read the lyrics. I’ve talked to my friends about my thoughts too and they agree with me. Truthfully, we’re very disappointed and upset in this album. My good friend gave a very suitable analogy to describe this album:
This album is the last assignment you have in 3LOL [the last year of law school] that you just hand in for the sake of being done. You don’t proof read. You don’t check citations. You just hand it in. This time, it also seemed like a badly written group legal memo with 7 law students who had to write 2 paragraphs each and no one took the time to rewrite and make it coherent.
There are several reasons supporting this analogy:
(1) There was a thoughtful theme that was poorly executed in practice;
(2) The music composition was far weaker than BTS’ previous albums;
(3) The lyrics generally lacked a “wow” factor;
(4) It felt like almost all of the members were not into the songs themselves; and
(5) The title song and its MV fell flat compared to BTS’ previous title songs for other albums;
(1) There was a thoughtful theme that was poorly executed in practice.
The theme for “Love Yourself: Tear” as we all know is fake love. However, I just don’t feel that pain coming from this fake love. The vocal line, except for Taehyung, didn’t give me the feeling of heartbreak and sadness, unlike in “Love is Not Over” or “Butterfly”. The rap line, besides J-Hope, seems to have given up. Compare the raps from RM and Suga in “Blood, Sweat & Tears” to “Fake Love” and you’ll know exactly what I mean.
Overall, the songs didn’t transition nicely from one to another to fit the theme. When we opened with “Intro: Singularity”, we were greeted by a sensual, jazzy tone, yet what came after that was a slightly satanic, top 40s type of pop song. Sure, you could say that this was BTS discovering that the love was fake and therefore, there’s that satanic sound. However, you’d have to look at the broader picture. What followed next?
A mellow ballad that really should have been made into a more upbeat track,  전하지 못한 진심 (Feat. Steve Aoki), given how it was building up to a less muted chorus. Surprisingly, you’d think things would continue to be mellow or even darker as one discovered that this was fake love or couldn’t escape from it. Nope. We have this upbeat, 70s disco vibe song called 134340, which makes me feel like I’m supposed to be sipping on margaritas on a floating flamingo in a fancy pool in Hawaii . . . for the first 30 seconds. (I was into this song for 30 seconds and then started to really dislike it for its flat chorus and . . . weak rap. The bridge is so weak too like a diluted version of J-Hope’s bridge in “Daydream”.) I’m a HUGE fan of contrast when used right. Sadly, this type of contrast between the groovy vibes and the sadder lyrics don’t mesh well at all. It’s like when people want to create fusion cuisine and add in some “exotic” flavours into a dish and create a hot mess. This is no chicken and waffles situation.
What went after “134340″? A song for fans called “Paradise”. That feels very out of place too when you think about the theme of this whole album. Sure, I can purposely stretch the idea of “Paradise” to make it fit within fake love by saying that people’s ideas of dreams are actually a false sense of paradise. However, you do see that this is a stretch, right? I’m pulling teeth to make this theme of fake love work. (I do love the lyrics of Paradise. I just don’t like how it was sang/rapped by all of the members except for J-Hope and Taehyung and how it doesn’t fit well in this theme for this album.)
After “Paradise”, we had “Love Maze”. Musically, the transition between “Paradise” and “Love Maze” was acceptable. Pretty sure “Love Maze” started on a similar key/similar notes as how “Paradise” ended. Is this the best place to insert “Love Maze” though? I argue not. I likely would have placed this after “Fake Love”. After you’ve experienced “Fake Love”, you’d be caught in a “Love Maze”. You’d have trouble escaping from this fake love or you’d want to escape with your lover in this love maze even though people tell you that this love is toxic.
“Magic Shop” does not live to what was promised in the trailers. “Magic Shop” is supposed to be a fear-driven “psychodramatic experience” that would lead to positiveness. It sounded like a typical, US love song. The lyrics were also completely different from what was implied by the teasers. The BTS members went to a magic shop to make a deal with a “Devil” to get fake love. When I read the lyrics and disregard the teasers I’ve seen along with the allusions to H.G. Wells’ “Magic Shop”, I really just see a love song like “Best of Me”. The message is very similar, in fact. That’s not the point of “Magic Shop”, or at least that’s how I feel if you’ve referenced psychodramatic experiences and make references to H.G. Wells’ short story.
That short story is about many things like illusion and reality. A father and a son called Gip enter a magic shop. The son disappears due to the magician’s magic and the father is overcome with fear. This fear of losing his son makes him realize how much his son means to him; however, this fear also eventually draws distance between his son and him. After all, there is no free lunch in this world, despite the magician saying that the gifts for his son are free. His relationship with Gip changes after this magic shop experience. He looks from behind to see Gip playing with the toys that Gip received from the magician. This story also shows that the father ends up being overcome with reality like paying bills that he disregards magic, unlike the son. Do we see these motifs/themes play out in BTS’ “Magic Shop”? Not at all. Not in the lyrics, not in the music itself, nothing.
Airplane Pt 2 gives out some Latin/Spanish vibes with a bit of a satanic feel like “Fake Love”. “Airplane Pt 2″ is like a muted Shakira/Enrique song. It doesn’t fit that pop feeling from “Magic Shop” at all! It would have been better musically if it came after “Fake Love”. The lyrics also do not match the theme of . . . fake love. We’re talking about BTS reaching their dreams and telling the non-believers and haters that they made it. How is that part of fake love? You can again try to argue that at this stage of the album, BTS became woke and they’ve realized that they have to get over fake love and move on. Do I get that message though? No. Not at all. “Airplane Pt 2″ is about achieving your dreams, not about recovering from fake love or finding a way to get out of it.
“Anpanman” is yet another misplaced song in this album. Sure it might follow in terms of a theme for Airplane Pt 2, but as an overall theme for fake love, I think not. “Anpanman” is what BTS wants to be for us. Not fake love.
“So What” fits well to suit the latter half of the musics about dreams/life, but again, not for the overall theme. The bigger picture was sacrificed for a smooth transition in a smaller view. It’s a trees over the forest situation. “So What” tells us not to care and not to worry so much and to just do what you want. Okay . . . so does that also include going on with some fake love that we know is toxic? I don’t think so . . . (See? I’m trying to stretch the idea of fake love to fit throughout this album.) Also this random 80s vibe where I can imagine BTS in leotards and working out . . . is not good imagery coming from the music. This imagery does not fit with the lyrics at all.
Finally, “Outro: Tear” . . . the lyrics are wonderful and the placement of the song is appropriate . . . if this was supposed to be the moment where BTS realized that this was all fake love and has decided to move on. The execution of the song? Not great when compared to “Outro: Her”.  
Overall, I can feel and hear corners being cut for the sake of appealing to the masses and for making the most out of BTS’ current fame.
(2) The music composition was far weaker than BTS’ previous albums.
I’m going to keep this point briefer because I’ve touched on many of them previously. I’m going to say again that Steve Aoki’s song had potential, but then the chorus fell flat. I was waiting for some speedier chorus or a big bang like Whitney Houston style. Sadly, there was none of that. Steve Aoki’s song actually was the better of the lot. More disappointing had to be the song about Pluto. It started out very groovy and catchy. However, the chorus was all over the place. They also assigned the wrong roles to each person. Taehyung has the grooviest vibe/voice out of the vocal lot. J-Hope would be the representative of grooviness for the rap line; you heard the man in his mix tape. Guess what? They barely had any impactful lines in this song. This is what happens when you have a group project and you give people the wrong roles.
Bring me the older albums . . .  I miss you BST. I miss HYH so much.
(3)  The lyrics generally lacked a “wow” factor.
The overused metaphors, imagery, and simplistic symbols/themes/motifs were overabundant in this album. I know very well how well BTS can write, especially RM when it comes to more poetic language. Because I knew their skills, I couldn’t wait to read the lyrics for every song, particularly “Love Maze”, a song that RM highly recommended. The title sounded splendid too. I imagined so many pictures or analogies one could make with that. Instead, what did we get? A brief reference to a maze. No entanglement of some sort felt. Also, how many times are we going to talk about winter, spring, or the cold temperature? Let’s start listing where these happened.
This is from “Fake Love”. 
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Look at how it went from “fitness” to “I have never loved hair and loved it”. Okay? And then you move to “I know it’s cold like winter” and “I still want to hit it, ayy”? Hit it? Really? “You raise me up when you push me yeah” ends that way in order to probably rhyme with “ayy”. Okay. Whatever you say. And this. . . “Love is a maze/But you is amaze” What? And a random reference to the moon???? When did we go from mazes/winters to moons?!?! Don’t just throw in various symbols for the sake of being “deep”. (I am almost certain RM wrote most of the “Love Maze” lyrics because only he likes to use poetic language out of the BTS members and he loves using winter/spring after “Spring Day”.)
Let’s look at “134340″. Another reference to the season and the temperature. Okay, Pluto’s temperature is probably that cold. I’ll give you that.
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“Intro: Singularity” was very well-written by RM and that totally shows his potential and skills. However, look at how he uses the cold/winter/iciness again.
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I don’t see how “Intro: Singularity” can be so well written lyrically, yet the similar imagery provided by the other songs I mentioned can fall so flat and rushed. That’s why I’m disappointed. I can’t help but wonder whether this was the man who also wrote “Spring Day”? Am I experiencing fake love here?
When the lyrics are better written in the songs (besides “Intro: Singularity”) like “Paradise”, “Anpanman”, “134310″, and “Outro: Tear”, the songs themselves either musically are oddly composed or they are not sang/rapped with the right emotions.
(4) It felt like almost all of the members were not into the songs themselves.
Speaking of temperature, can we talk about how there’s barely any passion based on how BTS sang/rapped the songs? I have never heard of such weak raps from Suga, the man who could probably kill someone’s soul with his rap. For “Love Maze”, I’d often pause at Suga’s part to check who is rapping because the rap there was just feeble. I did this checking three times and each time it’s Suga’s part. It really hurts my heart seeing him this way. It’s not just “Love Maze”. Listen to all the other songs on this album and compare it to the raps Suga did for his mix tape or “Spring Day” or “Young Forever” or any other older BTS song. I feel like he really gave up on this album and I think it probably really hurt him to have to release something where he knows they could do better. I hate to be the one that says this, but I really feel like he gave up because he knew they were selling out.
As for RM, I can see him being the type to brainwash himself into thinking that all this love is great when really he knows that they’re selling out. I know he can do so much better, but he chose to cut corners.....It’s easy to tell which lyrics he writes given his language style, so it’s also easy to see who cut corners. I can feel it from his rap too. His delivery, flow, and lyrics, they are all so weak and flat compared to his past works like “Cypher Pt 3″, “Whalien 52″, “Young Forever”. J-Hope is the only one from the rap line that pulled all the weight on their end. I was looking forward to his parts; he saved the day, but I did feel that he was also burnt out. We all know how hard he worked on his mix tape and then had to do this work too. He gave it his all that he could. Seriously, I just want to hug him and also Suga. Suga . . . I can feel his pain. > _ < Look at how skinny he has become???? And his eyes during the interviews . . . soulless.
As for the vocal line, I don’t know what happened, but Jin, Jimin, and Jungkook all sounded the same. I could barely tell them apart and Jimin, out of those three, usually has the most easily identified voice! Jimin was particularly weak when singing his lines this time. I couldn’t feel any deep emotions from him. Jungkook and Jin felt like a typical Top 40s song, unmemorable too. Only Taehyung stood out. He too pulled his weight for the vocal line. Usually I am more drawn to Jungkook or Jimin’s parts, but Taehyung this time, really drew me in. He sang with his heart, despite this situation. “Intro: Singularity”, that really embodied Taehyung. I could feel his all!!!!  
I really don’t feel that passion from songs that required more power like “Anpanman” or “So What”, unlike what I heard from “Not Today” or “N.O.” Sigh . . . I really hate writing this, but I feel like it’s important for people to see the truth and not be blinded by the hype.
(5) The title song’s MV fell flat compared to BTS’ previous title songs for other albums
“Fake Love” did not match up to “Blood, Sweat & Tears” in all ways. I did not even want to do an analysis for the mv of “Fake Love” because it was that basic. Where was that Lumpens vibe that we’ve seen in all of BTS’ other MVs? There was barely any critical symbol or image that would lead us to think deeper. They were just trapped in rooms like typical Kpop mvs. They chose to focus on the dance and gave up on the actual theme/story. “Blood, Sweat & Tears” showed the choreography AND a very meaningful plot. This MV? No. None of that. I’m honestly very disappointed in this result.
Also, people are happy that Jungkook showed his abs here. I actually feel sad in a way because that means they’re relying more and more directly on “sex” to sell. Thank god he isn’t underage now. Sure, “Blood, Sweat & Tears” had very sexy undertones, but that was tastefully done. Yes, the dance also had that hip movement on the floor and other hip movements, but did the boys have to show their abs? No. I particularly feel this way given how the lyrics are too simplistic for “Fake Love”.
Now, what’s the sad thing about this whole situation? BTS will surely explode in sales from this album because they are riding on the big wave they’re created from their previous albums. That’s the worst feeling to get--be rewarded for something that you haven’t poured as much of your heart and soul into. It’s like getting an A when you barely studied for this exam, but then getting a C/D for a subject you’ve really worked hard at. Then you wonder, what’s the point in trying? If I don’t exert anything and I’ll get good results, why do I even care at this point?
Because in BTS’ case, this may come back and bite them if this unhealthy milk cowing behaviour continues. Not only that, I can see the members will burn out, especially when it’s clear that many of them thrive under meritocracy. I already see Suga burning out. I’ve never seen him this thin. His cheeks are hollowed out and his eyes don’t give off a spark. It looks like he has lost his passion and that is the scariest part.
I really would rather they spend more time to create a more cohesive album because BTS has the talent and the potential to be even greater than they already are.
I’m going to be firm here. “Blood, Sweat & Tears” will always be superior to “Love Yourself: Tear”. HYYH will always be superior to “Love Yourself: Tear”. “Young Forever” is a song that deserves far more interest and hype than “Fake Love”. Any of the songs in HYYH deserves more attention and love than “Fake Love”. I feel the fake love in this new album. Don’t you?
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BTS “Fake Love” Teaser 1 Theory
Since I likely will be too busy close to BTS’ comeback period, I’m posting my initial thoughts of a theory for “Fake Love” and for the rest of the Love Yourself series. I’ve shared this on Twitter on my @ jubiemon account. It’s easier to type here on Tumblr.
1. Each member, besides Jungkook, has traded something (likely themselves) for “love”. 
In return, they only got “fake love”. This is why there are six empty clothes racks when Jungkook opens the door with his key. The other members are empty because they themselves have been “destroyed” figuratively. They lost themselves in love.
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2. The masked figure can be like the “Devil” or the storekeeper at H.G. Wells’ “Magic Shop”. 
The members are dealing with a figure that is giving them a trade. 
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Just like how the storekeeper at H.G. Wells’ says that the glass balls are free or how he never bills the dad and son for the gifts he gave them, there is still a price to pay. The relationship between the father and the son from the “Magic Shop” has changed upon visiting this store and accepting gifts from the storekeeper. Although the father realizes how important his son, Gip, is to him based on his fear that he’d lose his son when the storekeeper made his son disappear, the father is unable to clearly demonstrate his love for his son via a kiss. The father thinks to himself, “for a moment I was sorry I was his father and not his mother, and so couldn't suddenly there, coram publico, in our hansom, kiss [Gip]” (See here for the story.) The father also continues to dismiss the existence of magic, whereas Gip continues to believe in it. The father is overwhelmed by the harsh realities of paying a bill or sending a bill to the storekeeper for the gifts. The father’s distance to his son is apparent as he hovers behind the room to see what Gip is doing. In the end, the father-son relationship is no longer the same. 
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Similarly, what seems like a “free” gift from the masked person in the “Fake Love” teaser, is really not a free present. The members have traded away their identities in the name of love. After going through a painful process (aka Tear), the members will mature and realize that love comes from loving oneself.
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4. “Fake Love” is not necessarily a bad thing. 
We see that there is a phrase at the start of the MV.
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We’ve seen Gip’s father exchange his fear of losing his son for the identification of his affection for his son. However, could that really be a “positive attitude”? It’s hard to say given how the relationship between him and his son has changed. The phrase mentions “psychodramatic technique”. Psychodrama is where someone from the group acts out their internal conflicts on stage. (This is a brief analysis so I’m going to show a paragraph from Psychology Today explaining the concept of psychodrama.)
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Notice how it’s Jungkook who is the last one to step into this Magic Shop. Also notice how he has much brighter coloured clothes than the others. Seems to suggest that he’s going to be the lead protagonist or that he has not been “tainted” yet. 
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He is given a key, which symbolizes an access to another realm or some spiritual dimension. 
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It’s like in psychotherapy where a protagonist is picked; his issue is the key to “the main elements of the group”. The example this article gave was about a person coming into a dinner scene and complaining about how stressful their holiday dinner was and that during that particular dinner, the extended family had many arguments.
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 What I think will likely be the case of Jungkook’s role along with the members is that they will have a chance to play different roles. The original scenes would be reenacted and then Jungkook will realize what is wrong. I don’t think this will entirely play out like that, but I think this idea of having different endings based on the current scenes would happen. Jungkook would influence the members somehow and we’d get a different ending in this world.
In the end, “Fake Love” is not bad. It’s only a journey that the members have to go through to be able to mature and grow. It’s a journey to self-love. What might come through the psychodramatic experience are fear and pain, but in the end, there will be a positive experience, if viewed from the perspective of someone growing up. Inevitably, there will be change. 5. The whole “Love Yourself” series really is about understanding that love starts from loving yourself. 
Love does not mean compromise or a trade. Love means having balance between yourself and your significant other. Love is also broader than romantic love and is all encompassing. Love is not about losing yourself or sacrificing yourself to make someone love you or accept you. Love is about being comfortable with your own skin. You have to love yourself before you can love someone else.  
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Appearing before The Dramacourt: Suits (Korea) Episodes 3 and 4
***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read The Rules section first for our reviewing and rating system***
***Disclaimer***: This analysis based on Canadian law. This is also NOT LEGAL ADVICE for anyone and this drama is FICTIONAL.
Issues:
Whether Kang Seok’s tough love attitude actually helps.
Whether using the law to escape gangsters is believable.
Whether witness tampering is a thing.
Whether the meeting before the trial is legit.
Whether you can represent someone if a) they were your previous client and b) opposing counsel is your ex-girlfriend.
Whether the “trial scene” was accurate.
The Rule(s):
Yes.
Sure. If it’s an ideal world.
Yes. But it shouldn’t be.
Yes.
Not really.
Hells No!
Analysis:
RedRosette J: I really really really want to love this drama because a) Hyungsik and b) it’s Suits but it’s getting really really really hard to ignore all the inconsistencies and extra kdrama-ness.
Starting with that whole rooftop thing which was totally ridiculous and unbelievable because most rooftops in really tall buildings are not accessible to like 99.9% of the people in that building due to, well, obvious reasons. Then there was that whole Kang Seok’s ex-girlfriend story line which was totally ridiculous because a) what kind of lawyer has that much free time (she was rock climbing in the middle of a workday), b) she was late to a meeting (oh hells no) and c) she was just annoying. I didn’t really understand the point of her character. Was she the Scotty character who was meant to humanize Kang Seok? Because if that was the case, I didn’t really get that. Sorry.
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Seriously you can’t just walk up to rooftops
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I like the contrast of her red outfit to the blue buildings
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How do you have so much free time?
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No seriously. How?
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Are you Scotty?
Another one of my complaints is the SERIOUS lack of Da Ham-Kang Seok interaction unlike its US counterpart. I just wish we got a little more banter and flirting between the two. It’s just so much more fun if there was that whole “will they-wont they” thing going on like Harvey and Donna. I know, I know, this is a remake and its adapted from the original so that doesn’t mean that it has to be exactly like the original but come on it is super cute so why not? Speaking of Da Ham, one thing I don’t like is how Geon Woo interacts with her. Unlike with Mike Ross who acknowledges that Donna is way above his level even though she’s an assistant and he’s a “lawyer”, you sort of get a vibe that Da Ham doesn’t have the same sort of power that Donna does and as a result Geon Woo seems to be on a level higher than her (if that even makes sense).
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I wish she got more screen time
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Its cute but give us more!
We did see more of Ha Yeon (Jessica Pearson) in these episodes and while the actress is doing a great job, I just feel like the character is written with a lot less punch than Jessica Pearson. She doesn’t really stand out on her own as a character to me. Whereas when Jessica Pearson enters a scene, it’s like the other characters automatically diminish because of her presence and charisma. Ha Yeon seems to be lacking that “wow” factor for me.
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Her presence is just missing a little something…
The funniest stuff in this episode was the trying to get BeWhy as a client plot. While I appreciate the humour, I just wish that the show had tried with someone a little more realistic. We also got to see more of Geun-Sik being weird and trying to be cool which was funny but overall tbh it fell a bit flat to me.
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OMG those hats I can’t even
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OMG such a cutie
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BeWhy
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OMG the cringe is real
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More BeWhy
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When you successfully poach BeWhy
I realize I’m being overly critical because I’ve seen the original and because the law things bother me but the show is actually pretty good on its own if you haven’t seen the original.
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Pretty
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Awwwww
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When all your coworkers hate you but you still gotta go to work
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At least the going into the male/female bathrooms is a running gag in this remake too LOL
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Awkward client meetings like
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Sorry not feeling the chemistry 
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Ugh. Can we not make Jenny a thing in the remake too?
Issue 1: Whether Kang Seok’s tough love attitude actually helps.
RedRosette J: Geon Woo definitely needs someone like Kang Seok in his life for many reasons but mainly because he’s never had a real father figure in his life (that Cheol Soon guy was a terrible older male role model) and he definitely needs someone like Kang Seok to give it to him straight so that he hears the hard things he needs to hear. So while I do think that the tough love stuff helps for someone like Geon Woo who’s always been making the wrong decisions and who is always looking for a way out, I think it has to be done super carefully. If you push someone like Geon Woo too far, the result could turn out badly for him. I think that Kang Seok should be tough on him but not too much. As an aside, because we’ve been seeing so much tough love stuff, there’s been less of the bromancing going on (although I guess some would argue that that is partly bromance). Honestly for me, the bromance just isn’t there.
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Maybe tone down the yelling at the poor boy
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The fist bump is never gonna happen fam
Issue 2: Whether using the law to escape gangsters is believable.
RedRosette J: I’m sorry but this was completely ridiculous. It was wrong on so many levels. Firstly, there is no way that GANGSTERS with WEAPONS would stand there and let you blackmail them into signing a retainer agreement. Nor would they just stand there and let you destroy their marijuana and walk away unharmed. This was totally unrealistic. I see what the writers were trying to do: use the law to the advantage of rescuing Cheol Soon and getting the gangsters behind bars by blackmailing them into signing a retainer agreement to have the lawyer represent them, but this was perhaps not the best way to go. I mean yea sure if this was an ideal world and if gangsters could be stunned into compliance with your awesome wit and rhetoric rather than by weapons, I see this strategy working but in the real world they would 100% shoot you dead the minute you opened your mouth. Fam. They are GANGSTERS. NOT TODDLERS. It was a tad too cringey and unrealistic even for a kdrama.
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What kind of idiotic gangsters are you guys?
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When your boss catches you doing dodgy shit on your day off
Issue 3:  Whether witness tampering is a thing.
RedRosette J:  This is totally a thing and people for real do this in real life and its actually an offence punishable by law. So yea, don’t tamper with witnesses. Unless you want to go to jail.
Issue 4: Whether the meeting before the trial is legit.
RedRosette J: Yes this meeting was quite legit. Usually before going to trial, the parties meet to negotiate whatever issues they have. If they can’t decide on a settlement then the issue goes to trial. In some situations there are even mandatory mediation sessions that parties have to attend prior to trial. I’m not exactly sure whether this applies to this particular meeting but in Canada there are pre-trial conferences where parties meet (usually with a Judge presiding) to go over the final issues before the trial and to decide exactly what is getting litigated at trial. This meeting looks more like a negotiation at the initial stages, so yes its legit to that extent.
RedRosette J Aside: One thing that I really liked about these particular divorcing characters was that the viewers weren’t told that the wife was blind until after the end of the proceedings. I really liked this because it didn’t create any prejudice in the minds of the viewer against the wife during the proceedings. She did wear sunglasses throughout except during her meeting with Ha Yeon but nothing was overt about her blindness. I really liked that it was simply an accepted fact that all the characters treated as a status quo.  
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Issue 5: Whether you can represent someone if a) they were your previous client and b) opposing counsel is your ex-girlfriend.
RedRosette J: So I’m going to answer this in sections because this pissed me off so much because as I was watching these episodes I was reading the rules of professional conduct for lawyers for the bar exam.
A) In a situation where the opposing party is a former client of yours you cannot represent this particular client because it breaches your duty of confidentiality to your former client (according to our rules at least). There is something about how if that former client provides something in writing that you can represent the new client but I doubt that that would work in this situation. Honestly, this was a bit ridiculous because I’m pretty sure they have the same rules about confidentiality in Korea.
B) It is also not the best situation to have two lawyers who are ex-lovers to be on opposing sides of a proceeding because well, for obvious reasons. I don’t think that it’s a good business decision either because look how Kang Seok was affected by the woman. He was running around like a headless chicken trying to figure out what her end game was and honestly I don’t think he was making rational decisions. If I was Ha Yeon, I would have assigned someone else to that case.
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This is a strict No.
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Sorry not feeling it.
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Questionable morals guys
RedRosette J: Also what was with that awkward kiss? I’m sorry but those two had no chemistry. It was just awkward to watch. Also, I feel bad for this girl’s fiance because she legit slept with Kang Seok while she had a fiance. *shakes head*
Issue 6: Whether the “trial scene” was accurate.
RedRosette J: This was by far the worst scene of these two episodes. Yes it was a dream sequence but still OMG Hells NO! First, when the ex-girlfriend starts making her opening statement to the court, Kang Seok interrupts her and starts asking her questions. *Deep Breaths* OMG. No. You cannot interrupt opposing counsel during opening statements. Wait for your turn. If you did, in reality, the Judge would reprimand you (for being an ass). Second, he doesn’t let her finish and starts talking over her and launches into his own opening statement during which he makes no legal arguments whatsoever, which you cannot do because the whole point of a trial is to make legal arguments and to not talk about your feelings and sing Kumbaya. And thirdly, he starts walking around the court and TURNS HIS BACK TO THE JUDGES during his statement. OMFG DUDE WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?! YOU CANNOT TURN YOUR BACK ON THE JUDGES!!! In real life, even when you leave the courtroom you have to slightly bow your head first and walk away slowly without making a big show of turning your back to the judges. OMG this shit would not fly in real life . Its totally ridiculous and it wasn’t accurate at all!
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Don’t interrupt her dude
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Oh Hell No. 
Conclusion: Appeal Allowed.
Rating: 3 = MM. Okay. Fine. (Mostly because of how adorbs Hyungsik is)
  File No: Suits (Korea)-EPS-03-and-04 Appearing before The Dramacourt: Suits (Korea) Episodes 3 and 4 ***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read 
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Appearing before The Dramacourt: Suits (Korea) Episodes 1 and 2
***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read The Rules section first for our reviewing and rating system***
***Disclaimer***: This analysis based on Canadian law. This is also NOT LEGAL ADVICE for anyone and this drama is FICTIONAL.
Issues:
Whether the portrayal of Kang Seok and CEO Ha Yeon managing client expectations is accurate.
Whether interviewing for jobs at law firms are as shown.
Whether corporate lawyers can practice criminal law.
Whether you can get potential clients to sign retainer agreements while they are high out of their minds.
Whether you can blackmail your client into dropping his lawsuit against you.
Whether the bromance is legit.
Are Ji Na and Geon Woo the new Mike and Rachel?
The Rule(s):
Yes. Minus the whole lying to the client part.
Somewhat…
It depends…
No!
Hell No!
Ehhh….We’re not really feeling it
Not really….
Analysis:
RedRosette J: Hi guys! Sorry we’ve been AWOL for a while. We had to do some life things like finish Law School! (YAY!) And just as we graduate we get the opportunity to review Suits (Korea)! (*Cheer*) I have to start off by saying that I was a HUGE fan of the US original and I absolutely LOVED it at first. Then I went to Law School and all I could see was how badly written the law stuff was and I had to stop watching it for awhile (occupational hazard LOL). When I heard there was going to be a Kdrama version starring HYUNGSIK I was beyond sold on it! I am all about Hyungsik and his puppyness!
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RedRosette J: What really surprised me was how similar to the US version the first two episodes were. They were almost exactly alike but with a little bit of Kdrama jazz added to it. The cinematography, the script, the OST (right down to that quirky toast food truck) was very similar (out of curiosity I went and re-watched the US version pilot episode to compare). I wasn’t sure if I was going to be a fan of the remake because remakes usually faceplant and don’t end well, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised!
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#aesthetics
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Breaking the law like
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Dat sandwich tho
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Client meetings on the street like?
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This is what drowning in work looks like
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When your boss is weird af but you have to act normal and keep a straight face
RedRosette J: I am a huge Hyunsik fan and I think that he makes a good “Mike Ross” (Geon Woo) character. When Hyungsik is up with Jang Dong Gun though his acting can be a little underwhelming but I mean it’s not the end of the world. Hyungsik does manage to give us his sad puppy eyes which made my heart melt for poor Geon Woo.  Jang Dong Gun on the other hand is a pretty good Harvey Specter in his character Choi Kang Seok and I’m buying whatever he’s selling.
RedRosette J: I wish CEO Ha Yeon (Jessica Pearson in this alternate reality) had had more screen time because she seems to be written as a composed bad ass just like her US counterpart. From what little we saw, the actress is doing a good job living up to the role so far. I’m slightly disappointed in the Louis Litt character played by Choi Gwi Hwa because a little bit of Louis’s zany-ness is missing from the character Chae Geun Sik. Sure, he is still married to his dictaphone and talks to his pet goldfish but I wish it would have been a bit funnier. I also wish the remake stuck to the running joke about how Louis hates his ancient secretary Norma (LMAO!). I am also not that ecstatic about the Donna character equivalent Hong Da Ham because while the friendship with Kang Seok exists, its not on the same playful level as between Donna and Harvey. I also accept that certain things can get swept away or underplayed in remakes and that character relationships can change when cultural norms are imported into the new version.
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#pantsuitgoals
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THE DICTAPHONE
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Her fashion is on point
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Harvey-Donna vibes
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In every alternate reality Louis tries to poach Donna!
RedRosette J: As of now, I’m not a fan of the Rachel character Kim Ji Na. She came off too bitchy and mean and I feel like Go Sung Hee doesn’t have electric chemistry with Hyungsik which makes their banter fall a bit flat for me. The drama needs to work on the two of them. The drama however did stay true to the annoying Trevor and Jenny characters in Cheol Soon and Se Hee which I liked and I can’t wait too watch Geon Woo free himself of those toxic friendships.
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Kim Ji Na you need to redeem yourself like asap
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Oh look its the Trevor guy who ruins Geon Woo’s life
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Please do not make this a thing like in the US version
RedRosette J: This remake had big shoes to fill and for the most part I think it delivered.
Issue 1: Whether the portrayal of Kang Seok and CEO Ha Yeon managing client expectations is accurate.
RedRosette J: You do need to manage your client’s expectations just so that they don’t think that you can get them the sun and moon when they retain your services. While I do think that Ha Yeon and Kang Seok needed to talk to their (obnoxious) client so that he was clear about what their services entailed and what he could expect from them, I don’t think it was appropriate (AT ALL) for Kang Seok to lie to him about getting paid already and that the client should just do what they tell him to do. That’s not really how it works. Lying to the client is a big No-No and breaks like a zillion lawyer ethics and rules. To the drama’s credit though, this was addressed constantly throughout both episodes so kudos to that!
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When your client is an ass but you gotta be professional
Issue 2: Whether interviewing for jobs at law firms are as shown.
RedRosette J: I can’t really speak for what interviewing as an associate is like because I am technically still a student but for the most part that is what it is like. Everyone gets crowded into a big hall (typically at some shitty banquet hall or convention center) and there’s a lady at the desk who takes your name and then you wait to be called in and the waiting room is a giant stressball of candidates memorizing their perfectly crafted answers. It’s actually quite terrifying. Unfortunately, in real life, it’s nowhere near as nice as the fancy shmancy hotel the Kang & Ham interviews were held at LOL!
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Can you feel the stress? Because I can
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Who interviews people like this?
Issue 3: Whether corporate lawyers can practice criminal law.
RedRosette J: There’s a common misconception that having the title “Lawyer” means the person knows everything about “the law” and can practice in any type of law whenever they want. FALSE. Most lawyers work in highly specialized parts of the law and it is not recommended that you retain a lawyer who primarily works in one type of law to represent you in a case that is about a totally different type of law. Case in point: corporate lawyers are not experts in criminal law, so don’t get a corporate lawyer to defend you on a criminal case. It’s not that they can’t, it’s just that your interests will be better served by someone who has specialized knowledge in that area. That’s why there are criminal defense lawyers! I think it’s a bit silly that shows do this.
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Specialize in one thing peeps
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The worst that could happen is you could go to jail bro. It’s all good.
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Getting handed your first case like
Issue 4: Whether you can get potential clients to sign retainer agreements while they are high out of their minds.
RedRosette J: Ummm….NO!!!! This is so beyond unethical I can’t even. You cannot get a client to sign a retainer agreement (an agreement stating that they allow you to be their legal representative) while they are high out of their minds! A person entering into any agreement must have the mental capacity and be of sound mind to make a rational and well thought out decision as to whether to enter into the agreement or not. Someone who is as high as a kite on Molly or whatever Lee Yi Kyung’s character was taking was definitely not of sound mind and he was definitely not able to enter into the agreement rationally. On top of that, he was also coerced by the arrival of the cops and Kang Seok threatening him! Nope. No. No can do.
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Nope. Not ok. DO NOT SIGN THAT DUDE!
Issue 5: Whether you can blackmail your client into dropping his lawsuit against you.
RedRosette J: Yo no you cannot! Absolutely not. This violates a whole bunch of lawyer ethics, not to mention it is also breaking the law. So no. No matter how much of a pig your client is, you cannot blackmail them into dropping their lawsuit against you. You’d go to jail or be disbarred or both.
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Definitely not ok.
Issue 6: Whether the bromance is legit.
RedRosette J: Unfortunately……(don’t hate me) it fell a bit flat for me. I was expecting a fast talking, movie line quoting bromance like the original, but this one just didn’t quite get there for me. While both actors have merit, there’s just something missing between them that just doesn’t quite make the bromance super awesome and one that you want to root for. As of right now, the only relationship on the show I care about is the one of Geon Woo and his Grandma.
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This version of Harvey is a baseball fan!
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Sorry not feeling it
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Nope
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Still nothing
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Awww my poor heart can’t take it
Issue 7: Are Ji Na and Geon Woo the new Mike and Rachel?
RedRosette J: Again, this fell a bit flat to me because a) their first (real) meeting didn’t have the psazz like Mike and Rachel’s had, b) there was no indication of Geon Woo being totally smitten by Ji Na when they first meet (unlike Mike Ross who is instantly in total awe of Rachel) and c) they shouldn’t have tried to kdrama trope-fy the first meeting. Also idk whether it has to do with the whole kdrama love-hate trope but Ji Na carried that grudge about the rainwater splashing on her for far too long. Girl. Get over it. That shirt wasn’t even that nice. Also she was a bit too mean to him but what I did like about her was that when she realized that she had been wrong about him, she apologized without hesitation so she redeemed herself in my eyes a bit. The two also need more screen time for us to really get a sense of whether or not they are the new “Mike and Rachel”. But there is potential there and I’m not totally dismissing them at this point.
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This first meeting kind of didn’t work for me
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What is this weird vibe?
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At least she apologized
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Friends now?
Conclusion: Appeal Allowed.
Rating: 4 = I’ll Give You A Cookie (Mostly because they stuck very close to the original)
File No: Suits (Korea)-EPS-01-and-02 Appearing before The Dramacourt: Suits (Korea) Episodes 1 and 2 ***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read…
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We’re not a blog that is dedicated to reviewing music (including Kpop), but because we absolutely adore BTS and their music, we decided to do a memo-style review of J-Hope’s mixtape and the MV for “Daydream”.
***Note: If this is your first time browsing the Drama Files, please read The Rules on how our Memo-style reviews work.***
Memo
Dear Reader,
You asked me to answer these questions:
(1) What does the “Daydream” MV mean?
(2) What is this mixtape, “Hope World”, all about?
(3) How cohesive are all the songs?
Conclusion
(1) The “Daydream” MV explores the idea of daydreams and how they are similar to dreams. Moreover, it show J-Hope acknowledges that he hopes for certain things that he realizes are going to be daydreams, yet ironically, parts of his life seem like a daydream to most. Regardless of what happens, he’ll keep “daydreaming”.
(2) & (3) will be answered in another memo.
Analysis
Jubiemon J: I’ve been waiting for J-Hope’s mixtape to drop for a while and it was definitely more than I was expecting! I think the reason I was really waiting to listen to J-Hope’s mixtape is that I think the mixtape finally reveals more to J-Hope’s thoughts and perspective on life. To be frank, I find him to be one of the most mysterious members of BTS as he always has to take on the role of the sunshine, not that he isn’t. It’s just that no one is 100% on sunshine mode. I just had to do this memo after hearing his mixtape. I mean, when do you get a chance to pick at his brain?! And some people might only see him as a happy ball of sunshine, but I’d love for them to see that he’s more than that.
(1) The “Daydream” MV explores the idea of daydreams and how they are similar to dreams. Moreover, it show J-Hope acknowledges that he hopes for certain things that he realizes are going to be daydreams, yet ironically, parts of his life seem like a daydream to most. Regardless of what happens, he’ll keep “daydreaming”.
The intro of “Daydream” is very, very interesting, musically, visually, and lyrically. Musically, we hear claps and the tambourine sounds for the first five seconds of the song. Visually, we see J-Hope holding the “Hope World” sign, J-Hope being slapped, and J-Hope pointing his finger at “Daydream”. All these actions are done to the beat. If we think about it, we’re often told to snap out of our daydreams. Ironically, here, it seems like it’s a slap for J-Hope to potentially wake up to his dream world.
I’ve watched the MV a few times and I’ve realized that the ending is where J-Hope truly wakes up to reality. First, we have J-Hope sleeping and getting woken up to a dream via a slap. Then he progresses deeper into his dream where I feel like he is the Rabbit in “Alice in Wonderland”, guiding Alice (aka the viewers/the sleeping J-Hope in the real world) to his subconscious desires.
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Guide J-Hope here.
I’ll call this J-Hope “Guide J-Hope” who brings us J-Hope’s “mirages”, showcasing many different faces of J-Hope. In the end, Guide J-Hope whispers in sleeping J-Hope’s ear to wake up and the alarm starts going off.
Not surprisingly, we see him wake up disgruntled in his dream and he starts rapping about the reality of his life.
  Wanna cry in peace, I know Wanna party like crazy, I know Wanna be fluttered with love, I know Ye I know I know I know, Cause Me
Source: https://genius.com/J-hope-daydream-lyrics
These two parts form an interesting contrast/dynamic. The first verse talks about the truth of his life. It’s been said that J-Hope’s off-screen personality is the most different out of the members, so it’s no surprise that he’d rap this: “My character’s like half and half. Who knows?” His character is half and half; one part of him is “J-Hope” and the other is “Hoseok”. Then he goes on to acknowledge other parts of his life, but always ends them with the question “Who knows?” “Who knows?” can be taken in two ways: “Who actually knows about this?” and “I’m not really sure myself. Who really knows?” These two interpretations could work because really, the outside world wouldn’t really know about this and he, too, likely has questions about his own life. (Celebs have insecurities and worries too like non-celebs…) However, I think the first interpretation works better as you shall see from the second part.
The second part is where J-Hope lists his wishes. He ends each wish with “I know”. “Wanna cry in peace, I know” is something that as a celeb, he cannot do. When he cries in public, the whole world will somehow know. (There are tons of videos showing J-Hope crying and honestly who would really want to have the whole world watching you cry? Definitely not me.) “Wanna party like crazy, I know’ is another desire that he, as a celebrity, cannot fulfill, unless he wants to potentially risk his career. “Wanna be fluttered with love, I know” is yet another wish he has; we all know how tough it is for celebs to date. He knows all this because they are part of him.
The scene moves onto J-Hope being submerged under water with the fish. He makes an analogy that we’re “all caught like fish/in a net called ‘desire’ with thirst in life”. When fish are caught in a net, you see them striving to swim and go back to the sea. There’s “thirst” to live, while we’re thirsting for “desire”. We often start desiring and dreaming as a means of escaping the real world and it’s something that he admits “[e]ven [he] can’t swim out of it.”
Notice how when J-Hope is talking about psychological things, the MV has a neon pink tint and other colours are distorted to fit with this neon vibe. I wouldn’t be surprised if Big Hit had hired the same director(s) who directed the MV for BTS’ Japanese “Blood, Sweat & Tears” MV. I’m totally getting the same vibes and style.
Next, J-Hope goes on to say that even though he has these desires, it’s not like he hates his current life or that he’s refusing to be in reality, hence the “not, a reality refusal” and “discontent, misfitting ain’t none of that”. He goes on to reference a verse in Cypher 4: “I love ma rule, the work that I do with my bros” (Source: contributor from https://genius.com/13980189).
J-Hope starts to describe his “daydream” for the next few verses. The MV scene changes from J-Hope having a just woken up look in bed to a J-Hope being dressed very suavely and majestically. In fact, we see that he has been trapped in a box and the box opens up to a wider space. There’s the background of what looks like desert mountains in Nevada, USA. Then he uses some similes “like the hole Alice fell into” and “like the road that leads to Hogwarts” to set the tone for his daydreams. However, he’s a practical, realistic guy, so he realizes that these are only “mirages”. Like daydreams, mirages don’t last forever, and in daydreams are something that J-Hope can control. Those would be “exactly how [he] imagined” them to be.
(Side note: I just love how this aesthetic matches his lyrics. Mirages are known to be at deserts. Somehow I feel like this “mirage” reminds me of the song, “Sea”, where the sea is like the desert and the desert is like the sea.)  
This pre-chorus features J-Hope in a funky scene with cute shaped words behind him. It’s sort of like he’s in those comic book scenes. He’s not in the real world. He’s still in his daydream mode. He emphasizes that he is “wishing on a star” and “wishing on a scar”. I find “wishing on a scar” to be worth examining; it seems to suggest that he is hoping that the pain that he has gone through in the past will make his daydreams come true.
I like how he makes these statements through his lyrics: “If there’s the sun I’d want to dream/If there’s the moonlight I wouldn’t want to wake up”. Usually, when we refer to dreams, they happen during the nighttime, yet J-Hope specifically points out that he wants to dream when there’s the sun. Figuratively, the sun represents light, hope, warmth, birth, authority, and life. Plants generally need the sun to survive as well. The sun, in J-Hope’s world, gives him the energy to dream, and therefore, we see that it’s a “daydream”. Somehow dreams/daydreams will end; however, J-Hope underscores that “[i]f there’s the moonlight [he] wouldn’t want to wake up”. The moon goes through a waning/waxing cycle; that’s why we don’t see it every night. Moonlight is actually sunlight with a bit of earth light that is reflected from areas of the Moon’s surface where the Sun hits it. Similarly, the moonlight reminds him of the sunlight, bringing him back to his daydream days.
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I’d also point out that he has the words “Hope” in Korean and English in the background. Hope in English means “is a feeling or desire and expectation that things will go well in the future” (Source). That word goes back to what he said about how we’re caught in a net of “desire”; hope is filled with desire and expectation. In Korean, hope is 희망[Heuimang] and its Chinese characters are 希望.  希 generally has the meaning of being rare (Source). 望 has a meaning of looking afar, gazing into the distance, expect, head towards, etc (Source). When you put these two words together, the meaning of 希望, when interpreted more literally, is like looking afar at something that’s rare. Hope gives that feeling of low probability; we hope that something will happen. It doesn’t mean that thing will happen. We just desire that it will.
The chorus is pretty simple, but impactful.
My Daydream, Daydream (oh) Daydream, Daydream (oh) Daydream, Daydream (Ooh) (Last) Daydream, Daydream (Eeh)
He reminds us that these are just his daydreams and funnily, though he says they are his last, he’ll continue dreaming. The MV background again is of him in a cartoon environment. It’s a bit wacky, but since when were dreams/daydreams normal? In this particular scene, he’s holding onto a sign that says “Shit” and beside him are a box of “Lucky Charms” cereal and a pot of sunflowers. We’ve seen him say “Shit” when he has to snap out of the daydream during his rap, so this is yet another reminder that he realizes that his daydreams won’t last forever. We also know that this is still his daydream mode because of the cereal box and the flower pot. Lucky Charms cereal is about a leprechaun who is trying to find his pot of gold (aka lucky charms). In the commercial there are always kids chasing after the leprechaun/helping him to find the gold. In folklore, it is said that leprechauns store their gold at the end of the rainbow (Source). Leprechauns are known as tricksters so often they outsmart humans. At the end of the day, you have nothing but a mirage; you’re also searching for the impossible. Sunflower is reminiscent of the sun, which J-Hope has rapped previously that if there’s the sun, he’d dream. Sunflowers are associated with positivity and happiness (Source).
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We dive deeper into his daydream. Notice how Guide J-Hope is beside sleeping J-Hope and revealing to us the deeper/darker desires of J-Hope.
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Look at the airplane behind him!! It’s foreshadowing his other song, “Airplane” and ties to this whole theme of flying/dreaming. 
Look at how “crazy” his dreams start to become. The sunflowers are now in a vase, reminding us that this is his daydream. There’s also the wallpaper that’s in yellow that’s like the sun. His fashion is also not what we’d think as normal. He pairs what’s like a winter hat with some lighter clothing. He talks about getting drunk, yet he’s having a jug of milk, ketchup, lots of toast, and ham. His utensils are a fork and a spoon; we normally think that we should be using a fork and a knife together. Nope, not in this “crazy” daydream. He’s also in a retro land where the telephones are really old.
We see him play different personas. There’s a very romantic/Casanova Hobie in a pink blazer. We have the playful Hobie with the winter hat and shorts. We also later have a super cool Hobie with straight hair, doing a public service announcement. Let’s first take a look at the first two Hobies.
The very romantic Hobie is eating a formal, fancy meal with the right set of cutlery. He has all the luxuries you’d want; look at the champagne in the back, the Chaebol permed hair of his, steak, some roses, and tea. There’s also this painting: Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe by Édouard Manet. (It was originally called the Bath.)
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  All that classiness and then the shocking painting!
This painting features a nude female along with two clothed men. They are having a picnic in a rural setting.  (Personally, it’s one of my favourite paintings that I saw at the Musée d’Orsay! So beautiful in person.) The men are talking to one another, ignoring the nude woman. There’es also a woman who is dressed bathing down the stream. This painting caused a lot of public notoriety back in the day because of the depiction of the nude woman. The issue here was that this nude woman was not a goddess/nymph; she was a real woman who happened to be naked in public and in the painting, she doesn’t look ashamed at all for being nude. She is looking directly at the viewers (Source).
Moreover, the entire composition is said to have been borrowed from Raphael’s Judgement of Paris.  The Judgement of Paris is a myth involving Paris being the judge of who was the most beautiful goddess in the world. In the end, Paris chose Aphrodite who promised him Helen of Troy. This ultimately would lead to the downfall of Troy (Source).
Manet wanted to show contemporary life, where social boundaries were broken. The woman in the painting is said to represent a prostitute. Prostitutes were starting to play an important role at that time. Industrialization was beginning and social rank was starting to become interchangeable (Source).
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Look at the bottom right of that piece of work – mirrored composition here.
Though Manet’s painting was also rebellious for other reasons like his brush techniques, he did have allusions of classic art.  See here for more detail.
Here’s how I’d tie this painting back to J-Hope’s “Daydream” MV. His “daydreams” might seem crazy to the lot, but he hopes to point out that his life and our lives aren’t all that different. He daydreams like us. He wants to do things that we think are normal like getting drunk and partying or becoming a love expert. On the other hand, we might daydream about his “glorious” life. Haven’t we all wondered what it’d be like to be a celeb with all that fame, admiration, fancy clothes, i.e. the high life?
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More contrast here, in terms of colours, ideas, concepts, etc.
Here we see playful Hobie looking at this square box. He has a jacket hung up and there’s a picture of a monkey behind him. That monkey has been identified by a friend as a macaque of some kind (Bonnet macaque or rhesus macaque). Macaques are known to be super smart; if you give them a mirror, they’re recognize that it’s them in the reflection. Self-awareness is not common among animals. Here’s what my friend who is very knowledgeable in monkeys said: “David Attenborough wrote,“If you wanted to pick a monkey that was bright, adaptable, versatile, resilient, enterprising, tough and capable of surviving in extreme conditions and taking on all comers, the macaque would win hands down.” Lots of people see monkeys as inferior to humans. Putting a painting of a macaque behind J-Hope seems to suggest that though at first glance, this dream world of his seems not as smart, it’s actually very clever. Like a macaque, J-Hope exhibits all of those positive traits like adaptability and resilience. He’s a fighter deep down.
The orange jacket reminds me of what J-Hope has worn for Hwagae market. In his dream, he has stripped away his role as “J-Hope” and is his other half, Hoseok. That square box he is looking at reminds me of Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll. In that story, Alice finds a tiny door and manages to unlock it using a golden key. Unfortunately, she’s too tall to fit in the door, so she drinks this bottle that shrinks her to the right size. Going past the door marks the continuation of her crazy journey. Likewise, playful Hobie is wondering whether he should go down that “rabbit hole”.  He ends up deciding, “Let me give it a try.”
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Young Wild and Free indeed . . .
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Here comes Hoseok with his public service announcement. Here he screams out all his wishes and there’s again a sense of what might see as “craziness”. Furry slides with a bright pink suit? A tribal-like scarf? Mhm.. Look at that dark background too. This is his darker desires.
Then of course, he hopes for his career goals to sky rocket, which is his first priority. We all know that he along with BTS are workaholics. His career would hopefully allow him to have no worries about money. Then he dreams a bit deeper and further, into the realm of stars.
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When the dream gets too out of this world, where it starts to feel like world domination is his dream goal, Guide J-Hope is brought back to reality. The phone acts like that reminder that it’s time for sleeping Hoseok to wake up to the real world. In fact, “Arthur” calls him to tell him wake up.
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The name “Arthur” always makes me think of King Arthur. Why allude to King Arthur? We know King Arthur as the noble King who is supposed to be a great leader. However, Arthur’s real identity is still a mystery. There are so many different accounts about Arthur. This may be a stretch, but the reference to Arthur could mean two things: (1) He’s a reminder for Hoseok not to get too carried away with Hoseok’s desires because there is still J-Hope; or (2) He’s there to represent who J-Hope is, a mystery to us. We all know about J-Hope, but do we really know him? I personally think the former explanation fits better. Throughout the later half of the MV, we do see hints of a person, other than Hoseok/J-Hope.
Hoseok is starting to wake up from this deep sleep. We see him react to the sound of the alarm, yet he seems to have pressed snooze. The MV does begin to change the lighting to reflect that he’s waking up, such as that time where the lighting feels like the sun is just rising. Even the background goes from a bright pink to a blueish hue. Bright pink has a more youthful, energetic vibe. Bright pink is sensual and passionate (Source). Blue, on the other hand, represents serenity, calmness,  stability, depth, truth, wisdom, and conservative attitudes (Source). You can see how blue is more what we view as the world/reality.
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Guide J-Hope falling back from deep sleep slowly back to reality
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  Still in semi-sleep mode but he’s waking up slowly . . .
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Notice how J-Hope is starting to dress more normally here too? He lost his furry hat. He’s also starting to talk more materially (i.e. about his career goals). The big disco ball he is wearing is probably what he seems like to most people like his ego is way too inflated and his dreams are too idealistic. He’s reflecting all his ego/”odd” thinking to the world, but then to himself, he’s the one that’s hoping and seems to be bringing some light to this “dark” world. To still be accepted by this society, he tones down his dreams and keeps them to himself. That’s why he raps: “I’ll put it down for a minute/To match my mechanism, Stay/I’ll say that I’m getting some rest.”
Guide J-Hope still continues on with trying to dream. He’s diving deep and “all the swimming is for [him]”. Look at how Guide J-Hope is trying to bring back that dreaming feeling to the sleeping J-Hope (with the bright pink background in that room). Though Guide J-Hope seems trapped in this “box” as he has had to tone himself down due to society, he’s still trying to move forward with his ideals and break free.
Society, however, sees what Guide J-Hope is trying to do as “daydreams”. Society says “They dream. They dream. That’s a daydream.” In society’s eyes, J-Hope is playing house where he’s that plastic figurine with the airplane. On the other hand, in J-Hope sees himself as achieving his goals and therefore, he is sitting on top of the plane, conquering it. He’s able to bring “Arthur” who was calling him to wake up to his ideals.
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Guide J-Hope then takes a look at his watch and sees that it’s time for sleeping J-Hope to get up. J-Hope needs to wake from his sleep and to go out and achieve his dreams.
At the end of the day, I really think it’s a very interesting take on daydreams. J-Hope plays around with the idea of daydreams in many ways. One part is what he sees as daydreams are actually his secret dreams; to us, those “dreams” are attainable and probably mundane like drinking and having fun with friends. However, to J-Hope, those are literally daydreams–dreams that will never be fulfilled. There’s also the part where daydreams start looking like actual dreams too. To us, as well, we see J-Hope’s career goals as daydreams–something we’d dream of doing but it’d be too unrealistic to execute in practice. To J-Hope, on the other hand, those are not daydreams; they are attainable ones.
The MV, itself, too shows all these bizarre elements that purposely shock us. I can’t help but think about the painting that was shown in the MV: Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe. I get the sense that this song is supposed to generate a similar message as that painting had.
This post turned out far, far longer than I thought, so I’ll do another post looking at the whole album as a whole later.
Memo: J-Hope’s “Day-Dream” MV & His Mix-Tape “Hope World” Part 1 We’re not a blog that is dedicated to reviewing music (including Kpop), but because we…
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Appearing before The Dramacourt: Just Between Lovers Eps 15 and 16
***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read The Rules section first for our reviewing and rating system***
Issues:
Whether it was necessary for Kang Doo and Moon Soo to meet Sung Jae’s Mom.
Whether Moon Soo needs to stop running away when things get emotional and difficult.
Whether Moon Soo and Kang Doo changed.
Whether it was really necessary to put everyone through such emotional turmoil.
The Rule(s):
Yes. They all needed closure.
Yes!!!!
Yes. Or at least they started to.
NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT.
Analysis:
RedRosette J: Wow. Just wow. I think it took me like two days to recover from the emotional punches of watching these last two episodes. Seriously. Whatever said and done, you have to hand it to writers who can successfully make you cry from both sadness and happiness all in the span of about 5 minutes! While I wasn’t a huge fan of the whole “Kang Doo’s Liver” situation, I thought that the rest of the story was wrapped up very well.
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OMG he saved her!!!
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Realizing that he saved you…
I liked how Yoo Jin became the unlikely champion of the construction fiasco, which I did not see coming because she was written in as a typical 2D “bitchy second lead” but I feel like somewhere along the way she hit a turning point and decided to accept the choices she made and their repercussions and become better. I just wish that there had been more of a focus on her change rather than wasting more than half of the show showing her relentlessly go after Joo Won. She also made a really good friend in Kang Doo which was nice to see because becoming friends with the male lead is not something you see often in the Dramaverse.
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Construction Champion
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Making friends like…
Joo Won got lost for me towards the end of the show. I feel like he started off strong as a character and then after Moon Soo rejected his feelings, he sort of fell behind. He got caught up in his father’s issues and I felt like we never really got to see a real resolution of them. I’m not sure how I feel about his progression. At the end, even though the show wrapped up his relationship with Yoo Jin (which is a way more realistic outcome than having them end up together tbh), he seemed to fall into the same patterns. Sure, he ended up going off on his own to start an architecture business to work on stuff that he really cared about, but the introduction of the possible romantic interest in the Woodworking Girl should have been avoided. Has he learned nothing from engaging in workplace romances? Really?
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Dude, why did you dissolve as a character?
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Nope. He learned nothing.
I also thought Ma Ri and the Director had a good ending. Ma Ri was willing to give her liver to Kang Doo which means a lot. She genuinely thinks of him as her family and it was really nice to see that the characters’ bond had not waned. Director got a well needed demotion because he was the one who messed everything up in the first place (this is what happens when you seriously hate your job). In that sense, his wife serving him with divorce papers makes sense because their relationship was built on him having his Directorial position and money. I thought it was a bit funny how he ran straight to Ma Ri and announced that he’s getting divorced and for her to take responsibility *insert cute bickering*. I think they are good together and I also appreciate that Ma Ri didn’t accept him immediately because it stays true to her character.
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Yo at least pretend to have some swag
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Awww poor Ma Ri
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These two LOLS
The biggest secondary character who developed was Jae Young. Watching her go from this judgy, entitled little sister type to the sister who stepped up to help Kang Doo was really nice. I think it really takes a scare for someone to realize how precious someone else is and to learn to appreciate them more. I also really liked that she came to terms with what she really wanted with being a Doctor because she struggled with it at the beginning (her judgy attitude towards Grandma’s not-so-legal pharmacy).
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Receiving bad news like…
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You have a tough job girl…
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Seriously tough…
Sang Man is my absolute fave and he’s the one character who didn’t change throughout the show and he didn’t need to. He was solid in who he was and stayed true to it throughout. He loved Kang Doo like his brother and was willing to donate his liver to him. For Sang Man, it was about saving Kang Doo and he didn’t care about anything else. It made me so happy to even have Sang Man’s Mom accept Kang Doo as part of her family as her second son. I really liked that in the end even though Sang Man couldn’t give Kang Doo his liver, they were still a family.
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Explaining difficult things to your mom like…
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When you find out bad things are happening to your friend…
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Bros!
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Family vibes
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Welcome to the family Kang Doo!
Moon Soo’s Mom had a bit of a rushed revelation that she needed to change. I think the biggest turning point for her was when Moon Soo yelled at her and told her exactly how she feels. Moon Soo’s Dad also needed to recover by getting back to doing things he liked and by not wallowing. The two also really needed to get divorced. They were at the point where they didn’t even have words to say to each other and that’s really when you know that the relationship cannot be fixed. Sometimes, it’s better to go your own ways than to try to fix something that is beyond repair. Dad ended up going back to his old job and Mom went to rehab. It’s a realistic portrayal of a character’s struggle to move on and the slow steps that they take to get better.
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You two seriously need to call it quits!
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Aww Dad 
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Yes Mum you made he right choice
Issue 1: Whether it was necessary for Kang Doo and Moon Soo to meet Sung Jae’s Mom.
RedRosette J: I thought this was really necessary. Kang Doo, Moon Soo and Sung Jae’s Mom were all still stuck in the past and unable to move on from what happened to Sung Jae. They all needed to get their thoughts and feelings about Sung Jae out so that they could all move on with their lives. Kang Doo needed to tell Sung Jae’s Mom the message that he left with him before he died. Kang Doo finally delivering the message will ease his burden and fear of forgetting and feeling guilty that Sung Jae died. Moon Soo needed to tell Sung Jae’s Mom that he went to the mall because of her. It’s not a matter of whether or not she needs his mom’s forgiveness, but I think letting it all out will allow her to forgive herself eventually because she apologized to his mom. Sung Jae’s Mom needed to hear what these two had to say and have something concrete of her son’s (the cellphone) because I don’t think his body was recovered. She needed to know for sure to be able to let go. I think these scenes were very realistic. Things have to come out into the open if people are to forgive, move on or both.
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Guys stop this pointless non-fighting
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This all needs to come out
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She can finally make peace
Issue 2: Whether Moon Soo needs to stop running away when things get emotional and difficult.
RedRosette J: Moon Soo struggles with this throughout the drama and even at the end she’s still doing it. I think it’s a “old habits die hard” situation. She’s so used to shutting down and avoiding difficult conversations with her Mom that it happens with other people too. Instead of talking to Kang Doo directly about Sung Jae and the cellphone, she just shut down and then shut him out. She really needs to stop doing this and stop running away. It’s not a healthy way to build relationships with people.
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Moon Soo seriously stop this
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This is an unhealthy attitude girl
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How can you push him away??? 
Issue 3: Whether Moon Soo and Kang Doo changed. 
RedRosette J: So when we started watching the show, Kang Doo and Moon Soo were very broken characters who were nursing wounded hearts. I think that at the end of this drama, they are still nursing wounded hearts, but they are handling it in a much better way. I think being around each other healed them. Kang Doo learned that it was okay to want happiness and that he didn’t have to feel like he owed anyone or that he wasn’t deserving of his happiness. I think he needed to let go of his anger at the world and he did thanks to Moon Soo and Grandma. Moon Soo learned that she didn’t need to feel guilty for surviving and also that it wasn’t her fault that Sung Jae died in the accident. She needed to learn how to express herself when she was upset and angry and she needed someone to tell her when she was shutting herself off. She found that someone in Kang Doo and in that sense they really compliment each other well. This was a very well put together relationship and a realistic one at that because real people aren’t perfect and their relationships are reflective of their imperfections.
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I really didn’t get the point of this whole memorial thing
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Awww
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This was seriously so hard to watch
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Ooh la la 
RedRosette J Aside: I’m also super impressed with Moon Soo for openly stating that she wanted to have sex because she loved him and that she wanted him and that it was her choice and that he didn’t need to think about having to be responsible for her (which is such an archaic, sexist notion btw). She is modern woman who takes charge of her own sexuality and I applaud the show for writing Moon Soo as a real woman rather than these asexual beings who are acted upon. 
Issue 4: Whether it was really necessary to put everyone through such emotional turmoil.
RedRosette J: My one criticism about this drama (apart from the construction chaebol-ness) is about the “Kang Doo’s Liver” situation. WHAT. THE. HELL???? Where did this come from? It felt so disjointed and so pointless and like such a trope! And it was also super super unrealistic. There’s NO WAY IN HELL that you can get an organ transplant to happen so fast. People wait YEARS on the transplant list. Even if there was a miracle, it would have to have been timed correctly, i.e. Kang Doo would have had to have been on the list for years. This seemed like a ploy to just get the viewers to cry and create all this pointless angst. I didn’t really understand why they needed to take this route. Worst case, they could have just created some other plot development like idk some complication with his leg which actually makes sense and is more realistic! It felt like I was watching this amazing slice of life drama and all of a sudden I was thrown into a day time makjang drama! (I’m not even joking this exact same plot line is happening on the daytime drama Hate to Love You with Infinite’s Lee Sung Yeol involving multiple kidney transplants). I think that the writers could have done so much better!!! WHYYYY?????? If I had to try to rationalize it, I guess I could argue that they were trying to get at the idea that even in the most desolate of times, there is still hope and for people not to give up hope. I think that this idea would have translated better with a more realistic situation. This is after all a slice of life drama rather than a melodrama. At the end of the day, I’m a realist and this whole wishy-washy “believe in miracles” schtick didn’t really work for me. But, I’m glad it turned out to be a happy ending because I don’t think my heart would have survived had he actually died. I’m just upset about this plot line because the rest of the drama was mostly really good!
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Why are you doing this to him?
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When you’re sick but in serious denial about it
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I really hope it gets better for you both
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This plot line is so unrealistic peeps…
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When you literally escaped death but wish you had died because school sucks so much
RedRosette J Aside:  All in all, it was a very well written, acted and produced drama with an amazing OST and I have no regrets about following and reviewing it. Kang Doo and Moon Soo are officially my top fave couple to beat in 2018! 
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Conclusion: Appeal Allowed.
Rating: 5 = KYAH ❤ (This is for giving us all the feels and warm fuzzies and because of Junho! <3)
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Thank you for following Just Between Lovers with The Drama Files!
File No: Just-Between-Lovers-EPS-15-&-16 (Final) Appearing before The Dramacourt: Just Between Lovers Eps 15 and 16 ***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read 
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Appearing before The Dramacourt: You Always Haunt My Heart Eps 1 and 2
***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read The Rules section first for our reviewing and rating system***
Issues:
Whether it was reasonable for Kojiro Yoshizaki to criticize Ogawa Kyoko during a gokon
Whether it was reasonable for Kojiro to avoid Kyoko at first
Whether Ren is pretty messed up
The Rule(s):
Yes!
Definitely!
Yes. So messed up.
Analysis:
Jubiemon J: I came across this Japanese drama randomly and decided to give it a shot. I started from the second episode and was a bit annoyed by the female lead, Ogawa Kyoko, at first, but then someone mentioned in the comments that this drama had been adapted from a manga. I decided to read the first volume of the manga and was disturbed, but nevertheless intrigued. I decided to give this drama another go and luckily, it is just as interesting as the manga thanks to the decent actresses and actors (esp Mukai Osamu who plays Hoshina Ren here).
I think what’s really interesting about this drama is that you can’t really tell who the male lead is, in this case. Kyoko is still obviously attached to Ren, in a psychological sense, yet she also wants to break free from him, making her become attracted to Kojiro. Ren acts as her security blanket–the only one that was able to accept her flaws and see her in positive light back when she was all alone in university. It’s natural for her to still be drawn to that dependency. However, she has experienced a very negative and scary experience with Ren and after that, she has realized how important it is to break free from Ren.
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Look at that scary scene from the past . . . Kyoko lying there..
Truth be told, she probably sees through who Ren really is but still has a bit of trouble accepting it. Here we have her in this drama, struggling to follow her mind, which is telling her to move on and change into a stronger person, versus her heart, which is wanting her to stay the same and be glued to Ren.
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Kyoko believing in him . . . thinking that he’s an angel
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Ren: You don’t have anyone to talk to but me…
Usually I don’t give summaries about a drama, but in this case, I think it’s important to give some background to understand where Kyoko is coming from and why she acts in certain ways. (Of course, the drama doesn’t show Kyoko’s past so linearly, but I’m going to do that so it’s easier to follow along.) Kyoko has always had low self-esteem and self-confidence due to her stuttering and weaker social skills. It doesn’t help that her classmates in elementary school, high school, and college have all made fun of her. They switch one part of her name so that it turns into something that means being petrified/shocked. That name is like a dog tag and follows her around throughout her life; she’s pretty much branded and believes that she’s like that. It’s even worse that her mother is so negative towards her and favours her younger sister far more. Her mother sees no talent in Kyoko and is very ashamed of Kyoko’s stuttering. As a result, Kyoko has never felt loved or accepted and becomes very vulnerable to exploitation.
This exploitation comes from Ren who acts like the perfect Prince. He is everything you’d expect in a gentleman–kind, accepting, smart, gentle, and handsome. He is the only one that tells her that she can be herself and stay as herself. Because it’s the first time that anyone has said that to her, Kyoko feels very loved and secure. She becomes very dependent on Ren and goes to him whenever she has problems at home or at school. Ren teaches her how to be more comfortable with herself by wearing a braided scarf. Before, Kyoko would wear braids and braid her hair to feel secure. After Ren’s teaching, she begins to wear braided scarves. (This is also a symbol of her dependency towards Ren. It’s sort of like how her heart is knotted and she can’t get out of this entanglement. To Ren, her braided scarf is like a dog leash. It means that he is hers.)
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Ren braiding that scarf to replace her braids
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Ren: You just have to stay as is.
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Ren: Stay how you are.
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Kyoko: Stay as is?
One day, Ren is crying in a classroom and Kyoko asks if there’s anything that she could do for him. Ren tells her to live only for him and she agrees. The next scene we see is Kyoko on the ground with her long hair cut by Ren’s scissors. Ren is on top of her and probably has tried to kill her. (Severe trigger warning (Do not read this part if you feel uncomfortable with disturbing sexual content: In the drama, we see that Kyoko once performed a strip show to comfort Ren’s guy friend. In the manga, however, this part is darker. Instead of a strip show, Kyoko slept with the guy friend/classmate. Ren tried to test Kyoko’s loyalty by asking her to sleep with guy friend of his. If she did, then Ren would break up with his many girlfriends and only give his attention to Kyoko. Kyoko didn’t want to at first, but then Ren pointed to her that she had agreed that she’d do anything for Ren. Kyoko naively slept with the guy friend of his in a classroom while Ren waited outside. When she and the guy finished, you could see that her underwear had been stained red, meaning that she gave her virginity to that stranger. She then told Ren that she listened to him, which would mean that he’d only date her. Ren pushed her away, saying that she was filthy and gross. He said that she was like a whore and would open her legs up for anyone. Then he left her crying in that classroom.)
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Ren: You said you’d do anything for me right?
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Kyoko: I did . . .
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Ren: Then let me see your genuineness. If you do then I’ll break up with all the other girls and only be with you.
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Kyoko: . . .
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Kyoko: Really? You’d do that?
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Outside of this university club and inside are men waiting for Kyoko to strip…
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Naive girl listens to Ren
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Takes off her clothes
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Noooo, Kyoko! Don’t do it. Don’t do it.
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Loses her soul here . . .
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Stop girl . . . seriously broke my heart seeing her do this.
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😥 😥 
(Trigger warning: Ren, in the manga, is shown to have been abused by a parent who would strangle him until he peed his pants. The abuse likely caused him to have this messed up personality.)
After that event where Ren tried to kill her, the two separated and Kyoko now is working at a lingerie store. She is in charge of determining the fabric for the lingerie and works with designers. She goes on a gokon where she meets Kojiro, who is an editor for a mangaka. Kojiro is the opposite of Ren. Kojiro is very blunt, honest, and good hearted. Unlike Ren who seems like a perfect prince at first glance, Kojiro gives off an intimidating vibe that makes him seem mean/unapproachable. Ironically, Kojiro has a very kind heart, which Kyoko sees and becomes attracted to. Just when Kyoko thinks that she is finally moving on, however, Ren comes back into her life . . . as one of her managers.
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Look at the bright and happy Kojiro!!
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Calling her to thank her about writing her thoughts about the manga he’s editing
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Look at how happy she is being with Kojiro!
I’d say that this drama is not for the lighthearted and is not the typical rom com with all that fluff. This drama carries a lot of dark emotions and deep, psychological subjects. It’s that type of drama where you think is really . . . off-putting at some points, but then you can’t help but keep watching it. You want to know whether Kyoko will change. That’s what’s making me watch it.
Actually, Kojiro and Kyoko are more similar than at first glance. Kojiro also likes to say “a person like me” and feels inferior to this woman who he seems to like/have some attachment to. He keeps avoiding this woman’s texts and calls like how Kyoko is avoiding Ren’s constant unknown number calls. I think they’re both trying to move on with their lives, but some other figures are pulling them back. I hope Kyoko and Kojiro will mature together.
  Issue 1: Whether it was reasonable for Kojiro Yoshizaki to criticize Ogawa Kyoko during a gokon
Jubiemon J: Yes! It was totally reasonable for him to criticize Kyoko. Kyoko needed someone harsh to tell her that she was being stagnant and somewhat arrogant for thinking that she could just stay the way she was and expect anyone to love her. Kyoko made this huge outburst (she often does b/c she’s not very good at communicating and hence bottles up her thoughts for too long until she can’t contain them) during the gokon. She was trying to clarify to the people at the table that she wasn’t in love with Ren. Ren was the one that caused her to be unable to be in normal relationships and that anyone that could accept her flaws would be good enough for a normal romance. Kojiro gave her more perspective by challenging what she said.
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Changing her order to please her friend
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Judging her weak behaviour…
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Bursting out with some explanation about how anyone will do
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Criticizing her
Kojiro points out that she’s a pushover. Though she wanted tequila, she ended up with the Chicago after her friend told her that she should order that. She also loves her job, yet she ended up agreeing with one of the guys at the table that she’d rather be a housewife, for the sake of being scared of voicing her opinion. However, Kojiro does end his speech with a “just kidding”, to make the atmosphere not so awkward. We all know that he’s being serious though. He finishes his speech by saying that he said all those things because that was what the book that she had said to do. (A self-help book that was supposed to help her improve her communication skills fell out of her purse during the dinner.) The book happens to be one that the publishing company that Kojiro works at published.
Overall, I think Kojiro is a good influence on Kyoko and I’m excited to see their relationship develop more.
Issue 2: Whether it was reasonable for Kojiro to avoid Kyoko at first
Jubiemon J: Definitely! After Kojiro scolded her at the gokon, she ended up confessing to him. She barely even knows the guy! Plus, she was asking him for his address while clinging onto him. That was pretty freaky.
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Kyoko confessing that she wants to be like him who is able to order Oolong tea.
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She wants to exchange emails.
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She says no, I want your address. I like you. Please date me.
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Kojiro running off – basic instincts. Fight or flight.
I’m glad that he didn’t immediately accept her because I think in the real world, you wouldn’t do that unless you’re really interested in just sleeping with her. He can sense that there’s something off about her, so it’d be best to run away and try not to see her again. I’m also glad that he didn’t accept her because that way it’d push Kyoko to try to improve herself so that he will not be scared of her. If he had, it’d be a repeat of Kyoko x Ren.
Issue 3: Whether Ren is pretty messed up
Jubiemon J: Ren is totally messed up. His traumatic childhood has led him to become a manipulative, insecure mastermind. We see in ep 2 that he was abused as a kid where his dad would threaten to stab him. Subsequently, he acts that out in real life when he’s “trying” to protect this female co-worker from this ex-lover of hers. He is happy when he sees people at their worst, whether it be in fear, upset, or frustration. Ren honestly preys on the weak and needs to have control over everything, from his work to his personal relationships.
The main reason for this need for control is, again, from his childhood. He didn’t have any control; like I said, in the manga, he was choked until he peed his own pants. It’s only when he has control does he feel secure; it’s sort of like how Kyoko needs that braided scarf to calm her down and ground her. Instead of a scarf to chain him, Ren needs to chain others/situations.
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Kyoko: I never said that I’d go meet you tonight . . .
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Ren: You never forgot about me right?
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Kyoko: I’ve forgotten about you.
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Ren: Then what’s that scarf? 
Moreover, his childhood has made him insecure, in the sense that he doesn’t believe that anyone will actually fully love and accept him. That’s likely why he made Kyoko do something so extreme like strip in front of a crowd or in the manga, sleep with his guy friend. He wants to test her boundaries, yet when she does agree to his request, he can’t stand that she is “tainted” and is also afraid that someone will completely accept him. If someone does wholeheartedly love him, then he’d likely fall for her. If that’s the case, then he’d lose control over the situation; his feelings won’t be in control. He can’t stand that.
He can’t take losing control and that’s also why he keeps stressing to Kyoko that she doesn’t need to change. She just needs to remain as is. It’s like that classic story of someone caging a golden bird, not allowing the bird to fly free. Thus, when Kyoko is looking to improve herself, Ren keeps putting her down and creating situations where Kyoko will “have to” rely on him. We’ve seen how he purposely put her to work with a challenging designer because he knows that Kyoko wouldn’t be able to take the designer’s constant backlash. She’d have to rely on him. She surprises him by succeeding and though he does praise her, he later creates a situation where Kyoko is vulnerable again.
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Ren: People never change.
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Kyoko crying . . .
Props to Mukai Osamu for taking on this challenging role as Ren. I didn’t think Mukai Osamu did great as George in the movie adaption of Paradise Kiss, but in this drama, wow . . . he really has outdone himself! I’m talking about his micro expressions and subtle actions that totally show Ren’s darker side. Watch his eyes and his sly smile when you watch this drama. You’ll totally get the creeps and Muaki Osamu is really like the Ren in the manga.
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Look at that creepy stare.
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King of sinister smiles
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Scary look again
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The real Ren in action
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Disgusting friend . . . he’s terrible (even worse in the manga)
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Friend’s comment about Ren’s nose job makes Ren super mad. (Friend said he should get a nose job himself to become as popular as Ren with the ladies. This also implies Ren’s nose was broken due to abuse.)
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Seriously . . . a very evil, enraged stare. This is the real Ren, people.
Props to Yoshioka Riho for doing her best as Kyoko. Though she’s not 100% like the Kyoko in the manga, she still does a great job with portraying awkwardness. She has also been good at being someone with low self-confidence; you see her with her back always slouched and head down.
Conclusion: Appeal Allowed.
Rating: 5 = KYAH!! (I know this drama has dark/potentially disturbing content that’s not for the faint-hearted, but I think the way the cast has dealt with the characters and the way that the drama has tried to be true to the manga have been great. This drama just keeps you wondering what’s going to happen next and whether Kyoko will really escape Ren.)
File No: You-Always-Haunt-My-Heart-Eps-1-&-2 Appearing before The Dramacourt: You Always Haunt My Heart Eps 1 and 2 ***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read 
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Appearing before The Dramacourt: Just Between Lovers Eps 13 and 14
***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read The Rules section first for our reviewing and rating system***
Issues:
Whether Moon Soo’s Mom’s and Dad playing the blame game is unhealthy.
Whether Yoo Jin forcing her feelings on Joo Won is acceptable.
Whether the issues with Kang Doo’s health are necessary.
Whether this drama highlights a fear of being forgotten.
The Rule(s):
Absolutely not!
NO! I really don’t understand the dynamic between these two.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO HIM?!?!?!?!
Yes.
Analysis:
RedRosette J:  After the barrage of emotions last week, did anyone else feel like this week was a bit filler? After the depth of last week’s episodes, tbh these episodes fell a bit flat for me. It felt like they needed to gain ground on the construction issues because those took a back seat in the past few episodes and so we got a bit of cute splashed here and there among the endless constructions problems which no one really cares about. But on the plus(ish) side, we finally got an ‘I Love You’ but poor Kang Doo saying it desperately over and over again just broke my heart!
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Seriously no one cares
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Cuties
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Damn straight!
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Getting a free lunch like…
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It’s all about the lipstick
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I can’t get over how cute they are!
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Awww
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Shutting assholes down like…
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The scooby gang
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BOO!
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Swingset dates
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Girl talk like
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Adorbs
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It’s so beautiful yet so sad…
While these episodes felt filler, there were some important/interesting plot/character developments. First, the issue with Sung Jae Oppa that the show has been dancing around was addressed. Kang Doo and Moon Soo’s relationship is finally at the point where Kang Doo feels like he can let her in about the voice he hears and we finally see what happened to him with Sung Jae Oppa. The boy died in front of him and he was trapped there for days with his body! This reinforces my previous belief of how strong Kang Doo is. I can’t even imagine how horrifying that is. It’s unsurprising that his brain created Sung Jae Oppa’s voice as a coping mechanism. Kang Doo blames himself for getting out alive while Sung Jae Oppa died, but I think hearing Moon Soo’s connection to him put things into perspective for him. In a way, sharing survivor’s guilt with Moon Soo (who blames herself for Sung Jae Oppa’s death as well) may help to ease his burden a bit because there is someone else who remembers him now.
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What really went down
There was also some insight into Joo Won’s (I finally looked up CEO Guy’s name) relationship with Yoo Jin (Kang Han Na’s character). We already know what drove them apart and we finally learn how they met. Tbh, I don’t really understand how to read them. I don’t understand where the characters are headed in their relationship and everything about them is a mess. I have a feeling that the drama is going to wrap up Joo Won’s feelings for Moon Soo and maybe have him end up with Yoo Jin. I think he’s drawn to the parts of Moon Soo that resemble Yoo Jin. He says so himself in his confession to Kang Doo about why he likes Moon Soo; he likes that she shares a similar view point to him, which is what Yoo Jin had initially. Kang Doo on the other hand, says he just likes Moon Soo without a reason. This, to me, is a much better reason for liking someone. Kang Doo says he looks forward to tomorrow because he gets to see her. In my opinion, that is so much more beautiful than simply sharing similar views on work.
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Campus sweethearts
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Sang Man’s attack hugs!
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Rooftop confessions 
We also got an interesting ‘what if’ scenario. These characters are all stuck in the past and living with regrets so they really need to let go of what could have happened had they not been in the accident and move on with their lives. For that, they need to accept themselves as they are now and I think Kang Doo is getting there. He realizes now that he deserves to be happy and that he’s going to do it with Moon Soo and that he would be just as happy with her if he been a soccer player had the accident had not happened. We see that even in their ‘what if’ fantasy, Moon Soo’s unwavering faith in Kang Doo remains as she doesn’t finish watching his game, believing in him enough to know that he’ll win.
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The big What If
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At least you two have no drama in a what if scenario
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Sure what could have been may be great, but reality is better!
On another note, Ma Ri is in for a lot of heartbreak because as much as she claims she’s only into the Director for the money, she’s not. Honey, you aren’t fooling anyone except yourself. We also see that the Director has become a slightly better person as he comes off less mean than he initially did. We also find out that he was a guy with dreams and ambitions and that he wasn’t always so nasty. Unfortunately for him (and Ma Ri) life can be cruel and dreams don’t always work out. Poor Ma Ri did get a taste of reality when the wife came looking for her but she handled it so well. I’m on the fence about whether or not the Director is going to leave his wife for Ma Ri because the way things are going in this drama, the air of realism is far too strong to have a nice happy ending all tied up in a bow. *sigh*
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That sunset though
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Dude you seriously need to be better
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This just looks painful
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The “You-Hurt-My-Sister-You-Die” Speech
Issue 1: Whether Moon Soo’s Mom’s and Dad playing the blame game is unhealthy.
RedRosette J: I’m trying to understand Moon Soo’s Mom so much and I get that she’s hurting. I really do. But watching her lash out at everyone is too much. My heart breaks for poor Moon Soo who finally said out loud what we’ve all been thinking: that her Mom would have preferred that it was Yeon Soo who lived. I don’t think her Mom meant it in that way and I don’t think that she realized that what she was doing was having such an impact on Moon Soo but it has. Her Mom’s attitude explains a lot about Moon Soo’s own character and how she’s spent the last 10 or so years since the accident walking on eggshells around her mother. Same goes for her Dad. He walked out when it got too difficult to be around her mother and Moon Soo had to stay to pick up the pieces. Which is why she finally runs to Dad to deal with her mother when there’s nothing she can do anymore. I really don’t think that what these parents are doing to Moon Soo is right at all. Sure, they lost a child, but what about the one that survived such a horrific ordeal? She’s not okay even a little bit. Playing the blame game doesn’t really help anyone and I really hope they can finally let Yeon Soo go and heal.
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It hurts
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But this is not helping
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Stop being so mean to Moon Soo!
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Dad you need to step up!
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This poor girl
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At least she has Kang Doo
Issue 2: Whether Yoo Jin forcing her feelings on Joo Won is acceptable.
RedRosette J: Okay correct me if I’m wrong but Yoo Jin dumped Joo Won to save the company after the accident right? So where does she get off waltzing back into his life and wanting him back? I really don’t understand this mentality. She broke it off and now she wants to act like nothing happened and just carry on seeing him? I don’t think that she realized the implications of her actions at the time. I don’t think that she has any right to force her feelings on to Joo Won, but at the same time, if Joo Won has no intention of taking her back, he needs to make things clearer and set boundaries. He is also being super wishy washy and not telling her straight up that they are so beyond done. The pity/breakup/goodbye sex doesn’t help and just makes matters worse. Unless you’d consider that clear evidence of a boundary and a final goodbye. Idk, these two are so complicated my head hurts trying to analyze them. I also feel like they are in their own separate drama and their problems are so far removed from the day-to-day problems that people like Kang Doo and Moon Soo have. Which, to play devil’s advocate, might be a way that the show tries to juxtapose the “slice of life” aspect between regular people and chaebols, but now I think I’m grasping at straws to rationalize the pointless chaebol drama…
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Dude its a free country
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You guys need to have a serious discussion and stop playing games
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When you realize you messed up
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But your self destructive tendencies take over
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And it only get’s worse
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I honestly don’t know what to make of the two of you
Issue 3: Whether the issues with Kang Doo’s health are necessary.
RedRosette J: I’m sorry but it’s now starting to become a “let’s use every sadness inducing trope in kdramas to get viewers to cry” situation. Why are you doing this to us poor viewers, writers? We are so invested in this drama! I really don’t understand why they had to give him yet another health issue. In my opinion, it would have been much better to focus on his character development and have him actively work towards overcoming his mental health issues rather than give him a potentially life threatening liver problem. I really don’t get it. This just seems like a pointless reason to get the characters and us to cry. Just because it’s sad doesn’t mean that it makes sense in the greater plot. Either that or I’m just super upset about Kang Doo potentially dying because I freakin hate sad endings and I did not sign up to watch this show for a sad ending!
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STOP. DOING. THIS. TO. HIM.
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Girl you better figure out a way to cure your brother!
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Look at all that blood!
RedRosette J Aside: Also, how cute was Ma Ri feeding Kang Doo cold medicine? It’s such an older sister-little brother vibe. I love it!
Issue 4: Whether this drama highlights a fear of being forgotten.
RedRosette J: I’ve mentioned before that I love the sound bites of life quotes in this drama. This week, the one that stood out to me was the idea of being forgotten or forgetting. Moon Soo mentions to her co-worker that she fears forgetting and later Kang Doo mentions to Moon Soo that he worries about forgetting someone too. We also see Sung Jae Oppa’s Mom refer to him as if he is still alive. Even the obsession with getting the memorial done correct reflects the characters’ fears of forgetting. I think we all live with the fear of being forgotten and forgetting and I think these characters who live with survivor’s guilt believe that forgetting means a disservice to those who died. I don’t think that moving on with your life is necessarily a bad thing. While you honour those who have passed on, those who live must still live on. I think the drama highlights an interesting contention between moving on with your life and the fear of forgetting.
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Conclusion: Appeal Allowed.
Rating: 3 = MM. Okay. Fine. (Mostly I’m just being petty about the whole Kang Doo’s liver issues situation!)
File No: Just-Between-Lovers-EPS-13-&-14 Appearing before The Dramacourt: Just Between Lovers Eps 13 and 14 ***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read 
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Appearing before The Dramacourt: Just Between Lovers Eps 11 and 12
***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read The Rules section first for our reviewing and rating system***
Issues:
Whether Ma Ri’s story is compelling.
Whether Kang Doo’s strength is admirable.
Whether Kang Doo’s condition is more serious than we initially thought.
Whether Kang Doo set the “boyfriend” bar very high.
The Rule(s):
Very much.
Totally.
It seems like it is.
Very, very high.
Analysis:
RedRosette J: So as predicted, this week was an emotional punching bag. Going from extreme sadness in one episode to extreme happiness in the next. Episode 11 was extremely difficult to watch. At least for me it was. I had to pause it several times to take a breath and wipe away tears. Junho was amazing as the heartbroken Kang Doo saying goodbye to Grandma. It felt so real, so raw and the hurt was everywhere. I can’t think of anyone watching this who wouldn’t want to hug and console Kang Doo. Junho was so awesome that you didn’t need subtitles to understand Kang Doo’s pain (I was impatient so I watched it RAW). 5 stars to Junho!
Again, in these episodes the construction drama took a backseat as episode 11 dealt with Grandma’s death and immediate aftermath and showed our beloved characters mourning the death of their friend. Episode 12 switched gears as Kang Doo finally made the choice to be happy and live his life like Grandma wanted with Moon Soo. *insert endless cuteness*
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OMG how sad is this?
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Nooooo Grandma!!!!
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*sobs*
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Poor Kang Doo
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Even in grief, things have to get done
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BOO!
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A very Grandma-like wake
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All he needs is a hug honestly
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Making deals on Grandma’s behalf like…
Throughout episode 11, Kang Doo struggles to reconcile his current way of life with what he wants for his life, all the while mourning Grandma’s death. Moon Soo gives him the space he needs to mourn Grandma, but all the while lingering in his vicinity to let him know that she’s there and that she’s not going anywhere. She’s honestly one of the better written female leads in a kdrama. She knows how he feels about her despite his attempts to push her away and even though it hurts, she knows not to take it seriously. Like when he uses Kang Han Na’s character to upset her, she knows he’s doing it to upset her. Moon Soo, too, intentionally flusters him by getting all up in his face because she knows the effect that she has on him and that he can’t keep pushing her away for much longer. Anyone looking at Kang Doo’s face can tell that he’s literally using all his resolve to stay away from her.
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She knows how flustered he’s going to get LOL
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Smart girl Moon Soo
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Everyone knows he was trying to make her jealous 
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This is literally the one time she didn’t look like a total psycho
I also appreciated that Moon Soo’s circumstances at her work reflected a very real problem that women face in the workplace. If there is a situation where there may be a romantic entanglement in the workplace, it inevitably comes back onto the woman. The CEO having a crush on her ended up being more difficult for her because her co-workers started blaming her for getting assignments because she was having a fling with the boss. I love that Moon Soo stood up for her self when the Team Leader was passive-aggressively dropping hints that she seduced the Boss for her benefit. This type of work place harassment is not okay and good on Moon Soo for shutting that down! I just wish that the CEO guy could get his shit together and be a better boss and avoiding putting his employees in situations like this.
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Setting things straight
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Shutting down passive aggressive co-workers like…
The Director also got a good (and well deserved) kick in the ass when Ma Ri (I had to look up Noona’s name) shut his horrible attitude towards people down. I’m sorry but he needs to learn to respect people. Just because he’s the director of a large corporation doesn’t mean that he gets to stomp around and be mean to everyone. Him being an ass about Grandma was more than Ma Ri could take. Her shutting him down had a much bigger impact on him than Kang Han Na’s character saying the same to him earlier on in the episode. Regardless of who you are, the dead should be respected.
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Nah fam….that’s not right
One thing that really resonated with me was when Kang Doo brings Sang Man with him when he goes off to pay the last of his debt. This gesture that means so much. Sang Man is essentially Kang Doo’s best friend and bringing Sang Man along to his most triumphant moment is a celebration (which probably explains the suit) and I totally understand wanting to do it with the person who’s seen you struggle through it all. And for Kang Doo that is definitely Sang Man. In more ways, Sang Man has been a constant in Kang Doo’s life with his unwavering, nonjudgmental friendship and I completely understand Kang Doo being grateful for it. Good and true friends are hard to come by and Kang Doo got really lucky with Sang Man.
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#swag
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Eating with your bestie is the best thing ever!
Issue 1: Whether Ma Ri’s story is compelling.
RedRosette J: Ma Ri’s (Noona) story is very compelling. Tbh, I didn’t expect them to go this route with her story of how she met Kang Doo, but I like that they did because it raises interesting views about both her and Kang Doo. Domestic abuse is a horrifying reality for some women and the fact that bystanders judge and don’t intervene as it is happening is even more horrifying. The fact that Kang Doo tried to save Ma Ri from this horrible situation is why she has so much respect for him and why they are so close. I also love that Ma Ri is able to laugh about it now because it shows how far she’s come and how strong she’s become. She’s now this powerful woman who essentially controls rich men and is never going to let any man control her again. Her past experiences also explain why she’s so hesitant to date someone now. It provides more context for her previous conversations with Grandma about dating someone. I admire what Ma Ri has managed to build for herself even though the rest of society continues to judge her for it. This drama is excellent at showing us character growth and depth.
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Hearing truths like…
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This is horrible
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Seriously awful
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Kang Doo to the rescue!
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Bravest boy ever!
Issue 2: Whether Kang Doo’s strength is admirable.
RedRosette J: I think that Kang Doo’s strength and character actually makes him much more impressive than CEO Boss in so many ways. Not only has he survived such a traumatic experience and come out of it (mostly) well, he is also someone who goes out of his way to help and be there for the people he cares about. He gives his everything to the people he cares about. The fact that little Kang Doo intervened to save Ma Ri from her abusive ex-boyfriend speaks volumes about his character which sets him apart from the average person. He stands up for what is right and never lets his “disability” with his leg overcome him. With Grandma he fought to the very end to help her live and with Moon Soo, now, he’s trying to do everything he can to make her happy. That is really admirable. He’s selfless in a way that is so simple and he makes it seem so effortless. This kind of inner strength is really admirable and I think he’s the better man!
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This hurt to watch
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I was crying right there with him
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It gets better Kang Doo…
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Time heals all wounds
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Finally rescued
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When you finally pay off your debts
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When the roles are reversed
Issue 3: Whether Kang Doo’s condition is more serious than we initially thought.
RedRosette J: I’m still really hoping that Jae Young discovers that those pills are vitamins and not actually painkillers! We discovered that the other guy had actually been dead for days next to Kang Doo in the building collapse. We don’t know whether he died after having the conversation with Kang Doo or whether Kang Doo imagined the whole thing. What we do know is that it had a profound impact on him to he point where he has hallucinations of this guy in his life now. I’m hoping that Kang Doo realizing that there was nothing he could do to save the guy will help him overcome the guilt that he lives with. Either that or the poor boy needs some real therapy. I really hope that the drama doesn’t go all gloom and doom and do something drastic like give Kang Doo a terminal illness or kill him off (DO NOT DO THAT. DO YOU HEAR ME? DO NOT!!) but at this point, things aren’t looking so bright on the health front for Kang Doo.
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Get her those pills Moon Soo!
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Hawwwt!!! ❤
Issue 4: Whether Kang Doo set the “boyfriend” bar very high.
RedRosette J: My favourite, favourite moment of this entire drama is when Kang Doo grabs onto Moon Soo’s hand and tell her that if she doesn’t walk away then, he’s not going to let go of her! *OMG SWOON* Let me just say, Kang Doo in boyfriend mode is the best version of Kang Doo. I LOVE the way he stares at Moon Soo like she’s his whole universe, goes out of his way to do things for her, and tries to be better for her. He took the bar to another level when he literally scaled her building to bring her ice cream when she was sick! It’s official. Nothing short of this is going to count anymore. And that kiss. Smooth boy, real smooth. I love the two of them being cute together and I really really hope we get more of it before the annoying construction drama starts piling on.
RedRosette J Aside: Here’s a montage of these two being cute.
Conclusion: Appeal Allowed.
Rating: 5 = KYAH! ❤ (As much as I cried in episode 11, episode 12 made me feel warm and fuzzy and everything about these episodes were amazing! I have no complaints!)
File No: Just-Between-Lovers-EPS-11-&-12 Appearing before The Dramacourt: Just Between Lovers Eps 11 and 12 ***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read 
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Appearing before The Dramacourt: Just Between Lovers Eps 9 and 10
***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read The Rules section first for our reviewing and rating system***
Issues:
Whether Kang Doo trying to leave for Moon Soo’s sake makes sense.
Whether its awesome that Moon Soo stands up for herself about who she likes.
Whether family is really something that you can build.
Whether the characters need to experience Grandma’s loss.
Whether it’s true that the healing process itself is painful.
The Rule(s):
Yes. And No.
Absolutely. She doesn’t let anybody tell her how to feel which is badass.
Yes. Family isn’t something that exists because of blood ties. Families can be made.
In a way, yes.
So true.
Analysis:
RedRosette J: First of all these episodes were an assault on my feelings. Just when I thought they wouldn’t they dumped a whole bunch of feels on me. If you thought this week was emotional, next week (if the preview is any indication) is going to take us through even more of an emotional roller coaster. But if you can survive an hour of angst and tears, these episodes are worth the watch!
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That view though
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Poor Kang Doo 😥
I’m glad that they spent a lot less time on the architecture/construction problems this week and focused more on character development. Moon Soo came to terms with her feelings for Kang Doo and Kang Doo got a well needed reality-check from Grandma. CEO Boss also got shut down by Moon Soo and Kang Han Na’s character became a character that actually pushed our leads together instead of creating unnecessary conflict. My only criticism (of sorts) is that I wish that Moon Soo didn’t have to hear about Kang Doo being injured in the Mall collapse from Kang Han Na’s character. I just feel like there would have been a greater impact had she heard it from someone closer to Kang Doo or Kang Doo himself. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s not really like its a huge detriment to the plot so whatever I’ll let it slide.
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When you get irrationally mad at your crush when they do dumb stuff…
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  Going for advice like…
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Can you seriously stop going around spilling people’s secrets?
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When you suddenly remember someone like…
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OMG girl it’s about time you remember!
The biggest plot point addressed in these episodes was Grandma’s illness. It had to come sooner rather than later and, as sad as it is, I’m glad they decided to address it at this point because it gives the characters some time to process her death before the drama ends.
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Why did you leave it if was going to be this bad?
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Thinking at sea like…
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When the love of your life goes away….
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Realizing you love someone like…
I also liked that we saw another side to Noona. She seemed like a regular person in her sweater dress and sneakers and not quite as intimidating as we have seen her so far (and I think the Director became a total goner once he saw her feeding the kitties. Poor guy). I love love love that the drama doesn’t typecast people. Sure, she a beautiful woman who runs a sketchy bar or whatever but that’s just her job. The writers don’t let that define her and shows us that she’s a well rounded person with an actual life aside from her work. As I have mentioned in previous posts, there is no judgment in these characters’ lives and jobs because its normal. It’s life. Some people do ‘questionable’ jobs  and their jobs don’t define them. I love that about this drama.
Issue 1: Whether Kang Doo trying to leave for Moon Soo’s sake makes sense.
RedRosette J: Logically, it makes sense when I think about Kang Doo’s state of mind. However, as a viewer who is now emotionally invested in the outcome of the characters’ relationship, it seems pointless. First of all, logically, Kang Doo has self-esteem issues and has very low self worth which explains why he feels like he needs to leave for Moon Soo’s sake. As a rational viewer, it makes little sense. I get that. But from his point of view, he seems to genuinely believe that him leaving her is going to be better for her. I think it might also have to do with the fact that he seems to think that the CEO Boss guy is a real contender in the race for Moon Soo’s heart. This is silly because anyone with eyes can see that Moon Soo doesn’t give a crap about the CEO. It’s his lack of self worth that pits him against the CEO with the impressive resume. I liked that Kang Doo admitted to Kang Han Na’s character that he’s afraid he’s going to lose Moon Soo to the CEO but he’s still going to run away because that’s what he thinks is best for her. It really took Grandma yelling at him in episode 10 for him to realize that there’s nothing wrong with him and that it’s Moon Soo who gets to decide whether she wants to “ruin” (so to speak) her life by staying with him. He doesn’t get to make that decision for her.
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Contemplating your life choices like…
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Drinking your sorrows away
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Setting your priorities like…
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Noooooooo!!! Kang Doo!!! Don’t leave!!!
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Seriously don’t leave!!!!!!!!
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That’s right Grandma, you tell him!
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Shots Fired!
As a viewer, it frustrates me that Kang Doo can’t see himself the way that us viewers, Moon Soo, Noona and Grandma see him; as a genuinely caring and loving guy with the best heart, so it sort of feels like it’s pointless angst meant to drive a wedge between the characters. But he needs to get past this point of seeing himself as worthless so that as he moves forward in his relationship with Moon Soo he feels deserving of her love. Also, it just about killed me at the end of episode 9 when he still got on the boat while she yelled out to him. To make matters worse, I think it just about killed him to do it too. I absolutely loved that this drama showed us that his struggle to leave her was very real and that he was doing it even though every fiber of his being was telling him not to.
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Boy at least pretend to subtle
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Can you be more upset that she didn’t show
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When you’re happy to see her but then remember that you’re actually pushing her away so you can’t smile anymore…
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See if I care LOOOL!
Issue 2: Whether its awesome that Moon Soo stands up for herself about who she likes.
RedRosette J: The thing that I like about Moon Soo is that she’s not a doormat (although initially it kind of comes across like she is). She has this quiet strength about her and she doesn’t let anyone tell her what to do (Kang Doo included). I find that this is a rare phenomenon with Kdrama heroines. When Kang Doo insists on leaving her and asks her to go to the CEO, she makes sure that he knows exactly how she feels. She says to him that she’s going to do what she wants and that he can’t tell her how to feel. I love that she voices how she feels because in reality that’s what a real woman is like. I also really like that this drama doesn’t try to hide her awareness of Kang Doo. She’s aware that Kang Doo likes her just as she’s aware that the CEO does. I appreciate that the drama doesn’t try to show that she’s a dumb Candy who has zero inkling that the male lead is in love with her. This is especially true in the snippets where she notices Kang Doo sneaking glances at her or him accidentally overhearing conversations that she has with someone else. She also brings it up with him which is super realistic. I think this is awesome and that more Kdrama females need to do this. I’m sick of seeing these passive females who go around as if they are totally oblivious and unaware of men. Honestly how unrealistic is that?
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You tell him girl!
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Standing up for your friends like…
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Overhearing conversations like…
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Confronting him about him overhearing your conversation
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Be brave girl
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Tell him how you feel!
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Kang Doo you’re an idiot
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She doesn’t care at all
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This girl is really ballsy
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Awwww
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She finally set things straight.
Issue 3: Whether family is really something that you can build.
RedRosette J: I love the idea that family is something that can be built and not only something that you are born into. At the end of episode 10, we see the beautiful friendships and family that Kang Doo has built after having lost his parents. Grandma, Noona, Sang Man, and even Moon Soo and her friends have become a part of Kang Doo’s circle and are now reliant on each other just as a family is. It really shows that family is built on trust and acceptance and I really liked how this drama portrayed it.
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Family ❤
  Issue 4: Whether the characters need to experience Grandma’s loss.
RedRosette J: I will be the first person to say that I don’t want Grandma to die. She’s my favourite character. But, that being said, she has to die for the benefit of the other characters (that sounds mean but you guys get my drift). These characters have all experienced loss in such a sudden and shocking way that they need to understand that loss is not always something that happens like that and that sometimes you actually get to say goodbye properly and eventually come to terms with loss through a proper grieving process. Arguably, Kang Doo and Moon Soo are still grieving the losses of Dad and Sister respectively but that is likely because of how sudden and shocking the loss was. While Grandma’s loss will inevitably bring a lot of grief to Kang Doo and Moon Soo, they need to experience this so that they can grieve properly because they couldn’t properly grieve the loss of their family in the accident. This is why I agree with what Moon Soo said to Kang Doo’s sister that she has to tell him about Grandma’s illness sooner rather than later. He needs to know while it’s still not going to be sudden so that he can be prepared (as much as one can in this cases) for Grandma to leave.
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So adorbs
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Kang Doo finding out about Grandma
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Please don’t delay the truth
Issue 5: Whether it’s true that the healing process itself is painful.
RedRosette J: Another thing I love about this drama are the little sound bites of life lessons that we get. Small things like this really resonate with viewers. This week, I really liked when Kang Doo talked about how the healing process itself was a painful one. I totally agree with this. The hardest part about an injury is recovery. Whether its a physical or emotional injury, its the recovery that’s tough. For the person who makes it to the other side in one piece having endured the pain, they become a stronger person for it. It’s real character development. These characters are still in the process of healing which is why they are hurting so much. Once we get to the end of the drama, we’ll hopefully see the characters towards the end of their journey of healing and over the more painful parts, and having become stronger people for it.
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Momma
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Dad coming to visit is progress
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Kang Doo stop taking those pills!!!
Conclusion: Appeal Allowed.
Rating: 4 = I’ll Give You A Cookie (I actually do want to give everyone cookies and hugs because these episodes were so sad!!!)
File No: Just-Between-Lovers-EPS-9-&-10 Appearing before The Dramacourt: Just Between Lovers Eps 9 and 10 ***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read 
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File No: Just-Between-Lovers-EPS-7-&-8
Appearing before The Dramacourt: Just Between Lovers Eps 7 and 8 ***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read The Rules section first for our reviewing and rating system*** (more…)
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Welcome to our ‘End of Year Awards’ (reviews) post.  Let’s celebrate the end of 2017 by looking at the best/worst/whatever Kdramas! Happy New Year Everyone!
If you had a hard time in 2017 and need some cheering for a better 2018, listen to this song as you read this post!
RedRosette J: 2017 has been a hell of a year and I for one am glad it’s over. I’m looking forward to 2018 being much less sucky than 2017. As the year ends, it’s time to look back at all the dramas that were great and not so great! This year for our awards/wrap up post, we are pretty much using the same categories as last year with a few modifications. We have some random categories based on what we thought was deserving of a best/worst/whatever award. We also mostly based this list off the dramas that we watched this year (we didn’t really watch many political dramas and sageuks this year so those aren’t included in this list). So….Enjoy!
Jubiemon J: 2017 was tiring and crazy, so I’m glad it’s over too! I’m not hoping much for 2018, but let’s still hope that things will be stabler. For some reason I don’t quite remember the full list of 2017 dramas that aired. Was it because 2017 wasn’t that great compared to previous years? Maybe…
Best Couple
RedRosette J: I think hands down it was Han Ye Seul and Kim Ji Suk from 20th Century Boy and Girl for me with Park Bo Young and Park Hyung Sik  from Strong Woman Do Bong Soon coming in at a close second. Han Ye Seul and Kim Ji Sul shined as a couple in their mid-thirties with a really solid “real people”-type relationship while Park Bo Young and Park Hyung Sik were just all the cutesies ❤
Jubiemon J: Yes. Them. My Gosh! They were so cute in the drama. I really felt their chemistry, tension, and love. They were a really mature couple too and there wasn’t much unnecessary drama in their relationship, besides the occasional Anthony. Ha!
Worst Couple
RedRosette J:  For me, the worst couple was Gong Yoo and Kim Go Eun in Goblin (technically it aired at the end of 2016 going into 2017, so it’s a 2017 drama for all intents and purposes). I just couldn’t get past her cringey acting and the massive age gap was more than I could get over. Sorry. Not sorry.
Jubiemon J: Oh yes. That had to be the worst couple. I really couldn’t get over their lack of chemistry. The age gap wouldn’t have been that much of an issue had they shared MORE CHEMISTRY! Gong Yoo had more chemistry with the Reaper than . . . Kim Go Eun. =-=”
Cringiest Drama
RedRosette J: I think it was MeloHolic for me. OMG what a hot mess. Thank God it was only 12 episodes because I don’t think anyone could have followed that for anything longer. It was a multiple personality meets magical powers meets serial killer meets psychotic thriller drama WTFFFFF??? No.
Jubiemon J: Yes. MeloHolic was terribly cringey on so many levels from the acting to the nonsensical plot. Ironically, the terribleness actually made me wonder how the drama would end and I did watch the last ep too. LOL!
Drama “that had shit going on and then shit hit the fan and everything died” Award
RedRosette J: I think it was Age of Youth 2 for me. I couldn’t get past the 2nd episode. The drama had so much promise going into season 2 after a solid season 1, but it just fell short for me. They should have just left it at season 1 and called it a day.  Similarly, Revolutionary Love started out with a lot of promise and then went downhill so fast….I tried to get past the awful slapstick comedy but I couldn’t unfortunately….Sorry Choi Si Won….
Jubiemon J: Definitely Age of Youth 2 for me too. I skimmed so many of the episodes and stayed till the end. The first two eps were already huge signs that there’d be a mess. I loved s1 so much too and then s2 just came over and created a big mess.
Worst Legal Drama
RedRosette J:  There were so many terrible legal dramas this year but the worst by far for me was Whisper. Yea. Let’s not even talk about it because it was that terrible. A law firm committing all kinds of crimes and it was a terribly written plot. A close second is While You Were Sleeping (WTFFF: I tried to review it and got only halfway and had to give up because it was too terrible to write about). A third mention should be Suspicious Partner which was also a terribly written plot. The only redeeming factor it had was Ji Chang Wook and Nam Ji Hyun being cute and that’s about it.
Jubiemon J: Oh my Goodness. Can I just say that they were all equally terrible for different reasons? I think the one that bugged me the most was the one about judges (Nothing to Lose) and then the female lead ripped apart some evidence and thought she’d get away with it when she was a high schooler? Like who does that?
Most Ridiculous Action Drama
RedRosette J: I think Man to Man was this year’s The K2. Sure it didn’t have underground hideouts with super computers manipulating the world, but it was completely ridiculous and Park Hae Jin deserves better. A close second in this category was Hwarang: The Beginning which shouldn’t have been a drama in the first place. The only good thing about this drama was the endless stream of hot guys and V (from BTS)!
Most Pointless Adaptation from US TV Shows
RedRosette J: I would argue that it was Criminal Minds and I couldn’t get past 10 minutes so that’s saying something I guess…
Jubiemon J: I did get past 10 mins of it and watched nearly all of the episodes. For some reason, I still felt that the Korean version wasn’t as good as the American one, at least the first few seasons of the American one. Somehow the characters for the Korean version didn’t have strong enough personalities, in my opinion, to differentiate them from the US ones. Some of the mysteries were interesting though.
Most Underrated Drama
RedRosette J: Mini-Drama Queen of the Ring was a huge underdog for me this year. It had all the good things ranging from cute to sad to dealing with complex social issues like self esteem and the pressures of conforming to a social expectation of what it means to be beautiful. Kim Seul Gi is a diamond in the rough and one of my fave Kdrama actresses! Ahn Hyo Seop and his cute fuzzy poodle hair helped as well. Coming in at a close second was Mad Dog with Woo Do Hwan and his angsty feels. It could have done without the over the top chaebol conspiracy but whatever, I’m not complaining.
Jubiemon J: Queen of the Ring was so underrated. I’ve watched this drama a couple of times and I barely have any complaints about it. The characters are interesting. The drama is filmed beautifully. Ahn Hyo Seop did a really good job and the same goes for Kim Seul Gi. The plot was deep and there were metaphors running throughout the drama. I highly recommend people to watch this drama!
Best Reverse Harem Drama
RedRosette J: Hands down this was Hwarang: The Beginning. It was terribly written, terribly executed and if not for Park Seo Joon, the whole thing would have been a complete and total disaster. -.-
Worst Character – The One You Most Want To Push Off A Cliff
RedRosette J:  For me this was Suzy’s character on While You Were Sleeping. I can’t. I just can’t. I HATED this character. She was a confused mess and didn’t make any sense and her hairstyle was just TERRIBLE. I’m sorry but I have nothing positive to say about her at all.
Jubiemon J: I think it’s a tie between Go Ara’s character in Hwarang and Suzy’s character in While You were Sleeping. Go Ara’s character was also causing more trouble than needed and didn’t add much to the plot. I would have been fine with a huge sausage fest of Hwarang boys. Ha! Long live the bromance!
  Worst Mom/Dad
RedRosette J: There were so many awful drama Moms and Dads this year but I think the Moms from Our Gab Soon were by far the worst. Whether it came to emotionally abusing the daughter in laws or forcing their children to stay in unhappy marriages, the Moms were real pieces of work.
a) Evilest Mother in Law
RedRosette J: I don’t know if she’s the worst mother in law ever but Person Who Gives Happiness had a mother in law adjacent character who killed the girl’s father and stole his money and then later had the girl marry her son and then had the girl divorce the son while the girl raised his biological child he had with another woman whom the mother dumped on a doorstep. Confused? Yea I sure was.
Second Leads:
a) Who Should Be First Leads
RedRosette J: He wasn’t really a second lead, but more like a co-lead; Junho in Chief Kim stood out so much for me as the gluttonous villain you love to hate. He was so good that all it made you want to do was give him something to eat rather than hate him! So I don’t know if he should have been first lead, but he was definitely the star of that drama! These guys were also by far the best bromance of the year!
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b) Best Male Second Lead
RedRosette J:  For me there really weren’t any second leads that really stood out except maybe Kim Sun Ho and his dimples on Strongest Deliveryman and him again in Two Cops. I really think its his cutesie dimples that swayed my favour. I really loved his character on Strongest Deliveryman and he was a really good antagonist second lead who ended up getting his own love line with the second female lead which was cute as hell so we avoided an annoying angsty love triangle. His character in Two Cops is just as funny and he’s currently giving good bromance vibes with Jo Jung Suk.
c) Best Female Second Lead
RedRosette J: The best female second lead for me was the group of girls in 20th Century Boy and Girl. It wasn’t one specific person per se but it was nice to see a drama focus on a second leads in a way that wasn’t intended to hurt the main female lead but instead be supportive. I really enjoyed watching their stories develop in line with the leads. A close second was Go Won Hee’s character on Strongest Deliveryman. It was nice to see the second lead give up on her crush on the main male lead when she realized that she had no chance. I’m so sick of seeing this second female leads going after male leads like a dog with a bone, so it was a nice change.
d) Bitchiest Second Leads
RedRosette J: The most annoying second leads were Lee Elliya’s character on Fight My Way who just kept going after Park Seo Joon’s character like a psycho on a mission and Kang Ha Na’s character on Just Between Lovers who doesn’t seem to understand what “NO” means. These two characters were basically the exact same person who just wouldn’t take no for an answer and were manipulating everything and everyone to get what they wanted. They could have just as easily switched the two characters between the dramas and it wouldn’t have made a difference. What a mess.
Worst Actor-Please Go Back to Acting Class Award
RedRosette J:  It was Yun ho on MeloHolic for me. He was just really terrible and you could tell that he was “acting”. Dude. Please take an acting class.
Jubiemon J: I think the female lead in MeloHolic was just as bad. Hahaha. Unfortunately, Yun Ho hasn’t improved from his acting back when he did that soccer drama with Go Ara…
Candiest Candy
RedRosette J: This was Jeon Ji Hyun’s mermaid on Legend of the Blue Sea. She took Candy to the next level by being a completely hapless to the point where it felt like Lee Min Ho had adopted her as his child rather than looking at her as a romantic love interest. Such a weird dynamic.
Worst Kiss
RedRosette J: Jugglers had the most awkward first kiss scene. I think this had to do with the fact that Daniel Choi is easily a whole foot and some taller than Baek Jin Hee and he had to do this weird “bend and crouch” move to kiss her which made him look like Quasimodo and there was this huge space between their bodies and idk the whole aesthetic was just off and awkward…
Best Kiss
RedRosette J: The best for me was Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim‘s closet makeout scene. I mean wow *fans face* that was a HOT kiss! A close second was the beach side makeout in Because This is My First Life and third was the snowfall kiss in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo. 
Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim
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Because This Is My First Life
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
Best Family Dramas
RedRosette J: The best was Father Is Strange with Lee Joon and Jung So Min. The family dynamic in this drama was the best and cutest thing. It was such a nice drama even though it was 50 episodes. A close second is My Golden Life (which is still airing) with its rags to riches (and vice versa) reversals family drama.
RedRosette J Aside: How ecstatic are Lee Joon and Jung So Min shippers because Dispatch dropped their January 1st dating bomb on the two of them! I hope they last because they are super cute together! 
Best Makjang (Or worst depending on your approach to Makjangs)
RedRosette J: I painstakingly followed Lovers in Bloom for all 120 episodes and was so upset that she didn’t end up with the second lead Lee Chang Wook who was such jokes and who the little daughter character loved! I was really hoping that this drama would play one of those anomaly cards and have the female lead end up with the second lead (because that sometimes happens with longer dramas) and they didn’t! I want my time back! 😥
Cutest Drama
RedRosette J: There were so many cute ones this year so I can’t really pick one specifically so I’m just going to list all the ones that I thought were super duper cute and total mindless fluffiness: I’m Not A Robot, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, Queen of the Ring, and My Secret Romance, School 2017, and Fight My Way.
Best Script
RedRosette J: This by far is Because This Is My First Life. It was so well written and all the characters blended so well together. It comes off as a standard cohabitation and marriage contract drama which usually ends up being stereotypical but actually ended up being something completely awesome that blew my mind. I really really enjoyed the vibe and the way the story was told in this drama.
Worst Manhwa Adaptation
RedRosette J: Bride of the Water God was by far the worst Manhwa adaptation. I think I tried to watch it up until about episode 5 and then gave up because it was so awful. I’m sorry but not even Nam Joo Hyuk and his cuteness could save it.
Actor Who Did A 180 Award
RedRosette J: Prior to Goblin, Lee Dong Wook was a ‘meghh’ kind of actor but as the Reaper in Goblin, he really did a 180 and gave us probably the best thing to come out of that drama and an endless stream of “Reaper Memes”. Honestly the only reason to watch Goblin was to watch him go around hating life and fall in love with Sunny. So freakin funny.
Rising Star Award
RedRosette J: I’m giving this to Junho because he won me over as Seo Yool on Chief Kim earlier in the year and is doing it again as Kang Doo on Just Between Lovers (airing now) right now. I feel like he came out of nowhere and then just dropped bombs on us poor viewers. If someone doesn’t want to hug Junho on Just Between Lovers something is wrong with them. Woo Do Hwan from Mad Dog comes in at a close second for me as well.
Drama Deserving an Honourable Mention
RedRosette J: I absolutely ADORED Mystery Queen, the ajumma sleuth drama. It was super funny and Choi Kang Hee’s dynamic with Kwon Sang Woo was delightful. Everything about this drama was done so well, from the editing to the OST to the writing and acting. So much so that I am kind of on the fence about how season 2 is going to work out. I’m trying to have low expectations so that I won’t be disappointed because most season 2s don’t really work out well. *fingers crossed*
Best Drama
RedRosette J: For us, the best drama of the year was 20th Century Boy and Girl. It is an underdog drama about older people in their mid-thirties, but it felt so realistic and so probable that it was just super cute. It was just all kinds of cute and you had no choice but to root for Sa Jin Jin and Gong Ji Won! They were definitely #relationshipgoals!
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HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!
May Your 2018 Be Bright And Hopeful!!
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  End of Year Drama Awards – 2017 Welcome to our 'End of Year Awards' (reviews) post.  Let's celebrate the end of 2017 by looking at the best/worst/whatever Kdramas!
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File No: Just-Between-Lovers-EPS-5-&-6
Appearing before The Dramacourt: Just Between Lovers Eps 5 and 6 ***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read The Rules section first for our reviewing and rating system*** (more…)
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File No: Just-Between-Lovers-EPS-5-&-6
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We’re not a blog that is dedicated to reviewing music (including Kpop), but because we absolutely adore BTS and their music, we decided to do a memo-style review of the Music Video (MV) for their Japanese Version “Blood, Sweat & Tears” (血、汗、涙 -Japanese Ver.-).
***Note: If this is your first time browsing the Drama Files, please read The Rules on how our Memo-style reviews work.***
***Note: We really wanted to analyze the Blood, Sweat, Tears Korean MV before, but we missed out on the opportunity. We thought this MV was very interesting as well, so we were really eager to share our theories about what they could possibly signify. There are definitely many theories, so we thought we’d propose ours. Our views are simply theories and purely speculative.***
Memo
Dear Reader,
There have been some questions regarding the recent release of BTS’s 血、汗、涙 -Japanese Ver.- (“BST”), particularly:
(1) Who/What does each member represent?
(2) How is the ending clip that is reminiscient of the “I Need U” MV connected to BST?
Conclusion
(1.1) J-Hope acts as a guide. J-Hope is Archangel Michael and Frau Eva from Demian.
(1.2) V is Max Demian (“Demian”) from Demian and the Devil/Lucifer/the Fallen Angel (“the Devil”) .
(1.3) Suga is Pistorius and the Old Wise Man (archetype).
(1.4) Jimin is Sinclair from Demian and Adam from the Bible.
(1.5) Jungkook is Icarus and Sinclair from Demian.
(2) This will be answered in a subsequent Memo.
Background
Please read the first post to understand how this MV fits in with the other MVs and the different types of reality in this MV.
Please read the second post for more information on Demian and other important concepts.
Please read the third post for a detailed analysis of Suga’s role.
Please read the fourth post to understand Jimin’s role.
Analysis
(1.1) J-Hope acts as a guide. J-Hope is Archangel Michael and Frau Eva from Demian.
Please read the first post to see this analysis.
(1.2) V is Max Demian (“Demian”) from Demian and the Devil/Lucifer/the Fallen Angel (“the Devil”) .
Please read the second post to see this analysis.
(1.3) Suga is Pistorius and the Old Wise Man (archetype).
Please read the third post to see this analysis.
(1.4) Jimin is Sinclair from Demian and Adam from the Bible. 
Please see the fourth post for this analysis.
(1.5) Jungkook is Icarus and Sinclair from Demian.
(i) Jungkook is Icarus.
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Jungkook swinging on the swing
  We see signs in the Korean “BST” MV that show Jungkook as Icarus. We see the painting behind Jungkook, which is “Lament of Icarus” by Herbert James Derper. To the right is another painting about Icarus, “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus” by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.
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Look at Jungkook flying back/falling. Behind him is the painting, “Lament of Icarus” by Herbert James Derper and to his right, you see the painting, “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus” by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.
The myth is that King Minos hired Daedalus to build a palace and a maze (Labyrinth)to imprison Minos’ son, the Minotaur. Minos also imprisoned Daedalus in the Labyrinth because Daedalus gave Minos’ daughter, a clew, to help Minos’ enemy, Theseus, to defeat the Minotaur and beat the Labyrinth. Daedalus’ plan to escape was to build wings out of wax and feathers to fly away. He fashioned wings for both himself and his son, Icarus. He warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sea or the sun and to follow Daedalus’ flight path. However, Icarus did not listen.
Jungkook first starts off swinging on the swings in the Korean “BST” MV and then leaning back like he’s flying. After, he fully falls back and the swing is gone, meaning that he is like Icarus who chose not to listen to his father and flew too close to the sea. There are bits of what seem like white feathers floating in the air to represent the melted wax and feathers from the myth.
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The paintings are even clearer and damn that move must have been exhausting for JK!
Remember how in the older BTS MVs like “Run” and “I Need U”, RM is shown with a lollipop in his mouth. Here, we see Jungkook with a blue lollipop in his hand. The lollipop, in a sense, is like our desires that we know aren’t good yet we still consume them. Lollipops can also mean a new adventure starting, which is true in Jungkook’s case as he is going through a transformation.  After we see Jungkook suck on the lollipop, we get a scene of RM showing a dropping sign with his fist and then we get transported down a level of a building to meet Suga and RM.
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Look at the blue lollipop!
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Eats lollipop then . . . tumbles down . . .
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Drop down! (RM is in the same room as JK who was swinging on the swing there)
RM is also going through a big transformation as he drinks the green liquid, which is likely absinthe. I’m going over RM’s part and Suga’s part a bit here because RM and JK are closely connected in both the “BST” MVs. I won’t go into extreme detail with the two other members as this post focuses on Jungkook, but it’s still important to recall how Jungkook is linked with these two members. Here’s a little chart I’ve made, which has been used in a previous post.
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RM influences Jungkook (see the black arrow leading from RM to JK) and in turn Jungkook and Suga both influence each other. I’d say Suga is more like Daedalus than RM because Suga in the “BST” MV tries to pull Jungkook away from temptation, whereas RM leads Jungkook to temptation.
In the “BST” MV, we still see signs that prove that Jungkook represents Icarus. In the beginning of the MV, Jungkook is lying on this white plastic sheet. The walls are all painted in bright neon colours, which represents the psychological reality. Then, he gets up from his spot and looks back to see a pair of red wings behind him. Icarus, as mentioned before, flew with wings made of feathers and wax. The red colour likely symbolizes that Jungkook has fallen and has been “tainted”.
(Remember to focus on Jungkook’s clothing in this “BST” MV. Jungkook here is wearing a plaid jacket. He also later wears a hoodie with the writing “Thirteen”.)
(ii) Jungkook is Sinclair from Demian.
I think it’s interesting to note that the whole BST is really a matter of perspective. From one member’s POV, another member is a certain character. However, when you view it from a different member’s POV, then one member can represent another character. Let’s try to apply it in this case.
Jungkook, in the Korean “BST” MV, succumbs to RM’s temptation. Jungkook is Sinclair and RM is Demian in that view. However, from RM’s POV, RM is Sinclair and Jin is Demian (This will be explained further in the next post).
In the external reality, Suga is still Pistorius to Jungkook who is Sinclair. Remember that Suga is the one trying to pull Jungkook away from the toilet like how Pistorius is instilling the standard biblical beliefs to Sinclair.
Also, Jungkook here is wearing a “Thirteen” hoodie. The number “thirteen” is normally seen as an unlucky number like Friday the thirteenth and receives a darker form of symbolism. Often, apartments or hotels will also not have a button for the 13th floor. In Norse mythology, the 12 Norse gods hold a party; however, Loki, the trickster, was an uninvited guest and was the 13th to arrive. Later, we learn that Hoor slayed Baldur, using a magical spear given by Loki. We also see from the Bible that the Last Supper comprised of 13 attendees (12 disciples and the Christ). Thirteen is seen as an omen as Christ suffers from a tragic fate.
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Look at his hoodie’s word: “Thirteen”.
However, thirteen can have a brighter interpretation. For example, Christ and Baldur can be considered the enlightened guests. Therefore, the number, thirteen, can be said to be associated with enlightenment, ascension, and resurrection. We also see from an Egyptian tale that Osiris, the Egyptian God of life and death, was killed by Typhon, his brother. Typhon then stole Osiris’ body and chopped it into 14 pieces. Meanwhile, Isis, Osiris’ wife, could only find 13 parts of his body. Therefore, thirteen can be said to be the precursor of completion.  (See here for more info about the number, 13.)
Here, since the word “thirteen” is written in a font that looks like it’s burning, there seems to be more of an interpretation of resurrection. Phoenixes are known to be reborn upon burning in flames. Therefore, Jungkook can be said to be experiencing a rebirth after succumbing to temptation. I wouldn’t say that going to a “dark” side is necessarily bad, as I’ve suggested in my previous posts based on Demian‘s interpretation of events.
Going back to how Demian applies to the relationship between Jungkook and Suga, recall that in Suga’s post, Sinclair eventually says a lot of harsh words to Pistorius and Sinclair’s friendship with Pistorius comes to an end. Similarly, the toilet scene is like Jungkook pushing his “master” away and surpassing his mentor. Jungkook’s relationship with Pistorius ends and rejects the standard biblical ideas.
Jungkook is also tempted by RM, who acts as Demian, once he enters the psychological reality. RM brings the absinthe to Jungkook. Jungkook has taken a seat, which seems to imply that he has accepted RM’s offer. RM then makes Jungkook drink the absinthe and Jungkook goes through an interesting experience. Notice that Jungkook is wearing the “thirteen” hoodie when he’s in the psychological reality world. He gets transported on a truck that Jin has been driving since the older MVs and at the very end of this “BST” MV. Jin, at this stage, is already Demian, so it’s interesting to see that Jungkook, a variant of Sinclair, is being taken away by Demian to experience a different world.
Once Jungkook has experienced this mental change and transformation, he is brought back to the external reality where there is a black cloud hovering around Jungkook with the hoodie. The Jungkook wearing the plaid blazer is transported back to the external reality. At the end, Jungkook is a changed person.
Another evidence that Jungkook is Sinclair from his short clip. We see him lying on this bed, which is similar to his situation in the beginning of the “BST” MV. He is tossing and turning in this bed. Then we see him closing his eyes and there’s a burning piano, which has been mentioned in a previous post as being linked to Suga as Pistorius.
We see a narration of a quotation from Demian and Jungkook, in a white button-up with a sparrow hawk on his heart. This quotation “because it’s darkest at dawn right before the sun rises” is from BTS’ song “Tomorrow” and then the next one is “The fifteen year old me who didn’t have anything” comes from his song, “Begin”. Here, Jungkook is like Sinclair who starts off in a very sheltered, structured family. I think it’s interesting that this quotation was picked because “Tomorrow” is about following your dreams and struggling with these. It makes sense that that particular line of “Begin” was used because it sets the tone that Jungkook was young then.
Then Jungkook has this painting in his hand of a young boy. After, he starts painting this larger portrait of another boy and as he is painting, the scene of a piano burning is seen through his eye. The painting then bursts into flames.  Jungkook becomes very distressed upon viewing the portrait more. The portrait’s young boy seems to change in its appearance.
The changing painting is reflected in Demian as well. At first, Sinclair is inspired by Beatrice, a woman he meets after walking in a park, to paint. He tries to reproduce her face, but fails.  This is like that scene in Jungkook’s short film where he first sees a picture of a person and then proceeds to paint it.
After Sinclair lets his imagination do its work and he paints again. When the painting is complete, it looks half-masculine and half-feminine, ageless, and mask-like.  When he wakes up from another dream, he believes that the face knows him and calls to him. Sinclair notices this weird brightness at the painting’s forehead and its eyes and recognizes it as Demian. However, after placing the painting to his window and letting the light shine through it, he realizes that the painting is actually a reflection of himself, his daemon, and his inner self. This whole scene happens in a dream-like state, so whether he actually puts the painting to the window is up for debate.
This part of the scene in Jungkook’s short film has also been portrayed when he watches the painting burn and turn into another painting. Jungkook is struggling to believe what he is seeing and is crying a bit too. It first looks like Taehyung, who we’ve said is Demian to Jin, but then if you look carefully, it also seems to look like Jungkook. Jungkook realizes that the painting is actually himself, which is just like what we’ve seen in Demian.
In Demian, Sinclair then starts recalling his last meeting with Demian. Demian and Sinclair talk about Sinclair’s rebellious stage. Demian notices that Sinclair has been drinking and frowns upon that habit; however, Demian points out that sometimes a life of hedonism is a precursor to sainthood and refers to St. Augustine as an example of this concept. In his youth, St. Augustine lived a hedonistic lifestyle where he was related to several young men who bragged about their sexual adventures. He also had an affair with a young woman. It wasn’t until he was 31 did he convert to Christianity and wrote extensively in the areas of theology, sociology, and philosophy. He developed many ideas related to Christianity as well. Sinclair identifies with this example that Demian has given and believes that Sinclair’s life is headed in a similar direction as that of St. Augustine.
On the night of this flashback, Sinclair has a nightmare where Demian forces him to swallow this coat of arms above this doorway. He senses that this bird is bursting into life within himself and starts to eat his insides. After this dream, Sinclair begins to paint this bird.
After Sinclair finishes the painting, we see that he has painted a sparrow hawk. The sparrow hawk is trying to break free from this dark globe; it’s like it is hatching from an egg. However, this sparrow hawk is fully grown, and so this means that this painting is about rebirth.
Here, the egg is an archetype, formed through Sinclair’s collective consciousness. The egg has its origins to the Roman times where Bachofen, a late anthropologist, claims that it represents the two poles of the world. Therefore, the sparrow hawk, which is breaking out of the egg to be reborn, is breaking the world of false polarities, unreal, and the arbitrary.
Going back to the short film, we see that Jungkook is holding onto this picture of a sparrow hawk and staring at it. The final scene ends with Jungkook standing in the middle of the room and his shadow has grown wings.  These scenes are similar to those of Sinclair. Though we don’t see Jungkook going through a memory recall of a meeting with Demian, we have seen him waking up from nightmares before. We aren’t sure whether he has actually painted the sparrow hawk, but that sparrow hawk is just like the one described in Demian. Moreover, the fact that Jungkook has grown wings shows that he is going through a rebirth like in Demian.  This also indicates that Jungkook has activated the part of himself that wants to be broken free.
It’s interesting to note that Jungkook is also wearing a “sparrow hawk” button-up shirt. That’s a signal that supports the notion that he wants to be free from his past views. That’s why his eyes show the burning piano–a remnant of the old principles.
      Memo: “Blood, Sweat & Tears” (Japanese Version) Music Video Analysis Part 5 We're not a blog that is dedicated to reviewing music (including Kpop), but because we…
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File No: Just-Between-Lovers-EPS-1-&-2
Appearing before The Dramacourt: Just Between Lovers Eps 1 and 2 ***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read The Rules section first for our reviewing and rating system*** (more…)
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