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dangermousieI finished My Girl. It was after 2am, I couldn’t see well because of the crying, and I feel zombified today. Was it worth it? Hell YEAH.
There is so much to love about these episodes that I don’t really know where to start.
I find it a very interesting parallel that both Sae-Hyun and Yu-Rin left Gong-Chan at a critical time without a word and resurfaced after two years. But of course, Yu-Rin’s reasons were as selfless as Sae-Hyun’s were selfish. SH ran off because she thought staying with GC would prevent her from doing what she wanted and was not ready to make even the smallest sacrifice, but Yu-Rin? She gave up what she wanted more than anything to keep Gong-Chan’s family together and protect him.
And I think it really highlights the difference in the feeling Gong-Chan had for SH and YR. When SH came back, even once she chased after him, even then he was reluctant (if wistful) to restart and gingerly agreed to give it a try but his heart was never in it. With Yu-Rin, he keeps running after her even after she rejects him, and he is clearly desperate.
But of course, poor Yu-Rin. She did what she did to protect Gong-Chan. Huge kudos to the writing team. Early on I thought the whole ‘there is a missing granddaughter, child of Grandpa’s daughter who he disowned on marriage he didn’t approve of’ was merely a McGuffin to get the plot going, but it comes to bear rather heavily: Yu-Rin has good reason to believe that Grandfather would do the same again if Gong-Chan defied him and chose Yu-Rin (and she knows he would).
I really can’t stand Grandfather and haven’t forgiven him even after the end. The thing that I find so rageful about this, is fine, he relented. Hooray! But I guess I am not filial enough to be able to deal: he didn’t say he was sorry, he didn’t apologize for acting selfishly, for inflicting such misery, for stealing two years out of Gong-Chan and Yu-Rin’s lives. I do understand the unstated idea of social harmony that is going on here: ultimately everyone concerned gives blessing to the match: Gong-Chan’s family, Jung-Woo (who comes to plead with Grandpa, what a guy!), even the bitch Sae-Hyun. But I don’t think I could forgive and forget that easily (btw, I like how even after the scam has been exposed, Yu-Rin would address Grandpa as Grandpa, but in that last conversation when he is giving her his blessing to be with Gong-Chan, she calls him ‘sir’ because he role will now be different, as Gong-Chan’s wife).
I think what ultimately motivated Grandpa, even more than the pleadings of the family, and Yu-Rin being shown as so pure, was the realization that he was going to lose Gong-Chan forever. I don’t mean that Gong-Chan was going to be disinherited, or disinherit himself (because Yu-Rin basically tore her own heart out so that he would take back his walking out on the family), but emotionally, there would be a distance that would never be bridged. Because after all of this, after Gong-Chan finally gave up on Yu-Rin as the last thing he could do for her, he is still leaving for Japan. And when the Grandfather asks if he (Grandpa) is really that awful, Gong-Chan doesn’t say anything but bows and walks out. He says he will come back when he can face Grandpa with a smile but Grandpa must finally have become aware that his own time is limited and that may never happen and that his beloved grandson clearly cannot bear to be in the same house with him.
Take that, you nasty old man!
After all, this rift has existed for two years. Yeah, Grandpa drove Yu-Rin away so as to keep Gong-Chan blah blah but you know, he lost his grandson anyway. I love the scene in ep 15 where Gong Chan comes in because he is off to Japan and the way they act around each other is so formal, so constrained. Gong-Chan loves his Grandfather a lot, and as his later behavior with Yu-Rin demonstrates he will forgive a lot and never give up the emotion if he really really loves, but I am sure he can never forget the horrifying scene near the end of 14, where he broke down utterly and begged and Grandfather just looked on. And I love that he is so open that he is going to Japan to look for Yu-Rin. In his quiet way, Gong-Chan is pure steel and he won’t bend even for his family.
And I love that they haven’t gotten over each other. They come across as incomplete, though doing fine enough on the surface. Yu-Rin still treasures that shabby star she plucked (and she keeps telling herself it's all over but she still holds it to her chest, tight) and Gong-Chan, OMG, I broke down when I saw his collection of snow globes. And the aunt indicates that every snowy day he buys one (because he promised Yu-Rin he'll buy her a new one instead of the one she broke, when it snows and he couldn't keep the promise).
And he's been looking for her for two years, and you see the exhaustive search. And meanwhile the dreadful Grandpa has been concealing from him about finding his real granddaughter because he knows the moment GC finds this out, he will walk out (and OMG, when GC finds out later, Grandpa tells him 'I did not want you to go guilt free to her.' I hate him SO MUCH).
It's clear that something in Gong-Chan broke when Yu-Rin left. He later tells Yu-Rin, matter of factly, that he doesn't work for the Hotel any more because when she left he just went to pieces and just drank and traveled (I assume looking for her). And I love how she is so desperate to believe this isn't true and she keeps asking him to tell her he's been OK. Because she did it all for him and she can't bear to think she hurt him. But of course, she believes she must hurt him again. She has to do what she did two years ago, mark 2, only it’s worse because it’s to his face.
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kitsune714 said that Gong-Chan goes a little mad in these eps, and it’s true. He only comes fully back alive once he finds out where she is, from the tour business card that a tourist drops. And then the LOOK on his face…he looks stunned, like he can’t take it all in.
He signs up for the tour under a false name and the scene in the airport when both of them see each other for the first time in two years is romantic, and funny, and gorgeous, and heartbreaking. Because she sees him, and freezes, and tries to hide but he walks up to her and he looks at her as if she is everything he’s ever wanted in life and all he can say is 'Yu Rin...Yu Rin...Yu Rin' and they just stare at each other.
But of course, she tries to put up a front, a mask, very hard, but she is not so good at it any more. She says 'haven't seen you in a long time' and you can see him look so betrayed and hurt and he asks her 'are you joking?' OMG, poor OTP.
And he tells her he is the tourist on her tour and a series of both funny and heart-breaking scenes follow where she tries to get rid of him but he won’t let her. And he’s completely determined and a bit mad and utterly set. LOVE. He tells her he is not letting her go and asks her for a ride ‘because I have no money.’ And when she points out he has credit cards, he throws them away. And says the cell is dead etc etc etc. GUUUUUH.
I love the scene in the restaurant where he tells her he promised he’d pick her up in 10 days and he is very late but he is here. He is just so completely laying himself open to her, holding nothing back, and just trying to get her to acknowledge her feelings in return. But of course, the harder he tries, the more she loves him, and the more she loves him, the more she wants to protect him, and so the more she pushes him away. I love the scene in the karaoke bar where he tells her that he is sorry for hounding her but ‘you won’t let me open my mouth’ and all he wants to tell her is that he loves her and he is sorry and he missed her. But the thing is, that is why she can’t let him talk, because she is afraid she’ll be swayed because she wants to give in so badly.
So he actually ends up going to do a karaoke song (and he is NOT a good singer) because that is the only way he can express the feelings to her and she won’t bolt. And then they have this gorgeous, painful conversation in the hallway, where he tells her he would have shown up for her in 10 days so it’s not in the past for him but she insists it is for her.
And then he goes home only to find the real cousin there and to find out that Grandpa knew about her two years ago. And OMG, how much do I love angry!Gong-Chan? And he says he is going to Yu-Rin, with Yu-Rin and his Grandfather tells him he will disown him, and Gong-Chan basically says the polite equivalent of ‘TFB’ and walks out. And he tells his aunt that Grandpa will forgive him someday (and at the moment, he clearly doesn’t care) but he can’t be without Yu-Rin. HOT. Gong-Chan is SO my dorama boyfriend, it’s not even funny.
And after that, he shows up at Yu-Rin’s house (as she is wistfully looking at that shabby star) and she tells him to leave her alone and she couldn’t care less what he does and so OMG OMG OMG, he is rather mad and he tells her that this is great, because then he’ll just do what he wants and she can lie all she wants and he grabs her by the hand and drags her out (OMG, determined!Gong-Chan is SEX). And in the next scene they are in a jewelry store, and they are still holding her by the hand and telling the jeweler to pick an (engagement) ring, ‘the most expensive one, to weigh her down in body and soul so she can’t run’ and OMG, that is the HOTTEST, most FUBAR proposal EVER and I need to lie down for a bit. And he thrusts this gigantic ring on her finger and she retorts that it’s nice and expensive, so she could sell it and he tells her (and I die again): “If you ever get rid of it, I am pressing robbery charges. And fine, you can sell it. If you do, I’ll just buy you a more expensive one.” And he tells her they’ll just take it to the end and she tells him she’s reached the end years ago. So he goes (and I love how he is so angry yet not in the least loud or threatening to her), “you still won’t stop lying?” (I just love how he is so fed up with everyone trying to run his life for him and won’t let them) and he drags her to church so she can’t lie there and he very tenderly tells her that he knows it’s rough and it’s so rough she wants to cut and run and there is no guarantee it will get better but OTOH they found the real cousin and tells her that from now on he will look only at her so can’t she look only at him and it’s a whole gorgeous little speech and she is silent because she cannot lie so he tells her that he takes it for a half-hearted assent and when she’s decided with the other half, to come to him. And leaves. Because he said what he wanted, everything he wanted, but of course the choice is up to her.
Have I mentioned that I have a crush of scary proportions on Gong-Chan?
And it looks like he’s finally broken through her defenses but evil Grandpa tracks her down through Gong-Chan’s cell log and calls her for a meeting (while Gong-Chan is waiting for her at 63 building, argh. And when he calls her she tells him she won’t come, argh!) And Grandpa asks her not to break up the family and about Gong-Chan walking out and I want to smack him because it’s not Yu-Rin who is breaking up the family, you are!!!
So poor poor Yu-Rin. She comes up with the greatest, final swindle of her life in order to make Gong-Chan let go of her…
There is so much to love about these episodes that I don’t really know where to start.
I find it a very interesting parallel that both Sae-Hyun and Yu-Rin left Gong-Chan at a critical time without a word and resurfaced after two years. But of course, Yu-Rin’s reasons were as selfless as Sae-Hyun’s were selfish. SH ran off because she thought staying with GC would prevent her from doing what she wanted and was not ready to make even the smallest sacrifice, but Yu-Rin? She gave up what she wanted more than anything to keep Gong-Chan’s family together and protect him.
And I think it really highlights the difference in the feeling Gong-Chan had for SH and YR. When SH came back, even once she chased after him, even then he was reluctant (if wistful) to restart and gingerly agreed to give it a try but his heart was never in it. With Yu-Rin, he keeps running after her even after she rejects him, and he is clearly desperate.
But of course, poor Yu-Rin. She did what she did to protect Gong-Chan. Huge kudos to the writing team. Early on I thought the whole ‘there is a missing granddaughter, child of Grandpa’s daughter who he disowned on marriage he didn’t approve of’ was merely a McGuffin to get the plot going, but it comes to bear rather heavily: Yu-Rin has good reason to believe that Grandfather would do the same again if Gong-Chan defied him and chose Yu-Rin (and she knows he would).
I really can’t stand Grandfather and haven’t forgiven him even after the end. The thing that I find so rageful about this, is fine, he relented. Hooray! But I guess I am not filial enough to be able to deal: he didn’t say he was sorry, he didn’t apologize for acting selfishly, for inflicting such misery, for stealing two years out of Gong-Chan and Yu-Rin’s lives. I do understand the unstated idea of social harmony that is going on here: ultimately everyone concerned gives blessing to the match: Gong-Chan’s family, Jung-Woo (who comes to plead with Grandpa, what a guy!), even the bitch Sae-Hyun. But I don’t think I could forgive and forget that easily (btw, I like how even after the scam has been exposed, Yu-Rin would address Grandpa as Grandpa, but in that last conversation when he is giving her his blessing to be with Gong-Chan, she calls him ‘sir’ because he role will now be different, as Gong-Chan’s wife).
I think what ultimately motivated Grandpa, even more than the pleadings of the family, and Yu-Rin being shown as so pure, was the realization that he was going to lose Gong-Chan forever. I don’t mean that Gong-Chan was going to be disinherited, or disinherit himself (because Yu-Rin basically tore her own heart out so that he would take back his walking out on the family), but emotionally, there would be a distance that would never be bridged. Because after all of this, after Gong-Chan finally gave up on Yu-Rin as the last thing he could do for her, he is still leaving for Japan. And when the Grandfather asks if he (Grandpa) is really that awful, Gong-Chan doesn’t say anything but bows and walks out. He says he will come back when he can face Grandpa with a smile but Grandpa must finally have become aware that his own time is limited and that may never happen and that his beloved grandson clearly cannot bear to be in the same house with him.
Take that, you nasty old man!
After all, this rift has existed for two years. Yeah, Grandpa drove Yu-Rin away so as to keep Gong-Chan blah blah but you know, he lost his grandson anyway. I love the scene in ep 15 where Gong Chan comes in because he is off to Japan and the way they act around each other is so formal, so constrained. Gong-Chan loves his Grandfather a lot, and as his later behavior with Yu-Rin demonstrates he will forgive a lot and never give up the emotion if he really really loves, but I am sure he can never forget the horrifying scene near the end of 14, where he broke down utterly and begged and Grandfather just looked on. And I love that he is so open that he is going to Japan to look for Yu-Rin. In his quiet way, Gong-Chan is pure steel and he won’t bend even for his family.
And I love that they haven’t gotten over each other. They come across as incomplete, though doing fine enough on the surface. Yu-Rin still treasures that shabby star she plucked (and she keeps telling herself it's all over but she still holds it to her chest, tight) and Gong-Chan, OMG, I broke down when I saw his collection of snow globes. And the aunt indicates that every snowy day he buys one (because he promised Yu-Rin he'll buy her a new one instead of the one she broke, when it snows and he couldn't keep the promise).
And he's been looking for her for two years, and you see the exhaustive search. And meanwhile the dreadful Grandpa has been concealing from him about finding his real granddaughter because he knows the moment GC finds this out, he will walk out (and OMG, when GC finds out later, Grandpa tells him 'I did not want you to go guilt free to her.' I hate him SO MUCH).
It's clear that something in Gong-Chan broke when Yu-Rin left. He later tells Yu-Rin, matter of factly, that he doesn't work for the Hotel any more because when she left he just went to pieces and just drank and traveled (I assume looking for her). And I love how she is so desperate to believe this isn't true and she keeps asking him to tell her he's been OK. Because she did it all for him and she can't bear to think she hurt him. But of course, she believes she must hurt him again. She has to do what she did two years ago, mark 2, only it’s worse because it’s to his face.
kitsune714 said that Gong-Chan goes a little mad in these eps, and it’s true. He only comes fully back alive once he finds out where she is, from the tour business card that a tourist drops. And then the LOOK on his face…he looks stunned, like he can’t take it all in. He signs up for the tour under a false name and the scene in the airport when both of them see each other for the first time in two years is romantic, and funny, and gorgeous, and heartbreaking. Because she sees him, and freezes, and tries to hide but he walks up to her and he looks at her as if she is everything he’s ever wanted in life and all he can say is 'Yu Rin...Yu Rin...Yu Rin' and they just stare at each other.
But of course, she tries to put up a front, a mask, very hard, but she is not so good at it any more. She says 'haven't seen you in a long time' and you can see him look so betrayed and hurt and he asks her 'are you joking?' OMG, poor OTP.
And he tells her he is the tourist on her tour and a series of both funny and heart-breaking scenes follow where she tries to get rid of him but he won’t let her. And he’s completely determined and a bit mad and utterly set. LOVE. He tells her he is not letting her go and asks her for a ride ‘because I have no money.’ And when she points out he has credit cards, he throws them away. And says the cell is dead etc etc etc. GUUUUUH.
I love the scene in the restaurant where he tells her he promised he’d pick her up in 10 days and he is very late but he is here. He is just so completely laying himself open to her, holding nothing back, and just trying to get her to acknowledge her feelings in return. But of course, the harder he tries, the more she loves him, and the more she loves him, the more she wants to protect him, and so the more she pushes him away. I love the scene in the karaoke bar where he tells her that he is sorry for hounding her but ‘you won’t let me open my mouth’ and all he wants to tell her is that he loves her and he is sorry and he missed her. But the thing is, that is why she can’t let him talk, because she is afraid she’ll be swayed because she wants to give in so badly.
So he actually ends up going to do a karaoke song (and he is NOT a good singer) because that is the only way he can express the feelings to her and she won’t bolt. And then they have this gorgeous, painful conversation in the hallway, where he tells her he would have shown up for her in 10 days so it’s not in the past for him but she insists it is for her.
And then he goes home only to find the real cousin there and to find out that Grandpa knew about her two years ago. And OMG, how much do I love angry!Gong-Chan? And he says he is going to Yu-Rin, with Yu-Rin and his Grandfather tells him he will disown him, and Gong-Chan basically says the polite equivalent of ‘TFB’ and walks out. And he tells his aunt that Grandpa will forgive him someday (and at the moment, he clearly doesn’t care) but he can’t be without Yu-Rin. HOT. Gong-Chan is SO my dorama boyfriend, it’s not even funny.
And after that, he shows up at Yu-Rin’s house (as she is wistfully looking at that shabby star) and she tells him to leave her alone and she couldn’t care less what he does and so OMG OMG OMG, he is rather mad and he tells her that this is great, because then he’ll just do what he wants and she can lie all she wants and he grabs her by the hand and drags her out (OMG, determined!Gong-Chan is SEX). And in the next scene they are in a jewelry store, and they are still holding her by the hand and telling the jeweler to pick an (engagement) ring, ‘the most expensive one, to weigh her down in body and soul so she can’t run’ and OMG, that is the HOTTEST, most FUBAR proposal EVER and I need to lie down for a bit. And he thrusts this gigantic ring on her finger and she retorts that it’s nice and expensive, so she could sell it and he tells her (and I die again): “If you ever get rid of it, I am pressing robbery charges. And fine, you can sell it. If you do, I’ll just buy you a more expensive one.” And he tells her they’ll just take it to the end and she tells him she’s reached the end years ago. So he goes (and I love how he is so angry yet not in the least loud or threatening to her), “you still won’t stop lying?” (I just love how he is so fed up with everyone trying to run his life for him and won’t let them) and he drags her to church so she can’t lie there and he very tenderly tells her that he knows it’s rough and it’s so rough she wants to cut and run and there is no guarantee it will get better but OTOH they found the real cousin and tells her that from now on he will look only at her so can’t she look only at him and it’s a whole gorgeous little speech and she is silent because she cannot lie so he tells her that he takes it for a half-hearted assent and when she’s decided with the other half, to come to him. And leaves. Because he said what he wanted, everything he wanted, but of course the choice is up to her.
Have I mentioned that I have a crush of scary proportions on Gong-Chan?
And it looks like he’s finally broken through her defenses but evil Grandpa tracks her down through Gong-Chan’s cell log and calls her for a meeting (while Gong-Chan is waiting for her at 63 building, argh. And when he calls her she tells him she won’t come, argh!) And Grandpa asks her not to break up the family and about Gong-Chan walking out and I want to smack him because it’s not Yu-Rin who is breaking up the family, you are!!!
So poor poor Yu-Rin. She comes up with the greatest, final swindle of her life in order to make Gong-Chan let go of her…
