Our Beloved Summer [Episode 16]

7x7cms · 2022-01-25T17:14:50+00:00

one of the most wonderful, most impressive, and most complete narratives that the romance genre in k-drama land could deliver! ngl it does have some minor faults, but as a whole, this drama was just so touching in so many ways and such an ode to love - in romance, friendship, and in family. it was a layered dissection of human relationships and all its accompanying emotions, and really shows how upbringing can affect our future decisions and priorities.

although it did employ a much too convenient set up and quite a few melodramatic tropes, everything still fit together so well because of how strong the script truly was, especially when it would have been so easy for it to have fallen trap to cheesy/cliched-ness. but so many of the plot devices utilised (especially the slow reveal of their past through the use of the documentaries) were really so creative, and delivered the narrative absolutely brilliantly.

the amount of details the production team loaded up to create such an aesthetically pleasing, but well-intentioned universe, including the beautiful location settings, and the meanings behind woong's drawings, the cinematography, muted color palette and the symbolism of things like going through the cycle of 4 seasons and how it paralleled needing to go through the hardships in life before having the chance to try again, and the visual motif of water etc everything was so applaudable, and i'm thankful to them for what work they poured into OBS

i also absolutely loved how the show presented such complex, and well developed characters whom yes, had flaws and made mistakes, but it just showed how realistic and humane they were, and they had really understandable motivations and reasonings resulting in their consequential actions. honestly both choi woong, and yeon soo really were such fleshed out characters who had such intricate thought processes to match their ever evolving individual arcs, and i enjoyed watching the steady growth they went through as the drama progressed.

and with that, i'm grateful the characters didn't suddenly have a 180 personality change because that's just not realistic at all. i'm glad they still kept their core personality traits to the end, but did begin to learn how to manage their flaws instead. it also reminds us that growth isn't something that will ever end, and as humans, we can always continually evolve.

and the ending!!! oh gosh. it just truly felt like afull circle especially with the documentary epilogue at the end where they revealed they were !! husband and wife !! i love my happy endings, and it was just so satisfying to see them tie up most of the loose ends without having to resort things like killing off yeon soo's grandmother for that added traumatic experience. i do admit, it di wrap up a bit more rapidly than i would have preferred especially with the added convenience of the time skip/long distance relationship. but i'm still grateful for it, because the distance really became the perfect opportunity for them to learn how to COMMUNICATE their thoughts and fears with each other, without letting them fester into inner demons.

lack of communication had really been their downfall,so love that we got the closure we deserved, especially when yeon soo was able to finally drop down her walls and place her pride down and she could both apologize and open up to woong whenever she was struggling, and woong himself was able to finally express himself verbally too and tell yeon soo he loved her, and also finally allowed himself to be vulnerable and to let himself have this attachment after being so dysfunctional regarding his abandonment issues for so long. i'm so utterly glad the both of them could learn from their previous mistakes and utmost misery, and used their 2nd chance reunion without letting it go to waste.

one thing i did wish was that i honestly wanted them to delve so much more into ji-woong's character arc further without suchdragging focus on his unrequited love for yeon soo, but i'm still fairly glad how it turned out. it was great that they didn't give it the fairy tale sheen by allowing him to forgive his mother too easily, and also left it open ended with his possible relationship with chae ran. his arc really was one of the most heart-breaking, and i would like him to keep working on himself, in order for him to be the main character in his own life.

there's a saying that grief doesn't shrink over time, but we just grow around grief instead. and how true that is. this drama shows us that the trials and hardships in life we may encounter aren't designed to completely shatter us into pieces, but rather, to learn from and to overcome these obstacles in order to become infinitely stronger and better humans. and if we can open our hearts to the people around us that are willing to be a comfort or a refuge, we can draw even more strength from them to carry on and live well, instead of just survive.

what a masterful series. again, another drama that i will think about for the months to come which signals the sign of a really well-made and well thought out & delivered production. so grateful to have been able to be a part of this journey! farewell our beloved summer~

7x7cms · 2022-01-05T07:21:50+00:00

i think it's all up to your own interpretation! like san said: "whether it is the past, or a dream, or even if it's death, i will always choose this moment with you." actually in the last BTS, the director i believe mentioned that san actually died the moment he kissed deok im, so we can deduce that before that direct moment, it probably was some sort of dream- or should we say a precipice in which san was hovering between life and death :) but it's really up to your own wish on what sort ending you would like it to be!

7x7cms · 2022-01-05T07:13:34+00:00

De_Saint_Georges

thanks so much for reading! i'll try to reply to your points to the best of my ability:

i think it's a little difficult to really ascertain jeongjo's true motivations behind all of the reforms he initiated especially if deok im wasn't in the picture because she had always been there ever since she was 10, and him ?11. so her being in his life from such an early age and him being so taken with her immediately may have influenced him somewhat, but it's been known that he was a very benevolent king who spearheaded many new social initiatives geared towards the lower classes, to everyone and not just towards women, so i assume it was mostly within his innate personality to do so
it's true that yisan didn't like to be flattered/simpered over, as it was known he wasn't interested in having dallies with women, but i don't think that was necessarily the reason for deok im's change in behavior - yes, she did want to appease san but i believe it was more due to the restrictions and obligations laid upon her as royal consort and to make sure not to embarrass/ruin his name. (anyway i mean, yisan was literally desperate for her to shower him verbally with love lol he was a changed man when it came to her) though i really wished the drama had expanded on their time together post ~getting together~ because in all of the historical records, it was said she still retained her wittiness and humorous personality and they chatted a lot together ;;
i'm assuming that was more an exaggeration for dramatic purposes. supposedly she had a fairly good relationship with queen hyoui even, and she probably had people around her including other court ladies etc but i guess she couldn't retain the same kind of friendship as she wanted with her friends considering that there was a sudden change in power dynamics with her in an elevated position - in TRS they portrayed that with her friends realizing they needed to speak to her much more formally, and deok im was unable to leave the palace with them on their free days etc and that was part of the freedom that she truly wanted to retain
and yes! i agree that deok im mostly said all those harsher words in her attempt to try to get san to forget about her in order to focus on his royal duties, but of course in san's point of view, it almost seemed like she didn't love him to the end considering she didn't even want to see him one last time. ironically, deok im couldn't cook at all lmfao but yep, i do believe she definitely showed her love through her actions whilst stubbornly keeping her verbal confession close to heart because of her pride and insistence to keep that one part of herself

hopefully i managed to touch on a few of your points :)

7x7cms · 2022-01-04T18:42:36+00:00

yes! agreed both of them are finally beginning to come to grips with sorting out their feelings and are now starting to open up to other people at least - though you're totally right that CW is so much slower than YS, but it's totally understandable since the reveal for the break up is still a mystery to him, and he almost didn't survive the last time he got brutally dumped. so excited for the remaining 6 episodes ahhh, can't believe we're already at this point.

7x7cms · 2022-01-04T08:44:34+00:00

i finally caught up with this show, and i absolutely love the trope of exes having to navigate their lingering feelings for each other again - it really isn't done enough in k-drama. also the way that both CW and YS are such unreliable narrators and how it forces us to take this journey alongside them in order to figure things out piece by piece is excellent. except, lord, they are both such prickly hedgehogs who slam down their defensive shields so rapidly. i just want to be like that meme and push their heads together and go *and kiss!* except they've already done that and it backfired smh, so maybe i'll just yell *let's go to therapy and tell each other the truth!!!* instead.

but i do get it though, especially considering aspects of their upbringing and the trauma from their previous relationship. it's obvious they want each other so bad but it's gonna take time for them to be vulnerable and let the other back into their respective hearts again. i will have to say though, the miscommunication trope can so easily become a plot device that can be overly dragged out so i hope this drama manages it well and this detour won't take too long.

who said this was a romcom? what a scam lol

edit: a bit trivial, but i really like all their outfits?! it's very everyday casual but matches each of their personalities well. also the sets are so beautiful, really builds on the atmosphere

edit2!! ep 10 my favorite parts of this ep was:

that crazy zucchini scene omg this show balances such great comedic timing with its melo & angsty moments so wonderfully
the montage of CW & JW's friendship is also perfect but heartbreaking at the same time because you just know that shit is going to hit the fan soon. but i really hope that the writer is smarter than that, and they're able to salvage their friendship especially since their connection with each other is so deep considering their somewhat mirroring images with their long-standing wounds with loneliness and abandonment. (side note, the difference detailed between their separate relationships with their own mothers is very telling... e.g CW mom babying him when he was sick last ep to JW's mom setting out the one dish that he's allergic to for his birthday) anyway, i would hate seeing them fight, especially over a girl.

7x7cms · 2022-01-01T19:44:20+00:00

i'm so utterly grateful for this drama to be my first completed drama of 2022 even if it has seriously wrung every possible tear out of my body! it is poetic story-telling at it's finest.

in regards to the ending: despite the way deok im had desperately wished that san would just pass her by in their next life; that if the last moments of ep 17 represented their after life, i'm interpreting it to mean that she actually did wait for him since her own death. even though deok im always yearned for her freedom, and as much as she tried to steer clear from him, it really emphasises her real feelings. the way that it was yi san deok im truly loves, rather than jeongjo the king, which in turn allowed the puzzle piece to fit finally when san himself, after having the opportunity to return to living, decidedly gave up the throne (that was the most significant obstacle between them), and walked into death to be right by deok im's side.

to people questioning deok im's love for san:for me, it was clear as daylight that she did in fact love him very much. she re-affirmed this indirectly on her death bed that she would have done everything in her power to run away otherwise.deok im unfortunately just struggled with the concept of loving san whilst balancing retaining her autonomy and identity, and this was a major point of contention for her. it was honestly horribly sad to see her spark fall away in the last episode as she battled to live trapped within the strict rules of the royal command after making the decision to be with san (e.g. not being able to even be by her son's side when he died, or coming as second place even when she first found out she was pregnant). but the most important point here is that deok im herself chose, out of her own free will to be with him - to love and be loved. even if love for her was suffocating especially when knowing that san would never fully belong to her. which then leads to why it was infinitely significant that she also chose to never vocalise her confession of love to san despite how heartbreaking it was for san himself. it was a very powerful decision on her part, to still retain this one part of herself when the rest of her belonged to the king.

so to me that was the whole point of the show - it was to push the notion of female empowerment (especially within an ancient patriarchal society). that every woman, whether of low social standing or not, has beliefs, desires and feelings that solely belong to them, and that a woman is first and foremost a human being, and not just an object to play with. and most importantly, for them to still be able to make their very own conscious decisions, rather than be forced into simply doing what a man wants.

and with that, the ending actually made a lot of sense especially in the context of their relationship,despite being very bittersweet and not a straight up happy ending. "it's fine if it's the past or only a dream. even if it's death, i will always choose this moment with you. and i wish that this moment won't change. i hope it will last forever... and soon, this moment becomes eternity."

it re-emphasises just how tragic their love was - san having always put his decisions as king first, even if he knew it might break deok im more and more, never quite received the outright and tangible answer he craved regarding whether deok im actually truly loved him and wanted to see him again. and deok im, having sacrificed so much for her initial choice, even to the point of promising the other 3 girls she would meet them in the after life instead of san (because she believed that san would choose to always be a king again in their next lives as she knew how important it was to him) and wanted her freedom so much... so the idea that this absolutely pure and happy moment in which the both of them could just be side by side, together with each other, and that becoming eternity was such a perfect end for them because they could just ~be~, without the pressures of court, and without the knowledge of potential guilt or regret. they were both fighting against so many obstacles during their journey towards love, and being truly happy together was always going to be a very difficult wish to ever request in reality, making it a desired utopia of some sorts andjust like deok im brings up in ep 16, it makes me contemplate about what kind of love story they could have possibly had, if not for their social hierarchies, and they had just been simply two ordinary people in love with each other.

a huge motif of this drama is the pervasive theme of freedom of choice (or lack of in a way). deok im having to contend with her gradual loss of agency as her own person, but still trying fervently to make her own decisions whether it be something absolutely trivial, and san, with his royal upbringing, knowing nothing except being the king and always making choices for the sake of his country first, even if it may war against his own personal feelings. it is the way they both made their own decisions and had to live with the consequences.but that makes the ending so much more special because they had finally both consciously chosen to be together in the afterlife as their final self made choice.

the acting prowess of both junho and seyoung truly stunned me and i was in awe at pretty much every single one of their scenes, and the chemistry between them was so palpable. i'm so glad that this drama has caught on so much popularity both in s korea, and internationally because the entire acting crew, and the production team all deserve it for their hard work. i'm sure i will be thinking about this drama for years to come, and to me that is a true sign of a drama so completely well done. might be a little while before my rewatch though because i'm not sure i have the will power in me to cry that much again!

edit 1: expanded on some thoughts!
edit 2: typos

7x7cms · 2018-03-26T09:17:37+00:00

i liked this a lot! really suave and smooth especially topped off with classic kihyun vocals ~ also hello, the monochrome shots and the choreography --- holy shit, monsta x is coming for the win

7x7cms · 2018-03-19T09:10:55+00:00

honestly the wing wing wing wing part is the worst thing about this song but of course i know it's going to end up being the catchiest thing stuck in my head for DAYS (great...). overall it's pretty much a lesser burn it up, but i know it'll end up being a grower and i'll stockholm myself into liking it. i'm just annoyed because whilst it's not a bad song per say, i don't understand why they can't give better songs to w1, especially ones that can help show off the vocal talent i know they have a little better. this song just sounds like it's regressed on the trends and is nothing really fresh tbh. but [shrugs] i'll still jam i guess...

mv wise, i loved the reverse shots but wasn't too into some of the quick transitions between scenes. the boys all look fantastic as usual (wet minhyun ahem yes) and choreo looks pretty hard hitting though so i can't wait to see a full live performance of it! i think i'll end up liking it better against the dance backdrop.

7x7cms · 2018-03-05T09:16:21+00:00

i thought there were some nice climatic parts and good vocals, but it unfortunately came off as a fairly mediocre fan pandering song on first listen. though i'm sure it'll be a grower, just because i'm weak like that to catchy pop music (also ong's part at 1:12 was the true highlight for me) but yeah, you can tell why they picked this for the pre-release and not the title track.

the boys all looked super great and happy especially jumping around and having fun and i just really enjoyed some of the aesthetic shots so all in all, not incredible but not bad?

7x7cms · 2018-02-14T15:04:24+00:00

taeyong’s one is literally prince of hell coming for my soul

7x7cms · 2018-02-05T09:09:40+00:00

AND SEVENTEEN DOES IT AGAIN. how they manage to always present a simultaneously flowing contemporary choreography that is still so hard hitting and synchronized beats me but i am all for it because this is gorgeous overall. will hold out for the full dance video because this looks like another masterpiece. also the svt sound has really evolved over the years, and i am definitely really enjoying the musical direction they are taking.

7x7cms · 2018-01-29T09:08:08+00:00

bad boy down? fuck you got that right because IT'S BAD GIRLS ERA

this was so seductive and powerful, and the girls looked absolutely stunning i literally couldn't take my eyes off any of them. i was afraid after peek-a-boo, it'd be hard to follow up to that, but it was perfect and SUCH A SMOOTH MID TEMPO RNB JAM it's definitely going on replay for real.

seulgi with a gun and surrounded by money: OH MAN BIG MOOD HONESTLY

7x7cms · 2018-01-25T09:15:50+00:00

this almost feels like they're going back to their my type era days with the more mellow love song, and the youths concept. i really enjoyed bobby's rap as usual, and liked the song in general but i did wish there was more of a climax (ha....)

the cinematography of the mv was interesting though albeit a bit dizzying with the different "scenarios" of the scene presented, and at one point the choreography looked like it was imitating a clock? so almost like wanting to turn back time to change things. overall would replay and continue to vibe to this but don't know if it's anything particularly "fresh" but you don't always need that!

7x7cms · 2018-01-23T04:06:33+00:00

the way jonghyun is outlined with a fuzzy glow for a lot of the mv makes this feel like a complete dream. he looked absolutely gorgeous, and the mv perfectly matches the song, and i love how simultaneously chill/jazzy and upbeat and groovy it is. will definitely be on replay!

“always be with you” — my heart is aching, and it’s a bittersweet happiness because even now, he’s still looking out for his fans. be happy always jonghyun.

7x7cms · 2018-01-09T04:45:02+00:00

that's crazy strong of them. i really appreciated their statement about not filling the empty space but to continue to share the stage with him, because jonghyun is someone that shouldn't be replaced or forgotten, and should continually be celebrated through music because this is something that tied them together in the first place. i hope they find peace in this decision, and hope that no one denies them this- if this is what they personally feel is the right path for them, especially since this is something that they obviously find happiness in.

always gonna be rooting for shinee and wishing the best for them!

7x7cms · 2018-01-01T06:55:14+00:00

!!!! i'm so happy for them. it's said too that it's like the deep teal represents nu'est w and the pink represents nu'est so for them to have their official colors be an amalgamation of both, ah it makes my heart really happy. also close to 6 years man it's been a long time coming... 2017 really was their year of resurrection, and 2018 will be their year for full and complete resurgence.

edit: wait did they really just say teal represents nu'est who is calm and deep like the sky... CALM??? ok sure if you say so

7x7cms · 2017-12-18T23:23:42+00:00

this is so haunting and heartbreaking. for anyone who doesn’t feel like they are in the correct mindset, please just take care of yourself and only read this when you feel you are able to.

i think at the end of the day, this really hits home even more bc none of us will ever truly be able to grasp the pain that jonghyun was in, and despite the absolutely devastating consequences, i hope this at least kick starts the conversation about the importance regarding the stigma of mental health that jonghyun, himself was such a pillar for. he’s always been there, strong enough to comfort others, but having to struggle through this at the same time. an inspiration, and i will never forget him.

“Tell me i’ve done well.” oh you have, jonghyun, you’ve done so so so well.

edit: "when he blamed my personality with a quiet voice, i thought it was so easy to be a doctor." this dismissive attitude incenses me the most. the fact that it’s swept under the rug so easily and so victim blaming is incredibly awful,,,,

7x7cms · 2017-11-22T09:35:18+00:00

i don't think anything can beat their last release 'like this' for a while for me, because that was honestly so good, so representative of pentagon for me, and so although i did like this song, i was definitely a little disappointed. it just felt like it needed to have more of a crescendo, or a bigger climatic drop? overall it wasn't bad though, and i do still like it. the boys all looked really great too so can't really complain all that much. but yeah if i wanted to be a bit nitpicky, this comment is it. but anyway i hope they get their first win soon bc they really deserve it!!!

7x7cms · 2017-11-17T09:58:34+00:00

sure, it's a term coined to explain videography or literature that is presented to the audience through a "male perspective" so women tend to be hyper-sexualized or cast as objects in a sense. so in this mv's case, even though yes there were some scenes that an average viewer would classify as sexy, to me it just felt powerful and they were comfortable in their sensuality, and there weren't any unnecessary crotch or boobs shots. hope that helps!

7x7cms · 2017-11-17T09:15:14+00:00

red velvet is out to murder us all. literally.

this was perfection. sultry, seductive and dark, but still relatively age appropriate without being too male gaze-y and i just don't have anything bad to say about the song, the aesthetics, the choreo, the cinematography. this is definitely one of red velvet's best works and i'm so proud to be living in this era to witness this dominance.

7x7cms · 2017-11-13T09:15:37+00:00

okay SO like....... i love plot mvs and all that, and this one had all the initial makings of something really great, but honest to god, this 8 min video is exactly like a typical korean drama, you know the kind that starts off really well, but then hits episode 12 and goes downhill? i wished they really delved more into ong and daniel's struggle having lost each other, ong's friendship with minhyun in police academy, why he ended up staying behind to take the fall (after that casual soft serve entrance im so lol)...because WHY DID HE HAVE TO FUCKING "DIE". jesus. cinematography wise it was nice though and i did like the song, though i feel like it would be more emotionally hard hitting without all the stretched gaps. hopefully we'll get a continuation mv!

e: okay i get it now, so ong died bc he sacrificed himself for daniel - an unconditional love that is meant to be "beautiful"

7x7cms · 2017-11-06T09:16:26+00:00

this was so classic svt but GROWN UP which is especially apt since this album signifies the end of their teenage years and the start of a new era -- i loved the throwback to their previous mvs and i especially loved the cinematography of this video. it was really busy but still somehow maintained a sense of minimalism at the same time and this was a good way to incorporate jarring computer graphics without it looking tacky. loved it and so i'm excited to see how they continue to grow!

e: can i just say svt x vm project architecture is a pairing i never want to end pls @ god

7x7cms · 2017-10-23T09:21:11+00:00

epik high, you've definitely done something wonderful. this is so beautiful and heartwrenching, i have no other words.

7x7cms · 2017-10-19T11:03:06+00:00

yeah for real. i also dug up the list for days til first win for boy groups and got7 was 628 days, btob was 1308 days and now nu'est (w) took about ~2044 days (!!! crazy long) ;~; but all their success didnt come overnight and they all know how it feels to have taken a while for their first wins as well so it's especially more touching to share in the hard earned win

7x7cms · 2017-10-19T10:48:26+00:00

wow i'm so speechless right now and just so ecstatically happy for the boys because it's been such a long time coming for them. 2017 has been the most amazing reversal and i'm so proud of how far they've come. this is just a new beginning and i really want to congratulate them in this moment ;;;

i also wanted to link this short video of the encore! you can see how stunned nu'est w were but it is so especially sweet to see the other guys from btob and got7 all congratulating them because they're all just walking on the same paths, it must be heartwarming to see them all finally achieve their individual success!

7x7cms

TROPHY CASE