Not Others / Strangers 남남 (2023)

[peperomia]

Alas, we have reached the end. I liked the last episode, but at the same time, I wanted so much more! This might be the first time I felt the format of 12 episodes wasn’t enough. If we’re supposed to imagine what 1 year later looks like, I am in desperate need of a fanfic. LOL.

 

Nevertheless, some things I liked were:

• Eun Mi, Jin Hee and Jae Won’s conversation at the convenient store. Eun Mi pieced together they slept together at the official residence. It was funny how she teased him and made him squirm. On a serious note, by the look in her eyes, knowing Jin Hee has Jae Won by her side seemed to put Eun Mi at ease.
• Jin Hee being straightforward in saying that if she moved out and into the official residence, it would be cohabitation. This surprised Jae Won while Eun Mi didn’t object. LOL.
• Eun Mi admitting Jin Hee can do better without her. (I believe this has a tie into her other thought that Jin Hee isn’t like her, as she grew up with love.)
• Eun Mi realizing she must let go of Jin Hee first so in turn, Jin Hee can let go of her.
• Jin Hee accepting the pocket money from Eun Mi and Mi Jung was expected, but I liked that she accepted Jin Hong’s and his sister/Ji Eun’s as well. Her message to Ji Eun was a thoughtful gesture. They’re not exactly family but not strangers either. It was nice that she made the effort to let Ji Eun know that.
• The consistency of Jae Won – calm, level-headed and thoughtful. Jin Hee backpacking for 1 year can’t be easy on him, but he was 100% supportive and let her know that he’ll be waiting for her. She reassured him that she’ll miss him. I like that his travel notebook will be as if he’s with her. A part of me wished he also went with her, but I get why it was a trip she must do on her own and for herself.

Finally, I’m not quite sure how I feel about Eun Mi deciding to backpack as well. I guess if she wasn’t truly tagging along with Jin Hee, I could accept it. I know all along they’re supposed to be inseparable. So, while they’re on their own different paths now, they’re also kind of still together.

[abs-oluteM]

@peperomia thanks for such a lovely summary of the finale. This show has been great from start to finish. The plot and messaging of the show was clear and there was proper development for the main cast. While I craved more moments for Jae Won and Jin Hee, I think the drama did well in balancing screen time for all concerned. I appreciate that there were no wasted scenes - every interaction or conversation added value to the show . 

 

Having Jin Hee go on a year trip on her own was such a brilliant idea from this writer. It was evident that JH had saved EM from the day she was born but it had come to a point where EM had become too dependent on JH. While I don't think there's anything wrong in parents wanting your children to be with you in later years, I feel that JH had lived her whole life pleasing mum and making sure that mum's needs and happiness were met first. JH needed to spread her wings and finally do something for herself. I liked how they used that part to have EM let Jin Hee go - I feel that that is important for a healthy parent - child relationship. 

 

I also appreciate that the message here about family is not necessarily about blood ties etc, but family can be the people you choose to build that relationship with. It was symbolic that JH received that letter of relation just before her trip. And that the drama never forced things to between Jin Hee and Jin Hong - she still called him ahjussi and there were no expectations for them to become father and daughter. I had wanted a bit more in earlier episodes but as the drama progressed, I just like that there was this tacit agreement between them that being with EM and looking after her would be his priority.

 

And finally the romance between JW and JH was so organically developed that it was a shame we didn't have more of their moments at the end. Nevertheless , I loved how they both brought out the best in each other. A lot has been said of how awesome Jae Won is as a male lead, and I concur. But it should be mentioned that Jin Hee was also such a great girl. I love her straightforwardness and steady personality. JW-JH shared a lot of similar values, and that's why they make such a great pair.  

[peperomia]

@abs-oluteM This show was a gem so I’m happy it left you with positive feelings as well. 

 

Re: Jin Hong and Jin Hee’s relationship, sometimes not much needs to be said about it nor does it need to be defined. Although subtle, there was some dialogue that highlighted the importance of one to the other. When Eun Mi shared her worries about letting Jin Hee go with Jin Hong, he comforted her by saying they just need to patiently wait as Jin Hee will eventually come around and return by “our side” again. He spoke of the situation like a father would and his use of “our side” signified their dynamic much like a family. As for Jin Hee, I believe she was able to let go of her mother and embark on her solo journey mostly because she had full trust in Jin Hong. When Eun Mi talked about how she will live life to the fullest from hereon, including dating a lot, Jin Hee wanted reassurance her mother meant going on dates with Jin Hong only. I thought this spoke volumes of the significance of Jin Hong to her – essentially a permanent figure in their lives.

 

I would've loved more scenes of Jin Hee and Jae Won as well, but the slow-burn was beautifully done to the end. And, if there's still more left to be desired of them, it means there's something truly special about them, right? So, maybe it's best to leave it at that. I take back what I said about needing a fanfic. LOL.

 

By the way, this was my first-time watching Park Sung Hoon and I really like him. I read he will play a detective in the upcoming show “The Day” that is airing in September. I plan to check it out!

[abs-oluteM]

10 hours ago, peperomia said:

By the way, this was my first-time watching Park Sung Hoon and I really like him. I read he will play a detective in the upcoming show “The Day” that is airing in September. I plan to check it out!

Ooo I will try to open a thread for that. I thought I might be the only one watching .

 

PSH is such a versatile actor. He was so creepy and convincing as a psychopath in The Diary of A Psychopath and in Justice but it was in those dramas that he caught my attention . He's only played the romantic male lead 3 times including this show. Do check out Into The Ring if you like what you saw here. Jae Won  is somewhat similar to his character there. Plus the show has such a fun and interesting premise. He had great chemistry with the FL played by Nana. 

[peperomia]

@abs-oluteM Oh yeah, if you watch The Day, please do open a thread. Besides PSH's role, I am also interested in Yoon Kye Sang's character and his dynamics with the young girl. In the meantime, I'll look into PSH's previous dramas. Thanks for the recs!