Thirty Nine 서른 아홉 [2022]

[abs-oluteM]

New stills 

The accident is from the past

 

Is she going to find out who her birth mother is ?

[Chocolate]

oooh

 

 

Edited March 17, 2022 by Chocolate

[abs-oluteM]

Some key things that happened in yesterday's episode:

1. SW finds out about the complex relationship between CY, Jin Seok & his soon to be ex wife ( not sure if she'll ever want to divorce him. He discovers too that MJ has panic attacks.

2. The girls are happy that Joo Hee is now working part-time for Chef-nim. I find this potential romance so cute. Chef-nim's girlfriend was mad he turned down the offer to go back to the 5star hotel he was working for. Of course it is clear as day that he should just dump this gf of his. 

3. CY finally decides the one thing that she really wants to do for herself - act! So she attends an audition. Then we find out why her own acting career never really took off- she and Jin Seok met an accident on the day of an important audition. He was driving her there. That became something that held her back ever since . 

4. SW finds out that his sister has moved back to the orphanage. The director told him that his father had actually asked that his sister legally remove herself from the family. Even tried to use money which the director passed to SW. 

5. MJ's biological mum is quite awful. She was in jail and seems like both Joo Hee's mum and also MJ's mum had tried to shield MJ from her. She often asked MJ's mum for $$ while in jail. Looks like the bio mum was released from jail. At the end of the episode, JH's mum finally tell MJ about the bio mum. 

6. Aiksssss....Jin Seok's wife does the lowest thing possible . She goes look for CY's parents and tells them that CY is seeing her husband ....

 

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New stills...preview was super angsty

 

[Chocolate]

Just finished episodes 7 & 8. My friend asked “how come this show is so long”? 😂

 

To continue from @abs-oluteM highlights, in ep8:

 

1. CY’s mother was scolding MJ and JH for not stopping CY. There was some confusion over what she was angry about (they thought she knew about the illness) until she mentioned “affair”. CY finally told her parents that she is terminally ill. So so sad, this scene. And also the one where her mum sat by the lake and cried.

 

Her parents asked her to move home. She says she will. Later 😭

2. CY arranges meeting with JS’s wife and tells her to bear with it a little longer. The wife sarcastically asks if she is planning to emigrate. CY says she will be dead.

 

I hope this shuts down the wife’s part in this drama. In the whole scheme of things, to me, the wife is so insignificant. To CY, who is dying, she can afford to be selfish. And yet she is not, and tells JS that she wishes that they will end as friends. What more can we expect of her?

 

Plus, the wife is reaping what she sowed. If she had not lied and cheated to make JS marry her, she would not have to fight to keep a husband that was never truly hers to begin with. I have no respect and sympathy for her. I would never ever approach the other woman. This is an issue between you and your husband. Sort it out between yourselves. Don’t be a battering ram and running all over the place. Have some dignity!

 

One of CY’s wish was to save JS’s marriage. I dearly hope the drama will not end with them happily reconciled.

 

3. The chef is so cute. He found out that JH had quit her job, so he pretended to need help and “forced” JH to work for him part time (did he fire his previous part timer?). The girlfriend found out that he was offered the position of head chef at the hotel and he declined. She was so angry and said if he loved her, he would return to the hotel. I say, if she loved him, she will understand what makes him happy. Good riddance to her too.

 

4. Her adopted father asked So Won to ask him to disown her, after her mother died. So that she wouldn’t inherit his wealth? 🤔 So Won also returned the money he spent on her - was that why she was working as a hostess? This is so warped. Seon Wu found out and asked the father to apologise, otherwise he would disown the father 😅

 

Anyway, the timing of this clashed with MJ’s sister inviting him and his father to have a meal with their family. SW declined and MJ thought it was because he was ashamed that she was an orphan. So in addition to the issue about her biological mother, she was stressed with thinking SW would be returning to US and ending their relationship.

 

5. The happy news is that CY was successful in her audition!

 

[abs-oluteM]

@Chocolate I like the recent episodes and in fact I am just done with eps 8. I can understand why some people would think the episodes are long cause they are ! ahahah...but strangely for eps 8 , time passed quickly for me. I like how the plot is progressing and it does feel like CY's bucket list for her friends and herself are being checked. 

 

CY's parents found out about her illness in the worst possible way. But then again, there's no good way of breaking such news to your loved ones. How do you tell someone you're gonna die soon, and put on that brave front? And her mother ...arrggh I feel for her. How do you remain calm when you're about to lose your child? 

 

I am happy with how MJ and SW worked things out. I thought it was smooth how he proposed .

And the JH - Chef romance will have a chance now! 

[Chocolate]

Wahhhhhhhh. In CLOY, we were discussing back hug and how the actors usually try to avoid having their arms directly over the actress's chest. But @abs-oluteM your YWJ has his face in her boobs! 🤣

 

Oh, so this scene was meant to be funny. I was thinking that him grabbing her head seemed awkward - like, she can't breathe or smelling his armpits haha! So now we know it was intentional.

 

 

Full Video

 

Edited March 22, 2022 by Chocolate

[Chocolate]

 

[Chocolate]

With subs

 

[abs-oluteM]

@Chocolate

Thankfully the idea is from her , if not my poor oppa may get daggers thrown at him. So he is a lucky man then.  

 

Wahhhh think he is gonna propose

Spoiler

 

LOL...I think this is where they try to break into a cake shop

[Chocolate]

😭😭😭 Never thought about the worries of these orphans. So the family wanted to adopt and decided to go with the child that Mi Yeon liked - this again reinforces what a wonderful family this is, and how fortunate Mi Jo was.

 

 

That quivering lip 😭 How do you act that? I'm not sure if I have ever done that IRL myself. Her biological mother is really one kind. Probably plotting what she can get out of her daughter now.

 

 

Edited March 24, 2022 by Chocolate

[abs-oluteM]

22 minutes ago, Chocolate said:

😭😭😭 Never thought about the worries of these orphans. So the family wanted to adopt and decided to go with the child that Mi Yeon liked - this again reinforces what a wonderful family this is, and how fortunate Mi Jo was.

That scene moved me too. MiJo's bio mum was darn awful but  her adopted family made up for that. They are indeed great people. I don't know why in SK culture, there's so much stigma surrounding orphans and adoption.  Like SW's dad was just ridiculous but this is not the 1st nor will this be the last drama that will bring this up.

 

There were a lot of things that happened in this episode including SW's proposal & Jin Seok's wife approaching CY to convince JS not to fight for her son's custody. In the midst of these positive progress , the drama doesn't forget to remind us that CY is dying.  Passing out like that is only the start of the painful journey ahead. Her pallor has changed. 

This scene made me sad...

Jin Seok: Every single day is precious. Going on walks & getting calls from you are all so precious.

 

I agree with JS that she shouldn't be worrying about  his future. She needs to make the most of the present and live the best days of her life. 

Yim Si Wan will cameo as a top star - CY's former student

[Chocolate]

13 minutes ago, abs-oluteM said:

There were a lot of things that happened in this episode including SW's proposal & Jin Seok's wife approaching CY to convince JS not to fight for her son's custody. In the midst of these positive progress , the drama doesn't forget to remind us that CY is dying.  Passing out like that is only the start of the painful journey ahead. Her pallor has changed. 

This scene made me sad...

Jin Seok: Every single day is precious. Going on walks & getting calls from you are all so precious.

 

I agree with JS that she shouldn't be worrying about  his future. She needs to make the most of the present and live the best days of her life. 

 

 

Actually, I don't see how JS can get custody. He is not even the biological father. And so far, they've not really shown the wife as a bad mother. Doesn't seem to be any justification to not let the boy stay with his mother.

 

This drama is just damn sad. Every episode makes us cry. I don't think I've ever watched another show like this - except maybe Passion of the Christ. Of course, great acting helps - they don't need to say anything and I'm already reaching for tissues.

 

 

 

[Chocolate]

I'm still trying to understand what NFTs are but this looks beautiful. Sold out in 8 minutes and proceeds 3.9M won donated by the production to the Green Umbrella Children's Foundation. [Source: Newsen]

 

 

Edited March 28, 2022 by Chocolate

[Chocolate]

 

 

[Chocolate]

 

[abs-oluteM]

Considering my current state of mind , I was wondering if watching the finale was a good idea. But in some ways I am glad I did. It was as expected  a cry fest, but the treatment of death & how it affects those that are left behind hit home even more for me.  Overall I did think that the show dealt with this pretty sensitively and I liked how things wrapped up. 

 

I don't know if the writing on this one was stellar from the start but I think compared to many kdramas, it ended better than it started. The tribute to the friendship between the ladies got more focus over time, and I am glad that their friendship held them together & gave them strength. The best scene for me was the farewell brunch.  At least all who mattered to CY got to say goodbye.

 

Given how fragile life is, all I can say is make every moment count. CY's life in particular (especially prior to her diagnosis) felt like one filled with regret. If not for her condition, she may have just continued to muddle her way through life - never realising her dreams of starring in a movie and have things properly sorted out between her and Jin Seok. 

 

Drama ended with a ratings high of 8.1%

 

 

[ktcjdrama]

OST#6

 

[Chocolate]

On 4/1/2022 at 8:07 PM, abs-oluteM said:

Considering my current state of mind , I was wondering if watching the finale was a good idea. But in some ways I am glad I did. It was as expected  a cry fest, but the treatment of death & how it affects those that are left behind hit home even more for me.  Overall I did think that the show dealt with this pretty sensitively and I liked how things wrapped up. 

 

Bravo to you @abs-oluteM ❤

 

It was a bit of whiplash for me, going from the high of BinJin's wedding in the day, to the sorrow of 39 that night. I thought the last episode was done well. There was no repeating of a lengthy funeral. It quickly went to the aftermath.

 

In general, I found the drama's pace too slow and the editing was odd - there were several changes of scenes that felt disjointed. I also did not love any character exceptionally (maybe the little boy Mijo adopted, he wanted so much to be with her sob sob). So that leaves me wondering why I cried so much. It was quite ridiculous - seeing 10s snippets on twitter and my eyes would tear! Perhaps it was good acting by the 2 leads - they really make you feel the despair.

 

I thought Lee Moo Saeng did well too, although some were quite amused by his crying scenes :) Jin Seok and Chan Young's romance line was most interesting to me. I was glad they finally had time together.

 

The ratings for this drama is decent. I think it owes it mostly to Son Ye Jin and Jeon Mi Do.

 

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Chocolate

[Chocolate]

 

Son Ye-jin's advice to single ladies about love and the pressure to get married

BY MONIQUE TODA, THE PHILIPPINE STAR PUBLISHED APR 01, 2022 8:38 PM UPDATED APR 01, 2022 8:47 PM

 

There is something about the Netflix K-drama Thirty-Nine that is just so touching. The relatable series is about the lives and relationships of three friends, who are all a year short of 40. I found myself crying in almost all episodes, like I was a total mess each time. Spoiler alert: one of them is terminally ill and will die. I cried because of the sad scenes, but also because of beautiful moments of love and friendship.

 

The three unmarried friends are Cha Mi-jo, Jeong Chan-young, and Jang Joo-hee, played by actresses Son Ye-jin (Crash Landing on You), Jeon Mi-do (Hospital Playlist) and Kim Ji-hyun (Hometown Cha Cha), respectively.

 

In Thirty-Nine, their work, love stories, family backgrounds, and daily lives are depicted in an honest and natural way. The characters have the ease and confidence of those at that age. They are experienced in life yet still can be silly and immature. There are light and heartwarming moments in this drama, giving us feel-good vibes as well. So it’s not totally a cryfest.

 

Top stars on Netflix: (From left) Jeon Mi-do, Son Ye-jin and Kim Ji-hyun of Thirty-Nine

 

Friendship, love of family, the gift of life, are enduring themes, and are acutely relatable, especially after COVID. This is why Thirty-Nine works. It takes you down the path of life—with its downs, and most importantly, its ups.

 

Spoiler

According Son Ye-jin, “This drama provided me with closure of my 20s and 30s, as I now enter into my 40s and am getting married soon. (Note: Son Ye-jin married fellow superstar Hyun Bin on Mar. 31) That’s why it meant so much to me. Throughout filming, I felt sad but happy at the same time.” Furthermore, “This is my first time to participate in a friendship-based series among women, so it gave me a chance to think about friendship. I reflected on whether I had friends like Mi-jo, Chan-young and Joo-hee, and I was jealous that they had friends they cared about more than themselves. I think the thing about true love and true friendship is that we have to express ourselves less than our lover or friend.”

 

On being 39 and having regrets, the beautiful actress said, “I don’t think there’s been a lesson big enough for me to yell, ‘Eureka!’ I probably will learn something as I grow older. Also, I try not to regret anything that happened in the past, since I think that everything happens for a reason.”

 

Jeon Mi-do expressed how she feels about Thirty-Nine: “This project was meaningful to me in that it gave me new friends. It also was an opportunity for me to deeply reflect on how I spend my time with, not only my friends, but also others around me.”

 

Regarding her role, Mi-do states that “I wanted to try something new and explore outside my comfort zone. That’s why I challenged myself by taking on drama, and got to debut through Hospital Playlist. Never settle!”

 

A lesson from the drama that she shares is, “We all have a finite time left. If we can just remember that as we live our lives, we can change our relationships with others and our lives in general.”

 

Actress Kim Ji-hyun was amazed at the timing of the drama in her life. “This project came to me when I was 39. What bigger gift is there than this? This drama provided me with warm and precious moments!”

 

A bond among the female leads was also formed. “We got closer throughout shooting, so much so that we were genuinely happy when we were together. Our chemistry was great because we knew what each other was thinking just by looking at each other’s faces. We had a lot of fun when all three of us were on set because we would just laugh and talk.”

 

Ji-hyun imparts the lesson of 39: “I think this piece is not just for women, but men and women of all ages. We all live, not knowing when the last goodbye is going to be. I want all of us to spread love with our loved ones, with no regrets. This piece will serve as a good opportunity for viewers to think about the best way to say goodbye.”

 

I got the opportunity to ask these stellar actresses more questions about their views on life at 39, love and friendship, and a life well-lived. Here is what they have to say:

 

PHILIPPINE STAR: What advice can you give to the single ladies in their 30s who feel society’s pressures and expectations of where they should be at their age in terms of marriage and career?

 

Son Ye-jin: Dealing with that burden is up to what you make of it. Some people feel a lot of pressure, while others don’t think much of it. You should continuously ask yourself what your ultimate goal in life is, and how you want to define happiness. Then you make that call on what to do about your situation. Good luck, everyone!

 

Jeon Mi-do: As you said, those are just society’s expectations. There’s no obligation to meet those expectations. Just keep to your own pace and do what you want!

 

Kim Ji-hyun: Lead the life you live. Make precious memories with your loved ones. Wouldn’t that leave you with no regrets?

 

Love and friendship are the prevalent themes in Thirty-Nine. How do you show or communicate your love to your closest friends?

 

Jeon Mi-do: I didn’t use to express my feelings, but that changed through filming this drama.

 

Kim Ji-hyun: I try a lot to express myself, with words and with actions. Others don’t know how you feel if you don’t tell them. I think communication is key in keeping a long-term relationship.

 

In the drama, the viewer feels a natural and genuine friendship among you three. Did you all know each other before, or did you bond with each other during the filming? If so, what did you do to get closer to each other?

 

Son Ye-jin: It was my first time getting to know these two actresses through this project, and we definitely grew closer as we filmed. I loved that they were both nice and passionate, and thought that they were extremely skilled at interpreting and embodying their characters.

 

Jeon Mi-do: We didn’t force ourselves to get closer to each other. We were naturally drawn to each other and felt close while shooting as Mi-jo, Joo-hee and Chan-young.

 

Kim Ji-hyun: I met with them a couple of times before filming started, but it wasn’t easy because of COVID-19. So, we actually got very close after filming started, as Mi-jo Chan-young and Joo-hee. We get along really well and we have a good time when we’re together, so getting closer quickly didn’t take much effort. Thanks to great company, we had so much fun shooting!

Source

Edited April 6, 2022 by Chocolate

[Chocolate]