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  • 20th Century Boy and Girl: Episodes 3-420thCentury03-04-00285.jpg

 

It’s tough to be famous! Things go from bad to worse as our heroine deals with rumors that spiral out of control that make it hard for her to keep her head up. But when you’re confident in the knowledge that you’ve done nothing wrong and have a solid support system around you, you’ve got everything you need to come out the other side stronger than ever.

 

 

EPISODE 3: “Love storyâ€

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It’s 1999, and Jin-jin sits in class, flipping through a notebook full of photos of her friends and their favorite idols. She barely pays attention to the lesson, in which their teacher goes line by line through the English lyrics of the song “Love Story,†from the 1970 film.

A note on one page from Ah-reum asks what she wants to eat tonight, but Jin-jin writes a response that she’s going to “Oppa’s†office tonight. A grumpy scribble from Ji-won asks why he has to participate (in the group notebook) when he has nothing to say, though I notice he’s still complied.

We come back to the present, as Jin-jin is confronted by a sea of reporters asking questions about her alleged sex tape. Suddenly, someone takes her by the hand and steps in front of her, and she’s stunned to see that it’s Ji-won, her old friend.

 

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Ji-won leads Jin-jin past the reporters, out of the airport, and all the way to the curb where her team is waiting. CEO Jang pulls Jin-jin into the van, and Ji-won gives her a tiny nod, then sends her off. The reporters turn on Ji-won, asking about his relationship with Jin-jin, but he quickly hails a taxi and leaves without a word.

There’s a thick, awkward silence in Jin-jin’s van until she eventually asks, “What video?†CEO Jang starts to ask if it’s her, but she says no firmly, and everyone relaxes.

Young-shim is in the middle of her uncomfortably silent job interview with a lawyer, KANG KYUNG-SEOK (Oh Sang-jin), and as he takes forever reading her resume, she notices that the office is a bit run-down. Finally he asks what kind of lawyer she wants to be, but he’s not satisfied with her stock answer that she wants to fight social wrongs.

 

=== Read more: http://www.dramabeans.com/2017/10/20th-century-boy-and-girl-episodes-3-4/

 

 

COMMENTS

So far, my only real complaint about this drama is that we didn’t get enough of Jin-jin and Ji-won together in this first week’s episodes. We got just enough to see that their chemistry is going to be out of this world, but I want to see more! They’re both such vibrant people, but they go so still and careful when they’re near each other, and I’m dying to learn why that is. It was the same in high school—when Ah-reum and Young-shim were around, both Ji-won and Jin-jin were loud and wacky, but in that elevator together they were oh-so-careful not to do or say anything to scare the other off. I really love their interactions, both as kids and as adults, and I need to see more of that magic.

I like all the little side stories that are shaping up to be pretty cute, too. I love Ah-reum and doctor Woo-sung together, especially the way they always seem to be having two entirely different conversations at the same time. And do I detect a touch of jealousy from Ah-reum over Woo-sung’s fixation on Jin-jin? I also thought that Young-shim’s new boss seems interesting, particularly the way he found her utterly ordinary until she gave him an answer he didn’t expect, which piqued his interest. I liked that he became curious about her for that, and though it’s too early to be seeing any loveline there, I wouldn’t be sorry if there were.

 

Normally a show that seems to be pairing off its heroines so early would have my inner feminist standing up and saying, “Hey, not every woman needs a man to be happy!†But I don’t feel like that’s the message the show is sending, because its heroines are already happy, and they’re not looking for a man to give them a happily ever after. You can sense that if they find love, it will just be the icing on the cake of their already-full lives. Because of that, I’m just giving myself over to the giddy enjoyment of the three friends meeting amazing men who will realize what amazing women they are.

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I just adore Jin-jin and her friends, and how much they obviously love each other—they’re each other’s giraffes! Who wouldn’t want friends so loyal that they sneak into your house just to sleep on your floor so you won’t be alone? Or who walk around town all day in their hospital pajamas because you need them so badly that they didn’t even bother to get dressed? Or burst into tears because they feel guilty about putting you in a bad position? No lie, I was crying as hard as Ah-reum when she was sobbing that Jin-jin’s scandal is all her fault, just seeing the obvious love she has for her lifelong friend. Their commitment to hold each other more important than anything else is so beautiful to see.

And it’s not just Ah-reum and Young-shim—Jin-jin has a whole network of people who love her, and it just warms my heart, the lengths they’re willing to go to for her. Her parents, her brother, even CEO Jang, Mi-dal, and Hong-hee all obviously think that Jin-jin hung the moon, and it has nothing to do with the fact that she’s famous. They love her because she’s a genuinely good person, someone who is just aa loyal to them as they are to her. It’s lovely to see a character in a drama who loves their friends and family, and is dearly loved and adored in return. It’s clear that Ji-won is just as devoted to Jin-jin as everyone else, and I can’t wait to see how he dotes on her once she lets him back into her life. You can tell just by the way he looks at her, that there will be some serious doting going on.

This whole show is just chock-full of people who love each other, and it gives me such a warm, fuzzy feeling. I appreciate that although dramas so often have a bad guy, a nemesis for the main character, that aside from Da-young (who has no real claws, anyway), 20th Century Boy and Girl doesn’t need that kind of conflict to be interesting. I liked that, instead of a person being the “enemy,†the show instead tackled the problem of unfounded scandals where women are so often made the victims. Rather than a scheming second lead, I’d much rather watch Jin-jin and her friends tackle a problematic social issue.

The show reminds me of Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-ju in that way, when even the ex-girlfriend turned out to be a good person who just had some personal issues to work through—I will be completely satisfied if 20th Centuryis the same type of show. I don’t need to have a character who schemes and plots to keep me interested, not when there’s so much pure, unfiltered love going around.

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  • Team Dramabeans: What we’re watching??unnamed-1.jpg

 

So, what are we all watching this week?

What kept you reaching for more (or agonizing when there was no more), and what made you want to throw your remote through the screen? Time to weigh in…

 

javabeans

  • 20th Century Boy and Girl: I was expecting this to be cute, but I didn’t expect it to be poignant as well. And while I could have expected a bubbly kind of chemistry between this couple, I was surprised to get sweet and innocent instead, and how well it works within the context. The friendships are sweet and the tone is contemplative—not what I thought it would be, but welcome.

 

tineybeanie

 

  • 20th Century Boy and Girl: Lol. I can’t say it’s super addicting, but I like it for now. The steady relationships that Jin-jin has with both her girlfriends and her family were heartwarming to see. I’ve loved Kim Ji-suk when he’s been in roles where he’s shown to be a bit petty or villainous (Rebel and Oh Hae-young Again), so I’m not too blown away by his bland-seeming normal K-drama hero character. But I’m hoping we’ll be able to see some cute bickering and interesting flaws soon.

 

cr

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==

 

 

cg__shinwonho IG

 

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han_ye_seul_ IG

 

오늘 방송ì¸ê±° 아시죠? ì˜¤ëŠ˜ 방송ì¸ê±° 아시죠? ì˜¤ëŠ˜ 방송ì¸ê±° 아시죠?

#20세기소년소녀 #20thcenturyboyandgirl

 
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Although I watch this drama because of SHIN and Han Ye Seul, the story is really great!! 

 

I will look forward to it!! 

 

 

Hope you'll enjoy the show dear,

 

as i even didnt start watchin it, on hold it for awhile due to busy irl LOLlaugh.png

Edited by FranCella
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  • 20th Century Boy and Girl: Episodes 5-620thCentury05-06-00344.jpg

     

 

 

These two are so cute I can’t even stand it! I love them together, so I’m still frustrated that we haven’t gotten more scenes between them. But we do get a chance to learn more about their history together, though Ji-won remains a mystery to Jin-jin, which is bound to cause all sorts of confusion down the line.

 

 

 

EPISODE 5: “Love letterâ€

 

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We go back to 1999 as a narrator tells us that four friends lived in a building called Seoul Mansion. One of them, Sa Jin-jin, stakes out a corner hoping for a glimpse of her favorite idol, Anthony. Han Ah-reum, the spoiled brat, is known for getting into trouble. Jang Young-shim is the brain of the group, and the fourth is Gong Ji-won, the only boy.

 

They call themselves the Four Bongos after the van they take to and from school every day. Once, while the girls are being driven home late at night, the driver warns them that they’re approaching the Magic Tunnel. He tells them that true love will come to those who can hold their breath through the entire tunnel. The girls grumble that he’s lying, but they all hold their breath as they enter the tunnel. Jin-jin gasps for air first, and our narrator says that she didn’t know then that breathing would bring her such misfortune — she would never have a single romantic relationship.

 

The narrator turns out to be Doctor Woo-sung trying to impress his date, who’s a cellist with the Hanyang Symphony Orchestra. Woo-sung spouts musical knowledge that he just picked up from the internet, and it seems to work on the lady. Jin-jin and her friends are also discussing what they call the Bongo Curse, though Ah-reum wonders why she and Young-shim have never dated when they were able to hold their breath through the tunnel.

 

 

 

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Ah-reum waits eagerly for a text from the cute copilot, Dong-hoon, but when he finally sends something, it turns out to be a screenshot of a game app. Ah-reum thinks it’s a ploy to get her to contact him, and when Jin-jin scoffs, Ah-reum snaps that she’s never even dated (though Jin-jin coos that she’s the queen of melodramas, lol).

 

It’s as she’s heading home to her building next door that Jin-jin runs into Ji-won in the elevator. When he gets off on his floor, he asks her cheekily how it is that she’s never dated. Jin-jin’s parents watch the interview, in which she reveals that she’s never been on a date. She tells host, Heo Ji-woong, that she’s been approached by men, but she prefers the company of her friends. Her mom sighs that she thought Jin-jin probably had a secret boyfriend, and she wonders if there’s something wrong with her daughter.

 

 

 

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There’s something wrong with her all right, and it definitely has to do with a man. Jin-jin is so flustered after seeing Ji-won that she puts her hoodie on backwards and flings herself into bed screaming and flailing. She remembers Ji-won rescuing her from the reporters and swoons happily to herself.

 

Ji-won also watches the whole interview, taking particular note when Ji-woong tells Jin-jin that falling in love is insane, so she’s probably just not ready to go crazy yet. He asks Jin-jin what she thinks is the signal to the start of love, and Ji-won listens intently, but we don’t hear her answer.

 

 

 

=== Read more: http://www.dramabeans.com/2017/10/20th-century-boy-and-girl-episodes-5-6/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMMENTS

 

I just love the little scenes of Ji-won and Jin-jin as kids. Aside from the fact that the actors playing them are so cute I can’t stand it, seeing how they went from friends to dating (and I’m assuming, their eventual split) is so much more fun than just being told what happened. Besides, seeing them so young and innocent lends a lovely wistfulness to their present-time interactions, because no matter how they’ve cultivated slick, professional facades as adults, you can just see them become those shy, smitten teenagers all over again whenever they’re near each other. It will be interesting watching them spend more time with each other, and seeing that immature love blossom into something more adult.

 

 

 

While I really find nothing lacking in the story as it is now, I’m finding myself anxious to see how Anthony is going to fit into the plot. So far all we know is that he used to be a very famous idol, but now he’s struggling to find work, and that Jin-jin still carries a teenage torch for her oppa. Anthony seems to be a sweet, generous guy, whose fall from fame still bothers him even though he tries to hide it. I won’t blame Jin-jin one bit for being swayed when they start working together, because goodness knows, the thought of actually having a chance with the guy who’s been your fantasy boyfriend for most of your adult life.

 

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And while normally I’d be frustrated by the fact that Jin-jin and their friends think that Ji-won is married, because it’s such an easy misunderstanding to clear up, in this case I’m interested to see how it feeds into the love triangle that’s surely about to take place. Jin-jin obviously still has feelings for Ji-won, feelings that are real based on an actual history of having dated him, as opposed to her frivolous fantasies about Anthony. But she truly believes that Ji-won is married, and his pursuing her will only put her off and make her think that he’s a cheater. And it’s not like Jin-jin and Ji-won have a history of talking much – their teenage romance seems mostly based on attraction and the natural closeness you feel towards your friends. So it’s very easy for me to see how Ji-won won’t get much chance to explain himself.

 

And for that matter, do we even know that he’s not married? I’m working on the assumption that he’s either divorced or widowed, but we don’t really know. He doesn’t wear a ring, and he lives alone, but that’s not always an indication of single status. Ji-won doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would hit on a woman while he’s married, but I suppose it’s always possible that his wife is elsewhere (with the name Bella, she’s probably foreign) or maybe that they’re just separated. I’m sure there’s a lot more to his story that we don’t know.

 

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Edited by FranCella
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Han Ye-Seul wore CHRISTIAN DIOR Pre-Fall 2017 RTW Collection in her Instagram update today 20171019.

 

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Han Ye-Seul wore SJYP Ruffle Trim Hoodie Dress_Pink USD 434 in 20th Century Boy and Girl Drama Episode 7.

 

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Han Ye-Seul wore SWEATFUNK Ball Cap_Black â‚©58,700 (USD 52) in 20th Century Boy and Girl Drama Episode 8.

 

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  • 20th Century Boy and Girl: Episodes 7-820thCentury07-08-00548.jpg

 

Aw, Show, you’re supposed to be a rom-com, why you gotta make me cry like this? Get ready, because as the past is brought to light, it turns out that Ji-won and Jin-jin’s childhoods weren’t as rosy as we’d thought. The more we learn about their past and how they were split up, the more I love them. These poor kids have been through a lot, and I have a feeling that we’ve just scratched the surface.

 

EPISODE 7: “Christmas in Augustâ€

It’s the year 2000, and Jin-jin sits for a professional portrait. The photographer offers to give her the portrait for free if she lets him display a copy in his window, though he asks for a favor first. He mentions the current picture in the window, which is of her older sister Ho-sung, but we don’t see her picture or hear his request.

Later, CEO Jang sees Jin-jin’s photo in the window and goes inside, desperate for her contact information, saying she “has an aura.†And even later, Ji-won stares at Jin-jin’s picture just before his mother picks him up in a moving truck, on their way out of town.

 

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Jin-jin narrates that Ji-won left without even saying goodbye. It was a summer’s day, when they were 18 years old. In the present, Jin-jin and Ji-won unknowingly end up at the same showing of Love Letter, and Ji-won spots Jin-jin on his way out. He lurks in the lobby, and when Jin-jin emerges, he sings the same taunting children’s song he used to use to tease her with when they were children.

Jin-jin immediately knows it’s Ji-won, and she looks nervous as he asks her to eat with him. She says she’s busy, and Ji-won points out that it’s 2:00 a.m. He asks if she’s angry, noting that she’s wearing the same expression as when he recorded over her Anthony tape.

 

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He asks if he’s done something wrong, and when Jin-jin says no, Ji-won relaxes and says he’s glad to see her. He’s surprised when Jin-jin asks where he’s been, since he texted her explaining everything, but she says her phone was broken.

Ji-won tells Jin-jin that there’s a lot he wants to talk about and someone he wants her to meet, but they’re interrupted by a call. Ji-won drives Jin-jin to the police station to pick up her little brother, asking her to stay in the car and going inside alone. 

Aw, Min-ho must not have gotten the job because he’s drunk as a skunk, sporting his pink hair again and wailing that they already knew who they would hire before the interviews. Jin-jin is embarrassed in the car as Min-ho slurs that she’s ugly, has a bad temper, and never washes when she’s at home. HAHA.

 

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Jin-jin levels her best glare at her brother, scaring him into the hiccups and shutting him up. Ji-won can’t help but grin as he remembers a tiny Min-ho who used to get beat up. He recalls that he threatened to beat those kids up once… “Is what I’d love to say happened, but instead I got beaten up by a sixth grader.†PFFT.

Jin-jin sincerely thanks Ji-won for that day, and for today. She also thanks him for helping her at the airport, and Ji-won confuses her by saying that they met once more after that. She doesn’t know that he saw her on the street in Hong Kong.

 

 

=== Read more: http://www.dramabeans.com/2017/10/20th-century-boy-and-girl-episodes-7-8/

 

 

COMMENTS

I’m guessing that that Anthony being her onscreen husband is CEO Jang’s “condition†for having Jin-jin go on We Got Married, because that is brilliant, not to mention deliciously devious. CEO Jang knows that Jin-jin is going to be angry that her new “project†is a variety show, but that the possibility of being “married†to Anthony will sweeten the deal so much that she’s very unlikely to refuse. It’s also going to really put a wrench into Ji-won’s plans to woo her, because not only will Jin-jin be pretending to be married to the guy she’s crushed on since childhood, but it’s also his brother.

 

Which brings me to biggest shocker: Anthony is Ji-won’s Hyung?! I never saw that coming in a million years, and while part of me is cringing in anticipation of the complications this is going to cause for Ji-won as he tries to win Jin-jin’s affections, another part of me is so ridiculously excited for the exact same reason. It’s one thing when the girl you like has a crush on an unattainable celebrity, but it’s quite another when that celebrity is family. Not to mention the fact that Anthony is about to transition from girlhood crush to actual man for Jin-jin, and one that seems like a really sweet, generous person, and that she believes that Ji-won is married.

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Usually in a rom-com it’s clear why the heroine would choose one guy over another, but in this case I’m not going to blame her one bit for waffling between the brothers, because they both have a lot to recommend them. I could generally do away altogether with the whole second-lead plot in dramas, but in this case, I find that making Anthony and Ji-won surprise brothers (to Jin-jin anyway), as well as having Anthony be every bit as wonderful of a man as Ji-won is, will make Jin-jin’s conflict more interesting than her just thinking that Ji-won is married. She’s going to have a real conundrum on her hands — on the one hand, Ji-won is bound to come on strong after having lost Jin-jin once, but on the other hand, she’s going to be playing house with the man she’s fantasized about for decades, on a show designed to elicit romantic feelings in its couples. Poor, lucky Jin-jin!

This episode was a real tear-jerker, and I found myself needing to stop and compose myself several times. Poor Ji-won has had such a sad life, losing his father at such a young age. It explains a lot about why he’s so quiet and soft-spoken, both because he appears to be a lot like his gentle-seeming father, and because losing such a loving man is bound to have an effect on a boy.

I’m really loving the way the families are portrayed in this show. Jin-jin’s family isn’t very verbally affectionate, but you know they all love each other very much. I’m very curious to learn more about her older sister, what role she’s played in all this, and why she’s no longer around. And Ji-won’s family reduced me to tears with the way they came together for his father’s memorial day — most of the people there never even met Ji-won’s father, yet they honored his life simply because they love Ji-won so much. That’s real love right there.

 

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Team Dramabeans: What we’re watching??

 

So, what are we all watching this week?

What kept you reaching for more (or agonizing when there was no more), and what made you want to throw your remote through the screen? Time to weigh in…

 

 

tineybeanie

  • 20th Century Boy and Girl: Hmmm, I like the characters so far, but I don’t understand what the plot is. Is there a plot? *scratches head*

 

javabeans

  • 20th Century Boy and Girl: I find this show mostly delightful, and the girlfriends’ friendship feels a little unrealistically sweet but heartwarming all the same. (They’re just so good! The small moments of irritation between the First Life ladies feels more true to life, although that doesn’t make me like these women less. It’s maybe more aspirational than relatable, though.) I’m conflicted about the extended flashbacks to childhood, because I like the parallels between then and now, and not seeing the full picture up front piques the curiosity about what happened in all that in-between time. But it also makes me impatient for the present-day story to take over—although with the We Got Married storyline about to take off, I think I’ll be gratified soon enough.
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Han Ye Seul And Kim Ji Suk Get Closer In New Stills For “20th Century Boy And Girlâ€

 
 
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MBC has released new stills for its Monday-Tuesday drama “20th Century Boy And Girl.â€

In the photos, leads Han Ye Seul (Sa Jin Jin) and Kim Ji Suk (Gong Ji Won) start their on-screen romance with a perfume test. Last week’s episode ended with Sa Jin Jin and Gong Ji Won unexpectedly living together due to her boiler explosion causing a flood in his apartment. After Sa Jin Jin’s mother insisted he stay in Sa Jin Jin’s childhood bedroom, the two are now physically closer than ever.

 

The two hang out in Sa Jin Jin’s room and test out different perfume scents. Sa Jin Jin asks for Gong Ji Won’s help in finding the best scent. She sprays the perfume here and there and Gong Ji Won gets close to her to smell the perfume on her wrist and under her ear.

 

A source from the drama said, “We are planning to make viewers happy with the romance story of these two people who started out as innocent teenagers and are now a bachelor and bachelorette in their 30s, as well as Sa Jin Jin’s chaotic, fun family. Stay tuned for the official start of the romance and on-screen chemistry of Sa Jin Jin and Gong Ji Won.â€

 

cr

 

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stills

 

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  • 20th Century Boy and Girl: Episodes 9-1020thCentury09-10-00360-1.jpg

 

It’s really great how Jin-jin and Ji-won have picked their friendship up right where they left off, as if seventeen years haven’t gone by in the meantime. They’re so comfortable with each other in-between attacks of acute awareness on a romantic level, which is exactly the way they were as teenagers. Anthony seems like a nice guy and all, but idol or not, I’m starting to think he doesn’t have a chance.

 

EPISODE 9: “Everybody has secretsâ€

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Jin-jin is unaware that her team is setting her up when they take her to the same Subway where she used to wait, hoping for a glimpse of Anthony. She remembers whining to her fellow fangirls that she’s never seen him, so she’s extra shocked to look up and see him standing just outside the window.

Outside, the We Got Married PD has been laying in wait with his entire crew, and they rush in to get Jin-jin and Anthony’s first glimpses of each other on film. Even the customers in the restaurant are all crew members, and the show draws a crowd of curious onlookers. Once Jin-jin is told what’s happening, they’re given their first mission: to think up a couple nickname. Jin-jin leaps up to offers Anthony something to drink, then realizes how weird she looks and sits back down, telling herself to be cool. She breezily says to Anthony that they should take some time to think of a nickname, then gets the nervous hiccups, hee.

It’s dark and raining by the time filming is over for the day, and the PD tells them to have a drink together and get to know one another. Anthony offers to walk Jin-jin to her car under his umbrella, but he ruins her fantasy moment by handing it to her to take a call.

 

====

 

EPISODE 10 RECAP

On their walk home, Young-shim and Ah-reum discuss Ji-won’s confession that Jin-jin is his first love. They wonder how long Jin-jin will keep it a secret that she and Ji-won dated, and Ah-reum sneers that they only dated for three whole days. Seriously? LOL.

 

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Jin-jin wakes the next morning in a fantastic mood, and she spends a ridiculously long time picking an outfit to wear to breakfast. Ji-won also primps, and the way he looks at Jin-jin when she comes in for breakfast kills me dead.

Mom made Ji-won’s favorite meal, tonkatsu (pork cutlet), and she teases him for still eating like he did when he was a kid. She talks about what a nice man his father was, and says that he’ll be a great husband if he’s just half as good as his dad.

She asks if Ji-won is seeing anyone, but it’s Jin-jin who answers that he’s not, ha. Mom asks why she looks so happy about it, accusing her of being glad that she’s not the only one who isn’t dating. Ji-won’s facial expressions as he listens to them discuss his dating life (or lack thereof) are priceless.

 

=== Read more: http://www.dramabeans.com/2017/10/20th-century-boy-and-girl-episodes-9-10/

 

 

COMMENTS

I felt so bad for Jin-jin, the way she was blindsided by CEO Jang! The poor thing was so shocked on so many levels — both as an actor and as a fan of Anthony’s — yet she’s way too sweet to get angry about it. But then, it’s so fun watching her try to suppress her inner fangirl and not just scream in Anthony’s face just to be near him, hee. On the other hand, it wasn’t fun at all seeing Ji-won realize that Jin-jin is marrying his brother, because he really did seem to think the wedding is for real. But even when he finds out that it’s just a marriage made for television, it still means that Jin-jin is off-limits to him for the foreseeable future. Not only is she “married†in a very public way for all intents and purposes, which would make her dating outside the show a huge scandal, but she’s married to his brother. There’s no way Ji-won won’t feel hurt by the situation.

 

I really liked the parallels this episode made between Ji-won and Anthony, both in how Jin-jin responds to them and how they regard her. The umbrella scenes were especially telling — when Jin-jin was holding the umbrella, Anthony didn’t even notice that she was getting soaked while trying to keep him dry. But when it was Ji-won she was walking with, he was entirely focused on Jin-jin and making sure she was dry and comfortable at his own expense. The bit with the orange was also very eye-opening, because Jin-jin was mortified when Anthony caught her with food in her mouth, yet she had no qualms stuffing her face in front of Ji-won. There’s a lot to be said for how comfortable you feel, having known a person your whole life.

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I can’t quite get a read on Anthony and how he feels about this whole We Got Married thing in general, or Jin-jin in particular. He’s obviously going through with it because it will help his career, yet he says he doesn’t want to get greedy about roles just because he’s going to gain popularity as Jin-jin’s TV husband. And Jin-jin herself seems to make him uncomfortable in some way, which makes me wonder if he already knows that she’s Ji-won’s first love. Surely Ji-won has talked about her at some point in the last seventeen years, particularly since she’s famous? If Anthony is being distant because he knows that his brother has feelings for her then that’s understandable, but otherwise I’m not sure why he’d be so cool towards her, and even go out of his way to avoid her.

In a lot of ways, 20th Century Boy and Girl reminds me of old-school rom-coms, but in one way, it’s very modern—the characters actually talk to each other instead of letting misunderstandings go on for ages. Jin-jin tries to bring up Ji-won’s supposed wife several times, and it wasn’t her fault she kept being interrupted. And as soon as Ji-won understood why she was acting so cool towards him, he told her in no uncertain terms that he’s not married and never has been. He also made sure that all of the Bongos know that Jin-jin is his first love, and he’s made it very clear to Jin-jin, in actions if not in words, that he’s very, very interested in her now.

I love this, not only because we don’t have to suffer through ridiculous misunderstandings for absurdly long periods of time, but also because it moves the story along quicker. When you get issues out of the way in a believably timely fashion, you open the narrative up for new situations, instead of getting stuck on one problem for several weeks at a time. We’re still very early in Ji-won and Jin-jin’s love story, but we’re already on Stumbling Block #3, which makes me excited to see all the wonderful places that the drama plans to take us.

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20th Century Boy and Girl ends run with quadruple header due to MBC strike

 

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As the MBC labor union strike continues, we’ll probably see more delays and exemptions in the station’s drama programming, but one of the earliest affected shows, 20th Century Boy and Girl, will come to an unusual end next month: The rom-com starring Han Ye-seul and Kim Ji-suk will air the last 8 half-hour episodes in one week, from Monday through Thursday.

 

Honestly, I’m just glad that the show didn’t have its episode count reduced, which were the initial rumors that circulated when the station announced that 20th Century was going to end a week earlier than scheduled. The speculation wasn’t completely unwarranted, given that the ratings for the show have languished in the low-to-mid single digits since the beginning, though I wouldn’t blame the show itself for its less-than-stellar performance.

 

20th Century Boy and Girl was originally slated to begin its run on September 25, to immediately follow The King Loves, but when filming halted early last month due to the labor strike, the show couldn’t make its premiere date, and the station delayed it by two weeks. On top of that, due to a sports-related preemption, the show had to air its first four half-hour episodes together. It’s really unfortunate, because I hear 20th Century is quite a cute show, and I’m looking forward to watching it when I can.

 

It’s pretty bad news all around in MBC’s drama department, and I suspect part of the reason why the station decided to have 20th Century air in the Wednesday and Thursday slot in its final week is that there’s no immediate successor to currently airing Hospital Ship. The quirky-sounding romance drama I’m Not a Robot, starring Yoo Seung-ho and Chae Soo-bin, will follow in that slot, but its tentative premiere date in early December leaves a gap of a few weeks that MBC hasn’t managed to fill yet.

 

A large part of me is quite happy that the labor strike is having some very real effects on the station, since I will always support those who fight for media integrity and freedom of the press. Aside from its primetime weekday drama programming, weekenders like Man Who Sets the Table and Thief-nom, Thief-nim and its variety programs have all been affected to varying degrees. MBC’s flagship variety show Infinity Challenge has been off the air for about 7 weeks now, and lost profits due to the strike are expected to surpass 15 billion won.

 

But another, smaller, part of me—the drama addict part—is a little sad to see shows like 20th Century Boy and Girl be so adversely affected by its station’s circumstances. Hopefully, we see a resolution to the situation (for the better!) soon. 20 Century Boy and Girl will air its final episodes on November 20-23.

 

Via Dbeans

Edited by FranCella
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  • 20th Century Boy and Girl: Episodes 11-1220thCentury11-12-00700.jpg

 

These two are going to have to stop being so adorable, because I’m not sure my heart can take much more. They’re just so comfortable together, and it really shows in the way they interact when romantic feelings aren’t getting in the way. But those romantic feelings are getting stronger, and with the chemistry sparking between them more frequently with each passing day, it’s only a matter of time before one of them cracks.

 

 

EPISODE 11: “My girlfriend’s weddingâ€

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While they wait for Jin-jin and Anthony’s TV wedding to start, Ah-reum outlines for Ji-won how his first love is getting married to his brother. He gives her the stink-eye even though he claims to be fine with it since it’s just a TV show.

But his expression changes as the ceremony starts, and Jin-jin walks down the aisle with Anthony. Ji-won has a hard time even watching them, but he sucks up his discomfort.

After the vows, stylist Mi-dal starts squealing for the groom to kiss the bride, which kicks off a relentless chant of, “Kiss her! Kiss her!†Both Anthony and Jin-jin look uncomfortable, but eventually Anthony caves to the pressure and gives Jin-jin a respectful peck on the cheek. Jin-jin is flustered, which Ji-won definitely notices.

 

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As a cute stunt, the show has Anthony, Ji-won, and a crew member dress up in giant animal costumes, and they challenge Jin-jin to put the wedding ring on the correct groom’s hand. Road manager Hong-hee worries that it’s too difficult, but CEO Jang and Mi-dal have confidence that Jin-jin can do it.

Jin-jin checks out each man’s hand carefully, then choses the pink bear in the middle. In her interview later, she says that she knew it was Anthony’s hand by the black mark he got from playing with a mechanical pencil as a boy. The pink bear is told to remove his mask, which he does… to reveal that it’s Ji-won in the bear suit.

 

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EPISODE 12 RECAP

When his manager shows up, Anthony tells her that he lost his ring the night before, and unfortunately, he’d been drinking and doesn’t remember much. Meanwhile, Jin-jin tells Mi-dal, who’s annoyed to hear that Anthony lost his wedding ring. Jin-jin tries to defend him, saying that it’s really just a prop.

Anthony is upset when he learns that his manager has arranged for an “accidental†run-in with Jin-jin at a restaurant, but she tells him to just eat with her since they’re already here. She fibs to Jin-jin that this was all Anthony’s idea, then pretends that she’s been called away, taking Mi-dal and leaving Jin-jin and Anthony alone.

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Jin-jin has a mini-internal freakout, wondering if this is supposed to be a date. Conversation is nearly nonexistent as they eat, since all Jin-jin can think to talk about is Anthony’s days as an idol, and he doesn’t seem to want to discuss himself.

When he comes home to Jin-jin’s parents’ place that evening, Ji-won is surprised to find Mom about to have dinner alone. He was expecting Anthony for dinner, and he wonders where everyone is.

Ever the gentleman, Anthony drives Jin-jin home, and the awkward silence in the car is deafening. Jin-jin agonizes over whether to open the car window or not, and Anthony doesn’t help since he just gives one-word answers to her questions. But after he drops her off, Anthony stares after Jin-jin for a long time.

 

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Excited at having had dinner with her oppa, Jin-jin doesn’t even wait for her elevator to arrive before she’s whipping her phone out to text Ah-reum and Young-shim. When the elevator comes, she’s joined by a very drunk man, but suddenly, Anthony shows up to escort her upstairs.

He doesn’t say a word, and just carefully positions himself between Jin-jin and the drunk passenger. The drunk man gets off on his floor, and the remainder of the elevator ride is as silent as the rest of the evening has been, but Jin-jin still grins quietly at Anthony’s gallant gesture.

Jin-jin floats off the elevator and into her parents’ apartment in a daze. Ji-won asks where she’s been so late, and his question snaps her out of it. She gushes at him about her dinner with Anthony, but Ji-won worries that it might cause a scandal if they’re seen in public together before the show is announced.

 

 

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Having been too nervous to eat, Jin-jin tells Ji-won that she’s starving. He makes ramyun, grinning as she digs into it heartily.

The following day, Young-shim goes to see the cleaning ajumma’s grandson at the juvenile detention center, and we learn that he conned people out of money by pretending to sell phones online. At first he refuses to speak to her, only snapping at her to go away and leave him there.

She tells him that it’s no skin off her nose to leave him, but that his grandmother will feel differently, since they only have each other. She asks if he’s eating and sleeping okay, or if he’s hurt, and her obvious concern gets through to him. He reaches into his pocket and slides her a folded piece of paper.

 

====Read more: http://www.dramabeans.com/2017/10/20th-century-boy-and-girl-episodes-11-12/

 

 

COMMENTS

This love triangle is really interesting to me, because I think I’ve finally figured out Anthony’s purpose in the story. Jin-jin obviously has no real feelings for him beyond her fangirl adoration, which she knows isn’t real love, and her feelings for Ji-won are so obvious it’s almost painful to watch. I think I’ve misjudged Anthony by thinking that his discomfort around Jin-jin is because he doesn’t like her for some reason, but now I believe that he just sees her as a symbol of his own failure to succeed after his idol days.

I think that he originally went on We Got Married to revive his career, but Jin-jin’s openness about being his fan keeps reminding him that he’s an aged idol who hasn’t been able to make a real break into acting, which is what I think is really causing his discomfort around her. I like Anthony, because he seems like a sweet, thoughtful man, especially around his family. But he clams up so hard around Jin-jin, it’s still confusing to try to figure out what’s going on in his head.

 

He does seem to hold a bit of affection for her, at least to the point that he does things like taking her to her door after their awfully uncomfortable not-a-date, but I don’t think it goes much beyond that (at least not at this point). I don’t think Anthony will be a true rival for Jin-jin’s affections, both because she and Ji-won are already so smitten with each other, and because I think that Anthony’s journey will be more about his own quest for fame. Whether he ends up with a career revival from knowing Jin-jin, or whether he decides that he’d rather do it on his own merits, it’s my feeling that what Anthony will be taking away from his association with Jin-jin will be more about finding himself than finding love.

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I feel bad for Ji-won, because he’s in such an awkward position. He probably wants to be jealous of the man who gets to be Jin-jin’s husband, even just for a TV show, but he can’t because that man also happens to be his beloved big brother. It was so evident at breakfast, when he was making grumpy faces while Mom was talking about Jin-jin bringing home her “husband,†yet when she invited Anthony as his brother, he was proud to accept. I just love that about Ji-won, that he won’t let even his love for Jin-jin mar his feelings for his brother, and it’s just another point in Ji-won’s favor, as far as I’m concerned. He will always choose love over any negative emotions, and I love him all the more for that.

For me, the best thing about Jin-jin and Ji-won as a potential couple is how their small moments together mean so much. Rather than needing big, flashy gestures to create a romantic atmosphere, what matters to them are the tiny beats, the normal everyday things they do for each other that can happen with anyone. Wrapping a sore wrist, straightening a tie, catching a bug, even just sitting and reading together—these things aren’t special in and of themselves. What makes those moments important isn’t what’s happening, but who they’re happening with. For Ji-won and Jin-jin, having each other to do those things with means everything.

For a rom-com, this show still manages to get me right in the feels at some point in every episode (and I should point out that the amazing OST has a lot to do with that). Jin-jin and her mom’s fight, Ji-won’s loss of his father at a young age, even Young-shim learning that the ajumma who screams at her every day goes around telling people how kind she is to her. It takes me by surprise every time, but I love that, because the warm fuzzies I get every time someone receives a gesture of love make me feel so unexpectedly happy. In a world where it’s sometimes hard to stay positive about your fellow man, it’s nice to have a reminder that people are still essentially good, and that love is the most precious gift you can give to another person.

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Edited by FranCella
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  • 20th Century Boy and Girl: Episodes 13-1420thcentury1314-00040a.jpg

 

Of all the different kinds of love portrayed in this drama, I think that the love between Jin-jin and her friends is probably my favorite. They seem to know each other’s needs without having to ask, whether it’s support, laughter, or just a new handbag to cheer up a friend on a rough day. That’s not to say that there isn’t plenty of romance in this episode as well, as the brothers step up their game and Jin-jin suddenly finds herself spoiled for choice.

 

EPISODE 13: “P.S. I Love Youâ€

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Ji-won watches Jin-jin sleep, after having been locked in her room together all evening. Eventually her brother Min-ho comes looking for them and lets Ji-won out. Ji-won closes Jin-jin’s door and whispers goodnight, and in the dark, Jin-jin hiccups. She’s been awake the whole time, and Ji-won looks back at her sadly, almost as if he knows.

Jin-jin’s mother makes Ji-won’s bed the next morning, chattering about the seasons changing and getting older. Ji-won asks if people believe her when she says she’s Jin-jin’s mother, since she looks more like her sister, and his shameless flattery earns him the promise of his favorite breakfast tomorrow.

 

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After Mom leaves, Ji-won spots a box in Jin-jin’s closet marked “Four Bongos.†Inside he finds a treasure trove of keepsakes from their school days, and the jackpot, the notebook that the Bongos used to write notes back and forth every day.

While riding the elevator to her apartment, Jin-jin backs into a corner to avoid the CCTV cameras and unsnaps her bra. She’s got it off by the time she gets home, and she tosses it onto the couch just as Ji-won walks in the connecting door. He sees the discarded bra, and he makes a valiant effort to look anywhere but at Jin-jin’s liberated chest as she swans over to sit on her bra with all the dignity of royalty. OMG, this is hysterical.

 

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Ji-won turns his back and stammers an apology, holding up the Bongos notebook to explain why he burst in without knocking. Jin-jin tells him to wait, then scurries to her bedroom to put her bra back on so they can look at the notebook together.

Young-shim arrives home from work to find her father drunk and demanding food, but he’s in a good mood for once because he’s landed a job as a security guard. Looking embarrassed, Young-shim avoids her parents on her way to her room.

Jin-jin and Ji-won get over their awkwardness and look through the old Bongos notebook, laughing at the funny pictures and notes. Talk turns to an old snack stand that had a poster of the movie Titanic, which reminds Jin-jin that Leonardo DiCaprio’s new movie is out.

 

===Read more: http://www.dramabeans.com/2017/11/20th-century-boy-and-girl-episodes-13-14/

 

 

 

COMMENTS

LOL, the trip-and-land-in-a-kiss move is such an old trope that I can’t help but laugh, because we all know that in reality, that situation would end in broken noses, not accidentally romantic kisses. But this drama somehow manages to dish out all the familiar tropes without making me annoyed with them, probably because the characters are just so darn cute. Honestly, I’ll forgive any ridiculous setup if it ends with Ji-won and Jin-jin locking lips.

 

I’m worried now that Anthony is starting to show interest in Jin-jin, though he’s still closed-off enough that I can’t tell if that interest is romantic, or just that he finds her fascinating and he wants to get to know her better. The way Jin-jin and Ji-won are sparking so intensely at each other, I’m not really concerned about Anthony becoming a true rival for Jin-jin’s affections—I’m much more worried about what it will do to the brothers’ relationship if Anthony does become romantically interested in her. I can see Ji-won feeling compelled to step back and give Anthony a chance, if only because Anthony seems so lonely, which can’t have escaped Ji-won’s notice. Or if Ji-won doesn’t step back and the brothers end up fighting, which I’d hate to see happen. Anthony is at his most relaxed and comfortable around his siblings, and I don’t want anything to threaten their close relationship.

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I really enjoyed seeing more of Young-shim in this episode, because I think that she’s been sadly underutilized until now. I’m unfamiliar with Lee Sang-hee’s acting work, but I find her portrayal of Young-shim downright adorable, and I knew she’d be able to make me cry too, if it came to that. I wasn’t disappointed once we did get a chance to learn more about her, particularly since her story in this hour involved her relationship with her father—daddy/daughter love stories get me every time. To say that their relationship is strained would be a gross understatement, and it’s not as though her father has shown any kindness or interest in Young-shim in the past. He comes across as a very old-fashioned patriarchal type who probably loves his daughter very much, but feels let down that he never had a son.

He’s never been able to be emotionally close to Young-shim, even though we’ve seen a few moments that prove that he’s clearly proud of her. So to see her father push through those walls and reach out to Young-shim multiple times was so moving, because you get the feeling that it’s the hardest thing he’s ever done in his life. And her reaction, though understated, was just perfect—you could feel her longing to be closer to her father and her confusion as to how to make that happen. Having him be the first to make overtures was absolutely beautiful.

But by far my favorite scene was the one with Jin-jin and Ji-won in the elevator, when she said “I love you.†Yes, she was drunk and talking about the flower, but I’m a firm believer that drinking brings out the truth in people’s feelings. I’m convinced (and hopefully not just trying to convince myself) that on some level, Jin-jin was telling Ji-won how she really feels about him. And I loved his stunned reaction… he looked as though hearing those words from her, even under those circumstances, completely flipped his entire world upside-down. If Ji-won wasn’t in love with Jin-jin before that moment, there’s no doubt in my mind that he is now.

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Edited by FranCella
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  • love changed the title to MBC Drama "20th Century Boy and Girl" Kim Ji Suk & Han Ye Seul. *~The END~*

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